A Twisted Web We Weave

CHAPTER 41

“Potter!” Harry practically fell off his stool as Snape slammed the textbook down on the desk in front of him, waking the boy who was gradually falling asleep. “Am I boring you Mr. Potter? Merlin forbid I should interrupt your beauty sleep!” Snape reached down and hauled Harry to his feet by the collar of his shirt before heavy handedly depositing him back on his stool.

“No, sir I’m just…” Harry went to quickly apologies but the damage had been done.

“20 points from Gryfindor Potter, and a weekend detention with Hagrid. I believe he was looking for Volunteers to help round up the redcaps that escaped yesterday.” Snape spun around and stalked back to the front of the classroom leaving Harry to stare miserably at his cauldron that was now bubbling furiously over the rim. “And a further 5 points lost for that excuse of a potion.” Snape added as he swept around his table and sat down his eyes narrowed dangerously at the Gryfindor side of the class who looked more than a little mutinous at having had their house tally taken below the Slytherin’s in one false move. Harry sighed heavily ignoring his grumbling housemates.

Harry spent the remainder of class cleaning up the mess before escaping as quickly as he could from the room when the bell sounded the end of the day’s torture. Snape hadn’t been this unbearable since Harry had known him. Nothing Harry did was right, merely breathing had him on detention or loosing points. Whatever or who ever had initiated the change in Snape’s behavior had certainly done a damn good job.

Deciding to skip dinner for fear of reprisal by his housemates after his record points loss Harry made his way begrudgingly down to his detention with Hagrid. The half giant was probably still at dinner but Harry figured he’d rather wait on Hagrid’s doorstep than in the castle where Snape was likely to find him. On the edge of the forest Hagrid’s hut was quiet and Harry sat himself on the front step, Fang’s drooling head resting in his lap and the dogs giant paw covering his knee. Harry had planned on going to Hogsmeade this weekend with Draco and Paris but again like the last two weekends his plans had been foiled by Snape’s spite.

“Ah ‘arry. Severus says you’ve volunteered to ‘elp me round up those pesky redcaps. Come in, come in.” It was a good hour before Hagrid’s large figure came strolling down the path from the castle. Harry obediently stood up and wiped fangs drool off his trousers. Harry smiled bitterly, he hadn’t exactly volunteered but then again Hagrid saw the positive side of everything, even detention that he rarely gave in his own classes.

“Yeah, so we’ll be using the ‘locoatis’ charm Hagrid?” Harry inquired as he followed Hagrid into his hut where the half giant was fiddling around in his cupboards. The locatis charm was what they’d learnt in Defense for capturing Redcaps in second year.

“ ‘fraid not ‘arry. This little bunch of ‘em have gone wild it’ll have to be the old fashioned way.” Harry sighed as Hagrid spun around thrusting a heavy rusted cage and a long pole with a net on the end of it into Harry’s grasp. Groaning inwardly Harry followed Hagrid out of the hut, and followed the massive figure in the shadow of the lantern. Undoubtedly it would be a late night tonight, and if Hagrid’s whistling was anything to go by it would be a painful one too.

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“ Oooh ‘arry that looks a might nasty nip he gave you.” Harry held his hand tightly around the torn flesh on his forearm, the blood seeping through his fingers and running down the sleeve of his school robe. Hagrid gave the rusted cage a good shake and the dwarf like creature inside grumped and squealed in annoyance. The spiked club that the creature held in its hand waved about furiously against the bars of the cage, Harry’s blood on its end catching the light of the lantern. “You best be getting to the infirmary there ‘arry. The rest of ‘em will have to wait till tomorrow night. Thanks for helping me.” Harry gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to tell Hagrid he’d never volunteered for the job in the first place. Turning Harry headed back to the castle, which by now was quiet and dark save for a few torches lighting the hallways. Curfew had passed hours ago and Harry wondered if Madam Pomfrey would even be up at this hour. Grumbling to himself about Snape and his blasted moods Harry didn’t even notice the figure coming down the staircase that he was going up. The collision was unavoidable and Harry tripped on a swirl of robes and unthinking put his hands out to stop himself falling forward on the steps. His bloodied palms landed smack in the center of Snape’s white shirt, leaving two clear imprints of his hands a sickening splatter of droplets up to the man’s chin when the cut on his arm had sprayed in the commotion.

“Potter!” Snape growled low in his throat as he flicked his wand at the torches on the staircase, making them glow a little brighter so he could see the rule breaking student who’d run into him.

“Merlin’s balls, of all the bastards I could run into it had to be you.” Harry was past the point at which he cared for watching his language and sat down on the stairs, as he gripped at his injured arm again. Snape glared down at Harry his angry retort falling silent as he watched the blood seeping out from between the boy’s fingers and the splatters on his own shirt.

“What happened?” Snape inquired coldly as he bent down to look at Harry’s injury. Harry was quicker though and pulled away from Snape’s inspecting gaze.

“Like you give a fuck.” Harry snapped, as he stood up awkwardly on the steps, delighting in the fact he was a little taller than the other wizard being several steps above him. “There’s no Voldemort anymore so I don’t need looking after, so sod off.” Harry turned to continue on up the stairs heading for the infirmary but Snape reached out and tripped Harry so that the boy fell flat on his face on the stairs again.

“I shall not have you talking to me like that Potter, I am still your professor and I demand some respect!” Snape bit out sharply as he hauled Harry up by his collar and forcefully inspect Harry’s wound.

“Respect!” Harry scoffed loudly, cringing a little at how his voice echoed in the quiet castle. “You deserve sweet fuck all. I knew you were a bastard but I thought I could live with it. You know you were actually nice there for a while, despite your obvious flaws but it seems it was all just another disguise to hide your true self. Get afraid did you that someone might actually get close enough to you to see you for what you really are? A sad, pathetic, cruel and cold-hearted son of a bitch.” Harry’s shout was abruptly cut off as Snape’s stinging hand came crashing down across his cheek, sending the boy staggering into the wall, to leave bloodied hand prints on the stone. Harry clutched at his cheek in shock as he stared back at Snape, hardly believing the professor had hit him. Admittedly Snape had always been a bastard, but his abuse had always come in the verbal kind not the physical. As Harry stared into Snape’s eyes the boy was sure he saw a flicker of fear wash behind the man’s onyx gaze but before either of them could speak again a figure appeared at the bottom of the steps, as if from nowhere.

“Severus.” It was the headmaster, dressed in his nightcap and gown, and staring sternly at Snape. Harry watched as Snape spun around the fear in his eyes gone and replaced by anger.

“Stay out of this Albus, you ruined my life last time I won’t let you do it again.” Snape growled angrily as the headmaster took several steps up to come face to face with the other professor. Harry watched everything silently, propped up against the wall blood pouring from his arm and dripping in a pool on the stone staircase.

“It was for your own good Severus, Potter would have only broke your heart.” Harry frowned in confusion as the headmaster reached out to place a calm hand on Severus shoulder. Snape shook the hand off and folded his arms across his chest.

“And seeing him with my brother didn’t!” Snape cried out angrily hurt clearly reflected in the elder wizards eyes.

“Potter couldn’t have ever given you what you wanted Severus, he’d already found that with her.” Harry’s frown deepened, wondering what on earth the two wizards were discussing and where he fit into it.

“Yes Lilly was the love of his life but at least I could have found that out for myself without you pushing my brother onto him like a fucking chess piece at your beck and call.” Harry’s mouth fell open in shock as he heard his mother’s name. It finally clicked then. It wasn’t him they were discussing, it was his father.

“You were not destined to be a notch on James Potters bed post Severus. Surely you realized that was all it would be, even if he bothered looking at you twice which I doubt very much he ever did.” Harry saw the hurt reflected in Snape’s eyes at Dumbledore’s words, felt the other wizard’s pain in his chest at the cruelty of the truth.

“Indeed Albus, he never did look at me like that. He’d have sooner seen me humiliated in front of the entire school, laughing at me with his friends but wouldn’t it have been better to have had my heart broken by James Potter than to have spent the 25 years in the service of the dark lord as I did because of what you did!” Snape lost it then, his voice loosing its carefully measured tone and rationality. His voice echoed around the castle as he screamed into Dumbledore’s face.

“I am sorry Severus, I couldn’t have predicted what seeing your brother and James together would push you to. I thought it was just a crush. It was never my intention to drive you to him.” Albus regrettably lowered his gaze to the floor as Snape spun around loosing his iron control as he leant heavily against the smooth wooden banister of the stairs, his back turned to both Harry and the headmaster. “Please Severus, forgive an old fool for his meddling. I have made up for my mistaken in kind, so many times.” Harry watched as Snape glanced over his shoulder at Albus, the familiar sparkle of a single tear clinging to the elder wizard’s cheek.

“And yet you still continue to do it…” Snape spat coldly as finally both elder wizards glanced over at Harry still propped against the wall staring guiltily at them both, as if he’d overheard a secret not meant for his ears.

“Severus, I warned you about Harry…he isn’t his father.” Albus apologetic tone turned stern again as he glanced back at Snape who’d turned back around to lean against the banister, his gaze firmly locked onto Harry.

“No he’s not.” Snape breathed out calmly as his gaze swept over Harry’s bloodied form. “He’s better than James ever was. No prejudices, no judgment and not an ounce of hatred, despite being the punching bag of one old bitter potion’s professor.” A smile twitched at the corner of Snape’s lips and Harry couldn’t help but smile back. Indeed he did loath Snape, but he’d never hated him in the pure sense of the word. There’d always been a part of him that despite how angry he was, still found something to like in potion master. Finding himself compelled to move, Harry slowly descended the few steps and practically collapsed against Snape’s chest his arms wrapping tighter around Snape’s waist, ignoring the blood that was soaking into Snape’s shirt and cloak. Despite knowing that Snape had been in love with his father once, Harry found the information only increased his respect for the elder wizard despite the previous argument. In the face of his father, Sirius and Lupin’s years of bullying Snape had still liked James; it was a brave admission if not a little stupid.

“You know I can’t sanction this Severus, it is against every rule laid down by the ministry.” Albus tone was still stern but defeated and Harry ignored him as he pushed his face into the warm scent of Snape’s shirt.

“Then for once in your life Albus Dumbledore forget you know anything about this, turn around and go back to bed.” Snape put simply Harry smiling to himself at the soft rumble of Snape’s deep voice in the man’s chest.

“Very well.” Harry was surprised the headmaster gave in so easily and glanced up from Snape’s chest to watch as Albus began descending the staircase. “Goodnight Professor Snape, goodnight Harry Potter.” Albus paused on the bottom step to glance once more up at the pair on the stairs, before smiling to himself and disappearing down the darkened corridor leaving Snape and Harry alone. For a moment the pair stood in silence until finally Snape pushed Harry away from him with a firm hand.

“That admission Harry wasn’t a cue for you to get all soppy and bleed over my things.” Snape bit sharply, his tone lacking the conviction that he’d usually put behind his remarks. Harry sighed and put his fingers around the gash in his arm again as he stepped guiltily back from Snape to stare at the ground.

“Sorry, guess I was struck dumb, that being the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me and yet it still managed to be an insult.” Harry muttered sarcastically watching as Snape smiled, a genuine teeth showing grin.

“Indeed, a habit I can not help I’m afraid Potter.” Snape chuckled as he removed a handkerchief from his pocket and tied it firmly around Harry’s slashed arm. “Now come on. Filch will be livid when he sees the mess you’ve made all over the staircase, blood stains terrible.” Harry glanced up at Snape pointedly but obediently allowed himself to be led towards the infirmary, Snape’s hand resting supporting in the small of Harry’s back.

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