FIC: By the Old Gramophone [Harry/Severus - PG]
Title: By the Old Gramophone
Author/Artist: me_midget
Pairing(s): Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Prompt: 68 - " Harry/Severus. A baby is left on the doorstep of Severus Snape's Potions shoppe on Christmas Eve, and Auror Harry Potter, who has no one to go home to, is assigned to find the parents."
Word Count: 1,700
Rating: PG
Contains (Highlight to view): *Former relationship between Harry & Severus*
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: A big, big thank you goes to drachenmina for beta'ing my fic. And I wish her and all of you the happiest holidays!
Summary: Harry was hoping for a nice and quiet Christmas Eve. Just him, some Christmas tunes and a drink. But his plans for the night are destroyed when someone comes knocking at his door and drags in snow… amongst other things.
It was Christmas Eve and soft Christmas music was playing on an old gramophone. Flames flickered in the fireplace and fairy lights were tinkling away in a Christmas tree in the corner. Harry had fallen into light slumber when a loud knock at the door made him jerk up awake in his chair. When he opened the door, a bundle was thrust into his arms and Severus Snape marched past him into his house, dragging in snow. Before Harry had the chance to complain, though, the bundle started wailing. Naturally, he almost dropped it. Holding on tight, he pushed part of the blanket aside to peek at what lay behind. A Mandrake maybe? No. Baby. The fuck?
"Why the hell am I holding a baby in my arms?" Harry asked, walking into the living room, where Severus was pouring himself a glass of Odgen's. A big one.
"Because I handed it to you."
Harry rolled his eyes. Answers like that were precisely the reason he and Severus weren't together anymore. That and Severus' obsession with pointing out how he was too old and bitter for Harry. "And why did you? Where did it come from?"
"The general mechanics shouldn't be that foreign to you," Severus said and downed his glass. "But in this case, I found it on my doorstep."
Harry didn't say it, but that actually was a relief. "What? Why would somebody put a baby on your doorstep?"
"How would I know, Potter?" That had been a point of contention as well. Harry didn't want to be 'Potter' to Severus, he wanted to be 'Harry'. So many reasons for their break up. And so many reasons why Harry's heart thudded like mad whenever Severus was around.
"Okay then. Unknown baby by unknown mother put on your doorstep without your knowledge."
"Precisely, Potter," Severus said, completely missing Harry's admittedly feeble attempt at sarcasm.
"Thank you." Harry shifted the baby in his arms, wondering how it was possible that the little thing had fallen asleep with all of this harping. If he hadn't heard the wee thing scream just minutes ago, he'd think Severus had used a spell or a potion on it before bringing it here. Though, of course, Harry would then only have to wait half an hour or so before he’d be able to gloat about how very ineffective those were for babies (nor were they advisable in general). "Why did you bring it here, then?"
"Where else was I supposed to go? You're the one with experience regarding babies."
"So are Hermione and Ginny, for example, or Mrs Weasley. The first two actually have babies of their own, you know."
"No. Going to them was out of the question. They're... No. You, on the other hand, you I can handle." It was almost a compliment, coming from Severus.
"Severus, last time I took care of a baby was when Teddy was little. He's almost eleven now."
"You were able to do it once, you can do it now." The baby chose that moment to wake up again with a cry. "Oh Merlin, again?"
"Babies do that," Harry said and tried to remember what he'd done with Teddy. Only he hadn't been Teddy's full time caregiver - he’d split Teddy's guardianship with Andromeda, Teddy's grandmother, who’d taken care of the lion's share of the work. He rocked the baby back and forth, racking his brain for pointers. What did babies need? Food, sleep, dry bums and love. Okay. Since the poor little thing had been abandoned, it was already lacking in the love department, but cuddling ought to help with that. And since it was awake, maybe it had already slept enough. Which left... Harry raised the baby and sniffed where the nappy must be.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing?"
"Checking if the baby needs its nappy changed."
"We haven't got any nappies."
"I can see that. Thankfully, we don't need them yet. Which leaves just one explanation for the crying: the baby is hungry."
"Don't you have milk?" Severus asked, completely exasperated.
"You can't give a baby normal milk." Slowly, everything he'd learned about babies was starting to come back to him. Before Teddy had stayed with him, Harry had made sure to read all the baby books he could find, out of fear he might do something wrong. Hermione had, of course, helped with the research. "They need formula. Which means you need to go to the store and -" Imagining Severus in the baby aisle just didn't work and Harry honestly didn't want to do that to the poor shop assistant whose only fault would be to be working on Christmas Eve. He wasn't that cruel. "Okay, no, I'll go. You watch the baby."
"What?"
Harry carefully handed the baby off to Severus. "Watch the baby. Rock it or something. I'll be back as soon as possible."
There wasn't much time to wonder about the situation - once he arrived in the corner store, Harry had to focus and remember what the hell was needed to take care of a baby. The bored, gum-chewing assistant didn't bat an eye at Harry's harassed look and just rattled off the total, eyes half glued to her phone, which was beeping constantly. Occasionally her fingers would fly over the screen in rapid, jerking motions.
When Harry returned to his house, the baby was no longer screaming, but Severus looked like he'd run a marathon.
"What took you so long?"
Harry just gave him a look. He wasn't the one who’d barged in on someone's Christmas Eve. The way to prepare and heat formula came back to him as if no time had passed since he’d had to feed Teddy last-he was particularly proud the sterilising charm came off without a hitch- and soon enough the baby was suckling away at a bottle while Harry sat on the couch, looking at Severus questioningly.
"Why didn't you take the baby to St. Mungo's?"
The look Severus gave him screamed ‘as if that wasn't bloody obvious’. But to Harry it wasn't. "Christmas at St. Mungo’s is as chaotic as it can get. Children setting themselves on fire when their magic bursts out of them uncontrolled in the excitement of seeing the Christmas tree. Men sitting on benches in the spell damage ward, because they drunkenly tried to hex each other over the honour of their mother, sister, wife, aunt or whatever. And don't even get me started on the rest of the family. In St. Mungo's, a baby like this would simply fall through the cracks. No illness, no harm done, save the fact that it was abandoned on Christmas Eve. They would put it in a cot and that would be it."
Harry nodded slowly. It did make sense. He'd seen what St. Mungo’s was like on Christmas Eve when he'd been unfortunate enough to have to work during the holidays- and maybe Severus was right. "Why not go to the Aurors then? They could start looking for the mother. Or the father."
"With all your experience, do you really think the Aurors of all people would have time for that? Besides, it's one of the reasons I came to you. You are an Auror after all."
Harry sighed. He’d really wished Severus might have had another, better reason to come visit him. Truth be told, he missed that snarky bastard. Loved him, even. While living and being with him had proven impossible, the feelings remained. "Okay, I've had enough of calling the baby 'it'. Besides, judging from the smell, the baby is ready for a nappy change now." Unceremoniously, he handed the baby to Severus, who looked at him with slight panic in his eyes, and went to get everything needed for the nappy change.
While wiping and cleaning and wrapping what turned out to be a baby boy, he asked: "How come you knew I'd be home tonight?"
"You always take Christmas off and stay at home while Teddy is with his grandmother. The two of them visit you on Christmas morning and then everyone traipses over to the Weasleys' for coffee, cake and dinner. But Christmas Eve you always spend here." The word 'alone' hung in the air just then, almost so strong that Harry could feel it. But he liked how peaceful Christmas Eve usually felt, how he could relax just for one evening.
Harry hummed his understanding, then transfigured a stool into a crib and put the little boy inside. Soon enough, the baby was asleep again. This time hopefully for a bit longer.
"Care for a hot toddy?"
Severus nodded and followed Harry into the kitchen. It was strange how years after they'd broken up, having Severus here could feel so natural. Maybe Severus noted that, too. He wanted to say something, anything, really, but whatever came to mind seemed trivial. He knew how Severus had been, knew how the shop was going - after all, their community wasn't too big and Harry liked to keep tabs on people anyway. George had proven a particularly good source of information on what was going on in Diagon Alley. Harry wanted to ask how Severus' Christmas had been so far, but knew Severus didn't much care for Christmas. Besides, he had obviously been at home when the little boy had been dropped at his door.
Just as Harry turned around to ask how sweet Severus wanted his toddy, Severus said: "I've been thinking about you."
Had Harry had anything in his hands, he would have dropped it. "I... Have you?"
"It's the reason I came here immediately," Severus admitted, and Harry saw how much it cost him to be so honest. "Maybe it's my age, maybe it's bloody bleeding Christmas, but I just can't shake you from my mind."
Harry swallowed hard. "What are you saying? That you want to give it another go?"
Severus was silent for a moment, as if he was looking for the right words. "If you're willing... Yes. I know we were far from perfect and I know I will have to work on... Things."
"You know we ended it because it wasn't working for either of us. Because we both were idiots."
"Yes, but that was years ago. And I was hoping we'd both evolved... I'm trying. And I will be trying more."
Harry saw the honest plea in Severus’ eyes. Never before had Severus been this open about his feelings and intentions. Maybe he should give this a go. After all... "Yes. Okay."
It was probably not one of the most romantic declarations, but they weren't the most romantic people on the planet. Hesitantly, Harry moved forward and embraced Severus. Their lips met halfway, finding familiar ground. It was like coming home.
Years later, on another Christmas Eve, the baby boy - now called Benjamin - was old enough to hear the story of how his daddy and his papa had come to be his parents. They called him their Christmas miracle.
******
The End
Happy Holidays!
Author/Artist: me_midget
Pairing(s): Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Prompt: 68 - " Harry/Severus. A baby is left on the doorstep of Severus Snape's Potions shoppe on Christmas Eve, and Auror Harry Potter, who has no one to go home to, is assigned to find the parents."
Word Count: 1,700
Rating: PG
Contains (Highlight to view): *Former relationship between Harry & Severus*
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: A big, big thank you goes to drachenmina for beta'ing my fic. And I wish her and all of you the happiest holidays!
Summary: Harry was hoping for a nice and quiet Christmas Eve. Just him, some Christmas tunes and a drink. But his plans for the night are destroyed when someone comes knocking at his door and drags in snow… amongst other things.
It was Christmas Eve and soft Christmas music was playing on an old gramophone. Flames flickered in the fireplace and fairy lights were tinkling away in a Christmas tree in the corner. Harry had fallen into light slumber when a loud knock at the door made him jerk up awake in his chair. When he opened the door, a bundle was thrust into his arms and Severus Snape marched past him into his house, dragging in snow. Before Harry had the chance to complain, though, the bundle started wailing. Naturally, he almost dropped it. Holding on tight, he pushed part of the blanket aside to peek at what lay behind. A Mandrake maybe? No. Baby. The fuck?
"Why the hell am I holding a baby in my arms?" Harry asked, walking into the living room, where Severus was pouring himself a glass of Odgen's. A big one.
"Because I handed it to you."
Harry rolled his eyes. Answers like that were precisely the reason he and Severus weren't together anymore. That and Severus' obsession with pointing out how he was too old and bitter for Harry. "And why did you? Where did it come from?"
"The general mechanics shouldn't be that foreign to you," Severus said and downed his glass. "But in this case, I found it on my doorstep."
Harry didn't say it, but that actually was a relief. "What? Why would somebody put a baby on your doorstep?"
"How would I know, Potter?" That had been a point of contention as well. Harry didn't want to be 'Potter' to Severus, he wanted to be 'Harry'. So many reasons for their break up. And so many reasons why Harry's heart thudded like mad whenever Severus was around.
"Okay then. Unknown baby by unknown mother put on your doorstep without your knowledge."
"Precisely, Potter," Severus said, completely missing Harry's admittedly feeble attempt at sarcasm.
"Thank you." Harry shifted the baby in his arms, wondering how it was possible that the little thing had fallen asleep with all of this harping. If he hadn't heard the wee thing scream just minutes ago, he'd think Severus had used a spell or a potion on it before bringing it here. Though, of course, Harry would then only have to wait half an hour or so before he’d be able to gloat about how very ineffective those were for babies (nor were they advisable in general). "Why did you bring it here, then?"
"Where else was I supposed to go? You're the one with experience regarding babies."
"So are Hermione and Ginny, for example, or Mrs Weasley. The first two actually have babies of their own, you know."
"No. Going to them was out of the question. They're... No. You, on the other hand, you I can handle." It was almost a compliment, coming from Severus.
"Severus, last time I took care of a baby was when Teddy was little. He's almost eleven now."
"You were able to do it once, you can do it now." The baby chose that moment to wake up again with a cry. "Oh Merlin, again?"
"Babies do that," Harry said and tried to remember what he'd done with Teddy. Only he hadn't been Teddy's full time caregiver - he’d split Teddy's guardianship with Andromeda, Teddy's grandmother, who’d taken care of the lion's share of the work. He rocked the baby back and forth, racking his brain for pointers. What did babies need? Food, sleep, dry bums and love. Okay. Since the poor little thing had been abandoned, it was already lacking in the love department, but cuddling ought to help with that. And since it was awake, maybe it had already slept enough. Which left... Harry raised the baby and sniffed where the nappy must be.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing?"
"Checking if the baby needs its nappy changed."
"We haven't got any nappies."
"I can see that. Thankfully, we don't need them yet. Which leaves just one explanation for the crying: the baby is hungry."
"Don't you have milk?" Severus asked, completely exasperated.
"You can't give a baby normal milk." Slowly, everything he'd learned about babies was starting to come back to him. Before Teddy had stayed with him, Harry had made sure to read all the baby books he could find, out of fear he might do something wrong. Hermione had, of course, helped with the research. "They need formula. Which means you need to go to the store and -" Imagining Severus in the baby aisle just didn't work and Harry honestly didn't want to do that to the poor shop assistant whose only fault would be to be working on Christmas Eve. He wasn't that cruel. "Okay, no, I'll go. You watch the baby."
"What?"
Harry carefully handed the baby off to Severus. "Watch the baby. Rock it or something. I'll be back as soon as possible."
There wasn't much time to wonder about the situation - once he arrived in the corner store, Harry had to focus and remember what the hell was needed to take care of a baby. The bored, gum-chewing assistant didn't bat an eye at Harry's harassed look and just rattled off the total, eyes half glued to her phone, which was beeping constantly. Occasionally her fingers would fly over the screen in rapid, jerking motions.
When Harry returned to his house, the baby was no longer screaming, but Severus looked like he'd run a marathon.
"What took you so long?"
Harry just gave him a look. He wasn't the one who’d barged in on someone's Christmas Eve. The way to prepare and heat formula came back to him as if no time had passed since he’d had to feed Teddy last-he was particularly proud the sterilising charm came off without a hitch- and soon enough the baby was suckling away at a bottle while Harry sat on the couch, looking at Severus questioningly.
"Why didn't you take the baby to St. Mungo's?"
The look Severus gave him screamed ‘as if that wasn't bloody obvious’. But to Harry it wasn't. "Christmas at St. Mungo’s is as chaotic as it can get. Children setting themselves on fire when their magic bursts out of them uncontrolled in the excitement of seeing the Christmas tree. Men sitting on benches in the spell damage ward, because they drunkenly tried to hex each other over the honour of their mother, sister, wife, aunt or whatever. And don't even get me started on the rest of the family. In St. Mungo's, a baby like this would simply fall through the cracks. No illness, no harm done, save the fact that it was abandoned on Christmas Eve. They would put it in a cot and that would be it."
Harry nodded slowly. It did make sense. He'd seen what St. Mungo’s was like on Christmas Eve when he'd been unfortunate enough to have to work during the holidays- and maybe Severus was right. "Why not go to the Aurors then? They could start looking for the mother. Or the father."
"With all your experience, do you really think the Aurors of all people would have time for that? Besides, it's one of the reasons I came to you. You are an Auror after all."
Harry sighed. He’d really wished Severus might have had another, better reason to come visit him. Truth be told, he missed that snarky bastard. Loved him, even. While living and being with him had proven impossible, the feelings remained. "Okay, I've had enough of calling the baby 'it'. Besides, judging from the smell, the baby is ready for a nappy change now." Unceremoniously, he handed the baby to Severus, who looked at him with slight panic in his eyes, and went to get everything needed for the nappy change.
While wiping and cleaning and wrapping what turned out to be a baby boy, he asked: "How come you knew I'd be home tonight?"
"You always take Christmas off and stay at home while Teddy is with his grandmother. The two of them visit you on Christmas morning and then everyone traipses over to the Weasleys' for coffee, cake and dinner. But Christmas Eve you always spend here." The word 'alone' hung in the air just then, almost so strong that Harry could feel it. But he liked how peaceful Christmas Eve usually felt, how he could relax just for one evening.
Harry hummed his understanding, then transfigured a stool into a crib and put the little boy inside. Soon enough, the baby was asleep again. This time hopefully for a bit longer.
"Care for a hot toddy?"
Severus nodded and followed Harry into the kitchen. It was strange how years after they'd broken up, having Severus here could feel so natural. Maybe Severus noted that, too. He wanted to say something, anything, really, but whatever came to mind seemed trivial. He knew how Severus had been, knew how the shop was going - after all, their community wasn't too big and Harry liked to keep tabs on people anyway. George had proven a particularly good source of information on what was going on in Diagon Alley. Harry wanted to ask how Severus' Christmas had been so far, but knew Severus didn't much care for Christmas. Besides, he had obviously been at home when the little boy had been dropped at his door.
Just as Harry turned around to ask how sweet Severus wanted his toddy, Severus said: "I've been thinking about you."
Had Harry had anything in his hands, he would have dropped it. "I... Have you?"
"It's the reason I came here immediately," Severus admitted, and Harry saw how much it cost him to be so honest. "Maybe it's my age, maybe it's bloody bleeding Christmas, but I just can't shake you from my mind."
Harry swallowed hard. "What are you saying? That you want to give it another go?"
Severus was silent for a moment, as if he was looking for the right words. "If you're willing... Yes. I know we were far from perfect and I know I will have to work on... Things."
"You know we ended it because it wasn't working for either of us. Because we both were idiots."
"Yes, but that was years ago. And I was hoping we'd both evolved... I'm trying. And I will be trying more."
Harry saw the honest plea in Severus’ eyes. Never before had Severus been this open about his feelings and intentions. Maybe he should give this a go. After all... "Yes. Okay."
It was probably not one of the most romantic declarations, but they weren't the most romantic people on the planet. Hesitantly, Harry moved forward and embraced Severus. Their lips met halfway, finding familiar ground. It was like coming home.
Years later, on another Christmas Eve, the baby boy - now called Benjamin - was old enough to hear the story of how his daddy and his papa had come to be his parents. They called him their Christmas miracle.
******
The End
Happy Holidays!