Long time since I've posted anything! Well, I passed all my finals and I'm down to my last semester. I'm sorry for the long wait on all my stories, everyone. But luckily for you, I've been slowly building chapters for all my stories and I should be posting more within this month while I am on break. I actually tried to post this one last night but the site seemed to be suffering an error code. Well, anyway, thank you all for the wonderful reviews for all my stories and enjoy this next chapter!
Sam sniffed around the empty halls of Hogwarts for nearly an hour, finding no trace of that strange house elf that had blown up Severus's lab nor did he see anything that he would consider a danger to Harry or any of the students. Sam sighed. This was pointless. That elf was just delirious. However, he had a job to accomplish. He'd keep checking. Besides, the school was massive; and they're were sure to be plenty of secrets the castle hid within its walls and halls. He'd keep looking for Harry's sake.
After another fifteen minutes and scouting out another floor, Sam sighed irritably again. Still nothing. He'd be here all day and night – perhaps all week – at this rate. He needed to move this search along. He could use . . . but then he'd have to pay a price. What might that price be for daring to ask for instructions? Well, whatever it may be, it couldn't be too terrible.
Sam lifted a paw and touched the tooth resting against the white, star-shaped fur patch on his chest. Reveal to me the danger I seek, Sam demanded, making sure to clearly picture the situation of the elf in his mind, allowing the question of what the house elf had sensed ring through his head.
A blue hue emitted from the tooth and a wind chill blew through the empty hall, sending shivers down Sam's spine. How a wind could be so cold on a hot August day was beyond him. The wind ceased, and a thin fog seemed to settle in the hall Sam was in, a bluish fog that travelled down the hallway and turned left. Sam narrowed his eyes, his ears falling back, and he cautiously followed the fog, turning left at the end of the hall. The fog continued down a stairway to the first floor, and slowly following the path the fog created, and made his way down a new hall he had yet to explore. He hadn't really focused on the first floor as there were few classrooms and interesting places.
Sam paused midstep as the fog continued down another hall, turning right at the end. His tails flicked in opposite directions anxiously, and he glanced down at the glowing necklace. A slight chilly draft blew through the hall once more, urging the fox forward. Sam shook out his fur and continued slowly moving forward.
Halfway down the hall, he swore he could hear something loud coming from inside the wall. It sounded as if the pipes were banging and clanging – like something large was moving inside them. He could hear a hissing noise as well. The noises grew louder – the banging, clanging, and hissing – as he turned the corner and followed the fog through an open door.
It was a bathroom. And the blue fog thinned into a line as it directed Sam to a random sink, which the blue fog enveloped, highlighting the sink. The noises around him grew louder, especially the hissing. Sam inched closer as slowly as he could, staring intently at the sink, his fur bristling, heart rate quickening, and his tails flicking agitatedly.
An engraved snake on the tap seemed to come to life as it lifted its head and hissed aggressively at the approaching fox, its eyes glowing a strange yellow.
The ground beneath Sam's paws rumbled slightly and the sink itself seemed to shake as Sam finally stopped right in front of the sink, peering up at the snake glaring down at him with its piercing eyes. Sam snarled at the snake. It hissed again and poised its neck in a S position, preparing to strike as the ground shook with more force . . .
"Stop!"
Sam jumped nearly three feet in the air and lowered himself defensively, hissing at the strange ghost girl who had appeared from a toilet stall. He breathed for a moment as he willed himself to calm, glancing around and noting that the blue fog was gone, and the engraved snake was no longer animated. He looked down at the tooth to see it had lost its glow as well.
He sighed and glared irritably at the ghost, annoyed that he had been interrupted.
"Is the poor scaredy fox afraid of an innocent little girl?" the ghost asked him mockingly, lowering herself to the ground more.
: I was in the middle of something, human girl, Sam snarled at her.
"I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation with the sink. But it was getting weird listening to you growl at it. And they called me crazy!"
Sam's ears dropped in frustration. Of course, only he could see or hear the magic the tooth brought forth as he was the one who demanded its use. Perhaps, to the ghost child, it was an odd sight to see a fox cautiously enter the bathroom just to bare its teeth at a sink. Sam shook his head and looked back at the sink, wondering how a sink could possibly be a threat to anything or anyone. He must be missing something big, because to his eyes, it was just a sink. Unless that engraved snake at the top really could move? But that wasn't really a danger . . . unless, it was venomous?
"And now you're ignoring me?" The ghost continued moving closer to him. Sam looked away from the sink and growled under his breath. Couldn't this girl just disappear? "You're just like everyone else! I mean, who would ever want to talk to ugly, miserable, moping, Moaning Myrtle! Ahhhh!"
Sam winced, his ears laying flat on his head, as the girl wailed and flew off to a stall, slamming the door. He shook his head to clear the ringing from his ears and stared back at the sink. He sniffed at it and tilted his head. Nothing. It was just an ordinary sink. Would the tooth had shown him more if that ghost girl hadn't interrupted him? Or was he supposed to figure out the rest from here?
Sighing in defeat, Sam turned away and walked out of the bathroom. He was done with this search – for now at least. Walking down the hall and down the stairs to the main entrance, Sam found himself lost in thought. Perhaps he could check out that sink another time. Surely that sink alone wasn't what had that house elf freaking out.
Suddenly, sharp needle teeth sank into Sam's shoulder and Sam let out a loud yelp. He bit down on the neck of whatever had him, effectively causing the creature to release him, and threw it aside. The creature landed on the ground a few feet away. Sam gasped at it.
Black mamba? But they didn't even exist in the UK!
Just as quickly as the snake had bitten him, a blue fog wrapped itself around the snake and it disappeared. Sam stared at the place the snake had been in shock. It was then that he realized he had forgotten about his price for using the tooth's magic.
Looking down at his shoulder and seeing blood drip from where the snake had bitten him, he closed his eyes as he suddenly felt lightheaded. This just reminded him of how dangerous the tooth's magic could be. His price for asking for help was to be attacked by one of the world's deadliest snakes? Where was that fair? What was the connection?
Those thoughts didn't stay in his head for long as he collapsed to the ground, feeling very weak. He needed an antidote now! He needed to get to Severus! Sam pushed himself off the ground and misted, only to solidify and fall back to the ground after a short burst forward. He whined as he could feel the venom in him spread. He breathed heavily as he pushed himself up, only to fall back to the ground limply.
Harry felt terrible.
Not the "I feel so sick I might upchuck" kind of terrible, more like the "I've done something wrong – what would my dad say? – I can't tell on my friends, though – now I might upchuck" kind of terrible.
And it started as soon as Molly had woken Ron and him for lunch. He didn't feel so bad about the car trip – it was the fact that they had all stolen from a store that made him feel terrible. Growing up, Severus had made sure Harry understood that stealing was wrong (though Sam seemed to think otherwise, which always annoyed Severus). Harry had never stolen something from a store, especially something as serious as fireworks. The twins had also nicked a handful of sweets each, offering Harry and Ron some last night, which they had gladly enjoyed. And the evidence of that sitting in his stomach made Harry feel nauseous.
As Harry sat at the table with the Weasley family for lunch, he frowned in thought. What was wrong with him? Ron seemed fine. The twins were goofing off as usual, even after they were forbidden from going near the car once more and were forbidden from their brooms for the rest of the week. They didn't seem to have any problems moving on from the events of last night. And Sam was a professional thief – if such a thing existed – and he always seemed fine after stealing something. He should just let this all go. Like everyone else clearly had.
Harry laughed belatedly at a story the twins had told. He realized he was so deep in thought, he had missed the story by the time everyone else was laughing. He could forget about last night if he just pushed it from his thoughts and focused on everyone around him. Piece of cake.
"So, everyone," Molly said, "I think tomorrow would be a perfect day to go to Diagon Alley. We'll gather everyone's school supplies; Ginny, you'll need to go to Olivanders . . ."
Whatever else Molly said was lost as Harry felt his stomach twist. They were going back to Diagon Alley so soon after last night? Harry choked on his food, struggling for a moment until Ron patted his back helpfully.
"You okay there, mate?" Ron asked with a frown.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Harry drank a bit of pumpkin juice to soothe his throat. He really didn't feel like he could go to Diagon Alley after what they had done and not get sick somewhere. It would just remind him of his guilt and hurt his conscience even more.
"Harry, dear," Molly looked at Harry with a concerned expression, "are you sure you're alright? Would you like a throat soother? I may have some honey, if you'd like."
"I'm good," Harry smiled weakly.
Molly smiled back and turned her attention on Ginny once more, talking to her about new robes for Hogwarts. Percy was actually at the table with them as well, talking to the twins currently.
Harry tried to keep the thoughts of last night down, even as he helped de-gnome the garden with the twins and Ron as punishment for all of them taking off in the car. It did prove to be a distraction and a harsh learning experience when one gnome bit his finger, but after the garden was de-gnomed and he found himself comparing homework assignments with Ron, Harry's thoughts strayed back to his thievery. Even if he hadn't been the one to actually take the fireworks, he was still an accomplice to the crime.
"Harry, dear," Molly called up the stairs, "Your father floo called. He'd like to speak with you."
Oh no, Harry couldn't help but think as he stood and left Ron's room, did his father know? Had Sam told him even after the fox said he wouldn't? Did his father have some sixth sense and just knew whenever Harry did something wrong? Harry slowly made his way down the stair and to the fireplace, butterflies fluttering in his stomach.
"Evening, son," Severus's flaming head smiled at him.
"Hi, Dad," Harry smiled back, still unsure of what his father might know.
"How's your week going? Having fun at the Weasley's?" Severus asked.
Harry nodded as he sat in front of the fireplace, crisscrossing his legs. So far, it seemed that Severus had no idea about his late-night adventure. "It's been great, Dad. We played Quidditch yesterday – almost all day and night and we really didn't win many games against the twins – oh, it was me and Ron versus the twins – we were so tired from all that flying last night, we passed right out and I helped de-gnome the garden today and tomorrow, we're heading to Diagon Alley so everyone can get what they need – I also worked on my assignments some more and helped Ron with his – and Sam and the twins have been hilarious together; they really should get together more – they'd cause a lot more trouble – and Ron and I also –"
"Slow down, Harry," Severus chuckled. "I'm not catching everything your saying."
"Sorry." Harry fell silent then. His nerves were eating away at him that he couldn't keep his thoughts straight. At least his father bought it as excitement. Or he hoped the man did. His heart ached to just spill everything to his father and get it off his chest, but his mind insisted on staying true to his friends and keeping the information stored away. What was he going to do? What was the right thing to do?
"Harry?" Severus's voice cut through his thoughts. Harry looked back at his father's now concerned face. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Dad." Harry nodded.
"Are you sure? You can tell me anything, you know."
Harry could feel himself start to sweat and he became aware of his beating heart speeding up. His breathing sounded so loud in his ears he felt like Darth Vader for a moment. It was like his father knew everything!
"I'm sure I'm fine. I'm not hiding anything or . . . anything."
Severus frowned. "I never said you were."
"Right," Harry gulped. He was going to spill if he didn't stop talking to his father soon. He wasn't sure how much longer he might last with this interrogation session. His father was good at this! "Sorry. I guess I'm . . . still tired. It was a . . . late night."
"You don't say? Mrs. Weasley told me you and Ron had had a late night and that you slept in until noon. I had tried floo calling you earlier, but you were sound asleep then."
"Sorry."
"Will you quit apologizing to me!" Severus laughed. Harry laughed uneasily as well. Severus then raised an eyebrow at his son. "Guilty conscience?"
Harry's smile faded, and he was sure he turned a shade paler. Surely his father knew something! How could the man not? Or maybe he was slowly figuring things out and soon he'd unravel the entire story of last night. Sheesh, Severus would make an incredible detective! Harry was sure of it.
But then, Severus smirked and said, "I'm just kidding, son. Relax."
"Oh, right, yeah," Harry smiled back, color slowly returning to his face.
"Dinner's ready!" Molly called out through the house.
Harry was so happy to have an excuse to end his conversation with his father, though he felt even more guilty for even wanting to end it.
"Well, dinner's ready, Dad. I'll talk to you soon?"
Severus offered a smile, but Harry was sad to see slight disappointment in his father's eyes. Now the butterflies in his stomach were raging around, beating their wings against the walls of his stomach. He really felt like he was going to throw up now. He was a terrible son for wanting to end a conversation with his own father.
"Alright. I miss you, Harry."
"Miss you, too, Dad."
Once Severus withdrew from the flames and Harry stood up, the boy nearly had a heart attack when he saw Percy standing behind him with his arms crossed and a knowing look on his face.
"You want to tell him about last night, don't you?" Percy said.
"Well . . ." Harry rubbed the back of his neck before admitting, "yeah, I guess I do."
"You should," Percy encouraged. "It would be the right thing to do. If you don't, your guilt will just get worse until you are physically sick."
"I don't get it," Harry said, knowing he already was physically sick. "The twins and Ron seem fine."
"Everyone responds differently to guilt. And some are just able to push it behind them. Come, it's dinner time."
After withdrawing from the flames, Severus sighed. He could tell something was bothering his son and he was sure it had to do with the events of last night. He knew the boy had gone on a flying adventure in a very dangerous flying car, but Severus was sure there was more to it. Did something happen during the trip? He hoped Harry talked to him soon and got whatever it was off his chest.
Severus turned from the fireplace in time to see Sam's white mist solidify in midair and crash to the ground, rolling on the floor and crashing into the wall bookshelf, breaking a shelf and knocking books to the floor.
"Sam!" Severus moved towards the fox. "I think you might need to freshen up on some flying classes. Have you been at Hogwarts this whole time?"
Sam didn't answer, nor did the fox move from where he had crashed, the broken shelf and books still lying on top of him. Severus frowned in concern and moved closer to the fox, dragging the animal away from the wall. Sam was salivating excessively, and Severus wiped off his hand on his robe.
And then he saw it.
A puncture wound – two actually – on the fox's shoulder. The wound seemed to be a small bite wound – but from what animal? Blood seemed to have dried on the fur. Severus couldn't really see much else due to the fur, but he knew that something was wrong with the fox.
"Sam, what happened?" Severus said, making sure the bite wasn't still bleeding. It almost reminded Severus of a . . .
: Black mamba, Sam managed to push his word into Severus's head.
"What!? Where the bloody hell did you go – Africa?"
: Long story. My kitsune magic is what is keeping me alive, though, Sam snarled slightly, his breathing harsh and labored.
Getting the picture, Severus stood and rushed to his lab. Where on earth would Sam encounter a black mamba? How on earth did he encounter one? And didn't those snakes usually strike more than once? Severus searched his stock for what he needed, hoping he wasn't out of stock on them. He found and grabbed an antivenom potion and a special venom-absorbing bezoar, just to be safe. He ran back out to the living room where Sam was convulsing on the floor. Damn it, Severus couldn't help but think as he kneeled near the seizing fox. How long ago had Sam been bitten?
Although, seizures were rather atypical of black mamba venom – usually paralysis occurred. Severus was sure this was due to Sam's own magic trying to fight off the venom – and failing.
Severus summoned an anticonvulsant he had seen when he was searching for the antivenom and bezoar. He spelled the anticonvulsant into the fox's stomach first, knowing that it would be best over trying to shove it down the spasming throat. After a few seconds, the fox stopped seizing and Severus quickly summoned a syringe and drew up a large dose of the antivenom. He wanted this potion in before the bezoar since the antivenom would specifically target the snake's toxin quicker while the bezoar was just an added bonus. Severus gently lifted the fox's head and slowly poured the potion into the semiconscious fox's mouth, making sure Sam actually swallowed to avoid aspiration.
Once he gave the potion a couple minutes to work, Severus picked up the bezoar and tried to force the fox to swallow it. However, Sam's seemed to reject the bezoar and snapped his jaws shut.
"Come on, Sam," Severus growled under his breath. "I'm trying to help you. Open your mouth."
Sam growled more, weakly pulling his head away.
"Sam, I can't spell this into your stomach like a potion. The texture can be irritating if not coated in mucus first which will happen with naturally swallowing it. It isn't that bad, now swallow it or I'll ask Madam Pomfrey for activated charcoal to shove down your throat as well!"
Sam growled once more before reluctantly opening his mouth and allowing the strange object to be forced into his mouth and he did his best to swallow it, choking slightly. He pulled away from Severus once more, resting his head on the floor again, feeling weak and agitated. Sighing, Severus lifted the fox and carried him to the dog bed to rest. Severus couldn't promise that his tricks would cure the fox. He could only hope they did enough for the kitsune to heal.
Sitting down next to Sam's bed, Severus stroked the fox's fur briefly before asking, "What happened, Sam? How did you get bit by a black mamba?"
: The necklace I wear, Sam answered after an intense moment of silence. The tooth is more than just a stylish trinket. It has the unique ability to grant demands given to it.
"Like a wish?" Severus questioned, though he had no idea what the tooth had to do with being bitten by a mamba.
: No, like a demand. Like an order. Although, a wish would be using nicer terms. I guess saying that it grants wishes gives a better idea as to what it does.
"Then why do you say demand?"
: Because you cannot just ask the tooth for something. It will not work to be polite. You must be forceful; you must order it to do something to get the magic to work. I told it to show me the danger that house elf spoke of and it led me to a bathroom. I believe that elf is insane. I saw nothing that could be a threat there, though I had a strange experience on the way to the bathroom. Regardless, it doesn't seem that Harry will be in any peril.
"That's good to hear. And the mamba?"
: Whenever one uses the magic of the tooth, that person must pay a price for it. It is not always a win-lose situation, but oftentimes, it is. And because I used it to search for the danger I sought, I am bitten by a black mamba. I do not quite understand the correlation. There usually is one, but I guess for this case, there isn't. Unless searching for danger and facing literate danger – I guess that might be it.
Sam narrowed his eyes in thought, Severus frowning in thought as well. Severus had never really asked about the necklace before, nor did he ever show much interest. However, hearing that the tooth had magical properties sparked his curiosity. How was that even possible? Where did Sam find it? And if it had such power . . . it sounded a lot like dark magic. Severus refrained from asking his questions however. Sam would share that information when he wanted to. And clearly, Sam wasn't taking advantage of the necklace and power he clearly had in his hands – or paws.
: Thank you, Severus, Sam suddenly said, lifting his head to look at the man.
"Of course, Sam," Severus smiled at the fox. Severus briefly wondered if the fox was aware of what he had been thinking, momentarily forgetting the fox could hear thoughts that were open enough to him. Sam was still a little weak looking from the venom, and Severus hoped he was too disoriented to be listening for his thoughts. But if Sam had heard, the fox never said a word.
Later that night, Harry found himself unable to sleep. Molly had sent everyone to bed almost two hours ago, but Harry couldn't seem to shut his eyes for more than a couple seconds. He tossed and turned in his bed, trying to keep quiet so he didn't wake Ron. He couldn't keep doing this all night. He knew what he had to do.
Crawling out of bed, Harry tiptoed down the stairs and to the fireplace. He was just reaching for the floo powder when a lit candle made him freeze.
"Harry?" It was Arthur.
"Sorry, sir," Harry instantly apologized, looking down at his bare feet. "Did I wake you?"
"Of course not," Arthur smiled. "I was just coming back inside, actually. I had to fix a lever in the car. What are you doing up?"
"I was . . . err . . ."
"You were reaching for the floo powder. Did you want to call your father?"
"Well, not call him . . ."
Arthur nodded in understanding. "You want to go home."
"Just for the night, if that's okay. I didn't mean to look like I was leaving without telling you or . . . something."
"You kind of were, you know," Arthur laughed softly.
Harry smiled at the man.
"I've noticed you seemed troubled during dinner. Does this have to do with your little late-night flight with my sons?"
Harry nodded.
"Well, if you need to talk to your dad about that, then you do so."
"Thank you, Arthur," Harry grabbed some floo powder. "I'll be back in the morning."
"Goodnight, Harry."
Harry flooed to Snape Manor and quietly entered his living room. It was dark in the house, but Harry knew his way around instinctively. He walked up the stairs and was about to head for his father's room when he saw a light streaking through the cracks of the closed bathroom door in the hallway. Frowning, Harry made his way towards that bathroom. He pushed the door open and paused at the sight.
Sam was lying in the bathtub, surrounded by hundreds of ice cubes, and Severus was sitting on the rim of the tub. They both looked at Harry with surprised faces.
"Harry," Severus frowned, but beaconed his son closer with a finger, "I didn't hear the floo. Though I wasn't expecting you tonight. Are you okay?"
"I'm . . . fine," Harry said as he stopped at his father's side, leaning into his father as the man put an arm around his waist. He looked down at Sam in the tub. "Is something wrong with Sam?"
"Just a reaction to the antivenom I gave him earlier," Severus explained, looking back down at the fox. "He had a fever that kept rising at an alarming rate. So, a little fever reducer and some ice to cool him down."
"Antivenom?"
"Sam was bitten by a snake. He's lucky to be alive right now."
Harry then noticed the bite wound on Sam's shoulder. He could clearly see two puncture wounds that reminded him of a snake bite. But Harry couldn't think of a snake poisonous enough in Britain that would cause death so quickly. An adder, though it could land a nasty bite, wouldn't necessarily be deadly enough to end a life.
: It's a long story, Sam said, adjusting his burning head on some ice cubes. But what brings you here?
"I couldn't sleep," Harry answered honestly.
"Why's that?" Severus gave his son a concerned look, brushing the boy's hair back.
"Well, I guess . . . I haven't . . . well, I . . ." Harry sighed in frustration before saying, "remember when you asked me if I had a guilty conscience earlier?"
"I do."
"Well, you were right."
Severus merely raised an eyebrow.
"I haven't been exactly honest with you about how my week has been going."
Harry waited for Severus to say something, but when the man remained silent, he decided to just keep talking.
"Anyway, you see, the twins, Ron and I went to London last night."
"And how did you four children get to London?" Severus finally asked.
Harry gulped, but there was no taking back his words. And he really needed to get this off his chest.
"The twins flew Mr. Weasley's car," Harry answered.
"They flew a car?"
Harry watched his father's reaction closely. The man seemed awfully calm with this news. Too calm. Harry wasn't sure if he should consider this a good or bad thing. He was surprised his father wasn't already yelling at him for his stupidity in joining the twins for a late night flight in a dangerous flying vehicle.
"That's not what's been really bugging me though," Harry said. But then he stopped there. He struggled to find the next words to tell his father what was driving him insane.
Severus seemed to notice his discomfort and struggle. He pulled his son into a quick hug and whispered in his ear, "You can tell me anything, son. I'll always listen. It doesn't matter what time of day or night, or whatever the situation may be. I promise to listen to you completely before anything else. I'm here to help you when you need me. Alright?"
"Yes, Dad," Harry smiled softly. The incident with the elf had not been long ago but Harry knew his trust in his father had strengthened greatly in the last few weeks. It was incredible, really. Harry decided it was now or never. "The twins wanted to go to London to get fireworks. But in order to get them, they had to steal them. And they stole a lot and put on a show. And they also got candy. And I was there with them."
Harry chanced a glance at his father, but was surprised to see not a frown but a small smile. Sam also smiled up at him from where he had his head rested on a pile of ice cubes.
"I am very proud that you came to me and told me the truth, son," Severus admitted.
Harry felt his whole body relax against his father. Those words filled him with relief and eased the tension he had been feeling all day.
"It takes a lot of bravery to do what you just did, my little Gryffindor," Harry blushed when his father called him that. "But I will have to inform Mr. And Mrs. Weasley of what you have told me. I'm sure they are unaware of the stealing part of your adventure, hmm?'
"No, they don't know about that. But do you have to tell Molly and Arthur?"
"I do. This is serious, Harry. You know how serious stealing can be. What if you four had been caught by Aurors? And with no adults around? I would have had to come pick you up from their office since you are a minor."
"I know and I'm sorry. But Sam was with us."
Severus glared down at the fox, "And Sam and I will have a discussion on that later. Specifically, the stealing aspect. Be glad you're sick, fox."
Sam merely smirked up at Severus, his ears perking up, but he didn't bother saying anything or lifting his head. Severus shook his head as he continued, "Regardless, the Weasleys' parents must know about this and I will inform them first thing in the morning."
"What if the twins and Ron are mad at me for telling you?"
"If they are true friends, they will understand."
Harry nodded. He was sure that they were the truest of friends.
"So, am I in trouble, too?"
"Of course," Severus said casually, turning on the tub faucet and using a spell that turned the water into ice cubes. Harry groaned as he watched his father move the ice cubes around the fox and cast a drying charm on where melting ice had soaked Sam's fur. "But, I will give you a choice for your punishment."
Harry's face fell at the mention of punishment, but he nodded and said, "Okay."
"You can either stay the rest of the night here and be here when I inform Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, or you can return to the Weasleys' and be there tomorrow when I inform them."
"That's it?" Harry asked with a frown. Surely there was a catch . . .
"I believe your little guilt trip was punishment enough. So, what shall it be?"
Harry smiled, glad that he was getting off the hook for this adventure. Well, besides his feeling terrible all day. That had been punishment enough. He felt really tired now and he figured it would just be easier to head back to the Weasleys' in the morning.
"I'd like to stay here for the night."
Severus pulled Harry down and gave him a kiss on his temple. "It's late. You know where your bed is. I'll be in to say goodnight when I'm finished with Sam."
"Okay. Night Dad, night Sam." Harry kissed his father's cheek and reached down to pat Sam's head.
Harry felt relieved that he had gotten everything off his chest and mind. He entered his bedroom and fell over on his bed, not even bothering to crawl under the covers. He closed his eyes and was asleep in seconds.
Twenty minutes later, Severus entered his son's room and smiled at the sight of his exhausted boy. He had just carried Sam back to the fox's bed since Sam was still weak and now he had to properly tuck in his son. Severus lifted his boy and pulled back the blankets. Once Harry was settled, he covered him and sat on the edge of the bed. He smiled sown at his son. The boy had no idea that his actions made Severus's chest swell with pride. Even though he didn't like the little adventure the boy had been on, there was hardly anything he could do about it now. He was just glad Harry had found the strength to confide in him. Especially after the incident with the elf.
Severus leaned down and kissed his son's cheek, whispering, "Sweet dreams, son," before standing and leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.
Well, hope it made up for the wait. Maybe? I promise to update more of my stories soon! Thanks again for being patient with me.