From the moment Harry entered Severus's bedroom, fond memories came back from their one night together. Harry didn't want to just sit, he was curious about why Albus showed up at such a late hour, unless he had suspicions that Severus knew why Harry wasn't at Grimmauld. Marriages and Bonds weren't hidden; they had to be registered so people handling paperwork obviously knew and maybe were sworn to secrecy and that's why it hadn't been made public. If it had gotten out that Harry and Severus blood-bonded back in August last year, then it would have hit the papers and everyone would know by now.
It was probably Order business, as to why Albus was there. Severus was Albus's spy into the Death Eater meetings. It was another reason Harry wanted to free Severus; the man had done enough over the years. Harry would remove the mark, he had to, and then he'd make sure Severus didn't get killed by Voldemort. Harry promised that he would keep the man safe, and he would.
Harry couldn't hear what was happening downstairs, so he just kept himself out of trouble in Severus's room. Harry never sat down, but he wandered and looked around. Not snooping or anything, but last time he was in here had been purely a quick glance before the two of them consummated their marriage.
He truly did love the décor of Severus's room; it reminded him of the Slytherin dungeons. Harry meandered around the room, just browsing the books on shelves, the desk left neat. Harry could truly admire Severus's room like this, seeing as they'd never shared it aside that one night. Harry ended up tripping over a bump in the rug and staggered to keep from falling; he accidentally knocked the desk and a picture fell to the ground. The frame shattered as Harry instantly prayed that it hadn't been heard downstairs. Harry quickly got down to start picking up the pieces of glass, just as Severus came in.
"Harry, Dumbledore is gone!" Draco announced.
It startled Harry as the glass cut his hand. "Ow!" Harry hissed.
"Harry!" The man's tone was loud. Severus came over quickly and Harry's fear of the past took over, he skittered backwards and tried to cover himself while cowering. "What happened?"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, sir. I-I didn't mean to." Harry closed his eyes tightly and Severus was taken aback by his husband's fear. Of course Severus knew it had been an accident, why was Harry so scared. "Pl-Please don't hurt me…" Severus's eyes widened.
"Dear boy…I'm not going to hurt you…" Severus assured calmly, but his hands were out and Harry flinched.
"Severus, I believe this is Harry afraid you might harm him for breaking your things. I know you would never, but…You mentioned a past of abuse with his muggle relatives." Lucius reminded.
"Of course…" Severus sighed as it hadn't processed right away. Harry hadn't just been molested and raped, but abused and starved. Severus knelt down slowly, lightly touching Harry's hand. "Harry…Harry. Relax yourself. I'm not going to hurt you." Severus stated in a calm, somewhat gentle tone.
"I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to break it. I…I-I tripped and i-it fell." Harry panicked.
"I am not upset about the photograph," Severus assured.
"I-I'll fix it! D-Don't hurt me. Pl-Please don't hurt me…" Harry pleaded. "I-I'll be good…"
"I think this is more of a flashback." Narcissa informed. "He's aware of what he did in current, but his fear is from the past. He's reliving moments from then in the now." She added.
"I mean you no harm, Harry. I just want to make sure you're alright…" Severus said. "Did you get cut?"
"I-I tried to clean it up before you came back. I-I wasn't snooping…I-I swear!" Harry was breathing hard and on the verge of a panic attack.
"He might be afraid of me because of how I reacted during Occlumency training back in fifth year. He rebounded my spell on me, he saw my memories of Black, Potter, and Pettigrew bullying me. I grabbed him and threw him out of my office." Severus sighed.
"Harry…Harry, I'm not angry with you. It's just a picture, and it was merely an accident." He continued. "It's nothing a quick flick of the wand won't fix." Severus gently lifted Harry's chin up now and showed him how easily the frame was repaired.
"See, no harm done. Fixed, like it never happened. I'm not upset, Harry. Please, don't panic yourself. I only want to know if you're alright…Let me see your hand." Harry never got off the floor, but he loosened his tightened muscles to let Severus take his hand and see the semi-deep cut on the boy's palm. Severus gently put his wand to the wound and a blue light lit at the tip to close the wound and vanish the blood. "Come on now, up off the floor…" Severus moved to help Harry up.
"Harry, I want you to listen to me very carefully, alright?" Severus began as Harry nodded, keeping his head down. Severus lifted the teenager's face upward so their eyes would meet. "Harry, what happened was just an accident. You did nothing wrong, and it was easily fixed. Now, I know you were hurt by your muggle relatives if something happened…But that won't happen here with me."
"No one will hurt you again. You may vex me at times, but I promise that I will never raise a hand in anger or to punish you. Do you understand?" Severus asked as Harry nodded. "Never. We may fight and argue, but I'll never raise a hand to you. I swear on my life, Harry." A pause. "Come here…" Severus coaxed the teen closer and hugged him. It took a moment but Harry returned the action. Severus kissed the side of Harry's head before pulling back. "Are you alright?"
"I-I'm okay…" Harry managed.
"Good…Good, I'm glad." Severus sighed in relief. "You have no reason to fear me, Harry…"
"I-I know. I'm sorry…" Harry looked down. "I can't always control it…I didn't mean to panic."
"Nobody holds it against you, Harry," Draco offered. "You went through hell with those people…And if we knew earlier, maybe we could have done something…"
"Like what? Dumbledore had all control over me…" Harry sighed.
"I wish I had more positive things to say about Albus, but the man is a manipulator…" Severus remarked. "He got Sirius free at the end of third year? Why didn't he do it after Sirius was framed? Seems a little too convenient, if you ask me."
"A-Are you saying that Albus purposely let Sirius take the fall so I'd be stuck at my relatives's house?" Harry inquired.
"It's possible, Harry…But only a few people knew of the secret keeper switching from Sirius to Pettigrew. Albus knew Sirius was not the one to sell out your parents, nor kill those muggles." Severus informed.
"So he told Sirius to go after Pettigrew the night my parents died…Made Sirius hand me over…?" Harry remarked.
"Seems that way. Seems Albus had the power all along to set Sirius free and chose not to use his power." Lucius nodded.
"What Draco means is that…If you had been in Slytherin, Harry, from first year…I would have taken notice of the abuse you suffered. I might be an old grumpy potions master, but I paid very close attention to my snakes. I ensured they had their work done, had the help they needed, ate properly and slept efficiently. I picked up on something being wrong with you from the moment you went off on Albus after being selected for the tournament." Severus said.
"And Dumbledore isn't the only one with political power, Harry…If Draco or Severus reported to me of things, I could have worked to free Sirius as well." Lucius mentioned.
"It didn't matter, Sirius was imprisoned for twelve years…I was stuck at the Dursleys since I was a year old. No one knew I was in any trouble…The only reason Ron, Fred, and George figured it out was because Dobby stopped all my mail before second year began. They were worried, and showed up in that flying car to save me." Harry stated. "Dumbledore knew I wasn't happy there and that I was being abused…I told him. He insisted that if I was misbehaving, they could punish me." He added.
"Wait a minute…" Severus faced Harry now. "You told Dumbledore about the abuse you suffered the ten years at the Dursleys?"
"Yeah…At the end of first year. And at the end of second too. I told them they would beat and starve me, he told me that it wasn't that bad and I had to stay there because of the blood wards. It wasn't until end of third when I begged him to help Sirius get free that he actually did something and probably only because I told him I couldn't take it anymore…" Harry admitted.
"Like how you felt when I found you on top of the Astronomy tower?..." Draco inquired. Harry nodded to him.
"That old fool ignored your request to be removed from the Dursleys, after you told him they were beating and starving you?" Severus said.
"Sev…Calm down, would you?" Harry told him. "It was years ago now…Yes, he ignored it, but it's in the past. I'm away from there now."
"Harry, I want nothing more than to go find your aunt and give her a piece of my mind…" Severus informed.
"I understand that…But don't. They aren't worth getting in trouble for torturing muggles…I said I could protect you from fall out about us getting married, I can't guarantee you safety from murdering muggles." Harry reminded. "Please, just let it go. Forget about it…It's in the past. I'm safe now."
"Very well…" Severus sighed. "But only for you am I agreeing to not go after them." He stated.
Harry kissed the man's cheek. "Thank you."
"But I am saying something to Albus and you cannot change my mind. That senile old man ignored your cries for help to get out of a bad situation for two years." Severus scoffed.
"No, you can't. Then he'll know I'm with you. Albus knows you hate me, and I know that you truly do not…But no one aside the Malfoy's knows the truth, Severus. Remus knows we're married, but he doesn't see us getting along like we do. If you approach Albus about all this, he'll know something is up and it starts a whole bunch of problems we don't need before I get that mark off you."
"That Skeeter woman is a menace, she's an unregistered Beetle animagi and she's always around getting stories. Our marriage will get out, and it will get to Voldemort and I don't want him calling a random meeting to torture and kill you when I cannot be there to protect you." Harry stated.
"So not a word to Albus. I can keep you safe from anyone trying to send you to Azkaban and some haters against what we did, but even if Albus were to fire you…He'll keep you in the Order to spy and if Voldemort catches wind, I can't protect you from here when you're there. Remember that. I can't portkey to you. I can't apparate to you. I have no way of getting to you to keep you safe. So do not invoke Albus's or Voldemort's ire, not yet…"
Severus stared at his young husband, hearing the declarations of wanting to keep him safe and reminding him of how things could be affected if he acted irrationally. "While you have that mark, Albus can throw you in Azkaban. Albus can fire you. Voldemort can summon you, and Albus will continue to make you spy for him. As it stands, I can protect you from the fall out of being married to an underage wizard. But I can't protect indefinitely while you have that mark."
"When I remove it, Sev…Then you can go all out. But only after then." Harry finally said. "I will not risk your life before. I promised you that you'd be safe, and this is how I do that. We're at war, love, and war is not won by charging in and acting on emotion. We win by staying put and ensuring the enemy has nothing to use against us, then we fight." Harry informed softly. "Okay?"
"Alright, Harry…" Severus agreed. "When did you get so wise?"
"Years of practice in just sitting back until I can make a move." Harry winked. "Acting before then only results in making it worse and failure. It's like a game of chess, you have to move strategically to win." He said. "Now, we should find a way to contact Remus and pass the message that the last few days since the New Year's party, Remus, Sirius, and I were in Godric's Hollow visiting mum and dad's grave. That way when Albus inevitably questions me tomorrow, then goes to ensure I'm not lying, Remus and Sirius back it up."
"Won't Albus want to know why Remus is speaking on Sirius's behalf, isn't that exactly why you brought him to the party?" Narcissa inquired.
"That's already been settled…" Harry mentioned. "I spoke to Sirius before he returned to St. Mungo's. Sirius is checking out of the hospital and returning home, with Remus there to watch over him. Sirius will still be doing his sessions once a day, but it's been established that Sirius needs to be there for situations like these with Albus wondering where everyone is."
"So Sirius is going to continue his treatment as an outpatient, that way when the holidays come around again…If Albus shows up there, both of them can say I'm with friends at Malfoy Manor. Albus won't dare go there to check, and Albus can't force Sirius to make me return to the protection of Grimmauld because he isn't my guardian. This is how we cover our asses to avoid something like tonight happening again."
"Thinking ahead…That's quite smart, Harry." Lucius nodded.
"Now…Before Dumbledore showed up, you were saying something to me, Sev…What was it? We left off on scar pain." Harry looked at his husband.
"Oh, yes." Severus recalled their conversation topic. "I was beginning to say that I will find a way to stop the scar pain you get. Yes, Madam Pomfrey uses all the same things I do as far as potions and salves…But Harry, she is not me. I'm a potions master. I will find something that works, or…I will invent something for you."
"You know I have that ability." He said, referencing the old text book Harry had that belonged to Severus. "If you're doing all you can to remove the dark mark, then I will do all I can to stop you getting that scar pain, or I'll find a way to sever the link you and the dark lord have." He promised. "Until then, I will teach you how to block him out as I do."
Harry smiled and nodded. "We should be getting home. Tomorrow will be a busy day," Narcissa said.
"See you tomorrow, Harry," Draco hugged his friend and then soon left with his parents.
Tomorrow would be mostly traveling for students, but Harry was grateful that his time at Hogwarts was over in a year or so. Just the rest of sixth year, then seventh. Somewhere in there, Harry was sure it would be the final battle with Voldemort and he needed to be ready.
"Something on your mind, Harry?" Severus asked. The two of them were still in Severus's bedroom after the Malfoy's had gone.
"Just thinking…How close I am to finishing school, knowing the final battle with Voldemort will be somewhere between the end of this year or next." Harry told him.
"Certain of that?" Severus chuckled.
"Statistics show I always get attacked at the end of the year around May or June." Harry informed. "I think the only year I didn't actually face him was third." He added.
"Seems to be the going rate." Severus agreed. "Forgive me if I feel there is more to your…Thought process. What aren't you telling me of your concerns?"
"How am I supposed to use a power the dark lord knows not if I myself do not know it?" Harry asked. "If that were the case, I should have beaten him many times over, but neither of us win. I chase him off in retreat, but not beating the other." He stated calmly.
"I'm sure, when the time comes, the power will be revealed. Perhaps you just haven't…Unlocked it yet." Severus suggested. "All wizards and witches get a power up when they turn seventeen. Perhaps that is when your moment comes." He suggested.
"I feel like there's more to it, but I can't put my finger on why." Harry admitted. "Severus…If I asked you to do something, would you do it?"
"Depends on what you're asking of me?" Severus wondered.
"I know you're going to be teaching me Occlumency and I know that will help immensely, but it won't be enough for the final battle. As good as I am in fighting Voldy off, it's only luck that I keep him back and I can't afford to be getting angry during a duel. It gets sloppy and mistakes can be made." Harry started.
"I-I was wondering if you would maybe train me in dueling, defense against Voldemort's dark arts. Sirius and Remus have said you knew more curses and hexes when you came to Hogwarts than anyone else, and you said your abilities were…Welcomed among the Death Eaters. I feel like you're the only one I can learn from to be able to properly fight Voldemort."
"You understand it will be way beyond what you're taught in your class with me now, Harry. It's things you'd learn as an Auror would to fight dark wizards and witches with. Things the Death Eaters train with to use on those who oppose them. They're a great deal stronger and harder to learn." Severus warned.
"I know that…But it's the only chance I've got, Severus. You said it before, Voldemort is a fully trained wizard and has many more years on me in the dark arts. I need to know what I'll be up against, how to use it…How to fight against it." Harry said. "Please?"
Severus stared at his young husband before finally sighing and giving him a nod of agreement. "Very well, Harry…I will teach you what I know, but understand that we cannot tell Albus. He'll be furious if I'm teaching you the dark arts, even if it's for a good cause."
"Thank you." Harry hugged the man. Severus hugged Harry back. "Where would we train?"
"I was just thinking of that. I don't assume we can use my office, even my quarters. The castle would alert Albus that dark magic is within the walls. What about that room you kids used for the army?" Severus suggested.
"The room of requirement? Maybe, but we weren't using dark magic there and it's still part of the castle," Harry said.
"While we're asking for big favors, you said that I could cash in on the blank offer any time, right?" Severus asked and Harry nodded.
"Figure out what you wanted?" Harry inquired.
"I'm rather curious what other rare ingredients you can get your hands on as a student, but among that…I want to see the Chamber of Secrets, explore it. No one has ever been in there except Salazar Slytherin, the Dark Lord, and yourself. It's like forbidden territory and it's always been among one place I want to see for myself. I won't tell anyone, of course. If you can manage?" Severus hoped.
"Rare ingredients? I'll see what I can do. But Sev…Seeing the Chamber? That's the easiest thing in the world to make happen. All we need is a free night and my invisibility cloak." Harry told him. "And…Wow, why didn't I think about it. We could train down there. It's not part of the school. The plumbing let the Basilisk roam in the school, but it's way underground and miles away from the school. Trust me. When Fawkes carried Ginny, Ron, Lockhart, and me out; we went through a network of caves that led us outside. We were outside the castle itself. I don't know where the entrance is outside the grounds, I think it's hidden, but it would work."
"It would, but can we get down there several times a week to train, Harry? I don't even know where the entrance is." Severus said.
"Even if you did, you wouldn't be able to get down there without me, Sev. Can only be opened by a Parselmouth." Harry informed. "Yes, we'll be fine. Dumbledore won't know any different if we go after curfew. Dumbledore will think you're grading or brewing, and I'll supposedly be in my bed." He mentioned.
"Alright then. But we'll keep your Occlumency training to normal school hours and no super late nights, Harry…It'll show if you're exhausted." Severus remarked.
"Yes, sir." Harry smiled. "Just let me know when you want to go." He informed.
"I will, thank you." Severus kissed the teen's cheek.
Severus bent down to pick up the picture that had fallen. "I am sorry for it falling. Tripping over my own two feet…" Harry told him.
"It was no harm done, Harry. I told you, easy repair." Severus mentioned as he set the picture back where it had been. Harry saw that it was a younger Severus and woman with red hair and green eyes.
"I-Is that you and my mum, as kids?" Harry inquired.
"It is. The first picture we ever took together after becoming friends." Severus replied.
"I've never seen any of mum so young. I get plenty of stories and pictures of the Marauders, but I barely know mum other than what she looks like and that she gave her life to save me." Harry admired the picture.
"I could tell you about her, I knew her since we were nine years old, and I can show you plenty of pictures up to when we stopped being friends. If you wanted." Severus offered.
"I'd like that…" Harry smiled.