Rescued

As they neared the top of the staircase the door at the top opened, “Hello, my boys. So glad you could join me,” Albus said as they entered his office and sat in the three cushy pouf chairs in front of his desk. He offered them each a cup of tea, made the way each of them liked it, which they accepted then sank back into their chairs to relax and listen to what the barmy old codger had to say this time.

Severus snorted, “As if we had a choice in the matter.”

The Headmaster waved his sarcasm off and continued, “Now, I know the three of you wish to be bonded,” Harry bit his lip to stop from laughing, Draco looked at Albus as if he were insane, they hadn’t told anyone, and Severus just shook his head, “So we’ll have to get all the arranged. I know you boys would like to do this as soon as possible but Draco and Harry are still under 18,” the two younger men moved to speak and he held up his hand, “I’m well aware 16 is the legal age, but Severus is still a professor at this school. Now, I’m also aware that he’s no longer your professor, Harry, but he’s Draco’s. And until Draco is 17 there are laws and rules, both of the Wizarding World in general and of this school, that state if the student is under the age of 17 and still being taught by said professor it is not lawful. However, since Harry is already 17 and seeing as Severus no longer teaches him, this will not be an issue. Draco, I believe you turn 17 over Easter break?” The blonde nodded and he went on, “Then the three of you, should you agree, shall be bonded the day after young Malfoy’s 17th birthday. As to the living arrangements, I’m afraid you won’t be able to cohabitate until the bonding has been performed because Severus is a professor. But, and I know this will not stop you from spending nights together, it is not my goal to prevent it, I will have a private floo connection made immediately between your chambers, Draco and Harry, and Severus’. That way we can keep up the pretense of separate living quarters. Is that satisfactory?”

Severus had been nodding through most of that because it was things he already knew. For one he hadn’t thought the Headmaster would have allowed the bonding until after Harry and Draco had left school. But the Headmaster had his reasons and now that Voldemort was dead and he had finally found happiness, Severus couldn’t find it in him to care what the old coot was up to.

Draco was a little nervous, he knew what they were doing wasn’t illegal, and he knew the laws, but everything Dumbledore had said was more than he had hoped for. He would still get to live with Harry and the two of them could spend their nights with Severus as long as they were discreet about it. That meant leaving his chambers the way they went in and not getting caught leaving his rooms looking disheveled.

Harry had known all of this would be said because he knew Albus almost as well as Severus did and he wasn’t blind to the fact that the Headmaster knew more than he let on, not to mention the fact that Harry was aware he would help them in any way he could. Now all he had to do was convince his two lovers everything would be ok. At least he no lno longer a virgin; that thought made him smirk.

Albus twinkled more when he saw Harry smirk, knowing in general what the young man was thinking; he had been young once as well, though it had been many years ago. He knew they would want to get back to whatever they planned on doing that day so he decided to give them an out, “We’re finished, if you would like to go back to your rooms and…do whatever it is you youngens get up to.”

Severus wanted to kill that twinkle, “Yes, Albus, I believe we will do just that. I trust you will have all the arrangements taken care of for the bonding in April?” Dumbledore nodded, “And the floo connection?”

“Already taken care of, my boy,” he said smugly. He had that done before he had even summoned them hours earlier.

“Thank you professor,” Harry said softly as he stood and took Severus’ hand.

“Yes, thank you,” Draco said as he joined the other two.

He merely nodded and smiled as they turned and left; those three boys were all he had left in this world to care for. He had always felt like a father to Severus and then when Harry had come to Hogwarts he had felt the filial bond once more. His fatherly feelings for Draco had developed a bit later, but they were there all the same.