Help
Pairing: Harry and Draco
Rating: R
Summary: It's just another plot to turn Harry into a girl. He's possessive and depressive.
Disclaimer: It's not mine, trust me, I'm telling the truth. It's own by JK Rowling.
Warning: Depressing but not dark, slash
Chapter Two
"Your room is in the second floor, in the west wing. Minty will show you your room. She will be the one that take care of your needs. And get ready for the lunch." He would like to add 'and wipe those puppy looks from your face, I had enough of it' but he couldn't risk the thin amity between them. Yet.
Harry just nodded his head and slowly followed the house elf. His eyes were wondering around from under his eyelashes. The inside of the manor was less gloomy then the out side. It was bright and airy, with more rooms than Harry could count.
"One more thing, Potter," he could see Harry tense slightly, "you would not enter my study room nor my work quarter without me. It's dangerous."
~Ô~
The day flew just too slowly in Harry's opinion. In the morning he would memorize the potion ingredients Severus told him to, and in the afternoon he would brew the potion, under the intense eyes of the Potions Master. When he made mistakes, Severus would say nothing but made him write down ten times the ingredients and how to brew the potion the whole day.
They did the same thing again and again for the whole two weeks when Harry finally had the nervous break down.
"I don't want to do it," Harry said slowly.
Severus just raised one eyebrow at this. They had spent the days in silent. Well, Harry was silent and he just telling him what to do. But basically they wouldn't talk to each other. And he appreciated the serene.
"I said I don't want to do it."
"Fine, you're dismissed. I had better things to do anyway."
Harry, who waited for the wrath, was stun and then he ran out of the room. He stayed at his room and didn't come out for lunch.
Harry sat at the window seat. He like his room, it's the best room he ever had before. Not that he ever had one. It was not really big, but bigger from Dudley's, his fat, spoil cousin. And not draped in green and silver, much to his relieve.
The large four-poster bed dominated the room, and he got the dress room, comfy couches, he even got his own bathroom.
The big window gave him more light and fresh air, and there was a place wide enough for him to sleep. He liked to sit there and read, since there was nothing interesting to watch outside the window. Sometimes, he would just daydream.
He was wondering what Hermione and the Weasleys would do. He wouldn't hear anything them the whole summer. They didn't know where Snape Manor anyway. He missed them. And he missed his godfather, too.
He was enjoying the solitary of the room when he heard angry thud nearing his room. He couldn't help but stiff in anticipation, waiting for the rage that would follow.
When he opened the door, Severus found him sat at the window seat, hugging his knees, eyes big, as if he was waiting to get yell at.
"What are you doing here, Potter? I thought I've told you when the exact time we had lunch." His tone was dangerously low and calm.
"Aren't you angry at me?" was the only response he got.
"Yes, forgive me if I failed to notice what it has to do with you not coming for lunch. It's pass my lunch time and I'm hungry so you better move your skinny arse."
"Aren't you going to punish me?"
"For what?"
"I made you angry."
"So?"
"I won't have my meal," Harry said it as if it was the most logical thing.
"Was that what those muggle do to you?" Severus asked him softly when the words finally sink on his mind.
"I… I made them angry, they just punished me."
"You must had made them angry all the time. Well, I could think a lot of things to punish you, but make you hungry to death isn't my choice," Severus walked to him and then hold him tightly. Something warm surged within his soul. Impulse him to protect the scared child in Harry.
"But… I…" Harry tried to pull himself out of the embrace and continued his protest.
"I'm really hungry, now, Harry, and I want my lunch now. I don't want Dumbledore blame me for not feeding you. And you are sure need more nutrition so you could grow." He carried Harry with no difficulty, as if he was just a little child, "And you are too thin for you age." Severus shook his head.
Harry just kept silent and leant in the embrace. For a moment, he felt safe and warm in his heart. It had been a long time since he was carried like a child. He didn't even remember the last time if someone were actually holding him. Not Ron, not Hermione, not the Weasleys. But someone he could call parents.
"Now, sit here and tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing…" Harry's eyes glued to the empty plate in front of him.
"Then why won't you brew the potion?" Severus put the food in Harry's plate that enough to feed two hungry Ron.
"I just don't want to. There's no point in doing it."
"No point? I understand if the Invisible potion is too difficult for you."
"It is difficult but that's not the point."
"What is it than?"
"I have my father's Invisibility cloak, why would I need the potion?"
"You don't want to brew it because you don't need it."
"Yes." He stole a glance at his teacher, wondered if he made him angry again.
"That's so selfish of you, Harry," It was so easy to call him Harry now, "Not everybody own it, and just think if one day your friends need it. His life depend on it and you can't make it because you just don't want to do it today."
That was the first peaceful conversation during the lunch. And after being mute for two weeks, Harry was willing to converse as much as Severus wanted to hear his voice. And for that moment, they thought they were just like a family.
"From now on, Harry, if you want to do something or not to do it, you just have to say it. I won't know what you think unless you tell me. I won't punish you for that," Severus shaking his head, "That's ridiculous."
Harry studied his face, to learn the truth of his words. He wanted to test it, though, "What if I say I don't want to do any potion tomorrow?"
"Then I will say it's fine, it's you holiday, enjoy it."
"You won't force me to do it?"
"I would never do such thing."
"What if I say it at school."
"Then I will say it's fine, you have your weekly detention waiting for you."
Harry thought about it, there was hesitation in his eyes. Smiling, Severus hoped he could take all the insecurities that eating him inside.
"If I don't do the potion, you won't punish me?"
"No."
"Will you tell Dumbledore?"
"Only if he ask me."
"Then I won't get away with it, right?"
"Harry, how about this. For the whole week you had your holiday. Do anything you want. And then you pick the potion you want to learn. And we start like that. Do you agree with me?"
"I can do whatever I want?"
"Just not my study room and my work quarter."
"Deal." Harry smiled at him for the first time. There was no hate or revulsion in it. And Severus returned him the same smile.
~Ô~
Harry spent the first day in his room. Just enjoying his leisure time. He explored the manor on the second day. Purposely avoiding the two forbidden room. On the third day, he spent his time in library with Severus' permission. He found an interesting recipe and would like to try.
So on the fourth day, Severus found Harry in the kitchen. He looked serious in measuring the flour, sugar, and other thing he couldn't name. The house elves looked terrified and just stood in the corner.
"I don't know you had a niece, Severus."
The voice startled Harry and he dropped his hold of a spoonful of flour. He turned around but couldn't see clearly in the mist of the flour. But he would never forget the voice.
Harry only glared at him.
"What are you doing, Harry?"
"Harry?" Draco Malfoy didn't hide his laughing tone. "Sorry, Potter. But you do look nice with the apron and your ponytail hair, and with your height it's not my fault that I …"
"You didn't sound sorry, Draco," Severus sounded amused.
"The Dursleys made me cook for them, and I just like cooking," Harry's tone was low. "I'm sorry for the mess."
"It's OK. There's nothing they couldn't clean." Severus nodded at the house elves that were suddenly busy cleaning the mess.
"But you look good like this," Draco took a napkin and cleaned his face. Harry just stood there, confounded.
"What is he doing here?" Harry asked Severus. They're kind of friends after the deal.
"Harry, there are some people that actually willing to learn Potion."
"Oh."
"So, how long will you finish with that."
"About two hours."
"OK. Keep doing whatever you're doing, and we will do our Potion. Come on, Draco." Harry only eyeing them. Once they were out of sight, Harry went back to his recipe. He wanted to serve it at lunch.
~Ô~
"What was that?"
"It's Creamy Chocolate Cake. I found the recipe in your library." It was rich with chocolate, and had curly white chocolate on the top.
Severus tried a bite, "Hmm, you are a good cook, Harry."
Harry smiled and turned to watch Draco. He took a small bite, and then another bite until he ate his piece. Harry watched him patiently with expectation in his eyes.
"It's great."
"Only 'great', Draco? You're more creative when you're eight." He turned to Harry, "He's addictive to chocolate. He'll marry anyone who made half as good as the one you made."
Harry looked curiously at Draco. He had the tint of pink in his cheeks.
"Sure. I'll marry you if you make me this everyday." Draco smiled at him.
"I want to try the pie tomorrow. Fill with strawberry, lemon and apple. But no chocolate." He said matter-of-factly. Since he's been talking regularly now, his voice had changed nicely. It had sweet tone, not low and heavy like the boys his age.
"Why don't you serve yourself, Harry?" Severus noticed that Harry didn't eat the cake, "You're not trying to poison Draco and I, right?"
"I don't like sweet."
"But you good at making it." Draco pointed it out.
"My cousin love sweet." Harry said it as if it was the most obvious thing.
"And you make him this everyday?" Draco envied whoever Harry's cousin is.
"I found this recipe at Severus' library and this is the first time I made it," Harry looked confused, "And since Dudley in a fixed diet program, I stop making him any sweet cake at all." Harry suddenly laughed. "Poor Diddy darling."
Severus' face turned soft when he watched Harry laughed for the first time. "Well, you made a lot for someone who doesn't like sweet."
Harry turned to Draco, "You can have more."
"Yes, Draco. You can take some with you home. I know Lucius will appreciate it. I don't know what you two will do without your mother." Severus shook his head.
"Probably death by chocolate." Draco snigger as he took another piece of the cake.
~Ô~
24 February 2003, 0:26 am
