L'Enfant Préoccupé Chapter Eight - The Burdens of Being Born (Revised
Edition) By RoseRed
++++Thank you to those of you that noticed my mistake! I can't believe I forgot I put things about Hogwarts in the first chapter.Sorry! I've fixed the mistake. For those of you who are just reading chapter 8 for the first time, please ignore this.++++
**Wow! I had no idea that my plea would reach so many people. Thank you so much to all of you who read 'In the Moonlight.' It meant so much to me! Thank you!!**
---
Harry tried quite unsuccessfully to rationalize why he was walking back towards the rooms that he previously would have had nothing to do with.
Harry walked slowly, yet purposefully. He wanted to reach the dungeons before Severus could retire, but also wanted to give the older man time to compose himself. Harry had seen right through the act Severus had given in front of Dumbledore. Harry knew that on the inside, he to wanted to find out more about Harry's memory.
When Harry arrived at the classroom entrance, he found it locked securely. He had been hoping that Severus would have left it unlocked, but knew in his heart that it would not be open.
Harry knocked several times on the thick door, knowing it was all in vain. The walls were surely two feet thick. It was a dungeon, after all. Just as he was starting to turn back in defeat, he heard the door unlock, and retreating footsteps behind it.
Harry pushed open the door and followed what could only have been Severus into the man's private rooms. When he entered the now familiar room, he saw Severus sitting upright at his kitchen table, sipping on some dark liquid.
"I figured you would come back. Bless your Gryffindor persistence." Severus said with his usual sarcastic bite.
"I.I.I was just wondering how you were feeling?" Harry mumbled quietly. His usual courage lacking. He could face Voldemort, dementors and much more, but found himself unable to look his professor in the eye.
"Potter, you did not come all the way back down here, against Dumbledore's orders, just to ask how I was feeling."
Harry stared at his potions professor and sighed. He had phrased this entire conversation out in his head, but now his mouth refused to make the words.
"Sit," Severus said, sensing Harry's distress, "drink some tea." Severus stood up and poured a cup of tea from the now Luke-warm kettle.
Harry accepted the tea gratefully, and held the mug in his hands for a short while before noticing that Severus was starring at him. Severus used the momentary lack of silence to start the conversation they were both dreading.
"I know you've come back to ask me about the memory."
"How did you know?"
"Come on, Boy, I'm not stupid."
"I know," Harry sighed again, "I guess I don't know what exactly to ask you."
"Just tell me why your uncle ra.raped you." Severus said slowly, knowing that Harry would flinch. He was correct.
"Well." Harry trailed off.
"Don't worry, as strange as it, I think we both know that you can trust me."
After several tense moments of silence, Severus began to feel that Harry would not be sharing the information. Finally, he spoke.
"I severed breakfast late."
"That's all?"
"I talked back to my uncle for the first time."
"That was still no excuse for him to do that to you."
"Thank you." Was the meek reply. Severus could see the defeat in Harry's eyes.
"You know, no one will think any less of you if you tell them."
"Yes they will!" Harry screamed. "You have no idea what it's like to have the entire wizarding world expecting you to defeat Voldemort just because you were born at the wrong time!"
Severus stood, and approached the crying Harry carefully. He slowly put his arm around Harry's shoulders, and feeling no resistance, gathered him into a tight embrace. Severus understood. He understood more then Harry would ever understand.
++++Thank you to those of you that noticed my mistake! I can't believe I forgot I put things about Hogwarts in the first chapter.Sorry! I've fixed the mistake. For those of you who are just reading chapter 8 for the first time, please ignore this.++++
**Wow! I had no idea that my plea would reach so many people. Thank you so much to all of you who read 'In the Moonlight.' It meant so much to me! Thank you!!**
---
Harry tried quite unsuccessfully to rationalize why he was walking back towards the rooms that he previously would have had nothing to do with.
Harry walked slowly, yet purposefully. He wanted to reach the dungeons before Severus could retire, but also wanted to give the older man time to compose himself. Harry had seen right through the act Severus had given in front of Dumbledore. Harry knew that on the inside, he to wanted to find out more about Harry's memory.
When Harry arrived at the classroom entrance, he found it locked securely. He had been hoping that Severus would have left it unlocked, but knew in his heart that it would not be open.
Harry knocked several times on the thick door, knowing it was all in vain. The walls were surely two feet thick. It was a dungeon, after all. Just as he was starting to turn back in defeat, he heard the door unlock, and retreating footsteps behind it.
Harry pushed open the door and followed what could only have been Severus into the man's private rooms. When he entered the now familiar room, he saw Severus sitting upright at his kitchen table, sipping on some dark liquid.
"I figured you would come back. Bless your Gryffindor persistence." Severus said with his usual sarcastic bite.
"I.I.I was just wondering how you were feeling?" Harry mumbled quietly. His usual courage lacking. He could face Voldemort, dementors and much more, but found himself unable to look his professor in the eye.
"Potter, you did not come all the way back down here, against Dumbledore's orders, just to ask how I was feeling."
Harry stared at his potions professor and sighed. He had phrased this entire conversation out in his head, but now his mouth refused to make the words.
"Sit," Severus said, sensing Harry's distress, "drink some tea." Severus stood up and poured a cup of tea from the now Luke-warm kettle.
Harry accepted the tea gratefully, and held the mug in his hands for a short while before noticing that Severus was starring at him. Severus used the momentary lack of silence to start the conversation they were both dreading.
"I know you've come back to ask me about the memory."
"How did you know?"
"Come on, Boy, I'm not stupid."
"I know," Harry sighed again, "I guess I don't know what exactly to ask you."
"Just tell me why your uncle ra.raped you." Severus said slowly, knowing that Harry would flinch. He was correct.
"Well." Harry trailed off.
"Don't worry, as strange as it, I think we both know that you can trust me."
After several tense moments of silence, Severus began to feel that Harry would not be sharing the information. Finally, he spoke.
"I severed breakfast late."
"That's all?"
"I talked back to my uncle for the first time."
"That was still no excuse for him to do that to you."
"Thank you." Was the meek reply. Severus could see the defeat in Harry's eyes.
"You know, no one will think any less of you if you tell them."
"Yes they will!" Harry screamed. "You have no idea what it's like to have the entire wizarding world expecting you to defeat Voldemort just because you were born at the wrong time!"
Severus stood, and approached the crying Harry carefully. He slowly put his arm around Harry's shoulders, and feeling no resistance, gathered him into a tight embrace. Severus understood. He understood more then Harry would ever understand.