CHAPTER 26

Severus moved swiftly through the corridors as he went in quest of Dumbledore's rooms. He raised his hand and touched the chain Harry had given him a few moments ago. He could feel Harry's forehead against his lips. It was the very first time he had kissed someone on the forehead. He had kissed men before in his brief sexual trysts, but those has been superficial emotionless kisses. No kiss could compare to the one he had bestowed on Harry. He reached the stone gargoyle which guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"Eye candy," he said expressionlessly. The gargoyle leapt aside. Soon, Severus was seated opposite Dumbledore, sipping at a cup of tea which the Headmaster had insisted that he have. They discussed the information Severus had gleaned from his meeting with Voldemort. The disgust at the fake memories he had to give Voldemort was clear in Severus's voice. It did not escape Dumbledore, whose blue eyes found the chain shining softly around the Potions Master's neck.

"Harry gave it to me," Severus said, noticing Dumbledore's glance. Dumbledore smiled.

"Indeed?"

"He thinks that it will protect me on a symbolic level," Severus said without sarcasm. "He becomes nervous whenever I have to meet the Dark Lord."

"That much was obvious when he came here asking me about your whereabouts before Christmas," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling merrily. "You will have to hide it underneath your robes, though, otherwise Voldemort will become suspicious."

I never had anyone to wait for my return with eagerness or anxiety, Severus thought. Until now. Harry waits for me.

Dumbledore extracted a sherbet lemon and popped it daintily into his mouth.

"It certainly seems that married life suits you well, my dear boy."

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"I believe you had a very agreeable birthday celebration."

Severus frowned for a moment. Then he realised that Harry must have told Nessa about the celebration, and that Nessa had probably informed half the pictures in the castle on her nocturnal wanderings.

"Yes, Ha - he took more trouble than was worth for the occasion," Severus said dryly. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes increased when Severus hastily switched the first two letters of Harry's name into a pronoun.

"How about a round of chess?" Dumbledore changed the topic.

"Certainly, Albus," Severus said.

After Severus had left, Dumbledore hummed happily and walked about his office on light steps.

"Why on earth would Potter bother gifting Snape with a chain?" Phineas Black drawled from his portrait.

"Because sometimes, Phineas, there is more magic in a simple gesture than in wand-waving and spells," Dumbledore explained.

Phineas made a bored face.

"I think I will visit my other portrait," he yawned.

While Severus was in Dumbledore's office, Harry sketched a picture. When he had finished, he put down his pencil and leant back. A brilliant smile illuminated his face. Severus Snape, the cynical Potions Master who hated him so fiercely, had kissed him on the forehead. Harry brushed the spot with his knuckles. He shook his head slowly. Never, never, never would he have believed it possible for Severus and him to find a way to each other. When had it started to change? After he had rushed to Dumbledore's office when he could no longer suppress his anxiety about Severus not coming back from the Death Eaters' dinner? He was still smiling when the door opened and Severus whisked inside their rooms.

"What are you smiling about?" he wanted to know, seeing Harry's expression.

"I'm happy because you and I no longer hate each other after all these years. That we are friends."

Severus studied for a few moments.

"I suppose you could say that persistence pays off," he said. He nodded at the sketch in Harry's hand.

"What have you drawn?" he asked. Harry handed him the sketch.

There was a low shadowy brick wall in the foreground. Up in the sky, the silhouette of a dragon flying across a full moon could be seen. Two wands were sitting on top of the wall, and one was lying over the other in what could be interpreted as a protective manner. Severus looked more closely at the wands and as he did so, a faint colour tinged Harry's cheeks. Severus's wand was as black as his eyes and hair, and it was long and slender, like his fingers and height. Harry's holly wand was paler and a little shorter; it was their wands which were resting peacefully upon the wall, and Harry's wand was underneath Severus's.

Severus looked into the green eyes. Harry grinned a little.

"Didn't you say that you think I'm a bottom?" he said cheekily.

"I recall that you prefer to think of yourself in terms of…versatile?" Severus said, his eyes glinting with amusement. He handed the sketch back to Harry.

"Well, only in theory," Harry replied.

There was a small silence during which they looked at each other. Severus was used to assessing people and guessing at their moods even without applying Legilimency. Now he sensed a sudden pang of sorrow coming from Harry, and the green eyes seemed to darken.

"What are you thinking of?" Severus wanted to know.

"Well, how much time have I got for the practical aspect when a murderous wizard is on my heels and trying to find a gap in Hogwarts's armour? Even if we succeed in defeating Voldemort, who will say that we will survive? I don't want anything to happen to you!"

It all came out in a rush.

"Have you no faith in yourself, Harry? You are being trained by very skilled witches and wizards. You have friends. You have potential. And you have my blood protection."

"If we are linked together by blood, Severus, then…so are our lives. I can't help worrying whenever you go to Voldemort. Severus, I know how skilled you are, but it doesn't prevent me from…from being afraid for you."

"Afraid? You? A Gryffindor?" Severus said, raising his eyebrow, trying to lighten Harry's mood.

"I wish there was a way for you to promise me that nothing will ever happen to you," Harry said, not heeding him. He reached up and touched the chain he had given him. Severus observed that the youth was fighting against his tears to judge from the way he was pressing his lips together. The sketch slid out of his hands and onto the floor.

Severus had never comforted anyone before. No one in their right mind would have chosen him as their confidant of their worries. Also, no one had ever told him that he or she was afraid of something happening to him. Dumbledore was genuinely concerned about Severus, often expressing this by touching his shoulder or telling him to take care of himself. Severus regarded Dumbledore as the guide he had never had in life. Harry was the first person to explicitly voice his fears.

Severus did not know what to do as he stared at Harry. He only knew that words failed in this situation, and he, for all his prodigious skill in articulation and language, was helpless. He put one arm around Harry and held him close to him. Harry pressed his face against the hollow of his neck.

"Sorry," he said in a muffled voice.

Severus made a soothing sound and gently ran his hand over Harry's back. What is he doing to me? I am holding him and consoling him. I, Severus Snape, the last person people would turn to when they are sad, he reflected. The last time I saw him cry was when we were arguing, when we hated each other…

They stood like that for a little while, Harry crying silently, his tears wetting Severus's hair and collar.

When was the last time I cried? Severus wondered. His chest seemed to contract, and he suddenly realised that it had been years and years since he had shed a tear. He had even wondered from time to time whether the bitterness had dried up his ability to shed tears. He drew back and looked at Harry's face.

"Sorry," Harry repeated, trying to smile.

"Don't say sorry," Severus said gruffly.

"Thank you, Severus."

"Come. Sit in the library with me. A round of Wizarding Scrabble will definitely work wonders," the Potions Master said, and Harry followed him into the enormous room.

Soon, the youth was smiling and laughing as he tried to arrange his chips together in coherent words. Severus's sarcastic witticisms added to the lightening of the atmosphere. They left the room to have dinner together. After their meal, it was very late, and they were both sleepy.

Before they retired to their respective bedrooms, Harry looked at Severus intensely for a few moments before giving him a brief hug and thanking him for being there for him. He left Severus standing wordlessly in the middle of the hall. Something on the floor caught his eye; it was the sketch Harry had dropped on the floor. He picked it up and went back to his bedroom. He gazed at it for a long time, his eyes not moving from the two wands.

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