In Essence Divided

[ Recovery ]

"Are you awake?" Harry's green eyes were blinking sleepily at him.

"Yes, my dear?"

"I don't get to wake you up in the morning anymore. You're also always awake when I fall asleep. Have you been sleeping at all?"

"I have no need of sleep."

"But you'd feel better if you slept!"

"I don't think so." Each time he closed his eyes, he saw Harry lying in a pool of his own blood. It was far more restful to watch Harry sleep in his arms, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.

"You can't avoid it forever!"

"It won't be forever, my dear." Just until Harry agreed to the ritual, and became truly his. "Now, we should get up. Your godfather is visiting this morning." To keep Harry entertained during his recovery, Voldemort had arranged for him to have many visitors, though he only allowed one group a day. He didn't want Harry to claim he was fine while secretly battling exhaustion.

Sirius Black didn't come alone, as Voldemort had expected. Severus was with him. Black enveloped Harry into a hug, then said, "I swear to you, if any members of the Order had anything to do with this, I will wring their neck myself."

Harry's godfather was the type of man to wear his heart on his sleeve; Voldemort had no need of Leggilimency to see the sheer fury radiating from him. Severus very much was not, yet the intensity of his scowl showed that he was just as angry as Black. He met Voldemort's eyes and said, "My lord, please allow Sirius and I to find the culprits."

"You have your theory already."

"The explosion came through the floor, and the Auror Office is just below Harry's."

"You think an Auror attacked me?" asked Harry, clearly taken aback by the possibility.

"That wouldn't be so strange," said Black. "Remember Crouch? People will grow to great lengths to hunt who they think are Dark wizards. For many, your relationship with Voldemort makes you just as guilty as him."

"Besides, there were many Dark spells the culprits could have used, that would have been far deadlier than the Blasting Curse. However, most Aurors are reluctant to use Dark magic," added Severus.

"So they wouldn't use the Killing Curse, but making anyone standing in my office explode is fine?" said Harry scathingly.

"Dark magic's rather poorly defined. Killing is killing in my book, whichever spell you use to do it." Black shook his head in annoyance. "So can we continue with our investigation?"

"I have no objection. Harry?"

His beloved looked at Black attentively. "No matter how mad you are, you'll make sure whoever's arrested actually did it, right?"

He huffed in annoyance. "Of course. Hard evidence only."

"Alright then." They started discussing other topics, and Voldemort stopped paying attention.

"I'm surprised you're not leading the investigation yourself," said Harry once his guests had left.

"I need to stay and watch over you, my dear."

Harry sighed. "I thought, if I stayed close to you, you would feel more comfortable, but you're watching me as if I'm going to disappear any minute. You can't even sleep in your own bed, with me right next to you. Is there anything that would make you feel better?"

Part of Voldemort wanted to say that only the ritual would give him true peace of mind, but he didn't want to push Harry too far, too fast. After many months spent researching the ritual, he'd found the bond must be reciprocal, and it was better not to force it either. If Harry started to resist in the middle of the ritual, it could end disastrously. "I don't know. I know that you are safe with me, but I guess some part of me doesn't truly believe it."