A Twisted Web We Weave

CHAPTER 14

Sitting quietly in what he liked to call ‘his corner’ of the library Harry felt relatively at ease. Outside he could hear the rest of the student population basking in what remained of the sunshine. It wouldn’t be long before the warm days gave way to cold icy winds, and rain as winter approached. Draco had been called to a ‘mentor’ meeting by Snape, so Harry had been sitting alone getting ahead in his homework and his projects. Harry had become almost a permanent fixture in the library over the past few months, his regular seat by the window, at the end of the row of books ‘H’ provided enough privacy not to be disturbed but also gave him a perfect view of the entire library enough to satisfy his paranoia. Today the library was practically empty accept for a few studious Ravenclaws.

Harry was writing in his potions diary quietly making note of the red inked comments Snape had left last week after marking it. Involuntarily Harry shivered as he ran his fingertips along the flowing script of the potion professor’s handwriting. Just thinking about the man made a strange swell of heat pool in his lower stomach, but like always he ignored it and continued writing.

Harry heard the man’s footsteps before the shadow fell over him, his body going rigid at the suddenly close proximity.

“Potter, the headmaster told me I’d find you here. Not outside enjoying the warm weather?” Harry took a deep steadying breath and glanced up at his Defense professor, inwardly wondering why the man had sought him out.

“No sir, I’ve got homework.” Harry closed his potions diary almost protectively drawing it closer to him as Julius Snape swept around the table and over to the window.

“You sound like my little brother when he was a school Harry, always had his nose buried in a book.” Julius spun around his hands clasped casually behind his back as he smiled the sickly sweet grin he favored, the one Harry really, really hated. But the smile was the last of Harry’s worries as his gaze fell on the emerald green eyes of the professor. Almost instantly he began to get the numb feeling again, his body rippled with an uncontrollable tension as the professor approached the table. Harry was practically gripping his red potions diary to his chest by the time Julius came to a stop directly beside his chair, those intoxicating green eyes almost capturing his soul.

“The headmaster asked me to talk with you Harry, it seems you’re a little out of sorts lately and I was wondering if there was anything I could help you with?” The grin on the professors’ face never faltered but something ominous flashed in those green eyes as the professor reached out and placed a comforting hand on the boys shoulder. Harry shuddered as the touch sent his mind spiraling into a myriad of thoughts. The smile on Julius face widened as Harry, slightly breathless all of a sudden leaned in to his touch. “I did tell them you and I had formed a bond together.” Julius slowly drew his fingers up from Harry’s shoulder to the boy’s neck before following the natural curve of the skin so that the cold fingertips ghosted over the boy’s throat, lips, cheek and nose. Harry was practically a brainless mush by the time Julius fingers came back to rest on his shoulder. Inwardly Harry continued to fight the sensations but he was helpless as Julius bent down to Harry’s eye level, the curtain of his dark hair hiding his words from anyone else that might be trying to listen. “I think we’ll talk up in my rooms Mr. Potter.” Harry tried desperately not to agree to the suggestion but those green eyes did strange things to him and he felt his head automatically nod in agreement to the professor, who grinned. “Come along.” With that Julius stood up straight and having tucked his hands behind his back again strode towards the exit of the library. In a dream Harry hurriedly stuffed his things haphazardly in his backpack before running to catch up with the professor. Like a dog being led by a leash Harry fell easily into step beside Julius, his arm just touching that of the professors. Julius smiled crookedly down at Harry who knew he was practically walking himself into trouble but had no means of fighting it. The mind wasn’t willing but the body was completely not his own.

Harry remembered dimly the corridors and staircases that wound their way up the west wing of the castle. With every turn he took he prayed for someone to be there to stop them, and with every step he took his heart rate rose a notch.

By the time they reached the defense professors private rooms, Harry was practically hyperventilating, his chest so tight he was sure it might burst. Yet nothing he did could break the spell the professor seemed to have over his body, and those eyes….

Julius pushed open the door to his room with ease and Harry glided in behind him automatically. The room was neat and tidy, but there was a certain coldness too it. Admittedly Harry hadn’t ever been inside a professor’s private rooms before but he imagined them to have at least some personal items strewn about yet Julius room seemed to have none. Harry practically jumped out of his skin as he felt the ghost of cold air and the slam of the door behind him. Like lightening the fake smile that had plastered Julius face for the past three months fell away and Harry felt the fear in the pit of his stomach begin to rise as the defense professor nailed him with a feral glare.

“Quite the boy genius aren’t you Potter?” Harry swallowed his body not allowing his mouth movement enough to reply. Frozen to the spot Harry watched as Julius flung off his cloak before stalking over to a table where two glasses and a bottle of scotch sat. “I believe even I was somewhat surprised by your uncanny ability to ‘fuck’ up my plans. I thought they were jesting when they said you’d foiled Voldemort plans five years in a row. Do you know how very irritating it is to have you buggering around my brother like a bad smell. I thought you hated him!” Harry watched as Julius poured to glasses of the scotch before removing a small vial of liquid from his trouser pocket. “…and I was under the impression your occlumency lessons had been a complete failure…obviously my brother taught you something.” Julius put three drops of liquid from the vial into one of the scotch glasses and swilled it around. “but luckily I’ve got experience on my side and the element of surprise.” Julius thrust the scotch glass into Harry’s hand, the one he’d just added the three drops of potion too. “Drink up my boy, if your willingness is anything to go by that stuffs beginning to work.” Harry’s hand shook as he forced himself to not lift the glass to his mouth but the pull was too strong and when those green eyes focused on him, he was helpless. The foul concoction burnt its way down his throat as he swallow, before he dropped the glass to the floor shattering it completely.

“Don’t try and fight it Harry, it’s designed and made especially for you, balanced perfectly to encompass your magic completely.” Harry shook his head his vision a little fuzzy. Julius sipped from his own glass of scotch before approaching Harry with a confident swagger in his step. Harry felt himself wince as the man reached out a hand and dragged it softly down the side of his face.

“You do look a lot like James did, beautiful eyes, those sinful lips and that unruly mop of hair.” Harry continued to shake as Julius drained his glass of scotch dropping it on the floor beside Harry’s own shattered glass. “I wonder…” Julius didn’t finish his sentence as he bent down and captured Harry’s lips with his own. Harry could do very little but accept the passionate kiss, his tongue automatically sliding along side Julius own probing muscle. Harry could feel the slight rough stubble of the man’s cheek as the kiss continued, the flavor of the scotch masking any other taste. At length Julius pulled away his pink tongue flicking out to lick the spittle off his lips. “Yep, you kiss like him too.” Harry was sickened by what he just heard but that feeling of needing the man came sweeping back to him and he found himself involuntarily stepping forward towards the wizard. Julius chuckled at this expression of need.

“Works a charm.” Julius muttered with a sly grin as he spun around and headed towards another doorway leading off from the main lounge. “Stay here, while I collect my things, it’s time you and I needed to be leaving, the parcel I sent my dear brother will be here any moment and we don’t want to be around then.” Harry was panicking already wondering what on earth was going on, although now he began to realize one thing. With those eyes gone, and the proximity between them lessoned, the hold Julius seemed to have over Harry was slightly diminished. Taking his opportunity Harry grabbed for his ‘stolen diary’ from his bag. With the quill still inked from the library Harry turned to his last entry and in large letters scrawled,

‘It’s not me. It’s you. SS. Juli…..’ The quill ran out of ink before he could finish Julius’s name and with a quick charm sent the book flying through the door of the room towards Severus’s desk in his potions classroom. With luck the wizard would find it and come and help him. Not a second after the diary had disappeared Julius reappeared, wearing the cloak he’d seen the man wearing when he’d spied on him. “Come along Potter.” Julius gestured for Harry to come to him and the boy obediently followed his instructions his bag forgotten on the floor beside the broken glasses. “Some security before we go.” Harry swallowed in fear as he watched the man pull out the silver band he’d seen him retrieve from the book in the library. With the clasp undone the silver band slipped easily around Harry’s neck who, having now gotten a closer look at it was studded with diamonds. The collar snapped into place and Harry winced as it tightened slightly around his neck, not so that it choked him but tight enough not to move much. “Beautiful.” Julius whispered as he ran his fingertips over the cold silver of the collar that had magically sealed shut. “Now hands around my waist.” Harry automatically did as he was told as he watched Julius pull out his wand from the pouch beneath his cloak. Julius held out his palm flat and with a flick of his wand and a strange incantation, not in English a bright ball of light erupted and began spinning on the wizards’ palm. Harry was in aw and hardly noticed as the glowing light began to engulf him and Julius.

By the time Harry realized he was being sucked into a portal it was too late, and as the world went black Harry wondered if this was the end…

TBC>>>>>>>>>>