The Halls of the Blind

Chapter Nine

Releasing the Past


A/N: Ok, some actual Snarry in this one... a few notes to some reviewers:

SEP: I'm still working on it... It shouldn't take much longer... I just hope I don't disappoint...

Wynjara: *snicker* I think this world can handle only one of her. Me and Q were quite happy with Carolyn being your favorite OC... especially q... since carolyn is q... and well... I think you just gave her a big ego boost.

athenakitty: I know... isn't it something?

bluebutterfly9: See, on my comp, I put extra space between each scene... I didn't know that it wasn't carrying over... so I went back through and put a line of three * for a scene break... hope that helps...

Frulie: I'll try... update your story!!! please!!

Nix Dreams: *snicker* you would love carolyn... you are carolyn... and no, I don't think it would be possible to huggle yourself... illustrious? Since when? ;-D

Faerie Fighter: *falls off chair* dear god, you're reviews are so funny, they always make me laugh... please, keep reviewing... I need those laughs...

On with the story:



"Severus?"


Severus turned his eye from the fire and looked at Harry over the rim of his cup. The boy looked thoughtful and was staring into the fire, his hands in his lap, grasping his tea cup. It would still be a few days before Halliy-Jayde's book got here, but he had adjusted to the echo location rather well. "What?"


He turned toward Severus, tilting his head. "You knew Hermione had been searching for a potion or spell, but how come you didn't mention 'Curative Potions' before?"


The corner of Severus's mouth quirked up ever so slightly at the question. "I had forgotten about it and there are not many copies readily available. Halliy-Jayde and Carolyn were the brightest in their respective years, though their methods were, and still are, unorthodox. When Ms. Granger found Carolyn's book of torture... it jogged my memory. Those two were always hanging out together when they got here. They came to Hogwarts during Carolyn's second year, Halliy-Jayde's third year. The only time I remember them not being together was in Carolyn's seventh year. Halliy-Jayde had already graduated."


"They met the Weasleys here?"


Severus nodded, taking a drink. "Halliy-Jayde and Charlie were both the same year. Bill was in his fifth year when Carolyn was in her second. The twins, Fred and George, met Carolyn when they came to Hogwarts, during her fifth year. You might remember Carolyn, actually. She was Head Girl during your first year."


Harry nodded. "I remember her. I just never knew her name. She actually left the Gryffindors alone, even though she was a Slytherin."


"That was because of Bill, Charlie, and the twins, she didn't much care for Percy though."


"So, by the time Ron and I came to Hogwarts, Bill had graduated three years earlier, and Charlie and Halliy-Jayde had graduated the year before?"


Severus nodded. "Halliy-Jayde was Head Girl that year, she was also a Slytherin."


"And she hooked up with a Gryffindor?"


"Yes. Why is that surprising? You know Carolyn and Bill got together."


"Yeah, but Carolyn's insane, she has an excuse."


"Have you ever heard the phrase 'there's a fine line between genius and insanity'?"


Harry nodded.


"Well, Carolyn walks that line. She has the best of both worlds. She has this nickname, 'Qraisi'."


"Crazy? Seems to fit."


"Yes, Qraisi. But it's not spelled the way you think."


"Then how is it spelled?"


"Q. R. A. I. S. I."


"Phonetically."


Severus nodded. "Insanity and genius. It's a dangerous mix."


"Has she really turned you into a frog eight times?"


"No. She's turned me nine times. She did it once more before she left." He shook his head. "I believe she does it on purpose."


Harry raised an eyebrow. "And you let her get away with it."


Severus tilted his head. "It is slightly amusing. The first time she turned me into a frog was her seventh year. In response, I turned her into a little black kitten."


"You turned her into a helpless little kitten?"


Severus quirked an eyebrow. "I never said helpless, Potter."


Harry snorted. "No, you didn't." He took a sip of his tea, and turned toward the fire again.


Severus watched Harry. It always showed when Harry was fighting with himself. His eyes would dull slightly, and his face would become stone. Severus also noted that Harry had been doing it more frequently. He never called Harry on it, but maybe it was high time he did.


"What's running through your mind, boy?"


He had said it in a neutral tone, but he never expected the reaction he got. Harry had jumped almost as if he had been burned, his cup falling from his hands, only to shatter upon contact with the floor. Harry just stood there, eyes clouded from memory. Severus's eyebrows rose. That was a reaction he had never seen in Harry, well, not that bad, he amended.


He had seen Harry react like that once before, and it hadn't been nearly as violent. The only time he had seen Harry react like that was when Severus had found him wandering in the dungeons and had tried to place his hand on the boy's shoulder. At the time, he had barely touched Harry, his fingers had in fact barely grazed his shoulder when Harry had gone skittering away, backing into a wall.


Severus frowned. He stood up, and placed his cup on the end table, slowly making his way toward Harry. "Harry?"


Harry only blinked.


Severus knew what he was going to do next would be deemed cruel to anyone watching, but he figured this was the best way to figure out if he was wrong or not. "What's the matter, boy?" His tone a bit more dangerous.


Harry cringed, eyes unfocused and unseeing.


Severus reached out and tried to put his hand on Harry's shoulder, just like that first day.


And again, Harry skittered away. Or tried.


As Harry tried to escape, he ran into the coffee table and started to fall.


Severus reached out and grabbed Harry's arms and pulled Harry to him as Harry tried to fight the hold while tears streamed down the boy's face.


Now he knew what had happened. Harry had never accepted what had happened to him, he had never 'gotten over it'. Instead he had buried it, buried the memories inside, hiding from them.


He didn't know how long he had held Harry to him, but finally Severus sat down on the couch, pulling a calmer Harry down with him. "What did they do to you," he asked quietly, not expecting Harry to be lucid enough to hear or answer.


There was a choked response that didn't quite make it to Severus's ears.


"What?"


Harry swiped furiously at his eyes. "The question should be what they didn't do to me."


Severus quirked an eyebrow, his eyes already darkening. "What didn't they do to you, Harry?"


"Kill me."


Severus's expression darkened with murderous rage. If the only thing those muggles hadn't done to him was kill him, that left a lot of open territory that Severus wasn't sure he wanted to explore.


Pushing away his rage for a moment, he asked, "Will you talk about it?"


Harry stilled, before he looked at Severus and gave a reluctant nod. "I think I probably should."


***


Harry had stopped talking and was enjoying the warmth radiating from the arms encircling him and the chest against his side.


"Why did you not tell us this sooner?"


Severus's voice was deadly quiet, and promised pain to those who had hurt Harry. Harry did not fail to notice this.


Harry shrugged, his eyes closed. "I didn't want to burden anyone, and I wanted to deal with it on my terms, not someone else's."


Severus didn't say anything, and Harry still felt the waves of quiet fury that were rolling off Severus.


"What are you going to do to them," he asked quietly.


"I haven't thought of anything that I deem suitable yet."


Harry chuckled, then his eyes widened and his hand flew to cover his mouth.


"Too late, Harry. I heard that."


Harry lowered his hands and rolled his eyes. "Flippancy doesn't become you, Severus."


"Nor childishness does you."


Harry ducked his head, biting his lower lip. He lifted his head again. "Can I see you?"


"What do you mean 'can you see me'?"


Harry moved so that he was straddling Severus's lap. "Like this." He whispered, closing his eyes and moving his hands.


Losing the Echo Location, Harry put his hands on Severus's chest and slid them up his neck. He heard the slight gasp of surprise, but ignored it and moved his hands up further, allowing his fingertips to ghost over Severus's jawline, feeling a slight stubble. Next over his cheek bones, down and back up his nose where there was slight bump before it got to his forehead, over his brow line, then down the sides of the face, then centering on his lips. Harry's right hand traced over Severus's lips, as his left hand moved and ran through Severus's hair.


Harry didn't know whose heart beat he was hearing, his or Severus's, but he didn't care. He just knew that it was pounding, but with what? Excitement? Fear?


Harry moved his right hand to Severus's cheek and he leaned in, lightly brushing his lips over Severus's, only to settle them firmly as he felt Severus's grip on his waist tighten.


Being as preoccupied as they were, they never noticed the door open.


***


Hermione, without looking up from her book, opened her mouth to call out a greeting when Draco's hand quickly came up and covered her mouth.


Her eyes snapped up to meet his, raising an eyebrow in question.


He smiled in answer and pointed into the room.


Her eyes followed to where he was pointing, and her eyes widened.


Oh, she so did not need to know that.


They walked back out into the hallway, shutting the door quietly behind them.


Hermione groaned. "I am not going to be able to look at either of them in the eye without blushing, ever again."


Draco just smiled. "Does that mean you'll need something else to look at?"


She rolled her eyes and slapped his arm. "Prat."


"Such a dirty mouth, Granger."


She batted her eyes. "Maybe you should clean it out for me, Malfoy."


His laughter followed them as they made their way down the hall.



A/N: I was going to make this longer, but I decided that I should wait till the next chapter. Besides, I like ending the chapter this way. Yes, I'm evil. I know it, believe me, I know it. The implications earlier... well... yeah. It could be as bad as you think. Or it could be worse. I'd count on worse if I were you. Anywho, tell me what you think. If you really want to hear what Harry told Severus, leave a review stating such, and I might do a little sidefic, or something for it.