With A Dragon's Heart

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: The Solvents

After showering and getting dressed, Harry opened the bathroom door and stood in the doorway. He watched Snape for a few moments sitting in the large chair in front of the fireplace. Snape had taken off his outer robe and now was in a high collar shirt with a black jumper over it. Harry didn\'t think he wore the jumper under his robes; it would probably be too hot for that. He assumed that he must have put it on when he removed his robes. The Potions Master was holding a round glass that held a brownish coloured liquid. Harry imagined it was probably alcohol.

Harry didn\'t move a muscle nor breathed loudly, but still, Snape had heard him.

“Don’t just stand there gawking. Come over and sit down.”

Harry flinched slightly at the unexpected gruff voice and padded over to the other chair next to Snape. The boy gazed into the fireplace at the flames dancing in the air. Harry fidgeted with his fingers in his lap, all the while thinking of the pale Slytherin resting in the near-by room.

“You obviously have questions,” Snape said flatly.

Not removing his eyes from the fire, Harry nodded solemnly. He did have questions. Many of them but he wasn\'t sure which ones to ask. Through the struggling of his mind, he only asked one.

“Why?”

Snape sighed audibly and Harry immediately wished he could take the question back. He half expected a short retort of “Why what?” but a few moments passed before Snape answered.

“Who knows, Potter. I’ve tried to find that answer for years.”

Harry paused then asked, “Didn\'t you try to…”

Snape whipped his head over to Harry with another kind of fire that was in his eyes.

“Of course I tried, you ignorant child! Do you think I’ve sat by and did NOTHING?”

Harry jumped in his seat and lowered his head, wanting to crawl away.

Snape scoffed then spoke irritably. “I am his godfather, Potter. Were you aware of that?” Harry shook his head slowly. “Didn\'t expect you to know. Not many do. So *as* his godfather, can you imagine what it’s like to sit by and be unable to do what I’d *really* like to do?”

Harry glanced over and noticed the dark-haired man was now staring back into the roaring blaze. Harry lowered his head again before speaking.

“What did you want to, um, do, Prof…?”

Snape’s head snapped back over to Harry and this time, Harry was looking at him.

“Kill the bloody bastard! What the hell do you think?”

Harry closed his eyes tightly and actually smiled a little at that thought. He heard Snape scowl; obviously thinking Harry was amused by his anger. Snape took a deep breath to yell, but the Gryffindor spoke first.

“I could help you, Professor.”

Snape let out his intake of air and Harry raised his head and his eyes meet onyx ones. Snape was sneering at him but Harry could see there was a touch of humour with it. Harry returned the sneerish smile with a warm one. Snape’s eyes went back to the fire, taking a sip of his alcohol. He shook his head frowning. Harry’s eyes went wide.

“Why the hell not?” he blurted.

“Do you want to go to Azkaban, Potter? Because I certainly do not,” Snape hissed.

Looking away, Harry said softly, “But there *must* be something we can do.”

Snape grew furious. “Like what, Potter? Do you know how many spells there are to inflict pain? To kill someone? To mutilate certain parts of their bodies? Do you know how many *potions* I have that will do all of that and more?” Snape took a breath of air then continued. “Do you not think I have thought of this for TEN years? Ten years I have witnessed that child being inflicted with pain and guilt! Can you imagine what it’s like? Can you?”

Harry’s mind raced quickly as he took in this entire information in. So the question really is, why didn\'t he? Harry thought. The answer must be a simple one.

“You promised him you wouldn\'t,” Harry stated.

He glanced back up in time to see the Potion’s Master nod his head. Harry nodded as well, understanding the torture Snape was really going through. His thoughts were interrupted however, when Snape leapt to his feet and ran to the door. Harry heard his simple sentence.

“Draco’s awake. Stay here.”

Harry covered his eyes trying not to think of Draco\'s reaction to his confession that he made in front of Harry.


~*~*~*~*~


Snape burst into his room to find Draco lying on his stomach with his arms folded under his head. Snape walked over to the boy and gently sat beside him.

“Potter heard me, didn\'t he?”

“Yes.” Snape said, barely in a whisper.

The fair-haired boy shook his head and his back went up and down fast, crying from embarrassment.

“Draco.”

Draco kept shaking his head.

“Draco, look at me.”

The shaking of his head continued by a muffled ‘no’.

Firmer, Snape said, “Draco, *look* at me.”

Draco tilted his head to the side and his tears were running down his face. Snape quietly sighed and reached over to take the boy in his arms. He held him tightly, whispering encouraging words. Draco snuggled into the arms of his godfather and laid his head under Snape’s chin. Snape stroked his godson’s hair as if it was made of fine fur. He could feel Draco beginning to calm down so he eased up his hold on him. Draco squeezed his thin arms around Snape, wanting more contact. Snape sighed again in defeat, resting his head on top of the Slytherin’s and rubbed his quivering back.

Snape was in deep thought thinking of Harry’s offer that he didn\'t notice at first what Draco was doing. Draco had pulled up Snape’s jumper and snaked his hand under it trying to find skin. Once he found it, his hands rubbed along his godfather’s chest and across to his nipples. He lightly twirled one of them between his thumb and forefinger then slightly tweaked it. Snape snapped out of his thoughts and grabbed Draco\'s wrist.

“Stop that!”

Draco flinched and glared up to the larger man. “I thought you loved me,” he spat.

Snape closed his eyes briefly and looked down at the angry boy.

“Draco. We’ve been through this before. I do love you. But not in *that* way. Love and sex are not the same thing,” he said tiredly.

“Then *make* love to me,” Draco pleaded.

Snape clenched his eyes closed and pursed his lips.

“You don’t love me then,” Draco whispered.

“Damn it, Draco! You *know* that’s not true! *I* am not your father! I will *not* take advantage of you like he does!” Snape grabbed Draco by the shoulders so he could be face to face with him. “Do you not realize how sick he is? Can’t you see that it’s not normal? He has completely used you and made you believe that the only way to show love is by SHAGGING someone!”

As if coming out of a trance, Draco batted his eyes and his expression turned to embarrassment. “Oh, gods. I am so sorry Severus. I-I didn\'t know what I was doing.” Draco covered his eyes in shame.

Snape sighed of relief and held the boy tightly.

“Shh. I know, Draco. It’s all right.”

Draco shook his head against his godfather’s chest and whispered, “No. No, it’s not all right.” He sat upright and looked into Snape’s dark eyes. “I want him to be punished, godfather. I want him to pay. I WANT HIM DEAD!”

Snape leaned over him and whispered, “I know, Draco. I know.” And Snape sighed again.


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