(Winces) For those reading Heir of Blood it's not going to be finished until sometime after the 25th when I get back from vacation. Sorry. A plot bunny for this story took hold and with HBP coming out in about two days I haven't been able to concentrate much on my own stories. On that note, enjoy this chapter of Deceptive Appearances.

ShadeDancer

Disclaimer: (Twists out of a constraining white jacket) I made a deal, I profess that I do not own Harry Potter and They let me go. They will let me claim this twisted plot and the pranks within it though.

Chapter 10: Plots and Visions

Hogsmeade had suffered damages but was being rebuilt even as the inhabitants mourned their losses. It also wasn't that unusual to see the older Hogwarts students in the town during a free period to lend a hand. It was a shame that most of the aid offered by the Slytherins was mistrusted, for they had many useful spells tucked up their sleeves that would make the renovations move faster. Harry could often be found in either Hogsmeade or in the dungeons brewing healing potions for the people injured in the attack that hadn't been taken to St. Mungos. It was what the people expected of the boy-who-lived, yet for Harry it helped gain their support and gave him a greater position in wizarding society. He just hoped it would be enough, he didn't know exactly where he stood in the eyes of the wizarding world as most of the mail he had been receiving since the article about his adoption had aired was now being diverted in order to be screened by the teachers. Thankfully, amongst the people of Hogsmead his actions were managing to dispel any doubts about his sanity, and without Rita Skeeter writing on how unbalanced he was Harry's life grew slightly easier.

The other reason Harry spent so much time in the dungeons supposedly brewing potions was to escape the female population of the school and some of the male as well. Sure he had been considered a catch before, but now since his looks had changed the overtures were more blatant and he had received many hints from people willing to sleep with him. Thankfully most of them wouldn't follow him into the dungeons, though whether it was because of the atmosphere or Snape he didn't know, but his bet was on Snape. The professor practically exuded menace and intimidation, yet Harry no longer really noticed; he saw past all that now and couldn't help but remember Snape crooning softly to Fluffy. In that moment his visions of a greasy, bitter man had been destroyed and replaced with the man Severus really was. Speaking of the devil—

"Why am I not surprised to see you down here again" Snape gave a smirk that could almost be called a grin "to what do I owe the pleasure of your company this time?"

"Planning a prank" Harry replied offhandedly as he kept a close eye on the bubbling cauldron in front of him "and hiding from Draco, he and Pansy are cloyingly sick in their affection for each other lately."

Severus eyed Harry suspiciously "this won't cost Slytherin any points will it?"

Harry shook his head and added a mixture of cascara segrada made from the dried root of a thorny shrub to the now simmering potion turning the concoction a clear color "I don't plan on getting caught, but it will cost Gryffindor just as many if I do."

"So what's the prank" the Potions Master couldn't resist asking as Harry removed the cauldron from the fire and cooled it with a spell.

"Clear, odorless, tasteless" Harry indicated to the potion he was ladling into a group of waiting vials "and will give the consumer the runs for hours."

Severus smirked in appreciation but noticed what he believed to be a flaw in the plan "how do you intend to slip the potion to people since they would be wary and suspect you if you walked to the different tables?"

Harry gave a sly smile and winked "There are always those willing to be helpful no matter what house you belong to."

Severus laughed, quickly catching on, and made his way to his desk to begin grading the essays he had collected from the third years the day before while ignoring the fact that Harry had decided to claim a corner of his desk in order to do homework. Normally he would have snapped at anyone who presumed to take such liberties, but he had become comfortable with Harry's quiet and unassuming presence in his classroom and office. For the longest while silence was the only sound ringing through the classroom until Harry gathered up his essays and bade Severus a goodnight. He had almost made it through the door when the low, silky voice gave him pause.

"Do try and get the old coot for me" Severus made the request, never once looking up from the papers he was grading.

"Oh, I intend to" Harry smirked before vanishing through the door, missing the small smile that crossed the potion master's lips.

… … … … …

"There you are" Draco exclaimed as Harry walked into the Great Hall for dinner "where have you been all day?"

"Plotting" Harry smirked.

"Plotting?" Draco raised an immaculate eyebrow in question but Harry merely continued to smirk.

"You'll find out soon enough" Harry hinted before delving into his dinner, surreptitiously casting a spell to make sure his food was free of any taint.

And indeed near the end of dinner, Draco did find out as various people all over the Hall began to stand and make a mad dash to the nearest restroom. To Harry though the most satisfying thing was seeing Dumbledore stand up and walk with stately grace out of the hall, a twinkling smile pasted firmly upon his face. Harry would have bet his firebolt that the moment Dumbledore was out of the sight of students he began to make a mad dash to the bathroom.

"That was cruel" Draco crowed with laughter as yet another student ran from the hall "bonus points for that one Harry."

Harry looked up at the head table where Severus was still sitting, eating placidly with a tiny smirk etched upon his face. As if sensing that someone was watching him, Severus looked up and caught Harry's eye, his smirk widening into a near smile. Harry couldn't help but smile back as he melted ever so slightly inside. He hadn't realized before what a smile the older Slytherin had until it was directed at him like this. It was then that Harry knew he was in trouble, deep trouble.

… … … … …

"I want the spy Lucius" the serpentine voice of Voldemort hissed as he hit Lucius with another cruciatus curse "someone must have leaked about the raid. I expect an answer by the New Year. Also, continue your work to bring your newest son into the fold; I am still displeased that you took such an initiative and have not yet turned him over to me, but this idea of yours might work—or it may cost you your life."

"Y-yes Master" Lucius was trying to control the pain induced quaver in his voice "I-I won't f-fail you."

"See that you don't" Voldemort's tone was silky now as he dismissed Lucius "or you'll wish you had died along with Parkinson."

Lucius scraped his way out of Voldemort's throne room and Riddle turned to Wormtail.

"Send for Bella and Avery" Voldemort whispered the command "they too will help find the traitor among us, but Lucius is not to know."

Wormtail gratefully scampered away as Voldemort began to hiss at Nagini "sssoon my pet. Ssssoon we will have the ssspy and the Potter boy."

Harry jerked awake, sweat coating his trembling body as the fires of the vision experienced cruciatus ran through him. He had to tell Dumbledore of his vision even though he wasn't at all comfortable with the man right now. Dumbledore had been trying to get back into his good graces even as the old coot set into motion plans designed to manipulate him. Yet he had to go to Dumbledore, it would look suspicious if he went to Severus first and not the Headmaster. Sighing Harry pulled himself from bed, clenching his fist in a futile effort to stop the trembling as his muscles continually seized. Shuffling until his feet slipped into his slippers, Harry decided to forgo his invisibility cloak and merely wrapped his everyday cloak about his cold body. It was ironic how even though the visions always left him sweaty, his body was always so froze afterwards and the winter chill of December that haunted the halls of Hogwarts wasn't helping any right now. Harry's mind narrowed down to the single thought of getting to the Headmaster's office as he thoughtlessly traversed the night-darkened corridors to come to a halt in front of the gargoyle. He didn't know the password, couldn't think of it through the one-track haze his mind had become.

"Please open" he sighed to the stone creature "I must tell of what I've seen."

Surprisingly the gargoyle moved and Harry moved stiffly forward; he could have sworn the gargoyle gave him the tiniest of nudges to get him onto the revolving staircases but passed it off as his imagination, the wall had already closed behind him. Finally the stairs came to a halt and Harry found himself wearily knocking on the door to Dumbledore's office, entering when bid to.

"Harry my boy" Dumbledore motioned for him to take the empty chair next to Severus "what brings you here? Tea?"

"I had a vision" Harry's voice felt thick and he was surprised he wasn't slurring his words "he knows there is a traitor and has commanded dad, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Avery to find the spy. He has until the new year."

Dumbledore's face grew grave as he glanced at Severus "and you have heard nothing of this?"

Severus shook his head "no Albus, I have not."

"I'm afraid for dad" Harry accepted the tea and pulled his cloak tighter around him to keep his teeth from chattering as he spoke "Voldemort did not say he suspected him, but called him in separate from Bellatrix and Avery. He doesn't know the other two are working to find the spy. There was just something about the way that Voldemort looked at dad that worries me."

"Are you alright" Severus suddenly spoke to Harry, he had seen the boys' trembling hand as he had reached for the tea "you're trembling and barely seem coherent."

Harry's trembles were becoming more visibly pronounced now and Dumbledore came around his desk to remove the tea cup from Harry's hands before the boy spilt it all over himself "what's wrong my boy?"

"Torture" Harry chattered "Voldemort tortured dad with cruciatus."

Realization dawned in Dumbledore's eyes as he answered Severus' unspoken question "Harry feels the torture he sees Voldemort use in his visions. How many times Harry? How many cruciatus curses were used?"

Harry forced his closing eyes back open "s-ssix."

"Six" Dumbledore and Severus were horrified.

"Maybe more" Harry struggled to remember before trying to shrug.

"Severus" Dumbledore took charge "fetch an after-cruciatus potion and we'll take Harry to the hospital wing."

"No hospital wing" Harry shook his head, trembling and pulling his cloak tighter "Madam Pom-f-frey—"

"It would probably be best to return him to his own rooms" Severus broke in, realizing what Harry was trying to say "I will stay with him and it will keep unwanted visitors from trying to sneak into the hospital wing to disturb his recovery. It's probably best to keep this quiet anyhow and tomorrow being a Saturday gives him an excuse for being absent."

Dumbledore frowned, but nodded "I believe you are right Severus, but if Harry has not shown improvement by tomorrow evening he will have to be moved to the hospital wing."

"Come along" Severus helped support Harry as Albus returned to his desk to take care of some work "I don't want to give you the potion until you are lying down."

Severus waited until they were down the corridor and away from the gargoyle before removing his own cloak to wrap around Harry before picking the boy up. It would be faster this way and he would have done it sooner except he had an image to uphold, even in front of Albus.

"Thanks" Harry gifted Severus with a wane smile as the man carried him to his rooms and tucked him into bed, it was nice to see how Severus could be when he considered you under his care.

"Here" Severus rummaged through a bag full of vials he had pulled from somewhere "this will ease the pain and send you into dreamless sleep. I'll stay with you while you sleep."

Harry nodded and knocked back the vial Severus had handed him, grimacing at the taste even as he felt warmth flow through him. He didn't have time to notice Severus catching the vial before it fell from his limp hand as he was already being sucked into a gentle cocoon of sleep. He also missed the soft smile that played over Severus' lips as the man straightened the covers around him and placed a fleeting kiss upon his forehead before settling down in a chair next to the bed with a book in his hands.

Even as Harry slept peacefully, Severus continued to glance up at the boy, occasionally brushing an unruly strand of hair from the sleeping figures face. He was glad Albus had allowed him to return Harry to his rooms instead of taking him to the hospital wing; it would have been too suspicious if he had sat all night next to Harry's bed then even though he was fiercely protective of his Slytherins. As far as Albus knew he was completely loyal to him and would never go against orders, but what the old coot didn't know was that for some he would openly defy him. Harry was one of the few that could make him defy Albus Dumbledore, one of the few he would die for. Severus slipped down lower in the chair he was sitting in and pulled his cloak over himself like a blanket, allowing the steady rhythm of Harry's breathing to lull him to sleep.

A/N: Sorry it's been going so slow on this story, I tend to work on Heir of Blood more than this one. (Shrugs) Then of course there is the number of other ideas I've been toying with that I haven't posted on yet…

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. You all are awesome.

Posted On: July 14, 2005