"Harry, what is it?" Severus asked. He kept his voice neutral though he was concerned to find his ward with shoulders slumped in defeat, cradling his right hand, breathing erratically, and feeling it necessary to knock on the door which led to what had become THEIR quarters very early on. When Harry only let out a shuddering breath, Severus gently guided the teen to couch where he left him to brew tea which he laced with a calming potion for his ward.

Harry accepted the cup with shaking hands. Severus noticed his hand was bandaged messily and presumed it was the cause of this worrying visit but decided not to push the teen just yet. Harry took several sips of tea before his breathing evened out and the trembling subsided.

"I should've come to you sooner," Harry mumbled. His voice dripped with pure heart break.

"I'm glad you trusted me enough to come now, Harry." Severus assured, but he still refrained from questioning his charge. The teen had come to Severus on his own terms and would speak on his own terms.

"My hand is infected, sir," Harry whispered.

"Just Severus is fine when we're in private, Harry. I will go gather supplies I may need. Finish your tea," Severus instructed as he moved to his personal potions store.

When he returned, Harry had finished his tea and unbandaged the shoddy covering. "There was a calming potion in the tea," Harry stated more than asked.

"There was," Severus confirmed. "May I see your hand, please?"

Harry extended the hand that had been tucked in his robes to his guardian. The entire hand was swollen. There were random, deep cuts that almost looked like words, illegible from the swelling. Puss seeped from the swollen red, purple, and green skin. Severus slowly and expertly cleaned the wounds in silence still waiting for Harry to speak on his terms.

"I must not tell lies," Harry whispered.

"Is that what is on your hand?" Severus asked gently.

"Yes, sir."

"Severus, Harry," Severus corrected gently allowing a soft smile to slip past his stoney mask.

Harry actually offered a sad smile back. "Yes, Severus. From writing lines."

"Hmm...lines with a scalpel using your hand as paper? Didn't know you were left-handed, Harry," Severus prompted.

"You'd be surprised by how close that sarcasm is to the truth," Harry exhaled sadly.

"Will you tell me how it actually came to be, Harry?"

"Professor Umbridge really does have me writing lines in detention, si-Severus. But the weird quill she has me use is...it seems to use blood from the back of your hand as the ink," Harry tried to explain.

"It's called a blood quill, Harry," Severus offered. "It is a banned artifact. A dark artifact. I will see to it that this is handled. You will never suffer from her hand again."

"Really? Just like that?" Harry asked. When Severus nodded, Harry's face turned increasingly sad. "Merlin, I really should have come to you earlier."

"Look at me, Harry," Severus instructed. When the child met his gaze, Severus continued. "Whether you should have to come to me earlier is irrelevant. You have come to me now. I am helping you now. You are okay now. So, please, Harry, don't beat yourself up over it." Harry nodded and his disposition turned a bit less glum. "However, I would like to know how long you've been subjected to this abuse, Harry."

"It wasn't real ab-" Harry started but he was cut off by his guardian's harsh glare. "Since the first day of term, every detention, almost every day, about 3 hours," Harry answered.

Severus actually allowed his head to drop into his hands before looking at Harry with more pain than he'd allowed himself to show in decades. "I'm so sorry, Harry. You should never have been subjected to this. I have failed you and I am so sorry. It's my job to protect you, Harry. Normally, I can do that best keeping you near me, but while I sort things out with Dolores Umbridge, I think it would be best for you to recover under the care of you dogfather. I will not abandon you. If you wish to stay, I will protect you. If you visit Black, I will check on you every evening. I think it would be best for you to spend time with Black because he's admittedly more...lighthearted than I am. You will both be far away from Umbridge and having fun which will hopefully be helpful in healing from this abuse. What would you like to do, Harry?"

"You'd really be okay with me spending time with Sirius and Remus?" Harry asked excitedly.

"I've never had a problem with it, Harry. As long as my exposure to them is as limited as possible, of course," Severus answered.

"Of course," Harry repeated with a little laugh.

"Shall I contact Black then, Harry?"

"Please, Severus, thank you."

"Good, it will be arranged, but for now it's time for you to retire, Harry," Severus instructed as he finished the much more expert bandaging of his charge's hand.

Harry groaned, but thanked Severus and headed to his room.