Together
Prompt: What if Harry hadn't died in the Forbidden Forest in the Battle for Hogwarts?
Warning: LVHP, NOT TRHP. This is going to be pure serpentine goodness. Will be rated M in later chapters. The first multi-chap fic I've written in years due to writing books, so bear with me. Writing someone else's characters after writing your own for so long is strange.
I don't own any of this stuff other than the 'plot', which I am sure has been done before. All characters belong to JK Rowling. What a Goddess.
Chapter 2: The Snake's Pit
Harry woke up in a dungeon bed, caged in, with no light. It wasn't as if it scared him; he was used to this kind of treatment. Life on Privet Drive hadn't been much better than his current situation and he knew that he could easily get used to it. At least there wouldn't be another Uncle Vernon here. His wand was missing. He saw a small bowl of what looked like cereal left on the floor for him, and decided to eat.
The dungeon was sparkling. Entirely made of black marble, the room reminded him of the Department of Mysteries. It wasn't even really a dungeon, besides the bars. The bed was comfortable, the space itself was incredibly pretty and hygienic, and overall Harry felt as if he were staying in the bathroom of a very fancy hotel. A nice change from all the tent travel he'd done as of late.
The apparating had caused him to faint. He had been weak from the fight, and although he seemed to cope with that type of travel well on most days, today was not one of those days. Harry had no idea how long he'd been out for, or what time it was. He turned to face the staircase suddenly as he heard the entrance door clang open and shut again. Narcissa waltzed down the stairs, and stopped outside the bars.
"Harry. The fight immediately disbanded. Everyone was allowed to go free. Draco was safe. I suppose I have you to thank for that." She smiled briefly, not quite making eye contact. Harry nodded.
"Not to seem rude, but how long have I been in here for?" He asked. Narcissa thought to herself for a moment, trying to figure out the time difference.
"About 5 hours. You weren't just physically drained, it seems." She checked over her shoulders to make sure no one else was there, before pulling something out from underneath her cloak. It was a plate with a small slice of cake on it.
"Whilst you're in my house," she started. "You are a guest. No matter what Lucius and The Dark Lord suggest. Therefore, I will treat you as if you were my own." She finally looked at him and smiled. Harry smiled back, taking the plate.
"Thanks. It's not that I'm ungrateful, but won't you get into trouble for this? Why are you doing it?" He asked. Narcissa hesitated slightly, trying to think of the right words to say.
"Draco…as you know, he was asked to kill Dumbledore. A lot of responsibility was placed on his shoulders, and it was something that haunted and possessed him. He was not ready to be the pawn in the Dark Lord's plan, which is why I asked Severus to complete the deed in his place." She drew a long strand of white hair from her face.
"I sense that same vulnerability in you, Harry. You didn't ask for this. You're just a child. Your mother died to protect you, and everyone else went against her wishes. As a mother myself, I refuse to. I…I would want someone to protect Draco if he were in your position. This is why I defended Severus to the end. He helped you both as much as he could. Maybe not for your own sakes, but because Lily and I, as mothers, gave him the drive to do so."
She reached a hand through the bars, and Harry walked over and took it. She stroked his hand softly with a thumb and smiled.
"I don't want to replace your mother, but I can act in her place if you so wish." She nodded. Harry squeezed her hand and nodded back.
"Thank you, Narcissa." He smiled. She let go of his hand.
"The Dark Lord wishes to speak to you within the hour. I will be back with suitable robes in a moment." As she started to walk away, Harry called out to her.
"Why did he keep me alive?" He asked. Narcissa did not turn to face him.
"Some speculate he wanted to torture you. Others think he is using you as a bargaining tool." She paused for a moment.
"I, however, believe he saw himself in you. I will be back for you." With that, she left Harry alone to the silence of the dungeon once more.
…
AN: I am so very excited to be finally writing this. Harry Potter was the first non-anime fandom I started to write for (at twelve years old), so to be able to revisit it is something very special to me. I will try to keep all characters in character as much as possible. Any sort of critique is accepted. Fanfiction taught me to write after all, and there is still so much to be learnt.
Thank you for reading!
-Alistair