1Oh Baby!
Chapter 4
'Night Terrors'
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Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or ...anything really. Wow, thats kinda depressing...:goes off to wallow in self pity:
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Harry awoke feeling warm and comfortable, the persisting pain that had been his broken ankle had seemed to disappear overnight, as if by magic. This was not a good thing as the Dursley's hated anything and everything that had to do with magic, plus Uncle Vernon liked to admire his handy work by watching Harry limp around and assign him chores that would keep him on his feet. If he sees that Harry is fine today he'll know something is up. In fact it was strange that the whale of a man hadn't woken Harry up for his morning beating yet...
With that last thought, the small raven-haired boy's eyes flew open, his heart palpitating rapidly with panic. Harry's emerald sea green eyes moved quickly taking in his surroundings; he was in a large ornate crib, beautifully detailed dragons and unicorns were carved into the thick wood. The room its self was bigger than three of Dudley's rooms put together with shimmering mint green walls and a stone floor that was covered by an almost floor-to-ceiling asparagus colored carpet. A monstrous wardrobe was off to the side, as well as a rocking chair all of which was done in the same wood as the crib.
As Harry looked around he couldn't help but become curious on why there were no windows, only a door which, presumably, led to another room. Harry jumped backwards as the door in question began to open. Harry felt his heart beating with such vigor he thought it would break his ribs. Quickly he crawled over to the corner of the crib and pulled a blanket around himself, trying to blend in with the wall.
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Severus Snape had begun his day as usual, he woke at 5am, showered, dressed, added a flame retardant potion to his hair, which unfortunately gave it it's greasy texture...but safety first, he then munched on some toast Dippy had most likely left for him and drank his coffee while reading whatever current lies the Daily Prophet was printing. It was almost seven when he realized that he still had not heard a sound from the guest room. Deciding to check on the small child, he strode over to the door and softly opened it as to not wake Harry if he was still asleep. It took a few moments to find Harry huddled up in a blanket attempting to stay hidden from view. He walked closer to the crib and softly spoke.
"Harry...Harry, child, it's Severus. Why don't you come out from under there and we'll get some breakfast and get dressed okay?" Harry's tiny head poked out, uncertain if he should go with the man.
He was getting good feelings from him but he was still big, not big like Uncle Vernon, more big like Mr. Jenkins...the neighbor that used to yell and spray him with the garden hose if he went to close to his house.
Slowly, Severus extended his arms toward the boy and leaned over the side of the crib. Pausing, like one would do to an animal, he waited for Harry to get comfortable with his presence before gently picking him up and cradling the boy to his chest. Surprising Severus, Harry turned and buried himself into the crook of the potions master's neck. An earthy sandalwood and vanilla smell tickled his nose. He remembered this smell... from where? He didn't know. He just knew that this smell meant home, love, and comfort. Harry smiled happily and snuggled closer to the elder man.
Tightening his arms around Harry's slim frame, Severus walked into the living room and up to the small dining table that the onyx-haired wizard usually took his breakfast at. Remembering what Mme. Pomfrey said about putting Harry back on the bottle for a while, he summoned Dippy and asked for her to make up a bottle of Molly's Magical Mother's Milk() and to bring a child strength nutrient serum. The house self nodded and quickly brought the requested items. Looking over the potion to make sure it was safe to give Harry, he added six drops of the serum to the bottles contents and mixed it thoroughly. Positive that everything checked out okay, Severus adjusted Harry in his arms and guided the bottle to Harry's mouth.
At first the frail child did nothing, hesitant to even lick the pearly white drop that was threatening to fall from its place on the bottle's nipple. However when Severus ran a finger down the front of Harry's throat the boy reflexively swallowed. Smiling slightly, Severus repeated the process until the bottle was gone.
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It was 8:30am before they even got to the bathroom so that Harry could bathe. Albus must have supplied the clothes that Dippy brought last night, for when Severus and Harry went through them to decide what the small child should wear that day, all they found were magenta, purple, and turquoise robes with moving stars and animals...even Harry was slightly put off by them. So after charming them to more neutral colors such as red, blue, grey, black, and green and conjuring some bath toys, the two males walked into the bathroom.
"Okay Harry, lets put some water in this tub and get you clean." Harry looked hesitantly at the tub, intimidated by the size of the thing. Although it was not nearly as massive as the prefect bathes, it was still rather large; 3 feet deep, 4 feet wide and six feet in length.
Severus filled the tub until it had about 7 inches of water in it, then stripped himself down to his boxers and climbed into the water with Harry. Handing Harry a small boat and a bucket for him to play with, the older wizard wiped the raven-haired boy down with a mild cleansing potion and wash cloth.
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They spent most of the day outside since Severus had canceled all of his classes for the day. Harry had eventually exhausted himself out and fell asleep half way through dinner in the Great Hall. Surprisingly, Harry took well to all the people and the noise as long as he sat on Severus' lap. The potion decided to just suck up his pride and hold him, ignoring the whispers from the students. Around 6pm, Severus carried a still sleeping Harry back down to his chambers and tucked him in before he began grading third year essays.
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"He needs a friend. I'm volunteering." Severus exclaimed after throwing opening the door and charging into the Headmaster's office.
"Now Severus. Sit down, have some tea and we'll figure this all out rationally."
The Potions Master merely glared at the aging wizard who met the stare back with an eerily cheerful one of his own. After a few moments, Severus sighed and gracefully fell into a burgundy upholstered chair.
"There, now. That wasn't too hard. So, my boy, what was that you're volunteering for?"
"Albus, I'm not your boy and I'm here to discuss my ward."
"Whatever is wrong with our dear Harry now?" Severus allowed his face to sag, showing recently developed laugh lines, and even newer worry lines.
"Last night he woke up screaming. I swear with the way he was going one who think Voldemort was there ripping him apart, bone by bone..."
Sev's p.o.v.
I was laying in bed, not really asleep, but not fully awake either; just thinking.
'They were terrible to me Sev... I knew from the age of two never to ask questions... at the age of five how to position myself during a beating so that I would still be able to do my chores the next day... at the age of ten how to recognize the signs that Vernon would come to my room that night... It was hard, knowing that you couldn't tell anybody, and if you did that they wouldn't do anything...' Harry's words echoed around my mind, keeping me from sleep, 'The beatings were going on for as long as I remember... The only one that I can still remember that happened before I started school was when Vernon beat me when I was two... I knew he broke a couple of ribs, and my ankle. I went into some sort of a coma, I woke up two months later in the children's hospital. I was so scared. They kept calling me Bobby. Of course now I understand why, Vernon must have given them fake names and addresses. I don't know why that one sticks out in my mind...it just does. Mayb-' I was brought out of my musings by a gut wrenching scream.
I threw the covers off of me and ran through the door into Harry's new room. He was curled up into the fetal position, his face damp in a cold sweat. Quickly, I swooped down and gathered the trembling boy in my arms, he resisted for just a moment before cracking his eyelids open. After noticing it was I who held him he clamped his hands tightly in my hair and cried his heart pulling sobs onto my bare chest, until he cried himself into exhaustion.
The next morning, before Lucius floo'ed over to take care of Harry, I brought him into the living room and we snuggled together on the couch and I began to ask him what happened the night before.
"Can't tell." was his answer.
"Why?"
"I not sup'pose to. U'cle Vernon says I can't. I not sup'pose to tell no one 'spe'cally grown ups."
"Please? I just want to help. I promise your uncle won't hurt you." Harry began to tremble...attempting to hold back tears. I decided to lay off for now, and began to comfort him.
"So you believe that if you were a child then Harry will have an easier time talking to you?" Dumbledore asked while rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Yes. You must see it from my point of view Albus. The boy needs to open up to someone...and I know it won't be an adult."
"I'm sorry Severus but I simply cannot allow it. You had duties as the head of the Slytherin house, your duties as a spy for the Order and of course your duties as a teacher. You are needed too much here for me to allow it."
"Albus, please-"
"No, Severus. That's my final word on the matter." The Headmasters expression suddenly grew cold, and stern.
"Then perhaps someone else...I can't leave him the way he is. That would be going against my duties to Harry." 'As his husband' he finished in his mind.
"That would be acceptable, as long as the potion intake was carefully monitored and of course the person must be loyal to the Order and be willing to go along with the plan..." Dumbledore trailed off, trying to think of the perfect person. "Ah ha!"
"Who?" Severus asked eagerly.
"The eldest Weasley child."
"No. Absolutely not. I couldn't possibly!"
"Now Severus. This was your idea. And you want to help Harry, no?" Severus mumbled the affirmative. "Then you see Bill would be perfect. He's back home from Egypt, and he'd be willing to give over control to someone else for a while...both due to the nasty break-up he had with Ms. De Lacoure. He's loyal to the Order and both he loves Harry like a little brother. It will work out just fine, you'll see. Now, I believe you have a 3rd year Potions class to teach." Severus glared at the Headmaster for his quick dismissal, leaving no room for argument before standing up and making his way towards his classroom.
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SOOOO? What do ya think? Personally I think it's kinda boring but hey, it's just a filler chapter so that we can introduce Bill in. Sorry about the looooooong wait, real life has been doing a number on me but good news! I graduated two days ago! YAY! So I should be updating much more often! YAY! Anywhoo, hope you like the chapter... REVIEW!
-James
