Severus quickly finished bathing Harry and pulled him out of the tub. The boy seemed rather reluctant to leave the water- he had been having fun jumping and watching his clothing billowing out around him- and Severus wondered at the child’s fickleness. Not that he was complaining that the water phobia wouldn’t be something he’d have to deal with every day…

“Don’t you want to read your new book?” he asked the child, smiling encouragingly as he pulled the wet shirt over Harry’s head.

Harry gazed up at him trustingly as Snape wrapped a fluffy white towel around his tiny frame, only slipping his trousers and pants off after. He then carried the boy, wrapped in the towel, into his bedroom and set him on his bed.

“Stay there, Harry,” he said, his voice firm, as he turned to his wardrobe and selected an outfit to shrink for the boy. It wouldn’t be as good as if the boy had his own clothes, but neither would it billow about him like an elephant’s hide. Still, Severus would have to find a way to take the child shopping soon. He wondered at how that would work. Surely the child would balk at being brought into a crowd? Yet neither could Severus trust him with a babysitter at this point- it had not gone well with Poppy and Albus.

For now, Severus contented himself with pulling a green t-shirt over the child’s head and helping him into some black trousers. That was mercifully simple, but Harry had difficulty accepting the idea of having socks on his feet. It was cold in the dungeon, and Severus didn’t like the idea of the child running about barefoot, but Harry wasn’t used to socks- his relatives hadn’t provided him with any.

“Really, Harry!” Severus snapped when Harry kicked him in the jaw for the third time. “That is quite enough!”

Harry’s lower lip trembled a bit, and his eyes went glossy with tears. Snape felt his stomach loop- he wasn’t supposed to snap at the boy!- and then he told himself to shape up. More than anything, the child would require discipline at this juncture. He could not think that it was acceptable to lash out when he was upset, no more than he could run away.

No, now was not the time to cave in to the boy’s crying. It would send an entirely wrong message. Instead, he mollified his tone a bit, and touched two fingers on Harry’s leg as he spoke. “You do not kick.”

That said, he picked the offending stocking up once more and managed to get it onto Harry’s foot. Harry reached a hand down to pull at the fabric after, but Severus was quick and, tapping the boy’s wrist lightly, quickly dislodged him of that notion.

“Enh!”

“Harry…”

Harry gave Severus a forlorn look, but said nothing more as the other sock was put on his foot. Severus then picked the child up, settling Harry upon his hip. Harry sighed a little, wrapping his arms around Severus’s neck and setting his head on Severus’s shoulder. Severus was a little surprised to note that it was lunch time already… Well, he thought, it was doubtful that Harry would complain about a little more food before his story… And then after the story, Severus thought, looking at Harry’s resting head, a nap would not be amiss.

“You hungry, little one?”

Harry shifted a little at the words, but didn’t seem to know their meaning yet. That was okay- baby steps. He would learn. For now, Severus set Harry once more upon the couch, figuring that it was a good time to start a routine, even if it was a simple one. He quickly set about making another light broth, adding a bit of potato and corn in with the nutritive potion this time, hoping to accustom the boy to solid foods sooner rather than later. He poured some water into the sippy cup he’d transfigured earlier, and called Harry over to the table.

Harry smiled this time as he leapt over the couch, seeming to understand, to some extent, what was happening. He dug into his meal rather eagerly, as before, and was done before Severus had finished making his own sandwich. Harry didn’t seem to mind, though- he sucked contentedly on his water whilst Severus ate, his two tiny hands wrapped so carefully around the cup that Severus couldn’t help but smile a bit.

“Ready for your story?” Severus asked when he had finished his meal.

To Severus’s surprise, Harry seemed to know what that meant. He set his sippy cup on the table and quickly fetched his book, holding it out to Severus. Surprised, Severus couldn’t resist giving him a pat on the head. Inwardly, he wondered how Harry could know the meaning of that so soon.

“Let’s go over to the couch to read,” Severus said, guiding the fragile child to the settee and setting him down. In a moment, Harry was curled up against the armrest, looking at Severus expectantly. Severus wondered if he should pick a story to read, or let the child…

“How about you pick a story,” Severus said, handing the book to Harry. He didn’t want Harry to become dependent upon him to make all the important decisions, and thought that it was probably important to start off on the right foot.

Harry frowned at Severus, confused, and Severus reached over and showed him how to flip the pages. “Just stop when you find a picture you like.”

Harry stopped on a picture of a prince and three witches in a lake. Severus smiled. It was from the Tales of Beadle the Bard, and he thought that it was rather appropriate that Harry have his first story be such a classic one. Besides, he was found of the morals taught to children who read the tales, even if Harry wouldn’t understand them yet.

By the time Severus had finished telling how all four of the friends had gotten their wishes, he looked over to see Harry fast asleep on the settee. He smiled a little. At least he wouldn’t have to fight with the boy about taking a nap. He wondered if it would be better to leave him here on the couch, or to bring him into the bedroom… Eventually, he decided on the latter. He could get a neck ache in the position he was in now.

Standing up, Severus set the book on the coffee table before stooping to pick up Harry. Harry’s head lolled against Severus’s chest, but the boy did not rouse. Severus carried him into the bedroom, and then struggled to hold him in one arm while pulling the covers down with the other- the boy was a lightweight, but Severus didn’t have his body weight balanced correctly, and ended up stooping down on one knee, Harry half sitting on him while Severus pulled down the covers. When Severus finally had him tucked into bed, and the child had still not made a move, Severus might have worried he was dead, but that he could see the little chest rising and falling steadily.

Severus backed silently out of the room, though not before adding a monitor to Harry so he would know if the child awoke. Arriving back in the main room, he whispered, “Dusty!”

A young house elf popped into view, smiling a little from beneath his baseball cap. “What’s up?”

Severus frowned. Dusty had apparently been watching teen-based soap operas on the television again. The poor thing thought that he could get educated in “proper speech” by watching the tube, and Severus had to deal with different phases in Dusty’s speech depending on whatever show was his favorite at the time.

“Will you please prepare the manor for my return. Do the master bedroom as always, and also prepare the nursery for a boy of seven. We’ll be there for supper tonight. Make a light soup, he has a weak stomach.”

“Sure thing, dude. No problem!”

Severus winced as, with a loud CRACK!, Dusty disappeared. That one had to be the most insane house elf he had ever met… And yet, he was smart. He had more common sense than many of his type, constantly preaching the value of education, and he was loyal as a tee despite the freedom Severus had granted him when he’d come of age. All in all, despite Dusty’s… oddities… he was the best house elf Severus had ever met.