Control

Another chapter to prove that I am alive and still writing. Some explanations, let's see if it works. Tell me what you think, please.

Ladylancelot



Respite

The next morning started familiar- Harry woke up in their bed alone. Yawning he stretched his back that was still sore from being chained to that wall for too long and shuffled out of bed. From the foot of the bed he grapped his bathrobe and went searching for his master.


He found him in the kitching sipping from a cup of tea, dressed casually and burried into the Daily Prohpet,


“Morning,” Harry mumbled as he flopped down and poured himself a cup of tea.


“Good morning,” Severus answered and put the newpaper away taking in his lover's state.


The boy looked better than could be anticipated but he very likey had become used to hide his current mental state during the long years of the fight against Voldemort. And now when that monster was dead, there still was no respite for both of them.


Pulling a vial out of his jacket, he pushed into Harry's hands.

“Drink this.


Obedienty the boy downed the content, made a face and placed the vial back on the kitchen table.


“Thanks,” he muttered and dashed his lover a sheepish smile.


Sighing deeply Severus knew they would have to talk about what happened eventually and from personal experience he understood that it should be sooner rather than later.


“How are you feeling?” he asked grazing the boy with a cursary glance.


Harry looked up and shrugged. “Fine, I guess.”


Severus curled his lips at that. “I doubt that.”


Harry sighed. “But I will be... eventually.”


“Do you want to know what happened with your hijakers?”


Harry frowned. “I saw when Draco killed Lucius. What happened with Bellatrix?”


“I killed her.”


Severus waited for a reaction but it never came. Maybe it was too early, maybe Harry needed more time.


“And what about whatever posed as your father?” Harry asked softly.


“Apparantly my father created something akin to a horecrux and hid the object containing it in the Gaunt residence.”


“The golden object I researched.”


Severus nodded slowly. “It was too weak to ever bring him back completely but it was enough to be activated by Bellatrix when she went there several weeks ago. She left it there anticipating that it would find its way into my possesion eventually and when it did, something of an echo of my father returned. Enough to haunt us but not enough to actually materialize in this world.”


Once again Harry nodded and sighed. “I am sorry,”


Taking Harry's hand into his own Severus held his gaze.


“It was not your fault. You could not have anticipated it nor prevented it. In a way it was more my fault thant anybody elses- it should have caught my eye when it started. I suppose my own fear kept me from objectively perusing the matter.”


“Can we then agree it was nobody's fault and your father was an asshole?” Harry asked trying to lighten the mood.


Smiling thinly Severus nodded. “There is nothing we can do about it anyway so yes, we shoud leave it behind.”


Letting go of his lover's hand Severus cast a look out of the window.


“What would you like to do today?”


Harry considered that. “Maybe we could stay here.”


“That is fine with me,” Severus agreed. “Any special requests on what he should do?”


“I used to play wizard's chess with Ron and lost spectulary every time.”


“So now you want to lose against me?” Severus asked incredously.


Harry smiled and nodded. His lover sighed and then rose from his chair.


“My chess set is in the attic actually. You can hardly play chess with yourself, so I dumped it there.”


Followin Severus through the living room to a small staircase Harry grinned.


“Won't Slinky mind if he disturb him there?”


Severus huffed. “I doubt that and I actually offer him a room of his own every christmas which he routinely resists.”

On top of the staircase was a wooden door that had a little sign on it that read Slinky's Home. Inside were several shelfes filled with all kinds of things- Harry could make out several old cauldrons, boxes and lines of books.


Walking up to the other side of the attic Severus took a tiny little wooden box and when he noticed Harry's clueless expression he made a swish with his wand to enlarge it.


Once downstairs he placed it on the sofa table and opening it, he revealed a lovely chess set and a beautifully engraved chess board.


“That is pretty,” Harry remarked and flopped down on one of the arm chairs.


Sinking down much more gracefully than his lover Severus nodded.


“It belonged to my mother and I inherited it- she was one of the best chess players I ever had to face.”


Harry took in the assembled board and sighed.


“Go easy on me please.”


Severus smirked. “Have I mentioned that I am a bad looser and consider every game an opportunity to humiliate my opponent?”


“No but thanks for warning me,” Harry answered and made his first move. “It can't be any worse than potion's class.”