The entire first floor of that wing was taken up by family rooms or communal dining and living areas. Neffy led Harry and Basta straight past the first few doors, not wanting to be detained by other enthusiastic sphinx wanting to show Harry around their rooms or get to know him better. Instead, she insisted they go straight for a door towards the middle of the large, airy hallway which led into he own quarters.

The door opened upon a small room with places for shoes and cloaks this, in turn, opened on either side into a dining area and sitting room. It was all very cozy and very normal except for the miniature tree with sprawling limbs in the place of a couch and the long stretch of carpet that was obviously designed to exercise claws on. The dining room was also made with giant cats in mind and its broad chairs could easily be combined and converted to form backless benches. The table, too, was made to be lowered at will.

Harry was allowed a quick glimpse of this before Neffy dragged him into a bedroom that had to be hers. It contained a bed, of course, round and firm and low to the ground so that it could easily suit her in her girl or cat form. There was also, above the bed, a ledge and yet another above that which could be climbed up, ending in a wooden ledge hidden by plants sprouting from the wood and walls and ceiling. These were not fake as Harry could sense; they had to have been grown there by magic.

There was also a well used scratching post and a few toys that were likely meant to be chewed. There were just as many toys a human girl would love, such as the shelf devoted to dolls and stuffed animals. Harry inspected the room dutifully, ignoring Neffy’s muttering about the non-existent mess, and then made the appropriate noises of compliment. But his own enthusiasm had waned. He thought about the room where he and Severus stayed and its utter lack of personality or non-utilitarian items, and unexpectedly he got a lump in his throat. He wanted this room. Or rather, not this room, but everything this room represented. He wanted a bedroom that wasn’t really a cupboard, or someone else’s storage room, or a dorm. He wanted what Neffy had. And suddenly he was stumbling out of the room, back to the hallway, where he gasped in air while leaning his chin against the hallway window ledge. He was too small to gaze out properly, though from Basta’s perch he had seen the garden below. All he could really see was the sky and the other wing across the way. He knew the room where he and Severus stayed was over there, somewhere. He found it suddenly very hard to keep from crying.

“What has happened now, hywuxkos,” a gentle voice said from behind him, and Harry spun around to find Severus. How the man had managed to come upon him without Harry sensing, the boy didn’t know, but he was very welcome now. He reached form him, transforming back into a panther in the middle, and the man picked him up. From here, if he had wanted to, he could have easily looked down into the gardens or even to the park beyond the mansion. But he didn’t want to. He hid his head in Severus’s robe.

“I didn’t do anything, I swear!” Neffy cried from the doorway to her family’s rooms, “I was only showing him my room!”

“Relax, musei,” Severus answered, “Harry is only feeling a little homesick.”

“But I thought he hated his old home,” Neffy blurted out, confused.

“It is not that home he misses,” Severus answered, and though Neffy still looked confused he didn’t explain further. Instead, he walked away, holding Harry securely. Neffy made as though to follow, but Basta stopped her.

The next few days were filled with lessons, intermixed with visiting other clan members. It wasn’t long before Harry had seen the personal rooms of just about every sphinx except Severus. He began to wonder if the man didn’t have his own rooms, but was afraid to ask. He didn’t want anyone to think he cared that much about it.

The lessons themselves became more urgent as the date approached when Harry would be meeting the rest of the pride. He wasn’t entirely sure how this was to be done. Severus said there was going to be a mindmeet, but he didn’t seem to know how to explain what that was. As Harry understood it, he would talk to everyone in his mind even though they would be a great distance away. That was why it was important that he grow better at mindspeech, though Severus said he’d be able to help him.

“Concentrate, Harry, let me guide you,” he said for the ten billionth time, and Harry did try. Very, very slowly, he was getting the concept of projecting. He still hadn’t perfected it, however, and Severus indicated it would probably take months for it to begin to feel natural. Harry suspected it would be more like years. Severus still hadn’t broached the topic of exactly what would happen once Harry was introduced to the Pride. Harry didn’t know what made him more nervous; the mindmeet or his impending seventh year at Hogwarts. His days were also being spent on finishing his homework, once Severus reminded him of it. At least he felt more prepared than ever before with a professor for reference and a huge library for research. He knew Hermione would be jealous. He had finally gotten a few letters from his friends, but had felt awkward in writing them back. He had finally said that he was well, and that this was all confusing, and to tell Ron to stop calling Severus a slimy git. And still time passed and his nerves grew. And then it was the day of the mindmeet.

The air in the mansion grew tense in anticipation and hunger; everyone had to fast for at least twelve hours before the meet. Roo came by their room at least three times to check on them before Severus decided if Harry was going to pace, he could do it out in the open and took him to the common room. Harry wasn’t the only one pacing, and Severus himself let off bursts of static nerves despite his outward appearance of calm. Only the night before had he finally talked to Harry about being his phiter and explained what the term meant.

“I am your legal guardian,” he added, very suddenly after the explanation, “We needed to sign someone as your guardian after you were removed from your relatives.” And he was so uptight about Harry’s reaction to all this that he didn’t even sneer when he spoke of Harry’s former guardians.

“And now you’ll be my phiter, not just my guardian?” Harry asked, unexpectedly smiling with excitement. His own nerves had been all over the place all week, between sorrow and fear and happiness. He felt so happy and excited just then that his eyes began to leak a bit. Severus looked a bit startled before allowing a small smile of his own.

“I will be,” he answered, “And all the pride will be your family, and the mansion will be your home. We will come back during the holidays and you can stay for as long as you like after you graduate.”

“What will happen then?” Harry asked.

“Since you are still a child, according to your sphinx blood, you will continue schooling here with me. But there is time enough to figure that all out.” Then he laughed at Harry’s frown in response to the idea of more schooling. Harry was getting tired of school.

“But if I’m like a four year old, aren’t I too young for school?” he asked hopefully.

“Ah, but I said you were small for your age,” Severus pointed out, and Harry’s frown deepened. Then he shrugged. He was beginning to get used to the idea of living his childhood over again, though he was still far from resigned.

That was the day before. Now he was all child; all terrified, excited, nervous, impatient child. Soon, the mindmeet would begin.