"No !" Harry yelled, shielding Osborn's body from Snape's wand.
"Potter don't start!" Snape snarled.
"Harry please, be reasonable, we cannot leave her like that indefinitely" Dumbledore said, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"I won't let you" Harry kept yelling, his body still shielding Osborn's. "You can't, you can't let her die. I won't let you. I need her !"
At this moment, something Harry did not understand happened. His heart was pounding in his chest. Dumbledore was holding him out of the way of Snape's wand. Osborn's eyes shot open, but they were not the usual black color they used to be, they were glowing. Her hand, Harry was still holding began to glow too. Her palms very hot, her body began glowing all together. Harry tried to let go of her hand and a thread formed between them. He held out his hand, he could feel Osborn's heartbeat becoming strong even if he could not touch her. The light left Osborn's eyes as suddenly as it had appeared and the thread disappeared. Snape dissolved the orb in a swift wand move. Harry saw Osborn taking a deep breath. Her eyes flickering open.
"Harry?" She called in a hoarse voice.
Harry was at her side in a second. Taking her hand. This seemed to calm her down. She was smiling slightly. Her smile faded as she fell back into unconsciousness. Snape took out his wand and performed the same spell as he did on Harry. The parchment materialized once again and Snape went over it quickly, his eyes widening as he read on.
"I can't believe this. She appears to be cured. Weak, but alive." He told the Headmaster, who could not take his eyes off Osborn. "Do you have any idea what just happened Headmaster ?" Snape asked him.
Dumbledore stayed silent for a moment. His eyes unfocused on Osborn. Harry looked up to him, waiting for an answer.
"Lily.." He whispered suddenly. His eyes locking with Harry's.
"What are you talking about Headmaster ?" Snape exclaimed, his hand now resting on Harry's shoulder, tightly holding him.
Harry could not think straight. His head hurt.
"I.. I don't understand sir." Harry articulated, his hands shaking softly.
The Headmaster sat on the bed next to Osborn to put himself on eye level with Harry.
"When your mother gave her life to save you she used Old Magic. A magic bond that would protect you against Voldemort. It meant that he could not touch you. Blood magic is very strong, as long as you lived with your blood relatives even for a few weeks a year, the protection remained strong. When Voldemort revived himself with your blood, he became himself, a blood relative, in a way and he could touch you."
"I know that already" Harry told the Headmaster, cutting him. Dumbledore raised his hand to silence him.
"I know Harry. You have to understand what just took place is very rare." He sighed. "The dead do not take part in the events of this world. Usually that is. It appears that Lily decided that Jane Osborn was a suitable vessel for her protection. In a sense Harry, Lily just gave you a mother. The protection you received from her now rests in Jane. I cannot make sense why this happened just now, or why you two fell ill at the same moment. Harry did anything unusual happen before you were taken ill ?" Dumbledore asked Harry.
Harry was about to say that no. But then he remembered the conversation he had with the Weasley twins. The golden light.
"I think I saw.. Well not me, but it involves me.. A golden light, when I went to see Osborn Tuesday night. I began feeling sick just after that. But she just showed me some memories about... her past" Harry said, he had wanted to say "about Aden" but he did not know if the headmaster was aware of this particular story.
The headmaster nodded. Still deep in thought. Snape had not let go of Harry's shoulder and his nails were beginning to hurt him. He turned his head to face the teacher who had suddenly turned very pale. Paler than usual. His eyes were fixed unblinkingly on Osborn. The movement Harry made to face him made him look directly in his eyes. Snape wore an expression Harry had never seen. His pupils were wide, his eyes wet as if he had just cried. He looked much younger than Harry had ever seen him. His face was not contracted in a hard stare. It lasted only a moment before Snape took away the hand he had clawed in Harry's shoulder. Straightening Harry's robe in the same motion.
The headmaster suddenly rose from Osborn's bed and whispered something in Snape's ear who nodded. Dumbledore then began levitating Harry's chair as Snape had done.
"You are still very weak my dear boy. You need to rest. Do not worry, Professor Snape will take great care of Professor Osborn. She will probably already be upset that we let you out of bed on the day you woke up, imagine what she would say if we told her we let you out all night. For our sake if not your own, please sleep." Dumbledore said, chuckling slightly.
He levitated Harry back on his bed. The moment his head touch the pillow, Harry realized he was actually pretty tired. He was asleep almost instantly. Unaware that Dumbledore casted a spell to make him fall asleep.
He woke to find Madam Pomfrey busying over him, muttering under her breath. He opened his eyes, trying to talk, but found he was too exhausted to do so. He closed his eyes again and was asleep until he heard a very familiar voice shouting.
"Severus I swear, if you don't let me out I'm going to curse you into oblivion !"
Harry's eyes were open instantly. The voice came from Snape's bedroom where Osborn had been sleeping. He heard the deep chuckle of Snape.
"And how are you going to do that without your wand, I wonder. If you stayed still for just a second you might be able to see him."
Harry heard the sound of something breaking and a very rude word coming out of Osborn's mouth.
"Last I checked, I was the healer in the room. Now I feel perfectly fine, let me out I want to see him."
Snape's chuckle echoed once again.
"And last I checked, you were in enough of a bad shape to have even me slightly worried. Now stay still or I'll make you."
Another rude word came out of Osborn's mouth and then there was silence. Harry decided it was a good time as any to try out his legs. He got out of bed, carefully trying to stand. He was feeling quite tired in the legs, but no more than the tiredness he felt when he had had a very intense Quidditch practice. He made his way towards Snape's bedroom. Snape's quarters did look better in the daylight. Harry checked his watch and realized it was already noon on the next day. He had slept almost a day and a half. He carefully knocked at Snape's bedroom door.
"If it's you Pomfrey, bugger off, I don't need two executioner in the same room." Osborn's voice answered.
Harry shyly opened the door. When Osborn saw him, she smiled very fondly.
"Harry ! Oh I'm so glad to see you ! Come here!" She said, opening her arms. Harry rushed to hug her tightly.
In the corner, Snape was standing with his arms crossed on his chest.
"Oh of course you're nice to him!" he said, sounding more amused than upset.
"Shut it Severus!" Osborn replied, still hugging Harry. She let him go and took his face in her hands.
"Are you alright ?" She asked Harry, her voice soft. Snape quietly left the room.
"I'm fine. Still a bit tired." He answered smiling.
"Has the Headmaster come and explain this thing to you ? I know you were asleep most of yesterday."
Harry shook his head. Osborn sighed.
"Well, apparently we were both taken ill because of the bond your mother decided to.. create. It's Old Magic, it can be a bit taxing. Apparently you activated the bond when you stepped in when Snape wanted to let me die."
Harry gasped. He did not think Snape would ever tell her that he had almost ended her life. Osborn put a reassuring hand on Harry's arm.
"I would have done the same thing Harry. As adults, we need to make some tough decisions sometimes. I don't blame him the slightest." Osborn raised her voice. "I do blame him for forcing me into bed though."
"Shut it Osborn!" Harry heard Snape reply behind the door.
Harry chuckled slightly. He then stared at Osborn. She looked a lot like the Osborn from the memory. She had a very warm smile on her face and seemed genuinely happy. Like she had been the day Aden had come running to her to tell her he was going to be in Ravenclaw. Harry felt even more comfortable with her now. He had been so afraid when he had seen her on the bed. He then thought of his mother, his mother who had decided that this woman could take her of her darling son. Lily Potter was indeed a formidable witch. She had given both Harry and Osborn something they had longed for.
They stayed silent for a while. Osborn gently stroking Harry's hair, humming slightly. He recognized the lullaby she had hummed to Aden on his last day. Harry felt himself relaxing. All thought of Umbridge or Voldemort gone. He was just enjoying the feeling that he finally had someone who would love him for who he was and not just as the-boy-who-lived. Osborn humming was gone and she had stopped to stroke her hair. She was sleeping, a smile on her face. Harry kissed her hand and got out of the room. He found Snape sitting in a chair, a book in hand. He was sitting with his back at Harry and Harry tried to sneak pass him to rejoin his room.
"Come sit Potter" Snape's voice said.
Harry did as he was told and sat in front of Snape, who was eying him closely.
"You alright?" He asked quietly.
"I'm still tired, but I feel fine." Harry answered.
"I wasn't exactly talking about this. How do you feel about all this ?" Snape asked.
Harry took his time to answer. He knew he should say that it was a bit awkward, but truth be told, he actually felt it to be logical. It was like finding that other piece that he missed in his life. If Dumbledore was right, it was his mother who had decided this and even if he was wrong, Harry thought that Osborn would love him exactly the same way.
"It's good. I'm good. I trust her. I don't want her to replace my mother. But I think I can allow her to love me as such. She needs it as much as I do." Harry replied.
Snape was looking at him. He had the same look he had the day before. Sad and happy at the same time. He nodded.
"Well, at least she's civil with you !" Snape said, smirking.
Harry laughed at that. Osborn had been less than civil with Snape. He had never seen anyone talking to the dungeon bat like this, but Snape did not seem to mind. He had finally someone who could challenge him. It made a nice change.
Harry settled himself deep in the armchair, his eyes looking at the ceiling. "Yes this could work out fine" he thought to himself. He was enjoying the comfortable silence that had fallen on the living room of Snape's quarters when he felt his scar bursting open. He heard a very high pitched scream in his head. It took him by surprise and he tumbled to the floor holding his head between his hands.
A/N: Hi guys ! Sorry, my studies are keeping me busy, I can't write as much as I liked to. Hope you enjoy it ! Read and Review !