Highly Spirited

Summary: Chapter 6: Severus Snape --------- The Man Himself Appears
Warning(s): See Chapter 1 for warnings and disclaimer. I still don’t own anything.


Chapter 6 – Severus Snape

Harry stumbled down a hallway muttering to himself, “Look at the bad side. Gotta look at the bad side. There are two sides to every…gotta find the good one…no the bad one…AIGH…” He had gone up the stairs that led to his rooms. Suddenly, the stairs began moving. Harry lost his balance and grabbed onto the railing. “Oops…I think I might have had a little too mu…Hic Feels like the floor’s moving. Hic! I’ll just sit here for a bit. HIC!” He slid down against the railing and onto the step to wait for them to stop moving. When they did, Harry crawled the rest of the way up and then staggered tp his feet to stand at the top. “Must be getting soberer…less drunker...” he said as he stared at his feet and they were no longer moving.

Not realizing the staircase had deposited him at the wrong corridor, he began his trek back to where he thought their room was. He walked through the massive spider web and saw the rather enormous owner of it scurrying up his shirt. Frantically, he danced around the hall, beating his own chest for a minute while yelling at the arachnid. He fell over. As he lay there, a random thought occurred to him that hotel owners, even as warped as this one seemed, wouldn’t actually inflict real spiders on their guests. He vaguely remembered that Hagar, Harvard, er…the big guy saying there were giant spiders in the forest. “Bleah!” he wiped some leftover spidersilk off his face.

He lay there thinking about how his husband sometimes reminded him of a black widow – all pinchy faced, sharpened claws, sucking the life out of him at times, but never sucking… He decided to take matters into his own hands. He stormed into the room, “Draco…Draco…” he began insistently. He’d make that blond haired git of a spouse of his listen for a change.

“Milk of human kindness, Draco,*” he protested, walking towards a large bed sitting at the top of several stone steps. The fact the canopied bed was covered in rotting lace didn’t register with him. He also didn’t notice the multitude of cobwebs that adorned the room, the rusting old candelabra sitting precariously in a corner, or the dank smell of mould that permeated the air.

“Three little words every once in awhile,*” he continued babbling as he tripped up the three stone steps that went up to the bed. “Does it cost anything? ‘I LOVE YOU’. That’s it. Just those little words. You can’t say it, can you?”* Harry finally made it to the bed only to realize that Draco was not in it. He swung his head around, looking for his partner.

“Aw, bloody hell. Wrong room.”* He sat down on the bed, too tired and tipsy to find his way back. He closed his eyes for a moment and sank sideways onto the mattress.

For a few seconds, there was quiet. Then a chill draft crept across the room. There was a heavy panting approaching him. Harry opened his eyes to see a tall, pale-skinned man appear in his room, seemingly a bit out of breath. His back faced Harry. He had long black hair, pulled back by an equally black ribbon, and was wearing a long, dark, grey night shirt. His long feet were bare. Harry couldn’t help but notice them as the man took long, silent steps backwards away from a sealed stone arch in the wall. He was yelling, “Tom, don’t be foolish,” while looking at the wall.

Harry struggled to sit up. “Hey, hey…it’s not what you think!*”

The man ignored him, watching the wall intently. “No, Tom, don’t.” The man looked around and Harry finally saw his face. A sudden burst of recognition came to Harry. “I know you*. You’re the bloke in the portrait. You’re Severus Snape!”

Just then, a flash of light appeared at the wall Severus had been staring at. Harry was shocked to see the light turn into another man. He didn’t recognize this one. Like Severus, he, too, was pale, but where Severus was handsomely wan, this new man almost appeared sallow and somewhat reptilian. Not snake-like exactly; Harry wasn’t that drunk, but he had hard sharp angles accentuating his face. His nose was short and sharp where Severus’s was quite large and hooked. His face also had a pointed chin and small, narrowed eyes that reflected orange and red, as if it were reflecting a fire in the room.

“Aw, my little half-blood prince. Where dya think you’re going?” ‘Tom’ raced at Severus and grabbed his arms and pushed him onto the bed next to where Harry was sitting.

“Get off of me,” Severus said as he fought against Tom who had pinned him in place on the bed.

Harry looked at Severus. “Who’s this guy?*” he pointed to Tom.

The two men ignored him as they struggled. Tom ripped the ribbon from Severus’s hair and wrapped it around Severus’s long slender neck. He began choking Severus.

“Oh…this is good!*” Harry exclaimed. “So realistic,” he said, watching in drunken fascination at what he thought were actors playing a scene. He had finally realized this was supposed to be Thomas Riddle, i.e. “He Who Must Not Be Named”. “It’s so brutal,*” he observed in admiration.

‘Severus’ finally clomped ‘Tom’ on the head. ‘Tom’ clutched his head in pain as Severus got off the bed and began running away. As ‘Tom’ recovered, Harry commented to him, “This is a great act, but you should have done it earlier when it might have helped.”*

Harry got up to follow the action back to the wall. Tom had Severus cornered.

“Who was he?! Who’d you sleep with, you prickwhore?!” Tom demanded.

“No one! How dare you?!” Severus argued. Harry liked his voice, even in anger. It was dark and sultry. He also liked how Severus’s pale face flushed in anger with pink spots highlighting his high cheek bones.

“Who is he?!” Tom backhanded Severus. The loud slap reverberated through the room.

“Hey now…that’s a little too…*” Harry protested going over to them.

“There’s no one, you wanker!” Severus spat back at Tom.

Tom grabbed Severus’s arm and yanked him hard.“Why don’t I believe you?” he said as he pulled a long, narrow wand from his waist. “Avada Kedavra!” Harry watched as a green light surrounded Severus and the man fell to the floor, lifeless.

As Severus fell, Tom dropped to his knees. “Severus? Severus?” he whispered, while stroking his hand over the fallen man’s face. “Oh, Merlin…oh Merlin....what have I done?”

“You killed him,*” Harry answered, almost mute in shock, kneeling across from the murderer. He suddenly felt a lot less drunk.

“God, what have I done?*” Tom asked again.
.
Harry looked up, annoyed, “I told you. You killed him!”*

Tom stood up, tears on his face, “What have I done, what have I done, what have I done…*” and staggered backwards towards the wall he came in through. Harry, thinking he couldn’t let him get away, ran after him but was stopped by the very solid stone arch the man just disappeared through. Rubbing his nose, he turned around to find the body of Severus Snape was now missing.

Harry dropped to the floor, feeling around. “Trapdoors. There must be a trapdoor around here.” After finding none, he fell over and just lay there a moment blinking at the ceiling. Some wooziness from the alcohol rushed through him.

While he lay there, Severus came running back through the door as if he’d never been injured, followed again by Tom.

“Aw, my little half-blood prince. Where dya think you’re going?” Tom raced at Severus and grabbed his arms and pushed Severus onto the bed just as he did the first time.

“Get off of me,” Severus yelled as he fought against Tom who had him pinned in place.

Harry got up and ran for the bed yelling, “Party’s over, man. Party’s over!”* he watched as the two re-enacted their struggle again.

Just then Severus clobbered his attacker again just as Harry was going to intervene. Harry had picked up a candlestick next to the bed and attempted to swing at Tom as he left the bed. The swing was too wide causing Harry to miss and fall back onto the bed.

By the time Harry recovered, Tom had his victim cornered again. “Who was he?! Who’d you sleep with, you prickwhore?!” Tom demanded.

“No one! How dare you?!” Severus argued.

“Who is he?!” and he backhanded Severus.

Harry ran over to break them up. He jumped between them but they continued to argue as if he wasn’t there. “Come on. Time to break it up,”* he yelled at Tom as he stood between him and Severus.

“There’s no one, you wanker!”

Tom grabbed Severus’s arm and yanked him hard. “Why don’t I believe you?” he said as he pulled a long, narrow wand from his waist. “Avada Kedavra!”

This time, Harry saw the green light surround himself. “Aw…I’m hit,*” Harry groaned. He staggered away from them. Severus stood there looking between Harry and Tom in disbelief.

Tom dropped to his knees and began wailing his grief. “Severus? Severus?” Tom whispered. He stroked his hand as if there was a body laying before him but it was just empty air. “Oh, Merlin…oh Merlin....what have I done?”

“Oh..it hurts…*” Harry cried, then looked down at his stomach where the wound should be and saw…nothing wrong. He examined himself more to be sure. He didn’t notice that Severus had walked over towards him. Harry looked at him in confusion. This was the first time those dark, glittering eyes had actually registered Harry’s presence.

Another loud wail emanated from Tom. Harry and Severus both looked over at him still replaying his own scenario.

“Er, who are you guys?” Harry asked Severus who was now right next to him.

In that very deep throaty voice Harry liked so much, he answered, “I’m Severus Snape.” It confirmed Harry’s earlier identification, except it didn’t seem as if he was an actor playing the role of Severus Snape.

Harry’s green eyes widened in disbelief. “Wait a minute. This is an act, right?”* They widened even further as Tom stood and disappeared once again.

Severus looked at the now empty archway and back at Harry. “What do you want for what you just did?” he asked suspiciously.

“For what?” Harry asked.

“For your idiotic show of Gryffindor bravery, you dunderhead,” he said with exasperation. “I’m sure you want something for it.”

“Ah, well…what? Er, what’s a Gryffindor?” Harry was looked perplexed.

“It was one of the four houses established when Hogwarts was still a school,” Severus answered. “It took in reckless, brave young souls like yourself.”

“This place is a school?” Harry asked. He was staring at the large nose that seemed to inch closer to his face with each word.

Severus looked a little annoyed and ran his hand through his hair. “Was! Was! I know it’s no longer a school, but have you not read ”Hogwarts: A History”? This castle is a very important part of the history of wizardkind. Surely, you still learn about it?” Severus’ gaze bore into Harry’s eyes.

“Um…no. Can’t say I ever have,” Harry said. He was beginning to get lost in those hypnotic orbs. The man was oddly attractive. “You’re quite handsome,” he blurted out.

Severus snorted and back away. “You don’t get to insult me just because you saved me,” he said with a sneer. “My thanks will have to suffice.” The spectre started fading away.

Harry reached out. “Go? Why do you have to go?*” The face he was reaching for disappeared.

Harry was left alone and suddenly his stomach started churning. “Ugh...I don’t feel so good.*” He sat on the floor and closed his eyes. “And I’m not reckless,” he muttered to himself as he rubbed his eyes. “I’m reckful, reckfilled, loaded with reck...whatever. Draco would never let me be,” he sighed. “I’m just a wreck,” he trailed off before one last surge of wooziness threatened to make him pass out. He closed his eyes and began to nod off.

He hadn’t noticed Myrtle watching the entire scenario from her usual spot. She had escaped Luna for a few minutes just so she could see her “Tommy”.

She was quite giddy at the change in events. Her laughter as she flew out of the room brought Harry back to his senses. ‘What the heck was that?’ he thought.

After waiting for a few minutes to see if Severus returned, Harry finally stood up. He was finally sober enough to get his bearings, but still tipsy enough not to make it back in a straight line. Returning to his room, he went over to the bed where Draco was sound asleep, eyes covered by the ever present “eye pillow” that Harry had come to loathe. He fell into a sitting position on the bed, jostling his husband who complained with a snore.

“I’m going nuts,*” Harry said quietly. He stared gloomily into the dark. “I wonder if you ever loved me,*” he muttered. Draco answered with another snore.

“Let’s see if those potions really work,*” Harry decided in a depressed, alcohol-induced fit of pathos. He managed to stand up again and cross the room to the bathroom.

Staring at his pale reflection, Harry assessed the dark circles under his eyes. On the sink, along with the usual toiletries of toothpaste, brush, soap, etc… were two bottles. The bottle on the right was labeled ‘Tension Ease’, the one on the left was labeled ‘B Your Best - B-Complex Liquid Formula – Now in Mint!’. Harry looked at himself critically again. “You’ve had a good life, Harry.*” He turned to the shelves beside the mirror to find a water glass.

The ghostly image of Severus Snape appeared in the mirror. With one eyebrow raised and a rolling of his eyes, he reached out to magically swap the labels of the two bottles without Harry noticing him. He disappeared from the glass as Harry turned back to the sink.

“Oh, gawd…” Harry weeped in a quiet, desperate voice. He grabbed the bottle on the left and swallowed the whole thing. After he swallowed, he thought death tasted rather minty. He followed it with a glass of water to dilute it a bit.

Severus appeared again in the mirror watching Harry. Harry finally looked up and saw him. Mouth gaping open in surprise, the combination of alcohol and the sudden appearance of the ghost caused Harry to lose consciousness. He slowly collapsed to the stone floor where a conveniently placed cushion appeared at the exact spot his head landed.

Severus snorted after confirming Harry had merely fainted and was not about to join him in the ghostly realm.


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* Verbatim dialogue from the movie 'High Spirits'. * inside the quotation marks means just that sentence. Outside the quotation marks would indicate everything inside the quotation mark, not just the individual sentence.