Harry Potter and the secret Past

Hideaway

Severus caught the child easily in his arms, smoothing the messy black hair with his free hand. He looked around to see Madam Pomfrey watching from the door of her office. The pair shared a knowing look, conveying how both their hearts were bleeding. Severus had never seen a child in this state before and it knocked him to his very core. Just the behaviour difference between the high spirited child he was last night to the hysterical being he was this morning proved just how very fragile Harry was.
Signing heavily, Severus rose to his feet whilst still cradling Harry. He walked back to Harry's bed and lowered the boy onto the mattress with a gentleness severus didn't know he possessed. Severus gently held Harry's small hand in his own, noticing the bloody and bruised knuckles. 'This poor boy was more damaged than anyone realised', Severus thought. Trying not to dwell on the fact the little boy hadn't even noticed he was beating his own hands bloody, Severus softly rubbed healing cream in the split skin. Carefully he removed Harry's glasses and pulled the sheets up around the boy. With the covers drawn up to his neck, severus was struck once again with how young the boy looked. His tiny little face didn't even look relaxed in sleep and his pale cheeks were still wet with tears.

"I don't know what we can do for him" Severus stated while absentmindedly drying the boys face softly. How could he possibly begin to help this child that had clearly been denied so much his whole life? Logic told him he shouldn't try. He should simply find someone else to carry this burden, why should he be lumbered with such a task? Hell, he didn't even like the boy! He thought savagely. But no, that was wrong. The boy was no longer his father, he never had been, severus could see that now. That thought threatened to crush him. How could he have treated such a vulnerable child with such contempt. Severus of all people should have seen the warming signs of Harry's upbringing much sooner. This poor boy deserved so much better.

" We can care for him Severus." Madam Pomfrey replied. " he needs love and care and time."

Severus almost flinched at that. There was no way he, feared potion master and ex death Eater Severus Snape, could provide a child with love and care. But who else did this child have? He has no other living relatives and Dumbledore has proved he will in no way help the boy. The blasted man fully intended to send Harry back to that abusive household. Severus cursed under his breath. No it would seem that he was the only one that could fix this mess. Of course this was only out of duty and nothing more. He was in no way growing to care for the brat.
Leaving Harry to sleep under the care of Madam Pomfrey, Severus stalked back to the dungeons for his first class of the day. As usual the dungeons were excellent for his miserable brooding mood.
                                               ****
By the end of the days classes, Severus was exhausted and irritable. Twice his lessons had been interrupted; first by a note from Madam Pomfrey informing him that the Potter brat had been throwing up continuously all morning (what the women expected him to do was anyone's guess. She was the bloody healer after all!). And secondly by the oh so lovely headmaster who called him to his office to inform Severus that Quirrell had been spotted on the third floor corridor. Why the headmaster could not deal with the stuttering idiot himself, was quite frankly beyond him. On top of all this, three little dunderheads had managed to successfully blow up their cauldrons, sending the class into a frenzy. The professor hadn't seen his students so terrified before, as he stalked around the dark dungeons barking out insults whilst removing countless house points, reducing several students to tears. Only the true fright he could see from the brats gave Severus satisfaction but, he found he couldn't even relish in that, as his mind was too preoccupied with one particular, too small, green eyed brat.

Severus Snape was not in a good mood at all. Ignoring the stacks of papers and marking on his desk, he marched his way to the hospital wing. On his way, he attempted to calm his breathing, listing the 5 main ingredient for a hair removal potion. It would not do to storm into the hospital wing in a temper given how fragile the boy was.
What he was not expecting to see as he rounded the corner was an empty bed where Potter should be and a frantic Madam Pomfrey talking to one Professor McGonagall. Both witches looked up as Snape barged through the double doors.