Part Four: Flying
"Sometimes you wake up. Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes, when you fall, you fly."
— Neil Gaiman
o.O.o
XXXIII: Past Rewritten
With closed eyes, Harry waited for the flash of green he knew would come. Third time in his life, he faced the curse that no one could survive, yet this time, he had no chance of returning from it. All he had was hope, that Severus would survive this, that his torn, broken heart would accept that this was not his fault and he could live on.
But the green light never came, and Harry slowly looked up.
Black eyes watched him, wide open with the sheer horror of what had almost happened, of what Snape had almost done. Severus' whole body was shuddering, uncontrolled fear was in the endless depths, fear of hurting, betraying the one thing he held precious. Harry could read him as easily as a book, the pain in him so vivid, almost touchable.
The fingers on his throat let go of him and as if they were the only thing keeping Severus standing, he fell to his knees. Harry immediately hugged the shaking body to himself, his bloodied fingers raked through the soft hair and he pressed the man's head to his chest and kept him there. He finally dared take a breath and he sighed relieved.
Severus sobbed against his belly, hands grasping into the white shirt that was more or less red now with all the blood that had soaked through it. Yet, he buried his face in it as relief washed through him, too, bright and alleviating. Harry knew his tears were not because of what had happened, not because of all the cuts and broken ribs, but because of what almost happened.
It broke Harry's heart all the same. It pained him to see Severus in such a raw state, even to just suspect what killing Harry would have done to him, how much it would have broken him, tore him apart. It took so much time for Harry to tear those walls off and all it did was to make Snape vulnerable. He could only hope that despite all this, Severus would say it was worth it and would not start rebuilding those barricades.
Harry held him close, arms around Severus' head, cradling him in a firm embrace. Would Severus want to hide after this? Would he want to withdraw again, run away? The possibility scared Harry; broke his heart over and over again. He looked down on the black head.
Breathless sobs, like a child's, were shaking one of the bravest men he knew. It wasn't really crying, if anything it was more like panic and relief all at the same time. Severus clawed at his shirt, pressed his head firmly against Harry's body, desperately trying to get closer, to soak in his warmth. It was heart-wrenching to see him like this.
Harry looked up, his harsh gaze on Wallace, who was still clutching Harry's wand and for a moment Harry felt regret for not tearing his heart out of his body when he had the chance.
"If I were you, I'd jump." Harry said coldly, his hand gently caressing Severus, hoping he would calm soon. "Because if I get to you first, you won't get such a clean death." He knew he wouldn't do it, not anymore, that kind of madness had lifted from his mind, but there was still something vicious in there, something that wanted to hurt.
"How…?" Wallace murmured, wincing as if even talking would pain him.
Harry didn't find it in himself to feel sorry for him, especially not when his eyes returned to the almost breathlessly snivelling, shaking man in front of him.
"The Deadly Curse won't work unless you truly mean it. You may have turned him into an animal, but you cannot overrule his most primal instincts. Killing me is his greatest fear an instinct to hunt and kill would not change it. He could never hurt me, the idea itself paralyzes him – and why would he, I mean no threat to him." He bent over Severus and placed a kiss to the top of his head. "I love him, and he knows that," he said softly. "He just needed to be reminded of it, it seems."
Wallace tried to stand up, his legs were still shaking, buckling, and he had to hold on to the iron to keep standing. He looked to the abyss and for a moment Harry wanted him to end it, but something did not let him hold on to his anger. Wallace did try to help in the end.
"Get out of my sight," Harry nodded towards the stairs. "If I see you one more time, if I even just hear you utter Severus Snape's name, I finish what I started and rip the magic from your body."
"Why would you let me go?" Wallace asked voice hoarse. "Why would you show me mercy when I had no regard even for your life?"
Harry watched the man, hands still firmly, almost protectively around Severus' head. He was slowly quieting; his breathing was still fast but less hysteric. His tears too had seemed to dry up.
"You were punished already for things you haven't done. Your own demons are worse than anything I could make you live through," Harry answered finally. "You can go anywhere in the world, but you'll never be free."
Wallace reached into his pockets and pulled out a little vial. "I meant to take this before… before I'd end it." He said in a strained voice. He carefully walked closer and handed it to Harry along with his wand. "It's just some Calming Draught."
Harry watched the little vial suspiciously, pulled the cork out with his teeth and smelled the potion. He had taken it enough times to know Wallace didn't lie. He watched the man slowly walk away, one leg barely working still. Only when he disappeared on the stairs, did Harry finally kneel down to Severus.
He kissed Snape's temple then hugged him firmly. "It's over," he said softly. As they held onto each other, Snape seemed to have calmed, his breathing evened out, only slight tremors that ran through his body showed he was still upset.
"Drink this," Harry told him as he pulled away. He placed the vial to Severus' lips who opened his mouth obediently and let Harry pour the Draught down his throat. Harry leaned there and kissed the last drops off the soft lips.
"Go after him," Severus whispered gently, his eyes closing already. "Don't let him leave the Grounds."
"He's suffered enough…" Harry said quietly.
Snape shook his head, but it lolled over Harry's shoulder. "I need to talk to him… tell him… please, Harry… stop him…" He struggled against the call of the inviting darkness with every word.
"All right," Harry said at last, wanting Severus to stop fighting it and just sink into the soothing nothingness. "I won't let him leave. Rest now, please."
o.O.o
He barged in the Infirmary with Severus in his arms and placed him gently on an empty bed.
"Madam Pomfrey!" He called, but already he could hear the matron's quick steps.
"Oh Mr. Potter, why is it always you," she sighed then gasped when she saw Harry's state. Then she looked at the sleeping body on the bed and covered her mouth in shock. "What on earth happened? Did you fight again?"
"Yes, but it was a bit different this time," Harry said then told her all she needed to know to treat Severus from the spells that Wallace and he used, to the Calming Draught. She nodded, wand out already casting diagnostic spell to find out where else Snape was still injured besides the hole in his shoulder.
Harry turned to leave, but Madam Pomfrey cried out, "Don't think for a moment I let you go, young man," she said strictly. "You look even worse than him. Get on a bed right now."
Harry was already at the door when he turned back. "I'll be back, I promise, and you can do whatever you want, but I have to do something first."
He ran through the corridors, hoping Wallace would be heading out of the castle, trying to get out of the Grounds in order to Apparate away. He ran down and at the Great Hall he met Ron. His arm was covered in blood, but he still smiled happily when he noticed Harry.
"What the hell happened to you?" Harry asked concerned.
"Your boyfriend, that's what," Ron said with a wave of his hand, as if it would be everyday business that Harry's lovers went around viciously hexing people. "I'm good, though, I was mostly healed."
"Hermione?" Harry asked immediately.
"She's fine, too," Ron said. "She got away mostly unscathed. McGonagall distracted Snape before anything serious could happen to us. She looks pretty tattered, but the old cat had seen worse I reckon."
"I have to get to Wallace before he Apparates." Harry told his friend, moving quickly towards the main door.
"Hermione and McGonagall won't let him leave," Ron said with a smirk as he fell in step with him. "How did he get away."
"He didn't, I let him go," Harry said. "It's complicated, I'll tell you everything later on," he said quickly when he noticed Ron's surprised expression.
"When we separated, and you went after him…" Ron said in a hushed tone, "I thought you're going to kill him…"
"Yeah," Harry nodded, darkly, looking at Ron for a long moment. "So did I."
"I'm glad you didn't." Ron said, patting him on the shoulder which was still oozing blood slightly.
Harry grunted in pain.
"Where did you come across Severus?" He asked in the end as they reached the great, oak doors.
"We parted with Hermione. She went to get McGonagall, while I went to the Defence classroom right away. Nice job you two did on the decoration, by the way," Ron grinned. "Snape was there, iron bars still holding him, but he had already bent back a couple. He's incredibly strong, Harry, I don't know how you managed to fight him all year."
"He's been stronger since he accepted my magic as his." Harry explained. "When we last duelled, he was still resisting it."
"Your magic?" Ron asked, surprised.
"Yeah, the excess magic Hogwarts gave back to him was mine." Harry said.
"I guess that explains why you were pulled to him," Ron said, then suggested with a coy smile, "Unless his charming personality had something to do with that, too."
"Charming personality, deep voice, long fingers and a co-"
"All right!" Ron yelped laughing. "I don't need to hear the details. Anyway," he went on recalling the events, "he attacked me the moment I stepped in the room, but when he realized I wasn't you, he seemed to calm down a little. It was weird almost, he didn't hurt me until I hindered him," Ron said thoughtful. "Which I tried to do, as long as I could. When Hermione and McGonagall came too, he was almost out of the hold of the irons. We didn't want to hurt him, I guess we were too easy on him. He had no trouble hurting us. He blasted the ceiling on us, closed us in, while he ran away. That's when I got hurt. One of the iron bars went through me. We only managed to get out now."
They were already half way across the Grounds. They could see the Main Gates even and Harry was relieved to see three people there. They started running quicker and soon they arrived behind Hermione and McGonagall.
Wallace was wandless, but McGonagall, bleeding from several wounds all across her arms and face, was hissing spiteful insults at his head. Her wand was spitting red sparks and Harry was afraid she would hex him before they could explain to her what exactly was going on.
He pulled his wand and when they were close enough, he just said, "Stupor."
The red spell hit Wallace square in the chest, and he crumbled to the ground, unconscious.
Minerva turned around glaring but when she realized who cursed the professor, her gaze softened. "Mr. Potter," she said, worriedly looking over his blood covered shirt, and other injuries.
"Professor McGonagall," he said with a light voice, "Apologies for the rude interruption. You can resume your pleasant discussion once we're back in the Infirmary." Harry promised as he lifted the comatose body in the air.
McGonagall looked at Wallace, then at Harry, raising a single eyebrow.
"Professor Snape wanted to have a word with Wallace." Harry explained.
"And you couldn't have asked the man to follow? I assume you knew he was wandless, given it was you who destroyed it, at least according to him."
"This felt better," Harry answered with a shrug.
"Where is Severus, Harry?" She asked with concern.
"Already in the capable hands of Madam Pomfrey," Harry smiled at her. "Our dear Severus is once again as tame as… well… a Hungarian Horntail. He'll be back on his feet in no time."
"Careful there, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, lips thinning, "people might get the impression you grew almost fond of our dear Severus."
Blushing, Harry just murmured, "Let them…"
Once they were back in the Infirmary, Hermione let down Wallace to a bed, furthest from Snape's. They didn't revive him yet, none of them seemed to feel the need.
Ignoring anything else, Harry rushed to Severus' bed. Black eyes watched him approach, carefully guarded. He looked better already and the fact that he was half-naked had nothing to do with it.
There was not much colour in his skin to start with, but he wasn't as pale anymore. His shoulder was wrapped in thick gauze, the little cuts around his arms and face were healed. The bruises on his chest started fading, though the angry red marks around his wrist and neck were still visible. They were shining slightly, Harry suspected they were treated with some salve.
He wanted nothing more than to lie next to Severus and treat his wounds with soft kisses and gentle caresses but of course that was impossible.
"Hello, Professor," Harry greeted him with a kind smile. "Up already?"
"Wallace's barely passable attempt at a Calming Draught wasn't meant to knock a person out for more than a couple minutes. It was enough for what he meant it for…"
Harry sat on his bed, watching the man's hand intently, wanting to reach out and hold it. As if Severus' would feel his intentions, he pulled back his hands from the covers and crossed them over his bare chest. Harry was glad he wasn't kicked off the mattress at least.
Snape gave a pointed look at Harry then turned to Minerva.
"I sent a message for Kingsley, he'll be here tomorrow, first thing in morning. Keep him unconscious until then, there's no need for drama."
"All this drama could have been avoided if you hadn't hired him in the first place," McGonagall sniffed but she came closer and laid a hand on Severus' arm. She squeezed it tightly, then said, "You gave me a fright tonight, Severus. I do not know what we would have done if you cannot fight the curse on your own."
Black eyes flashed at Harry for a moment as Severus said, "I had help."
"Yes," she said sniffing. "Yes, of course," she tapped Snape's arm a couple more times, nodding to herself then turned around before her tears would spill out. "Where is Poppy? We have two bleeding people here…" She murmured then went away, looking for the matron.
"Three!" Harry called after her, hoping that the Madam would heal the cuts on Minerva as soon as she had laid eyes on her.
Harry followed her with his eyes, making sure she was out of sight, then leaned over Severus and kissed him. He was quickly but gently pushed away, but Harry still smiled, ignoring Ron's sniggering.
"How do you feel?" Harry asked, caressing a long thigh nearest to him. "Any urge to kill me?"
"Just the usual," Snape sneered. "If you keep acting this obvious, I might even act on it."
"I'm just glad you're okay," Harry admitted softly.
Snape looked behind Harry, but McGonagall and Pomfrey were still somewhere else, probably checking on Wallace, while Ron and Hermione were quietly talking on the other bed, not paying them any attention.
Harry was pulled close with a hand on his arm, while another sneaked up to his neck and held him as Severus kissed him deep. He let the mellow sensation fill him up with much needed energy, while also calming him down. This single kiss was enough to wipe away all the worries of this night.
They only pulled apart when Hermione cleared her throat. A minute later Madam Pomfrey showed up, with Minerva in her heels. Luckily, she seemed to have been treated already.
"Professor Wallace is fine, though there are some irregularities in his magic. Now, Mr. Potter, would you let me check your injuries at last, or is there any other urgent business you might need to take care of?" She asked irate.
"All yours, Madam Pomfrey." Harry grinned.
"I cannot let that happen, I'm afraid," said Snape suddenly and all heads snapped at him. "Madam Pomfrey, please treat Mr. Weasley's wounds, I can take care of Mr. Potter."
"Now, Headmaster, I understand-" she started, but Snape interrupted her.
"Poppy, this wasn't a request. I caused his injuries, I would like to be the one mending them as I have been doing up until now."
He was regarded by the matron for a long moment, then she drew her breath clearly to tell Snape just what kind of requests he could make in her Infirmary, when Ron grunted loudly, holding his bloody arm with a painful expression, even though Harry thought it had been healed already.
"It hurts so much," he groaned in an aggrieved voice.
The matron sighed, and minutes later Harry found themselves separated from the rest of the room with white dividers, offering them some resemblance of privacy.
He could not hear Ron's theatrical grunts, or practically anyone, only some distant noise as if the others would be in a different room, not just a couple beds away. He suspected a Muffliato was used at one point, though he wasn't sure by whom.
He looked at Severus. "Who's the obvious one now?" he asked, smirking.
"Shut up, Potter." Severus huffed as he sat up on the bed. He grabbed his wand from the nightstand and then summoned a large bowl of water and a small towel. "Take off your shirt."
"Shouldn't you buy me dinner first, or something?" Harry asked with a wicked grin, but already unbuttoning the dirty, bloodied clothe. "Besides, it's not my shirt, it's… yours," He hissed the last word as a sudden pain slashed into his ribs while his arm moved from button to button.
"You finally remembered your broken ribs?" Snape asked drily with a raised eyebrow. "Come here," he said gently, making Harry sit over his lap. He batted away Harry's hands and continued to unfasten the shirt himself. He carefully pealed it off Harry then threw it to the ground. His eyes shifted over Harry's tattered body, taking in the bruised, purpling ribs, the blood-covered arm, the smaller scratches everywhere.
"Good god, what have I done to you?" He asked almost breathless, as he shifted his palm tenderly over Harry's chest.
"You have done nothing to me," Harry said, looking into the dark eyes. "This wasn't you."
"Wasn't it?" Snape asked, bending his head, placing loving kisses on Harry's ribs. "Why do I hear your pleading voice in my head then? Why do I only see your scared eyes?"
"Look at me," Harry said firmly, tilting Severus' face up with a finger on his chin. "Do I look scared now?" Severus shook his head but looked away, as if afraid what he would see in those green orbs if he lingered too long. Harry kissed him gently, and the black gaze was on him once again. "I'm not scared of you, Severus. I love you. Now heal me, because these ribs are killing me."
Severus huffed, but the next moment lips were softly grazing over Harry's chest, tongue flicking his nipple.
"I said heal, but all right," Harry noted with a deep sigh, his eyes closing. He could feel Severus' smile against his skin as the man's palm slithered over the bruised, purpling skin. He could sense Severus' electric magic and warmth pooling in that single point, then the pain slowly ebbed away, and it was only the pleasure caused by the scorching touch of that mouth.
Severus was rewriting the past, or at least made a fair attempt to convince Harry to forget each and every injury he had received during the evening. He was bathed with the wet towel, all blood and dirt were gone from his skin as the cloth moved on his body, cleaning away the evidence of their fight. When the water became too red from all the blood that was washed off Harry, Snape would vanish it and fill it the bowl up with clean water from his wand, heat it up and continue his affectionate ministrations.
Severus kissed and touched each and every cut and bruise on Harry's body. They all disappeared, Harry watched them turn from angry red to deep purple to greenish then to golden yellow, before they would fade away as if nothing had happened. His skin would sweetly burn from Severus' kisses, the only reminder that once there was a sore spot there.
The cut on his shoulder was treated the same way, the wound cleaned then closed with the brush of a soft palm across it. Severus' tongue would trace the fresh mark until the long pink scar would whiten then disappear completely, too.
Sighing Harry let him do whatever he wanted, unable to say no, unable to even comprehend how dangerous it was to do this here, in the middle of the Infirmary, when people were still around, even if Privacy Spells were up and very effective, given no one barged in yet upon hearing Harry's breathless moans.
It took Harry some time to realize the kisses on his neck had nothing to do with healing as Snape's hands roamed his back, were grasping into his arse. He almost cried out when all of a sudden, he realized where they were headed.
"Severus, we can't…" he grunted though every cell in his body screamed at him to not stop this.
"Do you feel aching anywhere else?" Severus asked with a rough voice.
Harry just chuckled, "Yeah, but it's not the kind you need magic to tend for."
Thin lips kissed into his shoulder. "Then let me do this," Severus pleaded in a broken voice. "Please…"
Harry's eyes opened, and he looked down at the man holding him. He peeled off the arms from around him and pushed Severus down on the bed. He climbed beneath the covers and pressed his bare chest against Snape's so he could feel the warmth of his skin.
"I don't want your apology, Severus." He said looking into obsidian eyes that seemed to be pleading to him. "There is no need for it."
Severus pulled him down for a kiss, then his lips traced his cheeks up to Harry's ear. "Please," he whispered with a hoarse voice, "It is not an apology. I need to feel that you still love me."
Harry's eyes closed as he hugged the man closer to him. He would never let those walls rebuild themselves. Never.
"Whatever you need, Severus," He said quietly.