Before
and After the End
Chapter
III
style=\'mso-tab-count:1\'> “Again Potter,” Severus
snapped. He felt guilt when the boy
winced and looked like he was going to cry.
He knew he shouldn’t be like this, but if he acted like he cared it would
be too soon for him. Not only that but
the boy was frustrating him to no end, he had been practicing with the boy for
about a week now, and he was no better then when he began.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'>
style=\'mso-tab-count:1\'> Severus sighed, the Fey were very
affectionate creatures that crave affection in return, especially from their
bonded and dare he say it “mother.” style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> It seems that Harry had instinctually chosen
him as his “mother” figure in his life.
Severus assumed it was because he senses the dormant Fey
blood in him. All Fey, especially
children, because by Fey standards, he was still very much a child, he needs a
mother to teach him, to love him. This
unfortunately was the role he was given by the very boy who had treated so
horribly in the past.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Shaking his head, he told Harry to concentrate
and try again. The boy nodded and did as
he was told. Holding his hands out, like
he was holding a sphere in his hands, gave out a deep breathe and closed his
eyes in concentration. His hair, that
Minerva had so affectionately braided, began to rise behind him as if wind was
blowing from beneath him. Around his
clawed hands a white flame like glow formed, then as if water it slipped
through his fingers and began to swirl in the center of the space between his
hands.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Severus held his breath as the glow swirled
into an orb, he was doing it, and the orb became brighter drawing more
energy.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Just as it looked like he was going to succeed,
Harry cried out in pain.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Potter,” Severus called.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>The glow stopped and the orb disappeared,
leaving a crying and pale boy who was shaking.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Potter,” Severus tried again as he stepped
closer to the terrified boy, shocked when the boy launched himself into his
arms seeking comfort. Out of habitat, he
told himself, he wrapped his arms around the trembling boy.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> His robes creating a blanket from the outside
world to calm him.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“What happened?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“He’s hurting someone again,” the boy cried.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Who?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Voldermort,” the boy
whispered through tears.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Then Severus remembered the damn scar on
Harry’s forehead, created a link between him and the Dark Lord.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>These were the moments that Severus dreaded the
most. For magically, Harry was a force
to he reckoned with, but physically and emotionally he was as weak as a kitten,
even more so with his Fey blood. The Fey
were normally gentle and docile creatures.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry snuggled closer, and then Severus noticed
Harry was no longer cried. Looking down,
he found that the young boy had fallen asleep.
He must have been exhausted and the vision was the last straw.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Lifting Harry up, he took him to the couch
and lay him down.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Sighing yet again, he had been doing that
lately; this whole ordeal was tiring him.
Teaching Potter had become difficult, because he couldn’t act like he
normally did, that would just harm the boy more.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'>
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>In all truth, he never hated the boy, only
acted that way because it was expected of him.
He was a Death Eater and James Potter’s enemy.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> The bloody prat, even now he haunted him.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> It isn’t bad enough, that no matter how hard
he tried he never truly could hate James, everyone else no problem, but he
truly was sad when he found out James had died.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>But the strangest part, was that a voice inside
said he wasn’t gone, he was still here.
Looking over to the living image of the man, he couldn’t bring himself
to believe was gone, he closed his eyes.
He had admitted to himself long ago, that the silent and vocal insults
he told the boy were really a way to convince himself that he could not and
should not care for the boy. But despite
his best attempts, here he was looking after a boy like he was his own son,
apart of him wish he was.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Severus, my boy,” a gentle voice called.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Turning Severus greeted Albus not even trying
to be surprise; the old man had a way of sneaking up on people.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“How is he doing?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“He finally formed an attack today,” Severus
said seeing the twinkle in the Headmaster’s eyes.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Wonderful,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“But he couldn’t complete it,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“How ever so?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“He saw another vision.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> He was
attacking someone, caused Potter to lose his concentration,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Oh my,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“He was tired and fell asleep,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“How are you?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“To be expected, beyond my limits.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Is Hagrid here
yet?” he snapped.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Yes, just arrived today,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Good, then he could stay with him,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“You know, Harry will want to be you, but he’ll
go if it makes you happy,” Albus said with a knowing look in his eyes.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Yes, well can you leave me, I am tired,”
Severus yawned.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Albus nodded and walked out.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Waiting for the man to leave, Severus collapsed
on the sofa near Potter and let out a sign.
He closed his eyes for what felt like a second, but when he opened them,
he looked down to see a wide awake Harry staring back at him.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“We’ve been asleep for two hours,” he
whispered.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Two hours?
I have potions to make,” Severus snapped and pulled away quickly and
went to his lab.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry followed him.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Professor, would you like some help?” Harry
asked.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“From you, I think not,” Severus snapped making
Harry wince.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Severus sighed and ran his fingers through his
hair.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Hagrid is here, he wishes to see you,” Severus
told him.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Really?
He won’t dislike me?” Harry asked.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“You and I both know that he loves animals and
he loves you, so I doubt he’d hate you.
He may be a fool, but he’s not prejudice idiot,” Severus said something
akin to a complement.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry nodded and turned to leave but stopped.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“May I come back?” he whispered.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“If you wish,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry nodded and ran out, looking for a
friendly face and wishing Severus could care him at least a little bit.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Harry,” a gentle voice called out.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry turned and looked up at the elderly
gentleman that had become a sergeant grandfather.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Yes Professor Dumbledore,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“How does your training fair?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“I formed an attack today,” Harry said with a
smile in his eyes but it quickly faded.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“But I couldn’t finish because I received another
vision,” Harry said as he pointed to his scar.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“I really do wish you didn’t have them, but it
can not be helped. Do you wish to tell
me what it was about?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Random torturing again, I fear he becoming
restless,” Harry whispered.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Yes, well enough of these sad thoughts.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Where are you off to?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“To Hagrids,
Professor Snape said he was back,” Harry smiled.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Yes, I was on my way to see him, would you
like some company?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry nodded.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>They walked to familiar way to class=SpellE>Hagrid’s hut near the w:st=\"on\">Forbidden Forest.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Albus noticed the smiles didn’t quite reach
Harry’s eyes and looked downcast.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“You know Harry, I always thought you were one
to never give up,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Professor?” Harry asked confused as he ears
perked up.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“If one desires something, one must keep
trying, after all things worth having do not come easy.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Only the persistent achieve what they truly
desire. Also note be weary of first
appearances, they are usual quite off.
Like a diamond, at first you see coal and dirt, but beneath there is a
precious crystal, one just has to chip off the outside.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Like J. R. R. Tolkien said, “style=\'mso-bidi-font-style:normal\'>All that is gold does not glitter.”
Dumbledore stated.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“You’ve read the Lord of the Ring books, but
those are muggle books,” Harry stated.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Who says?” Dumbledore smiled.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry had a shocked looked on his face, then
the hidden message made itself known to Harry.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“You think?” Harry asked, forgetting what
Dumbledore told him about his favorite books, his tail waving with excitement.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“I believe so,” Dumbledore smiled.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'>
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Harry, Professor,” a joyous voice called
them. Reaching them was the gentle half
giant.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Harry, my Lord, you’re… adorable,” class=SpellE>Hagrid stated, as he petted Harry earning a small purr from
the Fey.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Come on, lets go inside you can tell about
your abilities,” Hagrid smiled leading them inside.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Severus sighed as he continued to do his
potions, failing to notice the young boy behind him.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Professor, do you need some help?” Harry
whispered.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Snape turned and glared as the boy.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“No,” he snapped.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry bit his bottom lip, and his ears fell on
top of his head, Severus glare soften.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“I need some willows root, it’s in the cabinet
by my bookshelf, can you retrieve it for me.
It is labeled,” Severus stated, and withheld the smile on his own face
when he saw the one on Harry’s. The boy nodded
and went to the bookshelf in the other room.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Severus shook his head lightly and smiled,
maybe this was for the best.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry come back with the bottle and hands it to
Severus. It was like this for an hour,
the only words that were spoken when the ingredients and where to find
them. It seemed closed off and not very
personal but it made Harry happy, and Severus could feel it.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>When they were done, Severus led them to his
personal common room.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“What else would you like to know about the
Fey, Harry?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry didn’t know what to more happy about the
fact that Snape was going to talk more about the Fey or that he had said his
first name instead of his surname.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry quickly sat next to Severus.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“I wish to know more about a Fey’s mate,” Harry
answered as he brought his knees up and placing his chin on top of the
knee. His tail curl around his feet.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“What about their mate?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“If all Fey are submissive does that mean that
my mate is male?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Yes,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Oh, how will I know it’s him, what if he’s
dead or if he doesn’t love me, maybe he’s too much older or younger?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Stop.
First off, if he was dead, you would feel it, it is said that apart of
your heart feels like its dead, something inside says they’re gone.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Are you feeling that?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“No,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Good, then he are still alive.style=\'mso-spacerun:yes\'> Second, the bond does force love Harry, it’s
the other way around. It’s the love he
already feels that creates the bond. And
lastly, he will be older then you, but only by a couple of month, less then a
year apart. It is said that when a mate
is born, the fey will follow.”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry nodded content with the answer that Snape
gave him.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Anything else?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“What other powers do I have?” Harry asked
somewhat weary.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“There is the control of one of the element,
which is usually water, wind, fire and earth or a sub element like lighting,
metal or wood. One can tell over time
which one is yours, and then there is the ability to transform into a cat,
after you complete the bond.”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“When is the bond complete?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“After the birth of your first child,”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“And it starts?”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Severus blushed at the question, “At
consummation.”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry understood and blushed too.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry reddened and whispered,” And I’ll
be…expecting after the first time.”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“That is usually the case.”
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry nodded and refused to look Severus in the
eye.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“I think that’s enough for today, it’s time for
dinner,” Severus said as he stood but stayed still.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry looked up confused.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>“Well, come on,” Severus said.
style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'>Harry stood quickly and followed the professor.
style=\'mso-bidi-font-style:normal\'>He was
waiting for me. He never waited for me before.style=\'font-family:\"Bodoni MT\"\'> Harry thought with a smile.
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