Dunderhead - A Harry Potter story: Snape becomes Harry's mentor

Chapter 31: PAIN RELIEF

Severus' attention was interrupted in the early hours of the morning by the sound of a little boy breathing, and he knew that Draco was standing just beyond his line of sight, around the corner of a case of books. "What is it, Draco? Go back to bed." Severus said in a low voice, thoroughly fed up with the whole ordeal.

After ordering Malfoy and Potter to their respective beds, Severus had stormed into his private cabinet and begun to brew an array of different potions. They constituted of examples for his classes over the next few weeks, the school medical supplies, and for the Dark Lord. However, all the way through his work, Potter's snotty little voice saying those five little words had caused Severus' concentration to be somewhat less attentive than it usually was. 

Potter had no business sounding polite and grateful. Well, he did actually. Severus had agreed to look after the brat, after all. The boy should be thanking him on bended knee accordingly, especially when Severus was currently brewing a potion that would save Potter's life. This was why then, at two o'clock in the morning, Severus had no patience for Draco's antics. 

"I know you're there. Go to bed, it is too early for you to be up."

***

Harry, against the force of his fear, anxiety, and general feelings of bewilderment, had fallen into a deep sleep. He had dreamt the same dream again. He was being gently rocked by someone. He felt warmth and a steady rhythmic pulse; a heartbeat behind his head. Harry had known this feeling of contentment before, it was like a war could rage around him but so long as he kept being gently rocked, and so long as that low da-dum, da-dum sound was soft in his ears, Harry could remain in a state of bliss. 

But then there was a flash of green light, and Harry had felt cold. He was surrounded by death's cloak itself. He had jerked awake. His heart had been pounding against his ribcage, his blood thrumming in his ears.

The room was dark. Not a single shard of light came through the closed door, and Harry could tell that the boy next to him was asleep because the lump beneath the blankets was no longer as tense as it had been and was instead moving rhythmically up and down, a sign of deep sleep. 

Harry was not sure that it would be wise to venture beyond the door. The dark man must have shut it for a reason. Shut away in the dark. Harry knew this feeling: Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had kept him in his cupboard long enough for the sensation to be almost comforting, but tonight it only added to his feelings of confusion. Harry's head felt muddled. He could not shake off the feeling that he was forgetting something very important. And while he did feel less unsure than he had yesterday, and that made him less scared, his dream had nevertheless awoken something in him. It was like a memory of an important event had been allowed to slip through his hands and now he could not recall it.

Harry slid out of his bed and was gratified to find that his feet did not take an age to reach the floor. Yesterday, the man had had to lift him up in order to get him onto the bed. Harry also felt less wobbly on his feet, and he thought that this was interesting considering that the floor looked further away from him now. Harry crept out of the room, turning back often to make sure that he did not wake the other boy. When he walked into the room with the large stone fireplace that he had fallen out of the day before, after being nearly burnt to death by cold flames (a confusing thought that had plagued Harry for a good half hour), Harry was unsurprised to see the man was up. 

There were six enormous cauldrons sitting on a large wooden table. Flames were lit beneath each one and sporadic flecks of multicoloured sparks were jumping out of their rims every few seconds. Harry watched the man drift from pot to pot, never faltering in his methodical actions of stirring and pouring. He muttered to himself as he worked and Harry was entranced by the man's concentration.