Bonds that Tie

Disclaimer.... Not mine, don't want them.... NO money was made from this story...

A/N... yes I know, I should be working on my other stories...Damn plot bunnies...

Thanks goes out to both Sandra and Kei... couldn't do without your support. Luvs ya both.


Chapter One

Thrashing himself awake from another Voldemort-induced vision, Harry tried desperately to gather his shattered thoughts and remember where he was. When he finally remembered that he had been removed from his aunt and uncle’s early that summer and relocated to Grimmauld place, (despite it being the last place he wanted to be) he allowed his body to relax and thanked Merlin that he did not need to put up with another of his uncle’s hissy fits over being woken up in the middle of the night from one of Harry's many nightmares.

Reaching over to the potions waiting on his nightstand, he quickly downed a pain reliever, post-Cruciatus and a muscle relaxant, and let them do their work for a few minutes before attempting to move out of his bed. When he did manage to make it onto his feet, although rather shakily, he gathered the rest of the potions and made his unsteady way down the stairs to the kitchen, using the wall for support. He knew that no matter what spells those participating in the meeting in progress used, he would be able to get past the wards.

Pausing briefly to steady himself, he placed his hand on the heavy kitchen door and felt the wards surrounding the room recognize him and allow him access; pushing open the door, he walked into a full meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. Ignoring the shocked looks and scowls of outraged directed his way, he dropped his aching body into the only available spot, right between two bodies clad in black Death Eater robes.

“Ah Harry my boy, good to see you,” Dumbledore said with a smile and a bright twinkle in his eyes, before turning back to the discussion on hand. “Continue if you will Severus, you were saying Voldemort has something planned?”

With a dark sidelong look at the teen beside him, the Order’s spy ground out, “Yes Albus he does. Unfortunately, he would not tell us anything more than that it would be sometime in the next week.”

“Very well. We will of course keep our eyes and ears open for more information. Now Harry, what brings you down here?”

Harry sat back in his seat, hiding a wince of pain, and pondered his options for a moment, before giving the Headmaster a small smug smile, knowing exactly what reaction he would get. “I have finally decided that I would like to invite the DA and those Aurors I know to spend my birthday in Hogsmeade with me,” he said at last.

As predicted the room turned into a screaming match as every one tried to be heard. The only ones that were not affected by this announcement were the Headmaster and Severus Snape, who just glared at the teen and growled. Harry, for his part, just continued to smile smugly.

When the room finally quieted down, Lucius Malfoy finally made himself heard. “We risk ourselves on a daily basis to bring back information, in order to keep you safe, and all you want to do is to plan a party?” he growled and raised his cane in threat.

Harry carefully blocked his uneasiness at the sight of that cane, before turning to the furious man on his left and raised an eyebrow before drawling slowly, “You must not have been listening Mr. Malfoy. I invited the DA and those Aurors I know, who just happen to belong to the Order, to spend my birthday which is in the next week, to Hogsmeade. You'll notice I'm sure, that I never once invited my friends to join me here for a party.”

Snape was the first to put the pieces together, and stopped glaring at the teen. “Are you sure about this information, Mr. Potter?”

Harry snorted lightly, and instantly regretted the action as his head started to pound once again. “Of course I am, Sir. Just because the two of you left doesn't mean the meeting was over.”

These words silenced everyone in the room, much to the confusion of one Lucius Malfoy, so that when, with a slight wave of his hand, Dumbledore closed the meeting and dismissed everyone, they all left, leaving the four of them alone.

Malfoy stared at Albus, Severus and Harry in disbelief before turning away in disgust. As soon as the wards snapped back into place after the last Order member left, Harry sagged in his chair in relief and with a flick of his hand, dropped the invisibility charm on the potions and split them between the two men, only keeping a pain potion for himself. Seeing the look on Snape's face, Harry scowled, “Swallow your damn Slytherin pride, and take the potions before I tell Madam Pomfrey exactly what you were both hit with tonight.”

Malfoy spun back around leaning on the table so he was nose to nose with The-Boy-Who-Lived and gave him a very cold steel covered glare. “And how, Mr. Potter, would you know what we went through?” he sneered, ignoring Snape, who was trying to get his attention.

Harry stared silently at the man before turning to the Headmaster with a question in his eyes. Dumbledore thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. “Not tonight Harry. All three of you need to heal, and get some sleep. Lucius, rest assured that Harry knows what's going on and it will be explained to you later. Severus I do believe Harry could use some Dreamless Sleep,” he said and, before anyone could protest, he stood and headed for the door. “Harry, please take down your wards and show these two to a room; they WILL be staying here tonight.”

Dissolving the wards enough for the man to leave, Harry glared at Dumbledore's back, before he dropped his head against the table top and sighed heavily. “I hate it when he does that,” Harry groaned.

“That makes two of us, Mr. Potter,” Snape finally said as he reached for the first of the potions, and noticed that Lucius followed his lead. “Are you intending on using Dreamless Sleep for the rest of the night?” he asked.

Harry glared at the man, before swallowing his own potion. “I can't and you know it,” he replied before asking his own question. “Do you want one room or two?”

Falling into the habit that started just after the boys fifth year, of asking and answering questions Snape replied, “One.” Looking over at Lucius from the corner of his eye, he started to ask “How...” but was cut of by Lucius when he asked his own question.

“What in Merlin's name is going on here?” he snarled.

Harry contemplated the man for a moment, debating with himself on whether it would be worth telling the man what he wanted to know when the Headmaster said to wait until later. 'Well it is later. Just not as late at the old coot wanted,' Harry thought to himself before answering. “Through my connection to Riddle, I see the meetings that he calls, along with pretty much everything else, when his emotions run high. It was through this connection that we were able to get the information needed to get your son to a safe place. Unfortunately he now believes there is a spy in his ranks, which is why he's only going to let a few people at a time now of his plans, so he can figure out who it is. Snape is safe because he didn't know about Draco, and after my birthday you both should be even safer, as he does not intend to tell you what's going on until he Calls the two of you before attacking. He doesn't realize that he himself is the spy since I can get his surface thoughts while I'm in his mind.” Here Harry allowed himself a vicious smile before continuing.

“The only real draw back we have been able to find is the pain I go through. When Riddle designed those Marks of his, he made sure that there was a way for him to feel a portion of the pain his servants go through. And since I feel what he feels, I feel that part of any of the curses he hits his 'servants' with. I also feel every Dark Magic spell that he casts as if it was being cast on me.” Harry had dropped his eyes, but here he raised them to meet Lucius Malfoy’s stormy grey eyes. “Do you remember how much pain I was in when he touched me in the graveyard the night he was reborn?” When Malfoy nodded, Harry continued. “Whenever I am in his mind, the connection between us burns twice as bad as it did that night. That in itself is about equal to the Cruciatus curse. By the time I am released from the connection, I can honestly say that I might as well have been tortured in his presence.”

Here Severus broke into the conversation. “Those of us who know what's going on are extremely thankful that these visions do not happen that often anymore.”

“Indeed,” Harry said tiredly.

Lucius didn't look convinced. “Then why do you go into his mind?” he sneered.

“I don't have a choice. Because of this fucking scar I have no defense against him drawing me in. And before you ask Occlumency does not work. Trust me I spent all of last year having my shields tested every time I turned around,” Harry snarled back.

“Then whoever was testing them must not have been that good at it.”

Harry groaned in dismay and looked over at Snape, who was scowling darkly at the blond. “Why is he being so difficult?” he questioned.

Snape relaxed slightly as he thought. “He misses his son and no one will give him information regarding him. As for your Occlumency shields, let him test them. Just remember what you did to both myself and the Headmaster. Then maybe we get back to our question period, since I'm sure none of us will sleep for the rest of the night.”

Nodding his agreement Harry turned back to a gob-smacked Lucius Malfoy and motioned for the man to go ahead and test his shields.

Shaking off the feeling that he had just made a major mistake Lucius looked Harry in the eye and silently cast the required spell. Moments later he found himself in a shaded glade with a shallow pool of water complete with a small waterfall, which added the soothing sound of falling water. The light fragrance of lavender surrounded him and against his will he started to relax. He wasn't sure how long he stood there, drinking in the smell and sounds around him, but soon enough he was interrupted by a soft clearing of a throat, and turned slowly to meet the bright green eyes of the Boy Who Lived.

“It's safe to sit down Mr. Malfoy. You'll find that the moss by the pool is soft enough to serve as a seat,” Harry said softly as he walked by the man to take his own advice.

“What is going on Mr. Potter?” Lucius asked in bewilderment.

“You tried to force your way into my mind, and this is what happens when I'm not actually fighting the intrusion. I put you in a secure location that only allows you to see, feel, taste, hear and smell what I want you to.”

Sitting down gracefully beside Harry, Lucius asked, “What did Severus mean when he said to remember what you did to him and Albus?”

Harry smiled softly as he stared into the pool. “Before the end of last term, I went up and demanded to be removed from the Dursleys early. The Headmaster gave me the usual song and dance about having to stay where it was safe, and then he decided it was a good idea to try and test my barriers. At that point I was sick of the constant headaches from having my mind invaded, and angry that I was once again told that I had to spend the summer in the loving embrace of my family. I decided at the point that enough was enough, and pulled him into my mind and gave him the same verbal treatment that I received from my family, only I used his lemon drops instead of people. Being surrounded completely by your favorite candy, calling you worthless and a freak amongst other things, kinda changed his mind about leaving me there for so long. It also had the added bonus of turning him off of lemon drops for a few weeks.”

“And Severus?” came the soft question.

“Professor Snape got exactly what he wanted. The chance to tell my father exactly what he wanted the man to know. Unfortunately since my father is no longer alive, he found me a good substitute. When he paused briefly in his tirade, I pulled up memories of the Dursleys saying almost the exact same thing he was saying, and forced him to watch from beginning to end some of my worst memories. It didn't take him long to realize that I did not grow up where he thought I did, and that I was not my father.”

Lucius sat quietly for a few minutes taking in what he had been told, and then read between the lines to hear what he hadn't been told. The line that most got his attention was the last one, 'I was not my father' echoed in his mind, before he commented. “You say you are not your father, yet you still treat my son the same way you treat me,” he pointed out, and even said softly, the sneer was evident in his voice.

Harry looked over him in shock before shaking his head in denial. “No Mr. Malfoy, I do not. I do my best to ignore Draco in school, but it's not always possible. I only attack when he starts it, and except for a few times, left you entirely out of the conversation. I would like nothing more then to be able to walk by him in the halls with nothing happening between us. It won't happen, but it's a nice dream.” Harry stopped here, and for a moment his eyes glazed over, before he blinked them clear once more. “Professor Snape would like us to return, Mr. Malfoy,” he said softly and then gently pushed the older man out of his mind.

Harry came back to himself with a start, when he realized he was being carried by a set of strong arms. Glancing up he saw a curtain of black hair, and he allowed himself to relax once again. “Which room is yours, Mr. Potter?” Harry felt Snape’s words rumbled against one ear and heard with the other.

“The Master Suite. The Manor will show you the way,” he replied softly, leaning his head heavily against the Potion Masters chest.

It didn't take long for the two older men to find themselves in the hidden part of the Manor, and a long hallway with, to the two of them anyway, only two doors. Harry opened his eyes slightly and smiled. “It seems the two of you will be staying up here as well,” he murmured while directing Snape to the door on the right.

As the three of them entered the room, Lucius looked at the teen in Severus arms with a slight feeling of concern. “Are you feeling alright Mr. Potter?” he asked, coming to the realization that there was more to the young man than met the eye at first.

“Yes Sir, I'm fine. It's just a little draining to keep someone in my mind for any length of time. It's easier to just keep them out,” Harry replied, still speaking softly.

By this time, Snape had entered Harry's room and, with a quick glance at the twisted sheets on the bed, settled the teen on the sofa by the fireplace instead. With a flick of his wand, Snape had the bed sheets straightened out and with another the quilt floating their way. When it reached them, Harry gave a resigned sigh as the older man wrapped it firmly around him. “Now, since you have managed to calm Lucius down, Mr. Potter, maybe we can go back to the question I wanted answered,” Snape said snidely.

“Of course, Professor. Which question would you like me to answer?”

With another sidelong glance at the blond sitting beside him he asked, "How is Draco doing?”

Harry snuggled further into the sofa with a soft laugh. “Ah yes, the young Lord of The Manor is doing just fine. Pestering the hell out of me, but doing fine.’

“Do you have a problem with my son being here?”

“Problem? Nope, no problem. I'm just going to have to sit him down sometime real soon and explain to the prat that he is not Lord Black and will never be Lord Black unless the current Lord dies without an Heir.”

Both men looked at him in shock before Snape pointed out, “He is the only male with the Black blood running though him. The title should have gone to him.”

“Sorry Professor, but you’re wrong. When my parents made Sirius my godfather, he swore on his blood and on his magic, binding himself to me. After his… death, I was recognized as both his Blood and Magical Heir, giving me full control.” Looking up into stormy grey eyes, he continued. “Draco is MY Heir. Not Sirius's.”

Both men were silent as they processed that little piece of information. Finally Malfoy Sr. shook himself, “So is it Lord Black-Potter, or Lord Potter-Black?” he asked, noticing the slight tensing in the man beside him.

“Neither, actually. I don't have full control until my birthday, so I'm just the Heir, which gives me certain privileges if I care to use them. I've been using my time here reading everything I could so I knew what I'm supposed to do when I do take the Titles, but I refuse to combine both of them. Depending on the circumstances I'll be either Lord Black or Lord Potter. If the situation calls for it, then and only then will I become Lord Black-Potter. For now, I'll be taking the name Black as a second middle name.”

“Harry James Black Potter, hmm. Just doesn't have the same ring to it I must say,” Malfoy drawled out, even as he noticed Severus relaxing once again.

“I know, but it should give me the extra two seconds I need to run when Molly gets mad,” Harry laughed.

“That it will, Mr. Potter, that it will.” Snape said softly, before asking, “Do you have another question?”

Turning serious Harry's gaze went between the two older men, “If the worst happens during the attack, and I'm captured and the only way out is to reveal who the spy is, which one you is going to be outed?”

“If you have the chance, and mind you that's only if there are no other options available, you will take Lucius,” Snape stated, and before the elder Malfoy could protest, he continued. “There is already heavy suspicion on him because of Draco, and if things go wrong, you will do what you can to first convince them that Lucius is not the spy and if that does not work, you must get him out.”

“What about you, Sir?” Harry asked softly, his gut twisting at the thoughts running through his head.

“I have been doing this for years, Mr. Potter. I will be fine.”

Harry narrowed his eyes, and growled, “If it comes down to a choice on who to take and whom to leave, I will make the final decision about who's in the most danger, or I will remove you both. My asking was just a courtesy.”

Snape turned his death glare on the young man, only to realize that Harry was dead serious. “Hopefully, Mr. Potter, it will not come to that.”

~~hp~~

Lucius and Severus sat talking softly, as Harry had finally fallen asleep a few hours earlier, and though not a true sleep, one that was at least restful. Lucius watched the careful eye Severus kept on the sleeping teen, and wasn't sure what to make of it. “He's certainly not what I first thought he was,” he said softly.

“No Luc, he's not. He's so much more then anyone ever thinks he is,” was the equally soft reply. “And every time I think he can't surprise me anymore, he does just that,” Snape said even softer.

Ignoring the last part of what was said, Lucius decided to ask the question that had been bothering him. “Severus, will you answer a question for me?”

“If I can.”

“Why is it that, as close as the two of you obviously are, you do you not call each other by your first names?”

Severus turned and looked at Lucius for a moment, before turning his gaze once more on the sleeping teen. “Two reasons, I suppose. The first reason is that he's still my student, and as such, we cannot act too friendly to each other.”

“And the second?”

“It's not safe to start calling each other by our first names. As long as we don't there is very little chance of slipping while in a public place. Even here it would cause a reaction that we cannot afford.” Severus glanced up at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was dawn. “You’d better stand back; I need to wake him up, and he's not exactly that safe to be around before he's totally awake,” he continued as he stood up and walking to where Harry slept curled up in a ball on the corner of the couch.

Carefully reaching over he gently touched Harry's shoulder, and then quickly stepped back when Harry surged to his feet in alarm, his wand silently summoned from the other side of the room and aimed directly at the dark man. “Mr. Potter, you are safe. No one here will hurt you,” he said quietly but firmly.

It only took a minute or so for Harry to shake off the dream he was having before he was awakened and dropped his wand arm. “S'ry 'Fessor,” he murmured groggily before stepping out of the mess the quilt made at his feet and picking it up, before heading over to the bed. A quick snap of his wrist had the quilt spread out over it properly, and as he turned to gather his things to get ready for the day, finally noticed Lucius Malfoy watching form the other side of the room. “My apologies to you as well Mr. Malfoy. I'm not exactly the nicest person to wake in the morning,” he said, slightly more coherent this time.

“So I see, Mr. Potter. But it seems that Severus knew this and was prepared,” he replied in a slightly questioning tone.

At this Harry blushed slightly, “Yes, he does. It wouldn't have been the first time he has been given the dangerous task of waking me up after a nightmare,” Harry said quietly, not exactly answering the whole question.

An amused snort brought the attention away from Harry and to Snape instead. “That's only because I have the fastest reflexes, and your friends refuse to be hexed. Now, if you are done, would it be possible for you to check to see who's in the house?”

Harry disappeared into the bathroom, and made quick work of getting ready for the day, and when he came out he once more had his emotions under control. “No one is in the house at the moment, and no one will pass the wards unless there is an emergency.”

“Where's Draco?” Mr. Malfoy asked.

“I sent him to Darkwood Manor with the Weasleys. It was the only place I could think to put him without him getting into to much trouble.”

“I see. One more thing if you please Mr. Potter. When did you find out I was a spy? You seemed to accept my presence here last night without a fight.”

Harry paused on his way to the door and turned around to give the blond a small smile. “I see, hear and understand more then Riddle does while I'm in his mind. Little things tipped me off to the fact that the two of you where together as more then just 'friends'. I figured that Professor Snape wouldn't do anything if it put his position in danger. As for actually finding out you are a spy? I have had my doubts about your loyalty to Riddle for the past few years. Again little things kept happening that showed me two different things. All my suspicions about you were confirmed last night,” Harry told him. “Now gentlemen, if we are finished here, I do believe that it's time for breakfast,” he finished as he walked out the door, leaving two astounded men behind him.