L'Enfant Préoccupé
Chapter Sixteen - The Morning After
Harry awoke the next morning to find himself alone in Severus' large, double bed. Thoughts of guilt immediately filled his head, but he willed them away. Harry got up slowly to see if he could find Severus. Making the rounds around Severus' quarters, all Harry found was a small piece of parchment lying on the wooden kitchen table.
--Harry,
I am sorry I had to leave without saying anything, it was early. I will be back later tonight, we will talk then. --S.S. P.S. I am sure that your dorm-mates will wonder where you have been, please think of an excuse.
Not knowing what to do, Harry decided on a bath. He had always thought better when he was clean and calm. Harry entered Severus' large bathroom, and begin to fill the tub. Sitting on the edge, and watching as the room slowly filled with steam. He climbed in slowly, letting the hot water ebb away his thoughts. He decided he would tell everyone he fell asleep by the lake. It was a plausible excuse. Unless, of coarse, they had been looking for him.
After a while, Harry climbed out of bed at checked the time, it was only nine. To late to eat breakfast with everyone, and to early for lunch. Harry dressed slowly, and headed for the kitchens. Dobby greeted him happily, "Harry Potter, sir, Dobby has missed you!"
"Good morning, Dobby." Harry said pleasantly.
"What would Harry Potter be liking this morning?"
"Just a small breakfast, I woke late this morning."
"Right away, Harry Potter sir!" Dobby rushed off with Harry knowing he would be back with a massive amount of food. Dobby did return with three rolls, two croissants, sausage, bacon, biscuits and pumpkin juice. Harry sat down at one of the counters and gossiped with Dobby while he ate. Dobby told him of all the new couples of Hogwarts, of teacher's secret doings, things that Harry knew he shouldn't be learning of.
Harry had stopped listening to everything when, "And Dobby is even seeing Professor Snape leave very early this morning. He came and got breakfast from Dobby before he left." This caused Harry to spit out his mouthful of pumpkin juice.
"Dobby, did Professor Snape tell you where he was going?"
"No, Harry Potter Sir, but every house elf knows he was off to a.a." Dobby stuttered of while he began to bang his head violently against the surface of the counter.
"Dobby, stop it! You don't have to keep secrets for anyone. Please, tell me what you know. No one will hurt you."
"Yous is right, Sir. Dobby forgets sometimes.well, when Dobby's old master, Master Malfoy, would leave very early or very late he would always have Dobby prepare potions for his return. P.pain relief potions. Dobby never asked why, but one time overheard him speaking to someone about a meeting.a Death Eater meeting with You-Know-Who."
Harry stared, open mouthed at Dobby. It had never even occurred to Harry that Severus would be leaving for a meeting with Voldemort. It then dawned on Harry what was happening. Severus had given up his position as a spy to save him. Why would he go to a meeting? He would surely be killed! Harry quickly thanked Dobby for breakfast, and went back to Gryffindor Tower. When he walked through the portrait hole, all eyes were upon him.
"Harry Potter, where have you been?" Hermione yelled at him, her anger laced with concern. "We were just about ready to alert Professor Dumbledore!"
"I'm sorry, Mione, I fell asleep down at the lake. I was really tired last night, but I wanted to think for a while. I'm sorry."
"Oh! You'll be the death of me, Harry!" she said while she stormed up to her dorm-room.
"Eh, Harry, did you really fall asleep at the lake?" Ron asked, Harry knew what he was getting at.
"Yes, Ron, I fell asleep down at the lake."
"Sure, Mate, whatever you say." Ron said with a wink.
"Ron.believe me, okay? I don't need Hermione thinking I'm sleeping with someone."
"Of coarse, Harry. Have you eaten breakfast yet?"
"Yeah, I stopped by the kitchens on my way up, Dobby fed me well."
"Great, then come with me. Hagrid invited the three of us, but I think that 'Mione is to upset."
"I'm sorry, Ron, I'm kinda tired. Can we chat later?"
"Sure, see ya later." Ron said as he exited. Harry knew what he had to do, without a word to anyone, he exited and walked to Dumbledore's office.
Harry arrived and tried to guess the password, he stumbled on to it with 'Chocolate Covered Cherries,' and made his way up to the office. Before he knocked, he was beckoned in. "Ahh, Harry have a seat."
"Headmaster, I need to speak with you."
"Of coarse you do, why else would you be here?"
"Sir, I'm positive you know of my, I mean, mine and Sev.I mean, Profe.."
"Your relationship with Professor Snape, yes I had guessed of the attraction between you two."
"Well, I'm also sure you're aware of how he saved me?"
"Yes. It was incredibly brave of him to do so."
"I know, but now I'm worried. I talked to Dobby this morning, and he told me that Severus had gone to a Death Eater meeting. Why would he do this, doesn't he know it will get him killed?"
"Calm down, Harry. Did Dobby actually tell you that Severus was going to a meeting? Did he know for certain?"
"Well.no.but."
"Harry, you must learn to stop making assumptions. I assure you Severus is quite well, and not in the hands of any Death Eaters."
"Where is he?"
"He had personal business to attend to. He'll be back tonight."
"Oh.thank you, Professor."
"Anything else, Harry?"
"Well, just one thing, do you mind what is happening between me and Severus?"
"No. Severus needs someone to care for him. Though I don't approve of the fact that you are still young, there is nothing I will do to stop it. Now, if you don't have anything else, I've some business to attend to."
"No. Thank you." Harry said quietly as he left.
Chapter Sixteen - The Morning After
Harry awoke the next morning to find himself alone in Severus' large, double bed. Thoughts of guilt immediately filled his head, but he willed them away. Harry got up slowly to see if he could find Severus. Making the rounds around Severus' quarters, all Harry found was a small piece of parchment lying on the wooden kitchen table.
--Harry,
I am sorry I had to leave without saying anything, it was early. I will be back later tonight, we will talk then. --S.S. P.S. I am sure that your dorm-mates will wonder where you have been, please think of an excuse.
Not knowing what to do, Harry decided on a bath. He had always thought better when he was clean and calm. Harry entered Severus' large bathroom, and begin to fill the tub. Sitting on the edge, and watching as the room slowly filled with steam. He climbed in slowly, letting the hot water ebb away his thoughts. He decided he would tell everyone he fell asleep by the lake. It was a plausible excuse. Unless, of coarse, they had been looking for him.
After a while, Harry climbed out of bed at checked the time, it was only nine. To late to eat breakfast with everyone, and to early for lunch. Harry dressed slowly, and headed for the kitchens. Dobby greeted him happily, "Harry Potter, sir, Dobby has missed you!"
"Good morning, Dobby." Harry said pleasantly.
"What would Harry Potter be liking this morning?"
"Just a small breakfast, I woke late this morning."
"Right away, Harry Potter sir!" Dobby rushed off with Harry knowing he would be back with a massive amount of food. Dobby did return with three rolls, two croissants, sausage, bacon, biscuits and pumpkin juice. Harry sat down at one of the counters and gossiped with Dobby while he ate. Dobby told him of all the new couples of Hogwarts, of teacher's secret doings, things that Harry knew he shouldn't be learning of.
Harry had stopped listening to everything when, "And Dobby is even seeing Professor Snape leave very early this morning. He came and got breakfast from Dobby before he left." This caused Harry to spit out his mouthful of pumpkin juice.
"Dobby, did Professor Snape tell you where he was going?"
"No, Harry Potter Sir, but every house elf knows he was off to a.a." Dobby stuttered of while he began to bang his head violently against the surface of the counter.
"Dobby, stop it! You don't have to keep secrets for anyone. Please, tell me what you know. No one will hurt you."
"Yous is right, Sir. Dobby forgets sometimes.well, when Dobby's old master, Master Malfoy, would leave very early or very late he would always have Dobby prepare potions for his return. P.pain relief potions. Dobby never asked why, but one time overheard him speaking to someone about a meeting.a Death Eater meeting with You-Know-Who."
Harry stared, open mouthed at Dobby. It had never even occurred to Harry that Severus would be leaving for a meeting with Voldemort. It then dawned on Harry what was happening. Severus had given up his position as a spy to save him. Why would he go to a meeting? He would surely be killed! Harry quickly thanked Dobby for breakfast, and went back to Gryffindor Tower. When he walked through the portrait hole, all eyes were upon him.
"Harry Potter, where have you been?" Hermione yelled at him, her anger laced with concern. "We were just about ready to alert Professor Dumbledore!"
"I'm sorry, Mione, I fell asleep down at the lake. I was really tired last night, but I wanted to think for a while. I'm sorry."
"Oh! You'll be the death of me, Harry!" she said while she stormed up to her dorm-room.
"Eh, Harry, did you really fall asleep at the lake?" Ron asked, Harry knew what he was getting at.
"Yes, Ron, I fell asleep down at the lake."
"Sure, Mate, whatever you say." Ron said with a wink.
"Ron.believe me, okay? I don't need Hermione thinking I'm sleeping with someone."
"Of coarse, Harry. Have you eaten breakfast yet?"
"Yeah, I stopped by the kitchens on my way up, Dobby fed me well."
"Great, then come with me. Hagrid invited the three of us, but I think that 'Mione is to upset."
"I'm sorry, Ron, I'm kinda tired. Can we chat later?"
"Sure, see ya later." Ron said as he exited. Harry knew what he had to do, without a word to anyone, he exited and walked to Dumbledore's office.
Harry arrived and tried to guess the password, he stumbled on to it with 'Chocolate Covered Cherries,' and made his way up to the office. Before he knocked, he was beckoned in. "Ahh, Harry have a seat."
"Headmaster, I need to speak with you."
"Of coarse you do, why else would you be here?"
"Sir, I'm positive you know of my, I mean, mine and Sev.I mean, Profe.."
"Your relationship with Professor Snape, yes I had guessed of the attraction between you two."
"Well, I'm also sure you're aware of how he saved me?"
"Yes. It was incredibly brave of him to do so."
"I know, but now I'm worried. I talked to Dobby this morning, and he told me that Severus had gone to a Death Eater meeting. Why would he do this, doesn't he know it will get him killed?"
"Calm down, Harry. Did Dobby actually tell you that Severus was going to a meeting? Did he know for certain?"
"Well.no.but."
"Harry, you must learn to stop making assumptions. I assure you Severus is quite well, and not in the hands of any Death Eaters."
"Where is he?"
"He had personal business to attend to. He'll be back tonight."
"Oh.thank you, Professor."
"Anything else, Harry?"
"Well, just one thing, do you mind what is happening between me and Severus?"
"No. Severus needs someone to care for him. Though I don't approve of the fact that you are still young, there is nothing I will do to stop it. Now, if you don't have anything else, I've some business to attend to."
"No. Thank you." Harry said quietly as he left.