Jack's home was in downtown London. The exterior of the building was very old-style and historical, but the inside was very modern and completely re-furnished. His apartment was large, two stories, with many rooms, high ceilings, and large windows. Everything was spotlessly white.
Harry could count the number of muggle houses he had been in on one hand. And of those houses he had never been in such a high-class one. It was certainly more interesting to him than a wizard's manor.
Jack was showing him around, and Harry hung back a few feet behind him, not wanting to be too close to the man. The man seemed to be very cheerful and hospital, but Harry wasn't going to let his guard down. He tiptoed as he followed, careful not to track dirt anywhere or upset the cleanliness of the place. Petunia would have disinfected the very air Harry breathed out if she had lived in such a place.
Snape had given him back his wand before he left. Harry had stuck it down his waistband and pulled his shirt over the top part. It wasn't like he could use it or anything, but just feeling it against his bare skin made him feel safe and a bit more courageous.
"You-you're a, uh, lawyer?" he spoke up finally.
"Mmhm," Jack opened up a door to yet another room and waved him in. "I'm a lawyer, yes, but my grandmother left me her inheritance. As you can tell, it was a decent chunk." The room Harry was being shown had large black leather couches, and a huge flat-screen tv. "This is my gaming room," Jack said proudly. He rummaged around in the cabinet and began pulling out gaming consoles. "I don't have as much time to play anymore, sadly, but you are free to play whenever you want." He pointed to a mini fridge in the corner. "I keep that stocked in booze, so help yourself."
Harry was left with his mouth hanging open, gasping. There was so many video games! Dudley would have simply killed for this. Dudley had a lot of expensive games, but the Dursleys were nowheres near this rich and so he didn't even have this much. And even if he had, Harry had never been allowed to touch Dudley's stuff anyway. He had always wanted to play, but had to settle with discreetly watching at those times when Dudley was fully immersed and wouldn't notice him.
"I still work," Jack was speaking. "I'll be gone from nine to five every day accept the weekend. Sometimes later if I have meetings or if I go to the gym. Feel free to eat whatever you can find. I keep everything well-stocked. Usually I order takeout for dinner, but there is plenty of food if I am out. I hope that's okay with you."
"Excellent!" exclaimed Harry, just happy that he wouldn't have to cook for them, and that Jack would be gone for most of the day.
"You can watch movies and play games whenever. I don't have many books but I'll leave my kindle. Mister Snape also mentioned that you have summer homework? I hope you are able to entertain yourself when I am absent." The man looked genuinely concerned.
"I'm pretty good at that," Harry said. After all, anything other than being in a cupboard was an upgrade, as far as he was concerned. And now he wouldn't have to study nearly as much as when he was with Snape.
"You can bum around outside, but you have to be within a three mile radius of the apartment, I am sad to say. At least, that is what I was told. There is a park and some little shops around here at least."
Harry's ears perked up at that. "I can go out?" he gasped. "Are you certain?"
"Aye," Jack chuckled. "I mean, that's what I was told, so why question your luck? I don't know how these wards work, but I purchased a muggle phone for you and an extra apartment key so you can have a gps and get around easier."
Gratefulness surged in Harry as the man handed over his smart phone. He felt a bit guilty he had felt so suspicious of the man, and that he was still a bit uncomfortable around him.
"What are my, uh, chores?" he asked. He had really wanted to ask about consequences for rule breaking, but he didn't feel like ruining his mood by bringing that up, and Jack hadn't really given rules yet. Still, he knew there had to be a catch to all this niceness. Why would someone be nice to him and take him in unless there was a catch? Like, you know, defeating a dark lord or something?
"Chores?" Jack voiced the word as if it was in a foreign language. "Oh, no need to do any of those. I have a house-keeper come in twice a week to clean for a few hours. If you really feel the need to do chores, I'm sure I can find something for you to do for me." The man winked, and Harry felt his face flush.
"It's okay," he hurriedly said. "It's not like I like chores or anything." He didn't care how ungrateful he sounded. He was just being honest, after all. And he certainly didn't want Jack to make up stuff for him to do. He didn't want to find out what those things would be.
Jack showed Harry to his new room and left him to unpack. Harry was grateful for the privacy, and he closed the door behind him. He went to lock it, only to find that it didn't have a lock. He wasn't sure why he wanted to lock it, but he suddenly wanted one. And if there was anything that he hated normally, it was closed rooms and locked doors.
Harry's room wasn't quite as large as his one at Snape's manor, but it was immaculately clean, white like the rest of the house, and he had his own bathroom again. There was no lock on that door either, and Harry felt his heart sink a bit. Who the hell made bathroom doors without locks? Wasn't it supposed to be a universal courtesy or something?
There was a large sheepskin rug on the floor buy his bed, and Harry shuffled his feet through the thick fur as he unpacked, which boosted his mood a bit.
All in all Jack seemed to be a bit flirtatious, bordering on possible creepiness, but he hadn't lunged at him or tried to fucking bite him again or anything of the sort, and he hadn't even said anything about rules and consequences. And for the first time Potter had a phone and could go about as he pleased! Maybe life would be bearable after all.
Dinner was chinese takeout and cold beer. They ate in the living room while Jack flipped through channels on the tv. The food was really fried and greasy and delicious, as far as Harry was concerned. He hesitated about drinking, remembering last time he had gotten drunk with the man, but he cracked a bottle anyway because free alcohol. It wasn't like a drink or two would take him completely off his guard.
That night Harry dreamed. He was used to nightmares, used to waking up in a cold sweat at the Dursleys, used to stifling his screams with his sheets so that Vernon wouldn't wake up. Sometimes it worked, other times it didn't. Luckily Snape's room was located far enough away in the manor where the man didn't wake up to his screams. There was no such luck in Jack's house.
Snape had watched Potter leave to go to his new home with an uncomfortable feeling resting in the pit of his stomach. Concern. The boy was white and seemed to be in a state of shock ever since his new guardian had arrived. Snape had the overwhelming desire to legitimize the boy to see inside his head, but he stifled it, not wanting to invade the boy's private emotions for no reason but to satisfy his own curiosity. The boy already hated him enough as it was. Being nervous over a new guardian who was a stranger was probably normal anyway.
He did, however, give Harry a vile of calming draught discretely under the table while Jack was chatting. Harry didn't take it. Neither had he so much as touched his breakfast that morning, much to Snape's dismay. He decided not to push the boy.
Ever since Harry was a small child Snape had time and time again gone to rescue him. It was a hassle, but it was his duty, and he did it as an obligation to Lily. Yet seeing Harry now, Snape was worried, and it had nothing to do with Lily or any sense of obligation he felt. He was simply concerned. It was a new emotion for him.
After Potter had departed Snape did not wait around any longer. He left as well, a certain destination in mind. He was angry, and he was going to get revenge. It had been on his mind since the night before. It had been his one thought while he had healed Potter's body, and it never left for a moment since then.
He was going to pay a visit to number Four Privet Drive.