Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Hidden Truths	By : SpeedyTomato Category: Harry Potter > Threesomes/Moresomes Views: 79878 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 13
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and make no money off this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Beta'd by the amazing Tenchi. Love you, woman, you're the best!

Also, thanks to Lynn who helps me with flow, content and not forgetting things!

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Chapter 5

Though he looked like he was reading a book, Draco was actually spending most of his time looking over at Charlie. The man was seated on the windowsill staring outside with an unreadable expression on his face. Something odd was going on there, he just didn't know what it was. And he didn't think it was this bond mess either. Before this afternoon, Charlie would at least talk to him and make a form of conversation, especially when asked about dragons, now he wasn't though. There were just one or two word answers to direct questions. That was all.

From what he could pinpoint, the problem came in when he had talked to his father. After that, Charlie just seemed to shut up. He didn't know why either. While neither Charlie nor his dad seemed to be happy while they talked, Draco just didn't get what the problem was. Part of that, probably, was that he just didn't understand what they were talking about. They had been really cryptic about what was said and he couldn't figure out just what the topic was. Charlie seemed plenty mad, though, and Mr. Weasley wasn't happy either. In fact, he didn't think he'd ever seen the man that upset before, including the time he had fought with his father in Flourish and Blotts. The only thing, maybe, though he wasn't sure, was that he thought it had something to do with Bill, Potter and Sirius. And beyond that he didn't have a clue.

Setting the book aside, knowing that he wouldn't get into the story he had been reading, Draco asked, softly, though he figured he wouldn't get much of an answer, “Care to tell me what's going on? I mean, you've been a bit more talkative than this.”

“It's nothing to worry about,” Charlie grunted, not bothering to look in his direction.

This was a complicated mess. Charlie 'got' a bit of what his father was talking about, but needed to talk to Bill to figure out the whole situation. Whatever Sirius had said to his dad had really set him off. Now he wanted to know what it was. Not to mention what was going on in that direction. He figured that there was more to what happened the day before with Fleur than what was said and wanted to know what it was. Yeah, he had a couple hints about it, but wanted to hear it from Bill himself. The only thing he truly did understand was that there seemed to be a huge explosion coming soon. That was building anyway, he knew it, but what little his father was able to impart told him it might be a bigger one than he expected.

Snorting, Draco shook his head and asked, tone taking on its usual sneering bent, “What did Potter do to cause problems this time? We all know he has to be part of whatever it is.”

Head whipping around, Charlie glared at Draco then hissed, “Harry isn't the problem and knock that shite off, Draco!”

Though taken aback by the anger in the tone, wondering where it came from because as far as he knew Charlie didn't know Potter well, Draco pressed on. At least this was more of a reaction that he had gotten in the last couple of hours. “Potter is always causing problems. He has since I've known him. His name was mentioned, so I can only guess what mess he's causing this time.” It wasn't that he wanted to anger Charlie, it was just he wanted to know what the hell was going on. Potter, Sirius and Bill seemed to know something all the rest of them didn't and he wanted filled in. This was just the only way that he knew to go about it. He figured it might jar something loose and he could put the pieces together.

“That's enough,” Charlie snarled. “Leave Harry out of this! Nothing going on is his fault.”

“You don't even know him that well,” Draco huffed, folding his arms over his chest. “Why are you defending him? Don't tell me you're one of his fans too.”

“Just drop it, Draco!” Charlie told him, tone icy.

“Then tell me what is going on!” Draco shot right back. “He's involved somewhere. So is your brother and Sirius! Whatever upset your father had to do with them. Now you're all cranky and moody. I have to deal with you, so I have a right to know what's going on!”

“You don't have the 'right' to know anything,” Charlie shot right back. “And we both know that whatever you hear you won't keep your mouth shut about. Let's face it, anything you pick up that pokes someone or you think you can use to get the better of them, you're going to spout. As this is a topic that we don't need that with, you aren't going to hear about it.”

Face hardening, Draco stiffened up then snarled back, “I'm involved too, you know! I have to put up with you! And who am I going to tell? Huh? We can't go out of this house!”

“You would just use it to poke at a situation that is already bad enough and headed for a disaster of epic proportions. It needs no help, Draco! Especially from you. Now, shut it!” Charlie hissed, turning back to look out the window.

Draco opened his mouth to retort, but found he couldn't say anything. Oh, his mouth moved and his lips formed the words, but no sounds came out. Panicking slightly, eyes widening, he grabbed his book and smacked it on the arm of the chair repeatedly to get Charlie's attention. He didn't know what caused this, but he was laying odds on the bond being behind it.

Hearing the noise, Charlie let out an exasperated sigh then looked at Draco, wondering what the brat wanted now.

Draco was already a trial to deal with. He had his moments where he was fine, like when they were talking about a topic Draco wanted to hear about. Beyond that, he was a demanding, snotty little brat that was used to getting his way. Charlie hated that shite and didn't want to put up with it. That made spending time alone together rough. In fact, he wanted to smack the little brat when he started, because Draco didn’t seem to realize that he didn’t want to do or talk about what Draco wanted to. The teen was so egocentric that he seemed to think that he was all that mattered and should get what he wanted, not caring about the other person.

Shaking his head, he asked, tone weary, “What now, Draco? I don't want to talk about it. And if you push it, I’m going to do something you won't like!” With that, he was thinking about some of the milder versions of the spells they used to get dragons to do what they needed them to. He shouldn't ponder that, he knew it, but he was.

Pointing to his mouth as he tried to talk, Draco was actually starting to panic. This—oh, no! This was bad. Seeing Charlie look bewildered and not catching on quickly enough, he leaned over then grabbed a parchment and quill from the bedside and wrote out the problem. Showing it to Charlie, he waited, feeling the anxiety building.

Brow furrowed as he looked at what the brat had written, Charlie leaned forward, sure he wasn't reading it right. Shaking his head, he grabbed the parchment and read it again, sure he had misinterpreted what was there and what he was seeing from Draco. When he realized he didn't, his eyes widened and he looked at Draco then asked, “You can't say anything?”

Shaking his head vigorously, mouthing all kinds of things though no sound was coming out, Draco felt what he was damned sure were the stirrings of his first anxiety attack. This was bad.

Grinning a little, though knowing he shouldn't find this funny, he said, “I'm not sure what's going on or how to fix it, Draco.” Internally he told himself that he wasn't sure he wanted to either. He would get some much needed silence this way to think. Not to mention giving himself a break from the whining and demanding teen. That was on his last nerve anyway.

Flapping his hands, actually really starting to panic, Draco mouthed 'do something' hoping that Charlie would find a way to undo whatever happened. He wasn't even sure what caused this, but there had to be a way to fix it!

Trying not to chuckle, Charlie told him, “I don't know why you can't talk, so I don't know how to fix it. Let me think.” Stopping, he went over what was just said to see if there was some clue there as to what might have caused this. The only thing he could think of was him saying 'shut it'. Eyes widening, he clutched the parchment then looked at the now pale, trembling and obviously starting to panic Draco. Quietly, he said, wondering if it would do any good, “Alright, you can talk again.” He wasn't sure that would work, but it was all he could come up with. If it didn't, they were going to have to get help from someone else because he didn't know what to do.

Huffing, trying not to hyperventilate, Draco then let out what could only be termed a squeal. Hearing the noise, he slumped then said, hoping it worked, “Merlin! How did that happen?”

“I honestly don't know,” Charlie said. He had a clue, though, and if he was right, he fully planned to use it to stop some of what was going on with Draco when he got on his nerves.

Eyes still buggy in appearance, Draco squeaked, “I don't want to go through that again! We need to figure it out! Fast!”

Rubbing his forehead, Charlie sighed and wondered about this. They were already having problems with the tether. It was plenty short and they weren't able to do much because of that. They were able to function, which was good, and do things like go to the loo alone, as long as the door was left open, but they were stuck pretty close together. And he didn't know why. It didn't seem the others did either, at least that he knew. Sirius, Harry and Bill weren't having as bad of problems in that area as they were, which meant they might know something. However, he hadn't heard of this kind of reaction, from any of them. Shaking his head, he said, “Let me send this off to your dad and Remus. They were going to spend the night looking into bonds to see if they can come up with something. They might have found something or it'll give them somewhere to look.”

Nodding vigorously, Draco said, “Do that. Because I want to know why that happened so it doesn't occur again!”

Not liking the demanding tone Draco imparted that with, Charlie quickly summoned some parchment and a quill then wrote out everything that happened, including what he thought might be the cause. He just didn't plan to tell Draco about that yet was all. It was his thought to see if he could produce the same reaction again to prove his inkling without Draco knowing. If it happened, he would fill the others in. He just didn't plan to tell Draco was all.

Summoning an elf, he sent the paper off with the creature and sighed, leaning back again. With that, he wondered if there was a way to get Bill alone to see what was going on with that end of this mess. There was plenty there he was sure he needed to know about and wondered if the three of them had some information that they might need to know. The problem came in with keeping a leash on Draco and his mouth. Yeah, none of them needed to set this off worse than it already was. And if Draco started poking Harry, he wasn't sure what might happen after that bit with Fleur. He was sure that Fleur had set Harry off because of what he knew Harry felt about the woman. If that was the case, if Draco started with Harry, it might set off Bill and Sirius. That wouldn't end well because it might set him off as well to defend Draco. What a damned nightmare!

Looking at Charlie, completely unnerved after that bit, Draco said quietly, “Why don't we play cards or something. That should help us pass the time and be entertaining.”

“We can do that,” Charlie said with a heavy sigh. It wasn't that he was enthused about a game, but it would pass the time. He just hoped that Draco stopped with the shite and knocked it off. Because his nerves really couldn't take anymore. And if him snapping at the brat to shut it caused him not to be able to talk, he wasn't sure what else it might do. That wouldn't help matters at all.

Sliding off the sill, he summoned a table then conjured a chair and flopped into it. Seeing Draco with a deck of cards that he started to shuffle, he waited, mind wandering already.

“How bad do you think this is going to get? I mean, well—I really don't know what I mean. It's just a feeling,” Draco said, shaking his head as he shuffled the cards.

“That I don't know, Draco,” Charlie admitted in a weary tone. “It's plenty bad as it is. If we can't figure out why some of this is happening or how it relates, we're in for a rough time.”

Nodding to that, Draco didn't know what to say. This was already a nightmare he hated, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. All he knew was that Charlie needed to understand that he was used to certain things and that had to continue. He just wasn't sure how to get that across because he didn't know the man well. Maybe he should have his father talk to him and lay out how things had to be. After all, his dad always protected him. This would be the same thing. It just meant he had to find a way to talk to his father alone was all. And he didn't know how to do that.

Dealing out the first hand, he began to talk about some of what he did in school, chuckling at the pranks he pulled on people there. While he did that, he didn't notice the look of disgust on Charlie's face. Instead, he kept going, detailing various exploits, though not giving the names of his victims. It was always fun to think about what he did to others and talk about it.

Pacing back and forth, going as far as the tether would allow him, Severus had his arms folded over his chest, sneering, a thunderous look on his face. So far the three of them in the room hadn't started throwing spells at each other, but he was sure that it was only a matter of time before that started. Since this nightmare happened, they had all started out each night with the intention of just resting and trying to get along. Of course, as anyone with functioning brain cells could tell you, that went by the wayside very quickly and all out war took its place within an hour. Even he would admit that what was going on didn't help anything. It just added to the nightmare that was there. What it came down to was the fact that he couldn't handle this. All there was to it.

He knew, rationally, that none of them involved in this mess, with any of the 'couples', liked what they had been forced into. Really, he got that. Along with that, he understood that there was no undoing it. He was damned sure of that the first day. That didn't mean he had to give in gracefully. No, that wasn't happening! This mess compounded a nightmare that was already there. Then you toss in who he was bonded to and you made it worse. It was just something that had his normally short fuse even shorter and burning hotly. Even worse was there wasn't anything he could do about it and no breaking it. It was something he was stuck with. And that just added Fiendfyre to his temper. Then you piled on Fred and George, the way they were and you had an explosion waiting to happen, something that took place each night.

While he was someone that knew what he was doing when it came to defending himself and dueling, the fact that he was taking on two people that you just couldn't predict what they would do or how they would go about whatever and he was so furious he couldn't see straight. And they weren’t cowed by his normal methods. They just fought back, unlike most that he encountered. That didn't help.

Huffing as he paced faster, he tried to think about the mess and put together all he had seen and heard. What he wanted right now was a longer tether, nothing more. He just wanted to go to the damned loo by himself and sleep in a bed alone. To do that, they had to figure out just how to lengthen the tether that seemed to bind them together. And nothing was managing that. At all. Whatsoever. A fact that didn't help his temper in the least.

Shaking his head as he paced faster, he kept an eye on the two redheaded demons he was bound to. They were seated at a small table, heads together, talking so quietly he couldn't hear them. Most times this heralded nothing good. In fact, when you saw them like this, chances were that someone needed to panic because of what they might be plotting. In this case, it was probably him and they were devising new tortures to inflict on him to make his life more miserable than it already was! That he didn't need.

Dropping his eyes to the floor, he concentrated on the pattern that was woven into the carpeting while he paced. As he did that, his mind skipped to the other 'couples'. They all seemed to have a longer tether. While he was sure they didn't know why that was, he was also equally certain they had hints. Which meant, the three in this room needed those small assists to help them. When he thought of that part, his mind immediately went to Black, Potter and the eldest Weasley. Those three, other than the blasting of the overly emotional nightmarish female into the wall, seemed like they were doing better than the rest when it came to this. Which meant they all needed to figure out why. And therein was the rub. Oh, his two bondmates would probably be able to get some information from the other three, but he had to go with them. And the second that happened, no one would give up anything. Lupin and Lucius might if they figured anything out, but as far as he knew they hadn't either and were dealing with their own nightmarish scenario.

Starting yet another trek around a room that was like his own personal hell, Severus' mind then honed in on the Weasley patriarch. There had been a small talk with Arthur and the two devious demons. Initially, Severus hadn't thought much about what was said. It was just some blather about Molly, her temper, how she wasn't handling it well and the like. Again, anyone with any kind of intelligence could have guessed that. The woman was going to make a spectacle of herself over this and make sure she had an audience when she did it. After that, though, there were some cryptic statements he hadn't understood. At the time he didn't pay attention to them as it was one of those areas that was just family drama. He had enough drama in his life at the moment he didn't give a damn about someone else's. However, he was now replaying it in his mind, wondering if Arthur was trying to get something across to his sons in a way that he wouldn't understand it.

Now curious as his mind played over the conversation, he stopped pacing and looked at the twins. “What was your father trying to impart to the both of you?” He asked. “There was something there.”

“None of your business,” Fred said shortly, not looking at him.

“Family stuff,” George added, brow furrowed as he thought over some of what his dad said and more about what he didn't.

Snorting at that, Severus fought the urge to roll his eyes. “It seems like more than that to me. In fact, he was plenty upset. I don't think I've seen him like that before. What was the topic?”

“Leave it,” George snarled, looking at him.

“It's not our place to say anything,” Fred added, glaring at Snape.

“And that from one of the menaces that invented Extendable Ears to eavesdrop,” Severus snorted, glaring at the two. “If it has to do with this bond and hints about how to make it easier, I believe I have a right to know! If I'm told, we may be able to figure out how to extend the tether and make our lives easier. What Black, Potter and your brother have is something that we could deal with. To manage that, we need to figure out what they're doing to get the length they have.”

Shaking his head, Fred said, “It involves something very personal.”

“That isn't our right to divulge,” George finished. He and his brother were putting the pieces together of what had been passed on to them from Charlie earlier and what their dad said. They thought they might have part of it, but it didn't help them in the least. However, there was one bit that might. Looking at Fred, who was glancing at him, he said, “We might have one part from clues we're getting here and there.”

“Not sure if we can manage that, though,” Fred sighed, looking down at the table.

“What part?” Severus asked, trying to keep a level tone and not demand to be told. Maybe if he did that, they might give it up.

Not sure how to word this, George leaned over and quietly conferred with his brother. When he finished, he said, “Part might be the relationship Harry has with Sirius. They get along well.”

“And don't seem to be acting the way the rest of us are,” Fred added. “Bill and Harry get along as well. Maybe it's that. They seem like they are trying to deal with what's there and work with it. That might be part of it. I don't know. Lucius and Remus are the same way. They don't like it, that's obvious, but they aren't throwing fits over it.”

“I'm betting Charlie and Draco have a shorter tether because Draco has to be on Charlie's last nerve. He doesn't deal well with someone like Draco,” George sighed. “That has to factor in.”

“So, maybe, part of this has to do with acceptance and trying to cope,” Fred said, leaning back and looking at Snape.

“We don't know,” George sighed, shaking his head. While he didn't know, he was sure it factored in. The relationship with Bill and Harry was a strong one. The same with the one between Harry and Sirius. It was just different. And from what they had seen of the three, they weren't acting like the rest of those affected were. In fact, they were doing their best to deal with it and press on. It seemed to him that all the rest of them were fighting the inevitable to a degree. However, he wasn't sure as the bond marks were all so different.

Taking that in, looking at the floor, brow furrowed, Severus thought it over. Playing out what he had seen of the three in question, he did notice that they seemed to be more accepting of what was going on than the rest of them. In fact, there wasn't a single issue over it. Oh, you could tell they weren't happy, especially Black, but there weren't overt displays of anger over it. That held true for Lucius and Lupin as well. While he hadn't seen any overt snarling with the other Weasley and Draco, he was sure that was happening with what he knew of the two.

Nodding slowly, he looked up then glanced between the two. They weren't telling him everything, he knew that, but what they did might be a hint. “What you're not giving up—does it relate as well?” He finally asked, tone thoughtful as he played over the interactions again.

“It does,” Fred said, looking at the man.

“And it might shore up our theory,” George added.

“I suppose there is no chance of you two telling me what it is so I might be able to put it together?” Severus asked, trying to keep the sneering out of his tone. Seriously, though, he wanted the information so he could work with it. What the two had already come across with seemed to click.

“No chance,” George told him firmly.

“Don't ask again because it won't do you any good,” Fred added, a mulish look on his face.

Sighing internally, Severus reached up and rubbed a hand over his face then walked over and took a seat. Quietly, he said, “Acceptance and cooperation.”

“That might be part of the key,” Fred admitted.

“It fits,” George added with a shrug.

“We doubt that’s all of it,” Fred sighed.

“It might be a big part, though,” George told the man.

“It may,” Severus sighed as his mind skipped to Lupin and Lucius. Those two were as equally horrified as he was about the bond. Lucius lost his wife to it. Lupin his fiancée. Both were pressing on though. From what he had seen of them, they were trying to work together to figure out parts of it. Thus cooperating. And it appeared they accepted it, at least to a degree.

Thinking it over, he asked, tone distracted, “How well do Bill and Potter get along?”

Glancing at his brother when he made sure Snape was looking down, not paying attention to them, Fred saw his brother staring at him as well. Seeing a nod, he said, “They get along quite well.”

“There haven't been any problems between the two since they met,” George added quietly. “Why?” He asked.

“The cooperation,” Severus said, his tone thoughtful. Bill had lost his fiancée to this mess as well, yet he wasn't acting out nor being verbal about it. “And acceptance,” he added almost as an afterthought. Thinking harder, he said, “Prior relationships may factor in as well.”

“They might,” George nodded, looking at Fred. This was one of those areas they thought might be a big part of what was going on with the three. Short of going and asking what they knew about it, they couldn't be sure.

“We were wondering that as well,” Fred added, looking at his brother.

Glancing up, seeing the two shooting meaningful looks at each other, Severus groaned. Whatever the two knew had to play into part of this nightmare and could only help. “What would it take to get you to tell me all you know?” He finally asked, trying to keep the exasperation out of his voice. So far, wands hadn't been drawn and he thought it might be best to keep it that way. If the theory he was just thinking about was valid, it would help if they tried as well. Which meant he had to temper some areas. He knew the two well enough from class that he was damned sure that they would all just keep fighting if he didn't. However, he also knew if you dealt with them rationally they would do the same. Maybe it was time to do that.

“Plenty of things,” George started.

“None of which you can manage at this point,” Fred finished, crossing his arms over his chest.

Glaring at the two, he snapped, “I'm affected as well. If you have information that might lead us to something that can help figure out the situation, then I think it's my right to know!”

“It's not our right to tell you,” Fred snarled back, eyes flashing slightly.

“Because it affects more than just us,” George snapped, looking thunderous.

“I'm well aware of that,” Severus sneered, completely exasperated as he wanted to know to figure this out. “However, I can't see how telling me will harm anything.”

“Because you won't keep it to yourself,” George shot right back.

“And will use it to torment others,” Fred added, shaking his head firmly.

“With the situation what it is,” George started.

“Something like that will make it worse!” Fred finished.

“This is bad enough as it is,” George sighed, shaking his head.

“We don't need you making part of it a worse nightmare,” Fred told him, slumping.

They both knew what was coming with their mum and how bad it was probably going to get there. Charlie and Bill—yeah, they were done with her and at the end of what they could take. They also knew that Bill would probably end up just losing it all over Hermione, Ron and Ginny as well. The second any of them said anything off to Harry and their brother was going to blow up in a way no one had ever seen before. So, they didn't need Snape poking at the situation there because they were sure Bill and Sirius, both, would take after him. Then that might set off the bond on their end as well, causing all kinds of hell.

Glaring at the two, Severus ground his teeth, trying to keep his now heating up temper under control. “And if I gave my word I wouldn't?” He asked. Though his tone was slightly icy, he tried to keep it level.

“We know better,” Fred snorted.

“You wouldn't because of what it involves,” George added, rolling his eyes. Quietly, after glancing at his brother, he added, “How about this—let's work on what we just discussed.”

“And see if we can figure out what our bond mark means,” Fred continued.

“That has to factor in as all the 'couples' have different marks,” George added.

“Which means it has to have some sort of meaning,” Fred told him firmly.

“If we can figure that out, we might get a hint of what we can do,” George told him.

Taking that in, though not liking their continual refusal, Severus gave a slow nod. “That may help,” he conceded. “That and what the reaction when it's touched means.”

“I know Remus and Lucius were planning on looking into parts of it tonight,” Fred started.

“If we send a message to them about what they are looking at and see if we can take up areas they aren't, we might find something,” George continued.

“Good idea,” Severus nodded firmly. “We can divide up the work with them.” What he didn't add was that if they were doing research, they weren't as apt to take after each other and all out war coming once more. That could only help.

Calling an elf, Severus quickly penned a note to the two and sent it off. Leaning back, he thought about the situation. He needed to get out of the two nightmares what they knew, but he didn't know how. That meant he just had to bide his time. He could do that. Once he knew, they could press on.

Reading through Severus' note again after sending off some books they had, Lucius nodded at what was there. “He may be onto something with this cooperation and acceptance,” he told Remus.

Glancing over at the note Lucius held, Remus read part of it again then agreed, “He might. It's something to consider anyway.”

Putting that parchment down and picking the one up from Charlie, Lucius shook his head. He had read it, of course, but it was still puzzling. With a sigh, he tossed it by Severus' and said, “Yet another odd reaction that doesn't make sense.”

Setting down the book he had been looking through, Remus' brow furrowed. Thinking it over, he said, tone thoughtful, “That particular one may be bond specific. I imagine that Fred and George have said much the same to Severus, though in a lot less nice way, and they haven't mentioned something such as that happening. I'm sure they would have employed it repeatedly with how bad it's been with their end if they could manage such a reaction.”

“Very true,” Lucius snorted, smirking slightly. Summoning a ledger they were using to keep track of odd reactions, he quilled that one in on the page dedicated to Draco and Charlie. He and Remus had decided that they needed a running record of their own to see what was specific to the bond in general and what dealt with the individual bonds. That way they could piece together clues. As everyone involved was willing to give up reactions, though in the case of Sirius, Bill and Harry, they didn't want some of what they thought was the cause out yet to others, they could easily keep a running record. Glancing through what they had, he sighed. There wasn't much there that they could use yet. It was Harry, Bill and Sirius' end they were keeping an eye on as they had much more freedom of movement and other areas.

Shaking his head, he said, leaning back and stretching his legs out, “I think that tomorrow we need to sit down with each individual 'pairing' and go through what they are finding. That can help. It's better than getting bits and bobs sent to us. Then, maybe, we can figure parts of this out. I'm not sure, though. The threesome that is doing the best might not be as much help as we think. The rest of us have no way to recreate the relationships there. Those have taken years to cultivate.”

“Very true,” Remus sighed. “We can take the basics, such as the cooperation and acceptance though.” Looking at Lucius, he added gently, “I think, to a degree, that we're doing just that. Hence the reason we do have a longer tether than the others that are most affected.”

“That comes with maturity and knowledge,” Lucius admitted with a groan, rubbing both hands over his face. When he finished, he looked at the bond mark circling his wrist. By now, he knew just what it looked like, but he kept being drawn back to glancing at it. It had to mean something and he was sure his mind was trying to figure out what it was. Shaking his head, he added, “We are both intelligent enough to realize fighting what's going on will get us nowhere. It's better to accept it, move on and figure out what might come for us so we don't get blindsided.”

“Very true,” Remus agreed with a nod. Looking around at the books scattered over the table, he gave a sigh himself. What he was doing was looking up shielding spells that the bond wouldn't fight. As the two of them held out no hope that a solution to the tether problem would crop up, he was trying to find a way to protect Lucius so accidental infection didn't happen on the night of the full moon. While he worked on this end, Lucius was dealing with the bond.

Straightening back up, Lucius rested his elbows on the edge of the table and sighed as he glanced around. They were trying, that's for sure, it just wasn't accomplishing much. Thinking it over, he said, “I think that we need someone to get a copy of all the bond marks so we have them. That way we can look into the shapes and see if they mean something. With them being so different and the colors not even being the same, other than some overlapping, it has to mean something. That can give us somewhere to look if they are symbolic.”

“We do,” Remus said with a firm nod. “There has to be a way to get a picture, drawing, something, without setting off a reaction.”

Shaking his head, Lucius admitted, “I think your theory on ours is correct. It has to be something about dominance. The lycanthropy probably figures into it. While a werewolf isn't a wolf per se, it's in that class of animals. We know wolves are pack animals and there is a well defined hierarchy in the pack. That would explain my being yanked to you and not just us being pulled together. Not to mention the being pulled behind as you walk. It makes me wonder what is coming.”

“It actually bothers me,” Remus admitted, scrubbing a hand over his mouth. “I'm not sure why either. I admit that, despite what most think, the mentality does affect me. Over the years, I'm made sure it's not overt. With the pull of the bond, I'm not sure what else it can do. We aren't seeing much from it other than what you mentioned, but there has to be more. What that might be is what bothers me with what there is written about the pack mentality.”

“I'm not exactly overjoyed to know I'm probably a submissive in the bond,” Lucius snorted, shaking his head. “However, there is little either of us can do to change that. It just means that we have to figure out what in Merlin's name it's exactly meant to do so we can adjust accordingly. If it stays as is, we can manage. I don't think it will, though. As this bond settles, other bizarre bits are probably going to crop up.”

“Oh yes,” Remus said with a dry chuckle and shake of his head. Thinking about Tonks and how what he had planned for so long was something never to happen, he gave an internal sigh. That hurt, really it did, but there was nothing he could do. They had to press on, not dwell on it. Lucius was the same way. He knew what happened bothered the man as he truly loved Narcissa, but they were dealing the best they could. Shaking that off and shoving it aside, he said, “I say I continue to look for shielding spells and you press on with the bond. That way we might get something accomplished tonight. It may not be much, but all we can find will assist immeasurably.”

“That is a good way to go about this,” Lucius conceded with a nod. “I would say get Narcissa involved, as she's very good at research, but that's not wise. The reaction there is getting worse.” Since the incident the day before and her getting shoved away, the reaction to his former wife had grown worse. She couldn't get within three feet of him now. Not only did it shove him behind Lupin, not just backwards but behind the man's back, but Narcissa had an emotional reaction that was like pure fear. No, it was best that she stay away.

“We can talk to her tomorrow and see if she wants to help,” Remus soothed, knowing this was a sore point with Lucius right now. “If she does, we can do something similar to what we just sent to Severus. If we pass notes and she sends them directly to me, we should be fine. I'm having the slight reaction of defense of you, but nothing I can't keep a handle on. I don't think a note will cause issues.”

“We'll do that,” Lucius told him firmly. “She may be able to see something in this nightmare we can't that we can use. I don't know.” Reaching out, he put a hand on Remus' shoulder. This was part of what they were noticing as well. Once in a while the urge to touch the man was there, something that drove him to do just that, even if it was as simple as a hand on his shoulder. That soothed Lucius in a way he couldn't explain and made him feel calmer, more relaxed, thus better able to deal with what was handed to them. As long as it worked, he wasn't going to question it much, at least not yet.

Reaching up and putting his hand over Lucius', Remus gave a sigh. Yes, that made him feel better as well, as odd as it sounded. With all this and what was manifesting, he was worried about the approaching full moon. While he kept his mind with the Wolfsbane, the animal instinct was something that was the wild card and he couldn't predict what it would do. That bothered him, greatly. “A right ruddy mess,” he muttered, thinking about all of it.

“That is an assessment that you'll hear no arguments from me about,” Lucius snorted, smirking slightly. Giving Remus' shoulder a squeeze, Lucius thumb rubbed it before he removed his hand. He felt better, like he could tackle anything, so he decided to press on. Picking up one of the books and opening it to the place that was marked, he sighed and delved into bonds to see what he could find. Even a tiny tidbit of information would help. That's all he hoped for.

Looking over at Lucius as he started working again, Remus gave a small smile. Well, at least the two of them weren't at each other's throats with wands drawn. That was a plus. The first couple of days had been rough, that's for sure, and both of them had done plenty of snarling at each other because of what they were blindsided with, but it had calmed. He just hoped it stayed that way was all. It was almost etched in stone that if Lucius started with the superior attitude that there were going to be problems, big ones.

Shaking his head, he picked up the next book to see what he could find. There had to be something because he wasn't going to sentence Lucius to the fate of being a werewolf. That's all there was to it.

Lying there in his bed well after midnight, Draco was curled up, clutching onto his pillow and staring out the window. With the wards around the room, everything was quiet, of course, something he was used to. The only thing he could hear was the soft wind whistling outside and Charlie's deep breathing from the bed behind him. Though he was staring out the window, he was focused on Charlie's breathing. There was something about hearing it that drew him. He didn't know why. After all, he had spent years in the dorm by now surrounded by others. Though there were silencing charms on the bed curtains, you could still hear some noises. Those he learned to ignore long ago. This, though—it was different and he didn't know why.

Sighing softly, he shut his eyes, curling up tighter and clutching the pillow. Head resting on another pillow, he tried to will himself to sleep. That didn't seem to want to happen, though. Instead, like had been going on since the bond happened, he felt the pull to go join Charlie in bed. In fact, the longing to do that was almost painful. He didn't though. No, he wasn't going to do that. This was his bed and he was going to stay right here. As it was, they didn't have much room apart from each other because of that tether, so he wasn't going to make it worse by curling up to the man. Besides, he didn't want to get used to it. Everyone was saying the bond wasn't breakable, but someone would find a way, he was sure of that. No, it was just temporary and he would then go back to the life he knew.

Letting out a soft whimper, he squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to focus on something besides the breathing behind him. No, he would manage and would sleep. He didn't need to be in bed with Charlie to do that. It would just take time was all. Nothing more.

Grunting softly, Severus cracked an eye open. He wasn't fully awake, of course, but was enough that something jarred him to open his eyes. Quickly his sleep groggy brain realized it wasn't anything to be wary off. Fred had just shifted in his sleep was all, one of his arms flopping over his back. Nothing more than that. Groaning, he turned his head and looked at George. He, too, was lying on his side, arm draped over his back. As Severus always slept on his stomach, he felt a little penned in by having both the twins sandwiching him, but it was something he was growing accustomed to.

Groaning, he shook his head then let it flop down on the pillow again. Shifting slightly, he sighed when he found a comfortable position. This was good. Shutting his eyes, he gave a soft sigh as sleep pulled at him. It was strange as he hadn't shared a bed to sleep with anyone in his entire life. He was adjusting though. After all, he had no choice in the matter. Besides, it wasn't that bad. The two generated plenty of body heat. He was one that was always cold, even in the summer, so having the two sandwich him on the bed felt good and kept him warm. There was also a peace when it came to them touching him. He didn't know why, but the nightmares he had been plagued with for years seemed to abate when the two did this. That was an upside he could easily deal with. The less he had to deal with those, the better off he was going to be.

Wiggling to get comfortable, Severus then went limp as sleep tugged harder at him. Somewhere in him he was horrified at sleeping like this still, but the logical side was stomping that flat. It couldn't be helped, he knew that. And if felt good and helped with something he had battled for years, he would go with it. After all, it wasn't like these two would talk about it with anyone.

Curled up, Lucius was breathing deeply as he slept. Remus, spooned up behind the man, arm draped over him, head resting against the blond's, was holding him close. This isn't how the two fell asleep, of course, but, since they had to share the bed it always ended up this way. Though neither would say it when awake, sleeping this way was the best rest either of them had gotten for years. It felt soothing. Remus somehow, felt relaxed holding Lucius and it calmed so much in him that he slept deeply, something that he usually didn't. Lucius was free of the nightmares he had suffered since the first war and the fear of what would happen to him if the Dark Lord finally managed to get his hands on him. Though he knew he was protected in this house, that fear had been there. When Remus held him, it wasn't. Somewhere in his psyche, something seemed to calm and tell him that nothing in the world could hurt him as long as Remus held him. It was good. Though it would horrify him when he was awake, asleep he could handle it and relished the deep relaxing rest it gave him.

Running his fingers through the sleeping Harry's hair, Sirius held his godson close. Harry's head was tucked under his chin with one of his arms draped over his side. Sirius was holding him with one arm. Bill was spooned up against Harry's back, an arm draped over the both of them.

Kissing Harry on top of the head, smiling a little as his godson mumbled something in his sleep and seemed to press tighter to him, Sirius' eyes slid shut. He was tired, that's all there was to it. The stress of this whole mess was enough to get to anyone. And it was getting to him. This, though—this felt so good that he wanted to keep doing it. He would too. Nothing said he couldn't. Harry was here, safe in his arms. Nothing could hurt him anymore. Bill was on the other side of his godson, holding him as well. Between the two of them, Harry was perfectly safe and no one would hurt him again. That was what he wanted.

As he drifted off, he remembered the talk with Harry about how this might not be so bad. While he agreed with that assessment then, he was agreeing more. It wasn't bad. In fact, he liked it. Oh, he might not like parts of it, that's for damned sure, but this—yeah, he did. In fact, he liked it more with each passing day. As there wasn't anything anyone could do to break the bond, he was going to keep right on liking it. To hell with those that couldn't accept it. They could go fuck themselves. And if they caused problems? Yeah, they were in trouble.

Nuzzling Harry's head with his own, he gave a contented sigh and slipped off to sleep.
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Hidden Truths