The Friday Boy

CHAPTER 49

The simultaneous gasp that echoed in the silence of the room could have sucked up soot from a fireplace. As soon as the words had left Remus’ mouth Harry had closed his eyes automatically not daring to look at Snape’s expression. The tension in the room was so thick Harry wondered how anyone was still breathing when he himself was having trouble. No one dared make the next sound, and all eyes were now on Snape who stood staring at Harry his expression unreadable.

As the silence continued Harry became uncomfortable knowing that Snape was staring at him, and at length he opened his eyes. Snape’s face was a blank canvass, his eyes not moving from Harry’s face. Harry desperately wanted to hear something, anything from Snape’s mouth, some sign at least that the wizard was still alive. Snape was still alive however and Harry was made acutely aware of it when the man moved, striding over to Harry in two large steps. Harry went to open his mouth and apologize to Snape but before anything could leave his mouth Snape had raised his hand and with a sickening forced had slapped Harry hard across the face, sending the boy sprawling to the floor in a shocked heap.

Everyone was stunned as Harry cowered, clutching his cheek in pain as Snape towered over him his blank expression finally darkening with rage.

“Whose is it?” Snape’s voice was icy barely above a whisper but so cold it silenced anyone else who’d dare to speak. Harry was confused as he stared wide-eyed and frightened up at Snape above him. Shaking his head with no answer, Harry was again stung by a slap this one snapping his head back against the chair and making stars pop in front of his vision. “WHOSE IS IT!” Snape screamed, his rage finally snapping the room into action. Mr Weasley and Remus were on Snape immediately, hauling the wizard back from Harry while Sirius slid down to Harry’s side. Harry was shaking from head to toe and cowered into his godfather’s side, as Snape broke free of Arthur and Remus’ grasp and began pacing the room like a caged Hippogriff.

“What do you mean? ‘Whose is it?’ It’s yours of course why else would we be telling you this!” Remus barked at Snape who shot the werewolf a glare that would have made the faint of heart melt into a pile of trembling liquid.

“No, Do I look like I’m stupid?” Snape spat angrily at Harry as he paused in front of the boy who was pale and sickly as he huddled into his godfather’s cloak. “I warned you Potter that I didn’t share. What part of that didn’t you understand?” Snape growled his fist automatically tightening about his wand as he watched Harry sit up a little and shake his head nervously.

“Nothing, I swear…”

“I told you that I didn’t expect us to last, that I understood you’d want your freedom when all this was over. We didn’t last quiet as long as I’d expected but it was long enough for you to understand how I do things. Part of that was an expectation that you stayed faithful to me while we were together….” Snape cut Harry off, the elder wizard totally ignoring everyone else in the room to focus purely on Harry, who was still staring up at him in confusion and fear. “How far along are you? Six weeks? Two, Three months?” Snape inquired sarcastically his hand pointing with disgust at Harry, who shrugged his shoulders silently. “Whatever the time limit Potter, for you to have put on weight you must be at least a month gone and that would mean that when you got knocked up we were still ‘together’ and I use that term lightly because it was hardly a relationship when this lot were fucking with it!” Snape glared particularly hard at Dumbledore who had remained suspiciously silent throughout the entire ordeal. “So logically you must have been getting your kicks else where while you were doing me!” Snape shouted angrily at Harry, as he began pacing again.

“What? That makes no sense.” Remus butted in quickly, voicing the same concerned confusion everyone else was thinking. “It has to be yours if you two were still doing it a month ago…” Remus muttered, the werewolf trailing off as Snape gave a cruel bitter chuckle and shook his head.

“You’d think that wouldn’t you, but here’s the clincher,” Snape paused, this time stepping over to Harry and bending down so that his face was so close to Harry’s that the boy could feel the man’s warm breath on his face. “For the past 15 years I’ve been routinely taking a infertility potion every night before bed. It’s a precaution against leaving trails of my indiscretions as part of the Dark Lord’s service.” Harry’s eyes widened in horror as Snape smiled cruelly. “You’ll remember me doing it Potter, blue flash from my work room every night before bed? What did you think I was doing taking pictures of myself?” Snape huffed a contemptible laugh as he stood up and walked away from Harry in disgust. “Every night Potter, it’s a habit that I haven’t forgotten once in fifteen years. So tell me, who you were fucking behind my back?” Harry didn’t flinch this time his fear flittering away when he remembered his dirty little secret. It occurred to Harry that it wasn’t anger that Snape was portraying but hurt and that emotion, if only small made Harry’s confidence rise.

“No one.” Harry breathed silently as he stood up from Sirius’ side, his cheek purpling where Snape had hit him twice. “The morning after we’d left Grimmauld Place, when I’d caught you and Bill in the basement. You drank an entire bottle of fire whisky at the three broomsticks, you could barely stand. I was angry that you’d said I wasn’t good, that I was average,” Harry spat the memory out in disgust before continuing. “So when you presented me with the opportunity later that morning I took it. You may have had that ‘dream’ but you certainly didn’t finish it alone. I rode you every inch of the way, and you didn’t even wake up. It was good too, shame you missed it really. Bet you didn’t remember to take your potion that night because you were messing around with Bill in the lab.” Harry eyed Bill who was standing stock still to the left of Severus. The moment Bill’s gaze met Harry’s however the eldest red head snapped.

“You little…” Bill shouted hysterically as he drew his wand and lunged for Harry, an unhidden desire for Harry’s blood reflecting in his gaze. Harry flinched back prepared for the attack but surprisingly it never came. Before anyone could move to stop Bill, Snape had flick the silver dagger out of his robe and with an unnatural ease had slashed out his left hand. The blade of the dagger had stopped precisely at Bill’s neck, embedded enough to draw blood and stop the Weasley dead in his tracks but not enough to be life threatening. Bill froze mid lunge his eyes wide in fear at how quickly Snape had reacted, and without even having broken eye contact with Harry.

“Severus.” For the first time since the news had been broken Albus Dumbledore spoke, his voice unnervingly quiet and devoid of his usual sparkling light heartedness. “The council is reconvening…” Without moving the dagger from Bill’s neck Snape tucked his hand into the sleeve of his robe and removed his wand before flicking it casually over to the bubble that Draco was trapped in. Through the entire scene Draco had been uselessly pounding on the sides of the bubble, undoubtedly screaming his lungs out to be let free. With the privacy bubble removed Draco fell in a heap on the floor only to shoot to his feet and stride over to where Snape was still staring deep into Harry’s gaze.

“A Weasley? He’s not your type.” Draco smiled smugly up at Snape, who had yet to acknowledge him, or remove the dagger from Bill’s neck. “I knew you’d try and get out of it, but marrying a Weasley?” Draco huffed in contempt and shook his head. “I should have known it was a farce, It’s always been Potter hasn’t it? Some self righteous part of you that thought your sin’s would be forgiven if you took care of Potter. That you could prove to everyone that you didn’t break everything like your father did.” Finally Snape broke his gaze from Harry’s to look down at Draco who was staring up at him with a self-satisfied grin. “But despite all their efforts,” Draco gestured casually at the gathered group. “You’ve still corrupted him. Perhaps my Dad was wrong, and you are working for Voldemort after all…. Like father like son I suppose.” Draco smiled as Snape closed his eyes and then with what appeared to be some reluctance lowered the dagger from Bill’s neck, causing the Weasley to stumble back into the arms of his parents, who immediately attended to his cut neck.

“Severus,” Again Albus’ voice penetrated the silence and Harry watched as Snape slowly opened his eyes to stare at the headmaster, who was easily taking the bloodied dagger from Snape’s limp grasp. “Take Harry home.” Quietly Albus removed a bronzed key from a pocket deep within his robes and replaced it with the dagger in Snape’s left hand. Harry didn’t miss the way Snape’s hand shook a little as Albus curled the man’s long potion stained fingers tightly around the key. Harry watched on stunned as Snape nodded passively, his eyes drooping to the floor sadly as Albus leaned up and kissed Snape’s forehead softly. “Rules and meant to be broken Severus, go home and I’ll sort out this mess.” Again Severus nodded and stepped away from the headmaster to look up at Harry who was fidgeting nervously next to Sirius who’d gone suspiciously silent.

“Harry?” Quietly Snape offered his hand to the younger wizard. Harry hesitated as he stared at the hand, the man’s beautifully sculptured fingers disfigured and discolored through years of potion making. Harry was somewhat surprised as he felt a nudge on his back pushing him towards Snape’s hand. Glancing over his shoulder Harry stared at Sirius questioningly, however Sirius just smiled warmly and shrugged his shoulders as he pushed Harry again towards Snape. As Harry laced his fingers with Snape’s the boy was surprised by how damp and cold the man’s palms were, and the boy silently cursed himself for having made him nervous with his hesitation. With a relaxed ease Snape turned Harry into his chest and wrapped the boy’s arms around his waist before enveloping Harry in the folds of his cloak. “Close your eyes.” Snape whispered his voice soft and unthreatening. Harry obediently did as he was told and held on tight as he heard Snape whisper a Latin phrase before the two of them seemed to be drifting away on a cloud. Harry felt safe in Snape’s embrace. Apart from the slight waft of Snape’s robes in an unseen wind Harry couldn’t even tell if they were moving at all. Not that it mattered where they were going or how, Harry was warm and comfortable in Snape’s embrace and that’s all Harry cared about.

TBC>>>>>