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The Fallen Lion	By : AnonymousTigress Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male Views: 22455 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter. I do not gain any profit or benefits from writing fan fics of any kind. The only thing I own is any original characters you don’t recognize from Harry Potter.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Jami_Lee: Thank you!! Hermione is busy at the moment. You’ll find about Ron and Ginny. I don’t know about a painful death. Trouble, I can do.
CDGaymer: We’ll see about Harry’s voice in the coming chapters.
starr: Yes, Harry is getting there. As for Draco, it was just a simple bug. No foul play there.
ChaosLady: Glad you liked the two chapters and thought they were wonderful.

Author’s Note: Guess who’s back? Had a great time on family vacation. Didn’t toss my younger brother off a bridge so I’d call that a successful trip. Lol Just kidding. During that time, I was able to work on this next chapter for you all to enjoy.
Chapter Seven
A Window to the Past
Harry spent the day taking care of a sick Malfoy. For the most part, he just lay next to the blonde watching movies. Harry had discovered that a sick Malfoy was a clingy Malfoy. He was fortunate he had not gotten sick himself. At one point, the blonde had fallen asleep with his feverish head resting on Harry’s chest. Harry had swept his hair back and hugged the blonde close in an effort to make him feel better.
It was now early October. It was all starting to get strange. Ever since the night of the thunderstorm, Malfoy had taken to calling him by his first name. The older wizard also seemed to like touching him; just a few light touches with a brush against his shoulder or kiss to his forehead at bed (when he thought Harry was asleep). Snape was a little touchy-feely, too, but was more subtle. A hand on his shoulder as he took his potions, a brush across his face as a blanket was pulled over him napping on the couch, etc.
Not that he minded the touching. After being so isolated, it felt nice to get some attention. He slept in his own bed again and the nightmares were starting to wane. It was relieving to be woken from his nightmares and comforted by one of the other wizards. Malfoy would lay down with him, letting him rest his head on his chest where he could hear a steady heartbeat. Snape would rest against the headboard with Harry’s head in his lap, reading aloud from a book. They would both stay with him until he fell back to sleep.
Currently, he was out in the garden. Snape had given him an area of the yard to put a garden in of his choosing. For now, he had decided to put in flowers. They were a tad easier for him to maintain. He was in the middle of digging up space for the flowers when he heard his name called.
Looking around, Harry spotted Snape walking over to him. Putting down what he was doing, Harry removed his working gloves and stood. Severus waited until he was closer to the younger wizard before speaking.
“I need to go out of town for a day or two. I floo called Draco and let him know. He’ll be home early around one or two.”
Shielding his eyes, Harry looked up at the sun to check the time. Judging by the location of the sun, he guessed it was around ten or so. That meant Draco would be out another three to four hours. Harry shrugged. That wasn’t a problem.
Severus reminded Harry to eat lunch and that Tippy had orders to make sure he ate. Harry nodded. Before the man could apparate away, Harry surprised both of them by stepping forward and hugging him. Both wizards froze, but luckily Severus reacted first. He swung an arm around to return the hug and pat Harry gently on the back. Harry stepped back with a weak, unsure smile on his face. Severus was quick to reassure him.
“It’s perfectly okay, Harry. You are wishing me a safe trip?”
Harry nodded again. Severus smiled.
“Then thank you. I shall be safe.”
Harry watched as the man disappeared in a swirl of black smoke. He wondered briefly where Snape might be going. Thinking nothing of it, Harry went back to finish his gardening before lunch.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Severus landed in the international apparation point in New York. He checked to make sure his muggle clothing looked okay before heading for the doors leading out to the muggle world. Albus had finally sent word that morning on the location of Harry’s muggle relatives. Albus had found Petunia Dursley née Evans at a place called The Haven.
It didn’t take long for Severus to locate the place. He was surprised to find The Haven was some type of health-related facility. He walked to the room the nurse had directed him to. Finding the door cracked open, Severus rapped his knuckles on the door before pushing it open.
Sitting alone in a chair by the window, Petunia appeared old and much too frail for her still somewhat young age. She turned to look at the door and frowned.
“Severus Snape. You’re fortunate you’ve caught me on a good day,” Petunia said softly.
Severus closed the door behind him before coming further into the room. He approached her and tipped his head in greeting.
“It’s been a long time, Petunia,” Severus said.
She let out a small chuckle.
“That it has. Have a seat,” she said.
Severus pulled a chair up and sat down beside her. He glanced over her wire-free body and the woven blanket resting across her lap.
“Are you ill?” Severus asked.
Petunia let out a small, barely there giggle.
“Only ill in the head, Snape. You’re talking to a woman in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. It’s why I’m here in The Haven,” Petunia explained.
Severus couldn’t have stopped the wince, even if he tried. Alzheimer’s affected both muggles and wizards. The Wizarding World had ways of staving it off, but it eventually affected them like the muggles.
“But you didn’t come all the way over here to see me wither away. You must be here about Harry,” Petunia said.
Severus confirmed that yes, he was there about her nephew. Petunia smiled sadly.
“It’s been a couple of years now. How is he?” Petunia asked.
By the tone of her voice, Severus sensed that Harry’s aunt may have seen him during the five years leading up to his breakdown.
“He hasn’t been well, but he’s getting better. When was the last time you saw him?” Severus questioned.
Petunia drew a small album out from underneath the blanket strewn across her lap. She opened it and turned it around to face him. The picture on the first page was of a smiling Harry and another boy slightly larger than him. Severus guessed this to be his cousin, Dudley.
“A few years ago, Harry came by for a visit. He told us about the divorce and I told him about his uncle passing away from a heart attack. Dudley was so happy to see him that he convinced him to stay with us. Harry stayed with us for a little over a year.”
Petunia paused there, allowing for Severus to flip freely through the album. Harry looked happy as he played a board game with Dudley, sewed with his aunt, and washed the car. Severus couldn’t imagine how Harry had gone from this to what he was now. The answer came to him on the next page.
There was a newspaper article with a picture of a smashed and burned up car on the front. The headline read as ONE PASSENGER DEAD IN THREE-CAR CRASH. The car vaguely resembled the one Harry had been washing in one of the photos.
“It’s ironic.”
Severus looked up from the album. Petunia was staring out the window with a wistful look on her face.
“For years, we told Harry his parents died in a car crash. And I lose my only child – my son – in a car being driven by him.”
Severus glanced back down and quickly read through the article. The accident happened late at night. Harry and Dudley were coming back from getting ice cream. They were coming through an intersection when two racing cars came blasting through the cross street. The combined power of both cars sent theirs flying and tumbling down a steep hill. Harry was able to pull them both free of the car before it caught fire. Paramedics later pronounced his cousin dead at the scene.
“I know,” Petunia gasped softly. “I know it wasn’t your fault. But it was so close to the anniversary of Vernon and he crawled out of that car with only a few scratches. I shouted at him, told him he could have saved Dudley if he had only tried…but he did. Because of Harry, I had a body to bury.”
Petunia had thrown him for a loop. First, the apparently messy divorce. Then, the abandonment of his only living family. The boy had been cast aside time after time. Severus closed the album and handed it back to the woman. She quietly tucked it back under the blanket.
“I need to know how Harry’s life with you was.” Severus paused. “Did you treat him well?”
Petunia shook her head.
“He deserved better. We treated him no better than a male Cinderella. Until that letter came, he lived under the cupboard beneath the stairs. He got Dudley’s hand me downs, I forced him to cook meals for the family…I didn’t even acknowledge his good grades in school.”
So Harry’s records were true. His childhood had been less than ideal. He couldn’t believe that no one had noticed. From under the blanket, Petunia produced an envelope which she handed to him. Finally, Petunia turned her head to face him.
“Please give this to Harry when you see him. And tell him not to come. I don’t want him to see me like this,” she told him.
Severus tucked the letter into the inside pocket of his jacket. He stood up and tipped his head again to her. Petunia stared up at him with a terrified gleam in her eyes.
“Am I a bad person, Snape? Is this God’s way of punishing me for what I’ve done?” Petunia asked.
Severus leaned down while placing a strong, gentle hand atop her crossed hands.
“Making mistakes is something all humans do. Harry has a very big heart and I know he will forgive you for those mistakes,” Severus assured her.
A lone tear fell down the side of her face as Petunia closed her eyes.

/……/

“It’s okay. Shh, go back to sleep. I’m right here, Harry.”
Harry seemed to relax in his arms as Draco ran a gentle hand up and down his back. He had moved the brunette so he was resting his head on his chest. Normally, Draco didn’t like someone lying on top of him, but with Harry it was different. The smaller body felt a little heavy but not heavy enough to leave him short of breath.
Earlier in the evening, Draco had received an owl from Severus. The letter told him his lover would be returning late tomorrow evening. Draco was anxious. He was dying to know what Severus had learned from Harry’s muggle family.
Thinking about family caused Draco to squeeze the brunette closer in his hold. He had been through entire packet of papers Kingsley had given him at least three times. Weasley was a foul bitch. In the divorce settlement, Harry had given her a hefty sum and most of the Potter and Black properties. The newspaper articles had featured Harry at many charitable events for relief from the war, orphans, and Homes for Hope (the wizard version of Habitat for Humanity). Draco had noticed that none of the articles mentioned the former Mrs. Potter and she appeared in none of the photographs taken.
Draco kissed Harry softly on top of his head. He noticed Harry smiled in his sleep.
“So much to give and you ask for so little in return. You truly are quite the mystery, Harry Potter,” Draco whispered.
The documents had listed Harry as being the Godfather of Ron and Hermione Weasley’s daughter, Daniela. Yet there were no signs or papers indicating Harry had been living up to the title as of recently. The documentation stopped not too long after the divorce. With the help of Kingsley, Draco hoped to be able to find some answers about the particular subject soon. It wasn’t like Harry to abandon a child, especially since he had been so attached to his own godfather.
The next evening, around nine, Severus flooed in through the living room fireplace. He found Harry sitting on the couch playing cards with Tippy. He smiled at Severus when he lifted his head to look at the fireplace. The house elf followed his gaze and her own smile broke out.
“Master Severus is home! Master Severus is having a nice trip?” Tippy asked.
Severus nodded.
“I did, thank you. Harry…I spoke with your aunt yesterday.”
All at once, Harry went into his protective mode. He dropped his cards on the couch and moved around behind the couch without shifting his gaze from the Potions Master. Like before when he had mentioned Ginny to Harry, Severus held his hands up in a non-threatening manner.
“No, no, Harry. You’re not in trouble. I know you were there…before and I know it wasn’t your fault about what happened to your cousin.”
Harry had lowered his chin down to his chest after moving around to the back of the couch. Now he slowly lifted his gaze to stare over it at him. Severus reached into his jacket pockets to reveal the envelope inside. He held it out to the younger wizard.
“Your aunt asked me to give you this.”
Like a spooked animal, Harry slowly approached him and then backed off quickly after he snagged the envelope. The former Head of Slytherin watched in anticipation as the former Gryffindor tore the letter out. Severus watched the dulled green gaze shoot from line to line. Harry’s face drained of all color and a small, single tear slipped down his face without him even noticing. By the time his hand dropped to his side with the letter, there was a whole stream of tears coursing down his face.
Severus closed the distance between them and gathered the shorter wizard in his arms. This caused Harry to cling to him and release a wordless sob. The tears flowed faster and faster, instantly soaking the wizard’s shirt. Severus heard Tippy pop out of the room, but he needn’t question where she had gone. He already knew.
Severus hauled Harry up into his arms and deposited him on his lap as he sat down on the couch. Harry faced sideways on his lap as the young brunette cried. It felt like an eternity when a disheveled Draco appeared in the doorway. His bare chest and dripping wet hair confirmed Severus’ earlier suspicion that he was in the shower.

Draco was confused, but one thing was crystal clear. Harry was upset; more upset than a mere nightmare made him. Draco flew across the room and settled on the couch beside his lover. Sliding an arm around Harry’s waist, Draco rested his body against the brunette’s back. They both held him and offered comfort to the small wizard as he cried himself to sleep.

/……/

Sunday, October 4, 2015
Snape met my aunt. She gave him a letter which he gave to me and I read it. She apologized for blowing up at me and asked that I forgive her. Forgive? There’s nothing to forgive. I understand the pain of loss. More than she realizes.
And she’s told me she has Alzheimer’s. It’s progressing slowly, but she wanted to write me before it got too far along. She told me stories of when my mom was young. She said she wanted someone to remember when she could not. She gave me a key to a safety deposit box in London and told me I was written in to open it.
When I was done reading her letter, I lost it. I don’t even know when I started crying. It felt like my half-formed heart was breaking all over again. The puzzle pieces were scrambled around for the puzzle to be put back together. Again.
They held me. Snape and Malfoy. Snape held me on his lap and Malfoy hugged me from behind. I find them touching and holding me a lot. Could it be sympathy or pity?
I’m not sure. I do know that it feels nice.
G…Gi…Ginny never did that. I had nightmares before – not many then – and she would only tell me in the morning that I kept her up all night. Again.
I miss Hermione and Ron. I miss Daniela. I miss the Weasley Twins. I…I miss Remus and Sirius.
I’ve thought of it. I’ve thought of trying again. But it was only once. Snape was gone and I was helping Tippy clean. That included the Potions lab. I saw all the ingredients I used and more. It would have been difficult, but I could have managed.
But then Tippy told me she enjoyed having me around the house. She said Masters Severus and Draco were nice, but she was much closer to Master Harry because of our similar interests. The feeling went away and I left the lab with her.
October 31 is coming soon. The Anniversary. I hope to slip away then and be with my family.
End of Chapter Seven
A Window to the Past
- 6
- 7
- 8
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The Fallen Lion