Title: The Art of Necromancy
Author: Artemis Luna Diana
E-Mail: artemislunadiana@yahoo.com
Rating: R
Pairing: Harry/Severus
Time: begins right after GoF
Summary: Harry returns to Hogwarts to spend the summer. Out of sheer boredom, he scours the library for books to read and stumbles across a book that will change his life…
Disclaimer: I own not a thing
WARNING!!!! THIS IS A SLASH STORY!!!! IF YOU DON'T LIKE SLASH OR THIS PARTICULAR PAIRING… LEAVE NOW!!!!
Chapter Ten: Forming Habits
It wasn't until well after midnight that Snape and Harry returned to Hogwarts. Snape was practically carrying the young Necromancer instead of helping him walk. Snape helped Harry to his rooms, knowing that Harry had been assigned the same rooms made it much more simple than having to get the information out of a nearly unconscious Harry.
Snape considered summoning Poppy or dragging Harry to the infirmary. He was relatively certain that Harry had meant to do the hospital in stages, but it seemed as though once he began he was unable to stop until he was finished. He hadn't rested or eaten, just healed without complaint. Snape felt the first glimmering of true respect for Harry Potter.
***
Neville Longbottom sat in the Leaky Cauldron eating breakfast with his grandmother. When he had opened the door of his home and found a strange young man standing there, it had truly surprised him. Before he could speak, the teenager had placed a portkey in his hand that took him to Hogwarts. His grandmother had come soon after.
He hadn't noticed at the time and hadn't thought about it until his grandmother had spoken to Professor Dumbledore but that teenager had reminded him of Harry Potter. Dumbledore had confirmed that the young man who had saved them from the Death Eaters had been the missing Harry Potter.
Neville wondered if anyone knew that Harry Potter was really alive. Dumbledore had asked them not to say anything. He sighed and pushed the eggs around on his plate. Where had Harry been? Why hadn't anyone known where he was? Was that Snape he had seen at the house? It couldn't have been. Snape could barely walk.
An owl flew in and landed at the table. He barely registered his grandmother removing the letter and paying the owl. He did notice when his grandmother keeled over in a dead faint.
Neville and those around him quickly rushed to her aide. While some of the other customers were attempting to wake her up, Neville took the parchment from her tightly clasped hand. What had caused his grandmother to faint?
Dear Mrs. Longbottom –
We are pleased to inform you of the drastic recovery of your son and his wife. We, the staff of St. Mungo's, convey to you their wish for your immediate arrival. We look forward to seeing you.
Mr. Justin Pinch
President of St. Mungo's Hospital
Neville stared at the letter. His eyes rolled up into the back of his head, and he passed out on the floor just as his grandmother was waking.
***
Harry woke to a dull throbbing headache. He climbed out of his bed, stripped from the clothing he wore the day before, and shuffled off to the bathroom. The steaming hot shower gave some relief to the tension in his body but did nothing for the pounding in his head. He dressed and made his way carefully down the halls of Hogwarts to the infirmary. Had anyone seen him, they would have assumed he'd been drinking the night before and was suffering a hangover.
In a way, they would have been right. At first, the overwhelming cries for help had weakened him, but then he'd grown stronger as the cries for help began to diminish with each healing. However, he had foolishly overestimated his ability to stop healing and retreat till the next day. By the time he had reached the sixth floor of the hospital, he'd known he wouldn't stop until they were all healed or he passed out trying. He could have told Snape to drag him out of the hospital, but that would have meant resisting the compulsion. He could have complained, but one: it wasn't in his nature to ignore those in need, and two: he was happy to be able to help those that previously there had been no help for. So instead he'd taxed his body to the limit and was in a sense 'hung-over' from too many strenuous healings.
He entered the infirmary and climbed onto one of the beds. He'd just sleep until Madam Pomfrey came in.
***
When Harry woke again, he found Albus sitting beside his bed absently chewing on lemon drops. Albus glanced over at him and smiled. "Awake at last, Sleeping Beauty?"
"Only if Prince Charming is here," Harry replied, yawning.
"I believe he's in the dungeons at the moment." Albus's eyes began twinkling overtime. "I think I heard him say something about an anti-lust potion."
Harry blinked. It was one thing to think that Albus knew, it was another thing entirely to know that Albus knew. "It doesn't bother you?" he finally asked.
"My dear boy, why should it? You're sixteen, past the wizarding age of consent. You aren't his student any longer, not that it would have really mattered in the first place. You both deserve some happiness. Of course, you will still have to win over Severus. At the moment, I don't think he's particularly happy with you."
"That's an understatement," Harry said dryly. He sat up. "How long have I been asleep?"
"You've been waking up every four hours since you arrived three days ago," Albus replied.
Harry frowned. "I only remember waking up and coming to the infirmary. I don't remember waking up any other time."
"I figured as much. Each time you woke up, you didn't seem to remember being awake before."
"How do you know I won't just fall back asleep again?" Harry asked wryly.
"Because all the previous times you never stopped talking. It's too bad you don't remember anything, I'd dearly love to know what you said to Minerva that had her blushing for half-an-hour."
Harry blinked. "I have no idea."
***
Harry walked into Snape's private workroom to find the Potions Master busy brewing potions for Madam Pomfrey. Snape glanced once at his visitor before deciding to ignore him. Harry took this as a good sign. He sat down in the only chair in the room and set down the book he'd brought on the table beside him. He watched in silence as Snape diced the griffin heart.
Ten minutes later, Snape finally glanced at him again. He sighed. "What do you want, Potter?"
Harry shrugged. "Company, I suppose."
"Well, find your 'company' somewhere else," he snapped.
"I brought Fredrick's book down. I thought you might be interested in hearing it translated," Harry said, ignoring Snape's dismissal.
Snape paused for a moment. He did want to know what the book said. He would have even gone to the trouble of translating it if it hadn't disappeared shortly after Potter's arrival. The journal had disappeared too. He tossed two newt eyes in the potion and stirred counterclockwise. "Fine."
"Good," Harry said smiling. He picked up the book and opened it.
'He has a good speaking voice,' Snape noted absently as Harry read Fredrick's opening letter. It wasn't until they were well into the first chapter that Snape spoke again. "Considering that you have this new method of receiving visions, do you still have the visions your scar gave you?"
"No, I put up a block to protect myself and then severed my connection with Voldemort." Harry gave a wry smile. "He probably had a headache for weeks."
Snape smirked and gestured for Harry to continue reading.
***
They soon fell into this habit, since Harry had to be around Snape in case of Death Eater attacks and they did need something to do. Harry would have preferred shagging, but Snape didn't seem too pleased when he suggested it. So Harry read, and Snape brewed. It was actually becoming comfortable to them. Something they looked forward to.
The staff became accustomed to seeing them together, and to seeing them in animated and sometimes overly intense discussions that more often than not ended in rather loud shouting matches. It was rare for the two of them to agree on something. Or perhaps it should be said that neither wanted to agree and looked forward to their sparring, because Minerva could have sworn that Severus was quite against the law that allowed memory charms to be placed on persons under the age of sixteen.
As the new school term grew closer, the staff and Harry began preparing for the arrival of the students. It was decided that Snape would resume teaching the sixth and seventh year Potions classes, but that last year's teacher, Professor Laurel Hebblelott, would continue teaching the younger years to allow Snape to fulfill his other duties.
Harry and Snape found themselves responsible for choosing the students that they would be instructing as well as what exactly they would be teaching them.
They finally decided on the following students:
Bones, Susan – 6th year Hufflepuff
Boot, Terry – 6th year Ravenclaw
Finley, Ashley – 7th year Hufflepuff
Granger, Hermione – 6th year Gryffindor
Limpol, Jason – 7th year Ravenclaw
Maverin, Portia – 7th year Gryffindor
Thomas, Dean – 6th year Gryffindor
Weasley, Ron – 6th year Gryffindor
***
TBC…