Chapter 18

"My, my. What a ssweet sssight, Severusss. My intel was correct. You really have formed an attachment to the little... cretin."

"I'd once had an attachment to you, too."

Voldemort smiled cruelly. "I suppose my beatings taught you nothing."

"Perhaps if you weren't so cruel it would have been more difficult to sway my loyalty." Severus spoke down to his former master the way he spoke to students in detention.

Voldemort lifted his wand, "Crucio!"

Harry blocked the attack, swirled his wand above his head in a wide gesture, and struck Voldemort with his own curse. It was the first time Harry'd ever used an unforgiveable. It didn't feel inherently evil, as he'd once suspected it would. It felt… good.

Voldemort barely winced at the strike. "You have to truly mean it, Harry! Haven't you learned anything at this poor excuse of an institution? Really, Severusss, I'd have thought you'd teach him better."

Leaves and grass rustled behind Harry. Several Order members stood behind him.

"Luciusss." Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "Severus, I understand. He will always be the lost young boy I found some years ago… but you?"

"You wanted to take my son. What did you expect?" Lucius spit the words as if they were venom.

Voldemort waved his hand dismissively. "Then it is your choice that you should be dead rather than standing by my side as the ruler of this world."

"It is you who will be dead, you vile bastard!" Sirius screamed, and shot a curse from his wand.

The curse struck Voldemort, causing him to take a step backwards, but was otherwise unaffected. Voldemort hit Sirius with a crucio. Sirius fell to the ground, shaking violently.

"Sirius!" Harry cried out. Hermione and Remus fell to their knees to check Sirius over. Voldemort laughed a cruel, eerie cackle.

Harry pulled his broom from his pocket and returned it to original size. He straddled it and flew high into the air, the cool spring wind blowing past his ears. Harry cast curse after curse, moving his magic so quickly he wasn't even sure what exactly he was casting. The onslaught finally began to take its toll, causing Voldemort to jerk and stumble, but still he stood. Ron joined him in the air and followed suit in the attack. The others threw curses towards their common enemy from the ground.

"No more!" Voldemort screamed. Energy burst from his body, pushing everyone further from him. "I am done with your games! Avada Kedavra!" The green light flew directly for Harry on his broom. Severus was quicker. A yellow orb quickly enveloped Harry in the air, and his bracelet began to hum and vibrate. Voldemort's curse struck the orb and bounced away, forcing Lucius to jump away from where it landed.

Harry looked around the orb in amazement. He'd never seen such a protection spell, nor even heard of it. He reached a hand out to touch it. The orb sparked pleasantly where his fingertips rested. An overwhelming feeling of love flooded Harry. This was it. This was Severus's love, in literal form, surrounding him and protecting him. Harry was in awe.

Voldemort screamed a primal, angry yell. "Crucio!" Severus fell the ground. His jaw clenched, contorting his face in obvious pain. Voldemort held his wand in the professor's direction. The orb around Harry disintegrated as Severus lost consciousness. Voldemort took one step forwards and added a bored, "Avada Kedavra."

"No!" Harry screamed. He leapt from his broom directly over Severus and landed before him. The green strand of magic turned yellow just as it hit Harry. The yellow magic spread over Harry, looking like winter frost on a window. "AVADAAA KEDAVRAA!" Boomed Harry. Albus sprinted from the woods, lifted his wand and two waves of the curse struck Voldemort. His eyes became white, they glossed over. His jaw fell slack. Voldemort's skin began to wither and fall away like dust. He fell forwards on his knees, and then fell to the ground. Finally dead.

The yellow magic continued to spread over Harry. Harry turned his eyes towards Severus, whose eyes were beginning to flutter open, regaining consciousness.

And the world around Harry went black as he, too, fell to the ground.

Harry stepped off his broom and walked to the front door of the old brick house. He and Severus had decided to not be part of the floo network. Their home was also unplottable. And so commuting by broom was his only choice. He didn't mind it. It gave him a chance to unwind after work.

Harry enjoyed the burst of warmth from the fireplace as soon as stepped inside.

"Love?" He called out.

"In here," Severus called. Harry followed the voice into the sitting room and smiled at his partner as he laid his eyes on him. Severus placed a bookmark between the pages and set his book aside. He stood and wrapped Harry in his arms. Severus's eyes shone with a contentedness Harry hadn't seen within them in some time.

"I missed you today," Harry told him sweetly before placing a kiss to his lips.

"You miss me every day," Severus teased.

"Yes, I do."

"I miss you, too. You need to wake up, Harry."

Harry's eyebrows rose in surprise and he took a step backwards.

"What?"

"I said you need to wake up. I'm waiting for you."

"No, please! This is... this is real!" Tears began to fall from the inner corners of his eyes. "This has to be real," Harry pleaded in a whisper. But as Harry looked around the room, it all began to crumble and fly away. Severus smiled sadly then turned to dust with the walls around him.

Harry was left in absolute nothingness. Bright white that stretched as far as he could see.

"Severus!" Harry called out. The only answer was the echoes of his own voice.

Harry touched the bracelet. "Terequiro. I need you, Severus. Find me. Please, find me."