Author's Note: Dedicated to Sandra Solaria Dees as a very Belated Birthday
Present
Chapter Eight -- For Severus
Harry Potter sat in Severus Snape's chambers, sipping a glass of iced tea. After quickly explaining the predicament that his godfather had gotten himself into, Severus invited Harry down into his chambers until the storm had passed, or at least until Tom and Sirius had both gotten their bearings.
"You seem like the type who would leap to your feet in order to defend your godfather. Why didn't you?" Severus asked, sitting down in the chair directly across from Harry so he could maintain constant eye contact with the Boy Who Lived.
"I just couldn't choose," Harry said. "It was either my godfather or my . . . or Tom."
"You don't know what to call him?" Severus sounded amused by this. "Why don't you just refer to him as your husband. That's what he is after all, wouldn't you agree?"
Harry cringed slightly. "I never thought of him in that light, thank you."
"I see," Severus said, pouring a shot of Muggle vodka. Harry gave him a questioning look. "Sometimes Muggles have such interesting means of escaping," Severus smiled -- A cold smile by any account. "One can't help but take advantage of them."
An uncomfortable silence fell between the two of them.
"You look so much like James," Severus muttered, more to himself than to the boy.
"Tom told me about your relationship with my father," Harry said, blushing slightly. "You also had an affair with Tom, didn't you."
"I wouldn't call it an affair," Severus said, sounding bored with the entire conversation. "How much did Tom tell you about . . . us?"
"Not much. Are you jealous?" Harry asked tentatively.
"Not at all," Severus scoffed. "Why should I be? It wasn't his choice whether he wanted to be with you or not. You simply drifted into his life by chance, that's all." Harry noted the bitter tone in Severus' voice -- Definitely jealous.
"We were bound together because we're complementary," Harry said. "We were meant to be together. We're soulmates."
"And does he love you?" Severus asked, his voice saccharine sweet.
"Of course he loves me," Harry said defensively.
"Think very hard about that," Severus said, getting to his feet and looking out the window at the clouded sky. "Has he ever actually told you that he's in love with you?" Harry didn't respond. "Well?"
"No," Harry said resentfully. "But I don't see why my relationships are any of your business, Professor."
"Severus."
"What?" Harry asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Call me Severus please. I used to love it when your father called me Severus." The Potions Master was staring out the window forlornly. "He used to scream out my name when we were making love." Harry shuddered briefly -- He couldn't tell whether it was from repulsion or excitement. "I wonder how it would sound coming from you."
"I'm not my father," Harry said tersely.
"I know you're not," Severus smiled. "But you two are so much alike . . ." Severus turned his attention back to the Gryffindor child sitting in front of him. "He used to slip into the Slytherin dorms during the winter holidays when everyone else had gone home. We used to sit in front of the fireplace, talking until late into the night. Then we would . . ." The glint of an insatiable passion was evident in Severus' eyes. "I've tried so hard to protect you, Potter. What happened to your parents . . . It was because of me. That's why I've always looked out for your well-being."
"What happened exactly?" Harry asked, curious. "Tom never finished telling me the story."
"A story that only Tom can tell," Severus said harshly, obviously not wanting to deal with the topic at the moment. "Call me by my name," Severus requested, his voice softer.
"Professor Snape," Harry said. The Potions Master shuddered in annoyance.
"My first name, Potter."
"Severus," Harry said after a long pause. "Severus."
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Sirius Black lay unconscious in the hospital wing, Albus Dumbledore by his side.
"Is he going to be alright, Poppy?" Albus asked, concerned.
"Just like everyone else who gets hit by Crucio," Poppy replied, bustling around the room. "Sirius is strong enough to get through something like this. I am a bit worried about his arm though."
During Sirius' spasms brought on by the Crucio curse, he had lashed his arm onto the stone floor, breaking the bone. It was a clean break to be sure but it would take a while to heal.
"As long as he lives," Albus smiled, looking at the defiant frown plastered on Sirius' face.
"After years in Azkaban, he can handle someone like Tom without a problem," Poppy smiled, bandaging a cut on Sirius' head. "I won't use magic on any of his wounds. I'm afraid he'd go into shock. You know how people get after Azkaban. Everything has to be done cautiously -- The Muggle way."
"Of course," Albus replied. "Whatever's best for him."
"What's to be done with Tom Riddle?" Poppy asked, swabbing some ointment onto a bruise. "Is he going to be allowed to stay at Hogwarts?"
"We can't ask him to leave," Albus replied, sounding defeated. "If he leaves, Harry's life will be thrust into severe jeopardy. He has to stay at Hogwarts until the boy finishes his education. I only hope that this case of vicious overreacting was a one-time occurrence."
"Knowing Lord Voldemort, I think not," Poppy said bitterly. "What are the children going to say when they find out that there's been an attack?"
"They aren't going to find out," Albus said quickly. "We're going to do everything we can to keep this under wraps. If anyone asks what happened to Sirius, he fell down a flight of stairs but he should be better in a week or so."
"Where's Tom right now?" Poppy asked, glancing around the hospital wing as if Tom could be lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce at any time.
"He's been grounded," Albus smiled. "I put a spell on the chambers -- It should contain him for the time being. Harry ran off somewhere when his godfather was placed under Crucio."
Suddenly Ron and Hermione ran into the room. Both of them were panting heavily from the sprint.
"Sirius wasn't at dinner," Hermione said quickly. Her eyes darted down to the bed to see the bruised and battered form of Sirius Black. She quickly ran to his side.
"Did Tom do this?" Ron asked coldly.
"No, not at all," Albus responded cheerfully. "Sirius simply slipped and fell down the stairs."
"He should be better in a week or so," Poppy added helpfully.
Ron and Hermione looked at them both skeptically. Albus paled a few shades.
"Nothing to worry about," Poppy declared, herding Ron and Hermione out of the room. "But Sirius needs to get his rest right now. You two had better get back to your dormitories."
"How can Sirius need his rest? He's unconscious," Hermione stated.
"But your talking is probably disturbing his unconsciousness." Hermione glared at the nurse in disbelief. "Besides, I think I hear Professor Flitwick calling for you two. Don't you have charms class right now?"
"Actually we're free until . . ." But Poppy had already shoved the two of them out of the room and had bolted the door firmly against intrusion.
"This isn't going to work," she said matter-of-factly.
"I should know better than to try and keep anything from those two," Albus sighed. The headmaster rose to his feet. "Right now I have to see if I can find Harry. God knows what the young boy is thinking right now."
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"Severus," Harry said after a long pause. "Severus."
Author's Note: Short, I know (Sorry Sandra) -- I'll try and update soon
Chapter Eight -- For Severus
Harry Potter sat in Severus Snape's chambers, sipping a glass of iced tea. After quickly explaining the predicament that his godfather had gotten himself into, Severus invited Harry down into his chambers until the storm had passed, or at least until Tom and Sirius had both gotten their bearings.
"You seem like the type who would leap to your feet in order to defend your godfather. Why didn't you?" Severus asked, sitting down in the chair directly across from Harry so he could maintain constant eye contact with the Boy Who Lived.
"I just couldn't choose," Harry said. "It was either my godfather or my . . . or Tom."
"You don't know what to call him?" Severus sounded amused by this. "Why don't you just refer to him as your husband. That's what he is after all, wouldn't you agree?"
Harry cringed slightly. "I never thought of him in that light, thank you."
"I see," Severus said, pouring a shot of Muggle vodka. Harry gave him a questioning look. "Sometimes Muggles have such interesting means of escaping," Severus smiled -- A cold smile by any account. "One can't help but take advantage of them."
An uncomfortable silence fell between the two of them.
"You look so much like James," Severus muttered, more to himself than to the boy.
"Tom told me about your relationship with my father," Harry said, blushing slightly. "You also had an affair with Tom, didn't you."
"I wouldn't call it an affair," Severus said, sounding bored with the entire conversation. "How much did Tom tell you about . . . us?"
"Not much. Are you jealous?" Harry asked tentatively.
"Not at all," Severus scoffed. "Why should I be? It wasn't his choice whether he wanted to be with you or not. You simply drifted into his life by chance, that's all." Harry noted the bitter tone in Severus' voice -- Definitely jealous.
"We were bound together because we're complementary," Harry said. "We were meant to be together. We're soulmates."
"And does he love you?" Severus asked, his voice saccharine sweet.
"Of course he loves me," Harry said defensively.
"Think very hard about that," Severus said, getting to his feet and looking out the window at the clouded sky. "Has he ever actually told you that he's in love with you?" Harry didn't respond. "Well?"
"No," Harry said resentfully. "But I don't see why my relationships are any of your business, Professor."
"Severus."
"What?" Harry asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Call me Severus please. I used to love it when your father called me Severus." The Potions Master was staring out the window forlornly. "He used to scream out my name when we were making love." Harry shuddered briefly -- He couldn't tell whether it was from repulsion or excitement. "I wonder how it would sound coming from you."
"I'm not my father," Harry said tersely.
"I know you're not," Severus smiled. "But you two are so much alike . . ." Severus turned his attention back to the Gryffindor child sitting in front of him. "He used to slip into the Slytherin dorms during the winter holidays when everyone else had gone home. We used to sit in front of the fireplace, talking until late into the night. Then we would . . ." The glint of an insatiable passion was evident in Severus' eyes. "I've tried so hard to protect you, Potter. What happened to your parents . . . It was because of me. That's why I've always looked out for your well-being."
"What happened exactly?" Harry asked, curious. "Tom never finished telling me the story."
"A story that only Tom can tell," Severus said harshly, obviously not wanting to deal with the topic at the moment. "Call me by my name," Severus requested, his voice softer.
"Professor Snape," Harry said. The Potions Master shuddered in annoyance.
"My first name, Potter."
"Severus," Harry said after a long pause. "Severus."
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Sirius Black lay unconscious in the hospital wing, Albus Dumbledore by his side.
"Is he going to be alright, Poppy?" Albus asked, concerned.
"Just like everyone else who gets hit by Crucio," Poppy replied, bustling around the room. "Sirius is strong enough to get through something like this. I am a bit worried about his arm though."
During Sirius' spasms brought on by the Crucio curse, he had lashed his arm onto the stone floor, breaking the bone. It was a clean break to be sure but it would take a while to heal.
"As long as he lives," Albus smiled, looking at the defiant frown plastered on Sirius' face.
"After years in Azkaban, he can handle someone like Tom without a problem," Poppy smiled, bandaging a cut on Sirius' head. "I won't use magic on any of his wounds. I'm afraid he'd go into shock. You know how people get after Azkaban. Everything has to be done cautiously -- The Muggle way."
"Of course," Albus replied. "Whatever's best for him."
"What's to be done with Tom Riddle?" Poppy asked, swabbing some ointment onto a bruise. "Is he going to be allowed to stay at Hogwarts?"
"We can't ask him to leave," Albus replied, sounding defeated. "If he leaves, Harry's life will be thrust into severe jeopardy. He has to stay at Hogwarts until the boy finishes his education. I only hope that this case of vicious overreacting was a one-time occurrence."
"Knowing Lord Voldemort, I think not," Poppy said bitterly. "What are the children going to say when they find out that there's been an attack?"
"They aren't going to find out," Albus said quickly. "We're going to do everything we can to keep this under wraps. If anyone asks what happened to Sirius, he fell down a flight of stairs but he should be better in a week or so."
"Where's Tom right now?" Poppy asked, glancing around the hospital wing as if Tom could be lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce at any time.
"He's been grounded," Albus smiled. "I put a spell on the chambers -- It should contain him for the time being. Harry ran off somewhere when his godfather was placed under Crucio."
Suddenly Ron and Hermione ran into the room. Both of them were panting heavily from the sprint.
"Sirius wasn't at dinner," Hermione said quickly. Her eyes darted down to the bed to see the bruised and battered form of Sirius Black. She quickly ran to his side.
"Did Tom do this?" Ron asked coldly.
"No, not at all," Albus responded cheerfully. "Sirius simply slipped and fell down the stairs."
"He should be better in a week or so," Poppy added helpfully.
Ron and Hermione looked at them both skeptically. Albus paled a few shades.
"Nothing to worry about," Poppy declared, herding Ron and Hermione out of the room. "But Sirius needs to get his rest right now. You two had better get back to your dormitories."
"How can Sirius need his rest? He's unconscious," Hermione stated.
"But your talking is probably disturbing his unconsciousness." Hermione glared at the nurse in disbelief. "Besides, I think I hear Professor Flitwick calling for you two. Don't you have charms class right now?"
"Actually we're free until . . ." But Poppy had already shoved the two of them out of the room and had bolted the door firmly against intrusion.
"This isn't going to work," she said matter-of-factly.
"I should know better than to try and keep anything from those two," Albus sighed. The headmaster rose to his feet. "Right now I have to see if I can find Harry. God knows what the young boy is thinking right now."
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"Severus," Harry said after a long pause. "Severus."
Author's Note: Short, I know (Sorry Sandra) -- I'll try and update soon