Areas of Expertise

--Bored - Sorry you didn't like it, but the scene was meant to be disturbing and icky. I knew, right from the first time when Voldie called Sev "his", what that meant. I didn't know if it was ever going to be directly elduded to in the story, but obviously the bunnies were feeling particularly twisted yesterday.

--I set myself a challenge tonight - to not include Harry in the chapter, and I suceeded - yay! SP



Chapter Thirty-Seven



“Instead of being a static one-time event, bonding is a process, a dynamic and continuous one.” Julius Segal



***



Severus, teeth gritted with irritation, stood in the Headmaster’s room. Albus was humming placidly around a mouthful of chocolate frog as he put away his pensieve.



“Juice? Chocolate frog?” He offered as he closed the cabinet.



“No, thank you.” Snape ground out. He was not looking forward to the forthcoming conversation, and wished the old codger would just sit the hell down and let him speak.



Albus smiled, still sucking on a leg. He settled blithely in his chair and steepled (as best he could with one dead hand) his fingers together, chin resting upon them, and looked over his glasses at his subordinate.



Snape took a deep breath, feeling in need of it. “I’ll Bond with him.” He said, hating the look of triumph that flashed briefly in the older man’s eyes. He still thought it was dangerous for them to be Bonded, but with pressure being borne from both of his respective masters – not to mention from Harry – he had had no choice.



Dumbledore chewed the last bit of confection and swallowed before he commented: “Oh, how excellent, my boy! Harry will be thrilled.”



Yeah, shame I’m not.



“Have you shared the good news with him?” Dumbledore asked, a smile lighting his face.



What good news? Snape thought sourly.



“I thought you should be told first, as we should begin the Ceremony as quickly as possible. Harry is perilously close to his due date.”



Albus frowned. “My boy, hasn’t he five weeks left?”



Resisting the urge to scream at the fool, Snape replied, sarcasm dripping from every word: “Yes, but he could be premature, you know.” He took another deep breath. “I think we should complete stage one today, so that by this point next week, we’ll be nearly ready to move onto the third stage – which can be undertaken in the Room of Requirement. Obviously you will need to ensure the supply teacher is still taking my lessons during that time.”



Albus nodded thoughtfully.



“Harry and I will decide our conditions alone, Albus. I will not tolerate suggestions, orders or interference of any kind from you or any other. Is that clear?” Snape’s back eyes were fixed relentlessly on the older wizard. He would not allow himself and Harry to manipulated for the rest of their lives because Albus had another plan to defeat the Dark Lord.



“As a crystal goblet.” Dumbledore murmured in response. He looked at Snape. “Who will perform the necessary spells?” he queried, eyes intense.



Severus suppressed a smile. Sometimes, for all his abilities at manipulation, the old man was transparent. “I must consult Harry. I have someone in mind whom I wish to ask, but he may have other ideas. I want him to be comfortable with whomever we select.”



There was a faint emphasis on the word ‘we’ which Dumbledore noted. He drew his brows together.



“Do you really think Harry is mature enough to make a decision of such magnitude? Do you not think he will ask a friend rather than someone competent?”



Snape glowered. “Two years ago you thought him mature enough to take part in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. A year ago you thought him mature enough to reveal the truth of the prophecy to. And yet now you say he is not mature enough to choose a competent spell caster?”



Riled, Dumbledore snapped, “It will take more than competence to Bond you two. It will take expertise.”



Snape gave a mirthless smile. “So, you finally admit there is danger in our Bonding?”



The Headmaster looked irritated. The younger wizard was smiling almost smugly at him. He had so little time left, and all he wanted was to ensure the destruction of the Dark Lord and ensure Harry and Severus’ happiness. He did not need arguments with his touchy potions master. Was that so much to ask?



He sighed heavily. “The danger is only that which there has always been in a same sex Bond.” He mastered his emotions with difficulty. “Perhaps you should begin brewing the potion if you will shortly be Bonded.”



Severus’ jaw worked. The other always managed to turn the tables on him, even when he thought he had finally won! He turned his back on the other and strode toward the exit.



As he placed his foot on the first step, Albus’ voice floated after him: “And do re-arrange your rooms, my dear boy, they are hardly suitable for a married couple.”



All the way down the stairs Sev was thinking one horrifying thought:



I’m going to be MARRIED!



***



Ron paced the dormitory, hands thrust into his trouser pockets. The front of his shirt was partially untucked and hung lopsided. He had pulled off his tie and flung it in the direction of his bed. He stared unseeingly at the stone walls, mangling his lower lip, considering something Hermione had said.



“I’m really worried, Ron, this Bonding thing with Snape could go seriously wrong. I don’t think Harry’s really understood how dangerous it is.” She had paused, one hand twisting yet more curls into her bushy hair. “Ron, Harry could die.”



Now the red head paced the dormitory. His eyes flicked to the empty bed that had once been Harry’s. He missed his friend. Missed hiding under the invisibility cloak as they perpetuated some mischief. Missed the shared looks between them when Hermione had been – well, HERMIONE. Missed the jokes and pranks they had talked about playing on the Slytherins in general, and Malfoy in particular. Missed his friend to talk to about Quidditch, girls, Quidditch, the twins’ latest products, and Quidditch. It just wasn’t the same without the black haired boy in their midst.



He and Hermione had been going around as a pair (not a couple), which had drawn stares and comments; so much so that a curious constraint had developed between them, and she now only sat by him during lessons. Her free time was spent with the other Gryffindor girls, or with Luna Lovegood. This left Ron alone, or as an extra body tagging along with Seamus, Dean and Neville.



His hands in his pockets clenched into fists. His day felt so empty without an argument with Hermione, or without sharing an anecdote with her. Lessons were not really the place for either arguments or stories. In fact, she had hurriedly shared her concerns about Harry with him during a Potions practical taken by Professor Oxlonge, who was much less strict than the black haired Slytherin teacher. They had then both gone to the Gryffindor common room, so caught up in their fear that they hadn’t heard the pointed comments that had been shouted after them.



Ron had talked in circles with Hermione for nearly an hour. Finally she had told him to let her speak to Harry alone to try and force some sense into him; which left Ron pacing the dormitory, hands thrust into his trousers pockets, mangling his lower lip as he fretted about his best friend.



-- I was feeling a bit frivolous when I thought of the title! I was going to leave it as "Danger" but felt that that was too ominous. SP