Deathsong Balladeer

Objects in Motion

Sound filtered through Severus Snape\'s sleeping mind, vague and soft and slightly annoying. Someone was coughing. A dry, polite cough. Snape rolled over, trying to block out the sound. He had no classes to teach, and Harry was warm and comforting pressed against him. He wanted to remain in bed as long as he could.

\"Severus...\" That was Harry.

\"Go back to sleep.\" Snape mumbled, speaking into Harry\'s hair.

\"Sev...\" His voice was high, plaintive, soft. There was warning there.

\"Mmm?\" Snape opened his eyes, raising himself on one arm to glance down at his young lover. Harry\'s eyes were staring straight up at the ceiling, and there was a tremor to his lips. He was shivering, not enough to see, but Snape could feel it. \"Good Lord boy, what is the matter?\"

\"I think...\" A dry voice drawled from the vicinity of the doorway. \"That the *boy* is surprised to see me.\"

There was no word to describe the sense of panic and terror that overcame Snape. His throat closed, stopping all but the shallowest of breaths from escaping. His heart flew to his throat, adding to the sick, thick feeling there. A hard, cold lump formed in his stomach, a hand gripping his gut tightly. He forced himself to calm, to get a hold of himself. But it was nearly impose...e...

\"Lucius.\" Snape was amazed at how calm his voice was, how easy the word slipped from his dry throat.

\"Should I even ask?\" The blond man raised an eyebrow, indicating Harry. Snape wanted to reach out to the boy, to hold him close, but any show of affection would raise Lucius\' suspicions. Everything *seemed* all right. He saw no sign of anger in the other man, the trademarks of the emotion gone. Lucius\' _expression was bland, almost amused.

\"No.\" Snape said, hoping to match the same dry, light tone. //Act as though it is normal, and that you have no reason to fear being caught with the boy. And for the love of God Harry, act like you don\'t remember.\"

\"Then I won\'t. What on earth is wrong with the boy? He looks as though he\'s going to keel over here and now.\" Lucius cocked his head, arms folded.

\"I\'m sure you don\'t have to think too hard to figure that out.\" Snape sat up, languid and unhurried. \"The Headmaster would simply *love* to find out that his Potions master and his prize pupil are sleeping together.\" //Do nothing to counter that lie. Accept it as truth.//

\"Hmmm. Then perhaps you should learn the merits of locking your door.\"

\"Yes, yes. I hardly expected anyone down here.\" Snape raked his hair back. \"Harry, I suggest you leave. Now.\"

\"And be glad that Severus is the professor you decided to seduce.\" Lucius grinned, that grotesque smile Snape dreaded. \"You\'re little secret is safe with me.\"

Harry remained silent, still pressed tightly against the mattress. This wasn\'t going well. //Harry, just please go along with this.// Not that Snape didn\'t blame him. He could only imagine what must be going through the boy\'s head. He himself was terrified enough.

\"Go on, Harry.\" Snape said, as gently as he could allow himself in Lucius\' presence. Harry slowly began to move, emerald eyes fixed on Lucius, who was still sitting casually in the chair, watching on as though this were a rather entertaining play of some sort. Harry had the sheet wrapped firmly about his waist, moving cautiously. His clothing was on the side of the bed where Lucius was sitting. He stood on the other side of the bed, quivering. Snape was beginning to get worried.

\"Get dressed and go.\" Snape repeated, more firmly. //Dear Lord boy, please! I know this is difficult, but it must be done. You understand that, Harry...// Apparently he did. He took a few hesitant steps, sheet still held firmly about him. He was trembling, and Snape hoped Lucius would take it for cold. He reached the other side of the bed, and Snape was pleased to see the determined set of his jaw. He was not going to let this get to him. Harry bent, still gripping the sheet, to retrieve his pants and sweatshirt. Snape let his eyes trail upward, watching Lucius watching Harry. The same glint was in his eyes that had been there before. Hungry. Lucius\' tongue slipped out as Harry was forced to release the sheet as he pulled his pants on, flicking across his lips as he was allowed a fleeting glimpse of smooth muscle.

\"I will see you in class Monday.\" Snape said, in dismissal. He had the situation in hand. Harry nodded, dumbly, and stumbled out the door.

***

Harry managed to make it to his dorm. He wasn\'t sure how, he couldn\'t remember. He walked in some sort of a stupor, not looking or thinking, simply walking. He had long ago memorized most of the halls of Hogwarts, so that wasn\'t much of a problem. His mind was a blessed blank. It was frozen, still, seized up and numb. He lay down on his bed, dimly aware of voices calling to him. He ignored them. He couldn\'t handle that now. He could hear hushed voices, but all he could see behind his closed lids was *Him*.

Blood. Pain. Anger. Shame. It was all there, in a chaotic tumble that refused to rest. Blood. Pain. Anger. Shame. The feel of cold steel on his skin, of hot blood, nails, teeth, fingers....clawing, tearing, rending, digging into him, threatening to break him...he could *feel* it. Feel hands on him, rough and unrelenting. Harry twitched, batting at them, curling in on himself....

\"Harry!\"

He heard his name. The voice was....familiar. He swallowed hard, forcing his eyes to open. Someone was still touching him, but it was not Lucius. Lucius wasn\'t here. It was....Ron. Ron was shaking him, Ron was peering down at him with worried blue eyes, Ron was whimpering his name in a panicked mantra.

\"Ron.\"

The name was forced from Harry\'s lips, dry and rough. He uncurled, his body stiff. It ached. There was...*something* happening inside of him. He felt dead inside.

\"Harry, what happened?\"

\"Huh?\" //Play dumb, play dumb, he can\'t know, can\'t know, never know....//

\"You came in here like a zombie....you didn\'t answer anybody....what\'s wrong?\" Anxious voice. Plaintive. Afraid. Harry knew how he felt. He felt it to.

\"Nothing.\" A lie. Blatant and obvious, word betrayed by its tone. \"I\'m fine.\"

\"No...you\'re not.\"

\"I am.\" //Accept it Ron, take it as true, please!// Harry couldn\'t face those deep blue eyes. he knew he would tell, if he looked into them long enough.

\"No, you aren\'t....Harry, we\'re real worried about you.\"

\"I am.\" //Ron...please. You\'re my best friend, I love you, but you have to leave this alone!arryarry took a deep breath. Here, in the well lit and familiar dorm room, it didn\'t seem as bad.

\"Harry....\" Ron was hurt. Harry felt as though he were being torn apart inside. A part of him wanted to tell Ron everything, but the larger part of him knew that would be a bad idea. He took a few more calming breaths, filling his mouth and lungs with cool air. He had to give Ron something.

\"Look, something happened...\" He started, and Ron\'s eyes went from afraid to righteous. \"I\'m not allowed to talk about it!\" Harry hurried to continue. \"Something...sort of went wrong. I\'m not hurt, or anything, I\'ve just been...weirded out.\"

\"But...you\'re gonna be okay?\"

\"Fine.\" Harry even managed a trembling smile. \"I just need some time. Everyone...everyone who knows has been real good about it.\" That was true, sort of. Severus had gone out of his way for Harry, and he was thankful for that hop hoped Ron would accept this explanation. It was truth, just worded very carefully.

\"Okay....you know I\'m here for you, if you need me...\" Ron held out his hand, and Harry took it, pulling Ron into a tight hug. He was thankful his friend wasn\'t pushing, simply taking Harry as he was.

\"I know. Thanks.\" It felt good. Harry knew he had been ignoring Ron lately, but with everything that was going on... \"Wanna hang out for a little while?\" He didn\'t want to be alone.

\"Yeah.\" Ron nodded, squeezing Harry tightly. \"That\'d be good.\"

***

\"So...how, may I ask, did *this* little eventuality occur?\" Lucius raised one elegant eyebrow, tea cup held delicately between his fingers. \"I thought you had no taste for young boys?\" There was amusement in the other man\'s tone, and Severus took this as a good sign.

\"Yes, well...\" He waved his hand dismissively as though it really weren\'t any big thing. \"You seem to enjoy so much, I decided to see what all the fuss was.\"

\"Oh? And just how did you lure Mr. Potter into your bed, then?\"

\"Well...\" Now it got tricky. Snape set down his own tea, and folded his hands. \"When I preformed the memory charm on him, I didn\'t exactly.....get rid of things. I simply....changed them.\" A plausible story, and one that Lucius should accept.

\"Severus, you old git!\" Lucius laughed. \"I never figured you to take the easy way...\"

\"That was hardly the easy way.\" Snape bristled, defiant. \"The easy way was what you did. Simply forcing the boy. Rearranging his very thoughts...that takes subtlety and skill.\"

\"True, true.\" Lucius nodded. \"You are walking on eggshells.\"

\"I know.\" Snape shrugged. \"But in all honesty, if word leaked out who would believe it?\"

\"You never know...\" Lucius made a gesture with his hand. \"Some people will believe anything. Now, I\'m not here on pleasure....though that\'s not out of the question.\" Snape couldn\'t suppress a shiver at Lucius\' reptilian smile. Hopefully the other man would take it as anticipation, not disgust. \"I\'m here on business.\"

\"Oh?\" This was important.

\"Yes. Dumbledore is the main obstacle in our way of gaining control over the ministry.\"

\"Yes?\" Snape did not like where this was going.

\"We need *you* to keep a close eye on his movements. Oh, don\'t worry, you won\'t be asked to take out the old coot. You\'d be the first suspected. But we\'ll need a clear outline of his schedule, passwords, things of that sort.\" Lucius said it all with the air of one discussing the weather.

\"I see.\" Snape nodded. \"I cannot promise anything...\" //You\'ll never get accurate information from me.// \"But I will do what I can.\"

\"That\'s all we ask.\" Lucius set aside his tea cup, leaning back in the chair. \"I am certain your work will be...outstanding, as always.\"

\"Hmmm.\" Snape pursed his lips, nodding to acknowledge the comment. //I must see Dumbledore immediately. I wish I knew who the assassin was. Perhaps if I keep Lucius engaged in conversation....// \"Draco is doing quite well in his classes.\" Nothing caused Lucius to rant better then mentioning his son\'s prowess.

\"Isn\'t he th?\" ?\" Lucius smiled. \"I really am proud of the boy. He still cries, though. I really wish he wouldn\'t.\"

\"It is no fault of his.\" Snape said, as gently as he dared. He did what he could, but knew it wasn\'t enough.

\"Oh yes, so you say...\" Lucius waved his hand. \"But he has a tendency to softness. I can\'t have that in my son, Severus.\"

\"Draco is hardly soft. I really think you\'ve done all you can.\"

\"Nonsense!\" Another dismissive gesture. Snape had a sudden desire to simply leap upon Lucius, and tear him limb from limb. But it was only idle fancy. Any move of that sort would be detrimental, on many levels. So he restrained himself. \"But...enough talk. I\'ve an hour or so before I\'m expected back. You aren\'t too spoiled on young flesh not to appreciate the pleasure I offer?\" Childlike, mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Snape shuddered, but nodded.

\"Of course I\'m not spoiled.\" The words rebelled, wanting to die in his throat rather then see the light of day. He forced himself to remain still as Lucius rose, holding out his hand. He could still do it. He could kill him, and be done with it. It would be so easy, with Lucius in the throes of passion....pressure to the right point, the proper twisting of a nerve....But Snape knew he would not do it. He took Lucius hand, resigning himself to whatever the elder Malfoy had in store.

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