The Headmaster

Chapter 23 The Headmaster


Minerva’s joy was soon shattered when Severus woke to find Harry in his arms. Shocked to find the Chosen One so close, Severus gave the young wizard a large shove, sending Harry tumbling off the lounge chair and onto the hard ground.

“Oh dear,” Minerva sighed from where she stood.

“What the hell was that for?” Harry grouched, standing he ran his hand over his bum to check to see if he had broken it.

“You were molesting me,” Severus said.

Harry could see a flash of terror in the ex-Death Eater’s eyes.

“I was doing no such thing. I was cuddling, which in itself was wrong on so many levels, but in no way was I molesting you,” he snipped back. “If I were molesting you, you would have my cock up your arse…”

“Harry, please stop!” Minerva interjected, trying to stop Harry from saying something he would regret.

Harry turned to Minerva, glaring at his former head of house before snapping, “No Minerva, I will not stop. I tried to be nice but he’s such a prick. He’s acting as if I were about to rape him. Merlin, who would want to rape a git like him?”

As he finished his tirade, Harry saw the pain that crossed Snape’s face. He turned to Minerva whose eyes were welling with tears.

“No…” Harry said. The Gryffindor’s, mouth hanging open with alarm. “When?”

“That is no concern of yours, Mr. Potter. You may leave,” Snape dismissed the younger wizard and turned his face away.

Harry ran a hand over his face and growled in frustration. He was hung over and tired, and didn’t feel like putting up with Snape and his attitude. He marched around the chaise and put a hand on each side of Snape. He leaned toward the injured man until their noses almost touched. Severus tried to back away but had nowhere to go.

“I’ve had it with you. Do you hear?” Harry’s magic crackled about the two wizards. “I am sorry I have been horrid to you. I’m sorry that I didn’t do anything to keep you out of Azkaban. I am sorry that you were cursed in the final battle and lost the use of your legs.”

Harry took a deep breath before he continued, “I’m fucking sorry for every horrible thing that ever happened to you in your life. But I am tired of being sorry. It’s time I take control of the situation and see that you are no longer hurt. There will be no argument or discussion. From this moment on I, Harry Potter, give a wizard’s oath that I will care for the needs and wants of one Severus Snape.”

The magic started to swirl violently around the two.

“Harry, don’t!” Minerva screamed. She tried to get closer, but the heat from the magic pushed her back. “Think about what you’re saying.”

“I will take control of every aspect of your life,” he continued his oath. “Your well-being and happiness are mine to oversee. Will you submit to me Severus Snape?”

Severus struggled to push his former pupil away but was overwhelmed, not only by Harry’s physical strength but also by the power of his magic. He tried to spit into Harry’s emerald eyes but was stopped by the intensity that shown in them.

Harry leaned in close to Snape’s ear and whispered softly, “Submit!”

It was a command that Severus seemed unable to fight.

“I…I submit,” he sighed, as he swallowed the bile that rose in his throat.

He had willingly become the ward of Harry Potter, a former student who was half his age. Every decision in his life from this moment on would be decided by the Savior-of-the-Wizarding-World.

“Severus, what have you done?” Minerva cried.

There was a final burst of magic before it faded, like smoke from a fire. Harry wrapped up Severus in the down blanket that the two had slept under the night before and lifted him into his arms.

“If anyone wants to see Snape they will have to come to his new residence--the Headmaster’s suite in Hogwarts.," Harry said.

In the blink of an eye the two had disappeared, leaving a dumbstruck Minerva standing there.

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“What does it all mean?” Hermione asked, after Minerva explained what happened to a small gathering of Severus’s closest friends.

“I wish I knew,” Remus answered. “A week ago I would have been terrified that Harry would do bodily harm to Severus, but after yesterday’s heartfelt apology, I’m not sure.”

“Harry had told me that he had planned on apologizing to Snape, but the two of us went out and got shit-faced instead. I don’t remember much about last night, but I didn’t get the impression that he was angry with Snape anymore,” Ron added as he sipped on some hangover medicine he found in one of the cabinets.

“Neither did, I,” added Minerva. “He seemed to be acting out of frustration. Once he found out that Severus had been raped, he seemed overwhelmed by all the trials and tribulations that Severus has had to endure. He seemed to ‘want’ to take care of him.”

“It won’t work,” Draco added. “After Voldemort and Dumbledore, my godfather will never willingly submit, to another wizard.”

“I’m not sure that was Harry’s plan. I think he doesn’t want Severus to hurt anymore,” Minerva stated.

“Guilt, perhaps?” Luna asked.

Luna had Ludra propped on her round belly feeding the baby her afternoon bottle. All eyes shifted to Draco’s wife.

“I’m not following you dear,” Draco said sweetly to his beloved.

“Maybe he surmised that much of Severus’s grief was caused by him. Maybe he feels responsible for Severus being raped and wants to atone for his actions,” Luna looked at all the blank faces that were staring at her. “Well, it was just an idea.”

“And not a bad one either,” Remus told her. “Has anyone here considered that Severus may want to be with Harry? He has always been attracted to powerful wizards and who’s more powerful than Harry? After all, he was in love with Harry not that long ago and from all accounts, probably still is.”

“I don’t like the fact that I can’t keep track of him.” Minerva grouched.

A persistent pecking at the window caught everyone’s attention. Minerva recognized the tawny brown owl as one from Hogwarts. Scurrying over, she took the message off the owl’s leg before giving it a treat. Her mouth fell open as she read the note.

“Minerva, are you okay?” Remus steadied Minerva by putting his hand on her lower back.

With a shocked look on her face, she gazed about the room before answering, “Harry asked me back to Hogwarts to be near Severus.”

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Harry sat behind the Headmaster’s desk holding his head in his hands. He had just explained to Adam what he had done and about the oath he had given.

Adam was irritated with the younger wizard, “Now that you have Snape in your bed, what are you planning to do about it?”

“Sleep on the couch,” Harry grumbled.

“I’m being serious!” Adam snapped.

“So was I!” Harry returned.

“Would you like to explain just what you were thinking when you gave that oath?” Adam asked.

“I wish I knew. One moment everything was fine. We were bickering, as we normally do, and then I found out he was raped and I found myself so fucking…angry. Angry at all the crap that Severus has gone through his whole life and all I could think was that I wanted to make it better. I was consumed with the idea of making him happy,” Harry explained. “Merlin what have I done?”

“You have become responsible for a man’s happiness, one that you have despised for most of your life, that’s what you’ve done,” Adam stated.

Harry groaned and started to hit his forehead on top of the desk.

“With any luck that will knock some sense into you, since nothing else seems to get through your thick skull,” Adam scolded.

Adam decided to call Healer Montague to let him know where his prize patient was and set the ward for him. Harry couldn’t see the broad smile that was on the therapist’s face as he left the room. Adam couldn’t have been happier with the strange turn of events. After he talked to Alvin he should probably fire call Malfoy Manor and relieve some of the worry Severus’s friends must be going through.

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“What were you thinking?” Minerva paced frantically back and forth the Headmaster’s bedroom.

Severus looked like royalty all propped up on a dozen pillows, wearing a beautiful embroidered dressing gown. Never in his life had he owned anything this fine. From the second that Harry had helped him into it, Severus found that he couldn’t stop running his fingers over the velvety soft texture of the robe. He only listened half heartedly to Minerva.

“Severus Snape, you’re not even listening to me. How rude!” She stamped her foot to emphasize her displeasure.

“Don’t be cross,” he pleaded. “But to answer your question I wasn’t thinking. If I was, I wouldn’t be lying here in Harry’s bed.”

“You look rather comfortable. Do you plan on staying here?” Minerva calmed, pulling a chair next to the bed and sitting down.

“I don’t believe I can leave, unless I have Mr. Potter’s permission,” Severus said, snuggling deeper into the pillows.

“How does that make you feel, giving Harry so much power over you?” Minerva asked, some of her fears dissipating with the way Harry was treating Severus so well.

“I have absolutely no idea. For all we know, this new attitude that Harry has towards me could be nothing more than one of those pre-existing hexes rising to the surface,” Severus informed Minerva.

“That would make a great deal of sense,” she contemplated Severus’s words.

“If the oath was given under duress it can be renounced at a later date but for now I’m going to enjoy being pampered by the man I lo…”Severus refused to finish the sentence.

“You still have a great deal of feeling towards him!?” it was both a statement and a question.

“I’ve never stopped having deep feelings for the brat,” he replied.

“So you are all right with this?” she waved her hand about the room.

“For now, yes,” Severus stopped fidgeting with his robe and turned to his long time friend. “I want to be with Harry. I don’t care if I made a foolish agreement with him. This is where I want to be. When he comes to his senses and tosses me out on my arse, I will need the support of my friends. Will you be there for me?”

“Do you need to ask?” she was slightly affronted.

“Yes, it seems I do. To tell you the truth, there are times I’m rather insecure. I cover it nicely with all of my bravado but once in a while I need to be reassured,” he confessed.


“Really? Insecure, you? Who would have known?” she teased, reaching over and patting his hand. “You’re my boy. I will always be there for you, but I do plan on keeping a close eye on the two of you. If I don’t like what I see I will, in no uncertain terms, let my feelings be known.”

She raised his hand to her lips and kissed the back of it before continuing, “Albus is quite upset with the two of you.”

Severus’s eyebrows shot up.

“He has been practicing racing his magic chair up and down the halls of Malfoy Manor and was looking forward to challenging you to a race,” she explained.

“Harrumph, if he plans on racing me it will be on neutral ground where neither one of us has the advantage, perhaps the Quidditch grounds of Hogwarts,” Severus stated.

“So you plan to accept his challenge?” she smiled.

“A Slytherin would never give up a chance of humiliating a Gryffindor. Albus will be left standing at the starting gate,” Severus replied snidely.

“Then I must start a betting pool, for no Gryffindor would give up a chance of taking money from a Slytherin, like we fleeced you of your hard earned money from the Quidditch matches,” she sneered back.

“When shall I be taking your money?” Severus wondered.

“I have no idea what you are taking about, but the race should be in the early spring. We shall make it a social event and have a great get together to celebrate the Gryffindor’s victory.”

“Slytherin’s,” Severus corrected.

“We shall see my boy…we shall see,” Minerva smiled deviously.

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Minerva had settled into her old rooms at Hogwarts leaving a worn out Severus to sleep. She had no idea how much she had missed the school until she stepped through the doors. Hogwarts had been her life for so many years. She settled in her bed and looked about her room trying to reacquaint herself of her surroundings. As she drifted to sleep, she wondered if Harry would let her teach once again.

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Harry leaned against the doorframe to his bedroom and watched Severus sleep. He felt…calm… knowing that Snape was safe and that no harm would befall him as long as the man was under his protection.

Harry tilted his head and stared at the sleeping man. He wasn’t all that bad looking. Not handsome, in fact if you took each feature of his face separately he would be quite ugly, but his high cheekbones and hawk-like nose went well with one another and his fathomless eyes were intoxicating.

Harry shook his head. How could he think that one of the most mean-spirited men he had ever known had intoxicating eyes? He took a step forward with the notion of crawling up and spooning the sleeping man, but he stopped mid-step. That would not do. Snape was under his protection, and even if he didn’t detest him any longer he still didn’t like him. Turning on his heel, he headed to the living room and to an extremely uncomfortable couch.


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