Author's notes: From the reviews I received after posting Chapter 7, I have to say most of you are a blood thirsty lot :) in anticipating poor Harry's demise at the hands of Severus. This was probably the hardest chapter to write; it certainly was the longest I have ever written. I apologize in advance for any typos. I think I caught them all but I admit my eyes are crossing from reading it through so many times :)

Content Warning: spanking in chapter

Chapter 8: Paying the Piper

Disclaimer: While I am borrowing many of the characters created by J.K. Rowling, all rights to those characters remain solely with her. I am neither receiving nor soliciting any monetary recompense for this story.

Auror Office: Hogsmeade

"Mr Potter…time to wake up." Harry heard the voice and made the effort to open his eyes, quickly closing them again as the bright lights overhead knifed into his aching brain.

"Rise and shine," the irritating voice said cheerfully. "Your escort has arrived."

Harry opened his eyes more slowly this time, squinting in the bright light. Very slowly, he turned his head to look at the blurry form causing the ache in his head to intensify; he closed his eyes again.

"Your glasses are on the table over by the sink there," the voice offered helpfully. "I'll be back in about 10 minutes."

Harry stayed where he was, slowly remembering the results of the night before. Gathering his courage, he opened his eyes again and made to put his feet on the floor. Very slowly, he made to stand, groaning a bit as he managed to get upright. The room swam and his stomach rolled. Swallowing hard, Harry managed to stumble towards the sink. Turning on the water, he waited for it to get cold and was disappointed to find that the water remained tepid. Cupping the water in his hands, he splashed it over his face, feeling marginally more human. He cupped some more water and drank, relieving the parched feeling in his mouth. Unfortunately, the relief was short lived as his protesting stomach revolted. Harry barely made it to the small commode before emptying his stomach. Almost in tears at the increased ache in his head, Harry stayed on his knees for a moment, wishing with all his being that someone would be merciful and just kill him now.

Harry didn't know just how long he knelt there but it must have been a little while as the disgustingly cheerful voice came back.

"Not feeling so hot I take it," the voice said unhelpfully. "Come on. Professor Snape is waiting for you."

Harry got to his feet only on sheer willpower and with the help of pulling on the porcelain sink. Squinting at the table, Harry managed to find his glasses and put them in place. Turning around, the previously blurry form that belonged to that cheerful voice came into marginal focus; it was the younger of the two aurors from the previous evening.

Walking towards where he stood, Harry stopped about two steps away, not sure what to say. The auror wasn't helpful, simply holding the door open and motioning Harry through. Walking out of the small room, Harry stopped in the corridor, waiting for the auror to indicate a direction. Taking a moment, Harry leaned against the wall, trying to find support for his exhausted and aching body.

"This way," the auror indicated, taking a corridor to the left, at the end of which was another door painted in a light green. For some reason, the color caused Harry's stomach to roll again and he swallowed hard, fighting back the nausea. The short walk seemed to take forever and Harry had a feeling that when he got through that door, his life was over.

Opening the door and ushering Harry through, the auror followed closely behind. Harry winced again as the morning sunlight poured into the room only to have his attention diverted as a tall, black shape moved into his peripheral vision. Turning his whole body slightly to avoid turning his head, Harry swallowed hard, again, as the form turned out to be Professor Snape; a very upset Professor Snape if the scowl on his face and the damning silence was anything to go by. Harry had been under that particular look before and it didn't bode well. Still without a word, Severus grabbed Harry's sleeve and pulled him towards the desk Harry only just now noticed. The two aurors from the previous evening were standing behind the desk, the auror who had escorted Harry into the room standing slightly behind and to the right of the other stern looking auror who spoke as Harry was unceremoniously thrust in front of the desk by Severus.

Harry had to force himself to focus on what the auror was saying.

"Mr Potter," the auror began. "I am Auror Simon Preston, and this is Auror Michael James. Personally, I don't even know where to start. You have pending charges against you for assaulting two aurors, causing injury to one as well as causing damage to a business establishment in the estimated amount of 300 galleons due to your ill-aimed spellcasting. Madame Rosmerta was very unhappy to say the least but has declined to press charges, though, I think you will find that your presence in her establishment will not be well received in the future," Auror Preston said sternly; Harry dropped his gaze to the floor only to feel a hand on the back of his neck and Severus' stern voice, "eyes up."

As Harry's gaze made it back to the face of Auror Preston, the older auror studied Harry's face for a moment. What he saw was a young man who was not gloating over his actions and was in fact, looking highly embarrassed and upset. Had it been any other wizard except Harry Potter, Preston might have been more willing to allow the charges to stick for a time before letting the miscreant off the hook, however, knowing Professor Snape as he did, Preston had a feeling the punishment he could meet out would be nothing compared to what Professor Snape had in mind. He and James had spoken in length that morning, after James had been released from St Mungos, and both had decided to let the matter go and let Professor Snape handle things.

"I absolutely do not condone your actions Mr Potter but I, and Auror James, are willing to suspend the charges in light of the fact that you are under Professor Snape's care at the moment. We are confident that any, actions, Professor Snape may take, will be more than adequate to address your indiscretions. I have given Professor Snape a request and he will tell you of it a little later. I would suggest, very strongly, that you take this pending lesson to heart and do not EVER do anything like this again. If you do, the charges from this case will be re-instated and full prosecution, including a permanent record, will be initiated. Do I make myself perfectly clear Mr Potter?"

"Yes Sir," Harry answered miserably, "I'm sorry."

Glancing over at Auror James, Harry repeated his apology. "I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt you."

"Forget it kid," Auror James said. "I have a hard head."

The silence went on for a minute until Severus spoke.

"If you two are through with Mr Potter, I believe he and I have some things to talk about."

"He's all yours Severus," Auror Preston said.

Aurors Preston and James watched as Severus clamped his hand on the back of Harry's neck in the guise of guiding him out the door. As the door closed behind Severus with a decidedly sharp snap, Auror James spoke.

"I don't envy that kid Simon; he won't be sitting comfortably for a long while after the professor gets done with him, and he is going to become very familiar with the walls of his dorm."

"How do you know that?" Preston asked curiously.

"Personal experience," James said wryly. "I got caught doing something very similar; although I have to admit I didn't pick a fight with any aurors. Professor Snape made very sure I would think a couple hundred times before repeating my mistake. Harry is in for a sharp lesson."

"If it keeps him from getting himself into any more trouble, it'll be worth it. Come on, you and I have paperwork to complete."

On the road out of Hogsmeade

Severus let the silence speak for him as he escorted Harry back up to the castle. He knew full well Harry was feeling the full effects of a vicious hangover but was not ready, yet, to ease those symptoms. No, he wanted Harry to experience every possible painful second.

Harry could FEEL Snape glaring at him. With Snape's hand on the back of his neck, he couldn't slow down the pace at all and it was playing havoc with the headache and nausea that was still plaguing him. He glanced over at Snape ready to ask about his wand and cloak but the look on Snape's face had the words dying in Harry's dry throat. Dropping his gaze again, Harry concentrated on his feet to make sure he didn't fall flat on his face as the pair made their way to the castle.

Hogwarts

Severus never released his grip on Harry's neck as they made it to the castle and began the long walk down to the dungeons and Severus' quarters. Harry could only be thankful that the corridors were deserted, the few students remaining for the holiday break absent with other endeavors and curiously, not even a castle ghost was floating around. Still, a delay due to a massive crowd would have been preferable to what was going to happen once they got to Severus' quarters.

Upon entering, Severus finally released Harry; Harry looked at him warily trying to judge what was going to happen.

"Go take a shower, get into your pajamas and then come back out here; you are going to bed as soon as we are done discussing your behavior. It goes against my better judgment to allow it but you are going to be of no use until you have had some normal rest."

"Sir, I---" Harry got out before Severus interrupted him.

"Not now," Severus returned sternly. "Do as I say."

Harry turned away, tears prickling his eyes. His head was aching, he was nauseous and completely exhausted and his fear due to not knowing what was going to happen was causing his emotions to come to the surface. He walked down the corridor, closing his door quietly.

Severus watched as Harry despondently turned away and made his way down the corridor to his room. Despite the look on his face, Severus was not looking forward to meting out yet another sharp lesson to Harry knowing what he did about what Harry had been going through. Still, Severus had nearly panicked when he found Harry gone the night before with no sign of him anywhere. The castle all but empty, no one had seen Harry for hours. When Dumbledore had come down to tell Severus where Harry was and what had happened, his first reaction was relief that Harry was safe until his secondary instinct kicked in and he had nearly stalked down to Hogsmeade to collect Harry and deal with him then and there. Only Dumbledore's idea that a night in the holding cell might be a good lesson for Harry, stopped him. Seeing Harry that morning, looking like death warmed over with his bloodshot eyes and badly wrinkled clothes, had only increased Severus' ire that Harry had placed himself in a possibly dangerous situation….again. Running his hand over his face in an effort to calm his raging thoughts, Severus went to a cabinet and after looking for a moment, pulled out a vial that held a blue liquid. Placing it on the table, he sat down in the chair by the fire and waited for Harry's eventual return. Severus would allow him thirty minutes to gather up his courage but if Harry hadn't come out by then, Severus would go and get him.

Harry stood in the shower, his eyes closed and his head against the wall, letting the warm water wash over him, soothing his aching muscles and helping, a little, in alleviating the pounding ache in his temples. 'Never again,' Harry whispered to himself as he continued to fight off the nausea.

Getting out of the shower and drying off, Harry put on his pajamas, taking a moment to run a comb through his wet hair before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. 'Time for the execution,' he muttered to himself as he opened the door and walked slowly back to the sitting room where he could see Severus waiting.

Before Harry could say anything Severus gestured towards the table and spoke.

"Take the potion first, it'll take care of that headache and the nausea, and then drink that glass of orange juice. You need the liquid and the vitamins in the juice will help your system recover more quickly. I would have ordered breakfast for you but I doubt your stomach would be able to handle it yet."

Harry looked at Severus in surprise and Severus read the look. "I am not doing this out of the kindness of my heart so much as I want your complete attention while we discuss things. I don't want your attention divided between our discussion and your physical state of health."

'Git,' Harry thought to himself as he downed the potion, his stomach nearly coming up again at the revolting taste; Harry caught Severus' smirk out of the corner of his eye. Still, Harry had to admit, the potion did wonders. His nausea all but vanished, Harry put down the remaining nausea to nerves, and his headache was gone. He was still exhausted but had a feeling that would be cured by sleep. Picking up the orange juice, Harry nursed it as long as he could but of course, Severus knew full well what he was doing.

"Bring the glass and sit down," Severus ordered, gesturing to the couch in front of him.

Harry sat down, clutching at the glass as though it were a lifeline, trying to look anywhere but at Snape; Snape immediately took that option away.

"Look at me Harry," he said, his voice harsh.

When Harry looked up, Severus ordered.

"I want you to explain to me just WHAT you were thinking last night. Of all the hair brained stunts you have pulled, this one has to be one of the worst. No sooner do I deny you permission to go into Hogsmeade for, how did you put it, a few hours to yourself just to relax, you willfully disobey, arrange a deception in the hopes that what, I wouldn 't notice you were gone," he said sarcastically, "and leave the castle with no word to anyone as to where you might be going. You top that off by drinking yourself into oblivion and then picking a fight with not one, but TWO trained aurors, either one of which could have done much more justifiable damage than just using a stupefy. Auror James was injured severely enough that he had to spend the night at St Mungos. I was told that had he hit his head any harder, he may not have recovered," Severus finished sternly. "Well, I'm waiting," Severus barked at Harry's ongoing silence.

Harry leaned forward and placed his half full glass on the table, not trusting himself to keep from dropping it. He straightened up and started.

"I didn't leave here specifically with the intent of drinking too much. I was angry at you for not allowing me to go into Hogsmeade when I was well ahead of schedule. I didn't see that asking for a few hours to myself was such a big deal. I meant to be back before you got out of your staff meeting; I had only intended to go in to the village for an hour or two, nothing else," here Harry stopped.

"Go on," Severus encouraged.

"I-I realized when I went into the Sticks that I was of age for the first time, so," here Harry swallowed hard looking at Severus, "I decided that instead of the usual butterbeer that I would try something, er, stronger."

"So you had to choose fire whiskey,..that wasn't too smart," Severus returned. "You chose the most powerful, alcoholic drink of all the ones available for a first time. ANYTHING else would have been a better choice," Severus made a mental note to have a chat with Rosmerta about her night bartender and his serving fire whiskey to a 17 year old.

"I didn't know that, then," Harry emphasized. "In fact, when I took that first taste, which was a little too much, I almost couldn't breathe it was so strong. I took it easy after that and just sipped a little, and after a little bit, I realized I was feeling, well, better, than I had been. I wasn't feeling so angry. I finished the first glass and decided to have one more before heading back. I remember glancing at the clock, it was 9 I think and I didn't think it would be a problem, that I could make it back here."

Severus handed Harry the glass and gestured for him to drink some more of the juice. Grimacing, Harry took a few more swallows; orange juice wasn't his favorite. He held the glass and looked at it in a contemplative silence for a moment.

"Where do the aurors come into this little story?" Severus asked.

Harry finished the juice in the glass, setting the glass on the table before continuing.

"They had been in the Sticks when I walked in. they weren't doing anything, just sitting and talking at one of the tables. I was almost at the bottom of my second glass when I started getting mad again, at the aurors. I kept thinking, where had they been during the fight? Their job in our world is to protect witches and wizards and it was their fault Voldemort was loose. They couldn't manage to catch him in all the time he was, around. I finished the second glass and decided on a third. At the point I don't know what time it was, I just wanted to stop feeling mad again. The bartender looked at me when I asked for the third glass and I thought he was going to deny me. I sort of brushed my hair aside so he could see my scar, and he poured the last glass. He did tell me at that point it was my last."

"He should have stopped you at the second glass," Severus interjected.

Harry shrugged and went on.

"I sat back down at the table and kept sippping. I didn't actually realize I had gotten done again; that third one emptied a lot sooner than the others it seemed. I saw the aurors again and decided to ask them why they weren't around that night. I don't remember much of what happened after that. One of them, Auror Preston I think, told me to put my wand away I think. I got mad when they didn't tell me why they weren't there that night and I just started firing off hexes. I don't think any of them actually connected. At least, I missed Auror Preston."

Severus nodded. "I saw the hits. You took out part of a separating wall and a put some gouges in the bar itself. Rosmerta isn't going to be happy to see you again."

Harry dropped his gaze again, staring at his hands. "I'll pay her for the damages," Harry said softly.

"That might go a long way towards mending things between you and her; what happened next?"

"Not sure really. I want to say that Auror James had managed to circle around behind me. When he went to grab me, I just turned and pushed him away, sort of like what I usually did to Dudley. I guess I caught him by surprise because he fell back. I think that is when Auror Preston hit me with the stupefy."

"Is that the last thing you remember before you woke up in the holding area?" Severus asked.

Harry shook his head. "No, not really."

"Not really?"

"I woke up, sort of, and saw Sirius. Then Mum and Dad showed up, and Remus and Tonks. They all told me the same thing that you have, that what happened that night wasn't my fault, that e-everyone th-that d-died didn't blame m-me," Harry's emotions got the better of him and he started crying.

Severus handed him a handkerchief and waited for him to continue. "I fell back asleep and then I was woken up by Auror James."

"Harry, I realize what you have been going through, I understand the pain and the grief of accepting blame for something you couldn't control. By holding this in for so long and fighting to ignore the fact you were feeling this way, you created the perfect possibility of that anger and pain coming out at the most inopportune time. Did Lily talk to you about this at all?"

Harry glanced up, surprised again. His eyes were still wet but he was composed again. "You believe I saw mum?"

"I had the same experience that night in the Shrieking Shack after I was bitten by Nagini. I had taken the anti-venom but I was, floating, probably somewhere between life and death. Lily came to me, as did your father, though I think it was more Lily's idea he come than his," Severus smirked.

"Mum said I should trust you, talk to you about, well, things. Dad told me I shouldn't fear you. I tried to get mum to talk to you to try and get you to go easy on me, but she said she wouldn't, that I had earned a lesson," Harry blushed in embarrassment.

Severus chuckled a bit. "That's Lily."

Severus sobered. "I really wish I could go easy on you but that would not give you what you need right now. You placed yourself in a dangerous position, again. This time you got lucky. You didn't drink enough to cause any permanent damage other than a pounding head and sick stomach. You got lucky in that you didn't seriously injure Auror James which would have guaranteed time in Azkhaban at your age. You managed to get yourself hexed by a trained auror which very well could have been a much worse hex if the person didn't care about not hurting you. In short, getting drunk and picking a fight is good way to get yourself killed if you pick a fight with the wrong people," he finished, his voice harsh.

Taking a breath to calm his temper, Severus went on. "I want you to understand that you aren't in trouble for drinking, per se. You are of age so the drinking in and of itself is not an issue, with the exception of over indulging. You need to learn what your tolerance is and to stay within that limit. What you ARE in trouble for, however, is willfully disobeying me by placing your poor deception in your bed and going into Hogsmeade after I expressly forbade you to go until after your assignments were completed. You are also in trouble for picking a fight with the aurors due to the fact you had lost any sense of good judgment due to being drunk."

"Yes Sir," Harry whispered.

"First, Auror Preston gave me an assignment for you. He wants a 6-foot essay, due before the start of the next term, on alcohol, its effects and what can happen if you drink too much."

Harry gasped..."s-six FEET!"

"I don't think you know who Auror Preston is so let me enlighten you. Auror Preston is the head of auror training. He is also a voting member of the committee that decides who is accepted for training from all the applications that are submitted. Do you get the implication of all this?"

Harry blanched. "He could keep me from ever becoming an auror."

"Just so," Severus said. "He let me know that, shall we say, youthful indiscretions by themselves were not necessarily a determining factor in denying an applicant. However, add in your attack on the aurors and your lack of judgment in drinking the way you did and you could well be permanently barred from becoming an auror."

Severus paused and let Harry take all that in before he went on.

"We spoke this morning when I came to pick you up. Auror Preston is willing to let this go and not make it a determining factor in your acceptance or non-acceptance into training, provided the essay is completed on time and is acceptable, and that you do not get into any more trouble. I admit your demeanor this morning also went a long way towards showing Auror Preston that this is not normal behavior from you. You apologized, accepted his censure and were polite and respectful."

"Now, as for your punishment from me," 'here it comes,' Harry thought to himself, his stomach knotting.

"You are grounded for the remainder of the break. That means all meals will be taken here and you will remain in your room from after dinner until morning. Once break is done, you are further grounded to your dorm for two weeks. As you know, this means other than meals or classes, you are to remain in your dorm, not the common room, unless you have a specific reason for being out, such as detention. If you need to go tot he library in order to complete homework, you will not leave your dorm without my express permission. Additionally, you have detention with me three nights a week for the duration of your grounding." Severus stopped for a moment, having seen Harry's shoulders slump further with each new edict. "Do you understand this?" Severus asked.

"Yes Sir," Harry answered again, his voice shaking.

"We have one more thing to do. Stand up and bend over the desk," Severus said suddenly. Harry blanched again; he had expected this but it didn't make it any easier to take. Standing up, he made his way over to Severus' desk and leaned over the edge, grasping the opposite side with his fingers and resting his head on the cool top. He turned his head a bit to face Severus as Severus stood up and stepped over to the desk. Without a word, his eyes on Harry the entire time, Severus' hands went to the buckle of the leather belt he wore around his waist. Unbuckling the belt, he slid the leather efficiently through the loops and doubled it up in his hand. Harry's eyes went wide when he realized exactly what was going to happen and he stood up and took a step back, his eyes never leaving the strip of leather swinging gently from Severus' hand.

"S-Sir, pl-please, y-you can't," Harry all but whimpered, tears making their way down his ashen cheeks.

Severus looked at him for a moment before placing the belt on top of the desk. Noticing that Harry's eyes had never left the belt, Severus stepped into his line of vision, blocking the sight of the belt and forcing Harry to focus on him instead. Tipping Harry's chin up, his voice almost gentle, he tried to calm Harry down.

"I know you're scared Harry, I wouldn't expect anything less. I am not using the belt to hurt you but to give you a lesson, a very sharp lesson yes, in order to hopefully make sure you think twice before ever getting yourself into a similar situation. It is going to be OK. Once this is done it is over with and we can move on." Severus used his thumb to brush away the tears on Harry's face. "Back over the desk," Severus said, his voice firm.

Harry just nodded and placed himself back in position. Severus picked the belt back up and took his place slightly to Harry's left.

"H-how many?" Harry asked.

"As many as I think it will take," Severus replied. Patting Harry's shoulder before stepping back, Severus raised his right arm and let the first stroke fall square across the fullest part of Harry's bottom. The belt connected with a resounding crack and Harry tightened his grip on the opposite side of the desk and buried his face in his arms, letting out a hiss of breath but otherwise making no outward sign of his discomfort. Severus hated using his belt. The few times he had done so had been in an attempt to reach the most stubborn of students who needed to let go of some hurt. For some reason, the belt brought out the feeling of fear the most and it would break down the walls hiding even the most deep hurt or anger in a boy. It tended to devastate the recipient emotionally and Severus had never used his belt twice on the same boy; once was all it usually took to have them crying out their fears and hurt, allowing themselves to be comforted.

Severus winced and raised his arm again, aiming slightly lower.

Severus continued on, each stroke as hard as the one previous; never letting up. At stroke 5 Harry cried out slightly, raising himself up on his toes. Severus hesitated a moment, allowing Harry to settle back into position before continuing. At stroke 8, Harry started crying and at stroke 10 he was sobbing. Severus had originally intended to give Harry 17 strokes, one for each year, but he recognized that Harry had reached his limit. Severus was glad now that he hadn't told Harry how many strokes at the start. This way he could quit before giving the entire intended punishment without Harry realizing he had stopped early. Severus laid a final two devastating strokes to Harry's sit spots and stopped.

Severus took a few seconds to put his belt back on before he stepped up to Harry, laying his right hand on the heaving back. Leaning forward, Severus gently patted Harry's tightly clenched fingers with his left hand, encouraging him to let go of the edge of the desk. Holding Harry's hand in his, he encouraged Harry to stand and without hesitation, pulled him into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around the sobbing boy, offering his comfort and protection. Harry was reacting no differently than any of the others. Severus knew from experience that Harry was probably feeling as though a blow torch had been applied to his bottom, as Severus could tell from the way Harry was constantly shifting his weight from side to side in an effort to ease the burning sting.

Severus held him for a long while, rubbing his back and massaging his neck, shifting his position only after Harry had calmed. His arm around Harry's shoulder, Severus maneuvered Harry down the corridor and into his room. With a quick flick of his hand, the covers on Harry's bed turned down and Severus urged Harry to lie down. Harry hissed in pain as his sore backside made contact with the sheets, and quickly rolled onto his side facing Severus. Severus pulled the covers over Harry, bringing them up to just below Harry's shoulders. Pulling the chair out from under the desk, Severus sat down close to the bed, running his hand down Harry's head and brushing the hair away from Harry's forehead. Summoning a damp cloth and a glass of cool water, Severus gently wiped Harry's face free of tears and then set it aside and handed Harry the glass.

"Drink that first and then go to sleep for a while. Your body is still recovering from the effects of the alcohol and you need to rehydrate and rest. If you want, I'll stay here until you fall asleep."

Harry nodded, draining the glass and setting it on the table next to the bed. Putting his hand in Severus', he lay his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. Severus squeezed his hand gently, then sat back, rubbing Harry's shoulders with his free hand. It only took a few minutes for Harry to fall into a deep slumber, his body surrendering to the urgent need for rest. Severus stood up, freeing his hand from Harry's loose grip, and with one last pat to Harry's shoulder, he walked towards the door. He turned for one last check on Harry and gasped at what he saw. Standing next to the bed was Lily. She smiled at Severus before bending down and kissing Harry on the forehead. Walking over to Severus, she kissed his cheek and took his hand in hers.

"Thank you Severus," she said gently, "for looking after my son. I knew you would care for him."

With a final kiss to Severus' cheek, Lily vanished.

Severus lifted his hand and touched his cheek and whispered, "you are welcome love."

Turning, Severus walked out the door, closing it gently behind him.

For anyone who may be unfamiliar with the term "Pay the Piper," it basically means to settle a debt or obligation. It is a commonly used American phrase when someone gets in trouble; they end up paying the price for their actions.