Chapter Fourteen: The Plan Begins

Once Harry had finally gone to sleep, Severus slipped off the bed and untangled his fingers from Harry's. The only good thing to come from the article in the Daily Prophet was that it had upset Harry so much that in a few hours he had been too exhausted to keep his eyes open. The article had, however, disturbed him so much that he had demanded that Severus remain touching him almost all the time until he was asleep. Severus found that he didn't really mind as much as he would expect, knowing what was controlling him.

Kneeling in front of the fireplace, Severus glanced over his shoulder once more to check that Harry was sound asleep before throwing in some power,

"Albus Dumbledore's office. Sticky Date Pudding." The fire flared and Severus stuck his head into it. There was a momentary sickening feeling as though half of him was being twisted away from the rest of him and then Dumbledore's office was coming into perspective again. "Albus? Albus?" A door that lead into Albus' bedroom opened and the old wizard exited in a bright yellow nightgown with a pattern of purple, gaudy hippogriffs dancing across it.

"Severus? My boy what are you doing here at this time of night?" Concern flooded his face, "Is Harry alright?"

"Harry is fine. Although the article in the Daily Prophet did nothing to help his state of mind," Severus glared at Dumbledore accusatory but the older man just looked back at him calmly.

"Ah yes, I read that myself. What can I do for you, Severus?" Severus held his tongue for the sake of Harry and got down to business.

"You asked me to work out why Harry is not always calm around me. As much as I enjoy wandering around in your riddles and conundrums, Albus, it would have made things much simpler if you had just told me!" Albus raised his eyebrows and walked around his desk to settle in his throne-like chair and conjured up a hot pot of tea.

"Would it? Would you have believed me?" Severus gaped.

"Would I have believed that the only way to prevent Voldemort from having total control over Harry would be to have someone who likes him, and who I assume he likes, to touch him? Yes I would have!" Dumbledore smiled benevolently and shook his head as though Severus was a petulant child throwing a temper tantrum.

"I have been telling you and young Harry the same thing for twenty years and you still cannot accept it?"

"Accept what?" Severus snarled, glancing back over his shoulder to check whether Harry was stirring.

Dumbledore sipped his tea and looked over at Severus, who realised in irritation that somehow the whole conversation had been flipped around as though it had been Dumbledore who had initiated it.

"What, Severus, do you believe was our greatest weapon against Voldemort?" his tone was conversational and Severus felt his irritation levels rising.

"Harry, obviously," he growled. "Which is why I am here, come to think of it." Dumbledore ignored Snape's anger and took another sip of tea, humming in delight.

"Even Harry had to have a weapon, Severus," he pointed out softly.

"His wand? Damnit Albus stop playing games!" Suddenly, Severus was struck by a memory.

"You know, considering I have such a great weapon, I'm getting my arse kicked in this stupid war."

"Perhaps you are simply using it incorrectly? What is it?"

"What's what?"

"The weapon, Potter!"

"Love."

Severus stared at Dumbledore in disbelief, and then with no little scepticism.

"I do not love Potter!" Dumbledore smiled and finally placed his cup of tea down.

"Do you know that that is the first time I have heard you refer to Harry as Potter in months?"

"I call you Albus and Minerva Minerva, and believe me I do not go in for that sort of thing!" Severus' eyes were blazing. Dumbledore sighed,

"I confess myself disappointed, Severus. You are not usually this slow to pick up on new concepts..." Severus glared at Dumbledore.

"I am not..."

"Of course not," Dumbledore interrupted him firmly. "Now, you came to speak to me for a reason I presume?" Severus started and with a disconcerting amount of effort he reached his mind back to recall why he had flooed anyway.

"My point was," he continued irritably once he had regained his thoughts, "it is obvious that being around people who care is helping Potter because Voldemort cannot deal with those emotions." Dumbledore kept a small secretive smile on his face as Severus continued to refer to Harry as Potter. "So I was considering the benefits of an intervention of sorts."

"The concept certainly has merit," Dumbledore agreed. His tone suggested that he had thought of a similar, or the same idea well before Severus. It set his teeth on edge when he considered the way Dumbledore always left it up to others, potentially making the situation far worse in the meantime.

"Tomorrow evening, Birch Hall," Severus snarled. "I suppose you will have to come. Bring Granger and Weasley. Minerva I suppose as well." Dumbledore nodded. Harry's house teacher had always been fond of him and he had grown to like her as well.

"Hagrid, I'm sure Harry would like to see him once more." Severus nodded absent-mindedly, hearing noise back at Birch Hall. When Dumbledore did not go on, however, Snape's attention turned back to the headmaster and he scowled.

"Who else? Potter must have a harem of girls who you could bring?" Dumbledore raised a thick, silver eyebrow.

"Girls, Severus?" Snape's high cheekbones coloured.

"I'm doing what needs to be done to keep him on the rails. The point is there must be more people you could bring."

"Of course you are, Severus. And I believe that it might be better to keep the gathering small and intimate." Severus frowned. He felt like there had to be more people to invite.

"What about the rest of the Weasley's?" he asked.

"Do you think Harry would really want them to see him like this?" Dumbledore asked softly.

"I think he would like to be free of that monster once and for all," Severus snarled. "Fine, do what you like. I have to go. Potter is getting up. Tomorrow. Birch Hall."

"What is wrong with you?" Harry demanded as Severus glared at the door for the fourth time that night. He was sitting on the couch next to Harry, a book in his hand. He'd been on the same page for an hour and a half. Severus looked to Harry and frowned.

"Are you feeling alright?" Harry gaped incredulously.

"I'm not the one twitching like a chizpurfle in a wand shop," he retorted irritably. Automatically, Severus reached out to rest a hand on Harry's neck. The young man glared at him and tried to shift away but Severus wouldn't let him. Harry flinched in pain and almost dropped his own book trying to get away.

He's trying to help you know, Augurey said, entering the room.

'Wish he'd just bugger off!' Harry retorted irritably.

Somehow I doubt that would make you happy, Augury replied, settling into a chair himself.

"So why are you looking so impatient?" Harry repeated.

"I am not looking impatient," Severus replied, his hand tightening enough to be uncomfortable. Harry flinched as his forehead ached and he ducked out of the hand, rubbing at the spot with a glare.

"I think I'm going to go get some dinner."

"No!" Harry eyed Severus suspiciously and the other man wanted to hit himself. "No," he repeated a bit more gently. "I'd like to eat with you but I'm not hungry yet."

"Well I am," Harry growled, getting up off the couch. Without thinking, Severus reached over and grabbed Harry's hand, still close to the couch. It was wrenched away rapidly and a wand was on him. He froze, staring at Harry who was looking far more panicked then Severus had realised.

Phoenix, Augurey chided, getting slowly to his feet. He wasn't trying to hurt you. Harry sighed and closed his eyes for a second, lowering the wand.

"I know," he said out loud. Severus' eyes flicked to Augurey, wondering what he had said. Whatever it was, he was just glad that it worked.

"I didn't mean to grab you," he said quietly. Harry nodded jerkily. "Could you wait fifteen minutes before eating?" Another nod and Harry sunk down onto the couch again. Severus looked at him in concern and slipped over a little closer, moving to place a hand on Harry's neck once more.

"No!" Harry shook his head. Severus sighed. He wasn't in the mood for this. Albus was already late.

"I thought you preferred feeling in control," he snapped.

"I don't like..." Harry growled somewhere in his throat. "I'd prefer you didn't touch my neck." Severus looked at him oddly and reached for a hand instead. Harry pulled away again.

You could just tell him, Augurey suggested. Harry looked at him darkly. Severus looked between them cautiously.

"I do not love, Potter."

Severus gritted his teeth.

"Harry..." He got to his feet, dropping his book onto the couch. Harry spun around, a protest about the name on his lips. That was enough to warn Severus that needed to be done to help him fight off Voldemort for a few more minutes. He could only assume that having 'Harry' as close to the surface as possible during the intervention would help.

"My name is..." But he never got to finish the sentence as Severus reached over and grabbed his shoulders, carefully keeping his hands away from Harry's neck as he leaned forward to press their lips together. Almost instantly Harry was simultaneously kissing him back and trying to get away, his head feeling as though it would split open.

Slipping one hand around to clutch Harry's back and prevent him from moving away, Severus shifted his position to attack from a different angle. He wasn't careful or gentle this time. He could taste the salt falling down between them and felt a painful tug in his chest. He didn't want to hurt Harry but this was unacceptable. He couldn't stand to see Harry being controlled like this anymore. Dumbledore was late. It was going wrong. What if the intervention didn't work? They would have to look at extreme measures.

Harry reached up to rest his hands on Severus's shoulders, his fingers digging in painfully as he kissed back desperately. Their tongues touched and Harry groaned against Severus' mouth and tried suddenly to pull back with more effort.

"Stop...stop..." His hands dropped from Severus' shoulders and the older man stepped back immediately, his face a mixture of panic and concern.

"Harry?" This time the name did not illicit a furious response as Harry groped backwards blindly, finally finding his way into a chair with Augurey's assistance.

"Hurt...so...much..." he gasped, staring at the floor with his hands grasping so hard at his head that his knuckles turned white. Severus fell to one knee in front of the younger man, not touching him.

"I was trying to help you," he said unsurely, reaching out a hand but still not touching Harry who was still in tears.

"You did...it hurt..." Harry shook his head.

"It always hurts," Severus frowned.

"Not this much," he mumbled. Snape glanced to Augurey as though the creature could tell him why the effect was worse now then it ever had been. The Demiguise looked as bewildered as the rest of them. "The wards!" Harry's head shot up suddenly but he froze, closed his eyes and clutched at it again immediately. Augurey was alert and loped towards the door.

"Augurey, I believe that these guests may not mean harm," Severus called quietly. The demiguise looked at him for a moment and then gave a kind of half-nod.

"Visitors?" Harry mumbled, looking wretched. Severus stepped forward a little more, still crouched down.

"Don't worry, Harry. It'll all be alright soon," he whispered, reaching out again and this time resting his hand upon Harry's knee. Harry flinched but didn't push it away.

A/N: It's true. I'm back. I'm sure I've lot most of you along the way but for any of you who are still hanging on thank you. I've had a pretty lousy year as I said in my profile having recently lost my best friend to Graft vs Host disease – a negative side effect of treatment for Hodgkins Lymphoma. But I did promise that this story would be finished and finished it will be. I posted this chapter even though it's short so you'd know I'm back on the ball and hope to update again soon.

Phoenix.