April - Harry, age 8

It had one of the best days for Harry. Having the day off from school meant that Snape took him to Hogwarts while he had to teach. However, instead of having the child sit in his classroom the man had introduced him to two seventh year girls who apparently had a free period for the day! They had allowed the eight year old to roam ahead of them a few paces as the walked the empty halls with the child, one girl soon jogging to catch up to the child and guide him to the entrance of the school.

Harry grinned as they stepped out into the courtyard, the other girl helping Harry onto the fountain within the middle and sitting next to him.

They sat there for some time, Harry having brought his broom out as well to fly around the courtyard under their supervision. One girl smiled wildly as she released a small toy snitch into the air. She took the broom from the child, simply telling him to chase it around on foot to avoid him from falling off his broom.

The girls remained seated at the fountain, both studying for upcoming exams. They remained that way for several minutes until they heard the small body hit the cobblestone.

Harry whined softly as he laid on the stone, one shoelace having come undone and causing him to crash down. One girl was instantly kneeling next to the child, gently shushing him as she helped him to a sitting position while her friend started off into the castle to find the potions master.

Harry sniffed loudly, cradling his left arm towards his chest as he kept his gaze down. "What hurts sweetie?" The student crooned over him, sitting down fully next to the child. "Your hand?"

Harry slowly nodded, refusing to look up as his breathing hitched. He wouldn't cry.

"What else?" She pressed softly, a hand reaching out to rub at Harry's shoulder gently with her thumb.

"M...my kn-knees."

They remained that way, the student gently speaking to Harry as she awaited her friend's return.

Snape was in his office, hunched over a pile of work. He had been hesitant to allow Harry to go play with the older students. However, the two that had requested to be allowed to take him for a bit were very responsible and excellent students. One was first in her year.

The man's eyes scanned over a first year essay as he heard an urgent knock on his door. Waving a hand he caused it to open, jumping to his feet as he saw her, a panicked look on her face.

"He was just playing, just running around chasing a snitch in the courtyard and he fell," she rushed out the explanation as Snape hurried past her.

He nearly ran down the hall the student, jogging to keep up with him.

"It was an accident," she said in a rushed, nervous tone. "It just happened so quickly."

Snape nodded his understanding as he made his way up the staircase and down the hall that led to the courtyard. He stepped outside, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the light before spotting Harry on the ground, the other student sitting next to him.

The student next to Harry looked up as she heard the shoes on the stone, deciding to keep her spot next to Harry although she moved to be in a more kneeling position. "He tripped." She looked up to Snape, only standing away from Harry when he was close enough in range.

She moved over to her friend, standing next to her as she still spoke. "He said his wrist hurt and his knees. We're sorry Professor."

Harry kept staring down at his knees, sure that he was going to cry if he moved at all. His arm still kept against his chest as he took in a hitching breath.

"It's fine," Snape replied to his students before crouching down next to Harry. He cleared his throat as though he was going to speak but on second thought, scooped Harry up in his arms before standing up once more.

Snape turned to his students as he carefully adjusted the child in his arms. "I am sure that he will be fine. However, I am going to take him inside and clean him up."

Harry wrapped his arms around Snape's neck as he sniffed softly, tucking his head into the man's cloak as his shoulders started to shake.

The students gave the child a gentle look, one moving over and picking up the toy broom and the toy snitch. "Do you want me to drop these off at your class, Sir?"

Snape's hand moved to gently rub the child's back as he nodded at his students. "That would be very helpful." The man turned on his heel as he started in the direction of the castle. His mouth moved to Harry's ear as he spoke softly. "You will be just fine."

Harry's grip tightened with his right arm, his soft cries finally became audible as Snape carried him into the castle. "O-owww," he whined softly, rubbing his face against the man's cloak.

"You hurt your knees and your wrist? Is that correct?" Snape carried the boy down the hallway towards the staircase to the dungeons.

"Mhmmm." The child nodded against his guardian, sniffing as he perched his chin on Snape's shoulder.

Snape's hand moved to rub the small back once more as he started down the staircase. A moment later he waved a hand causing his parlor door to open. He walked across the room, the door closing behind him before he sat down in his armchair, Harry now on his lap. "Let me see your wrist."

Harry held his left arm out to the man, leaning his head against Snape's shoulder as he stared down towards his lap. His wrist was slightly red and there were small scratches covering the back of his hand.

Snape frowned as he inspected the tiny wrist. "Are you able to move it?"

"Yeah. It just h-hurts." Harry rotated his hand slightly, starting to pull it back with a whine.

Snape nodded, wrapping his arms tightly around the boy before he stood once more. "Let's get you a salve for your cuts and a potion for your wrist." He carried the boy across the room to his supply closet.

"Mn." Harry shook his head at the mention of a potion. "I don't want a potion," he muttered softly into the man's cloak.

Snape pulled the vial from a shelf in the closet. "You need a potion to help with the pain in your wrist." Snape picked up a jar of salve.

"Nooo," Harry whined softly, shaking his head as he closed his eyes. "I don't want it." He rested his left arm against himself, sniffing softly.

"Would you like your wrist to feel better?" Snape questioned as he carried the child back across the room. He sat in his armchair once more, with Harry on his lap. Placing the jar of salve on the table beside him, he uncorked the vial. "It is flavored."

"Yeah," Harry murmured, looking down at the potion as he reached out and carefully took the vial with his other hand. He released a breath, his shoulders slouching as he looked up at Snape.

"Come now, take the potion so that your wrist feels better." Snape's voice remained gentle as he rubbed the small back once more. "I hardly want to have to be stern with you right now."

With a soft sigh, Harry leaned against the man's chest before he swallowed the potion in a few gulps. He held the vial back out to the man, still keeping his left arm to his chest.

"Thank you." Snape took the empty vial and placed it on the table. He picked up the jar of salve. "That wrist should start feeling better in a moment. Let me see the cuts on your hand."

Harry held his hand out to the man, closing his eyes as he relaxed slowly. The pain was already fading and now beside the scrapes on his hand, it was only his knees that were hurting.

Snape dipped his fingers in the salve, working quickly but carefully on the small hand. "How did you manage to fall in the first place?"

"I- well, Olivia," he started, clearly referring to one of the students, "Got me a toy snitch! She said I couldn't chase it and fly yet, but I could still practice catching it. So I was! And I fell." Harry's hand twitched in Snape's hold.

"That was quite nice of her." Snape finished his work on the small hand gently taking the child's other hand and working the salve into the small cuts. "I believe she said she would drop both that as well as your broom off later."

"'Okay," Harry whispered softly, wincing as the salve was rubbed onto his skin. "My knees hurt," he muttered, shifting his legs slightly as he opened his eyes and watched the small cuts seal close.

Snape finished his work on the hand before he released the small hand. "Trousers off so I can tend to your knees."

Harry pulled his hand back, standing with a sigh. Just the movement alone made him whine as his pants rubbed against the scraped up knees. Carefully he removed the trousers, having to pull them away from his knees before he kicked them off.

The knees were bloody, though not terribly so.

Snape frowned as he patted his knee. "Come here so that I may see them better."

Moving back, Harry carefully sat back on his guardian's leg before sitting up fully onto his lap so his knees were closer. He rested his head on Snape's shoulder, staring down at his hands.

Snape dipped his fingers in the salve once more before setting to work on the child's right knee. "You did quite a number on yourself."

"Oooow!" Harry shifted his legs, turning them away from the man with a small hiss of pain. He folded his arms over his chest, closing his eyes tightly. "Doooon't!"

"It will only hurt for a moment." Snape reached out tapping the boy's side gently. "Let me finish and they won't hurt at all anymore."

"Mn." Harry adjusted his legs to face back towards Snape, resting his cheek down on Snape's chest as he took in a deep breath. "I still wanna practice catching the snitch."

Snape gently rubbed the salve into the small right knee. "Perhaps after lunch you can go back out and do so. This time on the grass."

Harry shifted his leg before he relaxed it out, blinking as he watched Snape heal his knees. "Okay," he agreed softly, nodding.

Snape finished up on the child's right knee before moving to the left. He rubbed the salve into a particularly large cut as his free hand gently rubbed Harry's back. "Perhaps a nap after we are done here?"

Harry didn't respond right away, instead moving his knee away with a whine. "I'm not tired." He shifted the leg back, the pain fading away after a few moments.

"How are you planning on occupying your time?" Snape finished up on the small knee before tapping the boy's side gently. "They are good as new."

"I wanna color." Harry grinned as he looked down to his knees, wrapping his arms around Snape's middle. "Thanks, Snape."

Snape hummed softly. "I suppose I can do my grading here rather than in my office."

"Or!" Harry sat up slightly, his grin remaining across his face. "I can come to your office? Please?"

Snape considered the words for a long moment before speaking, "You will behave yourself and color?"

"I promise." The child beamed as he stood up to pull his trousers back on. "Please?"

Snape nodded in agreement as he stood to return the salve to the closet. "Go fetch your coloring things."

Harry grinned widely as he quickly left the parlor, disappearing down the hall and to his room. He enjoyed getting out of their quarters, even if he just went to Snape's office! He gathered a few coloring books and crayons, putting them into his school back for easy carry. Picking the pack up, he stepped back into the parlor with a hum. "Ready!"

Snape gave a small nod of approval before moving towards the parlor door with Harry a few steps behind him. "You are going to do your homework this evening after dinner."

"M'kay." Harry caught up with the man, falling in step with him as they left their quarters and moved down towards the man's office. He wrapped an arm around Snape's, resting his cheek against his guardian's cloak.