Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Web of Lies: Revelations.
Everyone stayed still for a long minute after the blond boy came in. then, as if planned, the Malfoy heir smiled nastily while Ron, Hermione and Ginny jumped on their feet.
"Well, well, well, look who we have here, if it isn't the weasel and the mudblood. A pity that scarhead isn't here."
Hermione glared at him while putting a hand on Ron's arm to keep him away from Malfoy. "Leave."
The Slytherin pouted. "Oh, you want me to leave, just like Potty did? But why? After all I have nothing to hide. He surely was afraid everyone would find out he murdered Diggory, wasn't he?"
Ron ripped his arm from Hermione's grip and without picking up his wand he punched Malfoy in the face before the blonde had the chance to move out of the way. Hermione and Ginny screamed for him to stop, but when Crabe and Goyle moved in to help their leader, they were forced to curse them before they could beat Ron up.
While the seemingly older teenagers fought, Harry had moved further into the corner. The words the blonde boy had said had hurt him deeply. Was that what everyone thought of him? Shivering, he curled up further. He was so caught up in his own misery, that he didn't hear the door to the compartment open once again.
"What is going on here?"
The sharp voice managed to break through Alec's self-loathing and he looked up at the same time as the fighting teens. Everyone froze when they saw Snape's stern face looking down at them. Alec shivered again and tried to hide in the corner even more. That fact didn't go unnoticed by the dark Potions Master, making him frown even more.
"I'm waiting for an explanation."
Malfoy quickly stood up trying to straighten his now pink hair. "Weasley attacked us, sir."
Hermione opened her mouth to protest against that lie, but Snape's voice cut her. "Then maybe you should keep to your own compartment, Mister Malfoy." Before the teen had the chance to answer, the Potions Master's attention shifted to Harry. "Alec, are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
Harry shivered slightly, when all the teens turned to face him, surprised at the concerned tone of voice their professor had used. "No, they haven't hurt me."
Severus frowned at the soft voice, he could tell there was something wrong with the teen so he quickly walked past Ron and Ginny and went to kneel at his side. "What's wrong then?"
Shaking his head, Alec tried to sit up again. "Nothing, really."
Snape sighed and put his arms around the teen, lifting him up. "You know it would be easier if you just told us the truth from time to time about how you're really feeling."
Harry blushed a bit, knowing that the man was too observant and wouldn't really be convinced if he told him he was fine. Instead of answering him, he buried his face in the man's neck, and refused to move from there. His thoughts returned to Malfoy's words, and he couldn't help but shiver at the helplessness those memories caused. He didn't look up from his spot, not even when Severus spoke again.
"Alec, what's wrong? You're trembling."
The man put a hand on the boy's back, rubbing it lightly. His concern for the young teen made him forget the other students present at the compartment, who were right now gapping at the man. Even the three Slytherins, who knew their Head of House fairly well, were surprised at the care and gentleness coming from the dark man.
Even hearing the worry in the Potions Master's words, Alec refused to answer. He couldn't answer that question truthfully and he wasn't sure he was up to lie to the man right now, so he remained silent, head still pressed against the man's neck, while his arms went to encircle it tightly. The silence was broken when another voice spoke from the door.
"Severus, what's going on?"
Everyone except Alec turned to look at the tall woman standing at the door. Snape's concerned expression turned into a deep scowl when he remembered the students who had been standing there all the time. "It seems your students and mine can't get along for even a few minutes. They were fighting when I arrived."
Minerva pressed her lips together, glaring at the teens. "I guess it would be too much to ask that you behaved your age instead of reminding us of first years."
Ron opened his mouth to explain what had happened, but his head of house wasn't interested, she could easily guess what had happened, it was always the same. "Yes, yes Mr Weasley, I know. Mr Malfoy came here, baited you and you were not able to use your brain and ignore him. I wonder if any of you will ever grow up."
The three Gryffindors looked down, not having expected such harsh words from the woman. Malfoy was smirking happily, until his eyes met Snape's. The man was obviously not pleased with them and that didn't bode well for them. To the whole school, Snape always defended them and allowed them to get away with everything they wished. The reality was not so nice. The man understood them better than any other teacher and it was true that he often let things pass that others would have punished, but that lasted as long as you kept the man happy. A displeased Snape was not someone you wished to cross, specially not if you were a Slytherin. The man really knew how to ensure that they behaved, and Draco wasn't looking forward to his head of house's lecture.
McGonagall ignored the children and turned her attention to the teen cradled in Snape's arms. "Alec?"
The child didn't move and Severus sighed. "Don't bother, Minerva, I already tried to figure out what's wrong with him. Do you mind sorting the students out, I'll take Alec to the teachers' compartment."
The woman nodded, a worried frown creasing her face as she watched as Severus took the trembling teen out of the compartment. Once they had disappeared, she turned to the teenagers still standing in the room. The concern fell from her face and was immediately replaced by a stern glare.
"Now, what are we going to do with you lot? We can't have you arguing every minute, things are already complicated enough as they are, no need for students to act like they are five year olds."
The students sighed and shared a small look, knowing that the woman was far from finished with them.
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Severus walked quickly through the cramped halls of the train, students parted to let him pass, wondering who was the student clutching the man's neck. Harry, who was still trembling in the man's arms, was slightly aware of those gazes and kept his face firmly pressed against Snape's shoulder. A small voice in him was telling him he should stop acting this way, while Malfoy's words had been very unpleasant and had distraught him while he said them, he was not as affected by them as his reactions showed. He just wanted to get out of that compartment and knew that the only way to do it without offending anyone in there was to force one of the teachers to take him out. Sighing softly, Harry moved a bit in the embrace and tightened his grip. He was starting to become too proficient at this lying thing, to manage to get Snape worried enough that he would take him to the teachers' compartment surely showed he had learned to act convincible and that bothered him.
Not for the first time, he wondered what everyone's reaction would be when they found out, because he had no doubt that they would. He specially dreaded the reaction he was going to get from the man that was currently carrying him. He had always hated him and Harry feared that that animosity would return tenfold once he discovered the truth. The worst part of that was that he now genuinely liked the man; he was one of the few who had taken the time to come and visit him without prompting from Dumbledore. Closing his eyes tightly, Harry tightened his grip more, trying to suppress the sudden tears that filled his eyes.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews and to Vinnie and Leena for their help.
Web of Lies: Revelations.
Everyone stayed still for a long minute after the blond boy came in. then, as if planned, the Malfoy heir smiled nastily while Ron, Hermione and Ginny jumped on their feet.
"Well, well, well, look who we have here, if it isn't the weasel and the mudblood. A pity that scarhead isn't here."
Hermione glared at him while putting a hand on Ron's arm to keep him away from Malfoy. "Leave."
The Slytherin pouted. "Oh, you want me to leave, just like Potty did? But why? After all I have nothing to hide. He surely was afraid everyone would find out he murdered Diggory, wasn't he?"
Ron ripped his arm from Hermione's grip and without picking up his wand he punched Malfoy in the face before the blonde had the chance to move out of the way. Hermione and Ginny screamed for him to stop, but when Crabe and Goyle moved in to help their leader, they were forced to curse them before they could beat Ron up.
While the seemingly older teenagers fought, Harry had moved further into the corner. The words the blonde boy had said had hurt him deeply. Was that what everyone thought of him? Shivering, he curled up further. He was so caught up in his own misery, that he didn't hear the door to the compartment open once again.
"What is going on here?"
The sharp voice managed to break through Alec's self-loathing and he looked up at the same time as the fighting teens. Everyone froze when they saw Snape's stern face looking down at them. Alec shivered again and tried to hide in the corner even more. That fact didn't go unnoticed by the dark Potions Master, making him frown even more.
"I'm waiting for an explanation."
Malfoy quickly stood up trying to straighten his now pink hair. "Weasley attacked us, sir."
Hermione opened her mouth to protest against that lie, but Snape's voice cut her. "Then maybe you should keep to your own compartment, Mister Malfoy." Before the teen had the chance to answer, the Potions Master's attention shifted to Harry. "Alec, are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
Harry shivered slightly, when all the teens turned to face him, surprised at the concerned tone of voice their professor had used. "No, they haven't hurt me."
Severus frowned at the soft voice, he could tell there was something wrong with the teen so he quickly walked past Ron and Ginny and went to kneel at his side. "What's wrong then?"
Shaking his head, Alec tried to sit up again. "Nothing, really."
Snape sighed and put his arms around the teen, lifting him up. "You know it would be easier if you just told us the truth from time to time about how you're really feeling."
Harry blushed a bit, knowing that the man was too observant and wouldn't really be convinced if he told him he was fine. Instead of answering him, he buried his face in the man's neck, and refused to move from there. His thoughts returned to Malfoy's words, and he couldn't help but shiver at the helplessness those memories caused. He didn't look up from his spot, not even when Severus spoke again.
"Alec, what's wrong? You're trembling."
The man put a hand on the boy's back, rubbing it lightly. His concern for the young teen made him forget the other students present at the compartment, who were right now gapping at the man. Even the three Slytherins, who knew their Head of House fairly well, were surprised at the care and gentleness coming from the dark man.
Even hearing the worry in the Potions Master's words, Alec refused to answer. He couldn't answer that question truthfully and he wasn't sure he was up to lie to the man right now, so he remained silent, head still pressed against the man's neck, while his arms went to encircle it tightly. The silence was broken when another voice spoke from the door.
"Severus, what's going on?"
Everyone except Alec turned to look at the tall woman standing at the door. Snape's concerned expression turned into a deep scowl when he remembered the students who had been standing there all the time. "It seems your students and mine can't get along for even a few minutes. They were fighting when I arrived."
Minerva pressed her lips together, glaring at the teens. "I guess it would be too much to ask that you behaved your age instead of reminding us of first years."
Ron opened his mouth to explain what had happened, but his head of house wasn't interested, she could easily guess what had happened, it was always the same. "Yes, yes Mr Weasley, I know. Mr Malfoy came here, baited you and you were not able to use your brain and ignore him. I wonder if any of you will ever grow up."
The three Gryffindors looked down, not having expected such harsh words from the woman. Malfoy was smirking happily, until his eyes met Snape's. The man was obviously not pleased with them and that didn't bode well for them. To the whole school, Snape always defended them and allowed them to get away with everything they wished. The reality was not so nice. The man understood them better than any other teacher and it was true that he often let things pass that others would have punished, but that lasted as long as you kept the man happy. A displeased Snape was not someone you wished to cross, specially not if you were a Slytherin. The man really knew how to ensure that they behaved, and Draco wasn't looking forward to his head of house's lecture.
McGonagall ignored the children and turned her attention to the teen cradled in Snape's arms. "Alec?"
The child didn't move and Severus sighed. "Don't bother, Minerva, I already tried to figure out what's wrong with him. Do you mind sorting the students out, I'll take Alec to the teachers' compartment."
The woman nodded, a worried frown creasing her face as she watched as Severus took the trembling teen out of the compartment. Once they had disappeared, she turned to the teenagers still standing in the room. The concern fell from her face and was immediately replaced by a stern glare.
"Now, what are we going to do with you lot? We can't have you arguing every minute, things are already complicated enough as they are, no need for students to act like they are five year olds."
The students sighed and shared a small look, knowing that the woman was far from finished with them.
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Severus walked quickly through the cramped halls of the train, students parted to let him pass, wondering who was the student clutching the man's neck. Harry, who was still trembling in the man's arms, was slightly aware of those gazes and kept his face firmly pressed against Snape's shoulder. A small voice in him was telling him he should stop acting this way, while Malfoy's words had been very unpleasant and had distraught him while he said them, he was not as affected by them as his reactions showed. He just wanted to get out of that compartment and knew that the only way to do it without offending anyone in there was to force one of the teachers to take him out. Sighing softly, Harry moved a bit in the embrace and tightened his grip. He was starting to become too proficient at this lying thing, to manage to get Snape worried enough that he would take him to the teachers' compartment surely showed he had learned to act convincible and that bothered him.
Not for the first time, he wondered what everyone's reaction would be when they found out, because he had no doubt that they would. He specially dreaded the reaction he was going to get from the man that was currently carrying him. He had always hated him and Harry feared that that animosity would return tenfold once he discovered the truth. The worst part of that was that he now genuinely liked the man; he was one of the few who had taken the time to come and visit him without prompting from Dumbledore. Closing his eyes tightly, Harry tightened his grip more, trying to suppress the sudden tears that filled his eyes.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews and to Vinnie and Leena for their help.