Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Pairing: Severus/Harry.
Rating: R
Summary: For as long as he lived Harry was never going to forget the sight of those black eyes in pain. The light hit Snape from the side and then it seemed to cover him as he turned in it to face the boy he had protected so many times before. And it looked like he was melting...
Author's note: I'm really sorry. Even I am not so unnecessarily cruel, but in my defense I did warn that updates would be exasperatingly spare. Writer's block is a killer though and so I am very, very sorry. Thanks for sticking around though.
Author: Spirit
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The Cinderman's Kiss
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CHAPTER 7
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Discovering the cure for Snape's swallowing problem gave Harry a little less sense of satisfaction than he had always imagined. Sure he was happy about it and he could sense Snape's relief when the test glass of water was induced without a reappearance. He held his breath when they moved on to having Snape eat solid food. This was nothing more than a peg of orange and two strawberries, but Harry couldn't help the thread of pride that he felt watching Snape chew and swallow successfully. He had brewed a potion all by himself. Invented a potion even, for all the compensations he had made and all the hours that he had spent in the Potions room pouring over scrolls. He had made the key to Snape's recovery. Strangely enough though, once the small moment of euphoria wore off, Harry felt like a black hole had swallowed him. The realization that they were only just now at the beginning of getting Snape well again was frightening.
'What is the problem?' Snape asked softly when Harry sat down on the bedside chair and immediately slumped over in it.
Harry immediately rose and gave a half smile, responding "Nothing," even as he reached out his arms.
On cue, Snape wrapped his good arm around Harry's neck and waited for Harry to adjust his head at the junction between Harry's neck and shoulder. Strong arms wrapped around his waist. If Harry's lips brushed the curve of his ear when Harry began to count to three, Snape did not mention it. Just like he did not mention the way Harry's thumbs slid across his cheeks softly as his head was settled within the headrest, before the rest of the chair's restraints were attached along several parts of Snape's body.
Just like Harry did not mention the way that Snape lightly grasped his hand to prevent his retreat as soft words feathered their way across his mind like a caress when Snape responded, "Tell me."
Harry shook his head.
"Just need to gather the panel again. Tell them that we found a potion that works. Decide on what to do from here. Figure out what I'm going to do in a week when university restarts. I don't want to leave you here alone which only leaves me with asking Dobby. Not that he'll mind. I've been thinking too that I don't want to infringe on Daryll anymore so I'm going to have to get him to give me a crash course in how to take care of you. He loves his mother but I think it's wearing on him to have to see her so often. Then there is the potion or potions that we'll need. Now that I have this potion to use as a key, I can start on the ones to heal your muscles. Of course I'll have to break the curse first." Harry paused in his diatribe to smile as he focussed on the silent man before him. "But like I said, it's nothing that I can't handle."
'Perhaps I can help with the Potion making.' At the look of protest forming on Harry's face, Snape quickly continued. 'I will handle the intricate details and the research so that you may just brew the potions using instructions that I will write for you.'
"Like Potions class?" Harry teased. "Those were no fun."
'Without my immediate presence, let us hope that you elicit more favorable results in shorter periods of time," Snape responded dryly.
Harry laughed, then tapered the laugh down to a smile as his eyes searched the face of the figure before him. He loved Snape's amber eye, he admitted to himself. Just like he loved the levels of Snape's character, such as bravery and even stubborn pride.
"Alright. I suppose you must have been really bored these two weeks," Harry conceded. "It would be really good to finally just fall into bed at night instead of worrying about the scores of research that I've been losing sleep over these few nights. So by all means I'm more than willing to pass on that burden to you."
'So it is settled.'
Harry nodded. "And now we can go and greet the morning." He stepped back a little, unncessarily but on reflex, as Snape lifted the chair to hover into the air. "By the way, tell me if you feel nauseous throughout the day, especially if you eat again. It's a regular reaction for persons previously malnurished and as this will be the first time you'll be really eating on your own for hopefully a prolongued period, your body will need to learn how not to reject food as poison to your digestive system. I'll be in the living room in conference all day. You can join me if you want, the glamour charm that I cast last time should still hold. But of course that won't matter because you speak to me in my mind. So you won't be interrupting me or anything."
Snape raised an eyebrow. 'I give you the benefit of the doubt Potter, and then you do something like state a very obvious point and I'm left wondering if you will ever be able to lay claim to a task such as thinking before you speak. But just for the benefit of confirmation, I will indeed inform you if I feel nausiated and yes, Potter, I know that a benfit to this link that you have established is that of a shared privacy.'
Harry rolled his eyes, briefly stuck out his tongue, then walked away laughing as he was followed closely behind by a certain man in a flying wheelchair.
They parted company in elongated hallway as Snape headed to his recovery room where Dobby was probably waiting to babysit him, while Harry went downstairs to first call the panel and then sit patiently and await their arival
And arrive they did, all in a flurry of action and excited chatting as they all examined the flask of potion that was on exihit.
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Three hours later, Harry sat alone in his living room staring into the flickering flames of his fireplace.
Hermione paused at the door to watch him sip at a nearly empty glass of red wine which he moved only long enough to set carefully oneside on the floor. He hadn't even noticed her presence and that made her sigh. She walked over to him, sat on the couch beside him before wraping her arms around him comfortingly then very briefly resting her head on his shoulder.
"About what the panel said..." She paused to regroup. "It was a suggestion Harry. The potion that you invented is great and amazing. I am so impressed by it and the fact that you made it makes me so proud of you. But, you know doctors Harry, they are more impatient than quicksand and they think they have the answer to everything. You know my vote. I'd use the potion alone and forget about doing anything to make it work faster. So take it as a suggestion and don't worry about it."
"Hermione, when a group of my peers and superiors say that they think the best thing to do in a given situation is to perform a certain task then far be it from me to act like I know better and disagree," he pointed out softly.
"But you do know better. You're his Healer. Only you and Daryll really have a right to decide anything."
Harry sighed softly but he neither responded nor diverted his attention to the worried brown eyes that gazed at him.
"Harry?" Hermione prodded gently.
She interlocked her fingers with his and silently marvelled at the way that no matter how much older they got she still felt so comfortable being the advisor to her best friend. His friendship was very important to her and she hated to see him doubt his abilities when everyone who ever met Harry Potter knew that he wasn't just a handsome face.
"I'm going to save him Hermione," he whispered in an almost childish voice. "I'll do whatever I can because more than anyone else he deserves to know that he is worthy of being saved."
Something about the way he whispered the words caught her attention. So she changed her position to one where she was facing him. Then, she reached both hands up to cup his face and turned his attention away from the hypnotizing fire so that she could search his green eyes for a clue to his thoughts.
"Harry," she murmured when she found exactly what she thought that she would find in his emerald gaze before he ducked his head out of her grasp.
"Don't ask," he said still softly and to make sure she understood he looked back at her with a serious expression, "Just don't, because it's still too new to disect."
"Okay." Hermione nodded. "Just be careful. That goes for whatever you decide to do for his healing too. Remember that powerful magic like yours is easy to lose control over and this cleansing that everyone else wants you to do is rooted in dark magic."
That made Harry smile wryly. "I know Hermione. I'm the one that twisted the concept to kill Voldemort."
Hermione kissed his lightly on the cheek. "Just remember that what you did to kill Voldimort might have been derived from the same spell but it's not the same thing. Otherwise I'm sure that Snape won't allow you within six feet of his body to cast it, and I can see that you've already decided to take the advice of the panel and cleanse him first."
"Smart you are." He tapped her on the nose with the tip of a finger. "Now that you've fulfilled your duty as my best friend, go and get your boyfriend and my ex-lover. I can explain the decision to Severus just fine alone and the three of you are always having to take care of me. I'm fine now."
"Good to know mate." Ron strolled into the room like he had been evesdropping for a while and was shamelessly not going to deny it. He tugged Hermione into his arms and nuzzled her cheek even as Harry made a face and Hermione laughed softly. "It really is time that we leave, especially Hermione. I don't appreciate how I leave her with you and you're alway copping a feel."
"I do not!" Harry protested on cue.
Ron released his fiance long enough to throw his best friend his own funny look. When that didn't work he hauled Harry up from the couch to give him a brief manly hug.
"You do Potter. I see you. Fortunately for you I know she loves me far more than she loves you so I'll forgive you yet again and instead take her somewhere where I can show her how much I love her too. So on that note, we're leaving now." He took Hermione's hand into his and kissed the back of her palm before flashing Harry a mischievous grin. "If you need help with Snape then just floo. If you want our opinions on anything then you know what to do, but if you're just feeling alone and need company then for Merlin's sake call Daryll. He became a queer little pouf for you once so I'm sure that you can convince him to do it again."
Which of course earned him a slap in the back of his head from the aformentioned Daryll who had strolled into the room just in time to hear Ron's farewell.
"There's more where that came from," Daryll warned with what he obviously thought was a dangerous look on his face.
"Keep your masochistic tendencies away from my Hermione's presence."
Daryll and Ron's manners descended into that of a five year old's for a brief moment before Daryll remembered that he had been looking for Harry for a reason that did not involve mock fights with Ron Weasley.
"Severus is waiting for you in the recovery room. I didn't tell him anything about the meeting just in case you wanted to explain it to him. I did tell him about the success of the potion and he insisted on working on a more acceptable version."
That got Harry's attention.
"He's writing with his left hand?" he asked in surprise.
Daryll laughed and shook his head. "No. Worse. He's talking aloud to a floating feather and the damn thing is actually able to write down everything he says. Yes, as uncivilized as it makes me sound I must admit that I'm impressed. I spent a good ten minutes just watching."
Ron looked at him in sympathy. "You poor thing. What did Harry do hide you under a rock when you were together? It's the QuikSpell that I gave him today. It's designed to take notes when your hand begins to hurt, or otherwise."
Harry groaned loudly as soon as Ron said his piece, but the sound wasn't nearly loud enough to drown out Daryll's response to words such as 'rock' and 'hide'. Luckily, Hermione chose that moment to do something about them giving Harry his well-deserved time of silence without guests.
"Bye Harry," Hermione said into his ear when she hugged him, just before grabbing Ron and Daryll by an arm each and almost hauling them over to the fireplace.
She opened a floo for Daryll first, instructed the flames exactly where to send him before pulling him into a goodbye hug then almost shoving him into the green flames. He blew her a kiss just before he disappeared. Ron was next and he dissappeared with nothing more than a wave and a cheeky grin that had everything to do with whatever mysterious thing Hermione had murmured to him before tossing him to the flames. She saved herself for last, of course. As soon as she stepped into the fire she mouthed 'Bye Harry' before she too disappeared.
Harry took a brief moment to enjoy the silence of his home before he went in search of Snape and mental stimulation.
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"Harry Potter sir, you must be waking now." A frantic bout of shaking followed the squeaky words. "It is working sir. You have to be with him. Sir! Wake up!"
Harry opened groggy eyes to find Dobby kneeling on his chest with his tiny fists clenched around the neck of Harry's shirt, dramatically cutting off a good bit of Harry's air supply in his panic.
Harry glanced at his bedside clock and the muggle digits that were illuminated. Two A.M. He had only been asleep for three measley hours but he did remember leaving Dobby to watch over Snape and to wake him at the first sign of change. Exhaustion had become mingled with fear for the hours that Snape had lain in a semi-coma as his body's magic fought.
Harry didn't need to get dressed because he had fallen asleep in the same clothes he had worn all day, so he made it to the guest room fairly quickly. By then, Dobby had already apparated there too and was waiting patiently for him at the door. In silence Harry performed a quick cleansing spell on Dobby then himself. They didn't want any stray magic to mingle with the reactions already taking place in the room.
When they entered it was to find the room filled with a grey fog. On the bed, there were wisps of black smoke escaping out of Snape's mouth and nose. That was the only sign of any life in him, but it was all Harry needed. The grey fog had already lightened a shade over the three hours that had passed since Harry checked in on his patient.
"Dobby stay back," Harry said softly, trying not to inhale the condensed air.
They had done this enough times now that Dobby was quick to comply by retreating as far away as he could. "Yes sir. Dobby will stay over here."
Harry approached the bed. He cupped one side of Snape's face with his palm and tried not to flinch at the cold temperature. It was as if Snape's insides were freezing, but a quick check of one arm told Harry that the change in temperature was confined only to Snape's upper chest, neck and head. Harry slipped his hand back up to lightly caress the cold face again before he retracted his hand to hover over a few inches above the afflicted body.
He began the purifying chant that he and Snape had written together.
All the while he had to keep his thoughts pure and his intentions kind. The dark magic that was being exhaled ever so slowly was trying to leech onto Snape's life source and with ever whisp of black smoke that escaped was the ever possible risk that it was taking a piece of Snape each time. Any wrong moves by the Healer and Snape could inadvertenly end up like Voldemort had done when Harry ripped the Dark Lord's soul in two.
Harry collapsed tiredly on the bedside chair as soon as he was finished. He didn't even have the strength to raise his head and look at the ash grey fog turn light grey. Instead he reached for Snape's left arm, his fingers frantically searching the thin wrist for the point at which he could feel a pulse. It was there, stronger than before but still so much weaker than it should be. Harry slipped his fingers down until they became entwined with Snape's fingers. He brought them over to his lips and kissed each entwined one, needing to be sure yet again that he had not made any mistakes and Snape was still with him.
"Come Harry Potter, you can't stay here." Dobby tugged on him and Harry almost fell over because he was so drained. "Come back to bed now."
Harry felt tears rise to his eyes. The last time he had finished he had sat sobbing pitifully on Snape's chest, but this time he fought the sting of his eyes and the ache inside.
"Let me stay," he whispered, but Dobby tugged even harder.
"No!" Dobby's voice was very firm. As firm as Harry had commanded him to be if necessary. "It will eat your soul to stay alive. You cannot stay. You cannot! Leave before the dark cloud gets inside you."
Harry shook his head, tightening his hold on Snape's fingers. He was so afraid that if he let go then he would be letting go of Snape entirely. He could feel the darkness around him and the longer he stayed was the more it closed in on him. He couldn't let it get Snape, not again, not after he had allowed it to take the man once before. It wasn't supposed to be like this, but this was so dark that it felt as if it was chipping away at something inside of Harry.
"He'll die if I leave him!"
Dobby frantically shook his head at that. He began to pry at Harry's fingers and one by one they lost against the house-elf's strength. The tears in Harry's eyes began to spill like silent streams as he emmitted a pleading wail that would have frightened any other creature. But, Dobby had been there at the beginning and this was nothing new to him. He just redoubled his effort, nearly breaking Harry's fingers as the dark smoke rising out of Snape began to change direction and started winding its way towards them.
"He will not die! He will not! Let go!"
Harry slumped forward upon Snape's chest. Dobby gave him an almighty tug and he almost slid out of the chair and upon the elf. Dobby just grabbed his hands and tugged again. This time Harry complied by stumbling out of the chair, upon his knees. It was a start. Dobby coaxed him to follow him and told him that he would feel better when he was out the door again. Harry crawled ever so slowly, not letting go of the tiny anchor that pulled him away from the darkness.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Harry's sobs turned to coughs and deep gasps of air.
"Is Harry Potter feeling better now?" Dobby asked, nervously twisting the end of his toga styled towel.
Harry nodded. "Thank you, Dobby."
"Three hours again, the nice Muggle friend said." Dobby instructed. "Harry Potter is tired now. Dobby will watch the professor."
Dobby apparated back into the room, fortunate enough to not be affected by the dark magic in there, while Harry had no other choice but to stumble back to his room and back to bed. He was so tired that he fell asleep almost immediately, not being spared too much time to think.
oXo