Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, characters, universe, etc. I'm not making any money from this.
Once Upon A Time
"Once upon a time, there was a little boy. Tinny, tiny little baby boy. He watched his mummy die and then he killed a man. They cheered him. Celebrated him. Adored him. Locked him up in hell and forgot him."
"Potter," Severus frowned as he approached the bed in the back corner of the infirmary. It had been almost a week since Severus had found him. He'd been so bloody and bruised that he was barely recognizable, curled up under his bed like a frightened child, muttering nonsensically under his breath. Poppy's spells and Severus' potions had healed the boy's body since then. None of them knew if his mind would ever join it.
"Once upon a time," Potter went on, not giving any indication that he even knew Severus was there. "There was a tinny, tiny first year. Tried to save the Stone. Killed a man again. They gave him sweets and points and a pat on the head and sent him back to hell…"
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose against his budding headache. The same headache he got whenever he was around Potter, but it was no longer caused by finding the boy annoying. Now, too often, he found the boy's muttered or sing-songed rants ringing painfully true. They had all wronged this boy in so very many ways. It truly was no wonder he'd lost his mind. "Potter," he tried again. "It's time to take…"
"Once upon a time… Itty bitty second year, tried to save the school. Killed a man again. Killed the poor snake. They gave him an award and sent him back to hell."
"Potter, you have to take your potion."
"No," Potter whispered, staring wide-eyed across the room at the opposite hall. He leaned forward and continued to whisper as though confiding a secret. He still didn't seem aware of Severus' presence. "No potions. Potions master hates me, you know?" Then his eyes drifted toward the ceiling and he switched to the sing-song voice, "Hates me 'cause I look like a dead man. Once upon a time, there was a itty bitty potions master…"
"Potter!" Severus barked sharply, very much not in the mood to listen to an insane boy enumerate his many flaws and failures.
The boy finally blinked and looked up at Severus. He continued to blink owlishly.
"You need to take your potion now," Severus said more sedately when the boy remained silent.
"Y'know…" the boy muttered thoughtfully. "Your hair's dirty. Can tell 'cause it just hangs there like… Hey, did I finish my potions' essay?"
Severus sighed heavily and just spelled the ruddy potion into the brat.
Potter belched loudly as the potion filled his stomach, then called out as Severus turned to leave. "Hey, did you know I have to kill Voldemort? Not fair, really. Already killed 'im three times. Should be someone else's turn…" He drifted off as the sedative in the potion lulled him into sleep once more.
"Yes," Severus whispered into the silence that followed. "It should be," he agreed before heading back toward his dungeons.
It should be. But it wouldn't ever be.