AN:
Written because Lizzy0305 challenged me to write a tale where Harry and Severus had to work together because they cursed with a bond, one that made Harry Severus' slave, causing a short crucio type pain when he disobeyed. They had to learn to like and respect each other over time. This is my is also for her.

One Debt too Many

Something was different. Severus knew the moment he woke up. Last night had turned into this morning, and it was now evening once again. Sleep had happened sometime in there, Severus was sure or he wouldn't be waking up. Missing falling asleep wasn't what was different. It had happened far to many times for Severus to think anything was amiss – conversely it would be different if it didn't happen once a week. No, it was something else.

A tug, a worrisome feeling, a deep knowledge that Potter – Harry Potter – was injured but recovering, was what was different. Sure, he knew that Potter got hurt, that happened when you were an Auror, but this time the knowledge was coming from inside. It was coming from the place that had always known where Potter was – at least after the first time he saved the boy's life.

Shooting up from where he had slumped onto the sofa, Severus felt his eyes widen. 'Saved his life? No... No I haven't saved it enough to activate it. I know I was getting close, but Potter saved everyone, surely that nullified at least one life debt.'

Swallowing heavily, Severus lifted his left arm and pulled back the cuff of his robe. There, inscribed about his wrist, was a blue magical tattoo that he had worked since his first month as a Death Eater to never have. His breath came faster as his eyes widened. He was caught, bonded, and at someone else's mercy once again.

Voldemort had loved the Debtor's Bond. If you saved someone's life enough, if you could trick magic into believing that you did it without thoughts of recompense, their life became yours. As Dark Lord never though anyone could repay him, he succeeded in bonding to a number of the inner circle, and once your life belonged to someone, you could not do anything they didn't want you to. If you tried, the pain was unbearable. The moment Severus first spotted the blue tattoo on one of the Death Eaters wrists – he didn't remember who as they died shortly afterwards – he researched what it was. From that moment forward, he was very careful about who could save his life and whose lives he saved.

Wrapping his fingers about the mark, hiding it from sight, Severus forced himself to think instead of react. 'I am not the one who is the servant. I am the master of this bond. Potter... Harry Potter is the one that is servant. When did I save Potter again?'

Taking a settling breath, he sat back, staring at his messy work table. Last night he literally created a potion in less than twelve hours to save the life of some patient in St. Mungo's. He had flooed it to them around nine o'clock in the morning and then passed out on the sofa. Glancing at the clock on the mantle, he noticed it was almost teatime.

The floo flared to life. "Master Snape!"

Severus dropped to his knees and looked into the worried expression on Healer March's face. "What happened?"

"The potion you sent this morning – it worked perfectly, except the patient is having a strange reaction to it. We don't think it is life threatening, but no one recognizes it. Will you come through?"

"Give me a moment to gather my notes and I will be right there." Severus pushed himself to his feet and headed for his work table. It was as he picked up his research journal that he remembered the blue bond mark. Running a finger over it, he ordered it hidden; he will deal with it later.

§§§§

"Here." March stopped outside a private room and gestured towards the door. "Auror Potter is not awake yet."

Realization washed over Severus. 'Of course it was Potter who needed the potion.' Walking through the door, he saw a familiar sight, the only difference was that this was not the Hogwarts Infirmary. He crossed the room taking in the flushed skin and the slightly accelerated breathes. 'That is normal. I don't see any signs of an adverse reaction yet.'

March lifted Potter's left arm up and pushed back the cuff of his hospital robe. "This blue mark appeared. No one here knows what it can be."

Years of experience allowed Severus not to react the way he wanted to. Instead, with his snarl of aggravation locked behind his glare, he crossed the room and looked at the mark that branded Potter as his. Delving into a robe pocket, he pulled out a vial of something, a lubricant he thought, and worked the stopper out. Coating two fingers, he touched them to the blue tattoo.

"Snape, what are you doing here?" Harry's voice sounded raspy with sleep, but the words were still distinguishable.

Green eyes opened and stared at where Severus' fingers were touching the mark. Holding back a sigh, Severus answered after careful thought on how to word it. "You are having a reaction to the potion I sent over. This will at least cause the mark to fade. If you still feel different once you are released from here, stop by my lab and I will attempt to determine what is happening."

Running his fingers over the tattoo he order it hidden. "There, the blue is gone."

Spinning about, he walked out of the room. The last thing he wanted to do was give an order to Potter, the Healers would learn exactly what happened and it would be about the Wizarding World before the sunset. March walked with him.

"How did you know to bring the salve for the reaction?" March watched as Snape cleaned his fingers with a quick spell.

"I had the same reaction this morning, so I brought it with me just in case. I will tweak the potions to prevent it from occurring again." With that, Severus flooed back to his laboratory and fell onto the sofa. A wand flick warded the floo and his head fell back, his eyes staring unseeing up at the ceiling. Life just became complicated, again.

§§§§

There was a knock on the laboratory door, and Severus considered ignoring it. He knew the moment he opened it up, his life would change. Glaring at the wooded panels, he heard another soft rap, almost a scratch. He knew that knock from the number of times he heard in the past – Potter. Putting off calling him in would change nothing, but not a sound crossed Severus' lips.

"Snape, you said to come by. I … I need to see you."

The pain lacing those words spurred Severus into action. Flinging the door open, he glared at his guest. "Inside."

Potter dashed through the door, his eyes filled with uncertainty, pain, and fear. "The Healers said your potion had a potential side effect, ones that were not fully investigated. Something about a combination. I tried to ignore it. I thought I could. Pain - I've been ignoring pain for most of my life, but not this type. It is like a slow burning Cruciatus. There is no way to ignore it."

Green eyes closed as relief filled them. "What? Why is it stopping now?"

Severus snorted and clenched his left hand. He wanted no part of this, but it didn't change what happened. He had to explain it to Potter and then they were going to have to figure out a solution. "For once, do not argue. Do exactly what I say. Sit down and listen."

"Argue! Why shouldn't I? Just expla -" The word was cut off with a scream of pain.

Severus watched, almost passively, as Potter shook with the waves of pain that were jolting through him. He knew that it would stop the moment Potter sat down. After what felt like minutes, he forced the young man on to the sofa. "I said not to argue with me. Now, allow me to explain. Do not interrupt or what happened just now will happen again."

Severus waited a moment as he could tell Potter was considering talking, but he obviously though better of it as he slumped back onto the sofa.

"This was indeed a combination of things, but it has nothing to do with the ingredients of the potion you received." Severus started to pace about his small sitting area, his hands clasped behind his back, the scowl on his face deeper than the pile of the small rug. "St. Mungo's neglected to tell me that the potion they needed was for you. Of course, they might have done so to prevent me from charging you for it." His eyes narrowed as he thought of that possibility. "If that is true, then this is all their fault. You see, we are bonded." The word was spat out, filled with loathing and disgust.

"The Debtor's Bond is one created by an accumulation of life debts. There is no magical number that says when it will activate, but I knew that we were getting close to the trigger point. That is why I charged you humongous fees for every potion, every cure that might save your life. If you paid me, gave me some type of compensation for the deed, then this bond would not trigger."

"Can't …. Ca-a-ann-n-'t I … do"

"I said not to interrupt, Potter. No, there is nothing – not one thing – that we can do to break this now." He spun about, staring into the panicking face. "Your life is mine. That is what this bond means. Everything you do from the moment you drank that potion until the day you die will be mine to command. You have already experienced the repercussion of not obeying. Also, if I am dying, your life will be forfeited to keep me alive. Which is why this will not be spoken about outside of these walls. I refuse to see what havoc that would cause to my peaceful life."

Studying the wide eyes, Severus could read questions in them as easily as he could when Potter was a student. "The Healers at St. Mungo did not recognize the bond mark because it is very rare, or was until the Dark Lord became fond of it. I know that there are many rumours and ideas floating about as to why so many Death Eaters, especially the Inner Circle, passed away when the Dark Lord died. They actually died before he did. Each one of their lives forfeited to repay their debts. That leaves no one who intimately knows how this bond works alive. I have researched it, I have watched its effects, I have done my best to never be trapped by it, and as such I am one of the very few who even know of its existence."

He spun about, glaring at the fireplace, his mind running about in circles attempting to figure out the parameters they had to work within. "You may ask any question that you wish."

Harry's lips twisted in a grimace. He hated this. He should not have to be given permission to do anything around Snape. "Why didn't you tell me before that this was something that could occur?"

Anger coursed through Harry. If he had known about the Debtor's Bond he would have made sure that Hermione's note on his St. Mungo's file – the one to prevent Snape of knowing who he was making potions for – never happened. She had insisted after the last time the man had charged him fifty galleons for a potion, fifty per dose. The Healers had agreed with her, and even he had at the time.

Severus continued to stare into the flames. He had thought about tell Potter, but there were no books to be found on the subject. None since Spinner's End had been burned to the ground in the last months of the War. "It was not an issue, and certainly not something that you needed to know about – I doubt that you would have even accept it as a possibility until today."

"Is there no place I can research this? Surely there is a library somewhere that holds the information. Maybe in the Ministry?"

Turning about, Severus shook his head. "I had collected every piece of knowledge about the bond that could be found in Europe. It was at my home." The horrified look on Potter's face let him know the man understood what happened to it. "There might be something in the Department of Mysteries. I was unable to search there."

"Hope then. Can I tell Hermione and Ron?"

"I will not order you not to, but to think carefully before you do and pay attention to who could be listening in." Severus sank onto the small footstool as he answered. "We need to figure out how you may continue your life and I mine with as few interruptions as possible."

Harry nodded quickly. "Do you think I have to be in your presence? Is that why I have been hurting?"

"I do not know for sure. We can test it out. Come back if you feel the urge to do so."

"What did the blue marks look like? The ones you used a potion to get rid of?"

Severus leaned over and took Potter's left wrist in his hand, rubbing his fingers against the mark, making it visible. "I told it to become hidden, the potion was nothing more than a lubricant used on the handles of cauldrons to keep them from squeaking."

He released the arm and Potter raised it up, looking at the bright blue pattern that surrounded his wrist.

"Do you have a mark?"

Severus glanced at his left wrist and wondered if he should let Potter see it. It was different from when he first received it, small lines were trailing up it, knitting about his forearm. The only thing he was grateful for was that they obscured the Dark Mark even when they were not visible.

Looking into the curious face made his decision. He made it visible, and moved his arm so that only the wrist section was visible. "Yes."

§§§§

It was nearly a week before Potter came back. During that week, Severus had written every fact he could remember about Debtor's Bonds down. He requested to use the Headmistress' pensieve to pull up the memories of the books he had read, forcing them to stay in him mind once he returned from his trips so that he could copy them down. It was a painstaking, tedious thing to do, but in the end, he once again had the information at his finger tips. With every word written, he wished that he could end the connection. Potter grew up with too many people controlling his life, but Fate was against him it seemed.

Watching Potter cross the room, Severus could feel the bond mark warm comfortably around his entire left arm. Nothing in his research explained why the mark was growing, ever recorded account said that it stayed a bracelet about the left wrist. 'Of course we could not do anything normal.'

The growth of the mark and its patterns were diligently being recorded in a new journal he purchased for his insights on the bond. Opening it, he moved to the section for Potter's information. "Seven day until you felt the urge to see me?"

Potter shook his head. "No, it started after five days, but I was away on a mission and couldn't make it back. It hurt, the same hurt as before, but it stopped, or rather was mitigated after I mentally promised the mark that I would come as soon as I could."

Severus raised an eyebrow in surprise and jotted the notes quickly down. His mark grew and Potter could calm the connection. "Was the pain gone, or just bearable?"

"Bearable. I could feel it waiting to attack me as soon as I finished reporting in. I came right here, and now it is happy." Sighing lightly, Potter continued. "So, five days. I guess I can spend some time over the weekends here with you. Do you think that would work?"

"You job is not a weekday only one, Potter. We shall have to see about you stopping by periodically, maybe every other day. That way you can be on away missions."

"Okay, I'll make a point to spend teatime with you."

Severus penned in the appointment.

§§§§

'Two weeks!' Severus paced his lab, his concentration as shattered as it had been for the last week. He knew precisely where Potter was, but he also knew he could not get to the man. The pain that was filling him started on last Wednesday. He knew if he was hurting this bad, Potter had to be worse off.

Clenching his left hand tight, he ordered the bond to leave the Auror alone. He never wanted this – he knew what it was like to have your life ruled by a mark on the flesh that seared the soul as well. Harry didn't deserve this kind of pain.

Shuddering as if he had been doused in cold water, or had drank a high strength pain potion, Severus was glad the bond listened to him. He could feel Harry's relief. Opening his eyes, he slowly removed his shirt, and stared in the mirror.

The blue marks, one that normally were not visible, were shining iridescently. He watched them grow. His left arm was completely covered from wrist to shoulder, and now those small blue tendrils were trailing over his shoulder. He could feel one dip below his shoulder blade, following the curve of the scapula. Others tickled the side of his neck and one traced the path of his collar bone. Pulling his shirt on, he started recording the newest development, including the fact that he could see the hidden bond mark.

§§§§

"Snape, I don't know what is happening. Can you make the bond visible?" It had taken a while, but Harry had learned that asking instead of demanding tended to work. Stretching out his left arm, he waited.

Severus finished shutting the door behind Harry. It had taken three weeks for the mission to finish, one week since he had ordered the bond to stop hurting Harry. A simple thought had the blue mark shining in the room, peaking out from Harry's sleeve cuff.

Harry quickly undid the cuff and rolled his sleeve up. Severus stared at the blue lines, trailing up that slender but muscular arm line vines. There were small side shoots that even looked like leaves. "When did this happen?"

As he opened his journal, he purposefully pulled the sleeve up on his left arm to see if Harry would notice his bond mark. It was supposed to be hidden, but to his eyes, it was still shining iridescently. Harry looked away from his arm, and glanced at Severus exposed one, but did not comment. Severus knew that Harry would have commented on the trailing lines from his own bond mark if he could see it. Quill posed, he waited for Harry to explain.

"During the mission. Just like last time, I told the bond that I would get to you as soon as I could, but it couldn't seem to wait more than seven days. I begged and pleaded – it was painful. Each day the pain became more intense. As I promised over and over again, it felt like it was changing. Then, a week ago, the pain stopped. That is when it became like this." Harry dragged his attention from the bared forearm to Severus' eyes. "Do you know why the pain stopped?"

Severus studied the air near Harry's head as if the answers were there. "I could feel an echo of your pain. It was distracting me from my work, so I ordered it to stop."

"Do you think... do you think the change is a good thing? That if we keep pushing it, it will release us? That it will realize that we don't want it?"

Severus noted down the idea even as he wondered if it could happen that way. If so, why was his mark so much more changed that Harry's. Was it because he resented it more?

§§§§

"I need your help, Severus." Harry didn't know when he had started calling Severus by his given name to his face, but he hadn't been told to stop.

Severus poured their tea as he asked, "What do you need, Harry?"

"There is a mission – it is going to be in France and it is going to be at least two months long."

"I will order you to be away, that seemed to help on your last long mission." That had been over two months ago. Severus didn't know how they had kept this bond a secret for almost a year, but next week it would be its one year anniversary. He wasn't sure if he wanted to celebrate the date, not because of the bond itself, but because it marked the time he started learning about Harry, the young man not the student.

Harry shook his head. "No, I need to travel with a Potions Master to help with the case. They want me to take Berkil, but the man is just a Potions Master, he has no experience in dangerous situations. Now, I will admit he is brilliant when it comes to brewing, but this is going to be more dangerous than his lab. Or rather, a different danger that he isn't prepared to handle."

Severus sighed lightly. "And you think I will be able to travel with you? That the Auror Corps will allow me to?"

Harry pulled out a scroll from a pocket. "I have permission right here. Luckily Kingsley understood exactly what I meant by Berkil's lack of experience."

Reading over the scroll, Severus nodded. He would go. "I have ingredients to purchase that are less expensive there anyway."

§§§§

The hotel room had two beds and a sitting area - no place to change in privacy, no place to hide. Severus leaned against the wall closest to his bed, his eyes closed. Over the last week, this became torture. Yes, torture. Harry was undressing on the other side of the room, not thinking for a moment about the other occupant in the room. Severus knew the man had a body, one that was wiry in strength and filled out in all the right places: shoulders, arms, and chest. He didn't need to know about what was tucked under those trousers. He had thought about it long enough this past six months.

"I'm done."

Harry's voice pulled him out of his musings. Opening his eyes, he did his best not to let his eyes trail over Harry's body, the upper half still on display. More fuel for the thoughts that he shouldn't be having, especially with this bond between them. "Good. Shall we get some sleep?"

He had become skilled over the last year at asking questions instead of barking orders. At least with Harry, everyone else still felt the bite of his tongue. Shedding his dressing gown, he dropped onto his bed, and stared at the ceiling feeling the bond mark's warmth heating his arm. He really wished he could end it.

The next morning brought a weak light filtering though the curtains and a pounding on the door.

"Oi! I need to speak with the youngster! Open up!"

Severus glared at the thin door. Harry was opening it a moment later, this was one of the contacts that they were waiting on.

"What do you need?" Harry's wand was in his hand, and his eyes were searching the corridor.

"I have a man who wants to see you. Both of you. Now." Beady brown eyes tried to see past Harry.

"We'll be downstairs shortly." Harry shut the door in the man's face and turned to find Severus already dressed. Nodding he headed for his luggage, dressing as fast as he could. They were both downstairs in less than five minutes.

§§§§

"You two are together?" The blond, Dupont, watched them carefully.

Severus almost growled at the cover Harry had woven for them, it played too close to things he actually wanted to do his heart any good. Not showing his aggravation, he moved a bit closer to the auror. "We've been each others primary concern for at least a decade."

The man ignored his 'this conversation is over' expression as he looked between Harry and Severus. "You like them young, eh?"

A shuttered look covered Severus' face. "It is easier to train them, but we have moved from our purpose."

Dupont shook his head, his eyes resting on Harry. "You've been together that long, you can show me. A little bit of an exhibition would do your relationship good."

Severus knew the blond was attempting to call their bluff. "We are intensely private, for obvious reasons."

Snorting, the man looked back at Severus. "You both are of age now, loosen up."

The message was implied, show him or they get nothing they were here for. Severus turned to Harry, making sure that he was positioned in a way Dupont could not see Harry. Green eyes were searching his, looking worried and uncertain. "It is fine, Harry, as he said we are of age now."

He leaned down, placing his mouth close to Harry's ear and whispered. "I am going to kiss you, do not overreact to it."

It was a direct order, one that he hoped Harry would obey. Shifting his head slightly, Severus let his lips brush against the stubbly jaw and repressed the shiver of pleasure. Tipping his head, he looked into clouded green eyes. Knowing he had to make this quick for Harry's sake, he pressed a gentle kiss onto the pink lips. He could feel Harry's breath catch and his body shaking in an attempt to obey his order. Deepening the kiss, knowing that Dupont wouldn't accept the light brush as proof, Severus fought the groan at Harry's taste. A hand settled on his hip, and Severus shivered slightly as he stopped himself from dragging Harry flush to him.

Pulling out of the kiss, Severus searched Harry's face for any sign of the pain he hoped not to cause. He could feel his mark moving, growing, even as he turned back to Dupont. A line dipped down along his breast bone and he could feel the ones next to his neck curl around it and meet at the other side. Small off shoots were curled around the bite marks on his neck, he could see the shine. One look at the blond man and a quick glance at Harry showed that neither could see them.

"That is all I am will to show. I am sure you can imagine the rest." Severus could see the blue eyes glaze over as Dupont did just that. Clearing his throat, he glared at the man. "We are here to collect a selection of potion ingredients."

Dupont snorted a laugh, his eyes resting on a still shaking Harry. "In a hurry to get back to a room?"

"Of course, there is a reason our relationship remains behind closed doors."

A package ended up in Severus hand and Harry passed over a money pouch. Both men looked through what they received.

"Fair deal." Dupont put the pouch into a pocket. "You can go have fun now."

Slipping the package into hiding, Severus walked out with Harry beside him. He knew what was coming wasn't fun, but he also knew that it was needed.

§§§§

The hotel room door closed behind them, and Severus set up a series of privacy wards before he passed the package to Harry to be stored with the rest of the evidence in this case. Once it was safely away, he took a settling breath.

"Harry, you have permission to do whatever you wanted to do, to act however you wanted to act, while I kissed you." He braced as the last words left his mouth knowing a hex or a punch might follow.

"I don't know if I should, Severus." Harry was watching him carefully.

Sitting on his bed, Severus glared and then sighed. "We need to get this over with. Somehow we have stopped the animosity between us, and this can fester it. I will order you to do so if I have to."

Harry's fingers clenched at his side and then his shoulders slumped. "No, don't order me to. Just give me a moment."

Nodding, Severus closed his eyes and waited. He hoped Harry would have an easier time if he wasn't looking.

Fingers tipped Severus' head back and a palm cupped the side of his face. Warm breath was felt on his cheek, and with a shocking rush of pleasure, lips were pressed to it. His fingers clenched his trousers to keep his hands away from Harry. They spasmed and almost lost their grip when he felt the tip of Harry's tongue trace over his cheek bone with lips barely brushing his skin. He couldn't prevent the gasp that escaped though. Through the pleasure coursing through him, Severus felt a slight tremble in Harry's hand and the quickening breaths ghosting over his skin. Even as he tried to understand what was happening, the breath was rushing over his lips.

"Severus, please, tell me I can. That you want this."

Harry's voice was husky and each word was felt on his lips, pulling a groan from Severus. Opening his eyes, Severus stared into the clouded green eyes, but now he could see that it was desire, not pain. Releasing his trousers, his hands found Harry's hip and back of head. "Yes, I do."

Harry's lips descended on his, and both of them shuddered. The groan he trapped earlier escaped. A tongue brushed his lips, tasting them, pushing against them. Severus opened his mouth, letting their tongues meet again, this time with Harry in control.

Harry's lips eventually left his, and Severus knew they had to stop. There needed to be a long conversation before they took this one step further. Pushing the man he desired away, Severus reluctantly released him.

"Harry, why? Surely you and Miss Weasley are together?"

Harry dropped onto his bed, shaking his head. "No, Ginny and I decided we didn't fit together. She is having a grand time with some fan that fell for her, and I am … am," Here he stopped and shrugged. "As to why? You told me to do what I wanted to do there. I didn't get to finish, you pushed me away, but I think you got the gist."

Heat burned through Severus as he contemplated Harry continuing. "Could it be the bond is affecting you?"

Green eyes dropped to the floor but the head gave a negative shake. "No matter how much I distrusted you, hated you, despised you throughout my school years, it didn't change how much I was attracted to you. If anything, that attraction made me hate and despise you even more."

Could they chance this? They had been working well together. Maybe it would be worth the risk. "You should be able to discern that I desire you, and I can tell you desire me. We will take this slowly. You already have teatime, we shall add other meals and dates. We shall learn about each other before we take this further."

Harry looked up a small smile curling his lips. "Sounds like a good plan. If this turns bad there is no escape for either of us."

Severus nods before dropping back onto his bed. He can feel his bond mark twisting about his right biceps.

§§§§

Harry waited until their food was served before he started talking. Ron and Hermione were humouring by eating in a Muggle Italian restaurant in a small town far away from the Wizarding World. Their eyes had widened slightly when he had used the Prince's muffling spell. He glanced about them, making sure there was no one truly in hearing distance.

"Okay Harry, what is happening?" Ron leaned forward, food forgotten as he watched his best mate.

"Have either of you ever heard of a Debtors' Bond?" Harry waited, watching their faces.

Ron shook his head no while Hermione answered out loud. "No. You are not in debt to someone are you? Surely you can pay them back easily."

"What type of debt, Harry?" Ron's blue eyes were serious with a touch of worry behind them. "Are they in debt to you, or you to them?"

Harry fiddled with his left cuff, wishing he could show them his mark, but knew he didn't want to ask Severus to make it visible for long. "I am the one in debt, Ron. There is only one way to pay this debt completely, Hermione, and it is not something I would consider doing on a regular basis."

"Explain what you know, and we will do what we can." Hermione pulled a notepad out of her handbag and rooted about for a pen.

"Spell the notebook so that no one but you can ever read it. It has to be set so it will destroy itself the moment someone else tries to open in." Harry waited while Hermione slipped her wand out, and spelled the book in her lap, Ron and him shielding what she was doing from prying eyes.

Harry took a deep breath and the rushed through the explanation. "The Debtor's Bond is one that is formed when a number of life debts accumulate between two individuals. One person keeps saving the life of another without thought of recompense. When enough – and that amount is arbitrary – a bond is made between the two. The person who keeps saving the life is the master, for lack of a better word, and the one whose life is continually saved is the servant or slave. The servant must obey everything the master tells him to do, to the letter, or suffer pain. Also, they cannot be separated for an extended period of time. Since the servant's life is owned by the master now, if the master was going to die, the servant's life would be forfeited so that the master could live. That is the only way to end the bond."

Ron's eyes widened. "So, if someone tries to kill whomever you are bonded to, you will die first?"

Harry nodded. "Which is why I haven't told anyone about this, and that notebook must be guarded."

"Who is the bond with, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry fingered the bond mark on his left wrist. The vines were all the way up to his neck now. One had dipped to encircle his heart. "Severus Snape. He knew it was a possibility, that is why he was charging me outrageous amounts for potions. It happened that last time I was seriously injured, the time I had to take a newly invented potion. Since we had St. Mungo's put on my chart not to tell Severus that he was making potions for me, he couldn't charge me – he could not demand a recompense for saving my life."'

"The blue mark on your wrist. The Healers said it was an adverse reaction to the ingredients of the potion." Ron look at the wrist Harry was still fingering.

"It was … an adverse reaction, it was the bond mark. The Healers didn't know what it was, and Severus ordered it invisible. It is still here." Harry pulled his cuff up and stared at the unmarked skin. "If I could, I would let you see it. It is a bright blue vine twining around my wrist. Over the past year it had trailed up my arm and is on my shoulder. I haven't seen it there yet. I will ask Severus to make it visible so that I can next time I go over."

"Does Snape have a mark, too?" Hermione stared at Harry's wrist trying to imagine what he described.

"Yes, he does. I don't know if it has changed though."

"Can we come over for the next visit?" Ron sounded determined but nervous.

"I'll ask." Harry leaned back and pulled his bottom lip through his teeth. "Now for the hard part. Three weeks ago, on my last long mission, I took Severus with me as my Potions Master. Well, things developed, and we are now dating. It doesn't have anything to do with the bond – at least nothing we can tell."

The other two stared at him before both of them started laughing.

"What?"

"I don't know which is harder to take in, mate. You bonded or dating Snape." Ron grinned broadly.

"The later of course, the former is just my luck. Now, can we eat? My eggplant is getting cold." Harry dug in, and the other two started as well.

§§§§

"Sir, can we see the bond marks?" Hermione held her tea cup as there was no space to place it down.

Severus transfigured a parchment into a small side table. "Here." Putting the newly made table within her reach, he continued. "Why do you wish to see them?"

"I found a book in the Department of Mysteries about the bond. There was some information about the bond marks, and I wanted to see if I could determine anything about yours from it." Hermione set her tea down and pulled out her notebook.

Harry crossed over to Severus, holding his wrist out. "I wanted them to see mine anyway. It has changed since you last saw it."

Severus wondered if it had changed as much as his. The bond lines were halfway down his forearm. "They may see yours." Brushing his fingers over Harry's arm, he commanded the mark visible.

With his journal in hand, he waited for Harry to remove his shirt. As each button was undone, Severus told himself to be professional. It only slightly worked. His attention was drawn to the tone muscles playing down Harry's back. Focusing on the blue lines, he could see that they were halfway around Harry's neck. Sketching them, he wondered once again why his had travelled further. "Turn about so that I can see the front, Harry."

Severus barely kept his eyes from widening at the sight of the vine on Harry's chest, eerily similar to his own. Quickly sketching it, he closed his journal.

"Snape, can I see yours as well?" Hermione sat with her pen poised in the air, waiting.

A scowl was filling his face until Harry added in his own request.

"I've not seen yours since the first day you told me about them."

Turning to face the fire, Severus carefully undid the buttons of his coat, waistcoat and then his shirt. Taking a deep breath, fighting the embarrassment of disrobing before his former students, he pulled the three garments off and rested them in his chair. He could see the blue lines glowing on his reflection in the mirror above the mantle, but he knew from experience they couldn't. With a single thought, he changed that.

The collective gasp behind him told Severus they could see the mark. His was far more extensive that Harry's, not only in how far it had travelled, but the complexity of the twining and the dips. Harry's mark looked like vines whereas his looked like rivers and their tributaries. Each shoulder blade were encircled and covered in an intricate pattern, both collar bones were traced, the line that flowed down the breast bone curled about ending under his heart. The patterns on both arms were so complex and interwoven that drawing them was a chore. The mark did completely cover the Dark Mark, making it completely invisible, even when he ordered the Debtor's Mark hidden, which was one of the very few blessing that had come from this, the other was his current relationship with Harry.

"Would you turn about?"

Even though it was Hermione that asked, Severus only had eyes for Harry as he did as she asked. Those green eyes were filled with surprise, tracing the lines, lingering on the ones on his neck and chest.

"Thank you, sir." Hermione lowed her pen, awe still filling her face. "The mark is beautiful. I thought it was just a bracelet."

Severus quickly shrugged his shirt back on, rapidly buttoning it up, before slipping on his waistcoat. "The mark is supposed to be only a bracelet. Both of these are not following the typical pattern."

Three sets of eyes lingered on his neck. Hiding the mark again, Severus watched as they looked away. A glance in the mirror showed the glow still there. 'I do hope this will help determine what is happening. Now, you need to leave."

Harry shot up from the sofa, his tea cup quickly sat down, and he started walking towards the door.

"Harry, you may stay, if you want." The sentence was growled out. Severus knew better than to give orders around Harry.

"Sir, why don't you just tell Harry that he doesn't have to obey your orders?" Ron crossed the room to where Harry was standing, obviously deciding what he wanted to do.

Severus sighed. "The bond doesn't work that way. I could tell him not to, but the moment I say he has to listen, he will."

"It would work for a little while. Surely that is worth something." Ron pressed the matter, looking between Harry and Severus.

"Harry, do you wish to attempt this?" Severus waited for an answer.

After a moment of contemplation, Harry nodded.

"Very well. Harry you do not need to follow my orders. You are free to do what you want." Severus fought the shudder as his mark flowed down the rest of his right arm and formed a bracelet around his wrist. He could see the blue light shining through his shirt sleeve.

"My mark changed! I felt it. It is completely around my neck and is now covering my other shoulder." Harry quickly pulled his shirt off, trying to see the changes in the mirror. "Did yours change, Severus?"

Severus looked at his right arm. "Yes, it is further down my arm."

"Don't you want to see what it looks like?" Harry grinned at him, his eyes darting to Severus' right arm and back to his face.

Severus didn't know why he was withholding information, but he didn't want them to know that he could see it, nor did he want them to know about the new bracelet. Not yet.

"I have no need to. I do, however, have potions I must brew. So, if you would?" He gestured towards the door, and ordered Harry's mark hidden.

The three left him in peace. Opening his journal, he drew out the newest rendition of his and Harry's marks.

§§§§

Four months, that was how long Severus put up with the three friends invading his space. They were researching the bond using the materials that Severus had copied. Hermione had found that changing bond marks were very rare and only mentioned once in the book she had found. Severus knew that they would find nothing in his collection, but let them hunt. Maybe, just maybe, their luck would work. The bond would be broken, and then he wouldn't feel so guilty about wanting Harry so badly.

'It is wrong to be in a relationship, a partnership, with a man you can literally order to do whatever you want. Partnerships are about equality, not about master and servant. Even people who live that lifestyle have a form of equality, and they chose it.'

Clenching his right hand tight, he cast a glance over to where three heads were bent over his coffee table reading one of the more obscure scrolls. 'I want equality! I love him and I want to know that his love is not just because I demanded it.'

Tendrils flowed down from his mark bracelets, over the backs of his hands, to wind about his ring fingers. He looked at his hands and arms before striding off to his room, closing the door behind him. Striping to his bare chest, Severus stared as the bond mark glowed brighter than it ever had. He watched as the intensity of the light increased until it flashed bright enough spots were all he could see.

Blinking rapidly, he cleared his vision. The bond was muted. The lines were still blue, but the glow was gone. Ordering the mark visible, he started shaking his mind in shock. He knew this bond. He had seen it once, a long time ago.

Flinging his shirt on, Severus didn't bother to button it up as he strode back into the front rooms. Running a finger over the spines of the books, he didn't notice Harry staring at him. Pulling the book he wanted off the shelf, he dropped into his seat. In less than half a minute he was reading the half remembered section.

Snapping the book shut with one finger marking the section, Severus looked over at where Hermione, Ron, and Harry were sitting watching him.

"Severus, your bond mark. When did it..." Harry trailed off, his gaze tracing what he could see of the blue lines.

A quick thought had Harry's mark visible. The vines wrapping both wrists were completely visible because of Harry's t-shirt.

Staring in to those green eyes, Severus ignored everyone else. "How do you honestly feel about me, Harry?"

"I … I ..." Harry attempted to break eye contact, but something in those dark eyes held his attention. This was important. It had to be, Severus never walked about with his shirt unbuttoned, much less his bond mark showing. 'Come on, Harry. You've been dying to tell him for weeks. Three little words and it will be done.'

Dragging up his courage, Harry squared his shoulders. "I love you, Severus. Not because of this bond, not because of you saving my life, but … because you are you."

The feeling of his bond mark changing made him break eye contact with those warm black eyes. He stared in surprise as the vines wrapped about his ring fingers on both hands.

"I would recommend closing your eyes."

Harry shot a questioning look up at Severus, noticed that the man had closed his, and quickly followed suit. The flash of light was still dazzling bright. Blinking slowly, he glanced over at Ron and Hermione before returning his attention back to Severus. "What happened?"

"I love you, you love me. I would die for you, you would die for me. The Debtors' Bond has been modified. We stand not in each others' debt, but as the others' protector." Severus passed the book opened to the section to Hermione.

Hermione, with Ron reading over her shoulder, scanned the section quickly. Both of them were sporting broad smiles by time they reached the end.

While they were reading, Harry looked down at his hand before looking at Severus. "So, I am no longer yours to command? I am no longer the servant?"

"Right, you are not the servant, and I am not the master. We are equals. We are -"

"You are bonded, Harry!" Hermione didn't even notice that she cut Severus off. "This bond, the Protector Bond, it is almost a marriage bond. It is one of the rarest to be formed."

"Not almost, Hermione, it is." Severus leaned back in his chair, and finally noticed his state of dress. He did up his buttons as he talked. "If we walked into the Ministry today, we could register today as our wedding day." A half grin quirked his lips. "We even have witnesses."

"We would be scrutinized, wouldn't we?" Harry leaned forward, a finger trailing over one of the rings on Severus' fingers.

"Most definitely. The last registered Protector Bond was about two hundred years ago. There is no known information on how it is formed. We would be questioned until both of us were ready to kill someone." Severus let his fingers ghost over the vines on the back of Harry's hand.

"Then, we need to arrange your wedding. Mum would be more than happy to help. Do you want a bonding ceremony in it?" Ron chuckled at his last question. "Never mind that last one, Mum will ask though."

Wrapping Harry's hand in his own, Severus faced the redhead. "I think the standard wedding should do us fine. I do not know how other bonds would react with this one."

Hermione looked between the two and pulled Ron to his feet, leaving to book on the coffee table. "We'll leave you to talk this through. Good night."

"Night Ron, Hermione." Harry waved bye to them, but his eyes were still on Severus.

"We shall see you tomorrow, about lunchtime." Severus didn't break eye contact with Harry as the door closed behind the other two.

Harry leaned against Severus' knee, peering at the lines on the back of Severus' hands. "You love me? That is what you said, wasn't it?"

Severus tipped Harry's head back until their gazes met. "Yes, I love you. I want us to be equals, to be partners."

"And we are married. In essence at least." Harry searched the dark eyes. "This is our wedding night."

Leaning down, Severus brushed his lips over Harry's. A low moan came from both of them. Standing up, Severus pulled Harry to his feet. "Let us retire this to the bedroom. Wedding nights are not enjoyed in the front rooms."

Harry grinned as he tugged Severus along. "No, that is for honeymoons."

Laughing, Severus pulled Harry to him as the bedroom door closed behind them.