Title: Goodnight Twerp

Author: Darkmoon666/Moony

Words: 767

Characters: Severus Snape, Harry Potter, no Slash

Rating: T

Warning: Mentions of past abuse

Summary: AU year 5, A night spent in the Potions Professor's rooms in the castle of Hogwarts passes quite calmly, even under the circumstances of who lives there. No Slash.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling, her napkins, and the people who publish said series written on napkins, does. I just enjoy playing around with character life for my own twisted amusement.

Claimer: I own the plot of this one-shot.

"No."

Snape dipped his head to be eye-level with the boy. "What did you say?" he asked again.

"I said, No," the boy replied.

Severus's black eyes narrowed as he glared into the green of the youth before him. "No desert, if that's the case, then."

The protesting emerald eyes widened before dropping back to the plate and picking up the silverware. "Yessir," he told the older man before scooping up the peas with a spoon and shoving it into his mouth.

The Professor sank back into his chair and watched as the black-haired boy finished his meal. The empty plates soon were cleared and then replaced with a variety of fruits and light chocolates. The dark man took a pear drizzled with honey as the dark child stuck sticky fingers back into the pile of chocolate-covered strawberries.

When both sat back in the wood chairs, content, the plates disappeared for good. A quick, wandless and nonverbal spell by the boy dissipated the mess from his fingers and mouth.

"Get ready for bed, I'll be there in a bit," the man said as he stood from the table.

The dark head nodded once before the small body scurried off to his set of rooms in the chamber. In a short time, the water could be heard falling into the tub, as well as the splash as the boy slipped in. Severus didn't bother to check on him, as the few first times left both with waves of embarrassment, even if the cuts and bruises had to be specifically treated.

Severus retreated to his desk, where he pulled out a potion that, when smoothed over skin, reduced scar tissue by incredible amounts. He walked to the boy's bathroom door, which he knocked on before calling, "Are you decent enough?"

A positive reply was heard, so he entered the bathroom to find the air thick with steam. His eyebrows furrowed together before Severus waved his wand and the water condensed in the empty tub, and then circulated down the drain.

The boy was perched on the side of the tub with a towel draped around his neck, clothed only in boxers for the night. "Turn around," Severus said, and he swung around so his feet were in the tub, his bony back visible to the professor.

The bottle was uncorked and the balm spread on his fingers as Severus walked to his younger charge and knelt on the slightly damp matt. He paid no attention to the dampness spreading from his knees. His potion-stained fingers smoothed the healing agent over countless scars. Some were thick and pearly with age, others pink and fresh. When he finished to the boy's waistband, the child spun around again, and Severus was dismayed to see he could still count the individual ribs. He sighed sadly and continued to rub the ointment into letters carved into white skin.

The boy's flesh pimpled beneath his touch, as the liquid was cool against the water-warmed skin. Snape's fingers ran gently from neck to side, smoothing the balm all the time. Minutes later, Severus retreated from the bathroom as the boy used the scar-reducer on his parts under the boxers. The door opened again, but this time the boy had pants on, though his dark hair still dripped onto bare shoulders. He handed the older man the capped potion, and Severus observed he needed to replenish the bottle before too long passed. "Hurry along now."

The younger boy frowned up at the greasy-haired man, but he scampered off to his room all the same. Severus followed at a more sedate pace and found the boy in his bed under the dark covers already, his pale face stark in contrast. He sat next to the boy on the bed and spread the covers more securely under his chin. "Goodnight, Twerp," Severus said. He gently pressed his lips to the adorned brow before pulling away, standing and heading towards the door.

"Goodnight, Severus," he heard the boy say. Severus glanced back and saw the boy's nose crinkled in distaste.

Snape chuckled. "Sleep well, Harry," he told the young teen as he pulled the door almost shut behind him. There were small globes around the ceiling that emitted light, but an open door was better than closed. Only closed doors could be locked.

"You too, Dad," Severus caught as he retreated down the hall to begin his own nighttime routine.

A small smile graced the Potions Professor's thin lips as he processed what his adopted son, previously Harry Potter, now Harry Snape, said. It was a good night after all.

I hope that it would be implied that Severus still teaches at Hogwarts…as I refer to him as the professor a few times in here. Previously, Snape has rescued and adopted Harry from the Dursleys. Thus, living together.

I hope everyone enjoyed reading this. The idea came randomly…as most things do these days. Hopefully, I'll have the next part of 'Invisible Death' started soon…

Please read and review! You can tell me if there are any errors that way...

Oh and there will NOT be a sequel to this.

Thanks for reading!

~Moony