Severus felt a sense of calm descend over their household as the summer wore on.
As much calm as could be expected from the four of them anyway.
Despite Potter's initially concerning behavior, he seemed to be handling his breakup rather well ever since his discussion with Miss Bones.
Another thing Severus owed the young witch for he supposed.
Severus had not understood why Potter ended his relationship, as only a week before doing so he had stated he was happy with Frederick and becoming more physically intimate with him, but Potter had been unwilling to discuss it and Severus respected his privacy. Severus would not interfere in a situation that Potter was mature enough to handle himself. He would simply wait for Potter to disclose it with him, as he typically does once enough time has passed for him to organize his thoughts, and he would discuss it with him and share his opinion on the matter.
Sometimes parenting could be relatively simple; although typically, when it came to Potter, it was not.
Their household settled in to an easy enough routine; Severus brewed, Theodore studied, and Potter and Barty seemed determined to fill the house with as much lively energy as possible. Potter with his flying, a physical outlet that seemed rational as opposed to mania driven, and his constant plotting, some schemes that he discussed with Severus but likely many more that Severus would not discover until after the fact. And Barty was chipper as he was finally free, filling the quiet moments with his incessant chatter, a possible side effect of being forced in to complete silence for years at the hands of his fathers curse.
Severus was brewing Theodore's potion one afternoon, hiding away as he completed the task, when Theodore himself entered his office after knocking.
"Excuse me, sir? May I read in here?"
"You may," Severus told him. Theodore would hardly be a distraction to his process. Aside from his penchant for having Miss Granger as an overnight guest, he was a model housemate. Theodore was perhaps the only one in the house who hardly caused Severus any worry, unlike Potter and Barty who were unpredictable and creative in the many different ways he imagined them to be wrecking havoc.
"And as I have told you before, you also may call me Severus in our home," Severus reminded Theodore.
"Uh, okay, thanks." Theodore quickly closed the office door and settled gracefully in one of the oversized chairs by the bookshelf.
"Has Harry done something disruptive that has driven you to hiding?" Severus asked curiously as he continued dicing the onion roots the potion required.
"It's Barty actually," Theodore said. "He's expanding your basement sir." Severus was bemused as to how simple magic would be disturbing Theodore until the boy continued. "He's doing it with a sludge-hammer."
What?
Severus quickly dropped the silencing spell around his office for a moment and was immediately assaulted with a series of muffled banging noises coming from the downstairs.
"He says he likes the noise," Theodore explained with a scornful twist to his lips. "I told Harry, but he says he likes the noise too."
"Of course they do," Severus scowled briefly before deciding that it was Harry's house and he could take responsibility for his housemate destroying it. "Regardless, you are quite welcome to read within here whenever you feel the need," he assured Theodore.
"Thank you," Theodore said politely as he settled down in to the chair and opened his book. Severus glanced over and smirked at the title, 'Chemical Compounds in Astrophysics', a decidedly advanced muggle textbook.
Severus continued to work on his brew while Theodore read his book. The two of them made for peaceful cohabitants as they were immersed in their own quiet activities.
Eventually though Theodore stretched his arms out and watched Severus curiously.
"What are you working on?" he asked. Severus noted his hesitant tone, obviously worried that he was disturbing Severus.
As if the man did not brew much more complex potions with many more distractions for a career.
"It is your potion," Severus said calmly, determined to show Theodore that not all caretakers are brutes to be tiptoed around. "I am preparing the ingredients today so that I may begin the brew tomorrow."
"Oh."
Severus saw from the peripherals of his vision as Theodore tapped his index finger on his leg for a few moments, a nervous gesture born from a childhood filled with uncertainties.
"May I help you?"
Severus nearly said no, it was on the tip of his tongue to politely refuse his offer, but he hesitated. And he did so for multiple reasons.
The first being that Theodore, like Potter, truly had no family left. He had no adult in his life to confide in or lean on for guidance. And just as Severus was that adult for Potter, he should attempt to be it for Theodore as well. Also, as Severus had no idea where to begin finding common ground with the boy, sharing time in the lab would be an excellent first step.
The other reason was much more straightforward: the Dark Lord wanted Severus dead. And while Severus' child was in the middle of a war, it was not a reach for Severus to consider his own mortality. If he perished tomorrow, the recipes for Theodore and Potter's potions would be available, but there would be none that were experienced in brewing it. That was saying nothing to the heavily altered version of the Wolfsbane Potion that Severus prepares monthly for Lupin, sending it along with Black's portion of Potter's potion.
"Actually, yes," Severus said with what he hoped was an encouraging nod to Theodore. "In fact, how would you like to learn to brew a few different potions of my own creation?"
Theodore was no true prodigy when it came to potions, Lovegood would be Severus' first choice in the matter, but he was an intelligent child who was available to learn Severus' specific recipes and would be able to brew them adequately with enough training.
"Really?" Theodore maintained a polite mask, but no mask could cover the eager light that entered his eyes. "I would like that very much. Thank you sir!"
Severus smiled at Theodore and made space for him at his prep table.
"Scourgify your hands and we will get to work."
Severus spent the next few days carefully training Theodore. Theodore was no prodigy, but he was a curious boy with an eager thirst to learn and improve. There were many aspects to a person that determined their ability to thrive as a potioneer and Theodore carried many of them, and the ones he did not were not a current hindrance. Severus did not have to waste time teaching him the mathematical formulas required to calculate dosages, nor the way that ingredient sizes must be converted to different units of measurement as Theodore thankfully already had a strong grasp on those skills. Theodore also had an excellent memory, a sharpness in his gaze that caught mistakes, and a calm demeanor that amplified his abilities when brewing.
And though Theodore had no true creativity nor imagination for the invention and improvement of potions, it was scarcely a handicap as he merely needed to follow Severus' precise, and complex, recipes and calculate the serving sizes as he and Potter grew.
Severus had never taken an apprentice before, he had never even considered taking one on (aside from Miss Lovegood whom he was determined to push towards a Mastery in Potions) and yet he found himself to enjoy teaching Theodore. Simply put, he found himself enjoying spending time with Theodore in general.
The two of them slipped in to a companionable routine as Severus taught him. A routine that had gone unnoticed by their housemates until nearly a week had passed by.
"Hey Sev, have you seen- oh." Potter entered Severus' office but paused in the doorway. He narrowed his eyes at Theodore, who was stirring the asphodel in to the Wolfsbane Potion before turning an accusing look towards Severus. "What's going on?" he asked.
"Theodore is assisting me as I prepare Lupin's potion," Severus said. "What were you going to ask me?"
Potter scrunched his brows down, something about Severus' response bothering him.
"Never mind," he finally muttered with a dark look aimed at Theodore's back. "Enjoy your assistance."Potter slammed the door rather harshly behind him and Theodore sent Severus a bewildered look.
"What was that all about?" he asked.
Severus, who typically felt as if he had a rather strong grasp on 'Potter-ism's,' felt just as mystified as Theodore.
"I have no idea, but I am certain we will make sense of it eventually."
Because as much as Potter was a secretive, sly, and reticent teenager- he also had a much appreciated tendency to eventually divulge his problems with Severus.
Though, as the days wore on and Severus and Theodore continued to brew together, it was obvious what Potter's problem had been that day without him sharing it.
The fool child was jealous.
This became apparent as Potter began warily watching when Theodore transcribed recipes, notes, and formulas in the sitting room or they discussed potions over dinner.
"Swot," Potter murmured with a dark glare sent at his friend.
Theodore, for his part, accepted Potter's jealousy and rudeness with more grace than Severus would have at his age.
"Do you want to help Snape today?" Theodore asked him quietly one morning while Severus was (eavesdropping) in the hallway. "I don't have to help him."
"No." Severus could practically envision Potter rolling his eyes petulantly. "Snape doesn't like for me to be in his lab. He says I've got a reckless energy."
Which was quite true.
Potter was intelligent and creative, an excellent brewer, but he did not carry the calm temperament that would elevate his skills to a higher level.
"He doesn't talk to me much, not like he does you," Theodore assured Potter. Severus considered that briefly and realized it was also an honest statement, one given in an attempt to ease Potter's envy. Severus was much more verbally open around Potter, a habit long formed since they had first met and Potter would never share any detail of himself without Severus first sharing one. So Severus may not speak much with Theodore, but the boy spoke moderately more freely in his lab than he had before he began assisting Severus.
Severus listened as Theodore talked about his classes, chuckled at his outrage over the minimal electives that Hogwarts offered and agreed when he expressed a desire to see muggle sciences become incorporated in wixen education. Theodore also talked about his plans for after Hogwarts. Apparently he and Miss Granger were entertaining the idea of obtaining muggle masteries in different fields (Theodore in Aerospace Engineering and Granger in Pre-Law) before trying for their magical masteries (Theodore in Arithmancy and Granger in Ancient Runes). Once they reached those goals though, Theodore was unsure what he would do.
"I think exploring space would be interesting," he had said. "But I don't know if I'd want to work with muggles all the time."
Severus had understood his view on the matter. It was difficult to surround yourself daily with peers while hiding such a central part of yourself.
All in all, Theodore's quiet and carefully spoken thoughts were not unbearable in the lab and as he quickly picked up on the recipes and began his attempts at his own trial run of each potion. Severus found him to be acceptable company and an adequate replacement if he were ever unable to prepare the potions for those who required them. Severus was also pleased that this apprenticeship had allowed Theodore to relax more in his company. While he had never been as physically nervous, twitchy, as Potter used to be, he was simply meek around Severus in their home before now. Now Severus was seeing more of his personality and found him to be an intelligent young man with a rather endearing vulnerability that he masks behind dry wit and cynicism.
"I don't care what you guys talk about," Potter lied badly, bringing Severus' focus back on the conversation he was eavesdropping over. "I've got a lot more important things to do than sit around and be someone's fuckin' assistant."
Severus scoffed and continued down the hallway. Potter spent one third of his time training on his broomstick, swearing he would begin trying out professionally this year. He spent another third playing politics with Minister Fudge, meeting various political parties and discussing changes that Potter was pushing for within the ministry. And the rest of his time Severus was positive that Potter simply spent creating mischief with whichever one of his misfits he could find for various activities.
'A lot more important things to do,' indeed.
***
"I'm leaving," Potter called to Severus, who was seated in the sitting room one morning enjoying tearing apart a new Potions text with corrections and updates that the idiot publisher had missed.
"Be safe brat," he murmured, his sharp eyes gleeful as he spotted yet another obvious mistake.
Truly Severus wondered at the incompetency of some self proclaimed professionals. Though, as he had once been coworkers with Gilderoy Lockhart, perhaps it should not be so surprising.
"Don't you want to know where I'm going?"
Severus looked over at Potter and smirked at him. Potter was dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a grey long sleeved shirt with a teal A on the front. It was hardly an exercise in deduction as to his plans for the day.
"I would venture to say that either I need Narcissa to speak with you about proper attire, again, or you are attending a sporting event," Severus said sardonically.
"I'm going to watch the Arrows and Harpies game." Potter smiled blandly at Severus before tacking on, "With Sirius."
Severus snorted internally at Potter's obvious ploy here. He could not be more transparent if he screamed it:
Severus is spending time with Theodore, causing Potter to be jealous, so he will spend time with Black in an effort to provoke the same reaction in Severus.
Which, as terribly amusing as it was, would hardly work. Potter was a child, Severus an adult. An adult who had no reason to envy Black for going on an outing with Potter.
"I presume you will be supporting the Arrows?" Severus asked, attempting to show an interest in Potter's most beloved hobby and future career aspiration.
Potter sent a pointed look at his shirt before raising a brow at Severus in an irritating gesture to indicate 'what do you think?' that he learned from Severus himself.
"Then I hope that your team wins and you enjoy the time with your godfather."
Potter glowered at him for a short instance before he cleared his expression to one of disdainful boredom.
"Well, see you then," he said flatly.
Severus sighed after Potter left.
Petty.
Potter was quite petty in his attempts to make Severus jealous.
Severus returned to his book with much less enthusiasm than he previously had as his disobedient mind kept imagining Potter and Black bonding at a quidditch match.
It was hardly Severus' fault that the only quidditch games he could bear watching were ones that Potter himself participated in. Quidditch matches that he was watching of Potter's long before Black had came in to the picture. Black who Severus was treating medicinally to ensure he even had the presence of mind to have outings with Potter.
He scoffed lightly at the thought that Potter could even imagine Severus would be jealous of Sirius fucking Black.
He absolutely was not.
Though at lunch that afternoon he mentioned to Barty that perhaps he could offer to fly with Potter, as he knew Barty enjoyed flying quite a bit.
And if it carried the pleasant result that perhaps Potter would not become too enamored with Black then all the better.
"I don't understand why you reduce the flame beneath the cauldron before you add the belladonna seeds but not before you add the Jobberknoll saliva?"
"Here, let me show you."
Severus grabbed the parchment from Theodore and began carefully scrawling out the differing equations he had calculated when he developed the Lithium Potion.
"See-"
"Dislocated shoulder, I embarrassed him in front of his coworkers when I was 9."
Severus and Theodore looked up from the table they covered in parchments at Barty's entrance in the kitchen, followed by a grinning Potter.
"First time? Pft," Potter scoffed, showing no attention to the curious duo at the table. "I was four the first time I had mine dislocated and I don't remember what it was for."
"Alright, well have you ever been locked in your bedroom for three days straight?" Barty asked Potter, plucking an orange from the counter and digging his nails in to the peel. "I only got to leave to use the bathroom, a house elf popped in with my meals."
"You got a bedroom? And bathroom breaks? And meals?" Potter laughed mockingly with his head buried in the pantry. "Try a cupboard for over a week at a time; no food and a bucket to piss in."
"What??" Theodore gaped at Potter as Barty sighed dramatically and Severus frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"It's a game," Potter said coolly, now digging in the pantry and tossing various packages to Barty. "One I'm winning."
"It's 7-3 now," Barty protested. "I can still make a comeback."
"Perhaps you could explain this game to me," Severus suggested with a raised brow. He knew Potter had taken a recent shinning to Barty, one that Severus had encouraged a few days ago. Yet when he suggested it, he had not anticipated how much time the pair was willing to spent together as he considered them to have more differences than similarities.
Potter was a rash 'act first and think second' young man who found a thrill in life threatening situations and maneuvered his way through social situations with outward ease. Barty had a much more inquisitive and logical view of the world and preferred books to people, a sentiment Severus reverently shared. Severus had only suggested they fly together because he knew that it was the only thing they had a shared interest in.
Though apparently beyond merely flying, the two of them carried a fondness of all sports that Severus and Theodore did not. Barty enjoyed applying his analytical mind to different physical aspects to analyze the results, and Potter simply enjoyed exercising it seemed. They were also both terribly competitive. It was this competitive edge and enthusiasm for sports that had them outdoors most afternoons, arguing and debating as they flew, threw around various muggle sporting equipment, and on one memorable occasion they had somehow acquired a 'bench press' (a muggle machine that Severus had never seen before) and Severus had to repair a tear in Barty's shoulder socket while Potter smirked smugly.
And now it also seemed almost as if they had created a game out of-
"Who had the worst childhood," Barty said, answering the question that Potter ignored as he opened a package of biscuits and tossed a few to Potter. "You guys want in?"
"No," Theodore said immediately. "That sounds barbaric."
Severus privately agreed with the boy, though he was curious how Barty got Potter to share even snippets of his abusive childhood.
"How did this game begin?" he asked them neutrally.
"Barty said it was cathartic to kill his Dad, because he made his childhood terrible," Potter said as he slyly stole half of a snack cake from Barty's hand. "And I said 'bet mine was worse', and here we are. I'm winning."
"You made a game from being abused as a child??" Theodore asked, his voice laced with the same surprise that his bulging brown eyes betrayed.
"I was not 'abused'," Potter glowered at him while Barty nodded in agreement beside him. "Loads of people have crummy childhoods, we're just seeing whose was worse."
Theodore glanced shiftily at Severus, who shook his head subtly. They could hardly force Barty and Potter to acknowledge that their 'crummy childhoods' were actually categorically abusive.
"Gotta go," Potter said abruptly, his arms loaded with boxes of snacks. "Barty's teaching me muggle football."
Severus and Theodore stared as the two of them rushed back out the back door to the yard.
"Do we... do we stop them?" Theodore asked uncertainly.
"No," Severus decided. "At least they are talking."
Theodore nodded, but he still looked unsure as the two of them returned to their research.
"Hey, which is worse- being told your parents abandoned you or being told you were a mistake?"
Theodore gawked at Potter at the question, but Severus was begrudgingly becoming accustomed to playing referee in Potter and Barty's 'game'.
"Yours," he said after careful consideration, already being well aware of which statement belonged to which pitiable player. "Being told your parents abandoned you also implies that you were a mistake."
"Ha!" Potter laughed as he slammed Severus' office door behind him. "18-12!"
"Professor?"
"Yes Theodore?"
"Are they..." Theodore hesitated to find the proper way to word his question. "Are they mad?"
"Undoubtedly."
Severus had initially been relieved to have Potter and Barty finding a mutual way to discuss their uniquely horrifying childhoods and possibly become support for each other. However, the longer they carried on their competition, the less amusing Severus found it.
"You only spent one night outside? Barty, mate, try three years, yeah?"
"22-19."
"My Father held me under the Imperio for ten years Harry. Ten. Years."
"Yeah alright, fine. 36-28."
"I tried to not make friends because I thought they'd all see the monster in me that my Father did."
"I knocked Snape out cold in a playground because I thought he was trying to attack me or kill me when he was trying to deliver my acceptance letters."
"Sev, which is worse?"
"I refuse to participate in this macabre game any further," Severus grumbled, both irritated and concerned at this point.
"Theo?"
"Uh..." Theodore tapped on his leg as his eyes flicked between Potter and Barty. "They're both pretty messed up."
"We'll call that one a tie then," Barty said.
Potter scowled and took a vicious stab at his carrots with a fork.
Severus had truly never realized how competitive his ward was.
"You can't be serious," Barty laughed at Potter during lunch after roughly a week of their continuous 'game'. "I actually joined the Death Eaters to get away from my father!"
"ENOUGH!" Severus slammed his hand on the table and withheld his fissure of guilt from showing as the three other occupants jumped rather more than was normal at his action.
"Enough," he repeated, much more calmly. "What is the current score?"
"49-30 in Harry's favor," Theodore replied quietly.
"Harry wins," Severus said curtly. "No more."
Potter, in what may have been the greatest moment of misplaced pride that Severus had ever seen, smiled victoriously.
"Told you I'd win," he smirked at Barty.
"Fine." Barty scowled petulantly for a moment before brightening. "Airball tomorrow?"
Potter nodded eagerly while Severus and Theodore shared sighs of relief at the end of the single most disturbing competition to exist.
***
Despite his closer relationship with Barty, ven once Severus and Theodore finished stocking up on potions for the year and went back to their own individual hobbies, Potter was still an insufferable housemate. The child was filled with sarcastic retorts and a roll of his eyes any time Severus and Theodore dared be in the same room together. Severus finally snapped at Potter for his childish behavior one afternoon near the end of summer.
"Cease this foolish behavior at once," Severus barked after Potter had blatantly ignored Theodore when he had asked him about his plans for the evening. "You will be respectful to the rest of us who cohabitate with you!"
Barty and Theodore sucked in shocked breaths as Potter's initially startled expression morphed in to a sharp look of contempt.
Damn Potter for mimicking Severus' facial expressions then using them against him.
"Or what?"
"Excuse me?"
"Or what?" Potter repeated. "That's how you threaten someone, sir. You say 'you will be respectful to the rest of us OR then you come up with a good threat." Potter smiled innocently, an expression almost as discomforting as his glower was. "You know like-" Potter hissed something indecipherable in Parsletongue, though contextually it was obviously a threat of some type.
Theodore and Barty looked back and forth between Severus and Potter, their eyes flicking as ones would if they cared to watch a muggle tennis match.
"You are behaving like a child and treating your friend poorly," Severus said cooly. "I expected better of you."
"Fuckin' same," Potter sneered.
"Language Harry!"
Potter kicked his chair back and got to his feet angrily.
"I'm not watching my fucking language. Have fun with your stupid potions."
Severus sighed as Potter stormed away. He was certain there was a better way he could have handled that situation, though damn if he could see it in the moment.
"Phew," Barty let out a long whistle. "I'm starting to feel glad that I never wound up becoming a teacher. Merlin forbid I have to deal with teenagers."
"You spent an entire year masquerading as Professor Moody?" Theodore pointed out.
"Yeah but that was just acting," Barty said. "I was only acting to be Moody. And he's not one to deal with feuding students. He'd just curse them and call it a day."
Which was both true and an interesting option.
One Severus occluded right out of his mind before the idea of stunning his child for the remainder of the summer became too enticing.
"Want me to go tell him that we aren't even brewing today?" Theodore said.
"No," Severus waved away his offer wearily. "I will go speak with him. Enjoy your date with Miss Granger."
Theodore and Barty both gave Severus sympathetic looks as he followed after Potter to find him in his room.
"Harry, may I come in?"
"Oh." Potter was seated on the sofa in his bedroom and rolled his eyes at Severus. "I mean Theo isn't in here if that's who you're looking for."
Severus bit back the reply that he clearly was not seeking Theodore, as they were both aware that he was downstairs, and instead moved slightly more in the room, lingering near the doorway though once he saw Potter's snake slithering around the child's feet.
"It is you I would like to speak with," he said evenly. "I believe that my actions have upset you."
"I am not upset," Potter scoffed. "I'm just sick of hearing about potions all the time. Don't you get bored of it? That's all you do all year, then all summer."
Truthfully? No. Severus quite enjoyed all aspects and every facet of creating potions.
"Sometimes," he lied. "I apologize if we have been bothering you with our discussions. I would be willing to limit any 'potions talk' to my office if you would prefer."
"'We', 'our'," Potter curled his upper lip. "I'm so happy you found a new best friend."
It took everything that Severus had to refrain from chuckling. He likely would have if Potter had not seemed so genuinely irate.
"Theodore is not my 'best friend'," Severus said once he was quite sure his voice would not quiver with any suppressed laughter. "Are you genuinely concerned that I have replaced you with Theodore?"
"No."
Clearly.
Severus would not ask Theodore to cease assisting him, but it was hardly fair to hold Potter's emotions against him either. Severus had to remind himself that Potter recently ended his relationship with Frederick and may be experiencing feelings of anxiety of his place within others lives.
Which was not a sentiment Severus discovered on his own, but rather one Lupin shared with him when he previously discussed Potter's behavior when he delivered Black's monthly potion.
The Wolf having finally offered a piece of advice to show that Severus' funding towards his education on psychology had not been misplaced.
"Harry, you are entirely irreplaceable in my life," Severus said both truthfully and ironically. As if any soul alive could replace Harry Potter. "As you are aware, the potions I make for you, your godfather, and Lupin are all unique and if I am ever indisposed someone will need to brew them. Someone who will not be entirely consumed in politics, duels, and death," he added with a roll of his eyes when Potter looked ready to volunteer for the position.
"That's fine, I don't care." Potter sniffed haughtily when he said it, but Severus thought he perhaps appeared mildly more comforted. "I'm sure Theo's a better brewer than I am anyway."
"You would be my best student if you had the virtue of patience," Severus said drily. "Theodore is merely more patient than you are, and quieter."
"Pft." Potter leaned across the couch to pet 'Stevie', the giant serpent appearing as if a docile house pet the way it interacted with its owner. "Well then 'Theodore' can be the official Potioneer for the gang if you ever died, which you won't."
Severus smirked at Potter's confidence that he would survive the war. He wished he could share that sentiment, but with Severus' death being just as likely to come at the hands of a stroke he would hardly lie to him either.
"And if I do then I shall rest easy knowing that for the low price of earning your displeasure for a few weeks, you will not lack treatment for your mental illness," Severus said calmly. "I will also rest easier knowing that you have Theodore here to assist you as he is a loyal friend who cares for you quite a bit, despite the poor way you have been treating him."
Potter bit his lip for a moment. His eyes were focused on his pet, but Severus would wager that there was a flash of guilt in them.
"Well if I die first then I'll rest easy knowing Theo's here to hang out with you," he eventually said. "But really I think we should all just try and live forever, yeah?"
"Dear God I cannot think of anything worse. A never ending eternity of idiot first years exploding cauldrons in my classroom?" Severus shuddered for dramatic effect, pulling a small chuckle from Potter.
"I apologize," Potter said after a moment. "I dunno why I snapped off like that. It's just... it's been a long summer, hasn't it?"
"It has certainly been eventful," Severus agreed.
Potter looked over at Severus, where he was still standing in the doorway, and offered him a faint grin. Not his true smile, but the best that Severus has gotten in some time from the temperamental brat.
"Maybe next summer Timmy and his followers will all be dead and we can just take a vacation, yeah?"
Severus nodded in fervent agreement.
"Perhaps you and I will visit some terribly private island next summer. You could fly above the ocean and I-"
"Will be making potions because you have an addiction," Potter laughed, his expression brightening at the image Severus painted. "Just you and me?"
Severus gave him a solemn nod as he promised, "The moment the Dark Lord is dead, you and I will go on a vacation."
"Brill," Potter smiled.
And this time it was his true smile.
***
Potter's childish jealousy at the time Severus spent with Theodore was abruptly, and entirely, forgiven one morning as summer came close to an end. Potter's tiny grey owl flew through the open window of the kitchen, landing on Potter's shoulder, and dropped three envelopes off on the table for presentation.
"Look Mione," Potter laughed, waving one of the letters in his hand, "Hogwarts sent your school list here!"
Severus' eyes bulged in momentary horror as he saw that Minerva had indeed sent Miss Granger's supply list for the upcoming year to their address.
Merlin.
How was he meant to explain that when Minerva undoubtedly brought it up?
'Of course I am a competent guardian to Theodore, Miss Granger simply sleeps on the sofa.'
Minerva would never believe such a thing, Severus certainly wouldn't if he heard it.
"Oh my God!" Granger squealed happily as she pulled a navy and bronze prefects badge from her envelope. "I'm prefect!"
"Congratulations!" Barty said, pleased for the girls accomplishment. "You've officially eclipsed me and Sev in power as a student."
Son of a bitch.
Severus had forgotten that prefect badges would be delivered along with the supply lists.
He had forgotten to prepare Potter for them to be delivered. An alarming oversight on his part. He had no idea how the child was going to react when-
"What the fuck?"
Potter blinked at the green Slytherin badge he pulled from his own envelope.
What the fuck? Severus echoed Potter's statement in his own mind.
"You- you made me prefect?" he asked Severus. Severus calculated his answer quickly as he saw the shock and excitement in Potter's eyes.
"It certainly appears so," he said carefully.
"Not-" Potter hesitated and glanced quickly at Theodore, who politely busied himself with congratulating Granger. "Not anyone else?" Potter asked rather diplomatically when his true question had been rather obvious.
"You are the male prefect for the fifth year Slytherin's," Severus said, choosing his words with exceeding care. "Congratulations."
Potter beamed as he looked down at the badge.
"Thank you," he said earnestly. "You won't regret it!"
Severus inclined his head in acknowledgment as Potter and Granger rushed off to discover if Longbottom or Bones had also been chosen, leaving Severus alone with Barty and a very quiet Theodore.
"It's fine," Theodore said quietly, looking down at the table meekly. "Harry's top of our year. I can see why you chose him."
Severus, who now knew that Theodore harbored wishes of being Head Boy his seventh year alongside Miss Granger who he believed would be Head Girl, felt a terrible wave of guilt course through him.
"I chose you."
Theodore's head snapped up at that and he scrutinized Severus incredulously. His forehead crinkled in confusion as he read the truth in Severus' eyes.
"But Harry got the badge?" he said, making the obvious statement a question.
"He did," Severus said quietly, unwilling for Potter to overhear his confession. "And yet I chose you."
"But... but why?"
Severus merely hummed in response. He was quite sure what it meant that Albus awarded Potter the badge instead of Theodore, who Severus truly had chosen as prefect, though he would prefer to keep it to himself at present time.
It meant that Albus has not entirely given up hope of dragging Potter to his side and using him in the coming war.