In Absentia

In Absentia

Part Three

\"Murder you? I won\'t. I wouldn\'t. Not under any circumstance.\"

\"He thinks that you will. I do tend to agree with him. You see, after I break it off, I act suspiciously until Dumbledore is the only one who isn\'t convinced that I\'m a loyal Death Eater. At the same time, he becomes the father that you never knew, or the great-great-grandfather, at least. That is when I kill Dumbledore, right in front of your eyes, fulfilling both of my Unbreakable Vows. You kill the traitor to avenge Dumbledore. You kill the Dark Lord. You immediately find out that you are a horcrux, that I was innocent, well at least of the crime for which you killed me and was acting under Dumbledore\'s orders, whom you will be convinced was a saint. You also find out that you were the love of my life. That part is true, I\'m afraid. You, as the theory goes, will not be able to live with the guilt. You therefore will kill yourself and save the world. Very Shakespearean, is it not?\"

\"I don\'t understand why.\"

\"You are the last horcrux, Harry. Not Nagini, not the Sorting Hat, not Helga Hufflepuff\'s kitchenware.\"

\"What\'s a horcrux?\"

\"Merlin, I told him we should have just told you, but no, everything has to be an adventure. The Dark Lord separated his soul and put parts of it away for safe keeping, so when he dies, he comes back because all of his soul never dies with him. All of his soul must die, for him to be defeated. Dumbledore nearly died years ago dismantling a horcrux that your godfather\'s idiot brother stole from the Dark Lord. You are the only wizard on earth with the power to dismantle you, except perhaps the Dark Lord, but he doesn\'t want you dead. Dumbledore, until recently, thought he would be the one who would kill you after the final battle, but he\'s old and dying. He has another year at the outside. His power is half of what it was six months ago. Personally, I doubt he has had the power to kill you for a year or more. He doesn\'t trust you to kill yourself just because it is the right thing to do and because it will defeat the Dark Lord who murdered your parents. I am his insurance. He believes you will not be able to live with yourself, when you find out that you murdered in cold blood, someone who loved you with all his heart.\"

\"He\'s right, Severus.\"

\"I know.\"

\"But-\"

Wandless and wordless, Snape cast Obliviate and Stupefy, then picked up Harry from the chair and moved him to a couch.

Harry woke with Snape looming over him.

\"Potter what is the meaning of this?\"

\"Huh?\"

\"You were unconscious outside of my door.\"

\"I\'m sorry sir. I remember coming down to the dungeons- My cloak!\"

\"It is here Potter.\"

\"Oh. I sort of feel like I\'ve been Stupefied, sir.\"

\"A Slytherin prank perhaps, still I shall have to report this incident to the Headmaster. You may stay here. I should not be gone long.\"

Snape tossed some floo powder, called,

\"Headmaster Dumbledore\'s Office,\" and disappeared.

Harry tried to think back. He remembered making his way through the dungeons. He remembered looking at the snake carved on Snape\'s door. That was all there was. He didn\'t hear or see anyone. Harry rubbed the back of his head, then both elbows. He didn\'t feel like he had fallen down onto a stone floor. He had certainly done that enough times to know what it feels like. Could someone have caught him? Why would any Slytherin who wanted to stupify him in the first place bother to catch him? It just didn\'t make any sense. Harry was starting to doubt that he had been hit with a Stupefy. How else would he have ended up on the floor? Just as Snape returned, something clicked in Harry\'s head.

\"Sir, I\'ve been thinking about what happened to me. This might sound crazy but-\"

\"Yes?\"

\"Well, you found me on the stone floor, but I don\'t feel like I fell down on one. I remember coming through the dungeons until I got to your door, but I don\'t remember anything else, I don\'t remember being unconscious if that makes any sense. I don\'t remember anything, until I woke up on the couch.\"

\"Your point, Potter?\"

\"I think someone may have cast an Obliviate on me. I never would have thought about it, except that I don\'t have any bruises on my-\"

Snape cursed himself for his weakness. Good thing the boy would be the end of him. Wordless and wandless, Snape cast another Obliviate and Stupefy. He picked Harry up, dropped him on the floor, picked him up again, and set him down gently on the couch.

Ennervate!

Harry woke with Snape looming over him.

\"Potter what is the meaning of this?\"

\"Huh? Oh ouch!\"

\"I found you unconscious outside of my door.\"

\"I sort of feel like I\'ve been stupefied, sir.\"

\"I should report this to the Head Master.\"

\"It was probably just a prank, sir. A few bruises, I\'m not hurt.\"

\"Well, I\'m certain the Head Master will find out, if he does not know already.\" Snape handed him bottle. \"Here, drink this.\"

He did and handed the bottle back to Snape. \"Thank you, sir.\"

\"How do you feel now?\"

Harry rubbed the back of his head and both elbows. \"Better.\"

Snape caught one of Harry\'s hand with both of his. Snape\'s fingers cradled his hand while his thumbs started to massage Harry\'s palm. Who knew how good something like that could feel? Somehow it seemed so much more intimate than anything else that Snape had ever done to him. Gods, Harry would have paid someone to stupefy him if-

\"Would you like to stay the night?\"

\"You\'d let me?\"

\"I would like it very much if you would.\"

\"Well, um, yes sir. I\'d like to. Thank you for asking me.\"

\"Would you like a cup of tea?\"

Harry smiled. Gods, Snape must have really been worried about him! Harry wanted a cup of tea, in the worst way, if only to offset the taste of the potion in his mouth. But wouldn\'t that mean that Severus would let go of his hand?

\"No thank you, sir.\"

Just then Snape did let go, but only to pick up Harry\'s other hand.

\"Have I ever told you that I think you have kissable lips?\"

\"No sir. You did once mention that my hair looked like something that had not survived an electrical storm.\"

\"I stand by that. I also think you have kissable lips, Mr. Potter.\"

\"Would you- like to kiss them, sir?\"

\"No. I would rather kiss all of you, but will be most happy to start with your lips.\"