A Valiant Flea
Aug. 5th, 2009 07:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anghraineYes, quite possibly the worst title ever, and no, this story is - *gasp* - not Austen-based. It's Harry Potter - inspired by DH, but taken from my AU 'verse. For anything which might be unclear . . . there are footnotes!
Warnings: Slytherin!Harry, alive!Lily&James, Boy-Who-Lived!Neville. Snape/Lily if you squint.
A Valiant Flea
That's a valiant flea that dares eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion.
‘Hi, Mum. D’you want some sweets? It’s a new flavour, they’ve just come out with it.’
Lily gave the unfamiliar candy a doubtful look, but popped it into her mouth. After a moment of consideration, her pale slack face broke out in a smile, her eyes brightening.
‘I thought you’d like that. Oh, good morning, Chloe. Do you want some too? I brought enough for both of you.’ He carefully unwrapped it for her, knowing that her hands were too awkward and fidgety to do it herself.
Chloe Greengrass Black (1) towered over him as she waited, then wandered off as soon as she had received the expected treat.
‘I’m sorry it’s been so long, Mum. I’ve been away at school.’ Was it his imagination, or did her eyes drop to the tie at his throat? Harry touched it self-consciously, the snake crawling up and down(2), silver glinting against green. ‘I’m in Slytherin, did you hear? It was a bit of a surprise for everyone, I think. Sirius was really angry but Arcturus(3) was pleased, and Dad didn’t mind. Much.’
Lily’s thin, precise fingers toyed with the wrapper.
‘I hope it doesn’t bother you either. Oh, and guess what else? I’m on the Quidditch team! Professor McGonagall saw me make this dive for Neville’s Remembrall just before Draco and I hexed Blaise Zabini, and she marched us straight to Professor Snape and told him about it. I think she meant him to take points or something, but he didn’t — he gave me these really weird detentions with Professor Riddle(4) and put me on the Slytherin team. I’m the youngest Seeker in over two hundred years.’
She made an odd noise in her throat. Encouraged, Harry went on, ‘And about the thing with Zabini . . . I know you didn — don’t approve of hexing people, but he was trying to insult Draco and . . . and he called you a really bad name, Mum. I had to do something. You understand, don’t you?’ He searched her green eyes. ‘Yeah, I knew you would. The Headmaster didn’t, though. He even made Dad and Mr Malfoy come to Hogwarts, but that was a bit of a joke. They said they were glad we knew how to defend our families’ honour, and Mr Malfoy said I was a fine wizard for a halfblood — which I think was supposed to be a compliment — and Dad bought me and Draco Nimbus Two Thousands. And Professor Snape had this weird twitch the whole time, but he’s better now.’
Harry thought he heard something and went quiet, listening carefully. Sure enough, he could hear the approaching footsteps and murmured voices. They seemed to stop at his room.
‘Do you hear that, Mum? I bet it’s the mediwitch. She’s early, though . . . maybe she’ll bring you a snack.’ He plastered his most pleasant I’m-not-upset smile on his face and faced the door.
Then his mouth dropped open. ‘Professor Snape?’
‘I beg your pardon!’ A young mediwitch rushed up. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but it doesn’t matter if you’re the Minister himself. Only family are permitted to see Mrs Potter. Those are The Rules.’
He glanced from one to the other; Lily began humming, and something harsh and uncomfortable and angry slashed across Snape’s face. Harry knew very well where his Head of House’s fury could lead, and rushed in before things got any worse.
‘Oh, it’s fine, Professor Snape’s a relative,’ he lied brazenly. He knew hardly anything about his mother’s family and had never met any of them. ‘He and Mum are cousins. They — they grew up together, and everything.’
The mediwitch looked sceptical. ‘That’s a pretty formal way to refer to your cousin, Mr Potter.’
‘It’s respect,’ said Harry, and held out his Slytherin tie. The snake squirmed. ‘See? He’s my Head of House. It’d be horrible manners to call him — er — Cousin Sev.’
Professor Snape choked.
‘Besides, nobody talks about Mum’s family. I didn’t know myself until just a little while ago. It was when I figured out that they were in the same year, and since they are both brilliant at Potions, I wondered if it was a family thing.’ He dropped his eyes. ‘Well, Mum was brilliant at Potions.’
The mediwitch softened. ‘Very well.’ Holding up a watch, she turned to Snape. ‘Fifteen minutes, Professor Snape.’
She closed the door behind her, and the professor seated himself with a flourish, staring at Harry for one very tense moment. Then he said: ‘Ten points to Slytherin, Mr Potter, for excellent use of misdirection.’
‘Thank you, sir.’ Harry turned to his mother with a bright smile. ‘Mum, guess what? Someone’s come to see you! It’s your, er . . .’ He hesitated. ‘Not a cousin, I guess?’
‘No.’ Snape’s jaw twitched. ‘A — friend.’
‘Isn’t that nice, Mum?’ In an undertone, he said, ‘She had lots of friends, Dad says, but the others don’t come. So . . . er . . . thanks. She likes to try Bertie Bott’s, by the way.’ He got up, dusting off his school robes. ‘I’ll just go buy some, I’m sure you can look after Mum and Chloe.’
Snape stared at him. Then his lips twisted. ‘You do that.’
----------
(1) Yes, it's the dreaded OC-who-marries-Sirius. On the upside, she's not actually with him, er, ever, what with the gibbering insanity and all. Harry's classmate Daphne is her niece.
(2) I've always imagined the students in trousers and pointed hats (and robes too, of course), and their ties emblazoned with animated House mascots. Obviously Harry's uniform is not movieverse.
(3) Arcturus: Arcturus Black, Sirius' grandfather. After the war, he reinstated Sirius as his heir, and has gradually mellowed over the years, to the point that he now takes an avuncular sort of interest in his cousin Dorea's halfblood grandson.
(4) Professor Riddle is indeed Tom Riddle, who never became Lord Voldemort in this 'verse, but pursued his interests via a more conventional, or at least socially acceptable, path. The local Dark Lord is a bastard Gaunt descendant he finds very objectionable indeed.
Warnings: Slytherin!Harry, alive!Lily&James, Boy-Who-Lived!Neville. Snape/Lily if you squint.
A Valiant Flea
That's a valiant flea that dares eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion.
‘Hi, Mum. D’you want some sweets? It’s a new flavour, they’ve just come out with it.’
Lily gave the unfamiliar candy a doubtful look, but popped it into her mouth. After a moment of consideration, her pale slack face broke out in a smile, her eyes brightening.
‘I thought you’d like that. Oh, good morning, Chloe. Do you want some too? I brought enough for both of you.’ He carefully unwrapped it for her, knowing that her hands were too awkward and fidgety to do it herself.
Chloe Greengrass Black (1) towered over him as she waited, then wandered off as soon as she had received the expected treat.
‘I’m sorry it’s been so long, Mum. I’ve been away at school.’ Was it his imagination, or did her eyes drop to the tie at his throat? Harry touched it self-consciously, the snake crawling up and down(2), silver glinting against green. ‘I’m in Slytherin, did you hear? It was a bit of a surprise for everyone, I think. Sirius was really angry but Arcturus(3) was pleased, and Dad didn’t mind. Much.’
Lily’s thin, precise fingers toyed with the wrapper.
‘I hope it doesn’t bother you either. Oh, and guess what else? I’m on the Quidditch team! Professor McGonagall saw me make this dive for Neville’s Remembrall just before Draco and I hexed Blaise Zabini, and she marched us straight to Professor Snape and told him about it. I think she meant him to take points or something, but he didn’t — he gave me these really weird detentions with Professor Riddle(4) and put me on the Slytherin team. I’m the youngest Seeker in over two hundred years.’
She made an odd noise in her throat. Encouraged, Harry went on, ‘And about the thing with Zabini . . . I know you didn — don’t approve of hexing people, but he was trying to insult Draco and . . . and he called you a really bad name, Mum. I had to do something. You understand, don’t you?’ He searched her green eyes. ‘Yeah, I knew you would. The Headmaster didn’t, though. He even made Dad and Mr Malfoy come to Hogwarts, but that was a bit of a joke. They said they were glad we knew how to defend our families’ honour, and Mr Malfoy said I was a fine wizard for a halfblood — which I think was supposed to be a compliment — and Dad bought me and Draco Nimbus Two Thousands. And Professor Snape had this weird twitch the whole time, but he’s better now.’
Harry thought he heard something and went quiet, listening carefully. Sure enough, he could hear the approaching footsteps and murmured voices. They seemed to stop at his room.
‘Do you hear that, Mum? I bet it’s the mediwitch. She’s early, though . . . maybe she’ll bring you a snack.’ He plastered his most pleasant I’m-not-upset smile on his face and faced the door.
Then his mouth dropped open. ‘Professor Snape?’
‘I beg your pardon!’ A young mediwitch rushed up. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but it doesn’t matter if you’re the Minister himself. Only family are permitted to see Mrs Potter. Those are The Rules.’
He glanced from one to the other; Lily began humming, and something harsh and uncomfortable and angry slashed across Snape’s face. Harry knew very well where his Head of House’s fury could lead, and rushed in before things got any worse.
‘Oh, it’s fine, Professor Snape’s a relative,’ he lied brazenly. He knew hardly anything about his mother’s family and had never met any of them. ‘He and Mum are cousins. They — they grew up together, and everything.’
The mediwitch looked sceptical. ‘That’s a pretty formal way to refer to your cousin, Mr Potter.’
‘It’s respect,’ said Harry, and held out his Slytherin tie. The snake squirmed. ‘See? He’s my Head of House. It’d be horrible manners to call him — er — Cousin Sev.’
Professor Snape choked.
‘Besides, nobody talks about Mum’s family. I didn’t know myself until just a little while ago. It was when I figured out that they were in the same year, and since they are both brilliant at Potions, I wondered if it was a family thing.’ He dropped his eyes. ‘Well, Mum was brilliant at Potions.’
The mediwitch softened. ‘Very well.’ Holding up a watch, she turned to Snape. ‘Fifteen minutes, Professor Snape.’
She closed the door behind her, and the professor seated himself with a flourish, staring at Harry for one very tense moment. Then he said: ‘Ten points to Slytherin, Mr Potter, for excellent use of misdirection.’
‘Thank you, sir.’ Harry turned to his mother with a bright smile. ‘Mum, guess what? Someone’s come to see you! It’s your, er . . .’ He hesitated. ‘Not a cousin, I guess?’
‘No.’ Snape’s jaw twitched. ‘A — friend.’
‘Isn’t that nice, Mum?’ In an undertone, he said, ‘She had lots of friends, Dad says, but the others don’t come. So . . . er . . . thanks. She likes to try Bertie Bott’s, by the way.’ He got up, dusting off his school robes. ‘I’ll just go buy some, I’m sure you can look after Mum and Chloe.’
Snape stared at him. Then his lips twisted. ‘You do that.’
----------
(1) Yes, it's the dreaded OC-who-marries-Sirius. On the upside, she's not actually with him, er, ever, what with the gibbering insanity and all. Harry's classmate Daphne is her niece.
(2) I've always imagined the students in trousers and pointed hats (and robes too, of course), and their ties emblazoned with animated House mascots. Obviously Harry's uniform is not movieverse.
(3) Arcturus: Arcturus Black, Sirius' grandfather. After the war, he reinstated Sirius as his heir, and has gradually mellowed over the years, to the point that he now takes an avuncular sort of interest in his cousin Dorea's halfblood grandson.
(4) Professor Riddle is indeed Tom Riddle, who never became Lord Voldemort in this 'verse, but pursued his interests via a more conventional, or at least socially acceptable, path. The local Dark Lord is a bastard Gaunt descendant he finds very objectionable indeed.
no subject
on 2009-08-06 06:24 pm (UTC)Awesome alternative universe! I... don't like Draco, as you know, so their friendship kinda grates... (Trio fan here! What would you expect?), but cool!
And I'm now really sad for Lily. Really, really sad. And Harry visiting his mother. And Snape! Poor Snape.
So James grew up, eh? I say, because if he had been as silly as he was when younger, he surely would have convinced Harry not to be Slytherin.
Thanks!
on 2009-08-06 08:56 pm (UTC)Poor Lily! If Frank and Alice were already dead, Bella and her gang would of course have gone after another Order member - a fairly depressing take on alive!Lily, though. :(
Snape, I think, probably took it hardest of anyone but James himself.
Personally, I think James - even in his more idiotic fifteen-year-old moments - was always the most well-balanced of that lot, so IMO he's the one most likely to have moved on and grown up by thirty-something; e.g., if Snape had died in the war, I don't see him picking on his child. So here, I imagined him disappointed but too good a father to say so, while Sirius and Snape have temper tantrums.