Disclaimer: Is J.K. Rowling in the Army National Guard? Is she leaving for Boot Camp 13 days after this is posted? No? Then I am most definitely not her.

Title: The Ties That Bind

Beta: The awesome, the wonderful, the magnificent, SHADOWFAX999!! (cheer, applaud, and generally make nuisances of yourselves over her).

Summary/ Warning: Dom/ Sub, HGRW, PPBZ, RLSB, LVBL …and of course HPSS.

Chapter 21: Starting to Understand

:Parseltongue:

"Conversational thoughts"

Private thoughts, shared memories

Harry grinned down at the Marauders Map as he watched Neville pace the Common Room of Haven as he had been doing for the past half hour. Soon, though, the other Gryffindor stopped his pacing and began to get ready for his detention. But the dot labeled Draco Malfoy stopped him, and for a moment their dots were overlapped incriminatingly.

Harry pursed his lips as he looked away from the dots, feeling as though he were intruding upon a private moment though he could not see anything. Draco Lucius Malfoy was a conundrum, Harry thought, and began to ponder the boy and his actions. For all intents and purposes Draco was acting as selfish and petty as usual when he encountered anyone in the halls- as they had all decided to not act any differently- but inside Haven he was a completely different person.

He laughed and joked with his Slytherin buddies, and even sometimes deigned to chat with Seamus concerning the Irishman's newest prank. But Harry just couldn't reconcile the differences- Draco was still a prat, still an annoying, insulting Slytherin, but now it seemed as though Harry was… fond… of the blonde for some reason. The way he whined and complained to anyone who would listen that Neville didn't treat him well got on Harry's nerves, yes, and on everyone else's- but there was something about the youngest Malfoy…

Perhaps it was the way he'd curl up in Neville's lap, face drawn and weary after a long day, small in contrast with his Gryffindor Dom. Perhaps it was the way one look at his well-practiced 'you know you love me' face and you wanted to give him everything- even when he wasn't your Sub. Maybe it was even the way he laughed, looking surprised, as though he never expected to do that in this company.

Harry sighed as he located the Neville dot on the third floor, slowly making its way to the dungeons. Whatever- Draco was one of them now, and no matter what the prattish blonde did Harry and the others would have to stay by his side. They were all each other had left, now, and staying together was the best thing they could do. So as Harry waited for Neville to arrive, he finally accepted the fact that Neville was completely and irrevocably in love with the diminutive blonde...However much he didn't understand it, but Neville had accepted Severus quickly enough, and Harry supposed the least he could do was the same.

"You are looking entirely too thoughtful for a detention in which the Longbottom menace is a part." The dark voice made Harry turn in his chair, and face his mate. Severus continued with a raised brow. "You will remove your rather delectable arse from my chair now." Harry pouted at the Head of Slytherin, wondering just what the man would do to make him move.

Severus arched his other brow, and pointed away from his desk. "Move." Harry deepened the pout, eyes going wide and smoky as he drew his bottom lip between his teeth and stared up at Severus from under his thick black lashes. Severus' breath hitched in his throat, and he stared for a moment before seizing the front of Harry's shirt and dragging the boy to him.

The kiss was forceful and deep, and Harry moaned in the back of his throat as Severus plundered his mouth. Absently thanking Neville for taking so long, he wrapped his arms around Severus' shoulders and hauled himself up until he was level with the Slytherin, and deepened the kiss. Severus moaned as he surrendered, not even consciously realizing the act, and spun them around till he could sit in his chair and let the Gryffindor straddle him.

Thank Merlin I locked the door, Severus thought to himself, and Harry chuckled as he pulled back and stared down at his mate. Severus was flushed, lips bruised and pouted, obviously torn between the need to continue and the knowledge that Neville should turn up at any moment. Harry made his decision for him, placing a small kiss to Severus' lips before sliding off his lap and straightening his clothing. And not a moment too soon, for a timid knocking woke them from their haze. Severus frowned, annoyed at the boy and he hadn't even seen him yet. Harry chuckled as he watched Severus fix himself up, not doing anything to fix his own freshly-snogged appearance. Severus glowered at Harry, and cast a glamour spell at the amused teen.

"Why do you find this so funny?" Severus asked, annoyed.

Harry shrugged, and answered with a grin, "He knows about us, and our Bond. There's really no reason to hide anything."

Severus only deepened his frown, and turned away from Harry. "That's no reason to go around looking like a harlot." Harry's brows drew together at the low sentence, and he made his slow way over to Severus, mentally pleading with Neville to forgive him for making the other Gryffindor wait in the hall.

"You don't look like a harlot, Severus," Harry offered silently, coming around to stand in front of his mate, "If anything, you look extremely edible." Severus snorted, but lifted his eyes to meet Harry's worried- and slightly amused- ones.

"Thank you, you nympho." he said sarcastically, and Harry widened his eyes at the accusation, then began laughing.

"Nympho," he giggled as Severus made sure everything was in order, "nympho!" Harry couldn't control the laughter that threatened to overwhelm him, and Severus sighed as he opened the door to let the Longbottom brat in.

Neville took one look at the severe face of the Potions Master, the wildly cackling Golden Boy, and considered running. But he darted into the classroom instead, goaded by the dark glare he was receiving from the Head of Slytherin. Once the door was shut and re-locked, and Severus seated behind his desk with a triumphant look at the slowly calming Gryffindor, the Potions Master turned to the current bane of his existence.

"Why were you assigned a detention with me?" he asked, and Neville's eyes widened as he tried to figure out where the Professor was going with this.

"I- got into a fight with Goyle…" he trailed off as Snape nodded, and Harry took a seat on the edge of the Potions Masters desk.

Ignoring the now-calm teen, Severus asked, "And why did you get into a fight with my Slytherin?" Neville gulped, but answered honestly.

"He was frightening Draco."

Snape raised a brow, and turned to Harry for confirmation. The raven-haired boy nodded, and Severus turned a considering eye on Neville. "Why did you feel the need to interrupt?"

"Why did- why did I-" Neville spluttered to a stop, and glanced at Harry in disbelief. But the other Gryffindor gestured for him to answer the question, and Neville did so. "I interrupted, Professor, because Draco was getting scared and he was alone with the brute." Neville's nostrils flared in remembered anger, and a fist clenched. "And the troll couldn't take a hint."

Severus watched the teen before him, wondering when he had changed. Neville Longbottom, the nightmare of any potions teacher, and overall goody-two-shoes type, had finally grown a backbone. But as Severus pondered the Gryffindor and ignored Harry, he nodded slowly. "Then you have done nothing for which you should be punished." Neville gaped like a carp for a moment as Snape gathered his thoughts, and stared as the Potions Master continued. "You, after all, were only following the instincts the Bond gave you. Which, in turn, the Headmaster is ultimately responsible for, as he decreed that all Seventh Years were to take the potion. I see no reason for you to serve detention."

Harry grinned at his stunned year-mate, and tried to hide his overwhelming approval from his mate. That Severus would decide to take Neville's side in this matter and almost decry Dumbledore in front of two students… Harry knew how much it had taken for Severus to do this.

Not that he didn't agree… or completely back his mate's decision. But after what had happened earlier today this could be construed as a declaration of all out war by the Headmaster. Harry grinned as Severus went on.

"And since I will not serve you your detention, it will not go on your permanent record." Severus raised a caustic brow at the other Gryffindor, and added, "But you will be staying with me for the duration of the assigned time. As such, you will be helping Potter sort my new shipment of potions ingredients. Begin."

Severus turned his attention to the piles of parchment gracing his desk, and unceremoniously elbowed Harry out of the way. With a grin his Dom gestured Neville over to the cases of volatile ingredients, and they began sorting.

Harry walked over to Severus and rested his chin on the older mans shoulder, idly reading the red ink smeared across the page. After a moment he recognized Parvati's handwriting, and snorted quietly at the amount of corrections Severus had already made.

"Severus… are you finished for the night yet?" Harry asked, not bothering with the oh-so-hard task of opening his mouth. Severus, however, had no such compunctions.

"I have to finish at least this stack of dismal essays before I can even think about slacking off." He turned to glare up at the teen. "So, no. I am not finished quite yet." Harry pouted, but held his tongue. He knew the other man had a lot of work to do, but he was bored. Neville had left after barely an hour, Severus letting the teen out uncommonly early due to the fact that the Potions Master was far too ready to defy Dumbledore than usual.

Not that Neville had objected, even not knowing the reason for his early dismissal. But now Harry was alone, and bored, and not even slightly tired. Severus sighed as he felt Harry unconsciously lean harder against him, and sat back from the essays with another sigh. Harry snapped straight up, looking at Severus with hope in his eyes.

"It is possible that I could finish these essays within the hour." The hope in Harry's eyes dimmed for a moment, but then Severus continued. "If, within that time frame, I have completed all I need to and you have finished sorting those ingredients, maybe then we can both retire for the night."

"Deal!" Harry agreed enthusiastically. A wicked gleam entered his eyes, and he presented his lips to Severus. "Seal it?" he whispered, his voice suddenly husky and seductive. Severus swallowed as a wave of lust slammed into him, but he nodded and pressed a chaste kiss to Harry's tempting lips. The Gryffindor deepened the kiss immediately, drawing a surprised gasp from his mate, and slid his hands into Severus' hair.

For a moment Severus was lost in the kiss, but reality reclaimed his mind when the arm of his chair stabbed his ribs. Breaking the contact, he shook his head at the teen in mock-dismay. "Go away and do what needs to be done. And maybe there will be time later for more of this."

Harry grinned, and licked his lips as he sashayed over to the crate of roots and herbs and spices, chuckling to himself as he listened in on Severus' thoughts.

Tonight was going to be interesting…

It wasn't as interesting as he had planned, however. Rather it was as interesting, but in a decidedly different way.

When Severus finished up the essays, and Harry had finished sorting the potions ingredients, they were both too tired for anything more. And as soon as they had discarded their clothing and climbed into bed, Harry merely had to look at the surface of Severus' mind to see that the older man wasn't interested in anything other than sleep at the moment. So Harry wrapped his body around the Potions Masters, and began to idly massage the Slytherin's back. Severus let out a huge sigh, and sort of melted into the mattress.

Harry was almost asleep himself when Severus began speaking, his words obscured by the pillow he was burrowed into.

"I've never had someone care about me." Harry went still at the whispered words, his sleep-obscured mind suddenly awake. "And most of the time I'm half convinced that this will all disappear when I wake up."

Harry wasn't sure how to answer, especially past the lump that had formed in his throat. But Severus kept speaking, and he paid careful attention to the whispered words. "It's hard for me to remember that you're a part of my life now, however ridiculous that seems. Sometimes I catch myself thinking that this is all a ploy by the Dark Lord, or Dumbledore, or whatever cosmic powers might hate me at the moment." Severus swallowed, and shifted in Harry's arms.

However hard it might be for him to say these things, he knew he needed to. At some point in time there might be no need for him to express what he felt, but right now Severus knew that there would never be a more perfect moment. As he lay in Harry's arms, the older man pondered his life- past, present, and probable future. There was a deep silence as the two lovers lay there, Harry holding onto the older man as though he would drift away without the anchor of his mate.

Severus twisted his hand in the sheet, looking for the words he needed. Harry was motionless but for the deep, even breaths, and Severus was thankful for that. "It seems impossible that I should be allowed this level of comfort after all I have done in my life." He felt Harry's breath catch, but the Gryffindor merely took a breath and freed one hand from holding Severus to stroke his hair.

Severus sighed, wondering at the way his life had changed. Never had he thought that he would be here, in this position, and not raiing aginast Fate. Looking up at the dark-haired boy who had changed his life in such a radical way, the Slytherin let a tiny smile slip onto his face. 'I'm absurdly glad that you're with me." His whisper was almost inaudible in the silence, but it was enough.

Harry blinked back the tears that clouded his sight, and pulled his mate more firmly into his embrace. He pressed his lips to the pale forehead, his skin shivering at the feel of Severus' sigh gently caressing his neck.

Dushala, this last bit is all for you. XD

And everyone else, read, review, enjoy, and tell your Snarry-lovin' friends about this fic! Lol , nah. That's only a suggestion… XD

Ta!

Netrixie