Snape quietly exited the nursery, dimming the lights and shutting the door absentmindedly.
He had a lot to sort out, and he didn't know where to start from.
He sat down in his big armchair and sighed.
He couldn't send the girl back to her home, but where would she go once they found a potion to re-age the children?
'IF they ever find a potion to re-age the children…but either way, you've been doing a pretty good job so far Severus; why can't you take her in?'
Severus scowled at his inner voice, the one that sounded suspiciously like a meddling old headmaster he knew.
Him? Raise the little Gryffindor know-it-all that he's detested for years?
'Impossible.' Severus settled with himself deciding that was all he was going to say about it.
Severus laid his head back and closed his eyes, fighting off the headache that was beginning.
~XoXoXo~
Severus woke with a start when a spell alerted him that Potter was awake.
He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep. His eyes flew to the clock on the wall.
2:37 AM. Severus sighed and made his way to the children's room.
~XoXoXo~
Harry woke up, pulse rushing and heart racing.
'Just a nightmare, it's not real…not real,' Harry comforted himself, trying to get his hitched breathing under control as few tears slipped from his large frightened emerald eyes.
Severus' quick, silent strides brought him into the nursery faster then Harry had time to wipe away his tears; unaware of the man standing few feet away from him.
"Potter, what in Merlin's name are you doing awake at this hour?" Severus asked.
Harry froze.
He kept his back turned to the professor so that his tears would not be seen and answered with a mumbled, "can't sweep 'Nape."
"Now, why don't I believe you, Potter? Perhaps because you've been asleep up until only minutes ago? If you weren't able to sleep then you wouldn't have fallen asleep in the first place." Severus commented but then had an after thought and grew serious. "Did you have a nightmare, Potter?"
"No, just can't sweep" Harry stuck to his original lie. After all, he had never told anyone about his nightmares and certainly wasn't going to start with this man, of all people.
Severus knew the brat was lying, but he had too much on his mind to argue with the child. If he did not want to tell Severus about his nightmare, that was fine with him.
"Very well" Severus said and reached down over the bars to pick Harry up.
"What awe you doin'?" Harry asked once in the professor's arms.
"Shh, just assisting you in falling back to sleep, now relax" Severus said while patting Harry's back in a familiar rhythm he had used when he babysat Draco years ago.
Harry, however, tensed at Snape's words. He didn't want to go back to sleep! The nightmare would return to haunt him just as it has been for months now.
Plus, if he fell asleep and woke again tonight Snape will know about his nightmare and most likely laugh at him for it.
Snape felt the boy's body tense. "Potter, I told you to relax" he scolded softly.
"Sowwy" Harry muttered and relaxed the tiniest bit.
Snape began walking from one side of the room to the other while continuing the soothing patting.
Harry's eyelids involuntarily began to slide shut and he squirmed away from the patting in order to stay awake.
Snape sighed and repositioned Harry so that Snape's arms wouldn't allow him to move anymore and began the process of lulling the boy to sleep again.
Within minutes Harry was asleep but after settling Harry back down into the crib, Snape stayed and sat in the rocking chair, waiting for the boy's nightmare to begin.
He wasn't disappointed as not even an hour later, Harry began to whimper in his sleep.
"'M sowwy," Harry mumbled in his sleep.
"Pwease, no, NO!" Harry's voice gradually began getting louder so Severus quickly cast a silencing spell around himself and Harry, as not to wake the other slumbering occupant of the room.
"NO PWEASE UNCLE, DON' HUWT ME 'GAIN! I BE GOOD!" Harry screamed at the top of his lungs.
Severus quickly picked Harry up, bouncing him lightly in an attempt to break him from the dream. "Potter? Wake up now, it's all right, it's just a nightmare."
Harry didn't wake up though; he just continued to beg his uncle to stop hurting him. Tears began falling in his sleep and he started to hyperventilate.
"Potter! Wake up! You aren't with your uncle; you're here with Professor Snape. Come on, Potter, wake up. WAKE UP!" Severus yelled, startled at the severity of Harry's condition.
Harry's eyes snapped open at the harshness and panic in his professor's voice.
Harry tried to calm down but found that he couldn't.. Though his mind knew it was only a nightmare, his emotions were overwhelming him and he desperately craved physical comfort. That nightmare was one of the worst he'd had yet.
Once he focused and took in his surroundings, Harry latched onto Severus' heavy black robes and cried into his chest.
Severus held the boy like he did before; whispering comforting words into his ear and pacing the length of the nursery and patting the small boy's back soothingly, amazed at how worried he had become for the boy.
Once Harry could not cry anymore he immediately felt embarrassed.
Had he really just cried in front of his Professor like that? Oh Merlin…
"Potter, there is no use trying to hide your nightmares anymore. Would you care to explain what happened in your nightmare? What did your relatives do to you?" Snape asked.
"Nothin'" Harry said. 'After all, it isn't a lie; my relatives don't hit me, only my uncle. My aunt yells a lot but never hit me and Dudley was a bully to everybody that was smaller than him.'
"Potter, do not insult my intelligence with that pathetic lie. Now I expect the real story" Snape warned.
Harry sighed and told the man what he's lived like for the past 13 years. After he told Snape everything he just looked at the man blankly, his story not affecting him like Hermione's did hers; more like he was numbing himself from the pain.
"Potter…I-I thought Professor Dumbledore checked up on you occasionally" Snape said, stunned at the thought of the Golden Boy's home life.
Harry shook his head. "No, didn' know magic was reawl until Hagwid came when I turwned 'leven." he said and Snape's facial expression turned enraged.
Oops. Maybe Harry wasn't supposed to tell him that.
Did he just get Dumbledore in trouble? He hoped not; it wasn't fair to blame the headmaster; he wasn't the one who abused him.
Maybe he had just gotten himself into trouble?
He didn't think he had done anything wrong but since when did that matter?
He never knew what he had done wrong at the Dursley's either yet that didn't stop the pain that would rain down on him almost daily with Uncle Vernon.
"Sowwy" Harry mumbled suddenly, confusing the Potions Master.
"What on earth are you apologizing for?" Snape asked.
Harry shrugged.
"Don't apologize if you've done nothing wrong!" Snape snapped and Hary went to apologize once more only to be sent a glare from Snape to stop him.
Severus accioed a bottle of Dreamless Sleep and a bib.
Once the bib was, to Harry's displeasure, tied around Harry's neck he gave the boy the phial with one order;" Drink."
Harry did so but halfway through the potion he began to get drowsy and Snape was thankful he thought of the bib.
Snape took the potion away and wiped off the liquid that had dribbled down Harry's chin.
Harry was put back into the crib as he fought to stay awake and wondered why Snape stayed there.
"Isn't that what children usually want after a nightmare? 'Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?'" Snape said, imitating Harry's de-aged voice while Harry pouted.
"Don' need you to stay" Harry said, trying to make his voice sound deeper even though it came out mumbled due to the potion.
Snape smirked. He leaned lightly on the crib crossing his arms and looking down at Harry.
"Stop fighting the potion and go to sleep, Potter"
Harry began mumbling again but this time Severus couldn't understand a word of it.
Harry was so incoherent in fact, that he didn't even register when Severus brushed his stray bangs back out of his face.
He didn't bother putting the charm on the kids again because he was positive they were both out for the night.
~xoxoxo~
"Albus Dumbledore's office!" Severus yelled while throwing the floo powder into the fireplace.
"Severus, my boy!" Dumbledore greeted cheerfully.
"Albus, we need to talk" Severus spoke in a tone that he usually saved for his dunderhead students.
Albus came through the floo and Severus immediately shot questions at him.
"Albus, how on earth could you have left Potter with those muggles?! Muggles that hate magic and literally tried to beat it out of the boy! Why didn't you have anyone check up on him? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" By the time Severus was done yelling, he was breathing heavily.
"The-They beat him?" Albus said in an astonished whisper.
"Yes Albus. Apparently blood wards do not protect one against their own blood." Severus sneered.
"Tell me, do you care for any of your student's well-being?"
"Of course-"
"Then why, earlier this evening, did I discover that Miss Granger's father abused her for THE SAME REASON?!"
"Little Hermione…" Albus said in a strained voice.
"Yes," Severus said, anger dissolved at the memory of the little girl crying.
"Where are they?" the headmaster asked.
"Sleeping," Severus didn't want to mention Harry's nightmares just yet.
"No, we're not," A small voice stated.
Sure enough, the two men turned to find Harry and Hermione rubbing the sleep out of their eyes.
Severus glared at the two.
"Why aren't you sleeping and how did you get out of your cribs?" he asked.
They gave him a mock-insulted look that clearly stated ' Did you really think we couldn't get out?'
"We cwimbed, 'course," Harry said cheekily and Hermione giggled.
"Hewwo Headmastewr," Harry and Hermione greeted.
"Hello children," Albus greeted back, a grim smile forming on his lips.
"Harry, Hermione, I- there are no amount of words that would express how sorry I am. I should've known. I should've checked up on my students, especially those with muggle families. And though it doesn't account for much, if anything at all, I am truly, deeply sorry," Albus said.
"It's not youwr fauwlt!" Harry said, not believing Dumbledore would blame himself.
"Hawwy's wight," Hermione added "It's Daddy's and Duwrsley's fauwlt."
Both kids ran over to Dumbledore who knelt down and welcomed them with open arms.
"Thank you, little ones," Albus said, hugging the little Gryffindors close.
"Headmaster I…apologize for my prior eruption, it was uncalled for," Severus muttered sheepishly.
"It's quite alright Severus," Albus said. "I can't say I didn't deserve it and I understand you were just being protective of your children."
"Albus, they are not my children,"
"I never said they were, my boy,"
"Yes you did. You said I was 'being protective of my children'"
"Severus, I can assure you I didn't, but they say the mind plays tricks on you when you want something enough," Albus said, the infamous twinkle in his eyes.
Severus got up and picked up Harry to bring him to bed, mumbling about manipulative headmasters.
Albus chuckled at Severus, picked up Hermione and followed the man he had always thought of as a son into the nursery.
"How are you even awake Potter? I gave you a Dreamless Sleep," the professor asked.
"Most of it didn' get in my mouf, 'member?" Harry mumbled, his face turning a soft pink color.
"Ah yes, perhaps next time I should try putting the potion in a bottle," he suggested.
Harry groaned at this and Severus smirked.
The potions professor tucked his young ward in for the third time that night while Dumbledore chose to rock Hermione in his arms for a while longer.
The headmaster smiled at the small girl.
"Miss Granger, I must say if you told me that you were really a cherub disguised as a human, I wouldn't doubt it."
Hermione gave him a sleepy smile in thanks and yawned cutely.
Albus chuckled and continued to rock her until she finally fell asleep.
'How could anyone hit a sweet innocent child?' Albus thought with a sad sigh as he tucked Hermione in carefully.
He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and whispered "I hope you are blessed with pleasant dreams, little one."
Albus followed Severus into the kitchen where Severus set out two glasses of fire whiskey.
Severus quickly downed his drink.
"Albus, I must go to the children's families tomorrow…don't worry I won't murder them," Severus quickly added after Albus sent him a reprimanding glance.
"Will you look after the children though? I do not want them anywhere near those people?" Severus asked.
"They are still mentally fourteen Severus, do you really think they would want or need a babysitter?"
Severus then proceeded to tell Albus the long story of how the kids had managed to get themselves into trouble the first day here and the new arrangements.
"You know I would love to watch them Severus, but I have a meeting with the Weasleys, they have been worrying themselves sick since Hermione and Harry weren't on the Hogwarts Express," Albus explained.
"What about your neighbors?" he suggested.
Severus shook his head.
"No, Lana is coming with me to help control my temper, she always was better with people. And , well... I don't think she could handle two magical toddlers…especially these two," he sneered at the last part, thinking of all the trouble the Golden Trio had gotten into the past four years.
"Well, how about Draco?" Albus asked.
"Draco? The same Draco who fights like cats and dogs with Potter and calls Miss Granger that awful word?" Severus asked while raising his eyebrow.
"I'm sure he is mature enough not to let the children get to him and responsible enough to care for them for a few hours. Of course, if not we could always ask Remus or Sirius…" Albus trailed off.
Severus grimaced.
"Alright, I'll call Draco."