Reviews

Super special thanks and appreciation goes to Shroom, darkluminance, Sevfan211, More, Lupinfan837, thee-unknown-factor, manda, Thompson, Rosaleen, Lyndsay, risi, Legolas Greenleaf, Hana-Heart, mysticsong1978, danu3, silverthreads! I love you all, please keep reviewing.

Obiwan Snape: Thanks, I missed that error.

Um: What's wrong with the woman? Do you dislike her character, or do you not want Remus to end up with anyone? As for the leg, in my Hp world, children who have not hit their magical maturity (Age 11) should not be treated by magical means unless absolutely necessary.

Athena Keating-Thomas: In my Hp world, children who have not hit their magical maturity (Age 11) should not be treated by magical means unless absolutely necessary.

StarPatronus: Thanks for the error correction.

theravenwaits: Thanks, The tension will get better…after a while.

LilStripedTomato: no no no no no, Harry isn't that bad (Though you assuming that is my fault, I lead everyone on a bit about how bad Harry would be.)

Marguerida: Whatever you feel comfortable with. Thanks for the age thing, my mistake.

duj: Amen.

Siv the Elf: Oh, I'm sorry. That has to be really hard, losing a parent. Glad you like my story.

preety-lady-serenity: Thanks, wait and see. By the way, I love your "Babies can teach a lot of lessons". Excellent story.

ShiTiger: We'll see if we can work something in along those lines.

Oya: Cute scenes…okay.

Fay-the-elven-princess: That won't work this time but it is a good idea, I might be able to work it in later in the story.

Mercutio: Ha Ha, your hilarious.

A/N: A new chapter at last! Sorry about the long wait. Thanks goes out to my wonderful, new beta, Vaughn. Something that should be noted, I will no longer respond to unsigned reviews. You can still submit them and I will read them.

Childlike Innocence

Chapter 12: Nothing Portentous or Polite

Harry had calmed down and was now seated at the table across from Ron, drinking a butterbeer. He was feeling a bit embarrassed about his outburst. It had been really stupid to freak out like that and try to attack the kid. It probably would be easier if he thought of them as two different people. After all, the child had no memory of the things he had said or done to Harry. The only problem was Harry was still angry, and now there was no one to focus it on.

"Is everything all right here?" Hermione asked, peeping her head in.

"Yeah, come on in," Ron answered.

She pushed the door open and pulled a wary Severus into the room with her. Harry felt his fists clench under the table. He consciously relaxed them and started to fiddle with his half-empty bottle. Near the door, Hermione gave the child a gentle push towards the two boys.

"Ha-Harry?" Severus stuttered, "I…I just wanted to say that I was sorry." Ron sprayed his drink, and Harry stared back at the child in disbelief. "I didn't know about your godfather being dead and I am giving my cadolences." Severus finished, with a solemn expression on his little face.

No one moved, no one breathed. Finally, Harry nodded jerkily and looked away. Severus looked a bit disappointed but Hermione gave him a pat on the shoulder and whispered, "Well done."

"Well, I have to finish my transfiguration essay," Hermione announced. When no one said anything, she sighed. "Harry? Ron? Come now, you really ought to get a move on, you can't always put your summer work off to the last minute."

"Oh leave off Hermione, we still have a month, no need to rush," Ron said, leaning back and propping his feet on the table.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Ronald Weasley, get your arse out of that chair, your feet off that table and get your bloody school work this instant," she snapped. "You too, Harry." With much grumbling, the two boys got to their feet and loped out of the room to get their schoolwork.

ooO0Ooo

The changing of mentality in animals and objects is one of the six transfiguration theories developed by Tiya Vacklescopple. If one were to change a vicious Chihuahua into another animal, would that animal also be vicious? Or would the viciousness be transferred to other objects as well? Answer and Discuss (Cite 7 examples of experimentations) 4 ½ Parchments.

Harry sighed. He hated questions like this, and what was worse, Hermione had informed both Ron and him that they were on their own this year. He sighed again and reached over to grab one of the extra reference books Hermione had brought down, and began flipping through it.

The kitchen was quiet but for the occasional scratching of a quill or turning of a page. The three teenagers were working studiously on their essays, and Severus was drawing. Ron kept trying to sneak glances over at the picture, wishing he could be coloring instead of writing the stupid essay. Oh to be young again!

When Hermione was finished with her essay, she sat back and quietly watched her three companions. Harry was staring irritably at his partially written essay, which he pushed aside to check something in one of the textbooks. Ron was writing slowly, stopping occasionally to scratch his nose. Severus was seated a little down the table from the trio, quietly working on his drawing. Hermione craned her neck slightly (,) trying to see it better. There was a large green field with a little grey house in the background. A little boy with black hair seemed to be playing with a dog.

"That is a lovely drawing, Severus," Hermione told him softly.

"Thank you," he replied, not looking up.

"Who is the person playing with the doggie?" Hermione asked, coming over to sit next to the child.

"That's me! And that isn't a dog, it's a werewolf," he told her. "Remus and I are playing in the meadow behind the stone house," the small boy explained. Hermione stared at him in shock. Ron was frozen mid scratch, and Harry looked like someone had just thrown a bucket of ice water in his face.

"This didn't really happen, did it? I mean you didn't go into this meadow with Remus in werewolf form to play, right?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Of course not. Remus locks himself in his study for the full moon," Severus answered matter-of-factly.

"How did you know he was a werewolf? Did he tell you or did you remember?" Ron asked curiously.

"Remember?" Severus asked, perplexed.

"Never mind," Hermione said quickly, shooting Ron a silencing look. "It doesn't matter."

"He didn't tell me, but I accidentally went into his study and saw him," Severus said, selecting a darker green crayon for the trees.

"So it doesn't bother you? That he's a werewolf, I mean." Hermione asked.

"No, not really. As long as he has his wolfsbaned potion he's fine," Severus answered.

"Wolfsbane Potion," Hermione corrected automatically.

"Wolfsbane Potion," Severus repeated.

ooO0Ooo

It was around 6 o'clock when Harry finally finished his essay. Ron had already finished his and had long since joined Severus in coloring. "What are we going to do for dinner?" Harry asked, standing up to stretch.

"No one is back yet so I guess one of us will have to make it," Ron said, with a shrug. The two boys looked at Hermione.

"What? Don't look at me!" Hermione protested.

"Right then, Harry and me," Ron said, before disappearing into the pantry to find something to use for the meal.

Dinner soon became a joint effort as Harry ended up saving the day, or rather, dinner. Ron had definitely not inherited his mother's cooking skills and managed to nearly burn down the kitchen. The meal was palatable but hardly delicious, and a burnt milk smell lingered in the kitchen.

Ginny and the twins arrived just as the trio and Severus were finishing, and declined to join them in eating the dubious meal, claiming to have already eaten.

"Where's Mum?" Ron asked as he pushed his plate away.

"She said she'll be coming back late. She has to finish the wash," Ginny answered.

"Where is everyone else?" Ron said looking at the clock on the wall.

Ginny opened her mouth to respond when Bill and Charlie came in. "Hello, is that dinner then?" Bill asked, taking an empty seat next to Harry. Hermione handed him a plate and fork. Bill and Charlie tucked in, not seeming to notice the sorry quality of the cooking.

When the clock chimed eight, there were still no adults and it was time for Severus' bath.

"Err… maybe you should skip it tonight," Hermione said uncomfortably. Severus frowned and shook his head. Remus had said he needed to bathe that night and Severus could not do it by himself, especially with his injured leg. The others in the room eyed each other. The twins excused themselves to go to their room, claiming that they had some unfinished paperwork, and bolted. Harry mumbled something about checking on Hedwig and made a hasty exit. That left Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Bill and Charlie.

"Maybe you two should do it since you're girls…the motherly instinct and all," Ron said, gesturing at the two girls. Hermione glared and Ginny rolled her eyes. Bill suggested they draw straws.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Ginny snapped, "What is wrong with everyone, he's just a child."

"Yeah…who happens to be our Potions professor! I have no inclination to see him naked," Ron muttered. Hermione and Bill nodded in agreement and Charlie just looked ill. Ginny stared at them in disbelief. "Of all the stupid…immature…" she sputtered. She picked up Severus and flounced out of the room.

ooO0Ooo

Ginny was slightly out of breath when she arrived at the second floor landing. She carried Severus into the bathroom. He insisted that she add the bubble bath, which had a faint clove scent to it. He was quite cooperative, allowing her to wash his hair and the rest of him with no complaint. When she was finished, he asked if he could play for a bit. She told him that he could as long as he did not splash water out of the tub. Ginny went into the bedroom and opened some drawers looking for some fresh pajamas. She finally found them in the drawer next to the one that contained Remus' knickers (much to her embarrassment). She entered the bathroom where Severus was playing with what remained of the bubbles. He had a mound of them on his head like a hat. Ginny giggled, it was just too cute. She ducked out of the room.

"Hey Severus, having fun?" Ginny asked as she came back in, camera in hand.

"Yup… look at my crown!" he said, indicating the pile of suds on his head.

"It's very nice. Can I take a picture of you with your crown?" Ginny asked, showing him the camera. Severus nodded and flashed her a pearly little smile.

ooO0Ooo

"Ouch!" Ron yelped, as one of the sweets he had thrown up in the air hit him in the eye. Hermione and the two eldest Weasleys were seated with him in the kitchen waiting for Ginny and Severus to come back down. Hermione felt a bit embarrassed about her behavior earlier. It was immature, Ginny was right. However, it was a bit weird. After all, he really was an adult (not to mention their teacher) and what if he remembered being bathed by her when they restored him? He would probably fail her and give her detention until she graduated! She turned at the sound of the door opening.

"All clean then?" Ron asked, as Ginny entered with Severus following close behind.

"Uh huh," Severus said as he climbed into Bill's lap. The child leaned back, resting his damp head against the older boy's chest. It was nice to be held. It mad him feel safe and loved. His father almost never held him and since his mother had died when he was so young, he had never known her loving touch. The images from his nightmare came rushing back. He became very pale and his fingers clutched convulsively at Bill's arm. He wished that Remus was there to comfort him.

"Severus, are you all right?" Bill asked, noticing the child's distress. The child nodded dazedly and mumbled something about being tired.

"It is getting late," Hermione said, glancing at her watch. It was 9 pm and Remus was not back yet. Ron agreed to read the boy a bedtime story, and followed Hermione and Severus up the stairs. Hermione was tucking Severus under the covers when Harry stuck his head in.

"Ron, have you seen my broom servicing kit?"

"Nope. Want to hear a story?" Ron asked. "It's called Percy the Puny Poinsettia," he said with vicious glee. Harry assented and the three teenagers sprawled on the bed with Severus. Ron was just getting to the end where Puny - I mean Percy - had decided to become a Christmas decoration and donate himself to the orphanage when they heard a commotion coming from the foyer downstairs. Severus slid off of the bed and hurried to the top of the stairs as fast as his injured leg would allow.

Remus was busy fending off questions from Mrs. Weasley, Tonks and the Headmaster when he caught site of the pale figure at the top of the stairs. Despite that he was hungry, wet and dirty, Remus smiled. He extracted himself from the calamity and climbed nimbly up the stairs. He dropped a kiss on the child's forehead. "Hey kiddo, did you behave yourself?" Remus asked softly.

"Yes," Severus said angelically, and then wrinkled his little nose. "Why are you so filthy?"

Remus laughed and placed his hands on the child's shoulders, guiding him back into the bedroom.

(End Chapter)

A/N: Well I hope you liked it. I don't know when the next chapter will be ready, but hopefully it won't be too long until my next update. Don't forget to review.