Warnings: none.

Summary: Severus rescues Harry from the voices, gives Hermione a piece of his mind, and tries to make sense of what's happening to his dearest friend.


CHAPTER 7

The Sound of Silence

Harry could breathe for the first time in weeks. The voices had stopped, oh thank Merlin, they had finally shut up. With a broken sob of relief, he swayed into Severus and leaned his head against the man's hip, still holding desperately to his wrist.

"Sev'rus, you came."

Severus smoothed Harry's hair down and held his cheek. "Yes, Harry. I am here."

Harry groaned and pressed his cheek against Severus' waist. "M'sorry. Don't wanna do it—hear them, hear them all the time. Driving me spare. First time they've been quiet since the bitch cursed me. I was afraid I would attack you and hurt you, and I c-can't. I can't do it."

"Attack me? Why on earth would you fear that, Harry?" Severus moved his hand back and started to go to his knees, but the moment he released Harry, the voices started screaming at him again. At once, Sirius, Bellatrix, and Regulus cried out respectively.

"Get away from him, Snivellus!"

"Traitor! Traitor to our lord!"

"Severus, help him before the others drive him insane!"

Harry wailed and clapped his hands over his ears. "No! No, don't. Need you. Please!"

"TRAITOR AND HALF-BREED FILTH IN MY HOME!"

"Severus, help me!"


Merlin, as soon as Severus had let go of Harry's hand, the younger man had started screaming again. Heart thundering, eyes wide, Severus grabbed Harry's hand and called to him.

"Harry! I'm here. I'm here. Ssh."

Harry stopped screaming and burst into tears. "Please, I … make it stop."

Severus frowned. "Harry, are you still hearing them or not?"

"N-no. Not now."

Hmm. Did the curse respond to Severus' touch? Eyes narrowed, Severus pulled his hand away, just to see what would happen.

As he feared, the curse set in immediately.

An inhuman cackle burst from Harry's lips. "Foolish traitor, you will never break my—"

Unwilling to let Harry suffer, Severus knelt before the young man and pulled him into his arms. "Ssh. Forgive me, Harry. I was testing the curse to see what it responded to. It appears you will need me to touch you to keep it at bay, though as of yet, I do not understand why."

Harry dropped his head against Severus' still-scarred throat and wept. "Please, please don't let me go, Severus. Please."

Severus sighed into the young man's hair. "This will make finding a cure for you more difficult, you know."

Harry buried his face into Severus' neck. "Please. I need you."

Severus nodded and held the shaking young man tight. "I am here, Harry. I am here. If my touch keeps you sane, you shall have it."

With a sniffle, Hermione plopped down beside the men. "Well, Severus, it looks like you'll be moving into Grimmauld for the time being."

Severus shuddered. "I think not."

Harry clutched him tighter and sobbed. "Please, please don't leave me."

"Peace, Harry." Severus quieted him with gentle strokes through the young man's hair. "I will not leave you. I simply think our time would be better spent at my home, particularly if your team has already exhausted the library here."

Harry shuddered. "No. Can't leave."

"Why not?"

"He means it literally, sir," said Hermione with a sad shake of her head. "I'm sure he'd prefer to stay with you at Spinner's End if he was capable, but he physically cannot leave. When the curse started in earnest, it drove him to come back here, and when he tried to leave again, he started bleeding all over. Eyes, nose, ears—it was terrifying. We haven't dared try it again since."

"Merlin," Severus breathed. "So the curse she used is tied to the Black ancestral home."

Hermione shook her head again. "We think it's tied to the Blacks in general—their blood, or more specifically, their bloodline since Harry isn't a Black by birth. We don't understand much beyond that. That's why I've been scanning the Black library. I thought if such a curse was listed anywhere, it would be here. Draco's been searching the Malfoy collection and the auror archive too, and Padma has gone through the Ministry, Hogwarts, and anywhere else she can find, but so far, none of us have found a thing."

Severus rubbed a fingertip over his lips. "Hmm. Perhaps you would be better served with a more experienced researcher then." He stood, still holding Harry's hand so as not to break contact. "Come, Harry."

Harry gripped Severus' hand tight and laced their fingers together. He used his free hand to cup Severus' cheek and turn his face around. [Severus? I … I am sorry.]

Severus gave him a sad smile and tugged their hands against his waist. [There is nothing to apologise for, but please do not send me away again. I have missed you these last few weeks.]

Harry's eyes filled with tears. [I missed you too.]

"Come, then." Severus carefully helped Harry to his feet and led him upstairs. "Let us leave this dreary place."

Harry sniffled. "Will you take that portrait with us? I … I keep hoping he'll talk."

Severus followed Harry's gestures to the wall behind him and gasped. "Regulus?"

"He's been the one voice fighting for my sanity all this time."

Severus squeezed Harry's hand. "Well, we shall take him then." He carefully removed the portrait from the wall with a bit of raw magic and Summoned it to him. Harry cradled it against his chest with his free arm.

"Okay." Harry gave Severus a shy smile. "N-now I'm ready."

"Come with me then." With a gentle brush of Harry's fingers, Severus led the weakened man out of his self-imposed prison.

Fate willing, there would never be a need to return.

Still holding carefully to Harry's hand, Severus climbed the staircase and waited for Hermione to join them. While the woman made her way up, Harry gave a flick of his wrist and sent the portrait of Regulus floating up to the second story.

Severus watched the painting float around a corner and disappear. "Where did you send him?"

"To my bedroom."

"Ah."

Hermione exited the staircase and stared at Severus strangely.

"What?"

She blushed. "It's nothing, really. I just wondered why it's only you who can stop the curse."

He frowned and glanced to Harry, who seemed relieved. And exhausted. No wonder, either. Severus stepped a little closer, hoping his proximity would comfort the young auror.

"You have had many people try?"

She gave him a sad smile. "Of course we have. Everyone we know has been in and out of Grimmauld, trying to make Harry feel more at home. He only forbade you."

Severus cringed. "Why?"

Harry shuddered. "It wasn't because I wanted you gone. It's just, I have at least two people in my head who want to murder you specifically, Severus, and I don't always have control over my actions. I was absolutely terrified I would lose control and … and it would be the Shrieking Shack all over again, only this time you'd be dying at my hand."

He turned and buried his face into Severus' chest. "I'm sorry. Gods, if I'd known the voices would stop with you, I'd have had you over from the first night. I need you. I was just afraid of hurting you."

The explanation soothed the pain on Severus' heart, and feeling Harry's body so close to his own eased the sting of rejection. Harry had been trying to keep him safe.

Severus stroked his hand through the young man's hair. "Thank you for trying to protect me, Harry, but now, let me protect you in return."

Harry gave a broken cry and hugged Severus with his free arm. "Gods, please. Please stay. I can't … can't bear it any longer."

"Ssh. Calm yourself. I am here. I will not leave your side for an instant."

Harry looked up, eyes wet and wide with hope. "P-promise?"

Severus traced his hand across Harry's cheek and met his eyes. He wasn't entirely comfortable with such a personal confession or intimate touches with Granger watching their every move, but Harry needed him right now. Needed to know he would stay.

[Harry, you are … the most important person to me. My charge, my friend, my hope when the nightmares are too dark. You are the only one I trust with every part of me. If I lost you, I would be left with nothing. I will never abandon you.]

Out loud, he simply said, "I vowed to protect you long ago, Harry, and I shall never break it."

Harry breathed in his mind, [Oh, Severus. Gods. I … you are all that to me, too.] He gave Severus a tearful smile. "T-thanks. Sorry I'm so scared. You deserve better."

Severus ignored the shining warmth Harry's words brought. Reassuring the man was more important at that time. Still, the bud of hope that maybe, just maybe, they could be more soon refused to quit.

He forced himself not to smile like a giddy fool and simply brushed Harry's tears away. "Ssh. You have been through terrible trauma, Harry. Anyone would be desperate for surcease, and cling to whatever—or whoever—provided it. There is nothing to apologise for." He held Harry's shoulder and searched those beautiful green eyes. "Do you feel safe now?"

Harry gave him a wry, sad smile. "As safe as I can feel, considering I'm cursed with something that no one knows how to cure and it's driving me mad as a hatter."

Severus rubbed Harry's knuckles. "At least we have more time to find the answer now, Harry. It will be all right."

Harry blinked hard and nodded. Severus turned back towards the living room.

"Miss Granger, you said that many people have tried to cure him?"

"Well, of course we have," she said with a huff. "That's what we've been doing this entire time. But I do know what you mean, and yes, we've all touched him at some time or another. The voices never stopped until now. Not even when he slept, poor man."

Severus frowned. Why should his touch make a difference? Of course, he was likely the only one who had touched him who was in lovewith Harry, but the type of love did not matter when it was necessary to heal curses, only the strength, and Harry's friends all loved him deeply. Enough to sacrifice their lives for him if necessary. If that was it, any one of them could have broken the curse.

But then what made Severus' touch special? What did he have that the others did not?

He frowned and looked at his left arm. It was the only factor he could think of.

"Perhaps it is something to do with the mark?"

Hermione shook her head. "Draco has touched him too and, if anything, the curse got stronger."

Ah. Severus had forgotten about Draco's mark. But if not that, then what could possibly make his touch so different? He shook his head and returned his attention to the conversation. There must be some factor he hadn't considered yet.

"Was so wrong," Harry shuddered. "Felt so … wrong when Draco touched me. Wanted to … devour him. Had to make him leave before I hurt him. I wanted to make everyone leave then." He cast Hermione a sharp look. "But no one will listen to me."

Hermione huffed. "We couldn't just let you go mad, Harry! We took precautions."

"Restraining him is not the way to break the curse," Severus said with a scoff.

"I know that, sir, but we didn't actually restrain him—Harry did it to himself and blocked all of us out of removing them. You could only because he was refusing to let you in and so likely lacked the mental fortitude at the time to remember to lock you out of the spell too."

"Hmm." Severus turned an icy glare on the woman. "And whose fault was it again that I was forbidden access?"

Hermione cringed. "Merlin, Severus. I …." Her shoulders slumped. "It was mine. I kept you away. I was only trying to keep him sane, but gods. I see what a fool I've been now."

Severus stopped walking and whipped around, scowling at the idiot woman for all he was worth. "I was under the impression, Miss Granger, that Unspeakables were given their tasks because of combined gifts of higher intelligence and the ability notice phenomena others would not. Obviously I was misinformed. Where were—"

Harry interrupted him with a whimper. "S-Sev'rus, please."

Severus' heart ached for his friend and anger surged anew that Hermione had let him fall so far before calling him. Merlin, he would let her have it in a moment, but first, he needed to tend to the man he loved.

"Harry, come." He brought the young man into his arms and cradled Harry's head against his shoulder. "Rest here, my friend. I will keep you safe while I discuss your other friends' appalling lack of common sense with Miss Granger."

"But—"

Severus kissed Harry's head, and the man quieted and buried his face in Severus' robe.

"There you are. Be still, little one. I have you. You are safe now."

Harry gave a soft, broken sigh and hugged Severus' waist tight.

"Now that you are taken care of …." Severus returned his attention to Hermione and sharpened his tone once more. "Where were we? Oh yes. As I said—intelligence and observation are the key skills of an Unspeakable. Where in the bloody hell were those skills when Harry was slowly going mad before your eyes? Were you wearing a blindfold these past few weeks while he locked himself in the basement and clawed his face? And your ears. Did you stuff them with cotton that you might not hear him scream in Bellatrix's voice?"

Hermione cringed. "No, S-Severus, I—it wasn't like that. I know it was foolish, but—"

"Foolish? That word is too kind!"

Harry whimpered again, and Severus cradled him closer. "Ssh. You are safe, Harry." He whipped around again and gave the girl his coldest glare. "Tell me, Miss Granger, how many days has he been completely out of control of his actions?"

Hermione choked back a sob. "F-five? That was when he locked himself in the ba—"

Fury rose like an inferno in Severus' blood. The windows rattled and the floorboards creaked under the magical backlash of his rage.

"Five. Five fucking days you have left him here to tear into himself and rot?"

She cringed. "I … but he …."

"Miss Granger, do you have any idea how long it takes for a curse of this variety to drive its victims mad permanently by the time they completely lose the ability to distinguish between reality and fiction?"

"I …." She covered her mouth with a shaking hand, blinked tears down her face, and shook her head.

"One week. You had two days left before his mind snapped like a twig. TWO FUCKING DAYS!"

She sobbed and sank to her knees. "Jesus. I … I'm s-so sorry! I … I was just trying to—"

Severus snarled. "Yes, I've heard. You were afraid it would break his fragile mind. But it was already broken, you bloody nitwit! Where in the world have you stored your brain these past few weeks? What were you doing when he—"

Harry grabbed Severus' face, cutting his tirade off cold, and jerked him down to look into the young man's terrified eyes. "Stop! Please, gods, stop it! I can't take anymore!"

Severus winced. "Oh, Harry."

Shite, he'd really done it now. Harry had gone completely ashen. Tears poured down his face and he was shaking from head to toe.

"Harry … Merlin, I'm sorry."

"Please, please don't shout anymore."

Severus tucked Harry into his arms and tangled a hand into the younger man's hair. "Ssh. All right. I am sorry. I did not mean to distress you."

"S'all I've heard for weeks—screaming and fighting and blaming, and I just … I just can't take it. Not here too."

"Very well. I shan't shout any longer, not if it hurts you. I only … it was … I cannot lose you. And we were so close." His voice broke at the last and he clutched Harry tight, tucking Harry's head under his own. "I cannot endure … I cannot lose you."

Harry buried his face in Severus' chest and slipped a hand into Severus' hair. "You d-didn't lose me though. I'm right here. It's okay now."

Severus gave a wan chuckle. "Merlin, I am sorry, Harry. I should be the one comforting you."

"It's okay. Just don't fight anymore. Hermione didn't mean to hurt me and … and I can't bear it."

Severus kissed Harry's hair. "All right. It is over now, little one. You are not mad, you are not trapped, and the screaming is gone. I have you. You are safe."

"Severus …." Harry looked up, eyes wide and full of warmth and an emotion Severus could not identify. "I … gods. I'm so glad you're here."

Severus used the hand that wasn't holding Harry's head to take his hand again. "I am too." He dropped his hand from Harry's hair and held his chin instead. [Please, never bar me from your life again. It hurt, to think you did not care for me any longer.]

Tears formed on Harry's lashes, but he blinked them back and held Severus' hand tight. [I never stopped caring, Severus. Never.] He stepped back and wiped his face. "Thanks, Severus. I … I'm sorry I'm so terrified of everything right now."

"No. I am sorry I frightened you." Severus squeezed Harry's hand. "I should have remembered that you have been through a nightmarish ordeal and held my tongue."

"S'okay. You were just trying to protect me." Harry's shoulders slumped. "If I'd let you do it in the first place, maybe none of this would've ever happened."

"You were doing your job and that was a wide-range curse. Do not blame yourself. It is in the past."

"So is the thing with Hermione and me."

Severus gave a reluctant nod. "True."

"S-Severus," Hermione sobbed, "I really was trying to keep him from breaking. I didn't know … not about this or the time limit. I … I'm so sorry. C-can you ever forgive me?"

He looked between a shattered Harry and a weeping Hermione and sighed. "Very well. Never try to block me from Harry again, and I shall consider it forgiven."

Hermione bowed. "You have my word. Honest. I … I didn't mean to cause him harm. We were just so afraid that denying his requests would break his mind when it was already on the verge. He was terrified he would hurt you, and … and for a while, I thought he might be right. When I tried to ask him about you earlier …." She held out an arm marked with healing red stripes, four in neat lines. "It was bad. Took your healing chant to fix it."

Harry cringed away and wrapped an arm around his chest. "Sorry, 'Mione. So sorry. I don't … I didn't want to, but they made me. I … I wasn't strong enough to stop them." His voice cracked. "I'm turning evil!"

Severus held Harry's cheek and gave him a stern look. "None of that. You are not evil—you areill, but we will heal it. I will hold your hand for the rest of your life if need be."

Not that he would mind. Holding Harry's hand through life had long been a cherished dream.

Harry flushed and smiled weakly. "T-thanks, Severus. I really hope that's not necessary, but it helps to know you would."

"Of course I would." Severus squeezed Harry's fingers. "We will heal this, Harry. We will find an answer."

Harry gave him a hesitant nod, and Severus nudged him towards the living room. "Come. Let us sit and discuss this. Tell me, who, precisely, are your voices? I assume one is Sirius Black since you would not call me … that horrid name of your own will."

Harry cringed. "Oh gods. He didn't—he made me call you that? What they used to …?"

Severus shook his head. "It was not your fault. I know you would never use such a weapon against me of your own choice."

"I … I don't want to hurt you. I'm so sorry."

"Please do not trouble yourself. I know you did not mean it, and I am far more concerned for you at the moment regardless." Severus brushed a thumb over Harry's knuckles, hoping the gentle touch would soothe him. "It is Black, then?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. He's been really awful too. To me, I mean. He's been—" He choked up and turned his face away.

"Harry …." With a sigh, Severus gave up going to the living room and brought the younger man into a gentle embrace instead. "I am sorry. Black never learned to embrace change, but I am surprised he would hurt you. I always thought—he was cruel to me, but he loved you."

"Not enough," Harry whispered, and something in Severus broke.

"Oh, Harry." Severus held him tight. "Ssh. I am here, and I am sorry his idiocy has hurt you." He squeezed Harry's fingers. "You may talk to me about it later, if you need to."

Harry laid his head against Severus' chest and sniffled. "I-I'll need to. He shattered me."

Severus closed his eyes, sorrow and remorse flooding him. "I am sorry, Harry. I did not intend to bring such pain upon you."

"Hush, Severus. None of this is your fault. He's the one who can't take his head out of his arse."

Severus snorted in spite of himself. "Lovely imagery."

Harry stepped back with a wry chuckle and wiped his eyes. "It's true though. And please don't blame yourself, Severus. You've been nothing but good to me since that day in the shack."

"I have tried."

Severus squeezed Harry's hand and shook himself out of his guilt. Harry was right—it wasn't his fault. For Harry's sake, he had tried to lay aside his old grudges long ago.

"Who are the rest?"

"I already told you about Regulus. There's also Bellatrix and Mrs. Black—and it's just as pleasant as it sounds. I think Orion Black too, though he's far less annoying than his wife. And … well, I just don't know all of them, sir."

"Severus. I am holding your hand. There is no point in using a formal title when we shall need to be … quite close for some time."

Harry shuddered. "How am I to do anything if I can't let go of you? How will I shower or use the loo? How will you?"

Severus' face flamed. "Merlin, there is really only one thing for it. Since we cannot be separated, I will simply shower and relieve myself when I need to and hold your hand during the process, unless you would rather wait outside?"

Harry shuddered. "I'll just turn around while you're … busy, if you don't mind."

"That will do. As for you, how were you taking care of your needs before?"

"Until recently, I was able to ignore the voices long enough to run in and out. But the past few days … I don't even know."

"Charms," Hermione supplied with a faint blush. "Evacuation charms set on a need-based timer and cleaning charms every morning or if he … got into messes. I couldn't get close enough to wash him personally."

Harry groaned and covered his face with his free hand. "That's completely embarrassing, but thanks, Hermione. Would've just made a disaster of myself if you hadn't done that."

Severus frowned. "We will leave the evacuation spells on for the time being. I will set them on myself as well to save us both some embarrassment. Perhaps, though, I can help you bathe, if it is not too humiliating, Harry? Or would you prefer the spells?"

Harry groaned. "We can … use the spells for most times, but I'll have to have a proper bath soon, Severus. They don't work quite as well and Hermione's been using them for several days. At least, I think she has, judging by how much time seems to have passed in my rubbish mind."

Severus rubbed a soothing thumb over Harry's knuckles again. "Then we shall bathe you properly tonight, if you are amenable?"

Harry blushed to the roots of his hair, but nodded. "T-thank you, and I'm sorry."

"It is quite all right." Severus looked over to Hermione. "I am assuming you used magic to assist him into fresh clothing and potions to feed him?"

She gave Harry an apologetic look. "Yes. Ron, Parvati, and I have taken caring for him in shifts lately. If I'm not here researching, Padma is. Parvati would have been here today to help with Harry while I was looking through the books, but they had an emergency at the office—nothing serious, Harry."

Harry fixed her with a glare. "How is an emergency not serious?"

"It wasn't like that. No one's hurt, they just found Dolohov's trail and had to rush to go after him."

Harry stiffened. "I need to be out there with them. I'm their dueller, 'Mione."

"Well, Kingsley's been helping them on the field as often as he can, and when he can't, there are plenty of other duellers to help, Harry. They'll be okay."

Harry sighed. "I guess."

Severus squeezed his hand. "They will survive a few weeks without you, until we are able to determine what curse this is and how to break it. Have you fed him lunch yet, Miss Granger?"

She shook her head. "I was just about to when you came in."

"Then let us retire to the kitchen and find a true meal for you, Harry. Nutrient potions will keep you alive when needs must, but they are no match for actual nutrition."

Harry gave Severus a sad smile. "Thank you. And Merlin, I'm so sorry about all of this."

Severus cupped the young man's cheek with his free hand and tilted Harry's face to look into his eyes. "Do not apologise. I told you once: whenever you need me, I will be there. This is merely another aspect of that vow."

"But … your business—your life, Severus! How will you—"

"Ssh." Severus brushed a tear from Harry's cheek. "I will not leave you."

Harry gave him a hesitant nod, and Severus turned to speak over his shoulder without moving his hand from Harry's cheek.

"Hermione, before we eat, will you please fire-call my assistant at the apothecary—Bethany Meadows—and ask her to close the shop indefinitely. Tell her to handle all the owl orders she is able to and redirect the others back with a reply that I have been called away on a family emergency and will not be in for an indeterminate amount of time. I will fill emergent orders and make wolfsbane in the kitchen here, but am unable to take any orders beyond that."

Hermione nodded. "Right away. I'll make us lunch as soon as I'm finished."

"Thank you."

Harry frowned after Hermione's retreating form. "Severus, how will you make potions if you can't let go of me?"

Severus chuckled. "Some I will be able to do with one hand and your assistance. For the more difficult potions, perhaps you may hold me from behind while I work, if it is not too much trouble. I will try to be in the lab as little as possible while we are trying to heal you and will take more frequent breaks."

Harry blushed and lowered his head. "Will that bother you, me holding you like that? It's just that … it's more intimate than we've ever …."

Severus glanced towards the living room, making sure Hermione wasn't around to hear his words. "I … it has been many years since I had any sort of relationship at all, Harry, and even then, romance was not a factor. No one has ever touched me in that manner, so I cannot say for certain that I will not balk." Heat flooded his face despite his iron control and his voice lowered to hardly a breath. "But I … I trust you."

Harry gave him a shy smile. "Really? Um, should I try it now then so we know if it's going to work when you're not busy with dangerous potions?"

Severus blushed deeper. "Acceptable."

With a shaky nod, Harry moved behind Severus, not releasing the man's hand until his arm was draped across Severus' clothed chest. The moment Harry let Severus' hand drop, he screamed.

"No! They … hear them again … oh, gods."

Severus whipped around and caught Harry's face in gentle hands. "They are gone now?"

Harry blinked tears down his cheeks and nodded.

"So skin-to-skin contact is necessary." Severus shivered. "Then …."

He used a spell to unbutton his robe and the lower buttons of his white button-down. With one arm, he untucked the tails and guided Harry's shaking hand to rest against his bare stomach, palm against his navel. Harry sucked in a sharp breath and his fingers twitched, but Severus wouldn't let him pull away.

Severus' voice wavered. Gods, feeling him so close was sheer torment, knowing Harry did not know how his touch affected him. "T-try to hold me like this, with your hands against my stomach and under my shirt."

Harry let slip a nervous giggle. "Oh gods. Won't this—it's so close, Severus."

"If that is what it takes to keep you sane and keep me employed, then so be it."

Harry shuddered and took Severus' hand instead. "No. I can't—if you don't want me to touch you there, it would be too much like assault. I can't."

Severus gently guided Harry's hand back to his belly, leaving his hand atop Harry's and stroking his fingers. "I trust you. This is not a violation to me. Your touch—I would tolerate no one else, but you are welcome."

Harry whispered, "Y-you're sure?"

"Yes. You are free to touch me however you need to."

Harry's breath caught, and he tentatively caressed Severus' belly. Severus gasped at a rush of heat and electric tingles, but Harry jerked his hand away in concern before those shocks could bloom into full arousal.

It still left Severus short of breath.

"Sev'rus …." Harry swayed, his expression taut, and flailed for Severus' hand once more. "S-sorry. Shouldn't have done that."

Severus tucked his shirt in and turned to Harry, giving him a reassuring smile. "That is enough for now, but suffice it to say that I will be well if you need to touch me like this in the future."

Harry frowned. "But you looked upset."

"Simply surprised. I did not expect you to … ah … caress me in the manner that you did, and I have never been … touched in that way. I did not feel violated, however."

Harry's cheeks pinked. "So it was a good sort of surprise?"

Severus chuckled wryly. "One might say that. Now, are you well enough to eat?"

Harry nodded. "As long as you don't let go of me."

Severus bowed in acquiescence. "I shan't."