Ever After Ch.6
Chapter Six

"Harry, how long have you been here?" Snape asked one evening at the dinner table.

Harry looked up from the food he was forcing down his throat to Professor Snape then back down. He swallowed the food that was in his mouth painfully and almost gagged it back up. "Here it comes,' he thought sadly.

"Harry? I asked you a question," Snape continued gently.

"Almost a month, sir," he said quietly.

One of Snape's finely arched eyebrows went up at the word 'sir'. "Relax boy. I'm not about to send you away. I meant what I said."

He smiled at Harry's obvious relief.

"Good. I was scared for a moment, Sev."

"Don't be. I will never turn you away. I was just going to ask, if you thought it was high time you saw Mr. Weasely and Miss Granger?"

Harry didn't say anything.

"Harry…?" Snape growled warningly.

"I can't let them see me like this! Look at me… I'm a wreck! I'm still so scared and I won't be able to handle their questions. What would I tell them; 'Hey Ron and 'Mione, how are you? By the way, my muggle uncle raped me!'" He intoned brokenly. "I can't do it… please don't make me…"

"Harry, you're going to have to. The school semester starts in a few weeks and you're going to be around a whole lot of people. You might as well start now," he said decisively.

"But-"

"No buts, Harry! And it's already too late… I invited Ron and Hermione for dinner tomorrow night."

"Severus!"

"Nothing to do about it now. What's done is done," he said getting up and walking to the scared boy. Stopping in front of him, he pulled Harry into his arms gently.

Harry laid his head on his chest and tried to breath evenly.

"Harry, they are your best friends. They deserve to know what happened to you. Out of respect to you, I haven't given them any details about you. That's your place. Harry, don't you even care about the pain you're putting them through?"

Harry glared at Severus. "Damn Slytherin! Manipulative bastard! Greasy git! Of course I care! How can you even ask that?"

"Simple. I am a Slytherin. Look Harry, I know you're scared. But I have to say, that if I see Miss Granger leave here with tears in her eyes because you turned her away again, I might have to pull my hair out," he said jokingly. "I never noticed, but she can be adorable. Damn you Gryffindors! You three are making me lose my Slytherin tendencies."

"Better not let Ron hear you say that you think she's adorable. He has a jealous streak a mile wide," Harry commented reminiscing.

"I can tell you miss them terribly. There is nothing wrong with sharing you load. They will be grateful for it."

"I love them so much, I can't bear the thought of dumping this on them."

"Harry, they probably already figured it out by now. They're smart people. But they won't jump to conclusions. They want you to tell them… and once you do, you will see how much lighter you feel. They love you."

"I love them too. So much. I do miss them," he said leaning tiredly against Snape. "They're the only family I got… besides you, that is."

"You consider me family, Harry?" he asked looking down at the boy's head.

"Of course, I do. Always had."

"Damn you Gryffindors!" he said again.

"Um, Sev? Do I have to finish my dinner? I'm not feeling too well," Harry said running to the loo.

The doorbell shrilled loudly the next evening making Harry jump.

"Calm down, Harry. It's going to be alright," Snape said rubbing soothing circles on the boy's back. "You know these people and they love you. Be brave."

"I know," he said as he watched Winky walk to the door to open it.

She opened the door to reveal Ron and Hermione.

"Thank you, Winky," Hermione said walking into the manor with Ron.

Nodding her head, Winky offered to take their coats.

When their coats were taken, Hermione turned to Harry. For a moment she was stunned, then there was this obvious softening in her features that made her look like a child. She was struggling not to cry.

"Hey there, mate. Long time no see!" Ron said putting a hand on her back in support.

For a long moment, the three best friends stared at each other. Then… "Oh Harry!" and Hermione was in his arms along with Ron.

"'Mione! Ron!" Harry cried as he was engulfed in them. "I missed you so much!"

"Why did you refuse to see us for so long! We were so scared!" Hermione cried with tears running down her face. "Don't you ever do that again, Mr. Harry Potter!"

"Yeah mate! Never again! We want to be here for you. No matter what happens, don't ever shut us out again! It was hard, knowing that you didn't want to see us," Ron put in.

"You don't know what it was like! A piece of me was missing, not to mention that this damn necklace nearly burned a whole into me! Harry when you made this necklace, were you even aware of the significance behind it? I didn't think so. I will forever know when the two of you are endanger, not to mention, I can sense your emotions if their strong enough. And when you refused to see us, it reacted to that as well. There was already a burn in my heart where I tried to cry, but when it started burning my chest, I couldn't take it anymore. I threatened Pro. Snape! I missed you that much!" she said holding onto his shirt as if her life depended on it.

"Yeah, what she said mate!"

Laughing, Harry gave them each a bear hug. "I'm so glad you two are here. I missed to too. More than you know."

"Were you lonely without us?" she asked eyeing Snape as he walked in with a tray of crackers and cheese.

Following her gaze, he smiled. "Not exactly," he murmured. "Something else distracted me," he continued in the same voice.

Ron looked a little red in the face. Sickly even.

"I'm so happy for you! Is it what I think it is?" she asked kissing his cheek.

"Yes. It always has been."

"Why didn't you tell us? Always have been?"

"For the very some reason now. 'Mione, look at Ron," he said pointing to his friend on the floor.

"Oh dear! Ron, are you ok?" she asked kneeling down beside him. "He's fainted!"

"I know. And honestly…! You call me the drama queen!" Harry said happily as he took a cracker and cheese that was offered to him.

"Just leave him there. He'll came to," Snape said placing the tray on the coffee table.

"I want to thank you, Professor Snape. If not for you, who knows… where Harry would be at this moment," Hermione said, tears glazing her eyes.

Nodding his head in acknowledgement, he said, "Call me Severus for the time being."

"Oh!"

"Sev, please bring Ron to? I have to talk to them," Harry said quietly.

Nodding his head again, he clapped his hands sharply, waking Ron up. "Now if you kids will excuse me, I will see to that dinner is served in a few minutes. Talk to Winky, if you want something," he said exiting through the swinging doors that lead to the kitchen.

Eyes wide, Ron said, "I wouldn't have believed it, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Snape, being human? Oh this is just too much!"

"His name is Severus," Hermione corrected gently. "That's what he want us to call him."

"Oh!" he exclaimed.

She turned to Harry, who seemed to have grown quite pale. "Harry! Are you alright? Let's get you on the couch," she said guiding them both to the couch. Soon they were settled with Harry in the middle. "Tell us Harry… what happened?"

She took Harry's head and gently laid it on her chest and began to comb her fingers through his hair in a comforting manner.

The gesture was so like her that Harry began to feel a little more like himself. Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he told them the whole story, leaving nothing out. And what was better, he did it without crying.

Their reactions were quite different. Hermione sat there, calmly stroking his hair with her fingers but as the story progressed, her strokes turned firmer. Besides that, that was the only reaction noted on her part.

Now Ron, on the other hand, was a different matter all together, He is a Weasely after all.

"I'LL KILL THOSE BASTARDS!" he yelled jumping up off the couch and running to the door.

"Ron! No, stop!" both of them cried, running after him. "Ron!"

"Severus, Help us!" Harry screamed as Ron stuck his wand out, calling for the bus.

But, having heard the commotion, he was already in action. Using his wand, he levitated Ron off the ground and away from the transportation.

"Let me go, Snape! I'm going to kill them! They don't deserve to live!" Ron screamed as he struggled against the magical hold.

"That right I reserved for myself," Snape said once Ron was on the ground next him. "Don't do anything stupid, Mr. Weasely. You're young."

Ron was crying openly. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that! Forgive me for not doing something about it earlier. I am such a fool! I should have seen what was happening. I'm your best friend, for Pete's sake!" he said sinking down to sit on the ground. "And I couldn't even see what was in front of my very eyes."

"First of all, it wasn't in front of you, idiot! I kept it from you. I was trying to protect you two!" Harry said.

"Harry, you shouldn't have to! You have to tell us what is up! I love you, mate. You have to us these things! Its important!" Ron cried passionately, his anguish pouring forth in waves. "You don't seem to get it, mate. What happens to you happens to us. Remember, that necklace the three of us had a part in connects us. 'Mione and I are not even whole without you."

"Ron… I…" Harry was flabbergasted. Never had Ron shown so much passion over another human being.

"He's right, Harry. We are one whore- I mean whole!" Hermione blushed.

Laughing, the Gryffindor trio hugged each other.

"I'm so sorry, you guys. I will never hold anything back from you two again," Harry said as he kissed them both on the cheek.

"Eww, Harry cooties!" Ron joked as he attempted to wipe off his cheek.

"You promise?" she asked looking at Harry.

Smiling, he placed another kiss on her cheek. "I promise."

"Hey! Don't be getting fresh with my girl!" Ron said playfully punching him in the arm. "She's mine!"

Laughing, Harry kissed Hermione again. This time on the lips.

"Oh, that's it! You're going down, Potter!" Ron yelled wrestling Harry to the ground. The two friends rolled around trying to pin each other.

"If you two are done, please go and clean yourselves! I refuse to have smelly, sweaty boy at my table," Snape cut in trying to fight down a smile. "Especially, smelly Gryffindor boys.

"Ok!" Harry said pushing Ron off him with no effort.

The professor turned to Harry. "Harry, show Mr. Weasely to the upstairs bathroom. And Miss. Granger, if you would kindly follow me, please?"

"Yes sir!" she said cutely.

Harry led Ron up to the bathroom.

"So you and Seamus… ya'll were really an item?"

"Yeah… I thought you knew," he said washing his hands.

"I thought you were joking around. You two were always so playful," Ron answered.

"It wasn't official, but we were together for a while. Now he's just a great friend."

"He better not be better than us," Ron replied putting an arm around his shoulder.

"Miss Granger, would you mind helping me set the table?" Snape asked carrying the plates and silverware.

"No, not at all," she said jumping up to do the task.

They worked in silence for a few minutes.

"Alright, Miss Granger. Sit down and say what's on your mind. You look like you're about to explode. You Gryffidor's are all the same. Think too hard and you get a headache," he said as he watched her sit.

"Please, sir, call me Hermione," she stalled.

Rolling his eyes, he said nothing.

"Well…" she began, twirling a few strands of her hair on her finger.

"Out with it, Hermione!" Snape snapped.

"Do you love Harry!" she gasped out quickly. "There! I said it!"

Snape sat back, stunned.

"Pro. Snape? Severus? Are you ok?" she asked.

"Silly Gryffindor!" he said getting up and not answering her question. The food was suddenly calling him.

"I take that as a yes!" she called after him as he walked into the kitchen.

"You take what as a yes?" the boys asked as they playfully pushed each other into the dining room.

"No, rough housing!" Snape yelled from the kitchen.

"That I can have ice cream for dessert," she answered smoothly.

"We have ice cream! I never knew that! Sev, how come you didn't tell me?" Harry asked jumping up and down.

"Because…!" he yelled.

"That's no answer!"

"It is, cause I say it is!"

Harry blew a raspberry at the door.