Coming Silence

Ch: 21

Harry slowly opened his eyes and stared absently at the dark sky above him. Stars shimmered high in the dark night as they danced their never ending dance. He breathed slowly, inhaling the smell of damp grass and the smell of cool water from his left. It only took a few moments to reaquaint himself with the world he had left only seconds before

"Harry," questioned a worried Roltac, "are you alright?"

"I know what I have to do," he muttered in a faraway voice. Pulling himself off the ground, Harry extended his claws and slowly pushed them into his left forearm.

He paid no attention to the blood that welled up from the cuts and took no notice of Roltac's worried gasp. Dragging himself closer to Severus's supine form, Harry repeated his actions to Severus's right arm.

Harry twined their arms together and let their blood mingle.

"Blood of my blood," Harry whispered, repeating David's words, "I bind myself to thee, soul unto soul, wounds unto wounds. Soul of my soul, I bind you to me, heart unto heart, till death take me. I call you, Severus Sarmonicus Snape, from death to heed my call. I call you Severus-RISE!"

A silver mist had slowly begun to rise from their blood linked hands and started to swirl and twine around them. Thunder roared in Harry's ears as all Severus's wounds ripped into his body. Harry gasped in pain but would not cry out. If what David said would work actually worked then he would endure all sorts of pain to have his love back.

The body beneath him took one deep breath, then another before a sound of tearing flesh ripped through the air. Harry dared to breath or even open his closed eyes for fear the spell would break. Warm fluid hit his face and only then did he open his eyes.

Only to meet the dark eyes of his love.

"Sev, is it you?" Harry gasped. Severus rased one pale hand and placed it against a smooth cheek gently wiping away the blood that trailed down Harry's cheeks like tears.

Suddenly pain like Harry had never experienced ripped through his chest, as if someone had taken claws on the inside of his body, tearing and pulling, trying to come out on the otherside. Hands grabbed at him in vain as he struggled against think air. For the second time that day the sweet oblivian of unconciousness scooped him up in her soft and gentl arms and led him into slumber.

"He's waking up, get the headmaster!" shouted a deep voice.

Harry groaned and tried to ignore the loud voices all around him. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep. Can't they just let him rest?

"Harry it's time to wake up," said a voice Harry recognized as Dumbledore. "I dare say, two weeks should be long enough of a vacation, don't you think?"

Harry squinted into the bright light but let the Headmasters' words filter into his foggy brain. "Two weeks?"

"The spell you did transferred Severus's wounds to you, as I am told you were aware. However, what you did not know was it transferred every single wound Severus had ever had, throughout his life to you. Two weeks was sufficient enough to allow you to heal, though we were beginning to worry."

Roltac walked into the infirmary, took one look at a fully awake Harry and ran to his side. "Harry, thank the gods your alive! I had thought you had died!"

Harry hugged the older demon back and slightly winced. Apparently two weeks unconcious did not heal all wounds.

"You should know it would take more than this to kill me!" joked Harry.

"You didn't see how you looked," said Kasha as she joined Roltac at Harry's side. "Blood everywhere and you were so pale. It was the first time you ever scared me."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

Roltac gently smoothed Harry's hand. "We know. But it was your choice to do it."

Harry blinked and frowned. "What happened? After the spell?"

Dumbledore drew up chairs for everyone and settled in to relive what had happened. A shadow darted across the room and Draco launched himself onto the bed next to Harry, nestling into his side.

Draco!

About time you woke up! I had to find my own food.

Harry laughed. I'm sure you never went hungry.

Draco snorted to himself.

"Anyway, I'm sure you remember the light, Harry?" asked Dumbledore.

Harry frowned. "Now that you mention it, no. I don't really recall anything before the spell."

"You were the Dagger," said Roltac, "and when Voldemort killed Severus you let all that power out. It killed everything and everyone. But, your love for life also allowed us to come back to life, fully healed. I must apologize for not coming sooner."

"Don't apologize, Roltac. Without you finding me, I would have just let Severus go."

"Still. I got caught up back at the castle. The Mountain kings felt the need to pay for what their people were co-erced into doing. I was trying to accept their compentation. Which, by the way, is for them to replace every building or farm by hand-on their own. They said they ruined the villages, so they would rebuild them by themselves."

"Well, they are expert craftsman. In the end we got the better deal."

"After the light," interupted Dumbedore, "we woke up and proceded to take count of the dead, while looking for you. It seems all the death eaters and all Voldemort's followers were killed. As for Voldemort, he is well and truly gone. His soul will never come back."

Harry smiled and let himself relax into the bed, being careful not to irritate his bandaged wounds. "Sirius and Remus? Are they ok?"

"Perfectly fine," said Sirius, squeezing into the circle to lightly hug his godson. "So is Remus. You brought him back to me. Thank you." Sirius kissed Harry lightly on the head as tears filled his blue eyes.

"Malvorn was sent back to Alenzar, to help the Board and steady things until I go back. You need to stay here a few more days until you're fully healed."

"What about Severus? Is he ok? Did it work?" asked Harry, his green eyes hopeful.

"Why," called a deep voice from the infirmary door, "don't you ask him yourself?"

Green eyes met black and Harry gasped. He was still the Severus he had fallen in love with but now black feathered wings flowed from his back in all their full length silken glory. Black hair was pulled back from a pale and unwrinkled face and Harry briefly caught a glimpse of a think black tail.

"Severus...."

Harry held out his arms as Roltac moved out of Severus's way. Severus sat on the side of the bed and gently cradled Harry's face between his hands. Tears slowly fell from Harry's eyes and Severus gently brushed them away.

"I didn't loose you. Thank god I didn't lose you."

"Nor I lost you."

They shared a brief but chaste kiss to assure themselves the other was indeed real.

"I thought I lost you."

Severus pulled back and smiled. "You'll never truly be rid of me. Especially not after you gave me these acursed wings."

Harry grinned at his mates tone. "You don't like them? I think they're gorgeous."

Severus preened at the praise, then pretended to frown as he saw Sirius smirk. He "accidently" spread his wings their full length, knocking Sirius to the ground. "Oops, I guess I'm still not use to them yet."

"YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!" shouted Sirius.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, you idiotic mutt. Don't blame me for your utter clumsyness."

Harry grinned and curled up next to his mate, letting himself drift off into sleep surrounded by his family and friends, safe and content in the arms of his one true love.

AN: I am soooo sorry for not updating sooner! School started and I started trianing for helping out the call center at night while I work in dispatch for a dollar raise, on top of a five chapter modual test and two practical test while working at the fish place and finding time for my friends, this sort of slipped my mind. How moms can work full time, go to school on top of raising children and finding time for sleep and friends, I'll never know. Well, I think one more chapter is left and hopefully I'll get around to typing it tomarrow. One could only hope. Please read and review and until next time!

Cheers