Disclaimer: Yeah I don't own these characters, so please don't sue me.

Scarlet Pain

Chapter Three

The three Gryffindors left the infirmary with Pomfrey's assurances that she would help them with Harry. No sooner were they down the hall than they heard an agonized shriek.

"That sounded like Harry," Ginny said, eyes widening.

"Oh Merlin," Ron muttered. And the three took off down the hall. They didn't notice the blonde figure that pressed himself into the shadows as they passed.

Harry couldn't think beyond running. He didn't hear his voice being called beyond the massive roaring in his ears. The voice was back, taunting him as he stumbled up a flight of stairs. And the oily coldness that seemed to stem from nowhere and everywhere at once. Clapping his hands around his ears in a vain attempt to muffle the accursed voice, Harry shook his head in panicked denial. The motion, paired with the sudden movement of the staircase he was on sent him crashing to the ground.

"I didn't do it, I didn't!" he whispered.

Ron spotted him first, and the three Gryffindors sprinted up the staircase after him just before it started moving away.

"Harry!" Hermione crooned. The trembling figure froze. "Harry, it's us, its okay. You're at Hogwarts, no one's going to hurt you here." She crept forward slowly, keeping her body low, continuing to make soft cooing noises.

Snape watched from the shadows as the bushy haired Gryffindor began to slowly rub Harry's arms, making sure that he saw who she was before pulling him to a hug. He realized with a start that she must have done this many times before in order to be so good at it. He also noticed that Ron had yet to step forward. It wasn't until Ginny nodded up at him that the red head even started to move cautiously forward. They all kept their voices soft and comforting, and Snape crept forward to see if he could make out their conversation.

"Harry, do you know where you are?" Ron asked softly. Harry gave a self-deprecating laugh that sounded almost like a sob.

"In an emotional wreck somewhere on a staircase in Hogwarts?" Ron nodded miserably and sat down next to them. Hermione disentangled herself from Harry, who had stuffed his still bloody hands under his robes before any of them could see.

"Harry, what happened?" Ginny asked, not quite sure if she was asking about what had sent him into another panic attack or what had happened over the summer.

"I'm a nutcase and should be sent St. Mungo's for hearing voices?"

"What?" Hermione asked, looking at him sharply.

"No 'Mione, it wasn't Voldemort this time, just my guilty conscious."

"You have nothing to be guilty over! When will you get that?" Ginny snapped at him. Harry looked at her, startled. "Sorry," she muttered. "I just don't like seeing you like this, okay? None of us do."

"I know," Harry said it so quietly that Snape barely caught it. There was a pause before Ron spoke up.

"So what happened?"

"Snape." Their heads snapped around and looked at him, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "And Malfoy." Ron seethed.

"I'm going to hex that stupid, evil git – "

"It wasn't like that," Harry sounded tired and sad. "I think I kind of surprised Malfoy by walking in on him."

"Walked in on him doing what?" Ron sounded suspicious. "Tormenting another poor student? Or – " For the second time, Harry cut his friend off.

"Don't Ron, just don't. I don't think Draco's as bad as he seems." There was a stunned silence. Ron looked at him in disbelief. Even Snape was having a hard time believing that Potter had just said that. Harry looked back at him with exasperation. "Think about it, his father's a Death Eater. What kind of life do you think he's led? It's no wonder he's a sodding prick most of the time; I would be too." There was an uncomfortable silence.

"What about Snape, you said he was there?" Hermione asked, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"He came in while Draco and I were… arguing." Harry shifted uncomfortably. "He startled me."

"What did he do?"

"Nothing."

"What did he do, Harry?" Harry looked up at his friends, who were all looking at him sternly. There was no way he was getting out of answering this one.

"He was absolutely livid," Harry shivered at the memory, the rough yank by an iron grip and a glare that would have bored through him if it could have. "I don't think I've seen him that mad since… or maybe I've just never noticed before." The shivering increased. Ginny scooted over and rubbed his back. "This may sound completely crazy, but I trust him. I mean, he's never been nice, but he's saved me so many times, and he's probably the only one who doesn't see the scar first. But in that moment, he… I thought," his breath hitched. "All I could think was that he was going to…to." His words lost in the shuddering that he couldn't hold in.

Snape melted further back into the shadows before turning and heading to the Infirmary to check on his godson. This had given him a lot to think about, and he some preparing to do before the boy's detention tomorrow.

TBC