“Harry,” a hand touched his shoulder and he blinked slowly as he turned his head away from the head table and looks at Hermione.
“Hmm?”
“You didn’t respond to us. I asked if your were having trouble sleeping. You’re nodding off”
“I’m fine, just a headache” He rubs at his scar, a dull throb slowly building.
“Snape isn’t here.” Ron notices where his gaze was and points out.
“Thanks Ron,” he had to grit his teeth as the throbbing got worse, “I couldn’t tell,” the words were sarcastic as he tried to glance around the room once again but it was as if someone had turned the pain to full blast as a stabbing feeling shoots through his head. He gasps loudly and doubles over, pressing his hands to his scar as the great hall fades around him.
“Severus,” he hisses and watches as his most devoted approaches his throne. He had always liked this one, and favored him. Given him privileges that others did not get. And now the man, the half-blood (he thought the word with disgust) had stepped over the line.
“My lord,” the words always sent a jolt of pleasure through him, “you summoned me.” It wasn’t quite a question but he decided to answer anyway.
“I have heard…whissperss of your activitiess in the castle.” He stood and slowly stepped down the stairs. “Whispers of a…bond,” his voice was full of hate as he said it. A bond. How pathetically weak of his potions master to subject himself to those feelings. “A bond growing between yourself and the boy.”
He didn’t see anything as telling as a tensing of muscles or shifting, but he knew he had struck a chord. A truth perhaps.
“My lord, whatever you may have heard-“
“I have heard it all.” His voice was suddenly harsh, and he flicked his wand causing Severus’ head to snap up. He didn’t say anything else and pushed into his mind.
“Harry?! Harry wake up!” Someone was shaking his shoulders. The great hall fuzzed into sight for a moment and he hissed ‘release me’ before he was back in the manor house.
He was seeing meeting upon meeting with the boy. But the memories seemed fractured. As if someone had tried to cover them with false emotions. He felt the anger and resentment, artificial, and heard echoes of scornful words. But under all of that he felt the affection.
Growing concern, a deep seated need to protect, improve. Shelter.
He felt a feeling of love.
He snarled as the memories froze and then shattered around them, letting the true feelings run free.
“You are pathetic, Severus Snape.” Before the gasping man on the floor could react his bone white wand was in his hand and a crucio was on his lips.
“Snape!” Harry looked around the great hall, everyone was staring at him, half slumped over the table. Hermione gently touched his shoulder and he jerked away.
“Harry? What are you seeing?” The headmaster was standing just behind him.
“Snape, he-“ his words were cut off by another hot shard of anger and he looked down at the potions master, sneering as he twitched on the floor.
“You could have been great, Severus” he carelessly flipped his body with his foot and sighed. “But you are just a man…” This time it was a cutting curse that left his lips, and he watched with a sick fascination as blood began to soak the floor.
“What about, Severus? Harry come back to us.”
No…something wasn’t right, was it?
He looked around the empty dining room. No one else was here. So why did it feel as if there were eyes on him?
“Vol-demort knows. That he’s on-“
There was a sharp pain in the base of his skull and he grinned. “Enjoying the show, Potter?” He cast another crucio and watched the man twitch.
“You bastard” Harry snarled and everyone around him flinched away as they saw his eyes open and were faced with blood red.
“Yes, I believe I have been called that before.” He laughs. “Does it hurt? Knowing I’m going to be taking another parent away from you?” He raised his wand but his fingers convulsed as a foreign feeling swept through him.
“You won’t lay another fucking hand on him.”
Dumbeldore was watching him closely, wand held loosely in his hand. This was far too much of Tom in the school than he had ever wanted.
“And who is going to stop me? You? All the way over there?” He tightened his grip and the words formed through his mind as he readied his magic. But as he goes to push it out it hits a wall. He stumbles as it ricocheted inside of him and tries again, with the same result
“Yes, I believe I will.” The great hall was gone again, this time as he let his mind fully slip over to that of Voldemorts. He’d never allowed himself to venture so far before, and the moment his presence is registered a battle of wills began.
Severus watched as the dark lord began to stumble, gripping a nearby chair to keep himself steady.
“Get out of here, Snape” Potter's voice left the creature's mouth and Severus stared in wonder for a moment “now! Godddamnit this bloody well hurts you know!”
He didn’t stick around to scold him for his language, simply staggered to his feet and twisted in the spot. Hopefully he could reach the village from here.
He growled as once more he was submerged in the memories he had taken from Severus. Those feelings of comfort, of love and care, flooding his mind as he struggles to pull himself away from the Potter Brat.
“What do you think-“
“Does it hurt? Knowing I’m going to break apart everything you’ve tried to build?” Harry smirked as he flung his words back at him and then let go.
He collapsed as the disgusting feeling of love and affection suffused him. Scene after scene of Harry sitting and wondering and hoping.
“Where is he?!” Harry stood up, dizzy for a moment and then looked around the hall. It was silent and no one answered him. “Fuck! You’re all bloody useless!” He shoved past the headmaster, ignoring the sound of his name as he ran through the doors to the entrance hall.
Albus watched as it seemed as if the boy's body flickered and then appeared ten steps ahead of where it was originally. Was that apparition?
Harry sprinted across the grounds, ignoring the pounding in his head and the blood rushing in his ears. He needed to find Snape. He needed to make sure he was okay.
It felt like forever until the gates came into view, and when they finally did he saw a figure slumped on the ground just outside of them.
“Snape!” He didn’t spare a thought as he flung his hand out and the gates dematerialized in front of him. “You great bloody bastard, you better not fucking die on me.” He dropped to his knees beside him and reached out to move his robes to see his cuts.
A hand shot out and gripped his wrist, startling a gasp from him. “Not…getting rid of me…so easily, Potter.” He just laughed and pretended like there weren’t tears threatening to spill out of his eyes as he nodded.
“Exactly, whos going to torment me if you go?” A weak cough is all he gets in response before Madame Pomfrey, Professor Mcgonagall, and the Headmaster get to them.
“Gods above!” He heard Mcgonagall gasp behind him but he was too focused on the blood still slowly slugging out of the man.
“Watch out, Potter, I can get him to the-”
“No!” he snarls and his grip on the robes tighten. “He’s not leaving my sight, make the bleeding stop. Now!” There was a tense moment before the madame moved and knelt beside him, pulling out her wand and chanting quietly.
“I need blood replenishers, we have to move him-”
“Just summon them.” he glares at the three adults
“Potter, the wards and distance don’t allow for-”
“Useless!” Once again he he thrusts out his hand and after a few minutes there was a pop as two potions flew through the wards and into his hand. “Drink up, sir, I half promise it isn't poison.” He helped Snape set up, rolling his eyes as the man groans when he moved him too fast. “Stop bloody complaining and drink the potion, you great prat.”
“Language.” Harry rolled his eyes and used the chance to pour the potion down his throat.
“Go to hell,” he held him there for a few moments more before letting go and smirking as he fell back with a grunt.
“20 points from Gryffindor.”
“Glad to see you are doing alright, Severus.” Dumbledore finally spoke up.
Alright? He could still feel the tremors shuddering through his body from the Dark Lord’s Crucio.
Wait. How the hell had Harry gotten those potions to them? Or gotten to him so fast? Or.. got through the locked and warded gates? Or overwhelm the Dark Lord’s mind so easily?
What in Hecate’s name was going on with him?