Disclaimer: All characters belong to J. K. Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter and the associated characters. I do not make any profit from these writings. Except for the main plot, all other plot variations belong to me.

Warnings: This story is slash and AU. May contain mild to moderate language.

A big thanks to all those who have reviewed this story, especially Leeb whose latest review prompted me to get this chapter out today :D

It really means a lot to me that you all take the time to leave a review. So thanks again!

A big thanks to all those who have my story on favourite story/alerts!

I would also like to thank Arithmancy Master who has agreed to be my beta reader for this story.

Enjoy the chapter!

Silver ^_^

Ch 7

Dinner had been a light hearted affair. Sebastian had suggested that they retire to the Den and relax for a while before heading to bed. It was after all quite early as yet.

Everyone was lounging comfortably on the couches scattered around the room and Harry had to admit one thing- everything in this house was luxurious but it still put out a homely feel. The soft plush carpets, the richly embroidered yet tasteful curtains, the buttery soft upholstery of the couches inviting you to sink into; the list was endless and Harry could go on and on about it. It was certainly a far cry from where he'd grown up, that was for sure. As he gazed about the room, his eyes were first drawn to Helen and the calm aura that she exuded. Just being close to her calmed him. Next he looked at Sebastian who was sprawled across from him, nursing a glass of firewhisky. And finally his eyes landed on Severus, who had taken up the armchair closest to him, similarly nursing a glass of whisky.

Harry suddenly sat up and looked at Severus, biting his lip nervously. Finally, he called out softly, "Severus? Sir?"

"Hmm? What is it Harry?"

"I was just wondering, when do you think Mr. Malfoy will make a move? Do you think he would have gone to the Dursleys or do you think this was all unnecessary paranoia on our part?" Harry asked, flopping back onto the couch.

"Paranoia or not, what's done is done. I hope you are not contemplating ways to try and break this bond", Severus replied sternly, his black eyes fixed unblinkingly on Harry who was now, once again lounging on the couch. "I can tell you now, that this is for life. You are my ward for the duration of this year; make no mistake Harry, at the end of the year after your birthday, you will become my bonded." Severus finished softly, trying to gauge Harry's response.

"I know all that", Harry said exasperatedly. "Aren't I allowed to voice out my doubts? You can't seriously tell me that you would be happy to remain in this bond and get married to a scrawny kid like me, when you could just as easily find someone worthy of your regard and respect?" Harry asked, getting more agitated with each passing second.

When Severus simply gazed at him with that unreadable look of his, Harry couldn't take it anymore and burst out, "Why are you all being so calm about this? How can you all accept me so easily into your family? You guys don't even know me! Especially you and Helen, Sebastian. And you, Professor Snape! You hated me for the past six years and never once looked twice at me, and now suddenly you are Ok with being my guardian and later..." here Harry faltered slightly before clearing his throat and forging ahead, "and later my bonded! Don't you want to know if there is even any truth to this matter?" he questioned loudly, his agitation and irritation clear for all to see.

"Calm down Harry, there is no need to work your-self up like this", Helen tried to soothe Harry's agitation and uncertainty.

"Don't tell me to calm down. I can't calm down; every time I let myself believe that things will be good for me, everything gets screwed up and I'm back where I started, with my so called relatives who don't care a shit about me. And I'm sick of it all." Harry finished heatedly, his hands curled into tight fists and his shoulders tense. I just don't want to let myself believe in anything anymore", he continued softly, pushing his hands through his hair in a nervous gesture. I mean, if Malfoy isn't even going to do anything then maybe there is still time for you to break this bond, Professor...we can't know for sure that there isn't any way to break this bond. It's more likely that nobody has ever tried... " Harry trailed off, looking at the floor. He was unable to meet their eyes, for fear of what he would find there; relief that they would soon be rid of him and the unnecessary danger that he brought to the family or disapproval for his sudden outburst. "And that's another thing. Sometimes it feels right when I call you Severus and sometimes I feel like addressing you as professor... I don't even know what to call you anymore!"

Sebastian and Helen looked at Severus, unsure how to handle the situation. Severus himself was taken aback by Harry's reactions and needed a moment to collect his thoughts. He couldn't believe that Harry considered himself to be such a bad match when it was actually the other way around. Severus would any day be considered the luckier of the two, as he did have a slightly -albeit intentionally created- dubious reputation which was not helped any by the fact that he was a Death Eater as well. After all, no one was aware that he was a spy and not a true Death Eater, so that counted against him as well. But to think that there was still a way out of this bond was ridiculous. It would seem that Harry had selective hearing if he could not remember such seemingly trivial details that the bond they'd entered did not allow infidelity on either of their parts nor did it allow them to retain their guardian bond indefinitely. Breaking the bond wasn't even an option at this stage as magic had already accepted and blessed their bond and the intentions underlying it. Now if only he could get that through Harry's thick skull, they could avoid all these melodramatics.

Severus sighed mentally; the worst jobs were always left to him. He must have seriously pissed off someone up there to be in this position today. He wouldn't be a bit surprised if this was all Lily's doing just to get back at him for his past mistakes; his rocky relationship with Harry notwithstanding. She was surely smirking her ass off at his predicament and to think he had a lifetime of this to look forward to; if he lived to see the end of the war that is, which he had every intention of, mind you. He did not survive this long only to lose in the end; no, he would make sure that he and his family made it out of this war alive and that he and Harry would lead a long life together. Whether they would be happy with each other, only time would tell; but he certainly had no intention of breaking this bond or allowing anything to happen to Harry that would cause the bond to break.

"Harry, we know that you are scared; you are no doubt feeling insecure because you do not know where all this leaves you and we don't blame you. It is understandable; unfortunately, only time will help you decide if all this was worth it." Helen finally spoke up, breaking the uneasy silence that had settled over them.

"This bond is forever, you and Severus are bound by magic to follow through with your intentions. There is no going back for either one of you. Severus will not abuse the power given to him, more importantly, he cannot if he values his magic at all, as magic will punish him as she fits and could even strip him of his powers if he dares to breach the edicts of your contract. You'll simply have to trust the path that has been laid out for you both. Neither of you has a choice in the matter anymore," Sebastian added, offering what little reassurance he could.

"At this point, there really is no way but forward. I am not about to indulge in foolish attempts to thwart a bond that has existed for centuries without a single person succeeding in their endeavours to break said bond. In fact, everything that I have read about it points towards the fact that the more one tries to resist the bond, the more it tightens its boundaries, bringing the people within said bond that much closer together and within a shorter period of time. So unless you wish to ensure that you become my bonded in the next few months rather than after the year as indicated, then by all means go ahead and try your best at breaking this bond. But if, on the other hand, you would prefer to utilize the year's time in getting to know me better as well as learning more about the wizarding world and its traditions without subjecting yourself to everything that the bond would entail once you become my bonded husband, then the sooner you get used to our current status quo the better", Severus finished bluntly. "And as for your concerns as to how you may address me, then you may call me Severus only when we are in private, in closed quarters. For the time being, when others are present even if it is only Helen and Sebastian, you will address me as Sir or Professor. It will be safer for us in the long run; especially as people often have the uncanny habit of dropping in on us at the most inopportune moments and we do not want to give anyone an excuse to look too deeply into our bond; certainly not at this stage", Severus clarified, bracing himself for Harry's response to this imposition.

Harry opened his mouth to retort but stopped at the sudden appearance of a patronus which had jumped in through the window. It headed straight for Severus and spoke, "Lucius has been thwarted. He's gone to the Ministry to verify the claims. He is unaware as yet to the real identity of the Head of the Prince family. I strongly advise you to maintain this anonymity. You never know when it might be useful. On another note, I went through the papers that Lucius brought over and it was as I had feared. We have been fortunate enough to have escaped his clutches this time. Harry, my boy, I hope you're settling in well. I'll try and drop by sometime in the next few days... Try not to trouble Severus too much Harry. Take care, Severus. Oh and I expect Harry to still be in one piece, Severus, when I finally get there." And with that last word the tiger patronus disappeared in a flash, leaving behind a heavy silence as everyone processed the information that had just been related to them.

Well, I think that is as good a place to stop as any ;) Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Do leave a review and let me know what you think. I love to get feedback as it helps me improve my writing :)

I have just begun chapter 8, so it might be a month or so before I'm able to post the next chapter; but I'll try my best to update as soon as possible.

Till next time!

Silver ^_^