Till the Sea Runs Dry (5/11)
Title: Till the Sea Runs Dry(5/11)
Author: faynia and stormypups
Pairing: Snape/Harry
Rating: R
Warning: Highlight for warnings *Implied Mpreg*
Word Count: 2,612
Genre: Romance, Angst, Drama, Mystery
Summary: (Sequel to Bonds of Water) Just when Severus is beginning to believe Harry will be happy living with him in the lake, someone decides that Harry needs to be free. No matter what the cost.
Beta'd by rakina and carpet_diemon.
Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four
Chapter Five
The wind against his ears hurt worse than it ever did when he played Quidditch, and all the spinning was making him sick. His eyes seemingly stuck closed, he held on tight to whoever was carrying him because he thought he might fall if he didn't. His mouth felt fuzzy and funny. It felt as if his tongue were glued to the roof of his mouth.
Douglas whimpered, tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes. He wanted his daddy and papa. They'd make this better.
"Stop whimpering." The command was harsh and not at all like the kind Papa or Daddy would have given him. They might sound mean, but they never sounded like that. He shivered, trying to pull away only to find out he couldn't move at all, and the spinning just wouldn't stop.
"Please," he begged whoever was holding him. The man's grip on him got stronger and he cried out as air was forced from his lungs. "Please lemme go. Please."
"If you don't stop whining, I'm going to gag you. Now shut up!"
Douglas tried to be brave. His papa would want him to be brave, but he felt so awful and just wanted to go home. "Papa's gonna hex your bullocks off," he sobbed.
"Your papa doesn't even miss you," the stranger replied spitefully.
Douglas swallowed around his sobs. "He does! He loves me, he said I-" a hand covered his mouth, and he bit it. Daddy had told him about strangers before, but he hadn't thought one would take him away like this. Not him. And he bet Papa and Daddy were so disappointed at him because he let himself be taken when they had told him not to.
He let out a terrified shriek when the world suddenly stopped spinning, and they both shot straight down to stumble into a bare room. The man dropped him, and Douglas tumbled to the floor, crying out in shock. He couldn't move his arms to roll himself over, and his face was smooshed, and his chest hurt. He just wanted to go home.
"Get up."
"I can't," Douglas sobbed, scrabbling with barely working fingers at the wooden floor.
The strange man growled and, picking him up by his shirt, shook him. Douglas didn't understand why the man was being so mean to him. He hadn't done anything wrong.
"I want my daddy! I want my papa! I wanna go home!"
"This is your home now."
Douglas tried to follow the man's movement across the room. Suddenly the man was kneeling down in front of him, and he could see inside the hood. His eyes widened as a smelly cloth was pressed against his face. He didn't want to inhale, and he couldn't understand why he was fighting it, but soon he couldn't breathe at all.
"No, s'not," Douglas muttered thickly. "Never be home."
He blinked back tears at the man's hate-filled smile, and shortly passed out.
*****
When the door opened, Harry was surprised to see Dumbledore stepping through, a Bubble-Head Charm surrounding his head.
"Any word from Severus?"
Harry shook his head. "No, nothing."
Harry's eyes were puffy and red-rimmed from crying. "I'm so sorry, my boy. We will find him and bring him home," Dumbledore said, trying to reassure him.
Harry hugged his stomach, trying not to think of what type of contacts his mate could possibly be visiting; the idea that he could lose both his mate and his son in the same day ached fiercely. And he couldn't do anything about it but sit, wait, and try to think up a list of all the people near his age who knew he had a son. The problem was, he didn't know anyone who didn't.
"Who would do this?" he asked plaintively of the headmaster as the older man sat down beside him. The entire situation felt surreal, but Harry couldn't find it in himself to laugh.
"I wish I had the answer for you. I've spoken with all the Heads of House, and they've spoken to their respective students. No one saw anything. If it's any consolation, the wards preventing Death Eaters coming onto school grounds are still up."
"I wish I could say that was comforting," Harry answered with a strangled laugh, "if it weren't for the fact that at least a quarter of the Death Eaters weren't marked."
"Is there anything you need? Anything I can get for you?"
"Aside from my son?"
Dumbledore sighed, smiling sadly. "Alas, I cannot give you that."
Harry shook his head. "No."
"It's getting late, Harry." Dumbledore petted his shoulder in sympathy. "You need to sleep."
"I don't think I can," Harry admitted, defeat coloring his entire posture.
Severus stepped through the door, looking haggard and drawn.
And without Douglas.
Harry jumped to his feet. "Severus?"
He shook his head, and Harry couldn't read the expression on his face.
Harry took a few steps closer, his hands anxiously clenching in fists by his sides. "What happened?"
"Nobody knows a damned thing. Not even a hint or a whisper of who was responsible," Snape growled, pulling Harry close, as much to comfort himself as his mate. "Molly used a picture she took of Douglas at his party and put it in the Prophet. Hopefully someone will have seen him."
Harry wrapped his arms around Severus when he was pulled against him. He gripped Severus' bare back, his hands sliding up and down in desperation before resting on his shoulders.
"He could be dead. He could be dead, and we wouldn't even know it."
"No! I refuse to believe that," Severus growled, tightening his hold. "We will find our son, and we will bring him home. And the person responsible will pay."
The ice cold tone of Severus' voice would have scared Harry at any other time, but today it comforted him.
Harry inhaled deeply, the water rushing through his lungs no longer frightening, but welcome. "Can we go home?"
Severus nodded and kissed the top of Harry's head.
"Headmaster, I take it you've heard nothing," Severus said by way of greeting.
"I'm sorry, no, but I've got my own network of people looking into things. In fact, I should return to the castle. If I get any word at all, I'll let you know." Dumbledore rose slowly to his feet. He put a hand on each of their shoulders. "We'll find him."
He left the room, not expecting either man to reply.
"Let's go home," Severus said.
They swam slowly through the dark waters, each lost in thought despite the comfort being given back and forth by the gentle squeezing of hands. It wasn't enough, but it would have to do. As they neared their one-floor cottage under the lake, Harry pulled back on Severus' hand, forcing them to stop.
Severus thought he knew what had caused Harry to stop, it was something he had been dreading all day. They would have to go home without their son.
"Would you like to go back to the city? I'm sure we could stay with Cadmus."
"No. I just- no. We're going home." He grabbed the doorknob and turned it with a bit more force than necessary.
Severus swallowed the lump in his throat and followed Harry inside, transforming back into his human form. The silence was almost deafening.
As they entered through the door, Harry turned immediately and went into the kitchen. He grabbed at the wireless above their sink, needing something, anything, to break the silence. Fiddling with the knob, he finally got it to pick up a station that was playing new music. The loud bass blared through their house, practically shaking it. Harry could feel it run through him, beating in time with his heart. He set it back on the shelf, bowing his head as his fingers gripped the porcelain of the sink.
Severus watched in silence, unable to find the words to say that would make it better. There were no words, only platitudes that he only half believed himself.
"Have you eaten anything?" he asked instead.
"Have you?" Harry returned waspishly. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. Severus was not the person with whom he was angry. "Sorry."
"I'm sorry I failed you." Severus hung his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I told you I would bring him home.”
The music blasted from behind him, filling the empty house with extraneous noise. Harry turned around, and offered him a weak smile. "If I'm not allowed to blame myself, neither are you."
Severus pulled himself upright. "I've got to work on the potion. You must be able to leave the lake or you'll go mad. Would you like to come with me to the lab?"
"Yes, but you're right," Harry sighed moving to the fridge and opening it. "I haven't eaten today, and I doubt you have either. I'll meet you there."
Severus nodded and walked away, wondering if he could lose himself in his work. And, if he could, what kind of father did that make him?
Harry waited until he heard the door shut down the hall before letting out a strangled sob. It took him a moment to pull himself back together, and go about making two sandwiches. He didn't know how much longer he wanted to be alone in the emptiest part of their home.
*****
Severus went straight to his notes, studying them in an attempt to find what he was missing: the one thing that would strengthen the potion, increasing its effects enough that Harry could leave the lake. He had to do better than long stretches on the shoreline. It wasn't enough, especially now that Douglas needed to be found. Harry had to be able to help in the search, or the helplessness would drive him mad with grief.
In that moment, it hit Severus that he had no memories of Douglas in his lab. He hadn't allowed his son in, afraid of the mischief Douglas might have stumbled into. He had planned on teaching him potions when he was a little older. He'd hoped to make a Potions Master out of him; that his son would follow in his footsteps.
He had never shown his greatest passion to his son, and now he might never get the chance.
Severus grabbed a glass vial and threw it angrily against the wall, a sob rising in his throat. But he couldn't indulge in his grief. He would work on the potion at night, and search for Douglas during the day. He didn't require much sleep. There were things vastly more important, particularly now.
Taking a deep breath, he forced his mind back to the potion. He was more determined than ever to find the key that would allow Harry out of his watery prison.
The soft knock on the door startled him to the point that he almost dropped too much aniseed into the potion. He took out his wand and pointed it at the door, opening it to reveal Harry holding a tray of sandwiches and what looked like chocolate milk.
"Can you take a short break?" Harry asked, looking around the room in a timid fashion.
"Of course, just give me a moment."
Severus tried adding a bit more crushed ginger root, but scowled when the color went black. "Damn it!" he growled, banishing the lot of it.
"Sorry."
Severus bent over his notebook, making note of the results. "You did nothing wrong, it's the damned potion." He tossed his quill onto the notebook and turned to face Harry.
He looked at the tray and found himself blinking stupidly at the chocolate milk.
"Oh," Harry murmured, setting the tray on the desk. He fidgeted nervously and took up his sandwich, biting into it. It wasn't that he had never been in Severus' lab before, he had, many times, but never during a time of stress. For some reason that he couldn't pinpoint, he felt like he was intruding.
Severus smiled weakly and picked up a sandwich. It tasted like dust, but he knew he had to eat, or he'd be no good to anyone.
The silence between them was strained and awkward, something neither was used to. The silences between them had always been comfortable. But now it was as if each was afraid to say the wrong thing, and so said nothing at all.
Harry grabbed his glass of chocolate milk, bringing it to his lips. He let the glass hover there for a few indecisive moments before lowering it back to the table.
"I can't-" Harry choked, leaning against the work table and working his hand through his hair. "He should be here."
Severus closed the distance between them, setting the sandwich down next to the glass of milk. He wrapped his arms around Harry, fighting to keep control of his own emotions. He had to be strong, for his mate and his son.
Harry turned around in his arms, burrowing his head under his chin. "It isn't fair."
"No, it's not."
Harry just leaned in, taking the comfort given. He knew it wasn't nearly enough; nothing would be, not until Douglas was back. But, if it hurt this much for him, how badly was Severus hurting? The man hadn't stopped once since that morning, and, if Harry didn't do anything, he wouldn't stop at all. It wasn't in the least healthy, and he had no clue what to do about it.
"Are you all right? he asked softly, not moving.
"Surviving" Severus answered, knowing anything else would be a lie. "You need to sleep, Harry. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and I know you're exhausted. I can give you something to help you sleep."
"Not unless you take it as well," Harry insisted. "I'm the one stuck here. You're the one who is going to be doing things."
"That's fine," Severus said, lying. He would give the potion to Harry and give himself a diluted dose. Harry needed to sleep, but Severus needed to work. "Let me get some Dreamless Sleep. I'll meet you in our bedroom."
"You promise?"
Severus pulled back, looking Harry in the eye. He tried to say the word, to agree, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't promise, knowing he would be lying to the one person he'd vowed never to lie to.
"I promise."
He would keep his word and take the potion. And he would sleep, just not for as long as Harry might like.
"All right." Harry pulled from Severus' loose embrace, his hand lingering on Severus' arm for a moment, before he left the lab. He was glad he didn't have to go past Douglas' room to get to theirs, he wasn't sure he'd make it if he did.
He pushed open the door to their bedroom with the tips of his fingers, watching it swing open before entering. The room was dark, and that was fine by him. He padded across the room soundlessly and fell upon their bed, his breathing ragged. The wireless had been switched off, and there was no noise in the small house any longer. Normally he could hear Douglas' heavy breathing if both doors were open, but now there was nothing. He couldn't even hear Severus moving around his lab.
Severus took a moment to put neutralizing ingredients into his vial of Dreamless Sleep potion. He slipped it into his left pocket, and put Harry's into his right.
He found Harry in the bedroom, sprawled across their bed.
Severus pulled the vial from his pocket and handed it to Harry, then held up his own vial and drank it down.
Harry tipped his back without a second thought and then crawled under the covers. He scooted towards the wall, trying to stay awake until Severus had slipped in beside him.
Severus removed his shoes and slipped into bed, sliding up behind Harry and wrapping his arms around him. He kissed gently the side of that head. "I love you, Harry," he whispered.
"Love you too," Harry slurred, already half asleep.
Severus closed his eyes, intent on holding Harry until he was fast asleep. He'd allow himself to doze for a time, then go back to his lab.
Next Chapter: Chapter Six
Author: faynia and stormypups
Pairing: Snape/Harry
Rating: R
Warning: Highlight for warnings *Implied Mpreg*
Word Count: 2,612
Genre: Romance, Angst, Drama, Mystery
Summary: (Sequel to Bonds of Water) Just when Severus is beginning to believe Harry will be happy living with him in the lake, someone decides that Harry needs to be free. No matter what the cost.
Beta'd by rakina and carpet_diemon.
Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four
Chapter Five
The wind against his ears hurt worse than it ever did when he played Quidditch, and all the spinning was making him sick. His eyes seemingly stuck closed, he held on tight to whoever was carrying him because he thought he might fall if he didn't. His mouth felt fuzzy and funny. It felt as if his tongue were glued to the roof of his mouth.
Douglas whimpered, tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes. He wanted his daddy and papa. They'd make this better.
"Stop whimpering." The command was harsh and not at all like the kind Papa or Daddy would have given him. They might sound mean, but they never sounded like that. He shivered, trying to pull away only to find out he couldn't move at all, and the spinning just wouldn't stop.
"Please," he begged whoever was holding him. The man's grip on him got stronger and he cried out as air was forced from his lungs. "Please lemme go. Please."
"If you don't stop whining, I'm going to gag you. Now shut up!"
Douglas tried to be brave. His papa would want him to be brave, but he felt so awful and just wanted to go home. "Papa's gonna hex your bullocks off," he sobbed.
"Your papa doesn't even miss you," the stranger replied spitefully.
Douglas swallowed around his sobs. "He does! He loves me, he said I-" a hand covered his mouth, and he bit it. Daddy had told him about strangers before, but he hadn't thought one would take him away like this. Not him. And he bet Papa and Daddy were so disappointed at him because he let himself be taken when they had told him not to.
He let out a terrified shriek when the world suddenly stopped spinning, and they both shot straight down to stumble into a bare room. The man dropped him, and Douglas tumbled to the floor, crying out in shock. He couldn't move his arms to roll himself over, and his face was smooshed, and his chest hurt. He just wanted to go home.
"Get up."
"I can't," Douglas sobbed, scrabbling with barely working fingers at the wooden floor.
The strange man growled and, picking him up by his shirt, shook him. Douglas didn't understand why the man was being so mean to him. He hadn't done anything wrong.
"I want my daddy! I want my papa! I wanna go home!"
"This is your home now."
Douglas tried to follow the man's movement across the room. Suddenly the man was kneeling down in front of him, and he could see inside the hood. His eyes widened as a smelly cloth was pressed against his face. He didn't want to inhale, and he couldn't understand why he was fighting it, but soon he couldn't breathe at all.
"No, s'not," Douglas muttered thickly. "Never be home."
He blinked back tears at the man's hate-filled smile, and shortly passed out.
*****
When the door opened, Harry was surprised to see Dumbledore stepping through, a Bubble-Head Charm surrounding his head.
"Any word from Severus?"
Harry shook his head. "No, nothing."
Harry's eyes were puffy and red-rimmed from crying. "I'm so sorry, my boy. We will find him and bring him home," Dumbledore said, trying to reassure him.
Harry hugged his stomach, trying not to think of what type of contacts his mate could possibly be visiting; the idea that he could lose both his mate and his son in the same day ached fiercely. And he couldn't do anything about it but sit, wait, and try to think up a list of all the people near his age who knew he had a son. The problem was, he didn't know anyone who didn't.
"Who would do this?" he asked plaintively of the headmaster as the older man sat down beside him. The entire situation felt surreal, but Harry couldn't find it in himself to laugh.
"I wish I had the answer for you. I've spoken with all the Heads of House, and they've spoken to their respective students. No one saw anything. If it's any consolation, the wards preventing Death Eaters coming onto school grounds are still up."
"I wish I could say that was comforting," Harry answered with a strangled laugh, "if it weren't for the fact that at least a quarter of the Death Eaters weren't marked."
"Is there anything you need? Anything I can get for you?"
"Aside from my son?"
Dumbledore sighed, smiling sadly. "Alas, I cannot give you that."
Harry shook his head. "No."
"It's getting late, Harry." Dumbledore petted his shoulder in sympathy. "You need to sleep."
"I don't think I can," Harry admitted, defeat coloring his entire posture.
Severus stepped through the door, looking haggard and drawn.
And without Douglas.
Harry jumped to his feet. "Severus?"
He shook his head, and Harry couldn't read the expression on his face.
Harry took a few steps closer, his hands anxiously clenching in fists by his sides. "What happened?"
"Nobody knows a damned thing. Not even a hint or a whisper of who was responsible," Snape growled, pulling Harry close, as much to comfort himself as his mate. "Molly used a picture she took of Douglas at his party and put it in the Prophet. Hopefully someone will have seen him."
Harry wrapped his arms around Severus when he was pulled against him. He gripped Severus' bare back, his hands sliding up and down in desperation before resting on his shoulders.
"He could be dead. He could be dead, and we wouldn't even know it."
"No! I refuse to believe that," Severus growled, tightening his hold. "We will find our son, and we will bring him home. And the person responsible will pay."
The ice cold tone of Severus' voice would have scared Harry at any other time, but today it comforted him.
Harry inhaled deeply, the water rushing through his lungs no longer frightening, but welcome. "Can we go home?"
Severus nodded and kissed the top of Harry's head.
"Headmaster, I take it you've heard nothing," Severus said by way of greeting.
"I'm sorry, no, but I've got my own network of people looking into things. In fact, I should return to the castle. If I get any word at all, I'll let you know." Dumbledore rose slowly to his feet. He put a hand on each of their shoulders. "We'll find him."
He left the room, not expecting either man to reply.
"Let's go home," Severus said.
They swam slowly through the dark waters, each lost in thought despite the comfort being given back and forth by the gentle squeezing of hands. It wasn't enough, but it would have to do. As they neared their one-floor cottage under the lake, Harry pulled back on Severus' hand, forcing them to stop.
Severus thought he knew what had caused Harry to stop, it was something he had been dreading all day. They would have to go home without their son.
"Would you like to go back to the city? I'm sure we could stay with Cadmus."
"No. I just- no. We're going home." He grabbed the doorknob and turned it with a bit more force than necessary.
Severus swallowed the lump in his throat and followed Harry inside, transforming back into his human form. The silence was almost deafening.
As they entered through the door, Harry turned immediately and went into the kitchen. He grabbed at the wireless above their sink, needing something, anything, to break the silence. Fiddling with the knob, he finally got it to pick up a station that was playing new music. The loud bass blared through their house, practically shaking it. Harry could feel it run through him, beating in time with his heart. He set it back on the shelf, bowing his head as his fingers gripped the porcelain of the sink.
Severus watched in silence, unable to find the words to say that would make it better. There were no words, only platitudes that he only half believed himself.
"Have you eaten anything?" he asked instead.
"Have you?" Harry returned waspishly. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. Severus was not the person with whom he was angry. "Sorry."
"I'm sorry I failed you." Severus hung his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I told you I would bring him home.”
The music blasted from behind him, filling the empty house with extraneous noise. Harry turned around, and offered him a weak smile. "If I'm not allowed to blame myself, neither are you."
Severus pulled himself upright. "I've got to work on the potion. You must be able to leave the lake or you'll go mad. Would you like to come with me to the lab?"
"Yes, but you're right," Harry sighed moving to the fridge and opening it. "I haven't eaten today, and I doubt you have either. I'll meet you there."
Severus nodded and walked away, wondering if he could lose himself in his work. And, if he could, what kind of father did that make him?
Harry waited until he heard the door shut down the hall before letting out a strangled sob. It took him a moment to pull himself back together, and go about making two sandwiches. He didn't know how much longer he wanted to be alone in the emptiest part of their home.
*****
Severus went straight to his notes, studying them in an attempt to find what he was missing: the one thing that would strengthen the potion, increasing its effects enough that Harry could leave the lake. He had to do better than long stretches on the shoreline. It wasn't enough, especially now that Douglas needed to be found. Harry had to be able to help in the search, or the helplessness would drive him mad with grief.
In that moment, it hit Severus that he had no memories of Douglas in his lab. He hadn't allowed his son in, afraid of the mischief Douglas might have stumbled into. He had planned on teaching him potions when he was a little older. He'd hoped to make a Potions Master out of him; that his son would follow in his footsteps.
He had never shown his greatest passion to his son, and now he might never get the chance.
Severus grabbed a glass vial and threw it angrily against the wall, a sob rising in his throat. But he couldn't indulge in his grief. He would work on the potion at night, and search for Douglas during the day. He didn't require much sleep. There were things vastly more important, particularly now.
Taking a deep breath, he forced his mind back to the potion. He was more determined than ever to find the key that would allow Harry out of his watery prison.
The soft knock on the door startled him to the point that he almost dropped too much aniseed into the potion. He took out his wand and pointed it at the door, opening it to reveal Harry holding a tray of sandwiches and what looked like chocolate milk.
"Can you take a short break?" Harry asked, looking around the room in a timid fashion.
"Of course, just give me a moment."
Severus tried adding a bit more crushed ginger root, but scowled when the color went black. "Damn it!" he growled, banishing the lot of it.
"Sorry."
Severus bent over his notebook, making note of the results. "You did nothing wrong, it's the damned potion." He tossed his quill onto the notebook and turned to face Harry.
He looked at the tray and found himself blinking stupidly at the chocolate milk.
"Oh," Harry murmured, setting the tray on the desk. He fidgeted nervously and took up his sandwich, biting into it. It wasn't that he had never been in Severus' lab before, he had, many times, but never during a time of stress. For some reason that he couldn't pinpoint, he felt like he was intruding.
Severus smiled weakly and picked up a sandwich. It tasted like dust, but he knew he had to eat, or he'd be no good to anyone.
The silence between them was strained and awkward, something neither was used to. The silences between them had always been comfortable. But now it was as if each was afraid to say the wrong thing, and so said nothing at all.
Harry grabbed his glass of chocolate milk, bringing it to his lips. He let the glass hover there for a few indecisive moments before lowering it back to the table.
"I can't-" Harry choked, leaning against the work table and working his hand through his hair. "He should be here."
Severus closed the distance between them, setting the sandwich down next to the glass of milk. He wrapped his arms around Harry, fighting to keep control of his own emotions. He had to be strong, for his mate and his son.
Harry turned around in his arms, burrowing his head under his chin. "It isn't fair."
"No, it's not."
Harry just leaned in, taking the comfort given. He knew it wasn't nearly enough; nothing would be, not until Douglas was back. But, if it hurt this much for him, how badly was Severus hurting? The man hadn't stopped once since that morning, and, if Harry didn't do anything, he wouldn't stop at all. It wasn't in the least healthy, and he had no clue what to do about it.
"Are you all right? he asked softly, not moving.
"Surviving" Severus answered, knowing anything else would be a lie. "You need to sleep, Harry. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and I know you're exhausted. I can give you something to help you sleep."
"Not unless you take it as well," Harry insisted. "I'm the one stuck here. You're the one who is going to be doing things."
"That's fine," Severus said, lying. He would give the potion to Harry and give himself a diluted dose. Harry needed to sleep, but Severus needed to work. "Let me get some Dreamless Sleep. I'll meet you in our bedroom."
"You promise?"
Severus pulled back, looking Harry in the eye. He tried to say the word, to agree, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't promise, knowing he would be lying to the one person he'd vowed never to lie to.
"I promise."
He would keep his word and take the potion. And he would sleep, just not for as long as Harry might like.
"All right." Harry pulled from Severus' loose embrace, his hand lingering on Severus' arm for a moment, before he left the lab. He was glad he didn't have to go past Douglas' room to get to theirs, he wasn't sure he'd make it if he did.
He pushed open the door to their bedroom with the tips of his fingers, watching it swing open before entering. The room was dark, and that was fine by him. He padded across the room soundlessly and fell upon their bed, his breathing ragged. The wireless had been switched off, and there was no noise in the small house any longer. Normally he could hear Douglas' heavy breathing if both doors were open, but now there was nothing. He couldn't even hear Severus moving around his lab.
Severus took a moment to put neutralizing ingredients into his vial of Dreamless Sleep potion. He slipped it into his left pocket, and put Harry's into his right.
He found Harry in the bedroom, sprawled across their bed.
Severus pulled the vial from his pocket and handed it to Harry, then held up his own vial and drank it down.
Harry tipped his back without a second thought and then crawled under the covers. He scooted towards the wall, trying to stay awake until Severus had slipped in beside him.
Severus removed his shoes and slipped into bed, sliding up behind Harry and wrapping his arms around him. He kissed gently the side of that head. "I love you, Harry," he whispered.
"Love you too," Harry slurred, already half asleep.
Severus closed his eyes, intent on holding Harry until he was fast asleep. He'd allow himself to doze for a time, then go back to his lab.
Next Chapter: Chapter Six