Minerva quietly walked down the stairs surveying her surroundings as she went. She had ate, rested, and then taken a nice hot shower. She was suprised to find some of her clothing in the wardrobe in the bedroom and her toiletries in the bathroom. She dressed in a simple green dress and left her hair down. She found Harry in the kitchen stirring a kettle on the stove. "There you are," she said slowly as not to startle him.

Harry laid the spoon down and turned to her. She noted he looked tired and worn as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. She guessed in a way he did have the weight of the wizarding world on his shoulders. How did he manage to carry such a burden at such a young age? She knew in that moment she would push all of her worries and doubts away. He had committed himself to the ritual and saved her life. Now she would commit to him and give him a shoulder to lean on. She would do all she could to help him survive this war and then to live as happy a life as possible.

"Hey," he said timidly. "Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes or so. It just needs to simmer."

Minerva nodded her head. "Come," she said as she held her hand out to him. "We need to discuss a few things."

Harry looked at her with trepidation but grasped her hand. She smiled slightly and squeezed his hand in reassurance. She led him to the couch in the living room she spied earlier. He tried to go to the single seat but Minerva held his hand firmly and pulled him to the couch with her. He sat as far from her as possible and looked rather uncomfortable. "Relax Harry," she sighed.

He nodded and seemed to relax a bit. "I'm sorry I took your choice away," he whispered brokenly.

Minerva studied the wizard before her. She could see his guilt, his burdens weighing him down. She would save Harry. "I am not," she responded. He turned to her and met her gaze. She saw the suprise on his face. "I would have rather died than to become someone's property or slave as the ritual typically makes the witch. However, you changed the ritual in such a way that is a non-issue. You made me an equal partner."

"I did," Harry said confused.

"Typically after the bond is completed the witch would have a property or owned symbol tattooed on their left hand," she informed him then raised her hand up. "My hand is unmarred but I do have a mark. It is unlike anything I have seen regarding the Animagus Mating Ritual."

Minerva unbuttoned the first few buttons on her dress and turned to Harry. He opened his eyes in suprise as he noticed the Phoenix tattoo above her left breast. Without thinking, he moved his hand and gently fingered the mark. Minerva's eyes opened wide as she saw images pass before her eyes. Her memories she thought suprised. "Did you see that," she asked as he removed his hand from the tattoo.

"I did," he said in surprise. He touched the Phoenix again and different memories flashed. He removed his hand from her tattoo and looked at her wide-eyed. "That was suprising."

"Indeed," she said. "Do you know anything about the ritual we partook in?"

"No," Harry admitted with a frown marring his face.

Minerva shifted closer to Harry. "That particular ritual was developed by pureblood families as a way to control female family members that became too independent. The witch was forced to participate in the ritual. Purebloods wizards would then pay the witches family for a chance to participate in the ritual. The most magically dominate of the wizards would usually be the first to breach the ritual circle and claim the witch as his property or some instances his slave."

"That's horrible," Harry said in disgust.

"It is," Minerva agreed. "It fell out of practice centuries ago when Pureblood families realized they could use their female family members to form allies and fetch a bride price. Anyways, when the ritual was completed the witch was bound to the wizard. She would have no choice but to open herself to him, to his bed."

"I just wanted to save you," Harry whispered brokenly as he looked into her eyes. "I didn't intend to take your freedom."

"I know," she responded with a sad little smile. "And I thank you for saving my life. We will have to figure out what you marking me as your equal changed in the way we react to each other. Do not fight your urges or feelings, give in to them when possible. Never think you are taking my choice away. If I remember correctly, I participated. You are no rapist."

Harry nodded his head in response. She could see the relief from her words or at least the last four. "I will," he said. He had no idea how to respond to the rest. Minerva seemed to realize that as she smiled at him.


"How did my belongings get here," Minerva asked later that evening as she noted several of her books and a tartan blanket draped over the back of the couch in the living room. "And where are we exactly?"

Harry grinned at her before answering, "Ginger the house elf showed up last night when she sensed you. Apparently she hadn't been able to sense you while you were held captive. She wanted to help so I asked her to bring you some of your things. She has checked on you frequently. As to where we are, this is my cottage in Scotland. Harold and Helen had it built and warded for me. Hermione has one about a mile north of here."

Suprise showed on her face at that. "Harold and Helen had it built?"

"They did," he answered. "Hermione's cottage was built the year she was born. She has a portkey to it that she wears at all times. After the basilisk incident, Harold had a new portkey commissioned to bring her to the cottage if she became unconscious due to the hands of others."

Harry moved to the window and continued his story. "Mine was constructed my third year. The summer before Hermione and I had been hanging out in Muggle London when we were separated by a festival crowd. When I finally found her, two muggle men had pushed her into a dark alley and were groping her. I saw red and lost control. I consider Hermione my sister and she was being hurt. I could sense her fear so I just reacted. I nearly beat the men to death with my bare fists. Harold had to stun me to get me to stop. He saw me as his son in that moment I think and he had this built."

Minerva sat speechless as she looked at Harry. "You are a rarity Harry Potter," she said emotionally after some time had passed. "Never lose your need to help people and fight for those that need help." Harry merely nodded his head.