All This Time, You Were Missing From My Heart

Chapter Eight

At the creak of the doors, Sirius jumped out of his chair and turned back into Padfoot, causing Draco to jump back away from him. Harry snickered at Draco, earning him a glare. The visitor was Professor Snape, bringing the Dreamless Sleep Potion. He glared at Sirius and Harry and Sirius just growled back at him. Draco grinned as he noticed a tinge of pink on Harry's bruised face.

"Would you two just quit being so petty?" Harry looked at the two men in turn. "You two have been working together in the Order for years now."

Snape and Sirius both turned to Harry with a look that everyone recognized as the 'No-way-in-hell' look.

"He's right, you know. You even did the same thing," Draco pointed out, looking relieved as Sirius changed back.

"Yeah. One of the 'We-know-you're-right, but-we-want-to-be-difficult' looks," Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I would give it up, boys. I've been trying for years," Dumbledore's voice came from the entrance of the Sickbay.

"Merlin Almighty, Albus! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Sirius gasped, clutching at his heart. Dumbledore just looked at him with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I am truly sorry, Sirius." Sirius glared at him.

Draco, Harry, and Severus snickered at the animagus. Severus felt his heart flip at the smile on the bruised face of the boy in front of him. Clearing away the thoughts, he placed the phial of Dreamless Sleep Potion on the bedside table. Harry looked up and caught his eye. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds before Harry turned away to look down at his hands, fighting hard to keep the blush out of his cheeks. Severus quickly left the Hospital Wing, trying to keep his pace short of a jog.

Draco grinned at Harry, who just blushed harder.

"Professor Dumbledore?"

"Yes, my boy?"

"Could you...send some one to check on my Aunt Petunia? I'm afraid she'll be hurt now that I'm not there for him to...." Harry trailed off, looking back down at his hands to keep from seeing Sirius's reaction to his request.

"Certainly, Harry," Dumbledore had to smile at the boy's concern for his aunt.

To Harry's relief, Sirius said nothing of his godson's question.

"Hey, where's my wand?" Harry asked suddenly. Draco grinned at him and produced the stick from his pocket. He gave it to the Boy-Who-Lived. "Thanks. Abscondere."

The bruises and scars vanished from Harry's body as he waved his wand. Sirius whistled, impressed.

"You're good at that."

"Since last year," Harry grinned, pride showing on his now bruiseless face. Sirius's face hardened and Harry rushed to explain. "No! I just was really good at them when we learned them last year."

"I'm just worried about you, Harry. I just want to know that you'll be alright now," Sirius's worry shone through his eyes.

"I believe the term is 'mother hen'," Draco quipped, trying to lighten the mood. Harry raised his eyebrow at Draco.

"What is it with you and stupid jokes?"

"They're not stupid! You just have no sense of humour!" Draco huffed.

Sirius chuckled at the two. Neither Sirius, Harry, nor Draco noticed when Dumbledore smiled at them and then left.

"You two are really like an old married couple," Sirius grinned as the two seventh years glared at him.

"Red heads!"

***

Remus sighed as he made his way back to the Hospital Wing. He'd been avoiding it for hours, not wanting to face his mate too soon. He stopped as he heard someone coming near.

It was Severus Snape. He was muttering things, which the werewolf couldn't decipher just yet. Thinking quickly, the ex-DADA teacher ducked into a shadowy alcove.

"I do not, DO NOT!, like him! You're going crazy, Severus!" Snape growled to himself as he passed Remus, with out noticing him. "He is a student! You are a teacher!"

Remus smirked as he stepped out of the cutaway when he could no longer hear the footsteps of the Potions Master. He had always been the smart marauder, and this was easily figure out-able. One, Remus was sure that Snape had just come from the Infirmary. Two, the mutterings to self, "He is a student!" and "You are a teacher!" clearly suggested that Severus's thoughts were on a male student. Three, Harry Potter was the only male student in the Hospital Wing at the moment. And four, Severus Snape and James Potter had dated for a short time during their sixth year.

Remus chuckled to himself. It was years ago that he had such good blackmail material. With that thought, Remus spun on his heel and changed course to follow the grumpy Potions Professor to the dungeons.

***

Severus gasped as a wave of pain hit him, coming from the ugly black tattoo on his arm. He quickly turned and proceeded to the Headmaster's office. Minutes later, he reached the stone gargoyle. He spat out the password ('Lifesavers'), and then took the steps two at a time.

"Ah, Severus, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore's voice came from behind him.

"I'm being called, Albus," Severus spun around to face him.

Dumbledore's face turned grave. "He's getting ready to do something. It's been too long since he's summoned everyone."

"I'll try to find out all I can," Severus nodded, agreeing with Albus's statement.

"Be careful, my boy."

Severus nodded again and then went back down the stairs and towards the main doors of the castle.

***

Once Severus was out of the wards of the castle grounds, he pressed the dark mark on his arm and was transported to the Death Eater meeting. Looking around, he recognized the place as the graveyard where Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory had been portkeyed to three years before. He shook his head to dismiss the thoughts of Hogwart's Golden Boy. The Potions Master took a deep breath and stepped into his place as the other Death Eaters arrived.

Underneath his hood, he sneered as Peter Pettigrew shook in front of Voldemort. The afore mentioned animagus screamed when the Dark Lord cast Crucio on him.

"My loyal," here he paused," and not so loyal, Death Eaters. Welcome."

The Death Eaters bowed, except for Wormtail, who was still writhing on the grass. Everyone was trying hard not to shake as the menacing shadow moved closer to the circle of henchmen.

"Lucius!" The Parselmouth barked.

"My lord," Malfoy stepped up and bowed before the evil wizard.

"We no longer have a ssstudentsss view into Hogwarts because of your ssson'ssss insolence," he hissed at the blonde man.

"I'm sorry, my lord. That fool Dumbledore filled his head with notions of grandeur on the *good* side," Lucius sneered at the thought of the old wizard.

"It is partially your fault, Lucius. You let him go to Hogwarts. Had he gone to Durmstrang, your son would have been the perfect Death Eater. Aside from being related to you," Voldemort scowled.

Severus bit his lip to keep from laughing. He knew several other Death Eaters were doing the same. Most of the Death Eaters hated Lucius, because he used to be the most favoured. Rumour was that he and Voldemort had been fuck buddies. But, that had changed when the man formally known as Tom Riddle had been resurrected.

Voldemort was know completely obsessed with the only person to ever withstand his wrath. Plus, Severus doubted if Lucius would touch the corpse-like man now with a ten-foot pole. Not only was the Dark Lord uglier than a Blast-Ended Skrewt, but he also smelled like disgusting, maggoty death.

~God that was disgusting~

His little voice said. He agreed with it.

"Severus!"

"Lord?"

"Tell me, what is happening at Hogwarts?" Voldemort requested.

"My lord, Harry Potter's relatives abused him this summer," Severus told him, feeling sick when he said the words. "He and Draco Malfoy have become friends because of this."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed for a moment at Lucius, but when he looked back to Severus, he let out a biting laugh. "This changes things. They say that the Boy-Who-Lived is like a young Tom Riddle. He is an orphan, a Parselmouth, and he looks remarkably like what I did at seventeen. And we all know what happened to me. And this! This wonderful revelation just adds another similarity to the list."

Severus repressed a shudder at the thought of Evil!Harry. Voldemort continued.

"I think...yes...New plan, my servants. When we attack Hogsmeade, instead of killing Harry Potter, capture him. Bring him to me! I will make him the heir to the darkness I will bring!"

End Chapter Eight