Title:
A few days more

Sequel to:
Twenty-one days

Author:
evil minded

Date:
November, 7th 2010

Timeframe:
Fourth year at Hogwarts

Summary:
"A few days more" is the sequel to "Twenty-one days" – read and review this first or you wouldn't understand all that happens in this story.
The fourth year Slytherins and Gryffindor have survived their imprisonment in the potions classroom situated in the dungeons. How will they go on in all-day life after their survival? How will they manage to reintegrate into the castle's routine and their classes? How will they be able to go back to life at all? Watch how those who survived fight for their lives and for their peace.

Disclaimer:
Did you see Severus alive at the end of 'The deathly hallows'? no?
Do you think I would have had him died if I had written those books? no?
Then you know that 'Harry Potter' does not belong to me … nor does Severus … regrettably …
But Hereweald Hrothgar does …

Rating:
M – Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16

Author's Notes:
Uhm … alright … I have to admit … English is not my language by birth … so … please do not kill me while reading … neither for the – perhaps – sad language, nor for the subject of my writing …
Also, this is a story written for NaNo, a story written within thirty days only and even though I go over the chapters before uploading them – I do apologize if it might not have the same quality at one point or another than those stories of mine you are used to by now … thank you …

Warning:
Story contains bad language and swearing.
Don't ever use such, it's neither good manners nor proper use of language and never mind how 'cool' it might sound, it surely isn't a sign of intelligence. It won't get you anywhere and people will think less of you if you are unable articulating properly.
Story contains references to child neglect.
Child neglect is a really, really serious thing, and there are a lot of children in our world that are neglected, children that lack food, clothing, often love, and perhaps even a roof over their head – and closing our eyes, and pretending it does not exist – is no solution …
Story contains references to child abuse.
Child abuse is one of the most evil things, and there are a lot of children in our world that really would need help but have to live without hope – and again, closing our eyes and pretending it does not exist – is no solution … instead show sympathy, and understanding … and handle people, children as well as adults, which are showing any signs – whichever – of once having been abused … with understanding and with help …
What does not mean I am not as evil as I pretend to be … ^.~ … believe me – I am …

Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine

Previously in A few days more
Well, during the past few weeks he had learned that the child always was hard to rouse from a deep sleep, no matter how long he had been sleeping and sometimes Severus thought that the boy would sleep for days if he were able to, knowing that most likely this need for sleep was caused by lack of sleep because of either nightmares or because of pain caused by beatings and being hungry, and then even more nightmares
keeping the child awake at his relatives' house.
Sighing he decided to leave the child sleeping, spelling the potions into the child's stomach, even if he didn't like doing so, and then he pulled back the blanket to – again – run a cold cloth over the child's calves, shaking his head over the – again – mixed socks the boy was wearing while he wondered how this would end.
They were released by Poppy, free to go, all except Harry – but none of the other children was ready to leave while Harry was still admitted to the hospital wing.
Well, he would see what the next day would bring.

A few days more
Chapter seven
Day seven – twenty-ninth of September – Sunday
A place to eat

"You cannot release Mr. Potter with the fever that will rise in the evening again, Severus!" Poppy called out, horrified at his suggestion, and he lifted his eyebrow.

"Correct, Poppy, I cannot release Mr. Potter because there is no Mr. Potter present at this school." He smirked.

"Severus!" The matron shook her head. "This isn't funny! Mr. Snape is not well yet, and you cannot release him!"

"None of them are well, Poppy." He calmly answered. "But one, you cannot keep them here forever, they will have to re-integrate into the routine of the castle and the longer you wait the more difficult it will be for the children. And second, what do you think it will do to Harry if you keep him longer than the others? I will have an eye on the boy, I will have an eye on all of them actually, and I will have him at my quarters should the fever rise again, but I do give my permission for Harry to leave the infirmary together with the others and that is final."

"Sometimes I wished that in this infirmary only I were in authority." Poppy growled angrily. "I really don't know why Albus had seen the necessity of having a Potions Master at this school instead of a potions teacher only, really!" She ranted, but she gave in, and a few moments later they went to leave the infirmary and to go to the great hall for breakfast.

"Well, if you are ready, then." Severus said, extending his hand towards the door to lead them out and to the great hall.

It was Sunday morning and Severus wanted them in the great hall for breakfast now, while many of the students were asleep still and the great hall was surely not filled to the last seat with children – and well, since Madam Pomfrey had approved – even Harry was free to get out of the hospital wing, and to go anywhere in the castle, as long as he stayed inside if no adult was with him. But even though the boy was allowed to, could leave and roam the castle, he knew that Harry still preferred to be near the others, at least these others he was comfortable with, the others from the potions classroom.

He led them out of the hospital wing, along the corridor and down a staircase, through the entrance hall and he could notice one or another of his children to take a deep breath the moment he led them into the great hall, a thought that had him startled for a moment – his children ... the Slytherins were his, but the Gryffindors were still Minerva's, even though he'd held one or another responsibility over them for the past weeks, and even though he would hold one or another responsibility over them for the next few weeks either as Minerva didn't know what they needed right now.

For a moment the children stood there, in the middle of the deafening silent great hall, unsure, looking into the startled faces of the other children for a few seconds, before looking at the different house tables, unable to decide, unable to take the first step, unable to voice what their troubles were and the Potions Master narrowed his eyes at them, patiently waiting however, not ready yet to interfere.

It was just when Ronald and Dean slowly turned towards the Gryffindor table, even their heads bent with the weight of the situation, that Draco made his decision – realizing that … this was the moment they would depart, their relationship, whatever relationship it was they had formed during the past three, four weeks, it would break now, it would change – and Gryffindor or not, he wouldn't let Harry's head go anywhere with, or without his body, again, if he could help it ... and he smiled at remembering their third year, when Harry's head had appeared in Hogsmeade suddenly, startling the shit out of him, he had to admit that.

"There are no houses, remember?" He softly asked after having taken a deep breath. "We are friends, aren't we? Why don't we just eat down in the potions classroom? Or out in the gardens?"

"Why don't we just place a small table into a corner of the great hall for all those who feel not well with going back to their own house tables yet?" The smooth voice of Severus Snape startled them from behind and Harry smiled, glad that he didn't have to go back yet, knowing that he just wasn't ready, yet, to sit with the others, to joke with them, to talk with them, and to answer their annoying questions of what might have happened down there.

"Thanks, dad." He softly said, nodding, and Severus could hear the relief in his son's voice, could see the relief in most of the children's eyes and wordlessly he inclined his head, closed his eyes and silently asked the castle for a small table in a corner where those few students could sit in peace.

A moment later the wall beside the Slytherin house table slid back bit by bit, causing the ground of the great hall to vibrate, and making a loud scratching noise that caused their hair to stand straight, causing many of the present children to cover their ears with their hands, and thus making room for another table that just a moment later grew in the newly created space, seemingly growing from the very floor until there stood a table and two long benches, just like the other house tables, giving room for two dozen people on either side – and leading the children over to their new table he realized that the castle had added light brown and soft cushions to the benches, causing him to smirk.

Of course the castle would do such a thing, making sure that their bony behinds wouldn't hurt on the wooden furniture.

"Our own table?" Theodore asked, unsurely still and he nodded.

"Yes, Theodore, as it seems, that is our own new house table for the time being." He answered, calmly. "You may choose where you wish to sit."

"Look, there are brown cushions on them." Neville said, gasping with his eyes large. "And they look really soft!"

"And there's a few blankets too, see?" Harry softly said, tugging on the sleeve of his cloak.

"Then that surely is meant to be your seat, Harry, and yours too, Theodore." He smirked down at the boy who scowled at him for his comment.

"Sir?" Adrian softly asked, looking up at him unsurely, too, and he already knew the question.

"You are to sit here, too, Adrian, as well as Emma." He said, noticing the boy's relieved face and Harry's bright smile. How had those two come so close in such a short time? Harry and Adrian? But then – Harry and Theodore were just as close, and Harry and Draco, too, while the boy did get alone with all of them and for a moment he wondered – was there any child that would not get along with Harry if he just knew the boy well enough?

How had the Dursleys been able to abuse this child the way they had done? While the boy had done nothing to them? Only always wanting to make things right, and to please people? How could their son, Harry's cousin, not get along with the boy? How ...

It was chaos for a moment until all of the children had chosen their seats, Adrian wanting to sit beside Harry as well as Theodore, and in the end he noticed with a smirk that Gryffindors and Slytherins were well mixed up, Neville sitting beside Draco and opposite Harry with Adrian and Theodore on either side, while Hermione sat on Draco's other side with Ronald beside her, and Gregory on Ronald's other side, and Emma opposite.

It didn't surprise him that Emma and Hermione got along just as well, both girls having similar interests, namely learning, both girls being very intelligent and for once he was glad that the Gryffindor girl so far had been friends to Harry and Ronald, getting into one trouble or another, because with her experience of life itself, Hermione would be able teaching Emma how to live instead of learning without living, while Emma could show Hermione that she didn't have to share her knowledge with everyone.

If only they could stay together for their remaining time at Hogwarts, because the friendships that had started, the bonds he could see forming between them, they were so very much promising and it was a shame, a waste of human interaction, to separate them.

And yet, Hogwarts had its structure and even he had to bend to it.

And yet – upon the spur of the moment he didn't sit at the head table where all the other teachers sat, but he took his place at the new table, to eat together with the children, not caring how any of the students or teachers would take it – and he could feel the pleasant approval of Hogwarts herself the moment he sat down at the same table.

Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine

"Good morning, good morning." Albus' voice sounded after a short clinking of a spoon hitting a glass.

The voices of chitter and chatter had stopped, and apruptly so, after they had entered the great hall – every eye resting on those students that had just come in, before the noise had exploded the moment it seemed that they were to apropach their house tables ... only to stop again when the castle enlarged the great hall and added the new table beside the Slytherin table – or perhaps the voices didn't stop then, because perhaps they were just not heared over the noise of the castle sliding back an entire wall of the great hall ... but after that, after the children had sat down, slowly the voices that had re-started rising after they had sat down, diminished bit by bit when Albus stood to wish them a good morning, until there was again silence, and he groaned in annoyance. Of course, Albus would do such a thing.

"And what a beautiful morning it is!" Albus started with what he knew would be a long – and stupid – speech. "As you all have surely noticed by now, the Slytherin house has been taken over by Professor Hrothgar who has also started teaching potions a week ago, after Professor Slughorn had ... some personal issues to solve. This remedy will remain for the time being with the exception that Professor Snape will teach the sixth and seventh grade, NEWT level, and the fourth year Slytherins and Gryffindors, of course. And I can see that they have already settled here with a table of their own – I do not know the reason for that, but I ask all of you not to bother them over their decision. The castle has approved of their decision, as it seems, and has expanded the great hall, and so we have no right to question their actions either. I am just so happy that we have them all back, I have already suggested a feast, but Severus has declined with the reasoning that surely such an occasion would be too much for the fourth-year students anyway right now. Well, what a shame ..."

"Albus ..." He called over at the head table, taking a deep breath to calm his annoyance, even though he had to admit – he was glad that Albus did not fight him over his decision to add another table and then to sit there together with the children instead of sitting at the head table.

"Of course, of course, Severus, my apology." The blasted headmaster smiled at him. At him! And in front of most of the student body no less! "You all must be hungry of course. Well, then, enjoy your meal!"

A moment later a large bowl with porridge, some bowls with different fruits – most of them fruits that had never been served at Hogwarts before – a pan with scrambled eggs, and a plate with toast, appeared on the table for them to serve themselves, as well as a pitcher of warm milk with honey, and a pitcher with orange juice, glad that some normalcy was returning back – and not only for the children, but for him, too – because a moment later there was a pot with strong and hot coffee standing in front of him.

Smirking he imagined Poppy's annoyed face at him, ignoring the bowl with porridge and the pitcher with milk or orange juice, and taking the plate with toast and scrambled eggs instead, drinking coffee, but surely he would neither eat porridge in front of nearly the entire student body, nor drink orange juice or – God forbid, milk! Absolutely not!

Alright, part of the student body at least.

As it was Sunday the students were not required to be present for breakfast at a specific time but could have their breakfast between eight and ten o'clock in the morning and so one by one of the students filled into the great hall, halting for a moment in confusion after seeing five tables in the great hall instead of four only, the fifth holding the students that had been locked down in the potions classroom, but after a moment they went to their own respectable tables, their heads together, whispering, while the others told them what had happened, and what the headmaster had said earlier.

When the Weasley twins came to enter the hall they, too, halted for a moment, but then they grinned, coming over to their table, standing to Ronald's right and left side.

"Morn', Ronnikins." Frederic said and he nearly snorted at the nickname the older boy had given his brother.

"Glad to see you back here, little bro'." The other twin said, and he took a deep breath.

"I do understand that you are happy upon seeing your brother back to a normal daily routine, Misters Weasley, and I also do understand your need to converse with him, too, seeing that you missed the opportunity of spending time with your brother for far too long a time, but right now this is breakfast for them, and meals are something that has become very important. They should be taken in peace and calmly, and without interruption." He said. "So, you two, please, leave your brother to concentrate on his breakfast without disturbance. You will have enough time chatting with him later, we won't be gone in ten minutes. Instead, I suggest that you, too, concentrate on your own meals as an alternative, you have both lost weight yourselves." He then added with a pointed look at both his apprentices, and with an unconcerned "alright, 'till later" they both went to their own table, causing him to huff at the twins which would cause his hair going grey early until they had ended their apprenticeship.

Well, most of the entering Slytherins seemed to have no problems with them sitting at a fifth table, Slytherins and Gryffindors alike, and him, Severus, sitting in their midst.

They entered, looked startled for a moment, but then they inclined their heads, greeting them, and sitting down at the table beside them, at their respectable Slytherin table, having their normal conversations. Sometimes one or another of them even turned towards them to include them into their conversations, too, after most of them had finished their breakfast, he had taught them better than keeping anyone from eating after all, and he could see that the castle had placed their table beside the Slytherin table wisely.

Similar were the reactions of the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws, both houses frowning for a moment before accepting – and then sitting at their own tables, whispering, but their faces being neutral – they just didn't care what table they were sitting at.

Not so the Gryffindors.

Most of them stopped, frowned, scowled, and then glared at them before approaching their own table with dark faces and their voices were clearly the loudest and the angriest in the great hall – telling him that surely he would have to have an eye on them for the next few days, until they had gotten used to the new solution.

He didn't know it for sure, but he feared that they might give them a bit of a trouble and he wasn't ready to take any risks with them. These children here, they had survived hell, and they deserved better than getting into trouble with their original house mates.

Hereweald approaching the Slytherin table, and Miles in particular, had him looking over at that table and he noticed the boy picking at his food, nearly crying.

He, too, got off the table with a soft "excuse me, please" and went over to them. Not because he thought that Hereweald would be unable managing the situation, he had seen the man with his Slytherins and he knew that he was capable handling the younger ones with care, taking one of them and sitting them on his lap if necessary, while he was capable handling the upper grades with understanding, taking the time to talk with them if they had one or another troubles or worries.

No, he just knew that Miles was one of his more emotional children, that the boy was more clingy towards him, Snape, than most others – like Adrian, and now Harry – and that he was one of the few who would be unable handling the new situation – not with his health being afflicted and this child, too, had lost enough weight as it was, he would not watch him losing more yet.

"If you allow me to take Miles into my group, Hereweald." He softly said upon reaching the two of them. "I know that you would be able to handle the situation, but I know that it would do no good to Miles. And I have already Adrian, who is from his year, with me, too."

"Of course, Severus." The other wizard answered, just as softly. "I would have asked you to take him over anyway. And the same goes for Cameron Warrington from sixth year. That boy barely sleeps a night without nightmares and then wandering up to the astronomy tower – did you know that you can see the lights from the hospital wing if you are up there?"

Yes, he did know that. But he didn't comment on it, only inclined his head wordlessly before he took Miles' upper arm, pulling him up from his chair with a gentle "up you go, Miles" and then leading the boy to the new house table.

"Follow me, please, Mr. Warrington." He said when he passed his sixth-year students and then sat down beside Parvati again. He seated Miles at his other side and gestured to Warrington to take a seat wherever he felt comfortable. He didn't comment on either the situation or the two children he had taken over to their table and no one questioned his actions.

Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine

Breakfast had been a calm affair, even though he had dreaded that particular meal.

It wasn't that he didn't dread any other meal, knowing that Severus would stuff food into him until he felt ill, and he hated it, the feeling of being ill, and having to fight to not puke his innards all over the place, but he knew why Severus did it. The man had explained it to him that his stomach was too small to accept enough food, that his stomach would have to grow and that therefore he had to eat more than he normally would – at least it was something along those lines.

But he had dreaded that particular meal because it had been in the great hall, together with the others, knowing that they would see them, him, watch him, the way he ate, the way he moved, the way he looked, knowing that they would think of him as a scarecrow. He wasn't able thinking differently of himself than being an ugly scarecrow! So how could the others?

But it had gone better than expected.

He had known that the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws wouldn't make a scene, but he had expected the Slytherins giving away nasty comments and dark looks, but they hadn't, they had accepted their presence beside their table, together with other Slytherins and their head of house, or rather former head of house.

They hadn't even commented on them, stealing their head of house from them and he had been so sure that such a thing would happen, but it hadn't happened – on the contrary, they had even included them into one conversation or another, tuning on their bench towards them.

Just the more had the behaviour from the Gryffindors hurt.

Why could they not accept their needs, if even the Slytherins could? It wasn't that the Slytherins had stolen McGonagall from them after all, but the Slytherins had said and done nothing while the Gryffindors had cast dark looks over at them, whispering in angry voices while pointing at them with snide movements.

While watching the other Gryffindors, Ron, Dean, Hermione and the others – he couldn't help noticing them walking slower than they normally would, even as tired or weak as they surely still were, and so he guessed that somehow they didn't really want to go there – to the Gryffindor Tower, just like himself. He would prefer being in the great hall still, going back to their room behind the infirmary, going into the library even or going back into the potions classroom if necessary, going elsewhere but their tower, the Gryffindor common room.

They just should have told Severus.

His father had asked them, after all, if they were really ready to go back to their common rooms, had told them that they could easily stay in the room behind the infirmary for a few days more, but they had told him – no. They'd said that, they'd manage, and so Severus had allowed them to go there, even though he had seen that his father hadn't been really happy about it.

His father.

Now, that he was out of the potions classroom, that the entire thing was over, and that they were free, now, that it was clear they would survive, now he wasn't so sure anymore if Snape was really so glad about having him. Of course, the man had said he was, and yes, the man had really cared, had sat with him, and he really seemed worried, but – was he really happy about having him? Because he knew – if he wasn't, then too soon would that care revert back to hate, and now, that he was Snape's son, he would be at the mercy of Snape's hate then, unable to flee or sidestep. So, the only thing he could do, was to hope.

How had it come to that in the first place? Why had the Potions Master taken him as his son to begin with?

What exact reasoning had he had back then, in their potions classroom?

Sighing he gave the password to the common room, waited for the Fat Lady to open up, and then stepped inside the red and golden decorated, round space, his eyes falling upon the cuddly red cushions on the sofas and armchairs, onto the red carpet in front of the fireplace, and finally upon the other students in there, Gryffindors, lions ...

If at least Theo, Draco, and all the others were with them, Adrian, but they weren't. They were on their way to their own common room, to the Slytherin common room, to the snakes.

Gryffindors, Slytherins, did it really matter if they were lions or snakes? If they were red or green? In the end they were all human anyway, they were friends, and ...

Turning he left the room without a word, causing the others to look at him startled – a moment later the others did the same, Parvati, Lavender and Neville being the first of them, followed by Dean and Seamus, and finally Ron and Hermione turned and left the room, followed him down the stairs.

He hesitated for a moment upon reaching the bottom of the stairs and therefore the entrance hall, not knowing where to go now, not feeling – 'at home' anywhere, not sure what to do at all, just standing there and he started feeling helpless, feeling desperate, wondering if it would be like that forever now, but then he could feel something that felt – as if someone had made a suggestion, as if someone – or something – tried to pull him along, gently, softly, whispering words that were clearly in not only his mind, because when he looked around it was clear that the others concentrated too, but not onto any real sound but onto something inside them. And suddenly he recognized magic that wasn't his, magic that was not his magical signature, magic that was not coming from his magical core, magic that was different from anything he had ever felt before.

Smiling he went through the entrance hall of the castle and then entered the great hall, wordlessly meeting with Draco and the others who were about to enter at the same time and together they went towards 'their own house-table'.

Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine

It had been shortly after the last of them had finished their breakfast that the Weasley twins had come back, talking to their brother. Gregory had moved over a bit to make space for one of the twins and George had sat down with a "thanks, Goyle" while Frederic had kept standing behind the youngest Weasley, leaning his arms onto the boy's shoulders.

For a moment he had prepared himself to scold the sixth year Gryffindor, but then he had seen that the older boy had not imposed any pressure upon Ronald's shoulders. Luckily for him, he would have skinned him if he had – alive.

The twins had told them that Ginevra Weasley was at home still, with her parents, that she wasn't well enough for returning to the school yet, and Ronald had been relieved to hear that. He could understand the boy. It was in that moment that he realized – it had been a hard time for not only some of his Slytherins, but for some of the other students just as much.

"Hey, thanks for another prank you've played." Ronald had said a few minutes later when the twins had gotten up to leave their table.

"Who said it was a prank?" George had asked, looking startled and innocently, causing him to huff at his apprentice.

"Nah, it wasn't a prank." Frederic had immediately shaken his head, smirking at his brother, waving off the – 'accusation'. "It was a rescuing mission."

Later they had departed, the lions going to their tower and the snakes going back to the dungeons and – he had allowed them to depart, knowing that it had to come one day sooner or later, even though he had seen that it had been a difficult decision for the children, for all of them.

And for him, too, as much as he would like to deny it.

He had hoped that he would have a few days more with them, with Harry, Theodore and Draco, too, but well, as it seemed – they were ready to go back to their previous life sooner than he had expected, and if he pushed his stupid emotions aside then he had to admit that yes, that way, it was best anyhow. The longer they were kept from real life, the more difficult it would be for them to go back later. Not to mention that tomorrow, or perhaps the day after tomorrow, they were supposed to visit their first classes.

Taking a deep breath he left his bed chamber to fetch a glass of water, unable to fall asleep in his own rooms, feeling strangely alone.

He had been looking for them, shortly before lunch, and he had been informed that they were not in their common rooms – what had him worried to no end at first until he had cast a quick 'point me' charm. He had found them in the great hall, where they had met earlier in the morning, apparently feeling unwell in their common rooms.

Harry had told him about the magic he had felt, magic that had not been his own and he had scowled, had been worried, but knowing that he wouldn't find a solution right then, he had dismissed the incident – after having Harry promising him to never follow that kind of magic blindly but to let common sense rule.

To go back to the great hall, where they had met with the snakes, it hadn't been dangerous, but magic that seemingly acted with a brain of its own was a dangerous thing to begin with, and one better did use their own brains instead of following blindly.

He had taken them to the lake after lunch, had them walking halfway around the lake before sitting with them in the grass at the other end of the lake, watching the squid and having a few snacks the house elves had sent over. They had been going back to the castle shortly before dinner and they really had been tired by then.

Well, he'd had them walking through the gardens, the past few days, but walking around the lake, even with a pause here and there to sit on the benches around the lake, or onto the grass, and enjoying the autumn sun, that was not simply a walk through the gardens and of course they had been tired.

Finally, there had been dinner and then the children had again departed, to leave for their respectable dormitories.

Shaking his head over their stubbornness, he took a few sips of the cold water before placing the glass atop the kitchen counter. He hesitated for a moment before going back to his bed chamber – but then he made his mind up and waved his hand, changing his clothing into more proper attire than the night-robe he had been wearing, before he left his private chambers with a resolute gait to go down the dungeons hallways and towards the potions classroom, or what had been his potions classroom before a new classroom had been declared for the students to use for that particular subject.

He didn't know why, though, he did it.

Normally, he wasn't a sentimental person, but right now he just felt the need to go back to the potions classroom, to the place where they had been locked up for twenty-one days, to the place where everything had begun.

He hesitated for a moment when he found the door ajar, easily slipping his wand into his hand because he was sure that he had closed the door after leaving with the children a few nights ago. He had even considered locking the door, but then he had decided against it, and had only closed the door. But it was ajar now.

Narrowing his eyes he slowly pushed the door open and then stepped inside, his wand drawn.

But then he nearly smiled. Nearly, mind you! Because he was Severus Snape, and Severus Snape did not smile, not even at the sight that greeted him upon entering that particular room!

In front of the softly crackling fire, on the floor, on a thin mattress to be precise, lay Harry. And beside him Theodore, and Draco on their own mats, covered with their – cuddly blanket – and peacefully sleeping.

Shaking his head he sat behind the desk and opened the drawer, took out a few papers. He should have known. Or at least he should have thought about that possibility. The children were used to sleeping together, down here or at least in the infirmary, and he could reckon that they didn't want to go and visit Poppy in the middle of the night, therefore preferred the potions classroom to ...

Slight movement ahead of him caused him to look up, watching the door slowly and carefully being pushed open once more, and Neville Longbottom standing in the door, looking at him unsurely and shuffling his feet nervously. He had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, a pillow in his arms and a book in his hand, and he knew why the boy was here. Of course.

"Do not linger in the doorway, Neville." He calmly said. "You are not the first one down here tonight, and I am sure you won't be the last one either … surely you have better things to do than worrying, so go over to the fire, transfigure your book and go to sleep."

For a moment the boy stood there, gaping at him with his mouth open, but then a small smile crossed the boy's face while he went to the fireplace, laid his book beside Draco's mat and transfigured it into what became the same thin mattress they had been sleeping on for twenty-one days before he lay down with a relieved sigh, covering himself with his own essay-turned-blanket.

"For Merlin's sake!" He growled, waving his wrist and a moment later the mats on the floor were thicker and more comfortable. Honestly, they could do magic down here now, and so there was no need to have them sleeping while being uncomfortable on thin mats that lay on the stony ground.

There was a soft "thanks Severus" before the boy turned onto his side, facing Draco's pale and sleeping face.

"You're quite welcome, Neville." He softly said, feeling strangely satisfied that the boy still dared using his given name, now that they were free from their imprisonment. "Good night."

Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine

Stretching, he yawned before placing the quill atop the stack of parchments, notes his NEWT students had taken in potions while Slughorn had been teaching them, before Hereweald had come, and he had really been very disappointed in that man. The notes they had taken were clearly notes they had taken from the books, on their own, but not because Slughorn had explained anything to them, they had even written down so, had made their own assumptions while trying to understand the text in the books, Slughorn not explaining anything to them.

In other words – he would have to start from the beginning, and he could only hope that they had, at least, understood enough so that they would cover the subjects quickly, or they would be unable going through the complete syllabus this year. Tiredly he ran his hand over his face before getting off the chair he had been sitting in for hours now, trying to make a new plan for them to work on.

During those hours more students had come down here, and now there was actually their entire small group present, including Adrian, Miles and Cameron, only Emma was missing, but knowing the girl she was sleeping deeply and soundly – until five in the morning, sharp, when she would wake up, starting on one or another book before breakfast, unable to go back to sleep as her brain would be in full working-mode the moment she opened her eyes, needing to work out one or another riddle, thing, task, exercise, challenge – whatever.

Going over to the mat Harry lay at, he knelt down and then placed his palm at the boy's forehead, the pale face peaceful in his sleep, and with a frown he noticed that there was no fever, the skin comfortably warm with sleep but not hot, and not dry either and he pulled the blanket up over the boy's shoulders, tucking him in more properly seeing that the boy generally was cold enough to begin with because he had no meat on his bones.

Looking the small form over his eyes fell on two small feet, clothed with different socks that stuck out from the blanket, and shaking his head he just pulled the comforter over the two feet, covering them while wondering why it was that the boy always – absolutely always – wore two different socks. Even the socks in Harry's trunk, they were all mixed up.

And he had looked, there were some that were single socks, mixed up with other single socks, yes, but there also had been one or another pairs of socks that were just as mixed up like the single ones – as atrocious as they were to begin with. He'd even had Harry putting them in pairs and he had transfigured those socks that had been single ones so that they were pairs now, too – but again, the child wore mixed socks, and he was sure that if he now looked into the trunk, he would find all the pairs mixed up again.

It wasn't the worst thing that could happen, really, because he knew that some of the kids liked wearing mixed socks as a new fashion, some even wore different colored shoe laces or even different shoes, but somehow he doubted that the boy mixed them up because of any fashion as he had never paid attention to what people were wearing, or to what he was wearing.

'Of course not, he has no proper clothing that could make him care about such a thing as fashion.' A small voice in the back of his mind whispered and he knew that it was really time for them to go and visit Diagon Alley so that they could re-place the boy's improper wardrobe.

Breåk· … ·~†~*~*~*~*~*~†~· … ·Łine

To be continued

Next time in A few days more
The big blue stone eater again

Added author's note
thank you for reading - and yes, I would be glad if you took the time to review this chapter, thank you
also, of course I have re-installed the house cup – with each review, please state your house, so that your house can get a point. There won't be loss of points, only gains … may the best house with the most reviews win …

House Cup:
At the present time it looks like this:

Slytherin 93
Gryffindor 53
Ravenclaw 27
Hufflepuff 14
Hogwarts 21
Durmstrang 04
Tennessee Institute of Magic & Technomancy 01