Disclaimer: Well, if I say that it's mine, I will probably get sued, have all my fics stripped from any site they might be on, and probably have my identity revealed to all, thereby having my mother mad at me for doing this…. So no. I sincerely and without reservations tell you all in all honesty that I do not, in point of fact, own this series, these characters, or anything related to Harry Potter or J.K. Rowling in any way, shape, or form.

Title: The Ties That Bind

Summary/ Warning: Dom/ Sub, HGRW, PPBZ, RLSB, LVBL …and of course HPSS.

Beta: ShadowFax999... and amazingly, she's still speaking to me after letting this fic and her hang for like, a month… (sheepish grin)

Chapter 20: Hating the Headmaster

:Parseltongue:

"Conversational thoughts"

Private thoughts, shared memories

The weekend passed in a blur for Harry and the others, busy as they were getting used to the new order of things. The eleven of them had fought over the name of their dorm, finally deciding on calling it 'Haven,' in response to how they felt about it. Theo was smugly proud of himself for thinking up the name, and kept subtly reminding the others that he had come up with it. They all bore it in good humour- except Draco, whose idea for calling it 'The Lair' had failed miserably- and were able to laugh about it.

The Common Room was now done in warm dark colors. The six couches were split with half being a deep golden brown and the others a deep satiny black. All of them were plush, of a faux velvet texture, and large enough to hold two people very comfortably. Each pair had staked out a couch and claimed it for themselves. Harry had one of the black couches, taking comfort in the fact that it reminded him of Severus, and made himself a permanent resident on it as he filled Hermione and Ron in on what had happened at the Order meeting.

The walls were painted a dark forest green, and went very well with the gold frames of the few portraits. The fire place was black marble and held a solid gold chandelier that Dobby had found in storage somewhere that Pansy had fallen in love with. The other furnishings- chairs, tables, the chess set in one corner- were made of a dark mahogany that seemed to glow in the firelight.

Each bedroom was decorated in a blend of the two occupants styles, and were usually radically different from the Common Room. Pansy and Blaise's room, for example, was composed almost entirely in shades of white and sapphire, while Seamus and Dean had decorated theirs in a color palate of burgundy and gold. Hermione and Ron had done their room in various shades of gold and brown, and Draco and Neville lived in a world of silver and chocolate. Theo and Susan chose complementary tones of blue and green, and Harry had done his in black and green.

Monday morning came too early for the ten students who appeared in Haven's Common Room, ready to face the world- for the most part. Seamus was still yawning as he waited for Dean to emerge from their room, and Draco was passed out on his couch. Hermione and Pansy, however were wide awake and already planning the days events.

Once they were all ready to leave, the group made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. To some of their surprise, it was a short walk and closer to Haven than the Tower or the dungeons. They separated long before they reached the Hall, however, moving into their normal factions.

Ron and Neville took their regular seats, ignoring Hermione as she glanced around the Hall in concern. So what if Harry hadn't shown up yet- he was always on time for class anyway.

It was another twenty minutes before Harry walked into the Hall, looking as fresh as though he had slept all weekend. Sliding into his seat across the way from Neville, he loaded his plate and began eating, following the time-honored tradition of ignoring Hermione on an empty stomach. Once he had sufficiently filled his hollow leg, he turned to the witch and gave her a pathetic, pleading face.

"Hermione," he whined, giving her the puppy-dog-eyes she could never resist, "Why are you yelling at me?"

Hermione huffed in exasperation, the pathetic eyes working on her exactly as Harry had planned. "I am not yelling, Harry. I am merely pointing out the fact that you are once again late for breakfast, and soon people will begin to wonder what is going on with you." She paused, and sighed as Seamus and Dean hid their snickers. "Whatever, Harry. I'm just looking out for you, you know that."

"Yeah, I know," Harry replied, dropping the face and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Thank you." She smiled at him, and he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. Letting her go, he grinned at a resigned Ron and finished his breakfast.

"So what's on the schedule for today, my fine feathered friends?"

Seamus smirked at Harry's question, and made a show of pulling his class list out of his pocket. "Let me see, let me see… ah, yes. First, we have -gasp- Potions with the Slytherins! Good Merlin, however shall we survive?"

Dean leaned over his Sub's shoulder and deadpanned, "And then it's Transfiguration… again… with McGonagall… again … and the Slytherins… Joy." Harry snorted with laughter as Neville grabbed the list and pretended to look over it with a haughty air.

"My, my- what have we here? Charms with Flitwick? And Slytherins? No, no, that just will not do. I'd much rather go to the class after that-" Neville grinned at Seamus and Dean, and the three of them shouted together- "LUNCH!"

The entire Gryffindor table roared with laughter at the impromptu skit, causing the rest of the Hall to look at them askance. Once they had calmed down some, Neville handed the list back to Seamus with a small bow. The Irishman tucked the list away with a grin, and the six friends got up and trooped to Potions together, occasionally erupting into sniggers at the memory of the skit.

By the time they walked into the classroom they had calmed down enough for the threat of Snape to wipe all hysteria from their minds, and Harry waved farewell to his friends as he moved to the front. Snape stalked into the classroom exactly as the class started, and scowled as he swept past the Gryffindors. Slamming his hand down on his desk, he quieted all remnants of conversation as he stared at them.

Even the Slytherin's were cowed by Snape today, and showed it by sitting straight up and not fidgeting. "Today you will be quiet," Snape hissed, the low sound startling the silent students. "I will not tolerate your teenage foolishness this morning, and if you so much as look like you are about to talk, I will deduct so many points from you that you will not win the House Cup for the next three years." He glowered at the students, and, sensing that they were sufficiently cowed, added, "Turn to page three hundred and forty seven. Read chapter 23 on the effects of Monroesbane and answer questions one through fifty. This will be collected."

With another fierce scowl Snape sat behind his desk and pulled a pile of paperwork in front of him. The only sounds that filled the room were the quiet noise of pages turning and the scritch-scratch of Snape's quill dancing across the parchments he was marking. Eventually the students relaxed enough to get comfortable in their chairs, but no one was foolish enough to disobey Snape given his present mood.

Harry shifted in his chair, and tentatively whispered into Severus' mind. "Severus? What's wrong?" He felt, more than heard, the sigh that his mate heaved before answering.

"It's not you, if that's what you're asking." Severus paused for a moment, then added, "It's just that I can no longer stand to be in Albus Dumbledore's presence." Harry frowned down at his textbook, and quickly answered a question.

"What did he do this time?" Harry asked, and sucked in a quick breath at the answer.

"He tried to use Legilimency to read my thoughts." Severus' voice started shaking with barely-contained rage, and Harry saw red for a moment. The urge to get up and leave the class to find the Headmaster was strong, but Harry managed to stay the urge. For a while they were silent, Harry pretending to be able to read his book and Severus marking the essays from memory.

"What gives him the right?" Harry asked as calmly as he could, "How does he think he can manipulate so many different people and not be called to task for it?" Severus gave Harry a mental headshake, not knowing how to answer the teen. They fell silent as they drifted into their own thoughts, and the class period sped by. Soon there was only an hour left to the Potions time-slot, and Severus called Harry's attention to himself.

"Harry?" he called, and waited for the boy to hear him.

He had his mates attention at once. "Yes, Severus?" Severus took a deep breath as he gathered the courage to ask Harry the question, but just decided to jump right in at the last moment.

"Do you think I could let the class out early- and could you stay?"

Harry raised a brow at the question, but replied in the affirmative. "I think you could- especially given your current mood. And of course I will stay, love. You have only to ask."

Severus smiled inwardly at the answer, and looked up from his papers with a jerk. Surveying the room and the students who were staring up at him, he frowned. "Stop," he hissed, sneering at the confused faces of his students. "Accio parchments!" The class gasped as Snape Summoned their papers, the thing he only did at the end of an exam. "Longbottom, Potter, stay behind. The rest of you- out!"

The class was frozen for a minute, shocked at the command. Snape was letting them out early- by almost an hour? But as soon as the fact sank in they grabbed their things and ran from the room, planning on telling everyone they met of their good luck. Hermione shared a look with Harry, but left with Ron, Seamus and Dean. Draco sulked as he packed, and glared at Neville as he passed by.

When the only students left were Neville and Harry, Severus sat back in his chair and stared at them. "Mister Longbottom," he began, "Your detention begins tonight, as you will recall, and you will be here at 7:30. You will wear clothing you no longer care about, and you will be on time. Do I make myself clear?"

Neville nodded, and Snape gestured to the door. "Leave." The Gryffindor needed no more encouragement than that, and he opened the door and grabbed Draco, who had been waiting for him. When the door shut again, Severus sighed and let his personal wards activate. Harry walked around Severus' chair and slid his hands down his mate's front, undoing buttons as he went. Pushing the heavy robes off of Severus' shoulders, Harry began to rub his mates tense shoulders, kneading the muscles gently.

Severus relaxed under Harry's hands, letting his worries for the day fade away for a moment. He knew he had done a stupid thing by letting his class out early just to be with Harry, and that someone would connect the dots sooner or later, but right now he didn't care. Not when Harry was here and he was able to let someone else worry.

Harry let his hands roam over Severus' shoulders, down to his biceps, and across to his chest. His hands were gentle and soft, loosening the tense muscles slowly, and pleasing his mate. It took almost a half an hour for Severus to relax fully, and once he had Harry stopped the massage. Letting his hands trail over his mate, Harry came around to Severus' front and carefully straddled the older mans lap, lowering his body slowly to let Severus become used to the pressure.

Once he was settled, Harry leaned forward and placed his face in the crook of Severus' neck and wrapped his arms about his mate's waist. Severus' arms came around the teen and loosely surrounded Harry's back. For a long while they just sat like that, letting themselves feel the reassuring presence of their mate.

Soon, though, they had to face the rest of the world, and Harry slid off Severus' lap with a wry expression. "Just as I was really getting comfortable, too." he joked, and Severus responded with a smile. Harry leaned in to kiss his mate, and Severus let a silly smile grace his face for just a moment. Harry pulled back, happier than he had been since Severus had told him about Dumbledore's latest tactic, and watched as Severus fixed himself up.

Robes back on his shoulders, buttoned all the way back up with a whispered word. Hair neatened with another spell, with a third to press his clothing. Harry laughed, though, and let his thumb pass over Severus' thin lips. Severus frowned up at the boy, and Harry smiled. "You're all flushed."

"It is your fault," Severus responded immediately and Harry shrugged.

"I'll freely take responsibility for that," Harry said, grinning at his mates exasperated expression.

"Get out, imp. You'll be late for Minerva." Harry sighed at his mate's words and picked up his bag. Pressing a last kiss to Severus' lips, he waited until the wards were down before opening the door and walking out. Severus smiled at his mate's back, surprised- yet pleasantly pleased- that the two of them got along so well. It was enough to boggle his mind.

Instead he started to prepare for his next class, wondering vaguely if he had any right to feel this happy.

Ya, so it's late… really late… monumentally we-your-readers-shall-kill-you-if-its-any-later late… sorry! But it's here, and I hope you all like it. But it's the first time that I've gotten a fic to the 20th chapter! Rejoice! lol

Ta!

Netrixie