Harry relaxed in Severus' arms and pretended to shut his eyes. He had to
suppress a shudder as the man's hands slid over his arse as he lay him on
the bed, and as he did so he felt a burning sensation through his veins.
And then an irrational fury took him over, and he tensed with the feeling.
"Harry?"
Harry's eyes flashed open with such a look of pure venom that Madam Pomfrey stepped back slightly, pale. Severus caught her arm and supported her whilst looking at Harry.
There was an enraged look on his face, his eyes gleaming with malevolence. Suddenly the forest green of his eyes resembled the killing-light, and Severus himself shuddered, trying not to turn away from the evil look. He had never imagined such a vulnerable boy could look so nasty.
And then he hissed.
*********************************************
Harry watched with a sneer as the woman turned her face away, shocked, horrified, and was caught by the man. Stupid humans, he thought scornfully. Then the dark man turned and looked at Harry, and would not avert his gaze, although he looked suddenly shocked by something.
Harry laughed - or at least he meant to - but all that came out was a hiss.
************************************************
Draco came flying into the room clutching something in his hand, and Severus forced his eyes off Harry to look at Draco.
"What is it?" he asked, more sharply than he meant to. Draco didn't seem perturbed though, holding out the snake. It took Severus a good three seconds to react, and then he snatched the snake out of Draco's hand, examining it closely. Iesos, how had one of those got into Hogwarts? It was poisonous, alright. So poisonous that Harry should have been dead within the minute he had been bitten.
Severus looked up just in time to see Harry lunging for Draco.
****************************************************
Draco sat in the common room, wondering if Harry was alright, when he heard a hissing sound from behind him. Nearly jumping out of his skin, he leaped out of the chair to see a snake slithering across the floor. Not even thinking about the risk it posed to himself, he grabbed his charms book and moved forwards. As he did so, the snake, sensing his approach, turned with an angry hiss and began sliding towards him. Not even thinking, Draco raised the book and slammed it on the menacing snake's head. With a crunch, the hissing and slithering stopped instantly, and Draco froze. God, he had just killed something. Something totally innocent. He was a murderer.
Horrified, he stood staring at the body for some minutes before plucking it from the ground and racing up to the infirmary. Please, god, he prayed, let it be the right snake, the one that hurt Harry. Please don't let me be a murderer in vain.
He reached the airy room in time to see Severus locking eyes with Harry, but didn't stop, thrusting the snake at Severus. The man looked blankly at it for a few moments, before finally blinking and examining it. Just as Draco was looking away to see where Pomfrey was, he heard a creak and whipped his head back to the bed to see Harry lunging at him, a look of pure hatred on his face.
********************************************************
"STUPID SNAKES" roared a voice in Harry's ear, sibilant and sly. "Stupid men, thinking they are powerful. They do not know the meaning of power, little one. Shall we show them power?"
Harry shook his head dazedly. Draco was his friend. He wasn't meant to attack Draco, was he? But it just felt so right, it felt like what he needed to do. The stupid boy deserved it.
No! No, he didn't. What had Draco ever done?
Harry felt sick. It was like there was someone else inside his brain, controlling his actions. He could feeling a rushing in his ears, and spots danced in front of his eyes. And, as he always did in times of pain or danger, he froze and backed away. Not physically this time though; he retreated inside his mind, and watched through his own eyes as his body propelled itself across the bed towards Draco.
********************************************************
"Harry!" cried Draco, stumbling back as Harry's clammy hands found their way around his throat in a choking grip. Without even thinking, Severus whipped out his wand and stunned Harry. The boy fell to the floor, his limbs stiff, and Severus cautiously pushed him over. He was indeed fully stunned.
His more pressing concern was then to deal with Draco, who was pale and shivering.
"God, sir, he feels like. . .like death. All cold and clammy."
Severus looked sharply at Draco.
"Lie down" he said brusquely, gesturing towards a bed. If Draco was surprised by the command he didn't show it, shedding his robes and shoes and lying down. His eyes drooped but he didn't relax and Severus could feel the grey eyes on him, watching. Meanwhile, Severus was dissecting Draco's comment. Like death. . .cold and clammy. . .
He brushed a finger down Harry's palm and realised what Draco meant. It was just like touching a snake. . .as if Harry had read his mind, his eyes narrowed, giving him a very serpentine appearance. Severus jerked back before he realised what must have happened.
As the snake had died, the venom inside Harry must have reacted somehow, embedding the spirit of the snake inside the boy. He had indeed heard about this. . .heard the rumours of spirits being able to transfer themselves, especially snakes. He had heard it a long time ago. . .
"Sir?"
He jerked his head, feeling his hair sweep around his shoulder, suddenly acutely aware of the feeling all over his body, and snatched his hand off the tattoo that lay on his forearm. Draco was looking at him calculatingly, and Severus glared.
"Poppy!"
Pomfrey came bustling in, visibly bristling at Severus' tone.
"I need you to fetch the headmaster. Now."
Draco supposed that Pomfrey had been on the wrong end of Snape's temper one time too many, because she obeyed with nothing more than a grumble under her breath. As she left, Severus leaned over Harry and grasped the hand which had been bitten. It was semi-healed, and he couldn't break the skin, as hard as he tried.
"Harry?"
Harry's eyes didn't move, they were dull and staring at a point above his head, but Severus knew it was too dangerous to release him from the spell. He was worried, honestly not knowing how to get the venom out of Harry. The boy's skin had healed too quickly; obviously he was starting to benefit from the serpent's healing powers. The snake that Draco had brought it was undoubtedly one of the most potent in the world; how it had got into Hogwarts, Merlin only knew. Not only was it highly poisonous, it was very magical, and had a large capacity for magical transfer. Which meant it could, given time, leach out all of Harry's magic, taking over his body.
Dumbledore chose that moment to arrive, startling Severus out of his thoughts. As expected, the old man understood exactly what had happened and the implications, his skin whitening a few shades. Severus frowned. Dumbledore was meant to have an answer!
As though reading his mind, Dumbledore shook his head.
"We cannot extract the venom, Severus. I am afraid it is utterly reliant on Mister Potter to overpower the spirit."
"But Albus, it is a Marailas! You know it's potency!"
Dumbledore looked icily at Severus.
"Trust me, Severus, if there was anything I could do then I would. Much as you like to believe everyone is set against you and your Slytherins, we are not. I resent the implication that I do not care equally for every child in our care."
Severus hung his head, knowing that Dumbledore was right. And, for lack of anything to do, he laid Harry back on the bed and waited.
"Harry?"
Harry's eyes flashed open with such a look of pure venom that Madam Pomfrey stepped back slightly, pale. Severus caught her arm and supported her whilst looking at Harry.
There was an enraged look on his face, his eyes gleaming with malevolence. Suddenly the forest green of his eyes resembled the killing-light, and Severus himself shuddered, trying not to turn away from the evil look. He had never imagined such a vulnerable boy could look so nasty.
And then he hissed.
*********************************************
Harry watched with a sneer as the woman turned her face away, shocked, horrified, and was caught by the man. Stupid humans, he thought scornfully. Then the dark man turned and looked at Harry, and would not avert his gaze, although he looked suddenly shocked by something.
Harry laughed - or at least he meant to - but all that came out was a hiss.
************************************************
Draco came flying into the room clutching something in his hand, and Severus forced his eyes off Harry to look at Draco.
"What is it?" he asked, more sharply than he meant to. Draco didn't seem perturbed though, holding out the snake. It took Severus a good three seconds to react, and then he snatched the snake out of Draco's hand, examining it closely. Iesos, how had one of those got into Hogwarts? It was poisonous, alright. So poisonous that Harry should have been dead within the minute he had been bitten.
Severus looked up just in time to see Harry lunging for Draco.
****************************************************
Draco sat in the common room, wondering if Harry was alright, when he heard a hissing sound from behind him. Nearly jumping out of his skin, he leaped out of the chair to see a snake slithering across the floor. Not even thinking about the risk it posed to himself, he grabbed his charms book and moved forwards. As he did so, the snake, sensing his approach, turned with an angry hiss and began sliding towards him. Not even thinking, Draco raised the book and slammed it on the menacing snake's head. With a crunch, the hissing and slithering stopped instantly, and Draco froze. God, he had just killed something. Something totally innocent. He was a murderer.
Horrified, he stood staring at the body for some minutes before plucking it from the ground and racing up to the infirmary. Please, god, he prayed, let it be the right snake, the one that hurt Harry. Please don't let me be a murderer in vain.
He reached the airy room in time to see Severus locking eyes with Harry, but didn't stop, thrusting the snake at Severus. The man looked blankly at it for a few moments, before finally blinking and examining it. Just as Draco was looking away to see where Pomfrey was, he heard a creak and whipped his head back to the bed to see Harry lunging at him, a look of pure hatred on his face.
********************************************************
"STUPID SNAKES" roared a voice in Harry's ear, sibilant and sly. "Stupid men, thinking they are powerful. They do not know the meaning of power, little one. Shall we show them power?"
Harry shook his head dazedly. Draco was his friend. He wasn't meant to attack Draco, was he? But it just felt so right, it felt like what he needed to do. The stupid boy deserved it.
No! No, he didn't. What had Draco ever done?
Harry felt sick. It was like there was someone else inside his brain, controlling his actions. He could feeling a rushing in his ears, and spots danced in front of his eyes. And, as he always did in times of pain or danger, he froze and backed away. Not physically this time though; he retreated inside his mind, and watched through his own eyes as his body propelled itself across the bed towards Draco.
********************************************************
"Harry!" cried Draco, stumbling back as Harry's clammy hands found their way around his throat in a choking grip. Without even thinking, Severus whipped out his wand and stunned Harry. The boy fell to the floor, his limbs stiff, and Severus cautiously pushed him over. He was indeed fully stunned.
His more pressing concern was then to deal with Draco, who was pale and shivering.
"God, sir, he feels like. . .like death. All cold and clammy."
Severus looked sharply at Draco.
"Lie down" he said brusquely, gesturing towards a bed. If Draco was surprised by the command he didn't show it, shedding his robes and shoes and lying down. His eyes drooped but he didn't relax and Severus could feel the grey eyes on him, watching. Meanwhile, Severus was dissecting Draco's comment. Like death. . .cold and clammy. . .
He brushed a finger down Harry's palm and realised what Draco meant. It was just like touching a snake. . .as if Harry had read his mind, his eyes narrowed, giving him a very serpentine appearance. Severus jerked back before he realised what must have happened.
As the snake had died, the venom inside Harry must have reacted somehow, embedding the spirit of the snake inside the boy. He had indeed heard about this. . .heard the rumours of spirits being able to transfer themselves, especially snakes. He had heard it a long time ago. . .
"Sir?"
He jerked his head, feeling his hair sweep around his shoulder, suddenly acutely aware of the feeling all over his body, and snatched his hand off the tattoo that lay on his forearm. Draco was looking at him calculatingly, and Severus glared.
"Poppy!"
Pomfrey came bustling in, visibly bristling at Severus' tone.
"I need you to fetch the headmaster. Now."
Draco supposed that Pomfrey had been on the wrong end of Snape's temper one time too many, because she obeyed with nothing more than a grumble under her breath. As she left, Severus leaned over Harry and grasped the hand which had been bitten. It was semi-healed, and he couldn't break the skin, as hard as he tried.
"Harry?"
Harry's eyes didn't move, they were dull and staring at a point above his head, but Severus knew it was too dangerous to release him from the spell. He was worried, honestly not knowing how to get the venom out of Harry. The boy's skin had healed too quickly; obviously he was starting to benefit from the serpent's healing powers. The snake that Draco had brought it was undoubtedly one of the most potent in the world; how it had got into Hogwarts, Merlin only knew. Not only was it highly poisonous, it was very magical, and had a large capacity for magical transfer. Which meant it could, given time, leach out all of Harry's magic, taking over his body.
Dumbledore chose that moment to arrive, startling Severus out of his thoughts. As expected, the old man understood exactly what had happened and the implications, his skin whitening a few shades. Severus frowned. Dumbledore was meant to have an answer!
As though reading his mind, Dumbledore shook his head.
"We cannot extract the venom, Severus. I am afraid it is utterly reliant on Mister Potter to overpower the spirit."
"But Albus, it is a Marailas! You know it's potency!"
Dumbledore looked icily at Severus.
"Trust me, Severus, if there was anything I could do then I would. Much as you like to believe everyone is set against you and your Slytherins, we are not. I resent the implication that I do not care equally for every child in our care."
Severus hung his head, knowing that Dumbledore was right. And, for lack of anything to do, he laid Harry back on the bed and waited.
