Prompt by angel060682 and minetasquad because you guys had kinda similar ideas so I combined them

Y'all the amount of support you gave me in the last chapter had me in tears 😭 y'all are genuinely like family to me and I love you guys so much and having so much support meant the world to me.

Somehow coming out as asexual was so much harder than coming out as lesbian??? Maybe it's because lesbian is a much more known term than asexual, but like??? I've known for like a few months and I was like, too afraid to say anything??? It's like, I was already one kind of LGBTQ, and to be yet another one was like "oh shit, people are gonna think I'm trying to be some kind of try-hard or trying to get attention or something oh fuck oh fuck" I'm a mess in conclusion😂

Anyways, thank you all so much for the support, you all mean the world to me

Love,

Nyx

💖❤️🤍💜🖤

I highkey hate snape but this was the prompt and therefore I am writing it

The year: 1981

The place: Godric's Hollow

The asshole: Snape mostly but I guess Voldemort is one too. I hate Snape more

A greasy-haired little bitch Apparates just outside of the wards, a sinking feeling in his stomach.  

Is she dead?

Lily's cat runs past him, yowling. Severus flinches at the noise, and walks forward, knowing what lies ahead.

The house comes into view, and Severus inhales sharply. 

It looks no different than it had before, but he knows. He knows what has changed.

He holds his breath as he pushes open the door, desperately trying to compose himself.

On the floor lies the boy he hated for years, cold and dead.

Despite his hatred for the man, Severus knows he didn't deserve this fate.

Each step up the stairs feels like a nail into his heart. He can hear the screaming of the baby, but no one to shush him.

He knows it before he pushes open the door.

He knows Lily is dead.

He pushes open the door anyways.

He tries so hard not to break. But the sight of her on the floor, still beautiful even in death, sends him to tears in seconds. He cradles her lifeless body, praying to some god to bring her back, please.

The gods do not answer.

Maybe it's because they, like me, think Snape is a little bitch.

The baby continues to cry, and Severus releases Lily's body and stands to face the child.

He sees the black hair and immediately thinks that this baby is going to be another fucking James Potter, that even in death, James lives on, but then he sees the eyes.

And for the second time in the past five minutes, he cries.

Because he's a little bitch boy who can't stop crying.

James may live on in this boy, but so does Lily, and Severus knows that the baby should go to Lily's family, but he can't do it. The child has her eyes, and Severus finds that he can't send this boy away to those terrible Muggles.

This child is Lily's, and Severus will honor that by raising the child.

Because for some fucking reason Snape thinks he can be a good fucking parent no he can't he's a little bitch Sirius and Remus should have been Harry's guardians but that's an argument for another day.

Severus picks up the boy, and a name rings through his head.

A year and a half prior, he had gotten a letter from Lily, telling him of her pregnancy, that they already had a name picked out.

Harry.

And Severus adopts Harry Potter.

**********************************

"Want the kitty."

"Harry, how many times must I tell you, I don't know where it is."

Harry's tiny arms cross across his chest. "Want the kitty."

"Merlin, it's been two years, how do you even remember that thing?"

"Want the kitty."

"Mother of Merlin," Severus huffs. "We can go to a pet store tomorrow and find one."

Harry's tiny nose scrunches in defiance. "Want my kitty."

Severus rubs both hands along his greasy ass face. "I don't know where your cat is, Harry."

"We find it."

"Harry, do you realize how big the world is, how hard it would be to find-" Severus cuts off when he's met with blank green eyes. "We can't find your cat."

This is met with tears, and Severus groans. He should have left this boy to the Muggles.

***********************************

"Kitty!" Harry screams, and desperately attempts to wiggle out of Severus' arms. The man doesn't let him go.

"Harry, what in the name of- What are you doing?"

"Kitty! My kitty!"

There's no way. It's been three days since we talked about it, the odds are astronomical-

Despite this, Harry frees himself from Severus' grasp and runs up to the cat, and Severus is starting to get a feeling that Harry unknowingly summoned the cat to himself.

The black-haired boy is giggling as he cradles the animal in his arms. The cat honestly looks like a mess, but after two years of it being a stray, Severus isn't exactly surprised.

"We keep the kitty," Harry says firmly, and fuck, how is Severus supposed to respond to that in a way that won't make the little boy cry?

"Fine."

Harry's cheers do not make Severus smile. Not in the slightest.

"Love you," Harry says softly as they walk home.

Severus clears his throat. "Hold onto your cat tighter, Potter, or you're going to drop it and it will run away."

(i would like you to keep the above line in mind. it is, in fact, foreshadowing. remember it.)

****************************

"Are you excited to go to Hogwarts next year?" Draco asks, stroking Nox's' tail.

Severus watches the two kids from his chair. Lucius sits a few feet away, reading a book, but Severus can see his eyes flick up every few minutes, as though reminding himself that his son is still there and safe.

God, Severus shouldn't have let Harry keep that stupid cat. He had wanted to name it Fluffy at first, and thank Merlin Severus had diverted that notion later that night when he used the Nox spell to turn out Harry's lights. Somehow, Harry had attached himself to that spell. He loved it and named his stupid cat after it.

"No," Harry pouts. "It's far away and scary."

Draco shrugs. "Not so scary. I'll be there."

Harry smiles at that, and bumps Draco's shoulder lightly with his own. "I hope I'm in Slytherin with you."

"Better be," Draco grumbles. "I'll have to stop being friends with you if you're not."

Harry laughs and Draco doesn't, and it's in that moment that Severus realizes Lucius' style of parenting is far different than his own.

*******************************

"Gryffindor!"

"What?" Harry cries, maybe too loudly, but he doesn't care because that Hermione girl is grinning and Ron's brothers are cheering and Draco is staring at him in despair.

"There has to be a mistake, I'm not supposed to be in Gryffindor," he pleads with Professor McGonagall as she pulls him toward the Gryffindor table. 

"The Sorting Hat doesn't make mistakes," she replies, as though she's trying to be kind and isn't sure how to do it.

*******************************

It isn't until third year that Draco really starts distancing himself from Harry.

From the moment that Harry was sorted into Gryffindor, Draco hadn't talked to him as much, but they had talked every once in a while and corresponded sometimes.

But now, Draco avoids his eyes and doesn't talk to him at all, and Harry's beginning to realize they're not friends anymore.

Harry's walking down the hall with Hermione and Ron when he sees Draco. He opens his mouth to greet him, but then Draco... sneers at him, and so do the guys on either side of him, and Draco bites out the word "Potter" like it's a curse, and then they're gone.

Harry stands, stunned, in the middle of the hallway.

Well, at least he knows his answer for sure now.

********************

Third and fourth year had become too chaotic for Harry to even get the chance to talk to Draco, but now it's fifth year, and other than that horrible hag in god-awful shades of pink, nothing is happening.

Which means all Harry can really do is think about Draco.

He wants to ask the other boy why he's so mean to him, why they can't be friends, but he's too afraid, with Draco's words and all of the hate he seems to direct at Harry.

It's not until Harry goes home for Christmas that things click.

Nox is rubbing against his leg, purring contentedly, and Severus is making something that Harry is sure will turn out horribly. He may be a great Potions Master, but he's one of the worst cooks Harry's ever met.

"Thank you," Harry says suddenly.

Severus blinks. "Pardon?"

"Thank you. I met my aunt and uncle and cousin over the summer, and they're... thank you. For taking me in, for giving me a home, for being a sort of father to me when I couldn't have one."

Severus is blinking rapidly and seems unsure of how to respond.

"Potter, don't get all soft on me. Grab that, I think my noodles are burning."

Harry freezes.

"Harry!"

"You called me Potter."

Severus frowns. "It is your last name. Would you hand me that damned strainer?"

"You called me Potter." Harry's voice is rising with excitement. "Draco calls me Potter."

"Um... I'm sorry?" Severus says as he reaches across Harry and grabs the strainer. "I know he hasn't been kind to you since you two were separated via Houses."

Harry doesn't respond. His mind is spinning.

Severus calls him 'Potter' when he doesn't know how to handle his emotions. It's become a sort of endearing term that Severus doesn't even realize is endearing.

It must be a Slytherin thing, Slytherins are just weird about showing affection. Maybe Draco has been trying to flirt with him this whole time, and Harry's been blind to it!

Harry hugs Severus, startling the man so much so that he drops his pot.

"Thank you!" he shouts, practically dancing up the stairs.

Severus stands in the middle of the kitchen, staring at the boy.

"You're... welcome?"

********************************

Harry has made a decision.

When being flirted with, one must flirt back.

Maybe.

He's not really sure, he's never really liked anyone before, but maybe that's just because he was looking at girls instead of guys.

Draco is pretty, he can accept that, and maybe Harry's feelings toward him haven't always been the friendship that he presumed it was.

So when Draco passes him in the hall and says "Potter" in that same tone he always uses, Harry responds with "Malfoy" and winks.

Draco freezes in the middle of the hallway, gaping at him as Harry walks away.

*************************

"Your hair looks like a mess, Potter," Draco comments as Harry walks out of the Great Hall.

"Your hair looks stunning, Malfoy," Harry replies with a wink, letting Draco know he's in on his little inside joke.

Draco blinks and drops the quill he was holding.

**************************

"Merlin, Potter, get some clothes that actually fit you! You look like you were dressed by a blind person!" Draco laughs as Harry walks by. His friends laugh too, and Harry turns around with a smile.

"If you wanted to see my body better, Draco, you could have just asked," he responds. "With or without fitting clothes."

Draco makes an odd sort of squeak noise as Crabbe and Goyle gape.

Harry smiles brightly and continues walking.

***************************

"Okay, Potter, what the fuck is up with you?" Draco asks, cornering Harry in an abandoned hallway.

"What?" Harry decides to play dumb.

"You've been so weird with your comments and stuff. What are you playing at?" Draco almost looks insane. He looks like he's been trying to figure it out for days.

"I know calling me Potter is your way of flirting," Harry replies smugly.

Draco immediately lets go of Harry, eyes widening comically as he takes a few steps back. "What?"

Harry smiles. "It's okay if you want some time to figure things out."

"What the fuck are you-" Draco sputters, but Harry's already walking away with a brilliant smile.

******************************

Draco smacks his hands down on the Gryffindor table. Harry looks up mildly from his breakfast. Ron stares at the blonde in shock.

"I'm not flirting with you."

Hermione coughs, tuning into their conversation.

"Mm. Playing hard to get." Harry picks up his cup and takes a drink of juice. "Not exactly my favorite way to flirt, but I can get behind it."

"I'm not-"

"I can also get behind you," Harry finishes, looking up from his drink with a grin.

Ron chokes on his drink. Draco stares at Harry for an extremely long time, before sighing heavily and walking away, shaking his head.

"Mate, what the fuck?" Ron asks.

Hermione frowns. "Are you sure he's trying to flirt with you? I don't think he is, I think you're confusing him more than anything."

"I'm sure," Harry responds happily. "Slytherins are weird with their flirting."

Hermione and Ron exchange looks. Harry stands.

"I have to go feed Nox. Please tell Draco I'm in the Gryffindor dorms if he comes back over here."

His friends stare at him as he walks away.

**********************

"Nox!" Harry shouts as his cat jumps out of his arms and runs out the open entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. "Come back!"

The cat does not heed his request, and instead runs off.

"Motherfucker-" Harry grumbles as he clambers to his feet and runs after the cat.

He runs through the halls, barely catching glimpses of his pet before it's gone again, and he's running so fast that when he rounds the corner, he crashes into someone.

"What the fuck- Potter?"

"Sorry Draco," Harry replies quickly, standing and pulling the other boy to his feet. He relaxes when he sees Nox standing just a few feet away, and grabs her. "She ran away. I was chasing her."

"Ah." Draco is giving him a strange sort of look, like he can't quite figure him out.

"What?" Harry asks. Nox's tail brushes his chin and his laughs softly, scratching behind her ears.

"I just... If you thought I was flirting with you, why did you flirt back?" Draco is shifting from one foot to the other, unable to meet Harry's eyes.

"Because I didn't realize I was into you too until I realized you were flirting with me."

"I wasn't-" Draco sighs, running a hand down his face. Then he freezes. "You're into me?"

"Uh. Yeah. That's what all of this has been about, hasn't it? We're into each other?" Harry is smiling, and Draco is just staring at him like he's insane.

"I..." Draco seems unsure of his own words, and stunned at the situation he's found himself in. "I guess so."

"Good. Wanna help me feed Nox? She's in a running away mood, and it would really help if I had another person."

Draco laughs and nods. They start walking toward the Gryffindor Common Rooms.

Harry reaches out with the arm that isn't carrying his cat and takes Draco's hand, swinging it lightly as they walk.

Draco stares at their hands like they just sprouted fangs.

"Is this okay?" Harry asks nervously. Maybe despite all of his flirting, Draco wasn't ready to really be together yet.

Draco seems to think for a minute before he smiles and squeezes Harry's hand.

"Of course. Potter."