Disclaimer: JkR gets credit. Angst, pre-slash dance. Snape takes Harry to visit his parent's grave. Not beta. English not my native language.
Conversations in the Dark
By Tracev
The mist thickened. It seemed to come forward as if it was an entity wanting to see for it's self. It came out of hiding, ghostly shadows swarming…whispering.
Harry stood silently in the dark, the mist rolling around him, chilling his bones and mind. The eclipse of moonlight sat in the tree branches, casting eerie streams of light in its wake. The forbidden forest was silent for the first time in its history. Not a creature or beast stirred. The breeze from earlier was gone, the crackle of wizard hexes, and the voices that had shouted them were still. Harry didn't trust his own eyes nor footsteps at this point. He craned his neck, willed his eyes to focus, for his ears not to deceive him this night…
He squatted where he stood, resting one arm on his leg, his wand still in hand. The charred blackened earth was still smoking. Steam and vapors rose, becoming part of the mist and forest. A long black crater, about the size of a man, craved in the earth's soil of the forbidden forest shivered and was still.
Harry narrowed his eyes, as the length of the once man turned to a harden ash and began to flake. The mist devoured it, hungry for the death.
He wanted to poke at it with his wand but was scare a foul hand would come alive, that the thing would somehow grab him, drag him down to whatever devil grave it had descended to.
He fidgeted, pressing his lips together in a straight line…whimpering. He had to get away from it… before something bad happened. Before it somehow took his blood, or breath for it's own. Before it destroyed him and his life again and again.
The silence was scaring him, he needed the rush of traffic and voices, the great hall. But the mere thought of returning to the castle repulsed him.
He fell back, stirring twigs and leaves…earth crusted under his fingernails. He shook, crying out to the forest though there was no physical pain. He had to get away, to know that life still existed, that it was still out there, waiting for him. He stumbled again, not finding his footing. His eyes' not leaving those of the ashes.
A hand reached down swiftly pulling him to his feet. Startled he shook his wand in the direction of the man that had forced him up. His hand shaking more now then when he had killed Voldemort just moments before.
He swallowed, pale and whimpering still. His voice seemed lost to him now.
Snape held up his hands to show he did not have his wand pulled. The clasp of the Death Eater cloak was unbuttoned and falling off his one shoulder. Harry saw the white gleam of the mask several feet away lying on the dirt floor, smudged and torn looking. Snape knelt next to the ash, picking up a narrow stick from the ground and poked at it.
It seemed to crumble and a wind that wasn't there before picked up the flakes and stirred them about. Lifting them higher in the air, a whip of a whirlwind picked up all the dust and ash, moving it around the small clearing scattering the ash.
"Always scatter the ash of your enemy… otherwise they will have a restless soul and may seek revenge." He said softly. He stood. Looking around the clearing, at Harry who was pale.
"I thought there would be more fanfare…you no, a fiery demise and all," Snape ran a hand threw his hair. Pulling it back from his face. His voice was solid but soft, as if he didn't want to scare off a timid creature.
He looked around slowly, "We should head back to the castle, Potter. Inform the others of what has finally happened." He made a move to stand next to his student but Harry stumbled away shaking his head.
"I'm… not … going … back" he stuttered softly. His wand still clenched in his hand by his side. His knuckles red and scratched, lines of stress creaked around the skin.
Blankly Snape nodded, "…and where will you go?" his tone gave no hint of the irritation it truly felt.
"…My parents home… in Godric Hollow," he said more confidently, "…I've always wanted to see where they were buried." Tears swelled in his eyes suddenly, chewing on his bottom lip. "I have to see it, tonight," he said finally.
Snape narrowed his eyes, trying to read the boy. "You've never seen your parents grave?" He wasn't sure if he believed the boy or not. At least sixteen years had passed since their death, surely he had seen his parents grave, Dumbledore had to have taken him, if not Black…or Lupin…would have. What about that muggle family he lived with. Evan's sister? … He thought, surely she made the occasional trip out to mourn family.
Harry was shaking his head, like a child did, radically as if he had no control over its movement. "Dumbledore said he would once but…" he shook, tugging at the collar of his shirt.
But he had died.
Snape stood watching him
He looked at the boy a long time before he spoke again. "Wasn't your muggle family related to your mother? Didn't they take you?"
He shook his head, biting at his bottom lip , "...we didn't get along, my aunt despised my mother."
Snapes mouth twitched. Still didn't explain why no one would take the boy to see his parents grave.
"...Will you come with me?" the boys' voice was meek as if he feared rejection at having asked such a question.
Snape sighed then nodded, you don't deny someone when they ask you to visit a grave with them. No matter who they are. Not a situation he wished to be part of, when they returned to the castle he would just get Lupin to take the boy. He might even tag along for safety's sake.
"You apparate first...so I can connect to your location."
Startled Snape looked up, "You want to go now... in the middle of the night?"
Harry's eyes glassed over, "I told you, I'm not returning to Hogwart's, I'm done with it." His voice was stronger, the bite was back in the tone.
Damn child, it was only a month till graduation. Only Potter would drop out now.
"I'll go alone." it was more of a threat then a statement.
Damn Dumbledore, this should have been done a long time ago. Snape nodded again and apparated away with out a word.
Harry looked again at the black earth where Voldemorts remains had lay moments before. It was cold in the woods. Mist lingered at the outer banks of the clearing. This was finally over, his fight with Voldemort, his battle of the Dark Lord, of scars that hurt, fearing for the safety of friends. He could feel the will of Lord Voldemort drain from his being, the tingle of his scar fade… it was over. For good…
New to apparating Harry shut his eyes focusing on Snapes location, then was gone.
NEXT THE GRAVE