A/N: I am SO sorry this has taken so long … every time I thought about sitting down and writing it, I just didn't know what to put … but I'm going to try. Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed, it is extremely appreciated.

Oh, by the way, I don't think there's very much of the story left, wherever it's going. So the end is fairly nigh.

*****

BLOODLUST

Chapter 6

Only an hour ago, Harry had looked upon himself and seen evil, the very essence that betrays and hurts while laughing. But now it was shifted, transferred, onto the being he saw stood before him, and his servant. Lord Voldemort.

The Dark Lord had been there for a few minutes now, and most of that time had been taken up with staring at Harry, examining him, his red eyes unreadable for their colour, mouth smirking in terrible knowledge. Eventually, though, he spoke. 'Mr Potter.'

The surprise of the words made Harry jump, and turn aggressive. 'What do you want, Voldemort?' He could not help but be aware of Severus, kneeling before him, head cocked in obedient listening, ready to defend. He had best watch his tongue. Even Severus alone could not be resisted easily.

'Why, Potter, your corruption and greed drew me to you,' Voldemort said airily, undertoned mocking and disgust. 'I had no idea that the righteous, virtuous Harry Potter could conduct such depravity. Naturally, I was forced to investigate.'

Harry sighed heavily. He seemed safe for now. Voldemort was not subtle enough to try and trick him with words. It was Severus he was really afraid of, and Severus was under the control of the unsubtle. 'What do you want to know, then?'

'Well, you know that the younger Malfoy will soon be my servant … I wanted to see what his lover had become from guilt and knowing that he ought to be the famous Harry Potter that everyone loves.'

'Malfoy will never be yours!' Harry shouted. 'He told me. He'll never join you.' And then he gasped and clapped his hands to his mouth as he realised how much danger Draco was now in.

'Really?' Voldemort enquired. 'That's not what he said to me. It appears that the little brat has been lying. Why don't we ask him, and see if we can find the truth?' Then the Dark Lord clicked his fingers, and suddenly Draco stood before them. Harry hoped his eyes would be unseeing, glazed, so he could know his lover was tranced, but instead they were rolling, terrified at the company he was in, and stunned into fear at the sight of Harry with trousers half unbuttoned.

Draco. Draco, Draco, Draco … 'Draco!' yelled the Boy who Lived. He tried to rush to his lover, but immediately Snape was there, barring the way with his body. Harry shivered remembering that body in their kiss.

'No, Harry, you're not getting to him. Why would you want to, anyway? You've made your choice, and you didn't choose him. So stay here.' Severus' voice sounded so natural, so mocking and seductive, and Harry had to fight with his brain to convince himself that it was not real and the speech was being fed to him.

'Harry?' Draco's voice was timid and wrenched Harry's soul. 'What does he mean, you've made your choice? What is he talking about? And what are you doing down here?'

'Ah, so you don't know, then, Draco?' Severus sneered. 'Well, perhaps we should tell you all about today's events. I'm sure it will be most enlightening.'

'Draco, don't listen to him, he's a servant of Voldemort, he's trying to convince you to join him, he's trying to turn us against each other …' A finger on his lip silenced him, and he shuddered violently when he realised Severus was touching him.

'Potter, you already are against each other,' Voldemort said suddenly. 'You've betrayed Draco, both with Severus, and to me. You are accused firstly of sharing illicit actions with Severus, during the lunch hour earlier today, which I watched, and which were most entertaining. Then, secondly, over an hour ago now, when you could not sleep, you decided to come down here and see Severus again. You used the excuse of needing a Potion for sleeping. When Severus, who was still attracted to you, despite your earlier reprove, tried to seduce you again, you submitted to him, and became aroused, and it was then that I found you here. You cannot deny it; it is the truth.'

Harry had no answer for this but a defensive stare.

'Why,' spoke Draco's hard voice, 'should I believe anything you say to be true?'

'Because, my dear boy, you only have to look at your boyfriend to realise that it is true.'

Harry listened to this impassively, but when Draco's eyes hit his, the strength drained him, and he sunk down onto the floor and covered his face in shame.

'It's the truth, then?'

No, Harry, he's a Malfoy, you don't have to admit anything to him, just deny it, it's easy, just say 'No' …

But Harry could not defend, not now when his body was so weak. He whispered but all three men could hear. 'Yes.'

He heard Draco choke but closed his eyes, wanted to be oblivious.

'Harry …'

'Dear me, Potter,' Voldemort hissed. 'You really have made a mess of things. What are you going to do? And Draco, my boy, I'm most disappointed in you. Perhaps … perhaps we should punish you together … take you to the Death Eaters … let you battle it out between yourselves for favour …'

'It would be fair, Master, I think,' Severus said with a maliciousness in his eyes, 'to let the two boys have a few minutes together to … reconcile with each other. We could retreat to my chambers, make the arrangements to go back to Scotland … and Harry and Draco could maybe collect their thoughts.'

It was when he turned his back on the boys that Harry spied the newly grasped haematite in his hand.

'Very well, Severus. We shall return in … say, ten minutes. Please don't kill each other, will you? Lock the door, Professor.' Voldemort sneered at Harry and Draco once more, and then the two men both retreated, Snape throwing a cautious glance at Harry before closing the door of the store cupboard.

Immediately Harry turned to his lover. 'Draco …'

But Draco was staring at Harry with something suspiciously like hatred. 'Get away from me.'

'Please …'

'How is it that nothing lasts?' Draco snapped. 'Why does every blissful situation have to turn sour? Why does someone always feel the need for betrayal?'

Desperately Harry ran to the door of the dungeons, tugging it with his weak strength … and it opened. By all the gods in heaven, it opened. 'Severus,' he breathed, and then whispered with closed eyes: 'Thank you.'

He looked back at the blonde boy, whose lip was curled in disdain at the serpentine name. 'Draco, if you want them to take you, then by all means stay … but I don't know how I would cope if you left. I'm going to get help … I love you Draco, I still do. Snape means nothing to me. He tried to attack me. Twice … three times … he tried to rape me.'

'And you gave in?' Draco said incredulously. 'You enjoyed it?'

Harry swallowed hard. 'Yes.' He threw a final ruined glance at Draco, then turned and sprinted from the dungeons, mind suddenly blocking out thoughts of his former lover, and intent on reaching Dumbledore.

It felt a month of running passed before he found himself at the gargoyle, shouting: 'Professor!' It was late, too late. The Headmaster would be asleep, and he could do nothing. Balanced in anguish on a point of indecision, Harry wailed loudly. What could he possibly do? What was the password … what if Dumbledore did not even sleep here? What was there to do? Draco would be gone soon … Harry's head began to throb, began to whirl, and he felt nausea rise into his throat in ruination. He collapsed to the floor.

And then Dumbledore was there, was holding him up, was whispering a spell and Harry was suddenly alert, faced the Headmaster quite calmly.

'What is it?'

'Voldemort is here. He has Draco in the dungeons, and Snape is under his manipulation but fighting it. I think he might turn.'

There was no instant to wait for; Dumbledore turned and went back into his office, hand on Harry's shoulder to take him too. 'Floo powder,' he murmured. 'We'll take some. You have to get Draco out … I'll deal with Voldemort. Although Severus … do you know how to release Severus completely?'

Harry's mind flashed instantly, and he said: 'Shatter the obsidian.'

Dumbledore took a breath, and regarded the Boy Who Lived gently. 'Do it. I'll take care of Draco.'

Harry nodded. 'It's in his quarters, he said …'

Dumbledore quickly handed Harry some Floo powder, and at a moment's thought gave him Fawkes, too. Then he was gone to the dungeons in a shimmer of green fire.

Harry stepped into the fireplace, summoned every ounce of battle strength he had and flung the red powder to his feet. 'Severus Snape's quarters.'

His head roared, and he was there. How long had it been since he left Draco? More than five minutes … was it ten? Was it agonizingly ten?

Then Harry found himself in darkness, and muttered: 'Lumos,' vaguely and mildly surprised that he still had his wand. So Severus can manipulate too … some day I will make a shrine to haematite.

It took only a few seconds to locate the quietly glowing obsidian, but Harry watched it carefully for a few more. It seemed to be fighting, and the fire was fading. It would be easy to pour magic into it and destroy it.

But what would happen to Severus? If he was no longer under Voldemort's manipulation, he was not under his protection. Without his protection, he could be killed. And would.

Although with Dumbledore, and Draco …

Harry teetered, wrangled, fought with his logic, and then with a roaring cry he directed his wand at the stone and shouted: 'Compleo!'

It was done, and the white liquid power flowed into the stone, quelling the fire, and cracked, fragmented, shattered the stone.

Harry's last thoughts before he fainted with exhaustion were of Draco.

*****

A/N: All will be explained in the next chapter. I am thinking of doing a JKR 'explaining everything in the hospital wing' type ending, so if I do please don't take the piss! And please review …

~SS~