Childlike Innocence
Chapter 4: Something Peculiar
Remus awoke the next morning feeling quite refreshed. As he glanced at his watch, which was setting on a small bedside table, he realized why; he had gotten nearly 12 hours of sleep, as it was approaching ten o'clock. Usually he slept rather fitfully, especially this close to the full moon, but last night he had slept quite soundly. He pushed the covers back and swung his feet to the floor. He sat there for a moment, just staring blankly at the wall in front of him while he thought about the events of yesterday. It had been odd to say the least. It was not everyday that one met his archenemy in miniature form and helped put him to bed.
After a good yawn and a stretch, he stumbled into the bathroom and readied himself for the day. Once he was washed and dressed, he decided to head toward the kitchens and get a little something to tide him over until lunch in the great hall.
ooO0Ooo
Severus rarely dreamed while he slept, and if he did, it was usually more of a nightmare. That night, however, he had slept quite peacefully. He awoke slowly, to a lovely room that was immersed in sunlight. He sat up quickly and looked around the room. He was alone. Normally that would not bother him too much, but as he was in an unfamiliar area, he naturally felt a bit insecure. Where were the nice people who had taken care of him? Did they not want him anymore? All his little fears were banished with the entrance of Albus Dumbledore who was dressed in purple robes with phoenixes embroidered around the hems that flew about, flashing their scarlet feathers.
"Good morning Severus, I trust you slept well?" Dumbledore kindly asked the wide-eyed, little boy in front of him. Severus nodded slowly and gave the headmaster a shy little smile. He pushed back the covers and grabbed the little blue elephant before sliding to the floor. He stood there awkwardly for a moment as if unsure of what to do.
"Let's get you ready for the day, shall we?" Albus said with a smile as he walked over to the dresser and selected an appropriate outfit.
He then walked over to the bed and lifted Severus to stand on it. He removed the child's night cloths and replaced them with fresh play clothes. After taking Severus for a quick visit to the bathroom, where Severus firmly stated that he could go by himself and that the headmaster was to wait just outside. The pair then made there way to the Great Hall for breakfast.
"Good morning headmaster, Severus. I trust you both slept well." The deputy headmistress greeted them as the settled themselves. After helping Severus onto his pile of books, the headmaster took a seat and served himself and the child from the various dishes that were spread across the table.
Breakfast was, for the most part, uneventful. After fruitless struggles on the headmaster's part to get the child to eat something other than plain toast, the meal ended with the headmistress heading for Hogsmeade on some personal business and the headmaster going to his study, so that the he could finish some paperwork, with Severus in tow.
As Remus entered the kitchens, he was immediately surrounded by extremely eager group of house elves ready to offer an assortment of pastries, fruit and vodka. After selecting an éclair and some grapes, he slipped out, and headed towards Professor Dumbledore's office. As he arrived at the stone Gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office, he thought back to Severus' reaction to it. He must have had a memory that surfaced when they had first approached it because he associated candy with the place, and Dumbledore always offered those who entered a lemon sherbet. But Severus' obviously didn't remember any more than that because he had been quite frightened when the stone guardian had jumped to the side.
After mounting the steps, he reached the door to the office and knocked. A few moments later, the door swung open to reveal Dumbledore sitting at his desk writing on something while Severus sat on the floor by a window, coloring something. When neither of the pair looked up, Remus cleared his throat, which got the attention of both studiously working figures. Severus gave Remus a shy, little smile before selecting a silver crayon and continuing with his coloring. Dumbledore set down his quill and gestured for the new entrant to have a seat in one of the overstuffed, scarlet chairs, which sat in front of the desk.
"Well I hope you are well rested. Would you care for tea, biscuits, a lemon sherbet?" inquired the headmaster.
"Er…tea please."
The headmaster nodded, and with a wave of his hand, a huge tray bearing a variety of biscuits and sweets as well as a steaming teapot and all the things to go with it. As Remus watched the headmaster serve the tea, he felt a tug on his worn sleeve.
"I want some." Severus said as he widened his already huge, black eyes and produced the perfect pout.
The headmaster chuckled softly and filled a peculiar looking teacup that Remus had not noticed previously. It was about the size of a large coffee mug but was shaped like a delicate teacup. The handle was filled with what appeared to be swirling green smoke, as was the actual body of the cup but the smoky stuff in the bottle moved in patterns and occasionally spelled out words. There was a seamless lid on it, and it looked as though the tea that the headmaster was pouring into it was passing straight through solid glass.
Once it was sufficiently filled, the headmaster tapped the top with his finger and now one side read: Peppermint Tea, Poured at 10:26 am on June 28, 1996, 98˚C. As he watched, the temperature reading began to change as it cooled itself to an appropriate temperature for a small child. The Headmaster then handed the cup to the small boy, along with a chocolate biscuit.
"Thank You." Severus said formally before returning to his spot on the floor.
"What an interesting contraption, I don't remember seeing anything like it, even when Harry was born," Remus said as he accepted his own cup from the headmaster.
"Oh yes, fascinating isn't it? It was just released on the market a few months ago. I believe it is called a spiller killer. Quite useful, for it keeps the child entertained, is unbreakable, unspillable, and automatically adjusts the temperature to the proper degree." Dumbledore stated, as he sipped from his own cup.
They finished their tea in silence, the only sound to be heard was the occasional scratching of coloring objects as Severus continued on his little masterpiece while he munched on his snack.
At length the headmaster spoke again, "Remus, would you mind taking young Severus on a little tour of the castle? I have some paperwork to finish and I fear he will become rather bored."
Remus looked slightly startled by the request. "Well headmaster I..I suppose but do you really think it best? Not touring the castle but for me to take him? I mean-."
The headmaster cut Remus off saying, "I think you are precisely the person for the job. Now you two should scoot or you will not see much before Lunch.
As Remus continued to hesitate, the headmaster added, "Go on now we will meet in the Great Hall at noon."
And that is how Lupin and Severus found themselves standing just outside the headmasters office. Severus was clutching his cup in one hand and his blue elephant in the other as he looked at Remus with a questioning gaze.
"Well. I guess we can start here. Have you been anywhere besides your room, the Great Hall and the Headmaster's office?"
Severus shook his head as his gaze turned to one of anticipation.
"Uhh ok, let's start with Gryffindor Tower. It's pretty close."
Severus walked over to Remus, shifted his elephant to his other hand and slipped his now free hand into the Lycanthrope's.
(End of Chapter)
