Title: Wolfsbane and Hoof-Picks
Author: Captain Seb the Seven
A/N: Just answering the reviews of some people with their PM turned off - Jester – I know we Brits don't celebrate the 4 gwynclaire – Ooops! Typo alert, thanks for pointing it out. This is why I Summary: After the war Harry just wants to leave his old life behind. Finding out that his animagus form is a centaur; he goes to live a pleasant, solitary existence until he comes across his old potions master collecting ingredients in the forest he has made his home. Love blossoms between the unlikely pair and changes their lives forever.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter and its characters belong to J.K.R
'blah' means thoughts.
Chapter Warnings: None so far.
…
Snape made a grumbling sound of protest but the centaur shh'd him and told him to go to sleep.
When Harry awoke he could feel a weight pressed up against his side and for a moment wondered what it was. When said weight mumbled in its sleep and turned over Harry remembered that it was Snape. Severus Snape was sleeping on him… that though made Harry want to giggle.
Content just to bask in the combined warmth of the fire's dying embers and Snape's body Harry dozed until the ex-potions professor regained consciousness.
…
Severus awoke to the gentle rise and fall of his pillow's breathing. Quickly realising pillows didn't breath he bolted upright and nearly jarred something in his neck. Before he could scrabble for his wand a familiar voice riddled with sleep spoke to him.
"Either lie back down or get me a blanket, my sides cold now," Valerian made his point by shivering.
Severus grumbled but reached for the thick woolen blanket that was crumbled by the cave wall without a long outstretched arm; the centaur had gotten a fever from lying on the cold stone while he was knocked out, and needed to be kept warm. Coupling that with Valerian's broken leg made Severus the chief nurse maid.
Severus gently ballooned the blanket over the horse part of Valerian's body, trapping a snug pocket of air.
"Thank you Severus," Mumbled the sick centaur as he slowly drifted back off to sleep.
Snape did not stop him, sleep was the best thing Valerian could do with a fever. Despite usually hating the general public Severus had grown to 'tolerate' the odd centaur and was not unwilling to help him return to full health. The strange peaceful air around the mythical creature gave Severus a sense of calm which he reveled in; his nights used to be torn by too many nightmares for him to be able to rest properly. And for the first time since Lily died; sleeping beside the centaur Severus had rejoiced in a night only disturbed by the slightest unnerving dreams.
Stretching out his limbs Snape stood and brushed the midnight black horse hair off his clothes. He then turned to survey the devastation of the cave now lit by sunlight.
Books were torn and their pages littered the cave like it was autumn, whereas the droplets of broken glass told otherwise and gave one the impression of an icy winter. Severus could see a tin teapot crushed up against the cave wall with several dents in it, it was accompanied by what seemed to be the remnants of a wooden spoon, it now merely resembled a cluster of splinters. A few of the leather hides were torn down but they seemed to have managed to tolerate the young campers panic and stayed intact.
Thinking about the boisterous down right violent boys made Severus feel like he was a teacher again. He really hated kids, the ones that hurt Valerian especially. Even the most thoughtless, most blundering idiot knew centaurs were extremely territorial and were not against using arrows and kicks to get their way. Centaurs; being as stubborn as mules, meant they didn't back down easily.
In fact Severus believed that causing harm to an endangered magical creature was punishable by imprisonment. The centaurs' population numbers had started dropping into critical once the first war began and deforestation wasn't helping them.
'Too late for that now though, those brats are long gone and probably boasting about it to their friends!"Severus let out a weary sigh as he drew his wand to clean up the cave with a simple spell but stopped himself just as he was uttering the last syllable. That spell made a lot of noise what with broken objects reforming and zooming back into place, it would undoubtedly wake up the snoozing centaur. Berating himself for his moment of softness, Snape bent down to pick up the first shard of glass.
…
Before Harry opened his eyes he could tell Snape was still in his cave. The soft rustling of his full length robe and the light flutter of his breathing gave him away. Harry cracked open an eyelid and observed what was going on through long inky eyelashes. Harry was surprised to see Snape arranging his books on one of the shelf like protrusions jutting out form the cave wall. Had Snape tided his home by hand?
He would have had to, the books were arranged alphabetically. A spell would have just moved them back to where they originally were, where as Mr. Obsessive Compulsive had decided to reorganize them. Harry suppressed a smile; he pretended to be sleeping a bit longer so he could observe Severus while he thought nobody was looking.
Once the ex-teacher had finished the books he turned to face the rest of the room and let out a sigh of accomplishment. It was then Harry noticed Severus had tidied the whole room. The broken objects had been gathered into little piles of debris waiting to be repaired with a spell. Harry felt something clutch in his chest when he realised Snape had done so not to wake him.
Snape settled on a leather rug near the mouth of the cave with his back to Harry looking out into the forest, after he had sat there for a few minutes Harry decided to 'wake up'.
After fully opening his eyes and getting used to the daylight of the cave Harry let out a soft whuffing sound to get Severus's attention.
The sour man turned to face the centaur and blinked once in acknowledgement.
"Good morning Severus." Said Harry.
Snape rolled his eyes, "It's good afternoon."
"You have tidied my cave." It was a statement not a question.
Severus seemed to sag slightly, "I thought I might make myself useful, better than snoozing away the day like an old donkey."
"That was not an insult Severus," Harry quirked the corners of his mouth into a strange cross between a smirk and a smile.
Snape did not have an answer for that so he changed the subject, "Valerian, you really are quite ill."
Harry just blinked his long inky eyelashes.
"You have a fever and a broken leg, as you most probably know leg wounds are very serious in a horse or a centaur. Luckily for you you're smart enough not to walk on it. Whereas the fever will most probably get worse before it gets better."
Harry interrupted, "I feel fine, a bit cold perhaps."
"Valerian, it's going to get worse no matter what I do. You may feel fine now but give or take a few hours you will wish that you had never been born." Severus's eyes were dark and his voice grave.
"Oh," Said Harry not really sure what to think about that, "I have never heard of a fever acting like that before."
Severus rolled his eyes and explained to the centaur, "Centaurs do not heal the same way as humans, they're a lot faster at repairing themselves. Which means you'll get all the symptoms in a much closer span of time than a human. That means they will feel all the more severe for it. But on the bright side you'll only have to suffer through it for about six or seven hours. Whereas a human would be ill for a couple of weeks."
"Ah…" There was a moment of silence from the centaur.
"Will you stay with me Severus?"
"If that is what you wish of me."
…
Severus's words rang true and the fever soon set in on the Centaur. Harry would have wished to be dead if he could feel anything properly, but he was really too delirious to do anything except lay there and babble incoherently about sparkles and how shiny Severus's hair was.
Snape sat by the fire side and watched diligently over the sick centaur. Valerian's skin was even paler than his own and covered in a glistening sheen of sweat, his mane-like hair was matted from his constant tossing and turning and Severus could see his eyes rolling under closed lids.
Hours ticked by and Severus didn't move a muscle.
At one point Valerian seemed to snap out of his daze and gripped at the hem of Severus's cloak with scrabbling fingers. He was breathing as if he had been chased for miles without rest and his eyes glinted with madness from the fever.
"Sev-Severus, I need to tell you, tell you that I…" But before the centaur could finish his sentence his eyes rolled back into his head and he let out a keening moan of anguish.
Snape was mildly disturbed. The groan the centaur gave was not a sound a normal human could make, it soon ended as quickly as it had come but the hands gripping at his cloak did not relinquish their hold.
Despite the constant tossing and turning from the ill centaur, and the occasional haunting groans Severus drifted off into a state of near slumber. And before he realised that he was losing consciousness the sun had managed to creep up on the night and was peeking over the horizon again.
…
Severus who had not eaten for several hours was jolted awake by the angry grumbling of his own stomach. Having previously been perched awkwardly up against the cave wall, Severus's elbow lost its footing with his sudden awakening and he crumpled to the floor.
His attentions were caught by an odd nickering sound. Craning his neck at an awkward angle Severus caught sight of Valerian laughing at him. Severus had never heard a centaur laugh, and he doubted even if he had heard one before it wouldn't have prepared him for the sight of it.
Valerian's face had lit up like a lumos charm and the contours of his face lost their harshness and had softened into almost delicate curves. Apart from the actual smile and the quaking of the magical creatures shoulders the sound of a centaur laughing was quite unearthly. It sounded like sharp constant nickering, hybrid with a giggle.
"That's not funny Valerian." Severus grumbled as he picked himself up of the floor, yet for the first time in a while he had to suppress and small smirk of amusement (even if said amusement was directed at him).
Harry managed to compose himself and his expression went back to one of stoic composure.
"Sorry, but it was rather entertaining Severus."
Severus made a harrumphing noise, crossed his arms and tried to change the topic of conversation, "I see you are feeling well again?"
Harry rolled his eyes at the obvious conversation change but answered Severus anyway, "Yes I feel almost myself again, except I have a rather painful headache."
"That would be from dehydration, I tried to get you to drink while you were still under the influence of the fever but you were too delirious, I shall get you some water."
Severus drew his wand from his sleeve and tapped one of the small piles of debris with it. The misshapen blob of scrap metal screeched and reformed to reveal one of Valerian's old tin mugs, slightly more scratched than before. Severus then cast an aguamenti charm into it filling the cup with clear cool water.
"Thank you Severus," Harry took the offered water and sipped at it.
Severus then got to work repairing the rest of the broken items while Valerian watched with liquid green eyes.
After the ex–potions professor had finished he tucked his wand back up his sleeve.
"Severus I have some pheasant hanging in the back of the cave if you're hungry. It sounded like you had a particularly mad bowtruckle in your stomach earlier." Harry pointed over his shoulder with his free hand.
Severus nodded and retrieved the pheasant, it was a whole bird feathers and all. Severus being a potions master knew how to skin an animal so one might use its properties for potion purposes but not to eat. So he stared at it trying to work out the best way to remove the feathers, but it was snatched out of his hands by Valerian who was looking up at him through his eyelashes.
"I'll do it. Pass me that knife."
Severus passed the knife and watched in fascination as Valerian prepared the bird to eat. Soon the feathers and innards of the bird were disposed of, and lean strips of meat were roasting on an iron spit over the fire at the mouth of the cave.
"Do all centaurs eat meat?" Severus asked as he and Valerian waited for the bird to cook.
"Most do, but in general centaurs are mainly herbivorous. I eat more than most because that was how I was brought up, and pheasants and rabbits taste better than dandelion leaves."
Severus nodded and the corners of his mouth twitched into an almost-smile.
Harry watched his old teacher in the flickering fire light and felt something lurch in his stomach, it wasn't entirely unpleasant just unexpected.
"How long will it take for my leg to heal Severus?"
"It can take up to twenty-four weeks for bone to heal in the lower leg of a human without magical assistance, I do not know what it is for a horse but I do know that their circulation is weak and it may be lost if they compensate for the broken leg by hobbling around on the three healthy ones. I am sure that you will be fine though, if your circulation starts to fail massaging it should keep the blood flowing."
Harry hummed in agreement and removed the pheasant from the spit and passed some to Severus. They ate in a companionable silence until Severus declared that he had to leave to care for some potions.
"Valerian, I do know somebody who is very skilled at caring for magical creatures. I could ask him to take a look at you if you wish." Severus said this as if it was a great burden but Harry could tell that he didn't really mind.
Hoping that the magical creature expert was who he thought it was Harry asked Severus for his name, "What is this expert's name?"
"Rubeus Hagrid."
Harry paused as if to think upon this but he had already made up his mind, "You may contact him."
"I shall see if he can come and treat you tomorrow. You will be alright until then?" asked Severus.
Harry nodded and offered Severus a minute smile and was surprised to get one back.
"Farewell, I shall come and visit you tomorrow whether Hagrid can make it or not."
"Goodbye Severus." Harry watched as Severus slipped off into the forest and waited expectantly for the coming day.
…
Harry awoke with a start, it sounded like an elephant was making its way through the forest. Angry yells were partially drowned out by the crashing off the large creature. Harry's ears picked up a few snarky insults like 'oaf' and 'blundering idiot'.
The bendy prongs of a young birch tree that grew a few feet away from Harry's cave were pulled back by what looked rather like a very hairy bear but Harry knew it to be Hagrid, mind you Hagrid didn't think to hold the tree branches back for the other man following behind him so Severus got a face full of stinging leaves and whipping branches.
"Hello there, you must be Valerian!" Hagrid approached the cave bent at the waist, a sign of submission for centaurs. It showed he held no hostility towards reigning herd leader – in this case Harry.
"Greetings Rubeus Hagrid," Harry tried to act very centaur like, he didn't want Hagrid to end up recognizing him.
Meanwhile Severus was wrestling with the birch tree which was gripping at his cloak with grabby branches.
Hagrid stepped into the mouth of the cave, the top wisps of his hair just brushing the ceiling, "Severus has told me that yer have a broken leg. Young'uns these days think they can get away with anything since You-Know-Who was defeated, injuring and endangered magical creature Dark Lord or no Dark Lord is unacceptable!"
While the care of magical creatures professor talked to Harry, Severus had managed to disentangle himself from the tree and enter the cave.
The Hagrid noticed the light that ignited in the young centaurs eyes as Severus approached the cave, his usually dead straight hair stuck full of leaves.
"Good morning Valerian," Grumbled Severus as he gracefully settled himself on the floor next to the centaur despite his bedraggled appearance.
"Your hair resembles a squirrel's drey Severus." Harry reached over and with gentle fingers started to untangle the foliage caught up in the potion master's black locks. To Hagrid's shock Severus didn't bat away the hands carefully straightening out his hair and merely let Valerian untangle him.
Hagrid let out and awkward cough to gain their attention.
"You may assess my injured leg Rubeus Hagrid." Harry unfolded his wounded limb without looking up from Severus's hair.
"All righ' then, Severus yer done a good job a preventing an infection." Hagrid glanced up at Snape to gauge his reaction but he had his eyes pinched closed as the centaur tugged out a particularly painful twig.
Hagrid then prodded and poked at Harry's leg for a few more minutes, "Well Severus has managed to stop any O' them infections getting in so apart from the break your leg is pretty healthy. It should take about a couple O' months to heal."
"That is most reassuring," Harry replied trying keeping his face as impassive as possible.
"I'll send you some salves and things you can put on to speed up the healing process."
Severus who was now tree free spoke up, "I can make them, there is no need to clog the forest up with your irksome owls."
Hagrid blinked his beetle black eyes wondering if the world had turned on its head, 'Snape being nice…er than usual?'
"Uh all righ' then, I'll write down the instructions for yer." Hagrid then scrabbled about in his many pockets looking for a quill and some ink, finding a bedraggled self-inking goose quill he scrawled down the salve ingredients and how to brew them on the back of an old shopping list.
"Here yer go Severus," Hagrid passed the note to Snape who folded it in two and tucked it into his breast pocket, "I'm sure you won't be needing any O' help from me. But drop us an owl if yer do. It was nice to meet'cha Valerian and I hope yer leg gets better soon."
"Thank you for attending to me Rubeus Hagrid." Said Harry and accepted Hagrid's huge hand for a farewell shake.
Severus unfolded his long legs and stood, "Can you find your own way out of the woods Rubeus?"
"Yep, I might go and have a look about. See if I can find any O' them Horklumps." Hagrid then gathered up the various items that had spilled out of his coat while searching for a quill.
"Nice to see yer again Severus." Hagrid smiled at the pair of forest dwellers and exited the cave.
"Too bad I can't say the same myself," Drawled Snape once Hagrid was out of hearing range.
Harry made a tutting sound in the back of his throat, "He has helped you and me Severus, I do not think being unkind is a good way to thank him."
Severus let out a puff of air and rolled his eyes, "I am going to go make a start on this" Severus brandished the shopping list, "Do you know if any hellebore grows around here?"
"I believe there is some growing at the source of that stream," Harry pointed to the chuckling trail of water rushing past the mouth of the cave, "Just follow it up and there is a rocky out crop like this one," Harry patted the cave floor, "But its smaller and the source of the stream runs out of the caves mouth."
Severus nodded and looked down at the salve list, "Apart from the hellebore I have everything. It should take a couple of days to make. Do you have enough food to last until I visit again?"
Harry shook his head making his ears twitch, "No I have eaten my last pheasant."
"In that case I'll bring you something to eat, you don't eat hoofed animals do you?" Severus asked.
"No, fish, rabbits and birds I do eat though." Harry twiddled a twig which he had unstuck from Severus's hair in the dust on the cave floor, drawing swirly patterns in it.
"In that case I shall see you later Valerian." Severus paused at the mouth of the cave and looked back at the centaur as if he wanted to say something more but then though better of it.
"Goodbye Severus."
…
From then on Snape visited Valerian nearly every day to supply him with food and new healing salves, the sickly pinched look that the centaur once had when he was ill soon fell away and Valerian started to regain his health and the colour returned to his cheeks.
Summer had soon crept up on spring and just into the first week of June Severus and Valerian were sitting at the mouth of the cave eating lunch. They had both fallen into a companionable routine in which their friendship bloomed; Harry had discovered that his old potion professor possessed a sharp wit and a sarcastic sense of humor which made life in the forest a lot more amusing than it had previously.
Whereas Severus enjoyed the calm presence the centaur gave off, it was a pleasant change to his old life which was full of hostility and haste. His nightmares had practically vanished.
Valerian had started to hobble about on his own again after a few failed attempts in which he stood on Severus's toes… twice. And today he had managed to shuffle to the entrance of his cave and eat out in the open air.
Snape had brought a salmon and a loaf of bread over for lunch and the smell of the fish had attracted a visitor.
Harry's ears twitched to attention as he caught the sound the quite tread of a four legged animal just beyond the stream. It took a while for his eyes to pick out the creature in front of the wall of brambles but once Harry had noticed it he smiled and pointed it out to Severus.
"Severus."
"Yes Valerian?" Snape spoke as best he could around a mouthful of salmon sandwich.
"Can you see thestrals?" Harry knew the answer but Valerian would not.
"Yes… why?"
"There is one over there." Harry pointed to the skeletal black horse sniffing at the air.
After a few minutes of searching Snape noticed it, "I see. It probably wants some fish."
Harry hummed in agreement and picked up the remaining fish carcass by the tail and shakily got to his feet. Limping on his bad leg Harry approached the stream not crossing over it. The thestral eyed him with curiosity. Once Harry extended his arm with the fish the thestral soon got the idea and waded into the water to reach it.
Severus sat and watched the great winged horse nibble at the dead fish. Once it had grabbed the whole fish in its beak-like mouth Valerian retreated backwards towards his cave and plonked himself down next to Snape again.
The thestral seemed quite content to just stand in the stream and chomp on the fish, eating everything including the bones.
"Do you mind if I ask how you can see the thestral Valerian?"
Harry shook his head, "All centaurs can see thestrals Severus, but I witnessed my parent's death none the less."
Snape hummed in acknowledgement, "I have seen many deaths in my lifetime."
"To see one death in a lifetime is too many." Replied Harry as he watched the thestral lick the remaining fish from its mouth and take flight.
"I knew a witch whose animagus form was a thestral once." Snape said.
Harry blinked a couple of times trying to figure out who was powerful enough to be able to take the shape of a magical creature… Bellatrix Lestrange perhaps?
"What was her name?" Harry's curiosity got the better of him.
"Her name was Walburga Black. I only knew her as an acquaintance but she was very proud of being able to transform into a magical creature and wouldn't cease boasting about it. She's long dead now though."
When Harry though about it Walburga Black did seem to be the type to take the form of an omen of death, thinking back to her ghastly portrait at 12 Grimwald Place she suited being a thestral animagus. His guess wasn't that far off, Bellatrix was a Black after all. They had a reputation for having the animagi ability.
"Do you have an animagus form Severus?" Harry was almost positive that the ex – potions professor would have one, he seemed the type.
"I took the potion that tells you if you have the magical reserve to be able to complete the transformation, it came up as positive but I never had the time to pursue it. I suppose I could try now, I defiantly have the time and peace to have a go."
If Harry's ears weren't mistaken Severus sounded almost wishful.
"I have a book on meditation techniques if you want to borrow it, my foster father was an animagus and he always said that you need to achieve the state of mind before you could achieve the state of being." Harry found that he didn't have to lie, Sirius had told him that. He was practically his foster father anyway.
"I would not be averse to taking a look at it."
"I shall fetch it for you."
Harry was about to stand but Snape places a potion worn hand on the centaur's bare shoulder, "You are injured, I shall retrieve it. What does it look like?"
Harry's chest fluttered at Severus's kindness and gave him a description of the book.
Harry sat and waited for Severus watching the chuckling stream eddy and swirl about. He didn't notice that Snape had probably been in his cave longer than was necessary.
…
Snape quickly found the book thanks to his alphabetical organisation, but as Severus pulled the tattered book off the cave's natural shelf something which was wedged behind the tomb clattered to the floor.
Setting the book back down Snape bent over and picked up the wand.
Severus stared at it, it looked very familiar. But he couldn't place it to a person. Why would centaur have a wand?
Snape decided to leave it and see if this mystery unraveled itself, the potions master slipped the wand behind a book about dragons and exited the cave.
…
Soon enough Harry was back to full health and was able to hunt and gather food for himself, which meant Severus no longer needed to visit him. Not that it stopped the potions master from stopping by anyway.
And on what had to be the hottest driest day of the year so far, Severus had taken refuge from the suns blistering beams in Valerian's cave. The centaur himself was not at home but Severus was sure that he would not be bothered by his presence.
The ex-teacher settled himself on one of the leather hides just inside the cave's mouth so he was in the shade but could still feel the summer breeze. He had hoped to have a read of the meditation book Valerian had lent him but in this heat he could not be bothered to even lift a finger. So he merely set the book down at his side. Severus had long ago shed his thick black winter cloak in favor of a thin grey summer version, and even then the light material was a bit too stifling. Folding his cloak up as a pillow Severus waited for Valerian to return.
…
Meanwhile Harry was carefully picking his way through the undergrowth on the outskirts of the forest; he was following an animal trail which showed signs of being recently used. A broken stem here and a patch of trampled grass there were subtle signs that Harry had learnt to pick up on as so to find his next meal.
Just as Harry was rounding the corner of a large outcrop of rock, a deer darted out across the path with fear blazing in its eyes. The doe didn't even acknowledge Harry and just disappeared into the undergrowth as silently as a ghost. Wondering what could have spooked the dear so much Harry carried on with more purpose in his stride.
As the centaur continued on his way a sense of dread settled over him like a lead blanket, more startled animals kept appearing. At one point Harry even saw a terrified unicorn, but unlike the other animals it stopped in the middle of the trail and seemed to plead with Harry to run. It didn't stay long and soon it had run off again.
It was not for another twenty minutes or so did Harry really understand why the forest was so frightened.
The first thing Harry noticed was the smell, the chocking cloying smell of acrid smoke wafted in the centaurs direction and he instantly knew, there was a forest fire.
Harry quickly unstrung his bow and sheathed it in his quiver; he was about to run but remembered Severus was in there somewhere. Instead of following his instincts which were screaming at him to flee Harry set off at a canter right back into the heart of the forest.
Harry cantered through the forest yelling Severus's name, and when he reached the potion master's cottage it was totally empty and flames were starting to lick at the undergrowth around it. Panic welled up inside Harry and he set off at a gallop towards his cave. It was the only other place Harry could think Severus would be, or that he had apperated to safety.
As Harry got closer to his home the flames grew higher and the smoke grew thicker. But Despite the wild flames and stifling smoke Harry cantered onwards, trying to reach his cave. Even if Severus wasn't there and had managed to apperate away, there were still a few things Harry wanted to save. If it wasn't too late already.
At one point a large branch encased in a blanket of flame came crashing down right into Harry's path, he reared desperately trying to get round the blazing log. But as he backed up Harry felt a searing pain on his flank and quickly turned to see what had caused it. A spread of brambles had caught alight behind him, and leaves of the plant were being spat into the air like tiny flaming missiles. Just as Harry realised he was under attack from the bush, more of the leaves caught in the swirling vortex of stifling heat and floated dangerously close to him, one scalding just above his rear left hoof. Deciding to dally no longer Harry saw only one way out of this mess.
Harry leapt as far as he could, right up and over the searing wall of fire. The flames tickled his underbelly like malicious feathers, but they did not burn him, the only consequence being the foul stench of burnt hair.
Now clear of what seemed to be the wickedest part of the fire Harry cantered onwards, despite being free of the worst of it Harry's eyes stung from the smoke and irritated tears trailed pathways through the soot on his cheeks.
As Harry got closer to his cavern he thought he caught the sound of crackling flames again, but it only proved to be the chuckling brook that ran past his cave's mouth. He was too far upstream at the moment so Harry waded into the stream, letting out a hiss as the cool waters soothed his burnt leg. Knee deep in water it took longer to reach his cave than it would on the bank, but the water was a welcome relief.
When his cave came into sight Harry hauled himself out of the brook and onto the scorched earth. Fear clutched at his heart when he saw what awaited him.
The lifeless form of Severus's body lay at the mouth of his cave, for a moment Harry believed him to be dead. Perhaps chocked to death by the smoke? But Harry soon noticed the potion master's chest rose and fell with shallow gasps. Letting out a sigh of relief Harry kneeled and checked the man's pulse, it was worryingly fast and fluttered like a trapped moth under his fingertips.
Hooking his arms under Severus's Harry hauled the man to his feet, still unconscious the ex-teacher was a dead weight in his hands. Being a centaur Harry was a lot stronger than he would have been in human form; but despite his strength Snape was still heavy. He may have been as skinny as a broom, but Severus was tall, which made him no lightweight. Regardless of this, Harry managed to sling the potion's master over his back and maneuver him so the man's arms were draped over his shoulders, and his gangly legs protruded around his waist. Snape's head lolled onto Harry's shoulder and his hair tickled Harry's collarbone.
With his human rucksack drooping limply on his back, Harry found a tin canteen full with what he hoped was water and slung it over his shoulder. He then scrambled for his wand which was hidden behind the row of books on the wall. Finding it behind the leather-bound book titled 'Dangerous dragons and where to find them' Harry dropped it into his quiver and turned to leave before the fire got any closer to his home. But as he was leaving he trod on something square and solid. It was the meditation book he had lent Snape, deciding to pick that up too Harry wedged it in top of his quiver along with the arrows and set off as fast as he could.
…
Harry may have been a centaur, with the strength of a horse and three men but carrying a fully grown man through a burning forest was not easy. Perspiration streamed from Harry's brow, and chalky white sweat had gathered in the crooks of his horse's limbs. Thick black soot clung to Harry's eyelashes and the back of his throat, his vision which was not good at the best of times was blurred by stinging tears. But Harry struggled onwards, eventually the forest thinned and the smoke faded.
As the last of the smallest saplings were passing by Harry caught sight of a lush green field winking at him through the trees. Speeding up Harry was in so much of a hurry he nearly ran into the barbed wire fence surrounding the pasture; with no time to stop he just bounded over it. But the exhaustion of the fire and the weight of Severus on his back took its toll, Harry managed to clear the fence without injury but his knees buckled as he landed, throwing the potion's master off his back along with a few arrows and the meditation book.
Crumpling to his knees Harry was thankful he hadn't crushed Severus, but the ex-teachers left ankle was bent at an odd angle. Harry wasn't sure if the injury was caused by catching it on a branch while racing through the forest or if it had happened just then, but a thick layer of guilt settled over him.
Harry was snapped out of his thoughts of remorse when Severus gave a loud groan and decided to wake up. His onyx eyes flickered open and he sat bolt upright and rolled to the side on all fours, he was then promptly sick all over the grass.
Harry just looked on with mild disgust, settled in the grass like a bizarre imitation of a fawn trying to hide from predators.
Snape coughed a few times and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and took in his surroundings. Catching sight of Valerian he opened his mouth to speak, but only managed a horse croak.
What Snape really wanted to say was, what the fuck just happened? But he had a severe case of smoke inhalation and his voice had deserted him.
Harry seemed to catch on to what Severus was implying and proceeded to explain about the fire and finding him unconscious at the mouth of his cave.
Snape just nodded and attempted to speak again, this time he was a little more successful.
"T-thanks, life… save." He then dissolved into a fit off coughing, which ended up in more vomiting.
Harry wondered why he wasn't being ill; maybe it had to do with having three stomachs. One in his human part and two in his horse's.
Anyway he offered Severus a small smile and the tin canteen. Snape took it gratefully and Harry was relived to find it was indeed full of water, perhaps a bit stale but better than nothing.
Severus drank his fill and handed it back to Harry, who used the rest of it to clear his face of soot.
They both sat there in the field, side by side watching as their home burnt. The smoke spiraled hundreds of feet into the air and shrieks from birds and other animals joined in with the chorus of crackling flame.
"I think we may have to move, Valerian." Severus deadpanned.
Harry couldn't help it and let out a throaty laugh, everything really did seem a bit bizarre.
…
Sweet baby Moses, IT'S DONE! I'm so sorry it took so long; I've been busy with exams and things. I really hope you enjoyed this action packed chapter. I know I certainly did. Feedback is welcome!
Also, if anyone is interested I am in need of a proof reader. You see I'm dyslexic and I don't always recognise my own mistakes.
Anyway cheerio for now!