A/N:
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Beta by Kristine Thorne
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Chapter Summary: It's the open day and wizards from all over the country are descending on Hogwarts. Strange goings on at Hogwarts, in the past and the present. Warning: the R rating isn't for the bedroom.
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Chapter Thirteen – The Quidditch Pitch
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The morning of the open day came more quickly than Severus or Harry thought possible. They were ready for it, at least they thought they were, but that didn't mean that they were looking forward to it.
Professor McGonagall had stayed as she had promised she would do and was sat at the teacher's table beside Severus for breakfast. Harry could eat little more than a piece of toast and drink his tea to wash the bits down as they inexplicably stuck in his throat. He really wasn't looking forward to the open day at all and if he was judging Severus correctly his Kin felt very much the same.
Severus had sorted out the wards and they soon found out that life had been quite nice whilst they were set on super strength. Some of the teachers had gone out for the day and hadn't been able to get back in, now they were back. At least three reporters had got through and had to be escorted off the premises. The wards needed to be fine-tuned, but Harry decided they were going to go back to full strength as soon as the open day was over with.
As yet it was still quiet, one of the advantages of magic was that the guests could all arrive by portkey minutes before things were about to begin even if they did live some distance away. The only thing threatening to disturb the peace was the daily owl delivery.
Harry looked up as he took a sip of his coffee and saw the first of the birds swooping down the hall with its mail. He went back to observing the wood grain in the table, as he wasn't expecting anything himself. Nothing interesting anyway, just Headmaster stuff no doubt. They had had requests for places sent from parents already, which was well ahead of the open day and not how things worked. It was getting rather annoying, Harry would be sending out the Hogwarts letters in his own good time.
Suddenly Harry heard the beating of wings, not regular mail owl wings but something far larger and not just one of them either. He looked up and his face instantly showed his alarm as two extremely large owls, he had never seen anything like it, came swooping across the hall directly at him.
"Sev!" Harry called in his panic but his Kin didn't seem to want to do anything about it.
With great skill the two birds came to land on the table in front of Harry and Harry made an admirable attempt at not falling off his seat backwards. The two monster owls were carrying a large package and to Harry the item looked very familiar indeed.
"I am getting a very strong sense of déjà vu here," Harry commented.
"Has that happened to you before?" Severus deadpanned.
Harry felt very much like glaring at his Kin but that would just have encouraged him, "This isn't the first time that I've received something this big in the post, though that time it was sent by a friend, I'm not so sure this time, could be somebody trying to get to me. Maybe even to kill me."
Severus suddenly looked amused, to Harry's trained eye anyway, "Just open it," He instructed.
"It could be anything, it could be laced with poison," Harry considered.
Severus sighed, "It will be fine, open it."
"NO!"
"Harry, it is from me, it's something I wanted to get for you."
"Oh Sev," Harry said, happy and unsuspicious, "When did you do this?"
Severus shrugged, "Not easy when we're together all the time but it is achievable."
Harry leant over to Severus and threw his arms around him; giving his Kin a big squeeze and watching the conversations fall to silence around the hall. The two huge owls started to look irritated. Harry let go of his Kin and accepted the parcel from the owls and they flew off.
Harry knew that a lot of eyes were on him; he knew that both Hermione and Minerva were watching. He had no idea where Ron was, but he would ask about that later. He wanted to unwrap his parcel slowly to savour the moment but he wanted to do it quickly so they would all find something else to watch.
Of course Harry knew what it was, a new broom. He hadn't thought about getting a new one, it had been so long since he had flown. He was glad however that Severus had thought of it; he couldn't wait to have a fly. He wouldn't be getting into the habit of doing stunts again though, knowing what his death or injury would mean to Severus now made it well and truly not an option. Danger and worry was for wartime and he was done with it.
As if Severus had been anticipating his needs, Harry noticed when he got the package unwrapped that it wasn't the latest racing model but an exact replacement for the one he had owned immediately prior to the departure from King's Cross after graduation.
"Thank you Sev!" Harry gushed again giving his Kin another hug.
They had agreed that they should both be more like their normal selves in public but they hadn't as yet practised it that much. This was their first major demonstration of their relationship in public and Harry was feeling a bit watched but nevertheless pleased to be being open with his Kin. Revealing their true relationship was something they had to get done before Harry was in a situation where he might be getting bigger, to hide it might be seen as having done something that they wanted to hide.
The open day was to begin out on the grass of the Quidditch pitch, Harry and Severus had made the decision together that they didn't want anyone near the castle till they could see who was there.
After breakfast they all began to make their way across the grounds to meet with the visitors that would be portkeying in within the hour. Severus walked beside Minerva and Harry joined Hermione who was walking a little way in front as they reached the main door and open air beyond.
"So where is Ron this morning?" Harry asked Hermione cheerily as he came up beside her, his new broom clutched in his hand.
"He's not having a very good day," Hermione replied briskly, "You could come up and see him later."
"I might," Harry replied feeling, if the day went quite well, he might actually do it. Hermione was still a little bit put out but since she had apologised and had been reasonably civil he thought it might be worth risking a visit.
Severus continued to walk alongside Minerva. When there seemed to be a suitable amount of distance between herself and Harry, Minerva spoke.
"Do you think it wise?" Minerva said pointedly, almost whispering.
"What?" Severus asked.
Minerva presumed that he was being purposely awkward. "Harry, the Quidditch pitch, you," Minerva prompted.
"It was a long time ago Minerva," Severus replied snappily, feeling rather put out still that Minerva knew so much and was now choosing to reveal that fact to him every time they spoke. They had all known about the beginning of it, he had told Albus about the truth potion part but not till his brother was dead and he was captive at Hogwarts, but not the rest, not what came after that. It was bad enough that Albus had found out after all these years but he must have communicated it to Minerva after his death too, even Albus hadn't known that particular secret when he had been alive.
"If we had known…" Minerva attempted to say.
"If I had said something, nobody would have believed me, I don't want to talk about this." Severus said in such a tone that made sure that Minerva knew that he really didn't want to talk about it.
Before Minerva had a chance to approach any other topics he didn't want to talk about, Severus quickened his pace and came up beside Harry, he reached out and took Harry's hand and they continued across the grounds together.
the past
Severus was walking in the school grounds, he was approaching the Quidditch stadium, night time was approaching and the light was fading fast. He had a book in his hands and he read as he walked. He didn't have to be so wary at this time of the evening; everybody else would be inside doing homework, preparing for bed. He would enjoy his walk then rush back inside just before curfew. It was the only peace he got.
James Potter and his friends were suddenly surrounding him. His guard had been so well down that he hadn't even heard them, not even when they had got close up, though he imagined they had been hiding under an invisibility cloak to hide them from sight. They all had their wands drawn and James Potter held a Quidditch broom in his other hand.
"Hello Snivellus," James Potter greeted, cheerful yet menacing.
Severus span around trying to find an exit route but they had had him surrounded even before James Potter had spoken. He tried to reach for his wand but Potter's friends were very quick, they grabbed his arms as Potter raised his wand.
"Undress and get on your knees," James Potter barked the order, "Do it slowly, I want to watch you, WE want to watch you. Do exactly as I say, don't try to run, you ARE completely surrounded." Severus stared dumbly at Potter and the other Gryffindors who weren't currently restraining him.
"Take all your clothes off," Potter spat at Severus.
"Shall we let him go?" Sirius asked, he had a hold of Severus' right arm; Peter Pettigrew had a hold of the other.
Potter sighed, "Of course let him go, get his wand first."
Severus didn't know what they were playing at, it had been bad before but they had never demanded that he undress. He decided that he wasn't going to do it; it wasn't as if they could get away with very much if he refused to cooperate, if he was missing beyond curfew then they would all be in trouble.
Severus' wand was taken from him and as the two Gryffindors let go of him they pushed him forward and onto his knees.
Potter aimed a foot at Severus and kicked him hard, "Take your clothes off Snivellus!" He demanded.
"No!" Severus replied, "I won't."
James Potter just laughed, "I was hoping you would say that, Ma thoilicheas tu!"
Severus had no idea what James Potter had cast with his wand but he found that his right hand raised up to the top button of his robes and flicked it open. Severus tried his best to resist the movement but he wasn't in control anymore. Potter's curse was making him comply to his wish, he was going to undress himself in front of the assembled Gryffindors no matter how much he would have preferred to die instead.
Severus' hand continued to loosen buttons and when it was finished it pulled the robe from Severus' shoulders. Soon Severus was standing in his underwear with all the Marauders still finding it intensely amusing. It did not stop there, Severus could only watch in horror as his hand continued, reaching down to his underpants and taking a hold of the waistband, he closed his eyes, refusing to watch himself as he bent over a little and felt the fabric sliding down his legs, his wayward hand pushing them down.
When the underpants had reached his ankles Severus' body straightened back up to a riot of laughter.
"On your knees and bend over," James Potter commanded.
Severus immediately fell to his knees and his face was pressed up against the grass within seconds. He turned his head to the side to see Potter raising his wand again, with one swish, control returned to Severus' body as Potter told him to raise his right arm and he kept it firmly in contact with the ground.
This disobedience didn't worry Potter at all, after all it had been he who had lifted the curse, he waved his wand again, "Fas fan lag," Potter spoke casting another curse in its place.
Severus felt his whole body collapse and become weak, he tried to lift his head but he couldn't. He could hear approaching people, soon he would be free and James Potter would be in serious trouble, Severus thought as he continued to try and lift his head, people were coming, he could hear them. Severus could still see Potter and he didn't look in the slightest bit worried so within seconds he had to abandon the fanciful idea that it was going to end sometime soon.
Severus lay on the ground unable to move. James Potter loomed over Severus and knelt at his side, he roughly pulled him over onto his back and lifted up one of Severus' arms and shook it about. Severus had been cursed out of the control of his body but it hadn't gone rigid, James could play with him like a child's doll. He hoped that Potter wouldn't reach down and shake anything else.
To Severus' horror James Potter produced a potion phial and displayed it to him, his friends laughed and smiled with glee, they obviously knew what the potion contained. Potter opened Severus' mouth and tipped the potion in, Severus could feel it trickling down his throat but he could do nothing about it, he couldn't even swallow to help it down, not that he would have done.
Severus could feel the potion absorbing into his throat anyway, it made little difference whether he swallowed or not, this potion was designed to be suitable for administering to an unwilling victim. It absorbed straight through the lining of the mouth or any other non-keratinised stratified epithelial tissue it rested upon, by the time it reached the stomach there would be very little active ingredient to absorb, it was that quick. Severus could taste the potion in his mouth still and knew very well what it was; he now dreaded Potter asking him a question but knew that he would.
the present
As they entered the Quidditch pitch area they all noticed that quite a few people had arrived already. Hermione broke away from the group to mingle as did Minerva but Harry stood by Severus' side and didn't intend to leave him.
Harry looked up at Severus, he was looking stiff and stern, and Harry squeezed his hand knowing that he was going to detest all the crowds.
Hermione looked around for somebody she could talk to, somebody she might recognise. Suddenly a man she had never met before was stood in front of her.
"I saw in The Prophet that you are to take over the position of Potions master," the man said without bothering to introduce himself.
"Yes I am," Hermione answered warily. It was the first time since the war that the grounds had been so open and she was as nervous as everybody else about it.
The man nodded over to where Severus and Harry were standing, "There's a sight that nobody thought they would ever see," he commented.
Hermione couldn't help agreeing.
"Harry Potter and Severus Snape standing together on the Quidditch pitch, I wonder if he knows," The man added.
"Knows what?" Hermione asked intrigued.
"Of course he probably doesn't, Albus Dumbledore went to an awful lot of effort to make sure that it wasn't spoken about."
"Well Albus Dumbledore is dead," Hermione said firmly, determined that she would get whatever information there was to hear, "So you can tell me now, I think it would be in the interests of the school to know."
"What James Potter did to him," The man replied cryptically.
"Tell me," Hermione demanded.
The man looked nervously around him as if suddenly afraid to speak of it but he leant towards Hermione and told her all that he knew.
Hermione went quite pale and wished that she hadn't asked.
"You have to wonder," the man mused at a normal volume, "If this isn't all an elaborate attempt at revenge."
Harry walked with Severus around the grounds as more and more people arrived, some parents had come alone and some had brought the prospective students with them. Harry still held Severus' hand and he could tell that his Kin was hating every minute, he would almost be glad when it was time to go up onto one of the stands to make their speech, at least they would have a bit of space.
Severus suddenly froze, tugging on Harry's arm. A group of men were approaching them and they were about the same age as Severus and had no children with them. Harry looked up at Severus and he looked distant and alarmed. Harry looked back at the men and although they looked cheerful enough he instinctively didn't trust or like them one bit.
Harry turned back to Severus, he was pale and unmoving, "Severus?" Harry called.
Severus didn't respond but kept staring straight ahead; Harry squeezed his hand but had to turn back towards the men as they were nearly beside them.
"Well, well, well," One of the men began, "We never thought we would see this, a Potter and a Snape standing hand in hand."
"What do you mean by that?" Harry snapped.
"Nothing," The man shrugged.
"Obviously there is something,"
"You mean you don't know?"
"Don't know what?" Harry asked growing very short on patience, he felt Severus hand fall from his grip but he really needed to know what was going on.
The men laughed and not pleasantly, "I think Snapie better be the one to tell you."
"But you'll have to be a quick runner," One of the other men added.
"He always could run," the first man added still looking like he thought something was very funny.
Harry span round to find that Severus had gone, panic threatened to engulf him, standing up on his toes he could just about see a swish of black cloak disappearing out of sight. In one fluid movement Harry had turned to face the men and had drawn his sword.
Even without the full strength that would have been available if Severus had been holding his sword, Harry wanted to kill these laughing men who had obviously harmed his Kin in some way but had the arrogance to taunt him with it. The main talker of the group was close enough; Harry swung his sword back to take a blow as the man merely stared at him frozen to the spot.
"I will kill you before you have a chance to speak another word, nobody harms my Kin," Harry spat a thirst for the kill in his eyes.
A hand grasped Harry's arm just as he was about to put all his strength into slicing the sword through the man in front of him.
"I don't think killing somebody at a school open day is an ideal way to endear yourself to the wizarding world as the next Hogwart's Headmaster," Harry heard the soft voice of Minerva in his ear.
Harry didn't struggle against Minerva but neither did he let his arm drop, "They meant Severus harm, I cannot let them live," Harry hissed.
"Let go of the sword Harry," Minerva spoke in soothing tones, "Go to Severus, he needs you with him, I will deal with these men."
The realisation bolted through Harry, Minerva was right, for all the time he wasted killing, Severus would be on his own. Harry let his arm drop to his side and he put the sword away readying his broom for flight instead, "Must find Severus," He said before taking off above the crowds.
Minerva approached Harry's main target as soon as he had flown away.
"Harry is going to Severus now and no doubt he will tell him exactly what happened," Minerva began, "When Harry finds out what happened here, no matter that it was more than twenty years ago, he will be wanting some blood on that sword. They will be at full power because Severus will help Harry and I won't stop him again, I won't be able to stop him again. I strongly advise that you all leave before they return."
The men without a word turned to go.
"One more thing, let the past stay in the past," Minerva called after them, "This isn't to be spoken of again, anybody who does can expect their life to be forfeit."
the past
James Potter drew his wand, he levitated Severus next, and Severus couldn't see where he was going as he was facing the sky. Potter froze Severus in mid air and then flipped him over, Severus could see the trunk below him, which was used to house the Quidditch balls, and James lowered him down onto it.
Severus head was left dangling over the end of the trunk and his legs hung off the other end. He could still feel everything; he could feel James spreading his legs wide apart. Severus felt his arms being lifted up and a binding being cast over them to hold them together behind his back. He then felt the bind being placed on his ankles, he assumed that he was being tied to something else but he didn't know what. He couldn't understand why James was binding him if he couldn't move anyway. He didn't know when they were going to stop and let him go.
Potter released Severus from the latest curse but not before he was effectively tethered. Severus tried to lift more than his head but the way he was lain over the trunk and bound he could do little more than wriggle his shoulders, his spine just wasn't anatomically designed for moving in the direction he needed to move.
Potter sat himself down on the grass facing Severus who was now completely naked and draped over a Quidditch ball trunk, his ankles held in a bind to two long metal stakes which had been driven into the ground.
"What a wonderful sight," James Potter commented from his position directly in front of Severus, "Now we're going to talk, I think you might like to talk to me. Just think of it as a game of 'truth potion chess', except for the fact that I have already got all your pieces," Potter said in a menacingly jovial tone.
"I would not like to," Severus snarled.
"Even better and yet at the same time completely irrelevant."
Severus could look around now and found that he had been right about there being more people, only they had come to watch, not too rescue him as he had hoped. Everywhere Severus turned he could see a face staring back at him.
"Do you like Quidditch?" Potter asked to begin with.
"Yes," Severus replied.
"Really? This is going to be so much fun," Potter commented before asking his next question, "Do you have a favourite player?"
"Yes," Severus couldn't help replying.
"Is your favourite player a girl?" Potter asked.
"No," Severus answered miserably to an eruption of riotous laughter.
"I always knew it you little creep, what team does he play for?" Potter continued.
"Gryffindor,"
Potter looked surprised for a second before composing himself, some of the other members of the Gryffindor team who were present were suddenly looking a little uncomfortable too, "Do you want to do creepy things with this boy?"
"No," Severus answered, dreading where he knew this was all leading and the answers that he had no choice but to give.
"Why not?"
"Because he doesn't like me,"
Potter laughed, "Well nobody likes you, but what if he did, would you like to sleep with him if you know what I mean?"
"Yes,"
"Would you like to be his little sub?"
"Yes,"
"Who is he?" Potter asked as the other team members were all fervently hoping that it wouldn't be them, they would never live it down if they turned out to be the object of Snivellus' little fantasies.
"You,"
The laughter was deafening, Potter was possessed with an intense fury, "You little shit," he spat at Severus grabbing him by the hair with one hand and raising a hand to strike him, "You dirty, sick little creep."
A hand grasped Potter's raised fist, "Plausible deniability," Sirius' voice hissed in Potter's ear. Potter lowered his fist but the laughter hadn't ceased.
Somebody once told him how to deal with bullies, Severus remembered as he lay draped over the Quidditch trunk awaiting Potter's next move, it was his father if he remembered correctly, Valarius would never tell him anything so useless as the advice he had been given then. Valarius had threatened to come down to the school and sort them all out personally but Severus had known that he couldn't let him do that. His father wouldn't do anything; his father's anger was focused more closely to home.
Ignore them and they will go away, his father had told him, you will have your revenge on them when you join us, the voice of a Death Eater.
Although revenge years in the future seemed like too little too late, Severus had kept to his father's word and he kept to it still. He lay on the trunk, waiting for it to end, trying to block out their voices, answering Potter's questions whilst trying not to care about it. He couldn't cry, it had been years since he could cry and he wouldn't do it now, he would just blank his mind and drift on other thoughts, wait till it was all over.
Sirius was talking rapidly to Potter but Severus couldn't make out the words, he could only see what was going on because Potter still had his head pulled up, his hand still entangled in his hair. Suddenly Potter dropped Severus' head and reached into his robes, searching for something. The others backed off a little and Severus couldn't begin to guess what was coming next.
Although Severus couldn't see what Potter was doing now, he could hear their conversation.
"What is that?" Peter Pettigrew asked.
"Something quite illegal and apparently more enjoyable than the little runt deserves, not that I would ever take this shit to know." Potter answered.
"What are you going to do with it?" Peter continued to question.
"If he is found shot full of this stuff he will be expelled, call it our insurance, by the time it wears off it will be too late to go telling tales and he might not even be sure of what happened."
"That's way too big to swallow even if he would cooperate."
"This, my friend, goes where the sun don't shine, nice and quick but without the tell tale marks of a muggle IV and no cooperation required." Potter replied, "Curfew will pass and he will be out here sleeping off his little trip."
"You're so devious you could have been a Slytherin," Sirius commented.
Potter just smiled, "Why I very nearly was." He replied with a grin.
Severus was feeling the first effects of the drug when Potter finally released the binds. He was pulled off the trunk and his clothes were thrown over him, he immediately tried to stand up but there was a rush of warmth that filled his body and made his legs and brain turn to jelly, he flopped once more down onto the ground.
It had been almost dark but the sky filled with the light of a sunrise and the colours of red and orange swirled around in front of Severus' eyes intermingling with the blue. The smell of fresia flowers filled the air and Severus felt as if he was being lifted up. Warm arms wrapped around him and he felt a hot mouth on his neck, still he lay limply unable to struggle even if he had wanted to. Somewhere a set of drums and cymbals gave a pulsing beat. The hands caressed him all over and the swirls of light kept time with the hypnotic beat that was almost like a heartbeat. Severus could feel himself wanting, wanting the hands to reach further, wanting the mouth to continue, wanting the arms to hold him tight.
Suddenly the caresses became more forceful, more insistent but the colours continued to swirl. Severus felt himself being turned over onto his front and a hand reached between his legs. He was pulled up so that he was kneeling with his arms folded and his head resting upon them.
Through the warmth and the jelly like feeling Severus felt pain and the light that swirled before his eyes darkened to purples and deep blues, the drumbeat quickened. The pain continued, coming upon him in waves, hands were all over him, probing, searching.
The pain ceased for a while and the colours lightened, Severus turned over onto his back and he looked through the swirling colours to see faces standing over him. One face came closer to him and the pain began again, the darkness came to the swirls but Severus could still see the face grinning back at him as he was rocked back and forward to the sound of the beat. The lightness returned but was soon replaced by more darkness and another face, the pain getting more and more intense with each wave, the hands all over him, touching him everywhere, sometimes caressing, sometimes holding him, sometimes everywhere at once, groping and intrusive.
After a while, it seemed like it had been forever, the colours began to fade and the pain was so intense that Severus screamed and kept on screaming. He found that he could move and the warmth drifted away leaving him with an urgent need to struggle. The face left him as he struggled against the hands that held him and suddenly he was free of their grasp. He tried to struggle to his feet but fell straight back down onto the grass. He could tell that he was lying on grass now, he felt dizzy and sick and the pain hadn't eased. Now there was just spinning, the real world was there again but it wouldn't stop moving, the ground moved beneath him like the waves on the sea and he bobbed on it helplessly as if he was a boat.
Severus tried to stand again and this time he managed to stay on his feet for a few seconds before reaching the ground again. He was still naked and was feeling the cold, whilst shivering violently he searched around with his hand for the clothes that he knew must be there somewhere. He managed to get his robe but he only managed a few of the buttons before his hands refused to be capable of fastening more.
Severus tried yet again to stand and this time he managed to stay on his feet; the world wasn't lurching as much as it had before. He was suddenly possessed of an intense urge to run, he didn't know where. At first he stumbled a little but the cool rush of air created by the movement was helping to clear his head and he was able to increase his speed. Six-foot tall rabbits hopped along side of him encouraging him on his way. The drum beat returned and pounded in Severus' ears as he ran. He didn't know where he was going; he only knew that the rabbits wouldn't let him stop.
the present
Harry soared above the crowds, the thoughts going through his head, trying to figure it all out. It must have something to do with his father, Harry thought before remembering Severus' words when they had been camping in Scotland. They had spoken about the Pensieve memory that Harry had looked at in his fifth year at Hogwarts. It didn't begin or end there, Severus had told him rather cryptically as they sat in front of their campfire, it had been the night that they had taken the Kin Bond together.
Another thought was pushing its way to the front of Harry's brain, something that he should remember, it was something about the final battle with the Dark Lord, which was mostly a blur thanks to the trauma of the event.
Harry remembered being pushed to his knees as Severus pretended to turn against him. 'Do to the son what the father and his friends did to you' the Dark Lord had instructed Severus believing him to be a true Death Eater still. He had been ordered to undress in front of them all, Harry suddenly remembered.
Harry was approaching the forbidden forest on his broom and he had no idea where Severus would be, he really hoped that he hadn't gone into the forest.
'Valarius,' Harry called inside his head, entreating Severus' dead brother to help him, 'Please tell me where he is."
'Hagrid's cottage,' Valarius's voice spoke back.
Relieved that he wouldn't have to go into the forest, Harry swooped down in front of the cottage and dismounted his broom. Without any hesitation he closed the distance between him and the front door and pushed it open.
Severus was curled up in the corner to the side of the fire, hardly visible in the gloom of the unlit and unused cottage. Harry dropped his broom as he saw him and closed the door to the outside world. With a swish of his wand Harry made sure that nobody could enter and no sound could reach uninvited ears.
Harry crossed the room and knelt by Severus' side, he was shaking violently and had his eyes closed. Harry reached a hand out to his Kin and he flinched from the touch.
"Sev, it's Harry, you're all right," Harry said softly and when he reached a hand out again Severus let him touch him. Harry reached up to stroke a hand through Severus' hair, hoping to sooth him enough to speak.
"The rabbits made me do it," Severus whimpered.
Harry continued to stroke his hand through Severus' hair trying not to think about what he had just heard his Kin say.
"I had to keep running, made it into the forbidden forest last time, must be getting old," Severus eventually added. He shuffled up against Harry and leant his head on Harry's shoulder. Harry put his arms around his Kin and continued to sooth him, gently rocking him till the shaking ceased.
"They won't find me in here with you," Severus added.
"Who won't?" Harry encouraged.
"The rabbits, they were tall but they won't find me here."
"Tell me what happened," Harry requested as gently as he could but with a firmness that said that he wouldn't let it be.
"I can't, Harry I can't," Severus replied appearing to overcome with emotion, he turned his head away and Harry thought he saw tears, something nobody he knew had ever seen in Severus ever before, he himself had only seen it once.
Suddenly Valarius's voice was inside Harry's head again repeating something that he had said before, 'He was raped.' Harry now knew what that meant and he knew also that he had to see what had happened. He knew that his father was involved somehow and he needed to see it anyway.
"Severus, take your sword in your hand, let's share it that way," Harry suggested, knowing that it would be too painful to talk about.
Severus shook his head but Harry reached inside his robes for the sword and Severus did nothing to stop him. Harry then took his own sword in his hand and lay down beside Severus.
Severus let his hand close around the sword and the serpents wound round his wrist, he felt the power of the Bond flow through him and he felt Harry's spirit nudging at him to let him in. Severus opened his mind and allowed Harry to take whatever memory he wanted. Harry sent warmth and love through the sword and as Severus began to experience again the things he had never wanted to experience once, he began to feel an unexpected amount of peace.
As Harry let go of his sword Severus remained in his arms with his head resting on Harry's shoulder. To say Harry was a little stunned would be an understatement. He didn't have to ask who the men they had met on the Quidditch pitch had been.
"For many years I thought it must have been the drug, that they left me out there and that was what it did to your brain but it should have just been the light. When I was found I was given potions to heal the physical wounds they found but they would have healed everything so nobody ever knew." Severus began, "I was out of it, all I knew was the pain of the broken bones, which took a little longer to heal. I was back with my brother before I even woke. It seemed so real and I couldn't ever let anybody near me again but then the rabbits had felt quite real too. Then this morning, I saw the faces I remembered coming at me out of the crowd and they knew. I knew then that they had really done it."
Harry asked the question he didn't want to know the answer to, "Was my father there then?"
"I didn't see the first one, he did it from behind, I don't know," Severus replied.
Harry stroked his Kin's hair, knowing by how upset Severus was becoming that he shouldn't ask any more, "They said they were going to leave you there."
"They did, but I didn't see them go," Severus said remaining snuggled up against Harry.
Harry rocked Severus a little, "You didn't tell anybody about this did you?" He asked.
"No, not the worst part, word about what your father did spread quite quickly, or so I heard, amongst the students anyway, I eventually told Albus not long before your father died, by then he wasn't a student any longer and Albus couldn't do anything about it. I have never been able to think about the worst part, let alone speak of it."
"Probably just as well if you're going to start going on about rabbits," Harry commented, wanting to forget what he had seen and desperately wanting to lighten the mood.
"It was like I was there again."
"Hmm, flashback."
"I feel better for sharing it with you, sharing through the swords just makes it seem like so long ago."
Harry smiled grimly, "You did it for me enough times when I was getting those visions."
Severus sighed, "We have a speech to make."
Harry observed his Kin, his breathing was normal again, he was getting his colour back and his mind was drifting back to duty, "In a little while, we can make up an excuse to allow us to be gone a little while longer, Minerva will help us."
"I didn't like her knowing so much about the Kin Bond at first but I think we'll need her," Severus admitted.
Within the hour Harry and Severus were making their way back across the ground to the Quidditch pitch. They strode with purpose holding hands and walking in step, holding their swords and letting the power of the Kin Bond strengthen them.
"So what attacked you in the forest?" Harry asked only just thinking of the question.
Severus shrugged, "I don't know, it was very dark and I was still hallucinating, I don't remember anything else."
"Well it could have been anything," Harry considered, "It's not the best place to go for a jog."
Severus tensed as they neared the Quidditch pitch but Harry kept a firm hold of his Kin and dragged him onwards.
"I'll let you be Scary Snape for a while if you come with me," Harry joked.
"I'm coming," Severus insisted, "I just hope that they've gone."
Harry smiled, "So do I, because if they haven't I am going to kill them," He promised.
Harry and Severus took a staircase to the top of one of the stands before anybody had even noticed that they had returned. Harry stood at the front of the stand and took up the loudspeaker device that was normally used for the Quidditch commentary. Severus stood behind his Kin and wrapped protective arms around him though that probably couldn't be seen from below.
"Attention!" Harry shouted more loudly than necessary making most people jump.
On the ground below Minerva swung round and smiled proudly up at the two men as they began their first speech as Headmasters of Hogwarts.
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TBC very soon
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The Gaelic Spells: Ma thoilicheas tu - If you will, Fas fan lag - (fas fann/lag) become weak.
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Next Chapter Summary: Release - Ron demonstrates how much he has matured over the last year and tells Hermione how he feels about her.
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Beta by Kristine Thorne
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Chapter Summary: It's the open day and wizards from all over the country are descending on Hogwarts. Strange goings on at Hogwarts, in the past and the present. Warning: the R rating isn't for the bedroom.
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Chapter Thirteen – The Quidditch Pitch
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The morning of the open day came more quickly than Severus or Harry thought possible. They were ready for it, at least they thought they were, but that didn't mean that they were looking forward to it.
Professor McGonagall had stayed as she had promised she would do and was sat at the teacher's table beside Severus for breakfast. Harry could eat little more than a piece of toast and drink his tea to wash the bits down as they inexplicably stuck in his throat. He really wasn't looking forward to the open day at all and if he was judging Severus correctly his Kin felt very much the same.
Severus had sorted out the wards and they soon found out that life had been quite nice whilst they were set on super strength. Some of the teachers had gone out for the day and hadn't been able to get back in, now they were back. At least three reporters had got through and had to be escorted off the premises. The wards needed to be fine-tuned, but Harry decided they were going to go back to full strength as soon as the open day was over with.
As yet it was still quiet, one of the advantages of magic was that the guests could all arrive by portkey minutes before things were about to begin even if they did live some distance away. The only thing threatening to disturb the peace was the daily owl delivery.
Harry looked up as he took a sip of his coffee and saw the first of the birds swooping down the hall with its mail. He went back to observing the wood grain in the table, as he wasn't expecting anything himself. Nothing interesting anyway, just Headmaster stuff no doubt. They had had requests for places sent from parents already, which was well ahead of the open day and not how things worked. It was getting rather annoying, Harry would be sending out the Hogwarts letters in his own good time.
Suddenly Harry heard the beating of wings, not regular mail owl wings but something far larger and not just one of them either. He looked up and his face instantly showed his alarm as two extremely large owls, he had never seen anything like it, came swooping across the hall directly at him.
"Sev!" Harry called in his panic but his Kin didn't seem to want to do anything about it.
With great skill the two birds came to land on the table in front of Harry and Harry made an admirable attempt at not falling off his seat backwards. The two monster owls were carrying a large package and to Harry the item looked very familiar indeed.
"I am getting a very strong sense of déjà vu here," Harry commented.
"Has that happened to you before?" Severus deadpanned.
Harry felt very much like glaring at his Kin but that would just have encouraged him, "This isn't the first time that I've received something this big in the post, though that time it was sent by a friend, I'm not so sure this time, could be somebody trying to get to me. Maybe even to kill me."
Severus suddenly looked amused, to Harry's trained eye anyway, "Just open it," He instructed.
"It could be anything, it could be laced with poison," Harry considered.
Severus sighed, "It will be fine, open it."
"NO!"
"Harry, it is from me, it's something I wanted to get for you."
"Oh Sev," Harry said, happy and unsuspicious, "When did you do this?"
Severus shrugged, "Not easy when we're together all the time but it is achievable."
Harry leant over to Severus and threw his arms around him; giving his Kin a big squeeze and watching the conversations fall to silence around the hall. The two huge owls started to look irritated. Harry let go of his Kin and accepted the parcel from the owls and they flew off.
Harry knew that a lot of eyes were on him; he knew that both Hermione and Minerva were watching. He had no idea where Ron was, but he would ask about that later. He wanted to unwrap his parcel slowly to savour the moment but he wanted to do it quickly so they would all find something else to watch.
Of course Harry knew what it was, a new broom. He hadn't thought about getting a new one, it had been so long since he had flown. He was glad however that Severus had thought of it; he couldn't wait to have a fly. He wouldn't be getting into the habit of doing stunts again though, knowing what his death or injury would mean to Severus now made it well and truly not an option. Danger and worry was for wartime and he was done with it.
As if Severus had been anticipating his needs, Harry noticed when he got the package unwrapped that it wasn't the latest racing model but an exact replacement for the one he had owned immediately prior to the departure from King's Cross after graduation.
"Thank you Sev!" Harry gushed again giving his Kin another hug.
They had agreed that they should both be more like their normal selves in public but they hadn't as yet practised it that much. This was their first major demonstration of their relationship in public and Harry was feeling a bit watched but nevertheless pleased to be being open with his Kin. Revealing their true relationship was something they had to get done before Harry was in a situation where he might be getting bigger, to hide it might be seen as having done something that they wanted to hide.
The open day was to begin out on the grass of the Quidditch pitch, Harry and Severus had made the decision together that they didn't want anyone near the castle till they could see who was there.
After breakfast they all began to make their way across the grounds to meet with the visitors that would be portkeying in within the hour. Severus walked beside Minerva and Harry joined Hermione who was walking a little way in front as they reached the main door and open air beyond.
"So where is Ron this morning?" Harry asked Hermione cheerily as he came up beside her, his new broom clutched in his hand.
"He's not having a very good day," Hermione replied briskly, "You could come up and see him later."
"I might," Harry replied feeling, if the day went quite well, he might actually do it. Hermione was still a little bit put out but since she had apologised and had been reasonably civil he thought it might be worth risking a visit.
Severus continued to walk alongside Minerva. When there seemed to be a suitable amount of distance between herself and Harry, Minerva spoke.
"Do you think it wise?" Minerva said pointedly, almost whispering.
"What?" Severus asked.
Minerva presumed that he was being purposely awkward. "Harry, the Quidditch pitch, you," Minerva prompted.
"It was a long time ago Minerva," Severus replied snappily, feeling rather put out still that Minerva knew so much and was now choosing to reveal that fact to him every time they spoke. They had all known about the beginning of it, he had told Albus about the truth potion part but not till his brother was dead and he was captive at Hogwarts, but not the rest, not what came after that. It was bad enough that Albus had found out after all these years but he must have communicated it to Minerva after his death too, even Albus hadn't known that particular secret when he had been alive.
"If we had known…" Minerva attempted to say.
"If I had said something, nobody would have believed me, I don't want to talk about this." Severus said in such a tone that made sure that Minerva knew that he really didn't want to talk about it.
Before Minerva had a chance to approach any other topics he didn't want to talk about, Severus quickened his pace and came up beside Harry, he reached out and took Harry's hand and they continued across the grounds together.
the past
Severus was walking in the school grounds, he was approaching the Quidditch stadium, night time was approaching and the light was fading fast. He had a book in his hands and he read as he walked. He didn't have to be so wary at this time of the evening; everybody else would be inside doing homework, preparing for bed. He would enjoy his walk then rush back inside just before curfew. It was the only peace he got.
James Potter and his friends were suddenly surrounding him. His guard had been so well down that he hadn't even heard them, not even when they had got close up, though he imagined they had been hiding under an invisibility cloak to hide them from sight. They all had their wands drawn and James Potter held a Quidditch broom in his other hand.
"Hello Snivellus," James Potter greeted, cheerful yet menacing.
Severus span around trying to find an exit route but they had had him surrounded even before James Potter had spoken. He tried to reach for his wand but Potter's friends were very quick, they grabbed his arms as Potter raised his wand.
"Undress and get on your knees," James Potter barked the order, "Do it slowly, I want to watch you, WE want to watch you. Do exactly as I say, don't try to run, you ARE completely surrounded." Severus stared dumbly at Potter and the other Gryffindors who weren't currently restraining him.
"Take all your clothes off," Potter spat at Severus.
"Shall we let him go?" Sirius asked, he had a hold of Severus' right arm; Peter Pettigrew had a hold of the other.
Potter sighed, "Of course let him go, get his wand first."
Severus didn't know what they were playing at, it had been bad before but they had never demanded that he undress. He decided that he wasn't going to do it; it wasn't as if they could get away with very much if he refused to cooperate, if he was missing beyond curfew then they would all be in trouble.
Severus' wand was taken from him and as the two Gryffindors let go of him they pushed him forward and onto his knees.
Potter aimed a foot at Severus and kicked him hard, "Take your clothes off Snivellus!" He demanded.
"No!" Severus replied, "I won't."
James Potter just laughed, "I was hoping you would say that, Ma thoilicheas tu!"
Severus had no idea what James Potter had cast with his wand but he found that his right hand raised up to the top button of his robes and flicked it open. Severus tried his best to resist the movement but he wasn't in control anymore. Potter's curse was making him comply to his wish, he was going to undress himself in front of the assembled Gryffindors no matter how much he would have preferred to die instead.
Severus' hand continued to loosen buttons and when it was finished it pulled the robe from Severus' shoulders. Soon Severus was standing in his underwear with all the Marauders still finding it intensely amusing. It did not stop there, Severus could only watch in horror as his hand continued, reaching down to his underpants and taking a hold of the waistband, he closed his eyes, refusing to watch himself as he bent over a little and felt the fabric sliding down his legs, his wayward hand pushing them down.
When the underpants had reached his ankles Severus' body straightened back up to a riot of laughter.
"On your knees and bend over," James Potter commanded.
Severus immediately fell to his knees and his face was pressed up against the grass within seconds. He turned his head to the side to see Potter raising his wand again, with one swish, control returned to Severus' body as Potter told him to raise his right arm and he kept it firmly in contact with the ground.
This disobedience didn't worry Potter at all, after all it had been he who had lifted the curse, he waved his wand again, "Fas fan lag," Potter spoke casting another curse in its place.
Severus felt his whole body collapse and become weak, he tried to lift his head but he couldn't. He could hear approaching people, soon he would be free and James Potter would be in serious trouble, Severus thought as he continued to try and lift his head, people were coming, he could hear them. Severus could still see Potter and he didn't look in the slightest bit worried so within seconds he had to abandon the fanciful idea that it was going to end sometime soon.
Severus lay on the ground unable to move. James Potter loomed over Severus and knelt at his side, he roughly pulled him over onto his back and lifted up one of Severus' arms and shook it about. Severus had been cursed out of the control of his body but it hadn't gone rigid, James could play with him like a child's doll. He hoped that Potter wouldn't reach down and shake anything else.
To Severus' horror James Potter produced a potion phial and displayed it to him, his friends laughed and smiled with glee, they obviously knew what the potion contained. Potter opened Severus' mouth and tipped the potion in, Severus could feel it trickling down his throat but he could do nothing about it, he couldn't even swallow to help it down, not that he would have done.
Severus could feel the potion absorbing into his throat anyway, it made little difference whether he swallowed or not, this potion was designed to be suitable for administering to an unwilling victim. It absorbed straight through the lining of the mouth or any other non-keratinised stratified epithelial tissue it rested upon, by the time it reached the stomach there would be very little active ingredient to absorb, it was that quick. Severus could taste the potion in his mouth still and knew very well what it was; he now dreaded Potter asking him a question but knew that he would.
the present
As they entered the Quidditch pitch area they all noticed that quite a few people had arrived already. Hermione broke away from the group to mingle as did Minerva but Harry stood by Severus' side and didn't intend to leave him.
Harry looked up at Severus, he was looking stiff and stern, and Harry squeezed his hand knowing that he was going to detest all the crowds.
Hermione looked around for somebody she could talk to, somebody she might recognise. Suddenly a man she had never met before was stood in front of her.
"I saw in The Prophet that you are to take over the position of Potions master," the man said without bothering to introduce himself.
"Yes I am," Hermione answered warily. It was the first time since the war that the grounds had been so open and she was as nervous as everybody else about it.
The man nodded over to where Severus and Harry were standing, "There's a sight that nobody thought they would ever see," he commented.
Hermione couldn't help agreeing.
"Harry Potter and Severus Snape standing together on the Quidditch pitch, I wonder if he knows," The man added.
"Knows what?" Hermione asked intrigued.
"Of course he probably doesn't, Albus Dumbledore went to an awful lot of effort to make sure that it wasn't spoken about."
"Well Albus Dumbledore is dead," Hermione said firmly, determined that she would get whatever information there was to hear, "So you can tell me now, I think it would be in the interests of the school to know."
"What James Potter did to him," The man replied cryptically.
"Tell me," Hermione demanded.
The man looked nervously around him as if suddenly afraid to speak of it but he leant towards Hermione and told her all that he knew.
Hermione went quite pale and wished that she hadn't asked.
"You have to wonder," the man mused at a normal volume, "If this isn't all an elaborate attempt at revenge."
Harry walked with Severus around the grounds as more and more people arrived, some parents had come alone and some had brought the prospective students with them. Harry still held Severus' hand and he could tell that his Kin was hating every minute, he would almost be glad when it was time to go up onto one of the stands to make their speech, at least they would have a bit of space.
Severus suddenly froze, tugging on Harry's arm. A group of men were approaching them and they were about the same age as Severus and had no children with them. Harry looked up at Severus and he looked distant and alarmed. Harry looked back at the men and although they looked cheerful enough he instinctively didn't trust or like them one bit.
Harry turned back to Severus, he was pale and unmoving, "Severus?" Harry called.
Severus didn't respond but kept staring straight ahead; Harry squeezed his hand but had to turn back towards the men as they were nearly beside them.
"Well, well, well," One of the men began, "We never thought we would see this, a Potter and a Snape standing hand in hand."
"What do you mean by that?" Harry snapped.
"Nothing," The man shrugged.
"Obviously there is something,"
"You mean you don't know?"
"Don't know what?" Harry asked growing very short on patience, he felt Severus hand fall from his grip but he really needed to know what was going on.
The men laughed and not pleasantly, "I think Snapie better be the one to tell you."
"But you'll have to be a quick runner," One of the other men added.
"He always could run," the first man added still looking like he thought something was very funny.
Harry span round to find that Severus had gone, panic threatened to engulf him, standing up on his toes he could just about see a swish of black cloak disappearing out of sight. In one fluid movement Harry had turned to face the men and had drawn his sword.
Even without the full strength that would have been available if Severus had been holding his sword, Harry wanted to kill these laughing men who had obviously harmed his Kin in some way but had the arrogance to taunt him with it. The main talker of the group was close enough; Harry swung his sword back to take a blow as the man merely stared at him frozen to the spot.
"I will kill you before you have a chance to speak another word, nobody harms my Kin," Harry spat a thirst for the kill in his eyes.
A hand grasped Harry's arm just as he was about to put all his strength into slicing the sword through the man in front of him.
"I don't think killing somebody at a school open day is an ideal way to endear yourself to the wizarding world as the next Hogwart's Headmaster," Harry heard the soft voice of Minerva in his ear.
Harry didn't struggle against Minerva but neither did he let his arm drop, "They meant Severus harm, I cannot let them live," Harry hissed.
"Let go of the sword Harry," Minerva spoke in soothing tones, "Go to Severus, he needs you with him, I will deal with these men."
The realisation bolted through Harry, Minerva was right, for all the time he wasted killing, Severus would be on his own. Harry let his arm drop to his side and he put the sword away readying his broom for flight instead, "Must find Severus," He said before taking off above the crowds.
Minerva approached Harry's main target as soon as he had flown away.
"Harry is going to Severus now and no doubt he will tell him exactly what happened," Minerva began, "When Harry finds out what happened here, no matter that it was more than twenty years ago, he will be wanting some blood on that sword. They will be at full power because Severus will help Harry and I won't stop him again, I won't be able to stop him again. I strongly advise that you all leave before they return."
The men without a word turned to go.
"One more thing, let the past stay in the past," Minerva called after them, "This isn't to be spoken of again, anybody who does can expect their life to be forfeit."
the past
James Potter drew his wand, he levitated Severus next, and Severus couldn't see where he was going as he was facing the sky. Potter froze Severus in mid air and then flipped him over, Severus could see the trunk below him, which was used to house the Quidditch balls, and James lowered him down onto it.
Severus head was left dangling over the end of the trunk and his legs hung off the other end. He could still feel everything; he could feel James spreading his legs wide apart. Severus felt his arms being lifted up and a binding being cast over them to hold them together behind his back. He then felt the bind being placed on his ankles, he assumed that he was being tied to something else but he didn't know what. He couldn't understand why James was binding him if he couldn't move anyway. He didn't know when they were going to stop and let him go.
Potter released Severus from the latest curse but not before he was effectively tethered. Severus tried to lift more than his head but the way he was lain over the trunk and bound he could do little more than wriggle his shoulders, his spine just wasn't anatomically designed for moving in the direction he needed to move.
Potter sat himself down on the grass facing Severus who was now completely naked and draped over a Quidditch ball trunk, his ankles held in a bind to two long metal stakes which had been driven into the ground.
"What a wonderful sight," James Potter commented from his position directly in front of Severus, "Now we're going to talk, I think you might like to talk to me. Just think of it as a game of 'truth potion chess', except for the fact that I have already got all your pieces," Potter said in a menacingly jovial tone.
"I would not like to," Severus snarled.
"Even better and yet at the same time completely irrelevant."
Severus could look around now and found that he had been right about there being more people, only they had come to watch, not too rescue him as he had hoped. Everywhere Severus turned he could see a face staring back at him.
"Do you like Quidditch?" Potter asked to begin with.
"Yes," Severus replied.
"Really? This is going to be so much fun," Potter commented before asking his next question, "Do you have a favourite player?"
"Yes," Severus couldn't help replying.
"Is your favourite player a girl?" Potter asked.
"No," Severus answered miserably to an eruption of riotous laughter.
"I always knew it you little creep, what team does he play for?" Potter continued.
"Gryffindor,"
Potter looked surprised for a second before composing himself, some of the other members of the Gryffindor team who were present were suddenly looking a little uncomfortable too, "Do you want to do creepy things with this boy?"
"No," Severus answered, dreading where he knew this was all leading and the answers that he had no choice but to give.
"Why not?"
"Because he doesn't like me,"
Potter laughed, "Well nobody likes you, but what if he did, would you like to sleep with him if you know what I mean?"
"Yes,"
"Would you like to be his little sub?"
"Yes,"
"Who is he?" Potter asked as the other team members were all fervently hoping that it wouldn't be them, they would never live it down if they turned out to be the object of Snivellus' little fantasies.
"You,"
The laughter was deafening, Potter was possessed with an intense fury, "You little shit," he spat at Severus grabbing him by the hair with one hand and raising a hand to strike him, "You dirty, sick little creep."
A hand grasped Potter's raised fist, "Plausible deniability," Sirius' voice hissed in Potter's ear. Potter lowered his fist but the laughter hadn't ceased.
Somebody once told him how to deal with bullies, Severus remembered as he lay draped over the Quidditch trunk awaiting Potter's next move, it was his father if he remembered correctly, Valarius would never tell him anything so useless as the advice he had been given then. Valarius had threatened to come down to the school and sort them all out personally but Severus had known that he couldn't let him do that. His father wouldn't do anything; his father's anger was focused more closely to home.
Ignore them and they will go away, his father had told him, you will have your revenge on them when you join us, the voice of a Death Eater.
Although revenge years in the future seemed like too little too late, Severus had kept to his father's word and he kept to it still. He lay on the trunk, waiting for it to end, trying to block out their voices, answering Potter's questions whilst trying not to care about it. He couldn't cry, it had been years since he could cry and he wouldn't do it now, he would just blank his mind and drift on other thoughts, wait till it was all over.
Sirius was talking rapidly to Potter but Severus couldn't make out the words, he could only see what was going on because Potter still had his head pulled up, his hand still entangled in his hair. Suddenly Potter dropped Severus' head and reached into his robes, searching for something. The others backed off a little and Severus couldn't begin to guess what was coming next.
Although Severus couldn't see what Potter was doing now, he could hear their conversation.
"What is that?" Peter Pettigrew asked.
"Something quite illegal and apparently more enjoyable than the little runt deserves, not that I would ever take this shit to know." Potter answered.
"What are you going to do with it?" Peter continued to question.
"If he is found shot full of this stuff he will be expelled, call it our insurance, by the time it wears off it will be too late to go telling tales and he might not even be sure of what happened."
"That's way too big to swallow even if he would cooperate."
"This, my friend, goes where the sun don't shine, nice and quick but without the tell tale marks of a muggle IV and no cooperation required." Potter replied, "Curfew will pass and he will be out here sleeping off his little trip."
"You're so devious you could have been a Slytherin," Sirius commented.
Potter just smiled, "Why I very nearly was." He replied with a grin.
Severus was feeling the first effects of the drug when Potter finally released the binds. He was pulled off the trunk and his clothes were thrown over him, he immediately tried to stand up but there was a rush of warmth that filled his body and made his legs and brain turn to jelly, he flopped once more down onto the ground.
It had been almost dark but the sky filled with the light of a sunrise and the colours of red and orange swirled around in front of Severus' eyes intermingling with the blue. The smell of fresia flowers filled the air and Severus felt as if he was being lifted up. Warm arms wrapped around him and he felt a hot mouth on his neck, still he lay limply unable to struggle even if he had wanted to. Somewhere a set of drums and cymbals gave a pulsing beat. The hands caressed him all over and the swirls of light kept time with the hypnotic beat that was almost like a heartbeat. Severus could feel himself wanting, wanting the hands to reach further, wanting the mouth to continue, wanting the arms to hold him tight.
Suddenly the caresses became more forceful, more insistent but the colours continued to swirl. Severus felt himself being turned over onto his front and a hand reached between his legs. He was pulled up so that he was kneeling with his arms folded and his head resting upon them.
Through the warmth and the jelly like feeling Severus felt pain and the light that swirled before his eyes darkened to purples and deep blues, the drumbeat quickened. The pain continued, coming upon him in waves, hands were all over him, probing, searching.
The pain ceased for a while and the colours lightened, Severus turned over onto his back and he looked through the swirling colours to see faces standing over him. One face came closer to him and the pain began again, the darkness came to the swirls but Severus could still see the face grinning back at him as he was rocked back and forward to the sound of the beat. The lightness returned but was soon replaced by more darkness and another face, the pain getting more and more intense with each wave, the hands all over him, touching him everywhere, sometimes caressing, sometimes holding him, sometimes everywhere at once, groping and intrusive.
After a while, it seemed like it had been forever, the colours began to fade and the pain was so intense that Severus screamed and kept on screaming. He found that he could move and the warmth drifted away leaving him with an urgent need to struggle. The face left him as he struggled against the hands that held him and suddenly he was free of their grasp. He tried to struggle to his feet but fell straight back down onto the grass. He could tell that he was lying on grass now, he felt dizzy and sick and the pain hadn't eased. Now there was just spinning, the real world was there again but it wouldn't stop moving, the ground moved beneath him like the waves on the sea and he bobbed on it helplessly as if he was a boat.
Severus tried to stand again and this time he managed to stay on his feet for a few seconds before reaching the ground again. He was still naked and was feeling the cold, whilst shivering violently he searched around with his hand for the clothes that he knew must be there somewhere. He managed to get his robe but he only managed a few of the buttons before his hands refused to be capable of fastening more.
Severus tried yet again to stand and this time he managed to stay on his feet; the world wasn't lurching as much as it had before. He was suddenly possessed of an intense urge to run, he didn't know where. At first he stumbled a little but the cool rush of air created by the movement was helping to clear his head and he was able to increase his speed. Six-foot tall rabbits hopped along side of him encouraging him on his way. The drum beat returned and pounded in Severus' ears as he ran. He didn't know where he was going; he only knew that the rabbits wouldn't let him stop.
the present
Harry soared above the crowds, the thoughts going through his head, trying to figure it all out. It must have something to do with his father, Harry thought before remembering Severus' words when they had been camping in Scotland. They had spoken about the Pensieve memory that Harry had looked at in his fifth year at Hogwarts. It didn't begin or end there, Severus had told him rather cryptically as they sat in front of their campfire, it had been the night that they had taken the Kin Bond together.
Another thought was pushing its way to the front of Harry's brain, something that he should remember, it was something about the final battle with the Dark Lord, which was mostly a blur thanks to the trauma of the event.
Harry remembered being pushed to his knees as Severus pretended to turn against him. 'Do to the son what the father and his friends did to you' the Dark Lord had instructed Severus believing him to be a true Death Eater still. He had been ordered to undress in front of them all, Harry suddenly remembered.
Harry was approaching the forbidden forest on his broom and he had no idea where Severus would be, he really hoped that he hadn't gone into the forest.
'Valarius,' Harry called inside his head, entreating Severus' dead brother to help him, 'Please tell me where he is."
'Hagrid's cottage,' Valarius's voice spoke back.
Relieved that he wouldn't have to go into the forest, Harry swooped down in front of the cottage and dismounted his broom. Without any hesitation he closed the distance between him and the front door and pushed it open.
Severus was curled up in the corner to the side of the fire, hardly visible in the gloom of the unlit and unused cottage. Harry dropped his broom as he saw him and closed the door to the outside world. With a swish of his wand Harry made sure that nobody could enter and no sound could reach uninvited ears.
Harry crossed the room and knelt by Severus' side, he was shaking violently and had his eyes closed. Harry reached a hand out to his Kin and he flinched from the touch.
"Sev, it's Harry, you're all right," Harry said softly and when he reached a hand out again Severus let him touch him. Harry reached up to stroke a hand through Severus' hair, hoping to sooth him enough to speak.
"The rabbits made me do it," Severus whimpered.
Harry continued to stroke his hand through Severus' hair trying not to think about what he had just heard his Kin say.
"I had to keep running, made it into the forbidden forest last time, must be getting old," Severus eventually added. He shuffled up against Harry and leant his head on Harry's shoulder. Harry put his arms around his Kin and continued to sooth him, gently rocking him till the shaking ceased.
"They won't find me in here with you," Severus added.
"Who won't?" Harry encouraged.
"The rabbits, they were tall but they won't find me here."
"Tell me what happened," Harry requested as gently as he could but with a firmness that said that he wouldn't let it be.
"I can't, Harry I can't," Severus replied appearing to overcome with emotion, he turned his head away and Harry thought he saw tears, something nobody he knew had ever seen in Severus ever before, he himself had only seen it once.
Suddenly Valarius's voice was inside Harry's head again repeating something that he had said before, 'He was raped.' Harry now knew what that meant and he knew also that he had to see what had happened. He knew that his father was involved somehow and he needed to see it anyway.
"Severus, take your sword in your hand, let's share it that way," Harry suggested, knowing that it would be too painful to talk about.
Severus shook his head but Harry reached inside his robes for the sword and Severus did nothing to stop him. Harry then took his own sword in his hand and lay down beside Severus.
Severus let his hand close around the sword and the serpents wound round his wrist, he felt the power of the Bond flow through him and he felt Harry's spirit nudging at him to let him in. Severus opened his mind and allowed Harry to take whatever memory he wanted. Harry sent warmth and love through the sword and as Severus began to experience again the things he had never wanted to experience once, he began to feel an unexpected amount of peace.
As Harry let go of his sword Severus remained in his arms with his head resting on Harry's shoulder. To say Harry was a little stunned would be an understatement. He didn't have to ask who the men they had met on the Quidditch pitch had been.
"For many years I thought it must have been the drug, that they left me out there and that was what it did to your brain but it should have just been the light. When I was found I was given potions to heal the physical wounds they found but they would have healed everything so nobody ever knew." Severus began, "I was out of it, all I knew was the pain of the broken bones, which took a little longer to heal. I was back with my brother before I even woke. It seemed so real and I couldn't ever let anybody near me again but then the rabbits had felt quite real too. Then this morning, I saw the faces I remembered coming at me out of the crowd and they knew. I knew then that they had really done it."
Harry asked the question he didn't want to know the answer to, "Was my father there then?"
"I didn't see the first one, he did it from behind, I don't know," Severus replied.
Harry stroked his Kin's hair, knowing by how upset Severus was becoming that he shouldn't ask any more, "They said they were going to leave you there."
"They did, but I didn't see them go," Severus said remaining snuggled up against Harry.
Harry rocked Severus a little, "You didn't tell anybody about this did you?" He asked.
"No, not the worst part, word about what your father did spread quite quickly, or so I heard, amongst the students anyway, I eventually told Albus not long before your father died, by then he wasn't a student any longer and Albus couldn't do anything about it. I have never been able to think about the worst part, let alone speak of it."
"Probably just as well if you're going to start going on about rabbits," Harry commented, wanting to forget what he had seen and desperately wanting to lighten the mood.
"It was like I was there again."
"Hmm, flashback."
"I feel better for sharing it with you, sharing through the swords just makes it seem like so long ago."
Harry smiled grimly, "You did it for me enough times when I was getting those visions."
Severus sighed, "We have a speech to make."
Harry observed his Kin, his breathing was normal again, he was getting his colour back and his mind was drifting back to duty, "In a little while, we can make up an excuse to allow us to be gone a little while longer, Minerva will help us."
"I didn't like her knowing so much about the Kin Bond at first but I think we'll need her," Severus admitted.
Within the hour Harry and Severus were making their way back across the ground to the Quidditch pitch. They strode with purpose holding hands and walking in step, holding their swords and letting the power of the Kin Bond strengthen them.
"So what attacked you in the forest?" Harry asked only just thinking of the question.
Severus shrugged, "I don't know, it was very dark and I was still hallucinating, I don't remember anything else."
"Well it could have been anything," Harry considered, "It's not the best place to go for a jog."
Severus tensed as they neared the Quidditch pitch but Harry kept a firm hold of his Kin and dragged him onwards.
"I'll let you be Scary Snape for a while if you come with me," Harry joked.
"I'm coming," Severus insisted, "I just hope that they've gone."
Harry smiled, "So do I, because if they haven't I am going to kill them," He promised.
Harry and Severus took a staircase to the top of one of the stands before anybody had even noticed that they had returned. Harry stood at the front of the stand and took up the loudspeaker device that was normally used for the Quidditch commentary. Severus stood behind his Kin and wrapped protective arms around him though that probably couldn't be seen from below.
"Attention!" Harry shouted more loudly than necessary making most people jump.
On the ground below Minerva swung round and smiled proudly up at the two men as they began their first speech as Headmasters of Hogwarts.
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TBC very soon
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The Gaelic Spells: Ma thoilicheas tu - If you will, Fas fan lag - (fas fann/lag) become weak.
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Next Chapter Summary: Release - Ron demonstrates how much he has matured over the last year and tells Hermione how he feels about her.
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