After the war

Harry trudged along the dark, damp corridors, looking for the portrait he knew covered the entrance to the potions masters quarters.
He saw the painting and sighed with relief, looking up at the snake that coiled around the branches of what looked to be a cherry tree.
"Stone heart." He said to it. The snake raised it's head and gave him a dubious look, but he had the password, so it let him in.
He looked at the snake for a long moment, then spoke to it in parseltongue.
"The headmaster is dead, as is everyone else we are sure of trusting. Please do not allow anyone other than Severus or myself in here even if the password is given."
"Why ssshould I lisssten to you? You are not my massster."
"No, I'm not, but he is, and I am trying to keep him alive." Harry hissed, gesturing at the unconscious man who still floated at his side.
The snake looked at the potions master, then seemed to nod.
"Assss you wisssssh. I will honor your requessst until he issss in a posssition to countermand you."
"Thank you. Do you think you could also ask all the other portraits to warn you if anyone comes sniffing about? I would appreciate a heads up."
"Yessss."
"Thanks." Harry said, going inside and letting the door close behind him.
He cast a cursory glance around the room, but this wasn't the time for sight seeing, so once he had located the objects of his immediate needs, he focused on them. A plush sofa with wide cushions, and a fireplace.
He carefully lowered Severus onto the sofa, and lit a fire in the fireplace to start warming the room. He stared at the fireplace for a long moment, then looked over his shoulder at the door, where the snake now coiled around the trunk of a tree etched into the glass of a mirror that hung on the back of the door, it's scales flashing with glassy iridescance as it moved.
"I don't suppose you know if this room is on the floo network?"
"Yessss, it issss."
"Damn." Harry muttered.
"However, he valuessss hissss privacccy. There issss a brick to the ssside of the hearttthhh. Ifff the ffflame isss to the top, the ffflooo isss open, and to the bottom, it issss clossssed."
"I didn't know you could do that." Harry said as he looked for the brick. The snake hissed out a sibilant laugh.
"You cannot, without great ssskill."
"OK, good, it's closed." Harry said, breathing a sigh of relief.
He pushed himself to his feet, looking at the other doors that led off the main room. The first led to a small private kitchen, the second to a very nice looking bathroom, with marble surfaces, gold taps and a huge clawfoot bath.
The third door was firmly locked, and he headed for the fourth.
The bedroom was dominated by a huge four poster bed, surrounded by heavy black velvet drapes. The only other piece of furniture was a large mahogany linen press. Harry grabbed the heavy comforter off the bed and carried it back out to where Severus lay, tucking it around him.
"Now, we just have to find you some blood, and that should cover us for now." He said, stroking the dark hair again. He glanced at the mirror on the door, but the snake had either gone to talk to the other portraits or was back on the other side of the door.
"Right, use your brain Harry. It can only be in the kitchen, or behind the locked door. Just look for it."
He headed toward the kitchen first, shaking his head as he went.
"Can't believe I'm bloody talking to myself here." He muttered, pushing open the door to the kitchen.

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End this one on a light note. At least if Harry's talking to himself he should get a sensible answer, and this could well be the lightest it gets. *EVIL CACKLE*
I haven't quite decided yet between two forks in the path.

1) Nice semi happy rebuilding fic

2) Nice dark revenge, death and destruction fic. Where fudge gets eaten (and I ain't talking the sugary vanilla confection here.)

If anyone wants to put in their tuppenceworth on the path, I would certainly bear their opinion in mind when pulling out my machete to clear the way through.