Disclaimer: Nope. Not J.K. Though…. How many of you wished she wrote FanFiction? Imagine what that would be like… -drool-

Title: The Ties That Bind

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

Authours Note: Ya'll get to meet a buncha new nut-jobs in this chapter… XD Have fu-U-un!!

Chapter 22: Meetings and Rage

:Parseltongue:

"Conversational thoughts"

Private thoughts, shared memories

It happened on Wednesday.

Everything had been going fine, classes no more boring than usual, petty arguments neither more or less interesting than before, homework and classwork still optional to most students.

It was in the midst of lunch that Harry felt it- a sharp pain slicing through his temple, followed shortly by a searing pain on his left forearm. His eyes darted up to the Staff Table, zeroing in on Severus immediately as the Potions Master stood and began to make his way out.

"You're being Called, aren't you?" he asked, his voice rather sharper than he wanted. But the only response he received from Severus was an anxious need to hurry up, and Harry seethed silently. Every base instinct he possessed demanded that he lock Severus up in a room somewhere, far from Voldemort or his stupid Mark. They demanded that he go in his mate's place, that he be the one trapped in the same room as that murderous fucker.

A snarl ripped from his chest, but fortunately low enough that only Ron and Hermione heard it. Turning to a startled Ron, Harry tried to reign in his temper, saying through clenched teeth, "Please inform our teachers that I am not feeling at all well." With a vicious hiss, Harry cursed roundly before adding, "and I will not be attending the rest of my classes."

At that he stood, grabbed his bag, and left the Great Hall, oblivious to the looks he was receiving from the staff and students. Within moments he was in Severus' bedroom, eyes searching out and finding his mate immediately. Severus was hastily changing into his robes, and Harry stood back to let the other man work around him. His mate didn't acknowledge his presence yet, for now too concerned with the reason for the meeting to bother with anything else.

Seconds later the Potions Master turned to Harry, worry evident in every line of his face. "I don't know why he has called this meeting- in the middle of the day on a weekday!- and I have no idea what to expect. Please, Harry, please don't do anything stupid?" Severus begged, knowing as well as he could what was going through the teens mind right now.

Harry snarled, his lips curling in anger as he replied. "I am not going to my classes, and I will be right here when you return." With a furious gesture Harry 'threw' something at Severus, who startled so badly he had to catch himself on the edge of the bed.

"What was that?" he asked, and Harry smiled, a humorless expression to be sure.

"That, my dear Severus, was just something to make sure that He-Who-Is-A-Pain-In-My-Ass does not violate your mind." Severus froze for a minute, shocked. It took a good deal of planning, cooperation and skill to cast the spell to accomplish what Harry had just described. How had his mate done it?

"Go. Don't be late. Don't close your mind to me." Harry's rage filled yet anxious voice jolted Severus out of his thoughts, and he nodded briskly. Walking over and stealing a kiss from the Gryffindor, Severus turned to the living room and the Floo.

Harry watched him leave, a million different emotions clouding his heart. But now, he relented as Severus disappeared into the emerald flames, he had the pleasure of eduring the wait.

What was going to happen?

There seemed to be nothing Harry could do as he waited, impatient, for his mate to come back. To think that he'd nearly forgotten the unthinkable rage and anger that had filled him the last time Severus had been placed in an uncomfortable situation. But now… now he wanted blood, Voldemort's blood, Dumbledore's blood, anyone's blood for what his mate was being put through.

On second thought, maybe it was a good thing he'd sequestered himself in Severus' rooms for the duration of the Meeting.

But Harry wanted to do something, anything, and so long as Severus' life was the wild card in this bloody fucking game he couldn't. There was a wild beast raging inside of him; a beast that snarled and growled and threatened to emerge at the slightest possibility of Severus getting hurt.

It was hard for Harry to calm down, and though he may have managed that feat for the time being, what he heard in Severus' mind made it all the harder to stay settled.

Severus' face was impassive as he waited for the others to arrive. He was the first, as always, and had taken advantage of the time wisely. Once he had made sure no traces of Harry or anything else were to be found upon him, he had made his way to the Entrance Hall of Slytherin Manor to await Lucius and Bellatrix.

As Senior Death Eaters, the three were expected to arrive first and ready to face their Master. Ordinarily the others were always running behind him, and the few times Severus had not arrived first he had been completing his Orders from the Dark Lord.

But for this meeting he was first, and waiting patiently for the others. It took all of his training to ignore the low rumble of the snarl in the depths of his mind, yet once he had learned the trick it no longer bothered him. He could not allow anything to bother him at these meetings.

"Ah, Severus. First as always, I see." Lucius' highborn drawl sounded from behind him, but Severus merely raised a brow as the blonde man came to stand besides him. "Come now, Sev. After all this time out Master has finally called us together! Haven't you wondered at his silence?'

As a matter of fact the silence of the Dark Lord had plagued Severus every day since the last meeting, but he had no intention of telling the noble that. "I do believe our place is to arrive to do our Masters bidding, Lucius, not to whine about the length of time it has been since he has called us."

"Always so serious," Lucius murmured, drawing near to Severus and eyeing him speculatively. "I wonder what it would take to loosen you up?"

The outraged howl that tore through Severus' mind momentarily deafened the Potions Master, and he took a moment before he replied to his long-time friend. "I do not think that Narcissa would be appreciative of that comment, Lucius. You know how protective she is."

"Possessive, more like," Lucius snorted, but backed away at the reminder of his wife. "But yes. I suppose I can see your point."

"Lucius, my dear brother-in-law. Are you distracting Severus from our Masters work again?" The sickly-sweet voice of Bellatrix Lestrange reached the two men before the woman did, and both had to hide the instinctual urge to grimace at the dark-haired woman.

Not that she was unattractive, no. At least, not physically. With her long shiny locks of deepest black hair and the brilliant sapphire eyes to match she had made fools of many men over the years. Neither Severus nor Lucius had ever fallen to her charms, however, and they never would.

"No, Bella," Lucius replied as she reached them and they began the trek to the Throne Room, "I was merely pointing out that he needs to relax every once in a while."

Bella snorted in amusement, and glanced over to Severus with something like fondness in her eyes. "Our Severus does his job well as it is, brother. Imagine if he 'relaxed', and failed our Lord!" The bell-like laugh haunted the two men as it rang through the halls, and she added merrily, "But that would never happen, would it, Severus?"

Despite the rage radiating through him from Harry, he lifted the corner of his mouth in a grimace. "I would never fail our Lord, Bella. I have not risen so high only to displease him."

From Bella's expression, that was more than the right answer. The conversation died as they walked closer and closer to the Throne Room where the Dark Lord was waiting, Lucius deep in thought from what Severus could tell. But he wasn't about to ask the blonde man anything in front of Voldemort's watch-dog, so he set the question aside for later.

Finally they reached the two huge wooden doors, stopping as they did so. Their Lord would let them in when he wanted, and for the moment they were free to think to themselves. For once they entered that room, their every thought would be heard, weighed, and measured against the Dark Lords doctrine. And if it was found wanting… Well, their Master believed in the effectiveness of the Crucio.

The great doors opened with an ominous creak five minutes later. Severus went first, as was his habit, with Bellatrix behind him and Lucius bringing up the rear. Their hoods were up, their masks in place, and all thoughts of amusement or humour had been left at the door. In this room they lived only to serve their Master, or not at all.

The room was huge, the ceiling so far above them that it would not be visible to the naked eye. Yet no one looked up, for that would mean the utmost disrespect. Rather, they waited- heads bowed and hands clasped before them with their hoods in their face- for their Master to issue their orders. The Dark Lord shifted after he had observed their actions, and began to speak.

"My most loyal of servants, I am pleased with all of you." Bellatrix preened under the flattery, going so far as to glance up at her Lord through her lashes. Severus raised a brow as he and Lucius stayed as they were, waiting for the other shoe. Where was the sibilant hiss? "Severus, what does that old fool do in his school?"

In as toneless as voice as the Potions Master could muster he responded. "Dumbledore is still assuming that those under his power are without an opinion, and he is beginning to treat even his precious Gryffindors as though they had been Sorted into Slytherin."

The Dark Lord snorted in amusement, and gestured for Severus to expand on the statement. Severus thought for a moment, getting his thoughts in order, and hid a quick smile. Why not vent his personal issues at the same time? It was dangerous, but so was the rest of his life.

"Recently the Longbottom menace started a fight with Goyle Jr. Dumbledore, instead of finding fault with the Slytherin, issued the Gryffindor a week of detention." With a grimace, Severus added, "With me."

Voldemort chuckled as the disgust in Severus' voice, and nodded. "And how goes the instruction of young Mr. Malfoy?"

Lucius almost glanced towards Severus, startled, but caught himself in time. Severus barely saw the instinctual motion, and spoke quickly, before the Dark Lord said anything. "Well, my Lord. He is especially apt to the Pain Spells, and the Imperious. Though," Severus said in a considering tone, "he needs to work on his Killing Curse. Currently the spiders of the Castle are scared to death of him."

Voldemort hissed in satisfaction, and turned to Bellatrix. "And you?" The woman raised her face to her Lord, eyes wide with the satisfaction of being there. As she began to speak Severus tuned her out, letting his eyes slid around the room for the first time since he'd entered.

As he'd suspected they were the only ones present, and thought the door was open there was no sound from the others gathered in the Hall. If nothing else, the Death Eaters were well trained in the art of pleasing their Master. But Severus chanced a glance at the Dark Lord, and immediately looked away in shock. He looked human! Severus tried to reconcile the youthful brunet in the throne with the slit-eyed, nose-less face of the last meeting.

So that's why there was such a long wait between the meetings! He somehow found a way to become human again! Severus was in a great deal of shock, and his mind sped as he tried to pinpoint who could have done this for the Dark Lord. Rather- who had the power to do it for him. And where was Nagini?

"Why is this a bad thing?" Harry's whispered question almost gave the still man a heart attack. "Sorry, sorry," Harry added hastily when he realised what he had done, and went silent again as Severus tried to act as though nothing had gone wrong. To his credit he was a fairly accomplished liar, and so didn't have to do much.

"Since the Dark Lord has his human form back, he can go out into the cities and streets and no one will be the wiser." Severus wanted badly to escape this place, for even though nothing horrible was happening, there was always the chance. And with this information… he needed to get out of here. Sometime during Severus' inner conversation Voldemort had finished with Bellatrix and had questioned Lucius. There was a silence as the Dark Lord contemplated their next duties, and Severus waited patiently for his chance.

"Bellatrix, you know your orders. Severus," the Potions Master glanced up at his name, and met the cold brown eyes steadily, "your orders are, as ever, the same. Lucius," their Master turned to Malfoy, and raised a still-thin brow. "You will know when I need you." Severus raised his own brow. To be called back after the meeting? As Lucius nodded, he wondered what on earth was going on.

Satisfied that they knew what he wished them to do, Voldemort gestured to Bella. "Bring the others." She nodded and quickly straightened to carry out the order. But Severus spoke before she could leave, and she stayed, puzzled.

"My Lord," Severus began, "I know it is presumptuous of me…" he trailed off, and glanced to the Dark Lord. When Voldemort nodded, he went on. "It is a school day, my Lord, and perhaps it will be noticed if I am absent any longer."

Voldemort frowned, and glanced away from them, idly tapping the edge of his chair. "Go," he said suddenly, "and tell what lies you must to that daft old man. I'll not have him thinking that he is the only one with power in this world."

Severus nodded, and bowed low before turning and exiting the chamber, Bella at his side to gather the others. They parted ways genially, nodding once to each other before she told the others to get moving and he walked to the Apparation Chambers. In minutes, he was standing outside of Hogwarts wards.

Harry was sending impatience through their link like a river ran water, but Severus needed to stop, and think. In the silence of the forest he was standing in, it was hard to remember things like evil overlords and evil power mongers. When something brushed his hand he didn't stir, only glanced down in question.

The Manticore was there, glancing up at him with concern clear in her eyes. It was the top of her head he had felt touch him, and he absently began to pet her as he thought. Her scales were smooth, contrary to their appearance, almost like water under his hand. It was soothing, in an odd way, to pet this wild creature. The wild creature who had been tamed by the teen who was impatiently waiting for him.

Severus sighed, and gave the Manticore one last caress before turning back to the school. He felt the eyes watching him from the bush, but instead of making him feel nervous, he felt secure in the knowledge that Nikita was also looking out for him.

Here ya are… a fantastically quick update. Have fun, review, and thank you all for reading!

Netrixie

P.S.: Ooh. I had an IDEA... XD The first two people to review will get their choice of a one-shot from me. Since I'm almost at (an UNHEARD of) 500 reviews... I figured I'd try this out. So, review! As it stands now, there are 495 reviews... so the first two to review on this chap can name their oneshot! lol XDDD

P.P.S.: By the way, sorry about the shortness. But I've got an outline that needs to be followed, so... sorry! Live with it lol :P