7:30 a.m., Friday
Hogwarts Grounds
That morning Severus and Harry walked out to the quidditch pitch with Harry's Firebolt in tow. The students and teachers they passed on the way stopped and gaped, but Severus ignored them. He was obviously not in a good mood. Harry on the other hand smiled cheerfully and waved to everyone they passed. When they arrived, the pitch fell silent and Severus glared around.
"Well?" He attempted a menacing growl.
"What happened to your hair?" George Weasley blurted out.
Severus turned bright red and muttered something under his breath before replying. "Mr. Potter stole my hair gel and hid it."
"It looks better without it!" Harry insisted.
"What you THINK, Mr. Potter, does not matter. This is my hair and I happen to like it my way."
"Well, he's right. It looks alot better like that." Fred admitted.
"Yeah, I bet if you left your hair like that after you change back to normal you might actually get a date some time." George agreed.
Harry snickered and Severus threw a tantrum. "I do not WANT or NEED a DATE, Mr. Weasley!" He huffed.
After Severus' tantrum had subsided, Madam Hooch suggested that they get on the broom. Harry and Severus took the potion that Severus had made last night and then got on the broomstick and awaited Madam Hooch's whistle.
/Can you hear me?/
/Of course I can, Mr. Potter./
The whistle went off and the Firebolt flew forward swiftly. Soon Fred and George had joined them in the sky while Angelina released the bludgers and the snitch. Harry followed after the glint of gold.
/Lean to the right!/ Harry did as he was instructed and they both turned sideways in time to avoid an oncoming bludger.
/Thanks, but now I've lost the snitch./
/At least you haven't lost your head, Mr. Potter./
/Fine, fine./
They circled above a short ways before Harry saw the snitch fluttering near one of the goals. Quickly, he pushed forward and dived after the snitch, catching it successfully. Madam Hooch stopped the timer on her watch.
"Six minutes and thirty-seven seconds. Good time!" She congratulated them.
The rest of the practice went so well that everyone felt Gryffindor now had a very good chance of winning the Championship. By the time they had finished practice, lunch was over and Harry and Severus were late for Charms class. Harry convinced Fred to take his Firebolt back to the Gryffindor tower where it would be safe before running off to class, dragging a very grouchy Severus behind him.
1:38 p.m, Friday,
The Charms Corridor
Harry and Severus finally reached the Charms classroom. Professor Flitwick took a minute to scold them for being so late, but quickly allowed them to sit down with a jovial smile. They were partnered together once again while the class attempted sleeping charms on each other. Severus' mood didn't improve any when he had trouble getting the complicated wand movements right. Furious with himself, he shook the wand and snarled at it. It replied with a puff of smoke that filled the room and caused everyone to have to retreat to the corridor outside.
/Brilliant idea. How come I didn't think of that before?/ Harry teased.
/Oh shut up. It's bad enough that the potion still hasn't worn off yet./
/It had better...or you'll be stuck with me thinking in your head./
/Good God NO!/ Harry winced at the loudness of Severus' thoughts.
The class was dismissed and Harry and Severus took the chance to retreat the Severus' chambers. The mind link still hadn't worn off and Severus was beginning to panic. He certainly didn't want to be stuck with Harry thinking to him. That would be just too hideous. Harry didn't comment at all to Severus while he worked and Severus was relieved by that.
6:00 p.m., Friday,
The Great Hall
The duo sat at their usual table and ate in seeming silence. Luckily, no one could read their thoughts. If they had, they'd have known that despite Severus' multiple efforts, the mind link was still ever firmly in place. Both had to struggle to keep their private thoughts private and that wasn't at all pleasant.
After dinner, they were headed back for Severus' chambers, when too large hands grabbed them and two soaking towels were pressed firmly against their noses. Harry fell unconscious immediately as they were dragged outside to the Forbidden Forest.
Harry awoke in a dark padded cell. Severus was laying next to him bound and gagged and writhing on the floor, Harry could tell he was cursing into the gag from just his thoughts. Despite himself, Harry undid Severus gag and asked, "Are you alright?"
/Why is he all tied up like that?/
/Because, Mr. Potter, their little plan didn't work on me./ "I'm fine."
/What plan?/
/Mr. Potter, do you know where we are./ His tone was more of a statement than a question.
/My guess would be somewhere Voldemort put us./
/Exactly./
/But what did you do to get tied up?/ Harry began to work on the tight ropes that bound Severus.
/I don't wish to discuss it./
/Why not? They didn't hurt you did they?/ Harry was beginning to get worried.
/No./
/Then why not?/
/Fine, if it will stop your pestering, I will explain what happened while you were unconscious. Crabbe and Goyle were the two who caught us. They brought us here, wherever here is, and brought us in front of Voldemort. I managed to bite Goyle and get him to drop me, then I tried to attack Voldemort, but he got to me first. As you can see he did this to prevent me biting and cursing them all./
Harry immediately fell over laughing and Severus growled at him. /You BIT Goyle? That's just too funny!/
/Oh shut up, I have a headache./
Peter Pettigrew scurried over to them with two bowls of soup and some bread. Carefully, he slipped it through the iron door to them and muttered his apologies to Harry before running off. As they ate, Harry couldn't help but notice that Severus' left hand was swollen.
/What's wrong with your hand?/
/....it's nothing./
/No it's not! Your hand's swollen. What happened?/
/It got stepped on./ Snape was aggitated.
/Goyle?/
Severus nodded and Harry frowned. It wasn't fair that they pick on two wizards when they couldn't defend themselves.
"I wish I had my wand." He sighed and pushed away his soup.
"What? Not hungry?" Harry looked up, startled to see a vaguely familliar face peering back at him.
/Lestrange./ Severus glared.
"It's too bad our great lord won't let us have you two. It would feel so great to torture you two until you go insane." His grin was twisted and malicious and Harry was forced to supress a shudder.
/They killed Neville's parents.../
Severus looked at him in surprise. /How did you know that?/
/Uh...I'll explain later, we have to figure out some way to get out of here first, right?/
Lestrange eventually left when the two fell silent. /Yes, it appears that they don't know about our mind link...yet. If they torture us while we're both conscious, they'll find out./
/Okay, so what's the plan? I certainly don't know the Death Eaters well enough to even know how to get out of here./
/There is no plan...yet./
(TBC. Also, just so you guys know, the Quidditch match will be Saturday/tomorrow. In order to keep Gryffindor from forfeiting, Harry and Severus will have to manage to get back to Hogwarts in time for the game. This'll be cutting it pretty close, but I'd always intended on having them captured by Voldemort, and this works pretty good. Unfortunately, at this moment, I'm at a bit of a loss as to how they'll escape, so you'll have to give me some time.)
Hogwarts Grounds
That morning Severus and Harry walked out to the quidditch pitch with Harry's Firebolt in tow. The students and teachers they passed on the way stopped and gaped, but Severus ignored them. He was obviously not in a good mood. Harry on the other hand smiled cheerfully and waved to everyone they passed. When they arrived, the pitch fell silent and Severus glared around.
"Well?" He attempted a menacing growl.
"What happened to your hair?" George Weasley blurted out.
Severus turned bright red and muttered something under his breath before replying. "Mr. Potter stole my hair gel and hid it."
"It looks better without it!" Harry insisted.
"What you THINK, Mr. Potter, does not matter. This is my hair and I happen to like it my way."
"Well, he's right. It looks alot better like that." Fred admitted.
"Yeah, I bet if you left your hair like that after you change back to normal you might actually get a date some time." George agreed.
Harry snickered and Severus threw a tantrum. "I do not WANT or NEED a DATE, Mr. Weasley!" He huffed.
After Severus' tantrum had subsided, Madam Hooch suggested that they get on the broom. Harry and Severus took the potion that Severus had made last night and then got on the broomstick and awaited Madam Hooch's whistle.
/Can you hear me?/
/Of course I can, Mr. Potter./
The whistle went off and the Firebolt flew forward swiftly. Soon Fred and George had joined them in the sky while Angelina released the bludgers and the snitch. Harry followed after the glint of gold.
/Lean to the right!/ Harry did as he was instructed and they both turned sideways in time to avoid an oncoming bludger.
/Thanks, but now I've lost the snitch./
/At least you haven't lost your head, Mr. Potter./
/Fine, fine./
They circled above a short ways before Harry saw the snitch fluttering near one of the goals. Quickly, he pushed forward and dived after the snitch, catching it successfully. Madam Hooch stopped the timer on her watch.
"Six minutes and thirty-seven seconds. Good time!" She congratulated them.
The rest of the practice went so well that everyone felt Gryffindor now had a very good chance of winning the Championship. By the time they had finished practice, lunch was over and Harry and Severus were late for Charms class. Harry convinced Fred to take his Firebolt back to the Gryffindor tower where it would be safe before running off to class, dragging a very grouchy Severus behind him.
1:38 p.m, Friday,
The Charms Corridor
Harry and Severus finally reached the Charms classroom. Professor Flitwick took a minute to scold them for being so late, but quickly allowed them to sit down with a jovial smile. They were partnered together once again while the class attempted sleeping charms on each other. Severus' mood didn't improve any when he had trouble getting the complicated wand movements right. Furious with himself, he shook the wand and snarled at it. It replied with a puff of smoke that filled the room and caused everyone to have to retreat to the corridor outside.
/Brilliant idea. How come I didn't think of that before?/ Harry teased.
/Oh shut up. It's bad enough that the potion still hasn't worn off yet./
/It had better...or you'll be stuck with me thinking in your head./
/Good God NO!/ Harry winced at the loudness of Severus' thoughts.
The class was dismissed and Harry and Severus took the chance to retreat the Severus' chambers. The mind link still hadn't worn off and Severus was beginning to panic. He certainly didn't want to be stuck with Harry thinking to him. That would be just too hideous. Harry didn't comment at all to Severus while he worked and Severus was relieved by that.
6:00 p.m., Friday,
The Great Hall
The duo sat at their usual table and ate in seeming silence. Luckily, no one could read their thoughts. If they had, they'd have known that despite Severus' multiple efforts, the mind link was still ever firmly in place. Both had to struggle to keep their private thoughts private and that wasn't at all pleasant.
After dinner, they were headed back for Severus' chambers, when too large hands grabbed them and two soaking towels were pressed firmly against their noses. Harry fell unconscious immediately as they were dragged outside to the Forbidden Forest.
Harry awoke in a dark padded cell. Severus was laying next to him bound and gagged and writhing on the floor, Harry could tell he was cursing into the gag from just his thoughts. Despite himself, Harry undid Severus gag and asked, "Are you alright?"
/Why is he all tied up like that?/
/Because, Mr. Potter, their little plan didn't work on me./ "I'm fine."
/What plan?/
/Mr. Potter, do you know where we are./ His tone was more of a statement than a question.
/My guess would be somewhere Voldemort put us./
/Exactly./
/But what did you do to get tied up?/ Harry began to work on the tight ropes that bound Severus.
/I don't wish to discuss it./
/Why not? They didn't hurt you did they?/ Harry was beginning to get worried.
/No./
/Then why not?/
/Fine, if it will stop your pestering, I will explain what happened while you were unconscious. Crabbe and Goyle were the two who caught us. They brought us here, wherever here is, and brought us in front of Voldemort. I managed to bite Goyle and get him to drop me, then I tried to attack Voldemort, but he got to me first. As you can see he did this to prevent me biting and cursing them all./
Harry immediately fell over laughing and Severus growled at him. /You BIT Goyle? That's just too funny!/
/Oh shut up, I have a headache./
Peter Pettigrew scurried over to them with two bowls of soup and some bread. Carefully, he slipped it through the iron door to them and muttered his apologies to Harry before running off. As they ate, Harry couldn't help but notice that Severus' left hand was swollen.
/What's wrong with your hand?/
/....it's nothing./
/No it's not! Your hand's swollen. What happened?/
/It got stepped on./ Snape was aggitated.
/Goyle?/
Severus nodded and Harry frowned. It wasn't fair that they pick on two wizards when they couldn't defend themselves.
"I wish I had my wand." He sighed and pushed away his soup.
"What? Not hungry?" Harry looked up, startled to see a vaguely familliar face peering back at him.
/Lestrange./ Severus glared.
"It's too bad our great lord won't let us have you two. It would feel so great to torture you two until you go insane." His grin was twisted and malicious and Harry was forced to supress a shudder.
/They killed Neville's parents.../
Severus looked at him in surprise. /How did you know that?/
/Uh...I'll explain later, we have to figure out some way to get out of here first, right?/
Lestrange eventually left when the two fell silent. /Yes, it appears that they don't know about our mind link...yet. If they torture us while we're both conscious, they'll find out./
/Okay, so what's the plan? I certainly don't know the Death Eaters well enough to even know how to get out of here./
/There is no plan...yet./
(TBC. Also, just so you guys know, the Quidditch match will be Saturday/tomorrow. In order to keep Gryffindor from forfeiting, Harry and Severus will have to manage to get back to Hogwarts in time for the game. This'll be cutting it pretty close, but I'd always intended on having them captured by Voldemort, and this works pretty good. Unfortunately, at this moment, I'm at a bit of a loss as to how they'll escape, so you'll have to give me some time.)