Through Darkened Halls, Chapter 10
Righto, lovelies! Here's my chapter, and it's even (mostly) on time, if a bit short. :)
Please don't kill me *too* brutally for where I've left this. *evil grin*
Through Darkened Halls
Chapter 10
By Deirdre Riordan
Severus woke up, disoriented. He opened his eyes, but there was still nothing but darkness all around, despite the fact that he could feel the snake's weight on his shoulders. She hissed something at him, but he couldn't answer. He must have dozed off without realising it. Taking stock of himself, he found that someone had covered him with a blanket. He wondered what time it was. "Potter?" he called out into the void.
"It's Harry," said an irritated voice to his left.
"Harry," he said wearily.
"Sleep well?"
"I suppose so."
"I figured you probably needed it, so I didn't want to disturb you."
Severus nodded dumbly. "Thank you." He heard the sound of a book snapping shut, and then felt a weight next to him on the couch.
"No sight yet, then?" Harry asked.
Severus shook his head.
"It might take a few more hours. I've...well, maybe it's a solution, I don't know. But I've found something that will help you speak to the snake. Two somethings, actually. One that might work, and one that will work."
"Why bother with the one that only might work?"
"Because the one I'm sure will work is probably not something you'd want."
"I seem to have little choice in such matters these days. What is it?"
"Well...apparently...it's erm...sort of a three-way bond."
Oh, no. Severus didn't much like the sound of that. "A three-way bond?"
"Well..." he could practically feel Harry blushing. "If you were magically bonded to...someone who just happened to be a Parselmouth...oh, bloody hell," Harry said, changing tack. "To me, of course. You'd automatically gain my Parseltongue abilities and be able to talk to the Snake."
Severus was stunned. No, of course he couldn't do it. Wouldn't do it. But the fact that Harry even seemed to be willing to do such a thing for him...it made that warmth he'd felt last night return to his blood. He'd certainly never done anything to deserve such a consideration.
"See? I told you you wouldn't want it. It's bad enough being stuck with me in your rooms without being stuck with me in your head as well."
Not so bad was the first thought that crossed Severus's mind. "I could never allow you to make such a sacrifice," Severus said, choosing his words carefully. "Not for me. You've already done much more than I merit."
"Bullshit, Snape. I know what you've been through because of me. I'm not bl--" clearly he'd been about to say "blind."
"No, Potter, you're not blind, and I am! Isn't that the whole bloody point here?"
"I won't bother trying to tell you to call me Harry. Clearly you don't want to."
"Maybe if you wouldn't call me Snape," he muttered under his breath.
Harry heard him anyway. "Sorry, Professor," he spat. "Anyway, as I was saying, due to the fact that I'm so despicable to you, the only option for you being able to speak to the Snake is the one that might work," he said, still sounding angry. "What I said about charming a ring wasn't far off, but it would be something like a pin on your shoulder. Basically what would happen is that it would act as a sort of translating machine. It would be placed so that the Snake could talk into it as well as you, and it would filter translated speech back and forth to you. The charms are very crude, though, and don't allow much for linguistic nuances. What you'd both get out of it would be very confusing, since the two languages are built on such different concepts. But it would be better than nothing." The better than being stuck with me hung in the air between them.
"Would the bond be reversible?" Severus asked.
"I don't know. It all depends. In theory it would be. But if we allowed it to deepen even a little...well, you'd be stuck with me forever. I think the sensible thing to do would be to try the idea with the charmed pin. If it works out, then great-- I have my doubts, though. But you've already said no to the bond," he said, his tone souring again.
"I did not refuse out of any consideration for myself. Only consideration for you."
Harry sighed audibly. "I don't really believe you. I know you can't stand me, no matter what else you say."
Severus was about to respond, but he was stopped by light piercing his eyes. He cried out at the sting and squeezed his eyes shut. He felt Harry's hand on his face and a bony knee on top of his thigh.
"Are you all right?" Harry's voice was full of concern and his thumbs were gently stroking Severus's eyelids.
"The light," he muttered.
"Your sight's coming back. Open your eyes, slowly now," he coaxed.
Severus obeyed, squinting against the light. Slowly the world came back into focus-- the world being Harry grinning down at him, green eyes glittering with something he couldn't put words to.
"There," Harry breathed gently, still stroking his face.
Severus felt himself overwhelmed with...something. His entire body was tingling and his blood was rushing and he was fiercely aware of the fact that he had a lapful of Harry Potter. He refused to take any responsibility for what he might be about to do.
Please don't kill me *too* brutally for where I've left this. *evil grin*
Through Darkened Halls
Chapter 10
By Deirdre Riordan
Severus woke up, disoriented. He opened his eyes, but there was still nothing but darkness all around, despite the fact that he could feel the snake's weight on his shoulders. She hissed something at him, but he couldn't answer. He must have dozed off without realising it. Taking stock of himself, he found that someone had covered him with a blanket. He wondered what time it was. "Potter?" he called out into the void.
"It's Harry," said an irritated voice to his left.
"Harry," he said wearily.
"Sleep well?"
"I suppose so."
"I figured you probably needed it, so I didn't want to disturb you."
Severus nodded dumbly. "Thank you." He heard the sound of a book snapping shut, and then felt a weight next to him on the couch.
"No sight yet, then?" Harry asked.
Severus shook his head.
"It might take a few more hours. I've...well, maybe it's a solution, I don't know. But I've found something that will help you speak to the snake. Two somethings, actually. One that might work, and one that will work."
"Why bother with the one that only might work?"
"Because the one I'm sure will work is probably not something you'd want."
"I seem to have little choice in such matters these days. What is it?"
"Well...apparently...it's erm...sort of a three-way bond."
Oh, no. Severus didn't much like the sound of that. "A three-way bond?"
"Well..." he could practically feel Harry blushing. "If you were magically bonded to...someone who just happened to be a Parselmouth...oh, bloody hell," Harry said, changing tack. "To me, of course. You'd automatically gain my Parseltongue abilities and be able to talk to the Snake."
Severus was stunned. No, of course he couldn't do it. Wouldn't do it. But the fact that Harry even seemed to be willing to do such a thing for him...it made that warmth he'd felt last night return to his blood. He'd certainly never done anything to deserve such a consideration.
"See? I told you you wouldn't want it. It's bad enough being stuck with me in your rooms without being stuck with me in your head as well."
Not so bad was the first thought that crossed Severus's mind. "I could never allow you to make such a sacrifice," Severus said, choosing his words carefully. "Not for me. You've already done much more than I merit."
"Bullshit, Snape. I know what you've been through because of me. I'm not bl--" clearly he'd been about to say "blind."
"No, Potter, you're not blind, and I am! Isn't that the whole bloody point here?"
"I won't bother trying to tell you to call me Harry. Clearly you don't want to."
"Maybe if you wouldn't call me Snape," he muttered under his breath.
Harry heard him anyway. "Sorry, Professor," he spat. "Anyway, as I was saying, due to the fact that I'm so despicable to you, the only option for you being able to speak to the Snake is the one that might work," he said, still sounding angry. "What I said about charming a ring wasn't far off, but it would be something like a pin on your shoulder. Basically what would happen is that it would act as a sort of translating machine. It would be placed so that the Snake could talk into it as well as you, and it would filter translated speech back and forth to you. The charms are very crude, though, and don't allow much for linguistic nuances. What you'd both get out of it would be very confusing, since the two languages are built on such different concepts. But it would be better than nothing." The better than being stuck with me hung in the air between them.
"Would the bond be reversible?" Severus asked.
"I don't know. It all depends. In theory it would be. But if we allowed it to deepen even a little...well, you'd be stuck with me forever. I think the sensible thing to do would be to try the idea with the charmed pin. If it works out, then great-- I have my doubts, though. But you've already said no to the bond," he said, his tone souring again.
"I did not refuse out of any consideration for myself. Only consideration for you."
Harry sighed audibly. "I don't really believe you. I know you can't stand me, no matter what else you say."
Severus was about to respond, but he was stopped by light piercing his eyes. He cried out at the sting and squeezed his eyes shut. He felt Harry's hand on his face and a bony knee on top of his thigh.
"Are you all right?" Harry's voice was full of concern and his thumbs were gently stroking Severus's eyelids.
"The light," he muttered.
"Your sight's coming back. Open your eyes, slowly now," he coaxed.
Severus obeyed, squinting against the light. Slowly the world came back into focus-- the world being Harry grinning down at him, green eyes glittering with something he couldn't put words to.
"There," Harry breathed gently, still stroking his face.
Severus felt himself overwhelmed with...something. His entire body was tingling and his blood was rushing and he was fiercely aware of the fact that he had a lapful of Harry Potter. He refused to take any responsibility for what he might be about to do.