Chapter 43

"Lucius wishes to have his mark removed," Severus stated as he walked into the large library. Harry was seated on a plush ottoman before the fireplace with a stack of books next to him.

"We could do it as soon as tomorrow," Harry replied while not looking up from his book.

"You still salty about the erectile dysfunction?" Severus asked with a raised brow.

"Of course," Harry growled. "But I'm actually researching that Ode of Loyalty that the Malfoys were so wary of. This library is surprisingly well stocked with ancient tomes."

"It's…. Something," Harry then remarked. "What sick twisted wizard actually made this oath and actual ode? I mean listen to some of these stanzas."

Oh, binding oath in darkened shade,

Where fervent hearts in silence fade—

An ancient rite by candle's gleam,

Once sworn beneath a wicked dream.

"Or"

Eternal chains in silence sing,

The weight of magic's twisted ring.

In fervent pledge beneath your gaze,

I yield my soul through shadowed haze.

"Ekrizdis, who is credited with making the spell and ritual accompanying it was a very dark wizard. Far darker than the Dark Lord we have now. He liked to torture his test subjects and I don't always mean physical torture. There was also psychological torture he loved. The tale goes on to tell in detail how he'd torture some prisoners while he charmed others. Stockholm syndrome and gaslighting are what they are now called. Some prisoners happily did his bidding and even defended him against his enemies. The Ode was his sick twisted version of escape for his prisoners. He promised mercy to those that happily and of their own free will recited the Ode and finished the ritual."

"What the hell?!,"

"Indeed," Severus stated. "In that age, many people still lacked education or were illiterate so them not realizing what the Ode really meant took that chance of escape."

"How are your students and their siblings settling in?" Harry asked while nodding at Severus's explanation. "It's been a few hours. Dinner should be in a bit right?"

"Besides my talk with Lucius, I also asked Mordecai if it was possible to strengthen the wards even more," Severus explained. "He mentioned something vague about them being indestructible already though I have my reservations."

"Well, now I feel insulted," A voice interrupted them. Both Severus and Harry turned to the far left wall where Mordecai appeared in a painting depicting a painter and his scantily dressed model. The painter looked annoyed while the woman was openly ogling the knight.

"When I stated that they were indestructible, I meant it. Sir Ambrosius indirectly contributed to that. If you need anymore confirmation then take out the fourth small tome, fifth shelf, on the second left's farthest bookshelf." Mordecai indicated and waited as Snape walked to the book in question. When Snape tried to take it out he found out that it would not budge all the way. Instead, he and Harry could hear a click and a mechanism whirling. To their surprise one of the bookcases opened up, revealing a secret passage.

"Come now, down those dark and gloomy steps we go," Mordecai seemed quite enthusiastic with the notion of leading them down ancient stone steps to Merlin knows where on the estate. Both Harry and Snape cast a quick Lumos before they descended. Harry noted that the stones seemed quite old and very different from the chateau's.

As if echoing Harry's thoughts Severus muttered "This place seemed to have belonged to the original castle,"

Torches magically lit up the area once they had descended the stairs. They ended up in a damp chamber. Snape walked to the farthest wall as he noted some visible runes. Vanishing the cobwebs from the wall the runes that seemed to be carved into the stone formed an archway.

"Try touching your wand to it," Harry suggested. "Mordecai wouldn't have sent us down here if he wasn't sure we'd be able to pass. I highly doubt that a stone wall with runes is all he wanted to show us."

Severus was wary but he did tap his wand against the stone wall. The runes lit up as Snape felt a pull of magic from his wand. Slowly a set of double doors materialized in front of them.

Wand still in hand and with Harry drawing his own wand Severus slowly opened the doors. Both men's breath hitched as they were assaulted by streams of magic wafting past them. The doors opened to a circular room with a stone in the middle. That stone was the thing emanating such strong magical currents. Harry had difficulty breathing. The magic seemed to act as an ocean, trying to swallow him up. He looked toward Severus's back to see the man had stiffened as well Snape's hands were on the door handles, shaking and with a burst of willpower the Potion Master yanked the doors shut once more. No sooner had he done that and the doors disappeared, the runes glowing as that happened before dying down.

Severus marched back upstairs with Harry hot on his trail. "What the bloody hell was that?!" He asked Mordecai, who was now lounging with the female model on the settee.

"Hmm?" Mordecai questioned while the lady just giggled as he twirled a lock of her hair.

"That room… the magic in there was suffocating,"

"That's the ward stone room," Mordecai casually explained. "Made it myself too," He said proudly. "No invaders have ever been able to make it to the ward stone. You of course can as you are the Head of the family now,"

"I told you right, the wards to this estate are nigh indestructible. Invaders would be suffocated by the magic swirling in the room before even reaching the ward stone. And even if they do reach the stone, that in itself is indestructible. Merlin made sure of that,"

At Harry's questioning look, Mordecai explained. "So you know the tale of the Sword in the Stone? That's the stone Excalibur was sheathed in. Merlin made it indestructible so the populace wouldn't just smash the stone to get the sword and become King. After Arthur drew the sword the stone was promptly forgotten. So when Caerleon castle fell to me I had the stone made into a ward stone."

"And a magical estate is only as strong as its wardstone," Severus stated as he now understood. Harry realized it too. In his reality, Hogwarts fell in his seventh year because the Pain-in-his-Arse-Voldy had overloaded the Hogwart's ward stone after repeated attacks. Harry, while recovering from the battle had seen McGonagall meeting with several Ward masters. In total, it had taken them 27 months to repair the wards. While Hogwarts had no wards Aurors were on duty day and night to obliviate Muggles and to ensure the safety of the students as the new school year started.

As that matter had been cleared up Severus turned to leave. "We best be going. Dinner will be served soon." The grandfather clock in the library showed that the time was 5:43 PM. Tibsby always served dinner at six unless requested to delay it.

"Wait…." Harry caught Snape's arm and then shyly said "We still have fifteen minutes."

"What do you…"

"Severus… we have time alone and judging by how many guests we will have for the unforeseeable future… I doubt we will have a lot of… alone time," Harry said as his grip on his partner's arm tightened. "Why don't we….. Have some fun before dinner?"

"Harry you are hardly in any condition…."

"Ah ah ah," Harry stopped Severus right there by placing a finger on his lips and backing him against one of the bookcases. "I might not be able to get off but why should I deny you?"

Severus's breath hitched as Harry's hand traveled lower and made slow swirls around his navel. "I want to have you, Severus," Harry whispered as he leaned in close and his hands cupped Snape's crotch which betrayed his eagerness. "I could have you keening my name as my fingers have my way with you…"

A moan escaped Severus's lips and it was like honey to Harry's ears. Even though he couldn't get hard, right now at least, it didn't mean that he couldn't meet his partner's needs. Harry could feel the want, the strangled moan, the hitched breath as he nipped at his Potion Master's ear.

"Uncle Sev dinner is rea-" Draco entered the library but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his godfather pressed against a bookcase, hands-on Potter's arse. Potter's hands going Merlin knows where… and Draco didn't want to know. He really didn't.

"Draco get out!" Severus shouted while Harry's eyes narrowed. Draco needed no more motivation and fled the room.

"Fate hates me!" Harry groaned as the mood was ruined now.

In the higher realms, Death had returned from his numerous stacks of paperwork to find his sisters crowded over the viewing pool. He came right at the moment his master uttered that sentence and shot a glare at his elder sister.

"What did you do to my ship!" Death shouted upon seeing the scene.