How it's meant to be
Chapter 17
"Daddy" said Harry, softly he held up a flower he had picked up from the garden, it was obviously for his daddy.
"Is that for me Harry?" asked Severus crouching down next to his son; sometimes his son was like a whipped puppy than a normal boy. However slowly he was getting better, Severus was always calm with him. He loved having his little boy at home, now more than ever he was glad he had made the choice he had made.
"Yes" said Harry smiling slightly, his hand was now wavering slightly, it was lunchtime, and Severus usually put him down for a nap and gave him potions, strengthening, nutrition, vitamin potions and pain potions. The pain potion was no longer needed but Severus continued giving his son them, he didn't want his son even in a small amount of pain.
Potions didn't always make everything alright with just one potion; he knew that, it would take away the pain yes, but not all of it. The marks on his back would take a while to heal and not hurt all together properly. The marks were no longer there thanks to a simple potion; again it didn't mean the pain was gone.
"Thank you, will we find a glass for it before you go for your nap?" asked Severus slowly lifting his son up. The first time he had gone to lift his son, his son had been petrified, Severus had realized why. Having huge hands coming out of no where was never good for his son; from then on he had always lifted his son slowly.
"Yep" chirped his son smiling happily. The smile was Lily's but those lips were his, it was funny how he could be reminded of himself and Lily when his son smiled.
"Come on then" said Severus, he was now letting his son getting used to doing things, being active like any normal child. He let Harry play outside, of course he could only go so far, and he had spells warding Harry away from the dangerous parts of the garden. There were toys outside, balls and other things for children to play with. Most of it had been ordered by a wizarding catalogue, he could not go out properly, and he was scared he was seen mostly. He didn't want the chance of his son getting taken away, and put with those awful Dursley's plus he could change nothing. Fighting for his son would change something, not that it mattered he would never let it happen. Even if that meant he would have to move a million different places just to avoid being cost.
He didn't want that either, he would rather Harry was brought up in a stable home, and happy. Being moved around was not the kind of thing children wanted, Harry would know this was his home and where he will remember being happy.
"Here we go do you want to put the water in?" asked Severus he had just taken a glass out of the cupboard. It was a normal drinking glass nothing fancy but it would do for Harry's flower.
"Can I?" asked Harry excited about such a simple thing.
"Of course" said Severus smiling softly as he handed the glass over, the flower was now in the glass and Severus put the water on. Harry clutched the glass in his small hands and let the glass fill. Severus shut of the water once the glass was half full; it was more than enough for the flower.
"Is it time for nap now daddy?" asked Harry yawning tiredly. Thankfully Harry was not one of those I'm not tired children who have screaming fits before they end up asleep. Harry was always happy to have a nap, knowing his daddy would be waiting for him to wake up.
"Yes it is, first let's get your potions" said Severus,
"Can I have the strawberry flavored one daddy?" asked Harry his eyes sparkling.
"Yes, you can, maybe we will have real strawberries for lunch would you like that?" asked Severus smiling softly at his son, once again thanking the gods for the second chance with his son. He didn't know why he had allowed himself to give up Harry the first time around, he just hoped his son didn't hate him when he got told about his two lives.
"Yeah" said Harry giving off a very small cheer of approval.
"Lets take the nasty tasting one first eh?" said Severus handing his son the healing potion, he got even more tired fast so he knew he had to get the potions into him quickly otherwise he would fall asleep rather quickly.
"Yep, it tastes yucky but it will make me all better" said Harry smiling softly, swallowing the potion he made a face, his sweet face screwing up at the taste but never once complained. However, he relaxed and looked more tired now, Severus gave him his other potions which Harry downed without comment or disgust. They tasted like strawberries, those are the ones Severus could flavor, however, the pain potion was a no try, sweeteners would destroy some of the ingredients and make it potentially useless, maybe even poisonous a chance Severus would never take.
"That's right son, you are the cleverest boy in the whole wide world" said Severus, his son was now practically asleep in his arms.
"I'm the bestest boy?" asked Harry in awe, his eyes closing sleepily.
"Of course you are, without a doubt" said Severus walking over to the couch with the sleepy bundle in his arms.
"I love you daddy" said Harry as he was laid down, a nice soft cover as tucked into him, which Harry rubbed his hands up and down. Still as amazed as the first time he had been cuddled into it, his eyes dropped some more.
"Sleep son, I will be there for you when you wake up" said Severus, stroking his son's hair knowing it would have him asleep within minutes.
He was correct, Harry's eyes dropped closed and he was out like a light, snoring softly his angelic face relaxed and a small smile still on his face. Even then Severus continued running his hand though the hair, which by the way was now nice and long. The hair was much like Severus' thick black locks, which Severus would never get rid of.
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Severus sighed, it was quite knackering getting up at seven o'clock every day, he was used to having his long lies at the weekend. Not that he was complaining or anything; he would rather this to teaching dunder heads every day. It was one hundred times better than Hogwarts, no manipulative Headmaster or anything. Not that he could stand working with them for so much as a day, he would murder them for what they had done to him and his son, and what they had planned. Plus he was going to his bed much earlier so it was in a way making up for the lost sleep; he had never been an early sleeper, something that had thankfully changed.
Sometimes he ended up falling asleep; he remembered the first time it had happened. He had woken to find Harry curled around him, a colourful book in his hand and just looking at it silently. He had looked up when Severus had woken his eyes brightening immediately, then asking his daddy if he had a good nap, which Severus looked embarrassed but said yes he had. When Harry didn't say anything else, he got over his embarrassment and played with his son the rest of the night.
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A few hours later Harry woke up, yawning softly he lay there as he started wakening up properly. His eyes were on his daddy, smiling softly he asked his dad a question.
"Daddy can we go and see the stars tonight?" asked the little boy.
"We can't go see the stars Harry, we can only look at them, the stars are way, and way up high nobody can reach them. That Harry is how high and much I love you" said Severus softly cuddling his son close to him.
"So can we go see them I mean look at them?" asked Harry softly looking curious.
"If that's what you want then that's what we will do, we will go see them, from the balcony tonight how would you like that?" asked Severus, making notes in his head, to make sure the house elves brought food, making sure he put a heating charm around the balcony he didn't want his son getting ill after all. Perhaps he should take his astronomy set he had used at school; he will get a closer look at them from that.
"Yes! Yes, yes!" crowed Harry happy.
"Very well," said Severus softly, a deep rumbling laugh coming from him and his son's happiness.
"Your tummy rumbled Daddy what was that" asked the curious boy poking at Severus' tummy. Making Severus jump and nearly laugh, no one knew that he had a tickly tummy; his son was the same as him.
"It rumbled because I laughed son" said Severus softly stroking his son's hair, which Harry lay into closing his eyes loving the feeling of being touched and loved.
"Does it do anything else?" asked Harry referring to his tummy.
"It growls when they are hungry, and it holds our food" said Severus.
"So all the times when my tummy growled I was hungry? It used to do that lots Daddy but not now" said Harry snuggling into his dad.
"Is that right?" asked Severus lightly his son never seeing his murderous face, he really hated those Dursley's but they were suffering now. Now before it got too bad, as much as he hated to admit that he didn't want to kill someone for which crimes he would never make.
"Yes," said Harry nodding his head in agreement.
"Well it won't or you will come to me when it does start growling ok?" asked Severus it was more of a statement than a question but his son didn't know that.
"Of course daddy, I like having a tummy that doesn't growl" said Harry softly a smile on his face.
"Good, and I like you having a tummy that doesn't growl" said Severus, it means he had a healthy growing boy.
"Your tummy sometimes growls daddy! I've heard it after you make potions," said Harry his eyes sparkling.
"Yes, usually I have a sandwich down there, but sometimes I forget, which is silly of me," said Severus. There was a few times where Harry had needed him when he was brewing a potion; he had gone to him immediately, not caring about the potion. And indeed what Harry said was true, he had been hungry.
"Daddy is not silly!" said Harry shaking his head.
"Ok" said Severus, softly.
"Will you play ball with me again daddy?" asked Harry who was obviously ready to go back outside and have fun.
"Of course, but after lunch ok?" asked Severus.
"Ok" said Harry happy that his father had agreed.
Lunch for children at that age would have been messy, but for his age Harry was a remarkably clean eater. He left nothing on his plate, and ate it all slowly, it's what his daddy had said to do, and he always listened to his daddy.
Harry had a sandwich with ham on it, which he liked but it was not his favorite, Harry still amazed Severus when Harry ate it all including the crumbs. Harry then savored his fruit, the strawberries were very sweet but Harry liked them none the less. He had never been allowed them before, so he was making sure he got loads of it now.
Severus of course was finished way before Harry, but he was just content to sit and watch his son eating his lunch. Sometimes the look on Severus' face you would think he was seeing something unusual or amazing, to Severus it really was something he found still unusual and amazing. It was unusual because in all his years he had never gotten to see it, it was amazing just because his son was really beside him eating his lunch, another thing he would never have thought would happen to him.