Author's notes: Thanx guys for all the reviews, it is great to know people
are reading the stuff I write and enjoying it. So thanx again. If there is
anything about the story you don't like please tell me and I will see what
I can do.
Hunter.
Part nine:
The pair wandered towards the unused office in silence, they had outspokenly agreed that they needed to sort everything out before they faced the rest of the world. There was a hell of allot that needed to be discussed.
Once inside the room, they were surprised to see a table laid for two overflowing with food. Severus wandered over to the table and picked up a piece of paper that was lying on it.
"I thought that the two of you might be hungry as you missed dinner. I have told your respective sets of friends that you are otherwise disposed hence the reason you were at dinner, I did not tell then when you would be back so take as much time as you need. Albus Dumbledore" Severus read. He gave a slight snort, "like my 'friends' would even care." Harry looked up at the comment. Severus sounded so bitter, he had always assumed that Severus had been great friends with Malfoy and co. but by the sound of things that wasn't true.
"Severus." Harry started before he was cut off.
"Sev." He announced.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Call me Sev. If we are going to be friends I want you to call me Sev. That is what my friends call me. And before you say anything, I know that Lucius and them lot call me Severus but as you may have already guessed they are not what I would call friends." He stared straight into Harry's eyes, giving a rare glimpse of his true self. Harry smiled, realising what a gift it was from Severus.
"I wish I could repay the favour." His hand moved unconsciously towards his scar, he could feel a roughness to the skin that couldn't' be seen. He reached out and grabbed Sev's hand and pushed it his forehead, Sev was too shocked to complain. " Here this is what makes me, me. This what made me famous this is what makes me the target of an evil mad man, this is what has made my life hell for fifteen years." Harry finished solemnly.
Sev felt a patch of rough skin underneath his fingers; it was in the shape of a lightning bolt. It must be a scar but when he looked at Harry he could see it, he surmised that someone, Dumbledore probably, had hidden it.
"What happened?" He asked quietly. Harry laughed, slightly hysterically,
"It is a long story, we should probably sit down. Have something to eat." Harry sat at the table and helped himself to a pumpkin pasty, Sev sat next to him and took some chocolate frogs, he was in a definite chocolate mood.
"Well" Harry started, "it starts what I was one year old, my parents they. they were killed by Voldemort. He tried to kill me to but something went wrong and instead of killing me it all but killed him. I am the only person the have ever survive that particular curse. The killing curse." Harry said all this in a detached voice the same he always used when talking about his past, it made it easier to bear. "With my parents dead, I was forced to live with my mothers family, who hated me with a passion. To them I was a freak; a nuisance only put up with because they were scared of what Dumbledore would do to them if they tried to get rid of me. I was in essence their slave, I cooked I cleaned and lived in a cupboard. Until on my eleventh birthday I got my Hogwarts letter, it was the best feeling in my life to know that I had somewhere else to go that I didn't have to be stuck with the muggles anymore. But my excitement was somewhat short lived as once I got to Hogwarts I found that I was the Wizarding worlds saviour. Little old me was expected to save them all. How was an eleven year old supposed to bear that kind of a burden? Well I did my best and I suffered many attacks by Voldemort and those who bore his mark, though out my past four years at Hogwarts. Of course my friends helped me, but I felt terribly alone, you have no idea how isolated this burden made me feel." Harry looked at Severus "or maybe you do. And the only person that could have helped might have known what I was going through hated me, or so I thought. Now I am not sure. Now I think he did it all to protect the past and the future. He was the Potions Master, my silent protector, Severus Snape" Harry wound up there and looked at Sev for his reaction.
Sev listened to Harry's tale without uttering a word, it was quite a shock to him, to say he least.
"Harry." Sev started unsure of what to say. Harry looked at him tears in his eyes.
"Sev, you have no idea how much of a relief it is to be here, to not be under Voldemort constant threat. I can only imagine what you feel having to be with him on a regular basis. I think something like that would kill me." Sev smiled sadly. And clutched his left arm he couldn't feel anything physically but it felt like a weight in his mind. It was wearing him down already, and he had only been wearing it a week. Harry saw what Sev was doing and reached across and grabbed his left arm.
"It's here isn't it?" Sev nodded silently, he looked fearfully at Harry as if scared what he was going to do. Harry rolled up the sleeve and looked at the mark, It was hideous to look at but Harry forced himself to not look away, if Sev had to wear it the least he could do was look at with out flinching. He raised the arm to his mouth and kissed it gently, he had no idea what he was doing, or even why he was doing it, it just felt right.
Sev took a deep shuddering breath. What ever he had been expecting that defiantly wasn't it. The feel of those soft soft lips of his skin was amazing; it seemed to make the mark slightly easier to bear. Harry knew all of him and accepted him without question even, that was what Sev desperately needed, he needed to be accepted unconditionally something that he had never gotten before. Even his parents, hadn't done that for him all they wanted was for their only son to go and worship Voldemort. They had gotten their wish but it took Dumbledore request his first day at Hogwarts for it to happen.
"Thank you." Sev whispered. Harry smiled warmly.
"I know what it's like to have a burden like this forced upon you, I would like to help you bear I if I can?" Sev smiled faintly in return, Harry marvelled at the change that over came Sev's face when he smiled. If Harry thought he was good looking before, now. now he was perfect.
"Ok, then, I'll tell you everything. I was born to two of Voldemort's most fanatical supporters, Caroline and Edmond Snape. They were both in Slytherin while at school and they both wanted me to follow in their footsteps. Imagine what a disappointment I was to them, I didn't hate Muggles with a passion, I was foolishly brave and I didn't want to follow Voldemort. These were all deadly sins to them, I was beaten for it. Once I dared to bad mouth the dark lord and I suffered terribly for it, is it any wonder I hate Voldemort, I have felt what Death Eaters are capable of first hand. Cruciatus on a nine year old." Sev laughed bitterly. "Needless to state I never did that again. By the time I was 11 the letter for Hogwarts seemed like my salvation I could finally get away from my parents, surely Dumbledore would protect me. But on my first day I was met at Platform 9 ¾ by your grandmother, she was one of Dumbledore's friends and a member of the order. She told me that Dumbledore himself wanted to see me as soon as possible. I heart soared, Dumbledore must have heard of my plight and was going to offer me protection. But unfortunately that was not the case. We took a portkey to Hogwarts where I was escorted to his office; he told me that he had an idea. Since both my parents were in Slytherin and death eaters I would be the perfect choice for his little scheme. He seemed to know that I didn't want to have anything to with the dark if I could help it, so he suggested that I be one of the orders most value recourses. A Spy in Voldemort's midst. I would have to make friends with he other Death Eaters children and no show the distaste I felt for everything to do with HIM. The last was not to much of a problem ever since I was nine I had to learn that showing my true feeling could be disastrous. The hardest to bear was the fact that I had to be sorted into Slytherin. I had secretly longed to be put in Grifindor, I wanted to be a hero, to be like to have loyal and true friends but I had to be sorted with the snakes. Even for all the hardships was sure to endure I agreed to help Dumbledore, I could not let that great man down. I would have done anything for him. So at eleven I made that life changing decision, I chose to be his spy. So Dumbledore brought the sorting hat off of its shelf and he placed it on my head, Grifindor it screamed instantly, I almost cried. I should have been in Grifindor; the Marauders should have been my friends but Dumbledore Ordered the Hat to say Slytherin the next time it was placed on my head. As the rest of the first years came into the front hall I joined them pretending I had been there the whole time. And true to the plan, when called the sorting hat called Slytherin when placed upon my head. I was cheered by the Slytherin's, even more than Malfoy, my parents were infamous you see, and I their son should be a great addition to the snake pit. Immediately I stated to make 'friends' with them. Soon I was believed to be a loyal servant of the dark lord, when my parents heard they were ecstatic finally their wayward son had seen the light. And only last week I got the mark, my proud parents came to my initiation they stood by and smiled as I felt like my soul was being ripped away, but it hadn't been, that would have been a mercy. Without a soul there would be no pain but the mark is not merciful it is cruel, it keeps my soul in torment every day. That is until. until you kissed it." Sev stopped and looked at the table, he had never told this to anyone, not even Dumbledore knew about what his parents had done to him or how agonising the dark mark was. Finally he looked up to see Harry's face only inches from his own. Then the green eyed wonder pressed his lips to Sev's and the world seemed to stand still.
Hunter.
Part nine:
The pair wandered towards the unused office in silence, they had outspokenly agreed that they needed to sort everything out before they faced the rest of the world. There was a hell of allot that needed to be discussed.
Once inside the room, they were surprised to see a table laid for two overflowing with food. Severus wandered over to the table and picked up a piece of paper that was lying on it.
"I thought that the two of you might be hungry as you missed dinner. I have told your respective sets of friends that you are otherwise disposed hence the reason you were at dinner, I did not tell then when you would be back so take as much time as you need. Albus Dumbledore" Severus read. He gave a slight snort, "like my 'friends' would even care." Harry looked up at the comment. Severus sounded so bitter, he had always assumed that Severus had been great friends with Malfoy and co. but by the sound of things that wasn't true.
"Severus." Harry started before he was cut off.
"Sev." He announced.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Call me Sev. If we are going to be friends I want you to call me Sev. That is what my friends call me. And before you say anything, I know that Lucius and them lot call me Severus but as you may have already guessed they are not what I would call friends." He stared straight into Harry's eyes, giving a rare glimpse of his true self. Harry smiled, realising what a gift it was from Severus.
"I wish I could repay the favour." His hand moved unconsciously towards his scar, he could feel a roughness to the skin that couldn't' be seen. He reached out and grabbed Sev's hand and pushed it his forehead, Sev was too shocked to complain. " Here this is what makes me, me. This what made me famous this is what makes me the target of an evil mad man, this is what has made my life hell for fifteen years." Harry finished solemnly.
Sev felt a patch of rough skin underneath his fingers; it was in the shape of a lightning bolt. It must be a scar but when he looked at Harry he could see it, he surmised that someone, Dumbledore probably, had hidden it.
"What happened?" He asked quietly. Harry laughed, slightly hysterically,
"It is a long story, we should probably sit down. Have something to eat." Harry sat at the table and helped himself to a pumpkin pasty, Sev sat next to him and took some chocolate frogs, he was in a definite chocolate mood.
"Well" Harry started, "it starts what I was one year old, my parents they. they were killed by Voldemort. He tried to kill me to but something went wrong and instead of killing me it all but killed him. I am the only person the have ever survive that particular curse. The killing curse." Harry said all this in a detached voice the same he always used when talking about his past, it made it easier to bear. "With my parents dead, I was forced to live with my mothers family, who hated me with a passion. To them I was a freak; a nuisance only put up with because they were scared of what Dumbledore would do to them if they tried to get rid of me. I was in essence their slave, I cooked I cleaned and lived in a cupboard. Until on my eleventh birthday I got my Hogwarts letter, it was the best feeling in my life to know that I had somewhere else to go that I didn't have to be stuck with the muggles anymore. But my excitement was somewhat short lived as once I got to Hogwarts I found that I was the Wizarding worlds saviour. Little old me was expected to save them all. How was an eleven year old supposed to bear that kind of a burden? Well I did my best and I suffered many attacks by Voldemort and those who bore his mark, though out my past four years at Hogwarts. Of course my friends helped me, but I felt terribly alone, you have no idea how isolated this burden made me feel." Harry looked at Severus "or maybe you do. And the only person that could have helped might have known what I was going through hated me, or so I thought. Now I am not sure. Now I think he did it all to protect the past and the future. He was the Potions Master, my silent protector, Severus Snape" Harry wound up there and looked at Sev for his reaction.
Sev listened to Harry's tale without uttering a word, it was quite a shock to him, to say he least.
"Harry." Sev started unsure of what to say. Harry looked at him tears in his eyes.
"Sev, you have no idea how much of a relief it is to be here, to not be under Voldemort constant threat. I can only imagine what you feel having to be with him on a regular basis. I think something like that would kill me." Sev smiled sadly. And clutched his left arm he couldn't feel anything physically but it felt like a weight in his mind. It was wearing him down already, and he had only been wearing it a week. Harry saw what Sev was doing and reached across and grabbed his left arm.
"It's here isn't it?" Sev nodded silently, he looked fearfully at Harry as if scared what he was going to do. Harry rolled up the sleeve and looked at the mark, It was hideous to look at but Harry forced himself to not look away, if Sev had to wear it the least he could do was look at with out flinching. He raised the arm to his mouth and kissed it gently, he had no idea what he was doing, or even why he was doing it, it just felt right.
Sev took a deep shuddering breath. What ever he had been expecting that defiantly wasn't it. The feel of those soft soft lips of his skin was amazing; it seemed to make the mark slightly easier to bear. Harry knew all of him and accepted him without question even, that was what Sev desperately needed, he needed to be accepted unconditionally something that he had never gotten before. Even his parents, hadn't done that for him all they wanted was for their only son to go and worship Voldemort. They had gotten their wish but it took Dumbledore request his first day at Hogwarts for it to happen.
"Thank you." Sev whispered. Harry smiled warmly.
"I know what it's like to have a burden like this forced upon you, I would like to help you bear I if I can?" Sev smiled faintly in return, Harry marvelled at the change that over came Sev's face when he smiled. If Harry thought he was good looking before, now. now he was perfect.
"Ok, then, I'll tell you everything. I was born to two of Voldemort's most fanatical supporters, Caroline and Edmond Snape. They were both in Slytherin while at school and they both wanted me to follow in their footsteps. Imagine what a disappointment I was to them, I didn't hate Muggles with a passion, I was foolishly brave and I didn't want to follow Voldemort. These were all deadly sins to them, I was beaten for it. Once I dared to bad mouth the dark lord and I suffered terribly for it, is it any wonder I hate Voldemort, I have felt what Death Eaters are capable of first hand. Cruciatus on a nine year old." Sev laughed bitterly. "Needless to state I never did that again. By the time I was 11 the letter for Hogwarts seemed like my salvation I could finally get away from my parents, surely Dumbledore would protect me. But on my first day I was met at Platform 9 ¾ by your grandmother, she was one of Dumbledore's friends and a member of the order. She told me that Dumbledore himself wanted to see me as soon as possible. I heart soared, Dumbledore must have heard of my plight and was going to offer me protection. But unfortunately that was not the case. We took a portkey to Hogwarts where I was escorted to his office; he told me that he had an idea. Since both my parents were in Slytherin and death eaters I would be the perfect choice for his little scheme. He seemed to know that I didn't want to have anything to with the dark if I could help it, so he suggested that I be one of the orders most value recourses. A Spy in Voldemort's midst. I would have to make friends with he other Death Eaters children and no show the distaste I felt for everything to do with HIM. The last was not to much of a problem ever since I was nine I had to learn that showing my true feeling could be disastrous. The hardest to bear was the fact that I had to be sorted into Slytherin. I had secretly longed to be put in Grifindor, I wanted to be a hero, to be like to have loyal and true friends but I had to be sorted with the snakes. Even for all the hardships was sure to endure I agreed to help Dumbledore, I could not let that great man down. I would have done anything for him. So at eleven I made that life changing decision, I chose to be his spy. So Dumbledore brought the sorting hat off of its shelf and he placed it on my head, Grifindor it screamed instantly, I almost cried. I should have been in Grifindor; the Marauders should have been my friends but Dumbledore Ordered the Hat to say Slytherin the next time it was placed on my head. As the rest of the first years came into the front hall I joined them pretending I had been there the whole time. And true to the plan, when called the sorting hat called Slytherin when placed upon my head. I was cheered by the Slytherin's, even more than Malfoy, my parents were infamous you see, and I their son should be a great addition to the snake pit. Immediately I stated to make 'friends' with them. Soon I was believed to be a loyal servant of the dark lord, when my parents heard they were ecstatic finally their wayward son had seen the light. And only last week I got the mark, my proud parents came to my initiation they stood by and smiled as I felt like my soul was being ripped away, but it hadn't been, that would have been a mercy. Without a soul there would be no pain but the mark is not merciful it is cruel, it keeps my soul in torment every day. That is until. until you kissed it." Sev stopped and looked at the table, he had never told this to anyone, not even Dumbledore knew about what his parents had done to him or how agonising the dark mark was. Finally he looked up to see Harry's face only inches from his own. Then the green eyed wonder pressed his lips to Sev's and the world seemed to stand still.