57. After lunch was done
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Harry looked around him avidly. He'd only seen a bit of the manor when he'd been here previously. He admired the Christmas tree and all the decorations. "The elves sure did a good job on the Christmas tree." His eyes wandered to the pile of presents under it.
"Yes, it looks very nice," Severus agreed.
Once Harry was finished eating, he said. "I'm going upstairs and start working on my homework. I want to have it done by Christmas."
"Alright, Harry. We'll see you later," Lily said. She turned back to Severus and said, "I'd very much like it if you could give me a tour of your home."
"I will be happy to," Severus replied, helping her to her feet. As they walked Severus gave Lily a brief history of the house. "The land was granted to my ancestor, Edmond Prince by King Henry the Eighth in 1540 as a reward for him brewing Henry a special potion for his marriage to Catherine Howard. From then on he built this house, stayed away from court, and kept a very low profile."
"I think given Henry's temperament, it was a wise decision," Lily said. She giggled suddenly. "I wonder what the potion he brewed was for."
"Given his age and being that Katherine Howard was much younger, I think we can both guess," Severus replied chuckling. He showed her around the other wing, and the library where the pictures of his grandparents were snoozing and the conservatory.
"Pomona would have a fit if she saw this," Lily said. "With all the different kinds of plants, she wouldn't know where to look first."
"And they are from all over the world too," Severus pointed out. "My great-grandfather and grandfather were quite the collectors. The library had a solid section on Herbology."
Lily had gone to look out the window. "What's the house down there, Sev?"
Severus went over and stood beside her. "That is the guest house. I have never been inside it since I inherited Witches Moon, but Tita mentioned it has 22 rooms. Beyond is a small lake with a gazebo. You cannot really see it this time of year since it is iced over."
"I'd love to see it in the summer," Lily said wistfully. "I'll bet it's really pretty."
"It is," Severus agreed. "It has swans and ducks swimming in it with tall cattails surrounding the lake. But we will be here when school is out so you will be able to see it then."
They walked back to the living room and sat down again. "I'm surprised your grandparents left you the Prince fortune when they disowned your mum."
"Well, it was me or watch it go out of the Prince family. I do have to say the first time I came here, my grandparents did express their sorrow for disowning their only child and it was me who had to tell them mum had died during my sixth year."
"It must have been a shock for them to find out."
"Well, they could have easily helped her, but no, they had to hang on to their stupid pride and beliefs," he remarked. "I usually visit Spinner's End before school starts up again and for two weeks in the summer."
"I haven't been back to Manchester since mum and dad died."
"Harry's been wanting to see it so I plan to stop for a very short visit. I thought it might be interesting to wander around the old neighborhood."
"Yes, it might be," Lily agreed with a smile.
At lunchtime, Severus went upstairs and knocked on Harry's door and stuck his head in the room. "Harry, lunch is ready." He saw Hedwig had arrived and was sitting in her cage with her head tucked under her wing. Keb and Isis appeared to have settled in nicely from their journey.
Harry looked up from the essay he was writing and said, "Oh good! I just now realized I'm starving!" He capped his ink bottle and went downstairs with Severus.
Severus had asked lunch to be served in the conservatory rather than the formal dining room. There was a plate of sandwiches, a bowl of salad, and a bowl of crisps with coffee for Severus, tea for Lily and a pitcher of cold milk for Harry.
Harry looked around at all the different plants. "Wow, Dad! Professor Sprout would go crazy in here!"
"I should cut her some slips from some of these plants," Severus said. "I'm sure the Hogwarts greenhouses won't have them as these are plants from all over the world."
"Can most of these plants be used in potions, Dad?"
"Yes. The Princes have had a long line of Healers, Potion Masters and Mistresses, and Herbologists."
"Wicked!" Harry exclaimed.
Lily smiled as she watched Harry while sipping her tea. It was so relaxing here at Witches Moon and it was someplace Potter and Black had no idea existed so she got a break from worrying about them popping up and bothering her and Harry. She reasoned that while Dumbledore probably knew of it; he would not be able to find it as Sev had told her it was unplottable.
After lunch was done, Harry went back to his homework. "If you have any problems, Harry just let your mother or I know and we will help you," Severus said.
"Okay, Dad, but I think I've got it covered."
"Good boy!"
Severus and Lily spent the rest of the afternoon talking and reminiscing about their childhood, the old neighborhood, and the places they had found to hide from Petunia so they could talk about magic without her sniffing and scoffing.
"I've been putting it off, but I need to go and confront Petunia about her treatment of Harry. I know she hated Potter because he and Sirius acted like boors at her wedding and humiliated her in front of Vernon's family. I think his family just thought they were drunk, but she shouldn't have taken out her dislike of Potter on Harry."
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