Chapter 9: The Goblet

Snape went to breakfast, where he ignored the rest of the staff. Dumbledore tried desperately to get his attention, wanting answers to questions Snape wasn't going to give. Vaguely, he heard Moody threaten him and his arm burned where the dark mark was. He ignored all of this and stared at the Gryffindor table. He was very worried about Harry. He had a bad feeling that something was going to happen.

He stayed until the very end of breakfast, his eyes never leaving the Gryffindors. Harry never showed up, neither did Granger or Weasley. The other 4th year Gryffindors were giving him strange looks of disgust and curiosity. His bad feeling increased.

He asked Professor McGonagall if there was a problem with her house. She looked at him searchingly and said she would find out. He was sure that she knew something that he did not.

At lunch, Harry was there but refused to look at him and stared at his plate, playing idly with his mashed potatoes. He looked pale and nauseous. Weasley and Granger took turns hissing into his ears and refused to allow other students to get near him. Every now and then, Weasley would look at Snape with great disgust and hatred. Granger did too but there was a softer curiosity mixed in as well.

When they got up to leave, Snape noticed that Harry wasn't given a choice on whether he wanted to leave or not. Weasley just grabbed his arm and pulled him up. Snape frowned, something bad was obviously up. He got up to follow them but was stopped by Professor McGonagall. She frowned deeply and told him to be in her office during his free period. At first, he was going to argue about her rudeness of her demand but decided against that. He knew this was about Harry.

That afternoon, he arrived at her office fifteen minutes late because a studious Ravenclaw kept asking very thoughtful questions. Snape wanted to kill him but curtly answered his questions and hurried to her office. Besides the old cow, there was the headmaster sitting with a worried brow.

Snape frowned. "Well, Minerva, what did you want to see me about?"

She gestured to a seat. "We have a problem."

"Problem?"

"Harry Potter. His friends came to me last week and told me how he disappeared every Monday night when they weren't looking. With excuses like, he was tired or he was going to the library. They could never find him. They said they followed him one night to your classroom then you and he left and went to your private rooms. For an entire week, they said he was sneaking out and going to your rooms. On Tuesdays, he was quiet and withdrawn. Then last week, he was like that for an entire week. Would you care to explain?"

Snape sighed, he should have realized that Harry would never tell his friends that he had detention with him for an entire term. He should have also knew, that they would have followed him. "Why is it my fault that Potter never told them he had detention?"

Professor McGonagall frowned. "What have you been doing to him?"

Snape had a bad feeling where she was going with this. "During his detentions, I make him talk to me about his problems. I take him to my rooms so we would have privacy. And about him being withdrawn, it is because he is thinking about what I told him, what he told me, or how the world screwed him over."

She looked at the headmaster and he looked back at her. She looked furious and he looked concerned.

"Why do you take him to your rooms? Why not your office?"

"My rooms are cozier and less likely to frighten him." Snape snapped. He didn't tell them the real reason. He felt that Harry could feel safe there. It was place for him to be himself. He had decided this after he had his first breakdown and he took him there. There was a bed handy in case he was hysterical. There were comfortable chairs. It was a safe place.

She shrieked. "It's against the rules for students to be in a professor's private quarters!"

"Minerva, quit beating around the bush! What the hell is going on!" Snape bellowed.

She took some calming breaths and said. "This morning, Harry returned to Gryffindor tower in a daze. His hair was messy and his clothes untucked and wrinkled. Ron and Hermione had wait for him all night long, they had decided that they wanted some answers. They were very worried about him. He wouldn't talk to them or answer their questions. Miss Granger said it was like it was like he was drugged and Mr. Weasley said it reminded him of Lockhart after the memory charmed had backfired. They are quit convinced you are doing something horrendous to him. While Mr. Weasley came to get me, Miss Granger had an idea based on a horrible assumption. She did a virginity charm on him. Mr. Potter in not a virgin."

Snape took some calming breathes of his own. "Are you asking me if I'm fucking Harry Potter?"

She blanched, and then shrieked. "I'm asking you what is going on?"

Snape looked over at the headmaster and noticed he was looking away. So, Snape thought, he thinks I'm torturing him too. "These are questions for Harry Potter, no me."

"He is refusing to talk to anyone. He tried to even lie about his whereabouts last night, saying he fell asleep in the Shrieking Shack. Yet when I said I knew where he was for a fact, he had the nerve to say I was mistaken. Tell me what is going on before I call the authorities in."

Snape fought the urge to smirk. He was proud of Harry in some morbid way for lying to McGonagall. He would have made an excellent Slytherin. He calmed himself and said very softly. "Call the Ministry if you want. I have done nothing to hurt him. As you damn well know, he did spend the night in my rooms. He was quite upset and in no condition to return to his dorm. He is a very private person for some very good reasons and what we talk about isn't your concern. As I told the headmaster, if he is in danger because of the boy's secrets then I will tell you the boy's secrets. And as for any sexual relation between us, there is none. I have never had sex with him, molestested him, or raped him."

"Severus Snape, tell me what the hell is going on!" She screamed.

He stated. "No."

"Headmaster!" She implored.

Dumbledore looked impassive for a moment than said. "Severus, why won't you tell us?"

"It took me almost a month to get him to admit he had problems. I have just now gotten him to trust me. So fuck you, you old hag. I won't betray him." He said very silkily as he stared at her. He rarely used cuss words; he found them crude and distasteful. He also knew she hated them far more than he disliked them. So whenever he was extremely pissed at her, he used them, just to infuriate her.

She paled and her cheeks burned red. She opened her mouth but the headmaster stopped her by saying. "Severus, that was uncalled for."

Snape narrowed his eyes at her and she stared right back. He felt that the air was alive with their hate for each other. And he did hate her. When he was younger, she let Potter and Black torture him time and time again. He knew she loved them because they were brilliant and he knew she hated him for being himself. She loved her ideals of bravery, justice, and truthfulness. He was sneaky and a liar and she hated him for it. Over the years, he did try to get over it but she was always there being the stubborn old cow that she was. Now, Flickwick and Sprout, he could respect them. They understood, nothing was simple and sometimes the rules had to be bent. But not her, true she was just for the most part but when things weren't black and white, she was a right old bitch.

"You are to stay away from Harry Potter." She frowned. "He will continue his classes with you but he will have no further contact."

Snape turned to the headmaster and whispered. "Albus. His detentions."

Dumbledore sighed. "It is her right as head of his house to take them over if she feels you are being unfair to him. Severus, tell us what is going on or I will have to agree with her about this. It looks very bad."

"Do you really think I would do something like that to him?" He gulped. "Do you think I would have sex with a student."

He told him very kindly. "No, Severus, I don't think you would. She wants to help him too and we can't if we don't understand. Your hiding Harry's secrets and his behavior is worrying. We just want to help."

"Very well." Snape nodded. "I still won't tell because I don't want to lose his trust but I will warn you. Be careful, you don't know Harry Potter. He is very fragile right now and this could very well blow up in your face."

Professor McGonagall snorted. "I have been his head of house for four years. I know him very well, thank you very much.

The potion master refused to look at either one of them and left. He felt sick and he knew no good would come from Harry and his separation. He felt that something bad was going to happen. He was worried. And his arm hurt.

Snape wanted to refuse to come to dinner and hide in his rooms but he knew that would look bad for him. Not doubt the rumors had reached the rest of the school by now. He imagined the students whispering back and forth about the pervert of the dungeons. He was sure the other teachers would shy away from him; Hagrid would look at him with disgust in his large, warm eyes. He could see in his mind, Sirius Black, famed murderer, would burst into the great hall and blast him with the killing curse.

When, he arrived there, the students were the same as always and the teachers didn't shy away. The other professors looked at with quiet curiosity but held no hate in their eyes. He refused to sit anywhere near McGonagall or Dumbledore but slinked in-between Hagrid and Vector. He studied the professors; they never completely looked him in the eyes. He turned to Hagrid and he smiled at him. Snape felt his heart lighten then ask if he cared to join him at the pub tonight. Hagrid agreed at once and the potion master was pleased that he hadn't lost his friend. He heard Minerva McGonagall snort with repulsion; she was against drinking, especially on a school night.

Once again, Harry was sitting between Granger and Weasley. He was staring with blank eyes at the starry ceiling. They both whispered in his ears but he ignored them and continued his admiration of the roof. Snape knew he had to help him but right now he wasn't sure how. He needed Harry to come to him, but he couldn't force him right now because of meddling Gryffindors.

And once again, Granger and Weasley dragged him from the table.

That night, he got the drunkest he had every been in his life. He broke things, including an antique table, three lamps, two vases, and a bottle of fire whiskey. Hagrid ended up having to carry him home and depositing him on his bed. He sat with him for a while and told him softly that he believed he could never do that to child.

In the morning, Snape unceremoniously fell out of bed. He was disgusted to find he had pissed all over himself in the night. His head throbbed and there were huge purple bruises all over his body. He swallowed a hangover potion then chugged a pitcher of water. He stood in shower, feeling the hot water rinse of the sick smell of old booze away.

During breakfast, he ignored everyone. He heard McGonagall faintly making rude comments about drunks and Hagrid defending him. He calmly looked up and told them he hated them all, much to the headmaster's amusement.

Then he remembered it was Wednesday and taught Harry's class today. He groaned, he didn't feel up to figuring out how to help him, keeping the Slytherin and Gryffindors from killing each other, and fighting the urge to kill Granger and Weasley. Plus, all he really wanted to do was crawl back into bed.

To his amazement, the class was very well behaved today. He must have really looked bad for them to be that afraid of him. Maybe the rumors had helped his terrifying persona. Maybe there weren't any rumors. Granger and Weasley were both glaring daggers at him, still flanked on either side of Harry. On a plus, Harry concentrated only on his potion, never looking up from it and gotten it perfect.

Then the class ended and Snape said. "Potter, stay here for a moment."

Harry nodded and walked towards his desk. Granger and Weasley hissed to each other. She left after looking at him very hard but Weasley strayed, leaning against the door with a look of worry and loathing.

Snape barked. "I didn't ask for you to stay Mr. Weasley."

"No, you didn't but I'm not leaving, pervert." Weasley snarled.

He fought the urge to groan and said. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for you insolence and I suggest you leave."

"No."

This time he did groan. He preformed a privacy charm and said "Fine."

Now, he couldn't hear anything. Snape turned to Harry and notice he was looking at the floor. He said. "Harry, this isn't your fault and I am not mad at you. They do not understand but they do care for you. My passwords have not changed and if you need me I will there for you."

Harry looked up and smiled. "Thank you."

Snape smiled back. "Good, now get to your next class before I take another twenty points."

He left with another brilliant smile with Weasley trailing behind him, furious.

A moment later, McGonagall showed up with Granger trailing behind her. Snape refused to talk to them and slammed the door in their faces. He heard her mumbling about rules, the headmaster, and Harry but he ignored her. He was sure he going to get reprimanded for talking to him but he never did.

The rest of the week passed by quickly. Granger, Weasley, and McGonagall continued to watch his every move, waiting for him to do something to their golden boy. Harry had moments where he was as before, the perfect actor, and then he had moments were he refused to talk to anyone. Once during dinner, he screamed at them. "Enough." Then he fled the great hall. Friday, Durmstang and Beaubaxtons arrived. Snape was polite to both schools' headmasters. Karkaroff bothered him about the old days as he called it but he didn't hex him. He knew he was trying to find out if the dark lord was back. His arm must be hurting too.

Then the ceremony of the Goblet of Fire happened. At first, he relived that Cedric Diggory was chosen to be the school champion but the relief was short-lived ad Harry was called as the fourth champion. He pretended to be livid about Potter breaking rules again and Harry pretended to be furious at him for believing that, but Snape could see the relief in his eyes. For some reason, Harry needed his snarkiness as a guarantee that things were normal. That he was normal. Snape also saw the fear and he was worried again. He hoped that Harry would come and see him. His bad feeling was back and it was telling him that Harry was more depressed now then ever and no good would come of it. He knew he was so close to the breaking point, that one more thing would set him off.

After the champions were explained the rules and the tasks, they were sent to bed leaving the judges and teachers to argue over the latest Potter predicament. Needless to say, Madame Maxim and Headmaster Karkaroff were still very angry when they returned to talk to the judges. Of course, Bagman was excited and would be jumping for joy if could without looking like the idiot he was. Couch was oddly quiet if thinking very hard and stared thoughtfully at the fire. Moody was pacing the room and Snape was sure he was devising ways that death eaters could sneak in and kill Harry.

Snape watched the agreements but didn't really want anything to do with it; he mind was filled on the whos, whats, and whens. Snape was a great actor and sneered at the right times and made sure that everyone there knew he was against Potter. He was sure Harry had nothing had to do with his name being slipped into the Goblet of Fire. But who would and why? He was also concerned that this would be the nail in the coffin so to speak. He was troubled that this could be the thing to push the boy over the edge but he couldn't do anything about because of McGonagall. He hoped that he would come to him if he was over-whelmed but he didn't think he would. Harry was very self-reliant and secretive, afraid to seem weak.

Around two in the morning, everyone is too tired to continue the debates and scattered to their rooms, carriage, or boat. Snape walked slowly towards the dungeon, savoring the quiet of night. He decided not to think of Harry anymore tonight. He thought of the black blue of night and the bright spotty stars that decorated it. He thought about his morning classes and terrified third years. He thought about the time that Albus Dumbledore and the wicked twinkle in his eyes went ice-skated on the frozen lake in his pajamas. He wasn't sure why these thoughts came to him but he found them soothing.

When he got to his rooms, he walked about it lazily, stopping to stare at odds and ends. He poured himself a heavy drink and leisurely removed his clothes. He took a long, hot shower and climbed into bed naked; he was too tired from his rants to search for his nightshirt. He was amazed at his body when he promptly fell asleep, he was sure thoughts of Harry would keep him up tonight.

It was very dark and somebody was telling him something. He could only see shadows on shadows as soft lips were whispering in his ear. He could make out what they were saying in clips and phrases, though they didn't make since. "So sorry…love…put it there…I'll stay forever….the only one…like his father, like…I'm sorry."

Someone was laying on him, touching him. Holding him. He wasn't so alone.

Snape woke up and snuggled closer to the warmth in his bed. He pressed his erection into the bottom of his companion and lightly gyrated. He lazily played with the soft sides and hips of his bedmate, delighted in the soft intake that aroused all his senses. He kissed his neck gently and caressed his companion's hard dick.

Then Snape truly woke up and pulled back. In his bed was Harry Potter and like he, the boy was entirely naked. He growled lowly. "I hope there is a reason why you're naked in my bed."

He heard him sniff.

He sighed. "You should have woken me if you needed anything. Unless you are trying to makes those annoying rumors true.''

Harry still said nothing.

He sighed again then stretched. "I suggest you speak or I will kick you out."

A very soft answer was replied. "You didn't have to stop touching me. I don't mind."

He didn't really know how to react to that statement. He thought it over. He figured that the reason Harry wanted him to touch him was that this was all he ever got emotionally as being accepted. He remembered on of his particular memories of Harry having sex with his uncle. It was more willing than most rape and if he pleased his uncle, he was good and therefore life was a little less painful for him. He was trying to be good for him. By giving him sex, then he would not be hurt as much. But how to turn him down without reminding him of how ugly he saw himself. Snape snorted. "As appealing as that sounds, you are a student and fourteen years old. Perhaps when your older."

Harry sniffed again and turned towards him. Tears running down his face as he latched on to him, grinding his erection against Snape's thigh. "People think it anyway and I've done it before. I'm very good, please."

Snape kissed his forehead and said. "Hush, I'm here for you, what is wrong?"

"Ron hates me." He whispered.

"Hates you?"

Harry nodded and clutched tighter. Now, Snape knew why he had offered himself tonight. Something had happened between him and Weasley. Harry had few friends and was very protective of them and their friendship. It must be devastating to think you have lost something precious and in Harry's case, one of the few things that kept him going. He was trying to pay Snape for their relationship in hopes that he wouldn't leave him.

He kissed the boys cheeks. "Harry, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Now, what happened with Ron Weasley?"

"He's been mad for a while. He thinks your doing stuff to me and I've been brainwashed by you. But now, he's really mad and yelled at me. He thinks I put my name in the cup and I didn't. You believe me, don't you?"

"I don't think you put your name in." Snape stated simply.

Harry sighed and wiped away his tears. "I don't want it be like last time. When the whole school thought I was heir of Slytherin and evil because I could talk to snakes. I can't do that again. I had Ron and Hermione at least then but now I won't have anyone."

He rubbed away a stray tear from his face. "Don't be so mundane, I don't think either one of them is going to abandon you. You don't know if it's going to be like that. Plus, you have me."

The boy smiled.

Snape smiled back and said. "Other than that, how has your week been?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Not to good. When I left from here, Ron and Hermione were waiting for me. I don't remember talking to them or anything, I was kind of out of it. Then they got Professor McGonagall and she started asking questions. I feel asleep on them. When I woke up, she asked me questions again. About you, about me. I told her during detention, you were making me scrubs cauldrons and she told me that Ron and Hermione had been following me and she knew that wasn't true. She told me that Hermione did a spell to see if I was a virgin and I was scared that you had told them things. I think she saw my fear and she said that I could tell her if you had touched me. I wasn't excepting that and started laughing so hard. I told her I had fell in love this summer and had sex. Told her some torrid romance thing that I heard Aunt Petunia talk about. I don't think she believed me and neither did Ron and Hermione. McGonagall keeps trying to get me to talk to her, it's been very annoying. Ron and Hermione having been doing that to and saying how much you hate me and are trying to hurt me and you don't love me. And now this, this stupid tournament."

Snape was pleased he didn't have to fight tooth and nail to get him to talk to him about this like he did with everything else. He was relieved that Harry still trusted him. He was a bit worried that the only reason that Harry was being so open with him was because he was scared that he didn't have anyone else left

He snorted quietly and told Harry. "Minerva McGonagall is an old cow and I tell her this quit often."

Harry looked shocked. "You don't like her."

"No, I don't. She thinks that the only way is her way. She a know-it-all pain in the ass. She's stubborn. She's biased. She's more terrible things too but I can't think of any more because I'm sleepy."

Harry snuggled closer. "Can I stay?"

"Of course," Snape stretched, "You can if you put your pajamas back on and help me find my night shirt."

They put clothes on and fell back asleep.