Bonds of Affection

For the rest of the day, Severus rocked Harry\'s body in his arms, watching him with terror. He placed a healing ointment on the gush on his head, and it began to heal. When Harry finally opened his eyes, Severus let out a breath of relief and kissed his warm forehead.



Harry looked at him in misery. “I screwed up, didn\'t I?” he asked. “Was I supposed to.. go along with it?”



Severus stroked his hair with gentleness, ensuring his fingers avoided the cut. “No, no. It\'ll be fine,” he said, trying to project a calm he did not feel. “Lucius was supposed to ask me first. Or at least, tell me. Not just... take you.”



Harry winced. “And if he had ordered you to ... lend me out... then what? And what if he orders again? Then what?”



Severus took Harry\'s face in his hands. “We have a choice. We can either stick it out, and wait until we get to Nagini ... or we can fight back now. Most likely die – but... at least ...”



At least Harry would not spend his last days as Voldemort\'s plaything, Severus thought darkly.



Harry groaned quietly and looked away. Severus watched him, waiting for his answer.



“We should stick it out,” Harry said finally. “I want to kill that goddamn snake, if it\'s the last thing I do. Just tell me what to do.”



Severus nodded to him, with a bitter smile. Truth be told, he no longer cared about Voldemort, Nagini, or their mission. He no longer cared about anything – other than ending the torment he had plunged Harry into.



But Harry leaned into his embrace, and shut his eyes, drifting off. For a few hours, Harry slept peacefully in his arms, with a smile that betrayed no fear, or regret. Severus sat and watched the young, weary face, unable to tear himself away from it.



When Lucius knocked on their door and entered, Severus instantly pressed his lips into a disdainful smile. Lucius ignored him, and stared at Harry, who was now awake, but still clinging to Severus shamelessly, with his entire body.



“It\'s amazing how much dependency and affection can a single vial of potion generate,” Lucius said with amusement. “However, your slave is ill-trained. Stunningly so.”



Severus issued a mocking grunt. “He is trained well enough,” Severus drawled spitefully. “He was trained to let no-one touch him but me. Had you advised me of your intentions, I would have lifted that restriction ...”



“Then you\'d better lift the restriction right now,” Lucius said casually. “Lord Voldemort\'s orders are to grant Harry\'s use as a reward... to his most loyal servant.”



Severus felt Harry tense next to him. “Who would that be?” Severus asked calmly. “You?”



Lucius laughed without mirth. “You would think so, but no. The one who had brought the Dark Lord back... the one who had used Harry\'s blood to do so.”



“Pettigrew?” Severus said in disbelief. “That... thing?”



Lucius shrugged, almost apologetically. “I know, I know, the man looks like he\'s just crawled out of a sewer. But – loyalty above looks. Pettigrew has proved himself useful, time and again, and Our Lord is far from shallow... I suppose being brought back from the dead changes your perspective.”



“I suppose,” Severus echoed absently, his arms still wrapped around Harry, who was frozen in his embrace.



Lucius looked at Harry intently. “Come here, duckling,” Lucius said softly. Harry looked up at Severus, who nodded to him, and released him from his grip.



Harry got off the bed, and walked up to Lucius, standing before him. Severus watched cautiously, as Lucius took Harry\'s face in his hands.



“Do you love your Master, duckling?” Lucius asked gently.



Harry nodded slightly.



“Then remember this: your Master will be held accountable for your behavior. Choose your course of action with that thought in mind.” Lucius released Harry\'s face and gave him a little push. Harry stumbled back mindlessly, sitting down on the edge of the bed.



Lucius glanced at Severus briefly. “Bring him to Peter,” he said. “Then join the rest of us in the main Hall. Don\'t dawdle.”



When Lucius left, Harry moved himself close to Severus and latched onto him with his entire body. Severus held him in an iron grip. The young body was trembling violently in his arms.



“Sorry,” Harry mumbled. “I don\'t suppose we could polyjuice Lucius to look like me, throw him to Pettigrew, and then just Oblivate him?”



Severus shook his head absently, with just a hint of smile crossing his lips. “Voldemort\'s surveillance spells are very deep. They can cut through polyjuice... And as for Transfiguration, neither of us is sufficiently skilled to...”



“Yeah,” Harry sighed deeply. “Well.”



They sat locked together in an embrace, knowing that they had to leave, unwilling to end it. Harry sighed slightly. “Kiss me,” he begged. “Please.”



Severus glanced at him in disbelief. “Now?”



Harry nodded furiously. “While you still want to.”



Severus smiled bitterly. “Idiot boy.” He kissed him deeply, caressing Harry\'s tongue gently, finding and stroking the faded, barely noticeable scar from the piercing. Harry yielded to his touch, and to his kiss, closing his eyes at contact. Severus felt the young lips trembling against his, and then withdrawing from his mouth.



“Don\'t even think this way,” Severus said gently. “Nothing can change who you are to me.”



Harry sniffled quietly. “I don\'t know about that,” he whispered. “After this morning...”



“What happened?” Severus demanded. “Lucius said Draco used Cruciatus...”



“Yes. But there was something else in it,” Harry said with a shudder. “Something... dark... like black ice.... it burned... what was it?”



Severus froze at the question. “You couldn\'t tell?”



Harry shook his head. “Never felt something quite like that before.”



“Hate,” Severus said quietly. “Pure hate. It... can destroy.. make your mind slip from your body...”



“I felt it,” Harry agreed. Against his hand, Severus felt a tremor run down Harry\'s back. “Almost let myself go... where does it come from?”



Severus shrugged. “I am not sure,” he admitted. “Albus says it starts with something small... then grows.. expands....” Severus was holding him tightly, almost trembling himself. “Harry, let\'s just... fight our way out of here and run,” he offered. “Maybe if we surprise them...”



Harry shook his head again. “Nagini,” he repeated stubbornly. “I\'ll find that thing and kill it.”



“But – Harry... Pettigrew?” Severus spat out the name with distaste, as it left a foul taste in his mouth.



Harry shrugged tiredly. “It may as well be him. I don\'t think I\'d do better with Voldemort, or Bellatrix. It\'s kind of ironic, actually .... him being the last surviving Marauder and all.” Harry freed himself from Severus\' embrace and stood up quickly, as if in a hurry to start moving before he had a chance to change his mind.



Severus rose to his feet as well, placed his hand on Harry\'s shoulder, and led him towards the room where Peter Pettigrew was waiting for his prize.



They stopped before the massive door together. Harry cast one parting glance at Severus and stepped into the room, the door instantly slamming shut and locking behind him.



...To Be Continued...