Kitten

August 15, 1991 (pt.4)

Previous Injuries: 

External:

Laceration along back 

Bruised legs 

Scrapes along both knees 

Internal:

Broken clavicle 

Bruised Kidney (left)

Torn Anal Cavity 

Concussion 

Second degree burns on both hands 

Malnourishment 

Severus could not keep the tears from running down his face as he reread the parchment. Those muggles had tortured his child and it was by pure luck that the child had not succumb to his injuries. He wanted to pay them a visit right now if it weren’t for the small boy in his lap. He tightened his arms around his child and looked up into the face of his husband. Tom looked absolutely murderous, the red in his eyes had darken to a dark wine color and he could feel his aura pulsing around him. Harry shifted in his sleep and whimpered as he felt the anger flowing through his parents. They did their best to remain calm, both of them sending feelings of love and comfort to their child. It did its job as Harry sighed and snuggled further into Severus. However, from his breathing the man could tell that his child was no longer asleep, but opting to lay against his chest with his eyes closed. 

Both he and Tom looked to their friend and personal healer who had a deep scowl upon her usually soft face. She seemed to be going over all the potions that would be needed for the child. 

“Alright,” she said. “First thing’s first, I need to check to make sure he no longer has a concussion.” 

With that she leaned down to face the child and waited for him to look at her. He opened his Topaz eyes and blinked at her owlishly. 

“Harry, can you do me a favor?” She asked. The boy nodded, albeit with a bit of reluctance. “I’m going to look you over with my wand. I am going to shine a light in your eyes and I need you to follow it for me. Can you do that for me, love?”

The boy nodded again and Severus shifted him so that he was now sitting up with his back firmly against his chest. The healer made sure to make her movements nice and slow so that the boy could see what she was doing at all times. He flinched a little at the sight of her wand, but otherwise kept perfectly still. Harry followed Narcissa’s instructions and followed the light with his eyes, then looking at the tip of her ears when she asked. She was pleased to find that the child didn’t suffer from a concussion and told his parents so. 

“Because he has a few bones that healed, but didn’t set right I am going to have to reset them. I’ll do that last when he is asleep so he doesn’t feel anything.”

The parents nodded. “Severus, I need you to start brewing a batch of nutrient potions. The burns on his hands have seemed to have healed as have most of his internal injuries. I need to check his back to make sure that he hasn’t caught an infection. With that in mind, if you could bring up some more healing salve from your lab that would be great. I have a bit with me and that should help a bit with the newer scars for now. The rest should help with the scarring.”

The parents soaked up her words like sponges, and Severus turned Harry around so that they could check his back. He whimpered at this.

“Shh, little one. It’s okay.” The Potions Master reassured. Instead of having the desired effect, Harry just held on tightly to his mother. He squeezed his eyes shut, and the Kaytes could smell the salt of tears. Tom chose that time to reach out gently and run his fingers through the messy hair on his son’s head. This seemed to calm Harry, at least a bit, having the presence of both of his parents. Even though they just met him, he felt completely safe with them. 

Severus moved over to make room for his husband and they worked together to maneuver Harry’s oversized shirt over his head. It was then that the acrid smell of urine hit their nostrils. They looked down at the boy, who was now sitting in Severus’s lap frozen in fear at what he had just done. He was completely trembling in fear and letting out soft sobs when he looked up at his Mama. Neither adult batted an eye at him wetting. Instead Severus wordlessly spelled them both clean while sending comforting feelings through their bond. They wanted to make sure that the boy understood that he was not in the slightest bit of trouble; especially over something he could not control. 

Harry placed his head back in Severus’s chest and the man let out a purr while his husband continued to pet his hair. As this was going on, Narcissa went to work on the child’s back. She could see where pieces of the boy’s skin had come off from newer injuries. She scanned to make sure that they were not infected. Harry felt his back tingle from the healer’s magic and it made him relax. He shivered a little when the healing salve was put on, but his back suddenly felt the best it had in years. His eyes closed to go to sleep but he was jostled by his mama. He whined up at him which only got him a chuckle. He pouted, but giggled when the man copied his action. 

“You can’t go to sleep just yet, kit. You still have to eat,” the Potions Master said. 

“Not hungry,” Harry whispered. Just then his stomach betrayed him by rumbling loudly and he looked down affronted. This again got him a chuckle, but this time it was from his Papa.

“I beg to differ young man, and it seems like your stomach does as well.” There was a no nonsense tone in his father’s voice, but he knew it was nothing like Uncle Vernon’s and the man before him wouldn’t hurt him. 

“Speaking of that Severus,” Narcissa interjected, “I would think that best that you begin to nurse for a little while.” 

Harry looked up at her confused. Nurse? Wasn’t that when a baby fed from their mother’s chest? He only knew that because when they had taken that trip to the zoo, he and Dudley came across a woman feeding her baby. Dudley asked, though quite rudely, his mother what the woman was doing and his Aunt had told him that what she was doing was considered ‘breastfeeding’ or nursing. He listened as Petunia went on and on about how the child was far too big to be still attached to her mother’s tit. 

Didn’t that mean that he, Harry, was far too old to do that? Plus, Harry leaned back and looked at the man’s chest, his mother didn’t even have “tits.”

He looked at him when he felt the man looking down at him. Taking in his confused expression and unasked question he said, “Do not fret young one, we do have a way of feeding.”

“But..aren’t I too big for that?” Harry asked. 

“Harry,” Tom said. The boy looked to his father. “You’ll soon learn that it is quite natural for us, as Kayte, to nurse their young, even if they are your age.”

“But how, Papa?”

“In your form, you are still a kitten and are considered around the age of a 3-4 year old human. For the next couple of months, maybe longer in your case, you will need to nurse.” His father explained. Severus took this time to chime in.

“Additionally, you will feel a strong need to be near your Papa and I. It is not uncommon for Kayte young to nurse from their parents for comfort in addition to nutritional reasons.”

“Wait,” Harry said looking between his parents, “You both can nurse?”

Tom nodded. “Yes. There are some instances where a mother Kayte is away or is unable to produce nutrients for their kit and the father can take over. In some cases, if the couple has produced a litter, both parents nurse. It balances out the responsibility.”

“So..” the boy inquired. 

“So, if I or your Mama are not around, you will always have at least one of us to nurse from. Does that make sense, little one?” Tom asked. 

Harry nodded, and then asked, “But how will I feed now? And will I be able to eat solid food?”

“Not for some time, at least until your stomach gets used to it being full. When that time comes we will incorporate solid food with nursing. As for how  you will feed, you will need to change into your kitten form,” Severus stated. 

He helped the boy off of his lap and changed into his form. Harry followed his lead and watched as his mama jumped onto the bed and laid down. It was then that Harry noticed the teats that Severus supported on his chest. ‘Had those always been there?’ He asked himself. Regardless, he suddenly felt a pull towards his mama. Harry looked at him and his mother let out a comforting growl.

“ Come kit, feed .” He called through their bond. It took a little more encouragement, but the rumbling of his stomach had his Papa nudging him slightly with his nose. ‘When had he changed?’ He thought to himself. Before he knew what he was doing, his feet moved and he was lying down in front of his mother. He instinctively latched on and began to nurse. 

As soon as the kitten latched on, his mother began to purr. This was what Dumbledore had robbed him of. For he was sure that the meddling bastard was involved in the abduction of his son all those years ago. ‘For the greater good’ he would say. ‘Greater good, my arse’ Severus thought. All those years of wishing he could be with his kit, enjoying moments like this. Nursing his child and building a bond like no other. Oh he knew that the man would pay dearly for what he had done to their family, but right in this moment the only thing that mattered to him was his son who was nursing from him with eyes closed. 

He heard Narcissa leave to give the family some privacy and his mate walked up to the two of them laid down behind their kit as the babe fed. Their eyes met and they both silently agreed that the light would pay. Oh yes, they would pay. And the best thing about it? They hadn’t a clue that they already had the upper hand. They would give them absolute hell. Severus laid his head on his paws and pushed those thoughts from his head for right now. Instead he was beginning to come up with a plan for when Harry would meet the rest of the family. He knew his parents and brother would want to meet him first, but there was so much they had to know before they could meet his son. Hopefully Narcissa would be one step ahead of him and inform Lucius and their parents before that time came. It would certainly save him a lot of trouble. He would ask her when she came back in to reset Harry’s bones. And if by chance she did bring his brother and parents, Severus hoped that they would have already been informed.