Blooming Flowers
Forbidden Forest
They were all caught on their way back to their dorms.
Severus wasn't happy.
At least Mathew got in trouble too for being out after curfew. Hagrid, most likely feeling bad, had volunteered to monitor their detention, which wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't for the fact that the children would be in the Forbidden Forest.
At night.
"Um, no."
Minerva blinked rapidly, taken back.
"Sorry for sounding so rude, Professor," Harry continued, "but how is sending students into a place that not only against the rules, and I quote this directly from the Headmaster himself: the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils, but said place is actually called the Forbidden Forest, a good idea for a detention?"
"I—"
"Does our father know?"
"Seeing as the Professor is Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Creed' Head of Hou—"
"Seeing as the school is still standing, most likely not," Hermione whispered to her brother.
Ron, who had been silent, watched the conversation with something like barely concealed amusement.
Minerva cleared her throat.
"Anyway, Ms. Granger, Mr. Snape, the decision has been made."
Hermione and Harry gave each other a look, before nodding at their Professor. The witch dismissed them.
"So... Dad?" Hermione inquired to her brother once the door was closed, Ron looked between them.
"Dad." Harry confirmed.
The Next Morning.
"Have you lost what little sanity you have left?!"
Albus didn't answer, currently choking on the lemon drop he had just popped in his mouth moments before Severus had came storming in.
"A problem?" Albus asked after he was sure he wasn't dying, his voice hoarse.
"Yes," Severus said, voice soft, "there is a problem. My children, and students have been given detention in the Forbidden Forest, at night."
"What is the problem?"
"The Forbidden Forest, Albus. At. Night."
"I am awa—"
"None of them are going into the cursed place, it's dangerous."
"Now Severus, they won't be alone. Hagrid—"
"While I know Hagrid will do his best, that still doesn't disregard the fact that you are sending in children. Your students, and mine, and if I have a problem with it, you can be sure that the other parents will as well when I inform them."
Albus's eyes twinkles.
"Very well," he then said after a moment, "I will arrange something else."
Severus stared at the Headmaster, eyes narrowing just slightly before he nodded and left the room as abruptly as he had entered.
A few hours later, the Snape children, Ron, and Michael received a letter stating that their detention location had been changed to the infirmary.
~.~
Something was there, human but not. Hunting for something, not the thing behind the door, but something…..else. Something…..important.
"Wake up, young one."
Harry blinked, his brow furrowed as he noticed how cold it felt, and it was darker than usual. Brows furrowing, he looked down. Was he standing in dirt? Barefoot?
…Wait.
Something was watching him, seemingly glowing eyes, a lot of them, were staring at him. The child took a step back, then stopped when he felt the sudden tingle of magic.
He didn't need to be afraid.
"Hello," Harry said after a moment.
There was a pause, then the sound of something being struck against something else, and suddenly there were lit torches all around. Harry found himself staring at a herd of Centaurs.
"You are a long way from the castle," stated one of them in a deep voice.
"Erm….sorry?"
The eyes of the one who spoke, seemed to sparkle with amusement.
"What were you looking for?" asked another Centaur.
Harry shrugged.
"Don't know," he answered honestly, "but there must be something here, believe it or not. I don't just wonder into forests in the middle of the night…..probably."
"And yet you did," pointed out the first Centaur who had spoken. "The bond you have with magic is strong." He then looked up in the clear sky. "Venus is dim tonight."
Harry looked up and saw nothing but stars. Bewildered, he looked back the Centaur who was now staring at him.
"It is not safe for you here, it is still out here."
"What is it?" Harry asked, eager to know what Hogwarts, and by extension magic, did not.
"A thing of anger, and vengeance," answered another Centaur, "but also of lost, and sorrow."
Not understanding, Harry spoke, "Magic said it was looking for something important."
"We do not know what that is, and as long as it stays away from the herd, we do not care."
"Firenze, take the young one back."
The first Centaur who had spoked, and apparently named Firenze, nodded before moving closer to the child.
"Can you ride, young one? It will be quicker."
Harry glanced over at the other Centaurs, but they were gone.
"I think I can manage," he said, turning back after a surprised pause. He clambered onto Firenze's back after the centaur lowered himself on his front legs.
Then they were flying.
Okay, not flying but they were going fast. A grin slowly spread across Harry's lips and only faded after they stopped at the edge of the forest.
"This is where I leave you," Firenze said as Harry slid off of him.
Harry turned and saw the lights of Hagrid's hut, then he looked back at Firenze. To his surprise, he was bowed to.
"Till we meet again. young one."
Then Firenze was gone, slipping into the night.
~.~
"You rode a centaur!?"
Harry grinned at his shocked sister and friends, "Yeah, it was amazing!"
"Lucky," Draco grumped.
"Bloody hell," Ron breathed in awe, "you have to the first person to ever do that, and lived."
"Probably," Harry hummed.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked her brother.
"Nothing, at least, not right now."
~.~
When Harry woke up again, he was standing at the edge of the forest. To his surprise, Fang was standing patiently beside him.
"Well," Harry said after a moment, "at least I'm not inside the forest this time."
Fang panted, and nudged his hand for pets. Smiling a little, Harry petted him and then hissed when his scar started to burn. He pressed his hand to it as Fang growled, pressing his large body next to him.
Harry looked in the direction of the dark forest and a shiver went down his spine.
Something was watching him.
Rubbing at his scar with one hand, and grabbing the scruff of the now snarling Fang's neck with the other, Harry started taking steps back.
"Come on, boy," Harry urged, "let's go back."
It took a few tugs before Fang started moving and the two quickly ran to Hagrid's hut. Harry banged on the door, startling the large man judging from the expression, but Harry was too scared and didn't answer Hagrid's concerned, and curious questions.
Eventually, Hagrid escorted the child back into the castle, and despite his admittedly weak protests, to his father. This was most likely because of the fact that this was the second time Harry had ended up at his place in the middle of the night, in his pajamas and barefooted.
Severus was startled upon seeing them, even more so when seeing his son in a state of nervousness bordering on fear. After thanking Hagrid and closing the door, Severus sat his son on the couch.
"What happened, Harry?" Severus asked when he settled next to him. He blinked when Harry pressed closer to his side. On instinct, Severus ran his fingers through his son's messy hair.
"I…..I was sleepwalking, and then I woke up at edge of the forest," Harry answered after a long moment of silence. "Fang was with me and suddenly, my scar started to burn."
Severus raised a brow, this was the first time he had heard about it.
"Has this happened before? The sleepwalking, and your scar?" he asked.
Biting his bottom lip, Harry nodded.
"Once, a few weeks after school started, and during the Welcoming Feast, after that never again until tonight."
Severus hummed, and waited for his son to continue.
"I think something was watching me," Harry said getting back on the topic, "I hurried back to Hagrid's, then he took me here….this isn't the first time I was in the forest."
Harry felt his father go still beside him, he glanced up at him and was met with a surprised, annoyed, and slightly angry expression.
"What do you mean?" his Father asked.
"Erm," Harry picked at his nightshirt, "I was sleepwalking again, and woke up in the forest. The Centaurs were there."
Severus's brows went up high, disbelief and worry in his eyes.
"We talked, they said something was in the forest. Something of anger and vengeance, but of lost and sadness. They didn't know anything else, and didn't care as long as it didn't come close to the herd. After that, one of them took me to the edge of the forest, I went to Hagrid, and he took me back to the dorm."
"I…..see." Severus said after a moment of long silence.
Another long silence followed, Severus lost in his thoughts and worried for his son while Harry tried to push away the sudden fear the swelled up inside him.
Finally, he spoke up.
"Daddy?"
A little taken back - he hadn't been called that for a few years - Severus just looked down at his child.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?"
Severus's eyes softened in understanding.
"Of course, but first let's get you cleaned up."
After a warm bath, and dressed in one of his father's too big but comfortable nightshirt, Harry happily curled up in the large comfortable bed. He sighed happily at the gentle fingers going through his hair and drifted off to sleep. With a gentle expression, Severus kissed his son's forehead before leaving the room. He went to the kitchen and made himself something warm to drink before settling down on his couch.
He spent all night thinking.
~.~
Next morning, Harry ate an early breakfast in his father's room, answering the man's questions now that he was a little better. Once he had reassured his father, he hurried back to his dorm to get ready for classes, and to reassure his sister and Ron that he was fine.
Severus wasn't entirely convinced, but he let his son be for now, and instead started watching Quirrell more closely than before.
A few days later, he disappeared.
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Thanks as always goes to my Beta YenGirl!