AN:This drabble is being betaed as normal, as we go. ^-^ It was born from the snarry-100 drabble prompt list... "Life" ' Liberty' 'Pursuit of Happiness'... in that order and of course, it made me think of the USA Declaration of Independence. That made me have to write it in that time period...which then brought about a series of drabbles in the Seaside House Universe.

So, names have been changed... Sebastien Sallowe is Severus and Harold Ward is Harry.

Enjoy, they are short sweet and easy. ^-~

This ones prompt was complicated.

Making Things Complicated

Sebastien Sallowe handed Malfoy's servant the crate of potions that the manor had ordered. He watched as the thin wizard headed out the door and caught a glimpse of the man that was now making his life complicated.

Up until five months ago, he would've sworn to be asexual. No one in the last almost forty years had caught his attention. Not one popped up in his dreams, or made him want to kiss or hold them. Harold Ward had succeeded in all of those. All it took was them meeting once, and then the dreams started.

(o.o)

Sebastien gripped the wood hard and did his best not to devour the young man who was striding over to his counter with his eyes. He had the most vivid dream that morning featuring Harold, one that his body was assuring him that it would love to try for real.

After being sure that his voice would sound normal, Sebastien nodded to the younger man. "Mr. Ward, how can I help you today?"

The green eyes seemed to glow. Sebastien wanted to run a finger over the skin under them to see if it was as soft as it looked.

(o.o)

Harold swallowed almost convulsively. The brown eyes that were looking at him were almost burning. Much as they appeared in the dreams that he had been experiencing recently. "Mr. Sallowe, I need to talk to you in private, if I may."

He watched as the thin fingers clenched the counter edge until they turned white before Sallowe released it. The Potions Master nodded once, flicked his wand towards the door and then gestured to be followed. Harold followed the billowing black robe into a small back room.

"Mr. Sallowe, I think someone slipped me a love potion. Can you check?"

(o.o)

Sebastien raised an eyebrow. "I can, Mr. Ward," He held up a finger to stop the words about to come out of Ward. "who does it draw you to?"

He watched Ward's cheeks flushed.

"You, sir."

Sebastien tried to suppress the wave of hot desire that flooded through him. "I fear this is not a potion. I have already tested myself for one, as well as for innumerable spells." He caught the question in the bright eyes staring at him. "Yes, I have also be affected as well."

"Do you dream about me, too?" The green eyes glowed with desire.

(o.o)

'Sallowe was also feeling this? And had no idea what it was?' Harold bit his bottom lip. "Maybe the tests would show positive on me? It might if they only cast the spell on me."

Sebastien drew a breath and dragged his attention away from the teeth holding that bottom lip prisoner. "If you trust me to cast the detection spells, I will."

When the black head nodded, Sebastien raised his wand. Maybe this would be the end to the complication. Ten spells later, neither were any wiser. "I have one last thing to test."

"What?"

"A bond, Mr. Ward."

(o.o)

Harold felt his eyes widen. How could he be bound to someone he had just met, and only know in passing? But even if it was far fetched, he knew that they might as well test the possibility. "Go ahead."

Sebastien nodded and drew two rune circles on the ground connected by a chain of runes. "Step into one of the circles, Mr. Ward."

Harold did, and watched as Sebastien stepped into the other.

Sebastien spoke the activation spell, expecting nothing to happen. The glowing bond light spilled out of the confines of the rune circle and wove between them.

(o.o)

Harold watched as the circles and the chain glowed. The light then left the chain and spread out to fill the room, with himself and Sallowe as the end points. He caught the dark wand moving and the light faded. "I take it that that was a positive test?"

Sebastien didn't understand. There was only one bond that glowed a soft white, but none were supposed to leave the confines of the runes. The presence of this bond explained a lot.

He focused on the questioning green eyes. "Yes, it was. It seems as if no one has cursed us."

(o.o)

Harold looked into the brown eyes trying to determine what Sallowe talking about.

"We have an Infinity Bond between us." Sebastien decided not to mention how unusual the bond pattern was.

Harold racked his brain trying to pull up all he knew about bonds. "I don't know much about it, but doesn't that mean we are supposed to be together?"

"If you wish to be, Mr. Ward. It will not force us." Sebastien refrained from mentioning that they would never be a couple with anyone else based on his own experience.

"Being a couple complicates things, doesn't it?"

Sebastien nodded.

(o.o)

Harold had left that afternoon, and returned after closing. Leaning back against a wall, he contemplated what to do. He was eternally bound to the man who was stirring a cauldron.

He was willing to acknowledge the bond, and to learn about the Potions Master that was known far and wide as acerbic. But was the man willing to learn about him. "I want to give this a chance."

Sebastien looked through the fumes coming out of the cauldron. "People are not going to accept us as a couple."

Harold sighed. "Then we shall decide if we should remain here."

(o.o)

Months flew by. They were careful about being seen together. Touches were behind closed doors. But the gossiping members of the Alley noticed eventually and rumors started flying.

Sebastien locked the door tight and cast his privacy wards all about before he pinned Harold against it. "It is getting too complicated."

Harold ran his fingers through the dark brown hair and gazed deep into the eyes he had come to love. "Can we move? Is there anywhere we can go that the rumors won't reach or will be ignored?"

"The Colonies."

Harold's eyes widened. "Are you willing..."

"For you, yes."