For a moment, just one, the clearing was completely still. Then there was a loud boom and a body was tossed from the light. Severus Snape had just enough time to brace himself as a predominately black and tan bundle slammed into him. He was knocked into a tree and slid to the ground gasping.

Severus had been keeping to the shadows during the skirmish, not wanting to be seen fighting on either side. The only reason he had stepped out into the clearing was that the one remaining Death Eater was the one conducting the ritual. Now he wished, groaning, the he had stayed behind the damn tree.

"Owwwww….." the bundle in his lap moaned. To Severs the voice sounded confused, but that was probably from the sudden toss.

"Mr. Potter." He said without opening his eyes. And of course it was Potter, partly because that was the way the boy's luck went, and mainly because the man in the ritual circle had been very tall and muscular. Neither description matched the petit body currently in his lap. "Remove yourself from my person."

Severus heard a gasp and felt Potter move back slightly. Black eyes opened to green that were staring at him with a kind of longing, desperation and something else. Some other, deeper emotion that the potions master had ever seen before. Their eyes stayed locked, and temptation to dive through to the mind behind them was strong. Severus knew it would be easy, the boy had failed to learn even the most basic form of occulemecy despite his efforts, and he was struck with intense desire to know why he was being looked at like this. Potter should hate him, did hate him, yet…

But Severus resisted.

Movement gave him the excuse to break the gaze. One slim, tanned ("Too tan," he thought absently) hand was reaching slowly towards his face. The spy turned his head slightly to avoid the touch and in doing so noticed something that prompted him to action. The boy, still sprawled across him, was completely unclothed.

Swiftly, Severus grabbed slim shoulders and used his hold to remove the Gryffindor from his legs. Freed, he quickly stood, shrugging off his outer robe as he did so.

"Cover yourself Potter!" he barked as he dropped the black fabric on the boy's head. Only years of practice kept the embarrassment from coloring pale cheeks, especially when a glance around showed blue eyes with a twinkle of amusement showing from under the concern.

"Are you alright dear boy?" the elderly Headmaster asked his student who had only moved enough to wrap himself in the borrowed robe. A touch to the poor boy's shoulder prompted the emerald gaze to move from where it had been locked on the form of his potions professor. "He must be quite dazed."

"Dumbledore?" Murmured a rough, hoarse voice. Those green eyes picked up speed and sharpness as they moved around the clearing, taking in anxious classmates and teachers. "What?"

"You stepped into a ritual circle Harry." The professor explained gently. "Crushed one of the runes. You're lucky to be alive."

"Yeah, considering that bloke wasn't." Ron added, eyeing the crispy flecks that were all that was left of the Death Eater.

"Are you sure he's alright Headmaster?" Hermione asked fretfully as she watched her friend be aided to his feet. Her question was answered quickly when the young with realized that she could hear her friends body snap, crack and creak from where she hovered a few feet away. Harry may not be badly injured, but he was not alright.

"Damn mate…" Ron winced at the sound of his friends joints. "That sounds bloody painful…."

Hermione was already hovering at Harry's elbow, ready to catch him if he stumbled. She did not like how his eyes still weren't totally focused either. "You're lucky it was just your clothes that were destroyed. Time Rituals are sensitive enough without their runes being disrupted. You could have aged a thousand years, or been sent through time, or deaged to before you were born, or-"

"Ms. Granger!" The headmaster cut in through the hysteria. "Why don't we get Mr. Potter back to the school? I'm sure Madame Pomfrey would be able to help him."

"Right! Sorry Professor Dumbledore"

"Quite alright my dear." The old man turned to look at Harry. The boy had turned away from his concerned friend and was once again staring intent at his Potions Master. Severus had turned pointedly away, the attention clearly unnerving him. This seemed to distress the poor boy, as he made several steps towards the man, his joints and tendons popping and creaking in an alarming fashion.

"Harry stop! You're hurting yourself!" Hermione cried, tugging at his barrowed robe.

Large green eyes blinked at the girl for a moment before looking down. Bringing up one hand, Harry studied it for a moment before suddenly making a fist. The resulting series of cracks were the most painful sounding yet. Several cries were heard as everyone in the clearing jumped to his aid. After realizing that the sudden motion had actually dislocated three fingers in five different joints, still with no reaction from the teen, they had Harry levitated back to Hogwarts as fast as magic was able.