Sound of Silence
It was quiet. Way to quiet. There should be some kind of noise long before now, footsteps, pages turning, a pen writing away, Harry falling on his face after flooing in. Severus slowly put down the book that he had been reading, and looked at the clock. It had been over two hours since the time Harry should have been home, but the house was silent.
Normally Severus wouldn't have even noticed the passing of time when he was sucked into a book (Harry's term for it not his), but today was the day that Harry had made him swear that he would go with him over to Teddy's house. The lack of noise didn't make sense, Harry should be in here by now staring at him trying to make him give up on his research and get ready to go. They were supposed to be at Teddys in ten minutes. Harry was late and If it had anyone else or a different situation, Severus knew that he would be mad but this was a Teddy day and Harry not being here chomping at the bit to head out was disturbing to Severus because this didn't make sense. This was not Harry, if something had happened to cause him to be late he would have floo’d him, unless…
Slowly Severus walked through the house to see if his husband had come home and had gotten enrapt in something and had lost track of the time, which sometimes happens but not on a Teddy day. Harry usually was ready to go and left early.
Harry had been so excited when Severus had agreed to go with him to visit Teddy that Severus had to threaten to retract his agreement if Harry didn't calm down this morning. After searching the house and not finding Harry, Severus checked the floo log and there was nothing since he had come home four hours ago. Harry should be here. Severus walked to the dining room where they kept the calendar, Severus saw that Harry was supposed to be working at Gringotts today using the floo Severus called the employee info desk.
“What do you want?” Growled the answering goblin.
“ I am trying to get a hold of my husband, I know he was working on a contract with you today.”
“Name?”
“Harry Prevell.”
“We have no contractors or employees listed under that name.”
“I don't understand, he has been working with Gringotts on a contractual basis for the past five years.”
“We do not currently or ever have had any Harry Prevells on contract.”
“ Look under Harry Potter?”
“Sir this is a contact line for Grongotts employees and their families, we do not take fishing or practical jokes well.” he floo call was shut down on Severus, Startled, as they always payed Severus the utmost respect when ever he called Severus leaned back staring at the fireplace shaking his head. Severus decided to call the Tonks' household, maybe Harry had left without him, he neer liked the floo.
“Severus? Why are you calling me?”
“Is Harry there?”
“Harry? Harry who?”
“My missing husband.”
“Husband? Severus, Are you ok?”
“No, I can't find my blasted husband anywhere.”
Andromeda stared at Severus in concern. “Severus, you don't have a husband that I am aware of.”
Severus stared at her, she was always an open book to him and she wasn’t teasing him or lying she was truly confused. “ What do you mean three years ago I got married to that blasted boy that you let run wild with that hoodlum that you call a grandson, we were supposed to be coming over to your house so he could spend time with your grandson acting like a five year old.”
Rage crossed her face. “Severus I know that you can be a mean son of a bitch and that as a spy you had to do many cruel things but that that.” Andromeda burst into tears and the floo call was suddenly shut off.
Confused, Severus leaned back until he shook himself and decided to call the one person he should have called first but he hated dealing with him without Harry acting as a buffer. “Dobby!”
It took five minutes before there was an audible pop. Severus turned from where he was writing a letter turning towards the sound Severus froze in shock, instead of the sleek, clean, eye piercing, chaotically dressed, hyper elf he was used to, the elf standing in front of him was wearing a dirty brown, hole ridden piece of material, he was filthy, covered in scars and bruises he was missing half of one ear, an eye and several fingers. “Do you know where Harry is?”
“Master Potter? Good, amazing, sweet, honorable, lovable, powerful master Harry Potter?” Severus nodded but before he could continue on Dobby kept talking. “Master Potter was killed by horrible, bad wizard Dumbledore. Right after, good, loyal, powerful master had killed the evil, snake wizard”. At that Dobby collapsed on the floor howling in tears.
Severus was confused, how was this possible, he knew the elf couldn't lie to him, as one of his masters the elf could not lie, play a trick maybe, annoy the crap out of him yes, but outright lie it wasn't possible. there was a bond, the elf wouldn't have been able to hear him from wherever he had been without it and Dobby would never lie about His Harry Potter. Severus froze mind racing before twisting on the spot and appearing outside of the newspaper archives, he needed information. Heading straight to the past articles section, Severus began searching through the archives. Starting with the articles of the final battle everything was right until Severus found an article dated exactly one month after the Dark Lords defeat. Severus felt his world start to wheel when he found a front page article about the discovery of the dead savior’s body, a picture of Harry standing triumphantly on the Hogwarts quidditch field.
The words that Severus scanned in the article made Severus feel like the world around him was spinning. Not wanting anyone to see him collapse, Severus raised his occlumency shields and ordered a copy of every article released by the newspapers for the two years starting at the Dark Lord's death, Before he went home.
Severus apperated straight into his office, taking a deep breath and he pulled out a calming drought, swigging it back he placed the stack of newspapers on his desk. Slowly Severus sat down and pulled the first newspaper to him. Severus stared at the picture ignoring the words for the moment. It was a photo taken a month before the final battle, an impromptu quidditch free for all, for anyone who wanted to play there were more beaters and seekers then there were chasers and everyone was the keeper. somehow with well over forty people flying around Harry was one of the few that didn't get hit by a bludger or another player and he had caught the snitch. Severus had chewed out every single one of those idiots and set a new record of the most students to lose fifty points each and gain detention at the same time.
The first article with the picture of Harry was on top. Severus pulled the newspaper towards himself and started to read,
Savior Found Butchered
Our savior who has been missing for almost a week, last seen leaving Gringotts was found Dead last night by best friends.
Read more on pages 10-13 no one underage will be able to see the photos, or read parts of the article.
Taking a deep breath, Severus turned to page 10 and stared in horror at the collection of photos depicting his husband. the man that he loved more than life itself, his stomach ripped open and his eyes staring blank up at the sky. Severus felt his stomach rebel against him, He turned his head in time to throw up in his trash can. Sitting back Severus shook his head, this was impossible. Moving that newspaper aside, Severus picks up the next one and reads about how Dumbledore had returned saying that he had been gravely injured but before his death Severus Snape was able to find a cure and now he swears to help the wizarding world find the murderer of their savior. Over the next several papers Severus read about how Dumbledore was creating new laws and gaining more and more power, while at the same time the newspapers were praising Dumbledore they were also reporting how people were disappearing. Severus froze when he found the article detailing the destruction of Malfoy manor and how the entire family was missing with no evidence for the law enforcement to go on.
Severus sat back staring straight ahead, his mind numb, how? What happened? Severus lost track of how long he sat there trying to understand what was going on.
Severus got up and wandered through the house. It made no sense. The cup of tea and scones that Harry had made for him yesterday sat at his desk half eaten, the dishes were sitting on the drying rack, Harry swears that a dish washed and dried by magic will destroy the pattern etched on it, the sandwich, salad and fruit tray that Harry had left him for lunch still sat in the refrigerator. He will be upset if found out that Severus had worked thru lunch again…Harry's favorite couch had his current book he was reading on it, a fantasy book. Harry loved comparing muggle fantasy to the magical world.
Severus knew that he hadn't gone crazy and made up, the last few years as Harry's work room and office was still a chaotic mess of books and papers, everything written in a mix of English, Egyptian, Parsle and several other languages. Harry's current project was on his desk written in Parseltongue, he claimed that it made most magical problems simpler for him to figure out since it was a simple language.
Their wedding pictures were still in there album and the pictures on the mantle including that picture that Severus secretly loved was still there of the two of them sitting in front of a waterfall Harry's arms were wrapped around him and both were wet from when Harry had “slipped” and “accidentally” pulled Severus in with him.
Everything that they had built together was still here, but Harry wasn't. somehow in this world Harry never had a chance to get to this point in life.
“What is going on? Where are you Harry?” Severus whispered into the quiet house.