A Twisted Web We Weave

CHAPTER 30

“You’re staying where?” Harry continued to rub his temples as he rolled over on Ron’s bed to face his two best friends, who were cuddled up together beside him.

“Snape’s chambers.” Harry whispered in reply knowing already that Ron’s mouth was hanging open like a fish.

“No way.” Ron gawked clearly unmoved by the fact Hermione was glaring up at him pointedly.

“Ignore him Harry he’s just being useless as usual.” Hermione jabbed Ron hard in the ribs before turning back to Harry who was fighting his headache after an entire day of not seeing or touching Snape. Four weeks they’d been back at school, four weeks Harry had hidden the fact he’d been forced into residence with the schools most hated professor. Lying to his friends had finally become too much, and with Draco and Paris doing their damnedest to tell everyone about the arrangement there was little choice but for Harry to tell his friends straight where he’d been staying. “Tell us, what it’s like?” Harry smiled up at the bushy brown haired girl, who was doing her best not to sound nosey.

“Surprisingly warm.” Harry muttered as he rose from the bed and paced over to the window and back in an effort to calm his headache.

“Is this because of the potion?” Hermione queried cautiously watching as Harry nodded before regretting it as a wave of nausea swept over him and he had to sit down quickly on the floor to quell it.

“Yeah, it’s not wearing off as you probably noticed.” Harry looked sheepishly up at his two friends who were now lying across the bed, looking down on him in concern.

“Um, yeah it’s pretty noticeable Harry, sorry.” Ron blushed having seen the results of last week’s disastrous two-day goal Harry had set himself, in not coming into contact with Snape. The result being a spectacular show of Harry bowling Snape over in the great hall at breakfast in front of everyone. Harry nodded but remained silent, inwardly cringing when he remembered how many embarrassing things he’d done when he’d tried to fight the urge.

“Do they know what’s happening to you and how to stop it?” Hermione inquired. After Voldemort’s demise Ron and Hermione had seen very little of Harry, and had only had the privilege of catching up on things through letters and between classes.

“Yeah I think so, but if they do they’re not telling me.” Harry muttered the headache now blurring his vision. It was time to go and seek out the potions professor, Harry having put it off for too long already.

“That’s wrong Harry, you should know what’s happening to you.” Harry shrugged his shoulders as he stood up unsteadily from the floor, bracing himself against the post of Ron’s bed.

“Yeah I know but they’ll tell me eventually, at least Snape’s being civil to me, in fact he’s being really nice, for Snape that is.” With a weak smile Harry stumbled to the door and with a short goodbye from his friends Harry disappeared back down the stairs and into the Gryfindor common room. Being only a free period for seventh years, the castle was practically silent while everyone else was in class, and Harry easily made his way along the winding corridors down towards where he knew Snape was teaching third year potions. Like always the closer Harry got to Snape the better he felt and so by the time Harry made it to the closed classroom door his headache had dulled enough to straighten himself up and put on a neutral face. Knocking on the door Harry waited for the muffled command to enter.

“Come.” Harry edged open the door to the classroom and screwed his nose up at the smell. He remembered brewing healing potion number 6, in his third year, and smiled at the entire class with clamps on their noses. Snape was hunched over at his desk, nose deep in parchment and didn’t look up as he addressed Harry sharply. “Well? What is it you want?” Harry swallowed difficultly his head spinning with the excitement of seeing the man.

“Um, can I see you for a moment sir please.” At the sound of Harry’s voice, Snape looked up immediately, the flicker of concern in his gaze lost on his other students who assumed he was glaring at them. Harry hadn’t ever had to interrupt Snape’s classes before but his headache was intense and the wizard had said to come and see him at any time.

“Potter?” Standing up from his desk Snape flicked his wand at the board and a small homework essay question appeared. “You may leave when the bell rings at the end of the lesson, homework is on the board.” The class muttered their approval and Harry watched as Snape held his hand out towards the door of his office. Harry smiled and wove his way gingerly between the desks, careful not to bump any of the students less he ruin their potions. Snape closed the door behind them as they both entered the office, Harry noting the silencing charm Snape set up on the door so that his class couldn’t hear them talking. “You were supposed to see me at lunch.” Snape spoke sternly as he sat down in the chair beside Harry, the wizard’s hand automatically coming to rest on the boy’s knee. It was a common agreement now that without asking Snape offered his touch, only ever to Harry’s knee or shoulder but offered nonetheless. Harry felt instantly better and sighed heavily as he relaxed into the curve of the wooden chair’s back.

“I know I got caught up in the library, had to finish my homework for charms.” Harry muttered as he focused his entire attention on the feel of the man’s hand on his knee, its warmth and the firm but comforting squeeze.

“Homework you should have completed last night.” Snape countered quickly clearly irritated by Harry’s lack of attention and blasé attitude towards school work, especially because the ministry had only granted them 4 months to finish their exams they would have been completing when the school was attacked.

“It’s difficult to concentrate.” Harry offered as Snape withdrew his hand and stood up, moving over to his desk to clean up a little. Harry instantly missed the warmth of the wizard’s touch and stood up as well, moving over to the desk as if to be closer to him.

“If you applied yourself a little more…..” Snape moved around Harry, brushing unconsciously against the boy as he filed some of his papers in the cabinet on the far wall. Just the small brush of Snape’s body against his made Harry catch his breath, the sensation linger in his senses before filtering away.

“If I applied myself it wouldn’t matter all I can think about is you.” Harry bit sarcastically, annoyed that the sensation of Snape brushing against him hadn’t lasted longer. Snape glanced over his shoulder at Harry’s comment but bit his tongue, having been warned from Albus telling the boy the truth straight out would do more harm than good. “And this hand on knee shit isn’t working anymore. It like works for a second then it’s gone again.” Harry snapped nastily his darkening mood a result of his rapidly returning headache. Snape remained silent for a moment choosing his timing perfectly, as Remus’ words echoed in his mind. ‘Romance him’.

“Would you like to go to London with me this weekend?” As if not having heard Harry’s last comment Snape turned around and casually smiled at Harry who was currently trying to kill Snape’s quill collection with his acrid stare.

“I’m not allowed outside school grounds unless on a certified excursion.” Harry related the rules quickly, although his interest had been perked by the suggestion of a weekend away from school, even if it was with Snape.

“I’m sure I can convince the headmaster to bend that rule for one weekend, that is if you want to come.” Harry was in shock, Snape was an absolute arse for rules and so to even suggest breaking one of the cardinal rules was almost unbelievable. Snape watched curiously as a mixture of suspicion and excitement washed over Harry’s expression.

“Why are you doing this?” Harry whispered curiously his headache forgotten as he moved around to stand in front of Snape, who was casually flicking through a file he’d removed from his cabinet.

“Just between you and I Harry, I believe we’re going to have to be spending a lot more time together from now on, and I thought it would be nice if we could learn to get along better than we have been doing. I know I remind you constantly of my brother and what he did to you, but I assure you I am a completely different person and have no intention of repeating or reliving anything he did in his miserable existence?” Harry continued to look at Snape, the man’s dark gaze never wavering as it met the boy’s straight on.

“I’m not going to get better am I? This potion is permanent?” Harry had thought about this possibility since he’d been told about what the ‘constantine’ potion was designed to do. It was a fear he’d learnt to deal with, just as he had the constant nightmare that Julius had somehow come back to life.

“Not so much the potion as the unforeseen side effects it has had on your body. Had my brother realized what forcing you to ingest this potion would do to you, he might have thought twice. It goes without saying that it had the opposite effect to the one he wanted but it is what that lingering effect has triggered which is now your current concern.” Snape watched as Harry sighed heavily and nodded in understanding. The news didn’t exactly come as a surprise. He’d watched Paris get well within a month, the boy’s petulant good mood grating on Harry’s nerves, to the point at which they were both at each others neck’s most of the time. Snape could see Harry’s mood sliding into depression, so quickly reiterated his original question. “So are we going to London this weekend?” Harry lifted his eyes to focus on Snape’s and after a moments thought nodded in agreement. It had been literally months since Harry had been in London, and now without the threat of Voldemort he was essentially free to do as he liked, a concept he was still getting used to. It wouldn’t do any harm to go, and it would as Snape put it, get along with each other. “Good, I’ll inform the headmaster of our plans at dinner.” Snape went to move forwards back towards his desk but before he could move he felt Harry step up to him, the boy’s arms coming up to wrap around his waist. Snape froze as he stared down at the brown mop of hair now resting against his waistcoat. In the entire time they’d been forced together Harry hadn’t once initiated the contact and Snape was stunned at what had brought about this sudden brazen. However before Snape could say anything Harry beat him to it.

“Don’t say anything, I just need this alright.” Snape nodded and with caution wrapped his arms loosely around the boy’s shoulders in an awkward hug. The pair of them stood together for a long time until the shrill ringing of the end of lesson bell echoed around the room. With an inward sigh Harry pulled away from Snape, feeling infinitely better than he had. “I’ll see you this evening professor.” Without meeting Snape’s gaze Harry turned and walked out of the office door leaving Snape still standing silently deep in thought, in the middle of his office.

TBC>>>>>>>>