Coming Silence
Ch: 14
To say Harry was in a grumpy mood the next morning was a great understatement. The poor demon had barely been able to sleep a wink, especially since he could feel his unwilling Mate sleeping in the next room. "I hope you didn't sleep a wink, you ungrateful bastard," he had muttered at the closed door.
When Severus woke the next morning, he was amused to find the conjured pillow and blanket lying by his door. Someone had obviously thrown them in frustration. "Did you sleep well?" he asked with a smirk. Harry, not amused in the slightest, merely growled.
"I would have slept much better if I was some where else, thank you very much. I swear your couch has it in for me. Every time I tried to find a comfortable spot to try to fall asleep in, it suddenly turned lumpy."
Harry watched his Mate smirk and walk off in the direction of the bathroom. The sound of water filling a tub reached his ears. Harry sighed. He was so tired! He wasn't able to sleep a wink. His head rolled to the side and he stopped. The door to Severus's room was cracked. Unable to help the curiosity that was immediately piqued, he glanced at the closed bathroom door.
As fast as lightning, he was off the couch and bee-lining it for the cracked door. A moment later he was in! He gasped in surprise. A huge king sized bed done in a dark red color graced his gaze. Harry immediately fell in love with it. Ignoring the bookcases lining the rooms, he moved towards the bed. He sat on the edge and sighed in pleasure. It was so soft! He fell back and rolled himself up in the covers until only his eyes showed. With a grin, he lay against the pillows and, breathing in the scent of the man he loved, immediately fell into a deep slumber.
The second time he awoke, it was nighttime. He could tell by the pressure of the air around him. He opened the door to the bedroom and gazed around him sleepily. Severus sat in front of the fireplace, sipping on a mug of tea with a book lying open in his lap.
"Thanks for letting me sleep, Sev. You do have a very nice bed, has anyone told you that?" He smiled to himself as he walked forward.
Suddenly, he collapsed, dropping to the floor. A searing pain ran from his scar as he was sucked down into the realm of visions.
**"Where is it?" hissed a cold voice across a room. Lying at Voldemorts' feet was a young man, shivering in pain from the after effects of the Crucio. Mentally, Harry winced in pain.
"I-I won't tell the likes of you!" screamed the man. Voldemort leveled his wand at the man and sent another curse his way.
"No one tells Lord Voldemort no! Where is the Dagger of Illenora?"
The man collapsed in on himself. Where was the point in lying? "It is not here. It was sent away, to a different realm. You will never be able to reach it."
"To which dimension?" All of Voldemort's attention was focused on the man.
Suddenly the shriveling man looked up. Eyes brighter than the moon bore deeply into red eyes.
In a voice deeper and more cracked than he had first had, the man said, "It has been sent away, to be awakened when the world most needs it. You are too late; the Dagger is gone, only to be awakened. You will fall."
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The bright green curse smashed into the man, killing him instantly.**
Harry's eyes snapped open as he gasped for air. A hand flew up to grasp the burning scar, only to encounter a hand already there. He collapsed tiredly against Severus's chest. Encircled in a friendly embrace, Harry thought back on everything that had occurred. He knew a True Vision when he heard it- the last words said were like that of Trelawnys' in his third year.
"Harry, are you alright?"
Harry nodded rapidly. "Yes," he said, his voice faraway.
"What happened, Harry? Drink this, it will calm your nerves." Only when he had drunk the potion did Harry notice how shaken he actually was. His whole body was wracked with shivers, no doubt from the Crucio curse.
"A vision. Voldemort was torturing a man. He wanted information on something called the Dagger of Illenora." Severus stiffened at those words. "Sev? What is?" He twisted in his Mate's arms. "Do you know what the Dagger is?"
Severus wouldn't meet Harry's gaze. Something was wrong. Harry grasped Severus's chin and made the older man look at him. "Sev?" When he wouldn't answer, Harry adopted his King persona. "Look at me!" he snapped.
Severus's black gaze snapped up to look at Harry, shock at the mans tone. He was met with the hardened eyes of the King. "You know what the Dagger is, don't you? Tell me. Please."
Those comforting arms were removed from Harry's body. Severus stood, still not meeting Harry's eyes, and helped the other man from the floor. "I can not tell you about the Dagger of Illenora, as I do not know much about it myself. We need to go see Albus. Come, Harry."
The whole way to the Headmaster's office was passed in silence. Harry stared at Severus's back, confused. The older man certainly knew something about the Dagger, he could tell from Severus's demeanor. The older man was slightly hunched in on himself. But why? What was so bad about the Dagger? Though the Dagger of Illenora sounded innocent enough, Harry could tell from Severus's silence that there was something bad about it. The other man looked kind of- sad.
Harry frowned but said nothing as they entered into Dumbledore's territory. He sighed; he seemed to see enough of the Headmaster as it was. He was wondering if he should just move in with the old man, just to spare himself the trouble of walking all that way.
"Sev, not that I am complaining or anything, but why can't we just floo into his office?"
Severus threw a slightly amused look over his shoulders. "Albus's fireplace is warded so anyone not invited to come directly through the fireplace will end up with a- nasty- surprise."
"Oh, great. Thanks for the warning, I'll be sure not to try that anytime soon."
They knocked, or in Severus's case pounded, on the door. A muffled shuffling sound was heard through the door and soon it was opened. Two sets of mouths dropped to the ground. There, standing in the doorway in all his glory, was Albus Dumbledore- dressed in violently pink robes wearing- of all things- an equally pink tutu. Harry caught a hint of fluffy pink slippers peaking out of the robes.
"Ah, hello gentlemen. I had a feeling I was going to be graced with your presence. How can I help you?" They were ushered into the room and placed in chairs. Harry, unable to help it, started to giggle.
The giggle was enough to snap Severus out of whatever horrible nightmare the Headmasters wardrobe had produced. "Albus? Wha- what are you wearing?" Severus said in a choked voice.
The twinkling eyes looked down, assessing his clothing. "This? I heard it was beneficial to an old mans body to exercise more often as they age. I was thinking of taking up ballet."
Harry's giggles intensified as an image of Dumbledore, dressed in a tutu with his long beard and wizards' hat, danced and twirled around a stage. After he received a scathing glare from Severus, he managed to calm himself down. But a wide grin could not be wiped from his face.
"Anyway, enough of an old man's explanations. What brought you two to seek my counsel?"
Harry sat back and replayed the vision. "Then, he said, the Dagger has been sent away and will awake. He will lose. Voldemort killed him after that."
Dumbledore had become very serious as Harry retold his tale. He noticed and wanted some answers. "What is the Dagger? It has to be something important if both of you are worried." Severus moved to deny Harry's comment. "Don't deny it, Sev. I can tell you're worried; you're all tense. Dumbledore, what is going on?"
The old man sighed. "First, let me alert the Order. This is a grave matter, if Voldemort is already searching for the Dagger. I promise, Harry, that I will tell you everything I know."
Harry sighed and waited. They were escorted down the stairs and down a hidden hall. Harry looked around in curiosity. He was sure this hallway wasn't on the Marauders Map. Soon he took another seat in a big, open room filled with chairs. There were already people present and Sirius, followed by Remus, scooted Harry off into a corner.
"Sev, what is this place?"
"This, Harry, is the Order of the Phoenix. We fight against Voldemort."
"Harry," said Dumbledore, "will you please tell everyone what you have seen tonight?"
For the third time in a row, Harry retold what he had seen. More gasps and anxious looks filled the room. What the hell was going on?
"As you have heard, Voldemort is searching for the Dagger of Illenora. The last thing Harry had heard in his vision is a true Prophesy. Whether or not it will come to pass is up in the air," said Dumbledore.
"I'm sorry, Dumbledore, but can you tell me what the Dagger is?" Harry looked at everybody with steel in his gaze. He would not be distracted.
"I think we should start by telling you about Illenora. Illenora lived long, long ago. She was what they called a Demigod, not a true God, but a woman who had the power of one. We would call her a very powerful witch. Illenora was the very first True Seer. Her visions were accurate and almost always came to pass.
"One day, as legend recalls, she had a vision of true darkness spreading across the world. One-by-one, the lights that held the darkness at bay would become distinguished. Illenora saw what would become of the world if the darkness were able to spread. Nothing would live and any thing resembling Hope would fade. "In order to prevent this from taking place, Illenora, with the last of her power, created the Dagger of Illenora. It is said that, although the Dagger is not a physical weapon, it is a soul containing pure innocence and magic. This soul, this Dagger, would wipe the darkness from the face of the earth, allowing it to never return.
"When Illenora passed, the Dagger disappeared, only to be reincarnated into a pure being. Voldemort, I believe, is looking for the Dagger so he can kill it. But, the Dagger has remained hidden."
Harry frowned. They weren't telling him everything. "That's all fine and dandy, but what aren't you telling me? Don't even think about not telling me because 'I'm not old enough'. I would prefer to know now, so nothing unexpected happens."
Dumbledore sighed again and stared at Harry with a deep sadness in his eyes. "But, in order to use the true power of the Dagger, the soul and body of the One is destroyed. That much power and purity ultimately will tear the Dagger into pieces."
"Oh, well that's not that-" a sudden idea made him stop. "Wait, you know who the Dagger is, don't you?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I do. Don't ask me to reveille that information, Harry. I and one other person know the identity of the Dagger. Please, do not ask either of us. If anyone else knew, the Dagger would be in grave danger."
"Alright. Is the Dagger being protected?"
"Yes. It's late, Harry. Why don't you go to bed?"
"Huh? I just got up, I don't think I-"
A hand came out of nowhere and pressed against the side of his neck. Without any warning, Harry slumped towards unconsciousness. Before he was taken to the depths of slumber, he faintly heard, "The poor kid. He never gets any breaks, does he?"
Harry woke slowly with a groan. His head was pounding very loudly. He could hear the faint rumblings of Draco from the foot of the bed. Who knew Dragons could snore? He chuckled and rolled over- only to run into a very warm and solid chest. Blinking, Harry looked up. There, lying peaceful and silent was Severus.
When asleep, the older man looked years younger than he was. He looked rested. There were no worry lines creasing his forehead, no tension around those dark eyes that thrilled Harry to the bone. The only word he could come up with was unguarded. Sleeping like this made Severus look unguarded.
He let one hand run softly through the hair at Severus's temple, smoothing down the errant strands that poked up. The silky strands parted under his ministrations and Harry smiled wistfully. How he wished he could do this when the other man was awake.
Suddenly, as if hearing Harry's thoughts, those dark eyes opened and stared deep into Harry's. Stilling, he smiled at Severus but made no attempt to move his hand. "You put me to sleep, didn't you?" he questioned softly.
"Yes." He leaned into Harry's hand. Taking the hint, Harry slowly started to move his hand across his scalp, gently kneading the skin. Two strong arms wrapped themselves around Harry gently, holding him tightly to the warm chest.
"Why?" Severus sighed and gently began to caress Harry's back. Harry arched his back in pleasure, purring lightly.
"Albus did not want you to become distressed trying to figure out who the Dagger is. I did not want you to become distressed either."
"Sev, do you like me?" The softly spoken question caught Severus off guard. Did he like Harry? Was it possible that the little imp had gotten through Severus's guard?
"Yes, Harry. I do like you. Now, go back to sleep." He kissed Harry lightly on the head and held him close, staying by him as he drifted to sleep.
AN: Awww, what a cute ending! Anyway, thank you for the reviews. If anyone actually wants to archive this anywhere (though I doubt it because of the length) go ahead and take it, just send me a message telling me where it is going. Thank you and until next time. ~Cheers
Ch: 14
To say Harry was in a grumpy mood the next morning was a great understatement. The poor demon had barely been able to sleep a wink, especially since he could feel his unwilling Mate sleeping in the next room. "I hope you didn't sleep a wink, you ungrateful bastard," he had muttered at the closed door.
When Severus woke the next morning, he was amused to find the conjured pillow and blanket lying by his door. Someone had obviously thrown them in frustration. "Did you sleep well?" he asked with a smirk. Harry, not amused in the slightest, merely growled.
"I would have slept much better if I was some where else, thank you very much. I swear your couch has it in for me. Every time I tried to find a comfortable spot to try to fall asleep in, it suddenly turned lumpy."
Harry watched his Mate smirk and walk off in the direction of the bathroom. The sound of water filling a tub reached his ears. Harry sighed. He was so tired! He wasn't able to sleep a wink. His head rolled to the side and he stopped. The door to Severus's room was cracked. Unable to help the curiosity that was immediately piqued, he glanced at the closed bathroom door.
As fast as lightning, he was off the couch and bee-lining it for the cracked door. A moment later he was in! He gasped in surprise. A huge king sized bed done in a dark red color graced his gaze. Harry immediately fell in love with it. Ignoring the bookcases lining the rooms, he moved towards the bed. He sat on the edge and sighed in pleasure. It was so soft! He fell back and rolled himself up in the covers until only his eyes showed. With a grin, he lay against the pillows and, breathing in the scent of the man he loved, immediately fell into a deep slumber.
The second time he awoke, it was nighttime. He could tell by the pressure of the air around him. He opened the door to the bedroom and gazed around him sleepily. Severus sat in front of the fireplace, sipping on a mug of tea with a book lying open in his lap.
"Thanks for letting me sleep, Sev. You do have a very nice bed, has anyone told you that?" He smiled to himself as he walked forward.
Suddenly, he collapsed, dropping to the floor. A searing pain ran from his scar as he was sucked down into the realm of visions.
**"Where is it?" hissed a cold voice across a room. Lying at Voldemorts' feet was a young man, shivering in pain from the after effects of the Crucio. Mentally, Harry winced in pain.
"I-I won't tell the likes of you!" screamed the man. Voldemort leveled his wand at the man and sent another curse his way.
"No one tells Lord Voldemort no! Where is the Dagger of Illenora?"
The man collapsed in on himself. Where was the point in lying? "It is not here. It was sent away, to a different realm. You will never be able to reach it."
"To which dimension?" All of Voldemort's attention was focused on the man.
Suddenly the shriveling man looked up. Eyes brighter than the moon bore deeply into red eyes.
In a voice deeper and more cracked than he had first had, the man said, "It has been sent away, to be awakened when the world most needs it. You are too late; the Dagger is gone, only to be awakened. You will fall."
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The bright green curse smashed into the man, killing him instantly.**
Harry's eyes snapped open as he gasped for air. A hand flew up to grasp the burning scar, only to encounter a hand already there. He collapsed tiredly against Severus's chest. Encircled in a friendly embrace, Harry thought back on everything that had occurred. He knew a True Vision when he heard it- the last words said were like that of Trelawnys' in his third year.
"Harry, are you alright?"
Harry nodded rapidly. "Yes," he said, his voice faraway.
"What happened, Harry? Drink this, it will calm your nerves." Only when he had drunk the potion did Harry notice how shaken he actually was. His whole body was wracked with shivers, no doubt from the Crucio curse.
"A vision. Voldemort was torturing a man. He wanted information on something called the Dagger of Illenora." Severus stiffened at those words. "Sev? What is?" He twisted in his Mate's arms. "Do you know what the Dagger is?"
Severus wouldn't meet Harry's gaze. Something was wrong. Harry grasped Severus's chin and made the older man look at him. "Sev?" When he wouldn't answer, Harry adopted his King persona. "Look at me!" he snapped.
Severus's black gaze snapped up to look at Harry, shock at the mans tone. He was met with the hardened eyes of the King. "You know what the Dagger is, don't you? Tell me. Please."
Those comforting arms were removed from Harry's body. Severus stood, still not meeting Harry's eyes, and helped the other man from the floor. "I can not tell you about the Dagger of Illenora, as I do not know much about it myself. We need to go see Albus. Come, Harry."
The whole way to the Headmaster's office was passed in silence. Harry stared at Severus's back, confused. The older man certainly knew something about the Dagger, he could tell from Severus's demeanor. The older man was slightly hunched in on himself. But why? What was so bad about the Dagger? Though the Dagger of Illenora sounded innocent enough, Harry could tell from Severus's silence that there was something bad about it. The other man looked kind of- sad.
Harry frowned but said nothing as they entered into Dumbledore's territory. He sighed; he seemed to see enough of the Headmaster as it was. He was wondering if he should just move in with the old man, just to spare himself the trouble of walking all that way.
"Sev, not that I am complaining or anything, but why can't we just floo into his office?"
Severus threw a slightly amused look over his shoulders. "Albus's fireplace is warded so anyone not invited to come directly through the fireplace will end up with a- nasty- surprise."
"Oh, great. Thanks for the warning, I'll be sure not to try that anytime soon."
They knocked, or in Severus's case pounded, on the door. A muffled shuffling sound was heard through the door and soon it was opened. Two sets of mouths dropped to the ground. There, standing in the doorway in all his glory, was Albus Dumbledore- dressed in violently pink robes wearing- of all things- an equally pink tutu. Harry caught a hint of fluffy pink slippers peaking out of the robes.
"Ah, hello gentlemen. I had a feeling I was going to be graced with your presence. How can I help you?" They were ushered into the room and placed in chairs. Harry, unable to help it, started to giggle.
The giggle was enough to snap Severus out of whatever horrible nightmare the Headmasters wardrobe had produced. "Albus? Wha- what are you wearing?" Severus said in a choked voice.
The twinkling eyes looked down, assessing his clothing. "This? I heard it was beneficial to an old mans body to exercise more often as they age. I was thinking of taking up ballet."
Harry's giggles intensified as an image of Dumbledore, dressed in a tutu with his long beard and wizards' hat, danced and twirled around a stage. After he received a scathing glare from Severus, he managed to calm himself down. But a wide grin could not be wiped from his face.
"Anyway, enough of an old man's explanations. What brought you two to seek my counsel?"
Harry sat back and replayed the vision. "Then, he said, the Dagger has been sent away and will awake. He will lose. Voldemort killed him after that."
Dumbledore had become very serious as Harry retold his tale. He noticed and wanted some answers. "What is the Dagger? It has to be something important if both of you are worried." Severus moved to deny Harry's comment. "Don't deny it, Sev. I can tell you're worried; you're all tense. Dumbledore, what is going on?"
The old man sighed. "First, let me alert the Order. This is a grave matter, if Voldemort is already searching for the Dagger. I promise, Harry, that I will tell you everything I know."
Harry sighed and waited. They were escorted down the stairs and down a hidden hall. Harry looked around in curiosity. He was sure this hallway wasn't on the Marauders Map. Soon he took another seat in a big, open room filled with chairs. There were already people present and Sirius, followed by Remus, scooted Harry off into a corner.
"Sev, what is this place?"
"This, Harry, is the Order of the Phoenix. We fight against Voldemort."
"Harry," said Dumbledore, "will you please tell everyone what you have seen tonight?"
For the third time in a row, Harry retold what he had seen. More gasps and anxious looks filled the room. What the hell was going on?
"As you have heard, Voldemort is searching for the Dagger of Illenora. The last thing Harry had heard in his vision is a true Prophesy. Whether or not it will come to pass is up in the air," said Dumbledore.
"I'm sorry, Dumbledore, but can you tell me what the Dagger is?" Harry looked at everybody with steel in his gaze. He would not be distracted.
"I think we should start by telling you about Illenora. Illenora lived long, long ago. She was what they called a Demigod, not a true God, but a woman who had the power of one. We would call her a very powerful witch. Illenora was the very first True Seer. Her visions were accurate and almost always came to pass.
"One day, as legend recalls, she had a vision of true darkness spreading across the world. One-by-one, the lights that held the darkness at bay would become distinguished. Illenora saw what would become of the world if the darkness were able to spread. Nothing would live and any thing resembling Hope would fade. "In order to prevent this from taking place, Illenora, with the last of her power, created the Dagger of Illenora. It is said that, although the Dagger is not a physical weapon, it is a soul containing pure innocence and magic. This soul, this Dagger, would wipe the darkness from the face of the earth, allowing it to never return.
"When Illenora passed, the Dagger disappeared, only to be reincarnated into a pure being. Voldemort, I believe, is looking for the Dagger so he can kill it. But, the Dagger has remained hidden."
Harry frowned. They weren't telling him everything. "That's all fine and dandy, but what aren't you telling me? Don't even think about not telling me because 'I'm not old enough'. I would prefer to know now, so nothing unexpected happens."
Dumbledore sighed again and stared at Harry with a deep sadness in his eyes. "But, in order to use the true power of the Dagger, the soul and body of the One is destroyed. That much power and purity ultimately will tear the Dagger into pieces."
"Oh, well that's not that-" a sudden idea made him stop. "Wait, you know who the Dagger is, don't you?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I do. Don't ask me to reveille that information, Harry. I and one other person know the identity of the Dagger. Please, do not ask either of us. If anyone else knew, the Dagger would be in grave danger."
"Alright. Is the Dagger being protected?"
"Yes. It's late, Harry. Why don't you go to bed?"
"Huh? I just got up, I don't think I-"
A hand came out of nowhere and pressed against the side of his neck. Without any warning, Harry slumped towards unconsciousness. Before he was taken to the depths of slumber, he faintly heard, "The poor kid. He never gets any breaks, does he?"
Harry woke slowly with a groan. His head was pounding very loudly. He could hear the faint rumblings of Draco from the foot of the bed. Who knew Dragons could snore? He chuckled and rolled over- only to run into a very warm and solid chest. Blinking, Harry looked up. There, lying peaceful and silent was Severus.
When asleep, the older man looked years younger than he was. He looked rested. There were no worry lines creasing his forehead, no tension around those dark eyes that thrilled Harry to the bone. The only word he could come up with was unguarded. Sleeping like this made Severus look unguarded.
He let one hand run softly through the hair at Severus's temple, smoothing down the errant strands that poked up. The silky strands parted under his ministrations and Harry smiled wistfully. How he wished he could do this when the other man was awake.
Suddenly, as if hearing Harry's thoughts, those dark eyes opened and stared deep into Harry's. Stilling, he smiled at Severus but made no attempt to move his hand. "You put me to sleep, didn't you?" he questioned softly.
"Yes." He leaned into Harry's hand. Taking the hint, Harry slowly started to move his hand across his scalp, gently kneading the skin. Two strong arms wrapped themselves around Harry gently, holding him tightly to the warm chest.
"Why?" Severus sighed and gently began to caress Harry's back. Harry arched his back in pleasure, purring lightly.
"Albus did not want you to become distressed trying to figure out who the Dagger is. I did not want you to become distressed either."
"Sev, do you like me?" The softly spoken question caught Severus off guard. Did he like Harry? Was it possible that the little imp had gotten through Severus's guard?
"Yes, Harry. I do like you. Now, go back to sleep." He kissed Harry lightly on the head and held him close, staying by him as he drifted to sleep.
AN: Awww, what a cute ending! Anyway, thank you for the reviews. If anyone actually wants to archive this anywhere (though I doubt it because of the length) go ahead and take it, just send me a message telling me where it is going. Thank you and until next time. ~Cheers