The death dancer

THE DEATH DANCER

-CHAPTER TWO-

BETA: Hannah

INFO: www. livejournal. com /users/draycious


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Harry gulped. He gasped for air and tried to keep the tears in his eyes away from falling which came as a result when choking on the potato. The other children looked at him with glee in their eyes. They supposed he was out of question now, good for them , less competition!

Professor Snape didn’t look at all surprised to see him there in the orphanage but he raised an eyebrow at his presence. Harry suddenly became very self-conscious over his very thin body with all the bruises visible. He couldn’t hide all of them, especially those on his face. The bruises were in various stages of colouring. Some of them were angry black, while others were painful purple or even yellow.

He gulped again.

“I’d say,” Snape said darkly while looking at him. Harry felt shivers running down his spine. What would happen next? Would Snape give away they knew each other from earlier, or would he pretend they had never met? Would Snape even tell this to his friends or the headmaster? He supposed not, Snape had always hated him, so why save him from this humiliating situation? He wasn’t even sure if he deserved being saved from this.

“Please have a seat Mr. Snape,” Madam Dran said but despite the invitation Snape still stood. Madam Dran spotted the fault almost immediately. “Potter! Stand up and give Mr. Snape your chair! Serve him food! I’ve never seen worse manners!” she snapped.

Harry jumped up. He knew it would make no good to protest over the unfairness of it all. She would always single him out from the other children. Everything was his fault. He took his own plate and glass away and walked as fast as he could without running. When he came back Snape was seated. Harry gave him a new plate, fork, knife and a glass. He also served Snape some wine. The children weren’t allowed to drink of course, but he knew that quite a few of them used to while working, whenever they could. He didn’t think they cared about what it was they swallowed, as long as it had its desired effect.

“Would you like chicken or lamb, sir?” he asked formally.

“Lamb... please,” Snape said and it sounded like the word ’please’ was foreign and seldom used by his tongue. That was odd since Snape was usually a well behaved man with good manors. Maybe he just thought it was strange to be polite to a Potter.

Harry served, when he was done he went to stand beside Madam Dran with his hands behind his back just like she had taught him.

“More wine!” Madam Dran snapped.

He hurried over to serve.

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When the dinner was over the others moved into another room. He however was assigned to take care of the dishes after everyone else.

“That’s Potter that one. He’s no good. I’ve tried everything possible but he really is impossible, he does have a job though. A pitiful job he does though,” he heard Madam Dran say, before he door closed. He fumed silently as he took care of the dirty dishes. He couldn’t believe his bad luck with having Snape seeing him in this situation. His anger made him tremble and he lost his grip on a plate.

CRASH

“POTTER!” Madam Dran shouted.

He gulped again. He couldn’t believe he broke a plate, what was he thinking? He slowly walked into the other room with his head bowed. He knew it didn’t matter if he explained it was an accident.

“Yes Madam?” he whispered.

Smack!

She slapped him across his cheek.

“That should teach you to be careful! Take care of it Potter!” she said.

He left, never once looking up. He didn’t want to see what he already knew would be there. The children smirking at him, Snape sneering and Madam Dran… well he didn’t really want to think about that.

“That’s the only way Potter learns,” he heard Madam Dran explain to Snape before the door closed once again. He supposed Snape would agree with her on that. Snape had always been bitching about his lack of manners in school.

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After he had taken care of everything Evan took him to his room. He only got smacked around a little bit this time because Evan had to go to a meeting. Harry sighed in relief even if being hit on old bruises hurt like hell.

It was a short relief he had.

“Potter!”

He sighed again and went downstairs after washing away the blood coming from re-opened wounds.

“Yes Madam?” he asked.

“Mr. Snape is here, do you really think that it is the right time for some sweet rest in your room?” she asked staring him down.

“No Madam Dran,” he said quietly and took a seat as he looked away from her.

“Potter. Why is there blood on your clothes?” Snape asked with a frown.

Harry froze. He couldn’t believe he missed a spot! Then again there was sparse with light in the bathroom, so it wasn’t easy to see everything.

“I...er... cut myself on the broken dish sir,” he said quickly.

“Clumsy as always Potter!” Madam Dran sneered at him and huffed. He really didn’t know why she disliked him so much, he hadn’t done anything to her. He suspected she was sadistic by nature, while she didn’t hate the other children just as much as she hated him, she wasn’t nice to them by far either.

“Oh really Potter? Where’s your cut?” Snape asked with fake politeness.

Harry quickly showed him a cut on his arm that he had only just gotten from Evan.

Snape still looked suspicious of him.

“How did you get those bruises?”

“He got into a fight with some street boys,” Madam Dran cut Snape off.

“Why were you out on the streets Potter?” Snape asked, clearly not intimidated by Madam Dran at all. Harry wouldn’t have thought any less of Snape, the man was an ex-death eater, still attending meetings, and had seen and met far worse people than Madam Dran.

“I was attending my work sir.”

“Which is?”

“I am working for Wizards and Wankers sir,” he said quietly.

I bet he is enjoying this, he thought.

“Oh? I’ve never heard of it. What kind of company is it?” he asked.

Harry suddenly blushed. Madam Dran seemed to pale a bit. She knew of course.

“Er, T-shirts and...” he whispered the last.

“Speak up Potter! I can’t hear you!” Snape said.

“Sex toys, sir,” he said loudly and looked up.

Snape stared at him before a slight shade of red formed on his cheeks. You can’t prevent yourself from blushing. However, Snape managed hide all of his other emotions.

Snape cleared his throat in the awkward silence following the words spoken.

“Very well. I’ve picked my boy. Where do I sign?” he asked abruptly. The girls in the room looked depressed and the other boys were anxious to be picked. Harry didn’t care either way. He knew he wouldn’t be picked anyway.

“Who do you choose?” Madam Dran asked.

Snape formed a name Harry never thought he’d hear.

“Potter.”

“What?” Madam Dran gasped. “Are you sure? The boy is awfully dum-“

“I am sure. Get the papers!” Snape interrupted loudly. Harry had no choice but to follow the Professor. He wasn’t sure of how these things worked, then again Madam Dran probably didn’t do everything the proper way anyway.

“Excuse me sir? Why did you choose me?” he asked when they were walking down the streets.

Snape looked taken aback for a second before he glared.

“Well why do you think? I wasn’t there to get a snivelling child! I’ve been to five orphanages trying to find you!” he snapped. Harry’s mouth formed an O but no sound came out. Of course, he thought. Snape wouldn’t want a child, he was sent out to look for me!

“Sir?” he asked again after a while. Snape stopped and turned around.

“What now Potter?”

“Er, could we please go to my work? I need to see someone,” he said and knew that Jamie worked late today.

“Fine Potter but hurry up! I’ve got no time for your foolishness!”

Harry nodded, he understood.

“Yes sir. It will only take a few minutes sir,” he promised.

Snape followed him like an enormous black shadow. He waited outside the building, or so Harry thought. When Harry went inside he followed him unseen and watched what he was doing and listened to what was said. Harry knew nothing of it.

“Ay Potter? Have you finally come to work you filthy little wanker?” Jack shouted.

Harry ignored him as usual and went over to Jamie. He seemed very tired and had five boxes left. He picked one up to help.

“Put that down Potter! You’ll only make your injuries worse. I’m surprised you’re here and conscious!” Jamie said.

“No I can help. It wasn’t that bad today. Look, there’s this guy outside that I’ll have to follow and I don’t think I’m coming back.”

”A guy picked you? But you said you tried to not be chosen!” Jamie said astonished and paused in mid-movement.

“Well I was,” Harry confessed with a frown.

“Damn him! You could live with me Potter!” Jamie said in all honest.

”I’m sorry but I can’t. I could visit you sometimes. You’ve been real good to me since I got here.” He said, forever grateful.

“Well everyone else seems to miss what a great person you are,” Jamie said roughly, angrily shoving a box back on a shelf, trying to hide the emotions coming forward. He didn’t deal very well with goodbyes.

“Thanks.”

“I mean it!” Harry nodded slightly and picked up another box. He didn’t know what to say to that. Another thank you and it would have been ridiculous.

“Where are you going?” Jamie asked instead.

“No idea,” he said truthfully. Probably Hogwarts or the order safe house, he thought. He hoped for Hogwarts. It would be easier to blend in there. In Grimmauld place there were too many people bothering you. While he really liked having somebody caring about him for once, it could get a bit overwhelming being around the Weasley’s. Especially since he had been very lonely since his parents died.

“Take care, alright? If you ever get in trouble, and knowing you, you will, come look for me all right?”

“I promise,” he said with a small smile.

“Good. Now go before Jack gives you one of his daily slaps!” Jamie said hurriedly when he saw Jack was on his way over. Harry nodded and left quickly. Snape was waiting outside for him, having only just gotten there before him, not that Harry knew that.

“I’m sorry it took a long time sir. I helped someone,” he said.

Snape only nodded. Harry got the impression that the man was thinking but he must be have been mistaken. Snape never showed any emotion, least of all any reactions to what he might be doing.

“Come on Potter. Hold this!” said Snape and thrust a book roughly in to his hands.

Before Harry had a chance to understand what was going on he stood in Hogsmeade. Snape arrived seconds later. He must have apparated. Snape began to walk and Harry followed silently. He didn’t like the idea of seeing Dumbledore. He tended to loose his temper around the headmaster.

“There you are Harry! We’ve been looking for you, my boy. Are you alright?” Dumbledore asked up in his office where Snape had led him.

“Yup,” he said.

“Where did you find him Severus?” Albus asked over his head like he wasn’t really there.

“In London. Madam Dran’s orphanage.”

“How did you get him out?” Snape actually pulled a face.

“I... I adopted him. Only because that’s what one had to do of course...” Snape said.

Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled suddenly.

“Oh, you adopted him you say? So you’ve got custody over Harry here. Then there’s only one thing to do!”

“What’s that?” Snape asked nastily.

“For him to live with you of course!”

“WHAT? No! I just had to sign those bloody papers to get him out! I don’t want him. I refuse!” Snape cried out enraged.

“You will do it!” Albus said loudly with his twinkle dimming slightly. Snape shut up.

Albus almost never raised his voice.

“Fine!” Snape spat.

“Harry?” Dumbledore asked him gently.

“Huh? Oh, I don’t... never mind,” he shrugged.

He was so tired and he didn’t have the energy to argue. He knew he would loose no matter what. He always had before and this was no different.

“I will take Potter for now. We’ll be in my rooms,” said Snape angrily.

“Ah Severus, I was thinking of your manor when I said that you’ll have Harry move in with you.”

“My manor! Stupid meddling old fool! Have you finally gone off your rocker you old coot? I got him out of the orphanage, he’s your problem now! He will not be going to my manor! That is my private house and I’ll be damned if any Potter will live there!” ranted Snape.