Where Others Fear to Tread

Chapter 3

Harry could hardly breath as Dumbledore spoke. The world seemed to tilt on its axis as what the headmaster had just said sank through the mist in Harry’s mind. Before he knew what he was doing Harry began shaking his head vehemently in refusal, not even bothering to look at the paper that had been slid in front of him.

“No.” The words barely made it past the tightness in his throat or the panic rising in his chest.

“Harry, please calm down.” Seeing her student beginning to stress McGonagall rounded the desk and went to place a calming hand on Harry’s shoulder but Harry shook her off and stood up abruptly from the chair to look at his godfather for aid.

“Sirius, he can’t do this. Tell him I don’t want to marry that git. Tell him to get fucked, where’ both male for fucks sake.” Harry’s voice was beginning to become a little hysterical and his body shook with fear as he watched his godfather slowly raise his head to look at him.

“I’m sorry Harry, there’s nothing I can do.” That wasn’t the reply Harry wanted to hear and continued to shake his head as he turned nastily towards where Snape was still standing next to the fire his back turned to the mayhem as if he didn’t care. Seeing Snape so calm incensed him even more and before anyone could stop him Harry took out his wand and pointed it directly at Snape’s head.

“You’re a fucking arsehole. You’re a slimy, sniveling, little weasel of a man. You’ll not be satisfied until I’m broken. Not content with making my life hell in school, you’re going to ruin my future as well. I wouldn’t marry you even if the only other option was death.” Harry spat the last word out with venom no one in the room had ever heard Harry use in his voice before, the boy’s grip on his wand deathly white.

“Harry James Potter, lower your wand immediately.” Dumbledore’s voice penetrated the silence of the chamber the ominously angry tone the headmaster had used clearly meant to have an affect. Harry however didn’t move his wand was still pointed at Snape’s turned back, the man having not flinched an inch despite the danger he was in of being hexed to death by his livid student.

“Harry please this is not doing any good. Sirius has already threatened him with everything under the sun he won’t be moved.” Harry shuddered as he felt the hand of Remus come to rest on his shoulder, the werewolf having moved from his godfather’s side to comfort Harry. Slowly Harry lowered his wand and turned helplessly around to face his godfather’s best friend, tears brimming in his eyes.

“He can’t do this to me can he?” Harry watched as a sad flicker of helplessness washed in Remus’ brown eyes and in that instant Harry felt as if his life had ended. An hour ago he’d been playfully chatting with his friends his future uncertain but bright, but now in a brief second everything he knew had been taken from him in one fowl sweep.

“Unfortunately he can Harry. A wizard’s debt can be recalled for anything, including marriage.” Remus lead Harry back to the chair and sat the boy down before calmly pouring him some more of the lemon tea in a hope of steadying Harry’s shakes. Harry looked to Dumbledore the tears he’d kept back now falling like a waterfall down his cheek.

“I’m not 18 yet and I’ve never even had girlfriend. I don’t want to get married.” Harry reasoned his hands shaking uncontrollably as Remus helped him take a few sips of the calming tea.

“I know Harry, and I understand but there are very few options open to you. Without wizarding debts of your own you have no counter claim. The only other option is clause 103 and I fear that will be just as unappealing as the present situation is.” Dumbledore came around and sat down on the edge of his desk in front of Harry, calmly taking the boys shaking hands in his own squeezing them in comfort.

“What’s clause 103?” Harry whispered not daring to glance in his godfathers direction knowing that seeing Sirius’ despair at being helpless to help his godson would set his tears off again.

“Clause 103, states that if you yourself do not wish to repay this debt you may voluntarily pass the debt on to Severus’ second choice.” Harry frowned a little as McGonagall read from the big dusty book on the desk before looking up at Harry from above her square glasses.

“And who’s his second choice?” For a moment Harry saw brief hope but when Dumbledore spoke that hope faded as quickly as it had come.

“Ronald Weasley.” Harry huffed a contemptible laugh hardly believing what he was hearing. Snape had backed him into a corner with no way out. Snape knew Harry would never condemn his best friend to the same horrible fate that Snape had forced onto Harry, and so that left no option but for Harry to accept the offer. With a resigned sigh Harry slumped in the chair and closed his eyes tightly willing everything to be a dream when he next opened his eyes. Unfortunately he wasn’t so lucky and when he opened his eyes the concerned helpless faces of his elders were still there reminding him of what now lay ahead of him.

“Well that’s not an option then. I won’t put this on Ron.” Harry whispered determinedly his glare shifting slightly to where Snape had now moved from the fireplace over to the window seat at the far end of Dumbledore’s chamber. “So that’s it. I’m fucked.” Harry cursed quietly to himself watching as all four of his mentors sighed heavily and nodded in reluctant agreement.

“I’m so sorry Harry.” Dumbledore placed a warm hand on Harry’s shoulder but the boy shrugged it off. “I think perhaps that is enough for one evening. I will arrange a negotiation time for the ‘contract’ tomorrow. Harry you may wish to note down some things you want the contract to contain. If you need help you may come to any one of us at any time.” Harry nodded but remained seated in his chair, as Remus helped a tired worn out Sirius to his feet. Harry closed his eyes as he felt Sirius bend down and press a soft reassuring kiss to the top of his godson’s head before drawing back a little and making Harry look up at him.

“It’ll be all right Harry, you’ll see.” Sirius spoke softly although his voice lacked the fire and conviction the man usually had in his tone. Sadly Harry nodded and with a hug let Remus lead Sirius from the chamber, Dumbledore and McGonagall following them to the door to see them out. Harry noted cautiously that Dumbledore had left he and Severus alone while the four other mentors talked quietly outside the chamber.

Turning his gaze on the tall slender figure of his potions master Harry suddenly thought of something that made him frown in confusion.

“You don’t want to marry me or Ron at all do you?” With no one else in the room it was clear whom the question was directed at and Harry watched as Snape turned slowly around from his stare out of the window to face his young student. Straightening his back Harry stared into the inky black depths of the man’s eyes trying to find even a flicker of emotion that was never betrayed upon the man’s face.

“A brilliant deduction Mr. Potter.” Snape’s voice was the familiar dark drawl he favored for his most detested students. Swallowing his urge to snap at the man Harry took a deep breath and continued his questions.

“Then why are you doing this?” Harry asked hardly keeping the tremble from his voice as he spoke. Snape lowered his gaze from Harry’s and turned back to the window in silence his shoulders slumping a little as he sat down on the window seat, his hands folded neatly in his lap.

“Because like you I have been given an impossible choice from Voldemort. I either choose a mate from among the select few he deems appropriate for me or I face the consequences of my actions.” Snape’s voice was cold and emotionless as he spoke his eyes trained completely on the dark sky out of the window.

“So he’s making you marry someone? Why?” Harry questioned curious as to Snape’s motives behind this latest situation.

“Voldemort has long been arranging marriages among his followers for his personal gain. Lucious and Narcissa Malfoy are an example of one such marriage born purely of Voldemort’s desire to swell his ranks with new blood already loyal to him. Draco’s future was planned long before he was conceived.” Snape whispered his voice trailing off as he thought about his own situation.

“Why hasn’t he pushed you into this before now?” Harry queried concerned suddenly about how deep this whole situation ran. Snape sighed softly in obvious stress and pain; the first real emotion Harry had seen the man display since entering the chamber.

“Until now I have strung Voldemort along claiming difficulties of a physical nature in the bedroom, with the female partners he has provided me with.” It was clear in the way Snape twisted his hands in his lap awkwardly that he wasn’t enjoying having to tell Harry this information. Not that Harry cared, he wanted the truth and he didn’t care what that meant. Snape continued in his quietly calm voice. “While this is somewhat true especially after years of being subjected to the cruatious curse, it is not entirely correct. My performance in the bedroom while linked to my physical problems is more directly related to the sex of my partners.” Harry frowned unsure if what Snape had just said meant, what he thought it meant. Harry didn’t have time to question it however as Snape continued. “Until last night I had successfully kept my sexual preferences away from Voldemort’s knowledge, however it has come to his attention and he has thus provided me with a choice of three male prospective partners of whom I must choose a mate from or as I said before face the consequences.” Snape trailed off his expression still neutral as he glanced over his shoulder at Harry, who was now strangely silent.

“What will he do to you if you refuse the choices he gave you?” Harry stared into Snape’s reflective gaze until the elder man blinked.

“I’m not afraid of death Mr. Potter.” Was Snape’s cryptic reply. Harry shuddered at the intention behind that comment. Even if Snape wasn’t afraid of death, Harry was and not just of his own.

“So he’ll kill you?” Harry inquired softly hoping to clarify what he was sure Snape had alluded to in the last comment.

“The same fate of which will await me if he ever finds out you’re the one I married in an attempt to avoid the choices he tried to forced on me.” Harry was confused and frowned a little at Snape who turned slowly around on the window seat to face his younger charge.

“What do you mean?” Harry questioned confused all of a sudden.

“The only reason Voldemort is forcing me into marriage is to procure my heirs as his own. The only way I can prevent him from doing that is for me to marry someone of my own choosing, thus making it impossible for him to force another less acceptable union upon me.” Snape paused again and rose from his seat in the window. Harry watched as he walked over to the tray of teacups on the headmaster’s desk and poured himself a steaming cup of lemon. “Like yourself Mr. Potter, the idea of being forced into a union I do not want is not appealing in the slightest but considering the options available to me I believe this to be the most acceptable. At least in this regard I get a little say in what I want in my life.”

“But what happens when he finds out you’ve gone behind his back and married someone else, messing up his plans?” Harry inquired unsure Snape was thinking entirely straight about the situation at hand. Snape sat down in the chair beside Harry the cup of tea resting in his long thin fingers its steam trailing up in little wisps of mist.

“We are all going to die eventually Mr. Potter, while it maybe sheer luck that you have survived this long, I assure you it is a complete miracle that I have survived at all.” Snape paused and took another sip from his tea his gaze catching Harry’s out of the corner of the man’s eye.

“So he’ll kill you if you marry me too? Then why me? Why all this?” Harry questioned slowly his voice still quiet as he gestured around himself as if to illustrate his point. Snape seemed to consider the matter for a moment, the cup of tea poised at his lips before he lowered it without having drunk from it.

“I have never been one to just accept my fate Mr. Potter and lie down and die. While I am not afraid of dying, I do not however wish it to happen prematurely. In my marriage to you, I am perhaps taking a risk. A risk that Voldemort will overlook my willfulness and spare my life, due to the fact I am among his closest advisors. If not? I have lost nothing and if so? I have perhaps gained tolerable companionship for what remains of my life.” Harry couldn’t fault Snape’s reasoning and for the first time ever Harry saw a genuine mild expression pass over Snape’s face as he gestured casually at Harry with a fine boned hand. “As for why you Mr. Potter? I ask why not?” Snape raised a smooth eyebrow in Harry’s direction, no hint of a smug smile on the professor’s face, which Harry had expected. Snape allowed the rhetorical question to hang in the air before answering it, his gaze focused on Harry as he spoke. “You’re young, male, of relatively equal breeding as myself, your wealth is similar to my own, you’re relatively attractive and despite my misgivings you would provide me with at least some intellectual conversation.” Harry could hardly believe he’d just heard what Snape had said. Although the comments were hardly compliments they were sincerely meant and Harry was stunned that Snape had considered this so closely. “I think considering the very few options I had in this matter it is the most acceptable of options I could have chosen for myself.” For a moment Harry saw compassion behind the stern exterior of the potions master he was familiar with and it scared Harry a little.

“I’m not gay.” Harry whispered firmly and watched as Snape sneered a little with a sarcastic smile, turning away from Harry back to his cup of lemon tea.

“You don’t have to be Mr. Potter.” Was the curious reply Snape gave him. Harry watched as Snape sipped again on his tea his face now schooled back into the familiar scowl he used when teaching, the compassion and sincerity vanishing as if it had never been there.

“Why didn’t you just ask me to marry you instead of forcing me with this debt thing?” Harry asked again this time not missing the way Snape rolled his eyes at the word ‘thing’ at the end of Harry’s sentence.

“I see the eloquence of an uneducated, ignorant muggle born has reared its ugly head yet again Mr. Potter, we will have to rectify that if we are ever at all to get along.” Snape finished his tea and put the cup back on the tray before standing up from the chair beside Harry. The door to Dumbledore’s chambers re opened and McGonagall and Dumbledore returned minus Remus and Sirius.

“So what’s the answer?” Harry asked ignoring the audience Snape and he now had to their conversation. Snape paused and looked over Harry with mild distaste.

“Would you have said yes had I asked?” Snape queried as he made his way over to the fireplace and collected a handful of floo powder from the ceramic pot on the mantel.

“No.” Harry whispered determinedly but truthfully. Snape smiled nastily and nodded at Harry.

“Then there’s your answer Mr. Potter.” With a curved smug eyebrow Snape turned to face McGonagall and Dumbledore both of whom had remained silent not interrupting the conversation they’d just walked in on. “Headmaster. Minerva. Thank-you for your time I will see you tomorrow.” Snape inclined his head politely to Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall before turning his attention back to Harry who was still sitting staring at Snape. The man seemed a little better since this morning but he still shifted awkwardly to the fireplace. “Potter I’ll see you in class.” With a whispered word Snape flung the handful of powder into the fire and with a single step he was gone in a green wash of flame, leaving silence in his wake.

“Harry are you alright?” Harry jumped a little as Dumbledore’s hand fell unexpectedly on his shoulders. Looking up into the headmasters eyes Harry could still feel the man’s helplessness

“Did you know about Voldemort’s plans?” Harry whispered ignoring Dumbledore’s question in favor of asking his own regarding the headmaster’s knowledge about Snape’s situation.

“Yes, he informed us, as well as your godfather this afternoon when he told us of his intentions.” Harry nodded and slowly rose from the chair feeling a little stiff and very tired.

“What’s next?” Harry stretched awkwardly and moved over towards the door getting ready to leave.

“You negotiate the marriage contract. I will arrange the necessary time and place this week and contact you when you are needed.” Harry nodded and not bothering to look at either of his mentors opened the door to leave. He paused only briefly as another question sprung to mind.

“Was this in your grand plan for the-boy-who-lived?” Harry hadn’t meant to sound as sarcastic as the words had come out but without seeing the headmasters face, Harry would not know how it had affected the elder wizard.

“Life gives us many challenges Harry Potter.” Dumbledore’s words were wise but to Harry’s ears they sounded bitter. With a sigh Harry shook his head and stepped out onto the top of the stone staircase.

“Then life sucks.” Harry whispered in reply as the door to the headmasters chamber swung closed and the steps began spiraling downwards returning him to the ground floor and dumping him back into a whole new reality.

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

A/N Thank-you sooo much to everyone who reviewed, and is reading this story. It\'s nice to see some familar names back for a second round of torture.....As promised I will attempt to keep up with the reviews this time around, and if anyone wants to email me feel free to do so....hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for another in the near future.

Ima: - Thanks for being my first reviewer for this story J

Spaz: - Yes indeed a good last line of any chapter. *Pulls hotel towel around herself like a cape* The suspense queen has returned!

Squall-sama: - Thanks I appreciate the sentiment.

Pinktarg: - I cannot wait either… thus this update.

Eowynselixure: Nice to see you back buddy. Yes Hermione has brown hair and the problem has been rectified, but having mapped my characters and plot out on a airline napkin I have actually mixed a certain Weasley girl up with a certain Granger and thus the mistake. Oh and I would say that Snape’s plan is more than a ‘tad’ dangerous in fact I’d reckon it’s pretty much suicide, but you’ll just have to wait and see what old Snivellrus has got up his sleeve…..*chuckles evilly*

Sak:- Yes I too am confused…..Actually I lie. As yet you know not of what James Potter’s debt is nor do you know whom the third debt involves thus the plot…people play a dangerous game when they attempt to preempt my stories it provokes me to do nasty things to the characters….*twitches nervously*

Cupotrevor: - Yes the idea of two unwilling parties in this marriage just makes things interesting.

Read a lot: - *takes the cappuccino with glee* thankies very muchly.

Priss368: - * bounces around with you* Yeah, I like mpreg’s too…

Angel: - *cuddles* And hopes for more cuddles soon.

Dominic Shade:- Yeah Snape sharing his rooms with anyone is just hilarity waiting to happen, especially when the roomy in question is Potter….*chuckles and makes the sound of cauldron’s exploding*