drinkingcocoa's gift
This is in response to a challenge by drinkingcocoa to write a fanfic involving Severus reflecting on Petunia and Harry's relationship. I can't come up with a good title; anyone have any suggestions?
“Now, as you know,” said Dumbledore, “Harry and his friends will be coming home from Hogwarts next week, and Harry will be going back to live with his Muggle relatives for the summer.” Looking over the unsightly spectacles he always wore, Dumbledore surveyed the large group sitting around the kitchen table in 12 Grimmauld Place. “They have not always been… appreciative, shall we say, of his magical abilities or himself in general. I thought as members of the only functioning organization actively fighting against the Dark Arts, it would be a nice gesture for a small group of us to go have a little talk with his Aunt and Uncle at this time. Unfortunately, I will be otherwise occupied at the time with some matters I must attend to myself. Are there any volunteers?”
Standing in the back of the room, Severus Snape raised his eyebrows. Who in their right mind would want to spend a perfectly good Sunday afternoon babysitting a big-headed fifteen-year-old?
“I will be there,” said Remus Lupin almost immediately. This was quite significant; since the events at the Ministry, he had hardly said a word in Order of the Phoenix meetings, and had not volunteered for anything at all.
But of course, thought Severus scathingly. If it’s the precious Potter we’re discussing, everyone will be jumping out of their skins to follow him around like puppy dogs.
“I think that’s a great idea. Arthur and I will be there of course,” said Molly Weasley. “We have to pick up Ron and Ginny anyway, and we would never miss the chance to stick up for Harry.”
No surprise there. The entire Weasley family worshipped Potter like a god.
“I already told you I would be there,” growled Mad-Eye Moody.
Dumbledore nodded. “It was Alastair who suggested the idea in the first place,” he admitted.
“I would love to go,” said Tonks, who had been (fairly unsuccessfully) cooking a pot of something orange over by the stove, her neon green hair flipping off her shoulders as she whipped her head around to look at Dumbledore.
“I think that’ll be enough for a healthy size group,” said Mad-Eye. “We will be in a Muggle train station after all - we wouldn’t like to draw too much attention to ourselves.”
--
Against his better judgment, Severus came along. Of course, he was under his Invisibility Cloak the whole time. He would never admit it to any of the Order, but he was somewhat curious about some things...
He Apparated into King’s Cross station, and rematerialized expertly right next to the big, plastic, Muggle Platform Ten barrier. He looked around, but did not have long to wait before he spotted the lot of them over by a ticket booth. Severus walked over slowly to observe.
There was Mad-Eye, magical blue eye swinging around as usual, along with Tonks, Lupin, and all of the Weasleys except for Percy, Charlie, and Bill. Potter and Granger were huddled with them, looking a bit unnerved but pleased just the same. And… well yes, that must be them. A broad, quite ugly man with a giant mustache was standing beside a boy who was the spitting image of his father. The boy was, if it were possible, even fatter, but had clearly copied the same mannerisms. And standing next to them, looking scared out of her wits, was a tall, skinny woman. That was “Tuney”; Severus was sure of it. Quite a bit older than the last time he had seen her… he remembered it well; how could he ever forget? It was on this same spot that he had tried to say goodbye to Lily at the end of their seventh year, with her Muggle family standing behind and watching them. That burning look of disdain that Petunia had always given him, now mirrored in her younger sister’s face… well, it was simply too much to bear to think about at the moment. Still, she looked relatively unchanged. Thinning blond hair, beady little eyes, always narrowed in criticism or fear, but painfully similar to Lily’s stunning features… it was all the same. “I expect what you’re not aware of would fill several books, Dursley,” Moody was telling the man now. Severus smirked. Mad-Eye had finally got one thing right at least.
“Yes, even if you won’t let Harry use the fellytone-”
“Yeah, if we get any hint that Potter’s been mistreated in any way, you’ll have us to answer to.”
Well, that was it, he had heard enough. Severus did not need to stick around to hear more fawning over Potter - he, and the rest of the world, for that matter, was well aware of how much the rest of the Order idolized him. That was all he had come for, and he had gotten his answer. The only living blood relative of the woman he loved had produced a family just as distasteful as he had expected. However, the fact that they seemed to have helped make Potter’s life as miserable as possible was of some ironic comfort. Squelching all thoughts about Lily that fought to enter his head at the sight of her sister, The Half-Blood Prince turned on his heel, and in an instant, was gone.