Chapter Text
"It's not selfish to do what is best for you" - Mark Sutton
The world flashed into brightness, colours attacked his vision, but his eyes focused on the blood running over and through his fingers. Red, a colour that he had heard of but never seen until this moment and even now the joy of the colours appearing was dampened by it slowly fading back into the original shades of grey that dominated his life before. The words "Look at me" barely processed before all colour was wiped away, his soulmate found and lost, all within minutes.
A sudden flare of hot pain in his chest caused Harry's breath to shudder, raising a hand he rubbed at his chest, placing his quill down he tossed a glance at the clock, noting that dinner had finished he rose from his desk with a sigh and grabbed his robe.
The closer he got to McGonagall's office the more the feeling of relief tinged with pain began to fill his body. After soon to be 3 long years he would finally be able to put distance between himself and Hogwarts. Though Hogwarts had felt like a second home to him everywhere he looked he could see his soulmate. The man had survived thank Merlin! However he was still living in shades of grey, after attempting to speak with the man and receiving nothing but cold looks and outright avoidance after a year he had ceased trying.
But now Hogwarts was starting to feel more like a cage, living between his chambers and classroom. He was honestly just praying he could complete his third and final year of his contract quietly.
Passing by students and taking points from the odd rule breaking Harry approached the gargoyle that guarded the Head Mistresses office and felt an abrupt anger course through him not for the woman that now used the office but at her predecessor Albus Dumbledore.
All the things that Albus did in the name of "the greater good" still affected his life and he was tired of correcting the decisions the man had made for him. A missive from Gringotts had arrived earlier requesting his presence with urgent matters pertaining to both the Potter and Black vaults.
Passing the gargoyle Harry shoved his emotions behind his shields, knocked, and pushed the door open revealing Minerva seated at her desk.
Minerva gestured for Harry to take a seat "Professor Potter, Harry'' Minerva shifted forward in her chair and placed a piece of parchment on her desk "Why?" Harry highly doubted she would have been asking had it been anyone elses resignation, he had given her more than valid reasons for leaving his teaching position.
"Included in my resignation" he gestured to the paper " are my reasons, I wish to travel and experience new things HeadMistress" Minerva noticed the mostly blank look on her Defence Professors face and decided to push.
"I have a feeling Professor Potter that you are not wanting to travel to experience new things but to run away from something or rather someone" she saw anger flash in the young man's eyes for a moment before that to disappeared "If you wish to believe that I will not try change your mind, if that is all Headmistress" Harry rose and opened the door before passing through he was stopped by Minervas voice " You are just going to walk away from Severus without even attempting to speak with him?" Notwanted/disgusting/worthless Forcefully ignoring the tiny voice in the back of his mind the Professor turned his head slightly "Professor Snape has made his stance abundantly clear to me without having to say a single thing".
Quickly making his way into Gringotts and to a teller he was led into a small office off to the side steeped in Privacy, Silencing, and Anti-Eavesdropping Wards. Griphook rose from his seat nodding at Harry "Greetings Heir Potter" Harry allowed a small smile "Griphook I received your note and figured it was urgent" snapping his fingers the goblin summoned 3 rolls of parchment to the desk before them.
"There are a few urgent matters Heir Potter, the first being the matter of you claiming your Lordship titles, Second we have the Last Will and Testaments of both the previous Lord Black as well as Lord and Lady Potters that were sealed in two separate emergency Wizengamot meetings, and lastly we have the matter of a marriage contract that was submitted shortly after your 13th birthday by Albus Dumbledore between both yourself and Miss. Ginerva Weasley." Griphook finished his list with a sneer watching as Harry clenched his jaw and brought a leather clad hand up to rub at his forehead. "If it is acceptable with you Heir Potter we will begin with the Wills" receiving a nod he tapped onto James Potter's Will, the parchment rose, unfurled and suddenly James Potter's voice was filling the room.
The Last Will And Testament
I, James Fleamont Potter hereby declare this to be my Will. I hereby revoke all previous wills or testamentary writings made by me
I name Lily Marie Potter neé Evans to be the Executor of my Estate. Should she predecease me or be unable to fulfil her role as Executor I will name below acceptable replacements.
The above statement will also apply to the custody of my only living son Harry James Potter.
I direct that my estate shall devolve as follows:
Sirius Orion Black is to receive the contents of Vault 263 which contains Marauders Memorabilia providing he survives.
Remus John Lupin is to receive the contents of Vault 262
Frank & Alice Longbottom are to receive the contents of Vault 261 which contains Order Business.
Severus Tobias Snape is to receive the letter housed in Vault 264.
After my special bequests I bequeath the residue of my Estate to:
Lily Marie Potter neé Evans
Harry James Potter
Acceptable Executors should Lily Potter neé Evans be unable are as follows;
Sirius Orion Black
Frank & Alice Longbottom
Augusta Longbottom
Custody (Magical or Physical) of Harry James Potter shall not be or ever given under any circumstance to;
Petunia Dursleys neé Evans
Vernon Dursley
Albus Dumbledore
Should this Will not be read in an acceptable amount of time for any reason after the time of my demise, and should my son Harry James Potter be of age and decide none of the above bequests be honoured for a valid reason, then so it shall be.
In witness whereof I have signed this will in Gringotts on the 14th of May 1981 in the presence of the undersigned witnesses who in my presence and in the presence of each other have signed this will as witnesses.
Signed James Fleamont Potter
WITNESS 1. Remus Lupin
WITNESS 2. Frank Longbottom
Both Lily Potter and Sirius' Will were read in quick succession, the room was eerily quiet before Harry quietly spoke "So I was never supposed to be placed with the Dursleys, I was robbed of having a normal childhood"
"Yes Heir Potter, had your godfather been unable or unwilling you would have grown up within the Longbottom Estate. Are there any issues with how the estate will be handled?"
Harry nodded "Remus Lupin will not be receiving the vault left to him" Griphook pulled out a quill "Reasons" the goblin smirked expecting this " Allowing Dumbledore to do with me as he pleased, allowing the Dursleys to take custody of me, placing me in danger within Hogwarts. I have also not had contact with Lupin in the past two years'' Griphook made notations on the Wills before him, while sliding two small boxes forward.
"Of course, now as you are the Heir of both Ancient and Noble Houses Potter and Black you have the rights to claim the Lordship titles which will give you seats on both the Wizengamot and the Education Board." Pointing at the boxes in front of Harry he continued "Place the Potter ring on the middle finger of your dominant hand, the Black ring on the same finger of your non dominant hand, you will feel a slight rushing sensation as the rings read and accept your magic, you can place them over your gloves, whether your gloves are on or off the rings will always be visible" Nodding when he saw the rings illuminate briefly.
"Congratulations Lord Potter-Black, now that those rings have accepted you they offer you protections against love potions and compulsion spells" Harry stared down at the rings for a moment before hearing the sound of parchment moving "Here we have the last item, this farce of a marriage contract in its most basic terms gives Miss. Weasley complete control of all your monies and assets leaving you as little more than a slave in this contract, moreover she claims that she is your soulmate"
Harry choked and shook his head sharply "No she has never been my soulmate, I know who they are" unwanted/notworthy/useless/freak rang in the back of his mind as Griphook smirked showing off a wicked smile "But of course Lord Potter-Black, it is also a good thing that both the Potter and Black Family Magic prevents marriage contracts from being formed without the current Heir or Lords knowledge"
Rather then head back to his rooms for the evening his feet took him up to the Astronomy tower where he found himself leaning against the rough stone parapet watching as the darker grey shadows slowly crept further along the ground, tilting his head back to enjoy the cool breeze of the late September air he heard the rustling of cloth and the faint smell of sandalwood brushed his nose.
"I hear you have decided to resign Professor Potter, not enough glory in teaching the next generation?" Snapes' familiar rich voice flowed over Harry causing the pain to surge up nastily in his chest breaking through his carefully constructed barriers "Finally decided to stop avoiding me?" shutupshutupshutup- He clenched his jaw at how tired he sounded, but he was tired, dead tired in fact, and the two letters for the man beside him weighed him down even more, slowly he brought his barriers back up hoping and praying that they would last. "Decided to run back to the adoring Weasleys?" The sneer was clear in the mans voice, Harry turned towards the other.
The man covered his shock at how completely and utterly empty Harry looked and when he heard the voice devoid of emotion he was even more rattled
"I haven't spoken to the Weasleys for 2 years" tease/whore/shirtlifter/faggot "but that's not what ended your silent streak, is it?" Harry turned back to look over the grounds, eyes roaming over the Forbidden Forest "You should be happy Professor by the end of this year I'll disappear from your life" he tossed a small tired smile towards the other man. Snape stepped over to join Harry, the smell of sandalwood even stronger "What gives you the right to presume what would make me 'happy' " Snape spat the last word, dangerdanger danger Harry briefly clenched his jaw.
"Presume? You stay as far away from me as possible for 2 years, you leave a room as soon as I enter" Harry heard Snape inhale for a no doubt scathing comment but never allowed him to voice it " I've given everything I have and I have nothing left to give, allow me to quietly disappear saving us both from whatever this thing is between us."
Snape tilted his head, black hair blocking the view of his face "I was attempting to give you a choice" the voice was harsh and forced "By what? Making the decision for me? You have never lied to me before Professor Snape and I do not appreciate you starting now" Harrys voice lowered to a hiss "I tried for 2 years to talk to you, but your actions spoke much more than anything you could have said, so I had to wait out my contract before I could leave. In the end you got what you wanted didn't you? You got to make the decision and no-one else."
"Quit whinging! You could have absolutely anything, people fall over themselves like fools just to be near you, just like your saintly fool of a father" Harry let out a small humorless laugh "You would think that, do I look like I enjoy it? People wanting to be near the Man Who Defeated Voldemort or they are too busy pushing for private information. Everyone, and I do mean that, was more than happy to celebrate me becoming a killer before I even graduated, I never wanted it, any of it and people don't seem to realize what the cost was to me personally" monster/freak/ murderer
Harry pulled out two envelopes and placed them on the parapet between them, unwilling to risk any contact between them even with his leather gloves on, when he removed his hand a silver pocket watch sat on top of the envelopes he heard Snapes sharp inhale as he reached out to take the offering "Where did you get this?" He was given a shrug "No matter what you think of me this was the last wish of my mum and da's, the requirements of the Last Will and Testament of James and Lily Potter have been met. Good Evening Professor Snape"