kestral-girl: Wow. Long review. Okay, I'll try to address the issues you brought up. Firstly: Hermione. I actually can't give you an insight on her at the moment unless I do a companion piece (which I think I might, actually). You'll sort of see why. Maybe I could. I'll look into it. Secondly: Sev is moody. I promise to delve more into that. I'm sure there's something I've missed but you can ask in the next review (pointed look). Thanks for your review!
Amanda Saitou: Rush things? I'm well known for dragging it out, I think. In fact, my reviewers might maul me soon. Thank you!
Special thanks go to Gorman99, after all, she's the reason I updated.
Chapter 14
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Backtrack- To return to a previous point or subject, to go back over the course by which one has come.
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When Harry woke, his palms were clammy and his mouth parched. He swallowed several times. His harsh breaths broke the silence. It was then he realized his head wasn't resting on a pillow but the hard chest of one Severus Snape. He stayed as still as possible.
Harry wondered whether to die of embarrassment then or later. Yet he was reluctant to move. Partly because the other man's arm was slung around his waist and partly because he admitted to himself that he rather liked the feeling. And hoped Severus wouldn't go moody like he did the afternoon before. He also knew that hope was futile because Snape seemed to be moody by nature.
Harry then let his mind wander back to the nightmare. It was different than the usual ones he had. It had begun with himself in a dark hallway. There were screams and shouts. Green. Footsteps. Then he was being chased. He had to get away. He was caught. Slammed into the wall. The hand dug into his shoulder. Harry cleared his throat as quietly as possible. He couldn't rid himself of the feeling of dread.
He dressed silently. He took one last glance back at the sleeping man before creeping to breakfast.
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Harry walked with Ron to the Gryffindor Common Room. He needed to talk to his friend about something that had been troubling him.
He wasn't sure how to begin the conversation. "So, Ron... how are you?"
"I'm okay, a bit behind on my assignments though." Ron gave him a sheepish smile.
Harry nodded. "What's been eating you?" He thought it sounded harmless enough.
Ron cast his eyes aside. "Nothing."
"You've been acting strange." Harry insisted, surprised by Ron's neutral tone.
"Everyone has issues, Harry, I'm just trying to figure something out." He sounded more impassioned this time and Harry was relieved, but at the same time the unnerving answer made him feel uneasy.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing, mate, why don't we go find Hermione?"
"No, what do you mean? And don't try to change the subject." Harry wanted to address this strange dilemma right then.
Ron looked stressed, he glanced away several times, avoiding Harry's eyes. "Merlin, Harry, I can't explain it."
He opened his mouth and closed it, a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Is there anything I can do?"
There was a poignant pause. Harry thought he should have been able to read his friend but he couldn't. "I don't want to talk about it." Ron finally said, a stony edge to his tone.
"Fine." Harry breathed out angrily. "Fine." He repeated, quieter this time.
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The confrontation with Ron was fruitless and left Harry feeling unsettled. He had been in the library since. He'd even skipped lunch. He was surprised he didn't come across Hermione, that was where he'd assumed she was earlier.
He finally decided to go down to Snape's chambers and maybe talk, he hadn't seen Severus since he'd woken up, now that it was Saturday, Harry was feeling the strangle-hold constrict.
On his way he encountered someone he was entirely ready to see. At first he was going to walk straight on past but something struck him. Something that had been buried behind all the junk going on in his life, ever since their encounter a few days back.
"Malfoy?"
"What, Potter?" Malfoy growled, but Harry didn't think the blond was actually annoyed.
"A few days ago, we ran into each other in the dungeons," Malfoy showed no recognition. "You called Hermione a mudblood." He prompted.
Malfoy nodded. "Get on with it." He said impatiently.
"You called Cedric, Cedric."
There was a silence. "That's his name, what was I meant to call him?"
Harry found himself not wanting to offend his rival. "Well, it's just that you call almost everybody by their last name, even Hermione sometimes, from what Ron says."
"It's none of your business. You killed the Hufflepuff, why do you care?" A shiver ran over Harry at the words.
"I did not kill Cedric." His teeth were gritted painfully. He couldn't stand Malfoy's patronizing smirk. He stormed past the blond.
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Harry dropped into the chair he'd become increasingly attached to. His irritation might've faded if Snape hadn't spoken.
"You are to stay in your own bed tonight. Do not venture out of your room for any reason." Through the caution Harry felt the tiredness he'd been haunted by.
"You're so fucking unpredictable." Harry groaned. The day had been grueling and after coming back here, his nerves were frayed to their edge.
"Watch your language, do not disrespect me." Snape warned.
"Like you respect me," Harry muttered.
Severus glared but didn't comment.
"Fine. Whatever."
Obviously 'whatever' wasn't courteous enough for Snape, as the man waited, expectantly
"Yes, sir."
"Don't call me 'sir'." Came the immediate response. Snape said 'sir' like it was a sour taste. Harry supposed it was. He knew that Snape did not appreciate the idea of having sex with a sixteen year old.
Harry thought maybe he would never quite satisfy Snape. That brought another thing to mind.
"Do you want to have sex with me?"
Snape looked put out by the sudden question. "We are to be bonded." He answered, clearly knowing it wasn't the reply the boy was looking for.
"Yeah, but do you actually want to?" Harry's voice was choked as he realized that the question was going to bring a lot more trouble than it was worth.
"Potter-"
"Harry."
"Harry, understand, I am your professor."
"I thought we were over that, Snape-"
Something in Snape seemed to have hardened in a familiar fashion. "Severus." He corrected mockingly.
"Damn you!" Harry leaned back, frustrated. "It's like one step forward and five hundred back!"
Snape just scowled.
Harry clutched the armrest. "I hate you!"
"In kind, Potter."
Harry stood so violently the chair flew backward. Without any further remarks to Snape, he stalked out of the room, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.
The corridors of the dungeons seemed to laugh at him as he walked past the place where he had seen Malfoy moments before.
He shook his head and continued up to the Great Hall for dinner. He wasn't eager on facing Ron after their earlier 'discussion'. He had to get away from Snape. And seeing Hermione might calm him. She appeared to be the only person not mad at him for some reason or another.
He slipped in-between Seamus and Hermione, grateful for the warm smile he received from the brown-haired girl.
"How are you?" She asked, after swallowing.
"Not so great." He admitted. He caught the movement from next to the teacher's table. Snape. He glared.
"Professor Snape?" Hermione asked, following his gaze.
"You could say that."
Snape's obsidian, emotionless eyes met his. Harry shuddered at a sudden wisp in the back of his mind. He felt a sharp sting of vindictiveness. He spread his left hand out on the table.
"Harry?" Hermione sounded concerned.
Harry held the Potion Master's stare. With his free hand he picked up the knife for the chicken.
He heard the shocked gasp from Hermione as he drove it through the center of his palm. In hindsight, Harry knew it wasn't worth it. The pain was incredible. In hindsight, Harry wondered what on earth made him do it. But right at that moment he just hissed.
Out of the corner of his vision, he could see Snape. He looked closer. The man's mouth had thinned to a line.
Hermione was saying something, he knew she was, but he was too focused on his hand to hear it. Everyone around him seemed to have unfrozen and were gathering around him.
"Move aside," Came the stern voice of the Gryffindor Head of House.
"Mr. Potter, what possessed you to do such a thing?" She asked as she cast a spell Harry didn't know.
He exhaled quickly. The knife was on the table. It was bloody. The blood welled on the table.
He felt McGonagall help him up. He let her lead him out of the hall. He could hear the whispers from the students follow him.
"Someone tried to murder him."
"He stabbed himself."
"He missed the chicken."
"He tried to kill himself," Harry would've scoffed at that one, if he had been composed enough to do so.
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Madame Pomfrey shook her head. "Mr. Potter, how do these things always happen to you?"
The nurse examined his hand and he just wished she'd do something about it. Whatever pain Snape had felt didn't make up for this.
She gave him a foul-tasting potion (though Harry wouldn't expect anything else from her). The pain faded and Harry sighed in relief. He watched as his hand knitted together.
"I expect Professor McGonagall will be wanting a full explanation but that will have to wait, you are staying here overnight."
"It's fine now though!"
"Nevertheless, it was strange..." She muttered. "Besides, if I let you leave now, you will probably be here again tomorrow morning with something other malady."
Harry was going to protest more before he remembered he really had nothing to go back to anyway. He settled into the bed that he was sure had a more comfortable mattress than the others.
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An hour later, Harry was drifting off when he heard shouting. Fear washed over him as he recalled the dream he'd had last night.
"Get all the students... organized... don't let them..."
Harry could only hear bits of the cries.
His head exploded in pain. He knew what it meant.
He stumbled forward through it.
Outside the Hospital Wing were people. Prefects.
"What's happening?" He grabbed one as she ran past him.
"Death Eaters," She breathed, worry and terror displayed on her features.
There was a flash of green to his right. A body crumbled.
Harry's heart skipped a beat.
The prefect next to him grabbed his hand and ran. Harry put up no resistance. "We have to get all the students to the Common Rooms. The professors will hold them off."
"No," Harry pulled out of her grasp. "I have to help."
She called after him but he shot back to the Infirmary.
Dumbledore had said the attack wouldn't be for ages yet! A month at least! There were two spies, in the inner ranks of the Death Eaters, surely either Snape or Malfoy would have some clue.
Snape's words! He'd told Harry to stay in bed, not to move. So he'd known! Harry skidded to a stop. He'd known!
Harry shook his head in wonderment. Snape was a traitor?
Shadows shifted.
"Potter." A black-garbed figure stood in front of him. Harry gulped. He reached for his wand.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The Death Eater told him.
"The professors will be here any second." His hand inched toward his wand.
"I said: I wouldn't do that if I were you." The man slammed him into the wall. He tried to wriggle out but the Death Eater had a hard grip on his shoulder.
"The Master will be very eager to see you, Potter, very happy."
There was a strong tug on his navel. Harry felt like he was going to be sick.
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Harry fell to his knees when his feet once again touched solid ground. He heaved.
"I see portkeys aren't your favourite method of travel. Never mind, young Potter, I never liked them either."
Harry noticed the voice had changed. He was confused.
"I thought you were a man," He sounded hoarse.
She laughed, a cruel edge to the tone.
"Vocal masking spells. Six years at Hogwarts and you have learned nothing?"
Her wand was still trained on him. He struggled to stand, through the pain in his head, which had been absent momentarily but had now returned with a vengeance.
She muttered a binding spell. He winced as his hands were locked together.
"Can't have you getting away, I'm enjoying your company."
"I'm flattered, really." He said sarcastically. Who was this woman?
She lowered her face to his ear. He flinched away in disgust.
"I want to hear you scream." She whispered.
She stepped away, a sick smile gracing her face.
She lifted her wand.
Harry felt himself trembling and struggled to suppress it.
"Crucio."
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