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Six Feet and Falling

by Saerry Snape

Chapter 16 :: November 25 & 26, 1995 :: Hogwarts – Night/Morning

Hermione and Ron found Harry slouched before the fireplace in the common room when they returned from dinner.  He was barely sitting in the chair, his body so far down that only the top of his head was visible over the armrest.

"Harry," said Hermione cautiously, walking over to him.  "What did Sheyne want?"

"Nothing," came the blunt reply.

"But…she seemed so…"

Harry leapt out of the chair so fast, it fell backwards onto the floor with a loud crash.  He whirled on Hermione, green eyes blazing with a brightness to rival that of Avada Kedavra.  The bushy-haired girl had a moment to think that that perhaps may have been where that odd light in his eyes had come from before she shrank back against Ron to get away from the fury in the dark-haired boy's voice.

"I don't care what she seemed like!  I don't fucking care!  You hear me!  I.  DON'T.  CARE!"

"We hear you," said Ron, placing his hands on Hermione's shoulders, his ears tinged red in anger.  "But you don't have to yell at Hermione about it!"

Harry turned his burning eyes on Ron now and spat, "Then stay out of my life!"

"We will then!" yelled Ron back.

"FINE!"

Harry turned with that and stormed out of the common room just as Sheyne entered.  The two of them exchanged glances; Harry's fierce and stony, Sheyne's grieving and sad.  Then Harry was gone and the other two components of the Trio were rounding on the girl.

"What the hell did you do to him?" spat Ron, throwing the words violently at her.

Sheyne shook her head and replied softly, "I don't want to talk about it."  As she moved to go past him, Ron grabbed her arm.

"Tell me!"

Sheyne snarled animalistically and for a moment Hermione and Ron could have sworn her face had begun to shift, fangs growing from her teeth and black fur sprouting on her face.  Then she threw off Ron's hand and snapped, "Stay the fuck out of my business, Weasley!" before charging up the stairs to the fifth year girls dormitory.

Hermione and Ron stood there for a long moment looking at each other before both of them stated, "What was that about?"

* * *

That night found Harry at the top of the Astronomy Tower, sitting with his back against the stones, long legs pulled up to his chest and arms wrapped around them.  His shoulder-length black hair was whipped about by the fierce winds, the light from the full moon making the red highlights shine blood red.

He sighed heavily, closing his eyes and letting his head drop so his chin rested on his chest, his forehead propped on his knees.

Once more, that odd shock had passed between him and Sheyne but this time something more had happened.  He had seen what had happened that morning.

And he'd found out that he wasn't really who he'd thought he was.

Of course, with all the changes that had been going on since his birthday, he really wasn't surprised.  Even he had fiddled with the idea that James might not be his father and had put Snape in that spot.

"Agh…  Dammit!"

But he hadn't expected it to be true!

Harry flew to his feet and stalked over to the stone wall that surrounded the pathway at the top of the tower.  He slammed his hands down on it, the palms stinging from the impact.  Looking down on the grounds, he let out a harsh, shaky breath.

"Damn it all!"

Harry screamed this out, listening as it rang out on the cold night air.  He ducked his head, closing his eyes again.

Just damn it all.

"Why," he whispered to the air, the trees, the stone's of the castle.  "Why does it always have to be me things like this happen to?  What the hell about me is so attractive to pain and suffering?  Tell me – what is it?"

No answer came to him but the wind howling in his ears.

Harry sighed and opened his eyes as something cold – something that was not wind – struck his cheek.  He touched one cold hand to his cheek then looked up into the sky.  Little white specks had begun to fall.

It was snow.

* * *

The next morning Harry was waiting by the fire in the common room when Sheyne came now.  The girl didn't know he was there until he rose from the chair he'd been sitting in and moved to stop her from leaving the common room.

Amber eyes looked up at him and the girl spat in a slightly bitter tone, "I thought you'd be avoiding me."

"Well," said Harry, shrugging slightly, "I find that I can't really put blame on you."

"You wouldn't put any blame on Papa if you knew the story."

Harry gave her an open, child-like glance and bowed slightly, gesturing with one hand over at the couch nearest the fire.

"Then please, m'lady, sit.  Do tell."

Sheyne frowned slightly at him then snorted.

"Fine.  And you'd better now blow up on me.  Or him.  We all have the same temper."

Harry winced slightly and Sheyne smiled, saying, "Yes, you know that don't you?"

The raven-haired boy scowled down at her and said, "Just talk."

Sheyne gave him a stern look then walked over to the couch.  Harry followed her and as she as they were settled, she began.

* * *

"So," said Harry when Sheyne was done, "he was sent on a mission by Voldemort to get something from my…James and ended up sleeping with my mum because he couldn't resist?"

"He seemed to imply that she was very…ah – adamant."

Harry snorted then sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples, an intense look of concentration on his face.  Sheyne frowned and looked worriedly at him.

"Harry?  Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes.  Fine.  Just…AH!"

Harry let out a scream and reeled back.  Sheyne gasped when she saw his scar, generally a pale brown, turning a violent red.  His face twisted in pain and she reached out to grasp his hand, clutching it tightly in her own.  Looking around to make sure no one had heard his scream, she began to softly say, "Easy, easy, brother.  It will all be over soon.  Don't worry.  I'm here.  I'm here…"  She reached out to touch his scar suddenly, as though she had no control over herself, and let out a scream as pain like nothing she'd ever felt soared up her arm and into her body.

By the time anyone had appeared in the common room, Harry's apparent vision had ceased and he was lying limply on the couch.  Sheyne lay crumpled on the floor, her body twitching every once in a while.

"GET MADAME POMFREY!"