Chapter 7 Bringing Home Another Stray
Severus apparated to the familiar and safe place in his garden carrying Harry. Striding to the house he was a little surprised to hear the soft, almost hesitant laugh from Draco. In the living room, Draco sat across from Albus, the two of them were enthralled in a game of Exploding Snaps and didn't notice him for a moment or two. When they did, both stood suddenly, with nearly identical expressions of shock. Severus tried to keep his voice calm as he said,
"Draco, please run a bath, not too hot but not chill at all. Albus, if you will assist me in getting Harry in the tub and watch him, I believe I have some potions that will improve his immediate condition. "
The two moved quickly to do as he bid and Severus carried Harry into the huge bathroom on the second floor, adjacent with the guest room that he supposed Draco had readied for Potter, since the entire room was done in green and silver. Shaking his head, Severus made a mental note to speak with Draco about this at a later point. For the moment, he was more concerned with getting Harry tended. Draco had drawn the bath and now stood back, gazing in horror at his bitter rival. Severus handed Harry to Albus and used his wand to remove Potter's clothes and slipped him into the bathtub, using a spell to keep his head above water. Leaving Albus to watch over Harry, Severus hurried down the stairs to his workroom, using his wand to open the be-spelled cabinet, he carefully selected three vials, turning he gather a glass and a stirrer and went back up, using his wand over his shoulder to lock everything back up.
Upstairs, Albus had gotten Harry clean, at least, but he was obviously fighting his anger. Severus was also angry, perhaps more so than Albus, but he set that aside, literally forced the anger to a place inside himself to be dealt with later. For now, he had to administer the potions, had to keep the Boy Who Lived living, if there was to be any hope for the rest of them.
Severus poured two of the potions into the goblet, stirring them gently and watching them until he saw the color change and a small puff of smoke rise off the top. The other potion he set aside, on the counter to be administered shortly, but alone. Reaching Harry, he placed an arm behind Harry's neck and tipped his head back slightly, gently letting of the potion, now a rich, vibrant electric blue slide down Harry's throat. Slowly he worked, a few drops at a time. Too much and Harry could choke, aspirate on the potions and become sicker, or die. Eventually he got the last of the potion down Harry's throat and handed the cup to Draco, who stepped forward to take the goblet and moved to the sink to rinse it out. Severus noticed that while Draco gave every indication of watching what he was doing, he kept casting hurried, hidden glances at Harry. Severus sat back on his heels, his hands still on Harry's neck, feeling the pulse begin to grow stronger. Severus looked over at Draco again and said,
"Draco?"
Draco strated and then looked at him and said,
"Yes, Severus?"
"Harry has been in a very bad situation…what you see is a person who has been literally starved nearly to death. Even with the potions, this is not going to be an overnight turn around. Harry will take weeks, perhaps months, to recover from what his family," the sarcasm in his voice was palatable , "have done to him. I trust that you can behave yourself and not make his recovery any more difficult than it will already be, hmmm?"
A small smile played over Draco's lips, one that he used often to his advantage at school, but his voice was serious and complacent when he replied,
"Of course Severus…Harry has nothing to fear from me…."
Sighing, Severus took him at his word. He couldn't prove otherwise and right now his concentration has to be on the boy in the tub. A quick glance at Albus found the older wizard staring at Harry, the emotions playing across his face shifted from pain, to regret to fear and then anger. But it was the other expression in his eyes when he looked at Harry that bothered Severus the most…he looked like a person's whose plans had just been threatened and he was trying to figure out how to save them. Severus shivered, and shook his head…he had no doubt that Albus loved Harry like a son, a thought that caused it's own level of jealousy inside his own heart, but Albus was also very intelligent and practical man. If he needed to use someone as tool to save others, he would and with no hesitation.
Putting that aside, Severus reached for the final vial and placed it in his pocket, using his wand he finished cleaning Harry up and then levitated him from the tub, wrapping him in a warm blanket. Glancing at Draco, Severus met his eyes and nodded, the warm blanket was a good idea and a modification of the drying spell Draco used on the sponge. Carefully wrapping Harry up, he levitated him into the bedroom and found that someone, Draco presumably, had drawn the covers back. Gently he laid Harry on the bed, finding that like the town, a warming spell had been placed on the sheets. He filed that away, Draco had been a busy boy… sitting next to Harry, he once more lifted his head and supported his neck, pulling the vial of potion out of his pocket, he used his teeth to open the stopper and began to slowly drizzle it down Harry's throat.
After the vial was empty, he laid Harry down and covered him up, tucking the covers in around him. Sighing, Severus stood and looked at Draco, then at Albus and said,
"That's all I can do at this moment. The potions should work on Harry's system and help heal the internal damage of the starvation. Once he wakes, he should be able to eat with out too much trouble. Then it is simply a matter of feeding him and caring for him until he fully recovers."
Albus tore his eyes away from the still figure on the bed and met his eyes, saying,
"How long until he wakes, Severus?"
Severus shook his head,
"I don't know, Albus. It could be a few hours, or it could be a few days. It will depend on the severity of the internal damage. At this point, all we can do is wait."
Albus used his wand to bring a chair to him, sitting himself down in the chair, he said,
"I'll just sit with him a while, Severus…if you don't mind?"
Severus gestured with one hand, and nodded,
"Very well, Albus…Draco and I will leave you then. Summon me if you need anything, all right?"
Albus nodded, but his attention was all for the still figure on the bed. Severus gestured at Draco, who joined him by the door and they walked out together. Once the door closed, Albus allowed himself a moment of weakness, tear filled his eyes and he reached out a hand to gently stroke the hair away from Harry's face and whispered,
"Oh Harry…look what our need has done to you. Would that I could have kept you safer, kept you at Hogwarts with me…but now there is nothing for it except to deal with it……"
