Author's note

Dear readers,

Thank you for dropping by. I hope you enjoy. Your reviews are welcome and cherished, always ;)

CHAPTER 9

"Do you think your expectations are somehow too high for his age? Or his background? We have to bear in mind he had never been properly taught manners and how to go about his life like normal children. He is bound to be confused and uninformed about many things in comparison to his peers."

"I set high expectations because of exactly that," Snape answers impatiently. "He has a family now. He has an adult's guidance now. It's different. It should be different. Once our new status is made known to the public, which will happen very soon when school starts, I don't want anyone to be able to look at him and say that he has not been taught good manners. I don't want anyone to have the possibility to tell him I don't care about him enough to teach him right from wrong. You know what is unusual about our backgrounds, Madam. They are even more unusual when put together. I don't want to give anyone the chance to tell him I only adopted him because of that The Boy Who Lived rubbish and I'm not really raising him as my own child. I want his manners and behaviours to be better than how it used to be because that's how it should be."

Melanie pauses to digest the words. Meanwhile, Leila speaks up:

"I guess I understand your motive. But there is an implication in your reasoning, Mr Snape, one that I'm not sure whether you are aware of. It is implied that you think Harry as how he is at the moment is not good enough to be your child."

Snape glances at Leila with shock written all over his face. Melanie puts in quietly:

"Do you really think so, Mr Snape? That unless Harry improves in certain aspects of himself, he is somehow inadequate to be your child? The child you expect to have?"

Snape's face falls to both of his palms. A full minute later, he looks up from them, but still at loss of words.

"Well?," Melanie raises an eyebrow.

"No, Madam," he quietly replies. "He is a good boy. But that doesn't mean he can't become even better."

Melanie studies the man on the other side of her desk. One single week of fatherhood has stripped away from him quite a lot. He is not longer perfectly composed; his form stiff, his hands wildly torturing each other, his breaths uneven and interrupted by several heavy sighs. No wonder they have both fallen into a state of unbearable stress – each of them is a bundle of stress themselves.

"I believe what is missing here is Harry's hearing from you that he is a good boy."

Melanie eyes Snape expectantly. He remains quiet except for another series of heavy sighs.

"Now if we move on to the the next issue – what is your opinion on what we have heard from Harry about the bedtime and the stomach uneasiness incidents?"

"I don't know why he didn't just tell me," Snape replies, his voice again loaded with annoyance.

"When it comes to children, there is a thing call 'listening correctly so that they will speak', Mr Snape," Leila says. "If a child chooses not to communicate his problems to the caregiver, most of the time it is because they feel unsafe. Or because they don't think the caregiver would care."

"I did establish with him the first day we were home that he is not to keep his problems from me, especially if they are about his health."

"Did you ask if he was having a problem when you found him awake at midnight or not eating well at a meal like he did before?"

"No, I didn't… I thought he would have said it if he had had problems."

"Harry is carrying with him a lot of traumas, Mr Snape," Melanie speaks slowly and attentively. "His need for reassurance is at the top level at the moment. We can't expect him to change overnight and place trust in and turn to adults in time of trouble without constantly and intensively showing him that we care and that he does deserve our care. For too long he had been conditioned to believe that keeping himself invisible is always a better choice than asking for help."

"What am I supposed to do then? I have tried to explain to him crystal clear."

Melanie fights back a sigh.

"I believe what is missing in this is you asking Harry if he was having a problem when he seemed to be having a problem. It doesn't take big effort, Mr Snape. A question before jumping to conclusions at a time when he was contemplating whether to ask you for help or to keep the problem for himself could have moved mountains. A question shows that you care. Jumping to conclusions shows that you don't."

Snape opens his mouth but then shuts it before retorting.

"And yes I am fully aware that you care about him more than anything else. But children tend to interpret things very differently from adults, Mr Snape. Children with a difficult background are twice as much so."

Snape lets out another sigh, followed by an eternity of silence. Melanie quietly gestures to Leila that they should give him some time to digest.

Without looking up at them, Snape asks quietly:

"May I see him and have a word with him, Madam?"

"It again depends on him. We have to ask if he is willing to see you and talk to you now. May I ask what you intend to discuss with him if he agrees to see you?"

"I will explain," Snape answers tiredly.

Melanie gives Leila a nod.

"I will go and ask him. Meanwhile perhaps you and Leila can briefly talk about some strategies to communicate your explanation to him effectively."

"Thank you, Madam."

Leaving the office, Melanie walks along the corridor leading towards the children's dorm, her mind loaded with the mess they are having. She is no longer taking a side. The only urge she is having is to patch up this family.

Or, at least, to end this troublesome and potentially damaging case in whatever way necessary. Harry has had too much. He had already had way too much even before Snape showed up here. At least if he stays in their care, they can make sure his life will not be going downhill yet further.

Melanie crouches down in front of the broken little boy and cups his face in her palms, forcing his red eyes to meet hers.

"He is waiting for you out there. It seems you two have misunderstood each other. He wants to explain."

"He always talks about misunderstandings," Harry sniffs angrily. "But he never tried to understand. Nothing has changed, ma'am. As soon as I arrived home with him, everything was the same again."

A choke rises in his voice and tears start to roll down his cheeks. Melanie sighs as her fingers absentmindedly wipe out the tears.

"I will be there with you when you talk to him. I have always left it to your own decision but today I'm asking you to do it Harry. Let's see him and listen to what he has to say. Then we can decide. I'm sure you won't feel any better until everything between you two has been sorted out properly. Whether you will come back with him or not, it's still totally your decision and we won't let anyone force you into anything against your will. That includes the school year to come too; we won't allow him to mistreat you for even another second, no matter he means it or not. We are on your side. But for now it's important that you have a conversation with him and let both of you speak and be heard. Do you understand?"

Harry sniffs for a few more times before nodding and wiping away the falling tears with the back of his hands.

"Very well. You are a strong boy Harry. Things will be all right."