Halloween Prompt - Panic
School of Prompt - Eternal Flame by the Bangles, used as inspiration.
Assuaging Fears
It was a panicked shout that got Severus' attention. He moved quickly, as quickly as he could without running in fact, towards the bedroom, throwing his paperwork down onto the desk with little thought to the mess it created.
"Harry, Harry," he murmured, shaking his partner's arm. Harry woke up, sitting upright in the bed, looking around the room with fear in his eyes.
"Relax, I've got you," Severus whispered, allowing Harry to fall against him. He wrapped his arms around Harry tightly, shuffling him over so Severus had room to move onto the bed.
"You keep dying," Harry mumbled, the pain evident in his voice. "You keep dying and I can't stop it. I keep seeing it, Sev, you keep dying."
Severus rocked slightly, offering comfort the only way he knew how. "I'm right here, Harry. I'm not going anywhere. Go back to sleep."
"I can't. I... I'll wait. I know you have lots to do tonight. I'll get up and make a coffee," Harry replied, swallowing heavily. He tried to pull out of Severus' arms, but the older man wouldn't let him.
"You're more important than paperwork. I can do it tomorrow."
Shaking his head, Harry said, "No. Honestly, I'll be fine. I've got prep to do for Monday's classes."
"Harry."
He finally relented, and settled back into Severus' embrace.
"You're taking the boggarts out of your lesson plans from now on," Severus informed him quietly. "You can't do this to yourself every year, over a single practical lesson. Boggart Dementors are as bad as usual Dementors for you, we both know that."
Harry stilled in his arms, and Severus felt him tense.
"What is it?"
"The boggart wasn't a Dementor, Sev."
Severus frowned. "Then what was it?"
"I saw you. Dead. On the floor. Now I can't stop seeing it."
Severus sighed, tightening his hold on Harry. He half wished he didn't know what was plaguing Harry now, as he wasn't sure there was anything he could say that would assuage his fears. Everybody died, it was the only certainty in life, after all.
He let go of Harry, while pushing him further over to his own side of the bed. He pulled back the covers, simultaneously casting a wordless spell to dim the lights. Quickly stripping himself of his clothes, he climbed in beside Harry, pulling the covers over them both.
"Close your eyes," he instructed softly.
"I can't. I don't want to see it any more."
"Give me your hand," Severus continued as though Harry hadn't spoken. Placing the smaller hand on his chest, he murmured, "See. You can feel my heartbeat. You know I'm right here, completely alive and well."
Harry settled in against him, and Severus wrapped his free arm around him, holding him close. "Idiot boy. You know I'll always be here with you."
Harry sighed against him. "I love you."
"As I love you."