Chapters 2-3
Rated: PG
Summary: Harry and Snape are forced into hiding, Snape under orders to brew a protective potion from Harry's blood. In their forced exile, Harry and Snape learn many surprising things about each other. But will they survive their seclusion without killing each other?
EXPANATIONS
(SECOND DAY)
"Blasted thing! ... Potter! Come here! ... POTTER!!!"
"What..."
"Quickly - take the knife! Two more tubes at least!"
"But Professor, it's three o'clock in the morning..."
"You will be mourning in a minute. Do what you are told! And do it immediately if you don't want to be cursed!"
...
...
...
"Idiot boy - we don't have the time! Give me that knife!"
"No... aargh!!!!"
"Don't squeal like that! That potion is going to melt the cauldron without its main ingredient. Good... now cool down... cool down... Circumspexit Liquidum! ... Stop wailing, Potter, I mean it!"
"I am bleeding!"
"That is what you are supposed to do. Stop yelling! We need the blood. Professor Dumbledore has asked for another entire cauldron full. Is it my fault that you are not able to obey the simplest orders?"
"You nearly cut my arm off!"
"I didn't! You know that perfectly well."
...
...
"Why didn't you wake me up before starting on the potion anyway?"
"I was going to get your blood while you were sleeping... which would obviously have saved me a lot of trouble! The potion got the better of me, though. I hadn't even left the room when the blasted thing started to boil."
"Ha! Advanced potion brew-"
"(look of pure venom)"
"Er..."
"(eyes narrow) Be careful, Potter, or I might just forget what I promised to the Headmaster."
"Well, I have difficulties bearing my vow in mind as well! You nearly amputated my arm only a minute ago, after all."
"(sarcastically) What a disaster! If I had known that a little bit of pain keeps you from saving the entire wizarding world..."
"Oh come off it! Those few drops of blood can't..."
"You don't get it, do you? They can! Why do you think you have always been everyone's favourite pet? Did you think your pretty face prevented you from being expelled every time you disobeyed school rules for the past four years? You might not have noticed, Potter, but for all the rules you have flouted at Hogwarts, everyone else would have received massive punishment. Not you, however, not famous Harry Potter!"
"Well... I thought it was because of... because Lord Voldemort disappeared when he tried to kill me..."
"Ha! You don't know the poeple, do you? When do they ever put effort into anything without expecting to get something out of it? You Gryffindors do a great job in pretending you are above anyone else. Even the headmaster does, sometimes... well - he actually IS above anyone else, I suppose, but never mind! Did you really expect he would have let you stay - back in your second year - when you broke one school rule after another if he hadn't wanted anything in return?"
"Dumbledore is not as blind as you are. He could see we didn't mean to do it. And we DID find out about the Chamber of Secrets, after all."
"You did indeed... Though perhaps being the only Parslemouth around made it slightly easier for you than for anyone else..."
"Yeah, maybe... but the point is that Dumbledore was right - and YOU were NOT!"
"This seems to please you beyond reason."
"..."
"Have you got any idea why you can speak Parlsemouth, by the way?"
"Professor Dumbledore said Voldemort passed it to me when he gave me the scar."
"Ha! Rubbish! That's what he told you? Those things don't work like that. He above all should know..."
"(disbelievingly) You mean he lied?"
"Come to think of it, he might not be very pleased if I told you... (smirk)"
"So he just told me anything... at random... to calm me down? Wait! Why would I believe you rather than him?"
"Because I know what I am talking about - and you know that I do."
"Er..."
"Salazar Slytherin, the founder of my house, was famous for his ability to talk with snakes. So is Lord Voldemort, my former... er... employer. Don't you think I have devoted a great deal of my time to that subject?"
"So why do you think I'm a Parslemouth?"
"Considering the fact that their percentage within the population is rather small... and that you can only obtain it through inheritance, as far as I know... I am rather sure you must be related to Slytherin... in some way or another."
"..."
"Don't look at me like that! You are NOT the HEIR of Slytherin. Lord Voldemort is. But you might have a bit of... (frowns) Slytherin blood inside your veins after all."
"I... you mean - that's what the Sorting Hat saw, when he... you know, he said I would have done well in Slytherin..."
"Ha! I doubt you would."
"You'd have seen to that, right?"
"I am not saying you couldn't have done well in Slytherin, but I doubt it."
"Why?"
"(deadly serious, moves forward) You. Are. Too. Weak!"
"I am what???"
"You heard me correctly, Potter. Now, if you don't mind, I am going to bed. The potion will have to stew until tomorrow morning. I'll set up the next one afterwards, by the way."
"What, another one?"
"Yes. Just one more. To make sure all of us are protected. (smirk) Ah, the burden of fame... I am afraid you'll just have to cope with it...
...
Do shut the door, will you?"
*******
SNAPE
"Wake up! Honestly, how can anyone sleep that long?"
"Oh, (yawn) sorry, I didn't mean to... You might want to start on the potion while I am getting dressed."
"What do you think I have been doing all morning, foolish boy? The ingredients are ready. But I wanted to make sure the blood is available before the potion spills over this time."
"Oh... good."
"Here."
"I'm getting paranoid at the sight of a knife."
"How very touching. Could you get a move on?"
...
"Ouch! (pleasantly) Aaah, first attempt succeeded."
"(sarcastic sneer) I am impressed."
"Oh, you would, of course, carve your own skin without hesitating."
"I HAVE. On countless occasions."
"You have...? What for?"
"Potions! What did you think? We were expected to sacrifice our lives... if necessary."
"You... set up POTIONS for Voldemort?"
"Among other things... what did you expect?"
"I didn't... I thought you couldn't stand Potions. They all say you are after the Defence Against the Dark Arts job."
"Who says that?"
"Well... everyone, really."
"Complete rubbish. Why would I want to do anything but Potions?"
"I dunno. You tell me."
"Pft. Certainly not."
"So you HAVE been applying for Defence Against the Dark Arts?"
"That is NONE of your business. Shut up!"
...
...
"Professor, why... I mean... why did you join him in the first place?"
"(coldly) Don't be so meddlesome."
"(equally cold voice) I was merely interested."
"Interest is a good thing. ... The problem is - when you are out there - in the real world I mean - you will sooner or later get to the point when you can't simply... come back."
"But YOU did, of course."
"Don't make fun about things you don't understand, Potter."
"I understand better than you think."
"You do, don't you? And you have the impression of being a hero now, because you left your protected little world and saw the Dark Lord ONCE?"
"At least I wasn't too scared to reject his offer."
"I did NOT join the dark side because I was AFRAID of him."
"Then why?"
"Power. Pure, boundless power. That's what he offers. And that is not at all as bad as SOME people think."
...
"I... That's weird."
"What?"
"I wouldn't have thought..."
"(slightly amused) ...that I used to seek power?"
"It's just... you don't seem to be that kind of person, who..."
"Well, what kind of person am I?"
"(short laugh) I am not going to be your psychiatrist! I won't play such games."
"Right you are. Playing games is dangerous and likely to result in death."
"I suppose... (horrified look) What the..."
"(smirk) Afraid, Potter?"
"(walks backwards) I... What do you think you're doing?"
"What would you say if I tested one or two curses on you? Didn't you say you want to play...?"
"(paralysed with fear) I said I am NOT playing!"
"Clever boy. (puts away wand) And I am not hexing, actually. I do not tend to give in urges like this one. And I do believe the headmaster wouldn't like us slaughtering each other."
"(relieved) I suppose not. (weakly) So you... (moan)"
"What?"
"I feel dizzy..."
"Sit down! What is it? A circulatory disorder?"
"I... my arm..."
"What the... It's still bleeding! How deep is the cut? ... This is insane. Now WHO is amputating your arm here?"
"I only... only... l... just a li- llillee... (deep sigh, faints)"