snarrymod (snarrymod) wrote in snarry_games, @ 2007-04-18 20:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | pixystick, submissions, team postwar |
TEAM POSTWAR ENTRY: Pixystick "Cymbidium"
Original poster: snarrymod
Title: Cymbidium
Author: pixystick aka Incognito
Team: Postwar
Genres: Romance, Angst
Prompt: Sanctuary
Rating: R
Word Count: 10,750
Notes: Many thanks to remarked for the beta and much needed encouragement. My endless gratitude also goes to the members of Team Postwar for helping me make this a better story and for making being a member of the team such a joyful experience. ♥
Summary: This is the story of two people who find life after war, who find love in strange places, and sanctuary in their hearts.
A knock on the door startled Harry from where he crouched over a dirt flowerbed. He wiped his hands on his trousers and made his way to the door. He wasn't expecting anyone, but neighbours occasionally stopped by unannounced.
He pulled the door open and stared at the man on the other side. This was certainly no neighbour that he had ever encountered.
"Can I help you?" Harry asked, taking in the tall man with his flowing black robes. They reminded him of something Albus would have worn, only without the garish colours that assaulted his eyes.
"Potter." The man sounded relieved. "We've been looking all over for you."
Harry smiled. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm afraid you've been looking for me, but I haven't a clue as to who you are."
The man said nothing for a moment, and Harry almost thought he was trying to restrain himself from shouting.
"You know who I am, Potter," he said finally, and the words seemed to hold a hint of threat to them.
Harry frowned. "I can't say that I do. You could just tell me who you are."
Albus had told him once that he would do best to be polite to any strangers that came knocking. He recalled his own laughter and the argument that if no one knew where he was, then no one would ever come knocking. Albus's resulting twinkle had done nothing but cause him to shrug and chock it up to another one of Albus's many peculiarities. It was much easier to be polite when strangers would actually offer information as to their identity.
The man just kept staring at Harry as though he had never seen him before. Harry pondered that; perhaps he hadn't. Yet, he had known his name.
The man stared at Harry for several more moments, and Harry was beginning to feel distinctly uncomfortable about the way the man glared at him, taking in everything from his messy shirt to his dirty trousers and his unkempt hair. After a time during which Harry considered shutting the door, and only did not do so for fear of insulting his late mentor's memory, the man spoke again.
"It's Severus," he said. "Severus Snape."
"Oh," Harry exclaimed, unable to stop himself. He was delighted. "Albus told me you would be coming."
Snape looked startled. "Albus told you –" he began, but seemed to think better of it. "How did he know I would come?"
Harry gave Snape a mischievous grin. "Albus knew everything, didn't he?" he said simply. His eyes widened, as he realized he had left the man standing on his doorstep for far too long. "Sorry," he said. "I've completely forgotten my manners." He stepped backwards to let Snape through. "Come in."
Snape brushed passed him, walking inside as if it were his right. Harry didn't think much of it; Albus had mentioned that Snape would always be welcome there. Harry rather thought Albus had always sounded sad when he spoke of 'young Severus Snape', and Harry resolved to be as kind to Snape as Albus had always been to him.
"What brings you here?" he asked as he walked in front of Snape into the sitting room. He waited for Snape to take a seat and then asked, "Can I get you some tea?"
"No," said Snape. "I won't be staying long."
Harry shrugged. "You can stay as long as you like. Albus always told me that you would be just as welcome here as me." Snape was still staring at him as though he had something stuck to his face. He resisted the impulse to run to the mirror and check; he was actually covered from head to toe in dirt after all.
"Neither of us will be staying here," said Snape abruptly. "I only came to fetch you, Potter. We'll be leaving together."
"What?" asked Harry, startled. "Where are you going? Why do you need me to come with you?"
"Even someone as dimwitted as you should understand what your disappearance has done to the Wizarding World's morale. It doesn't matter if Voldemort is dead or not; the world wants its hero back." Snape spat out the word hero as though it tasted repulsive on his lips. Harry simply stared at him in bemusement. Snape shifted uncomfortably and then added, "You are also to speak at my trial."
Harry's head was spinning. He knew what the Wizarding World was from what Albus told him, but merely that it existed and that magic was real. But Albus said that currently Harry didn't have any magic. "Voldemort's dead?" he asked, latching on to the unfamiliar name. "Who is that? What happened? And why would you want me to speak at your trial?"
Snape raised a hand and massaged his temple for a moment. "I don't have time to play your foolish games. Simply drop this ridiculous act and return to where you belong."
"I don't know what act you're referring to," said Harry, a bit more sharply than he intended. But Snape was starting to really irritate him. "I have no idea what these things you're talking about have to do with me. Or even who you are."
"I told you," said Snape, and he sounded as if he was speaking to an infant. Harry clenched his jaw; he didn't know if being polite to Snape was going to come easily after all. "I'm Severus Snape. I used to be your Professor." When Harry continued to stare at him blankly, Snape ground out, "You're coming with me now, Potter." Snape stood from his chair and grasped Harry's arm as though he was going to pull him out of his house.
Harry yanked his arm out of Snape's grip. "Look," said Harry. "I don't know who you think you are, but you're dead wrong if you think I'll be going anywhere with you." He massaged his wrist where Snape had grasped it so tightly that he was sure it would bruise. "I have no reason to trust you, and you're certainly not giving yourself any credibility." He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should kick him out right then. "I think you should leave, but I'm not going to force you to, if only because Albus wouldn't have wanted me to."
With that, he turned and walked from the room, leaving Snape standing in the hallway, not caring how ill-mannered Albus would say he was being.
He managed to avoid Snape the rest of the night as he simply disappeared into his room and refused to come out. Snape never knocked on his door, so he must have found something to occupy himself with as well.