Severus looked at the golden bubble around him and Harry in awe. He touched his hand to it and was surprised when he could actually feel the protective shield around them. He could feel Minerva on the other side touching it as well, and he looked down at Harry, who was touching the air as if he could feel Minerva touching him.
"This is remarkable!" Albus exclaimed as he felt the bubble as well. "Can you feel us touching it, Severus?"
Severus nodded as Albus rubbed his hand against the bubble. "Yes, I do. It feels almost like a physical touch to my magical core. I think Harry can feel it as well." His point was proven when Harry giggled when Albus poked the protective bubble.
"I think you are right, Severus. This shield is remarkable and strange. I have never seen one like it before. I wonder..." Albus trailed off as he stroked his beard in an obvious cliche. Before anyone could react, Albus had fired off a cutting curse at Harry. Minerva gasped when the spell struck the shield and was absorbed before being reflected back at Albus with more force and speed than it was fired at. Everyone in the room watched as the spell struck Albus's quickly casted shield and knocked the powerful, old wizard back clear across the Hospital Wing.
"Albus!" Minerva cried as she rushed to see if he was okay. Poppy got to him first and helped him up as he waved her away with a huge grin on his face.
"Oh, I am quite fine, Minerva. Just taken by surprise, is all." Albus said as he straightened his ridiculously brightly colored robes. His grin fell as he heard a loud wailing, and he looked over to see Severus comforting a frightened Harry, Lily easily passing through the bubble as if it wasnt there, though a slight ripple passed through it at her passing.
"For Merlin's sake, you old coot! What were you thinking?! You just fired a spell at an abused child! Have you absolutely lost your mind?!" Severus hissed at him as he stroked Harry's hair and rocked him in his arms soothingly. Lily's ghost hand was rubbing Harry's back as she muttered comforting words in his ear while her eyes were glaring daggers at Albus.
"Oh, dear, it was not my intention to frighten him. I was merely testing the effects an offensive spell had on the shield. I am sorry, Lily, Severus." Albus said with worry and regret in his voice. Lily just glared at him.
"You know you never seize to amaze me, Albus. I've always thought you were a bright man, but your actions recently seem to have proven me wrong." Severus held Harry closer, rubbing the child's back as Harry sobbed in fear.
"You're lucky that there's some powerful magic at work at the moment or I'd be taking you to the afterlife with me for your stupidity and utter recklessness!" Lily hissed in repressed anger, her hair slowly falling back onto her shoulders as she turned back to care for Harry, though her hauntingly green eyes never left Albus.
"Sev'rus, that was mean of Balbus!"
"Yes, it was. But your mother is making sure he doesnt try it again."
Harry looked up with teary eyes to see his mother's hair floating back down and Albus cowering back in shame. He looked up at Severus, his big green eyes shining with trust and adoration. "You wont let him hurt me too, right?"
Severus looked down at those big green eyes and swallowed hard as he realized they were having more of an effect on him than his mother's ever did. How could he say no to those? And why would he ever want to?
Their magic swelled again as he opened his mouth to speak, lacing his words with magic, turning them into an unbreakable vow as he said, "I promise that I will always protect you, and do everything I possibly can to make sure nobody hurts you."
The magic took hold silently, giving no sign to anybody in the room of the monumental promise he just made, and the effect it would have on both Harry's and Severus's lives.
