Harry Potter's Real Dad

"You can't keep me here!" Harry cried, his eyes watering up. He stomped his foot again. "Take me home now! Aunt Petunia needs me. She's going to miss me and she doesn't even know what happened to me and now I'm stuck here. You have to take me back. Please. She's going to lock me in my cupboard if I don't go back right now. Take me home. You have to take me home."

Harry felt his throat closing up on him and he started wheezing as he pleaded with Severus. He choked slightly on the last sentence and reached a hand up to his throat. His chest tightened on him.

"I can't breathe," Harry wheezed, tears trailing down his cheeks.

Severus was on his knees in front of Harry instantly.

"Hey, take it easy," he said. "Deep breaths. Nice and slow. Breath with me, deep breath in. Deep breath out. Come on, sit down. I've got you. Slow deep breaths."

Harry found himself sitting next to Severus on the bathroom floor. He tried to listen to the man and take deep breaths but it was hard to get air down his hurting throat. It was like he was breathing through a straw and he coughed and nearly choked.

"Relax," Severus said, patting his back. "Slow deep breaths."

Addie handed something to Severus, and he accepted it, giving it a quick shake.

"Unfortunately, I don't have an inhaler, but you can sip this," Severus said, holding a small vial to Harry's lips. "It'll have the same effect."

Harry took a tiny sip of whatever the man was offering, but he felt like he was going to sick up and he swallowed quickly and turned away.

"That's yucky!"

"You need a little more than that."

"I don't want it! You're poisoning me." Harry started crying again, coughing once more, but Severus held the vial to his lips again.

"I am not. It is medicine for you. It's not going to taste good. Another sip. Please? For me?"

Harry's lower lip trembled but he bravely took another sip of the disgusting medicine. He never had medicine before, but Dudley always fought Aunt Petunia when he had to take it, so maybe it was this disgusting. He managed a good swallow this time, and the effects were nearly instant.

His throat opened back up and his chest relaxed. Harry breathed easier and leaned against Severus exhausted.

"He did that earlier," Iris said, pointing at Harry. "When he came through the floo."

"Same thing?" Severus asked her.

Iris nodded. "I gave him some water."

"That was very good of you," Severus praised. He gently rubbed Harry's arm. "Do you have an inhaler at home?"

Harry shook his head.

"No? But you have asthma, don't you?"

Harry shook his head.

"Hmm," Severus commented, giving Harry's arm another rub. "I see."

Harry wasn't sure what to think of Severus now. The man made his throat stop hurting and he was rubbing his arm. No one had ever done something like that before. Aunt Petunia had always told him to cough somewhere else whenever he went through something like that, and she would never touch him for longer than a few seconds. It was strange. This house was very strange.

"Ladies," Severus said, "may we have the bathroom?"

Addie nodded and ushered Iris out with a hand on her shoulder.

"Why did you ask them to leave?" Harry asked.

"So, you can take your bath."

"I have to finish the fireplace."

"I'll finish it for you. Today is your rest day."

"I don't get a rest day."

"Well, this will be your first. Then you'll be able to clean a thousand chimneys in no time."

"Really?"

"After a bath, of course."

Harry looked at the bathtub and nodded. He could do that. And it was genuinely nice of Severus to finish cleaning the fireplace for him so he could rest. But what would Aunt Petunia say? He should go make sure it was okay with her first.

"I have to ask Aunt Petunia if it's okay first."

"I already spoke with her. She said yes."

"Oh. Really? I'm not getting locked in my cupboard?"

"No." Severus's eyes flashed mysteriously, but Harry hardly noticed.

"Okay." Harry agreed.

Severus helped the child up and began running a bath for the boy, making sure it wasn't too hot. He set out a towel for him and added bubbles to the water, much to Harry' delight.

"I never have bubbles!" Harry clapped.

"Well, enjoy them for as long as you want." Severus turned off the water once it was full and looked at Harry. "Do you know how to take a bath?"

Harry nodded.

"Okay. You get in and soak up and I'm going to find you some clothes, all right? I'll check in on you in a few minutes."

"Okay." Harry took off his glasses and set them on the counter.

Severus picked up the picture off the floor.

"No, I want that!" Harry suddenly cried, reaching for the picture. "It's all I have of my parents now."

"Relax," Severus said. "I'll make you a copy. It's all I have too, you know."

"Oh," Harry said, looking down at his feet. Now he was being selfish. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Get in the tub. I'll be back with some clothes for you."