Harry wiped down the dining room table for what felt like the thousandth time this summer. It didn't help that he had Aunt Petunia's critical eye watching him all the time.
One more day Harry mumbled to himself. One more day and Snape would be standing in the driveway, coming to whisk him away, like a knight in shining armor.
"You've missed a bit boy! I can see it from here!"
Great.
Now he had his uncle critiquing his work as well.
He tried not to stare at the fat finger as it shook, pointing accusingly at him.
"Yes uncle Vernon" Harry muttered, trying with all his self-discipline, not to roll his eyes at the man before him.
"What was that boy?!" Vernon's face screwed up in rage, like he was looking for any excuse to let his anger boil over at his Nephew.
"Yes, Uncle Vernon" Harry repeated, forcing cheeriness into his voice, in the hope his uncle would just ignore him.
"You better watch your tone with me boy! Its very good of us to take you in and put up with all your nonsense" Vernon was squinting at the young wizard, his face becoming engorged with blood as he seethed, allowing his anger to consume him.
"Yes uncle Vernon" Harry repeated again in a monotonous tone, accepting the fact that nothing would ever change the way he'd be treated in this house.
"Now get upstairs boy! I want that bathroom to be like the day we moved in here" Vernon commanded the boy, his fat finger moving in the direction of the stairs.
"Yes uncle Vernon" he was sounding like a broken record as he headed towards his next chore. He could hear Dudley laughing in the background, most likely at something ridiculous on the TV.
Harry knelt down by the toilet bowl, the memory of when he threw up in it all that time ago, announced itself in his mind. It had seemed a life time ago, as he began scrubbing the floor around the bowl. A deep sadness welled up inside him, like the rawest of homesickness, or the feeling you get when you think its going to be the last time you see someone.
Why was he feeling like this? He shook his head, lightly scrubbing at the floor, as the remnants of his care factor vanished. At least here he could be left alone to his thoughts, which in itself was a dangerous thing.
His ears perked up at the sound of a car engine starting. Could it be? Harry climbed to his feet, making his way to the nearest window. A smile appeared on his lips, more the result of relief, as he watched the three other occupants of the house pull out of the driveway.
Harry strolled to his bedroom before climbing into his bed. He was exhausted. He hoped the others would be away for a long time as he pulled the blankets over his head. Finally able to relax in peace. It didn't take long for his body to succumb to sleep, his mind dreaming of a better life.
Snape sat in his recliner, trying to read the latest article about how gillyweed gained new, previously undiscovered attributes, when mixed with dragons blood. But he just couldn't focus. Even the glass of scotch he had in his fingers wasn't helping. The professor sighed before tossing the article aside, in favour of closing his eyes. He needed to figure out how to get out of this mess, and fast. Bloody Lucius. He should have known he'd do something like this. You never could trust the Malfoy family, they had the integrity of rats, every single one of them.
Snape was dreading the sound of an owl approaching, but at the same time, craving it. He needed to know what he was up against, he needed to form a strategy, right now he was powerless. Right now he felt like a sitting duck. One that people seemed to love taking pot shots at. No different to the rest of his life really. He wasn't lying when he said life wasn't fair.
He didn't even want to step outside, he doubted there was a witch or wizard alive, who hadn't seen the article. Then again, ironically, Harry probably hadn't seen it, yet he was at the centre of it. Snape gasped, the thought suddenly dawning on him that of course Harry wouldn't know. He needed to warn him. He was due to collect him tomorrow, but there was no time. He needed to prepare him, otherwise he's going to get sucked into a den of lies and accusations. Which Harry, in his short life, was no stranger to, but this was different. This was personal.
But would he even be able to get near Harry? He wouldn't put it past the ministry to put up protective enchantments.
There's always one way to find out.
"Harry?" the young wizard was sure he heard his name, but the desire to sleep kept calling him, the voice fading in and out of consciousness.
"Harry!" he was summoned again, only this time his body was shaken, the action of which, tore him back to his reality.
"Your awake"
"I am now" Harry mumbled, not registering what was going on as he rubbed his eyes.
Wait. That voice. It was so familiar.
"Snape?"
Was this a dream?
"Harry, I need to tell you something, its very important" Snape words slowly hitting the young wizard. He felt the bed sink as the man sat next to him.
"Your here!" Harry almost shouted, realizing this wasn't a dream after all. Although he might soon wish it was.
"But I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow?"
"I wasn't Harry, but something has come up, something serious"
"How serious?"
"Azkaban serious"
Harry's eyes bolted open at the words. What had happened in the last few days that he'd missed? He always felt like such an outsider, having to go home to the muggle world every break. Why did all the exciting things happen then? Not that this was exciting. This was terrifying.
"W-what happened?" Harry began, suddenly feeling like he was going to collapse if he didn't find out.
"Perhaps its best if you read this" Snape murmured, before handing Harry a copy of the daily prophet.
Harry gasped as his eyes scanned the headline. Was this really happening?
"Who did this? How did they find out? Was it Dumbledore?" Harry spat out a million questions, craving answers for every one of them.
"Lucius Malfoy"
The name shot Harry into silence. The one name said it all.
"Stay with me" Harry murmured, breaking the long silence before finally tearing his eyes off the newspaper headline.
"I will" Snape whispered, trying to hide the hesitation in his voice as he wrapped an arm around the young wizard. Fate being ever so cruel, would mean there was no way he could ever guarantee that his words would rein true.
Harry allowed himself to sink into Snapes arms. This situation was truly dreadful and there wasn't a lot he could do about it.
The young wizard felt movement in his abdomen, reminding him he was carrying a piece of Snape within him.
"It's going to be okay Harry" Snape whispered, drawing the boy in closer before resting his lips against his cheek.
The young wizard sunk his teeth into his lips, trying to suppress the tears as they welled up in his eyes.
Harry gasped, a thought suddenly consuming him as he tried to look up at the man. What if this was the last time he saw him? What if he was whisked off to Azkaban, never to be seen again? Harry panicked, suddenly clinging to the man, afraid to let him go. Why did this have to happen to him? The young wizard pressed more weight against the professor, pushing his body against the mattress. Severus smiled, allowing his body to comply until they were both laying down.
Snape held Harry tight in his arms, wishing he could stay in this moment forever.
XOXOXOX
Dumbledore sat behind his desk, trying to decide the best course of action for Severus to take. Unfortunately for the man, now that the ministry was involved, it did rather complicate things. The headmaster stood before turning to face fawkes, as if the bird would give him an enlightening suggestion. Dumbledore smiled as the phoenix tilted its head, as if expecting the same from the old wizard.
"You have been my oldest, and dearest, friend Fawkes" the old wizard locked eyes with the bird, his smile unwavering as he turned back toward his desk.
The headmaster returned to his seat, drawing towards him a stack of parchment before collecting a quill in his fingers.
He sat there a moment, before seeing a flash of green flames from the corner of his eyes.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Dumbledore sighed, his voice lacking its usual sincerity, as he forced himself to be polite to his visitor. He didn't need to look up to know who was standing in front of him, as he continued to etch his quill into the parchment before him. He was losing patience with the minister, and he made little attempt to hide this.
"You are to suspend Professor Snape until his trial" Cornelius began, not wasting any time, as he strode towards the headmaster.
"And when is that scheduled to take place?" Dumbledore questioned, before finally looking up at the minister.
"In two days time" Fudge stated bluntly, the slight embarrassment laced through his words was only noticeable to the trained eye.
Dumbledore didn't miss a beat as he rose from his seat.
"Two days? That's hardly enough time to mount a defense, Cornelius" Dumbledore tried to implore reason from the man.
"The ministry wishes this whole embarrassing matter be resolved as quickly as possible" Cornelius nodded as the words left his mouth, his feet leading him idly around the headmasters office.
"But what about Severus?" Dumbledore leaned forward, not hiding his concern for the potions professor.
"To be quite frank Albus, the ministry doesn't care what happens to the death eater" Cornelius waved his hand idly, clearly displaying no regard for the man.
"Severus is no more a death eater than I am" Dumbledore growled at the minister, before turning away from the man.
"The public don't see it that way"
"You can thank Lucius for making it public knowledge" Dumbledore let out an annoyed sigh, the frustration at the unreasonable response was getting to him, as much as he tried not to let it show.
"You are aware that, you too, will be on trial Albus" the minister made not attempt to hide the deviation on his lips, as the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile.
Dumbledore turned to the man, confusion masking the suspicion on his face.
"Under what charges?"
"Failing to intervene at the knowledge of an inappropriate relationship. You need to remember, Albus, that as headmaster, you are solely responsible."
Silence fell between the two, it was true that Dumbledore knew of the relationship between them, and also allowed it in his own way. But how would the ministry ever be able to prove that?
"The ministry takes a very dim view of professor Snape's actions, and yours too Albus" the minister nodded, the smile still stuck to his lips like glue.
"I cannot say that I particularly care what the ministry thinks of me or my staff" Dumbledore mumbled before turning his attention back to Fawkes.
"Well, that is rather unfortunate" Cornelius muttered as he began towards the fireplace.
"I will see you in two days headmaster" the minister waved before disappearing into a burst of green flames.
Dumbledore rose, he needed to see Snape at once.
XOXOXOX
It was 11 o'clock at night and the Dursleys still hadn't returned. Not that Harry minded of course, he would prefer it if they didnt come back at all.
He was glad Snape had stayed with him this whole time, he didn't want him to leave.
Ever.
Harry felt terrified about what was to come, he just had to worry about the baby before, but now he has to worry about Snape not being there to help him raise it. He felt the professor's arm tighten around him, as if he'd heard his thoughts. It was Snape, so he could probably read his thoughts all the time. He turned his head to face the man, before gently planting a kiss on his lips. He held it there, wanting to be one with the professor forever.
Harry's eyes widened as he heard the familiar sound of footsteps climbing the stairs. He instinctively sat up, finding it strange that he hadn't heard the Dursley's car pull up in the driveway, and yet someone was clearly in the house.
Harry darted his eyes toward Snape, panic flashing across them as the professor remained still. His eyes remaining closed, sleep continuing to detain him. Harry watched the door carefully, instinctively reaching for his wand before aiming it for the door.
He heard all the locks successively unclick, before watching as the door flew open.
Harry's breathing hitched as he anticipated the intruder.
"I should have known I'd find you here, Severus" the familiar voice invaded the room, throwing the young wizard off guard. Harry flinched as he felt his wand fall from his fingers.
The young wizard prayed Severus would wake up as he watched the blonde haired wizard slowly approach the bed. How did Lucius get through the protective enchantments?
Harry felt a shiver run through his body as the death eater closed the gap between them.
"You've lowered yourself to this" the blonde wizard smirked, his eyes darting towards Snape's sleeping form, before returning to penetrate Harry's.
"And now the whole world knows of your shameful activities and the disastrous consequences" Lucius chuckled before raising his wand at the boy.
Harry panicked before fumbling for his own wand, he knew it was too late but he had to at least try.
"I'm glad we have this little chance to chat" the blonde smiled as his eyes pierced the young wizards.
Harry felt his heart pound, why wasn't Severus waking up? The man was always three steps ahead of everything, always alerted to the next threat. He flicked his eyes towards the professor, hoping he would rouse from his slumber.
Nothing.
Harry gave the man a light shove, trying to ignore Lucius's chuckles as they clawed into his ears.
"Your dear sweet boyfriend will not wake for quite some time. Pity really" Lucius's smile was riddled with everything minus sincerity.
"What did you do to him?!" Harry yelled at the death eater, momentarily forgetting he had no way of defending himself.
"Do to him? Why would I want to do anything to that greasy haired dog?" Lucius's throat roared with laughter, the prospect apparently disgusting him.
"Unlike you Mr potter, or should I say, Mr Snape? Either way, I am a pedigree and deserve much better than your pathetic hound. I never did think highly of you Mr Potter, but I never thought you would sink this low" the blonde darted his gaze towards Snape's resting form.
"How dare you insult him this way?!" Harry growled, defending the professor's honor under the grit of his teeth.
"Really? I do believe there was a time when you couldn't stand the sight of him? What's changed my dear?" Lucius sniggered, stepping closer to the boy, his wand inches from Harry's forehead.
"You enjoy sucking his dick?" Lucius's laughter drenched his ears, drowning the room and preventing any chance to escape it. Harry's heart filled with rage, how dare this man make assumptions about something he clearly doesn't understand? The young wizard clenched his teeth together in anger, grinding them so hard until he heard one crack.
"You are a disgrace, your reputation is now tarnished beyond repair" the blonde's voice suddenly changed, going from snark to resentful, to beyond drove his wand into Harry's forehead, causing the boy to flinch from the pressure.
"You didn't truly believe your little escapades would go unnoticed did you?" Lucius spat the words from his mouth, the mere thought of Snape and the boy going at it sickened him, as he tried to expel the vileness from his mind.
Harry closed his eyes, he knew doing so would only aggravate the blonde, but he needed to concentrate. He was good at digging holes for himself, and the ones dearest to him. But now, how was he going to get himself out of this one?
"And what do you suppose will happen when the baby is born? You surely must know that Snape would be lucky to go to Azkaban, at least he would be alive. If the dark Lord gets his hand on him, he's finished" Lucius continued, apparently loving the sound of his own voice.
"I almost think perhaps he hates Snape more than he hate you now Potter, after all, Snape has betrayed his confidence, this whole time he's been having it off with you, his biggest, most hated enemy" Lucius drilled his wand further into Harry's head as his anger abounded.
"Severus doesn't stand a chance, but that suits me just fine, I will rise to take his place at the dark Lord's side" Lucius's eyes lit up at the mere prospect.
"What do you want to achieve by all this?" Harry squinted as the the pain from the blonde's wand became impossible to ignore.
"What's it to you? After today your life will become a great deal harder, that is of course, if I choose to let you live" The blonde tilted his wand at a different angle, before driving it in once more.
Harry felt the baby within him move around, he knew it must be feeling his anxieties as he slipped his fingers over Snape's. He gave the man a tight squeeze as he tried to suppress the tears that threatened to fall.
Harry sat there on the edge of the bed, frozen in time. Fear was rendering him powerless as he kept praying that Snape would wake up.
"Your dear boyfriend seems to be under the impression that I, Lucius Malfoy, have forgotten what he did to me down that alleyway" the words spewed forth from the man lips, tainted with bitterness as he gazed down at the boy.
"Thanks to the Dark Lord, I have regained what was taken from me" the blonde chuckled, his eyes not leaving the boy before him.
Harry didn't bother to hide his confusion, he truly had no idea what the man was referring to. Alleyway? What on earth happened down the alleyway?
The boy tried to shake the thought from his head, although it was proving difficult. He was unable to ignore the blonde wizard, and the wand held to his head like a gun.
"Boy! You get down here at once!" Vernon's voice hollered up the stairs, resonating through the house, before finally reaching Harry's ears. He never thought he would be actually relieved to hear his uncle's voice.
"Who is that?" Lucius stated, his eyes darting to the open door, as if anticipating the man to barge through at any moment.
"My uncle, Vernon" Harry stuttered, annoyed at himself for how pathetic his voice sounded.
"A muggle?" Lucius screwed up his face at the mere prospect.
Harry couldn't tell if it was a statement or a question, only that it oozed distain.
"Where are you boy! Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me? I've been yelling out for ages!" the man's voice grew in intensity and his footsteps approached the door.
As if he'd be anywhere other than his room. Harry wanted desperately to roll his eyes, but thought better of it.
Harry shuddered as he foresaw the upcoming event. His uncle's demise. Only, he couldn't decide which of the two men before him that he resented more.
Harry winced, it felt as though time had stopped, he was witnessing what he knew would be his uncle's death. Yet he remained powerless to do anything about it.
Vernon bolted through the doorway, his face red from either rage, or exhaustion from climbing the stairs.
"You ungrateful…" the man began, before suddenly realizing his nephew wasn't alone in the room.
"Who the hell are you? And what are you doing in my house?" Vernon ran his eyes up and down the blonde man before him, as if trying to figure out if he was even human.
Harry cringed, his uncle couldn't have picked a poorer choice of words, or a worse person to use them on, except perhaps Voldemort himself.
Lucius turned his attention toward the muggle, suddenly annoyed by the man's presence.
"How dare you question me in this way?" the blonde pulled his wand away from Harry, before pointing it straight at Vernon's forehead.
This was Harry's chance, likely his only one at that.
"Accio" he mumbled quietly, but his words not absent a mixture of passion and despair.
The wand instantly flew into his fingers, taking the young wizard by surprise. He quickly rose the potential weapon at Lucius, suddenly remembering his predicament. Lucius gasped. Harry heard it, something hadn't expected to hear, not in this life time at least. The young wizard suddenly felt a surge of energy course through his body. He no longer felt afraid of the blonde wizard before him. He felt immune, like nothing the man could do would ever touch him.
Harry darted his eyes toward his uncle, he identified the fear welling within them before returning his attention to the death eater. It was the first time he felt a bond between the two of them. Perhaps it was just because his uncles life depended on it. Either way, it was a pleasant change.
"And just what do you think you're going to do Potter?" Lucius snarled, his confidence returning as he stepped an inch closer to the young wizard.
Harry felt the anger rise within him, there wasn't one thing about this man he could appreciate. Harry hesitated, trying to decide which spell would be most appropriate...
Sectumsempra perhaps? One of Snape's favourites, seems fitting, but messy.
Perhaps not.
"Stupify" the young wizard growled, watching as Lucius's body was collected from the ground, before being pummelled into the bedroom wall.
Vernon's eyes widened at the damage to his house, his gaze darted to the boy, his mouth widening as he prepared to shout.
Harry braced himself for his uncle's assault of words, wincing as he felt his own body collapse against the floor. Cramps surged through his abdomen, it must have been the adrenaline, or perhaps the fear of losing Snape. Either way, this wasn't a good sign. Harry searched the corner of his eyes, the blonde wizard lay in a motionless heap. He felt a wave of relief wash over him, but it was short lived as another cramp tore through his body.
"Harry" the voice was soft, gentle, familiar, but above all, caring. It couldn't possibly be his uncle. The boy looked up, his eyes met Snape's. He was awake. Thank goodness. Harry breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, but the older wizard looked drained, tired and absolutely exhausted.
A deliberate cough, originating from the other side of the room summoned Harry's attention. The boy gasped, suddenly remembering the presence of his uncle. He glanced down at his stomach, a panic took him, his heavily pregnant stomach was visible. This meant only one thing, the concealment charm had worn off. Could there have been a worse time?
"W-what the hell?" Vernon's voice was laced with hesitation and confusion as it etched through the room. Harry didn't need to look up to know that the man was eyeing his swollen abdomen.
"And who the hell are you?" Vernon demanded, suddenly remembering the presence of another in the room. He was clearly irritated by the amount of strangers that were invading his house.
Severus looked down at the man, his eyes locking with his, as if an invisible war waged between them.
"Your worst enemy"
