Disclaimer – Only the plot is mine.

Chapter 4 – It Changes Everything

Harry lay down, shivering all over, only the scent wafting off the potions master's cloak that was wrapped tightly around him kept him from succumbing to the darkness. Removing Snape's mark had taken it out of him and he knew he would have to do it again, as much as he loathed it.

He closed his eyes and once more felt his way down the connection in his head.

Snape sat in his chair, a still full glass of scotch at his elbow as he continued to stare at his unblemished forearm. He had no idea of how the young man had done it. Harry hadn't even spoken, just stared at Snape and removed the mark.

He knew he should go to Dumbledore. He knew the headmaster should know. But he couldn't stop the feeling of wanting to help Harry. He wondered if there was some way he could.

He sat there for several hours, until the clock above the mantelpiece finally chimed and Snape glanced up, noticing that the hand pointed to "you'll be late". He stood and quickly got ready for the day, even as the back of his mind ticked over on his plans for the night.

Dumbledore watched the younger wizard throughout the day. Something was wrong. Something was missing.

The headmaster watched as the Head of Slytherin house stalked through the doors to the great hall and up the centre aisle. He'd watched him at breakfast, and again at lunch, and now at dinner, once again something was different.

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes for a moment and stared at the man as he stopped and bent down to say something in the ear of Draco Malfoy. Tilting his head slightly he murmured softly under his breath and gasped loudly causing Minerva to look at him quizzically.

He patted her hand and shook his head as he stood, not realizing that the thunderous look on his face didn't do anything to assuage her curiosity….or her fear.

He moved along the back of the head table and intercepted the potions master as he reached the three steps.

Snape stopped and stared up at him in silence for a moment before lowering his head and , without a word, moving towards the small room off the great hall, a large number of both staff and students looking at them curiously as Dumbledore followed him and shut the door firmly behind him.

Snape was sure to raise every mental barrier he had before turning to face the older wizard.

Dumbledore blue eyes were like ice and he glared at the man as he spoke only one word. 'When?'

Snape willed himself not to look down at his arm even as he opened his mouth to speak…and then Harry's words rang through his head and he hesitated. 'When what?' He asked simply.

'When did you see him again?' Dumbledore snapped.

Snape frowned. That wasn't the question he had been expecting. 'Excuse me? I'm not sure I understand.'

Dumbledore's hands shot out and grasped Snape's left arm with a speed that belied his age, and second later had ripped the sleeve that had been covering his left arm. 'Care to explain this little development?" He growled. 'I know you didn't do it or you would have done it many years ago and I'm sure Voldemort didn't do it, so that leaves only one person.'

Snape stared at the elderly wizard and shook his head. 'Last night. After the Dark Lord summoned me. He was there. I don't know how.' Snape shrugged and proceeded to spill everything that had happened.

Almost.

He didn't repeat Harry's words to him.

Dumbledore's expression became calculating. 'Can you find him? Find him and bring him back?'

'I can try.' Snape said slowly.

'Severus, that wasn't really a request.' The headmaster said sternly. 'This running around killing Death Eaters nonsense has to stop or he'll end up in Azkaban. Riddle is the only person he can kill without retribution.'

'Oh, so it's kill on demand. How am I going to get him to return if he knows you're only going to throw him in prison. He's just trying to clean up a mess that wasn't of his making.' Snape insisted sharply.

Blue eyes narrowed. 'You've gone soft for him, Severus.'

This time Snape laid on his coldest glare. 'You were the one who put me in this position.' He said icily.

'You could have said no.' Dumbledore countered and once more Harry's word's rang through his head.

'I doubt you've heard the word no from anyone in your entire life, Albus.' The potions master sneered.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. 'Young Harry didn't seem to have a problem with it.'

'Yes, and look what happened to him.' Snape muttered under his breath.

'Severus!'

Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Albus, I'm doing what I can, alright? The bond makes me do things I am less than comfortable with and stops me from doing what I want to. I will do what I can to get your precious weapon back to you, but I make no promises.' With his piece said Snape turned on his heel and stalked towards the door halting when the headmaster spoke again.

'Thank you, Severus.'

'What do you think is going on?' Ron whispered to Hermione as they watched the potions master stalk back out of the room and from the hall without eating. They too could see the subtle changes in him since their best friend had left. The even paler face, the tired eyes, and the shaking hands. In fact they hadn't seen the man brew a potion in class in over three weeks.

'I don't know, but I know it has to do with Harry.' Hermione responded.

Moments later she put down her knife and fork. 'Come on.' She whispered, grabbing Ron's hand and pulling him up before dragging him from the hall.

They hurried silently through the darkened halls until the stood outside the potions master's office.

'Let me do the talking.' She hissed and Ron nodded in reply. Hermione knocked softly but firmly and a minute later the door was flung open.

'What?' Snape growled.

Hermione swallowed. 'Professor, we need to speak with you. It's about-'

'I'll not be revising your grade, Miss Granger. The paper was incomplete.' Snape cut her off as he spied movement down the hall.

'But Professor.' Hermione tried again.

'Miss Granger, stop your incessant whining for one minute. You cannot expect to get full marks for an incomplete paper. You did not mention the reactive ingredients in the potion, nor did you talk about the additions that have been made in that field since the eighteen hundreds. Now I will hear no more about it. Just make sure you do not hand in such shoddy work in the future and I won't have to grade you so harshly. Good evening.' And with that the door slammed shut in their face.

But not before Snape had summoned a quill and parchment and scribbled down a short note during the diatribe and handed it to the stunned Gryffindors out of sight of whoever was down the hall.

'Well, that went well.' Ron said sarcastically.

'Shut up.' Hermione snapped, spinning on her heel and stalking back towards the entrance hall.

This was the fourth property he had flooed to this evening. After some in depth reconnaissance at the only one of the Lestange properties that hadn't been confiscated by the Ministry, due to the fact that it would have cost more to rebuild and upkeep it than what it was worth, he had stumbled on a list of others that he knew the Ministry knew nothing about and started checking them one by one.

He knew right away that he had found the right place when the wall sconces flared the moment he stepped through the fireplace. He quickly moved towards the shadows and waited to see who came. The wait continued for more than ten minutes before Snape realized that no one was coming and he began his slow but silent search of the house.

It was in the dining room that he found them.

Bellatrix, bound to a chair with invisible ropes as she screamed like a banshee, thankfully under the influence of an incredibly strong silencing charm.

Harry was out cold on the floor.

Bellatrix's mouth dropped open the moment he walked in the door before giving him an insane grin, thinking he was about to release her.

Snape just snorted softly and cross to where Harry lay, kneeling down and gently grasping the young man's shoulders and turning him over.

'Harry?' He murmured, casting an enervate that seemed to have no effect. He lifted him slightly and laid a hand on the young man's neck letting his magic combine with the others once again through the skin to skin contact.

He could see Bellatrix going crazy out of the corner of his eye but he just ignored it as he continued whispering softly in Harry's ear.

'Harry, come on. You need to wake up.'

'Snape.' Harry gasped suddenly reaching up and grasping the potions master's hands, his breathing ragged and his skin pasty.

'Come on, we need to get out of here.' Snape helped the young man to his feet and watched as he swayed heavily before raising his wand. Snape placed his hand over it. 'No.'

Harry looked up at him, a mixture of betrayal and relief on his face. 'Have too.' He said hoarsely.

Snape stared at him. 'It won't change anything.' He said quietly.

'Changes…everything.' Harry gasped before he let go of his wand, leaving it held tightly in Snape's hand and raised his palm. 'Formicere.'

Snape carried the once again unconscious figure through the darkened halls of his family home. He knew he should have taken Harry back to Hogwarts but he just couldn't. Something told him the young man wasn't safe there.

From either side.

He stepped into the bedroom and crossed to the bed, laying the young man down before repeating his actions of two nights ago, stripping them both of all but their under wear and laying down beside him.

'Merlin.' He breathed as he pulled the young man into his arms. Harry's skin was ice cold, and he was so far gone he wasn't even trembling; a fact which filled Snape's heart with dread. He grimaced as he realized he would have to move a little further into territory that he really didn't want to visit.

With a heavy swallow he bent his head and began placing soft kisses down the young man's neck, tilting Harry's head and tucking it into his shoulder to give him better access.

'Come on, Harry.' He whispered as he continued the trail across the young man's jaw and back up his cheek. Harry still made no sign on life and Snape's heart began beating faster; he barely even seemed to be breathing.

'Please.' Snape begged, immediately smacking himself inwardly. He continued his task and his hands roamed over the still form in an effort to get some sort of response out of the Boy-Who-Lived.

He felt a shudder run through the figure in his arms and immediately doubled his efforts, one hand coming up to run through Harry's hair as he used the other to pull Harry even closer.

'Come on, Harry. Wake up.'

Another shudder this one much bigger than the last and Snape gently pulled Harry's head back and placed his lips over the younger man's, carefully prying open the soft lips and massaging Harry's tongue with his own. A minute later he felt Harry begin to respond as the bond all but sang between them at the intimate contact. Harry began kissing him back almost desperately even as his body began trembling alarmingly. He pulled away after several minutes and buried his head in Snape's chest as once again his mind caught up with the rest of him as to what he was doing.

Snape just held him, knowing exactly how the young man felt. Never in his lifetime would have ever expected he would be in this position. His mind hated the fact that the young man in his arms was the most important thing in his life now. Hated that his heart and soul made him do things that less than three months before would have made his skin crawl. Most of all he hated that he had given in so easily to Dumbledore, just as Harry had said. He'd wished he been stronger, like Harry had been.

'I guess that's why you're in Gryffindor.' Snape murmured into the messy black hair under his chin.

Harry just cried harder.

He felt warmer than he had in many weeks.

That was the first thought to cross Harry's mind as he woke.

The peace and calm of the sleep he had gotten was the second.

'Hmmm.' Harry groaned softly as he stretched and opened his eyes.

Suddenly he sat bolt upright. 'Snape!' He yelled, throwing off the blankets and storming from the room. He conjured a robe as he all but ran down the hall.

As he passed a doorway further down he ran into a hard black clothed chest, and would have fallen to the floor if a set of arms hadn't shot out and grabbed hold of him.

'Steady.' Snape murmured softly, setting Harry back down on his feet.

'What's going on? Where the bloody hell am I?' Harry snapped, yanking his upper arms out of the older wizard's hands.

'Relax, Harry. You're safe here.'

'Relax? I don't even know where here is.' Harry shouted. 'And since when do you call me Harry?' He added snidely, completely forgetting that Snape had done it twice before.

Snape stared down at him, something unfathomable in the onyx eyes. 'Since I realized that fighting this thing is fruitless and asinine.' He said quietly.

Harry glared at him. 'I don't care how asinine it is.' Harry growled, sneering the word. 'I will fight it to my dying breath.'

Snape closed his eyes and sighed. 'That may well come sooner than you think if you keep going like this.'

Harry folded his arms over his chest. 'There is only Lucius and Tom left. I can kill them before I get bad again, and then Dumbledore can remove this blasted thing and everything can go back to the way it was.'

Snape opened his eyes and stepped back, gesturing for Harry to follow him into the cosy sitting room he had just stepped out of.

'Harry, there is something you need to know.' The potions master said softly.

'There is nothing you can tell me will make me change my mind.' Harry said bluntly, raising eyebrow and refusing the seat Snape offered him.

Snape raised an eyebrow and took a deep breath. 'The bond. Harry, it cannot be broken….No matter what….By anyone.'

Harry let out a snort of derision but it was quickly halted at the look on the older man's face. 'You're joking. You've got to be joking.' He said in a horrified whisper. 'Please, tell me you're joking.' Harry's green eyes were suddenly pleading and Snape wished he could lie.

'No.'

That one word hit Harry like a runaway Hogwarts Express without a driver and moments later he sat abruptly on the chair behind him as his heart sped up and all his breath left him. 'But I….I thought…I did….all that….I….'

Snape quickly cross the few steps and knelt in front of the hyperventilating young man. 'Breathe, Harry.'

'Dumbledore….he…I….I killed….I took…I used.'

'Shhh, it'll be alright, Harry.'

Harry shook his head violently at Snape's words. 'No, no, no. it won't be. I killed people, don't you see. I turned myself into a murderer to finish this…and there is no end. Dumbledore has made sure he can control me forever.'

'How has he done that? He hasn't bound you to himself?'

Harry scrubbed furiously at his tear filled eyes. 'No, he bound me to someone who can never say no to him.'

Snape cupped Harry's cheek. 'Look where we are, Harry. This is my family home. To get in you must be escorted by someone of the Snape blood. If I couldn't say no to him still, then we'd be at Hogwarts right now.'

Harry closed his eyes but pulled away from the man's touch. 'I'm so ashamed of what I've done.' He whispered.

'Don't be ashamed, Harry. You've saved many more lives than you've taken by ridding the world of such people.' Snape said honestly.

Harry opened his eyes again and Snape's eyes widened at the look of disgust in them. 'I've done much worse than that.'

'What did you do?'

Harry swallowed heavily and shook his head. 'I needed it. The bond, it took so much. I couldn't help but take it. More than once. I needed it to…' He trailed off.

'What did you do?' Snape asked once again, more patience in his voice than Harry had ever heard.

Harry reached up and traced the scar on his forehead. 'I've been taking power…taking it from Tom.'