A Different Life
Chapter 5 - Not Again!
The next day Severus and Harry managed to finish buying some clothes in Diagon Alley for Harry to wear. Which Harry had learned that it was right in London. They had just finished lunch when someone unexpected bumped into them.
"Ah, Severus, is that you? It's been a while has it not? And look, you have been promoted to babysitting!" a man with blonde hair said, a sneer planted on his face.
Harry immediately didn't like this man. He looked...evil.
"Why if it isn't Lucius Malfoy, still all in once piece I see." Severus said, a glare full of malice and hate directed straight at him, but Lucius didn't even flinch.
Harry's attention was distracted by a familiar noise, a noise he had heard before. He turned in the direction it was coming from and started to head off in that direction. It wasn't long before he found the source of the noise. It was coming from Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy.
He walked in and found so many owls. He didn't know where to look. He didn't even want to blink. He sat in front of one owl he especially liked, it looked like a baby. It was snowy white and looked beautiful. It was on a stand on the floor so he sat down cross-legged in front of it and just pattered it. He didn't even notice that he had left Severus behind talking to that man.
*****************************************************
He didn't know how long he was in there, but it had begun to get dark outside and still Harry seemed mesmerised by the owl. He didn't see any of the customers coming in or leaving. He just continued to pat and stare. Only when someone roughly grabbed his arm was he brought back to reality.
"Oww" Harry cried, as he was brought to his feet un-willingly.
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? I'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU!." Severus shouted into his face.
"I-I heard the owls and I wanted to see them so I...I-" Harry tried to find the right words but Severus cut him off.
"SO YOU WALKED OFF BY YOURSELF WITHOUT ASKING ME, WITHOUT EVEN BLOODLY TELLING ME, AND FOR WHAT, SOME STUPID OWLS! Severus shouted, anger clearly shown in his voice.
"I-I...I'm sorry-" Harry looked down at his feet, ashamed at what he had done, after all that Severus had done for him, he had repaid him by doing this.
"Yeah, well sorry doesn't cut it this time." Severus said forcefully, again grabbing his arm painfully tight and dragging him out of the shop, and all the way into the Leaky Cauldron. Not listening to Harry's pleas of letting go of his arm. If anything he only tightened his grip. Not wanting to loose him again.
Once they were back at Snape Manor Severus let go of Harry's arm, still looking angry. He looked like he was full ready to yell at him more, but instead just told him to go to his room. And Harry did just that, he ran as fast as his legs could take him, right up into his room and he quickly closed his door. He looked back down at his arm and could see some bruising appearing. He was being punished again, just like his uncle used to do, except it was not as bad as what his uncle would do... yet.
Harry walked back over to the furthest corner of his room, and sat down, bringing his legs up to his chest, he slowly rocked backwards and forwards in the dark.
*************************************************
Severus had never been so scared in his life. He knew he wasn't ready for this. He couldn't take care of a little boy. He wasn't ready. He almost had a heart attack when he looked down to see Harry gone. He actually felt his heart stop. He couldn't breathe. He thought someone must have taken him. Then suddenly his heart went beating to what felt like a hundred miles an hour. He couldn't see Harry anywhere.
For hours he looked. And the stupid thing was he had looked in that darn owl place. He just hadn't been looking hard enough to find him. He was after all sitting down on the floor, near the back of the shop. He looked in every shop Diagon Alley had, even Knockturn Alley, and was looking through them all again when he found Harry. He was so relieved he was okay. But like it had his whole life, anger took over him.
He was angrier with himself for letting Harry just leave without him noticing then he was at Harry, and what made it even worse was Lucius had had been there, if Severus was going to have any chance of getting full custody of Harry, he couldn't be losing him in front of one of the board members, especially Lucius Malfoy. He would do anything to see Harry miserable. And sending Harry back to his aunt and uncle would make his day.
But after expecting the worse for so long, he couldn't believe that Harry had just been there, looking completely innocent like he had not just walked off in a dangerous place by himself, where so many things could have happened to him, of course he didn't know that. He didn't know he was the- boy-who-lived. Looking back Severus felt bad about the way he acted.
He decided to go check up on him, he was still going to have words with him, but maybe not as loud as what he was doing before. He had too keep reminding himself that this was only a five-year-old boy, who has been abused by his only living family.
He walked upstairs and slowly opened the door to Harry's bedroom. Looking around he couldn't see him at first, it was very dark so he took out his wand and muttered a spell, the whole room lit up.
He looked around again and saw Harry in the far corner of the room. He walked over to him and crouched down in front of him.
"Harry, I'm sorry I yelled at you, I was just so worried about you, I thought something had happened. I'm really sorry. I didn't hurt you before did I?" Severus said, looking to see his arm but it was hidden between his legs and chest.
Harry didn't say anything. He just kept looking at the ground.
"Harry, I didn't hurt you did I?" Severus said, dread staring to fill him.
Still no answer.
Oh God "Show me your arm Harry"
He watched as Harry slowly lifted his arm to reveal some nasty coloured bruising. Severus went as white as chalk, he had hurt Harry, HURT HIM!
"I'm so sorry Harry. I didn't mean to, oh what have I done!" Severus said, leaning next to Harry on the wall. Closing his eyes, shaking his head, wondering how he could have done such a thing. After all that boy had been through, Severus went and hurt him. HURT HIM! This was why he shouldn't he aloud to look after Harry, it was only a matter of time before something happened. He had never had any younger brothers or sisters, he had never been around kids Harry's age. His thoughts were stopped by a small voice next to him.
"It's okay, my uncle did a lot worse, I deserved what happened, I shouldn't have left without telling you, it was wrong, I'm sorry." Harry said, thinking about what his uncle would have done if that had happened. But he probably wouldn't have bothered to go looking for him.
"Harry, I don't want you to ever think like that again, no one ever deserves that, no one... and especially not you. I promise you that I will never do anything like that again. I only hope you can forgive me for what I have done." Severus said, looking down at the small boy beside him, who was far mature beyond his years.
Harry smiled slightly, and half nodded, half yawned.
Severus had to admit it had been a long day.
"Why don't you try and get some sleep. I'll give you a potion to help heal that, and make any pain go away. Okay?" Severus said, starting to get up.
"Okay" Harry said, he to started to get up.
Severus left to go to the dungeon he had in the basement of the house. He finally found the right potion and quickly made his way back upstairs, making a mental note to buy more potion ingredients since he didn't have time to get some today. He was surprised he had the potion he was looking for then.
Once he reached Harry's room he saw the boy lay on his bed, fast asleep. Severus sighed, he placed the potion on the draw next to his bed. He went back out to get his clothes that he had brought for Harry, which were still by the fireplace, lying on the floor forgotten.
He put all the clothes away in Harry's closet, but kept a pair of pyjamas with him.
He walked back over to Harry and took off his shirt. Shaking his head at the array of bruises and scars that lay there. A constant reminder of what had been done to him. The bruises of course would heal, as would most of the scars. But some would still remain. Harry of course looked a lot worse when he had first come into the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was able to heal all his broken bones, and his ankle, which was badly sprained and most of the cuts and bruises. But some still remained even now.
Once Harry was fully changed, Severus placed him in his bed and under the warm covers.
Just before he left, he silently whispered "Night Harry." And then he left his door slightly ajar and left the hall light on.
He went into his room and after a lot of tossing and turning, finally fell asleep.
********************************************************
Harry woke up sometime early morning with an aching arm. He must have slept on it. He felt like it was pounding. He groaned and got out of bed. He stumbled over to his door, still sleepy, and walked over across the hall to the other door and with his uninjured arm, opened it. The room was dark.
He walked over to the bed and climbed on it, there he saw Severus asleep on his stomach. He almost didn't want to wake him, but the pounding in his arm was almost too much to bear.
He gently pushed Severus' arm, trying to wake him. After a while Severus finally stirred.
His head shot up, his hair everywhere. He was looking around, his eyes only half opened to see what had woke him. His eyes finally landed on Harry.
"What? Is everything okay?" Severus asked, waking up a bit more.
"My arm really hurts" Harry said, lifting his arm to show Severus it. "I think I slept on it."
Severus turned over and sat up and had a look at it, carefully placing the small arm into his hand. It was bruised is a hand type print.
He squinted his eyes in thought, trying to remember where he put the potion from last night. Then he remembered putting it by his bed.
"Come on" Severus said, pulling the covers away from him and getting out of bed. He stretched and walked over to Harry, picking him up, he saw Harry was still cradling his arm. He took Harry back to his room and took the potion from the bench and placed Harry in a sitting position on his bed. Once Harry was ready, he helped pour the potion down his throat.
Once it was all gone, he helped him get back into bed.
"Thanks" Harry said as he started to feel some of the pain fading away.
Severus just shook his head as he tucked Harry in, still remembering how Harry had gotten hurt. Harry shouldn't be saying thanks.
He watched until he fell asleep, and then headed back to his own room.
Chapter 5 - Not Again!
The next day Severus and Harry managed to finish buying some clothes in Diagon Alley for Harry to wear. Which Harry had learned that it was right in London. They had just finished lunch when someone unexpected bumped into them.
"Ah, Severus, is that you? It's been a while has it not? And look, you have been promoted to babysitting!" a man with blonde hair said, a sneer planted on his face.
Harry immediately didn't like this man. He looked...evil.
"Why if it isn't Lucius Malfoy, still all in once piece I see." Severus said, a glare full of malice and hate directed straight at him, but Lucius didn't even flinch.
Harry's attention was distracted by a familiar noise, a noise he had heard before. He turned in the direction it was coming from and started to head off in that direction. It wasn't long before he found the source of the noise. It was coming from Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy.
He walked in and found so many owls. He didn't know where to look. He didn't even want to blink. He sat in front of one owl he especially liked, it looked like a baby. It was snowy white and looked beautiful. It was on a stand on the floor so he sat down cross-legged in front of it and just pattered it. He didn't even notice that he had left Severus behind talking to that man.
*****************************************************
He didn't know how long he was in there, but it had begun to get dark outside and still Harry seemed mesmerised by the owl. He didn't see any of the customers coming in or leaving. He just continued to pat and stare. Only when someone roughly grabbed his arm was he brought back to reality.
"Oww" Harry cried, as he was brought to his feet un-willingly.
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? I'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU!." Severus shouted into his face.
"I-I heard the owls and I wanted to see them so I...I-" Harry tried to find the right words but Severus cut him off.
"SO YOU WALKED OFF BY YOURSELF WITHOUT ASKING ME, WITHOUT EVEN BLOODLY TELLING ME, AND FOR WHAT, SOME STUPID OWLS! Severus shouted, anger clearly shown in his voice.
"I-I...I'm sorry-" Harry looked down at his feet, ashamed at what he had done, after all that Severus had done for him, he had repaid him by doing this.
"Yeah, well sorry doesn't cut it this time." Severus said forcefully, again grabbing his arm painfully tight and dragging him out of the shop, and all the way into the Leaky Cauldron. Not listening to Harry's pleas of letting go of his arm. If anything he only tightened his grip. Not wanting to loose him again.
Once they were back at Snape Manor Severus let go of Harry's arm, still looking angry. He looked like he was full ready to yell at him more, but instead just told him to go to his room. And Harry did just that, he ran as fast as his legs could take him, right up into his room and he quickly closed his door. He looked back down at his arm and could see some bruising appearing. He was being punished again, just like his uncle used to do, except it was not as bad as what his uncle would do... yet.
Harry walked back over to the furthest corner of his room, and sat down, bringing his legs up to his chest, he slowly rocked backwards and forwards in the dark.
*************************************************
Severus had never been so scared in his life. He knew he wasn't ready for this. He couldn't take care of a little boy. He wasn't ready. He almost had a heart attack when he looked down to see Harry gone. He actually felt his heart stop. He couldn't breathe. He thought someone must have taken him. Then suddenly his heart went beating to what felt like a hundred miles an hour. He couldn't see Harry anywhere.
For hours he looked. And the stupid thing was he had looked in that darn owl place. He just hadn't been looking hard enough to find him. He was after all sitting down on the floor, near the back of the shop. He looked in every shop Diagon Alley had, even Knockturn Alley, and was looking through them all again when he found Harry. He was so relieved he was okay. But like it had his whole life, anger took over him.
He was angrier with himself for letting Harry just leave without him noticing then he was at Harry, and what made it even worse was Lucius had had been there, if Severus was going to have any chance of getting full custody of Harry, he couldn't be losing him in front of one of the board members, especially Lucius Malfoy. He would do anything to see Harry miserable. And sending Harry back to his aunt and uncle would make his day.
But after expecting the worse for so long, he couldn't believe that Harry had just been there, looking completely innocent like he had not just walked off in a dangerous place by himself, where so many things could have happened to him, of course he didn't know that. He didn't know he was the- boy-who-lived. Looking back Severus felt bad about the way he acted.
He decided to go check up on him, he was still going to have words with him, but maybe not as loud as what he was doing before. He had too keep reminding himself that this was only a five-year-old boy, who has been abused by his only living family.
He walked upstairs and slowly opened the door to Harry's bedroom. Looking around he couldn't see him at first, it was very dark so he took out his wand and muttered a spell, the whole room lit up.
He looked around again and saw Harry in the far corner of the room. He walked over to him and crouched down in front of him.
"Harry, I'm sorry I yelled at you, I was just so worried about you, I thought something had happened. I'm really sorry. I didn't hurt you before did I?" Severus said, looking to see his arm but it was hidden between his legs and chest.
Harry didn't say anything. He just kept looking at the ground.
"Harry, I didn't hurt you did I?" Severus said, dread staring to fill him.
Still no answer.
Oh God "Show me your arm Harry"
He watched as Harry slowly lifted his arm to reveal some nasty coloured bruising. Severus went as white as chalk, he had hurt Harry, HURT HIM!
"I'm so sorry Harry. I didn't mean to, oh what have I done!" Severus said, leaning next to Harry on the wall. Closing his eyes, shaking his head, wondering how he could have done such a thing. After all that boy had been through, Severus went and hurt him. HURT HIM! This was why he shouldn't he aloud to look after Harry, it was only a matter of time before something happened. He had never had any younger brothers or sisters, he had never been around kids Harry's age. His thoughts were stopped by a small voice next to him.
"It's okay, my uncle did a lot worse, I deserved what happened, I shouldn't have left without telling you, it was wrong, I'm sorry." Harry said, thinking about what his uncle would have done if that had happened. But he probably wouldn't have bothered to go looking for him.
"Harry, I don't want you to ever think like that again, no one ever deserves that, no one... and especially not you. I promise you that I will never do anything like that again. I only hope you can forgive me for what I have done." Severus said, looking down at the small boy beside him, who was far mature beyond his years.
Harry smiled slightly, and half nodded, half yawned.
Severus had to admit it had been a long day.
"Why don't you try and get some sleep. I'll give you a potion to help heal that, and make any pain go away. Okay?" Severus said, starting to get up.
"Okay" Harry said, he to started to get up.
Severus left to go to the dungeon he had in the basement of the house. He finally found the right potion and quickly made his way back upstairs, making a mental note to buy more potion ingredients since he didn't have time to get some today. He was surprised he had the potion he was looking for then.
Once he reached Harry's room he saw the boy lay on his bed, fast asleep. Severus sighed, he placed the potion on the draw next to his bed. He went back out to get his clothes that he had brought for Harry, which were still by the fireplace, lying on the floor forgotten.
He put all the clothes away in Harry's closet, but kept a pair of pyjamas with him.
He walked back over to Harry and took off his shirt. Shaking his head at the array of bruises and scars that lay there. A constant reminder of what had been done to him. The bruises of course would heal, as would most of the scars. But some would still remain. Harry of course looked a lot worse when he had first come into the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was able to heal all his broken bones, and his ankle, which was badly sprained and most of the cuts and bruises. But some still remained even now.
Once Harry was fully changed, Severus placed him in his bed and under the warm covers.
Just before he left, he silently whispered "Night Harry." And then he left his door slightly ajar and left the hall light on.
He went into his room and after a lot of tossing and turning, finally fell asleep.
********************************************************
Harry woke up sometime early morning with an aching arm. He must have slept on it. He felt like it was pounding. He groaned and got out of bed. He stumbled over to his door, still sleepy, and walked over across the hall to the other door and with his uninjured arm, opened it. The room was dark.
He walked over to the bed and climbed on it, there he saw Severus asleep on his stomach. He almost didn't want to wake him, but the pounding in his arm was almost too much to bear.
He gently pushed Severus' arm, trying to wake him. After a while Severus finally stirred.
His head shot up, his hair everywhere. He was looking around, his eyes only half opened to see what had woke him. His eyes finally landed on Harry.
"What? Is everything okay?" Severus asked, waking up a bit more.
"My arm really hurts" Harry said, lifting his arm to show Severus it. "I think I slept on it."
Severus turned over and sat up and had a look at it, carefully placing the small arm into his hand. It was bruised is a hand type print.
He squinted his eyes in thought, trying to remember where he put the potion from last night. Then he remembered putting it by his bed.
"Come on" Severus said, pulling the covers away from him and getting out of bed. He stretched and walked over to Harry, picking him up, he saw Harry was still cradling his arm. He took Harry back to his room and took the potion from the bench and placed Harry in a sitting position on his bed. Once Harry was ready, he helped pour the potion down his throat.
Once it was all gone, he helped him get back into bed.
"Thanks" Harry said as he started to feel some of the pain fading away.
Severus just shook his head as he tucked Harry in, still remembering how Harry had gotten hurt. Harry shouldn't be saying thanks.
He watched until he fell asleep, and then headed back to his own room.