A Bunny Tale Part Three

When the letter arrived to Severus's secret post address detailing the new Ministry Policy requiring that all coney owners submit their pets for regular annual examinations, Severus's first thought was to ignore the request. He'd been careful to submit Harry's registration papers under a false identity and, even if they fined his other self, there would be no legal complications, as the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was entirely separate from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

However, there were diseases and specific physical conditions that coneys suffered from, and only so much that Madam Pomfrey knew about their health. Fines by the Ministry would build up over time and, should Severus ever be forced to acknowledge his false identity as his own, he would be legally required to pay them. It would be best for him to take Harry in, let him be examined and given all the necessary vaccinations.

As the starved, beaten kit had looked nothing like the well-groomed boy Severus had brought with him to Hogwarts, Severus had never bothered to disguise Harry when he'd taken him out before he left for Hogwarts. Now, it would take far more than removal of glasses and the addition of ears to prevent people from figuring out that the coney called Harry was the same individual as the human called Harry Potter.

Scheduling an appointment during the day when he and Harry normally cleaned and restocked the Potions lab, Severus slipped Harry out of Hogwarts and to his home. There, he Polyjuiced into his alternate persona and transformed Harry. With potions, he dyed the ears and tail white, and tanned Harry's skin a rich cinnamon colour. With his scar hidden and the hair lengthened until it rested upon his shoulders, Harry looked nothing like himself. His tunics were still kept in the house, but they weren't proper to wear in the cool of late March. Fashioning robes that clung to Harry's body and showed off his tail, Severus dressed him in the bright colours he'd seen other coneys wear. Crimson robes flecked with silver were matched with shiny black boots.

Happy with his new clothes and the prospect of spending the day out of the castle, Harry spun around on his heels and grabbed Severus's hand as they headed for the Floo.

"Can we stop by the ice cream shop?" He asked hopefully.

It wasn't on the way, but Severus didn't see why not. "Provided there is time."

It had been so long since Severus had last taken Harry out in his coney form and he'd forgotten what it was like to openly own a coney. At Hogwarts, no one looked at him twice when he walked down the halls with Harry. But in the Ministry, every single person who passed by stared at Harry. One man even walked into a statue, he was so distracted by Harry's presence. A few of the gawkers also fixed Severus with their stares, as if trying to figure out what sort of man he was. Not many had the wealth to afford a coney, and when Severus passed by a wizard leading his voluptuous female coney out of the Ministry, the owner exchanged a nod with him as an acknowledgement that there were very few of them in such a privileged group.

Harry, his eyes roaming eagerly over all the creatures and decorations of the Ministry, seemed not to notice all the attention. He only paid attention to individuals when the female coney passed by, and he stared at her as if he'd forgotten his own species existed.

When they entered the lift, Harry ignored the man standing behind him who stared at his arse and tail. Instead, he focused his eyes on the fluttering bits of parchment flying overhead.

They were the only coney and owner inside the waiting room for the Office of Pet Regulation. A witch was sitting in the corner with a basket full of Kneazle kittens, and a centaur was arguing with the receptionist over whether his Crup needed his forked tail clipped or not.

A side door opened and a man in veterinarian assistant robes called, "Harry? 421013. Dr Hauser will see you now."

Following the man back to the room where Dr Hauser was waiting, Severus motioned for Harry to sit on the examination table as soon as they entered.

"He'll need to take off his clothes," Dr Hauser said as he busied himself filling out paperwork.

Harry shot a look of alarm at Severus, but Severus nodded to him. "Do as he says. You need a check-up."

His ears flattening, Harry took off his robes and sat hunched forward, staring at the veterinarian with a glare of suspicion.

Turning to Severus, Dr Hauser looked down at the paperwork in his hands and asked, "Has he got any allergies?"

"No."

"Has he ever been sick for longer than three days?"

Severus looked at Harry. Harry shook his head.

"No."

"Fathered any kits?"

Harry made a disgusted face and Severus answered, "No."

"Has he been neutered?"

"No."

Dr Hauser glanced up at Severus. "Due to recent increases in the coney population, we now require all coney owners not registered as breeders to either have their pets neutered or, in the case of males you intend to breed, clipped."

"Clipped?"

Dr Hauser nodded. "Basically, a vasectomy for coneys. It's reversible, should you ever wish to breed him, and I can conduct the operation right now. It's quick. He'll be fully recovered before you leave the office. If you wish to schedule an appointment to get him neutered, that will take an hour and he'll need a day to recover."

It was the less detestable of the two options, so Severus nodded. "Very well. I'll have him clipped."

Dr Hauser walked over to Harry and pulled out his wand. One second, Harry was on the table, the next he was hiding behind Severus.

Severus had forgotten how much Harry hated having wands pointed at him. "It's okay," Severus told him, taking him by the arms and steering him back towards the table. "He's just going to make sure you don't father any kits."

"But I'm not going to!" protested Harry.

"I know that, but it's a requirement by the Ministry."

Harry shook his head violently and clung to Severus's robes. "I don't want anything cut off!"

Lifting Harry up, Severus sat him on the table. "He's not going to cut anything off. He'll just seal the tubes that deliver sperm." Pushing Harry back down on the table, Severus spread his legs, then moved to the side.

His ears back and his eyes on the vet, Harry lay still as Dr Hauser approached. With his wand in his right hand, Dr Hauser reached down with his left and pushed Harry's penis to the side. At the touch, Harry kicked his legs, hitting Dr Hauser hard enough in the chest to knock him backwards, then jumped off the table and escaped behind Severus once again.

"I'm not doing it," Harry declared. "I don't need it."

Hauser glared at Severus and waspishly said, "You'll need to make your coney behave."

Pulling himself up to his full height, Severus said, "He doesn't want the operation and he's right, he doesn't need it."

Hauser shook his head. "He needs it. He's a coney. They only act sexually faithful. Believe me, he'll spread his legs every single chance he gets - whether with you or someone else. If you want-"

Severus knew it was pointless to argue, but he couldn't allow that statement to go unchallenged. "You know absolutely nothing about him. He doesn't need to be fixed."

"When he fathers a kit-"

"Which he won't. Harry, put on your clothes, we're leaving."

Harry eagerly scrambled over to gather them up, retreating behind Severus to pull them on.

Hauser tried again. "The law requires-"

Looking down his nose with disdain, Severus interrupted, "The law requires that I prevent my coney from producing any more kits. I am a Potions Master. I can certainly brew a contraceptive for him. I'll fill out the paperwork if necessary."

Harry had finished dressing and Severus took him by the hand. Shooting a final dark glare at the vet, Severus said, "If you try to force me to perform any sort of surgery on him, I will sue you."

With that, he marched out of the room and back to the main office. At the receptionist's desk, Severus said, "I would like to file a complaint."

Arching an eyebrow, the receptionist slid a scroll across the desk towards Severus.

Harry stood patiently beside Severus for a moment before he asked the receptionist, "Where's the loo?"

"Down the hall and to the left," she answered.

Harry left in the direction she had indicated.

After filing the complaint (where he made sure to question the man's professional credentials), Severus submitted the paperwork necessary to prove himself capable of handling Harry's reproductive issues. If he had to, he would register to be a breeder. He didn't blame Harry for being reluctant to have an operation on such an important body part.

By the time he'd finished, Harry still hadn't returned from the loo. Had he got lost? Severus went off in search of him.

He pushed open the door to find no one in front of the urinals and all the stall doors open. From the last one came a low male voice which said, "Don't play coy with me. I know what a little slut like you really wants."

In a dark, angry voice, Harry said, "Touch me and I'll kill you!"

Marching down to the last stall, Severus cast, "Mastigo!" and hit the back of the wizard who had been staring at Harry's arse in the lift. Delight bloomed across Harry's face and he escaped around the fallen wizard, darting to Severus's side. Lifting his wand again, Severus cast more and more until Harry grabbed his arm and said, "Let's go."

Grasping Harry's hand, Severus led him from the Ministry.

Normally cheerful and talkative, Harry was quiet throughout the rest of their trip, even when Severus bought him ice cream.

When they stopped by Severus's house to change their clothing and appearances, Severus pulled Harry against him. "Don't worry," he said as he petted Harry's ears, which were still flat against his head. "I'll never take you there again. They were all idiots."

Harry lifted his head to meet Severus's eyes. "Promise?"

"Of course." Severus kissed him. "You don't deserve to be treated like that. You're better than they are."

Harry's lips curled up in a smile and he stood on his tiptoes to kiss Severus back.

After they'd made love, Severus took Harry back to Hogwarts where they were promptly greeted by Draco's rapid knocking on Severus's door. For a moment, Severus was tempted to ignore the knocking. After all, it wasn't as if Draco would ever know if he wasn't there or simply had chosen not to answer. However, a look at Harry - still not his normal self - was enough for Severus to wave aside the viewing spell and open the door.

Throwing open the door with a glower at the spoiled boy, Severus said, "This better be important."

Ignoring Severus, Draco called to Harry, "Hagrid has a new batch of Nogtails!"

Harry cast a pleading glance at Severus.

Shaking his head, Severus said, "Run along." He'd clean the cauldrons himself.

Harry bounded out the door after Draco.

~

Although the visit to the Ministry had subdued Harry's spirits, they didn't remain low for long, especially after Severus revealed that the Tri-Wizard Tournament would be taking place the following year. As they lay in bed together after a lengthy sex session, Harry demanded to know every single detail of the past tournaments.

"They really fight dragons?" He asked, his head propped up on Severus's chest and his ears completely vertical.

Severus lazily stroked Harry's back. "Yes, which is exactly why you are staying far away from the tournament. It's far too dangerous for a kit like you."

"I'm not scared of dragons," boasted Harry.

"My point stands." Severus tweaked one ear. "A dragon would bite you in half. They love coneys."

Harry harrumphed. "That's what you said about werewolves, how they loved to eat coneys, but Professor Lupin hasn't tried to eat me."

Severus cocked an eyebrow at Harry. "Do you really think I would let a coney-loving werewolf run rampant throughout the school?"

His eyes widening, Harry asked, "You give him a potion to suppress his appetite? I mean, the Wolfsbane doesn't completely get rid of his wolf side, does it?"

"It doesn't," said Severus. And then, because Harry was foolish enough to believe him, he continued the lie, "There are various methods I can use to prevent him from eating you. I can cover your clothes in smells he'll find repugnant. I can mix a potion into his Wolfsbane to lessen his attraction to the taste of meat. I can give him potions to calm his mood and appetite in general. You don't ever have to worry about a thing."

Harry pushed himself up off Severus's chest to get a better look. His eyes had grown huge and he stared at Severus with open admiration. "Wow, you can really do that?"

"Of course," said Severus smugly. "I'm a Potions Master."

Harry grinned. "If you can do that with a werewolf, then you could also do that with a dragon! You can make it so that I can ride a dragon!"

Fuck. How had he not seen that one coming? Quickly coming up with excuses, Severus said, "It's a bit different with dragons."

"Why?" Harry frowned.

"They're not mammals like werewolves and coneys."

"So?"

"Their limbic systems are set up differently. I can modify human potions to work on werewolves and coneys; I can't do the same with dragons."

Harry's desire to ride a dragon was not so easily put aside. "But isn't it just a matter of adjusting it far enough. I mean, you do know how their brains work, right?"

There was only one thing he could do. Flipping them around to put Harry beneath him, Severus slowly kissed down Harry's chest. "I do."

"Ohhhh," said Harry, pressing his lithe body up against Severus's. "Then you could make a potion."

"I could," lied Severus. "If I wanted to." He spread Harry's legs and settled between them.

"It would be so useful! Charlie has to work so hard to tame the dragons, and you could make it so easy with a few potions!"

What had he got himself into? "Potion supplies are not endless, nor are they always easy to acquire." And then, before Harry could uncover his lies, Severus distracted him the only way he could be sure to keep Harry from asking any more questions - at least for the time being.

~

Severus had learnt long ago that Harry could be quite persistent once a notion got into his furry head, and he knew that a large distraction would be required to make Harry forget about riding dragons. The best method of distraction was frequent offers of sex and, although the end of the year was fast approaching, Severus made sure to give Harry orgasms every chance he got. It was with that goal in mind that he managed to extract himself early from a meeting with Dumbledore, and head to the library to find his coney.

Harry was found in a far corner, books spread across the table, and Granger by his side. When he noticed Severus, he did an extraordinary thing. Closing the book before him, he turned it so that the spine faced his body and leant forward over it, setting his arms upon it. The smile on his face was genuine and the hiding of the book so casual, Severus would have missed it had he not been conditioned to notice such things after years of observing students.

What on earth could Harry be hiding from him?

Ignoring Granger, Severus said, "A new batch of supplies has arrived."

Harry knew all too well that there were none scheduled to arrive, and his smile widened further. "I'll be right there."

Knowing that hanging around the library would just arouse Harry's suspicions, Severus turned and marched back to the Potions Lab. When Harry arrived, he had sex with him, then sent him away again with an excuse about essays to grade. Later, after he was sure Harry was in Lupin's classroom, putting away supplies, he slipped to the library and requested to view the list of books Harry had checked out. Madam Pince showed him the list which, in addition to the books he'd checked out for his lessons with Granger, also consisted of books about potions, Quidditch, and fantastical creatures. None of them were topics that Harry would feel the need to hide from him. Whatever book Harry had been reading, he'd kept it in the library, and it wasn't from the restricted section.

Heading back to his lab, Severus brewed a detection potion. He had to be careful. As much as he wanted to know Harry's secrets, he wasn't willing to harm any books in the process. He also had to be sure not to rouse Harry's suspicions. After hours of brewing, he finally created his masterpiece: a clear, odourless salve that could be spread on the skin without leaving a trace and wouldn't wash away easily. It left a residue on books that could be detected with a spell provided it was applied within the last day. Unfortunately, the salve left traces for only three hours after application. If Harry didn't visit the library within three hours of waking, the salve would have to be applied during the day.

Each morning, before Harry woke, Severus covered his hands in the salve. At night, when he did his regular patrols, he checked the library to see which books Harry had touched. For ten days, he found nothing. Either Harry was touching the books later in the day, or he'd stop handling them. It wasn't until Severus had the brilliant idea of hiding the salve in a lube and telling Harry he had a meeting to attend, that books glowed in the library. In addition to the books required for that day's lesson - apparently on concealment laws - Harry'd also read books on interspecies transformation and legal rights.

That Harry would be interested in remaining human permanently didn't surprise Severus. He'd expected as much since he'd seen how the general populace bothered Harry once they were aware he was a coney. At Hogwarts, Harry'd never been molested (unless one counted Draco) or treated as anything other than an ordinary boy. He'd realised what his life would've been like had he been born human, and he wanted that. Severus couldn't blame him.

However, why was he interested in legal rights for non-human species? One book that had Harry's handprints all over it promotted setting house-elves free. Considering Harry's exclusively negative opinion of house-elves, Severus couldn't imagine Harry eagerly researching how to free them of his own accord. Granger might be partially responsible, but even she'd not managed to kindle Harry's interest in subjects for which he had no inclination. Not to mention if Harry was only concerned about the house-elves, he wouldn't have been so secretive and hidden the book.

Did Harry want to be freed? He'd never shown any indication that he was unhappy with Severus. If anything, Severus had always thought that any attempt to separate himself from Harry would result in Harry's wild refusal. Had he misunderstood the strength of Harry's affections after all this time?

It was a thought that wouldn't leave Severus's head and he trudged back to the dungeons. His night time shift wasn't over, but he needed to see Harry. After undressing, he slipped into bed. Harry nuzzled comfortably against him, his ears pricking, then relaxing as he drifted further into sleep.

"Harry," said Severus as he gently shook him.

"Hm?" asked Harry sleepily, his eyes cracking open.

"I've been thinking about spending summer holidays here at Hogwarts. What do you think about that?"

Harry snuggled closer against him. "Sounds good."

"Which do you prefer?"

Yawning, Harry said, "Either is fine with me."

Earlier in the year, Harry had been adamant that he preferred Severus's home over Hogwarts. What had changed? Stroking a soft ear, Severus said, "If we stay at my home you'll get to cook and clean again."

"Oh," said Harry. He didn't sound very enthusiastic about it. "That's right." He yawned again and closed his eyes.

Maybe a summer alone together was what they needed. Wrapping his arms around Harry and holding him to his chest, Severus drifted off to sleep.