Chapter 14 Over

Severus stepped out of the memory.

"That was –enlightening." He glanced behind him where one Harry James Potter, aka Tristan Peverell stood, waiting. The young man had a longing look on his handsome features.

"I trust that you were able to view both?"

The Potions Master nodded.

"I apologize for putting blame on your ancestor, Lord Peverell. It is clear that he was merely –"

"A bloody imbecile?" Harry supplied.

"I was actually going to say 'a man deeply in love' but your wording seems to be more accurate." Severus smiled lightly. "The foolish things people do –"

Harry cleared his throat loudly.

"I don't mean to –you know –but –"

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"I will remain under your care and tutelage to the noble ways. I will accept and enact the Lordship of the House of Prince –and use it to rid the Ministry of vermin and amphibians –"

Harry frowned.

"But –"

"Let me finish, Potter," Severus growled. "For one, I still think you are inane. Lord Peverel or not, you are an idiotic, brash Gryffindor –"

"You are so not writing my epitaph," The younger wizard muttered darkly. The onyx-eyed man pretended not to hear him. " –But you are not hopeless. And contrary to popular belief, I do have a heart. I will not all of a sudden be accepting of you, but if you try hard enough, I do not see why I cannot go easy on you. You after all, are not completely repulsive –and I may have already harbored a rather uncomfortable yet sincere attraction to your being since your fifth year. If you give me time to sort out my feelings, I will be amenable into considering this pact on my own volition."

Harry looked bemused. "Erm –"

Severus took one look at the conflicted expression on his former student's face and pinched the bridge of his Roman nose.

"For Circe's sake, Potter! Do I really have to spell it out for you? What I meant to say, for the benefit of your rather basic mind, is YES! I am considering your proposition. I cannot say that I feel the same way as you do yet, but if you give me room and time, I am willing to make it work –you are not hard to like after all! Merlin!"

To Severus' surprise though, Harry laughed.

"I knew that. I just wanted you to say it"

The older wizard looked murderous. "Why you –brat!"

"Git!" Harry continued to laugh, his emerald eyes shining. He then held his hand out all of a sudden. "My name is Lord Harry James Tristan Peverell Potter Black. A pleasure to be making your acquaintance."

Severus stared at the proffered hand before sighing. He took it. "Severus Tobias Snape, apparently, Lord Prince. The pleasure is mine."

Harry grinned. Severus rolled his eyes.

"You have quite a long name, and –Black?" He clarified. The young man nodded.

"Sirius left me the Black Lordship." His eyes suddenly lit up. "Pop-quiz, Severus. How many votes does my seat in Wizengamot have?"

The Potions Master frowned thoughtfully.

"Peverell holds the Gryffindor seat as well as the Potter seat… six –seven –nine. Black holds the Slytherin-Gaunt seat as well –eight. All in all –Merlin! Seventeen! Do you know how –"

"Ah, I taught you well, Lord Prince." Lord Peverell smirked. Lord Prince shrugged.

"Never mind that. Do you know how much political power 17 votes translate to?"

Harry sighed.

"As long as it is enough to rid the Ministry of Sludge and Umbitch." The statement was met by a questioning look from the lord-in-training.

"Sludge and Umbitch?" Severus clarified. Harry grinned.

"Moldyshorts, Sludge and Umbitch… sounds like pretty nice evil comic book villains to me, don't you think?" The ebony-haired man rolled his eyes exasperatedly.

"As long as you do not start calling yourself Lightning Bolt or Wonder Boy or something to that effect."

"Nah –I'm okay with being just Harry." The young man glanced at the clock to his right. "Breakfast?" Severus followed his line of sight.

"Already?" Harry nodded.

"Anyway, I need to speak to Gareth about us."

"Indeed?"

"Well, I did not expect for you to –to find out this soon,"

"Expect or hope?" Severus asked him with a smirk. "Because you aren't exactly subtle, Mr. Potter. One would think you intended for me to find out about your secret on my own."

Harry flushed.

"Hoped, I guess. And I did hope that you would figure it out on your own –"

"And ease the burden n your conscience for fooling me? How un-Gryffindorish of you, Harry. My, what would Godric say?"

The young man shrugged.

"He's daft, so he can't talk. And I'm also part-Slytherin, you know."

"Hmm," The Potions Master did not look convinced. Harry rolled his eyes.

"When did you start doubting my identity anyway?"

Severus grinned.

"The first time you blushed."

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Gareth smiled as he entered the Lair.

"Lord Prince," he bowed to Severus. "Lord Potter Black Peverell Gryffindor Slytherin Gaunt," he turned to Harry who reddened. Severus laughed.

"I don't envy you somehow," he told the young lord matter-of-factly. "Imagine all the documents that you need to sign in your official capacity."

"Ha-ha, very funny Severus. If you used your official title, you wouldn't be so happy yourself." The emerald-eyed man then turned to Gareth with a glare. "Tell him." Gareth smirked.

"Of course, Lord Snape Prince Ravenclaw Cresswell –"

Severus paled.

"All those? Bloody –"

It was Harry's turn to laugh. "Worry not, you can just stamp your full signature if you're afraid of getting cramps from signing it." He then addressed Gareth once more.

"We will deviate from our initial plans. Lord Prince here is willing to go with our intentions."

Gareth nodded. "He knows of the pact?"

Severus confirmed it. The head goblin liaison smiled as he spoke to his High Lord. "I did advise you that he would be forthcoming, given enough explanation and persuasion. Lord Prince is a wise and reasonable man."

Harry rolled his eyes at the goblin before glancing at Severus.

"That, I believe, is Gobbledegook for 'I told you so.'" He then turned back to Gareth. "I was terrified of the man, Gareth, okay? We're talking about Severus Snape here –the most fearsome Professor Hogwarts has ever seen since Salazar Slytherin himself. Never mind the fact that he can turn you into Potions ingredients."

Gareth grinned.

"Now I see why you had to stun him –"

At the same time, the two wizards spoke:

"Stunned!" Severus yelled.

"Gareth!" Harry bellowed. "I told you to never mention that!"

"Indeed," The former Death Eater smirked. "Wait until I can use my wand again, Potter. That was you who disabled me so rudely when I had arrived here? I will show you why people fear me –"

"See?" Harry worriedly addressed Gareth, his face paling drastically at the utterance of his former teacher. "I told you he was lethal." The goblin laughed good-naturedly.

"I do not think Lord Prince would actually kill you, Lord Peverell."

"Oh no, my good goblin," Severus smiled evilly. "There are a lot of better ways to get back at Potter here. Death is a lame option."

All the color drained from Harry's face. He looked at his right-hand goblin and dead-panned.

"Gareth, you're fired."

And the goblin roared with laughter.