Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognisably Harry Potter-ish
Notes: Draconis isn't mine he belongs to my sis Lady Mandara Snake (go read her stuff it's good!)
Chapter 14
Harry was walking back to the dungeons when Dumbledore caught up with him.
"Hello Harry" he said in a friendly voice
"Hello" Harry said he was polite but guarded; the headmaster did not normally follow guests from his office.
"Harry, would you like to tell me who really took you from the Burrow?" Harry practically froze, but he kept walking and concentrated on putting on foot in front of the other,
"It doesn't matter does it?"
"I suppose in a sense that we got you back no, but don't you want them to be punished?" Harry thought about this if he said yes Dumbledore would push for details and if he said no, he might as well say it was Severus.
"There's little point, I can wish for them to be punished, but they won't be" Dumbledore nodded.
"It must have been terrifying, taken from your friends in the middle of the night"
"It was more like 4am, and honestly I didn't think he would take me, just kill me" Harry shrugged "To be honest I didn't really care, I wanted to die anyway" he still was pretty indifferent about life and death. If he died then he wouldn't have to face the ridicule at the start of term.
"That concerns me even more Harry. Do you still feel like that?" Harry shrugged again
"I won't go out of my way to kill myself if that's what you mean"
"It's a start I suppose, now back to that night, this man who took you how did he do it?"
"He came into the room, cast Immobilis on me and basically carried me out, we apparated to some room"
"Can you remember anything about the room?" Harry struggled to think of somewhere that was completely different to anywhere else, Dumbledore helped him out
"What I mean is was the room at Snape manor to your liking" Harry looked at the headmaster the old man knew all along. Harry sighed
"When did you know?"
"When he bought you back, you were more adjusted, not less besides Severus does not hug people, especially a boy he is trying to hate" Harry shrugged
"Well at least it wasn't all me. Are you going to tell anyone?"
"No Harry, even if he didn't tell me, you are his son his every right to take you. I just wished he told us first"
"He didn't want Re.. professor Lupin to find out" Dumbledore nodded
"Do you know why that is?" Harry nodded
"Want to tell me?"
"Not really" Harry said, at that moment Harry was relieved to find himself back outside the door to Snape's quarters. He knocked and was more relieved when he was granted access immediately. Dumbledore followed him in. Severus stood up and looked from the headmaster to Harry, 'He knows' Harry mouthed before escaping up the staircase. The door clicked locked. Severus looked at Dumbldore
"Would you care for a seat Albus?" he said smoothly producing a tea pot
"Yes thank you." Albus sat and accepted the tea.
"I assume this would be the same matter you wanted to discuss last night?"
"Yes Severus. I want to know why you didn't see fit to inform me or the order that you planned to take Harry from the Burrow"
"Frankly because he is my son and it is none of you business"
"Severus, he did not know that when you took him, and while he is taking the news remarkably well you must have terrified the boy when you took him."
"Well he doesn't seem frightened of me, in fact his reaction to you is worse" Severus countered. He then shrugged it off there was no use blaming Albus, even if he felt it was his fault
"Look are you going to say anything?" Albus didn't say anything for a long moment
"No. but I keep quiet for Harry's sake, he doesn't need any more upset, like discovering who his father is, only to lose him to Azkaban days later" Severus nodded
taking the hint
"Thank you"
"As I said I keep quiet for Harry" Albus rose
"Good day Severus, if you need anything my door is always open" Severus nodded and walked the headmaster to the door,
"Albus, one thing I was going to discuss with you, today is Harry's birthday, he has obviously forgotten, would it be possible to arrange a get together of sorts?"
"An excellent idea, I will contact the order, we can use the great hall. I will ask Molly if she wants to attend but given Harry's stunt earlier I am not sure if she will permit her lot to come"
"What did he do?" Severus asked looking concerned
"Nothing too bad, Molly refused to hand over the dagger Sirius left him so when the floo opened he summoned it" Severus nodded
"If it is his then he has a right to take it"
"Yes but keep an eye on him, he used it to slit his throat apparently" Severus took this in.
"I don't think he'll do it again he seems a little better, though he still looks like a muggle in Knockturn ally if you go to talk to him"
"It's going to be a slow recovery process Severus, have patience" Severus nodded as the headmaster left. He looked at the table; Harry's ring was still there. He went over to the stair case
"Harry, can you come down here" He heard the door open practically immediately, Harry came down the stairs quickly looking at him with wide eyes;
"Is everything ok? I didn't tell him I swear, he just knew"
"Harry calm down, everything is fine, I know he already knew and even if he didn't you still wouldn't be in trouble!" Harry relaxed slightly.
"Now please come down, I have something for you" Harry came the rest of the way down the stairs and stood stock still at the bottom, Severus rolled his eyes.
"Harry. There is a good chance you will be spending the remainder of your holiday here. This is therefore your home. Please start acting like it. Now sit down" Harry moved to the table and sat down opposite Severus. Severus was toying with the ring
"Harry, this ring was originally intended as a wedding ring for your mother. Until James beat me to it." Harry nodded
"I had Fillius charm it. When you are not wearing it, it will look like it original form, like this" he held up the silver band so Harry could see it properly. Harry nodded
"When you put it on it will change colour, if you happy or content it will be green, sad blue, frightend it will get dark and be black if you feel that you are in danger, or something is happening to you, you don't like it will go black"
"So it's like a mood ring?"
"A what?"
"A mood ring, muggles sometimes buy rings that change colour supposedly on your mood, when in actual fact they are just heat sensitive" Severus nodded
"Similar but this is actually affected by your mood. Now you see this?" He held up his hand showing Harry the one he was wearing
"This is the master of the pair, it will change as yours does, but it is charmed it will let me find you if you are wearing the ring. If you are truly scared mine will heat up" Harry nodded. Severus handed the ring across to Harry
"Please wear it at all times, even if you are asleep, I promise unless it goes dark I wont use it to find you"
"I don't mind, just ah what colour does it go if I'm err …." Severus grinned
"Feeling amorous?" he said smirking, Harry blushed
"That would be it yes"
"It will go pink, the red and unless it goes crimson I'll leave you to it" he said with a wink, making Harry blush even more. Severus handed the ring to Harry, it fitted on his ring finger of his right hand too, it went grey. Definitely Lily's hands he thought Harry looked a bit embarrassed, and chewed his bottom lip and put his hands below the table, Severus looked at the colour and sighed
"Harry, you are certainly not going to be punished for not feeling safe, but I hope by the beginning of term you will do" Harry relaxed the ring went slightly lighter grey Severus nodded
"Good, now go get ready" Harry looked quizzical
"We are going to the Great Hall for dinner" Harry nodded and disappeared upstairs, Severus went through to his bedroom and took a shower before getting dressed. By the time he was ready and walking back into the kitchen Harry was already sitting there waiting for him, he was wearing black trousers and green shirt there was a robe on the desk next to him. Severus smiled the green bought out his eyes. Glancing at his ring, it was almost silver, he walked into the room and it immediately went grey, he rolled his eyes ignore it he can't help it and he was like that BEFORE you gave him the wretched thing you just didn't know it. Harry went to stand as he entered Severus walked round behind him and pushed him back down into the seat before going to the cupboard
"Wine?" Harry nodded and then frowned
"I don't think Madame Pomfrey would approve"
"Like I care I'm your father besides it doesn't counteract the potion. Have you had alcohol before" Harry shook his head, Severus reached for one of the less potent bottles and sat down. He waved his wand and two glasses appeared, the wine uncorked itself and poured into the glasses. He picked up his glass and raised it to his lips savouring the flavour. He watched Harry sip his
"Do you like?" Harry nodded, as if to prove it he drank some more.
"I like the shirt, good choice the green brings out your eyes" Harry blushed and pulled his legs up onto the edge or the chair. Severus waved his wand and pulled Harry's feet
back onto the floor.
"I am going to stop you doing that if it's the last thing I do" Harry smiled sheepishly
"Sorry"
"And stop apologising!"
"Sor…. Ok" Harry said Severs shook his head,
"Can you please be a rebellious over confident arrogant teenager, I can deal with them I see them everyday during term!" This bought a smile to Harry's face, he went to drink some of the wine, but bought his feet back on to the chair as he did almost subconsciously Severus again waved his wand, Harry almost choked on the wine as his feet slammed back to the floor, but then giggled
"Ok, deal; don't make a fuss about how I'm sitting and I'll try not to apologise for everything?"
"Very well, but if you manage you're part then next thing is that, I don't like your ball impression." Harry finished his wine,
"Why does everyone have a problem with the way I sit?"
"Because you never used to, at least not at school" Harry shrugged, Severus topped up the glasses;
"You want to watch yourself; you'll be drunk soon if you don't"
"Yeah well isn't that what rebellious teenagers do?" Severus conceded the point with a tip of his glass.
"Ok, but I'm not taking responsibility for you hang over" Harry grinned at that, he Severus glance at his ring, it was a pale dirty green. Severus smiled Harry finished his second glass. Severus tossed back the last of his much to Harry's amusement, Severus shrugged
"Can't be out drunk by a boy now can I?" Harry giggled, he was beginning to feel a little light headed Severus filled the glasses again and knocked his back straight away. Harry raised an eyebrow
"Is that a challenge?" Severus smirked
"No, you would lose hands down" Harry looked serious
"They be fighting words" he too knocked back the glass. He had landed it and Severus refilled both empty glasses, the bottle was empty. He waved his wand at the cupboard
"Accio Shiraz" another bottle flew out the cupboard and landed on the table…