• 1-A Most Trusted Soldier
• 2-2
• 3-3
• 4-4
• 5-5
• 6-6
• 7-7
• 8-8
• 9-9
• 10-10
• 11-11
• 12-12
• 13-13
• 14-14
• 15-15
• 16-16
• 17-17
• 18-18
• 19-19
• 20-20
• 21-21
• 22-22
• 23-23
• 24-24
• 25-25
• 26-26
• 27-Author's Note: update
• 28-Still getting reviews...

To all my other reviewers THANKS! You all give make me bubble with joy at seeing your thoughts. I also appreciate the immense restraint many of you showed in not pelting me with rotting food or casting Unforgivables at the close of Chapter 5. You've made your parents and primary school teachers very proud no doubt :)

“Enervate.”

As soon as Hermione sheathed her wand inside her robe sleeve Severus’ coal-black eyes fluttered open, roaming warily around the small, cluttered office as the room came back into focus.
“All right, Professor?” Hermione asked flashing a wry smile.

Granger. Office. Potter. Geas. Amoral. Keywords from their previous conversation flashed through Severus’ mind as he steadied his hands and smoothed them over his robe, surreptitiously checking himself over for injuries.

“How long was I out?” he asked, unable to completely prevent his own lips from quirking upwards upon seeing Hermione’s I-told-you-so expression.

“About five minutes. Don’t worry, I’ve stored the memory—for insurance,” Hermione replied innocently, with a fair impression of a Slytherin grin planted firmly on her face. Severus wanted to be mad, to roar at the young witch and threaten her with all manner of nasty hexes. Yet, he had to respect her opportunism a little. Further he found he couldn’t muster the energy after having heard the long-kept secret with which she had parted.

“I see. Perhaps I owe you an apology. That information was far more startling that I had expected,” Severus admitted.

Hermione cocked her head to one side not unlike a curious puppy. She sat for a moment studying the unusually subdued man before her. Yes, she could see it all clearly written upon his face. Just that quickly Severus got it, as she knew he would.

“Now that you know do you still desire Harry as your Guardian?”

“Oh, I dare say I do. I am sure that by the time I make it back to the safety of my dungeons I will no doubt be desiring far more than a simple Guardianship of Potter…Harry.”

Once again Hermione was struck at just how distant the man seemed. He spoke as though she were not even in the room, his tone oddly monotone and emotionless.

“Professor!” Hermione snapped. Severus jumped slightly and stared at her as if she had only just entered the room.

“As I understand it, Dark Sought, while not classified as a magical creature…”

‘That is because we are not creatures,” Severus said with a sneer. “I am as human as you. Don’t pretend that you have not read every scrap of information on the Dark Sought since hearing it from your spouse.”

“Quite right you are, on both counts,” Hermione replied. “Yet, while you are not a magical creature, Dark Sought will always seek a source of magical strength and power. This is why Voldemort was so appealing, was it not? It was one of the reasons Dumbledore was the perfect Guardian for you,” said Hermione lightly.

“Indeed,” Severus replied, finally standing from the floor and reseating himself in a chair. “You are correct to assume that my nature would be highly attuned to a powerful wizard or witch. However, through a combination of self-control and the Right I have been more than able to suppress the instinct to seek out a powerful mate. The Dark Sought, as you would now be aware, are not compelled to mate like most humans. We don’t fear solitary lives. Yet it would be near impossible for a Dark Sought to resist pursuing a highly powerful wizard or witch of appropriate age should one be in their near vicinity.”

“Harry has been rather powerful since he showed up at Hogwarts. How were you able to avoid such a lure?”

Severus regarded the young witch with a look that was almost one of approval. That question was one that he had desperately hoped no one felt the need to ask during Harry Potter’s school years. He and Dumbledore had agreed that Severus would need to be especially vigilant that he not become too enticed by the magical power the young man wielded so effortlessly.

“For nearly six of those years Potter was far too young to be a temptation. Then there was the war and there was barely time to sleep and eat, let alone be distracted by carnal desires. Luckily, during his seventh year as a student Dumbledore was also able to help me manage through the Right. Even still I went through great lengths to ensure that he and I would never be in a position where I could take advantage of him. I ensured that he loathed me. Knowing now that he is the stronger of us, I…feel… the possibilities.”

The possibilities were bountiful in Severus’ mind. There had been times, mostly during the start of a term, when he could smell the boy from across the room or even sense his magical aura around a corner. Harry’s magic thrummed and echoed in a way that only someone like Severus could sense. Even idle Harry’s magic felt like a strong body blow at times; at others it was like standing under a very warm, silky waterfall. Both would leave Severus’ weak-kneed and afraid he would need to clutch a wall for support. When Harry was particularly excited or angered his magic felt like the façade of a stone— harsh, cool, impenetrable and gritty.

After being away from the young man for the course of a summer, Severus would let his guard down and lessen his staunch control just a bit the way businessmen loosened their ties after a long day at work. Then at summer’s end, the wizarding world’s savior would return to Hogwarts. Severus never needed to see Harry to know when he entered the castle for the first time after a break, for as soon as Harry came near the Great Hall a surge of magic would hit Severus so hard that he felt winded. He was ever thankful that his duties at the return feast were limited. At least that way he could remain seated at the head table, eyes locked on his food, while he struggled to remember all the reasons why he had to resist the boy’s allure.

“That explains a lot. Thank you for you honesty. I must admit I am a little shocked at how forthright you are at this moment. Why?” Hermione asked.

Severus took a deep breath and Hermione could almost see a bit of the man’s infamous emotional barricades come down.

“For a very long time I have been attending to the wishes, agendas, and needs of two of the most powerful wizards to grace the earth. I have been a wishbone between the Light and the Dark. I am tired of that scenario, yet I find that I still wish to be of use to… someone. That is my personal agenda in all this, as I know you are wondering,” Severus shot a critical eye towards Hermione, which she acknowledged in kind. “I could rescind the Right, resign my post as Potions Professor and move on to other shores. Yet, that is not what I want. Now, for the first time I can have something I want; I want Potter, pure and simple. I wanted him before, but he was decidedly off limits. Now, he is not. In addition, my being less than open with you, who may ally with me in this endeavor, would not serve me well.”

Hermione nodded.

“I also noticed that while I was out you placed a truth-telling spell on me,” Severus drawled.

At that Hermione had the decency to blush. “Well, I need to know what your motivations are towards Harry. Despite the geas I won’t allow you to pursue him if you wish to subject him in some way, though I doubt seriously that you could.”

“While I have no desire to subject Potter to anything he would not be willing to do, why are you so certain I would not succeed should I want to do so. The thrall of a Dark Sought can be very beguiling.”

Hermione scoffed. “What do you know of the Amorals?”

“I confess not much, but I know that the race is supposed to be extinct. Yet here you are telling me Potter is one.”

“No. That is not what I said. I said Harry is a descendant of the High Amoral, the only one on record. When we ran a heritage tracer on his blood a few years back we learned that most of his Amoral traits are recessive. However, there are some that are prominent for him. Harry could be considered a just under a quarter Amoral.”

Hermione turned to reseat herself behind the desk, conjuring fresh tea and biscuits along the way. Severus sat forward in his seat and took up the pot, serving them both a cup.

“I take it you are familiar with the legend of the Amorals?” Hermione asked, accepting the cup and saucer Severus handed across to her.

“Yes, somewhat. The High Amorals came to be when a sect of High Elves broke from the Elven council and entered into the wizarding world, whereby they proceeded to marry outside of the Elven race. They partnered exclusively with powerful wizards and witches, as they believed it was the best way to increase their numbers and fortify the magic of their offspring. The offspring became known as the Amorals, named so because both wizards of the time and Elves thought such relations went against the natural order of things. Not unlike how some Muggles feel about people of different skin color marrying and procreating. However, by the time Grindelwald came on the scene the race was all but instinct having suffered a serious depletion in numbers due to having been hunted by wizards who felt the Amorals were attempting some sort of wizarding genocide through intermixing. It was a classic precursor to the pureblood mania of Voldemort. Those remaining few fled back to the Elven realm and begged back into Elven society, albeit at a lesser status. Shortly after that the Elves closed off their realm to the outside world.”

“You have digested the basic history accurately,” said Hermione. Then she asked Severus to open the book she had given him and read aloud the section she had already bookmarked. Severus tapped the thin book with his wand and spoke the password. The pages flipped on their own accord before stopping at a predetermined, well worn page. Severus began reading:

Descendant from the High Elves, the race of Amorals are highly skilled and highly powerful magical beings. As half human and half elf Amorals possess an enormous and near instinctual talent for elemental and wandless magic, as well as telepathic abilities. Amoral magic, while strong, can also be volatile. When angered Amorals have a tendency to lose control of their magic, much like immature magical children. This loss of control is often accompanied by paranoia, which can be dangerous for anyone nearby whom the Amoral would not consider family.

Amorals, as the name implies, are neither good nor evil. They walk the line of moral indifference, seeking only pleasure, recreation and peace. This characteristic is a result of nurture not nature, although over time it may graft onto the Amoral genes and become a natural trait. Typically, Amorals will not fight unless provoked or directly threatened, but they have keen survival instincts and are well suited for battle given their natural magical talents. They are typically tall, slender yet muscular, fast runners, and have an affinity for organic surroundings, preferring to spend inordinate amounts of time outside, even in inclement weather. When ill, the first symptom an Amoral may display is the need to remain outside constantly. This is thought to help recharge their elemental magic, which has natural healing properties.

Amorals, due to the disfavor with which they are looked upon by larger wizarding society, have had to adapt in an effort to continue to procreate. Thus, Amoral males can impregnate their partner(s), regardless of gender, once every two years during their three-day long breeding phase. This phase is characterized by increased sexual appetite, fierce protectiveness and possessiveness of their mate(s), and around the clock seclusion until the end of the phase. While not polygamous by nature, due to the aforementioned difficulties in finding suitable mates, Amorals have been known to accept multiple mates for life. The first or primary mate will always be superior to any others. Should this occur, all subsequent mates will have equal standing in the affections of the Amoral.

During sex Amorals bleed a bit of magic from their mates, necessitating a strong sexual partner. It is not an exchange. If not careful an Amoral could potentially drain a magical partner. Amorals fight their mates just prior to the first sexual encounter to determine sexual dominance. However, despite the outcome, the Amoral will be the decision maker in the relationship and will still be sexually dominant during the breeding phase. At all times the Amoral gives off a pheromone that, unless controlled, will draw the attention of sexually mature humans or elves around them. This can create a severe reaction from an Amoral mate, especially if carrying. It is not unheard of for an Amoral mate, when threatened for their Amoral’s affections, to become brazenly jealous and even seek to harm their competition.

Severus closed the book and his eyes as if trying to disappear.

“Okay there, Professor?” Hermione asked. She knew that learning the facts about the Amorals could be a bit overwhelming. When she learned it she had been off kilter for a week. Harry just sulked for a few days before asking her to research a potion that could help him stifle the pheromone. In a way he had taken it better than any of the three. Harry was just used to weird shit happening in his life and this was just another of “those things”.

“Yes, I am fine. So tell me, which of these traits are prominent in Potter?” Severus asked.

“Well, before we get to that you should know that Harry has been on a broad spectrum inhibiting potion since his seventeenth birthday. To be honest we don’t truly know the full extent of Harry’s powers,” Hermione said, a bit uncomfortably.

Severus’ eyes went wide. “Dear Merlin! You mean Potter could be even more powerful than we have seen?”

“Oh, I’d bet on it. He was on the potion when he killed Voldemort, and if you recall that little display left a Hogwarts-sized hole in the ground that has yet to be fully healed.”

Severus could not believe it. No wonder he had nearly succumbed so long ago. He had always secretly wondered if he was giving in to the Dark Sought, if he was being too weak. He had chided himself and Albus both that they were not trying hard enough through the Right to keep his instincts in check. Albus’ had said in that damnable grandfatherly tone that they were doing all they could. Little did Severus know at the time that the old coot had been telling the undiluted truth.

Hermione, wanting to get it all out in the open continued. “We know this: Harry can impregnate a partner and does get really randy every couple of years. He secludes himself for a few days and when we next see him he looks exhausted and a bit thinner, probably because he has no mate. He also does the bleeding magic thing, but the potion helps. He also dates mostly Muggles for that reason, not to mention they know a hoot about his celebrity. The potion also fairly stamps out the pheromone issue. It is no secret that Harry can do wandless magic, or that he is powerful. He has never exhibited telepathic ability, but that could change if he mates or bonds. He also loves to be outside. Flying, laying about in the grass, climbing trees, swimming, hiking, etcetera are all things he loves.”

Severus nodded his head in understanding, but did not look Hermione in the eye as he asked a follow up question. “Do you know, Mrs. Weasley, if Potter would be open to mating with a male?”

Hermione chuckled. “Oh please, Professor. Don’t try to tell me you and all the other Hogwarts professors, not to mention the Order, didn’t know Harry was fucking Blaise all seventh year? Harry is bisexual, but I would say from the list of lovers I have met that he leans heavily towards men.”

Hermione did not miss the anticipatory gleam in the professor’s eyes at that estimation. Severus had known about Harry and Blaise, but had dismissed it as wartime, schoolboy experimentation.

“So, you understand even more, yes? Our problem is two-fold. Harry won’t accept your Right because he won’t want to bleed magic from you, impregnate you against your will, or force you to fight off every power-seduced wizard in a 20 mile radius. Two, he also won’t want to give up the potion, which your power-seeking nature will inevitably demand.”

Severus scowled at the reminder that they had one obstinate, Harry Potter-shaped problem to contend with. “Well, if he won’t accept me as a mate, perhaps I can persuade him that Albus put us together because of the protective aspects of the Right. By accepting my Right he would gain my unwavering loyalty, plus a protector—not that he needs one. But if we could convince him that this is what Albus intended, which may not be far off the truth knowing Albus, then perhaps we can play to that over developed guilt-complex Potter has.”

Hermione shook her head. “Harry will see through that. But, if you tell him what you told me, be honest about your motivations, he may agree.”

Seeing the scandalized look on Severus’ face, Hermione continued, “I don’t mean you have to grovel at his feet and tell him how warm you are for the sex. I meant tell him about having a chance to do what you want, not what others want. Harry can understand that better than most. If you can convince him that you want to do this for yourself and not because Albus dictated it in his will, then he may just go along. Then, once he accepts the Right we can perhaps break him down a bit on the other stuff.”

Severus was amazed that he actually thought it a good plan. Perhaps his new ally would be handy after all. “I almost forgot, you never told me why you want Potter off the potion so badly. I mean if you are agreeing to help me get him as my Custodian and then perhaps my lover there must be other forces at work.”

“Ah, I was hoping you’d not ask that. Foolish of me I know,” Hermione said, two bright spots of red coloring her cheeks. “Well, you’re bound to find out sooner or later. I want Harry to accept your Right because I think he is the best one for it, and despite your less than congenial attitude towards me as a student I owe you a life debt for saving me at the final battle. Lastly, I want Harry off the potion because—and I have not informed him of this yet— the potion is slowly eating away at his magic and his liver. If he were to remain on it indefinitely I am afraid that by the time he was your age he’d be near a squib,” Hermione said in a rush, horrified at the prospect of the most powerful wizard of the age losing his magic.

Severus leveled an assessing glare at the young witch. He knew all about going behind someone’s back for their own good and in this case he could not truly blame the young woman for doing so. However, he doubted Potter would be so quick to see it that way. Severus knew Hermione was taking a big risk by revealing Potter’s secret without his knowledge, no matter the reason. If she was willing to risk a lifelong friendship the least he could do was risk a little pride.

“I see. Well, given what you have told me I say we cross wands on the matter and bind in agreement to see the endeavor through. Then, we go see Potter,” Severus said in a tone that left no wiggle room.

Hermione nodded and held her wand out crossing it over Severus’ as they made a vow of allegiance. They were both sweeping down the stairs, off to see Harry, before the glow of the vow had fully dissipated.