AN: Just so you know and are forewarned; (1) this story is grotesque, (2) lacks verisimilitude, (3) is nauseating, cloying, ignorant and (4) completely farcical. (but at least it was worth 4 reviews)
Maybe you should all immediately stop reading it. *eyeroll* … always these stupid guest reviewers. Well... I have warned you. You can stop complaining now if you are still unable to stop reading it. :-P
And for all those of you who know already what a "perverse" writer I am and are still reading my stories, enjoy the next chapter. ;-)
This time it is not only double but triple beta-readed. Big THANKS to Jasper's Mom, EvilDime and Visitkarte.
And of course also big THANKS to my reviewers ... I love your reviews and things like these reviews above will not get to me as long as you are supporting me.
I already wonder what reviews I can expect should I ever decide to post my harry-potter-styled answer to Shades of Grey. Ha ha...
Chapter 8 – Magical Outburst
The next morning Harry sat at breakfast being in a good mood. He couldn't really remember how he got back home the night before but he was glad that he had gotten the chance to talk with Severus. Now he could understand his professor even better. He was eagerly looking forward to his first remedial potions class as he was sure this time Severus wouldn't be as vile as he had been in Harry's first year.
Draco and Lucius noticed Harry's good mood as well as the amount of food that went into the boy this morning.
"Slow down, Harry, or you will get a stomach ache," Lucius finally said.
Harry looked up with an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I just can't wait to finally get the chance to learn potions. I was looking forward to it since my first day in Hogwarts, but after Severus' hostile behaviour towards me, I lost interest in the subject."
Lucius was surprised to hear that. Severus always told him that it was a pity that Harry didn't inherited Lily's passion for potions. Did Severus really treat Harry so awfully that he smashed the boy's enthusiasm? "Well, it's nice to know that you are eager to learn something."
"Why wouldn't I? I love magic," Harry replied, puzzled.
"So how come your marks aren't better?" Lucius asked with a thoughtful frown. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not scolding you, but I am curious."
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Erm... I don't know. Nobody was really interested in my marks. At the Dursleys I wasn't allowed to have better marks than Dudley and I wasn't allowed to speak about Hogwarts."
"Rest assured; I am interested. I expect you to work hard in all your subjects and if your marks are better than Draco's then all the better."
"Really?" Harry looked up in surprise. "You wouldn't mind if I have better marks than Draco?"
"Don't worry, Harry. You will not beat me in classes," Draco said, proud of himself.
"How can you be so sure? I'm better in DADA than you. I could be better in all subjects," Harry contradicted.
"In your dreams!" was all Draco said.
"Well, we will see, won't we?" Harry said with a big grin. It was exciting to be challenged like that. Never before had he been this motivated to bring home good marks.
-oxo-
Severus didn't know what hit him, as he watched the eager child cutting and slicing ingredients for their potion.
"Harry, slow down and work more carefully. These slices are too thick. Let me show you." Severus said and then took the knife form Harry for his demonstration. Harry watched intently and then copied Severus' movements with high concentration. He really wanted to do it right this time. He wanted to make Severus proud.
While he prepared the ingredients he noticed that he was able to work more accurately now that his hand wasn't hurting any longer. He also felt far more energetic than he did a few days ago. All in all, he never felt better and his good mood didn't go unnoticed.
Severus was happy to see the changes. The regular meals and the healed bones boosted Harry's magical levels and although Harry seemed relatively calm right now, he also knew that the child was going to need some physical exercise for compensation or the boy would get fidgety and unbalanced.
In the end the potion turned out perfectly and Severus felt ashamed that he'd never seen the hidden talent in the boy.
After their potion brewing Severus explained some basic theory, while Harry took some notes, and then flooed the child back to Malfoy Manor.
Xox
"How was it?" Lucius asked and Harry grinned from one ear to the other.
"Brilliant. Severus said the potion was perfect."
Lucius smiled proudly and then asked: "That's good to hear. You still have an hour till lunch, maybe you could work some more on your summer assignments?"
Harry's smile faltered for a moment but then he said: "Yes. Of course," and left the room with a polite smile.
Lucius frowned as he watched the boy go.
"I would advise to let the child go swimming, or flying in the afternoon, or he will climb up the walls in the evening. Maybe some duelling would be a good idea, too. Now that Harry's magic is no longer occupied with keeping the body functional, the boy is full of energy. It's important to give Harry an outlet, or his magic will burst out of him uncontrollably," Severus explained.
"Hm, you may be right. Draco went for a ride this morning. He will be back at lunch. Maybe the two can do something together. I am busy till later in the afternoon. Harry's birthday party, the hearing of the Dursleys, the adoption... so much paperwork."
"When do you plan to have Harry's party?" Severus wondered.
"The coming Saturday."
"Will you invite his friends?"
Lucius sighed. "I plan to do that but I have a bad feeling concerning the Weasley boy. You know Molly Weasley doesn't consider me kindly due to my past sins, and now she is poisoning her children's minds to make sure they don't associate with any of us. Draco's behaviour towards Harry and Ronald last year didn't improve the situation either. I fear he could ruin Harry's party. So I'm not sure if I really should invite him. I want Harry to be happy."
"Shall I talk with the Weasleys and explain the situation to them? I will tell them that Ronald may come if he keeps his reservations about you and Draco to himself, for Harry's sake?" Severus offered.
"You would do that?" Lucius asked hopefully.
"Of course." Severus shrugged his shoulder. "This party is for Harry. If the boy cannot keep his big mouth shut then he doesn't need to attend. And what about the adoption? When do you plan to do that?"
"The Saturday after Harry's birthday. Depending on how the party goes, I will decide then whether to invite Harry's friends or not."
"And the hearing?"
"The hearing will take place on Thursday next week."
"Is Harry aware of it yet?" Severus asked.
Lucius shook his head, "No, Harry doesn't know about the Dursleys' arrest. He had so much on his mind, he hasn't been ready to learn about that till now. I may talk to him this evening."
"Shall I come over to entertain Draco?"
"That would be appreciated, thank you, my friend."
-oxoxo-
At lunch Harry had a hard time sitting still. He fidgeted on his chair, dangled his feet and played with the silverware.
Lucius remembered Severus' words about the boy having too much energy and tried to be lenient with Harry but as the boy accidentally lost the grip on his fork and it fell back into his plate and caused the sauce to splatter onto the tablecloth he finally snapped: "Harry, would you please stop this playing around and sit still? You can go and play in a few minutes, when you have finished your meal. As long as you sit at the table you need to act as it is expected of a Malfoy."
Harry's eyes widened fearfully. His whole body froze in shock. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Apology accepted," Lucius said with a smile to reassure Harry that he wasn't in trouble.
Slowly Harry picked up his fork again and continued to eat, carefully watching his every move. As Lucius continued as if nothing had happened, Harry relaxed again and finished his meal soon after.
"Why don't you boys go outside? Draco, you could show Harry the pond," Lucius suggested.
"Yes, why not? I wanted to go swimming anyway," Draco answered immediately but Harry looked up nervously.
"Erm... I'm not sure I want to go swimming."
"Why not? The weather is perfect," the blond-haired boy asked.
Harry bit his lip and lowered his head as he considered what to tell his brother. "I don't like water."
Draco frowned. Somehow he got the feeling that Harry wasn't completely truthful. Why wouldn't he like water? Then suddenly it hit him. "You cannot swim, can you?"
Harry blushed deeply and nodded once.
"Erm..." Draco looked at his father for help. He couldn't really remember how he learned to swim.
Lucius looked torn for a bit. There was so much paperwork waiting for him. But then he concluded that the paperwork could wait till the evening and said to Harry: "Well, in that case, we will have to do something about that, won't we?"
Draco smiled and looked back at Harry.
"We will teach you! It'll be so much fun, you will see!"
Harry forced himself to smile, but he wasn't really convinced.
Oxo
A few hours later Harry had changed his mind about swimming. He couldn't remember having so much fun, in the water no less. The floating charm Lucius used on him to keep him above the water was really very useful for learning the motions necessary for swimming. With time Lucius weakened the charm but Harry wasn't ready to swim completely without it.
Draco was an excellent swimmer, of course, and he dived under Harry and his father a lot. Lucius always stayed near Harry, not leaving his side even with the floating charm, and Harry was very glad about it.
Now the boy was in his rooms having a quick shower before dinner. Finished, he bounced down the stairs again as he was very hungry after all the excitement.
„What are the house rules concerning the stairs?" Lucius asked in a warning voice as Harry nearly ran into him.
The smile vanished immediately from the boy's face. Blushing deeply, Harry lowered his head. But then he looked up again and straight into Lucius eyes and said in a clear voice: "No running or bouncing down the stairs."
Lucius gave a curt nod and then asked, "Do you know why I established this rule?"
Harry bit his lower lip and nodded, but as Lucius still looked at him expectantly, he answered verbally: "Because it is dangerous. If you fell, you could break your neck."
"Indeed, even if it isn't the neck, a broken ankle or wrist is also very painful."
"I'm sorry. I was just eager to get to dinner because I'm very hungry," Harry explained.
A soft smile played around Lucius lip as he said: "It's good to hear that you have an appetite. Nevertheless, this will be your first and last warning about this rule. Break it again, and you will write lines for me."
Harry nodded his head and then smiled to himself, as Lucius placed an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a one-armed hug.
Unbeknown to the two Draco had watched the exchange from the top of the stairs. He was glad that Harry wasn't so afraid any longer, but as he saw his father's arm on Harry's shoulder he frowned at the unfamiliar feeling he got in his stomach at the sight.
Oxo
"You look concerned, Father. Is everything okay?" Draco asked at the end of dinner.
Harry looked up in surprise and glanced at the man. Lucius smiled a bit forced and said: "Yes. I need to talk with Harry about something important, though."
"Okay, shall we meet in the living room?" Draco asked.
"No, Draco. I need to talk with Harry alone. Severus will be over in a bit," Lucius explained.
"But what do you need to talk with Harry about? Why can't I hear it, too?" the blond-haired boy started to complain. The strange feeling in his stomach came back full force.
Lucius scowled at his son's behaviour. "If Harry wants to tell you about it afterwards, it is up to him. Right now, I will speak with him in private."
"But-"
"No, Draco. Stop it, or you can wait in the corner over there until Severus arrives. You know, I don't like whining. There is a reason why I want to talk with Harry alone and whatever you may think about it, I will not change my mind. So save your dignity and accept my decision."
"I'm sorry, Dad. I will wait in my room. Will you send Severus up to me?" Draco stood with a controlled neutral expression.
It was clear to Harry, though, that Draco was angry. His jaw was clenched as well as his fists.
Lucius inclined his head. "Of course."
Harry felt very uncomfortable. He had no idea why Lucius needed to speak with him and he didn't like the tension in the air.
"Harry, will you follow me into my study, please," the man said, standing up.
The black-haired boy nodded and stood, too, a bewildered frown on his face.
Lucius informed Dobby to send Severus up to Draco's room and then went, with Harry in tow, towards his study.
Oxo
Nervously, Harry squirmed in his seat. He watched Lucius, who seemed to be unsure how to start the conversation. This made Harry even more nervous. Why would the man struggle for words unless it was something really bad? Maybe Lucius had changed his mind? Maybe he didn't want to adopt Harry any longer? Or he wasn't allowed to?
"Harry, I'm sorry I haven't told you earlier, but-"
"Please don't send me back!" The words naming his biggest fear tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop himself.
"What?!"
"I know I'm so much trouble and a danger to you and Draco but, please... please don't send me back!" Harry pleaded desperately.
"Why would you say that? What made you believe I would want to be rid of you?" Lucius demanded, doing his best to keep the anger he felt out of his voice.
Harry bit his lip hard, his hands trembled and he looked up fearfully. "You struggled with the words and you didn't allow Draco to hear this conversation, so I thought maybe... maybe you changed your mind... or Dumbledore won't allow me to continue staying here... I don't know..." Harry stuttered.
Lucius sighed deeply, unsure if he should scold Harry for the interruption or assure him once again that he would never be sent away. It was really concerning that Harry still had this fear. Hopefully after the adoption, his fear would be laid to rest once and for all.
"Harry, nobody will ever be able to force you to return to the Dursleys."
"Not even Dumbledore?" Harry ask softly.
"Your headmaster has no say in this and even if he did, he cannot force you to go back to them, because the Dursleys are going to face trial. I wanted to speak with you because the hearing takes place on Thursday."
Harry's eyes widened at that. "Trial? Hearing? I don't understand."
"The way they treated you was unacceptable. Healer Greg was forced to report them due to the medical scan he did on you."
Horrified, Harry shook his head. "No. Don't do that. Just let them be. They... they don't like magic..."
"Harry. They broke the law when they abused you. The medical scan showed that the only reason you are still alive is because of your magic. You would have been safer in any orphanage. They violated your human rights and now they must face justice. There is no difference of human rights between Muggles and magical folk."
"But what about Dudley?" His aunt and uncle adored their son. They couldn't just take him away.
"Your cousin is staying with foster parents, as far as I am informed."
"No!" Harry yelled in panic and stood up. "Please stop that. Don't do that to them."
"That's not in my hand, Harry. They did that to themselves when they decided to treat you the way they did. Your fear of them is just one more proof of how awful they have been."
At these words Harry hung his head and wrapped his arms protectively around his torso.
"It's understandable that you fear them. It's normal. Any child in your position would fear them. It is not your fault that they treated you poorly."
"But it is!" Harry looked up again. Hoping to make Lucius see reason, he explained: "I did all those freaky things. They hated it when I did. They told me to stop it but I couldn't. I had no control over it. They hoped I would be able to get a hold on the freakishness if the punishment was bad enough. They-"
"Harry. Stop it!" Lucius shouted while his hand hit the tabletop.
The boy jerked violently. With big frightened eyes he fell silent.
"Sit down," Lucius demanded in a calmer but still stern voice.
Without another word, Harry sat down again, unsure what would happen next.
Lucius took some calming breaths before he started talking again. "You did no freaky things, you performed accidental magic, like any other magical child. No child under the age of eleven has absolute control over their magic. Your relatives knew that you are magical. They knew what it means to raise a magical child the moment they took you in. They got informed by Headmaster Dumbledore himself.
"They also were told that they would get money for your keep. Not money just for your food and clothes. They got extra money for your birthday, or for Christmas. Believe me when I say it was a very lucrative deal for them to take you in. There was absolutely no reason to give you second hand clothes. There was also no reason to force you to do all the household chores. The money they got would have covered the costs of a house keeper easily."
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want to believe it. That was a horrible truth. Surly there was a mistake, his relatives never got any money. Why would they always complain that Harry was stealing food out of Dudley's mouth if they received money? That didn't make any sense.
He shook his head in denial.
"There is a reason why they are facing trial, Harry. They are not only child abusers but also thieves. They stole your money and gave it to their son instead."
"No. You are lying!" Harry yelled and jumped out of his seat again. "They never got any money."
Before Lucius could react, Harry stormed out of the study.
-oxoxo-
Draco startled violently as he heard the door next to his room slamming shut. Just a moment later a loud scream full of agony was heard, followed by deep heartbroken sobs. Then more screams echoed through the house. As they stopped a loud bang followed.
Highly alarmed Draco looked at Severus, who was already heading to the door. Draco jumped up and followed. Severus knocked on Harry's door but was completely ignored. As he tried the doorknob the door didn't budge. Taking out his wand Severus tried to spell the door open, but without any success.
In the meantime, more bangs, screams and sobs were heard.
Severus knocked again. "Harry, let me in!"
Finally, Lucius came running up the stairs. His face was full of worry and – Draco squinted to be sure – full of fear.
They all winced at a very loud bang and the following howl of pain. Then it grew unnaturally silent all of a sudden.
Severus tried the door again but it still didn't let them in.
"Dobby!" Lucius called his elf.
"Dobby is very sorry, Master Malfoy. Dobby tried to see what Young Master is doing, but Dobby cannot get into the room." The small elf looked devastated.
"I never heard of a young wizard powerful enough to neutralise a house elf's magic," Lucius said, still concerned, and dismissed Dobby with a wave of his hand.
"What are we going to do?" Draco asked in panic.
"We need to calm him down somehow. His magic is overpowering him. Let's hope he is listening," Severus said and then knocked loudly on the door. "Harry. I hope you can hear me in there. I will tell you something. You must know your aunt's hatred against magic started very early in her life. She and your mother were always playing together. When your mother slowly showed more and more magic, at first Petunia was fascinated. She also wanted to do magic. She pleaded with Lily to teach her. Lily tried her best, although I explained to her that you cannot learn magic, you have to be born with it.
"Soon Petunia and Lily realised that I was right. Petunia was very angry about that. As Lily got her Hogwarts letter, Petunia even wrote to Professor Dumbledore, begging to be allowed into Hogwarts, too. Professor Dumbledore denied her request, explaining that Muggles cannot go to Hogwarts and that they do not teach the typical subjects of a Muggle school.
"That made Petunia very bitter. She stopped talking with Lily and her anger drew her ever further away from her sister. Whenever Lily tried to get in contact with her, she refused. Petunia was very, very jealous of her sister.
"It is my belief that her jealously returned with full force as you started to show magic. Your grandparents had been very proud that Lily was a witch, and Petunia had felt disadvantaged because of that. I can only guess that that is the reason why she favoured her non-magical son over you. She wanted to turn the tables.
"It's clear that she overdid it by far. Your grandparents never treated Petunia this poorly, but... I don't know... Maybe she sometimes felt overlooked. It is of course no excuse for her behaviour towards you, but I hope it will help you to understand why she was so horrible.
"What I want you to understand is that you had nothing to do with her decision to treat you that way. Her hatred was already established in her childhood. It was not your fault. It has never been your fault." Severus sighed and then wondered out loud: "Why anyone would place you with her if she was that hostile towards the wizarding world, I have no idea. You will have to ask Professor Dumbledore about that."
As Severus finished his story he noticed that Lucius and Draco had left at some point or another. He looked back at Harry's door and tried the doorknob again. This time he could push the door open.
The room looked like it had been hit by a bomb. The chair was broken. Schoolbooks were scattered all over the floor. The blanket and the pillows were on the floor, too, and a blue stain on the wall showed where the ink pot had impacted and shattered.
Harry himself was sitting on the floor right next to the door. His eyes were closed and his left hand was stoking the fur of a white purring cat.
Severus crouched down in front of the boy. "Hey."
Harry's eyes fluttered open. The red rims from crying stood in stark contrast to the vivid green of his eyes.
"How are you?" Severus asked softly.
Harry closed his eyes again and shook his head. His hand never stopped stroking the cat. Severus sat next to the boy and looked at the animal. The white fur also showed blue spots, most probably from the ink.
"Is that Mr. Paw?" Severus asked and Harry nodded once in response.
"He is alive. Did you do that?" The man asked once more, purposely asking the question so that Harry could answer with "yes" or "no". The way the boy had screamed before surely left his throat sore.
Harry shrugged.
"Accidentally?"
Harry shrugged again.
"Did you wish for him to become alive?"
Harry paused and then nodded. He gave a shrug with just one shoulder and after a short hesitation he looked up questioningly.
"I don't know if he will stay that way but if you want a cat as a pet I'm sure Lucius will grant you your wish."
Harry frowned and hugged Mr. Paw closer.
Severus smiled. "You want Mr. Paw. I understand. May I?"
Harry looked unsure at first but then he nodded and watched Severus' hand closely as it reached out to scratch the cat behind the ear. Mr. Paw looked up at the man and Severus couldn't help but smile. The white cat not only looked, but also felt and acted like a real, normal cat. "He is beautiful."
Then Severus looked back at the destroyed room.
"Are you hurt?"
The stroking hand stilled for a moment but Harry didn't answer.
Severus looked back at the boy. "Where?"
Harry lowered his head. "Hand," he whispered softly and in a kind of explanation he added: "Wall", and after some hesitation he said: "Toe. Bed."
"Your hand hurts from hitting the wall and your toe from kicking the bed?" Severus repeated just to be sure and Harry nodded in confirmation.
Severus noticed that Harry's right hand was just lying next to his side, half hidden by the cat. "Anywhere else?"
Harry gulped and stared at something in front of him. Severus followed his gaze and his eyes fell onto the pieces of glass from the ink pot. Turning pale, Severus had to suppress the urge the grab the boy's arms and check for any cuts. He really hoped Harry would never get to this point. "Tell me you didn't," he whispered, nearly pleading.
"Didn't," Harry whispered back. "Couldn't... saw Mr. Paw... I remembered... I'm loved."
"Thank Merlin," Severus couldn't help but say to himself. "Yes, you are loved!" He emphasised. "Lucius, Draco, your friends and me, too, we all would be devastated if something happened to you."
"But they... would not."
"The Dursleys don't count any more. They never earned the right to claim you. Your mother would be scandalized if she knew how you have been treated by them. She loved you dearly! And if the tables had been turned, she would have loved Dudley, too, and not abused him."
"Don't... understand... why?" Harry said in a low and completely heartbroken voice. "How... can they... hate me... so much?" After that, Harry winced as his throat was killing him.
Severus noticed, of course, and instead of answering he said: "Let me have a look at your hand and toe, and then I will see what I can do for your throat."
He was relieved to learn that Harry hadn't hit or kicked hard enough to damage the bones seriously. He could heal both easily with the healing balm he always carried on his person.
"For your throat you can take a potion, but I would advise you to take it easy and try to talk as little as possible. You should get ready for bed while I go and get the potion for you, okay?"
Harry nodded weakly. He lifted Mr. Paw from his lap and placed him on the floor, then gratefully took Severus' helping hand to stand. Severus pulled out his wand and repaired the chair and the ink pot. With the next wave of his wand the ink spot on the wall vanished and after a final wave of his wand and the books repaired themselves and flew back to the bookshelves.
Harry studied his feet in shame. How could he have been so ungrateful and destroy everything?
Suddenly two fingers under his chin guided his head up until he was forced to look back at Severus. "I know your magic broke free and wasn't under your control any more and I fear that will happen more often during the next few days. Your life changed a lot lately and with the healing of your body you now have access to your full magical potential. It will take time until you adapt and gain the full control back."
Harry bit his lip and said: "I'm sorry I'm so much trouble."
Severus shook his head "No, Harry. You are just a child in need of adult guidance like every other child of your age. Lucius and I, we are here for you and Draco, whenever you need us. If there is a problem we will try our best to help you solve it. I know the concept of having a caring family is new to you, but believe me when I say we are happy to have you and we are more than willing to help you whenever you struggle."
"Dad will be mad at me. I practically called him a liar."
"I don't think he took offence at your words. He knew the news would be hard for you, but an apology surely will do the trick."
Harry frowned to himself.
"Come on, go and brush your teeth and I will be back with the potion soon."
"Thank you," Harry whispered.
Severus placed an arm around Harry's shoulder and then pulled the boy closer to kiss the top of his head. In the next moment he released Harry again and headed out of the room.
Harry was shocked how natural it had felt. Just a few months ago the same man had glared angrily at him or belittled him for his lack of knowledge in potions and now he was the most understanding man in Harry's life. The man had changed completely and Harry still had trouble wrapping his mind around it. He wondered from time to time why things had changed. Was it just because he had learned about Harry's abuse? Why would that make a difference? Harry's potions knowledge was still very limited.
-Meow,- said Mr. Paw and Harry looked down at the cat leaning against his leg.
Harry smiled and picked the cat up, cuddling it careful against his chest and leaning his cheek against the soft fur. "I hope you do stay alive."
-oxoxo-
That evening, as both boys were finally asleep, Severus and Lucius sat together with a drink, as they often did when they needed the support of the other. Neither man talked at first, they both were shocked at what had happened with Harry.
"It would be cruel to force the child to be present at the hearing," Lucius said more to himself but he knew Severus was hearing him.
"Maybe, but it would also make everybody see just how much damage the Dursleys did to the boy."
At that Lucius snorted and then shook his head. "Too much damage, that's for sure. I don't know what I would do without you. I'm glad you took control of the situation earlier. I sometimes don't know how to handle the boy. His permanent fear is so frustrating and I'm sure he still doesn't believe that he belongs to us now."
"He may have had a hard time learning to accept that he is welcomed here, but deep down he has already realised just how much you and Draco love him. This realisation is what kept him from harming himself more seriously today," Severus explained, thinking back to the white cat Harry had brought to life.
"What do you mean?" Lucius asked with a frown.
"He obviously thought about cutting himself with the broken ink pot, but then he saw Mr. Paw, the stuffed cat Draco had given him. It must have pulled him out of his despair and allowed him to think clearly again. I guess it was then that he wished the cat to come alive."
"Come alive?" Lucius repeated, confused.
Severus smiled. "Yes. He channelled his magic with his wish to bring the stuffed cat to life."
Now the blond man's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me that Harry brought Mr. Paw..."
"...to life. Yes."
Shaking his head in disbelief, Lucius asked: "So the stuffed cat is now what... a normal cat?"
"Well, no. Mr. Paw is looking and acting like a real cat but he isn't real. He is animated but will not have the need for air or food. I don't know how long he will be that way. Normally if you transfigure something into an animal, it will last only for the time being. With Harry though, nothing is normal. So I have no idea how long the cat will be alive. I will have to do some research on that."
After that Lucius nodded and fell silent again.
"I think I will call Melinda." This time it was Severus who broke the silence. Lucius' head snapped up at that and he looked at his friend questioningly.
"Harry will have more magical outbursts and obviously his accidental magic gives him reason to worry greatly. They are a sore spot for him. Most probably thanks to his relatives. I'm also not entirely sure if I could give Harry the emotional support he will need. Melinda is an expert in this area."
"I thought you don't want to see her again," Lucius asked, surprised.
"I still don't want to, but this is for Harry. I'm convinced she can help him better."
The blond-haired man smiled to himself. Melinda was a good friend of Severus', but as she had tried to become more, Severus had ended the friendship rather quickly. Sometimes Lucius teased Severus about it, but he knew the man just ditched her because he still wasn't over Lily.
"What will you tell Harry? I don't think he will be thrilled if you tell him he will be going to see a mind healer."
"I will tell him nothing. I thought maybe they can meet each other 'by sheer chance' at my home. I will introduce her to him as an old friend of mine."
"Just don't underestimate Harry's intelligence. The boy adores you as much as Draco."
"I'm aware of this and if Melinda thinks that Harry will need more meetings with her, I will tell Harry, of course, but the first meetings are the most important ones. I don't want Harry to block out a possibility of help just because of the prejudice against mind healers and she is an old friend of mine, so I'm not lying there."
"I know, I'm sorry. I appreciate what you are doing for us. I would be long lost without you."
Severus inclined his head and then took a sip of his drink and enjoyed the silence that once again fell over the room.
That is until a scream from above cut forcefully through the peace of the night.
AN: Awww... I know... how can I? I will do my best to update as soon as possible.