The Seer

Chapter 23

"Boy!" Uncle Vernon bellowed. Harry winced, wondering what he'd done this time. Huddling in the corner of Dudley's second bedroom, Harry prayed to every deity he could think of that his uncle would calm even slightly before he saw him.

The door slammed open, being filled with the sight of an overweight, purple faced Vernon Dursley.

"Boy!" He repeated. Harry looked on in fear, only seeing the glass of amber liquid held in his hand. Harry locked eyes with the drunken man, his very being filling with fear. Vernon practically stomped over to him, grabbing his arm with a bruising force. Harry tried to hold back a yelp; but he failed. This only proved to anger his uncle impossibly further. "You will be quiet, freak!" He hissed, dragging Harry from his hiding spot. He couldn't help but whimper in fear and pain. Harry was still healing from the last time Vernon had lost his temper, and he certainly didn't want to experience it all over again so soon.

"We've given you so much. and you repay our kindness with your freakishness!" He slurred out, drink sloshing in the glass. "Should've let you freeze out there, sent you to an orphanage. You should be grateful for our kindness!" He threw Harry to the ground, kicking him in the side. Hard. Each blow came harder and harder, kicks raining down on Harry's prone body. The young wizard tried to hold back the whimpers, the pain filled shouts. But it hurt. It hurt. He wouldn't stop. Please! Stop! Stop!

"Harry!" He shot up from the bed, panic blinding him. He frantically crawled to a corner of the bed, quickly taking on the fetal position. On the very edge on his consciousness, Harry felt something akin to worry, to concern. Someone was calling his name. It was familiar, comforting.

"Harry? Harry, it's me, Draco. Can you hear me?" He slowly looked up, meeting familiar blue-grey eyes.

"Draco?" He asked meekly, refusing to shift from his defensive position.

"Yeah, it's me, Harry. You're safe, now. It was a nightmare. You aren't there any longer, and you will never go back." Draco whispered, slowly shifting Harry's limbs from their tightened position. Slowly, Draco reached for a vial, handing it to Harry carefully. "Can you drink this, Harry? It is a calming draught." Harry slowly nodded, grabbing the vial held out to him with shaking limbs. He unsteadily brought it to his lips, downing the disgusting potion. He instantly felt his still racing heart calm, the fear subsiding slightly; though the memories remained.

"Thank you." Harry muttered, wiping at his eyes. When had he started crying?

"Are you okay?" Draco asked concernedly, a crease in his brow. Harry was finally able to see the borderline obvious signs of fatigue in the Seer.

"I'm fine, Draco." Harry said, feeling a headache coming on behind his temples. "How long has it been?" He asked, only now realizing that it was dark out.

"You've been passed out for the last several hours." Came a drawling voice from the corner of the room. "It was certainly surprising when Draco came bursting into the room like a madman several moments before you began crying out." Snape said, sitting heavily in the chair in the corner of the room.

"Sorry..." Harry trailed off, mentally berating himself for crying out in his sleep after training himself otherwise. Snape seized up in his chair.

"Harry, it is not your fault. The only ones to blame are those horrendous muggles who treated you in such an awful way." Draco said, voice hard in anger. Despite this, however, Harry didn't flinch. He knew the anger wasn't directed at him. No, it was directed at his relatives.

"Ahem," Snape coughed. "Draco, I do believe that you haven't told me or your father the rate in which this bond is forming?" Harry could practically feel the sheepishness radiating from the Seer. "How far along is the mental bond? And the ...the physical?"

If Harry hadn't been so mortified, he might've found the absolute awkwardness between the two hilarious.

"Sev!" Draco exclaimed, heat rising on his sharp features. "I only discovered him as my mate barely over a month ago!" The mortification was rising in his voice. Luckily for the two young wizards, Snape was just as embarrassed to ask.

"Of course, Draco," he coughed awkwardly. "I should be going." He stood from where he sat, once again dusting off his black robes.

"Professor?" Harry asked quietly, half-hoping he wouldn't be heard. The Defense professor turned, an eyebrow raised in question. "I was wondering how I would go about getting permission to go to Diagon Alley?"

"Well, Mr. Potter, you would simply need permission or the presence of your legal or magical guardian. May I ask why?"

"I wanted to speak to the goblins about my vaults, and my previous guardianship." Harry answered, knotting his shirt in his fists nervously.

"If you intend to do such things, I would recommend you bring either Narcissa or Lucius. That being said, you may do as you wish once given permission." Snape responded thoughtfully. He once again said his goodbyes, turning on his heel before leaving the room.

"Your room was repaired while you were resting." Draco spoke after several moments of comfortable silence. Harry's eyes widened, and he looked at his surroundings almost frantically. He was greeted with the sight of green and silver decorations. "Did you really not realize you were in my bedroom, Harry?" Draco asked, amusement obvious in his voice.