Another Place To Be Hurt...

Please Don't Leave

Severus forgot after a while how long he sat there, holding Harry on his lap, rubbing calming circles on the small child's back as the gasps and shudders slowly faded into even calm breaths.
"Snape?" The small child whispered carefully, body tense as if expecting punishment.
"Hush child," the older wizard had chided. "You're safe now, Harry. Perhaps now you've calmed down we can discuss your new circumstances."

Harry sat on Snapes lap (unknowingly) feeling safe and secure, happy at being held by his now strangely protective professor. His body stiffened at the connotations of what Snape was saying; return to Hogwarts and discuss with the headmaster. He felt the anger well up in him for what Dumbledore had kept subjecting him too, making it worse by ignoring him over the last year when he had needed his help more than ever. He didn't want to return to the wizarding world, where Sirius' name was now cleared of all charges, didn't want to return to back to the place he had once called home which now held nothing but miserable memories of his third year; laughing at Padfoots antics as he tried desperatly to cheer the sad little boy up.

Snape seeing the glossed over look in Harry's eyes (there it was again, that damn name) and the rigid body language of the slight child, cradled him against his chest, hushing the child's fears and angers. He tightened his arms around the shaking boy and whispered potions recipes in a calming tone that his mother had once done for him. He hushed the small boy softly, out of his depth not knowing what else to do for the seemingly broken child who had snapped himself away from all Snapes' expectations of his home life.

Gradually as the black sky turned starry allowing the bright glow of celestial beings to lighten the eternal canvas, electricity and life flickered back into Privet Drive. He looked down at the pre teen led across his lap in a tight ball and realised that Potter had fallen asleep on his lap and normality had been returned to the suburban street after the boys violent outburst of accidental magic.

He stood up with Potter in his arms, expecting to need to use a featherlight charm on the boy but realised with a worrying start that Potter was incredibly under weight and he could feel the hard bones sticking out of the young boys ashen skin.

He disapparated back to Hogwarts with nothing more than a whispered incantation and a rush of wind, leaving the pulsating dark magic of the hocrux that had possessed Vernon Dursley, on the floor in his haste.

Casting a warming charm on the sleeping child he marched powerfully through the massives of snow in Scotland. Lost in his thoughts he was broken from his reverie by the grumble of the statue in front of Albus' office.
"Password," it snapped forcefully.
"Ice Mice," he muttered, feeling ridiculous and thanking the Gods that Potter was still asleep.
Striding into Dumbledores' office he silently motioned to the elder wizard to make a small chair for the boy to continue sleeping in whilst they discussed what was to be done. Trying to tug Potters grip off of his sleeve, he attempted to move the boy onto the chair. The brat (strange how that had become quite affectionate, he mused) stirred in his sleep in distress at the removal of his comfort and the protective presence that he could feel guarding him as he had slept. Severus' cheeks flushed in embarrasment, whilst the twinkle in Dumbledores' eyes grew bigger and bigger by each moment that Harry tried to latch back on to Severus.
"Don't leave me," the barely awake child mumbled. "Please, please don't leave me."
Holding up a calming hand he stopped Severus in his attempts to put Harry down. "Leave the boy be, Severus," he smiled,"he's obviously content with you."

Severus had the strangest feeling that he knew what that entitled and it wasn't just cuddling Potter that Dumbledore was hinting at.