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Burdens of the Heart	By : innocentimp Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 4562 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
Title: Burdens of the Heart

Author: InnocentImp

Chapter: 6/?

Rating: NC-17 (Eventually)

Pairing: SS/HP (Eventually)

Warnings: None for now

Disclaimer: I don�t own anything,
and I make no money.

Summary: Severus and Harry have a
difficult past together, yet as the war heats up they begin to move toward a
common future and a friendship. But
when Harry makes an unthinkable sacrifice to save Severus� life will Severus be
able to look beyond his own fears and insecurities to finally see the man
before him?

Beta: LydiaCarol

CHAPTER SIX

�What else could it be!?� Moody slammed his fist on the table, his
tone indignant.

�I�ve told you before �� Snape
began.

�Your words mean nothing!� Moody wasn�t likely to retake his seat
anytime soon - he seemed intent on picking a fight.

�That�s enough.� Arthur discreetly placed a hand on Moody�s
forearm. �We�ve established Severus�
loyalties; we�d best hear what he has to say.�
Moody jerked from the touch and stalked to the corner of the room.

�Severus, if you don�t mind.� Arthur tiredly gestured for him to continue.

�As I was saying,� Severus cast a
dark look to the corner of the room before continuing, �the Dark Lord is
suspicious. He doesn�t know that we
were in Diagon Alley that night to retrieve the cup. But the Death Eaters he sent weren�t successful in their
retrieval and they weren�t given another chance.�

It was a good thing that the Order
had been successful that night because the owner of the exhibit had insisted it
go right back into an unnamed Gringott�s vault. Adrien Carmichael had made an awful fuss when he discovered there
had been a battle near the exhibit. He�d packed up his rarities the next
morning, canceling the show. Strangely,
there had been no report of any missing artifacts. Either he�d been in such a rush to protect the collection that he
hadn�t noticed, or one of the Order Aurors had managed to hush it up. In any case, though that night had
ultimately been successful, the three months following had been nothing short
of a nightmare.

�As it is, the Dark Lord doesn�t
trust anyone, not even his inner circle, and he�s being extra cautious in the
event that we have learned of his Horcruxes.
He can�t leave to check on the rest of them, and doesn�t trust the
information to any of his Death Eaters.
He�s been unusually suspicious,� Snape finished with a sigh. He appeared to have lost quite a bit of
weight in the last few months, and had constant circles beneath his eyes. Harry was still adjusting to having feelings
of concern for this man; frankly he was still adjusting to having feelings for
Snape that weren�t either anger or hatred.

�Severus, do you have any
suggestions?� Remus sat a little
straighter next to Harry, almost as if bracing for another setback.

�One. Despite his unease the Dark Lord grows restless. He�s waited to make a public appearance, and
I believe he is only waiting for the opportune moment. If we can draw him out it may present an
opportunity.� Snape sat back in his
chair, having leaned forward to address the rest of the table.

�And just what would you suggest as
bait?� Growling, Moody strode from the
corner. �That is what you�re proposing,
isn�t it?� Both of his eyes were fixed
and accusing.

�The Dark Lord has expressed his �
displeasure � at not having occasion to visit Potter. He seemed rather disappointed he wouldn�t be graduating from
Hogwarts this year.�

�You want us to use Harry as
bait?� Remus sounded rather scandalized
by the idea.

Sure, now you�re concerned about
him.

�What did you have in mind?� Harry looked a little wary, but his voice
was steady.

�You are due to graduate the Aurors�
program soon, are you not?�

�He is.� Kingsley seemed to know where Snape was going. �Surely You-Know-Who would not attack a
ceremony filled with Aurors and Ministry personnel?�

�No,� Snape confirmed. �But I could leak to him Potter�s
celebratory plans for that evening; surely his fellow candidates would go for
drinks ��

Must I think of everything?

�I don�t particularly mind being
bait, but I�d rather not put others at risk if we can avoid it.� Harry�s gaze locked with Severus� from
across the table, and Severus could easily read the trepidation that was there.

�I don�t think it wise to risk Harry
in a confrontation with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named before all of the Horcruxes
have been destroyed. It seems an
unnecessary risk.� Moody was nodding in
agreement with Kingsley.

�I agree. It�s one thing to allow him on raids, another entirely to put him
up against You-Know-Who until absolutely necessary.� Moody assessed Harry with his magical eye as he spoke. Severus saw the subtle changes in Harry�s
posture at Moody�s words.

They all view him as a weapon,
and he knows it. A strange feeling
welled up in Severus� chest at the realization. He�d known for a while that the Order viewed the boy as their
salvation. But it was sobering to
realize that Harry knew it as well, worse that he seemed to accept it. Snape pushed the thoughts aside for later
contemplation.

�Don�t be ridiculous. We�d use a doppelganger. Leak to the media that Potter and friends
will be going out for celebratory drinks and the Dark Lord will likely make an
appearance. Fill the pub with Aurors
with portkeys if you must; it will provide a brief window for a few of us to
pursue the snake. In his restlessness
the Dark Lord will not wish to pass up the opportunity to confront Potter,
particularly if he thinks liquor will be tilting things in his favor.� Snape felt utterly exasperated with how long
this was taking.

�I suppose it could work - Moody
could Polyjuice himself - it�s worked before �� Kingsley seemed to be giving the idea a lot of thought, though
Harry knew it was probably the only chance they�d get.

�Who would we send after the
snake? It will take most of the Order
to pull this off if we are to avoid injuries,� Arthur spoke up from his seat.

�I will go; I believe I have secured
a source who will provide the snake�s whereabouts when I ask. I will Apparate in and take care of the
snake.� It had been relatively easy to
procure Wormtail�s cooperation. The
Dark Lord constantly left Nagini�s care to him, secure in Wormtail�s fear of
him.

The Dark Lord is foolishly
overconfident in his power over Wormtail.

The truth was, of course, that
Wormtail was exceedingly frightened of his master. Such a degree of fear was proving difficult for the rat to live
with. He�d wanted a way out and the
Dark Lord had ensured he couldn�t turn his wand on himself. Severus had been more than willing to
provide it. In exchange for the snake�s
location upon request, Wormtail would receive a release from this world,
courtesy of Snape�s wand. The pesky life debt he owed Potter may also have been
a factor.

�I�ll go with him.� Harry was doing his best to sound firm.

�Absolutely not. I can work faster on my own.�

�I can help you!�

�Harry, I think perhaps it is best
that you sit this one out.� Remus
looked rather concerned.

�It makes sense for the boy to go.
He can keep an eye on Snape, and he speaks to snakes. It could prove to be a valuable asset.� Harry wondered if Moody would ever learn to trust Snape. In any case, Kingsley was nodding in
agreement. Neither Remus nor Arthur looked
like they liked the idea at all, but they didn�t say anything.

That�s rich! He�s to look after me?

Snape gave a noncommittal grunt but
eventually gave in under Moody�s glare.
This wasn�t a fight he would win.
�Very well.� Potter looked entirely
too pleased, which served to further grate on Severus� already frayed nerves.

�The graduation ceremony is scheduled
for two weeks from Saturday. We�ll need to leak Harry�s attendance to Skeeter
as soon as possible.� Overall, the
group in attendance seemed pleased with the plan; everyone was tired of the
idle state they�d found themselves in.

***

Hermione and Ron floo�d into
Grimmauld Place early in the morning.
They�d spent the majority of the summer at the Burrow and visiting
Hermione�s family, but they�d made certain to set aside some time to spend with
Harry. Their seventh year hadn�t been
the same without him. In a way they�d
felt guilty, almost as if they�d left their friend behind. Between the very separate and isolated world
of Hogwarts and the blossoming of their personal relationship, time had slipped
away far faster than they had imagined possible. Now Hermione and Ron had graduated from Hogwarts, and in less
than a week Harry would graduate from the Auror program. The year had pulled them in separate
directions but Hermione and Ron were determined to reconnect with Harry. Even in the short amount of time they�d
spent with him over the year, they�d realized that he was largely alone,
something they refused to allow any longer.

They arrived in the kitchen of
Grimmauld Place with Molly hot on their heels to cook a large breakfast for the
group. Ron stayed to help in the
kitchen, which in reality meant he�d try to sneak samples before his mother
could rap him on his knuckles with the wooden spoon she kept in her apron
pocket. Hermione was given the task of
finding Harry; it was a Sunday so hopefully he�d slept in. When his bedroom yielded only an undisturbed
bed, she went back downstairs and towards the library. She gave a soft sigh when she found him.

Harry was face down on a large
conjured table, cheek pressing to an assortment of notes, glasses and hair
askew. From the looks of things he
hadn�t been to bed the night before.
Hermione wasn�t prepared for the wand suddenly square between her eyes
when she gently shook her friend.

�Good morning.�

�Hermione?� Harry squinted over the glasses that were
perched precariously on the end of his nose.
It might have been cute if he hadn�t looked so exhausted. Hermione reached out and gently rearranged
his glasses to sit properly on his face.

�Hi. Mrs. Weasley and Ron are in the kitchen making breakfast.� Hermione still hadn�t managed to use Molly�s
given name, though the woman encouraged her to do so on a regular basis.

�What time is it?� Harry was half-heartedly sifting through his
notes, trying to make sense of where he�d left off the night before.

�A little after eight. What kept you up all night?� Hermione leaned over and tried to make sense
of the notes she could read.

�Research. I�ve been trying to come up with a spell I can use when Nagini is
out of the way.�

�I didn�t realize you were looking
into alternatives to the Killing Curse.
I guess I just assumed �� Hermione trailed off. Harry had filled them in
on what had happened in Diagon Alley a few months ago. He hadn�t been very candid but she�d known
that he�d been seriously shaken.

�At first I was looking into spells
because I wasn�t sure that I could cast the Killing Curse when the time came.
Eventually I started to wonder if it would work even if I could cast it.�

�You think it won�t work on
You-Know-Who?� The idea was
frightening.

�It�s a dark spell, Hermione. Dark to its very core. Everything that goes
into it, the malice, cruelty and disrespect for life are exactly the things
that make Voldemort who he is. It
wasn�t until I really considered what Snape had told me that I realized there
might be a better way.�

Snape?

�You�ve found something?� Harry�s tone had indicated that he had some
kind if idea formulating.

�Yeah, at least I think so. But it needs some modification. I was hoping you might help me with it after
breakfast.� Harry sounded excited, even
to himself. It was the most productive
he�d felt in a long while.

�Of course!�

Breakfast was a lively affair. Time was spent just catching up with each
other, laughing, telling stories and jokes.
Harry didn�t even protest when Mrs. Weasley refilled his plate,
commenting that he was �too thin by half.�
Afterwards the trio moved back to the library, Ron tagging along at
Harry�s insistence. Harry claimed he
would need him for the spell to work and he didn�t want to explain things
twice. Once they were all settled
around the table, Harry pulled out a large dusty tome and started at the
beginning.

�I�ve been researching for a while
now spells to destroy Voldemort, and I think I may have found something.� Hermione shushed Ron when he began to
interrupt.

�Snape mentioned that I should look
towards my strengths, which eventually got me thinking about things that set me
apart from Voldemort. You know, our key
differences.�

�You�re not half reptilian for one
thing, mate.� Ron�s smirk didn�t last
when Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.
�Ow, fine!�

�Anyway, I remembered Dumbledore
saying that one of the reasons that Voldemort couldn�t posses me was because of
love. That he couldn�t experience such
positive emotions for any length of time.
It got me thinking that the Killing Curse might not work on him, because
the intent behind the magic is so closely related to what makes him, well,
him.� Hermione appeared to be following
the conversation but Ron looked a little lost.

�So I started to research spells
that have positive feelings and emotions as main components in their
construction and casting. The Patronus
Charm came to mind.� Harry paused,
flipping open the book in front of him and searching for a particular page.

�But a Patronus only works on
dementors, doesn�t it?� Ron couldn�t
see where his friend was going with this, and judging by the look on Hermione�s
face she wasn�t too certain either.

�Right, but the Patronus Charm is
just one spell within an entire class of spells. When I branched off into
similar spells I found this.� Harry
turned the book to face his friends. On
the bottom half of the right hand page there was a diagram. Two spell casters were depicted; one was
setting complicated wards and the other appeared to be supporting him
magically.

�I�ve heard of these spells. They�re used between trusted friends or
colleagues when setting really strong wards.
One person channels their power into another, who then casts the
wards. The extra power is needed for
really large and complicated spell jobs.
They�re difficult, though, and dangerous. They are very similar to bonding spells.� Harry was thankful Hermione understood the
basics; it would make the rest easier to explain.

�I don�t understand though, Harry -
these aren�t offensive spells; why would you want to institute a power transfer
to You-Know-Who anyway?�

�I don�t. I was thinking, though, what if I could substitute the power for
pure positive energy? What if I could
force so much positive energy into him that it completely overwhelmed
him?� Harry was on the edge of his
seat; Hermione was the first to hear his idea, the first to hopefully recognize
some merit.

�What did you have in mind? The second party to this type of transfer
has to be willing.�

�Well, what if you, Ron, Charlie,
and maybe one other person were to channel pure positive emotions to me? I could act as the conduit and force all of
that energy into Voldemort.�

�But how, Harry? He has to willingly
accept it.� Hermione was still trying
to see where her friend was going with this. The idea had merit, but there was
no way to institute the final transfer, unless �

Harry could see when Hermione began
to work things out. �You see, don�t
you, Hermione?�

�But what would you use?�

�What would he use for what?� Ron looked completely lost, especially now
that Harry and Hermione seemed to be speaking in shorter and shorter sentences.

�In order to make the transfer work
without consent, Harry would need a strong magical and tangible connection
to funnel it through. Some type of
strong bond or two way relay, right?�
She looked to Harry for confirmation.

�Yes. Something like Priori Incantatem. If I were to funnel the energy through an established connection
like the golden thread that Priori creates Voldemort wouldn�t have to
consent. I would use the connection to
bombard him with the feelings he can�t stand.
I think with enough power it would negate all that he is.�

�But that still leaves the spell
itself, Harry. We would need something
specifically tailored to your purpose.�

�I know. That�s where I need your help.
We have to create the spell to transfer the power from you guys to me,
ourselves. I�ve been looking at maybe
combining a Cheering Charm with the Patronus Charm, but haven�t really had any
luck yet.�

�Spellcrafting isn�t something we
really delve into at school, but I think we can probably do this with a little
help.� Harry could tell Hermione was
already cataloguing spells and charms in her head as she reached for some
parchment and a quill. �Maybe the
bonding component is necessary?� Hermione wasn�t really addressing anyone, but
contemplating avenues of research out loud.

After a few more explanations,
mainly for Ron�s benefit, Harry shared his notes with Hermione. The trio spent most of the rest of the day
poring over large tomes and attempting to combine and alter low-level
spells. They all quickly fell into
their old routines and study habits; before they knew it Molly was herding them
into the kitchen for supper. It would
take a lot more looking and experimenting, as well as help from Remus, but
Harry was confident that they were finally on the right track. He slept better that night than he had in a
very long time.

***

Time had flown by much faster than
Harry might have liked. Though he
wasn�t feeling any kind of eager anticipation for the evening mission, he
wasn�t dreading it he way he would normally have, either. He gave a mental shake. He was fairly
certain that his security had something to do with his partner for the evening,
and those thoughts were distractions he didn�t need at the moment. Snape walked into the library before he
could get much further in his musings.

�Did you remember your cloak?� Harry nodded. Snape had insisted he bring his invisibility cloak.

�Good. I want you to listen to me very carefully because there is very
little margin for error tonight.� Harry
gave a quick nod of assent before Snape continued.

�First, you are going to take a
Polyjuice Potion prior to departure.
Only a mark can get you passed the wards surrounding our
destination. You will carry a flask of
extra Polyjuice on you at all times.
Are we clear?�

�Yes. Um, who am I turning into?�
The nasty grin that split Snape�s face was worrisome.

�There are no guarantees that
Polyjuice will fool the wards. As an
extra precaution, I will Apparate you myself and we will enter at exactly the
same moment. Though Polyjuice alters a magical
signature to a degree, it is not foolproof.
Hopefully it will be enough to fool the wards.� It was going to be very odd and rather
uncomfortable to masquerade as Snape in the man�s presence.

�I guess that explains the
invisibility cloak.�

�Yes, two of me would be unduly
suspicious, I think. Now if you are
quite done interrupting me with pointless observations, I can continue.� Harry gave a halfhearted glare in response.

�You will wear your cloak at all
times. You will also wear a tracer so
that I will know your location. You
will NOT interfere with any action I may take this evening. Are we clear?� The last thing he needed was for Potter to
interfere with his deal with Pettigrew.
�Are we clear?� Snape�s voice
took on a cutting quality.

�So long as at the end of the night
Nagini is dead, I don�t care what you do.� From the look Snape was giving him it was clearly not the answer
he wanted. Giving in, Harry said,
�Yes. We�re clear.�

Things seemed to go wrong nearly
immediately. Though Severus was able to
Apparate them through the wards, there was a considerable walk to their
destination. The Dark Lord never
allowed anyone but himself to Apparate directly into any of his residences, but
he�d extended the Apparation point much further than usual with this location.
Perhaps it was due to his absence; perhaps he was just a sadistic bastard. Whatever the case, what should have been a
five-minute walk to the front door was now nearly a twenty-minute walk. Their trek was worsened by the remote
northern location. It was an uphill
walk, through snow, with more freshly falling.
Harry might have snickered had the circumstances been different.

�We proceed single file, and vanish
your footprints as we go.� Harry fell
in line behind Snape and did his best to keep up with the long strides the man
managed, even through snow.

By the time they reached the door
Harry was grateful he�d listened to Snape and worn his good boots and heavy
cloak under his invisibility cloak.

�Remember our conversation. Nagini only comes out for meetings and
feedings, its probable that she is resting in the Dark Lord�s personal
chambers.� Voldemort found that Nagini
intimidated many of his Death Eaters to such a degree that it kept them off
balance when he summoned them, so he always brought her down. She didn�t seem to mind, as general meetings
nearly always resulted in some sort of feeding for her.

�We proceed to his chambers at the top of the stairs. No matter who or what you see, we are here
for one thing only tonight. Let�s do it
and be done. Take a sip from your
flask.� Snape said all of this in a
harsh whisper before pushing through the entrance. The blast of heat that met them was nearly suffocating.

Snape paused to hang his cloak on
the rack just inside the door, as was his habit.

�Snape. What are you doing here?�
Avery was sitting by the fireplace with Goyle Senior in the seat next to
him. Judging by the nearly empty bottle
of firewhiskey and the rosy hue of their cheeks, neither was particularly
sober.

�I have potions to attend to which
are on a tight schedule.� Snape began
to roll up his sleeves and head for the hallway. Harry did his best to stay
only a pace or two behind him. They
made their way past the living room without further interruption from the two
by the fire. As they rounded the
corner, Harry could see the set of stairs.
If they went straight and to the left, the stairs led down and to the
basement; if they made their way to the right, the stairs led up into a
darkened hallway. Snape strode towards
the stairs leading up, with Harry a small step behind him. Harry was not prepared to stop suddenly and
nearly ran into Snape�s back.

�Severus, I wasn�t aware you would
be visiting this evening.� Harry peered
carefully around Snape�s shoulder and into the face of Rodolphus Lestrange.

�I have potions brewing downstairs
which I need to monitor and add a few ingredients to. I am surprised to see you; however, I presumed you would wish to
be at our Lord�s side tonight.� Harry
wondered if Lestrange could hear the true surprise in Snape�s voice as well as
he could.

�I don�t deny that I was displeased
to be left behind. I do have a score to
settle with Potter. Bellatrix may not
have been the pillar of a pureblood wife, but she had her � shall we say � carnal uses?� Lestrange leered rather disgustingly at
Snape before giving him a quick once over and continuing. �Though I don�t suppose that would interest
you much now, would it?�

Harry felt a wave a nausea rise in
him.

Ewww, it doesn�t interest me much
either you sick freak.

�Would you care to join me for a
drink, Severus? I could use a little
civilized company. People like Avery
and Goyle have their uses, but intelligent conversation is not one of them.�

�As I said, the potions cannot wait,
though you are welcome to accompany me if you are so inclined.� Snape desperately hoped Lestrange would turn
him down.

�It�s a sorry state of affairs then,
when I prefer potions to people. But my
only other option lies in Wormtail, and that would be nothing short of
torture.�

Damn it. We don�t have time for this.

Thinking quickly, Severus made a
decision. He only hoped Potter would get the message. �Then by all means, join me.
I�m sure that between just the two of us we can manage. However, I must
warn you that I can stay only long enough to complete my task.� Lestrange and Severus both moved towards the
staircase heading to the basement.
Harry stood rooted to the spot for a moment. He thought he understood Snape to say that he should proceed
alone, but he wasn�t sure. He quickly
made up his mind; there wasn�t likely to be a second shot at this, and if he�d
understood Lestrange correctly, the only one left in the house was
Wormtail. Harry was confident he could
handle him if the situation arose.

Harry arrived at the top of the
stairs unsure of where to proceed.
Turning to the left there was a single doorway, which upon investigation
proved to be a toilet. Moving in the
other direction, Harry tried each of the three doors. It took five or six minutes to carefully inspect the first two
rooms. When he arrived at the last door
he found it tightly sealed, obviously protected by a password. Harry only paused for a moment before
hissing a command in Parsletongue.

The room was large and there was a
fire burning in the hearth on the other side.
Harry could see Nagini coiled on the flagstones, soaking up the warmth
of the flames. She raised her head,
lethargic from her nap, and hissed out a greeting.

�Master �?� In her sleepy haze she didn�t even bother to
sniff the air for confirmation.

Harry pulled his cloak aside and
pointed his wand. Luck appeared to be
with him; Nagini was comfortably coiled in on herself, clearly very lethargic,
probably from a combination of the weather outside and the warmth of the fire. In such a state she would not be at her most
potent or agile.

�I�m afraid not,� Harry hissed
back.

Nagini�s head snapped up and around,
and before she had the chance to utter another word, Harry severed her head
from her body. As an extra precaution
he vanished the remainder of the snake.

�Vipera evanasca.� Harry wasn�t prepared for the backlash of
magic that was unleashed. It left him
struggling for breath and a little out of balance. He placed his hand up against the wall for a little support until
the world righted itself again.
Eliminating such an artifact left a brief magical void which could leech
energy off of another magical being, leaving them quite exhausted in the
aftermath. This was the first Horcrux
since Tom Riddle�s diary that he�d destroyed on his own; all of the others had
been taken care of at least in part by the Order so that no one would feel the
full effects of their destruction.
Harry reflected that he�d been so exhausted when he destroyed the diary
that he probably hadn�t noticed the strange effect.

It was a good ten minutes before he
was able to right himself; he pulled the cloak back over his head and made for
the stairs. All in all, he reflected,
things had turned out rather anti-climactically. At the most just twenty minutes had passed since he had left
Snape on the first floor. Now all that
was left was to get out of there.

Harry arrived at the bottom of the
landing wondering what he should do.
Should he make for the Apparation point or try to wait for Snape? The decision turned out to be easy, as he
could hear Snape�s and Lestrange�s voices as they began to ascend the
stairs. Perhaps Snape had been closely
monitoring the tracking charm?

�You disappoint me, Severus; I had
hoped you would stay longer.�

�I am sorry to deprive you of your
entertainment; however, I must be going.�
Snape breathed a sigh of relief.
He had not foreseen having to actually check on the potions, though he�d
known he could use the excuse if the need arose. Thankfully Lestrange didn�t have any knowledge of potions and had
been relatively easy to fool. Snape had
done little more than add a few ingredients that would extend the potions�
shelf life and stir. To his relief
Potter had been quick in his task.

�I�ll walk you out. Say, have you found our little white mouse
yet?� Harry could see Snape bristle at
the comment.

�No, he has not contacted me, though
if he does, he will be brought before our Lord.� Harry wasn�t sure who he was talking about. Lestrange cleared things up.

�Pity. I do hope dear Draco contacts you soon. The Dark Lord has promised him to me. He is most displeased with his failure. I look forward to having a Malfoy screaming and begging before
me. Lucius was always untouchable and
Narcissa wasn�t any fun. Pity the boy
got away during her execution.�

Harry was shocked still for a
moment. Draco was in hiding? His mother had been executed? Harry was nearly positive that Snape had
been responsible for hiding Draco away.
He was surprised when the burst of anger he felt towards both Draco and
Snape died as quickly as it came.
Perhaps it was in sympathy, to see your own mother tortured and
murdered, Harry didn�t want to imagine.

He and Snape were nearly at the door
when Harry heard the ruckus start.
Avery and Goyle were brawling over a game of cards gone bad. An entire bottle of firewhiskey lay empty on
the table between them. Just as
Lestrange said goodnight and Severus opened the door, the fight came to blows. The table between the two men was overturned
and the empty bottle went rolling across the floor towards Harry. Turning to try to slip out the door, he
didn�t notice when one side of the bottle rolled just under the hem of his
cloak, obscuring a third of it from view.
Unfortunately Lestrange did.

�Incendio!� The flames leapt up from
the bottom of Harry�s cloak, eating away at the delicate fabric. Harry had no choice but to shuck the cloak
completely. Distantly he heard Snape
swear, and then all hell broke loose.

Lestrange spelled the door shut and
warded it at the same moment Snape made to push Harry beyond the
threshold. Cornered by the wall as they
were, they had no choice but to defend against the sudden onslaught of
offensive spells as they tried to maneuver for a better position.

�Potter - you shield, I�ll fire!�

Harry worked quickly to comply,
raising the strongest shield he could think of that would still allow spells
out. It took more strength to muster
than it should have, and Harry knew immediately that he wouldn�t be able to
hold it long.

Low-level spells were bouncing off
the shield and ricocheting in all directions, causing a cacophony of color and
sound. Snape quickly brought down Goyle
Senior with a curse and turned his sights to Avery.

�Can you move with the shield,
Potter?� Snape was firing rapid curses
across the room at both Avery and Lestrange, with little success. Avery was taking cover behind a chair and
Lestrange was moving quickly around the room as he tried to take down Harry�s
shield.

�Yes.� Harry ground his teeth as he forced the shield to remain in
place. Snape was slowly trying to move
them towards one of the large windows in the sitting area. They were ten feet away when a rebounded
spell destroyed the chair Avery was using for cover, and Snape took him down. Unfortunately, at the same moment Wormtail
entered the fray, distracting Harry just enough that one of Lestrange�s spells
got through his shield and hit him squarely in the chest. Harry could only vaguely hear himself scream
out in agony. It was as if something at
the very core of his being was on fire.

Realizing that they had to get out
of there as quickly as possible, Snape did the only thing he could think
of. He blew out the window behind him.
Even as shards of glass rained down into the snow, he propelled a stunned-looking
Harry Potter through the window frame.
Potter released an agonized wail as Snape�s levitation and propulsion
spells touched him and hurled him through the window. Snape hastily erected a strong shield that covered himself, the
window and Potter. Knowing he couldn�t hold it long, he glanced over his
shoulder and out the window, grateful to see Potter bringing himself to his
knees.

�GO! Make for the Apparation point.
I�ll follow. If you get there
before I catch up with you, Apparate home.
Go now!� Snape knew he couldn�t
hold the shield much longer and turned to duel with Lestrange properly, hoping
to give Harry enough time to leave. It
was a testament to Harry�s exhaustion that he didn�t argue.

�Go after him, Wormtail, bring him
back!� Wormtail scampered towards the door, eager to get away from the duel
about to ensue.

Harry began to limp his way across
the yard and towards the trees where he and Snape had Apparated in. His body felt leaden and he knew, almost
with certainty, that he couldn�t Apparate himself anywhere. Between the magical exhaustion of killing
Nagini and whatever Lestrange had hit him with, Harry was fading fast. He only managed about three hundred yards
before he fell to his knees in the snow.
He struggled back to his feet, only to trip on the torn remnants of his
winter cloak. Deciding he�d do better
without the heavy and battered garment, he dropped it in the snow and continued
on. He only made it another hundred
yards before he collapsed into the snow again.
This time he couldn�t find the energy to rise. He lost consciousness, snow steadily falling around him.

Snape had been dueling Lestrange for
nearly twenty-five minutes now, and he was getting desperate. With any luck Potter had been able to safely
Apparate away, though Snape had his doubts.
Whatever Lestrange had hit the boy with had been seriously
damaging. At least he�d been able to
keep Wormtail from going after the boy. Deal or no deal, he didn�t trust the
rat not to harm the boy. Once Wormtail
had reached the door he hadn�t been able to cancel the wards Lestrange had
placed on it, and Snape had kept him cornered there so he couldn�t try for a
window or alternate exit.

Severus was beginning to tire and
knew that it was a matter of time before one of Lestrange�s spells did enough
damage to incapacitate him. If Potter
hadn�t managed off the grounds it would prove disastrous. Snape was also aware that the Dark Lord
could be returning at any moment.
Moving back toward the window and contemplating making a run for it, he
momentarily lost his balance, tripping over the remnants of one of the
armchairs. It was just enough time for
Lestrange to raise his wand against him, and Severus knew he wouldn�t be able
to counter in time. But the spell never
hit.

�S-S-stupefy!� Lestrange never saw Wormtail raise his wand
against him. It had only taken the
coward the better part of half an hour to manage it. Severus was already moving out and over the windowsill when he
heard Wormtail�s shaky voice.

�S-severus-s? Your promise?� Wormtail sounded terrified that Snape would leave him there. Severus only spared him a quick confirming
glance before he raised his wand and cast the spell to terminate Wormtail�s
life.

�Avada Kedavra.� A jet of green light and it was over, and
Severus was out the window. Though
exhausted and sore Severus all but ran in the direction he�d sent Potter. He hadn�t gone all that far when he nearly
tripped over the boy. Reaching down he
was relieved to find the boy still alive, though blue lipped and shivering.

�Wingardium Leviosa.� At the first touch of the magic Harry gave
a pained cry, back arching in agony.
Canceling the spell Severus forced himself to stoop and stand with the
boy. He half walked half ran for the
apparation point. He was only five feet
away when he heard the distinct pops of multiple people apparating in at
once. He apparated away just as the
first bolt of red light streaked past him.

***

Grimmauld Place was thankfully quite
when he Severus arrived with Potter in tow.
Severus forced himself to take the stairs two at a time, hastily
depositing Potter on the first bed he found before rushing off to call Poppy
Pomfrey.

Poppy was quick to follow Severus
into Harry�s room questioning him about the emergency as she went. Upon entering Harry�s room she quickly moved
to his side and cast a quick diagnostic spell.
Harry gasped again, body contorting itself in pain.

�Cease your spells! He�s reacting that way to all magic.� Severus couldn�t understand why Pomfrey
didn�t cease her diagnostic immediately.

�I have to know what�s wrong with
him in order to treat him.� A moment
later and Pomfrey cancelled her spell.
Snape breathed a sigh of relief, watching Potter react so badly to magic
was painful and disturbing to watch.

�Help me strip him, quickly! He�s soaked to the bone and freezing
cold.� Pomfrey worked with clinical
efficiency in removing Harry�s shirt before moving on to his trousers. Snape noticed the blue tinge to his lips
even as he bent to remove the boys boots.

�He�s been hit with some type of
magic nullification spell, a strong one too.
That couple with severe magical exhaustion is preventing his body from
accepting any form of magic. It should
wear off but we haven�t got the few hours it will take. We need to get him warm now.� She moved about pulling down the blankets
and placing Harry�s now nude form underneath them.

�Lestrange.�

�What?�

�Lestrange was attempting to negate
Potter�s shield. The shield must have
failed right before he cast, the spell hit Potter instead.� It was the only explanation Snape could come
up with.

With Potter safely under the
blankets Pomfrey rounded on him.

�You�ll live.� Was Pomfrey�s only diagnosis after a quick
diagnostic. She turned her attention
back towards Potter distressed to find him still shivering. She turned an assessing gaze back towards
Snape.

Not good.

�Strip.� It was said with such a clinical tone that Severus thought he�d
misunderstood.

�Strip Severus, Harry�s not warming
up he needs a little help.�

Oh no. No I will not!

�Add a blanket then for Merlin�s
sake.�

�I will but I can�t cast warming
charms and in his exhausted state his body isn�t recovering from the cold. He needs another source of heat. Strip.�
Before Severus was even aware of what was happening Pomfrey was on him,
vanishing clothes as she went. She cast
a drying spell on his pants and pushed him towards the bed.

�What are you waiting for. He�ll never know, just share your body heat
while you rest for a little why. Once
his body temperature comes up his magic will start to replenish itself and I
can heal the rest.� Severus couldn�t
believe what was happening even as he was sliding in bed next to Potter. At Poppy�s encouraging he pulled the boy
closer sharing his warmth. Poppy spread
another blanket over the two of them.

�Now just stay there. I�ll call Minerva to inform the rest of the
Order what�s happened and be back to check on you both in a moment.� Severus sighed, he couldn�t believe his
luck. He was aching, exhausted, and had
a freezing Harry Potter attached to his side.

What is the world coming to? Could
this be any worse?

Though if Severus was completely
honest with himself it wasn�t all bad.
Despite the fact that he was freezing Harry fit against him rather
nicely, and the slide of youthful skin against his, though freezing, wasn�t at
all repugnant.

Clearly I�m exhausted. And delusional. Exhausted and delusional.

He was so tired in fact that he
managed to fall asleep right there, in Harry Potter�s bed, with said Harry
Potter in his arms, leeching off his heat.
- 5
- 6
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Burdens of the Heart