Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Love Comfort	By : Slayer-of-Destiny Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Bill Views: 17839 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 7
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters. I make no money from this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
Chapter eight

"You lot really scare me, you know that," Charlie muttered with a small groan as he shimmied further down the rope ladder.

"Mad Eye is here, there is no other way out!" Hermione huffed from above him where she was holding onto the ladder in a death grip.

"Really? This is all you could come up with to get out the house?" Remus groaned as the ladder gave a slight swing.

"Its only a few floors," Harry rolled his eyes as he quickly scrambled down.

"I don't like heights!" The werewolf wined.

"Just don't look down and keep climbing, your at the first floor now Remus," Bill called from the bottom reaching up to help Ron jump the last couple of inches to land beside him.

"How exactly do we know that Moody won't happen to just decide to look this way and see us all scaling the front of the house?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Fred, Goerge and Ginny know they have to keep him distracted in the kitchen for half an hour and then make themselves scarce, they'll be saying they were with us the whole time," Harry explained jumping down and giving Bill a quick kiss before reaching up the help Remus as he slowly made his way to the bottom of the ladder.

"Scary, the bunch of you," Charlie muttered shaking his head.

"I don't think I really want to know half of the things you lot have probably gotten up to," Bill snorted.

"Your heart?" Harry asked sympanthetically fighting down a grin.

"My poor, poor heart," Bill nodded solenmly before they started chuckling at the confused looks they were being shot by the two on the floor and the two on the ladder.

"Oh thank Merlin," Hermione sighed putting her hands on her knees once she was clear of the ladder.

"Finite Incantem," Harry tapped the edge of the ladder as Charlie jumped down and they watched the ladder disappearing.

"Ron your foot is sticking out the cloaking spells," Hermione sighed pointing to the apendage as they saw a muggle pause on the way past. Just as Ron pulled his foot back the woman gave the spot a second, confused look before shaking her head and carrying on on her way.

"Ok we all know the coordinates?" Remus asked straightening his muggle tweed jacket. Harry had to admit he was glad that the three helping them were ones that knew how to pass easily as muggles, he could just imagine having to do this with Mad Eye, Arthur, Kingsley or McGonagall, as much as he admired them and the things they could do blending in with muggles was not something they did easily. Kingsley was probably the closest one that could manage muggle clothing and even then he stood out while he was wearing his Galabias.

As it was he, Hermione and Ron looked like average teenagers out in London, Remus looked like an escape teacher with his neat but slight worn black slacks and his brwon tweed coat, Charlie looked relaxed with his faded blue jeans and black tanks top with a deep red open shirt over the top, and Bill, Harry had to say Bill looked particularly tatsy in black jeans and a form fitting black t-shirt with a light leather jacket over the top of it, his hair was pulled up into its normal ponytail. Around Harry's wrist lying as still as a statue Talia was shrunk down and acting the part of a very intricate bracelt, she had insisted on coming with him when she had realised they were planning on leaving the house.

Harry was pulled from his thoughts when the others nodded and started apparating out, quickly he followed, opening his eyes and looking around the slightly dingy alleyway they were gathered in. Remus had luckily known one of the apparation safe areas close enough to the house that they had been able to apparate in, they were already facing a fifteen minute bus ride with three Weasleys who had varying degrees of muggle knowledge, though considering noen of them had been on public transport and Arthur was their father and source of information Harry was just thanking Merlin they hadn't had to get the tube into London and then the bus out.

Glancing around he made sure they were all there before Remus led the way out the alley and down the road to the bus stop. Admittedly even though they were dressed pretty well as muggles they did still pull some strange looks from the other people at the bus stop when it became apparent that they were together, they were an eccelctic mixture to be out together. Hermione and Harry quickly herded everyone onto the right bus and to seat while they paid for the tickets, watching Ron try and figure out the ticket machine was not something they needed, and then went and joined them, Bill had left a seat for Harry as had Ron for Hermione, Remus and Charlie were sitting opposite them.

"This is nothing like the Knight bus," Bill muttered looking around with curiousness that Arthur got when faced with something muggle.

"You can imagine my reaction after spending thirteen years seeing buses like this suddenly getting on the knight bus," Harry snorted, Hermione making an agreeing noise behind him.

"Where are you supposed to sleep?" Ron frowned squirming a little in his seat, considering Bill's legs were invading Harry's space in a search for more room Harry would guess Ron was just as cramped in.

"You fall asleep in your seat," Harry shrugged.

"Some countries do have public trasport facilities where you can book rooms with beds, especially if you are making long haul journeys, its mostly trains and obviously ferries though. This country used to do it but I'm not aware of any trains in Britain that allow for sleeping fascilities any more," Hermione explained a little better. Harry had to chuckle at the interested looks on the Weasley boys faces as they listened, it seemed Arthur's obsession had rubbed off more than people knew.

"Your dad was particularly impressed with the ticket barriers in the underground," Harry piped up ebfore grinning at Hermione when she made an annoyed noise as four questioning looks were sent her way. Remus caught Harry's confused look and he smiled sheepishly at him.

"I can use buses and taxis and things like that, but the trains, especially the undergrounds were a little too intimidating, even for me," He admitted.

The rest of the bus journey was spent with Hermione explained ticket barriers and how they worked while fighting with herself not to get too technically as it drew blank faces across the board when she did, and with them receiving some strange looks from the muggles around them when they picked up on the topic of conversation. And of course when Harry rang the bell for their stop the three Weasleys all wanted to have a go, so they were shot an annoyed look from the driver as they filed off, even their thank you's not softening it.

"Alright the house is in this direction," Hermione said pulling out the map she had managed to copy down from the computer before it died a spectalular flaming death when they had emergancy charged it as it was dying, they apparently still needed to work on that part of it, or find a gentler spell than eneverate. Taking Bill's hand and linking their fingers together Harry started trailing down the raod after Hermione, the others following at varying paces.

"This area looks expensive," Hermione muttered ten minutes later as they turned down the road the house was located on. All the houses were at least three story Victorian detached houses, standing impressive and imposing in their beautiful and well kept gardens, the road tself was dotted alternately with majestic oak trees and beautifully blooming cherry blossom trees. The road did scream of money, if only for the upkeep of the houses themselves.

"The family were quite well off but they couldn't have children themselves so they adopted, they seemed like a really nice couple actually, even just a little poking around and a lot of charities and things popped up, they actually gave a lot of money to the orphanage Tom came from eight years before they tried adopting him to try and improve the standards of the orphanage," Harry said as they trailed down the street counting off numbers.

"And he just killed them?" Charlie sighed.

"By the time he came to them he had already killed two children from the orphanage, by the time he killed them he had murdered the two children, the 15 year old at the Anderson's house, his dad and paternal grandparents, his maternal grandfather and set his uncle up for his muggle families murders, killing them probably wasn't even a glitch on his radar," Harry shook his head. Bill squeazed his hand tightly making him look up at him confused but Bill just shook his head and lifted their joined hands to press a kiss to the back of Harry's.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's it!" Ron sighed stopping with Hermione where they were alittle ahead and poitning to the building they were standing outside.

"Why couldn't it be butterflies huh?" Harry snorted looking up at the building.

"Exactly," Ron nodded with a grumble.

"What?" Remus frowned confused looking between them.

"Mysterious riddles from Hagrid, following a trail of spiders into the Forbidden Forest into an Acromantula's den with only Fang, dad's car rescuing us in our second year," Ron waved it off still staring up at the house.

"I knew I didn't want to know," Bill sighed making Harry chuckle and lean up to press a kiss to his cheek.

"We might as well get this over with, staring at it isn't going to change the fact we need to go inside. Leg over Hermione?" Harry grinned cupping his hands together.

"When did you develop such a dirty mind? You were a sweet and innocent little thing the last time I saw you," Charlie choked.

"Your brother corrupted me and led me into a life of sin and debauchery," Harry said dryly before grunting as Hermione put her foot in his hands and he boosted her up the wall.

"Your turn," Ron pointedly ignored Harry's last comment and cupped his hands together. Harry took it at a bit of a run using his own momentum and Ron's boost to get him high enough to grab a hold of the wall. Hermione was already swinging herself over and ropping carefully down the other side. Bill and Ron gave Remus and Charlie boosts over before running at the wall and managing after a couple of goes to grab the top and heave themselves over.

"Why do they have to have shap pointy things at the top of their gates, that would have been much easier to climb otherwise," Ron grumbled as Hermione healed his scraped hand for him.

"Yeah, and its right in view of the street," Charlie snorted clapping Ron on the back before turning to look back up at the house. "That is a really creepy place," he sighed. The house clearly hadn't been owned for a good few years, the garden was over grown and the grass nearly waist high, but the building itself gave off an air of neglect and empiness, almost a mournful air as they gazed up at the boarded up or smashed windows, the ivy climbing up the walls and the general state of disrepair, especially when you looked at all the other houses that they had passed.

"Can't same I'm shocked no one is living here though, would you stay in a place where a chunk of Voldemort lying under the floorboards or something?" Bill said making them all shiver slightly at the idea.

"That's just gross," Ron pulled a face looking back to the house.

"Come on then," Hermione visibly steeled herself before leading the way through the jungle of a garden to the front door. When they got there however they relaised that while the house may be in disrepair, the door was definitely built to last. The others sat down on the front steps of the house soaking up a little bit of sun that had been allowed to escape through the forest of trees in the garden while Bill did a scan of the front door to make sure there weren't any wards or traps cast on it to alart Voldemort should they use magic to open the door.

Harry was sitting on the top most step in a nice patch of sunlight he had quickly snagged watching Bill work, the night they had broken into Honeydukes and Hogwarts he had only been able to hear Bill, but being able to see him working his way through the varying spells, the look of concentration but clear enjoyment on his face as he worked was fascinating for Harry to watch, this was Bill in his element, and this was the confident, comfortable in his own skin Bill that he remembered from when the had first met him.

As though sensing his gaze sapphire blue eyes turned and met his own curiously. Smiling he crawled over to Bill and sat so his back was leaning against Bill's side where he was kneeling to work on the door.

"You ok?" Bill asked softly pausing to reach down and run his fingers through Harry's hair, smirking a little at the faint purr of enjoyment he got in return.

"Yup, just wanted to come and sit beside you," Harry smiled at him tilting his head so that he could see his handsom face.

Bill's breath caught slightly at the purely content, warmly affectionate look that Harry gave him mixed with admiration. He always managed to throw Bill when he looked at him like that. Even when he was fourteen Harry's eyes were so open and so mature, you could look into them and see the adult Harry really was looking right back, and never let it be said that Harry Potter didn't wear his heart on his sleeve and written all across his face. So when Harry looked at him and Bill saw the attraction Harry felt for him, when his eyes roamed across his face and there was not one hint of disgust or pity or horror at the scars there…it threw him, because he looked in the mirror and saw a scarred mess where a mildly good looking guy had been, Fleur hadn't been able to look at him after the attack, she hadn't even been able to tell him face to face the engagement was off, leaving instead a note with her engagement ring on top of it. But Harry's eyes danced over his face as though the scars weren't there, the lust and attraction to him was always there, always present in those bright green eyes that he wasn't sure exactly how he had missed it before, the growing affection that he was feeling for Harry, the growing feelings between them could be read there as well.

"What's wrong?" Harry frowned turning to kneel beside Bill cupping his face.

"Nothing," Bill shook his head before smiling at the completely disbelieving and stubborn look he received in response. "Its nothing, I just, I just realised that you really don't see them,"

"See what?" Harry frowned looking around making Bill laugh as he proved his point.

"The scars," Bill got Harry's attention back quickly with that answer.

"Bill…" Harry sighed.

"No, no I'm not going into a pity party," Bill chuckled shaking his head. "I just, I just realised you really don't see them, well obviously you see them, but you don't at the same time," He tried to explain.

"I see you," Harry smiled leaing up to brush a kiss along the length of the lower scar to his lips where he hovered, just close enough that Bill could feel them brushing together as he spoke. "I see every part of you and love all of it, even if you do like to indulge in pity parties and are clearly a little bit slow considering it has taken you this long to figure it out,"

"Hey!" Bill protested making Harry laugh before pressing their lips together gently.

"Oi! You two, come on! Saving the world mission, V…V…Voldemort's soul? Possible horcrux here? Ringing any bells?" Ron grumbled making them pull apart.

"Sorry, sorry," Harry said sounding the complete opposite of apologetic as he grinned at the others.

"Ok, well there's nothing that I can sense on the door, seems we're clear to go in," Bill coughed looking embarrassed.

"Alright then, lets get moving," Ron groaned heaving himself to his feet and reaching down to help Hermione up. Finally Harry cast the Alohomara and the door opened, of course with a nice creepy groaning sound that they could hear echoing around the house. Stepping into the dark and gloomy hallway they looked around curiously, the house had obviously been beautiful at some point, the grandeur and elegance were still able to be seen through the dust, cobwebs and grime. Remus suddenly let out a stream of explosive sneezes making them all jump and spin around.

"Zorry…dust," Remus choked choked covering his nose.

"Ok, we need to find this horcrux. Its probably better if we split up. Harry and Remus you take the first floor, Charlie and Hermione you take the second floor, Bill and me will take the third," Ron said gazing up the main staircase. Bill frowned slightly when Harry nodded in agreement, seeing the look Harry smiled a little at him.

"We're split up by skills, plus I don't think Ron trusts us not to get distracted," Harry flashed Ron a smirk when he blushed bright red and glared at him.

"What about this floor and the basement?" Remus asked breathing mainly through his mouth.

"We'll search those together, they are more likely to be where Voldemort is hiding it anyway," Hermione shrugged before heading for the staircase.

"What is that smell?" Ron winced pinching his nose as they reached the first floor.

"That I believe is some animal decaying," Charlie answered, the only one of them who looked unbothered by the smell. "What? I look after dragons," He said heading for the stairs.

"Happy horcrux hunting," Harry smiled kissing Bill before turning to start walking down the right hand side of the floor. "Using the high level detection spell?" He asked Remus already pulling his wand out as they stopped outside the first door they came across.

"Its for the best, likely the horcrux will be surrounded by protection spells like the one in the chamber, the detection spell will pick it up as soon as we are within inches of it," Remus answered putting his hand on the door handle. Harry posistioned himself slightly to the side of the doorway but still with an open shot inside before he nodded to Remus. The door slammed open and they scanned it quickly but the emprt, dusty bedroom was covered in dust that hadn't been disturbed in years, the furniture was covered by dust sheets.

"Merlin, it feels so…deserted and misurable in here," Harry shivered looking around the room.

"People don't like living in houses that have had murders in, especially child murders, people probably don't stay here long. And if V…Voldemort's horcrux is here I imagine it doesn't give off a very pleasant aura," Remus reasoned as he waved his wand side to side while pacing the room, the detection spell Hermione had found in the Black library already active.

"Can't say I would much fancy co-inhabiting with Voldemort no," Harry agreed starting at the other end of the room and scanning through it.

As they made their way through the rooms, each one as deserted lookng as the next they were coming up with nothing, every now and then they would shoot a patronus to the others or receive one letting them know there was still no luck. They had barely moved onto the second half of the floor when it happened so fast Harry couldn't really process it. One minute he was on the opposite side of the room to Remus, nearest the door, when he felt as though the detection spell had snagged on something, the books had said that the alert for the spell coming up with something would cause a ringing in their head so he knew he hadn't found the horcrux. He had frozen for a second when two things seemed to happen at the same time, he felt as though the floor was falling out from underneath his feet, and out of his peripheral vision he saw something black racing towards him.

Remus spun around at Harry's shocked shout in time to see him disappearing through a suddenly large hole in the floor as a black figure dropped and skidded across the floor, managing to cacth Harry's wrist by the looks of it, but was pulled through the hole himself. Remus stared for a second before he let out a shout and raced to the edge of the hole peering down worriedly. What he saw had him choking back a sob as he quickly launched himself to his feet and jumped over the hole, racing down the stairs as he sent his patronus to the others.

When he reached the ground floor he performed a quick point me to find the basement stairs, skirting around the hole that was now in the ground floor floor, he could hear the others thundering down the stairs, calling out in panic as he raced through a dinning room, living room and finally into the kitchen when he found the stairs to the basement.

Harry let out a soft groan as he cautiously stretched out a cramped leg, even as he was waking up he realised his body was in a hell of a lot of pain, he couldn't help but wonder what the hell he had gotten into now as he tried to remember what happened to bring on this bout of unconciousness.

"If you kick me I will hex your leg off Potter!" The snarled snap had him sitting up quickly and wide eyed before he groaned as nausia rolled through him and his head gave a nice throb with every heart beat.

"Foolish idiot, you probably have a concussion why did you sit up so sharply?" The voice snapped.

"I don't know, maybe because the last time we saw each other hexes were being thrown, plus you have never really liked me. Not to mention the fact that I'm fairly sure you weren't wherever here is with us before," Harry groaned as he pressed his fingers into his eyes trying to ease the pounding in his head that was not helping his urge to upchuck.

"You can't remember?" The tone was the same one Madame Pomphrey used when he finally confessed symptoms to her.

"I can remember falling, something grabbing my wrist, pain, something hit my head and then nothing…I think I was with Remus before I fell?" Harry looked up and met those dark eyes, frowning when he saw the blood trickling down the side of a too pale face. "Professor your head," He said worriedly shifting a little to get a closer look. They appeared to be in a small niche of rubble, it was surrounding them on all sides and above them as well, the niche they were in was only about 6 ft by 9, but Harry supposed he should be on his knees thanking anyone he could think of that he wasn't plain under the rubble.

"Professor? Really? After everything that happened you're going to call be that?"

"Well which would you prefer then? Sir, Snape, Severus, Prince?" Harry offered.

"I was thinking you would be more along the lines of filthy, murdering, traitorous bastard actually, along with some hexes and curses flying," Severus said dryly raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well considering none of them are actually true would be pretty pointless to use them, and as thick as you may believe I am, even if I were inclined to have enough of a death wish to try and duel you again, I would not be doing it while we are surrounded by easily callpsable rubble," Harry responded in the same tone.

"I am none of those things? I believe that I was the one to kill Dumbledore, to murder him," Severus snapped. Harry winced and he shifted slightly, his back giving a twinge - he had definitely wrenched it when he dived out the way.

"You can cut the big, evil Death Eater crap right now Snape. One you haven't just AK'd me…"

"AK'd?" Severus choked disbelievingly gaining an annoyed look from Harry.

"You haven't just AK'd me. Two, I've spent a hell of a lot of time since that night thinking eveything over and looking at it from every angle possible, because something just didn't add up right…"

"In between shagging your Weasley apparently!" Severus sneered.

"Bill and I got together partly because of what your precious, perfect godson did!" Hary snapped feeling his temper wearing down with the heat and pain as well as Severus's natural charm on him.

"Draco needs someone to believe in him, unlike you he doesn't have a trail of people worshipping at his feet!" Severus snapped back.

"Oh yes because I'm so bloody fucking lucky!" Harry roared suddnely visibly startling Severus as he threw his hands up in the small space he had. "A loving mum and dad who I only know through pictures and from hearing them dying. A godfather who got himself thrown into Azkaban and who I was only allowed moments with over two years where I was allowed to taste what it was like to have someone who loved me just for being me a parents love before I had to watch him being murdered in front of me, and I have no idea if he actually loved me Harry, or James's son who looks a lot like him. Remus who pops in and out of my life and who I don't know what he really feels for me - if he loves me Harry, if he is just looking out for me because I am all he has left, if he's watching out for me out of duty for my mum, dad and Sirius. My oh so loving Aunt and Uncle who made me sleep in a cupboard for ten years, who allowed me to have Dudley's cast off's as clothes, who begrudgingly gave me the scraps of their meals that I cooked from the age of five and made me work myself to exaustion to earn it, who allowed me to think my name was Boy or Freak until they had to tell me it was Harry so I wouldn't embarrass them or cause them any problems when I went to school. How about my oh so loving cousin who beat me to a bloody pulp as often as he could, who broke my arm in three places when we were eight, who made sure I had no friends in school, who stripped me to my underwear and tied me to the goal posts in school where I was left for five hours! How about the oh so adoring public who think I am their saviour one day and won't allow me to just be or the psychotic attention seeking brat the next. The boy who slept in the say dorm as me for five years believed the lies! But of course you would begrudge me the love of the Weasleys and Hermione who for the last seven years have shown me the only form of acceptance, love and normality, of belonging that I have known. Yes, how could I be so unfair," Harry finished quietly turning his head away so Severus wouldn't see the tears of frustration, hurt and pain swelling in his eyes.

Against his wrist Talia moved to wrap herself around his neck, raising so that she could brush against his jaw in a surpisingly comforting gesture murmuring words of comfort and soothing.

"Your….they did what…its…its not possible! Dumbledore…no!" Severus shook his head barely reacting to Talia in his apparent shock.

"I cared for Dumbledore, but he was so set on the big picture he didn't care…no he didn't think about the concequences that would happen to his pawns when he moved them into a certain square. He didn't with me and he didn't for you either. All for the Greater Good, so what if I was knocked around a bit and a little underfed, so long as I came to Hogwarts modest and compliant enough to work with his plans," Harry snorted.

"You had three fathers and one mother even before you were born," Severus said quietly.

"What?" Harry actually turned to look at the man confused when he spoke and manaed to get himself locked in Severus's black eyes and penetrating stare, although those eyes were lacking the anger and hatred they normally possessed when aimed at him, instead they held something different, something deeper.

"Potter may have been your biolgical father, but anyone would have though Lupin or Black where your fathers as well, they were both as proud and as excited that you were on the way as Lily and Potter. All three of them where there at your birth, I believe Black managed to hold you before Potter did. You were loved from the minute they knew you existed whole heartedly and completely. The three of them actually all carried round scans of you," Severus told him quietly making Harry stare at him shocked.

"Remus…" Harry choked out not able to finish the sentence that suddenly clogged in his throat.

"Loves you completely silly child," Severus shook his head, the insult completely lacking any bite, in fact Harry would even say there was a hint of fondness…but he was probably imagining things. "So, you do not think I am the, what was it, big evil Death Eater?"

"No, I don't," Harry allowed the change acknowledging that they had both reached their limit of emotional sharing.

"And why pray tell?" Severus raised an eyebrow. How he managed to make Harry feel as though he hadn't studied for a test he had been warned about while he had blood trickling down the side of his face, dust coating his black hair, robes and visible skin and a healthy bruise forming on his cheekbone was beyond Harry.

"Knowing Dumbledore as I do, considering that we were, and probably still are, the rooks on his chess board I looked at that night over and over from every angle, like I said something just didn't add up correctly with that night. Then I realised, he wasn't asking you not to kill him was he? He was asking you to kill him," Harry felt a slight thrill of triumph going through him when he saw the shock on Severus's face.

"You…you were there…you were on the tower!" Severus choked suddenly looking horrified.

"Yes, I thought you knew," Harry frowned shifting in place again before making a noise of annoyance, reaching underneath him he tugged out a small piece of rubble he had been sitting on and gently threw it to the side before looking up again. Severus was sitting with his hands covering his face and his knees drawn up making Harry worry a little, he had never seen him looking so, defeated.

"Sir?" Harry reached out and cautiously touched Severus's arm but he kissed and drew back when his wrist gave a throb.

"What was that?" Severus lifted his head with a frown seeing Harry cradling his wrist.

"My wrist hurts," Harry rubbed a little at his wrist.

"Let me see," Severus held out his hand. Wincing Harry held it out and watched closely as Severus poked a little at it making him hiss again. "Its sprained, I think it must be from when I grabbed it as you were falling. I can wrap it now," Severus said after a minute, running his wand surprisingly gently along and around his wrist, the ribbons of bandages wrapped around his wrist and hand.

"Thank you," Harry wiggled his fingers a little, wincing at the pain but noting it felt a lot better wrapped.

"How were you there?" Severus asked sharply, the time seeing to have given him time to pull himself together.

"Underneath my cloak. Dumbledore amd I had been out doing…something, we got back to Hogsmeade and saw the Mark. We flew up the tower and heard Malfoy coming up the stairs, Dumbledore cast the body bind on me. I saw everything," Harry sighed.

"I didn't know," Severus frowned down at his hands.

"I'm as much to blame as you you know," Harry said quietly picking at bandages around his wrist.

"Don't do that," Severus said absently. "What do you mean you're as much to blame?" he carried on.

"What we had been doing that night, it was dangerous. He made me do something…he made me feed him a poison, he was dying when we reached Hogwarts. He said that I had to get you, that only you could help him, I didn't know what he meant, he'd told me that you had healed his hand so I thought maybe it was to do with that. But he knew there was nothing else that could be done, he knew…he'd told you before that you would have to kill him, right? When he found out about Malfoy and the unbreakable vow, it would secure your posistion with Voldemort," Harry spoke quietly not looking at Severus. Their relationship was explosive at its best, and that was without overly emotional and close subjects being brought up.

"How. How did you find all that out?" Severus asked tightly.

"I'm not quite as thick as you seem to believe. I had all the information there in bits and pieces, I just had to put it all together in the right order, with a couple of the pieces missing. Most of it was the best scenario that I could come up with with all the information I had," Harry admitted.

"Perhaps I have slightly underestimated your intelligence," Severus said quietly making Harry grin.

"That's a glowing endorsment from you to me," Harry chuckled.

"So you figured that I am not the bad guy of this story, what did you figure happens next Mr Potter?" Severus asked, pointedly ignoring Harry's comment.

"Ah yes, only got so far with the whole theory thing. For one thing I wasn't entirely sure that I had it right, for another I had no idea how to get hold of you without risking your life," Harry admitted.

"Ah, you are thinking finally Potter," Severus chuckled shifting a little in his place.

"How did you know we were here? I need to know if Voldemort knows we're here," Harry said suddenly panicked as he realised the implications of Severus being here.

"He doesn't know you are here as far as I know. Dumbledore cast a tracking spell on you and gave me the control of it so that I would be able to find you after…so I would be able to find you and try and talk to you. The Order still needs a spy, and he seemed to be under the impression that you were the one that would be most likely to give me a chance. I thought he had finally had one lemon drop too many, but apparently he was right," Severus snorted. "It is an area awareness one, I had to wait obviously until you were away from wards as you were likely either to be at your relatives, headquarters or Hogwarts, this is the first time you have been outside of wards for longer than thirty minutes and I have been able to get away,"

"Guess I've saved you a little time on the explination and lost you some on the whole, getting buried alive thing," Harry smiled apologetically.

"I'm sure your Weasley is digging you out," Severus rolled his eyes.

"How did you know Bill and I were…" Harry drew off blushing and point blank refused to look at Severus, even whne he gave a little chuckle, darkly amused though it was.

"How did I know you and Bill are sleeping together?" Severus asked, Harry nodded, feeling a little better with the wording, though his face was still lit up. "I arrived outside the house in time to see you two snuggling and then snogging on the doorstep," Severus answered raising an eyebrow when Harry, still red faced, looked up at him.

"Ah," Harry said weakly.

"Ah? Really Mr Potter your vocal skills have not improved with your aparent jump in mental facilities, perhaps it was a fluke?" Severus said sarcastically, but for some reason Harry was able to read the joke that was lying underneath the sarcasm. He chuckled slightly, enjoying the flicker that went through Severus's black eyes, seeming to warm them a little.

"Was that Snape's voice…I think I…move faster!" Charlie's voice suddenly reached them from the side of their rubble wall.

"I believe we should move opposite where they are coming in, knowing Weasleys they will blast us apart to 'rescue you," Severus sighed in a put upon manner shifting himself. Following Harry settled shoulder to shoulder against the rubble wall with Severus before answering.

"Give them a little more credit, Remus and Hermione are out there, they'd stop them from doing something too rash,"

"Fucking hell that was Snape! And Harry…why are they talking?" Ron's voice came this time along with a faint sound of the rubble being moved.

"Idiots, if we can hear them, they'll be able to hear us!" Hermione's snapping tone followed quickly after. "Harry? Harry are you alright?"

"A bit bashed about, but alive and ok," Harry called back.

"Harry, that wouldn't have been Severus who took the swan dive with you would it by any chance?" Remus's voice echoed to them sounding unsure.

"I'm in here as well Lupin," Severus called exasperated. There was silence for a few beats.

"Ronald Weasley! Do not be such a bloody idiot! If you do that then you'll kill them both!" Hermione shriek and the sound of flesh meeting flesh reached them.

"Ow! Hermione you gave me a dead arm! We have to get Harry out of there! Snape's in there with him!" Ron whined.

"And yet they are both alive. He could have killed him and apparated out, the only reason he would still be in there is if he wanted to keep Harry alive," Remus answered.

"What?" Charlie asked sounding confused.

"Aparation would dislodge the rubble, and there is enough of a delay for side aparation that the one being aparated would likely be hit by the rubble. Snape could have just aparated out of there if he didn't care about hurting Harry," Bill's tense voice made Harry wince.

"I'm in trouble, I already gave him a heart attack last week with Talia," Harry said in an undertone to Severus as he held up Talia who was still twisted around his wrist, seeing Severus's incredulous look he explained. "Her normal size is much bigger, about nine foot,"

"I can hear you Harry, and you aren't in trouble, I'm just not letting you out of my sight for the next fifty years, screw who's skills go best with bloody who," Bill called back.

"I take it your suspicions were correct Harry?" Hermione asked as the scraping picked up again.

"Yeah they were," Harry nodded even though Hermione couldn't see him making Severus snort.

"Oh that's good, hold on we're nearly there,"

Finally a crack of brighter light than the lumos hanging above their heads appeared, and then a large chunk of rubble was removed revealing Ron and Charlie carrying it away. Harry could hear Bill murmuring the same spell that he had used to stabalise the rock fall in the Chamber of Secrets. In five minutes there was a big enough hole for them to crawl through, Severus urging Harry first. Bill quickly grabbed Harry's good hand and helped him through and to his feet before hugging him tight enough Harry wasn't quite able to draw in proper breaths, but he could feel the faint tremour through Bill's frame so he just hugged back.

"I'm alright, I'm fine Bill," Harry reasurred him leaning up on his toes to press their lips together hoping it would reassure Bill. Bill quickly latched onto the contact between them, his lips seizing Harry's in a despirate, hungry kiss. Harry leant into Bill's body feeling 100 times better being in Bill's arms again suddenly realising how shaken he was, he surrendered into the kiss allowing Bill to control the kiss, the despiration and fear that he had been feeling being pressed against Harry's lips as he held him just as close.

"Severus your head…"

"Don't fuss at me wolf," Severus grumbled standing as he got himself out of the hole.

"Your head is bleeding, let me have a look Severus," Remus said firmly not moving away.

"It's fine!" Severus grumbled trying to dodge Remus's hands. Harry finally pulled away from the kiss to take in what was going on. Charlie and Ron were watching looking a little bemused and confused, Hermione was merely watching speculatively, while Remus was determinedly trying to look at the cut on the side of Severus's head and Severus was just as determinedly dodging him.

"Your wrist," Bill gently taking Harry's wrist brought his attention back and he smiled comfortingly up at him.

"Just sprained, its fine, I'm fine Bill," Harry cupped his cheek meeting his blue eyes and trying his best to convey to Bill that everything was alright.

"We joke about it but you really are going to give me a heart attack. I think my heart actually stopped when Remus's patronus reached us," Bill shuddered.

"I'm sorry, there must have been a weakness in the floor, the detection spell found it but I had already stepped on it," Harry winced. "Bill maybe you should sit down for a second," Harry said concerned seeing just how pale Bill was.

"That might be a good idea," Bill nodded and simply dropped to the floor. Frowning Harry crouched down in front of him and cupped his cheeks feeling seriously concerned.

"Bill?" He asked.

"I'm alright, I was that busy trying to get you out to make sure you were ok and to find out who the hell had gone with you that it didn't really sink in what happened until I got you in my arms," Bill laughed shakily gripping Harry's hands and linking their fingers together.

"Touch me wolf and I will hex your fingers off!" Severus protested loudly.

"Stand still and let me see it!" Remus demanded equally as loudly.

"Its fine!" Severus snapped.

"Its bleeding, it is not fine!" Remus snapped.

"What is going on with those two?" Bill asked quietly.

"I have no idea, and I have an idea that I do not want to know," Harry snorted.

"Sit down Severus and let me see your head!" Remus demanded. Everyone watched slightly shocked as Severus with a huff perched down on a pile of rubble and crossed his arms scowling at Remus.

"Why are you even helping me? I'm the bad guy remember?" Severus glowered as Remus ran a scan on his head and cleaned the wound out.

"Do not be foolish Severus, do you really think Harry is the only one who had doubts about the events of that night? Do you think we haven't discussed it," Remus scowled back at him.

"For the love of Merlin, you're all supposed to believe it!" Severus snarled pinching the bridge of his nose. "Its most of the reason Dumbledore made me do it!"

"Wait Dumbledore made you do it?" Charlie blurted out breaking the staring contest between Severus and Remus.

"Oh good, someone who hadn't figured it out," Severus snorted.

"We'll explain it all later properly. But long story short, he's still on our side, always was, Dumbledore was dying and planned ahead, he made Snape promise to kill him so that Snape's posistion with Voldemort would be ensured and because he made an unbreakable vow to Narcissa Malfoy that he would help Draco, even taking his task if Draco couldn't," Harry summed up quickly.

"Oh…..ok," Ron said slowly still frowning.

"If Lupin has finished playing nurse maid I do need to get back before someone notices I am missing, but I need a way to get in contact with you so that we can speak again, and if I have information for you," Severus snarked with a pointed look at Remus.

"I know," Hermione fished out a two coins and set to work quickly turning only minutes later and held out the coin to Severus. "You tap it with your wand, the serial numbers will change into date and time for a meeting, and the location coordinates can be set. They work both ways, when a message has been sent the coin will warm up," she explained.

"Very good idea," Severus nodded flipping the coin over.

"Yeah, just make sure that you don't spend it like Corner did," Ron snickered.

"Michael Corner?" Severus frowned.

"The coins are how we managed to D.A meetings in fifth year," Harry explained.

"No wonder Umbridge couldn't figure out how and when you were meeting and how you got the word around.," Severus nodded turning the coin over once more before slipping it into his pocket.

"I need to go, I will give you a time and date when it is safe to meet up as well as a location," He said quickly as he checked the time on his pocket watch.

"Go!" Harry nodded standing. "Snape!" He called just as Severus reached the doorway out of the basement.

"Yes?" Severus asked turning slowly.

"Be careful, yeah?" Harry said, slowly raising his eyes to meet Severus's stunned black ones.

"Try not to get yourself killed," Severus nodded before he turned and let with his normal flurry of robes.

"Well….that was interesting," Ron said slowly after a good few minutes of silence.

"Unexpected more like," Bill sighed standing up.

"Here Harry," Hermione held out a pain killing potion to him that she had fished out of the flat bag at her hip.

"We can come back another day and…" Bill started to say but stopped and scowled when Harry looked at him. "Harry, you're hurt!"

"We need to do this as soon as possible, we have the best situational set up right now and the Order are becoming suspicious, we can't drag it out any longer than we can afford to. We need to do this now," Ron answered unwillingly.

"Harry's wrist is sprained, I just wtached him fall through two floors! We can come back another day!" Remus growled storming over to them. It seemed that Bill had been allowed his alotted time to fuss because all of a sudden Harry found himself engulffed in a tweed and book scented hug that also possessed a hint of lemon. Severus's words came back to Harry and before he could stop himself he wrapped his good arm around Remus and hugged tightly back.

"We need to do this now Remus, its not like I haven't had to keep going with an injury before. How about if I promise to stick to the background of doing things?" Harry offered smiling at Remus who was hugging him tighter but looking down at him slightly shocked.

"Actually while we were going around the upstairs I was thinking about it, these old Victorian house were often built with two strong posibilities for places to hide the horcruxes. Often these houses were built with escape tunnels, and just as often they would have safe's in the library room," Hermione spoke up.

"We go check it out together!" Bill said sharply linking his and Harry's fingers together as Remus wasn't letting him go.

"That's probably a good idea," Ron chuckled weakly rubbing his eyes.

"Which one is closer Hermione?" Remus asked giving Harry one last squeeze before he reluctantly let him go.

"The tunnel, they are found in the basements, a point me should work shouldn't it?" Hermione asked peering down the corridor of the basement.

"Yes it will," Remus nodded.

"Knowing our luck it will be underneath there," Harry grumbled pointing to the pile of rubble as he twisted slightly to try and ease the kink he felt in his back.

"Don't be so pessimistic," Hermione tutted before performing the point me spell.

"I am optimistic, for my life, I'm also realistic," Harry grinned before knocking back the pain potion finally.

"Well in this case your realistic optomism that isn't working this time, its this way," Hermione said starting to make her way further into the basement. When they stopped in front of an apparently solid wall, but Hermione's wand even after repeating the point me spell remiaind fixed upon the wall in front of them.

"If it's a secret tunnel then it's not going to be in plain sight," Bill said rolling his eyes slightly. Quickly drawing his wand he ran it over the arae of wall that Hermione's wand was indicating to, of course without letting go of Harry's hand. reaching out he ran his fingers over a specific area frowning. "The door is here, there is a hollow space behind this piece of wall, but the way to open it has been removed and the door sealed over with plaster, a cutting hex along the plaster would probably be best," He instructed after a few moments.

Bill finally let go of Harry's hand and felt along the edge of the wall before carefully applying the cutting hex to the plaster. "Alohomora," he incited and they watched as the door opened to reveal a brick work tunnel.

"That's a lot of cobwebs," Ron squeaked backing away from the tunnel slightly.

"The detection spell should work from here," Hermione said with fond amusement. All of them shared a disappointed look when they watched the spell disappear into the tunnel before Remus who had cast the spell shook his head.

"Library then," Harry sighed taking Bill's hand again. They were all silent as they made their way up the stairs, the events of the day already waying heavily upon their minds, as well as the realisation that if the horcrux wasn't in the library they would have to scour the rest of the house, also acknowledging that while the house looked good for a place that Voldemort would have hidden one of his horcruxes, however if it wasn't here then they were back another step.

The library was a slightly depressing half empty shell of a place. The walls were covered floor to ceiling with bookshelves made of a dark wood, heavy deep blue curtains hung moth bitten at the windows still, the shelves however held only a ¼ of the books that they could hold. the wooden floors were heavily stained with age, and the rugs were as moth eaten as the curtains. It was a slightly sorry picture, and Harry wasn't sure whether Hermione wanted to cry at the state the library was in now, or drool over the potential it had had.

Remus cast the point me spell this time and they trailed to the half way point of the library on the right hand side and stopped front of a bookshelf.

"This reminds me of a muggle tv show," Harry snickered getting a laugh from Hermione.

"More like the books," Remus sniffed before smiling as Harry started laughing harder.

"I don't get it," Ron frowned looking at the bookshelf.

"Muggles don't have the ability to use glamours and such spells to hide and conceal things, they don't have wards to protect them, so they hide their safes. This is a slightly clichéd version of the different methods of hiding their safes," Hermione explained as she felt around the shelf that Remus's spell was indicating to. a small "ah," from her followed a soft click and small movement from the back of the bookshelf. Using her nails and fingers she worried open the back of the shelf, finally managing to get the stiff wood free of where it had been locked for Merlin knew how long, swinging it open to reveal the safe. She automatically stepped back from the bookshelf and allowed bill to step forwards and run scans over the old metal safe.

"Its clear," Bill said slowly with a small frown. It was good that they didn't have to fight through any wards or tricks, however nothing being there meant that it was unlikely that the horcrux would be behind the safe door, Voldemort would not trust metal to protect something so important.

Another alohamora had the safe door creaking open revealing an empty safe. The six of them stared into it disappointedly, Ron even going as far as to put his hand into the safe and felt around in the hope something invisible was there.

"This is brilliant, the house is huge and there is no way that we are splitting up after Harry's swan dive, its realistically going to take two days to clear this house unless we strike it lucky!" Ron groaned dropping onto a dustsheet covered chair before coughing violently when a cloud of dust exploded upwards from the chair.

"Alright lets stop and think about this logically!" Harry shook his head sitting down on Bill's lap after he settled into the chair he had transfigured with a look at Ron.

"Logically," Hermione nodded copying Bill's idea.

"Alright, Voldemort isn't the type to think lets stick it in one of the random and many bedrooms, he's more likely to go for somewhere significant. The 15 year old was found dead in the drawing room on the ground floor, the family later on in the living room, the adoption request said that the parents had transformed the whole attic into a room for him, the kids had rooms on the top floors of the house as the mum was a musician and practiced during the evening times," Harry listed from memory.

"Alright, so those rooms seem the best to try out. Most likely?" Bill asked.

"Murder rooms," Harry, Hermione and Ron chorused.

"Probably the living room first, that would have a lot more significance to him," Harry added.

"Alright then living room, detection scan, Harry, Hermione and Charlie take the floor, me, Remus and Bill will take the walls," Ron clapped jumping to his feet and hurrying out the room with new enthusiasm, the rest of them following a little slower but still a little more perked up.

"Alright then," Bill winced a little as they looked over the living room, it was bloody huge in its own right, at least 30 ft by 35. Steeling themselves they all took at their wands and moved in mostly equally spaced out posistions to their alloted place to search and started.

Harry walked steadily forwards waving his wand side to side to allow the detection spell to work its was underneath the floor. Hermione and Charlie were walking practically in line with him further across the room, Remus, Bill and Ron were waving their wands up and down the wallsas they slowly inched their ways along the walls. They had been working steadily for nearly an hour when Charlie made a startled noise getting their attention as he ran the spell more carefully over the window seat of the bay window.

"Here…its here!" Charlie said excitedly finally turning around to the others who had been unwilling to move from where they were in their section in case they lost their place. Now however they all quickly moved over to Charlie to look eagerly at the window seat.

"There, look, runes scratched into the wood, they have been painted over, but they are protection runes," Remus's sharp eyes easily picked up the tiny row of runes all the way around the panneling on the seat.

"Ok guys, back a step," Bill raised his wand and again started casting spells. "This one has wards over it, Remus do you know how to dismantle a flesh eating trigger ward?" Bill asked turning to the werewolf who considered before nodding. "Charlie, Hermione I want you ready with dousing spells, Harry, Ron with shields, there are several wards set up on triggers, if I don't dismantle them correctly, or in the right order they will go off. Remus when I nod start with the flesh eating ward, that one is twisted around a fire ward and they need to be taken down similtaniously," Bill explained.

The others all watched tensely and at the ready as Bill knelt down in front of the window seat and started working, the purple light from his wand wrapping around the seat and sinking in a little before it turned a shade of blue. Harry, Charlie, Ron and Hermione were all tense watching as they waited with their wands in their hands incase something happened, watching Bill intently as he worked away, sweat slowly forming and rolling down his forehead as the magic in their air incresed.

When Bill gave a short nod Remus immedietly started work, his wand waving and weaving in different directions with small flicks and movements as he work, Bill already moving onto the ward it was twisted around carefully working to dismantle the next ward. The others could feel the tensions rising in their bodies with the rising magic in the air. Remus staggered back slightly with a small gasp just as Bill's wand movements took up yet another movement and he started on the next ward.

Harry moved quickly when Bill suddenly dropped back looking like a puppet who had had its strings cut. While the others moved forwards to work on removing the pannel of the window seat Harry gently wiped the sweat from around Bill's face with a cloth he conjured, the one handy thing that had come from Umbridge's detentions, as he proped Bill up from behind.

"You're amazing," Harry said softly brushing kisses along Bill's cheeks.

"Its my job," Bill shrugged.

"Then you are amazing at your job, you just undid Voldemort's own wards and trick wards in…an hour and a half," Harry said lookng at his watch before smiling at Bill.

"I am totally bragging about that when this is over, I'll be able to get a job anywhere we want to go," Bill smirked.

"Anywhere we want to go?" Harry asked his breath catching in his chest.

"You want to travel, we'll travel, you want to stay here I'll get a job here," Bill said as though it was the most simple thing in the world.

"Do you miss Egypt?" Harry asked ignoring Ron moaning about splinters as the others seemed to be having to physically take the pannel off, the protection runes preventing magic.

"I miss the people, and the heat, Merlin I miss the heat," Bill laughed. "But at the same time it was lonely, honestly I think it's one of the reasons that things became so serious so quickly between me and Fleur, the war being the other major one," Bill said thoughtfully.

"We're getting serious pretty quick," Harry said softly.

"No, we're not, I've known you for years, feel as though I have known you longer with the amount of information and stories I got in Ron, Ginny, Fred, George - even Percy's letters from school, mum and dad's from when you stayed with them. Not to mention I heard and knew everything Harry within a week of them being in Egypt before your third year," Bill chuckled before sobering. "Its completely different with you Harry, you are not her, and us, we're completely different to how it was with Fleur. Us, we feel different, stronger, better. I've never had this…connection before, but now that I have I know, no one before has made me feel like this,"

"Thank you, I guess doubts still linger a little," Harry smiled before kissing Bill deeply.

"Oi rabbits you want to see what all this was about?" Ron's amused voice pulled the apart and they looked uo to see Ron swinging an ugly looking tiara thing from the tip of his index finger with a grin, one that Bill and Harry quickly answered.
- 7
- 8
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