Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognisably Harry Potter-ish

Chapter 10

At the Burrow people were beginning to stir when

"Oh shit MUM!!!!!" Ron screamed from his room the twins were up in a instant to see

what their younger brother was shrieking about, they looked over, Harry's bed was empty, the rope charm Charlie had placed on him was not visible. Molly burst in wand at the ready closely followed by Arthur and Hermione,

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Harry's run away" Ron choked out. Charlie came in behind them,

"He couldn't have the Ceruchus charm can't be removed if you're the one under it. Harry didn't run away, he was taken" A similar cold hard rock was forming in everyone stomachs.

"Why didn't the location alarm trigger?"

"Did it get set?"

"Yes Severus said he…" Molly trailed off. The others looked at each other, in stunned disbelief;

"He wouldn't. Would he? What would he want with Harry?" Ron was confused,

"He's a Death Eater Ron you work it out" Hermione was pale, Molly shook her head

"No, he's loyal to Dumbledore, there must be another explanation"

"Speaking of Dumbledore, I think we had better tell him" Arthur said grimly, before leaving the room. Ginny bounced down the stairs and looked at the severe faces

"What's wrong?" she put her head round the door and let loose a little shriek, Hermione hugged her.

"It's ok. He'll be ok" she didn't sound convincing.

Dumbledore arrived with Professor McGonagall, both had grave faces, Molly was in the living muttering

"How could this of happened" over and over, the rest of the Weasley's and Hermione were sitting round the room in a shared stunned silence. Dumbledore looked to each of them in turn

"Does anyone have any idea why the location charm did not work." They all shook their heads

"Professor Snape set it before he left last night" Hermione ventured Dumbledore nodded;

"The perhaps we should have a word with Severus" Dumbledore quickly wrote a note and attached it to Hedwig, he whispered something to her and she took off.

~

Harry came out of his room a few hours later, his eyes were red, he had clearly been crying. Severus put down the book he had been pretending to read.

"Harry?" he said questioningly Harry looked at him like he was seeing him for the first time

"I'm confused about a few things" he said quietly, Severus indicated to a chair next to the fire Harry nodded and sat

"What are you confused about?"

"Well firstly you said James loved my mum, but if he was gay how could he?" Seveus sighed, obvious but the child still looked stunned

"He did love Lily, but more of a sister then a wife"

"But then why did he marry her?"

"Because it was expected of him, being gay is still an affront to most wizards, so those who are keep it quiet, not only that with Remus being what he is and James being from a good family… they would have never been accepted" Harry nodded,

"I guess that kind of makes sense. But then why did my mum agree to marry him" Severus smiled

"She loved him Harry, as much as I loved her" Harry nodded again

"Ok… I think… I think I might be sick" he got up and went back to the bathroom. Severus followed him, Harry was indeed retching but he was not actually sick

"You need to have eaten something in order to throw it up" Harry nodded and washed his mouth out with gulps of water from the tap.

"Come on, we probably have time for breakfast before I am summoned" Harry look strangely at him

"Dumbledore, no doubt he has been informed by now and he will want to see me"

"Then why don't you go?"

"Because I don't know anything is wrong until he sends word to me" Harry nodded

"Are you going to tell then where I am?"

"If I do they will either want to see you or bring you back. Do you want that?" Harry thought about it

"Not yet I need to get my head round this" Severus nodded

"That's what I thought. Come on breakfast" Harry was about to announce he was hungry but remembered the deal he had made last night and quietly followed Severus into the dining room, it was a long dark room with mahogany furniture, and a dark green floor, at the table that monopolised the majority of the room two places had been set. Severus took the one at the head of the table and Harry the one to his left. Before he was allowed to eat Severus handed him the stomach sealing potion

"You still have to drink this first, for longer now since you have not really eaten for almost three weeks" Harry nodded and swallowed the potion. Severus handed him a bowl with porridge init, Harry took it and waited, Severus then took one for himself he looked at Harry

"It wont do you much good in the bowl" Harry nodded and began to eat, he found the sensations new and alive, after not eating for so long he had began to forget what food tasted like. They had just finished when Hedwig soared through the window she landed between them, torn between doing her job and seeing Harry. Severus removed the letter, Harry grinned, he's missed her he stroked her soft feathers and she hooted approvingly. Severus rose

"That would be what I was waiting. Stay in the house, you may look around any room which is not locked. I don't know how long I will be but if you are hungry, the house elves are in the kitchen ask them and they will prepare you something." Harry nodded absently, still stroking Hedwig; he fed her some of the left over porridge and giggled when she turned her nose up at it. Severus turned and left, Harry heard the pop that indicated he had apparated. Harry looked at Hedwig

"I missed you girl" she hooted her reply and nipped his finger. Harry put her on his shoulder

"Let's look around should we?"

~

Severus appeared in the Burrow a few moments later, Molly went for him, she was to o mad to use magic and attacked him physically

"WHERE IS HE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?" she hit him until Arthur and Charlie dragged her off him. Snape raised an eyebrow

"Headmaster?"

"Severus, as you may or may not be aware Harry was taken from here last night" Snape took this in and tried to find the appropriate response

"Are you sure? He didn't leave of his own accord?"

"Of course he didn't he was tied to the bed" Molly snapped, she had turned from openly aggressive to passively fuming in the corner. Snape nodded in acceptance of the statement anyway.

"Did you set the alarm last night?"

"Yes"

"Then I wonder why it did not trigger" it was clear from Dumbledore's tone that he did not believe him, Severus pondered this

"Perhaps someone turned it off"

"Unlikely, it was coded, if you hadn't the code you could not turn it off before it's expiry" Severus nodded, he hadn't anticipated that although he should of the old man would not have left Harry here so lightly without several safe guards.

"Well then we shall have to inform the Ministry" That did take Snape by surprise, the looks on the faces of the others proved he was not the only why

"Whatever for Albus?" McGonagall was also not keen on the idea

"We will need the aurors to search, the trail is dry and Harry could be anywhere" they was reluctance acceptance of this around the room.

"Much as I am loathed to suggest this, it might also be wise to tell the Prophet, I mean the more people looking, Harry's famous if he was somewhere visible he would be spotted"

"I don't think that would be a good idea Miss Granger" Severus said a little too quickly, it got a few glances, he continued quickly

"Rita Skeeter was the one who found out about Harry's…. predicament, she came to me instead of the paper, however she would release the entire story if she thought she could satisfy her loose code of ethics Harry being missing would do that"

"How was she watching Harry?" Bill said to the group, Severus, Ron and Hermione all looked uncomfortable.

"That doesn't really matter the point is she would let the world know about Harry"

"So what as long as we got him back" Ron was still looking shaken.

"Harry is upset because a few people know, imagine his reaction if the entire wizarding community knew" Lupin stepped in to the room. Snape tried to contain his sneer. Hermione pondered this

"To be honest I'd rather have him back in a state rather than having him missing" there were murmurs of agreement round the room, Snape and Lupin looked at each other and found for the first time they were on the same side and were against the odds.  Severus shook his head

"Is that all Headmaster?" he said feigning indifference, he need to warn Harry before the story broke

"Unless you would like to add anything further Severus that was all". Severus nodded and apparated. Charlie looked at the others

"So who knows how to get hold of Rita?"

~

"HARRY!" Severus yelled as he reappeared in the lounge, he heard scrambling from the bedroom, Harry came scrambling in, he had obviously been sleeping, his hairs was more messy then normal and he had his robe on back to front. He fell through the door and scrambled to his feet, the entire exercise took less then three seconds

"Yes Sir?" he said, obviously panicked he hadn't got there fast enough. Severus rolled his eyes he would deal with that later.

"Harry sit down" Harry obliged. Severus sat on the couch

"Harry I am sorry put the others have decided to inform the Prophet of your disappearance" Harry nodded he had thought this might happen, his still felt sick knowing it was actual rather then hypothetical but he could not stop it

"Rita?"

"Will publish everything, undoubtedly the front page" Harry nodded again it didn't seem real. For 7 years no one had known and in the space of a week the entire magical world would know.

"So be it, I can't stop her and stay here. I will deal with it later" Severus couldn't help but admire the courage of the boy, he was talking about a later, he was recovering and deciding to live.

Sure enough the next day the front page of the Prophet had ran the story. Harry had slept in, and then had spent much of the day in his room, it was the evening before he finally came out. It gave Severus the chance to read it privately first, Harry emerged just as he had finished reading the article for the hundredth time, at least Rita had of her fact correct for once. Harry looked at the headline, "BOY-WHO-LIVED MISSING! And rolled his eyes;

"Well what it say am I a freak, gay, muggle loving, arrogant, farcical character who got what was coming to him" he said sarcastically Severus looked at him, the boy Harry Potter, his son with pain in his eyes, so that was how he truly saw himself. Severus came to the conclusion he would have to change that before the start of term.

"No it told the truth, and tells the story of a poor, abused, starved young wizard put upon by overbearing, twisted and sadistic relatives who was repeatedly raped by his uncle" Harry flinched, he had never used the word rape, he hadn't been raped, rape was something that happened to people who didn't deserve it, it was a cruel and terrifying event that no one should go through. But it wasn't what happened to him. As thought he could read his thought Severus countered the thought

"You do realise that's what happened don't you?"  Harry stared at the floor and shrugged, Severus continued

"Harry. Look at me, please" Harry looked up Severus nodded his approval

"You were raped. It wasn't your fault. Say it" Harry flinched at the words again and then shrugged he swallowed his fear and displayed the Gryffindor courage he was renowned for:

"What would that prove? It's just a word"

"It would prove you had begun to accept what happened to you. Say it"

"NO!" Harry started for the front door, Severus was faster

"Why not? If it's just a word" he caught Harry by the shoulders and looked into his eyes pleading

"Just say it"

"No"

"Say it"

"No please don't make me"

"Say it"

"HE RAPED ME!" Harry cracked, he was shaking like a leaf and had lost all his fight and courage and let all the fear and the hate from years of abuse pour out as his father held him close,

"He tied me down and he raped me I tried to fight him I couldn't I couldn't move I didn't want to use magic, they would throw me out I didn't know what to do that I couldn't stop him" Severus held him listening to the confession, he heard the self loathing the frustration at not being able to stop it and the pain, and realised through it all there had been no one that this boy, his child could ask for help. He decided there and then it would never happen again Harry would always be able to come to him. Harry cried out all the held back emotion he was so drained by the time he'd finished he didn't realise his father had picked him up until they were at the bedroom door. Severus laid Harry on the bed gently, he rolled over and curled in a ball trying to comfort himself. Severus couldn't watch it; he lay down on the bed next to him and held his son as he cried himself to sleep