Chapter 10

Harry continued to struggle against the Severus, despite his unrelenting protection. This man was the reason that his parents were dead, the reason that his godfather had spent the last twelve years in prison, the reason that Harry wasn't just a normal kid, growing up carefree like all of his friends.

Severus held the boy behind him despite his stubborn attempts to free himself. He glared at the man pointing the wand at him. "What do you want, Pettigrew?"

Pettigrew smirked at the coldness in the dark man's voice. "How very sweat of you to look after the boy even after what Lily and James did to you." He held a cruelly satisfied gaze.

Harry could feel the man's body tense defensively and his breathing become unstable. He didn't understand why this man cared about him. Why he had done what he had. But at the moment, he was occupied with his fury involving the other man.

"I was unaware that Voldemort allowed his servants to pay social calls on his prisoners. Do whatever it was you came to do, Pettigrew." There was a hint of resignation in Severus' customary sardonic voice as if he had already accepted his fate.

The little man grasping his wand moved closer to the bars separating him from his target. Harry could feel Severus attempting to steady his breathing.

Suddenly, Harry felt the man's grip on him loosen as the man was lifted into the air. Eyes wide, he turned his attention to Pettigrew who was directing the man's movements with his wand.

Severus looked as if someone was pulling him up into the air by his waist. His body was bent, causing his hair to form a curtain around his eyes. Harry could see by the way that he was holding himself, that every muscle in the man's body must be contracted in uncertainty. He saw the man take his eyes off of Pettigrew and turn them to fall upon himself. He wasn't exactly sure what the look had meant. It seemed as if the man couldn't decide what he felt the stongest: fear, anger, or concern.

The man's eyes were torn off of the boy when Pettigrew abruptly swished his wand, bringing Severus' body crashing into a stone wall with a sickening crunch. The form fell limply to the ground. Harry was sure that the man must be unconscious but to his surprise, he saw his professor slowly pushing himself up to his feet. His legs held him up shakily but he was still glaring resolutely, refusing to give Pettigrew the satisfaction of breaking his spirit.

Harry turned his eyes to the short man when Pettigrew gave a curt laugh. "Really, Snape, would it kill you to show a little fear?" He raised his wand once again at the man, but Harry had had enough and was now standing directly between Pettigrew and Severus. "Now who's hiding behind children?" he added triumphantly.

Severus moved to push the boy behind the protection of his body once again, but Harry pulled away from his grip, giving the man a stubborn glare. But Harry was completely taken aback at the next look from his professor. He had expected a rebuke but he was given a pleading look instead.

"Potter, please," it was barely a whisper. Harry dropped his guard at this and Severus took advantage of the situation. Grabbing the boy's wrist, he pulled him out of the line of fire and back under the protection of his own body.

Almost as soon as he had, he felt his body being lifted once again but this time, the back of his head came into contact with iron bars.

Harry rushed to his side, completely forgetting Pettigrew who was still looming behind the bars with a satisfied smile.

A small squeak escaped the man's throat and a stream of blood produced itself from his lips. Even after this, however, Severus again pushed himself to his feet against the protests of the boy who he was once again pulling behind himself. His vision was blurred and it was difficult to balance. Despite this, he gave a slightly unstable scoff at Pettigrew. "You haven't changed at all, Pettigrew. You're still afraid to participate in an even dual. You need these bars to protect yourself against an unarmed man. You're just as pathetic as I remember you," Severus spat, his voice dripping with disdain.

The smile on Pettigrew's face disappeared completely. It was replaced by a look of loathing, equal to that of the one that Severus was shooting at him. He raised his wand for the final blow, but before he could utter the curse, it was blasted out of his hand.

Stunned into silence at the sudden occurrence, the three looked in the direction of where the blast had come from. Lucius Malfoy was standing in the doorway, his wand poised gracefully in his outstretched arm. "That will do, Pettigrew," he said in a businesslike manner.

Harry was pulled back into himself when he felt the body that had shielded him from danger sink to the stone floor. Severus had finally lost his battle with his body's desire to fall into unconsciousness.

* * * * *

Author's note: Yes, thank you to those who corrected me on this, I meant Sense and Sensibility, not Pride and Prejudice. I would give anything to have my boyfriend look at me the same way Alan did when he first saw Kate Winslet… *sigh* Anyway, thank you to those who reviewed. I know that this is really short. I hate this computer with a passion. I'm looking forward to getting back to mine at home… There's an upcoming scene during the next chapter that's going to be so angsty that I can't wait to write it. But I want it to be really good so I may wait until I get home on Tuesday to write it. I don't know, depends on how much time I have until then… Well, let me know what you guys think. I know there's not too much to review but I would still appreciate any input :-)