Scarred Souls
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Snape
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
48
Views:
69,311
Reviews:
251
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
2
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Snape
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
48
Views:
69,311
Reviews:
251
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
2
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Complications
*****************************************************
Title: Scarred Souls
Author: Misty Moonlight/Co-author: QueenBoadicea
Beta: QueenBoadicea
Pairings: Severus/Harry
Published: 12/10/2008
Summary: A widowed Harry must bond with Snape in order to save his daughter’s life. Sev gains a family, for better or worse, and the hearts of two scarred souls will be changed forever.
Warnings: Romance, Drama, Angst, Alternate Reality/Universe, Sexual Situations, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slash, Anal, Language, Humor, possible MPreg, Bonding, Original Characters, Family, non-canon, OOC, WIP
*****************************************************
Chapter 28: Complications
“And you say he brought her that toy?” Hermione asked, when she was comfortably settled. Ron was still at work but he had promised he would meet her and Harry in the outdoor café as soon as he got off. In the meantime, she and Harry were enjoying a moment to themselves.
Hermione was even rounder with her advancing pregnancy and Harry had to help her into her seat. She was flush with the vibrant glow of impending motherhood—or maybe it was just sweat. Being a witch brought many benefits. But, in this timeless condition, she was just as vulnerable to mortal aches and discomforts as any Muggle woman.
Their children were seated around the table, James, Albus and Timothy chattering in high-pitched voices, enjoying the warm sunshine. Lily was holding on to her lion, smearing both herself and it with the ice cream Harry had fed her. Since her stepdaddy had given it to her, she had become inseparable from it, carrying it everywhere, even clutching it in her sleep.
When he next saw Severus, Harry thought he’d tell him that. There had been such a soft expression in the man’s face when he gazed at Lily; Harry wondered if Snape were even aware of it. It reminded him of how the man had looked after sex…and he’d better stop that line of thinking right now.
Aware the Hermione was waiting for an answer, Harry said, “It was kinda funny, really. The other kids were scared of him, but Lily came right up to him and started playing with her toy. When he picked her up, she didn’t even squirm.”
“I guess she’s not so easy to scare,” Hermione said fondly, beaming at the little girl playing with her furry toy.
“He seemed really different. He’s in one of his ‘kinder and gentler’ modes, I guess. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not complaining. I’m just wondering how long it will last this time.”
An uneasy expression flickered in her brown eyes. “Hmm.”
“What? What is it, Hermione?”
“Maybe nothing.” She flicked a glance at James and the others and Harry caught the hint. Whatever she had to say, it wasn’t something she could talk about in front of the children.
“Hey, kids. Do you want to visit with Uncle George and Aunt Alicia when we’re finished?” Harry asked.
The boys cheered. There was nothing they liked so much as rummaging among the magical items carried in Uncle George’s joke shop. Harry knew it would keep them happily occupied and oblivious to all else while they studied the latest in magical practical jokes.
“I’ll send an owl for Ron to meet us there,” Hermione said as Harry helped her up again after leaving money for the food.
********************************************************************
The Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes joke shop always did brisk business and never more so than when the end of school term drew near. The march of hot weather and the promise of time spent away from the watchful eyes of teachers meant that young children and their frazzled parents came forth in force. This was one of the rare places that Harry didn’t mind being seen in public since his appearance always brought in customers to George’s shop.
“Oi, Harry! Good to see you!” George yelled, causing several people to turn around. “Keep your hands off those, you!” the one-eared Weasley snapped to a little boy handling some rather strange looking spheres with a mass of wrinkles all over their surfaces. The boy dropped the object hastily and his mother dragged him away, her face pink with embarrassment.
“What do these do, George?” Hermione asked curiously as she picked up one of the balls.
“They’re stink pellets. Just dunk them in water or suck them in your mouth until they’re wet with spit. Then roll them under your desk and they create an almighty ghastly smell that drives everyone from the room, effectively canceling class. They dissolve quickly, too, so teachers can’t find them and figure out who did it.”
“Ew,” Hermione said, wrinkling her nose.
“I want one of those!” James exclaimed.
“Me too!” shouted Albus.
“Oh no, you’re not,” Harry said sternly. “I don’t want your rooms reeking of insect repellant.”
“It’s not for—” Albus began, only to have James elbow him in the ribs.
“Not for what? Or should I say who? You weren’t planning on using this on Snape, were you?” The boys shifted guiltily. Harry sighed. “Haven’t I told you two to stop pulling pranks on him? He’s your stepfather now and we’re all going to have to get along. You saw how nicely he treated Lily, didn’t you?”
The boys glanced uncertainly at their baby sister, held in their father’s arms. She hadn’t been afraid of Snivellus and he had been nice to her. They just didn’t trust the seeming peace. So they shrugged and after a moment wandered off to look at the new arrivals in George’s shop.
George waggled ginger eyebrows at Harry. “Trouble with the missus, Harry?” he chuckled.
Harry turned red. George didn’t know about him shagging Snape, did he? He’d only told Hermione and he was sure she wouldn’t gossip if she hadn’t even mentioned it to her husband. He decided George was just having a go at him and he’d best take it in the spirit it was meant. “Very funny, George. This is Snape we’re talking about. I knew from the start that marriage with him was going to be rough.”
“You have my sympathies, mate. See anything in the store you like?” he added, waving his arm to indicate all the colorful items lining the walls and shelves.
“No. I’m a little old for all this stuff. Keep an eye on the boys, though. You never know what they’ll do if left alone with all this temptation.”
“Got it, Harry.” George wandered over to see James, Albus and Timothy talking animatedly about some new trick or gimmick they’d spotted in the bins. George’s little boy was there as well, proudly pointing out particular items they might like to try.
Hermione guided Harry over to another corner of the store, far away from prying eyes and ears. Harry cast Muffliato just to be on the safe side.
“What is it, Mione?” Lily dropped her lion and began to fuss. Harry Summoned it and gave it back to her before she could cry.
“I had that potion sample you gave me analyzed by someone trustworthy in St. Mungo’s. I didn’t tell them where I got it,” she added.
“And?”
“It’s got some truly alarming properties. The flora in it aren’t too dangerous separately. But taken together, over an extended period of time, they can produce serious side effects. They’re really not meant to be ingested for more than a few months.”
“But Snape has been taking them for years!” Harry said with alarm.
“I know and that’s what’s worrying me. I think the potions are reacting negatively with Snape’s system.”
“I don’t get it. Why would he take something that would make him ill?”
“He probably doesn’t realize that it is. If he made this potion himself right from the beginning and didn’t trust anyone else to brew it, then he assumes that it’s fine. But the potion you gave me isn’t exactly an antivenin. It’s to help with seizures and pain. However, it doesn’t effect an actual cure against snakebite, at least not one from a magical familiar.”
She spoke with animation now, warming to her theory. To Harry it was like seeing her back in Hogwarts, giving a lecture on some point of magic that had caught her interest. “You see, Nagini was no ordinary snake and her venom wasn’t like that of other snakes. Remember when Arthur was bitten? The wound wouldn’t heal at first no matter what the people in St. Mungo’s tried. They even resorted to Muggle remedies.”
“I remember. But Arthur did get better eventually.”
“Yes, and I think I know why. He was found very quickly after he was bitten, thanks to you. So his treatment came before he could be too greatly affected by Nagini’s poison.”
“Which means what?”
“I believe—and mind you, it’s only a theory—that Nagini’s venom acted like that of werewolf saliva. It effected changes on the body’s systems. If a victim was found and treated quickly after infection and the bite was not too severe, then they could recover quickly. If not, then their system underwent a radical change, one that made them resistant to ordinary treatments.”
“And that’s why Snape was so ill, going into convulsions,” Harry whispered, remembering the spasms that had afflicted the man and the frightening stupor he’d lapsed into afterwards.
Hermione nodded. “If this stuff can’t cure him, it might actually be making him worse. How does he seem after he’s taken it?”
“I only saw him drink it the once. After he took it, he was his usual nasty self, bitter and out of sorts. But this is Snape we’re talking about and I just assumed it was nothing out of the ordinary. I was wrong, wasn’t I?” he finished glumly.
“Harry, you’re not to blame for not knowing. Snape has always been ill tempered and, if he hid his seizures from other people, no one else would notice anything was wrong either.”
“But you suspected something. All I had to do was mention what happened to you and you sussed out right away that something wasn’t cricket. I always knew you were the smart one.” She turned pink but he could tell she was pleased. “So what do I do now, Mione?”
“You have to talk to him, of course. Let him know that whatever he’s taking isn’t working to cure him. In fact, he probably needs to check himself into St. Mungo’s and get a more specific medical work-up to see just how much his bodily systems have altered throughout the years. Then he can get started on a new medical regime, one that can alleviate his symptoms even if it’s too late to manage a cure.”
“That might not be easy. He’s back at the manor on Grimmauld Place.”
“That’s right. You told me he wasn’t at the cottage when I visited you,” Hermione said thoughtfully. “But, if you’re getting on better with Snape, why hasn’t he moved back?”
“He told me that he didn’t want to push matters just because we had one civil conversation at the orphanage. He seemed sincere but when I think about how eager he was to get into the Black library…” Harry’s voice trailed off before he blurted out, “Merlin! Maybe this is why he wanted the library! He does know he’s sick and he’s searching for a cure!”
The brown eyes looked doubtful. “Really? I wouldn’t have thought a library devoted to the Dark Arts would have anything beneficial to human beings in it. I still think you need to talk to him, Harry, if only to tell him that you know something’s wrong and you’re willing to help.”
Harry sighed. When Hermione was right, she was right. “Fine. I’ll tell him, Hermione. I just hope I encounter the good Snape and not his evil twin,” he muttered.
“You can try having dinner with him again,” she ventured. When she saw Harry flush, she added contritely, “Maybe not.”
“Not if he’s cooking,” Harry groused.
“You’ll just have to catch him at a time when he’s in a really good mood.”
“The only time Snape is in a good mood is when he’s brewing and that’ll stop soon enough if I interrupt him,” he pointed out.
“Harry, this potion isn’t just affecting Severus physically. It might be having an effect on his mind as well. He’ll do as you say if you point out he might go as mad as Voldemort if he’s not careful. You’re just going to have to risk his bad temper.”
“You’re right. How bad could it be? Don’t answer that,” he joked. “Thanks for your help, Mione.” He hugged her one-handed, mindful both of Lily and Hermione’s protruding belly.
“No need to thank me, Harry. It was actually rather fun.”
Only Hermione would think learning about potions would be “fun”. Shaking his head, Harry canceled the spell and walked through the store, looking for his other children.
He was going to have to beard the snake in its nest. Somehow he would have preferred facing Voldemort again.
TBC
Title: Scarred Souls
Author: Misty Moonlight/Co-author: QueenBoadicea
Beta: QueenBoadicea
Pairings: Severus/Harry
Published: 12/10/2008
Summary: A widowed Harry must bond with Snape in order to save his daughter’s life. Sev gains a family, for better or worse, and the hearts of two scarred souls will be changed forever.
Warnings: Romance, Drama, Angst, Alternate Reality/Universe, Sexual Situations, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slash, Anal, Language, Humor, possible MPreg, Bonding, Original Characters, Family, non-canon, OOC, WIP
*****************************************************
Chapter 28: Complications
“And you say he brought her that toy?” Hermione asked, when she was comfortably settled. Ron was still at work but he had promised he would meet her and Harry in the outdoor café as soon as he got off. In the meantime, she and Harry were enjoying a moment to themselves.
Hermione was even rounder with her advancing pregnancy and Harry had to help her into her seat. She was flush with the vibrant glow of impending motherhood—or maybe it was just sweat. Being a witch brought many benefits. But, in this timeless condition, she was just as vulnerable to mortal aches and discomforts as any Muggle woman.
Their children were seated around the table, James, Albus and Timothy chattering in high-pitched voices, enjoying the warm sunshine. Lily was holding on to her lion, smearing both herself and it with the ice cream Harry had fed her. Since her stepdaddy had given it to her, she had become inseparable from it, carrying it everywhere, even clutching it in her sleep.
When he next saw Severus, Harry thought he’d tell him that. There had been such a soft expression in the man’s face when he gazed at Lily; Harry wondered if Snape were even aware of it. It reminded him of how the man had looked after sex…and he’d better stop that line of thinking right now.
Aware the Hermione was waiting for an answer, Harry said, “It was kinda funny, really. The other kids were scared of him, but Lily came right up to him and started playing with her toy. When he picked her up, she didn’t even squirm.”
“I guess she’s not so easy to scare,” Hermione said fondly, beaming at the little girl playing with her furry toy.
“He seemed really different. He’s in one of his ‘kinder and gentler’ modes, I guess. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not complaining. I’m just wondering how long it will last this time.”
An uneasy expression flickered in her brown eyes. “Hmm.”
“What? What is it, Hermione?”
“Maybe nothing.” She flicked a glance at James and the others and Harry caught the hint. Whatever she had to say, it wasn’t something she could talk about in front of the children.
“Hey, kids. Do you want to visit with Uncle George and Aunt Alicia when we’re finished?” Harry asked.
The boys cheered. There was nothing they liked so much as rummaging among the magical items carried in Uncle George’s joke shop. Harry knew it would keep them happily occupied and oblivious to all else while they studied the latest in magical practical jokes.
“I’ll send an owl for Ron to meet us there,” Hermione said as Harry helped her up again after leaving money for the food.
********************************************************************
The Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes joke shop always did brisk business and never more so than when the end of school term drew near. The march of hot weather and the promise of time spent away from the watchful eyes of teachers meant that young children and their frazzled parents came forth in force. This was one of the rare places that Harry didn’t mind being seen in public since his appearance always brought in customers to George’s shop.
“Oi, Harry! Good to see you!” George yelled, causing several people to turn around. “Keep your hands off those, you!” the one-eared Weasley snapped to a little boy handling some rather strange looking spheres with a mass of wrinkles all over their surfaces. The boy dropped the object hastily and his mother dragged him away, her face pink with embarrassment.
“What do these do, George?” Hermione asked curiously as she picked up one of the balls.
“They’re stink pellets. Just dunk them in water or suck them in your mouth until they’re wet with spit. Then roll them under your desk and they create an almighty ghastly smell that drives everyone from the room, effectively canceling class. They dissolve quickly, too, so teachers can’t find them and figure out who did it.”
“Ew,” Hermione said, wrinkling her nose.
“I want one of those!” James exclaimed.
“Me too!” shouted Albus.
“Oh no, you’re not,” Harry said sternly. “I don’t want your rooms reeking of insect repellant.”
“It’s not for—” Albus began, only to have James elbow him in the ribs.
“Not for what? Or should I say who? You weren’t planning on using this on Snape, were you?” The boys shifted guiltily. Harry sighed. “Haven’t I told you two to stop pulling pranks on him? He’s your stepfather now and we’re all going to have to get along. You saw how nicely he treated Lily, didn’t you?”
The boys glanced uncertainly at their baby sister, held in their father’s arms. She hadn’t been afraid of Snivellus and he had been nice to her. They just didn’t trust the seeming peace. So they shrugged and after a moment wandered off to look at the new arrivals in George’s shop.
George waggled ginger eyebrows at Harry. “Trouble with the missus, Harry?” he chuckled.
Harry turned red. George didn’t know about him shagging Snape, did he? He’d only told Hermione and he was sure she wouldn’t gossip if she hadn’t even mentioned it to her husband. He decided George was just having a go at him and he’d best take it in the spirit it was meant. “Very funny, George. This is Snape we’re talking about. I knew from the start that marriage with him was going to be rough.”
“You have my sympathies, mate. See anything in the store you like?” he added, waving his arm to indicate all the colorful items lining the walls and shelves.
“No. I’m a little old for all this stuff. Keep an eye on the boys, though. You never know what they’ll do if left alone with all this temptation.”
“Got it, Harry.” George wandered over to see James, Albus and Timothy talking animatedly about some new trick or gimmick they’d spotted in the bins. George’s little boy was there as well, proudly pointing out particular items they might like to try.
Hermione guided Harry over to another corner of the store, far away from prying eyes and ears. Harry cast Muffliato just to be on the safe side.
“What is it, Mione?” Lily dropped her lion and began to fuss. Harry Summoned it and gave it back to her before she could cry.
“I had that potion sample you gave me analyzed by someone trustworthy in St. Mungo’s. I didn’t tell them where I got it,” she added.
“And?”
“It’s got some truly alarming properties. The flora in it aren’t too dangerous separately. But taken together, over an extended period of time, they can produce serious side effects. They’re really not meant to be ingested for more than a few months.”
“But Snape has been taking them for years!” Harry said with alarm.
“I know and that’s what’s worrying me. I think the potions are reacting negatively with Snape’s system.”
“I don’t get it. Why would he take something that would make him ill?”
“He probably doesn’t realize that it is. If he made this potion himself right from the beginning and didn’t trust anyone else to brew it, then he assumes that it’s fine. But the potion you gave me isn’t exactly an antivenin. It’s to help with seizures and pain. However, it doesn’t effect an actual cure against snakebite, at least not one from a magical familiar.”
She spoke with animation now, warming to her theory. To Harry it was like seeing her back in Hogwarts, giving a lecture on some point of magic that had caught her interest. “You see, Nagini was no ordinary snake and her venom wasn’t like that of other snakes. Remember when Arthur was bitten? The wound wouldn’t heal at first no matter what the people in St. Mungo’s tried. They even resorted to Muggle remedies.”
“I remember. But Arthur did get better eventually.”
“Yes, and I think I know why. He was found very quickly after he was bitten, thanks to you. So his treatment came before he could be too greatly affected by Nagini’s poison.”
“Which means what?”
“I believe—and mind you, it’s only a theory—that Nagini’s venom acted like that of werewolf saliva. It effected changes on the body’s systems. If a victim was found and treated quickly after infection and the bite was not too severe, then they could recover quickly. If not, then their system underwent a radical change, one that made them resistant to ordinary treatments.”
“And that’s why Snape was so ill, going into convulsions,” Harry whispered, remembering the spasms that had afflicted the man and the frightening stupor he’d lapsed into afterwards.
Hermione nodded. “If this stuff can’t cure him, it might actually be making him worse. How does he seem after he’s taken it?”
“I only saw him drink it the once. After he took it, he was his usual nasty self, bitter and out of sorts. But this is Snape we’re talking about and I just assumed it was nothing out of the ordinary. I was wrong, wasn’t I?” he finished glumly.
“Harry, you’re not to blame for not knowing. Snape has always been ill tempered and, if he hid his seizures from other people, no one else would notice anything was wrong either.”
“But you suspected something. All I had to do was mention what happened to you and you sussed out right away that something wasn’t cricket. I always knew you were the smart one.” She turned pink but he could tell she was pleased. “So what do I do now, Mione?”
“You have to talk to him, of course. Let him know that whatever he’s taking isn’t working to cure him. In fact, he probably needs to check himself into St. Mungo’s and get a more specific medical work-up to see just how much his bodily systems have altered throughout the years. Then he can get started on a new medical regime, one that can alleviate his symptoms even if it’s too late to manage a cure.”
“That might not be easy. He’s back at the manor on Grimmauld Place.”
“That’s right. You told me he wasn’t at the cottage when I visited you,” Hermione said thoughtfully. “But, if you’re getting on better with Snape, why hasn’t he moved back?”
“He told me that he didn’t want to push matters just because we had one civil conversation at the orphanage. He seemed sincere but when I think about how eager he was to get into the Black library…” Harry’s voice trailed off before he blurted out, “Merlin! Maybe this is why he wanted the library! He does know he’s sick and he’s searching for a cure!”
The brown eyes looked doubtful. “Really? I wouldn’t have thought a library devoted to the Dark Arts would have anything beneficial to human beings in it. I still think you need to talk to him, Harry, if only to tell him that you know something’s wrong and you’re willing to help.”
Harry sighed. When Hermione was right, she was right. “Fine. I’ll tell him, Hermione. I just hope I encounter the good Snape and not his evil twin,” he muttered.
“You can try having dinner with him again,” she ventured. When she saw Harry flush, she added contritely, “Maybe not.”
“Not if he’s cooking,” Harry groused.
“You’ll just have to catch him at a time when he’s in a really good mood.”
“The only time Snape is in a good mood is when he’s brewing and that’ll stop soon enough if I interrupt him,” he pointed out.
“Harry, this potion isn’t just affecting Severus physically. It might be having an effect on his mind as well. He’ll do as you say if you point out he might go as mad as Voldemort if he’s not careful. You’re just going to have to risk his bad temper.”
“You’re right. How bad could it be? Don’t answer that,” he joked. “Thanks for your help, Mione.” He hugged her one-handed, mindful both of Lily and Hermione’s protruding belly.
“No need to thank me, Harry. It was actually rather fun.”
Only Hermione would think learning about potions would be “fun”. Shaking his head, Harry canceled the spell and walked through the store, looking for his other children.
He was going to have to beard the snake in its nest. Somehow he would have preferred facing Voldemort again.
TBC