blood bound

chapter 6: Snake Pit

Umbridge disappeared from the school overnight thanks to Madam Bones and her three Aurors. A message was sent to Susan promising that Fudge would be taken care of but they wanted more time to investigate and gather evidence before they called him on his lawbreaking. The DA was a bit disgruntled at nothing happening immediately to the fool who had ordered them all put through a school based hell but they had agreed not to say anything. Thankfully they were still hunting out the other six students who had gotten Harry turned into a vampire and none of them were particularly willing to cut the hunt and merciless pranking short but the DA still had them trussed up and turned over to the teachers by the end of the Easter holiday and the return of classes.

Someone started passing around a paper suggesting a name change. When Harry saw it he immediately crossed out the Potter Brigade, Potter's Army, and Potters United. Hermione took it away from him before he could cross any more out and added a note saying to try and keep the DA initials for any further suggestions before handing it off to the twins to send around a second time. It was eventually decided that instead of Dumbledore or Defense of some type they would be the Dragon Army as well as the more common Defense Association, keeping both the DA symbol and coins as their normal means of communication.

Since Harry's entire dorm was part of the DA no one said anything when his things disappeared, magically moved into Professor Snape's quarters just before they were released from the hospital wing the day classes started again. Harry had fought with his new instincts the entire time they stayed in the hospital wing refusing to leave until he was satisfied with his control, impressing everyone who knew or discovered his condition. Both Harry and Severus were quiet happy that Madam Pomfrey was the one stuck explaining Harry's newest medical condition to the rest of the staff. At Snape's request classes were delayed an extra day so that he could explain the new situation to the members of Slytherin house. As a bribe to the other teachers they also scheduled the question and answer session that the twins had come up with on the same day.

"So is it normal that I don't want to let you out of my sight?" Harry asked casually as they left the hospital wing. No one had bothered to keep up the fake symptoms once the pink toad and the threat of her presence had been removed from the castle.

"I'm not entirely certain but probably. When I submitted to you I became entirely yours, legally and metaphorically. You can order me to leave my job and I would have to obey," Severus admitted, hoping that he would be allowed to at least finish out the year and arrange for proper replacements for his various duties.

"Then its a good thing I argued the hat out of putting me in Slytherin or this would be even more awkward," Harry said thoughtfully, grabbing Severus and towing him along behind the young vampire when the man stopped dead in his tracks in shock. "You still haven't told me why you acted like such a bastard for so long."

"I didn't see you until well I'm not certain really but I still had to act the part of the vicious hateful bastard to keep you safe. That changed when you started manifesting vampiric traits and my own Damphyr nature started to override the careful mask I had erected. The moment you claimed me I couldn't hide anything from you any more. I can refrain from mentioning nearly anything but hiding something so intrinsically important as my true self was impossible the moment the bond started forming. It will be up to you and the actions you take as well as that of your mate if I become a part of your mateship, become a slave to you like other Damphyr, or something else entirely. I have no say in the matter, not any more," Severus explained softly, not bothering to shake off the smaller male's grip on his wrist.

"And you are my safe haven if my mate rejects me," Harry said softly as he considered what he had just learned.

It was obvious to Harry now that his Damphyr had reason to need to stay both near and as detached as possible, a feat that was now impossible. From the way that they had both begun acting he wouldn't be surprised if they got on fairly well. It was the unknown identity of his future mate and that person's actions that was cause for true concern. He would have to think more on this and find a way to ensure that Severus was well taken care of whatever else happened. Harry was brought out of his thoughts by their arrival at the entrance to the Slytherin common room and Snape's slight hesitation in entering.