Growing Love

Soft

Snape was no longer interested in his potion notes. Or planning the next terms classes. Hermione was reading the same line over and over. Blaise was pacing a hole in the floor. Pansy had re-done her nails for the 7th time. Dean was letting Pansy paint his. Neville and Seamus were cuddled together on a few pillows. Draco started playing with Harry's hair.

"I've never really paid attention to how soft his hair is." Draco said to no one in particular.

Blaise laughed. "Really?"

"What? I've been so stressed about if he remembers this. Me. I never really thought about it." Draco defended.

Harry moved. Everyone stopped what they were doing. Harry yawned. Then cuddled further into Draco. Draco was frozen. To scared to move.

"Soft." Harry mumbled.

He sat up in shock. Eyes slightly closed. He wiped his eyes. Yawned again.

"Soft? Why? Ow my head." Harry blinked his eyes open.

A vague shape of a person in front of him. He squeaked and scurried off of Draco. He looked around. Everything was fuzzy. Fear creeping in. He wiped his eyes. Blinked a few times. Wiped them again. Still everything was fuzzy. His bottom lip quivered. His head pounded.

'At least nothing was moving.' He thought to himself.

"Ow! What did that ass do." Harry mumbled and put a hand to his head.

"Harry?"

"No."

"What?"

"You can't know my name. He'll hurt me. Why can't I see anything. What's happening where am I." Harry started to sob and carried on mumbling. "If he finds out this happened he'll do it again. Oh hell just get me back. I don't want to be punished again."

An arm wrapped around Harry's shoulders. Harry started shaking. He held his head and felt something wet. He bit his tongue. Then a hand was on his cheek.

"Here love. I'm going to give you a pair of glasses. Maybe you will be able to see better. Just calm down for me please." 'His voice is so sweet. And familiar.'

Harry nodded. His body didn't relax but he let the boy put the glasses on his face. He didn't open his eyes yet however. His fingers poking at a tender spot on his head. The wetness he realized was blood.

"I promise I won't ask for anything else. But can I please get a needle and cotton?" Harry said.

Hands on his cheeks. "What for?"

Harry whimpered. "To... To fix my cut."

"Please open your eyes. Look at me." Harry shook his head. "Can you tell me how old you are?"

"T... Ten."

"Am I scaring you? And please use your voice."

"No. You feel soft." Harry mumbled.

"Would you like to sleep? You look tired. I can fix your cut while you sleep."

"Oh... ammm okay." Harry pressed his back to a wall.

"No you aren't sleeping there. You are going to come lay next to me."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not allowed to be comfortable. He'll hurt me."

"Harry love listen to me. I know about your uncle. There are 7 other people here. We saved you from him. He can't get to you."

Harry tensed. "But..."

"No you are with us now. Blaise was..."

"Blaise? Where is he?"

Everyone was shocked. They all looked at each other and then Blaise. Blaise stepped forward. And changed places with Draco.

"Do you remember me munchkin?" He asked.

Harry nodded. "My head hurts."

Blaise touched Harry's shoulder. "Can you come with me. I have something that will make it better."

"Do I have to open my eyes?"

"If you don't want to I can carry you."

"Carry me." Harry reached his arms out.

Blaise picked him up removed the glasses and laid Harry's head on his shoulder. Harry sighed. Blaise got the left over ointment from before and put some on Harry's head. He sat down in a circle with everyone.

"Munchkin. Can you try looking at everyone? You don't have to if you don't want to." Blaise said.

"But I can't see." Harry mumbled.

"These glasses will help you." Blaise put the glasses back. "Can you tell me who you know?"

Harry blinked. The scene around him coming into focus a bit. He shifted the glasses and blinked. He looked at everyone there. Slowly moving from one to the next. No one spoke as they waited. Harry moved from Blaise to Draco. He climbed into Draco's lap.

"You're soft. And warm." Harry mumbled.

Draco smiled. "Do you know my name?"

"Hmmm. Dray." Harry sighed.

"Do you remember me?"

Harry looked panicked. "No not really. Am I supposed to. I'm sorry I didn't..."

Draco hugged Harry. "Shhh love it's okay. Don't worry."

Harry pointed at Snape. "You were sad."

Snape blinked. "What?"

"You..." Harry frowned. "You were crying. There was a green light and you were crying. Aunt Petunia says I was imagining it but you're real."

Snape nodded. "That was a memory when you were a baby. I was sad because I knew your mother."

Harry snuggled into Draco. "Mommy died in a crash. She was a freak just like me."

The group gasped. Harry jumped from Draco's arms and backed away. He curled into a ball and started to cry.

*~*

It had taken two days to get Harry to stop freaking out. To everyone's surprise it was Snape who succeeded. Harry wouldn't leave him alone much after that.

"Tell me again. Please."

"Okay. But you need to promise me something Harry."

Harry chewed his lip. "Okay Snape."

Snape picked Harry up. "One. Call me Severus. Or Sev. Two. I don't ever want to hear you say you're a freak. Three. You go to sleep soon after."

"Okay Severus. Pinky promise." Harry said.

"Your mother was a very beautiful woman and my best friend. She had magic but her sister, Petunia, didn't so Petunia was jealous. We came to Hogwarts together. She was put in Gryffindor and I was put in Slytherin. But we still spoke to each other. Over the summer we would go to this park that was close by and use our magic for silly things. Like growing plants. I was never really good with potions but she encouraged me a lot. Then something bad happened and we were split up. I loved your mother so when I found out she was going to be hurt I tried to save her. Except I was too late. And I couldn't be strong anymore. So I cried. And I decided I would do everything to be a better person. But it's not always easy." Snape looked at Harry.

Harry fell asleep on his shoulder. Snape got up from his chair and walked into the common room. Everyone went quiet as they watched Snape walk over to a couch. He laid Harry down and covered him

"Wow Professor. Baby Harry has you wrapped around his finger."

Snape glared. "Parkinson."

"Oh Professor we all know you're a big softie."

"Granger, I expect you to be the mature one." Snape growled and walked out.

Pansy laughed. "He has an image to protect."

"If that image wasn't broken before it definitely is now."

"Anyone else wonder why we never get to hear the stories he tells Harry?"

"He never talks about his past Dean. It's more personal with Lilly."