Severus sat his glass of red wine off to the side the moment he heard rumbles in the distance. Then the subtle light flashing that came with a thunderstorm.
Severus closed his eyes, recalling moments in his life with him. He always loved Thunderstorms. Loved dancing in the rain as it poured from the heavens. Severus often called him a fool over such sentimental rubbish.
Words, that even now made Severus cringe and regret saying, but they often led to them doing some of their most heartfelt lovemaking, in the bedroom, or whatever room they happen to be in at that moment.
Severus' eyes opened when the crashing thunder shook the small cottage. He stood up and strode off towards the front door. He didn't stop to put on his shoes or even grab a cloak. He just kept on walking into the cold pouring rain in his bare feet. He put his head back, stretched out his arms and just let it rain down on him as the tears began falling.
His Harry would never dance in the rain again.
He would never have the chance to kiss his beloved Harry in the rain.
The chance had passed him by and Severus couldn't take back those moments.
How could he when Harry was gone....
TBC...
Severus lay in the big bed alone after his dance in the rain. His wallowing in grief at missing his lover, had to come to an end before it ate him up completely, until there would be nothing but a hollow shell of a man left.
What was he to do?
Harry was missing. Had been for almost a year, along with Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley.
The war was over. While working on strategies to defeat the enemy, they had taken what they had built together and made a life in this modest cottage. A quiet life away from the world. Harry would leave everyday by Apparition to Uni, where he met Miss Granger for classes. Then one day, Harry didn't come home.
Hours later, Severus Apparated himself to Granger's flat, where she lived behind her parent's home. She was nowhere to be found either. A sinking feeling in his chest led him to Ron Weasley's.
The youngest Weasley male had his own flat near the Ministry in London where he worked as an Auror. Unfortunately, there was no sign of him either, and according to his neighbors, he hadn't been seen for a few days. The sinking feeling turned into fear as he sent off a Patronus message to Albus.
That had been a year ago, and there had been no sighting of Harry or his two friends in that time.
The Auror's searched and found nothing. Alastor said it was like they were there one moment and gone in the next. They knew they were still alive just by the magic of their will scrolls were spelled to activate only on the event of their deaths.
Severus pulled the covers tighter around him as he thought of the coming day. Tomorrow would mark the one year anniversary of Harry and his friend's disappearance. He watched the single candle burn, which he kept burning night after night since that day, waiting for him to come back from wherever he had gone.
Tomorrow he would get up and go about his day as if nothing was wrong, wearing his pride and persona on his sleeve like well made armor.
TBC....
Carefully and delicately, he stepped through the underbrush of the old forest that he and his two companions were treading through. They had been trekking through the thick undergrowth for days now, stopping to rest and eat at night. The Wolf at his side ambled alongside of him, sniffing here and there. Hopping and jumping from log to stump was their other companion, a large wild cat.
Just a little larger than a house cat or a magical Kneazle, this one had the look of a gray tabby with large tuffs of fur coming out of her ears and wild bushy fur and tail. She had been quite vocal about the rain and thunder, but he hadn't. He loved the rain, he remembered. When they passed through a meadow, he danced around, jumping and kicking up his legs into the air as it lightened and thundered around him.
The Wolf had howled into the sky. His own grief echoing into the dark night as his friend danced and ran about the meadow.
They hid during the daylight hours away from human eyes. The Wolf knew that he and the cat could wander about, but their friend couldn't. He would attract the humans and they would be hunting him. And they could only run so far. They began their journey in the south. They kept to the forests at night and day, hiding in caves and thick foliage.
Something was pulling them North. And North they went.
He had been spotted days ago when he stopped to drink at a stream. He had been looking at himself again as he was reflected back. The Wolf knew they needed to move faster and put distance between them and the place where their companion was seen.
Their companion was beautiful with his dark ebony coat and wild mane. But what made him stand out, was the single silver horn that protruded from his forehead.
He was a black unicorn.
And he was also Harry Potter.
The Wolf, also known as Ron Weasley used his instincts to lead them home. Magic was pulling them North. So they kept to their path.
The Cat, Hermione had been caught once and thought was a friendly tabby. As soon as the humans turned their back, she slipped out a window to her waiting pack. Ron had admonished her about being curious. She was safe now as long as she kept to her friends side.
Ron, the wolf had carried her in his mouth once or twice now, when her curiosity got the best of her. Hermione had pouted for days after each time.
As he watched his friend prance in the rain, he thought back to when they were first changed. The memory of who and why was still vague, but he was sure that when they were returned to their rightful bodies, that memory would be clear once more. They would be reunited with their lovers and friends.
Especially Harry who mourned for the loss of his own lover.
So Ron and Hermione watched as he continued to dance around the meadow, then as he slowed down the tears that fell from his eyes to the ground.
Magical moonflowers sprang up from where they fell. Marking this place where he danced and cried. A child of the moon.
Ron added his own mournful howl to the his packmate, as Hermione rubbed up against him in comfort.
The magic pulled again. Stronger now, hopefully that meant they were closer to home.
Home.
TBC....
Severus was standing in his lab when Albus knocked on the door frame. "Severus?"
"Yes, Albus?" he answered still stirring his potion.
"Pomona has had word of Moonflowers blooming in a meadow near one of the Lochs south of here. Her source tells her they are deep purple and blood red, almost black. A few are a deep blue."
Severus stopped stirring, and placed a stasis spell over the delicate brew. "Is her source reliable?" he questioned, facing Albus.
"She thinks so, yes."
Severus' eyes lit up for just a moment, but enough for Albus to know he was hooked. "A black Unicorn, Albus."
"A black Unicorn has not been seen since Merlin's time." Albus tugged on his beard, "Her source says that they identified the tracks of the Unicorn and he is moving North. Do you think he's coming here?"
Severus' eyebrow rose, "He?"
Albus sat down at a table in the corner and called for tea. "Remember when Arthur said muggles had reported seeing a black horse on the loose near Ipswich? One of the muggles thought he was a missing stallion from one of the nearby farms." A house elf appeared and set a tea tray down.
"That was six months ago."
"He has traveled many miles then and only seen once."
Severus looked the small window of his private lab, "When a Black Unicorn cries in sorrow, Moonflowers will spout from the ground where he danced. The deeper the sorrow, the deeper the colors. I wonder if he seeks his mate?" Severus queried.
"Or seeks a new mate from that of our own herd of Unicorns. But I wonder where he came from? The magical forests in the south have small herds and well kept by their keeper."
"A mystery, Albus."
Both men fixed their tea and settled back into the chairs. "I saw Alastor here earlier."
Severus' head fell forward, his hair falling forward, "It's been a year, Albus. Nothing new. But he assured me that they will continue to search as long as the will scrolls are still active."
"Severus?"
Dark eyes moved to meet sad blue ones.
"Harry would not have left you alone if he could help it. Someone had to have taken him and done something we can't decipher as of yet."
"Its been a year. A whole year without him." His voice was low and rough as he continued, "I did not think that I would ever mourn the loss of a lover. He became my world and I feel lost."
Albus swallowed hard and just nodded. There was no words to add. Severus was hurting truly down to his soul.
Where are you, Harry?
Later that afternoon, Severus had several potions brewing as he was working to resupplying Poppy's stores for the Hospital Wing; anything to keep himself busy and his mind away from the outside world.
Away from the continued absence of his lover....only he was surrounded by his presence in his life. Even after a year, Severus could still feel Harry around his lab, his office and his own person. The pillows on their bed still carried the scent of his lover. That alone has kept him sane these past months.
'Severus?'
He closed his eyes. He was going mad. Every now and then he could hear his lover. These moments were the only proof he had that he was still alive.
'Severus? Where are you? I can't find you?'
"Oh Harry, just tell me where you are, and I'll come to you," Severus said in anguish.
The Wolf watch his friend try to rest after the long night of walking. They hid inside of a cave and Ron was watching for intruders at the edge of the entrance. Hermione was curled up next to Harry and even from his place with his keen hearing, he could hear her purring. Sometimes when Harry is restless, the feel of her next to him kept him calm.
But it seems that today, it might not be enough. The afternoon waned as he waited so they could continue their trek. Tonight under the new moon, they would make their way across the Moors that laid ahead then into the highlands that waited.
Ron had in these past few months used these times to try to organize his thoughts and memories of what happen to them. All he could remember was waking up in a stone cell. How long he was there, he couldn't recall. Only that it was a dream-like, then he was a chained to a wall alongside Hermione and Harry.
Someone stood before them in a cloak chanting a spell.
Then nothing.
He wandered about the woods for days, maybe weeks until he found Hermione. She was in a tree, having been chased up there by a large dog.
Together they felt the pull of their best friend.
How long it took to find him, he wasn't sure, only that he was running across fields with other Unicorns, a dark spot amongst the gleaming white coats of his brethren.
Ron remembered he howled. Calling from his own soul to his packmate. Calling him to their side. Harry had stopped in his tracks and reared up on his hind legs, pawing at the air. His own answering cry a joyful sound.
Somehow they communicated to one another and started their way north. A magical pull was calling them, pulling them on a path hopefully home.
In his dreams he missed someone. His heart broke when all he could remember was a shadowy figure reaching out for him.
Hermione said she also dreamed the same.
Harry would only nod his acceptance that he also dreamed the same, but Ron knew there was more.
~!~
Harry was dreaming again. He was laughing at something his lover said as he worked. When he turned to say something to him, he was gone. 'Severus?'
He stood up from sitting on the table, 'Severus, where are you?'
'Here, Harry. Tell me where you are and I'll find you!'
She found the spell while going through her Great-great Aunt Hildegarde's things, that she had inherited. The woman had been sort of a black sheep in the family. She was only spoken of when only family were present.
They spoke of her as though she was a evil woman or a black widow, but she never married. Not when the wizard she had been betrothed to had left her at the altar.
Her father had tried to secure another marriage for her but she was too cold and hard,after that for anyone to want her. And of course, there had been the mysterious disappearance of her formerly betrothed. They never did discover what became of him, and the rumors flew for decades, making her that much more
mysterious and unapproachable. All the better as far as she was concerned, reading the woman's journals. It seemed old Hildegarde had had lots of time on her hands to dabble in both Light and Dark Magicks; quite a bit of it almost forgotten by most, according to the journals.
When she first read the spell, she knew it was the perfect revenge against all three of them; for not including her when they went in search of the Dark Lord's soul fragments.
For not including her in their little circle.
For her brother and Hermione keeping Harry away from her. Always monopolizing his time with Quidditch, exploring the castle on their little adventures, the war, then there was Uni. What would a Lord of two Noble Houses need with a degree? Not when he could lavish his wife with beautiful things and travel around the world, with her on his arm?
And then there was all that hogwash about him being gay! Damn that Severus Snape and his lies! Her Harry couldn't be gay, and definitely not attracted to that ugly greasy git! He had to have fed Harry a potion or cast a spell over him. Hmmm, maybe she could find a spell to use on him too.
It had been perfect when she caught them in her little traps. Who would ever think that she was a threat?
Ginevra Weasley? The youngest daughter of Arthur Weasley and the first girl child born since Hildegarde's birth.
It was perfect revenge. Who would think to look for the last wars hero's disguised as animals?
And in forty-five days, the spell would be irreversible. ... Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger would be forever trapped in their animal forms!
Hildegarde Weasley was quite clever
Severus knew that there was no more ignoring Harry's call, reaching out to him. They had tried scrying before, but maybe there was another way. He and Harry had a link between them. It was becoming stronger. His voice was clearer. He was getting closer to him.
He went into the ritual room, removed his shirt and seated himself in the center of the room. Silently and methodically, Severus began to slowly relax his body and mind, slipping into that clear, peaceful void of the meditative state. Clearing and focusing his mind, he concentrated and sent his inner self out, onto that higher plane, in search of his Harry's consciousness, traveling along that connection they shared. In this state, the connection was actually tangible and easily seen. He followed it.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a meadow. A meadow filled with Moonflowers ranging from blood-red to a deep, almost black, purple. It was sprinkling lightly around him as it had been doing, off and on, for weeks now. Severus searched for any identifying landmarks to indicate where he was. He started through the trees, following the link he held with his Harry. Stopping here and there, searching for anything. When he came to the edge of the forest, he stopped. Before him lay heather moorland. Even in the moonlight, the purples stood out as a spreading sea before him.
In the midst of the deep lavender carpet of flowers stood a black unicorn. Majestic and beautiful, his coat gleamed in the moonlight. The heavy dew coated his bare feet as he walked slowly towards the creature. He lifted a hand towards the silky, ebony mane as if bewitched. Was it as soft as it looked?
The creature jerked his head up from the ground as he approached, but stayed. His eyes were wary as he walked closer. His hand still outstretched before him.
His breath caught in his throat when green eyes focused on him.
'Harry?' he whispered as he came back to himself at his cottage. Severus looked to the ceiling. "Oh Gods, what has happened to you, my Harry?" he questioned, as tears began trailing down his face.
The Wolf watched from his vantage point as his friend walked among the sea of heather on the rugged moorland. The night was cool and the dew was so heavy it clung to their coats. They had stopped to rest before they made the trek the rest of the way across the open land.
His ears pricked up and Hermione had begun hissing when they both felt something in the air. A rising of energy. Ron growled when he saw footsteps appear in the dew covered grass. Step by step they moved closer to the ebony unicorn in the sea of lavender.
Harry's head jerked up as he soon felt the increase of static in the air.
Ron's eyes widened. Magic!
Then it was gone. The magic. The feeling of home was gone.
Harry reared up and cried to the heavens.
But there was no one there to hear his cry.
~!~
Severus stood up on shaky legs and quickly left the ritual room. Staggering towards the Floo, he threw in some powder he took from an urn on the mantle.
"Dumbledore's office!"
He waited a moment before a bearded face appeared. "Severus?"
"Please come through, Albus. I need you."
Wide eyed and surprised, Albus nodded and stepped through as soon as Severus' face disappeared from the flames.
"It's Harry."
"You found him!" Albus' eyes began to twinkle.
"Yes--and no." Sitting down in his favorite armchair which had been Harry's, "I decided to meditate because I have been having flashes and feelings that were not my own. I found him Albus. But something is very wrong!"
"What?" Albus was frowning, worry making his face wrinkle and draw, as he settled in one of the other chairs.
"He's a Unicorn, Albus."
"Oh Dear."
"A black Unicorn, with the same brilliant green eyes. His eyes...it was his eyes that I recognized. He--His intelligence is there. I could see it--sense it."
"Do you think you could find the place where you saw him?"
"He was grazing in a very large heather moorland."
"Think about your surroundings. Did you see anyone else? Miss Granger? Mr. Weasley? Any other clues to his whereabouts?"
Severus shook his head. "There wasn't time enough for me to notice if anyone else was around."
Albus sat back in his chair. "If Harry has been transfigured or cursed, it had to have taken some strong magic." Frowning as he thought of things, "I have a vague memory of someone disappearing and they were never found. Rumors were that his jilted fiance cursed him, though no one ever knew for sure."
"Who would do such a thing? If it was a Death Eater, then they would have killed him and made for damn sure the world knew it as well as Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley."
"If not vengeance? Then what?" Albus stood up and began pacing. "The moonflowers. Harry must have passed that way. He must be heading North. He must be trying to find his way home." Stopping, he turned to face Severus, "Home to you."
"We must begin searching again, now that we have a vague notion of what is happening."
"Yes. We will gather those who had his trust, and only them." Albus frowned again. "Thinking back now, it had to be someone that all three trusted."
Severus so closed off from his emotions looked up Albus. "Impeccably."
"And one capable of such magic."
"Yes. That would preclude Miss Lovegood and Mr. Longbottom."
"The Weasley brothers... no...."
"Draco could not. His magic is restricted as a condition of his freedom."
"Anyone else remaining from Slytherin?"
"No one who survived the Final Battle."
They went through another two dozen or so possibilities and eliminated them all for one reason or another.
Albus thought for a few moments then his expression grew angry. "It seems we have a traitor amongst us."
"Indeed."
TBC....
