A/N It seems I've gotten a good response, so here I go with the next
chapter! ^__^
Also, it is now evening in this chapter...
Chapter 2 Screaming can be heard...then laughter
I stood there by my bed, watching the infant that was Potter, sleeping. My lips had remained pursed since I'd left the headmaster's office. I still couldn't believe Albus would leave me to watch this...this...boy! My lip curled up in a snarl at the thought of what was to happen in the near future that involved Potter and unfortunately, myself. Leaving the bedside, I go about to pacing about my room, and thinking how resolve this problem.
I went over various potions in my mind, none bringing the solution I needed to get Potter back to his old and annoying self. Growling quietly, I stop pacing and sit down in a chair near the fireplace, facing the bed to watch the boy. I watched him with a scowl on my face, my lips pursed so tightly, that I doubted I would be able to see them in the mirror. Leaning into the chair, I drummed my fingers on the arms of the chair and waited for Potter to wake. A knock my door brought me out of my rueful watching. Getting up from the chair, I walk to my door, swing it open, only to be greeted by Albus and Poppy.
"How are doing this evening Severus?" Exclaimed Dumbledore with far too much cheeriness for my liking. "Poppy here has what you'll need to take take care of Harry. She has also agreed to help show you how to change him, feed hijm and the sort." I scowled at the grin Poppy had on her face. It was without doubt, she was enjoying this far too much. Poppy stepped fully into my room and dropped a dark blue bag, bent down and opened it up.
She reached in and pulled out some sort of white, paper-like thing. She quickly went into the explaination of diapers and how to use them. She grinned even more as I grew horrified and disgusted. I was to use that thing to...to...DEAR GOD! Next, was bottle...feeding. I should have seen this coming. I sat gruffly in the nearest chair and listened to the woman babble. This babbling of hers continued on for another five minutes before she finally stopped, bid me a good night and left, still grinning. I looked at Albus, waiting for him to speak.
"Well Severus," He began with amusement in his tone, "I hope you have a joyful evening, and I bid you good night" Waving his cheerfully he left as well, this time, I knew he had a grin on his face. I looked over the bed and found a pair of green eyes looking straight at me. Getting up, I walk to where Potter laid, watching me intently. Coming to halt at the edge of the bed, I glared down menacingly at the boy. He just looked up me, silently watching.
"Well Potter!?" I snapped at him with a angry tone, I didn't get to say anymore before his lip trembled and out came a scream. I winced yet again, and clamped my hands to my ears, praying for him to stop. I watched him as his tooth mouth was contorted in a wail. How was he pulling that off with such small lungs!? I let out a frustrated scream...long and behold...the scream increased an octave. The scream was so loud, that it have made a banshee very proud. With my ears still covered, I sat down the chair near the fireplace and wondered why he was screaming.
"He doesn't need his...diaper...changed, I would have smelt that. He could be hungry, but I doubt that. What else did Poppy say?" I went into deeper thought, recalling what Poppy said, while trying to ignore the screams coming from Potter. "He doesn't need to be 'burped', he hasn't been fed yet. He certainly isn't cold, with fire going and wrapped in all those blankets Poppy had put him in, there is just no way. Wait...What did Poppy say about infants being held? OH...NO...that's what he wants...he wants to be held." I groaned pitifully, and got up yet again and reached the bed, where Potter was still screaming his lungs out.
Looking down, and groaning, I bent over and slowly, carefully wrapped my arms around his body. Lifting him up, I secured him just like had 'instructed' me to do. He quickly stopped his crying the moment he rested his rested against my head, and looked up at me. He regarded me once again, I held my breath, expecting a scream to come forth...but none came. I slowly let out my breath, and took in another, waiting and watching the boy. He looked up at me for only a moment more, before turned his attention to my...robes.
I watched him, as he weakly grabbed clumps of my robes in his tiny hands. He turned it a little bit before letting go. Potter went to inspecting my entire chest, his right slapped the Hogwarts crest on the left side of my chest. He got completly interested with it and tried to toy with it. He then made a noise I didn't reconize until he did it again. He was...cooing, the boy was actually cooing in delight. Letting out an exasperated sigh, I adjust my hold on him, and sat down on the bed. Again, those eyes of his looked up at me, he cocked his head to the side, he just stared at me.
A minute went by in this fashion, before a smile creeped across his face and began laugh, which, sounded more like hiccups. He started to squirm in my arms and continued to laugh, all the while, staring straight at me. Now, I wondered what had happened that caused him to do this. I set him down on the bed, watching as kept on with his smile and laughing. He threw up his small arms at me, as if asking me to pick him up again...it was then that a near missed piece of what Poppy had said came floating hauntingly back into my mind.
"Oh, and Severus, be gentle, caring and speak softly to him." I now remembered her saying, "If you any of that, the thing you'll be getting from him will be interesting. If you don't, he'll probably be screaming into the night" I sighed to myself and snapped back to reality, where the young Harry Potter was looking at me with pleading eyes, still asking to be picked up. I wrap my arms around him and lift him off the bed. His laughter became louder as he clutched my robes, his gaze never ceasing to look at me. Getting up from the bed, I walk to the bag, with Potter in my arms, I reach inside and find a bottle filled with some formula, a warming charm had been placed on it. Poppy had told me feed him at around eight, and it being being eight fifteen, I decided to get this over with and attempt to get some sleep.
I adjusted the boy into a 'feeding' postion, took hold of the bottle in my left hand and brought it to his still giggling mouth. When he eyed the bottle, he quickly grasped and brought eagerly into his mouth and started to eat. I watched he ate happily, while STILL watching me. My right was quickly going numb from holding him. To relieve it, I sat down in the chair, resting the boy against the arm rest as he kept eating. A few minutes passed by, and he just now hit the halfway mark on his bottle, when shook his head slightly. His hair was in his eyes, and he didn't like that. Sighing, I brushed his hair out of his eyes, and saw the one thing that marked him out from the rest of the wizarding world. The lightning bolt shaped scar that sat shrewdly on his forehead. I got thinking at that moment."Was this reason why the rest of the wizarding world saw him a savior of some sort? Did that seem...fair? No...life is never fair, you should know this Severus. You should know it very well"
The lack of sucking sounds coming from Potter's bottle brought me out of my line of thought. Looking down, I saw that boy had finished was looking sleepily up at me. Getting up from the chair, I began to wonder where he was going to sleep, fir he most certainly not sleeping on my bed again! Glancing around, I found something that I surprised that I hadn't seen before. In the far right corner of my, near the door, was a crib adorned in red and gold. It figures it would be in Gryffindor colors. I made my way over to the crib and I slowly put Potter into the crib. After placing a blanket over him, I got as quickly as possible into my own bed and dropped into it.
I didn't get to close my eyes before I Potter whimper. I turned over in my bed and cast my gaze over to him, where he was looking right back with his arms outstretched towards me. He whimpered some more, his lip began to tremble, and I feared for the worst. I shot up and quickly got out the bed and ran over the crib, hoping he wouldn't sart screaming. I don't what I'd do if he started that again. I looked down him with a bit of a dubious look.
"What do you want, Potter?" I whispered tiredly, he whimpered again and stretched his arms as far as they could. Growling menatally at my luck, I picked him up, and took him with me. I sunk in the bed, with Potter clutching my robes. I laid down on my back with Potter resting, far too comfortably for my liking, on my chest. Dropping my head onto the pillow, I stared up at the stone-lined ceiling. Minutes ticked by, and when I knew for a fact that Potter was alseep, I slowly got up to take him to his crib. I only managed to move just slightly before gripped my robes tightly. I sighed in frustration...there was just no way I would get up without waking him. My decision was made then, I would him with me for just tonight and only tonight. Tommorrow night, I'll put a silencing charm around my bed so I won't have listen to him scream all night.
Shifting my weight very slowly, I pulled the covers from under me and wrapped the me around me and the sleeping boy. Settling down, I closed my eyes, and for the first time in many years I fell into a dreamless...contented sleep
Ok, scratch the last thing, this is the longest chapter I've ever written. Well, if you'll be so kind, could you please leave a review? PRETTY PLEASE?? I'll give you some candy. *Pulls out a bowl of candy*
Chapter 2 Screaming can be heard...then laughter
I stood there by my bed, watching the infant that was Potter, sleeping. My lips had remained pursed since I'd left the headmaster's office. I still couldn't believe Albus would leave me to watch this...this...boy! My lip curled up in a snarl at the thought of what was to happen in the near future that involved Potter and unfortunately, myself. Leaving the bedside, I go about to pacing about my room, and thinking how resolve this problem.
I went over various potions in my mind, none bringing the solution I needed to get Potter back to his old and annoying self. Growling quietly, I stop pacing and sit down in a chair near the fireplace, facing the bed to watch the boy. I watched him with a scowl on my face, my lips pursed so tightly, that I doubted I would be able to see them in the mirror. Leaning into the chair, I drummed my fingers on the arms of the chair and waited for Potter to wake. A knock my door brought me out of my rueful watching. Getting up from the chair, I walk to my door, swing it open, only to be greeted by Albus and Poppy.
"How are doing this evening Severus?" Exclaimed Dumbledore with far too much cheeriness for my liking. "Poppy here has what you'll need to take take care of Harry. She has also agreed to help show you how to change him, feed hijm and the sort." I scowled at the grin Poppy had on her face. It was without doubt, she was enjoying this far too much. Poppy stepped fully into my room and dropped a dark blue bag, bent down and opened it up.
She reached in and pulled out some sort of white, paper-like thing. She quickly went into the explaination of diapers and how to use them. She grinned even more as I grew horrified and disgusted. I was to use that thing to...to...DEAR GOD! Next, was bottle...feeding. I should have seen this coming. I sat gruffly in the nearest chair and listened to the woman babble. This babbling of hers continued on for another five minutes before she finally stopped, bid me a good night and left, still grinning. I looked at Albus, waiting for him to speak.
"Well Severus," He began with amusement in his tone, "I hope you have a joyful evening, and I bid you good night" Waving his cheerfully he left as well, this time, I knew he had a grin on his face. I looked over the bed and found a pair of green eyes looking straight at me. Getting up, I walk to where Potter laid, watching me intently. Coming to halt at the edge of the bed, I glared down menacingly at the boy. He just looked up me, silently watching.
"Well Potter!?" I snapped at him with a angry tone, I didn't get to say anymore before his lip trembled and out came a scream. I winced yet again, and clamped my hands to my ears, praying for him to stop. I watched him as his tooth mouth was contorted in a wail. How was he pulling that off with such small lungs!? I let out a frustrated scream...long and behold...the scream increased an octave. The scream was so loud, that it have made a banshee very proud. With my ears still covered, I sat down the chair near the fireplace and wondered why he was screaming.
"He doesn't need his...diaper...changed, I would have smelt that. He could be hungry, but I doubt that. What else did Poppy say?" I went into deeper thought, recalling what Poppy said, while trying to ignore the screams coming from Potter. "He doesn't need to be 'burped', he hasn't been fed yet. He certainly isn't cold, with fire going and wrapped in all those blankets Poppy had put him in, there is just no way. Wait...What did Poppy say about infants being held? OH...NO...that's what he wants...he wants to be held." I groaned pitifully, and got up yet again and reached the bed, where Potter was still screaming his lungs out.
Looking down, and groaning, I bent over and slowly, carefully wrapped my arms around his body. Lifting him up, I secured him just like had 'instructed' me to do. He quickly stopped his crying the moment he rested his rested against my head, and looked up at me. He regarded me once again, I held my breath, expecting a scream to come forth...but none came. I slowly let out my breath, and took in another, waiting and watching the boy. He looked up at me for only a moment more, before turned his attention to my...robes.
I watched him, as he weakly grabbed clumps of my robes in his tiny hands. He turned it a little bit before letting go. Potter went to inspecting my entire chest, his right slapped the Hogwarts crest on the left side of my chest. He got completly interested with it and tried to toy with it. He then made a noise I didn't reconize until he did it again. He was...cooing, the boy was actually cooing in delight. Letting out an exasperated sigh, I adjust my hold on him, and sat down on the bed. Again, those eyes of his looked up at me, he cocked his head to the side, he just stared at me.
A minute went by in this fashion, before a smile creeped across his face and began laugh, which, sounded more like hiccups. He started to squirm in my arms and continued to laugh, all the while, staring straight at me. Now, I wondered what had happened that caused him to do this. I set him down on the bed, watching as kept on with his smile and laughing. He threw up his small arms at me, as if asking me to pick him up again...it was then that a near missed piece of what Poppy had said came floating hauntingly back into my mind.
"Oh, and Severus, be gentle, caring and speak softly to him." I now remembered her saying, "If you any of that, the thing you'll be getting from him will be interesting. If you don't, he'll probably be screaming into the night" I sighed to myself and snapped back to reality, where the young Harry Potter was looking at me with pleading eyes, still asking to be picked up. I wrap my arms around him and lift him off the bed. His laughter became louder as he clutched my robes, his gaze never ceasing to look at me. Getting up from the bed, I walk to the bag, with Potter in my arms, I reach inside and find a bottle filled with some formula, a warming charm had been placed on it. Poppy had told me feed him at around eight, and it being being eight fifteen, I decided to get this over with and attempt to get some sleep.
I adjusted the boy into a 'feeding' postion, took hold of the bottle in my left hand and brought it to his still giggling mouth. When he eyed the bottle, he quickly grasped and brought eagerly into his mouth and started to eat. I watched he ate happily, while STILL watching me. My right was quickly going numb from holding him. To relieve it, I sat down in the chair, resting the boy against the arm rest as he kept eating. A few minutes passed by, and he just now hit the halfway mark on his bottle, when shook his head slightly. His hair was in his eyes, and he didn't like that. Sighing, I brushed his hair out of his eyes, and saw the one thing that marked him out from the rest of the wizarding world. The lightning bolt shaped scar that sat shrewdly on his forehead. I got thinking at that moment."Was this reason why the rest of the wizarding world saw him a savior of some sort? Did that seem...fair? No...life is never fair, you should know this Severus. You should know it very well"
The lack of sucking sounds coming from Potter's bottle brought me out of my line of thought. Looking down, I saw that boy had finished was looking sleepily up at me. Getting up from the chair, I began to wonder where he was going to sleep, fir he most certainly not sleeping on my bed again! Glancing around, I found something that I surprised that I hadn't seen before. In the far right corner of my, near the door, was a crib adorned in red and gold. It figures it would be in Gryffindor colors. I made my way over to the crib and I slowly put Potter into the crib. After placing a blanket over him, I got as quickly as possible into my own bed and dropped into it.
I didn't get to close my eyes before I Potter whimper. I turned over in my bed and cast my gaze over to him, where he was looking right back with his arms outstretched towards me. He whimpered some more, his lip began to tremble, and I feared for the worst. I shot up and quickly got out the bed and ran over the crib, hoping he wouldn't sart screaming. I don't what I'd do if he started that again. I looked down him with a bit of a dubious look.
"What do you want, Potter?" I whispered tiredly, he whimpered again and stretched his arms as far as they could. Growling menatally at my luck, I picked him up, and took him with me. I sunk in the bed, with Potter clutching my robes. I laid down on my back with Potter resting, far too comfortably for my liking, on my chest. Dropping my head onto the pillow, I stared up at the stone-lined ceiling. Minutes ticked by, and when I knew for a fact that Potter was alseep, I slowly got up to take him to his crib. I only managed to move just slightly before gripped my robes tightly. I sighed in frustration...there was just no way I would get up without waking him. My decision was made then, I would him with me for just tonight and only tonight. Tommorrow night, I'll put a silencing charm around my bed so I won't have listen to him scream all night.
Shifting my weight very slowly, I pulled the covers from under me and wrapped the me around me and the sleeping boy. Settling down, I closed my eyes, and for the first time in many years I fell into a dreamless...contented sleep
Ok, scratch the last thing, this is the longest chapter I've ever written. Well, if you'll be so kind, could you please leave a review? PRETTY PLEASE?? I'll give you some candy. *Pulls out a bowl of candy*