“Harry,” Severus whispered, putting his hands on the younger man’s shoulders and pushing him back from their embrace. He felt pain and fatigue rapidly returning and knew he needed to get back. “Let’s meet at Malfoy Manor in an hour.”

Harry looked scared and confused. “Sev, please, don’t leave me again.”

Severus raised a hand and carded it through Harry’s windswept hair, gazing into the deep green eyes he’d missed terribly for the last three years. “I’m not leaving you, Harry. I promise. I just need to rest,” he said, hating to admit it.

“Oh,” Harry breathed. “All right.”

Still Harry didn’t move. He was studying Severus as if he were a ghost.

“Are you really here?” Harry asked, stretching out tentative fingers to stroke Severus’s scarred face.

“Yes,” Severus assured him. “I really am. You aren’t dreaming. I promise.”

But Harry looked unconvinced, not that Severus could blame him.

“Here,” Severus said, unwrapping the silk scarf that Hannah had woven around his neck to hide the bruising. While he’d rather not reveal any of his injuries to Harry just yet, giving him something tangible to hold on to would likely help. “Keep this for now.”

Harry gratefully accepted the offering, closing his eyes and bringing it to his nose to inhale the garment’s scent.   

 “Now hop back on your overgrown pony so we can meet again in an hour.”

“All right,” Harry said and Severus felt his stomach drop as Harry’s eyes drifted to his bruised neck.

“Sev,” Harry gasped, reaching out to tentatively touch the bruises.

Severus grabbed Harry’s fingers and held them tight. “Shhh,” he said. “Later.”

Biting his lip, Harry nodded, and Severus could tell he was holding back tears.

“Go,” Severus whispered. “I will see you soon. I promise.”

As soon as Harry was back at the stables, he let Draco cool off Penny while he raced to the manor house. Sev was back! He couldn’t believe it! There was so much to do! He rushed up the stairs to Sev’s rooms and began casting every variety of cleaning spell he could think of, removing dust, changing the bed sheets, freshening the linens. Sev was coming home!

Severus lay in the guest bed at Malfoy Manor, exhausted and in pain. He hated to admit that he’d overdone it. But seeing Harry had been worth it. He wouldn’t have traded that for the world. Still, his back hurt beyond measure, his lower half was numb, and his head was throbbing.

An ecstatic buzz echoed around Malfoy Manor as Hannah tended to his medical needs while the others awaited Harry’s arrival.

Severus wasn’t sure how much to tell the younger wizard. He knew Harry wouldn’t take his captivity and torture well. Perhaps it would be better to spare him the details, at least initially. No one had told Harry how badly Snape had been injured, and he wasn’t sure he should. He was immensely grateful that he’d been able to persuade Harry to take Penny back to the stable, allowing Severus the privacy of being levitated off his stallion by Hannah unobserved.

Severus had just drifted off to sleep when the noise in the house reached a crescendo and, before he knew it, Harry was beside him, his eyes bright.

“Sev,” Harry said, leaning down to hug Snape once again.

Severus gasped in pain and Harry pulled back, frowning. “Are you all right?”

“I…” Severus started but trailed off, grimacing.

Harry’s face darkened. “What did they do to you?”

Severus swallowed and looked away. “Nothing good, I assure you.”

Harry cursed and grasped Severus’s hand, holding it in both of his as he took the seat next to Snape’s bed. “I’m so sorry,” Harry said, his voice breaking. He cleared his throat. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Severus met Harry’s gaze. He was so tired. So tired. “Harry…” Severus said. “I don’t mean to put you off, but I’m afraid the ride wore me out. I can hardly keep my eyes open.”

“Of course, Sev,” Harry said, squeezing his hand, but Severus could see Harry’s eyes were troubled. Severus knew if the situation was reversed, he’d be no less impatient for answers. And vengeance.

“Do you want me to stay with you?” Harry asked.

“I… It’s all right, Harry, I am just going to sleep. Come back when I am awake?”

“Always,” Harry said, leaning over to kiss Severus lightly on the forehead. “I’ll just be in the other room. Call if you need me?”

“I will.”

Harry smoothed down Snape’s long hair, gazing at him for long moments before he finally took his leave.

As Severus drifted off to sleep, he thought he heard raised voices in the other room, but he was too exhausted to pay them much mind.

“Harry, mate, calm down,” Ron pleaded.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Harry roared. “You all knew and you didn’t tell me!” Harry ran a hand through his hair. “How could you?” he accused, glaring at each of them, daring them to defend themselves.

“He didn’t want us to,” Hermione said, her voice a plea for understanding.

“And you listened to him?” Harry bellowed. “A man who’d been kept in captivity and tortured for three years?”

“Potter,” Draco drawled, stepping forward. “Like it or not, Snape is capable of making his own decisions.”

That seemed to take the wind out of Harry’s sails.

“Fuck,” Harry spat. “I hate seeing him like this.”

“Which is why he didn’t want you to know, mate,” Ron surmised. “He knew you’d worry.”

“Of course I’d worry!” Harry shouted.

“He worries about you, too,” Hermione pointed out.

A house-elf appeared to announce dinner, putting a temporary end to the heated conversation.

Hannah joined them midway through, after examining Snape.

“How’s he doing?” Harry asked.

“He’s sleeping, and likely won’t wake until midday tomorrow. Why don’t you all go home and get some rest this evening.”

Harry placed his fork on the table. “I’m not leaving.”

“Harry, Hannah’s right. There’s nothing you can do for him right now,” Hermione said.

“I’ve waited three years for this day, Hermione. If the situation was reversed, he wouldn’t leave me, and you know it.”

Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance. “Alright, mate,” Ron commented. “But what about the animals?”

Harry cursed. “I’ll go and take care of them now and then come back.”

“I’m not running a hotel,” Draco drawled.

“Shove it, Malfoy,” Potter said, though without heat.

Draco got up from the table and clapped Harry on the back. “I’ll transfigure the desk in his room into a bed for you. And Potter?”

“What?” Harry asked.

“You owe me,” Draco said.

Harry rolled his eyes.

Harry returned, newly showered and in clean clothes. He was just about to check on Severus, when Draco stopped him.

“Potter,” he called. “A word.”

“What’s up?” Harry asked.

“I’ve talked to Snape these last couple of days. It’s going to take some time for him to heal, and I know you want to help.”

“Of course I want to help!”

“But Snape is, well, Snape. He won’t appreciate you coddling him,” Draco advised.

Harry raised an eyebrow.

“I am merely suggesting,” Draco said, studying his manicured fingernails, “that you leave his care to the nursing staff I’ve hired and simply be his friend.”

“What were you expecting I’d do?” Harry demanded.

“I know you, Potter. You’d empty the man’s bed pan if he let you.”

Harry flushed.

“He doesn’t need you to be his savior, Potter.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Harry asked defensively.

“I think you’re likely to forget,” Draco drawled.

“I’m not a complete idiot,” Harry muttered.

Draco met Harry’s gaze straight on. “You can be when it comes to Snape.”

Harry couldn’t sleep. For a while, he sat by Sev, running his fingers lightly over the older man’s heavily veined hands, studying the broken nails, the thin bruised skin, the stick-thin arms, the too long hair. Now that the glamour had worn off, there was no hiding the deep, sunken cheeks and bulging eye sockets. Clearly Severus had been starved, and likely for a long time by the looks of it.

Harry swallowed hard, forcing back the tears that sprang to his eyes. Seeing Sev like this--in such bad shape--broke his heart and filled him with anger. How could anyone do this? And who had done this to him? Any why? To make matters worse, Harry didn’t even know precisely what had happened to Sev and no one seemed willing to tell him, including the man himself.

Harry still couldn’t quite believe that Severus was back. He wondered repeatedly if it was a dream, and whenever he did, he reached out to touch some part of the wizard, just to make sure the man was really there.

When Severus started moaning in his sleep, Harry jumped. The man’s features were twisted in anguish. Quickly, Harry exited the room, finding Hannah making notes in Snape’s chart at the dining table.

“I think Sev needs more pain meds,” Harry said.

Hannah checked her watch. “He’s not due for his next dose for another two hours.”

“Isn’t there anything you can give him?” Harry felt nervous and panicky at the thought of Severus suffering when he was finally free of wherever they’d held him prisoner.

Hannah got up from the table and placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I’ll check on him.”

Harry followed her into the room. Snape was tossing a bit and still moaning.

Hannah checked him over thoroughly before turning back to Harry. “I think he’s just dreaming, Harry. I don’t think he’s in pain--at least not the physical sort--not the type I can treat with a potion.”

Harry slumped into the chair beside Sev’s bed, feeling wretched. Wasn’t it bad enough that the man had had to live through that torture, and now he had to dream about it as well?

“Harry,” Hannah said, squatting down in front of him. “You need to get some sleep too. You can’t help him if you make yourself sick with worry.”

Harry glanced up through haunted eyes. “I can’t help it,” he muttered. “I don’t even know what they did to him. I just keep imagining the worst, and I wasn’t there to help him.”

“You’re here now. He appreciates that very much,” Hannah said.

“But I can’t do anything for him,” Harry lamented. “I can’t even…”

“You can be his friend. That’s all he needs from you right now.”

Harry bowed his head and nodded. It wasn’t enough. He felt so helpless and useless. Once Hannah had left the room, Harry reached for Sev’s hand again, holding it in his.

“I’m here, Sev,” he whispered. “I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again. You’re safe now.” As Snape’s dream continued, Harry wiped the tears from his own face, and whispered, “I won’t leave you, I promise.”

Severus was going spare. He appreciated Harry’s efforts, he really did, but by the fifth day of his recovery at Malfoy Manor--the third day with Harry by his side--he was at his wit’s end. Harry wore his guilt for Severus’s suffering like a beacon, and spent every minute of every day trying to make up for something that wasn’t even his fault. Severus couldn’t get a moment to himself, and for someone who’d spent the last three years confined to a small cell all alone, not to mention that he was a relatively solitary person to begin with, it was suffocating to say the least.

He’d tried to tell Harry in a nice way that Harry should return home. Severus needed time to rest and heal after all, and Harry needn’t be present constantly. He had nurses for that. He tried to give Harry errands that would send him away for a time, such as searching for obscure books in Draco’s library, but Harry inevitably delegated such tasks to one of Draco’s house-elves.

“Sev, why don’t you move back to my place? Wouldn’t it be nice to have your own room back?”

“Harry, please,” Severus said, pinching the bridge of his nose. They’d had this discussion before. Severus couldn’t get away from Harry as it was. The thought of being trapped in Harry’s home with the overeager younger man was overwhelming just now. He needed space, and here at Malfoy manor, at least Draco could try and run interference for him.

“Do you have a headache? I can get your nurse. She can give you a potion for that. Or do you want something to drink? I can get you some water, or make you some juice if you’d prefer. Would you like ice in your drink? Or I could charm a cool cloth for you. Or if you’re hungry…”

“Stop,” Severus said, gritting his teeth. “I don’t need anything but rest.”

“All right,” Harry said, plopping back down in the chair beside Severus’s bed. “Would you like me to read to you? Should I dim the lights? Is the sun bothering you? I can draw the curtains. Or maybe get darker ones? It is awfully bright in here. Should I just let you sleep? Are your dreams still bothering you?”

Severus forced himself to take a deep breath. “Harry, please go home.”

“Go home?” Harry asked, as if he hadn’t understood the words. “Oh! You want to go home? That’s great!” Harry smiled. “Like I’ve said, I’ve got your room all ready for you, and I’m sure the nurses could come there. Then I wouldn’t have to be gone so long to take care of the animals. It would be so nice to have you home again. I could help you…”

“Potter, for Merlin’s sake, just leave me be! How can I possible get any rest with your incessant chatter?” Severus said, dragging a hand across his face. “I know you mean well, but I need a break.”

One look at Harry’s crestfallen and confused expression had Severus biting his tongue.

“You want me to leave?” Harry asked, his eyes wide, his voice breathless.

“Yes.” The word came out harsher than he’d intended, but he did have a headache and he was beyond exhausted.

Harry got to his feet, tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I just wanted to help.”

“I know, Harry,” Severus said. “I just need some time alone. Surely you can understand. Just give me…”

But Harry had fled.

“…a couple of hours,” Severus trailed off, knowing Harry hadn’t heard him. Likely he hadn’t wanted Severus to see his tears. Severus slumped back in his bed, feeling guilty for hurting the sensitive younger man. Before he could dwell too much on it, though, he’d fallen asleep, thankful for the peace and quiet.