Cherokee Camp by grugster
Summary: After two weeks of torture by Death Eaters, Draco and Harry have to find a way to cope with all their memories. Severus, as their guardian, tries to help and spends some time with them at a therapy camp in the USA. Draco and Harry friendship
Categories: Parental Snape > Guardian Snape, Healer Snape, Teacher Snape > Trusted Mentor Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Draco, Original Character
Snape Flavour: None
Genres: Drama, General, Hurt/Comfort
Media Type: None
Tags: Alternate Universe
Takes Place: 4th summer
Warnings: Character Death, Torture
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 66 Completed: No Word count: 195045 Read: 233009 Published: 09 Jun 2009 Updated: 15 Apr 2012
Chapter 6 – Separated Ways by grugster
Author's Notes:
Dear readers,

In this story I wiil mention a housespun remedy we use here. It's placing curd on sunburns. My beta told me that in the US it isn't common, but I didn't want to rewrite it. I hope you can forgive me.

Sunny

"Look, the others are over there. Why don't you help them build the camp fire for this evening?" Severus said, while leading Harry away from the paddock where Draco still was engrossed with his horse.

"Can't I just go back to the house?" Harry asked.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we agree to give all this a chance, Harry?"

Harry sighed, defeated. "Yes."

"Then go over to Crying Horse and the others, and help them while I go for a ride with Thunderstorm."

"Okay," Harry said and sullenly walked over to the busy group of people. He had no interest in helping them and definitely didn't want to know any of them better, but what choice did he have? He had to play the good little boy to be able to leave the camp as fast as possible.

__________

Draco was so engrossed with Unega that he didn't realize Severus and Harry had left. The moment he did, however, he stiffened, causing Unega jerking his head and snorting nervously.

"Is it okay with you that we are alone, or do you want me to call for Rose to join us?" Black Hawk asked from his position several feet away from Draco. He was sitting on the gate as he watched Draco cautiously.

At first, Draco didn't say anything, and he just backed even further away from Black Hawk while moving closer to Unega. The horse stomped his hoof nervously; he was sensing Draco's uneasiness. Draco was almost leaning against Unega's chest and neck and the horse looked around to find what made the boy so nervous. Unable to find the source of the threat, Unega gently nuzzled his nose against Draco's shoulder.

When Draco still didn't say anything, Black Hawk added. "It's no problem for me to call Rose. I'm very glad that you are already feeling comfortable around Unega. I would like to show you how to care for him, but I have to come closer for that." Black Hawk didn't move an inch and waited for Draco's answer.

The big horse beside Draco gave him a lot of comfort. He felt safer then he had thought he would have when being alone with another man, so he decided to give it a try. Stop being a ninny, Malfoy. You can't hide for your whole life, he ordered himself.

"It's okay. I would like to learn how to take care of him," Draco said while holding his head high. "Um... please, just don't touch me."

"Of course not. If I'm too close, just tell me and I will back away, Draco. It's no problem." Black Hawk came over and petted Unega's forehead.

The halter Black Hawk had carried over his shoulder the whole time was placed on Unega's head with experienced hands. The whole time, Black Hawk explained to Draco what he was doing, and how to do it. "It would be best if you asked someone to help you the first few times. Unega is a bit skittish, so at first it might be a problem for you to do it by yourself. Just ask one of the other kids when I'm not around." When he was finished, he tied the lead line to the gate, showing Draco the proper way to tie the slipknot.

Draco nodded and fought against the impulse to step back. Black Hawk was uncomfortable close to him now because Draco wanted to stand near Unega for the feeling of safety, but of course Black Hawk had to be standing close to Unega as well while he was showing Draco how to brush him.

Black Hawk grabbed at his belt where he had a brush attached and showed it to Draco. "Brushes like this one are in the supply shed to the right of the house. Today, I will show you how to brush his coat and mane. Next time, I can show you how to clean his hooves. You can brush him as often as you want, but you need to do it at least once a day. The hooves also have to be cleaned once a day, but it is a little tricky. I want you to have someone around when you do it. Today we don't have to worry about it; Red Horse will clean them this afternoon." He looked at Draco and noticed the visible signs of his internal fight with himself to stand his ground. "Why don't you move to his head so that you can see what I'm doing?"

Fearfully, Draco moved past Black Hawk, holding his breath the whole time. When Black Hawk moved away to the flank of the horse, Draco relaxed a bit. He watched every move Black Hawk made closely. When Black Hawk gave him the brush, he nervously started to brush Unega. The horse turned his head to see what Draco was doing; the lead line gave him enough freedom. Seeing Unega's eyes on him, Draco asked, "Is that right, Unega?"

The horse grunted and averted his glance, while relaxing.

Draco threw a quick glance at Black Hawk. The man had made himself comfortable on the gate again.

"You are doing very well, Draco."

Draco smiled shyly at Black Hawk. It felt good to stand close to this big and friendly animal. He had the feeling he could brush him for hours and still wouldn't get tired of it.

_____________

Harry had almost reached the group that has set up the camp fire when Brian noticed him. "Ah, finally one more to help. Come over here, Harry." He waved Harry to join him at the pickup. It wasn't the pickup that had brought them here. It looked shabbier and was gray blue in color. In the bed of the truck were several branches and other pieces of wood of many different shapes and sizes. "Over there is another pair of gloves. Put them on and help me to carry the wood over there." Brian pointed at a place where some wood had been piled for the camp fire.

Without saying anything, Harry pulled the gloves on and started to carry the pieces Brian gave him over to the existing pile of wood.

"Not the talkative one, eh?" Brian asked when Harry came back to the truck.

Harry just shrugged his shoulders. He observed the scene around the campfire closer. Crying Horse and Aiden were chopping the bigger branches with axes. Melissa and Maya were building the campfire and, beside Harry himself and Brian, Ken was carrying more wood over to the stack.

"Need some energy to let out?" Crying Horse asked Harry and offered him his ax.

Harry looked unsure about the ax. "I've never done this before."

"No problem. Come over and I'll show you," Crying Horse said and walked in the direction of Aiden. After a short lesson, Harry started to split the big wood pieces and shortened the long branches. After a few miserable attempts, Harry managed to get the hang of it and enjoyed the hard work. Finally, he could clear his head and forget everything around him. When he moved to grab for a new piece of wood, a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder.

"It's just me." Rose smiled gently at him. She held up her other hand in which she was holding a tube of sunscreen. "Sometimes the men forget that the newbies aren't as resistant against the sun as they are. Will you let me apply it? It wouldn't be good for you to have it on your hands while chopping wood." She looked questioningly at Harry.

"Okay," Harry said exhausted and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "But I'm sweaty."

Rose raised her eyebrow, and Harry immediately was reminded at Severus. "I live with mostly men here, Harry. Believe me, I'm used to sweating men." She grinned and held Harry's hair out of his face with one hand and applied the sunscreen on his face with the other. When she had finished his arms and neck as well, she said, "All done."

Crying Horse came over to them, gave his wife a quick kiss on her cheek and finally turned to Harry. "Here, we don't want you to get a sunstroke, do we?" He place a beige Stetson on Harry's head.

"Thank you," Harry said and adjusted the hat so that he could still see. "I'll get back to work, then." With that, he grabbed another piece and went on with his task.

_______________________

"Hello, you two," Rose greeted when she came in earshot.

Draco had completely lost track of time. He looked confusedly over to Rose. Only now did he realize how hot he was.

"Really, Black Hawk, he's blond and you let him stand in the middle of the sun for over an hour." She shook her head when she passed the puzzled man who had started to care for Tohiadedi while Draco was lost in his work.

"Already too late," Rose said worriedly when she pushed Draco's sweat covered hair out of his face. "Let's go inside and see if White Cloud has something to put on that sunburn before it gets even worse."

Draco's confused look shifted between Unega, Black Hawk, and Rose.

"I will take care of him, Draco. Just go with Rose and let White Cloud have a look at you." Black Hawk was worried now that he had a closer look at the boy. It was not that bad yet, but he should have realized it earlier. Damn, that will get me quite the lecture from Light Arrow.

Back at the house, Draco was placed on the big couch while White Cloud and Light Arrow were busying over him. "How are you feeling Draco? Dizzy? Do you have a headache?" White Cloud asked Draco while shoving his hair out of his face.

"No. I just feel hot." Draco was starting to get worried by their concern and looked nervously at White Cloud and Light Arrow.

"Nothing to worry about, Draco. You just have a light sunburn, but any longer in the sun without some sunscreen you might have gotten sunstroke." She gently stroked his hair, careful not to touch the burned skin. "Next time just remember to wear a hat and apply some sunscreen when you go out. We will give you a hat later, okay?"

"Okay," Draco said, still a bit worried. He wanted to see himself in a mirror to know how bad the sunburn was.

"Here," Light Arrow said as he gave White Cloud a bowl.

Seeing Draco's fearful expression, White Cloud said in a calm voice: "It's just curd. It will cool your skin and, with a bit luck, you will hardly notice that your skin is burned. You'll stay with us inside for the rest of the day and rest so you are fit to attend the welcome feast this evening. Would you like some ice to suck on?"

"Yes, please," Draco said and then eyed White Cloud skeptically when she started to apply the curd on his face and arms. The feeling was unbelievable. The curd was very cool, and it felt fantastic to have it on his hot skin.

Light Arrow came back with an ice cube and placed it in Draco's mouth. "Open up, lad!"

Draco slept for some time, only waking up a few times when Light Arrow or White Cloud applied new curd. An hour before the welcome feast was to start, Light Arrow woke Draco. "Come on, you have enough time to have a shower, Draco."

Draco lazily opened his eyes and looked around tiredly. Severus stood behind Light Arrow, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Before you go with Severus upstairs, I want to know which one you would like." Light Arrow held up two Stetsons; one in black and one in brown.

Draco sat up and looked back and forth between the two hats. "The black one, please." He finally decided.

"Then it's yours now." Light Arrow placed the Stetson in Draco's hand and gave him space to stand up.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Severus said while looking with a grin at the curd covered boy.

_______________

Harry had enjoyed the wood chopping. The others had given him his space and hadn't bother him with questions. They had taken several breaks, during which they all had something to drink and ate watermelon.

"What's that over there?" Harry asked while sitting between Brian and Ken on the bed of the pickup during one of the breaks. He pointed at a frame of thin branches that were bent and stuck in the ground to form a small, dome building.

"That was Tyson's sweat lodge. He left a week ago. It's the last ceremony you have during your stay here. After it you just prepare yourself to leave. It doesn't matter how long it will take for you to finally decide to leave, but it symbolizes that you are ready for it. I think Light Arrow would never throw someone out, even if you already had the sweat lodge ceremony. Maybe I'll try it out, but I don't want to leave this place, ever." Brain said, a melancholic look on his face as he looking into the distance. "Red Horse and Black Hawk also were here as kids. Then they came back, and now they live here forever. And Severus also comes back from time to time. Light Arrow and White Clouds always say they are their sons, but in reality, they only have Rose as their biological daughter. It feels good to have a family like them."

Harry didn't know what to say. He wasn't ready to tell them about himself and felt uneasy because he feared they now wanted him to tell them something, so he decided to say nothing.

"How did you like Freedom?" Ken asked when he realized Harry was starting to get depressed again. They were glad that they managed to get him out of his brooding, and now Brian was messing it up.

"Freedom?" Harry was confused.

"Your horse," Ken stated.

"Oh, I don't think he likes me. I'm not a horse man, I think."

"He is a great horse. I've ridden him once. He is gentle, but sometime stubborn," Ken said. "Just give him a little time to get to know you better. We can help you with that."

"Have you seen Thunderstorm?" Brian joined the conversation again.

"Yes, he looks magnificent," Harry said.

"Yes, he is. I have never seen a horse like him. This white spot on his chest and his white ear are from wounds he had once. His owners were absolute jerks and beat him. The coat at those spots didn't grow in black, but became white. Light Arrow once said that he feels when he gets a new horse that there will one day come a teen to work with it. He says he just waits for the teen that belongs to the horse. Unega and Tohiadedi have been standing in the paddock with our horses since this spring, as if he had known you two would come. That's crazy, isn't it?"

The first time since Voldemort's death, Harry felt a cold shiver down the back of his neck, and he heard a crazy sound in his head, like a wing beat of a huge bird. He shook his head to clear it. Maybe I have been in the sun too long, Harry thought, confused. The feeling he had wasn't a bad one, as it had been with Voldemort; no, there was nothing frightening about it. It was a really good feeling; a safe feeling. Someone had been waiting for him.

"Yes, it is."

To be continued...


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