Where Others Fear to Tread

A/N Oh you\'re going to hate me for this one, you really, really, really are going to hate my guts after you read this update....


Chapter 41

It was cold standing next to the tree, his arms wrapped about him and shivering. What had been a fine evening had slowly turned foul, as bad weather had rolled in from the west. Harry muttered to himself and tucked his head back into the hood of his cloak. Over the past hour he’d changed slowly back into Harry Potter, the long blonde hair that had been Malfoy, and the tall bulkier body had withered leaving Harry the same, scrawny, unkempt boy he felt. Rain dotted his glasses and ran down his face, leaving his hair plastered to his head. Still though Harry watched as the battle continued to rage on the field. The rain had begun to drown out the cries but the light show that was the curses and spells wasn’t dampened in the least, although it did seem to be less fierce. Harry wondered silently if Jasper was ever going to come back, and if somewhere out there Severus was lying in pain. Absently Harry began rubbing his belly beneath his cloak trying as he’d done for the past two weeks to contact Severus through their bond. It was while Harry was staring intently at the battlefield that he heard a rustling in the trees behind him. Spinning around Harry stepped away from the tree, his back turning to the battlefield to face the darkness of the wood. With his vision a little blurry with the rain on his glasses it was hard to see anything but there was definite movement. Wand outstretched Harry shifted forward towards the movement almost compelled to go forward. The movement and rustling began to shift and Harry froze where he was, his gaze flittering about the darkness as the movement began to surround him.

“Potter.” The hissing voice that came from behind him made Harry’s blood run cold and the boy spun around to face the sound, now completely disorientated in the darkness. From no where two red eyes appeared from the darkness their wicked gleam sending shivers down Harry’s spin. There was really no point in deluding himself as he backed up against one of the tree trunks, as Voldemort approached him. He was in deep shit, with no foreseeable exit. Technically Harry shouldn’t have been scared, he’d faced Voldemort more times in his life than many but with his back pressed against the tree trunk, and a wand not his own shaking in his hands, Harry felt less than confident this time around.

“Fuck off!” Harry put voice to his frustrations as Voldemort’s body materialised from the darkness before him. Tom Riddle the wizard boy was no more, instead a snake like creature devoid of features, and with skin peeling from his face stood before Harry. Where there would have once been brown hair atop Tom’s head, there were scales instead, the red piercing eyes the only distinguishing feature sticking out from beneath the hood of the black cloak. There was a throaty, chuckle from Voldemort at Harry’s weak declaration as several death eaters stepped out from the shadows as well, blocking off any escape Harry might have been contemplating.

“I’ve waited a very long time for this Potter, a very long time indeed.” Voldemort raised his wand and aimed it steadily at Harry but the boy was far quicker and sent forth a volley of killing curses, which rebounded easily from the block Voldemort put in place. The curses were useless and Harry heard Voldemort chuckle again. “Lucius’ wand, not your own I see Potter.” Harry was stunned and glanced at the wand in his hand, hardly believing that in his grasp he held the wand of a death eater, who most probably was standing around him at this point in time wanting it back. Still the flimsy bit of stolen wand was the only safety net that stood between he and Voldemort at present and he wasn’t about to give it up. With a deep steady breath Harry let go with another more complicated spell Jasper had taught him before dodging to the side in an attempt to escape.

The ploy worked to a point but Harry was left running blindly between the trees, dodging the curses that had begun to fly his way. All the while Voldemort laughed the sound piercing every inch of the wood, surrounding Harry like a net. Panicking Harry stumbled a curse hitting him square in the back, sending him sprawling to the ground to begin screaming in agony. His skin felt like it was on fire, the prickles of heat spreading over his back and down his legs, incapacitating him so easily. Screaming in agony Harry got to his hands and knees and began crawling away from the approaching sound of feet behind him. It was a pitifully attempt at moving but Harry could hardly believe this final battle between he and Voldemort would end so easily, without him even having given up half a fight. Backing himself up against the nearest tree Harry waited for the red eyes to yet again appear before him.

“You’re quite helpless aren’t you Potter. You can run all you like it won’t get you anywhere. I know where you are at all times, I feel you like a rash on my skin, crawling, burning and peeling away my sanity, with every waking hour. I’ll take great delight in removing you from existence Potter, tearing you from my body so I may live free of your oppressive grasp. Perhaps had I not underestimated you as a child I might not have lived so long in your shadow but be sure, I will not underestimate you again. Where magic failed last time, a silver blade will not.” From between the shadows moving about the trees Harry saw the glisten of a long carving knife, as Voldemort stepped out from between the trees, his red eyes glowing ominously. With measured calculated steps Voldemort approached Harry, who could do little but pin himself against the tree and fire useless killing curses at a man who seemed impervious to them. Closing his eyes Harry willed himself miles away as Voldemort drew back the knife aiming for the boy’s heart but the blow to the chest never came and Harry opened his eyes long enough to see Voldemort staggering backwards a very familiar figure fighting him all the way.

“Severus.” Harry whispered as he struggled to get to his feet, the pain in his back subsiding a little but still very much there. Groping around on the ground Harry found a wand, it didn’t really matter whose wand it was so long as he had one in his hand. From seemingly nowhere auror’s had descended on the little wooded grove, flashes of curses erupted around him but Harry ignored them and instead watched as Severus cried out in pain and fell back on the grass, the handle of the silver blade sticked out from his chest. Voldemort let out a sick little chuckle as he leant over his traitorous death eater and pulled out the knife with a brutal tug. Severus screamed again but nothing could compare to the screams as Voldemort casually flicked his wand at Severus and ensnared him with the Cruciatus curse. Harry could do nothing but watch as his beloved wreathed in pain, his cries drowning out all others. As the curse continued Harry could see the blood begin dripping from the corner of Severus mouth, and the light in his eyes begin to diminish but just as quickly as Voldemort had started it he ended the curse, allowing Severus’ body to fall limp on the ground, his chest hardly rising and falling.

“Who knew such satisfaction could be derived from seeing you in pain my beloved little alchemist, but you knew the price of betraying me yet you tried all the same. Now I will show you what pain is really about, and let you watch as I cut your child from the body of its parent before letting Potter here die slowly with this blade in his chest.” The movement in the wooded glade seemed to stop as Voldemort glided across the grass barely flinching as he drew nearer to Harry. Harry didn’t know what to do but in seconds that it took Voldemort to cross the glade, Harry had caught the graze of his lover, lying dying in the grass. If at all possible Harry saw a smile tug at the corners of Severus lips, the potion masters shaky hand gesturing softly to the wand in Harry’s hand. Glancing down Harry could hardly believe what he was staring at. In his white knuckled grip, beneath the blood and the bruises was an initial carved into the handle of the dark wooden wand.

JP.

As Voldemort approached him Harry glanced up just as the man was on top of him. Automatically Harry pushed forward with his fathers wand watching as the end disappeared into the folds of fabric of the dark lords robes. Voldemort was so close Harry couldn’t breath as he whispered the words he’d been learning all his life.

‘Avanda Kedavara!’

Harry couldn’t see for the light that burst from the end of his wand, the little wooded glade lighting up like a firework blinding everyone within the vicinity. A blinding pain swept through Harry, his scar burning like needles as the weight of Voldemort frame fell away from him. There was screaming, and shouting Harry was sure but it was the wave of magic that swept over him, knocking him off his feet that sent him flying into the tree and reigniting the curse in his back. Harry heard voices, swirling around him, Cedric Diggory, Sirius, Lilly, James and many more Harry would never be able to name.

Eventually the light died, and slumped painfully against the tree Harry blinked as the darkness of the night returned. All around him Harry could hear muttered conversation before a footsteps ran over to him and a familiar figure knelt before him.

“Harry. Harry, speak to me. Are you alright?” Harry stared straight past Jasper to where Severus was lying in the grass, his chest barely moving. “Harry listen to me!” Jasper drew his hands up to Harry’s face trying desperately to get the boy to look at him but Harry pulled his face free and went to stand up from the ground. “Harry you shouldn’t move, just…..” Harry pushed Jasper away from him, sending the bulky wizard backwards into the mud.

“Harry!” Sirius, seemed to come from nowhere practically sweeping Harry off his feet, where the boy had managed to stand up. Harry however pushed his godfather away and continued to stagger over to where Severus was lying. Reaching Severus’ body Harry fell to his knees beside his lover, and slumped carelessly onto Severus’ chest, the blood from the knife wound having seeped through the cloak, completely soaking the fabric through.

“Severus.” Harry whispered quietly watching as the dark obsidian eyes of his mate flutter open. “Severus.” Harry whispered again dropping the wand in his hand to clutch to his lovers bloodied face. Severus coughed deeply a dark trickle of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. Lovingly Harry wiped the blood away and fought back the tears he knew were streaming down his face. “Don’t leave me.” Harry whispered again, just as the orange light of the early morning began to filter into the wood. Severus coughed again barely swallowing enough to speak.

“Not afraid.” He managed to croak out, a small smile twitching at the corners of his lips.

“I know.” Harry whispered again this time leaning forward to press a gentle kiss on Severus’ crooked nose. “But I’m afraid.” Coughing again Severus drew up his hand the weak trembling fingers coming to rest on the little bump just visible beneath the soaking wet robes.

“Love…” Severus whispered his eyes closing in pain, as his breathing faulted.

“I love you too, so much.” Harry cried tears streaming from eyes. “Please, Sev don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me, Please.” Harry cried harder as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to those of his mate, just as the last trickle of air left Severus lungs. “Severus.” Harry whispered as the potion professor’s eyes closed for the final time. “No, please no. Don’t go, don’t leave me. I can’t do this, please!” Hysterical Harry shook Severus lifeless frame, desperately trying to gain a response from him but nothing. Crying and shouting Harry began to hyperventilate, and hands began trying to pull him from Severus’ body but Harry fought them, still trying to get a response from Severus.

”Harry he’s dead!” The words were like a knife to his heart and as Harry turned around to look at his godfather. Sirius was standing there looking down at him sadly. Slowly as the words sunk in Harry felt ill, the world began to spin until finally Harry collapsed the last of the orange sun dying into darkness.

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


A/N Alrighty then, *dodges large objects thrown her way* yes, indeed I believe I may have just tugged a little too hard at the heart strings for this one. It\'s taken a week to get it right but I think it works, if you want to know what happens next and if our dear Sev is gone forever you better start feeding my muse with reviews.....oh and foul langauage will be perfectly acceptable for reviews of this chapter.... oh and I perfectly understand you\'ve all got questions but all will be answered in due time.

Cheers
RIFFRAFF