A/N: Notes at the end of the chapter.
Beta by Kristine Thorne
Chapter Summary - With mixed feelings about his most recent news, Harry walks into a trap.
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Chapter Sixteen - Trapped
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Harry climbed eagerly into bed, he couldn't wait to be pregnant now too and he wanted as much sex as possible and he wanted it in one night, not that he had been terribly patient before they had found out that Severus had conceived.
Severus came to bed too and, whilst trying to be gentle with him, Harry immediately dove for Severus' neck giving clear indication of his intent. To his surprise Severus eased Harry away from him and produced a phial from the bedside cabinet.
"What's that?" Harry asked, instinctively knowing that he wasn't going to like the answer.
"It's a contraceptive potion, if we're going to have some fun tonight then you ought to take it," Severus replied proving Harry right.
Harry instantly went off the idea of sex altogether and he could feel the tears of disappointment coming up into his eyes, "I don't want to."
"We can't both be pregnant at the same time, not with a school to run," Severus reasoned, "You do understand?"
"Yes," Harry replied, he could understand very well but that didn't mean that he was at all happy about it, he just didn't have a logical point to protest from.
Severus held out the potion to Harry but he didn't take it.
"I thought you understood," Severus said still holding out the phial.
"I don't want to take it," Harry stated before throwing himself onto his side and letting the tears stream down his face.
"You can be pregnant next time, just let me give birth then I'll get you pregnant as soon as I can, just wait a while."
"Nine months," Harry wailed.
"Isn't forever," Severus continued placing a hand gently on Harry's shoulder but failing to console him, "I thought you were happy about it."
"I was," Harry said still sobbing, "But I wanted it to be me, I want you to be pregnant but I want to be too."
"It just isn't practical or sensible,"
"Fuck practical and sensible," Harry snapped shaking Severus' hand away.
Severus tried to snuggle up to his Kin again anyway despite the apparent rejection and Harry didn't turn him away but allowed the hold even though he continued to cry. Severus turned Harry over onto his back and took a hand, gently placing it on his abdomen.
"Come on love," Severus persuaded, "Have a little sense of what we have managed to create together and think how fortunate I am to be the one who is throwing up half of what I eat every day."
Harry nearly smiled and let his hand linger on Severus, after a while he began to sense the baby. Though he desperately wanted a child too Harry did find that sensing Severus' pregnancy helped to calm him a little. They lay together, Harry lying in the comfort of Severus' arms till Harry cried himself tired and they both eventually fell asleep.
The next morning Harry woke as Severus was slipping out of bed and heading for the bathroom. There was silence for a while, which Harry now knew the meaning of, then there was the sound of the shower as Severus washed.
When Severus eventually emerged from the bathroom he was wrapped in a towel and looking a little better than he had the previous day but not by much. He started to get dressed
"Why don't you just come back to bed for a while," Harry suggested.
"I have to eat something and I have an arrangement with Hermione this morning so even if I missed breakfast I would only escape for an hour," Severus said flopping down to sit on the side of the bed.
"Have a little bit of something sent down here, then lie down for a while, I will tell Hermione that you will see her this afternoon," Harry suggested, he knew that Severus would easily agree, it just might take a few minutes for him to be convinced.
"It doesn't go away in the afternoon."
"I know," Harry continued to persuade, "But certain things make it worse, it was the bacon yesterday, as soon as it arrived on the table you were off."
Severus began to admit defeat, "Strong meat smells and certain kinds of potion," he agreed.
Harry wrapped an arm around his Kin as he sat beside him on the bed, "Have a bit of toast and some juice or whatever you want, away from everybody else's breakfast and see how you feel, if you can manage to keep a little bit of food down you'll make a better job of dealing with Hermione anyway."
"What are you going to do?" Severus asked.
"I will go upstairs for breakfast and keep her busy and stop her coming down here to bother you."
Severus pulled himself back onto the bed to lie down, "Have you got your map?"
"I'll take it with me," Harry said leaning down to kiss Severus, "You keep a hold of yours and join me whenever you feel ready."
"Hope it isn't going to be like this all the way through," Severus grumbled.
Harry smiled, "Isn't it supposed to happen in the first few months?"
"Hmm, yes, now that I think it might just be the first three or so."
Harry stood up and started to get ready for his shower, "There we go, only two months more to go then."
When Harry climbed the stairs up to the main hall he still had no idea how he was going to change Hermione's plans for the morning and keep her away from Severus. She had been itching to make some kind of issue out of Severus' behaviour for a few days, he could tell, and this was the first time she would get them separately. Well Harry was prepared to endure an ear bashing if it bought Severus a bit of peace and quiet.
Hermione was at least getting rather predictable, Harry thought as he took his place at the table.
"Is the other Headmaster Snape not joining us this morning?" Hermione chirped as soon as Harry reached for the coffee pot.
"No, he had other business to attend to," Harry replied already feeling thoroughly irritated.
"What other business? Everybody else is here," Hermione continued.
"Sort of, none of your business, kind of other business," Harry, perhaps rather unwisely, answered, he couldn't help it, and for all her supposed apologies Hermione was still impossible, "He will also have to postpone his session with yourself till this afternoon."
"Headmaster Dumbledore always had time to attend breakfast and all other meal times actually, it is an important part of the job and considering Headmaster Snape's current performance he ought to be making more effort not less."
"Albus Dumbledore did not have to start the school up from scratch after such traumatic events,"
"Hermione…" Ron attempted to warn.
"No Ron, I think it needs to be said," Hermione continued anyway.
"I think it doesn't," Ron added to deaf ears.
"In any case," Harry interrupted before Hermione started speaking again, "The Headmaster is here, I am here, and I will be present for whatever other business presents itself throughout the morning whilst Severus attends to his other business."
"Oh," Hermione said suddenly smiling and appearing friendly, "Well you might like to join us in the library then, Ron and I were going to do some research sometime today and since this morning is free perhaps that would be more agreeable anyway."
By the look on Ron's face, Harry assumed the fact he was going to be doing research was as surprising as it was to Harry.
"Over tea and biscuits of course," Ron added.
"Yes, of course," Hermione agreed, "Let's have tea and biscuits and make a nice little morning of it, it'll be just like old times won't it, just the three of us together in the library."
Harry felt nervous but he followed Ron and Hermione to the library anyway, it seemed that it might be being a little bit too paranoid to refuse them but he was convinced there was something not quite right about the situation. Harry supposed that Hermione might again try to persuade him to leave Severus on the grounds of his Kin's unsuitability or something. He only hoped that he could maintain his cool should that happen, in any case, should the worst happen there was always the door.
Harry opened the large and heavy carved oak doors to the library and Hermione and Ron sat themselves at a table not far from the centre of the room. Hermione announced that she would order the tea and Harry turned back to close the door.
The door slammed shut in front of Harry as he approached it, he knew he hadn't shut it himself and it was very large and very heavy, there was only one explanation. He didn't need to test the door to know that it had been magically locked to impede his exit, Harry span round to face Hermione and Ron.
Hermione had her wand drawn and Harry glowered at her with some understanding of what she was doing.
"Now don't do anything sudden," Hermione said, her wand still pointing at Harry. She reached beneath the table and produced a small cauldron and a glass cup. Harry could see that the cauldron contained a potion.
Harry knew that there was nothing that Hermione or Ron could do to stop him from leaving the room, he could blast the door apart with his sword in seconds, although he would have had to turn his back on them to do it. Some dark Kin part of him wanted to stay to see what ridiculous plan they had concocted, even though the sensible Harry part of him wanted to run before he could do them any harm. Harry's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword but he didn't draw it, leaving it small and nestled within his robes.
Hermione stood up after scooping some of the potion into the cup. She slowly stepped away from behind the table and began to approach Harry.
"Just drink this," Hermione began in what she must have imagined was a persuasive voice, "Everything will be back to normal, as it was before, you won't be bound to him any longer."
"But I wish to be bound to Severus," Harry began not taking his eyes off Hermione for a second.
"I know that you think that you want to be, but the real Harry doesn't, the real Harry wants to be with his friends again."
"There was no reason why we couldn't still be friends, but you stand in our way with your objections," Harry said as he watched Hermione getting closer and was considering that he would have to take action.
"Come on Harry, just drink it, you will thank me afterwards," Hermione continued to persuade, holding the cup out.
Harry was left with no choice, he drew his sword and held it out in front of him, ready to strike if he needed to, he could manage well enough against a pregnant Hermione without needing Severus to join with his sword.
"You can't begin to imagine that I am actually going to drink that stuff," Harry said in a warning tone.
Hermione seemed to be unaffected by his refusal.
"And your job is gone and I can leave any time that I wish, a silly bit of wand magic can not hold me." Harry continued.
"Then leave," Hermione continued smiling and tilting her head to the side.
Harry stood his ground, to leave he would have had to turn his back and he really didn't want to take his eyes off Hermione now, she was far too close, "Call me curious," He replied.
'The potion is not meant to be drunk,' a voice spoke to Harry in his head.
'Valarius,' Harry greeted.
'It is absorbed very readily through skin contact. She wants you to use magic to get rid of it or to get close enough to have it thrown at you,' Valarius warned, 'If any magic strikes the potion, it will explode.'
Harry smiled, in what anybody but Severus would have considered an unsettling way, he surveyed the scene before him and made his decision. Harry drew his sword back ready to strike.
Harry swung his sword in front of him, blowing hard along the blade as he did so, it was impeccably aimed, a forceful gust of wind caught Hermione in the chest, blowing her back against the table, which also took a blow from the sword great enough to tip it over, Ron fell off his chair and was immediately pinned beneath the tumbling table. Though the potion itself had not been struck by the magic, Hermione's cupful was spilt all down her front and she lay on the library floor, winded and breathless, clutching her belly in pain, the baby she carried obviously deciding that it was the right moment to call it quits. The remainder of the potion had been tipped from the cauldron onto the floor. Hermione could have run at Harry and got the potion on him in that way but she was in no fit state to do so. In fact Hermione was suddenly feeling rather distracted by the fact that her baby was about to be born three months too early and there was no chance that it would survive.
"You have no idea who you are dealing with," Harry spat in anger, holding his sword ready for more action, "I have tried to warn you." Harry noticed that Ron was trying to get out from under the table but he wasn't worried about him posing a danger.
"Is it any surprise that we tried to get our Harry back, you've just shown us what you're capable of, Harry would never have done this to his friends," Hermione continued to argue through the pain.
Harry was shaking with anger and wanted to finish it, the urge was so strong that he could almost feel his arm going back, ready to strike of its own accord, "I only stayed out of curiosity, to see what silly idea you had managed to cook up, you cannot separate the Kin, let me go now before I finish this as I ought to." Harry turned to go, confident that he could now do so, he pointed his sword at the doors ready to blast them open. "Do you know what you could have done? Have you any idea?" Harry spoke as he faced the door.
'It would have worked,' Valarius told Harry, 'The potion would have absorbed through your skin and Severus would have been like a stranger to you and to Severus you would have been a stranger too.'
'Would I have been happy?' Harry asked Valarius.
'No, it would have been as if he had died, you wouldn't have survived, neither would Severus, not this time.'
'But he is…'
'I know, what he always wanted and I could never give him,' Valarius spoke inside Harry's head and he could feel Severus' brother's smile at the news, 'leave now while you can.'
Severus, lying curled up back in the comfort of his bed, took out his map and watched Harry's presence for a while as he moved around the castle corridors and eventually ended up in the library. In the hall he had moved around normally, taking his usual seat and staying long enough to eat breakfast, but now Harry stayed near the library door and made no move to sit or to leave. Severus thought this was a bit strange, just strange enough to keep him watching. As Severus continued to watch he noticed that had Harry begun to pace back and forwards, whatever was going on this wasn't behaviour that occurred in a calm and stress free situation, something was wrong.
Ron had managed to struggle from beneath the table, "Why couldn't you just leave him alone, I was getting somewhere," He accused as he saw Harry heading for the door and Hermione slumped on the floor in front of him.
"Oh shut up Ron, you have no room to talk," Hermione snapped, "You were the one who wanted Snape killed."
Ron looked up and saw Harry freeze, he had been about to blow the door open and leave but now he was completely motionless. Ron knew enough to know what might happen to someone who threatened to kill Harry's Kin.
"Thanks a lot Hermione," Ron managed to say before his mouth dried up completely.
"You could at least do something useful and help me," Hermione shrieked imagining that Ron was oblivious to her predicament. Ron was as oblivious to Hermione's predicament as Hermione was to Harry's advancing wrath.
Harry turned slowly, he had wanted to leave, he had wanted to spare them but it was too late. Ron had sought Severus' death in order to separate them, Hermione had revealed Ron's intentions and he had yet to deny it. He should be denying it, calling after him to say it wasn't true but he wasn't, Harry heard no protestations of any kind.
"You don't know what you have done," Harry said pointing his sword at his two former friends the tears flowing relentlessly down his cheeks, though it would have been a grave mistake to think it was a sign of weakness.
"Harry," Ron began, finding his voice somehow despite the anticipation of what was coming, "It was before, when you first came back, I don't want Severus dead now, I know you two a little better now."
"It is too late," Harry sobbed, "Too late to talk."
"Harry mate, why don't you put down your sword and we promise to leave you and Severus alone." Ron attempted.
Harry shook his head and kept his sword at the ready, "Severus is my family and you would have took him from me, without him I am nothing. You would have killed me as surely as you would have killed him."
"Oh stop being so bloody melodramatic," Hermione snapped, "I'm losing my baby here in case you hadn't noticed, YOU are killing MY family."
"I have no choice now," Harry sobbed directing his sword at Ron.
The door to the library exploded behind him and Harry was hit in the back by a few flying pieces of wood but they didn't hurt him, his hand trembled as he opened his mouth to begin the words of the killing curse.
Harry felt two hands on his shoulders and he let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. Severus was there and he was warm and close and very much his Kin. Harry sank back into Severus' arms and Severus wrapped those arms around Harry, encompassing his sword arm, bringing it down so the sword pointed at the ground.
"Let go," Severus whispered in Harry's ear, "Let me have the sword for a while."
Harry couldn't stop crying or shaking, as he relinquished his sword to Severus and melted into his arms he recalled all of what had just occurred, what he had done and what he nearly had done.
"I've killed the baby," Harry sobbed to Severus.
Severus loosened himself away from Harry and stepped towards Hermione, "Don't worry, you haven't killed him," Severus explained as he went forward, "I can stop the labour."
"No!" Harry screamed launching himself towards his Kin, grabbing him and pulling him backwards with as much force as he could, "She's covered in a potion that will make you a stranger to me, it will make you think that I am dead and that I am somebody else, you will kill yourself. You mustn't touch it."
"That was what they were going to do to you?" Severus asked, clearly beyond disgusted.
"I believe it might have been Hermione's idea," Harry explained.
"There is a surprise," Severus sneered turning round again so that he could observe Hermione, "Still, it is not the child's fault."
"But what can we do? You are not going to go near her!" Harry insisted.
"No," Severus replied, "Ron is going to do it under my instruction. Whether he does it correctly or not, who knows, but that is how this is going to be."
Ron looked quite horrified at the prospect but not quite as horrified as Hermione.
"I would be careful not to touch any of that potion," Severus warned Ron, "Lift up her clothes so that you have skin contact."
Ron tried to peel Hermione's clothing up, she was wearing a skirt and top so it was a little easier than a long robe but Hermione still managed to be displeased despite her predicament.
Ron made an admirable job of following Severus' instructions and it only took a few attempts to stabilise the pregnancy.
As soon as his healing services were no longer required Severus returned to Harry's side and took him in his arms once again. As he stroked Harry's back and attempted to sooth him Severus spoke to Hermione and Ron who had made no move to leave.
"I want this mess cleared up," Severus told them in a booming voice of unquestionable authority, "Then you can both pack your things, I want you both out of the castle for good by tomorrow morning."
"But we haven't got anywhere else to go," Hermione replied haughtily.
"Not my problem," Severus replied firmly, "I will not have Harry endangered in this way."
Ron and Hermione sat on the floor of the library amid the wreckage as Severus exhibited warmth and affection towards a heartbroken Harry before leading him away back down to the dungeons.
Severus held Harry to him all the way down to the dungeons and into their quarters. They didn't stop in the living room but went straight through to the bedroom where Severus urged Harry to climb up onto the bed. Severus lay down beside him and Harry curled up beside him with his head on Severus' shoulder.
Harry was still shaking and tearful and he allowed Severus to pull a blanket over him and Severus stroked his back till he calmed a little.
"I have asked them to leave," Severus informed Harry just in case he had been too distraught when it had been mentioned in the library.
"I don't want them to leave, I just want my friends back," Harry responded.
"I know," Severus sympathised, "But I can't have them endangering you."
"I know, they have to go," Harry had to reluctantly agree.
"I have to protect you."
"She even apologised to me but it meant nothing," Harry said sobbing onto Severus' shoulder again.
Harry sought the only comfort that he knew, he remained wrapped in Severus' arms and reached a hand up beneath his Kin's robes, searching for the other member of their little family.
Ron waited till he was seated on a beanbag back in Gryffindor before he started to speak to Hermione. The last thing he wanted was to be left lying on some floor after being dumped there but he needed to speak to her and she really needed to listen so he had waited till it was less likely that she would run away from him.
Hermione, opting for the teary approach started hurling her bulk around the old common room collecting her things as if she was packing to leave.
"Why did you have to do that?" Ron snapped at Hermione.
"I don't want to talk about it, what's the point, let's just get out of here," Hermione replied still bustling around the room.
"We are not going anywhere, as you so rightly said, we have nowhere to go," Ron continued, determined that Hermione wasn't going to stop him from having his say.
"I had to try, I wasn't going to just give up on him like you did."
Ron was furious, "The last thing I did was give up on him, I was getting somewhere, he was talking to me, opening up a little. Really, he was quite happy to talk when he wasn't feeling threatened."
"Didn't tell you much though did he, you don't even know why his favourite drink is suddenly hot milk, you know precisely nothing," Hermione snapped.
"Not the point, at least he was talking, he didn't start waving his sword around while he was talking to me, I was gaining his confidence, which thanks to you is shattered all to hell!"
Hermione decided to crank up the tears, "Now he is gone forever."
"YOU have changed more than he has," Ron suddenly said, he surprised himself, it hadn't originally been part of his argument but there it was, slipping out and completely true.
"What!"
"Well you have, I hardly know you anymore. Yes, Harry is hiding something, he is weird, but when I wanted a drink he gave me one and when I was being obnoxious and drunk he couldn't have been kinder."
"I can't believe I am hearing this."
"Severus also, he took the drunkenness away and gave me a potion, I don't know what it was but I had the best sleep ever and when I woke up I didn't even have a hangover."
"So he drugged you,"
Ron sighed, "I pretended to be asleep the next morning as they wandered around their quarters getting ready for the day ahead, they just showered and got dressed, fairly normal stuff, and Harry was relaxed, he laughed at something Snape said though I didn't hear what it was."
"What is your point?" Hermione snapped.
"My point is, that this situation is all your fault and you are going to put it right, otherwise you can leave on your own because I am going precisely nowhere," Ron stated, folding his arms to show his determination.
"So you are changing sides," Hermione accused.
"Didn't know it was a matter of 'sides'," Ron responded, all he got from Hermione was a look of defeat, he took advantage of the quiet it provided, "I asked Dobby, he's been serving Harry, I asked him if Harry was happy and without hesitation he answered that he was. It's quite a great thing to achieve after all that has happened. Are we happy?"
"We manage considering," Hermione answered defensively.
"I'm not talking about 'managing', are we happy?"
"No."
"I know we're not, but why not? We haven't taken any weird Bond things, we are as we were. At least I am, I don't know about you, I haven't got a clue who you are anymore."
"Hormones…" Hermione began.
"That old chestnut, an excuse for everything isn't it, even down to trying to make me feel bad for your mistake. You cheated on me."
"I do not…"
"You forbade the house elves from letting me have alcohol and cigarettes, I can't go out and get them myself, you know that."
"You shouldn't be drinking and smoking, it's disgusting and bad for you."
"My bloody choice, I am not your pet, you used to treat that stupid bloody cat better."
"Have you finished?" Hermione snapped, looking as if she might cry again.
"Yes, I think so, better hurry up and get packed," Ron replied coldly.
"I didn't cheat on you," Hermione added quietly before fleeing to the boy's dorm, which now served as the bedroom.
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TBC very soon
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Chapter Seventeen - Emotional - Severus exerts his authority with Hermione and Harry makes an unexpected discovery.
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Beta by Kristine Thorne
Chapter Summary - With mixed feelings about his most recent news, Harry walks into a trap.
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Chapter Sixteen - Trapped
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Harry climbed eagerly into bed, he couldn't wait to be pregnant now too and he wanted as much sex as possible and he wanted it in one night, not that he had been terribly patient before they had found out that Severus had conceived.
Severus came to bed too and, whilst trying to be gentle with him, Harry immediately dove for Severus' neck giving clear indication of his intent. To his surprise Severus eased Harry away from him and produced a phial from the bedside cabinet.
"What's that?" Harry asked, instinctively knowing that he wasn't going to like the answer.
"It's a contraceptive potion, if we're going to have some fun tonight then you ought to take it," Severus replied proving Harry right.
Harry instantly went off the idea of sex altogether and he could feel the tears of disappointment coming up into his eyes, "I don't want to."
"We can't both be pregnant at the same time, not with a school to run," Severus reasoned, "You do understand?"
"Yes," Harry replied, he could understand very well but that didn't mean that he was at all happy about it, he just didn't have a logical point to protest from.
Severus held out the potion to Harry but he didn't take it.
"I thought you understood," Severus said still holding out the phial.
"I don't want to take it," Harry stated before throwing himself onto his side and letting the tears stream down his face.
"You can be pregnant next time, just let me give birth then I'll get you pregnant as soon as I can, just wait a while."
"Nine months," Harry wailed.
"Isn't forever," Severus continued placing a hand gently on Harry's shoulder but failing to console him, "I thought you were happy about it."
"I was," Harry said still sobbing, "But I wanted it to be me, I want you to be pregnant but I want to be too."
"It just isn't practical or sensible,"
"Fuck practical and sensible," Harry snapped shaking Severus' hand away.
Severus tried to snuggle up to his Kin again anyway despite the apparent rejection and Harry didn't turn him away but allowed the hold even though he continued to cry. Severus turned Harry over onto his back and took a hand, gently placing it on his abdomen.
"Come on love," Severus persuaded, "Have a little sense of what we have managed to create together and think how fortunate I am to be the one who is throwing up half of what I eat every day."
Harry nearly smiled and let his hand linger on Severus, after a while he began to sense the baby. Though he desperately wanted a child too Harry did find that sensing Severus' pregnancy helped to calm him a little. They lay together, Harry lying in the comfort of Severus' arms till Harry cried himself tired and they both eventually fell asleep.
The next morning Harry woke as Severus was slipping out of bed and heading for the bathroom. There was silence for a while, which Harry now knew the meaning of, then there was the sound of the shower as Severus washed.
When Severus eventually emerged from the bathroom he was wrapped in a towel and looking a little better than he had the previous day but not by much. He started to get dressed
"Why don't you just come back to bed for a while," Harry suggested.
"I have to eat something and I have an arrangement with Hermione this morning so even if I missed breakfast I would only escape for an hour," Severus said flopping down to sit on the side of the bed.
"Have a little bit of something sent down here, then lie down for a while, I will tell Hermione that you will see her this afternoon," Harry suggested, he knew that Severus would easily agree, it just might take a few minutes for him to be convinced.
"It doesn't go away in the afternoon."
"I know," Harry continued to persuade, "But certain things make it worse, it was the bacon yesterday, as soon as it arrived on the table you were off."
Severus began to admit defeat, "Strong meat smells and certain kinds of potion," he agreed.
Harry wrapped an arm around his Kin as he sat beside him on the bed, "Have a bit of toast and some juice or whatever you want, away from everybody else's breakfast and see how you feel, if you can manage to keep a little bit of food down you'll make a better job of dealing with Hermione anyway."
"What are you going to do?" Severus asked.
"I will go upstairs for breakfast and keep her busy and stop her coming down here to bother you."
Severus pulled himself back onto the bed to lie down, "Have you got your map?"
"I'll take it with me," Harry said leaning down to kiss Severus, "You keep a hold of yours and join me whenever you feel ready."
"Hope it isn't going to be like this all the way through," Severus grumbled.
Harry smiled, "Isn't it supposed to happen in the first few months?"
"Hmm, yes, now that I think it might just be the first three or so."
Harry stood up and started to get ready for his shower, "There we go, only two months more to go then."
When Harry climbed the stairs up to the main hall he still had no idea how he was going to change Hermione's plans for the morning and keep her away from Severus. She had been itching to make some kind of issue out of Severus' behaviour for a few days, he could tell, and this was the first time she would get them separately. Well Harry was prepared to endure an ear bashing if it bought Severus a bit of peace and quiet.
Hermione was at least getting rather predictable, Harry thought as he took his place at the table.
"Is the other Headmaster Snape not joining us this morning?" Hermione chirped as soon as Harry reached for the coffee pot.
"No, he had other business to attend to," Harry replied already feeling thoroughly irritated.
"What other business? Everybody else is here," Hermione continued.
"Sort of, none of your business, kind of other business," Harry, perhaps rather unwisely, answered, he couldn't help it, and for all her supposed apologies Hermione was still impossible, "He will also have to postpone his session with yourself till this afternoon."
"Headmaster Dumbledore always had time to attend breakfast and all other meal times actually, it is an important part of the job and considering Headmaster Snape's current performance he ought to be making more effort not less."
"Albus Dumbledore did not have to start the school up from scratch after such traumatic events,"
"Hermione…" Ron attempted to warn.
"No Ron, I think it needs to be said," Hermione continued anyway.
"I think it doesn't," Ron added to deaf ears.
"In any case," Harry interrupted before Hermione started speaking again, "The Headmaster is here, I am here, and I will be present for whatever other business presents itself throughout the morning whilst Severus attends to his other business."
"Oh," Hermione said suddenly smiling and appearing friendly, "Well you might like to join us in the library then, Ron and I were going to do some research sometime today and since this morning is free perhaps that would be more agreeable anyway."
By the look on Ron's face, Harry assumed the fact he was going to be doing research was as surprising as it was to Harry.
"Over tea and biscuits of course," Ron added.
"Yes, of course," Hermione agreed, "Let's have tea and biscuits and make a nice little morning of it, it'll be just like old times won't it, just the three of us together in the library."
Harry felt nervous but he followed Ron and Hermione to the library anyway, it seemed that it might be being a little bit too paranoid to refuse them but he was convinced there was something not quite right about the situation. Harry supposed that Hermione might again try to persuade him to leave Severus on the grounds of his Kin's unsuitability or something. He only hoped that he could maintain his cool should that happen, in any case, should the worst happen there was always the door.
Harry opened the large and heavy carved oak doors to the library and Hermione and Ron sat themselves at a table not far from the centre of the room. Hermione announced that she would order the tea and Harry turned back to close the door.
The door slammed shut in front of Harry as he approached it, he knew he hadn't shut it himself and it was very large and very heavy, there was only one explanation. He didn't need to test the door to know that it had been magically locked to impede his exit, Harry span round to face Hermione and Ron.
Hermione had her wand drawn and Harry glowered at her with some understanding of what she was doing.
"Now don't do anything sudden," Hermione said, her wand still pointing at Harry. She reached beneath the table and produced a small cauldron and a glass cup. Harry could see that the cauldron contained a potion.
Harry knew that there was nothing that Hermione or Ron could do to stop him from leaving the room, he could blast the door apart with his sword in seconds, although he would have had to turn his back on them to do it. Some dark Kin part of him wanted to stay to see what ridiculous plan they had concocted, even though the sensible Harry part of him wanted to run before he could do them any harm. Harry's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword but he didn't draw it, leaving it small and nestled within his robes.
Hermione stood up after scooping some of the potion into the cup. She slowly stepped away from behind the table and began to approach Harry.
"Just drink this," Hermione began in what she must have imagined was a persuasive voice, "Everything will be back to normal, as it was before, you won't be bound to him any longer."
"But I wish to be bound to Severus," Harry began not taking his eyes off Hermione for a second.
"I know that you think that you want to be, but the real Harry doesn't, the real Harry wants to be with his friends again."
"There was no reason why we couldn't still be friends, but you stand in our way with your objections," Harry said as he watched Hermione getting closer and was considering that he would have to take action.
"Come on Harry, just drink it, you will thank me afterwards," Hermione continued to persuade, holding the cup out.
Harry was left with no choice, he drew his sword and held it out in front of him, ready to strike if he needed to, he could manage well enough against a pregnant Hermione without needing Severus to join with his sword.
"You can't begin to imagine that I am actually going to drink that stuff," Harry said in a warning tone.
Hermione seemed to be unaffected by his refusal.
"And your job is gone and I can leave any time that I wish, a silly bit of wand magic can not hold me." Harry continued.
"Then leave," Hermione continued smiling and tilting her head to the side.
Harry stood his ground, to leave he would have had to turn his back and he really didn't want to take his eyes off Hermione now, she was far too close, "Call me curious," He replied.
'The potion is not meant to be drunk,' a voice spoke to Harry in his head.
'Valarius,' Harry greeted.
'It is absorbed very readily through skin contact. She wants you to use magic to get rid of it or to get close enough to have it thrown at you,' Valarius warned, 'If any magic strikes the potion, it will explode.'
Harry smiled, in what anybody but Severus would have considered an unsettling way, he surveyed the scene before him and made his decision. Harry drew his sword back ready to strike.
Harry swung his sword in front of him, blowing hard along the blade as he did so, it was impeccably aimed, a forceful gust of wind caught Hermione in the chest, blowing her back against the table, which also took a blow from the sword great enough to tip it over, Ron fell off his chair and was immediately pinned beneath the tumbling table. Though the potion itself had not been struck by the magic, Hermione's cupful was spilt all down her front and she lay on the library floor, winded and breathless, clutching her belly in pain, the baby she carried obviously deciding that it was the right moment to call it quits. The remainder of the potion had been tipped from the cauldron onto the floor. Hermione could have run at Harry and got the potion on him in that way but she was in no fit state to do so. In fact Hermione was suddenly feeling rather distracted by the fact that her baby was about to be born three months too early and there was no chance that it would survive.
"You have no idea who you are dealing with," Harry spat in anger, holding his sword ready for more action, "I have tried to warn you." Harry noticed that Ron was trying to get out from under the table but he wasn't worried about him posing a danger.
"Is it any surprise that we tried to get our Harry back, you've just shown us what you're capable of, Harry would never have done this to his friends," Hermione continued to argue through the pain.
Harry was shaking with anger and wanted to finish it, the urge was so strong that he could almost feel his arm going back, ready to strike of its own accord, "I only stayed out of curiosity, to see what silly idea you had managed to cook up, you cannot separate the Kin, let me go now before I finish this as I ought to." Harry turned to go, confident that he could now do so, he pointed his sword at the doors ready to blast them open. "Do you know what you could have done? Have you any idea?" Harry spoke as he faced the door.
'It would have worked,' Valarius told Harry, 'The potion would have absorbed through your skin and Severus would have been like a stranger to you and to Severus you would have been a stranger too.'
'Would I have been happy?' Harry asked Valarius.
'No, it would have been as if he had died, you wouldn't have survived, neither would Severus, not this time.'
'But he is…'
'I know, what he always wanted and I could never give him,' Valarius spoke inside Harry's head and he could feel Severus' brother's smile at the news, 'leave now while you can.'
Severus, lying curled up back in the comfort of his bed, took out his map and watched Harry's presence for a while as he moved around the castle corridors and eventually ended up in the library. In the hall he had moved around normally, taking his usual seat and staying long enough to eat breakfast, but now Harry stayed near the library door and made no move to sit or to leave. Severus thought this was a bit strange, just strange enough to keep him watching. As Severus continued to watch he noticed that had Harry begun to pace back and forwards, whatever was going on this wasn't behaviour that occurred in a calm and stress free situation, something was wrong.
Ron had managed to struggle from beneath the table, "Why couldn't you just leave him alone, I was getting somewhere," He accused as he saw Harry heading for the door and Hermione slumped on the floor in front of him.
"Oh shut up Ron, you have no room to talk," Hermione snapped, "You were the one who wanted Snape killed."
Ron looked up and saw Harry freeze, he had been about to blow the door open and leave but now he was completely motionless. Ron knew enough to know what might happen to someone who threatened to kill Harry's Kin.
"Thanks a lot Hermione," Ron managed to say before his mouth dried up completely.
"You could at least do something useful and help me," Hermione shrieked imagining that Ron was oblivious to her predicament. Ron was as oblivious to Hermione's predicament as Hermione was to Harry's advancing wrath.
Harry turned slowly, he had wanted to leave, he had wanted to spare them but it was too late. Ron had sought Severus' death in order to separate them, Hermione had revealed Ron's intentions and he had yet to deny it. He should be denying it, calling after him to say it wasn't true but he wasn't, Harry heard no protestations of any kind.
"You don't know what you have done," Harry said pointing his sword at his two former friends the tears flowing relentlessly down his cheeks, though it would have been a grave mistake to think it was a sign of weakness.
"Harry," Ron began, finding his voice somehow despite the anticipation of what was coming, "It was before, when you first came back, I don't want Severus dead now, I know you two a little better now."
"It is too late," Harry sobbed, "Too late to talk."
"Harry mate, why don't you put down your sword and we promise to leave you and Severus alone." Ron attempted.
Harry shook his head and kept his sword at the ready, "Severus is my family and you would have took him from me, without him I am nothing. You would have killed me as surely as you would have killed him."
"Oh stop being so bloody melodramatic," Hermione snapped, "I'm losing my baby here in case you hadn't noticed, YOU are killing MY family."
"I have no choice now," Harry sobbed directing his sword at Ron.
The door to the library exploded behind him and Harry was hit in the back by a few flying pieces of wood but they didn't hurt him, his hand trembled as he opened his mouth to begin the words of the killing curse.
Harry felt two hands on his shoulders and he let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. Severus was there and he was warm and close and very much his Kin. Harry sank back into Severus' arms and Severus wrapped those arms around Harry, encompassing his sword arm, bringing it down so the sword pointed at the ground.
"Let go," Severus whispered in Harry's ear, "Let me have the sword for a while."
Harry couldn't stop crying or shaking, as he relinquished his sword to Severus and melted into his arms he recalled all of what had just occurred, what he had done and what he nearly had done.
"I've killed the baby," Harry sobbed to Severus.
Severus loosened himself away from Harry and stepped towards Hermione, "Don't worry, you haven't killed him," Severus explained as he went forward, "I can stop the labour."
"No!" Harry screamed launching himself towards his Kin, grabbing him and pulling him backwards with as much force as he could, "She's covered in a potion that will make you a stranger to me, it will make you think that I am dead and that I am somebody else, you will kill yourself. You mustn't touch it."
"That was what they were going to do to you?" Severus asked, clearly beyond disgusted.
"I believe it might have been Hermione's idea," Harry explained.
"There is a surprise," Severus sneered turning round again so that he could observe Hermione, "Still, it is not the child's fault."
"But what can we do? You are not going to go near her!" Harry insisted.
"No," Severus replied, "Ron is going to do it under my instruction. Whether he does it correctly or not, who knows, but that is how this is going to be."
Ron looked quite horrified at the prospect but not quite as horrified as Hermione.
"I would be careful not to touch any of that potion," Severus warned Ron, "Lift up her clothes so that you have skin contact."
Ron tried to peel Hermione's clothing up, she was wearing a skirt and top so it was a little easier than a long robe but Hermione still managed to be displeased despite her predicament.
Ron made an admirable job of following Severus' instructions and it only took a few attempts to stabilise the pregnancy.
As soon as his healing services were no longer required Severus returned to Harry's side and took him in his arms once again. As he stroked Harry's back and attempted to sooth him Severus spoke to Hermione and Ron who had made no move to leave.
"I want this mess cleared up," Severus told them in a booming voice of unquestionable authority, "Then you can both pack your things, I want you both out of the castle for good by tomorrow morning."
"But we haven't got anywhere else to go," Hermione replied haughtily.
"Not my problem," Severus replied firmly, "I will not have Harry endangered in this way."
Ron and Hermione sat on the floor of the library amid the wreckage as Severus exhibited warmth and affection towards a heartbroken Harry before leading him away back down to the dungeons.
Severus held Harry to him all the way down to the dungeons and into their quarters. They didn't stop in the living room but went straight through to the bedroom where Severus urged Harry to climb up onto the bed. Severus lay down beside him and Harry curled up beside him with his head on Severus' shoulder.
Harry was still shaking and tearful and he allowed Severus to pull a blanket over him and Severus stroked his back till he calmed a little.
"I have asked them to leave," Severus informed Harry just in case he had been too distraught when it had been mentioned in the library.
"I don't want them to leave, I just want my friends back," Harry responded.
"I know," Severus sympathised, "But I can't have them endangering you."
"I know, they have to go," Harry had to reluctantly agree.
"I have to protect you."
"She even apologised to me but it meant nothing," Harry said sobbing onto Severus' shoulder again.
Harry sought the only comfort that he knew, he remained wrapped in Severus' arms and reached a hand up beneath his Kin's robes, searching for the other member of their little family.
Ron waited till he was seated on a beanbag back in Gryffindor before he started to speak to Hermione. The last thing he wanted was to be left lying on some floor after being dumped there but he needed to speak to her and she really needed to listen so he had waited till it was less likely that she would run away from him.
Hermione, opting for the teary approach started hurling her bulk around the old common room collecting her things as if she was packing to leave.
"Why did you have to do that?" Ron snapped at Hermione.
"I don't want to talk about it, what's the point, let's just get out of here," Hermione replied still bustling around the room.
"We are not going anywhere, as you so rightly said, we have nowhere to go," Ron continued, determined that Hermione wasn't going to stop him from having his say.
"I had to try, I wasn't going to just give up on him like you did."
Ron was furious, "The last thing I did was give up on him, I was getting somewhere, he was talking to me, opening up a little. Really, he was quite happy to talk when he wasn't feeling threatened."
"Didn't tell you much though did he, you don't even know why his favourite drink is suddenly hot milk, you know precisely nothing," Hermione snapped.
"Not the point, at least he was talking, he didn't start waving his sword around while he was talking to me, I was gaining his confidence, which thanks to you is shattered all to hell!"
Hermione decided to crank up the tears, "Now he is gone forever."
"YOU have changed more than he has," Ron suddenly said, he surprised himself, it hadn't originally been part of his argument but there it was, slipping out and completely true.
"What!"
"Well you have, I hardly know you anymore. Yes, Harry is hiding something, he is weird, but when I wanted a drink he gave me one and when I was being obnoxious and drunk he couldn't have been kinder."
"I can't believe I am hearing this."
"Severus also, he took the drunkenness away and gave me a potion, I don't know what it was but I had the best sleep ever and when I woke up I didn't even have a hangover."
"So he drugged you,"
Ron sighed, "I pretended to be asleep the next morning as they wandered around their quarters getting ready for the day ahead, they just showered and got dressed, fairly normal stuff, and Harry was relaxed, he laughed at something Snape said though I didn't hear what it was."
"What is your point?" Hermione snapped.
"My point is, that this situation is all your fault and you are going to put it right, otherwise you can leave on your own because I am going precisely nowhere," Ron stated, folding his arms to show his determination.
"So you are changing sides," Hermione accused.
"Didn't know it was a matter of 'sides'," Ron responded, all he got from Hermione was a look of defeat, he took advantage of the quiet it provided, "I asked Dobby, he's been serving Harry, I asked him if Harry was happy and without hesitation he answered that he was. It's quite a great thing to achieve after all that has happened. Are we happy?"
"We manage considering," Hermione answered defensively.
"I'm not talking about 'managing', are we happy?"
"No."
"I know we're not, but why not? We haven't taken any weird Bond things, we are as we were. At least I am, I don't know about you, I haven't got a clue who you are anymore."
"Hormones…" Hermione began.
"That old chestnut, an excuse for everything isn't it, even down to trying to make me feel bad for your mistake. You cheated on me."
"I do not…"
"You forbade the house elves from letting me have alcohol and cigarettes, I can't go out and get them myself, you know that."
"You shouldn't be drinking and smoking, it's disgusting and bad for you."
"My bloody choice, I am not your pet, you used to treat that stupid bloody cat better."
"Have you finished?" Hermione snapped, looking as if she might cry again.
"Yes, I think so, better hurry up and get packed," Ron replied coldly.
"I didn't cheat on you," Hermione added quietly before fleeing to the boy's dorm, which now served as the bedroom.
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TBC very soon
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Chapter Seventeen - Emotional - Severus exerts his authority with Hermione and Harry makes an unexpected discovery.
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