Chapter Thirteen: The Decision

The breaking of Severus' curse did not go unnoticed for long. The spellcasters began to show signs such as severe headaches and the inability to cast minor spells. Granger had been the first to know since Harry had told her first, and she had been hovering near the potions master's cell every day. Whether it was for his protection or the Order's protection, he could not tell. He had attained another guardian, in the form of Harry's snowy owl. Whenever Harry had to leave – what he actually did outside of the room was a mystery – Hedwig would fly in, settle on her perch, and keep watch.

Although they took a long time to realize it, the spellcasters finally understood why they were experiencing moments of weaknesses. Coincidentally, most of them became aware of it on the day they were supposed to move to another hideout. In the confusion of the move, someone slipped into Severus' cell.

Severus, still keeping up the pretense that he was unable to move, looked at the intruder with a calm expression. He did not recognize the fellow, but a strange 'feel' informed him that the wizard was someone the Dark Lord had sent. What could be so urgent that I am his primary target now?

There was an explosion from somewhere in the house. Severus' eyes immediately flitted to look out at the hall. It seemed that several objects had blown up into pieces and debris was falling all over the place. A small piece of a stone gargoyle landed on the foot of Severus' bed.

"Why won't you just die?" the intruder snarled. His wand whipped past his face, but then he screamed, as a set of talons raked at his face.

Severus cursed himself as he clumsily rolled off the bed. Months of not moving had blunted his reflexes. Thanks to Harry's interest in lovemaking, he had at least re-assumed control of his body. Severus panted for a moment before grabbing the legs of the end table. Since Hedwig had already flown away to safety, he hurled it at the wizard without another thought.

For some reason, the man just stared at it uselessly.

"Idiot," Severus muttered under his breath as the furniture smacked him on the face hard. He sprinted toward the fallen wizard and snatched the wand from limp fingers. His attacker was out of it for the moment.

He stood at the doorway and looked at the chaos before him. He could hear shouts - Shacklebolt probably - ordering everyone to get out through the mirror. Severus' eyes narrowed in thought. He looked down at himself - it would not be good to be running in his pajamas. Then he arched his eyebrow as he turned to look at his unconscious attacker.

It only took him several minutes to change out of his clothes, and into the ones worn by his attacker. He did not bother to dress the unconscious man in his bedclothes and started running in the direction everyone else was running. At the end of the hall, a gigantic mirror with beautiful gold moldings around it stood regally. As a person entered the middle of its reflective surface, strange ripples moved across it.

It was strange crossing through the barrier. His skin still tingled with discomfort when he got to the other side - a forest. "What idiocy!" he snapped. A growl, warning him of danger, made him cast a spell before he even caught sight of the aggressor. The person fell and writhed in pain. Severus ran to the wizard's side to check if he was a friend, or foe. One of Graybeard's lackeys. He snorted contemptuously and fired another spell. The wizard stopped moving.

The sounds of battle rang clear in the woods. The Dark Lord's minions were everywhere. A Dementor nearly caught him, but someone's Patronus charged at it and sent it fleeing. Severus continued to run, until he felt vines circle around his ankles. Inevitably, he fell. He managed to roll to his side and shot a hex, which the caster deflected quickly.

Harry came stumbling into view. "For a man your age, you run like hell," he panted. "Here." He handed out a familiar-looking wand.

As Severus dumbly accepted his wand, Harry got down to disentangle the vines around his ankles. Then he did not make any move to stand up. He just sat there on the grass, gasping.

"What in the hell are you doing? Get up!" Severus hissed and grabbed hold of his elbow.

"I can't," Harry huffed. Severus noticed that he was squinting from pain, and looked down at the wizard's legs. The flesh was ripped from his right leg, almost exposing the bone.

"You're a damned fool!" Severus shrugged off his outer robe and hastily shred it into something with which he could bandage the leg. He was in the process of casting a sterilizing spell when Harry slapped his head to the side, almost cradling the back of it protectively. Severus heard him mutter a spell angrily, and the sound of a tree splintering to pieces reached his ears seconds later.

"Go." Harry batted his hands away after he was bandaged adequately.

Severus rose to his feet and looked on as Harry struggled to get up.

"...damned fool." Without thinking twice, Severus cast a Lightening charm on the astonished wizard and carried him in his arms. He started to run. Harry continued to look at him with wide, emerald eyes. "Pay attention and watch our backs!" he snapped.

"Oh..." Harry straightened, and frowned in concentration as he stared over Severus' shoulder.

Foolish brat. As he ran, he contemplated his actions. Why didn't he leave Harry? They suddenly came across a clearing and Severus swore pungently. They had nowhere to run, coming to the edge of a cliff suddenly.

"Harry!" A shout exploded from somewhere in the air.

The wizard in his arms panicked, fear flashing in his face. It quickly turned into relief when a dragon materialized from the bright blue sky. Granger was leaning precariously down the dragon's side and was waving her arms.

"Down!" Charlie Weasley commanded and his dragon Zerina angled downward.

Zerina flared her wings. Severus had to hold Harry quite tightly in his arms, afraid that the mighty wind generated by the dragon's wingbeats would blow Harry away. There were screams coming from the trees behind them. Severus hurried. He handed Harry over to Ron Weasley's outstretched arms and deactivated the charm he had suffused into Harry's body. He paused and stared at Harry's hand.

The others did not speak a word as Severus and Harry stared into each other's eyes. Quiet yearning flickered in emerald depths. Clouds of uncertainty pooled in obsidian eyes.

The choice was his. He took the hand that was offered to him.

As they made their escape on dragonback, Harry clung to him, muttering 'thanks' and words of endearments that made him blush. He tried to ignore the frequent glances of Granger, the Weasleys, and his godson. He glared at Harry, but since it was his head he was glaring at, Harry continued his nonsensical babble.

"You..." Severus jerked on his hair and when Harry's face came up in surprise, he kissed the parted mouth hard. Satisfied that he had the brat's attention, he said in a low voice, "Shut up." The shock vanished, and a sheepish expression crept in. Harry lowered his eyes and Severus wrapped his arms about him. "You are making it sound as though I did not have a choice," he whispered into Harry's ear.

Harry laughed. "You had a choice, don't worry." Emerald eyes looked back at him happily. "You could have taken my hand or walk away. You chose to take my hand." Harry grinned, and his eyes flashed brilliantly. "The choice that you cannot make is my decision to stay with you. Even if you'd walked away, I'd still find you ... sooner or later."

Severus looked archly at him. "You cannot be serious about loving me."

The young raven-haired wizard continued to smile at him. Throughout the journey in the air, wind slamming against their bodies almost brutally, Harry, unfazed by the elements of air, repeatedly declared his love. At one point, Zerina did a maneuver that made Granger scream with terror. Severus could not blame her. He felt that he had left his stomach somewhere behind him, and his heart was pounding so hard when Harry had almost fallen off the dragon. He did not stop to think - he cast a spell that bound Harry to him.

"You idiot," he grumbled under his breath, as he tried to soothe the shivering body. "Stop talking and save your strength."

"Okay," Harry said after a while.

"Don't fall asleep," Severus murmured. "Just ... stay with me." Again, Harry's head snapped up to look at him. Although embarrassed, Severus could not look away.

"Okay." Harry smiled.

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