Harry Potter was sitting by the bed that occupied Severus Snape who was currently in a coma. Harry had found him still breathing and brought him to Poppy who only just managed to save him. Harry reached across and took Severus' hand and frowned when he heard raised voices. Standing up he walked over to the door and listened to what was going on the other side of the doors.
“Absolutely not!” Said Poppy.
“Madam. We are here to collect Severus Snape where he will be on trial-”
“Harry fought for him. He is cleared of all charges.”
“Yes he is. But anyone with the dark mark will be on trial and sent to azkaban.” a man Harry didn't know the sound of said.
“If he is being sent straight to azkaban, why a trial? You are condemning him already! Severus Snape will not be going anywhere, it's taken all my time and effort and all I have to save him. He is now in a coma, when he wakes, I don't even know what damage the poison has done to him. Until I deem him fit and well he is going nowhere!”
“Madam-”
“Don't you Madam me. Get out of my hospital wing!”
Harry smiled at Poppy's protectiveness and walked back over to the bed and pulled the sleeve up on Severus’ arm and ran his hand over the mark. “I've got to do something…”
Draco Malfoy, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, looked up when his fireplace roared to life and none other than Harry Potter stepped through. “Potter? How did you manage to floo into my room, no one can get in our Manor unless invited.”
“Yeah well, no one could apparate to Hogwarts grounds but I did it with Dumbledore last year. Look Malfoy, I need your help. I will use the life debt you owe me for saving your life if I have to.”
“You have just won us the war, saved the wizarding world from snake face and you come to me for help?”
“Yes. Look. Severus is still alive, Poppy has managed to save him with the help of the potions he kept in his private labs. I need your help. As soon as he is awake, the ministry will want to take him to azkaban for crimes he didn't commit.”
“I know that Potter. My trial is next week.”
“Malfoy you help me with Severus and I will personally back you up and make sure you don't go to azkaban. Same for your mother. She saved my life, I owe her. But not your father.”
Draco scoffed. “He knew what he was doing, he forced me into taking this!” Draco pulled his sleeve up to reveal the dark mark. “He actually looked proud. Severus and mother were the only ones who cared. You haven't got to use your life debt. I owe it to Severus to help you. What do you need?”
“Your library and the room and books Voldemort used when here.”
Draco frowned before nodding. “Follow me.”
Walking into the library, Harry stopped and looked around as Draco walked further in and over to the desk where there were several books stacked up.
“Here are the books he was reading, they are full of dark magic.” Draco turned when he didn't get an answer and saw Harry looking around the library. “You alright Potter?”
“This library, it's as big as Hogwarts. Hermione came in here, we wouldn't see her for weeks!” Harry laughed as he walked over to the blond and started to look through the books.
After two hours, Harry sighed. “There's nothing in here about the dark mark or how to create one or anything.”
Draco frowned before looking at Harry. “Riddle Manor. I overheard snake face talk about how he lived there for a while after school and that's when he started to gather followers and mark them. I bet there are some books there.”
Harry grabbed Draco's wrist and apparated them both to the Manor.
Draco took his wand out. “Point me, Riddle library.”
Harry watched as Draco's wand spun and started to walk with the blond and within five minutes they were inside a small library that was covered in dust and cobwebs, Harry made his way to a small desk that had books and parchment on it. He reached out to pick up a piece of parchment when a hand on his arm stopped him.
“Think Potter, who did these belong to? Check for curses first.” Draco said who waved his wand before nodding. “You're fine.”
Harry nodded. “Thank you.” He said before looking through the papers before him with Draco looking in the books.
Thirty minutes later Harry laughed. “I found it. This is a spell that created the mark and there's even a spell to remove it, he must have done that in case he changed his mind about the people he thought worthy of the mark.”
Draco looked over. “What language is that?”
Harry smiled. “Parseltongue. Looks like I can read it as well as speak it. Right, are you ready for this Draco?”
Draco took a deep breath and held his arm out. “Do it.”
Harry started to speak parseltongue and waved his wand in a certain pattern, the tip of the wand tracing the edge of the mark on Draco's arm.
Draco watched as smoke rose from his arm before it cleared and his arm looked as bare as it did before he took the mark. He laughed. “Potter you did it!”
“Call me Harry. We'll be seeing a lot more of each other.”
“We will?” Draco asked as Harry gathered up the papers.
“Yes. I have been with Severus while I was on the run with Ron and Hermione. Couldn't have gotten as far as we did without him.”
“I knew he had someone but he denied it.”
“Well he would do to protect me. Plus the Weasley's are like my family and Charlie is after you. I think it's kind of funny, if the dragon tamer got you, given your name.” Harry laughed.
“Shut up Potter.”
“You're not interested?”
“Have you seen Charlie? Of course I am!”
Harry nodded. “Come on then, let's get to Severus and sort his mark out.”
Harry and Draco walked into the hospital wing and saw Severus in the very end bed with Poppy checking him over. “Poppy?” Harry asked. “Is he okay? Why have you moved him onto the ward?”
Poppy turned and smiled. “He's fine Harry, I am about to bring him from his coma.”
“Before you do Poppy. I need to have five minutes alone with him.”
Poppy looked from Harry to Draco and back again. “Is what you are doing, something I have to go along with?”
“Yes.”
Poppy nodded. “Then I will wait here while you do what you need to do.”
Harry nodded and pulled the sleeve up on Severus’ arm, he gently ran his hand over the mark before looking at Draco who nodded. Nodding back, Harry started to wave his wand in a certain pattern over the mark speaking in parseltongue.
Poppy gasped as smoke rose from Severus' arm before the mark disappeared completely.
Harry sighed with relief before he moved his wand in the shape of a bolt of lightning and smiled when a tattoo appeared on Severus’ left wrist just under where the mark used to be. He looked up at Poppy. “Okay Poppy, Severus never had a dark mark, he has had this since Voldemort returned. It's how he helped me on the run last year and how we kept in contact.”
“Don't worry Harry. I know exactly what to say when Fudge comes.” she said as she walked over to Severus and waved her wand over the man.
Harry sat on the edge of the bed and took Severus’ hand in his. “Come on, Severus. Wake up please. Wake up you stubborn git!”
“Points from Gryffindor. “ Severus moaned.
Harry laughed and placed a quick kiss on the Headmaster's lips. “No longer a student. Doesn't count.”
“Actually it still recognises you as a student until you graduate next month. Being on the run doesn't make a difference.” Draco stated, laughing at the look on Harry's face.
“Poppy. Am I well enough to travel?” Severus whispered.
“Absolutely not!”
“May not have a choice, the Minister has just passed the wards.”
Harry stood up. “Okay Severus please. Just go along with all we say.”
“Harry-”
“Severus please! If you love me like you say you do, then go along with us!”
Before Severus could reply, Fudge burst through the hospital wings doors with two aurors.
“There he is. Arrest him!” Fudge shouted as he pointed at Severus.
“What is going on here? How dare you burst into my ward and start shouting orders!” Poppy snapped.
“This has nothing to do with you Madam. Severus Snape is to be arrested and sent to azkaban.” Fudge said as he came to a stop by the bed.
“On what grounds?” Harry asked.
“Come Potter. You know what we are doing. All the ones that bear the dark mark are to be arrested.”
“Yes I know that's what you have been doing. What I want to know is why you are here to arrest the Headmaster?”
“He is a death eater. You may have provided evidence and got home cleared of charges against killing Albus Dumbledore Potter but you won't win this one. I made it law. He has the mark, therefore he is going to azkaban.”
“I have been Severus’ healer since he was eleven years old. There is nothing on his body I don’t know. I have never seen the mark.” Poppy snapped.
“Enough of this. No point trying to protect him.” Fudge snapped as he walked around the bed. “Lift up your sleeve now.”
Draco shook his head. “Enjoy this while you can Fudge. You played on people's fear and used their hopes to get you back as minister. As soon as the trials are all over and Hogwarts is rebuilt, you won't be Minister anymore.”
“If that is the case I am not worried. I have just passed a new law. One that states all who have the mark are to go to azkaban and no one can change it. Not even Harry Potter.” He snapped. Spitting out Harry's name.
Severus sighed and hid his surprise when he rolled up his sleeve and saw a bare arm.
“See. No mark. Now leave me to my patient!” Poppy ordered.
“I don't think so madam. We have ways of revealing marks that are hidden. He isn't the first death eater to try this. Adams. Use the spell.”
An auror stepped up to Severus and everyone watched as he used his spell and Fudge gave a short bark like laugh when he saw something start to appear on Severus’ arm before he shouted. “What's that!?”
Harry leaned over. “Looks like a small lightning bolt over his pulse point. I see no death eater mark. Only mine.”
Fudge turned on Harry. “Yours?”
“Well yes. Being on the run for a year we still needed the Headmasters help, so after Voldemort returned, Albus Dumbledore helped me give Severus this mark. I have one also.” Harry lifted his sleeve up. “It was the only way we could communicate with each other and the only way he could help us.”
Fudge pointed and waved his finger about. “No. I don't believe this. I have seen the mark on his arm myself, years ago in this very room when you tried to convince me you know who had returned.”
“That was a fake to try and get you to believe Mr Potter here because everything else you got told you ignored. And you still didn't believe it so it was a waste of time.” Severus sneered.
“Well. Headmaster Snape has been cleared of all charges. He has no dark mark. Waste of time you being here Fudge. So take your men and leave.”
“Mr Malfoy here is coming with us.”
Draco lifted his sleeve up. “I have no mark.”
“You spent nearly a year with you know who!”
“Not by choice!” Harry snapped. “He took over his home! No mark. No arrest Fudge.”
“But I-”
“Get. Out. Of. My. School.” Severus threatened him, glaring at the man as he took his leave with the two aurors following him.
As soon as doors shut behind all three of them, Harry cupped Severus’ face and kissed him hard. “Don't you dare scare me like that again! I thought I lost you.”
Draco smirked and walked away with Poppy, leaving both men alone.
“Harry. What have you done?”
"I grew up with aunt Petunia who only got worse as I got older and showed signs of magic. I now know what my mum had to live with, I would have loved to have someone at that age to tell me all about magic and let me know just how big the world is and soon I will be able to see it. Thank you for being her friend. Giving her that hope before Hogwarts even started.”
“Harry…”
“I also did it because I love you and couldn't bear it if you went to azkaban.”
Severus sighed and lifted his arm up, inviting Harry to climb on the bed.
Harry laughed and climbed on the bed and snuggled up to the older man.
“What am I going to do with you brat.”
“Well the war is over. We are free. How about we live how we want to live and do what we finally want to do.”
“Together?” Severus asked.
Harry lifted his head up and looked his lover in the eyes. “Forever.” he promised.
Severus gave Harry one of his rare smiles and placed a gentle kiss on the Gryffindors lips. “And always,” he whispered.
The end.