the marriage stone (Discontinued)

Chapter 41 - Feral

"You'll speak to him yourself, Remus!" Harry said in a panic. "And he won't be married! We'll find some way around this! You'll see Remus! It will work out. It has to."

"Mr. Potter!" Madam Pomfrey's voice caught Harry by surprise and he whirled around. The Medi-witch stood just outside the opened door to Remus' private room. She had her wand out. "Come out of there at once! How did you sneak passed me?" Oddly enough she made no attempt to approach them, remaining just outside the doorway.

"I just wanted to see Remus," Harry explained.

She motioned him toward her, looking both frantic and angry. "Come away from there at once! You shouldn't be here! Step away from him!"

Harry frowned, and looked back at Remus. The man was glaring across the room at Madam Pomfrey, his yellow eyes gleaming dangerously in the morning sunlight that seeped in through the tall narrow window along the outer stone wall. There was a low growl emanating from his throat.

"Remus?" Harry asked uncertainly.

Remus flicked his gaze toward Harry, seeming to be struggling with emotion. "She's right, Harry," he growled. "You shouldn't be here. It isn't safe."

But Harry shook his head. Severus was acting oddly, Sirius was gone, the Ministry had gone mad, nothing made sense any more. He wasn't going to just walk away and abandon Remus. He grabbed a chair that was leaning against the wall, and slammed it down loudly against the stone floor next to Remus' bed. Then he planted himself stubbornly in the seat, folding his arms. "I'm not going anywhere," he stated. "I'm not leaving you here all chained up like this. It isn't right!"

Madam Pomfrey huffed in irritation and stormed angrily back toward her office.

It was blind panic that drove Severus through the castle and up toward the Headmaster's tower. He had attacked Harry - nearly hurt him, or worse. Amid the rage that had overcome him had been a very strong dose of lust as well. Whatever madness had gripped him last night, had not dissipated apparently. Not if he was still feeling this out of control.

And what about Harry's words - that his eyes had turned yellow? A trick of the light surely - but what if it had not been? What if it had been something magical - something dangerous and he really was a true threat to those around him? Right now he felt so out of control he wasn't certain what he was capable of doing.

He reached the gargoyle and snarled out the password, leaping onto the spinning staircase and riding it to the top of the tower. The door at the top opened immediately and he strode inside without bothering to wait for an invitation. The Headmaster, seated behind his desk, stood to greet him, frowning when he saw the expression on Severus' face.

"Albus! Something is wrong with me!" Severus shouted and then strode toward the tall window that looked out over the icy Loch far below. But he couldn't stand still, even for such a breath-taking view. He turned immediately and began pacing back and forth across the carpet covering the stone floor.

"Severus," Albus Dumbledore said mildly. "I want you to come sit down and drink this."

"I don't want any damned tea!" Severus shouted. "Something is wrong! I attacked Harry!"

"Is he hurt?" Dumbledore asked immediately.

"What?" Severus turned and glared at him. "No, of course not! I wouldn't hurt Harry. How dare you suggest that I would -"

"You just said-" Dumbledore began.

"He's sixteen, Albus!" Severus cried, whirling about to begin pacing again. "How can I be thinking such things about a sixteen-year-old? He's my student for Salazar's sake!" And then a thought occurred to him and he turned and snarled at Dumbledore, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You made me marry him! This is your fault! I never would have dreamed of touching him if it hadn't been for your STUPID IDEA!"