Harry slept through the floo journey soundly, curled up in Snape's arms.
Draco was standing looking very worried in the middle of Snape's rooms when
they arrived about 10 seconds after Draco. Wordlessly Snape laid Harry on a
bed, tucking the sheets over him, and flooed out.
He went back to Black's cottage and got rid of all the Dementors with a simple transformation spell. Then, knowing this was something he should have done a long time ago, he knelt beside Sirius' body and picked up the other man's hand.
"I am sorry, Sirius. I'm sorry for the way I have treated you, and for the way I have allowed a childhood grudge to overtake my senses. I'm sorry that I couldn't have found the courage to say it earlier." Snape paused, eyes glistening slightly in the moonlight where the clouds were parting.
"But I'm still pissed off about the whole pushing-me-into-the-passage-with- a-werewolf-thing!" He exclaimed.
"No, seriously, I wish we could have at least been civil to each other, if only for Harry's sake. He's lost everything now, you know. You were the closest thing he had to parents, and I always seem to get involved. I wish you and Remus and James could forgive me for the things I've said to you all and Harry in the past.
I would love to think that with Voldemort's fall we will lose evil. I know that's not going to happen; the most we can hope for is a brief period of peace. But. . .isn't that worth praying for?"
He got to his knees, and put Sirius' wand back in his hand, crossing the mans arms over his chest, then did the same for Lupin. He called the Aurors and Dumbledore, and spoke his final words to Sirius and Remus; the ones he had held such animosity towards before.
"I am sorry."
****************************
As soon as the officials were at the scene he returned to his rooms to find Draco sitting with Harry.
"I gave him a Sleeping Draught, Draco. He won't wake for some time."
Draco nodded, looking slightly relieved.
"What happened?"
Snape shrugged.
"I've called Dumbledore and some Aurors, they'll look at the wands and the magical alarms on the house and try to piece together what happened. They will also want to talk to Harry at some stage. . ."
Draco nodded. He still looked pale and shaky.
"Draco, what's wrong?" asked Snape.
The blond boy shrugged, and then fell into an elegant faint at Snape's feet.
Suddenly Snape realised just how strong Harry was. He quickly summoned some chocolate from the kitchens and evervated Draco to feed it to him, then had some for himself. Of course, the Dementor's souls had been floating around the house since whenever it had happened, so the afterglow of the bad memories they induced would be affecting Draco as normal.
"Come on, Draco. You need to get some sleep now. It's been a terrible day."
Draco nodded, already half asleep in Snape's arms. The Potions Master found himself wondering where these boys had found their trust for him, but decided that was for another day's thoughts. He absently carried Draco to his own bed, and realised that he, Snape, had nowhere to sleep as Harry was in his bed. Oh well; he could sleep tomorrow.
He sat gently on the bed next to Harry, softly stroking his hair.
At some stage Harry started to have nightmares, and Snape dimly remembered holding the frail body, before the boy went limp and the potions master fell asleep.
**********************
He woke up feeling as though he had slept properly for the first time in too many years. Looking at the boy in his arms he allowed himself to smile, but the happiness faded from his face as he remembered the events of the previous night.
"It's ok, Sev" said Harry, making the teacher jump, having not realised Harry was awake. "I. . .I remember everything."
"How long have you been awake?"
"about 3 hours. You know, Remus died saving his best friend. How many people can say they would do that, truthfully?"
Snape considered the boy. Under any other circumstances he would say 'none' and have done with it. But then again, under any other circumstances he would have sent the boy to his own room with 20 points deducted from Gryffindor. And he certainly wouldn't have allowed the boy to sleep on his lap. Honestly, what must that have looked like?
"I doubt many people would be foolish enough to make such a rash promise. It is a thing harder to do with foresight. With the utmost respect to Remus' memory, he probably acted without thinking. That does not make him any less of a hero. I'm just trying to give you a truthful answer."
Harry nodded slowly.
"That's what I thought, too. But then I remembered what he said; just before we cast our Patronuses. He told me he loved me; so he must have had some idea what would happen, mustn't he?"
Snape thought again. He couldn't stop the melancholy thought that nobody, possibly save Albus, who would do the same for anyone except Voldemort, would rescue (or try to rescue) him in such a situation.
"Yes. Honestly, that surprises me. He was a very brave man. So was your godfather; though perhaps a little more foolish than brave at times. . ."
Snape clapped a hand over his mouth in horror, but Harry just laughed.
"I know. He was a great man, but a complete idiot. But aren't we all?"
Snape nodded, wondering when Harry had become so wise.
"Enough of the deep philosophy, Harry. You need some sleep."
"But I. . ."
"Shh. . .I know. I'm just going to get a sleeping draught."
"Thanks, Sev."
". . ."
"It would help infinitely if you would get off my lap first. . ."
"Oh! Right!"
******************************
When Snape came back, he saw that Harry had been crying.
"Harry!" he said sharply, worried that Harry was ill.
The boy flinched away without meaning to, and Snape felt a lump in his throat.
"I didn't think to ask you. . .did the Dementors hurt you?"
Harry was silent, trying to hold back his tears. Snape realised he had probably upset the boy even more by talking about the Dementors.
"I didn't get close enough. I should have helped them." He said softly, then "God damn it I defeated Voldemort, why couldn't I save my godfather?"
A mirror shattered, the pieces disintegrating in front of Snape's eyes. Harry fell limply against the older wizard, feeling the strength drain out of him from the magic he had just done. Snape absently stroked Harry's hair, and raised the vial to the boy's lips. Harry didn't resist, and the last of the tension from his shoulders vanished as sleep claimed him.
***********************************************
Ok there you go. I'm going to start a new fanfic soon, maybe Harry and Sev random slash, maybe another one like this. I think I'll write maybe one more chapter of this and then wrap it up. Any requests for the ending?
Sorry it's been so long coming and is so short. I have a french oral tomorrow and it's occurred to me that I CAN'T ACTUALLY SPEAK FRENCH!!!!!! So I've been doing a LOT of revising.
Once again, keep the reviews coming in. And thanx for not flaming me :-D
He went back to Black's cottage and got rid of all the Dementors with a simple transformation spell. Then, knowing this was something he should have done a long time ago, he knelt beside Sirius' body and picked up the other man's hand.
"I am sorry, Sirius. I'm sorry for the way I have treated you, and for the way I have allowed a childhood grudge to overtake my senses. I'm sorry that I couldn't have found the courage to say it earlier." Snape paused, eyes glistening slightly in the moonlight where the clouds were parting.
"But I'm still pissed off about the whole pushing-me-into-the-passage-with- a-werewolf-thing!" He exclaimed.
"No, seriously, I wish we could have at least been civil to each other, if only for Harry's sake. He's lost everything now, you know. You were the closest thing he had to parents, and I always seem to get involved. I wish you and Remus and James could forgive me for the things I've said to you all and Harry in the past.
I would love to think that with Voldemort's fall we will lose evil. I know that's not going to happen; the most we can hope for is a brief period of peace. But. . .isn't that worth praying for?"
He got to his knees, and put Sirius' wand back in his hand, crossing the mans arms over his chest, then did the same for Lupin. He called the Aurors and Dumbledore, and spoke his final words to Sirius and Remus; the ones he had held such animosity towards before.
"I am sorry."
****************************
As soon as the officials were at the scene he returned to his rooms to find Draco sitting with Harry.
"I gave him a Sleeping Draught, Draco. He won't wake for some time."
Draco nodded, looking slightly relieved.
"What happened?"
Snape shrugged.
"I've called Dumbledore and some Aurors, they'll look at the wands and the magical alarms on the house and try to piece together what happened. They will also want to talk to Harry at some stage. . ."
Draco nodded. He still looked pale and shaky.
"Draco, what's wrong?" asked Snape.
The blond boy shrugged, and then fell into an elegant faint at Snape's feet.
Suddenly Snape realised just how strong Harry was. He quickly summoned some chocolate from the kitchens and evervated Draco to feed it to him, then had some for himself. Of course, the Dementor's souls had been floating around the house since whenever it had happened, so the afterglow of the bad memories they induced would be affecting Draco as normal.
"Come on, Draco. You need to get some sleep now. It's been a terrible day."
Draco nodded, already half asleep in Snape's arms. The Potions Master found himself wondering where these boys had found their trust for him, but decided that was for another day's thoughts. He absently carried Draco to his own bed, and realised that he, Snape, had nowhere to sleep as Harry was in his bed. Oh well; he could sleep tomorrow.
He sat gently on the bed next to Harry, softly stroking his hair.
At some stage Harry started to have nightmares, and Snape dimly remembered holding the frail body, before the boy went limp and the potions master fell asleep.
**********************
He woke up feeling as though he had slept properly for the first time in too many years. Looking at the boy in his arms he allowed himself to smile, but the happiness faded from his face as he remembered the events of the previous night.
"It's ok, Sev" said Harry, making the teacher jump, having not realised Harry was awake. "I. . .I remember everything."
"How long have you been awake?"
"about 3 hours. You know, Remus died saving his best friend. How many people can say they would do that, truthfully?"
Snape considered the boy. Under any other circumstances he would say 'none' and have done with it. But then again, under any other circumstances he would have sent the boy to his own room with 20 points deducted from Gryffindor. And he certainly wouldn't have allowed the boy to sleep on his lap. Honestly, what must that have looked like?
"I doubt many people would be foolish enough to make such a rash promise. It is a thing harder to do with foresight. With the utmost respect to Remus' memory, he probably acted without thinking. That does not make him any less of a hero. I'm just trying to give you a truthful answer."
Harry nodded slowly.
"That's what I thought, too. But then I remembered what he said; just before we cast our Patronuses. He told me he loved me; so he must have had some idea what would happen, mustn't he?"
Snape thought again. He couldn't stop the melancholy thought that nobody, possibly save Albus, who would do the same for anyone except Voldemort, would rescue (or try to rescue) him in such a situation.
"Yes. Honestly, that surprises me. He was a very brave man. So was your godfather; though perhaps a little more foolish than brave at times. . ."
Snape clapped a hand over his mouth in horror, but Harry just laughed.
"I know. He was a great man, but a complete idiot. But aren't we all?"
Snape nodded, wondering when Harry had become so wise.
"Enough of the deep philosophy, Harry. You need some sleep."
"But I. . ."
"Shh. . .I know. I'm just going to get a sleeping draught."
"Thanks, Sev."
". . ."
"It would help infinitely if you would get off my lap first. . ."
"Oh! Right!"
******************************
When Snape came back, he saw that Harry had been crying.
"Harry!" he said sharply, worried that Harry was ill.
The boy flinched away without meaning to, and Snape felt a lump in his throat.
"I didn't think to ask you. . .did the Dementors hurt you?"
Harry was silent, trying to hold back his tears. Snape realised he had probably upset the boy even more by talking about the Dementors.
"I didn't get close enough. I should have helped them." He said softly, then "God damn it I defeated Voldemort, why couldn't I save my godfather?"
A mirror shattered, the pieces disintegrating in front of Snape's eyes. Harry fell limply against the older wizard, feeling the strength drain out of him from the magic he had just done. Snape absently stroked Harry's hair, and raised the vial to the boy's lips. Harry didn't resist, and the last of the tension from his shoulders vanished as sleep claimed him.
***********************************************
Ok there you go. I'm going to start a new fanfic soon, maybe Harry and Sev random slash, maybe another one like this. I think I'll write maybe one more chapter of this and then wrap it up. Any requests for the ending?
Sorry it's been so long coming and is so short. I have a french oral tomorrow and it's occurred to me that I CAN'T ACTUALLY SPEAK FRENCH!!!!!! So I've been doing a LOT of revising.
Once again, keep the reviews coming in. And thanx for not flaming me :-D