AN: You guys are amazing readers, thanks again for follows, favorites, and especially reviews! I'm going to keep to this schedule of posting every day (only to be broken in case of extreme crisis). There will probably be about a month break between this book and the next one, to give me time to write ahead but I'll keep you guys posted.
Chapter 3- Home
Severus spent the whole night brewing potions, interrupted by brief trips to check on Harry. For the most part he slept deeply but once or twice Severus had sprinted to his room in an all-out panic at the boy's terrified whimpers only to find him lost in a nightmare. Each time Severus didn't dare to touch him, instead talking to him quietly until he settled.
Severus's eyes were starting to blur again as he squinted at the potion book so he decided it was time to check in on Potter again. He stood and wiped his eyes, stretching his back that was stiff from leaning over his cauldron all night. Severus swallowed a pepper up potion with one gulp in his sparsely rationed kitchen and then walked to his room.
When he entered he was surprised to see Harry sitting in the center of his bed, still surrounded in a nest of Severus's dark green sheets, staring at him with an unreadable expression.
"Good morning," said Severus awkwardly, breaking the tense silence. The boy simply stared. "Do you need anything?" No answer again.
"Alrighty then," Severus muttered under his breath and then left, heading towards the kitchen. He filled a glass with cool water and returned to find Harry unmoved, still staring at him silently.
Severus approached the beast cautiously, holding the glass of water ahead of him as a peace offering. Harry took it hesitantly and then took a small sip. Seeming satisfied he gulped the whole thing down in a matter of seconds.
He held the empty glass back to Severus. "May I have more, please?" he asked in a strained voice, flinching as if expecting Severus to strike him.
Severus just nodded, unable to find his voice at the look on Harry's face, turning away to hide the pinpricks of tears gathering in his eyes.
"Drink this one slowly," Severus told Harry when he returned and then he went back to his potion making.
A few minutes later Snape heard the soft sound of footsteps padding on carpet. He listened carefully but did not pick his head up from its position hunched over his cauldron. His toilet flushed and the boy padded back to his room, moving almost silently through the house.
Severus gave an appraising look to the pale golden color of the potion. He could leave it to simmer for a while while he attended to Potter's needs.
Severus straightened up and picked up the small collection of potions he had made the night before now stoppered in bottles of various shapes and sizes. He ransacked his kitchen to find anything that would help persuade Potter to drink them all and then returned to the bedroom, making sure to keep his footsteps loud so the boy knew he was coming but not so loud that he sounded angry. Severus was all too experienced with judging the mood of an adult by their gait.
He pushed open the door and found Lily's eyes staring at him once more, with Harry sitting on the edge of the bed that Severus noticed he had already made.
"I brought you some things," Severus started slowly, carefully gauging each of the boy's reactions as he distributed the potions on his bed side table. The scrawny boy just watched him with that guarded look again. "I want you to drink them so that…" Before Severus could fully explain the purpose of each potion Harry had scooted over and chugged the first one.
It was a nutrition potion that Severus thought tasted rather like a mixture of old socks and rat poison, but Harry swallowed the thing with no qualms, just moving rapidly on to the next potion. He swallowed all the potions in rapid succession and then looked up at Severus with wide eyes as if seeking approval (or rather, Severus decided after, seeking no punishment).
"That was…. Very good of you," Severus forced out awkwardly and then shoved the piece of chocolate he had found wedged under the stove into Harry's hand.
Harry stared at it for a moment as if unsure of what to do with it. "It's chocolate," Severus added.
With the way the boy looked at him with that comment you would have thought Severus just handed him the freaking philosopher's stones.
His eyes widened exponentially and filled with first surprise and then an overwhelming joy that lit up his whole face. "For me?" he whispered in awe.
"To rid your mouth of the taste from the potions," Severus answered simply, unsure if he could have managed to say anything else.
The boy gazed back in wonderment at the treat and then slowly peeled off the golden foil, staring reverently at the revealed dark chocolate.
He took a cautious nibble and his eyes lit up even brighter (which Snape had thought would be an impossible feat).
"You will have to take these potions every day," Severus started to lecture him, "and I will expect you to eat three, fully nutritious balanced meals…"
Harry cut him off, "Will I get…" He trailed off when he realized what he had done staring at Severus in horror. He had learned long ago never to interrupt an adult while they are speaking.
Severus lifted an eyebrow as he saw the inner turmoil flash across the boy's face. "You may continue."
"Will I get chocolate when I finish the potions every day?" Harry finished in a rushed, terrified whisper, staring down at his hands so he didn't meet Severus's eyes. Of all the stupid questions he could have asked…
"If you behave yourself," Severus responded tersely. He didn't catch the boy's amazed gaze as he turned and strode out of the room, "now come and eat breakfast."
Severus was in the middle of toasting the last two pieces of bread in his house with a heating spell because his toaster was broken (and probably had been for years) when the events of the day before fully hit him. He realized that at the moment the Ministry probably thought he was dead and had arranged a giant manhunt for the boy. He would have to go in to work and straighten things out but he had no intention of turning in Harry, at least until the ministry fully understood what had happened, so that left him with few options. He certainly couldn't leave the terrified, half- starved child to his own devices.
Severus sighed deeply and placed the toast in front of the ever- amazed Harry. "Eat," he ordered then walked over to the large fireplace in his living room. He knelt down next to it, throwing a handful of glimmering floo powder in. "McGonagall's Quarters, Hogwarts".
Minerva was sitting at her desk and sipping her tea quietly as she looked over the morning paper with a deep frown when suddenly a face appeared in her fireplace. She jumped, scowling as she spilled half of the contents of her teacup onto her lap. She cast a quick drying charm and then turned to the face, fully composed.
"Greetings Severus. I take it you're not dead?" She gestured to the newspaper then caught on to Severus's worn and wary expression.
"I need your help," he said to her quietly, cringing at the weakness in his voice. "Now," he added sharply and then disappeared.
Minerva humphed at his lack of manners, but quickly followed him, her wand gripped tightly in her hand.
When Severus straightened and turned from the fire place he found Harry a few feet behind him, staring at him. "You just stuck your head in the fire," he stated, staring at the grate. Severus nodded and before he could explain to the poor boy at least something about the floo network Minerva appeared out of the fireplace with a flash of green fire.
Potter didn't make any noise but backed rapidly against the wall, his gaze flickering between McGonagall and then back to Severus as he desperately sought reassurance. Severus gave him a small nod, hoping to keep Harry from going into another burst of accidental magic.
Minerva just stared at Harry, seeming just as shocked to see him as he was to see her. Finally she tore her gaze away from him and turned to Severus, her eyes demanding an explanation.
"That's the Potter boy," Snape started, not very helpfully.
"I can see that," Minerva snapped back, lowering her voice when she saw Harry flinch and press further against the wall. "Is it true that he…"
Severus nodded and Minerva had the sense not to continue while Harry was in the room.
She sighed unhappily, not pleased with Severus's explanation, or rather lack of explanation, and turned to Harry. "Hello Harry. My name is Professor McGonagall."
Harry stared pointedly at his feet, not showing any outward reaction to Minerva's attempts.
"Harry," Severus started in a loud but even tone, "Professor McGonagall will watch you while I go attend to some matters. I will be back soon." He hesitated as he saw the panic that filled Harry's eyes at the thought of being left alone with a stranger. "I promise you, she will not strike you or in any way harm you or else she will have me to deal with."
A look passed between Severus and Minerva, Minerva's eyes widening at the implications of the statement and Severus silently promising to explain later. Harry nodded meekly.
Severus chugged a few pepper ups and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. He decided his appearance would only help his story so without a glance back he stepped into the floo and shot up in green flames.
