blood bound

chapter 8: Weasleys, weasleys, and more Weasleys

"I..." Severus began only for the fireplace in the main room to flare into green light, interrupting them. Harry growled low in irritation before giving the other man a look that clearly said both stay put and that they were not done their discussion before answering the floo call.

"Hello?" Harry called out, standing to one side of the fire place in case someone could fire a spell through the connection.

"Harry dear?" Molly Weasley asked in confusion.

"Hi Mrs. Weasley," Harry said with a small smile as he stepped in front of the fireplace so that she could see him properly.

"So the news that Bill and Charlie brought us was true," Molly said thoughtfully, her eyes narrowed giving the disembodied-like head creepy look. "Have you been treating Professor Snape well?"

"He's being a bit stubborn and keeps thinking that I don't actually mean what I say but I haven't hurt him or anything," Harry said hastily, eyes wide and frantically mentally dodging the mothering inquisition this was obviously leading up to.

"Has Severus keyed you into all the wards and such yet or do you need to get him to let us through?" Molly asked, with the unspoken command that they would be coming through.

"Yes ma'am," Harry said quickly before fetching Severus so that he could open the floo and let them through, any thought of punishing the man gone from his mind in the face of this new crisis.

"Coward," Severus mouthed at him as he smirked when he saw who was calling.

"Hell, no. You want to be the one to tell her no when she's in "I am mother obey me" mode that makes even the twins obey without question?" Harry hissed back making the other man pause before nodding sharply, conceding the point before opening the floo for the four oldest Weasleys to come through.

"Weasley's," Severus greeted dryly as he closed the floo behind them.

"Severus," Molly greeted warmly before turning on Harry. "Harry, why did I have to hear about your injury and change from Bill and Charlie?"

"Because we told the goblins not to change the records that the ministry could access," Harry pointed out carefully. "If they thought you were more than just friends they would try to get to me through you and the other Weasleys. Its safer this way."

"Harry, son, it doesn't work like that. You can't keep yourself separate from everyone just because you might get hurt. We know the risks and its our choice to take them. We're more than happy that you're part of our family and hiding it won't protect you or us forever," Arthur said gently, disappointment and kindness shining in his eyes making Harry fidget.

"Sorry," Harry muttered sheepishly, realizing that he would have to come clean with them about meeting Voldemort sooner rather than later. He prayed they would understand as he gathered his courage and instinctively stepped between them and Snape. "I have something to tell you."

"Yes dear?" Molly asked, noting the protective stance that Harry had taken and wondering what he had to tell them that worried him enough to physically sheild his anchor. It also told her that what her sons had said about Harry having gained vampiric instincts. She supposed that they would have to start buying or find some other way of getting whatever her adoptive son needed for his new diet.

"I uh, I asked Voldemort for a meeting and I'm kind of a vampire now?" Harry offered the information like a child shyly showing a parent their latest discovery. Molly and Arthur exchanged a look before they pulled both Harry and Severus into a group hug. The two eldest Weasley boys stood back smirking, not at all surprised but enjoying the shocked looks of the sable haired wizards until their parents finally let them go and took a step back.

"You do what you need to do. This family doesn't abandon each other nor are we quitters. If you want to try and work it out with You-Know-Who we'll support you," Molly told him sternly, proud of her youngest son. They had planned to pick him up from the platform at the end of the school year and simply not allow him to be sent back to the Dursleys in any case but this changed some of their plans. They would have to wait and see how the meeting turned out before making any more permanent plans.

"Exactly why is your connection more dangerous now than it was before... whatever changed? And why exactly did you feel the need to include me in that..." Severus asked curiously, waving his hands to silently indicate the hug.

"Because we adopted Harry alongside Sirius the same day we picked up everyone's school supplies for the year. I stayed behind while everyone went to the vaults to ask that we be notified if someone tried to use legal means to control or influence Harry since the adoption would immediately be revealed at that point any way. I very much doubt that Albus will be happy when he finds out," Arthur said with a wry chuckle. "He's been ever so insistent that Harry is safe with his aunt. I might have even believed that if he hadn't tried to compel us to ignore any of the minor injuries we told him that Harry has whenever he visited during the summer holidays. It was actually the twins who cottoned on and broke the spells. We decided to keep quiet until we could make the adoption official and find a way to arrange for better wards on the house."

Harry began to growl angrily before he started pacing agitatedly as he slowly backed Severus towards a corner where he could better protect him and they couldn't be jumped. The Weasleys observed this with interest but didn't interfere, keeping their hands in plain view so that Harry wouldn't think that any of them were going for their wands. They had heard too many stories about Charlie's co-workers or visitors to the Dragon sanctuary provoking the protective or territorial instincts of one or more of the large predators to take Harry's actions as simple safe nervousness.

When it became clear that Harry wouldn't be moving away from the corner or allowing Severus to leave the corner for some time Molly firmly told the redheads to sit down while she made tea, pulling out her latest knitting project while they discussed family business. Severus eventually nicked his wrist before offering it to the agitated vampire, allowing him to feed and releasing the potions master to make a much needed bathroom trip. He did his best to ignore the way Harry followed practically on his heels and wouldn't let him close the bathroom door and thus leaving the smaller male's sight. Their little impromptu family meeting wound down around ten and Harry was still hovering protectively over his anchor as they all bid each other good night.