Somewhere

I'm still alive... just
Things have been a bit hectic lately and I've been a bit depressed.
We had to have my dog put down the other week and then I went on holiday the following weekend so that put me in a sad state of mind.
My mum hasn't been very well recnetly either with her arthiritis and I got pretty emotional last week.
So all in all I'm not feeling myself.
Add to that the fact that the thursday after this one I have to go pick up the results that will decide my future and my head is a little packed at the min.

Here it is though, the next chapter.
Things have accelerated quite a bit from my orginal plan.
Originally the final battle was going to be at the end of the year.... now it isn't so everything is sort of happening a couple of moths earlier.
But it's ok because it still fits well.
I've written loads in my notebooks and I even had to get a new one because the old one is full.
I'm up to 320 hand written A5 pages and it's not even halloween yet!

Oh well stick with me and I'll get you there.
Hopefully if I pass my exams I'll buy a laptop with my grant so I can sit and type in bed which will hopefully mean you'll get more updates.... Hopefully!!

Right.... ON WITH THE SHOW!

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“Well it seems as though we’ve missed out on quite a lot of action,” said James as he held lily close.

“Yeah. You’d have had a blast dad,” Harry said smiling sadly.

He’d reactivated the painting the minute he’d got to his room with the spell that Severus had given him, putting it on the wall between his and Ron’s bed. Now here he was sitting on a stool he’d conjured, talking to his parents. For the last hour he’d filled them in on everything that had happened up until now, minus a few things of course.

“There’s another thing. Have you ever heard of Wild Magic?” he asked them.

“Yeah I heard the story when I was little. I think my mum told me about it, why?” said James.

“It’s not a story though is it Harry?” asked Lily.

“How did you know?”

“I’m your mother, I know these things,” she said with a smile.

“Oh, right. No, it’s not a story. It looks like it’s real and… they think I might have it.”

“They?” questioned James.

“The Headmaster and Se… I mean Snape,” he said, trying to cover his slip up.

“Snape?! What’s the slimy, snivelling git doing talking to you?” growled James.

“He works here as the Potions Master and he’s helping me train. He’s saved my life more than once and I most likely wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him,” he said defensively, angry that someone had insulted the man he loved.

“James enough,” said Lily sternly.

“Just watch your back son. He’s a scheming bastard that one.”

“So Harry, do you have a girlfriend?” asked Lily, quickly changing the subject.

“Ummm… no,” he said, a blush rapidly spreading over his cheeks. This was one thing he hadn’t been looking forward to discussing.

“A boyfriend?” she asked with a knowing smile.

“How…?”

“I’m your mum remember. So what’s his name?” she smiled.

“Well there isn’t anyone, not just at the minute that is. I only really found out at the end of my fifth year. You’re not mad are you?”

“Oh Harry how could we ever be mad with you? You don’t choose who you love. You’re still our son no matter what and we’ll welcome whoever you choose into our family,” said James with a soft smile.

“Ummm… is there any chance I can talk to mum alone for a bit please?” he asked.

“Ok. I’ll go pester Albus,” his father said with a mischievous grin, before walking out of the painting.

“What did you want to talk about Harry?” Lily asked once James had left.

“You knew Se… Snape at school didn’t you? What do you think of him?”

“I think he just lost his way. His father was very controlling and he had no one to fall back on. Why Harry, what’s on your mind?”

“He’s spying on Voldermort now and well over the holidays he had to stay with me. It was just the two of us in this cottage in the middle of nowhere so that I wouldn’t get hurt. I… I think… I don’t know how to say,” he sighed, a tear rolling down his cheek.

“Harry I think I know what you’re trying to say but you have to say it out load or you’ll never truly be sure,” she said, wishing for all the world that she could just hug him.

“I… I love him mum. I love him more than anything in this world and it hurts so much because I know that he’ll never love me back. I’d do anything for him, even die to save him.”

“Oh Harry, you never know what might happen.”

“I bet he’s not even gay,” he muttered,” wiping away a stray tear.

“You’d be surprised,” she said, making Harry whip his head up so fast he was surprised he hadn’t got whiplash.

“What?! I always thought that he liked you!” he said in shock.

“No. he had his eyes on Remus for a while but someone found out and I think they told his father. When he came back after one Christmas he was in pretty bad shape.”

Severus was gay! He liked men! Maybe, just maybe there was a chance after all.

“He’s a good man Harry, he just needs time. I’ll support you no matter what you choose to do but for now let’s not tell your father. I think it’ll take a bit more for him to come round,” she smiled.

“Thanks mum. I love you, you know that right?”

“Yes Harry and we love you too, so much. I just wish I could have seen you grow up,” she said, just before a beep echoed through the room.

“Oh crap, I’m supposed to be at training!” he yelped, getting up quickly and grabbing together all of his things.

“Go, I’ll tell your father. Remember give it time Harry. I love you.”

“I love you too mum,” he said, blowing her a kiss as he ran out of the door.

Running as fast as he could he made it down to the dungeons in record time, only to stop outside the familiar office door to collect himself and wipe the silly grin from his face. With a deep breath he knocked on the door and jumped back when it opened for him straight away. Peering inside he couldn’t seem to find any sign of the office’s owner. Taking a step through the door he jumped again when he heard a voice come from a door that he was sure hadn’t bee there a minute ago.

“Just a second,” came a familiar baritone.

Taking a seat in front of the desk he looked around at the floating bits and pieces that were in the jars around him.

“Why do you keep them?” he asked, turning to look at Severus as he walked through the new door.

“They intimidate naughty children and just how did you know I was there?”

“Ummm… I don’t know.”

“I guess that’s something we’ll have to look into as well,” he said.

“Ok. So what are we going to today anyway?”

“Archery, hand-to-hand and some sword work. If you’re not dead by then we might work on finding your Animagus form.”

“Cool. Come one then. Wait, where are we training now?” he said, jumping out of the seat, only to stop.

“Through there,” he said, pointing to the door that he’d come out of.

“I thought that was an empty room.”

“It is, that’s why the Headmaster has given it to us for your training,” he said, walking through the door.

Curious, Harry followed him into the other room to look around. He’d seen the inside of it twice before, once when he’d got the wrong room in his first year and once when he was hiding from Filch on one of his late night ramblings last year.

“Is it just me or is it bigger than before?”

“A little yes. The castle has changed to fit our needs.”

“Thought so,” he said, walking over to the archery range and weapons holders, running his hands over the sleek wood.

“I don’t suppose you thought to bring your equipment, did you?” asked Severus.

“Oh ye of little faith,” he said with a grin, pulling the shrunken box out of his pocket.

“You do surprise me,” he said as he watched Harry resize the box.

Carefully he pulled out each one of his weapons and unwrapped them from the soft buckskin before placing them in the appropriate racks and holders. When he’d finished he turned to Severus with his cherry wood bow in his hand.

“So how exactly am I supposed to get in here if you’re not about?”

“The password for the main door is Veritas. If you want to get in when I’m not about use that one. The one we came through leads to my office and the other one leads to my quarters. You’re not to use those unless I tell you, understand?” he said pointing at the appropriate doors.

“Yup. Can I show Ron and Hermione? They can help me train.”

“I don’t see why not, just make sure that no one else notices you or there will be questions asked.”

“Sure thing. Now come on, closest to the bullseye gets the twin blades,” he grinned, knowing the other man’s weakness for the light and nimble twin blades.

“Prepare to loose Potter,” he said with an evil smirk.

Soon after and he was revelling in his victory as he danced around the other man, twin blades flashing, ducking in and out. Severus on the other hand, had got stuck with a more cumbersome long sword. Not long after that he had a blade at his belly and one at his throat, his own sword skittering across the floor as he found himself backed up against a wall.

“You loose,” Harry purred, sending a shiver of desire running up his spine.

“So it would appear,” he said, just before he lashed out, knocking the blades away with his hands and hooking a foot around the others leg, sending them crashing to the floor. They landed in a pile, Severus straddling the younger man, his hands on his wrists, the swords now pointed at his own throat.

“Never assume you’ve won,” he whispered quietly near Harry’s ear, before jumping up to put the twin blades away, leaving Harry gasping and panting for air on the floor, lust, adrenalin and want coursing through his body.

“Get up. I want to try something with you.”

“Should I be worried?” he said, struggling to regain his composure.

“That depends. Come here and close your eyes.”

Harry walked over to him, stopping just short, before shutting his eyes, waiting for the worst to happen. So it came as somewhat of a shock when he felt Severus’ presence at his back and then something silky being tied over his eyes.

“Just what are you planning on doing to me?” he asked, fighting to keep the need from his voice.

“You knew I was there earlier, even though I made no indication that I was there. I want to see if you can harness this or if it was just a one off thing. So I’m going to attack you while you’re blind. Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you,” he said, pressing a wooden staff into Harry’s hands.

He felt kind of daft, stood there in the centre of the room, listening for any sound but hearing none, or at least not until something rapped him on the back of the head.

“OW!” he yelped.

“You’re trying to hard. Relax.”

“Easy for you to say,” he mumbled.

Taking a deep breath he relaxed as best he could and stood there, his mind blank. It was then that he felt it, a slight tingle in the back of his mind, a tingle that was moving. Focusing on it he felt it move towards him from the left. Swinging round he raised the staff, only to feel something hit it as a hollow thud echoed through the room.

“I can feel you,” he said, pulling down the blindfold.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I can feel you, at the back of my mind. It’s like with the animals, how I can feel them if the net’s open, but it’s different. I know it’s you.”

“How long have you been able to feel it?”

“Ummm… I don’t know, I haven’t really noticed it till now.”

“I think we may have discovered the bond.”

“Oh.”

“Now there is a possibility that it could develop further but I doubt it.”

“At least you can’t sneak up on me anymore,” he laughed.

“Do you think this will affect you?”

“Nah. It took me until now to really notice it. If it works for me though… I do believe that it’s your turn,” he smirked.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Severus said, as he took the blindfold from Harry and tied it over his eyes.

Standing still, he let his mind go blank, slowing his breathing. Unlike with himself he could hear the others breathing, but more than that he could feel him. It was like a tingle. He could feel it move as Harry circled him, then it closed in from behind. Whipping around he heard the satisfying sound of wood on wood as he met the attack.

“Looks like it works both ways then,” Harry smiled, leaning on his staff.

“I believe we could use this. If we train you to fight blind against me, there is a possibility that you could fight against anyone blind. I want you to try this with Mr Weasley at some point as well. Have him attack you while you’re blindfolded. You won’t be able to feel him like you do me though, so you will have to train your other senses in order to anticipate his attacks. It will take a lot of works and a fair few bruises I should think but it would be an invaluable skill to have,” he said after he removed the blindfold.

“Ok, sounds like an interesting plan.”

“Remember to be on the lookout for any other changes, anything at all that you might experience, as it may be a further development of the bond.

“Sure thing. Now you said something about hand-to-hand and me beating your backside.”

“I believe it is I who will do be doing the beating,” he smirked, dropping his staff and rushing the unprepared Harry.

“Shit!” he yelped.


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To the reviwers that light up my day

mis -- yeah I couldn't leave little blue behind, i'm too attatched to him now. he's sweet bless him and yes this is going to be one hell of a story!

mercury -- more chaptery goodness for you

Nigellica -- yeah I had been busy.... but not anymore.... yay for blue!

Ice sCream Twinz -- rofl I think i like you! yeah I took down 'It Must Have Been Love' just because I've lost the urge to work on it at the minute. I have it all backed up so I might work on it again at some point and put it back up. Hope you're enjoying this one for now though! ...... did I read that right?! a man is reading my story?! for some unbeknown reason that leaves me with a very warm and fuzzy feeling inside!


well R&R if you have the time please, I really enjoy reading what you think and please do point out any stupid mistakes I make!