There was no rescue from Hogwarts because it didn't exist. At the young age of fourteen, Harry Potter was quickly realizing that the only one who cared about him was himself. That is, until Children's Services was called in, and he was placed in the home of one Severus S. Snape. "Snape is Harry's father" fic; AU.
Warning: Hogwarts does not exist in this book. Ignores that Sirus existed. Actually, it ignores that most characters existed. It focuses around Harry, Snape, and Dumbledore (although there may be one or two surprise visits from Draco).
THIS BOOK MENTIONS EATING DISORDERS, ABUSE, AND RAPE. PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE FOLLOWING.
This will not – nor will any of my fics be – a slash!
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I'd be able to pay my mom back for breakfast this morning.
Let's get on with it!
Dedicated to Diana.
--
"Lemon drop, Severus?" Dumbledore replied with a twinkle in his eye as he appeared on Severus' doorstep. He enjoyed annoying Severus, knowing the man only ate cake at parties to be polite and preferred that he didn't eat any sweets.
"As I've told you, Dumbledore, I do not wish to ruin my mouth with sweets," Severus replied in mock exasperation. "Please come in."
"Thank you, Severus. I'm sorry to bother you at night and so shortly after Mike left," Dumbledore replied. "How is he doing at Harvard?"
"As suspected, fine. He passed his first quarter with a four-point-oh and is at the top of his class. His professor says that if he stays on target he will be ranked first in graduation."
"All due to your help, Severus. If not for you, that boy would still be rotting in a bloody hellhole."
Severus rolled his eyes at Dumbledore's language. For a social worker who quite often told teenagers to refrain from using language, he used plenty himself. "I assume there is a reason for your visit?" he replied.
"Yes, you assume correctly. I know you like to wait a month or so to recoop before taking in a new boy who needs help, but there's one who needs your help urgently. His name is Harry Potter. He's fourteen."
"There must be more to the story, Dumbledore. You never hesitate to tell me the boy's stories."
"Quite frankly, this one makes me want to vomit in disgust," Dumbledore replied. "I don't see how anyone could live as this child did. I – I cannot bear to speak of it." Dumbledore handed Severus the casefile. "Here is Harry Potter's casefile. I suggest that you read over it tonight. If you agree, he will be here first thing in the morning."
"I agree," Severus replied. As an abused child himself, he leapt at the chance to help other teenagers. He had waited in the foster care system for four long years, but had never been placed in even a good home. He took the casefile wearily. "I'll read over it tonight, Dumbledore. I will expect the boy promptly in the morning."
"Thank you, Severus." Dumbledore paused for a moment. "I'm going to warn you, Severus, this boy will try your patience. Currently, he is not speaking. He will obey you when you command him to do something, but that's all he does."
Severus groaned. Mark had been exactly like that in the beginning. "Thank you for warning me, Dumbledore. I will read this casefile and get some rest."
"Thank you, Severus. I'm glad I was able to find someone to take the boy in on such short notice."
---
True to Dumbledore's word, the boy arrived first thing in the morning. Severus had decided to give him Mark's old room, having just painted it what he hoped was a calming red. He made a mental note to consult a décor designer before trying that again. "Good morning, Dumbledore," he replied as he witnessed the man getting out of the car.
"Good morning, Severus. This is Harry Potter." Dumbledore's eyes still had the usual twinkle in them, but this time, Severus noticed that they looked tired—very tired. "Harry, this is Severus, he will be caring for you."
Severus looked at the boy, trying to define what he saw. He was clean; Severus guessed that he'd probably showered the night before. He guessed his new clothes were a gift from Dumbledore. It was lucky the man got such a big salary; all of it went in to providing for the children. The jeans had a small embroidered H on one side under the pocket. The shirt was white, stripped with black.
It was Harry's eyes that got to Severus. They were dark. Angry. Frustrated. And worried. All at the same time.
Dear God, Severus muttered as Dumbledore smiled at him and left. I need mercy.
--
It was only lunch time, and Severus was already exasperated with Harry. The boy refused to talk. However, Dumbledore was right: he did obey commands. And only commands.
If, for example, Severus requested him to unpack his suitcase, he would not. However, when Severus tried demanding it, it was done within two minutes. Harry refused to move unless Severus all but ordered him to. And – perhaps worst of all – the boy refused to talk.
"Harry, you need to eat," Severus prodded gently. He'd read in his file that the boy had only weighed ninety-five pounds. At fourteen. And that troubled Severus greatly. He paused. "Harry, I order you to eat."
Still, Harry refused to pick up his fork, much to Severus' confusion. Severus tried eating a few bites of his own food, mostly to show Harry that it wasn't poisoned, but it didn't work. Harry pushed his plate back, signaling that he was done.
Severus slowly inhaled, having learned to keep his face unreadable and his emotions to himself. He refused to get upset with severely traumatized boys. "Harry--," he started, then paused, trying to figure out his wording.
"I'm sorry, sir," Harry whispered, speaking his first words of the evening. "I apologize for being a defiance." With that, he fled to his room, leaving Severus to stare after him in surprise.
Dear Merlin, Severus muttered, have mercy.