Unforgivable Promises

Unforgivable Promises

Chapter 30

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Harry drifted up from sleep slowly. As his senses took over from his dreams he was first aware of Severus's slow breathing not far from him. The feeling of contentment he had been enjoying slipped quickly into excitement as his memories of last night returned. The last thing he remembered of the evening was falling asleep with an arm draped across Severus's bare chest. At some point during the night, both of them must have shifted--Harry to one side of the bed, Severus to the other. Grabbing his wand and glasses from the table beside him, he pulled the covers up over his head and cast lumos to check the time on his watch. He wanted nothing more than to curl up next to Severus, but prudence won out.

Sitting up slowly to avoid waking up the other man, Harry slipped out of bed, grabbing his pile of clothes along the way, and stepped quietly through the doorway into the living area. After dressing in the dark, he cast another light spell in order to leave a short note.

"Woke up at half-four," he wrote. "Thought it best to get back before everyone was up. See you later, and tonight I hope." He struggled with how to sign in. "Love, Harry" didn't feel right. He'd never said it to the man; it felt wrong signing it on such a simple note. And did he love Severus? Just "Harry" seemed silly. Who else would have written it? In the end, he left it unsigned. It would not be much of a mystery anyway.

Checking the map he had retrieved from Severus, Harry noted that the castle had not yet stirred for the morning, and he took his time getting back to Gryffindor Tower. The question of love flitted through his mind. Despite the time he had spent thinking about what Severus meant to him, Harry had not really thought about it in terms of love. He worried he had too little to compare it to. This was not how he felt about Ron or Hermione, or even Sirius, but that was hardly a surprise. He had certainly never thought of doing with Ron or Sirius what he had just done with Severus. That thought made his mind turn to the memories of the past evening.

He was surprised, and pleased, at how quickly he had gotten past his own uncertainty and hesitation. Severus had been gentle and caring, but that was no surprise to Harry. But he had been worried that everything would be awkward the first time. It had been at first. Trusting Severus completely, though, Harry had felt bold enough to take some initiative and knew that as great as it had been, it would only get better.

Back in the tower, Harry slipped quietly into bed. He had become an expert on sneaking back into his own room. His roommates would know he had been out late, but he doubted any of them would realize just how late at night, or early in the morning, it was when he returned.

Sleep escaped him, though. His night with Severus was not the only thing on his mind, and the situation with Dean still troubled him. Once Harry had been able to shed some light on the nature of the magic on Dean, Dumbledore had succeeded on dispelling it. At least it was removed as far as anyone could tell. But it was clear that Voldemort would try again. Harry knew Dumbledore and the teachers were worried about the possibility that, outside of the Headmaster's office, the spell would work. Hestia Jones had suggested a complete ban on anyone leaving or entering Hogwarts in order to prevent Voldemort from getting the spell on someone else. But that was a temporary solution at best. They could not reasonably keep up the restriction past the end of the term. Either Voldemort would quietly abduct another student, or some misguided would-be Death Eater would volunteer. In fact, Harry suspected that those followers of Voldemort's with children in Hogwarts were vying for the chance to offer their son or daughter up as a sacrifice.

What little time he had was running out. He did not even have a clear plan on what he would do if Voldemort managed to force a confrontation. A piece was still missing. His thoughts chased each other until finally the sun stepped over the window sill and his roommates began to stir.

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"You're back, then?" Seamus called to Harry as he got out of bed, giving him a knowing look. "Spent the night under Orion's Belt in the Astronomy Tower?"

Harry turned quickly to retrieve his robes, hiding the blush he knew was rising up cheeks, and called over his shoulder, "Why, are you jealous? Orion's got enough keeping that belt up to go around. I can introduce you if you'd like."

"Ha! He wishes," Seamus said before heading out to breakfast. Harry noticed Ron hanging back and hurriedly started dressing. The two walked to breakfast in silence. Ron seemed, well, not annoyed, but preoccupied as well as tired. He yawned four times before they had descended from the tower. And Harry had too much filling his mind to feel the need to fill the silence.

During the meal, Professor McGonagall came to the table to tell the students that Dean Thomas had been transferred to St. Mungo's. She assured them that he was recovering but was still under observation. Harry took that to mean that they believed the spell had been completely removed, but were still not ready to risk him returning. He supposed that was better than nothing.

Once they had done eating, Ron rose quickly and looked over to the staff table. "Go ahead to class without me," he said to no one in particular. "I need to talk to Professor Snape about something." Without even a glance at Harry, Ron approached the Potions Master who had already started to leave the room.

Later that day, Harry used the anonymity granted by a hallway filled with chattering students to bring up Ron's conference with Severus.

"What did you need to talk to Professor Snape about?" Harry asked, trying to sound nonchalant and guessing he was failing at it. Hermione leaned over curiously as he asked, letting him know that she, too, was out of the loop.

"Oh, nothing much," Ron said cheerfully. The volume of his voice lowered, but the tone remained the same as he continued. "Just one of those chats a man has to have with his best friend's guy."

Harry suddenly regretted bringing it up in the hallway, since he knew he could not risk asking for more details. His mind raced. Did Ron know what had happened between them? Had he threatened Severus? Harry knew Ron would not accuse Severus of anything, but he could definitely imagine Ron warning the Potions Master of what would happen if he hurt Harry. It sounded like typical Ron behavior, in fact. How long had Severus laughed at that?

"Don't worry," Ron said, slapping Harry on the back. "It's nothing bad. We're in complete agreement on this, it turns out. I'm sure he'll fill you in later. Bad idea to discuss it here, though." Ron grinned at him, knowing it would drive him crazy until he saw Severus alone tonight.

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Entering Severus's rooms behind him, Harry dropped his cloak the instant the door reformed. He stepped up to Severus without a word and went for the man's lips. With his mouth preoccupied, his hands began working the buttons of the other man's robes. Now that he knew what he--what they both--wanted, Harry had no trouble initiating things.

Later, once both their needs had been satisfied, Severus had announced the evening far too young for them to both to remain in his bed, so they both dressed again and took their familiar positions on his couch.

"Weasley and I had a chat earlier today about your visits to me." Severus said after a few moments. Despite what Ron had said about an agreement, Harry braced for the worst. He was glad Severus had at least waited before bringing it up.

"Oh, Merlin," Harry said. "What did he do?"

Severus grinned at his obvious discomfort and continued. "It would appear that your late return last night caused your friend some concern. He does not approve."

"He didn't call you anything really bad, did he?" Harry asked. He remembered what Ron had said weeks ago, about how he would never think anyone was good enough for Harry.

"On the contrary, he conducted himself quite well. I was impressed. And I agreed with him."

Harry eyed Severus skeptically. "Agreed with him about what?"

"I agreed with Weasley that you have not been keeping your promise to him to be safe in the hallway. Given what happened with Mr. Thomas, the assumption that Hogwarts cannot be compromised is foolhardy."

Harry started to protest. He thought he had made it clear that no amount of danger would let anyone take what he and Severus had away from them. Before he could get a word out, though, Severus pressed two fingers against his lips, stopping him from speaking.

"As Mr. Weasley pointed out, when you follow me here from the Potions classroom, he and Miss Granger know where you are going, and I am escorting you. However, since you do not always return to the Tower at the same time, he has no idea when to expect you to return." Severus shifted, discomfort showing on his face as he continued. "And I have assumed so far that when you leave my rooms, you successfully find the Tower. If you did not have your cloak and the map, I might have worried more, but it always seemed reasonable that you were safe. May I see your bracelet?"

Harry nodded and tugged it free. It enlarged just enough for him to slip it past off. Severus accepted it, holding it in his open palm while quietly reciting a spell over it. "Tap it with your wand," Severus said. Curious, Harry obeyed, no longer quite so worried that there was another plan afoot to separate them. Severus continued casting spells, then spoke again: "Now with the other wand." Again, Harry obliged. The older man handed the bracelet back to Harry before pulling off his own ring and restarting the process. This time, however, he tapped the ring with his own wand rather than having Harry do it.

Slipping the ring on, Severus touched his wand to the ring and Harry felt his bracelet respond. Rather than the tingling, however, Harry felt a pleasant warmth spreading along his arm. "Touch the bracelet with your wand and activate it the same way you have before," Severus instructed. Harry tried it and felt nothing, but Severus nodded, satisfied.

"There. When you return to the Tower tonight, and any other night, you will let me know you are safe. And if I ever need to send you the same message, I will do so."

"That's brilliant," Harry said, smiling broadly. "Then I can't mistake it for an emergency."

"Exactly," Severus said, settling back and pulling Harry against him. "Mr. Weasley indicated he would be satisfied knowing that I'm responsible for you when you're returning to the Tower."

"He said that?" Harry sat up and looked at Severus, surprised.

"Yes, when I told him what I had planned, he said that would be fine. He will be able to sleep knowing that you are at least accounted for between here and there. The only other option would be for him to come fetch you. Which he probably would do." Severus snorted.

"Huh," was all Harry said. He was surprised, and quite pleased, to find out that Ron trusted Severus so much with Harry's safety.

"I must admit, I was impressed. It's no secret he sees himself as your protector, but at the same time, I think he wanted to let you have your privacy. It cost him something, I think, to let you have this as your own."

Harry returned to his place against Severus's chest. "I don't deserve such good friends."

"You deserve smarter friends," Severus corrected. "But no, you deserve the friends you have."

"I hope it was okay that I left last night. I guess you saw the note. I didn't want to bother you."

"You're never a bother," Severus replied, running his fingers along Harry's temple. "The note was welcome, though. Waking up alone after one's first time with someone can cause . . . worries."

"Well, my love 'em and leave 'em days are behind me," Harry said playfully. "Sorry, but you're not a one night stand."

"If you knew any better, you'd-"

"Don't," Harry said softly. "I know you'll say you're kidding, but sometimes it sounds like you believe it when you talk like that. So please don't. You said it yourself. I know your crimes. No one knows better than I do. And I'm staying."

"So be it," Severus replied.

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An hour later, Harry was still on Severus's couch but was now working on his Charms essay. Severus was in his workroom preparing ingredients when Salazar's face appeared in the wall. It took a moment to glare at Harry for no particular reason before shouting, "Snape! The bushy Gryffindor is looking for you. Bring your catamite."

Severus appeared at the doorway to his workroom almost instantly, his wand drawn and pointed at the wall. "Use that word again, and I'll see you ground into dust, do you understand me?" His voice was flat and cold, and as deadly serious as Harry had ever heard it. The face sunk back into the wall in response.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Severus suggested to Harry that they report to the Headmaster's office. Speechless, Harry nodded and they left, but not before Severus gave Harry's hand a comforting squeeze. He did not know what to say about the bust's words, but judging by the look on Severus's face, bringing it up would be a bad idea anyway.

In the Headmaster's office, Harry and Severus found Hermione, Flitwick and McGonagall waiting for them along with Dumbledore. Whatever was going on, Harry assumed it had something to do with the Mark. When the stepped into the room, Harry could see that Hermione's eyes and nose were red and swollen.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione jumped up from her seat and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She started crying again, and Harry put her arms around her gingerly, a feeling of terror coming over him. The professors looked uncomfortable, but by no means as distressed as his friend.

"What exactly is going on here?" Severus demanded. "What's got the girl in hysterics?"

"Miss Granger, that will do," McGonagall said, seeing Harry's distress and trying to get Hermione off of him. "No one is immediate danger, I assure you both." McGonagall got Hermione back into her chair. She had stopped crying again, but was still visibly upset.

"We've, uh, or rather, Miss Granger, to be precise, has discovered something in the runes we had missed earlier," Flitwick said, stepping over to the table to retrieve a paper. "This here," he continued, showing the paper to both Harry and Severus. "We thought it was another standard binding rune. One of the older ones. But Miss Granger reviewed our notes of the Markings and, quite correctly, realized we were mistaken. These lines here are formed much later, so they're not really a part of it."

"As interesting as this is," Severus said, "please get to the point. Neither Mr. Potter nor I are experts in runes. Whatever is obvious to you is not obvious to us."

"Yes, of course. My apologies. This rune is usually used as a part of a set of two or more. They equalize energy in physically separated systems." Seeing the blank look in Harry's eyes, Flitwick grabbed two candles from the table and, using his wand, etched a rune into each. He put one back on the table and kept the other. "Watch the one on the table when I try to blow out this candle." Facing away from the table, he blew lightly at the candle in his hand, and Harry noticed that the one on the table dimmed. He blew a second time, harder, and both flames nearly died out before flickering back to life. A third puff, much more powerful, and both extinguished.

"The rune is commonly used on candles. The ones in the Great Hall all have them. It creates a web of energy, so if one candle is caught in a draft, the excess heat from the rest will keep it from extinguishing. It would take a wind great enough to blow them all out at once to overcome it. The rune here," Flitwick said, tapping the paper, "works differently, of course. Miss Granger figured that out, too. It's slightly different in how it's formed, but very different in how it works."

"They only work on one direction," Severus supplied, his voice steady and unreadable.

Flitwick looked up at him, surprised. "That's right."

"Naturally. The Dark Lord would not allow his own power to be pulled from him just to protect an underling. And we've killed enough to know they're not all linked to each other. So, just to him, then."

The truth sank into Harry's mind. Hermione grabbed his hand as the full realization hit him. "I'm so sorry, Harry. When I realized what that rune was, I wanted to be wrong. I've never wanted to be so wrong in all my life."

"I know, Hermione. It's not your fault. And I'm glad you figured it out. Imagine if you hadn't..." He left the rest of that unsaid. "We know whose fault all of this is."

"I've still never felt this terrible." She glanced up at Severus, sorrow still in her eyes.

"Thank you, Miss Granger, for all of your help on this," Severus said to her. "You've done more than anyone but Harry to free me of this, and I do appreciate it." Hermione could only nod in response.

"We have worked out a few specific details," Dumbledore said, before the tone of the room could turn even more morose. "It would appear that the restrictions on the runes used in the Markings make them far less efficient than in the demonstration we had from Professor Flitwick. The Dark Lord cannot draw on his Death Eaters to replenish his energy in a battle. It does, however, explain how he stayed alive after his last defeat. To use the candle as a metaphor, the runes draw off enough energy to keep an ember alive, but not much more."

"But it still means he can't die if even a single person with the Dark Mark is alive," Harry said, more as a statement than a question.

"That would appear to be correct, yes," Dumbledore replied with sorrow in his voice. "Minerva, would you see that Miss Granger gets back to the Tower?"

"Of course, Headmaster."

"Thank you. And you are excused for the evening as well, Filius." Flitwick nodded in response and followed the two women out, leaving Harry and Severus alone with the Headmaster. Dumbledore gestured to two chairs and settled into a third.

Seeing Severus take his seat, Harry followed. He had no energy to fight the Headmaster alone, even with just words. Everything had just changed. Even more so than when they had found out that removing the Mark could kill Severus. That had not mattered when they believed they could kill Voldemort without Severus dying.

"I am sorry to hear this news. If I had had any idea that the Mark was as complicated as it was, I would have shared my fears with you, Severus."

"I know that, Albus. I know that you are trying to save as many people as you can."

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledor said. "Harry, I hope you will believe me when I say that if I thought there was anything I could do, I would. I still do not approve of this relationship." Harry looked up, not wanting to argue but feeling like he had to speak up, but the Headmaster kept talking. "But I have never wanted anything but the best for you. And for Severus, too."

"This is what's best for us," Harry replied.

Severus took his hand in his and said softly, "Let it go, Harry. Accept what he's offering, for now."

Seeing that Severus was right, Harry nodded. "Sorry, Headmaster."

Dumbledore nodded to Harry. "What I want both of you to know is this: even with this unfortunate revelation, I have not given up hope. The Dark Lord is powerful, but he is neither omnipotent nor omniscient. He has accounted for every contingency he could foresee, but even he cannot see the future with crystal vision. There is something he has overlooked and we shall find it."

Harry did not feel very confident of that, but responded with his thanks anyway. Severus did the same, and the pair left together. When they arrived at the passageway to the dungeons, Harry softly said, "Maybe I should just go back to the Tower now. I know if I go back with you, I won't be able to leave you in the middle of the night."

Severus lifted his hand as if to reach for Harry, but stopped himself. Though no one was in the hallway except them, he was always careful. "If you wish," he said.

"What do you wish?" Harry said, noting an unexpected waver in Severus's voice.

The silence stretched on as Severus stood perfectly still before Harry. Finally, his voice barely audible even to Harry, Severus replied, "I want to be near you tonight."

Harry knew how hard it was for Severus to ask for help, especially the kind of help he was asking for now. "Can I go tell Ron to cover for me in the morning? I have the cloak and map. I'll come right down. Or you can wait here. Or I can just come with you. Ron will figure it out."

"No, go tell Weasley whatever you need to tell him. I'll be waiting in my rooms." Silently, Severus faded into the dim passageway.

Harry hurried up to the Tower. There were a few students still awake in the common room, but Ron was already in their room.

"Harry, Hermione told me about-" He glanced at the door and glared in frustration. "About what she found out. I'm really sorry, mate. Really."

"Yeah," was all Harry could muster to say in response. "Is she okay?"

"She was washing up. I was about to see if she wanted to talk some more. She feels guilty because she figured it out."

"I know. It's silly, but I guess I understand. Let her know we both appreciate everything she's done. I already said it to her, but as bad as it is knowing now, it would be a lot worse to find out later." Harry felt guilty not going to find Hermione, but he knew Ron would stay with her if she needed it, and Severus would be alone if Harry stayed. He told Ron where he was going and Ron agreed to make up something if anyone noticed he wasn't around in the morning. Harry also told him about Severus's answer to his midnight runs between the dungeon and the Tower. Ron said it sounded perfect, even though they wouldn't need it that night.

When he returned to the dungeon, Harry was surprised to find the bust of Salazar was gone. Tapping the stone that served as Severus's doorbell, Harry wondered if Severus had followed through on his threat from earlier.

"No more Salazar?" Harry asked once the archway appeared.

"He started to lecture me on appropriate relationships and I was not in the mood. He has been relocated to an unused hallway. Facing the corner. With a sack over him."

Harry laughed. Given everything that had happened since, he had not given much thought to being called Severus's catamite. He knew it would have bothered Severus more than himself, though.

"The man who built the Chamber of Secrets, giving a lecture on appropriate behavior? That's ironic."

"Yes, well," Severus replied, dryly, "it seems Salazar Slytherin harbors some prejudices."

"Hard to believe that," Harry said, taking his place on the couch.

"Indeed. I suspect we know who told Albus about us, now. I will not be spied upon, nor will I allow him to make you feel unsafe down here. So, he is disposed of."

Severus sat down next him.

"You know, Harry, what we found out--it changes nothing."

"I think it changes everything, actually." Harry held up a hand before the man could protest. "It's not what you think. I'm not giving up. I just think the Headmaster is right about this. There's something we're overlooking. Something Voldemort overlooked, too. There has to be."

"You're planning something," Severus's voice turned suspicious.

"No. Not really. There's definitely no plan yet. But I feel like all the pieces are in front of me, I just haven't put them together yet.

"And when you do put them together?"

Harry knew where Severus was going. It reminded him of something Severus had said back during the summer. About Harry not relying on his friends enough and running off alone. "No secrets, Severus. Not from you, at least, and not from Ron or Hermione, or even the rest of the Order, unless you think it's for the best. I promise."

Not much later, they both slipped into Severus's bed, neither one needing or wanting more than the other's presence beside them in the darkness.

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The next day, like most of the term, Harry reflected, went by with Harry paying little attention to class. He suspected his professors noticed but let him get away with it by not calling on him. Everyone knew the kinds of things that were on his mind, and few could fault him for not paying too much attention to classwork. By the end of dinner, though, Harry's thoughts had solidified, not so much into a plan as a theory. He thought he had a plan, but it was based on a lot of assumptions and he knew he needed to get other people's opinions. When Dumbledore rose to return to his office after eating, Harry hopped off his bench and hurried to catch him.

"Headmaster, is it possible to call a meeting of the Order tonight? I have some ideas."

Dumbledore looked at him carefully. "What kind of ideas?"

"It's too much to talk about here, sir. I think I know what Voldemort's overlooked and how we can use it. But I'm not sure it'll work. It's too dangerous to try on my own."

Dumbledore looked surprised as that admission, but nodded. "I can see who is available to meet. As you know, we never call the entire Order together unless the need is dire."

Harry nodded. "Yes, sir. If you can get Tonks and Moody, that would be great. I know they might be busy, though. Shacklebolt, too?"

"And the Weasleys?"

Harry thought about it and shook his head. "I don't think they'd be helpful, sir. It's not that they aren't great wizards, but if I'm right, there's a chance I'll be in danger. I don't think they'd accept that possibility."

"Very well, I'll contact the three you named. Professor Snape will be joining us, yes?"

"Of course," Harry responded, trying not to sound too defensive. Severus would not like him being in danger, but if he was right, he thought he could convince Severus that it was worth the risk. "I'd also like Ron and Hermione, there. Ginny, Neville and Luna, too. They all know as much as I do about this. And Professor Jones, as well. Oh, and Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, too."

"That's quite a list, Harry, but I'm willing to trust you. If this is what it takes to get you to share your plans before you act, I'm willing to play along."

"Thank you, sir. If I'm right, I'm going to need everyone's help in this."

An hour later, nearly everyone was crowded into Dumbledore's study. Remus was attending to something covert and could not be contacted, but Shacklebolt had arrived in his place.

"Well," Dumbledore said, gathering everyone's attention and quelling the quiet conversations going on around them. "Mr. Potter has called this meeting. Would you like to begin?" He nodded to Harry, who stood up when his name was mentioned.

"Thank you, Headmaster. First, does everyone here know what we've found out about the Dark Mark? Including what Hermione discovered?" Hermione looked less uncomfortable about her part in the discovery. Harry, having thought about it, was actually relieved at the revelation she had come to. Dumbledore indicated that they all had, so Harry continued.

"Then let me tell you what I'm thinking. But first, I want to make some assumptions. I believe the Prophesy. And if someone wanted to, they could argue that my defeating Voldemort is impossible. That wouldn't violate the Prophesy. I'd die; he'd live. But there are thousands of wizards for whom that is true, so I don't think there would be some big prophesy just to say I'm going to die like a thousand other people." Harry looked around and saw that everyone seemed to agree. He knew everyone thought he was capable of defeating Voldemort. But he was building up a case on which everything relied on the Prophesy being real.

"I've thought a lot about that last set of runes Hermione found. If they work the way everyone says they do, then I can't beat him in battle." He held up a hand to quiet everyone as several people, mostly his classmates, started to argue. "There's no way. Even if I was willing to let everyone Marked die in the process, it's just impossible. I'd have to get him to near death, then continue to cast spells at him until every Death Eater in the world was drained completely. I can't do that. I doubt everyone in this room together could do that. He'd certainly call for help well before it got that far, and then we'd have to fight off whoever came to rescue him, all while keeping Voldemort from escaping. It can't be done. And we can't just go kill all the Death Eaters until he's got no one left. For one thing, he'll Mark more. Plus we don't know who they all are, especially if he's Marking wizards on the continent now."

Secretly, that was what had given Harry hope. If Voldemort could be destroyed, it meant that the Mark could be removed. That was the only way it was possible.

"Okay, Harry," Tonks said. "I think you've made your case. So what do you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking about something the Headmaster said last night. That there must be something Voldemort's overlooked. Something he couldn't plan for. It has to be this." He pushed his bangs back to display his scar. "We know it's like the Mark, but different. And everyone agrees that it works in ways he'd never allow if he was able to control it. The way to defeat him has to have something to do with it, because that's the only thing that makes me different."

Harry could see Severus's eyes narrowing with suspicion as he continued. He knew Severus would not like what he had to say, but he hoped he could get the man to see that it was the only way.

"Two more assumptions, then. There's a time limit. We don't know what it is, but the Prophesy says one can't live unless the other dies. So even if I tried to sit here in the Headmaster's office, protected by all his wards, there's no way I'll live to a hundred while Voldemort is out there. It's one or the other, and there probably isn't much time left before the Prophesy is fulfilled one way or the other. I'm in no rush, but I don't think we can afford to wait a whole lot longer. Especially since Hogwarts isn't as safe we'd thought." No one looked happy at that thought, but, surprisingly, no one argued. He suspected everyone had thought something similar at some point anyway, especially after what happened with Dean.

"Finally, I'm in danger. It's that simple. Whatever it is that's going to defeat Voldemort, it'll put me in danger. We're not going to find a spell that I can cast from here that will kill Voldemort. I'll need to be near him, and he'll probably know I'm there. He's too well protected for me to sneak up on him, and it's unlikely to be just one spell tossed at him and it's all over. Not to mention that there will be Death Eaters, Nagini, and who knows what else protecting him. I need everyone to accept that there's a chance I'll be hurt, even die, doing this. I guess I don't believe that I have to die anymore, and I'll do everything I can to put myself in as little danger as I can, but there's no way this happens without some risk to me. Can everyone accept that?"

Harry asked the group, but he was looking at Severus as he spoke. The older man's eyes were hard, his lips set in a straight line. Begrudging agreement was muttered by everyone else, but Severus did not move or speak. He did not argue, though, nor did he leave, so Harry accepted that as good enough. The real test was coming.

"So what's the plan, Harry," Ron said, looking ready to fight for him already.

"It's not a plan yet. Just an idea. An educated guess. But my scar links me to Voldemort in a way he still hasn't guessed, and if all of the Marks are connected, then I'm connected to all the Death Eaters as well, at least in a small way. I know it sounds crazy, but I think I need to take the Dark Mark."

The rest of the evening had gone as roughly as Harry had expected. Twelve against one, everyone had argued that Harry had gone mad. But he had given a lot of thought to his idea, and ultimately all objections came down to two points: it was too dangerous, and there was no proof it would succeed. But Harry countered that there would be no guarantees in any plan. The only plans that could possibly succeed were the ones that were impossible to test. Anything else, Voldemort would have thought of. The complexity of the Dark Mark showed that all too well. As created, they exposed Voldemort to no risk. The scar alone, too, posed no physical risk to the Dark Lord. Early in the night, Shacklebolt had suggested using the scar's link to initiate a possession, but it had fallen flat. Dumbledore was fairly sure that the spells that linked Voldemort to his new body--and protected Harry from Voldemort's using the scar to spy via Harry--would also prevent possession via the known methods, and experimentation was too risky.

That acknowledgement had started to swing the argument Harry's way. The Dark Lord still appeared unaware of the depth of the link between them. Any experimentation risked exposing it. It might not be possible for the Dark Lord to protect himself further from it, but Harry did appear correct when he said that the scar link was the key. Best it remained a secret until they decided to strike.

"How exactly do you think your scar will save you, Harry?" Tonks asked after some time.

Harry struggled to explain. It seemed more intuition than anything else--a sense of how the link worked. "It's like--a back door, I suppose. Or a hole in the fence between my house and his." Harry ignored Severus's snort and continued. "Hermione said it herself weeks ago. If I were Marked and I cast the spell to unbind the runes, it wouldn't be like I was trying to break into the binding, but out of it. That should work."

"I said, it might be like that, and it might work. But if it didn't, Harry..." Hermione stared at him, her eyes pleading with him to reconsider.

Hours later, nothing had been decided firmly. The meeting had ended with Harry suggesting that they meet again to create some kind of plan based on his idea. He pointed out that, since it appeared that Voldemort had some method to penetrate the school's defenses, they needed something to fall back on should Harry and Voldemort come face to face. He was willing, in fact eager, for someone to suggest a better idea: one with better chances. But since no one had, he insisted that they go with his for now. Through it all, Severus had hardly spoken, offering his opinion only when asked and in the briefest terms.

After, Harry returned to dungeon with Severus. The other man's silence worried him, and he braced himself for an argument when they were alone. Stepping through the archway, Harry pulled off his cloak and waited for it. But nothing came.

"Tea?" Severus asked, sounding nothing but tired.

"No," Harry replied, watching the man as he sat on the couch. Severus nodded and stepping into the kitchen. The clink of dishes eventually heralded the Potions Master back into the room.

"Well?" Harry asked. He could not bear the silence. A part of him expected Severus to ask him to leave and not return. How could anyone be in a relationship with someone who, at any moment, would be facing his destiny with a plan that no one had any reason to believe would succeed?

"You've given this idea of yours a lot of thought," Severus replied.

Harry nodded. "And what do you think of it?"

"Does it matter?" Severus asked.

"Of course. You're one of the smartest people I know. If anyone knows more about the Dark Lord or the Mark than me, it's you. And you're my . . . You're the most important person in the world to me. Of course I want to know what you think. I need to know you support this plan."

"And if I don't? If I think that taking the Dark Mark would the stupidest, most reckless idea you've had in a life full of stupid, reckless ideas?"

Harry felt himself growing defensive. "You have a better idea, then?" He challenged the man.

"No!" Severus shouted, his teacup falling to the floor and shattering. Harry jolted as if struck. "I don't have a better idea! My whole world balances on the hope--the hope!--that this scheme might work. We have no reason to believe it will. No evidence whatsoever suggests we can use the Mark against him actively, scar or no. So I'll be huddled in this hole, praying to gods I don't believe in that you come back to me because I can't be there with you, and I don't have a damn thing to suggest as a better idea!" Severus turned suddenly and stormed into his workroom. Harry sat on the couch, his hands shaking.

The sound of a cauldron thumping onto the workbench came from the other room as Harry cast a cleaning spell to keep the tea from soaking into the rug. Trying to be quiet, Harry peered into the other room at Severus's back.

"Severus?" Harry said, just loud enough for his voice to carry to the other man.

"The infirmary is short on a few things." Harry thought he heard a tremor in Severus's voice.

Walking over to him, Harry put a hand on his shoulder and pressed his cheek to his back. "I'm sorry Severus. I would escape this if I could."

Severus let his tools drop on the counter and turned around, wrapping his arms around Harry. "No, you wouldn't. Prophesy or no, you'd fight against him." Unable to argue, Harry just nodded.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two weeks passed uneventfully. Harry spent nearly every evening with Severus, of course, and dutifully signaled his safe return to the tower. As Harry had hoped, several contingency plans were made, most based on how to keep Harry alive long enough to do what needed to be done, and after as well. Severus had insisted on procedures to rescue Harry should his idea fail. It would put many of them in danger, but Harry found he could not argue. If his plan did not work, then he would need to live long enough to try another. The odds of him having a second chance were slim, though, and Harry secretly assumed he would only have the one chance. One way or the other, Harry knew, it would be soon. Exams were coming up, and once everyone left for holiday the Dark Lord was bound to find another victim for his spell. As he made his way with Ron and Hermione to Charms, Harry wondered whether it would be another innocent like Dean or a volunteer. He knew it mean nothing to Voldemort to sacrifice a follower. But would he prefer to use someone closer to Harry just for the sake of hurting him more?

Harry shook the morbid thoughts away. Such ideas were coming more and more frequently lately, and he needed to have control over his own mind. Occlumency would play a key role in his plan. For now, all he could do was wait and try to be prepared.

The three students had just sat down in the Charms classroom when the screams started.