Severus looked back up at his colleague now that the Panivco cub was settled inside his robes. He would really have to think of a name for the Silly creature before the cub started to think that ‘Silly Creature’ was it. Minerva had a very strange look on her face.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you fuss so much, even about yourself. I must see Hagrid. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Severus nodded and the strict teacher strode past him. Severus hated that the Headmaster had made it a rule that all teachers who stayed over the summer had to eat dinner in the Great Hall.

As they approached Hogwarts, Severus turned so that the cub could see the school. “As you know this is Hogwarts, where I work. Is it acceptable as a home?”

The cub yelped in a way that he understood as: ‘yes’. Severus guessed it was part of their bond.

“Maybe we should go to the library and find a book on taking care of Panivcos,”

Severus received no reply from the cub except a contented purr as he stroked the soft head and neck. So he decided the library was his first stop before returning to his rooms in the dungeon.

The Library was deserted and even Madame Pince was not there to follow him around like she had done since his sixth year. It hadn’t even been his fault that those books had been destroyed. It had been James Potter who had thrown the curse that had destroyed them, not that it had mattered. Madame Pince had just seen Golden Potter and him and believed Potter’s innocence.

The Ins and Outs of Mystical Creatures by Janer Somes was the book he wanted and he found it easily without the nosey librarian being there to interfere. Many years earlier, he had read another book that had referred to The Ins and Outs of Mystical Creatures as having more information on magical creatures. He had known the book was in the library but could not be checked out and, as he was not allowed to read in the library anymore and as a student was not allowed to copy pages, he had never bothered to read it before. One tap of his wand later and all the information he needed was neatly bound to be carried back down to his dungeons.

Severus lit the fire in his sitting room and removed his outer robes before sitting down on the sofa and arranging the small cub so he was on his lap. He stroked soft fur with one hand and held the pages in the other as he read.

By the time he had finished, the small creature was asleep on his lap, purring quietly. He continued to stroke the soft fur as he thought about the bond between them. The book said very little about it and what was written down was not much more than Hagrid had told him. And, as the pages were all written as observations of a Panivco pair, they had no way of knowing much about the bond.

It meant that Severus was on his own to understand the bond. Without disturbing the cub, he settled into a meditative position, knowing that physical contact would make what he was about to do easier. He slowly sank into a meditative state, picturing his Occlumency shields. Slowly they formed as a picture; it took a few more minutes to complete the image.

When he was done, Severus stood in the middle of a ten foot square surrounded by a ten foot high brick wall. Even though he could not see them, Severus knew that outside the brick wall there was a steel one, then another brick wall, and finally a wooden one. His bond with his cub was the same green as the cub’s eyes, and it seemed to come through the walls of his mind like they did not even exist and without disturbing them at all. Severus frowned and checked his walls but they were fine and he had to admit that walls strong enough to keep Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort out of his mind were no good against one small Panivco cub. He really had to think of a name for his cub soon.

Severus allowed himself to observe the bond. It was thin in places, so he spent a few minutes strengthening it from his side before returning to full wakefulness. He looked down and met green eyes, smiling at the small creature and feeling only contentment through the bond from his bonded. Severus chuckled. When he had been younger, in the rare moments when he had thought about being happy, it had been because he had bonded to someone else. This wasn’t quite the bond he had had in mind, but like his bonded, he not only felt content but happy about it.

“I suppose I should think of a name for you, then,” he said and got an affirmative chirp, “How about Salazar?” Severus could not help but smile at the cub’s angry growl. It sounded so small and, dare he even think it, cute.

“Not Salazar then, how about Peorth? It is from a rune meaning Fate and seeker of inner transformation. I always wanted a pet when I was younger, a Kneazle that I was going to call Peorth. I would be more than happy to share the name with you.”

The cub purred and butted his head against Severus’s chest.

“Peorth it is then, little one. Now would you please stand up so that I may measure you?”

Curiosity came along their bond. Severus just smiled and motioned for the small cub to stand up.

“Hagrid, the large man who helped heal you, wasn’t sure of your age except for somewhere between eight and thirty-five. According to the pages I copied, some simple measurements and not so simple sums should tell me how old you are.”

Peorth almost seemed to shrug his shoulders and stood up, stretched his legs and wings, then waited patiently. Severus smiled and summoned a tape measure. It took a few minutes to get all the numbers and plug them into the formula. Finally he had the results, which meant according to his size, the cub was at the lowest end of Hagrid’s range, only eight years old.

“Only eight? You should definitely still be with your mother.”

The cub gave a cry of outrage and nudged the paper.

“Not eight?” Severus asked. Peorth nodded, “Older?” The cub nodded, “Nine?” Negative feelings through the bond, “Ten?” Negative again, “Eleven?” he asked in disbelief, remembering the book had said that at ten cubs had a growth spurt, after which they normally bonded to their mentor. But he was getting positive feelings through their bond.

Severus growled in anger and swept the cub against his chest, “Never again, no one will ever mistreat you again,” he vowed, his magic crackling around them, knowing that the young cub was so small because of mistreatment and malnourishment.

“I suppose I should feed you then, and see if I can make you the correct size for an eleven year old.” As if the idea of food had reminded the cub that he was hungry, the small tummy rumbled. “According to the book, you eat fruits, vegetables and roots, which makes me wonder why you have those sharp teeth and claws.”

Severus stood and moved across the room to find the bell he used to summon a house elf when he was pounced on. Claws were just scraping his leg as Peorth climbed up his leg and sharp teeth finally closed on his wrist.

Severus smiled at the cub, “I get the idea, to climb and protect yourself but, as I’m sure the food isn’t going to summon itself, you’ll have to let go of me so I can do it for you.”

The cub gave one last growl before letting go of Severus and returning to the floor. Severus rang the bell and ten minutes later Peorth was demolishing a very large bowl of fruit and the house-elves knew that whenever Severus ordered a meal, a similar bowl of fruit and roots was to come with it.

It was just over a half hour until lunch when the cub finished eating and banged his head against Severus’s legs.

“I am going to finish reading my magazine,” Severus told the youngster, indicating the Potion’s weekly in his hand, “Lunch is in half an hour and I have no doubt you will be hungry again so why don’t you explore our quarters. You can go anywhere but my lab, which won’t open for you as you aren’t yet part of the wards and even when you are, I don’t expect you to go in there without me,”

The cub gave an affirmative chirp and bounded off towards his bedroom. Severus smiled as he felt contentment and happiness through the bond. He could get used to having a bonded friend, Severus thought as he returned to his magazine.

+++

Harry watched the moving portraits in interest as he was carried through the school towards the main hall for dinner. His human had explained that the Headmaster, his boss, demanded that all staff staying at school had to have dinner in the main hall to make sure everyone was still alive, and that Severus did not like it in the least. He had told Harry to stick close and stay away from the strange smelling woman he would soon meet. That was fine with Harry. He was perfectly happy to just sit in His human’s lap, basking mentally and physically in the man’s presence.

He had been included in Severus’s wards after lunch and had spent the afternoon in the lab learning that His human was a Potion Master and what that meant. Severus had made ten potions that afternoon, most of them at the same time, all the while explaining to Harry why he was adding certain things at certain times and why they had to be stirred so many times in certain directions.

Harry had actually found the entire thing very interesting and was learning to identify the ingredients by smell. He was learning magic without telling them all who he really was and he loved it.

“As this is your first time to the Great Hall, we are entering through the main door, but normally we would just enter through the side door.”

Harry nodded and looked at the big doors. They swung open as the pair approached and Severus carried him in. Harry thought his head would fall off as he tried to look everywhere at the same time. The ceiling was the most amazing thing he had ever seen and he made a chirp of curiosity.

“The ceiling is charmed to look like the sky and the candles have spells on them to make them float. The tables are for the four houses: Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, and the one where all the people are is the staff table, where we will sit.”

Harry looked at the table at the front of the hall where five people were sitting, then at the other four long tables. He now understood why it was called the Great Hall.

“Not many people are here over the summer. I stay as it means I have my own private lab without all of the noisy brats here. Hagrid stays because he is the groundskeeper and someone has to keep an eye on the school. Madame Sprout, the smaller woman, is the Herbology teacher. She stays to look after her plants, only leaving for the odd weekend on holiday. But like me, she uses this time as research without the children around. The smelly one on the end is Professor Trelawney. She is the one to ignore and avoid as much as possible. She stays because she only leaves her tower for small periods of time and then normally only to predict someone's death.

“You met Professor McGonagall earlier. She normally visits for two or three days three or four times through the summer. She is here at the moment to make sure all the letters got to the students. The final man is the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He is here three days a week.”

Harry looked at the tall man with a long white beard and hair, glasses and blue twinkling eyes that were watching them walk towards the table. So this was Albus Dumbledore, the man who had sent him the letter and then Hagrid for him. Harry snuggled further into Severus’s arms. While he was glad to see Hagrid and Professor McGonagall again, it was really the Headmaster he wanted to meet.

He felt strangely and unexplainably scared about meeting the powerful wizard. What if the Headmaster could tell that he was really Harry and not Peorth and made him change back to his human form, and His human hated him?

Misinterpreting the feelings through the bond, Severus murmured, “Don’t worry Peorth, you’re only scared because our bond is new. By the time school starts you’ll be fine in the presence of others. For now just stay in my arms while we meet the others and eat.”

Harry nodded and snuggled his face into Severus’s comforting smelling robes, picking out the scents of the different ingredients he had been using that afternoon to make his potions. It smelt like home and safety.

“Albus, Minerva, Pomona and Hagrid, I would like you to meet Peorth. Peorth, you know who everyone is.”

“An unbonded Panivco cub, Severus? Whereever did you find him?” The headmaster asked.

Severus sat down beside Albus and opposite Hagrid before answering, “I didn’t find him, he found me in the Leaky Cauldron this morning. He had been badly beaten so I brought him back to school.”

“And you bonded?”

Severus nodded and Harry felt one of those strong hands starting to massage his shoulders and wings. He purred under His human’s ministrations but still heard the Headmaster’s next question, “And are you happy with the bond Severus or do you wish to break it?”

Harry looked up in surprise and worry. What if the Headmaster could break the bond between him and His Severus? He didn’t know if he could survive without Severus, without their bond, all on his own again. He met onyx eyes and His Severus smiled, “You Silly Creature. Of course I don’t want to break our bond. I already couldn’t imagine my life without you in my head so stop your absurd worrying.”

Harry gave a contented purr and rubbed his head against Severus’s chest.

“Well, you seem to be getting on wonderfully. I’m glad you have a companion in your dungeons. Now I think it is time to eat.”

A few seconds later the food appeared on the table. Severus had meat pie, mashed potatoes, sweet corn and broccoli. Harry stared at Severus’s plate, his mind telling him that it would taste great. But it was the familiar bowl of fruit next to it that really made his mouth water.

Harry rested his front paws on the table and started eating. He had no idea what most of the fruit was as he had never eaten any but oranges and apples before, but it all tasted great. He could definitely get used to this: a man to protect him, food to eat whenever he wanted, and hopefully somewhere warm to sleep.

He had explored Severus’s quarters and found a few corners he would not mind curling up in with a thick blanket. They were all one hundred percent better than a ratty blanket in his cupboard. But the place he truly wanted to sleep was in the huge bed in His Severus’s arms.

The conversation over dinner was about the wizarding world and what was going on. How the cost of cauldrons had gone up, how somewhere called Gladrags - which he guessed was a clothing store - was having a sale and a hundred and one other things that Harry did not care about. And from the boredom coming down the bond from Severus, neither did he.

Finally they left the Great Hall after saying goodnight to the others and they had all patted him, leaving their scents on him. Harry spent the entire walk back to their quarters rubbing himself all over Severus, trying to make sure that His human’s scent was dominant scent, if not the only scent on him.

“Calm down you silly creature or I’m going to drop you.”

Harry stilled and whimpered in complaint. He could still smell Professor Trelawney on him where she had hugged him, almost pulling him from Severus’s arms.

“When we get back to our quarters we are going to bathe. I have access to a rather large bath and you will be able to wash off whatever scent is annoying you.”

Harry gave a contented purr. Removing her scent altogether was better than just trying to cover it with His human’s. He started watching the corridors again, wondering if he would ever learn his way around the school, it was so big.

When they finally got back to the rooms that Harry now knew was his home, he was feeling tired but wanted his promised bath first. He guessed that if they were going to bathe together then Severus would want to bathe in warm water and Harry could not even remember washing with warm water.

For as long as he could remember he had been made to wash in the back garden using the hose pipe. He could still remember being eight and asking his Aunt Petunia if he could take a warm shower. She had made him stand outside and had poured a kettle if boiling water over his legs. He knew now it must have been magic that had healed the terribly painful burns so he could go to school the next day.

They walked straight through the living room, bedroom and then through a door he had not noticed when he had been exploring his new home. They stood in a large white and grey room that had a sink, a toilet, a shower and bath tub that must have filled two-thirds of the room. It was the biggest bath he had ever seen, even bigger than the one Uncle Vernon had to buy so he could fit.

Severus put him down on the edge of the huge bath next to a wall. The edge was quite wide and Harry found he could sit on it easily.

“As you seem to actually have a brain in that furry head of yours, I’ll show you how it works. Pressing the green button will fill the bath within ten minutes to my favourite temperature. You can then test it and change the temperature with the red and blue buttons, red hotter and blue colder.”

Harry gave a murmur of complaint, all he saw was three dark buttons on a white brick wall.

“What is wrong now?”

Harry pointed one paw at the buttons and gave a squeak of confusion, he couldn’t tell which was which.

“It is simple Peorth, green: on, red: temperature up and blue...” Severus trailed off and was silent for a few seconds, “You can’t see colour,” he said like it explained everything.

Harry nodded his head and thumped his head against Severus’ chest, expecting him to sort it out for him.

“That we can sort out,” Severus said and got out his wand. A few muttered spells later and all three buttons had symbols on them, “Now then, this one with the circle on it is the green one and will turn the water on. The red one has an arrow pointing up on it and the blue one has an arrow pointing down. Do you understand now?”

Harry gave a chirp of happiness and leaned forward until he could press the button with the circle on it with his nose. Within seconds the sound of running water filled the room and Severus was leaning over him to pour some oil from a bottle into the bath.

“Keep an eye on the water while I get undressed and put some music on.”

Harry bobbed his head up and down and felt more than saw Severus leave the room. With a small jump and a glide he landed in the centre of the bath. The water was coming from sixteen holes all around the bath and it smelt like Severus did, only stronger.

He was happily splashing around in the nearly full bath when Severus returned. Harry looked up and gave a chirp of greeting, glad His human was back in the room. The older man was wearing only a towel, allowing Harry to see that His human was tall, pale, very thin with a pale grey face on his arm.

“It looks like you are having fun. I trust you will be able to bathe on your own when you wish in the future?”

Harry kept out an affirmative chirp and moved into one corner so that Severus could get in. His human dropped his towel and climbed in as classical music echoed through their rooms.

“Is it too hot or cold?”

Harry gave a negative chirp. The temperature was fine. In fact, it was perfect, the best sensation he had ever felt, except, of course, for Severus’s strong hands when he stroked him.

The pair spent the next hour splashing around in the water and washing carefully. Severus’s hands were firm as they washed his fur and wings and His human even allowed Harry to run his claws through his hair but the Potion Master had to do the rest on his own.

“Play a little longer in the water while I get dressed. Then we’ll dry you off and sit in front of the fire to read for a while.”

Harry nodded and waited for Severus to return. It was only a few minutes before a pyjama clad Severus returned and motioned for him to get out. Harry couldn’t help but purr in pleasure as his wings were dried with a towel and then his fur with the magical equivalent of a hairdryer, hot air coming from His human’s wand.

The boy turned cub kept on purring as he was carried into the living room and they sat on the sofa, his head in Severus’ lap.

”I was reading The Two Towers, a book by a man called Tolkein, the second in a trilogy. But as I think you would rather start at the beginning and I have read them all before, we are going to start with the prequel, ‘The Hobbit’.”

Harry wriggled until he was as comfortable as he would get then nodded for Severus to start.

“Bilbo Biggens....”

Harry sighed and let that deep voice take him to Middle Earth.

+++

Severus smiled as he idly stroked the soft fur. Contentment and happiness were coming from his bonded and he was actually happy, too. He had a pretty good idea of what would happen to his reputation if anyone came in now and saw him reading to an animal (using voices), even if said animal seemed to be very intelligent. People would never respect him again.

But he found he enjoyed reading to Peorth and the cub seemed to enjoy it. But then again the cub seemed to enjoy everything they did together. It had been nice to have the cub around while he had been making his potions that afternoon and for the first time he had actually found himself enjoying teaching the potions to the cub. If the students were like Peorth, then he might enjoy his job.

Severus shut the book at the end of the chapter, smiling at the cub’s sleepy complaint. “It is time to sleep you Silly Creature, so you need to decide where you want to sleep.”

Peorth gave a chirp of understanding and got up. The small cub stretched and opened his wings wide, reminding Severus that he would have to see if the cub could or wanted to fly. He watched in amusement as the cub padded over to his bedroom door, pushed it open with his head and jumped on his bed.

“You want to sleep on my bed?” Severus asked, moving to stand in his bedroom doorway.

An affirmative chirp.

“And where do I sleep?”

Peorth moved to one side of the bed and pointed at the far side with a front paw, he nodded his head as if to say: ‘There’.

“You want to share?”

The small furry head bobbled up and down and he was given a look as if to say: ‘And where else would you sleep’.

“Well then, you had better not snore.”

Happiness thrummed through their bond as he pulled down the blankets and they both climbed into bed. Severus lay down and seconds later had two armfuls of warm, furry Panivco cub, a claw in an awkward spot on his groin and a wing in his face.

“If you want to sleep in my arms that is fine but I insist you remove your foot from my groin and wing from my face.”

Peorth made an apologetic sound and they both moved until they had a comfortable position for both parties involved. Severus laying on his back with his bonded’s head on his shoulder and a wing stretched over his torso. He hadn’t expected the leather wings to be so soft or to feel so comforting with the wing covering him.

“Goodnight Peorth.”

All he got in response was a head butt to his chin and content through their bond which quickly faded to sleepy happiness. Severus sighed and made sure his mind was clear before letting himself fall asleep, glad he had picked that morning to get his supplies from Diagon Alley.