Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Harry Potter.
Note: Thanks so much for the review. So, the Malfoys, I find I am struggling a lot with this and it doesn't come out the way I want it to come out. If anybody has any thoughts on either Draco or Lucius, feel free to send me a message. I am hoping to get this done before Christmas. Let's begin.
The floo flared as Harry tore his attention away from Snape's stern figure. He raised an eyebrow as Hermione flooed into the house, her hands around the beady bag that had been her constant companion over the last few months spent camping and on the run. He wondered what was in it this time.
Hermione gave him a smile as she glanced around the room, her eyebrows raised as she asked, "Oh, you haven't started yet?"
"Oh, Harry has," Ron sniggered. Harry could feel his face flush again but Snape merely raised an eyebrow as if it was of no interest to him. Professor McGonagall shook her head before Ron drew closer to his girlfriend with a grin and said, "Harry was very occupied when we came in."
Growling in annoyance that Ron seemed to find his love life so very interesting he snapped, "You could have called that you were coming through. It is only the polite thing to do."
It might be a bit unfair, but all his life Harry had been used to being on his own. To doing his own thing without having to rely on anybody, or having to take somebody else into account. His shot gun marriage with Snape had suddenly spun that around but he was adjusting. Now, the only thing that he couldn't stand was Ron going on about what only could be called a huge step in his relationship with Snape.
Hermione brightened as she turned to Harry and, with a huge smile, easing the lines of worry in her face, said, "Oh that is excellent, Harry. Good job that you started doing the research on your own."
"He was doing a different kind of research than what you imply, Hermione," Ron grimaced though his ears burned bright red. At Hermione's look he sighed and threw his hands in the air before he shouted, "Oh honestly, Hermione, where was your head when you were a teenager?"
"Not in my pants or the pants of anybody else, Ronald," Hermione shot back at her boyfriend before she said, "I know that you boys tend to think with only a certain other part of your anatomy at a certain age, but really, we are all grownups here and I am sure that Harry was very busy with…."
"His hands and I am sure his mind was just in the gutter, as always," Ronald helpfully supplied.
Harry was very aware of the other people in the room as he could hear them shifting slightly, making soft comments and he heard Snape say behind him, "Yes, I am a gutter dwelling half blood after all."
Harry's heart was pounding a little bit heavily suddenly as he marched right up to Ron so that he was nose to forehead with his best friend, and he hissed, "If and when I want to put my hands down my bond mate's pants is my own choice and is between me and him. This is our home and when and if we want to have a go at."
A slender hand immediately was placed over his mouth, cutting off the rest of the probably very embarrassing sentence. Harry could hear Snape's growl in his ear as the Potions Master hissed, "That really is quite enough, Potter, I am quite sure that Mr. Weasley is not keen on knowing more than what he has already seen." Harry's eyes went wide as he began to realize just what he had been saying. He was flushed bright red within a moment. What had he been thinking? The last time he had spoken to Ron like this it had been about Cho Chang, right before Harry had begun to develop feelings for Ginny.
But despite the close friendship between Harry and Ron, they had never really discussed girls or even blokes, nothing, not one whisper, not even when Ron had a relationship with Lavender Brown. It was just something they never discussed and for the last few years Harry had wondered how he was supposed to tell his best friend he liked his little sister, but now, he wasn't so sure if he could even start discussing these things with Ron. He didn't really want to know what his best friend got up to with his other best friend… it was just weird and yucky.
"Why do you continue to call him Potter? He is your bond mate, you know." Ron frowned at Snape as the older wizard straightened slightly, his hand falling away to come and rest on Harry's shoulder. The gentle pressure that Snape might not even be aware that he was giving Harry was enough for him as he relaxed and leaned back into the intoxicating body warmth of the older wizard behind him.
"Trust me, Mr. Weasley; I know he is my bond mate. The golden ring reminds me of it every single day." For some reason, or at least so far as Harry imagined, Snape no longer sounded so angry or bitter about it. "And it is absolutely none of your business if I called Potter Potter or obnoxious Gryffindor, impertinent brat or any other sappy nickname. That is between me and my bond mate."
Harry decided that he didn't need to say to anybody what those nicknames were doing to him. He knew of nastier nicknames Snape could have gone for. His magic swirled for a moment but Harry enjoyed the almost whoopee sensation.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat behind them as she said, "Now, as interesting as the established bond and inner dynamics between Harry and Severus is, we have more pressing and important matters to discuss."
Hermione gave a nod as she clenched the little bag closer to her person before she said, "I have everything you wanted me to take, Professor."
"Well, good, is there any place where we can all sit down?" The Headmistress took charge immediately.
"I am sure the kitchen table will do if you don't mind sitting so close together that if one of you moves you have an elbow in your face," Snape sneered.
Ron looked downright miserable as his ears turned red and he said, "But surely it isn't that small."
"It is adequate for two people, Mr. Weasley," Snape snapped at him. Harry knew why the older wizard was so defensive. It was his parental home and neither of them had had the kind of warm home that Ron had been given. It was a tense subject between them both and it seemed Ron caught on early enough as Professor McGonagall, Transfigurations Mistress Extraordinaire soothingly covered up.
"I can always make it bigger. Now shall we? We have much to discuss."
Madam Pomfrey made a small sound in the back of her throat and while Harry's eyes narrowed on the mediwitch's face, she did not say anything. Hermione's eyes were calculating as they fixed on Harry's face before they dropped to the hand still resting on his shoulder. Harry glanced up to see Snape staring down at him, specks of colour high in his cheeks before he snatched his hand away as if burnt.
Hermione brushed past them with a sweet smile at the Potions Master, whose scowl sharpened in response before he murmured, "Bloody Gryffindors."
Ron's ears coloured, but the redhead didn't say anything as he moved ahead of them to the kitchen, Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey preceding him. Harry stood staring at Snape, who crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, causing Harry to smile.
"How long do you suppose it will be before they come looking for us?" He asked, moving closer.
The pale face of his bond mate snapped back to meet his own eyes so quickly that the dark hair swirled before Snape snarled with a smirk, "Not long enough to do what either of us has in mind, now hurry up."
"You just let me walk first so you can stare at my backside." Harry knew his face was red and he wished with all his might he wasn't saying this but it slipped out before he could help himself. Quick fingers settled over his arse and squeezed quickly as Snape gave Harry a push, and the younger wizard startled.
"Yes and don't you love it," Snape purred.
And as Harry stumbled into the kitchen, massaging the place where Snape had squeezed him, he refused to meet his friends' eyes, knowing he would blush bright red then.
Hp
Severus followed Potter into the overcrowded kitchen. There were four extra people and he fought the urge to throw half of them out. Weasley and Granger were treated with his sneer, though he did lessen it a little for Minerva who met his eyes with a raised eyebrow.
He could feel the sneer faltering. Had she seen him in any other position with Potter, he would have been blushing scarlet by now. No, Potter was doing a good enough job for the both of them so Severus knew he needn't be worried about such a thing as blushing.
With a wave of her wand, Minerva had already altered the table so it would seat them all. Severus chose a spot next to Poppy, so he could keep an eye on her wand. He had no idea where that daft woman might be poking the thing.
Minerva took the head of the table, and Potter chose a spot beside him, back turned as he faced Minerva, and Severus couldn't help but to run his fingers lightly down Potter's spine, causing the younger male to flinch and turn back to him.
"Now what is the matter?" Minerva's voice had a touch of impatience but Severus found he did not care so much as Potter gifted him with a small smile before turning back to the Headmistress. Something inside him brightened a little and he sat up straighter, knowing that his bond mate didn't mind a touch here or there.
Poppy snorted, the sound so unexpected and undignified that Severus turned back to look at her. The often stern witch wore a smile on her face as she said, "The bond is establishing between them. The need to touch and to reassure one another that the other is there is quite common. Most likely it will fade over time as they get used to one another. Separation during this time often has the effect that both partners become nervous and snappish towards other people."
"So I don't have to be concerned when they suddenly defend one another or act out of character?" the youngest Weasley son asked with a slight grimace that had Severus growling at him. "I mean they act like me and Hermione sometimes."
Madam Pomfrey snorted again before, with an even brighter smile, she said, "That is called falling in love, Mr. Weasley." Ron wasn't the only one who sputtered at this, for suddenly Severus' breathing was caught in his throat. He was sure that if he had been eating or drinking something he would have coughed it right up again.
"I am not," Potter protested.
"That is preposterous."
"I am not in…."
"Love with Potter."
"Of course, gentlemen, you keep telling yourselves that." Poppy smiled sweetly at him as Severus turned away with an 'hmpf'. He was not in love with Potter. He didn't do in love or… and why was the brat looking at him like that with those impossible green eyes and… Oh damn.
"Now as interesting as this is, we are running out of time. Lucius has called a special audience with the Wizengamot and he is making his claim tonight. By tomorrow this will be front page news and Harry will have to appear in court," Minerva snapped at them.
Severus straightened; ignoring the way Potter was biting his lip as he fixed his bond mate with a glare and asked, "What exactly did Draco tell you?"
"Uhm," And with Potter's thoughtful expression, the younger male once more began to share the tale of what Draco had said to him before, allowing Severus to analyze everything he had heard before and the vague account of what he remembered from the courtroom and his own memories of those last dark months.
Hp
"Was Draco marked?" Silence reigned as Harry asked his question and he glanced around the table. All of them had cups of tea in front of them as they digested the story of what Harry had told them about his visits to Draco's cell.
Harry turned back to Snape to see the dark eyes narrow before the older wizard let out a bark of bitter laughter and then said, "Yes, he was marked. That was one honour Lucius would not allow his son to escape. To be marked and to participate in what his father believed in, it was the highest honour."
"But if Lucius saw the suffering that Draco was going through trying to kill Dumbledore, then why did he allow Draco to be marked?" Harry was puzzled. Why would a parent, any parent, allow their child to follow in their footsteps when by that time it had become quite clear that the Dark Lord was stark raving mad?
"It was an honour for Lucius and he saw it as a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the Dark Lord. Lucius had always been a power hungry bastard so it would only be right that his only son and heir follow in his footsteps. It was a joke and a punishment at the expense of Lucius, when the Dark Lord chose Draco, but Lucius did not see it as such. He thanked the Dark Lord on bended knee and kissed his feet, for picking his son to do this task above all the other Death Eater children."
Snape looked away, one slender finger slowly tracing his lip before Ron asked, "When we came across Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle in the Room of Requirement, it was almost as though that ferret didn't want us killed. He certainly said that."
"And why did you not say anything sooner?" The high pitched voice startled Harry but not as much as it startled Ron. His taller friend jumped up as he glared at Professor McGonagall. The normally composed witch seemed to have lost control and Ron took a deep breath before he answered her.
"Seeing as we were trying to stay alive, defeat a Dark Lord and bury all the people that have died, not to mention dealing with Harry's marriage, it kind of slipped my mind!" If Harry hadn't known Ron's temper so well, he would have thought his friend was being disrespectful.
But he could see the tell tale signs of weariness and with a pang he remembered how much all of them had been forced to go through. All of the people gathered in this room had their own horror stories to tell, small tales or big ones. Tales of heroism or cowardice, but no less important than any other tale.
These were the tales that had shaped the personalities of these people. These people that mattered to him and who had stood up for him and to him. Who had protected him, fought alongside of him and against him. And now here they were, gathered again, to right what was wrong and to protect one of their own.
Harry started, when had he begun to consider Snape as one of their own? And how would the older wizard feel to be counted amongst mostly Gryffindors? Harry turned to look at Snape, who was watching Ron with darkly hooded eyes, and Harry knew he was calculating, putting his keen mind to the problem to draw out conclusions as only he could.
He knew that it was his duty as Snape's bond mate to protect the older wizard, but when had he begun to accept the older wizard's aid because he wanted to? Somewhere along the lines in their marriage, things had changed, and for the life of him, Harry could not figure out where but for some reason... He found he didn't really care as he unconsciously leaned in just a little bit closer to his partner.
Hp
Severus pushed his hair back from his face. Weasley's latest revelation about Crabbe's death wasn't so strange. He had heard the tales of when Minerva had tried to access the Room of Requirement, only to find it blackened. At least now they knew who the blackened and unrecognizable body belonged to that they had found.
He wasn't sad, no; Crabbe had always been stupid enough that Severus knew if he would end up in Azkaban or die of a spell gone wrong, the boy wasn't one to live long. He had seen that the moment Crabbe received his Dark Mark. He hadn't been there, not as he had been with Draco, but the moment Crabbe began to defy Draco, Severus knew.
He sighed and ran a hand over his face as Harry turned to him with a frown. "But why would Draco lie to me? I mean it doesn't make any difference anymore if he had been marked or not."
"Draco always wanted your friendship and attention. When you turned away from him, disgusted by the very thing he stood for, Draco was more firmly righted in his belief that pure bloods were better than half bloods or Muggleborns. Draco looked up to Lucius, for Lucius had power and wielded it, but Draco hadn't seen the way Lucius cowered at the Dark Lord's feet or the hatred and superiority Lucius displayed over those he thought that were lesser than him. When Draco was introduced to that life in the hard way and saw Lucius' fall from grace, well he began to realize that perhaps he hadn't been so right in assuming blood purity was everything."
Harry looked puzzled and Severus sighed before he snapped, "Honestly, how blind are you? Draco was jealous of you!"
"Of me?" The green eyes were wide and then Harry laughed bitterly, "Yeah, right, why should he be? He had everything, a loving family and…."
"You had friends and people who looked up to you. Draco wanted that too. He had to live up to an image of Lucius and the image Lucius had in his mind of the perfect son. He saw people accepting you, for all your faults. He wanted the same and when you expressed your dislike, he couldn't accept it. Draco wanted the same kind of respect you got without having to deal out fear to receive it."
Harry glanced away before biting his lip and glancing back up at Severus as he asked, "So Draco was abused as well?"
Severus frowned. Had Draco been abused? No, not in the same way Harry had been, surely not. Severus was sure Lucius loved Draco in his own way but the love Draco craved, no, he had never received that from Lucius and in a last desperate attempt to try and get his father's approval, Draco joined the Death Eaters instead of going to Severus for aid when it all had been too late.
That was perhaps the biggest fault Severus had made in his life, not being able to help Draco Malfoy. He had no ties to the younger man, no, but he had always hoped that Draco was not going to be some miniature Lucius who in order to spite him, was accusing him of things which would not only bring about Severus' downfall but ensure Lucius' all the more.
"No, Draco Malfoy was not abused, but he craved Lucius' approval and he never received it. Too late did Lucius see what he had done, how he had alienated his son to ensure that Draco would follow in the same path as he did. Too late did he realize he had forced Draco to become what he had always feared and not wanted for his son. Draco did not have the heart or the coldness that Lucius had. Or the cunning, no Draco is much gentler."
"But he is still a Malfoy," Weasley whispered harshly and Severus was hastily pulled from his gentler mood as he snarled out his words.
"Yes and you are a Weasley."
Ronald's colour darkened and he hissed, "The Malfoys are back stabbers."
"And the Weasleys are blood traitors. Do not discriminate against what you don't understand, boy!"
"I understand pure blood society better than you do!" Ron jumped to his feet but Severus merely sneered.
"You don't because your parents never made a point of telling you, because they don't care. Your father understands it, yes, but not you. You never had to think of the next step or the next word and whether it might get you killed. You were protected! You were protected as Arthur Weasley's son and Harry Potter's best friend!"
Ron got to his feet as he shouted, "I don't need to be protected by Harry, that is what you are doing, eating off of him."
"Ron that is enough." Much to Severus' amazement Harry was the one who called Ron down.
Ron looked at his best friend as he hissed, "Yeah, take his side."
"It isn't about taking sides, Ron. Look, what Severus says is true. You are protected because of your family name. I mean, what if I hadn't been your best friend, you would have been safer, but also not, I don't know. It is hard alright. It is true though." Harry gave a shrug before turning back to Severus. "Can you tell me about pure blood society?"
Sighing and giving a nod, Severus took a deep breath and prepared himself for the disgust and disappointment that would surely follow him as he struggled for the memories of what he knew of pure blood society and more importantly Lucius Malfoy's role in them.
Hp
Harry was aware of the fact that Ron was still fuming silently and that Hermione had taken out a quill to take notes, probably for research. Madam Pomfrey had leaned forward as well as she said, "I remember Draco as being a quite young man. He was always very different when he was alone or when he was surrounded by friends. I pitied him. He was a very keen boy."
"You knew Draco?" Harry turned to look at her. He was eager to learn more about his former enemy. He was only now beginning to truly understand Draco. He had to know what had shaped the other male's choices and thoughts and irrevocably his future so that he could make up his mind at the hearing tomorrow.
"I knew Draco Malfoy just as well as I know any of my patients. I can only tell you what I learned by watching him, Mr. Potter, nothing else."
Harry gave a nod. What else could he expect? In her time as serving as a mediwitch Madam Pomfrey surely had seen thousands of patients, it was unfair of him to ask her to recall any specific student. He sighed and ran a hand over his face, upsetting his glasses before he righted them and turned back to Snape.
The former Head of Slytherin House was watching him even as Harry found he could not read the pale face. He hungrily searched Snape's face for any clues of his feelings or what he was thinking even when he knew that he would never find them. Snape would never allow him to see inside his mind or soul.
"What can you tell me about blood purity? I know that they think that they are better, but I need to understand why. Why would they consent to follow a half blood if purity of blood was so important?" Harry glanced back at Ron before he glanced back at Snape.
If there were two people who had grown up with blood purity it was these two. So he looked to them to teach him what he had to know. Snape was tracing his lower lip again in contemplation, his eyes on the table and Ron leaned forward as he sighed and said, "I don't really know much about what Malfoy has been taught or what lies he believes, but it is mostly a point of view. Those who really care about blood purity think that there can be no muggles in the lineage because muggles are inferior. They bring the value of magic down. There aren't many real blood pure families left so mostly it is interbreeding and we are all related, cousins once removed or even twice. Most true wizarding families just died out, I guess because they did not want to breed with muggles." Ron shuddered.
"So it does have to do with muggles?" Harry looked back from one male to the other and finally Snape answered.
"Yes, mostly, but for it you have to understand the history of wizards and witches. We went into hiding years ago, had we not, we might have died out but the result was that muggles react with fear to things they do not understand. Had we mingled with them, like many of our kind do these days, things might not have been so dire. Why mostly pure blood wizards consider muggles to be inferior I don't know. I can guess that it is because of the fact that they can't do any magic…"
"But that makes it the same as thinking somebody is bad because they have a different skin colour from you." Hermione cut in, a little bit insulted by the sound of her voice.
Snape's dark eyes turned to look at her but Hermione refused to look away. Snape's lip curled but he did incline his head, answering, "Yes, in the end, it is the same."
"But you are a half blood, so then why do you hate muggles and agree with the purity of blood?" Ron turned to Snape and Harry felt himself tense. The table had gone quiet and Ron looked around before he added, "I mean, I still don't understand why pure bloods hate muggles except they think that they are inferior for some shady reason but you, why do you hate them?"
Snape had gone still and Harry could feel the older wizard tensing, ready to spring and snap. Snape's eyes bore into Ron's blue ones and when the older wizard finally answered after a long moment, his voice was extremely low and dangerous. "I do not hate muggles as a species, Mr. Weasley, I hate muggles for what they did to me, or should I say one muggle in particular. My father was a muggle."
"But yet, you must have hated them for some reason because else why join the Death Eaters? I mean, sir, I saw in your memories," Ron was beet red but he refused to look away, and Harry grinned at his friend's bravery. "When the portrait that we took from Grimmauld Place, of Phineas Black… well, when he told you that he had found us and he called Hermione a mudblood, you said not to use that word. Normally, those who supported blood purity would not shy away from using such a term for a muggleborn."
Harry could feel himself tensing up as Snape's eyes passed over him. He had never told Ron and Hermione about the memory in the pensive during his fifth year. But if Ron had seen all of Snape's memories then it also meant that he would have seen that specific memory as well.
But would Snape hold Harry accountable for it? Harry hadn't even thought that his friends might have also viewed the memories before the trial, but he was wrong obviously. He forced himself to keep looking away, knowing that if he looked into Snape's eyes he would lose his composure.
"Then if you have truly viewed my memories, Mr. Weasley, all of them, you would know what it cost me the last time I used such an offensive term." Snape's voice was soft again, so soft that even Harry had to strain to hear it.
Ron was still flustered but his friend pressed on with a new maturity Harry had never seen in him before. "But why join the Death Eaters then if you actually liked muggles? Surely they expected you to start hunting them the moment you took the mark."
Snape looked away and Harry knew what it cost Snape to say the next words. "For you to understand that, Mr. Weasley, you would have to understand my past," Snape sighed, his body tense and despite himself Harry leaned a little closer, remembering his refusal to condemn Snape as he knew how hard it was for the older wizard to say these things.
He reached out with a hand and lightly touched Snape's knee, not knowing if he dared to touch the older wizard further. Snape turned his head to look at him and for a moment the green eyes met the black ones and then Snape gave a nod as he answered with a sigh.
"Like with Harry's family, my father despised magic. He did not care for it, but most of all he hated the fact that we were more powerful than him. I have no doubt things would have been better had we not been poor, or if I had not inherited my mother's skill at magic. If I had been like my father, a muggle or a squib, I am sure he would have tolerated it, but because I was like my mother, magically gifted, he could not stand it to be alone, and he showed his strength the only way he knew how, by bullying and abusing us. Because of our stature we were viewed as outcasts in the neighbourhood, this neighbourhood and well, suffice to say, I was not overly accepted."
Snape paused to take a sip of his tea and all of a sudden Harry felt a hand cover his own, loosening his hold on the fabric which he didn't know he had twisted in his sweaty palm. "When I came to Hogwarts, I felt like I was coming home. I was sorted into Slytherin and I quickly learned to keep my blood status hidden, pretending I was pure of blood. Lucius took me under his wing and he introduced me to a world of which I wanted to be a part of. I was accepted because I was his friend and when he left school, in my third year, I was on my own. I quickly learned that, through skill and often cruelty, I could get what I wanted. In the end, suffice to say, I wanted to join the Dark Lord for it would be a world I would be accepted in. Mind you, none of us knew the things we know now about the Dark Lord, back in those days, it was a dream for most pure blood wizards to finally be fighting for what they deemed a worthy cause and to rid the world of half bloods, Muggleborn and muggles."
Snape paused and he glanced towards Professor McGonagall as he continued with a wry smile, "Many people in those days didn't know the true Dark Lord and agreed with his cause, joining him because they would be reunited under one banner. By the time he showed his true colours, it was too late to turn back for most."
The dry and warm hand continued to lie on Harry's hand comfortably, hiding his smaller hand underneath the slender bigger one. Harry's mind was reeling. He knew why Snape had turned back but he still didn't know the true reason why Snape had joined the Death Eaters. He sighed, for some reason he feared he would never learn that.
He ran his free hand over his face and through his hair, longing to feel a different set of fingers massaging his skull. "I still don't understand why this need for blood purity."
"I doubt that there is a true answer to that, Harry. Like Ronald said, it is a point of view…."
"Yeah but," He felt like screaming. He wasn't one step closer in understanding Draco and why he had done this. Did the Slytherin really believe that Harry could save him? Or was it because that, despite all his mistakes, Draco wanted justice? Perhaps he was wiser than Harry and he thought that it was time that he righted his wrongs…
It was hurting his head and messing with everything Harry thought he knew. Why couldn't everything be black and white but had to have layers of gray? Very confusing layers of grey. He glanced up, eyes weary as he said, "There is just one thing that bothers me," He directed his inquiry at Professor McGonagall and she raised an eyebrow in return. "How did Draco know that Severus was my bond mate?"
Within moments the atmosphere in the room changed and Harry knew it wasn't for the better. Professor McGonagall refused to meet his eyes, and even Ron looked away. Harry turned his attention to Hermione, who was busy rifling through her bag.
"Yes, I would like to know that as well. I do so wish to know why I have not received any mail. I am sure that since my trial, there are many people who are keen to write to me," Snape drawled his voice hoarse and low.
Harry frowned. Snape was right. There had not been any owl post or any other mail he had seen…
"Because you are under house arrest, the Ministry has ordered all the owl post to be directed to them and to scan them for hexes. Needless to say, it was quite necessary after all the articles in the Daily Prophet." Professor McGonagall motioned towards Hermione and Harry swallowed thickly.
"What did that waste of paper say?" This time Snape's voice dropped to a low growl.
Hermione gave him a tense smile and she slipped open the bag. She dug in and pulled out several old newspapers. Harry saw flashes of pictures but they were gone so quickly, he couldn't see them. He was sure he didn't want to know what was being said about him, but Snape had already leaned forward and pulled several towards him, his hand falling away from Harry's, whose hand felt cold without the warm touch.
Hp
Light wins! He Who Must Not Be Named Defeated By Boy Who Lived!
Harry Potter Collapses after Battle! What Happens To The Chosen One?
Death Eaters Come to Senses After Disastrous Battle At Hogwarts!
Death Eaters Brought To Ministry For Questioning.
Kingsley Shacklebolt Chosen as Minister for Magic! First Act Is to Catch Death Eaters!
Minister for Magic Disbands Dementors from Azkaban; Wizarding Population Fearful!
Severus' eyes scanned the papers. The first few ones were of the days after the battle, when he had been unconscious. Those he put away to read later. First he had to find out what they were saying about him and Harry.
Harry was leafing through a paper as well and the headline once more jumped out at him. Where Is Boy Hero Harry Potter? Minute To Minute Play by Play of Battle Between He Who Must Not Be Named And Harry Potter!
Harry's lips were soundlessly spelling out words that he liked. Taking a sip of his now ice cold tea, Severus asked, "What does it say?"
Harry startled before he glanced up. He was a little bit pale, paler than Severus would have liked, and he fought the urge to yank the newspaper forcefully out of the younger male's hands. Harry had enough problems without that piece of rag adding to his worries.
Harry refocused his attention and answered, "Uhm, it is an interview with some of the surviving students. I think it is dated from 5 May which means that it must have taken place about two days after the Final Battle." Harry looked down in a way that told Severus that not all was well with his young husband. Even before he could open his mouth, Harry offered, "It is just strange to read this. To learn of the fear they had and to know," Harry's shoulders shook as he answered. "they didn't think I could do it. For the first time they noticed that I may not have been a good match to take on Voldemort and to rescue the world. Too bad that they found out later instead of sooner, they could have actually helped."
Harry Potter gone Missing?
Malfoys Apprehended At Malfoy Manner! Trials scheduled For Early Next Week!
Hogwarts Refuses All Reporters. Is That Where Harry Potter is Hiding?
Death Eater Trials in Session! Malfoys Moved To Azkaban For Safety Measures!
Snape Trial Scheduled For Next Week!
Ah, so there it was. The first mentioning of his name. He frowned at the scowling picture of himself. It was a bad picture, even if he had to say so himself, though it was far better than he looked now. He had an unhealthy look even then, but he was far from as pale as he was now. Would he ever look like that again?
He never knew just how much it had taken out of him to live at the beck and call of the Dark Lord. His schedule for years had been so bad that even now he was trying desperately not to fall back into old habits. It had not been the first time that Poppy had to lecture him about his eating habits and manners, but now he had actually listened because what he did indirectly affected Harry as well, and for some reason, he couldn't do that to the younger male who had done so much for them, even if the newspapers were just a small tribute.
He lay the newspaper down next to him; it was another one he would read later.
Harry Potter Found!
His eyes scanned the newspaper in front of him. That headline was just the start for it continued on:
Harry Potter Attends Severus Snape's trial! But Why?
Harry Potter Called to Witness Stand, What Will the Chosen One Say in Trial of Albus Dumbledore's Murderer?
Severus growled low in his throat but Harry wasn't paying attention. He was too engrossed in the paper and Severus grabbed the next one, already knowing what it would say.
He closed his eyes as he grabbed the paper before he opened them and scanned.
Harry Potter: Boy Who Lived or Boy Who Lied?
Hero Of Wizarding World Secretly Married To Death Eater and Murder Of Albus Dumbledore Severus Snape!
Chosen One Lies About Marriage; What Else Has He Lied About?
Snape Victorious?
Final Battle: Showdown or Staged Show?
The True Potter Story: Friends and Foes Speak!
Snape, Lucky and Misunderstood Man or Lying Criminal?
Harry Potter: Great Catch or Damaged Goods?
The Truth about Potter: Past, Present and Future!
And on and on it went, page after page filled with speculating articles about Harry, Dumbledore, himself and their marriage. Interviews given by people that hardly knew Harry, digging up old quotes and articles from when Harry was a lot younger, old interviews he had given and which had not been quoted properly.
He sighed and finally, with a low growl, he incinerated the waste of paper. He was enraged suddenly. How dare they? How dare they condemn them? They had only done what had been expected of them…
He now realized why Minerva, Poppy, Weasley and Granger had left them. This was something they needed to do on their own. To scout through what the papers had written about them and to know what the public thought, especially if Harry was to appear in public tomorrow.
Despite the Ministry's hatred towards him, Severus had been well protected. The public had not wanted to see him fall bad enough, not as badly as Lucius Malfoy, whose trial was most public. If the Daily Prophet was not writing about Harry or him, they were writing about Lucius' spectacular fall from grace.
His trial was to be taking place behind closed doors and it seemed that most of the people who had been involved in the Final Battle had not yet told the tale about his true role in Voldemort's defeat. He was lucky, just as he was lucky that nobody knew the true story of what had happened during the night Dumbledore died.
Severus didn't allow himself to think of that fateful night. He knew that the abyss that had opened up after he had murdered one of his closest friends would swallow him whole if he allowed it to happen.
Quick Tongue And Even Quicker Hands: Severus Snape Makes Use Of Time Spend In Hospital To Corrupt Potter!
His rage simply exploded when he saw that latest headline. It had been simmering for a while but this was sorely testing him. His magic rose in an instant and the moment Severus could feel it blasting outwards as he directed his wand at anything. The first thing that came to mind was the table as he snarled.
"Reducto!"
It was the only safe outlet as with a bang the table exploded. Severus was panting heavily as the magic spend itself which he immediately felt in his limbs. The heavy feeling made him drop back in his chair as he realized he had just spent what little he had managed to recover.
The various pieces of papers were dwindling in the air, slowly falling to the floor where a few moments before a perfectly good table had stood.
A whimper to his right caught his attention and he turned his head with great difficulty, the bite marks in his neck aching. He found a white faced Harry standing there, the newspaper he had been reading in hand. Harry's hand was trembling and Severus felt horror replace the empty feeling within him.
What had he done? How could he have been so foolish?
He had destroyed the table with no thought for his own safety, but he had nearly allowed Harry to be injured as well. If the younger male had no doubt excellent reflexes, but he could have been severely injured.
What kind of a fool am I?
Hp
Harry wetted his suddenly dry lips with his tongue. He was still trembling on his legs after that powerful blast of magic which had destroyed the table. The look of horror on Snape's face was making way to an expression of alarm as he realized what he had done.
The grayish tint of his bond mate's skin worried Harry even when he could feel the sweat soaking his own skin. One blast of magic and they were back to the beginning. What little magic they had managed to gather in the past few days had not been enough for right now; he was feeling weaker than he would have liked.
With a sigh, he reached out towards the table to support himself, only to remember that the table had been destroyed. His hand faltered in the air, and Harry could feel his knees threatening to buckle and allow him a quick trip to the ground.
He was feeling a little bit lightheaded and the shaking in his limbs made moving difficult. He knew he had to sit down or support himself somewhere, but where? He had kicked his chair away the moment he knew what Snape was doing. The quick jump and shout of alarm hadn't even registered with Snape.
An arm that curled around his waist startled him as Snape snapped, sounding very much like the annoyed teacher Harry knew he could be. "Oh come here!"
Grateful for the support, Harry leaned against Snape's side as he chuckled weakly. Suddenly the situation seemed too funny to him. What kind of people were they? They blew up their good and only table they had in a fit of rage and managed to make their way back to almost two months ago as far as their magic was concerned.
Snape didn't say anything and Harry knew the older wizard was busy digesting what he had done. Probably a little shocked that he just did that. It isn't like him to lose such control without regards for safety first. This is perhaps the first time I have ever seen him truly lose control like that, other than the shouting matches or snarls of anger…
Without thinking as his legs still felt a bit shaky, Harry moved a little and sat down on Snape's knee. The moment he did so, he resurfaced from his thoughts with a loud sigh, and he felt how Snape tensed immediately as the older wizard's body tensed and coiled. The arm around his waist tightened in warning and Harry felt his own trembling muscles tense in response.
He dared to glance up at Snape to find the dark eyes watching him. The thin lips were pressed tightly together in a thin line and Snape seemed angry. Harry stared back into the dark eyes, the look between them intense and making his muscles squirm with some other kind of tension.
His green eyes searched the tightening lines in the face of his bond mate, ready to jump up when Snape snapped and snarled at him. The menacing Potions Master continued to stare at him, nearly unblinking, making him nervous and squeamish, the way he often felt around Snape when he had been at school.
Slowly he forced himself to relax and allowed his spine to ease out of the rigid tense stance it had been in. The tension in his shoulders eased and he smiled up at Snape, allowing the older wizard to think that he was alright here, perched on the bony knee and he had never been more comfortable.
After a moment, a long moment, Snape relaxed a little as Harry could feel the tension fall from the older wizard as the arm around his waist moved so Snape could place his hand on Harry's back. Harry found himself arching into the warmth like a kitten into a caressing hand.
"Are you alright?" The slightly hoarse voice hitched over some unknown emotion as Snape looked at Harry. The messy haired younger male gave a nod, a rueful and cheeky grin twisting his lips as he replied.
"Yeah, only problem is, where will we eat? I mean, I can get that you wanted a new table but could you have at least warned me so that we could go out and buy a new one? I get the urge to decorate but really, lots of people would have been happy with such a nice table. We could have given it to somebody else instead of destroying it."
His attempt to lift the heavy mood seemed to be working because Snape lifted an eyebrow and said smoothly, "It seems that I have managed to destroy a chair as well since you seem so comfortable using me as one. I do not recall applying for chair services, Mr. Potter."
Harry pretended to be disappointed as he made a move to rise and said, "Oh, I suppose I will find a chair then who doesn't mind me sitting…."
The hand on his knee prevented him from rising as Snape quickly said, "That is quite unnecessary. We cannot have you wasting precious energy slouching about. No, better remain here and save your energy for other tasks."
"Oh, have any suggestion for those other tasks?" Harry managed to fight his blush. He was feeling giddy suddenly, knowing that Snape had no objection to him sitting here and truth be told; it could have been a lot worse. His bond mate's lap surely was a nice enough place to sit.
"I am sure I can think of a few."
"Oh such as?"
"Such as warding the floo so that nobody comes barging in like they did this morning." The intensity of the dark gaze combined with the memories of just what they had been doing this morning made Harry blush and his cock stir. He managed a big smile at Snape as he leaned his shoulder against the broad chest to his side, Snape's hand warm on his back.
The lines in Snape's face softened and Harry relaxed. He wearily rested his head against Snape's shoulder in a sign of trust. He was aware of the possibility of being pushed away but when Snape's hand only moved to his neck, slowly massaging as Harry groaned a little, Snape asked, "So I suppose I will have to acquire a new table tomorrow?"
"Well, it would be nice to have a table, yeah, unless you want to eat standing up. But it is up to you what kind of table you want, it is your house and…."
Soft lips touched his own as a hand underneath his chin tilted his face, angling it so Snape had better access. The lips that nibbled on the seam of his lips drew Harry's attention quite successfully away from whatever he wanted to say. With a moan he opened his mouth as Snape gently touched his tongue to Harry's.
One hand touched Snape's cheek as Harry kissed Snape back, slowly moving his mouth as he tried to set a faster pace than Snape. The older wizard growled low in his throat before Harry was kissed so thoroughly he had to break the kiss to grasp his bearings and get his breathing back.
"Wow." He managed after a moment, breathlessly staring up at Snape. The older wizard merely raised an eyebrow and Harry grinned.
"I have been told it works very well in distracting somebody." Snape bent his head to purr in Harry's ear who felt the shivers run all the way down his spine with the velvet like voice.
"Mmm, can't remember what I was thinking about," He murmured.
"That isn't due to the kiss, but because of your own inadequacy in matters of the mind, aah," The throaty moan did wonders to Harry's confidence as he made use of his own technique to ensnare his bond mate in another kiss. And as Harry shifted in the broad lap for better access, he knew that come tomorrow it might be another bad day and problems might rise because of the Malfoy trial but at the moment, he found he couldn't care less just as long as he could kiss his bond mate in the safety of their home.
That is it for now. I managed to get it done right on Christmas Day so I do hope that you will like this present from me. Merry Christmas to everybody and of course, review. Gift to me would be ideas for letters for the next chapter.
The next chapter: Severus and Harry prepare for the Malfoy Trial and Harry first appearance in public since Severus' trial. But with the Malfoy trial follows so closely by the media, will that be a mistake for Harry and is our Hero really ready to not only face the accusing wizarding world but the Malfoys themselves? Can Harry make up his mind to trust Draco or will old feelings resurface? Can Severus sit patiently at home or will he destroy more furniture? And when Professor McGonagall floo's in with the letters that the Ministry has released will Severus lose his composure? And when Severus learns that his bond mate's birthday is just around the corner, will he panic and rebel against his house arrest or will he manage to keep his cool and acquire a gift? That and more in: The Outside World.