Slytherin Match

Dumbledore waved his quill in the air. \"I won\'t bore you with the finer details, but needless to say, your bond will be a bit more complex than before,\" he said in a rather mysterious fashion.

Severus started to puff up like some angry bird-of-prey and Harry laid his hand on his husband\'s arm to soothe him.

\"Complex how?\" Severus demanded with a steely look in his eye.

Dumbledore smiled benignly at both of them. Harry\'s hair started to rise on the back of his neck. Now he understood Sev\'s skepticism where Dumbledore was concerned. The man was a genius but, as Sev would say, \"quite barking mad\".

\"While I was setting up the anti-curse charm, I just tweaked the bond a bit,\" he said.

Severus, who was rapidly turning a fine shade of puce, gritted out, \"The bottom line, Albus, what is the bottom line?\"

Dumbledore cocked his head at both of them, as though studying a particularly interesting problem.

\"I\'ve strengthened the bond between the two of you just a tad. Your bracelets are now evidence of that. Formerly, they were but a symbol of the magical and temporal bond; now, they are a protective charm in and of themselves. They will let you know when danger approaches one or the other of you, how your partner is feeling, they may even allow you to communicate through great distances to one another. I\'m not sure of their limits right now. This is something you will have to find out yourselves, I\'m afraid. Truthfully, I\'ve never done a spell like this before,\" Dumbledore finished up with a wide smile.

Harry grabbed Severus\' hand as he started to reach for his wand in his robes. Harry wasn\'t sure that Sev wouldn\'t try to hex the headmaster.

\"An experiment?\" Severus said caustically. \"Is that what we are to you?\"

Harry frowned at Dumbledore, for the first time feeling anger rise in him. He kept a strong grip on Sev, however.

\"Never,\" Dumbledore said. \"Both you and Harry are precious to me, and not just because of what you mean to the Order. I look upon you both as the sons I never had. What I did was for your benefit, to give you every advantage in the upcoming battle. I fear you will need it more than most, as Voldemort\'s enmity is no small thing. Just because he failed this time doesn\'t mean he won\'t attempt something in the future.\"

\"Thank you, Headmaster,\" Harry said quietly.

Severus looked across at his husband. Both he and Harry were safe. Dumbledore\'s trap had succeeded. It was enough for now.

\"I think I hear our friends the Aurors on the stairs. Cornelius has been most punctual,\" he said in a jovial manner.

Severus snorted. \"Harry and I have to wash up before classes. I assume you can hold off any interviews until the end of the day?\"

Dumbledore made a shooing motion with his hand, \"Yes, please take yourselves off. I will handle the paperwork.\"

Harry, getting up from his chair, hesitated. \"Headmaster, what will happen to Professor Trelawney?\"

\"I fear, Harry, that her mind is not sound. I will recommend that she be taken to St. Mungos for care,\" he said gently.

Severus looked over Harry\'s head and met Dumbledore\'s eyes. They both knew Sibyll would die very quickly if she were taken to Azkaban. The weak-minded always did.

The staircase slowloppeopped, and three Aurors stepped out. Severus and Harry made their way into the moving staircase on their way to their chambers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Voldemort was raging. \"Useless cow! Why did I ever think she could accomplish even this small task?\"

Peter shivered and curled up in a tighter ball. He knew, of course, the question was rhetorical.

Lucius Malfoy bowed low and prayed that his master wouldn\'t loose the Cruciatus Curse on him again in his fury.

Lord Voldemort\'s black robes flapped around him as he paced back and forth.

Peter, sensing a chink in Lucius\' armor, started to speak in a low, oily tone. \"My Lord, how could you not have known that Dumbledore was setting up a counter spell? Your spies should have provided you with that information,\" he said.

Lucius turned a venomous glance in Wormtail\'s direction. That little greasespot was trying to usurp his power with the master.

\"Yesss, Lucius,\" he hissed. \"How was it that you, with all your valuable contacts inside Hogwarts, did not tell me of this?\" said Voldemort, moving in snakelike fashion towards Lucius.

Lucius broke out in a cold sweat. \"My Lord, my contacts, as good as they are, are unable to pierce the mind of Dumbledore. If his beard knew his plans he would cut it off. He trusts no one to be his secret-keeper.\"

Lucius waited on knife\'s edge for his Master\'s reaction. Either he would die or Lord Voldemort would be merciful

Lucius jumped when he heard a bark of dark laughter from Voldemort.

\"True enough. It is a most vexing problem,\" he said musingly. \"But Dumbledore may have overplayed his hand this time. He is weakening, and I am growing stronger. Well enough, we wait for another day,\" with that, Voldemort turned and moved towards a deserted cottage in the woods.

Lucius reached for his snake-head cane as though to strike out at Wormtail, but years odgiodging curses had made Peter agile. He scurried after his Master, avoiding a confrontation with the furious Lucius.

Lucius stalked away in a foul temper.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco Malfoy was irritable and depressed. He had spread-eagled himself out on the sofa in the middle of the Slytherin Common Room with his friends surrounding him.

The Ball had been a disaster. Aurors were crawling all over Hogwarts due to the botched murder attempt on Professor Snape. If this continued, his family and all the other Voldemort supporters would lose all respect. It was intolerable.

The door to the Common Room opened up and Blaise Zabini stepped tgh wgh with Neville Longbottom.

Draco saw. H. He snapped up into sitting position.

\"What the devil do you think you\'re doing, Zabini? Get Longbottom out of here,\" he spat.

The tall, handsome boy grabbed Neville\'s hand and drew him forward.

\"Neville is my boyfriend and is here as my guest,\" he said coolly. \"If you have any problems with that I suggest you speak to our Head of House. Professor Snape has given permission,\" he continued with a nasty glint in his eye.

Crabbe and Goyle looked at Draco for instruction. Draco gnashed his teeth, but knew he\'d been outmaneuvered.

Neville looked like he wanted to be any place on earth but there. He had known this had been a bad idea, but Blaise had been so insistent. He turned worried eyes towards his boyfriend.

Before Neville could say a word, Blaise dropped a quick kiss on his lips. \"I\'ll take you up to my room, now,\" he said, squeezing one of Neville\'s buttocks as he spoke.

Neville squeaked and reddened, but didn\'t protest further.

Blaise flashed a triumphant smile over his shoulder at Draco as he led Neville away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

\"You planned this all along, didn\'t you, my dear?\" said Minerva, calmly sipping her cooling tea.

\"Hmmm...what was that?\" Dumbledore asked rather vaguely.

\"This intra-house fraternization. Harry and Severus fit into the plan well, I take it?\" Minerva looked over her reading glasses with a slight frown.

Albus crinkled his eyes and smiled. \"Well, it all worked out quite well in the end, did it not?\"

Minerva reached for an almond cookie and said nothing.

Dumbledore continued. \"The time is past, my love, for house rivalries. All of the houses, in as much as possible, need to work towards a common goal,\" he said quietly.

\"That being...\" Minerva gently prodded.

\"The destruction of Voldemort. Our energies and strength should not be wasted on petty jealously or personal enmity,\" he said as he lovingly glanced at her.

\"And Harry SeveSeverus helped to break that old pattern,\" she said thoughtfully.

\"Of course, they led by example. Now we are seeing long standing house rivalries cracking apart like ice in the springtime. Even Mr. Longbottom has benefited from this new, freer atmosphere,\" he said with a twinkle.

Minerva gently snorted. \"I\'ve noticed. Mr. Zabini seems tve sve set up camp in the Gryffindor Common Room.\"

Albus reached across the table and gently took his lover\'s hand in his.

\"Dark days ahead, my dear. Let them all be happy while they may,\" he said in low tones.

Minerva sniffed back the emotion that threatened to creep out. \"Yes, of ce,\"e,\" she said in a watery tone. She took another sip of tea and nibbled on her ad cod cookie.

Minerva put down the cookie. \"You haven\'t told Harry and Severus everything about their bond, have you?\" she said shrewdly.

Albus looked abashed. \"Well, not quite all, my love. It really is better if they discover these things for themselves.\"

A small smile broke upon her face as she gently moved forward to kiss Albus lightly. \"Just so, my dear, just so.\"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

EPILOGUE

The sun was setting as Harry and Severus walked by the lake. It was a cool November evening and the leaves from grougrounds blew across the surface of the water. Tbothboth stopped in a wooded patch that circled the lake on its western side. It was a favorite meeting spot for them after a busy day.

Harry stroked his husband\'s back through his cloak.

\"Sev, do you think we\'ll ever defeat Voldemort?\" he said wistfully.

Severus turned and looked down at his young husband. He wouldn\'t lie. \"I don\'t know, Harry. I hope so.\"

Harry stared out at the lake, the wind tossing his dark hair"Tha"That\'s what she wanted, you know. Above all else, she wanted to know the future. He promised her that. I don\'t know if I can really blame her.\"

\"She was a silly cow,\" Severus said sharply.

Harry\'s head turned towards his husband.

\"Even Sibyll knew that the future is not set in stone. That\'s why there are mists surrounding it. Each day we live there is a possibility of changing it. The pattern is constantly being altered by our actions. We build our own future, Harry.\"

Severus shook himself and then continued.

\"Sibyll let fear lead her. We cannot afford to do that. Not if we hope to defeat Voldemort.\"

Harry wrapped his arms around his husband\'s waist and smiled. \"Sev, you should have been sorted into Gryffindor, you have enough courage for ten men,\" he said.

Severus snorted. \"No need to get insulting,\" he said raising one eyebrow.

Harry laughed, his jade eyes gleaming with happiness.

\"No Slytherin worth his or her salt wants to be a hero. Survival is our goal. My incentive is you, Harry. I want to love you, keep you and be happy with you for whatever time we have together,\" he said lovingly.

Harry\'s throat tightened as he buried his face in Severus\' chest.

\"Me too, Sev, me too,\" he said hoarsely.

Severus plucked at Harry\'s chin withloveloved hand, forcing his face up from where it rested.

Severus gently kissed Harry and tightened his arms around him.

\"Professor Snape, I believe you owe me a dance,\" Harry said in solemn tones.

\"Indeed, I do,\" Severus said as his arms encircled his husband.

Their movements were slow and languid as they danced beside the lake. Some of the merfolk surfaced to watch them.

Harry murmured into Severus\' ear. \"We have an audience,\" he said.

Severus looked at the curious merfolk and snorted. \"Let them find their own dance partners. You, Mr. Potter, are booked for the foreseeable future.\"

They continued to dance for a long time, their cloaks billowing together in the wind. It was impossible to tell from a distance where one ended and the other began. Eventually, they walked, hand in hand, back towards Hogwarts and their future.

End