F for Friendship

Severus/Harry

Disclaimer: Anything that occurs in this fiction and in J.K Rowling's world belong to her.

Chapter Four

Some of you speculated that the arrival to Snape's cottage will be Draco Malfoy: Maybe, maybe not.

Harry spluttered and coughed. The yellow liquid tasted foul and burnt his tongue. He coughed again, sinking back into his pillow and groaning.

"We shall see now whether or not your potion for the common cold works, Potter." Severus smirked, putting a cork in the vial and storing it inside his trouser pocket. "Have you learnt anything in my presence for 4 years, or are you just another failed barren?"

If Harry's throat hadn't been stinging so much, he would have rightfully sat up and told Severus what do to with his potions and where exactly he could store them - where no man's been before. Instead he coughed again and scowled up at the ceiling. So much for child protection, he thought. So Dumbledore thought that child protection included putting the most sought after wizard in the world by death eaters… into the care of a death eater, who, Harry had discovered with no surprise at all, liked to do cruel things like lock kids out in the dark and cold by themselves, causing them to get ill. Harry was 100% sure of the fact that Ron would inform Fred and George of these antics when he found out and hopefully the twins could stir a bit of mayhem up. Hermione would just defend Snape, saying that everyone has their own childcare methods.

"You're to stay in that bed Potter," Severus commanded, shutting the window and drawing the curtains. "I need to go away for the evening and I won't be returning until after midnight. I have wards set around the house and I've arranged for someone to stop by at 9pm. Do not answer the door to anyone and do not snoop. Understood?"

"Where are you going?" Harry blurted out and then quickly slapped a hand over his mouth.

Severus glared at him through narrowed eyes. His top lip curled above his teeth. Harry decide that if looks could kill, he'd have died there on the bed and not of the common cold. He had never saw such treacherous looks in the potions masters eyes then right now. It was as if emotion finally filled the dark abyss eyes and erupted entirely.

Severus stalked towards Harry. Dangerously allowing his heels to click on the floor boards as he came nearer. Harry gulped, pulling the blanket unconsciously closer to his face.

"Listen to me, boy," Severus hissed, placing one hand on the headboard and another on the bed. Harry's eyes widened. "I've had quite enough of you and your intrusions. If you put another toe across my path, you'll find yourself camping beneath a tree with a bed sheet for comfort. Now shut up and sleep."

Harry automatically closed his eyes, as if he were 4 years old and being threatened by his aunt petunia again. He waited until he heard the sound of the door closing and heavy heels clicking down the stairs, before he threw the blanket back and sat up in bed. Snape freaked him out like that and it was even worse knowing he was confined to the house. But he wanted to know where Snape was going. He had a feeling it was order work, because Snape had been writing a lot of letters earlier that morning. Harry had spotted one addressed to Dumbledore and even Remus when he was going for breakfast. His eyes felt heavy and sniffed, swallowing the contents of his nose then gagging. Maybe after an hours sleep he'd get up again.

Severus shuffled through papers that had been scattered across his desk in the living room. His temples were throbbing and he felt uneasy. His mark had been burning for quite some time now. His entire left arm had a slight red tinge to it and was sensitive to the touch. He gritted his teeth as yet another wave of fire slithered up his arm. Sighing heavily he sat on the couch, his head in his arms and his fingers pulling on his hair.

For once in his life, Severus Snape was scared. He was afraid for his life, afraid for losing, afraid for everyone who might suffer should he be found out. Afraid for one boy who meant the world to him. Voldemort was back and he was angry. Already 2 death eaters had been subjected to the centre of the circle, to kneel before the Dark Lords feet, to kiss his robes, worship him and then have it all thrown back at them with a crucio.

Tonight was his turn to kneel before his master. It was his turn to be subjected to interrogation and more then likely, for his muscles to be pricked and ripped by thousands of invisible blades.

Staring at the clock, he watched it tick mindlessly away. 5:59pm. Another minute and the intensity of the mark would cripple his senses, causing an inferno throughout his arm.

6:00pm. The mark blazed. Turning from a shade of black to what looked like infinite black. The edges of the mark turned bright red and his wrist, to the touch, felt raw and tender. He clenched his eyes, whipped his robed on over his clothes and with a turn and a sharp crack, vanished to his faith.

~0~0~0~0~

The room was dark and cold. Severus could feel the hair on his arms rising. He watched as multiple wisps of black smoke arrived, landing with elegant grace, then quickly sliding back into the semi circle. They surrounded a chair, the most beautiful Severus had ever seen. It was gilded in gold, with a pointed top and fine jewels and patterns engraved into the element. A name was once engraved in platinum to the chair, with a phoenix on either side of it. That name was Albus Dumbledore. Voldemort had blasted the old wizards name from the chair and replaced it with Lord Voldemort. The phoenix's remained however, Voldemort had said as a respect for Dumbledore, but the catch was that the phoenix's seemed to be retreating with haste from the name.

Severus smirked behind his mask as he remembered the day he had confronted Dumbledore and told him about Voldemort wanting to posses an elegant attire for being worshiped on and Dumbledore himself had suggested giving the Dark Lord the chair, as a gift, from the light side to the dark side. Severus had told the Dark Lord that Dumbledore's chair had been replaced with a cursed chair that had caused his magic to slowly weaken.

"Ahh!" he gasped, a sharp sensation gripping at his face.

"Reminiscing, Severus?" his master hissed, staring intently at him.

Severus dropped to his knees and quickly shuffled to the hem of Voldemort's robe, bending to kiss it.

"My lord," he whispered, keeping his head bowed and his eyes averted. "I have news from Hogwarts. The boy, so it seems, has been hidden somewhere in London. Dumbledore didn't say exactly where. I fear he may be growing suspicious of my intentions since your powerful return."

"Did Dumbledore tell you this personally?" Voldemort asked, his interest rising.

"No my lord. He brought it up during an Order meeting. The old fool couldn't help but gossip about what he speculated was a fool proof plan. The only information I gathered was that his carers are not muggle and that the wards are so advanced, Dumbledore himself managed to trigger them by accident."

Severus waited. He made sure to bar his mind from any intrusion, allowing only certain memories to flood through. Himself and Dumbledore in the office, talking about war tactics. Order meetings. Himself teaching potions. Disciplining potter. Grading essays.

"Crucio!"

Severus's body was ignited with tremors. His jaw dropped open and every muscle in his body tightened and trembled. His eyes felt fit to explode from his skull and he couldn't help but let a gasp escape his lips. The curse lifted.

"You're hiding something from me, Severus."

"No my Lord. I conceal nothing from you. My thoughts are yours."

"Don't lie to me!" Voldemort spat.

Severus collapsed onto the dusty timber floor, writhing in agony and screaming for what he was worth. His lungs felt as if they had filled with a molten hot liquid and his throat burnt. After what seemed like eternity, the fire died down and wind wisped through the window, shrouding him in an intense shiver.

He crawled to his knees and kissed the hem of the Dark Lords robe. "My Lord," he croaked, spluttering slightly, a dribble of saliva hanging from his lip.

He glanced up into those snake slit red eyes and then felt a searing pain in his face as his nose connected with the Dark Lord's thick boot.

~0~0~0~0~

Harry laughed so hard he thought his sides were on the verge of splitting. He clutched his stomach and coughed, spluttering spit all over Remus Lupin, who sat opposite him in the living room of Snape's house.

"Sorry Remus," Harry chuckled, wiping a tear form his eye, "I have a bit of a cold."

"Don't worry about it Harry, I've got a tough immune system, it's probably an upside to being a werewolf."

Remus sighed happily and leaned back into one of the chairs, cradling a cup of warm tea in his hands. He was enjoying his time with Harry and was thankful Severus had called on him to check in on the sick boy while he was away. It was reassuring to Remus, that Harry wouldn't have to face a battered Severus Snape once he returned.

"Tell me more about my dad, Remus," Harry said, picking up a chocolate biscuit and nibbling the edges of it.

Remus bit his lip and thought. "I remember when we were your age, Harry," he said, a hint of a smile already crossing his face. "We had probably just arrived at Hogwarts no more then a week, at the most. Sirius had wanted to have a broom racing competition, but I thought it was a bad idea…"

"What's so bad about a broom racing competition?"

"Out the Gryffindor Tower windows at 3am in pink tutus?" Remus grinned.

Harry blushed. His dad in a tutu did not go down well. He cringed at the idea. "And did it happen, Remus? Did dad do it?"

"Well let's just say, if you look in the Hogwarts memorial album, you'll see two very distinct features crossing over McGonagall's office wearing pink."

Harry laughed again, trying but failing to block the image form his head. He made a mental note to tease Sirius about it.

"Not one of your uncles or your fathers finer moments, that I can tell you. Your mother wasn't at all amused, or so she let on. " Remus old him, chomping on another biscuit.

"What was mum like?" he asked, diverting his gaze to the fire place.

Remus smiled softly. "Absolutely amazing. She was the most brightest, funniest and friendliest girl I have ever had the sincerest pleasure of meeting."

Harry smiled, blowing on his hot tea. "Thanks Remus."

"No problem Harry oh, and before I forget." Remus pulled a package from within his bag and tossed it to Harry. "Sirius's doing. He thinks you could do with the nourishment."

Harry beamed as he unwrapped a box of honey dukes finest chocolates. He ripped open the box and plucked one from it - strawberry cream, his favourite. He offered the box to Remus.

"Oh no Harry, thank you, I've put on far to much weight this summer." he said, patting his stomach.

Harry scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous Remus, it looks good on you. You look really healthy and so young!"

Remus blushed accepting a sweet from the box and later going on to have 11 more of them, plus more biscuits and tea. Harry liked this Remus, it was better then the tired and worn out Remus. This Remus told him fun stories and stayed up with him, like friends.

"OK Harry, not to be a party pooper, but it's time for bed." he finally said, getting up from his chair and stretching. Biscuit crumbs fell to the floor. Remus flicked his wand and they vanished, each emitting a little pop.

"Ahhh, 10 more minutes?"

"No way. Severus will be back soon. He'll have my tail as it is if he finds out you were up this late. Come alone, I'll tuck you in."

Harry blushed as he headed up the stairs. "You don't have to Remus, I'm not a baby anymore."

Remus made a cynical sound at him. "I tucked you in all the time when you were a baby Harry. You used to call me weemess, which Sirius found hilarious."

Harry laughed again which brought on another bought of coughing, causing Remus to shuffle him quickly to his bed and spoon the disgusting cough medicine down his throat. He pulled the blankets up to Harry's chin and tucked the blankets in beneath his shoulders and his hips, grinning when Harry scowled up at him.

"Goodnight Harry," he whispered, outing the light and closing the door.

"Night…" he yawned, "Weemus."

"I heard that!"

~0~0~0~0~

Harry jerked awake. He could hear banging and raised voices. Crashing and scraping. He glanced at the clock.

1am.

Manoeuvring out of the tight grasp Remus's tucking had on him, he crept to the bedroom door and opened it a jar. The hall way was dark and Harry couldn't adjust his eyes to the darkness. He continued to peer at what he thought was the window at the end of the hall. He heard more scraping and then footsteps on the stairs.

"I can manage just fine Lupin!" he heard Severus bark.

Harry scowled. Typical snaky Snape.

"Severus, perhaps I should just give you a hand with the-"

"Lupin! As if raiding my food stores wasn't enough, you now want to raid my private rooms."

"Severus please, you know that's not true. I just want to help."

"Leaving would help me immensely." Severus coughed, then groaned shakily.

"Why are you such a martyr!? Everyone else praises your work and rushes to your aid, but all you do is throw it back at them."

"Time withers the best of us Lupin, now get over it and leave."

"Not until your upstairs." Harry smirked. He was going to tell Ron about this, Snape being mothered by Remus. It should call for a few laughs when they get to Hogwarts.

"Lupin!"

"Just shut up and go Sev, I've had enough and I'm tired."

Harry frowned, he could have sworn Remus sounded.. Sad? He heard more scraping and a faint light lit the hallway. Harry recoiled more into his bedroom, watching from the darkness. He squinted his eyes and gasped. Severus's face was stained with blood. His hair was wild and his robes hung in tatters. Remus had him supported around the waist as the potions master limped to his bedroom.

"Voldemort," he gasped, knowing instantly what Severus's faith had been.

Both men disappeared into Severus's bedroom and Remus emerged 10 minutes later, rushing quickly down the stairs. Harry thought he heard a light popping noise and knew Remus was gone. Quickly, he slipped back into his bed and curled tightly around his blanket. He wished he had stayed put and not snooped.

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To come: We meet our mysterious visitor and Harry learns more about Snape.

- Antonin Dolohov