Disclamer: Not mine. Most definitely not mine.

Every Demon Wants His Pound of Flesh

Shake it Out

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Through the hazy fog of sleep, Harry twitched as he felt a hot, moist breath pass over his neck. As he rolled his face into the pillow, something playfully licked at his ear. Harry grumbled in annoyance as the contact pulled him from his nap.

The soft rumble of somebody laughing next to him vibrated through Harry's body as he reached up to swat away whatever was bothering him. His hand met something wet and soft and retracted quickly as his face was licked again. He must have made some noise of disgust because the vibrating rumble went through him again, accompanied by a low chortle.

"I don't think he likes that very much." The voice was coming from somewhere near Harry.

From his warm cocoon of sleep, Harry sensed something familiar about that voice. He could not place it but there was something that nagged at him about it.

Something licked the side of his face again and Harry moved again to swat it away and he heard a small yelp as his hand connected. The man laughed again.

"He might actually hurt you, Padfoot."

Harry's eyes snapped open. His vision was assaulted by black fur and a pink tongue which promptly attacked his face. Harry pulled back sharply, realizing he was lying down on a couch when his back connected with the end of the sofa. Another laugh sounded in the room.

"Good afternoon sleeping beauty." Harry's head snapped to the end of the couch, where a man was sitting by his feet. Messy black hair and round glasses were the only thing that registered in Harry's confused mind.

"Dad?"

James smiled. "Your mother told us to leave you alone, but seeing you sleeping so peacefully in the middle of the day, and in the summer too…well, we couldn't resist." His eyes glittered mischievously at Harry before turning his gaze towards the massive black dog in front of him. "Isn't that right, Padfoot?"

The dog gave a loud bark and Harry jumped. James laughed again.

A sharp voice sounded. "Sirius Black! I'll kill you if you're bothering my son!"

The dog gave a little whine, threw a sad puppy look Harry's way before standing gracefully as he transformed back into a man. With a mischievous wink he called out, "It was James' idea!"

"Oy!"

Sirius ducked the punch James sent his way and was off, racing out of the room before James could aim again.

"Sirius?" Harry's voice sounded meek and child-like to his ears. James patted his ankle as he stood from the couch.

"Don't worry kiddo. Your mum won't really kill him. You know she's all bark and no bite." His voice had a pleasant ring to it, almost as if smiling had an actual sound. "I however, probably will kill that Godfather of yours." He threw a smile at Harry, eyes sparkling as he looked him over.

When Harry didn't respond, he placed his hands on his hips and tilted his head. "Not quite awake yet, huh kiddo? Well, as soon as you're ready, your mum has set up tea in the garden. Come outside when you're up." He turned to go and Harry's gaze followed him as James walked through a thick wooden door that swung shut behind him.

Harry sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings. Brown was the first color that assaulted his senses. In fact, it seemed to be the only color in the room. The walls were of a deep brown wood and the sofa Harry was seated on was made of smooth brown leather, a shade lighter than the walls. The couch was pushed up against the wall leaving space in front of it for a rather large red and beige rug. Two small side-tables that matched the walls stood on either side of the couch and on each of them was a vase filled with pale pink and purple flowers.

Despite the relatively modern décor of the room, a larger bookshelf stood across from where Harry sat, filled three layers deep of what appeared to be a collection of very old books. Standing up, Harry moved across to the bookshelf and ran his fingers over the bindings.

A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions, An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms, Important Modern Magical Discoveries, Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes, Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts...The titles popped out at Harry as he scanned the shelves, many of them old spell books he'd never heard before but there was a sense of familiarity towards the old tomes that settled in his mind. Turning his head, Harry continued to study the room. On the wall next to the couch was a fireplace that seemed to be built into the wall itself, with a small shelf jutting over it. The bookcase Harry had been looking at took over the entire wall opposite the couch and continued turning to make an 'L', which met the wall that held the fireplace. The red and beige rug stretched in front of the fireplace.

The only place to sit in the room was on the couch. Above the couch were three rather large frames which looked to be landscape photos. The only one recognizable to Harry was the one which seemed to be the hills surrounding Hogwarts. Looking closely, Harry could just make out the peaks of the castle jutting out from behind them. That was the middle photo. The one to the left was of a shore line with a trail of smooth rocks leading up to the water. Small puddles appeared between the rocks until they disappeared, completely submerged underwater. The photo to the right was of a cottage surrounded by a large field with a single tree among the grass swaying lightly in the breeze.

Something tugged at Harry's brain as he looked at these pictures. They seemed familiar to him, yet he could not figure out from where. The sound of tinkling glasses and laughter met his ears and his gaze moved to the door James had gone through before. It was on the left side of the wall perpendicular to the couch and fireplace with a large space to its right, filled by a rather ornate mirror. On the other side of the mirror was another door which was slightly open. Behind it, Harry could make out a narrow, twisted staircase.

Heading to the closed door, Harry pushed it open and was assaulted by the sunlight that met his eyes, making him blink frantically. It was a dining room with a large wooden table that looked to fit around twelve people. Two large picture windows were to his left, each with a window-seat padded with cushions. The walls were painted a sky blue, and with the sunlight streaming in, Harry had the feeling he was outside. One of the windows was pushed open and Harry could hear the sound of birds chirping.

Harry hurried along to the opposite end of the room where an arched doorway stood beckoning. It opened into a wide entrance hall. Across the way there was another arched doorway which led into a room decorated similarly to the one Harry had woken up in. Directly to his right was a staircase leading upstairs and on the right of that was a small hallway that led to the back of the house. Multiple pictures hung in the hallway and as Harry headed towards the back of the house, he found himself stopping to stare at them.

Pictures of his family popped out at him; Lily and James on their wedding day, James and Sirius with a motorbike in the background, Lily with hands wrapped around a swollen belly…each moment seemed to signify a happier one than the last and as Harry's eyes traveled over the photos of his parents and their friends his eyes suddenly lit on one of himself.

Bright green eyes stared out at him from under a curtain of dark black hair. The baby seemed to be gurgling as he swung his little fists around in the air. A larger hand kept creeping into the picture, gentle fingers tickling his stomach as baby Harry giggled. Harry looked quickly over the rest of the wall, eyes taking in different moments from his childhood. Lily cradling him in a rocking chair next to a crib, Harry crawling across the carpet, another with him taking his first steps, a toddler Harry being thrown into the hair and being caught by James, six-year-old Harry on his first broomstick, a nine-year-old Harry sitting on a motorbike with Sirius…

At the end of the row was a picture of Lily and James on either side of Harry who was standing with his arms on his waist, the same stance James had taken earlier. A broad grin stretched over his face before he made a waving motion at the camera, Lily and James copying him.

The sound of cutlery banging around brought Harry's gaze away from the photographs. A door was open a little further down the hall and as Harry entered the room he caught sight of a woman arranging cups and a tea kettle on a tray.

"Mum?"

Lily looked up startled. Her eyes rested on Harry's face and she smiled brightly. "Hello darling." Her voice was soft and her eyes sparkled as she spoke. "I hope you slept well. I'm furious at your father and Sirius for waking you, you looked absolutely exhausted! But now you can join us for tea." Her smile widened and Harry felt a weight he didn't even realize was there lifting off his shoulders. Lily beckoned him forward.

"Come sweetheart. I'll take this outside and you can carry this for me." She placed another tray with biscuits and a jug of milk in his hands before grabbing the one she had been arranging and scurrying out the door on the other side of the kitchen which led outside. It took Harry a minute to come to himself and follow her. He stood for a second, letting the sunshine wash over his body as he took in the scene before him.

James and Sirius were sitting at a round, white-framed glass table laughing as Lily leaned over James, placing her tray down in the middle of the table next to a plate of sandwiches. She made to move behind James' chair but his hand reached out to grab her and pull her down for a kiss. Lily giggled as James' breath tickled her neck but made no move to pull away. Her hair flowed over her shoulder, catching the sunlight.

Harry's breath caught in his chest as he felt a dull ache begin to blossom. He must have made a sound because James was looking up at him and smiling.

"Come on, kiddo, come join us!"

Sirius turned to face him as well, raising a hand and motioning him to come forward. "Come on, Harry."

It seemed to Harry as if they were calling to him in slow motion. The words sounded muffled as the ache grew larger in his chest. He made to move forward, but it was as if he was trekking through mud. As he advanced, Harry felt a sense of lethargy wash over him and he dropped the tray to the ground, china shattering against the stone patio. He tried running, but he couldn't move. The table where his family sat seemed to be getting further and further away and Harry found himself calling out to them.

No sound escaped his mouth and the ache from his chest began traveling through his body and settling in his thigh, right above his knee. Soon the table seemed so far away, it looked like a pinprick in the distance before disappearing completely. Even though he couldn't see his family anymore, Harry could still hear them calling to him.

"Come on, Harry, come on…"

"Harry…"

"Harry…"

"Harry."

Harry started awake. Expecting to see a sunlit garden surrounding him, Harry shut his eyes right away to protect them from the bright glare. Blinking slowly, he immediately realized there was absolutely no sun where he was. In fact, the only light available to him was by a few lit candles along the opposite wall. He looked around confused.

"Harry?"

Harry suddenly felt a hand on his arm, startling him. The comfortable heat flowed from it onto his cold skin and Harry let his eyes travel up to the face standing above him. Unfocused green eyes latched onto a blurry face, shadows from the candles dancing around the pale skin. Harry must have looked confused because there was a rustling sound and his glasses suddenly appeared in front of him, putting the world back into focus.

"That better?" Remus was sitting on the edge of the bed. Harry struggled to sit up but he barely managed to lift his back when a sharp pain resonated from somewhere by his knee, reminding him of the dull ache he felt in his dream. He blinked sluggishly as he tried to recall what he had been dreaming of. The details were slowly trickling away the more awake he became and Harry felt lost. Something must have shown on his face for Remus' hand immediately found its way back to rest against Harry's arm.

"You were sleeping restlessly, so Madam Pomfrey said I should wake you." His tone was timid, almost as if he were looking for Harry's approval for waking him. Harry just looked around. It was dark out, late evening by the look of it, but Harry wasn't sure. Remus followed his gaze to the window. "It's around nine. You've only been asleep for a few hours."

Harry said nothing and the hand around his arm tensed a little. The pressure was not entirely comfortable, but Harry did not complain. He hadn't realized how cold he had been and the warmth flowing out of Remus continued to warm his skin. Harry shivered, sending another sharp pain through his leg. Wincing slightly, Harry reached a hand down to grab at it but the second he touched his leg, the pain became immense causing him to break out in a cold sweat. The world around Harry began spinning and the next thing he knew someone was tapping his face gently. As he rolled his head to the side trying to avoid it Remus' voice reached his ears.

"Harry?" He sounded worried but his voice was calm and Harry opened his eyes. "You fainted."

"My leg." Harry didn't raise his voice above a whisper and Remus had to bend down to hear him.

"I'm sorry to say that may be hurting you for a while."

Harry whipped his head to the other side, startled at hearing another voice near him. Where had Madam Pomfrey come from in the last few seconds?

"I called for her when you passed out. You seemed to have been in a lot of pain." Remus explained.

Harry nodded and Madam Pomfrey said "I bet he was. Injuries like that are no picnic, especially in your state." The second half of her comment was directed straight at Harry.

He looked at her and noticed that she was pulling a bottle off of the tray next to her. "For the pain." She stated, handing it over to him. Harry gratefully accepted, attempting to sit up so he could swallow it. Remus immediately reached behind his back to place a few more pillows, enabling Harry to sit up on his own.

He downed the potion and felt the horrible pain from his leg receding. He handed the empty bottle back to Madam Pomfrey and as she placed it on the tray she pulled to covers back to examine his leg. Harry felt dizzy just looking at it. His face must have turned green because the extra pillows were removed from behind his back and he was made to lie down again.

Madam Pomfrey clucked her tongue loudly. She grabbed another bottle off the tray, uncorked it and poured it slowly over his leg. Harry braced himself for pain, but only felt the strange sensation of something icy cold dripping over his skin. Even when she began rubbing he felt no more than what he would consider smooth ice.

When Harry sighed in relief, she nodded approvingly and pulled the covers back over his legs. "I'm sorry you had to feel that. I assumed the blood-replenishers would begin to work before you woke up."

Harry looked at her, confused by what that meant but she explained quickly. "You're leg was numb from the damage and the lack of circulation. You lost a large amount of blood when the bone broke and pierced the skin but the fact that it started hurting means the circulation is restored and the blood-replenishers are doing their job." She smiled down at him. "In a few more hours I can heal it."

Remus answered. "Wonderful." Harry nodded in agreement.

"Will it hurt?"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "I'll give you a potion so you feel nothing while I heal the fracture but I'm not going to lie to you Mr. Potter. The recovery is slow and requires a lot of hard work."

"But it won't hurt..."

"Only in the beginning. After that, no more than a sore muscle might, unless you do not follow my instructions. Do everything I tell you and it will be fine."

"Thank you."

Madam Pomfrey patted his arm and turned to leave. "Sleep now, you need your rest. I'll wake you when I come to heal your leg." She disappeared into her office and Harry was left alone with Remus.

"She's right. You should get some rest." Remus shifted from the edge of the bed to the chair placed next to it, giving Harry's hand one last pat before leaning back in his chair.

Harry closed his eyes and attempted to sleep. His mind was a jumble. His memories of the last two weeks were in bits and pieces; the feelings that were swirling around his head did not seem to connect with things he remembered and it confused him. Focusing on the darkness of his eyelids, Harry tried to arrange some semblance of order in his mind. He felt himself drifting off and as he felt himself settle more a horrible feeling of loneliness washed over him. An image of a cupboard popped into his head. His heart began to race and Harry suddenly felt suffocated by the solitude of the darkness. He wrenched his eyes open.

"Remus?" A warm hand grabbed his.

"I'm here, Harry."

Taking a deep breath to try and calm his pounding heart, Harry squeezed Remus' hand. "Good. You won't leave, right?"

Remus squeezed back gently. "Never."

"Good."

Remus watched as Harry slowly drifted back to sleep, hand still clenching his tightly. He made to pull away but Harry just held on tighter.

"I promise…I'm not going anywhere." Remus whispered. He raised his other hand to brush Harry's hair back off his forehead, resting his palm on the wrinkled skin. He rubbed gently, willing the tension to leave the boy's face. Harry's breaths slowly evened out and his muscles unclenched, leaving Remus free to pull his hand back but it was a few minutes more before Remus dared move from his spot.

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This time Harry did not dream. When he woke next the sun was shining palely through the windows, not yet at full strength, telling Harry it must be early. He looked to his side. He panicked slightly when he saw the empty chair by his bed, but calmed when he realized Remus was asleep in the next bed.

"He's almost as exhausted as you are." Madam Pomfrey's voice floated over to Harry from down the room. Turning to face her, Harry contemplated asking her to fill in some of the gaps in his memory. He opened his mouth the form a question but closed it, not quite knowing what to say.

Madam Pomfrey noticed his hesitation and glided over towards his bed. "You may ask me anything, Harry."

He nodded and rooted around in his mind for the right question but he couldn't find it. Instead he asked "Was it horrible?"

"It…" There was a pregnant pause in which Madam Pomfrey sat on the edge of his bed and contemplated her answer. "It was not easy." Her eyes glazed over a bit as she looked straight at him. "I do not know if it's better that you cannot remember all of it. On one hand I feel like it's a blessing."

"And on the other?"

Madam Pomfrey lips turned upward in a small semblance of a smile. "It doesn't matter." She stood up, straightening her apron. "What matters now is that it is over and you are recovering."

Harry smiled timidly at her as she smoothed the blanket from where she had been sitting.

"How does your leg feel this morning?"

Harry thought a moment before answering. "It doesn't hurt."

Madam Pomfrey nodded satisfactorily. "Good."

"Are you going to heal it now?"

She smiled. "I healed it last night. You woke for a second when I gave you a potion but you fell back asleep rather quickly."

"Oh. Well that's good, I guess."

Another nod. "Rest is the best thing for you right now. You'll find you tire very easily as you regain your strength. Her eyes glimmered once again and she was quiet for a moment while she composed herself. "I'll be leaving a list of instructions with Remus before you leave. The bone in your leg may be healed, but it will take a long time before it's completely functional."

Harry watched as she bustled away. She had said he'd be leaving. Where was he going?

A stirring noise from his side pulled Harry's thoughts to Remus as he sat up in bed.

Catching sight of Harry, Remus smiled. "You're awake. How'd you sleep?"

"Fine, I guess. Madam Pomfrey said she woke me up when she healed my leg but that I fell right back asleep."

Remus nodded. "She did and you did. I'm glad to see you slept deeply."

He seemed to be leaving something out and the term "nightmares" seemed to float in the air. Right now Harry wasn't having any and he'd like to keep it that way. Hoping to steer the conversation in another direction, Harry brought up what Madam Pomfrey had said about leaving.

"Where will we be going?"

Remus paused a moment before answering. "Grimmauld Place."

An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of Harry's stomach. Going to Grimmauld Place did not sound appealing to him right now. He had vague recollections of the house from the last few days and most of them left him feeling disoriented and confused.

"Is that alright?" Remus asked as he studied Harry's face.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know." He answered honestly. "Will Ron and Hermione be there?"

"Yes. Both of them will be there, as will Ron's family." A small smile lit Remus' face. He took hold of Harry's hand and squeezed gently. "It will be fun. Everything will be fine, you'll see."

Harry nodded. "I guess. When are we going?"

A tray popped into existence at the foot of Harry's bed as Madam Pomfrey came out of her office. "Not until you finish that." She pointed at the plate on the tray.

"I don't think I can eat all of that…" Harry felt queasy just looking at the amount of food piled on top of the plate.

"Better get cracking." Remus smiled cheekily.

Harry just continued to stare at the plate worriedly. He placed a hand against his stomach. "I really don't think I can eat all of it."

"Eat what you can. I'll think of something to do with the rest." Remus patted his own stomach. "Molly will be working hard enough to fatten you up that skimping on one meal won't hurt you."

Harry smiled. He grabbed the fork and dug in, shoveling small amounts of egg into his mouth.

A half hour later he was still working on finishing the eggs. Madam Pomfrey came out of her office every couple of minutes to check how he was getting on. In the intervals between her check-ins, Remus kept grabbing pieces of bacon and shoving them into his mouth, helping Harry make a noticeable dent in the amount of food on the plate. The last time she came out, she was carrying a blue bottle with her.

"Here you go."

Harry took one last bite and then put the fork down as Madam Pomfrey held the bottle out to him. "What is it?"

"Your new best friend." She smirked. "It's a nutritional potion. You'll be having one at every meal, five times a day."

"Five meals? You're kidding." Harry gaped at her.

"Unfortunately, I'm not. You are highly malnourished. The meals will be small." Harry raised an eyebrow, not trusting her definition of 'small' considering the size of his breakfast.

He looked at Remus who shrugged. "Cheers to you."

Harry downed the bottle in three large gulps. By the last one, his stomach was so full, he thought he was going to vomit. He pressed down on his stomach, willing the contents to stay put but his pleas went unheard.

He shot forward, a painful heave shaking his torso as the recently downed breakfast came back up over the side of the bed. Remus' chair shot backwards as he darted out of the way. He was back by Harry's side a second later, rubbing circles on his back. He could hear Madam Pomfrey's disappointed 'tsk' from the foot of his bed and a moment later another bottle was shoved under his nose.

"Anti-nausea." was the quick explanation.

The smell of strawberries and mint wafted towards Harry and he grabbed at the potion, swallowing it in one go. His stomach calmed instantly and he lay back in relief. Remus pushed the hair back off his forehead, wincing sympathetically as Harry kept his hands pressed to his stomach, anxiously anticipating another wave of nausea. When none came, he sighed deeply in relief.

Madam Pomfrey clicked her tongue again.

"Sorry." Harry said sheepishly.

"This just means you'll be having another meal when you get to headquarters."

Harry's groaned as she went back to her office. "No more food..."

Remus chuckled. "Maybe we'll try the anti-nausea potion before the next one. Hmm?"

Harry glared at him.

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Taking the floo had been the only transportation option that seemed to make sense considering Harry's situation. Remus had had gone ahead after reassuring Harry at least three times that he really would be there to catch him if necessary.

Harry's leg had started to ache a few minutes before they were set to leave, but Poppy had assured him that the pain was normal.

“The break in the bone is fully healed. Because of the binding potion you were given, that was all I could heal. The skin and muscle around it will heal rather quickly though; I've used a topical potion. Since it's still rather fragile, I'm going to bind your leg. I don't want you using it so much for the next day or so.”

The bandage she had put on bound Harry's leg so tightly that it was almost as useless as if it were still broken. Hence the cane he was forced to carry around.

A strict regiment had been set up for him, including his diet for the next few weeks as well as a sleeping schedule and exercises he should be doing at least twice a day. Although his petulant teenage mind wanted to rip the list to shreds, shouting “screw naps and exercise!”, his body was too tired.

Talk of malnutrition, exhaustion, weakness, and recovery floated through the air around him. Harry could sense that his body was beyond screwed up at the moment; pushed past all normal limits, but it was really his mind which felt like it had just been through WWIII.

Harry couldn't remember much of the last few weeks. There was a sense of irrationality to his thoughts – this intense anxiety that seemed to govern his mind – but that was only when he had been coherent enough to know what was going on around him. Most of the early days at Grimmauld Place constituted faint half-memories. He could remember sitting at the table, a plate of food in front of him, inane chatter passing over his head. He could recall the urge he had to talk, to say anything, to tell anyone that something wasn't right, but he couldn't. The next thing he would be able to see would be the dark interior of his room.

He remembered hating that room – the darkness reminding him too much of his captivity, but he was trapped. He had escaped from one prison only to be caught in another. Something kept him there, trapped in the room as well as his own mind.

The nights were the hardest. Darkness would fall outside his window and he'd be able to feel his body getting weaker. The first night he managed to fall asleep right away, only to wake up seemingly seconds later, completely in control of his own body. He remembered that he freaked out, but without really understanding why it felt like this long, strenuous mental battle was going on, he had no way of explaining to Remus why he was scared. He just knew in his mind that something wasn't right. There was something inside him that was trying to take control, and it was strong enough to do so.

The first night was one of the last Harry – or at least his body - had managed to fall asleep. The thing inside him realized that its control slackened when he slept, so Harry's body was kept running. Sleep became a distant memory of the past. There were times when Harry had been so exhausted that his body just collapsed, but by that point Harry would be so tired from the mental fight that there was nothing he could do. He remembered once pushing through the fog long enough to try and get help, from Snape of all people, and that time he ended up in the basement, but as far as he could recall, that had been an unsuccessful attempt at communicating with anyone.

Remus said he had been a Horcrux – a piece of Voldemort's soul had managed to take over Harry’s body. He shuddered at the thought. It was one thing that there was a connection between them because of the scar, but to think that a piece of his parents’ murderer's soul was inside him...that was horrifying.

But now he was being shipped back to the place he had felt most oppressed. The thought exhausted him – having to spend the rest of the break at Grimmauld Place did not really seem like the best way to get over what had happened seemed ridiculous. But Remus wanted him to go, so he would. His only condition had been that Remus would go ahead to fill everyone in on what was necessary for them to know so Harry wouldn't have to deal with all the explanations he was pretty much incapable of giving anyway.

Apparently he had been an ass to his friends, but Harry couldn't remember. He supposed that he owed them some sort of explanation, but right now, he just needed time for himself. If Ron and Hermione were really the friends he thought they were, they would give him that peace of mind. It wasn't like he was going to avoid them or anything, he just didn't want to be in the line of fire and Remus had volunteered to step in for him.

Remus had agreed with Harry, which was why he was willing to be the spokesperson, and so he had gone ahead to Grimmauld Place to ward off any questions that might be flung in Harry's direction.

Harry, meanwhile, sat waiting patiently for Madam Pomfrey to give him the cue to go ahead. It was another five minutes before she came over and threw some floo-powder into the fireplace. Bright green flames flared up and Harry felt of pool of anxiety flood into his stomach. He drew closer to the heath. He limped heavily, leg dragging a little and cane clinking on the stone.

“Don't worry dear.” Madam Pomfrey said. “Remus will be there to catch you if necessary. Your leg will be fine in no time, as long as you keep up with your exercises.” Harry nodded in acknowledgement.

“Thank you, Madam Pomfrey.”

“You'll be fine.” She patted him once on the shoulder, as if reassuring herself more than Harry. He turned and stepped into the fire. Madam Pomfrey had that look in her eyes, the one that said 'I can't believe you're alive', and it made Harry very uneasy.

He called out 'Grimmauld Place' and braced himself for the out-of-control spinning awaiting him. Fire places rushed passed his face. Before he had time to even bother closing his eyes against the impending dizziness, he was being ejected into one of the sitting rooms at Headquarters. Arms grabbed him as he tumbled forward, preventing him from crashing to the floor. Traveling gracefully through the floo had never been Harry's strong-suit, and with his bum leg, grace was a long shot.

Remus smiled as Harry threw him a well-meant 'thanks', and helped him limp over to the couch. Harry was glad to see the room was empty.

“How's the leg?” Remus grabbed a warm compress that was apparently waiting for him, and pressed it against Harry's upper leg, relieving the pain that Harry hadn't even noticed settling in. It upset him to think that only a few minutes of use had such an effect on him.

Remus must had sensed the drop in his mood. “Don't worry. With all the exercise Poppy has set up for you, you'll be up and running marathons in no time.”

Harry gave him a weak smile as he pressed the compress harder against his leg, relishing in the warmth. “I know. It's just hard and I don't even really remember what happened. It's not fair...”

“We'll get through this together.” Remus grabbed his chin with his fingers, forcing Harry to look him straight in the eyes. “I promise.”

He stood up. “Now, are you up for seeing everyone yet, or would you rather nap first?”

Harry looked at him incredulously. “It's only ten in the morning!”

Remus held up his hands in a sign of defense. “Poppy's orders were that you nap when you get here. Besides, I'm sure you're tired. You were up pretty early.”

“Yeah, but still...”

“Brunch it is then.” Remus smiled and held out a hand to help Harry stand.

Harry took a deep breath and braced himself for seeing his friends and the rest of the Weasleys.

“Everyone's here?”

Remus nodded. “It won't be so bad. They know what they need to know. The children have all been warned about pestering you with questions.”

They began walking forward, towards the kitchen. Just before going in, Remus placed his palm against Harry's arm, pausing a minute before stating “You know you'll have to talk about it eventually, right?”

His eyes were serious, and Harry felt his resolve waver. He knew Remus wasn't talking only about the whole Horcrux fiasco. He was about to protest, but Remus held up a hand. “Not now, not even this week, but if you want to be able to move on you have to deal and doing so involves talking. There are still things we need answers to, Harry.”

“I know.” his voice came out sounding small and defeated. “I'm just not ready.”

Remus gripped the back of his neck and squeezed fondly. “Don't even bother thinking about it. Wipe it from your mind for the next few days. Pretend this is the start of a whole new summer.”

He wrapped an arm tightly around Harry's shoulders and pulled him close. Harry stayed motionless for a moment before wrapping his own arms around Remus. “I'll try.”

Plastering a cheery smile on to his face, Remus reached out for the door. “Ready?”

Harry shrugged nervously. “Let's do this.”

Harry didn't know what he really expected when Remus pushed the door open, but what hit him first was the smell of eggs and bacon, the warmth of an overly active kitchen, and the sounds of a family sitting down to eat together. Red assaulted his eyes as he stepped through the doorway. People were everywhere. Instead of becoming really quiet, the noise hit a crescendo as Harry was brought into the fold, seated at the table with a plate in front of him, red-heads continuing to run back and forth across the room.

As uncomfortable as Harry felt being inside this house, on the other side of the same coin, he felt completely at home. This was his family. That thought tugged at something in him and he could feel himself beginning to cry.

Although the craziness had minimized when Harry and Remus had stepped through the doorway, at the sight of Harry's tears falling, it slowed down another ten percent.  Remus' hand on his shoulder was a reassuring comfort at the moment but when he bent down to whisper in Harry’s ear, asking if he wanted to leave the room, Harry shook his head.

In his peripheral vision, Harry could see Mr. Weasley beginning to direct the kids out of the room and Harry called out to him. “Please don't. I'm good, I just...I'm happy.”

Ron and Hermione ran to hug him as Mr. Weasley rescinded his order.

“I don't remember feeling this way in a really long time and it's a bit overwhelming, but in a good way, if you know what I mean?” Harry said with a smile.

“Oh, Harry.” Hermione cooed from beside him.

“It's good to have you back, mate.” Ron added. He clapped him gently on the back.

“It's good to be back.” Then in a bold move that would make Remus proud for sure, Harry added “Not that I really know where I went.”

Silence fell for a moment as everyone took a second to think about how to respond to Harry's addressing of his 'situation'.

“Look at you, already making jokes.”

It was Mrs. Weasley who finally had the guts to answer him, and she smiled encouragingly at him, hiding behind it those same surprised eyes that Pomfrey had directed to him earlier.

Remus, as predicted, had a more solid smile pasted onto his face. Harry of course, could see the worry hidden under his happy expression, but he had a feeling that that would be there for a long time yet. It didn't bother him though. In an odd way, it was comforting. It whispered to him that there were people looking out for him, and right now, that was exactly what he needed; friends and family to take care of him.

A phantom memory crept into his mind, of a cold, high-pitched hiss in his ear, whispering about how alone he was in the world with no family, no real friends...But as Harry watched Mrs. Weasley shoving platter after platter full of food down to his end of the table, and Hermione grabbing a small selection from each and placing them on his plate, Harry shoved that voice away roughly.

'You're wrong. I do have a family.'

Harry felt himself laughing as Remus stepped forward, telling Hermione that that was way too much food for Harry.

“It's alright, Remus, I'll eat what I can.” Harry's smiled encouragingly at them both. “I gotta to get some meat back on these bones.”

'That's it.'

As chatter picked up around him, Harry thought to himself. Maybe this recovery thing wouldn't be so hard. After all he was with a great group of people, all who loved and supported him.

'I can do this'. 

Every Demon Wants His Pound of Flesh

Round and Round

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Harry's euphoria stemming from his arrival at Grimmauld Place wore off much quicker than anticipated. After attempting to get through a quarter of the food on his plate, his stomach started to rebel. Shortly after that, his leg started to twang, and a dizziness that only accompanied pure exhaustion settled over his head and Harry found himself crying for a completely different reason then he had before. Tears of exhaustion ran down his face slowly. His friends looked at him somewhat alarmed.

“Mate, you alright? Do you want me to get Remus back here?”

The adults had left Ron and Hermione alone with Harry in the kitchen, giving them a few minutes of privacy to catch up. As if hearing his name being mentioned, Remus popped back into the room.

Fortunately, he decided not to make a big deal at the mood change Harry was exhibiting, explaining to Ron and Hermione that Harry still had a long road of recovery ahead of him and this sort of reaction was completely normal. Harry thought that last part was meant more for him than the other two, but he couldn't appreciate it very much at that moment.

“Let's go check out your room, Harry.”

For a moment panic engulfed Harry as an image of his old room popped into his head – a dreary vision of the entrapping four poster bed, dark windows, and menacing corners...then he remembered that Remus and Madam Pomfrey had discussed with him the difficulty he would have maneuvering the stairs and that the Weasley's had turned the sitting room near the door into a bedroom for him, and Harry calmed down.

Ron stood next to him and Harry accepted the hand held out to help him stand, too tired to claim he didn't need help. Had Pomfrey not bound his leg so tightly, he wouldn't have been able to stand – cane or no. He limped slowly and painfully after Remus back down the hallway. Ron and Hermione left them at the stairs after a look from Remus, with promises to come see him after his nap.

“Thanks guys.” Harry smiled bashfully at them.

“No problem. Sleep well, mate.”

Remus directed Harry into the room on the left of the stairway and Harry noticed two beds set up on opposite sides of the room. Before he could ask what for, Remus answered him.

“We thought it would be better not to have you sleep on this floor by yourself, and as there are no other bedrooms down here, I didn't think you'd mind.”

Harry could sense the underlying message Remus was giving him – that Remus was going to sleep with him at night like he had at the Hospital Wing so Harry wouldn't have to be afraid.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you for letting me share you room.” Remus winked at him. “Now, what do you say about that nap?”

Harry sighed deeply in acquiescence and sidled over to one of the beds, flopping down heavily. He lay back against the pillows, not even bothering to raise his legs onto the bed. He lay like that for a minute before the disorientating feeling of his legs being lifted startled him. Remus was taking off his shoes.

“I can do that...” Harry said, slightly embarrassed, leaning forward attempting to sit. Remus pushed him back down gently.

“Let me take care of it. Poppy wants you to sleep without the bandage on your leg, so I'm going to take that off as well.”

“All right.”

Harry nodded in consent as Remus finished pulling off his shoes and socks. He felt too weak to argue anyway – not that he had anything to argue about. He was wearing pants that had snaps going all the way up the side, so all Remus had to do was unsnap them to get to the bandage. He was about to do so when he paused.

“What is it?” Harry asked.

“I think I'm going to give you a pain potion. Taking off the bandage will send all the blood flowing back around your fracture, and it might hurt if you roll over onto it. What do you say?”

Harry thought about it for a second. As long as he was being offered a pain potion, he was going to take it, regardless of the small voice in his head telling him not to. Harry quickly concluded that this voice was not his friend at the moment and grabbed at the bottle Remus held out to him. “Thanks.”

Remus took the empty vial and placed it on the night table next to the bed. “Try and get some sleep.” He looked at the clock hanging on the wall. “I'll wake you up in two hours.”

Harry crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. He felt his body relax into the mattress and soon he was drifting.

Remus tried not to jostle Harry's leg too much as he began unwrapping the bandage. He slowly went around and around, rewrapping the bandage into a roll at the same time so that it would be easier to replace it later. He rolled up the last layer, exposing the mottled skin on Harry's leg. Purple and black had left faint patterns of colour around where the break had been, which Poppy promised would be gone by the end of that day, along with the scar from where the bone had pierced the skin. Remus pulled his hand away quickly as Harry jerked.

“Hey. Relax, it's just me, Pup.”

“I thought...” Harry shook his head, clearing it. “You're going to stay, right?”

“Only if you want me to.”

Harry's nod held a hint of desperation and Remus felt his heart clench in sympathy for him.

“Would you like me to leave the lights on too?” Remus asked gently, trying not to make it sound like he was treating Harry like a baby.

Harry shook his head. “If you're here, it's fine.”

“Alright.” He smoothed a hand over Harry's brow, soothing the boy back to sleep.

Harry closed his eyes gratefully, and Remus waited until his breathing evened out and deepened before he grabbed the extra pillow at the foot of the bed and placed it under Harry's leg, as per Madam Pomfrey's instructions.

It was almost exactly two hours later when Harry began to stir. He opened his eyes, slowly accustoming them to the afternoon light pouring in through the window.

“Perfect timing.”

Harry heard pages rustling form the corner over by the window. Remus stood, book in hand, and came over to the bed. Harry blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes with his fists, getting rid of the last remnants of sleep.

“I was going to give you five more minutes before waking you. How did you sleep?”

“I think fine.”

“You think?” Remus raised an eyebrow.

Harry shrugged. “I don't remember sleeping, so I guess it was good. Better than the alternative.”

Remus helped him sit up and swing his leg over the edge of the bed. A muffled sound echoed through the wall and Harry looked at it suspiciously. Remus chuckled as he bent down to push Harry's shoes onto his feet.

“As you can tell, the walls are not quite soundproof. Your friends have been sitting outside on the stairs waiting for you for the last twenty minutes. Not too quietly, I might add.” He raised his voice during this last sentence and Harry laughed as he heard a sharp gasp quickly followed by Ron's angry tone.

“Ow- Mione! I'm not the one being all fidgety. Ow! Stop that!”

A soft, sharp knock at the door followed this statement and after an ok from Harry, Remus went to open it.

“Hello, Professor.” Hermione stood there, looking rather sheepish.

“Hermione, it's been two years since I've been your professor, and it's summer time. Call me 'Remus'.”

“Sorry Profe-- Remus.” She craned her neck into the room a bit. “We were wondering if Harry was awake yet. We'd like to spend some time with him if he's up for it, of course.”

Her somewhat pushy tone made Harry smile and he found himself wondering why he had thought it would be too hard to be around them.

“Hey Hermione.” He called to her. He grabbed the cane from where it was propped against the bed's foot board and pushed himself to his feet, placing all his weight on his 'strong' leg.

Remus moved towards him a few feet, looking to help, but Harry held a hand out to stop him. He had to work on his own recovery, and in order to gain the strength back in his leg, he needed to use it. After taking about five steps forward, Harry could already feel the pain starting to blossom deep in his leg, but he pushed past it. He was determined to at least reach the other room before asking for help. He had to compromise and ask Ron for a hand when he reached the hallway. Together, they made their way across the hall into the library. Remus came into the room behind them with Hermione and frowned at Harry's panting.

“Maybe we should consider asking Poppy for crutches instead of the cane. At least for a few days while you’re getting used to be up and about.”

“If you really think I need it, but I'm partial to the cane.” Harry raised it in the air. “It makes me seem dignified.”

Yes, it was hard to maneuver around with his relatively bum leg, but the pain was a good pain; it told Harry his leg would be back to normal eventually. So he had to strain himself for a few days. It would be worth it when he was up and moving again like normal soon.

“Madam Pomfrey told us it'd be hard at first. And it's not too bad.” Harry added honestly.

“Alright.” Remus didn't look a hundred percent satisfied, but he would go along with it as long as Harry wasn't straining himself too hard. “I'm going to go check with Molly what time we're having lunch. I'll also go grab your bandage and be back in a few minutes.”

Ron looked confused at the mention of a bandage and Harry pointed to his leg with a smile as Hermione shook her head at Ron.

Silence reigned for a few seconds after Remus left.

“So.” Harry started awkwardly. “How was your summer?”

That was probably not the best question he could have come up with, but Harry hated the silence. He had had too much of it.

“Honestly?” Ron and Hermione exchanged sidelong glances. Hermione leaned forward on the couch, extending a hand towards the armchair Harry sat in. he reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing gently. “It sucked.”

As the three of them laughed, albeit a little uncomfortably, the tension dissipated.

“We missed you, mate.”

“I was only gone for a couple of days.”

Ron shook his head. “Not just then. We didn't get to spend a lot of time with you even when you were here, and when we did, it was....”

“Was I horrible?' They exchanged glances again. “Come on, guys. Tell me. I can take it.”

“Well,” Hermione started and Harry braced himself for whatever they wanted to throw at him. “You--”

She was cut off by the sound of muted shouts from the next room. They all looked towards the doorway as the sounds moved closer to the library. Somebody was stampeding down the hall, and they didn't sound happy.

“Where is he?!”

“Blimey, is that Snape?”

“Professor Snape, Ron.”

He shrugged Hermione's correction off as he stood and went over to the door, looking out into the hallway. A second later he was shoved roughly out of the way as said Potions Professor stormed into the room. “Hey!”

Hermione jumped up from the couch and moved to stand next to Harry's chair as he made a beeline for their side of the room. Arthur and Molly had been drawn by the commotion as well, following him into the room. They were making sounds of protests as Snape advanced on Harry who found himself suddenly frozen in his chair in fear.

Snape was angry. In fact, Harry thought, he looked down right pissed off and the way he was coming toward Harry made it seem like it was his fault. Harry felt himself attempting to scoot backwards, but there was nowhere left to go. Suddenly Snape was bearing down on him. He couldn't have screamed even if he wanted to, he was so scared. The look in his professor's eye was sheer madness, directed upon Harry in full force.

The older man gripped Harry by the upper arms, dragging him into a standing position and slamming him against the wall.

Hermione and Mrs. Weasley both shouted in anger as the cane that had been leaning against Harry's leg clattered noisily to the floor. Harry didn't cry out from the pain in his leg or from the impact of his back hitting the wall sharply as Snape shook him. He closed his eyes in terror as adrenaline rushed through his body, along with the fear his professor was currently pouring into him. Angry shouts tore through the air.

“What do you think you’re doing!”

“Unhand him right now, Severus!”

“Think of what you're doing!”

“What's your problem, you big git!” - that was Ron.

Snape's responses were lost to Harry as Remus suddenly popped up next to them, one hand on Harry's shoulder, the other tightly planted on Snape's forearm.

“Severus, what's going on? What are you doing?”

Snape seemed too angry to even bother answering. He shook Harry again sharply, fury boiling in his gaze. Harry's leg was buckling underneath him and he could feel himself falling. Snape's tight grip was the only thing holding him up and a scary sense of deja vu ripped through him. Harry whimpered.

“You're hurting him, Severus.”

Remus' voice seemed calm, but Harry could hear the anger brewing underneath. Snape however, seemed unperturbed by the shouts and demands for Harry's release being thrown at his back, and just hardened his gaze on Harry's face. His hands squeezed sharply and Harry gasped, forced to stare straight into the dark obsidian eyes boring into him. Suddenly Snape began to ramble angrily and Harry had about a second to recognize a spell being uttered before his eyes widened in surprise and pain exploded in his head.

“Legilimens!”

Snape crashed into Harry's mind, ripping through memories as if they were tissue paper. Harry cried out sharply and Snape withdrew. With another sharp jolt of his shoulders, Snape snapped at him.

“Show me! Legilimens!” and once again he was storming through Harry's brain, leaving shreds of pain-filled memories to patch themselves together.

When he pulled out again, Harry could feel his body shaking. He was no longer holding himself up; instead he sagged forward onto his professor, who was currently letting lose a string of curses that would have made a sailor blush. He was suddenly jerked backwards to lean against Remus.

Tears flowed down Harry's face, whether as a result of pain or embarrassment/being taken advantage of, he couldn't tell and the angry words lobbed over his head weren't helping. People were yelling at Snape, and he was yelling back.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?!”

“We've been played!”

“What do you mean? Honestly Severus, what were you thinking?” Remus tightened his grip on Harry. He felt the whip of Snape's robes as he marched away angrily.

“That-- fool!”

“What are you talking about?”

Harry could hear sobs over the voices and he recognized Hermione.

“It's not gone.”

“What's not gone?”

Harry could feel the vibrations of Remus' chest as he panted heavily, obviously ready to pounce on Snape in annoyance.

“He --” suddenly Harry was grabbed back out of Remus' arms and pulled against Snape's cold chest “Is still a danger! See this?” He whipped Harry's head up sharply and painfully grabbing his bangs, exposing his scar. “It's still there.”

“So what?” Remus sounded furious but Harry couldn't see his face. Tears blurred his vision so horribly. At this point his entire body throbbed and his leg was positively pulsing in agony. He whimpered again as Snape let go of his head, letting it lob forward uncomfortably as Harry had no strength to hold it up.

“Severus --” Arthur's voice joined the mix.

“If the Horcrux was gone, that scar would be as well.”

“Let him go, Severus.”

Harry felt the grip on him tighten. “Do you not get it? Potter is still a threat. It's still there.”

Hermione was openly sobbing by now. Harry wanted to comfort her so badly, but he had absolutely no strength left to even open his mouth. The adrenaline that had fueled him when Snape first stormed into the room had long since dissipated. His leg didn't even hurt anymore, he was so tired.

“Hand him over, Severus. Now.” Remus sounded dangerous.

Harry's body began inching backwards. He assumed it was Snape moving, dragging him along. He struggled to open his eyes to see what was going on. A wand was extended in front of him, presumably attached to Snape's arm, pointing towards the other occupants of the room as he shuffled backwards.

“Severus.”

Remus' voice was a low growl. It was the last thing Harry heard before the fire flared behind him. Snape hissed their destination and the two of them were spinning, painfully knocking into one another. Then Harry passed out.

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Every Demon Wants His Pound of Flesh

Here We Go Again

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When he came to, he thought he was back in Grimmauld Place.

The sound of angry shouting permeated the air and Harry winced as the sounds aggravated his pounding head. It didn't help that he was apparently on the floor and the angry pacing accompanying the shouting jolted him with every step. He moaned silently.

“Really, Severus.” a calm voice interrupted the furious rant and Harry realized he was not, as he had thought, back at headquarters. “There is no need to continue to work yourself up.”

An incoherent grumble was the response.

“Come now, my boy. You now know all you need to know in order to handle the situation properly.”

“No thanks to you, you meddling old fool! The 'situation' should have been properly handled before! You old crackpot!”

A strong pattern of stomps accompanied this shout and the image of an old man popped into Harry's head. A familiar chuckle was the response to Snape’s outburst and suddenly Harry recognized the voice. It was Dumbledore.

He jerked into a sitting position and was immediately assaulted by a head-rush which sent him back down.

“Woah....”

He must have fainted because when he came to, Snape was standing over him with a jar of smelling salts in his hand, a scowl sketched across his face. Harry was also aware of now being on a couch.

He jerked away from the close proximity of his professor, sending a horrible shot of pain through his leg. He bit his lip, trying not to cry out.

“Stupid boy.” Snape snarked at him. “I'm not going to hurt you.”

Harry just stared at him.

“Don't trust me, do you boy?”

Harry blinked. “You just kidnapped me.”

Snape sneered. “It's hardly kidnapping if they know exactly where you are.” He stood fluidly, not bothering to offer Harry a hand up. He glanced at his watch. “In fact, your precious wolf should be here by now.”

Appearing the way he usually did when his name was mentioned, the fire place flared a bright green before Remus came out of it, spitting like a crazed viper and looking like a rather murderous hound. He was also cursing.

His gaze landed on the couch and he rushed over to Harry, grabbing him in a tight embrace. “Are you alright? Did that bastard hurt you? Can you walk?” Harry shook his head. “Let's go home.”

Remus quickly ran a hand over Harry, checking him for injuries, before grabbing him under the knees and arms. He lifted him quickly, not being as careful as he might have been, twisting Harry's leg into an unbearable position that caused him to cry out.

“Damn it! I'm sorry, Harry.”

“Be gentle, why don't you, wolf.” Snape snapped at him. Remus whirled around after depositing Harry back onto the couch.

“What the fuck, Severus! What did you think you were doing?”

“Saving his life.”

Remus threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “By kidnapping him?”

“As I just had the pleasure of informing Potter, you knew exactly where to find me and had access. Ergo, not kidnapping.” He glanced at his watch again, in a move that he knew would annoy Remus. “Although you are about ten minutes later than I expected.”

Remus looked ready to thrash him.

“A password was required to get through the wards. It took me a few minutes.”

“Shame.” Snape looked anything but sympathetic. Remus rolled his eyes.

“Come, Harry, let's go home.”

As Remus moved once again to pick Harry up, gently this time, Snape stepped in front of the fireplace. “He's not going anywhere.” His wand was drawn.

“On who's authority are you keeping him here?”

Snape looked as if he had just swallowed a lemon drop as he answered. “On Albus Dumbledore's.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

Remus laughed and stared at him incredulously. “Albus'? Severus, Albus is dead.” his voice was flat.

It was Snape's turn to roll his eyes as Remus moved to raise Harry once more. “You're not getting it, are you?”

“Getting what, Severus? That you just attacked and forced a fifteen year-old boy into the floo? That you probably damaged (bruised is too mild) his still injured leg, or that you just forced your way into his mind without his consent? Which one of those don't I get, Severus?”

“He's a danger.”

“To whom?”

“Himself.” Snape moved forward, towering over Remus. “And all of us.”

“Why should I believe you?” Remus raised himself up to match Severus' stance.

“You shouldn't. But you should believe Albus.”

Remus just looked tired at this point. “He's dead.”

“Hello, Remus.”

That same calm voice from earlier drifted through the air and this time Harry noticed the portrait on the wall adjacent to the fireplace. It was almost a life-size version of Albus Dumbledore.

“It's good to see you, child. And you, Harry.”

Remus was stunned into silence. “Albus...” he ran a tired hand over his eyes, hand on his hip.

Harry felt extra wary. It had been too intense of a day not to be on his guard and something in his gut told him it was about to get worse. Something tweaked in him and Harry suddenly felt afraid.

“Remus...” His voice was no louder than a whimper, but Remus heard him. “Remus, I want to go home.”

Remus wrapped his arms around Harry, hugging him tightly to his chest. “It's alright, Pup. We're going to go soon.”

Harry shook his head against Remus' shoulder. “I want to go now.”

Remus pushed him back slightly, looking him straight in the eyes as tears began welling up in their corners. He nodded.

“Hear me out, Remus.”

“No.” Remus stood, getting ready to grab Harry off the couch. “He's been through enough and I'm taking him home to rest.”

“I'm afraid you're stuck here.” Dumbledore didn't sound sorry one bit. Remus' eyes blazed angrily.

“What does that mean?”

“You've forced me to close the wards. No one gets in or out without the new password which is, conveniently, in my possession.”

Remus swung around to Snape, who cocked an eyebrow. “Do something.”

“It's not my house.” he didn't sound sympathetic either.

Harry felt the hot flush of tears spill over and down his face. He began clawing at Remus' robes, begging him. “Please, get me out of here! I need to get out!”

At first Remus tried to calm him down with promises of imminent freedom, but after a few unsuccessful attempts, Remus founds himself backing away from the now hysterical Harry.

This didn't seem normal to him. He looked over at Severus, who just stood there, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

“What's wrong with him?”

Albus answered. “It's the Horcrux's reaction. It can't handle being in my home.”

Remus looked back at Harry, recalling the few times he had actually been afraid of the boy. He was suddenly terrified that he would see red eyes shining out from behind the round glasses but there were none. Instead, all he saw was a scared and confused little boy.

Albus seemed to have sensed his fear. “It won't be like before. The horcrux doesn't have as strong a hold on him this time around.”

The thought of 'How many times?' flitted quickly through Remus' mind. “I thought....” he was dazed. “But we got rid of it. We killed you to get rid of it!”

“Remus...” Harry whimpered from the couch. His face was red from crying, cheeks tear-stained and shiny. Remus' heart went out to him. He hesitated, looking towards Albus, who nodded.

“That is Harry. Our Harry.”

“Remus...” Harry’s voice feebly called out to him again and this time Remus scrambled to grab hold of him, pressing him against his chest tightly. “What's happening?”

“Shh...relax. It's going to be alright.”

Remus tried to comfort him as tears continued to pour down his face. He glanced over at Severus for the confirmation he was looking for, but the man was pointedly avoiding looking at him. Remus reluctantly turned his gaze back on Dumbledore's portrait.

Regardless of the fact that it was just a portrait, those blue eyes seemed to be twinkling. Remus didn't like it one bit.

“Explain. Now.”

“Harry is still a Horcrux. That piece of Voldemort's soul we tried to exorcise is still there.”

For someone who had given up their life in order to have that taken care of, Dumbledore sounded oddly dispassionate about the situation and Remus could faintly feel the tugs of the puppet-master’s strings on him.

“What does that mean, though? What are we going to do?”

“Eventually we will try to get rid of it.”

“Eventually?”

“There are certain steps that must be taken in order to secure a success this time.”

Harry shook violently in Remus' arms. “What about me? What's going to happen to me?” He sounded terrified and all Remus could do was hold him tighter.

“You're going to be fine. We're going to take care of this.”

Remus glared at Severus, as if ordering the earlier confirmation he should have supplied. Dumbledore continued talking, only half reassuring them that it would indeed all work out.

Harry felt like screaming. He was being told that he had a repeat of the last few days to look forward to. At least that's what he assumed his still being a horcrux meant. What was worse was the fact that he couldn't even envisage what might be waiting for him. The look of worry mixed with fury on Remus' face seemed to confirm the inner anxiety he had of awaiting horror.

“Will it be like before? What's going to happen to Harry?”

The portrait headmaster shook his head. “It will be like it's been for years, as if this summer never even happened. Harry will have full control of his body. He might become angry or upset at times, but not to an unbearable extent. He'll know which emotions are his own and which are not.”

“Why would that be happening?”

“Harry and Voldemort still have an open connection between them. The control of the Horcrux has been tampered with and is in such a weakened state. However, Harry is just as weak at the moment. The Horcrux does not have a lot of power, but it is still there and Harry has to be aware of that and keep it subdued.”

“How am I supposed to do that? I didn't even know it was there in the first place.”

“You have to keep your mind, and your willpower, strong.” Dumbledore paused before continuing, and Harry got a strong sense that he was not going to be happy with what was about to come out of the headmaster's mouth. “Severus will be working with you.”

There were so many problems with that statement; Harry didn't even know where to start protesting. Remus stiffened next to him. Harry looked over to his potions professor. The man looked a little less upset than he had earlier, and rather like someone who was resigned to their fate.

“Albus, I don't think that's wise.” Remus said carefully, looking from Harry to Severus.

“There's no other option.” Dumbledore's tone held a sense of finality to it.

“We will have to work things out Lupin, but unfortunately, Albus is right.” Severus finally spoke up from his place by the hearth. The next statement he directed towards Harry, who ignored him. “We'll have to learn to put aside our issues.”

Remus looked at Severus incredulously. “As far as I'm concerned, you are the one with issues.”

Severus took a deep breath, but answered calmly. “Then I shall learn to push them aside.” His tone was rough. “What do you say, boy?”

Both Remus and Severus looked to Harry, making him feel like he was sufficiently backed into a corner. He ignored Remus and glared at the professor. “My name's 'Harry'.” The responding glare had him shrinking back a bit, but he held his own stare. They held one another in their gazes for about a minute before Harry looked away.

“I have no choice, do I?”  

Every Demon Wants His Pound of Flesh

Change of Plans

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"No, you do not."

He had addressed Remus, but it was the professor who answered. Harry nodded in defeated acceptance.

"It's settled then." Portrait Dumbledore clapped his hands together.

"Wait a minute." Remus stood. "What about the Horcrux? When are we going to get rid of it?"

Albus exchanged a sharp look with Severus. Something unsaid passed between them and Severus spun around, turning his back on the painting. Dumbledore sighed deeply.

"As I said before, there are certain actions we must take first, to ensure a permanent removal. The rest of Voldemort's horcruxes need to be destroyed first."

Remus dragged his hand over his face. "How are we going to do that?" His voice was heavy.

"I have left sufficient information along with instructions for Severus to follow. If you need, I will be either here or in my portrait at Hogwarts."

Suddenly he was gone. Remus shouted angrily. The old man was ridiculous. He didn't even know what to think about everything, he was so furious. He turned his anger towards the only other adult in the room.

"Did you know?"

"Know what?"

Remus gestured to Harry. "That we were on a fool's errand before."

"Are you asking me if I covered for Dumbledore's suicide?"

"You've always been his lap dog." His voice was low as he advanced on Severus, who stepped forward to meet him angrily. "Did you know that we did not get rid of the Horcrux?"

Severus' voice was just as dangerous as Remus'. "No." His eyes narrowed. "Albus left me a note telling me to come here where his stupid portrait practically ambushed me. I acted as soon as he told me."

Something was off in Severus' tone, but Remus brushed it aside. He stepped closer.

The two men continued to stare each other down and Harry was surprised their wands were still in their pockets, although he could see Remus' hand twitch.

"Remus?"

Harrys' voice cracked through his frustrated shell and Remus' shoulders sagged. He rubbed both hands over his face roughly, and then through his hair, gripping it in his hands. He willed the hot angry tears accumulating behind his eyelids not to fall. He had to be strong for Harry.

He turned, his body stiff. He didn't know what to say. He had been hoping that the only thing left to worry about this summer was Harry's recovery. Instead, they had been thrust into the past and were forced to repeat it/redo it. He looked to Severus for direction.

"We'll start working tomorrow. I have to finish going through Albus' journals with his instructions." Severus stated.

A fresh wave of exhaustion passed over Harry. He rubbed absentmindedly at his temples, willing the forming headache to stay away for a bit longer until he could lay down. "Can we go home, Remus?"

"You are home."

"Excuse me?" Remus and Harry both glanced at Severus, who sighed in exasperation.

"You'll be staying here until the – situation – is dealt with."

"What! Why?" Harry shot to his feet, ignoring the warning in his leg that it couldn't hold him for long.

"Sit down before you fall." Severus sniped at him.

Harry ignored him, pleading with Remus. "I don't want to stay here! You said we were going to be at headquarters. I want to be with the Weasleys and Hermione!"

"It doesn't matter what you've been told, Potter. You'll be staying here."

Before he could protest again, Remus placed a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back onto the couch where he was no longer in danger of wobbling.

"Relax, Harry." He shot a look at Severus, walking passed him and pointing to a doorway behind the couch he was sitting on, that Harry hadn't noticed before. "A word, Severus."

Severus rolled his eyes, but preceded Remus out of the room.

"We'll be right back. You just stay there." Remus stated firmly as he followed Snape out.

The door swung shut behind them and Harry was left alone. He glanced around the room, finally taking in his surroundings.

The fireplace was made out of different sized and coloured stones. There was a slab of rough rock making up the mantelpiece with random trinkets scattered on it. To the left of the fireplace was a bookcase; a low bench stood perpendicular to that, leaning against a small window. An old rug was laid out on the wood floor.

There was a small wooden table to Harry's left, placed close to the wall. The couch Harry sat on was located perpendicularly to the right of the fireplace, a set of picture windows behind him. Looking out, he could see nothing but green. Rolling hills took up most of the landscape, with a single tree in the distance.

The men were gone for almost ten minutes, and Harry was beginning to get really uncomfortable sitting on the couch. There was a cushiony footrest in front of him and he dragged his leg painfully up on it, stretching out the muscle. He was beginning to weight his option of using the fire-poker as a makeshift cane when the door opened and they came back into the room.

"So," Remus started. Neither man looked very happy and Harry did not want to hear what either of them had to say. "We've discussed out current predicament, and Severus is right Harry. It's better if we stay here for now. I know -" He held up a hand to ward off Harry's complaint. "-you don't want to, but it will hopefully only be for a few weeks until we get this sorted out. Ron and Hermione will be able to come and visit, maybe we can even go over there."

Harry crossed his arms defiantly. "A few weeks?"

"This isn't something that's going to be solved in a matter of hours, Potter."

Remus stepped forward, intercepting Harry's death-stare. "You're going to have free reign of the area; you're not going to be stuck indoors like you would be at Grimmauld Place. The wards here are extensive."

"Whatever." It's not like Harry had a choice either way.

"Ok then." Remus took a deep breath. He gave Harry a pat on the shoulder. "I'll try and make it worth your while, pup."

Harry sighed. "It's alright, it's not like you planned this." He glared at Snape as he said that.

"Contrary to whatever is going on in that pea-sized brain of yours," Severus snapped "I did not plan to spend my summer like this either."

Remus stopped Harry before he could retort. "We all agree. This sucks, but we'll have to get along, be civil, alright? Harry, Severus is still your professor, and Severus, Harry's had a rough summer. Please attempt to make the rest of it bearable."

Neither of them said anything, so Remus took that as a good sign. He clapped his hands together. "Alright then."

"Where are you going?" Harry asked as he headed turned to the fireplace.

"We're going to be here for awhile, I assume you'd like your clothes and things. I also want to grab some other necessities. Try not to move around too much until I get back with your bandage, 'kay?"

"Can't I come with?"

From the corner of his eye, Remus could see Severus subtly shaking his head.

"Not right now, pup. I'll tell everyone you say 'hi'. You'll see them soon, I promise." He added as Harry looked down, dejected. "I'll be back soon."

He stepped into the fireplace and was gone.

Following the pattern Harry was slowly becoming accustomed to after today, silence reigned over the room. He felt his heart pounding painfully against his ribcage as he came to terms with the change of plans thrown on him. Tears threatened to fall as he thought of how unfair it all was. He sniffed, apparently making Snape uncomfortable.

The sound of robes shuffling made Harry all too aware of the man's presence. He wiped his eyes, willing himself not to start crying, again.

Snape's low voice echoed over his head. "Would you like to see your room?"

"I can't walk."

"Nonsense." Harry's head popped up. Snape was standing in the doorway, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "Lupin said Madam Pomfrey healed your leg this morning."

Harry shrugged. "She said it wouldn't be fully healed for another day or so."

He wasn't sure what to say. It's not like he was pretending that his leg was messed up. "Besides, you kind of bashed it up earlier." He cringed, waiting for the sharp retort sure to follow his accusation, but none came.

Instead, Snape sighed deeply and pulled a chair over from the table, placing it down in front of the couch, next to the footrest. His eyes sharply panned over Harry's face.

"I apologize."

Harry's eyes snapped to catch his gaze warily. They locked eyes for a second until Harry looked away, disturbed by the intensity and the hint of sincerity flickering in the blackness. He didn't know what to say and so they sat quietly for a while until Harry realized that his professor had not stopped staring at him. He squirmed in his seat, hoping Snape would get the hint and look away.

"You seem tired." Snape's voice was flat. More observational than anything else.

"It's been a long day."

"Indeed."

Silence again.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to see your room?"

Harry flexed his leg experimentally. "I really don't think I can walk right now."

Snape inched the chair forward. "May I?" He reached a hand out towards Harry's leg.

Harry froze up, visually shrinking back a bit. He could just see the cogs working in Snape's brain as he attempted not to roll his eyes.

"I won't hurt you."

Experience proved otherwise for Harry, so with a non-committal half-grunt, he didn't pull away when Snape reached for his leg. He grabbed under Harry's knee, lifting his leg off the footrest, pushing the square out of the way, and resting the limb over one of his thighs. He slowly unsnapped the pants, shoving the material to the side and exposing Harry's upper thigh. Harry thought it looked a lot better than it had this morning. Snape, however, did not look as thrilled.

He stared, contemplating the mottled skin. A scar, barely noticeable, seeming more like a scratch, was located in the middle of a grey canvas. Faint black and blue dominated most of the area, and something tugged within Severus as he examined what was obviously the more recent damage. A bruise was forming along the edge of the thigh, near the scar and he knew it was because of the way he handled the boy earlier.

"I thought you would have been completely healed. I am sorry."

"Madam Pomfrey said my body couldn't handle so much magic just yet, because of the binding potion, but she did a pretty good job. It wasn't much worse this morning." Harry stated, not rejecting the apology entirely nor attempting to rub in his teacher's folly.

"Had I known..."

"What, you would have thought twice before manhandling me?" More humor than anger bordered on the edge of Harry's voice. "I'm surprised you didn't strangle me. You were like a man on a mission."

"Indeed."

Severus continued to examine the bruises on his leg. He prodded around the scar, feeling the bone. Regardless of its frailty, and Severus' rough treatment, it was still intact which Severus was thankful for. Poppy would have killed him. The older bruises were clearing up and the one Severus had caused would be gone in a day or so.

"You've been wrapping it during the day?"

Harry nodded. He looked back down at his leg as Severus pressed on another tender spot and winced in sympathy for himself, even though it didn't hurt as much as it seemed like it should.

"I think that's just until the end of the week. And I've been using a cane."

"You'll probably have to use that for longer."

Severus found himself scrambling for something else to say as he looked away dejectedly, but there was no reassurance he could give the boy. With the damage done to his body, he was looking at weeks of nutritional potions and exercise. With the added danger of the Horcrux, who knew what could happen. So Severus kept quiet.

Harry felt himself growing more and more tired, and the earlier headache was beginning to poke through as the minutes dragged on. He didn't want to wait until Remus came back. He could feel his eyes slipping. He must have actually fallen asleep for a bit because he suddenly jerked upright as the couch disappeared from under him.

"Wha-"

"I'd prefer that you not fall asleep out here. Since you can't walk to your room..." Severus raised an eyebrow as they started moving towards the door.

"Oh." Harry stated awkwardly. "Thank you."

It sounded more like a question which Severus just ignored.

"Why not just use magic?"

"I find that for simple tasks it is easier to complete them without whipping out your wand. For situations such as this," Severus grunted as he shifted Harry in his arms, "levitating a conscious person is much more complicated and it's easier to carry them, if possible. However, that's a personal preference."

"Oh."

They passed through the kitchen and down the hall. The house was only one floor with four bedrooms, one communal bathroom. There was another bathroom in the master suite which Severus occupied. He walked passed his own room, which was the first on the left and opened a door at the end of the hall, walking in and depositing Harry onto the bed.

"This will be your room for the time you stay here."

He turned to go. Harry called after him. "Can you-"

Severus stopped. "What do you need?"

"Just...can you turn on the light?"

Severus raised an eyebrow inquisitively, but nodded and flicked the switch.

"Thank you."

Severus cocked his head in acknowledgement. Before closing the door behind him, he said "I'll show Lupin to your room when he returns."

As he walked down the hallway, he found himself stuck on the idea that Potter needed to sleep with the lights on.

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Every Demon Wants His Pound of Flesh

Settle Down

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Severus sat quietly in the chair in front of the fire in his room. The grate was rather small, definitely not big enough to be part of the floo-network and not meant for more than heating up a room.

It was currently unlit, but Severus enjoyed staring into the emptiness. It helped him clear his mind at times like these. He took a whiff of the amber liquid in his glass, scrunching up his face at the awful smell. He would have to bring his own bottle of Balvenie over from Hogwarts if he planned to make it through the rest of the summer with his sanity intact.

He took a swig of the burning drink, wincing as the trash made its way down his throat. He placed the glass to the side, stood up and began pacing. The motion was a comforting one for him.

The worn carpet under his feet was red and gold, a dash of 'in your face' from Albus. However, the material was so worn and faded after so many years that it looked more brown and burgundy than anything.

He clasped his hands behind his back and stopped pacing. He stood still, letting the night air breeze in from the open window and rustled around him. He rocked on his heels and then continued to pace.

His arrival at [Bodmin] had been nothing short of shocking – the load of information that had been dumped upon him left Severus reeling and he was no longer sure which way was up. As soon as he left Hogwarts he had come here, as per Dumbledore's instructions. He had notn't been surprised to find the old man's portrait waiting for him, but the plethora of information it had to relay was overwhelming.

"Severus, my boy."

"Albus." Severus rolled his eyes. "I should have known you would have placed a portrait here." Those damn twinkling eyes. "I assume you have something important to tell me that you dragged me out here for."

"I do. I do. Please, make yourself at home. There are lemon drops on the shelf over there." He pointed at the book case. Severus sneered at it disdainfully.

"No, thank you." He did however pour himself a glass of alcohol from the table before moving to sit on the couch. He almost choked on the horrible taste. "God Albus, what the hell is this?"

"I'm not entirely sure." he chuckled "It was given to me last Christmas by the manufacturers of the Chocolate Frog cards."

Severus made a face and placed the glass to the side.

"How have you been, child? How are things at Hogwarts?"

Severus turned his eyes on to the portrait. "You're dead, Albus. How do you think they've been?"

Portrait-Dumbledore looked down at his desk. "I am sorry that I had to leave you."

"Are you?" Severus' voice was venomous.

"I am. There are tough times ahead for you."

Severus cocked a brow. "Are there?" his voice was laced with sarcasm. "How so?"

Dumbledore seemed to want to evade the question, continuing to look down. Severus found that unsettling. The real Dumbledore would never have broken eye contact when divulging any sort of information he had withheld. He had a sudden sense of foreboding. Whatever Dumbledore had ordered him for could not be good.

"I'm sorry, Severus."

Dread creeped along the edges of his stomach.

Albus' voice was strained and Severus found himself clenching his teeth, waiting for the bombshell. "You have to believe me, I'm so sorry."

"What have you done, Albus?"

If portraits could cry...Blue eyes lifted to meet obsidian as silence stretched between them. Severus asked again.

"What have you done?"

"There is so much the Dark Lord does not value, and so there are many things he cannot comprehend. Innocence. Loyalty-" his eyes pierced through Severus. "Love. Voldemort knows nothing of these. Harry, however, does. He has loyalty, he has love. His innocence left him long ago."

"No thanks to your machinations."

"Severus."

"You know it's true, Albus. You've orchestrated every event in that boy's life, testing him, pushing him to see his limitations."

"I have made many mistakes in my life."

Severus didn't honor him with an answer. He was still waiting.

"I owe you an explanation, Severus; an explanation of an old man's mistakes."

"I don't have a year to waste with your explanations."

Dumbledore ignored the jibe. "Fifteen years ago, I guessed that the scar on Harry's head meant that he and Lord Voldemort would have a connection. My biggest fear was that Voldemort would realize there was this connection forged between them. This year, Harry managed to delve so deep into the Dark Lord's mind that he alerted Voldemort to his presence. I knew it would not be long from that night until the one in which Voldemort attempted to force his way into Harry's mind, to manipulate and misdirect Harry's thoughts.

"I feared the uses to which Voldemort could put him, the possibility that he might possess him." Albus sighed deeply. Severus sat stiffly, waiting to see where he was going. So far, he had heard all this before.

"I distanced myself, thinking to protect Harry, but I only added another mark against me. I left that boy alone, that precious, brave boy...

"His godfather died, and still, I left him alone. But now it was for a different reason. Voldemort's aim in possessing Harry that night at the ministry was not an attempt to destroy me as I had originally thought. I recalled what Sirius had told me once, of Harry feeling Voldemort awake inside him the night of Arthur Weasley's attack. It was then that Voldemort realized he could use Harry. The attack at the ministry only made him aware of why Harry and he shared such a strong connection. He came to the same realization that I myself had come to only a few weeks earlier. Harry was a horcrux. By possessing him at the ministry, Voldemort had hoped I would sacrifice Harry in order to kill him.

"You see, Harry was the horcrux he never intended to make. It was too dangerous to leave a part of his soul in a vessel he could not trust. When I refused to kill Harry, he came up with a new plan. He waited to find a way to remove the piece of soul without destroying it. I do not think he found a way to do that, and so he sought control but did not succeed."

Severus was leaning forward now, elbows on his thighs, chin propped on interlocked fingers. "No he did not. But we did. We destroyed the piece of his soul in Potter."

Albus looked away, pain etched in his features. Severus felt his dread-filled stomach drop. He clenched his fingers painfully.

"We destroyed it." He repeated.

"Voldemort left a piece of his soul latched onto Harry's, unknowingly, unwillingly. For fifteen years they have been connected in a way not deemed possible."

"But we destroyed it. We killed you!"

"He took Harry's blood, believing it would strengthen him. With Lily's sacrifice flowing through his veins, every part of him was strengthened, even the piece in Harry, and wrapped their destinies together more securely then ever two wizards were joined in history."

What Albus was trying to say clicked in Severus' mind and he got to his feet, angry. "I don't believe it." he shook his head.

"The horcrux still exists. Harry is still in danger."

"No." Severus turned around, back to the portrait.

"Severus-"

"No!" He spun back around. "I will not believe that your death was in vain!"

"My death," Albus' voice was calm, and Severus wanted to rip the portrait to shreds, "was inevitable."

"No it wasn't." His voice was pleading.

"Yes, it was." Albus gazed at him sternly. "By doing what I have done-"

"You mean killing yourself." Dumbledore ignored him.

"By removing the piece of Voldemort's soul from Harry's, even for a minute, it has bought you more time to deal with the situation properly. Get rid of all the other Horcruxes first. It should have been done before, but we were short on time. Here is what you must do."

"I do not have to do anything." Severus' voice was cold.

Dumbledore looked at him, disbelief in his face, as if Severus was a petulant little boy, who had just colored all over the walls. It made the vein in Severus' temple pound that much harder.

"You do realize that the last time you asked me to do anything, it was to commit murder."

"As I hear, you were unable to do it."

"Damn right I wasn't able!" Severus threw his hands up in the air. "Of course I couldn't kill you, daft old fool! And I'm glad! Since your death apparently accomplished nothing!"

"It weakened the horcrux."

"It was supposed to destroy it!"

"Severus, please listen to me."

"No. if you've forgotten, you are dead. You cannot order me around anymore. I don't have to do anything else for you." He folded his arms in front of his chest, feeling every bit that petulant child now, although entirely justified.

"Was it really me you've been doing all this for?"

"What do you mean?"

Dumbledore raised a knowing eyebrow. His eyes turned to a vase sitting on the edge of his desk which Severus had not noticed before. He followed Albus' gaze, eyes traveling until black landed upon pure white petals. The flower was a relatively small one, but the weight of it hit Severus like a ton of bricks. It was a lily.

"She's dead too." he muttered miserably.

"But her son is not. No doubt thanks to you."

Severus scoffed.

"Help him finish his fight, Severus."

Severus shook his head. "I'm through with your tricks and manipulations, Albus."

"No more tricks."

"Said Machiavelli."

Albus chuckled at the reference. "Please Severus. Just one last mission for me. If you succeed, you'll never have to do anything for anyone again."

Severus raised an eyebrow distrustingly. "Why should I believe this will be your last request?"

"You'll have to take my word."

Severus sneered. "That's not enough."

"How can I prove it to you?" Albus held out his arms.

Severus thought for a moment, and then sat back on the couch, defeated. "You can't."

"I promise you child, this will be the last time I ask for your help."

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Harry looked around the room Snape had deposited him in. The walls were made of a beige-ish wood, tinged with grey. There was a night-table on either side of the king-size bed, made out of the same wood as the walls. Each had three double length drawers, and a light colored marble top. The entrance to the room was a few feet down on the right of the bed.

The bed itself was like one big cushion with the head and foot boards made out of a dark beige pillow-like material. The comforter and pillows were white and thick. There was a long bench at the foot of the bed made of the same material as the head and foot board. Across from the bed was a large wooden closet next to a man-sized fireplace, decorated with stone like the one in the living room. There was a marble step and a wooden mantle as well.

Looking around, Harry noticed there was no desk.

'Guess this place really is a vacation spot.' He thought. In fact, there was no other place to sit, except the bed.

The wall to the right of Harry held a few landscape photos, while the wall on the opposite side was a collection of windows. The first row held four windows, almost the height of half the wall. The two on the ends had low wooden ledges, jutting out just enough to be able to stand on them while the two middle windows were actually doors. There were four smaller square windows making up another row on top of the doors, and a long window on top of that made up of twelve smaller squares. The wood running between each window was thick and round, as if logs had been cut length-wise. The windows were formatted in a kind of upside-down 'U' in order to fit with the build of the room. Right over Harry's head, the ceiling slanted upwards sharply. There were six small, circular lights above him, supplying the only light source for the room.

All in all, it was a plain room, but in a very comforting way.

Harry shifted on the bed; the mattress contouring to fit his body. He flexed his leg muscle. The pain was disappearing a little each minute. He sighed deeply and blinked against the exhaustion crowding him. He lay still for a few minutes unable to fall asleep, or rather unwilling to. He scanned the room once more.

He could see every inch of it, yet it seemed foreboding to him. Being alone in an unfamiliar place...if he waited long enough perhaps Remus would get back before he fell asleep. As much as Harry hated to admit it, he wished he had asked Snape to stay with him.

Who was he kidding? He hated the man. Besides, he was fifteen. He didn't need someone to sleep with him. He didn't even need the lights on.

Harry rolled over and reached for the light switch next to his bed. He flicked it off and immediate darkness surrounded him, freezing him in place. The windows must have been charmed because no light shown through even though it was still daytime. Harry stayed still for a moment, surprised by the amount of darkness engulfing him; it was almost tangible. He tried to let his eyes adjust but it was taking too long. He snapped them shut, concentrating on the blood he could hear pulsing through his veins. He tried to push against the black, but it was suffocating him.

Memories began popping up in his head; murmurs pulsating at the back of his mind. Voices he could place, but seemed familiar to him, strings of Latin and thewoosh of a spell…The murmuring built in intensity and for a minute he forgot where he was. The sound of approaching footsteps sent his heart racing. His breathing quickened and he fought against the thoughts in his mind, shaking his head, attempting to clear it.

The sound of the creaking floorboards echoed in time with his pulse. The sharp squeak of the doorknob twisting and releasing caused his heart to pound and he shot up, panting heavily, as the lights flickered on.

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