Rating/Warnings: PG; spoilers, mentions of violence.
Word Count: ~550
Harry looked at the Marauder's Map too late, and the dots labelled Amycus and Alecto Carrow were already just around the corner of where he was standing. The Invisibility Cloak was with Hermione and Ron in the Ravenclaw Tower and there was no possible hiding place; Harry didn't know what else to do, except to draw his wand and get ready to duel his way through the corridor.
Just as he was gathering his magic to attack first, he was grabbed by the back of jumper and shoved face first into a broom closet to his right; one that wasn't marked in the Map.
For a moment, relief flooded him; a tall, strong body covered his own and a cold hand was placed over his mouth so firmly that Harry couldn't even look up to see the face of his rescuer; he smelled familiar, safe, of something Harry couldn't quite place.
The steps of the Carrow siblings grew closer, but they walked by the closet and didn't stop.
The hand over Harry's mouth loosened and Harry shifted his gaze up — he gasped.
Severus Snape's face was turned to the side, exposing his ear to any sounds that indicated the enemies' position, but he snapped his bottomless eyes towards Harry when he started to struggle.
Snape pressed him further into the wall. "Be quiet, you imbecile. Do you want them to hear us?" No, Harry did not want that, but he also didn't want to be trapped by a man who had been waiting seven years to kill him. Snape must have seen something on his face, because he narrowed his eyes at Harry. "Think, Potter, for once, before you give us away."
There was something in Snape's eyes, something dark and warm, like concern and survival, and Harry's heart beat a little too strongly in his chest, in the moment his mind finally accepted what had been in the back of his mind all along: Snape was theirs.
Harry stopped struggling and finally Snape let him go, taking a step back, leaving Harry to feel awkwardly bereft. "You," Harry tried and stopped, "you saved me."
Snape sneered, "I'd hate to break my sterling record."
Harry nodded, swallowing thickly, and looked at the Marauder's Map, more as a distraction than anything else, and he realised that the Carrow siblings were already on the lower floor. He looked up at Snape. "I have to find Ravenclaw's diadem."
Snape frowned. "I can't even fathom why, but don't let me stop you," he added sarcastically, but it didn't bother Harry like it used to, not when Snape had deep bags under his eyes, looked thinner than he should and about to expire, and his eyes shone with concern and self-righteousness.
Harry took a breath. "I'll see you later, then, Professor. If we both survive."
Harry saw Snape hesitate, before he said, "Even if, by some miracle, I escape the upcoming Battle alive, I shan't be returning here, Potter."
There was no time to protest, so Harry pressed his lips together and nodded. Snape bowed lightly, before turning to leave; his hand was already on the knob, when Harry gave up. "I'll find you, Professor," he promised, "so that we can, er, talk. All right?"
Snape hesitated. "I won't be holding my breath."
THE END