Thinking about Snape finally indulging Harry’s request to know more about his mom. Snape would let out small details every few months in a random conversation, which Harry was grateful for because it was more than he’d ever gotten from anyone else, but he craved to know more.
It was his second summer living in Spinners End with Snape, as he sort of kinda has custody, at least he assumes that he does. (Harry’s not really sure what’s going on, he just knows Snape won’t let the Dursleys even look at him without repercussions.) He had accidentally found a small shoe box that was filled with pictures and random trinkets tucked away in the back of his closet, he was pretty sure his bedroom was used as storage space before he moved in. He felt bad going through Snapes personal things, but he couldn’t help himself when he opened the lid and there was a picture right on top of his mum laughing while sitting with a young Snape. There was a couple of other pictures that he spent a few minutes committing to memory and a few random items, a little charm that looked like it should be on a necklace and a some small rocks. He fiddled with the charm for a few seconds before putting everything back in place and placing the lid back on top. He sighed before picking the box up, heading down to the kitchen where he could hear Snape shuffling around, probably making lunch for the two of them.
Harry placed the box on the kitchen table, a small pit of anxiety in his stomach, he felt somewhat guilty even though he stumbled across the box as a complete accident. Probably something left over from living with the Dursleys. He waited for a few seconds before clearing his throat quietly, Snape was too focused on what he was doing to notice Harry enter.
Snape turned to face him and gestured to the stovetop, a simmering pot of soup on a low burner. “Lunch is…” He trailed off, his eyes darting down to the box on the table. “Where’d you find that?”
His tone wasn’t accusatory or angry but Harry still curled into himself slightly. “Um, well. I found it in my closet,” he admitted. “I didn’t know what it was so I peeked inside, I’m sorry, and I thought you’d want it back.”
“Yes,” he said quietly. “Yes, I would.” Snape sighed as he stepped forward to touch the box, a pained expression on his face, he opened the lid and his whole body seemed to droop a little bit. “I haven’t seen this box in quite some time.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.” Harry spoke quietly, looking at the contents of the box as Snape shuffled through it.
“Your,” He hesitated as picked up the small rocks that were in the box. “Your mother gave these to me.”
Harry listened intently, nodding his head a little, but he didn’t want Snape to feel like he was being pressured into talking more if he didn’t want to so he kept his face neutral.
“She went on a summer trip with her family, she tried to convince me to join her but my father had refused, she was livid at him.” He had a small smile on his face as he talked, thinking back on the memory. “She picked these up at the summit of a hike she went on, told me that if I couldn’t go to the mountains with her, she would have to bring them to me.”
Harry smiled at the sentiment, imagining Lily trying to include her friend even though he wasn’t able to be there physically. He had heard about how kind and thoughtful his mother was but just telling him that was nothing compared to stories that actually showed it.
“She loved the outdoors, your mother.” Snape continued, gently placing the stones back into the box. “She adored being in school, loved all of her classes, but she could get quite restless if she wasn’t given a break to be outside every once in a while.”
Snape sighed again as he placed the cover back on the box, but it wasn’t as heavy as it was before, and he had a small smile on his face. He carefully slid the box back to Harry, who looked up at him in surprise.
“Put that in the living room, will you? Perhaps we could,” Snape thought for a moment, contemplating. “Perhaps we could find a place to display the photos in there. If that would be to your liking?”
“Yes.” Harry replied quickly, nodding his head as a smile grew on his face. “I would love that.”
Harry smiled at the thought of living somewhere that had his mother’s face displayed. He could never put up pictures at Hogwarts because he didn’t have any, had barely even seen any. Petunia would have died before displaying a picture of Lily, not because she didn’t love her but because it was all too painful of a reminder of what she lost.
He brought the box to the living room, leaving it on the small coffee table in front of the sofa. He smiled again as he headed back to the kitchen to have lunch with Snape, his heart happy and light with the new story of his mother. Maybe Snape would tell him another one when they frame the photos together.
