Here's the next chapter, guys. Sorry it took a little longer, but I was bogged with homework and stuff. Not to mention being ticked off at Bush winning the election ::attempts to refrain from killing someone:: and putting me out of the mood to write a love story. It's all Bush's fault. Everything is (Sorry to Bush supporters. This is my view. I'm moving to Canada)
Severus, both of them, are very OOC in this chapter...I plead for your forgiveness. I hope you enjoy this chapter in its non-rushed way
Review responses at the end
...
Severus held the form to him tightly, refusing to let go. His head was resting on the others shoulder as he tried to keep a hold of what he knew he could not
"Don't leave me. You can't...I...don't leave me," Severus begged, trying to hold back his tears
"Please, Severus," Harry croaked out, "Don't do this. Please, you're breaking my heart"
"You can't leave me"
"We knew this would have to happen sometime, Severus....please...don't be like this," Harry was trying everything in his power to get the other boy to stop acting like such a child
"You can stay here," Severus lifted his head, looking Harry in the eye now, "You don't need to go back. We can grow up together...here"
Harry shook his head sadly, "I can't...I have...I..."
"There won't be a 20 year age difference. We'll be the same. We'll learn and grow together. What's wrong with that?"
"They need me back there. You can't understand now, but you will as time goes by. I can't abandon them and stay here...even if I do have you"
Severus buried his face in Harry's shoulder once more, relishing in the feeling of Harry's hands running soothingly through his hair
"But I...I..." The words came out slightly muffled
"You what, Severus? You what?"
Severus lifted his head once more, gazing into the startling green eyes, "I need you too. I don't know how you made me fall in love with you in 11 days, but you did. I really, truly love you, Harry...and that scares me and I don't want to lose you"
"You won't lose me. I love you, too...so much. But I have to go ba..."
Severus silenced him by placing his right index finger on Harry's pouty lips, "Shhhh...I know you have to go back. I'm being selfish...there are others who need you just as I. Just promise me, Harry...promise me that you'll still love me when you get back and that you'll hunt me down, wherever it is that I am in the future, and tell me"
"If anything, it should be me who worries about you not loving me when I get back. I have maybe ten minutes, at most, to not love you anymore when I get back...before I see you again. You, however, have 20 years to change your mind. I don't know what I'd do if I go back there and you don't love me anymore while I still feel this," Harry grabbed Severus' hand at 'this' and kissed it softly
"I don't see how a million years could make me stop loving you. I swear to you that I will still love you when you return to your time"
"And I promise you that I'll return the gift that's been given to me if it stands true"
"It will," They embraced, both trying to fight the tears from falling. Severus moved his mouth to Harry's ear and whispered, "Lay with me tonight?"
Harry pulled back from the boy, nodded his head and sobbed once, trying his damndest to not. let. those. tears. fall
They slowly divested the other of their clothing, it being nearly 11:30 by now. As soon as both were in nothing but their boxers, they made their way to Severus' bed and climbed into it
Harry wormed his way so far under the blankets that he was completely covered. Severus saw this and asked, "What are you doing?"
Harry slowly peeked up so that only his eyes were showing, studied Severus' face for a few moments before lowering the sheets far enough to reveal his whole head, "I'm hiding," he whispered
"From what?" Severus whispered back, not able to hold back his small smile at the picture of this innocent, child-like Harry before him, all trace of tears gone from both their eyes
"From the future," Harry stated. Upon receiving a mere raised eyebrow of confusion, Harry continued, "It can't find me here. You're the only one who knows where I am. Come and keep me hidden...keep my secret safe"
How does one refuse something like that? Obviously only a strong man can...a stronger one than a 16-year-old Severus, so he lowered himself below the covers just as Harry had done
As soon as the others head was covered, Harry giggled slightly and pulled Severus to him before he began to cover Severus' face with kisses
Severus laughed and pushed Harry away to stop the attack. It worked its magic and Harry calmed down
"Hold me," Harry requested seriously, "If only for this one last night"
"Yes," Was all Severus could think to say as he pulled the other boy closer to him and nuzzled his hair
After a few minutes, it was obvious that neither boy was asleep, and they were quickly running out of oxygen down there
"Jesus, Harry, I can't breathe," Severus panted
"Then we'll just move up," Harry laughed
As they situated themselves so their heads were out from under the covers, still holding each other close, Harry said, "I guess that only worked for a little bit"
"Yeah, seems so," Severus agreed
"Looks like I can't hide from the future with you, no matter how much I want to," Harry stated
Severus laughed, "Nicely manipulated, Harry. You should be a teacher one day"
"Perhaps I should," Harry yawned and snuggled closer
"Go to sleep. I'll protect you; if only for this one last night," and with that, they fell asleep
---
"Severus, what are you doing, my boy?"
Severus lowered the covers enough to peek out at the door to confirm that he wasn't hearing things, "Go away, Albus. I'm dead," he pulled the covers back over his face after the statement
"You do realize how childish you're being, do you not?" Albus smiled as he walked further into the room and sat on the side of the bed
"I don't care. I'm hiding"
Albus brought the blankets down enough to uncover his employee's face, "It is nearly 10. You can't just waste away in bed"
"Well I'm not doing much good out of bed, either, now am I? I see no difference"
"Have you tried Miss Granger's suggestion? It seemed to be a good plan"
"I have tried adding asphodel whole, melted, chopped, purated...you name it, I've basically tried it"
"Have you tried powdered?"
"Powdered? But that's so uncommonly used. How would...unless...oooohhh. I'm dumb"
"You're hardly dumb, my boy. Do you mind sharing your revelation?"
"Mister Malfoy was attempting to sabotage Harry's potion...again...I saw him about to put something in it, and I stopped him...but he must've done it anyway. He surely would've wanted to use something no one would expect and that would cause such an odd effect as to not find a cure quickly"
"Ah yes, that does seem like a Malfoy thing," Dumbledore said, "So you better get up and try that, then. This just might be the day we get our Harry back," he stood up and moved towards the door, "Oh and Severus?"
Severus looked over at the older wizard, "I expect to see you at lunch. And if I do not, hiding under your covers won't even save you"
"Yes sir," Severus agreed before Dumbledore left. He got out of bed and into the shower, not wanting to put too much stock into this potion. What if he got his hopes up and it didn't bring him back? What then? Some liked to call him a pessimist, but he preferred the term realist. Much more suiting. He believed things could go well, but was prepared for the worst, that's all
---
"Do you have everything?"
"I believe so; now I just need to remember how I messed it up," Harry's brow furrowed
"From the effects that were caused, the only thing I think that could remotely do that is if asphodel was added," Severus said, searching his stores for said ingredient
"Brilliant! It's worth a shot"
"All I seem to have is powdered asphodel, though"
"That's fine...if it doesn't work, then we'll just get some more and chop it or the like," Harry said and Severus nodded in agreement
Harry began to make the potion as Severus walked about the room. They chose to do this in their shared room because of the privacy. Plus, Severus already had everything they could possibly need in there
During one of the longer breaks in the potion, Severus came up behind Harry and wrapped his arms around the thin waist as he kissed Harry's neck
Harry sighed in contentment and leaned back into the embrace. Last night had been so trying on both their systems as they argued about whether he needed to go back to the future or not, but he had finally gotten through to the other boy with the hiding thing
"Are you sure you want to leave?" Severus whispered sadly into the others ear
"Of course I don't want to, Severus, but I have to. We've been through this already"
"Doesn't mean I have to like it, does it?"
"No. I'd be disappointed if you did like it, actually"
They both smiled gently and remained in that position until it was time to add the last two ingredients
"Ground Dragon Scales," Harry said as he slowly emptied said ingredient into the potion, "And a teaspoon of powdered asphodel"
Now to wait
---
Severus' eyes began to burn from lack of sleep. He'd been working on a solution since Hermione had told him of the asphodel, with some breaks in between. But even during those breaks he didn't sleep...he just laid there thinking about what Harry and him were probably doing at that moment. But it's bad to reminisce, so back to the potion
'Ah, a small break from the potion making before adding the last two ingredients...how fortunate,' Severus thought to himself sarcastically, slumping over the potion, not caring that his hair was becoming greasy
He couldn't bear to think about how lost he would be if Harry didn't come back. He was so tired and stretched to his limits now that even the simple thought of Harry not coming back brought tears to his eyes
---
"Why isn't it reacting as much as it did before?" Harry asked
"Give it time," Severus whispered, still behind the other, as he kissed the earring on the shell of Harry's left ear
---
A tear fell into the unfinished potion as Severus softly called out Harry's name and dissolved about 10 seconds later
"Bloody hell," Severus muttered, straightening himself out
---
The potion began to bubble more violently then before, startling the pair
"Step away now, Severus," Harry said in a monotone as he stared at the cauldron, completely transfixed. Severus did as he was told
---
Severus backed away from the ruined potion and cried more heavily out of frustration, mostly
"All that...down the drain," he could kick himself for messing up a potion. Then again, crying was simply easier. And aren't we all allowed to be lazy every once-in-a while?
Surprisingly, the tear seemed to have no effect on the potion at all. Odd...
---
Severus had moved to the other side of the cauldron so he could see Harry's face
A glob of the potion jumped out and landed on a nearby rug, burning a hole right through it
Severus' eyes grew wide at the sight as he applied the same effect to the potion hitting Harry
"You have to move!" Severus shouted desperately, "Please Harry! Move away from it! Come to me!" Severus reached his arms out to the boy, who only looked at him oddly, before Harry got hit with the potion
---
Severus doubled over in pain. It felt as if his soul was being renched out by a dementor and he could scarcely breathe
He collapsed and passed out on his workroom floor
---
There was the burning again, and God did it hurt as much as last time
"Severus! It hurts! Please help me! It hurts so bad!" Harry yelled out desperately, making Severus briefly glad they chose to do this in their room where no one could hear them
Severus began to run towards Harry to help him in some way or another when Harry disappeared with a pop and a small, pain filled "Severus!"
...
Am I evil? I'm not quite sure. I'm sure you all will tell me, though. I'm sorry if this was a little confusing...it was meant to be choppy, though. If you didn't understand: the end stuff was happening at the exact same time, except in different years....make sense? I sincerely hope so
Suzuki-chan- Thanks for reviewing again! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will review once more, lol
Miki23- Welcome back to one of my stories, lol. I hope you enjoy this one and please keep reviewing
hesfb- Woah, questions! Woo! No, Severus and Harry are not in a relationship before Harry goes back in time. If they're in one after he returns is still in question, however...Harry liked Severus before going back in time but never thought anything could happen so didn't put anything into trying...yup...I hope that cleared some things up...and the chapter, as well
Cat Samwise- I was in a bit of a rush, yes. But remember I wanted to make this a one-shot story...with one chapter...so I was just putting the basics in it...yeah. Lousy excuse, I know. I made this one longer and less rushed...I think...except the end kinda. And I said he's there two weeks cuz it's winter vacation and he has two weeks to get back before he's more noticeable by people...make sense? I hope so
Phoenix 5- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story! Sorry, not much with the earring, but it's there, lol
SofiaDragon- Thanks very much. I hope I don't disappoint your regards of this plotline with my writing...
HecateDeMort- Thank you once more :)
Red-Chan- Thanks for the advice on rushing...I explained a little why I did that to Cat Samwise (See 4 above)...I hope there was more detail for you in here...slowness kinda. I didn't think your review was a flame, don't worry. It was constructive criticism, and I always accept that. I'm glad you like it
Krystal925- Lol, I'm obviously not the best with time stuff, either. Thanks for reviewing though, and I hope you liked this chapter!
tree potter- I tried soon, but we don't get along too well, lol. I hope this was fast enough for you and that the content of the chapter was satisfying
Katie Lupin Black- You really should start doing your homework, Katie, lol. But I can understand not wanting to do anything knowing Bush won (as stated in my top note, I don't like Bush very much either, so no worries about offending me). Good point with the falling in love thing...all I can say to justify it is: Time crunch, lol. Sorry if you wanted a more drawn out proposal of love. But you're still here, so I must be doing something right, right? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And DO YOUR HOMEWORK! hehe
opal- He didn't meet up with his parents because it's winter break and his parents and the rest of the marauders are at home celebrating. That'd be a little odd to have some guy you "don't know" come hunt you down at your house during winter break, I think
Hyouden- Thank you for you enthusiasm! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Lenora- Yeah, the years are tricky, so good luck with getting it right, lol. Thanks for the review!
Ai Kiru- Thank you for your criticism. I apologize for the lack of detail, but, as I explained to Cat Samwise, it was a tricky process when all you wanted was a one-shot. I realize I should've went back and added detail when I knew it wasn't going to be a one-shot, but shoulda woulda coulda, right? I'm glad you like it at least somewhat
Pilas- Of course more! This will be a finished work, I promise...keep asking me, though, I like requests for more ;-)
shroom- Glad you like it and I hope you enjoyed this chapter
Aycelcus- 0o...are you ok there, dear? Lol, glad to see you found "Hermione to the rescue" funny, though, lol
Lisa Miller- Thank you for the praise! I hope you enjoyed this chapter
kears- Wow...you and Aycelcus should not mix...you two are nuts, lol. Glad you liked it, though. And of course, I'm glad you're back reviewing
Wow guys...you're giving Shadowed Spell a run for its money review wise. Definitely over-taking My Worst Fear...ya'll amaze me! Thanks for all the feedback for this story so far, and please, keep it up!
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