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Chapter Seven

Harry's sleep was plagued by nightmares and he awoke sweaty and panting when his alarm went off at 9 pm that night. As this was the norm for him when sleeping, as opposed to passing out, he simply lay in bed catching his breath before getting up and heading for the shower, determinately not thinking about his dream. He knew he wasn't yet ready to deal with his Godfather's death. Since he was in no rush tonight Harry took his time in the shower, and a good 15 minutes passed before he began rifling through his trunk in search of just the right outfit for tonight.

Choosing washed out, tight black jeans with a bootleg cut and a vibrant blue T-shirt that had random tears with safety pins through them, Harry got dressed and headed back into the bathroom to quickly brush his hair, deciding that when he got to Little Whinging he would add some blue streaks to match his shirt.

That done, Harry headed down stairs to find Snape and Cassi relaxing in the family room reading quietly. Cassi was the first to notice him and she was careful not to react to his clothing, deciding instead to ask him if he wanted something to eat before he left. Harry said he didn't want to be a bother but when Cassi assured him it was no bother, and she would really prefer it if he would eat he agreed to eat a quick sandwich. While the House Elf Cassi called was seeing to that Severus seemed to shake himself out of his shock.

Of course, no longer being in shock didn't mean he had any idea what to say to fill the uncomfortable silence. "So, umm, where are you headed tonight?"

Harry vaguely consider pointing out that it this wasn't really Severus' business, hating to set a precedent where Snape might feel he had a right to information about Harry's life, but instead he decided that if he had to wait for the sandwich he may as well hold some form of conversation. Something about these people suggested that silence was always gonna be worse.

"Just to a friend's place, Alex is having a few people over."

"Sounds great." Harry figured Cassi felt the same way about silence from the way she was always trying just as hard, if not harder then himself, to fill them. Lucky just then a House Elf Harry hadn't met before popped in with a chicken salad sandwich. Deciding that he'd really rather not stick around any longer then he had to, Harry grabbed both halves of the sandwich and excused himself, activating the portkey before either of the adults had a chance to respond.

Arriving in the park Harry ate half the sandwich quickly, throwing away the other half. He had eaten more food today then he thought he had ever eaten in a single day before and he didn't think he could stand any more. Harry then called to mind the image of himself he always held in the back of his mind and with just a small amount of focus added blue highlights to his hair, he knew without needing to find a mirror that his appearance had changed to match his internal image.

Harry had never really thought much about the time he had fixed the length of his hair after his aunt had cut it. After joining the magical world he just assumed it was normal accidental magic, that is until the summer following his second year. A friend of his had just gotten bright orange contact lenses, and told Harry all about the different types of lens you could get. The next morning Harry had stood in front of the bathroom mirror trying to picture himself without his famous green eyes, trying to picture himself with blue eyes. His eyes felt slightly weird for a moment and when he looked he had blue eyes just like he had imagined them. In his surprise he lost his focus and they turned green again. Over the next few weeks every chance Harry got he tried to change the color of his eyes until he got really good at it, he could change the color at will, and hold the new color for as long as he wanted without thought.

Having achieved that, he tried other things. Changing his nose felt even weirder then his eyes had, it was the same weird feeling but it was like he first had to fight through a spider's web of resistance. His hair he found was practically impossible to change. That same spider's web was there except this time it was steel reinforced, and practically impossible to alter, after several weeks of trying he was able to change the length a little and sometimes the color. Harry had plenty of time to practice since he was locked in his room.

He also had plenty of time to think. He knew Voldemort wasn't gone and just because he had stopped him this time didn't mean that Voldemort wouldn't be successful in returning next time he tried. It may be a little thing being able to change a few of your features but that small chance of disguise may be the entire defense Harry had. With that thought firmly in mind Harry never even considered revealing his new talent to his friends, and he firmly swore to never change his features or remove his scar while in the magical world. Of course, when he got his first tattoo the summer after third year he did so fully planning to hide it during the school year using his hidden talent, the same way he hid each subsequent tattoo since.

Meeting Tonks had been a real eye opener. He finally had a name for that hidden talent of his. Knowing what it was he now had a way to research it. Whenever anyone found him with a book on Metamorphmagi he just explained it away by saying he was intrigued by the ability after having met Tonks. The books were most helpful, helping him to understand the extent of his abilities.

Also explaining that the feeling of having to fight through a spider's web was a sign of having a glamour cast on you. When it was fairly easy to fight through the web it meant that the glamour was only light, only altering your appearance a bit, when it was very hard to fight through the spider's web it meant the glamour was very thick, altering your natural appearance a lot. Although Harry would have loved to have asked someone, most likely Dumbledore, why the hell he had a glamour on he decided that maintaining his secret was far more important. Harry guessed it wasn't a mystery any more.

About a year ago that spider's web had gotten easier to pass through, beginning slowly to disappear from some places. He took to having to hold the image of himself, as he had always appeared, on himself rather then just appearing that way. About two months ago Harry noticed that even his hair was now free of the glamour, the last place that had seemed to be holding the spell. He hadn't looked; hadn't dropped the appearance he was now holding on himself in order to look, hadn't really wanted to know what he looked like. Not right then. Sirius had just died and somehow looking exactly like his father had seemed very important in the wake of his surrogate father's death.

Now Harry was really very glad he hadn't looked earlier. He really couldn't have handled finding out the truth just after Sirius' death. Finding out that he wasn't really James Potter's son, that he wasn't Padfoot's last link to his dead best friend would have been too much right after his Godfather had died for him. And now, he was far too much in shock about this new situation to be ready to deal with a new look on top of it all. Better, for the time being, to let Dumbledore, Snape and anyone else who knew, think that the glamour just hadn't faded yet.

With these far too happy thoughts about the current state of his psyche in mind, Harry decided it would be best to take a pro-active stance in solving his problems. The method of solution- the universal cure of drinks, drugs and sex. And hey, oh happy days, he just happened to know where a party was going on. With that slightly sarcastic thought Harry forbid himself from thinking any more and headed off toward Alex's house, thanking the fates that Alex's parents had had to go to some conference that week.

With Harry's current motivation it didn't take long to get there. The best fun was always in the back yard so he headed out there, well, the best public fun. It didn't take long to find a dealer in the back yard, there were several milling around, but Harry was particular and only bought from one he knew sold good shit. Deciding that tonight's drug of choice should defiantly be the love drug with a little classic coke for added fun Harry made his purchases. When Harry told Snape that Alex was having a few people over he meant about 60 odd, but it was a fairly large 2 story home with a huge backyard so it was all good.

Seeing Alex across the yard Harry figure he ought to say hi before he forgot so after a tab and 2 bumps he headed over to him. Stealing the bottle of tequila straight out of Alex's hand Harry took a couple of swallows before leaning in to kiss Alex hello. They exchanged pleasantries but Harry's attention was already elsewhere. Harry had never really been into blondes, but that one on the dance floor was too nice to pass up. Excusing himself, and totally missing Alex's smirk, Harry headed toward the dance floor.

The music was blasting out over the makeshift dance floor, playing House music. Checking out the blonde up close he liked what he saw. She was leggy, wearing short black denim shorts and burgundy doc martins. She hade a red satin wife beater on, cut short to show her flat mid-driff, and tight over slightly smallish breasts. Her blonde hair was in a messy pony tale and she wasn't wearing too much make-up. A simple silver necklace lead down under her top.

She saw him checking her out and smirked encouragingly, taking the offer Harry decided to dance with her. They danced for 3/4 of an hour or so, rubbing and groping on the dance floor, before he decided it was time for things to get a little more private. In the mood to take his time, he convinced her to head upstairs with him. Well, convinced in the sense of asking her if she wanted to go up stairs, and getting a positive response. On the way through the lounge toward the stairs Harry grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the bar, he knew that Alex wouldn't mind, and he'd buy him a new one later.

Upstairs Blondie, as he had taken to calling her in his head since he never had gotten around to asking her name, took charge. Before he really knew what was happening he felt himself hit the wall inside the bedroom they had managed to find. The fore play down stairs already had them fair worked up and the lips on his own felt so good, and the fingers fumbling at his belt seemed to know what they were doing. His own hands were busy opening the bottle and when he got the lid off he took a couple of swallows before offering Blondie some, she took a quick swig before setting it on the bed side table.

While she was occupied with that Harry lost his shirt and grabbed her from behind. Pushing her face first into the wall he went to work on her neck, licking, sucking and biting while working her shorts open. With that done he spun her around again, she wasn't one to lose control though obviously as she dragged him around until he felt his back hitting the wall again. She never had gotten his pants open, only his belt, and with new determination she went back to work on the button, hers lips working on his neck and lips all the while.

Shimmying down so she could pull off her own shorts and underwear, and yanking his down at the same time, Harry just managed to grab a condom from his back pocket where he always kept them before his pants hit the ground. She was in front of him again and pulling of her top, revealing a plain red bra. With the ease of experience Harry had the foil package open and the condom on in record time.

Wrapping his arms around her again he was a little surprised, and just plain lucky to catch her, when she jumped up a little wrapping her legs around him. Stumbling he hit the wall and then managed to spin so her back against the wall, providing leverage as he pulled back enough to line up with her entrance. Sliding in smoothly he didn't bother pausing before he was thrusting, short and quick, long and hard, the pattern was erratic. It didn't take long for Blondie to come biting his shoulder and scratching his back. The unexpected pain sent him over and he grunted his own release.

Lowering his head to her shoulder Harry tried to catch his breath. Her arms pushing at his shoulders brought him back to reality and he stepped backward, easing her legs from around his hips so she could stand on the ground. She dragged him over toward the bed and he sat down grabbing the bottle as he did. Sculling about a third of the bottle, Harry passed it to Blondie. She drained a fair bit herself and the now almost empty bottle was handed back to him. Seeing no point in setting back down a bottle with only an inch or so left he finished it off before falling backward on the bed.

He was used to quick fucks, and far from being adverse to them, but it was generally with guys that things got this fast and rough. Girls he found tended to take things a little slower, or at least preferred to reach the bed. Sitting up to ditch the used condom in the bin beside the bed Harry took another bump from his pants pocket, offering Blondie one too. She took a hit and then pushed Harry back on the bed, he guessed it was time for round two.

He figured he was right as he watched her leave about and hour later. She had been in the mood for slow this time and taking her lead he had taken his time. Lying there for a moment Harry let his mind drift, not really thinking. Man he loved these moments, when he could actually stop thinking for a little while. He supposed he should get up, there was bound to be someone who wanted this bedroom and he was hogging it just to lie there and do nothing. He stumbled up and got dressed again, his shirt catching on his new necklace as he did. Catching sight of a clock he saw that it had passed midnight a bit back.

He was walking down the hall, back toward the stairs he had come up earlier when he saw Alex walking toward him with his arm around another guy. He moved aside so they could pass by but Alex stopped and leaned into him, looking him in the eyes for a second before kissing him. Alex always tasted like tequila, and although he knew that Harry generally didn't sleep with the same person more then once, and Alex himself had the same tendency, he could generally convince Harry to put aside that rule. Alex was just far to fun in bed, and he felt the same way about Harry, and they both knew that they were too much alike to ever have to risk it getting complicated.

Pulling apart Harry and Alex stared at each other for a moment before Alex grinned and grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt. Smirking Harry popped a second tab as he let himself be pulled back into the bedroom he had just vacated with Alex and the other guy, who he would later learn and then subsequently forget, was named Chris.

When Harry stumbled downstairs several hours later, leaving Alex and Chris passed out up stairs the party was starting to die down. He considered staying long enough to have another drink and maybe dance some more but, as he stumbled into a wall, he decided that wasn't a good idea. And Damn Alex for always having a bottle of tequila near him. Harry knew tequila messed him up like nothing else but he could never seem to stop himself from drinking it. He notice that it had gone 5 am and decided that since he had to be in London in less then 12 hours he should probably head home.

Walking about a block away Harry ducked into an alleyway and slurred the password to activate his portkey. Appearing in the entrance hall it was all Harry could do not to toss his cookies all over the marble floor, he did fail to keep his balance though and hit the ground with a loud grunt of pain which he couldn't quite make himself care about making. Standing again seemed far too difficult, especially since he would have to climb stairs so instead he crawled toward the stairs. One step at a time he dragged himself up the staircase until using the banister at the top to leaver himself up.

Using the wall to steady himself he stumbled toward his room, hoping he was being quite but, in that somehow self-aware way that drunks have, knowing full well that he was probably making an arse of himself. He managed to turn the doorknob on the third try and used the momentum of falling through the door to fall onto the bed. Obviously having done this before he closed his eyes and used instinct to strip arse naked, crawl under his bedding and passing out. All the while unaware of the ear pressed to a door down the hall, listening to every second, hoping to gage his condition without being obvious.

Severus's POV

Severus had known from the second Harry had left that he wouldn't be able to sleep that night. He knew he'd spend the whole night worrying about his son, but he also knew that he couldn't do anything about it. He had promised the teen just that morning that he could come and go at will, and he couldn't go back on that.

When Cassi had dragged him upstairs at midnight, pointing out that Harry probably wouldn't be home for hours and he needed to at least try to get some sleep he had gone with her, knowing she was right. Tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable with his mind conjuring images of all the things that Harry could be up, with the added help of having witnessed the last party Harry went too, and all the things that could go wrong too, Severus knew he was preventing Cassi from sleeping too. As the hours passed they eventually settled down, lying side by side in the dark, listening for their son to return.

Dozing off and on they both came instantly awake at the sound of a pained grunt from downstairs. Considering whether or not he should head downstairs to check on Harry or keep his word to ignore such stumbling, Severus' decision was made for him as he heard the slow sounds of someone making their way upstairs. The muffled thump as he hit the wall at the top and then the sound of shuffling feet and the sound of the occasional quieter thump as he walked into the wall he was obviously using as a guide reassured Severus as he obviously wasn't so bad as to have forgotten where his room was. He heard the door open and the sound of his son hitting the bed, this was followed by two thuds, which had to be Harry's boots, and the sound of clothes being thrown off, and then he heard no more.

Cassi and Severus looked at each other before both grabbing their robes. Pulling them on hastily they snuck down the hall to Harry's open door and peaked around the corner. There he was, already sleeping, with his clothes thrown beside the bed, safe at home. They could sleep now. Closing Harry's door they headed back to bed, knowing their youngest would have them up in only a few hours, Severus and Cassi aloud sleep to take them, with only the passing thought of 'was his hair blue?' as they both lost awareness.

Be honest people- how many times have we all made it home like this?

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