Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Vulpes	By : Relevant_Peach Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male Views: 8816 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters described here. I make no money from this work.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
****AN: Hey, readers! Thanks for following this story thus far. I'll confess, I've never posted a story that wasn't fully written before, and so this has been a bit of an adventure. I posted the first chapter on a whim, and then promptly wrote myself into a corner. I've managed to get us back out, and am now working on the very last chapter, but I'll apologize in advance for the slight...weirdness that the next few chapters take on. Hang in there, we'll get to our fluffy ending, I promise, but we may travel a little before we get there****

“By Merlin!” Poppy’s voice was filled with wonder. Severus’ brain did a funny sort of stutter. Those weren’t the words he’d been expecting. Truly fearful of whatever had caused her exclamation, Severus raised his head. “Severus” Poppy continued sharply. “He’s breathing”

In a daze, Severus found himself rising and joining her at the bedside. He rubbed disbelieving eyes and squinted at the little form. Sure enough, the tiny ribs were expanding and contracting, albeit slowly and shallowly. Poppy cast a few healing spells as well as some diagnostics. “He’s very weak” she murmured. “But somehow he’s alive.”

“How?” Severus gasped.

“I have no earthly idea. This boy is a miracle, truly. Do you suppose he really can’t be killed?” Poppy wondered.

“I have no desire to find out” Severus breathed fervently.

The door to the hospital wing flung open, and Kingsley and Tonks staggered in, holding one another up. Tonks had a gruesome slash down the middle of her face, which was teeming blood, and Kingsley’s left arm appeared to have been severed. They collapsed to the floor. Poppy squawked in alarm, and she and Severus hastened to get them onto beds. Once she’d gotten Tonks onto hers, she raced to the Floo, and called St. Mungo’s, in search of assistance. The trio of Mediwizards that emerged presently looked around in disbelief. “I thought that you said this was Hogwarts” one of them said in annoyance. “What’s happened here?”

“Never mind!” Barked Poppy. “Get to work helping these two.”

Several tense minutes followed, as the medics all worked on their charges, Poppy concentrating on making sure that Harry was comfortable. Severus summoned a number of potions, and busied himself administering them. As the minutes ticked past, Severus cast nervous glances in the direction of the door. Nine people had embarked on this rescue mission. Would any more return?

It was nearing midday when the door flung open again, and all four Weasleys staggered in. Bill had been badly mauled by what looked like a werewolf. Arthur had a pronounced limp, and Molly looked weak, but otherwise unharmed. Charlie’s robes were bright with blood, but he also appeared to be in decent shape. “Where are the others?” Severus said sharply.

“Mad-Eye’s dead.” Bill said, with a sad shake of his head. “But Dumbledore and Minerva should be along soon. It got fairly exciting after you left, Professor.”

Severus spared a thought for the wizened, paranoid old Auror who died, as Severus imagined he would have liked: whilst eradicating the world of as many Dark Wizards as possible. It was a tremendous loss. Severus realized he would have to mourn Moody’s death later, however, because Albus and Minerva arrived just then. Albus looked exhausted, leaning his substantial height on the much smaller witch beside him. She looked as unruffled as always, despite the fact that she had some type of sooty burn down one cheek. She helped Albus to an available bed.

“Severus” Albus rasped. “What of Harry?”

“By some miracle, he is alive.” Severus said. The assembled party gave a weak cheer at that. “He is exhausted, and very weak, and has not yet transformed out of his animagus form.”

“That’s likely to his benefit” Minerva said. “It’s much easier to heal while in animal form.”

“How did you escape the Dark Lord?” Severus asked.

Albus’s wrinkled face managed a small smile. “He’s dead,” he said softly and with a hint of amusement. “Tom Riddle was killed this evening by our own Arthur Weasley.” A louder cheer erupted at this news.

“But Albus” Severus said, his mind reeling. “You said that he couldn’t be killed while Harry still had the…” Severus looked around, at Poppy and the two Mediwizards. “Soul fragment”

“Funny, that” Albus said. “As your Portkey activated, Voldemort cast the Killing Curse on Harry, and it hit him directly. You both disappeared, having been taken by the Portkey, and Voldemort suddenly fell to his knees. It seems that the Killing Curse he cast somehow weakened him dramatically. I have my suspicions about that, but nevertheless…In the confusion, Arthur happened to cast a Stunning spell that hit Voldemort directly.”

Arthur coloured. “I missed” he admitted. “I was aiming for Dolohov.”

“Well, it was a very happy accident, Arthur." Albus managed a weak smile and then continued speaking to Severus. "The Stunning spell seemed to be the last thing needed to weaken him completely. He fell to the ground, and that’s when I gave the signal to those who remained to Portkey out. It was simply by luck that Bellatrix Lestrange went to revive Voldemort, only to realize that he had died.”

“When she started screaming, Albus and I activated our Portkeys, and joined you all here” Minerva confirmed with a smug little smile.

Severus sank to his knees, weak with relief and shock. It was over. Harry was safe. Severus himself could imagine a future where he wasn’t constantly on guard, terrified at all times that he would slip and reveal something that would make his true allegiances known.

“It is to be hoped that the remainder of the Death Eaters will be now in the hands of the Aurors that I summoned after we departed. There will be much to do to clean up our world, but the battle waged tonight truly turned the tide of this War.”

Severus felt a moistness in his eyes, and a pinching in his throat. It was more than he’d ever dared to dream. Before he could spend any further time luxuriating in the notion that he was free, his eyes landed again on Harry’s tiny body. He bore the evidence of his recent mistreatment, with matted bloody patches dulling the vibrant orange fur. His eyes remained closed, and his breathing was so shallow that, for a moment of utter terror, Severus thought he might not be doing it at all. He found himself standing by the side of the bed, a hand hovering over Harry’s head.

“You can touch him” Poppy said gently as she breezed by, potion vials clanking merrily in her robe pockets. “I daresay he’d find it soothing to smell someone he trusts”

Severus regarded her departing form, eyes hooded. He wanted so desperately to comfort Harry, to lay his hands on his face, whisper words of affection in his ears. Thirty-odd years of rigid self-control battled this impulse, and Severus hovered awkwardly, unsure of what to do. He finally settled for conjuring a chair, and perching next to Harry’s bedside, hoping that Harry knew that he was safe.

One by one, the group of rescuers were freed from the Hospital wing. Minerva was released immediately with no more than a calming draught, having sustained no injuries whatsoever. Molly too, was unharmed, but remained with Arthur overnight as the bone in his leg was mended. Bill and Kingsley were transferred to St. Mungo’s, and Charlie and Tonks accompanied them. Albus received an owl the following day that reassured them all that Bill would be fine. He’d been scratched, but not bitten, and his form of Lycanthropy was extremely mild. He’d likely find himself with a bit of a temper around the full moon, but he’d certainly live a full life.

Kingsley had regrown his missing arm, and, with some training and rehabilitation spells, would be as good as new. Albus himself was simply magically exhausted, and after a few days of thoroughly annoying Poppy, she released him. Privately, Severus thought that she’d simply reached the limit of her patience, but his respect for the Mediwitch kept his tongue silent on the matter. Which left Harry, who, still in his fox form, lay still and silent in a warded section of the Hospital wing.

Rufus Scrimgeour had arrived in the early morning after the battle at Malfoy Manor. Since Albus was still in the hospital wing, it had fallen to Severus to provide testimony of what occurred. The Aurors had been mightily surprised when the Phoenix patronus summoned them to the Malfoy residence, and they found the bloody aftermath of a savage battle. More surprising still was the diminished body of the most-feared Wizard since Grindewald. It had taken some time to answer all their questions, time that Severus resented heavily, because it had taken him away from Harry’s bedside. (Not that Harry noticed, still sleeping off his injuries.).

Draco Malfoy had been summoned to Albus’ office, where, under Veritaserum, administered by a Ministry Official, he’d confessed to telling his Father of Harry’s animagus status, and of Severus’ betrayal. He’d been unceremoniously carted off by a trio of grim-faced Aurors to a holding cell at the Ministry to await trial. Severus didn’t have it in him to pity the boy…he’d surely declared his allegiances, and was owed no mercy, as far as Severus was concerned. Finally, Scrimgeour had left, ensuring that Severus knew that he’d be back if there were further questions. The Prophet the following day had been heavy on rhetoric, but light on details, simply proclaiming that the Aurors confirmed the demise of the Dark Lord, and capture of several Death Eaters.

School was still in session, and Albus, upon his return to the Headmaster's office, insisted that Severus resume his teaching duties. Severus did so with enormous reluctance, but, given the amount of upset within the Slytherin House (many of their parents, and one of their more popular classmates being either dead, or awaiting Azkaban), it was prudent to restore stability. The moment his last class was finished, however, Severus hurried back to the Hospital wing, where he would sit quietly with Harry, occasionally stroking his soft fur.

In truth, nobody really knew how to treat him. He didn’t seem badly injured, despite being magically exhausted. He remained in fox form, and hadn’t woken since the battle had ended. After four days, Severus was beside himself, which manifested in him curtly asking Poppy exactly what was being done for Harry, exactly. Her reaction was unexpectedly clipped. “I am keeping him comfortable, Severus. Frankly, I’m not exactly sure what I can do for him, and the experts at St. Mungo’s are just as baffled. Nobody’s survived a Killing Curse once, let alone twice, if that is what was cast on him at the Malfoy’s. We don’t know whether to force him to transform out of his animagus form, or to leave him as he is. We can’t figure out whether his mind is unharmed.” To Severus’ surprise, her eyes moistened suddenly, something that Severus had never seen, in all the years he’d known Poppy. “I’ve never felt so helpless, Severus”

Uncharacteristically, Severus was wordless, and simply clasped both of her hands in his. This caused the brimming tears to spill over, and Severus watched awkwardly as she pulled her hands away and buried her face into them. Woodenly patting her shoulder, Severus felt wretched. As quickly as it had begun, her storm of tears ended, and she wiped her face with a corner of the starched white apron she wore. “I’m sorry about that” she apologized. “I’m just frustrated by our lack of progress.” She took a deep breath and continued. “I think he’s just exhausted. I remain hopeful that his mental faculties are untouched. But all we can do right now is give him time, and rest.”

“May I take him back with me to my quarters? If there’s nothing additional you can do for him?”

Poppy considered this. For a moment, her brow wrinkled into a frown, and Severus thought that she was sure to refuse him. She opened her mouth to speak, but then, suddenly, her expression softened. “I don’t see why not, Severus. Perhaps the familiar setting would be comforting for him. Summon me when he awakens, and we’ll conduct some additional scans.”

Severus had known Poppy for well over half of his life. When he’d been an awkward adolescent, struggling to fit in within Slytherin house, she’d healed his injuries, and kindly avoided asking how he’d gotten them. Upon his return from summer vacation, skinny and bearing the brunt of his father’s drunken rages, she’d been tight-lipped, but mercifully clinical, without a hint of the sympathy that Severus would have loathed. Later, as a servant of the Dark Lord, any time he’d returned from a particularly violent encounter with his Master, she’d been immeasurably gentle. Other than Albus, she knew him better than anyone. With a flash of humiliation, Severus realized that she’d guessed the extent of his growing feelings for Harry. He flushed and looked away.

“Severus.” Her voice was firm, but not unkind. Miserably, he raised his eyes to look at hers. “It’s not a weakness, you know, caring for someone. I daresay this is the first time you’ve allowed yourself to feel anything since Harry’s mum, isn’t it?” She must have spotted something in his eyes then, because she continued. “I know, you don’t want to speak of it. But Severus, lad, you deserve so much more than your life has given you. Rather like Harry, come to think of it. You’ve paid your debt, Severus. The slate is clean. Don’t make the same mistake you made in the past, dear. Don’t turn away from love because of misguided guilt, or some desire to continue punishing yourself. I can’t think of anyone who deserves love more than you…unless it’s Harry himself. Off you go, now, Severus. Take good care of him.”

She turned and disappeared into her office, leaving Severus standing dumbly. For what felt like the millionth time that week, tears prickled his throat. Taking a deep breath, and mentally patting down his occlumency shields, Severus turned back towards the bed where Harry lay. He’d barely moved, the entire time that he’d been there. It was worrisome, and seeing Harry so still and silent, was torture for Severus. Straightening his shoulders, Severus gently picked him up, and set off towards the dungeons.

He’d made little progress when he heard footsteps behind him. “Professor Snape, sir?” Severus paused and turned to see dreamy-eyed Luna Lovegood hurrying down the hall towards him.

“What is it, Miss Lovegood?”

“I wanted to see how Harry was faring.” She replied, matter-of-factly. “He still hasn’t awoken, I see.”

Severus tensed. “I don’t know what you mean” he said, coldly. When Harry had regained his human form, back in September, they’d carefully made a point of having him appear as Flash in some of Severus’ classes, thus ensuring that everyone saw Harry and the fox both in the Castle during the same time period. Eventually, they’d told the students that he’d regained his health, and that he’d been released into the wild again. After the battle at Malfoy Manor, the students had been told that Harry was at St. Mungo’s recovering from his ordeal. Granted, Lovegood was a Ravenclaw, but Severus had hoped that they’d better protected Harry’s animagus status. Not, he supposed, that it made much of a difference now.

“May I?” Lovegood’s voice was gentle as she stretched her hand towards the bundle in his arms. Severus bristled, but, knowing how fond Harry was of the slight, fey girl, he nodded his head in assent. She placed a tender hand on Harry’s head and closed her eyes. Her forehead wrinkled for a moment, and then her shoulders visibly relaxed as she removed her hand. “He’s sleeping very deeply, but he’s unharmed.”

“How do you know?” Severus, exhausted and worried, was desperate for any words of hope, even if they came from the slightly odd girl standing before him.

She shrugged with a tiny smile. “He’s protecting himself. He’s been badly frightened, and terribly hurt.”

“I thought you just said that he was unharmed” Severus snapped.

“Physically, yes, he’s quite well. Someone has hurt his soul, though. And someone has hurt his feelings.” From the look in her eyes, Severus concluded that she suspected who was responsible for the latter.

“He’s been through a terrible ordeal” Severus said, trying to ignore the childish wail that threatened to rise from him at the thought of having hurt Harry’s feelings.

Lovegood nodded. Severus turned away, about to resume his journey to the dungeons. “Sir?” At the sound of her voice, he looked back. “He will forgive you, but you must be patient.”

He could barely manage to nod at her as he practically fled to the safety of his quarters.
- 9
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- 11
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