AN: Hello hello :)
*Nicoisawesome- Yes! Progress has been made! It was really just meant to be cute ;)
*Shorty McGee- In this chapter Severus might act a little out-of-character (it depends on how you perceive Severus' character) let me know if it seems wrong to you
*ibliniy- Oooh! Haha sorry, that went completely over my head *blushes*
Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
~GreenEyes
Harry glanced at the clock. Professor Harris hadn't said how long he would be gone, but the period was already a quarter-of-the-way over.
"Come on," Harry said, standing up straight and stepping away from the wall. "Let's at least practice the charm."
Severus followed him to the center of the clearing Harris had created in the classroom. His arms were crossed and his eyes looked doubtful.
Harry turned to face him with his wand out. He considered it a small triumph that Severus didn't flinch or react in any way that would indicate that he took Harry's stance as a threat.
"We'll take turns, yeah?" Harry suggested.
"Yeah, sure." Severus answered, shrugging. He obviously wasn't looking forward to this.
Severus made no move to cast the charm, so Harry decided to cast first.
Concentrating on the horrific scene of the battlefield –dead and injured everywhere, the damage to the school grounds, and the blood… so much blood– Harry raised his wand and said, in a deliberately even voice, Expecto Patronum.
Nothing.
Severus stared at his wand, as if he still expected something. Finally, he brought his eyes up Harry's.
"I thought Harris said that you had a knack for this charm?" Severus asked, surprised.
Harry shrugged.
"Doesn't mean I'll get it every time," Harry said matter-of-factly; he was finding it easier to make up lies on the spot. "We only learned this charm today after all."
Severus seemed to consider this, then nodded.
"Yeah, you're right." He said.
Harry gestured for Severus to raise his wand.
"Your turn." Harry said.
Obediently, Severus raised his wand. Harry's war-sharpened eyes caught the subtle motion of Severus swallowing. Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Expecto Patronum!" Severus' enunciation was perfect and his tone was confident. The execution of the spell was perfect.
But still nothing.
Severus gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Your turn." He spat out before Harry could say anything.
Harry decided to try a little, if only to show Severus that he knew what he was doing; that he could help.
Harry thought of a happy –but not really– memory this time. Namely, Dudley telling him that he wasn't a waste of space. It wasn't happy, more of a pleasantly surprised feeling.
"Expecto Patronum!" Harry spoke the incantation more firmly this time.
A silvery-white mist drifted out of the tip of his wand. Nowhere near the shot-like speed it should have been, it just kinda… trickled out his wand.
But it was something!
Severus watched the mist with an expression halfway between awe and envy.
Harry was again plagued by the question of whether Severus actually had any happy memories –or, indeed, whether any of the memories would be powerful enough for to produce a Patronus.
Harry remembered the surprise he felt when it was revealed to him that the Doe Patronus that he had seen in the forest that day had been his Professor's. Not because of the form that it took, or because Snape had tried to help him. No, because he had never stopped to consider that his dark, gloomy Potions Professor could be capable of produce such a spell.
Harry was filled with a determination. He would see that Severus learn to produce a Patronus, even if he had to help make the happy memories himself!
Severus was reluctant to take his turn after Harry's success, Harry could see that.
"Hey, how about we take a break?" Harry suggested. "Do something else for a bit."
Severus' eyes turned hopeful.
"What do you propose?" Severus asked curiously.
Harry thought for a bit. What could they do?
"How about a duel?" Harry suggested. At Severus' raised eyebrow, he added: "A friendly one."
"Friendly?" Severus drawled teasingly. "That would be a first for the two of us."
Harry grinned.
"There's always a first time for everything." He replied.
Severus smirked in reply.
Without another word, Harry crossed to one side of the empty space Harris cleared for the lesson. Severus followed his actions, crossing to the other end. They each turned to face the other.
Harry bowed, inclining his neck only slightly.
Severus raised an eyebrow –James' and Severus' duel must never have been quite so civilized– but returned the gestured. He, too, inclined his neck just so much that the movement was noticeable.
Harry raised his wand, Severus did the same. In each boy's eyes there was an excited glint. In a sense, both of them had been born for this.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry cast. Old habits die hard.
Severus blocked the spell with a quick shield.
Harry was caught off guard slightly –this was the spell which had defeated Voldemort, but then it was Severus who had first shown him the spell– which worked to Severus' advantage.
"Cantis!" Severus cast. Harry was hit by this jinx and burst into song uncontrollably.
Luckily, Harry was only forced to sing a couple of lines of "God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs" for the first few lines before the spell wore off. Severus took this time to shake with suppressed laughter, and so was not prepared for Harry casting a stunning spell at him.
Unfortunately, Harry was used to casting this spell full-force –Death Eaters were tough and they had been Harry's primary target for years! Severus was slammed into the wall behind him with a sickening, CRACK!
Harry's wand-hand dropped and he took a couple of steps toward Severus. But the boy stood up quickly, his wand raised and prepared to strike. A bit of blood was dribbling out of the corner of the boy's mouth, but his eyes were blazing.
"Sectumsempra!" Severus shouted.
Harry's eyes widened. Suddenly a sharp pain pierced his body, like an invisible sword was swung at him. His left shoulder stung, his chest was on fire, and his right hip felt like it had a chunk sliced out of it!
Harry let out a grunt of pain and doubled over. Blood was spurting out of the wounds and soaking his robes. The pain was getting worse! Harry collapsed, letting his head fall back onto the cold floor –fast turning scarlet with blood– and just concentrating on breathing.
"Shit!" Severus swore kneeling over him. "I'm sorry, James. Hold on!"
Severus traced his wand over the deep gashes his curse had caused. He chanted an incantation that sounded almost like a song.
The bleeding slowed to a stop.
Severus kept chanting. It sounded like "Vulnera Sanentur" to Harry, though the pounding in his ears impeded his hearing somewhat. The pain was gone almost as quickly as it had started, but his body was still in a state of shock.
He sat up on the floor, but made no attempt to stand up. Severus was still kneeing next to him, staring at him with wide eyes full of shock.
"I'm so sorry, James!" Severus repeated. "I didn't know that would happen, I swear! I thought it would give you a couple of tiny cuts, you know, like paper cuts! Irritating and a little painful, but not that!"
"S'kay," Harry muttered. "Sorry about the stunner."
"Forget the stunner!" Severus shrieked, standing up. "Do you realize how dangerous that was? If I didn't know the counter-curse, then what? You would've been dead!"
Severus was pacing now, running a hand through his hair agitatedly.
"Oh, Merlin, I tried to kill a student!" Severus moaned. "I'm gonna be expelled, or chucked into Azkaban! I can't go to Azkaban, I don't even know the Patronus Charm!"
"Severus!" Harry cut his panicked babbling off. Severus shut up.
He looked at him with fearful eyes.
Harry clambered to his feet and approached the agitated youth. He grabbed Severus' shoulders –ignoring the flinch– and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Listen to me, Severus." Harry said slowly and firmly. "I believe you, you didn't mean it."
Severus nodded mutely.
"I'm not going to tell anyone about this," Harry said. "And neither are you, right?"
Severus shook his head, still not saying anything.
"No-one's going to Azkaban," Harry said, giving Severus' shoulders a squeeze before letting go. "I promise."
Finally, Severus spoke. "Th-thank you, James." He whispered.
Harry smiled.
"What are friends for?" He said.
AN: So what did you think? Let me know!
Any spells you might not have heard of are from the Harry Potter Wiki Page.
See you next chapter! :D
~GreenEyes