Chapter 18 Heart of the Maze
For Severus, the night had been one surprise after another - not all of them pleasant. Harry's reaction to the Manor had amused him, but that humor was quickly dampened by the mob of people that fell upon the Boy Who Lived as if he were Merlin reincarnated.
He had, unfairly he supposed, always assumed that Harry reveled in his celebrity status. But the look of horror on the boy's face quickly set that belief to rest, as did the way he practically hid behind him when he'd rescued him from their midst.
He should have expected something like that, he supposed. Not exactly his brothers' doing, he knew, but they could have at least tried to rein in their wives. Julliana and Delphina had sadly grown no more intelligent since he'd last seen them.
Diana was much like he remembered her, and he was pleased at how happy she seemed to be to see him. The mistrust he could see in Alrik, Claudius and Marcellus had not faded in the slightest, but Diana at least did not believe their lies.
Julius he couldn't read. The young man had greeted him politely enough, but for all intents they were total strangers to each other. Julius had been a child when Severus had last seen him, though he had forgotten how beautiful he was. Harry's reaction to him hadn't gone unnoticed, and Severus admitted that the pang of emotion he'd felt at that had most definitely been jealousy.
But it had answered a question he'd been wondering about. Just because the Marriage Stone had chosen Severus for Harry didn't mean that Harry had any interest in men. Far from it. The magic of the Marriage Stone was such that it chose the best possible match for a person - there was no guarantee that it would in any way shape or form resemble a love match. In Harry Potter's case, it was just as likely that the best possible match was someone who could protect him, teach him, fight beside him, and ensure that he had a chance to grow up and live his life. It didn't promise love. The most famous matches the Stone was responsible for had all been love matches, but they were by no means the only matches. It was possible that Harry Potter, while destined for greatness, was not destined for love. Or maybe it had simply realized that Severus Snape would not hinder any such ambition for love, because ultimately Severus knew he had no real claim over the boy and would look the other way when Harry did finally decide to love someone. Provided the boy was discreet, he certainly wasn't going to stand in the way of his happiness.
But up until that moment with Julius, Severus had never seen Harry look at a man with any sexual interest at all. Truth was the only person he'd ever seen Harry look at had been Cho Chang, and even that had seemed only half hearted at best. He suspected the boy was too distracted with all the people trying to kill him to really care one way or the other about the things most students his age were obsessing over.
But the flush that had stained Harry's face when he'd looked at Julius had been very telling. He was definitely capable of seeing beauty in the male form. Pity it had to take someone no one else could possibly compete with to catch his eye. He supposed that left him far out of the running.
All things considered, the evening with his family actually went by quickly. Harry, far from being nervous and awkward like he'd expected, had continuously surprised and amused Severus. He decided he liked hearing his given name on Harry's lips - and after the fourth or fifth time, it even started to sound natural.
And he watched with amusement as Harry tossed aside Wizarding protocol almost blithely, completely ignoring the dagger in favor of the fork despite the fact that he'd apparently practiced with it with Longbottom and Granger. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn that the Gryffindor brat was attempting to make him laugh.
A little while later Harry had succeeded in stunning him most profoundly when he'd all but tossed the proverbial gauntlet down before his brothers, calling them on their less than subtle insults, and defended his name and his honor with an eloquence he hadn't known the boy possessed. It had silenced them all, and for the first time Severus had understood why this young man inspired such loyalty.
It was later, when they returned to the parlor, that his brothers eventually broached the topic he'd been expecting all evening - the fate of Snape Manor. He wondered if they had already spoken with Harry about it, and reminded himself to ask the boy when they returned to Hogwarts.
"I told you Claudius," he informed his brother after his impassioned speech about the importance of the Manor. "I have no intention of reopening the manor until I get a chance to see what sort of surprises Father might have left behind. My schedule has not yet permitted me the opportunity."
"It's not fair to relegate us to a lesser house while that one sits empty!" Claudius exclaimed in anger. "You keep us from it to punish us. You keep us. . ."
Severus tuned the man out, having heard this speech before. He'd even read a written version of it in letters over the years while they were not speaking to each other. He wondered what was taking Harry so long to return to the parlor, and he glanced at the door in concern. He noticed then that Julius was also gone, and an uncomfortable suspicion pricked his mind.
"Where's Julius?" he demanded, interrupting Claudius' speech.
Claudius fell silent, snorting in disgust as he looked away. Severus glanced instead toward the others. Julliana and Delphina looked titillated by the question, their amusement confirming some of the suspicion in Snape's heart. Marcellus and Alrik looked amused as well. But it was Diana's reaction that worried him the most. She was looking at her husband and her other brothers suspiciously, her eyes somewhat confused by their amusement.
"Where is he?" Severus demanded, rising swiftly to his feet.
"Now, Severus," Marcellus laughed softly. "Let Julius have his fun. It's what he does. And I doubt Harry will mind."
Jealousy and rage flared through Severus, startling him with the intensity of it. Diana's too jumped to her feet, her confusion clearing immediately, anger replacing it. "The rose maze, Severus!" she shouted at him, her eyes a bit wild. "Don't blame Harry."
If she hadn't added that last warning, Severus would have been driven solely by anger to storm from the room. As it was, a spark of fear erupted inside of him. Don't blame Harry? For what? Her words implied that perhaps Harry would not be responsible for what ever was going on.
In no time at all he found himself outside, racing toward the entrance to the rose maze. As a child he'd learned the secrets of the maze, knew how to navigate its ever-changing paths and doorways; he even knew a shortcut to the center of the maze. But as he passed through the main entrance he realized that something had changed subtly. He felt the wards the moment he passed over them and pulled his wand immediately. A quick identification spell revealed the presence of compulsion charms woven directly into the scent of the flowers. Mingled amongst the compulsion charms were various love spells and aphrodisiacs - not strong by his standards, but certainly enough to befuddle the average wizard or witch who might enter the maze.
Neither he nor Harry were average by any stretch of the imagination, but he found himself racing toward the center of the maze anyway, bypassing the majority of the corridors in favor of the short cut. His mind supplied him with a number of scenarios - certainly his brothers and Diana expected him to find Harry in a compromising position with Julius. It hadn't escaped him that Julius found Harry attractive - the man had barely taken his eyes off Harry all evening. But he suspected there was more than just brotherly collusion on the part of Claudius and Marcellus. Perhaps they believed that if they allowed Julius his seduction, Harry would be more amenable to their influence.
Rage flared through Severus again. If he found out they had done this for the sake of that stupid Manor, he'd burn the place to the ground and leave them all living on the street.
He turned the last corridor, and found himself up against an invisible barrier, one of the maze's many illusionary walls. Through it he could see the center courtyard, Harry already trapped inside with Julius.
Neither Harry nor Julius noticed him, but he knew from their side of the illusionary wall all they would see would be the impenetrable wall of roses. He glanced around the courtyard - all the entrances were sealed as far as he could see. Julius, having entered the courtyard ahead of Severus, could take them all swiftly down by pressing a stone on the central gazebo. But Severus had no choice but to take them down the hard way. He raised his wand and began the counter spell to siphon off their power.
He could hear Julius speaking to Harry, and he found his brother's words only fueled his anger. He could also see Harry shaking his head slightly, a frown marring his forehead - no doubt he was feeling the effects of the spells.
"I imagine Severus didn't wait long to get his hands on you," Julius was saying to Harry. "How you must have hated having that beast touch you." Severus found himself gritting his teeth in fury as Julius reached out to caress Harry. He smiled a moment later as Harry slapped his hand away, stepping back. He wondered if Julius could feel the spells on the maze flicker and waver as Harry shook off whatever influence they might have begun to gain on him.
"That's your brother you're talking about!" Harry's voice was filled with disbelief and indignation. It seemed the noble Gryffindor was going to stand up for his honor once again.
"Yes, he is my brother," Julius smiled. "Which puts me in a remarkable position to ease your suffering. No one would think twice about why you were spending so much time in the company of your brother-in-law. Such family ties are encouraged."
"You don't actually think I'd be interested in you, do you?" Harry demanded, backing away again as Julius advanced on him.
"Of course you're interested," Julius told him, and Severus felt his insides twisting again. "I've seen the way you look at me. I know you want me. Who wouldn't chose me over Severus?"
Severus didn't miss the color that washed over Harry's face, and he redoubled his efforts to pull down the barrier. He'd look the other way, he promised himself, when Harry fell in love with someone else - but not this! Not his brother! That would be too cruel! He wished he could see Harry's eyes, but his head was turned away from him. Harry's eyes revealed far too many emotions, and Severus desperately wanted to know what the young man really felt for his beautiful brother.
"You don't know me," Harry said suddenly. "And you don't know your brother. I'm not interested. Goodbye!" And with that Harry turned toward Severus, taking a step toward the exit only to stop in shock when he realized it was gone. He could not, obviously, see Severus standing in the doorway attempting to pull down the magical barrier, but Severus could see him clearly enough - could see the look of disgust in Harry's eyes, a look that went far to ease Severus' mind. That look was quickly replaced by alarm when Harry realized all his exits were gone.
"There is an exit," Julius told him, seeming to be highly amused by the situation. "But only if you know where to look. This is a maze after all. But the thorns on the vines are strong enough to rip the flesh from your bones if you make the slightest mistake. And I'm the only one who knows the secret of the maze, the only one who can lead you back out."
Idiot, Severus thought. Did he really think that no one else had solved this maze? Severus had figured out its secrets long before Julius had ever been born. He couldn't help wondering how many other young men and woman his brother might have led here, other wizards and witches who lacked the power to fight off the spells.
Harry had moved into the gazebo and Severus wondered if perhaps the boy might find the stone that released the wards on his own.
"Do you like the scent of the roses?" Julius asked then. "They're yet another legacy of my mother's. She used these very flowers in her potions. They're in my blood. Their scent has been known to drive men and woman mad with desire for me."
His words confirmed Severus suspicions that Julius had done this before. It also occurred to him that his brother believed Harry was more strongly affected by the spell than he appeared to be. But the flicker of irritation that flashed across Harry's face assured Severus that Julius was wrong.
"I told you, Julius, I'm not interested!" Harry growled.
"You seem to think I care," Julius laughed, his words alarming Severus. He watched in shock as his brother suddenly lunged at Harry, pinning him against one of the gazebo's pillars, obviously intending to take with force what Harry had denied him.
The barrier was nearly down, and Severus threw all his strength into the counter spell, desperate to get the barrier down and go to Harry's aid. He could feel it crumbling, could see Julius groping Harry, touching him, kissing him - and then saw him stumble back in shock as Harry butted him hard in the head and pushed him away, a look of blackest rage on his face as he drew his wand, aimed it. That he did not hex Julius immediately surprised Severus - but one look at Harry and he understood. Even from this distance, he could see that Harry was shaking, nearly blinded by anger. Any curse he might utter could very well kill Julius.
It was Julius who was in danger now, and Harry's sanity instead of his virtue at stake. The barrier fell at last and Severus stepped forward, knowing caution was required. Harry might very well let loose the curse if he startled him.
Julius, idiot that he was, apparently didn't realize his danger, and actually stepped toward Harry, a superior smile on his face. "Harry, you don't really think you can—"
"You know, Julius," Severus said quietly, keeping his voice low and controlled, a tone he generally reserved for controlling his Slytherins. Harry didn't move, his concentration never wavered. "You're staring down the end of a wand that has defeated Voldemort several times. Do you really think you should be doing anything other than begging for your life right now?"
His words had the intended effect. Julius froze, his smile fading as he seemed to realize for the first time just who exactly he had been attempting to hurt. There might be a thousand ridiculous rumors about the Boy Who Lived in the tabloids, but they didn't change the fact that this wizard regularly faced down armies of Death Eaters and won. Severus was relieved to see his brother take his warning seriously and back away, his skin losing what little color it had.
What alarmed Severus most, however, was the fact that Harry still had not moved, still had not lowered his wand or looked away from Julius' frightened face, almost as if he were unable to pull himself from his rage.
Severus approached him cautiously. "Harry," he said softly, moving to his side. Tentatively he reached toward him, gently closing his hand around Harry's wrist, slipping his other arm carefully around Harry's shoulders. He could feel the power vibrating through his body, making his muscles shake and tremble. "Harry," he said again. "It's okay, it's over. Let it go. You don't want to do this."
He pressed softly against his arm, then more firmly, lowering it slowly, until Harry's wand was pointed at the ground.
He felt Harry shudder, letting his trapped breath out in a soft moan even as Severus felt the power draining away as well. He closed his eyes, lashes dark against pale skin, as he leaned briefly against Severus' body. "You all right?" Severus asked quietly.
Harry nodded, opening his eyes at last and taking a step away. His features were composed again, but he looked far from all right, his eyes haunted.
"Give me a second, and I'll show you the way out," Severus told him, then turned swiftly toward his brother. Julius had not moved and was watching the two of them intently. Severus thought of a dozen good hexes, but in the end opted for a far more satisfying revenge. He drew his fist sharply back and punched his brother in the face as hard as he could. The blow sent Julius staggering back, and then to the ground. Severus was fairly certain he'd broken his jaw.
He caught a fist full of his brother's doublet, pulling him partially upright. "You ever come near him again," he whispered directly into Julius' ear, "and I'll kill you myself." He saw Julius' eyes widen in terror as Severus drew his wand. One quick flick of the wand and Severus hissed, "Castitas Obligatus Ultio." Then he dropped him unceremoniously onto the ground before returning to Harry's side. Harry had watched the whole exchange somewhat dispassionately. He said nothing as Severus turned him toward the exit and led him by the most direct route out of the maze.
The others were waiting on the patio for them. Diana raced toward them in concern when she saw them emerging from the maze. "Is he alright?" she asked, seeing the almost blank look on Harry's face.
"Fine," Severus growled, forcing his temper back for his sister's sake. She at least had no part of this, and looked horrified by the whole thing. "Julius seemed to forget who it was he was attacking." He turned to glare at Alrik, Claudius and Marcellus. "It was a mistake that could have very well cost him his life." The three men looked startled by this, looking at once from Harry to the maze.
Severus pulled the portkey coin from his pocket. He sent his most withering gaze toward his brothers. "I'll be back tomorrow," he told them, the threat of that implicit in his tone. "And if all the spells are not removed from that maze by then, I will burn it and Briarwood Hall to the ground!" The look of shock and horror on their faces was remarkably satisfying. Pity he was too angry to enjoy it.
He turned his attention to Diana once again. "Thank you," he whispered softly. She just nodded her head and gave him a sad smile.
With that Severus palmed the coin and grasped Harry's left hand, sandwiching the coin between them. The two of them were swiftly pulled back across the land toward the safety of Hogwarts.