Drabble: Best Wishes

This was inspired by the fairy tale (Sleeping Beauty? I think so.) where the assembled gift the new child with charms of beauty and wealth, all except one.

James and Lily hold a traditional gathering to welcome their baby boy into the wizarding world. Severus gives a gift of his own.



The small house was wall to wall best wishes. For a time, the war was not welcome within the house of Lily and James. The constant chatter kept waking Harry up in the bassinet. Lily didn’t mind, she preferred to keep the babe in her arms, his look of constant surprise delighted her. As she kissed his brow again, James put his arm around her and kissed hers.

“You should put him back in,” James said with a nod toward the empty bassinet. “I just saw the Prewetts.”

“He keeps waking up!” Lily said. “I don’t care about the stupid tradition, he’s not some prize pig to be gawked at, he’s a baby.”

James looked down at young Harry, the baby’s green eyes gazing at his face. He wasn’t fond of the tradition either, but he didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.

“It’s for Harry,” James whispered against her ear. He kissed her cheek. “You wouldn’t want him to miss out on any good wishes, would you?”

Lily stroked the side of Harry’s face, his eyes were already drowsing asleep, held next to the warm heart of his mother. She quirked her lips in a displeased twist, but James knew by that familiar gesture that she agreed. He glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was at the bassinet.

“What is he doing here?”

Lily looked in the direction of his disgust to see Severus Snape standing beside the bassinet. She rocked her arms back and forth as Harry started to fuss.

“Don’t you start,” Lily said. “I invited him. He’s a capable wizard and..."

“He’s a capable bastard!” James said. “He’ll probably hex Harry or curse him with boils for the rest of his life."

…

Severus had been pretending to look out the window when he heard Lily’s pleasant voice call him. She nattered on about some bloody garbage about how glad she was to see him, which he knew was complete and utter nonsense. He knew no one here was glad to see him. Least of all James Potter. Lily placed the sleeping baby in the bassinet and kissed him again before she was distracted by Alice Longbottom.

Severus looked down at Harry Potter, nestled in a bed of white blankets. The living room was noisy with laughter and talk. Severus glowered at the slumbering boy.

“I wish you all the world’s hatred and discomfort,” Severus said. His voice was barely a whisper. “I wish that one day you will know what it is like to be despised and disliked, shunned by those who would call you friends. I hope you will suffer for being alive, lose what is most dear to you and experience nothing but loneliness in the crowd.”

Severus realized his hands were shaking and he clasped them behind his back as he leaned toward the bassinet and whispered.

“I wish for you to know all my discomfort and more. Every last, painful, bitter moment.”

Severus smile was a grimace, but a pleased one at that. At the very least, it felt better to say it.

“Good luck,” Severus said, a touch louder but not without his customary smirk, “Harry Potter.”

Many years later, Albus was mistaken. He told Harry that Severus helped him in order to pay the debt of James saving Severus’ life.

That wasn’t the reason at all.