Fic: Harry's Birthday
Title: Look Who's Thirty! Pairing: Who else? Rating: G Note: this is a Motherless Child story, wherein Snape and Lupin have adopted a young werewolf and gotten married. Johnny, their son, is about 7 in this one. It was originally written for the "Harry's Birthday" challenge at snape100
"Severus?" Remus poked his head into the stillroom. His hair, which he was growing in one of his periodic attempts to even out the layers, was pulled back in a charmingly messy ponytail.
"You have one minute." Severus laid down his pestle. "What?"
"Are we busy on Saturday?"
Severus blew out a breath. "I don't recall any commitments. Why?"
"Well." Remus held out a cream-colored note card. "It's Harry's 30th birthday."
Severus scowled. He hadn't liked Potter as a student, and that hadn't changed now that Potter had a family. "You go. I'll stay home with John."
"He's invited, too."
*****
There really hadn't been any way to slither out of attending the annual Potter Birthday Brawl, especially after the Savior of the Wizarding World decided to combine it with the Longbottom Birthday Brawl at Hengewood House. Thus it was that Severus, in clean but casual robes, found himself stationed by a wine fountain in Augusta Longbottom's pleasaunce, sipping a more than acceptable sauvignon blanc, watching while his son and the next generation of Hogwarts students romped about in the muck.
Wine. Food. Elves to watch the children. It was all -
"Hello, Snape. Glad you could make it," said Potter.
*****
Severus took a long pull at his wine. He suffered Potter for Remus' sake, but they would never be friends. "I'm sure you are," he said at last.
"Try not to be so enthusiastic." Potter scowled. "Can't you be pleasant for five minutes?"
"So far I've let Nymphadora's daughter mash a choccie into my hair, chatted about plants with Neville Longbottom, applauded whilst the Elf Manumission Collective sang off-key, and allowed your offspring to kick me in the shins and drool on my robes, respectively. Pray tell how I can be more pleasant?"
"You could say hello to my wife."
*****
Severus glared down at the annoying little twit. "Your wife is supervising several children, one of them mine. At least two are infants. Why do you assume she would welcome an interruption?"
"It's simple courtesy, Snape - "
"Harry! Would you stop gossiping and help me?" Ginny Potter desperately grabbed at a niece before the child could smack a Longbottom over the head with a stuffed bat. Her husband made a face and slowly set down his drink before drifting over to lend a hand.
Severus raised an eyebrow. "Fascinating," he murmured, as Remus joined him by the buffet table.
*****
"So sad," Remus murmured, one hand on Severus's back. The Potters weren't actively fighting, yet, but when they got home? "They started out with such promise, and now - "
"They married too young." Severus finished his wine. "So did his parents."
Remus winced. "I like to think that Lily and James would have avoided this. Not that we'll ever know."
Ginny shoved her younger son into her husband's arms. Potter took the child and started to turn away, then stopped and took a moment to kiss her."
Severus leaned against Remus for a moment. "Perhaps there's hope."