the marriage stone (Discontinued)

Chapter 63 - The Heart that Bleeds

They returned to the castle the same way they had left it, following the hidden trail along the lake to the side entrance where Dobby had been waiting for them. This time Remus was standing guard at that hidden door, staring out into the darkness anxiously as he searched for signs of movement. When he spied the three of them making their way up the path, he rushed forward to greet them.

Sirius ran forward to meet Remus, pulling him into a crushing embrace, and from his vantage point behind them, Harry could see how exhausted the werewolf looked. He imagined the man had been worried when Sirius had left to answer the Call. He couldn't help but wonder where Severus was - would he know what had happened this night? It bothered him that he was not there to greet them.

A few moments later Remus pulled Harry into a tight hug as well, saying nothing beyond a simple, "Welcome home." Smiling thankfully Harry followed all of them into the castle, relieved to once again be back on familiar ground.

"I'll walk you down to your rooms, Harry," Dumbledore said once they were safely behind the walls of Hogwarts and the side door was sealed. "I think any discussion can wait until morning. We all need to sleep. I suspect these next few days will be trying for all of us."

Gratefully beyond words, Harry just nodded. He was utterly drained. At the moment he felt as if he could sleep for a week. Despite everything that had happened, his mind felt like it was shutting off - as if he'd passed the point where he could truly think any more.

Promising to see him in the morning, Sirius and Remus headed off toward their own rooms while Harry and Dumbledore made their way down a back stairs toward the dungeons. Dumbledore left him at his own door with nothing more than a gentle squeeze to his shoulder - the old man looked exhausted as well. By the time Harry had entered his room and closed the door behind him, he thought about simply collapsing on the couch in front of the fire. The bed seemed too far away.

Sighing, he pulled off his coat and draped it over the back of the couch - no doubt the house elves would hang it up for him before he had a chance to do so. The fire was lit, warming the place, and there were a few candles here and there indicating that Severus had been here earlier. He wondered where he was now - perhaps he was still brewing potions for the infirmary?

Pushing open the door to their bedroom, he found himself freezing in shock at the sight before him. "Severus," he whispered in horror.

Severus Snape was sitting on the floor in the center of their bedroom. He was stripped down to nothing more than his trousers, even his feet bare on the cold stone floor. But it was the nasty looking dagger he was holding to his arm that held all of Harry's attention. He could see the silver strands of metal that were still wrapped around the Dark Mark upon his forearm where Dumbledore had bound it so many months ago; Severus was trying to pry the dagger beneath those metal strands to cut out the Dark Mark. Blood was welling from beneath the metal wards, dripping down his arm to pool on the stone floor. There was a wild, manic look in his eyes as he cut away at his flesh, trying to stab at the heart of the Mark beneath the wards; he was gasping in pain alternately sobbing and cursing as he fought to free himself from an impossible bond.

Harry's shock gave way instantly to panic and he rushed forward. "Severus!" he shouted, grabbing hold of the dagger and yanking it from the man's hand. He flung it across the room so that it clattered against the far wall, spraying blood as it flew. He tried to press his hands over the wound to stanch the flow of blood. There was so much blood!

"Harry!" Severus cried, grabbing hold of his arms, seeming not to notice the blood he was losing or Harry's desperate attempt to stop it. "I can't get it off, Harry! It won't come off!" There was only madness in those dark eyes, and Harry found himself sobbing in panic as he tried to wrestle against his grip to stop the blood.