Survival Bonds

Chapter 7: Back to the Dursley's

That night, an overwhelming sense of dread just seems to leak into my bones. Panic rises and then falls. At moments I feel I can't breathe. I've never experienced this before. After what feels like forever, the moment passes. Just as I turn in my bed to try to find a better position to sleep in, I hear the door open.

"Harhar no sleep?" Little Wendy scampers up to me and climbs in the bed with a level of difficulty. I help the little thing.

"You do not have to be worried Wendy. I just can't sleep." She nods.

"Lay down, close eyes." I smile at the authoritative tone and do as she say. Sitting cross legged beside me, her tiny hand gently strokes my hair. With closed eyes, I hear her humming strongly and clearly. There are no words, but something about it fills me with peace. I can't find myself from falling into sleep.

My dreams are not free of nightmares, but just as the themes get to difficult to bare, a strong voice will begin humming in my ear again. My mother will be holding me as an infant, and I can hear her screams as she is murdered, but the humming brings me back to clarity. This is just a dream. A painfully scary one, but just a dream.

There are moments of my dream that do not make sense to me. An angry looking man striking me. A woman holding a child and crying while looking at me. I can see her mouthing words, but I can't tell what she is saying for all the humming. The woman and small child leave and the man angrily slaps me across my face. He grabs my wrist and I'm trying to yank away from him. I'm terrified, but the humming brings me back.

Groggily, I open my eyes. Wendy is sleeping beside me unconsciously humming. She stayed all night. I detach the small hands from my arm and pull the blankets around her. Just as I'm about to leave the room, Niffy materializes.

She takes a quick look to the bed.

"I was wondering where she had done gotten off to. She wasn't in Sevy's room."

"Does she stay in his room a lot?" Niffy's mouth is pulled into a straight line.

"It is time to start the day Harry. Please. Quickly get dressed, I will see to it that Sevy has woken up." She vanishes. Niffy didn't answer my question. She looked as though she never had any intention too.

Little Wendy looks so small in that great big bed. She's snoring lighting still occasionally humming. I'll have to wear the jeans that I came here in. I'm surprised to find them washed. Niffy must have taken care of it. I choose one of the other shirts that she found for me, and dress quickly. I'm desperate for some clean underpants. I take the ones I have on off. I detest going without them, but I simply cannot wear the filthy things anymore.

At the breakfast table, Snape is looking even more exhausted. He can't seem to even keep his eyes open as his hand curls around a cup of tea. He hasn't noticed me yet. Niffy tops off the partially drank up and then sets down the pop just long enough to ruffle his hair affectionately.

"Sevy, don't be rude. Harry is here." Blinkingly he looks at me. Niffy places a plate in front of me and a plate in front of Snape. More hotcakes. While I eat, Snape pokes it with his fork. For every five time he brings the fork to his mouth, he only seems to actually eat the food once. He pushes his plate away.

"I cannot eat anymore Niffy." He says simply. She looks at the barely touched food and sighs.

"It isn't good to waste food." I find myself saying. Both look at me. I feel like Hagrid... I shouldn't have said that. I should have just kept my mouth closed and minded my own business. "There are lots that go hungry."

"And me eating or not does not make a bit of difference." Snape says with ease. "I have eaten my fill." So much food is still on his plate. It hurts." He stands and leaves. Niffy is about to scape the food in the trash.