AN: I'm really sorry for incredibly slow updating,but I'm afraid to say that they probably won't get any faster. I'm a freshman in college and I have a lot less time to write with school, volunteering, irk, and my sorority. Sorry!
Chapter 9
After that discussion it had been relatively peaceful in the Snape household. Sure, Harry and Severus still had their occasional domestic tiffs, but those usually ended just as quickly as they had began. Usually, with Harry snuggled on his dom's lap sporting a swollen-lipped grin. And, for Harry at least, the conflict regarding the Dursley's was soon forgotten.
Severus didn't quite agree. He had resigned himself to Harry's determination regarding his relatives, but that didn't mean he was satisfied with all of the 'resolutions' his mate had thought up and he could barely restrain himself half the time from getting on his knees and begging his sweet mate to tell him. The Veela honestly wasn't sure how much more he could take before his more basic instincts interfered and made his submissive tell him.
"What's wrong with you?" Harry scrunched up his nose and stared demandingly up at his mate when he noticed Severus had gotten a far away look in his eyes and flexed his rapidly shifting nails.
"Nothing," the potion's master ground out with a look of irritation.
Harry frowned softly at the tone Severus had used and retreated back a little on himself, not liking the feelings of vulnerability that had arisen at the angry tone his dominant had used on him. His nerves twitches and he clenched his lips together, hating the fact that he could feel tears start to well up in his eyes. He mentally cursed his submissive status for making him react like this to the clear anger from his mate. Even though he knew he had done nothing wrong, he felt the need to apologize and whine until his mate snuggled him again. It wasn't even bloody mating season anymore, he shouldn't still be feeling this fragile in their bond.
Incomplete bond, the voice whispered in his head, reminding him that he still technically wasn't Severus's official submissive. That he was still just a newly changed sub who had yet to be claimed.
As soon as Severus saw those green eyes start to wet with tears he cursed himself. He might have been frustrated, but that was no excuse to take those frustrations out on his mate. "Hey now," he cooed lightly, reaching out to softly stroke a soft cheek. "I'm sorry, darling. I've just been a bit stressed, but I'm not angry with you."
Harry wanted so badly to say that he didn't care if he was angry with him, but instead all that came out was a soft sniffle and a tiny, pathetic sound. Upon hearing that, firm arms picked him up and cuddled him on a warm lap. Distressed eyes met his own glistening green ones and he tried to play his overly emotional reaction off with a cocky smile. Unfortunately, his smile came off more like a sad grimace and before he could correct it, his head was being guided to a chest and a blanket was wrapped around their forms.
"You've done nothing to anger me, love, I apologize for being so gruff with you," Severus tried another tactic to try and comfort his mate, trying to remember all the things his father had taught him that worked to sooth distressed submissive. "Will you please forgive me?"
Harry mumbled something incoherent in Severus's chest and turned so he face was pressed against the soft fabric and he could see nothing but the darkness of clothing. Severus let him stay like that for a few more moments before he carded his hands through the soft black hair and gently turned his head so he could see his face.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked, still keeping the same calm and soothing tone he had been taught over and over as an adolescent preparing to come into his inheritance. His father had known he was going to be a dominant, and as such, had made sure to teach his son everything to know before he had sent him off.
Harry nodded, his face turning a soft pink as he still refused to open his mouth. Honestly, he wasn't even sure he could talk. He just knew that there was something inside of him that was upset for some reason. A reason he was a little worried had something to do with his still incomplete bond.
"Words please, love, if you can manage them," the Veela said kindly, needing to know if Harry was completely out of the submissive mental state he had put him in.
Harry nibbled his lips then hesitantly whispered out a "yes" in response to the previous question.
"Good, and do you understand that it was not your fault that I took that tone with you?"
"Yea," Harry answered again, though his voice was still quiet and unsure.
Severus nodded, satisfied that Harry had at least answered his questions. Though that still didn't relieve his concern over how affected Harry had been. To be dropped that seriously into submission, he had to have been fueled by inner doubts that were already present in his mate's mind.
"You don't deserve to be spoken to in that tone, especially not by your dominant." He said firmly to Harry, to make sure that that lesson was ingrained into his mind. "You've done nothing to displease me, understand?"
Doubt flashed in Harry's eyes and Severus caught it before it could be hidden. "Little one-"
"Whyhaven'tyoubondedwithmeyet," Harry rushed out quickly before his mate could finish his statement, his words blurring together in his haste to get it out before he rethought it.
"Slower, sweetheart," Severus soothed.
Harry took a deep breath and steeled his nerves, determined now to get it out. "Why haven't you bonded us yet?" he asked with determination, though anyone could see there was a layer of hurt confusion in those eyes.
Severus's eyes creased and he wrapped his arms tighter around his mate. "I want to bond with you," he started off by saying in a clear voice. "I want to claim you as my submissive."
"Then why haven't you," Harry demanded, still unable to stop the hurt from coursing through him, as unfounded as it was.
"There's a little more to it than simply taking you to bed, darling," he chastised amusedly. "I've started filling out the paperwork necessary to get a meeting with the council, and which was supposed to be a surprise," he said with that same smile before his expression got more serious.
A single finger tipped Harry's chin so that he forced to meet Severus's eyes and couldn't turn away. "Next time you are having doubt, I expect to be told of them, understand?" his voice was light but firm. "There's going to be no more hiding or ignoring it until it becomes a bigger issue like it did this morning. I don't expect you to tell me every single thing your mind comes up with, I know that's not something that comes easily to you, but understand that if there's a concern like this morning, I expect to be told immediately."
His expression softened and he pressed a kiss to Harry's nose. "I know this is hard for you, but I can't allow you to hide these emotions from me anymore. Not when they make you retreat so far into your own mind."
Harry tried to wrap his mind around what Severus was asking of him. He honestly didn't know if he would be able to do it, what if he sounded stupid? He wasn't just going to go around telling Severus every time he felt like he wasn't getting enough attention!
"That's exactly what I expect you to do," Severus said firmly, sensing through their incomplete bond that that was what Harry was thinking. "I can appreciate that this is new to you, but if I find you are deliberately hiding something from me concerning your physical or emotional wellbeing, you will be getting punished."
Harry nodded in reluctant agreement, knowing that Severus didn't make threats of punishment lightly. It wasn't that he ever purposefully disobeyed, at least not with that intention. Sometimes it just happens and he doesn't know how to tell.
Especially when it was something like this, where embarrassment and hurt often overruled all rational thought. "You could've just told me that you were trying to get us bonded," he said with a slight pout.
"As I said, love, I wanted it to be a surprise."
Harry sighed and laid his back down on his mate's chest. "What more do we have to do 'fore we're bonded?" The words were muffled into the black cloth, but apparently clear enough for Severus to understand because he let out a brief chuckle and led them to the couch so they could cuddle.
"I've filed the forms to the council, when they approve them, they will schedule a meeting with us to confirm that all courting procedures have been followed, that there's been no mind tampering, things such as that." He paused in his explaining to press a kiss to the side of his head. "Then I'll need to obtain your guardians approval and we'll set a date for our ceremony."
He laughed when, in response, Harry let out a tired whimper and huffed a sign against his neck.
"I'll handle as much or as little as you want me to," he promised. "The only things you have to worry about is what date you want our ceremony to be on."
Harry let that sink in for a few moments, smiling when Severus allowed him to just close his eyes and rest against him. They stayed cuddled like that for a few more seconds before Harry started squirming against his hold. "Do we have to have sex for the bond to be complete?"
The Veela stiffened slightly at that comment before relaxing again before Harry could notice his shift. He kept his tone light and friendly as he answered. "It is traditional for the mated pair to consummate their bond on the night of the ceremony. It is not, however, a requirement. Perhaps I shouldn't have sent word to the council before we talked-"
"No," Harry interrupted quickly. "No, it's not that. I just…" he squirmed guiltily again. "I like knowing that my options are open. That, even if we do have the ceremony, it's still my choice if I wanna do it."
"It will always be your choice, Harry," Severus's frown deepened at what his submissive was unknowingly suggesting. "We can choose to have sex that night, or a month after, or any other night that you want." His expression was troubled as he said this, trying to control his shift. "I apologize for assuming that you were ready for this step, it was inappropriate."
The guilt that was clawing at Harry's stomach intensified and he could feel it twisting inside his body. "No, I'm sorry," he hurriedly said. "'m sorry, I do want it."
"What are you apologizing for?" his voice was still calm despite all the concern that was building inside of his with everything his mate said.
The answer 'for making you disappointed' probably wouldn't go over well, Harry thought. Nor would 'I want to make you happy' or 'I didn't mean to make you think I didn't want it.' But he did want it, he wanted to have sex with Severus, and he definitely wanted to mate him. He just didn't want to feel trapped.
"Harry, sweetheart, I asked you a question."
"I don't have an answer," Harry confession quietly.
"Yes you do," Severus corrected, "you simply don't have an answer that you think I'll like."
Harry huffed and buried his face in the crease of his mate's neck, finding comfort in the strong scent. "I want to mate with you, and I told you a while ago that I wanted you to fuck me."
Obvious avoidance techniques, Severus thought surly. "You have one more chance to answer my question honestly before I employ other means of extracting information."
"Torture?" Harry answered cheekily which only earned him a low growl and a surprisingly gentle nip to the neck.
"Harry."
Harry's flippant expression immediately dropped and he resumed his squirming. "I said sorry 'cause I didn't want you to be disappointed or hurt," he finally admitted.
"Okay, here's what we're going to do," the dominant said in a calming voice. "I'm going to go to the council tomorrow-"
Harry's eyes shot up quickly at that and he stared in shock at his mate. "Wait a second," he cried. "You don't get to threaten to call off our bonding just because I'm having a moment of doubt. I am signing my life away, I'm allowed to have moments of concern!"
He could feel anger and indignation rising to the surface of his mind, even as his mate pulled him tighter against his chest and tried to sooth him with a hand over his neck. "You have done absolutely nothing wrong, Harry. I expect doubt and nervousness and concerns, a rational submissive would have any of those and more."
"Then why-"
"Because no submissive should feel the need to apologize for not wanting to have sex, because you fear you'll make your dominant angry or disappointed. That, my love, is never acceptable. Mind tampering is a serious offensive, especially when it concerns bonding."
"Mind tampering!" Harry spluttered.
"Taking advantage of your instincts is not acceptable. I will be going to the council tomorrow-"
"No, you wont," Harry declared stubbornly. "I. Want. You. To. Fuck. Me. You are't forcing me or whatever else it is you think you've done. ForMerlin's sake, I bent over a table last week and practically begged you to-" he ran out of steam and grunted, feeling the inexplicable need to punch his mate in the chest. "I just don't like feeling trapped. I want to bond with you, I just want to be more in control of it. I want to know that if I ever wanted to back out, I could do it. Even though I don't want to, I need to know I can."
After that angry tirade there was a few moments of silence, before it was broken once again by Harry. "Besides, you wouldn't have even been able to take advantage of my instincts if you'd wanted to."
"Is that so?" Severus's neutral expression shifted into a smirk and he allowed his claws to elongate before pressing them delicately into the back of his submissive's neck and growled low in his throat. Harry let out a surprised gasp and arched into the touch, holding himself still like a kitten. A soft chuckle rang out and Harry tried unsuccessfully to wiggle around into a position where his mate's claws weren't pressing into a sensitive part of his neck.
"Are you submitting?"
Harry growled in an attempt to be threatening and hunched up his shoulder's, shivering in reluctant pleasure before giving in and slumping against the cotton-clad chest. "Bully."
