eccedentesiast || severitus

chapter nine | guilt

tw : discussion of child abuse

Severus looked down at the child in his lap, who was, for all intents and purposes, dead to the world. The man's hands were still stroking the child's hair. The boy had seemed inclined to that method of comfort.

He was clenching onto Severus' robes so tightly, he didn't think even Hagrid would be able to pry the boy off.

As he waited for Granger and Weasley to return with Poppy, he sat and thought. He had never seen a child  have such a catastrophic breakdown before.

When he had heard Granger screaming down the hallway for help, he had assumed Potter was just having a mini freak out, no worse than the one a few days ago. Panic attacks were to be expected when you obviously grew up in a neglected household, Severus supposed.

But this one was way worse.

When he entered the lavatory, the child was almost...transparent. Severus would have missed him if it weren't for the sound of his loud breathing, if one could even call it breathing.

The boy had been curled up in a fetal position, wedged between the toilet and the wall of the stall. He was as pale as the floor beneath him, and he was still. Completely unmoving. Even his chest seemed to be still.

It had scared Severus senseless.

The boy had been mumbling something over and over, although his lips were hardly moving. Once he had gotten closer, he had heard the heart stopping words.

"Please, don't."

"I'm sorry Uncle Vernon.

"I'll do anything."

"I'll be good, I swear it.

"I wont tell anyone else."

"Just don't hurt me."

"I'll be good."

And he repeated those words the whole time Severus was trying to calm him down. And each time he whined or whimpered, the heart, that Severus had believed didn't exist, broke a little more.

He just sounded so scared.

Absolutely terrified.

It was in that moment that Severus knew, more than ever, that this boy needed his help. He felt such a strong surge of protectiveness wash over him it scared him. He was not a comforting person in the least, hell he had scared Potter more than he actually helped him, but when the boy had relaxed enough to breathe right, in his arms, something clicked.

This child needed someone to advocate for him. Needed someone to protect him and Severus intended to be there now. He told himself it was solely for Lily but he knew deep down that was a lie.

He knew now that it was a relative of Potter's that was doing this to him. He knew that it was some sick fuck man who claims to be the boy's uncle. Last time he checked, an Uncle was family, and families were supposed to love each other. Not neglect and physically abuse their charges.

And why did the name Vernon sound so damn familiar?

He didn't get a chance to think on it though, because the door to the bathroom slammed open once more.

If that door managed to stay on its hinges after today, Severus would be surprised.

He looked up and felt anger boiling in his veins.

Albus Dumbledore stood there, a nervous looking Granger and Weasley standing behind him. Immediately he stood as quickly as he could with a sleeping, distraught child in his arms.