Snape immediately rushes to Dumbledore's office, his cloak billowing behind him, and it was obvious to anyone passing by that you didn't want to simply look at him the wrong way or you were sure to get hexed.
"We need the Aurors there as soon as possible." Snape insisted the moment he stepped into the office, ignoring Draco and Hermione, whom were still sitting in their chairs.
"Calm yourself, Severus. I will have everything situated when the time is right."
"When the time is right? Are you insane Albus? When exactly will the time be right?! They are torturing him! He's suffered the Cruciatus Curse countless times, I couldn't even figure out how many! If we delay even in the slightest, he will most certainly die!"
Albus sighed, placing his hands on his desk, folded.
"I will do what I can, Severus, but you must know that there is only so much I can do. Do not expect more of me."
Snape sighs, collapsing in a chair, his head in his hands.
"I just hope he will be able to hold this out..."
Harry, meanwhile, was scared.
He didn't know what to do.
He found that going into his Phoenix form made the pain more bearable, so he did that, changing back whenever someone walked by.
Days passed, countless days, and Harry had begun to lose hope in Snape.
Was he lying...?
Was he really one of Voldemort's followers...?
One day, he got an idea.
Harry's cell door was opened, but he was hiding under the bed.
The Death Eater looked around, confused.
The man stepped inside, looking around more, and the moment he was a good distance from the door, Harry ran from under the bed, past the Death Eater, and out the cell, slamming the door shut behind him.
Harry ran, not knowing where he was going, until he reached where Voldemort was, which was also where the exit was.
Harry transformed into his Phoenix form, walking out into the center of the room nonchalantly, earning the attention of all the occupants.
"Is that a Phoenix...?" One Death Eater mumbled in confusion.
"It is.." Voldemort said. "Curious as to how it got here."
"Perhaps it is lost..?"
"Perhaps.."
Harry tapped his foot on the ground repeatedly, gaining interest in the noise that his talons made against the stone cave floor.
It was highly satisfying.
He tapped his beak on the floor, not as satisfied, so he went back to his talons, enjoying the noise.
He should've done this earlier - this was very soothing and fun.
"What is it doing...?"
"It doesn't seem to be doing anything suspicious... Just.. Amusing itself..?"
Small chatter rippled through the Death Eaters.
"Allow me to call Severus. If it is injured, that might be why it is not flying away."
Harry heard this, but resisted the urge to look up, and he continued tapping to distract himself.
A few minutes later, Snape appeared beside Voldemort, having been summoned.
"Yes, My Lord...?" He asks quietly.
"This Phoenix landed in our headquarters. It could be of use, go check if it is injured."
Snape nods and turns to Harry, who had looked up and stopped tapping.
Snape walked over to him, kneeling down and performing a diagnostics spell on him, mumbling quietly, almost inaudibly, "Is that you..?"
Harry gives a small nod.
"Escape safe... Phoenixes have a brilliant sense of direction, so I'm sure you do as well. Go east for as long as you can, and eventually you will reach Hogwarts. You may have to take breaks periodically. The journey should take about three days, perhaps four. Make sure you find a significant amount of food."
Harry lays his head on Snape's shoulder, closing his eyes.
He missed him...
He felt his eyes tear up, and one fell, staining Snape's robes.
"Severus." Voldemort hissed, and Snape looked to Voldemort before looking to Harry, immediately pulling out an empty vial and holding it under the Phoenix's eye, gathering the tears.
Harry looked up at him with confusion.
"Your tears are a very valuable ingredient in potions." Snape explains, bottling the liquid and slipping it into his robes.
"Why are you explaining that to a bird?" One of the Death Eaters ask.
"It looked curious." Snape responded, standing up.
He thought for a moment as an idea came to mind.
A foolproof idea? Probably not.
But an idea nonetheless.
"Perhaps I could keep the Phoenix at Hogwarts..? It would be less likely to fly away, and it would have Fawkes to keep it company."
"Fawkes?" Voldemort asks.
"Albus's pet Phoenix." Severus explains.
"Ah, yes."
Snape nods. "His seems less and less willing to provide his tears each time I come by to gather them. This one however, seems very trusting."
This was icing on the cake. There was no way Voldemort would suspect him now. Phoenix tears are far too valuable to waste an opportunity such as this.
Voldemort nods. "I suppose that would be a good idea, then. Take the bird with you." He says.
Snape nods, apparating on the spot.
I cannot believe that worked....
Snape thought to himself as they landed.
Fawkes had, in fact, been more than willing to provide his tears for the potions master. A little fib wouldn't hurt, however.
Deciding to keep it safe, Snape instructed Harry to remain in his Phoenix form until they were safely inside the Headmaster's office.
Once they got there, Dumbledore looked up with confusion.
"Where on Earth did you find another Phoenix?" He asked curiously.
Snape allowed Harry to fly off his arm and onto the floor, transforming again, back into a human.
Hermione and Draco gasped in shock.
Harry was sprawled on the ground, coughing.
Snape knelt beside him, handing him a vial of pain killing potion and a vial of a potion for the after effects of the Cruciatus Curse.
"Harry!" Draco said, running to him and hugging him tightly. "We were so worried!"
Harry blushed and looked down.
"Y-Yeah... Sorry..."
"You have no reason to be sorry, Harry." Snape says quietly, standing up.
"But I made you all worry.." Harry says quietly.
"And for good reason. But you do not need to be sorry for something that you could not have controlled."
"He's right, you know. You didn't know this was going to happen, so you don't need to be sorry." Draco said with a smile, hugging Harry again.
Harry nodded, looking down still.
Snape sighed gently. "Tell Albus everything that happened. Feel free to kick Draco and Miss Granger out anytime you feel uncomfortable."
Harry nods silently.
Once Snape leaves, Dumbledore begins asking questions.
That evening, Harry sat curled up in Snape's lap, his face buried in his cloak, resisting the urge to cry.
He kept receiving memories of when he had been captured, and it was frightening.
"Harry...?" Draco asked quietly. "Are you okay...?"
Obviously, since Harry couldn't hear, and he was currently face first in Snape's robes, he didn't notice anyone said anything.
Snape sighed, stroking his hair gently.
"He will be alright, Draco... He is probably just a little traumatized."
Draco nods a little, looking down at his school work.
Harry ended up falling asleep again, snoozing silently in Snape's lap.
Draco watched the two with envy.
His father had never done that with him, even when he wasn't in Azkaban...
The next morning in the Great Hall, Harry and Snape entered as always, going their separate ways.
Harry was about to sit down, but Draco stopped him.
"Harry, could I talk to you..?" He asked, and Harry watched with curiosity. "Um.. Yeah. Of course.."
Draco picked up a plate and handed it to Harry. "I saved this for you so you don't miss out on breakfast."
Harry smiles a bit, taking the plate. "Thanks."
The two went outside the Great Hall, and to an empty classroom.
Snape watched as they left, resisting the urge to follow them, and he simply went back to his coffee.
Draco shut the door behind them and Harry sat on a desk against the wall, starting on his food.
Once he was halfway through with the good Draco had got him, Harry set the plate down, turning to Draco.
"Okay.. What did you want to talk about..?"
Draco took a deep breath before speaking.
"I think... I think I might like you..." Draco said quietly, looking away after the last word.
"Oh, well, I like you too." Harry smiled.
"No, I mean like, like you like you. Like... Like more than a friend.. " Draco mumbled, turning around, and Harry was just barely able to read his lips.
"Oh.." Harry watched him for a bit, his face turning red.
"I-I should should go..." Draco mumbled, hurrying towards the door.
"No- Wait!" Harry said quickly, and Draco turned to Harry quietly.
"I um... I like you.... Too..." Harry said quietly.
Draco stared in surprise.
"You... Do...?"
Harry nods a little, blushing and glancing away. "I do... But... We can't be together..." He says quietly.
"What?" Draco asks. "Why?"
"Well, for one thing, Snape would have a fit," Harry says, making the both of them chuckle. "and for another thing, it's far too dangerous. People are after me, Draco. I don't want them to be after you too, just because you're affiliated with me personally. It's dangerous enough for Snape to be my guardian, but I can't control that. I can control this. Once Voldemort is gone and we don't have to worry about that anymore, maybe then, but until then... We can't.. As much as I'd like to, we can't.. I'm sorry..."
Draco looks down, nodding. "It's okay.. I understand.." he smiles at Harry sadly. "We can still be friends though, right?"
"Of course." Harry smiled. "Forever."
A/N: I've decided that the chapters are going to be shorter (around 1,500 or more, depending on how the chapter goes). Sorry for the shorter chapters and sorry for not getting them out so fast! I've been moving to a different house and it's been really stressful and tiring, so I've been really struggling with depression and lack of sleep recently, but I'll try my best to get more chapters out faster. ToT Please forgive me!!