The Forgotten Child by watercrystals

Harry expected to wake in his own bed the following morning; however, as he opened his eyes and looked around, the boy realised he was in the main room downstairs. Glancing once at the closed front door, his memories of the previous afternoon resurfaced. He looked to a nearby chair and saw Severus asleep in it with a thin faded green blanket half-draped over himself.

Without realising his ill health, Harry slid from where he had been sleeping and carefully crossed the room to where the man was, wondering why his vision seemed blurred and his footsteps wobbly.

Grasping the blanket as he fell forward in weakness, Harry sat there in a daze before he looked up and saw he had woken (or rather, startled) Severus. The man placed a cool hand on Harry's forehead, yet did not appear too concerned.

'Do you feel ill?' Severus asked. 'Are you experiencing any discomfort or pain?'

'I feel wobbly.' Harry frowned. 'Everything feels heavier. What happened? Where's my frog?'

Severus lifted the boy onto his lap and felt his forehead again, thinking quietly as Harry spoke.

'Cease concern for the frog. It is fine.' Severus complained as he summoned a vial of colourless liquid. 'Drink this.'

'No.' Harry cross his arms. 'I won't. It's probably yucky. It looks yucky.' He pointed to the vial with an expression of disgust. 'And last time I had something to drink...Frogabook!' He stopped in mid-sentence to smile at his frog, who had apparently been sleeping right beside him on the other chair where Harry had woken.

The creature croaked once and seemed sad it could not reach the boy who had given it life via magic.

Rolling his eyes at the ridiculous name the boy had given the creature he had not yet been permitted to keep, Severus gave the child a stern glare and held up the vial again. He was too tired for disobedience and also not in the mood to battle with a sick little boy.

'Drink.' Severus instructed. 'Do you believe I would give you something which might cause you harm? Another has so foolishly done so, which is the reason for your need to consume this antidote.'

Harry pulled away from the vial again, shaking his head in rejection, even as the man's words caught him by surprise. Even at seven-years-old, Harry realised Severus was telling him someone had tried to hurt him by giving him poison. Dizziness clouded any further thoughts as Harry sluggishly reached for Severus, but missed and held the vial instead, through clever maneuvering by his guardian.

'Drink.' Severus said once more.

'Yucky.' Harry mumbled as he lifted the vial to his lips and complied with the request, wanting nothing more than to feel better again and play with his frog. Sighing, as the empty vial slipped from his small hand and onto the floor, Harry leaned against his hero's chest as his emerald eyes closed.

Severus ignored the fallen object and quickly checked the boy over, worried that something had gone wrong, but only detected exhaustion. Not sure what to do, as the boy needed his rest to recover yet was so latched against him, Severus looked over at the noisily croaking frog with dislike.

'Be silent, you despicable creature!' Severus hushed in an angered tone.

His glares and intimidation had no effect on the being who only wanted to be near the little human it had grown so fond of in such a short time. With a grunt of dread, since he knew the frog would wake Harry if he didn't do something, Severus hovered the creature over to join them.

The frog, happily named “Frogabook” by Harry, was silenced by shock towards its sudden ability to fly as it was magicked towards the pair. Its eyes wide, the frog became cautious of Severus and eager to be near Harry. Once again ignoring all loathing aimed its way by Severus, the creature hopped closer and licked Harry's forearm before it settled to protectively sleep on the child's lap.

Deciding to ignore the annoyance and avoid listing potions ingredients he could use the frog in, Severus focused on the little boy curled against him. The precious child he had vowed to himself to protect and save from the darkened life Severus had once endured, and still did in a way. Brushing some hair away from the child's face, he was glad the boy was even alive and therefore leaned back to allow the trio on the same chair to rest.

By afternoon, Harry had done nothing other than sleep.

Severus, however, had been busy for hours non-stop. The idea of leaving the boy alone in his bedroom with the infuriating frog was delayed and neglected until he could avoid the issue no longer. Severus had ventured to the school to gain as much information as he could, and being the Potions Master and smooth-talker he was, Severus now knew exactly what the cause was and who the targets included.

Of the whole school, every child in attendance had received a cup of the drink which was supposed to be a new flavour or something, Severus gathered, yet only three children had been reported to have fallen ill. Cody Evans, Jack Bailey, and a girl older than them by the name of Mandy Delleware.

With the information he now had, Severus could understand why, as he visited both the Bailey household and the Delleware's. They believed the lies he had to tell about his disguised antidote concealed as medicine, in order to cure the children, though Severus tried not to feel judgemental towards their easy acceptance. Mrs Bailey was a doctor, after all, and would have argued the matter further, yet she had been on call at the hospital that day.

Returning home, or at least the house he resided within, Severus went to check on the child in his care.

The poison only effected those who were magical or had recently been exposed to magic. Mandy Delleware was ten years old and seemed the sort of girl who had few friends due to her shy nature, therefore since she didn't even know the two boys, Jack and Cody, Severus guessed she was a muggleborn witch. Her parents were clearly muggles, from what he had seen during his visit. He already had suspicions about Cody being a wizard and with the magical incident of his school book being transfigured into a frog, Severus was not at all surprised when Jack had gotten sick from the exposure as well.

And quite profoundly.

Severus decided not to tell Cody his best friend was sicker than he was, though the man had confidence in the eventual recovery of each child. The poison was not designed to be fatal, and yet he knew the intent was malicious enough to motivate the man to locate the one responsible.

Exhaling, Severus stepped into the kitchen and just stood there, looking through the window to the house across the street where he had first seen Cody Evans. He saw Mr Kort wandering along the street, which was quite strange as the horrible man was rarely seen outdoors during the day. Severus remembered assisting the boy to drop off a package to Mr Kort, something his own father had made him do as well.

Thinking about that, Severus allowed his mind to drift to some of the interactions he'd had with the little boy in his care. It seemed so long ago...

“Who do you belong to?” Severus had asked as he looked around the street, having no idea where the unfamiliar child had come from.

“I just moved here.” Cody had replied as he indicated to the house behind himself as he sat on its step. “I'm Cody...Cody Evans.”

“Ow.” The child sniffed as he started crying. Severus approached him and cast his shadow over Cody, who gasped and jumped to his feet. The boy raised his arm to shield himself, until he realised who it was.

“Calm yourself.” Severus had told him.

“Oh, it's you.” Cody had sounded so relieved. “Could you please open the bin for me?”

After the package had been delivered to Mr Kort, Severus directed the thankful boy away from the place.
“It's not safe for someone your age to remain outdoors in this neighborhood.” Severus had said.
“It's not safe anywhere here.” Cody's words spoke volumes and Severus remained quiet as he observed the interactions between the child and Emile – the woman who was supposed to care for him.

“Cody, not now.” She said.

“But he did it again!” The boy tried to tell her. “He sent me to some stupid house without telling me which one it is. Like he made me take the rubbish out yesterday when I couldn't reach. He wants me to fail.”

“You fail all on your own.” Emile shook her head. “Now get inside.”

'It stinks like beer and smokes in there.” Cody crossed his arms. “I don't want to.”

“Sorry.” Harry mumbled to Severus. “But thanks. If you hadn't saved me...I-I dunno what Simon would have done.”

“No one has the right to harm a child.” Severus managed to keep his anger in check as he spoke.

“How do you not know who you are, child?”

“I was given a pretend name.” The boy said and yawned. “I don't know who I am.”

'Is “Harry” your real name?” Severus looked at the boy, wondering how Erin's name sounded familiar, as though her name was significant to him somehow. The answer had never come to him.

“Yes.”

Severus walked away from the window and proceeded to the place he now considered to be the boy's room.

The frog was sprawled at the end of the bed, though watching Severus carefully as he passed by. The man looked down at the slumbering child and knew it was going to be an enduring night ahead for them both.

'Muggle...Magic...' Harry mumbled as he rolled over to further face Severus. 'Flying...'

Severus had noticed an interesting fact about the child, in regards to magic and the very existence of it. Since he'd discovered the boy to be magical himself, which the poison further proved by reacting to him, Severus had told him a bit about magic and some phrases, yet Cody always surprised him by having more knowledge than he remembered detailing.

He'd brushed it aside so many times, yet perhaps it was a clue in a way, towards the boy's previous life.

Sighing, as he'd had a trying day, Severus turned to let the boy rest. A choking sound made him spin around quickly and check on the boy. Cody was upset, as evident by the tears sliding down his cheeks.

'No...' Harry groaned. 'I be good. Simon...no!'

Severus growled at the memory of the vile idiot who the boy had to stay with until he had been rescued, and didn't care for the child's rest any longer as he tried to wake the ill boy.

Strangely, nothing worked.

Severus nudged him and called his name, but Cody did not respond at all. Was the illness getting worse? He didn't know that a terrible nightmare had seized Harry, which was a rare side-effect of the poison. Severus did realise, with utter dread and worry, that for some unknown reason...the poison was still in the child's body, and still wrecking havoc as the undeserving boy tossed and sweated with agony. He didn't know what to do. Severus had given the antidote, which already showed signs of working on the other children when it had been administered.

'Cody!' Severus shook the paling boy again. 'Wake up. Cody!'

'Is “Harry” your real name?”

“Yes.”

His eyes widening at the recollection, Severus released the boy and gasped for breath as he inched away. Was this really Harry? Was Lily's little boy becoming further ill in front of him while he stood by, helpless to ease his suffering?

Is that who Cody really was?

'No.' Severus denied adamantly as he stood over the boy again.

He couldn't be Harry Potter. This boy was sweet and caring, even to someone who didn't feel he deserved it. Lily had been his friend once, but it ended a long time ago. And James...well, Potter was nothing more than a bully and a fool to Severus.

This boy wasn't like that.

Cody was joyous when delighted, content to enjoy the simple things, and always looking at Severus with admiration. He trusted Severus, he relied on him with his life and happiness...and Severus didn't know how to help him as pain and fear twisted through his small form.

'Cody.' Severus tried again, desperate to do anything to wake the boy and pull him from whatever nightmare world filled the seven-year-old's mind. 'Harry!'

The name slipped out before he had time to stop it.

In an instant, the child's emerald eyes shot open and he stopped moving. Harry looked dazed until Severus came into view, and a smile formed on his young face. His expression quickly crumpled as tears continued to shed and he gasped with hurt.

'Simon said you could never love me.' Harry cried, though too sick to sit up. 'He said you think I'm stupid and useless!'

'Hush, child.' Severus sat on the edge of the bed, ignoring the flustered frog's attempts to move closer to the emotional boy who was so unwell. 'It was a nightmare.'

'No, it was real.' Harry sniffed. 'He told me once that no one would love me. That's why I have no mum or dad. I've gone to lots of places and they all leave me...' His sobs overcame him as he forced himself upright, though Harry wasn't sure why or where he could even run away to. He just wanted to hide from what was hurting him, not realising how deep it stemmed from inside himself.

'You have me.' Severus told him in a softer tone than he usually used, his chest constricting his breaths at the sight of the broken child in front of him.

A boy he had failed to protect, despite his best efforts.

Harry looked at Severus and flung himself at the man, which was impressive considering his nausea and dizziness. The man wrapped his arms around the crying boy and pulled him onto his lap. He remained firm and strong for Harry, while inside Severus felt just as broken and injured. How could this boy have so much impact on him? It was strange and seemingly unnatural. No matter what he'd gone through with Lily, somehow this boy touched his heart beyond what she had.

It was, perhaps, because the child returned the unwavering love when Lily had not.

However, Harry's moment of emotional distress and lunging himself at Severus had cost them both. All through the night, the boy was constantly waking Severus and keeping him busy as the child's condition got worse. The poison was finally expelled from his body, which was a terrible ordeal for both. Harry was constantly throwing up, getting a feverish headache, and experiencing a horribly upset stomach. Severus assisted Harry through each moment, even if he felt the lack of sleep was going to cause him to collapse.

The frog had long ago vanished underneath the bed in an act of self-preservation and remained there until sunrise.

And when the sun finally began to shine, Severus and Harry were fast asleep and calm for the first time all day. Harry slept soundly in his bed, the covers kicked aside as his frog hopped up to join him, squirming and clawing at the mattress as it tried not to slide off. With relief, the creature remained on the bed and made its way to Harry, where it allowed the boy to pull him close into a subconscious, gentle hug.

In his own bed, Severus was stretched out in a position he rarely slept in. His hair was a mess and he hadn't bothered to change into his pyjamas as he had lied down on the bed and never got up again. Since Harry would be fine in a couple of hours, Severus allowed himself the bliss of passing out.

Harry slowly opened his eyes and smiled sleepily at the sight of his frog's large eyes staring down at him from where he sat on the boy's chest. It was the only time the frog wasn't heavy, for a reason neither Harry nor Severus could comprehend.

'Hello, Frogabook.' Harry said in a quiet, strained voice. 'Is it morning now?' He yawned.

With a croak, the frog jumped off him so Harry could sit upright.

Yawning again, Harry only had vague memories of the night before. Stepping out of bed, he remained still to see how his legs felt. Able to stand and walk without many consequences, Harry wandered out of his room and almost fell over in alarm when a voice suddenly spoke to him.

'What are you doing out of bed, young man?' Severus disapproved.

'I'm sorry.' Harry looked over at Severus, who he hadn't noticed leaving a nearby room. 'I was hungry.'

'That is a good sign.' Severus sighed with relief. 'I shall bring you something to eat. Return to your bed.'

'I'm bored with being in bed.' Harry complained, though he looked a bit dazed and exhausted, no doubt from his ordeal the previous night.

Severus was about to object, but thought better of it and sighed, wondering if the boy remembered the details of the night before. He reached down and picked Harry up, something he didn't make a habit of doing and always avoided. He carried the sleepy, recovering boy downstairs and placed him on the sofa. Conjuring a pillow and draping a sheet over Harry, Severus retreated to the kitchen to make the boy some soup.

Frogabook had conquered the stairs and soon hopped over to join Harry, and was lifted onto the couch beside the boy because he couldn't reach on his own.

'I'm glad you're here, Frogabook.' Harry told the creature. 'You're really nice. I don't miss my school book at all.' The frog croaked happily in reply, trying to convey that he cared for his human as well, as a wide smile formed on his face.

Nearby, Severus watched the exchange and wondered if Harry had forgotten about him entirely. For the rest of the day, Harry hardly acknowledged Severus at all, leading the man to wonder why. It remained that way for the next day as well, though Harry did spend most of it sleeping.

When the weekend arrived, Harry was doing much better and slept less.

He ate three solid meals again and Severus could only be relieved. After the hassle of adding a working phone in his house, Severus allowed Harry to call Jack to see how his friend was doing after he'd learned Jack had been sick as well. Both boys chatted on the phone for an hour, talking about the frog, and all the things they were going to do or play once they were fully healed again - such as the sleepover Severus wished they would forget about.

'I wanted to ask you something.' Harry looked boldly over at Severus the night before he would be returning to school.

'Go on.' Severus allowed as he paused in his reading and looked over at the child.

'Well...' Harry fidgeted and pulled his frog closer, who had gained a bit of weight over the last few days. 'How do you tell someone you're really thankful and care about them a lot, when you don't know how to say it?'

'Words do not always suffice.' Severus looked away. 'However, I am certain you will find the words when you need them.'

'I've tried.' Harry said. 'I don't know what words to use. Can't I just hug you and you'll understand?'

Severus looked up quickly, having realised what the boy was implying, and could not find a suitable answer to respond with. The boy hadn't been ignoring him at all. Harry had been trying to find the right words to thank him, to say he cared about him a lot, but wasn't able to figure out how to convey his message.

'I tried writing it down, but I'm not real good at that.' Harry said to himself. 'I tried to teach Frogabook to deliver the message, until he ate my paper and the rest of my sandwich.' He frowned at the frog, who looked up at him with wide, innocently oblivious eyes.

'You needn't thank me.' Severus finally said. 'I did what any capable adult should for a child. You were ill and required care. I merely provided it.'

Both boy and man stared at each other for a long moment, each unable to say what they really wanted to, and neither being sure of why they felt as strongly as they did, or why the bond between them had developed so fast when it hadn't with others. There was a connection formed from Severus' desire to protect the boy and Harry's wish to feel loved.

And so they sat there, staring and uncertain, until Frogabook's croak broke the trance and Severus glanced away.

'Can I hug you anyway?' Harry's words almost made Severus laugh.

He didn't have to answer, as the boy was already climbing towards Severus when he'd asked it. And unlike any other time he'd embraced the boy briefly, Severus wrapped the child in his arms and cloak as Harry cuddled close. Severus was, above all, immeasurably relieved the boy was going to be okay.

And just like that, Harry was soon preparing to go back to school the following morning.

He woke earlier than usual and ate his breakfast, feeling nervous about returning to the place where his sickness had been caused. Severus assured him, multiple times, that such a thing would never happen again. The boy was still anxious. He'd called Jack to make himself feel better, and check his best friend would be coming back as well.

'We are departing in three minutes!' Severus called to Harry in a growling tone. 'I will not hesitate to drag you the entire way to school if you dawdle a moment longer.'

'I'm coming!' Harry panicked as he grabbed his bag and hurried down the stairs. 'No, Frogabook. Stay.' He nudged his frog away with his shoe, trying to stop it from escaping out the door.

Severus gave the creature a look of contempt.

The frog had been forced to lose a little weight and now wore a new shiny blue collar around its neck, complete with a silver name-tag.

'Two minutes.' Severus stated.

'Stay.' Harry said firmly to the frog, who looked miserable and croaked sadly. 'I'll be back later, I promise.' The boy added and quickly turned, rushing out the door and shut it behind himself.

He looked over at Severus and gulped.

'What if-'

'No.' Severus instantly interrupted the boy as they started to walk to the school. 'Cease your questions of insecurity. Do you believe I would return you to school if it were not perfectly safe for you to go back?'

'No.' Harry looked downwards. 'I know you wouldn't. But I'm still...I mean, they're out there still, aren't they? The ones who hurt me and my friend?'

'They will be shortly dealt with.' Severus said in a dangerously low tone. 'We are here.'

Harry flinched and glanced at the children of various ages running around and playing. He didn't want to go through the gates and stepped away, only to be rudely shoved forward by Severus.

'Bye.' Harry waved after Severus promised to collect him at the end of the day, as he always did.

Sighing miserably and tugging lightly at his collar for no reason other than as something to do in his anxious state, Harry slowly glanced around in search of Jack. Inhaling a long breath in attempt to feel braver, Harry started walking towards a bench and sat down. He knew he was safe again, but his mind wouldn't settle the bad scenarios or fears of being hurt again.

It was harder when he still hadn't seen Jack anywhere.

'Hello.' A girl's voice startled him.

Harry looked up and saw a girl older than him standing only feet away. She had chocolate brown hair and hazel eyes, several freckles on her face, and wore a bright ribbon in her hair. She seemed to be even more nervous than he was, if such a thing was possible.

'Are you Cody?' She asked quietly. 'I'm Mandy Delleware. I just wondered if you could pass on a message to your dad? Could you tell him thank you from me and my family. The medicine he gave me really helped.'

'You were sick too?' Harry realised. 'Oh, he's not my dad...but, I'll tell him thanks from you.' He nodded.

His dad?

That was a wonderful thought, which filled Harry's stomach with stars rather than just butterflies and bees, as it felt to contain with his anxiety to being back at school after what had happened.

'Thank you, Cody.' Mandy offered him a smile and hurried away.

'My dad?' Harry whispered to himself and smiled, occupying his mind with thoughts of a real parent instead of his paranoias about school.

So deep in thought, he failed to notice he was being watched until hands clamped down on his shoulders and nearly caused him to fall of his seat in fright.

'You shall be cursed with a deadly case of purple skin!' Jack said in a menacing, dramatic voice while Harry tried to recover from his shock. 'Your nose will grow to three inches and your feet will turn into hooves.'

'Hi, Jack.' Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. 'What have you been watching on TV now?'

'Jack, who's Jack?' The sandy-haired boy continued theatrically. 'I'm Captain Earnest and I have cursed you for two hundred years. You should be like, screaming and stuff now.' He sighed, his enthusiasm diminishing as Harry did not react accordingly.

'Who lives for two hundred years?' Harry returned. 'And “Captain Earnest” doesn't sound too scary for a villain.'

'Well, what would?' Jack jumped over the bench and then leaned back to sit beside his best friend. 'Welcome back, by the way. School's just as boring as ever, unfortunately.' He added with a wink.

'I dunno. I'm not real good with villain names.' Harry rolled his eyes and smiled at Jack, knowing his friend was trying to pull him from his worry and it had worked. 'Thanks. How long have you been back?'

'A day or so.' Jack shrugged. 'I mostly hid up that tree over there.' He pointed casually to a large tree in a corner not far from the gates, as though sitting in a tree for a long period of time was an effective defence against being tricked or attacked. 'And when we were inside, I armed myself with...well, I only had some sharp pencils and a ruler.' Jack frowned. 'But I was ready for them! I swear, if they'd shown up...they'd be no match for me.'

'Sure, Captain Earnest.' Harry burst out laughing, much to Jacks false astonishment.

'I'm serious.' Jack stated.

'You really hid up a tree and walked around threatening to poke people with your pencils or ruler?' Harry snorted, staring at his friend with disbelief.

'Sure.' Jack shrugged. 'I didn't have you as my back-up so I had to use whatever I could. What would you have done?'

'Pretended to be sick so I could go home early.' Harry admitted. 'I don't think it would work, though.'

'I tried that.' Jack pouted. 'Mum had fore-warned them, so I just got extra homework. I think that's a crime, giving me more work to do when I already have so much to catch up on.'

'Don't remind me.' Harry pulled a face, since he had missed a decent amount of work as well while he had been sick.

The bell rang and the boys headed to class, choosing their usual seats as they prepared for a day of learning. Harry realised it wasn't so bad once he fell back into familiar routines and subjects, almost feeling glad to be back at school, after all the time he'd spend in bed feeling sick and bored. Having Jack at his side, making a point of showing Harry his extra-sharpened pencils, certainly helped a great deal.

It wasn't until the last hour before the final bell that things changed.

Their teacher, Mrs Kline, silenced the class to tell them about a major assignment in which they would be graded on, which filled Harry with dread and discomfort.

'Over the next few weeks I want each of you to write a speech about yourself. You must include some of your favourite hobbies, a bit about your family and who they are, as well as dreams you have for the future.' Mrs Kline explained.

'After three weeks, we will have a special day at school where parents are invited to see you give your speech to the class. There will be snacks for everyone and then a showing of your family tree, which we will start work on tomorrow.'

Her words ringed in Harry's mind through the next hour.

He didn't hear the final bell, but noticed everyone getting up and leaving, so he did the same. Jack was a bit quiet as well, probably thinking about his older brother Michael who had left home so suddenly not long ago.

Saying goodbye to Jack, Harry turned and walked through the gates to where Severus was waiting for him. They exchanged a few greetings and Harry forced the assignment from his mind the best he could.

It worked up until they paused outside the house and Severus didn't open the door.

'Is something troubling you?' Severus asked.

Harry looked up at his hero and thought about how much he wanted to share Jack's imaginative stories and the silly things his best friend had done today to cheer Harry up. He wanted to ask if being stuck in a tree was an effective way to hide from those who might hurt them, or if pencils could be sharpened only to a certain length before they become too dangerous, and more than anything else...Harry wanted to confine his fears about the upcoming parent event.

Harry couldn't.

He was scared, because of what Mandy had said about Severus being his dad. He didn't have a dad. Or a mum. Or any siblings at all. He had no family, he was the boy everyone had forgotten, seen only be two and loved by no one. He wished Severus had the papers to say Harry could stay with him forever, and Harry wished he could show Jack that he was a better brother than Michael ever could be. He voiced none of those things, preferring to keep them inside, reminding himself of his lack of actual family and how foolish daydreams weren't going to change it.

So, as Severus asked is something was bothering him, Harry lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes. He forced down his urges to blurt it all out, to hug and cry against his hero and beg him to get the papers so he never had to leave.

Harry never wanted to be the invisible, forgotten boy with two names, ever again.

'No.' Harry lied. 'I'm okay. It was a scary day, but I'm alright now.'

He watched Severus looked at him with suspicion, certain his lie had been caught, as he bit his lip and awaited a response. The man let the matter drop and turned to open the door.

Severus acted quickly enough to raise his foot and prevent an over-excited frog to tackle the recently-recovered boy. Croaking in disappointment to have a black shoe hindering his access to his young human, Frogabook glared at Severus as he patiently waited for Harry to drag him off to the main room.

'I really must charm the doorway to prevent that nuisance escaping.' Severus muttered to himself as he stepped inside and shut the door behind them.

He despised the annoying creature to no end and suspected it was quite mutual, however the once-a-book frog was adored by Harry. The boy hugged and rambled to the creature with such acceptance and fondness that Severus would never allow anything to happen to the frog either.

Somehow, as Severus watched Harry and the frog sitting together on the floor, he knew there was one thing he and Frogabook had in common. They both cared more about Harry than they did their distrust and dislike of the other. It was no longer about keeping the boy safe from harm, as Severus wanted Harry to be happy as well. Even if it meant Severus and Frogabook would spend an entire day glaring at each other as they waited for the time when Harry would be home.

Thoughts of the frog aside, Severus tried to hide a smile as he watched the seven-year-old move to a table so he could start on his catch-up homework. He watched over the boy and felt comfortable in knowing he was healed and his attackers would be confronted. Severus knew exactly where they were and had allowed the charms to slip moments earlier, fully aware of being watched.

When Harry was dropped off at school the following day, Severus would be paying a visit to a woman...Judith Cain.

Simon had returned to the neighbourhood in the early afternoon and Severus showed no mercy in exploring the idiot's mind for details about who could be interested in lowering the protective magic over Cody. Severus was no fool. Further research on the poison had told him all he needed to know about the intentions of the ones brewing and using it. Simon had to be the link, as no one other than Emile knew of where the boy was. Perhaps a few Social Service people as well, but Severus doubted their involvement in releasing any details. Simon knew a man named Marcus, who had been married to Erin.

The pieces fit and Severus had to act quickly, not for answers and putting an end to future harm upon the child so undeserving of being hurt, but before they became too attached.

Looking down at the boy, Severus knew he had to act soon. And he hadn't yet, because he ached at the idea of saying goodbye to the miracle of a child he was protecting and caring for. The fondness for Cody or Harry was so strong it was dangerous for them to remain together unless...Severus couldn't think of that now. He was going to confront Judith Cain tomorrow, and only then will he make any decisions.

'Could you help me, please?' The emerald eyes looked up at him.

Severus had helped him, far beyond a struggle against homework or an enduring illness. He had saved the boy's life, had given him a reason to smile again, and taught Harry what it was like to be acknowledged, cared for, and loved. Regardless of what may happen the next day and the outcome of new information, Severus vowed to always remember how this boy had unconditionally loved him in return...in a way Lily never had.