Chapter Four
Falling Apart
By Raven Dancer
rating: PG
disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling except for the Drs. Barnes. I receive no monetary compensation for these works.
Summary: Falling apart.
Harry walked into the dungeon classroom and slammed the door shut. He did not see Snape but the room, including ceiling, was spotlessly clean; Dobby must have been in already.
Opening the office door he glanced around and still did not see Snape. Checking the desk for notes he saw the planner still opened and the detention still in place. Finally he crossed to the empty fireplace and called for Dobby.
The house elf rocketed into the room, bouncing off the far wall.
"Oh you must come, Harry Potter, you must!" the elf pulled at his hand without any other word.
"Where? Where must I go, Dobby?"
"To Professor Snape. He is in his room. He is sick, very
sick. He will not get up, Harry Potter. He did not go to his
last class."
Now Harry felt panicked. He would have skipped practice entirely if he had known.
"How do I get there, Dobby?"
The elf pulled him out the office door and down the hall. In√ their haste they missed Lupin, pressed into the shadows.
Lupin did not miss them.
The strange parade quietly progressed down the long hall and then up a flights of stairs. Lupin was sure of where Harry was going to; he also jumped to several wrong conclusions. Fortunately, he did not know if it was Harry or Snape that was orchestrating this affair and he needed to know before he went to the Headmaster.
When Dobby finally got to Snape's door Lupin made his move. He sidled right up behind Harry and when the door opened he pushed hard.
"Let's all go in, shall we?" he sneered sweetly.
Harry and Dobby both jerked around to see Lupin, but forward momentum and gravity were forces not to be discounted and they were carried through the door. Lupin shut and locked it, giving them both a dangerous look.
"The bedroom? Or just a quick squeeze on the couch?"
Now Harry snapped upright. He stepped menacingly towards Lupin.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he hissed through angry, clenched teeth.
"How dare you to presume my business.." He would have continued but Dobby grabbed his hand again and pulled hard.
"NO! NO! Not the bedroom Harry Potter," and he yanked him into the sitting room. On the floor pooled in his robes, lay a crumpled Potions Master. He was curled up tight, his face hidden by black oily hair.
"SEVERUS!" Harry bolted to his side and knelt down, turning him onto his back.
"Sorry," Snape managed to cough out weakly, "tried."
Lupin was down on the floor quicker than Harry could think, gathering the collapsed man up into his lap. He pressed his forehead against Snape's as his hand began running gently over his shuddering body.
"Ok, Harry, what's going on. Now!" he fairly snarled through his own clenched teeth. He could read two curses already in the man's body. He couldn't relieve them until he had a better understanding of the situation.
Harry sighed and pressed tightly against Snape's other side, giving physical support. He quickly outlined the progressions of the curses that he knew of, that Voldemort or someone outside the castle had harmed him earlier in the week. He felt the relief of finally being able to tell someone about Pomfrey's cruelty.
"gonna be sick," Snape managed to get out, but the heaves that racked his body produced nothing but pain. Lupin simply held him closer and rode them out.
"It's ok, Severus. Harry and I are going to help you." His voice was soft and gentle and he continued to speak assurances until the man stilled.
Finally he looked up at the house elf.
"Dobby, we'll need tea, soup and some crackers in about
thirty minutes. Get a tray together for us, ok?" The elf nodded and left quickly.
"Harry, when I release each of these curses you'll have to
disarm them. Use the Finitum Incantatum or dispelleramus;
full wrist. You may have to hit them twice." He proceeded to pull open Snape's robes and loosen his clothing underneath. He pulled out his wand and began concentrating on the body in front of him. He placed his hand over the chest, then raised his wand, dislodging the first of eventually 4 curses.
Each curse rose as a dark cloud, black, gray, or greasy red. Harry had no trouble with two of them, but the reddish one needed a second wand whip and the other, which seemed to have been centered in his head, required Lupin's intervention to completely disburse it. The coughing and shaking eased and Snape began to breathe more normally. His eyes slit open.
"Hi, Remus," he weakly smiled.
"Hey, Severus. That was lots of fun! Let's clean you up, ok?"
"Yeah, But I don't think I can move yet. Give me a couple, 'k?" Snape went limp.
"'K" Lupin managed to whisper, his face full of emotion. Swallowing, he controlled himself and looked up at Harry.
"Wash cloths, towels, basin or two if you can find them, filled
with warm water, clean leggings, sleep shirt," he outlined. Nodding, Harry fetched towels and water first. Leaving those, he then searched out the clothing.
Returning he changed the water then helped Lupin finish strip Snape.
Lupin was thorough and quick, heaping all the soiled things for Dobby to take care of. Harry dumped the water and rinsed the basins. He took a blanket off the foot of the bed and brought it back to Lupin.
Lupin had Snape levitated slipping on leggings and shirt. He took the blanket and wrapped the cold body then brought him back into his lap on the couch.
"I've moved," Snape commented as he regained consciousness.
"Yeah, just a bit," Lupin pulled Snape up a little as Dobby appeared with food.
"Harry's going to feed you some soup, Severus."
"'K"
"got to eat for us, Severus."
"'K"
"don't fall asleep yet."
"'K"
"You know any other letter, professor?"
"'K" Snape smiled shyly.
After putting a towel on the exhausted man's chest and neck, Harry held the soup bowl and began to slowly feed Snape. Crackers were broken into smaller pieces. As he ate, Harry filled Lupin in on the last two weeks, including the first night when all three had been locked in the small room. Lupin listened quietly, asking a few clarifying questions. He continued to stroke Snape's head and shoulder, encouraging him to eat as much as he could.
"I understand the need for secrecy, but I am glad I am not
going crazy!" Lupin commented. Soup mostly finished, Snape sleepily stretched. Lupin wiped his mouth.
"and you, I am very glad to know you have a good heart under all that nastiness."
"'K" Snape smiled.
"Although your vocabulary has fallen off dramatically."
"Yes," he turned his head against Lupin's shoulder giving a shuddering sigh. Lupin curled around him and rocked gently, feeding him a little energy. Harry and Dobby cleaned up. Tea was poured and the elf disappeared while Harry settled down to sip his warm drink.
Lupin continued to calm and warm Snape into sleep. His mind raced along making plans. Once his charge was breathing softly, dozing, he straightened up and looked to Harry.
"You're going to have to feed him some energy tonight and
then get back to your dorm. Ron and Hermione are sure
Professor Snape is torturing you as we speak."
"'K" Snape snorted a little laugh. Lupin pressed his hand against his chest and lowered his forehead again against the resting professor.
"No comments from the peanut gallery," he muttered a sleeping charm and waited for him to be really asleep. Successful, he raised back up.
"Then you'll need to come back tomorrow afternoon after
you've rested. And seen the quidditch match! Hate to say
this, but you're the designated energy donor."
"That won't be a problem I think. I'll just say I didn't finish up
my detention because you came in and we all had to talk."
"Don't go overboard. We're working out you›r and Snape's
problems for the Headmaster."
"I know I'd prefer that," a voice from the doorway nearly caused two heart failures. Dumbledore, with a gleam in his eye, closed the door behind him. He hurried across the room and levitated Snape up off Lupin's lap.
"Let me see," he said, sitting down and bringing the sleeping man onto his lap, running his hand over the still body.
He frowned, reaching under the shirt and concentrating very hard. Looking up, he motioned to Lupin. Taking Lupin's hand, he led him down the ribs, pointing out a hidden problem.
"Wand, Harry?" he queried, not looking up this time.
"Yes, Headmaster," Harry stood at ready. Dumbledore murmured a charm over the spot and was rewarded as a gray mist rose and began to coalesce in the room. Harry dispatched it with fervor.
He ran his hand over the body one last time, satisfying himself that his friend was finally free of curses.
"I wish I knew who was doing this," he sighed.
Lupin glanced at Harry.
"Let Harry have a go at Severus. He needs some energy. We should get his bed ready."
After moving Snape, Lupin and Dumbledore went into the other room while Harry ran warming hands over shoulder and side.
"Did you get the rats' brains off my ceiling?" Snape asked very sleepily.
"Last week, Severus," Harry smiled.
"'K"
'And scrubbed cauldrons,"
"'K"
"cleanest classroom in the entire school"
"'K"
Harry chuckled and continued. Snape settled down into a deep sleep. The energy feed continued until Harry felt tired. He yawned and stopped, leaning his head against the cushions he drifted off.
When he woke Snape was moving up and off his lap and Dumbledore was next to him, smiling.
"Sorry, Harry, it's after eleven and you do need to go
back to your tower."
He stretched. "Tomorrow?"
"Yes, come back tomorrow around 4 pm. I think we should
work on reconciliation. And tea. Definitely tea."
"What about Severus?" Harry stood yawning.
"Remus will stay with him. He will be fine." Walking to the door Harry smiled again and then left for Griffynder tower.
Lupin arranged Snape in his bed, then slipped off his robes and pulled on clean leggings and a sleep shirt from Snape's dresser. Climbing into bed next to the Potions' master he curled around the sleeping man's back, offering warmth. For his part Snape sighed into the pillow and remained asleep.
Dumbledore entered the bedroom,
"Harry's gone back to his tower." He crossed the room and sat down next to the sleeping Potions Master.
"What are we going to do about you Severus?" he asked no one in particular. Running his hand along his shoulder and arm he gave him a tremendous boost of energy. Snape arched and hissed in pain and pleasure.
"You need to be careful there, Albus," Lupin warned.
"If it hurts too much he won't take in any energy. Just a
waste of your strength."
"I suppose it's rather cold of me, sending it a little too fast," the headmaster looked at Lupin strangely.
"I've never thought about hurting him when I gave him
energy. I have been so rushed lately." He did not elaborate further and Lupin didn't press. Snape slowly resettled onto his pillow and into sleep, curled tight.
"He never has been one to accept kindness easily," the Headmaster added as an afterthought.
Lupin nodded, pulling Snape closer back into the warmth of his arms, and watched as Dumbledore efficiently stripped off his on cloak and robes and draped them across a nearby chair. He slipped into bed facing both and gently brushed the hair out of Snape's face.
"Slumber party, Headmaster?" Lupin teased softly.
"Safety in numbers, Professor," he replied seriously.
"You really think there's a threat from one of the staff?" Lupin asked while Dumbledore waved the lights off. Dumbledore remained silent as he settled himself closer to the sleeping man, smiling softly when a hand twisted into his shirt holding fast.
"Yes, there is. The escalation of curses indicates that
something may happen soon. It might just be paranoia,
of course. Then again, Madam Pomfrey came to London
with me the morning after Snape returned," he allowed this information to sink in.
"So she didn't level this last set of curses on Severus," he mused.
"And Trelawney was detained in the tower by a few
energetic students that wanted extra help with divinations," he continued.
"Wonderful," sighed Lupin. "We are definitely in trouble."
"Not necessarily," replied Dumbledore,
"with both you and Harry helping. We'll just need to co-ordinate our schedules and get Severus back on track health-wise."
"'k" Snape whispered.
The men laughed quietly.
"Go to sleep, Severus,"
"'k"
"We'll talk tomorrow,"
"'k"
"Goodnight," Lupin said with finality, nuzzling the sleeping man affectionately. Dumbledore was surprised to see the look of pleasure on Snape's face as he clutched tighter. Maybe he had been wrong about Snape accepting affection he mused as he closed his eyes.
Waking was extremely interesting for the Potions Master. He vaguely recalled Harry and Lupin coming into his rooms and caring for him. Mostly Harry because he had fed him a steady stream of energy. The conduit let a certain amount of both ends pass back and forth, like a "backwash" effect. So he had the "feel" of Harry Potter within him with all his youthful exuberance and positive outlook. He supposed some of his cynical, calculating demeanor passed to Harry.
Well, he knew he was in his own bed. He knew he wasn't alone. Stilling, he further realized not only was someone curled up against his back, he was curled into someone else. Someone with itchy hair. Dumbledore.
He knew that beard.
Ok. He could handle the Headmaster in his bed. The man had pulled him from the edge of death on more than one occasion. But the other? He could feel the warmth from the sleeping body against the full length of his body. It was, comforting. Yes, that was an acceptable description.
It was not Harry. A teenager would opt for the couch rather than share a bed for sleep. Which meant it had to be Lupin. Dumbledore must be pleased; the two men had firmly put aside their dislike for one another and had been developing a shaky friendship.
Shaky was a good word. Tenuous fit too. Tentative, weak, uncertain. He grimaced. Why was he running through synonyms like a student writing a research paper? Shuddering, he decided he had to go to the lavatory.
He nudged Dumbledore. No response. So he managed to turn over facing Lupin and tried again.
"Hmmm?" a response!
"Let me up, Remus."
"Sleep, Severus."
"I have to go, Remus," he positively whined.
"No you don't. It's Saturday." The sleeping man hugged him close. Snape rested a moment with his head on Lupin's shoulder thinking that this kind of certainly felt good.
But he still had to go to the lavatory.
So he crawled over Lupin and stood swaying. Not good. He sat back down on the edge of the bed. How in the hell would he make it at this rate?
"Professor Snape should sleep. It is not time to get up." Dobby appeared at his knee nearly causing an embarrassing accident.
"Professor Snape has to pee or Professor Snape will wet
himself," he snapped back, annoyed. The elf cackled his laugh. Then he offered his hand and helped the unsteady man stand. With a firm grasp on his elbow they walked out of the room.
Lupin was sitting up when they returned, came to the doorway and helpäed Snape back into bed, the middle, before disappearing into the lavatory himself. Returning, he whispered to the house elf for a moment and then climbed back into bed. Sleepily, Snape looked at him.
"You and Dumbledore having a good time?" he managed a sneer.
"I suppose. Seems one of the staff required tending," Lupin replied.
"hmmm"
All things considered Snape decided he should just go back to sleep. He didn't have the strength to fight off all this, this mush! The indignity of it all, being almost cuddled between these two men! His querrelous inner voice tried to rage against the completely unacceptable situation. Then he felt Lupin pull him closer, the warmth of the other man felt comfortable. Soft air flowed across his forehead as he was reunited with Lupin's shoulder. Safe. He felt oddly safe before he stomped down his indignant inner voice and slipped into sleep.