The Bonds That Tie
The entire room had come to a dead silence after Harry revealed that there were Basilisk parts able to be collected. The shocker was Harry revealing not where he acquired them from a contact, but that there was a Basilisk down in the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts. Harry sat calmly as the surprised washed over Severus more than anyone else.
"H-How?" Severus finally found his voice. "How is there a Basilisk in there? How do you even know where it is? The school was searched for years after the incident where a girl was killed. It's never been found!"
"Does no one at Hogwarts besides me, Ron, Ginny, and Dumbledore know what even happened back in second year?" Harry stared at the man, then everyone else at the table. "Seriously? I risk my life in second year and no one knows what even took place? But everyone knew about the Sorcerer's Stone incident?"
"Albus only said that you saved the girl who'd been taken into the chamber by the monster. We knew it was the Weasley girl, Minerva informed of such…But with Albus gone, Minerva stepped up to claim the school needed to close. When Albus returned; you had already come out and went right to his office. That's all we know…" Severus said. "There's a Basilisk down there! That's the monster?!"
"It was until I killed it." Harry remarked. "Pretty sure it's corpse is still down there, though. Nobody would be able to get into it without Tom or I to open it."
"Not even Albus?" Lucius questioned.
"The chamber can only be opened by a Parselmouth, an ability Harry and I share from our ancestor, Salazar Slytherin." Voldemort informed. "Wait a minute…You killed my Basilisk?!" He suddenly realized.
"It was me or the Basilisk," Harry retorted. "The hell you seem so surprised, you were there! You sent it after me!"
"I-I was not?" Voldemort replied. "I hadn't even returned to my body yet, it couldn't have been me."
"So then you are not Tom Marvolo Riddle?" Harry arched a brow. "It was you. A younger you. When you were sixteen, you were still a student…Even wearing your Slytherin robes. You were draining Ginny's life to come back…You said as she grew weaker, you got stronger…" Voldemort shook his head. "Ugh…Your diary!" Harry reached into his bag and grabbed the black book and slid it down to him as Voldemort lifted the book. "That right there. You had preserved your sixteen-year-old self in your diary! It possessed Ginny, you made her write the messages on the wall, set the Basilisk on the muggle-borns. We talked through your diary when Ginny tried to get rid of it, you took me back, at the time, fifty years to show me what happened with the Chamber of Secrets…How a girl had been killed. That you framed Hagrid's spider friend, Aragog, got his wand snapped and him expelled…" He explained.
"Merlin's beard…You had my horcrux…" Voldemort understood now.
"Your what?" Harry inquired.
"How did you get this? I entrusted it to you, Lucius…" Voldemort looked at the man.
"It told me to bring it to Hogwarts and I was never getting in there…" Lucius paused.
"So you slipped it into Ginny's cauldron that day in Diagon Alley…" Harry realized. "So that book is a horcrux? Had part of your soul hidden in it?"
"It's…Dark magic, Harry. Dark and rare…" Voldemort informed. "Wait, how do you know what it even is?" He explained.
"If I have to say I spend my night researching one more time, I'm gonna magically tattoo it to everyone's forehead so they can't forget. Horcruxes are where you take a piece of your soul and hide it inside of an object to fall back on if your body ever gets destroyed or some shit. I found a book on it in the library's restricted section, which I play around in most night because it's where the good information is." Harry sighed. "How many of these things did you make?" He pushed.
"Six…" Voldemort replied. "But you've destroyed one," He held up the diary. "How?"
"With the Basilisk fang that had embedded in my arm when I stabbed the sword of Gryffindor through its mouth and out the top of its head…I'd have died if not for Fawkes." Harry said.
"Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix?" Severus inquired.
"He's the one who brought me the sorting hat, which showed me the sword of Gryffindor in it…And he had scratched the Basilisk's eyes to make it blind so it couldn't petrify me. Fawkes's tears healed my arm or I'd have died from the venom…" Harry informed.
"You took on a fully grown Basilisk at…Twelve?" Severus glared. "Dear Merlin, Potter…You certainly know how to get yourself into life threatening situations."
"It's what I do best, actually…" Harry remarked sarcastically. "Anyway…What happens with those horcruxes if you put your soul back together, barring the one I destroyed?"
"I don't know. I never considered the prospect of re-piecing them." Voldemort responded. "I suppose it's worth seeing. All I can think of is that they'd make me mortal again."
"Maybe less insane…" Harry muttered.
"Probably…" Voldemort agreed. "Putting my soul back together would mend it, but that's pending if it could be pieced again."
"We could always try. It might make you more appealing to the people if they know you're not a murderous psychopath…" Harry suggested.
"I suppose. Bellatrix, you have one in your vault; the cup…The others are a tiara that belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw, and a locket that belonged to Salazar Slytherin. The diary is gone, but Nagini is also one." Voldemort considered. "My mother's ring is another…That would be at the Gaunt sha-," Voldemort started.
"A ring?" Harry thought as he dug through his bag again. "This?" He floated it to Voldemort.
"Yes, exactly that. This one hasn't been destroyed yet…Where did you get this?" Voldemort questioned.
"Dumbledore's office. He gave it to me after I helped him look into Slughorn's mind." Harry stated.
"You helped Dumbledore?" Severus remarked.
"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. I had my reasons…" Harry folded his arms over one another and closed his eyes. "Mainly getting information. A spy, if you would like to go with that. Dumbledore wants me to fight this war, be everyone's savior…Naturally he's going to give me information needed to destroy my target, which in his eyes, is Tom. These horcruxes get destroyed and there's nothing holding anyone back from killing you. Isn't that right?"
"Yes, but…How did you find out about them?" Voldemort pushed.
"Albus wanted me to get close to Slughorn after the holiday, get in his mind if the man wouldn't tell me himself, and see some true memory of a conversation with you back in your school days. When you had asked about horcruxes." Harry informed. "Slughorn wouldn't divulge the memory of his own free will, so I read his mind. Albus knows about the horcruxes, the diary being one and even the ring. However…While he knows I used a Basilisk fang on the diary when I was down in the chamber, he thinks the Basilisk is gone and he certainly can't get down there to check for sure without me." He relaxed. "And he can't figure out how to destroy the ring. He gave it to me to destroy as I was marked to be your equal…He believes that I have to be the one to destroy them because you trying to kill me when I was a baby ended up rebounded and destroying yourself. If it weren't for your horcruxes, you would have been defeated that night."
"Harry, you beautiful boy you…" Voldemort smiled.
"Don't ever say that to me again, even more so with that smile…" Harry told him.
"Sorry, I'm just surprised you protected me." Voldemort said. "You learned what these objects are through helping Dumbledore, who trusts you and thinks you're coming around. You could have kept it to yourself and used the information you got from me about what and where they are to end me, but you aren't…"
"Don't think too much on it, Tom…I can still use it to destroy you if you cross me." The teenager reminded. "Now, give that ring back. Dumbledore needs to know I still have it, rest assured I will not let him destroy it. He wants me to help him find the others, so you need to tell me where they are and I'll find them at night." Voldemort allowed Harry to take the ring back.
"Bellatrix can retrieve the cup, but the tiara was hidden in a secret room of Hogwarts. It's been many years, I cannot remember exact details." Voldemort enlightened.
"Just give me a general idea and parameter to search. Your horcruxes speak to me when I'm close to them, as I learned with the ring. Albus thinks it's because of our connection through my scar." Harry remarked. "Is it possible you hid it down in the Chamber?"
"No, I didn't even make that horcrux until 1967; I was out of Hogwarts by then. I had hidden it at Hogwarts when going there to apply for the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. Dumbledore refused, so I cursed the position so no one would last more than a year. But my true purpose had been hiding the tiara. All I remember is that it's in a hidden room in the castle. I didn't dare open the chamber of secrets to hide something in there." Voldemort expressed.
"I'll do some sneaking around with the map. Now…The locket?" Harry pushed.
"That's in a seaside cave. Be warned, Harry, it's riddled with spells and enchantments to protect it…Your best bet is letting me come with-," Voldemort began.
"You can just stay hidden and out of my way, Tom. I can handle a little hunting and protections…I'm not your average wizard, I'm a vampire. I'm sure I'll be fine." Harry informed. "Let me take care of this."
"Very well, Harry…" Voldemort nodded.
"Good. Severus…It just so happens I'm planning a little trip down to the chamber in the next week to find something left to me while Albus is going off on a hunt for a horcrux he thinks he has tracked…Would you like to join me to collect Basilisk parts?" Harry questioned.
Severus's eyes widened some. "Y-You'd let me harvest it?"
"No…I want you to carve it's scales and make a snake-skin rug…" Harry eyed the man with a look of why would you ask such a stupid question. "Yes, Severus…To harvest it."
"B-But it's yours. By rights of conquest…Harry, it's worth thousands, maybe millions depending on the condition. You'd just…Let me take parts for ingredients?" Severus exclaimed.
"I know what it's worth, Severus, but you tell me what I'm gonna do with all that? It's not like I need the money when I've already got the Potter and Black fortunes. I've also got plenty of places to live when the Malfoy's decide to get rid of me." Harry said.
"Harry, you're part of this family…You're allowed to live here the rest of your undead life if you desire so. We won't just kick you out or get tired of you." Lucius sighed.
"I know. I was using it for effect," Harry told them. "But seriously, Sev…What the hell am I gonna do with Basilisk parts, or the money from them? You want and need them, taken 'em. Put them to good use." He insisted.
"B-But…" Severus stammered.
"Severus, shut up and say okay. If it's mine by conquest, and we're bonded, which is basically married then everything I own…You do too. Harvest the damn thing…Merry belated Christmas, and happy belated birthday to you. Have at it." Harry informed firmly. "I'm going down next Friday night, so meet me on the second floor between the bathrooms at 10:00 pm."
"Alright," Severus nodded.
"Good boy," Harry patted his head.
"I'm not a dog…" Severus grumbled.
"But look how excited you got when I told you about the Basilisk parts? If you had a tail, it'd be wagging." Harry chuckled. Severus flushed a bit, hiding the small crack of a smile on his lips. "Aw, you're cute when you smile. You should do it more often, handsome." Harry mentioned as he stood up and bent over to kiss Severus's cheek. Some of the death eaters were snickering as the older man's surprised face. "Now, are we done for tonight. I do have other things to do, like find that old family home."
"Yes, I think we can stop for tonight. Keep me posted on things, Harry?" Voldemort asked.
"Of course." Harry nodded. "See you next time then." He walked out of the room.
Voldemort dismissed the others, who left easily and those staying in Malfoy Manor stood to go to their rooms for the night. Severus caught up to Harry, who was about to exit the gates.
"Harry!" Severus got his attention and Harry stopped.
"Yes?" Harry slightly faced him. "Don't think that what happened in there changes anything, Severus. I lightened the tension because it was making everyone uncomfortable…That is all. I'm doing this because I said I'd help…"
"Harry…I'm trying, okay?" Severus said softly. "It's…Just a lot to process and wrap my head around. I could have taken an accidental night of sex and accepted I caused it by getting closer when you warned me to leave. But bonded? Soulmates…Harry, that's not something you just…Accept and talk about over breakfast the next morning. But I'm trying."
"I'll see you in classes then and meals," Harry prepared to leave.
"W-Wait," Severus touched his arm gently. "I know you need to feed and mine is the only one that will do you any good. Why…Don't we go back to Hogwarts? You can find your family home another night, or I can help you look. But tonight, why don't you feed from me? Get your strength up?" He offered.
"You're…Offering to feed me?" Harry inquired.
"I am. I can come to your room, or…You to mine?" Severus suggested.
"Alright then," Harry agreed. "As long as you're sure. I won't deny feeding if you're allowing and offering it…"
"Completely," Severus nodded.
"Then let's get back." Harry told him.
"You want to side along with me?" Severus inquired. "Save your energy?"
"Sounds good." Harry stood beside the man.
Severus offered his hand as Harry intertwined their fingers and apparated them away.
. . .
Knowing they couldn't apparate into Hogwarts or anywhere on the grounds, Severus took them to Hogsmead. When they landed, Harry's weakness showed as he ended up losing balance and swaying against Severus.
"We can't be seen coming in together. I'll swim the lake to my room and get inside, you head to Albus and give him a basic report that everyone is just working towards something big but it hasn't been revealed yet. It gives nothing away while also giving an illusion that something is up." Harry told Severus.
"Are you going to be alright to swim the lake, Harry?" Severus inquired.
"I'll be alright." Harry promised.
"Okay. I'll meet you at your room in…Let's say half an hour?" Severus suggested.
"Sounds alright to me." Harry nodded before he walked to the water's edge and slipped under to swim towards the castle.
Severus went on to fly over the lake and reach the castle, then once inside, go right to the Headmaster's office. Of course, Albus was awake and had been waiting for him. Severus gave his report to the man, which took an unnecessary twenty minutes, then finally began his trek back to dungeons. Severus made it back by end of the thirty minutes and went right to Harry's bedroom door quietly. Severus lightly moved against the wards so that Harry would know he was there, and sure enough, the door opened to reveal Harry standing there.
"Come on in," Harry invited, stepping to the side to let the man in. Severus walked through the door frame and Harry let the door close once more. "How'd it go with Albus?"
"Fine, doesn't suspect I'm lying. Wants to know more about the big thing," Severus replied. "But I believe he is thinking I don't hold my spot in the inner ranks anymore because I'm not bringing him much to learn about. Especially at a meeting I was there for two hours."
"That works in your favor, Sev. Albus can believe that you have to earn your place back, which keeps suspicion off you as to why you don't know the major plans. You weren't among the followers that Voldemort called when he came back in fourth year, so Albus can believe that you lost some of your lord's trust." Harry informed.
"It works, I suppose." Severus nodded lightly. "Now, it's late. I know you don't sleep, but you do when you're weak and if I recall, after feeding."
"Sometimes." Harry corrected. "But I know you need your sleep."
"Do you want to sit down on your bed for this?" Severus inquired.
"Doesn't matter, but we can." Harry replied.
The two sat down on Harry's bed next to one another as Severus got his outer black jacket off, leaving him in a loose white button shirt. Severus undid the cuff buttons and pulled back the sleeve to reveal his wrist before moving it over to Harry.
"You sure about this?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Harry…You need it." Severus answered.
"You know it might get me worked up again. Your scent doesn't drive me crazy like before, still intoxicating. Your blood will probably still get me excited." Harry warned.
"If it happens, we repeat a couple months ago. No big deal." Severus informed.
"You'd be fine with that, at school?" Harry looked at him.
"I know how guarded your door is, no one would be trying to barge in and find us except Draco and I assume he doesn't just invite himself in without a previous allowance to do so." Severus said. "You asked a couple months ago if I wanted to do it again. I denied then, but I did have a good time. I suppose I wouldn't mind a repeat with now proper warning and knowledge of what could happen. I-I was a virgin before that night."
Harry lightly held the potions master's wrist and brought it to his lips before opening his mouth and his fangs pierced the skin. It only hurt for a second, then Severus recalled the pleasured feeling of Harry feeding from him. Harry fed hungrily, his eyes closed, enjoying every bit of blood that entered his mouth and coursed through his body. Severus had relaxed and kept an arm around Harry's shoulders the whole time, and the way it felt was incredible. The older man let out small moan at the feeling he was getting, but nothing more until Harry had finished a little later. Of course, Harry pulled back and licked the wound closed as it healed before he opened his eyes and looked at Severus, revealing the blood red color but then they returned to the silvery-green as Harry laid his head on Severus's shoulder.
"Rest now, Harry," Severus told him.
"Stay with me," Harry said tiredly.
"You…Want me to stay," Severus asked.
Harry nodded. Severus agreed as the two got comfortable laying on Harry's bed and the vampire turned inward against Severus's body. Hesitantly, the potions master wrapped am arm around Harry, which brought the teenager snuggling in more and lifting his chin only enough to place a small kiss on Severus's lips before relaxing entirely and drifting off to sleep. Severus pulled the covers over them and stared at the vampire in his arms. Severus didn't understand what he was feeling, but for the first time in six years since Harry walked through the doors of Hogwarts; Severus didn't see James or Lily's son. He just saw Harry and everything in the past he'd ever felt towards the boy such as animosity just faded away leaving only a happy, fluttering feeling in his chest that made his heart beat faster.