Severus was brought back from Hogsmeade, unconscious, and beaten. They called Remus immediately, who had an orderly sent to Gryffindor to get Harry. The poor orderly found the two boys cuddled together on the sofa, Aki, asleep, his chin resting against Harry's collarbone. Harry was trying to arrange the blanket to keep them warm, as the coals in the fireplace grew dim. He looked up as the door opened. "Hello."
"Professor Lupin has sent me to fetch you to the medical wards."
Harry nodded. "Might I have a moment?" He shook Aki awake. "Aki? Aki? I have to go. You should go upstairs." Aki nodded, and dragged himself off the couch, half-asleep with the blanket from the couch, up the spiral staircase.
The two of them left the room through the portrait hole. "Professor Snape has returned?"
"Yes he has."
Harry steeled all the bravery and courage he supposedly had in his bones, and spoke again. "He is- well?"
"Not when I left. He was not conscious and rather bruised. I'm sorry to say."
"I didn't expect it, just- hoped he would be all right."
The orderly nodded. "It's all right, Mister Potter. Remus was rather frantic about the whole thing. It was such a scene as- well, I've been working in the ward for- well quite a while now- and I've never seen one quite like that. Poppy had to freeze his feet to the floor, and silence his vocal chords. Must be very careful what magic you use on him now, you know. What with the babies and all. Can you imagine? Four?"
"Not just yet."
"They'll be quite a handful, too. Cubs. Can't say I've really ever heard of a werewolf actually having cubs- just that they could."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for the most part, most werewolves don't have access to potions like Wolfsbane, which is difficult, and the ingredients really are very expensive. Many go mad, or get loose on a full moon, do something, and end up hunted. It's a very sad curse. It's occurrence is very low these days, you understand, but there are a few left. But, for the most part- because they so rarely procreate, or survive the curse doesn't get passed on."
"I see. And- not that I want to uhm create more werewolves- but uhm, why doesn't the Ministry do something about it? If Wolfsbane works- and it does- why won't they save people's lives, and I don't know… give it away, or at a greatly reduced price?"
"Perhaps no one has suggested it, Harry." The orderly gave him an appraising look, and Harry knew exactly what he was thinking- perhaps you should. He sighed, "Nothing is simple." They walked into the ward, and Harry saw Remus sitting in a chair, hands shaking. "Remus! Are you all right?"
"Yes. Just- shaken up."
"You saw him?"
Remus nodded. "He's bruised everywhere. I hate this."
Harry sighed, and sat down next to his – well his father's lover? He shook his head. He'd have to ask his father about that at least. "It'll be all right. Just- it'll be all right. He has someone to live for, you know? He'll pull through everything for you, Remus. And for me, and for them." He pressed a hand against Remus' stomach, which was still rather flat. "December seems early to me. I mean that's only in four months."
"Pups are smaller than babies. I'll only show a little bit. With my robes it might not even be noticeable. We're not sure. There's not really much written about it."
"True."
"Anyway, you should get back to bed, Harry. Your father isn't going to wake up for a while. Besides, classes are in a few hours. You'll sleep through breakfast."
"I probably will anyway. Thanks, Remus."
*
Both Defense and Potions was cancelled the next day, and that left Harry with plenty of free time to take Aki out for a walk through his favorite secret passage, to have a nice chat. He let his wand light the dank places. "Where are we?" Aki asked, looking more than a little confused.
"Halfway to Hogsmeade. Still under the wards though. I promised Dumbledore I'd stay close." He stopped. "I just wanted a private place to talk where we won't be interrupted or watched or overheard."
"Okay."
"Sounds paranoid, doesn't it?"
Aki blushed. "A little."
"It's not. What do you know about the uprising?"
"As much as anyone else. It started in the sixties and ended in the early eighties. You Know Who himself died on Halloween 1981 when he tried to kill you and for some reason rebounded onto himself."
"It rebounded because he didn't really want to kill my mother. Or at least she wasn't his goal at the time. She sacrificed herself, and placed an Old Magick charm which protected me. But, that wasn't the uprising I was referring to. I meant the second uprising."
"Second uprising?"
"Voldemort wasn't killed. He was left weak and bodiless, but not dead. And now he's after me. I beat him once, and now he wants me dead for it. He already got to me once since his.. I dunno, return to a body. And twice before that."
"How?"
"The first time he possessed someone. The next he used an enchanted diary to – sort of possess Ginny Weasley. He sapped her life, to make one for himself."
"That's really weird."
"Yes it is. Imagine being Ginny. Poor girl- it was her first year, and that happens to her. I felt so bad. I still feel bad sometimes. I spend usually all of August with them, and sometimes she has nightmares. I feel so guilty that I contributed."
"You couldn't have known that that would happen. You didn't have any control over that."
Harry sighed. "I know. That doesn't make me feel any less guilty. I'm not even finished yet. Last year they held the Triwizard Tournament. You probably heard about that, right?"
"Just that it happened."
"That it did," Harry sighed, and slumped back against the wall. "Each school was supposed to have its own champion, except someone put my name in the Goblet under another school. I was chosen, along with Cedric Diggory, who was a great seeker, and a good man. Durmstrang's champion was Viktor Krum, and Beauxbatons' Fleur Delacour- a half veela. So there were four champions to start with. There were three tasks, each were a good challenge, a dragon, a sea monster, and a maze, full of dangerous creatures. The last- the last was the worst. The dragon was kind of fun, all things considered. Anyway, in the maze I was injured, and Krum and I met. It was only fair that we share it. That was what we decided. A two champion win for Hogwarts. The cup was enchanted- a portkey. The moment we arrived they killed Cedric. In a long ritual, they restored Voldemort to a body."
Aki was silent. He truly had no idea what he was supposed to say to his new friend. It was clear from the way Harry spoke, from the tone and pauses frequently throughout the monologue that it affected him greatly. But, Aki mused to himself, it had nothing more to do with him. Right? "I'm sorry."
"You hadn't a thing to do with it, Aki."
"And neither do you! Harry its over! You're what? 15?"
"Yes. Fifteen."
"So- its got nothing to do with you. Yes, he used you, terribly. But that's it."
Harry giggled first, and then progressively the laugh grew. Aki stared. Harry had seemed so very normal- not this... hysterical person. After several rather long minutes as far as Aki was concerned the laughter subsided and Harry sighed heavily. "Oh, Aki, if it were that easy…"
"How is it not?"
Harry leaned forward and captured Aki's hands in his own. "You must understand this before we go any further. Promise you'll think about it."
Aki stared a moment but then nodded. "All right. I promise."
Harry nodded. "For me this isn't over. It wasn't any kind of one time isolated event. This war is my life. This war is my purpose. I cannot not fight. You would be dating someone marked for death. And, one closely watched. Putting yourself at risk- and I have no desire to see you harmed in any way. It means choosing. I won't take offense no matter what you choose."
*
The infirmary was quiet except for the occasional noise of people walking past and a quiet conversation going on a few exam rooms away. But otherwise, it was a quiet day in the wards. Harry was reading his transfiguration assignment while Remus had an exam. He'd gotten a little light headed earlier and Madam Pomfrey had thrown a tizzy and demanded that she check him over. He assented quietly and left Harry at his lover's side.
Severus slowly regained consciousness, taking in his surroundings slowly. At first it was just white, and as ever, his brain informed him that this was the afterlife, but slowly his sense would recover and he'd recognize the ever-present scent of the medical wing. Then he realized that it hurt all over. He groaned. He hated waking up. He hated his job.
"Hey- how bad is it? Do I need to get Madam Pomfrey?"
His eyes adjusted to the face before him "Harry?"
"Yeah. Remus is having an exam. She was a little concerned for the pups and so there you are."
"Why? Was something wrong?"
"Lightheaded. No real surprise considering the stress. Don't worry. Do you need anything for pain?"
"Can wait."
Harry sighed. "All right."
"You're a good kid, Harry."
Harry smiled, and squeezed his father's hand gently. "You're a good dad. The pups will love you. Had a date earlier."
"Satoshi?"
"Yeah. Aki and I went and had the Boy Who Lived talk. Sucked. Haven't a chance now. Ah well."
"Better than Weasley."
Harry laughed. "Yeah."
"Heard from Granger?"
"Yeah. She's doing well. I'd tell you the latest but I don't want to hurt you. It'd be a big shock. You should rest more."
Severus nodded, and slowly let himself dip back into rest.