Charred Paws and Heavy Coils (джен)

The summer after her fourth year is the worst one yet and Harry knows with grim certainty that her Uncle is going to kill her before she can even reach her fifteenth birthday. So she leaves. Finds herself by the edge of an forest - knows that no one is going to look for her out there.
And she's content on her own - finds the rhythm of survival. Learns.
She knows that the day she meets Nagini that she should have left. She's had dreams looking out from those exact slitted pupils - knows that she puts her life in danger every day she stays with Voldemort's familiar. But it's hard to be scared when Nagini huffs about her 'silly speaker' and complain about him working too hard and praises him for his toasty winter bed.
But then, it's not Harry Potter who Tom meets that day in the clearing.
It's Nagini's 'Little Wolf' - and that changes everything.