To Be Little

Chapter 10: Morning Of

The next day was chaotic with every member of the family running around. Thankfully, Harry had woken up still in headspace and perfectly content to switch arms throughout the morning.

He had woken in the middle of Severus changing him, who held his breath in hopes that a tantrum wouldn't break out. Thankfully, the new Slytherin only giggled and kicked out happily when he spotted his daddy. During breakfast, he was babbling away with Aunt Bella and Narcissa.

Now he was getting quiet time in Grandpa Tom's office. Harrison was laid out on the older man's chest while everyone else finished up preparations to leave.

"Do you know what today is?" Tom broke the comforting silence around them. At Harry's shake of his head, he continued. "Today is September 1st, meaning the whole family is going to board the Hogwarts Express very soon."

"''ogwart?" he asks in amazement. He's missed the school so much over the summer. Some days the thought of going back was the only thing holding him together. Now, though, that he had a new family who appeared to love and want to care for him despite his various problems, Hogwarts had completely slipped his mind. At least he was now an official Slytherin, therefore he didn't have to worry about getting picked on. Unless...

Unless that was the point of moving him from Gryffindor, where he knew what to expect, to Slytherin. He was being tossed into a sea of the unknown without so much as arm floaties.

Without his notice, Harrison started to whine and whimper while snuggling closer to his grandpa in order to gain the comfort he knew would be provided. "What's wrong, my little Prince?"

"Slytherins hate me," Harry let the fear flood through him dissolve into tears shortly after. "They going to be mean!"

"Hey now," Tom stood to start bouncing the boy. "No more of these tears. You know as well as I that we're only mean to those who deserve it. They will treat you with the respect and care you've been denied. I guarantee."

When the baby's tears didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon, Tom spoke again.

"How about we make a deal? If anyone is mean or upsets you in any way or you just feel sad and want to talk, you can always come to me. Ok?"

"K." Grandpa Tom wouldn't let anyone hurt him. Settling back against the older Slytherin, Harry allowed himself to calm down only to find a new problem.

He didn't want to get in trouble or have his favorite person thinking he was disgusting. Wiggling to get down, Tom reluctantly complied thinking the child was getting restless but was shocked when he ran straight to the bookshelf in the corner of the room.

Harry wasn't completely sure why he needed to hide, only that he couldn't let anyone find out about his predicament. Squeezing himself between the wall and bookshelf was the only way to ensure nobody found out.

"Sweetheart, why are you hiding?" Tom attempted to hide his concern with a small chuckle as he approached.

Harry only shook his head and moved farther back into his hiding spot. With a sigh, Tom realized that this was a perfect repeat of Harrison's first morning at the manor. Just when he was about to say something else to hopefully soothe the boy, there was a knock at the door before the head of Lucius Malfoy popped in.

"Is this a bad time?" The blonde inquired when he spots Tom sitting on the floor.

"Not at all. Harrison was just about to tell me what has his so upset. Isn't that right, darling?"

"Nuh uh!" The little boy exclaimed, trying to mold himself into the wall.

"In that case, perhaps I could be of some assistance," Lucius offered before setting himself down next to Tom. It only took a moment for the blonde to figure out what was wrong with his youngest. Taking into account the child's slightly hunched over form along with tugging at the bottom of his shirt, it wasn't hard to determine the problem.

"Does a certain little boy have to go potty?" Lucius asked in a soft tone. "Or did he already go and is need of a change?" The two older Slytherins expected the boy to emerge from his corner now that he'd been found out, but when had Harry ever did the expected.

Instead, the child threw his head back and let out an ear-splitting wail, all the while mumbling about how sorry he was, and how he'd do better next time. Cries of how good he could be soon joined the batch.

"No, no, no, young one," Tom attempted to defuse the situation. "We just don't want you to develop a rash is all. There is nothing wrong with going potty in your diaper. Will you allow one of us to change you?"

Harry took a minute to calm himself before answering now that it doesn't seem like he's in trouble for having an accident.

"Want papa to do." The two men glance at each other in shock before Lucius carefully gathered the boy into his arms.

"Harrison, do you mean me?" The blonde asks gently. Harry only nodded as he rested his head on his newly deemed papa's shoulder. All his panicking of the last 10 minutes had really taken a toll on his body's energy levels.

"We will return shortly." Tom sent a nod to the departing pair before returning to some last minute details regarding the Durselys. They were wastes of precious oxygen if one were to ask him. They had already been taken into custody by wizarding law enforcement but the Wizengomot had been known to be quite lenient on muggles. The reports himself and Lucius have drawn up along with a vial of Harrison's memories, taken when the boy was asleep as to not cause unneeded panic and pain, would ensure that those vile scrums of Earth would never see the light of day again.

Back in Harry's room, Lucius was having a bit of trouble calming the little boy down enough to lay him on the changing table. Harry's tears had started up again shortly into their walk, completely ashamed of himself.

"It is alright, Harrison I'm not mad. In fact, I'm very proud of you for being so brave."

"Proud?" The small, broken, yet hopeful tone has Lucius realizing how much of an effort they all would have to make to ensure Harry felt welcomed and loved in his new home.

"Yes, I am very proud of you. Now just relax and I'll have you cleaned in no time."

With that said Harry was quickly settled down with one of the soft toys kept by the changing table.

"Are you two just about ready to leave?" Harry looked up at the sound of his new favorite person, Bella, to see her standing in the doorway.

"Aunty Bella!" he squealed, making grabby hands towards her.

"Yes, I am thankfully done as he won't sit still now that you're here," Lucius huffed in fake exaggeration. After getting the okay, Bella waste no time in scooping Harry into her arms.

"Time to get on the train, my precious."