Rising from the Ashes
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Chapter 7: Up for Explanations?
Harry felt his feet touch ground once more and immediately took a step back from his former professor. He scanned Severus Snape with a judging glance of discomfort and his voice was accusing:
"Why did you do this? You know that I hate it when others make decisions on my whereabouts!"
"Then maybe you should think twice before you side-apparate me without telling where we are going, too you insufferable brat!"
Harry threw his hands up and declared a truce for this topic, which brought Severus back to why they were in his house now – the still severe bleeding of Harry's left hand.
"Wait down here and do me the favor to not spill your blood everywhere. I'll be back in a second." And with that Severus left the room and went to get a healing paste for his new employer. Though it didn't take long, it was enough time for Lord Potter-Black to check the entire room for dark objects, cursed books and other magically interesting things, but he didn't find any. It wasn't that he wanted Severus to be a bad and dark wizard (if a separation of light and dark has to be necessary), but he knew what his inherited house felt like with all its power, craziness and age, and nothing of it, not even in the smallest spark, could he feel in here. He was just starting to widen his magical scanner when Severus came back, eyebrow risen.
"What are you up to, Potter?" Severus asked skeptically.
"Nothing, as always Professor", Harry said and smiled brightly at the unconvinced man in front of him. "Would you tell me where we are? I mean, this is your house of course, but where is it?"
"No, I won't. Now sit down and give me your hand."
"It is just a little scratch, nothing I will die from. You know I had worse, Severus."
"Yes, I know. And if you would have gone to Poppy with most of your 'scratches' instead of letting them heal by themselves you wouldn't have so many scars."
Harry was thinking how he could retort without saying or implying too much. He was sure that Severus only knew of a minimum of scars Harry had got during the years and that those that he saw were minor ones as the Gryffindor kept the nastier ones under several glamour charms.
"Hm, but they were nothing. Little scratches gained during Quidditch training or walking the forbidden forest are not something I'd go to Poppy with. She would have managed to never let me leave the castle again. Merlin, I even had my own bed in the hospital wing and I didn't want to spend more time in it then absolutely necessary."
"Granger could have made you some potions, balms and salves."
"No. I asked her once and she said that this would be where friendship ends and that I were to see Poppy or a professor if I need medical treatment."
Severus looked thoughtful at his 'patient' and tried to find some more answers in his eyes which were closed off immediately when Harry recognized the intention.
"What about Ms. Lovegood? I come to know that she always had a good storage of healing equipment."
Harry's eyes met those of Severus "That is why most of the scars happened before I met Luna. She took care of the bigger ones from fifth year on. Even though we had become friends then, we did never tell anybody. It was her idea, actually, that she would not heal the small wounds as I didn't let them be checked before. You know, to not make it obvious that I had my personal healer."
"'course little Potter had his own healer. Be it as it may, those little scratches, as you put it, never make such scars, Harry! What was it?"
"What was what?"
Severus grabbed Harry by his shoulders, the thump of his left hand hooked under both fabrics of tank top and shirt which he slowly moved to the side revealing a three inch long and half an inch wide uneven scar running from the younger man's collarbone to his scapular.
"This."
Harry, who had been looking shocked at Severus while he made his way to the scar, freed himself and turned his back on him asking why Severus knew it existed.
"I saw it while you were sitting shirtless at my table, drinking yourself with my whiskey to oblivion and while you were lying on my carpet with your back torn into shreds of skin and flesh."
"Oh. Well, that explains it." Harry crossed his arms protectively in front of his chest as sad pictures of this particular night came alive in his mind and were carried to the front of his eyes visible for those who knew what to look for. In a very low tune Harry continued "It was a burning arrow." When he wanted to grasp his arms tighter with his own hands, the Gryffindor realized the pain and looked at the still bleeding cut with a faraway expression "Will you heal my palm as well, Severus?" he nearly whispered more to himself then to his real companion still looking oddly at his wound.
Severus had never averted his eyes from Harry who was right now so much more vulnerable than he had seen him for a long time.
"Of course, Raven. Just reach it out to me and the pain will be gone in a few minutes."
"I do not care for the pain." Harry still watched his bleeding hand.
"But I do, believe it or not. You suffered enough for this world." Severus took Harry's hand in his and turned the palm up starting to clean the cut with cold water. His touches were soft, careful not to hurt him more and the small tub filled with water flowing beside them slowly turned red.
"As did you." Harry whispered into the silence.
"No. I will never have suffered enough. Never."
This made the former Gryffindor angry, but a tantrum would not be the right choice of action right now. He went for another way and withdraw his hand from Severus' to cup his cheeks so that he had to look Harry in the eyes.
"Yes you have, Severus Tobias Snape, and never think or believe to have not. Promise me!"
"I cannot." And Severus grabbed the injured hand again to finish his work.
"Why?"
"You know the answer." Harry searched for Severus eyes, but the older man did not look up while he spoke "You feel the same about killing people. We might have been declared innocent for murder, torture, burglary and general disobeying to rules, but it never felt right. You are starting a task whose goals were said to be impossible to achieve just to not feel the guilt of murder every day. You made me headmaster just because…"
"Stop it. Do not finish this sentence because deep inside you know why I chose you and this was not me feeling guilty or responsible!"
"Hogwash! Just stop lecturing me on something you didn't accomplish yourself. This is not fair."
"You once said to me that live is not fair, and we both know how absolutely true it is."
"You remember many things I once said to you." Severus said gentle while he applied the healing paste on the now clean cut.
"Nearly everything, Severus."
This made Severus look up and he finally met Harry's eyes which were filling with unshed tears.
"Harry, I can't…" But Severus didn't finish his sentence as a loud popping sound was to be heard from the next room.
"Someone just disapparated Severus." Harry looked angrily at Severus "Who has been here all the time? Who did listen to us?" No answers "This is your house! You should know!"
Severus' face was stern, he knew that only two living people had this address and were allowed to enter the house. What he did not understand was why they would not let themselves be known. What would they gain from eavesdropping?
"Draco" Severus' but whispered.
"You gave Draco your address and allowance to come to your house uninvited, but you do not tell me where we are in the slightest? Severus this is….weird."
Together they went to the next room and looked for any sign why Draco has been here. Harry could see that this room was not used very often. A table and three chairs made the whole furnishing. But many portraits were decorating the walls – some of them empty and some looking very interested in what was going on. A little red porcelain dragon was standing on the small coffee table and it looked as if it did not belong there.
"I have to leave Harry. I will apparate you to your house. Hold on."
But Harry would not take it and stepped away from Severus.
"No. First you will tell me what is going on. Was it really Draco or did you bring someone else to spy on me? I never thought you would sell me to the tabloids, I…"
"Would you mind stopping to insult me? I did no such thing, you are getting paranoid. Not everything revolves around you! Draco needs my advice. The dragon over there is his way of telling me he needs me when he could not find me."
Harry did not look very satisfied with this answer, so Severus just grabbed him on his arm and disapparated swiftly. They landed on the door steps to Grimmauld Place and Harry wrestled free throwing looks able to kill at Severus.
"I will see you on Saturday, Lord Potter-Black. I will await you at the gates of Hogwarts." Severus said and bowed before he disapparated.
Harry angrily entered his house and was greeted by an anxious Salazar Slytherin
"How did it go? Did he accept? Where have you been all the time?"
"I don't want to talk about it right now Salazar. I have a meeting on Saturday which needs a lot of preparation beforehand."
"Did you two not get along? Why did Professor Snape not come back with you?"
"I said I don't want to talk about it right now! So please keep quiet."
"Either you two had a fight or he dumped you again." Salazar folded his arms in front of his chest and tapped with his left foot. "I am waiting."
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Harry's magic was flashing through the house. Pictures on the walls were shaking, glasses were shattering in the kitchen, house elves were running around to rescue what they could and Salazar tried to calm the responsible wizard down which made Harry even more angry and led to splintering wood and flaws in the walls.
Outside, the house still stayed hidden to the muggle eye, but the gathering blizzard did not. A loud thunder was rolling in the air seconds before hail and snow started to overflow the streets, trees and houses.
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
Meanwhile Severus had apparated to Malfoy Manor and knocked loudly on the great entrance door. As always, a house elf opened it and went for one of the Malfoys.
"Good afternoon Severus, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Narcissa hugged her old friend, although she knew that Severus hated it, and was offering tea which he declined and told her instead that Draco called for his advice.
"Sure, sure your advice. I take it that you are partly the reason why he is in such a bad mood? He took one of my grandmother's oldest porcelain statues and smashed it on a wall, but not enough - he had to destroy it so that it is beyond repair now by turning it into sand. Can you image how our dining room looked? I thought I went to the Sahara!"
"Must have been a big statue then." Severus tried not to smirk.
"Do not try me, Severus Snape! Oh how I look forward to the day when you go to my son to clear this messy… whatever it is between you two…up. And believe me Severus Tobias Snape that I will not allow another sand storm in this house just because you idiots are too stupid to see!"
Severus rose a questioning eyebrow, but refused to give Lady Malfoy reason to send him flying out of the house. So he simply nodded and made his way to Draco.
"Oh, and Severus you should clear your face from the stranger's blood. It does not suite you my dear."
"Thanks for your concerns on my attractiveness, but maybe it will come in handy."
Narcissa huffed and went back to her afternoon tea while Severus finally went to look for Draco. Reaching the door to the well-known winter garden, he found Darma (the Suisse mountain dog) lying in front of it.
"Hello Darma, is he in such a bad mood?" The dog just whimpered when the next smashing sound found its way through the door. "I take this as a yes."
Straightening his posture, Severus pushed the door open and used his famous 'your potions professor is in a bad mood' voice to get Draco to listen.
"If you are in such a need of sand, Mr. Malfoy, than you should visit the Sahara instead of destroying artefacts. You surely do not want me to tell your mother about this new escapade?"
He overestimated enormously as Draco just splintered some useless vases.
"Don't fool me!" Draco glared "You make a fool of me Severus! You know I want Harry for myself and yet you bring him to your house and do Merlin knows what with him. I thought you wanted to help me win him over? I thought you were my friend? But now I am sure that you two are laughing about my stupidity whenever I am not near you! Why are you doing this to me Severus? I know that we are no longer a couple, hell you tell me nearly every time we meet, but does it have to be Potter? What does he has that I do not? Why did you lie to me?"
Severus listened very closely to the angry wizard. He knew of Draco's feelings for him even though they broke up months ago. If he were honest with himself he could admit that he still felt something in return, but having Harry Potter back in his life made everything so much more complicated.
"Dragon please listen to me."
"Don't you Dragon me right now Severus Snape!"
"Ok. Draco, please sit down so we can talk about it. I do not know what you think is going on between me and Harry, but I can assure you that we did not laugh behind your back and that we are not together. And I definitely never betrayed you with him or anyone else. He knows that you like him - a lot - and I have the impression that he likes you as well but still needs time to find out who you are. Do you want to know why I brought him to my home?"
"I don't want to hear stories of what a good lover Potter is."
"I did not sleep with him, Draco. He was wounded and I took care of his bleeding hand." Draco did not look at Severus and was pacing through the room.
"Look at me Draco, please. If you would take just one look at me then you could see that my face is still covered in his blood."
"I saw how he held you, Severus. Please do not pretend that he does not feel something for you because I saw he does and if you were not feeling something for him you would never have allowed him to be so close to you. I thought I am the only one whom you allowed such closeness, but now I see that I was wrong."
Draco had tears in his eyes and the first drops ran down his cheeks. Severus could not bear to see the young man so lonely and disappointed, so he went to the blonde and took him in his arms. Of course Draco tried to free himself with pushing, shoving and even boxing but Severus never let go. Very slowly Draco gave in and clutched to the black haired man as if he were to drown in the ocean with Severus being his only hope for survival.
"Do you love him, Draco? Do you love Harry Potter?"
"I don't know Severus. But I am in love with him, yes."
"And do you love me?" Severus voice was deep and gentle while he was rubbing circles on Draco's back while he nuzzled his nose in Severus' neck.
"Oh Sev, you know I do since our very first kiss, but you pushed me away saying it did not feel right, and..." Draco, still kept in Severus' embrace, had turned his head up to meet obsidian eyes. With two fingers Draco draw a line from Snape's temple down to his mouth were he caressed his lips oh so slightly. "What about you Severus, do you love me or do you love Harry Potter?"
"Dragon this is not the right time to talk about me, I was just…"
"Please Sev, answer me before I kiss you and regret it afterwards. I don't think I can handle one more break-up from you."
"Yes, yes Dragon I still love you, I think I never really stopped." Draco was just about to close the remaining distance between their two pairs of lips when Severus continued talking "But there is a connection between me and Harry that we both do not fully understand. Having you at my side closed the huge gap in me partly, but it never did so completely. The same goes with Harry. When I see him, when I am near to him, I cannot resist touching him. Merlin you saw me how I couldn't let go of him when I just kissed his forehead. I am making a fool of myself when I am near you two and this drives me crazy. I know that you are angry when I am like this to Harry and this tears me apart. Knowing that you want him, that I want him, but that at the same time I want you as well….I cannot give one of you what you are looking for and what you deserve. I am sorry Draco." The Malfoy heir couldn't say a single word. Not once had Severus so openly spoken about his feelings and his most private thoughts, and that left Draco staring with his mouth slightly open.
"I should go now." And so Severus let his arms down and turned his face to the door through which he would walk in a few seconds if he will not be murdered by a Malfoy before.
"Sev you are a fool."
"Well thank you for stating my obvious dilemma. Please let me leave Draco. I did enough damage for one day."
But Draco would not let him go. He grabbed Severus arm when the older wizard wanted to rush away and turned him around with such a drive that their faces were mere inches away. Severus was sure that now would be the time for all the curses to be spit in his face and so as to not let Draco know how deep he will wound him, he placed his mask of indifference on himself and sternly looked into grey eyes. He did not find hatred in those, however, but instead he could see a very out of place emotion: hope and dared he think it: a little bit of happiness.
Draco wanted to tell Severus that they could have it: be happy with each other but not just as a couple but as a triad. Well this implied, of course, that Harry would like the idea and fall for them both head over heels so that he had no other choice than to accept that all three of them could and should be together. And while Draco leant forward to finally kiss his Severus, he formed a plan on how to court Lord Harry James Potter-Black. Mere milliseconds before their lips touched, a rolling thunder shook the manor and made them stop and turn to the window where they saw a huge storm cell approaching carrying hail, snow and murderous lightning. Too anxious as to where it did come from, the two wizards stepped out into the cold and looked for signs on why it so suddenly arouse.
"This is no normal blizzard, it is made of magic. The color of lightning is just wrong. Look Draco, they are more greenish than white or orange like in a normal thunderstorm."
"You are right, they are nearly emerald green." The two of them stood side by side looking into the sky when Draco lowly whispered "Sev, even though I think you won't want to hear this right now, but they remind me of a pair of very special eyes."
"Merlin!" Severus balled his hands to fists and smashed one of them against a near wooden chair which was standing on the porch. Suddenly, Severus remember a line Harry said this morning 'Powerful – you have no idea how powerful'. He also remembered Harry's little meltdown and magic that radiated through the house before Salazar could calm him down. He grabbed the young Lord Malfoy by his upper arms and shook him lightly:
"Draco, think very fast: does your family own a picture of Salazar Slytherin? It might be empty, but do you have one?"
"There is an empty portrait in the dungeons from which father said it once was inhabited by the greatest wizard earth ever saw, but I think it was just a story he loved to tell everyone to impress them. Maybe they thought it would be Voldemort. But, yes, it could be him."
"Stop fuzzing, Draco. Summon it." Draco did as he was told, waved his wand and just seconds later a portrait materialized before them.
"What idiots are you house-elves that you take me outside in this awful weather?" Salazar was rummaging through a wardrobe in the background and put on a thick woolen coat. When he turned around he smiled and pointed his finger to Severus and Draco "Oh it is you. I should have known that this dungeon was one of yours. Fate is a funny thing indeed. You know that you two are responsible for this storm?!"
"What the hell is he talking about Severus?"
"No time for formalities right now Draco. Professor Slytherin, is my assumption correct that this storm is Harry's doing?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you calm him down like you did this morning?"
"This morning he was just…irritated…this emotion is controllable, but his fury makes his magic bubble up like a cauldron full of boiling milk – once set into motion not that easy to stop. He told you that he is powerful, of course now you think this is amazing and that he has to control it, but you do not even scratch the surface. You want to know how to stop this? Well, as far as I know mostly an old friend of his came by as soon as he found out. I don't know why he always knew when young Harry was upset, but he came and Harry's magic would let him pass."
"Pass what?" Draco asked
"He is building a dome like barrier around himself so as not to kill himself while raging wild and no one can enter it. Do you think I left on my own free will to come to this dreadful dungeon?" Severus immediately thought about the dome Harry had built in the Forest of Dean.
"Who?" It was more a whisper, but it didn't lack urgency to the importance the answer would have to Draco.
"I don't know his full name: Viktor something. He could be a Quidditch player I think I heard Harry talk about him when he was in his fourth year."
"Viktor Krum! He dated Viktor Krum?!" Draco was furious
"Where do I find him?" Severus asked while Draco was pulling out his hair.
"Can you build a link to Harry? It might be that Viktor always knew because Harry has some sort of link to him. If you can link Harry, in his current state it should be possible to locate Viktor as well."
"Easy, I could locate him via something similar before."
"I see, but it has been a while, hasn't it Severus? He grew stronger since then and he quit every connection with you when he went to get killed. You know that. I felt the exact moment when the headmaster of Hogwarts recognized he had lost him." Salazar had a calculating expression on his face and looked meaningful at the former and new headmaster.
"Draco give me your hand!" Draco did not. "Now you foolish boy!" Still nothing "Do you want him to kill half of London?"
"You underestimate him again." Salazar mocked both of them with a little sing sang voice, but still Draco was in his stupor.
Severus cupped the blonde's face with his hands and cut Salazar off and out before he would say more stupid things. "Dragon, just minutes ago you told me that you are in love with Harry. Being in love means giving him what he needs, and if he needs Krum right now than we will bring Krum to him!"
"That is not fair Severus. Why him?"
"Let's talk about it later. Now give me your hand and I will apparate is to Krum."
Draco placed his left hand in the right one of Severus who took a powerful hold and started to chant.
Nothing happened.
Severus tried again, pearls of sweat started to cover his forehead.
Still nothing happened and Draco got anxious.
Suddenly a cold breath went through Draco's mind: In the deepest dark, there are lights which only brighten when they are lit together.
"Maybe we should do it right." And Draco grabbed the second hand of Severus lacing their fingers together.
"Try it again, Sev."
The dark haired wizard started again with his incantations and felt his powers rising and his link becoming stronger.
The storm around them grew stronger and wilder by every minute. Trees were breaking under the burden of ice and snow, windows rattled like cutlery from the sheer force of the wind and the world seemed to vanish under masses of fresh falling snow. Shortly after a striking lightning, an explosion-like sound filled the air and Severus and Draco were gone from the manor.
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.
"Bloody hell! Who are you and where did you come from? This is a private compartment for players only!"
"Stop fuzzing Mister Strakow. We need to talk to Viktor Krum." Severus shoved the by Draco addressed man to the side and tried to find the right person
"Draco Malfoy, is zat your lovely voice? What brings you here?" came an astonished answer
„Lord Draco Malfoy, to be precise. We need to talk…alone." Severus snarled at Viktor sitting at the far end and looking out of the window to watch the snow-covered planes.
"Professor Snape Sir." Krum greeted halfheartedly.
"Now, Krum."
"Why this urgency?"
"I don't have time for this nonsense." Severus grabbed Krum around his upper arm, pulled him to Draco taking his arm as well and apparated them to Grimmauld Place.
Once landed without stumbling, Viktor recognized where they were and what was going on.
"Well gentlemen, good luck. Seems you will need it. My greetings to Harry."
Draco looked dumbstruck at the Bulgarian and just managed to look between the old house and the seeker several times without saying a single word.
"Should you be waiting for me to get in there I have to disappoint you. I will not. He does not need me anymore." And with that Viktor pulled his wand from his holster preparing to disapparate.
"You are not willing to help him? We thought you two were friends."
"We…" Viktor choked on his own words until he had reorganized his wording "…were, but this time has passed."
Draco and Severus both raised an eyebrow and looked skeptically at the man before them
"Look, I don't know why you two know that I am a friend of Harry and why you seem to believe I could and would help you. See, this is just a small crisis he will stop that in a few minutes. As for London, by then it will have quite a nice winter landscape fitting to this season we in the East and North call winter, maybe you have heard about it before? Good afternoon Lord Malfoy, Professor Snape." Just as Viktor was about to leave he reached out a hand in the general direction of the house and a shimmering veil materialized around his hand.
"It will be okay" the Bulgarian mumbled adding an even lower "Raven" just shortly after he pronounced the word, a fist collided with his face and send him flying backwards down the small stairs.
"Why did you have to punch him Severus? Now we have to obliviate him!"
"I…he…it was…" Severus was lost for words.
"Would you mind helping me up if you already have the eggs to hit me?" an angry Quidditch player said while rubbing his jaw which started to grow a bruise.
With a rude pull, Severus 'helped' Viktor to a standing position pulling him nearer than would have been necessary and growled darkly to him
"Do never use this name again or I will make you regret."
Normally Severus' threats were lighting fear or at least concern in his enemies' eyes, but not so in Viktor's. Instead Viktor leaned in closer and with his sub-bass voice declared loud enough for Draco to hear
"You are Watchman, do not deny it. I can see it."
"What is going on out here?" Two wizards abruptly spun around and Viktor devilishly smiled at Harry knowing that he has been seeing and listening all for the last minute.
"Night Harry" Viktor said and winked at him before he left with a louder 'pop' than would have been necessary.
"Up for explanations gentlemen?"