Whelp II The Wrath of Snape

Disclaimer: None of this is mine. Honest. She's rich, blond and British. I'm not.

A/N: If you haven't read 'Whelp' before reading this story . . . well, why not? Really, you should, 'cause otherwise, you're gonna be plenty lost.

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Severus paced his quarters, waiting impatiently for Albus to arrive. He'd told the Headmaster to meet him here almost an hour ago, and though he realized Albus probably had plenty to do on the first day of school, Severus was not going to let this incident slide. What had the man been thinking?? To introduce Argus Filch so casually, as if the man's presence would have no effect on Harry? To even let that filthy squib within a hundred leagues of Severus' son, after what he'd done . . .

Severus was not pleased.

And he still had to meet with his Snakes; the first night was crucial, to his way of thinking, and would set the tone for his relationship with the Slytherins for the remainder of the year. For the new first years, it would likely set the tone for their Hogwarts career. Remembering his own first night here, sixteen years ago now, he knew how important tonight was, especially since it was his first time doing this. And yet . . .

And yet, he could not leave Harry alone. He had finally calmed the boy down – needing to resort to a calming draught after soft words and gently rocking the boy had not helped – after an hour of his weeping and shaking, made all the more heartbreaking as Harry was rarely so undone. He had, in the midst of caring for the boy, promised he would not leave him, and so he would not. Besides, if his last interaction with Filch was any standard, Harry's nightmares tonight would be ferocious.

Finally, Albus' head appeared in the fireplace, surrounded by green and yellow flame. 'I'm rather busy just now, Severus. Can this wait till morning?'

'It cannot. If you recall, I told you I would deal with Filch if you did not. Is it your intention to leave the matter to my discretion?'

'Now, now, Severus my dear boy—'

'Don't you 'my dear boy' me, Albus. I want you to come and see for yourself the result of your inaction.'

With a gusty sigh, Albus' head disappeared, only to be replaced a moment later by his whole body, stepping through the Floo. He spelled the soot from his bright yellow robes with a wave of his hand and then held Severus' gaze. 'Argus is a special case, as well you know.' His blue-eyed twinkle was more muted than Severus had seen it in recent memory. 'There are very few places where he could make an honest living, with his background.'

'As there are few for me, Albus,' Severus snarled. 'And yet, I do not make it a habit to torture young children.'

'Now, now, Argus did not actually harm Harry—'

'Do you truly think so? Come in here, then.' Severus gestured down the hall to Harry's room, then strode through the partly open door, waiting for Albus to follow him. The boy was curled in a fetal ball, pressed into a corner of his bed against the wall, eyes squinched shut and arms clasped around his knees, head down. Tremors shook his tiny body as he rocked himself, and his sweat soaked hair was plastered to his head.

Severus gathered the boy in his arms once more, lowering himself onto the edge of the bed. Even asleep, Harry flinched at the touch, but then curled in against Severus, wrapping tiny fists in his father's robes and pushing his face into Severus' chest.

Glaring at Albus, Severus lowered his voice to a whisper, but his tone was no less harsh for that. 'He finally fell asleep, after taking twice the recommended dosage of Calming Draught for a child of eleven. Prior to that, he was inconsolable.' He cupped the boy's head against his chest with the palm of his hand. 'Pray, tell me again that he was not harmed.'

Albus' face was unreadable, but Severus tried to gauge his reaction anyway. After a long moment, the Headmaster nodded. 'I cannot send Argus away,' he murmured. 'But I will give him explicit instructions regarding Harry.'

'That will not do!' Severus hissed. The boy whimpered in distress, and Severus hushed him again, rocking him quietly.