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Life Eternal	By : AlectoPerdita Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 10864 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
Life Eternal

By Alecto Perdita

Chapter 12 - Kinship

Beta'ed by Amanda Saitou

Rating: R

Posted: September 1, 2005

Revised: September 17, 2005

Warnings: Slash, HP/SS

Email: alecto.perdita@gmail.com

Site: http://cocytus.eternity-inc.net

Mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/cocytus

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J.K. Rowling, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to J.K. Rowling are the intellectual property of Alecto Perdita.

Harry and Snape walked up the front steps of Hogwarts at approximately eight the next morning. Harry had returned not of his own free will. He had tried to escape during the night but hadn�t expected Snape to put up wards. It had been nothing more than a battle of will between the two of them after that, but he had fallen asleep first sometime before dawn. Come morning, Snape presented him with two choices: Hogwarts or the Ministry. Harry chose the lesser of two evils.

Dumbledore and Siobhan were waiting for them at the top of the stairs.

�Where were the two of you?!� Siobhan exclaimed.

The headmaster stood in the background and watched them with a contemplative expression.

�We went back to the castle.� Snape brushed past his aunt in a careless manner.

�The castle?! But the vampire!� she waved her arms frantically. �You can�t just take off like that and not leave a word for the rest of us.�

Snape snorted. �We�re grown men. We hardly need you to play sitter.�

�Did you discover anything interesting, Severus?� Dumbledore asked pleasantly.

Snape stopped dead in his track and Harry�s breath was caught in his throat. His identity was about to be revealed. Snape was going to tell them because Snape reported everything to Dumbledore. Harry took a shaky step back, muscles tense and ready to flee at any moment�s notice. He couldn�t remember the last time since Voldemort he had been this terrified of anything.

�Abraham is�family.� The older man turned his head and sneered unpleasantly back at them.

�What?� Siobhan exclaimed, placing her hands on her hip and looking every inch the stern mother- just not Snape�s. �Severus, get back here this instant and tell me everything.�

�It can wait until after breakfast.� The teacher pushed open the front doors and entered the castle.

Harry quickly shook himself out of his stupor and went after Snape. He caught up with his former professor not far from the door and looked back to make sure the other two were out of hearing range.

�Wait, Snape.�

Snape ignored his call and continued toward the Great Hall. Harry growled and grabbed the trailing end of the man�s sleeve.

�What?�

�Why didn�t you tell them?� He gritted his teeth together.

�I don�t know what you�re talking about.� Snape yanked his sleeve out of his grip and swept away in a fury of black.

He stared after the dark figure and cursed under his breath. He was beginning to think it might have been a good thing if Snape had told everyone, so it was all done with. It had to be better than the bastard holding it over his head like this.

~~~

Harry skipped breakfast in the Great Hall and went straight to the kitchens instead. He wasn�t going to sit at the same table, and have Snape subtly threaten and blackmail him throughout the meal. He was going to get enough of that later.

He looked around the deserted kitchen. A house-elf had appeared immediately to serve him and then promptly vanished. Since it was the summer, there wasn�t a need to prepare copious amounts of food. He wondered what the house-elves did with their free time. They were probably cleaning some other part of the castle then. He couldn�t imagine them doing anything other than cleaning for fun and didn�t suppose they croqueted as a hobby.

The door swung open and he reached for his wand. He couldn�t be so unlucky that Snape was looking for him now.

�There you are, Cedric!�

�Hermione?�

The bushy-haired woman scrunched her nose in disapproval as she approached him seated at the table. Harry fought to keep a grin from his face when he suddenly recalled S.P.E.W. and all her efforts to liberate the house-elves to no avail. He wondered if she was still trying to trick them into taking articles of clothing. Harry conjured the image of Hermione�s rooms in complete disarray, covered in knitted socks, books, and the likes, because the house-elves were afraid to enter her rooms. He snickered.

Hermione placed her hands on her hips. �And what�s so funny?�

�Nothing,� he shook his head. �You just remind me of an old school friend.�

�You went to Durmstrang, correct? You must have known Viktor Krum then.� Her eyes lit up at the reminder of her first sort-of-boyfriend.

�Yes, he was a few years ahead of me.�

�How is he these days?�

�I�m not sure. I didn�t know him that well.� He forced an awkward smile.

She sighed. �That�s a pity.�

�If you, um,� he waved his hand about in a vague manner. �Knew him, why don�t you write to him?�

She smiled sadly. �It doesn�t feel right to do something like that, even after all these years.�

�And why not? Your fianc� has been dead for so many years now. I�m sure he would want you to be happy no matter what.�

Her eyes widened. �How do you know about Ron?�

Harry bit his tongue to keep from swearing. He was becoming careless. At this rate, he was going to blow his cover on his own without any of Snape�s interference. �Uh, I overheard it from Snape. I hope you don�t mind.�

�It�s alright. I was just caught by surprise, but I suppose it�d be a wonder if you didn�t know by now. I really do miss Ron dearly. It�s not guilt, but something else. Now I�m just being silly.�

He shook his head. �No, that makes sense.� Hermione was too sensible to be held down by guilt in that manner. She would always be stronger than that.

She suddenly reached over and stroked the area around his eye. Against his mind�s command, his hand shot out and knocked her away.

�I�m so sorry, Hermione. It�s just that my reflex-�

�No need to apologize. I should have known better. You�re like an Auror in that sense,� she smiled warily. �Alastor always warned me about acting like that. It�s just that your eyes are red. Is something the matter?�

Harry rubbed his eyes and cursed Snape again under his breath. It wasn�t Snape�s fault that he had forgotten to take out his contacts the night before, but he was still going to blame it on the man because he could. He had been planning to escape anyway and he wouldn�t have done it blind as a bat. He should have gone to his rooms for a change of clothing and contacts after he returned to Hogwarts.

�It�s nothing,� he reassured her. �I just need my eye drops.�

�Oh, I can help with that!� She whipped her wand out and leveled it with his eyes. �Oculus solamen. How�s that?�

The itchiness and the burning in his eyes went away immediately. �Fantastic. Thanks.�

Hermione always did know the most obscure and useful spells.

�You�re welcome.� She pocketed her wand with that familiar self-satisfied smile he had known since he was eleven.

�Did you come down here for a particular reason?�

�Oh, right. The Headmaster wants you in the hospital wing for the meeting.�

�Meeting?�

�Headmaster Dumbledore wants to know about your experiences at Snape Castle yesterday.�

He scowled. �Why is he interfering? This is between me and the Snapes. I said I�d take care of it.�

�The Headmaster�s just concerned. We are talking about a vampire here, not a Hinkypunk. There are bylaws and such to be considered in these situations. You can�t just go around killing living creatures like that. It�s no better than enslaving these house-elves.� She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him in an accusatory manner.

�Vampires are a lot more dangerous than Hinkypunks, and we�ve already had this discussion before,� he narrowed his eyes. It wasn�t as if he did everything because he wanted to. �I don�t tell you how to do your job, so don�t tell me how to do mine.�

He pushed past her and left the kitchen. He didn�t have much of an appetite anymore.

~~~

Severus glared at the opposite wall of the hospital wing. He didn�t see why Minerva was here. Shouldn�t she be busy handling the incoming class? The old cat had no reason to be listening in or participating in this farce of a meeting. Over twenty years and Albus still held the reins on his life.

He shot a glare at Poppy, who was checking on Shavonne�s condition. No doubt, she was going to listen in as well. He admitted that his cousin was looking much better already.

�Ouch!� Shavonne exclaimed when the mediwitch drew another container of blood for testing. �I thought I was already in the clear. Why do you have to keep testing it?�

The doors to the hospital wing flew open with a loud thud. Potter marched into the room with an agitated expression and Granger trailed behind him.

Wonderful, he thought, no doubt she�ll want to know what�s happening as well.

Potter stopped short of Shavonne�s bed when he caught sight of the container of blood in Poppy�s hand. Severus saw the man�s hands begin to tremble right before he shoved them into his robe pockets. The younger man�s nostrils were flared, and his body drawn taut like a bow string. Severus blinked and the moment had passed. Potter crossed the last few feet to Shavonne�s bed and greeted her with a big smile.

He narrowed his eyes. He was sure he had seen what he saw. The curses were already beginning to take their toll on Potter�s control.

Albus clapped his hands together and smiled. �I see everyone is assembled now.�

Neither he nor Potter suppressed the death glare they each threw at the headmaster.

�Do tell us about what you discovered yesterday.� Albus urged them.

Potter glanced at him, a question in his gaze. Severus simply looked away and refused to acknowledge the other man. He wasn�t going to be so quick to expose Potter�s true identity. It may still be of use yet.

The brat sighed and took a deep breath. �We at least now know how Abraham got into the castle even though no one has ever invited him. It even explains why Nott was able to come in through the Floo.�

�Is something wrong with the wards?� Shavonne piqued.

�No,� Potter shook his head. �The wards are perfectly fine.�

�Then why didn�t it keep the vampire out?� Sinclair asked.

�Simple. We all know that vampires can�t enter a wizarding home without permission. That is not always the case with Muggle homes, but that�s besides the point here. However, if a vampire has some sort of legitimate claim to the land��

Siobhan stared at Potter in abject horror before turning to look at Severus. �Is this what you meant when you said he was family?�

Potter nodded his head grimly. �Exactly, Lord Abraham Snape, the seventh Lord Latimer of Snape.�

�So he�s your ancestor?� Draco raised an eyebrow in surprise. �I always knew you were an interesting lot if nothing else.�

He rolled his eyes. He reached inside his robes and drew out a thick leather-bound book. He held it up and said, �This is the Snape genealogy. I took it from the library before I left the castle yesterday,� he glanced at Potter out of the corner of his eyes and smirked. �After saving Wesley�s sorry arse.�

Potter bristled.

�Is he in there?� Granger asked.

He tapped his wand against the book and chanted, �Quaero Abraham Snape.�

The book fell open, and the pages began turning on their own. After a few seconds, the pages fell open somewhere near the beginning of the book.

�Abraham Snape was born a Squib on November first, 1631 and died in 1657. The cause of death is not disclosed. He was unwed and had no children. He was succeeded by his great uncle, Thomas Snape,� he passed the book to Siobhan. �I suppose that would make us cousins.�

�Very distant ones, but not distant enough for him to be excluded from your general blood-bound spells and wards without any restrictions placed.� Draco muttered.

�That explains why Abraham was able to make his way into the castle on his own, but not how he was able to bring Nott past the wards,� said Jessica. �That only answers half the question.�

�That�s simple,� Potter muttered. Everyone turned to stare at him. �In terms of length of residence, Abraham is the one who has the most seniority. I don�t think he�s left the castle since his supposed death in the seventeenth century.�

�But that can�t be,� Siobhan protested. �The generations afterwards must have noticed something. Albus just told me this morning there hasn�t even been a vampire in North Yorkshire in the last fifty years. A vampire would never be able to resist the impulse to feed for more than a few weeks.�

�It�s because of a blood seal.� Severus thought back to his less than ego-boosting attempt to seal the vampire. �He was bound to the ruins of the North Tower by a blood seal. Our bloodline was the foundation of the seal.�

�That would mean as soon as the bloodline left the soil, he would have been released.� Granger gasped. Severus swore he could almost hear the gears turning furiously in her head.

�And that�s exactly what happened when I abandoned that wretched place over twenty years ago before it fell into the Ministry�s hands.� He glared at the wall.

�Now it all makes sense,� Siobhan muttered. �The North Tower, our forefathers� warnings, everything��

�That�s nice and all, but that still doesn�t tell us what to do about the vampire.� Jessica grumbled.

�Simple,� he glared unwaveringly at the group before him. �We kill it.�

�You can�t just do that.� Granger shouted.

�And why not?�

�There are laws against that!�

Potter surprised them all by being the first to contest Granger. �Actually, Abraham was changed and sealed away before the present Ministry of Magic even came into existence. He�s not registered with the Ministry. No one would be any the wiser if Abraham Snape vanished off the face of the earth. For all intents and purpose, Abraham has been dead to the world for more than two centuries.�

�How can you say that, Cedric?! He�s still a sentient being!�

�He�s a danger to society, to wizards and Muggles alike,� Potter snapped. �Even if he was human, you still can�t let him get away with all that he�s done.�

�You said it yourself, Abraham is from a time before the Ministry and its current regulations. It�s not right to kill him before you�ve had a chance to familiarize him with the laws!� Granger screeched. �He doesn�t know better!�

�I beg to differ. As far as we know, Abraham has been among us for almost twenty years now. That�s more than enough time to learn about the laws concerning his kind.� Potter countered coldly. �And what do these laws say about vampires that drink without permission and victimize wizards, witches, and Muggles alike?�

Severus smirked as he answered, �They get the death sentence, of course. Mind you, the Department has more experienced vampire hunters for jobs like that than the likes of an executor like McNair.�

�What about the blood seal? Can't you seal him away again instead?�

�Our current bloodline is too far removed from the vampire's. We have very little chance of being able to fully activate the seal because of that,� he glanced at Granger out of the corner of his eyes. �Granger, you're smart enough to know what is required to draw a whole new blood seal. Who do you suggest we sacrifice for that purpose? [1]�

Granger�s glare moved back and forth between Potter and himself. Sometimes the girl just lost all sense when it came to the civil liberties of some. �You�re just like those despicable Hunters. You�re not the law onto yourself.� She turned away in disgust.

The brief expression of hurt on Potter�s face was quickly overtaken by a harder one. �No, I�m not the law, but the laws do clearly state what must happen to him. He has been around for the last twenty odd years now. He must know what the current laws for vampires are. He willingly broke those laws and attacked innocents. He needs to be put down and if it�s not going to be me, then it�s going to be the Ministry.�

Jessica stepped between Potter and Granger, trying to settle both of them down. Even he was a bit surprised by Potter�s continued insistence to obliterate the vampire. He would have never thought it was in the boy�s nature to want to kill in this manner. Perhaps the years had done more to Potter than Severus originally suspected.

He turned to Albus and asked, �You say there hasn�t been a vampire registered in that area, but has there been any reason to suspect there was a vampire in the area?�

�Indeed, the Ministry has sent officers and Aurors there to investigate the possibility several times but they were never able to reach a consensus. There isn�t a large enough wizarding population there for the Ministry to worry about it.�

�They�re the truly despicable ones.� Siobhan spat.

�What would you advise we do, Albus?� He asked.

�It is not my place to say.�

�But you still will,� He glared at the appearance of the older man�s deceptively benign smile. �You always make your opinions known.�

�It is your castle and your ancestor, Severus. I believe that decision rests with Siobhan and you.�

~~~

�Mister Wesley, if you can stay for a few minutes, I would like a few words with you.�

Harry nodded slowly despite the fact he was willing to be almost anywhere else at the moment. Had Snape already informed Dumbledore of his identity?

Dumbledore continued to smile in that way Harry had long learned to distrust. �Walk with me please.�

He gave Snape one last look before following Dumbledore out of the hospital wing with great hesitation. Dumbledore led him on a familiar route- the one toward the Headmaster�s office. Listening to the collective sound of their resounding footsteps, he was surprised by how firm the headmaster�s footfall was in comparison with his. The portraits whispered across frames as they passed.

�Perhaps there is another reason for why you are so adamant to kill this vampire?�

He gave a small start, �What makes you say that?� Whatever he thought Dumbledore was going to speak about with him, it wasn�t this.

�Severus saw fit to tell about your curse. He holds the belief that you pose a threat.� Dumbledore folded his hands behind his back. �He also tells me that the vampire is infatuated with you, intent on possessing you in every way possible.�

�No doubt Snape told you I drank his blood then.� He peered at the headmaster out of the corner of his eyes.

�No, but I suspected. If that is the truth, then I suggest you do your best to persuade both Siobhan and Severus to allow you to put the vampire down.� Dumbledore stopped and turned to face Harry. The old wizard regarded him speculatively over his half-moon glasses. �The Bloodlust Curse is not a matter to be taken lightly. It�s impossible to tell how it will react to the Lifelust Curse you�re already inflicted with. You may be an incredible wizard to have withstood the Lifelust Curse for the last six years, but even you will cave under the pressure of both curses. I don�t know what you know about vampires, but the Bloodlust Curse will force the change upon you. You will become a monster of the worse kind, Mister Wesley.�

He swallowed the lump that developed in his throat as Dumbledore spoke. How did he manage to bullocks it up every time? Was he really that unlucky? �I�ll keep your advice in mind, sir.�

Dumbledore nodded and turned away. �That is all I want to say. Please use the utmost caution, Mister Wesley. I�ll leave you two to talk then.� And the headmaster swept past him in a storm of bright lime green.

�Cedric?�

His shoulders tensed at the sound of Jessica�s voice. Dumbledore just couldn�t give him anymore warning than that.

My life was really nothing more than a comedy of errors, he thought bitterly, if I�m lucky, it�ll end sooner than I originally thought.

�Cedric, please. Explain to me what I just heard.�

�It�s exactly as you heard. I drank the vampire�s blood.�

She grabbed his arm and dug her fingernails into his sleeve. �Cedric, do you realize how serious this is? You drank his blood?! What the fuck were you thinking? Dumbledore is right. That curse is going to force the change on you. You need to tell Siobhan about this now. I�m sure she�ll understand why we have to kill the vampire as soon as possible then. And what about Hermione?�

�I know you mean well, Jessica, but kindly mind your own bloody business.� Harry tore his arm out of her grip.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and she reached for the wand in her pocket. �I should hex you silly for pulling shit like this. Hell, I should beat you with my bare hands. I don�t even want to know what the fuck you could have possibly been thinking when you drank his blood. It�s a fucking disease and you have to cure it as soon as possible, before it�s too late.�

�I�ll be fine. I may have drank Abraham�s blood, but he hasn�t drank any of mine. I need to die first to become a vampire. I know what I�m doing. Don�t worry about it, Jessica.� He pulled away and started toward his rooms.

�No, you don�t!� she rushed in front of him and her hands shook as she held her wand level with his face. �If you did, you wouldn�t have drank his blood in the first place. You are going to listen to what I have to say. Do you understand why diseases like lycanthropies and vampirism haven�t been cured yet? The curses are like viruses. They slip past your body and your magic�s defense and change you on the cellular level. You might feel fine now, but you�re going to feel the symptoms of the curse soon enough. You�re going to start craving for blood. It�ll become your one all-encompassing goal, and you�re going to forsake everything else for it- food, water, sleep�

�You may be a wizard, but how long do you think the human body can sustain itself without all that? You�d be dead within the week. Once you�re dead, the last of your body and your magic�s resistance against the curse is gone. The curse will multiply just like a virus. You know how a virus works right? Viruses attach to your cells and break down the cellular membrane, so it can inject its own RNA into your cells. By doing so, it changes the structure and the function of your cells. Then your cells divide with that alien RNA in its nucleus. The curse will rewrite your DNA and spread like a cancer. The only way to fight it is early detection, just like cancer. You have to stomp it out before it becomes too widespread.�

�That�s very informative, but I�m a wizard. While a curse may be like a virus, they�re completely different things. I�m not a Muggle.� He muttered and shrugged off the memory of his sudden episode in the hospital wing not too long ago.

�No, but you�re still human, until the curse changes you. This isn�t something you can put off, Cedric.�

�You should listen to Jessica. She has considerably more knowledge in that area than you do.�

Harry wanted to bang his head against the stone wall. The powers that be couldn�t even give him a little peace before he died. For an instance, he felt the unmistakable urge to kill Snape, but he wasn�t sure if it was because of the curse or just his usual less than amiable feelings toward the older man. He dragged a hand down his tired face, �Stay out of this, Snape.�

�I don�t think that�s possible, Wesley. I�m the one who saved your sorry arse yesterday.� Snape stepped out from the shadow of an alcove, not unlike a certain vampire. �You�ll have to forgive me for taking an interest in your�well-being then.�

�Thank you for your concern, Professor.� He sneered, figuring the last thing he needed right then was the older man�s sarcasm.

Snape�s eyes darkened. His hands were clenched at his sides and twitched in a way that suggested he wanted to do something with them. �I never asked for the lot others gave me, but I have always taken it with the utmost seriousness. I cannot afford to be blamed for certain people. If you can�t tell Siobhan by tonight, I will. While I would much rather leave you to your fate, it would be unwise of me.� The man turned with a dramatic flare of his robes and went down the corridor in the direction opposite of the Headmaster�s.

Jessica laid a gentle hand on his forearm. �There�s no other way, Cedric. Please don�t make this hard for me or Severus.�

�And when has Snape ever made it easy for me?� He snapped, and seven years of torment came to mind.

She stopped and stared deeply into his eyes. He was forced to wonder if Jessica was also a Legilimens- if that was a pre-requisite to being or becoming a Snape. �What happened between the two of you? I�ve never seen Severus like that. It was almost as if he was afraid to come near you or touch you.�

�You mean he was ever touchy-feely to begin with?�

�You know what I mean��

�You�d never believe it anyway. I�m not sure it�s sunk in for me yet.�

~~~

Harry hated this feeling of being held in judgment by others. It was the one experience he could never escape no matter how hard he tried. He never liked being put on display, as the hero or the freak. He was tempted to shield himself, but he knew that was impossible.

The meeting was private though, with only Siobhan to witness his embarrassment. Siobhan looked heart-broken. She looked like she wanted to just wrap her arms around him and hug him. He hoped she didn�t try to. He found her pity more suffocating than anything else.

�Why didn�t you just say so before?�

�I thought I could handle it on my own. I didn�t know what drinking a vampire�s blood really entailed. I know now��

Siobhan lowered herself into an armchair. �Thank the Goddess Shavonne never drank any of his blood.�

�How can we know for sure?� he asked. He felt bad for making her doubt and worry, but he needed her permission.

She squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. �She hasn�t shown any of the symptoms Jessica described, but you�re right. We can�t be sure.�

�There is one way to be sure��

�You don�t have to be like this, Cedric.,� she popped open one eyes, looking her age for the first time since Harry had met her. �I would never leave you to battle the curse on your own if there�s a way to cure you. I wish you could have told us earlier, we could have avoided a lot of misunderstanding that way. I guess it can�t be helped. I just found out that another body was discovered today, right on the castle�s doorsteps. It�s not like the other bodies found near the mire though. It�s not ravaged. The blood was just drained.�

�Shit, that would mean the police�s��

She nodded wearily. �It�s only a matter of time before they insist on questioning us. We can�t delay this matter any longer,� she straightened in her seat and stared straight at him. �I, Siobhan Snape as the current head of the Snape family, authorize the removal of the vampire, Abraham Snape, from Snape Castle by whatever means necessary.�

Harry turned to leave but came face to face with Snape instead. The older man stopped short in the doorway of the portrait with one hand clawing into the frame. The world slowed down around them, and he found himself moving toward Snape despite all protests otherwise from his mind.

�Snape,� his mouth went dry as he spoke.

Snape nodded but made no move to go around him. He looked at Siobhan over Harry�s shoulder. Harry watched in fascination as Snape�s lips moved to form words he couldn�t hear. He tried not to think about how good those lips had felt against his- the time he was lucid enough to remember what was happening. When the older man looked back down at him, he felt his world center entirely on those black eyes.

�Severus will accompany you if no one else. He is the one most qualified to deal with a vampire after you.�

Harry wasn�t sure if he or Snape was more aghast with the idea of them going together to the castle again. Siobhan�s words, much like Dumbledore�s, were not ones to be refused easily.

�Please come back safely, both of you.�

*To Be Continued*

[1] As suggested by Snape, all the blood in the human body is needed to complete a whole blood seal. Even blood replenishing potions wouldn�t be able to work fast enough to replace the blood loss. If the person, whose blood is being used, doesn�t die, it makes the seal less effective.

As always, please R/R and thanks for all your reviews. See you next week!
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Life Eternal