Summary: Can one person and fate make the difference in Severus' life?
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, sue me and become poor.
A/N: This fic is AU, not canon.
Now to my reviewers!
Ruse: Welcome to the fic! I am glad you are enjoying it!
athenakitty: Yes Harry is getting to Severus,
Ceyxa: Yes! I wanted to make it unusual, and thanks!
Lady Lily3: Here it is! enjoy :D
AccioSeverus: You update awaits you
mb: Severus will tell them soon
rosiegirl: I love nicer Severus, and yet he has a dark side still
juliedecarson: Thanks!
PureBlack: Yes the wards will be explained a bit more, and thanks!
Thanks to all of you! Your reviews make my day!
Chapter 7
Harry slept through dinner, and when he finally came out of the room he found Severus sitting on the couch reading a big book. He didn't know whether to go back to the room, or interrupt him. A nightmare had woken Harry, and now he could not get back to sleep, so he stood by the chair, shivering from the cold in his too short tee-shirt.
"Harry, is something the matter?" Severus asked, peering up from his book. When Harry did not answer, he placed the book down on the table and walked over to him. Crouching down in front of Harry he could see the boy trembling, and the tearstains still on his face. "Harry, won't you tell me what is the wrong?"
Harry lifted his eyes to meet Severus' gaze. "I had a bad dream, and when I woke up I forgot where I was."
"Is that all?" he coaxed the boy gently.
"I'm cold, and," Harry stopped. He realized he was about to complain about being cold, and usually complaints got him severe reprimands.
Severus wanted to know what the child was thinking, but he did not wish to pry, and scare him. He could, however, see the boy shaking. From fear or cold he did not know. "Come, Harry, follow me." Severus said, motioning for Harry to follow him back into the bedroom. Once inside, Severus went over to the dresser and pulled a large black shirt from it.Gently pulling Harry's shirt up and over his head, he winced again at the many bruises and cuts that marred the boy's back.
Harry sighed once the shirt was pulled down over his head. It reached past his knees, and was more of a nightshirt than anything else, but it smelled of lavender and something else he could not put his finger on. It smelled like the nice man, that was it, and he smiled.
"Now, back to sleep with you, young man. I believe a trip to Diagon Alley is in order for you." Tucking Harry back under the covers, he tousled his hair and shut the door behind him. Severus went back to his book, and was soon engrossed in the world of potions again.
Harry lay under the covers, and tried to fall back to sleep. He was no longer cold, but he was still scared of the dark. As he heard the wind blow outside he shivered, and when something hit the window he was up and out of the bed in a flash. Out the door he flew, and he jumped right into Severus' lap. There he buried his face into the folds of the dark man's robe, and began to shiver.
Severus was thrown off guard. He had not expected that, but when Harry began to shake, he wrapped his arms around the boy. Potions could wait for another time; he had a frightened child to deal with. It then hit him, this was no longer Lily's child, Harry was his too, and he would be searching into a way to make it legal before the week was through.
Harry seemed to calm as Severus rocked him. He knew Harry was too big to be rocked, but to look at him Harry seemed no more than around six, instead of eight. He was sure that it was from lack of proper food, and Harry would grow eventually to catch up with his peers. He would remind himself to give the boy enough potions to just catch him up to where he was supposed to be, without turning him into a giant like Hagrid.
Standing up, he went to put the yawning Harry back to bed. Pushing open the door with his foot, he walked over to the bed and set Harry under the covers, but when he turned to walk away, small hands latched onto his robes. Severus was amazed at the boy's strength.
"Harry, don't you want to go back to sleep?" he tried, to soothe the boy, his voice gentle.
Harry shook his head, now fully awake again, tears creeping to the corners of his eyes. "Not if it means you're going to leave me here," Harry replied not releasing his grip on Severus.
Severus sighed. He would have to do something about Harry's fears, because he did not want to be sleeping with him till he was twenty. For now though, he pushed off his shoes and crawled into the bed. "Now I am here, and I want you to close your eyes and get some sleep." Nodding his head and yawning, Harry snuggled under the covers, and was asleep in no time. Severus worried about his son, that it was possible that Harry had been excluded from human contact for too long. Perhaps a friend would do him some good. He would look into finding someone for Harry to play with, after their trip to Diagon Alley tomorrow.