A new home

Chapter 6

I'm sorry I haven't been updating. I've just started high school and since the beginning of the school year, I have been busy. I have had a couple of chapters done in my notebook but haven't had enough time to type them here. Your comments and votes are my motivation.

After Mark left, Severus sat there thinking for 5 more minutes then decided to go to bed. He was walking up the stairs when he heard a chilling scream. Severus realized at once that it was Harry's . He ran up the stairs and flung Harry's door open, looking for intruders. There was no one there except for the boy on the bed, who was thrashing around, whimpering.

"I...I'm sorry, Uncle ! Please, stop ! It hurts. I didn't do it! I swear I didn't! Please..."

Severus quietly made his way to the boy's bedside.

"Potter! Wake up!" - He shook the boy's shoulders, but only received a flinch from him.

"No... Please.." - Harry whimpered.

The boy had started to hyperventilate. Severus quickly sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Harry up to a sitting position. He rubbed the boy's back to wake him.

"Harry, wake up for me. It's just a dream, child" - He said soothingly into Harry's ears.

Harry's green, tearful eyes flew open. He looked around the room fearfully until his eyes landed on Severus next to him.

"It's alright, Harry, you're safe here" - Severus said softly.

Harry broke down and started sobbing. Severus held him close and let the boy cry it out.

After a few minutes, the crying had ceased down to sniffles and hiccups.

"Harry, do you want to talk about it ?" - Severus asked.

Harry shook his head, eyes still filled with tears.

"It'll help to talk about it" - Severus said softly, to 'coax' him like Mark had said.

Suddenly, Harry realized something. He was wet. He had wet the bed and Snape was here. How was he supposed to hide it ?

"I...I'm sorry"

"You don't have anything to feel sorry from Harry."

"Yes, I do" - Harry started to cry again.

"What is it then, Harry ?"

"I'm...I'm sorry. I wet the bed. I didn't mean to"

Although Severus didn't want it to happen, he was glad that he finally had a chance to address this problem to Harry.

"Oh, Harry. It's ok. Accidents happen. It's not your fault"

The boy continued to cry, holding onto Severus like his life depended on it, like it was the first time he had ever been held by someone. It was probably true though. When the crying stopped, Severus pulled back and wiped the boy's face with a handkerchief.

"Let's get you cleaned up, yeah ?"

Harry just nodded. Severus picked the boy up off the bed, put him down on his 2 feet and led him out of the room into the bathroom. Once in there, Severus turned on the tap to fill the tub and started undressing Harry since the boy seemed too out of it to do anything.Severus took off the boy's pyjama shirt and gasped. The boy's torso and back were covered in scars and bruises that hadn't completely faded even though it had been nearly a year since the last time he had been with his relatives. Some of the scars and bruises were deep and looked pretty bad.

"Harry" - He called softly.

The boy looked up with sad eyes. Oh, how those green eyes reminded him of his Lily.

"Harry, who did this to you ?" - He asked even though he knew the answer. He just wanted the boy to say it.

Harry shook his head and looked down at the floor, his eyes filled with tears again.

"Harry, look at me" - Severus said taking the boy's chin into his hand to make Harry look up.

"If you tell me, I can get you away from whoever was hurting you and prevent them from doing it again."

Harry looked up at him, trying to decide whether to trust him or not. He had once told his teacher at school and it had ended badly with severe beatings. Could it hurt to try one more time ? Maybe he would really be rescued from his relatives. Snape was a man of his words. He didn't trust him at first but after a week with Snape, the man wasn't that bad and after what had just happened, maybe he could trust the man.

"You promise ?" - The boy asked softly, despite knowing that he sounded childish.

"Yes, I promise"

Harry took a deep breath.

"It's my aunt and uncle and cousin. Mostly my uncle" - He said shakily, looking as though he was about to cry.

"It'll be ok Harry. You won't have to go back there. I promise" - Severus said hugging the boy again, being careful not to hurt his fragile body.

Severus then removed Harry's wet pyjama trousers and pants. Once the boy realized they were being removed, he flinched. Severus noticed. There must be something behind that flinch. But now was not the time.

Severus turned the tap off and lifted Harry into the tub.

"I'll go get Toppy to change the sheets and I'll get you some pyjamas. Are you ok there ?"

Harry nodded sleepily and Severus walked out of the room.

He called for Toppy and then opened the closet in the child's room for clothes. But all he found were worn, oversized clothes, mostly looked like rags. he sighed and made his way into his own bedroom.

He went back into the bathroom and found Harry nodding off in the bathtub.

"Harry" - He called softly. He had been using the child's first name to comfort him. The boy was in no state to deal with a harsh professor.

Harry opened his eyes and looked at him.

"Have you washed ?"

Harry nodded.

Severus helped him stand up, lifted him out and quickly wrapped him in a fluffy towel and patted him dry.

As he dressed the boy, his eyes opened and looked at the clothes confused.

"Whose are these pyjamas ?"

"Mine. I shrunk them down to your size. I'll take you shopping as soon as possible. What those muggles gave you are not clothes."

Harry's eyes widened.

"Sir, you don't have to..."

"Don't argue with me, Potter." - Severus said, using his teaching voice that left no room for argument. "You need adequate clothes. Everyone does. And I'll be getting you as much clothes as I see fit for an 11-year-old"

"Yes, sir" - Harry said defeatedly and closed his eyes and started to doze off.

Severus quickly dressed him, picked him up from under his armpits and carried him to the boy's bedroom. He put the boy into his now-dry bed, tucked him in, said a quiet "goodnight" and left the room.