Love, Lies & Loneliness

Chapter 41
(Possession of a Howler)

“HAROLD JAMES POTTER! How dare you take it upon yourself to start dating without consulting me first! And to who? A Malfoy? A MALFOY of all people! I expressly told you to keep your nose clean this year and what do you do; start a relationship with a boy whose father currently resides in Askaban? Have you not considered the repercussions of this? Lupin and I have been inundated with owls demanding to know why you’re doing this, to yourself. And that snivelling, snarky sneak Snape should keep his abnormally large conk out of your life, or one day I’m going to cut it off. Now if I don’t hear from you immediately with some explanation concerning this matter I’m bringing you straight home!” With a sharp raspberry the red envelope exploded into flames on the table managing to singe the fringe of Harry’s hair in the process. Complete silence reigned in the great hall and Harry suddenly felt how Ron had in second year when his mother had sent the howler concerning the stolen car. Unlike Mrs Weasley’s voice however, Sirius’ was much, much worse.

Sirius was mad.

Really mad in fact, which was hardly surprising considering the front page of the daily newspaper. ‘Malfoy and Potter in dangerous liaison.’ Harry thought they’d over emphasised the relationship just a little but then again nothing the newspaper ever did was low key. Glancing up from the burnt remains of his howler Harry looked up towards the head table at Snape. The potions professor didn’t meet Harry’s gaze and merely continued to eat his morning meal seemingly undisturbed by the noise the letter had caused. Harry sighed inwardly and looked from Snape to Draco who was trying and failing to stifle his laughter behind his copy of the daily newspaper. Harry scowled at him darkly. Harry had briefly spoken to Draco that morning before breakfast about what had actually happened with the Minister and what lie Draco had concocted. Harry really hadn’t had enough time to comprehend it all though when Sirius’ howler had arrived with the morning mail.

“Shit.” Harry muttered under his breath as he turned back to his meal, ignoring Ron’s gaping stare. The red haired boy looked positively stunned and for the first time in his life had completely forgotten about the food on his plate in favour of staring at Harry like he was a ghost. Harry stabbed his fried tomato with his fork and shoved it into his mouth trying and failing to ignore everyone’s stare. Finally though it was Ron who spoke the boys voice echoing around the still silent hall.

“Malfoy? I mean you and Draco? You’re actually fucking him!” Harry felt the crimson blush reach his ears as Ron stuttered the boy completely losing his inhibitions as he stared dumbfounded at his friend. “Sure. Friends I could handle, hey he’s an okay guy once you get past his ego but you’re actually having sex with him, like dating him and you didn’t tell me!?” Ron looked incredulously at Harry who sighed and pushed his still full plate away from him in disgust. Suddenly Harry wasn’t very hungry and neither was he in the right frame of mind to be answering Ron’s pestering questions. Harry hardly knew how to answer them anyway. If Draco and Snape had talked last night some sort of agreement regarding how to handle the lie had to have come up so until Harry knew what was happening he was best to keep his mouth shut. Standing from the Gryfindor table Harry made to leave the hall, everyone still staring at him in shock, with their copies of the newspaper in hand. Harry made it to door before Ron’s voice stopped him again. “I don’t believe it, no way could you date him.” Harry turned around to watch as Ron shook his head, the boy on his feet as he pointed dumb founded at Draco. The blonde slithering boy had recovered his faculties though and was now listening to the conversation like everyone else. Harry was tempted to tell Ron, he knew nothing of Harry’s tastes in men but held his tongue, remembering that saying nothing was best until he got the facts from Snape and Draco. Harry turned again to leave but someone else’s voice, this time an unfamiliar one from the Raven claw table stopped him.

“Kiss him! Go on prove it!” Harry looked horrified across at Draco who had risen from his own seat and moved swiftly over to stand next to Harry at the entrance to the hall.

“No!” Harry couldn’t hold his tongue any longer and shook his head at the faceless voice.

“Nah, he’s right. Kiss him and I’ll believe this, if not you’re bullshitting.” Harry looked across at Ron who was holding up his copy of the newspaper. Harry swallowed hard and was about to tell his best friend to go to hell when he felt Draco’s hands grasp his face and draw the boy’s lips to his own. Harry didn’t know what to do and froze almost instantly as Draco locked his lips with Harry’s in a passionate kiss. Harry heard the shocked gasp from the people in the hall before Draco’s tongue swept into Harry’s shocked open lips. Harry had kissed Draco once before in the boy’s dormitory but it hadn’t been like this and automatically Harry’s eyes fluttered closed as his body surrendered to the blonde’s talented tongue. Finally though Draco broke the kiss and stepped back a little from his friend instinctively reaching for Harry’s hand and entwining their fingers together. Harry was stunned and he instantly looked towards the head table at where Snape sat. To everyone else it looked as if Harry was looking at Dumbledore but Draco knew whose gaze Harry had connected with.

Snape looked positively murderous and the flash of anger in the man’s obsidian gaze certainly wasn’t missed as Snape stood up from the table. In the hushed chattering of the room no one it seemed noticed as the potions professor swept angrily out of the teachers entrance the door slamming behind him in anger. Harry winced at the sound of the door slamming and swallowed nervously as he glanced at Draco.

“Come on.” Draco tugged on Harry’s hand insistently and started to pull the boy out of the hall. Harry nodded and began to follow, sparing a glance back at his two friends on the Gryfindor table. Ron looked pale his mouth opening and closing like a fish, the red head unable to comprehend what he’d just seen. From Ron Harry looked at Hermione but the young witch wasn’t looking at Harry, she instead was staring at the empty seat where Snape had been. Harry didn’t have time to see Hermione suspiciously turn towards him before Draco had pulled him from the room and was making him run towards Snape’s private rooms.

“What the hell was that?” Harry shouted at Draco as the blonde finally stopped in front of the snake portrait that would lead them to Snape. Draco ignored Harry and instead addressed the snake.

“We need to see Professor Severus Snape.” Draco spoke clearly to the snake but the snake merely lifted its head and shook it from side to side. Draco swore at it and spun around stalking back up the hallway leaving Harry to run after him in confusion.

“Draco! Where are we going? We’re going to be late for Transfiguration.” Draco continued to ignore Harry as he led the boy to the duelling club classroom on the fifth floor. When Snape was angry there was only one place Draco knew of in the castle where Snape could go take out his frustrations. Entering the duelling club classroom Draco didn’t spare a glance at the disarray as he pulled out his wand and headed determinedly towards the black robed figure standing at the end of the duelling platform, his back to them. Harry just managed to dodge the slam of the door behind him before a bright green curse came sailing past him to scorch the wall next to his head. Harry’s eyes bulged out of his sockets as he watched Draco throw a return curse at Snape who was angrily standing opposite him on the other end of the raised platform. “Hey! What the fuck!” Harry dived out of the way of a wayward curse again as sparks flew back and forth between the duelling wizards.

Snape wasn’t holding back and neither was Draco as the fighting became fierce. Crawling on his hands and knees Harry moved to crouch under a bench on the far side of the room as he watched the chaos unfolded. Neither Draco nor Snape had said anything to one another since they’d entered the room but each fought like wizards possessed. Snape’s gaze never left Draco’s the entire time his lips barely moving with every curse and hex he threw at his godson. Draco was doing well to give just as good as he got but Harry didn’t miss the way the blonde faltered as a razor curse caught the boy on the right shoulder. The curse had to have hurt and Harry could see the blood beginning to seep through onto the boys white school shirt but Draco regained his balance and within an instant had sent another curse back at Snape. The curse stuck Snape directly in the chest sending the unprepared professor flying through the air and slamming into the far wall with a sickening crack. Harry watched in horror as Snape’s eyes closed his body sliding to the floor in a slumped heap.

Harry wasn’t sure he was capable of screaming with his heart in his throat but scream he did as he sprinted from his hiding place over to where Snape was slumped on the floor unconscious. Kneeling before his lover Harry gathered Snape into his arms and instinctively checked to see if the man was still alive. Snape was breathing but it was irregular and a trickle of blood had formed on the back of the man’s neck where he’d cracked it against the wall. Tears escaped Harry’s eyes as he hugged the man he loved to his chest rocking back and forth as he turned to glare at Draco in utter confusion. Draco too had slumped down onto the platform on his hands and knees blood no having soaked the entire sleave of his school shirt and was currently dripping off the end of his wand that was still held tightly in his right grip.

“What the fuck is going on!” Harry shouted angrily at Draco who was obviously in a great deal of pain himself, his own breathing laboured and catching.

“He’s possessive.” It was two words that Draco meant to explain everything but Harry looked at the blonde blankly still confused.

“He’s what?” Harry called again tightening his hold on Snape who still remained unconscious in his arms. Harry watched Draco curse, the blonde haired boy muttering something about stupid muggle borns and their lack of knowledge. Harry took offence but before he could call Draco and stupid pureblood git the blonde spoke again.

“He’s a possessive wizard. There’s two types of wizards in this world Harry those who take and those who get taken from.” Harry’s brow furrowed deeper as he stared at the other boy as if Draco’s head had dropped off and an Alien had appeared working the gears. Draco didn’t seem to notice Harry’s confusion having enough trouble as it was staying conscious himself with loss of blood now pooling beneath his hand, where it had run down his arm. “It’s the one thing wizards don’t talk about with anyone, not even family.” Harry was still confused but as he felt blood seeping from between his fingers from Snape’s cut on the head he didn’t question Draco. Ripping a strip of fabric from his own school robes Harry pressed the makeshift bandage to the considerable sized cut on Snape’s head hoping to stem the bleeding.

“I don’t understand!” Harry protested as he nuzzled Snape’s neck willing someone to find them and bring help. The likely hood of that happening was slim and with Harry’s wand thrown some where in the room the boy who lived had no chance of calling for help that way.

“You wouldn’t cause you’re part muggle, only purebloods are affected by it.” Draco was coughing deeply and Harry winced at how sickly Draco sounded. The boy had now collapsed onto his side his wand forgotten as he gripped uselessly at the shredded skin on his shoulder and arm. “During transition every pureblood wizard goes through a change, they either become dependant on their own magic or co dependant on someone else’s, it is like fate for wizards.” Harry was still lost but was partly more concerned with finding his wand and getting help than truly listening to what Draco was babbling on about.

“You’re speaking another language Draco.” Harry finally knew something had to be done as the blood from the back of Snape’s head seeped out through the bandage and began trickling down Harry’s arm again. Kissing Snape’s motionless lips softly Harry laid his lover carefully back on the ground and got to his feet, running over towards the bench where he’d seen his wand disappear to when he’d dived for cover earlier. Harry heard Draco groan from up on the platform and he wasn’t sure if it was with physical pain or frustration at Harry’s lack of understanding.

“For fucks sake Potter listen to what I’m saying. Snape was destined to have you, without you his magic isn’t complete. That’s why he’s possessive and that’s why now he knows its you he needs he’s going to be really, really pissed if anyone tries to take you away from him.” Harry stood up in frustration having not found his wand on the floor near the bench. Again not really paying attention to Draco Harry continued to scan the floor for his wand.

“So what you’re saying is that Snape and I are like soul mates? Because without me he’d only be a half wizard?” Harry smiled as spotted his wand under a bunch of cushions in the corner of the room. Racing over to it Harry picked up his wand triumphantly and turned to look at Draco expecting the boy to answer him. “Draco? Did you hear what I said?” Harry strode up onto the platform and over to Draco but when the boy saw Draco’s pale face and the pool of blood he knew Draco had passed out. Within an instant Harry turned his wand on himself and with a flick magnified his voice, before shouting for Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey. The sound of his voice echoed through the halls and with another flick Harry returned his voice to normal as he knelt down beside the blonde haired boy.

Within an instant there was an almighty burst of green flame before a flustered set of teachers along with Dumbledore arrived in the room through the fireplace. Almost instantly Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore came over to where Harry was knelt over Draco’s body. None to concerned for Harry Madam Pomfrey pushed Harry out of the rode and instantly began working on Draco.

“Are you alright Harry?” Dumbledore picked up Harry’s bloodied hand in an inspection for wounds but Harry nodded and swiftly brought Dumbledore over to where Snape was still lying unconsciously on the floor.

“Yeah but he’s hit his head and it’s bleeding.” Harry fell down on the floor beside Snape again and reached out his now dry bloodied hand and brushed a few stray strands of dark hair from Snape’s forehead. Dumbledore called for Madam Pomfrey’s attention as soon as he’d seen Malfoy disappear with McGonagall back through the fire on a stretcher. The boy looked in a bad way but Severus’ injures were far more likely to be serious. Instinctively Dumbledore reached down and pulled Harry away from Severus. The boy struggled momentarily to be back close to his lover but Dumbledore pulled Harry into a secure hug. As much as he knew his student and professor were in love there was no point ruining the cover now, just because of folly. Harry watched Madam Pomfrey whisk Snape away into the fire the same way Draco had gone before turning into Dumbledores embrace and breaking down into sobs.

“Shhh Harry, I’m sure everything will be fine.” Harry shook his head against Dumbledore’s chest. The entire years worth of stress, confusion and fear coming down on Harry like a dead weight.

“It won’t. They’ll never leave us alone, the Ministry I mean. Sirius hates him, Ron and Hermione will never believe me again after so many lies. I love him so much but its doomed isn’t it, even with Voldemort gone?” Dumbledore sighed and hugged Harry closer to him as he began to walk the young man towards the fire.

“Nothing is ever as hopeless as it seems Harry, but you must swallow the bad with the good before you can find peace.” With a pinch of floo powder from his cloak pocket Dumbledore had Harry in his office before the boy could blink. Once in his room Dumbledore led Harry to an armchair by the fire and sat the boy down. “Here have a lemon drop and some tea. Calm down a little and we’ll discuss a few things.” With that Dumbledore sat himself down in the chair opposite Harry’s and with a fresh steaming pot of tea hovering between them they began to talk about everything that had happened in the past year.

By the time Harry left Dumebldore’s chambers late in the evening Harry felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders and for the first time in months he slept soundly without interruption or dreams.

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