The Comfort
Harry flinched at the contact, his body trembling.
"Harry?" The older Professor said gently. It sounded sweet to Harry's ears, a tone Harry hadn't heard in many years. "Can you look at me?" Unlike how Snape would have ordered him to do so in class, Snape asked. Harry sat there for a few seconds, Snape's hand still gently resting on his shoulder. Harry slowly turned over to face the older man, Snape's hand leaving his shoulder. Harry looked so pitiful. Tears streaming down his face. Sobs getting caught in his throat. Not once did Snape think he would ever see a sight like this nor did he think he would ever comfort Harry.
Harry mumbled out a few words between his choked sobs. Muttering "Sorry" or "I deserved it." Snape was quick to end Harry's stampede of mindless nonsense.
"Harry. No child ever deserves what happened to you." Snape's voice was more stern now, hoping Harry would listen to him. "You have no need to apologize."
Harry wanted to protest Snape's words. He couldn't find the words to do so. All he could think about was how he was a freak. He opened his mouth to stay that he was a freak and that's why he deserved it, but once again Snape stopped him.
"Don't try to justify what they did to you Harry. You were a child. They shouldn't have done what they did." Snape was speaking in a mix of comforting gentleness and sternness. Snape brought his hand back to Harry's shoulder. He was slow with his movements, giving Harry time to tell him no or push his hand away. Harry didn't do either, so Snape gently placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry hadn't been touched like that in so very long. Harry's brain immediately thought that Snape was trying to mess with him, hurt him while he's down. Harry closed his eyes, waiting to be hit. It felt like eternity before Harry opened his eyes and looking up at his teacher. Harry's lip started to tremble. His entire life he was hurt, he was never comforted. Harry's tears grew faster. Snape hadn't a clue what to do. He wasn't a father, he didn't know how to help a crying kid. Snape knew Harry's deepest desire was to be held. Snape did just that. Gently pulling Harry to a sitting position and wrapping an arm around his back. Pulling Harry close to him and holding the back of Harry's head.
Harry didn't know what to do. Harry reached his arms towards his teacher's robes and tightly grabbed them. Sobbing into the man's chest.
"It's okay Harry. I'm right here." Snape's gentle tone returned. He didn't care that the boy was crying into his robe, getting it wet. All he cared about was comforting the boy who was sobbing in his arms. Snape didn't really know what to say to Harry. All he could say was things that he hoped the boy needed to hear. "He won't hurt you ever again Harry. You are safe from him here."
Harry started to sob harder. His grip on the robes tightening. Harry needed to know he wouldn't be hurt here. That Vernon couldn't hurt him. That he would be safe.
Snape didn't know what else to say to Harry. He didn't know what could help the boy stop crying. Snape started to him a small tune. One both the boys knew well. Lily used to him the tune to Snape after he would go to her crying about his father. Harry knew it because his mom would hum it when he was a baby. Thankfully the tune worked. Harry slowly started to stop crying and the boys trembles stopped. Harry's eyes felt heavy in his head. Harry slowly let his eyes drift closed, falling asleep quickly. The calming draught, the panic attack,, and the tears making him tired. Snape felt the boy slump against him, slowly pulling back from the hug he could see the boy had fallen asleep. Slowly pulling away from the boy, Snape set him on the bed. Gently taking off the boys glasses and setting them on the nightstand next to the bed. Snape looked back to the sleeping boy. He has been through much, too much for a boy his age. Snape felt a small tug at his heart. Did he care about Harry?
Snape left the side of the bed, remembering how Harry had hurt himself earlier in the day. Snape had said some stupid things to him. Snape felt a little bad for what he said to Harry. Snape started to search around the room, looking for the blade Harry used. Snape knew about the loose floorboard, so he checked there first. Upon finding the blade, Snape his it in a piece of fabric and pocketed the blade. Quickly rummaging through Harry's luggage he didn't find anymore sharp objects. Snape looked back up at Harry's bed, seeing the leather bound book. Snape grabbed the book, looking through the pages. The first picture was of James Potter. Snape scoffed, he hated James and didn't want anything to do with him. Harry acted similar to James, but looked not too much like Lily. Snape started to flip through the next couple pages. All of them Lily. They all paid special attention to the smaller details of Lily's face. Snape smiled at the drawing. It still hurts Snape to think about Lily. Harry had Lily's eyes. The dark green eyes he had seen in his friend as a child, he could see in the boy. Snape went through all of the drawings. There were fewer of James. Harry probably couldn't remember what his father looked like. Judging by how many there was of Harry's mother, Harry could remember in vivid detail what Lily looked like. Snape closed the book, setting it back on the bed, leaving the room and letting Harry rest.
Snape walked to his room, it was more plain, only having his bed, a night stand, and a dresser. Snape walked to his nightstand and opened the top drawer. That is where Snape hid Harry's wand. Now it hid Harry's wand and blade. Walking out to the kitchen Snape started dinner for him a Draco. Harry was still asleep by the time dinner was done.
"Draco, dinner is finished." Snape called out. Sitting at the table with his plate filled with food. Draco was quick to leave his room for dinner. Draco started to pile food onto his plate, looking at where Harry was to be sat.
"Where's Potter?" Draco asked. He had stopped shoveling food onto his plate, looking at Snape.
"Resting in his room. It would be best not to disturb him." Snape said coldly.
The two heard a scream from Harry's room. What the hell?