Where Others Fear to Tread

Chapter 19

Harry awoke to a warm body pressed against him. Mumbling quietly to himself Harry nuzzled closer into the warmth of the person beside him, his arm automatically folding across the other’s waist. A pleasant feeling of relaxation washed over Harry and the boy yawned in contentment as he slowly opened his eyes. What his eyes met however was by far the scariest thing he’d yet encountered in his young life. There staring back at him was a familiar pair of obsidian eyes.

“Shit!” Harry practically leapt from the bed as he realized whom he’d just been snuggling up to. Unfortunately his feet tangled in the bed sheets and before Harry knew it, he had landed in an ungraceful heap on the floor. Looking up over the edge of the bed Harry watched as a wicked smile broke out onto Snape’s face.

“Smooth dismount Potter.” Snape chuckled evilly as he himself rose from the bed before tying his dressing gown about him.

“How did I get here.” Harry inquired, as he rose from the floor remembering having spent all afternoon yesterday in the library but not much else. Snape moved out into the living area, and Harry hastily flicked his wand at the bed so that it made itself before following his mate out into the other room.

“When you missed dinner last night we assumed you were still a little heated after the argument at lunch, so we left you. When you then didn’t show up here afterwards I naturally went looking for you. You’d fallen asleep in the library and were drooling quite disgustingly all over this particular book. I brought you back here.” Snape had sat himself down in the armchair by the fire a cup of steaming tea in one hand and the book Harry had been reading all afternoon in the other. Harry swallowed awkwardly as he sat down opposite Snape in the other armchair, reaching for the morning tray of tea the house elves had brought in. “This is a strange book to be reading in your spare time wouldn’t you say?” Snape sat the book on his lap and began flipping idly through the pages, Harry watching him cautiously over the rim of his cup of tea.

“Not really, I just felt like reading up on something I didn’t know a lot about.” Harry dismissively nodded his head towards the book as he sipped from his tea, still a little pissed about their argument yesterday about Draco’s stay. Harry however had found out some quite interesting things before he’d fallen asleep yesterday afternoon and he eagerly took the opportunity of an interested Snape to question the man about what he’d learnt. “Did you know wizarding family seals were first used to dictate ownership of one families property from another’s? Much like muggles brand cattle, wizards used to brand their house elves?” Harry watched cautiously as Snape sipped from his tea the man doing his infuriating habit of not looking up from his book when he was answering a question.

“Yes, it was common practice back then, barbaric but common.” Snape replied calmly still thumbing his way through the book while he sipped his morning tea. Irritated by Snape’s seeming lack of interest Harry continued, determined to gather as much information as possible while he had this moment.

“Did you know they also used to brand their children as well? It was like a right of passage, to accept your family’s seal on your skin was a sign of your worth?” Harry raised a curious eyebrow at Snape, daring the man to answer the question rather than brush it off.

“Again Potter, this is not news to me. Our wizarding ancestors were rather archaic in their rituals and traditions but no more so than muggles of the same time.” Snape sniffed indignantly at something he’d just read in the book but he didn’t comment and instead continued to flip through the pages. Snape was deliberately being obtuse and awkward and it was driving Harry insane. So Snape probably didn’t make the connection between the abrupt discussions of Draco’s ‘non-existent’ tattoo but the least the man could do was take Harry’s bait instead of acting all blasé about the topic. Sighing in frustration Harry tried once more.

“It was only ever the males in a family that took the family seal. At parties, balls and dances their seals were displayed as a sign of their wealth, breeding and status to all the eligible females out there. It was even common practice that when a woman married a man that she received the man’s family seal so that everyone else knew she was already taken.” This time Harry smiled secretly in success as Snape looked up from the book to stare at Harry.

“What are you telling me here Potter?” Snape inquired tightly causing Harry to frown a little not really understanding what Snape was talking about. A reply obviously wasn’t needed though as Snape continued quickly. “Are you suggesting I pin you down and brand you as mine with a hot iron? Or perhaps you’d like me to urinate all over you, marking you with my scent so that all rogue ‘potion professors’ know you’re already a kept man.” Harry knew that tone. Snape was mocking him. Standing abruptly from his chair Harry slammed his cup down on the coffee table and glared at the man over the rims of his glasses.

“You didn’t believe me when I told you Draco has your family seal tattooed on his shoulder did you?” Snape had shut the book on his lap and put down his half empty cup of tea watching through narrowed eyes as Harry glared down at him, determination in his eyes.

“I told you Potter, Draco has no tattoo.” Harry shook his head angrily at his mate and pointed to the door to the bedroom, the exact place he’d seen Draco’s tattoo.

“I saw it, there on his shoulder when he turned around for you to look at his injured back. It was there, why would I lie?” Exasperated Harry folded his arms across his chest, suddenly feeling hurt that Snape didn’t believe him. “Either you know it’s there and are lying to me or he’s concealing it from you in some way just as he is from everyone else.” Harry couldn’t keep the hurt tone out of his voice and he turned his back on Snape having felt another tantrum coming on. Behind him Harry heard Snape sigh heavily and the slide of a book being pushed onto the table.

“Alright I concede.” Harry glanced back over his shoulder as he heard Snape’s words. “For all I know Draco might have a concealed tattoo on his shoulder and it just might be my family’s seal but I doubt it means anything as sinister as you’re making it out to be.” Harry’s small won triumph fell flat on its face the moment Snape’s mouth opened again. “A tattoo is a tattoo, it means nothing. These practices you are describing are nearly two millennia old and most of them died out along with the wizards who used to practice them, Draco in no way is trying to resurrect past traditions. In fact I doubt very much if the boy even knows about them, history isn’t his strong point.” Harry continued to stare at Snape over his shoulder as the man sat back in his chair, having picked up his teacup again. “Now are you going to let this go?” Harry turned around slowly and stared at Snape, niggling questions still bubbling in Harry’s mind. Harry wasn’t stupid though and he knew that to disagree with Snape was asking for trouble, so Harry simply nodded. Snape sighed and acknowledged Harry’s positive reply with a nod of his own. “Good now go and dress, I believe you have some apparition practice to attend to, if you’ve got any hope of passing the test next Friday.” Snape picked up the paper from the table and began to read, and Harry sighed as he left he lounge and headed back into the bedroom, to shower and change. Snape was being far too defensive of his godson and this only fueled Harry’s determination further. Even if Harry had to peel the truth from Draco’s dead body the boy would get to the bottom of the tattoo and its connection with Snape.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>