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Measure of a Man	By : SailorSol Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 71274 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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.

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MEASURE OF A MAN

Why do you ask him, move to heaven and earth

To prove his love has worth?

Would he walk on water?

Would he run through fire?

Would he stand before you,

Will he be your anchor when the dark unfolds?

Will he always love you, the best that he knows?

Would he gave his life up

To be all he can?

Is that, is that, is that how you measure a man?

When Harry woke, it was to a world of too much light. He had burning sensations in several regions of his body. He became dimly aware of the all-too familiar smells of the Hospital Wing, and of the even breathing of someone nearby.

He cautiously opened his eyes to find that he was in a smaller side room of the main Hospital Wing, and that the lighting was in fact quite dim. Memory returned of the spell that Voldemort had cast at him and of Draco coming through the shadow fire to help him.

He turned his head to find out who was next to him and smiled to see Snape in a chair, asleep. In a bed on the other side of Snape lay Draco, his pale face pinched and drawn in pain. Harry rolled over to be able to look at both of them, and cried out in agony when one of his hands brushed against something else.

In shock, Harry looked at his hands, swathed in bandages. They felt as if they had been held in a fire and burned.

His cry roused both Snape and Draco, and Draco cried out, as well, when he tried to move.

Snape laid firm but gentle hands on Harry�s shoulders and eased him back onto his back.

�Don�t try to move,� he cautioned. �You were burned by the magical fire, and the burns will take time to heal. Because they were caused by magic, they must heal on their own.�

Harry nodded his acknowledgement, blinking tears of pain from his eyes. He looked past Snape at Draco, who had stopped moving, and was panting from the pain. Quick footsteps heralded the arrival of Madame Pomfrey with several potion phials in her hands. She handed half of them to Snape, and then bustled over to see to Draco.

Gingerly, Snape propped Harry against his chest and then fed him three potions, each more vile-tasting than the next. While he was administering the potions, Snape explained that even though the burns could not be healed with magic, there were other things they could do to hasten the healing process. The first potion was to help replace the fluids Harry had lost from the burns. The second potion was both a painkiller and an anti-itch agent. The last one was to help the skin repair itself where it had been burned.

�Why can�t these things taste better?� Draco�s normally disdainful tone was replaced by a more ordinary whine of a young man in pain.

�Even I know it would interfere with the way the potions work, Malfoy,� Harry growled. The painkiller was working, but he was still grumpy.

�I mean, why can�t they use ingredients that taste better,� Draco responded. Harry smiled in spite of himself, still able to get a rise out of Draco in the verbal sparring department.

�Because you wouldn�t know it was working, of course,� Harry retorted. Draco did the only thing he could under the circumstances. In a very un-Malfoyish gesture, he stuck out his tongue.

Some time later, Lucius Malfoy came in, accompanied by an auror. Madame Pomfrey put screens around Draco�s bed so that the two Malfoys could have a private talk. The auror stood outside the screens, and Snape cast a silencing spell so that what was said five feet from Harry would stay private.

�What�s going on, Professor?� Harry asked quietly. He did not know how many people had found out about his relationship with Snape, and he was going to keep it that way.

�Lucius has decided to change sides,� Snape replied. �He has been with aurors for the last two days, giving them the names of every Death Eater he knows, the locations of their hiding places, and all of the plans that he knew anything about. In return, he keeps his lands and fortune, minus reparations to families that he has hurt personally. He will be staying here at Hogwarts until the war is over, working with the Order of the Phoenix. Do not mistake this for an ethical decision. His change of heart comes from knowing that the Dark Lord thought nothing of sacrificing his son to get you.�

�That must be wonderful,� Harry mused, sighing. �What is it like to have a father willing to make that kind of change for you?�

�If there is one thing Lucius Malfoy is completely devoted to,� Snape said. �It is his family. In fact, he and I need to have a talk later.�

�Why?� Harry asked. Snape looked down at him silently, and then a small smile graced his lips.

�Because Lucius and I swore blood-brotherhood, Harry,� he said quietly. �I need him to know that you are �family� as well.�

�Oh,� Harry said. �If you think it�s wise.�

�It is necessary,� Snape said. �Lucius would never willingly harm a member of his family, or allow them to be harmed, no matter what his previous opinion of them was. He must understand the relationship.�

�I believe I do understand, Severus,� Lucius Malfoy�s smooth voice interrupted the explanation. �Draco has explained the nature of your association with Harry, here, and had I known, I would have warned you in advance. As it was, even I did not see past your public fa�ade.�

�Good,� Harry said. �If you didn�t, then no one else has.�

�The headmaster knows,� Snape said. �He needed to know why I insisted on staying here.�

�It�s against the rules,� Harry protested. �He�ll have to sack you, and expel me.�

�You are mistaken, Harry,� Lucius said, smiling. �There are advantages to being the Boy-Who-Lived, after all. Dumbledore explained to the Board of Governors that you desperately needed stable relationships, and that Severus was protective and vicious. They agreed to make an exception in your case.

�This is a complete secret,� Lucius continued. �So, of course, the entire school will probably know by the time you are back in class. In the meantime, I will be here when Severus is teaching, and I will be assisting both you and Draco with your schoolwork. Your professors are willing to take my word that you dictate any essays, since you cannot possibly write them yourselves, and we have all learned to be cautious of a Quick-Quotes Quill.�

�Yeah,� Harry said. �No kidding.� He smiled, though, as he thought of how he had used Rita Skeeter the previous year.

Hours later, Harry wasn�t smiling. The painkilling potions wore off in the middle of the night, and from the sounds he could hear elsewhere in the room, Draco was hurting as much as he was.

Biting his lip and panting in agony, Harry slid out of his bed and crossed the small distance to Draco�s. He climbed into bed with the other wizard and wrapped his arms around him, ignoring the pain.

Once Harry was settled, both of them noticed that they seemed to be in less pain than before. Draco tiredly nestled his head on Harry�s chest, and Harry settled his cheek on Draco�s head, breathing in the unique combination of spices and incense and cologne that Draco alone smelled like. Without thinking about anything except their extreme fatigue, both of them fell into a deep sleep.

*** *** ***

When Harry & Draco were released from Hospital Wing Friday morning, they were greeted with silent stares by their classmates at breakfast. Lucius was seated at the Head Table next to Snape, both watching for any problems. Harry gave Draco an encouraging look, and then separated from him to go to the Gryffindor table.

Harry had barely sat down when the first whisper came from the Hufflepuff table.

�Hey, Potter!� the anonymous male voice behind him stage-whispered. �What�s it like to get buggered by Snape?� There were muttered protests from the other Hufflepuffs, but not as many as Harry wished there were. He glanced around at the other members of his House to find that there were many unfriendly looks.

�I never would have pegged you for an arse-bandit, Harry,� Dean Thomas said, shaking his head.

�Potter,� a voice from one side caused Harry to turn in time to take the full brunt of a backhanded slap that knocked him to the ground, jarring his half-healed burns.

�How dare you toy with me like that!� Cho Chang shrieked. �You let me think you liked me, and all the time, you were eyeing the boys! I have never been so humiliated!�

�You�re not one to talk,� the calm voice of Luna Lovegood stopped Cho cold.

�You are a Ravenclaw, Chang,� Luna said calmly. �We are supposed to be analytical in the face of anything. You have displayed a level of emotional behavior that would shame even a Gryffindor, and they�re the most emotional house of all.�

Cho�s cheeks flamed scarlet at this rather public rebuke. She opened her mouth to protest it, and her protest died unspoken when she heard the voice of her Head of House from the Head Table.

�Twenty points from Ravenclaw, Miss Chang, for your outburst,� Professor Flitwick said. �And detention with Mr. Filch for a week.�

�Twenty points more, Miss Chang, for striking a fellow student,� McGonagall said. �And detention with me for a week, after your detentions with Mr. Filch.�

Hermione started helping Harry to his feet, watching the students gathered around her. Neville stepped forward to help Harry up, trying to jar him as little as possible.

�Don�t pay any attention to them, Harry,� Hermione murmured as Harry shakily resumed his seat. �They�re just jealous.�

�Jealous!� Dean�s voice rose into a treble pitch as he realized what Hermione was implying. �Why would I be jealous of that greasy git?�

Too late, he realized his mistake. He looked at McGonagall for sympathy, and found none in her unforgiving scowl.

�All professors, Mr. Thomas,� McGonagall said, her voice heard in every corner of the Great Hall. �Deserve and require your respect. Regardless of your personal feelings, you will not speak disrespectfully of or to any member of the staff while I am employed here. Fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor, and you have detention with Mr. Filch for two weeks. After that, Professor Snape may add whatever punishment he sees fit to mete out.�

�I�m dead,� Dean said, dropping his head to the table in front of him with a resounding thud.

�I�ll say you�re dead,� Ginny Weasley snapped. �Thanks to you, we�re in last place. Why can�t you just leave Harry alone?�

�I�m not one of his worshippers, Weasley,� Dean snapped. Ginny�s eyes narrowed, promising retribution later, but she kept her silence.

�If the melodramatics are over,� Dumbledore�s voice cut over the buzz of voices that was beginning to sound like a hive of angry bees. �We have breakfast to eat, and classes to attend.� He kept his gaze on the students until they had all obediently turned to their plates, gossip averted until later.

It wasn�t until the end of the day that Harry realized the extent of intolerance that existed inside Gryffindor House. He entered the common room to find his trunk and his other belongings neatly stacked in the center of the room. Dean, Seamus, and Ron were standing behind it with their arms folded.

�We don�t want you in our dorm, Pillow-Biter,� Seamus said. �You aren�t welcome here.�

�Yeah,� Dean said. �Go down to the Slytherins, where you belong. We should have figured you out second year.�

�This is ridiculous!� Hermione exploded from behind Harry. �I�m going to Dumbledore! You can�t do this!�

�No, Hermione,� Harry said coldly. �If they don�t want me here, I�m not going to stay here. I would appreciate your help, though.�

�Of course, Harry,� she said, stepping forward with Harry to pick up the trunk. �I�m still going to Dumbledore, though.� She helped him get the trunk back through the portrait hole, and then used a locomotor on the trunk to take it down to the dungeons and to Snape�s office.

�I�ll be fine from here, �Mione,� Harry said. �You�d better get back to referee.�

�You mean to babysit the children?� Hermione asked impishly. Harry smiled stiffly and nodded.

Hermione had just turned away when the office door opened to reveal Lucius Malfoy.

�I thought I heard voices,� he said. �Do come in, both of you, and perhaps you can explain why this trunk is here.�

�Harry can explain,� Hermione said, uneasy in Lucius� presence. �I have to report to Dumbledore.�

�As you wish, Miss Granger,� Lucius said, smiling. �Would you like an escort?�

�I think I can make it to the Headmaster�s office, sir, thank you,� she said, and then she turned and hurried away.

Lucius stepped aside to let Harry in, and watched as Severus greeted his lover with the cool demeanor typical of a Slytherin, and then awkwardly embraced Harry when the younger man climbed into his lap, sobbing brokenheartedly.

The story came out haltingly, between sobs, even after a calming potion was administered. Harry finally calmed down to hiccups, and then fell asleep, still cradled in Snape�s arms.

Severus had barely risen from his chair carrying the quiet form of his lover before his fire turned green and the severe face of the Headmaster appeared in the flames.

�Please bring Harry to my office, Severus,� he said. �There are some adjustments that need to be made, and he needs to hear Minerva�s reaction for himself. Bring the Slytherin prefects with you.� He withdrew and the fire resumed its normal coloring.

Gently, Severus shook Harry until he roused.

�The Headmaster wishes to see you, Harry,� he said softly as he lowered Harry�s feet to the ground. Lucius smiled as he saw this softer side of his friend, hidden for so many years by his role as a Death Eater and a spy.

Harry nodded sleepily and scrubbed the remains of tears from his face. He finger-combed his hair into some semblance of order, then straightened his robes.

�I�m ready,� he said. Severus nodded, and then led to the entrance to Slytherin House.

At the hidden entrance, Snape simply tapped his wand against the portrait and it swung aside obediently, and then closed behind him when he stepped inside. Moments later, he came out with the six prefects behind him. Draco stood out, not only because of his hair, but because of the bandages that still swathed his arms.

Without a word, Snape led the way to the entrance to the Headmaster�s office.

Once inside Dumbledore�s office, after everyone had refused tea and lemon drops, the old wizard got to the point.

�It seems that Mr. Potter�s dorm mates have decided that he is no longer fit to spend time in Gryffindor House,� he said. McGonagall, who up until this time had been sitting calmly with a cup of tea in her hands, slammed it down with enough force to shatter the cup and spray Dumbledore, Harry, and Snape with tea.

�I�m terribly sorry,� she said, cleaning up the mess with a wave of her wand. �Albus, have they come to you about this, instead of me?�

�No, Minerva, it is more serious than that,� Dumbledore replied, his blue eyes as hard as stone. �They took it upon themselves to remove Harry, without consulting any staff members. It seems that Mr. Weasley�s objection was to Harry�s specific choice of partners, not to his choice of males over females. The objections of Mr. Finnegan and Mr. Thomas were more general.�

�I can�t believe it,� McGonagall said. �I would have thought that they would stick together.�

�You mean the way they stuck together during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Professor McGonagall?� Pansy Parkinson asked. Her face was still and her eyes cold as ice. Even McGonagall knew that she was angry.

�It�s always been Weasley�s way to be jealous,� Pansy continued. �We�ve observed it for years, but it was none of our business, since they were Gryffindors, and it didn�t disrupt class. I assume that we are here because this involves Professor Snape.�

�Yes, indeed,� Dumbledore said, smiling at her. �I am going to arrange for Harry to live in one of the guest suites in the dungeons. I have no wish for him to be in danger because of the hostility of his house mates, nor do I wish for them to be in danger from him. Harry has had training that makes him much more advanced than other sixth years. Even Mr. Weasley has not had some of it.�

�You want us to keep an eye on him,� Draco said, his face serious and devoid of any malice.

�Not at all, Mr. Malfoy,� the aged wizard replied. �I wish all of the prefects to know that Harry will be down there, and that he has permission to roam the dungeons at will. He is a restless sleeper and will likely be awake at odd hours. Also, he will be permitted to visit Professor Snape at any time, should he need assistance with his Occlumency or a potion for pain or sleeplessness.� The familiar twinkle was back in the blue eyes as Dumbledore spoke, telling them that he was having them on.

�I have a better idea,� Harry said as the Slytherins chuckled or smiled to show their appreciation for the Headmaster�s humor.

All eyes in the room turned to Harry. He fidgeted a bit under McGonagall�s unwavering gaze, but he took a deep breath and continued.

�The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin to start with,� Harry said, not looking at McGonagall. �But I asked it not to, since some well-meaning but misinformed people had told me that all bad witches and wizards came from Slytherin. I now know that is not the case. To simplify things, just put me where I should have been from the start.�

TBC
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Measure of a Man