This story is the product of my own mind (muddled though it may be). The characters are, sadly, not mine. They belong to J. K. Rowling. I just play with them, and bend them to my will occasionally. Occasionally they see fit to take over the story, and then I am at the mercy of their will. Warning: Child Abuse.

A Promise Fulfilled

By: Mikee

Part 6

Severus' POV

I snuck into Harry's bedchambers a few nights later. He hadn't been to see me since our talk, and I was getting worried about him. He melted his caldron, actually I think Longbottom melted it, but I gave Harry the detention. I had to, but I don't think he really understood in spite of our talk. He had been distant since then, and I needed reassurance he was okay.

I took a vile of the invisibility potion, and stealthily made my way to his bedside. I stood beside his bed watching him sleep. He is a fitful sleeper. I noticed the moonlight playing on his features and watched in wonder as a myriad of emotions flew across his face.

Again I noticed the moonlight and realized this was a night of a full moon, my thoughts turned to Lupin. He had taken the Wolfsbane, and I prayed he'd be all right. My thoughts were interrupted by a scream and thrashing in the bed beside me. Harry had curled into a ball, and was pressing the pillow against his face. He was trying not to cry as he shook and rocked back and forth. I wanted more than anything in the world to hold him, and tell him it would be all right, but I was invisible, and couldn't risk damaging him further.

I needn't have worried. Ron was by his side in an instant. He gathered Harry up in his arms and rocked him, whispering all the time that everything would be better. He helped him ride it out. I don't know how long it took, but finally Harry lay back down and was asleep. I don't know if whatever had him in its grasp woke him or not, but Merlin bless Ron, he knew what Harry needed and wasted no time in offering it.

As I returned to my chambers the Dark Mark burned my arm. I wondered if Harry knew that was going to happen as his attack had been just minutes before. I dismissed it as sheer coincidence. I made it to my chair and with a glass of my favorite of wine wondered what demons had visited Harry, what terror had produced the scream and crying. Answers would wait until the morrow, but no longer. I resolved to speak with the child after classes.

Harry tapped, for surly it was too soft to be called a knock, on my chamber door right after his last class. I bade him enter, and offered him a goblet of pumpkin juice (Ron had generously advised me this was Harry's favorite). Harry timidly took the goblet, but made no move to drink. I could just see the questions boiling in his head… is it poison? What's in it? And on…and on… I took the goblet back, and drank from it myself. He relaxed and sighed, smiling a shy little smile and took a sip himself.

"Now, Harry, now that we have the question of the refreshment resolved… would you care to tell me about last night?"

His head few up, I thought I would have to give him a hair growing potion to re-grow his eyebrows they blended right into his hair line. His mouth fell open and he sputtered, "How…?"

"Harry, I told you I was going to keep watch on you, how I do it is not as important as it is that I do it. Child, I need to know what happened last night if I am to help."

"You won't believe me…" he replied in a small voice.

"Try me. You won't know for sure until you do, will you?"

Harry looked up at me with a look that told me one wrong look from me, one word just not quite right, or too loud, and I would lose him. He would bolt. I nodded and put my hand on his hand. He tried to pull away, but I tightened my grip just enough to reassure him and continued, "Harry I am here to help if you will allow me." He put his hand to his forehead and pushed his hair away from the scar. My breath caught as I saw the scar burning crimson against his porcelain skin just above his wide open emerald eyes.

"Harry, is that what caused you to scream out last night?"

"I'm sorry, sir. Did I wake you. I can sleep in the owlery if I disturbed you, you aren't going to hit me, are you?"

I rose from my chair and picked him up. Putting him on my lap and reassuring him that no indeed, I only wanted to help, I held him tightly. He relaxed and hugged me.

"Professor, I… sometimes, I mean, I have these dreams, but they aren't dreams really, they're more like visions. Last night I saw Voldemort and he was killing a man and saying it was because of me that the man had to die. My scar felt like it was going to explode… it burned so badly. I don't know who… but someone rocked me back to sleep, and I felt almost safe. I know it will sound weird, but I thought I smelled you."

I quirked an eyebrow in question to that last statement, and he smiled his shy little half-smile, "You smell like tea and peppermint, and I thought I smelled tea and peppermint. That helped me fall asleep. I felt safe. When I woke this morning, that was gone, and I felt alone."

I smiled inwardly. I made him feel safe... I made him feel safe. He didn't know I was there, but I made him feel safe.

"Harry, how often does your scar hurt?"


"I dunno, sometimes it won't hurt for a long time, weeks, then other times it will burn every night for days. Sometimes it burns more than others, and I think those times Voldemort is either close to me or thinking really hard about me. What does it mean, professor? Is he going to get me?"

"Not if I can help it, child, not if I can help it."

We talked about his classes, we even laughed about the ludicrous old bat who professes to teach divination. Harry confided he invents answers for his homework for her class. I can't say as I blame him. The next statement about that old bat, Trelawney, was nearly enough to send me to her tower to practice a few of the Unforgivable curses on her. He told me she predicts his death… at least once every other class. As if he doesn't have enough to worry about without that. Albus will hear about this, and if he doesn't put a stop to it, I will.

Harry was holding something back, his eyes were becoming dark again and his face withdrawn. It took a while and another goblet of pumpkin juice, but I finally got him to tell me. He was afraid of his flying class the following day. He said he had never flown, and was sure he would kill himself in the process. I know I shouldn't have, but I put him down on my chair and crossed to my trunk.

Oh, you should have seen his eyes when I pulled out my old student broom. I held the broom as he mounted it. I told him to kick off softly so as not to fly to the ceiling. I kept my hand on his shoulder and helped him hover just about waist high for several minutes. Once he had his balance, I let him fly around the sitting room chamber as I kept hold of his belt.

His eyes were bright, brighter than they had been since his arrival at Hogwarts, and his smile almost reached ear to ear. Even his eyes smiled. It made my heart light to see him so relaxed and happy.

Suddenly the flying lesson ended when we were caught off guard by a soft voice, "Now children, play time is over." Harry and I nearly crashed into the fireplace we stopped so quickly. When we looked toward the portrait hole we saw Lupin leaning against the wall with a silly grin on his face. Suddenly that grin turned to a pout, and he grumbled, "You could have at least invited me to play, too."

Harry was still smiling as Lupin led him back to Gryffindor Tower. I was smiling as I thought about Harry's statement… I made him feel safe. I knew what I'd be doing the next several nights.

Harry had had quite a day. Learning to ride a broom was perhaps the best part of it for him. I decided to visit him again tonight and visit I did. I stood sentinel at his bedside watching again as he slept. I stood as close as I could and studied his features.

When I arrived his eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth tight. As I approached his breathing became deeper and his face relaxed, he even smiled his shy small smile. I guess he knew on some level I was with him, tea and peppermint… indeed. I stayed until the tingle began in my hands, and just made it to my chambers in the nick of time.

I can't do this every night, but for a few more, it will be well worth it to see him relax and smile safely in his sleep. Damn! I forgot. He told me when he woke up the tea and peppermint were gone, and he felt alone. Well… now I know my next challenge.

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