Pledges

Part 26

The first thing he noticed upon waking, was that the headache was still there. The second was that
he wasn't alone. Third, he was ridiculously relaxed. Considering he was waiting for several angry
people to storm into his rooms and demand to know what he was doing, he should not be that
relaxed.

The warms lump resting partially on his chest stirred a bit before settling down again.

"Mr. Potter."

The lump twitched.

"Mr. Potter, do wake up. It's morning and far past time for you to return to the dormitories."

Harry just buried his face in his neck and mumbled. "Hermione knew where I was going. L'be
fine."

He really should encourage Albus to have a talk with the Head girl. Covering for people like that
was a bad precedent.

He shook the boy again. "Never the less, you should probably return."

Bleary eyes opened and regarded him. "Why do you call me that?"

"Call you what?"

"Mr. Potter."

Because he needed distance. "Because its your name."

He felt shoulders shrug. "Just seems strange. That's all. I mean we're in bed together. And
we've..." Harry started to hyperventilate. "We've... oh god... we've..."

This was the panic attack he'd been expecting long before now.

He slowly stroked circles on the heaving back. "Mr. Potter... Harry... You have to calm down.
It'll only get worse." He sighed reproachfully. "This is why I told you it was a bad idea."

"Not... not the problem." Harry hiccuped.

"Then please enlighten me."

"Its just... I... you're... a guy..."

"A fact that has hardly been hidden from you." Understatement of the bloody year.

Harry made an impatient huffing sound. "Would you shut up! I can't... this isn't something... I
mean... I thought maybe... I've gotten to the point where... where thinking about it doesn't make
me want to run screaming. But this is a whole hell of a lot further than thinking."

Yes. Much more than thinking. This was digging a whole. "You weren't thinking this last night?"

"The only thing I was thinking last night was that I needed you. Needed you so badly I couldn't
think strait."

"You were certainly thinking well enough for certain endeavors." Not that he'd been thinking at
all.

Harry just clenched his fists and closed his eyes.

"Harry, stop. Take a deep breath. You'll make yourself sick" a snarling image of Black appeared
in his mind, "and I'll no doubt be blamed."

He watched Harry make a concerted effort to bring his breathing under control. "You don't
understand. This is all so strange and confusing."

"Believe it or not, you are not the first person to ever wake up and be appalled by who was
sleeping next to them."

"That's not... that's not the problem." Once more Harry closed his eyes. "I asked Hermione, what
she would say to me, if I told her... I told her I liked... guys."

"And she said?"

"What took me so long?"

Observant girl.

"Its just, that there's this part of me that I barely knew about. But she knew. The spell knew. But
I didn't." Pleading eyes turned to him. "How can I not know that about myself?"

He struggled with words for a few moments. "The human mind is a strange and dangerous
minefield. One never knows what thought they will step on next."

Silence.

"I can't deny that last night was amazing." Harry started. "But it was nothing like what I thought
it would be."

IT? Good god. The boy was...

He couldn't even think it. He suddenly felt like a dirty old man.

"You've had a paradigm shift." He said.

Confused. "A what?"

"A shift," he explained, "in the perceptions of how you see yourself and the world. It can often
be... disconcerting."

"Did you ever have a... paradigm shift?"

No. Never. Not even the first time he found his way into bed with Lucius. "Yes." Damn. He
hadn't meant to say that. "Once or twice."

"What happened?"

He woke up next to his best friend. "I realized I didn't want to be a death eater."

"What happened?"

He watched Lucius lose himself. "I realized that life wasn't what I thought it was." He realized
that he didn't have to do what had been expected of him his entire life. "Albus was surprisingly
understanding."

"He has this habit of already knowing your decision before you've even made it. Do you find it as
annoying as I do?"

Dryly. "More so, I would imagine."

Harry tightened his arms and ingratiated himself further in the embrace. "This really isn't all about
sex is it." It was a statement more than a question.

It was also a topic of conversation he wished to avoid. Like the plague. "I thought we'd
established that. Pay attention."

"Stop redirecting."

Damn. The boy had figured it out. Giving up. Slightly. "No. This is probably not all about sex."

Suddenly. "I've always wanted to be married."

Speaking of minefields. "Why would that be an aspiration of yours? Surely your goals are more
career oriented."

Shrugging again. "Marriage means family."

Such a simple statement.

One that cut him to the core. "Is that all it is to you?"

"Of course not. Just... before now, I've never experienced anything else that could be put under
‘reasons for marriage'..." Harry trailed off.

Ignoring any implications that may have been in that statement he said, "You really should return
to the dormitories before you give the vultures any more fodder for gossip."

Harry nodded and began to untangle himself.

He also began to rise from the bed. He followed Harry into the main room. "You may return after
dinner, as long as you've already established an... alibi." That sounded incredibly bad.

Harry nodded and turned to leave. Then quickly, obviously on impulse, he darted back, wrapped
his arms around his neck and pulled him down for a tingling, searching kiss. It lasted for several
moments.

Finally, he pulled Harry gently away. "Go."

And he left.

He wandered back to his desk, doubting his sanity.

This was getting ludicrous.

Bloody intent.

Don't think about it. Deal with it later.

There was a letter on his desk.

The envelope was blank, except for his name. But the scrawl was all too familiar.

Lucius.

With what he could almost call trepidation he opened it.

~~~~~~~
Dear Severus,

I'm writing this on the off chance that you'll actually read it after recognizing the handwriting. My
old friend, I find there is much to atone for. You've probably already figured out that the body
you recovered, was not mine. There was a plan ined ied in it. What exactly, I don't know. He
didn't trust anyone in the end, not even me. But I think I am involved, after all, the polyjuice
potion was made to look like me. Why else keep me out of that final battle?

I find myself remembering our school days. I miss you. I recall our more carefree days with great
affection and much wistfulness. I write to you in hopes that you'll remember what we were. That
you'll believe me when I say that his death has thrown off the Imperius curse that I have long
labored under. Much of the last 20 years is not more than a haze of forced actions and pain. I
know that I have hurt you and I am greatly sorry for it.

I need your help. And I hope you can find it in yourself to give it.

My owl will return in two days.

I await your answer.

Yours,
Lucius
~~~~~~~~

Well if that just didn't make his week.


Part 27

Harry quickly wound his way up from the dungeons to the Gryffindor common room. It was
becoming a well known path. He checked the time, if he changed quickly, he could still make it to
breakfast. With classes cancelled, meal times had been extended to add leniency to the day.

He gave the password to the fat lady and walked in. Hermione, Ron, Parvati and Lavender were
all sitting there. Ron and Hermione looked unhappy. Parvati and Lavender looked... smug.

Oh no.

He waved to them while walking past, in an effort to maintain normalcy.

"Good morning, Harry." Parvati called after him. "Nice to see you."

He turned and gave his best smile, "Good morning, Parvati."

"Late night?" She asked.

Feign confusion. "What?"

"Well," She smiled, " you didn't come back to the dorms last night."

Lie. Lie fast and lie well. "I went to the library to look something up, I must have been more tired
than I thought, because the next thing I knew it was the middle of the night. The hospital was
closer so I just went there. Madame Pomfrey wanted to check on me this morning anyway."
Wow. That was convincing. Falling asleep in the library.

Parvati turned wide eyes to her friend. "Lavender, has the castle been redesigned since the last
time we went to the library?"

"I don't think so, Parvati." Lavender had the same annoying tone of voice.

"Well then," More face sincerity, "how could Harry get to the Library by way of the dungeons."

Fuck.

"I don't know." Lavender answered.

"You know Lavender," Parvati began in a conversational tone, "I don't think Harry went to the
Library at all."

Intrigued. "Really?"

Parvati continued with a conspiratorial wink. "I think he spent the night in the Dungeons."

More fake intrigue. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know." Parvati turned to him. "Harry?"

Double fuck.

Try reluctant honesty. Maybe that will work.

He sighed, letting his shoulders slump slightly. "All right. The truth? I went to visit Professor
Snape. I wanted to thank him for saving my life."

Lavender. "And that took all night?"

He hated logic.

"We talked for a while and I fell asleep. I really was more tired than I thought." Right. They'll
believe that. He took a moment to realize that the sarcasm in his head was probably a bad thing.

"That's nice Harry, if a bit strange." Parvati began.

"And if you didn't have that hickey, we might even believe it." Lavender concluded.

So fucked.

Automatically his hand went to the exact spot he knew they were talking about. He shivered at
the memory even as he frantically searched for something to say instead of simply staring dumbly
at the two girls.

He felt a slim hand slide around him and soft lips pressed to his cheek.

"That was me." Hermione.

Wow. Good friend. Must buy chocolate. Or a book. She'd like a book.

The twin gaping looks that were being directed at him were almost enough to make him
remember that he wasn't supposed to rip himself out of her embrace. As it was, he couldn't help
tensing a little.

"Sorry," Her voice was soft, a timbre he'd never heard before. "I didn't realize I'd left a mark."
She let a single finger trace it softly.

He needed to do something. Something to complete the picture. Not just stand there like a
moron. "It's ok." He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. When he pulled back he was
rewarded with a glassy eyed Hermione. She looked at him for a few seconds before swooping in
and claiming his lips.

It wasn't a bad kiss. But it didn't compare. Not even in the same league.

It ended leaving both of them slightly breathless. They turned to face three pairs of wide eyes.

Ron. Right. He made a note to have a talk with him.

"See you at breakfast?" He asked.

"Sure." She nodded.

With that, he headed up to his room.

He was going through his trunk looking for clean clothes when Ron came in.

"Harry?"

Not looking up. "Yeah, Ron?"

"Where'd you get the hickey?"

He sighed and sat back. "You shouldn't ask questions that you don't want answers to."

Sounding outraged. "Harry!"

"Ron, I... Have you talked to Hermione? About what she read?"

"No." Ron's voice sounded flat.

Oh goody, because that would make this so much easier. "There's a lot going on here. More than
what I told you yesterday." Ron looked like he was about to object. "No, I didn't keep anything
from you, I just didn't know about it when we talked."

"What's going on Harry?" There was genuine worry in Ron's voice.

His shoulders slumped. "We... I... a lot. Not much of it I understand, yet. The spell, I don't think
it created, I think it just... enhanced something that was there before."

"Harry, what are you talking about?"

"Part of the spell."He said, "The second part. It wouldn't have worked if we both hadn't wanted
something from it."

"Something?" Ron asked. "What was this something?"

"I don't know."

"Well I bet I know what Snape wanted."

"No," He said with a certainty. "Ron. It couldn't. The spell doesn't work like that. It was meant
to build... trust... between two people who already have... a relationship... not perfect strangers."

"That doesn't explain the hickey." Ron was getting angry again.

"I know." His shoulders slumped further. "Can we hold off on the explanation until I know for
myself?"

"But, it was Snape?"

"Yes." Finally. A question he could answer.

"He didn't make you?" Uncertainty edged Ron's voice.

He snorted. "I practically made him."

Ron visibly restrained himself from comment for a moment. "Ok... One more question."

"Yes?"

"How did you make Hermione do that?"

He grinned and resumed searching through his trunk. Smiling triumphantly when he found his
quarry, he pulled out a small book and handed it to Ron.

Ron examined it. "This is a dictionary."

"I know. Look up some choice big words, use them at appropriate times. You'd be surprised."

Ron blinked. A slow, wicked smile spread across his face. "Brilliant!"

"Isn't it though?"

Ron paged through the book with a new appreciation. "I knew there was a reason I liked you."

Feigning upset. "Not just for my looks?"

"Prat. I'll see you at breakfast." Ron waved and left.

He continued to smile as he pulled out clean clothing to wear. He'd enjoy planning a very public,
very loud break up with Hermione. If they did it right, they might even be able to make some
money off of it.
_________
He walked into the Great Hall feeling lighter than ever. Practically whistling by the time he'd sat
down at the table.

He hadn't noticed almost every eye turn to him. Or both Ron and Hermione's tense posture.

"Harry." Hermione she gestured that he should sit next to her.

He sat and she immediately took his hand.

Something in her tight grip made him take a closer look at his surroundings. Carefully leaning in,
he whispered in her ear, "What's going on?"

She whispered back, "Parvati and Lavender have already spread the rumors."

"They can't unspread them?"

"They started to, but then Snape came in."

Harry surreptitiously turned his gaze to the Head table. Snape was sitting there. Glaring at his
food. The Headmaster leaned over to ask him a question and Snape turned his head and-

Shit.

Plain as day, high enough so that not even his high collar could conceal it. Where neck met jaw.

A bite mark.

His.

Part 28

He carefully folded the letter and placed it gently on his desk. He ran shaking hands through his
hair before getting up to retrieve a clean robe.

He needed to talk to Albus. But not before putting in an appearance at breakfast. It would do the
Slytherins good to see him.

He wouldn't be able to get some time alone with Albus until afterwards anyway.

A quick glance in the mirror confirmed that he looked presentable, if a bit bedraggled. He longed
for a shower, but there just wasn't time at the moment.

He swept through the corridors with his usual grace and aplomb.

The Great Hall was mostly filled when he made his appearance. The only seat available at the
head table was next to Poppy. Thankfully she was deeply engrossed in conversation with Minerva.

He took his seat and began to serve himself.

"Oh, that poor boy." He heard Minerva say.

Poppy nodded her head vigorously and answered. "Imagine how Hermione feels."

Gossip. An annoying fact of life at Hogwarts.

One that was making his life increasingly difficult.

"She seems to be taking it well, but girls that age always put on a face." Minerva added.

"And imagine Mr. Potter. Being separated from his girlfriend like that."

That caught his attention.

Poppy turned her gaze to him. "Severus, I do hope you have been accommodating."

His jaw clenched tightly. Without returning her regard, he ground out an answer. "For one, Innotnnot believe that you lack the simple common sense that should tell you that discussing this in
public is the height of foolishness. Second, he has not asked for time, so there have been no
allowances to make. I assure you, if he wanted something he would have had no qualms in asking
for it."

Or taking it without permission.

He had learned that the hard way.

He was in the middle of pointedly not thinking about Harry and his... girlfriend when the
Headmaster called his name.

"Severus, so good to see you this morning."

He turned his head to acknowledge the Headmaster. "Good morning Albus. I was hoping to have
a word with you after breakfast."

Whatever answer that might've been given was lost in gasp from his right.

Several actually.

"Severus." Minerva was looking at him with wide eyes.

Irritation was beginning to set it. The old bat was starting to get on his nerves.

"You're neck..."

In a flash of sensation he remembered strong teeth clamping down and sucking.

He dropped his fork, it made a loud clattering sound hitting his plate.

Too loud.

The room had become hushed whispers. He dared a glance at the children.

And was assaulted with more than a hundred sets of stunned eyes.

Shit. This was going to be worse than yesterday. By leaps and bounds.

He returned each and every one of those stares with a scathing glare. Daring tto sto say
anything.

They eventuallyurneurned to their breakfasts.

He returned to his. But his appetite was lost.

He settled for glaring at the offending pieces of food. They annoyed him. Looking happy and
carefree the way they did.

Good lord.

He was going insane.

Worse. Harry had appeared.

"Severus." Albus was calling him again.

He debated the merits of ignoring him and just stalking out of the room.

"Severus." The voice called again.

He gave in and looked at the Headmaster again. "Yes?"

"I believe now would be a good time to have thalk."lk."

A master of the understatement as always.

He allowed a few minuted between the Headmasters exit and his own. The pretext must be kept
after all.

What a joke.
_________

When he arrived, Albus was sitting calmly behind his desk.

Arrogant old man.

"Severus, please have a seat."

He remained standing. "I originally had a specific topic of conversation in mind. But after my
bumbling display of ineptitude this morning, I have a feeling you wish to discuss something else."

Albus nodded. "I do."

They faced each other in silence.

Finally he broke. "Well? No scathing lecture? No shaking head? No damnable all knowing
answers?"

"There's time for all of that. I'm more interested in why you wanted to talk to me."

Why HE wanted to talk? Why the old-

"Albus, I love you dearly, but there are some days you come perilously close to a long and painful
death."

A congenial smile. "That's nice Severus."

He gave up. He just didn't have the strength today.

Sitting down, he pulled the letter from his robes and placed it in front of Albus. "Its from Lucius."

Albus looked at the parchment for a long moment before asking him. "What does it say?"

Good question. "A lot... and very little."

"Severus?"

"He... he's asking me for help."

Leaning forward, Albus asked, "What kind of help?"

Common courtesy. A chance to be heard. To be forgiven. "The same kind he asked for 20 years
ago."

"Ah."

Sage man.

He continued. "He asked for a response in two days."

"What are you going to say?"

"I don't know."

There was a tense silence.

"Severus, talk to me."

He opened his hands in supplication. "What would you have me say?"

Tired blue eyes entreated him. "Something. Anything. You've been entirely too silent recently."

He slumped forward, hands on his knees. "I miss my life. I miss being in control. I miss knowing
what I was doing. I miss making the easy decisions. I miss my best friend. But worst of all, I miss
being in denial." He felt drained even saying that much.

"Denial?"

He looked Albus in the eyes. "For once, play against character and tell me you had no idea what
you where doing."

"How could I? I hadn't read the book."

"Damn it, Albus! Stop! Just once! Stop..." He was shaking. Why was he shaking.

His eyes burned.

No.

Severus Snape Did. Not. Cry.

He blinked and willed them away.

Albus got up and circled around his desk and gently gathered him into a hug, the crawl that had
become a permanent fixture momentarily increased. "Severus, I know this is hard, I only have to
look at your face to know that. Now, let's take this one thing at a time and see what we can do."

It sounded so simple when said like that.

Albus released him from the embrace and took the chair next to him. "Now, let's start with
Lucius."

"Lucius. Yes. He says that with Voldemort's death, he's thrown off Imperius."

"That's an... interesting theory. Do you believe him?"

"I don't know. I want to."

"Don't let what happened in the past, dictate your actions now, Severus."

Easier said than done. "That does not tell me what sort of answer I should give."

"What answer would you like to give?"

He wanted to give him a chance. The same chance he had gotten so many years ago. "I want to
hear what he has to say."

Albus nodded thoughtfully. "Tell him to come here."

"Are you crazy?"

"What better place to defend ourselves? Invite him here in three days time, we will be prepared."

Either the man was brilliant.

Or off his rocker. It really was tough to tell sometimes.

"Now for the... gossip."

How very delicate of him. "Yes. The gossip."

Albus smiled. "Its not as bad as you think. It can be dismissed as a strange coincidence for the
moment."

He shook his head. "That will only work for so long."

"I know." That smile was back. He didn't like that smile. "I have something in mind for the longer
term."

"Are you going to enlighten-"

A loud knocking interrupted him.

"ALBUS! I KNOW HE'S IN THERE!"

Black.

So much for discretion.

Part 29

Before the Header cer could open the door, the banging resumed.

"LET ME IN!"

Albus stepped up to the door, leaned against it and appeared to listen for something. After a few
moments he smiled and calmly opened the door.

He watched Black fall flat on his face.

Albus really did love him.

Before Black could move, Albus sat on him.

He allowed Black to struggle for a bit before saying, "Stop that my dear boy, I would really rather
I did not have to pull my wand on you."

Eventually the struggles subsided. Black settled for glaring menacingly in his direction.

Albus patted Black gently on the head and he found himself suppressing a snicker. "Now Sirius,
to what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"I want to know what ths greasy bastard did to Harry!" Black snarled.

Albus just smiled warmly. "An interesting question Sirius, but one I think should wait until Harry
is here as well."

More snarling. Perhaps he'd start drooling next. "I don't want Harry anywhere near him!"

He looked at the overgrown child in front of him and sneered. "Black, could you please use some
common sense for once in your miserable excuse for a life?"

"Don't you dare speak to me! You slimy miserable no good excuse for a human being."

"At least he listens." Harry said from the doorway.

He did?

He knew Harry had been there long enough to hear the last exchange.

Albus still had that insufferable smile on his face. "Ah, good. Come in Harry and close the door
behind you."

Harry quickly closed the door and sat down in the chair that was closest to him.

Sides were, apparently, already being taken. For once, he approved.

Albus continued, "Now Harry, has Severus done anything that you don't approve of?"

Harry let a small smile dance across his lips. "Not one thing."

"I've heard the rumors, Harry! You can't possibly tell me that you wanted him too... too..."

Harry leaned in and with a serious look, asked, "What rumors did you hear exactly?"

"That you spent the night in the dungeons!" Black spat the words out.

Being reasonable. "I've done that before, you knew that."

"Yes, but then you both show it with those.. Those.. Ugh, I can't even say it."

Both?

He examined Harry's neck.

Oh. Well, they'd both been enthusiastic in the end.

"I still maintain that nothing happened that I disapproved of. I'd also like to add, that despite the
circumstantial evidence, you still haven't proven anything."

He blinked. Well that was interesting way to go.

Black looked serious. "Harry, I'm not stupid."

He couldn't help it. Really. "Could have fooled me."

Black's head whipped around to look at him. The chords on his neck were standing out. "You
stay out of this!"

Sometimes, Black made it too easy. "I would, but you insist on dragging me into it."

"Albus, would you please let me up!"

"I would, my boy, but I'm very comfortable at the moment."

Black was going to start to looking like a temperamental toddler if he continued to waves his
arms around like that.

Scratch that. Make that, MORE of a temperamental toddler.

Albus began again, "Now Harry, is there anything else you would like to say?"

Harry nodded. "Sirius. Thank you for caring about me. It means a lot, really. But, you need to
understand that I'm not 11 anymore. I don't even feel 17 most of the time. I can take care of
myself. I can make my own decisions and face the consequences of my actions."

"But Harry, it's Snape!"

This had to be good for him. "You're powers of observation astound me, Black."

"Harry, what about Hermione?" Black was obviously trying a different tactic. Guilt. Too bad the
boy was master himself.

Without hesitation Harry answered. "I'm sure, her and Ron will be very happy."

Black was incredulous. "That's callous."

With crossed arms. "It would be, if I were actually seeing her."

Obviously at a loss for words, Black sputtered. "But... I thought..."

Once more, he couldn't stop himself. "Obviously you didn't."

Harry glared at him. He was getting good at that. "You, stop helping. You, stop getting your
information from Parvati."

"How did you know?"

Shrugging. "Because she likes to cause trouble."

Before anyone could say anything else there was another loud banging at the door.

"DUMBLEDORE, LET ME IN!"

Fudge.

Well, this just got a lot more interesting.

"Harry, if you would." Albus gestured to the door.

Opening it revealed Cornelius Fudge and two Aurors.

"Cornelius, twice in two days. This is a pleasure."

"You can't protect him this time, Dumbledore!"

"What do you mean, Cornelius?"

"A parent contacted me this morning, it seems Snape has been having... relations," he rolled the
word in his mouth, making a grimace, "with a student." He pointed to Harry. "That one, to be
exact."

"Cornelius. I know that I do not work for the Ministry, but I would think that I would recall if the
law about accidental magic had been repealed."

Brilliant. Use the law Albus. The man won't know what hit him.

Fudge was starting to turn colors again. "Surely this case does not apply!"

Harry spoke up. "It does. I accidently Pledged us."

"Accident?"

Albus nodded, "Yes, an accident. One compounded my me, I'm afraid."

"By you?"

Was gaping like a fish catching?

Albus put on his best regretful face. He must practice it in a mirror. "It seems, purely by accident
of course, in an effort to give them some control, I may have bonded them more closely than I
intended to."

"Bonded?"

One word questions were quite becoming on Fudge.

"Yes. It seems, technically, they're married."

"MARRIED?!?"

Who knew four people could be so synchronized in indignation?

"Only technically. When the spell that we used became obsolete, it was determined that the spell
alone could no longer be legal and binding. The correct term for them would be engaged."

"ENGAGED?!?"

Really, one would think the four of them had orchestrated it.

"My godson is not engaged to THAT man!"

This was getting ridiculous. "Oh, do shut up, Black."

Fudge was still spluttering incoherently. "What are you suggestion Dumbledore?"

"Simply, that anything that may or may not have happened, is completely covered under the
bylaws of the school."

"Bylaws."

Yes, he could definitely get used to one word answers from the man. Though, he almost sounded
intelligent, that could be dangerous.

Albus nodded once again. "Yes, the school bylaws have a section on engagements and an even
smaller section on marriages. Put plainly, anything that happens between the couple in question, is
none of the school's business unless it directly interferes with the welfare of either of the
participants or the school itself."

"That pertains to arranged marriages." Fudge looked smug.

Albus shook his head. "Technically." He corrected. "That's what this is."

That slow painful death was starting to sound more and more delightful.

Part 30

"But he's a teacher." Black objected.

He snorted. "Another brilliant deduction be the resident geniuses."

Albus shook his head. "The bylaws don't make any distinction between teachers and students."

Fudge looked outraged. "But surely they weren't meant for this type of situation!"

Albus looked at him seriously. "I think they were. I think, that is why there is no mention of
teachers or students in the entire section. In any event, the law clearly states that any one who has
been inflicted with a magical spell that causes behavior not normally associated with legal lines,
are cleared of any responsibility, if the casting was done without their knowledge or consent. You
have two witnesses that will testify to that fact Cornelius."

Fudge crossed his . "F. "Fine." Said through clenched teeth. "He didn't do it on purpose."
Pointing to Harry. "What about him?"

Harry's eyes widened. "It was an accident. I wasn't looking where I was going and I didn't
think..."

It was catching.

Fudge turned to Harry. "Do you have proof?"

Not looking happy. "Other than my word? Do you really need more?"

Before another argument could erupt, Albus interrupted. "Harry, please get the bottle that is
sitting on my desk. Severus, I believe you know how to administer it."

Harry handed him the bottle.

Verituserum.

He motioned for Harry to come closer.

Harry opened his mouth and-

Visions of last night assailed him, warm skin, lithe tongues, gasps of pleasure.

With shaking hands he placed three drops squarely on that tongue.

"How do I know that's the real thing?" Fudge argued.

A smile graced the Headmaster's face. "Harry, what do you think of me?"

Harry obviously struggled for a few moments before responding. "I think you're a kind, gentle
man. You're smart and cunning and sometimes I wonder if you really were a Gryffindor. All that
planning and manipulating. I know you need to do things that aren't all together honest to run this
place, but its starting to get annoying when you repeatedly pull the carpet out from under me. Not
to mention your habit of answering questions that I haven't even asked yet."

It was close enough to his own assessment that he began to doubt his sanity.

"Thank you, Harry." Albus turned to Fudge. "Is that enough proof?"

"For now."

"Now Harry, did you cast The Pledge on purpose?"

"No." Said with absolute certainty.

Not that it had ever been in doubt in the first place.

"Harry, did Snape do something to you?" Black asked before anyone could stop him.

Stupid, annoying, shortsighted moron!

Never ask such a vague question to someone under the influence of verituserum!

He watched Harry's eyes begin to roll up into his head and hands grip the arms of his chair tightly.

Quickly, he grasped the closest hand and said, "Harry! Look at me!"

"Don't touch him!" Black roared.

"Shut up, Black! Harry, look at me! He didn't finish the question. The question was, ‘have I done
anything to you in the last 30 seconds?' Do you hear me? The last 30 seconds."

Harry closed his eyes tightly and nodded. Slowly muscles relaxed. Taking deep breaths, he
answered. "Yes. You talked to me, you touched me. Made the crawling go away. Feel safe."

"See! He deliberately stopped Harry from answering!"

"For once in your life would you look past your own nose! You nearly killed him! Even he,"
pointing to Fudge, "knows not to ask an open ended question to someone under the influence of
verituserum!"

"Sirius," Albus explained, "Harry would have been impelled to answer the question you asked
with as many specifics as possible. Asking the question the way that you did, would have forced
Harry to tell you about everything Severus has ever done to him, ever."

"Oh." Oh look, who knew Black could sound contrite?

Without looking away, he offered a snide remark. "Brilliant as always Black." He then checked
Harry's pulse.

A bit fast.

"Open your eyes." Slightly dilated. But they had been closed for a while. He began to trace slow
relaxing circles on Harry's hand. "Take deep breaths. Don't hyperventilate."

Harry visibly slowed his breathing. Muscles relaxed further.

"How is he?" Black asked, obviously concerned.

"Fine, no thanks to you." He didn't remove his hand.

"Cornelius,"Albus redirected, "do you need anymore proof that this was an accident?"

Grudgingly. "No. Tell me Dumbledore, how do you intend to solve this... problem?"

Hands raised in submission, Albus answered. "There really isn't much more to do but leave them
to their own devices."

"Leave them to their own devices?" This from Black who was starting to look very angry again.

Shrugging. "I cannot break the spell. There is no way that I can think of that would not drive both
of them insane."

A comforting thought.

"Are you saying, that they're engaged? Permanently?" Black was beginning to growl again.

"Well no,"Albus answered, "if they chose to get married or the ministry reenacts the law,
retroactively, that makes the spell a legal marriage, then they will not be engaged anymore."

Black looked devastated. "God, Harry, I'm so sorry."

So was he.

"Don't say that." Harry snapped.

"Harry?" Black sounded confused.

He wasn't the only one.

"Don't be sorry for me. Its not such a horrible thing, to always have someone."

"But HIM?"

"Sirius. Its... I... Forget it. You'll never be able to understand. Something inside me makes me
doubt you'll even try." Harry looked defeated and very tired.

He continued to hold his hand.

Having heart to heart talks while doused with verituserum were not a good idea.

"That's all well and good," Fudge started again, "but I simply cannot have a student and a teacher
carrying on."

Indignantly Harry responded. "We're not carrying on."

Fudge just shook his head. "Call it whatever you like, but I know what that spell does and I won't
have it happening in this school."

"What would you suggest Cornelius?" Albus was obviously trying to mediate.

Of course, that required two reasonable minds.

Fudge looked triumphant. "Either remove one of them from this school or marry them."

"WHAT?" He was not getting married. Correction, he was not being forced into marriage.

"That way if any of the parents ask, I have the full backing of the school's laws as well as the
ministry's."

Damn the man. He was making sense. Of all the times for that to happen.

Albus simply nodded. "I trust you will use discretion in answering questions of that nature?"

Anger. "Don't tell me how to do my job."

"I'm not. I would simply like to make sure that their privacy is respected for as long as possible."

"Fine." Fudge paused. "I expect proof to come across my desk in a matter of days, Dumbledore."

Albus nodded once more. "Of course, Cornelius."

Fudge and his goons left.

"Albus, you can't be serious!"

Black was once again proving his inability to follow a simple conversation.

He never thought he'd envy him.

Albus looked genuinely sorry. "I don't see much of a choice."

Black turned to Harry. "Harry, tell him you don't want to do this!"

Shaking his head. "I can't Sirius."

"See Albus he- WHAT?"

He WHAT?

He had to stop agreeing with Black.

Harry shrugged. "It solves a lot of problems at the moment and it keeps the Professor out of
trouble."

"That's hardly a reason to get married." Black stated.

Yes, hardly a reason.

Harry shrugged again. "Then in six months, when the school year is done, we can reevaluated the
situation."

Black looked at Harry carefully, or as carefully he could from his place on the floor. "You really
want this?"

"Yes." Certainty.

Yes?

Fuck. The verituserum. He meant it. Every word. Black must have realized it too because be
began to back down.

"Severus, Harry, why don't the two of you go back to whatever you were going to do for the
day. I have several arrangements to make. I'll find you later."

With that, they were dismissed.