Jail Bird Choir

CHAPTER 9

“Well this shouldn’t have come as a big fucking surprise Harry.” Harry glared at his guardian over the top of the letter that had just been delivered by an official Ministry owl. Harry had read it allowed to the gathered populace in the kitchen all of whom were now staring at him waiting for a reaction.

“All that work.” Tonks muttered beneath her breath as she turned from the table to continue washing up, her head shaking in disgust.

“I warned you Harry.” Arthur Weasley pushed a slice of toast onto his plate and began silently buttering it, not a hint of sympathy in his expression. Molly stood by her husband’s side a sad smile on her face as Harry put down the letter and leaned back in his chair.

He’d been thrown out of the academy. The official excuse had been that he hadn’t properly shown his commitment to the Auror Divisions ethical stance on Law enforcement but Harry knew better. It was Severus that was the problem, and the Minister of magic who was the cause.

“I’ll start looking for work this afternoon.” Harry muttered coldly as he screwed up the letter and tossed it uncaringly into the fireplace, taking delight in watching it erupt into flames and turn to ash.

“And who’s going to employ you Harry? No one in their right mind is going to be seen helping you, not after this. The Ministry wants his blood and they’ll stop at nothing to get to him.” Remus’ was coldly truthful but Harry brushed it aside as he shrugged his shoulders and reached for another slice of toast. Before he could eat it however a creak of stairs had everyone looking out into the hallway, where Severus Snape had just appeared. The wizard was still dressed in the gray sleep pants Harry had put him in the night before, the tie useless at holding up the overly large pants on the wizards painfully thin frame. For a moment Snape glanced into the kitchen and looked blankly at the faces staring back at him but then turned and walked off down the hallway.

“Merlin where does he think he’s going?” Remus snapped as he went to follow Snape. Harry was quicker though and pushed his guardian back down into his seat with a firm commanding hand.

“Touch him Remus and you’ll not see your next birthday.” Harry growled as he strode from the room to find Snape.

Snape had gone out of the backdoor and was now standing barefoot, with his sleep pants halfway down his backside staring up at the clear morning sky. Harry hastily scrambled across the yard cautiously looking about him to make sure no Ministry spies were watching.

“You’ll have to come back inside Severus, you’re not allowed outdoors during the day.” Harry reached for Snape’s arm but the man pulled it roughly out of Harry’s grasp before turning his head back down to stare at the young wizard coldly.

“I was safer in there.” Harry raised a surprised eyebrow at the elder wizard, happy that he sounded more like himself but confused by the man’s comment.

“You’re not in danger Severus, I’m going to protect you.” Harry smiled comfortingly at Snape, trying and failing again to steer Snape back towards the house.

“But who’s going to protect me from you.” Severus voice darkened and his haunted onyx eyes flashed dangerously before dropping down to where Harry was gripping his arm. Harry blanched at what he saw, unintentionally his fingers had wrapped so tightly around Snape’s thin arm that his nails had drawn blood and were cutting off the circulation to the man’s hand. As if he’d been burnt Harry pried his hand off Snape’s arm and stared apologetically and somewhat scared into Snape’s eyes. Casually Snape wiped the trail of blood from his arm, smearing it up and over the thick, hideous scar that had once been his dark mark.

“Help me.” Harry breathed out shakily as he stared pleadingly up into Snape’s eyes. For a moment there was a flicker of understanding in Snape’s onyx pools before the wizard simply turned and headed back for the house, uncaring that his sleep pants were now dropping down around his thighs. Harry stared at Snape’s lily-white backside; the purpling remains of whip lashes marring the marble skin. The healing potions had begun to work, but Harry was sure no potion could fix the hidden scars of the man.

Still there was little Harry could do at the moment; he had to fix his own growing problems before Remus chewed his arse out again. Returning to the house Harry grabbed his cloak and some money and without saying goodbye to the group in the kitchen apperated away from the hall. He had to see a friend about a job.

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“You shouldn’t be here.” Harry stumbled over the doormat as he was hastily dragged inside by a dirty fist around his collar.

“If the Ministry have their way they’d rather I not exist at all.” Harry grumbled as he watched the podgy short wizard glance out of his windows before hastily pulling the blinds and locking the front door. “Happy now?” Harry muttered sarcastically as he watched one Neville Longbottom shuffle through his shop and over to the counter having successfully closed up in haste.

“I’m sorry Harry but I can’t risk the bad publicity, besides the shop is all I have left.” Neville moved through into the back of the little store and Harry obediently followed, finding a small cozy living room with two battered old arm chairs beside the fire.

“I’m not asking for you to give up everything Neville, I just need a job.” Harry sighed as he sat down in one of the armchairs and watched Neville make tea. Neville Longbottom had lost pretty much everything during the war, and very nearly his life. Yet with the money his Gran had left him he’d opened the store, selling every plant the young Herbologist could possibly grow.

“They’ll ruin me if they associate you with me.” Neville sighed as he handed Harry the cup of tea before sitting down in the other chair. Harry nodded understandingly as he glanced over Neville’s dirty appearance, the apron he wore covered in dirty and green stains from his planting.

“They don’t even need to know I’m here. I can prepare, pack and address your orders for you.” Harry smiled hopefully at Neville who pondered the offer for a moment before shrugging his shoulders in a non-committal way.

“I’m not sure Harry, I’d really like to help you but you should see what they’re writing about you…” Neville gestured at the papers laying scattered about the coffee table but Harry ignored them and scoffed loudly in disgust.

“You of all people should no better not to believe what you read in the papers Longbottom, besides it’s only Ministry bullshit. They’re trying to make me out to be the bad guy here and all I’m trying to do is save Severus.” Harry snapped abruptly watching as Neville sipped again on his tea and worried his lip nervously.

“Harry you’re lying. There must be something in it for you to put everything you’ve work for in jeopardy again?” Neville looked pointedly at Harry who turned his face away to stare into the flames of the fire. Neville Longbottom was never stupid, clumsy and prone to bad luck but not stupid. With a heavy sigh Harry looked back at his friend his eyes downcast in apology.

“I never stopped loving him.” Harry offered quietly as he fiddled with the hand of the teacup, refusing to meet Neville’s gaze.

“So this is just for love? Please Harry don’t insult my intelligence.” Neville muttered watching as Harry finally looked up from his teacup to reveal the red embers slowly beginning to cover his emerald green eyes.

“Something’s not right Neville, it’s not supposed to be like this.” Neville’s hand fell slack as he stared into Harry’s changing eyes, the teacup and its contents sloshing out and down the front of the young Herbologists apron as he stared. “He’s in me.” Harry breathed out harshly as he leaned across the coffee table to give Neville a proper look. Neville shuddered physically and leant back away from Harry, a pale wash of fear draining the colour from his cheeks. Closing his eyes Harry took a deep breath in and swallowed his alter self, his eyes returning to their usual green as he looked back at Neville in hope.

“Oh fucking hell.” Neville breathed out in shock as he put his teacup aside hastily and leaned forward the brush his dirty hand over Harry’s cheek. “Are you sure?” Neville whispered as he carefully inspected Harry’s face, as if expecting it to feel differently.

“No, but what else can it be? I’ve got a temper that surpasses anything I’ve experienced before. I don’t bat an eyelid at inflicting pain on people; in fact I think it’s a turn on. But what’s scarier is that I’m rapidly becoming unable to control it.” Harry sighed heavily as he watched Neville shake his head in disbelief. “Now do you see why I need Snape?” Neville slowly nodded and drew his hands away from Harry’s face as he sat back in his chair.

“Have you told anyone about this? About you and him?” Harry shook his head and watched as Neville chewed his lip in thought. “Good, I don’t suggest doing so either. This is not what people need to hear until we know for sure. The last thing we want is for the Wizard world’s savior to take up the throne of darkness where his nemesis left off.” Harry chuckled at Neville’s joke, the plump young wizard smiling as well. “Come back tomorrow and you can start packing some orders but use the back door and keep out of sight. I’ll start looking into the prophecy maybe that’ll shed some light on this…” Neville waved his hand at Harry wildly, lost at what to call Harry’s problem.

“Thank-you.” Harry stood up and hugged Neville tightly ignoring the dirt, and wet tea stains as he did so.

“Yeah well I owe you one.” Neville muttered as he escorted Harry to the front door again. With a quick look out of the blinds Neville opened the door and before Harry could blink he’d been pushed back out onto Diagon Alley and the door slammed closed behind him. Harry sighed heavily, having been kicked out of two shops in the last couple of days. There had been a time Harry had been welcome at any of the shops in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley but now it seemed things had changed yet again. Ignoring the glares he was receiving from the other lingering witches and wizards Harry hastily made his way to the apparition point and with a quick flick of his wand disappeared.

TBC>>>>>>>