Severus very carefully leaned the boy down towards the bed. One hand on his back, the other on his head, holding him, supporting him. His face was a red blotchy mess and his forehead was still bleeding from where he'd attempted to claw it off.
He stroked Harry's hair for a few moments as he held a cloth to the boy's forehead, trying his best to compose himself. He knew he was failing though.
The man made sure the boy was settled, comfortable and calm, before he righted his own clothing and stood up fully.
The whole time he had been trying his best to control his anger. He'd been trying his best to slam up his Occlumency wards mentally.
Nothing, not one damn thing, could describe what Severus was feeling.
As he watched Poppy clean the boy's wound, Harry's words sprang around his head like little rabbits.
"He said he liked seeing it scar over, ready for him to cut again."
"My- Uncle Vernon sold me. He f-found a website that, payed for, f-for the services of c-children. I-I didn't know what that meant yet..."
"I b-burnt the breakfast, so he said he needed to — needed to burn me."
"The men-they made me have s-sex."
"I said no."
"I didn't want it."
"I told him I was uncomfortable."
"Nobody cared."
Each one brought a sickening feeling with them. Every time he thought of Harry being sold, to men who payed for the services of children, he was ten steps closer to murdering Vernon Dursley.
Or whenever he thought of the boy's Uncle cutting him open, or re-breaking his bones or burning him...
The boy was just barely eleven. Barely even old enough to attend elementary school.
And any ounce of innocence was taken from him. Snatched right out from under his very skin. He was violated and stripped of his childhood by sick, sadistic bastards. Thrown to the claws of wolves by someone who was supposed to care for him, love him, as their own.
Severus vowed right then and there to find the men who, dear Merlin, bought the boy, and swore he would do worse than murder them.
"Severus," Poppy said softly from where she was. The scene she had walked in on was one she'd never forget. The way the poor boy was screaming, and the face that Severus made every time Harry pleaded that he 'didn't want it.'
She had read the medical exam while Severus had been talking to Harry. She knew what the boy was talking about.
"Poppy, I cannot deal with you right now—"
She held her hands up to placate the man. "You do not need to inform me right now. We will talk later tonight. Right now, I need to heal a few more injuries, and you need to take a calming draught and go to your rooms for a while." He opened his mouth as if to argue, but Poppy was having none of it. "No, no Severus. You're angry, and it's understandable but whatever you're thinking about doing right now, you would surely regret weeks from now. Take the draught and go. I will floo call you later."
She ignored the sneer that was sent her way as she levitated the potion towards him. Severus grabbed it from the air and tore the stopper off, muttering about 'overbearing women' before swallowing it without saying anything.
He gave her one last glare—and Harry one last concerned look over—before stalking off in his dramatic manner.
The woman softly rolled her eyes at him, whispering "that man," under her breath before turning back to Harry.
YOU ARE READING
eccedentesiast || severitus
Fanfictionharry has never known love in his life. he's never known how special he truly is. his relatives certainly made sure he never knew. when he receives a letter to a school called hogwarts, everything changes. he tries so desperately to be a normal, hap...
