Snape stormed back to his quarters steaming - literally. He had felt the
resignation coming off harry in waves as he talked about those Death
Eaters. And what had Harry said? That Voldemort kept reminding him of his
Muggle relatives. Did that mean they had. . .raped him? Snape, hardened
Death Eater that he was, shuddered at the thought.
It was the first time he had been to his rooms since the night after the blast of light had announced the total destruction of Voldemort's body and soul, and he was unpleasantly reminded of the festivities.
His entire room was decked out in red, yellow, blue and lime green. Not very Slytherin. Not very anything, for that matter, except tasteless in the extreme. Black's work, of course. Stupid canine bastard. Bitch? Better not go there.
Blasting down his door with a strong hex, Snape entered his bedroom and squealed in horror mingled with shock and fury.
Sirius Black was lying naked on his bed!
**********************
Draco heard his mentor's screams, and rushed to investigate. He found Dumbledore in paroxysms of laughter on the stone floor, while Snape glowered menacingly.
"What happened?"
Dumbledore, unable to speak for laughing, pointed weakly towards Snape's bedroom, before collapsing into uncontrollable chuckles again.
Draco's reaction was more like Snape's - until he realised that if that was really Sirius Black, the Dementors would be there, and Dumbledore wouldn't be laughing. He suddenly realised what it was. A clever transfiguration, probably by McGonagall. But how she knew what Black looked like without his clothes on, Draco really didn't want to think about. Ugh!
***************************
5 minutes later, when Draco had gone and Dumbledore had calmed himself, he finally asked the younger wizard what had happened.
"Severus. . .dare I ask why the entire route from your dungeons to the infirmary is strewn with broken pictures, vases and frozen ghosts?"
"I was angry"
"Yes. . .I could imagine that from the way you'd nearly knocked some walls clean out of the way!"
Snape shifted slightly in his seat.
"Albus, they raped him, the Death Eaters. . .and I think his guardians might have as well. He's just so dead inside. And I don't even mean dead like, 'Death is the next great adventure'. I mean, dead like Dementors Kiss dead."
Dumbledore winced slightly.
"Severus, you may well be the only person not to see it, but you are the one he trusts. The staff care deeply about him, but in all the time he has been here he has never really opened up to any of us. I think you are the only one who can reach him now."
Snape sighed, suddenly looking more human than he had for many years.
"I blew it, Albus. He asked me if I cared about him, and I couldn't answer him. It wasn't safe for a true Death Eater to care about anyone, that's how Lucius became such a great Death Eater. What sort of parent would use an Unforgivable on his son to kill his son's friend? But if it's dangerous for a true Death Eater to care, what about a spy? What if I had been found out and questioned under Veritaserum? I could have killed him, Albus. But then he was gone before I could tell him, and he could have been killed. He nearly killed himself, Albus. Voldemort offered him a knife, and he took it."
At this, Snape could no longer contain himself, and broke down into tears.
"What if he'd died, Albus? What if he'd died, and it had all been my fault?"
Dumbledore shook his head and handed Snape a sherbet lemon.
"He didn't die, and he isn't going to. You obviously do care, so go back to the infirmary and talk to him."
Snape nodded, briskly drying off his eyes.
"Will you have a chamber put down here for him? Actually no, I think he would be better staying with Draco."
Dumbledore looked slightly uncertain.
"Are you sure the effects of the potion of Draco have worn off?"
Snape nodded firmly.
"Lucius has had the Kiss, so there is nobody who can control him with that batch now, and I gave him the counter potion. All traces seem to have been removed from his system now. I think Harry and Draco will do each other a lot of good."
******************
Harry woke up, trying to focus on something, but he obviously didn't have his glasses on. Well, what was the point? He had no dignity left now. He had been beaten and raped by both muggles and wizards. He had been rejected by both races. What did he have to live for?
Gentle hands put his glasses on his nose, startling him momentarily. He couldn't be bothered to look up at the owner of the hands, but noticed that they were soft and cool, and smelt of herbs.
"Come on Harry"
"Harry didn't reply.
"Harry, I'm sure you don't want to be stuck here any longer than you have to. . ." there was a pause, and a soft chuckle. "Especially considering the amount of time you must spend here already, what with quidditch and saving the world and all that. So, do you fancy a change of scenery?"
Harry shrugged listlessly, and strong arms lifted him effortlessly off the bed. His head lolled onto the dark clad chest, and he could hear the man's heart-beat under the black robes. Surely. . .surely Snape must hate him. Because Harry was such a nuisance.
But if Snape hated him, why was he carrying him so gently?
***************************
Harry must have dozed off, because the next thing he remembered was being laid on a soft bed. The same, cool hand brushed his hair off his head and remained over the scar for a second, before removing itself. Then Harry fell into a deep sleep, from which he didn't waken for several days.
****************************
Draco watched the sleeping boy with mingled feelings. He felt pity, for the Boy Who Had Had To Live with constant pressure. He felt a strange sort of relief that Harry was sleeping, so he couldn't think about all that had happened, and anger at the Death Eaters. Back at the castle, he had seen through his fathers eyes all that they had done to Harry, and all the taunts that had been thrown at him.
But most of all, Draco Malfoy felt shame; shame that he, the one person Harry had trusted, had betrayed him.
How much did that put him above a Death Eater?
Draco felt tears slide down his cheeks. Though few people knew it, being a Death Eater had been something he had fought against almost all of his life, though it had cost him his family and friends. And now he had let down harry, and everyone would ostracise him again, thinking he was a Death Eater.
He had to leave. For good.
Hands clammy with sweat, he summoned the knife that he kept under his pillow; a way of self-defence should anything happen to his wand. He moved into the bathroom, numbly staring at his pale face, not even caring when he stubbed his toe painfully on the cabinet, causing the bottles there to rock precariously. Merlin, he was scared, so scared. . .he wanted someone to stop him, but he knew nobody would come, and he knew that he had to do this for himself.
Shutting his eyes, he felt the blade dig into his arm and blood start running almost instantaneously. He made several deep gashes on either arm before the darkness overcame him and he slumped against the wall, losing consciousness.
**********************
A thud and rattle awoke Harry. He opened a bleary eye and looked around. Almost immediately he heard a quiet hiss of pain, and smelled the reek of wizards blood. Getting up, unsteadily, he made his was to the bathroom where Draco was lying, bleeding, dying. With a soft curse Harry staggered to Draco's side and grasped the boys wrists, not really knowing what he was doing. He began to feel cold and shivery and dizzy, but the blood was stopping and running back up Draco's arms, into the cuts.
With a moan, Draco woke up, just as Harry passed out. He looked down at the almost-healed cuts on his arms, and then at Harry who had fallen asleep, probably from exhaustion, with one arm around Draco's shoulder and the other grasping Draco's wrist. Draco gently disentangled the hand on his wrist but let Harry stay where he was.
Soon he would have to go and find Sev, and tell him what had happened. Until then, he was happy to just sit with Harry.
Maybe, just maybe, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
It was the first time he had been to his rooms since the night after the blast of light had announced the total destruction of Voldemort's body and soul, and he was unpleasantly reminded of the festivities.
His entire room was decked out in red, yellow, blue and lime green. Not very Slytherin. Not very anything, for that matter, except tasteless in the extreme. Black's work, of course. Stupid canine bastard. Bitch? Better not go there.
Blasting down his door with a strong hex, Snape entered his bedroom and squealed in horror mingled with shock and fury.
Sirius Black was lying naked on his bed!
**********************
Draco heard his mentor's screams, and rushed to investigate. He found Dumbledore in paroxysms of laughter on the stone floor, while Snape glowered menacingly.
"What happened?"
Dumbledore, unable to speak for laughing, pointed weakly towards Snape's bedroom, before collapsing into uncontrollable chuckles again.
Draco's reaction was more like Snape's - until he realised that if that was really Sirius Black, the Dementors would be there, and Dumbledore wouldn't be laughing. He suddenly realised what it was. A clever transfiguration, probably by McGonagall. But how she knew what Black looked like without his clothes on, Draco really didn't want to think about. Ugh!
***************************
5 minutes later, when Draco had gone and Dumbledore had calmed himself, he finally asked the younger wizard what had happened.
"Severus. . .dare I ask why the entire route from your dungeons to the infirmary is strewn with broken pictures, vases and frozen ghosts?"
"I was angry"
"Yes. . .I could imagine that from the way you'd nearly knocked some walls clean out of the way!"
Snape shifted slightly in his seat.
"Albus, they raped him, the Death Eaters. . .and I think his guardians might have as well. He's just so dead inside. And I don't even mean dead like, 'Death is the next great adventure'. I mean, dead like Dementors Kiss dead."
Dumbledore winced slightly.
"Severus, you may well be the only person not to see it, but you are the one he trusts. The staff care deeply about him, but in all the time he has been here he has never really opened up to any of us. I think you are the only one who can reach him now."
Snape sighed, suddenly looking more human than he had for many years.
"I blew it, Albus. He asked me if I cared about him, and I couldn't answer him. It wasn't safe for a true Death Eater to care about anyone, that's how Lucius became such a great Death Eater. What sort of parent would use an Unforgivable on his son to kill his son's friend? But if it's dangerous for a true Death Eater to care, what about a spy? What if I had been found out and questioned under Veritaserum? I could have killed him, Albus. But then he was gone before I could tell him, and he could have been killed. He nearly killed himself, Albus. Voldemort offered him a knife, and he took it."
At this, Snape could no longer contain himself, and broke down into tears.
"What if he'd died, Albus? What if he'd died, and it had all been my fault?"
Dumbledore shook his head and handed Snape a sherbet lemon.
"He didn't die, and he isn't going to. You obviously do care, so go back to the infirmary and talk to him."
Snape nodded, briskly drying off his eyes.
"Will you have a chamber put down here for him? Actually no, I think he would be better staying with Draco."
Dumbledore looked slightly uncertain.
"Are you sure the effects of the potion of Draco have worn off?"
Snape nodded firmly.
"Lucius has had the Kiss, so there is nobody who can control him with that batch now, and I gave him the counter potion. All traces seem to have been removed from his system now. I think Harry and Draco will do each other a lot of good."
******************
Harry woke up, trying to focus on something, but he obviously didn't have his glasses on. Well, what was the point? He had no dignity left now. He had been beaten and raped by both muggles and wizards. He had been rejected by both races. What did he have to live for?
Gentle hands put his glasses on his nose, startling him momentarily. He couldn't be bothered to look up at the owner of the hands, but noticed that they were soft and cool, and smelt of herbs.
"Come on Harry"
"Harry didn't reply.
"Harry, I'm sure you don't want to be stuck here any longer than you have to. . ." there was a pause, and a soft chuckle. "Especially considering the amount of time you must spend here already, what with quidditch and saving the world and all that. So, do you fancy a change of scenery?"
Harry shrugged listlessly, and strong arms lifted him effortlessly off the bed. His head lolled onto the dark clad chest, and he could hear the man's heart-beat under the black robes. Surely. . .surely Snape must hate him. Because Harry was such a nuisance.
But if Snape hated him, why was he carrying him so gently?
***************************
Harry must have dozed off, because the next thing he remembered was being laid on a soft bed. The same, cool hand brushed his hair off his head and remained over the scar for a second, before removing itself. Then Harry fell into a deep sleep, from which he didn't waken for several days.
****************************
Draco watched the sleeping boy with mingled feelings. He felt pity, for the Boy Who Had Had To Live with constant pressure. He felt a strange sort of relief that Harry was sleeping, so he couldn't think about all that had happened, and anger at the Death Eaters. Back at the castle, he had seen through his fathers eyes all that they had done to Harry, and all the taunts that had been thrown at him.
But most of all, Draco Malfoy felt shame; shame that he, the one person Harry had trusted, had betrayed him.
How much did that put him above a Death Eater?
Draco felt tears slide down his cheeks. Though few people knew it, being a Death Eater had been something he had fought against almost all of his life, though it had cost him his family and friends. And now he had let down harry, and everyone would ostracise him again, thinking he was a Death Eater.
He had to leave. For good.
Hands clammy with sweat, he summoned the knife that he kept under his pillow; a way of self-defence should anything happen to his wand. He moved into the bathroom, numbly staring at his pale face, not even caring when he stubbed his toe painfully on the cabinet, causing the bottles there to rock precariously. Merlin, he was scared, so scared. . .he wanted someone to stop him, but he knew nobody would come, and he knew that he had to do this for himself.
Shutting his eyes, he felt the blade dig into his arm and blood start running almost instantaneously. He made several deep gashes on either arm before the darkness overcame him and he slumped against the wall, losing consciousness.
**********************
A thud and rattle awoke Harry. He opened a bleary eye and looked around. Almost immediately he heard a quiet hiss of pain, and smelled the reek of wizards blood. Getting up, unsteadily, he made his was to the bathroom where Draco was lying, bleeding, dying. With a soft curse Harry staggered to Draco's side and grasped the boys wrists, not really knowing what he was doing. He began to feel cold and shivery and dizzy, but the blood was stopping and running back up Draco's arms, into the cuts.
With a moan, Draco woke up, just as Harry passed out. He looked down at the almost-healed cuts on his arms, and then at Harry who had fallen asleep, probably from exhaustion, with one arm around Draco's shoulder and the other grasping Draco's wrist. Draco gently disentangled the hand on his wrist but let Harry stay where he was.
Soon he would have to go and find Sev, and tell him what had happened. Until then, he was happy to just sit with Harry.
Maybe, just maybe, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.