The hum of the containment box vibrated through Ghost's paws, a low, persistent thrum that suppressed his powers, keeping him caged within its confines. He paced, his tail twitching with frustrated energy before he jumped and clung to the top of the box, his claws clinging to the air holes as he cried loudly to be freed. After a moment, he lost his grip and fell back to the bottom, where he resumed pacing.
His humans had been gone all day, and that was no problem as he took to sleeping all day while he waited for them, and he had plenty of food and water and his litter box was in an adjacent box connected to his. But when they did not return home that evening like they usually did, he grew concerned that he had been forgotten. No, that would not do. He needed to get to his humans. Maybe something awful had happened to them and they needed his help.
However, he'd tried everything to get out of his containment box. He'd pressed against the walls, attempting to slip through, only to meet an unyielding resistance. He'd focused, trying to phase his paws, his tail, even his entire body, but the suppression field held him firm. He couldn't ignite the usual shimmer he felt for teleportation, and he growled in irritation as he paced once more.
He circled the box again, jumping into the compartment with his litter box, his blue eyes scanning every inch of the smooth surface. There had to be a way out. The box was powerful, designed to be infallible, but nothing was every one hundred percent perfect. He pressed his nose against the wall, sniffing, his whiskers feeling for any anomaly, any weakness.
A faint tremor caught his attention, and he paused, his tufted ears twitching. There, along the corner where two panels met, was a hairline fracture, almost invisible to the nakes eye. He pressed his nose against it, feeling a slight give in the energy field surrounding the rest of the box.
Perfect.
He focused his energy and turned intangible, hoping he could phase himself through this small crack. He put a paw up to it, and pushed against it, wiggling himself through it crack grew, a jagged line against the shimmering surface as the energy field began flickering at the feel of the breach.
With a final surge of energy, Ghost shoved himself through it, summersaulting through the air, catching himself at last and hovering in the air. He looked back at the containment box with a smirk.
The hum of the box resumed its steady drone, unaware of the escape.
With a brief shake of his fur, Ghost flew through the air, searching the house briefly before he flew downstairs. He phased through the front door and sniffed the air, closing his eyes and sending out pulses of energy to find his humans. It only worked for so far, so if his humans were too far away, he'd never find them.
Except one human was not more than fifteen or twenty so minutes away from him. He grinned before flying through the air, following the energy pulses he was feeling come back to him in return. He would be able to help at least one of his humans. He knew he was greatly needed now, and he would do whatever was needed for his new family.
The night air was crisp and cold, and owls and nightbirds called out above him, but this did not deter Ghost as he followed the energy trail to the Georgian style house that belonged to the Brown Family. Ghost slowed down as he cautiously approached, wanting to check out the layout and plan his next move carefully in case this place was trouble.
Ghost landed on a windowsill and peeked inside, putting a paw up to clear his view.
A spaniel dog poked her head up and stared back at her from inside the living room, and she tilted her head at Ghost, who meowed then rubbed up against the window in a friendly manner.
The dog began to bark loudly, and Ghost sat and tilted his head at her.
"Enid!" a male voice shouted from upstairs somewhere after a few minutes of the dog barking. "Stop that! Stop that now. Go back to bed."
Enid huffed as she stared at Ghost, her ears falling back slightly before she jumped off the couch she was standing on to see out the window, and she ran through the house, heading for the back of it. Ghost purred as he watched her, then flew around the house after her, wondering where she was going. As Ghost flew to the back garden of the house, Enid poked her head out of her doggy door, and Ghost smiled and darted for the door, flying into the house.
Enid barked once at Ghost before she returned to the couch to fall back to sleep.
Ghost sniffed around, sending small waves of energy out through the house until he felt his human's energy pulse back. He turned tangible and ran up the stairs, then found the bedroom giving off the strongest energy. He saw Iris sleeping next to her friend, Ruth, and Ghost pranced up to the bed, then used his claws to climb up the bed, which stirred Iris from her sleep.
"What . . ." Iris mumbled, glancing over the edge of the bed. "Ghost!"
Iris pulled Ghost up the rest of the way, and he rubbed up against the little girl. Iris laughed as she nuzzled the kitten, then adjusted the blanket around them both so he could snuggle next to her. Ghost kneaded the bed as he curled up next to Iris, glad to be with his human as he should be, and he fell asleep with Iris's arm draped over him.
The fireplace flared green as Severus landed in the Brown's fireplace and stepped out, brushing soot off his clothes. The green flames extinguished themselves behind him. Severus sighed and ran his hands down his face as he walked through the living room and headed for the dining room where he could hear the chitter chatter of the family.
"Daddy!" Iris squealed, jumping off her chair and running over to her father.
Severus smiled as he picked up his daughter and kissed her temple.
"Hey, honey," he greeted. "Did you sleep okay?"
"Yeah, kind of," Iris said, rubbing an eye. She grinned, then clapped her hands, and Ghost flew up to her and dropped himself in her arms. "Look who's here!"
"Oh," Severus said, smiling at the gray kitten. He ran a finger down his back, earning a purr. "So much for a containment box."
"How is everything, Sev?" Tori asked from where she sat at the table feeding Jemima her bottle. Samuel, who was sitting at the head of the table trying to convince Esther to eat her breakfast, also glanced up at him.
"He's on the table right now," Severus said, ignoring the small spark of fear that returned to his chest, clenching tightly. He had to tell himself that Harry would be fine, all the Healers were professionals and had years of experience in this area, especially Healer Atline.
Iris tilted her head, her brow furrowing.
"On the table? What do you mean, Daddy?"
Severus set Iris down gently, his gaze softening. He pulled out a chair and sat, his eyes meeting hers. Ruth turned to stare as well while Esther merely watched their interactions, ignoring her father's attempts to get her to eat.
"Iris, honey," Severus began, "we need to talk about Harry."
Iris's eyes widened and she hugged Ghost closer.
"Is he okay?" she asked.
Severus took a deep breath as he thought over his words.
"He . . . he has cancer," he said, the word heavy in the air. "It's in his lung, which is why his asthma medicine hadn't been working properly the last few weeks. But the healers are taking it out right now, in surgery."
"Cancer?" Iris repeated, frowning. "Like what Pappy had?"
"Yes, like what Pappy had," Severus said, his voice low.
"Pappy said he was really sick from that," Iris said.
"He was," Severus agreed. "But his doctors made him better. And the healers are working very hard to make Harry better. They're taking out the bad part, and they'll give him medicine to make sure it doesn't come back. But it will make him very tired and sick for a while."
"And then he'll be okay?" Iris said hopefully.
Severus hesitated, his gut clenching as he fought over his next words. Of course, he wanted his son to pull through this and be okay. But what if something went wrong with the surgery while he wasn't there, or Harry had a bad reaction to the chemo? What if . . . what if he lost his son? The thought, sharp and cold, pierced through him, and he had to fight to keep his voice steady.
"The healers are doing everything they can, Iris," he said, his voice a low rasp. "They're very skilled, and they're working very hard. But . . . but this is a difficult thing, and it will take time. We must be patient, and we have to hope."
He saw the confusion in her eyes, the way her brow furrowed. He wanted to shield her from this new horror the family faced, to paint a picture of unwavering hope, but he couldn't lie. Not to her.
"Will he lose his hair?" she asked, her fingers stroking Ghost's soft fur.
Severus nodded, his throat tight.
"He might, yes. The medicine they use can do that."
Iris's eyes filled with tears, and she clutched Ghost tighter.
"But . . . but I don't want him to be sick!"
"Nor do I," Severus said, pulling his daughter into his arms and squeezing her against his chest. "But the healers will work hard to make him better. So will we. We'll make sure of it. We'll visit him, and we'll read him stories, and we'll bring him his favorite toys. We'll be there for him, every step of the way."
"He's not coming home?" Iris asked, looking up at her father.
"Not yet," Severus said. "Not for another couple of weeks."
Iris's lip quivered at the thought that she would not have her brother with her these next couple weeks.
"What about his birthday?" Iris asked. "It's at the end of the month, right?"
Severus sighed heavily as he ran a hand through Iris's hair. Harry's seventh birthday, a stark reminder of the fragile thread of normalcy they were clinging to.
"Yes, it is," he said, his voice strained. "We . . . we'll figure something out. We'll celebrate with him at the hospital, if we have to. We'll bring him cake, and presents, and we'll make sure he knows how much we love him."
He saw the flicker of hope in Iris's eyes. It was a reminder that even in the face of uncertainty, there was still room for joy, for celebration.
"Can we bring his dinosaurs?" Iris asked, smiling at her father. "He loves his dinosaurs."
"Of course, we can," Severus said, smiling back at his daughter. "We'll bring all his favorite things. And we'll make sure he has the best birthday possible, even if it's not how we planned it."
"Can we go see him now?" Iris asked.
"Yes, we're going right back. Do you want to bring Ghost?"
"He'll make Harry feel better," Iris said, holding up the kitten. "We should go get Spikes, too. Harry will need him."
"That's very thoughtful of you. We'll stop back at home first."
Severus glanced over at the family observing their conversation. Samuel and Tori gave him supportive smiles, while Ruth seemed a bit teary eyed, but she stubbornly wiped at her eyes and smiled at Severus too when he glanced at her. Esther also gave Severus a small smile, and while she wasn't teary in any way, she had a strange look of understanding in her eyes, something that seemed far too wise for a child her age. Severus did not think much of it as he turned his attention back to Tori, who was patting Jemima's back against her shoulder.
"I was wondering," Severus began, "if Joshua wanted to come along . . ."
Severus stopped talking as Tori's eyes widened and she shook her head rapidly at him.
"He's not ready yet," Samuel said. "He's . . . had quite the morning. I think he's still processing all of this."
"I see," Severus said. He glanced through the doorway leading out to the living room. "Would you like me to talk to him?"
Tori met Samuel's eyes, and they seemed to have a silent conversation before Tori looked back at Severus and shrugged her free shoulder.
"You're welcome to try," she said.
With those encouraging words, Severus nodded and headed towards the stairs. He climbed them slowly, his footsteps heavy on the creaking wood. He reached Joshua's room and paused, his hand hovering over the door. He couldn't really hear anything, no crying or movement. He briefly wondered what may have transpired that morning, but he decided it really didn't matter. He knocked softly.
"Joshua?" he called out.
There was no response. He knocked again, a little louder.
"Joshua, it's Severus. Can I come in?"
Silence. Then, a small, muffled voice that said, "Go away."
"May I please come in," Severus said, his voice firm but gentle. "I know you're upset, but I need to talk to you."
"I don't want to talk," Joshua insisted. "Just leave me alone."
Severus sighed and leaned against the door, thinking over his words.
"Hey," Severus tried instead, "I know you're upset. We all are."
"I don't want to talk about it."
"I understand," Severus said gently. "It's a lot to take in. But Harry needs us. He needs his family."
Suddenly, Severus had to catch himself from falling forward as the door swung open and Joshua glared at him, his eyes blazing.
"No, you don't understand!" he yelled, his voice cracking. "You don't understand anything!"
Severus blinked, taken aback by the outburst.
"Joshua, what—"
"I said go away," Joshua snapped as he stormed back toward his bed, lying down on it. "I don't want to see you."
Severus stepped into the room, closing the door behind him gently. He had never seen this side of Joshua in all the years he had known the child. Sure he heard from Joshua's parents that when the child was angry, he was quite a force to be reckoned with, but he had never had to experience it himself. However, all his years as a head of house prepared him for such conflicts, and he was not deterred from confronting Joshua further.
"What do I not understand?" he asked as he moved to sit on the edge of Joshua's bed.
"I don't want to say," Joshua mumbled into his pillow.
"Why not?"
"You'll be mad at me." Joshua sniffled, hesitating for a moment, then added, "and Harry will hate me forever."
"I can tell you now that Harry does not nor will he ever hate you," Severus said. "No matter what."
"You don't know that."
"What makes you think that he'll hate you? You've done nothing wrong."
"But it's my fault!" Joshua cried, turning his head to look at Severus, tears streaming down his face. "It's all my fault! If I hadn't made him go up that stupid mountain, he wouldn't be in there! He wouldn't be sick!"
Severus's eyes widened, realization dawning. He had been so focused on Harry's condition that he had completely missed the boy's self-blame.
"Joshua . . ." he began.
"He had an asthma attack because I made him run!" Joshua sobbed, turning his face back into the pillow, wrapping his arms around it, the rest of his words muffled. Severus had to lean close to hear what the child was saying. "And then he fell, and I couldn't even help him! If I hadn't been so stupid, he wouldn't be . . . he wouldn't . . ."
Severus reached out, placing a hand on Joshua's trembling shoulder.
"Joshua, listen to me," he said. "This is not your fault. Harry's illness . . . it was already there. The fall, the asthma attack, sure, they were unfortunate, but they didn't cause the cancer. If anything, that little misadventure helped us find it sooner. If Harry hadn't had trouble breathing, if we hadn't gone to the hospital, we might not have known until it was much worse."
Joshua turned his head once more, meeting Severus's eyes, frowning as if he wasn't ready to believe his words.
"How do you know it was already there?"
"Well, he's had some unusual symptoms prior to the park trip," Severus explained. "Of which, I thought was his asthma flaring up. Based on the imaging, this tumor had quite a few days, maybe weeks, to grow in his lungs to get to the size it was at. It didn't all happen in one day. If anything, I'm to blame for missing the signs."
"How could you have known?" Joshua asked.
"Hmph, you question me yet doubt yourself," Severus said, smiling down at the young boy. As mature as Joshua could be at times, in this moment, Severus was reminded of how young the child still was. "You know, even though you didn't know what was wrong, you were there for him when he needed you most. You went after him when he fell down the mountain, didn't you? You gave him his inhaler. That was brave, Joshua. Very brave. There is nothing that you did that hurt Harry yesterday. You boys were just looking for a bit of adventure. As young boys do."
Joshua rubbed at his red cheek, resisting a small smile that threatened to pull at his lips.
"Ah, I saw that," Severus teased. "Don't smile now, you'll ruin your brooding reputation."
That earned Severus a small chuckle from the young boy. He smiled briefly, then turned his expression into a serious one.
"This is not a burden for you to bear alone. We are all here for Harry. We are all here for you. You don't have to carry this guilt. It serves no purpose. What Harry needs is your support, your love. You're a very good friend to Harry, practically a brother. And he needs you now."
Joshua sniffled, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
"I . . . I don't want to see him yet," he whispered. "I'm scared."
Severus rubbed Joshua's back comfortingly.
"It's okay to be scared. I understand. Take your time, when you are ready, Harry will be happy to see you."
Joshua nodded, his eyes still filled with tears.
"Okay," he whispered. "Okay."
Severus patted Joshua's shoulder a few times before he stood up and left the child's bedroom, heading back downstairs. He was glad he had been able to ease Joshua's concerns and guilt, and he needed to inform Tori and Samuel of what his conversation had consisted of, so they were aware of how guilty their son had been feeling. It would give them answers on why he was so temperamental at the moment.
As Severus reached the bottom step, Esther was standing in front of the stairway, her pink nightgown touching the floor, and her bushy hair held back by a matching pink headband. She had something in her hand, and she offered it to Severus with a smile.
"Oh," Severus said, holding one hand out for whatever it was while signing 'thank you' with the other.
A limp, orange butterfly landed in the center of his palm. He stared at it with a small frown, briefly wondering why he had been so ready to accept whatever the child had. The four-year-old grinned up at him, then ran off, her bare feet silent on the hard floor.
"Just what I wanted," Severus muttered, then jumped when the seemingly dead butterfly suddenly stood up, its wings fluttering for a moment before it flew off Severus's hand, flying away in search of a window to free itself. Severus put a hand to his chest, scolding himself internally for startling at a bug. All these kids were going to be the death of him before he hit thirty, he swore it.
The world swam into focus, a blurry haze of pale green walls and the rhythmic beeping of a machine. Harry blinked, his eyelids heavy, and a dull ache throbbed in his chest. He shifted, a sharp sting shooting through his ribs, and his breath hitched.
He looked down, pulling at the thin hospital gown. A long, angry red line marred his pale skin, stretching from his side towards the center of his chest. It was a scar, a real, ugly scar. Harry's brow furrowed. Magic was supposed to fix things, wasn't it? He didn't think the surgery was going to leave him with such an ugly scar, though he did recall Healer Atline telling him that he would have some stitches along his rib once they were done. Was that what those itchy black things were along the scar?
His gaze drifted around the room. It was a new recovery room, with a more comfortable bed and a few chairs surrounding him. In one of those plush armchairs was a familiar, shaggy-haired man. His Uncle Sirius.
"Hey, Harry," Sirius said, moving his chair closer. He offered a small, plush teddy bear that was wearing a grey jumper with the St Mungo's logo on it. "Got you a little something."
"Uncle Sirius?" Harry's voice was raspy, barely a whisper. He reached out, his small fingers clutching the teddy bear. He smiled at the little stuffed animal, then held it close and looked around the room. "Where's Daddy?"
Sirius's smile was strained.
"He went to pick up your sister. He wanted to be here when you woke up and I'm sure he'll be here any minute." Sirius looked over his shoulder and at the door to Harry's room. "Must have gotten delayed, it would seem."
Harry nodded slowly, then scratched a bit at the scar through his gown. "My chest hurts."
"Yeah, I bet it does," Sirius said, his hand lightly resting on Harry's leg. "The healers, they . . . they said that muggle stitching was better for at least the skin. Helps the skin heal without getting too tight and causing, err, wrinkling or something like that. Magic fixed everything else inside, but the skin needed a different touch, apparently."
Harry frowned, confused. He'd always thought magic could fix anything.
"So I'm going to have a scar?"
Sirius sighed as he rubbed the stubble on his chin.
"I'm not really sure, bud. There's potions the healers should be arriving with any second now to help with the itch and to accelerate the healing of that incision, but I don't know if it'll scar or not. Regardless, it won't be so visible like it is now. You're going to be okay."
Sirius hesitated, then gave Harry a playful smile.
"Besides, even if it didn't, scars are pretty cool, you know?"
"Really?" Harry frowned at his godfather.
"Yeah, of course. They come with great stories. Like this one." Sirius lifted his leg up and pulled up his trousers, revealing a large scar running from his ankle up to his calf. "See, got that one in a rather lame way, tripped over my bike that I wasn't supposed to have at the time, so of course I hid it from my parents. Tried healing it myself, see how good that did. But now I can say that I got this riding at a hundred miles an hour on my bike in the sky, racing against a criminal I was in hot pursuit of, and I crash landed right into him. Better story, isn't it?"
Harry laughed at his uncle's crazy detective story.
"That doesn't sound real at all."
"Oh come, I made that up on the spot. I thought it sounded pretty brilliant. If you were to give me a score of one to ten on how awesome you think my story is, ten being the most incredible of all, what would you rate it?"
"Mmm," Harry tapped his chin for a minute. "A three."
"A three?!" Sirius exclaimed, feigning outrage. "A three? I'm wounded! I thought I was at least a solid seven, maybe an eight with a little bit of imagination!"
Harry giggled, his laughter a little weak, but genuine, and Sirius grinned, ruffling his hair gently. Just then, the door swung open.
"Harry!" Iris's voice rang out, and she launched herself into the room, running straight for his bed. She threw her arms around him, squeezing him tight. "I missed you!"
"Iris!" Harry hugged her back, then hissed sharply as the movement pulled at his incision. "Ow!"
"Easy, you two," Severus said. He placed a gentle hand on Iris's shoulder. "He just had surgery. Be careful."
Iris's eyes widened, and she pulled back, her face flushed a bit.
"Oh, right, I'm sorry, Harry," she said, her voice small. She held out Harry's stuffed, green stegosaurus. Harry accepted his toy, holding him under his other arm since he still had the teddy bear under one arm. "I brought Spikes and . . ." she trailed off as she reached into her bag and pulled out Ghost, the grey kitten purring softly as he hung loosely in Iris's hold. "And Ghost."
"Ghost!" Harry exclaimed.
Ghost jumped onto the bed, curling up beside Harry's head, his purrs a soothing rumble. Harry smiled as he reached up to pet the kitty.
Severus smiled as he sat in a chair next to Sirius.
"How was he when he woke up?" he asked.
"For a kid just waking up from lung surgery," Sirius said, his brows rising a bit, "he's an awfully brave kid. He was a little confused, but brave."
"That's my boy," Severus said, smiling as he watched Iris sit on the bed next to her brother as they played with the kitten. "I apologize for not returning sooner, I had wanted to be here before he woke up but there was . . . a little family dilemma at the Brown residence."
"No worries," Sirius said, waving a hand. "I was happy to have a bit of one-on-one time. Besides, it gave me a chance to tell some . . . fantastic stories." He winked at Harry, who grinned back when he heard the discussion. "Of course, I was still poorly reviewed for my attempt."
Just then, the door opened again, and two Healers entered, carrying small vials and syringes.
"Right on time," Sirius muttered.
"Hello, Harry," one of the healers said, smiling gently. "I'm going to apply a few potions to your incision to help with the healing and the itching."
"Okay," Harry said.
He allowed the healer to lift his gown slightly and carefully apply the potions, her touch gentle and efficient. Harry flinched slightly as the cool liquid touched his skin, but he remained still, his eyes fixed on Ghost, who was purring contentedly beside him.
"While Healer Rei tends to the incision wound," the other healer said, "I'd like to discuss some innovative treatments going forward, in addition to the chemo and radiation. Something that may shorten the duration of Harry's treatments."
Iris's head swung around at the familiar voice, and she smiled and pointed at the healer.
"Your Healer Lee," she said.
"Ah, yes," Healer Jason Lee said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Iris, yes?"
"Yeah, you broke up with my mum," Iris said nonchalantly.
Sirius choked slightly as he bit back a laugh while Severus smiled apologetically and reached for his daughter, pulling her off the bed and sitting her in his lap.
"Iris, sweetie, that's not quite appropriate for this setting," he said, his voice low and firm, but not unkind. He then turned to Healer Lee. "Please forgive my daughter's candor, Healer Lee."
Healer Lee nodded, a slight flush rising on his cheeks, but his expression remained professional.
"Of course, Severus. As I was saying, we have a new treatment option that has shown promising results in cases like Harry's. It's called 'Magical Oncolytic Virus Therapy,' or MOVT. Essentially, we introduce a specially engineered magical virus into the patient's system. This virus is designed to target and destroy cancer cells specifically, leaving healthy cells unharmed. The virus is modified to carry magical properties that enhance its destructive capabilities against cancerous tissues. It also stimulates the patient's own magical immune system to recognize and attack the remaining cancer cells. The effects have been significant in reducing tumor size and minimizing the side effects associated with traditional cancer treatments."
"A virus?" Iris asked, her eyes wide. "Like a cold?"
"Not exactly," Healer Lee said, smiling gently. "This is a very special virus, created with magic. It seeks out only the bad cells, the cancer, and destroys them. It's like a tiny, magical army inside Harry's body."
"And it shortens the treatment?" Severus asked, recalling the small bit he had already read about the new science.
"Significantly," Healer Lee confirmed. "In some cases, it has reduced the treatment duration by up to half. It also reduces the severity of side effects caused by the other methods, such as hair loss and nausea. It is still new, but the results so far have been very promising." He looked at Harry. "It is a series of injections, and monitoring. There may be some fever and chills for a day or two after each treatment, but that's to be expected."
"Will it make me better?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Harry," Healer Lee said. "That is the aim of the treatment. You will still need chemotherapy and radiation as well, but by using all three, we could eradicate the cancer from you completely in half the time."
Harry looked at Severus, who couldn't help but smile at his child surrounded by stuffed animals and a purring phantom kitten. Severus reached forward and took his son's hand.
"We're going to make you better, Harry," Severus said. "No matter what. And we'll all be here every step of the way."