You Can Live: Chapter 45

So I notice I have this bad habit...When a story is nearing the end (don't worry, this one still has a good number of chapters to go), I tend to subconsciously stall. I get writer's block and just throw in a bunch of introspection and intense conversations and deep thoughts. It's because I don't want the story to end! However, Harry and Severus deserve some closure after all the crap I have put them through...and will continue to put them through in this chapter. Enjoy!

PS To the reviewer who requested Harry make a new friend, an OMC. I do appreciate your input and suggestions. At this point in time where I'm at in this story, however, I can't see that flowing very well. Also I tend to avoid OC's when I can unless I need a critical character that the show/movie/book etc does not provide. Thanks so much for reviewing and I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

I do not have a beta. Any and all mistakes are my own!

Disclaimer: you know I don't own HP. A very rich, brilliant lady does.

Warnings: Much angst in this chapter! So much! Like grab a box of tissues!

Much Needed Words

Severus wanted to understand, but at the moment felt too drained to really care. His main focus was Harry, and the boy wouldn't let anyone near him. Snape dreaded learning what the nightmare had been about that had pushed his ward into this state.

They all watched on as Luna walked over and knelt in front of Harry. She gave him another small smile and laid her hand next to his rather than on top of it.

"Harry, you can tell them now. It's the best time." The young man in question bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. Luna pressed closer. "Yes, Harry. You wouldn't say anything at first because you thought you could protect them, that you could handle this on your own." This time she put her hand fully over his. "But you don't have to. We all care about you and want to help you." She sat up further and pushed his bangs aside, not unlike a mother to a child. Harry could feel pressure growing behind his eyes, and he bit down harder on his cheek to prevent the tears from leaking. "We love you and won't leave, no matter what thoughts the Wrackspurts put into your head."

A single tear managed to escape its confines and rolled down Harry's cheek.

"But you don't know," he whispered. His throat was closing up and he hated himself for it. How weak do I have to be? Does it ever end or am I what he says I am? A stupid, weak, pathetic whore.

He was shocked when Luna brushed her fingers through his hair again and said,

"I do." Harry's eyes widened in panic, thinking Luna had somehow read his thoughts or seen the memories returned to him by Menos. Her gaze made him feel open and exposed and even more vulnerable, and he didn't know what to do about it.

"Harry." The young man in question turned to look up at his concerned guardian. "You do not have to tell us every detail right now, but can you at least tell us a name?" Harry looked back at Luna, and at her nod, he took a deep breath and said,

"Menos. His name is-"

"Oh my gosh!" Everyone in the room jumped at Hermione's exclamation. She looked equal parts horrified and awed.

"'Mione?" Ron laid a hand on his fiancé's arm only to find it trembling. Hermione wouldn't look at him though. She only had eyes for Harry.

"Care to explain, Ms. Granger," Severus asked in his teacher drawl. As hoped, it snapped the girl out of her shock and she nodded.

"Seventh year when…when we were out hunting Horcruxes, I was doing a lot of research." When it looked like Ron was going to comment, Draco elbowed him harshly in the stomach. Hermione continued uninterrupted. "Most of the books were about dark magic and only told you how to create a Horcrux. The most helpful book actually went into detail on the history of the dark objects. Their creation was credited to a very, very dark wizard…named Menos. He killed whoever crossed him in the slightest way and the people of the village he lived in were terrified of him. Then one day…he just disappeared. It was finally discovered that he was killed in a drunken duel with a wizard in the next village over. That was over five-hundred years ago. He became a boogeyman of sorts in the wizarding world, and there have been countless reported 'sightings' of him over the years." Draco raised a brow after the little speech.

"How can you be so certain that this is the same Menos? He can't possibly still be around." Hermione sighed.

"He created Horcruxes. I think that means he can live for a long time. The only reason Voldemort didn't live longer is because we went and destroyed all of his Horcruxes, then Harry killed him." Ron groaned.

"Please don't tell me we have to do that again!" Luna, who hadn't taken her eyes off of Harry shook her head.

"You won't. Harry and Severus will have to destroy him, and then he will leave Harry alone." She leaned closer to Harry and laid a hand on his cheek. "He won't hurt you ever again." Severus could not stand to see the boy so despondent. It truly struck him to the core to see Harry Potter, the strong, humble young man he knew reduced to shaking and fear.

"Okay, say you're right. But why is he going after Harry? If we can figure out what he wants maybe that will give us an advantage." Hermione opened her mouth to answer the blond Slytherin, when a biting answer came from Harry.

"For fun. He said he was bored, and he thought hurting me and making me forget was exciting." Harry's fingernails were digging hard enough into his palms that he was drawing blood. Luna slowly uncurled his fingers. The young man was shaking violently with, they could all see, a deep loathing and anger (partially for Menos and partially for himself). That was when something finally clicked in Severus's head.

"Your birthday. You had a strange hostility to the idea of celebrating your birthday, but couldn't seem to come up with a satisfactory reason as to why. Menos would come and hurt you on your birthday and then make you forget, correct?" Harry nodded and curled in on himself as once again the memories played in his mind's eye.

"Harry, when did he talk to you? You said that he told you he was bored and was doing this for fun." All those in the room looked on in some degree of horror as Harry started to scratch at his wrists until deep red marks appeared. Before Snape could act, Luna (as calm as could be) took hold of Harry's hands and held them firm.

"When I…when I sleep, sometimes he's in my dreams. Last night…it-it wasn't just a d-dream." Harry could feel his throat closing up and wanted to rip his skin off. Phantom hands touched him and he couldn't get away. Severus had had enough.

"I would like to speak to my ward alone, please." Luna gave Harry an encouraging smile before leaving without hesitation. Ron and Hermione both opened their mouths to argue.

"No way! We can't leave right now!" Ron looked like he was ready to slug the next person who suggested he leave his best friend.

"Sir, I really don't think-"

"We'll go." The young couple stood shocked at Draco's words, and yes, Ron was rearing up to punch him. Snape looked at his godson and met the young wizard's calculating gaze. Finally, he had passed whatever inspection Draco was pushing him through and without another word, the blond grabbed the other two and dragged them out of the room.

Once they were gone over the threshold of the living room, Severus erected some privacy wards, both silencing and repelling charms. Harry had not said a thing as his friends left and did not look up from his spot in the chair as his guardian approached.

Snape's knees cracked as his crouched in front of Harry. Truth be told…he saw the boy as his son. For years he had protected-and resented- Harry Potter, until after the war, when he got to see the boy as Harry and not his father. So, he would do now what he had been doing for all those years…he would protect the boy in front of him, but this time, it would be Harry, his son.

"Harry, please look at me." The young wizard lifted his head a bit but wouldn't meet the potions master's eyes. "Harry…" Severus took a chance and tucked two fingers under Harry's chin to force the boy to look at him. When the dulled emerald eyes met his own black orbs, he locked on.

"Harry, I'm going to ask you some questions. You don't have to say a word; you can just shake your head 'yes' or 'no', alright?" Harry hesitated for a moment before nodding. Severus could probably say he was as nervous about the exercise as his son was at that moment.

"Very well. Was Menos the man who helped you at the market?" He already knew the answer to that, but he wanted to make sure he was getting it all straight. His suspicions were confirmed by Harry's nod.

"And he made you uncomfortable even when you had first met him, and you didn't know who he was?" Another nod. "You've encountered him outside of dreams, correct? The time at the market and when he came to the house while I was out were the only times, correct?" At the first question Harry nodded, but on the second he hesitated. He was ringing his hands and biting his cheek. Without meeting Severus's eyes, he shook his head in the negative. Snape took a deep breath and kept his face carefully neutral.

"Will you tell me when else you have had an encounter with Menos?" Again Harry hesitated, long enough that Severus was about to move on, but he finally opened his mouth.

"W-when we went to your shop." His voice was so quiet, so unlike his normal self, Severus stared at the boy in front of him. "You were downstairs and…I was putting things away. He..he just…popped out of nowhere. I didn't even hear him until he spoke." Severus took Harry's hands into his own and Harry stared at their clasped fingers. "He taunted me. Telling me he knew that I couldn't remember my birthday's. I…hurt my hand, hit it against the shelf trying to get away from him, and he grabbed it. Me-Menos was acting all nice," Harry spat the word, "until I pushed him away. He got really mad, threw me into a w-wall. Then he told me that he would help me remember. That it would be his birthday gift to me."

Harry had been crushing Severus's hands in his own as he walked through the memory, but the man didn't mind. He was squeezing right back.

"Harry, why didn't you tell me?" The young man opened his mouth a few times and finally shrugged.

"I-I just…I don't know! You had done so much for me, I didn't want to cause more problems. I didn't want you to think I was a child and couldn't handle myself. He told me no one would believe me if I said anything about him." Harry got really quiet and whispered the last sentence. "Because he scared me so much I couldn't even breathe."

The child's insecurities would be the death of them both, Severus could not help but think. Then again, it wasn't as if the boy's feelings were unfounded. For most of his life he had grown up believing he was a burden simply by existing. He had to grow up way too fast and became an adult as soon as he could speak!

Snape reached up and thumbed away a tear that had fallen down Harry's cheek. He crowed in triumph (on the inside) when the boy did not flinch or pull away. When he had Harry's attention he spoke softly.

"Harry, I want you to understand that I forgive you for not telling me. You have been made to take care of yourself all of your life and that's not something that just goes away once you have an actual guardian. I also want you to understand that it is okay to be scared and it is okay to ask for help. Neither of those is a weakness, though I myself have been guilty of berating myself for such things. You are not alone any more, Harry." The young wizard didn't say anything, but his chest was getting pummeled by his heart. Harry could feel the sincerity in his guardian's words and it made him wish for things he thought he could never have.

"I am going to ask you one more question, Harry. Remember you only have to nod or shake your head. We also don't have to talk about this right now. You can simply write it in your journal and never say a word to me." Harry's anxiety, which had never fully left, peaked again as he braced himself. He could see that Severus was taking a deep breath himself, as though preparing for war.

"Upstairs, before you passed out, you said that I was right. Harry, on your birthdays…did Menos…" another deep breath, "touch you and or harm you in a…sexual manner?" Harry didn't even shake his head yes or no. He completely broke down and Severus found himself, once more, on the floor with his arms and lap full of Harry. The boy clung to him with a strength honed through war and Quidditch, and Severus held back just as tightly.

Snape wanted to burn the world in that moment. He wanted to cut off Menos's hands and Crucio him until his heart stopped. He wanted so many things, but at that moment, the only thing he truly wanted was to comfort his son.

How anyone could ever hurt a child in such a way, take advantage of an already abused young boy and add on to it for fun was beyond even his imagination as an ex-Death Eater. That was a line even the Dark Lord would not cross. The crazed wizard would undoubtedly laugh upon seeing the Boy-Who-Lived so broken and shattered. He would have gloated to Dumbledore about losing his 'weapon'. However, he would have then demanded Menos's head on a silver platter.

There was much that needed to happen, but for right now, Snape was content holding his son in his arms and knowing that he would never allow Harry to be hurt ever again. He would protect him and give his life for his boy. He would see Menos dead for hurting his son.

So, this chap is kinda short :/ Sorry. Lot's of dialogue.

PS Did you like the reveal/BG I developed for Menos?

Please Review :)