A/N: Another of Andie's requests! The first one was for Nightshade sydneylover 150! Thank you all for your love of my pathetic drabbles. This is my most popular story series with over 80,000 words and 80 reviews. And I owe it all to you guys... Crap, you're making me feel nostalgic and this story has only been posted for less than half a year! Ahaha. Ignore the rant above and enjoy the story.
DISCLAIMER: No matter how much I wave my wand, I will never own Sev and our favorite green-eyed Wizard. *sobs*
WARNING: Yaoi is an important part of these. Please desist in flaming.
-Ryder
P.S. There may be more than one title that gets a continuation; Dragon's Might, Dragon's Might II... etc.
-Previously On...-
Coiling into a predatory stance, he reared up and struck, the sound of a scream reverberating throughout the room. Another Horcrux down only one left to destroy...
EroDra EroDra EroDra EroDra
Harry looked up from his pillow of warm coil to scrutinize his Professor.
"Ssev? I have a quesstion..."
Iss it relevant to our companionsship?
"Yess."
Then assk it.
"How bad would the fallout be if I liked ssomeone older than me? Ssomeone who issn't exactly welcomed by the Wizarding World..." Onyx eyes look down sharply, narrowing in apparent thought.
Dependss on the political atmossphere of the time and the amount of influence that the one you like hass. The strain in his voice was clear, even beneath the cool mask. You however, being the defeater of the Dark Lord, would have the ssay in whom you... date. There are lawss in place to protect 'heroess'.
"Hero? I'm no hero. I have help everytime I get mixed up in ssomething... That and an inssane amount of luck."
"Harry? Is that a... Oh, Merlin!" He casually looked up from Severus's coils at Colin Creevey, who was shaking so bad that his camera was bouncing all over the place.
"Colin, he's not going to hurt you. Sev's mostly harmless." Harry slid out of his Professor's coils and patted them. "Besides, the one your camera reflected was absolutely bonkers."
"H-Harmless, you said?"
"Mostly harmless. He doesn't like being touched by anyone but me."
"Oh."
"Sseveruss, can he take a picture?"
Pleasse. The film will fry as a Bassilissk's sstare cannot be captured. It iss its own Magik as oppossed to Magic.
"Sorry. He says that your film will get fried because it's a different type of Magik."
"Wait, there's different types?"
"Yeah. It's something you haven't learned yet and no one's likely to tell you either. Purebloods are taught that at an early age, Half-Bloods are expected to know and... Muggleborns either find someone to explain it or never know the difference. Sev's an alright teacher when he isn't in a sour mood."
His Professor hissed at him, the obsidian gaze clearly full of disinterest. And I'm not likely to teach you anything elssse if you're in that ssort of mood. Creevey iss barely passing as it iss in mosst of hiss classes becausse he followss you like a buffoon. Hiss brother iss having better results than him and he's a year lower.
"Colin, can you put down the camera for five seconds? I'd like to talk to you..."
He didn't get his chance to confess for another three months. Severus continued to meet in their spot, blissfully unaware of Harry's ridiculous crush; he hadn't even told Ron and Hermione... That resolved itself rather forcefully. Ginny had been coming over and joining them whenever they had a free moment. She insisted on sitting near him, fluttering her lashes and playing coy. He rose an eyebrow, not even remotely turned on.
"Gin, you have something in your eye?"
"Harry! I've been flirting with you for the past month. You really are obtuse."
"Or just not interested..." he mumbled, humming as he dipped his quill back into his ink when he heard her gasp.
"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet tone, the grip on his arm tightening.
"Gin? Harry said he's not interested. Probably thinks of you like a sister, right?" Hermione had delicately suggested.
"Yeah. Sorry."
"Well, who are you interested in then?" Ginny pressed, her hazel eyes full of suppressed wrath.
"It's silly." he smiled as he remembered the long hours of conversation he'd had with Severus.
"It doesn't look 'silly,' mate, it looks serious. You never smile like that." Ron pointed out, nibbling on the end of a Sugar Quill.
"You wouldn't understand." he managed, pulling his homework closer and flicking up a minor Ward. Harry concentrated for over an hour, pulling textbooks in and doing his research on what they'd covered in class as well as finishing his Potions essay. Hermione was impatiently tapping her foot, Ron shaking his head when Harry finally called it a night and packed up his books with a lazy wave of his wand. "I mean it."
"Harry, we know everything."
"This one's a secret I don't think you'll like." Harry said stubbornly.
"Mate, it's us."
"I know that and that's why I'm not telling it to you. Friendships are broken by this kind of secret. Just... Just leave it alone, please?"
"No. If you don't think you can tell us, it's probably important." Hermione gave him a smile, patting the cushion next to her. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and sitting down, casting multiple privacy Wards. "Now, what is it?"
"IfancyProfessorSnape." Harry said all in one breath, cringing as Hermione's gentle stroking of his back stopped and Ron quit chewing obnoxiously on the Sugar Quill.
"Harry? Did I hear what I thought I heard?"
"What'd you hear?" he asked innocently, his wand vibrating as he awaited her answer.
"That you fancy our resident Potions Master."
"Then that's what I said." he said with his typical Gryffindor courage, internally readying himself to sever all ties to them.
"Oh, Harry..."
"Mate? That's... news. D'you fancy anyone else?" He heard the implied question of 'do you fancy me?' and answered in the negative.
"No, Ron. It's just him."
"Silly Harry, you worry too much. Didn't you look up anything to do with Wizard-on-Wizard relations?"
"I might have."
"Then you'll know that it's accepted, but not in all social circles."
"Go figure."
"You'll also know that it's a commonplace event to get married in the Family Manor or Castle of the dominant Wizard."
"Well, it's just a crush. I'm sure I'll get over it."
He hadn't (of course) and now his best mates knew. Severus, thankfully, was more than unaware. Harry hoped it stayed that way. But that damning Potter luck just couldn't leave it...
-PoV-
Severus grunted as his Dark Mark burned with extra pain. It was a bitch to deal with when the Dark Lord was particularly angry. Harry looked at him with worried emerald eyes and he took a deep breath before Summoning his gear.
"I am alright. Nothing a few Potions and mental discipline cannot handle, Harry. He is very angry that something has not gone right... I think." Managing to Apparate directly in front of Riddle Manor, he pulled his hood up and snapped his half-mask in place. Voldemort was in a right snit by the time he'd managed to appear.
"Ah, Sseveruss. Do you have anything to report from the old fool'ss sside?"
"He will be dead before the year is out, Milord."
"Come closer." He knelt at the madman's feet, his hair shifting and exposing his Mark; Severus panicked internally. "What iss this? Have you been keeping ssomething from me?"
"No, Milord."
"Then you won't mind telling what this Mark is?" came the sickeningly sweet response.
"A Clan Mark."
"When did you get it?"
"It is the Inheritance, Milord."
"What kind?" Severus cast about for one that wouldn't get him in trouble, yet was a slight truth.
"Vampire." he stated in a low breath, leaving off the Milord for effect.
"Indeed, even I can see why you hid this. You are dismissed. Pettigrew!" Voldemort barked at the weak Animagus. "Though I did not ask anymore, I expect a revision of your sskills, Sseveruss." His Basilisk side rumbled softly at the monster he was forced to serve on Dumbledore's behalf... Harry was at stake if he slipped now. "What was that?" Being a dominant Basilisk was difficult and so yet another rumble slipped from his chest.
"Please, Milord, I must feed." he quashed his third rumble with some difficulty, venom dripping from his fore-fangs into his mouth.
"Excuse my keeping you then." Severus Apparated out and directly to the Entrance of Hogwarts, shifting with a roar to his more powerful form, his mind singularly focused on killing something. Venom dripped onto the lush forest floor as he pursued a fleeing deer that bleated sharply as he swerved with its every desperate twist down a new pathway. Catching up, he lunged at supersonic speed and snagged the now panting deer with his razor-sharp fangs. Warm, coppery fluid filled his mouth and he crooned in the back of his throat to vocalize the pleasure. He swallowed his prey whole, his lower jaw unhinging to accept the large meal down his throat. The Centaurs stared at him with solemn gazes as he finished his meal. He raised his crest and snarled, hoisting his body into a defensive strike position.
"You have no right here, Dark One."
I have every right. My Mate iss here and Hogwartsss iss my home. he mentally projected instead of speaking Parseltongue. Do not think you are the only ssentient beingss.
"The deer-"
Iss clearly my right to hunt. My sscent iss all over thesse groundss, would you sstop berating me and breathe. came the snark, Severus lowering his crest as he turned back towards Hogwarts. Not one voice or hoof followed him as he moved over the ground as if he were part of it. Shifting again took less than a thought; he walked up to the castle, wiping his mouth carefully of blood and Banishing the stained handkerchief. A wide-eyed Prefect doing his rounds stared at the hand that had held the kerchief.
"Is there something wrong with my hand?" he sneered, his bastard Professor mask falling into place. The Death Eater gear was stowed in a deep pocket.
"B-Blood."
"So observant, Mr. Boot. Finish your rounds. You will tell no one of what you saw. Obliviate." He cast a mild version, not bothering to correct the now-confused Ravenclaw.
"Sir?"
"Yes, Mr. Boot?" he drawled, a smirk on his face.
"I've been doing my rounds. Nothing unusual to report."
"Then get on with your business. I don't do useless blather."
The next few days were full of his usual Hogwarts routine. Insulting Gryffindors, making Hufflepuffs cry, leaving Ravenclaws stumped and cutting his Slytherins slack as much as ever. The Dark Lord had been silent; which was never a good thing. Harry, however, was chatty and surprisingly carefree.
"The Wronsski Feint wass easy! I sslipped passt the Bludgerss and caught the Ssnitch right under Katie'ss nose..."
Nice to see you're in an excellent mood.
"Huh? Yeah. It'ss the fact that I've not had a burning sscar in over three weeks that doess that. I can finally ssleep."
Not a whissper?
"Nope. Why?"
My Mark hass not been active either. Perhapss he iss plotting?
"That'ss way too accurate. Tell Dumbledore sseparately that ssomething's up?"
Of course.
-PoV-
Harry mosied over to the gargoyle and hissed Salazar's password for the office, "Open to me, Guardian of the bright one." He took the steps two at a time and knocked.
"Come in Harry." Not too surprised, he managed to pull a grimace as he saw Severus in the room. He hated putting up facades when he was clearly happy with the man. "Severus-"
"The brat should know."
"Know what, sir?"
"Severus has not been Called. I assume this visit was to tell me your scar feels perfectly alright?"
"Well... Yeah. How'd you know?"
"It seems to me that Voldemort is planning something very dangerous."
"So?"
"Harry." Twinkling blue eyes were surprisingly serious for once. "You need to take up Occlumency again."
"Like Hades I am! My mind's perfectly-Argh!" A burning pain lanced through his scar at that precise moment, almost to the point that it felt like Voldemort was touching him. He slipped into Parseltongue without noticing, pleading with Severus to take away the pain. "Sseveruss! Pleasse, it-" He gripped the arm of the chair, shattering it quite easily. "What?" Blood dripped from his scar as he convulsed again, breaking the other arm with an obscene amount of strength. He panted softly as the blood began to dry.
"Harry?" Dumbledore was looking at him with wide, astonished eyes. "Are you alright?"
"He's dead." the words fell numbly from his lips. "Lucius Malfoy... He murdered both Nagini and Voldemort."
"Why?"
"Voldemort wanted Draco."
Ending A/N: Mwahahaha! Cliff-hangers galore. I deliberately ended it RIGHT there. Hate me, love me; oh, and reviews are nice too. As always, folks, ASK ME FOR DRABBLES! Be forewarned that my Muses are being stubborn little gits and not helping me at ALL.