Disclaimer: How long has J.K. been writing? And I only a year? LOL not her….

Title: The Ties That Bind

Authours Note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIES THAT BIND!!!!! And in honor of my one year anniversary with this long, lovely ficcy, I think I'm going to make this special for you. And I want reviews as presents. LOL
p.s.: in the interest of fait warnings and all that, this is the chapter of cliff-hangers. So, don't come yelling at me like I didn't warn you!!! lol

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

Chapter 30: A Cast of Characters

:Parseltongue:

"Conversational thoughts"

Private thoughts, shared memories

Voldemort stretched, luxuriating in the feel of his younger body moving freely, easily. It had been so long since he had last stretched without fear of hurting himself. It was miraculous what certain rare ingredients- combined- could do. And he would never have been able to do this without the help of his most loyal, though they may not have known it.

He almost felt the need to laugh in satisfaction, but restrained himself to a violent hiss that made his watchers shudder in fear. An acceptable reaction, he admitted to himself, and surveyed the black-robed figures lining his walls, waiting for him to acknowledge the great victory that had taken place today.

Oh, how he loved the frail, easily manipulated emotions of teenagers. A shiver of anticipation ran through his spine, but he reached a hand out to Nagini in place of showing his emotions. The great snake slowly raised her head, her large eyes seeking out her Master's face. Well she knew of his achievement, and she also turned to stare at their Prize.

Voldemort turned his attention to the woman at his feet. She didn't flinch as his gaze rested on her, though he knew well that she was aware of his regard. So he took a moment of his time to survey her, and smiled a thin, razor-sharp smile of satisfaction.

Her long black hair rested like satin on her shoulders, cascading around her heart-shaped face and obscuring his view. Her blue silk shirt was form fitting beneath her open robes, and Voldemort snarled silently as something he hadn't felt in uncounted years made itself known.

Bellatrix looked up finally, long black lashes hiding her sapphire eyes. The sight of her Master's flared nostrils made her pale, turning her already alabaster skin even lighter. Her eyes dropped immediately, and Voldemort froze at the slight feel of… remorse… that flashed through him. She was his most loyal servant, aside from Severus.

But he brushed aside the thoughts. There were things that had to be taken care of, and with a smirk as evil as sin he turned to the girl kneeling beside his Bellatrix.

Ginger hair parted as amber eyes glanced up, and Voldemort felt his heart clench in victory.

Ginevra Weasley was his.

It was a long, long time before Minerva finished her brandy, staring sightlessly into the fire. The last dregs of the liquid swirled through the snifter with a barely heard swoosh as she twirled the glass absentmindedly.

So many thoughts were flying through her head, driving her to distraction and making it impossible to focus on any one thing. But most of her concerns were about poor Harry Potter, so after a moment she set aside her glass and folded her hands across her chest.

The poor, poor child. So many things had happened to him in his relatively short life, and Minerva would give anything to make the pain he had suffered go away. But no- he was suffering even more right now, and there was nothing she could do about it. And she had been- in part- the cause of the pain he was in right now.

Minerva knew that Albus had ulterior motives for issuing the Subdo Revelio potion every year- but she had never bothered to try and figure out why, never thinking that one of her students might be harmed by it. The matches that had been made in the past- those of Molly and Arthur Weasley, Sirius and Remus, James and Lily- had been good for all involved.

But this- this senseless act of Albus'- to make Harry Potter of all people take this potion, not knowing the consequences, was shameful. How could she have allowed something like this to happen? As Deputy, it was her job to keep the Headmaster in line. Something, she knew, she had been lax in recently.

It was a fault of hers, she assumed, to be too trusting of those she had known for a long time. No matter what else she might know about them, and their ambitions. And Albus' most dear ambition was to rid the world of Voldemort, no matter what the cost. And poor Harry had been stuck in the middle for too long.

Minerva let an unladylike snort escape, disgusted with herself.

What had she done to Harry Potter?

Sirius laughed uproariously as he tackled Remus, pinning the smaller man to the couch. Remus put up a good struggle, but Sirius was just so much bigger, though the werewolf would never give up. Sirius crooked his fingers at his mate, and Remus' eyes widened before he tried even harder to get away.

But Sirius had effectively pinned his mate, and Remus howled with laughter as he was tickled mercilessly. Sirius didn't stop until the tears were running down Remus' face, and then he flopped on top of the sandy-haired man, breathing heavily but smiling.

A soft cough sounded from the doorway, and Sirius reacted instinctively, placing his body between Remus and whoever the stranger was. At almost midnight on a Friday there should be no visitors.

But all sound died in his throat as he saw who stood there, and he glanced nervously back at Remus. The werewolf did not look happy, but there was nothing they could do.

Narcissa Malfoy did not need a Secret Keeper to find her ancestral home.

Hermione glanced at the door nervously, wondering what she should do. It had been over two hours already, and the other teens were getting antsy, though they tried to hide it from her. Ron chuckled at her, and she glared at him weakly. Not that she could blame him- she understood where he was coming from- and today was wearing on everyone's nerves already.

With a determined huff of breath, Hermione squared her shoulders and stood. Everyone's attention centered on her immediately, and nine pairs of eyes watched her expectantly as she walked to the door. She placed her hand on the knob, and twisted slowly. The door opened an inch at a time, and as Hermione poked her head around the corner, expecting the worst.

The others watched, nervous, as Hermione peeked out. But when she pulled her head out from behind the door and flung it wide open, they all flinched.

"There's no one in there," she explained to their curious glances, chuckling at herself for her own fear. "It looks like we're free to move around."

Pansy was the first to stand, followed by Draco, then Blaise. "Good," she said briskly, brushing off her clothing and turning to raise a brow at Blaise, "I have other things to do with my time." The two Slytherin's walked out, as regal as Queen and Consort, and Hermione hid her smile.

Two hours in the same room as the Queen of Slytherin had her somewhat accustomed to the girls antics. And she had learned to find the humor in the two of them.

Slowly the others dispersed, each to their own activities, and Hermione and Ron excused themselves from Draco's room with a weak smile and fervent thanks for their hospitality. They wandered outside, taking the time to enjoy the starry night. Hermione smiled at Ron as he slung his arms across her shoulders, and leaned against his chest.

Hopefully everything would be alright now.

Nikita slid through the forest soundlessly, ignoring the insignificant animals that scattered from her path. Her thoughts were on more important things than her stomach, and she lashed her tail against her sides in frustration.

Why would her Master's mate be so stubborn? Did he not realise that the extent of their Bond was not to be broken by feeble humans? Even the great Dragons were not immune to a Mating- it was foolishness for this frail, weak Man to think he could escape what Nature and Maeve had intended. Such a foolish, foolish mortal to think he could undo what Nature's laws had commanded throughout all of time.

To break a Bond was sacrilegious in her eyes- it was so much more than a human 'marriage' that there was no comparison. How the dark man could possibly try to leave his Master was unfathomable. He was the Submissive, the life-bringer. Her Master was the Protector, the Provider. They fit into their designated roles so well, and yet mere mortal pride would tear apart what the gods had placed together.

Nikita could hardly remember the last time that she had felt the anger coursing through her veins in a rush equal to this. A long time ago, surely, when there were no humans in her life and no foolish males to bring disaster upon their mates.

Nikita growled in her anger, a deep, fierce sound that was fit to scare a thousand humans. Yet a sharp squeal from the deep bushes to her right broke through her thoughts, and she started. The sound was familiar… Cocking her head, the Manticore gingerly moved forward to investigate the source of the sound.

The smell hit her first- a faint cinnamon that reminded her faintly of her Master- and that was enough to intrigue her. A glimmer of light came through the leaves, and the Manticore's breath caught.

:…impossible…: she hissed, shocked to the very core of her being. No- this was not possible, not in any sense of the word. Shock, pure as life, ran through her at the sight before her.

There- lying on the ground not a foot from her foreclaw's- curled up in a ball and tiny as a kitten- was a unicorn. A tiny, perfect, newborn unicorn. But what made Nikita freeze was what lay beyond the colt currently sniffing the air curiously.

Its mother, dead, lay not three feet away.

There was no blood.

Dumbledore sighed as Fawkes flew away from him once more, and turned his back on his once-faithful familiar.

He had no doubt of Fawkes' loyalty- the Phoenix would have left long ago had his loyalty been in question- but that his oldest friend would reject him like this… it was almost beyond his comprehension. Albus shook his head, and sat in his chair with another deep sigh.

How had he lost Harry's trust, and Fawkes' faith, all before Christmas? It boggled his mind. How were they supposed to defeat Voldemort if no one trusted him? He knew all the plans, and how to lure his old student to the traps, and how to persuade Tom to act foolishly. How did they expect to win this war without his support?

Albus frowned. Maybe they were testing him, testing his faith to the cause. The thought shocked him- why would they feel the need to test him, when he was made of sterner stuff than many others in the Order of the Phoenix?

Perhaps he would speak to Minerva later on. She seemed to be the one that Harry went to with his problems now. Maybe she would be able to convince the boy to stay away from his sadistic, cruel Potions Master.

Severus had been acting oddly lately.

Dumbledore smiled, content with his thoughts. Yes- this was what he needed to do. He would somehow release Harry from Severus, and at the same time he would restore Fawkes' faith in him.

He never saw Fawkes fly out the window, leaving nothing but a lonely tear on his empty perch.

He was too caught up in his plans.

Dumbledore frowned lightly at Madame Maxine, almost unable to hide his fury.

"But, why would you call off the Exchange, my dear lady?" His voice managed to sound reasonable, a miracle with the emotions raging inside of him. The giantess shrugged her shoulders lightly.

"Eh, you know how it is, Albuz. Ze children's parents are frightened of you Voldemort, and zey do not vant their children in danger. He has made no moves towards France, yet, my dear Dumbly-dore." She gave the Headmaster a Gallic shrug. "I can only do vat the parents allow me, surely you understand."

"Yes, yes of course," Dumbledore replied, bowing his head to hide his eyes. "And have you heard from Karkaroff?"

Maxine hesitated, and tried to give Dumbledore a sly look from beneath her lashes. "He has many other concerns, if you know vat I mean. I doubt he will allow his students to travel to England under the…circumstances."

Dumbledore sighed, and then stood, stretching a hand out to his counterpart. "Well, I thank you for taking the time to see me. I will let my students know that the Exchange has been cancelled." He turned to the fireplace, and smiled over his shoulder at the large woman still sitting in her chair.

"A toute a l'heures, Madame." Maxine beamed at the courtesy, and gave the old man a slight bow from her chair.

"Au revior, Dumbly-dore."

Nikita started when the Phoenix landed beside her, but merely hissed slightly in greeting. The colt was between her forelegs, comfortably ensconced in the warmth only a Manticore could provide. Nikita had wrapped her body around the colt, adding more warmth, and he had merely crooned in contentment.

Fawkes perched on Nikita's shoulder, and bent his head towards the newborn. The baby jerked his head back in surprise when the Phoenix' head came into view, instinctively lowering his head to present his horn. But it was merely a stub, and Fawkes trilled a silvery laugh as he brushed his cheek against the colt's fluffy fur.

The colt cocked his head in fascination of the new Creature in his life, and stretched his neck out as far as it could go, keening softly as Fawkes came closer. The two touched cheeks as they began to know each other and Nikita tilted her head in satisfaction. It would take work to raise a unicorn colt, but there was no other option. And leaving the poor thing to fend for itself was definitely out of the question.

Neither of the adults heard the human dancing through the woods, as wrapped up as they were in their new charge, but when a light, lazy voice began to sing, they jerked to attention. Nikita tightened her coils around the colt, and growled, head lowering and teeth showing, tail-spine rising and preparing itself. Fawkes spread his burning wings wide over the protective Manticore, and they watched the human-child approach.

But the closer the girl-child came, the less guarded they grew. Nikita hesitated at the sight of silver hair drifting in the wind, and stopped growling when graceful limbs became apparent. Fawkes slowly closed his wings at the wistful, enchanting voice, and cocked his head to the side, trilling a question.

What- there was something odd about this human- something neither Creature could place. But the colt was struggling to be free, though Nikita would not release her grip. It's plaintive sounds drew the girl-child's attention, and everything froze as the female came closer.

Luna smiled as she came to a halt, and knelt by the colt with one fluid motion. "Oh, you are adorable," she murmured, uncaring of the Manticore as she picked up the newborn, or the Phoenix ready to burn her. "And with such unusual parents. You're a special little boy, aren't you?" She cuddled the unicorn baby close, and he closed his eyes in bliss at the feel of gentle fingers in his barely-there mane.

Luna looked up at the two watchful Creatures, and smiled. "We're going to take good care of little Tcero, aren't we?"

Nikita couldn't help but agree. Whoever this human girl-child was, she was almost Creature herself. And when she looked at Fawkes, she knew the Phoenix felt the same.

This girl could be trusted.

And if she could raise a unicorn colt as they could not, then she was much more than she appeared.

Theo shook his head in shock as he sat at his desk, still trying to comprehend what had happened two hours earlier. He had been able to set it aside while confronted with it, but now that he had nothing but time on his hands, it was all he could think about.

Professor Snape? And Harry Potter? Bonded mates? His face twisted in disgust, and he was suddenly, fervently glad Susan wasn't there. He knew she was trying to make the best of the situation- and it was easier for her than for him. Her parents did not serve the same Lord as Snape, the same Lord Potter needed to kill. It was easy for her to get past the mere thought of two such disparate people being together.

But for Theo… there was so much more to it. He could be called to speak to the Dark Lord of his knowledge, he could be tortured until he spoke, and he could be killed for merely coughing at the wrong moment. His parents had already made it clear he would become a Death Eater- it was just a matter of time.

And maybe he just needed the upper hand. Maybe- if he did it right- he would be able to spare himself and Susan some pain. But there were no guarantees. And he would hurt Harry, if he did this. And Professor Snape who- in his own way- had raised him.

But what else could he do? He had no choice.

Harry raised his head sleepily. Warm arms surrounded him and held him, and he was more comfortable in this moment than he had been in too long. He tilted his head up to stare groggily at the ceiling- not the ceiling he was used to seeing when Severus' arms were around him.

Slowly, the memories came back. Severus yelling, Hermione crying, Nikita staring at him in fear as he weaved in and out of consciousness. He shuddered, and burrowed his head back into Severus' chest, pulling the covers up and over his head.

He'd deal with it all later, when he wasn't so comfortable.

Severus tightened his grip on the teen, and slid back into sleep himself. It would be a long, hard day once they woke up, and he'd rather be prepared for it.

They slept for a long, long time, and only when Hedwig flew into the room did they wake again. But the snowy owl hooted at them in admonishment, and tucked her head under her wing, sleepy from her own mission. She would let them sleep before delivering her mail.

Hello my darlings! How are you? Do you like this chapter? I kinda don't know what to think about it—it's got all the important bits, but it seems a little… stressed. If it's possible for a chapter to be stressed.

Anywhooze- Happy Anniversary to me! May I please have reviews as gifts? Pretty please? Whipped cream and strawberries with rainbow sprinkles? Ah, yes. A reminder- if you haven't already voted on my poll, please do so. I'll be closing it 10 May 2009. LOL, so vote while it's still up!

Sooo…. I had a thought. Ya think we can break 1000 reviews on this chapter? That would be cool, right? Lol, ignore me. I just want the love, lmao.

So, thanks for staying with me for a whole year, you guys! It means so much to me that you'd do something like that for this figment of my imagination… kind of odd, now that I think about it like that, lol.

I love you all! And thanks for an awesome 356 days!

*hugs*

Netrixie