The Friday Boy

CHAPTER 34

“Move!” Monday morning, and the usual chaos of a full house line up waiting for the bathroom was shattered as Harry came slamming out of his bedroom, one hand clasped uselessly over his mouth as he pushed his way through the crowded hallway and crashed uncaringly into the occupied bathroom. Tripping over the damp bath mat, and ignoring the shout of indignation from George behind the shower curtain, Harry threw himself to the floor in front of the toilet bowl before the inevitable happened. With bloodied hands Harry clutched to the icy cold porcelain as he threw up violently, the terrifying images of his latest batch of nightmares, racking his body with the shakes and making him break out in a cold sweat. Harry threw up again as he heard the ruckus in the hallway as everyone tried to get a look in.

“Get out the way!” Harry almost sobbed with relief as he heard Snape and Sirius’ voices pushing their way through the crowd, no doubt word having spread downstairs quickly of Harry’s illness. With an empty stomach to begin with, there was never going to be much to come up, and now Harry was left dry retching as Snape swept down beside him and attempted to get a better look at him. Harry was pale and clammy, his eyes were red and swimming in fatigue his restless night taking it’s toll. To make matters worse his scar was bleeding profusely and red slippery finger marks covered the toilet seat where Harry had struggled to find purchase on something to keep him up right.

“Is he okay?” Sirius inquired as he crouched down beside Snape, although there was very little room in the cramped bathroom. George was still tucked behind the shower curtain, his wet, soapy head sticking out as he stared down at Harry sadly.

“Help me get him up.” With Sirius under one arm and Snape under the other, the two elder wizards carried Harry out of the bathroom. To avoid prying eyes the pair carried Harry down into the cellar and the spare bathroom, that was usually reserved for Lupin’s sole use. Dumbledore appeared at the door just as Sirius and Snape were lowering Harry into the cooling water of the deep bath tub, Snape up to his elbows in water to try and keep Harry afloat as they boy went limp like a rag doll.

“One of yours Severus?” Dumbledore inquired as he informed Sirius to fetch some breakfast and tea for them all. Snape sat down on the wet edge of the bathtub his arm wrapped around Harry’s chest as the boy floated in the blessedly cool waters.

“Undoubtedly.” Severus muttered as he gently cupped some water onto Harry’s face to wash away the streaks of blood. Severus and Dumbledore still hadn’t entirely settled their differences in regards to Snape and Harry’s relationship but they were at least on speaking terms again.

“You need to start taking some precautions Severus. If he continues like this there’s no telling what he’ll pass on through his visions.” Snape nodded quietly as Harry seemed to come around, still disorientated but showing signs of colour in his face again.

“Sev?” Snape helped Harry sit up in the bath before pouring the boy a glass of fresh water from the sink. “What’s going on?” Harry’s voice was raw from all the screaming the night before, his silencing charms making sure no one was alerted to his nightmares.

“Just my nightmares Harry, your sharing my dreams again.” Harry sighed quietly as he finished his glass of water as Snape stood up from the side of the bath and wiped his arm dry on a fluffy white towel.

“It seems your relationship with Severus has progressed somewhat Harry, and unfortunately your being privy to some items of Severus memory that are not safe in your hands. Severus’ position as spy is important Harry and we can not risk you sharing thoughts with him, when you have neither the capabilities nor the strength to protect those secrets from Voldemort’s prying eye.” Harry stared a Dumbledore blankly not really, understanding what was going on, or why he was even sharing dreams with Snape. With a warm smile Dumbledore rose from the chair and made his way towards the exit of the damp bathroom. “But I will leave Severus to explain the rest. We’ll be upstairs when you’re ready for breakfast.” With a twinkling gleam Dumbledore was gone leaving Harry neck deep in the bath staring tiredly up at Snape.

“Severus?” In the silence that followed in the wake of the headmasters departure Harry looked up at Snape hoping for an explanation. Snape sighed heavily and grabbed another clean towel and held it open in invitation.

“Come on Harry, I promised Arthur I’d run the dueling sessions in the garden this morning.” Still unsteady on his feet Harry climbed from the bath and walked into the warm fluffy towel that Snape wrapped around him. Standing dripping on the floor, draped in the towel Harry watched as Snape flicked his wand and summoned some comfortable jeans and a vest and jumper for Harry to change into. Harry noted acutely that Snape avoided watching him dry himself and change.

“Underwear?” Harry inquired as he held up the jeans to try and find some cotton y-fronts.

“I prefer you without.” Snape smiled coyly over his shoulder as Harry rolled his eyes and pulled the jeans on minus his undergarments.

“So what did Dumbledore mean, our relationship has progressed?” Harry whispered when he was clothed. Snape sat Harry down on the stool the headmaster had recently vacated, so that he could inspect Harry’s scar, and dab on a little healing potion.

“We’re forming a tie Harry. A bond.” Harry furrowed his brow partially in confusion and partially in pain as Snape continued to dab on the potion to his scar. “Every witch and wizard forms bonds with their friends, family and lovers, it’s a way of strengthening your own magic by combining it with a little of someone else’s. Throughout a wizards lifetime you may have made more than 1000 wizards bonds, each little part combining to make your magical signature unique. The closer you are to a wizard the stronger the magical tie between you. Married couples that have been together for millennia have been known to share more than 90% of their entire magical signature.”

“If it’s suppose to happen why is this bad?” Harry interrupted before Snape could slip into teacher mode and begin lecturing him on wizarding traditions and magical law.

“Because ‘ties’ that form, usually leave a wizard with some kind of lasting affect so to speak, especially with the closer bonds. In this case it seems your magic’s picked up on my occlumency skills. You’re reading my mind Harry…” Harry went to protest vehemently but Snape held up a hand to silence him. “It’s an unconscious act Harry, that you’ve got no control over and will likely never be able to fully manipulate. However un-malicious the act though, it stills leaves you open to spilling my secrets to the dark lord.” Harry fiddled guiltily with the cuffs of his jumper only now fully comprehending just how much Snape was risking in being with him. It was hardly surprising the man had needed convincing back when their relationship had first began. Sensing Harry’s discomfort Snape strode quickly across the room and bent down in front of the boy sitting tiredly on the stool. “Dumbledore and I thought by furthering your occlumency skills you might be able to block this connection by yourself but it’s proving useless as our relationship strengthens. The only real solution is for me to consciously block you out, which means a few sacrifices on both our parts.” Harry worried his lip wondering what new suffering he was going to be put through. Smiling coyly Snape shook his head, as he saw the ‘poor me’ syndrome wash over Harry’s expression. “Don’t be like that Potter, they’re not big sacrifices just inconvenient ones.”

“Inconvenience was living in a cupboard under the stairs for the better part of my childhood, it better not be anything like that.” Harry grumbled as Snape sighed and stood up, helping Harry to his feet as he did.

“No nothing as sadistic as that Potter. Just some living arrangements, you’re going to have to move into my rooms because I need you to sleep in my bed. The closer you are the easier it will be to block you out without tiring myself. I on the other hand have to forgo my sleeping draught that until now has kept the worst of my nightmares away. In turn you unfortunately will have to be privy to my nightly theatrics, as Dumbledore refers to them as.” Harry shrugged his shoulders, it wasn’t too bad a sacrifice, and he himself was not above ‘bedroom theatrics’ himself if Voldemort was in a mood. What worried Harry however as they ascended the stairs back up to the hall was what, he was going to tell his friends, and worse still Sirius about the new ‘arrangement’.

It was quiet in the house but Harry could hear laughter and spell casting outside in the backyard, the class having already started.

“Oh Harry dear you look tired.” Harry smiled as Mrs. Weasley came trundling in from the kitchen before wrapping him up in a warm tight hug. Harry hugged her back before he found himself being lay down on the couch, Mrs. Weasley’s stern finger pointed directly at him. With a flick of her wand, Mrs. Weasley had a fluffy pillow under Harry’s head as well as a blanket and a glass of pumpkin juice with a curly straw. “Now, you need some rest. You’re not to get up from there before lunch understood!” Passing Harry the pumpkin juice Mrs. Weasley tucked her wand into the pocket of her apron before disappearing back out into the kitchen, leaving Snape leaning on the back of the couch smiling down at Harry who was already struggling to keep his eyes open.

“Get some rest Potter, and come out to us when you wake up okay.” Harry nodded and smiled as Snape pressed a soft kiss to Harry’s forehead before sweeping out of the room leaving Harry in the deserted living room. It wasn’t long after Snape had left that Harry’s eyes closed for a final time and the boy fell into a blissfully dreamless sleep, no doubt aided by the potion Mrs. Weasley had slipped into the juice.

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