Apprenticed to Love 20/?
Title: Apprenticed to Love 20/?
Author: Eriador117
Pairing: Snape/Harry
Rating: Adult
Warnings: not sure yet, but AU and angst for starters, hermaphroditism, mpreg, abuse.
Summary: Six months after the end of the war, Harry Potter turns up at Snape's apothecary to beg for a job. They both get more than they bargained for.
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the Potterverse, I just like playing in it from time to time.
Beta'd by Rakina, thanks so much!



Earlier Parts

Part Twenty

"What the fuck did you do to him?" With one hand Severus had pinned Lupin to the infirmary wall, with the other he had his wand trained at the werewolf's neck.

"I didn't do anything to Harry!" Lupin protested, his voice strained from Severus' hand tight on his throat.

"Right! So it was just a coincidence that you were there when he collapsed? I bet you planned this whole thing! You've probably been stalking him for months and today you saw him on his own and saw your chance!"

"Chance for what?"

"To rape him!" Severus snarled at him, spittle flew from his mouth to land on Lupin's cheeks.

Underneath Severus' hands, Lupin seemed to pale despite the tight grip Severus had on him.

"Rape him? Rape Harry? Severus, what are you talking about? I would never harm a hair on his head!"

Severus' righteous indignation was rapidly turning to confusion. "You didn't attack Harry?"

"No, of course not! I found him lying on the floor, just like you did."

"But the pheromones, why aren't they affecting you?"

Severus released his grip. Remus slumped against the wall and rubbed his neck, gasping for breath. There was a red mark forming where Severus' hand had held him but Severus refused to feel any guilt about it. He had only been trying to protect Harry and he wouldn't hesitate to do it again if he needed to.

"You mean Harry's new scent?"

"Yes, even Bill Weasley had trouble resisting his allure. So what makes you immune?"

"Because I think of Harry as my son, not as a potential sexual partner. It's very unusual for a werewolf to mate with their children. Harry's scent holds no attraction to me. But it did to Bill?"

"Yes."

"But Harry's scent would only have been attractive to werewolves if Harry didn't have a mate of his own yet. In other words if he is unclaimed he is fair game as a mate for others."

"What exactly do you mean by unclaimed?" Severus asked.

"Well, in the most basic sense, he must be a virgin, but there are other ways to claim a mate for a werewolf."

"And they are?" Severus tapped his wand impatiently across his palm.

"Being marked by the blood, semen, or urine of the claiming mate. The most effective is semen, of course. Whoever first claims Harry sexually will have the strongest claim on being his mate."

"And once that's done, no werewolf will be interested in him any longer?"

"I didn't say that. The person who first claims Harry will have the strongest bond with him, but another werewolf might decide to offer a challenge to Harry's mate in order to claim Harry for himself or herself. But Harry isn't a werewolf, so I'm not sure how any of this might play out."

"But you agree the best way to keep him safe from werewolves is for someone to have a sexual claim on him already?"

"That would be the best way, yes, but it is not a guarantee."

Severus put his wand back in his pocket; sensing now that there was no danger from Remus Lupin. But if Lupin hadn't hurt Harry at Hampton Court, then who had?

"Did you see what happened to him?" Severus asked.

"No, like you, I just saw him on the floor. It was a coincidence I was there today, Severus. I would never hurt Harry."

Both of them turned their eyes towards the bed at the far end of the room. Poppy Pomfrey was bustling to and fro. They could see her shadow through the privacy screen. Severus could make out the shape of Harry lying on the bed, but so far he didn't seem to be regaining consciousness. If he had only fainted, he should have been coming round by now. Neville Longbottom was writing down lots of things on a chart in his hand as Poppy reeled them off, although with the Silencing charm around Harry's bed, Severus didn't know what they were.

A few moments later Poppy pulled aside the curtain with a swish and made her way over to them. "Remus, you can sit with Harry for a little while. Severus, I need to see you in my office."

Lupin looked confused, no doubt wondering why Poppy Pomfrey was going to give Severus any details of Harry's health. Had Lupin been living under a rock for these past few months that he didn't know Harry was now Severus' apprentice?

Severus followed the matron into her office and sat down in the chair by her desk once she'd waved him into it.

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's had a bit of a bump on the head, that's why he lost consciousness when he fell."

"But why did he fall? It wasn't just a faint, was it?"

"No, Severus, it wasn't. Have you heard of hypokalemic periodic paralysis?"

"No. Harry's paralysed?" Severus asked in horror. "Just like that, with no warning?"

"Calm down, Severus. The condition is episodic and temporary. Harry should fully recover in a few days at the most. The condition is caused by a drop in potassium levels in the blood. I should have foreseen this. Harry's nutrient levels are very low, has he been eating properly?"

"Yes, of course. But for a long time he wasn't."

"True. This could have been caused over a period of years when he was in a near starvation state all the time and even though his eating has been getting better, it will take time for his nutrient levels to get back to normal. I will prescribe supplements for him and I want you to make doubly sure that he eats properly. You are sure he's eating enough?"

"Well, not what I would consider enough, but he seems to get full very quickly."

Poppy nodded as if she had expected that. "It's because of the enforced starvation when he was younger. His stomach has shrunk in size, so he will always have some trouble eating what you or I would consider a normal portion. What's Harry's normal eating pattern when he's with you?"

"The usual, three meals a day."

"And has he complained of being hungry between meals or anything like that? Does he eat a lot of snacks?"

"No, he eats what he can of his meals, but I've never seen him snacking."

"Well that has got to change. Since Harry can't eat big meals, and I don't think he will ever be able to, I want him to eat more frequent smaller meals or snacks. The amount he is eating now is not enough to give him the nutrition he needs. I still want him to take supplements as well and hopefully that will bring his nutrient levels up."

"You said this type of paralysis was episodic, does that mean it might happen again?"

"It is a possibility, Severus, but I don't want both of you worrying about it. Harry should be leading as normal a life as possible, not wondering if his legs are going to give out on him again. Now that we know his potassium levels are low, we can correct it and hopefully this won't happen again."

"But no guarantees?"

"I'm afraid not, Severus. Nothing is absolute."

***

Madam Pomfrey decided that it would be best to keep Harry in the infirmary for a few days to keep an eye on his concussion and on his nutrient levels. Harry's head ached for the first few days after he woke and he had a lump the size of an egg at the back of it. The swelling was gradually going down and three days after their trip to Hampton Court, she finally allowed him out of bed. Not that Harry could go very far in his wheelchair as there were just too many stairs at Hogwarts. The use of his legs still hadn't returned and he worried that Madam Pomfrey might have been lying to him about the nature of his paralysis. Was it really only temporary, or were they just trying to break the news gently?

Unlike the Christmas holidays at Hogwarts, over Easter most of the students had stayed, especially the fifth and seventh years who were using the time off to get some revision done. Unfortunately it also meant that lots of the students were keen to take a peek at Harry and in the end Madam Pomfrey moved him to a private suite off the hospital wing so he could at least have some semblance of privacy. He had his own bathroom. It was fitted with someone disabled in mind, with a stool for the shower, lower controls and anti-scalding charms on the water, as well as grab-bars on the walls and a lower sink. In the bedroom there was a small study area with a desk and bookshelf so at least Harry could get some of his essays and reading done, even if he wasn't brewing at the moment.

"Harry, you should rest, you don't need to keep working while you're in hospital," Severus told him.

"I know, but I need to do something," Harry said. "I'll go crazy cooped up in here otherwise. How long do you think I'll have to stay here?"

"I suppose Madam Pomfrey is waiting until you get the use of your legs back."

Harry glanced down at the wheelchair he was in and back to Severus. "What if it is permanent? I've never heard of this hypokalemia paralysis before."

"Neither had I until Poppy told me about it. But neither of us are health professionals, are we?"

"True," said Harry as he took a handful of nuts from the bowl on his desk and began munching on them. He wasn't really hungry but he knew that if Madam Pomfrey thought he wasn't eating enough he wouldn't get out of the hospital wing in the foreseeable future.

"Good to see you eating," said Severus with an approving nod. "Have you been taking your supplements as well?"

"Yes, Dr. Snape," Harry smiled and was relieved when Severus smiled with him.

"It is my job to look out for you."

"I know. Thank you, it's good to know someone does. Did you know Remus is back? He's been to visit me a few times."

"I hope you weren't seeing him alone."

"No, either Neville or Madam Pomfrey was with him. He doesn't seem as affected as Bill was though."

"No," said Severus with a disdainful sneer. "Apparently, he sees you as a son, not as a potential sexual partner."

Harry got the impression Severus didn't like that idea much.

"Severus, no one is going to take your place, not even Remus. I want to be with you, no one else. Remus might think of me as his son, but I don't think of him as my father. He's just a friend, but you are so much more than that to me." Harry reached out and took Severus' hands in his. "You are everything to me."

TBC

A/N: I am not medical, so any mistakes in diagnosing Harry with hypokalemic paralysis are my own. I got the info from here:
http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Temporary_Paralysis_a280_f0.html

The next part will be up after Easter, we'll have a house full of visitors soon, so I won't get much time to write/post, LOL!