Author: Rose
Pairing: Harry/Severus eventually
Rating: Um R maybe?
Word Count: 2,010
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. Introducing Character Death for a later Chapter. Ignores HBP
Notes: For jadzia7667 and sev0109 , and huge thanks to my beta iheartwillhoge Bad language Alert! Also, if you want to guess as to whom will die, leave it in a comment at the end...
Summary: What do you do when everything you have been living for is taken away?
Chapter 9: An Explanation
Severus woke up and regretted it instantly. Some more appropriate sleeping arrangements would have to be made as if he kept spending his nights in that accursed chair he would end up more bent than Albus. He looked over at the boy in his bed, with his features twisted and tense even in sleep.
Severus sighed. The boy was not going to like what was to happen to him for the rest of the holidays. He had never appreciated potions at all, but what else could Severus do with him? Play Quidditch? Severus shuddered at the mere though of being shown up by an uppity Gryffindor brat. Even if he wasn’t.
Severus was really beginning to hate whatever it was that threw in those little comments.
The ache in his back was beginning to grate on even Severus’ pain tolerance and he rose from the chair to a lovely cracking sound that suggested his vertebrae had resumed their normal position. Something would definitely have to be done about the sleeping arrangements. He quickly scanned his quarters, looking for somewhere to put an additional bed and found he didn’t even have room for a small sofa.
This could present a serious problem.
Just as he was attempting to find a viable solution to his special problems Severus saw the boy buried under the thick black covers begin to shift around. With a sigh, he returned to the chair to await Harry’s awakening.
Confused and sleep fogged eyes looked across at Severus as he sat in the chair which he was becoming increasingly convinced was actually a subtle torture method and blinked. He saw the boy clearly trying to get himself to focus on the person before him, and Severus then had the prudence to hand the boy his glasses.
The eyes widened in shock. Severus was worried – had Harry forgotten where he was? If he was suffering from memory loss then perhaps there was something from Harry’s battle with Voldemort that had led to it. He would need to be questioned on that later.
‘Harry, please get dressed on join me in the next room for breakfast. You should be sufficiently well to get up from this bed today.’
The look of shock had deepened into one of puzzled bemusement. Severus could almost see the parts of Harry’s brain fighting with what was going on. And that didn’t worry him in the slightest. It didn’t.
‘Yes, Professor.’
‘I gave you permission to call me Severus whilst in these rooms Harry.’
The boy blinked again.
That would definitely have to be dealt with later.
Severus swept out of the room in search of some floo power and to place his order for breakfast, and tea. Good, strong tea.
Harry appeared shortly after the food arrived on the table from the kitchens, with again a suitably huge portion for Harry. Severus resisted the urge to comment on the huge clothes the boy was wearing. They sat down to eat in silence, neither one looking at each other, until Severus noticed the boy was drinking his tea black, as Severus himself did.
‘I can get you milk and sugar Harry. I do not take it in my own tea, so the House elves did not send any down.’
Harry looked up at Severus with something akin to the beginnings of a smile. Severus determinedly ignored the desire to smile in return.
‘I like it black thank you Pro- Severus but thank you for the offer.’
Severus inwardly sighed. How was he to bring up the topic of the boy’s stay with him? He was no good at talking to most people; he avoided having to do so at all costs usually. Only Albus could ever get long, civil answers out of him. Sometimes.
Severus was in the awkward position where the silence was beginning to drag and his mind was not being the least bit cooperative in suggestion a solution to his oral problems. How was he to bring up a subject to which the boy would undoubtedly show his newly acquired apathy towards and convince him that it would be a good idea. Potions tutoring would not help show the boy he had something to live for, but what else could he do?
Severus was beginning to annoy himself with all the questions buzzing around his brain like so many angry Gryffindor first years.
He was thus rather surprised when Harry broke the silence for him.
‘S-Severus, what do you expect me to do whilst I am here? You must have things to do, so perhaps you could leave me here with a book while you do… whatever you need to. I do not wish to be a burden.’
Severus merely raised an eyebrow, and Harry sighed.
‘Somehow I didn’t think you would agree to that.’
‘I am not quite that senile yet Po-Harry.’
Severus was inwardly rejoicing that the boy had given him the opportunity to dive straight into the topic at hand.
‘What I propose is to give you tutoring for next year in potions. You will need much greater skills if you are to have any hope of passing your NEWT.’
Severus fought the urge to sneer as he normally did at the end of such as speech. It would not be wise to anger Harry at this moment.
Instead of the expected horror, or possibly disbelief, a look of mild interest crossed Harry’s features.
‘Really sir? Only, I had been having some difficulty with the composition of the Vix Vides potion and I was wondering if you could explain why you would not put some demiguise hair in to strengthen your own… what? I’m sorry Professor, did I say something to offend you?’
‘I asked you to call me Severus’ He replied absently.
Severus’ thoughts were going a mile a minute on the inside though. Where had the boy heard of the potion? First of all, it was far more advanced than anything he taught here and the boy simply should not have the skills to make it. Secondly he knew of ingredients and their properties, knowledge never really demonstrated before. Finally, and most worryingly, Vix Vides was widely considered a dark potion as it could permanently blind the person whom it was thrown at...
Severus definitely need to talk to the boy about the final battle.
‘Where did you hear of the potion Harry? I know it is not something I would consider presenting even my NEWT classes with, and you have not shown any true aptitude or awareness of potions previously…’
Harry looked a little wide-eyed, obviously he had blundered his way into making another mistake.
‘I… um… well… MoodywasgivingmeprivatetrainingtodefeatVoldemort.’
‘Please repeat at a pace comprehensible to someone other than Granger.’
‘Moody was giving me private training to defeat Voldemort.’
Severus fought for the second time in days not to let his jaw drop. Harry had been training in secret with Moody? How could he not have known? No wonder Harry knew potions and battle magic; Moody was one of the best Auror trainers in recent history.
‘Very well, Harry, I can understand why you have such levels of knowledge, but why did you not demonstrate it in my lessons?’
‘The best tactics are those which are kept secret.’
Definitely trained by Moody.
‘Harry, I regret to do this to you so soon...’
A rather fearful look entered Harry’s eyes, along with what looked to be… gratitude? Severus knew he must have been reading that one wrong.
‘…But the Headmaster has asked for greater information regarding the Final battle with the Dark L-Voldemort.’
Harry blinked. Obviously the boy had not been expecting that to be his question.
‘There are Death Eater testimonies that you were hit by several Crucios, tormenta and were disarmed before you defeated the Da-Voldemort.’
Harry closed his eyes, and began his tale in a monotone.
‘I apparated into the meeting and Voldemort taunted me as usual, I closed my eyes…’
‘You closed your eyes? Was that sagacious by any means? Foolish boy…’
‘I found out if you close your eyes and convert the magical trails charm to one which allows you to see magic signatures it is easier to mark the trajectory of the spell and avoid it. Besides, having my eyes closed disturbed Snake-face.’
Severus inwardly chuckled at the one. It then sank in what Harry had said; he had managed to convert a complex charm into something infinitely more useful, and by the sounds of it, he had done it himself. Even Lily Evans couldn’t do anything that complex in her sixth year! The urge to let his jaw drop was becoming as persistent as Granger’s questions. Harry continued on obliviously.
‘I also found that by modifying the charm to make metal act as an effective lighting conductor, you can make the Crucio curse, and those of its ilk pass across the hairs on top of your skin and be conducted into the ground. As to being disarmed, Moody and I found I could perform wandless magic quite well, and even put more power behind it, as my wand wouldn’t work against Voldemort, so I cast anima deleo and that was it.’
This time Severus did let has jaw drop, and unknowingly showed a remarkable resemblance to one Ronald Weasley when surprised. He simple could not contemplate the level of skill with charms and magical power the boy had. It was unfathomable as to why the boy seemed to think he had nothing to give, he had invented a way to stop the cruciatus curse for Merlin’s sake!
‘So really, it wasn’t anything someone else couldn’t have…Pro-Severus? What is it?’
‘You are an astounding young man.’
The look of skepticism and disbelief on Harry’s face was the most articulate answer he received.
‘No, I’m not.’
Severus made sure that, in the future, this remarkable and gifted young man would understand that he has a great deal to live for.
‘If you have trained as much as I assume you have, then we can begin to look over the 7th year course and I am confident we can quickly move onto Mastery level work.
The slight quirking of Harry’s lips was the most satisfactory response he had received in a very, very long time. Severus returned his own small smile and realised that the two of them had seemed to move past the animosity they had shared for so long. This may be easier than he thought it would be.
‘On a more domestic note Harry, as I mentioned earlier we have a issue.’
‘Your kinky tendencies?’
How the brat could look and sound so innocent was utterly beyond Severus. He mocked-glared at Harry and composed his dignity.
‘That comment will not be dignified with a response. You have my bed Harry, and I will not sleep in that chair another night.’
Harry looked confused as to where he was going with this particular line of thought.’
‘There is no room to add an additional bed to my quarters.’
Harry eyes widened in comprehension.
‘We will have to share the bed, but as we are both mature persons that should not cause a problem.’
Harry had that distinct deer-in-the-wandlight look. He visibly gathered himself together, much to the mystification of Severus.
‘Of course not Profes-Severus.’
The two men resolved to push any difficulties in sleeping together to the back of each’s respective mind and continued with the rest of their day, both reading various different potions texts and steadfastly ignoring the thought of sharing the same bed. Severus though it felt too… intimate for the newly developing amiability between them. He could not sleep another night in that chair though, he simply couldn’t. Neither man was particularly looking forward that that night.
Later that day the two men gingerly climbing into bed together and turned to face opposite walls, patently trying forget who was on the other side of the bed. As always, Severus waited until he heard Harry’s breathing even out before succumbing to sleep himself.
TBC
Look Longer !!
^.^
Rose