New Awakening

Reassurance

When Harry’s consciousness began to return he felt for the first time ever well rested. He felt a comfortable mattress beneath him and a soft pillow under his head. He tensed. A comfortable bed? Why was he lying in a bed? Freaks were not allowed to touch the furniture, unless to clean them.

He quickly opened his eyes, and flinched from the light – light? His cupboard didn’t have windows! – Before looking around and recalling everything that happened the day before.

His mum and dad were alive! They took care of him, held him, carried him and even gave him a nice bath with toys that he was allowed to touch. Then they stayed with him until he fell asleep, or maybe even longer than that. They did not hit him for asking questions and vomiting all over the bed sheets and even said the Dursleys’ rules didn’t apply to this new world.

He didn’t really understand how he came to appear in this new world but he was more than happy to be here. But there was a question that would not leave him alone: how much longer would Harry’s parents put up with him before they resorted to the methods the Dursleys used?

A husky voice and a hand on his forehead interrupted Harry’s bad thoughts.

“Hey, buddy. Did you sleep well?” James said after giving Harry time to adjust to his surroundings and remember the day before.

Harry nodded and made a move to sit up, only that his right arm was in a cast and his left was so weak that it didn’t support the little weight he had – he fell right back into his pillows.

With a wave of his dad’s wand the bed rearranged so that Harry was sitting without actually moving his body.

“Wicked!” Harry said to himself then put a hand to his mouth and looked at James in alarm but saw James grinning back at him twisting his wand between his fingers.

Harry then felt a hard pressure on his bladder and bit his lip pondering before turning to his father.

“S-Sir?” Harry asked hesitantly.

“Hey, little one. What’s the matter? And don’t call me sir, remember? If you are not comfortable calling me dad you can call me Prongs or James until you are.” James said bending down to catch his son’s eyes.

“S-Sorry, s- d-daddy.” Harry said looking down not really seeing James beaming at his choice of words.

“Go on, Harry. And there’s no need to apologise.”

“S-Sor-. Er… m-may I u-use the l-loo? I-I p-promise I’ll b-be real q-quick and I’ll c-clean it a-after.” Harry said everything really fast and squeezed his eyes shut as if not to see the blow coming.

“Of course you can, little one! And no-sense. You don’t have to clean it just because you used it. This is Hogwarts the toilet cleans itself!” James said before picking his son up and placing the little boy on his hip.

Harry hesitantly put his arms around his father’s neck and his legs around his waist, all the while staring at James for confirmation that it was okay and he was doing this right.  James smiled at him and held him closer.