Short Fuse

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its corresponding ideas and themes. If I did, well, never mind; that\'s a big if.

Summary: This takes place in Harry\'s 7th year. Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape... are they really what they seem? Some things in Harry\'s life aren\'t as simple as they seem, and with his powers growing, he begins to learn this in a difficult way.

Notes: Yes, I am one crazy mother... Welcome to the Insanity.

\"I want to hurt you and don\'t know why
Though i know it\'s not like me
I can not help it, though I try to keep you away

All this time i thought I knew who you were
But this time all your words were just lies for demise
And your thoughts were found unpure
So when push comes to shove i found reasons
To not work it out or relate
And get off on the fear that i get when your near
And the problems that I create

This time, I think you\'ll finally see
This time, I will not break
This time, I\'m smart enough to know
There is only so much I\'ll take\"- \"This Time\" by Depswa


Chapter 12. Punch to the Face

A yell woke Draco from his sleep. The blonde sleepily opened his eyes and sat up, looking around to see who made the noise, but he saw no one. Getting up and yawning, Draco undressed and redressed in clothes he found in the drawers, pleased that whomever owned them had some style. Checking over his simple tight black jeans and green button up shirt. The blonde pushed a few strands of hair out of his eyes, walking over to the door just as another yell caught his attention. Rushing out into the hall, a small boy was running away from a shaggy man. Draco wondered where he had seen that face before, when the name went through his head, and Draco retrieved his wand.

\"Stupefy!\" he yelled, knocking him out in one blast. The other boy stopped, cradling a camera in his hands. Draco moved cautiously over to the fallen man when Remus Lupin jumped out of nowhere and started lifting him.

\"Professor, you do know who that is, right?\" Lupin blinked at Draco before swatting the wand from his hand.

\"Yes, he is my mate. Attack him like that again, and I will not be heald responsible for my actions.\"

Looking at the professor oddly, never before hearing Lupin growl or see him act like that before, Draco decided it would be better if he found Harry and talked to him about a few things. Backing away from the two and muttering an apology, Draco grabbed his wand and bolted in a different direction, hoping to find Harry before he ran into anyone else. Remus woke his lover, nudging Sirius in the ribs.

\"Why were you chasing that boy, Padfoot?\"

\"\'Cause, he took pictures of us in bed.\" Sirius growled again, getting up to look for Colin, this time Remus hot on his heels.
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Draco found Harry sitting at the breakfast table with none other than his own godfather, Severus Snape. Severus was glaring hard at the Golden Boy, like he wished that at that moment the boy would burst into flames and be done with it. Harry, on the other hand, was smirking, something Draco had never really seen the boy do. It was obvious who was leading this conversation. The blonde walked into the room, grabbing a glass and filling it with Pumpkin Juice. He pretended not to hear what they were saying, though he was listening in to see what Potter had Severus in a twist about.

\"... it is pointless for you to deny it, professor. Io needs someone to look after him, and with the war going on, my inheritance still not fully activated, and Draco, I don\'t have time to watch him. He is still very much in pain, and he\'ll want you there. You need to go back.\"

\'They\'re talking about the servant\' thought Draco, \'What does Severus have to do with that boy?\'.
*Fucking Potter, shut up, boy. I love my little Ethereal, but I don\'t know what good my being there will be* the thought seemed to jump through Draco\'s mind in Severus\'s voice. Draco\'s eyes widened when he realized Snape hadn\'t actually said anything.

\"Potter, I have to do no such thing, or anything, for that matter.\"
*Io is in more pain than I can stomach to see him in, and there\'s nothing I can do about it*

\"But sir, you know how he feels....\"
*You greasy-haired git, just go to him! You know you like him*

\"Potter, I said no, and I mean it. Go away before I hex you. It\'s summer, and I don\'t have to put up with your high-and-mighty attitude during the holidays.\"

Both of the Slytherins never saw the fist approach quickly, striking out and catching the potions master squarely in the jaw, knocking him and his chair back and onto the floor. Snape was surprised that Harry had hit him, and when he looked back at the boy, he glared at him challengingly. Harry was shaking slightly from the righteous anger that coursed through him. Not caring that his mate was in the same room, Harry dropped down to the professor\'s side, pulling him up by his shirt to bring their faces only inches apart.

\"Snivellus, I am getting quite sick of your attitude towards me. I want it to penetrate that brain of yours, I do not think I am better than you. I am not high and mighty, and any other image of a hero you have painted in your mind. I have lived most of my life putting up with this bullshit, where I was expected to do better because of who I am, that most people are either with me or against me just because I am the-boy-who-lived, and that everyone thinks I have had the perfect life. Well, let me tell you of my perfect life.\" Harry pulled the older Slytherin to his feet with un-characteristic strength. Snape was still silent and hadn\'t said anything at all. Harry snorted and started to pace, letting muscles that Snape was sure hadn\'t been there before flex, his shirt now bulging from the strain.

\"My parents were killed by a lunatic when I was only 1 year old, and I was landed with my aunt and uncle, both of whom hate my guts to this day. I was locked up in a cupboard and starved until I was 11. The beatings started when I was nearly 12, but the bruises were easily concealed. I have been hunted down and very nearly killed every day since 1st year at Hogwarts. My godfather and Cedric died because of me. Last year, My uncle took to raping me when he couldn\'t get my aunt to put out. I have lived through all of the worst things that a person should be put through, and even if my life is nowhere near as bad as others, I still believe I\'ve earned some reprieve. I am the one expected to kill the Dark Lord, and you attempting, pathetically I might add, to make my life any more miserable than it already is doesn\'t help me. You say you act this way towards me because you think the other professors treat me special. Bullshit. The truth of the matter is, you are treating me special. You are treating me like an idiot, using every spare moments in your life to try and belittle me and get back for whatever my father may have done to you in the past. I\'m sorry Professor Snape, but I am not my father, and I am not here to make up for his transgressions. We are at war, and if you keep on forgetting that I am the lights only chance, than you can sod off now and got back to your precious Dark Lord.\" Harry roughly shoved the man, his sneer matching Snape patented one. Snape was shocked, but at the same time, furious. Even if every word he had said was true, the potions master didn\'t want to admit it.

\"Now, mad at me or not, go see Io. If he wakes, he will want you by his side.\" With that Harry walked away, grabbing the younger Malfoy on his way out and dragging the boy into an unfilled room, leaving Snape to think about what he had just said.
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\"What do you want, Draco?\"
*I know what I want...*

\"shite...\" the blonde whispered, sitting down on the couch and covering his ears.

\"Draco?\" *WTF is wrong with him?*

*Fucking Potter, why do you have to make so much sense?*
*I can\'t wait to develop these pictures!*
*Didn\'t know she could do THAT with her tongue...*
*Stupid boy... he is cute though.*
*When I get my hands on that little punk, I\'m going to wring his neck!*

Harry shook Draco, trying to get him to tell him what was wrong. The boy held onto his ears in a near vice-like grip, shaking his head to some unknown sound. He closed his eyes and muttering \'no\' under his breath. Harry stopped trying to shake him, instead pulling the hands away from the boy\'s ears, holding onto his head himself and brining Draco\'s gaze onto his. He made sure Draco could hear him, and knew he was there, before speaking.

\"Draco? Can you hear me? What\'s wrong? Tell me! What is wrong?\"

\"I can hear them... all of them.\" Draco said, his voice barely a whisper, as he started to rock back and forth.

\"Who can you hear? What are you talking about?\"

\"I can hear you Harry. I can hear Weasley and Hermione snogging in the library. I can hear Severus walking towards the infirmary. I can hear my father and that boy with the camera. I can hear all of them, Harry, their thoughts.\" The golden child ran a hand through his hair, stopping to think, before sliding his hand under Draco\'s chin, lifting it slightly.

\"Concentrate on this, Draco.\" Harry caught Draco\'s lips with his own, pressing softly into the blonde who simply moaned in response, his mind becoming clearer than it had been before.
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Snape was still grumbling to himself as he entered the Infirmary. Poppy was dealing with a very energetic Colin, who sniffed slightly and looked to his shattered camera sadly. Snape ignored the two as he walked over to the chair he had occupied previously, and sat down, raking his eyes over the unchanged boy. Severus sighed, burying his face in his hands before stopping and relaxing into the chair. He had hoped that Io had perhaps gotten a little better since his short departure, but no luck seemed to come to the potions master. Io\'s breathe was still the same, slow and steady, but weak. His cuts were still the same size, and the bruises just got deeper and deeper as the seconds ticked off. Snape bent forward, taking the boy\'s hand in his own.

\"Io, why wont you heal?\" he said, thinking that maybe the boy could answer him. \"Io, you need to get better. I... damn it Potter! Why do you have to be right? Io, I am telling you to get better. If you don\'t...\"

The Head Slytherin stopped as something different went over Io. The bruises that had been getting deeper and larger started to fade, while cuts hissed as if the blood inside was water boiling, each one sealing slowly. Snape heard the boy gasp, small amounts of pain accompanying each cut\'s disappearance for a few seconds. Io arched in the bed once again as his internal injury healed, sending pain wracking his frame. Io\'s eyes fluttered weakly as he slowly came down, trying to understand where he was. His hands came up, instantly touching the spot where his collar had once been. The boy seemed to gain energy with each passing moment, and Snape was gaping when the boy stood, looking happily around the room. Then, his eyes landed on Snape, and he giggled. The professor nearly toppled over in shock.

\"Io, do you know who I am?\" The boy smiled, walking up swiftly to the professor and pressing a kiss to the man\'s cheek.

\"You are Severus, and I loved the look on your face.\" Snape suddenly noticed the change in Io\'s eyes.

\"Io, your eyes!\"

\"What about them?\" asked the boy, going over to the mirror and checking them out. Snape sputtered.

\"They\'re golden, Io! What happened to the crimson and amethyst?\"

\"I\'m not too sure what you are speaking of, professor.\"

\"Io, what do you remember, besides me?\" The boy studied the man closely, watching as the man stood and loomed over him, his eyebrows raised questioningly. Io giggles again, smiling up at Snape.

\"Not much sir. Besides you, the last thing I remember is breaking up with my boyfriend, and then, poof, I\'m here.\" Snape was even more confused, but something seemed to strike him as odd with Io\'s last statement.

\"Io, what was your boyfriend\'s name?\" Io continued to smile, but answered casually.

\"Ethan, of course. Why do you ask?\"
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THANKS TO REVIEWERS!

tessa3~ Oh no, I have three more stories planned to follow this universe and time line, so no way in hell is Io gonna die! And anyway, I never actually said Lucius and Colin will get together... but you know they will. Good guess.

Narcissa Black~ We\'re getting closer, so don\'t you worry! And my friends might like the cage too much. Besides, one of them is really good at picking locks and stuff, and a latch would pose no problem at all for them to get through. Idk...

Aisling~ Of course Colin. It wouldn\'t be too bad, I mean, one of the most innocent characters in HP and one of the evilest; How could that not be a winning combo?

Memdrake~ I\'d rather you write down your feelings. I like being able to say more than a few things to my reviewers, so, don\'t worry if they\'re correct or not, alright?

sbkar~ yeah, the power thing makes my plot bunnies excited, so they give me funny ideas to do with it. Sleep is just one of the many \'interesting ideas\' I have come up with for Harry to take advantage of.
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Yawn... sleepy, sleepy, sleepy... fuck, I still have a few more hours on this thing!