Just a warning before the chapter starts, you guys might not like James as much by the end of this. Also, thank you guys for all for the love you give me and this story, and I hope you like this chapter!
-Xenia
Chapter Twenty-Three: Intricacies
Here they stood, and audience or no, Severus was not going to let his mate leave without some form of physical contact. He wanted something to hold onto while his little minx was away from him. As soon as they were standing in the clearing between the garden and the forest just before the maze began, the elder man took an extra step forward.
Harry smiled and took a few quick steps towards his man, lifting his hands to rest on the others chest. Looking up at the taller man, Harry placed his cheek on the man's chest as well and let out a sigh. Severus put his hands on the others waist, feeling the soft fabric of the dress beneath his fingers.
"Until next we meet Harry." Was his goodbye, as anything else would betray his sadness. He could almost imagine that they were married when he held the boy like this, but he still had things to plan and they still had a lot to put behind themselves before they could hope to create a new start.
Harry beamed up at him, giving his mate a kiss on the cheek. "Until next we meet Severus..." he whispered before whistling his special tune. Lily shot out of the forest, the garden, and the maze, from the roof the castle and even one from Ginerva Weasley's hair as they made their way to the boy.
And just because he could, Harry stayed in his mate's arms as the butterflies slowly took him apart to put back together below ground. "Write to me?" Harry breathed out, a little sad detethat he was leaving-- although it was his idea in the first place.
'Always' Severus spoke back through their link with a small smile on his face, which Harry mirrored tenfold until his waist was gone, and Severus had nothing to hold onto. Soon Harry's hands were fast being consumed by the insects that would take him home. Tucking his hands into his pockets, Severus watched as the last of his mate faded away, the bright eyes and luminescent smile stuck in the forefront of his mind. Standing there for a second or two more as those around him collected themselves-- or at least that's all he'd admit to-- Severus turned back towards the castle. And with a confident gait and his head held high, the man disappeared inside.
He did promise to write his mate yes? Plus he needed to make sure everything was in place as April was almost amongst them, and Harry's next visit would likely be as hectc as this one was. The man left a group of dumbfounded coven members, an heiress, and a bunch of redheads in his wake, and as they scrambled to get back inside to ask their questions, night began to fall.
Harry was standing just in front of the door of his ancestral home, hands still up and a stinging in his eyes at the separation he could feel in their bond. This is exactly why he knew that the time apart would be good for the two of them, as being together has allowed every part of their cores to bond, and he did not need to be so addicted to the man. Nor did he want the man hooked on him just yet. They had lives to live and duties to perform, which would not get done if they refused to leave each other's sides.
He opened the door and made his way inside. "Moony? Padfoot? Mum, Dad?" He called, trying to keep his voice level. Though he couldn't hear anything from inside the manor, he did hear a few shuffling footsteps from behind the house.
The back doors were wretched open and a group of people came rushing towards where they heard his voice. It was easy to see that the man had been crying, or at least was about to start, but neither of the elder undead knew what had caused it. Lily was beaten to the overprotective coddling by Sirius who swept Harry into his arms.
"Did he hurt you??" Was all he asked, though after Harry's boisterous laughter, the other man decided that this was not the case. He knew what Harry's laughter sounded like when it was forced, and this just wasn't it. The boy had to calm his laughter as it was causing a small cramp in his side, and he didn't want to actually bust open because of it.
Wrapping his arms around Sirius briefly, Harry pulled away and smiled at his family, who were crowding him in the foyer. "Of course not Siri, I just can't bear being away from him, as our cores are now, heavily intertwined. But there is much I have yet to do before I will allow myself to go back up. Several plans, of which I will need your assistance, to complete." He said softly, breaking away from the group and heading down towards the study.
This was the Potter manor, though those in the house knew that Sirius had one of his own. Hmm... perhaps Narcissa and her son may have been admitted entrance if it were transferred to her name before Sirius' demise? Or perhaps she lived in a Malfoy residence, as she had been married to the man before her death?? Harry would need his family's help to find out, and if Sirius truly knew anything about the two, why hadn't Harry ever gotten to meet them?
It seemed a bit awkward if he would search them out on his own, especially as they did not know him, but rather they probably knew of him. Taking a seat in the study, Harry waited for his family of be seated as well before he recounted his trip up top. "I felt a bit overwhelmed by the end of my first day in Lord Prince's castle, as there were so many people to meet and things to discuss..." He did not want to tell them about his and Severus' trip through his memories, though he did show them what his mate made for him.
The necklace was passed around the family, and only once it was given back did Harry continue to speak. After he had successfully summarized the events of his past few days above ground, Harry moved into one of the more delicate and prevalent topics. "I learned of a Lord Malfoy, who was looking to court the young Granger heiress... He is the very same man who once married Lady Narcissa, and the lord who at one point hoped to court and control myself." Waiting until the outraged cries, no matter how stifled they were, subsided Harry opened his mouth again.
"Yes, I have good reason to believe that he or someone working beneath him brought about my death, and I am very sure that I was not the lone recipient of his ill sought affections. I must find Lady Malfoy and the deceased heir Draco Malfoy in order to confirm my suspicions. I simply ask if you have any connections that will serve to help me?" He held out hope that it would be easy to get the woman and her child to open up to him, though it could very well become disastrous when the murderous lord is spoken of. He knew that the woman could either share her husbands beliefs, or simply be too scarred to go against his manipulations.
As she had been dead for a bit of time, perhaps it was long enough for her to begin to shake off whatever ideals and beliefs she may have adopted? These thoughts were crushed however, by Sirius' next few words. "I must apologize, as we do not speak to one another, nor have we for many a decade. I am surprised to note her death, though I must stress that I have not been in contact with her due to her prejudices. Long before she married Malfoy we were on strained terms, though I will find a way for you to speak with her." The man sniffed in indignation. He felt his cousin was beneath him for what he saw as a level of stupidity.
She carried their family's belief system even past his death, and held him in contempt for making his own paths and decisions. He was not fond of the woman, nor was she fond of him or her elder sister Andromeda Tonks. The only family member of which she held in high esteem was Sirius' demented cousin Bellatrix Lestrange. He told the boy across from him as much, and imparted on him the type of darkness he could likely step into trying to make the woman see light.
"Forgive me Sirius if I allow myself a bit of positivity in that regard. Perhaps I could ask Severus if he is on better standing with Lady Malfoy? If so, maybe he could be my way to gaining an unbiased audience with her. I would like to keep the amount of animosity between the two families fairly non existent if at all possible." He knew he was putting everything on a being able to achieve a proper first impression with the deceased woman, and if his godfather were on rough terms with her it would help him none, especially when he will have to announce his name.
This was going to get very tough before it got better and Harry knew this for a fact. On another note, the young lord still had much to tell his family about the Weasley's and Granger's. He spoke of their personalities and his remembered connection to Molly from his school days. He spoke of remembering a snake he once knew and expressed his desire to possibly see her again as well.
From here Harry asked about Remus and the progress of his pregnancy. Did the potion help and why exactly was it needed in the first place? We're there any significant changes so far? Harry had never been with child before, so he wanted to know everything he could glean from the elder dead man.
"Please Harry, calm yourself!" Remus chuckled, sitting Harry back in his seat as the boy had gotten up, flitting around him like a curious child. "There have been no direct changes of any significant, though I am feeling less nauseous, and a concerning cramp I had a day ago has cleared up. I take the potion because my body was not designed for child bearing, and I need to have the proper hormonal balances in order to eat this through."
The wolf to a break to rub a hand down his thigh, everyone in the study had their eyes on him, and he was simply not used to all of that undivided attention. At least not for matters such as this. It was a joyous moment to be had, knowing that he was capable of bringing life, or some convoluted semblane of life, into the underworld. But that being said he was only mated to Sirius, not married...
Sure they called each other husband, but if the two really wanted to bond, they would have to go into it on unequal standings because Remus was a werewolf. Laws went against people with his affliction, stating that any bond between a non wolf and a wolf be one of ownership. He did not want to be viewed as a possession and Sirius did not ant to force him into such a bond. He knew he couldn't have much more than that, as even mugges did not marry two men in the church. He knew his family would not judge him, least of all his nephew, but that did nothing to assuage his panic.
Noticing this panic creep onto his uncle's face, Harry looked for something else to speak on, which he decided would be the other gifts he had gotten from Severus. The man had not stopped at the necklace and in the time that Harry had been upside, he was spoiled in ways he was unused to.
"Thank you for sharing with me uncle Remy. I wish you all the luck in your future." Was his short and fairly subtle apology. he did not want to call the man out on his panic, nor did he wish to add to it with an outright apology for causing said panic. It would have only served to get him more attention, which was quite counterproductive if you asked Harry.
"Oh!" Harry exclaimed as if he had forgotten something, his goal to divert the attention in the room away from the now fidgeting wolf. "I have yet to show you the stationary that Lord Prince gifted me for the two of us to correspond with." Harry smiled, pushing a delicate strand of hair away from his face. His smile was genuine and deep, and he wanted for nothing more than to write the man who had captured almost all of the parts of himself that he had kept locked away.
There was a quill made from a Ravens feather, and a Jade barrelled fountain pen in a long deep scarlet colored box, red green and black ink pots along with parchment that had moving vines and roses along the boarders. It was actually very beautiful how it seemed to be an intimate statement of the other mans affection, simple as it was to others. Lily, Remus and Sirius took turns looking at the set, though James decided not to. Without a glance at the other gifts, which Lily had begun to pull out of the extended bag, James stood to grab a drink.
He did mean his congratulations to Harry for finding someone he felt was suitable to marry, but he could not bring himself to reconcile his ideals of 'Snivellus Slytherus' with this Lord who was trying to court his son. Sure Harry was over the age of consent, and had they all been living the boy would be in his fourties and in dire need of an heir, but this was almost too much. And for his own wife to be so enthused by these events? For Lily to turn on him after so long hating the greasy little git he worked so hard to portray Snivellus as??
Ugh it sickened him! Even his best friends were sitting back and watching this unfold with joy for the boy! The man was nothing more than a follower, with a sick fondness for green eyes and kind smiles. Harry had better be happy with the man, lest he give his father a true reason to murder the bastard. And for him to take the name of the man in marriage! He knew his son well enough to understand the boy would do this at the least. As well as bare him children... he would be related to that horrible mans little savage offspring. There was nothing to do for it really, save for actually trying to accept the man, and that, James found he just could not do.
He had given his all just to speak civilly to the bastard a few days prior to this. He may not loathe him as much, seeing as Snivellus genuinely made Harry happy, but James just could not find it in himself to accept him. He would hold his tongue as long as humanly possible, but the vitriol in his eyes could speak volumes.
Harry watched his father brooding from the corner of his eyes, and fought not to sigh. The man still felt that his anger was righteous, though as far as Harry knew the man he was set to marry had done nothing to warrant it. He would ask Severus soon if he could access the others memories in order to piece this all together, as well as speaking with the others in his household about the aniosity they had shared. Father or not, James had no right to steal his happiness in such a puerile, embittered manner.
It was getting to a point where Harry was just going to ignore the other man when he gets like this, and go on hoping that he will change his mind the some point in the future. It didn't make sense to start something if his father didn't speak on it. As long as James held his opinions to himself Harry could pretend that his father wasn't so biased. Sirius caught his eye as he turned his face away from his father, who was now pouring himself a glass of Brandy, and look his head. Harry knew the other animagus would talk to him about how he was acting, and he breathed a silent sigh of relief, shoulders sagging a bit with the force of it.
Straightening up again, the conversation moved on from murder courting and marriage, and onto other less volitile topics such as the arts and a new play that Sirius had recently taken Remus to see. The four talked for over an hour about the play, two describing what they remembered of the acts while two others asked various questions about the acting, the sets, their favorite scenes, and so on. James crept back into the conversation at possibly the most inopportune moment, as Remus had already started to ask how long Harry would be staying down there.
Taking a tentative glance at James, Harry spoke his answer softly. He wanted to give an honest answer, without sending the man into a tirade for no apparent reason. "I am unsure..." Was how he started it. "Being away for this long has left a bit of a longing inside me, but I would like to stay here for at least a week. I have a lot left to do between the plains, and hopefully after this I can have a bit of a rest." He chuckled folding his hands into his lap.
Taking everything Severus gifted him, and the green gown he'd left home in, into his bag, Harry made his excuses and went on his way towards his room. He needed to write to Severus and what better time than before dinner and bed, when the man would be the least busy. Pulling out his new writing equipment, Harry placed it on a special spot on his desk, sitting down to get started.
The letter was simple, letting the vampire know what he had found out so far, and his plans for the next day. He would attempt to find Iana, because if anything, she would likely be in the forest where her home was above ground. He asked if the man knew the Malfoy's perchance, and if he could help Harry to gain audience with the family and forge some kind of rapport with the woman and her child. Finally he asked about his mate's day and if anything interesting had come up in the hours between their last sighting of one another.
Placing his quill down, the undead man took a oment to giggle uncontrollably. Finding his mate had opened a world full of color for Harry that he didn't even know was closed before now. He found hiself wanting to dress up or to match his mate's Elegance, he wanted to be on the top side far longer than necessary in order to speak to the man for a few seconds more. To speak to his mate with their link even through the walls separating their bed chambers. to have the mans magic wrap around him as he sleeps and being able to do the same.
He was missing that sense of home and mate and warmth that he had unknowingly gotten used to with Severus, and as he sent of his letter, went down to dinner, and back up to his bed to rest for the night, Harry could only dream of the mans arms surrounding him in love.
Severus was in a similar position two days later, he had started his letter to Harrison, but kept being pulled away to handle something that proved to be time consuming instead. He could not bear the silence around him any longer while he worked. It used to be his solace, his dearest friend, and now that he's known Harry's laugh, his little hums as he slept, muffled through the walls as they were, and his voice in his head so clear that it seemed the boy was laying next to him, silence holds little meaning.
The Lord had already solidified a few plans concerning his mate-- a debut ball in Harry's honor, another less formal dinner with his coven, Plans for a garden party behind his castle, showing the boy a bit more of his surrounding lands and the areas he was in charge of, and more. He had gifts for the boy, and even if he knew that the break was a benefit, it still felt off putting to be away from the other, along with not knowing how long he would be left to sleep in the silence without his little green eyed beauty beside him. This was going to be one taxing break and he knew it.
A plus side to it all though was that he was not in danger of going into a rut or a killing frenzy because of it. He was still in contact with Harry, and the younger Lords scent still covered both himself and his bedchambers. It was enough for him, but he wondered how Harry was fairing without the same crutches.
Finally severus had time to write to his little mate, telling the other about his past few hectic days, apologizing for his lack of letters, and speaking a bit on the plans he'd set in place, asking his mate about his opinions on decorations and whatnot.
A knock came to his door, and with a barely there sigh, Severus sent off his letter with Spinle, turning back to the taxes and inventory of his estates. "Come in." His voice carried with a tone that said 'If this isn't important be prepared to lose a hand'.
One of his castle's front guards cracked open the door, and after seeing the man surrounded by parchments and blueprints, the guard stood straighter in order to relay his message. "My lord, there is a Lord Dursley and his procession at the gates..."