Standing Against the Tides

Last time I looked at my driver’s license, it did not say J. K. Rowling. Yep, it’s just me, an unpaid and unknown aspiring writer. The characters of the Potterverse do not belong to me and I am making no money from this endeavor.

A/N: Spoilers through OotP. As I am still in denial, I refuse to acknowledge the events of HBP or DH at this point.

A/N2: Next up will be the final chapter, but I am unsure as to the actual timing as the epilogue is currently in the capable hands of my beta.

Beta’d by the awesome BabyGurl.






Chapter 44 The Serpent Released

Happily leaving the pompous windbag to stew in his office behind them, the group followed Kingsley down to the Ministry Holding Cells. The officially signed Order for Release in hand, the Auror quickly and efficiently went through the process of getting their prisoner freed.

Harry forced himself to stand still, feigning a calmness he didn’t feel. Only a little while longer, he reminded himself for the hundredth time as Kingsley dealt with yet another bit of sticky bureaucratic red tape.

Finally, Kingsley signaled that all was in order and they were ready to proceed down to the cell holding his soul mate. Harry quickly fell into step behind the tall Auror, and in his excitement, easily kept up with Kingsley’s long strides.

After several twists and turns and a couple more checkpoints, Kingsley stopped in front of a cell and addressed the Auror stationed there. “Auror Ainsworth, this man is to be freed immediately. Here are the papers for his release,” Kingsley told the man as he held out the orders.

“Are you sure there’s not some mistake, Auror Shacklebolt?” Clive asked as he slowly took the papers from the senior Auror. Looking down at the Order for Release, he noted that everything seemed to be proper, yet this had to be wrong. Snape was a Death Eater as well as a miserable excuse for a wizard and deserved to rot in Azkaban for his many crimes.

Kingsley frowned at the junior Auror. “I assure you, Auror Ainsworth, that Severus Snape does not belong here. He is a war hero and deserves to be treated as such. Now, if you are finished questioning the Minister’s orders and my judgment, you may do your job and release the prisoner,” Kingsley tersely replied.

Listening to the young, and obviously prejudiced, Auror question the Order for Release, it was all that Harry could do to keep from hexing the idiot. He knew that there were people out there besides Fudge who didn’t like or trust his mate, but that didn’t mean that he had to like it. For now, Harry reminded himself that attacking an Auror was bad form and that Severus wouldn’t appreciate being freed only to find that his soul mate had been arrested in the meantime.

Seeing no other recourse, Clive reluctantly pulled out his wand and lowered the spells securing the cell containing the bastard Snape.

As soon as the wards dropped, Harry and Poppy rushed into the cell. Harry stood next to the table that Severus was bound to and gently reached out a hand to stroke his lover’s hand.

When Clive gave no indication of releasing the prisoner from his magical restraints, Kingsley turned to his young coworker and growled, “Do you have a problem, Auror Ainsworth?”

Clive grit his teeth before answering, “No, sir.” He may not be able to stop them from freeing Snape, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

Shaking his head as he recognized the undisguised hatred in the junior Auror’s eyes, Kingsley sighed before turning back to the job at hand. Raising his own wand, he muttered the appropriate counter-charm to the magical restraints.

As soon as the restraints were lifted, Severus groaned. “It’s about time you showed up here, Potter,” he rasped, his voice rusty from disuse.

“Sorry, Sev,” Harry grinned. “But seeing as I only was released from the infirmary this morning, I did the best I could.”

“Hmph, likely excuse, Potter,” Severus groused, immensely pleased to see the young man before him, not that he was going to let on, of course.

Poppy quickly and efficiently ran a series of scans over the Potions Master before clucking in disapproval. “Well, Severus, I must say that overall you are doing well, although you are a bit anemic. It appears that the Ministry’s supply of nutrient potions is not as effective as is should be,” the matron explained. Not pausing to give anyone time to breathe, Poppy began giving instructions. “Now, you have been immobilized for several days, so we will help you up. I expect that you will feel a bit light headed, so I want you to just sit still for a few minutes while your body adjusts.”

Ignoring the glare the Potions Master was giving her, Poppy nodded to Harry and they gently eased the older man up into a sitting position. As expected, Severus did indeed feel a bit disoriented as the blood suddenly rushed from his head. Swaying slightly, but refusing to let any other sign of discomfort or weakness show, he was nevertheless grateful for the hands that still held him upright, steadying him. Not that he would ever willingly admit to that, of course.

Severus worked on keeping his breathing calm and closing his eyes, he centered his thoughts and emotions. After several long moments, he opened his eyes and said, “I do believe the feeling has passed. Now, if you don’t mind, I would like to leave this place as soon as possible. I rather feel the need to wash the stench of the Ministry off my person.”

Harry smiled. Now there was the caustic demeanor that he knew and loved so well. Easing a hand under his mate’s elbow, Harry helped to steady the taller man as he prepared to stand for the first time in several days. Harry let Severus set the pace, knowing that the Potions Master would not want to risk showing any weakness by moving too quickly in front of the others.

Severus inhaled sharply through his nostrils and closed his eyes to fend off the vertigo that was threatening to upend him. Thankful that his mate seemed to understand his need to remain in control or at least to maintain the appearance of control around others, Severus opened his eyes and took the first steps out of his cell and to his freedom.

As they passed Auror Ainsworth, Severus plastered a sneer on his face, though he refused to look at the former student. The prat was below him and had showed his true character while acting as his jailor. That didn’t mean that Severus would just forget the hateful words the ex-Hufflepuff had spewed or the delight the man had taken in watching his predicament. No, Severus hadn’t forgotten, but he was a Slytherin and Slytherins exacted revenge when and only when the time was right.

Kingsley ushered the group towards the exit of the Ministry Holding Cells and fell into step at the rear of the group. The tall man hid a smile as he watched one of the Weasley twins surreptitiously plant a prank on the young Auror who obviously held a grudge against Severus Snape. If the Auror wasn’t observant enough to notice that his person had been compromised, then the fool deserved whatever he got.


Harry carefully steadied his mate as they walked together without being obvious about that fact that he was doing so, and with each step his heart lightened just a bit more. Soon they would be out of here and then Madame Pomfrey could properly examine Severus, although Harry was sure that the older man would likely resist their efforts to tend to him.


Clive drew his hands into fists as he helplessly watched the hero of the Wizarding World lead the Death Eater away. Didn’t the fool know what kind of man he was bonded to? Obviously, the Minister’s tales of how Snape had bewitched Potter were true. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Clive knew that while they had been bested this time, the Death Eater couldn’t possibly evade justice forever. And Clive would be right there, ready to spit in Snape’s face when it happened.


Lydia screamed when she opened the door to Minister Fudge’s office. Multi-colored fireworks were twirling through the air while the Minister’s bowler did flip-flops mid-air. Nearby a priceless urn bounced endlessly from table to desk to floor to ceiling and the quills were scribbling doodles over every surface in the room. Parchments flapped and floated around the space while the books gave merry chase. The frazzled witch looked for any sign of the Minister and was about to give up when she heard a pained yelp come from under the massive desk. Cautiously, despite her trepidation, she tiptoed into the room, hoping that the maelstrom would ignore her presence. Peeking around the desk, the secretary found the Minister huddled under the large piece of furniture, attempting to fend off an attack from a pair of scissors. She could see that the wizard had not been entirely successful, as he had several cuts, both in his clothing and on his skin.

“Minister,” Lydia whispered, “What is happening? Do you want me to get help?”

Swatting at the wayward office implement, Cornelius yelped as it once again got in a hit, or rather a cut. “Of course I want you to get help, woman!” he screeched.

Quickly backing out of the room, thankful that the bewitched items had indeed paid her no attention, the witch shut the door behind her and immediately called the Auror Division. Shakily the diligent secretary sat down as she pondered the oddness of the day. Goodness and it wasn’t even noon yet, she realized.


Clive wondered at the odd looks he was receiving from his fellow Aurors as he walked down the Ministry corridors. Shaking off their behavior as inconsequential, Clive was blissfully unaware of the reason for their stares until sometime later in the morning when he took a bathroom break. Silently cursing that extra cup of tea he had drunk after the upset with having to watch Snape waltz out of their grasp, he relieved himself before turning around to the sinks. Looking into the mirror above the sink, he finally realized the cause for all the stares. He had been jinxed! His hair had been transfigured and was multi-colored like an obscene rainbow. His face was now pure white while the area around his mouth was tinted bright red.

Without thought, Clive pulled his wand out and pointing it at himself, muttered, “finite incatatum.” Expecting to see his own face and hair return, Clive was horrified to see a bulbous red nose appear instead. Now furious and more than a little worried, the Junior Auror once again tried to end the spell. This time his Auror robes changed into a clown’s outfit, making the transformation complete. Fighting down a rising sense of panic, Clive wondered why he had been turned into a clown. He hated, even feared, the vile things! Finally, the panic won out and Clive collapsed on the floor of the men’s room rocking back and forth while mumbling to himself. Clive never noticed a fellow Auror who found him thusly and he similarly paid no attention to the two Medi-Wizards who had been summoned to attend to the strange clown in the Aurors’ restroom.


Harry breathed a sigh of relief once the Portkey activated, whisking them away from the Ministry. Once again the Portkey dumped the youngsters in a pile on the ground while the adults landed upright. Looking up at the Potions Master, Harry ruefully acknowledged that Severus would be graceful even after suffering such an ordeal.

Without waiting for the teens to extricate themselves from the tangled pile, Severus began walking up the hill towards the castle. Resolutely he kept his eyes trained on the front doors as he walked across the grounds where the Battle of Hogwarts had taken place. Severus had had enough time to contemplate while he had been detained by the Ministry and he had no desire to further consider the matter.

Feeling his bond mate come up beside him, the Potions Master allowed the young wizard to assist him on his journey up to the castle. At least the Medi-Witch was sensible enough to keep her distance. Severus knew that the infernal woman would soon be upon him, fussing endlessly over him once she managed to confine him in the Infirmary. Briefly the Head of Slytherin considered making a dash for the relative safety of the dungeons, but he quickly realized that his young mate would be more likely to aid the Medi-Witch than him in this matter.


Molly sighed in relief as her children scrambled to keep with the former spy and Harry. They had managed to get Severus back, but the older witch was still worried about what Fudge might do. Squaring her shoulders, Molly decided that if the idiot was stupid enough to try something else, then he’d be facing the full Weasley treatment. She had only held back this time in deference to Harry. The poor dear was entirely too sweet for his own good. Well, it was a good thing that Molly was born a Prewitt and married a Weasley. She had an idea about how to stop any potential threats that Cornelius Fudge might pose.


Inside the massive doors Minerva McGonagall stood stiffly. The Deputy-Headmistress watched quietly as the group approached her. Severus stopped in front of the witch and quirked an eyebrow at her.

Minerva huffed, “Well, it is good to see you too, Severus. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a school to run.” And with that, the Transfigurations Professor turned heel and walked briskly away.

Poppy smiled, “She has been most upset by your ordeal, Severus.”

“Indeed, I can see that,” Severus intoned dryly. He knew that his colleague was not one to show emotion and quite frankly he was touched by the older woman’s concern for him. Severus looked longingly at the stairs leading down to his beloved dungeons as they crossed the main hall. Glancing over at the Medi-Witch, it was easy to see the unspoken command in her eyes. Scowling for effect, the potions Master dutifully climbed the stairs that would lead them to the Infirmary. Resigning himself to his fate as a specimen to be poked and prodded in the name of Medical Wizardry, Severus at least allowed, privately of course, that it was good to be back home.


After an interminable stay in the clutches of the infernal Medi-Witch, Severus finally made good on his escape to his beloved dungeons. Slipping into their rooms with his young love following closely behind, the Potions Master felt the tension drain from his body as he was alone with his soul mate for the first time in days.

Turning to look at the young man who had captured his heart, Severus let his masks fall as he reached out to caress the cheek of his bonded. “Harry,” he breathed.

“Sev,” came the equally quiet reply.

In the next moment Severus had pushed Harry against the door, their bodies pressed tightly together; each using lips and tongue to relearn the other’s mouth. Grinding his erection against the hard body of his lover, Severus moaned. Desperate for release, he gripped the younger wizard’s hips, pulling Harry up so that their erections were on the same level.

Groaning, Harry got the idea and wrapped his legs around the Potions Master’s waist. Trapped as he was between the solid door and the firm body of his soul mate, Harry could only hold on as his lover was determined to bring them both to a speedy release. As the older man continued to thrust their hips together, Harry ran his fingers through the long, fine hair, finally wrapping his fingers around the back of Severus’ head. Moaning as he felt the tension coil in his belly, Harry tipped his head back, unable to do anything but hold on as his lover gripped him in his strong arms and rocked them both to completion. Soon, too soon, Harry gasped as he came in his pants, eyes clamped shut as his body shook. Severus grunted, burying his head in the crook of Harry’s neck a moment later. The older wizard stiffened for a split second before his hips jerked as he climaxed.

Sighing, Harry smoothed the silky hair and pressed a kiss to his mate’s temple. “Good to have you home, Sev,” he breathed.

“Indeed, Mr. Potter,” the older man agreed, inordinately pleased to be back in their quarters once again. With that thought in mind, the Potions master tightened his arms around his young bond mate and carried him to their bed. They had a lot of catching up to do.

“Git,” Harry laughed. Nonetheless, he waved a hand, banishing the evidence of their frantic coupling before snuggling more firmly into his lover’s arms. His mate was finally home where he belonged.