Title: Harry Potter and the Extent of Existence
Author: Yih
Disclaimer: This is slash, specifically HP/SS.  Don't like don't read and I don't own anything except new theories, Signy, Sahar, and Hana. 
Beta: Blackumbridge

~

3: Flashbacks (December 8, 2003 to December 10, 2003)

"Don't touch me." 

"Sev…"

"I don't see why you have to marry her.  Send her away.  All the muggleborns are fleeing to the Americas, let her go with them.  It'll be safer for both of you that way," Severus told him in an almost pleading way. 

"You know Voldemort will promise me anything if I take the dark mark."

"But he won't like this request!" Severus shouted.

"She's my best friend, Sev." 

"What about me?" 

Harry tried to caress Severus's prominent cheekbones, but Severus drew away from him sharply.  He refused his touch, and it hurt Harry keenly.  "You know you're the bloody love of my life." 

"Then bind with me." 

His heart dropped.  He had tried to get Severus to bind with him all summer, ever since they'd consummated their relationship but he had refused.  He'd said that he wasn't ready, that he was too young to know what he wanted in life.  Harry had persisted only to get rejected each time.  He hadn't given up, but saw that continuing the pursuit would only make Severus draw further away from him. 

As happy as those words would have made him feel a mere week ago, he knew that Severus was only doing this so he wouldn't marry Hermione.  God, Severus had never told him that he loved him--- no matter how many times Harry had told him that.  Would saying those three words cost him so much?  Harry knew that Severus loved him, but he hadn't ever heard it.  Severus had to, there was no reason for Severus to put up with him otherwise.  Nor did he have any reason to keep his secret either.

"You know I can't.  I can only bind to one person," Harry whispered painfully, "and that has to be the one that I'm going to marry.  She needs me more than you do, Sev, and I can't bear for her to leave here when I can stop it.  Her entire family is here, and if I marry her she'll be safe.  Her family will be too."

"You are taking a huge risk.  That's if Voldemort agrees, and this goes against his latest set of laws.  He won't be pleased.  No, he's going to be furious even if everyone thinks you'll be his new favorite." 

"Then I'll have to risk that."

"You know that he wants you to marry Sahar."

"She doesn't want to marry me."

"That doesn't mean anything to Voldemort." 

"If he doesn't, I'll take Hermione with me to the Americas.  It's not like he'll know that she's not carrying my child.  To everyone else," Harry declared fiercely, "it'll look like she is.  Draco isn't going to deny it, he wants this.  He doesn't want to see Hermione go far away from him, where he'll almost never be able to see her.  This is the perfect solution."

"It's a foolish one."

"You know that if I didn't have to do this, I'd bind to you right now," Harry whispered vehemently.  "But you're only asking me this because I'm doing this.  You're a possessive bastard, you know that?"

Severus snarled and grabbed Harry by his hand and jerked him toward his hard body.  "You know that I am," he whispered dangerously into Harry's ear.  "You knew what you were getting into when I first took you in my bed and fucked you.  I don't think I've ever made anyone scream as loudly as you did." 

Harry shuddered and trembled as he felt Severus's hand snake downward to rub against the arousal that was already evident.  God, how could Severus make him ache for him by just talking with that voice of his?  His hips thrust into Severus's hand instinctively even if his mind was telling him that he shouldn't be doing this.  This was exactly the way Severus acted when he wanted to get his way with him. 

"You're mine, Harry," Severus declared possessively.  "I don't want you to marry Hermione." 

Breathing harshly, Harry managed to drag his body away from Severus's addictive touch.  "I have to do this, Sev.  God knows I don't want to, but Draco and Hermione need this."

"You are acting like a sacrificing Gryffindor."

Harry cringed not because he was ashamed, but because of the fury in Severus's dark eyes.  He couldn't bear to have Severus angry with him.  If he thought that kissing Severus would make it better he would, but he knew that it wouldn't.  "You know the sorting hat had a hard time placing me."

"The sorting hat is never wrong.  You are a Slytherin.  Act like one!  Stop being so bloody noble!" Severus shouted. 

"I can't.  It's the way am.  It's who I am."

"I just don't want to see you make a mistake that you'll regret.  It could turn out badly."

Harry drew Severus into his arms.  Yes, he knew that Severus only wanted to protect him.  "If I don't do this, I'll regret it.  And don't be so pessimistic, love, it's not going to turn out badly.  Voldemort wants me too much to let this phase him." 

"You're a silly moronic idiot."

"I know." 

Before Severus could say anything else, Harry lifted his head down and dragged Severus's head down to capture his lips in a brutally tender kiss.  It was meant to reassure; it was meant to comfort; it was meant for love. 

~

{You're late,} Voldemort hissed once he'd apparated into the room. 

Harry sank down to his knees and pressed his forehead against Voldemort's boots.  It was the sign of ultimate submission as this was a most vulnerable position.  Harry was just glad that the Dark Lord had a bit of a one track mind.  He only noticed that Harry had been late; he didn't seem to realize that Severus was also late.  Harry fought to keep the smile off his face.  He still couldn't believe that he'd managed to coerce Severus into a quick shag in an abandoned corridor before an Inner Circle meeting.

Most pleasurable, he thought with delicious remembrance, his ass would be sore for a few days.  If he closed his eyes he could still vividly feel the sharp and strong thrusts of Severus filling him.  But he couldn't think about that, not right now, not when Voldemort was deathly displeased with him for being late.  Death Eaters weren't late, and as his favorite--- he'd always made sure he was exactly on time.  This was the first time he'd dared to be late.  It hadn't been intentional--- it'd just happened.  He'd been too drained to apparate after that mind shattering sex.  So had Severus.

{I apologize,} Harry hissed back.  {But Sssigny needed a sssnack before we came.}

His basilisk was semi wrapped around his waist and up his body so that the perfect length was wrapped around his neck.  Signy was still small for a basilisk, but it would be many years before she was full grown.  But even then, she wasn't going to be very large.  However by the time she was fully grown, she'd be far too large for Harry to carry her.  {It isss my fault Massster,} Signy responded, even though it wasn't true.  She'd do anything to protect Sebastian from punishment.

{You are a pretentiousss basssilisssk,} Voldemort commented, though he was a good deal less angry.  There was something about serpents, in general, that calmed his vile temper.  {Perhapsss Asssta needsss to teach you sssome mannersss.}

{I will go to her,} Signy stated calmly, unwrapping her long body from around Sebastian's and slithering graceful away.  She only stopped when she reached the entrance into Asta's lair and turned around, pulling up to a towering height.  {You will pick me up later, Sssebassstian!}

{I will,} Harry promised. 

{You give her too much control,} Voldemort admonished. 

Harry shrugged.  {It pleassses her, and it pleassses me to pleassse her.}

Voldemort reached out with his hand to caress Sebastian's cheek.  {Does it pleassse you to pleassse me?}

He told himself not to flinch at the touch of his parents' murderer.  He could not give himself away, not after having come so far--- not after getting this close to Voldemort.  It was a well known fact among the Death Eaters that he was Voldemort's favorite.  He'd done the impossible.  He'd replaced Bellatrix as Voldemort's most highly regarded Death Eater, and Bellatrix had held that position for more than 20 years. 

Oh, Bellatrix was still his consort of sorts.  Harry was glad that the Dark Lord didn't see him in that way, not that it would do them much good.  Male pregnancies were nearly impossible.  Not completely impossible, but only the darkest of potions and the leaching of the one who carried the baby would allow a child to grow.  It always resulted in the death of the one that carried the child.  Besides, Voldemort would much prefer Sebastian to live and be the father of his grandchild. 

It was known through the Death Eater ranks that Voldemort wanted Sahar and Sebastian to wed.  When Voldemort had heard that Sebastian, his most coveted to-be Death Eater had wedded a mudblood, his rage had wiped out a muggle village.  His anger had lessened when Sebastian had pledged absolute loyalty to him, and had pledged his newborn daughter's as well. 

He'd thought it had been insanely foolish of Sebastian to get a mudblood pregnant, but when he'd met the pretty witch--- he'd understood how Sebastian could succumb.  But still to taint his pure but diluted Slytherin blood with that of a mudbloods?  No matter, he would one day see Sebastian married and the father of his grandchild.  It was only a matter of time--- it was only a matter of calculation and manipulation.    

It only made it easier to him when he discovered that Sebastian had been orphaned when he was very young, and had never really grown up with a real family.  Voldemort didn't doubt that Sebastian had some strain of Slytherin blood in him, and that made him part of his family.  As he'd grown to know the vibrant young man, he'd considered him to be almost like a son to him. 

{Yesss,} Sebastian answered, {you know it doesss.}

{Then you ssshould know it dissspleasssesss me when you are late.}

{I won't do it again.}

{Sssee that you don't.}

Gesturing for Sebastian to rise, Voldemort turned his attention to the true importance of the meeting.  He had finally decided that it was time that they start preparing the new members of the Death Eaters, the junior Death Eaters by having a senior Death Eater presiding over a group of them in their raids of initiation.  Of the newer Death Eaters, only Sebastian and Draco had been raiding.  The rest were still training hard; they simply hadn't hit majority early enough to consider raiding. 

"I expect," Voldemort declared, his crimson eyes scanning over his Inner Circle members, "this to be an absolute success.  You will each personally mentor with the other older Death Eaters and their junior underlings to make sure of that.  Do you understand?"

His five members of the Inner Circle all nodded.  Voldemort gave the dismissal signal that meant they could start working on the task that he'd given to them.  As Harry was about to apparate out, Voldemort hissed, {Ssstay Sssebassstian.}

Harry shot Severus an apologetic look before turning around to Voldemort and sinking to his knees once more.  This time he didn't have to stay on his knees long as Voldemort immediately gestured for him to rise.  He wondered what Voldemort wanted from him.  He didn't want to spend more time with his parents' murderer than he had to, but as the Dark Lord's current favorite--- that was unavoidable.  He was afraid, the more time spent, the more he'd grow complacent and even to like this slightly deranged but unquestionably brilliant wizard. 

{My Lord?}

{Ssstrip.}  Harry's eyes widened.  He hadn't thought that the Dark Lord was interested in boys.  Perhaps, he was very wrong.  Either way Severus was definitely not going to like this.  For Merlin's sake, Severus was jealous of Hermione when Severus knew that Hermione and him had never had any sexual relations.  {I have yet to mark you,} Voldemort remarked soothingly.  {I couldn't mark you conventionally like the rest because you were always at Hogwarts, but now that you are at St. Mungo's.  Dumbledore won't be able to keep such a severe eye on you.}

Harry gulped and nodded.  It was true.  He hadn't wanted to leave Hogwarts, but he had to for two years.  As a junior mediwizard, he had to train for two years at St. Mungo's before he was full fledged mediwizard--- no matter how high his MEDs had been.  He'd gotten a one year sabbatical as he'd had to prepare to take the Potions Mastery for a second time.  But he had no excuses now, like he had none at the end of that fateful summer in becoming a Death Eater.  Hana was worth it though.

{Only your ssshirt will do.}  Pulling off his shirt, he didn't know what or how Voldemort was going to mark him.  {Turn around.}  Harry turned around to show Voldemort his slightly tanned back.  He felt the feather light touches of the Dark Lord's finger tracing over his lower back.  {Easssy.  It will take ssseveral sssessssssionsss before it'll be done.  Thisss isss only the firssst.}

What the bloody hell was Voldemort doing to him?  Harry knew for a fact that the dark mark on Severus and Draco had only taken a few hours to set.  What Voldemort was doing to him wasn't natural, he knew it.   It had to be worse, but as his body started feeling a heady burst of pain that made him sink down to his knees, he found he didn't have the strength to protest.  All he could do was black out into merciful oblivion. 

~

"WHAT IS THIS?" Severus shouted when he saw the completed mark that Voldemort had done on his back.  The tattoo had only fully visualized when it was complete, and it had taken weeks for it to be done with.  Harry had suffered each agonizing session, not that he had much of a choice.  Voldemort didn't take no for an answer. 

Harry dreaded to think what Severus would say when he told him what the mark stood for.  Voldemort had been too pleased with how brilliant the tattoo had come out.  After all, it wasn't just any tattoo.  Harry guessed it proved the Dark Lord right and everyone else wrong.  "Voldemort marked me." 

"I thought he said he wasn't going to give you a mark, that it would make you look suspicious to Dumbledore!" Severus exclaimed, his eyes flashing darkly.  He hadn't wanted his innocent and pure lover marked, not with something like Voldemort's darkness.  "I'll kill him."

"You can't," Harry remarked, pulling Severus against him to stop him from doing something possessively foolish.  Severus, for such an intelligent man, could do some very stupid things when jealousy overtook him.  "And it's not what you think." 

He was glad he'd overcome the shock of it when he learned what the mark truly was.  He'd always thought he was… well it did make sense in the end.  Why he had certain abilities…   Voldemort had been too pleased, but not terribly surprised.  Just vindicated.  "What is the mark?  What do you see, Sev?"

"It's a serpent."

"Yes, it's a serpent," Harry stated in a low and weary voice.  "It's the sign of Slytherin." 

Severus had a feeling that whatever Harry was about to say wasn't going to be good.  He traced his finger along the serpent that was wrapped in a ball at the base of Harry's spine and jerked his finger away when the serpent moved to hiss at him, looking like it was about to leap out and bite him.  "It's all right," Harry murmured, reaching out with his hand to place Severus's long fingers on his back again.  "It only looks like it's alive.  It's warded to protect me, but if it gets used to your touch he'll realize that you don't want to hurt me." 

Listening to Harry's words, he softly stroked the serpent until it stopped its hissing and settled back into its nap.  "What is it, Harry?" 

"It's the sign of Slytherin," Harry repeated.  "Only Voldemort and Sahar have it.  Do you know what that means?"

Oh god, he knew.  Severus withdrew his hands and pulled away from Harry.  Everything made sense now, why Voldemort had been so willing to grant Harry's every wish as long as Harry joined him.  Who wouldn't want another member of the Slytherin line on his side?  Harry was the perfect heir, stronger than Sahar and male.  It was frightening to think of how much power Voldemort had if he could really shift Harry to his side.  The balance of power was faltering. 

"You're an heir of Slytherin?"

Harry nodded miserably.  "Voldemort says it doesn't lie.  It will only appear on one with some sort of Slytherin blood.  It's purpose is to make sure that a Slytherin heir is a Slytherin heir.  It will kill anyone that doesn't have blood that attempts to have the mark placed on them.  It's to make sure no one but a Slytherin is made heir.   No wonder I was in such agonizing pain, but that was only a taste of what was to come if I didn't.  I'm glad Voldemort was so sure because I was so close to death.  He isn't sure how I'm a Slytherin, but he knows for certain nowt hat I am." 

"He would be sure without it," Severus replied bitterly.  "Parseltongue has only been passed through the Slytherin bloodlines.  Actually, it makes a lot of sense--- your aptitude at Charms and Potions, those were what Salazar Slytherin was most adept at other than the Dark Arts.  You show an unnatural affinity for that as well." 

He hated to be reminded of that, but it was true.  And that reminded him of something, hadn't Dumbledore said that his mother had been splendidly gifted at Charms?  Was it possible that he wasn't a half blood after all?  But, no, he had to be.  Petunia Evans Dursley was DEFINITELY not a witch.  Was it possible that his mother had descended from squibs?  Possible.  But why wouldn't Dumbledore tell him that?  And how the sodding hell had he pulled Godric's sword from the sorting hat?  Wasn't he supposed to be a true Gryffindor? 

"Then why does he want you to marry his daughter Sahar if you're related to her?" 

Harry chuckled darkly, enough to send strange tingles down Severus's spine.  It was almost like Voldemort's laugh.  "Voldemort says that we can't be that closely related.  Besides, he wants the Slytherin bloodline to strengthen.  He doesn't care how closely we may be related as long as it means strengthening the Slytherin bloodline."

"Thank god you're married to Hermione."

Harry nodded and rested his head on Severus's strong shoulder.  "I never thought I'd hear you say that."

"The witch does have her uses." 

Harry laughed, more carefree and cheerful that it erased Severus's concern that Harry was associating too much with Voldemort.  He'd feared that he'd lose Harry to the darkness, and as much as he enjoyed Harry's Slytherin side--- he needed someone to love that could pull him out of the abyss he felt he was always falling in.  "She has more than her uses," Harry admonished, kissing Severus lightly on the lips.  "She's my best friend and a terrific mother."

Severus growled and thoroughly kissed Harry, pushing him hard up against the wall, letting their bodies touch each other intimately.  "Yes, and I'm glad she is.  If she wasn't, you'd be spending all your damn free time with Hana.  I need some of your time as well."  To further emphasize this, he rubbed his hard arousal against Harry's. 

Harry groaned and his only response was to kiss Severus back.  That was perfectly fine with Severus.  It had been days since they'd been able to be together.  Between Harry's continuous visits with the Dark Lord and his residency at St. Mungo's, Harry didn't have much time for himself.  And what time he did have was split between Hana and Severus.  Severus hated that, but he accepted it.  It made Harry happy, and whatever made Harry happy he could endure.  As long as Harry kept doing what he was doing with that skillful tongue of his.  He didn't care. 

"You have me," Harry moaned when he'd briefly pulled away to breath before diving back into the embrace.  Yes, he certainly did--- didn't he?  But it wasn't enough.  He wanted all of Harry, not just stolen moments like this.  But he couldn't.  This would have to be enough.  It had to be.

~

They were at it again.  Harry shook his head as he heard Remus moaning.  Sirius must be a fabulous lover, Harry mused.  He'd been only too delighted to discover that Remus and Sirius had been lovers since their 5th year at Hogwarts.  Now that Remus was finally back from exile, though no one knew that but Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix.  If Voldemort knew, Remus would be killed.  As a werewolf, he was impure and tainted.  He didn't deserve to live. 

Remus wasn't going to stay long, that's why Harry didn't bother interrupting them from their lovemaking.  After Remus taught him all that he knew about Defense against the Dark Arts, he was leaving on one of the under-floo methods that muggleborns had derived to escape the law that Voldemort was still heavily considering enacting.  Harry hoped he didn't.  Merlin knew what he'd do if Hermione had to leave.  It was leave or be killed.  God knew what a fit Draco would throw. 

"I love you, Sirius," Harry heard Remus cry out. 

"I love you more," Sirius murmured in a strained voice, the voice of someone that was about to shatter.  Harry smiled, he recognized the nuances.  It was just how Severus sounded before he exploded.  The inflections were the same even if the voices were different. 

Harry leaned his back against the wall and slid down.  He didn't think it'd be much longer, but after having stayed up all night working over the last few texts Severus demanded that he learn for his Potions Mastery--- he was exhausted and overworked.  If he just closed his eyes for a little bit, take a quick nap and he'd feel better.

He swore that Severus was harsher and stricter on him because he was his lover.  Severus wanted nothing more than for Harry to prove that he was the best.  Harry thought it had more to do with proving that he was a great teacher, which he was when he wasn't being prejudiced.  He yawned wearily.  As interesting as potions were, sleeping was better.  He missed being able to… fall into the darkness of rest. 

He didn't know how long he'd been sleeping when he heard Sirius's distinctive voice remark in a fervent whisper, "Do you think he heard us?"

"I have no doubt that he did," Remus retorted with a soft chuckle.  "Even those strong silencing charms you placed on the room, if he was this close, he'd still be able to overhear some of it."

Harry could imagine that Sirius was blushing.  It was rather sweet how Sirius was bashful about his sex life when he was such a wildly sexual wizard.  It was for that reason he didn't open his eyes.  He didn't think Sirius needed anymore embarrassment.  "He looks exhausted," Sirius commented with concern.  "Snape is overworking him."

"He certainly needs his rest more than I think, he needs to learn his lessons today," Remus replied thoughtfully.  It was then that Harry felt his body being lifted up and felt himself floated over to something.  It was when he was rested down on the bed and tucked in by Sirius?  Remus?  He didn't know.  "Let's let him rest.  He needs it." 

That was the last thing Harry remembered before he blacked out again. 

~

Author's Note: Tons of flashbacks.  Satisfy a bit of your curiosity?  There's more to come but not a full chapter like this one and yes Harry's still in the wretched coma and yes you'll find out what's happening in "Harry's home world" I've already written that chapter.  Took me forever, almost made me cry too. 

Thanks to Eaiva le Fay (you're right, LV wouldn't harm HP as much if he was SL's husband), Alicorn1 (thanks for reviewing all those chappies), Suzuka, Fate, RainWaters (nothing is ever certain), crazy-Girl-3000, Lindiel Eryn, emeraldtwinklingstar, Alucardou (angst is my specialty I'm afraid), Natara (Hana's Draco's daughter to be sure), DaughterofDeath, Lady Mandara Snake, a true Elsewhere, kickedoutofthegoblet, Fluffy the Teddy Bear Slayer, Kyra2, bramblerose-proudfoot, A Typical Snarry Fan (SL- Sahar Lestrange), Silver pup, DraconisSenshi (yes definitely), Colibi (still half breed), Ewolf (I don't see Siri as a leader, sorry), Calyx-girl, TigerBlak, eriee, The Shadow Bandit, Kateri1, Celena2, Corgi1, Siderius Cimmerii, asa-chan, Xyverz, lightyearsaway, athenakitty, Eternal Cosmos, Artemisu, ennui deMorte (some ppl don't like to think of the negative aspects of life when there's enough pain right now with Harry comatosed.)