Bound To You

Part 1

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JKR and other miscellaneous big shots I have not taken the time to memorize. I'm honestly not worth suing.

Rating: PG-13 as of yet

Warning: Slash, minor cursing… more to be determined as fic progresses.

Pairing: SS/HP

Summary: A prank results in the bonding of two professors who are notorious for their hate for each other. Could there be any other revenge so sweet? But what happens when the prank backfires?

Notes: It's horribly unbeta-ed, I realize. My beta went MIA after I sent it out over a week ago and I haven't the patience to wait any longer. Despite SS/HP being my obsession for the past six months this is my first post worthy fic. I know the whole concept of forced or accidental bonding is a little over used, but I personally love to read them. It wouldn't be used so much if people didn't like it, right? The plots been eating at me since Christmas. At any rate, I hope it's well received. ^___^

~~~~

"Is this your idea of a joke Potter?"

"Oh no you don't! Don't you dare go blaming this on me! I'm as much a victim in this as you are."

A snort. "A likely story."

"Fine. Don't believe me. I don't think it much matter's now anyways. Let's get to Dumbledor."

Rustling fabric and stumbling footsteps filled the room, punctuated by the odd muttered curse.

"Ouch! Dammit, Potter! Can you not stay disentangles long enough to make it to the headmaster's office?"

"As a matter of fact I can't!"

The bickering followed them down the hall as the pair made slow progress towards Dumbledor's office. A few sleepy eyed students peaked around corners, snickering as they noticed the predicament their professors were in. After all, it wasn't uncommon to see these particular two at the wrong end of a prank.

It was a very big relief when they reached the spiral staircase and were able to collapse through the door in a tangle of arms, legs and one very heavy wizards cloak. The man on the bottom of the pile looked up at the silver haired wizard standing over him and sighed in relief.

"Albus, we have a problem."

~~~~~

"You can't be serious, Albus!"

Dumbledor looked at him over the rims of his half-moon spectacles, eyes flashing mirthfully. "Quite serious, Harry. The binding spell must have been activated just after curfew. The casters shouldn't be too hard to find. It takes quite a lot of energy out of a wizard in order for it to effect the pair targeted."

"But a marriage bond, Albus? Who would ever want to bind us together like this?" Harry was situated in the Potions Master's lap, the compulsion to get as close as possible to the man overruling all logical though on the subject.

"Not to worry, dear boy. It's not permanent. The binding should thin and dissipate within a month or so. It was very most likely nothing but a prank. Neither of you have perfect relationships with your students and have both shown an obvious dislike for each other. To bind you together for a month seems like a perfect revenge."

Snape scowled around Harry's shoulder. "Can't you break this? I can't teach a class with Potter's legs wrapped around my waist." Harry made an indignant sound of protest, but was ignored.

The headmaster continued to smile. "You should be able to separate within the next few days. At that point you can teach joint classes. I've always thought Defence and Potions are two classes that really would work well together. The combination of the two classes should make for some interesting discoveries."

The way he'd said the last made both slightly nervous, as did the strangely calculating look in the aging man's eyes. That look never meant that things would go as planned. It meant that things were about to get complicated. And very soon. Neither liked complications in their lives, least of which being those that were caused by trouble making students and a bothersome headmaster. Wasn't it bad enough that they were already colleges? Did they have to be put through the agony of each other's constant presence as well?

Dumbledor continued, as if unaware of the thoughts of both professors, though it was fairly hard not to read it in each expression.  "So long as the bond is not consummated there shouldn't be any problems at all."

"Consummated?" Severus sneered. "If we don't kill each other is will be a miracle."

"Didn't I tell you Severus? It's impossible to harm to physically harm your bondmate. It was to stop a participant in any marriage from harming their mate. It's part of the clause in the spell. This particular thread is generally used in the case of an arranged marriage, most often pureblood marriages. I believe the same version was used in the case of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. You may recall that particular bond, Severus, as you were a good friend of Narcissa's at the time."

If anything, the potions master paled. "I suppose that was meant to be comforting…"

Harry huffed in frustration, ignoring the short interaction. "So, as long as we don't 'consummate', it'll wear off in a month? So long as I'm not stuck with him for the rest of my life, I think I can go that long without killing him."

The older man snorted. "Funny thing coming from the man sitting on my lap."

"Excuse me, but I'm not the one who woke up with my arms wrapped around someone I supposedly detested," Harry returned, green eyes flashing dangerously. "If you had chosen a chair with another close by I'm sure I wouldn't have needed to use you as cushion."

The pair glared at each other before the sound of a polite cough broke through their single-minded staring contest. The Headmaster was leaning heavily against his desk, eyes absolutely shining with mirth as he covered his mouth with a wrinkled hand.

Severus huffed and stood abruptly, sending Harry tumbling to the floor. The young DADA professor promptly scampered towards the taller man in order to regain the lost physical contact as something in him seemed to pull taut.

This sent Dumbledor into a fit of laughter, this one impossible to hide. The potions master scowled and stalked out of the room, slightly encumbered by the Potter brat's arms wrapped almost desperately around his waist.

They struggled down the narrow staircase at which point Severus suddenly stopped. "This is not working, Potter. Move around so I can carry you."

The former Gryffindor froze. "Carry me?! Like bloody hell you will! I am not some blushing bride that needs to be carried over the threshold on our wedding night!"

An impatient sigh made it's way past Severus' lips as he scowled at the analogy. "It's either that or we spend the rest of the night inching out way toward my rooms. I suppose the perpetrators would get quite the bit of enjoyment to find their most hated professors in a broken heap at the bottom of some stair case."

Harry frowned, but moved around the man's waist so that they were face to face. Snape's expression was a mask of great distaste as he swung the smaller man into his arms. He grunted under the weight, but seemed otherwise unbothered by the burden. Harry simply continued to cling to him, cursing his limbs for being so completely out of his control.

They reached dungeons sooner than either had expected and Harry was all but dumped to his feet. Another tug from whatever magic was binding them and his arms were once more around the thin waist of his snarky companion.

"We're going to be sharing a bed for a very long while, aren't we?" he spoke softly, a hind of resignation colouring his speech.

Snape sighed. "It would seem so."

Things seemed to have gone rather dumb during the course of their trek. Their systems were still trying to sort out the bond and seemed unable of doing so with their emotions being so charged. It had been an unwilling binding and had caused a great deal of anger and frustration to well up. The marriage bond had been known to kill one or both bonded if it was not accepted by the host's subconscious. The numbness was a sort of defence mechanism protecting the precarious balance of mind and magic and preventing it from tipping. Albus had warned that this could possible turn up as a side effect and Harry was feeling rather grateful for it.

Snape rid himself of his night robe, glad to be only in a pair of drawstring pyjama bottom. Harry moved himself so that they didn't lose contact, but was out of the man's way. The younger was in no need of stripping, as he'd not covered the plaid boxers and t-shirt he'd worn into bed before they had left Snape's bedroom.

Together, they both climbed into bed, letting a cloud of lethargy take them over even as they unconsciously cuddled beneath Snape's coverlet.

Oh, but there would be much to discuss in the morning…

~~~~

Something was off. Harry knew it even as he squeezed his eyes shut tighter and burrowed deeper into the mass of blankets heaped on top of him. He felt way too comfortable to contemplate something seemingly so unimportant as a tiny instinct before he was even fully awake.

His arms were wrapped around a tall, thin man and he had never felt so right as he did at this very moment. He could hear the steady beating of his companion's heartbeat and the slightest snore the man emitted. As he nuzzled against thick hair, coming into contact with warm skin, he wished never again to leave the state of contentment he now found himself in.

But, lucidity has a habit of kicking you in the ass at the most inappropriate moments. One word made it's way through his fogged mind and sent him bolting into wakefulness.

Snape.

His eyes snapped open and he wrenched his face away from the man's neck even as he pulled one arm away from Snape's waist, the other being wedged under his side. How they'd gone from the bare minimal of contact to spooning was a complete mystery; one he really wasn't willing to contemplate. It was simply added to the, which started with how he'd even gotten into the Potions Master's chambers when the bond had first taken effect.

Beside him Snape mumbled something and turned over, face resting next to Harry's. The DADA professor froze, breath catching in his throat as he tried to quash the impulse to kiss him.

This was so much worse than he'd first assumed. He'd never expected to actually want the man. He figured that the bond was merely a way of keeping the marriage from being canceled by willful children. It seemed that the creator had decided that in order for the bond to actually work, there had to be something between the two intended. Well, at least he could still feel that burning dislike he'd always felt for his former professor. He supposed that he could deal with wanting to kiss the man, but if he'd found himself swooning-in-love with him he'd have lost what pride he had left in this situation.

After all, it was likely that Snape would be feeling the same in a few hours. He wouldn't have to be the only one suffering from this bond, and that, at least, was somewhat reassuring.

Sighing, he shifted around, tugging at his arm as he shook Snape's shoulder and was answered with indecipherable grumbling. He shook him again. Same response, this time slightly louder. One more time. Snape grabbed blindly at his hand, pinning his arm to the side of his body and proceeded to use Harry's chest as a pillow.

Harry huffed with annoyance, glaring at the dark head below his chin. "Dammit, Snape! Get the hell off me!"

The dark haired man yelped and flung himself away from him. The bond tugged furiously and Harry couldn't help but follow.

Snape lay frozen still as Harry panted on top of him, trembling from the shock of having the bond yanked so thin so suddenly. "Well, that was interesting," he sighed, finally looking up to see depthless onyx eyes gazing back at him.

"Potter."

Harry frowned. "Snape."

"So it was real, then. Let's hope Albus finds the miscreants who did this. I'm feeling particularly vicious today."

Harry agreed wholeheartedly.

~To be continued~