Author's Note: This chapter is rated T for some cursing. I mean if anyone has a reason to curse it's Harri.

Italics for Harri and Sev's thought

Bold italics for mindspeak

Chapter Six: Rising Instincts

Harri had been drifting off to sleep when she heard leaves crunching and what sounded like soft footsteps. Freezing, she sat as still as she could while trying to find what was making the sounds. And when she did finally see it she really wished she hadn't.

There, standing only a few feet away from her was a massive panther. And it was staring straight at her. Harri felt her heartbeat quicken as she started to panic. Please don't eat me! She tried to say, but it came out as a pathetic, little mewl. She stood up, fur puffing up when it took a few steps closer. What do I do! I can't outrun it! And I definitely can't fight it off! Is it going to kill me? After everything thats happened is this going to be how I finally die?! Harri let out a pathetic hiss when it took another step closer, whimpering when it didn't stop.

Calm child I'm not going to hurt you. The words almost seemed to have sounded in Harri's mind. What. The. F***. Holy shit what is happening. After everything that's happened now this?! Bloody hell am I losing my mind?! I must be going completely mad! I'm imagining a panther's voice in my head! Telling me I'm okay before it eats me! The panther moved forward again, now only a few steps away from Harri, who is cowering and pressing herself against the tree. Really cub, I mean you no harm. I am speaking to you with mindspeak. You will be able to do so yourself someday when you're older. I only wish to help you, so please do not be afraid.

Harri narrowed her eyes in suspicion. He (she now realized) might be the same as her. She didn't think he was an ordinary panther if he could speak to her with her mind. Which she still hadn't completely convinced herself was real. But what did she have to lose. It was either trust him and die or not trust him and die. There was no possible way she could see herself escaping.

She have him a slight nod of her head to indicate that she was listening and willing to accept his help. He seemed to breath a sigh of relief as he finally closed the distance completely between them. Thank you. I swear on my magic that I will cause you no harm. Now it looks like you're injured, may I check to make sure they are not to serious. Harri gave a slight nod, but tensed when he brought his head down closer and nosed at her wounds. She let out a small hiss when he touched a particularly sore area. I apologize. It seems you are more hurt than I first thought. You seem exhausted as well. I don't know how you've even survived this far. It looks as if you haven't eaten for weeks. He seemed to be restraining himself from asking her how she got hurt, knowing that she couldn't answer. He was growling a bit, and she shrunk away from him. He seemed to realize her fear and instantly calmed himself. I'm sorry cub I'm not angry at you. Just at whatever lowlife scum would stoop to hurting a cub. My kind is very protective of our young and seeing you in such a state. . . Sets off some of my more protective instincts.

Harri was shocked. No adult had ever shown such concern for her before, other than maybe Mrs. Weasley. Even if he was. . . Not exactly a human adult. She would take what she could get. I know of somewhere to rest for tonight somewhere with a little more. . . coverage. He said, looking at her very open tree area she had chosen to sleep.

Did she really want to leave her river with him? What if he was lying, he seemed nice but so did a lot of other liars. She looked along the bank. No sign of anything mildly populated. Who knew how many more days it could be and she already hadn't eaten for over a week. The Dursleys had been starving her before she got kicked out and she sure as hell hadn't found anything out here.

At one point of desperation she had seen a mouse and tried to catch it but ended up failing. That was probably for the best though. Well she was in a die-die situation here. At least with him she had at least a little more of a chance at not dying. He hadn't killed her yet and he definitely could have. That seemed like a good sign. She hoped.

Harri once again nodded her consent. She let out a embarrassingly high pitched yelp, when she was suddenly hoisted into the air by the scruff of her neck with no warning. You are injured and exhausted. We will get there much faster this way.

Harri scowled and squirmed a bit, before going limp in his jaws. Almost instinctively she curled herself into a ball making herself smaller. Her last thought before drifting into unconsciousness, as she swayed side to side, was that this was surprisingly comfortable.

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Severus was in a state of shock. He was walking in the forest, in the wee hours of the night, with a tiny, snoozing cub in his jaws. She brought out instincts he had never felt before, not even with Draco. The rage he felt seeing her injuries had shocked him, along with the surge of ferocious protectiveness. He still couldn't even believe how gently he had spoken to her. Maybe Lucious is right, he though wryly, maybe I am getting soft. He snorted at that and vowed to be even tougher on his students this next year. He almost purred thinking of different punishments he could bestow upon the Gryffindors.

He was knocked from his pleasant thoughts by a whimper. The cub was beginning to squirm and whimper. Maybe it's a nightmare.

I better hurry up and get us to the hollow. Up ahead Severus came upon a giant oak tree, that was hollow near the bottom big enough for them both to fit comfortably inside.

Severus crawled in curling up and nosing the sleeping cub towards his stomach. He curled around her, purring and grooming her softly to calm her from her nightmares. It worked and she was soon drifting into a peaceful calm sleep, now purring a sweet, small purr herself. Severus settled down into sleep, feeling utterly peaceful for the first time in many years.

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Harri didn't wake from when she fell sleep in the other panther's jaws falling straight into her nightmares. She vaguely registered the feeling of being cradled in a soft embrace and felt herself being stroked, soothing her from her nightmares and pushing her into a dreamless sleep. For the first time in a very long time, Harri went to sleep feeling safe and warm. At peace.