Whelp

he called the dog, by the way – to his mates, and then egged them on when they took turns beating him.'

Dumbledore sighed heavily, his blue eyes tired and drawn, but pierced to the heart of the matter, to his conscience. 'How long will it last for them?'

Severus looked right in his mentor's eyes, knowing he would probably be Legilimized himself, and not giving a whit. 'Six years, I suspect. As that's how long they've had the care of him. They won't die of it, but they might wish they had.'

'Very well.' Albus put the tin of lemon drops away in a drawer. 'Is there anything else, Severus?'

'Yes, a trifling matter,' he said, rather stiffly. For all Severus was grateful to the Headmaster and the help he'd provided on Severus' 'legal troubles' with the Ministry, Albus could be a right pill sometimes. 'Harry woke from his nap this afternoon, screaming. I could find nothing wrong with him, but he said everything hurt, down to his bones. But his appearance is unchanged, and anyway, I thought the blood ritual took months to work itself out.'

'It does,' Albus agreed.

'Another thing, he cast a perfect Silencing charm around himself, while still sleeping! Says he had to do it with the Dursleys because he wasn't allowed to make noise, even in his dreams.'

'Quite talented, then, at his age.'

Severus glared at him. 'You're not even listening, are you? The boy has taught himself magic as protection from those bloody creatures, and won't even tell me when he's in pain! I want to know what the hell went wrong with the ritual. What fresh pain can I expect for my son, since he won't tell me about it himself?'

'None, I would suspect,' Albus said serenely. His eyes had somehow regained their twinkle, and Severus didn't trust that a bit. 'At least, not from any external magic. He will certainly have an adjustment period, living with an actual parent for the first time.'

'You know something,' Severus bit out. He didn't like the twinkle, nor the fond tone Albus had taken with him. 'What are you hiding?'

'Me? Severus, you should know me better than that.'

'I know you better than to expect a straight answer, you mean.' Severus unclenched his fists and wondered for the hundredth time if he was doing the right thing by putting himself under the old codger's aegis. But what choice did he have, really?

'I always tell you everything you need to know.'

'And not a tenth of what I want to know,' Severus muttered. He grabbed the container of Floo powder, and wrenched off the lid.

'See you on Friday, then. With the boy.'

With a barely civil nod, Severus flung powder into the flames and headed home.

TBC . . .

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A/N: Alas, no Hogwarts yet. Next chapter, though, I promise. Thank you to all who read and review!

*Chapter 14*: Chapter 14

Whelp – Chapter 14

By jharad17

Disclaimer: Why you keep looking at me like that? This isn't mine, I say!

A/N

at end

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Harry screamed in his sleep again that night. And without even realizing, he put up the Silencing spell. But Severus had already put up charms to wake him if Harry's sleep was disturbed at all and so was warned when the boy's nightmares started. In his room across the hall, he rolled over at the incessant buzzing sound, realized what it was after ten or fifteen seconds, and then lunged from his bed to the boy's room. He found Harry flailing around in the bed, caught up in quilts and sheets that had his trapped and practically hyperventilating . . . but silently.

Severus canceled the spell, bracing himself for the screams he now knew would follow, and then gathered the boy in his arms. For another few minutes, he had to fight the boy's fists and feet as Harry struggled to free himself from the one holding him, but when the boy finally wakened, his eyes were round as saucers and Severus knew he could never tell this child he couldn't do accidental magic, no matter how much it troubled him. The boy was rigid with fear in Severus' arms. His skin was flushed and sweaty from his exertions, and Severus spoke softly to him, saying, 'Shush, now, Harry. It's all right, now. I have you . . .'

'Daddy,' the little boy whispered, his breath hitching, and he sagged bonelessly, burying his face in Severus' shoulder, tiny, stick-thin arms snaking around his neck.

Startled, Severus patted the back of Harry's head rather awkwardly. Daddy? 'Do you want to tell me about it?' he asked. 'Did you have a bad dream?'

Harry nodded against Severus' shoulder. His breath came in hot gasps. 'Was awful. Sh'was screaming.'

'Who was screaming, Harry?'

'The lady wiff red hair. An then there was green light and she was dead.'