Chapter Two – The New Home
A very large man appeared at the door, a smile on his face that made even Severus uneasy.
"Hello there, boy," said the man as he stepped into the room and started advancing on Harry. Suddenly Severus felt very protective of the boy, he tried moving closer but found he could not move, as if an invisible wall was before him.
"Don't you know it's rude not to answer when someone greets you boy?" Dursleys voice was slowly loosing the fake cheerfulness it had held when he first entered the room. Suddenly he lashed out, striking Harry across the face, making Harry fall back on to the bed, and Severus jump.
"Stand up, boy!" yelled Dursley and Harry slowly stood before him, only to get punched in the stomach.
"You can move faster than that," said Dursley. Harry stood fully before him and he seemed to realize he didn't like that, so he punched him in the stomach again, making him fall to his knees.
"That's better," said Dursley with a smile and proceeded to beat Harry until he could no longer move and was lying in a puddle of blood, Severus struggling to reach them the entire time. Dursley stood over Harry and placed three kicks to his ribs.
"You're lucky I'm in a good mood, and this has made me happier, so we'll 'play' tomorrow night." With one more kick Dursley left the room and shut the door. Severus found he could move and he ran over to Harry, taking off his invisibility spell as he did so.
"Potter! Potter! Harry! Can you hear me?" he asked worriedly, checking Harry's pulse. A low, quiet moan answered him.
"Harry, stay awake! Where are your things?"
"L-loose b-b-board under cough bed, b-books and cough t-trunk in cupboard u-under stairs," answered Harry weakly. Severus nodded and quickly moved over to the bed and pushed it aside, thankful he had left up the silencing spell. He ran his hands over the floor and found a board that wiggled, he pulled it aside and pulled out a photo album, Harry's wand and an invisibility cloak. He put them on top of the bed then used his invisibility spell to sneak downstairs and retrieve Harry's things. Once everything was shrunk and placed in his pocket Severus wrapped Harry in his invisibility cloak and gently lifted him into his arms. Putting his invisibility spell up once more he silently made his way downstairs and heard all the muggles in the living room, the T.V. turned up loud. He held himself back from hexing them all where they sat, and silently left the house. Once he had gotten to the edge of the apparation wards he stopped.
'I've got to take him somewhere safe...I could...no that wouldn't work...' After an internal struggle Severus finally made his decision.
"It's worth the risk," he said, "I just hope I'm not making a mistake..." With a pop they disappeared.
Warm. It was nice. He was laying on a bed, surrounded by soft, warm sheets and his head was pillowed on something that felt like silk against his cheek. He slowly opened his eyes, allowing they time to adjust to the light streaming into the room. He slowly sat up and took in his surroundings. He was in a very large room, painted a dark crimson colour, which was separated into two halves. One half had a large, double-doored French door that opened onto a balcony. A large cherry-wood desk was against one wall and a large cherry-wood bookshelf took up the rest of the wall. There were two dark, cranberry coloured, plush chairs situated facing each other in front of the bookshelf with a wrought iron, glass topped, table between them. The carpet of the room was a dark, wine colour. The large bed that Harry was currently occupying mostly took up the other half of the room. The sheets were a beautiful, dark, emerald colour, as were the hangings around the bed, while the comforter and pillows were a dark, crimson. Against the wall to the right of the bed was a large, cherry-wood armoire, with an ivy design etched into the doors and frame. Beside it stood a large, oval mirror with a metallic emerald frame, the same ivy design etched into it. All in all it was an incredibly beautiful room.
"Wow," Harry breathed.
"Glad you like it," said a voice from the doorway. Harry turned and saw...
"Professor Snape?" said Harry, surprised to see his normally cold Potions Professor smiling, leaning against the doorframe and in muggle clothing.
"You just had to wake up as soon as I found some time to sleep," said Severus shaking his head and grinning. There was no anger, no sarcasm, in his voice, just humour and...concern? Severus calmly walked over to the desk, pulled the chair beside the bed and sat down.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?" he asked.
"I...feel better, sir, my ribs still hurt a little, but that's all," answered Harry, still quite confused, "Sir? Why am I here? And where is here?" Severus chuckled.
"Straight to the point. You are here because of what I witnessed at your 'home', I couldn't let you stay there."
"Are you going to tell Professor Dumbledore?" asked Harry calmly.
"Do you want me to?"
"No."
"Why not?" That certainly surprised him, Harry didn't want the great Albus Dumbledore to know what was going on? He almost always knew anyways...was that it?
"Because I already told him," was Harry's reply.
"And he didn't do anything about it?"
"He said just because I didn't like them didn't mean I had the right to make up such horrible stories. He said I should be thankful for the protection they provide." Harry had spoken calmly and evenly but once he finished he looked away from Severus. Severus was shocked once again. Dumbledore had ignored the pleas of an abused child for him to take him away from his abusers. He looked at Harry and realized he should have figured it out the day he walked through the doors of Hogwarts. Harry was shy, reserved, didn't trust easily and hated crowds and loud noises, except for during Quidditch matches.
"Why would he do such a thing?" Severus asked himself, but Harry answered him.
"Because I'm just a pawn. Because it doesn't matter what happens to me as long as I'm alive long enough to defeat Voldie." Harry looked down at the sheets and tears slowly dripped onto them from his bowed head. Severus moved to sit on the bed beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Did Albus say that?" Harry shook his head.
"Not to me, he sent a letter to the Weasley's telling them to stop sending him letters. They were always sending him letters about how the Dursleys treat me bad and how they would love to take me in. He told them they should be smart enough not to believe the stories I make up." A few more tears dripped onto the sheets. Severus shook his head and gently put his arm around Harry shoulders, pulling him against his so that Harry's head was resting on his shoulder. Harry sniffled a little and said,
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Harry sat up and wiped his eyes.
"Rest now, you want your ribs to heal properly," said Severus standing and walking towards the door.
"Professor?" called Harry. Severus stopped and looked over at him, "Thank you again." Severus smiled slightly.
"Perhaps, while you're here, you could call me 'Severus'?" Harry nodded.
"Good night, Severus."
"Good night, Harry." He stepped out and closed the door, a large smile on his face as he walked down the hall.
"Tomorrow? Isn't that a little early, love?" asked the voice.
"I don't think so," replied Severus, "he trusts me."
"Alright, but I am not sure how he will react." Severus' arms wrapped around the figures waist as theirs wrapped around his shoulders.
"We'll find out tomorrow. We tell him the truth." The figure nodded in agreement.
A very large man appeared at the door, a smile on his face that made even Severus uneasy.
"Hello there, boy," said the man as he stepped into the room and started advancing on Harry. Suddenly Severus felt very protective of the boy, he tried moving closer but found he could not move, as if an invisible wall was before him.
"Don't you know it's rude not to answer when someone greets you boy?" Dursleys voice was slowly loosing the fake cheerfulness it had held when he first entered the room. Suddenly he lashed out, striking Harry across the face, making Harry fall back on to the bed, and Severus jump.
"Stand up, boy!" yelled Dursley and Harry slowly stood before him, only to get punched in the stomach.
"You can move faster than that," said Dursley. Harry stood fully before him and he seemed to realize he didn't like that, so he punched him in the stomach again, making him fall to his knees.
"That's better," said Dursley with a smile and proceeded to beat Harry until he could no longer move and was lying in a puddle of blood, Severus struggling to reach them the entire time. Dursley stood over Harry and placed three kicks to his ribs.
"You're lucky I'm in a good mood, and this has made me happier, so we'll 'play' tomorrow night." With one more kick Dursley left the room and shut the door. Severus found he could move and he ran over to Harry, taking off his invisibility spell as he did so.
"Potter! Potter! Harry! Can you hear me?" he asked worriedly, checking Harry's pulse. A low, quiet moan answered him.
"Harry, stay awake! Where are your things?"
"L-loose b-b-board under cough bed, b-books and cough t-trunk in cupboard u-under stairs," answered Harry weakly. Severus nodded and quickly moved over to the bed and pushed it aside, thankful he had left up the silencing spell. He ran his hands over the floor and found a board that wiggled, he pulled it aside and pulled out a photo album, Harry's wand and an invisibility cloak. He put them on top of the bed then used his invisibility spell to sneak downstairs and retrieve Harry's things. Once everything was shrunk and placed in his pocket Severus wrapped Harry in his invisibility cloak and gently lifted him into his arms. Putting his invisibility spell up once more he silently made his way downstairs and heard all the muggles in the living room, the T.V. turned up loud. He held himself back from hexing them all where they sat, and silently left the house. Once he had gotten to the edge of the apparation wards he stopped.
'I've got to take him somewhere safe...I could...no that wouldn't work...' After an internal struggle Severus finally made his decision.
"It's worth the risk," he said, "I just hope I'm not making a mistake..." With a pop they disappeared.
Warm. It was nice. He was laying on a bed, surrounded by soft, warm sheets and his head was pillowed on something that felt like silk against his cheek. He slowly opened his eyes, allowing they time to adjust to the light streaming into the room. He slowly sat up and took in his surroundings. He was in a very large room, painted a dark crimson colour, which was separated into two halves. One half had a large, double-doored French door that opened onto a balcony. A large cherry-wood desk was against one wall and a large cherry-wood bookshelf took up the rest of the wall. There were two dark, cranberry coloured, plush chairs situated facing each other in front of the bookshelf with a wrought iron, glass topped, table between them. The carpet of the room was a dark, wine colour. The large bed that Harry was currently occupying mostly took up the other half of the room. The sheets were a beautiful, dark, emerald colour, as were the hangings around the bed, while the comforter and pillows were a dark, crimson. Against the wall to the right of the bed was a large, cherry-wood armoire, with an ivy design etched into the doors and frame. Beside it stood a large, oval mirror with a metallic emerald frame, the same ivy design etched into it. All in all it was an incredibly beautiful room.
"Wow," Harry breathed.
"Glad you like it," said a voice from the doorway. Harry turned and saw...
"Professor Snape?" said Harry, surprised to see his normally cold Potions Professor smiling, leaning against the doorframe and in muggle clothing.
"You just had to wake up as soon as I found some time to sleep," said Severus shaking his head and grinning. There was no anger, no sarcasm, in his voice, just humour and...concern? Severus calmly walked over to the desk, pulled the chair beside the bed and sat down.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?" he asked.
"I...feel better, sir, my ribs still hurt a little, but that's all," answered Harry, still quite confused, "Sir? Why am I here? And where is here?" Severus chuckled.
"Straight to the point. You are here because of what I witnessed at your 'home', I couldn't let you stay there."
"Are you going to tell Professor Dumbledore?" asked Harry calmly.
"Do you want me to?"
"No."
"Why not?" That certainly surprised him, Harry didn't want the great Albus Dumbledore to know what was going on? He almost always knew anyways...was that it?
"Because I already told him," was Harry's reply.
"And he didn't do anything about it?"
"He said just because I didn't like them didn't mean I had the right to make up such horrible stories. He said I should be thankful for the protection they provide." Harry had spoken calmly and evenly but once he finished he looked away from Severus. Severus was shocked once again. Dumbledore had ignored the pleas of an abused child for him to take him away from his abusers. He looked at Harry and realized he should have figured it out the day he walked through the doors of Hogwarts. Harry was shy, reserved, didn't trust easily and hated crowds and loud noises, except for during Quidditch matches.
"Why would he do such a thing?" Severus asked himself, but Harry answered him.
"Because I'm just a pawn. Because it doesn't matter what happens to me as long as I'm alive long enough to defeat Voldie." Harry looked down at the sheets and tears slowly dripped onto them from his bowed head. Severus moved to sit on the bed beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Did Albus say that?" Harry shook his head.
"Not to me, he sent a letter to the Weasley's telling them to stop sending him letters. They were always sending him letters about how the Dursleys treat me bad and how they would love to take me in. He told them they should be smart enough not to believe the stories I make up." A few more tears dripped onto the sheets. Severus shook his head and gently put his arm around Harry shoulders, pulling him against his so that Harry's head was resting on his shoulder. Harry sniffled a little and said,
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Harry sat up and wiped his eyes.
"Rest now, you want your ribs to heal properly," said Severus standing and walking towards the door.
"Professor?" called Harry. Severus stopped and looked over at him, "Thank you again." Severus smiled slightly.
"Perhaps, while you're here, you could call me 'Severus'?" Harry nodded.
"Good night, Severus."
"Good night, Harry." He stepped out and closed the door, a large smile on his face as he walked down the hall.
"Tomorrow? Isn't that a little early, love?" asked the voice.
"I don't think so," replied Severus, "he trusts me."
"Alright, but I am not sure how he will react." Severus' arms wrapped around the figures waist as theirs wrapped around his shoulders.
"We'll find out tomorrow. We tell him the truth." The figure nodded in agreement.