Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.

A/N: A few days ago I was pretty pissed off; all the reviews I kept reading were about the same thing: make your chapters longer. If that's the only thing you've got to say, don't bother reviewing. I have spent about three years writing the way I do and I see no reason to change it. The chapters are short, deal with it. If you don't like it just don't read, it's as easy as that.

Could I do my chapters longer? Probably, but the only thing that I'm going to say about that is that the second chapter of Take life in your own hands has been lying there half written for months and I don't think I'll finish it anytime soon for the simple reason that it wears on my patience. Would you really prefer a chapter of about ten pages every half a year? Don't think so. About updating more often, to do that I would need more time to write, which at the present time is impossible due to real life.

Someone said that I either make chapters longer or update more often, actually, I was very tempted for a moment to just drop the whole thing, I can just as easily keep writing at my own pace for my friends. Considering how much I hate when authors stop writing, I won't do that, even Triumvirate, as much as I dislike that fic right now.

Sorry about the rant but I meant every word of it. Now on to the chapter.

Web of Lies: Revelations

Lying around on the beds in the hospital wing were several of his former classmates. They seemed to be doing ok, but Madam Pomfrey had probably forced them to lie down just in case something else was wrong. The nurse rushed to them once she saw them enter the large room.

"Are you hurt too, Severus?"

The man scowled. "It's just a scratch, Poppy, but the headmaster insisted."

The woman nodded and turned her gaze towards Harry. Raising an eyebrow, she considered him carefully. "You weren't in that class, were you?"

The teen smiled slightly. "No, Madam Pomfrey, but I was in granddad's office when Uncle Severus came in so Granddad told me to make sure he came to the hospital wing."

The medi-witch couldn't help but laugh at those words. "He asked you to bring Severus here? It's a wonder you got here at all."

The teen couldn't help but laugh at those words while Poppy led them both to a bed standing in one of the corners of the hospital wing. Ordering Severus to sit down on the bed, she went to fetch several potions while the man took his robes and shirt off. Harry frowned at the sight of the wound; it looked deep and blood was still coming out of it. Catching the teen's concerned gaze, the man nodded to him, inviting him to come closer. Once Alec was standing at his side, the man gently ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry, Kid, it's not as bad as it looks."

Before Alec had the chance to answer, Poppy returned with the potions, and without a word, she handed one of them to Snape. Barely glancing at it, he drowned the blue liquid and closed his eyes, feeling the warm prickling of the potion moving through his body and healing his shoulder. The nurse cast a few more spells to make sure everything was as it should, and after checking on Alec again, much to his annoyance, she allowed them to leave.

Severus led the way this time towards the dungeons. Once there, Alec sat comfortably in one of the couches facing the fire while the Potions Master headed to his private rooms to shower. When he returned, with his hair dripping slightly from the shower, he saw that Alec had called for tea. With a grateful smile towards the teen, he sat down and took the hot cup of tea in his hands.

The teen took his own cup, since he had been waiting for the man to return before starting on his own. "How are you feeling?"

The man looked up and smiled slightly. "I'm fine, Kid, don't worry about me. But what about you? I heard you spent the night in the Hospital Wing."

Alec shrugged slightly. "I just had a headache and thought it better to go to Madam Pomfrey before Granddad found out and got on my case."

The Potions Master laughed. "Smart lad."

They stayed in silence for a while, both enjoying the companionable silence that reigned in the room. Severus looked towards the teen, a small contented smile playing on his lips. He could barely believe how much his life had changed in the few short months he had come to know Dumbledore's grandson. The lad had slowly wormed his way into his heart, and he now could barely imagine his life without him in it to give him something to fight for. Yes, Alec Dumbledore was a remarkable young man, and while Severus sometimes still had the feeling there were many secrets surrounding the teen, he loved him more than he had loved anyone in a long time.

"Uncle Severus?"

The man blinked, he had been so lost in thought that he barely noticed the teen had turned around to look at him. "Sorry, Alec, I was just thinking. Is there something wrong?"

The teen shook his head. "No, not really, I was just wondering if you knew what Granddad was going to do with the students."

Severus shrugged slightly. "I don't know, and I don't really care. I meant what I said; they're not setting foot in my classroom until I'm sure they can behave themselves. The fact that Miss Granger herself has gone so far as to involve herself with the petty fights clearly shows that things have gone out of hand."

Harry nodded in agreement but remained otherwise silent. He couldn't help but feel that his disappearance was the main cause for all the fights. Snape, noticing the sad look on the teen's face, frowned thoughtfully. He looked almost guilty, but that didn't make sense; it was certainly not his fault that the children in this school were behaving like a horde of babies without a hint of maturity.

"Alec? What's wrong?"

Snapped out of his sad thoughts, his brain raced to find a suitable explanation. "No, Uncle, nothing's wrong. I was just worried that this would mean more trouble for Granddad; he's already so stressed."

Severus frowned; somehow, he doubted that was what the teen had had in mind, but nevertheless, the kid had a point. Now that he was not so angry anymore, he realised that it had been a bit selfish of him to shove the problems towards the headmaster. With a sigh, he finished drinking his tea and stood up.

"Come on, Alec, I'll take you to your common room, and then I'm going to see what I can do to help your grandfather."

The teen frowned and looked at him intently. "Are you sure, Uncle Severus?"

The man raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly. "Of course I am, I'm sure the headmaster will appreciate my...input."

Harry couldn't help but laugh slightly at the almost evil smile that graced the man's face. He finished his own tea and followed the man outside.

Once Severus had left him safely in the common room, Harry realised it was still fairly early. With a glance towards the Ravenclaw portrait, he decided to use his time and go to the Chamber, where Salazar would probably be. He still had an hour till lunch, and Harry would probably be able to start on that assignment Salazar wanted done for next weekend.

Luckily, he didn't meet anyone on his way down, and once there, he swiftly headed towards Salazar's office. He was a bit startled to see the ghost sitting, well, floating behind his table, surrounded by parchments and several books.

"Salazar?"

The ghost started and turned around sharply. "Alexander Dumbledore, don't do that! You nearly killed me!"

Alec blinked and then raised an eyebrow. "Sorry to break it down to you, Salazar, but you've been dead for about a thousand years."

The ghost turned around, grumbling something under his breath, and started to gather his papers. Alec walked towards the desk and sat down in his usual desk.

"What were you doing, Salazar?"

The ghost looked up sharply and sneered at him, it was obvious he didn't like being interrupted. "That's none of your concern, brat." Before Harry had the chance to apologise, the founder continued. "What are you doing down here anyways, you should be in class."

Alec's frown deepened, and he stood up. "I came to work on that project you ordered me to do, but I see now is not a good time. I'll see you this evening."

Harry was about to leave when he heard a sigh, and the ghost called him back.

"Alec. Come back here."

For a second, it looked like Harry might refuse out of sheer pride, but with a sigh of his own, he turned around and looked at the ghost. "I'm sorry, I didn't mead to intrude."

Slytherin shook his head and motioned to the chair. "There's no need to apologise, you did nothing wrong, and it's certainly not your fault that I'm in a bad mood. I'm sorry for taking it out on you."

Harry nodded, and finally went to sit. Once there, he took out a few pieces of parchment and summoned two books. Normally, he would have chatted a bit with the ghost, but after being yelled at, he didn't think the founder would appreciate it.

Salazar frowned at the nearly pouting teen, but since he had been unfair to him, he decided to let it go and put his attention to a potions book that Alec had brought him a few days ago. While he had heard of the new discoveries from Severus while the man worked on them, there was much he had missed in the long years he had remained excommunicated.

To be continued...

A/N: Thanks for all reviews (those who actualy talked about the fic) and thanks to my beta reader, Vinnie.