Title: A Summer with Severus
Chapter: One
Author: Firestar
Email: diagonalley038@yahoo.ca
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*~~~CHAPTER ONE- A Visit to the Dursleys~~~*
Professor Severus Snape stormed through the corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, livid with rage. His robes billowed behind him, flowing outward like a dark, stormcloud.
What the HELL was Albus thinking of? Severus was convinced that the old headmaster had finally gone insane. The man wanted /him/ Severus Snape, to pick up and spend the summer with /H Potter, the Golden boy of Gryffindor./ The old wizard was totally off his marbles!
He sighed. But there was nothing he could do about it. He knew that whatever the Headmaster asked, he would willingly do. He owed it to the old wizard who had saved him from the life of depression. True, he still had to spy and serve the Dark Lord, but he did it willingly. He had to do it, both for himself and for everyone else.
He walked to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and with a crack, Apparated.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He found himself on the corner of a street. Looking at street sign, he sneered with distaste. Privet Drive. Walking along the road, he came to number 4.
The house looked perfectly normal. Various types of plants covered the neatly trimmed grass. Reaching up, he knocked on the door.
A second later, a boy opened the door. Severus couldn't help but gape slightly. Boy, ha! He looked more like an overgrown whale!
A look of horror crossed the boy's features. "MUM!!!!!!" He yelled on the top of his lungs. "HELP! IT'S THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Almost immediately, a horse-like woman appeared. She froze when she saw him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Where is H Potter?" Severus asked. He sneered, glaring piercingly at the woman. She looked nothing like Lily Potter, whose deadly beauty shone even in her death. "I am to take him with me."
"H-He's not going!" The woman stuttered.
Severus pulled out his wand and pointed it at the boy. "Take me to him," he ordered.
The boy, Dudley, he assumed, led him into the kitchen, then up the stairs. "H-H-He's up there," he squeaked, trembling visibly.
Letting go of the fat whale of a boy, he cautiously walked up the staircase. It became evident which was the room as soon as he saw it. He approached the door with several locks and bolts around it, feeling stunned. "Alohomora," he said firmly, and watched in satisfaction as the locks clicked open.
He pushed open the door and was hit by a strong oder. The room was fairly dark. The afternoon sunlight flitted through the cracks between the bars on the window.
"Lumos," he said as his wand lit up. He gasped at the sight before him. The room was tiny, barely the size of a closet. In the middle of the room was a small cot with chains on it. And the walls were painted in a brown, strangly crimson shade of red. He reached out and placed his hand on the wall. There was that smell again, stronger than ever... Suddenly, he froze. The wall... With a gasp, he realized that the walls were not painted; it was covered in blood.
Potter was sitting on the corner of the bed, staring blankly out the window. The boy paid no attention to him, acting as if he couldn't hear him.
"Potter," he growled. "Come on, get your trunk, we're leaving."
The boy made no movement.
Severus had had enough. Reaching down, he shook the boy roughly.
Potter gave a whimper, curling up into a ball. "No," he whispered. "No, don't hurt me, I didn't do anything... Please, I promise I'll finish my chores next time, don't hurt me..."
"Potter, I'm not going to hurt you," he said harshly.
The boy flinched away at the sound. "No, stop it, don't..."
Severus sighed. This was not going to be easy. "H," he said softly, making his voice as gentle as possible. "I'm not going to hurt you. Dumbledore asked me to pick you up. Come with me, alright?"
Potter eyed him suspiciously for a second before nodding. "Yes, sir," he whispered, his voice raspy.
"Pack up your trunk."
Potter looked down. "It's... in the cupboard under the stairs," he said softly.
"I'll get it. Wait here." With that, Severus left the room.
Getting the trunk and shooting a death glare at the horse-faced woman, he walked back up to H's room. Potter was once again sitting on the bed.
"Come on, let's go," he said, remembering to keep his voice quiet and soothing.
Potter nodded and attempted to stand up. Panting, he grasped the side of the bed in obvious pain. For the first time, Severus noticed that the boy's clothes were soaked in blood.
"Potter," he said urgently. "What's wrong with you? Are you hurt?"
The boy didn't reply. He was too busy trying to regain his breath.
Severus pulled out several potions. After making H drink each one, he pulled out a salve.
"Potter," he said. "I'll have to heal you before we leave. This salve can stop bleeding and heal cuts. Kindly remove your shirt. I need to treat you."
The boy shook his head, mumbling, "Please, don't, I'm fine..."
"Potter," he said warningly. "Remove your shirt before I force you."
H's eyes widened in fear before he nodded in submission. Slowly, he took off his shirt.
Severus gasped at the sight before him. Various bruises, cuts, and scaring covered the boy's torso and back. Many of the cuts were still bleeding. There was a strangely shaped print on the back.
"What's this? How did it happen?" Severus asked, motioning towards the print.
H winced. "Uncle V-Vernon," he whispered. "He put a shovel in the fireplace and placed the shovel on my back."
Severus shuddered sympathetically. He took out a bit of salve, rubbing it on his hands to make it warm. Then, he gently reached down and began spreading it on the various cuts.
H flinched away from the touch at first, but slowly relaxed. He was surprised to discover that the Potions Master's touch was comforting.
Leaning into the surprisingly gentle touch, he slowly drifted into restless sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Severus sighed as he closed the lid of the salve, placing it back into his pocket. He looked down and realized that Potter had fallen asleep.
He levitated the boy and his trunk and made his way out of the room. At the fireplace, he stopped. Muttering a shirking charm, he stuffed the trunk into the many folds of his robes.
He dropped and levitating charm on the boy and placed him on the couch. Only one way to it. Awkwardly, he picked up the sleeping child in his arms. He was surprised when Potter put his head against his chest, seeking comfort. Throwing in a handful of extra floo powder, he called out, "Snape Manor" and stepped into the fireplace.
He stepped back out in his own mansion. Dusking off his robes, he carried H to a room on the second floor. Placing the sleeping child in bed, he closed the door and left the room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When H opened his eyes, he found himself in a large room he didn't recognize. Where was he? What was going on?
He began to panic, green eyes welling up in silent tears. What was he going to do?
At percisely that moment, Severus stepped into H's rooms. Once again placing on his cold mask, he sneered, "So you finally decided to wake up." He made his voice icy cold.
H's eyes widened in fear as the boy froze, watching his professor tower before him. "Don't---" he said in a strangled whisper.
"Don't what?" Severus asked, oblivious to H's fear. He approached the boy, but stopped when he saw the tears falling from the child's eyes and H curling up into a small ball, rocking back and force.
"Please," H whipered in a small voice. "Don't hurt me."
Severus froze, suddenly understanding what was going on. The Dursleys had obviously abused the boy, both physically and emotionally. Potter thought he was going to hit him.
"Potter," he said, his voice softening a notch.
"No, don't call me that," H said, flinching away from the voice. It was what Uncle Vernon had called him.
Seveus stopped, puzzled by the boy's reaction.
"Fine," he agreed finally. "H, you are at Snape Manor. Dumbledore has requested that you stay with me here over the holiday."
At thsi, H whimpered slighly and curled further into a ball.
"H," he said, making sure his voice came out gentle and soothing. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. You're safe here, I promise."
The boy slowly nodded, but the fear and distrust was still evident in his eyes.
"Now, H," Severus continued quietly. "I had Madam Pomfrey come down earlier when you were asleep. She has healed all the broken bones and cuts. The bruises will have to go away on their own. She said that though you'll be fine after a while, you need a lot of rest. You'll feel constantly tired at first. You've been underfed so you're loosing a lot of energy; you'll need to stay in bed for the first two weeks to regain your strength, okay?"
H nodded, surprised at how soothing and comforting his professor's voice sounded.
"Rest for now," The Potions Master said. "I'll wake you for dinner."
The Boy-Who-Lived nodded, closing his eyes and drifting off into much- needed sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Long after H fell asleep, Severus sat, looking at the sleeping boy. With the boy asleep, he could access and see whether there were any other injuries.
After examining the boy for several minutes, he stopped, stunned. Now, he realized what had happened. The boy had been raped. No wonder he had reacted in such a way. Damn those Muggles and whatever else he had done to him.
He quickly rubbed salve onto the injuries, and thankfully, the boy didn't wake. He didn't know what would happen if H woke up and saw that Severus was touching him in such a way.
He had to admit, the young man no longer looked like a replica of James Potter: H's hair had grown up to shoulder length over the years, and his sking was pale from lack of sunlight.
He sighed, wondering what those Muggles had done to turn the boy, once so fierce and full of life, into the pitiful and helpless boy he was now. How had the Dursleys managed to break the boy when Voldemort himself could not?
H looked so vulnerable, lying there, asleep. The thin scars stood out on his already-pale skin. He had always believed the boy to be spoilt by everyone, able to get away with things others could not. It was only now that he realized for that first tiem that he was wrong: H was just like anyone else, capable of emotions such as happiness and joy, sorrow and depression.
He used to hate the young man, seeing only his father and nothing else. Now... he just couldn't look at him the same way as before, not after what had happened, what he had seen.
He sighed as he slowly left the room, thought pounding through his head. He would think about it tomorrow. For now, he needed sleep. He went into his room and shut the door quietly behind him.
Chapter: One
Author: Firestar
Email: diagonalley038@yahoo.ca
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*~~~CHAPTER ONE- A Visit to the Dursleys~~~*
Professor Severus Snape stormed through the corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, livid with rage. His robes billowed behind him, flowing outward like a dark, stormcloud.
What the HELL was Albus thinking of? Severus was convinced that the old headmaster had finally gone insane. The man wanted /him/ Severus Snape, to pick up and spend the summer with /H Potter, the Golden boy of Gryffindor./ The old wizard was totally off his marbles!
He sighed. But there was nothing he could do about it. He knew that whatever the Headmaster asked, he would willingly do. He owed it to the old wizard who had saved him from the life of depression. True, he still had to spy and serve the Dark Lord, but he did it willingly. He had to do it, both for himself and for everyone else.
He walked to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and with a crack, Apparated.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He found himself on the corner of a street. Looking at street sign, he sneered with distaste. Privet Drive. Walking along the road, he came to number 4.
The house looked perfectly normal. Various types of plants covered the neatly trimmed grass. Reaching up, he knocked on the door.
A second later, a boy opened the door. Severus couldn't help but gape slightly. Boy, ha! He looked more like an overgrown whale!
A look of horror crossed the boy's features. "MUM!!!!!!" He yelled on the top of his lungs. "HELP! IT'S THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Almost immediately, a horse-like woman appeared. She froze when she saw him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Where is H Potter?" Severus asked. He sneered, glaring piercingly at the woman. She looked nothing like Lily Potter, whose deadly beauty shone even in her death. "I am to take him with me."
"H-He's not going!" The woman stuttered.
Severus pulled out his wand and pointed it at the boy. "Take me to him," he ordered.
The boy, Dudley, he assumed, led him into the kitchen, then up the stairs. "H-H-He's up there," he squeaked, trembling visibly.
Letting go of the fat whale of a boy, he cautiously walked up the staircase. It became evident which was the room as soon as he saw it. He approached the door with several locks and bolts around it, feeling stunned. "Alohomora," he said firmly, and watched in satisfaction as the locks clicked open.
He pushed open the door and was hit by a strong oder. The room was fairly dark. The afternoon sunlight flitted through the cracks between the bars on the window.
"Lumos," he said as his wand lit up. He gasped at the sight before him. The room was tiny, barely the size of a closet. In the middle of the room was a small cot with chains on it. And the walls were painted in a brown, strangly crimson shade of red. He reached out and placed his hand on the wall. There was that smell again, stronger than ever... Suddenly, he froze. The wall... With a gasp, he realized that the walls were not painted; it was covered in blood.
Potter was sitting on the corner of the bed, staring blankly out the window. The boy paid no attention to him, acting as if he couldn't hear him.
"Potter," he growled. "Come on, get your trunk, we're leaving."
The boy made no movement.
Severus had had enough. Reaching down, he shook the boy roughly.
Potter gave a whimper, curling up into a ball. "No," he whispered. "No, don't hurt me, I didn't do anything... Please, I promise I'll finish my chores next time, don't hurt me..."
"Potter, I'm not going to hurt you," he said harshly.
The boy flinched away at the sound. "No, stop it, don't..."
Severus sighed. This was not going to be easy. "H," he said softly, making his voice as gentle as possible. "I'm not going to hurt you. Dumbledore asked me to pick you up. Come with me, alright?"
Potter eyed him suspiciously for a second before nodding. "Yes, sir," he whispered, his voice raspy.
"Pack up your trunk."
Potter looked down. "It's... in the cupboard under the stairs," he said softly.
"I'll get it. Wait here." With that, Severus left the room.
Getting the trunk and shooting a death glare at the horse-faced woman, he walked back up to H's room. Potter was once again sitting on the bed.
"Come on, let's go," he said, remembering to keep his voice quiet and soothing.
Potter nodded and attempted to stand up. Panting, he grasped the side of the bed in obvious pain. For the first time, Severus noticed that the boy's clothes were soaked in blood.
"Potter," he said urgently. "What's wrong with you? Are you hurt?"
The boy didn't reply. He was too busy trying to regain his breath.
Severus pulled out several potions. After making H drink each one, he pulled out a salve.
"Potter," he said. "I'll have to heal you before we leave. This salve can stop bleeding and heal cuts. Kindly remove your shirt. I need to treat you."
The boy shook his head, mumbling, "Please, don't, I'm fine..."
"Potter," he said warningly. "Remove your shirt before I force you."
H's eyes widened in fear before he nodded in submission. Slowly, he took off his shirt.
Severus gasped at the sight before him. Various bruises, cuts, and scaring covered the boy's torso and back. Many of the cuts were still bleeding. There was a strangely shaped print on the back.
"What's this? How did it happen?" Severus asked, motioning towards the print.
H winced. "Uncle V-Vernon," he whispered. "He put a shovel in the fireplace and placed the shovel on my back."
Severus shuddered sympathetically. He took out a bit of salve, rubbing it on his hands to make it warm. Then, he gently reached down and began spreading it on the various cuts.
H flinched away from the touch at first, but slowly relaxed. He was surprised to discover that the Potions Master's touch was comforting.
Leaning into the surprisingly gentle touch, he slowly drifted into restless sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Severus sighed as he closed the lid of the salve, placing it back into his pocket. He looked down and realized that Potter had fallen asleep.
He levitated the boy and his trunk and made his way out of the room. At the fireplace, he stopped. Muttering a shirking charm, he stuffed the trunk into the many folds of his robes.
He dropped and levitating charm on the boy and placed him on the couch. Only one way to it. Awkwardly, he picked up the sleeping child in his arms. He was surprised when Potter put his head against his chest, seeking comfort. Throwing in a handful of extra floo powder, he called out, "Snape Manor" and stepped into the fireplace.
He stepped back out in his own mansion. Dusking off his robes, he carried H to a room on the second floor. Placing the sleeping child in bed, he closed the door and left the room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When H opened his eyes, he found himself in a large room he didn't recognize. Where was he? What was going on?
He began to panic, green eyes welling up in silent tears. What was he going to do?
At percisely that moment, Severus stepped into H's rooms. Once again placing on his cold mask, he sneered, "So you finally decided to wake up." He made his voice icy cold.
H's eyes widened in fear as the boy froze, watching his professor tower before him. "Don't---" he said in a strangled whisper.
"Don't what?" Severus asked, oblivious to H's fear. He approached the boy, but stopped when he saw the tears falling from the child's eyes and H curling up into a small ball, rocking back and force.
"Please," H whipered in a small voice. "Don't hurt me."
Severus froze, suddenly understanding what was going on. The Dursleys had obviously abused the boy, both physically and emotionally. Potter thought he was going to hit him.
"Potter," he said, his voice softening a notch.
"No, don't call me that," H said, flinching away from the voice. It was what Uncle Vernon had called him.
Seveus stopped, puzzled by the boy's reaction.
"Fine," he agreed finally. "H, you are at Snape Manor. Dumbledore has requested that you stay with me here over the holiday."
At thsi, H whimpered slighly and curled further into a ball.
"H," he said, making sure his voice came out gentle and soothing. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. You're safe here, I promise."
The boy slowly nodded, but the fear and distrust was still evident in his eyes.
"Now, H," Severus continued quietly. "I had Madam Pomfrey come down earlier when you were asleep. She has healed all the broken bones and cuts. The bruises will have to go away on their own. She said that though you'll be fine after a while, you need a lot of rest. You'll feel constantly tired at first. You've been underfed so you're loosing a lot of energy; you'll need to stay in bed for the first two weeks to regain your strength, okay?"
H nodded, surprised at how soothing and comforting his professor's voice sounded.
"Rest for now," The Potions Master said. "I'll wake you for dinner."
The Boy-Who-Lived nodded, closing his eyes and drifting off into much- needed sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Long after H fell asleep, Severus sat, looking at the sleeping boy. With the boy asleep, he could access and see whether there were any other injuries.
After examining the boy for several minutes, he stopped, stunned. Now, he realized what had happened. The boy had been raped. No wonder he had reacted in such a way. Damn those Muggles and whatever else he had done to him.
He quickly rubbed salve onto the injuries, and thankfully, the boy didn't wake. He didn't know what would happen if H woke up and saw that Severus was touching him in such a way.
He had to admit, the young man no longer looked like a replica of James Potter: H's hair had grown up to shoulder length over the years, and his sking was pale from lack of sunlight.
He sighed, wondering what those Muggles had done to turn the boy, once so fierce and full of life, into the pitiful and helpless boy he was now. How had the Dursleys managed to break the boy when Voldemort himself could not?
H looked so vulnerable, lying there, asleep. The thin scars stood out on his already-pale skin. He had always believed the boy to be spoilt by everyone, able to get away with things others could not. It was only now that he realized for that first tiem that he was wrong: H was just like anyone else, capable of emotions such as happiness and joy, sorrow and depression.
He used to hate the young man, seeing only his father and nothing else. Now... he just couldn't look at him the same way as before, not after what had happened, what he had seen.
He sighed as he slowly left the room, thought pounding through his head. He would think about it tomorrow. For now, he needed sleep. He went into his room and shut the door quietly behind him.