Bonds
By: Tara
Summary: Post Hogwarts. HPDM. Obsession leads to Judgement. Ancient powers hold the wisdom of generations and a balance must be maintained. "Everything in the Name of the Family".
Author's Note: Nearly completed, will be posting each chapter every few days.
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies. The concept for this story is mine.
Genres: Romance, Humor, Drama, Supernatural, Action/Adventure, Suspense, Who Knows...
Rating: Not too bad… I think a simple R will do…. ^.^
WARNINGS: Dangerous Muse, Slowly click away...,
Chapter one: The Mistress of Obsession
A female stood off to the side a simple bed, watching the figure in it toss and turn silently. She skillfully ignored the throbbing ache in her legs from her long vigil. Hours upon hours of watching, waiting and still nothing had changed.
His skin was still pale, his breathing labored, he still twisted in agony, and his mouth still opened with silent screams. Yellow fingernails disgusted her, kept her from holding his hand. The constant layer of sweat barred her hand from his forehead. Only the fact that she loved him kept her there. If he had been anyone else, she would have sent a card.
As it was, his room was full of cards. "Get well" cards and "see you soon" cards from the local children and their families overflowed the dresser tops. All flowers were directed into an adjoining room and all chocolates and other various edible items were sent to a local orphanage.
Everything else she took. She felt it was her right. As if it where payment for being loyal to him. She was the only one who could truly care for him, after all. Why shouldn't everything be hers?
~.~.~.o.~.~.~
"Madame Ginny," the servant bowed. "You summoned me."
"Yes," was her crisp reply. "Fetch the doctor."
"As you command."
Ginny stared at the spot where the servant once stood. She always felt that they did not like her. Always saying, "as you command" and "you summoned me" or mumbling under their breaths. She told herself that she could handle their coldness, until he was finally awake to set them straight.
A servant made his way into the darkened room. "Madame, Master Prince is here."
Ginny tensed. "Tell him to come back later. I am expecting the doctor."
"Too late, I'm afraid."
Ginny felt her heart speed up, her breath quicken, and her stomach flutter. His deep voice always seemed to excite her. But her distrust of him battled her emotions and helped keep her expression stoic.
"Will Master Prince be needing anything else?"
"No thank you, Mikhail," he said as he gracefully walked into the room. "But may I ask why all the windows are covered and the lights so dim?"
Mikhail bowed deeply before replying, "Madame here did that herself."
"Ah, I see." He swept his white cloak over his left shoulder. "Thank you again, Mikhail."
"As you wish, Master Prince."
Ginny ignored the man's presence until Mikhail was gone. She spared him a sideways glance and moved closer to the bed, as if to protect the figure from an intruder. She noted his usual all white attire and the sensation of his glamour charm.
"Well, Prince, I see you managed to barge in here even when I continuously make efforts to keep you out."
Prince bestowed her with a raised brow and glided across the floor to the windows, proceeding to pull back the curtains, allowing light to stream in and illuminate the room.
Ginny had to shield her eyes momentarily from the brightness and when she opened them, found that Prince was at the bedside holding a frail hand with yellowing fingernails.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ginny kept her voice low, but the underlying anger was evident.
"Keeping him shroud in the dark and away from human contact, especially magical human contact, will only keep him from recovering."
"And just who are you to come in here giving orders and dictating how to make him better?"
Prince brought the hand to his cheek. "I am who I am. You, however, were contacted about his condition as to inform the rest of his family. And have you done so yet?"
Ginny turned away from him. "I didn't wish to worry them. Besides, if they all came here, they would probably make too much of a ruckus."
"Is it that, or are you afraid that when they arrive, you will not be able to continue living in your fantasy of being Mistress of Harry's house?"
Ginny spun around in furry. "Don't you dare say his name! You have no right!"
"Oh, shut it." Both turned their heads to Mikhail, standing before giant double doors. "Master Prince, the doctor is here to see Master Harry."
"Thank you, Mikhail, let her in."
Ginny nearly stomped her foot in frustration. "I'm the one who summoned him! I'm the one who stays here by his bed day after day! I should have more respect from the servants, not you! You're just some man who shows up once in a while to torment me!"
"Am I intruding?"
Prince gently placed Harry's hand on the bed and crossed the room to greet the doctor. "Of course not. Please come in."
"I see his condition seems the same. Any luck at work, Prince?"
Prince knelt at Harry's side and took his hand once more. "I'm afraid not. It looks as if my efforts will need to be directed elsewhere for awhile." Prince felt his heart clench as Harry twisted in pain. "Please, Aggie, I must request that you remain here with him while I am gone."
Aggie placed a hand on his shoulder. "Of course. I'll take the guest room to the left. Now," she moved to Harry's other side, leaving Prince to once again hold Harry's hand. "I need to check on his condition."
"Will you be needing anything, Doctor?"
"No thank you, Miss Weasley. Prince is more than capable in assisting me. But I must ask you to leave the room."
Agatha Winters restrained herself from lashing out at the woman standing before her. From the carefully arranged folds of her mourning dress robes to her perfectly styled hair, Agatha was sure Ms. Weasley spent much too much time on her appearance and could not imagine dear Harry having anything to do with the dreadful she-devil, let alone romantically inclined to become involved with her.
"I will do no such thing!" Ginny sputtered. She resolutely took possession of a chair near the main doors to accommodate herself. "If Mr. Prince is to stay by him, than I shall stay here to watch and make sure he does nothing to my beloved."
"I care not what you do, whether it be to turn into a toad or lock yourself in a room and live in your crazed fantasies of being Harry's wife! Just as long as you do not disrupt his recovery."
"Mr. Prince! I told you to never say his name! I order you leave at once! I do not know you nor know of your intentions toward my beloved, but I know that it is in his best interest that you leave!"
"He will do no such thing!" Dr. Winters' outburst was quite a surprise for both Prince and Ginny. "Mr. Prince here is a fine wizard and I am sure he has Mr. Potter's best interest at heart. I need him here to assist me, but I must insist that you leave at once. I do not need you here as a distraction and interrupting us."
Agatha was in no way impressed with Ms. Weasley's display of silent seething.
"We will send Mikhail to inform you when it will be safe to visit once more." Agatha turned her back toward Ginny, clearly dismissing her.
Prince had, while Dr. Winters had spoken, summoned Mikhail to him. "Please escort Ms. Weasley to the guest room in the East Wing. She will be staying there for the remainder of her time here."
"Yes sir, Master Prince." Mikhail strode toward Ginny and took hold one of the many fold of her robe, successfully dislodging it from its precise placement. "Come, miss, I will be taking you to your room now."
"Un hand me you ungrateful –"
Agatha placed a hand on Prince's shoulder when she felt rather than heard his sigh of relief with the resounding "pop" of Ms. Weasley's exit with Mikhail.
"Come, Aggie, we have work to do."
Dr. Winters nodded her head and they set to their task.
~.~.~.o.~.~.~
"His condition is stable now." Dr. Winters turned to watch Prince. "I'm sure you'll find out what it is, Prince. As it is, I think he gets better every time you return."
"I just wish I didn't have to spend so much time away from him." Prince sighed and brought Harry's hand up to his cheek. "But now my superiors want me to concentrate all my attention on the sweeping epidemic –"
"Oh!" Dr. Winters stood still in shook for a few moments before rushing to place a hand on Prince's shoulder. "You can't mean that they expect you to go house to house and cure each person individually!"
"Precisely what I mean. Each person is affected differently by this magical virus of sorts and so everyone must be treated differently. I'm to go house to house, assess their symptoms and decide what treatments are best for each case."
"Surely they are sending out others as well?"
"I'm afraid not." Prince placed a kiss on Harry's hand. "I should be seeing anywhere from five to twenty people a day –"
"But even seeing twenty a day will mean that you'll be busy for months!" Agatha fell back into the chair behind Prince. "I meant what I said about his condition getting better when you visit, Prince. I fear that if you are detained from him for too long, say more than six months, his condition will greatly deteriorate."
" Please, Aggie. You are one of the only people who know the truth. I must implore you to stay by his side. I must also ask you to inform his family. I do not trust Ginny Weasley in the least. I would also like you to tell them as a doctor that only a certain few of them may come, for Harry's health."
"Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, Ron, Hermione, and Luna?"
"Yes. When they arrive, please inform the twins and their older brothers the situation with Ginny. They'll know how to take care of her."
"And you? How will you get to come see him when they are all here?"
Prince placed Harry's hand down gently. "I have my ways. I may not have agreed with my father nor followed his path, but I was his son."
Agatha sighed and swept out of the room to make to necessary arrangements.
Prince bent low over Harry and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Please come back to me. Come back to me my Angel."
~.~.~.o.~.~.~
Come back. Come back to me. Come to me.
Harry held himself in a tight ball. "No, no, no! You're not real! You're not him!"
Come to me. Come my Angel. Come be with me. Only me.
"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" He curled even tighter into a ball, trying desperately to will the voice away.
"Harry! Harry!" Laughter floated around him. "We'll always be friends, right mate?"
"Oh yes Harry! Friends forever!"
"We'll make a pact! To always be there for each other! Always!"
"Always, mate. Always."
Tears streamed down his face. "Please go away! Please!"
They'll leave you. All of them, when they learn the truth. You're friends will leave you because of him and he'll leave you… well, you know why.
"No." It came out more of a whimper.
Just come to me. I'll protect you. I'll stay with you. I know the truth about you and I accept it.
A bright light surrounded Harry and burst outward. "NO!"
~.~.~.o.~.~.~
Agatha Winters relaxed into her chair. It took forever for her and the few servants that worked there to distribute the massive amount of flowers around the house. Looking around her room, she felt a wave of peace flow through her. Not one flower remained in the room.
The Weasley's were due to arrive that night. Miss Ginny had not yet been informed. Agatha thought it would be better to surprise her. Agatha made all the arrangements herself, knowing that Prince would prefer it that way.
"Oh Prince." Agatha shook her head. What a hard life to live. Once a Death Eater's son working under cover for Harry Potter and now living constantly in disguise and being overworked by the Ministry. His life was in no way easy.
"Mistress Winters," Mikhail bowed as he addressed her. "The Weasley's will be arriving soon and the rooms in the Northern Wing have been readied for them."
"Thank you so much Mikhail. I don't know what I would do without you. Or what Harry and Prince would do without you."
"I am loyal to both Master Harry and Master Prince. They are constantly fighting for their lives, but always find time and energy to protect others and always placing their happiness after others. I have never known any other master to be so unselfish."
Agatha nodded her head. "Well put. Harry is well loved. It is Prince, though, I fear for. You and I will have to divert Harry's family for when he comes to see Harry."
"I believe that Mistress Luna will be able to help."
"Yes, Mikhail. I believe that you are right."
"Dinner is in an hour, Mistress Winters."