Whelp II The Wrath of Snape

There'll be more Twins and pranks and Harry learning to get along, with the Weasleys and without his Dad, in the next chapter.

*Chapter 10*: Chapter 10

Whelp II -- The Wrath of Snape

By jharad17

Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: None of this is mine. Honest. She's rich, blond and British. I'm not.

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The commotion from Severus' sitting room carried down the hall to his study, making him close his book sharply. The hallway was short, but seemed longer than necessary just then, and he had his wand out before he rounded the last corner. When he saw one tousled, black head looking adrift amongst a sea of red, he put the wand away just as quickly.

'Harry,' he said, catching the boy's eye. He was unprepared to have the boy fling himself into his arms, but he caught Harry nevertheless and held him close. 'What's wrong?' he murmured into the boy's hair. 'Are you all right?'

'I din't know where you were,' Harry blurted. 'You said we'd see you, and I din't see you, and . . .'

'Hush, little one. I'm right here.' Harry's tumble of words clutched at his heart. How could the boy have missed him so much over just one morning? Not that he had not missed his son, but he expected Harry to be having fun with his new friends.

'Sorry, Father.' His words were soft, hard to hear unless he strained. 'Sorry.'

'You've nothing to be sorry for,' Severus told him. 'I'm right here. Let's have some lunch, all right? The Weasleys are waiting.'

Harry nodded against his chest, where his fists were curled into Severus' robes. 'Okay.' He peeked out shyly and gave Molly a soft smile, but did not look her in the eyes. 'Sorry, Mrs. Weasley.'

Molly's gaze rested on Severus, even as she said, 'That's quite all right, dear. We're right as rain.' To her children she said, 'Washing up time. Ronnie and Ginny, you first.' She grasped one ear each of her twins as they attempted to move past her, and held them fast. 'I don't know what you two have planned -- you seem more than two steps ahead of me half the time -- but I won't have any pranks in Professor Snape's quarters, is that understood?'

'Yes, Mum,' they both said.

'We'd never dream--'

'--of doing anything in here, Mum.'

'No worries, honestly. What--'

'--do you take us for?'

'A couple of troublemakers, that's what,' she responded, and then gave Severus a wry smile.

He scowled, having not until just that moment realized he had actually let a swarm of Weasleys into his place of peace and respite. He gave one of his best intimidating looks to the two boys, and watched with satisfaction as they gulped simultaneously. If there were pranks . . . well. He had learned quite a lot from his days of going up against the Marauders.

When he stood back up from his crouch, Harry still clung to him, and so he swung the boy up with him, and rested him on one hip. Harry wound his arms around Severus' neck, though not tightly, and rested his head on his father's shoulder. Severus had not expected Harry to be so . . . clingy, and yet, he was loath to let the boy go, either. He patted Harry's back as they made their way to the kitchen, to wash up in there, and talk for a minute in semi-private.