Boy

The boy had decided enough was enough. He knew that as a 10-year-old it was likely he would get very far from the Dursley household without someone stopping him and bringing him back but he had to try. He doubted that he would live long enough to even go to a big boys school, not that he really wanted to go there at all. So far, Boy had managed to travel all the way to the train station across town but it was night time so there really want anyone around to catch him. He had managed to collect a few things when he had left the house but he had soon realised it was enough. The weather was quite cold and as he didn't have enough warm clothes he was shivering hard. It didn't help that he had fresh contusions on his back from Uncles Vernon's belt that kept catching on the fabric of his shirt and sticking before ripping off when he walked a certain way. Boy was positive that they had healed before he left but he was really starting to doubt that. He had also not brought enough food, and no trains would be leaving the station until eight am that morning so he had 6 more hours before he could even grab any food. He didn't have enough money for a ticket but he was sure, as he was small e ough, that he could sneak on without anyone noticing. Boy came to the darkest corner of the station where he was sure that nobody could find him before gently easing himself down onto the bench in a horizontal position on his side as his back was far too painful to even attempt lying on. He tucked his face into his arm and slowly drifted off.

Severus Snape's morning was already off to a bad start. His son Draco had refused to get out of bed, shouting at him and throwing a massive tantrum which he was sure to last the whole day however he hadn't had time to properly discipline him as Albus Dumbledore had appeared at his fireplace and Lucius had left early for the ministry. Now he was stuck with a grumpy ten-year-old child whilst looking for another ten-year-old child who had run away from home. The boy in question? Harry James Bloody Potter. The child of his most hated enemy. The child of his first best friend. Was he supposed to be in charge of the boy? No. But Albus had decided that the funky little cat lady Mrs Figg was not able to go frolicking around Little Whinging to find the child. Severus words not the headmasters. To make matters worse they had been looking for over two hours and still the boy hadn't been found and even Severus had started to get worried. By now he had sent a Patronus to Lucius who had collected Draco and promised to punish him accordingly when the pair got home so that it would save Severus the trouble and quite frankly Severus was able to move a lot quicker now he didn't have a clearly disobedient child with him. It wouldn't have set a good impression on the Potter boy either.

It was about a half an hour later when Severus saw a small child led on a bench at the train station hidden in the far corner. From a distance he was sure it wasn't Harry as the body was far too small and scrawny to be the pampered prince that Albus had always told him Potter was but when he got closer he was shocked to find that this was in fact the child he had been searching for the whole morning. He immediately reached forward to shake the boy awake but quickly pulled back when the boy slightly rolled over and Severus gasped as he saw the bruises that layered across his face and arms and basically any skin that was showing on the clearly three sixes too big clothes. He became alarmed however when he noticed the blood seeping through the collar on the back of the small child's shirt and he slowly crouched down next to the figure and shook him awake. Severus almost jumped back at the fast movement that the boy had done but had remained sturdy ready to calm the child. Looking properly at Harry, who was now had his knees pressed to his chest, and obvious grimace from pain across his face and a look of pure fear at the man who crouched in front of him, Severus spoke in a soft voice.

'Harry Potter?'

'My names boy sir.' A soft but pain filled voice replied back. Severus frowned at the answer. It was not what he was expecting. Severus knew there were more questions to ask but he needed to stop the bleeding that he could see was still flowing from whatever cut he had upon the back of his neck.