A Second Soul

Chapter 4 ~in which~ Hogwarts Welcomes its Newest House

Harry had decided to leave the dungeons. He didn't know where anything was down there except for the common room and didn't want to risk getting lost. Trying to decide where to go, he realized he didn't know Hogwarts nearly as well as he thought he did. Without Gryffindor tower, he was practically lost. Deciding he required a room, with a bed, he realized it was obvious where he should be going. Making his way out of the dungeons, Harry thought he heard distant footsteps but continued on- there was no one here that wanted to talk to him.
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Somehow managing to avoid running into anyone, Evan walked along a corridor on the seventh floor of the castle. Then stopped, turned, backtracked his steps, and repeated. Suddenly a door appeared as if it had been there the entire time and Severus couldn't help but be awed.

At the sound of a quill hitting the floor Harry (Evan) spun on his heels to find Severus on his knees trying to pick up his school things scattered in front of him.

"How did you do that?"

"None of your business. Why are you here anyway? Shouldn't you be with Malfoy talking about how uncultured and worthless I am?" Harry felt petty but couldn't help being angered by the whole situation.

"Obviously not since I'm up here and he's probably still down there slack jawed. I've never done something he didn't want before."

Severus smiled as though surprised with himself for going against Lucius' wishes.

"What do you want then?" Harry asked somewhat cautiously.

"Didn't you want a tour of the dungeons?"

"I get the feeling I'm not welcome there."

"So do I sometimes. Well, most times actually. But we don't really have much choice. We need to sleep somewhere."

"I've got my own place, thanks." Harry replied miffed at the thought of going back down there and sharing a room with Draco's father.

Severus looked rather crestfallen that his almost friendship was obviously no longer a thing and pensive at the thought of facing Lucius alone.

"Ok. I'll just go." He said, almost too quietly for Evan to hear. He had collapsed into himself, trying to prepare for the hell he would have to face alone tonight. Harry caught a glimpse of the emotions clawing at Snape's face and immediately felt the need to protect.

Latching onto his arm, Harry pulled him back into a hug. He wasn't truly sure what drove him to do this other than the sense of pure hopelessness radiating off of the black haired boy, so achingly similar to what he felt whenever he had been forced back to the Dursley's. Harry, his arms still held around Severus, couldn't help the thought that the boy wasn't nearly as frail as he appeared, it seemed it was in the way he held himself that made Snape seem so weak.

Evan froze as Severus broke down in tears. He couldn't believe this emotional boy with such telling eyes could ever have become the emotionless shell that had all but terrorized him for the past 7 years. He couldn't help but wonder if his current emotional state had been what led Snape to join Voldemort's ranks in the first place. It seemed the man had always led a rather painful, lonesome life.

"It'll be ok, Sev. Er...I mean... Severus."

Severus had to take a moment to calm his breathing and stifle his sobs, "I don't really-"he paused to take another calming breath, "I don't really mind."

Harry broke out of his thoughts to see Snape was blushing, obviously embarrassed at his tear stained display.

"Sev. Would you like to stay in my dorm room?"

Severus stared at him in obvious confusion still calming from his horribly embarrassing breakdown. Harry released his arms and backed to the wall with the magical door, walking past it three times, this time talking out loud.

"I need a dorm room with two beds, a common room, a bathroom, and a kitchen with access to food" Evan repeated each time he walked past the door.

Walking back to Severus, he grabbed his arm and drug him into a beautiful common room decorated with pearly white and shimmering opal. Above the common room was a large loft, an intricate railing on the curved flight of stairs, and two doors that presumably contained  each of their beds. Attached to the common area on one side was a spacious kitchen filled with every cooking implement imaginable, and on the other side was a door that currently hung ajar, leading to a bathroom with a huge jet bathtub and a modern looking shower with a sliding glass door; the tiles seemed to be made from pure opal.

"Maybe we should come up with a name for our new house," Harry smiled and turned to Severus who's dark eyes began rolling back, obviously too shocked to process everything so suddenly. Harry, cliche as it may be, caught him just before he hit the floor.