batsutousai | FIC: Hated Salvation ~ 3 ~ R ~ LV/HP, SB/RL, DM/RW

Title: Hated Salvation
Author:

batsutousai
Pairing(s): Tom(Voldemort)/Harry, Sirius/Remus, Draco/Ron
Rating: R
Warnings: Slash, AU(pre-OotP), child abuse, OOC(like whoa)
Summary: Lily Potter had not created enemies when she died, but a bond that would change the world.
Disclaim Her: Hardly.

...Shall become one.

A few days later - after Harry had regained his comfort level around his friends and had been properly introduced to the Order of the Phoenix members who tended to drop in for meals - the most amazing thing in the history of the Marauders happened.

You see, Severus Snape was occasionally early for meetings, and he always left quickly after the meeting was over. On that day, he came early and said that he needed a word with 'Potter' on behalf of Madame Pomfrey. Remus called Harry from the living-room - where he'd been playing Exploding Snap with his friends and Sirius - and Sirius came with him.

"Hello, Professor," Harry said softly as he approached his father. Even Remus and Sirius - the only two who knew of Harry's true parentage - were surprised by the touch of respect and kindness in Harry's voice.

Severus nodded and also surprised spectators by not sneering at his student. "Potter." He pulled a vial from his robes and held it out to Harry. "You might be needing that."

Harry took the vial and smiled when he recognized the Dreamless Sleep - he'd had a few nightmares from the Triwizard Tournament fairly recently and while Tom had tried to help, not even he could save Harry from the terror of watching a fellow die. "Thank you, sir," he murmured to Severus. Severus just nodded curtly in reply.

As Harry was walking towards the doorway of the kitchen to leave, he heard, "And what do you want, Black?"

Harry spun around sharply and was just in time to see Sirius offering his hand to Severus with a neutral expression. "I would like to thank you for risking your life to save my godson and apologize for my ridiculous attitude toward you over the past many years. We are too old to be fighting like immature children."

Severus had narrowed his eyes, but a quick glance at Remus showed the other man looking just as confused as he was. "You're trying to trick me," he accused.

Sirius shrugged. "No. Harry just showed me that I'm an idiot and I'd like to make peace."

Severus' gaze shot over to his son and he almost started at the hope-filled look in the boy's eyes. Looking back at Sirius, he couldn't help but wonder what his son had said to make Sirius change his mind. Cautiously, he reached out and took Sirius' outstretched hand. "Very well. We shall see how long you can last," he taunted.

"With any luck, long enough to prove that I'm not a complete arse to both you and Harry," Sirius replied with a pleasant smile.

As Sirius and Severus let go of each other's hands, Severus found that there was a piece of paper in his hand. Glaring at Sirius - who had walked back over to Harry and was ruffling the boy's hair fondly - he stuffed the paper into a pocket and promised himself to look at it at his first chance.

-~/\~-

After a meeting filled with the other members shooting both Severus and Sirius strange looks, Severus made a stop at the loo in the Black House and read the note:

Snape,
Harry told Remus and myself about what all had really happened over the summer. While I'm not overly pleased to find out that you're Harry's blood father, I will respect that. You have protected him over the years and he might - I regret to say - not be here if it weren't for you. On top of all that, Harry's happier, it seems, knowing that you are there for him, even though he says he understands that you still have to be a bastard to him in public.
So here's the bottom line, Snape: Harry likes you - Merlin only knows why - and Harry is my first priority. If you do something that upsets him and you don't have a damn good reason for it, our years in school with look like child's play. As long as you treat Harry well and be the father he so desperately needs - that means being there for him and listening to him and accepting him - then I will hold my truce with you above all else and remain civil with you unless your public duties as a Death Eater require us to be at one another's throats - which I have been told by Harry is a possibility, despite Tom Riddle being sane.
Sirius Black

Severus let out a breath and felt amusement, surprise, and respect for Sirius - he certainly never expected his long-time tormentor to sound so mature - and a mixture of pride and love for his son - only Harry could have managed to make Sirius Black put aside his grudge without bloodshed or loss of pride.

Severus stuffed the letter back in his pocket, then stepped from the bathroom. He paused when he caught sight of two glittering green eyes in the dim light of the hallway. "Harry?" he whispered.

Harry seemed to jump forward and hugged him tightly and Severus found himself hugging his son back without a thought. "Thank you for not being a bastard to Sirius," his son said in a rush.

Severus closed his eyes and tightened his arms around the boy. "He was acting mature for once, why should I be the first to act like a child?" he huffed.

Harry laughed softly and Severus fought back a smile. "Thank you, all the same, you great git."

Severus couldn't hold back a chuckle at that and he pulled away to give Harry a fond look. "Impudent brat."

Harry stuck out his tongue in response, then smiled happily. "Is Hogwarts boring now?" he teased.

Severus snorted. "No, it's quiet. There's a difference."

Harry's smile widened. "Only to you."

"I'm sure Minerva would agree with me."

"Wait, you mean you two can actually agree on stuff?"

"As long as it doesn't involve brooms and flying balls? Yes."

Harry laughed again. "I don't suppose there's any way I could talk you into freaking everyone out by staying for dinner."

Severus scowled. "And ruin my summer of quiet and lack of red-heads?" Harry's laughter interrupted him and Severus fought back a smile at how happy his son appeared. "Well, for you, I suppose I must," he decided with what was obviously a fake sigh.

Harry hugged Severus again. "Thanks, Father," he whispered, then muttered, "I feel like I'm Draco."

"How so?"

"Addressing you as 'father'. Everyone else I know always says 'dad'," Harry explained.

Severus scowled. "I'm afraid I'm not the 'dad' sort."

Harry grinned. "I know that. James is my dad and you're my father."

Severus allowed a faint smile at that, then changed topics, silently motioning for them to head for the kitchen as he did so. "And you obviously haven't spent enough time with Draco, he always calls Lucius 'dad'."

Harry shrugged. "Doesn't surprise me. He's much more fun to be around when he's not pretending to hate me." Harry cocked his head to one side and glanced over at his father. "Does he hate me?"

Severus sighed. "I couldn't tell you, honestly. Before this summer, he spent his every free moment speaking as if you were the plague. Now, however, it seems that he's always asking how you are and if you're bored and so forth."

Harry snickered. "He's a piece of work."

"He's certainly something," Severus agreed.

"Hey, mate," Ron said, coming into sight. "Er... what are you doing with Snape?"

Harry smiled at his best friend. "Professor Snape is going to stay for dinner," he said without malice.

Severus was amused by his son's cheerfulness, as well as the gaping fish look that Ron responded with. "Snake got your tongue, Mr Weasley?" he inquired evenly, then cocked an eyebrow at the boy when he stared at him dumbly.

Harry sniggered. "Ron, close your mouth."

Ron's mouth snapped shut, but he continued to stare at his potions professor dumbly.

"I will leave you to fix your friend, Mr Potter," Severus said in a put-upon tone. "I do hope that you've found your misplaced brain cells by the time you reach the kitchen, Mr Weasley. Taunting those who can't comprehend me takes all the fun out of it." He swept past Ron, leaving Harry to laugh helplessly and Ron to continue staring dumbly.

-~/\~-

Dinner started off with an oppressive sort of feeling, mostly due to the presence of everyone's 'favourite' potions professor seated at the far end of the table. Harry sat next to his father - as he'd invited the man - and Sirius sat across from Severus - as if he wanted to prove his truce. Everyone else - minus Remus, who had never really minded Severus' presence - seemed to be trying to sit as far away from Severus as possible without actually looking like they were. A number of people were shooting Harry incredulous looks because he'd chosen to sit next to the 'slimy git'.

After five minutes of silence, Harry finally turned to his father and said, quite loudly, "Do you know, sir, why everyone is looking at me as if I've grown another head?"

Severus closed his eyes and tried really hard not to laugh, but Sirius didn't bother pretending; he just cracked up. Remus, next to him, smiled at Harry knowingly and Harry just grinned back.

"I believe, Mr Potter, it is because you are sitting next to me," Severus replied evenly after a moment.

Harry blinked a few times innocently, then leaned over and stage whispered, "Maybe you should take a bath, sir."

Severus snorted and covered his mouth. "Thank you, Mr Potter, for the suggestion."

Sirius howled with laughter and proceeded to fall off the bench, which made Remus and Harry both crack up and cut the tension in the room quite effectively.

Harry waited until Sirius had calmed down and returned to his seat before turning to the rest of the table. "Professor Snape ended up keeping an eye on me while I was in the Hospital Wing earlier this summer and we kinda worked through the whole hating each other because my father and his friends picked on Professor Snape like there was no tomorrow thing. So we're good now."

"Or as good as one can be with Snape," Sirius offered with a smirk at Severus.

Severus cocked an eyebrow at the Animagus. "I'm sure I'm easier to get along with than you are, Black. After all, I don't piss on the furniture."

Harry snickered while Remus rolled his eyes at the two. "Behave, kids," the werewolf ordered, which sent the rest of the table into gales of laughter.

Dinner was much more pleasant after that.

-~/\~-

After that one dinner, Severus seemed to appear more and more often at Grimmauld Place, though, really, Harry was the only one who saw him most of the time. On the rare occasion that someone else was around during one of Severus' non-business visits, it was usually either the two Marauders, or Harry's two friends. It wasn't until after Harry's birthday that Hermione and Ron finally addressed it.

"So..." Hermione started, then stopped and frowned.

Harry blinked up at where Hermione and Ron stood in the doorway of the bedroom he shared with Ron. He'd been reading the potions book his father had given him for his birthday. "What's up?"

Hermione let out a sigh. "Professor Snape seems to be visiting a lot lately," she tried carefully.

Harry bit back a smile and decided to torment his friend a little. "He's a member of the Order, and this is the Headquarters," he pointed out.

Hermione's face spasmed. "Yes, but, he's here for more than just Order meetings."

"I guess he and Sirius are really trying to get along after all," Harry mused in response.

Ron covered a laugh with a cough.

Hermione pursed her lips. "But he's not always with Sirius."

Harry blinked. "He's not? Do you think he's trying to make up with Professor Lupin too?"

Ron suddenly had a coughing fit.

"Are you okay, Ron?" Harry inquired, looking worried.

Hermione sent Ron a furious look, then turned to stare at Harry angrily. "Harry, why have you and Professor Snape been spending so much time together?"

Harry shrugged. "Can't tell you."

"WHAT?!"

Ron and Harry both watched with a touch of surprise as Hermione turned and stormed off. "Wow..." Ron murmured, turned to look back at Harry, who had cocked his head to one side curiously. "You really ticked her off, mate."

Harry shrugged. "She could have just asked from the start."

Ron snorted, then took a seat on his own bed and pulled out a Muggle crossword puzzle book that Hermione had given him at one point or another. "Then she wouldn't be Hermione."

Harry shot Ron a suspicious look. "You're acting strange."

Ron smiled. "We all have secrets, mate. I don't see the need to bother you about yours if I don't plan on telling you mine."

Harry laughed. "I'm glad you're my friend, Ron," he said, then turned back to his book.

Ron chuckled and grabbed a pencil that Harry had lent him to work on his book.

-~/\~-

Three weeks went by without Harry or Ron seeing Hermione outside of meals. When they did finally see her again, they were playing a game of chess in the living-room. Remus and Severus were sitting peacefully together on the couch, watching the two boys, while Sirius was trying to help Harry win - and failing.

Hermione stalked right up to Severus and said, "Sir, why is it that you're always here of late?"

Harry and Ron turned to gape at Hermione in shock. Sirius had blinked a few times at the board, then turned to watch Severus' response.

Severus merely cocked an eyebrow at the girl and said, "Certainly, Miss Granger, if you were to use your amazing abilities of deduction, you would figure it out on your own." His lips curled up into a nasty smile as Hermione turned red. "Or does your brain not work over the summer?"

"Severus!" Remus said, giving the Potions Professor a sharp look.

But it was too late. Hermione had tears on her cheeks already and had turned and fled from the room.

Harry stood. "That was uncalled for," he told his father firmly, then hurried after his friend, leaving Ron and Sirius to stare after him in surprise for a long moment before looking to Severus. The elder Snape looked like he'd been smacked across the face and when Remus placed a hand on his shoulder, he stood sharply and left the room himself.

Ron cleared his throat in the silence. "That was different," he whispered.

-~/\~-

"She's in our room," Ginny said when she saw Harry top the stairs, looking worried.

Harry blinked at the girl, then nodded his thanks before stepping up to the door and knocking gently.

"Go away!"

"Hermione, I'm sorry," Harry said gently. "But sometimes we have secrets that to share would put others in danger. Please forgive Professor Snape for his nasty response; it's the only way he knows how to live."

The door creaked open and Hermione poked her head out. Her face was wet with tears and she had a tissue clutched in the hand that gripped the door. "You used to share everything with us."

"My secrets didn't used to be this deadly," Harry responded seriously. It was his eyes, which were filled with pain and never-ending sadness, which assured Hermione that he would tell her if he could.

Hermione slipped through the door and hugged Harry gently, feeling better when he wrapped his arms around her protectively in response. "It scares me, when you won't tell me things."

"I know. And I'm sorry," Harry whispered, then pulled back and smiled at her sadly. "Would you like to come downstairs and watch Ron beat me again?"

Hermione nodded and allowed Harry to lead her back down to the living-room, wiping her eyes on the way.

When they got back to the living-room, Harry froze, then said, "Where's Professor Snape?"

"He left after you told him off, mate," Ron said, giving Harry an awe-filled look.

Harry felt ill. He shouldn't have yelled at his father like that. Severus had only been trying to protect him.

"Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry sighed, then walked over to the board and sat down in his seat again. "It's your move, Ron."

"He was out of line, you know," Sirius pointed out.

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "It's how he lives," he replied, then ignored anything else that was said in favour of the game in front of him.

-~/\~-

Tom sighed when he saw Severus storm by beyond the open door of his office. "Severus!" he shouted after the man, then waited for his bonded's father to come back.

Severus stepped woodenly into the office and bowed shortly. "What may I do for you, my Lord?" he inquired coldly.

Tom gave the Potions maker a bored look. "You can tell me why you're storming around my manor and Harry's mentally listing reasons why he doesn't deserve a father and is better off dead."

Severus stiffened minutely, but responded, "I snapped at Granger and Harry snapped back at me, so I left."

Tom felt a headache coming on. "And why, Severus, did you snap at Miss Granger?"

"She was sticking her nose where it didn't belong," was the stiff reply.

"And you couldn't have told her that in a kinder manner?" the Dark Lord muttered, then shook his head when Severus opened his mouth to speak. "No. You know what, I don't care right now. Go make some complicated potion in your dungeons while I try and get your son to stop believing he shouldn't exist."

"My Lord-"

"OUT!"

Severus hurried from the office, then jumped when the doors slammed loudly behind him.

"So your son actually has a reason to be mad at you and you snap at him," a bored voice said from a shadow, followed by the sounds of the speaker clapping. "Bravo, Sev."

Severus turned and sneered at Lucius. "Excuse me, Lucius, but some of us weren't able to raise our children."

Lucius stepped out into the light of the hall, eyes dark. "Some of us know when our children are in the right and know to apologize when that happens. You've been acting like a bastard in public for too long, Severus." Severus stiffened and looked like he wanted to speak, but Lucius continued before he could, "Your son finally finds the courage to speak up against you because you're rude to one of his friends and you stalk off like a child before he can apologize or explain himself - never mind that he was in the right."

Severus turned on his heels and stalked off to his dungeons, refusing to listen to his old friend anymore. He knew that Lucius was right. He knew that the Dark Lord had good reason for yelling at him.

And, above all, he wished he had a time-turner so he could go back in time and stop himself before he fucked up with his only son yet again.

-~/\~-

When Severus finally found the time to get back to Grimmauld Place a week later - Dumbledore had been pulling teacher's meetings on them almost daily - he found Harry in the living-room, once again, playing chess against Ron and loosing smashingly, despite all the help he was getting - Sirius, Remus, and Hermione were all standing over him and telking him where to move his pieces. After setting up some careful wards, he moved closer to the board, then said, as Harry was about to order a pawn forward, "Move the knight."

Everyone turned to look at him in surprise, even Harry.

Sirius recovered first, "Finally decided to show your cowardly face, then?"

"I'm sorry," Severus said, somehow managing to force the words past the block in his throat.

Sirius was left with his mouth hanging open. Ron, Hermione, and Remus weren't far behind.

"I shouldn't have snapped at you," Harry said with a shrug. "You had every reason to be mad at me."

Severus pursed his lips. "I should not get angry at you when you are correcting my lack of manners," he replied firmly, then looked at Hermione. "Miss Granger, I apologize for my disgusting behavior last Saturday."

"Accepted," Hermione whispered, eyes wide.

"Who are you and what have you done with Snape?" Ron cut in.

Harry suddenly started laughing, leaning forward and clutching at his stomach. Through his laughter, however, there was a sound of crying, and Severus moved forward quickly to hug his son when he realized that the boy was crying. "Harry..."

Harry hugged his father back, finding it to be nearly second nature, despite his decided lack of comfort previous to finding both his father and bonded. The following additions of Sirius' and Remus' arms seemed only proper, but it was the quietly soothing support of Tom that finally slowed and then ended his tears. When he pulled away from the three comforting males, he found concern dancing in the eyes of the other five occupants of the room. At a loss for words, he looked down at his trainers and scuffed them on the floor.

The silence was broken by Ron's half-joking question of, "Was it something I said?"

Severus stood and, placing a gentle hand on his son's shoulder, gave Hermione and Ron stern looks. "Curiosity can be a deadly thing and I am sure you are all finding that some secrets are best left un-known, but I have thought long and hard over the past few weeks over your roles in Harry's life and decided that it was, perhaps, best for him to have his closest friends there to support him as they can if he so wishes it." Severus glanced down at Harry, who had turned his head upwards to greet him with a look of surprise. "They are your friends, Harry."

Harry swallowed with some difficulty, then glanced at his best friends. Hermione looked hopeful and Ron looked curious, but both also had gleams of love, concern, and silent support in their eyes. Harry felt his heart ache and whispered, "Professor Snape's my father," in a quiet voice.

Hermione's eyes widened impossibly and Ron's face was comical. "But you don't look anything like the Grea- err... Snape, mate," Ron replied, somehow managing to cut the insult off.

Severus' face tightened, but he responded, "He is under a Glamour."

Hermione's gaze had turned inquisitive during the brief conversation between student and professor and as soon as she saw her opening, she took it, "How is that so?"

Harry blinked a few times, then took his chance to respond when his father remained silent, "Dad couldn't have children, so he called in a favour from Professor Snape. When I was born, someone-"

"Lily," Severus interrupted gruffly.

Harry nodded. "Mum, then, put a Glamour on me that was supposed to last until I turned seventeen and they said I was James Potter's son." Harry shrugged one shoulder, taking care not to knock off his father's hand - it was comforting. "A couple things came to light when I got kidnapped and Draco Malfoy kind of made sure I knew."

Hermione's eyes had narrowed and she looked like a bloodhound who had caught the scent of her prey. "Kidnapped, huh?"

Harry returned his gaze to his trainers, leaving his father to respond. "More like rescued. The Dark Lord does not condone child abuse, Miss Granger."

"But he's You-Know-Who and Harry's Harry - why wouldn't he be pleased with how the Dursleys treat Harry?" Ron cut in, frowning heavily. "Is it 'cause of your scar, mate?"

Harry's responding smile was grim. "No. It's because he's bonded to me and senses my pain." He shrugged both shoulders in response to the gaping of his two friends. "It's stranger and more complicated than you think."

It was another couple minutes before Hermione recovered enough to ask, "So he's not going to kill you?"

"No," Harry affirmed. "Killing me kills him, so it's in his best interest to leave me alive and happy."

"That's got to suck for him," Ron deducted.

"Not so much," Sirius muttered with naughty undertone.

"Sirius!" Remus hissed, hitting Sirius' arm.

Harry blushed when he caught on, then joined his father in giving his godfather a dark glare.

"That's creepy," Sirius informed the two Snapes, not looking guilty in the least.

"Black, I would appreciate it if you would keep your lewd comments to yourself while you are around my son," Severus said stiffly.

"What are you going to do to me if I don't?" Sirius shot back, puffing himself up importantly.

Ron's laughter earned everyone's gazes and he grinned at Harry. "It kinda weird, but kinda cool to see someone protecting you like a parent, mate. You deserve it."

Harry bit his lower lip, then offered his best friend a thankful smile before glancing questioningly at Hermione.

Hermione smiled kindly. "What Ron said. Of all the people I know, you most of all deserve a father, even if it is Professor Snape."

Sirius and Ron both laughed at that comment, Harry joining them not long after. Remus smiled while Severus just looked resigned.

-~/\~-

Summer went much more smoothly after Hermione and Ron had been told the basic truths of Harry's relationship with Severus. In fact, with Hermione, Ron, and the two Marauders helping, Severus found that it was almost too easy to find a moment or three to talk with his son. It didn't hurt that Harry was happier when he wasn't keeping secrets from his two friends.

Ron was thinking silently in a corner of the couch in the living-room one afternoon not long before they were to return to Hogwarts. Harry had been forced to re-do his summer work - the fire that had taken Vernon Dursley's life had also ended up burning all the work he'd done previous - and was working on it by the fire place in the same room with Hermione hovering over him. Sirius was trying to help - although, perhaps "trying" wasn't the right word - and Remus was correcting everything Sirius suggested, with Hermione shooting Sirius murderous looks.

It was just as Hermione was about to start shouting at Sirius that Ron rose and left the room quietly. Harry's eyes followed him from the room, but he didn't mention it to his companions. Above him, Hermione started yelling at Sirius and Remus sat back to watch the show, leaving Harry to dance through his work without the other three trying to give him help he didn't really need.

Just as Hermione was calming down, Ron re-entered the room, a piece of parchment gripped in one white-knuckled hand. He cleared his throat nervously and the other four in the room turned to him curiously. "Uhm, well, I told Harry earlier this summer that I wouldn't pry him about his secret because I didn't really want to tell him mine. Well, uhm..." He scratched his head nervously, then stepped forward a few steps. "Harry told us his big secret, and the other part of mine said it was okay, so, here." He thrust out the parchment at them, then hurriedly returned to his former seat in the corner after Harry had taken it gently.

Friends of Ron,
If Ron has handed you this and fled to some corner - and I'm betting he has - it means that he's wimped out in telling you our little 'secret' and left it for me. Which is fine, it's why I wrote this.
You know me and I know you, though that doesn't make this any easier. Among those of you reading this, I expect only one of you won't have flipped out at least once by the time you've finished reading this - you know better than that now, Potter.
Now that I've thoroughly confused all of you, let me explain all this:
Ron and I have been dating since just after the Yule Ball - it's a long story and not one I'm likely to share with you all any time soon, even through paper. Why all the secrecy? Because I'm who I am and Ron is who he is.
I know you Gryffindors are known for your ability to stick together through thick and thin, so I ask you now to stick with Ron as he'd stick with you and not turn on him because of who we are.
Draco Malfoy

Hermione had paled while Remus and Sirius had both frowned. Harry set the letter down on his homework, stood, and stepped over to Ron. He crouched down in front of his best friend and smiled when Ron looked at him warily. "I met him while I was there, and he's really not such a great prat. He's kind of like Professor Snape, actually, in how he acts in public is so very different from how he acts among those he trusts."

Ron smiled faintly. "Thanks, Harry." Then he glanced past Harry and at the other three in the room. Hermione offered him a wavering smile and Sirius and Remus just nodded quiety, but not unkindly. "Thanks," Ron said again.

The last couple days at Grimmauld Place were a little strained between Hermione and Ron, but Harry eased them through it with smiles and laughter so that the morning of their leaving was a happy, easy one among the three friends and the secrets of the summer were left behind them to rot.

-~/\~-

-~\/~-

A/N: Erm, yeah.... Weird ending.
Next chapter picks up during the train ride.

Feed me!! XD
~Bats

Chapters:
1 - The twice-fathered son... ||| 2 - ...And the snake lord...
~~3 - ...Shall become one.~~ ||| 4 - And in a world ruled...
Discontinued

Current Mood: aggravated
Current Location: couch ~ living room ~ mum's house
Current Music: Who's Lovin' You ~ Jackson 5

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

flosspyromaniac.livejournal.com

First comment!! *happy dance*
Poor Snape, surrounded by Gryffindors ^.^
I liked the new chapter very much, with the progress with the relationships between everyone and all that... and the letter from Draco amused me greatly. I'm sorry you're still having problems with your compie love, I hope it all gets sorted out soon. Looking forward to the next chapter!
♥

From:

They condemn what they do not understand

FIC: Hated Salvation ~ 3 ~ R ~ LV/HP, SB/RL, DM/RW