Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Another Life ❯ Three Blind Mice ( Chapter 12 )
Non Anime: Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 06.06.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 469 | Status: Completed
Warnings: Yaoi/Slash, Angst, DARK themes, Backstabbing, Incest, Yuri/Fem-slash, and other various nastiness. Hard R rating.
Disclaimer: Ain't mine.
Three Blind Mice
Azkaban was not a place visited regularly by wizards and witches that weren’t locked in. Even the caretakers stayed only as long as they absolutely had to. Most inmates never got visitors, disowned for their crimes or left to rot for being caught. Still, some devoted family members or friends sometimes sought their loved one out and visited to get them a short respite from the pain of the prison.
Narcissa Malfoy was not visiting her husband because she loved him.
“Wipe that disgusting dirt from your collar, husband. You embarrass our class.”
Lucius stared at her, his pale eyes rimmed in dark, bruised skin, but he did as she said, going through the motions automatically and without his normal flair. After, he set his elbows upon the table and clasped his hands, chin resting against the thin, almost skeletal fingers.
“I am not here on business,” Narcissa stated primly. “On the contrary, it is quite personal, or has become so.”
Lucius frowned slightly, his pale skin ripping around his mouth. Skin that should have delicate with aristocratic youth but was now wrinkled and coarse.
“You remember my cousin; Tom?”
Instantly, awareness lit in his blue eyes. He nodded, not daring to look at the guard who stood at the door. They sat in a visiting chamber, only a short table and two chairs within it.
“Is he well?” His voice had grown hoarse from screaming and there was no undercurrent of anything at all, which disturbed her the most.
“As well as can be expected.” She watched some of the tension drain from his shoulders, but it didn’t leave completely. “Recently, he’s been reminiscing about the past…A woman, actually.”
A flicker. Her husband knew.
“I was wondering if you knew anything about her, husband.” Though the guard would never be able to tell, most of their conversation wasn’t verbal. Their eyes never left each others’. “He is very distressed about the matter, as others have arisen that were caused by it.”
“She’s dead.”
“Yes, I know that, as does he,” she said stiffly, narrowing her eyes. “It seems she has left him a puzzle behind.”
“The boy?”
“You knew?”
“Of course.” Some of the old arrogance entered his expression for just a moment, just a second of his smirk before it was gone again. “I knew it had to be his.”
“How did you know?”
That same, arrogant glint came again, staying longer this time.
“Tell me, wife,” he said instead. “Has he begun to sleepwalk again?”
She frowned. “No, but he has taken to thinking about when he used to.”
“I see.” He sat back, amused.
“There is something you’re hiding from me, husband.”
“My secrets are my own, wife.”
Her even stare rested on him for a long while before she gave a little smirk that he promptly returned.
“Time’s up,” the guard said, ending their interaction. Lucius got up and Narcissa went to him. They embraced and as his head rested upon her shoulder, he whispered into her ear.
“James Potter was sterile.”
Snape found himself on the floor, his cheek throbbing. He pushed himself up and glared at the towering figure, arm still held out from the punch.
“Are you finished, Black?” Snape muttered unhappily. “Because there are more important matters to attend to.”
“You sold him out!” Sirius yelled, stooping down to drag Snape back up by the front of his robes, then slamming him up against the stone wall. “You bastard! Harry trusted you!”
“I’m saving him!” Snape snarled back.
“Saving him? SAVING HIM?! YOU TOLD THE BLOODY DARK LORD WHERE HE WAS!”
“VOLDEMORT IS NOT THE ENEMY!”
There was a deafening silence as both stared each other down, Sirius’s eyes wide with surprise and Snape’s determined.
“Voldemort isn’t who we should be worrying about,” Snape growled. “He’s predictable. Dumbledore is not.”
“Dumbledore?! Don’t you try to tell me he-”
“Yes, Black! That is exactly what is going on! Dumbledore set that boy up from the day he was born!”
Sirius dropped him and stumbled back. “But Dumbledore-”
“Do you know what that muggle did to him, Black?”
The animagus visibly flinched back. Snape almost felt victorious. Almost.
“Have you see how utterly destroyed Harry Potter really is? Have you listened to him scream at night because a dead muggle tries to kill him in his dreams? Did you see the bruises? And not just the bodily ones. Those are gone now. The others may never go away.”
Sirius said nothing. Snape looked away.
“Look, Black, I hate you,” he said clearly. “I’ve hated you for most of my life, but I acknowledge that I need your help now. Yours and Lupin’s. Harry needs your help now.”
“You’re a bastard,” murmured Sirius quietly without any real malice, “using Harry to get my help.”
“I’m only directing you,” replied Snape. “You would have helped him regardless of my plan.”
They looked at one another, solemn faces taking in their resolve. Finally, Sirius cracked.
“Tell me what to do.”
“Are you okay now?”
Hermione nodded a little, but didn’t leave the protective sanctum of Ginny’s arms. The red haired girl gently stroked her hair, watching the elder with compassion and sadness.
“He’s going to be okay,” she assured her. “Harry always pulls through. He’s strong.”
“But is he strong enough?” Hermione whispered against Ginny’s shoulder. “I’ve never seen him like this, Gin… Never this bad…”
“’Mione,” murmured Ginny quietly as she tugged the other girl away to look her in the eye. She felt so much for that heartbroken expression, the wet sheen to those beautiful brown eyes ringed from a sleepless night. Ginny couldn’t help herself. She leaned close and brushed their lips together, melting when Hermione responded and held her tighter.
She rarely allowed this kind of affection where they might be found out. Hermione was terrified of that, but Ginny chalked it up to her muggle upbringing. Muggles were far more obsessive over reproduction and religious doctrine, so same sex couples had a far harder time than in the magical world. Wizards tended to live longer, fuller lives than muggles, so it wasn’t so much of a problem for them. Same sex couples were treated as a non-issue. It was not talked about, nor was it demonized. Ginny knew that her mother knew about them, but Molly Weasley had many boys to continue the family line and Bill had already bagged himself a fiancé. Not that Ginny much cared for Fleur, but it did take a little pressure off her to know that she was not expected to carry on her family line. Same sex couples were tolerated as long as the families continued undaunted. And it wasn’t as if Ginny had resigned herself to no children anyway. It was simple to be magically inseminated, if she ever decided to have a child of her own.
The soft, needy kiss was all she got this time, but Ginny knew that when they found a secluded, secure spot, she would have all that Hermione had to offer, because they both needed that reassurance. For now, she was content to hold the older girl to her. Ginny hated to admit it to herself, but she was just as thrown by Harry’s state as Hermione and felt just as useless to him.
Once both of them had been comforted enough to function regularly again, they shared a quick, chaste kiss and went on in their chores around the house. There was to be a meeting there that night, instead of Grimmauld Place, and the house had to be kept, or at least Mrs. Weasley thought so. She was busy making dinner, as she privately believe none of the Order members ate enough, so it was up to the kids to clean up. Ron had already been at it to give the girls time together. He knew of their relationship and protected it as fiercely as he protected his loved ones themselves. When they began to help him, he said nothing but offered a little smile.
The three teens relentlessly attacked the house, cleaning anything and everything they could find. It was the best sort of distraction for them and they needed a few hours of thinking about something other than Harry. They finished up just as Dinner was ready. Hermione took the tray to Harry, because she was the only one that got him to eat. Therefore, it was Ginny who answered the door.
“Professor?” she said with a surprised blink at the towering figure of Severus Snape. A second later, she regretted not pulling her wand on him immediately, but considering the stunning spell he casted, she couldn’t have been held accountable. Molly Weasley was summoned by the thump of her daughter hitting the ground and fell in the doorway between the entrance hall and kitchen. Ron was stunned near the stairs.
When Snape opened the door to Harry’s room, Hermione was waiting for him. She sat beside Harry on the bed, petting his hair, but her eyes bore into Snape’s knowingly.
“If you hurt him,” she said in a quiet, warning voice, “I will kill you.”
Snape said nothing and raised his wand. Hermione didn’t resist as she was stunned like the others. Harry was carefully gathered up against his chest, too deep in his exhausted sleep to wake at the movements. Snape carried him down the stairs, one arm hooked under his knees and the other around his shoulders. The weight in his arms comforted Snape some, but only until he exited the front door. Before him stood a dozen Order members.
“You slimy bastard,” Tonks growled, raising her wand, but he knew she wouldn’t cast until Harry was safe. “How dare you betray us…”
“I told you he would,” Moody said with an almost satisfied tint to his voice. Snape held Harry tighter to him. He would have to drop the boy to cast, and he couldn’t do that.
“Severus,” murmured Dumbledore as he stepped out in front of the others. It was clear then that this had all been planned from the start. “Severus, please, leave the boy with me. You know I’ll protect him.”
Snape took a step back, but he knew there was no where else to run. Dumbledore’s eyes glinted with satisfaction.
“I assure you, Severus, whatever has caused this paranoia, we will get to the bottom of it and reverse it.” Snape could have laughed. “I can help you, Severus. Please, leave Harry out of your delusions. Don’t make him suffer because of you.”
The feeling of Harry in his arms, reassuring him that the boy was alive and well, was almost too much to give up, but he knew he had to. When Shaklebolt came forward to take the boy, Snape was still barely able to let go and allow it. The next thing he knew, he was unconscious, but that was exactly what had to be done.
Harry awoke slowly. He was not in his room, but laying on the living room couch. The house was loud around him, voices shouting and talking, people moving around, such the like. He sat up slowly and looked around. The living room was empty, but he could see people moving in the kitchen. He got up slowly, having to go still for a few moments as he fought dizziness. Moving towards the kitchen but staying out of immediate view, he leaned against the wall near the door and listened.
“We can’t trust him. He should be locked up immediately!” That was Moody and sent a shiver down Harry’s back.
“Alastor, have a little mercy! He’s obviously suffering from stress induced delusions!” Molly Weasley, matron of the house.
“Stress induced- Are you listening to yourself, woman?!”
“Don’t you talk to my wife that way!”
“Gentleman, please…”
Harry went cold. The silky, soothing voice of a snake in phoenix’ clothing filled his entire body with terror that was so irrational that he wanted to kick himself. His body was paralyzed.
“We cannot take this action against Harry lightly. Severus has been suffering much stress lately with his undercover activities and having Harry with him seems to have shifted the balance of his sanity… Severus is not trying to betray us. He is simply unable to realize what he is doing.”
Snape? Harry turned his head towards the door. What had Snape done? Where was he? Was he there?
“Isn’t that right, my boy?”
Harry waited, his heart hammering so hard that he knew it would simply burst, and then he heard that familiar voice, soft and dark and so much more comforting that his lullaby.
“I do find myself…becoming erratic, Albus…” He hated hearing his - guardian? Friend? No, not quite that…- teacher sounding so confused and weak. “I do not truly know why I came here, except what you have told me..”
“He’s a bloody spy,” Moody growled. “He could be lying.”
He couldn’t take it anymore. Harry stepped into the doorway, ignoring Mrs. Weasley’s sudden gasp at his appearance, and strode purposefully to the other end of the room where Snape sat, magically bound to a chair. Tonks grabbed Harry’s arm, stopping him, but when the boy turned a hate filled glare to her face, she let go in surprise. He heard some of the others speak, but ignored them and only paused when he was standing before the Potions Master.
“Harry,” Dumbledore said kindly, his voice breaking through like the others couldn’t. Harry glanced back at him. “Harry, I know this must be strange for you, but-”
“Stop talking,” murmured Harry quietly. Those who had not watched the distant, silent boy suffer in his bed were shocked by his blatant disrespect. Those that had were more surprised that he had spoken at all. Harry looked back to Snape, stared at him for a long few moments, and then threw his arms around the , crumpling down to his knees. He ignored the others around him, crushing his face to the front of Snape’s robes, allowing the familiar scent to comfort him in a way nothing else had been able to. He could feel Snape straining against his magical restraints, wanting to hold him as he did after the nightmares, and felt a great deal of hate for the ones that put his precious person in such a position.
“My left pocket,” Snape whispered quietly enough that Harry knew no one could hear him. The green eyed boy slowly reached for the told pocket, masking his movements as well as he could for it was obvious that this had to be a secret, and extracted a small, flat stone. He palmed it and pulled away from Snape, standing again. The older man looked up at him.
“Are you treated well?” he asked. Harry nodded. Snape closed his eyes. “Good. Go back to your room now. I may be dangerous to you.”
Harry didn’t believe it for a moment, but he still nodded and left the kitchen as quietly as he’d come in. As soon as he was gone, the Order went into an uproar. Harry ignored them and sped to his room, shutting the door and locking it. There, he sat back on his bed and looked at the blood red stone. It was very pretty now that he looked at it, but he didn’t have any idea why Snape had needed him to have it.
When Hermione and Ron came up to bring him dinner, none of them spoke of the attack on the house. They ate, babbling about what school would be like when they got in that year and how the quidditch team would do. Hermione lingered after to kiss Harry’s cheek.
“Don’t worry about Professor Snape,” she told him softly. “I’m sure things will turn out well.”
Harry offered her a very small, barely there smile, but it was enough for her. She left him and he fell asleep with the stone held tight in his small hand.
The next morning, Ginny Weasley gave the alarm. Harry was gone.
“You sold the house.”
He froze, hearing a voice he hadn’t in nearly a year. He didn’t turn around because he was sure this was another delusion, coming to haunt him. It had been a month since his last episode, two weeks after abandoning his old house in favor of a more decedent, house elf kept home Lucius had insisted on buying him.
“What are you doing here?”
“Am I not welcome?”
He turned, staring at her over his shoulder. She’d only grown lovelier in the time they’d been apart. Standing in the snow, her robes and hair fluttering in the wind, she resembled a goddess more than any mortal woman.
“Lillian…”
“Thomas, I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes. “I can’t explain it to you, but I…I…”
He found himself going to her, as if drawn by a siren. She felt just as wonderful in his arms as she ever had, her head pressed to his shoulder as his fingers tangled in her hair, the other pressed to the small of her back.
“You’re a married woman,” he said quietly and she pulled back to look at his face.
“I know that,” she replied in a whisper. He searched her gaze, trying to find some reason to the madness they had been plunged into. “I’m so sorry…”
“Does he know you’ve come?”
“No. He’s gone on a mission for Albus.”
“Why have you come?”
She was quiet, but it seemed as if she were trying so very hard to say something, anything, to stay in his arms. Tears sprang and raced down her cheeks and he gently wiped them away.
“I hat to see you,” she said at last. “I still….Thomas, I love you.”
“Coming from a woman who left nine months ago to marry another man.”
It was harsh, sharp, but he couldn’t help his bitterness. She bit her lip and lowered her head, eyes shut tight.
“I wish I could explain, but I can’t…”
“Is it so hard?” He let go of her, stepping away. “He’s younger, stronger, more handsome… He is becoming powerful and famous. What else could you want, Lillian?”
“It isn’t like that, Thomas! Please!!”
“Then what is it like, Lillian?” he yelled out, too conflicted to stay calm. “Why, after nine months, have you decided to come back? Because you love me? A fine way to show it!”
“Please,” she whispered, staring at him with those green eyes he’d never been able to deny. His anger fled, leaving him feeling hollow and dead inside.
“What do you want from me?” he said so quietly that the wind nearly hid it. “I beg of you, what?”
“I…I want…to be with you.”
“What about your husband?”
“I can’t leave him, Thomas. I don’t love him, but…I can’t explain. I’m sorry…”
He stared at her, wondering if he could bare to turn her away. She loved him still…and…He found he didn’t care if she had married someone else. He still loved her.
Okay, bitchy moment. You reviewers know I love ya, right? So...Can we stop with the "good story, update soon" reviews? Tell me WHY you like it! What's good? What's bad? What do you think will happen next? Be confident that I'll update without the reminder, okay? Please?
Acknowledgements:
kirallie - Maybe he went mad. Maybe not. Gotta keep with it to figure THAT one out. ::smile:: Yeah, the Golden Trio is a little cracked, but they're still on each others' sides.
DestinyEntwinements - Hope this chapter put your fear to rest. As for who he's gonna be with, I still dunno. I'm waiting for the story to tell me....mmm....cookies....
Slayerq - I'm considering D/H as a couple and I do like them (I also have a liking for R/H, too!) And yeah, Hermione is just too close to Harry to be a love interest. Glad you're enjoying so far!
animegurl008 - Updated.
Asaake - Updated.
HoshiHikari - Snape and Harry aren't quite reunited, but you can bet they will be eventually.
jillypooh - Your name makes me giggle. As for the review...You made me blush. Seriously.
Caed - Yes. Dumbledore so needs to get kicked.
sydneydallas - How Tom got to be Lord Voldemort...Well...We're getting closer to that answer with every chapter. As to the concept, I, like you, had only seen him as becoming evil as a young man and wanted to try something different...
Conditions Met:
1. Voldemort must be Harry's father
2. Severus eventually is loyal to Voldemort (unfinished)
3. Sirius comes back