Harry slept through Christmas. He awoke two days later in the hospital wing, feeling highly uncomfortable. He automatically looked for Severus, and then remembered what Dumbledore had told him, and did not reach out to the large centaur sleeping awkwardly near his bedside.
He stared at the ceiling and wondered. Was it possible? Could he…despite everything…still love him? The centaur that had murdered his parents…could he forgive him?
Should he?
He hurt. His entire body ached. The curtain was pulled back and Dumbledore appeared. He looked relieved upon seeing him awake.
"Thank Merlin you've finally awoken, my boy."
"What happened to me?" Harry asked, wincing as he tried to rise up on his arms.
"Madam Pomfrey seems to think you had a heart attack. Not to mention an unhealthy level of stress. It knocked you out for about a week. You've been conscious before, but you didn't make any sense. You were rambling."
"I don't remember any of that…" Harry trailed off worriedly. Dumbledore nodded.
"Nothing to worry yourself over. I am sorry, Harry, for distressing you as I did."
Harry nodded. Then realization dawned.
"The trial!" his loud exclamation woke Severus, who jumped in surprise. There were blackened bags underneath his eyes – he had obviously not slept well while Harry was sick.
"Ah, yes, that matter has been resolved. I attended on your behalf and convinced the Wizengamot that you were merely defending a defenseless creature. Mr. Malfoy wished to have you imprisoned at the very least, but an expert on the subject enlightened the courts on a few aspects of centaur culture. The fact that your spiritual beliefs are tied to unicorns did a great deal for your case. You are cleared of all charges."
Harry relaxed against the pillow, feeling as though a great weight had been lifted off his chest. He glanced at Severus and sighed. One burden had been lifted…and another had been added.
He wanted to reach out to Severus, and Severus obviously wished him to, but even though he smiled he could not bring himself to ask for his touch. He did not want those hands on him. It was far, far too painful.
He changed the subject, breaking the strange staring contest between himself and Severus.
"When will the students be back?"
"In a few days time. You will be allowed to recover in peace. With that good news delivered, I think I shall return to my office. I have quite a bit of work that must be done. Good day to you both," Dumbledore said before leaving.
The silence was awkward. Severus opened his mouth slowly, as if he was still shaping the question in his mind.
"Dumbledore would not tell me what he discussed with you." Not a question, then, after all.
"I would prefer it…remain private."
Severus looked away, crossing his arms across his chest awkwardly, as it was obvious Harry did not want to be touched or embraced.
"I found your letter. You must have forgotten to deliver it to the Headmaster."
Realization made Harry's eyes widen.
"I did forget! No wonder I haven't heard from my herd."
Severus winced.
Harry felt bad, but thought that a little distance between them was necessary until he came to terms with Severus's crime and discovered the truth of the evil presence inside Hogwarts.
"Yes, well, Madam Pomfrey will probably wish to examine you. I have work to do as well. I will come by later if she does not release you."
Harry nodded. The silence hung between them. After an obvious battle with himself, Severus leaned over to kiss him. Harry couldn't help it. He turned his head away.
He just wasn't ready to blindly forgive, and he wasn't ready to have the lengthy heart to heart that would be necessary.
Severus looked at him sadly, but then his eyes hardened.
"If that is how you feel, then perhaps you should join your friends in their dormitory." Severus's tone was harsh and heated.
Angry at Severus for not simply understanding him, for not realizing what troubled him, for trying to make him be the one that dragged the sordid past into the light, he did the only thing that seemed reasonable at the time.
"Get away from me, Severus. You don't understand anything and you have no idea how upset I am!"
"It seems I don't understand you. Perhaps you're just an ignorant colt after all."
"I am not a child and I am not ignorant! Get out!"
"What's all this fuss about? Severus, go on out. I will not have you distressing my patient!" Madam Pomfrey declared hotly, boldly pushing Severus out of the curtained area. Harry snorted angrily when he heard the distinct sound of Severus's back hoof driving angrily into the ground.
"I heard that!" he shouted in what, he admitted, was a very childish way. Severus's growl of irritation was all he heard before the older centaur was gone from the infirmary.
"Now you stop it, Harry! You've just had a terrible spell with your heart and the first thing you do upon waking is getting upset again. Drink this."
Harry drank it, and when he awoke again, it was the next day and Severus was not at his bedside. He refused to cry, even though he desperately wanted to do just that.
SSHP
When the students returned from winter vacation, Harry and Severus were still not speaking, and Harry had been sleeping on a pallet in the boy's dorm. This meant that Harry spent all his time with Ron, Hermione, and Neville and found himself doing things with them that he had previously avoided.
Like visiting Hagrid.
Harry had made impressive progress with his confidence around two-legs, but the giant still made him uneasy. It didn't help matters that Hagrid seemed fascinated by him.
"Try not to mind it, Harry. Hagrid just loves magical creatures. He doesn't mean any insult," Hermione tried to explain as they walked to the giant man's hut. Harry wished he had an excuse to be somewhere else, but his three friends knew he was on the outs with Snape so nothing came to mind that they would believe.
Hagrid opened the door on their first knock and looked delighted to see that Harry had come along for the visit.
"Hermione, Ron, Neville! Glad to see you all! An' I see you brought a friend as well."
"Hello Hagrid. You know Harry, of course."
"A' course…ain't nobody at Hogwarts that ain't heard all about young Harry! I admit, I've wanted to talk with you fer months, but Hermione told me you were still a bit skittish."
Harry didn't like being discussed as though he were a wild animal. He wished for the millionth time that he was not being herded into the cabin and that he was sitting with Severus by their fireplace.
Eventually, the pleasantries were done with and they were all seated around a large table with mugs of tea and a plate of rock hard cookies in front of them. Hermione hurt her teeth trying to eat one out of politeness, so Harry was quick to make an excuse.
"None for me thanks. We centaurs…err…have strict diets."
"Really now? That's fascinatin', Harry. Mr. Snape seems to enjoy the desserts after meals, so I never would have thought you lot were picky eaters!" Harry cursed Severus for having such a sweet tooth. Hagrid smiled and took another swig of his drink. "Then again, Severus is a strange one! Er…I mean, Mr. Snape to you lot. 'Cept to Harry, of course."
"Heh, right," Ron said nervously, interrupting the conversation before Hagrid started to ask about centaur mating habits. "Anyway," Ron began, "We've figured out that Fluffy is guarding the Sorcerer's Stone."
Hagrid spewed a bit of his drink onto Harry, who wiped the drops off his face distastefully.
"Err, sorry Harry. You lot shouldn't be poking yer' noses into that! That's top secret, that is!"
"Hagrid, we think…err…someone is trying to get his hands on the stone." Hermione explained. Hagrid scoffed.
"Now don't you worry 'bout that. There's more than jus' Fluffy guardin' the stone. All the teachers helped out."
The four of them pondered this information for a moment before Hermione raised another question.
"I'm glad that Fluffy isn't the only defense but…you know, Hagrid…you're not very good at keeping secrets. You haven't let anyone know how to get past Fluffy have you?"
Harry knew why Hermione was asking. The other day, Neville had lingered in the hallway after a detention with Severus and heard Professor McNair and Snape discussing something in hushed tones. He'd come to the conclusion that they were deciding when to go after the stone.
"Of course I haven't! And I can keep a secret jus' fine, Hermione! The fact that it just takes a little music to put Fluffy to sleep it top secret, an' I'll take that to my grave, I will."
"Hagrid!" Ron, Hermione, and Neville chastised in unison. The large man's eyes immediately widened.
"You didn't hear that from me," he defended quickly. Despite the situation, Harry smiled. The big ground's keeper wasn't that bad he supposed.
The conversation continued until the tea was done and the group made their excuses.
"We have to be going. It will be curfew soon," Hermione said. "Thank you for having us over, Hagrid."
"Anytime, anytime," Hagrid replied warmly. He shooed them all out and immediately they began to discuss the new development.
"If Hagrid told us that easily, someone else that was really trying could have gotten it out of him for sure. I think we need to tell Dumbledore that someone might know how to get past Fluffy."
Harry thought this was a sound idea as well.
"Alright, let's go then," Neville said. "I know where his office is."
Neville led them to a statue of a winged griffin.
"This is it, but I don't know the password."
"Mr. Longbottom, what are you four doing here?"
The group looked nervously at Professor McGonagall.
"We need to speak with Professor Dumbledore," Hermione answered. McGonagall shook her head.
"I'm afraid the Headmaster was summoned to London. He had some business to attend to," After informing them of this, she swept off down the hall, oblivious to their worried stares.
"We have to go after it ourselves. Tonight. Snape and McNair must have planned for Dumbledore to be duped into leaving," Neville said with courage he didn't really feel. Ron nodded as well.
"Come on then. We'll go to the dormitory and prepare, then we'll sneak back out after curfew."
Harry nodded in agreement and followed them back to the Gryffindor tower.
Curfew came much to fast for anyone's liking. They met in the dark common room. Neville, Hermione, and Ron had their wands. Harry had his bow and arrows. He wasn't that great of a shot, but he didn't have magic to defend himself as the others did.
Hurriedly, the four of them made their way to the forbidden hallway.
"I can't believe we're doing this. We could get expelled!" Hermione moaned quietly, hesitating at the door. Neville gave her a reassuring look.
"It's going to be okay, Hermione. We have to do this. We can't let You-Know-Who get the stone. We just can't."
"Alright then, let's do this." Ron boldly grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. The door swung open soundlessly and the barking they expected was absent.
Fluffy was already asleep. In the corner, an enchanted lap harp strummed peacefully.
"Looks like Snape and McNair have beaten us here. We have to hurry."
Bravely, the group of four made their way to the trap door just to the left of Fluffy's massive paw.
A/N: The end is in sight! Yay!