The Bonds That Tie
Harry couldn't believe it. The people in the house who weren't that far away and heard the whole talk couldn't quite grasp the reality either. Severus was willing agreeing to become a vampire and finish the mating bond with Harry, on the reasoning that he couldn't possibly leave Harry to suffer an eternity feeling broken-hearted. Those in the manor figured this would be a talk to make up from the argument last month; they didn't expect it to get so deep or end up where it was now. Harry was trying to find his words, but he was stuck on staring at Severus with shock while also studying the man to see if he was telling the truth. Of course, Severus was. Harry could smell a lie with his abilities, but being bonded to Severus; he could feel the seriousness and sincerity.
"You're being serious?" Harry asked.
"No, I'm being Severus," The potions master snarked.
"Was that a joke? Are you making jokes now?" Harry remarked.
"Maybe," Severus smiled.
"Where was this Severus when we were in school!?" Sirius demanded from Harry's ring. "Merlin, we'd have welcomed you with open arms into the Marauders if you were this guy on the train!"
"I'm now seeing the implications of not keeping this a private conversation…" Harry muttered.
"I'm telling Rem-," Sirius started.
"You most certainly will not." Harry and Severus said at the same time.
"Sirius, you can't tell Remus. He'll never keep it a secret from the Order, mainly Dumbledore's Legilimency. It's the same reason I'm not getting Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna, or anyone else involved. There's too much up in the air right now and at play to risk a slip up. So keep your mouth shut. When the time is right, I'll bring everyone in…It's like a game of chess, needs to be strategically done to win." Harry told his godfather. "Now, go back to your portrait and let me talk to my future mate in peace. That goes for all of you listening in as well…" Harry grumbled. "Better yet…" He stood up. "Take us to your place."
Severus understood why Harry suggested that. Harry couldn't control the magic in the manor, but Severus could control his own wards to not let anyone in. Severus nodded and stood up as Harry latched his arm to the man's as they were gone with a crack.
"I can't believe Uncle Sev just agreed like that…" Draco looked at his parents.
"I think Harry made some good points. Things certainly do seem like it was meant for them to end up together," Narcissa stated. "Severus has always been part of his life, saving him…Even with the hatred of James and Sirius, he never let it stop him from protecting Harry from danger. And he's been doing it since before Harry was even born."
"Yes…James and Lily went into hiding right around when Lily found out she was pregnant, which lines up with the seer's prophecy. She obviously couldn't have had it until Lily was pregnant. That was…Around Autumn 1979. Harry was born end of July in 1980…" Lucius went over the timeline. "Severus risked Voldemort's wrath, probably death, to protect the Potter's."
"He did beg me to spare Lily, and I tried…She refused. I even pushed her out of the way; she jumped in front when I went to kill Harry." Voldemort remarked.
"A mother's love knows no bounds, even at the risk of death to themselves. I'd do it for Draco. Even Harry; he's my son too now." Narcissa claimed firmly.
"I think Severus and Harry have each other covered when it comes to protection," Bellatrix shrugged.
"But what happened does fall in line with the prophecy," Voldemort stated. "Severus told me, the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... " He repeated. "The Potter's defied me three times. They refused to join the Death Eaters, they worked against me, and they both gave their lives to protect Harry. Hell, Lily was given three chances to move aside on her own. And Harry was born on the last day of the seventh month."
"But that was only a small part of the prophecy, wasn't it? There was more?" Draco asked.
"The rest was the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not, and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives." Lucius informed. "I was in the room when Harry picked it up in the Hall of Prophecy."
"But things are different now. That was set before Harry turned vampire, set before Draco found him and needed blood, which led to Harry ending up here. Surely things have changed since? Prophecies can change with decisions made over the course of time." Narcissa mentioned.
"I assume it's changed with things as they are, though, I've wondered what power was being referred to." Voldemort considered.
"I don't think anyone knows the answer to that," Rabastan said. "And doesn't matter as he's not going to kill you unless you give him a reason to. Right now, you're both safe with a piece of your soul inside him. You can't be killed, and neither can he by normal means."
"Let's be grateful for that." Bellatrix stated. "I wonder what they're talking about?"
"Probably how things will go. Sev's gonna have questions about the whole being turned thing." Draco mentioned.
. . .
Severus apparated Harry and himself to the alcove from before in Cokeworth on Spinner's End. The two quickly got inside the home and Severus made sure to lock his doors, windows, and the fireplace from any calls or visitors. It was the only way to ensure that he and Harry were not interrupted.
"Alright, now we're completely alone," Severus informed.
"Did you seriously mean it, Severus? You're willing to be turned into a vampire and finish the mating bond?" Harry questioned.
"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it, Harry," Severus replied.
"You understand everything that will go on when I change you? How people will see you? What about your job at Hogwarts? It's not an easy life, Severus." Harry remarked.
"I'm sure, Harry. I want this…I've always been here for you, except when Dumbledore put you with your muggle relatives. Harry, I swear, we had no idea how things were there or I'd have gotten you out regardless of how things were back then. Dumbledore promised us you were safe…" Severus said quickly.
"Hey, relax…I know that Dumbledore locked me away from the wizarding world until I was eleven. Nobody knew and I felt telling any other teachers would just have it go to Dumbledore and he'd say no anyway…" Harry informed.
"My point is that it can't be denied we're supposed to be in each other's lives. I'm not going to fight it, I accept this and I want it, Harry." Severus reassured. "I can't bear the idea of dying and leaving you feeling that way the rest of your life. It will be fine, I can handle things. And I've been thinking about leaving Hogwarts anyway. I stayed all these years to protect you, that's why Dumbledore hired me. To protect you because he knew Voldemort would rise again one day. I swore him anything to protect your family, and that was my loyalty to him and the Order. Obviously, that's changed…But he doesn't know that." Severus explained. "Next year, you'll be graduated and with the way things are with Voldemort; I think you're safe from him trying to kill you. I have no reason to be there anymore…"
"What will you do for work? Unless you don't want to, I can support us." Harry offered.
"I appreciate that, but I'd probably still work. And I don't know…I could open a potions shop with Draco. Make and sell them for people to use." Severus replied. "There's time to figure it, if Voldemort lifts the curse he has on the DADA position; the next who takes over would last longer than a year. I've already spoken to him about it before you came earlier and he plans to remove it so we can throw Dumbledore off. We've theorized from the memory you saw that Dumbledore is expecting one of your friends to have joined Voldemort's ranks and is tasked with getting the death eaters into the school, and also being the one to kill him. Which, he also suspects will fail and wants me to do it. This whole plan rests highly on the fact that Dumbledore believes he'd be dead by next year and I would be the one who took over the school." He informed. "I didn't want to keep any more secrets from you, that's why I'm telling you all this."
"I appreciate it, Sev. It will come as a shock to him when something doesn't happen to you at the end of the year. When Dumbledore faces arrest for what he's done; Minerva will take over and you'll probably stay as DADA teacher through the next year." Harry suspected. "Moving on, we're talking about your desire to suddenly become a vampire. I thought you were against it?"
"I said there was a lot to think about. As you mentioned, it's not an easy life. I can deal with how people see me, Harry. I'm not everyone's favorite at school. My first years of teaching people thought I was a vampire because I'm already pale and live in the dungeon." Severus enlightened. "One of my nicknames by the students is being a dungeon bat."
"Even so, Sev…There's being assumed one and actually being one. Your eyes are red the whole first year, the thirst is ridiculous…You won't sleep anymore. You won't eat anymore. It's painful to turn. Are you sure you want this?" Harry questioned softly. "It's completely irreversible. This is for life, Severus."
"And it's a life I can share with you, Harry. I am completely certain of my choice. I want this." Severus promised. "Just tell me how it all works."
Harry sighed. "What do you want to know? Understand that I might not have all the answers because I was never trained by the one who created me."
"How long does turning take?" Severus asked.
"Twenty-four hours. I'd turn you and then you spend the next twenty-four hours gaining your new abilities. Bodily functions cease, fangs grow, eyes change…The end of the transformation is drinking human blood before the twenty-four hours or die, as I was once told." Harry stated. "The thirst will be the most difficult, but you don't have to wait until the end of the twenty-four hours to drink like I did. I had because I was fighting things, not wanting to accept it."
"And how do you turn me?" Severus wondered.
"I have to drain you, wait until you're on the brink of death with nothing left of your own blood to pump through your system. I wait until your heart is slowing down and on its final beats, then you feed from me. When your heart is between its last two beats, you feed from me and it will restart it to pump the new blood. I replace you're entire blood volume with mine." Harry explained.
"Won't that weaken you?" Severus questioned.
"Yes, that's why as soon as you're strong enough to stand; I'll take you hunting. Or rather, I'll have Draco on standby. Your eyes will change once you take in human blood for the first time and you're going to want to drink pretty often. We'll get that under control first…" Harry informed.
"How?" Severus inquired.
"Regular feedings should do the trick. Every couple of days, eventually extending it longer to a week, then two. You'll hit a point where you're not craving it, but still never good to go too long without it, so you'll just feed because you know you have to." The vampire stated.
"And when does the mating come into play?" Severus looked at the teenager.
"When your thirst is taken care of." Harry enlightened.
"How does that work?" Severus wondered lightly.
"It's sex, but I mark you at the end when we finish." Harry said.
"Do I have to mark you?" The potions master asked.
"It's not required, but you can if you want to. To other vampires, they'd pick up our mingled scents and know we're mated. It won't matter to wizards and witches, they won't be able to tell until we reveal it." He replied.
"You're going to have to train me in all the abilities, aren't you?" Severus inquired.
"Just your speed and strength. The others you could pick up and practice on your own, but yes, I could teach you if you wanted." Harry told the man.
"Why just those two?" Severus blinked.
"Because if you don't learn how to control those, you're going into a wall the first time you walk too fast. Or you slam your hand down and it goes through a desk." Harry chuckled. "But again, I can teach you the rest. Or at least, what I know." He added. "If you wanted."
"I think I could allow for you to be the teacher." Severus said.
"We can teach each other." Harry informed. "But we should wait to do this until the summer. Gives us time to get your thirst under control to be in classes with students all day."
"Seems logical," Severus agreed with him. "When school lets out and we're…Here? The Manor?"
"Well, that was the next topic…If we're going to be mated fully, we should probably live together. Not just as a couple, but we're both teaching each other new things." Harry remarked. "Unless you're attached to this place, we could live here?"
"I only live here because it was left to me when my parents divorced and went their separate ways after I graduated Hogwarts. It has more bad memories than good, but the neighborhood has some good times too. Your mother's family grew up here too…I suppose I've stayed to be closer to those moments." Severus admitted as he looked around. "I get the closeness to my old friend through you, not that I'm using you for that…Just that-,"
"I understood what you meant," Harry assured.
"My point is that I can live anywhere. I only stayed here because it was given to me and convenient…Also didn't have anywhere else to go. Well, I could have gone to the Malfoy's…But I declined. They were starting their own family." Severus said.
"Which you're still part of as Dray's godfather, and my bonded, since I'm their adoptive son." Harry reminded.
"That's true." Severus agreed. "Mother will be furious if I don't introduce you to her…" He suddenly thought.
"Your parents are still alive?" Harry asked.
"Yes, but I don't speak to my father anymore. I rarely did growing up; he was a drunken, angry man. Mother is alive and well, enjoying her life with some muggle she married a couple years after the divorce. I had Lucius put her into hiding when the first war began; it was safer with everything going on. I didn't want her mixed up in things." Severus stated.
"Where is she living now?" Harry wondered.
"One of the Malfoy properties in France. Her husband does know about her being a witch, and me as her son. I've never met him." Severus realized.
"I'd love to meet your mother, Sev. Maybe a little vacation after I graduate? I'm sure you want her out of things while we're still at war…With Dumbledore." Harry asked.
"Of course, but we keep in contact with letters every few months." Severus mentioned. "I just tell her that all is well with work and when things quiet down, I'll visit. She knows what Dumbledore is up to, our last messaging was just after we bonded. I haven't told her yet, but I feel that should be an in-person reveal. By that time, I'll have become a vampire too."
"Probably right about that." Harry agreed lightly. "We can go when things are safe. I'm sure Dumbledore won't be a problem after this year, but we'll see what happens."
"Yes, absolutely. I could go with you to Godric's Hollow, Harry…See your parents. Well, visit their grave. I know where it is. I usually go every Christmas, your mother's birthday." Severus offered. "I feel like you haven't gone because you don't want to go alone. Or see where everything happened." He mentioned.
"There's hesitation, I suppose. But also a lot going on and it's…Not a top priority. But thank you…It would be nice to go with you." Harry said. "But back to what we were on…Where would we live? The properties I had…I've cleared them out and sold them back to the bank. I only have Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow and Potter Castle, which I still haven't located."
"I could help you, Harry…Or try to." Severus offered.
"I appreciate that," Harry replied. "I suppose we could stay at the Malfoy's for now or here. Worry about moving after graduation."
"Then we'll go to the Malfoy's. You have to live there until you're seen at seventeen, being a vampire doesn't excuse the underage limitations." Severus told him.
"I'm sure Narcissa and Lucius won't mind, I could talk to them tomorrow or tonight. Not going to assume you want me staying," Harry shrugged.
"You can stay, Harry. That's fine with me as long as the Malfoy's don't mind. They are your guardians until seventeen," Severus informed.
"I'll floo call them later." Harry nodded. "So we're in agreement then? Move forward with a clean slate as bonded mates? I understand how we'll have to be in school, but that's fine with me. And you're okay with being turned into a vampire in the summer? We'll likely end up living with the Malfoy's?" He asked.
"Sounds alright by me," Severus replied calmly. "And we only have to watch it in school during hours. Anything after dinner, as long as there isn't a meeting for staff, the Order, or the dark lord; we're pretty left alone. I'm not about to lie and say I didn't enjoy sleeping next to you that night and no one questioned a thing."
"Alright so in agreement to everything with bonuses." Harry smiled.
"Perfect." Severus responded. The two sat in silence for a few moments. "So what do you want to-," He began to ask before Harry leaned over and captured the man's lips with his own. Severus was surprised, but fell right into returning the action.
Suddenly, they both had an idea of what they could kill some time doing.