TN & HP – Brotherly relationship

Tags: Fluff – selectively mute Harry – Cuddles – Couch Cuddles – Sleepy cuddles – Harry was raised by others – Slytherin! - past abuse

Summary: 7 years old Harry Potter was found injured and abandoned by an old wizard and his grandson. Four years later, the Boy-Who-Lived goes to Hogwarts and is sorted to Slytherin alongside his brother in all but blood, Theodore Nott Jr.


Harry was seven when he was found by Theodred Nott and his grandson Theodore. The pair had been walking in the forest, Theo chasing some butterflies ahead of his grandfather when he had stumbled upon a bloodied little boy hunched against a tree. Between that and nursing the boy back to health, it wasn't long before Theodred found out the boy's identity, certainly not with the lightning scar that adorned his forehead. Still, they couldn't very well put him back where he was before (as if Theodred would make the foolish mistake to let a wizard child be raised by muggles. Considering how injured the boy was when they found him, it would have been extremely stupid of him to do that). Theodred also did not trust his fellow Wixen to raise the boy. In this end, he decided to take him in and raise him alongside Theo. That was the best decision he ever made; both boys flourished with each other's company. Theodore had always been lonely before Hadrian's appearance but nowadays, he talked a bit more and smiled more often too.

Theodred himself was more open with his 'two grandsons'. His fellow Wizengamot members noticed that he was a lot less grumpy nowadays.


11 years-old Theodore Nott stared at the platform with a blank look on his face. Beside him, his brother, Harry, was almost bouncing on his feet despite how quiet he was. That was the thing with Harry; while he was like an open book, he spoke rarely, preferring to use sign language with Theo and Theodred rather than open his mouth to speak out loud. Neither Theo nor his grandfather minded it.

"Boys."

Theo looked up, his dark eyes meeting his grandpa's and he tilted his head to the side while Harry glanced up, a shy smile appearing on his face.

"Be good. I'll see you at Yule."

The old man hugged them both before letting them go. When he was done instructing them to be careful and to not trust too easily, Theo grabbed his brother's hand and pulled him toward him.

"We'll write," he told Theodred with a nod.

The old man nodded back and watched them disappear inside the train. When the Hogwarts Express started to move, Lord Nott disapparate without looking back, ignoring the curious looks. He knew they wondered who was the second boy because it was a well-known fact (for the Dark and Neutral families anyway) that he only had a son (an imprisoned one at that) and a grandson.

Inside the train, Theodore guided his brother toward the end of the train, where they wouldn't be bothered by other students (hopefully).

They passed a few compartments filled with older students before finding an empty one. Once inside, Theo sat down and patted the place beside him. Harry immediately followed and sat down next to him with a contented sigh.


His brother was more jittery as time passed, Theo could tell he was worried about the sorting when they got off the train.

"Stop stressing, Haddie. Everything is gonna be alright," he whispered quietly to his brother while helping him onto a boat. Hadrian had every right to be worried though especially considering the fact that he was rather famous in the Magical world.

Theo remained mostly impassive as the boats made their way across the Lake though his lips twitched when he saw the awed expression on Hadrian's lips.

The walk to the castle was filled with mutterings about the Boy-Who-Lived; apparently, no one had managed to catch a glimpse of him. Theo squeezed his younger brother's hand when he saw how tense the other boy was and Harry gave him a shy smile in return.


When Theo was sorted into Slytherin, he swallowed his relief and sat down beside the Greengrass heiress. Worry threatened to drown him again when he noticed the pallor on Harry's face. Let's be honest; Theo wouldn't care if Harry was sorted into Gryffindor but he knew that the friendship between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin would be extremely difficult and that others (i.e: Gryffindors) might throw a fit and hurt his baby brother. Theo would rip them into pieces if they tried to hurt Hadrian.

He would.

Don't doubt him.

"Potter, Harry."

Theo straightened, ignoring the comment about how tiny Harry looked. The longer his sorting took, the more worried Theo became until, at last, the Sorting Hat exclaimed:

"SLYTHERIN!"

There was a few seconds of silence during which Hadrian stood up, a bit shakily due to the Hall's occupants' unusual reaction then Theo jumped up, clapping enthusiastically (you wouldn't know, looking at his impassive face but he was happy!) and then the first Slytherin students started to applaud too, the students from the other houses joining in progressively. Theo noticed that most Gryffindors (apart from two identical redheaded boys) looked very reluctant but he was too happy to care about that. When Harry joined the table, Theo grabbed his hand and helped him sit down.

"I didn't think it would take this long."

Harry giggled.

"I had some questions to ask."

"Of course you did. Did it suggest Ravenclaw?"

"He may have mentioned it."

Theo was well aware that the other Slytherins – mainly the upper years- were staring, examining their interactions but he didn't care. Harry's relation to him was bound to be exposed sooner than later anyway so why not reveal it on their own terms?

When he glanced at the teachers' table, he noticed the troubled look on the headmaster's face and bit back a snarl. That old bastard better watches his back and not attempt to approach his baby brother or he would get it. Sure, Theo wasn't supposed to talk like that but in thought, it was okay, right? His granddad would never need to know he cursed more than a sailor in his thoughts. At least, not until he started his advanced Occlumency lessons.

When Harry noticed the unwanted attention he was getting from their headmaster, he scrunched up his nose and muttered something about "crazy old perverts" and focused his attention on his plate. One of the older students sitting just in front of him choked on his drink and coughed until he regained normal breathing.

"That 'crazy old pervert' as you said is the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore," he told Harry, ignoring the choking that his sentence (or the nickname Harry gave the old man) provoked around them.

Harry blinked.

"I know."

Two words. Two single words. It was all it took to completely change the preconceived image that the Slytherins had of the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Hadrian, you need to take your potion," Theo reminded him softly while handing him a potion vial.

Harry nodded and, ignoring the looks directed at him, he took the offered option, uncaped it and downed its content in a few seconds. Grimacing, he put the vial down and smiled at his adoptive brother.


Later, after dinner – when the headmaster gave some very concerning warnings about the school- they all left the Great Hall and were led to their common room by the sixth-year boy prefect, a certain Gavin Travers and 7th year Mathilda Selwyn. Once they were in the Slytherin common room, the Headboy – who was a Slytherin, gave them a welcome speech while warning them to move in groups and to not get caught doing things against the rules (they could break the rules if they wanted to as long as they didn't get caught). He let them know that their Head of House would check on them at the end of the first week and then every Friday evening.

Once they were done, they let them do their things – whether go in the dorms to see where they would be sleeping and who they'd be rooming with- or just sit down and talk with their future classmates/housemates.

Theo sat down on the nearest couch and patted down his thighs, smiling when Hadrian yawned and obeyed quietly.

.

[Adrian Pucey (the boy who choked on his drink earlier) had to physically stop their Seeker, Terence Higgs, from launching himself at the duo as the older boy made grabby motions with his hands.]

Yup, trouble was cooking in the form of two adorable (if slightly apathetic) snakelets.


Thirty minutes later, the duo left the bathroom attached to their dorms and walked toward their beds. Harry's was just to the right of Theo's and they were sharing a dorm with Blaise Zabini. The other boy was friendly but not too talkative – just their kind of person. He didn't even say anything when he saw Harry completely ignore his bedding to instead climb into Theo's. Theo, who was already lying in the middle of the mattress, on his back, just raised a brow at his brother as if to say: what are you waiting for?

Harry's lips twitched. You wouldn't know if you looked at his blank look and impassive face but he was content right now. Sometimes, happiness would be defined by a smile on his face but most of the time, it would remain hidden behind his eyes.

The boy flopped down on top of Theo, earning a quiet "Oomph" from the other boy and cuddled up to him, snuggling against him as if he was trying to merge with his brother.

"Are you cold?" Theo asked softly.

Harry shook his head. He was just fine.

More than just fine actually.

He was finally at Hogwarts (grandpa Theodred told them so much about this school!) and he was in the same as his brother. Even better, they could still sleep in the same bed and have "cuddles time".

Honesty, Hogwarts was off to a great start!


Hey, so... All of my English stories are posted on ao3 (x_manga_Bleach_x), not fanfiction. net but I thought I might just post this one here too. I hope you like it.