Warnings and Disclaimer in the first chapter.
I've been pleasantly surprised by the reaction to this. Please continue to enjoy. Also- this was all ready written, it will be a little bit longer to the next update most likely.
Chapter Two: The Bondmates
* * * * *
Charlie
Charlie was interrupted on his day off by one of the younger Dragon Handler's coming to tell him his mother was on the Floo.
"She says it's an emergency!"
As the Floo was only ever used for emergencies, Charlie had no doubt of this. He jumped up from his couch and ran as fast as he could down to the main office.
His mother's frantic face was in the fire.
"Charlie! Albus is here! He says he needs you straight away, something to do with Harry I think." Charlie was through the Floo and in Grimmauld Place a moment later.
Albus Dumbledore was standing in the kitchen. Charlie could immediately see why his mother was so frantic, even for her. Albus' face was grim, his normally twinkling eyes dull and anxious. There was blood in his beard and on his robes.
"Albus? What's happened?"
"Everyone out. I need to speak with Charles alone."
Charlie's mum nodded and hurried out the complaining twins, Ron and Ginny.
"What's happened?" Charlie repeated.
"Harry." Albus swallowed. "Went through his transition today."
Charlie's eyes widened against his will. Harry was that powerful? Only grade sevens needed transitions.
"Except he was more powerful than we thought. He says he's a grade eight- a mage."
Charlie gasped. "A m-mage?"
Albus nodded. "And he needs a Firmitudo bond to stabilize his magic."
"Me?" Charlie asked- eyes wider than ever.
Albus nodded grimly. "Among others, of course."
"He'll die without it, won't he?"
Charlie could tell it was bad. Whatever had gone wrong- it was bad. Really bad.
"Of course I'll do it Albus. Of course."
"This is a portkey that will take you to a room down the hall. They are in room 441." The Headmaster handed him a tennis shoe. "I have to get to the others. Ms. Granger and her parents, as well as Poppy are there all ready."
Charlie nodded, murmured Portus and disappeared.
When he reappeared in a new place, he did not take even a moment to look around at his surroundings. In true Gryffindor style, he rushed out the door, startling a maid, and down the hall. At room 441 he stopped and burst in, startling the three women sitting in a small but comfortable sitting room. Screams were echoing around the room and bouncing off silencing charms.
"You're one of the bondmates?" Poppy asked,
Charlie nodded.
"Come along then." The matronly woman led him through a close door. A man who was obviously Hermione's father was restraining the second figure on the bed. Harry was arched off the bed, screaming. Charlie could feel himself paling. The boy and the man were both covered in blood.
"How can I help?" Charlie asked, his eyes fixed on the scene in front of him.
"So far no wizards have been able to touch him- but I think you may be able to. Your presence alone may help."
Cautiously, Charlie approached the bed. Harry's screams quieted minutely. Gaining courage, Charlie moved closer, and gently picked up one of Harry's hands. The screams fell to sobs. Charlie climbed onto the bed, the muggle man moving out of his way with a smile. Charlie cradled the fragile body into his arms-harder now than it would have been years earlier. Harry was much taller than he remembered. Harry's pained whimpers did not completely fall away, but he did quiet. Charlie carefully followed Poppy's directions to do a couple diagnostic charms as well as several cleaning and healing charms.
The healing charms did not last long.
* * * * *
Severus
Severus was in his lab working on the non-magical salve for Potter when the Headmaster came in again.
"Albus?" Severus asked with a quirked eyebrow, gently stirring the concoction in front of him. Albus looked worse than he had before. Severus had never seen the Headmaster look older. He was splashed in blood; his face was worn and tired.
"Severus. I told you that Harry needed the Firmitudo bond."
Severus nodded. The Headmaster had mentioned something to that extent when he had last been here, asking for a non-magical healing salve.
"You are one of the bondmates."
Severus turned from the potion in a whirl of robes.
"No."
Albus nodded.
"I will not bond to the boy, Albus. I will not." Severus could feel his rage boiling in him like a Skelegro potion left too long on the flame.
"He will die if you do not."
"Let him die." Severus snarled. A moment later he ducked his head. He did not like the Potter boy, but he did not wish him dead. Additionally, the boy was there only hope against the Dark Lord.
Albus did not chide him, only looked at him with those old, pained eyes, which was far worse. Severus sighed.
"The salve is finished." He murmured in way of an apology. He scooped the substance into a low jar and capped it. "I will bond to him."
"Thank you, my dear boy. I must ask one more thing of you."
* * * * *
Remus
Remus was reading in his sitting room when the Floo flared up unexpectedly. He blinked and looked up.
"Albus?"
"May I come through, Remus?"
"Certainly." Remus nodded, marking his spot and getting to his feet. He smelled the blood and pain and fatigue the moment Albus stepped into the room.
"Albus? What has happened?" Whose blood was that? Not Albus', but familiar none-the-less.
"Harry went through his transition today."
Harry's blood. Not Harry, please, not Harry, I could not stand…not Harry…
"He was more powerful than we expected. A mage."
"A mage?" Remus gasped.
"Yes. Things…did not go well. His magic is unstable- he needs a Firmitudo bond. You are one of the needed members."
Remus blushed a hot red. He did not like to think about sex. He certainly didn't think about sex with a minor, and even more certainly not about Harry and sex.
"He will die without it Remus."
Remus desperately trumped the embarrassment down and nodded.
Albus handed him a portkey and told him how to get to Harry's room. Remus managed a choked 'portus' and was whipped off to a high end Muggle hotel. He slid out of the door and quickly made his way down the hall. He knew he was still blushing as he opened the door. Hermione and what could only be her mother's faces' gaped at the sight of him. He could hear whimpers and sobs from the next room and smell the scent of blood.
"Y-you're a bondmate?"
Remus nodded.
"Why are you all male?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"It has to do with magical resonance, ma'am." Remus answered; glad to have a question he could answer. "The type of magical resonance needed for this bond most often occurs between same-gender matches. It is possible that one of the bondmates is female, but it's highly unlikely."
"Remus?" Poppy stuck her head out of the door. "Come in now please- you're of no use to Harry out there."
He hurried into the room. Poppy, who was the closest thing Remus had ever had to a mother growing up, pecked him on the cheek as he passed.
Charlie Weasley fought with a thrashing and bleeding Harry on the bed. A muggle man who smelled like Hermione sat beside the bed, watching the scene anxiously.
"How do I help?" Remus asked at once.
"Get on the bed and help calm him down." Poppy ordered. Remus slid onto the bed by Harry's feet and hesitantly held down the boy's legs.
Charlie and Harry calmed- Charlie's calmness more a by-product of Harry's. Harry whimpered and tossed weakly still, but he seemed better. Remus and Charlie's eyes met- both wondering who would be next to join them in this room. Who else would they share the rest of their lives with?
* * * * *
Draco
They were half way through dinner when Libby, or Lobby, or whatever the house elf's name was interrupted.
"Yes, Libby?" Draco's father snapped. Draco suppressed a wince of sympathy for the creature that would surely pay for her impudence later.
"Sorry to disturb yous, Master Lucius, sir. Professor Snape is being at the floo and is saying he must be speaking to young Master Draco and Master Lucius right away sir."
Lucius scowled.
"Come, Draco." Lucius called, patting his napkin needlessly against his mouth and setting it aside. Draco quickly followed his father out of the Dining Hall. Professor Snape's head was sticking out of the fireplaces in the Speaking Hall-specially designed for long Floo calls in the 15th Century by the first Lucius Malfoy.
"Severus, how can we help you?" Lucius said coolly, a parody of a smile on his face. Draco rejected a shudder. He knew his smiles- those he gave- looked like his father's now. And he was proud of it. Proud of it, like he should be.
"I have need of Draco's talents for the rest of the summer."
"Oh?"
"I am brewing a potion for a common friend that needs my most careful attention. An assistant of Draco's caliber would not go unmentioned."
Draco felt a quiver of fear go through him. They were talking about the Dark Lord. He was going to be brought to the Dark Lord's attention.
"Certainly, Severus. Do you need him at once?"
Draco blanked his face as carefully as he could. He knew this was his lot- he would take it.
"Yes."
"Very well, I shall have the house elves send his things along after dinner." Lucius turned to Draco.
"Farewell my son, do me proud." And then he was gone.
"Hurry, Mr. Malfoy." Snape's head disappeared. Draco followed him into the floo, calling out "Severus Snape's office, Hogwarts!"
"Sit." Professor Snape snapped as Draco stepped cleanly from the Floo.
"I will need you oath that you will speak of none of the things I am going to speak to you about tonight to anyone who could pass that information on to the Dark Lord."
"Sir-" Draco gasped, eyes going wide despite himself. Snape was a traitor?
"At once." Snape snarled.
"I swear on my magic and on Merlin to never speak of the things I hear tonight to anyone who could pass them on to the Dark Lord." Draco felt his magic swirl up, binding him to his oath.
"I am a traitor to the Dark Lord, as you have already presumed. I have been for longer than you have been alive."
Draco choked. That long? He had presumed this was a recent development.
"Do you believe in the Dark Lord, Mr. Malfoy?"
"I—how do I know you are telling the truth and this is not some ploy?" Draco demanded.
"I do not have time for ploys!" Snape roared. "Yes or no?"
"No." Draco whispered. He had long come to the idea that even if Muggles were less than him, and even Muggleborns, they didn't deserve to die. They didn't deserve to be tortured.
"Mr. Malfoy, Harry Potter is dying from unstable magic. He was transitioning, but was not a grade seven, but a grade eight."
"That's not possible." Draco denied.
"A mage, Mr. Malfoy." Snape's voice was absolutely biting with impatient fury. Draco did not push it.
"He is in need of a Firmitudo bond, including the both of us."
"Us?" Draco asked weakly. "He hates us." A Firmitudo bond. No way. No fucking way was this really happening. Of course Draco knew what it was. What Pureblood over the age of thirteen didn't? It was one of those things that brought great dishonor on some and great honor on others. To need the bond meant you could not control your magic. To be a part of the bond- well Draco didn't really understand why that was so bad. He didn't really know that much about the bond, but Draco would be helping the first known mage in several centuries, and that would certainly bring honor. Which Draco would need, since there was no chance his father would not disown Draco after he got word of this.
"Hate, or lack of it, has nothing to do with magical resonance, as you should well know, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco nodded, thoughts still swirling chaotically in his mind.
"Will you be apart of the bond?"
Of course he would.
Draco nodded again.
Professor Snape held out a newspaper. Draco grabbed it while the Professor murmured Portus.
They appeared in a room. A very non-magical room.
"Where are we?" Draco turned to ask, but the Professor was already half out the door and Draco had to hurry to catch up.
Snape furled open a door.
"Malfoy?" Granger yelled. Granger, a muggle and the Headmaster were gathered in a small room. Granger was yelling over sobs and pained whimpers coming from the next room.
"Severus. I see everything went well." The Headmaster was saying.
"Yes." Snape nodded.
"I delivered your salve- Poppy was quite thankful. I do believe both of you would be of more use inside with Harry."
"Both?" Came Granger's outraged shout, but Draco and Snape were all ready through the door.
A Weasley, one he didn't know, and a werewolf. This was getting worse by the second. The Weasley and werewolf were staring at them with wide eyes. Snape was snarling. And then Potter screamed and a fresh scent of blood worked through the room. Weasley and Lupin's attention turned back to Potter, who was lying with his head in Weasley's lap and his feet in Lupin's. He was still screaming even as they tried desperately tried to subdue those screams.
"Help, dammit!" The Weasley shouted. "Malfoy get on his right side, Snape-"
They were all ready moving though. Draco climbed up on the bed and followed Weasley's lead, laying his hands across Potter's blood soaked chest.
The screams bled into sobs which quieted to whimpers, and then to silence. Potter's eyes fluttered open, green and hazed with pain.
* * * * *
All right, there it is. Please review!