Chapter 17: Of Potions and Passions

Severus flew up the stairs at Lucius' call, expecting to find something ghastly and gruesome in their bedroom, only to be met by an odd smile from Harry and a dumbfounded look from Lucius. He paused to catch his breath, fully intending to ream Lucius for giving him such a fright, but caught it again when he was able to really take in the situation. Something had passed between his two mates between the time Lucius had left his side and the moment he now stood in.

Lucius was paused, mid-crawl…correction, mid-stalk, half of him turned toward the door and the other half facing Harry. From the man's frozen state, Severus could tell that whatever Harry had said or done, it had NOT in anyway been what Lucius had had in mind when the blonde had first entered the room.

"What could possibly be so dire that you'd have to scream my name?" Severus drawled as if he hadn't just thought the house under attack. He realized his 'wording faux pas' when Harry snorted and hid a grin behind his hands. "Obviously nothing too horrid or Mr. Potter wouldn't be giggling like a school girl."

The scandalized look on Harry's face was enough to smooth over his slight indignation for being caught accidentally making an innuendo without his knowledge.

'Outrageous little brat.' Severus thought snidely, though affectionately.

"Harry wants a Voldemort-free Christmas." Lucius stated in a daze.

Severus almost choked on the air passing through his lungs.

"What?! Harry, that's a great dream, but there's so much to do before we decide to just charge in and start whacking away!"

"I know that, but now that we have the potion…"

"THE POTION!" Severus had forgotten it in the rush up the stairs. "We need to use it as soon as possible…Harry, we'll talk about this after we know if the potion even works, ok?"

Harry blinked once…twice… and then quietly shifted off of the bed, walked past Severus in the doorway, and silently headed down the hall toward the stairs. Lucius and Severus shared a confused look, and then turned their attention to the open door. What had just happened?

"Well, are you coming?" Harry called, almost too calmly, from the top step. Severus and Lucius winced.

Harry was angry, so angry that the anger was silent when contained. Lucius got up and moved out of the room and down the hall to Harry, Severus following behind him. The two paused a few feet from Harry.

"Wha..?"

"DON'T! Just don't." Harry snapped, and Lucius fell silent. Harry stepped to the side and gestured down the stairs with his right arm. "Just go."

Even Severus knew better than to argue.

Lucius hung his head and Severus cringed as they made their way past Harry and down the stairs. Just before Lucius stepped onto the landing between flights Harry sighed, and called out for the two to stop. They turned, and Harry made his way between them.

Taking one of their hands in each of his own, Harry sighed again before addressing his loves.

"Look, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so cross, but I just want to fix what he's done to you both. I also want to make sure it never happens again." Harry gazed intensely as he stated the last bit of his mini-speech.

It was Severus' turn to sigh.

"We understand that, but we really need to plan these things instead of just jumping in and hoping all goes well. We don't even know if the potion will work, and you still haven't shown us the seventh horcrux. The book states that some objects just cannot be put in without some sort of explosion occurring." Severus moved closer to Harry and slipped and arm around his waist. "We WILL win, and who knows? Maybe we will be ready before Christmas. But let's just start with this one horcrux and this one potion. Even if it only destroys this one piece of Voldemort, that's still enough to make my Christmas a happy one."

Severus actually smiled then, and Harry and Lucius were so dazzled by it that they could do nothing but return it with one of their own.

Lucius could feel his hands shaking as he watched Harry carry the horcrux, wrapped in a cloth, over to the caldron. Everyone living in Grimmauld Place could feel the tension and hope in the room. Would this actually work? There was only one way to find out.

As Harry held the horcrux over the potion, ready to drop it in, Severus moved behind him and placed his hands on the young man's hips. At Harry's questioning glance Severus said:

"If it reacts badly, I'll be pulling you away."

Everyone knew that Harry's reflexes were nothing to scoff at, but the young mate allowed it anyway. With a nod to Severus, and a small smile to Lucius, Harry reached over the potion…and let go.

Seconds passed.

And then…

BANG!

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AN: I'M BAAAACK!!!

I know, I know. You're all yelling at the screen now going: "WHAT THE CRAP!?", but I felt that I had to leave something to make you want to keep reading.

I'm really sorry to those of you who've waited so long for this chapter, and I'm sorry that it's so short. I've been REALLY busy, and school just started again at the end of last month. (College…You know how it is.) My Rep. Theatre had a successful season, and now I'm in yet another show…which happens to open this week! AHHH! I really do hope to have something else up soon! I promise not to make you wait so long next time!

Thanks to everyone who stuck with me! And to those of you who are new, WELCOME!