Disclaimer: Honestly do I look like JK Rowling to you?

Summary: Leonis really wants to be somewhere else and is introduced to the concept of bathing!

Chapter Five. Through Cleansing Waters

"Yes," Godric murmured sadly. "Leonis, I am your father…"

Leonis stared unblinkingly at Godric for a long moment with a confused expression plastered on his face. He blinked slowly in the excoriating silence that followed Godric's statement. Then his eyes rolled backwards and he fell into a dead faint collecting a flimsy nightstand on his way down.

"Oops." Godric ruefully rolled his eyes were his bastard son was lying prone on the floor. He had missed him. His arms still outstretched. Wincing and berating himself for missing the boy he picked Leonis off the floor gingerly.

Although Godric had never known starvation or indeed true hunger in his eventful life, he was not shocked to feel exactly how light the boy was. He had seen the cruelty of the streets before.

With Leonis cradled in one arm Godric pulled back the blankets on the single bed with his free arm. Then moving slowly and deliberately he lowered Leonis onto the straw mattress.

"Is everythin' alright sir." Lydia had poked her head into the doorway to see what the ominous thump had been. She eyed the prone Leonis on the bed. "Didn't take the news well eh?"

For a moment Godric's gut wrenched at the thought of his secret being spilled out. Then stopped himself from making a suspicious comment. There was no way a mere barmaid could know the delinquent was his son. He curtly nodded. "Bring me some of the Hogwarts uniforms I had left here."

Lydia smiled in assent and closed the door softly behind her as she left. Godric had a habit of leaving supplies at the inn just in case the new Hogwarts' charges needed something to change into. This situation happened quite often.

Godric turned his back before the door clicked shut and found an urn with water waiting on the customary table. A large wooden wash bowl was waiting by the urn.

Godric picked up the side table that Leonis had brought down with him and then poured water from the urn. He slid one of the draws open quietly knowing there was washcloths inside.

Sitting by the unconscious form of Leonis Godric dabbed his forehead until the boy emitted a low moan. He didn't have to wait long before Leonis' eyes fluttered open.

For a moment Godric was staring in angry dark pools. He watched as Leonis gulped down his anger; he could see the muscles in the lad's throat tense as if a monster was squeezing tightly.

Loenis opened his mouth to speak. Then quickly clamped his lips shut. Godric could sense the biting comment on the tip of the boy's tongue.

"Well whatever you have to say, say it now," Godric commanded.

Leonis glared directly into Godric's gaze and the older wizard felt the almost tangible anger and confusion. Gulping again and massaging his throat Leonis finally blinked and determinedly looked at Godric's boots as there was nothing better to stare at.

"No," Leonis whispered his voice seemed terribly hoarse.

"No what?" Godric asked gently sitting on the bed beside the youngster.

Leonis refused to look up at him. Instead he busied himself with staring at his fingers, delighting at the many odd shapes he could make. Godric, however, waited beside him patiently knowing that Leonis would speak when he was ready.

"It is not possible… you're lying…" Leonis cried when his fidgeting could not comfort him any longer.

"Lying, am I?" Godric asked pleasantly. He covered Leonis' fingers in his strong hands. This caused Leonis to look up at him with a strange pleading look on his face. "Why is the truth so hard to accept?"

Leonis mutely shrugged and attempted to move away. But Godric grabbed his shoulders. "I can prove it to you if that is what you want."

"I want nothing from you," Leonis said pouting. "I want to go home."

Godric let out a great bark of laughter. "Home? Where would that be, child?"

Leonis' cheeks flushed red in fury. But Godric lifted his finger and ran it lightly down the soft skin of the boy's cheek. "We both know you have no home."

"Is it your wizardry that tells you that?" Leonis snapped.

Godric was fully aware that the child was working hard to get a rise out of him; a reason for him to hate and revile him. Therefore he was determined to remain passive and gentle despite the boy's biting comments getting on his nerve.

So Godric gazed at Leonis with grave eyes and shook his head. "No," he replied in a serious tone. "Common sense served me well in giving me that information."

"You're still a wizard," Leonis retorted feeling slightly put out that he had not so much as bothered the man before him.

"Hmm… you are too if my genetic make-up had any say in the matter."

Leonis crossed his arms against his chest glaring at him in annoyance. "I find your insinuations disgusting."

Godric laughed heartily and ruffled Leonis's hair making the scowl on the lad's face deepen. "I knew your mother in the most…" Godric paused slightly. "Intimate of ways, Leonis. It is the only possible way that you could exist. Unless you are under the false belief that you were an emasculate conception."

Leonis wrinkled his nose in distaste and battered Godric's hands away. "Get away from me!"

"Leonis…" Godric soothed in a low voice.

"Go away."

"Leonis you will learn to trust me."

Leonis blinked and refused to reopen his eyes. Ashamed of his body which was now quaking in fear he turned his face away.

"Mister Gryffindor sir, the bath has been run." Lydia poked her head in through the door. Godric nodded and took the crock of Leonis' arm.

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Leonis dripping wet and skin smarting from the intense washing of Godric Gryffindor glared up at the older wizard glowering. Godric mildly found a drying towel and draped it around the shivering boy who was squirming embarrassed by his nakedness. Godric, true to his nature, found the lad's coyness amusing.

Leonis let Godric wrap the towel around him and stepped away. He glanced at the charred pile of ashes that had been his clothes. Godric had incinerated with a careless wave of his wand. This did not please Leonis at all and he promptly told Gryffindor what he could do with his magic…

Perhaps this was the reason behind Godric's enthusiasm when he had dumped Leonis into the full tub. Leonis had protested that he could bathe himself. But Godric seemed to be having a hearing problem and dunked Leonis' head underwater. The wizard even had the audacity to wash behind his ears! Leonis was cleanest than he even had been in his life.

"Great so I'm going to go wondering about naked," Leonis muttered sarcastically still staring mournfully at the remains of his clothes. "I can't afford any more clothes."

Godric shook his head and grabbing the Hogwarts garb Lydia had brought with her. Through the customary camel shirt over Leonis' head. A moment later Leonis' head reappeared at Godric fought with himself to stop a giggle.

Leonis looked absolutely ridiculous. The shirt was halfway past his knees and his arms stuck out from his side stiffly as if he was some sort of scarecrow. The length of the arms was about twice too long.

"Hmm," Godric hummed his eyes half lidded as if to hide his mirth. "I think it is a little too big for you."

Leonis raised his eyebrows and scowled.

Godric merely took out his wand. But upon seeing the magical instrument Leonis gasped and shook his head. "Don't you dare use that on me!"

Godric winked in reply and with a flick of his wand the shirt shrank to about the right size. Leonis, who upon realising Godric's intent, had squeezed his eyes shut expecting some evil spell. He opened his eyes a moment later to find that nothing untoward had befallen him and Godric was grinning ear to ear.

"Hmm." Godric held up a bare of hose and back to Leonis. "I think you're a little too scrawny for these," he said before shrinking them and flinging them back to Leonis.

Leonis received them gratefully and stepped into them and found that he didn't need a piece of twine to hold them up. But he didn't have time to contemplate his new attire before Godric dropped a wizarding travelling cloak about his shoulders. Leonis clutched at its seams and glanced up at Godric would was looking at Leonis' bare feet.

"Never in all my life had I seen such grubby feet." Godric conjured a bare of shiny leather boots. "We'll ride back to Hogwarts Castle our home so that we can get to know each other better."

"But – but I don't want to go with you," Leonis said shaking his head.

Godric smiled sadly. He understood Leonis' position. "I can provide for you at Hogwarts and you won't have to worry about stealing to stay alive." Leonis looked slightly unimpressed in fact he merely looked bored. Suddenly Meagan's advice wafted through his brain. Godric nearly smack his forehead in frustration. Of course Leonis wasn't bothered with adults providing for him. Food was higher on his priorities list. "And I dare say the roasts and feasts will but a little meat onto your bones."

"Roasts?" Leonis repeated dumbly an odd expression on his face. "Feasts? You mean real food?"

Godric nearly burst out laughing. The way to any true Gryffindor's heart was inevitably through his stomach. "Yes the very finest of foods."

Leonis eyes lit up dreamily and Godric had to suppress the laughter that nearly reached his face. Leonis on the other hand was battling to look serious although the issue of food clearly clouded his mind. "Very well. I'll consider accompanying you." It wasn't the answer Godric had wanted. But for the meantime he knew that was all he could ask from Leonis.