Chapter 14

"You know, this could all be solved by you apologizing," Fate stated with crossed arms. "Not only to your sister but also Snape,"

Mortem grumbled something unintelligible and continued sulking. "Honestly, you just had to have inherited Mother's pride and stubbornness," she continued. "You've got to admit you crossed a line when you tampered with Vita's profession."

"Ugh, I know,"

"And," Fate pressed.

"And I owe Snape a huge favour," Mortem stated with a sigh. "I was an ass,"

"So glad we can agree on that, Morty." As Mortem shot his sister a glare, she continued, "You know, maybe you should spend some time in the mortal realm. Get to know people and stuff."

"Does this look like something that should be spending time in the mortal real?" The skeletal figure gestured down to himself. "One look at me and even Dementors fly for the hills. Do you even think I can take a normal stroll looking like this?"

"Well, you COULD use your human skin, though you would need to suppress some of your powers," she suggested. "Come on, it would be fun. It would give you a new perspective. Maybe you might even understand your Master and his priorities better."

"I guess it couldn't hurt," Mortem stated hesitantly, though he backed away slightly as he saw the sudden glint in his elder sister's eyes.

"Great!" Fate suddenly looked excited. "I'm thinking ginger... no wait... BLOND!"

"No..." Death gulped, having realized what he had just initiated.

"No...

"NO! YOU ARE NOT GIVING MY HUMAN DISGUISE A MAKEOVER!"

Meanwhile, back at the cottage, Snape stared at his new wand and then at the description of it and the core it possessed. "Ollivander must be barmy," Severus muttered as the brown wand handle felt hot in his palm.

"Oh, what did you get?" Harry asked, genuinely curious.

Severus just handed Potter the piece of paper that was inside the box. "Aldar wood, ten inches, its ideal owner is often considerate, helpful, and likable. Best suited for non-verbal spellwork. Thunderbird tail-feather core. The core is believed to be extremely difficult to master, though that probably should not be a problem for you. Able to sense danger."

"That seems like a great wand, Snape. Suits you perfectly, I think." Harry commented.

"I meant that the man was barmy for handing out Thunderbird tail feathers like this. They are extremely hard to source. Even more difficult than getting your hands on a Phoenix feather. With one, you get pecked, with the other, you get turned into a lightning rod."

Harry grimaced but then asked, "Do you want to see mine?"

"Huh?"

"You know, you showed me yours, I'll show you mine," Harry smiled before he realized how it sounded. "My wand, sir. I will show you my wand. I just polished it," he said quickly before he also realized how THAT sounded.

Snape couldn't help it. He bent his head down into his hand, his curtain of hair shielding his reaction from Potter, though his shaking frame gave away the laughter he was trying to stifle. Finally, the normally serious and dour Potion master couldn't contain himself anymore before he doubled over, genuine laughter filling the room.

"Potter," Snape said once his laughter subsided. "I knew what you meant. And while I've not had... relations, believe me when I say that I am no prude. You should have heard what was said in the staff lounge in the evenings."

"I probably should not," Harry muttered.

"Now you were saying about a wand?" Severus quirked a brow.

Harry produced a sleek, dark brown wand. "English oak, Nine-and-a-half inches. According to this-" He said as he produced his own piece of paper. "A loyal wand for the deserving wizard or witch. Demanding strength, courage, and fidelity in its partner. It has an affinity for the natural magic of the world. Horned serpent horn core, considered exceptionally powerful, with a love for parseltongues. May vibrate when spoken to and... Merlin," Harry now blushed slightly. "Mr. Ollivander put two winking faces at the end of that sentence."

"It vibrates when it hears Parseltongue?" Harry questioned as he turned the wand in front of him sideways, inspecting it once more. Then he began hissing at it. The wand grew warm in his palm. Harry remembered that feeling from when his Holly wand had chosen him.

"Severus, look! It really responds," Harry said excitedly as he looked towards the Potion master, who now had a slightly flushed face.

"Potter... Harry, you are still speaking..."

"Oh, darn. Sorry. I sometimes forget to switch back." Potter looked sheepish. "I, uh, hope that I hadn't made you feel uncomfortable just now." He added as he realized that Snape might not like Parseltongue quite so much.

"No, no, it is fine," Severus waved it off while trying to hide the light dusting on his cheeks.

"You can still speak it?" He then asked.

"Yes, surprisingly. You should have seen their faces when I had a full-blown conversation with an asp in the Magical Menagerie."

"But I thought..."

"Because of the Horcrux, right?" Harry grinned. "I thought so too, but then I discovered something really interesting."

"Oh?" Now, Severus was curious, though he tried to keep his voice neutral.

"Yes. Hermione managed to pull some really old records because of her affiliation with the Unspeakables, and what we learned was that Parseltongue is an inherited magical gift. There was a whole legend about a witch saving a snake whom she later claimed to have been Lady Magic herself. And in return had gotten the gift which was passed down through her descendants."

"Go on," Severus said.

"Now we know Slytherin had the gift, which he passed down through the Gaunt line, but Salazar's ancestor was Cadmus Peverell. Meaning that all three brothers' descendants have the possibility of manifesting the trait. The Potter family is descended from Ignotus Peverell so... TADAH!"

"If it is hereditary, then why don't more wizarding families have this trait? The Potters are not the only descendants."

"Well, there are two options. Some probably have manifested the gift, but considering the taboo around the language, they refuse to come forward and reject that part of their magic, or the witch or wizard manifests the gift upon having a certain level of magic. Both Salazar and Moldy Voldy were extremely powerful wizards."

"And you as well," Snape commented, making Harry blush slightly.

"I know that at least one of my children has the gift," He then confessed. "Never found out if the others do. My so-called friends made me disappear before I found out."

"And considering what I know now, I am leaning towards the latter scenario. Given how much interbreeding has happened within pureblood families, I think the magic might have been on somewhat of a decline. If you haven't noticed, the most powerful wizards of the last few centuries have been halfbloods."

"That is... frankly..."

"Yes, it's a lot to take in. Possibly the reason why the information about Parseltongues was classified in the first place. It would shake up the entire pureblood community."

"There is... no... They couldn't... They wouldn't..." Severus muttered. When Harry silently gestured for him to elaborate, he shook his head. "No, I am probably being paranoid." Severus muttered and instead asked, "So when are you wanting to visit Gringotts?"

"I was thinking midnight tonight? The fewer people see me, the better right now, and there are some more things I have to investigate. Right now, I am having a hard time trusting anyone. Except you, of course."

"Potter,"

"Harry," He corrected.

"What happened to you?"

"I... Can we... uhm... cuddle a bit first?" Harry asked hesitantly as if expecting to be rebuffed. "I just really need something to hold onto if I am going to tell you this part." Severus nodded as he noticed Potter going from casual to apprehensive suddenly. The Potion master knew what anxiety looked like. He'd experienced it himself over the years. Yearning for comfort that never came. The man before him had been holding it in quite well, he had observed, but the small touches here and there, especially during the bath, told the Potion master that Potter was far from okay, even though he put up this front. The man was practically touch-starved, but was possibly trying to refrain from expressing that in case he made Severus uncomfortable. Snape made a decision then and there. He stood up and held out his hand for Harry, who took it, though tentatively. They walked back towards the one-person bed, and Severus dragged Potter on top of him after sitting. Harry was laying against Severus's chest as arms enveloped his waist. One of Harry's hands gripped Severus's shoulder as his face buried further into the warmth. Neither said anything as Potter held back a sob while Severus's hand reached up to stroke his hair.

Meanwhile, in the dead of night, a scream pierced the area as someone crashed into the Great Lake rather spectacularly. 'DAMN YOU SIS!' Death thought as he sank into the water. Then he noticed a tentacle wrap around his waist, and the visage of a giant squid came into view. "FUUUUUUUCKKKK" Mortem screamed underwater, then closed his mouth quickly to try to conserve oxygen instinctively. This was not going to be fun.