Chapter 12

"Harry."

Harry groaned and pulled the covers over his head. His internal clock wasn't on the Hogwarts schedule anymore. It was on the schedule of Severus, then Sirius letting him wake up whenever he pleased, and do as he wished all day. The sun wasn't even up yet. Why should he have to be?

"Harry," Hermione said more insistently and shook his shoulder. "We need to go down for breakfast."

"Why are you in the boys' dormitory?" He asked from beneath the blankets.

"Oh, please."

Harry could practically hear her eyes rolling. She pulled the blanket off of him, exposing his bare chest to the cold castle air.

Harry hadn't gotten enough sleep. He'd returned to the castle the night before, anticipating a return to his nightly walks with Severus, but the man hadn't been in his rooms. Harry lie in his bed for hours, unable to find sleep. Even at Grimmauld he'd stay up for hours talking to Remus and his godfather.

Gryffindor tower was lonely at night once everyone fell asleep, only Neville's snores let Harry know he wasn't alone.

He tried, he really did, to not think about Severus but, somehow, his mind insisted on wandering back to the man.

Several months before, the man had been someone Harry dreaded seeing. Now, he was his comfort. He was his confidante. He was his friend. Harry had fallen asleep thinking of the man's eyes like stormy skies, his skin that was sometimes cold, but still provided him warmth, his hair that tickled Harry's ears when they embraced.

"Fine. Yes. Okay," Harry snapped as he pulled himself from his warm bed. Hermione was already dressed and ready for the day.

Ron didn't have class until a bit later and had made it a habit to sleep through breakfast in recent months, so the two let him sleep as they made their ways to the great hall.

The first promises of sunlight began to appear by the time they took their seats.

"He's not here yet," Hermione said across the table.

"Hm?"

"I see you looking up there every few seconds. He's not here, Harry."

"He wasn't in the castle last night either," Harry said meaningfully.

"I'm sure he's alright. He always is."

Harry shrugged resignedly.

"You love him." Hermione shoved Harry gently with her shoulder as they walked.

"Not this again."

"Again?"

"Remus said the same thing after I left the safe house. You bunch make it seem as if I'm obsessed with him."

"No, you make it seem that way. We are simply observing."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Every day, I wake up wondering if he's safe. I'm endlessly so terrified for him," Harry admitted. "So, yeah, I find it hard to take my thoughts off of him."

"If it makes you feel any better, he feels the same way."

Harry remained quiet, waiting for her to continue, as she often would just to fill the silence.

In true form, she continued. "He let me use the floo in his rooms over break so I could use the library."

"Yeah, Ron told me."

"Well, I came through his rooms at all hours of day and night. I never found him sleeping or doing anything leisurely. He was either gone, or completely ensconced in research for you."

Harry sighed.

"Whenever I came through, he'd ask me about you. Had I heard from you, what'd you say, how were you feeling..."

"And what did you tell him?"

"That he'd spent more time with you than I had, and he'd know those answers better than I would."

Hermione grasped the door handle to the classroom, but stopped and looked at Harry. "Be careful, Harry," she pleaded.

"Careful about what?"

She ignored his question and opened the door.

"Good work, Mr Potter," McGonagall complimented in her Scottish brogue.

He returned the butterfly to its original state of a feather and it floated delicately back onto the table.

"Fuck," Ron groaned beneath his breath. "How'd you do that?" Ron flicked his wand angrily a couple of times but gave up. "Good to be back at school?" He asked, leaning back in his seat.

"Not really," Harry admitted.

"Yeah," Ron agreed, understanding. "Well, at least when you're here you can get a bit more time with your precious Severus."

Harry hissed. "Goddammit, Hermione."

The curly-haired student in front of him twisted around at the mention of her name. "What?!"

Harry glared at her, though there was no real venom behind it.

"I get it," Ron said. "I think it's bloody weird, but I get it."

"No, you don't," Harry sighed.

"Oh, has my Potty-boy got a crush?" Draco laughed loudly. "Tell us, who is she, then?"

"Shut up, Draco," Hermione, Ron, and Harry all said in an exhausted unison.

"Just trying to have a bit of fun," Draco grumbled.

The animosity between Draco and the trio had receded nearly a year and half before when Harry'd talked him out of taking the Dark Mark. The Malfoys made him leave his own home, completely disowning him when he'd vehemently declined joining the Death Eaters. They said he was a disgrace to the family name. Oddly enough, it was Professor McGonagall who took him in during times he wasn't living at Hogwarts.

Draco outwardly seemed as if the whole ordeal didn't affect him in the slightest, but he'd confided enough in Harry for him to know that it did.

Harry finished off the last of the worksheet and wrote his name at the top just as a white paper dragonfly landed next to his hand.

Harry looked around to see that Professor McGonogall was busy with Neville before tapping the dragonfly with his wand. It unfolded, revealing a quick note.

Let's have a chat tonight.

It was in Draco's handwriting.

Harry turned in his seat to find the young man's grey eyes already on his. Harry nodded to him, then held up nine fingers.

At nine o'clock that evening, Harry slipped away from the Gryffindors sat around the common room, talking about their Christmas breaks.

The painting of a Thestral on the second floor was halfway between Slytherin Dungeons and the Gryffindor Tower, tucked away in a dark alcove.

Draco waited for Harry there. It was their usual spot, though they hadn't used it in some time. It was where Draco had first confided in Harry about the Dark Mark, and his fears of joining the Death Eaters. At the time they were still deep in their animosity, but Draco had felt Harry'd be the one to go to.

Soon after Draco was removed from his home at Malfoy manor, it's where they'd meet and Harry would let Draco talk through his feelings, eventually becoming friends.

Harry slid sneakily sideways into the alcove, his back against the wall. "Draco."

"Hi. So, I'll get right to it. I want to join The Order."

Harry's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Draco, it's dangerous. I don't know... besides, that isn't my decision."

"I know. It's Dumbledore's and he won't let me join until I turn 18."

"Well that's only a few months away, isn't it?"

"Yes, But you know better than I, that every day counts. I need the Dark Lord to be brought down. Maybe if I can free my parents of their master, they can see how wrong they've been. Maybe I can save them."

"I hope that's true."

"Every week, he is asking them to do more and more. I fear that they will be sent to Azkaban after his fall, if I don't get them away from him in time. Who knows what more he will ask them to do?"

Harry placed a comforting hand on Draco's shoulder.

"I can talk to the headmaster for you, but no one really has any influence over that man once he's made a decision."

"You're right. I know you're right. I also just wanted to see how you are. Haven't seen you much this school year. How was it staying with my godfather?"

"It was... fine," Harry said noncommittally.

"He really is a good man, Harry."

"Yeah. I know."

By the time Draco and Harry part ways, it was time for Harry's Occlumency lesson.

Harry knocked on the door to the professor's rooms, which was opened quickly.

Harry'd seen his living quarters once, just from the doorway, but had never been inside. It was cozy. A tiny kitchen to the right of the sitting room, a short hallway towards the back of the room. The walls were a warm brown, the furniture was all cherry wood, with burgundy upholstery. Several tall bookcases were against the left wall, every inch of the shelves were filled.

Hermione was sat in one of the armchairs, her legs resting over one arm, a book and a stack of notes were in her lap.

Harry felt an odd pang of jealousy, to see her sitting there looking right at home.

"Harry! I'm glad you're here!" She began to stack the papers and book neatly so that she could place her feet on the floor and sit properly. "We've been waiting for you!" She beamed at him.

Harry looked to Severus, still holding the door open.

"Do you intend to stand in the door all evening? Take a seat."

Harry did as he was told, sitting at the settee.

Severus sat next to him, perhaps a bit more closely than was needed, but leaving more distance than he had when they were at the safe house.

"Read that," Hermione said, sounding a bit giddy. She placed a piece of parchment in front of Harry. He glanced down at it.

"Yeah. It's the prophecy."

"Read it," Severus requested, his voice a low murmur.

Harry cleared his throat and read the prophecy aloud.

"The dark one seeks to destroy

His greatest enemy, a young boy

Born of the seventh month, last day

He will be marked, paving the way

The man within shall be the cure

For he's the one who loves him, pure

If he denies him, he shall die

As he fights the dark eye-to-eye

Darkness can not survive

When there shines a light so bright."

Harry looked at the other two in turn. He was confused. It was the same prophecy which had existed over seventeen years now.

"Do you see?" Hermione asked excitedly.

Harry shook his head.

"It isn't a prophecy about your death. It's a prophecy about love."

Harry barked in bitter laughter. "Excuse me?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Honestly. It isn't funny. Look, so here, the first few lines explain that he will mark you and you'll be his downfall. But look at this line the man within shall be the cure. For he's the one who loves him pure."

She looked at Harry expectantly as she always did, hoping Harry would catch on. Harry stared at her blankly.

It was Severus who explained. His voice was low and unemotional. "It's me."

"What?" None of this made any sense to Harry, But Hermione nodded emphatically at Severus's answer.

"The man within. It doesn't mean you as a man. It says the man within, as the man who is against the Dark Lord, but is still within his circle- the only one who fits... is Professor Snape."

"But, the next lines say he's the one who loves him, and then if he denies him he will die."

Hermione gave a half-frown and looked at Severus.

The older man took a deep breath. His hair had fallen around his face, making it impossible for Harry to look into his eyes.

"It means that I have my love for you as a weapon against the Dark Lord. That I cannot deny you, I must stand by you and fight- and that is what will save you."

Harry was amazed. He gaped at the older man.

"Fuck. You really do always save me."

"Harry," Hermione whispered and nudged Harry's shin with her foot. She jerked her head towards Severus.

"Hermione, can I talk to you later... upstairs?"

She grinned kindly. "I'll wait for you, Harry. Good night, Professor Snape. I'll see you tomorrow."

Hermione slipped from the room quietly. Severus didn't move.

Harry moved closer to Severus and leaned his head against the man's shoulder.

Severus rested his own head against the top of Harry's and took a slow, deep breath.

"I love you, too, Severus."