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Invictus	By : starcrossedkayla Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 13268 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 15
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"He still won't eat."

"I know, but you are in this mess because of calming potions. You won't get out of it by giving him more."

Severus leant back in his chair, not bothering to hide the flash of annoyance he felt at hearing this. "He's moping because of Lucius, not because I drugged him." Never mind that he had been responsible for Lucius getting the opportunity to torture Potter.

Sighing, Albus stroked his beard. "Really, Severus. I shouldn't be explaining this to you. Calming potions tempered his ability to feel upset over his predicament."

Who did Albus think he was lecturing? "I'm well aware of that," said Severus, tugging up the sleeves of the old jumper he used as a nightshirt. He hated Muggle clothing, but if he were to survive while posing as one, he needed to be comfortable with them and know exactly which hidden pocket contained which item. "That's why I gave them to him, so that he wouldn't whinge all the time."

"He has the right to mourn his loss of freedom. You've not let him fully experience any of his fear, isolation, anger, or anything else that must be boiling beneath the surface. Allow him to be himself for a while. He's stronger than you think. Give him a week. If he shows no improvement, then give him small doses until he does."

He had to compromise or the conversation would never move. "I'll give him a few days."

Albus nodded and said, "I wasn't able to gather much information on Benjamin Young. His father was a wizard who, after his Muggle wife died of breast cancer, wrote several articles on how wizards should take over the Muggle health care system."

The ticking of the clock echoed loudly in the room and Severus couldn't breathe or speak for a moment. When he could, he asked, "There's nothing?"

The oncologist folded his hands on his desk and smiled kindly at Severus. "We can be certain that she isn't in pain."

Twenty-three was far too young to become an orphan. His throat tight, he turned to his mother, to all that remained of his childhood at Spinner's End.

She smiled at him, triumphant. She placed one small hand on Severus's leg and bent in close as if to share a secret. "I told you I was cursed."

"Is Harry cold? He's shivering."

Severus glanced at the mirror he'd set off to the side, so that Albus could be certain that Potter still lived without significant injury. In the few minutes since he'd set up the mirror and started speaking with Albus, Potter had thrown off his covers and curled up in a trembling ball.

"I'll check on him." Shrinking Albus's portrait, Severus shoved it in his robes and grabbed the mirror. He headed towards the door and, holding the doorknob, blinked slowly. As he pulled the door open, he retrieved the mirror and glanced in it, pretending to notice Potter's shivering for the first time.

He hurried down to the cellar. Should he alert the Dark Lord to the boy's condition? No, not until he had something to tell the Dark Lord.

When he stepped into the room, Potter didn't react. Not good. He hurried to the side of the bed to see sweat all over Potter's exposed skin and dampness in the crimson sheets beneath him. What could be causing him to sweat so much? A fever? Potter's eyelashes fluttered, the eyelids shifting as the eyes rolled beneath them. This was more than a fever.

He yanked back his sleeve and touched his wand tip to the Mark, putting as much force as he could behind the summons to let the Dark Lord know that this was a situation that shouldn't be left for a Death Eater.

They needed a Healer! He knew nothing about seizures. Don't panic. Fix each symptom individually. What are the symptoms? Fever. To be sure, he placed his fingers on Potter's neck. Burning skin and a racing pulse. He needed to cool Potter down.

Not wanting to use magic without any idea what the hell had afflicted Potter, Severus uncurled him enough to scoop him up and carry him into the bathroom. Heat radiated off Potter, piercing even through Severus's thick robes.

As gently as he could, he placed Potter in the tub, only to realise that he couldn't just lay the boy down while the tremors were running through him. They were slight, but he could hit his head, especially if his condition worsened.

Should he cast a water-protection spell on himself and climb in with him? No, he shouldn't use magic around the boy. A softening spell on the tub? No, same problem.

You idiot! What was he thinking? He Summoned a few towels and placed them around Potter's head and shoulders before turning on the shower, careful to aim the water at the boy's torso.

Pulse? Fast, but not dangerously so. Breathing? A bit quicker than normal, but again, nothing that required medical attention. Fever? His skin still remained hot, but not outside the normal range.

What else could he check? Of course! Consciousness.

"Potter?" No response.

"Wake up, Potter."

Nothing. He tried the trick that had worked before when Potter refused to respond. "Harry?" Nothing. Where was the Dark Lord or a bloody Healer? He needed to do something. Fuck this, he had to cast magic on Potter.

"Rennervate!"

Potter's eyelashes trembled and then parted slightly, revealing a small slip of green.

"Potter?"

The eyes blinked, opened, and unsteadily focused on the bathtub before closing again.

At least he was conscious. Perhaps it was an after-effect of the Cruciatus? Nerve damage was the only thing that looked remotely similar to these symptoms. He Summoned the Cruciatus Bath Potion from the cupboard and poured it in the tub. He rolled up his sleeves, grabbing a flannel off the towel rack.

"Potter, if you can hear me, open your eyes."

Nothing. He dragged the flannel over the skinny arms, unable to do more than hope that whatever had afflicted Potter had passed. "Don't be stubborn. Remaining in this state won't help you."

Potter shifted, his head turning towards Severus's face. His eyes slowly blinked open and he held Severus's gaze and whispered, "Whip me."

I'll do my best to protect you from Lucius. He couldn't make such a promise, so instead he said, "I can't give you what you want, but I will give you what you need."

Potter shot him a critical look and closed his eyes, his body stilling. Shit! Severus shot out a hand to test his pulse, but the beat was steady and the skin back to its regular warmth. Was that normal?

The wards rippled as the Dark Lord arrived in the kitchen. Rather than greet him, Severus remained with Potter, in case the attack should return. Closing his eyes, Severus focused on the Dark Lord's path through the house and only stood once the Dark Lord reached the door to the library. He walked out to the hallway.

"My Lord." He bowed.

"What happened?" The Dark Lord marched down the hall, the lack of a travelling cloak over his robes suggesting that he had been caught unawares by Severus's summons.

"I'm not certain, my Lord," he answered, preceding the Dark Lord into the bathroom. "I glanced in the mirror a few minutes ago and noticed the boy shivering. I immediately headed down to check on him, only to find him covered in sweat with a fever as well as rapid pulse and breath. I brought him in here and cast Rennervate on him. He woke up, asked me to whip him, then fell asleep. As you can see, his heart rate and breathing have returned to normal, and his fever has abated."

The Dark Lord glanced at Potter, asleep in the tub. "He wanted to be whipped?"

"I assume he meant that he wanted me to torture him rather than Lucius."

The Dark Lord smiled. "Perfect. Remain with him for the next ten hours and keep a close watch on him for the next twenty-four."

You can't be serious. "My Lord, some of my potions need my attention."

"Then bring the boy to your lab for a few hours."

A few hours wasn't enough to do everything required to keep the potions progressing at their regular rate. However, one look at the Dark Lord's closed face told Severus that he wouldn't be given any more time.

"I understand." Then, to hopefully speed the Dark Lord's departure, he said, "Thank you, my Lord."

For a moment, the Dark Lord stared at Potter sleeping in the tub, then swept out of the room.

Potter turned on his side and let out a little snore.

Severus grumbled, "The things I do for you..." But despite his annoyance, he carefully lifted Potter out of the tub, laid him on the bathmat, and gently slid off the damp clothing. Potter slept through it all, the eye movements behind his lids normal, and his breathing slow and deep.

Once Potter and his clothes were dry, Severus dressed him and carried him back to his bed, setting him lightly on top of the covers. Potter really should have woken by now. It had been a day since the session with Lucius. Hopefully he wouldn't have to go through this mess every time Potter had been through a difficult torture session.

As he hadn't prepared to spend the next couple of hours in Potter's cage, he had nothing to occupy his time. He opened the door to the library, Summoned a few books, transfigured one of the wooden chairs into a comfortable couch and read through everything he could find on Polyjuice Potion.

After hours of diligent research his eyes burned. This was ridiculous. He refused to waste his time coddling Potter.

He stood, restored the chair, sent the books back to the library, and Summoned Potter's breakfast. He strode to the side of the bed and gave Potter's shoulder a shake. "Wake up."

Potter made a half-conscious murmur.

In a louder voice, Severus said, "Get up, Potter!"

Potter pulled the covers up over his head. Severus yanked them off. He lifted Potter out of bed and pushed him into his chair. "You will eat your breakfast or I will force it down your throat. I have work for you to do today and if you don't eat, you will be even more useless than normal." To prevent Potter from talking back, he left, heading towards the library, where he pulled out the mirror and waited.

After a suitable amount of time had passed, Severus returned to the hallway. "Come here, Potter."

Without any hesitation, Potter padded to the bars and stuck his hands out for the chaining spell. After chaining him and opening the bars, Severus blindfolded him.

"What's this?" Potter's hands shot up, but Severus grabbed the chain.

"You are not to see where I am taking you. Come, I will not harm you unless you misbehave."

To his surprise, Potter didn't voice a single objection but obediently followed behind.

In order to disguise their location, Severus had encased the outdoor walkway in a protective bubble, but made no other precautions, as he doubted they were necessary.

In the lab, he removed the blindfold, seated Potter at a worktable he'd prepared earlier, chained him in place, and grabbed the jar of Datura inoxia seeds. Although rather rare in England, he had already grown a sizeable collection himself and, while he appreciated Sethlans's effort, he had no need of them. He unscrewed the jar and placed one of the seeds in Potter's hand, then cast the viewing spell outside of Potter's range of vision.

Potter stared at it as though it might start moving of its own accord. "What is it?"

"They are seeds of Datura inoxia, more commonly known as Devil's Trumpet," Severus answered. "I had these shipped from Southern California. An exquisitely beautiful yet deadly flower, it was used by the Aztecs for its hallucinogenic properties."

Potter tossed the ball to the table.

Thank Merlin he hadn't given Potter anything he actually cared about! "It won't affect you unless you ingest it," he assured him. "Place five pods in each jar."

"This would go a lot quicker if I had my glasses," grumbled Potter, even as he reached for one of the jars.

No need to tell him Lucius had kept them. "It would, but you don't need them now." Severus swept over to one of his Clone Potions and gave it a stir. His work didn't require much concentration, so he pulled out the mirror and watched Potter outside of the boy's range of vision.

"I think you just prefer me without glasses because I don't look like my dad without them."

It had probably been said in an attempt to pick a fight, so Severus ignored him. Glasses or no glasses, Potter acted too much like his father. As he watched in the mirror, pretending to brew, Potter set each seed carefully in the jars, making no attempt to sabotage the future potions. Was the boy really that guileless? No wonder Albus had done everything he could to protect Potter from the Dark Lord. Potter could never kill anyone - not even the Dark Lord.

Finally, after several minutes, Potter knocked one of the seeds into his lap. Calmly but firmly, Severus said, "Put that back, Potter. If you try to steal any more, I will punish you."

Pulling a face, Potter dumped the seed in an empty jar. Severus waited for a tantrum, but it never came. Instead, Potter returned to his work as though he hadn't stopped it.

Since Potter had decided to behave for once, Severus caught up on his potions duties before returning the boy to his cage without a bit of fuss or fighting. Perhaps his new calming potion was perfect. After all this time, he'd finally found the right dosage.

As the Dark Lord had commanded him to keep an eye on Potter, he remained in the library, checking on Potter in the mirror in between reading lines of his book. Perhaps he should give Potter to Lucius again if he could always have this response, minus that odd affliction. How long had Potter read today? Longer than Severus had ever observed him reading before. Maybe even more than he'd ever read in one day in his entire life.

When dinnertime came, Severus nearly considered waiting until after Potter had finished the book, but who knew how long it would take him, and that skinny frame couldn't be healthy. Walking into the hallway, Severus waited for him to glance up from his book.

And waited.

And waited.

Perhaps he should lock up all his troublesome students and give them to their worst nightmare for a few hours. He cleared his throat.

Potter threw his book to the floor and Severus grabbed his wand.

"I can't believe it! He saved the goat! The goat instead of the girl!"

"Why would he go through so much trouble only to save the goat? Is he mad?"

She tapped her pen against her cheek, her eyes fixed on a beam of sunlight pouring in through the window. "I suppose it was the only true friend he had."

"This surprises you?"

"And that pervert!" Potter threw up his hands. "'The tomb or my bed.' What kind of choice is that? She's gotta be the sex slave of an ugly old pervert or die. I think I'd choose death too."

Severus strode into the cage and spelled dinner on the table. "She would've been much better off had she agreed to Frollo's terms and then killed him in his sleep."

The green flashed and Potter declared, "She's far too noble and pure to do something like that! You think too much like a Slytherin."

You say that as if it is a bad thing. Severus snorted his disapproval. "Noble? I think you mean stupid and short-sighted. You must admit that her death was no other fault than her own."

Potter whirled to face him as if he had been personally insulted. "What? How is it her fault? Frollo was the one who stabbed Phoebus and got her charged with murder! Yeah, she was stupid to care so much about Phoebus who treated her like dirt, but she couldn't help it. She was in love."

Love. The Gryffindor excuse for everything. How they valued love without ever acknowledging its destructive powers was beyond him. "You excuse her behaviour on account of love but do not do the same for Frollo?"

Glaring, Potter argued, "It's different! Frollo didn't care about her at all; he just wanted her as if she was an object or something. Esmeralda was innocent and truly loved Phoebus."

Typical. The beautiful girl had been given absolution, but not the dark, ugly man. "Did she? She fell in love with him based on his appearance and misread his thoughts and intentions nearly every time they interacted. She loved him for who he appeared to be rather than for who he was. Think of how poorly she treated Quasimodo at first; he was ugly in appearance, but far more innocent and caring than even she. Compare him with his direct opposite, Phoebus, her love, who was perfect in form yet corrupt within."

"Like Dobby and Draco," murmured Potter.

"Dobby and Draco?" Draco could hardly be said to be corrupt. Unlike his father, he could never kill a man.

Potter turned pink. Odd, that. He gave a little shake of his head and said, "Never mind. So is he trying to say that love is bad or something?"

"No, I don't believe that is the intent of the book at all. It speaks very highly of familial love for example." Should he move the conversation? This day had gone better than he expected. He and Potter were engaging in a normal conversation! Who knew when this opportunity would come again. Time to try to shift Potter's thinking. "I think the message you should take from this book is that, contrary to what others have repeatedly told you, love is not always a positive force-"

"But-"

Severus quieted him with an upheld hand. "I assume you are about to argue that what the characters feel is not true love." At Potter's nod he continued, "Yet, when we try to make such distinctions we run the risk of dismissing love completely. Do you feel that your love for your parents is less than your love for your friends because you've never met your parents and don't know them personally?"

Darkness crossed Potter's face and Severus prepared for a fight. Instead, Potter said, "No, of course not."

It was working. Tread softly. "Love saved you and gave you power through that scar, but it also has the potential to destroy you and the ones you love even when your love is 'true' as you would say."

Narrowing his eyes, Potter said, "You think I shouldn't love?"

Too much too soon. "No, of course not. Just imagine if, in order to destroy the Dark Lord, you'd be required to sacrifice one of your loved ones. Take Miss Granger, for example. If she told you that she needed to sacrifice her life in order that the Dark Lord would be destroyed and the war brought to an end, you would try to stop her, correct?"

"Of course I would! I'd do anything! There would have to be some other way to stop him."

Such a martyr. He really couldn't be blamed entirely though, he had been raised as one. "And your reluctance would damn countless other individuals, including your remaining friends. Your love for her would cause you to fail, and the result would be evil."

"That's not going to happen." Potter stared at Severus suspiciously. "Is it?"

"Perhaps." Better to stop now when the boy still remained open to his words. He left for the kitchen, where he cooked their meals whilst watching Potter. Although he doubted the boy who was the epitome of Gryffindor could be made to think more like a Slytherin, and Potter did need to sacrifice himself willingly, Severus had to be sure that, when the time came for sacrifice, the boy gave his life to destroy the Dark Lord, not to save one of his little friends or other such nonsense. Albus had been so busy teaching the boy the concepts of sacrifice and love, he hadn't realised what a martyr he'd created. No, if Potter were to die, his death would have meaning. Severus would make sure of that.

It had been twenty-four hours since Potter's strange illness and Severus realised he needed to sleep, as it had been a couple of days since he'd had more than just a few hours. He retired to his room and fetched Albus's portrait.

"What was wrong with Harry?"

Severus set up the mirror for Albus. "Nothing as far as I could tell. He recovered after I cast Rennervate. I ought to sleep. Warn me if anything should happen."

"I will."

A full night's sleep (full for him, anyway) left him refreshed and eager to start the day. Really, with his improved calming potions and the mild sleeping potions, dealing with Potter wasn't bad at all. For the first time since he'd been locked up with Potter, the thought of interacting with the boy didn't fill him with dread. He retrieved the mirror, returned Albus to his pocket, and headed off to his lab to work.

As he slowly added muscle-growth potion to one of the cauldrons containing his Clone Potion, he noticed odd shaking in Potter's limbs in the mirror. Another attack? It didn't look quite like it, but he needed to give the boy breakfast soon, so he decided to investigate.

Shoving the mirror back in his robes, he finished his task and hurried back to the house, rushing down to the cellar.

As he strode into the hallway, he could hear Potter muttering something.

"What was that, Potter?"

Potter lay still in bed, his head buried in his pillow.

"Are you hurt, Potter?"

The messy black head lifted, revealing a reddened face, although the brow remained free of sweat. The bits of pale white skin not covered by clothes likewise seemed free of sweat. "No, no, I'm fine. I just, um, I was thinking that I should wash my clothes. Got any soap for them?"

Liar. Since when did a teenage boy offer to do chores? "I will take care of it, just give them to me."

"I'd rather do it myself."

What was he planning? How could washing his clothes possibly lead to an escape attempt? Did he seriously expect that he might be allowed in the laundry room? Pretending he had no idea of Potter's plotting, Severus said, "I am quite certain you would end up making a mess. I'll wash them while you are taking your bath if your nudity concerns you."

Nodding, Potter said, "Okay, but I'd like a bath now, before breakfast."

"Very well." Severus clutched Albus's wand with his left hand. He'd be ready for this escape attempt. He stepped back and let Potter precede him to the bathroom, keeping a close eye on him every step of the way.

Curious as to how Potter planned to execute this attempt, Severus discreetly cast the viewing spell on the bathroom ceiling, gathered Potter's clothes and left, placing wards over the bathroom door. His eyes on the mirror as he headed to the laundry room, he watched Potter bathe, paying close attention to all his actions.

Potter hunched over, his right hand slipping towards something near his stomach. Unfortunately, Severus hadn't positioned the spell directly above the tub and, with Potter's back blocking most of his body, Severus couldn't tell what he was doing. Hurriedly, he cleaned the clothes with spells, then returned to the bathroom.

Determined to conceal whatever it was he was hiding, Potter stuck his face in the water. He jerked his head up, water flying everywhere and yelled, "I'm fine! I'm fine!"

Discreetly, Severus tried to look between his legs to see the contraband that had been taken, but saw nothing but skin. He certainly wasn't going to stare there. He'd wait to see what was hidden when Potter stood.

Potter's face hadn't gotten any less red. "Err . . . I was just . . . rinsing my hair. Um . . . could you hand me a towel, please?"

What in the bloody hell was going on? What on earth could he possibly be hiding? All the toiletries had been on the sink, hadn’t they? Severus grabbed a towel and handed it over.

Potter climbed out of the bath, using the towel to conceal his groin. Whatever he had, it was under the towel. Severus pretended to be ignorant of it as he walked Potter back to his cage, sent his clothing to the bed, and Summoned breakfast. Once back in the cage, Severus decided to try a different way of approaching the situation. Although he longed to go over and rip the towel away, if he expressed concern for Potter, the boy might come to trust him sooner.

"You've been acting strangely all morning."

Too curtly, Potter said, "I'm fine." He tucked the towel in on itself and scratched the back of his head. Unless he'd shoved the object in his arse, he didn't have it under his towel. Maybe he'd planted something in the bathroom? Severus left to take a look.

No, nothing in the tub. Damn! He should've reinstalled the viewing spell in the cage! He crept back over and peered in.

Potter was bent over the toilet, his hand working between his legs.

Those movements Severus knew all too well. Again?! Ugh! One minute the boy was near death, the next minute he couldn't keep his hands away from his crotch. Teenagers!

"Oh, fuck!!"

Severus cast the viewing spell as he rushed out of the hallway. He did not need to see or hear any more of that! Hopefully Potter had finished for the day. Maybe he should slip something into Potter's food to kill his libido.
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Invictus