Title: World On Fire
Author: Queen of the Slash (aka Alexis)
Rating: PG13
Pairing: past Harry/Lucius, forming Harry/Severus
Disclaimer: Not my shit.
Feedback: you can email me @ dollzrcool@yahoo.com
Beta: God? Um, I dun really have a beta but I'm a very
good speller *nod*
Archive: Part of the From Dusk till Dawn Severus
Snape/Harry Potter Fuh-Q-Fest at
http://www.kardasi.com/HPSS/storyindex.htm
Challenge: The History challenge...

AN: This fic is based around a recent event in
NYC--just look at the date *points*. A lot of this fic
is vague allusions but its not that hard to figure out
if you just look... btw, theres no magic in this AU. I
chose the title b/c this song reminds me of the event
itself:

The world's on fire and
It's more than I can handle
I'll tap into the water
(Try and bring my share)
I try to bring more
More than I can handle
(Bring it to the table)
Bring what I am able
Hearts break, hearts mend
Love still hurts
Visions clash, planes crash
Still there's talk of
Saving souls, still the cold
Is closing in on us
(Sarah McLachlan, World's on Fire)

September 15, 2001

Draco, buried under plans and paperwork and letters,
was furious enough before someone dared intrude his
sanctuary with the ringing of that blasted doorbell.
He had just received word that someone had stolen his
father's bloody credit card, and he was beyond pissed.
Ranting to himself, he threw open his front doors and
was about to begin a tirade until he registered the
sight in front of him.

Harry... red-eyed, dressed in torn, wrinkled clothes.
He was dishevelled, tear-streaked, slightly bloody,
and dazed. Draco gasped and ushered the babbling boy
in.

"He... I didn't know where to go, I couldn't remember
your number, everything is a mess in America, our
hotel was obliterated and all our stuff gone...
h-he..." Harry was crying and wringing his hands. "I-I
didn't know where to go, b-but, you're his heir a-and
so I figured maybe you inherited me too, I know you
probably don't want me b-but I couldn't deny you the
choice and... I just don't know where to go!" The boy
was very distressed.

"You can stay here for as long as you need, Harry...
I promised my father I would look after you if
anything happened. I couldn't find you... I thought
you might've died too... I have been looking, but
there's a lot of chaos, and someone stole Dad's credit
card..."

"I... that was me, Draco." The boy looked apologetic.
"He had sent me downstairs... a-after they found him,
a nice lady helped me buy a plane ticket..."

"That is much less hassle, then. How about we get you
cleaned up and fed? Do you want to stay in Dad's room
or should I move your stuff to a new room?"

"I--" Harry's throat constricted. "A-a new room,
please. I can't... deal with that right now."

Draco nodded in understanding before calling a
servant.

When Harry wandered out of his room and into the
dining room an hour later he looked cleaner but just
as lost as before, wearing oversized black pajamas
that swallowed him up. Draco noticed a conspicuous
tanline on his neck: a pale stripe about an inch wide.

"The chef made lamb in red curry, just for you."
Draco offered. "It's her way of expressing her
condolences, I'm sure."

"Molly is very sweet." Harry acknowledged with a
wobbly, strained attempt at a smile.

Draco didn't comment when Harry just pushed it around
his plate and left without eating a bite.


Draco watched as Harry starved himself. The boy ate
practically nothing--maybe a spoonful or two of food a
day, and water, always water. Harry spent most of his
time staring vacantly out of windows, not seeing the
beautiful gardens he used to love so much, as he
sucked at a (sometimes empty) water bottle.

Harry was losing weight, at an alarming rate, and
Draco tried to stop it. He had his chef make more
elaborate meals, then comfort food, exotic food,
anything. He tried to get the chef herself to get him
to eat. At one point he grew so desperate he went to a
local asian grocery store to purchase a block of
calories, which he promptly powdered and put in
Harry's water. Harry, of course, realized as soon as
he drank the water... and prompty dumped the bottle
over Draco's head.

Draco didn't care, because for the first time in two
months Harry had actually seen him.

It was August, nearing September, and Draco knew he
had to do something. Harry was nearly fifty pounds
underweight, severely anorexic. He wore long, baggy
clothes... when one of Harry's sleeves had slipped
Draco had noticed fresh-looking cuts and scars.

Every day Draco raided Harry's bathrooms and took his
razors. The servants had specific orders never to
provide him with razors, but... every day there were
three more, hidden in a different place every time.

The situation was out of control, and Draco knew
there was only one thing he could do know.

Call Severus Snape.


The next week Severus showed up at the estate, with
some excuse even Draco couldn't remember, but Harry
didn't seem to care. At dinner, Harry seemed to
actually listen in to the conversation between Draco
and Severus, and he hate about half a cup of rice.

A week later, Draco snuck off to Harry's bathroom
while Harry and Severus sat in the gardens, Harry
listening and Severus speaking.

There were no razorblades that day, or any day after.

Another week later, Draco was almost moved to tears
during dinner. Draco and Severus were making fun of
the American president's Texas accent and his entire
manner of speaking ('They misunderestimated me'
Severous would drawl) and... Harry laughed.

Severus had been in the manor for two months, and
Harry had changed slowly but surely. He was eating
again, and even talking to Draco and to Severus. He
was interested in the world again--he was back to
gardening, working alongside Draco's hired gardeners;
he would visit Molly, his pseudomother, in the
kitchens and help her make dessert; he was back to
doing the things he loved, the things he had done
before his master, Draco's father, was killed.

Severus and Harry were becoming much closer, Draco
noticed. They would spend more and more time together
as time went on. Sometimes, Harry would stare at
Severus and flush pink when he was caught. Draco
wondered what was going on between the two, and he
found out in December.

A few weeks before Christmas, Harry's room was
mysteriously emptied of all his things. On Christmas
morning, Harry came down to open presents with one
gift already opened--a green leather collar, fastened
around his neck, with an engraved tag:

'PROPERTY OF SEVERUS SNAPE'