Against His Nature

CHAPTER 38

Harry collapsed backwards into the pillows scattered over the bed, a giddy content smile on his face as he tried to catch his breath. Snape took a moment to recover himself before rolling up to sit on the edge of the bed in order to catch his own breath.

“You’ll be the death of me Potter.” Snape glanced over his shoulder at the sprawled out, sinful image of his mate behind him. Harry had managed to go most of the day without the cravings kicking in but after dinner it had gone spiraling out of control. 7.30 had seen the newly formed couple rooting like rabbits against the barely closed door of Snape’s private chambers, Harry calling Snape’s name like a mantra. Now though with his urges satisfied once again Harry could think straight and smiled ruefully as he watched Snape wince as he cracked his back after such strenuous exercise. Harry was beginning to enjoy staring at Snape’s backside and curved slender back when the man stood up abruptly and moved into the bathroom. Harry sighed as he watched Snape’s naked figure disappear into bathroom before returning a few moments later draped in a fluffy black bathrobe and carrying three purple vials of liquid.

“What’s that?” Harry inquired with a yawn as he stretched and sat up, as Snape sat back down on the edge of the bed.

“Inhibiting Potion.” Snape answered simply as he uncorked all three vials before moving over to his dresser where a decanter of whisky sat with two small glass tumblers. It took a moment for Harry to click what the purple vials were for and by that time Snape had moved back over to the bed, a glass full of whisky in his right hand.

“I thought you said you wouldn’t be taking it again?” Harry moved over hastily to sit beside Snape, concern mirroring his features as he watched Snape take a liberal swig of his alcohol before shaking his head.

“I’ve no choice Potter, as soon as the Ministry discover my records joined with yours they’ll inform Lucius that his bid for family claim on me is void. Malfoy’s don’t like being double-crossed, so I am expecting him to blow everything demanding an inquiry into my heritage. For the sake of not being caught I have to consume the potion.” Harry quietly nodded silently wondering if the old Snape would go back to hating him now that he’d served his purpose as a mate. Snape read Harry’s thoughts easily and shook his head as he wrapped a comforting arm around the younger wizard. “Nothing will change Harry, I’ll just go back to being an ordinary wizard.” Harry sighed heavily as Snape continued. “It won’t be forever, just until I can guarantee our safety both from Riddle and the Ministry.”

“What about me?” Harry whispered gingerly eyeing off the purple liquid that had begun to react with the air and was fizzing slightly.

“You won’t have to take it until you inherit my full power’s in your mid twenties and hopefully by then this war will be over.” Snape pulled Harry closer to him and hugged him tightly against his chest in comfort. “Everything will be find Harry I promise.” With a small grim smile Snape reached over Harry and grabbed the first vial, tipping its contents down his throat in one go. Harry watched Snape grimace at the taste before dutifully going back for the next one. When all three vials were empty Snape downed what was left of his whisky before climbing up into bed properly his body already reacting to the potion. Harry lay down beside his mate and snuggled into his side, a warmth beginning to spread through Snape’s body. Snape knew it wouldn’t take long for the potion to re-establish itself in his blood stream and unlike before he’d have no adverse side affects. In a way Snape felt secure again knowing his secret was one again hidden from the world.

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“You’re not concentrating!” Snape hurled the textbook across the platform at Harry, who’d yet again collapsed in a heap on the floor.

“It’s not like I’m not trying!” Harry shrieked back as he threw the textbook back at the potions master, who had lost the last shred of his temper a good fifteen minutes ago. They’d been at this for three hours now, and both wizards were at the end of their frustrations with each other. “I can’t do it! It’s worse now that what it was before, it’s all this fucked up magic it’s messing with my own!” Harry shouted when Snape stalked over to the window and stood, arms folded behind his back, his eyes closed tight as he tried to find an ounce of patience for his petulant whining student.

“Don’t blame my magic for your ineptitude boy!” Snape snarled over his shoulder, his onyx eyes glaring a hole through Harry like he was made of glass. “I warned you it would take some time for your magic to find an equilibrium with my own, don’t imagine I am not suffering through this as well!” Snape spun around from his stance by the window, his wand twitching irritably in his hands as he began pacing the length of the platform trying to control his temper.

It had taken less than week, for him and Harry to go from sex nearly three times a day due to Harry’s neediness, back to their usual distain and hatred of one another. Admittedly it was in the most part due to Harry, and what Octavia had described as a ‘cooling off period’ whereby the fledgling was trying to cope with the upheaval of magic in their system and the strengthening of the bond between Vampire and mate. What made matters worse however was the Ministry’s current strangle hold on Hogwart’s. With the deadline passed for the reinstated laws, Ministry enforces paroled the halls like sentries weaseling out those families, unfit, unwilling or just plain stupid to have done nothing about their legal requirements. The pressure on Snape was enormous, to balance everything and his patience with Harry’s teething period was way past thin.

“Then if you know what I’m going through give me a break!” Harry struck out as Snape circled around him, catching the elder wizard on the arm with a hefty thump of his fist. Harry knew he’d fucked up the instant his fist connected with Snape’s arm, and in the blink of an eye he had been thrown against the fall wall and was being held up against it by an invisible fist around his neck. Snape hadn’t even flicked his wand, and Harry stared wide eyed at his mate, who was standing feet apart, head down on his chest breathing heavily.

“Enough!” A familiar voice broke the silence. Snape’s head snapped up at Harry, a second before the magic holding the boy to wall disappeared allowing him to fall like a rock to the floor. Snape looked just as shocked as Harry did at his wandless magic, and quickly cross the room to help Harry from the floor.

“What was that?” Harry whispered sheepishly as he Snape checked him for injuries before turning back to Octavia who’d swept down from the rafter’s of the hall and come to a perfect landing on the end of the platform. Snape shrugged his shoulders in an uncharacteristic display of emotion, as he watched Octavia stride down the platform towards them.

“Do you two every stop bickering!” Octavia snapped, sounding just as irritated by the pair’s three-hour occlumency lesson, as the participants were. Snape looked sideways at Harry with a grim sneer but chose not to reply to Octavia’s comment. “You’d have thought all the fucking would have eased the tension a little.” Octavia flicked his hand at the pair casually waving off Snape’s attempt at outrage at the comment. “You are useless teacher Severus.” Octavia declared as he gestured to Snape with a rudely pointed finger. “The boy is clearly struggling to isolate his emotions and you are not giving him instruction or guidance on how to achieve this.” Again Snape went to open his mouth in a ‘bout of defiance but Octavia was hearing none of it and continued to talk straight over Snape. “As for you little display, if we check the signature on the magical residue you’ll find quite clearly it is Potter’s signature, therefore Potter’s magic you just used.” With a cursory flick of his own wand, Octavia illuminated the familiar patterned code that was indeed Harry’s magical signature, although Harry did notice some bits weren’t the same as they were before. Snape stared at the illuminated, hovering cloud before it dissipated and left Octavia staring at him quietly. “I knew this would happen, as soon as you began taking the potion again.” Octavia muttered as he wandered over to the bench beside the platform and sat down on it, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

“Is it traceable?” Snape whispered, as he joined his elder mentor on the bench. Harry wasn’t sure what the elder wizards were talking about and so hurried quickly over to sit at Snape’s feet. Harry had come to enjoy sitting in Snape’s presence in just such a position. The slight touch of the man’s leg against Harry’s back, and Snape’s occasional gentle touch to Harry’s head in affection. It wasn’t a lot but Harry felt comfortable sitting at the man’s feet, protected without loosing his identity due to, too much contact. Octavia smiled down at Harry, and shook his head.

“Probably not, but it’s something to look out for. You’ve finally come into your full Vampric magic while temporarily off the inhibiting potion. By retaking the potion again, you’re powers are finding another outlet. Conveniently Harry’s magic has become that outlet, he’s a fledgling who hasn’t yet come into his own vampric powers, he’s also struggling through adolescents and is at present is still finding his feet in an experience sense.” Octavia paused and wiped an invisible spec of fluff from the sleeve of his robe. “You, are just simply drawing on Harry’s power, that he has yet to harness himself.” Snape nodded in agreement, his hand gently falling to Harry’s shoulder here he ran his index finger up, over the two pin prick bite marks that were just healing after his last feed.

“So what’s it all mean?” Harry leant into Snape’s touch, his eyes fluttering closed as he accepted the small show of affection. Octavia watched the display with a slight smirk on his face before reply to Harry’s question.

“The most pressing thing this represents is that, there is no way you two can hide the fact you’ve bonded. Even with the records sealed, Snape’s magic will expose you both without even realizing he’s done it.” Snape closed his eyes and hung his head against his chest. “So we’re going to have to deal with the Ministry and Lucius Malfoy immediately. Then I predict we’ve got about a week before word reaches Riddle, in which time we’ve got to concoct a plan so that Severus’s heritage remains hidden from his master.” Octavia stood up from the bench and offered a hand down to Harry. “But first things first. Severus you need to take yourself off and have a chat with that infernal old meddler upstairs and leave Harry and I here to actually learn some occlumency.” Octavia shooed Snape away with a wave of his hand and despite a warning scowl Snape did as he was told, leaving Harry standing opposite Octavia in the empty hall.

“I can’t do this you know.” Harry muttered as he watched Octavia throw off his cloak onto the bench before reaching inside his waistcoat pocket and pulling out a very familiar looking chain.

“Nonsense Potter, you’ve got Severus’ blood in you now and all good wizards know a vampire’s occlumency skills are to be bested by none but their own kind.” Octavia held up the chain, and Harry watched the emerald green stone flicker into a rainbow of color. Harry stared at the stone in aw, he’d brought Snape a reflection rock for Christmas and although he didn’t know much about them or what they were supposed to do, he knew Snape carried the gift in the pocket of his robes everywhere he went. “Do you know what this is?” Octavia queried watching as Harry nodded in reply. “Good, because it’s going to teach you discipline and control.” Octavia beckoned Harry over to him and gently laid the stone in Harry’s open palm. “A reflection rock, only accepts one emotion at a time, so I’m going to teach you how to isolate memories and their associated emotions, so not only will you make this work,” Octavia pressed a finger to the rock, and Harry watched as the green colored swirled into a purple and blue pattern. “but also how to block certain emotions and memories, necessary for occlumency understand?” Harry nodded gingerly, still not convinced. However he was willing to give it a try, after all anything was better than another three hours of being battered and pushed around by Snape’s useless teaching method.

TBC>>>

A/N *hmmmm* Been awhile I know, and looking at the update dates, I'm ashamed to say I've been mega slack....oh well here I am again tootling along with this fic. I've got some more chappies to put up so I'll consider doing that tomorrow. *Sings happy hampster song, and does happy snoopy dance* Real Life sucks so Fiction all the way....

Cheers and Please R&R if you're still with me.

RIFFRAFF:)