Chapter 15

Part 3

Time was an immeasurable concept for Harry. There was dazed moments when he woke flooded by light and then the next shrouded by darkness. It could have been days, months, hours or minuets before Snape got back. All harry knew was the semblance of comfort offered by the bed and the blissfulness of falling back into perpetual darkness after the agonizing task of being awake.

Harry hadn't dreamt once since his last vision, or at least he didn't remember dreaming. He was now lying on the bed huddled close to the wall and shaking horribly. The room was spinning around him, even when he closed his eyes. A horrible pain twisted Harry's insides and his head felt disconnected from his body altogether. Fat tears constantly flowed from Harry's eyes, and not once in his whole life had he felt this much agony. And then, as if someone turned a switch the room stopped spinning. His stomach settled and all light-headedness was gone from his body.

Harry's breath hitched, Snape had returned. He could feel the distance between them closing in with each step Snape took. Harry waited, still pressed against the wall, to feel him enter the house and then the room. However it never happened. Snape bypassed their house altogether and entered, what Harry thought to be the main building. Of course, Harry thought to himself, he would have to see Dumbledore first. Harry could wait, he'd been waiting all this time what was a few more minuets? At least now the pain was considerably less and easier to handle.

But Snape didn't come up to the house. He stayed with Dumbledore and with every moment he was gone Harry's pain slowly came back. Finally after a particularly hard wave of nausea passed Harry decided he couldn't wait any longer. Pushing himself away from the wall Harry rolled off the bed and got to his feet. Without bothering to put his shoes on Harry stumbled to the door. Moving in the direction that Snape was in proved to be just the extra give of energy that Harry needed to get to the other house.

Once inside Harry was immediately drawn towards the door that held the Order Meetings. Harry reached to open it and was shocked to find that his hand couldn't go any closer than three inches away from the handle. Harry tried repeatedly until he remembered from somewhere in the back of his foggy brain that Mrs. Weasley usually put an imperturbable charm on the door so her children couldn't listen in. Harry tried to knock, thinking that maybe they could hear him, but it was to no avail. Being so close to Snape was increasing Harry's urgency to get inside.

There was literally only a door between them and Harry's illness was creeping up on him again Snape or no. All around Harry was an eerie silence, even his trip here was quiet. Nobody was around or making any noise. They must all be in the meeting, but how could it really be that important?

Harry sank to the floor his head resting three inches away from the actual wood of the door. A sweat broke out upon Harry's forehead and his hands began to shake. Gripping the cloak tightly around his body Harry started to cry. Not out of his own will, but because of pure frustration and pain. "Let me in." Harry said pathetically.

It was ironic, usually Harry was begging to get out of that room, now he would sell his soul just to get in. Harry couldn't do magic, or accidental magic and shouting and pounding wouldn't' help either. They could be in there for hours, the mere thought of which tortured Harry endlessly. There was no way in, nobody was around and Harry couldn't' get in himself, it was impossible. This made Harry cry even harder and he gripped the cloak until his knuckles turned white.

A small pop next to Harry made him jump and turn to the side. The old house elf Tilly was standing next to him looking very worried. "The portraits told Tilly you were upset Master Harry. Is there anything Tilly can be doing sir?"

Harry looked at her in disbelief, "I need into that Room." Harry croaked, "can you open it?"

"Oh no's master Harry. The headmaster has warded it very heavily. It is too strong for my magic to break."

Harry didn't reply, he just turned back towards the door feeling achy and miserable.

"I can be getting in though, Master Harry, if you need to give a message."

Harry perked up very slightly, "Go tell them to open the door. Tell them that they have to!"

"I will Master Harry." And with a small pop Tilly was gone.

Once Tilly had left Harry didn't have to wait long for Dumbledore to open the door and let down the wards. Harry had been propped up by the sealed door and fell unsteadily forward onto his hands and knees. Gasps and the sound of scraping chairs filled the room with sound, Harry oriented himself once again and he could feel the pressure building up as people surrounded him. Someone lifted Harry to his feet and Harry let out a strangled cry, "Nobody touch me!" Harry found his footing and backed away from the mob.

He looked pitiful, more than pitiful even, Snapes nightgown was spilling onto the floor covering Harry's feet, and Snapes black cloak draped around Harrys small frame like a deflated air balloon. Harry's skin was bone white with a bluish tint covering it. His eyes were glossy and red with crying, surrounded with heavy purple-green bags made them look sunken in. There was a visible sheen of sweat covering his body, making his usual unruly hair stick flat to his head, as if he had just been dunked in a bucket of water. Harry's glasses were askew, and his vision was also clouded over with fever. Somehow though he found what he was looking for.

Snape stood in the middle trying to get to Harry, using all of his strength left Harry burst through the small throng of people surrounding him and into Snapes arms. More like he bodily slammed himself against the potions master and forced him to support Harry's weight. An unintelligible cry escaped Harry's lips as he clung to Snape.

Snape felt Harrys sweltering forehead, but the contact of bare skin touching bare skin sent Harry bursting into sobs. He pushed his head forward keeping the contact with Snapes hand.

"What's wrong with me!" Harry sobbed, Harry reached up with both of his own hands and unceremoniously placed them on Snapes face. He shuddered and cried harder with the contact.

"I hate you." Harry cried pressing his face into Snapes Chest, "I HATE YOU!" He screamed the second time.

Snape's eyes had gone as wide as saucers then narrowed back down into slits. "How could this happen?" Harry continued to sob into his chest and clutch at his face and neck.

"The bond." Someone said shocked, "you must have been gone too long!"

"This is no fault of mine!" Snape roared lifting Harry up into his arms. Snape glared vehemently at the order, "did none of you notice he was getting sick!" Harry's hands had wiggled their way into Snapes shirt and were gripping Snapes torso tightly.

Nobody replied, but even if they did they wouldn't' have been heard over Harrys mournful howls of pain. Snape pushed through the door and moved as quickly as he could to his house. He stepped up the pace as Harry started to hyperventilate and soon enough they reached his room.

Snape didn't notice that someone had been living in it since he was gone, but really that didn't matter at the moment. Snape placed Harry onto the bed and actually flinched at Harrys pleas to return. Snape quickly removed his clothes, knowing that now this was the only way to stop Harry's pain. He also took off his own cloak that was wrapped around Harry and hesitated for half-a-second upon seeing his own night clothes were also dressing Potter. But now was not the time to dwell upon the strange, and the rest of Harry was soon bare to the world.

Harry instantly clutched at Snape when he pressed their bodies together, not registering that they were both completely naked. The pain seemed to ebb away and then come back tenfold.

"Potter," Snape said sternly somewhere near Harry's ear, "The only way to stop this is to repeat the final step in the bond." Harry didn't reply, "Do you understand Potter?"

"Yes," Harry said nodding frantically, "Just make this stop." Harry didn't know which was worse, not being near Snape, and being so close that it made the pain worse. Before there was so much distance between them it hurt, now there was only skin and it was like there were even further apart. If only they could blend together, melt into one person, then the pain and sickness would go away. That was Harrys last thought before Snape pressed the side of his face to Harrys and there was the lightest of taps on the top of his head, then blackness.

The next thing Harry knew he was firmly pressed against Snapes stomach and Snape was giving him something to drink. The familiar smell of dreamless sleep potion wafted into Harry's nose and he gratefully drank it surrendering to the blackness once again.

Harry woke up slowly the next morning, feeling much better than he had in the last week. The bed was empty except for Harry, and he was changed into a fresh nightgown. Reaching for his glasses Harry sat up and leaned against the headboard. Snape sat at his desk dressed in his own set of nightclothes, but he wore a house cloak over them. He was hunched over a piece of parchment writing furiously with small sharp strokes.

Snape glanced briefly at Harry, finished his sentence then set down his quill and turned fully towards him. "How are you feeling Potter?"

"Better." Harry replied in a raspy voice. Snape frowned at him, a glass of water appeared by the bedside. Harry reached for it and brought it shakily to his lips. Or he tired to at least. Harry's hand was shaking so badly that he sloshed water all over himself. Snape quickly got up from his seat and assisted Harry in keeping the cup still. The water was soothing on Harry's throat and he started to greedily gulp it down, but Snape pulled that cup away.

"Slowly or you'll choke Potter." Snape commanded, He let Harry finish off the glass before taking it away again. Harry was embarrassed to have Snape help him drink a simple glass of water, and he looked away from Snapes peering eyes.

"How come you didn't tell me?" Harry asked Snape, still looking off into the corner of the room.

"Tell you what Potter?"

"That if I ever get sick you are the only one who can help me"

Snape looked curiously at him, and didn't' reply.

"That's what happened wasn't' it?" Harry finally looked into Snapes face. "I just got sick and because of the bond it got worse, because you were gone." Harry stared at Snape. What wasn't' he answering? He forgot something, so what, Snape should just fess up.

"No Potter, nothing in the bond gives me hold over you like that." Snape scanned Harrys pale face. "From what I understand, the bond never fully appeared. It was only partially there, and because I was gone so long it stretched and nearly severed. If that was the case we both would be in sever pain right now. However I am assured that the bond is fully complete, or at least it will be after this week is up."

Harry sat silently for a moment, "what if its still not finished?"

"Then we will stay together until it is, but I am confident it is." Snape said sternly.

"What if its not!" Harry started coughing and hunched forward to sooth his cramping stomach. Snape patted his back awkwardly and summoned a vial from the wall.

"One small sip." Harry did as instructed and felt like he just swallowed fire. Snapes face was stony as he sent the vial back to its shelf. "Potter, you should rest." Snape stood back up and forcefully helped Harry into a lying position.

"No," Said Harry stubbornly from the bed, "What if its not complete. What Happens then? Are we gonna have to stay together…forever?"

"Don't be melodramatic." Snape said turning from him rapidly.

"It didn't work last time, how do you know its going to work this time?" harry started coughing again but the potion from before soothed the pains in his stomach.

"You could hardly understand the complexities of this situation." Growled Snape going back to his cabinet.

"I am not a child!" Harry snapped back," I can understand just fine!"

"Then understand this Potter." Said Snape hissing, "you almost died! The order failed to prevent your sickness whilst I was gone! They do everything to keep you safe then almost let you precariously slip through the cracks!" Harry was silent, this was the first time Harry had ever seen Snape lose his cool in such a manner, "the Dark Lord even knew you were sick before they did, and now he is aware that you have been linked to another person! It is only so long before he discovers that I am the spy! And this is all because no one acted sooner!"

Harry opened his mouth a couple of times making Snape grit his teeth, "how did the Dark Lord find out?"

"You told him Potter! You told the whole bloody inner circle!" Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What?" Harry asked confused, "I didn't tell him, how could I have?"

Snapes eyes snapped to Harry's face, his look was fierce and he quickly closed the distance between them. "Are you lying to me potter?" Snape asked coldly.

"I thought you could read my mind." Harry said sarcastically.

Snape placed his cold, thin white hands on the sides of Harrys equally pale face. "Impossible." Snape whispered more to himself than to Harry.

"Stop it." Harry shook his head though he didn't know what Snape was actually doing.

Snape released Harry and sat heavily on the bed. He looked at Harry almost awed like Harry was some sort of rare potion ingredient. "You truly have a penchant for getting into dangerous situations Potter"

"What situations are you talking about?" Harry asked slightly scared by the way Snape was looking at him.

"I don't know how you managed to achieve it potter, you have one of the weakest minds I know." Snape paused to sneer at Harry. "But somehow you've once again done what nobody should have."

"Just tell me!"

"You possessed Him, this time and it was one of the dumbest things you could have ever done!"

Harry laughed, shakily, "You're kidding me, I've never possessed the Dark Lord, or anybody in my entire life."

"Oh you did Potter, and he is quite upset about it. Although he was given crucial information by you."

"Snape, I'm not as dumb as you think!" Harry said harshly.

Snape glared fiercely at Harry, "My own safety at risk because of this, I do not joke!"

Harry stared at Snape, vaguely he remembered something about being surrounded by Death Eaters. But that had just been a bad dream, a hallucination. "Holy shit." Harry said plainly pushing the hair away from his sweaty neck.

"Indeed." Snape's eyes flickered to Harry's hand and he quickly did a double take. "Potter!" Snape yelled making Harry jump.

"What?"

Snape had grabbed Harry's wrist and turned his head sideways. "What is this?" Snape hissed.

"When did you do this Potter?" Snape pressed Harrys face into the pillow and was prodding around Harrys ear.

"What is your problem today?"

"Get up!" Snape pulled on Harrys arm, "Get up!" Harry was so physically tired that it was easy for Snape to manipulate him into the bathroom, "explain this to me!"

"I don't have to explain anything to you Snape!" Harry retorted, the only problem was Harry didn't know what he was supposed to be explaining to Snape in the first place.

Snape jerked Harrys head around so that the back of his neck was partially reflected in the mirror. Harry could just make out some sort of design when Snape pulled on him again.

"What are you playing at Potter?"

"Nothing!"

"Nothing!" Snape repeated incredulously. "Nothing! You are a fool! This magic isn't something to play with, tell me what you've done!"

"I haven't done anything, I've been sick out of my mind for God knows how long! I didn't have time to do anything else." Harrys legs started to tremble and he had to hold onto the sink just to stay up.

Snape went to support Harry, but Harry shook him off. "you are being psycho, what's your problem!"

Snape griped the sink and took a couple deep breaths. "There is no way you could have done that without remembering. Tell me what you did." Snapes tone was measured and even, but Snape was still seething.

Harry, try as he might, couldn't' stand up any longer and sank to the floor. He didn't reply.

"Potter!" Harry flinched, "why did you do this!"

Harry kept quiet, Snape was losing his mind. Harry hadn't done anything, he wasn't allowed to do magic in the first place. How could he do something even potentially dangerous to himself? Snape was grinding his teeth together and glaring daggers at Harry.

"Fine, get up." Snape said though gritted teeth. Harry tried to push himself up but he was took weak to even get to his knees Snape roughly pulled him up and pulled him into the bedroom. He dumped Harry onto the bed and went back to his desk without looking at Harry again until lunch.

Harry had fallen asleep only to be awoken by the still furious Snape and forced to down various potions and some chicken broth. Snape didn't even speak to Harry except in short clipped demands, and that could hardly be called a conversation. Harry didn't' know why he was surprised, Snape was a bastard, and always had been. The only things he was good for was making potions. Damn that Harry actually needed to use those potions.

"Potter!" Snape barked as Harry stared off into space.

"What?"

"There is an Order meeting, would you rather I put you to sleep, or can you handle having silenco put on you?"

"Why can't I just listen in?" Harry asked glaring at Snape.

"The potion then." Snape finalized without answering. Harry watched Snape closely as he pulled a flask out of his cabinet and placed it in his pocket.

"Come." Snape commanded standing next to Harry.

Harry extracted himself from the sheets and stood firmly on the floor, Snape of course was supporting him with a tight grip on his arm. "Can I change?"

"No, it will only waste your strength and then I will have to change you back later."

Harry frowned and clenched his jaw.

The trek proved to be much harder when he didn't have any actual drive to get the main house. Hermione and Ron were sitting on the porch of their house, but Harry's cheeks burned with embarrassment and he didn't look at them. Snape did not loosen his grip nor did he slow down to an easy pace for Harry to keep up with. They were early to the order meeting, Harry met the others eyes with a challenging glare and took a seat next to Snape. Snape took out the potion and uncorked it. But harry turned his head when it was offered to him.

"Potter." Snape hissed lowly. "Do not start." He grabbed Harry's face and forced the potion upon him. Harry blinked lazily a couple of times before Snape's face swam before him and everything went black.