Harry waited as the last student made their way towards him. He was leaning on a boulder, down near the shore of the Great Lake, as the sun set casting shadows over the group. His class was a mix of fifth through to seventh year students of all houses. Ry and Granger were the last to dash down towards him.
"Nice of you to join us, Mr Potter and Ms Granger." Harry drawled, then realised how much he sounded like Severus.
"Sorry, sir." Hermione said in a rush. "One of the staircases decided to move on us."
Harry smirked as a couple of students giggled.
"Okay everyone," Harry said to the twenty-three students around him.
He noticed that a couple of other students, not in his class, making their way over once they realised he was holding a class. He didn't say anything about it, he didn't mind if others watched.
"Today we will be working on true light and dark magic…yes Ms Granger?" Harry asked as the girl's hand shot up.
"Isn't dark magic illegal?" The girl said looking pale.
"No," Harry answered simply. "Yes, Ms Granger?"
"But the killing curse?"
"Is illegal," Harry answered. "Yes, Ms Granger?"
"Isn't that dark magic?"
"Now that is an interesting question," Harry smiled. "Okay everyone. Put your hand up if you think the killing curse is a dark spell?"
Every hand went up.
"Anyone think it's a light spell?" Harry asked.
Every hand stayed down.
"Magic in general is neutral," Harry said calmly. "We each have a core of magic in us some are more towards 'dark' magic while other are towards 'light'. Mr Malfoy please step forward."
Draco stepped forward and Harry faced him pulling his cherry wand making the boy's hand twitch towards his own wand.
"If I cast the killing curse right now at Mr Malfoy," Harry said calmly. "With the intent to kill him is that a dark spell? Ms Granger?"
"Yes, sir." The girl said.
"Okay and if Mr Malfoy was lying in a hospital bed in unbearable pain with no outlook of that improving and I was a mediwizard with permission from Mr Malfoy and his Doctors to cast the killing curse to end his suffering. Would that be a dark spell? Anyone?"
No one moved as other students floated over. Ms Granger's hand slowly went up in the air and Harry nodded at the girl.
"So, it depends on intent?" The girl said.
"Now, that is the question," Harry said and waved Malfoy back. "Dark objects are a different story; those things will leak into your core and taint it. But spell work is different since most wizards pull on their core of magic. Ture dark or light power comes from a separate but still interconnected core."
Harry turned to his right and tapped into his dark magic and cast a whispered spell and a lion appeared next to him, its tan coat shinning in the sun making a couple of students gasp and step back. Harry then turned and pulled on his light magic and cast another spell and a large snake curled up on the ground and raised itself up as if to strike. He turned back to the students around him.
"Can anyone tell me which one of these animals was made with dark magic and which with light?" Harry asked leaning on his cane.
Noise erupted around him as the students turned to each other as the lion looked around itself and yawned before licking its paw. The snake curled up on the ground without a care.
"Anyone?" Harry called out. "Mr Malfoy?"
"The snake is dark," The blonde said with a smirk.
Harry grinned and said, "Nope."
He could always count on a Slytherin to pick the snake as silence greeted him.
He flicked his wand and the lion exploded in dark mists swirling around the students gathered before disappearing. With another flick the snake burst into a white mist, which settled along the ground before absorbing into the earth.
"Looks can be deceiving," Harry said softly. "It takes a very long time working with magic to pick up the differences between true light and dark magic. My best piece of advice is if you hear the killing curse you duck! Cos it doesn't matter what type of magic has been used, it will still kill you!"
The students were silent around him.
"If you have creature blood in you, no matter how diluted," Harry went on. "Telling the difference will be easier for you to spot. Now dark objects…"
And the class went on.
"Are your classes always this interesting?" Dracka asked as the students broke up after the class.
"Nah," Harry replied. "Sometimes students fall asleep."
Dracka barked a laugh and clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"You have an interesting way of telling students that they have creature blood by the way," Dracka said with a smirk.
"You caught on to that, did you?" Harry smirked back.
xXx
Harry was working with some seventh year students on breaking wards when a knock sounded on his door.
"Come in," Harry called, watching the Ravenclaw student carefully as he focused on breaking through the ward.
He quickly glanced up to see Severus enter the room before turning back to the seventh year. Harry had a trunk on the floor in the middle of the bronze circle that he had warded and the boy was trying to break into it.
"That's it," Harry said softly. "Now curve the spell to match the lock, think of the magic like a piece of metal twisting into the shape of a key. That's it."
Harry watched the magic calmly as the boy, Billie Coffer, worked on the trunk. If the boy kept up this level of curse breaking he would have a promising job at Gringotts or the Department of Mysteries. A loud click had the other three students clapping softly as Billie pulled the trunk open and pulled out a box of chocolate frogs.
"Well done, Mr Coffer." Harry said and broke the protection charm around them. "We'll meet again in a week. Thank you."
"Bye, sir."
Harry watched the students leave, Billie holding the box out to the others as they left.
"He has talent that boy," Harry said to Severus. "I'll be sure to let the goblins know."
"Just as long as potions are not needed," Severus said dryly.
"He isn't good at them?" Harry asked.
"Not if you want to live, if you take one."
"Ha!" Harry laughed. "Isn't it strange that so many students that are very talented in charms aren't in potions."
"You are talented in both," Severus pointed out then thought it through. "Potter however…"
"Needs a lot of help and very close supervision," Harry stated with a grin. "And a backup cauldron just in case. He is smart and picks up most things easily just not potions for some reason."
"Ha!" Severus barked. "So, you were good at potions at his age?"
"Me?" Harry squeaked. "I was a disaster zone."
Severus bumped his shoulder against him. "Not anymore."
"I had time on my side," Harry said with a grin. "I didn't even finish school."
"What?" Severus yelped in shock.
Harry just grinned at him.
"Now, were you after something or just wanted to see my lovely face?" Harry asked with a wink.
"One of your papers is glowing," Severus deadpanned.
"Really?" Harry said as he moved towards the door. "Great!"
"Is this something I should know about?" Severus asked. "…Or be concerned about?"
Harry grinned at him as he opened his door and made his way to his table and slipped the glowing paper out of the stack of papers and gave it a quick look.
"The message stones I gave to Dracka," Harry explained, frowning at the paper. "I linked a spell in to inform me if one of his spies came across the dark magic of a Horcrux. One of them has."
"Really?" Severus asked moving forward and glanced down at the paper. It was just a list of spells with a number at the top of the page.
"How can you tell where and when they came across the magic?" Severus asked.
"Ah, yeah." Harry muttered rubbing his head. "At the time I didn't have the power to add that in, just a spell to recognize the magic."
Severus barked a laugh.
"Hey!" Harry yelped. "In my defence. I was still recovering from being stabbed!"
"So, you don't know who has the message stone or where that person has been?" Severus asked with a smirk.
"Yeah," Harry replied, then grinned. "But I know who does."
xXx
Dracka looked down at the paper in front of him in dismay.
'These students have no idea,' Dracka thought as he marked another paper that just made no sense, as he covered the page with his red pen. He felt tempted to just draw a line over the whole page and write 'fail' but reframed.
"Come in," He called at the knock at the door glad to place the paper aside on his desk.
Blake peeked his head around the door and Dracka waved him in. The man walked in with Severus at his heels and quickly sat in the seat across from him leaving Severus standing.
"Have these students had one decent Defence teacher?" Dracka asked.
"Yes."
"No."
Blake and Severus glared at each other, the taller man raising an eyebrow as Blake grinned.
"Remus Lupin was probably the best," Blake said slowly.
Severus snorted.
"Charmling didn't seem too bad a teacher either, well, before he tried to kill me," Blake said with a smirk. "Moody ended up being a Death Eater under Polyjuice. So, I suppose his lessons were from personal experience, the dark arts part anyway, but hey they have a vampire teaching them now, so…"
Dracka just raised an eyebrow and held out the paper. Severus reached forward and grabbed it with a smirk.
"This girl is an idiot," Severus said slowly. "You should have seen the mess she made of my classroom…twice."
"That's why I only deal with the smart ones," Blake said with a smirk. "I let the other teachers weed out the good ones for me."
Dracka barked a laugh.
"Yes," Severus drawled. "You let others do the hard work."
"Yep," Blake agreed. "Then take the credit!"
Severus's lips twitched in a smile before passing back the paper.
"Which is why we are here by the way," Severus pointed out with a smirk.
"Ah," Blake said rubbing his head. "Oh yeah."
"Something I can help you with gentlemen?" Dracka drawled with a smirk of his own.
Blake pulled a paper from his pocket.
"I need to track down the person that has this message stone," Blake explained. "They came across the magic of a Horcrux."
"That was the dark magic you were looking for?" Dracka asked.
"Yes." Blake said.
"Blake, happened to forget to put a tracking charm into the message stones," Severus drawled.
"I didn't forget!" Blake yelped and flicked his cane out.
Severus stepped back calmly and the cane missed the man as Blake glared at him.
"I just didn't have the power or concentration to add in that charm," Blake said. "Do I have to remind you again that I had been recovering from being stabbed?"
"How do you plan to find out who has it then?" Dracka asked.
"Ah," Blake said with a grin. "That's why we came here. I just need one of your message stones, to link it with this paper, then you can send a message to see who has the stone, see easy?"
"Easy?" Severus muttered shaking his head.
Blake grinned and stood up, placing the paper on the table and waited for Dracka to place one of the message stones on top of the paper.
"Vocationem coniungere," Blake muttered and tapped his wand to the stone.
The paper and stone glowed briefly before Blake passed him the stone. Dracka thought for a minute before turning the stone for Blake to see.
'The idiot who made these wants to know who holds this stone? Dracka.'
Severus barked a laugh as Dracka sent the message.
'Cotton,' Came back quickly in reply.
"Man's name is Colin Cotton," Dracka said to the other two men. "He works in muggle London."
Blake smiled and looked over to Severus.
"Feel like having a coffee out?" Blake asked.
Dracka huffed a laugh and set up the meeting.
xXx
Harry sipped at his coffee as he watched people moving on the busy street of London through the glass windows. Severus sat stiffly beside him, adjusting his coat every now and again as they waited for Dracka's man to arrive. Harry just leaned back in the seat enjoying the sounds of people around him on a busy Thursday afternoon.
"I used to bring Ry to a place like this when he was a baby," Harry said suddenly.
"Is that so?" Severus asked.
Harry could tell he didn't like the amount of people around them and it may also be the fact that they were all muggles that was bothering Severus. Harry just sat further back in his seat as the voices rolled over him.
"Yes," Harry said, sipping his coffee. "Ry liked hearing the people, used to send him to sleep. It was the only way I could get work done before he started school."
"He could sleep with this noise?" Severus asked in surprise.
"Yeah," Harry said softly. "Plus, I like to people watch."
Harry gave Severus a grin and turned back to the window.
"Too many muggles for my liking." Severus sneered.
Harry barked a laugh as Severus glared at anyone that would glance over at them. Harry noticed the wizard they were there to meet the minute he walked through the door. The man looked around, his black suit and white shirt well maintained and ironed to sharpness. He had brown hair spiked up in the latest fashion and tan coloured eyes as he quickly focused on Severus and bustled over.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, Mr Sun." The man said holding a hand out to Severus. "I had a meeting that ran late."
Harry huffed a laugh as Severus glared down at the hand and the man started to shift nervously.
"I'm Blake Sun," Harry said softly, taking pity on the man. "This is Severus Snape, please take a seat."
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The man cried, taking a seat. "I didn't mean any disrespect. I'm a big fan of your message stones, they are so handy and Dracka has spoken about you a few times. The magic in the stones is great! I've even tried to look into them myself without any luck. You must tell me how you made them?"
Harry just stared at the man while the words tumbled out.
"Um," Harry said unsure.
"What can I do for you?" Colin asked with a smile. "I'm not sure what I can help you with, I mainly work with muggles and not wizards."
Severus snorted.
"I mean," Colin continued. "From the look of the message stones you must be a very advanced wizard and I just work in a muggle office so I'm not sure I could help you with anything-"
"Stop," Harry said softly, as he placed the piece of paper on the table.
"I'm sorry Mr Sun," Colin said in a rush. "I start talking when I get nervous and-"
"Stop," Harry repeated as Severus snorted and smirked in amusement. "You came across a certain type of magic that I am looking for."
"Oh," Colin said. "I don't know when I might have done that! I spend most of my day in the office-"
"Stop," Harry snapped. "I want you to look at this list of spells that you have cast while carrying the message stone. See the one I have circled, just after that one you came into contact with the magic I am after."
"Um, okay." Colin said looking over the list, then paled when he saw every spell that he had cast.
"Yes," Harry said with a smirk. "You aren't as innocent as you pretend to be, Mr Cotton."
Severus watched in interest as the annoying man paled and his tan eyes widened and wished that he had looked at the list of spells closer before the man arrived.
"Ah," The man said, looking put out and Harry smirked.
"Gringotts," Colin said after a couple of minutes of thought. "I was getting money out of my vault."
"What number?" Harry asked sitting forward in his seat.
"Um," The man looked nervous and started to fiddle with his hands.
"You will tell me," Harry said softly. "Or I will take it from your mind, Mr Cotton."
The man flinched back and even Severus looked shocked.
"Twenty-three," Colin whispered.
Harry sat back in his seat.
"So, you would have moved past vault twenty-four to get to your vault?" Harry asked softly. "Correct?"
"Um yes…sir."
"Very well," Harry said, eyeing the other man. "You may go."
"Thank you, sir." The man got to his feet, the piece of paper still in his hand.
"Drop it," Harry ordered and the paper fell from the man's hand.
"Oh, sorry." Colin said and moved as quickly from the coffee shop as he could without drawing attention to himself.
Severus reached out and picked the paper up and looked closer at the list his eyes falling straight away on the killing curse before roaming over the other spells.
"That, my love." Harry said softly to Severus. "Is why looks are deceiving."
xXx
Harry limped up the stairs of Gringotts's bank with Severus at his side. The bank shone in the late afternoon sun turning the tiles almost gold as he moved through the doors and into the busy bank. Goblins moved around as a long line of Wizards and witches waited for their turn. Severus groaned beside him making Harry smirk.
Harry limped passed the wizards and witches without pausing and Severus fell into step behind him, as glares were thrown in their direction. Harry walked straight up to a goblin working at one of the desks. The beast looked up at him with a sneer.
"Goldsmith," Harry said simply.
The goblin's eyes widened and he rushed off as Harry leaned back on his cane and looked around. Severus just looked stunned. The goblin hurried back a couple of minutes later.
"Room six, sir." The goblin said before going back to his work.
"Thank you," Harry said and walked around the desk.
"Blake?" Severus hissed.
Harry winked at the taller man as he led him through the corridor behind the tables and out the back of the bank, goblins moving around him. He led Severus down another hallway until they reached room number six. Harry knocked once then moved inside without being told.
"Mr Sun," A goblin greeted behind a fancy dark wood desk. "What can I do for you?"
"I wish to access vault number twenty-four," Harry said calmly, taking the seat in front of the goblin's desk and waving Severus to the other one.
"Do you have a key?" The goblin sneered.
"Do I need one?" Harry counted. "I believe that vault holds a Horcrux."
The goblin pulled back in his seat and hissed before reaching into the drawer of his desk and placing a key on the table and sliding towards Harry.
"Yes," The goblin said slowly. "I can see you have a key for that vault. I believe that our business is concluded?"
"Thank you, Mr Goldsmith," Harry said standing and picking up the key. "I'll be sure to remove that item, have a good day."
The goblin nodded and turned back to his work. Harry moved back through the door and towards the back of the bank where the lifts were located.
"What was that about?" Severus hissed.
"A Horcrux," Harry said softly. "Cannot be held at Gringotts, it is against their law."
"What?" Severus hissed.
"Goblins are light creature, Severus." Harry said, turning to the other man. "They can't tolerate a Horcrux being in their bank. I'm kind of surprised that they haven't found it before now, but being in such a deep vault…"
"I thought they were dark creatures?"
"Ha, that's what they want wizards to believe." Harry laughed, turning towards the lifts and pressing a button.
"They have a lift?" Severus questioned faintly.
Harry turned to the man and he felt for him, he was sure that a lot of things Severus believed in had just been turned on its head.
"The cable cart is for the wizards," Harry smirked. "Biggest joke of the goblins. Don't tell anyone."
Harry clapped Severus on the shoulder and pushed him into the lift and pressed button two then four.
"Why do you think it's in vault twenty-four?" Severus asked, leaning against the wall of the lift.
Harry smirked.
"I was asked to reinforce the wards around that vault after the attack on the Ministry," Harry said. "I thought it was odd at the time because I had already laid wards on the vault before that. The owner must have paid to have the wards done again, probably after placing the Horcrux in it."
"Do you know who owns it?" Severus questioned.
"Nope," Harry said. "And the goblins won't tell me."
"They gave you a key," Severus pointed out.
"Yes, but they won't tell me who owns the vault," Harry explained. "They just want the Horcrux gone."
The lift stopped and the doors opened into the underground network of Gringotts bank. Harry and Severus stepped out and the doors closed behind them blending with the stones of the wall. Severus looked around at the cavern they were in, the train tracks of the cable carts running through the cave with small shelves running along each wall for the levels of the vaults. Below him was just darkness and mist.
Harry cast a light into the air that lit up the shelf they were standing on lighting up vault door number one. The shelf ran into the distance with the train track running beside them before a large gap and with another shelf on the other side.
"This side holds vaults one through to fifty," Harry said as they set out. "Vaults fifty to a hundred are on the other side."
A roar shook the ground they were standing on and Harry smiled.
"That's Pretty," Harry said with a smirk.
"Pretty?" Severus asked looking in the direction the roar had sounded.
"Pretty Damn Big," Harry laughed and bumped his shoulder with Severus's.
"Ha, ha." Severus said dryly.
"Goblin humour," Harry smirked. "Takes dad jokes to new levels. Here we are."
Harry turned to the vault door, feeling his own magic on the wards of the vault. He held out the key and placed it against the door, the bars on the door twisted up like snakes and opened with a creepy creak.
"Ah, shit." Harry cursed when they got their first look at the vault.
It was packed full of stuff from floor to ceiling.
xXx
Severus moved through the towering piles of stuff around him as he tried, and failed, to sense out any dark magic. He just didn't have the talent for sensing magic, give him a potion and he could tell you every ingredient in it but when it came to spells and objects…
He knew when an object was really dark since it made him 'feel' uneasy but couldn't 'see' the way that Blake seemed to be able to see magic. The room kind of reminded him of the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts as he looked around but with a bit more thought to the pathways as he walked aimlessly.
"We might have to come back with Dracka," Blake yelled from somewhere. "He can sense out dark magic better than I can."
Severus smirked as he looked around at a collection of silver teapots. At least the vampire could come in handy with that. He could still see the image of the man lying next to his lover after the battle in France. He had only brought it up with Blake once after the battle but the other man had just laughed it off once Severus recounted it and they didn't talk of it again.
Blake was happy to talk about just about anything with Severus but there were still topics that they stayed away from and Blake and the vampire were one of them. His problem with sex was the other, Blake was happy to do anything but intercourse and it still bothered Severus about the reasons. The only thing he was able to come up with, is that it had something to do with the torture that the man has suffered.
Severus was so deep in thought he didn't notice when he started to feel uneasy and his thoughts turned darker as he thought of the torture that his lover had endured as he paused before a stack of gold coins and other gold objects. The light that Blake had thrown up, to the ceiling of the vault, glinting off the gold and Severus paused.
"Find anything Severus?" Blake's voice rang out and Severus frowned.
Blake was always demanding something. If it wasn't tea or coffee at his beck and call it was something else. Always wanting to work on potions he wanted and always taking too long to help Severus with one of his projects. His work always coming first as he jumped from one contract to another around the world and ignoring him. Keeping secrets from him and knowing what could happen in the future and yet not saying anything about it.
"Severus?"
Severus turned dark eyes to the man in question and sneered. The man stood with an arrogant tilt to his head as he leaned on his cane and looked around.
"Did you find something?" The man asked as he limped forward.
Severus pulled himself up to his full height and looked down at the man. He couldn't even work out how to make a potion to fix the muscles in his leg. Blake rubbed a hand over his short hair and the smile on his face slipped slightly as he looked at Severus.
"Did you find it?" The man asked again, slowly stepping forward. "Severus?"
'Why did I fall in love with this man?' He thought darkly, as he moved towards the cripple.
Blake was looking over a pile of gold coins in interest and didn't notice Severus getting closer to him. The man didn't even feel like a wizard. He just felt like a muggle.
"I felt something dark over here," The man said looking around.
Severus moved to stand beside him and Blake turned towards him.
Suddenly Severus grabbed the smaller man by the throat with both hands, the man's cane falling from his hand from the unexpected attack. Wide green eyes looked up at him as he slammed the man's back into a wooden cupboard on the other side of the path, objects rattling as he tightened his fingers around the man's throat.
"Always wanting something," Severus hissed in his ear as the man struggled, his nails digging into Severus's wrists.
Severus felt a stab of glee run through him as the man tried to kick out at him but he pulled him forward then slammed him back into the cupboard again using his taller and heavier frame to push the man into the heavy wooden cupboard.
"Severus coffee, Severus can you get that." Snape snapped.
Blake's struggles started to grow weaker and Severus sneered down at the other man, black eyes glinting harshly.
"Where is all that power now?" Severus hissed in his ear and pulled back.
Their eyes locked.
Suddenly Severus found himself air born and thrown across the path smashing into the pile of coins with a pain filled grunt as coughing sounds filled the air. Severus groaned and rolled onto his side, his head pounding.
He looked up and froze.
Blake stood above him a cold look in his green eyes and his dark wand pointing down at him.
"Move," The man hissed, coldness rolling off him making Severus flinch back. "And you will not like what happens, do you understand?"
Severus shivered, the power this man held breaking over him and he felt fear for his life as he looked up at the cold green eyes of the other man. In no doubt, that the man was a powerful wizard as he cowered slightly.
"Blake?" Severus gasped, fear making him shake.
The wand wavered slightly but the eyes stayed focused.
"Release him," Blake hissed, almost slipping into parseltongue.
Severus looked up with wide eyes already seeing bruising coming up on the other man's throat from his own hands.
"Oh, god." Severus whispered, as what he had done crashed down on him.
Blake stared down at him for a few seconds more before he knelt next to Severus, wand still out.
"I think." Blake said calmly, his voice rough. "That we have found the Horcrux."
"Oh, god," Severus repeated. "I don't…something just…"
"Sh, Severus." Blake said softly, still keeping a bit of distance between them.
Severus felt a stab in his heart as he looked at the man. He had attacked him. He had wrapped his own hands around the man's throat. Severus rolled so he was kneeling and his stomach dropped as Blake stood and stepped back out of his reach.
"I'm so sorry," Severus whispered, kneeling on the cold ground.
"Stay there," Blake ordered and Severus flinched.
"Until I find the Horcrux," Blake said softly but the rough sound of his voice cut through him.
Severus sat back on his heels as Blake moved towards the pile of gold, his wand trained on Severus the whole time. Blake painfully limped forward before flicking his wrist and that silver sword of his dropped into his hand. Severus paled at the sight. The man could have killed him with his sword with just a thought and Dracka's story of the night that Blake killed his brother floated back to him.
"Blake?" Severus whispered.
Green eyes flicked over at him and he smiled softly as he turned back to the pile of gold. Using that silver sword to move things around until he hooked onto a tiara made of gold and diamonds. Severus felt a stab of hatred run through him at the sight of the gold object and found himself standing without thinking.
"Sit!"
Severus sat, Blake's magic harshly pushing him down and Severus whimpered. He watched wide-eyed as the man pulled a glass jar from his coat pocket and placed the tiara into it and screwed the lid on.
A darkness lifted from Severus's mind, that he didn't even realise was there. His thoughts clear again like cold water washing over him, making him shiver.
"Oh, god." Severus whispered. "I attacked you!"
Blake turned and looked at him, his green eyes staring down at him, as he placed the jar away in his pocket and dismissed his sword. He paused to pick up his dropped cane, eyes never leaving Severus.
"Yes," Blake said softly, limping closer. "You did."
Severus slowly got to his feet and Blake moved towards him his cane tapping on the ground with each step until he stood in front of him. Severus just stood there, he started when arms wrapped around him. He dropped his head to the man's shoulder and wrapped his arms around the smaller man as his body shook.
Blake ran his hand up and down Severus's back as the man just held him close and Severus couldn't have been more grateful than at that moment.
"Sh," Blake whispered. "It's okay."
Severus pushed the other man back gently and lifted a trembling hand up to the man's throat and touched light fingers to the redness he could see coming up already. He felt sick to the stomach as he looked at the marks.
"I'm sorry," Severus whispered.
Blake lifted his hand up and caught Severus's hand, the silver ring on the man's finger flashing in the light and making Severus flinch back.
"We should get back to the school," Blake said roughly. "The Headmaster will want to know that we have the Horcrux."
Severus stepped back and turned his head away. A soft hand touched the side of his face and he turned to look into the green eyes of his lover. Another hand cupped his other cheek and pulled him down for a soft kiss.
"Oh god," Severus whimpered. "What did I do to deserve you?"
Blake barked a laugh and smacked his ass softly.
"I could say the same," The man said with a smile but the hoarseness of his voice hung between them.
xXx
Harry kept an eye on Severus as they made their way back up to the main floor of the bank. The man was hurting. Harry wasn't sure what he could do to help, the pain in his throat was annoying him and his back and ribs hurt from being pushed into the wooden cupboard. The attack had come out of nowhere and he hadn't been expecting it.
Once they were clear of the wards of the bank, Harry palmed the portkey and grabbed Severus's arm. The world spun around them until they stood in the stone room next to the Headmaster's office. Severus looked around with dull black eyes. Harry didn't let go of the man's arm until black eyes locked with his.
"It was the dark magic in your mind, Severus." Harry said softly. "It was not you."
Severus and Harry just stared at each other.
"Can I help you boys?"
Harry turned away from Severus to face Albus.
"Oh, god." Albus gasped.
Harry let Severus go and walked passed the Headmaster and sat heavily in one of the seats before the man's desk
"What happened, Severus?" The Headmaster asked the younger man.
"I attacked him," Severus whispered.
"What?" The Headmaster yelped.
"It was the Horcrux we found," Harry said roughly and he was sure he was going to lose his voice.
The other two men came into the room and the Headmaster's blue eyes roamed over the bruising on his neck before he settled behind the desk.
"I think you should explain." Albus said sternly.
Harry slowly explained what happened as Severus sat in the seat next to him and only took up the story when Harry's voice failed him. It took a while and it was close to midnight by the time they were done.
"I think I will break this Horcrux tonight," Harry whispered. "It is too powerful to leave."
Harry stood and moved towards the stone room when he realised that Severus wasn't following him.
"Are you coming?" Harry asked Severus.
The man wouldn't look at him.
"I think I'll take the long way down," Severus said softly.
Harry looked him over and sighed.
"Okay," Harry whispered. "I'll meet you back at our rooms when I'm done."
Harry stepped into the stone room and apparated to the front gates of the school.
xXx
"Severus?" Albus asked softly once Blake was gone.
Severus sat hunched in the chair, his dark eyes locked on the scratches on his wrists. Albus got to his feet and moved around the desk and placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder.
"I attacked him," Severus said softly.
"It was the dark magic in the Horcrux, Severus." Albus said softly.
"I know that!" Severus snapped and looked up at Albus. "It was the thoughts that were running through my head!"
"They were brought out by the dark magic," Albus said calmly. "If anyone knows dark magic, it is Blake."
"The look in his eyes," Severus said and shivered. "It was so cold."
Albus sighed.
"I think, my boy." Albus said softly. "That we forget just how old Blake is. He has lived many life times and understands things we could never grasp in the time we are given on this earth."
Severus nodded.
"He loves you," Albus said with conviction.
"And I love him," Severus whispered.
The words hung in the air, given a voice for the first time.
"And that, Severus." Albus said softly. "Is why he forgives you."
"Thank you, Headmaster," Severus said, with a small smile and stood. "Good night."
"Good night, Severus."
xXx
Harry knelt on the floor of his classroom and looked down at the glass jar in his hand. The tiara glinting up at him as he just stared at the object. With a sigh he unscrewed the top and the dark magic crashed down on him and he groaned. He quickly threw it into the circle and pulled up a protection charm around it caging the item. The dark magic subsided but Harry could still hear it whispering in his mind.
It was no wonder why, it over took Severus so easily. This was a very powerful item as Harry gathered up his magic quickly. Pure light magic gathering at his fingertips, he had to take this Horcrux out quickly as the whispers got louder and it felt like someone was standing behind him as he built his magic up.
"Frangere!" Harry hissed.
The light magic smashed into the tiara, ripping it apart, he got a slight image of the person that was murdered to make the Horcrux, but it was more of a shadow, as his magic ripped and tore through the dark magic eating through it without a care. Harry poured the magic on until nothing remained of the item, not even molten gold.
When his vision cleared he was kneeling alone on the floor of his classroom with only a glass jar and a throbbing in his throat for company.