Chapter Nineteen
That givers of such gifts as mine are, must
Be counted with the ungenerous.
Just like last year, Harry was woken at a ridiculously early hour of the morning by a quite horrifyingly cheerful godfather, with matching werewolf. This time, he managed, rather astonishingly in his opinion, not to growl at them to go away and let him sleep in peace. He was also, to his immense gratitude, not surprised by any new spells, bindings or other unpleasantness, courtesy of his mother or of anyone else.
Sirius had arranged a small party for this occasion, rather than the massive gathering - massive at least by Harry's standards if not by Sirius' own - which he had held at Christmas. So Harry spent the day with Ron, Hermione, some of his other Gryffindor year-mates and the twins, not doing anything in particular apart from eating rather too much, particularly of birthday cake. All in all, it was an enjoyable, if not terribly profitable, day.
Although Harry desperately wanted to know just what Severus had sent him, he had no time to open the present before the guests arrived. He wasn't so eager to know that he was willing to open it in front of them with the rest of his gifts, not when he thought about having to answer the inevitable questions that would follow. Most of the others, including Sirius, didn't even know about the bond yet, and he could just imagine what his godfather's reaction to finding out about it would be. No present was worth that. Still, it didn't stop him wondering, as he had for the last several days.
It was past midnight by the time Harry made it back to his room. All the guests had gone home and Sirius and Remus had gone to bed, so Harry was finally assured of enough privacy to open the present without being inopportunely interrupted. As he ripped away the flimsy paper covering, he unearthed four items that he recognised as being old-fashioned twelve-inch records, as well as an envelope presumably containing a letter explaining them.
He examined the records briefly, noting the artists and album titles in passing. Then he laid them aside in favour of opening the letter or rather, as he found on reading it, the note.
Dear Harry, (it read)
Your mother
introduced me to these; in fact gave me some. You might recognise them – they
are the more battered ones. I understand they are difficult to find now. I
thought that you might enjoy them. I am certain you will find the lyrics worthy
of note.
Happy Birthday once again,
Severus
Well. That was certainly much friendlier than either of the cards had been. Not a surname in sight, for one thing. And as for the suggestion that the records were from his collection, ones that he liked… Ones that Harry's mother had given him, and so, by implication, valued.
If nothing else, it was certainly food for thought. Harry pondered the implications as he carefully set the records aside. He'd have to listen to them at some point when Sirius and Remus weren't around, so that he wouldn't have to explain their sudden appearance.
***
Picking up the breakfast tray that had been left on a side table, he was surprised to notice the envelope beside his plate. He generally ate in his room in the summer - when he was the only teacher resident at the school, there was no point whatsoever in going up to the Great Hall for meals. Even when Albus and Minerva were there, on the rare occasions they managed to persuade him to take a meal with them they ate in Albus' rooms.
After eating quickly, Severus settled down in his chair with a cup of black coffee. He blew gently across the surface of the hot liquid, inhaling the scent luxuriously as he examined the envelope. He smiled slightly as he recognised Harry's sprawling handwriting. It seemed he was about to discover if his conjectures about the boy's taste in music had been correct. That was of course assuming that his godfather owned a record player so Harry would have been able to listen to them. However, knowing Black's love of all things Muggle and complicated while at school, that shouldn't have been an issue.
Setting his empty cup on the coffee table on his right, Severus summoned a letter-opener from his desk and deftly slit the envelope, extracting the single sheet of paper it contained. Unfolding the letter, he skimmed it for the essentials. He discovered that yes, he had been correct about what Harry would like, that Harry had particularly enjoyed the Rolling Stones' album (Did Severus have any more music by them he wouldn't mind lending Harry when he got back to school?) and that he'd like to speak to him if he had some time to spare.
//Harry?// Severus thought a little 'louder' than usual, in the direction that the bond informed him the boy could be found.
//Yes. You got my letter then?// Harry seemed not at all surprised by the interruption. Perfectly logical, considering that he'd requested it. In fact, Severus rather thought he detected a pleased note in Harry's mental voice. He had to suppress his own pleasure, not entirely unexpected, at the thought that the boy was glad to hear from him.
//I did. I'm pleased that you liked the present.// Severus knew that it would come across with complete sincerity, and that he couldn't do anything about it. Quite surprisingly, he didn't mind. Much.
//I liked it a lot. Thank you so much.// Gratitude, more pleasure and a general feeling of happiness flavoured Harry's thought. Severus refrained from commenting on them, but it made him obscurely glad to know that he had contributed to those feelings. It even contented him that Harry was happy with his godfather. He wondered if Harry's mood was affecting his.
//You're very welcome,// he replied instead. //I had them lying around, and I thought you might get more use out of them.//
Harry, perhaps uncharacteristically, made no comment on Severus' denigration of the gift, rather choosing to ask, //How come I never saw your record player?//
//You haven't seen all of my rooms.// Severus replied, then kicked himself mentally for allowing in the undertones that had flavoured it. He hoped that the boy wouldn't pick up on them, but suspected that it was a vain hope.
There was a sense of thoughtfulness from Harry, implying that he had indeed noticed the unintended nuances. Yet he said nothing, seemingly again willing to let it go for the moment.
There was a brief pause, while they pondered that. Both of them savoured the contact, even though Severus would not admit it even under the greatest pressure, and Harry still hadn't decided what to feel about everything that had happened.
//You wanted to speak to me about something?// reminded Severus.
//Um, yes. Just to say, well, thank you. For the present, you know.// Harry seemed to realise he was babbling, and cut himself off, changing the subject suddenly. //And that Sirius has decided that we should go to Cyprus for this holiday. We're going to leave on the twenty-eighth, and we'll be there for a month, according to him.//
//Ah. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.// Severus had never been there, but he thought he recalled one of his friends having visited in fourth year. They had said nothing but good things about the place, if he remembered rightly. //Thank you for letting me know,// he added.
//No problem. I mean, I didn't even have to write a letter or bother Hedwig, so really, no problem at all!// Harry said cheerily.
Severus allowed his amusement to 'show', and didn't mention that Harry had just written a letter. He wasn't going to object to having a chance to speak to Harry again, even though it was another thing he would deny vehemently if he was asked about it.
//So how's your holiday been?// Harry continued, seemingly for once oblivious to Severus' thoughts.
//Singularly unprofitable and not at all entertaining.// he replied tartly. He let more than a little of his disgust at the slow progress of his research into his mental tone, knowing that Harry would appreciate it.
The sparkle of laughter. //I should have guessed.//
//Indeed you should.// He should not let the conversation continue much longer, lest he start losing control of his thoughts again. //Doubtless you have better things to be doing with your precious holiday time. I'll let you go,// he said, hoping he didn't show his reluctance.
//Uhm, okay. Bye.// Harry sounded nearly as averse to ending their conversation as Severus felt.
Severus prepared to break the contact nonetheless. //Goodbye,// he said firmly.
Little else of event occurred to Severus that summer. He did finally start to make some progress on his research, though. Harry went to Cyprus, and came safely back, to Severus' relief. He hadn't exactly expected Voldemort to try anything so soon after the last attempt, but it was rather… unsettling… to know, and feel, that Harry was so far away. They spoke briefly after Harry returned, but Sirius was again intent on spending time with his godson, and Harry had to leave suddenly to be entertained by him.***
Late on the evening of the second of September, a few days before the start of term, Severus felt a familiar burning on his left arm. He had felt nothing there for the last few months, and the unexpected summons worried him. He didn't think his escape from his last punishment had been noted, or that his role in Thane's death and the capture of the Death Eaters that had accompanied him had been realised. Either situation would have had some repercussions long before this. However, Voldemort, for some reason of his own, might just have been attempting to lull him into a sense of false security. Now, he would find out for certain.
His heart beating just a touch faster in apprehension he could not completely suppress, he despatched a quick mental note to Harry as he left. After all, hiding his actions from the boy hadn't seemed to be at all helpful so far. Putting up a shield without warning would just have alerted Harry to an unusual situation. This time, after the last meeting and Thane's death, he might have been tempted to involve himself more directly. Perhaps, therefore, it was time to try something different.
This meeting was to be held outdoors, in a small wood on the Malfoy estate that Severus knew well. It had played host to many similar gatherings before. As he Apparated into the meeting location, he set the shield in place, hoping that Harry would understand the need for the precaution. No, Severus knew that Harry would, and he hated the boy's knowledge of what he had experienced that gave him that certainty.
When Severus rose after making his obeisance, Voldemort gave him a sharp look. 'I hope you have learned your lesson,' he said, but nothing more. No mention of Severus' unusual escape from Thane's punishment was made. It confirmed that the man had not told Voldemort of it, probably from fear of being assigned a similar punishment himself.
Severus allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief, before he began to wonder why the meeting had been called. And if he would be required to do something unforgivable once more. The location eased his mind somewhat though, as it was usually used for Death Eater rituals. Those tended in general to be far easier on his conscience than the alternatives, although that was really a relative thing considering his company.
The purpose of the meeting, it seemed, was to initiate Thane's successor. A young man had been chosen this time, one who had been seeking entrance into the Death Eater circle for some time. In fact, Severus had begun to suspect that unless an opening came up in the near future, one of the other Death Eaters might find themselves made into one.
Draco Malfoy, who had celebrated his eighteenth birthday the previous day, had never been one to wait longer than absolutely necessary for what he wanted. An admirable Slytherin trait, perhaps, but that family had always taken it beyond the bounds of good sense.
Severus wasted no time in pitying the boy; the man, it would have to be now. Neither did he allow himself to regret the fact that it was one of his Slytherins, his pupil for one more year, who was now taking the Dark Mark. One man could not save an entire Houseful of children, and Severus had done all he could while crippled by his conflicting roles.
When all was said and done, it had been the boy's choice, as it had been of all the others. Even his own, as he admitted when he was completely honest with himself. It was not as if Voldemort was hard-pressed to find more mature candidates to fill Thane's place. Severus knew also that Lucius Malfoy, whatever his faults, would have preferred his son to have at least finished his schooling before he took this place. He had spoken to Severus personally about it last year, but it seemed Draco had insisted on taking this opportunity.
No, feeling any sympathy for Draco would certainly be a waste of energy Severus could spend better in working out how best to combat the presence of a full Death Eater in Harry's year. Especially since Severus knew Voldemort and the Death Eater in question so well. There would surely be greater danger to Harry in this last year at Hogwarts than in any other before, whether they formulated a plan together, or whether Draco acted alone, seeking to advance himself by showing initiative. Voldemort would certainly not want Harry to live long enough to come into his full power at the end of his seventeenth year.
The ceremony took little time to complete, and Severus had nothing to do except stand there and look attentive. Draco took the marking much better than he remembered doing himself, but then the young man wanted this so much more than he ever had. Once the meeting that followed the initiation had finished, Severus Apparated to Hogsmeade and made his way back to the welcome safety of Hogwarts.
After a minute to re-establish his poise after the lurch of Apparition, he remembered to tell Harry that he had returned safely. Severus assured him that all had gone well, he was merely tired, and excused himself before making for his bed. He felt completely drained, as always after a summons. At least this time he hadn't been hurt, or required to make a potion for some horrendous purpose, he thought to himself as he pulled the covers up around himself, more for the feeling of security than for the warmth they provided.