Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Prompt list at the bottom.
Word Count Without AN - 1799
Another Day, Another Battle
"Potter, stop for a moment and let me check you for injuries," Snape snapped, finally catching up with the teen.
Harry shook his head, even as he continued to walk away from Snape. "I'm fine, help the others."
"Potter."
Something in his tone made Harry stop and turn around to face his instructor, and Severus barely held the curse inside. Blood was streaming from a deep cut on Harry's face, and everywhere Severus looked he could see grazes, scrapes, cuts, and newly blossoming bruises.
"If this is what you call fine, I'd hate to see you when you're not fine," Snape muttered, lifting his wand.
"I'm still alive, aren't I?"
"Potter, you're sixteen -"
"Seventeen," Harry interrupted quietly. "Did nobody tell you, Professor? This is my birthday present from Voldemort. Aren't I special?"
Severus looked around the remains of Privet Drive, unsure what he could say to that. The self loathing in the teenager's voice had stripped him of his ability to be acerbic and cruel, so instead of replying, he set himself to healing.
Doing as much as he could with his wand, he shoved two potions into Harry's hands. "These will keep you going until we can get you to the hospital wing."
Potter didn't seem to hear him.
Severus watched with morbid curiosity as Potter wiped at some of the fresher blood on his face before staring at it staining his fingers.
"The war is being paid for in red blood, Professor. How long until there's nobody left to bleed?"
Severus stood over his cauldron, his mind wandering as he waited for the alarm to sound. He only had the stewing stage left, but he daren't sleep, no matter how tired he was.
Building the potions store up was a chore, but he knew it was necessary now more than ever. After the last few battles, his stores were being depleted rapidly, and as the dark forces gained more confidence, they were attacking more and more frequently.
They could only hope that the wards surrounding Hogwarts continued to hold.
None of them were stupid - they all knew that a showdown was coming, a showdown that would end the war one way or another, but for the moment, the light side were more than willing to put that final battle off.
Potter was a basket case, the stress and pressure getting to him more now than ever. The battle at his relatives house seemed to have shaken something inside him and he'd withdrawn from everyone around him.
He still fought, indeed he was on the front line of every battle much to Albus' chagrin, but on the inside, Severus knew he was falling apart at the seams.
A knock on the door startled him, and he spelled it open, unwilling to leave his cauldron.
As though his thoughts had summoned the teen, Harry shuffled through the door, wringing his hands together nervously.
"Have you got anything for me to do, Professor?" he asked, staring at the wall behind Severus' head.
Severus sighed, nodding his head to the stack of used cauldrons in the corner. This was a semi regular occurrence, Potter needing something to do to get out of his own head. Severus could empathise with the feeling, but he had his Potions when he needed to relax.
Since the ban on leaving the castle without a guard, Potter couldn't even go flying anymore.
The teen worked in silence while Severus bottled and stored the potion, and holding a hand up to hide his yawning, Severus sat himself at the desk. He wouldn't leave the boy - there had been a couple of occasions that the cleaning hadn't been enough and Potter had broke down.
"What caused you to come down here this evening, Potter?" Severus asked after an hour of silence, when Potter was almost done with the last cauldron.
Harry looked up, surprised that his professor had been the one to initiate conversation.
"Scrimgeour," he replied after a moment. "He's an ass."
"You'll have to elaborate, Mr Potter," Snape replied. "Scrimgeour makes being an ass his profession. What, specifically, has he done this time?"
Harry snorted, standing. He wiped his hands on his jeans, and crossed the room, pulling something from his pocket. He put it on Snape's desk, waving his hand for Severus to look at it.
Unfolding it, he found himself looking at one of the standard Auror pamphlets, and frowned.
"As offensive as I find the idea of you being an Auror - you don't need help to get into trouble - this isn't overly offensive."
"Turn it over," Harry replied quietly, sitting down in one of the two chairs facing Severus.
Doing as he bid, Severus found a messy scrawl on the back. Reading the words, he finally understood Potter's anger.
You owe this to the world, Mr Potter. Don't let us down. Be loyal to your world.
Harry sighed. "Even after, even if I defeat Him, my life will never be mine. So… what's the point in fighting?"
Not for the first time, Severus found himself at a loss for words. How could he argue with the teen when he agreed with him?
"You do not owe the world anything, Harry," Severus said quietly. "You're the best chance at defeating the Dark Lord, yes, but you do not owe it to anyone to even try. Certainly you don't 'owe' them the rest of your life."
"I have to try," Harry murmured. "I can't just… People are dying. People are dying, and there's a fairly good shot that I can stop that from happening."
"The only person you 'owe' anything to, Harry, is yourself. You owe it to yourself to be true to who you are. Nobody can, or should, expect anything else from you."
Harry sat for a moment, the words sinking in, before he offered Severus a blinding smile.
"Thank you."
Severus nodded, bidding Harry a quiet goodnight. He tried not to think about the warmth in his chest at seeing such an honest smile aimed his way.
"Potter?"
Harry didn't acknowledge the voice. He sat in a semi hidden alcove in the Astronomy tower, his arms wrapped around his legs, tear tracks streaked down his still dirty face.
Severus sighed, limping over to the boy. He forced himself to the floor, wincing when his back hit the wall. He'd already had his wounds healed, but the pain would take a few days to dissipate completely, and he felt far older than his years on the earth.
Reaching a hand out, he squeezed Harry's shoulder, swearing softly when he felt how cold the teen was. Of course, the frost on the lawns of Hogwarts in the morning was evidence of the coming winter, but why hadn't Harry at least cast a warming charm on himself.
Stripping his outer cloak off, he leant over to wrap it around Harry, hesitating only momentarily before he pulled him into his side, his arm tight around Harry shoulders, holding the cloak in place.
Fresh tears fell from Harry's eyes, damping Severus' shirt, but he didn't say anything. After the events of the night, he could understand the younger man's pain.
"Why did she follow us," Harry whimpered.. "We tried to make her safe, we did."
Rubbing Harry's arm comfortingly, Severus replied, "It wasn't your fault, Potter. Miss Weasley chose to follow you, against the rules in place for her safety. It wasn't your fault."
"If I could just get the job done, nobody else would die," Harry whispered. "People are dying, and I'm doing nothing to stop it."
"Harry, it's war. People die in war. Harsh as that is, it's a truth of life. The people we fight have got no morals, they follow no laws, and they don't care about the destruction they wrought. None of this is your fault."
"I'm so scared."
Severus smiled slightly to himself, glad that the teen had finally admitted to his fear. That had been a huge stumbling block for him, Severus knew.
"I know. We all are. Use that fear, Harry. Take it, embrace it, and use it to fight for what you believe in. We all believe in you, now you just have to believe in yourself."
Celebrations and parties were happening across the country, grieving for the lost put on hold as people felt the overwhelming relief of freedom. The war was done, the Dark Lord gone, the light had prevailed.
Severus sat in a private room off the hospital wing, his eyes trained on the white walls, unseeing as he mindlessly stroked his thumb over the hand held in his.
It had been three days, and beyond Poppy forcing him to drink a few potions, he hadn't moved from his spot longer than it took to use the bathroom.
A cough startled him, and he looked down to find bleary green eyes watching him, confusion evident.
"How are you feeling?" Severus asked, sitting forward in his chair.
"Did I do it?"
Nodding, Severus replied, "You did. Rather spectacularly, actually."
"How long?"
"Three days. The celebrations are still going strong."
"Ron and Hermione?"
"Both alive and well, as are the rest of the Weasleys, and the Headmaster. Now, how do you feel?"
"Relieved. And hungry."
Laughing, Severus shook his head. "I'll have the house elves fetch you something to eat as soon as Poppy checks on you."
Harry nodded, pushing himself up the pillows. "What am I supposed to do now?" he asked, frowning slightly.
Severus, having asked himself that very question when he realised the war was over, understood the sentiment.
"Well, what do you want to do?"
Harry looked taken aback. "Nobody… nobody's ever asked me that. I… I don't know."
"That's the beauty of being seventeen," Severus replied with a smile. "You've time now to figure it out. Take a minute to relax, Harry. If anyone's earned the right, it's you."
"You too," Harry replied quickly. "You've done as much if not more than me for the light."
Severus shrugged.
"I don't think I know how to relax," Harry added after a moment. "I could never relax with the Dursleys, you know. And then, I came here, the orphan with the scar, the boy who lived, the chosen one… How do I relax?"
"You'll learn what works for you," Severus murmured. "There's no rush. I'll give Poppy a shout."
Severus was at the door when Harry called him back.
"Professor? While I learn what works for me… you'll still be around, right? You're not going to just… disappear?"
Smiling the first true smile he could remember for a long time, Severus shook his head. "I've been by your side, even when you didn't want me there, since you were eleven. At this point, Harry, I don't think I know how to be anywhere else."
Written for;
Friends Competition - S7Ep24
Ways To Say 'I Love You' - 29. "Well, what do you want to do?"
Are You Crazy Enough - 309. SeverusHarry
Halloween Character Challenge - Bat - Severus Snape
Around The World - Saint Lucia - Severus Snape
Gobstones - Theme, Pink Stone - Accuracy, Yawning - Power, Pamphlet - Technique, Frost
Writing Club
Book Club - Killorn Warren - Orphan/ Loyal/ "The war is being paid for in red blood."
OTP Challenge - Person A gets scared and person B has to look after them.
Showtime - 13. Someone turning seventeen.
Days of the Month - Chic Spy Day - Severus Snape
Themed List - Cauldron