Chapter 5: Another Boy
The person in front of Snape was shorter than Harry Potter by half a foot. The robes looked way too big and the body way too thin. The person was still sobbing with his eyes closed and face hidden, angled towards the ground. His hair was black and looked brittle and unhealthy. They were clumps missing where red, think scars scattered across his head. On the left side of his face, there was freshly healed burn that took most of the hair by the ear, luckily the ear didn't seem injured at all.
Snape was sure he never saw a more pitiful sight his entire life. This person was a boy, still a child. Who the hell was this? Where the hell is Harry Potter? He tried to sound calm and collected when he said, "Look up at me."
The unknown boy starting shaking and shifted his legs as if thinking. He slowly looked up at Snape. Lifeless green eyes looked at him. Snape gasped. It couldn't be. Before he had a chance to react, the boy pulled his wand out and shouted. "Obliviate!"
Snape was very lucky he had such good reflexes. He dodged the spell and defended himself. "Expelliarmus!"
The disarming charm worked and the boy smacked against the wall He curled himself into a fetal position and just continued to cry. Snape was very perplexed. He had only had a chance to look for a moment but he had known. He had seen the face. He knew who he was. Those green eyes, empty and sad, they belonged to Harry Potter.
He knelled down besides the boy and touched his back lightly. The boy flinched and pulled away. He tried again, this time whispering comforting words. Still, the boy flinched but did not pull away. Snape slowly rubbed his back. Then when he saw Harry relaxed, he picked him up and held him in his arms. He thought this was the best plan because hugs comforted all children. It seemed to work because Harry pulled himself closer to Snape and into his lap. He put his head in the crook of Snape's neck and wrapped his arms around, holding him very tight. He was still sobbing and murmuring that he was sorry over and over again.
Snape needed to figure out what do. Obviously, Harry was in sort of shock and would unable to answer any questions until he calmed down. An empty classroom in the night was not an ideal place for this plus Snape's bottom was starting to hurt from sitting on the cold, stone floor. He decided the best course of action was to take him to his private rooms since they were closest private area he could think of. Plus, he kept some calming potions there and a bed would more comfortable for the boy. He tried to detach the boy but he seemed to only hold on harder. Snape sighed and murmured some reassurance. Then he scooped him and stalked out of the room. The boy was very light to his dismay. He told the portrait his password and they stumbled though the door. Snape took him straight to bedroom where he tried to dislodge him again. Harry wasn't letting go. Snape calmly told of his plan to get a calming potion and some help. He didn't seem to hear and cried harder and pulled him closer. Snape decided to wait until the boy calmed down to get Dumbledore and began rocking him, trying to do whatever comfort he could think of. He did that for what seemed like hours, eventually Harry fell asleep. He tried to break free from the boy but he still would let go. He sighed, got comfortable with his personal Potter weight, and fell asleep himself.
Snape woke when the something warm in his bed moved and got up. Snape was a very light sleeper, it came from years of being a spy and death-eater. He tried to remember who had been in his bed. Belletrix? Barty? Then he remembered. Harry Potter! He pretended to be asleep as he heard him search about. What was he doing? He was probably looking for his wand, after all he had tried to obliviate him. Trust him to learn something from Lockhart after all. After some time, he got annoyed with it.
"Potter!" He snarled. The boy jumped. Snape looked at his clock, it was 4:30 in the morning. "It's too early for you to try to erase my memory and your wand isn't here. Come back to bed, you can try in the morning. If I don't get enough sleep, I get cranky and I don't think you'll like that."
He heard him move again and saw that he had starting crying again. For a minute, he looked ready to bolt but in the end he came back to bed. Snape wrapped the blankets around them and laid back down to sleep.
"Professor?" Harry asked very timidly.
"Yes." He answered.
"You didn't tell anyone?" Harry said.
"No," Snape sighed. "I haven't. After you starting crying, I brought you straight here and hadn't had the chance."
"You won't tell, will you?" The boy sniffed.
"That will be discussed in the morning. Now, get to sleep."
The boy wrapped himself around Snape again. Snape thought better than to complain for he feared he would get hysterical again. Besides, it felt rather nice to be held. He gave Harry some reassuring pats and felt the boy relax. Eventually they both fell back asleep.
At 6am, Snape awoke to his alarm clock going off. He knew he should get up but he was rather comfortable where he was. He was spooning someone and had a very large erection. He rocked it a few times against his bedmate's rear and rather relished the feel. The he remember it was Harry Potter and moved away.
The boy turned and laid his head on his chest. Then he lightly stroked Snape's side, his arm nudging his crotch when he moved. "You didn't have to stop."
Snape was flabbergasted. What was the boy trying? So the night in his office, he had tried to seduce him. Snape smirked; the boy was a Slytherin after all. Albus had been right. A sure fire way to keep him quiet would be to have something equally devastating over his head. An affair with a student, the boy-who-lived in fact, would be an excellent piece of blackmail. He almost rewarded points to Gryffindor for this brilliance.
"Nice try, Potter." Snape opened his eyes and looked at the boy. He had placed his glamour charms back on. "Since we both are up, I suggest you tell me what the hell is going on."
Potter yawned and stretched against him. "Hmmm, what, oh yes, the glamour charms. I started doing that even before I came to Hogwarts, even before I knew I was a wizard. I was in a car accident when I was little."
"Really?" Snape asked.
"Yes, it was terrible." Potter murmured, nuzzling his neck sleepily. "Left lots of scars on my face from the broken windshield. I went straight through it."
Snape nodded and he pretended to enjoy Potter's touches. "That's it. Then why didn't you want anyone to know?"
"Well, you see, I was going to." Potter sighed. "I thought maybe there was something that could be done with the scars. Then Hagrid told me about Voldermort and how he was going to come back one day. I knew then I was something of a figurehead to the wizarding world and they wouldn't want me all ugly. If he came back, I had to be there, smiling and beautiful leading a charge against him."
Snape grunted his agreement and pretended to get comfortable again. He was actually thinking about what he had just said. He didn't believe him, not one bit. It didn't fit the information. Lupin had smelled blood. Potter had made two medical potions. The scars were two many and burn looked freshly healed. What didn't he want Dumbledore to know? No, there was something else. Yet, there was some truth to Potter's story. He was a figurehead in the wizarding world and was supposed to be a beacon of hope if Voldermort returned.
"So you understand why I don't want anyone to know." Potter whispered in his ear and playfully began nibbling on it. It went straight to Snape's crotch and he had to resist all urges to pounce on the boy. "So you won't tell, will you?"
Quickly, he pulled away and jumped out of bed. He pointed his wand at him. "No, I plan on telling Dumbledore. You're lying and I want to know the truth."
Potter was frightened and pleaded. "No, it's the truth."
"Since you want to do this the hard way." Snape used his wand. "Legilimens!"
Harry Potter's memories flashed before his eyes.
…A large man was biting his shoulder, deep enough to draw blood, ripping his skin. He was grunting in his ear, sweet pouring from his brow. Harry was trying to pull away but the he continued pushing in, ripping him part. He hurt so bad. He was crushing him, he could barley breath. And he was inside him tearing him apart. It hurt so bad…
…He couldn't sleep. He was so worried. Snape was going to find out. He was going to know…
…A thin woman was yelling at him, calling him a freak…
…A plump woman was hugging Weasley, Harry could how tell much she loved him. Why couldn't he have that? Why didn't anyone love him? He was so jealous. Why couldn't he have that? He felt sadness fill his heart. But deep down he knew why…
…A fat little boy was playing with his birthday present, a pairing knife. He was carving into Harry's chest. Harry tried to get away but the boy was much larger. He held him down and continued craving. It stung and bleed. Harry wouldn't cry that would only make him happy. He pretended it didn't hurt at all…
…He felt so dirty but it wouldn't scrub away. He rubbed his skin till it was bleeding. He continued scrubbing, he was so dirty…
…The stone! He had to protect the stone…
…There was darkness all around him. He was very hungry and his throat hurt. His body felt raw from the lash marks. He shouldn't have dropped that plate. Why was he so clumsy? Four days in his cupboard. He hoped he wouldn't die…
…He was so alone. He would always be alone. No one understood. Heir of Slytherin. The boy-who-lived. Freak. Boy. Did it matter? He would always be alone…
…He rode the large man. Bouncing up and down on his cock. The man grabbed his hips and groaned. Harry felt sick and was going to come soon. He was good today. He had been good…
Snape was only in Harry's mind for a moment, not even a second. So much pain. Rape, starvation, torture. No one disserved that. It was only a moment in the boy's mind. How much had he been through? Snape knew he could do that spell again and find all that he was hiding but he couldn't. He felt sick for just looking for that one moment. He couldn't make relive anymore of these memories.
Harry was curled up in his bed, trying to be as small as possible. He was crying again. Snape walked slowly over to him. He put his hand on his cheek and the boy flinched. He waited until he relaxed and began stroking him. Then he told Harry very softly, "It's okay now. No one is going to hurt you. Shhh, you can stop crying, no one is going to hurt you."
Snape continued his sweet mutters and slowly pulled him into his lap. The he rocked him back and forth like he would have done to a baby. The boy latched unto him, hugging him closely, like he was scared he would lose this comfort.
Once Harry had calmed down to a few sniffs here and there, Snape gently said. "In the wizarding world, we don't do this to our children. There are so few of us left. We consider each child born a blessing. I have been teaching here 13 years and you are only the second child I have met that terrible things were done to. I wish I could take them back. I wish I could make you forget but I can't. They are a part of you and I am sorry. You are not going back there. You are safe now."
Harry quietly laughed. At first Snape was annoyed then he realized what had been so funny. "I sounded like Dumbledore, didn't I?"
He laughed again , this time a little stronger. Snape smiled a little at him "Hmm, it appears I spend too much time with the headmaster. Are you ready to talk about this yet or are we waiting for my back to go out."
Harry pulled away. He refused to look Snape in the eyes. "I don't want to talk about this. I want you to forget about this and leave me alone."
He sighed. He knew the boy would be frustrating about this. He was so damn independent but at least Snape knew why that was. Cruelty and neglect would make anyone self-reliant. The neglect in his own life had made him the same way. Yet, with what the boy had gone though, what little he did know of it, he wondered how Harry could even function everyday. "I can't just forget about it. I'm you teacher and I am responsible for your safety."
Harry thought about this for am moment. Then, he reached for Snape's hand and used it to wipe away a tear that had leaked from his eye. He tilted himself back into Snape's lap. He smiled at him. The glamours that he wore made him so beautiful even after he had been crying. Slowly, he leaned in and tenderly kissed Snape on the mouth. Snape was shocked and pulled back. Harry smiled again and kissed him again, this time more aggressively. When Snape tried to pull back again, Harry held him in place. He opened his mouth to yell at him but Harry used this opportunity to slip his dainty tongue in. Damn, the boy could kiss. He swirled his tongue around Snape's. He tried to struggle but the boy would not have it. He was slippery like an eel and countered all of Snape's exit plans. Eventually, he gave in; he decided his best bet was let Harry do this until he thought he had won him over. Snape started kissing back, dueling his tongue against the boy's. He used one had to feel the boy side and the other to caress his neck and head. He felt the boy slink closer to him and start touching him as well. He moaned in to Harry's mouth, enjoying the gentle touches he received. Harry pulled his mouth away and began to undo buttons on Snape's robes. He looked quit lustful and flushed but his eyes had a glazed over look to them.
Snape decided to use the opportunity well. "Are you being good today?"
Harry cringed and looked at him wide eyed. He had struck a nerve.
"Though I won't lie and say that didn't feel nice," Snape smirked, "But I am not going to let it continue. I know your secrets. You can't keep me silent by fucking me. I will tell. Also, it would be good to remember, that I am too powerful for a student toobliviate so I suggest you try not to do that again."
Harry gulped. "What do you want? What do I have to do for you to keep your mouth shut?"
Snape sighed and dropped Harry off his lap. He stood up and stretched. The erection that was born from the boy's fondling, he pretended wasn't there. "Why is it so important that no one knows? All your teachers and friends want to help you, protect you."
"I'm Harry fucking Potter." Harry laughed humorlessly. "I'm the boy-who-fucking-lived. I can't be weak enough to let a muggle, a stupid useless muggle, do that to me. I have to fight the good fight. I have to be a hero. Isn't that what Dumbledore wants? Doesn't he want a hero? Doesn't the fucking world? Besides…"
Snape waited for the end of Harry's rant but it didn't come. He sat down on the bed next to him and held his hand. "Besides what?"
"What do you care?" He jerked his hand away. "You hate me."
Snape answered him. "I don't hate you. I hated your father, you know that much from last year. I rather disliked you because I owed you father. Believe or not, your father was prat who made my life hell, here at Hogwarts. My loathing of you is rather intensified because you were famous, caused me to lose out on the Order of Merlin, caused Slytherin to lose the House Cup twice, attacked me, and kept almost getting killed when I was try to pay a life-debt. Personally, I think those are plenty of reason to dislike anyone."
Harry was silent and looked at hands.
"Are you going to tell me." Snape snorted. "Because if you don't, I'll only have to use that same spell again."
Harry flinched. Then he groaned but he did answer. "Besides Dumbledore already knows, or at least, I think he knows. He left me there. He had to what type of people they were. They hate magic, hate my dead parents, and they hate me. Even my Hogwarts letter was addressed to my cupboard. He lets me fight Voldermort and all Hogwarts problems every year. Its like he is training me for the big fight one day. You know, the end of the world battle with Voldermort. I have to be the perfect little hero. I don't want to disappoint him, he accepts so much from me. In the past, I have asked to go to the Weasley's, but he won't let me. The blood-bond between me and my aunt keeps me safe. So I have to go back. I have to go back every year."
Snape nodded, it was a very thoughtful answer. He asked another question. "Why didn't you tell anyone else? Like your friends or McGonagall?"
Harry sniffed a few times but his voice was still strong when he answered. "Professor McGonagall is like Dumbledore, she believes in me. I don't want me friends to know. I don't want their pity. The other teachers would tell Dumbledore."
"What about Black or Lupin?" Snape asked.
Harry snorted. "They think of me as James Junior."
Snape agreed with that statement. Both of them didn't know him at all besides memories of a baby and their relationship with Harry's dead father. They wouldn't know how to act. He understood everything Harry had said. He didn't have anyone to trust with his information or anyone to help him. He was right, he was alone. Snape decided he would help him anyway he could.
"This is what we're going to do. I will help you. For now, I will keep your secrets. You are not going back to your family. I will not tell anyone for now. But someday, you will have to tell Dumbledore. You cannot lie to me and I will not lie to you. I have never lied to you and I never will."
Harry brightened. "Really?"
"Yes. Right now, we both have missed breakfast. You are not going to any classes. You will stay here and rest. I don't think you have gotten much rest since I found you in the bathroom. I'll give you a sleepless potion. I have to tell Dumbledore something but don't worry, I will protect you and your secrets. We talk about the rest of this when you wake up and I come back. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir." Harry said bleakly.
Snape sighed he knew he would have to earn Harry's trust. He ordered breakfast for the both of them from the house elves. They ate in silence and neither ate much. He gave Harry a nightshirt and the boy change in front of him. Apparently the boy had no problems with his naked body presented to his teacher. Snape wondered about that. He tucked Harry into bed and gave him a heavy dose of a sleeping potion. When he was sure he was asleep, he left. He had to talk to Dumbledore before the school freaked out about a missing boy.