A/N: I'd really appreciate some reviews to let me know what you think, if you're still reading etc. It's just great encouragement. Thanks for being patient.
Chapter 18Control - To exercise authoritative or dominating influence over; direct
"So it is with minds. Unless you keep them busy with some definite subject that will bridle and control them, they throw themselves in disorder hither and yon in the vague field of imagination... And there is no mad or idle fancy that they do not bring forth in the agitation."
Michel de Montaigne
It was another eight days before Severus finally found the solution. He was surrounded by five texts that he had narrowed the search down to. He'd read four of the five and had made extensive notes, but it was about halfway through the fifth that he came across the final piece to the puzzle. A startled cry escaped his lips.
"I've got it," He said to himself. "That's it." Severus noted down the paragraph, paraphrasing for speed. The word underlined at the bottom of the page confirmed what he already knew. Legilimency. He thanked his lucky stars it was something he was skilled at. At first he was unsure whether it would have been any use on an unconscious person in what he was now sure was a magical coma. The combination of their half-fledged bond and his skills as Legilimency and Occlumency would be the key. All Severus had to do was make sure he didn't kill both of them. The thought made him shudder. His mind trapped in Harry's for all of eternity while his body rotted away, soul absent.
He gathered his notes, making sure to get every single one. He could no longer take risks, forget a single detail, lest this all go terribly wrong. Severus first rushed to Mendez's desk. The Spaniard had been the deciding factor to this success and Severus felt compelled to thank him. How Harry was turning him soft, he bemoaned, decades of thanking nobody, ungrateful, hateful years, destroyed by a sixteen year old boy.
Before he could say anything Mendez looked up at him through halfmoon glasses, for a moment resembling Albus Dumbledore, despite being less than half the man's age. "Let me guess, muchas gracias? You are very welcome, I hope your search was fruitful. Adiós, Sr. Snape."
Severus stared the man down, masking his surprise skilfully. "Muchas Gracias, Sr. Mendez." He settled on, thinking the man was unnervingly like Albus in a number of ways.
(-)
It was three o'clock in the morning in Britain that Poppy Pomfrey was woken up by a bang and a crash in the infirmary. She hurried out of her bed in the adjoining room to the medical wing. Knowing there was no one in the beds, and the only other inhabitant was Harry in his special room, she was armed with her wand. So, it was with great trepidation and determination that Poppy Pomfrey crept into the infirmary in her pink nightgown. The room was unlit, the moon hiding behind the cloud cover outside. She heard a string of curse words and suddenly recognised the voice.
"Severus?" She asked cautiously. "Is that you?"
"Quite," Poppy was certain now, hearing the familiar impatient tones of the Potions Master. "Lumos."
The room was flooded with light, bright enough that Poppy had to squint and wait for her eyes to adjust. It was then she saw Severus, looking truly haggard and dishevelled. There was a spark in his eye though, one of fierce passion and zeal. She could see the table that Severus had toppled in his poorly lit venture through the Hospital Wing. He must have been in quite a hurry, in fact-
"You've found it haven't you? A cure?" She gasped, realising the implications of his return.
"I've found it," He confirmed, his gaze quickly finding Harry's door. "Get Albus immediately. And Lucius, if he is still here."
"Now?" She asked, checking the time on the large clock on the wall. "Are you sure?"
"Immediately. I have to do this immediately. Is Harry…" He nodded towards the door.
"He's there." She told him, hoping desperately that Severus had truly found the solution.
"Go." He ordered, and she left as fast as she could, navigating the hallways up to Albus' office, her nightgown fluttering behind her.
(-)
Severus opened the door gingerly, almost as if he would wake Harry were he too loud. The thought made his breath catch and the sight of Harry's still body was almost too much. The weeks he had been away had been agonising, the return almost as painful. He'd been to a portkey point to return, as cross-country apparition, even from an apparition point, would have drained his magic. He needed as much strength as possible for this.
Severus cast a cushioning charm on the ground next to Harry's bed, hoping it would hold. The sensible thing to do was wait for help, but he couldn't wait for Albus, the burning need to hear Harry say something, anything, overwhelmed all reason. He leaned over Harry, carefully resting one hand on Harry's arm and the other on his cheek. This had to work, he told himself, it had to work or else…
He closed his eyes. At first he felt nothing, just the quiet sounds outside the room. Slowly, his mind cleared, tuning out distracting noises. He felt a familiar presence. Victoriously, he nudged.
The intense mix of colours confused him at first, throwing him off balance, but he soldiered on, memories suddenly bursting into life in front of him. Harry's life whizzed past his eyes, rapidly and almost uncontrollably. Severus tried to reach out and make them tangible but they slipped from his grasp. From his research he had gathered that Harry's mind would be out of his control but this was nothing like he had ever experienced. Normally during Legilimancy even the most flustered of people had orderly minds but this, this was unimaginably disordered. Harry's unconscious mind was rife with confusion and fear.
He spotted his opportunity when an image fluttered by for the fifth time. Severus prepared himself and then managed to pull himself into it.
(-)
Albus Dumbledore was woken by a flustered Madam Pomfrey. Five minutes later he had finally managed to elicit a comprehensible explanation from her. Albus fire called Lucius Malfoy, giving him a curt order to met them in the infirmary as soon as possible. They then dashed down to the Hospital Wing.
They intercepted Lucius on the fourth floor corridor, along with Narcissa, and ventured into the infirmary together. The group paused for a second, all eyes on the door to Harry's room. Albus broke the moment by cracking open the door, seeing Severus lying still in a heap on the floor he rushed forward. Checking the man's vitals and confirming their stability, Poppy asked the men to lift him onto a bed, moving one as close to Harry's as possible. If Severus had indeed used Legilimency to enter Harry's mind Albus knew it would be best to keep the two in physical proximity.
Paper brushed his leg and he glanced down in surprise. Parchments, piles of them, covered the floor where Severus had been. It was strange he had not noticed them before, he mused, gathering them into his hands. His knees creaked painfully on the way up and Albus winced slightly. His years were catching up with him. As he shuffled through the parchments a small smile blossomed on his face. His eyes twinkled madly as he translated the scrawl that was Severus' handwriting. What a thing not to notice, indeed. Absolutely marvellous.
Eyes drawn to the two beds, side by side, Albus only wished the other man had addressed him before leaping into such a perilous situation with no one to aid him. Albus sighed, eyeing Harry and Severus. Two young men he had let down far too often.
(-)
The house was well-kept. Severus examined the flowerbeds with an air of indifference. He had never cared much for gardens unless they made useful potions ingredients. These were particularly average, muggle gardenias, hydrangeas, marigolds, petunias… His eyes snapped back up to the house. The Dursleys. That explained the house, he sneered at the perfectly manicured hedges and picturesque homes in the neighbourhood. Severus himself had certainly not been raised in such an area. He had no doubt such a place alienated Potter quite seriously. That might have explained a number of things, Severus thought dryly.
He looked up at the dizzying swirl of colours that replaced the sky and his stomach lurched. There was definitely something wrong with this seemingly picture perfect place. His eyes fixed firmly back on the ground which was, thankfully, normal. The sick feeling settled in his stomach, his mouth parched.
He made his way to the door of the house, having decided that nothing of import was happening outside. The door flew open the second he knocked, the hinges protesting loudly. The… thing… that met Severus could hardly be called human. A giant, purple faced demon, more like. The monster was over seven feet tall, unreasonably wide and his skin was scaled and a sickly shade of violet. A caricature of Harry's uncle? The thing was obviously blown wildly out of proportion by Harry's imagination. Severus wondered what the real Vernon Dursley had been like.
Startled out of his open mouthed surprise, he ducked a flying arm. The man had the nerve to take a swing at him, Severus thought angrily. He reached for his wand before wondering if it had any affect in this strange place. He quickly reasoned that if Harry believed in magic, it would be real in some manner or form in his mindscape.
"Stupefy!" Severus yelled most ungracefully whilst trying unsuccessfully to avoid another blow. It grazed his jaw and the force knocked him to the ground. He was winded as he struck the concrete and immediately rolled to avoid the falling Vernon Dursley. The thud as he hit the ground made Severus wince. The bigger they were…
Brushing himself off, wondering why, if the pain wasn't real, he was feeling so sore. Psychologically, he supposed, he thought it was genuine. Severus cracked his jaw, rubbing the edge. After he escaped with Harry, he decided, he was never dipping into someone else's mind again. The human psyche was a decidedly sick place.
Stepping over the fallen man, Severus made his way into the house. He cautiously checked the living room, dining room and kitchen for other members of the household. He had no intentions of having a run in with another ridiculously strong and illogically large Dursley.
"Harry?" He called up the stairs. He wouldn't call it fear, but there was a certain amount of trepidation as he climbed the stairs. The uneasy feeling didn't fade as he stood on the landing. He checked the room on his right first. It was large and messy. Posters covered the walls haphazardly and it smelt of smoke. Severus noted that he had immediately ruled it out as Harry's room.
It was the door across the landing that had caught his attention. The door knob was hot to touch. Alarms went off in his head. Firmly ignoring the warning he pushed the door open.
"Merlin!" A curse escaped his mouth and the door slammed closed again. He gasped for a moment before composing himself. He had been through much worse and come out the other side unscathed. Reminding himself it was not real, he opened the door again. The swirling that was the sky had taken over the whole room. The walls had somehow disappeared and the floor was falling away. It was like he had opened the door to another world completely, he was no longer inside the Dursley's house. His stomach churned steadily as he focussed on the huddled Harry.
The young man had his head buried in his knees, hands over his ears. Severus still didn't dare step out, even though Harry was proof that it could be solid. While, in his mind, he knew none of it was real, if he so much as had one doubt he feared he would plunge into that disconcerting mix of colours. The thought made him shudder violently.
"Harry?" He called uncertainly. "Can you hear me?"
Harry didn't respond. Severus took a deep breath, steeling his nerves. He took a careful step towards Harry. He then realised that the boy was muttering something to himself. He took another step and leaned closer.
"It's not real. It's not real. It's not real." The mantra was spoken rapidly and so low Severus could hardly hear it. Severus could hear the quick gasping breaths Harry was taking and worried he would hyperventilate.
"You're right, Harry, it's not real. This is just a mindscape. It's just something you imagined, something you have control over." He told the boy in a voice as calming and gentle as he could make it, one he would use to calm an animal. If he scared Harry further things could go very badly.
Harry's head flew out of the cocoon he had created. "Professor?" He questioned, voice weak and confused. "Severus?"
"It's okay, Harry." He reached out. "Take my hand."
"I can't." He shook his head, panicked at the words. "I'll fall."
"Look," Severus said soothingly. He thought he was doing a fine job at being gentle, considering it was his first time at it. "I'm not falling. Just take my hand, you'll be okay. Nothing will happen to you." He kept speaking until the words became meaningless, just reassurances and placating phrases like 'everything will be fine.' While the idea of such words coming out of his mouth would usually disgust him, the Harry he was facing certainly looked as though he needed it. And, he reminded himself, it was Harry's fear that was creating the mess that was this abyss. Dissipating that fear was his sole focus right then.
When a clammy hand gripped his, he heaved a great sigh of relief. "Good, Harry, very good. None of this is real."
"Promise?" He asked.
"Yes, I promise, I swear." He vowed, squeezing Harry's hand. He twisted an arm around Harry's waist and, mostly supporting the other's weight, began the meticulous task of backing up into the house. The edgy feeling the abyss gave him led him not to turn his back on it for fear it would take both of them.
The second in which they shut the door and stepped back onto solid wood was perhaps the most beautiful of his life. He let out a choking laugh. The giddy relief did not last long though, as he realised that the boy he was holding to his side was shaking like a leaf.
"Harry, everything is over now. We can leave here." He tried to adopt that voice again but it just came out strangled and stiff. A side of him that could only ever come out in an emergency, Snape thought derisively. "It's over." He told Harry when his previous reassurances had no affect. It occurred to him how ill that void had made him feel for the short time he was in there. "How long have you been in there?" Severus asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.
"Forever." Harry whispered, head buried in Severus' neck. Harry's breath was warm and wet on his neck and made his pulse quicken.
He instinctively held Harry tighter. "I think it's time we left then." He sent up a desperate prayer that his hastily contrived plan would work.
Placing both hands on either side of Harry's face, tilting it to look him in the eyes. The green orbs sparkled with fear and something else… trust? Severus kept his gaze fixed on Harry's eyes, concentrating his magic until he could feel it crawling under his skin. "Effugio mens."
Severus braced himself for what would come next, for it would be difficult, he knew. His ears rushed with sound as the world dropped away.