Situational Ethics

Situational Ethics

By Mizzfreestyle


Chapter Eight:

“Assistance in Sin”

Time was everything and Harry’s precision had to be flawless. There was no room for mistakes. Harry moved closer to the shimmering cauldron and added exactly three tablespoons of the powdery substance that the potion required. The pearls then began excreting a creamy white liquid and that was the end of that. The eggs were ready to be taken in by Harry and then fertilized once Harry had his womb set in. Harry turned off the flame and then flipped to the next page in his book. His artificial womb was near completion, but he lacked two ingredients which he was having difficulty finding. He would have to special order it and soon.

When Harry left the chamber, he looked back one last time. He knew no one was there, but his overbearing conscience suggested otherwise. Maybe he just felt really protective of his project. Nothing could go wrong. No one could find out about his absurd goal.

In the Gryffindor common room, Hermione was the first to notice Harry’s arrival. “Where have you been all night?”

“No where,” Harry responded while he yawned.

“I thought you were in some overnight detention.”

“No. Just taking care of a few things… for the Order.”

Ron shook his head but couldn’t careless. He was trying to figure out how to write an intelligent love letter to this new Ravenclaw girl he met.

Before Harry could leave the room, Hermione reached out and pulled Harry back by the hand. “Harry, if there’s something bothering you, or if you need help, we’re here for you.”

Suddenly Ron let out a huge groan and began scratching out whatever he had written.

Harry passed a disappointed look at Ron.

“Well, if Ron can’t be there, I will.”

Harry nodded. “I think… I think later I will need your help. A lot. Right now… not so much.”

Hermione let go of Harry’s hand and nodded. “Good night then, Harry.”

“Night, Hermione.”

HARRYPOTTERHARRYPOTTERHARRYPOTTER

Harry opened the door and walked in as casually as ever, holding the two ingredients he needed in his hand along with the dolphin’s womb.

Caitlin was sitting at her desk when Harry arrived, but she wasn’t doing anything more than reading a book in order to pass the time. “Good morning, Harry, I was wondering when you were going to return those.”

Harry smiled and placed the jars on her desk, and then he placed a third one down, a jar filled with an orangey liquid with a floating pink colored fleshy thing floating inside. Caitlin leaned and then squinted. “Is that what I think it is?” She then flipped her red curls back so that they wouldn’t interfere with her vision.

“The dolphin’s womb? Yes. The only womb that can be extracted with the thief’s curse? Yes. Also the only womb once tampered with that can be used as a temporary womb in the human body.”

“Where did you get a hold of this, Harry? And… why do you have this?”

“I’m doing a friend a favour, but before I tell you who, this must be a secret between just us.”

Caitlin nodded. “And what does this friend of yours plan on doing with this womb?”

“He wants to have a baby.”

Caitlin raised her brow much like Snape frequently does. At least that answered why he had so many ingredients for a fertility project. “May I ask for a name?”

“Remus Lupin. He wants to have a baby with Sirius.”

Caitlin smiled. “And they trust you?”

“I offered to be their baby’s godfather, so I wanted this chance to prove my potion skills since they don’t trust any other wizard. But please, this is personal. You can’t let them know you helped me.”

“Of course not.” Caitlin reached for the jar and looked at the womb. “Fascinating, isn’t it? Has this womb gone through the proper care before you purchased it?”

“They told me so,” Harry was careful in answering Caitlin’s questions.

“Alright then. We have the ingredients that will prepare this womb for their bodies, but it will take about a week to complete. I’ll give you all the things you need, but you must keep this in a cool place in order to keep the ingredients from drying up too quickly.”

“I know exactly where. But you must first show me what to do.”

Caitlin nodded then led Harry to the potion cabinet. If she only knew Harry’s intentions. If she only knew that she was assisting Harry’s plot to produce Snape’s other child.

SEVERUSSNAPESEVERUSSNAPESEVERUSSNAPE

Harry looked back at the caldron in which the womb was mingling with various ingredients in order to attain the qualities of a human womb. It would be a while before it reached completion and not a moment after did the womb need to be moved into Harry’s system so that it made find a place amongst his organs to attach and set in.

Harry sighed and looked out from the mouth of the massive head. The chamber never looked so lonely and… boring. Harry looked out along the wet path and wished that he had some sort of entertainment while he kept an eye out on his project. He actually didn’t need to sit around and wait for the womb to reach completion. He could’ve left whenever he felt like leaving and not shown up for about week, but his nerves wouldn’t allow him to. This little project of his ate at his nerves. Harry had even brought along his school books so that he may study and spend more time close to his soon to be womb.

The chamber’s door was open however and anyone could trace his path. He had to find a way to close it and still be able to open it from the inside.

Harry picked up the jar now containing the completed eggs and looked at them carefully. They sat still in their pearlescent liquid, reflection nothing but allowing light to trickle through. Harry then wondered which one would become part of his future child.

HARRYPOTTERHARRYPOTTERHARRYPOTTER

Together, Caitlin and Harry inspected the womb four days later. Harry sat at the edge of his seat, hoping that whatever Caitlin would say would be positive. He had watched that bloody thing straight for the last few days, except for when he had to go to classes or eat. Some nights he stayed over in the chamber, just incase something tried to get to his project.

“Everything’s normal, Harry. You will make Remus very proud indeed.”

Harry wanted to jump up and cheer for his thus far success, but an eager smile would have to do for the time being.

“Make sure to keep it wherever you are storing it. It seems to be working rather well.”

“Is there anything else I can do for it that’ll help the process?”

“I don’t think so. Just making sure it’s stored in a cooler place and not disturbed is the best thing you can do for it right now.”

Harry smiled then left not before expressing his gratitude for all Caitlin had done for him.

Harry covered the caldron in a black cloth and headed back to the girl’s lavatory before anyone decided to follow him. He knew that Hermione and Ron had been trying to figure out what he was up to as of lately, but they especially couldn’t know. They would surely try to talk him out of it.

Late that day when Harry had his guard down, he was walking out of the lavatory when suddenly someone jumped on his and, “Caught you!”

Harry turned around, his eyes as wide as golf balls for the fear he felt burning in his guts. “Ron… don’t you dare tell anyone.”

“What, that you’ve been in the girl’s lavatory?” Ron raised his brown. “Is that where you’ve been off to? Or are you secretly seeing someone and you don’t want us to find out?”

Harry wanted to shake his head, but he wasn’t sure how to respond.

Then suddenly, Ron’s smirk fell. “Wait… what are you really doing in there?”

“It’s nothing important. I’m just trying to… collect myself. I’ve been under a great deal of stress.”

Ron looked towards the bathroom then decided to step in. Harry felt no fear in Ron discovering what he was hiding because his secrets were locked up in the chamber that could never be found. Ron looked around and peaked under stalls. There was nothing. Only the things found every day in a lavatory. Except Myrtle. However, she was off somewhere at the moment. “So you’re really just here to… collect yourself?”

Harry simply nodded then began heading towards the exit when Ron suddenly asked, “You sure it has nothing to do with… that place down there?”

Harry blushed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“The chamber of secrets you numskull!”

Harry felt sick to his stomach and his internal reaction showed.

“It does, doesn’t it?”

Harry shook his head while trying his best to look genuine.

Ron narrowed his eyes.

“I haven’t been there since we last left with Ginny and that Lockheart fellow.”

Ron wasn’t convinced, but nevertheless walked pass Harry and said. “I believe you mate, but if there’s something bugging you… I’m here to help.”

You wouldn’t want to help if you knew what I was planning.

After leaving the girl’s lavatory, the boys were walking back to their dorm when Snape came from around the corner. It was probably the first time since Harry began his potion that Harry had seen Snape outside of class. “Professor,” the boys greeted, hoping not to get into any trouble so that they may carry along.

Snape looked at Harry. The boy had bags under his eyes and he seemed far thinner than before. “I haven’t seen you lately, Potter. May I ask why? Mr. Weasley, leave us.”

Ron passed a sympathetic glance at Harry then left before being issued a detention.

Before Harry could even mutter a syllable, Snape demanded forcefully, “Don’t waste my time with your lies.”

“Then what do you want me to say?”

“The truth.”

Snape’s presence was heavy on Harry, and after failing to meet the required level of food for a boy his age, Harry felt awfully faint. He closed and opened his eyes several times before he felt like giving up and falling to the floor. But would Snape catch him or let him fall? Harry didn’t have a moment to contemplate Snape’s character before he felt himself falling.

Snape caught him, in his arms he brought Harry closer to him and then he carried Harry towards the walls of the hall. “Potter…”

“I’m fine. Just tired.”

Snape knelt down so that he may hold Harry and have the ground support part of Harry’s weight. “Why are you tired?”

“It’s been a long week… but it isn’t over yet.”

“What are you rambling on about? Quidditch hasn’t even started yet.”

“I know… but try outs are going to happen soon, but I may not be in the best condition to play. My body will be even more fragile than ever.”

Snape was more than confused. He would’ve used Legitimacy, but Harry refused to look him in the eyes, but when he did, it was the briefest of glances though it told a story of betrayal and love. “Maybe if you kissed me I’d feel better.” Such a comment reflected a bit a humour on Harry’s part. If the boy was serious about being stressed out, then this was no time to be asking his professor to kiss him.

“Now, Potter, if I went around kissing you every time you felt unwell, my wife would find out rather quickly.”

“One kiss won’t hurt.”

“But it’ll only take one kiss to breech the distance between student and lover.”

“We were lovers, Snape… and some days, I feel that we are still secret lovers.”

“Don’t you sound cheesy this evening?”

“I’m still your lover.”

Snape touched Harry’s cheek then felt warmth stir inside of him. Perhaps the most warmth he’s felt since he was last with Harry. Snape looked up then looked back down at Harry. He brought Harry up closer then looked at the young man’s lips. He could kiss Harry, but then he wouldn’t be able to stop. “Only this and nothing more.”

Harry reached up to tug on Snape’s clothes and the Potion Master would’ve kissed his once lover if Dumbledore hadn’t come around the corner. Not again! Snape sensed the man’s presence then looked up. “Potter collapsed. He seems weary.” Snape felt like a cat caught with its paw in the fish bowl.

Dumbledore approached Harry but the elder wizard didn’t have an ounce of concern for Harry’s condition. Finding Snape and Harry together awfully close led Dumbledore to meditate upon the possibility that they were still in love with each other and were dying to feel that love they once felt by finding ways to be alone so they may reminisce and seduce one another. “The boy will be fine,” Dumbledore helped Harry to his feet then looked at Snape.

The day had been far too long, so Harry said his farewells then left. Snape turned and watched him leave with sudden anguish and Dumbledore closed his eyes. Snape still felt something for the boy he left. Then why, Severus? Why did you leave that young man for a woman you could never love?

A/N: Sorry about the chapter being so short. Please review and I'll update as soon as I can.