The last three months had been such a mess that Harry had forgotten about the promise to meet with the elf. Severus had been moved into the hospital and had spent a month there but he had made a full recovery and was home. Harry had spent the first weeks attending funerals including that of his best friend since first year, Ron, and his dad's wife, Tonks. Her death hit him nearly as bad as that of Ron for she had been one of the few connections he had to Sirius. He had Andromeda and Ted though for he and Remus had spent the first month after the final battle living with the couple. Harry had over a dozen properties from the Potter and Black inheritances but Andromeda had been raising Teddy since he was born and after the loss of his wife Remus had been a bit unsure about taking his son. The two eventually settled at Grimmauld together. Remus had been asked to return to teach DADA in the fall but had turned down the offer, not sure he would be able to face the school for some time to come after what happened to his wife, and trying to focus on his son. Harry had said Remus could retire and just focus on raising Teddy but Remus had every intention of returning to writing text books as he had before.

Slowly time started to move on and life. The school was repaired, a memorial built and in September the school opened again with Professor Slughorn continuing to teach potions as Severus chose not to return, and Draco apprenticing under him. It turned out Lucius had been as much a spy as Severus from his school days but his wife had not and been killed. Harry had been offered to teach DADA but had turned it down like his dad, at least for now, saying he was too young. Kingsley had taken the job instead though Moody had made a suggestion. Harry had scored O's across the board on his NEWT's which was amazing since they had come just before battle, and he was being fast tracked at the auror academy for officer training. He would complete it in two years and promised to consider teaching after, if not at the school at the auror academy. But for now being at the academy allowed him to be there for Teddy and Remus.

The Weasleys and Hermione were slowly on the mend. Bill and Fleur were expecting their first and Percy and Penny had eloped that summer. Arthur was an under minister now. Hermione like Harry remained close to them and while still in mourning, had been convinced to start law school which had been her original plan. She had turned down Harry's offer of a place to live and for now had returned home to her parents who had been in France for safety but returned.

Harry was giving his little brother a bottle one morning in September when Hedwig came in the window and delivered him a letter. "Hey Girl."

Remus looked surprised at the writing. "That looks like Severus' handwriting. I wasn't aware you had been in contact with him since the woods."

Remus was one of two people he had told the truth about what had happened in the woods, Luna being the second. He had asked them both if they knew what it might have meant but neither had known. He had become quite close to Luna the last year, helping her when her dad had been kidnapped, though Xeno had been rescued, his paper getting him in trouble. Luna was among those like Ginny who had returned to school a few weeks before. Neither had been surprised Harry had been willing to save Severus and they wondered like him what it was about.

Harry handed his brother over for a burp and opened it. "I am supposed to meet Lord Elsor and Severus at his house for lunch this afternoon."

Remus looked a bit concerned but he calmed himself. "The elves are white magic Harry; you have nothing to fear of them. At least now you will know."

Harry had tried to keep it from his mind but he knew his dad was right and he headed for Spinner's End in time for lunch. The little house was on a mundane dark street in a muggle town but he found when he was let into the sitting room though while there were almost no breaks in bookcases, doors hidden behind them, there were some windows and the room was quite welcoming he thought. He smiled and inclined his head to Lord Elsor who was waiting.

Elsor watched him sit. "It has come time for us to discus your pledge Harry. I believe Severus already knew what it meant though he was unable to tell you."

Severus saw Harry's shock. "The magic of the elves I am told bound it so only they could speak. You have linked our magical cores to each other until death."

Harry stared back and forth between the two of them thinking that this had to be wrong or he was misunderstanding something. Elsor shook his head and explained when a wizard with pure magic gave himself for another he could offer life by his own magic. Harry had literally given a chunk of his core to Severus, Severus' magic core nearly destroyed by the venom. The pledge would not have worked if there was not a bond between them though; some kind of connection or attraction, something between the two men for Severus had accepted the bond and Harry's body offered it. Elsor had seen it and knew the pledge would work. It meant though that if one died the other one would die, their magic and lifeblood were literally bound.

Harry was pale. "There has to be some way to stop this. I mean he is several decades older then me, I men he could just die decades before me. Please."

The elf nodded. "You have one year before it becomes permanent, but there is one way to reverse it that in a year. You two must be wed and bonded before then."

Harry had been hoping for some kind of solution but that had not been the one he was expecting. He had to either marry Severus Snape, more then that, bond with him, and be married till one of them died and then be released, or live with the fact that if Severus died, he died. It wasn't much of a choice he thought. His head was spinning and he thought surely this was some kind of joke but when he realized it wasn't he fainted.