You Can Live: Chapter 16
Alright, so lately I have been getting some reviews that are tweaking my writing a smidgen. They are all still lovely, but they give me food for thought. So I figured I will just address them here.
Yes, most parents would react the way Snape did with Harry (perhaps minus the alcohol), however, Snape has never been a guardian before (teacher yes, but not such a complete responsibility). Also, Harry is not like other children (obviously). He is emotionally damaged and sensitive. Snape reacting that way hurt him, so though it is a normal reaction, Harry is not used to the shouting stopping there, and memories flooded his head, making the situation that much more terrifying for him. Snape and the others are all upset, because Snape hurt Harry and broke that trust between them, as now Harry is going to have a hard time not seeing the difference between the Dursleys' treatment of him and what a normal punishment is like.
The next one: I can understand how the trio helping Snape might seem a bit adult, but keep in mind they had to grow up fast being in a war and all. Though, I just picture Draco and Hermione being very mature for their ages anyway. Snape will be more independent, as you say, when they leave, of course, because he's the one who has to deal with the everyday fall out. It'll be difficult, since it won't just jump right back to the way it was.
Super long AN! Sorry, just thought I should go ahead and address those 2 reviews. Hopefully my writing didn't take a huge 180 after those, but I did try to take them into account. Thank you for ALL reviews, and...Please enjoy :)
No slash here, only guardian/ward psuedo-parent/child relationship and friendships.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, except for the plot. I would be able to afford school if that were the case.
Warnings: SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR WARNINGS AND OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES!
Try to Understand
Draco made sure to get a good look at the injury on Harry's neck, before jumping to any conclusions. He knew his godfather had a temper, but Draco could never believe that he would intentionally hurt Harry. He himself had witnessed the man's quiet concern, when Harry had hurt himself the other night. There was an explanation he knew, but he also knew that he still wanted to punch the man in the face for what he had done.
Ron was beside him, quietly fuming but trying to keep a lid on it for Harry's sake. All he could do was watch as his ex-arch enemy healed his best friend. Harry himself was quiet throughout Draco's early ministrations. He couldn't see what Draco was doing however, which led him to flinch a lot at unexpected touches.
"Harry, what happened to your neck this time?" Draco kept his voice soft, cautious about his tone. Harry shrugged, but then paused.
"Well…I smacked at a bug, then my neck itched. Albus got on me when he thought I was scratching too much." Both men were relieved to hear that the wounds on Harry's neck had not come at the hands of the potions master. As it was, they were vicious and would force Draco to wrap Harry's neck in gauze to prevent another injury on such a fragile and weakened area. Following this, Ron beat Draco to the most obvious question.
"Albus?" A very small smile made its way onto Harry's tear stained face, as the owl hooted softly and hopped over to his side.
"My owl. S-Severus got him for me." Harry hadn't seemed to notice the man's presence in the room when he first exited his wardrobe and didn't react when the man fled the room. It took both young men a few moments to realize it was because Harry didn't have his glasses.
"Mate, where are your glasses?" This question surprised Harry, and he brought his hands up to his face.
"I..I don't know. I had them, I did…but, now they're gone. I-I'm sorry." Harry was starting to hyperventilate, and seeing Ron's distressed look, Draco knew he would be the only one in the room capable of dealing with Harry's roller coaster emotions.
"It's okay, Harry. We'll help you find your glasses later. Now," Draco finished patching up Harry's neck, again, and summoned some bruise salve. "Do you have any other bruises, besides the ones on your arms?" Both young men held their breath, afraid of the answer.
"W-well, I'm pretty sure I ran into a wall or two, and I knocked my shins on a few of the steps…on my way up here." Ron and Draco let out their breaths, and the tension in their shoulders relaxed a bit. They were afraid to find more bruises that could only be explained by…by Harry being attacked. Draco began to rub the salve on the bruises on Harry's arm.
"Do you want to tell us what happened when you got home, Harry? Snippy said you left without telling Severus." Harry nodded and looked down in shame. His hands snaked into his hair, and he let his fingers tangle up in his dark locks.
"I was so stupid! I didn't even think, before I took off. Then I was flying for so long…I got tired, landed in a field. That's where the bug got me. I think..I must have fallen asleep, 'cause next thing I know, it's dark and I can see the moon. I..I panicked. I didn't know where I was, and I could barely see. Albus was able to guide me back, though." Here Harry stopped and petted his owl on the head. His pet hooted softly, and Harry gave him a sad smile.
"S-Snape was waiting for me. He asked me a question..and I just froze. He got angry. Understandable enough. I completely disregarded the rules he set, and disappeared for hours. He was really angry though. Started yelling and hollering at me. He picked me up and shook me. That's when I smelt the al-alcohol on his breath. Uncle Vernon drank a lot. Sometimes he was so scared of me and my freakishness that he would only come at me when he had enough whiskey in 'im. I guess…I don't know. I guess that just..set me off? Before I knew it, I was running for my cupboard." Harry looked back at his wardrobe and bit his lip.
"I haven't done that in years." They were all surprised, well in Harry's case startled, when Snippy stepped forward and pulled Harry's fingers from where they were yanking at his hair. The house elf was very gentle and gave Harry a sad smile.
"Master Harry should not hurt himself like that. Master Snape was bad tonight, but Snippy can see that Master Snape is really sorry. Master Snape promised that Snippy can kill him if Master Snape hurts Master Harry again." All three boys were shocked by the news, and Harry was almost in tears again.
"No, Snippy! Please. It was my fault. I won't do it again. Y-you don't have to hurt S-severus." Draco couldn't help but chuckle dryly.
"A Gryffindor forever and always, eh Potter? I'm sure Snippy wouldn't hurt Severus unless she absolutely had to. Right, Snippy?" For a moment, the house-elf almost looked as if she would contradict him, but she just crossed her arms.
"If Master Harry did not want Snippy to." That answer…wasn't too encouraging, but it was enough to calm Harry down.
Draco finished rubbing the bruise slave wherever it was needed, then pulled out muggle gauze. Ron raised an eyebrow.
"What's that for? I thought you healed 'im?" Draco rolled his eyes to Harry in such an over the top fashion, the raven-haired boy had trouble fighting a laugh at his friends expense.
"Yes, Ron. I did heal him, but seeing as this is the second time that Harry has felt the need to gouge at his neck, I think it is necessary to put some extra protection on the fragile and weakened area." As he said this, he went about unrolling the gauze.
"Harry, this might irritate you when I first put it on. However, I really need you to stay still and try to refrain from picking at it." Harry made to nod, but Draco gave him a look that clearly said to stop moving. The raven-haired boy sat stock still as the Slytherin wrapped the gauze around and around his neck. Draco made sure to make it a bit more thick than he normally would have, knowing with Harry's luck, the other boy would hurt himself the next day. Draco leveled a stern gaze at said boy.
"If I have to come heal you again tomorrow, I'm bringing Madam Pomfrey with me, and you will have to explain to her why you feel the need to constantly injure yourself." That was a genuine threat, and Harry almost felt compelled to make a vow. The older healer of Hogwarts would be sure to give him an earful if she found out about his injuries. She might even go after Snape if she heard about their little…issue earlier that night.
"Mate, you look a bit pale. Do you need some water, or something?" Harry nodded. The longer he sat on the floor, the more the events weighed down on him. It seemed to settle on his bone and make him feel like he could sink into the floor and never come up. Draco took one look at his drooping patient and made a decision.
"Alright. Up you get. I think you've had enough excitement for one night." Harry accepted the helping hand off the floor, but insisted he could get changed and into his bed on his own. Draco raised a brow at him.
"Really, Potter? Because right now you look like a Hippogriff gave you love bites and you've been hit with a jelly legs jinx." Harry rolled his eyes.
"Thanks for the compliment. I can get changed without you being in the room, thanks." Honestly not believing it to be a good idea to let Harry alone for a minute and having a strong desire to not see him in his underwear, Draco startled Harry by transfiguring the clothing that he had on into red pajamas with little golden snitches flying on them. Harry looked down at the ensemble and raised a brow at the blonde. Looks like he has picked up on a few of Severus's mannerisms. Draco shrugged and smiled in amusement.
"We learn that spell to get an unconscious student changed without being in danger of getting sued or permanently scarring us. I must say you look dashing." Harry rolled his eyes again, but couldn't stop the smile that started to grow.
"Oh, shove off, Malfoy." At the other boy's prompting, Harry got into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. Draco couldn't help but think that that made him look so much younger. He looked up as Draco approached the bed.
"Tell me part of procedure isn't for you to tuck me in." Draco barked out a laugh at Harry's straight face.
"Merlin, no! I just wanted to check the gauze one more time. It's going to have to be changed twice, daily. Check for rashes forming or strange discoloration. Any signs of that or you are an idiot and hurt yourself again, and I will kill you myself…or sick Mrs. Weasley on you." Used to the threats by now, Harry just chuckled softly. The house-elf came up to the bed. Snippy patted Harry's head.
"Goodnight, Master Harry. Sweet dreams." Harry was fading fast, so after Draco and Snippy said goodnight, they turned down the lights and left the room.
Malfoy looked up and down the hallway. Ron had left to get Harry some water and hadn't come back. Draco was about to walk to the bathroom, when he heard raised voices coming up the stairs.
"No! You're not going near him!" A grunt.
"Ronald!" Some scuffling.
"Allow me passed, Weasley, or I will forcibly remove you from my way." Draco rolled his eyes, and pursed his lips in frustration. He motioned for Snippy to stay back, when she made as if to snap her way into the situation.
"It's alright, Snippy. I will handle this. Just, keep an eye on Harry, and let me know if he needs something." Snippy hesitated only a moment, before quietly slipping back into Harry's room. Draco then turned and stalked to the top of the stairs. He put his hands on his hips and glared at the three on the stairs.
"Could you three be any louder?" he hissed. He walked down until he was next to Ron and in Snape's way. Severus scowled at his godson.
"Draco, let me by. I need to check on Harry." Draco crossed his arms, his wand held casually (yet still a clear threat) in his right hand.
"Oh no. I finally got him calmed down, and in bed. He's sleeping now. The last thing he needs is more of this." The two men had the decency to both looked ashamed, and Hermione smacked Ron upside the head, before placing her hands back on her hips. Draco shot her an amused smirk, before turning back to his godfather with a much more serious expression.
"You have a lot of explaining to do. I suggest we all move this party down and away from my sleeping patient." Severus got a distressed look on his face though.
"But who will be with Harry if-"
"Snippy is with him. She'll keep a close eye on him, and has instructions to come get me if he stirs or needs me." Snape still looked as if he would push past them to get to Harry's room, but decided it was for the best if he didn't. Good choice, Draco thought a bit sharply. The blonde inclined his head towards the downstairs, and Snape grudgingly led them down and to the living room. The two boys sat on the couch across from Hermione and Snape who each took an armchair. Ron seemed a bit miffed that his fiancé-to-be did not sit next to him, but she shot him a quelling look.
Draco leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and sighed. He rubbed a hand down his face, and Severus saw just how tired his godson was.
"I have had to come here two days in a row to heal my friend. The first time, I understood. Harry's nightmares have always been an issue, and I was happy to help. I left trusting you would take care of him. Trusting you." Draco stopped here, and locked eyes with his godfather. His next words were heavy and full with ultimatum. "Did. I make. A mistake?" Snape straightened himself in his chair and squared his shoulders.
"No. You did not." Draco surveyed his face and found the man across from him was not lying. He nodded.
"Alright." Ron looked at him like he had lost his head.
"Are you serious?! 'Alright'? What about what he did to him tonight?!" Hermione rubbed her temple in exasperation.
"Let him explain. He really does care about Harry, Ron. Tonight was a mistake, but one I think we can trust him to never repeat." Inclining his head in gratitude for her interception of the red-head's oncoming rant, Severus steeled himself to an Inquisition as he put his actions and feelings to words once more.
So? These three will be leaving in the next chapter, and hopefully the next time they show up it will be something happy, and not some huge emergency someone's hurt sort of deal. :) Till next time!
Thank you to the reviewer who pointed out my little continuity mistake with Harry's glasses! I'm going to have to make sure Severus gets them back to him now. Thanks again!
Please Review :)