A Bond for the Ages

Chapter 54

Severus' hands shot out to hold Harry's arms as the Gryffindor wavered where he stood, threatening to crash to the floor without the support. Yet, Harry was quick to wrench from his grasp, stumbling until he caught himself on the wall. Severus watched as Harry used a sleeve to swipe at the blood trickling from his nose, as his face tightened with obvious pain, and as his head jerked as though being struck. Between the boy's actions, the nearly complete lack of magic he could feel, and the growing agony in his own arm, Severus found himself angry, irrationally so.

Was it irrational when it was in response to the pure fear he felt knowing the boys he loved—his boys—were going through something and he could do nothing to help them because they wouldn't let him?

"I have had enough. Tell me what's going on."

Harry's eyes flicked to him, but quickly darted away as he wiped his upper lip again. "Nothing."

"Really?" Severus arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "You'll forgive me if I'm not convinced given the entirety of the last month and a half and the current situation."

Harry glared, still avoiding steady eye contact. "Believe what you want. Never stopped you before."

Severus' eyes narrowed, recognizing the anger for what it was. "You're Occluding."

"No, I'm not."

"Then look at me," Severus demanded.

He watched Harry's eyes continue to dart around as his face filled with strain, obviously fighting to decide whether to obey or not. He didn't necessarily need the boy to look at him, didn't necessarily need to Legilimize Harry to know he was symptomatic of full and constant Occlusion, but he did need to see the extent. It was obvious to him that Harry was Occluding his mind, not just memories, which was cutting off his emotional range, leaving him with nothing but rage and nosebleeds from the mental strain. However, he needed to know if there was more, needed to know what else Harry was forcibly hiding from not only the world, but himself, all of which would do nothing but hurt the boy.

When Harry didn't seem to be capable of deciding, Severus stepped closer.

"Look. At. Me," he repeated with his own barely concealed anger.

The tone and his proximity seemed to work as Harry finally looked at him with enraged defiance. As their eyes met, Severus quickly and wordlessly slipped into the Gryffindor's mind only to retreat immediately when he felt like he was viciously burnt.

"Harry, let me in."

"No!"

Severus took another step and reached out to Harry as the boy backed up into the wall he'd been holding onto, quickly realizing he had nowhere to go. Severus grasped Harry's left arm before gripping the Gryffindor's chin firmly, forcing their eyes to meet again. Prepared for the burning sensation as he entered, he pushed through until he was in Harry's mind where his eyes widened again. If he wasn't so concerned about the harm Harry was causing to himself, he would be impressed with what he was witnessing.

There was nothing but fire. Harry's wall was extraordinary, huge and blazing and encompassing everything. Harry wasn't just keeping out basic Legilimency attacks and hiding important memories. He had absolutely everything concealed behind the fire. There were no open paths to any part of Harry's mind. As he stood there, the fire was hot and the flames licked at him. Every time something tried to pass through the fire, in or out, it grew and consumed whatever it was.

"There you are."

The hissing voice of Voldemort drifting around through the crackling fire startled Severus.