unbroken_halo (unbroken_halo) wrote in pornicators, @ 2005-06-17 21:05:00 |
|
|||
Current mood: | calm |
Current music: | Rob Thomas- Lonely No More |
Entry tags: | round robin - a reason to stay |
Pornicator's Round Robin Chapter 2
Original poster: unbroken_halo
A Reason to Stay - Chapter Two
Author: unbroken_halo
Title: The Light’s On. Is Someone Home?
Rating: Mulled Mead ( R )
Pairing SS/HP
Challenge: Pornicator’s Round Robin
Disclaimer: Not mine, some rich blonde woman across the pond owns them. I will give them back when I am finished.
Plot: Harry is in an abusive relationship and wants out, but is afraid to leave. Severus lets Harry stay with him and helps to protect him from his angry ex-lover.
Warnings for this chapter: Violence, Language, Mentions of Character Deaths.
Author's note: Many thanks to bella_the_dark, snapesdarkling,andwitchwere for the brainstorming and the beta. Believe me it is much better with their help.
After what seemed an age of man, Harry and Gabe finally reached their small townhouse and went inside. Snape stopped across the street and leaned against the lamp post. He sighed heavily, trying to ignore the water running down his collar. “Now what?” he muttered to himself.
Chapter Two: The Light’s On. Is Someone Home?
Snape stood up a little straighter as the lights came on in the house. Harry came to the first window and looked out before closing the shade completely. Snape moved into the light and Harry stiffened in the window as he caught sight of the other man.
He shook his head as Snape continued to stand there in the light waiting. Harry turned to say something to the other man and Snape sunk back into the shadows. Gabe appeared over Harry’s shoulder and jerked the shade down. The rest were pulled just as quickly.
He watched their silhouettes through the lowered shades on the windows. The older man’s arms once again began to gesture as they had in the pub. Harry’s head hung as he listened to the other man. Suddenly the man reached out and slapped Harry.
Harry rocked back on his heels from the blow and went down to his knees. Gabe grabbed Harry by his hair and pulled him to his feet then threw him into a chair.
Severus crossed the street to get closer to the house. He waited for the wards to tingle against his skin. But nothing happened. What was going on here? Surely Potter would have the place warded six ways from Sunday. However not one spark of magic came from the house.
He got right up under the window when he heard the other man’s voice begin shouting the horrid words at Harry. Severus could even hear the violations against Harry’s person.
Slap.
“Who was that asshole at the bar? Certainly was full of himself.”
Slap.
“He was a Professor…”
Slap.
“Did I ask you for an answer? I’m sure you did well in his class too. Sucked his cock for your A’s, did ya?”
“…”
Slap.
“Answer me when I talk to you. Are you stupid or something?”
Severus closed his eyes and tried to drown out the fighting. Why didn’t Potter stand up for himself? He knew for sure now that the other man was a Muggle because no civilized wizard would actually strike another wizard, let alone Harry Potter.
It was much easier to just curse them. The curses usually could be counteracted and therefore left no marks. Only barbaric Muggles tended to leave bruises on their mates as signs of ownership or affection.
Snape walked away from the window, finally distracted from the rain. There was nothing he could do right now. He had tried to help Harry earlier and the boy had refused. That was fine with him; they had never been on very good terms. But never let it be said that Severus Snape didn’t at least try when it came to Harry Potter. The boy never had learned what was in his best interests.
The long buried instructions to watch over and protect the boy savior drifted to the surface. He could not quit thinking about all he had seen and heard. What had happened to Harry from the time he had left Hogwarts until now? Why was he allowing that Muggle to abuse him? The boy had brought down The Dark Lord before his majority and now not so much as one swish of a wand to defend himself. So many questions and virtually no answers.
So lost in his thoughts was Snape, that he almost missed the zing of strong protections surrounding a dwelling. He looked up to see where his wandering had carried him. Only a block or two from the small townhouse where he had left Harry was where Snape had began to feel the magic.
Like a bloodhound on the trail, he followed the trace of magic to its source. This is what should have surrounded Harry Potter. Suddenly Severus was extremely angry that this powerful person lived but a few streets away from someone who had sacrificed so much for their world and yet was doing nothing.
He stormed up the small path that lead to the now slightly familiar looking home. The wards pushed against him for a second then recognized his magic as it was weaved into the protections. The wards wavered and the door to the home opened to reveal an almost forgotten face from the past.
Hermione Granger stood in the yellow light of the open doorway, shock plainly written on her face. They stared at each other for a moment before speaking the same phrase at the same time.
“What are you doing here?”
“This is my home and I live here, Professor. Also, I am quite sure that you do not, so why are you here?”
“How long has Harry Potter been living right around the corner and why have you not informed anyone of this fact?”
She stared at him, eyes wide in shock.
“What did you say?”
“Harry Potter is living like a Muggle two streets over and around the corner.”
“Come in out of the weather, Snape and tell me what you know.”
Hermione led him into the brightly lit home. He took a moment to take in the site of the combination Muggle and Wizard home before returning his gaze to the witch before him. She looked ready to pop as she waited for him to hand her his outer robe.
She took the soaked wool and crinkled her nose at it. He cast a drying spell on the robe while she debated on whether or not to hang it in the closet. She decided on the coat rack and then gestured for him to follow her.
She led him into through the parlor to the kitchen. He sat at the table while she puttered around fixing the kettle. She placed the tea service on the table, and like a good hostess she added a tray of biscuits.
“It makes sense you would be the one to find him after all this time, Sir. You never had any problems while we were in school. What took you so long?”
“I could ask you the same questions, Miss Granger. How long have you been living here? Did you not see him on your way to the market or the bank? Have you fallen from the Golden boy’s favor, hmm?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. So that was his game. She was on to him now. No longer the young school girl afraid to buck authority, she was a full grown witch with a war behind her.
“You know as well as I do, Professor, that Harry left us all a little over a week after Voldemort was defeated.”
She took great pleasure in watching the man cringe at the name, even after more than two years. It had taken her a year to be able to say it without stuttering and she wasn’t about to give it up to Snape.
“Be that as it may, it still does not answer the question. With the immense wards you have on this place, one would expect Harry Potter to be living here.” The ‘not some mudblood’ went unsaid.
She nearly growled at him. Really she knew that he was a Light Wizard. She had fought along side him; helped him bring in the Death Eaters responsible for killing Ron and Lupin. But one of these days, she was really going to let him have it, right up side his large hooked nose.
“If Harry had decided he did not want to be found, Sir, then no one short of you would be able to find him. It makes me wonder, why that is, Snape? How is it that you always seem to find Harry when he least wants to be seen?”
He sneered at her. This one had become a little too big for her breeches. His news would bring her down a notch or two.
“He made quite a spectacle of himself tonight, Miss Granger; he and his Muggle lover. It seems that someone has finally taken the boy in hand. I today saw the evidence on his body.”
Slowly, Hermione scooted her chair away from the table. The legs ground against the wood flooring causing scores in the wax. She leaned over the table towards him, eyes flashing.
“Someone hit Harry.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Out in public.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“And you let him get away with this.”
Snape’s eyebrow lifted to his hairline as he stared at the girl. He noticed she had expected him to step in and save Potter’s arse, which, of course, he had tried but that was besides the point.
“Do tell me exactly what I was supposed to do Miss Granger.”
“Call the Police. How about an Auror? Do they respond to these sorts of things?”
She began to pace across the kitchen, muttering to herself. Snape could barely catch snatches of words like, ‘Dursleys’ and ‘battered wives’ and ‘safe houses’. She whirled on him, face contorted in rage.
“We have to call the Police now. If what you say is true we can make a report and someone will go over there and investigate the charge.”
“That way the Muggle can get even angrier and then take it out on Potter, when they leave. I fear I may have already made it worse.”
So there is a bit of Gryffindor in you after all, Professor, Hermione mused. You couldn’t just stand back and watch while someone manhandled Harry either.
“So, Harry knows you know.”
Snape nodded and let the other shoe drop. “It’s probably been happening for quite sometime now since the man never even hesitated to slap Potter right there in the pub. Also he added insult to injury by throwing his drink on him and then Potter made excuses for him.”
“But I don’t understand. That doesn’t sound like Harry at all. Why would he let someone do that to him? He didn’t even try to defend himself?”
“No, not once but there is something else going on here that we have both avoided saying. Do you take my meaning Miss Granger?”
“No magic. Why isn’t he using his magic to protect himself?”
“Exactly. I followed them after they left the pub, knowing Professor Dumbledore…”
“You’re not going to tell him, are you?!?” she bellowed “Professor Dumbledore’s manipulations are not what is needed right now. As much as I hate to admit it, Professor, this calls for Slytherin cunning. You can not let Dumbledore know what’s going on just yet.”
“If you would have let me finish before flying off the handle. As I was saying I followed him to their home and there are no wards, nothing of any kind whatsoever on the grounds. I watched as they engaged in more fisticuffs and still Potter did nothing but accept the blows.”
“So did you try to see if there was something blocking Harry’s magic?”
“What part of no magic did you not understand, Miss Granger?”
She glared at him. “Something is really off about this situation, Professor.”
His eyebrow arched elegantly. “Really, I would have never guessed.” He glared right back at her.
She sneered at him. Snape sighed and rubbed his eyes. The forgotten teakettle finally interrupted their conversation and Hermione answered its shrill call. She returned to the table with the tea ball and the kettle. He waited as she filled his cup with hot water.
“Tell me, Miss Granger, when was the last time you saw Potter use magic?”
“The day Voldemort attacked Hogsmeade.”
Snape recalled that day. Yes, that had been the last time for him as well. During the battle, Harry’s wand had been cracked. Once again, Fawkes came to Harry’s rescue with the Sorting Hat. However, this time he pulled a wand from the Hat; Salazar Slytherin’s wand in fact. After a few misfires, he had brought down the Dark Lord with a well aimed Avada Kedavra.
Apparently, the ancient magic in the wand combined with Harry’s power had been enough to finally end Voldemort’s mad life.
After the spell had dissipated, Harry and Voldemort had collapsed on the ground, one unconscious, one deceased. Harry had spent a week under observation in the Hospital ward. He woke late one evening and vanished into the darkness. No one had seen him from then on until Snape had come across him in the ugly little Muggle pub.
“So what are we going to do?”
“What do you mean ‘we’? Do you have a mouse in your pocket? I have tried to help the man and he refused it.”
“Well, tomorrow you can take me to him and I can talk to him. Maybe he will listen to me.”
Stubborn Gryffindor. He would enjoy it when Potter shot her down. “At what time do you propose this excursion should take place?”
“Shall we meet after breakfast? How about half past eight in the morning”
“An early bird are you?”
“I believe in making the most of the day.”
“Of course you do. Very well, Miss Granger. I shall see you on the morrow. I only hope you have some idea of what you are doing.”
He stalked out of the room to get his cloak. She approached him as he wrapped himself in its folds. Tomorrow she would see just how much Harry didn’t want help. Not just Snape’s help but anyone’s.
“Shall I light a fire for you, Professor?”
With a disparaging raise of his eyebrow, he nodded to her and disapparated.
The next morning dawned bright and clear. The rain from the night before left glistening puddles on the sidewalk as two the mages approached the house where Harry lived. They stopped at the corner of the street, staring at the house.
Snape looked around then aimed his wand from his hip. He cast a revealing spell on Number 26 Wisteria Lane. Hermione silently read the result of the charm. No existing magical protections. Two residents: one Muggle, Gabriel Graham, one wizard Harry J Potter.
He cancelled the spell as the door to Number 26 opened and Gabe stepped out. He pulled the door shut behind him and walked to a small auto parked in front of the house. He got in and drove off, unaware that Snape and Hermione approached the house.
Snape walked to the door and knocked, hard. He waited for an answer and when none was forthcoming, he knocked again.
“I know you are in there, Potter. Open the door. I have brought someone who wishes to see you.”
He could sense Potter standing on the other side of the door. He almost pounded on the door a third time when Harry’s voice came through the mahogany.
“Go away, Professor.”
Hermione shoved Snape aside and leaned on the door.
“Harry, it’s Hermione. Let us in. Please. We only want to help.”
“I don’t need your help. Thank you for coming to see me but you have to leave before Gabe returns.”
“Oh Harry, no. Please, It’s been so long, just open the door. Please.” She sounded like she was going to start crying.
“Hermione don’t do this. Just go back home.”
They could hear his sigh through the door.
“Dammit, Snape why did you have to go and get Hermione?”
The witch started to cry and turned away from the door towards Snape. She made aim for his chest as if seeking comfort. Fuck, crying girls bothered him. Bloody Potter. This was entirely his fault. Snape reached past Hermione to bang on the door once more.
“Fine, you know what you ungrateful little bastard? Fuck you. Three times I have offered, three times you have turned me away. I wash my hands of you.”
He grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and began to take her away.
“I guess you aren’t like your Father, Potter. At least he had the balls to stand up for himself.”
He walked away from the house with Hermione in tow. Snape stopped when he heard the door creak open.
What now? He thought silently as he turned to face a very battered Harry Potter.