Chapter 6
He had Bonded.
No—impossible. Such a bond had to be willing, on both sides. Though he hadn't wanted the boy to die, he didn't wish to be Bonded to the brat, certainly not for life.
…On both sides. Surely Harry bloody Potter did not wish to be stuck with his Potion's Professor, again not for life. Or at all, from previous experience.
Bonded. How? Why?
And what was he going to tell the boy?
At least—if Poppy were correct (and she nearly always was)—he would have several days to decide how to inform the child.
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A whisper of disturbed air quickly followed by the soft clack of talon against wood sent Severus starting awake and jerking around, wand and gaze leveling towards his child's bed.
Surprised amber met suddenly puzzled black. Harry's owl?
The owl hooted mournfully and fluttered down to the pillow, moving to preen the boy's hair before looking back up at Snape, soft gold questioning—pleading.
"He will heal, little one," Severus said, not knowing the owl's name.
To his surprise, the bird seemed to understand, hooting in a much happier tone before flapping up to the headboard and settling in as though standing watch.
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Harry woke alone, in the dark, feeling terribly small and vulnerable. He had the immediate desire to see Snape, the man who had helped him in his periods of confusion and weakness.
He didn't even think to question the desire as he curled up, groggy and shaking with weakness.
A soft hoot startled him and he jerked, looking around almost wildly until his eyes caught a blur of white. "Hedwig?"
The owl hooted again, fluttering down to settle next to her master's head.
Harry reached out to stroke her feathers, mildly comforted by the familiar presence, but still feeling unreasonably frightened and alone. "Could you… could you find Snape for me, girl?"
Understanding the pleading in her master's tone, the owl hooted softly and took off to find the one her master wished to see.
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Down in his office, Severus Snape's head snapped up as he was grading papers, a small frown crossing his face.
Something was… different in his bond with the boy. Anxiety tugged at his heart and he had almost decided to go check on his new charge when a determined white-feathered whirlwind descended on him through the owl chute.
Snape was on his feet and following the bird before he'd consciously decided to do so, obscurely glad that it was so late and no students were about to see him all but running through the halls.
He barely restrained himself from slamming the Hospital Wing door open, but a latent desire not to frighten the boy reminded him that loud noises were a bad idea. As he entered he noticed several things—one, the boy was responding to the owl that glided across the room to land on his nightstand, and two, that a certain nurse was nowhere in sight.
Where was Pomfrey? She never left patients unattended directly after they woke.
On second thought, it didn't matter. Though few knew it, Severus was a fully qualified Medi-Wizard. He would see to the boy himself.
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This is probably going to be the shortest chapter in the story, but it seemed like a good stopping point. For the chapter, not the writing—the next one should be up significantly more quickly next time.
Also, I'm looking for a sounding board for this story—someone to bounce ideas off of and check that it still makes sense before it gets posted. Any takers?