Chapter 15 – Paul

Thanks a lot to my beta-readers, Orodruin and AmyLouise, for correcting my mistakes.

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.

Dear Readers,

In this chapter, I will announce that there is the possibility that Severus could spank Harry. I'm definitely against corporal punishment, but I think that Severus would be one to think it is necessary for special occasions. I plan on writing one chapter where it will happen. It won't be a hard spanking or with anything else than Severus' hand. I need this for the plot, so if you have a problem with it, I thought it would be fair to tell you ahead. I will make a special warning to this particular chapter/part so that you could even skip over it, but as I said, it is important for my plot because something will happen during the spanking. That means it could be a little confusing if you skip over it, but you will be able to catch up with the plot again nevertheless. It's still some time until that happens. Please refrain from begging me to leave it out!

Sunny

Chapter15 – Paul

Harry had already arranged his few belongings when Severus and Ivy came back. He had placed all his schoolbooks on the shelf next to his desk. The Chudley Cannons poster still lay unrolled on the wall unit because Harry didn't know how to glue it on the wall. His clothes looked very lost in the big cupboard, and the empty wall unit also looked weird.

When Ivy and Severus entered the room, Harry was sitting on his bed. Severus pulled Harry's desk chair in front of the bed while Ivy sat down beside Harry.

Harry observed that Severus, who had sat down in the chair, looked very exhausted. "You look awful, Professor."

"Thank you very much, Harry. And it is still Severus," he said, and immediately, his body was shaken by a coughing fit.

"Sorry, Severus, but you really look ill. Madam Pomfrey and James will find out that you haven't rested." Harry was worried that Severus would get into trouble just because he had shown him the quarters.

"Even if I do get into trouble, it will be my problem and not yours, Harry. So you don't have to worry." His breath was rasping, and he slumped even more in the chair than before.

"We will retire to bed in a few minutes, Harry," Ivy said, laying a hand on his leg. "We just wanted to see if you are okay or if you needed something."

"And to set the most important rules, Ivy," Severus added while straightening up in the chair. "We don't expect that you will follow all the rules immediately. It will take some time for you to get used to them and remember them. But we have two very important rules, the family rules. These are: 'Don't hurt someone else or yourself on purpose or expose them or yourself to danger', and 'Don't lie'! If you are in trouble, have a problem, feel unwell or whatever, we want you to tell us. Don't lie to us. These rules are very important to us, Harry."

"What happens when I break them?" Harry asked, but seeing Severus raise his eyebrow, he quickly added, "Not that I plan to, I just would like to know. Do you beat your children? Or do you lock them somewhere?"

"No, I don't beat my children." Severus tried hard to suppress the anger he felt at Harry's assumption. "But breaking the first rule will find you over my lap. A spanking is not the same as a beating. I really hope that we never have to go through this, but if you hurt someone or yourself on purpose, I will take you over my knee to make sure you understand how important this rule is."

"Spanking with a belt?" Harry asked. For him it was normal that he would be punished, and he just wanted to know what to expect. He hadn't expected that in this family there wouldn't be punishments. Even Ron's parents spanked him from time to time, and the Weasleys were the role model family par excellence for Harry. He couldn't know how much he unsettled Severus with this topic.

Severus had thought long about how to handle Harry when it came to punishment. In the end, he had decided to treat him the same as his other sons. If he broke the first family rule, he would get spanked in addition to other penalties. Harry would realize that a spanking out of worry was something totally different to a beating like he had gotten from his uncle. "Of course not with a belt, boy, I'm not the monster you obviously presume me to be. With my hand and nothing more." Severus didn't want to speak about this topic. He really hoped that the situation would never arise, even though he knew that the chance was very small, since Harry seemed to attract trouble magically.

Finally, Harry realized how unpleasant the topic was for Severus. "I don't think you are a monster. I just wanted to know what I have to expect. I'm sorry." He lowered his eyes because he couldn't look into Severus' hurt face any longer.

"You are both in no condition to discuss things like this," Ivy said while squeezing Harry's leg sympathetically. "I think we all need our sleep now. Albus and Minerva have already retired and assigned us to say good night to you for them.

"Normally, we all eat breakfast together at 6:30 am and supper at 6:00 pm, but as long as you are not allowed to attend classes, you don't have to get up that early to eat with us. Please, try to get up by at least 9:30 to eat breakfast according to Poppy's order. You just have to call for Twinky, our family house-elf. She will bring you something to eat. This week Severus will be here over the day as well, so you won't be alone. You already know where our bedroom is and can find him if you need something. Remember that you can send us messages through our office portraits, as well. Do you have any questions, Harry?"

"What about Eathan and Lysander?" Harry asked.

"They leave for day care at 7:00 am and come back at 4:00 pm. Oh, and before I forget, when you leave the quarters, please let at least one of us know. If none of us are present, contact us through our portraits. For this week, James wants you to stay in the quarters completely. He wants to show you how to handle the calming potion correctly before you leave the quarters," Ivy explained. "Any more questions?"

Harry shook his head. He was tired and just wanted to go to sleep.

"Okay, then we will say goodnight, Harry. You will find all that you need in the bathroom," Ivy said, standing up and taking his face in her hands to place a kiss on his forehead.

Severus dragged himself out of the chair and waved it over to the desk again. "Goodnight, Harry," he said while patting Harry's head tiredly.

"Night," Harry replied the moment the adults passed the doorframe.

________________________________

Harry looked around the bathroom to find his old toothbrush. He couldn't see it, but on the small shelf above the sink were standing three beakers with toothbrushes. One of the beakers had 'HARRY' scribbled on it in big red and green letters. It seems the twins have painted it for me, Harry thought, amused, and grinned. Then he took the beaker and the toothbrush to brush his teeth.

When he was finished, he turned to leave the room. Before he reached the door, it closed with a loud thud, and Harry jumped in surprise. What the hell... he thought, trying to open the door desperately.

"Shower, toilet, hairbrush!" a demanding voice echoed through the bathroom. It sounded a little bit like Professor McGonagall, and so Harry turned around abruptly to check if she was standing in the bathroom.

But there wasn't anyone. He was alone. "What?" Harry asked into the empty room.

"Shower, toilet, hairbrush!" the voice repeated.

Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at the door. " Alohomora."

Nothing happened. "Damn!" he shouted.

"Any problems, Master Harry?"

Harry turned around, still holding his wand, which now pointed at a house-elf. An odd-looking house-elf to be honest. He was wearing a suit, and his few hairs were combed into a center part. Harry stared at the creature with his mouth wide open.

"I asked if there are any problems, Master Harry?" the elf said in a tone that was a little too bossy for a house-elf.

"Who are you?" Harry asked, puzzled. He had never seen nor heard about an elf like this.

"I'm Paul, the educational house-elf," the creature explained, as if he was speaking with a small child. "Do you have any problems, Master Harry? Can I help you with something?"

"Yes, the door is closed. I can't open it." Harry turned again to the door and tried the handle to open it. Still the door remained closed.

"Of course it is. It is locked until you do what the room demands. Didn't the room explain it to you?"

"Explain... the room... no." Harry was confused. "It said something about shower, toilet and hairbrush or something."

"Oh, so you at least brushed your teeth. That's something," the elf said dryly.

Harry's jaw dropped again at this statement.

Seeing that the boy was staring at him, Paul added, "The room observes that all the children in these quarters brush their teeth, use the toilet, shower and comb their hair before they go to bed. It also will ensure that you are doing the same in the morning, except for the shower." Paul explained all this as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"The dormitory bathrooms never did anything like this," Harry said, still dumbfounded.

"Yes, but this isn't the dormitory bathroom, Master Harry."

Harry looked around the room, annoyed. "I'm just tired, and I don't have to go to the toilet. Don't you think I'm old enough to know this?"

"It doesn't matter what I think, Master Harry. When the room thinks you need to do something, then you have to fulfill its wishes. Do you have a problem with going to the toilet, Master Harry?"

"Of course not," Harry said, shocked and already starting to feel heat creep into his cheeks. "I will go to the toilet... when you have left. I'm just tired, and so I wanted to shower tomorrow."

"You are still ill, Master Harry. When you are feeling too tired, I can inform Master Severus and Mistress Ivy. If they allow me, I can force the room to open for you without you having a shower."

"No!" Harry almost screamed. When he was sure the elf wouldn't Disapparate, he added more calmly, "No, it won't be necessary. I will just have a quick shower. You don't have to disturb them because of me." Harry didn't want to make trouble about something stupid like a shower. It wouldn't hurt to shower, comb his hair and use the toilet, even if he thought it wasn't necessary.

"Master Severus and Mistress Ivy have made abundantly clear that they want to be informed when you feel unwell or are having problems. They won't feel disturbed by asking them to release you from the shower. I just can't force the room to open without their permission, Master Harry," the elf said while eyeing Harry closely.

"No, it's really not necessary, Paul. They have just retired to bed, and it won't hurt me to take a shower. Really!"

"As you wish, Master Harry. You will find fresh pajamas on the sideboard next to the shower when you are finished. If you need something or feel unwell, just call for me." With that he vanished.

Harry let out the breath he had held for some time without noticing. Whining about taking a shower and going to the toilet. What a great start , he thought, embarrassed.

He took a quick shower, and while he brushed his hair, the room breathed warm air on his head to dry it.

Now only the toilet was left. He opened the lid and lowered his pajama pants. Suddenly Harry felt an invisible hand smack him on his bottom, and the room said, "Sit down!"

The smack wasn't hard, but it had come out of nowhere and surprised Harry. He was lucky that this hadn't caused an embarrassing accident. Inwardly, he had to grin while sitting on the seat. Does this happen to Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore as well when they try to pee standing? It was definitely worth trying it in one of the other bathrooms soon.

When Harry finally was back in his bedroom, he fell asleep the moment his head touched the cushion.

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