July 1998
July, 28th 1998. Hogwarts
Harry had always been able to read and feel other people's emotions, but this was new.
They had been working on repairing the castle grounds, the past two and a half months had been focused on the actual building, when Harry felt it. It wasn't his own fear, but it was deep and terrifying nonetheless. He froze, the distress growing his brain, filling him with dread and terror. Then someone yells, Harry is not sure what's going on, but he's sure something is wrong. He feels himself drop to the ground, arms locking around his legs, the grass beneath him is wrong. Everything is wrong. Harry feels a hand on his shoulder but he jerks away, where the hand was burned. The person steps away, the voices around him grow, someone is crying.
“Step away from Potter.”
Harry recognizes the voice, but his brain is sure he's in danger and just needs to hide. He whines when a hand touches his neck, then he is in someone's arms and they are gliding across the grounds. The person is talking in a low voice directly into his ear, it makes him shiver. Harry throws his arms around the person burying his face in their neck, they smell, safe. He isn't sure where they are going but he isn't worried. The smell drives the thoughts out of his brain and lets his body relax. His face feels itchy and he rubs it on the person's collar.
“Please refrain from soiling my clothes.” The rumble makes Harry shiver, his body feels warm. Severus. Like always the man has rescued him. Harry has an impulse to lick his neck, weird. Then he is dropped into a bed, the hospital wing, Harry whines again. He doesn't want the man to leave him. Severus rolls his eyes and drops into the chair next to his bed.
“You smell different,” Severus says with his face closed off, but Harry can feel his confusion. “Like really different.” Then Poppy walks in, her eyes find Harry quicker than ever, and she is surprised.
“Harry, unless my nose is mistaken, you are presenting as an omega,” her eyes flick to Severus, “And Professor Snape needs to leave.”
Severus bristles and growls low. Harry whines at the noise, wanting to sit at the man's feet. Wait. What? Harry had liked the man for a while. A simple crush on a hot teacher who would never give a student the time of day, but this was new. The urge to bare his neck and submit was strong. Severus seems to break at the noise Harry makes, he looks horrified and stands. He steps back towards the door but Harry doesn't want him to leave.
“Alpha,” Harry whines, “Stay.”
The harsh man seems conflicted, “Hes eighteen he should have presented years ago, are you-” He breaks off, inhaling. Then he growls again. Harry’s skin is on fire and he purrs for his alpha.
Things had changed between them when Harry was fifteen. They weren't like best friends but after Harry’s total breakdown after the pensive incident. He had told the professor everything, and the man had been livid. Snape had been the only one to step up and berate Albus’ inaction surrounding Harry's childhood. He had taken a mentor role, helping Harry and Sirius settle into life together, after he had aggressively petitioned for Sirius' innocence and he defended Harry's choice to use any means to win the war.