Chapter 15 Overcoming obstacles

"Yes sir." Harry says and goes into his room and pulls out his homework and works until dinner.

Harry sighs in relief when he finishes his dreaded Potions essay. Harry looks down proudly at his essay, 'this is the most time I have ever spent on a Potions essay.'

Harry is pulled out of his musings by a gentle knock on the door. He calls out, "Come in." knowing that it is Severus. He watched as his guardian enters his... no the guest room, towards him.

"Did you get some work done I hope?" Severus asks while looking at Harry.

"Yes sir, I finished the Potions essay."

"Did you?" Severus asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes sir." Harry says hesitantly, unable to read the older man's face.

Severus can clearly see the trepidation on the small child's face. He forces himself to soften his features. 'You don't need to put on the scary bat-of-the-dungeons act now.' He mentally scolds himself. "Child, I am not upset that you completed your essay. I am merely surprised that you chose to complete the essay I assigned first. You have never showed any interest in my subject before."

"Yes I did! The first class I was taking notes from the beginning you started to talk and you immediately called me out in front of the entire class. You asked me questions that I have come to find out, weren't even in the book! For me that set the mood of how the class was going to go. You would let the Slytherins sabotage our potions by throwing things in and then we wouldn't get credit for it because of that. You tormented Neville so much that he couldn't do a potion correctly and then get mad when Hermione would help him to hopefully get him a passing grade. So no sir after that first class I didn't care about your class because I didn't want to be in it because you ruined it for me and lost my respect."

Severus is surprised as he never even thought that HE was the reason that Harry hated his class. Severus clears his throat and says, "I am lost for words. I am sorry that I made you feel that way but you must understand that being around young children that have the attention span of a troll, and having them try and make a potion that could possibly blow up, burn others, and get injure or possibly killed is very nerve-wrecking. I have to be hard on you guys because I take my job very seriously and I don't want anyone getting injured at all. I am the youngest Potion Master in the world including the Americas. If something like that happens I will be looked down upon as neglectful and oblivious. So, yes Harry, I have to be hard on you guys and with Neville being a walking accident I have to be hard on him."

Harry listens and does see reason but refuses to give up with his points. "But you don't have to be so cruel to Neville. He can't work under those conditions. When you breathe down his neck it makes him shake. Also, that doesn't mean that you have to favor the Slytherins so much!"

Severus sighs in exhaustion, "Harry, listen to me because I won't explain myself again. I do what I do because I have to for reasons that I don't have to explain to an 11 year-old boy."

Harry huffs in annoyance and pouts, but refrains from saying anything. Severus sees this and smiles softly at Harry's childish antics. "Come Harry, let's go up to the Great Hall and get some dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat child. We need for your stomach to grow."

"One missed meal won't be the end of the world."

"Harry James Potter! You will come down and eat!" an irate voice comes from behind Severus.

Harry flushes when he hears his full from his irritated head-of-house.

"Minerva. How can we help you? Unless you just came down to scold Harry?" Severus asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course not. I came to make sure you are coming up to the Great Hall for dinner?"

"We are Mot.. Minerva. Don't worry about us."

"I can't help it, Harry's my lion cub and your his guardian so I will be looking out for you as well. Why don't we head to the Great Hall together." Minerva says rather than asking.

Severus hears the commanding tone in his elder colleague. "Of course. Come Harry let's go." Severus says while giving Harry a look that says, 'you better obey me.'

Harry opens his mouth to protest but he sees the look that Severus is giving him and sighs knowing that he isn't going to win this argument. He stands up and heads out of the door turning towards the Great Hall with his elders following him a short distance behind talking quietly.

They open the doors and see Harry walking to the spot that he had taken at breakfast. He sits down and waits for Severus to sit down beside him. Severus sees this and sits beside Harry where Harry wants him to sit. He immediately starts putting food on the undersized child's plate. Harry looks down at the amount of food and looks up at Severus about to protest. "Hush, I know you aren't going to be able to eat all of that I want you to eat what you can. You will take a nutrient potion to make up for the rest."

Harry just nods and starts eating. He eats about half of the food on the plate and pushes it away.

Severus looks over when Harry pushes away his plate and gives Harry a look of disapproval. The green-eyed child looks up at him and sees his disapproval. "I can't eat any more. I really can't." The older man just gives the child a sad look. "Very well. Here is your nutrient potion to make up for the nutrients that you are missing."

Harry just accepts the potion and drinks it with a grimace and then he yawns. Severus smiles when he sees this and says, "I think that someone has had a very tiring day and needs to get some sleep. Come Harry, let's go get you ready for bed."

Harry just nods and yawns once again. He stands up and follows Severus. They reach their quarters and Severus says softly, "Go get ready for bed Harry."

"Yes sir." Harry says and then turns and walks towards his room. He grabs his pajamas and changes in the bathroom. He brushes his teeth and then returns to his room. Harry climbs in bed and falls asleep immediately.

Severus walks in and smiles at the sleeping form. He can't help but smile at how young Harry looks while he is sleeping. He bends over the sleeping form and kisses his forehead while saying, "Goodnight my child."

An/ Sooooo what did you think of that? I was able to update earlier than expected. I have exams this week and I am totally procrastinating them. So instead I decided to write this chapter. No excuse me I am going to go study for them.