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Crime is of the Essence	By : K8BNimble Category: Harry Potter Crossovers > Slash - Male/Male Views: 6594 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or BBC’s Sherlock nor do I make money from this. I just like playing with them. Harry Potter is owned by owned by JK Rowling, Scholastic and Warner Brothers & BBC’s Sherlock is owned by, well, the BBC

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
And I still don’t own either Harry Potter or BBC’s Sherlock. I also make no money on this either….

Story note: The year is 2018. It’s canon until the Epilogue. Harry never married. Ron and Hermione had Rose and Hugo earlier than indicated in the books so that they are older in this story. Rose was born in 2002 and Hugo in 2005. Other minor modifications made without notice probably!
Reminder: The Sherlock in this story is from BBC's Sherlock which is set in contemporary times. This IS NOT Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock nor any traditional versions as portrayed by Jeremy Brett or any other actor. This is Sherlock as portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. You do not need to have seen the BBC series to follow this story.

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Crime is of the Essence

Chapter 4 – Unlocking Severus Snape
“I’m Harry,” Harry answered cautiously.
“I need Harry Potter,” Severus said argumentatively.
“I am Harry Potter.” Harry lifted his bangs up to show the scar once again. It had been awhile since he had needed it to prove who he was.
Severus reached up and gently traced the scar on Harry’s forehead and then searched Harry’s eyes. Harry did not feel the push of Legilimency as he would have expected.
“You’re Harry Potter?” Snape sounded confused.
“Yes. I know it’s been some time, sir, but it really is me. Why did you need me?”
Severus slumped a bit. “I…I don’t remember,” he admitted quietly.
Sherlock stepped closer to the two of them and knelt down. “You don’t remember why you needed Harry?” Severus looked at the curious man kneeling before him.
“No…I think…” Snape screwed up his face in thought. Harry could see he was struggling with trying to find the memory. “I think he’s,” and he turned to Harry again and looked at his face, “…that you’re in danger.”
Harry smiled at him. “It wouldn’t be the first time.” He patted Snape’s thigh. “How are you feeling?”
Snape concentrated again and blinked several times. “Tired. Where am I?”
“You’re at my house. I’m still at living at Grimmauld Place.”
“So, you know me?” Severus asked cautiously. That caused both Harry and Sherlock to sit up a bit more attentively.
“Of course. I’ve known you for years. What do you mean by that?” Harry asked.
“Then – who am I?” Severus asked in a sharp whisper.
Harry jerked back and then glared at Sherlock. Sherlock grimaced. Apparently both of them didn’t come out of that Legilimency break fully intact.
Harry took a deep breath. “Sherlock, why don’t you go make some tea for us.”
“What? Why? I can’t…” Sherlock began to argue.
“That’s the least you can do right now,” Harry said, tightly. Sherlock huffed but left the room. Under other circumstances, Harry would have been amused at the thought of Sherlock making tea. He’d probably burn the water. He certainly never made it when they were together. That was Harry’s job.
He turned back to the man on the bed with him and took his hand. Snape had the look of a frightened child which discombobulated Harry. He’d never seen Snape actually scared.
“You’re Severus Snape. You used to be a professor of mine. There’s been a little accident and I think you may have lost your memory. Temporarily, I hope.” He smiled warmly and prayed he was accurate. Seventy percent of the time, victims of this type of accident did regain their memories eventually. It could be within minutes or it could take years.
“Severus Snape? That’s an odd name, isn’t it?” Snape asked.
“I haven’t heard of too many other people with that name, but then again there aren’t any other people quite like you so it suits you well.”
“We’re friends, then?” Harry wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. For simplicity’s sake, he nodded.
“And the other man? Is he also my friend?”
“I don’t believe the two of you ever met. His name is Sherlock Holmes. He’s the one that found you and brought you here.”
“Oh. Why did he bring me to you? Are you a doctor?”
“Er…no. It’s a long story but he thought I would know how to help you.” Thinking of the scene he had observed on the phone, he added, “He thought you would be safer here.”
“Am I in danger?” Snape seemed calm for a man with complete amnesia.
“I don’t honestly know. But it’s possible. I promise I’ll protect you if you are. That’s my job,” Harry said to reassure him. “I’m an Auror.”
Severus sat quietly for a few moments.
“I need your facilities,” Severus finally said and tried to stand up. He wobbled a bit on his feet and Harry grabbed his arm to steady him. “I’m not an invalid, Harry,” he said with a familiar snark to his voice. He shook Harry’s arm off.
Harry laughed. It was good to hear a little of the old Snape returning. “Of course not,” Harry replied. “The bathroom’s through there.” Harry pointed to the master bath. He waved his wand to turn the lights on for Snape and hoped he’d actually picked up his towels that morning.
His hopes on that were dashed when he heard Snape gripe, “Can’t you afford house elves?” Snape then turned around in the doorway. He looked at Harry in confusion.
“What are house elves?” he asked, sounding unsure.
“I’ll explain later,” Harry answered. Snape nodded and closed the door. Harry smiled. It was a good sign that Severus had a sudden memory like that, even if it hadn’t stuck.
It was a long few minutes as Harry waited. Sherlock had yelled up that the tea was ready for them. Finally Snape walked out, still slightly unsteady on his feet. It looked as if he’d splashed water on his face.
“You can shower later if you’d like. Maybe you’d like something to eat or some tea?” Seeing Snape nod, he offered, “Up here or would you like to come downstairs?”
“I think I’ve been lying about too long. I’ll join you.”

* * * * *

Sherlock had managed a half decent tea. Harry didn’t even know he had three matching tea cups and saucers. Perhaps Harry wasn’t the only one that had changed. He sat Snape down at one end of the table and Sherlock at the other. Harry dug around for some biscuits he thought were in the same cabinet as his glassware. They were tucked away on an upper shelf he rarely used. He did a freshening charm on them as he was sure they were stale.
“It’s all I have at the moment. I’ll go to the market later and pick up some real food.” They all began to quietly sip their tea and eat. Harry was trying to put his confused thoughts into some semblance of order. He assumed the other two were doing the same. All he could see was Sherlock looking around the room and Severus focused on his drink. He looked down into his own and collected himself.
Harry looked up to see that Sherlock was now studying Snape.
“What is so interesting about my person, Mr. Holmes?” Snape snapped.
“I’ve been trying to figure out where you’ve been. You’re a bit of a mystery.”
“A bit?” Harry snorted.
“And what have you concluded with that apparently keen mind of yours?”
“What makes you think my mind is keen?” Harry could tell that Sherlock was fascinated. Snape was an enigma to him. A mystery to be unraveled.
Snape sat back and studied Sherlock in return. “First, you’re tidy. Not so tidy as to be obsessive, but tidy as in you pay attention to the details of your surroundings. You had the tea impeccably serviced, even if it’s not particularly tasty. You pulled matching cups and saucers to match the sugar bowl. Harry clearly has mismatched china, but you went out of your way to pull the third matched cup from the back of the cupboard but you made sure everything else went back into place. So you are tidy. Or you are trying to impress Harry which may be the likelier scenario as since I have awoken, I have noticed you observing not only me but Harry and his home as well. As Harry has indicated, we do not know each other, I can only assume you are more interested in Harry. It is obvious you have not been here in some time and you are trying to ascertain what he has been up to and how he relates to me. I can almost feel when you have made a conclusion. It’s in your eyes.”
Harry was impressed. Snape hadn’t been around Sherlock for more than a few minutes and he picked all that up. The two of them were peas in a pod.
“I like him,” Sherlock said without answering Snape’s original question. “I do believe, though, we have bigger issues at the moment.” Sherlock was looking past Snape’s shoulders.
“What do you mean?”
“Potter! Are you there?” The deep voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt filled the living room. Harry turned to see his boss’s face in the fireplace. He hadn’t turned it off for the night.
“Great. Now what?” Harry got up to go answer it and both Sherlock and Snape started to rise as well.
“Stay here and stay quiet. I don’t want to have to explain either of your presences at the moment.”
He walked out but he heard Snape ask, “Why? Who is that?”
“That’s his boss,” Sherlock answered.

* * * * *

Harry saw the handsome face in the fire looking for him. He bent down into it.
“Hi, Kingsley. What can I do for you?” It was unlike Kingsley to call him at home except in a true emergency.
“Sorry to interrupt your evening of paperwork, Harry. I’m sure you were enjoying it.” Kingsley smirked at him.
“Yes, tragic that.” Harry faked a put-upon look that made Kingsley smile.
“We have a situation. A Wizard was found dead in Hyde Park in a shop that wasn’t there two days ago. Unfortunately, Muggle law enforcement got there before we could and took the body to the morgue and took incriminating photographs of the shop. It was clearly an illegal Wizarding shop and those photographs could prove troublesome.”
“I can imagine. Do you want me on the case? Isn’t Malfoy on duty tonight?”
“He is, but the trouble is the corpse had the Dark Mark.”
“I’m surprised at you, Kingsley. You’ve been the one to insist that Draco should not be judged by his father’s former activities. He’s more than proved himself.”
“I know.” Kingsley sounded uncharacteristically hesitant. “That’s why he’ll be working with you. The problem is, the corpse also had a bottle of your hair on him and we found Polyjuice Potion. I’m afraid you may be in danger. Normally, I would hesitate to have you actively involved, however I think someone may be using Polyjuice to frame you. The more visible we keep you, the better your alibi will stand up if something does happen.”
A shiver went up Harry’s spine. Someone was Polyjuicing as him? It felt like a violation. He'd hated it when his friends had done it for him when he turned 17, but that was for his protection. He suspected this did not have such a benevolent reason behind it. Snape’s warning rang in his ears. He was about to mention Snape when his ears perked up at hearing Sherlock’s name.
“What?”
“I said, have you seen Sherlock Holmes recently?”
“Why?”
“Someone matching his description was seen leaving the scene of the crime. He’s a known user and he’s always been a little obsessed with you, Harry. That’s why I’ve kept you on cases out of the country for the last few years. That’s why we’ve stopped using him on our cases unless we’re desperate.”
“You think Sherlock would want to harm me? I don’t believe it.” He heard a short thud behind him. Harry began to turn to see what it was but the urgency in Kingsley’s voice stopped him.
“I think you need to come to my office, for your own protection, Harry. I’ve opened a direct line to my office.”
Harry hesitated. He didn’t want to leave Snape alone. But something wasn’t right. “I’ll be there, but I’m sure this has nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes.”
He stood to put his Auror robes on. He was glad he didn’t need to rebuckle his boots. He had never taken them off. He knew the other men would know he was leaving and since he didn’t want Kingsley to know about either of them, he chose not to say anything directly. Instead, he started to step into the fireplace. He’d gotten one foot and a part of his arm in when a large hand clamped over his mouth and an arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him away from the fireplace. He could feel Kingsley tugging at him from the other side.
He struggled with the larger body. He didn’t want to be splinched which was a distinct possibility even though that usually only occurred with Apparating. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw another prone body lying on the floor in the kitchen.
Shit. Could Kingsley be right? Or was this Snape? Whoever it was had a far firmer grip on him then Kingsley. There was no way Kingsley could pull him through in one piece. Most likely, Harry would lose a leg, instead. Feeling a bit bad about it, he pulled his leg back and hit Kingsley square in the chest, forcing him to let Harry go. The force of it knocked Harry back into his own living room and on top of his attacker.
Scrambling to get back on his feet, he had almost spun himself around when a long leg swiped underneath him knocking him back to the floor. Before he knew it, he was flat on his back, pinned down, looking up into Sherlock’s blue-grey eyes.
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Crime is of the Essence