A/N: Go me! Update on this in only a few days instead of a few weeks! I give no guarantee of continuing this pace. Lol. A couple things quickly:

1. I have made up who Pandora was related to/who she was before she married and became a Lovegood. I needed a Death Eater/Dark Arts/Voldemort connection.

2. I am, like everything else I'm already messing with, messing with the concept of flesh memory that the Snitch had in canon. Like everything else, just go with it.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Got some lovely plot developments, character connections, and relationship growth between Harry and Severus. I apologize if you feel I've made a leap in their relationship, but we are 21 chapters in and I think I've been doing pretty good so far to be realistic. What happens in this chapter doesn't mean they are instantly going to be all loving each other like father and son; it's just the next step in response to the situation they were just in.

Enjoy! If you do, please, leave a review. Thanks so much!

Chapter 21

Between the pain growing in his left hand, the slickness of the locket still seeping into him, and the sheer confusion over everything that had just happened, Harry was in no condition to recognize just what was going on. He saw the Death Eaters several meters in front of him, he saw the silvery blue light that he knew was a Patronus, and he knew he was standing in the street outside Grimmauld Place, but he couldn't seem to come back to himself enough to do anything.

Thus, when curses were sent his way, he did nothing despite having enough awareness to read them as dangerous. One flew past him, exploding the brick of Number Eleven, while two hit the asphalt at his feet. The street exploded and he was thrown backwards, hitting the ground and stair railing of Number Twelve painfully hard. He gasped and groaned at the impact, at the pain now radiating through his ribs and skull. He felt the next curse heading for him, felt the way the air grew electric as it approached, and he wanted to do something, anything, but he couldn't make his body respond.

He was startled when multiple hands suddenly grabbed him and he was dragged backwards, through the wards and up the steps of Number Twelve. The curse scorched the ground where he'd lain and he stared at it with wide eyes as he remained sprawled across the stairs, Bill and Charlie still grasping him, all three of them breathing hard.

"Bloody hell, mate," Charlie gasped out.

"What were you—"

Bill didn't get to finish as Harry found himself being hauled roughly to his feet by his arm. He stumbled over Bill and Charlie and up the stairs until he was on the landing, the hand on his arm fisting the front of his shirt. He was yanked close to meet the wild expression of Snape, the man still in his Death Eater robes.

He and Snape turned to look out beyond Grimmauld when curses continued crashing into the wards, ricocheting and making them shimmer under the assault. The Death Eaters knew he was in the area, but couldn't find Number Twelve through the wards, leaving them to attack blindly. Harry flinched at the cracking sound one curse made as it hit and spread across the ward's surface rather than ricocheting. He turned back to Snape when the man's hand tightened in his shirt and pulled him closer.

"What do you think you were doing?" Snape hissed and, pushing through the locket's hold, Harry felt the fear that had the professor's magic electric. "How could you be so stupid?"

"I…I didn't…I don't know—" Harry stammered, trying so hard to pull away from the locket's hold and clear his mind.

"Damn it, Harry," Snape snapped and Harry stared at him, taken aback at the emotion he was seeing and hearing and feeling. "I know you're in pain, I know how much it hurts, and I know what you've expressed in these past weeks, but I beg you not to do this to yourself. Do not do this to your friends. Do not do this to me."

Harry's eyes widened as he realized what Snape was talking about. "No, that's not…I didn't…I wasn't trying to…"

"Then what were you doing?" Snape demanded, his grip never loosening from Harry's shirt.

"I…I don't…I don't know what happened," Harry stuttered, still fighting for mental clarity through the locket and his own adrenaline.

"Severus, we should get inside," Bill said, interrupting them as he and Charlie finally stood, the attacks outside coming to an end.

Snape looked at the two as though he'd forgotten they were there before giving a short nod. Bill walked around them as Snape gazed at Harry, slowly releasing Harry's shirt, and the redhead opened the door, leading the way back inside. Harry was confused to find no one else up in the house and all the lights off.

What time was it?

"Thank you both for acting so quickly," Snape said to the two Weasleys quietly, a hand still heavy and warm on Harry's shoulder.

"Yeah, of course," Bill replied.

"You're alright, mate?" Charlie asked Harry and he realized fear had both of their magic sharp and buzzing as well though not as severely as Snape's.

Harry honestly didn't know what he was feeling, if he was alright.

"I'll take care of him," Snape assured. "Try to get some more sleep, gentlemen."

Both Bill and Charlie nodded and squeezed Harry's arm before heading upstairs. As they disappeared around a second-floor corner, Harry made to repeat that he didn't know what had happened only to find himself pulled to Snape's chest, the man's arms wrapping tightly around him. Harry was startled, his head tilted back from his chin being pressed to Snape's shoulder and his arms awkwardly to the sides.

This was not something he'd ever expected from Snape. Yes, their relationship had changed and improved greatly. Yes, he was coming to believe Snape cared about him and he thought he could care about the man too. Yes, Snape had displayed slight physical affection towards him in the last month and a half. Despite all of that, he'd never expected them to hug, let alone Snape to be the one to initiate it. As such, he'd also never thought about how he'd react, leaving him standing there like a complete idiot.

As Harry got over the shock, he began to melt. There was something warm and safe about being held like this by Snape, things he'd never felt before. He turned his head so he could rest it against Snape's shoulder instead of his chin and brought his right arm around the man's waist, gripping the back of the Death Eater robe. As he dragged his face across Snape's shoulder, he felt something smear across his cheek. He lifted his left hand to touch his face, to find out what was there, only to see the locket still in his hand and his eyes widened, pain registering once again as he saw what was happening.

"Severus."

He had no idea what possessed him to use the man's first name, he was sure he'd never even thought of doing so, but it had just slipped out.

Snape pulled back from the embrace at his name and looked to Harry's left hand. The locket was still in his palm, open, and the black and green tendrils were still wrapped around his hand, up his arm. Only they weren't just wrapped around him. Rather, they were pulsing and, with every pulse, they sunk a millimeter further into his flesh, making him wince as he realized the pain it was causing. The skin around them was red and scorched as though the tendrils were burning through him.

Harry hissed as the pain grew worse as though giving them attention was making them cause more damage. Snape cursed and immediately tried to close the locket only to pull away with his own hiss as though the locket had burned him. Harry knew it wasn't too far from the truth. He could feel the sharp burn it caused in Snape's Mark alongside the regular burn of the horcrux's connection. He couldn't help but whimper slightly as he felt and watched the tendrils sink deeper into him, electrifying his nerves.

Snape glanced at his face at the sound before reaching for the locket again. Despite the pain he knew the man felt, Snape kept hold of the locket and, with great effort, managed to close it. The tendrils disappeared, ripping their way painfully out of Harry's skin and leaving behind deep gouges like ropes around his hand and wrist and up his forearm. Snape detangled the chain from Harry's fingers and tossed the locket aside, pulling him into a hug again as it bounced across the floor.

"You're alright," Snape murmured as Harry held him back, still just with his right arm as he kept his left curled against his own chest. "You're alright."

With the locket no longer in his grasp, Harry felt all his regular thoughts and emotions come back to life, no longer clouded by the locket's thick, heavy darkness. He could properly feel Snape's magic and felt the soft warmth that was fluttering through it as the sharp fear eased. He felt the way his own heart was beating rapidly and he held to Snape tight, using the man's warmth to help him calm down.

"Let's get you upstairs," Snape said quietly and stepped out of their embrace again, keeping his hand on Harry's back to guide him up the stairs.

They were quiet as they walked up to Harry's room to avoid waking anyone and closed the door behind them, Snape flicking his hand to turn on the bedside lamp. The Charms text Harry had been reading was still open on the bed with the file from Kingsley in the corner. The photo of Merope's hand was on the floor.

Snape moved the textbook and file, picking up the photo, and sent it all to the desk while gesturing for Harry to sit on the bed. Harry did, feeling exhaustion settling in, and watched Snape bring the desk chair over while the door opened a crack to allow multiple items to float in, landing on the side table.

Snape picked up the darker blue towel—a hand towel this time instead of a small face cloth—dampened it with his wand and proceeded to wipe all over Harry's face for what seemed like the dozenth time that summer. Harry just allowed it, watching the blue become hidden behind red.

"I am not particularly pleased about this developing habit of yours to be consistently covered in blood that I must then wash away," Snape eventually said dryly with a slight grumble.

Harry gave a lopsided grin of amusement. "To be fair, I'm not either, but I'm glad you're the one to do it."

Their eyes met as Snape gently wiped away the blood Harry had felt smear across his cheek. The man's magic grew soft again with the care and affection that had been slowly building over the last month and a half, making Harry's grin change into a small smile. Snape broke the contact a few seconds later to look at where he was cleaning only for both of their heads to turn when the door flew open.

"We got alerts that Harry left the wards!" Kingsley said loudly before his eyes landed on Harry. "You left the wards?"

"You're tracking me?" Harry demanded, looking between the two men, offended.

"You cannot truly be surprised," Snape said, giving Harry's cheek a quick swipe again as Harry scowled and pushed him away. "Besides, it is not only you. The wards track everyone who crosses them, in or out."

"And you were outside them!" Kingsley shouted. "What were you thinking and, bloody hell, are you alright? You are covered in blood."

The Auror sat next to him on the bed and took his chin as he sighed, searching for injuries beneath the blood.

"The blood is from his scar and eyes," Snape told the Auror. "He apparently decided to ignore the risks and interact with the locket."

"Harry," Kingsley chided with a disappointed frown that, amongst his offense, made Harry's stomach twist ever so slightly.

"I didn't!" Harry argued as Snape turned his head forcibly back to the professor. "I don't know what happened, but I didn't decide to do anything, including go outside. I didn't go out there to get captured or killed or anything, I swear."

His eyes flicked between the two men as they stared at him, Snape holding his chin to finish cleaning him of blood before finally putting the towel aside. With a shared glance with Kingsley, Snape released Harry's chin and reached for his left hand, holding it carefully as he examined the wounds crisscrossing across his skin.

"We believe you," Snape told him.

"What did happen?" Kingsley asked.

"We will discuss it tomorrow," Snape interjected and Harry looked at the two, surprised.

"You don't want to know now?"

"We do, but Severus is right," Kingsley said, rubbing his forehead. "I'm on duty right now and need to get back. I'm also supposed to be meeting Barlow in a couple hours. So, I'll see you tomorrow, kid. Get some sleep and stay safe."

Harry nodded, accepting and returning the side hug the Auror gave him before leaving the room. He turned back to Snape who had grabbed a jar from the table and opened it, dipping a couple fingertips in the white cream.

"As Kingsley said, you need sleep, as do I. It is three in the morning," Snape told him. "You are here and safe so it can wait a few hours."

Harry nodded again, wincing at the stinging of Snape spreading the cream in and around the wounds. Once they all had cream applied, Snape gently wrapped bandages around his hand and wrist. He pushed Harry's three-quarter sleeve up to cover all the injuries, revealing very thin, red lines. Both of them frowned and the sleeve was pushed back to the elbow, revealing a fading, but still very clear Dark Mark outline. The lines were extremely thin as though made by a sharp needle being dragged across his skin, hard enough to leave scratches, but not to draw blood.

"Is this what it looked like after you witnessed Malfoy's Marking?" Snape asked, finishing with the bandages.

"Sort of," Harry replied. "This is clearer and more like it's been scratched into me. It was more red skin than anything last time."

Snape nodded at him and pulled his sleeve back down. A gash on his head Harry hadn't even realized he'd had was healed, his shirt was lifted to allow for examination of the bruises forming over his ribs from hitting the railing, and he was given a few potions. Once satisfied with Harry's condition, Snape instructed him to lay down, pulling the blanket over him.

"Sleep, child," Snape murmured, standing to leave.

"Sev." Again, Harry had no idea what made him use the man's name, let alone a shortened version—he chose to blame it on his still slightly hazy mind and his crashing energy—and he reached out with his bandaged hand to grasp Snape's before the man could walk out. Snape looked down at him. "Can you stay?"

It didn't take long for Snape to give a single short nod. When the man gestured for him to move over, Harry did so, puzzled, and was shocked when Snape sat on the bed. He was upright as he conjured and arranged pillows behind his back, and stretched his legs across the mattress, crossing them at the ankle. He placed a pillow against his thigh and motioned for Harry to lay down. Harry just stared, nearly gaping.

"You need to sleep," Snape repeated, insistent.

It still took several moments for Harry to obey, stunned at what was happening, what was being offered, that they had somehow gotten there. He was stunned at how badly he wanted it. He remembered how Kingsley's magic had felt when talking about his wife and daughter, and, while Snape's magic didn't feel anything like that, Harry could feel the feathery lightness that was very clearly directed at him.

Overwhelmed by such a thing being for him when he'd done absolutely nothing to deserve it, Harry eventually laid down, settling on the pillow, on Snape. As he shifted to avoid aches and bruises, he found himself relaxing and getting comfortable quickly, eyes already drifting shut as his body finally acknowledged its exhausted state.

"Wait, what about the locket?" Harry asked, forcing his eyes open as he realized they'd left the horcrux downstairs.

"I will get it in the morning before the others wake," Snape assured him. "Sleep."

A hand landed warmly on his head for a few seconds before it moved down to his back and Harry found himself quickly falling asleep under the touch.

"Stop that."

Harry looked up from where he was picking and pulling at the thin bandages around his hand and arm at the light chastisement. Snape was holding a bowl out to him which he took, glancing at the hot peach and brown sugar oatmeal before watching the man join him on the sofa with a cup of coffee, long legs crossing.

"Hey, Harry."

He looked up again, finding Charlie in the library doorway.

"Feeling alright?" the redhead asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Harry nodded. "Tired."

"I bet," Charlie said. "Were you hurt? There was a hell of a lot of blood." He looked legitimately worried, eyes darting over Harry's face as though looking for injury. The concern made Harry smile.

"No, no, nothing too bad," Harry told him. "Just some horcrux stuff."

Charlie nodded in understanding, relief fluttering through his magic. "Well, glad you're alright, mate."

"How did you and Bill know I was outside?" Harry wondered, eating some oatmeal.

"Severus sent his Patronus to us, telling us to get to you," Charlie replied.

Harry looked over at Snape curiously.

"I was returning from my meeting and it was then you decided it was an opportune time to take a midnight stroll," Snape drawled, sipping his coffee.

"I didn't!" Harry argued, affronted.

"Given I was returning, I could not do anything myself without being discovered so I requested assistance with my Patronus," Snape explained.

"Won't they have recognized your Patronus?" Harry asked.

"None of them know I can produce one, let alone its form," Snape replied simply and Harry looked at him with some confusion.

"No Death Eaters or Dark wizards are capable of producing a Patronus," Charlie chimed in. "Severus is the exception."

Harry felt his eyes widen in surprise at the revelation.

"I'll see you later, Harry, yeah?" Charlie said. "Take care of yourself."

Harry nodded with another smile, turning back to his oatmeal as Charlie disappeared to head downstairs, mulling over the new information about Patronuses. He glanced at Snape as he thought and ate, absently finding the oatmeal tasted remarkably better than he was used to. He wasn't sure why it seemed to taste so much better, but it did and he was melting into the sofa with satisfaction as he continued contemplating with no ultimate conclusion to arrive at.

"Speaking of the horcruxes," Snape said, bringing Harry's full attention to the man even as he brought a spoonful to his mouth. The professor pulled a familiar box out of a pocket and put it on the cushion between them, centimeters from Harry's toes. Harry sighed as he looked at it and Snape's arched brow. "I believe we had an agreement regarding this."

"I know, but I didn't—"

"Harry," Snape warned.

"No, really," Harry continued. "I don't know what happened. I was in my room and then I heard the locket and then I was in your room with the locket."

Snape gave him a piercing stare. "If you are lying—"

"I'm not, swear," Harry said quickly.

"Very well," Snape said. "And what about how you came to be outside?"

"I have no idea," Harry admitted and Snape gave him a hard stare. "You said you believed me last night!"

Snape sighed. "I do believe you. Tell me what happened, from the beginning."

"I heard the locket like when I first found it. I ended up in your room with it and it said it wanted me to see what it remembered," Harry explained, seeing the slight furrowing of Snape's eyebrows. "I ended up…I was in a cave…with Regulus and Kreacher."

"In a cave?"

"It was the same cave I saw before when I saw Regulus die. I don't know how. I don't…" Harry shook his head as he remembered. "I followed them into the cave and they found the locket. It was in this basin with some kind of hex over it. When Regulus touched it, it did things to his Dark Mark. They replaced the locket with a replica and Regulus gave the real one to Kreacher to give to someone when Voldemort showed up. I ended up…in the locket, I guess, and when Kreacher disappeared from the cave, I was in the street."

"More of the memory of Regulus' murder?" Snape theorized.

"Seems like, but I didn't see him die and it wasn't the same. When I saw him die, I was seeing from Voldemort's perspective. I was outside everyone this time and then I was seeing through the locket," Harry told him. "Honestly, it was kind of like…"

"Like?"

"When I was pulled into the diary and saw the memory of Voldemort framing Hagrid after killing Myrtle," Harry said and Snape's puzzled frown deepened.

"A memory connected to a horcrux, but not related to its creation?" Snape wondered aloud and Harry shrugged, taking another spoonful of oatmeal as the professor contemplated. "You said Regulus wanted Kreacher to give the locket to someone. Who?"

"Pandora," Harry replied. "Luna's mother."

"Regulus knew Pandora Lovegood?"

"I only know what I saw," Harry said. "Kreacher did call her Madam Rosier though."

"Evan's sister," Snape said in realization, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course."

"You knew her?"

"Of her, but I'd forgotten," Snape told him. "She was disowned for opposing the Dark Arts and marrying Lovegood."

"So, she stole something from Voldemort and was supposed to get the locket from Regulus," Harry said. "Seems we can assume the diadem is also a horcrux."

"Despite its intended location, the locket ended up here," Snape pointed out. "Have you spoken to Kreacher since you've been here?"

"Haven't even seen him," Harry admitted. "I completely forgot about him, honestly."

"It would be best if you found him," Snape said. "You own him now that you own Grimmauld."

Harry nodded, poking at his remaining oatmeal. It hurt and enraged him to think of Kreacher. After all, the elf had lied which had made Harry believe his godfather was at the Ministry and led to Sirius' death. Though, he should have also remembered the mirror. If he'd remembered the mirror, Sirius wouldn't have…

"Harry?"

Harry was lifted out of his despair and blinked at Snape who was watching him closely.

"Sorry, I was just…" Harry trailed off, thoughts of Kreacher and Sirius making him remember Regulus' other requests of the elf. "There were other things Regulus wanted Kreacher to do, things he wanted Kreacher to tell people."

Snape looked at him questioningly and he tapped the side of his bowl with a nail.

"He wanted Kreacher to tell you he hoped he would take Voldemort's suspicion off you and that you were right," Harry said with a hint of hesitation as he watched Snape, feeling the professor's magic swirl harshly in a way he'd never felt before.

"Morning, gents, got—"

Kingsley was cut off as Snape rose to his feet and swept from the room with a quiet, "Excuse me a moment."

Harry watched, frowning in concern, fearing he'd made a mistake telling the professor of Regulus' orders. Kingsley also watched with his own bemusement before taking Snape's vacated seat.

"What's that about?" Kingsley asked.

"Just told him about what I saw through the horcrux last night," Harry replied.

"Last night was horcrux-related?"

Harry nodded. "The locket seemed to show me a memory and when it ended, I was outside."

"Did you move in the memory?" Kingsley asked seriously and when Harry nodded again, the Auror cursed quietly. Harry looked at him, confused. "Barlow got me into Mysteries—"

"Have you slept?" Harry interrupted.

Kingsley rolled his eyes, a hint of humour floating through his magic. "I will soon. This isn't uncommon for me, kid," he said. "Anyway, I got into Mysteries. Barlow was able to find me some of the paperwork about the Mind Hunting and horcrux studies. However, he also found that something was missing."

"What?"

"A book that has all the records of the studies," Kingsley told him. "Apparently, every detail on the studies are in this book, but he was no idea what happened to it or when. He's looking into it."

Harry suddenly had a thought. "Did he tell you what it looks like?"

"Black, large, nothing special," Kingsley said simply.

Harry stood from the sofa and, putting his bowl on the table, crossed the library to the shelf inscribed with 'R.A.B'. He channeled magic into it and the secret door opened. Walking in, he pulled the black book off the shelf and glanced around, remembering Regulus mentioned a letter for Sirius being in there. He'd have to explore more. He returned to Kingsley on the sofa and held out the book.

"This the one?" he asked as Kingsley took it.

Kingsley flipped through it before looking at Harry in shock. "How did you get this?"

"Found it when I found the locket," Harry told him. "It's how I learned about horcruxes. So, is it the book? I've been through it a dozen times, though, and it doesn't have most of what you said."

"How the hell did this end up here?" Kingsley muttered, gazing at the book before looking back at Harry. "It doesn't seem to have what I mentioned because it is heavily charmed, meant to hide the true contents. Only Unspeakables can break the charms and it needs a potion, a complicated potion."

"Barlow told you something about horcruxes. What is it?"

Harry and Kingsley looked up at Snape in the doorway and Harry frowned when Kingsley sighed.

"He only knows the concept. This book explains it in full," Kingsley replied. "Horcruxes have flesh memory and are always trying to reunite."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked when Snape's face tightened.

"The flesh memory means that any memory related to the item itself is stored in the item and can be viewed," Snape explained. "Which explains why it said it wanted you to see what it remembered and what it showed you. It also explains how you saw the ring on Merope's hand."

"For reuniting, with enough power, they can draw themselves together," Kingsley continued.

"Because you are a horcrux, they can make you move in an effort to reunite with each other and the Dark Lord," Snape added. "They can make you go to them or to the Dark Lord."

Harry just stared, speechless with his horror at what existed within him and what they could do to him.