phoenixfest (phoenixfest) wrote in phoenix_flies, @ 2007-11-06 01:39:00 |
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Entry tags: | fic: cyane_snape, fic: pg, hp/ss, prompt 19 |
Fest Fic: Triptych
Title: Triptych
Author: cyane_snape
Prompt: 19. Snarry, Post-DH, no epilogue, happy ending.
Pairing: HP/SS
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3,421
Warnings (if any): slash, but very clean. Semi-fluffy happy ending for DH OBVIOUSLY there are DH spoilers.
Author's Notes: Some big chunks were lifted directly from “Deathly Hallows” due to the nature of how I interpreted the prompt. I am not Rowling so I claim no credit for those chunks. Rather than create a whole new world to make a happy ending, I tried to write something that could easily fit in the actual book and replace that ghastly epilogue. The prompt is slightly changed because I forgot the ‘running from the sun’ part of it. Sorry.
Betas: Gavilan
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Triptych
By Cyane Snape
I.
“I’ve got to go back, haven’t I?”
“That is up to you.”
“I’ve got a choice?”
“Oh, yes.” Dumbledore smiled at him. “We are in King’s Cross, you say? I think that if you decided not to go back, you would be able to … let’s say… board a train.”
“And where would it take me?”
“On,” said Dumbledore simply.
Silence again. Harry glanced again at the raw-looking thing that trembled and choked in the shadow beneath the distant chair.
“Does everyone come here when they die?”
“That depends on what you mean, Harry.”
“I mean, does every soul have to move through this whatever-it-is… this place?”
“I imagine that every soul has some sort of portal to cross before leaving the mortal realm, each experience specific to the soul involved. My own place resembled my parent’s old home and my parents and sister were there to greet me.”
Harry glanced again at the small pitiful creature.
“Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love. You have a great capacity for love. By returning you may ensure that fewer souls are maimed, fewer families are torn apart. If saving even one soul seems to you a worthy goal, then we say goodbye for the present.”
Harry nodded and sighed. Leaving this place would not be nearly as hard as initially walking into the forest had been, but it was warm and light and peaceful here, and he knew that he was heading back to pain and the fear of more loss… and he had already lost so much. He stood up, and Dumbledore did the same, and they looked for a long moment into each other’s faces.
“Goodbye, sir. Please say hello to my family for me.”
“I will, Harry. Take care of yourself, son.”
Harry watched as the old headmaster slowly walked down the platform and disappeared into the mist. He looked around at the deserted station one last time, but Harry wasn’t sure exactly how he was supposed to get back to his body in the forest. The small dark pitiful figure had disappeared into the mist along with Dumbledore and the cavernous building was eerily quiet.
A dark shadow flickered off to his right in his peripheral vision and Harry realized that he was not alone at King’s Cross. Someone else had recently died and Harry felt a strong pull in the wake of the shadow. The brash young man followed the mysterious figure, never once believing he could be in any real danger. He had just been killed by the Dark Lord. How much more danger could there be for him to face? The shadow moved silently down the stairwell and through several long corridors leading to the King’s Cross Underground station. Harry continued to follow his prey down two sets of escalators and through the entrance onto the westbound platform for the Piccadilly Line. It was almost completely deserted, something that never happened in the living world.
As he entered the platform, Harry noticed that the dark mysterious man, for it was definitely a man, was seated at the far end of the deserted platform, sitting on one of the molded metal benches that were attached to the wall, long dark hair obscuring his face. Harry slowly approached the seated man, surprised that anyone else would be in his ‘spirit’ world. The lone man looked up and green eyes connected to black ones.
“Severus?”
It was indeed Severus Snape. He looked into Harry’s eyes and for a moment, the younger man saw a flash of emotion that he held onto with his heart.
“Severus? Are you all right?”
Snape looked at Harry and smirked as he shook his head, his voice filled with sarcasm, “I’m dead, Potter. How do you think I am?”
Harry blushed and dropped his eyes, feeling quite foolish. “Sorry. I keep forgetting that I’m dead too.”
Severus sat up and straightened out his body, turning toward the young man and indicating that he should sit.
“Was it Voldemort? Did the Light side lose after all? Was everything we did for naught?”
Harry looked at the man who had given up so much for the wizarding world. He had dedicated his life to Dumbledore and, by extension, Harry. He had saved Harry’s life more times than Harry would like to admit and he had stolen Harry’s heart.
When Harry didn’t immediately answer, Severus spoke again. “How hard is the question, Potter? Did or did not the Dark Lord kill you?”
Harry looked out through the messy fringe covering his eyes. “Erm…sort of.”
Severus rolled his eyes. “That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.”
“Wait. I’ll tell you. It’s just a little more complicated than that.”
For nearly thirty minutes Harry told Severus about walking into the forest and using the Resurrection Stone to bring back his family. He recounted how he stood still and let Voldemort cast the killing curse, knowing that Harry had to destroy the bit of Tom Riddle’s soul that had been trapped inside, and volunteering to die for the wizarding world.
~*~**~*~
“So let me see if I understand this. Your idea of the afterlife is King’s Cross train station?” Severus asked. “I always wondered about your mental capabilities and this situation seems to reinforce my original thought.”
Harry slapped at the older man’s shoulder and grinned. “Stop it. I didn’t consciously choose this place. By the way, why are we in the tube station?”
Severus sighed, “I have decided that the gods have a decidedly wicked sense of humor and came to the conclusion that this was my idea of the afterlife. Punished, even in death.”
Harry scooted a little closer to his former professor. “Maybe it’s not a mistake at all. Maybe the gods knew I would be here and wanted us to be together forever.”
“Are you going to continue insisting that you and I belong together in some way, Potter?”
Harry stared deeply into Severus’ dark eyes. “Yes, I am, Severus and I believe it now more than ever. You and Dumbledore are the two most important people in my life. He was my mentor. You are… well…”
“The man who loved your mother in his youth. Lily, however, was never meant to be mine. It was always James that she truly loved.”
Harry dropped his eyes down to the folded hands in his lap, a sad look imprinted on his face. “Why did you feel the need to show me those feelings you had for my mother, Severus? I thought…well, I guess it doesn’t matter what I thought.”
“I showed you those memories so that you would understand everything there was about me. You needed to know the facts before you needlessly saved my life and ruined yours with a man old enough to be your father. I wanted to push you away so that you would go on with your life and find someone worthy of your love. After all, I was dying at the time.”
The young man looked around the empty platform. It was clean and shiny. This was obviously not a real tube station. He wondered how he could convince the man of his true feelings.
“If that’s how you feel, Severus, then why are we here? Why are you and I stuck on this platform together?”
Severus refused to answer and continued to stare at the opposite wall. He needed to set this young man free. He didn’t want Harry to mourn him for the rest of his life.
The younger man waited for his taciturn lover to say something, anything, to help save the relationship he had so carefully built. Not receiving any kind of answer, Harry stood reluctantly and started to leave, but after a few steps turned back to face the older wizard.
“This may be difficult for you to believe, Severus Snape, but I’ve fallen madly in love with you. I know why you killed Dumbledore…I know it all. I know that you can be a cruel bastard but no matter what kind of nonsense you try to spout, I know that you are a good man and the bravest man that I’ve had the pleasure to know. You have been the one constant in my life and I’m not sure that I want to live a life without your continued presence in it. I would gladly sacrifice my life for yours regardless of the fact that you are trying to push me away now. I thought we had worked through all that hatred.”
“I’ve never hated you, Harry. I had to maintain a façade when dealing with you to maintain my status with the Dark Lord. You know that.”
“I’m really tired of excuses, Severus.” Harry faced away from the older man. “If I could have one final wish, I would give you back your life – a life free of Dumbledore and Voldemort… and even me, a life where you could make your own decisions and find true happiness.”
Severus turned to face the green-eyed man. “Why would you do that, give up your life for me?”
“That’s easy, Severus, because I love you and I thought you loved me too.”
Harry turned to walk away from Severus one last time, but his arm was grabbed from behind and the young man faced the man who owned his heart once more. Severus pulled Harry into his arms and pressed his forehead against the scar that symbolized so much. They were both officially dead, at the moment, but Severus knew that Harry would return to the living world to fulfill his destiny and he couldn’t resist the momentary bliss of kissing someone as perfect as the young man in his arms.
Yes, he had loved Lily in his childhood, but Harry was not Lily and Lily had never been willing to die for Severus. This young wizard had been the focus of Severus’ life since the day he was born and he was just beginning to realize how important Harry was to him.
Soft lips touched Harry’s and just as quickly, released them. Harry’s eyes flashed open to see Severus’ eyes, the deep dark eyes shining with the depths of his need. He could feel the older man’s moist breath on his lips. Harry pulled Severus’ head down and recaptured his mouth, demanding a response from the man who then deepened the kiss. Severus’ tongue traced the entrance to Harry’s mouth which opened under the gentle invasion. Harry was entranced by the velvety smoothness of Severus’ mouth. His skin smelled fresh and clean - like summer rain. The dancing of the two tongues sent shivers of desire racing through their bodies. A throaty moan escaped the kiss- neither was sure who it came from.
Reluctantly, Harry pulled away from his heart’s desire.
“I have to go back. I can’t leave them at Voldemort’s mercy. I have to finish what I’ve started tonight…” Harry took a few steps back. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll see you in just a little while. I might not live through this again.”
~*~**~*~
Harry slowly made his way through the long corridors and up the escalators and away from his former professor. He had to get out of the station and find his way back to the forest. At the top of the last escalator was something he never expected to see. An angel, complete with wings and glowing aura, stood to the side of the moving conveyance.
“Hello, Harry. Are you ready to return to the forest?”
The young wizard looked at the angel. “Who are you?”
The angel stood straight and tall and smiled at the young man. “I am known as Gabriel and I am an archangel. I am here to guide you on your path back to the living.”
“Oh. All right,” Harry wasn’t sure that he was worthy enough to have an archangel as a guide but he certainly wasn’t going to argue with him. He took one last look down the long escalator, hoping against hope that Severus had followed him, but there was nothing – not even the flutter of discarded rubbish.
“Did you have a nice chat with Severus?” Gabriel asked.
Harry quickly turned his head back, “You know about him?”
“I’m an angel, Harry. We know everything about this realm. I thought you would have been pleased to see him again.”
“I was, but he wasn’t please to see me.”
Gabriel smiled to himself, “I think you would be surprised to know how glad Severus was to see you.”
Harry could not prevent the sad smile and look of longing in his eyes when he thought of the man he loved.
“Gabriel, why is he here? Why hasn’t Severus gone on to …heaven or what ever it is?”
“Severus’ fate is tied to yours, Harry. It always has been.”
“Can he go back to the living world like me? Can he have a second chance at life?”
Gabriel considered the questions very carefully. It was rare, but not unheard of for such a request to be made. Knowing Harry’s capacity for love, he was afraid that the young man would make a rash decision.
“There is one way for Severus to return to the world of the living.”
Harry perked up. “What has to be done? I want him to have a chance at a happy life.”
Gabriel looked at the young wizard solemnly. “In order to extract such a monumental request, there must be a sacrifice.”
“What kind of sacrifice?” Harry asked.
“You must sacrifice the most valuable thing you have.”
~*~**~*~
II.
… later in the Great Hall
“Aren’t you listening? Snape never beat Dumbledore! Dumbledore’s death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die undefeated, the wand’s last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand’s power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him!”
Voldemort’s chest rose and fell rapidly, and Harry could feel the curse coming, feel it building inside the wand pointed at his face.
Harry decided that it was time for him to play his last card. He was prepared to die once more for these people, and he probably would, but this time Voldemort would go with him. Harry had already lost so much including the one person who meant more than anything to the young wizard, Severus.
The archangel Gabriel had accepted the young wizard’s recent offer as payment for his request, but since Severus was already dead, his death couldn’t count as Harry’s sacrifice. Gabriel had irrevocably stripped Harry of his magic, the costliest sacrifice for a wizard. Totally powerless, a squib, Harry had no idea how he was going to defeat the Dark Lord, but he was willing to do anything to give Severus a chance at life. He hoped that someone would go to the Shrieking Shack and find Severus’ body, or that he was well enough to leave there on his own.
Maybe it would be better for Severus to go into hiding. There will not be anyone left to testify in his behalf that he was always Dumbledore’s man, especially once I’m dead…again.
A red-gold glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above them as an edge of dazzling sun appeared over the sill of the nearest window. The light hit both of their faces at the same time, so that Voldemort’s was suddenly a flaming blur. Harry stood waiting for his death as an opaque bubble of protection surrounded the young Gryffindor. Just as the Dark Lord launched his attack, Harry heard Voldemort’s high voice shriek as yet another deeper voice yelled up to the heavens:
“Avada Kedavra!”
“Expelliarmus!”
Harry saw the Dark Lord’s green jet meet the other spell and Voldemort’s wand flew up in the air and safely landed in Severus’ hand.
He’s alive. Severus is alive…and he’s here …and I’m not dead.
Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snakelike face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse. The Gryffindor collapsed into the arms of the former Potions professor, Harry’s own body a totally helpless shell without its magic. The last thing he saw as he fell unconscious were Severus’ deep onyx eyes filled with concern.
III.
Thirteen Years Later
Harry ran down the walkway leading to Platform 9 ¾ dragging his eldest son behind him. He and Gabriel had been late leaving their house in Hogsmeade that morning because the newest additions to the family, the twins – Narcissa and Lily, had been colicky and it had taken both parents to settle them down before Molly showed up to babysit them for the day, along with their older brother Jamison.
Harry had adjusted quite well to living without his magic. In fact, he rather preferred it. Since he had no magic, the wizarding world could not call upon him for any more favors and he had quietly slipped into near-anonymity in the intervening years. Harry had opened a small used bookstore in Hogsmeade and had made a career of locating hard-to-find and rare books. As an additional service, connected to the bookstore was Harry’s second enterprise - Starbucks, which had quickly become the most popular spot in the little village.
~*~**~*~
Gabriel Severus Potter-Snape was anxious about finally attending Hogwarts. He had grown up in the ancient castle, but now he was to be an actual student and the normally easy-going boy was suddenly a nervous wreck.
“But Dad, what happens if I get sorted into Hufflepuff? Papa will not be happy unless I am a Slytherin.”
Harry knelt down to reassure his eldest child. “Gabe, your father will be happy with whatever house is selected for you. He’s the Headmaster and cannot show any prejudice towards any one house. You know that he will be the proudest person there, regardless of the house that is chosen for you.”
“But, Dad…”
Harry hugged his young son and whispered in his ear, “Gabe, just talk normally to the Sorting Hat and it will tell you the best place, but if you want to suggest Slytherin House, feel free. It has been known, in the past, to listen to requests from incoming first-years.”
Harry smiled and ruffled his son’s head. Gabriel ran down the platform to meet up with his best friend, Marius Malfoy, also a first-year, and his cousin Teddy Lupin, a third-year. Marius’ father, Draco Malfoy waved to Harry and smiled as his godson ran to meet up with the Malfoy family.
A soft rustle of fabric behind the former Chosen One captured his attention.
“I thought you promised to stay in the castle today.” Harry turned and smiled at his husband. “If Gabe sees you, he’ll die of embarrassment.”
“Gabriel will not see me. He’s too busy talking to Teddy and Marius. Forgive me, but our first-born son is leaving home for the first time and I, like any parent, wish to see that he is safely on the Hogwarts Express.”
“Of course you do, love. After all, it’s only been less than an hour since you last saw him at Hogwarts. Many horrible things could have happened to him in your care. Are you ready to go home, love?” Harry asked.
Severus thought of the ancient castle that had been the only real home that he and Harry had ever known.
“Yes, Harry, let’s go home. I have a sorting to attend.”
fin