Author: Rose
Pairing: Harry/Severus eventually
Rating: Um R maybe?
Word Count: 1,020 (yay longer!)
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The crappy attempt at 'plot' within belongs to me.
Warnings: Slash, Attempted Suicide. Ignores HBP
Notes: For jadzia7667 for reviewing every chapter, and huge thanks to my beta iheartwillhoge Bad language Alert! Happy New Year in Advance!
Summary: What do you do when everything you have been living for is taken away?
Right Then, back on Severus' POV and its all going pear-shaped from here on in...
Chapter Seven: A Confrontation
Severus Snape looked over at the damaged child, his face still tense and his body curled up as he slept and wondered how in the nine hells he was supposed to pull their young saviour from the depression he had clearly fallen into.
They had no common ground, none that Severus would admit to anyway, and there was years of hatred and distrust between them that meant the grudging mutual civility they had achieved would never be enough to do as Dumbledore asked.
What was the old coot thinking this time?
The boy had not reacted in a way that had surprised Severus; he had seen first hand this side of Harry’s nature during the Occulmency debacle during his 5th year. Severus also saw something he had never expected from the Boy-Who-Lived, he had carefully, if perhaps not consciously, pushed away everyone who would prevent him from attempting to take his life again.
That piece of knowledge was almost as disturbing as the fact that Severus had started thinking of him as ‘Harry’.
It was not often in his life that Severus Snape found himself without a solution to a problem, or at least a starting point.
How was he to make Harry see he had something to live for?
Perhaps it would be better to ascertain why exactly he felt he had nothing to live for in the first place.
Severus returned to the chair he had sat in previously to watch over Harry, noticing for the first time the Scotch he had left behind earlier and prepared himself for yet another long wait.
Severus first noticed Harry stirring at what he assumed to be early afternoon and was treated to harsh green eyes glaring in his general direction. He moved the boy’s glasses over to place them on the bed and they were put on before the glare returned with renewed vigour.
Severus fought every instinct that told him to glare back and instead placed his long practiced blank expression on his face.
‘If you will consent to stay still Ha-Potter I will remove the drip from your arm.’
The glare did not lessen, but Harry made no attempts to move as Severus came towards him and tapped his wand against the drip, simply saying Evanesco.
Snape looked over at the heated eyes of the boy lying in his bed
‘Why did you do it Harry?’
The sneer he received was worthy to be one of his own.
‘Why do you care? I would have thought you’d dance for joy when I was gone. Bet you were so angry when the Headmaster brought me down here,’
Severus could not fail to register faint relief that Harry had not realised he had been saved by Severus himself.
‘I will not allow you to take your life whilst in my custody Potter, and your attempts to make me so irate I will leave you here alone will come to no fruition I assure you.’
This time the glare gained a scowl to complement it.
Severus had an idea, not a good idea, and certainly not one the Headmaster would approve of, but an idea nonetheless.
‘Stop scowling Potter, are you angry that you didn’t get your own way again? Or was this simply another way of gaining pity for the poor Boy-Who-Lived?’
The glare had now been replaced by a somewhat dumbfounded expression. Clearly Harry had not being expecting this reaction.
‘Poor Potter, whatever will all your fans think? You have no right to feel sorry for yourself, you worthless, bleating brat.’
‘Shut up, just shut up!’
‘Don’t like the truth Boy? You have failed everyone with these weak, selfish actions and for what?’
The fire was back in Harry’s eyes, they almost seemed to spark with anger. Severus reflected that it was perhaps not the best idea to anger one of the most powerful wizards in the world.
‘What do you know? What can you tell me? That I owe the whole world something? For saving them from their own problems, the monster they left me to deal with because they were to damn weak to do it themselves? They don’t give a shit about me Snape. I’m done. I killed the big, bad wolf and nobody needs a fucking thing from me anymore. I played my part, I was your weapon and now I’m done. So leave me to die, just… leave me.’
‘No.’
It was like a signal, the boy gave him one incredulous look and all the pain, fear and uncertainty poured out of Harry in a wave of sadness that almost took Severus off his feet. The boy lay in a foetal position of his bed, buried in his covers choking out harsh sobs.
Severus could only blame instinct as his motivation for scooping up Harry in to his arms and holding him while he shook. Harry clutched blindly at the comfort that was being offered, and Severus knew he had forgotten who was in the room with him. Eventually Harry stopped and he looked up into Severus’ face and immediately scrambled off his lap.
‘I don’t want your pity Snape.’
‘I do not offer it.’
They both sat in silence for a while, each trying their hardest not to think about what had just passed between them.
Severus saw Harry’s head snap up and his eyes narrow behind his glasses.
‘You bastard.’
Severus gave Harry credit for being quick on the update but he did not relish his reaction.
‘You tricked me. Manipulated me. You’re no better than the rest of them, telling me it’s all for my own good. Bullshit. You hear me Snape, do what you have to do as the Headmaster’s pet but don’t go fucking with me. I don’t want your ‘help’. I don’t want ANYTHING from you!’
Severus watched as Harry sprang up from the bed with astounding energy and ran for the bathroom, slamming the door.
Severus lept up after him and pushed at the bathroom door. It was locked. Shit.
‘Potter! Potter open this door right now! Potter! Potter! Harry! Harry please…’
TBC
Hehe bad cliffie...
Don't hurt me?
R&R
Rose