Harry sat in the darkness, awaiting what was coming for him. He could hear the panting of the werewolf as he got closer. Shakily he looked up, seeing the other's eyes gleaming in the darkness, the smell of blood almost making him sick. In seconds he was pulled into the centre of the darkness and there was nothing but pain.

"NO!" Harry screamed, sitting up, hearing an explosion. He didn't look up as he cried silently into his hands. He didn't see the curtain was no longer separating the room. He didn't see how all the contents of the room had been blasted against the walls. He didn't see as the headmaster came towards him.

"Harry…" he said gently. Hearing his voice Harry cried out loud. Why was it, that he had spent his life having to muffle his cries and just one word from that deep voice broke all his walls? Harry whimpered as he felt the other wrap his arms around him, pulling him close, albeit awqwardly and with hesitation. Harry cried holding onto the other, calming down slowly, all negative memory from the dream starting to fade away.

"Shh…" He managed to hear between sobs.

"When will they be captured?" Harry whimpered. "When will I finally be able to have a life?" He whispered. "When will I stop living in fear?" Severus said nothing, he simply passed his fingers through Harry's hair, when the other learned to do that he'll never know, but the other seemed to realize how quick it soothed him.

"I vowed to protect you a long time ago, I'm not about to break that promise now." He said. Harry took that moment to pull away slightly and look around. The room was a mess.

"I'm losing control." Harry whispered. He pulled back and showed the other his wand.

"It's not your wand Harry." He said taking it gently.

"It is…" he whispered letting the charm down.

"This is... Potter, you should have destroyed this." He whispered looking up at the young man shocked. Harry looked away shaking slightly.

"I couldn't… I just couldn't… It made me feel safe…" he whispered looking up at him. "What does that say about me? When the only thing that could make me feel safe was the deadliest weapon in existence?" He whispered. Snape petted his cheek and leaned in to kiss him softly, still holding onto the wand.

"You need to destroy it Harry… or it will consume you. Especially you, who lived with darkness for so long." Severus said gently. Harry shivered gently.

"No… give it back." He whispered reaching for it, snatching it back, as if Snape would steal it. Severus handed it back without a struggle, but frowned as he looked at Harry, scanning his face.

"Harry…" He whispered.

"Don't!" Harry hissed. "Don't look at me like that!" Harry saw his vision flash to red and saw the other's eyes widen slightly. Harry looked horrified, almost realising what he was becoming and threw the wand away, where it rolled under the other's almost destroyed bed. Harry shook gently and looked at Severus afraid. "Severus…"

It didn't take two seconds for Severus to understand. He leaned in and kissed him, holding him close, showing him that he would not leave him. Showing him that he trusted him. Showing him that he wasn't about to let him go to the dark side.

"Don't worry… I'll find a way to control your powers." He promised and Harry nodded.

"Hold me…" he whispered. Snape got under the covers with him and did just that, rubbing his back gently, until Harry felt the world fade away and he fell into a restful sleep.

-o-O-o-

Was Severus terrified? As he held Harry in the epicentre of the other's destructive power? Yes. He wasn't so much afraid of the other, so much as what that elder wand was doing to him, and he had to wonder if he himself had played a part in it by rejecting the soulmate idea for so long.

He held Harry tighter as the boy slept peacefully. He would not let the darkness take someone else he loved. Never again. He would find a way to return the other's powers to normal. The idea was the only thing occupying his mind and no other thought fit into it, not even the one that would have informed him that he had just admitted to loving the young man in his arms.

-o-O-o-

They didn't speak of what happened that night, Severus fixed the room and hid the elder wand whilst the other wasn't looking. He didn't feel comfortable taking someone's wand like that, but Harry wasn't even comfortable using it. The first night they tried to go back to normal, but in the middle of the night Harry got up and walked over to his side, crawling into bed with him. He gladly welcomed him.

Severus would often find himself reading what he could find about controlling someone's powers, but all he could find were curses and binding spells that he would never perform on anyone.

Harry was starting to lose a bit of hope by the time April came close. He placed all his focus on the theory part of his N.E.W.T.S and prayed that by that time the other had found a solution. That Saturday Severus walked in before lunch, something that had surprised Harry since the other would normally remain in the library, which had the biggest number of dark magic books. The other stood at the entrance, holding a golden casket.

"What's that?" Harry asked coming over. Snape chuckled and cupped his cheek gently.

"Here Harry, a gift…" He said opening the casket showing him a ring.

"You found it?" Harry asked picking up the ring. "Will this really control my powers?" He asked. Snape frowned for a second, as if surprised to find what it did.

"Yes… it will… let me put it on you." Snape said taking the ring and held his hand. Harry frowned, as the other's hand felt cold. Normally the other's hands were warm, and he would feel a small hum every time they touched. Snape brought the ring to Harry's middle finger, muttering an incantation. Harry frowned feeling uneasy.

"No… wait…" He tried pulling his hand back but Snape held him in place and slipped the ring on. "Nnh…" Harry dropped to his knees, his strength leaving him, feeling his power caged inside, out of reach, making him feel as weak as a child. "Severus…" He mumbled. Snape kneeled by him and chuckled leaning in.

"Oh Potter… the fun we're going to have together… Greyback has been looking forward to seeing you." The other's usually warm deep voice whispered hatefully against his ear. Harry looked at him horrified.

"You're not…" The other slapped him hard, knocking him to the side and Harry cried out holding his cheek. The stinging, hot sensation spreading painfully.

"Of course not." He laughed darkly and pulled him up. "Now let's go, Potter." He hissed pulling him up, dragging him out of the room and walking him out of the castle.

"Harry! Vait!" Harry shuddered. It was Krum.

"Don't hurt him…" Harry whispered. Snape chuckled and turned to look at the seeker.

"Fuck off Krum." Snape hissed at the quiddich player. Harry looked at him.

"Take a hint Krum, leave." Harry said looking at him seriously. Krum frowned looking at the two of them and then at Snape before taking out his wand to attack him. With one wave of his wand Snape had thrown him back, his body morphing back to the shape of Lestrange.

"Avada-!"

"NO!" Harry screamed pushing the other's wand out the way and Lestrange came round giving him a back handed slap. The ruckus drew some attention and Lestrange cursed under his breath, pulling Harry away once more.

"Harry!" Krum barely had time to get up from the ground before the two crossed the wards and Lestrange apparated him god knows where.