The Dark Conspiracy

DISCLAIMER: See previous chapters.

A/N: Thank you for reading this far. I have received a lot of questions regarding my state of health. I would like to thank everyone who has sent me their well-wishes. It really warms my heart. I update whenever I can. I do hope you enjoy this chapter. Keep the questions and reviews coming. It always brightens up my day.

Oh, to those who are wondering still:

'Mental conversation or thoughts'

"Regular conversation" (as it is in US versions of HP series)

Chapter 35: Together

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'What?' Harry exclaimed. 'Sev, are you kidding me?'

Severus sighed.

'I wish I have enough sense of twisted humor to joke about things like this, Harry.'

'But –but –'

'It's fine Harry. At least, I know where you are.' Severus said dejectedly. 'Did they hurt you at all? A while ago I felt terrible pain –'

'No, but I remember blacking out after I left Xeno's place –we had a meeting about Waddlebees –don't ask –then when I woke up, I was already here… well, not here, here but in this place –'

'Wait, where exactly did you wake up?' Severus asked curiously. Harry snorted.

'On a bed –'

Severus paled.

'What do you mean, "on a bed"? Argen! Did he –Was he –'

Harry actually chuckled at his bonded's enraged tone.

'No. I didn't give him enough time for that. And after that punch I gave him, I don't think he would attempt to hypnotize me anytime soon –'

'Wait… WHAT? Argen tried to hypnotize you? He actually attempted to seduce you –and you got out of it unscathed?' Severus' tone sounded incredulous. 'And you punched him?'

Harry snorted once more.

'Ye of little faith, love.' He teased. 'I do appreciate older men. But not that old. He's practically ancient –and ugly –'

'But he is a full vampire, Harry! If he turned on his seduction powers and used it against you –'

'It wouldn't work on someone who's truly madly and deeply in love.' Harry finished. Severus actually blushed with that pronouncement coming from his bonded. Harry smiled.

'Are you actually blushing, Sev?'

'I do not blush, Potter.'

'Bonded, remember?' Harry smirked. 'I can feel the heat creeping up your cheeks.'

'Nonsense.' Severus coughed. 'So… did you really hit him?'

'Yep. A straight right to his nose. I think I might've broken it… not that I care, of course …'

'Ow,' Severus winced mentally. 'So, he did not touch you?'

'No love, my virtue remains pure –all yours for the taking –once we get out of here… if we get out of here –'

Severus sighed.

'We will get out of here, Harry.'

'Oh. So tell me, do they have you chained to the walls like a virgin sacrifice?'

Severus snorted.

'I'm hardly a virgin, Harry.'

'WHAT? Wh-why? How? Who?' Harry ranted, pretending to be quite surprised and upset at the older man's admission. 'Sev – oh god, who –'

'Brat!' Severus was actually laughing. 'Only you, would joke at a time like this. And be thankful I'm not innocent or we would both be fumbling in the dark once we… consummate the bond…'

Harry smiled.

'Something to look forward to then… So, are you chained up?'

'Yes.'

'Huh, figured that,' The younger wizard breathed. 'So, you're chained up… I'm chained up… err –where does our Great Escape Plan fit into?'

Severus frowned and closed his eyes.

'Sev?'

'Harry! Don't speak, not even through our link.' Severus said curtly.

'Huh, why?'

'Someone's coming. I think I know who it is, but please keep quiet until I tell you otherwise.'

'But –'

'Shh!'

Severus pulled out of his mental link to Harry but without closing it. His eyes strayed towards the entrance to his cell. He then tried to shift in his position against the wall, hoping to attract the attention of their visitor away from his junior bonded. A few seconds later, the door to his cell creaked open, and Severus was staring into the black eyes of Kohl.

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"Kohl," Severus said quietly as the vampire approached.

"Custos," Kohl acknowledged. "I am truly appalled by your current predicament." He said, gesturing at the shackles. "Our kind should not be treated like vermin."

Severus grunted.

"Are you here to gloat, or help?"

Kohl smiled.

"You know very well that I would never do either of those given the current situation, Custos."

"You would not, or you cannot? Those are two different things," the half-vampire mused out loud. Kohl sighed.

"Astute observation. But enough of your wordplay. I came here to be useful."

Severus frowned as Kohl began pacing calmly around the room.

"I was sent to prepare –the guests." Kohl began, a small smile gracing his lips. "For the banquet in two days,"

"Argen," Severus spat out bitterly. "What is he planning?"

"All I can say, Custos, is that Salvatore is no longer his primary concern."

"The Ministry?"

"A side venture."

Severus looked confused.

"Then what is he on to now?"

Kohl stopped pacing.

"Do you know the extent of his former plans to bond with Salvatore?"

Severus nodded. Kohl continued.

"He no longer wishes to do that."

The half-vampire heaved a controlled sigh. But one look at the black-haired vampire's face told him that that would be the least of his worries.

"Argen still wishes to take a mate then?" Severus queried. Kohl stared at him.

"Salvatore is powerful, but unyielding –even if he turns, I doubt it. He is much too stubborn. Our sire has decided to deflect to the one next in line –"

All of the color in Severus' face disappeared.

"Me! But –he can't –I won't! I am bonded to Harry Potter –"

"A wizard bond," Kohl sighed. "Does not carry on beyond the so-called grave as I am aware of –"

"But my life force is tied to Harry's. What we have is a true bond –a soul bond! If he dies –"

"Severus Snape will die as well." Kohl supplied. "But not Custos, who may I remind you is already essentially dead."

Severus felt his world stop completely.

"He plans to kill Harry to mate with me?"

Kohl chose not to answer the question directly. Instead, he looked Severus in the eye.

"You must do what you need to prepare Juven Salvatore. The new moon is in two days. Argen will not soil his own hands with wizard blood. He plans to take no part in disposing of your bonded."

Severus held his breath. He looked at the vampire in front of him intently. Kohl's face was grim. Severus' eyes widened in realization.

"Merlin! He will force me to kill Harry!"

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Harry felt Severus' distress through their bond, but as he promised, he did not interfere. He heard a door nearby creak open a few minutes ago, but nothing more. Whoever came to see Severus was speaking quietly and thankfully, not hurting the man.

Harry sighed. Between the two of them, he knew that they could come up with a plan to escape –and bring those rogue vampires to their doom.

'If only I had my wand,' Harry thought. 'I should have paid more attention to my wandless magic training with Professor Dumbledore –'

All of a sudden, a wave of pain came rushing through the link Harry shared with Severus. It was different though –it was more of an emotional anguish than it was physical pain. Harry couldn't take it any longer.

'Sev! What's going on?' Harry asked his bonded. 'I know I promised to shut up, but you're hurting –'

'Harry –' A quiet, subdued, Severus interrupted Harry's ranting.

'Sev?'

'Harry.'

'Yes, I think we've already established that.' Harry murmured exasperatedly. 'What's wrong?'

A deep, mental sigh came on. Harry huffed.

'Well? What? My knickers are twisting around my privates already! What's going on? Why are feeling… despair? Did they hurt you? What did they say? What –'

'I will have to kill you, Harry.'

'Oh.'

Silence came on. Severus snarled.

'OH? Is that all you are going to say, Harry Potter? I will be forced to murder you before the new moon by –by that lunatic of a vampire and all you can say is "Oh,"?'

Harry sighed.

'Well, it could be worse. I could be forced to mate with that ugly undead –'

'THEY WILL FORCE ME TO KILL YOU, HARRY! Kill you so that ugly undead you are pertaining to can mate with me instead!'

'Oh,'

'WHAT THE –Really eloquent, Ms. Potter!' Severus snapped. 'Do you even understand? This –this is what we were discussing last night! Argen will use his maker bond over me to get rid of you! And I may not be able to fight him off! DO YOU –'

'Calm down, Sev,'

'Calm down? CALM DOWN, POTTER? Are you listening to me?'

'Sev –'

'Really crafty! I hate that vampire! I hate my life! I –'

'Sev-'

'No one understands how difficult this is! Merlin, am I the only sane person left in the world –'

'Sev –'

'I tell him that I will be forced to murder him and all he says is, oh. Heaven help the wizarding world. Their savior has gone bananas –'

'SEVERUS SNAPE! Will you quit it?' Harry yelled in his head. 'First of all, I am not good with words, so don't expect –that's more up your alley.'

'Really –'

'Just let me finish, okay?' Harry interrupted his bonded. 'Secondly, I know what you are feeling right now. We're bonded, remember? And lastly, the Wizarding World can screw themselves! We will defeat these stupid vampires. I will personally crush that git Argen, not to save those ungrateful loonies, but most especially to free you –'

'Harry –'

'I love you, Sev. You don't have to face that git alone.'

'Harry –'

'No, Sev. I do understand. He will try to control and break you –the creature in you, Custos –but remember that you are not Custos alone; you are Severus, my Severus as well. We are bonded. We're in this together, love. You will fight his control over you. We will fight him, Sev. Together we will defy him.

'But Harry,'

'If worse comes to worst, mark my words: I will not let you stain your hands with my blood, Sev. That, I promise you.

Both mates were silent for a while after that declaration –until Severus spoke with a surprisingly broken voice.

'I love you Harry. I love you so much that it scares me.'

Harry smiled through their link.

'That love will see us through Sev, I know it will.'

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A/N: Awww…. Mushy mashed potatoes. I'm losing it. Please review and berate me for all it's worth –

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Chesca (eastwoodgirl): *rolls her eyes* about time! Now you can review all my chapters… Everyone and especially to those who don't know him yet, this is my best buddy Darwin, a.k.a. the undertaker (he does my dirty job for me).

Darwin: *waves at the readers* What do you mean ALL?

Chesca: Just that, all. Every single one I've published.

Darwin: you're a slave driver, you know. Who says I'd do it?

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Darwin: *murmurs something about crazy friends and stomps off to find his laptop…* *yells from the other room* by the way, my username is that1BEAUTIFULboy! Tell them!

Chesca: They heard you, Dar! Now review and encourage my other wonderful readers to review as well! *turns to her readers* well, you know the drill. Until next time! -Eastwoodgirl