Totem

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used here just the devious little mind making them dance.

//blah, blah, blah// - denotes thoughts
// ‘blah blah’ // Snape’s thought in Harry’s mind

Pairing: Snape X Harry, Harry X Snape

Summary: Harry retreats to Hogwarts after his latest battle seeking safety, comfort and something else…

***

Totem: Chapter 14

Harry drifted along in his dreams delighted by the comfortable warmth that permeated his body. He saw images of his friends safe and happy, reminding him of their joyful laughs and bright smiles. There were moments of soft touches and whispered promises breathed by a man of dark eyes and black hair. He reveled in commanding hands gracing his lithe body beneath the warm summer sun until the blackness crept in. First, the smell of blood and singed flesh, then flashes of fresh, red wounds and splintered white bones. Oh God, the screaming! He tried to cover his ears or tear them off, anything to stop the deafening sound piercing him. He had to make it stop. No more dying. No one else would die so he could live. No one! Though he fought to move, Harry found himself bound and powerless in the horror surrounding him. He tried to cry out for the one who would never leave him, the only one who could help him now, “Severus! Severus!!!” Unknown to Harry, buried deep in his agony, a sliver light wrapped around him in the dark dream and waited.

The bed shook violently, barely rousing Snape from his peaceful slumber. He couldn’t place himself. He had been in his lab making a potion, then, oh yes, he’d come back to his room to sleep, then Harry... Harry? Soft flesh jerked against his body and Snape woke fully to Harry’s nightmare.

“Harry! Harry wake up. Come on. Harry!”

Snape took hold of the convulsing body but Harry did not awaken. He spread himself on top crushing Harry into the bed trying to control the spasms and called again directly into Harry’s ear hoping to awaken him, but there was still no response. What should he do? He couldn’t leave Harry like this even to fire call for help. Terrified, he closed his eyes and every ounce of Snape’s being called for Harry. A void like night swirled around him. Vicious sounds assaulted his ears. Snape suddenly stood in the midst of Harry’s torment. The landscape was surreal, bloodied and horrible like a fresh battlefield. He shifted through burning bodies searching for Harry. His eyes caught a light in the darkness and moved towards it. A form of silver white, unspoiled by the macabre surroundings, sat with Harry in its lap. As Snape approached he noted the silver snake slithering on the being’s arm. It lifted Harry’s body to Snape.

“You can take him to safety,” a wispy voice entreated him.

Severus grasped Harry tightly shielding him from the horror around them. He whispered softly, “It’s all right. There’s nothing here, only me, love. We’re at home in my room. I’m waiting for you to wake up, to come back. Won’t you come back to me, Harry? Won’t you wake up for me?”

Harry opened his eyes. The dark crimson canopy of Snape’s bed loomed over him. His body ached and was drenched in sweat. He lay safely within Snape’s fierce embrace. In his ear he heard the words of home and the sweat entreaties that brought him out of the dream of death and back to waking life. He shifted in Snape’s arms. “I’m here,” he croaked. Harry took slow deep breaths letting the terror subside in the warmth of his love’s touch. It had been a long time since a dream had taken him like that. For the first time however he was not alone. Somehow Snape had saved him, brought him back to his waking life. The weight and warmth of Snape’s body pressing him down comforted him immensely.

“Harry?” Snape whispered. He listened to the long hard breaths Harry relinquished in his ear.

Harry lifted his hands to caress Snape’s sides. “Just a dream, nothing more…” came Harry’s weak voice. He pressed his cheek to Snape’s. “I’m fine.” //as long as you are here…//

Snape moved to the side so Harry could breath easier but he did not let go. “Do you dream like that often?” He brushed the back of his fingers across Harry’s flush cheeks.

Snape looked worried. “No, my dreams are usually just reinventions of my past. Although horrific in their own right they are rarely that …consuming. “ He gave Snape a reassuring smile as he trail his fingertips lightly over Snape’s smooth skin. The man flinched suddenly. “What?”

“Nothing…just time to go back to the lab.” Snape reluctantly pulled away from Harry and dressed. He didn’t want to leave so soon but if he didn’t get tot he lab in the next few minutes the potion would be ruined.

“How is the potion going?” Harry asked. Suddenly bereft of the Snape’s comforting warm weight Harry rose from the bed and approached Snape. He wasn’t ready to let go just yet.

“Slow. But I should be able to sneak back here from time to time.” Harry’s soft touch from behind made him turn. He looked into those deep green eyes
“No bad dreams next time.’’ Harry whispered as he leaned his body against Snape’s. There it was, that wonderful feeling of Snape’s body against his. He wrapped his arms around the man. “Mmmm.”

“Promise…” Snape murmured as he fell on Harry’s lips crushing the younger man to him. He felt dizzy as he quested after Harry, his tongue sinking further and further into Harry’s warm wet cavern. His body winged again and he gently pulled away from the pliant panting mouth. “..have to go..” he lamented

“oh…” moaned Harry, “next time let’s start here instead of end here?” Harry rubbed his semi-hard cock against Snape as another kiss took his mouth fast and hard.

“Agreed,” groaned Snape as he painfully pulled himself away and headed to his lab.


***


Draco lay in his bed staring up at the ceiling. He was counting the ceiling tiles again. It was the best way to avoid thinking about his ‘situation’. He wondered if Harry would come back and play chess with him again. The medi-witch had repaired his mis-healing hip yesterday while he slept. His body still didn’t feel right but he wasn’t in any pain.

“How are you young Draco?” Poppy asked as she magiced away the tray that held his let over lunch. She began to twitter around his bed check his wounds while straightening and cleaning.

“Fine. Do you know if, umm, Harry, will be coming by this afternoon?” Draco asked with a quiet hopeful voice.

“I don’t really know.” Poppy stopped her fussing and looked into the doe like eyes. “Mmm, board aren’t you?”

Draco looked at Poppy and recited, “There are 827 ceiling tiles. 43 of them are missing and another 50 have at latest 1 crack….”

Poppy laughed and flicked her wand at a near by chair. The legs came to life and the chair walked over to them. “Why don’t you go explore the castle a little bit? See if you can’t something familiar”

“But what about my leg?”

“I’ve placed and immobilizing charm on it. Should heal just fine. We’ll just secure you in the walking chair and it will take you out and about safely enough.” Poppy smiled as she levitated Draco into the chair.

That explained why Draco felt funny. Part of his body was under a spell to keep him still. As he was lowered into the seat he felt himself sort of, sucked, into the chair.

“There we go, all nice and snug.” Poppy leaned around him and pulled a small blanket over the boy’s shoulders. “Incase you get a chill. This castle is always so drafty. All set!” She pronounced beaming into Draco’s eyes. “Now it’s not a smooth ride but trust the chair to take care of you and you’ll be fine. You simply have to tell it where you want to go.”

“Thanks.” Draco beamed back. He felt the chair jerk and begin to slowly lop away from Poppy. He was excited to see the rest of the castle or really anything other than the inside of the infirmary.

****

The chair gently jostled Draco as it walked along. He found that he didn’t have to tell the chair much of anything. If he didn’t say anything it just kept walking along the hallways. If he wanted to take a specific route then he piped up and the chair obeyed. For the most part though Draco was content on just going where ever the chair would take him. Hogwarts was huge. He stared in awe at the vacuous hallways extending in all directions. “Well I certainly hope you know where you’re going,” Draco said the chair, “cause I haven’t a clue.” The chair ambled into a long hallway lined with glass cases. There were awards and trophies and pictures of young student wizards waving happily at him. He saw house banners with coats of arms, pictures of clubs and teams proudly stood before him as he passed. //wonder where I am in any of these?// He caught a few of the pictures playing pranks on one another and he laughed. It was fun to watch.

“They don’t get many visitors during the summer.” Draco turned to the portrait of some elderly wizard in a floppy hat. “They’ll be up all night chatting, now.”

“erm, Sorry.” Draco’s chair directed him to the painting he was talking with.

“Oh fa, quite alright, quite alright. It gets rather tiresome without the children here. Are you among these pictures?”

“I was just wondering that myself.” Draco said looking back down the hallway. “I’ve got a bit of problem with my memory at the moment. S’why I’m here during summer.”

“Well let’s have a look at you.” The portrait donned a pair of tinny square spectacles and looked Draco up and down. “Hmmm you look like you run in the Malfoy line, yes?”

“If you say so.” Draco’s face turned a dark rose. No one had mentioned to him his last name.

“Well there’s a very nice picture of a Malfoy right over there in the dueling club photos. Why don’t you go see if can recollect who that is?” the kindly old wizard heartened.

The chair lumbered over to the area in question. Draco eagerly filtered through the pictures as the children in them all pointed to one near the center. There was a very elegant young man with penetrating eyes and long flowing white hair. He wore fine blue robes with black gauntlets. In his leather clad fingers he twirled a Rosewood wand while smirking victoriously. At first Draco had no reaction other than to think that this boy was regal and quite handsome. He could see his own reflection in the dark case. They did look a little a like. He tried to remember who this was. Older brother? An uncle, or cousin…. Father? He felt uneasy. Was this his Father? As he stared trying to remember the boy in the picture, something in the pit of his stomach began to swell. He wanted to look away from the picture, to run, go, be free…// set free, release, save, got to save him, got to, go save him! // Suddenly, he couldn’t catch his breath. His chest pulled and pulled for air. He struggled against the bonds of the chair. A hand pressed against his shoulder and he looked up with wild eyes to see Harry beside him. Then it was gone: the panic and the need to go simply melted along with any recognition of the man in the picture. “Why?” Draco asked Harry, tears filling his eyes. “Why is this happening to me? What’s wrong with me? WHAT DID I DO?” He cried out.