Harry brushed his hands over the plush comforter.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about the last few days, but he knew he’d never slept with something as nice as this blanket.
Before now, his school uniform had been the nicest thing he’d been given, but even then it hadn’t been soft enough to use as a makeshift blanket. It was only nice for several weeks as well, because Harry’d worn through the knees by falling when he ran from Dudley.
“Now,” said Minnie, a professor Severus had introduced Harry to earlier. She dropped a heavy sounding book bag on the ground and pulled out several books. “I’ve found some fan favourites for Severus to read with you tonight. We have ‘Babbity Rabbity’, which is quite good, and ‘The Wizard and the Hopping Pot’,” She added, holding up a book with decorative green and yellow edges. “Or, we have ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’.” Her eyes softened as she glanced at the last one, making Harry wondered if she had any brothers.
If she did, he hoped they were friendlier than Dudley.
Minnie carefully arranged the books on the small bedside table before giving him a warm look. He knew she’d need to leave soon, as she’d only been asked to watch him while Severus spoke with someone.
Harry hadn’t been left alone since arriving at Hogwarts and he couldn’t be sure of what would happen when he was.
Maybe he’d be yanked through the impossibly tight tube and sent back to Privet Drive?
“What did Madam Pomfrey say about your first night out of the Hospital Wing?” Minnie asked as she slowly sat in the old rocking chair to his right. She tugged the heavy knit blanket from where it’d been draped over the rocker’s back and laid it over Harry’s feet.
No one mentioned who owned the room Harry’d be sleeping in, and since he’d arrived, Harry nervously anticipated being wrenched from the bed and shoved into a cupboard. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been shouted at and dragged away from a bed. He once thought he could get away with sleeping in Aunt Marge's guest bed, but Aunt Petunia’d found him hardly an hour into the night and had thrown such a fit that Harry hadn’t been allowed upstairs for a week.
He hadn’t understood at the time, nor was he sure he understood now either, but he had a feeling it had something to do with magic.
“Harry?” Minnie asked.
Harry blinked and swallowed back his embarrassment at ignoring Minnie’s question. “Erm,” He stammered as he searched over the covers and tried to remember what she’d asked. “I, erm—”
“Did Madam Pomfrey give you any ideas of what to expect tonight?” Minnie asked kindly.
“Oh!” Harry nodded. “She said I might be scared, but that you were easy to find.” He said as he eyed the small, silver hand mirror on the bedside table. “And Severus too, he’s easy to get.”
Minnie held the small mirror up, presumably to check if it was working, though she quickly set it back down.
“What do you think about sleeping in a new bedroom?” She asked.
Harry shrugged and searched over his covers once more. They weren’t brightly coloured like Dudley’s, nor were the sheets designed with superheroes or pirates. Harry was sure he’d only seen sheets and covers like these on adult’s beds.
“I dunno.” He said in a quiet voice. He slowly brushed his fingers over the cover again. “It’s weird.”
It truly was very weird. Harry’d spent two nights in the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey searched him over relentlessly, but ultimately found him to be fine. Harry wondered if they expected he’d explode, as they always seemed on edge for a horrible reaction, but maybe that was Harry’s imagination, making up ways to make things worse.
He’d seen hospital shows on the Telly and everyone always seemed to be in trouble there.
Minnie sat back in the rocker and folded her hands around her middle. “Maybe it would be a little less weird, if we brightened it up?”
Harry tossed a glance around the bedroom and tried to guess at how easily magic could be undone, in case he’d only be staying for a short while. He didn’t want to change someone else’s bedroom, though, this room felt very much like a guest room. If it were a guest room, at least Harry wouldn’t be putting someone else out of a bed.
That argument hadn’t gone over well when he’d tried it with Aunt Petunia.
“Here, we can brighten your blanket, if you like,” Minnie offered as she held her wand up. “It’s a simple colour changing charm, ‘Colovaria’,” Minnie said, enunciating clearly for Harry.
Harry sat up and watched as she demonstrated a quick wand movement.
Of all the changes his bubbly luck drink brought, Harry’s favourite had been magic. Severus slowly began to teach Harry hundreds of new words, spells, and facts. A lot of them had to do with magic, but quite a bit were words Harry simply hadn’t known.
“What colour do you think would suit it?” Minnie asked.
Harry paused and stared at the cover for a brief second. “Green, please!” He said as the colour flashed through his mind. “Like my eyes!” He added and pointed to them after excitedly remembering he shared that colour with his mum.
Minnie laughed. “I bet green would be quite favourable for Severus,” She said before flicking her wand in a quick arc and changing Harry’s blankets. “I doubt you’ve missed it, but he has a certain flair for house pride. Which house do you think you’ll be in?” She asked.
Harry gently ran his fingers over his blanket once more before a loud sound echoed from the hallway.
They both jerked and Minnie stood before smiling at Harry and stepping toward the door.
The urge to leap from the bed and run into a cupboard flew through Harry, for fear that it’d been Aunt Petunia, who’d come through the door. He tried to push it away, but the moment Minnie left the bedroom, he crawled from the mattress and slipped to the floor.
“—did Albus say?” He heard Minnie ask as he inched closer to the door.
He couldn’t remember seeing any cupboards in Severus’s flat when he’d toured it earlier, only tall, imposing glass cabinets with hundreds of differently sized bottles.
“He deeply regrets Harry’s situation and wants to speak with Petunia again, but it’s unlikely given Felix—”
Harry shuddered and twisted as he searched the room for a cupboard once more. He couldn’t guess if Severus spoke with Aunt Petunia and Albus together, and if he had, Harry couldn’t help thinking she’d told him all sorts of nasty things about him.
It was highly likely he had, as Harry’s luck rarely worked out in his favour.
No matter how polite and kind Harry’d tried to be, she always turned everyone against him.
“—haven’t picked a book yet,”
Harry heard Minnie say as the door slid open and she and Severus paused in the entryway.
Severus blinked down at Harry and an awkward look washed over his face. Harry’d come to expect a certain amount of discomfort from him in the last few days, though each time Harry noticed it, he wound up fighting through insecurities until Severus either shook off his discomfort or pretended it never happened.
“It was lovely to spend the evening with you Harry,” Minnie said as she snuck her hands over his and she sank to her knees. “If you need me, just call for me in the mirror and I’ll be here in a flash.”
Harry nodded.
She smiled kindly in return and stood, giving Severus a firm grasp on his arm before disappearing out the bedroom door. Harry wished again that she’d stay, as his earlier worries about being left alone spiraled through him once more.
Her staying only prolonged the inevitable, though Harry didn’t know what might come now that she left, and he wished Severus would tell him what to expect.
No one had said anything about what might happen in the next few days, and Harry knew better than to hope for anything great. He’d spent enough time living in miserable situations to know good outcomes were rare.
He’d been far, far too lucky when he’d drunk his magic potion.
Severus inhaled slowly before dropping to one knee, just as Minnie had done. His eyes flickered over the room and landed on the bed for a long moment. “I like the colour of your blanket.” He said softly. “Did Minerva charm it for you?”
Harry twisted to look at the cover before turning back to Severus and nodding.
“Did she transfigure any toys for you?” Severus asked as he searched over the room.
“Checkers.” Harry said. “And chess, but I’m not very good.”
Minnie was extremely good at chess, and though the chess pieces tried to help Harry by shouting helpful moves, he’d lost three times before changing tack and imagining they were all knights and asking Minnie if she’d rather play that instead. Thankfully, she’d been delighted and transfigured a few dinner plates into a small castle for them to guard.
Severus hummed before climbing to his feet.
Harry watched confusedly as he stole down the short hallway and grabbed a small, decorative pillow from the sitting room before stepping back into the bedroom and dropping it into Harry’s arms, though having not expected it, Harry nearly dropped it.
It was similar to the pillow’s Mrs Figg kept in her sitting room, in that Harry had always been asked not to touch them. They were apparently very expensive and only for show. Her cats didn’t seem to agree and slept on them regardless of how often Mrs Figg chased them off.
Severus’s fingers tightened over his wand but he dropped back onto his knees before Harry. “Do you have a favourite animal?” He asked as he tapped his wand on the pillow. It shimmered through several different patterns before returning to its original colour.
“Erm...” Harry started as he blinked at the small pillow.
He really wasn’t sure, as he didn’t have much knowledge about animals. He knew enough about house pets, like cats, dogs, and hamsters, but Aunt Petunia hated animals and had never brought Harry to the zoo. Neither Dudley nor Uncle Vernon were fond of animal movies either, they far preferred racing games.
“I dunno.”
One of Severus’s eyebrows rose. “Perhaps I could list a few, and you can stop me on one you like.”
Harry nodded quickly. He briefly worried about choosing the wrong animal and making Severus think he was weird, but that couldn’t happen if Severus was the one providing the options.
“Bear, tiger, or giraffe?” Severus asked.
“Erm—” Harry blinked down at the pillow and idly thought of how a giraffe would look as a stuffed animal, but shook his head ‘no’ after deciding against it.
“Cat, owl, or toad?”
“Is there one that’s magical?” Harry asked after a moment. “Like, a magical animal?”
“There are quite a few.” Severus nodded. “Dragons, hippogriffs, unicorns, some of which, I’m sure you’ve heard of even through muggle stories.”
Harry shook his head ‘no’ and bitterly regretted having done so seconds later. He wasn’t fantastic at maths, but he knew Severus gave him more than enough options to be getting on with, and that he didn’t need more choices.
Severus held his hand out for the pillow and Harry swallowed heavily as he turned it over. He didn’t fancy snubbing Severus’s kind attempt to make Harry feel more comfortable.
He disliked how constantly off-foot he felt, and almost wished he could return to his cupboard, if just for it’s routine.
“I think I know one you might like.” Severus said quietly after a moment.
He twirled his wand in an elegant move and the pillow gave a shiver before four long legs sprang out from the bottom as a long neck and head separated from the top. The colour melted into warm brown fur seconds later.
“It’s a doe.” Severus said in an awkward voice. “Your mother, I’m told, quite liked them.”
Harry knew it was illogical, but he felt significantly closer to the pillow than he had just moments before. It was only a pillow, but Harry’d never had a soft toy in his life, or at least he couldn’t remember if he had.
Severus handed it over and Harry was inwardly delighted by it’s size. It nearly took up his entire chest
“Does it have a name?” Harry asked as he curled around it in a tight hug. He felt enormously better having something to hold onto, though he didn’t quite understand why.
“I suppose you’ll need to do that.” Severus said as he looked toward the stack of books Minnie’d left behind. “Perhaps you’ll find a good name in one of these stories?”
He crossed the room and Harry trailed closely behind him.
“Do you have a story you’d prefer to read?” Severus asked as he squinted at the selection.
Aunt Petunia had never openly laughed at Harry when he’d asked her to read to him, but she’d always found a convenient excuse not to. Harry didn’t have any books anyone wanted to read to him anyway, at least, not many people found first year maths books to be very exciting bedtime stories.
Though, it did put readers to bed.
He shook his head ‘no’ and pointed to the top book, which he slowly sounded out to be ‘Babbity Rabbity’.
Severus gave a firm look at the bed before gesturing for Harry to climb up onto it. “Now, we’ll find out if this book lives up to the hype.” He said as he wrinkled his nose and read the back cover. His eyes narrowed on editor reviews, which nearly made Harry laugh, as wasn’t sure anyone cared about those on children’s books. Aunt Petunia’s book club certainly cared about reviews, though they often only read highly reviewed books.
“Have you not read it?” Harry asked as he snuck beneath the covers. “Minnie said it was a fan favourite.”
“It is,” Severus said. “Amongst those within your age range.”
“Oh.” Harry said dumbly. He supposed he should’ve thought of that, though in fairness to him, he hadn’t been able to really enjoy stories for his age before. He was fairly certain several of Dudley’s books were good and he’d have liked to go through them if he had ever had the chance.
He didn’t know how different they’d be from Severus’s average reading. Severus must’ve been Harry’s age once though, so wouldn’t he still have known whether or not the book was good?
Severus sat in the old rocker and flipped the book open as Harry tucked his new stuffed animal close beneath the covers.
His eyes flickered across the pages until he seemed to find the beginning and he began to read in a clear, quiet voice.
——
Harry awoke with a sharp gasp.
Sweat soaked into the sheets and clung to his skin in a sticky, wet mess.
A hazy and uncomfortable dream swam through his thoughts, but Harry couldn’t tell what it was about. Aunt Petunia’s voice rang shrilly in his ears, and he tried to plug them in order to make it stop, but it faded at it’s own pace.
He couldn’t remember where he was, nor why his cot was suddenly twice it’s usual size. The dark room swallowed light and Harry couldn’t tell where the crooked wooden walls of his cupboard began or ended. The small slats that’d always let a bit of light in were nowhere to be found.
Something soft hit him when he tried to roll over and see what the problem was, and he nearly shouted until he realized it was a stuffed doe.
It’s glassy eyes stared into Harry’s, and his brain made a sluggish leap before he realized he was at Hogwarts. He was in Severus’s flat, just as his bubbly luck had wanted. He’d spent several hours with Minnie, playing games and chatting until Severus returned.
Severus gifted him a plush doe, though he hadn’t found a name for it yet.
He pushed himself onto his elbows and grimaced as his pyjama top stuck to him.
He considered ignoring it and rolling over, as that was the only option he’d ever had in his cupboard, but he couldn’t be sure if he’d ruin the sheets by leaving a mess.
Aunt Petunia would’ve screamed if Harry left her sheets in this condition and they were ruined as a result.
He didn’t fancy ruining Severus’s things either, not when Aunt Petunia might’ve warned him about what sort of mess Harry might make if he had a room to himself.
He couldn’t be sure if she’d brought up his cupboard when they’d spoken either, as Severus hadn’t mentioned it.
If no one else brought it up, Harry certainly wouldn’t.
He grabbed his doe and tried to slip onto the floor, but he’d forgotten how tall this bed was and stumbled after hitting the ground hard. He tried to save himself by grabbing onto the bedside table, but only managed to knock it askew.
The sound echoed through the room and Harry froze in fear.
Severus hadn’t mentioned any particular rules about leaving the bed, but Harry knew well enough not to make noise after he was meant to be asleep.
No lights flickered from down the hallway, nor could Harry hear if Severus had woken up.
Maybe he was still lucky, though he didn’t think that was the case. He hadn’t felt the bubbly luck in days.
He reached up to try and find his glasses on the bedside table, but he only wound up grasping at air. He wondered if they’d fallen when he’d knocked into the table, and he tried to keep his steps light in case he accidentally stepped on them.
The switch to the lamp was out of his reach, and he blindly felt around for the plug, but he couldn’t find that either.
A fierce urge to cry washed over him at his own failures, but he determinedly stamped it out.
The sheets were more important to focus on. He looked at them and debated how he’d get them clean when he hadn’t seen a washing machine. Maybe Severus used magic to clean his things, but that wouldn’t work for Harry.
His fingers clenched around the doe in his arms and he debated asking how it would solve his problems, for all the good that would do, but the light in the bedroom flicked on seconds later.
Horror flooded through Harry and he spun around to find Severus’s blurry form in the doorway.
He wished he’d just stayed in bed. He knew better than to move around after hours. This sort of trouble followed him wherever he went and no matter how he tried, he never seemed to do the right thing.
Severus fixed his robe and slowly stepped into the room. “Did you have a nightmare?”
Harry stared blankly at him as he held his stuffed animal closer.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that it’d be taken from him for having woken Severus. He’d only just been given it, and he could tolerate a punishment like sleeping on the floor with a blanket and pillow, but he wanted to keep his doe.
It was difficult to guess what Severus thought when Harry couldn’t see him. The two seemed to be stuck in a blurry stalemate until Severus made a soft sound and carefully reached around Harry. He telegraphed his movements well in advance and grabbed something from the bedside table.
Moments later, Harry’s glasses appeared between his long fingers.
Harry worried Severus might hold them above his head and taunt him, which Dudley often enjoyed doing, but he silently held them closer instead.
It felt as if ages passed while Harry slowly dredged the courage to inch closer and closer, but the second his fingers touched the hard plastic frames, he snatched them away and settled them over the bridge of his nose.
The blurry room came into focus and with it, came Severus’s dark eyes. “What happened?” He asked with a gentle whisper.
Harry shook his head ‘no’ and darted away once more.
Severus rubbed a hand over his eyes and a deep seated exhaustion flickered across his face. He blinked around the room and seemed to struggle as he searched for something to say. “Do you—”
Harry tightened his grip on his doe and tried to think of something to say if Severus tried to take it.
He didn’t know if he could offer to trade the castle Minnie’d made for him, as it wasn’t really Harry’s, but maybe Severus would accept that instead?
He shivered beneath his sweaty top and shrank farther away when Severus frowned.
An oddly sad look creased over his forehead. “I once had a friend,” He started before swallowing heavily. “Who, whenever frightened, used to bring every light she could find into her bedroom.”
Harry’s grip loosened on his doe as he watched as Severus’s eyes flickered over the ceiling.
It didn’t seem like he wanted to take Harry’s stuffed animal, in fact, he seemed more likely to let him keep it, though Harry couldn’t be sure.
“Torches, table lamps, floor lamps, night lights, fairy lights,” Severus said in a soft voice. “She was also fond of weaving starflowers throughout them, when she could make them.”
The urge to do exactly as Severus’s friend had done, bubbled through Harry, though he wasn’t sure if he knew where all the lights in Severus’s flat were. He wasn’t sure if Severus would allow Harry to borrow them all either, but then, Severus had been the one to explain the idea.
“Do you think that might help?” Severus asked.
Harry nodded slowly. He had no bubbly luck to rely on, but was fairly certain Severus truly meant to help him.
It was still very odd how easily Severus offered help.
Harry didn’t quite understand it.
Severus stood and held his hand out for Harry, who nervously grabbed it
“I keep a few muggle torches in the bathroom,” Severus said as he led them through the short hallway and into the bathroom. “Maybe you’d like to pick a colour for them.”
“A colour?” Harry asked.
Severus hummed. “Sometimes, other colours are nicer than bright white.”
“Oh.”
They slipped from room to room as they gathered a curious collection of lights, though Harry struggled to understand how some could be lights until Severus charmed them.
Harry found he quite liked the lamps Severus charmed as well, and he put as many of them over the bed as he was allowed.
He’d forgotten about how much of a mess his nightmare’d created until he’d climbed back into the bed, but before he could explain what’d happened to wake him up, he found all signs of his nightmare had already disappeared. He tried to think back to when Severus might’ve cleaned it, but he’d been with Harry the entire time.
“You have quite a collection now.” Severus said as he settled a heavy brass lamp on top of the chest. “Do things look a little less frightening?”
Harry eyed his mismatched assortment before nodding.
He couldn’t decide which light was his favourite, but he liked how all of them were different from one another. He wondered where Severus had found so many kinds of lights as well, as all of Aunt Petunia’s lamps matched.
She liked order above most everything else though.
Harry searched over the assortment once more before remembering what Severus had said about his friend’s starflowers. He didn’t know what colour starflowers were, but he assumed they looked like stars, which seemed a sensible flower to hang with lights.
He tried to picture what colour might look nice next to the lights, and jolted backwards when small, brightly coloured flowers bloomed to life across the walls and fell to the floor.
Severus’s dark eyes widened on them before he twisted to look at Harry.
“I didn’t!” Harry said as he shook his head wildly and clutched his doe closer.
Severus stood concerningly still as an awkward silence sank around the room.
Harry tried to chase away his panic after remembering that magic was more normal than Aunt Petunia’d let on.
Just as well, Harry’d grown used to this awkwardness from Severus in the last few days, though he still wondered if Severus’s behaviour was more due to his having less experience with children, or if it was part of his personality.
“They’re normally blue, or light purple,” Severus said after a long moment. He plucked a flower that’d landed atop a table lamp and held it toward Harry.
It’s petals fluttered for a brief second before a pale blue tone filtered out along the edges.
Harry poked a nervous finger at it before gently picking it up.
“You’ve certainly caught their shape.” Severus said.
“You said it was a star.”
Severus nodded. “That’s its nickname, it’s also called borage.”
“Oh.”
Harry made a silent promise to be less frightened of Severus in the future. Throughout their strange few days, Severus had been kind, if a little rough. He acted as if he expected for Harry to hate him at any moment, much like Harry had come to expect from his own classmates and neighbours.
“Now that you’re a little less frightened, would you like to try reading another story?” Severus asked as he tapped his fingers over the short pile of books Minnie’d left behind.
The lights did make the room feel far more safe. Harry wondered if Aunt Petunia had ever helped Dudley by collecting lights.
He couldn’t remember hearing them running around the house and searching for lamps.
Harry snuck beneath the blankets and bundled himself soundly before setting his stuffed doe on his pillows. He debated his silent promise to Severus and looked up as he swallowed around a bubble of fear in his throat. “Can I read it with you?”
Severus paused from where he’d been slowly settling into the old rocking chair. He blinked at Harry for a long moment before giving him a short nod.
A warm feeling danced through Harry at the chance to read with someone and he quickly leapt from the bed.
They each needed a moment to situate themselves, as Harry still needed to negotiate through his weakening fear of being shoved away, and Severus looked unsure if Harry actually wanted to sit with him, but quicker than either of them expected, they’d settled comfortably.
Severus seemed to debate how best to share the book with Harry before he snaked an arm around him and tucked him close.
His previous awkwardness loosened, and he sank warmly, and comfortably around Harry. He flipped the book open and found the correct page.
He trailed his fingers below each word and read aloud.
“There were once three brothers, travelling along a lonely winding road.”
Chapter 2
Chapter End Notes:
A small addition! 🖤