Two Sides of the Same Coin

Chapter 7

Once again, Harry waited until he heard Severus' rhythmic breathing two canopy beds over. With perfect stealth, he slid out of his own four poster and padded over to Severus'. He gently pulled the curtains apart, peering in to see his sleeping God. His own tears were still fresh on his face. Harry only began to cry harder. This was not the Severus that would pull him into his embrace and shield him from the world as he had done so many times before. This was a Severus that needed shielding, needed him to be the strong, smart one. There may not be a new dark wizard haunting them yet, but Harry still needed to stay sharp, needed to be one step ahead. He couldn't let anything harm Severus…he'd die before he let it happen again.

He repeated his previous night's routine, soothing the hair away from his brow and gently rubbing his arms and shoulders. Severus responded quickly to the touch, dropping into an even deeper level of sleep as Harry stroked and kissed. With one last kiss on his forehead, he stood just as silently and returned to his own bed.

Severus awoke early the next morning, half tempted to fly into the Forbidden Forest and take off.

"You're in a complete mess." Dante hissed at him from beneath his robes. Snape growled softly at the frustration of it all.

"Of course I am! I don't know what the hell is going on! How am I supposed to do anything where everything is so different! I'm being played…somehow they're taking advantage of me. I just know it. Why can't I see it?" He muttered to himself as he trudged up the stairs leading to the roof. Some little voice in the back of his mind told him that Draco might be up there, casually smoking a cigarette, looking out over the misty morning. He liked Draco. He knew how Draco's mind worked…just like his father's. Draco had said it himself. He was not dangerous, because Severus could figure out what he was thinking, what he was planning. But Potter…Potter was another story all together.

And Draco didn't hang on him. Perhaps his future self enjoyed bull shit loaded confessions of love, but frankly it made this Severus sick.

"What on earth did my future self see in him?!" He muttered angrily as he stepped out onto the roof. A drawling laugh greeted him.

"Potter?" His laughter quieted. "You're blinder than I thought you were. Potter…Potter is a perfect. You think he's got you confused, but you'll never meet another person that will love you so simply. Open your eyes, Severus. He's deceiving you with honesty." Draco muttered without looking over at him, as if he was lost in his own thoughts. Severus soaked this in like a sponge.

"No one else knows about the relationship between Potter and my future self, in fact, I don't even think they know he's gay. How do you know?" Severus asked, sitting opposite the youthful Adonis. He looked at him with a small sneer.

"Because I keep my eyes open. Especially when it comes to Potter…and Dumbledore. But I don't think you want to know about the old bat's escapades with McGonagall." Draco said dryly, snubbing out his smoke. Severus grimaced at the mental image and looked out over the forest.

"I don't love him. I don't love anyone." He said quietly, though it was filled with bitterness. Draco stood, walking until his knees were brushing against Severus' thighs. Severus looked up into his calculating gray eyes.

"You don't love anyone, but you want me. I can see the lust in your eyes." Draco accused, watching the denial being prepared on the tip of Severus' tongue. "And I'm in the mood. You up for it or not? That is, if Potter isn't waiting for you." He said with a cruel smile. Severus stood silently, looking into the eyes of the slightly shorter boy, their bodies pressed tightly together. Draco's hand came up and knotted roughly in his hair, pulling him down and kissing him with such force that he was sure his lips would bruise. After Draco had practically forced his tongue in his mouth, raping his senses, the kiss abruptly ended. "I thought so. Let's go." He said self assuredly, confidently swaggering back towards the stairs. Severus absently ran his tongue over his lips, tasting a small bit of blood in his mouth, from what he wasn't sure. All he knew was that the pain had felt good, and he wanted more.

Draco led him into the spacious bedroom, a perk of being Head Boy, and didn't hesitate to push him onto the bed, straddling him as he pushed him back into the mattress, grinding into him so hard Severus couldn't breathe. Draco bit on his lip, drawing blood that left a smear down his chin. As he raised up to furiously remove his clothing, Severus took in his image. Pale and beautiful, violent and apathetic…

He felt Draco hastily removing his own clothing. Soon Draco's nails were burrowed deep in his upper arms as the boy continued his sweet torture. Severus couldn't decide whether to scream in pain or pleasure. Draco easily flipped him, pushing his torso down to the mattress. He felt Draco's long digits spreading him, apparently not going to give him any preparation before he entered.

Draco seemed to be ripping him apart, taking him roughly and as hard as he could manage. All the while his hands held Severus' side in a death grip, nails gouging into the silky, pale skin. Severus found himself biting his lip in two at the abuse.

But he loved it.

This was how he had always pictured it to be with Lucius, how he'd dreamed it as he lay in his four poster…Lucius just one bed away. And now Draco, perhaps even ten times more beautiful than his father, wanted him. He couldn't wait to pull Draco up beside him after the sex was done, take his lips in another harsh with need kiss. He was getting the most amazing feeling just at the base of his spine, a pressure building deep within him. But, the pain was eventually all that was left as Draco finished his end of the deal and pulled out of him none too gently. Severus gritted his teeth. He could feel blood dribbling down his legs, could taste it in his mouth. The cool air of the dungeon bedroom washed over him like a live wire, suddenly making him all too aware of the pain he was in. If felt wonderful. Almost as if the pain reminded him he still had life in his veins, so very much life.

Draco was gone. He'd cleaned himself with a wave of his wand, pulled on his clothing, and headed for the door. When he reached it, he simply said, "Sit with Potter and his Gryffindors, but you know who you belong to."

Severus stumbled into the bathroom, sure that he was going to be late for classes, but not really caring at the moment. His lips were a mangled mess, and his ass felt violated and torn. Without warning, he felt his dinner from the previous night come bubbling up the back of his throat. He got most of it in the toilet. Groaning, he sunk onto the cool floor, half draped over the toilet and feeling like shit.

But he knew who he belonged to.

Harry anxiously watched the door to the Great Hall, hoping to see Severus come prowling through. He felt like something was wrong, something horrible was happening. He tuned out the noise of the rest of the staff and students, and focused on the magic inside his heart stone. He had only attempted to use it a few times before, to replace simple spells, but he had never used it to locate a person.

Thankfully, it seemed to be well equipped for the job. A blinding flash went off in his mind, and he saw Severus lying broken and abused in a dark bathroom, dry heaving into the toilet with disgusting wrenching noises. Harry was on his feet and at a run for the dungeons before he even knew what hit him. He left in such a hurry that he practically pushed Draco down. Draco immediately followed Harry's path and cursed. If he knew, then Draco would have to come up with a new plan to lure the green-eyed seeker into his clutches. The sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that a new plan would be necessary, because Harry was not going to be happy when he found out that Draco had just raped his boyfriend up the ass. He gritted his teeth in annoyance and swept over to the Slytherin table, not eating anything, but trying to think of a way to salvage the situation.

Harry quickly made his way to the Slytherin dorm rooms, and forced his way in as two first years came out. He roughly grabbed one of them by the shoulder, all but shaking the senses out of her.


"Where are the Head Boy rooms? This is an emergency!" He half pleaded have demanded. The girl looked startled, but pointed at the staircase leading to the boy's dormitories.

"First door on the right." She said to Harry's retreating back. As he raced closer, his suspicions grew more and more real. With one wave of his wand and a little boost from his heart magic, any protection or locking spells Draco had in place were removed. He quickly entered the chamber, walking briskly to the slightly ajar bathroom door. He gathered his strength and lightly pushed the door open, letting out a gasp at what he saw. Just as in the image, Severus was in a miserable position; blood smeared all down his buttocks, back, and sides. He half turned, almost as though in a drunken stupor, to glare up at the imposter. He then quickly turned back to the toilet when he felt like heaving again. This time something came up, splashing into the toilet while Harry quickly rushed to Severus' side. He gently pulled Severus' hair back, cradling him against his chest while the other boy vomited unmercifully. Finally, Severus seemed to have an empty stomach. He involuntarily slumped against Harry, his nude form shivering slightly. Harry refused to let himself break down into tears at the sight of his precious lover so used and mangled. He carefully slid one hand around Severus' neck, and the other under his knees. With a small grunt of exertion, he lifted the lithe body, carrying him carefully into the adjacent room. Finally a few tears did slip down his cheeks as Severus looked up into his face. He muttered something, but Harry couldn't make out the words. Instead, he called on his heart magic again, urging it to heal his battered soul mate.

Severus looked into large green eyes, slightly misted with tears. Harry had found him, though how he had no idea. He mumbled something about Potter needing to mind his own business, when this sudden wave of healing washed over him. It felt stronger than any potion he'd ever had, more calming than any sleep drought. In fact, he was hard pressed to keep his eyes open…

Harry watched him fall into an easy slumber as his wounds repaired themselves. With the eminent danger over, Harry went about cleaning up the bathroom, Severus, and the sheets. He dressed Severus gently, kissing his brow with softness unknown to Severus, even though inside Harry was boiling with rage. He didn't think it was Malfoy, probably just someone who used his room. He'd have to wait until Severus could tell him the name of the person that was going to get their face bashed in. When everything was said and done, he gently pulled the snake medallion out from under Severus' clothes. He twisted the metal in the right sequence, and watched as Severus disappeared from view. He repeated the same procedure on himself. When they were both invisible, he located Severus again and hefted him into his arms, holding him as a mother holds a two year old on her hip.

They made it back to the boy's dormitory with relative ease. Harry gently laid Severus on his bed, tucking him in and leaving a pitcher of ice water on the bed stand. As he had done every night before, he leaned over and brushed his lips against Severus' forehead…the exact way Severus had always done to him.

Snape slowly opened his eyes as he heard Harry leave. He was a mess of emotion. He sat up, hating all that he was feeling. Without realizing it, he had brought his fingers to his forehead, as if to feel the loving kiss again. He thought of Draco and Harry, the past, his future…

He wanted to go back. With a steely mask of resolve settling over his features, he swung his legs out of bed and finished dressing. He would tell the Headmaster, and he would demand that he be returned to the past. This was not his world, and he surely didn't belong here.

Harry had just sat down in Transfiguration, after a stern reprimand for being late, when it hit him. He felt it in his scar, then in his heart. It was like a roaring tidal wave of venom, disgusting and vile. His palms clenched onto the desk like a life preserver; his breath coming in short gasps. He heard someone scream, perhaps Hermione, and saw people rushing around him. Everything was blurry and then slamming into focus all at once. He became so dizzy he felt himself starting to throw up, and all he could focus on was the intense pain radiating from his heart.

Dumbledore sat in his office, writing a reply to the ministry, when he began having a fit. His breath seemed trapped in his throat and his heart was beating out of control. He reached for his wand, sending off a signal before he fell to the ground unconscious with lack of oxygen and pain.

A/N: Uh-oh. That can't be good! I think I'll leave you with such a horrible cliffhanger, and let you guess what comes next. On a lighter note, I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what they think Snape's 'mission for Dumbledore' will be in the fifth book. Is everyone else as excited about this as I am? I mean, think of the Fanfiction possibilities! God help her if she kills him off…*growls at the thought*