Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

A Marriage of Convenience	By : NinaSweets Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 159311 -:- Recommendations : 6 -:- Currently Reading : 45
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters and places all belong to JK Rowling this is a not for profit story.

Chapter List
- 23
- 24
- 25
Hello again readers, thanks so much for the reviews starr, lexiatel, ChaosLady, jules3677, Paige, badaxx17, Severus1Snape and Sablesilverrain.
Severus1Snape – because the second task got interrupted by Harry’s kidnapping they had to redo the task with the mirror so there are technically four tasks but they’re counted as three. Thanks for the question.
Sablesilverrain – thanks for the spelling correction.
To everyone don’t hesitate to correct my awful spelling and grammar (politely please), I know what I mean so I don’t pick up on it and it goes by unnoticed.
Anyway, on with the chapter!

Chapter Twenty-Four
Harry sat very nervously the entire taxi trip. Snape was reading a book beside him and Harry hated how calm he was. This was not a calm thing happening. This was a bad thing. A very bad thing.
Harry was on the verge of hyperventilating when they turned into Private Drive. The matching houses were all a bright clean crisp cream as if they’d been freshly painted and the lawns were all meticulously well kept and the grass a perfect healthy green.
The taxi stopped in front of number four and Snape leant forward to pay their driver. Though the ride had taken nearly an hour Harry felt it was too soon. He climbed out of the car with Snape following quickly behind him. Harry watched the taxi drive away before turning to Snape. Snape smirked and waved a hand indicating Harry should go first. Harry sighed and headed up the neat pathway to the front door. The Dursley’s large SVU was parked in the drive which meant Uncle Vernon was home from work.
Harry paused at the front door and looked at Snape again. Snape leant past him and rang the doorbell. Harry glared at him.
“I hate you right now,” Harry muttered.
“No you don’t,” Snape replied smugly and Harry huffed out an irritated breath.
Aunt Petunia opened the door. The fake smile fell off her face at the sight of them. Her short platinum blonde hair was meticulously styled as usual and her rather horsey face looked even more unattractive as it scowled at them.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped.
“Nice to see you again Fish,” Snape said. Aunt Petunia’s face went a very interesting shade of red as her jaw set in anger, blue eyes flashing dangerously.
“May we come in?” Snape asked and Aunt Petunia was already shaking her head.
“Very well then, we shall just stand on the lawn and complain very loudly about what horrible hosts you are,” Snape said.
If there was anything Aunt Petunia hated more than magic it was looking bad in front of the neighbours.
“Fine,” she growled and stepped aside to let them pass. Harry headed in first while Snape and Aunt Petunia glared at one another.
She shut the door with a snap and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Who was at the door Petunia?”
Uncle Vernon came into the hallway from the living room. Harry knew the second he’d spotted them because the man’s face went beet red under his bushy moustache.
“What are you doing here?” Uncle Vernon barked.
“Well Harry just wanted to collect a few things,” Snape said calmly.
“All his things are in his school trunk,” Uncle Vernon said glaring at Harry as if this was his fault. Everything always was to Vernon Dursley.
“Surely you bought him some things,”
“Everything I bought with my parent’s money is in my school trunk, all the other stuff is things the Dursley’s generously loaned to me,” Harry said trying to defuse the fight in Snape’s eyes.
Snape turned slowly to face him and Harry squared his shoulders not backing down.
“So you don’t even own the clothes on your back?” Snape asked. Harry glanced to his aunt and uncle.
“Don’t look at them, you’re talking to me,” Snape said and Harry sighed.
“What do you want? They’re not going to apologise,” Harry said.
“We’ve got nothing to apologise for,” Vernon said and Harry shrugged at Snape.
“Where’s your son?” Snape asked suddenly.
“Out,” Petunia said simply.
“Hmm, it’s nearly dinner time. Perhaps you should go collect him Harry,” Snape said.
“How about no,” Harry suggested and Snape narrowed his eyes.
“Potter,” Snape warned and Harry glanced at his aunt and uncle before looking back to Snape.
“How am I to know you won’t hurt them?”
“Why would I do that? I simply wanted to catch up with an old friend and meet her hideous husband,” Snape said and Harry frowned.
“You said revenge in the car,” Harry pointed out.
“Not everything is about you Potter, go get your cousin,” Snape ordered and Harry rolled his eyes.
“Fine, but murder is illegal,” Harry said.
“I know how to make it look like an accident,” Snape reassured him. The squeak of fear his Aunt let out was all worth it. Harry smiled at Snape and allowed the man to plant a chaste kiss on his lips much to the disgust of his uncle.
Snape turned a steely gaze on him as he coughed and spluttered in disgust and that look shut him up quite quickly
“Don’t have too much fun,” Harry said and headed out of the house in search of his cousin.
Harry found him at the park picking on a younger boy of about twelve with his rat pack gang of friends.
Harry ducked down low by the chain link fence surrounding the park watching the scene. Dudley and his gang were all boorish bullies but they were also doubly his size. Dudley as the largest was the leader. Harry didn’t really fancy getting beat up tonight and the boys weren’t actually hitting the young boy, just intimidating him with their large statures. The boy threw some money at them confusing them all and made a run for it.
The gang picked up the coins giving the most to Dudley who grinned in thanks. They spoke quietly arranging to meet again tomorrow to beat up some more children or cause some more mischief around town. They split up and Dudley headed toward him.
Dudley looked like his dad; large and round with no neck but his wispy blonde hair and bright blue eyes were those of his mother.
Harry stood up startling Dudley who glared at him in confusion.
“I thought you weren’t coming back,” Dudley said in confusion and Harry shrugged. Dudley rolled his eyes and began the walk home. Harry easily fell into step beside him.
“My husband wanted to settle a score between me and your parents. I can’t do magic outside of school but he can,” Harry teased and Dudley glared at him.
“You think you’re so special with that – that thing. You’re not.” Dudley said
“Big talk from someone who can’t say the word ‘wand’,”
“You’re such a freak Potter,” Dudley said
“Yeah, but at least I don’t have to beat up kids for their lunch money. No I’m rich enough already, my parents left me a good inheritance,” Harry said.
“Lot of good that money did them,” Dudley said nastily and it was Harry’s turn to glare. “Still went and got themselves killed didn’t they? While my ‘poor’ parents stayed alive.”
“You have no right to talk about them,” Harry said
“I’m just saying, I think my parents love me more. I mean they didn’t go running off and get blown up, they knew they had a child at home and did the responsible thing. They kept their noses clean, where are your parents Potter? Dead? Because they meddled in things they didn’t understand. You’re going to wind up just like them,” Dudley said.
Harry was fuming. Dudley was just spouting off what he learned from his parents. He couldn’t be blamed for that but all those years of beating him up. All those years of calling him names, chasing off potential friends. Rage was coursing through Harry so white hot it hurt. His wand was out before he knew what he was doing.
Dudley gasped. Startled. Harry lowered his wand in surprise. Had he cast a spell without even thinking about it? The hot rage ebbed out of him leaving a sharp chill. Harry glanced up. The sky was darkening far too rapidly for an ordinary sunset. The dark blue of the approaching night was a deep dark black, starlight twinkled into nothingness and the pink of the horizon vanished.
Dudley was looking around wildly with fear.
“What did you do?” he cried clutching at his chest.
“Nothing!” Harry said. He didn’t know any spells like this; he couldn’t possibly have done this, could he?
The darkness seemed to grow closer and Harry couldn’t see two feet in front of him. The blackness approaching brought with it an icy chill. Harry watched his breath mist before him in the darkness. Then he couldn’t even see that anymore.
“I’ve gone blind!” Dudley wailed. His voice sounded far away and Harry turned toward it. They had been standing right by one another.
“Stop it!” Dudley cried
“I’m not doing it!” Harry snapped, “Just shut up for a second!”
“I’m telling dad!” Dudley protested.
Harry rounded on him ready to shout him into silence. He stopped mid turn. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. They weren’t alone in this alleyway. Harry had only experienced this feeling a few short times before, all in his third year when Sirius had escaped from Azkaban. For his protection the school had been guarded by Dementors.
They couldn’t be here, not in a little Muggle town, so far from Azkaban prison.
Voldemort.
BANG!
Harry groaned; a fist had collided with the side of his face and he fell. Harry felt Dudley stumble over him. His cheek burned and he scrambled to his feet. He couldn’t see a thing and wound up crashing into the alley wall grazing his shoulder on the rough bricked surface. He heard the sharp clatter of trash cans falling over. Dudley cried out in pain. The cry of pain was turned into a sharp sudden squeal.
“Dudley!” Harry called, “Keep your mouth shut!”
James Potter was shouting in his head.
“RUN LILY! TAKE HARRY AND RUN!”
Harry had his wand gripped tightly in his hand.
“Lumos,” he whispered and the tip of it lit up. Harry let out a cry of surprise. There was a skeletal hand reaching right for his face.
Dementor! His panicked brain supplied for him. The hooded figure over seven feet tall was reaching for him with one hand. The other hand was going to lower its hood.
Happy memory, happy memory, Harry told himself. Ron and Hermione appeared before his mind’s eye and Harry raised his wand.
“Expecto Patronum!” Harry gasped. A beautiful silvery white stag burst from the tip of his wand driving the Dementor away from him. Harry stumbled forward and turned toward where Dudley was. There was a Dementor hovering over him lowering its hood.
His silvery patronus was already on it, charging down the alleyway herding the Dementor that had been attacking Harry in that direction. Dudley’s Dementor was knocked off him. The two creatures seemed to melt away into the darkness while the patronus stood guard in front of Dudley.
“Thanks dad,” Harry whispered to it and stag bowed its antlered head before disappearing into a silvery mist. Harry collapsed down beside Dudley who was curled into a whimpering ball. Harry looked around. The stars were back and the sun had set leaving an inky sky lit by a bright moon. The street lamps were lit now lighting their path with dull yellow circles.
“Dudley?” Harry asked shaking the boys shoulder. He was stuck though staring at the ground shuddering. Harry petted the shoulder in comfort; he knew how horrible the Dementors were. Dudley had never experienced anything like it before he was probably in shock.
Harry grabbed an arm and began to pull him up managing to shift him into a sitting position.
“Dudley, we have to get home, I don’t know if they’re going to come back,” Harry said but Dudley just sat there.
Harry had to haul him up to get him to stand. When Harry let go he swayed dangerously so Harry threw the boys arm over his shoulder. Harry was shorter then Dudley and also half the boys weight so it was with great difficulty he started walking. Dudley stumbled along with him leaning heavily against him causing Harry to falter a fair few times. It took them over a half hour to walk the two streets back to Privet Drive.
Harry heaved Dudley up the garden path to number four and rang the bell. The door was thrown open by a very unhappy Aunt Petunia.
She glared at Harry but her face quickly changed when she caught sight of Dudley.
“Diddy-kins! What’s the matter?” she asked worriedly.
With amazing strength for such a bony woman she managed to haul Dudley away from Harry and drag him into the living room.
“Oh Vernon!” Aunt Petunia called, “I think he’s ill.”
“Did Mrs Polkiss give you some of her weird Hungarian sweets again?” Uncle Vernon asked.
Harry watched the Dursley’s fuss over their son for a moment before glancing around the bright living room. Ah there. In the corner Snape stood like a black shadow watching with his expressionless mask.
“Him,” Dudley managed to croak out.
Harry snapped his head back to Dudley staring at the accusing finger pointed in his direction.
“I did not!” Harry protested.
“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” Uncle Vernon roared.
“Nothing!” Harry snapped.
Aunt Petunia let out a loud wail and squashed Dudley to her with great heaving sobs.
“It wasn’t me!” Harry continued as Uncle Vernon advanced on him. “It was-”
Harry was cut off by a loud screech. An owl swooped in through the open living room window and dropped a letter at Harry’s feet.
“OWLS!” Uncle Vernon was ranting but Harry ignored him. With trembling hands he was tearing open the letter.
Snape was there in a second, his long pale fingers plucked the letter from Harry’s hands and he read it swiftly. Harry stared at him his chest heaving with adrenaline.
Snape’s eyes snapped from the letter to Harry’s face and he handed it over.
Dear Mr Potter,
We have received intelligence that you performed the patronus charm this evening in a Muggle inhabited area in the presence of a Muggle. The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion –
Harry stopped reading and looked up at Snape.
“Patronus charm?” Snape asked
“There were Dementors,” Harry replied.
“Dementors?” Snape repeated. He sounded sceptical and Harry sighed irritably.
“You don’t believe me?!” Harry glared at him.
“What’s a dementoid?” Uncle Vernon interrupted.
“They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban,” Aunt Petunia supplied. Everyone in the room turned to her in surprise. It took a few moments for her to realise what she’d said and she slapped a hand over her mouth in shock, turning very pale.
“Naughty Fish, don’t you know it’s rude to eavesdrop,” Snape scolded and Aunt Petunia glared at him.
“You freak! You fix my son right now!”
“He’ll be fine, a little tea and some chocolate biscuits and he’ll be as horrible as he was before, don’t worry,” Snape said and Aunt Petunia rested her head atop Dudley’s shoulder with a small sigh.
“Did you read the whole letter?” Snape asked.
“No, I – I could only get to where I was expelled,” Harry replied quietly.
Harry was going to have his wand broken; he’d never get to go back to Hogwarts. Maybe he could get a job at the school like Hagrid.
Snape was opening his mouth to say something when there was a loud WHAM!
Harry looked around wildly for the sound of the disturbance and realised it had been coming from the kitchen. Harry headed down the hall into the kitchen and founded a brown barn owl blinking at him in a daze from the window sill. It had collided with the closed window and was ruffling itself to shake off its daze. Harry opened the window and the owl stuck out its leg so Harry could take the note tied to it.
Harry unrolled the note as the owl left, wavering slightly on takeoff.
Harry
Dumbledore has arrived at the Ministry. He’s trying to sort it all out. Don’t leave your Aunt and Uncles house. Do not use anymore magic and don’t give up your wand,
Arthur Weasley
Harry let Snape snatch the note from him and leant against the sink with a sigh as Snape read.
“Give me your wand,” Snape said and Harry raised his eyebrows.
“Mr Weasley said not to,” Harry teased but trustingly handed it over. Snape waved it a few times and growled in frustration. Harry stared at him in surprise.
“What?”
“Your wand doesn’t like me,” Snape sighed waving it again and again. Harry stifled a laugh and stood up a little straighter.
“What are you trying to do?”
“If Dumbledore can’t deter the Ministry I want to be ready for when they arrive. I will say I performed the charm with your wand,” Snape said.
“Would that work?”
“It should, the underage trace is on you not the wand. Magic performed within your vicinity will be investigated to determine whether it was you or not,”
“So with Dobby in my second year?”
“As there was no house elf registered to this address you were blamed for the magic here. Again when you were attacked before as I am not a registered member of this household the magic was blamed on you,”
“But we were on the street,”
“Adult wizards are essentially invisible to their systems. They can detect magic performed in the presence of a Muggle but they can’t say who did it without testing the wands or asking witnesses. There’s only one wizard registered in Surrey and that’s you. All magic in this area would be investigated to see if it was you. For instance, if someone performed the killing curse common sense would assume an underage wizard could not perform such magic and rule you out, hover charms like the house elf used and the patronus charm could have been cast by you and in their eyes were so you were accused.”
They lapsed into silence and Harry simply watched the man thoughtfully. He was still trying to get Harry’s wand to respond to him without much success. He sat at the kitchen table looking very out of place in his all black ensemble against the lacy white table cloth and floral curtains behind him. Harry watched idly as he carefully studied the wand like it was a complicated potion.
Harry hoped he wouldn’t be getting expelled. Or be sent to Azkaban. Once again he found himself grateful to have Snape with him. He wondered how he would have handled this on his own. He probably would have been throttled by the Dursley’s for hurting their son even though it wasn’t his fault. Finding out he’d been expelled Harry was sure he’d have tried to run away. He could have lived with Sirius on the run. Not a great plan but he wouldn’t have stayed here. Magic was the only thing that stopped the Dursley’s from killing him he was sure of it. They knew he couldn’t do magic without getting in trouble but they were still scared of it. They were still scared of him. Fear made people do such crazy things.
Snape stood up suddenly and headed into the living room. Harry followed after him curiously.
Aunt Petunia was feeding Dudley some biscuits from her special guest tin and Dudley was eating them robotically. Uncle Vernon was sitting opposite them in his large recliner chair watching his son with worry.
Snape watched the scene quietly for a moment before offering in a whisper, “I can make him forget.”
Aunt Petunia looked up sharply then glanced to Uncle Vernon.
“No, no magic,” Uncle Vernon said. Aunt Petunia looked back at Snape and then back to Dudley, petting his hair softly.
“No magic,” Aunt Petunia agreed.
There was another loud screech and Uncle Vernon looked about ready to explode. Snape ignored the man and went into the kitchen to retrieve the letter. He re-entered the living room and handed the envelope to Harry.
Harry sighed and tore it open.
It was from the Ministry and Harry couldn’t stop the small sigh of relief. He just skimmed the letter quickly and noted they had ‘revised the decision’ to destroy his wand and expel him. All would be decided at his hearing in August.
Uncle Vernon was ranting about ‘bloody owls’ but Harry ignored him in favour of showing Snape the letter.
“Albus works fast,” Snape said quietly. Harry stared at him with a slight frown.
“What am I going to do?” Harry asked and Snape pulled him close.
“Exactly as you’re told for once,” Snape replied and Harry glared at him.
“So I’m to stay here like Mr Weasley said?” Harry asked.
“I have to speak with Albus,”
“You can’t leave me here, they’re going to kill me,” Harry whispered.
“I’ll be back soon,”
“Don’t you dare go,” Harry ordered but Snape was already twisting away. He disappeared with a loud crack and Harry gasped. He was left with the exact same expression of shock and confusion as the Dursley’s behind him.

Harry reluctantly had to admit that staying with the Dursley’s now wasn’t as bad as the past few summers had been. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were perfectly content to pretend he didn’t exist and Dudley was a lot more subdued since the Dementor attack. It had been just over a week since the attack and Harry hadn’t left the house at all in that time. He sat up in his room and emerged at night to grab food supplies and use the bathroom. It was during one of these late night kitchen raids that Dudley approached him.
“Hey,” Dudley said quietly.
Harry turned half a ham and cheese sandwich hastily stuffed into his mouth in surprise.
“Hi,” he replied trying to sound coherent around a mouth full of food.
“What are you doing?” Dudley asked and Harry frowned.
“Eating,” he said slowly and Dudley nodded.
“Er... do you have time to talk?” Dudley asked quietly. Harry had just shoved the other half of his sandwich in his mouth so he made Dudley wait as he slowly and carefully chewed. The other boy shifted from foot to food waiting for Harry to finish.
“Not really, I have to hide this stuff in my room before your dad catches me,” Harry said nodding to his little tote bag full of crisps and instant noodles. They were the only things that wouldn’t go bad for a while if he wasn’t able to get downstairs for whatever reason one night. He liked the crunch of the dry noodles and the undiluted flavour packet was a nice change from the crisps.
“I’ll say it’s mine and dump it in your room later,” Dudley offered and Harry shrugged.
“Okay, what did you want to talk about,” Harry said turning to make another sandwich. If Dudley was going to cover for him he’d make some real food.
“The Dementoids,”
“Dementors,” Harry corrected automatically.
“You’ve fought them before?”
“Yeah, when Sirius broke out of prison they thought he was coming to murder me so the Ministry stationed them at the school,”
“You had them at your school?”
“They weren’t allowed in the grounds but yeah,” Harry said with a small shrug.
“It’s awful, they’re awful,” Dudley muttered. Harry turned to him with a frown, wondering what spoiled Dudley thought about when the Dementors are near. Dudley looked sad as he stared at the table cloth and Harry sighed putting his finished sandwich before the boy. Dudley offered a small grateful smile and began to eat the sandwich. Harry turned and started to make another.
“I fainted the first time I met a Dementor,” Harry offered trying to make the boy feel a little better.
“You did?” Dudley asked.
“Yeah,” Harry said and Dudley frowned.
“What do you see when they get close?” Dudley asked and Harry raised an eyebrow.
“I’ll tell if you tell me yours,” Harry said and Dudley hunched down a little in his seat.
“Your mum was magic yeah?” Dudley said suddenly and Harry leant back against the counter watching his cousin.
“Yes,”
“But Grandma and Grandpa were normal people. How did they have a magic baby?”
“It just happens sometimes, my friend Hermione’s parents are dentists. Not a witch in the family until she came along, same as mum,”
“Do you think my children will be... that?”
“They could be,” Harry said. Wouldn’t that be funny, Uncle Vernon might really blow up at that information. His precious grandchild a witch or wizard.
“Why did you marry your teacher?” Dudley asked and Harry snorted a laugh.
“Full of questions tonight Dudders,” Harry said and Dudley shrugged.
“We don’t talk,”
“That’s not my fault,” Harry defended. Years and years ago Harry hadn’t quite learned the Dursley’s would hate everything he did. He still tried to please them and be friends with Dudley. Dudley had been taught to pick on Harry and made sure any children who tried to befriend him were scared away. After a few years of that Harry gave up and was better off for it. There was no point trying to please people who were always going to hate you.
“But why?” Dudley asked and Harry sighed.
“The Wizarding world is a weird place. In some ways there far more forward thinking then the Muggle world but in other ways they’re quite antiquated,”
“So you don’t like boys?” Dudley asked
“I don’t know,” Harry replied honestly. “I haven’t really had an opportunity to date anyone other than Snape. I like Snape but I don’t think that means I like all boys. What about you? Do you like boys?” Harry couldn’t help but tease and Dudley scoffed.
“As if,” he said
“Terrorised some poor girl into kissing you then?”
“No, she wanted to.”
“Who?”
“Melody Totts,” Dudley said. Melody Totts was a very plain girl with thin mousey brown hair and big brown eyes. Harry had gone to primary school with her and didn’t remember much about her other than her appearance.
“We got pretty far actually but she got scared so we stopped,”
“How gentlemanly of you,” Harry said and Dudley shrugged.
“You never told me what the Dememteds make you hear,” Dudley said quietly.
“Dementors,” Harry corrected, “and you didn’t tell me yours either.”
Dudley was silent so Harry offered his first.
“I hear my parents being killed,” Harry said.
“You hear them?” Dudley asked and Harry nodded.
“Dad tells mum to take me and run for it. Then mums screaming and yeah,” Harry said his voice flat. Dudley stared at him blinking a few times in confusion.
“It’s your memories it makes you hear right?”
“Yeah,”
“So you were there when your parents were killed,”
“Same room and everything,” Harry said “Mum threw herself in front of me, it’s how I got the scar,” Harry indicated to the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.
Dudley was silent staring at his half eaten sandwich.
“So when I heard things, they were real?” Dudley asked and Harry nodded.
“What did you hear?”
“Mum and dad are arguing. They’re shouting, mums hysterical. Dads trying to get rid of something and mum keeps telling him not to. That they’ll get in trouble that they’ll be found out” Dudley stopped. “I’ve never heard my mum sound so scared before, I’ve never heard dad be so angry, not even when he’s talking about you. Thing is I think they were talking about you. I just can’t believe my dad would do something like that though,”
“Your parents were arguing about me? Don’t they do that on a daily basis? I did ruin their lives as you’ll remember them telling me frequently as we grew up,” Harry said and Dudley shook his head.
“It’s the day mum found you on the doorstep. No one had seen you yet other then the milk man. They’re – they’re arguing about whether or not to - to kill you.”
Harry stared at the floor silently. There was no love lost between him and the Dursley’s he knew that. Uncle Vernon’s immense dislike of him wasn’t at all hidden. Wasn’t it always his uncle yelling at him and beating him up or throwing him into the cupboard? His aunt certainly didn’t like him but she wasn’t the type to attack him like his uncle. Her style was a more subtly approach with quiet digs and sharp glares at him.
Suddenly Dudley was hugging him and before he had a chance to react the other boy had pulled away.
“I’m glad they didn’t,” Dudley said and then he was gone, thumping up the stairs in his haste.

Harry had to avoid leaping at Snape when he answered the door bell at his uncle’s barked command. It was pretty hard to push down that urge though and he just barely managed to do so.
“Are we going?” Harry asked excitedly. He had already linked his arm through Snape’s and was spinning him around to walk them both down the path. Snape allowed the movement but kept them turning and they marched straight into the Dursley’s home. Harry sighed and kicked the door shut behind them.
“We shall stay for dinner,” Snape said and Harry raised his eyebrows.
He let Snape escort him to the kitchen where his aunt was cooking up said dinner.
She nearly screamed at the sight of him, jolting violently before glaring.
“What?” she snapped irritably.
“We shall be joining you for supper, then be on our way home,” Snape said in a voice that broke no arguing.
Aunt Petunia put her hands on her hips as her lips twisted into a grimace.
“You call that place a home? You inherited that hovel after your father died. I was there when they carted his booze soaked corpse out of there. You could smell the alcohol all the way up the street,” Aunt Petunia said with a smug little smile.
“Yes well it certainly made the cremation ceremony faster,” Snape replied carelessly and Aunt Petunia scowled. Her dig hadn’t affected him and she turned back to her cooking.
“Most of the people we grew up with still live there,” Snape said quietly and Aunt Petunia gave a small hum.
“They don’t ask about you, everyone talks about Lily though. Then again it was like that even when she was alive. Poor Fish always over looked for your baby sister,”
“I think I’ve done better then she has,” Aunt Petunia hissed and Snape nodded.
“Oh certainly, the perfect family and the perfect house with the perfect lawn and the perfect car parked out the front. I’m sure as your parents were dying in the home right where you left them, that’s what they were thinking, ‘at least Petunia did better than Lily’,” Snape said and Aunt Petunia’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Well what about your mother? She simply wasted away after your father died, I guess she didn’t know how to live without someone beating her with empty liquor bottles and cursing the son she bore him.”
“Plenty of women fall in love with ignorant boorish fools,” Snape said, “Though in your case I’m sure the match was made in heaven, who better for a smelly Fish then a fat uncouth walrus.”
“Charming Snape, I’m sure that’s why you’ve got a line of beautiful women vying for your hand. It’s that quick wit and charm you ooze that had Lily falling madly and desperately in love with you, oh wait, she didn’t even notice you. You were always that ‘weird Snape boy’ to her, to everyone actually. Thank you for coming here; it’s given me a great deal of satisfaction knowing you still are that ‘weird Snape boy’. Did it make you feel good tonight? Hurling insults at me? Serving out a little bit of justice to the girl who picked on you a couple times when you hung around with her kid sister? I hope it helped, because when you leave I’m still going to be happily married with a beautiful home and a beautiful son. What about you? You’ll be going back to the crappy home where your father beat your mother into indifference and you’ll still have that crappy teaching job you hate and you’ll be married to the only person on earth desperate enough to marry you, a fourteen-year-old fool.”
“It did help actually. I realised I’m an incredibly petty person and sparring with you and realising how bitter and twisted you still are has reassured me greatly about my own bitterness. I didn’t lock my nephew in a cupboard for eleven years because my sister could make pretty fireworks or turn a tea cosy into a tea cup.”
No you just bullied him mercilessly in class because his dad picked on you, Harry thought snidely. He didn’t say anything though because Snape seemed to be winning the argument.
Aunt Petunia threw down the wooden spoon she’d been holding and opened her mouth ready to shout herself hoarse but Snape interrupted before she could say a word.
“Your dinner is on fire,”
Aunt Petunia turned and saw her saucepan had caught fire as well as majority of the stove.
“Oh you did that on purpose!”
“Prove it,” Snape replied and turned from the room dragging Harry with him.
They stepped out of number four and walked down the garden path listening to the noise from the house as Aunt Petunia scrambled about trying to find the fire extinguisher.
Harry stumbled over it on their way down the path and stopped to glare at Snape.
“Are you trying to kill them?”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“Is this how you make it look like an accident? You burn the house down?”
“The fire will not move off the stove and will extinguish in ten minutes if they don’t put it out with water first.”
“You can’t just set stoves on fire when you have a disagreement with someone,” Harry said.
“Well that’s the first time I’ve ever done it and I thought it was very affective,” Snape replied and Harry gaped at him.
“That is so-” Harry never got to finish his sentence as Snape grabbed him tight and they Disapparated.

Happy Easter for the weekend to those who celebrate and happy chocolate day for everyone else! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, it took a while to write and I think the next chapter will take a long while too, I gotta get Snape’s house just right. Also he has a pretty boy locked away in the middle of nowhere with him, some naughty things are bound to happen and I want to get that right as well. So I apologise in advance. Don’t forget to leave a review, I love grinning like a lunatic at my phone as I read them all at parties so people think I’m weird and avoid talking to me, Nina.
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A Marriage of Convenience