FATW Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight: Healing and Connections:

Remus watched the teens in the large dueling chamber practice their archery, Remus was not really amused at how Harry was practicing but what could he do? Harry was enjoying the moving targets that looked very much like death eaters and actually "bleed" when he shot them. It was Hermione who had, with the help of Ginny and Luna charmed the mannequins to move, cry out and bleed when shot. They were enjoying shooting dummy death eaters. The nice touch according to Harry was them crying for help when he shot them. Normally archery practice took place outside on the upper part of the great lawn, yet as it was a very cold, wet and windy day it was inside.

Remus noticed how upset Harry looked and the boy had every good reason to be that way. He had not slept well at all as he had visions of what Voldemort was doing to Severus. It was clear he had not accepted Severus back but Severus was trying hard to get back into the inner circle. Harry had hoped he would have remembered the charmed portkey on his pendant but then there was the fear that too had been found when Severus was stripped and searched thoroughly. Harry had refused any sleep aids and was wearing a glamour Remus knew and this did not make him happy at all. Harry was clearly blocking out his family and Remus was getting upset at this. He watched in horror as Harry fell to his knees clutching his head and moaning in pain.

"Harry!" Ginny said throwing down her bow and kneeling by Harry.

"Harry come back to us." Remus said kneeling by his trembling godson.

"He escaped." Harry said looking up at Remus, "professor Snape escaped!"

"Harry what?"

"Snape escaped! He is badly hurt!" Harry said staggering to his feet.

He ran from the room Ginny following him and transformed to Grayfeather while Ginny transformed by him into Red Tail. They flew fast to the hospital wing and turned human outside the door before Harry ran in and grabbed a blanket just as Severus landed hard on the floor. He was completely naked, his back covered in welts and cuts from a whip and his left arm missing just above the elbow. He was bruised and bleeding and barely registered Harry kneeling by him covering him with a blanket. Severus looked up at him and he flinched.

"It's alright sir, you are safe now." Harry said gently.

"I failed, he would not take me back." Severus said.

"That does not matter sir, you are hurt, you need help." Ginny said softly.

"Come on sir, I will carry you to the healing room." Harry said.

He did just that, he picked up his professor and carried him to the healing room with Poppy bustling behind him. Percy was waiting for him there and he helped Harry get Severus onto the table. After he did Harry was sent from the room to wait with Ginny. He knew what had caused nearly all the wounds on Severus, both the ones he could see and those he could not and he wanted to cry at what Severus had gone through. He sat down with Ginny and she held his hand, she could not see into Voldemort's mind but she could feel the pain that Harry felt quite clearly. She had seen the damage done to Severus before Harry had put the blanket over him and she was appalled that anyone could do that to another person.

Finally, hours later Poppy came from the room with Percy following her with Diana Granger following them looking down at the stretcher that carried the sleeping form of Severus. He was very pale and was covered in warm blankets with several IV bottles that hovered over him with a tube going into his arm. He was so still that Harry thought for a moment he was dead but he saw his chest rising and falling. He followed Percy to the quieter more private area of the hospital wing reserved for the staff and watched as Severus was tucked in. It would give Poppy and Percy time to talk to Sirius and Remus and explain what happened. Harry of course already knew, he took a seat by Severus and felt Ginny put a hand on his shoulder. Outside the room Dumbledore had entered the room and Poppy turned on him anger in her eyes.

"I did not want him to go Poppy." Dumbledore said tears in his eyes, "will he live?"

"Yes he will live, he is lucky he got away when he did." Diana said calmly though she was very angry, "the whip that was used on him was dipped in human waste and used on him, he will be on antibiotics for quite some time."

"There were quite a few hexes and curses used too, several bone breaking curses were used on his ribs and limbs, I am surprised he could walk at all after all that." Poppy said quietly, "there is evidence he was forced to walk on broken legs."

"He was not assaulted sexually, though I am sure if Harry had not provided the portkey that was next." Percy said then spat out, "bet my lovely girlfriend had lots of fun planned."

"Percy it is not your fault." Sirius said walking up to him, "you and I have revenge to plan together, you will not go off on your own."

"Of course, but we have to let Neville come, you know he needs to visit dear old Bellatrix you know." Percy said no humor in his eyes.

"May I see Severus?" Dumbledore asked, "please?"

"Let Harry and Ginny speak with him first." Remus said quietly.

Dumbledore wanted to see his boy and see if he would be alright. He knew he had been too harsh with him all those years before, his words, cruel harsh words he had said to a badly grieving boy. If he had been kinder and treated Severus far better than he had. Well he would show Severus he was wanted and needed. He left the hospital wing to start the process, he would come back when Severus was better had had finished speaking to Harry with some very good news for his suffering boy.

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Harry had waited until Severus was tucked in under several layers of warm blankets before he sat down by him. Ginny sat by him and both looked at the sleeping form of Severus Snape. He had several hours of surgery on his back mostly and he had potions and antibiotics being pumped into his body. His remaining limbs were heavily bandaged and he should remain out for another day. However that was not to be and Harry had a feeling deep down he would wake and he would not have Severus wake to an empty room. Severus did wake suddenly and he looked around his eyes wide and dilated with fear as he looked around the room.

"Hello professor, you gave us a fright sir." Harry said.

"Dream, can't be real." Severus rasped.

"We are real, this is no dream sir." Ginny said gently. "You are safe now."

"Not worth being here." Severus said, "should be dead, should have killed me."

"No sir!" Harry said appalled, "you are needed and wanted here sir!"

"I caused your parents death, I heard the first part of the prophesy! I told it to the dark lord!"

"Did you know he would go after a child?" Ginny asked.

"N-no I did not, I swear I did not!" Severus said tears trickling down his face.

"You warned my parents, you went to them, if they did not kill you for what you did I will not. You did not betray anyone, that would be Wormtail sir." Harry said, "you are family now, my family and I will take care of you sir I swear it on my honor and life."

"I am not worthy of that, I told you mother not to but she and James and they still died!" Severus said starting to sob.

Harry saw he was working himself up and that was not helping the man at all. Harry gently sat on the bed and took Severus in his arms as gently as he could. He held his professor, a strong man who he never thought would need such tender care and he cried with him. Ginny did her best to calm both of them with gentle witches magic and shortly both had calmed enough. Ginny knew it was best to leave the two to talk and so she did. She would come back in the morning to find both asleep, Harry on a cot next to Severus with Severus tucked into bed a peaceful look on his face. Ginny smiled at the two wizards, she could feel much of the hurt that Severus had suffered was gone as he knew now he really was loved and cared for.

Harry woke first yawning he stretched and sat up blinking and brushing his hair out of his face. He saw Ginny and smiled as she gave him a kiss, he was really everything she had always believed him to be. Severus woke next more slowly and he sat up carefully with Harry setting pillows behind him until he was sitting up comfortably. He frowned as Sirius came into the room looking very humbled and sorrowful. He came up and stood before Severus head bowed tears in his eyes, he had so much to apologize for and he would, after all he owed it to Severus.

"Will you, are you alright?" Sirius asked then added as Severus glared at him, "look for what it is worth you have the head of the noble and most ancient house of Black on your side, I will make sure none dare harm you again. It's the least I can do for you."

"So you have not come to gloat then?" Severus snapped, "I thought you would, after all you enjoyed my torment in school…"

"And you enjoyed mine, I offer my apologizes and services sir." Sirius said, "if you will have me that is."

"I will, I see you mean it." Severus said then he narrowed his eyes at Sirius, "what else do you want mutt?"

"They did not well…"

"No of course not, I would say I am still a virgin but luckily I have had a fair witch or a few since I was fifteen, of course that first time…."

"Ah Virgin hears here sir." Harry said blushing furiously.

Both Sirius and Severus had identical evil looks and Ginny was not amused at this talk at all and she left the room at once. Both Severus and Sirius took to embarrassing the poor boy until he fled the room leaving two men who had never been friends before as friends now. Though they would still continue with the prank war that now would be less dangerous and more trying to vex the other instead of hurt. They had in fact just done a great prank on Harry and were laughing about it when Diana Granger came into the room followed by Poppy. The both looked from the near grinning Severus and to a laughing Sirius and they knew that Harry fleeing had been their doing.

"You did not tease that poor boy did you?" Poppy asked and both men tried to look innocent with Severus the one pulling the look of the best. "What did you say to him?"

"Oh that I have made many a fair witch very happy." Severus said smirking, "not in the castle of course, why the wards do not allow unmarried sex but allow our students to nearly kill themselves I will never know."

"It's due to controlling the seed of course." Sirius said, "did you sneak off to Hogsmeade?"

"Oh yes I did indeed, that was fun." Severus said, "down the third side street and fifth house on the right."

"I cannot believe you two would speak of such things!" Diana said walking up to check on Severus, "do tell me you at least use some form of protection?"

"Of course, I did in human form at least but…."

"I don't want to know, really I don't." Diana said, "now I do have good news, we found you a new arm."

"Really where?" Severus asked realizing how strange it was to talk of something as a new arm like he was ordering potions ingredients. "What kind is it?"

"It's from America, it will be here within the week." Diana said, "I am also a surgeon as well as a dentist so I will do the surgery."

"Percy and I will assist, well Percy mostly as he is in surgical training too the muggle way." Poppy said.

"So I will have a fully useable arm, not like what Alastor has for a leg, it will not detach?" Severus asked.

"No, it will not, it will be yours until the day you die."

"Good, thank you for all of this." Severus said frowning a bit, "but I am not worth this, what I have done…"

"You are sir, don't ever say you are not." Harry said having come back, "you are worth more to us as you are sir."

"I cannot spy."

"Oh hang spying sir, I need you, I would be lost sir without you!"

Severus looked up at the young man before him and saw there was respect and acceptance in Harry's green eyes. Remus came in just as Harry and Severus hugged briefly and he smiled wiping away a tear. The war was heating up but new friendships and alliances were being forged and Voldemort would not stand a chance with the Wizarding world united as they were.

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So there is that, Severus will not go back to spying, ever again. Yes he lost his arm and he was beaten but he did live and manage to get back to Hogwarts before worse could be done. Harry is the kind of person to accept and forgive and that is what he did with Severus. Severus really should have got that chance at the end of cannon but did not.

So anyway do review and thanks for reading!