Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe belongs to JKR and anyone she legally lets use them. Not me

A/N: And the magical shower strikes again ;) Thank you for the wonderful and encouraging reviews! I love it when you guys ask the PERFECT questions xD Two chapters in one week! Aren't you proud of me? And they're both relatively long. Well, 15 was and so is this one! :D Enjoy!

Chapter 16

Severus walked out of his laboratory, intent on confronting Potter, only to see Draco leaving the parlor. The blonde quickly walked towards Severus and took his hand, "Mother and Father just left. Pansy and Weasley went to retrieve a few more files and reports for the Auror Headquarters."

Severus nodded, "Did Lucius leave his memory of Potter in the hospital?"

Draco nodded, "Even better, I owled the hospital and got the official Pensieve memory."

Severus raised an eyebrow, "Since when does St. Mungo's keep Pensieve memories of patient visits?"

Draco smirked, "Since the patient was the Saviour of the Wizarding World, Harry Potter."

Severus rolled his eyes, "Let's go see."

In the Pensieve

There were healers everywhere. Nurses were putting tubes here and there, there were healers waving their wands and wiping the blood that seemed to be oozing from all parts of Potter's body. He had bruises and cuts all over his body, and it seemed like his leg and an arm were broken. Healers were magicking vial after vial of potions into Potter's body. Blood Replenishers and Merlin knew what else.

"What is this?" Severus turned to see Healer Finch-Fletchley walk into the hospital room. The young Healer paused, despair breezing over his face as he recognized the patient. "Harry?"

A nurse thrust a clipboard into the man's hands, "Harry Potter, age 25, Auror. Unknown curse. There are gashes opening and closing all over his body. It's been three days. We put him into a Healing Coma. The cuts won't heal; he's been losing blood for three days! It stops and starts randomly. We weren't sure how SkelGrow would react with whatever he's under so his broken bones have not been grown but set simply with splints. He's most likely had a concussion."

Finch-Fletchley's eyes flew up, "Healer Malfoy?"

The nurse shook her head, "Vacation, unreachable."

Finch-Fletchley furrowed his eyebrows, "Harry's husband?"

The nurse shook her head again, "Unreachable also. Besides, Mr. Potter's file says that Malfoy can't treat him and we aren't to contact Snape."

Finch-Fletchley's eyebrows flew up, "What the—" Shaking his head, Finch-Fletchey began a series of spells. "Why wasn't I informed before?"

Draco bristled, "The idiot doesn't know what he's doing. The first one he should have done is the Dark Arts diagnostic, and then—"

Severus smacked Draco on the back of the head, his eyes never leaving the scene, "Yes yes Draco, you are a genius. Now shush!"

Potter's bedclothes were already soaked red with blood.

"He's losing blood too fast!" One of the mediwizards called out, even as Finch-Fletchley magicked yet another potion into Potter's stomach.

And then, suddenly, the cuts began to seal themselves. Skin wove together seamlessly, leaving no trace of their presence, and the bleeding stopped. The gashes that had almost left Potter skinless disappeared. Severus's eyes shot up and he searched out of doorway. Turning the corner, visible from the bed, was a dark head. Vela.

Severus and Draco stepped back out from the Pensieve. "Was there anything different in your father's memory?"

Draco shrugged, "It was from outside, looking through the window. And…he was very worried. It was disconcerting."

Severus nodded, wrapping an arm around Draco's shoulder, "I have seen him very worried. Every time you have been in the hospital."

Draco breathed out calmly. He still needed a little reassurance that his father didn't care more for Potter than his own son.

Severus pressed a kiss to Draco's temple, mind still quickly analyzing the memory, "Vela must control the onset of the curse."

Draco nodded, "But why not reopen that curse yesterday? Why use Sectumsempra?"

Severus looked down into Draco's grey eyes, "An excellent question."

Severus and Draco made their way towards the stairs before Severus paused, gently holding Draco back by his sleeve.

"Severus?" Draco questioned, turning and looking up into Severus's onyx eyes.

Frowning, Severus asked, "Draco, have Potter and you ever been on good terms?"

Draco raised an eyebrow, "What? No. Severus, you know this."

Severus clutched Draco's sleeve tighter, "Never? You and Potter have never had a civil conversation until today?"

Draco frowned, "Yes Severus. Are you alright? "

Severus shook his head and released Draco's sleeve. "Of course."

Draco frowned at Severus's back as his lover went up the stairs. Sometimes I don't understand what's going on in Severus's mind. Shaking off the odd feeling his conversation with Severus had left behind, a strange thought niggling in the back of his mind, Draco followed Severus up.

Severus strode into Potter's room, questions swirling in his mind, the sight of Potter lying there, blood oozing everywhere, with nearly no skin making his stomach clench. He'd been tanning on a beach and Potter had been lying in the hospital in a near coma.

"Potter."

Harry looked up in surprise to see Snape and Malfoy standing in his doorway, looking at him calculatingly once again.

"Snape. Malfoy. Come in. I…"

Snape interrupted him, as usual, "I was unprepared to hear that Vela Lestrange was targeting you because of our…contract marriage. It seems that no matter how hard we work to end the war, it always comes back to haunt us. Now, I have seen the memory of your injury, I would like to view your memory of last night's attack."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows, "Last night? I, well, I never actually spoke with her."

Snape rolled his eyes, "It may contain clues as to Vela's motives."

Harry sighed and swung his legs out of bed. Drawing the keys around his neck out, he unlocked the second drawer in his nightstand and drew out an empty Pensieve.

Severus narrowed his eyes, taking in the multiple keys around Potter's neck, and the locked first nightstand drawer.

Using his wand, Harry extracted his memory from the grave, taking care to begin the memory only when he heard Vela's footsteps. Placing the memory in the Pensieve, Harry held out the bowl for Snape to take.

Snape raised an eyebrow, "Empty?"

Harry shrugged, "I have two."

Severus's other eyebrow rose as well. Pensieves were hard to find and very expensive. It was rare for a wizard to have one, let alone two. Severus tucked away this piece of information and turned to the Pensieve to view the memory with Draco.

Ten minutes later, Severus and Draco drew out of the bowl. Severus blinked, regaining his balance after exiting the Pensieve, tucking away the memory of the harsh emotional pain Potter had been in when Vela had appeared at the beginning of the encounter. "That…was very informative," Severus drawled.

Harry gave the older man an incredulous look, "What do you mean? There wasn't any interaction between us!"

Draco looked at his lover questioningly as well. From his point of view all he had seen was a crazy woman nearing Potter and attempting to draw him out. What he had expected.

Severus nodded, "True, however, tell me, did you hear her say anything as she was cursing her?"

Harry snorted, "Not exactly. I was a bit busy trying to get myself away Snape."

Severus glared at Harry, "You missed her comment then. She called you 'my love'"

Harry turned a bit green, "Uh…that doesn't mean what it sounds like it means right?"

Severus chuckled darkly, "I am afraid it means exactly what it sounds like it means."

Draco's eyes were wide, "Excuse me. The crazy dark-arts loving daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange neé Black is in love with Potter?"

Severus rolled his eyes and gestured for Draco to sit, seating himself in the armchair next to his lover's.

"I was told you once met Tom Marvalo Riddle in the form that he was in his seventh year at Hogwarts?" Severus asked Harry, lacing his fingers together.

Harry nodded. "My second year. His diary in the Chamber of Secrets."

"Bellatrix Lestrange met that form of Tom Riddle. He was charismatic, powerful, attractive. It was the reason many followers joined him, regardless of his views."

Harry nodded, "I can see that."

Draco frowned. "Voldemort was good looking?"

Severus snorted, "Very. He was tall, dark and handsome. And Bellatrix Lestrange fell for him, and fell for him hard. Even though she was married, she did not hide her attraction or the development of her love for him."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows, "And Rodolphus?"

Severus leaned back, "I believe that Rodolphus saw it as an honor to be married to the woman who loved the Dark Lord. He was often shielded from Voldemort's anger and protected because he was Bellatrix's husband."

Harry nodded, "And Voldemort?"

Severus unwove his fingers to lightly tap his left forefinger against his cheek as he recounted, "Voldemort was a power hungry man slowly falling victim to his own insanity. He did not feel the baser, softer emotions. He could never love Bellatrix. He knew she loved him. In fact, I do not doubt he rejoiced in the fact that he could incite such a response from women. Before his first fall, Voldemort had no difficulty finding a bed partner if he desired one. For him sex was another act of proving his dominance. Women loved him, desired him, but he never felt any of those things for anyone. However, he enjoyed exploiting the fact that Bellatrix loved him. She was willing to do anything for him."

Draco and Harry leaned forward, fascinated into this study of Bellatrix Lestrange's character.

"Bellatrix was not born a sadistic and cruel woman. She was never soft and tender, that is for sure. She was harsh and demanding, always had a sharp edge to her. Even in school. She was a bully, insulting and hexing younger years. But it was always a humiliating torture, not necessarily a painful one. But her love for Voldemort turned her into the blood thirsty woman that you saw her to be. Voldemort could never love her the way she wished for him to love her. He was incapable of doing so. She knew that, and that made her very bitter. Perhaps her unrequited love for Voldemort was the trigger for her Black Madness. However, she saw how excited and deliriously happy he became when practicing torture or the Dark Arts. And so she delved even more deeply into those things. Torture and the Dark Arts became beautiful to her because it was a way for her to be close to Voldemort. He couldn't love her, but they could love torture together."

Harry leaned back, his brain whirling at this novel insight into Bellatrix's background. "So she became insane and crazy because it was the only way she could find pleasure with Voldemort, only way they could share a love?"

Severus nodded, "Knowing this, Vela's response to you makes sense. According to your dossier Vela has had very little human interaction. She does not know how to interact with people normally and has very little social experience. What experience she does have is colored by Death Eaters, torture and Voldemort. She has had but two things constant in her life, hatred for you and the Dark Arts. She does not see her hatred for you as a negative emotion. Most likely she has been given positive reinforcement for her hatred for you, so she sees it as a positive emotion. Remember, she never had anyone to teach her what positive and negative emotions are. She associates her hatred for you as a positive response to your presence."

Harry looked positively green at the idea. "That is highly disturbing."

Severus nodded, "She is, after all, Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter. She may not have the Black Madness, but she does have sort of insanity. It may not make sense, but she sees you as a constant, her hate for you as love, and the Dark Arts as a way of interacting with you."

Harry groaned and buried his head in his hands.

Severus continued, "As for the trigger, I believe you may be correct. My marrying you triggered her response. I have a few theories as to what she may think. First of all, you married an ex-Death Eater, further cementing the idea within her mind that the Dark Arts are the way to 'win you over'. She is angry with you for marrying me perhaps. Or perhaps, like her father and her mother, marriage and love are not an issue. She has not attempted to attack me…"

Harry interrupted, "She can't enter Grimmauld Place and she hasn't attacked me when I've been out with you."

Draco spoke, "Why can't she enter Grimmauld Place? I was wondering this earlier. This place isn't under the Fidelius anymore, and she knows you live here…"

Harry nodded, "True. However, when Sirius died he made me head of the Black family. That summer I disowned Bellatrix Lestrange from the Black family, thereby denying her daughter any association with the Blacks as well. When Vela started coming after me I activated some of the older wards on the house. One of which denies any non-Black entrance into the house."

Draco frowned, "But Severus and I can enter."

Harry nodded, "Snape can because he's married to me and you can because your mother is a Black. However, I altered the wards to let certain people through. My friends and family, and the few people I knew you would invite over."

Severus frowned, "If we wanted to invite someone else…"

Harry interrupted, "Since you're married to me, anyone you invite can enter the house."

Draco stood, his mind whirling, "Well, now that we've established why this crazy woman is after Potter, or at least why we think so, I'm going to go and look for something about this hex Potter's under. Next time he sees her she might actually let him bleed to death."

Harry smirked, trying to forget that a crazy Dark witch was in love with him, "Aw Malfoy, it almost sounds like you care!"

Draco scowled at Harry, "You wish Potter."

Severus shook his head, ignoring the two, "It's unlikely. She wants him to live as much as she wants him dead. Nonetheless, finding a cure would be a good idea."

Harry snorted, "How kind of you to say so Snape." Turning to Draco, Harry turned serious, "I'll owl Gringotts and see if they can send over the Darker books from the Black vault."

Draco nodded, glanced at Severus, and then left for the library.

"Was there anything else Snape?" Harry asked, shifting in his bed.

Severus slipped his finger into his breast pocket and removed the photograph that had been haunting his mind. Placing it gently in front of Potter, noting the astonishment that crossed Potter's face, Severus said, "Mr. Potter, would you care to explain this photograph to me? A photograph in which you are clearly getting along with my lover. And why is it that my lover has no recollection of this event?"

Harry's gaze snapped up to lock with Severus's in panic.

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