Thanks so much to all the reviewers for Chapter Eleven. I appreciate them.
~~goldenpaw, Jaded Angel8, MissCrystalix, LeeLeePotter, chibi, menecarkawan, c[R]ud[E]dly, Anarane Anwamane, DaughterofDeath, Corgi1, JVanilly, Calani, JadeDawn, mia snape, Cha-Cha Chica, Mikee, Luna Aelf Writer, Snape's easy mac
Jaded Angel8 – Sorry, I can't answer your questions. I have no idea who's next or what they're doing with this story. I guess you'll just have to wait and see.
chibi – Call me biased, but I have to agree. This story is coming together rather nicely.
mia snape – Sorry, can't answer those, either. Maybe the next person will.
Cha-Cha Chica – Why, thank you. Honestly, I have absolutely no idea what the Talisman is, what it does, or who has it. Oh, well. Guess I'll find out when everybody else does, hmm?
Thanks again everyone! Hope you enjoy chapter twelve!
Previously:
They cuddled up next to each other before drifting off to sleep. When they woke up, they had a lot of things to discuss, but right now they'd just enjoy finally being together and having someone to care for them. There would be plenty of time later to fret over the Talisman and what it was, as well as who had it, as well as researching a way to block the Mark so that Voldemort couldn't reach those who left him. At the moment, though, the unlikely pair just dozed, content to cuddle up with their loved one.
Taking Away the Loneliness
Chapter 12 - The New Mark
By Corgi
Harry woke slowly in the dimly lit dungeon room and couldn't suppress the smile that bloomed on his face as he felt Severus' arms tighten around him. Harry would love to remain in this position forever but a blurry glance at the clock on the nightstand seemed to say it was time for dinner. He had a lot to discuss with Severus this evening and a lot more to think about. His ability to affect Severus' mark set off an idea that he needed to think about before broaching the subject with the Headmaster. He felt Severus gently kissing the top of his head; he looked up and smiled at his lover. His lover, he really could get used to that.
"Good Evening, Sev."
"Good Evening, Harry. How did you sleep?" Severus' smile took Harry's breath away.
"Fantastic! Did you get enough sleep? Voldemort was in a lousy mood earlier."
"I slept well enough. He didn't instigate any more tortures via the mark; thank you again for earlier."
"You're welcome, Sev. I just couldn't bear seeing you in pain and not being able to help."
"Before the Dark Lord interrupted with his tantrum, you seemed to want to talk about something. Do you still remember what it was?"
"Yes, I wanted to discuss our relationship. I love you so much that I just want to tell the world that you're part of my life, but I know that you're not one to bandy your private life all over the place. I wanted to know what you thought on the subject. How secret do you want to keep this?" Harry started a bit when Severus' chuckled. He started to feel a little put out by the man's reaction, but stopped when Severus' lips brushed against his.
"No need to be upset, love. I had those very same thoughts. I figured you wouldn't want our relationship to be widely known because of the press. They either praise you or try to have you committed as a mad man." Severus' heart skipped a beat when he saw how bright the younger wizard's eyes became with his response. "Perhaps we should keep everything under wraps until the school year is over and done with. Then we'll just let the world find out. Does that suit you?"
"I think that will do wonderfully." Harry leaned forward and captured Severus' mouth in a heated kiss that left both men panting.
"Are you hungry? I'll summon a house-elf and have dinner brought to us." Severus smiled as Harry's stomach answered for the boy. He could get quite accustomed to smiling and had the feeling that he'd be doing it often in the future. "I'll take that as a yes. Perhaps after we finish eating, you'll help me finish off the last few potions for Madame Pomfrey?"
"Alright, I can do that, besides the Headmaster didn't say I had to return to Gryffindor tower tonight." Harry had a mischievous smirk on his face as he bounced out of the bed to get dressed.
"Too true, though he probably knew that you'd be here until he dragged you away personally." Harry snickered as he retreated into the bathroom, leaving Severus alone to get dressed.
Severus summoned a house-elf and requested dinner for two and by the time Harry came out a table along with two chairs and dinner were set out. Harry eagerly bounced up to the table and impatiently waited for Severus to be seated before tearing into the food. Severus just shook his head, chuckling under his breath. He remembered how teens always seemed to be hungry; at least he remembered the insane amounts of food he had managed to put away when no one was watching him. They ate in companionable silence; each lost in their own thoughts. Severus was concerned with keeping Harry safe and guarding his back against his students while Harry pondered the effect he had on Severus' mark and whether he had the chance to alter it.
They both returned to Severus' private lab and returned to the task of making and bottling the potions. Harry worked on one of the basic healing potions while Severus worked on a batch of Skele-Gro. Severus kept an eye on Harry's progress and noticed that he prepared all of his ingredients before starting the potion and laid them out according to when they should be added. He watched, as the young man carefully consulted the book he had been handed as a reference before starting the potion. Severus was impressed to see that his once thought inept student was doing the potion perfectly without any external prompting.
"Why did you set your ingredients up that way, Harry?" Severus asked when the younger wizard had finished and was setting his potion aside to cool.
"When I cook at the Dursley's that is how I set up. I guess that is maybe why I forget ingredients when in class. It seems to have worked this time because you haven't made any corrections or stopped me at all."
"Perhaps you should set up like this in class? There are extra supplies in the cabinet to the right of the student stores."
"You wouldn't mind if I did that?" Harry continued when Severus indicated that it was alright with him. "That would be great. Then I'll only have to worry about flying ingredients from the Slytherin side of the room."
"Flying ingredients?"
"Yes, flying ingredients. Some of the Slytherins throw things into any of the Gryffindor cauldrons. Unfortunately I'm the target of choice with Neville and Ron being a close second. Usually Malfoy instigates the rounds of target practice when your back is turned."
"Put a containment charm around your work area. I'll instruct Miss Granger to do one for Mister Longbottom. That's one thing I should have done years ago for him."
"True," Harry responded while cleaning up his work area. He checked his potion and found that it was cool enough to bottle. Harry slowly bottled and labeled the potion before turning to help Severus bottle the finished Skele-Gro.
A glance at the grandfather clock in Severus' sitting room showed that it was bedtime and both men headed for Severus' bedroom. They shed their clothes and left them in piles on the floor. Harry noticed a new set of clothes waiting on a chair in the room and snickered silently.
Severus and Harry shared a passionate kiss, but that lead to nothing more than cuddling; both were too tired for the more physical display of their affection and quickly succumbed to slumber.
Harry was barely asleep for ten minutes before a searing pain erupted along his scar and his consciousness was pulled towards Voldemort.
Three young men knelt on the floor before him, each pledging themselves to his service. All three were willing to kill and torture as he commanded and he smiled a wicked grin. All three were Slytherins and all three would make their deceased parents proud.
"Extend your left arms." At the hissed order all three pulled up the sleeves of their robes and held the bare left arms out to their Lord.
Harry realized as he watched through Voldemort's eyes that this was an initiation. He paid careful attention to the spells Voldemort used to conjure the dark marks on his newest followers in hopes that they would be useful in removing Severus'. Harry carefully noted each of the spells and was surprised that the fourth and final one was in Parseltongue. Harry listened carefully as the procedure was repeated twice more and he was sure that he could repeat them when he woke.
"Now be gone until I summon you!" Voldemort dismissed the three new recruits and with a thin finger summoned one of the Death Eaters lining the walls of his current throne room. "Do you have the reports from those I assigned to find my talisman?"
"Yes, my Lord." The Death Eater trembled in front of Voldemort. Harry didn't recognize the voice of the masked man cowering at Voldemort's feet.
"Well?"
"They still haven't found the talisman. They did find out that the home of the wizard who brought it to France was robbed by a muggle. There is a constable report on file there, but the wizard couldn't identify his attacker. Our brothers and sisters are searching through the muggle pawnshops looking for the talisman as we speak, Master."
"Crucio!" Voldemort was furious and Harry tried to take advantage of that and poked at the creature's memories looking for an image of the talisman in his mind. Voldemort noticed his probing and tried to force him out, but not before Harry met with success. A picture of a silver serpent with jet eyes formed, giving Harry and the others something to go on for their own search for the talisman.
After waking up from the vision, Harry carefully slid out of Severus' arms and stole into the sitting room to Severus' desk. By the light of the dying fire, Harry sketched the talisman to show the Headmaster in the morning. His movements were not as stealth as he thought because Severus wandered into the room, having awakened when his bed-partner had exited the bed and walked out of the room.
"Why are you up, Harry?" Severus asked, concern audible in his tone.
"I had another vision and I got a picture of the talisman Voldemort is looking for. I'm sketching it while it's fresh in my mind."
"Did they have anymore information about its location?" Severus asked, animated by the revelation.
"According to the report, one of the groups of outer circle members sent, the talisman was stolen from the wizard that bought it. He was mugged by a muggle and they're looking through the pawn shops hoping to find it."
"I'll wake the Headmaster. He needs to hear this now and get the Order to start searching for it."
Severus threw some floo powder into the fireplace calling out the Headmaster's name. Dumbledore must have been awake because he answered immediately. Severus quickly relayed the information Harry had gathered. Once finished, he handed the sketch Harry had drawn to the Headmaster through the fire.
"Well done, Harry. This will be most valuable; please see me after breakfast, I would like to go over this information again. Goodnight, gentlemen; try and get some sleep." The last was said with madly twinkling eyes and then the Headmaster was gone with a pop.
"You heard the man, Harry, back to bed."
Both men returned to the bed and slept peacefully until morning. Severus woke first and gently shook his lover awake. When Harry opened his eyes and saw Severus, his smile was so warm and loving that it could have melted the Dark Lords frozen heart. Neither of them wanted to get out of bed and face the world, but duty called. Severus had a staff meeting before breakfast and Harry had a meeting with the Headmaster after. The two slowly slipped out of bed and took separate showers. They each went their own way after leaving the dungeons. Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower to retrieve his books for the day and his invisibility cloak. He didn't know if he would need it later, but thought he should hang on to it, especially if the Headmaster didn't give him permission to enter the restricted section.
As soon as he entered the common room he was cornered by Hermione and Ron, who both bombarded him with questions; Harry did his best to answer them without giving away information he wasn't supposed to. He did mention the visions he had during the day and his meeting after breakfast. Hermione promised to help him with the class work he had missed and silently swore she was going to interrogate him later. Breakfast went much too slowly for Harry and he shifted constantly in his seat waiting for Professor Dumbledore to leave for his office. Harry didn't taste anything he ate due to his nervousness. He didn't know if the Headmaster would approve of his desire to remove Severus' mark. Finally the Headmaster left his seat at the table with a genial goodbye to those seated nearest them. As he rose he caught Harry's eye and gave a slight nod. As soon as he left the Great Hall Harry got up and followed the path the other man had just taken; Professor Dumbledore was waiting for him beside the gargoyle. Harry sat in the offered chair once in the Headmaster's office and immediately launched into a detailed account of the meeting.
"Professor, during that meeting he was marking three new people and I memorized the incantations he was using, including one in parseltongue; I want to research these spells."
"Why would you want to do that, Harry?" The Headmaster asked his blue eyes twinkling full force.
"You haven't figured that out yet?" Harry joked back with a twinkle in his own eyes before becoming serious again. "I was able to block Severus off from his mark and I think I can either remove it or sever the connection to Voldemort."
"Of course, you want my permission to peruse the Restricted Section for the books on Oath Marks and Bindings, though I'm sure you're prepared to do it anyway." The knowing look on the old wizard's face made Harry snicker.
"Yes, Sir. I want to at least prove myself wrong before mentioning anything to Professor Snape."
"You'll report your findings to me once you're done with your research. Here's a note with the volumes you'll need for Madame Pince. Good luck, Harry."
"Thanks Professor."
Classes went slowly for Harry and his mind wandered to the facts he wanted to research and what he thought the spells might entail. Voldemort didn't seem to have any specific rituals for the binding and marking, but Harry was afraid that they might need one to reverse the mark. For the first time since he started at Hogwarts, Harry couldn't wait to get to the library.
Finally his classes were over and Harry shook off his friends and headed quickly to the library. Harry spent every extra moment he had that week researching the spells and trying to find a way to undo them, with exception of some stolen moments to spend time with Severus in the potions lab. He exhausted the schools reading material and thankfully found something that would work. It wasn't ideal but he was able to find something that would make it more palatable to Severus. He informed the headmaster and arranged a meeting with him and Severus for after dinner on Sunday night.
After dinner he made excuses to his friends and headed up to the Headmaster's office. He took a deep breath trying to settle his nerves and opened the door. He saw not only Severus, but his Head of House.
"Harry, have a seat and explain what you told me earlier to Professors Snape and McGonagall."
"Well I guess I should start from the time I was hit by the dart containing the Imperious potion since Professor McGonagall is probably unaware of what happened with that. After the potion wore off, Voldemort summoned Professor Snape, and the pain increased until it was beyond the his ability to ignore it. Somehow, I was able to block the link between the Professor Snape and Voldemort so his pain would stop. That got me to thinking there might be a way for me to remove the mark on the professor's arm. Professor Dumbledore gave me permission to search through the Restricted Section to find out if I could. I can't remove it completely but I can alter it. The major drawback is that the new mark still needs to be bound to someone and that person, would be me."
"Why is it you can affect the mark when the Headmaster can't, Mister Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked, worry etching her features. She knew how much was riding on keeping her charge safe.
"Voldemort marked me as his equal, therefore giving me the ability to affect his followers." Harry looked over to Severus and saw the man wavering between exploding in anger and serious contemplation. Harry quickly pulled out the last book he had read and opened it to the page marked off and handed it to Severus. "I also found this."
"What would my part be in this?" Professor McGonagall asked, waiting for her colleague to read what Harry gave him.
"You and Professor Dumbledore are going to ground and protect us from outside influences."
"Please tell me why we would need a potion to allow someone to speak parseltongue when you already speak it?" Severus had a confused look as he read the pages a second time.
"There were four spells used by Voldemort to mark his followers, the fourth and final one was in Parseltongue. I didn't think that being bound to me on an unequal basis would go over too well with you; I'm offering to be bound to you in return."
"Minerva, let's leave these two to talk in private," Professor Dumbledore said as he led his Deputy out of his office.
"Do you have any idea what you're doing, Harry?" Severus questioned the moment he couldn't hear his colleague's footsteps. "Are you insane binding yourself to me for the rest of your life?"
"I'm not insane and I know very well what I'm doing!" Harry fumed at his lover. "I love you and I won't be able to concentrate on what I have to do if I'm worried about you. I can't leave my classes because that bastard decides to torture you during lessons. I won't allow him to continue torturing you when my bonding with you could alleviate all of that."
Severus stared in stunned disbelief. He didn't understand why Harry would choose this. Hell, he still didn't know why the boy wanted to be with him in the first place. If Severus was honest with himself, this was the fairest and best deal anyone had ever offered him. He was amazed that despite how insular he was Harry understood him better than most, with the exception of Albus. He gave his love a nod and smile indicating his acceptance; he just hoped that Harry wouldn't have reason to regret any of this.
"Have you decided what to replace the Dark Lord's mark with?" Severus asked. Harry handed him a sketch; the drawing was of a gold lion and a silver snake, each having the tail of the other in its mouth. The appropriateness did not escape Severus' attention.
"Is this alright with you?" Harry asked with a shy smile.
"Yes it is. Let's go find the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall and get this show on the road. I think it's safe to say to say you'll be missing some more classes."
"I'm sure Hermione will make sure I catch up while pumping me for information." Harry had a fond smile on his face when he talked about Hermione.
"Ah, Severus, Harry, I see you've finished your discussion. What's your verdict Severus?"
"I've agreed Headmaster to the binding. After all I don't want to risk being hexed by Mister Potter again." Severus snickered at Minerva's shocked expression. "Minerva, you'll have to ask Mister Potter after this mess is dealt with."
"I take it you wish to start immediately, Severus?"
"Yes, the sooner the better. The Parseltongue potion only takes an hour and that is about how long it should take for you and Minerva to set up the protection boundaries."
"How about you, Harry? Do you require anything?"
"I've got everything I need and I've memorized the spells already. I wrote out a copy for Professor Snape to memorize as well; the only one he won't be able to memorize is the Parseltongue spell, he'll have to read that one during the casting."
"So you'll remove Professor Snape's mark and bind him to you, and then he'll mark and bind you to him?" Asked Professor McGonagall, more to keep the procedure ordered in her head and hide her nervousness.
"Actually Professor Snape is going to bind and mark me first. That way I'll have him as back up when Voldemort attempts to stop me from severing the link between them."
"Mister Potter, you'll help me in the lab, that way you won't be underfoot."
Harry rolled his eyes but entered Severus' lab and started gathering the equipment they would need. The next hour was spent brewing and spell casting. Harry and Severus did their best to hide their nervousness and both prayed to whatever deity would listen, for nothing to go wrong.
Time passed and it was time to begin. Severus drank the potion and both wizards sat in the circle Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore had spelled in the center of the room. Once they were inside, walls of magic surrounded them. Beyond the walls, the two could see the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress walking around the boundaries, chanting. Severus took a deep breath and drew his wand. He steadily chanted the first three spells in Latin and then picked up the paper with the Parseltongue spell. Harry's arm burned and liquid fire shot along his nerves as he pledged his loyalty to Severus. Slowly Severus worked his way through the serpent language. Finally his part was finished and the pain in Harry's arm, suddenly stopped. The arm still throbbed from the spell but the silver snake and golden lion shone brightly on his inner forearm.
Now Harry began the spell casting; he had one extra spell that had to be done in Parseltongue; it would sever the bond between Severus and Voldemort allowing Harry to establish one between he and Severus. The first three spells went quickly and as he swung into the Parseltongue portion, he felt resistance. Voldemort suddenly became aware of someone tampering with the bond and fought to keep the bond too himself. Harry felt an influx of energy from Severus as he fought Voldemort off. Harry then felt something a kin to a tear as Voldemort's hold on the bond broke; Harry quickly completed the spell. Just as he had finished the spell, his wand dropped to the ground as a searing pain in his scar caused him to moan in pain. He didn't hear any of the calls from his professors as he fought for consciousness.
The pain cleared away and Harry found himself once more in Voldemort's lair,but unlike before, now he was outside of the serpentine man's head. Two of the outer circle members knelt at Voldemort's feet and one held a box out to the snake-faced bastard, but Voldemort wasn't paying any attention to his followers; he was ranting and raving and throwing bits and pieces all around.
"How dare they tamper with what is mine! They will pay! I'll get Dumbledore for this!"
Harry was surprised at the rant. So, Voldemort didn't know exactly who had pried Severus' bond away. He turned his attention back to Voldemort.
The corpse white -being took the box from the out stretched hand in front of him and opened it. He pulled out a silver serpent with jet eyes and began laughing hysterically. The snake looked like a living creature in his hand. Harry could see a leather thong wrapped just behind the snake's head. Voldemort placed the pendent back in its box and placed it on the arm of this throne.
"You've done well! You shall be rewarded. Welcome to the inner circle my faithful; you may go." Voldemort watched as the two successful Death Eaters bowed their way out of his presence. "Wormtail give me your arm! I will regain my hold on Snape."
Harry stepped out of the shadows distracting Voldemort from his task.
"I think not; Severus is mine now," Harry stated with a sneer.
"Impossible. You're not strong enough to break an oath bond."
"I didn't have to be. You marked me as your equal, therefore I can take away any of your Death Eaters that wish to change allegiance." Harry noticed Wormtail perking up at that bit of information. The rat-like man looked at Harry then the box on Voldemort's throne. The man gave a quick look around the room and noticed that Nagini's attention was also focused on Harry.
Slowly Wormtail slid to the throne and opened the box. He slipped the talisman out of the box and looked up at Harry with a pleading expression. He then put the leather thong in his mouth and shifted into his animagus form. Voldemort's sputtering rage drowned out the soft popping sound that accompanied the change. The rat went into the shadows and skirted the wall of the room. His luck ran out when Nagini noticed him leaving. As the snake gave chase, Wormtail ran for his life with the talisman firmly grasped in his rodent jaws. Harry quickly shouted a cutting curse at the huge snake. Harry's aim was spot on as the curse hit the snake in the head, instantly killing it. Voldemort flew into a rage and Harry quickly fled back into his own mind, making sure the barriers keeping Voldemort out, were up.
Harry's eyes opened and he found himself on the floor of Severus' quarters with a view of three faces staring worriedly at him. Harry gave a sheepish grin and slowly sat up.
"Voldemort's a bit upset at losing the professor."
"That seems to be an understatement, Harry," Dumbledore said with a twinkle and a smile.
"Well that's not all; Voldemort had the talisman." Worried frowns followed that statement until Severus noted the wording.
"What do you mean by had?" Severus asked.
"Pettigrew stole it. We'll have to keep an eye out for him; he should be here soon."
This newest revelation was met with stunned silence as the four wondered what this latest twist could mean for them.
~ Corgi ~