Warning: Non graphic torture.
xXx
Harry was screaming, he knew he was screaming for he could feel the blood in his throat as lines of fire burned across his back. A network of fire as the dark magic of the hallows burned in his veins and his blood spattered to the floor. The man behind him paused and Harry was left boneless and gasping.
"Where are they?"
Harry watched his blood and sweat drip to the floor as he hung from the chains rigged to the roof. Holding his arms slightly to the side of his body, his wrists burning as much as his back as he swung slightly. His legs had given out days ago as he hung loosely.
"Start again."
Fire laced down on his back, ripping through his skin and tearing open the wounds that had tried to heal. Harry was screaming and he didn't care as the darkness over took him.
Cold salt water jolted him to awareness, tearing a scream from his raw throat. The hallows's dark magic swirling in his head as men grabbed his arms dragging him down the hallways. Harry didn't know how long he had been kept here but his team's lives depended on him.
"Mr Potter," A man drawled.
Harry hung his head as the men handcuffed his wrists to the chains from the roof. He hung limply, his energy gone.
"You'll be happy to know that your team were successful in their mission."
Harry jolted but the pain in his body kept him from looking up as small shivers racked his frame.
"You don't need to hold on to that information anymore."
Harry just panted feeling hot and cold at the same time as the hallows swirled in his head and blood. Keeping him alive, keeping him in pain.
"Now, I want to know how you are still alive. Start."
Harry grunted under the first lash across his back, he was screaming by the third and lost his voice by the twelfth and they just kept falling without pause.
"I was sure we killed you."
Fire running down his back as his blood hit the floor in splatters.
"How are you alive?"
The sound of Harry gasping was the only sound in the room as mist swirled in his head. Fire and blood were his world as his vision dimmed down to the concrete floor below him covered in his own blood, both old and new.
"Harry, Harry, Harry." The man's voice purred. "How long do we have to do this?"
Harry could feel himself slipping, the mists starting to take over his mind. Suddenly a bucket of cold salt water splashed over his back, tearing a scream from him.
"Are you paying attention, Mr Potter?"
Harry just swung there, unsure if he was alive or dead as the hallows burned in his veins setting his back on fire. He could feel his lungs filling with blood, making each breath a challenge. His mind in confusion. He didn't know where he was or why everything was covered in dark mist.
"Cut him down."
Harry felt men beside him before he was lowered to the ground in a heap. He didn't bother moving. He had no energy to do so anyway. He felt a hand roughly rolling him onto his back and his world exploded in pain.
The hallows jolted him back to life and he just wanted to cry. He whimpered, his mind in tatters. He just wanted to curl up in a ball, away from the world, and die. He didn't want the fire to eat him or the darkness to claim him. He just wanted it all to end.
Somehow, he was crawling, his hands and knees ripping open as he moved. Unsure about where he was going. He bumped into a wall and collapsed against it. His mind over taken by black mists. He couldn't see, just feel pain and fire. That was his world.
"Where are you going, Mr Potter?"
Harry flinched at the voice as he wrapped his hands over his head, curling into a ball as he tried to drown out the sound.
"You will break."
Harry curled up tighter, ignoring the added pain when the wounds on his back split open. It was nothing compared to the burning and darkness.
"You will tell me, Harry. Why you can't die?"
Harry whimpered as the hallows burned, he did not know how he hadn't burst into flames. It hurt so much.
"Come now, Mr Potter." The voice cooed. "You killed Voldemort without flinching, can't you even look at me?"
Harry shook.
"Do I need to string you up again?"
Harry shook harder.
"Mr Potter?"
Harry felt hands on his head, his shoulders, his hip and he just shook. Curling up as tight as he could. A cold hand grabbed his wrist and with strength, that Harry didn't have, lifted his arm away from his head.
Cold brown eyes stared down at him as a man in a suit crouched before him.
"Come now, Mr Potter." The man purred. "We are all friends here."
.
Harry woke with a start with an arm wrapped around him. He ripped himself away in a panic, pulling at the blanket as he tried to scramble from the bed. His legs tangled in the blanket and he fell to the ground painfully.
"Blake!"
Harry glazed around, sightlessly, the taste of blood still in his mouth and the phantom feeling of hands and fire lashing across his back as he tried to get his feet under him. His right leg collapsing as he tried to get away from the hands reaching for him and he crashed to the floor again.
"Blake!"
He flinched back from the sound and scrambled across the floor until he collided with the wall and slid down. Curling up with his hands over his head. He could hear a voice and hands on his body and he whimpered. The darkness in him flaring as he shivered.
"Blake!" A voice called from above him. "Dracka! Get down here, now! Just calm down, Blake."
Harry shivered, curling up tighter, his hands clenching around his skull and he was sure he was going to leave marks. Couldn't tell, had to keep his team safe.
"No," Harry whispered. "Won't tell, won't. No."
"Fuck."
Harry flinched, curling tighter.
Leave me alone! Just want to die, leave me!
"He just panicked."
"Flashback maybe. Looks like it. Blake?"
Harry whimpered.
"Has this happened before?"
"No. Do you know what to do?"
"Um, just let him relax. Blake, can you hear us?"
Harry shivered, he just couldn't stop, still caught up in his memories as fire raced up and down his spine.
.
Cold water splashed over him jolting him awake.
"Come now, Mr Potter." A voice said calmly from above him. "It's rude to pass out when someone is talking to you. Now tell me how you are still alive?"
.
"Blake?"
Hands were touching him again and he tried to move back across the floor but his back was already hard against the wall and he whimpered.
"Just step back Severus. I don't think he's here with us. He might lash out."
"Blake…please."
.
Harry shivered as ice and fire ran in his veins. His breathing becoming harder to draw into his lungs with the knife between his ribs. He looked up into the other man's brown eyes as the man looked down at him coldly. There was no expression on the man's face as he held the knife. Harry had a hand wrapped around the man's wrist but was losing strength quickly as the hallows took glee in eating through him. His mind swimming in mists, he could barely see the man in front of him through the darkness.
"Not long now, Mr Potter." The man said and smiled.
.
Harry whimpered, curling his hands further around his head feeling the knife slip between his ribs all over again. Voices spoke quietly above him, pulling him back with their soft tones. He relaxed slightly, one hand falling away from his body towards the voices. A soft familiar hand took his and Harry whimpered again.
"Come on, Blake." A soft voice whispered. "You are safe here."
.
Harry could feel his mind slipping as the brown eyes watched him in interest. The man released the knife and sat back on his heels. Harry used the last of his strength to pull the knife free. The silver knife glinting in the light as he held it in his hand.
"You think you can attack me?" The man asked softly. "I can already see the life draining from you!"
The man laughed and Harry lunged. He plunged the knife into the man's heart with the last of his energy as his life fled him.
.
Harry tightened his hold on the hand in his, fire racing up and down his back, and he whimpered in remembered pain.
"Sh, it's okay Blake." The voice said softly. "We have you."
.
"He's in here!"
Harry jolted awake, the silver knife still griped in his hand and a body lying next to him.
"Holy fuck! Medic! Quick!"
Voices yelling, hands on him, on his throat, on his shoulders and rolling him onto his back. Pain and screaming he wasn't sure if it was his own or not, everything was drowning in mists.
"Harry!"
Ron's pale face appeared above him.
"Roll him back to his side! You idiots!"
"Harry!"
Ron was kneeling beside him, a hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly.
"Hold on, mate." Ron said in a rush. "We have you! You are safe now."
.
"We have you Blake, you're safe."
Harry relaxed, his body going slack, the hand in his tightened as he looked up into Severus's pale face.
"Hey," Severus said softly.
"Hey," Harry whispered, eyes flicking over to Dracka before going back to Severus. "What happened?"
"You tell us?" Dracka said softly, kneeling down next to Severus. "Was it a flashback? You were mumbling but we couldn't work out what you were saying."
Harry frowned as he could still feel the dark power of the hallows running down his spine. He tried to get up but his right leg failed him and he slipped back to the floor.
"Just take a moment," Dracka said softly.
Harry gritted his teeth and used the wall to pull himself up, his head swimming and he almost landed on his ass again. It was only sheer will power alone that kept him on his feet.
"Blake?" Severus asked softly, hovering near him but not helping him.
Harry ignored him and moved towards the chest of drawers, using the wall to keep himself up. He felt like he'd been in battle for two days straight. He made it to the chest of drawers and pulled the top one open and pulled a silver knife out.
Severus's hand wrapped around his wrist tightly and Harry looked up at him in confusion. The man was so pale but his grip on Harry's wrist was like steel. Then it dawned on Harry.
"It's okay," Harry whispered.
Severus didn't release his wrist, his black eyes wide. Harry let the knife clatter onto the top of the chest of drawers and stepped back. Dracka moved forward and picked up the knife with a shirt wrapped around his hand.
"I know this isn't the time." Dracka said softly, into the silence. "But I'm getting a good eye full here."
Harry and Severus looked over at the vampire and Harry noticed his state of undress and Severus was only wearing underwear.
"Don't get used to it," Harry smirked as Severus blushed. "I would call you a dirty old man but you are younger than I am."
Severus and Dracka relaxed as they stared at Harry and he realised how much he had scared them but since his hands were still shaking, he knew they weren't the only ones that were spooked.
"I took that knife," Harry said softly into the silence of the room. "From the man that tortured me."
Severus paled even more and Dracka didn't look much better.
"That's what…" Severus trailed off.
"Yes," Harry said softly with Severus's hand still wrapped around his wrist. "I think the hallows had something to do with it."
"But why?" Dracka asked as he placed the knife into his pocket.
Harry didn't take offence at that.
"I don't know," Harry said softly. "Let me get dressed. Dracka can you put the kettle on?"
Dracka nodded and left the lovers alone. Severus took Harry in a hug and if it was a bit tighter than normal Harry didn't say anything and just hugged him back. Letting the tears fall as Severus rubbed a hand up and down his back. They stood there for a while listening to Dracka in the next room as Harry just soaked up the comfort the other man was offering, trying to get his thoughts back in order.
When they walked out of the room, some time later, Dracka didn't say anything about Harry's red eyes and just pushed a mug of coffee his way. Harry nodded in thanks and sat at the table and idly picked up a pen and started tapping the table. Severus and Dracka shared a look but didn't say anything.
Harry looked over at the files on the table, that he'd been reading the night before. There were only three files in a neat pile in the middle of the table. The ones that the Headmaster had given him about Graham Simpson and the one he'd gotten from America.
Dracka placed the silver knife on the table in front of him and Harry's eyes darted over to it as his tapping paused slightly. He knew if he reached for it, that the vampire would pull it away.
"Why did you keep it?" Dracka asked with a frown.
Harry sighed and put the pen down and held his head in his hands. Severus rubbed his back as he tried to sort out his thoughts.
"I don't know," Harry replied. "Felt like I had earned it or something. Ron took it from my hand and gave it to me after I was released from hospital."
"No sense that boy," Severus muttered.
Harry huffed a laugh and looked up as he palmed his chin with his elbows on the table. Dracka frowned at them but didn't ask any questions.
"He thought it was mine," Harry said softly. "He could be a bit thick sometimes. Ginny ripped him a new one and tried to take it away from me. I wouldn't let her."
Harry pulled his two wands from their holsters and placed them on the table. One pale and the other dark. He placed his hand on top of the wands, thinking.
"I was held for about two months." Harry whispered, looking at the wands. "The team that I was a part of had a mission…"
He pushed the wands towards Dracka and the knife just out of his reach. The vampire raised an eyebrow as he reached for the wands. Placing them beside the knife on the table.
"I knew the battle plans," Harry said softly, taking a sip of coffee. "We had split up about two weeks prior. I was the secret keeper for the team. Bit stupid really, but I wasn't the one in control of the planning, I was just taking orders."
He picked up the pen on the table again and Severus groaned. Harry looked at him then the pen and flicked it towards Dracka. The vampire grinned and added it to the pile in front of him.
"Anything else?" Dracka asked.
Harry flicked his wrist at his side and held his sword out towards the vampire, hilt first. Dracka picked up the shirt to cover his hand as he grabbed the sword and placed it onto the table with a grin.
"That's it?" Dracka questioned, with a raised eyebrow.
"That's all you're getting, vampire." Harry growled.
Dracka grinned showing fangs, Severus just sighed. He was getting used to dealing with these two men.
"The mission?" Severus prompted softly, bringing the men back to the conversation at hand.
"Was a success." Harry said, eyes locking with Severus. "I believe that I was supposed to be killed after my team was successful and I was no use to them anymore…It didn't go to plan for them."
"The hallows?" Severus whispered.
"Yes," Harry replied. "Then they had found something more interesting than just finding out battle plans."
Severus paled at the words and laid his hand on top of Harry's on the table. Harry turned his hand so he was gripping the other man's hand.
"There was only one problem." Harry commented, sitting back in his seat. "I didn't know how the hallows worked. Yes, they had saved my life before but I had no idea about how they did it or if they could be taken from me."
"They killed you?" Dracka asked softly.
Harry nodded.
"Quite a few times, I think." Harry replied. "I killed the man that tortured me, he let down his guard and I used his own knife. That one."
Harry's eyes flicked over to the pile of his stuff in front of the vampire. Dracka grinned at him showing fangs.
"You're smug," Harry said to him. "You do realise I can call the elder wand and the sword back at any time?"
Severus huffed a laugh as Dracka looked like he had eaten a lemon.
"So," Severus said slowly. "The wand and the ring you showed me are parts of the hallows?"
Dracka frowned in confusion.
"Wait a minute," Dracka said. "That's not right."
Harry grinned and sat back in his seat and slipped the ring off his finger and placed it on the table and slid it across the tabletop towards Dracka. The vampire reached out, his eyes red, as he picked up the ring.
"The three parts of the Deathly Hallows," Harry explained. "The stone, the cloak and the wand."
Severus frowned. "But the ring?"
"The first time I died," Harry said softly. "Was when the Dark Lord killed me. I didn't have the wand or the stone or even the cloak on me, that I can remember, but I was their master. Not that I knew it then. I took up the elder wand when I killed the Dark Lord. The ring came to me later, I'm not even sure when. I just noticed it one day. It has the symbol of the Deathly Hallows on it."
Dracka held up the ring, Harry grinned and held his hand out and the ring appeared in his palm and he closed his hand over it. When he opened his palm again it was gone.
"This is the hallows when it has a master," Harry said softly.
"Master of Death," Dracka breathed.
Harry nodded.
"I've been called worse." Harry said, with a wink. "Even now, I have no idea how the hallows work. All I know is their dark power is mine, just as much as the light power I wield."
"What is the sword then?" Dracka asked.
"Um, a silver sword." Harry deadpanned.
Severus smirked.
"You said you can call it back," Dracka explained.
"Because it's linked to me." Harry said, then amended his answer. "Well, linked to my magic."
Severus snorted and Harry looked over at him, still confused and tilted his head in question.
"I believe," Severus drawled. "That linking a sword to yourself is not common magic."
"Ah," Harry said in understanding. "A time difference?"
Severus nodded with a fond look in his eyes and a smirk.
"It's easy magic," Harry said with a grin.
"I imagine that a lot of 'easy' magic to you, Blake." Dracka growled. "Is what us normal people call bloody damn difficult!"
Harry just grinned, feeling a weight lifting from his shoulders as he looked at the other two men.
xXx
Harry lay awake for the third night in a row with Severus snoring softly beside him as his mind kept bringing up the cold eyes of the man that had tortured him. He couldn't even recall the man's name as he lay there and even with the scars to remind him every day what he had been through, he hadn't even thought of the man or the experience in a long time and it confused him why he had thought of it at all.
He pulled himself to his feet, pulled on some jeans as he moved into his main room and looked around. He limped over to the lounge and flopped down onto it and glared at the clock in the room telling him he should be asleep and not awake at two in the morning. He tilted his head back against the lounge and looked up at the ceiling his eyes running along the wooden beams above him but he couldn't shake his thoughts.
He got to his feet again and walked back and forth as he let his thoughts drift. His right leg stiff but he walked through it as he moved. He flicked his wrist and his silver sword fell into his hand and he swished it through the air, feeling the blade's perfect balance. He floated his furniture to the sides of the room with a wave of his hand and fell into a balanced stance, taking into account his leg, as he calmed his breathing.
He moved the sword to his left hand and slowly moved through a couple of moves keeping his right leg back before switching hands and moving through the same moves on his other side. He paused before moving the sword to his other hand again and working through the moves quicker as he fell into each stance. Switching back and forth from hand to hand.
So many people had told him that he was lucky to walk after he was bitten but there was no way he was going to take that as an answer. He had a long life ahead of him and he would not lie down. It's what pushed him to still work on the potions and balms to restore the muscle in his leg even after all these years.
He knew he could be stubborn and stupid and so many other things but it didn't matter to him. If he was going to live, he was going to live. He swung the sword around his body knowing the moves as the muscles in his body fell into each stance and he pushed himself to the edge of his endurance as he worked through his swirling thoughts and the new movement in his leg, due to what Severus had done.
He slowed his movements down and held each stance a little longer testing his muscles and the changes that he would make to his thrusts and movements as he worked.
When he finally stopped he was panting hard and he leaned on his sword as his leg disagreed with so much movement but he felt better. His thoughts settling around him and his mind felt clearer. He looked up when he heard slow clapping to see Severus looking at him with dark eyes. Harry wiped the sweat away from his eyes and stood up a little straighter.
"Hey," Harry panted. "Did I wake you?"
Severus moved towards him without answering until he stood in front of him and wrapped his hand around the hilt of the sword. Harry gave it to him with a slight frown, as the other man looked it over.
"Goblin made." Harry said softly, as he stepped back to the lounge to lean on it as he watched Severus. "Pure silver that has been hardened. Nothing will break it and I keep it razor sharp, so watch your fingers."
"When did you get it?" Severus asked as he held the sword in his hand.
"Very long time ago," Harry replied. "My master in Japan used to laugh at it because it's a straight blade."
Harry stepped forward with a grin and grabbed Severus's hips and kicked his right foot slightly. Severus moved the foot and Harry kicked the other one into place until he had Severus in a stance.
"Move your weight back slightly and hold the sword up," Harry said softly. "Hold that."
Harry moved back to the bedroom and picked up another sword from his cupboard in a black sheath. He moved back into the main room and moved into a stance before Severus, the sword still sheathed.
"Swing it towards me," Harry said.
"Blake?" Severus questioned softly.
Harry tapped his blade against Severus's sword with a grin as he stepped forward. Severus quickly stepped back and brought the sword up. Harry fell back into stance and waited. Severus stood there for a moment before stepping forward and swinging the blade, which Harry blocked easily.
"Again," Harry said softly. "Step back, move forward on your right and keep yourself balanced."
Severus grinned as he did as he was instructed and Harry blocked, the silver sword 'thunking' softly against the black covering of Harry's sword. Harry gently tapped him with the sword on his side.
"Protect your side," Harry suggested as Severus moved back into stance. "That stance is similar to a stance you would take in a wizard duel."
"Yes," Severus agreed. "Have you duelled?"
"Um," Harry replied. "Never had the time. Didn't see the point. Most of the time whenever I found myself at the other end of a wand, they wanted to kill me."
Harry stepped back as Severus swung this time and the other man over balanced and stumbled, Harry moved forward and placed his blade against Severus's back. Severus looked over at him as Harry stepped back and placed the tip of the sword on the floor.
"That sword is lighter," Harry commented and held out the hilt of the sword he held.
Severus took it in his hand and could feel the difference. He held out the hilt of the silver sword out but Harry just dismissed the blade from Severus's hand and he startled as Harry grinned at him.
"That's a steel blade," Harry said gesturing at the sword in Severus's hand. "From Japan."
Severus looked at the slightly curved blade in his hand in interest as he looked at the well looked after leather curled around the hilt and slowly drew the blade to see Japanese writing down the blade in interest.
"Different name, different life." Harry said softly.
Severus ran his fingers down the characters in interest, feeling the etching in the cold metal.
"How do you move so smoothly?" Severus asked.
"With my leg?" Harry asked in amusement.
"Yes."
"Lots of practise," Harry said in amusement. "I had to relearn how to move with the injury. To turn a disadvantage to an advantage."
Harry took the blade from Severus's hand and slipped the sheath off and handed it to the other man before giving himself space and stepped into a stance. He flicked the blade and fell into the moves as the blade sung around him. Swing, step, turn and thrust. His feet always moving as he danced with a blade everything else falling away as his body moved through the stances and moves.
He hadn't worked with this heavier sword in a long time and he could feel the strain as he slowed the movements down and his leg protested slightly. He could have lightened the sword with magic, but he didn't, preferring to work the sword the way it was. He moved through the last move and held his last stance slightly before lowering the blade as he panted slightly.
Harry startled when Severus wrapped his arms around his waist and Severus chuckled in his ear sending a shiver down his spine as the man kissed the back of his neck.
"You're beautiful," Severus whispered in his ear.
"Not bad for three in the morning," Harry huffed as he leaned back in Severus's embrace.
Severus breathed across his neck and Harry shivered again as the man held him close as he kissed along his bare shoulder.
"Like what you saw?" Harry murmured as he wiggled slightly against Severus.
"Yes," Severus breathed in his ear holding him tight.
Harry tilted his head back to look up at the other man and Severus gave him a small smile as his hands ran down his sides. Harry turned in the man's embrace and placed the sword on the table beside them as he pulled Severus's head down and kissed him deeply.
Harry reached between them and rubbed Severus through his pants making the man moan and pull him closer. Harry held his ground as Severus went to walk them back towards the bedroom.
xXx
Missing scene.
xXx
Severus went to reach for him but Harry grabbed his wrist stopping him.
Severus pulled back and looked down at him with a frown but Harry just took his hand and pulled him back towards the bedroom. Severus followed after him, slightly puzzled.
"Back to bed," Harry said with a grin. "We both have classes in the morning."
"Blake?" Severus asked softly as he went to grab the other man again and he moved back.
"I'm fine Severus," Harry said softly.
Harry slipped out of his pants and moved into bed, feeling tired from working with his sword. His thoughts settled for now as he curled up in the bed, Severus settled along his back and Harry grabbed his hand and held it against his stomach as he wiggled back and settled in.
"Are you okay?" Severus muttered.
Harry started at the words, having already drifted off.
"Sure," Harry replied. "Tired."
Harry felt Severus run his hand down his side and he closed his eyes just soaking in the feeling of the man behind him and the heaviness of his body as sleep over came him.
xXx