Author's Note:
Thank you for all of your AMAZING reviews and feedback. I LOVE hearing it (and Guest users- I know I can't respond to you but your posts mean a lot to me!).
Enjoy the chapter!
After dinner, Snape sat in Harry's room, doing his night time exercises and giving him various potions to help with pain and inflammation. He rubbed some more healing balm into his chest, and he even spent time massaging some into his feet and hands, unsure if it would do anything for the nerve damage, but figuring it was worth a try.
Finally, Snape relented and decided to give Harry some Dreamless Sleep. He generally tried to avoid this, since it was such a powerful and potentially addictive potion, but the boy hadn't slept peacefully in a week. He wouldn't make a habit out of it, but it couldn't hurt too much in the short term.
He poured it into a spoon and offered it to Harry. "Open up."
"What if it tastes bad?" Harry complained, wrinkling his nose as the spoon hovered near his face.
"It's certainly not the worst as far as potions go. Come on now, open your mouth. I want you to get a solid night of sleep tonight."
Harry pulled a face but opened his mouth, swallowing the potion down in one gulp. He grimaced at Snape in disgust.
"Fix your face," Snape said, giving him a disapproving look. "Now promise me you won't get out of bed on your own tonight. If you need anything, you just call out to me. I'm going to put a charm on your room so I can hear everything."
"OK, I won't," Harry said in a bored tone as he crawled under the blankets.
Snape pulled up the quilts and tucked them tightly around the boy. He took the glasses off of Harry's face and looked him in the eye. "I mean it, Harry. I don't want you to fall or hurt yourself. If you step one toe outside of this bed, I promise you, I will come in here and put you back to bed with a sore backside. Do you understand?" Snape was serious about this, he lived in constant fear that Harry's nerve damage would result in him falling and hurting himself, and he couldn't even imagine how upsetting that would be for both of them.
"I said I won't," Harry whined.
"Good. Would you like me to read to you or do you want me to do a meditation with you?
"Read to me please." Harry beamed, and scooted over to make room on the bed, hoping Snape would lay next to him like he'd done earlier.
Snape took that as an invitation and picked up the book before stretching out on the bed, his back leaned up against the headboard. Before he could open the book, Harry snuggled up next to him and laid his head on his chest. Snape put his arm around the boy and began to read.
When he was sure Harry was asleep, he slowly extricated himself and laid the boy back down on his pillow. He reached over for his stuffed dragon and put it between his arms before pulling the blankets up around him tightly.
He was nervous to leave Harry alone in his room, it was the first night he'd slept by himself since the cave. Snape pulled out his wand and cast all kinds of spells around the room. He cast a sound amplifier, as well as various alarms and wards so he'd know if Harry stepped onto the floor or tried to leave the room, or Merlin forbid, fell out of bed.
He had considered charming a mirror he could hang on the wall that would allow him to see in from another mirror he kept with him, but he didn't know the spells off-hand. He also didn't want Harry to feel like he was constantly being spied on, even if it would give Snape peace of mind to know he could check on the boy from wherever he was.
He reached to turn off the light, but quickly changed his mind. Instead he flicked his wand to dim it slightly so that Harry wouldn't be afraid if he woke up during the night. He left Harry's door open and kept the hall light on, just in case.
That night, Snape poured through Llewelyn's library reading medical books about nerve damage and hypothermia. He also read through several potions books and journals looking for recipes and ingredients that might be of use. He wrote some of them down, hoping to ask Master Barclay about them as well.
Snape sat for a long time in the parlor, sipping his firewhisky and reading through different texts, occasionally pausing for a few moments to reflect back on the last week. He had been so focused on taking care of Harry he'd barely had time to think about everything that they'd been through. He took a long sip of his drink and closed his eyes, relishing in the slow burn of the amber liquid as it traveled down his throat. It was in these moments that he realized just how incredibly tired and physically worn down he really was. He considered taking some dreamless sleep so he could get a long night of rest, but then he worried he might not wake up if Harry called out for him in the night, and he ultimately decided against it.
He stayed in his chair reading until nearly 2am, constantly on edge worrying that Harry would have a nightmare. He kept vigil in the parlor, waiting to hear the boy's cries, but the room stayed quiet, the only sounds were the ticking of the clock and the embers crackling in the fireplace. When he couldn't hold his eyes open any longer, he finally gave in to his desperation to lay down in a bed for the first time in a week. He gave one last peek into Harry's room and put himself to bed, leaving his door wide open just in case.
Normally Snape woke up long before Harry, but the week of sleepless nights had taken their toll. Instead of opening his eyes with the sun, Snape instead jerked awake from the sound of an alarm going off from one of the spells he'd cast. He looked at the clock, it was almost 9am.
He jumped out of bed and ran to Harry's room where he caught Harry climbing back in under the covers.
"What did I tell you about getting out of bed on your own?" Snape growled at him, his hands on his hips and his forehead wrinkled in disapproval.
"You said not to get up during the night. It's morning now. I needed to go to the loo." Harry shrugged his shoulders and smiled up at him sheepishly.
"You know that's not what I meant. Did you already go?"
Harry shook his head. "I heard the alarm so I jumped back in bed."
"I see...so then you did know you weren't supposed to be out of bed." Snape raised an eyebrow as he walked toward him, pulling back the quilts. "Come along, then."
Snape helped Harry climb out of bed, but as soon as Harry was standing, he put his arm around his waist, bent him over and gave him three sharp whacks on the backside.
"Oww, you didn't have to do that!" Harry whined, and reached back to rub his bum.
"Then next time don't get out of bed when I tell you to stay put. If you do it again, you'll get a real spanking. I mean it, Harry, I'm not playing games with you. Now, let's go." Snape hadn't smacked him very hard, but he wanted to get his message across: his safety rules were not up for interpretation.
Snape helped Harry to the washroom, and just as he expected, he was unbalanced and rigid. He nearly fell twice while he was walking, but thankfully Snape was there to steady him.
"This is exactly why I told you to wait until I could help you. Your legs and feet are going to be stiff and numb until we do your exercises," Snape said, unable to keep himself from belaboring the point.
"Sorry, I won't do it again," Harry replied, suitably chastised and leaning on Snape's arm.
"You'd better not."
When they got back to his room, Snape put him through his morning physical therapy before helping him change into his day clothes.
The two ate a leisurely breakfast, both of them glad to be rid of the hospital food. Snape made him eat some eggs along with his beans and toast, hoping he'd put weight back on quickly. Harry struggled with the fork but Snape let him use his hands as needed, and helped him out by loading the beans and eggs onto the bread for him. It was messy and slow, but eventually Harry got everything in his mouth.
"Madame Pomfrey will be here in an hour to examine you," Snape said, before taking a long sip of his tea. He made a note to himself to consult Poppy about which nutrient potion to add on, since he was sure the boy would need one. He'd been skinny to start with, but after his most recent ordeal he was back to looking downright malnourished.
"Do you think she can fix me?" Harry looked up from his plate hopefully, his fingers and chin covered with baked beans and crumbs.
Snape tried to keep a straight face, not wanting to laugh at Harry for looking like a toddler with food smeared all over him. "I'm not sure, Harry, but I'm sure she'll have some good ideas. Now go wash your hands and face and I'll take care of the
"Oh what a quaint little cottage," Madame Pomfrey said as she brushed the ash off of her clothes and looked around. "And Harry, you poor dear, how are you?"
Before Harry could say anything he was smooshed into Pomfrey's bosom. He forced a smile and adjusted his glasses. "Hi Madame Pomfrey."
Over the next half hour, Madame Pomfrey put Harry through a series of magical diagnostics and physical exams. A piece of parchment and a quill hovered in the air making notes as she tapped her wand along his body and had him walk and stretch his arms and hands and engage in different exercises.
Snape sat quietly in his chair, his hands tented in front of him, watching with rapture as Harry begrudgingly went through all of the motions.
"I'm tired, can I sit down now?" Harry complained. He wasn't used to being on his feet for more than a few minutes at a time. "My feet hurt."
"Of course, dear, take a seat, I'm sorry." She ushered him to the couch. "What have you been giving him for his nerve pain, Severus?"
"Just a general pain reliever and an anti-inflammatory. I've consulted some of the journals and will need to brew something special for the nerve pain, but I'm waiting to hear back from Master Barclay. Do you have any suggestions?"
"I'll send some along once I get back, Severus. But you should keep giving him an anti-inflammatory in the meantime. Perhaps a salve with capsicum and saffron for his feet. I'm going to consult with some other healers now that I have all of his diagnostics."
"Mmm," Snape agreed. "There are a few plants in Llewelyn's garden that hold some promise. I'm going to start mixing up a few different batches later today. But do send anything along that you think will be helpful."
Harry looked between them, his head moving back and forth along with the conversation. "So you can heal me? You can cure me?"
With the tap of her wand, Madame Pomfrey rolled up the parchment and stuck it into her robes before sitting down next to Harry. "Don't you worry for a moment, Mr. Potter, I've got all of the information I need, we're going to find a way to get you feeling better."
"When?" he asked impatiently.
"I'm not quite sure, dear, but you've got a lot of very smart people helping you. You'll be right as rain in no time."
Harry was clearly frustrated, that wasn't what he wanted to hear. He scrunched his face up and raised his voice. "I thought you were going to fix me now. Why can't you? You're supposed to be a magical healer- why can't you heal me?!"
"Harry! Enough." Snape's voice came out powerful and deep and Harry immediately got himself under control. He didn't have to look at the man's face to know he was shooting him a dangerous look.
"Sorry," he said. His eyes filled with tears and he tried not to blink. "I just thought you could fix it."
"Oh Harry," Madame Pomfrey said, placing a hand on his back. "I wish that I could fix it right now, but we just need a little more time. We'll get there, dear. Have patience." She patted his back gently before looking up at Snape. "I really should be off, but I promise I'll send something through for you as soon as I can," she said as she stood up from the couch.
Snape stood up from his chair and walked her to the fireplace. "Thank you, Poppy. We'll be in touch." He brought the jar of floo powder down from the mantle to hold it out for her and she soon disappeared through the green flames.
When Snape turned back around, Harry was hunched over with his head buried in his hands, laying on the arm of the couch. Snape sat next to him and rubbed his back. "Come on then, why don't you rest a bit and I'll give you some potions and rub some balm on your feet."
Without another word, Snape lifted Harry off the couch and carried him to his room, laying him gently on his bed. He helped him change back into pyjamas and then spent the next hour massaging an anti-inflammatory cream into his feet and legs, and talking to him softly about potions ingredients until Harry fell asleep.
Once he'd tucked the blankets around him, Snape returned to the parlor where he picked up a quill and began writing out his ideas for new potions recipes to help Harry. He would send them off to Master Barclay as soon as possible for feedback and then hopefully begin brewing soon.
Snape was deep in writing when there was a knock at the door. He reluctantly put down his parchment and walked over to look through the peephole, cursing to himself as he swung open the door.
"What do you want?" Snape stood tall in the doorway, his face locked in contempt.
Elizabeth was standing there with her arm around Patrick, his head hanging low and his eyes red-rimmed and downcast.
"Elliot, I'm so sorry about Harry. We just wanted to come by and apologize and see how he was doing. Patrick also has something he wants to give you," she said, her eyes full of deep sadness and concern.
Snape contorted his face in disdain. "What makes you think I have any interest in hearing your useless apologies? My son nearly died. His heart stopped beating for 10 minutes, and his chest is full of bruises from where they had to do CPR to keep him alive. He has nerve damage so severe he can't even do the simplest tasks without assistance. He can barely sleep, plagued with night terrors from the trauma of nearly dying in that cave. And you think I want to hear your apologies? Those are for your benefit, not mine and certainly not Harry's."
Tears were pouring from Patrick's eyes, but unlike his dramatic sobs from a week ago, these seemed to come from a place of true regret.
Patrick's breath hitched a few times before he could speak, but he reached his hand out, holding an envelope. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Prince. I know you and Harry can never forgive me, but I really mean it, I'm sorry."
Snape was seething with anger, but he snatched the letter out of the boy's hands. "Your meaning is immaterial. You're a spoiled, arrogant, entitled little brat who indulged his own petty resentment as justification for nearly killing my son. The pure cheek of you to show up here and have the audacity to beg for forgiveness...If you have any shame whatsoever you'll get out of my sight, the both of you, and don't dare show your face here again."
He got ready to close the door when Elizabeth stepped forward, putting herself in the doorway to prevent him from doing so. "Elliot, please. I know you're angry, but we just want to make things right."
"For whose sake?" Snape snarled. "Surely not Harry's, and certainly not mine." He was about to force her out and close the door when he heard a small voice behind him.
"Dad?"
Snape whipped his head around to see Harry, standing in the foyer, looking thin and fragile in his pyjamas.
"What do you think you're doing? Get back to your room this instant!" He snapped his fingers and pointed behind the boy. Snape's emotions were running high and he immediately regretted reacting so harshly.
Harry shook his head, unaffected by Snape's abrasive tone. "No. I want to hear what he has to say. I want to know why he did that, why he left me there." He looked at Patrick with hurt in his eyes, "Just tell me, what did I do that made you hate me? What did I do that was so bad that you wanted me to die…please...tell me." His voice broke with the last few words as Harry wrapped his arms around himself, trying hard to comfort himself and hold back his tears.
Snape couldn't take seeing Harry in that state, so he abandoned his post at the door as he moved quickly toward the boy, lifting him into his arms. He held Harry close to his chest as his small body wracked with sobs. "Shhh," he hushed gently. "You didn't do anything wrong, Harry, this is not your fault."
After tending to Harry, he turned his head back to face his two unwanted guests, his eyes narrowed to two small black slits. If looks could kill, Snape would be a murderer. With one hand underneath Harry and the other pressing the boy's head tightly against his shoulder, he shot daggers from his eyes at Elizabeth and Patrick. "I hope you're both happy. As if he doesn't have enough to deal with, you had to come here and compound his suffering with your own selfish need for redemption. How dare you," he spat, his deep voice poisoned with pure vitriol.
Patrick's eyes were swollen and his face stained with tears, but he spoke out, as he inched toward Snape and Harry. "Harry, I'm so sorry mate. You didn't deserve that. You don't have to forgive me, I was horrible, but I never meant for you to get hurt. I was angry. And stupid. And I hate myself for it."
Snape reflexively turned Harry away from the boy, trying to shield him physically from getting anywhere near him. He was on the verge of another scalding tirade when Harry lifted his head up and turned toward Patrick.
"I just wanted to be your friend, you know. I don't understand, I would never do that to someone, no matter what they did to me."
Snape had reached his limit and he sneered down at Patrick, his black eyes flashing dangerously. "Enough! You both need to leave. Now. Harry is poorly and I will not have him subjected to any more unnecessary stress."
Patrick reached out to touch Harry's back, wanting to reassure Harry that he was truly sorry, but as soon as his fingers were about to make contact, Snape's own hand reacted quickly and smacked the back of his hand with a vengeance. The sound of skin on skin reverberated painfully in the foyer.
"Don't you dare touch him," Snape hissed through gritted teeth.
Patrick's face was frozen in shock as he cradled his throbbing hand. "I'm sorry..."
"Elliot, really!" Elizabeth exclaimed in horror as she pulled Patrick instinctively toward her, putting her arms around him protectively. Her face radiated with indignation. "You have absolutely no right to do that."
"And you're lucky I don't. If I had it my way, he'd be getting a thrashing the likes of which you couldn't possibly imagine. I'd spank him until he couldn't sit down for a week. And then I'd do it all over again so he'd never ever forget."
"Fine, just do it then," Patrick exploded, balling his fists at his side. "I said I was sorry and you don't believe me, so beat me then. I don't even care!" He buried his face in his mother's side as tears of rage and emotion coursed through him.
Snape couldn't help but smirk at the boy's ridiculously adolescent outburst. "Fortunately for you, Mr. Owens, I am not your father, or your teacher, and I have no such authority over you. And as satisfying as it might be to give you the hiding you so richly deserve, it is neither my place nor my responsibility. You have a mother, ostensibly, and if she cared an ounce for you, she'd make the effort to do it herself. Now kindly see yourselves out, I need to take care of my injured son." Snape ignored the offended look on Elizabeth's face as he nodded toward the open door.
Elizabeth huffed loudly and was turning to leave when Patrick found the courage to speak once more. Silent tears streamed down his face but he steeled himself. "I mean it, Harry. I'm really really sorry."
"I said get out!" Snape yelled, unable to control his anger and pulling his hand off Harry's head to point out the door. If he heard the little twerp say one more word he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop himself from physically removing him.
But before they could leave, Harry lifted his head to speak one last time. "Patrick... It's OK. I forgive you." And then he put his head back down and cried onto Snape's shoulder.
Snape wasn't sure if he could dampen his rage, he was practically shaking with wrath, his eyes wild with adrenaline and fury. "Leave! Now! My son might have a kind and forgiving heart, but I assure you that I do not. So. Get. Out."
He wanted to slam the door in their faces, but he thought back to all of the times he'd lectured Harry about that and he didn't want to be a hypocrite. So instead he settled for closing it extremely firmly.
He let out an audible sigh and walked into the parlor and sat on the sofa, still holding Harry firmly to his chest. "Are you alright?" he whispered in his ear.
Harry nodded his head.
"You didn't have to forgive him, you know. Not right now," Snape said softly as he rubbed circles on the boy's back.
Harry lifted his head up and wiped the tears from under his glasses. "But he sounded really upset. I didn't want him to hate himself any more. I felt bad for him."
Snape shook his head and let out a dramatic breath. "That's not your burden, Harry. You should give forgiveness for your own peace of mind, when you're ready. Patrick will need to work through his guilt on his own. What he did was wrong on so many levels. Not only did he trick you and put you in danger, he lied about it, to his mother, to me, to his grandmother, for nearly a day. This isn't something he can just apologize his way out of." The more Snape thought about it, the more angry he became again.
"You should have just spanked him when he told you to. That would have made me feel a little better," Harry said, a small smile creeping over his face.
Snape couldn't help but to let out a small chuckle. "Believe me, it would have made me feel a LOT better, but it's not my place. Unfortunately one cannot just go around spanking other people's children, no matter how desperately they may deserve it. Besides, I'm way too angry. No, that's for Patrick's mother to deal with."
Later that night, Snape sat down with a glass of fire whiskey and opened the letter Patrick had given him. He wanted to read it before he ever showed it to Harry. If he ever showed it to Harry.
Dear Mr. Prince and Harry,
I wanted to write this letter to say how sorry I am for what I did. My mum said Harry was really sick in hospital and I know it is all my fault. I feel really bad about what I did. I shouldn't have done that and it was really wrong.
Harry, I hope you get better soon. I wish I could go back and not do that to you. I hope one day you can forgive me but if not that's OK.
The police came to talk to me and told me that I could be in big trouble. They told me I am lucky not to go to jail.
They also told me that I should do some community service to make up for what I did. I can't do a lot but I thought I could come and do work for you, Mr. Prince. I can do work in the garden or I can do chores for you and Harry.
Also, Harry, I'm sorry I hid your bike. My mum and me picked it up and it's at my house. You can come get it or we can bring it to you and leave it at your house. Also, I am sorry I kicked your helmet but we bought you a new one.
Anyway, I just want you to know that I'm really sorry and I would like to make it up to you. I hope you will let me do work for you to show that I am sorry. I will do whatever you need. I can also cut your grass or clean your house.
Thank you for reading my letter. I'm really sorry.
Sincerely,
Patrick
PS. I know you probably hate me, but if you ever want I would still like to be your friend and I promise I would never do anything mean like that again, I've learned my lesson.
Snape couldn't help it, he rolled his eyes as he folded the letter up. If he was being honest with himself, he believed the boy really was sorry. He almost felt bad for the way he'd yelled at him today, but then he reminded himself that he had nearly killed Harry and he deserved some harsh words. At minimum.
I really don't have time for this kind of drama. He wanted to focus on Harry and make sure he was recovering, it was his first and only priority. But he had to admit there was part of him-the righteous part of him-who wanted to make sure that Patrick really learned his lesson. Oh yes, he was angry with the boy, but he was also incredibly irritated that his mother had not done her job well enough. The boy had some serious character flaws, but it was clearly due to a lack of good parenting and discipline. Having seen the boy today, and even on the day he'd taken him back to the caves, he didn't believe he was truly unfeeling or uncaring, just extremely misguided.
He took a deep breath and a long swig of his drink. Perhaps he should consider taking the boy up on his offer. If there was anything Snape was good at, it was knowing how to make errant children feel repentant. He could think about it as an extended detention, something he'd become a master of using to make his point to teach a lesson. Yes, if the boy wanted to submit himself to "community service" with Snape, he would make sure it made an impression.
But he also knew it wouldn't do any lasting good unless he talked with Elizabeth. At the end of the day, she had failed miserably in her parenting and Patrick was the result of years of indulgence and lack of boundaries. Perhaps she needed a lesson as well. He felt a bit ridiculous wanting to lecture her on being a parent when he'd only been one for a few weeks himself, but he reminded himself that he'd spent over a decade as a Housemaster and teacher, and he knew what he was talking about. He might not be perfect, but he was a damn sight better than her at dealing with 11 year-old delinquents.
Oh yes, perhaps he'd be able to have the final word on this after all. He resolved to sort it out in the morning.
"I can do it myself," Harry shouted, reaching up and attempting to rip the comb from Snape's hands. He couldn't quite do it, so Snape relented and folded the comb in his hands, helping him hold onto it.
"Fine, be my guest. But watch your tone, young man. I understand that you're frustrated, but you do not get to disrespect me because of it." Snape let out an exasperated sigh as Harry fumbled with his comb in the mirror.
Harry moved the comb angrily through his hair and, still not able to have complete control over his grasp, he dropped it before letting out an angry groan and kicking the sink.
Snape raised an eyebrow at him before he bent down slowly to pick it up. "Stop. That's enough, Harry. Control your emotions." He straightened back up and gave him a pointed look.
Harry's eyes filled with tears of frustration but he just stared at Snape in the mirror while he allowed the man to finish combing his hair.
"There. See, it's OK to let me help you." He gave Harry a light double tap on the hip. "Come on, now, I think today we will go down to the lab and brew some potions today."
"But I can't do anything. I can't even comb my bloody goddamn stupid ass hair," Harry spat, still angry he had to be taken care of like a small child. He had already thrown a fit earlier when Snape had to help him eat. For whatever reason, his hands were especially weak this morning and he couldn't bring the fork to his mouth, so Snape had to help him finish his breakfast and it put him in a foul mood.
Snape gave him a hard smack on the rear. "Watch your mouth. I will not tolerate cursing, Harry, you need to get control of yourself. Right now."
"Whatever," Harry replied as he turned to walk out of the bathroom door.
A shadow crossed over Snape's face as he reached out and grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him back. It had been a while since he'd seen Harry this defiant and he was going to put an end to it. "I think you'd benefit from some reflection time in the corner." He turned the boy around to face him. "I don't know what's gotten into you this morning, Harry, but this ends now. I do not want to be dealing with your atrocious attitude for the rest of the day, so if I were you I'd find a way to reel it in before you find yourself over my knee. Am I clear?"
Harry scowled at him before letting out a very bitter sounding "Yes, sir."
They walked into the parlor where Snape set a chair down rather dramatically in the corner, making his displeasure evident. "Sit down."
Harry was annoyed to be there but kept his mouth shut and sat down, not wanting to push Snape when it was clear he was already at his limit. He wasn't sure why he was feeling so angry today, but he was tired of it all. Tired of not being back to normal. Tired of being treated like a baby. He crossed his arms and tightened his face into a scowl as he stared at the exact line where the two walls met.
While Harry stewed in the corner, Snape went to the kitchen to make a phone call. He'd been thinking about it since yesterday and he'd finally come to a decision. He was going to take Patrick up on his offer to do work for him.
He picked up the phone and dialed Elizabeth's number. It rang twice before he heard her voice on the other end.
"Hello," she said.
"Elizabeth, it's Elliot Prince. I've reflected on our conversation yesterday, and Patrick's letter, and I want to talk. I'm willing to take Patrick up on his offer, but there are some things I'd like to discuss with you before I agree."
Snape held his breath. He felt a bit silly after how he'd ended the conversation yesterday and he hoped she wouldn't just tell him to get lost.
"Oh, Elliot. I have to admit, this is quite unexpected. You seemed to make yourself very clear yesterday that you didn't want to see us again."
He paused, feeling slightly ashamed but refusing to admit so. "Well, I've had time to think about it, and I've changed my mind," he said with conviction.
"Alright. What are you thinking?"
"Well, I'd like to meet with you-alone if possible-but I'd prefer not to do so at my home, as it might distress Harry."
"You're welcome to come over here during the day when Patrick's at school tomorrow. Or if you prefer we can meet somewhere in town. Whatever is most convenient for you."
"Your house is fine. I'd prefer it if the whole town didn't know our business. I will be available at 11am."
"Eleven is fine."
"Good. I will see you then. Good-bye."
"Bye."
He hung up the phone and exhaled loudly while glancing up at the clock. He brought a cup of tea into the parlor and sat in his chair, glancing over at Harry who was still seething quietly in the corner.
He sipped his tea silently for ten more minutes before he called Harry out of his "reflection time." "If you think you can keep a civil tongue in your head, you may come out of the corner."
Harry didn't say anything but scooted his chair back loudly and made his way to the couch. He was clearly still sulking when he nestled into the sofa cushions, but Snape ignored it.
"Would you care for some tea?"
"Are you going to put it in a sippy cup for me?" Harry sassed back at him.
"My, my, that's quite a lot of cheek for someone who has just spent time in the corner. Perhaps that wasn't sufficient enough to make an impression." Snape set his tea down and allowed his face to harden before looking at Harry. He pointed at the space between his knees. "Come here, Harry."
Harry reluctantly got off the couch and walked over to the man, refusing to make eye contact and not bothering to hide his scowl.
Snape reached up and grabbed his chin, forcing the boy to look at him in the eyes. He adjusted his tone carefully to be firm without being angry. "I have tried to give you the benefit of the doubt because I know you are frustrated. However, there is a limit to my patience. I've had quite enough of your disrespect this morning, so you need to make a choice. If you want to continue on this trajectory, I will go ahead and give you a sound spanking and send you back to bed, or you can clean up your attitude and we can do something worthwhile with our day. Which will it be?"
Harry jerked his face to the side, trying to lose Snape's grip on his chin. "I don't bloody care, it's not like I can do anything anyway, so why don't you just save yourself the trouble and send me to my room."
"Right then, a spanking it is," Snape said, letting go of the boy's face and making his exasperation evident. He subconsciously reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He really didn't have any intention of punishing Harry and he hadn't expected the boy to call his bluff, but now he was backed into a corner. So he took a deep breath and tapped his own thigh. "Come on then, let's go. Since you asked for it, you can put yourself over my knee." He stared at Harry, waiting to see how he'd respond.
Harry crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "No, I don't want to"
Snape shook his head at the boy. "I've given you every opportunity to get your attitude back on track, but I've had it, Harry. I don't know how else to get through to you. Perhaps a good spanking will do the job."
"No, wait, I'm sorry," Harry pleaded, his sulk instantly replaced by heartfelt remorse. "Please, please don't. I don't know why I feel this way. I just hate it." He broke down in tears and Snape was relieved.
The Potions Master's face softened and he reached out and pulled Harry towards him, engulfing him in a hug. He let Harry cry as he rubbed his back. "I know you're frustrated, but you need to talk to me, Harry. How can I make things better?"
"Fix me," he cried. "I just want to be normal again."
Snape's heart broke hearing his deep sobs. He patted him rhythmically on the back. "I'm trying, Harry, but it might take some time. Please trust me. I'm doing everything I can."
They sat for a few more minutes until Harry had calmed down. Snape pulled away and looked at Harry in the eyes. "Now then, are you done with your attitude?" He tapped Harry firmly on his hip with his index finger.
"Yes, sir"
"Good. Because you're all out of chances, Mr. Potter. I mean it. I think you could do with a rest. Shall I read to you for a bit?"
Harry just nodded.
With a firm hand on his shoulder, Snape guided Harry to his room where he helped him change back into pyjamas so he could rest for a little while. Harry was feeling very clingy and just wanted Snape to hold him. Even when Snape sat next to him in bed, Harry wanted him closer, so he curled up practically on top of him, holding his dragon.
Harry didn't fall asleep, and instead Snape read to him for almost an hour. When Snape tried to get up, Harry whined and begged for him to stay. Despite wanting to get started on his potions, Snape recognized that Harry needed his comfort today, so he ran his fingers through the boy's hair and opened the book back up, letting Harry remain curled up on top of his lap while he continued to read.
They spent the morning in bed until Harry fell back asleep. Snape didn't want to leave him, so instead he leaned back against the back of the bed and closed his eyes, reassuring himself he'd have plenty of time to work on potions in the afternoon. It took less than a minute before he joined Harry in a deep slumber.
Author's End Note:
Thank you guys for reading! Snape was a little harsh with Patrick & Elizabeth, but he's not done with them, I think he just needed to get some of his anger out before he tries to fix things. We'll hopefully get this resolved for EVERYONE in the following chapter.
Harry's struggling a lot with frustration with his injuries, but Poppy is right- he's got a lot of brilliant wizards & witches looking out for him, so hopefully he'll be healed soon- before he goes nuts and pushes Snape over the edge! I don't think Snape will have much more tolerance for Harry's outbursts.
Please review! Let me know what you think! I love hearing your feedback and ideas, it keeps me writing.
Also- if anyone has ever seen old copies of "World's Strictest Parents" on YouTube- Patrick is like one of those kids who is acting out cuz his mum's too permissive and can't seem to handle him. He might not get shipped off to a family in Kenya or India, but Snape's house is just as good!