Work Text:
Title: Kindred Spirits
Author: alisanne
Pairing: Severus Snape/Percy Weasley
Word count: 1696
Rating: PG
Warnings: DH compliant, to a point. ;)
Summary: Percy always was a good student, and now he gets to put lessons learned to the test.
Kindred Spirits
~
The sky was beginning to lighten by the time Percy finally arrived at his destination. As he carefully picked his way over the uneven ground and avoided the Auror teams doing cleanup, he licked his lips nervously.
His parents had no idea where he was, nor did any of his family, actually. It was a sure bet that they would have tried to dissuade him if he'd told them what he'd been about to do.
Of course, it was entirely possible that this was a fool's errand he was on, yet it was something he had to at least attempt. All of the evidence he'd gathered over the years spoke to this man's innocence, and Percy couldn't live with himself if he didn't make some small effort on his behalf.
As he approached the Shrieking Shack, he again blessed whatever instinct it was that had placed him in the perfect position to overhear Harry and Hermione talking earlier. Their whispered conversation had given him the clues to find him, although Percy feared what state he'd find his quarry in.
He opened the door to the Shack carefully, slipping inside with a minimum of fuss, and there, still lying in a pool of what Percy presumed to be his own blood, was Snape, looking almost peaceful.
Suppressing a sigh, Percy dug into his pockets and pulled out the anti-venom and Blood-Replenishing Potion he'd pilfered from Pomfrey's stores, again silently blessing the woman's foresight in having such things readily available. He even knew that this was the correct anti-venom, since she'd been happy to tell him all about how his father had helped in its creation after his own mishap with Nagini.
Bending down, Percy checked for a pulse, but did not despair when he didn't find one. Retrieving the bezoar he'd obtained, he forced it into Snape's mouth, pushing it as far back as he could and massaging his throat to get it inside. Then, he poured the anti-venom in and closed Snape's mouth.
Muttering the activation spell, he held his breath and waited. The medical books he'd read had said that powerful wizards attacked by physical means could suppress their bodily functions for a time until help could arrive, and Percy was counting on Snape having done that.
As he waited, Percy held Snape's wrist and watched Snape's chest, waiting for something, anything, to happen, for a pulse to stutter to life perhaps, or for Snape to take a breath...
Snape's hand gripped his and those eyes opened, staring straight into Percy's soul.
Wordlessly, Percy opened the vial of Blood-Replenishing Potion and put it up to Snape's mouth.
Without visible hesitation Snape swallowed, and Percy sat back to allow the man to turn onto his side and gulp large amounts of air.
"How... did you... know?" Snape asked, coughing in between each word.
Percy spoke softly and slowly. "I actually paid attention in your class, Professor."
Snape's eyes snapped back to his and he shook his head. "Yes," he wheezed. "You did... at that."
His body began to shake, a delayed reaction to having shut down for a few hours, Percy knew, and with a flick of his wand he spelled Snape's robes clean, casting a Warming Charm for comfort while he was at it.
Snape shot a glance his way that on anyone else would have been considered grateful. "What... happened?" he rasped.
"The Dark Lord is defeated," Percy said. "Potter did it. They are all celebrating back at the castle." The last was said with a bit of contempt and Snape clearly picked up on it.
"And why... are you... here? Is it in... an official... capacity?"
Percy blinked, then shook his head. "Oh no, sir. No, I overheard Potter and Granger talking about what had happened to you, and I remembered your lectures and I decided to check and be sure that you were really..." He stopped.
Snape smiled. "You can... say it. That I... was really dead."
"Yes, sir."
"So now what?"
Snape appeared to be getting stronger, although his neck was still oozing and he was clearly in need of more expert medial attention. "Well, now I take you to the mediwizards and they fix you," Percy explained.
"And then Azkaban?"
Percy shook his head emphatically. "Not with the way Potter is talking. He's convinced you're a hero."
Snape rolled his eyes. "You'll forgive me if I... prefer not to rely on his largesse."
Percy smiled and pulled out a sheaf of parchments from his robes. "Good thing I have evidence right here, then," he said.
Eyes narrowed, Snape stared at the papers. "Evidence... of what?"
"Of your innocence." Percy almost laughed at the look on Snape's face.
"I doubt you can... convince anyone... of that."
"You forget, sir, I was Undersecretary to two Ministers, with access to all sorts of things. Anything to do with you I kept copies of. I've known you were on our side for years."
"What could you... possibly have... there?"
"Correspondences between you and Albus Dumbledore, a paper trail linking Lucius Malfoy to orders you supposedly gave while Headmaster that resulted in problems, and I even managed to obtain evidence that shows that you never committed any crimes as a Death Eater, it was all others' doing."
"How...?"
Percy held up a hand. "No one ever notices me. I fade into the background very well, and as a consequence, I am privy to all sorts of conversations and information."
"Which you are prepared to use for my benefit?"
At Percy's nod Snape shook his head, wincing as his wound oozed a bit more. "Why?"
Percy regarded him for a long moment, then he walked over and sat down beside him. "I know what it's like to have people misunderstand your intentions," he said softly. "To have those who say they love you reject you because you won't do exactly as they say. To have people think you're at best misguided and at worst evil."
He met Snape's eyes and continued. "You never saw me just as another Weasley. When you realized I could do the work, you taught me. I won't say you were the easiest teacher, but you were the best. When I started seeing things at the Ministry, I knew something was wrong and so I did what I do best, collected information. And when I saw the chance to collect information on you, and I saw that it proved you'd committed no crime--"
"I am hardly blameless," Snape said, holding up a hand. "I did kill Albus. There are witnesses."
Percy nodded. "Yes, and there is also the document on file at the Department of Magical contracts showing that Dumbledore had you under a verbal magical contract. You could have broken your word I suppose, but if you had, life would have been difficult."
"That's on file?"
Percy nodded. "Everything's on file," he said. "And I know about all of it. Now, let me just summon the mediwizards." Pulling out his wand, he concentrated and a glowing shape shot from the end of it, solidifying into a glowing vampire bat. Percy concentrated for a moment and the bat nodded gravely, flicking an obsidian glance at Snape before phasing out through the wall.
"They should be here soon," Percy said.
"Your Patronus is a bat? Is there something I should know?"
Percy blushed at the speculative look Snape sent his way. "Not really, sir. I... may have had a slight cru... interest in you in the past. I promise to be entirely appropriate at all times and..."
"Percy."
Percy looked up.
"It appears that you are correct about our many similarities," Snape murmured.
Percy blinked, then smiled. "When you're healed would you like to go out for tea?" he blurted.
Snape opened his mouth but his reply was interrupted by several Apparition cracks. Pomfrey led the way, her face fierce.
"Oh Severus," she scolded, and Percy smiled as he saw his erstwhile professor sag in relief. They lifted him carefully, they would not have dared do otherwise what with both Pomfrey and Percy watching their every move, and as they prepared to transport him, Snape reached a hand towards Percy, clasping his arm.
"Yes, Percy," he murmured. "I should very much like to go out for tea with you."
When the mediwizards and Snape were gone, Percy gathered up his supplies, and if he whistled as he worked, there was no one to hear him being so uncharacteristically cheerful.
~
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Percy squeezed Severus' arm. "They know about us, Severus. They know, and Mum is expecting us for Christmas dinner."
"Will Potter be there?"
"Probably. He is engaged to my sister."
"I am not at my best in his presence."
Percy smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek as he stood close in preparation for Side-Along Apparition. "Mm, I suppose I shall have to keep you focussed on me, then, hm?"
They arrived in the midst of chaos as Percy had expected, and it took a few moments for Molly to notice them. "Percy! Severus!"
The food was plentiful and superb, the conversations as free flowing as the wine, and soon, Severus forgot his usual ambivalence towards Potter. Of course, Percy's steady hand on his thigh throughout the meal undoubtedly helped.
When it came time for toasts, they went around the table, giving each person a chance to speak, and when Harry got up and thanked Severus for saving the wizarding world, it went a long way towards healing the breach between them.
"Aren't you glad you came?" Percy whispered later, having cornered Severus by the stairs.
"Indeed. It is not quite what I expected, however."
At Percy's confused look, he continued. "A boisterous celebration was no surprise, however, the welcome I have received into your family is... unprecedented."
Neither one saw Molly watching them as they kissed, nor did they see her smile and turn away to glance at the Weasley family clock. There, in bold letters on of the hands was Severus' name, and it was pointing to 'loved'.