Data Gets an Upgrade (Data/Severus, G) Title: Data Gets an Upgrade (or What Started Out as Snata and Turned into Severus-centric Feeeelingsss) Author: faeryqueen07 Rating: G Pairing(s):Data/Severus (background Ginny/Harry) Word Count: 2,100 Warnings: Fluff, not-quite-angst Disclaimer: The world and characters of Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling, her publishers and, to an extent, Warner Brothers. I have made no money from this and no copyright infringement is intended. A/N: So I actually wrote this back in, like, April and I meant to have it beta’d, but yeah. That didn’t work out. So, I have re-read this, but there may still be errors. To that end, if you email me offline, I will make the changes. This is for the group, but most specifically, torina_archelda. :D This sort of falls in with the other Snata I’ve written. I’m still horrified that I’m writing Snata willingly. Torina broke me, clearly.
Summary/Snippet: [Data] had somehow managed to download a virus on his system, though Severus had no idea how he had managed that. His programming shouldn’t have allowed it, and the upgrades they had scheduled were supposed to be secure. Normally Data was fine afterward, looking well-rested and happy. Not today, though. Today he looked worn out, his limbs moving jerkily, as though he lacked coordination.
Data was sick.
He had somehow managed to download a virus on his system, though Severus had no idea how he had managed that. His programming shouldn’t have allowed it, and the upgrades they had scheduled were supposed to be secure. Normally Data was fine afterward, looking well-rested and happy. Not today, though. Today he looked worn out, his limbs moving jerkily, as though he lacked coordination.
Severus was hesitant to remove anything, to open Data up and touch any of the chips. He had overseen Data’s restoration, yes, but he had not done all the manual labor. His talent lay in potions, not computer engineering, and while he could follow the instructions in a book, this was far outside his scope. He needed a professional, of that he was certain. Left with no other solution, Severus steeled himself and reached for his phone.
“Potter Technologies, how may we help you?”
The voice was soft, almost lilting but with an edge to it that suggested the speaker was no one to be underestimated. Severus had to fight a smile despite the severity of the situation. “Ginevra, is Harry around?”
“Severus? He’s out finishing up an appointment. Shall I have him stop by yours on his way home?”
Severus glanced over at Data, hand tightening around the phone as he noted the negative changes. “Yes, if you don’t mind.” The words came out curt, razor sharp with helplessness. On the other end of the phone, Ginny sucked in a quick breath.
“I’ll let him know, Severus.”
She disconnected before Severus could say anything more and he set the phone down almost regretfully. He had hoped to have at least some sort of timeframe. Without one, Severus was left with nothing to do but wait. And fret. He made tea to keep himself occupied.
The kettle had only just begun to whistle when there a loud whoosh from the floo and Harry came stumbling out, arms full of wriggling Albus Severus. The moment Harry set him down, Albus scampered across the floor to Severus, skidding to a stop in front of him with his little hands fisted on his hips.
“Mummy said papa was to come straight here and help you,” Albus stated. For all that he was terrified of strangers and shy around adults, he was fearless in the face of Severus. It was all, Severus thought, due to the shared name.
“That is why I called him, young man. Pray tell, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with your mother?”
“He asked to come with me on my rounds today.” Harry was Vanishing the last of the soot clinging to his clothes, as he spoke. He offered Severus a crooked smile as he cleaned his glasses and resettled them on his nose. “Ginny said it sounded urgent. What’s wr—” He cut himself off with a low whistle, ever mindful of his language in front of his son. “You were right to call when you did. Is this from his last upgrade?”
“Yes. He was perfectly fine this morning, but about three hours ago, he began to droop. I had not thought much of it until I realized just how poorly he was doing. If I had been more aware...” Severus spread his hands out before him. There was little he could do now.
“Hmm. Let me just hook him up to my laptop and I’ll see if I can figure out what’s wrong with him.”
Harry set his laptop bag on the table beside Data and pulled out his netbook. Like all wizard-owned Muggle technology, the portable computer had a network of spells that allowed it to function at above optimum performance. Harry had designed a majority of them, but Ginny had shown a certain flair for combining technology and magic as well.
Severus knew hovering would not hasten the process and he despised the role of silent observer, so he offered his hand to Albus and led him out of the living room and into his personal lab. “Would you care to assist me? Your father is due to replenish his Pepper-Up soon, among others.”
“Will you let me stir the cauldron?” Albus scowled up at Severus almost suspiciously. “Papa says I’m too little, but I’m not.”
“Hmm. I believe, as long as you allow me to assist you, that would feasible.”
“What’s ‘feez-ble mean?”
Severus clucked at Albus, repeating the word slowly so the little boy could hear how the consonants and vowels flowed together. “Fee-zi-ble. Feasible. Repeat it.”
They practiced saying the word until Albus said it correctly, then Severus gave him the definition. Both Albus and James were smart, but unlike his older brother, Albus enjoyed learning new things. Severus took advantage of that knowledge every chance he had, instructing the boy in all the intricacies of potion making, as well as broadening his vocabulary. He had been prepared to defend his actions to Harry, only to be surprised by the easy acceptance.
“Hopefully he’ll be better at them than I was. And he likes spending time with you. I won’t begrudge either of you that. It’s why we named you his Godfather. You get to teach him all the things I can’t.” Harry had been completely sincere, and it had left Severus feeling somewhat discombobulated.
He was, in fact, Godfather to all three of the Potter children. James had no interest in potions, but his aptitude for spells had given them their own special area to work in. Lily was still too young, not yet four years old, but she had a knack for finding trouble that rivaled that of her father’s in his school years. Severus imagined she would be as proficient as her mother with the bat-bogey hex given time; she was already quite adept at deflecting her brothers’ antics.
Severus pushed his momentary brooding aside and reached for his potions book. As he slid it from its place on the shelf, the book beside it tipped to the side and Severus found himself tracing the lettering. ‘Half-Blood Prince.’ The leather cover was crudely made, fashioned by Harry just after the war and returned to Severus while he lay recovering at St. Mungo’s.
He returned to the present with a sharp shake of his head and looked down to find Albus chasing newt eyes across the table. Severus let one corner of his mouth slide up into a ghost of a smile as he gathered them up in his hand and deposited them back into the jar.
“All right you scamp, let us brew your father some Pepper-Up potion.”
~ * ~
By the time the knock came, Albus was sound asleep, sprawled half across Severus’ chest. On the table beside his bed was a stack of books, Green Eggs and Ham at the top, page marked for the next time Albus visited. Severus was careful as he shifted Albus off of him, tucking his quilt around the boy’s shoulders before crossing the room. He expected to find Harry on the other side, so Severus was stunned into stillness when he pulled open the door to and found Data standing there, looking slightly tired but better than he had before. Healthier, if that was possible.
“Data? I—did Harry discover what had happened?”
Harry appeared at Data’s shoulder looking sheepish. His hair was askew, poking up where he had no doubt pulled at it. His glasses were perched on the end of his nose and he pushed them up with one finger. Severus could see the exhaustion tugging at the corners of Harry’s eyes, but he was smiling, albeit ruefully.
“Sorry, Severus. That was my fault. When I got ready to run his upgrades on my end, I decided to try something new. It works with the spell we created that allows for bodily secretions.” He blushed at that, eyes darting to his son’s sleeping form and back again. “The upgrade that ran this time made some adjustments. Up until now, Data’s body has always remained one temperature. The upgrades, when combined with the spell, allows for a fluctuation in bodily temperature. I forgot to warn Data that he should run the upgrade right before bed. I’m really sorry.”
Severus’ gaze slid from Harry to Data and he reached out with one hand, brushing his fingers over the familiar curve of Data’s cheek. The skin there was warmer than normal, and when he dragged his hand back farther, cupping the back of Data’s neck, a faint flush appeared, tinting Data’s cheeks light pink.
“Oh,” Severus murmured, startled. “You—how were you even able to manage this, Harry. We worked for weeks on that spell and could not do this.”
“Ginny brought a space heater into the store. With a warming spell, you pick a comfortable temperature and then either continually cast the spell or anchor it. The heater, though, was able to read when it needed to change, or turn off. I simply had to manipulate Data’s system into doing this as well. It’s tied into the spells that shift the beating of his heart. Mimicry, if you will.”
“Most impressive, Mr. Potter.”
Harry blushed again at the compliment. “Anyway, he should be completely back to normal by morning. He’s still a bit tired because his system is attempting to learn a whole new way of operating.”
Harry slipped past Severus to gather up his son. Albus roused only long enough to situate himself in Harry’s arms, then nodded back off, his face pressed into the curve of his father’s neck. As Harry passed by Severus again, he leaned up to press a hasty kiss to Severus’ cheek.
“That’s from Ginny. She told me to pass along her love and to invite you two to dinner tomorrow night. Data? Let Severus get you into bed. Try not to do anything strenuous tonight. It might overload his system.”
Harry was gone before Severus could form a response, leaving them alone once more. Data was watching Severus, eyes half-closed as he listed in place. It was that, the physical manifestation of tiredness that Data did not normally show, that had Severus moving. He pulled Data the rest of the way into the bedroom, shutting the door firmly before leading him over to the bed. He used just enough pressure to force Data to sit, then knelt at his feet. He easily lifted first one foot and then the next, stripping away Data’s shoes and socks. The shirt went next, followed by Data’s trousers.
Severus tucked him into the bed, aware all the while that Data was simply watching him, not speaking. It was unnerving and Severus cracked under the weight of his stare as he began to undress for bed.
“What is it?” he huffed, undoing the buttons of his shirt.
“This new system...it is quite advanced, given how far behind in technology you are now from when I was first created. It is remarkable. He has created a way for me to physically mimic emotions. Like now, when I see you. It makes my skin feel warm, and my heart beats faster. But how?”
“All of the spells and codes Harry and I have created are directly connected to things we already know you like. In the past, if you decided that something appealed to you, you would spend days trying to figure out the reason behind why you should like it. How you should react to it. Harry, if I am to assume correctly, took the one thing he knew you liked above all else and coded into your system the ability to respond accordingly...naturally. Your heart rate picking up, the change in the color of your skin; those are signs of arousal. I cannot even begin to fathom how he was able to create a formula that could be comprehended by technology.”
Data’s eyes roved over Severus’ face, and it was clear he was listening. He looked ready to say something, but all of a sudden he yawned, startling them both. “I—am tired.”
“Yes,” Severus agreed. “Indeed you are. Harry said you should sleep, but can you?”
“I used to simulate it easily enough. Now though...I cannot help but wonder if it would be mere simulation. How interesting. It is almost like...like magic.”
Severus’ lips twisted into a smile, something that was becoming easier and easier with every passing day. “One could say that, yes.”
He clicked off the lamp beside the bed, and slid beneath the sheets, attempting to settle down. After a brief moment, Data shifted closer, his head coming down to rest just over Severus’ heart. They lay quietly together, Data counting the steady beats, admiring how his own heart beat matched them perfectly. Without either of them noticing, sleep swept in and carried them both away.