Co-written with Stormypups
Beta'd by Rakina
Chapter Seven
Harry sat at the table in the kitchens, tossing an apple up into the air at irregular intervals. Snape said he'd meet him here and that had been half an hour ago. He wished the older man would hurry up already because his thoughts were rapidly turning sour. Snape was keeping him in the dark, and he didn't like it. He didn't dare push it though.
Why would Snape need to hide something from him though? Well, he thought sardonically, perhaps rephrasing that was in order. Why would Snape need to hide something about Harry from him? It didn't make sense. If it had something to do with what he had learned over the summer shouldn't he be fully informed before someone less savory managed to get a hold of the information?
"Have you told him yet?" Dumbledore asked over the rim of his teacup.
"No, I rather thought he had enough to worry about at the moment," Snape replied, scrubbing his face with his hands.
"You know the boy doesn't like to be kept in the dark," Dumbledore said. "I know that better than anyone."
"I'll speak with him soon and gauge how much he knows, and more importantly, understands."
"The sooner the better, Severus."
"Let him have one more night," Snape said. "I'm too tired to deal with his tantrum tonight."
"As you wish," Dumbledore said, nodding in agreement. "It is of course, up to your discretion."
Snape snorted, and rose to his feet. "You'll send the house elves then? If he spends the summer shut up in the castle, he's likely to do something foolish. The press will be unable to find him there."
"And what of you, Severus?"
"What of me?"
"You'll have to accompany him to the Manor," Dumbledore reminded gently.
"I haven't forgotten," Snape answered irritably. "I go from one master to another."
"I'm sorry if I've made you feel that way. Your services were invaluable during -"
"Save it, Albus. I don't need to hear the speech tonight," Snape said, waving him off. "I'll let you know when we leave tomorrow. Goodnight," Snape said, excusing himself to go in search of Harry.
Harry was lying on the bench staring at the ceiling when he heard the portrait open and close.
"If you're finished dallying, get up and I'll show you to my quarters," Snape said, frowning.
"You're going to eat something first."
Snape stared at Harry with a mix of irritation and confusion. "What is your sudden obsession with my eating habits? I assure you, I don't starve. Come along," Snape said, leaving the kitchen and expecting Harry to follow.
Harry sighed. "Dobby?"
The hyper house elf appeared by his side in an instant. "Can you prepare dinner and bring it down to Professor Snape's quarters?"
"Of course, Harry Potter sir."
"Potter!"
"I'm coming!" Harry yelled back. "Great git," he muttered, rolling to his feet. "Thanks, Dobby."
Harry hurried to catch up to Snape, not wanting to wander the Dungeons in search of his quarters.
"There is the bathroom, and that will be your room for the night," Snape said, pointing out the specified rooms. "That is my bedroom and it is off limits, as is my lab."
"As if I'd want to go near either," Harry mumbled, peering into the room Snape had designated his.
Snape stiffened, his face darkening. "See that you don't," he hissed, going to his room and slamming the door behind him.
Harry jumped as the door slammed. The sound echoed in his ears long after he sat down on the threadbare bed.
When a house elf appeared in his bedroom with a tray of food, Snape snapped at him to get out. With a loud "Eep!" the elf disappeared, leaving the tray behind. Snape angrily banished the tray. "Bloody interfering brat," he muttered to no one in particular.
Harry sat on his bed for far too long. He was not a recalcitrant child. He didn't do anything to deserve this poor treatment. Standing up, he left the very small room and strode with determination to Snape's and knocked five times before stepping back.
The door was flung open, causing Harry to take another step back. "What?" Snape snapped.
"You're sulking," Harry stated, "and reek of alcohol."
Snape slammed the door in his face.
Harry rolled his eyes and knocked again. Cheerfully, he realized he could knock on this door all night if it meant Snape came out again.
The door was thrown open again, but this time Harry didn't flinch. "If you do not cease, you can spend the remainder of the night somewhere else," Snape hissed angrily.
Harry smiled pleasantly. "Did you happen to receive our dinner?"
"If you wanted to eat, you should have done so in the kitchens."
"I was waiting for you."
"Then you'll be waiting for quite some time. Goodnight, Potter," he said, attempting to close the door.
Harry stuck his foot at the bottom of it, stopping it. "I'm sorry if I offended you."
"Lovely. Can I go to bed now?" Snape asked tiredly.
Harry stepped back. He looked first at Snape's hand gripping the door and then down to the floor. "Sorry, goodnight."
The door closed once again, but at least this time, Snape didn't slam it. That was an improvement at least.
As Harry walked back towards the small bedroom he realized he still had no clue what time it was. Laughing, he snapped his fingers, calling Dobby back to bring him food and to ask the time.
"7:45? Who goes to bed at 7:45?" Harry asked, when Dobby told him the time.
"Is Harry Potter wanting anything else?" Dobby asked, looking fearfully toward Snape's room.
A wicked idea crossed his mind. "Go and knock on Snape's door for me and say I demand his presence."
Dobby's eyes widened. "Dobby is thinking that is a bad idea, Harry Potter, sir."
"So am I," Harry told the elf. "But do it for me, please?"
Visibly trembling, Dobby went to Snape's door and knocked politely. "Professor Snape sir," Dobby called, his voice cracking. "Harry Potter is demanding your presence, Sir."
The door was thrown open, and with a shriek, Dobby vanished, leaving Harry to deal with the irate Potions master.
"Demanding my presence, Potter?" Snape asked, eyes narrowing.
Harry scratched his nose and pulled out his wand, summoning the journal from the other room. "I didn't actually expect you to do what I said."
"Oh, I think you did," Snape hissed. "You wanted to see if I would obey your orders and now you know. What will you have me do now, Potter? Dance for your enjoyment or have you some other way to humiliate me?"
"Yes, Snape, I want to see you dance." Harry rolled his eyes, and began flipping through the pages of the journal. His eyes flickered up to see Snape seething. "Don't make me tell you to sit down. I just want to read some of this with you, since it is in fact about your ancestor as well."
Snape's eye was twitching, and the vein in his forehead was throbbing. Teeth clenched, he sat on the edge of the sofa, but refused to look at Harry.
"I can hear you seething. Is that normal?" Harry asked as he continued flipping through the journal.
Snape ignored him, his hands clenching painfully in his lap.
"Still seething," Harry teased. He wondered how much prodding it would take to make Snape explode. He didn't think it'd take much more.
Snape slowly turned his head to glare at Harry. "So much like your father," he snarled, his face contorted in disgust.
Harry tensed, his teeth clenched, and his fingers curled tightly around the brittle pages of memories long forgotten. "I am not my father."
"I can only imagine how he would have lorded his heritage over the rest of us," Snape continued, lip curled in disgust. "Just as you're lording it over me now. I should be grateful, I suppose. He really would have made me dance."
"I really did just want to share this with you." Harry dropped the journal on Snape's lap. "As you so kindly point out, it's not always just about me."
Snape took the journal and idly flipped through the pages. "Fascinating," he said, tossing it back at Harry.
"Is it blank for you then? I would have thought..." Harry trailed off, staring down at the battered book.
"Thought? I had begun to wonder if you were capable," Snape said dismissively.
Harry's eyes flashed for a moment, but then he smiled. "Amazing, isn't it?"
Snape leaned back against the couch, folding his arms across his chest. "Am I done here?"
"I did mean it when I said I think you should read some of this."
"The book is blank, Potter. There is obviously some kind of privacy spell placed upon it," Snape said tiredly.
"I know...I mean I tried to get Remus to read it, but it was blank for him too, but when I was holding it he could read it clearly over my shoulder and while I had hoped it might be different for you seeing as...never mind. But what I meant was I could hold it while you read." Harry blushed and ducked his head. He hadn't babbled that badly in ages.
Sighing, Snape rose and moved to sit next to Harry. "Happy?"
Harry nodded, making a small noise in the back of his throat. "I don't know if you want to start from the beginning or...?"
"Summarize it," Snape ordered, not wanting to sit next to Potter reading into the night.
Harry bit his lip and nodded as he began to regale Snape with what had happened up to the point he had stopped reading.
By the time he was finished, Snape actually looked interested. "So we're right before the revolution," he said, tapping a finger against his chin. "Interesting. What does the next entry say?"
Harry gave Snape a lopsided grin as he flipped back open to the page where he had left off.
July 1570
Helena had to drag me from the great hall before I strangled poor Gretchen. It is not her fault she is pregnant, nor is it her fault that her state is now visible. If I feel like this now, I wonder how Thelonious felt two years prior to this.
"Helena, wife of the King. Gretchen, wife of Thelonious," Snape said aloud, getting the characters straight in his head. "And jealousy rears its ugly head," Snape finished, amused.
"It seems to be a recurring theme," Harry added, "for both Carlisle and Thelonious. They seem to take turns with it."
"It must have been difficult, having a mate, but being tied with another," Snape said softly.
Harry snorted. "That's an odd thing to call someone's wife. Mate."
"No, you misunderstand me. Thelonious was Carlisle's mate; their wives were merely that, wives."
Harry nodded slowly as he tried to wrap his brain around the concept. "I suppose that makes sense."
Snape studied Harry through narrowed eyes. "Do you understand it? Honestly?"
"Not really, no." Harry felt sheepish as he admitted, "The word mate puts me in mind of wild animals."
"One is the bonding of souls, the other merely a joining of lives. A marriage can be broken, a soul bond to your mate cannot."
"But it never said anywhere that they made that sort of bond." Although it did sound about right...
"It may have been made by their parents to ensure loyalty," Snape said, shrugging. "Or they could have entered into it on their own. Either way, it exists, of this I am certain."
"How do you know that?"
"Unlike some, my family passed down the knowledge of our role," Snape answered.
"But, what does this 'bond' have to do with anything?"
"The bond is everything, Potter. It makes certain our lines will be inextricably linked, whether we want to be or not."
Harry felt pressure building just behind his eyes and a slight twinge at the base of the back of his head. "But wouldn't the unbreakable vow do that just fine?"
Snape frowned and looked at the book on Harry's lap. Using a finger, he turned the pages, looking to see if Potter's relative wrote of anything of importance in his blasted journal. Towards the end, he finally found what he was looking for.
"Read," Snape said, sitting back against the couch.
"Isn't that a form of cheating?" Harry grumbled, staring down at the page. The handwriting wasn't Carlisle's familiar slanted text. "Reading the back of the book without the build-up to get there? Why can't you just tell me?"
"Just read," Snape growled through clenched teeth.
Harry's eyes snapped back to the text and he began reading.
12 May 1834
We have reached an accord with the Prince family. Mother and Father have bound my youngest sister Abigale to that wretched Jonathon Prince. We knew it was to happen. The families have been feuding for decades and something had to be done. I just wish it wasn't at the expense of my sister and my future great grandchildren.
The Wizard Vow is every bit as powerful as the Unbreakable, but without the same end results. Still, if either party backs out of the Wizard Vow both sides are affected. It's a bad situation we find ourselves in.
"So what, they were married off? Isn't that kind of normal for the time? I mean, families did it all the time to end feuds, right?" Harry asked, frowning at Snape.
Snape glared at him and then pointed to the last sentence of the first paragraph. "Read that line again."
"Both sides are affected." A sense of dread suddenly loomed over Harry. "What happens if one of us backs out?"
"Nothing pleasant," Snape said darkly.
"But—Surely we don't have to abide by this rule, I mean...we're both guys!"
"Who happen to be the last of their respective lines," Snape replied irritably.
"You've got to be kidding. This vow is ancient, surely there's a loophole or a way out of it!"
"Which part of 'unbreakable' and 'oath' don't you understand?"
"I don't want to have to marry you!" Harry cried in distress.
"Who said anything about marriage?"
"Fuck, Snape, you're a complete arse."
"And you're an idiot," Snape spat, rising to his feet and stalking off to his room.
"Come back here!" Harry shouted, launching to his feet.
Snape turned, his robe billowing about his legs as he closed the distance between Harry and himself. He grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt, hauling him upwards until they were nose to nose. "I told you, Potter, I will not be your lapdog at your beck and call," he hissed.
Harry glared. "Well then stop fucking running off when a conversation turns sour!"
Snape shoved him away. "I will not tolerate your insolence in my own quarters," Snape warned angrily.
"What did you expect me to think? The entire fucking entry was about having the families marry one another. What the fuck kind of conclusion did you think I'd make!"
"Twenty points from Gryffindor!" Snape shouted.
Harry's mouth fell open in shock. "You can't take points – it's the middle of the summer!"
Snape brushed past him to his small kitchen. He grabbed a teapot, scooped some tea out of a container and dumped it inside. He filled it with water before casting a heating charm on it. When steam came out of the spout, he grabbed a cup and poured himself a cupful, ignoring Harry all the while.
"We wouldn't have fought if you had just explained from the beginning," Harry pointed out glumly, taking the seat across from Snape.
"We have to get married," Snape muttered into his teacup.
"Come again? Because I swear you just said we did, in fact, have to get married."
"In name only," Snape replied, sneering at Harry.
"That's really funny, Snape, really fucking witty."
"By all means, if you would like it to be a marriage in all respects, I'm sure I can accommodate you," Snape answered with an exaggerated leer that quickly morphed into a sneer.
Harry rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses, leaning back in the chair. "You aren't joking?"
"No, I'm not," Snape said, leaning against the counter.
Harry's voice was weak when he asked, "Do we have to?"
"While I understand death would be preferable, it would mean my death as well," Snape said irritably.
"Of course it does."
"If you wish to have sex –" Snape scowled at Harry's look. "Not with me, you prat! I suggest you sow any wild oats you may have now, as you will be required to remain faithful, at least for a few years," Snape replied, saying the word faithful as if it were a curse. It would be more than a few years, but the boy was already panicked enough without telling him the truth.
"Sow my wild oats? With whom exactly? Want to point me to a nice Muggle prostitute? At least she won't be sleeping with me to have my child and trap me."
Snape shrugged. "That is not my problem. There's always Granger and the Weasley chit. The latter in particular would be obliging, I'm sure."
"I couldn't do that to either of them, or Ron."
"I'm sure Malfoy would be obliging," Snape said, smirking.
Harry glared, folding his arms on the table and resting his chin on them. "You are not funny."
"You're right," Snape agreed, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "He's rubbish in bed, remember?"
"You didn't have another glass when you were holed up in your room, did you?"
"Are you familiar with the concept of laughing to avoid crying?" Snape asked dryly.
"Too familiar," Harry murmured. "Can I have some tea as well?"
Snape reached behind him for a cup and handed it to Harry, then passed him the teapot.
Harry poured his tea, feeling oddly calm with the familiar movements. "Thank you."
"You're taking this well," Snape said, narrowing his eyes and studying Harry.
"Give me a day or two," Harry told him seriously, taking a deep sip of the warm beverage. "If something hasn't exploded by then, assume something is wrong."
Snape snorted. "Do I have your permission to go to bed now?"
Harry looked at him over the rim of the teacup. "Do you need my permission to go to bed?"
"Considering the fact that every time I go to my room you find a reason to drag me back out again, yes."
Harry grinned. "Is it at least past eight thirty now?"
"I don't know, but I'm exhausted. Goodnight, Potter."
"Good night, Snape," Harry said, saluting him with his cup.
Rolling his eyes, Snape went to bed, hoping he would wake up to find it was all a very bad dream.