Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Harry Potter.
Note: I was reading Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince and my slashy mind immediately went to thinking what would have happened if Harry had gone after Snape just like he had intended when the Potions Master fled after murdering Dumbledore. Well let's find out shall we? Joyfully ignores Deadly Hallows.
Summary: Going after Professor Snape when he murdered Professor Dumbledore may be more then Harry Potter bargained forth when he catches up with the Potions Master. Is Harry prepared?
Warnings: slash, au warning.
Pairing: Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Title: For the price of only my soul
Author: Laurenke1
The messy haired, green eyed male easily rushed through the boar winged gates. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived hastily shot past the wards that kept the ancient school of Hogwarts free from Apperating. Not that it had helped to keep the Death Eaters out of the school.
He forced himself to take a deep breath. This was not the time to think about it, he was on a mission now. That was why he had left the school to find that….traitor.
He shook his head when he could hear a faint remembrance of the Phoenix haunting song as the wind breezed through the trees. No Fawkes had gone just as Dumbledore, earlier tonight. Killed by Snape.
Harry was seething with anger again, hatred so powerful coursed through his veins that made him choke up and his magic responded by swirling around him quickly. He shook his messy head and glanced around.
He took the invisibility cloak that he had gotten from his dad, James Potter and swung it around his shoulders, pulling the hood up and hiding himself from view. Within a few hours there would be commotion at the castle when they realized he had gone but his task was too important.
He had to find Dumbledore's killer and make him pay. Snape had gotten away once but not this time. Harry would find him and make him pay.
He balled his fist inside the cloak, chewing his bottom lip as his eyes furred in anger. He needed to concentrate now. He needed his wits about him if he wanted to make Snape truly pay. He closed his eyes tightly, focussing upon the face of the man he hated as much as Voldemort himself.
Voldemort had destroyed his life, was hunting him down, and trying to kill him all because of a prophecy that stated that Harry needed to kill him or die at the mad wizard's hand. Harry couldn't help but fighting Voldemort, it was that wizard's fault that Harry's parents had died.
But Snape had murdered Professor Dumbledore, the only headmaster Harry had ever known. The only wizard Voldemort had ever feared and now murdered by Voldemort's servant. Snape….
Harry kept his eyes closing, focussing more strongly on Snape's face. The harsh lines in the sallow pale face. The black eyes that had always glistered with loathing and the face framed by the shoulder length black greasy hair. The tall thin wizard who moved with an easy grace and who spoke with a soft velvet voice, hurling insults at everybody but the Slytherins.
Harry opened his eyes and growled. He took out his wand and laid it flat on his palm, remembering the spell well before he voiced it, allowing his magic to rise a bit. "Point me Severus Snape"
It wouldn't work if Snape had left the place, which Harry had seen him do but he held his breath, wondering if the spell would work. Then suddenly his wand swirled around a few times before settling into a direction and Harry turned.
The Forbidden Forest. He should have known. Snape would have taken Draco away and then returned on Voldemort's orders to watch the school, to cause more damage to the already devasted school. With Dumbledore dead, it would be easy for any powerful wizard to breach the school and Snape was powerful enough, especially with the wards still recognizing him as a teacher.
Perhaps he could find Snape. He would find Snape because he needed to. A smirk twisted his lips as he took a step forward and then rushed into the forest.
The darkness of the forest took him off guard. He knew it was night but it was dangerous to be in the forest at night with all the creatures that were about. But Harry knew that it needed to be done, if he wanted to find Snape then he would need to breach the darkness.
He couldn't light his wand without breaking the Point Me spell. Harry took a deep breath and then walked forward, trying to be as silent as possible. The under bush was thick and he couldn't see where he was going. The moon was veiled behind clouds and the fire that had set Hagrid's cabin alight had long since gone out.
He would give himself away utterly if he lit a fire now, any fire. He checked his wand again, it was vibrating in his palm, proven that he was getting close to his target.
Harry could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He was one step closer to finding Snape. The wand in his hand was trembling much quicker now and Harry could feel his heart matching the rhythm. He was so close…
He swore softly when he tripped over a root. He tugged the cloak more firmly about his body, remembering the sound that a cloak made when it trailed after somebody along the forest floor.
He picked it up a little, his eyes still trained upon the wand in his hand. It was pointing straight ahead, a little beyond the next trees and Harry took a deep breath, holding his wand tightly.
He could hear no sounds in the nearly eerie silent forest and then crept forward. The trees that stood in front of him were dark en grouped together but they were relatively small and Harry pressed himself against the trunk.
He peered around the tree, carefully with his wand in hand. The sight that greeted him was exactly what he had wanted. He was at the edge of the forest, beyond the school grounds and Hagrid's cabin was a few more metres to the right. But they would not be noticed, he knew.
Everybody was up at the castle, grieving for the headmaster and while Harry longed to do the same, he needed to do this. There before him, dressed in the customary black was Snape.
The straight backed former teacher was standing with his back to Harry and the full lips of the young saviour of the wizarding world curled into a satisfying smirk. It was about time that his luck would change.
In two quick steps he was around the tree, the leaves at the forest floor masking his approaching steps. He picked up his cloak, holding up his wand before he cried out the spell that had saved him all his life.
"Expelliarmus" The spell was armed with a good force behind it and Snape turned on quick feet. The older wizard's wand went flying and landed near Harry's feet. The already pale face paled even more but the black eyes probing the area, looking for whoever was there.
"Show yourself!" Snape hissed and Harry flickered his wand at Snape, the smirk twisting his lips again as he saw Snape being pushed against the tree behind him.
"Why should I? It is you who is at my mercy now, Snape!" Harry hissed, keeping his voice low in return.
For a moment the former Potions Professor frowned but then Snape closed his eyes before he smirked and glanced back up at the spot where Harry stood invisible still. "You give yourself away far too easily, Potter! Such a weak heart. You should have attacked when you had the change, boy. Accio wand!"
Throwing the cloak off of himself Harry cried out. "Stupefy."
The red beam that issued from his wand missed and Harry saw Snape dive away, catching his wand in hand. Harry was after Snape in an instance, shooting hex after hex at him, all missing. He began to fell frustrated but Snape couldn't quite gain the speed he had gained on the grassy grounds of Hogwarts. The under bush of the forest prevented him from it.
"Stop and face me, you coward!" He bellowed and much to his satisfaction Snape froze and turned around, holding his wand up.
The older wizard was ready for duelling and Harry grinned despite himself, feeling himself grow calm. This was what he had been waiting for. This was what he had wanted to do since he had first seen Dumbledore fall from the battlements. The vision in his head of the old wizard flying backwards like a huge broken rag doll into the sky was hurting and he choked back a sob.
"Then stop being a coward, Potter and face me like your father never could!" The insult was biting and it only fuelled the rage Harry felt as he pulled off the invisibility cloak, presenting himself to Snape.
He raised his wand, arms shaking and trembling with the rage he felt inside. He raised his wand, beginning. "Cruc…."
"We have been over this already, Potter No unforgivable from you." Snape was lazily twirling his wand in between his fingers and Harry growled loudly before he took a step closer and cried out again.
"Stupefy." Snape easily sidestepped the red blast and then whirled his wand, sending Harry crashing into the ground.
"Impenimenta." He cried, rolling around and back up on his feet. Snape tripped and fell but he was up on his feet before Harry could strike again.
Snape conjured up a shield as Harry threw another hex his way. This time the pale face was washed with hatred and the black eyes glittered as Harry rushed closer, his anger clouding his judgement.
"You will stay and fight, you coward! You will pay for killing him."
"Don't judge what you don't understand, Potter! But that is praise for your father to see all sides of a tale." Snape was a bit breathless, his voice barely hissed now and Harry felt such hate bubble up within him that he raised his wand, saying.
"Sectumsempra." He knew that Snape could never block it but the older wizard hastily conjured up a shield but the spell still managed to leave a gash in the black covered arm, causing blood to spurt forward.
Snape appeared furious but there was a small band of sweat covering the sallow skin before the older wizard ground out, raising his wounded wand arm. "That is quite enough from you, child! I have had enough of this play! Expelliarmus."
Harry tried to hold onto his wand but it went flying out his hand and Harry heard it landing somewhere behind him. He stared at Snape, knowing the older wizard had won. He released a laugh that sounded like he was mad and raised his arms. "Well go on and do it! I am ready; kill me like you killed him."
Snape stared at him and then said. "Don't be ridiculous, Potter! Hop along now! Go back to school and your friends. Go back to safety! I will pretend this never happened and not mention it to the Dark Lord."
"You murderer! How can you kill Dumbledore in cold blood and save me? What is the difference?" Harry was trembling with such an intense fury and hatred. Snape was sneering at him and then snapped.
"Stop it, Potter! I have had quite enough from you! You can't play in the real world without getting hurt, Potter! Remember it well. If and when I chose to kill you then it would have already be done! I am not prone to give pity to save little students who are on a saving people trip. Dumbledore is dead! He is not coming back, child!"
Something snapped within Harry and then he found himself rushing forward as hatred flooded through his veins. He didn't need a damn wand to injure Snape.
The older wizard hesitated and the black eyes widened before Harry threw himself on the taller wizard. Snape caught him halfway, stumbling and falling over as Harry drew back his fist and slammed it into the much hated face in front of him. "You will pay! You have killed him….you traitor…."
The words were stumbling out of Harry almost as quick as he was drawing back his fist, ignoring the cries of the body underneath him. Snape was struggling against him, his hand nearly catching Harry's arm but Harry pulled himself loose, trying to wrap his hands around Snape's throat to choke him.
"You should have died!" He shouted, not caring he was sobbing wildly. The hate and anger were overwhelming him and then he broke through Snape's hands as he managed to hit the older wizard squarely in the eye.
Snape cursed loudly and then pushed him backwards as Harry landed on his back, snapping out. "You are getting closer to Black's madness every day, Potter! I have told you to return to safety! And you refuse to listen! Don't you get it? When he finds out that you are here with me, he will order me to kill you or come here himself to do it…"
But Harry was already up on his feet, trembling with the rage inside of him, magic swirling about him as he launched himself at Snape again. He battered his first, kicking, biting and trying to scratch the older wizard.
But Snape was taller and easily managed to hold Harry off. The older wizard was still bleeding and much to Harry's satisfaction one of the black eyes was turning blue. He tried to kick Snape and the older wizard growled loudly as he said. "Stop this!"
"You killed…." Harry knew he was incoherent but he couldn't help it, growling low in his throat as he launched himself at Snape again. This time he managed to hit the thin lips, sending the dark head snapping backwards and then Snape turned back to look at him, Harry breathing heavily as the older wizard seemed to be on the verge of losing control.
"This is enough, Potter!" Snape snapped and then raised his wand, muttering a spell Harry didn't recognize before he was blasting backwards hard, and he wondered briefly where he would land but then his back, shoulders and especially head hit the tree behind him with an explosive force.
His eyes watered as the pain exploded in his head, a sickening pain and Harry could feel himself losing focus quickly. How foolish had he been to go after a wizard who had killed somebody without telling anybody where he was going? That was his last conscious thought before he fainted.
Hp
Severus Snape sneered when the Potter brat landed heavily against the tree. He wiped the blood away from his lip and then turning towards his bleeding wound. He sang the spell under his breath that knitted the tissue back together.
He breathed through clenched teeth as the pain diminished before he fixed his eye with a flick of his wand. The ungrateful brat nearly ruined everything…
He turned his back on Potter, ignoring the small moan that sounded before he turned back. Potter wasn't supposed to moan, he hadn't hit him that hard.
Potter was hunched over against the tree, shoulders hunched and the boy didn't even try to raise his head when Severus approached, through Potter gave another soft moan and his head lolled to the side.
Severus crouched down and lifted Potter's head, fearing he had killed the brat, not that it wouldn't be good riddance but the startling green eyes were half lidded and Potter didn't focus beyond a painful haze that twisted the already pale face washed with tears as Severus raised Potter's chin higher.
He peered into Potter's eyes to try and see some resembles of focus but Potter seemed unable. Severus allowed the head to fall back against Potter's chest and then used nimble and gentle fingers to part the messy, thick, dark hair at the back of Potter's head. There was a small sized lump there and Severus cursed.
No wonder Potter was out cold. He sighed and then straightened up, weighing his options. The change that the brat would be found here would be small and if Severus would dare to breach the wards, they would no doubt find Potter but him as well.
He had lingered long enough. Everybody would remain at the castle for the whole night even when they would notice that Potter would be missing. No, Potter would have to come with him if Severus wanted Potter to survive.
He didn't really but Potter was so very important for the future to defeat the Dark Lord. Sighing, Severus crouching down and lifted Potter by the shoulders.
It hardly roused the brat and Potter responded sluggish and then Severus lifted him, noticing with a grim detachment that how well Potter's head fit against his shoulder. He shook his head; this wasn't a good time to think these things.
He made sure Potter was clinging to him and held on tightly before he Apparated.
Hp
His head hurt when Harry finally rejoined the land of the living. There was a stifling sensation around his head but Harry couldn't wrap his mind around what it could possible be. The last thing he remembered was being knocked backwards against a tree because of Snape's blast.
His eyes shot open, the candlelight in the room flickering before his eyes as pain flared across his head as Harry sat up, his stomach churning as he did so. This wasn't the healing wing. Truth be told, this wasn't any sort of room that Harry recognized.
His stomach churned again and then Harry knew he couldn't contain it any longer as his dinner resurface while he quickly leaned over the edge of the bed to make sure it wouldn't land on him or the freshly made bed he was lying in.
A loud curse sounded, doing nothing to ease Harry's headache and then a bowl appeared in front of him right on time. Hands on his shoulders steadied him and Harry flinched away from the touch, even without his glasses he knew who it was.
He coughed a few more times before he tried to pull himself away as he cried out. "Release me…."
The iron grip pushed him back down upon the bed as Harry closed his eyes tightly, his stomach still chiming and his head throbbing. He fought against the strong hands, knowing that soon a wand would be turned on him.
Snape had abducted him, had taken him away and Harry felt so very foolish. What had he been thinking? He was in no state to fight his former professor but then the hands withdrew and Harry immediately turned away from Snape, curling onto his side.
He dozed for a moment, unable to keep his eyes open with the pain as he struggled to think of a plan to escape from his latest predicament. But why had Snape taken him? It would have been hours before Harry had been found and he might have been dead by that time so why had Snape stepped in and had taken him, putting him into a bed and taking care of him?
The next moment he felt the bed dip as somebody sat beside him, the body heat of somebody leaning over him and then a cloth was gentle laid on his forehead, his eyes snapping open to focus upon the black clad arm of his former professor.
Despite his hatred, Harry felt a strange jolt at the nearness of Snape. He growled lightly and then tried to ignore Snape. The older wizard moved lightly and then the dark voice came as Snape said. "I know that you aren't happy to be here, Potter but I had to save you…"
"You didn't have to! You could have just left me to die like you murder Dumbledore! It is a strange time to suddenly grow a heart, traitor…."
He would have expected Snape to hit him now but the wizard behind him only sighed wearily before the bed dipped and Snape got up as he spoke in a weary voice which did nothing to ease Harry's nerves. "Get some sleep if you can, Potter. I will come to check upon you later and then perhaps you will be in a better mood. There are things you need to know."
Harry didn't even dignify it with an answer and he would have suspected that Snape would bang the doorway on the way out because Harry was being disrespectful but the older wizard merely closed the door silent and Harry closed his eyes.
His head was still throbbing and finally he snatched the cloth away and tossed it into a far corner but now his skin felt hot and Harry felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes, how did he always mange to get into these pediments'?
He was on his own again, the only person who had ever looked out for Harry, even with secrets and faults and all and now he was gone. He was alone with the man he hated for all his life without a change for anybody to find him. Plus he was wounded, what was he going to do?
Finally he did manage to cry himself to sleep with both the pain from his head and the pain from losing Dumbledore.
Hp
The next time he woke up, his headache was even worse. He moaned through a dry mouth, cracked lips opening as his tongue felt thick with the unpleasant taste of a healing potion. But that must have been hours ago. He remembered waking up in the healing wing a few times when the potion had stopped working.
He opened his eyes but he closed them again in agony. He tried to turn onto his side but found himself unable to do so. The bandage around his head seemed uncomfortably tight and Harry wanted to tug on it but trying to bring his arm up to his head was impossible.
He heard quick footsteps running his way and he wanted to flinch away as quick hands turned him on his back and then on his other side before the footsteps walked away again, the sound impossible loud in Harry's ears and then the bed dipped and Harry's head was lifted before it settled on a soft but strong surface.
Fingers stroked through his hair and Harry struggled to get away. "Potter, stop! I am trying to help you…."
"You don't even know how to help…" Harry didn't care that his voice sounded extremely painful, more like a croak then anything else as he struggled but truthful, the fingers that stroked through his hair was the best feeling he had ever experienced.
One hand moved to come and lay over his chest and Harry could feel his heart hammer against the warm palm. "I do know how to help! Simply most times my help is in such a way that nobody else sees it or I cannot show it the way I would want it. You know enough of my past to be able to see such a thing, if you didn't have such a thick skull."
Harry shivered before he felt Snape part his hair and pressing around the pained area. The pain flared so strongly that Harry felt his breathing hitching and he cried out with a low keening sound. Immediately he was shifted, dragged upwards on the bed and warmth evolved him.
"Apparently not such a thick skull since you have managed to get a concussion because you got thrown back against the tree. I will give you a pain medicine in a moment but I have to be sure that the other one stopped working before I do…"
"It stopped working already…." Harry managed to mumble, trying to burry further into the comforting darkness.
"Alright, then…I will be right back…" Harry held on tightly when Snape tried to move away. To take the darkness away. "Potter, you will have to release me!"
The Potions Master's voice was soft and oddly gentle. "No, feels good, pain dimished." Harry mumbled, closing his eyes tightly as his hands struggled to hold on. After what seemed like an eternity arms evolved him and he was pressed tighter into Snape's chest.
"You are a strange being, Potter." Harry's head ached when Snape rubbed his cheek against Harry's hair.
"Why did you bring me then?"
"Like I said before, you are too important to stay behind. You really are an insolent brat, Mister Potter but I won't let Albus' death destroy you the way Black's dead did. I would that you had known the truth and had been prepared in advance. I assumed that he would have told you during all those late night lessons he deemed so important."
Harry's eyes snapped opened and despite his head he glanced up. "What was he supposed to tell me?"
Snape glanced down and the dark eyes met Harry's green ones. Harry held his breath but then the professor sighed and said. "He was dying. The black hand? A result of a curse of a ring he destroyed. He returned last summer and it was all I could do to keep him alive. He had a year to live and he was weakening constantly all year long. Within a few months he would have fallen victim to the curse. He knew about the Dark Lord's plan to kill him using Draco. He said that I was to kill him for the price of only my soul…."
Harry could tell his eye widened and he glanced up at Snape as the older wizard released a bitter laugh. "Oh yes, those were his exact words. If it would help my soul to kill a dying man. He doesn't, not didn't care about any of us, Potter. We are just means to conclude the scheme that he has been working on since the day you were born."
Harry shook his head, sending flashes of pain through his head. "Why should I believe you?"
"Then don't! But tell me the truth, Potter, have I ever lied to you? Or has Dumbledore ever been truthful with you or had your best interest at heart? Sending you back to the Dursley's each year when we told him that you were abused?"
Harry swallowed thickly, he couldn't believe that Dumbledore would do such a thing but Snape spoke truth. The older wizard had never lied to Harry, no matter how gruesome the truth might be and Dumbledore had never told Harry anything, not the prophecy, no not a damn thing unless Harry found out certain things first.
"Then what will happen to me? What has Dumbledore planned for me that is going to be even worse then being forced to kill him or being killed by him?"
Snape took a deep breath and Harry saw pity flare in the dark eyes for a moment as the older wizard finally said. "You have to be killed by Voldemort for him to die as well. Your scar isn't like any curse scar. I don't know what precisely it is but a part of Voldemort latched yourself onto your scar the time he tried to murder you."
So that was it that was the truth. Harry glanced up into the dark eyes, seeing the uncertainty in the black eyes as he joked weakly, grimacing when his head throbbed. "Oh so I should just walk to his room and allow him to kill me?"
Theca horrid through suddenly occurred to him.
"But can't he see us then?"
"No, he cannot. I have taken the liberty to add another layer of defence against your already weak mind. You may thank me for it later." Snape raised an eyebrow and if Harry wasn't very much mistaken he could see amusement in the dark eyes.
"Oh and how would I thank you then, sir?"
"That I don't know, Harr…uhm Potter."
"So then tell me, Professor, did it save your soul when you murdered the headmaster?" Harry realized he was shivering with the shock of the news he had learned but then Snape smiled at him, a feral smile that made Harry's heart ache and his stomach doing a weird flip before the Potions Master lowered his lips to Harry's own and said in a rush of warm breath.
"It did not. But then I suspected my soul has been damned from the beginning since."
"Uhm, I can safe it, for the price of only my soul." Harry muttered, trying to blink back his tears.
He suddenly realized that this was what he wanted. This was the reason he had gone after Snape. This was the reason he had sought out the older wizard. It might grow into more or not but Harry suspected that Snape knew as much as the older wizard met his gaze again and said.
"I will let you once the time is right." And with the promise of the warm lips upon his own, Harry gave himself up to the darkness.
Hp
Harry stood staring at the unmarked grave on the hill overlooking Hogwarts. Three years to the day since Dumbledore had been killed and Voldemort defeated two years ago. Harry rubbed at his scar, still the lightning bold shape but now his body was entirely his own, as was his magic.
Well not entirely my own, my soul already belongs to somebody…
He looked around to see if anybody had followed him but Harry had made it clear enough to everybody not to trace his steps. He had made it clear enough in the past two years just as he had made it clear enough that nobody would ever find him.
Everything was in order, Teddy would be taken care of and now it was Harry's turn. He picked up his wand and once last look at the unmarked grave amongst all the other graves that marked the hillside, those who had fallen in the Final Battle, he said.
"Point me Severus Snape."
And as Harry walked towards the Forbidden Forest he smiled as he met the deeply scowling figure at the edge of the forest.
"It had to be who should by my saviour, right, Potter?" A hand was held out to Harry but the younger wizard couldn't help but smile.
"Well, I had to save the wizarding world for the price of only my life. I guess I can live with the fact that I will save your soul for the price of only my soul. And I think that living with you isn't such a heavy price to pay when my soul and yours are at peace….'
And as he met the thin lips in a searing kiss, he knew that both of their souls had been saved that day.
The end
I hope you liked it. Review of course.