Severus gave Lucius a long-suffering look. "Why would you give a five-year-old a pet snake Lucius?"
The man in question only shrugged at his long-time friend.
"It was the only thing the boy asked for. I wasn't going to tell him no." Severus sighed, pinching his nose.
"Did you at the very least make sure it wasn't poisonous or venomous?" He only received a blank stare in response, leading Severus to groan loudly.
How wonderful.
xXx
"Aunty Cissa?" Hermione tugged on the older lady's hand, thinking hard. She received a warm smile, making her heart swell in happiness. Draco's mom was really pretty, and she lavished Hermione with attention. It was vastly different from her own parents' cold demeanors toward her. Hermione smiled sweetly back at her.
She looked to Draco and Harry, who were whispering to each other about Harry's new pet, who Uncle Lucius took back to the castle. Draco had pouted at not finding a familiar for his own, but accepted Harry's quickly.
Hermione remembered just how surprised she was at the fact that Hogwarts was a castle. An actual, real life castle! And she would get to stay there with Harry and Uncle Sev. She frowned thinking how Draco would be going back with his parents. Maybe he could stay with them sometimes. Like a sleep over!
"Hermione? Was there something you wanted dear?" Hermione blushed, not realizing she was taking too long to answer. She started chewing on her bottom lip, as she stared at the blonde lady contemplatively. "What's a mudblood?" She watched carefully, noticing how her aunt faltered for a moment before walking if a bit more briskly. Hermione stared down at her feet as they walked.
"Where did you hear that word dove?" Hermione looked up at the woman, wondering why she sounded upset. She had a pinched look on her face. Was it a bad word? Uncle Sev never really answered her question when she asked him.
"Draco asked me, and I asked Uncle Sev if I was, but he never actually answered the question directly." She pouted.
Aunt Cissa sighed, as she shooed the boys to the swings at the park they just entered. Hermione watching them, wanting to join them very much but wanting her answer first.
They sat on a bench and Hermione leaned against her aunt, waiting. "Hermione. You are a muggle-born witch." She scrunched her nose in confusion. "What's a muggle?" She looked at her aunt to see a frown across her lips. "A muggle is a human who doesn't have any magical abilities. Your parents don't have any, which is why they're afraid of you." Hermione bit her lip. That still… "But what's a mudblood?"
Aunt Cissa made a face. "A mudblood is a nasty term for those who are muggle-born Hermione. It implies you are a dirty person, that you have dirty blood." Her chest burned as hurt rose up. She wasn't dirty! She felt tears forming as her aunt tugged her onto her lap. She wrapped her arms around Aunt Cissa's neck and the woman shushed her as she cried.
"It's alright sweet girl. You are a witch, no matter your blood. You shall not ever hear that word pass from my lips in regard to you." She tightened her arms before leaning back and staring at Aunt Cissa desperately. Her bottom lip was quivering, seeing that her aunt was being honest. "Promise?"
"Of course love."
Hermione shoved her face back in the woman's neck, feeling her humming and running hands through her hair.
"Come now dear, let me plait your hair before you run off with the boys." Hermione nodded. She didn't ever want to leave.
xXx
The next day brought more than a few surprises. Somehow Hermione's familiar, Crookshanks, had found his way into the dungeons and was no in bed with said child.
She woke everyone up with her scream of delight.
Severus let out a huff of irritation, his body slowly relaxing after having tensed up from the girl's squealing. He laid back down on the transfigured bed, closing his eyes for a moment.
Narcissa was the first one out of the bed she had been sharing with Lucius and Draco, to check on the two children in Severus's bedroom.
"Um. Severus?" His eyes slowly opened at the blank tone Narcissa had.
"What is it Cissa?" He drawled, cursing himself for giving in to that moment of stupidity when he decided to watch over the brats. He wanted his bed back.
She popped her head out of the room, Hermione copying her while hugging that ugly cat. "Where is Harry?"
Severus let loose a curse.
xXx
Harry had decided he wanted to cook breakfast for his new uncles and aunt. He would have, only his Uncle Sev didn't keep much food at all in his kitchen.
Thus, he was now roaming the hallways in an attempt to find food to cook. Of course he had brought his new friend who he decided to name 'Kaa'.
However, it was freezing, and he was lost. He was wandering for an awful long time.
Somehow, he was in a massive hallway. He had seen a couple of people here and there, but he hid each time, scared he'd get in trouble.
"Do you think we should try and go back Kaa? I don't know where we are anymore." Harry whispered. He was really afraid now.
"It iss alright Harry, but we should go back." Kaa slithered up from Harry's neck to wrap around his head, looking like a very elaborate headpiece, but making the boy's hair stick up in odd places.
Harry stopped and looked around.
He remembered he climbed a bunch of stairs, and some staircases that moved. He had stared at them curiously and one had stopped in front of him. When he reached the top he patted it, thinking how awesome it was there were moving staircases. After that all of them seemed to stop for him, which made him happy. Magic was really cool!
He was surrounded by paintings, and the people in them moved and kept whispering about him. Harry felt a little silly for being scared of them, but they were talking paintings!
Kaa's head lifted from his place on Harry. "Assk the people on the wall."
Harry really didn't want to do that.
He swallowed, took a deep breath, and walked up to a painting of a knight on a horse. "E-excuse me, sir?"
Harry felt Kaa moving from his head to wrap around his neck. "Harry ssomeoness coming! Hide!" He looked around frantically, distress pouring out of every inch of his small body.
Harry spotted a door and quickly hid inside. He pressed his ear against the door and heard two people giggling. He felt Kaa's tongue flick out tickling his neck.
"What isss this place?" Harry looked around curiously. It looked strange, like it hadn't been used in forever. "I dunno. I've never been here." He shrugged, not feeling as scared anymore. Kaa's tongue flicked out again, and Harry leaned back against the door, trying to hear.
He slowly opened the door and peeked around the corner. He didn't see anyone, so he walked out cautiously. He looked around before he walked back to the knight he tried to talk to before. Only… the knight wasn't there anymore. Harry was confused.
"Is that Harry?"
"Harry Potter?"
"Why's he so young?"
Harry tensed up, fear running through his body hearing his name.
xXx
Severus was anxious.
He felt out of sorts in a way he hadn't for years. He wasn't used to feeling this way. He ran his hand through his hair, as he walked briskly searching for Harry. He had already scoured the dungeons with no luck.
Bloody hell he was a fool to not have put wards on the doors. He assumed Harry would be behaved enough to not wander off blindly!
Severus's heart raced. He felt like a blubbering fool with all these emotions running through his body.
"Is that Harry?" Severus's blood ran cold. Damn it all! This amount of students will just frighten the poor boy, swirling around him as they are.
He whirled around the corner and saw Harry just in time to see the boy get swallowed into the castle wall.
Severus nearly let out a roar of frustration, only just barely restraining himself in front of a small group of Gryffindors, all of whom scampered off immediately seeing his explosive expression.
xXx
Harry was massively confused. The last thing he knew was getting surrounded by a bunch of people with the same weird looking robes. He was scared and wanted to get away, get somewhere safe.
He was confused.
Harry knew, young as he was, that you can't just show up in random places. As he stared at the old man in front of him, the one Uncle Sev said was Dumbledore, stared back at him in surprise.
He then smiled at Harry, immediately making him feel oddly uncomfortable. He shuffled his feet, feeling Kaa tighten for a moment before moving to hide in his hair.
Harry got the feeling Kaa didn't like Dumbledore.
"Harry my boy, where have you come from?" Harry gulped, shivers going down his spine, while his hands went clammy. He was afraid of the old man. There was a gasp at his name, and something shifted. Harry's eyes snapped to find another man, much younger than Dumbledore, sitting in a chair in front of the desk.
Harry backed away slightly, feeling more than unsure about the situation. He wanted his Uncle Sev. He shouldn't have ever left.
XXX
Dumbledore was more than shocked when the young Harry Potter showed up in his office. He knew of course that Hogwarts had its own special type of sentience so there must've been a reason for it, but this was the first time anyone showed up randomly in the Headmaster's Office.
No students, no adults.
None without permission or without him being warned beforehand.
He felt more than a little confused about Harry showing hints of fear towards him. He was sure that he'd done nothing to inspire such a reaction.
He didn't miss the snake wrapped around the boy's neck moving to his messy mop of hair. "Harry my boy, where have you come from?" Dumbledore heard Lupin gasp from his right and watched as Harry's eyes immediately went to the man.
Harry took a small step back, small enough Dumbledore nearly missed it, and would have, had he not been watching the young boy so closely.
"I want Uncle Sev." The boy said in nearly a whisper. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and leaned back against his desk. "Harry, how did you get in here? No one's ever gotten in here without some sort of warning." He was a little miffed the boy ignored his question, but he had to be patient. Children took much patience.
The boy's eyebrows furrowed slightly, his eyes looking oddly bright now. "I fell in the wall. I want Uncle Sev." He said a little more firmly, though slightly strained. Dumbledore frowned at the 'fell in the wall' part. It wasn't possible.
"Uncle Sev? Surely, he doesn't mean Severus, Dumbledore!" Lupin exclaimed. Dumbledore frowned slightly, having rather hoped they had gotten over their past, but it appears there's still some prejudice.
Harry fidgeted at Lupin's reaction.
Dumbledore merely nodded, sparing Lupin a glance before he looked back to Harry. The man had arrived a little later than expected, originally planning on riding the train but was caught up in something. It was a good thing DADA didn't have class today.
"Professor Lupin, this is Mr. Harry Potter. Harry, this is Professor Lupin. He's a teacher just like your Uncle Sev." Dumbledore smiled at the boy, noting how he perked up a little at the information.
"Are you friends with him? Could you take me to him please?" Dumbledore frowned minutely. He wasn't sure why the boy was afraid of him. Most children adored him.
"Um no, I-I can't say that I'm friends with… Uncle Sev." Lupin frowned when Harry drooped a little. He frowned harder when the boy then ignored him in favor of Dumbledore. "Mr. Dumbledore… could you help me find Uncle Sev? I got lost when I was looking for food to cook." Harry looked up at him imploringly. Dumbledore was a tad concerned as he felt Harry really shouldn't have been able to get out if he was being watched carefully.
He nodded, noting the immense relief that washed over the boy's face.
Lupin jumped from the seat he had been in, shocked. "Dumbledore you can't be serious! You can't take Harry back there! He could get out again, it's obvious Snape isn't watching him as he should be!" It proved to be the wrong thing to say, as Harry's face scrunched up in anger.
"Don't be mean! Uncle Sev is my uncle! He does too watch me! I wanted to make him breakfast!" Harry shouted before kicking Lupin in the leg, surprising them both as the boy had changed drastically from being timid and afraid to outright angry and violent.
It was just at that moment when Severus came rushing into the office. "Dumbledore. It's Harry he -mph!" He was cut off mid-sentence when Harry went bowling into him. "Uncle Sev!"
Much to everyone's concern, the boy immediately started sobbing. Dumbledore rubbed his face wearily, watching as Severus picked him up, Harry's snake moving back to his neck.
"Harry. There is no need to cry. You should not have left the rooms. We warned you three it would be easy to get lost." Lupin was utterly gobsmacked. This could not be happening!
Dumbledore coughed subtly, getting both professors' attention. He received a glare from both men, though Severus's was far more severe.
"Severus. How is it exactly young Harry got out?" Dumbledore asked a little sternly, feeling the man really should have kept a closer eye on the boy. To his surprise, it wasn't Severus that answered him. "I already told you! Leave him alone!" Dumbledore noticed Severus seemed completely thrown off by the boy's attitude.
"Harry." The boy made a discontented noise but quieted down and laid his head back against Severus' chest.
He still glared at Dumbledore though.
xXx
"Aunt Cissa! Aunt Cissa!" Hermione was determined to get her Aunt Cissa to play with her. She already gave her dolls and other toys to play with, but Draco didn't want to do anything. He just sat in his father's lap, content to listen to the man read to him. Hermione wouldn't admit that it was a rather good idea, but she wanted to play right now.
She smiled sweetly at her aunt, just how Draco showed her. Aunt Cissa smiled back at Hermione, smoothing out the stress lines that were popping up. "Yes Hermione love?"
Hermione nearly hit her aunt when she shoved a doll to her face, surprising the older woman with her enthusiasm. "Play with me? I asked Draco, but he said no." She pouted.
She stared at Aunt Cissa eagerly, though her smile quickly faded at tight expression on her aunt's face. Hermione placed her hands on her aunt's cheeks, seeing sadness in her eyes. "Why are you so sad Aunt Cissa? You don't have to play with me. Don't be sad." Hermione said quietly, feeling bad that she made her aunty upset.
Hermione let go of her aunt's face to climb into her lap, snuggling into the woman's arms. Her aunt's arms tightened around her and she felt pressure on top of her head. Hermione felt a little squished but that was okay if it made her aunt feel better.
Hermione didn't want to play anymore. Maybe Draco's dad was sad too and that's why Draco wanted to sit with him. Hermione understood. She didn't want her Aunt Cissa sad.
"You my love, make me think of what my daughter could have been like." Hermione squirmed a little, trying to see her aunt's face. "Her name was Lyra, and she was just a baby when she passed." Aunt Cissa's arms tightened again around her. Hermione gave up and moved so her head was tucked in her aunt's neck.
"Lyra's a pretty name. If I have a sister, I want her name to be Lyra." Hermione declared. Her aunt chuckled a little at that, sniffling before responding. "I'm afraid it doesn't work like that love. It's the parents that name the children."
Hermione sat there thinking. She wanted a sister. But she didn't want to go back to her parents. Not even if she could only have a sister if she went back. Hermione moved, and her aunt's arms loosened, allowing her to look in her aunt's eyes. "I don't want to ever go back to my parents." Her aunt looked surprised by her seriousness. Hermione's chest tightened. "I don't have to go back do I Aunt Cissa?" Her eyes filled with tears. When she received a tight hug and a soft kiss against her head, Hermione started to cry.
"No my love. You don't ever have to go back there."
xXx
When Severus made it back to his chambers, he was met with the four occupants sleeping soundly. He rolled his eyes at the fact they were sleeping yet again, though this was likely the most his friends have slept in a while.
Narcissa was the first to wake, sensing his presence, the worry on her face dissipating when she spotted Harry in her friend's arms.
The boy wasn't asleep but whispering to his snake that was wrapped around his neck. Narcissa sighed in half relief half exasperation. She slowly moved the sleeping Hermione off her lap and placed her softly on the large chair.
She reached for Harry and the boy quietly went with her, giving Severus some much needed respite. "Hello dear, are you hungry?" She hummed, heading to the small kitchenette. Harry nodded, resting his head against her shoulder.
Severus sank into his favored armchair letting out a sigh. He really was quite tired. His first class of the day would be in a few hours, and he hadn't slept much last night. Thankfully, it was a NEWT level class so he hadn't need to worry about anymore 'incidents'.
"Severus? I have a request. It'd likely make things easier for you." He opened his eyes for a brief moment, shutting them again when he noted Harry was climbing Lucius to lay next to Draco.
"Did you put the snake up Harry?" Severus asked before the boy got comfortable. He received an affirmative. "The request Narcissa?" He asked wearily. The woman in question sat on the arm of the chair. "I would like to take the children to the manor. This way they won't be in the way here and would be well looked after. We have the elves of course, and we wouldn't be imposing on your personal space."
Severus stared at her, mulling it over. It was definitely beneficial for him. He would be able to work on producing a counter potion, though he had to first figure out how they made the gaseous concoction in the first place.
"Oh just say yes Severus, there's no real need to think it over." He smirked hearing his blond friend's grumbling voice. They must've woken him up. Severus looked at Narcissa. "I'm sure they'd be delighted in staying with you two."
