Chapter 14
Three's a Crowd
Akasha stared at her nephew in horror. She supposed she shouldn't be so shocked, especially considering her own rather sordid past. Yet this was the Boy-Who-Lived, he had fame, fortune, the love of the Wizarding World-or at least the admiration of it-what could have pushed him so far over the edge?
Then again, there were surely trials and tribulations in the boy's life and Dumbledore had told her virtually nothing about Harry's private life and past. She had come to Hogwarts expecting to be training a spoiled, stubborn teenager. Now it seemed that was not the case.
"What could have possessed you to do such a foolish thing?" Akasha demanded of the quivering boy.
"'m sorry, won't do it again. 'm sorry," Harry muttered, flinching and looking down at his feet, body tense, back pressed against the wall.
Akasha's eyes hardened. "Don't say something you have no intention of doing," she snapped. Diablo hissed angrily at her tone. Harry simply flinched again.
Akasha sighed. This was getting her nowhere. It was neither the time nor the place to discuss this. Flicking her wand, Harry's wounds closed up, leaving only the long scars. "Come," she ordered and marched out of the bathroom, the somber boy following after.
Severus Snape was startled out of his thoughts by the sharp rap on the portrait hole to his rooms. Grumbling, he opened it, snarling when he saw his sister.
"Go away," he growled, attempting to slam the portrait in her face. However, she put out a hand and stopped the door, much to Snape's anger. His snide remark was abruptly sidetracked when he saw the boy caught in an iron grip beside her.
Harry was quite pale and refusing to meet his father's eyes. He was as far away from his aunt as her grip would allow.
"He tried to bolt as soon as he saw the direction we were going," Akasha snapped, releasing her hold and shoving him forward slightly.
"What is this about Akasha?"
"Ask your son," Akasha snarled, stalking inside and slumping down on the sofa, a confused and irate Snape following behind her gesturing for Harry to sit, which he did.
Severus fixed his gaze on Harry's face-or more his mop of hair, which was covering his face. "What's going on Harry?"
Harry fidgeted but remained silent. Meaning that he was either truly intimidated by Akasha's presence or else there was something seriously wrong. Severus was betting on a mixture of both.
"Answer your father," Akasha snapped, starling Severus with how agitated she sounded. He realized she was worried. Yet Harry did not answer and his silence become more pronounced. Severus felt a drop of nervous fear trickle down his spine.
"Show him your arms boy," Akasha commanded, and Severus felt his mind go numb. He rounded on his son.
"Not again, you haven't been doing it again, have you?" Harry said nothing but rolled up his sleeves, heat still bowed.
Long, thin scars crisscrossed their way over old ones. It was obvious they were new. Severus examined them carefully, grateful that Akasha had already healed them. Then he sat back, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Then he fixed his eyes on that mop of hair, the boy had maintained his bowed position, and pulled his sleeves back down.
"Harry look at me," Severus commanded, needing to see his eyes, to understand. Slowly Harry raised his head, though his eyes remained diverted, Severus noted the tear stained cheeks and felt his heart break.
"Why did you do this?" he asked gently, almost pleadingly. Harry looked up, and Severus was surprised to find his eyes devoid of tears, and an angry glint.
"You ask me why?" Harry questioned in a malevolent whisper that turned the room cold. There was both anger and pain in his voice. "I'll tell you why. Because it's the only thing left in my life in which I have control over! And I don't see what the fucking deal is anyway! It's my body, I decide what happens to it!"
He finished, glaring furiously at his aunt and father, then stalked to his room.
Severus sighed, putting his head in his hands and groaning. He had forgotten Akasha was even in the room until she impatiently cleared her throat.
"This has happened before?" she queried imperiously.
"Dumbledore didn't inform you?"
"The old fool told me nothing," she snapped. "And obviously there is a lot that needs to be told."
"Then why are you here? And don't tell me it was out of the goodness of your heart."
"I have interests in this matter Severus. That is all you need to know."
"You will not use my son for your own gain," Severus snapped threateningly.
"Wouldn't think of it darling," Akasha snapped back sarcastically but Severus noted the merit of truth in her words.
"Yes it's happened before," he finally acquiesced.
"And you took no precautions to prevent it in the future?" Akasha questioned in amazement.
"Of course I did. I took his knife and made him promise to never do it again."
"And you believed him?" she scorned.
Severus shot her a withering glare. "I believed it to be a one time thing. I supposed he would stop as he promised."
"And were you the one to push him over the edge Severus? I can assume it was the strain of the apprenticeship today."
"No, it was a combination of things really."
"Such as...." Akasha pressed.
"It's not really your problem Akasha."
"But it is. He's my apprentice and I need to be aware of issues which may alter my teaching and discipline of him."
"It's not my right to say."
"Yet...." Akasha scrounged for information.
"Just...look, I know it's in your nature, but don't be harsh with him. He doesn't respond well to physical violence."
Akasha was quiet for a moment. "You know, he really must be monitored at all times now. I hate to think of the repercussion if he is pushed too far."
The siblings were silent for a while until they realized they were in each other's presnece and instantly started to bicker bitterly.
Draco was elated. Severus as his master! He couldn't think of a better outcome than this. And Akasha at Hogwarts. He knew of course she would have to spend a lot of time with Potter, but still!
The only thing that was bother him was-as always-Potter. The idiot just couldn't recognize a good think when it was right before his eyes-literally! What was the fool thinking? Refusing an apprenticeship with Snape's fabled sister. The legendary Akasha.
And then Draco remembered the pain in the Golden Boy's eyes and felt his heart clench. He looked so lost, so filled with despair. It was as if life had no more meaning for him.
Draco heard voices in another room. Harry's, Severus', and Akasha's? What was his Godmother doing in Severus' rooms. And-for the sake of the animosity between them-why had Severus let her in? Then he heard Harry yelling.
"I'll tell you why. Because it's the only thing left in my life in which I have control over! And I don't see what the fucking deal is anyway! It's my body, I decide what happens to it!"
His body, Draco thought, what has Potter done to his body?
He heard Potter coming and backtracked to his desk, sitting down so as not to appear eavesdropping, but leaving the door open so as not to deny that he had heard.
Harry stopped still in Draco's doorway, turning his eyes to the pale haired boy. Draco took in the tearstains on his face, his ragged clothes, his rage filled emerald eyes.
"Did you hear?"
"Yes," Draco answered accurately, honestly.
Harry stepped into his room uneasily. "How much?"
"Just you yelling about what you can do to your body-by the way what did you do?"
Harry disregarded the question. "That's all?"
Draco sighed. "Yes Potter, that's all."
Harry turned to go. "Potter....Harry, wait. You can trust me you know."
Harry gave him a glance. "I can't trust anyone."
And then he was gone.
"You told me nothing Albus," Akasha slammed into the headmaster's office, robes flying, face flushed from anger.
Albus regarded the woman calmly through his half-moon spectacles.
"Would you care to clarify that Akasha?"
"Potter Albus. You led me to believe he was the most easygoing, spoiled teenager in the world. Instead I find a depressed, angry adolescent with deep emotional wounds."
"Can you not handle him?"
Akasha sneered. "Of course I can handle him Albus. But I need information Albus. What's this boy's past, and I don't mean the stuff that is broadcasted all over the Wizarding World, but his own personal past."
Dumbledore kept his gaze evenly. "And what right do I have to divulge this boy's secrets? Draw him out Akasha, get him to talk to you about his problems, help him as best you can."
Akasha groaned. "I'm worse than my brother when it comes to people."
A small smile crossed Dumbledore's features. "One more thing-don't make assumptions. Don't set this boy up on a pedestal only to watch him fall."
"What do you want Snape?" harry said to the shadowy figure in the doorway.
"Only to talk to you Harry," came the Professor's silky voice.
"Go away."
"I brought you something to eat," Severus gestured to a house elf following him. The house elf scuttled in, set the tray down and disappeared with a pop.
"I'm not hungry."
Snape's voice became stern. "Mr. Snape, do not make me force feed you."
"Why do I have to eat if I'm not hungry?"
Snape suddenly looked suspicious. "Why aren't you hungry Mr. Snape? How much are you accustomed to eating?"
Harry didn't respond.
"How much did the Dursley's feed you?"
Harry flinched, but kept his silence. Next to him, Diablo shifted, sensing his master's unease.
"Answer me Mr. Snape. Before I decide to just shove this food down your throat regardless of your excuses. Do you enjoy being undernourished? Being the smallest kid in your class? How much did the Dursley's feed you?"
Harry's eyes blazed and he jumped to his feet. "Nothing ok! Nothing! Are you happy now? They fed me nothing. What little I go, I snuck in the middle of the night. That is until they caught on and locked the pantry and took an inventory of the goddamned fridge! Then I had to get my food from the garbage. The fucking garbage! Like a damned animal."
Harry collapsed at the end of this, thin shoulders shaking in a mixture of shame and grief. Severus rushed over, gathering the small boy in his arms.
"I lied," Harry croaked. "I just wanted attention. They fed me a lot. I shouldn't have eaten so much-Dudley could have used it. Everything was perfect, we were a loving family and the Dursley's fed me fine.
"And I think you're delusional," Severus sighed in resignation. "To believe that I would believe that."
Harry buried his head in Severus' chest. Severus ran his hand through Harry's hair.
"We'll just have to work a little at a time to get you nourished. We'll sart with the food right in front of us. Just eat as much as you can and then tell me. Then you'll have to try to eat a little more."
Severus summoned the spoon and commenced with feeding the shaking boy. HE could only handle a few moutnfuls and then Severus had to coax more into him. They stopped when Harry felt nauseous
As soon as Snape stopped feeding him, Harry-against his private wants-climbed out of Severus's lap.
Are you all right young snake-speaker? Diablo hissed questioningly. Hary gave him a wobbly smile.
Yes, I'm all right.'
'Good for we have much to discuss.
Tomorrow
Yes, tomorrow.
Harry focused his attention back on his father, who immediately began to speak.
"Harry about what happened today...do you want to talk about it?"
"No," Harry answered quickly.
"As I assumed," Snape sighed discontentedly, "Which is why I brought you this." Snape pulled out a large green tomb. When Harry took it in his hands it immediately changed to a deep yellow. It was a kind of sickening color really.
"What is it?"
"A mood journal. The cover changes color depending on how you're feeling. Right now you're obviously feeling ill. Any words you would write at this minute would also be this color."
Harry gazed at it in awe. He set it down and it immediately returned to the green color.
"Why?"
"If you won't confide in anyone, at least write down your thoughts in that."
Harry stared at it again.
"Thankyou."
"Mind you, this will not stop me from asking you questions, nor does this serve as an excuse to do yourself harm."
Harry looked away.
"I hope you realize that your actions have cost you a lot of privacy. If we can't trust you alone, you will have someone with you at all times."
Harry's fist clenched.
"Will you leave please?" Harry begged, voice shaking.
"Harry?" Severus queried in concern.
"I need some time alone. Please."
"Very well, but your door remains open."
And so it began.
End of chapter. 37 Reviews, two less than the record, five more than last time. Thanks everyone. Pleasant Reading.