The Bonds That Tie

Around 9:30 pm, Harry finally showed up at Malfoy Manor's gates and staggered through. He'd gotten called to a location to help the vampires in a territory battle with a group who was trying to take over. The leader of the enemy group gave up when Harry showed his power and revealed who he was, nobody wanted to fight the boy who lived turned vampire; it was rather comical. The other problem had been werewolves encroaching close too, but Harry was firm on not hurting them as a man who was basically his uncle was also a werewolf. It took some work, but the werewolf pack settled and there was an alliance forming. The battle turned into peace negotiations and vampire group merging. Harry was tired, but had finally left he coven's castle when things were handled. Sanguini thanked Harry immensely for his aid and knew the boy would do wonders for their kind and all matter of dark creatures unaccepted by wizarding society. Sanguini also told Harry that he might make him the second in command because he handled things well for a near two year old vampire new to coven work. Harry wasn't sure how he felt about it, but he knew that it didn't feel good to not be telling Draco or anyone what he was doing. For now, such ties with the vampire community needed to be kept quiet. It could start a lot of trouble if the ministry caught onto such groups such as werewolves and vampires joining forces, that along with Voldemort trying to rise in power to change the world? Oh, it would be very bad.

Harry finally passed the gates, which is where he was sure the wards would not only let him in, but alert the Malfoy's of someone coming. Harry still had to have that talk with Severus tonight too. Meanwhile, inside the manor, everyone was still at the table talking about plans of where to go next in Voldemort being able to get some ground with the people. Lucius and Narcissa felt the wards shift and looked at one another.

"Something you two would like to share?" Voldemort inquired.

"Wards just let someone through. Since most everyone lives here or uses the floo, I'm assuming it's Harry…" Lucius stated.

"Why would he use the main entrance rather than appear like always?" Draco wondered.

"Maybe he's too weak to use his abilities?" Narcissa suggested.

Harry reached the room and straightened himself up before walking through the door with his cape billowing behind him, much like Severus's did.

"Find your book?" Severus questioned.

"I did, actually." Harry responded as he held the object up. "Have I missed much here?"

"Not really," Voldemort replied. "We're just discussing your idea to reverse some damage caused over the years."

"Ah, then it's a good thing I did go back for this book as it's got some information on the possibility of reversing the effects of the Cruciatus curse, even those obliviated. Salazar certainly has topics on everything. Theories and potions to try, but never did as he left the school." Harry informed. "There might even be something on removing your soul from me."

"I'd actually like you to hold onto it, Harry," Voldemort said.

Harry eyed him. "Why?"

"It's safe with you and works to our advantage. If the investigation into Dumbledore fails, he will go after you." Voldemort remarked.

"It won't fail, but he'll stop at nothing to do what he feels is for the greater good." Harry revealed. "But that does work in our favor. He'll do whatever to kill me and since he'll be unable to kill me according to what he said to Severus…It will show him willing to jump right to killing. That's when we can reveal another way…" He added.

"That's so very devious to use yourself as bait." Bellatrix grinned.

"Nothing new if you ask me." Harry shrugged.

"Dumbledore has been trying to use you as bait for years, Harry. Back in fourth year when you ended up in the tournament, Minerva was quite unhappy with Albus's decision to allow you to compete. Saying, and I quote; Do nothing? Potter's a boy, not a piece of meat!" Severus stated as Harry chuckled. "Though I was the one who suggested to Dumbledore that while dangerous, there were things at work we needed to understand and should let them play out."

"Your life was never in any danger, Harry…I had Barty Crouch Junior looking after you." Voldemort reminded.

"So I could survive long enough to bring me to you to be revived. Don't go there and try to play it that you were protecting me…" Harry rolled his eyes. "You killed Cedric."

"It was necessary so he wouldn't interfere." Voldemort reminded.

"There were less drastic measures! Like maybe send him back to the school and leave me with you? It's not like you could kill me then any more than you can kill me now." Harry scoffed. "Our wands won't let us kill one another because they're brother wands, you fool. We can wound, never kill."

"I did not know that." Voldemort admitted.

"Yours is Yew wood with a Phoenix feather core. Mine is Holly with Phoenix too. They came from the same bird, they're brothers." Harry enlightened. "Ollivander told me when I got my wand that it was curious I should have the holly wood one because it's brother gave me this scar…" He shifted his hair to reveal the lightning bolt. "No matter…As for your request, I guess I'll hold onto your soul piece in me…For now."

"Excellent!" Voldemort smiled. "Now, you said that book has information to perhaps correct some of my wrong doings?"

"I said it might…" Harry repeated. "From what I've learned, the Longbottom's were tortured to insanity via the Cruciatus curse. If a soul can be mended by being remorseful…I think insanity could be treated by making them remember who they are."

"Mind healers have tried that; they attempted to figure out how to find who Frank and Alice were, Harry. I've seen them. I've tried…Even my master abilities in Legilimency couldn't break through. Their minds are literally in shambles. Shards. Nothing I tried worked to repair the damage. It's like a massive puzzle, but pieces scattered in a huge maze. Some in specks, some blurred. I worked at it for an hour and couldn't hold things together." Severus explained.

"You're only using your mind to see things, Severus. You're not actually in there to repair the damage…From all I've read, they need someone capable of possessing them, being there." Harry said. "Someone to be inside healing the damage to find them and bring them out. You saw memories shattered, you didn't find where they are in their own minds. Insanity of this caliber is a mental retreat. They're there, hiding…Because it's safe in there, away from what Bellatrix was doing." He explained.

"You can possess, Harry…" Draco realized.

"I can," Harry nodded. "Tom can too, but I doubt Neville would be cool with that. Nor even Augusta. But I've got an in with them and if I bring forth the facts of this possibility, I believe I can get them to agree to let me try. Also, if possession doesn't work…There's Astral Projection."

"That's…Oh, my God. That might actually work." Narcissa realized. "Do you really believe you can do such, Harry?"

"At this point, Narcissa…If it fails, then we've lost nothing and they remain the same. But there's a chance, it's worth trying." Harry informed.

"I believe in your abilities, Harry. I say go for it," Voldemort nodded.

"I'll speak to Neville when school is out for the summer. I might be able to get into their minds, but to heal the damage…I'll need to know how to repair. I'm a vampire, not a healer…" Harry stated.

"I can teach you," Severus offered. "It was part of my potions mastery; we had to take healing courses too. They're not as hard as Occlumency since you're pretty proficient in getting into the mind, and that's a lot of what mind healing is. It's not like muggle therapy, it's healers going in to repair damage."

"Very well. Thank you, Severus." Harry nodded.

"Anything to help." Severus replied. "Just let me know when you have time for those lessons."

"We can squeeze them into our Occlumency teachings, if you're still up to that?" Harry suggested.

"Of course," Severus responded.

"Excellent!" Voldemort mentioned. "We're making moves in the right direction. Though, the ultimate fix would be bringing back the dead…I do understand the bad idea behind that."

"We'll work with what we have, Tom. One step at a time…It's too soon for the public to know you're sane once more. We need to get Dumbledore's hooks out of everyone, he's more than headmaster. He has ins at Ministry and Wizengamot." Harry informed. "That's why the investigation is important. It'll be publicized and throw everyone off about the man they put so much trust in. That's when the world will be looking for a sane leader who realized his error, but also got led by Dumbledore to the path he went down. There's your sympathy card to play."

"Sounds like a solid plan to me." Voldemort agreed.

"Then I believe we're all good for this meeting?" Lucius asked.

"We are. Severus will continue to work on getting what he can on Dumbledore and the Order. Harry has his work in potentially saving the Longbottom's. Things are moving right along." Voldemort nodded.

"Lovely." Harry looked at Severus, noticing the marks on his neck. "Oh, I never healed your wound for you. I'm sorry," He realized. "Wait, why didn't you do it yourself?"

"I tried. It won't…" Severus remarked. "It's alright, it's not painful or anything."

"Yeah, but it would raise alarms and questions," Harry moved closer to the potion master's neck and licked over the bite marks, healing them instantly. "Now, come on…" Harry grabbed his hand. "We still have to have a meeting of our own."

. . .

Harry brought Severus outside on the patio, Harry and Severus sat down next to one another and Harry got a levitating fire going just off to the side. "I'm not worried about anyone overhearing. I'm sure someone is and whatever…"

"Harry, before anything else…I'd just like to apologize for the way I've acted towards you since the last time we were alone together…" Severus began. "I shouldn't have put all the blame on you, it was my fault. You warned me to leave and I didn't. It wasn't your fault. And I shouldn't have said the things I did to you, but you must understand what it would mean if anyone found out at school, besides those who already know and are thankfully, not revealing it."

"I understand your concerns, Severus. I am still your student and you're my teacher within Hogwarts walls. You're my head of house too." Harry replied. "But you must also see that there is nothing they can do about it. Our bond was not chosen; it formed on its own and there is more than enough evidence to support our soulmate status. Complimenting patronus', the fact only your blood called to me, had such a drastic effect. I had Draco's blood before and never got like that, not even when I was on the verge of a blood rage. Same blood from the muggle I fed from. Nothing got me to get so…Sexual. Sure, there was pleasure in feeding, but never to the point of acting on it like I did with you." He explained. "Also, if you're worried about getting fired…I wouldn't. Dumbledore needs you as his spy into Tom's meetings, even if the old fool hasn't figured out you're actually spying on them for the dark lord."

"It could still be trouble, Harry. It would have very negative backlash on both of us and I rather enjoy the peace and quiet we have with no one knowing the truth yet." Severus admitted. "It would be best to reveal such things after you've graduated. It won't have as much of an effect if you're not my student anymore. But that's also not fair to you, or me, if we hide it. It's clear we cannot hide this. When school returns to term in two weeks, you'll need to feed when you do and I'm aware that any of those times; we could get lost in the…What did you call them? Throes of passion?" Harry nodded to confirm. "It really doesn't take much when I'm not fighting you. Dear Merlin earlier…"

"I know. I only held back from ravaging you because I was needed elsewhere and wasn't sure it was what you wanted." Harry informed. "It doesn't have to stop when I'm done feeding, I can make that pleasure last longer…You just have to tell me you want it." He promised with a wink.

"Noted, for the future…" Severus mentioned. "Either way…I have accepted what took place that night, that we are bonded for life. I suppose I can live with being tethered to you for however many years we get…" He added. "I've always been in your life, seems reasonable to remain such."

"Did you love my mum?" Harry asked. "I know they're probably painful memories for you, guess I just want to know her better. I have plenty of stories about my dad…"

"I can tell you about her if you like. We were good friends and yes…I did love her, but not in that way. She was my best and first friend, a light in my dark life…I love her as a friend, though many people have viewed it differently. Perhaps I had a childhood crush on her, but by the time I called her that awful name and broke our friendship, I got over it and saw how much she loved your father. I tried to get her friendship back and she refused knowing how far I'd slipped into the dark side." Severus said softly. "She had a heart of gold, Harry. Always looking to help others, protect them. A lot like you. I used to think you were just like your father, if I'd taken a calm, good look at you…I'd have seen that you're your mother's child. Even her eyes…Maybe that's why I hated you for so long. Every time I saw you, I saw the friend I lost and that hurt. I closed off my heart a long time ago to prevent that feeling again."

"I saw the memories…You cradled my mother's body when you were at the house in Godric's Hollow. You cried over losing her…" Harry frowned. "I'm sorry, Severus."

"You've nothing to apologize for. I was the fool," Severus told him. "I'm the one who told Voldemort that prophecy, Harry. I heard Sybil tell Albus in Hogs Head bar, I told him about a child born as the seventh month dies having the power to defeat him. It was between you and Longbottom, Voldemort chose you. A half-blood like himself." He looked down. "Voldemort targeted you because of me."

"Stop that now," Harry ordered as Severus looked at him with surprise.

"Harry, I just told you that-," Severus tried.

"I heard you just fine, Severus. It's not your fault. You were just a boy when you made the mistakes you did. You never meant to call mum that slur, you were mad at my dad, Sirius, and Pettigrew. You realized things as soon as Voldemort made the choice he did and you went to Dumbledore to try and protect my family. That's how you became his spy…You changed sides to protect me, my parents. Your former friend, and the man who bullied you and an innocent child." Harry remarked. "It didn't matter that it was you because someone else could have done the very same. Spied, got information to him and things still would have gone down the way they did." He reminded. "Severus, what you did…It saved my life. Yes, my parents died protecting me…But had it not been for you going to Dumbledore to ask him to hide my parents, they wouldn't have even gotten the chance to have me. Voldemort would have killed them." Harry put his hand on Severus's now.

"I became the boy who lived because of you, Severus. It was your begging Voldemort to spare my mother and knowing he wouldn't, then going to Albus that bought them enough time to have me. And when Peter gave them up to Voldemort, my mother was able to protect me and cause Voldemort's spell to rebound. You might have told him the prophecy, but you protected my family. You protected me as you've always done. I…Could never be upset with you over something that happened in the past, something you changed the outcome of. You saved me, I'm alive today because of you and survived the last six years of school because of you. I don't hate you…And for what it's worth, I don't think mum does either. Trust me on that…Since you say I'm a lot like her then I'm sure she forgave you and only stayed away because she felt you couldn't be pulled away from the dark. But you did, all on your own."

"You truly don't hate me after all the years of needless suffering I caused you." Severus asked.

"Not at all. You were an ass, but you had your reasons for that…What matters is you've seen things for what they are, and you apologized. I'm very forgiving, Severus." Harry smiled, a fang showing over his lips. "Maybe it was always meant to happen, Sev. Did that ever cross your mind since we became bonded?" He wondered.

"What do you mean?" Severus questioned.

"Everything that's happened. The reason you went to the dark side after the fight with mum. Learning the prophecy, telling Tom, then switching sides to Dumbledore…I told you that it was your decisions that saved me, Severus. Maybe it was meant to happen because we ended up soulmates. Maybe fate knew something all those years ago that we'd end up in each other's lives. You said it yourself that you've always been part of it, might as well stay part of it. You made it so my parents could successfully have me, the baby you saved…You've been saving me all these years, even back then." Harry shrugged. "It's not so crazy when you think about it."

"No, I suppose not." Severus agreed. The boy made a good point. "I'm still sorry for being an ass."

"It's alright. We've moved past that now," Harry told him. "And don't worry about the fight we had last month. I shouldn't have gotten that mad at you, or threatened to dissolve the bond. There's just a lot at play, and something like that wasn't one to keep quiet. It explains why Dumbledore attacked me; he was trying to destroy Voldemort's piece inside me." He stated.

"No, you're right…I shouldn't have kept that from you, nor ever assumed that there was nothing to worry about. I saw the damage that attack did, it could have been worse without your rings. I'm sorry," Severus bowed his head. "I promise not to keep anything else from you. I should have said something that night and I had planned to tell you, I just didn't know how. That's not something you bring up over tea and biscuits."

"Understandable. But you had that night with me where I fed, that's what I was mad about…" Harry remarked.

"We were finally getting along…The night was perfect, I didn't want to ruin it with news like that." Severus admitted. "That night was probably the first time I accepted things and…Was fine with it. First time I felt the walls I'd put up after your mother died start to crack and fall. My heart started to open with you, so maybe you're not so far off with that meant to happen thing."

"I'm sorry for yelling at you…" Harry linked his fingers with Severus's.

"You weren't really spending all that time trying to get out of the bond, were you?" Severus asked.

"I looked around. There are ways to do it, but I couldn't risk your life like that." Harry said.

"Wait, you found one?" Severus stared.

"Yes, but it would kill you, Severus. It would severely weaken me, and outright kill you. Could potentially kill me too. It's the equivalent of tearing your soul apart, just not putting it in objects to restore your physical body should it be destroyed. When soulmates bond, it literally means making two lives into one. It's why our hearts beat the same way. Why we feel what the other does…Our souls became one in the same. Dissolving the bond would involve shredding that and you'd die because you're only human. I'd go the rest of my undead life without my other half because right now…We complete one another." Harry enlightened. "Or rumor goes that soulmates bound die together, unable to live without one another. Literally dying of a broken heart."

"Would…It be the same if I died before you?" Severus asked.

"Yes," Harry nodded.

"Is that why you told me that day that the bond wasn't finished, that to truly make it a life bond, I had to be turned into a vampire so that we have the same lifespan?" Severus questioned gently.

"No, I told you for the sake of you knowing how things were. I didn't want everyone calling it mating when it's not. We're bonded, married…But not mated. I can't finish that without your willingness to be changed and marked as mine." Harry said.

"Would it hurt you, if I died before you…?" Severus wondered.

"Imagine that pain in your chest when we fought after bonding, and the argument…But all the time. Feeling pain, but also empty, like something is missing. Never being able to connect with anyone else. Sure, I'd feed…But it wouldn't be you and I could never be with anyone else. There's some rumors say that when a soulmate dies, the other follows to keep them together in the afterlife. Everyone else calls if dying of a literal broken heart." Harry revealed.

"That sounds awful for an eternity," Draco commented from the other room.

"Butt out, Dray!" Harry glared.

"He's got a point, though…That would be an awful eternity to live," Severus agreed. "I guess that means I can't allow you to ever have to live without me."

Harry's eyes widened some. The people in the other room had all sat forward and were surprised too. "Y-You mean-,"

Severus nodded to Harry with a small smile. "I, Severus Prince, willingly allow you, Harry James Potter-Black-Malfoy, to change me into a vampire and finish the mating bond so that we can have an eternity together."