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Bound by Blood (and Faith)	By : wlkellogg Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 20386 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 4
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Chapter List
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Chapter 21

Snape put himself between Dumbledore and Harry, sending a message that was impossible to misinterpret. He would defend Harry against even Dumbledore. Albus raised an eyebrow at the movement, but didn't argue it. Instead, he looked past him at Harry. “Are you alright, Harry?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, I'm great.”

“Would you prefer Professor Snape to give you some space now?” he asked gently. Reflexively, Harry grabbed Snape's arm and held him much like a drowning man. “How long have you had that mark, Harry?”

“Um... close to seven months, I think,” Harry answered, still hiding behind Snape. Dumbledore's mouth dropped open as he processed this new information. How had he missed something this huge for so long? The implications of this sort of a bonding spell were far reaching and disastrous.

“Why didn't you say anything, Harry? We could have helped you.” Dumbledore asked softly. Harry tightened his grip on Snape's arm at that suggestion.

“We have already been over this, Albus. No need to belabor it further,” Snape hissed, for some reason furious with his employer. Dumbledore looked at him with a curious expression.

“Tell me, Severus. Why are you upset? I have not threatened you. I haven't even moved toward you. Can you explain your hostility?”

“I- No. I cannot,” Snape admitted, but he didn't loosen his grasp on Harry.

“I believe that I can. I believe that you are responding to Harry's anxiety. He is concerned about my presence here and possible repercussions of my knowing of your bond. I believe that you are attempting to protect him in some way. Have you been experiencing other symptoms of the bond strengthening?” Dumbledore asked.

“I do not see how that is any of your concern, Albus,” Snape snapped. Dumbledore opened his mouth to continue his argument, but Harry beat him to it.

“Would... you tell me?” Harry asked softly. Snape's demeanor changed instantly. His expression softened and he actually smiled a little at Harry.

“You already know the answer to that question, Harry,” he said with none of the venom his voice had held a moment ago. Harry blushed a little and laid his head against Snape's shoulder. Dumbledore watched the exchange silently. He was trying to figure out which of them controlled the bond. One of them had to, it was the way this bond worked. He didn't turn away as many would when Snape leaned down to kiss Harry tenderly. Harry reached up to brush his fingertips along Snape's jaw. Snape leaned into Harry's caress ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly.

“I think I have the answer to my question,” Dumbledore cut in just as the kiss deepened. Snape pulled back, wincing a little when Harry looked upset. Dumbledore nodded.

“What are you bobbing your head at, Albus?” Snape snapped. Dumbledore smiled.

“You have been feeling symptoms, Severus. Did you know that this particular bond requires one partner to be dominant over the other?” The headmaster kept his voice carefully neutral. Snape, as predicted, tensed immediately and moved closer to Harry. “Would you like to know which of you is the dominant partner?”

Snape growled a little, but didn't move from his protective stance. Dumbledore decided to take the sound as an affirmative response.

“At first I thought it was you, Severus. But then I actually looked at the two of you together. You orient yourself to him. If he does something, you automatically reorient yourself to adjust to it. You have made certain that I do not have direct access to him by placing your body between myself and him. Even though I do not mean him any harm, you perceive me as a threat to his well-being. It's everything you can do to stay there beside him, instead of driving me from the room, isn't it?” Dumbledore asked calmly. Snape growled again, but held Harry tighter. “I'm right, aren't I, Severus.”

When Snape didn't answer, Harry reached over and gently touched his chest. The light contact drew Snape's attention immediately. He looked down at Harry and calmed quickly. “Yes, Albus. You're right. What is your point?”

“My point, Severus, is that it is obvious to me that you have not fully consummated this bond. You are far too aggressive to have fully bonded to him. You must make a decision about him soon. If you wish to follow through with this... relationship, you should make the decision. It will get worse if you don't do something. If you choose to... seek alternate endings to this bond, I will give the two of you some time off and some space to discuss it,” Dumbledore explained. Harry's eyes went wide and he stared up at Snape.

“Severus...” Harry whispered softly. “He said I would die...”

Snape growled again and leaned in over Harry, carefully pressing his lips to Harry's hair. “Albus. Get out.”

Dumbledore started a little and opened his mouth to protest.

“No. Get out. I don't care what you have to say. Get. The. Hell. Out of my room. You said you would give us some space. Do it. NOW,” Snape ordered. His voice was stern and brooked no argument. Dumbledore nodded and left the room quietly.

As soon as they were alone in the room, Snape relaxed, pulling Harry closer. “What are you going to do, Severus?”

“Did I ever tell you what happened to me when I was younger?” Snape asked, ignoring the question. Harry shook his head.

“No,” he whispered, still afraid of the answer to his query.

“Would you like to hear it?”

“Um... I want to hear it if you want to tell me.”

“Alright. I was in my sixth year here. No one else knows this story, Harry. I kept it very, very quiet,” Snape started. Harry looked up at him and waited patiently. “His name was Alexander. Not Alex. He hated nicknames. We found the spell in the library while we were doing research for a class, though I forget which one. It was supposed to be simple, innocent. Just something that would link us together and allow us to... sense each other. It was easy enough to cast, no advanced ingredients.

“We were inseparable for a long time. Almost an entire year, in fact. But we never... as Dumbledore said, “fully consummated” the bond. When I suggested it, he... He killed himself. What was left of our bond tortured me for months. I very nearly followed him. You've heard that your father saved me once. Well, that was it. He found me just before it had gone too far and he brought me back. I hated him for it.

“I was so alone, and I couldn't even end my own suffering. I was pathetic, and I knew it. It was the worst part of my life. I swore to myself that I would not put myself in that kind of position again. But, with you, I didn't have a chance to avoid it. It frightened me. It terrified me when you came to me with that... gift. I have done a lot to insulate myself and protect myself from even silly, childhood crushes, for fear that one would grow beyond what I could control, which is exactly what happened with you.

“I couldn't control this. I couldn't slow it down. I wasn't even given a chance to object.” Snape explained in a soft, smooth tone. Harry looked up, panicked.

“I-”

“I'm not done, pet. I wasn't given a chance to object, but looking back at it, I cannot think of a single reason to object,” Snape whispered softly.
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Bound by Blood (and Faith)