Characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Vampire just because, there is no epic reason behind it.
Thank you for Reviews J
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The doors to the infirmary slammed open causing Madam Pomfrey to rush from her bed and straight into the main room. She paused at the sight of Severus Snape, drenched in blood, carrying an unconscious Harry Potter. The moment Severus laid Harry on the bed, Pomfrey jumped to work, summoning potions and bandages from her storeroom. Looking at Harry's neck, Pomfrey looked to Severus.
"Vampire?" She asked, her eyes questioning him.
The man nodded in reply, his eyes never leaving Harry. Pomfrey started the long and hard process of extracting any Vampire poison in Harry's blood and cleaning the messy wound. Once satisfied, Pomfrey bandaged it up, knowing there would be scars and injected potions straight into the unconscious boys arm. She kept her thought focused on completing the job and keeping practical, there was not time to worry about what happened or to allow any endearments to one of her favourite patients.
"Severus, call the headmaster and Minerva please."
With some reluctance, Severus nodded and swiftly moved to the fireplace. Each step he took shook with fear, his face was paler then it normally was and he was struggling in keeping his eyes cold. The image of Harry hurt like that and those accusing eyes Harry had sent when he saw Severus; both images would haunt him for a very long time.
Severus stepped back from the fireplace, allowing both McGonagall and Dumbledore to come through the flames. They looked questioningly at Severus before he nodded in the direction of the bed Harry lay on. Both pairs of eyes grew wide and they rushed over to Pomfrey.
Dumbledore turned so he was facing Severus.
"Severus, would you mind explaining?"
And so he did. Of course it was nothing but a lie. Severus told Dumbledore of how he had been collecting potion ingredients when he found Ha- Potter being attacked by a vampire. Severus simply prayed that when Harry awoke, he wouldn't say what actually happened, or was too out of it to know.
But Severus didn't really care if he was found out. Instead Severus felt fear of what was to come when the boy did awake. Would he reject Severus? Spew curses at him and hate him? Would he even remember? Or would Harry pretend it never happened?
It was the latter. When Harry awoke, the school already knew what had happened. Harry had stuck to the tale Severus had told the headmaster, agreeing with the lie every step of the way. Not once did Harry make eye contact with Severus, in fact it was rare for the boy to look at anyone, taking an interest in the sheets instead.
When the boy was finally let out of the infirmary he never went back to the clearing. His work regressed in potions and he went back to blowing up cauldrons. Dark rings spread out across his eyes and Harry's plate remained empty on more then one occasion.
Every other night Severus would go to the clearing, sometimes in his animagus, sometimes as a human. It hurt that Harry left him, but he vowed to carry on protecting the boy. Severus watched as Harry closed off, he prayed for the chance to speak to the boy and look after him like he used to.
So, when Harry collapsed from exhaustion in Severus' own potion class, Severus jumped at the chance. He dismissed the class and took Harry into his quarters rather then the infirmary. Laying Harry on the bed, he looked at the sick teenager. He was skinnier, there were frown line all around his face and haunted shadows crossed it.
Severus let the boy sleep until lunch when he finally awoke him.
Harry carefully opened his eyes into the dark room. His body felt heavy and he daren't move any part of it. Looking to the side, Harry caught site of Snape. Fear welled up inside of him and he quickly shut his eyes, wishing he were anywhere else but here.
"Harrry…Harry. Open your eyes and look at me."
Slowly, Harry's eyes opened at the sound of Snape using his first name. He didn't look at the potions master, but instead stared at the wall just behind him.
Snape watched the boy, wondering how he should go about this. He had never been good with feelings but the urge to reassure him led Severus on.
"Harry, I have to apologise to you. When I went to the clearing I never meant to trick you into telling me your secrets, I never meant to even be there, I never meant for my entire opinion of you to change and for me to realise that you are indeed not James Potter but are his son."
Harry looked at Snape, his bemused eyes glancing over Snape's worried face.
"And… I understand if you don't ever go back to the clearing but I just…. I'm not going to tell anyone what you've told me, I've never shared a single word of what you've said and I'm sorry for letting it get this far. I'll go."
Severus stood and turned to leave but a small voice stopped him.
"Why did you carry on going then? To the clearing I mean. If you weren't going to use my secrets, why listen to them." Harry asked with his eyes staring straight at Severus. Severus held his breath at the green orbs that shone with their strength.
"I enjoyed your company." Was all the man said before he rushed out the door.
Harry turned his head, staring into the empty fireplace of Snape's quarters. His mind was a blur as he tried to figure out what had happened. It was obvious the potion master no longer saw him as a spoilt brat that he thought, it showed through in the way Severus had treated Harry in the past few months- less insults, less detentions, and, dare he say it, civil. But that did not mean that Harry's opinion had changed. He still saw a snarky, arrogant death eater who had fooled Dumbledore into allowing him in as a spy.
The empty fireplace gave a sudden crackle and Harry looked harder into the embers seeing a small spark of flame. Harry rolled off the sofa and crawled over to the fireplace. Taking a piece of paper he carefully added fuel to the flame and watched as it grow. In no time at all the once dark and hollow fireplace became a roaring source of light, growing bigger by the second.
Harry went over the uncharacteristic words of the potions master. Perhaps his empty opinion of the man could be changed.