CRACK!
"FRED! WHERE'S FRED?!" Harry started yelling the moment he landed in his sitting room and looked around the empty space.
Harry didn't care what Snape said, if Fred was hurt then he'd go back and kill every single Death Eater he found.
"Up here!" Someone yelled from the stairs, it sounded like Theo.
Harry ran up the staircase and burst in to his room, taking little notice of his friends huddled together on a little sofa in the sitting room Theo designed for the front part of their bedroom. Instead he zeroed in on the tall, lanky, redhead in Harry's bed.
"Hey darlin'," Fred grinned. "Were you worried about me?"
Harry felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders as he launched himself towards the bed and knelt beside it.
"It's m-my fault, I'm s-sorry," he stammered, looking up at Fred and hoping he would understand. "I didn't m-mean for it to happen- I thought you were s-safe- I'm sorry."
Someone behind Harry put their hand on his shoulder and he jumped to his feet, whipped around, and had his knife to their throat before he blinked and realized who it was.
"Fuck, Cissa."
"Language darling, there are ladies present," Cissa said softly, gently lowering Harry's arm with a light touch to his wrist. "I did not mean to startle you, I merely wanted to tell you that Mister Weasley is fine. He was only stunned. He has a mild concussion but nothing that cannot be treated as soon as Severus gets home and grants me access to his potions."
It didn't matter what Cissa said. Snape would have to check Fred when he got here. Snape had healed Harry loads of times, Cissa hadn't. He liked her, but he didn't trust her when it came to healing like he did Snape.
Harry glanced around the room quickly and saw that Theo, Hermione, Susan, Draco, George, and Ron were the only other people left in the room.
"Where's everyone else?" he asked quickly. "Lue? Nev? Johnny and Hannah?"
"I took them home," Cissa said. "I thought that their parents would be relieved to have their children by their side when the news breaks of the attack tonight."
Harry nodded shortly. Theo, like Harry, had no parents. George and Ron's Dad was already at the campsite along with Susan's aunt. And Hermione's parents were Muggles.
Harry looked around his room again quickly and carefully to make sure there wasn't anyone else around before he turned back to Fred.
"You- You're okay?" he asked hesitantly.
"Right as rain," Fred smiled up at him and held out his hand. Harry hesitantly grabbed it and Fred laced their fingers together and squeezed gently.
"You should have left," Harry said hoarsely. "I told you to go."
"And let you have all the fun yourself?" Fred clicked his tongue. "No way. I wasn't leaving you behind."
Your fault, a nasty voice in his head whispered.
"Get out," Harry said over his shoulder to his waiting friends.
"We are having a fucking conversation later Harry James," Susan snarled before slamming the door as they all left.
Harry didn't care if Susan was mad. She got mad every time that Harry didn't let her get in a fight. She'd get over it like she usually does.
Probably.
She was alive and safe and that's all that matters. Harry had kept them all of the rest of them safe by sending them to his house with Mavis, even if they didn't like it.
It was only Fred that he let down.
"How angry are you?" Harry asked.
"Angry?" Fred's eyebrows flew high before scrunching down over his eyes. "Why would I be angry?"
"Cause you got hurt and it was my fault," Harry said.
"C'mere," Fred patted the bed beside him and gave Harry a lopsided grin. "Please?"
Harry hesitated while he debated with himself quickly. He didn't really want to be on the bed once Fred realized how mad he was at Harry for getting him hurt. But... but Harry had fucked up, hadn't he? He should have made Fred leave right away when he first sent Luna with Mavis. He knew better.
People who hated you always tried to take what was yours, and those scumbags could have taken Fred away forever tonight.
"'Kay," he said quietly. If Fred wanted to scream or smack him around or whatever, it wouldn't be any better because Harry was standing. It would hurt just as much either way.
Harry crawled over Fred's legs and settled himself as close to the wall on the opposite side of the bed as he could, dropping Fred's hand to get as much space between them as possible.
"Why was it your fault I got stunned?" Fred asked, turning to look at Harry with his steady blue eyes.
"They were comin' for me, weren't they? And- and I shouldn't have let you stay, I should have sent you back with Theo and Susan," Harry rambled nervously, already having figured out how badly he'd messed up the second he saw that guy in the mask dragging Fred off towards the woods. "And what if I hadn't seen him? Huh? He could have done anything to you Fred! Because I'm an idiot! You shouldn't have been there!"
"Hey, hey, that's enough," Fred said firmly, but not unkindly. "Harry I wouldn't have left without you. Theo and Mavis might have been able to drag Susan off, but nothing could have made me leave while you were there."
"Then I should have left!" Harry yelled. "I should have left and brought you back myself! You could have died! Or- or been hurt real bad!"
"You wouldn't have left," Fred said, his calm demeanor not matching Harry's internal anger.
He'd messed up.
Bad.
That Death Eater hurt Fred and almost killed Snape and who's fault was it?
Harry's.
"I-Why aren't you doing anything?" Harry yelled. "This was MY FAULT!"
"What d'you want me to do Harry?"
"Anything! You almost died and it was my fault! Just- just get even and forgive me, yeah?"
Harry didn't want to owe Fred for this. He wanted Fred to get even and then things could be normal. If he didn't do it now then he could cash in on it anytime he wanted. And it would be worse if Harry wasn't expecting it. Everything hurt a little less when you were ready for it.
"Get even?" Fred asked quietly. "Harry, how am I supposed to get even?"
"I don't know!" Harry yelled, frustrated. "I-I got you hurt, and-" Harry just remembered something else Fred would probably be mad about. "-and I hurt your brother. So just..." Harry clenched his eyes shut and stuck his chin out determinedly. "Just get it over with and we can go back to normal."
Fred didn't say anything for a long moment and Harry listened to his own harsh breathing in the still silence.
"Harry... Merlin... D'you think I'm gonna hit you?"
Harry jerked his shoulders in a rough shrug.
"Or whatever," he choked out, drawing up as much of his mental barriers as he could. "Just- whatever you think w-will make us even."
"Harry."
Harry opened one of his eyes slowly at Fred's strangled tone. Fred was staring at him, he had his hands buried in his own hair and his lips pursed tightly shut.
"What?" Harry asked when Fred didn't say anything for several minutes.
"I'm not going to hit you," Fred said slowly.
"You have to," Harry said, beginning to feel a little frantic about it now. "Fred I-I don't wanna owe you later. Okay? So..." Harry grimaced and tried to sound as uncaring as he could. "Or d-d'you want me to do something instead?"
"Like what?" Fred asked, his voice soft.
Harry took a deep breath.
He could do this.
He's done it before.
It wasn't a big deal.
He liked Fred. Thought Fred was fit and funny and brilliant.
It would be better this time.
Probably.
Most importantly, it would make them even.
"We can have s-sex," Harry offered quietly, looking down at the quilt on the bed as he rubbed his thumbs over the soft yarn. "Or- or I can just do you... if-if you want."
Harry didn't look up at Fred after he made his offer. Either Fred would accept it or he wouldn't. And Harry was fighting like hell to keep his face blank right now, he wouldn't be able to keep it up if he had to look at Fred.
"Yeaaaah," Fred drew the word out slowly. "We definitely aren't doing that."
Harry tried to swallow down the lump he felt in his throat at Fred's quiet words.
He needed to get out of there before Fred realized he was just as pathetic right now as he was weak during the fight.
He couldn't protect Fred. Couldn't protect Snape until it was almost too late. And Fred...
Fred didn't want him.
Which stung more than Harry thought it would.
"'Kay... Well... I'll just go... and when you feel better... you... you don't have to stay," Harry scooted to the end of the bed so he could get down without having to climb over Fred again.
"Harry, wait-" Fred reached out for him but Harry flinched away before he could grab him. "Are you, Merlin, are you crying?"
"No," Harry snarled, even though he felt one weak traitorous tear trailing down his face. "'M not fuckin' crying. You don't want me. I can't make us even. It's brill, ain't it?"
"There's nothing for us to be even about!" Fred said loudly, causing Harry to turn and face him from his new defensive position flat against the wall. "I'm not angry! You didn't do anything wrong! And I'm not having sex with you because you feel guilty!"
"Then you're gonna want something later and I don't want to wait!" Harry yelled back, glad to feel angry now instead of weak. "You've gotta tell me what you want now!"
"I want you to not offer to let me screw you because you're upset! It's- that's barmy Harry! That's not how a relationship works! It's not-"
"That's how the world works Fred," Harry interrupted him curtly, unsure why he was starting a fight with someone he didn't want to fight with. "The real world? The world outside of magic and quidditch and a huge fuckin' family that cares about you? That's how it works."
"WELL IT BLOODY WELL SHOULDN'T!" Fred yelled, running his hands through his hair roughly. "Merlin's teeth, that's so bloody disturbing I don't even know what to say!"
"Disturbing am I?" Harry sneered. "I don't need this. I don't- I don't have to sit here and be insulted."
Harry jumped off the bed and rushed out of the room, ignoring whatever Fred shouted behind him, but hearing something go crashing to the floor clear as day.
He stormed down the stairs, intending to find Snape, and drew up short when he found Black in the sitting room with Theo, Cissa, and Draco.
"Where's Mione and Susan?" he asked. "And Snape? Where's Snape?"
Snape had been in the woods when he sent Harry home. Harry wouldn't have gone, except he was worried about Fred and he figured Snape would be right behind him.
"Moony took the girls home," Black said, a pinched expression on his face. "And... and Snape's in a holding cell at the ministry."
Harry blinked at Black for a long moment, his mind hardly processing what he said.
"What did you just say?"
"Snape's in a holding cell being interrogated about what happened tonight."
"YOU LET THEM TAKE SNAPE TO JAIL?!" Harry yelled. "HAVE YOU LOST THE FUCKING PLOT?"
"Language darling," Cissa said softly. "Lucius is with him now. It is only a holding cell for interrogations. He will return home to you."
"What the fuck?" Harry whispered. He had no idea how this day had gone so sideways, but he strongly suspected it might be his fault. "Why... what was he arrested for? We fought those scumbags too! How come you're not in jail?" he asked Black sharply, vowing to himself that he'd strangle him with his bare hands if he pulled a Pettigrew and ran off when Snape got arrested.
"Snape killed one of the Death Eaters Pup," Black said in a solemn voice. "He confessed, but even though he admitted to it being self defense, there was a lot of confusion with the wands and who cast what and they took him in to sort it out."
Harry felt all the blood in his body rush to his head and he swayed in his spot.
"Snape... confessed?" he asked weakly, bracing himself on the bookcase. "Who? Who did he kill?"
"It was the tall one with the mask in the woods you guys ran after," Black said.
It wasn't 'might be' his fault that the day had gone so sideways. It was definitely his fault.
"Why would Snape say he killed him?" Harry choked out. "Why w-"
"Boys, bed, now," Cissa interrupted him with an uncharacteristically sharp order to Draco and Theo.
Harry didn't notice their sullen looks and shuffling steps as they went up to Harry and Theo's bedroom. He felt the faint shiver of magic that felt like a silencing charm but he was too focused on his own thoughts to question it just then.
It didn't make any sense.
Why would Snape confess to something he didn't do? Snape was a genius. He was the smartest person Harry had ever met. Why would he do that?
"Harry, listen to me very carefully," Cissa said, moving to her feet so she could duck and put her face right in front of Harry's. "Severus already admitted to it. But Lucius is with him now. And he's going to bring him home. Do not say a single word more. Do you understand?"
"But... Snape didn't-"
"No, Pup, he confessed. They have a spell on his wand that matches his story. That's all they care about," Black said in an intense sort of voice. "Nothing anyone says will change it, only make it worse."
"They'll throw him in Azkaban," Harry whispered. "They- they don't care about the laws do they? You know that. They'll just- just lock him up forever."
And then where would Harry be? If Snape was rotting away in Azkaban because of something Harry did? He couldn't do all this alone. Without Snape.
"They can't have him, I need him," he admitted, looking up at Black with pleading eyes. "Will you go get him? Or I'll go? I can call up the Minister. Just show me where to go."
"No," Cissa said firmly. "Harry you cannot. Lucius will have him home soon. You will make it worse if you show up with wild tales of false confessions."
"BUT IT IS FALSE!" Harry yelled, his voice cracking. "I KILLED THAT DEATH EATER! IT WASN'T HIM! THEY CAN'T FUCKIN ARREST HIM FOR WHAT I DID!"
"They can and they did," Black said sharply. "Snape confessed Pup. You won't take that away by saying you did it. I don't care if you killed a bystander to be damned honest, if Snape wants to take the fall for you over it, then you will bloody well let him."
"You- you just hate him!" Harry accused him. "You'd be happy if he was in Azkaban wouldn't you? Cissa," he turned to Draco's mum, his cousin. "Cissa, will you take me there?"
"No darling," Cissa shook her head gently. "We need to wait until we hear from Lucius, alright?"
They didn't get it. This was his fault.
His fault.
His fault.
His fault.
Harry hissed at them both and stomped up the stairs. He hesitated though when he reached for his door handle- Draco and Theo were in there. And so was... so was Fred.
He spun on his heel and threw open Snape's bedroom door and flung himself on Snape's bed. What did it matter if he broke their rule about staying out of each other's rooms now? Snape was in jail.
And it was Harry's fault.
The lump Harry felt in his throat earlier welled back up and Harry barely threw up a hasty locking charm on Snape's doorway before he felt it choking him and making his eyes water.
It was all his fault.
He'd cocked it all up with Fred and Snape was going to Azkaban because Harry killed that guy.
Harry laid face down in the middle of Snape's bed and tried to hold it back, tried so hard his shoulders were heaving with the strain, but eventually he broke and he let all of his anger at himself come out in tears and wails.
'You ruin everything, boy,' his Uncle had hissed at him through the vent on the cupboard door when he was younger.
And he was right. Harry ruined Snape's life. Ruined it with Fred. Just... just ruined everything.
He just laid there for hours, not quite sleeping but not quite awake either. He had a painful reminder of the way he used to sleep when he was hidden in an alleyway or abandoned building, which of course set off another round of tears. These ones thankfully silent.
At some point, when the sun was still rising, and Harry thought he was probably bone dry from as much as he'd cried, Mavis popped in to Snape's room and quietly handed Harry his medicine and a glass of water.
"Mister Snoop would not want Master to miss his nasty muggle medicine," he squeaked out solemnly. "Master needs to take his medicine and come eat the breakfast Mavis has made."
Harry stared down at the stupid white pill in his hand and would have thrown it away except... except he already let Snape down once today. Or, yesterday he supposed. The least he could do was take the pill that Snape was so strict over.
It wouldn't help Snape get out of jail, but it did ease the knot of guilt in Harry's stomach just a little.
"Thanks Mavis," he croaked out, his voice hoarse and raspy. He swallowed the pill down quickly before he could change his mind. "What time is it?"
"Six which means it's time for Master Potter and Mister Theo to be eating breakfast."
"Is anyone else here?" Harry asked, fighting down a surge of hope.
He knew it was stupid to hope for things. He wasn't a toddler whinging in a cupboard anymore. But he wanted Snape back. He didn't deserve to go to jail for what Harry did.
"Only Mister Theo and Mister Mutt," Mavis said, his eyes sad as if he knew who Harry was hoping for.
Even Mavis' title for Black wasn't enough to draw even a weak grin from Harry. He knew it was no use trying to argue with Mavis though, Mavis was tiny but he was stubborn as hell. If he'd decided that Harry needed to go downstairs to eat breakfast, then downstairs Harry would go.
Harry slunk down the staircase behind Mavis quietly, listening closely for any sign that there was anyone in the house besides the people Mavis listed off.
His shoulders slumped when he walked in the kitchen and it was only Black and Theo at the table.
"Cissa and Draco went home to shower and change real quick," Black said, pulling a chair out for Harry with his foot. "Come eat."
"Fred's mum called around four and demanded Fred get home," Theo murmured quietly, his skin ashen like he hadn't slept much either. "He said he'd come back if you wanted him too."
Harry shrugged, no bloody point anymore, was there?
Harry picked at his food, making a few honest efforts at taking bites when Mavis cleared his throat pointedly. Eventually though he was just mashing it together in to an unappetizing lump in the center of his plate.
"Can I do anything for you?" Black asked gently. "You look like you could use a few more hours of sleep."
"Yeah," Harry nodded absently. "I- I didn't sleep much. Might just go lay down for a bit."
"You can have our room," Theo said. "I'll read in the sitting room so I don't bother you."
Harry waved him off, already getting up and heading back to Snape's room. It was nice in there, quiet and peaceful, a bit like Snape himself.
Harry pulled back the thick grey comforter on Snape's bed, curled up beneath it, and tossed his glasses on Snape's nightstand table.
You got what you wanted, you're sleeping in the bigger bedroom.
Harry would sleep in the fuckin' shed if it meant Snape came back. He laid there and counted his breath's as he tried to come up with a plan.
He'd sleep for a couple of hours then if Malfoy still wasn't back with the right answers, he'd floo straight to Fudge's office himself and get Snape released. He didn't care what he'd have to do- Snape wasn't going to sit in Azkaban with the dementors because Harry killed that guy.
A plan now formed, he let himself sleep more soundly than he had for the few hours he'd rested last night.
Harry had fallen asleep so hard that it took a few minutes of someone stroking his bangs off his face before it broke through his sleep and he bolted upright. He blinked a few times, hesitant to trust his own vision without his glasses, before he finally found his voice:
"Snape!" Harry let out a strangled sort of laugh and practically threw himself at the man, choked sobs escaping him once again.