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Bonds of Blood and Magic | ||||||
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Category: Post-HBP Characters:Harry/Ginny, Severus Snape Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Fluff, Romance Warnings: Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Violence/Physical Abuse Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 932 Summary: A few days before Bill and Fleur's wedding, Harry vanished. Two weeks later, Ginny disappeared, also alone and without a trace. Someone has stepped out of the shadows for a moment, moved some pieces on the board, and changed the rules of the game. Hitcount: Story Total: 407084; Chapter Total: 13935 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: I don't know about my readers, but I am sick of Harry being sick. I have almost three chapters written on this story that have nothing to do with his sickness, the Horcrux, etc. They were more fun to write than more invalid chapters. But I can't put them up yet, because I am following an outline and sketches for each chapter and the entire story. So Harry has to get better, and I have to buckle down and write him healthy so we can get on with the story. Hope you enjoy this one, there are a lot of explanations in it. |
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Ginny braced herself against the headboard as Pomfrey ran into the bedroom. She felt cooled slightly, and smiled quietly to herself. Once again, Harry had done the impossible. He survived something that would kill anyone else, and awoke by pulling some of her power, some of her heat, into himself. That was … a strange feeling, to know that her life, her magic, her essence, was drawn to Harry, and that his was drawn to her in the same way. To feel herself feeding his need, and know that, if she needed it, he would feed her just as immediately, and just as willingly. This was a precious moment to her, to know that each could literally fulfill the needs of their partner so immediately, so fully. Harry lost his focus on her face when she pulled back. He felt her hand on his cheek, heard her speaking to someone else, and tried to stay focused on her words, but it wasn’t long before he drifted away again, leaning his face against her hand. *** Ginny sat on the edge of the bathtub, checking the temperature. Harry was going to be all right now, and she needed to take care of getting herself clean for the first time in days. She could hardly help it, since she’d been asleep most of the time anyway, but it was so nice to slip into the hot water and let it soak into her skin. She stayed in the bath until the water grew tepid, and then smirked to herself and heated it till it steamed again with her wand. She had never had this much time to bathe at home or school, and it was a guilty pleasure to her to luxuriate in the water for as long as she wanted to. Of course, her brothers always complained that she took forever in the bath anyway, even though she hurried, but good grief! She snorted, the sound of a girl who’d grown up as the youngest sister of six brothers. She’d like to see them try to wash and dry that much hair. She finally climbed out after the fourth time the water cooled. Her fingers and toes shriveled up after the second time, but she really didn’t care. The skin would rebound. She wrapped herself in a large black towel and went to work on her hair with her wand. It took an inordinate amount of time to care for it, but she knew, and she had known for years, that her hair fascinated Harry. Just for that reason, she’d never consider reducing its bulk. She finally left the ensuite after two hours of grooming herself, still wrapped in her towel. Harry was still asleep, but it was real sleep, she could tell, because he’d moved a bit from where he was when she left the room. She leaned over and kissed him, and then picked up her knickers and bra from the bureau. It only took a moment to slip them on, and then she picked up the jeans she’d been wearing the day they did Harry’s ‘procedure.’ Harry’s DA Galleon and her pocketknife fell out of the pocket when she picked her trousers up, and she naturally picked them up. All — Rprt status. HG “Huh,” she said quietly to herself as she set the coin and knife down. She pulled on her jeans, put her knife in her back pocket, and then sat down carefully on the bed, trying not to jostle Harry awake. She smiled as she looked down at his face, and picked up the coin. HG — we r safe. u? G She had never developed the facility with the master coins that Harry and Hermione had, never figured out how to send the cryptic messages so easily — they didn’t have to pass notes in class — but she could use it well enough. She waited for a bit, but when nothing happened with the coin, she shrugged, slipped it back into her pocket as she got up from the bed, and dug one of Lily’s blouses out of her bag by the ensuite. It was loose, white cotton with some lace over the shoulders and ruffled at the wrists. Somehow, it was magically capable of making Snape turn colors. He turned green the first time he saw her wearing it, at the cottage. She grinned as she remembered. She couldn’t wait to see what color he turned this time. Ginny walked into their sitting room and saw Madam Pomfrey there, straightening up. She looked up in surprise when she heard Ginny. “Oh! You … you’re up, you’re dressed! Are you feeling better, then?” “Oh, yes. Actually, I’m starving, I was going to go down and have some tea and breakfast. Did you want anything?” “No, dear. I’ll just check on Mr. Potter in a bit and then I’m off to Hogwarts for the day. I’ll be back after supper.” “Alright. Can you stay with Harry just until I get back?” “Yes, I can’t leave until Professor Snape arrives and I don’t expect him until after seven.” “He’s still asleep,” Ginny called over her shoulder as she walked down the hallway to the stairs. *** ‘Puce. Quite an interesting shade, actually,’ she thought to herself as she looked at Snape over the rim of her teacup. He was still standing in the entry to the kitchen, staring transfixed at her, and looking … colorful. “Good morning, Professor!” she called brightly as she set down the cup on her saucer and stood from the table. Snape attempted to shake himself out of his shock. That blouse … This was a Mrs. Potter, and while she did have quite a mane of red hair, she was not Lily. He knew that, but it was still hard, even after all these years, to be so forcefully reminded of his friend. ‘Potter gave her that blouse for Christmas, seventh year,’ he mused. He remembered seeing Potter and his idiot friends in a witch’s clothing store, looking at that blouse the day after Halloween. He’d only seen her in it one time, in the spring of that term, in Hogsmeade. She was kissing bloody Potter in front of the Three Broomsticks, her hands in his hair, his hands … “Care for some tea? Or biscuits? There’s some sandwiches, too. And pie from … well, it’s some pie.” The present Mrs. Potter’s voice shook him from his memories again. Snape’s eyebrow raised when he looked at the plate next to her tea. Apparently, little Mrs. Potter was quite hungry when she finally got up and came downstairs. There were still a few biscuits, half a sandwich along with the crusts from two more, and a large piece of fruit pie still on her plate. Quite a change from the occasional plate of crackers or bowl of fruit she’d managed the past few days. “I’ll have some tea, thank you,” he said softly. Ginny poured him a cup of tea, placed it on a saucer with a couple of biscuits, and set it at a chair not far from her own. “You are awake,” he observed after some silence. “Apparently,” she smiled, sipping again from her cup. “And not in your room.” “No, I’m in the kitchen.” “And, your husband?” “Asleep, in our room, on our bed,” Ginny smirked. “He woke up for just a bit early this morning, but he’s been asleep since. So, he’s doing better, anyway. He’s moved in his sleep now, so that’s better, isn’t it?” “Indeed. There may be some hope for him yet.” She glared at him for a moment, then went back to her tea. Her pie didn’t last long. Snape watched her as she ate. She seemed … energized, invigorated, in comparison to any time he’d seen her in the past two weeks. He decided that she was likely ready to do something besides sleep. “Mrs. Potter, I have been concerned about what you will do this school year, and in preparation for the tasks that lie ahead of you. Have the pair of you given any thought to furthering your educations?” “Not really. We … expect that we’ll have to do something about that after we’re done sorting out Tom, but until then, it seems like a waste to even worry about it.” “I can see why you might feel that way. However, I must disagree. The more you know, the longer you are likely to survive. First and foremost, you, Mrs. Potter, need to learn to apparate. Mr. Potter cannot do it at all at for the near future, and you cannot always rely on portkeys for travel, or emergency transportation.” Exasperated, she asked, “How am I going to do that?” “I shall instruct you. This is a large enough building to accommodate our need, and you will likely be here for some time to come. It will certainly be several more days until your husband is ready to do any travelling. Should you return to the cottage before we finish, well, there are many open areas which would be useable for practicing there.” Ginny blinked. “All right.” “Next, you must study.” He pulled a small, paper wrapped packet out of his pocket and set it between them on the table. “These are some of the pertinent course books for Mr. Potter’s seventh year, and the sixth year books as well. There are also some more advanced texts. Study them as you are able, and I shall make the time to meet with you both occasionally to review and test the more important aspects. I have marked the texts in the areas I feel you should focus on.” She reached out slowly and picked up the package. “The apparition text is there as well. Please read it by tomorrow, when I shall begin your instruction. It is not large, so even if you find yourself sleeping again today, you should be able to thoroughly review it.” Ginny felt her euphoria slipping away as reality sunk in. “Thank you, Professor. I had wondered how I would learn to apparate. I don’t think Harry’s ready to teach that to anyone. “When do you think Harry will be able to … um, apparate again?” “I could not say, Mrs. Potter. I suspect it will be sometime after he is up and about again. I suggest you ask Madam Pomfrey about that.” “But he’ll be okay, won’t he? It could take months for me to learn to apparate. Surely Harry will be well …” Ginny stopped suddenly. “What’s wrong with him?” she demanded. She’d suddenly realized that neither he nor Pomfrey had actually told her what was wrong, why Harry was still sleeping. “Mrs. Potter, with daily personal tuition, I expect you will be able to apparate within a week, and to carry another person with you not long thereafter.” Snape answered somewhat evasively as he poured Ginny a fresh cup of tea. “Oh.” “If you’ll excuse me, I must let Madam Pomfrey know that I have arrived.” Ginny watched as Snape left the kitchen, her head spinning. Her face looked pensive as she sipped at her tea. *** Snape found Pomfrey in Harry and Ginny’s room, running her wand over Harry’s body. Harry lay in the bed on his side, surprising Snape. “He actually moved?” “In his sleep, Mrs. Potter says.” “That’s what she said downstairs, but I wasn’t certain if she was imagining it or not. What do you think for his prognosis?” “Wait and see, Severus. That’s all we can do at this point. Who knows?” “Very well. I’m here now, so feel free to leave whenever you need to do so.” “I must spend most of the day in the Hospital Wing, to get some things prepared for the new term. Thank you for setting up the portkeys to get back and forth.” “Think nothing of it. No one else is in the castle today, and I’ve sealed the wing so that you may come and go undisturbed, should someone arrive unexpectedly.” “Severus, what are we going to do if this continues into the term? Those Death Eaters will be watching all of the staff, won’t they?” “We’ll do whatever we have to, Poppy. But I have to hope that Mr. and Mrs. Potter will be fine before then.” She sighed as she looked at Harry. Two generations of Potters she’d tried to keep alive in spite of themselves. She shook her head, as she wondered if there would ever be another obnoxiously accident-prone Potter child at Hogwarts. “He’s sleeping now. I don’t know if he’ll wake again today, but he is out of the coma, so it is progress. His reflexes are weak, but they are coming back. His legs aren’t improving so much as yet, but the muscles of his face, trunk and arms are all responding to my tests.” Snape paused. “His legs aren’t responding?” “Not as yet, but that’s to be expected. Extremities recover more slowly from nerve poisons. His eyes, however, are doing much better. Watch,” she said as she picked up a candle from the bedside table and held it near Harry’s face. His eyelids squeezed tightly against the light, and his face creased against it as well. *** Harry drifted in a vague grey nothingness. He saw faces in his slumber, but they were fleeting and immaterial. He didn’t remember them, or remember seeing them, after they passed from his view. A glow rose up in the grey, coming closer and closer to him. It grew so bright, he had to shut his eyes, but the brightness shone through his eyelids, and started to really hurt. He tried to turn his head, his face away from the source of the light, but it followed his turns and frustrated his attempts to shield himself. He started to grow angry after a few moments. He decided to see if he could put the light out, or chase it away. He concentrated on his center and pulled power to himself. He felt the same heat he’d felt before, when he woke up for Ginny’s kisses. Once he felt that he had enough power, he concentrated on the word, ‘nox’. No sooner had he thought of it, and put his concentration into it, than the light went out. Harry smiled slightly, and relaxed again into the quiet, comfortable grey landscape of his mind. He drifted again softly away. *** Ginny felt … angry for some reason, but recognized the taste of the emotion as being Harry’s. She felt a pull on her magic again, the same as she’d felt that morning when Harry woke up and said her name. Immediately, she leapt from her chair and raced up the stairs. She found Snape and Pomfrey standing next to her bed, staring at Harry and a smoking, melted candle. The torch sconce next to the door was smoking and still as well. She remembered lighting it only a little while ago, while she dressed. “What happened? What did you do to him?” she demanded sharply from the doorway. “I’m not sure what happened. We were testing his reactions to light.” “Leave him alone. It hurt. He’s sleeping, you know that,” she demanded. “What do you mean, telling me not to test him? I have to check, so I know how he is progressing. He’s been unconscious for days. I have to check his reflexes. This is the most reaction I’ve seen from him, and I’m going to continue checking on him like this until he can remain conscious for more than a minute at a time.” “You’re making him angry, and you’re hurting him, and you need to leave him alone. He’ll wake again later. You can play with his reactions then, when you can actually explain to him what you are doing.” “You can’t … I was NOT hurting him! It was only a candle.” “Yes, he put it out. It’s melted all over your hand. He destroyed the torch, too, didn’t he? Quite a reaction, I’d say. Wouldn’t you agree, Madam Pomfrey? I shouldn’t like to see him react more than that, if you keep pushing him when he can’t tell what’s going on.” Snape and Pomfrey turned to see the torch by the door, shocked at its guttered, spent state. The sconce was scorched, as if the torch was consumed all in an instant. Pomfrey stormed out of the room in a huff. Snape said quietly, “Mrs. Potter, it would not do to alienate Madam Pomfrey. She has helped you both a great deal. She is a good ally to have, and you may need her again in the future. In fact, it is quite likely, considering the tasks you have before you.” “It will not do to make Harry angry, either, Professor. She hurt him.” Snape looked at her curiously. “How do you know that?” “I just know.” “If what you saw us doing bothered you, you should have said something sooner.” “I didn’t see what you did, I was in the kitchen!” she snapped as she pushed past him and climbed onto the bed with Harry. Snape did not say anything else as he left the room, but he was disturbed by the intensity of her conviction almost as much as he was by the snuffing of all the lights in the bedroom. The couple was supposed to become more tightly bound, it was true, but … this was so fast. They were so young. It shouldn’t have been possible for them to progress to a level where Ginny could feel and understand Harry’s emotions from two floors away. Perhaps when they were holding hands, or when they were alone together, but this? It was impossible. Or, if he was being honest, it was obviously possible, but … implausible, at best. *** “The nerve of that little … when I think of all the time I’ve spent on the pair of them, Severus, and then she! Uughh!” Poppy ranted as she paced back and forth in the sitting room. Snape stood in the doorway watching. He calmly said, “What did you think I meant when I said that they were bonded, Poppy?” She spun around to face him. “What? What do you mean?” “She’s been sleeping for days, and you’ve seen her as your patient. She’s better now, and you are both very concerned for Mr. Potter. What you don’t see is that no one in the world could possibly be more concerned for Mr. Potter than she is. He is her husband, her bondmate. She is your greatest ally, your greatest asset in taking care of him, Poppy, because she can tell you exactly how he is feeling and how strong he is, much more accurately than any of your tests, and she will be his only caregiver once term starts, should he still need care. “It would not do to alienate her. She will be much less likely to listen to your advice, should that happen.” “She accused me of hurting a patient!” “Then, you might consider that you did. At least, from his perspective. She knows exactly how he felt at that moment, Poppy. “Think about this. How many unconscious patients have you treated in the past, and wondered what was going on with them? With this one, you don’t have to wonder as much, because he has an advocate, a voice, and she will tell you.” “I really hadn’t thought about that. I didn’t think that she would be feeling what he felt from your explanation, Severus.” “Their bonding is progressing much faster than normal, or even than I expected, but that is all to the good in this case.” “What does it mean, that they are progressing more quickly?” “Many things. They are very powerful, and … their connection is very strong. They were devoted to each other before the bonding, and that connection has grown exponentially since. I have heard of participants in bondings of this nature who were not this connected after two decades. Yet, Mrs. Potter, after only two weeks, can feel her husband’s emotions and needs from the other side of the building. “It gives me hope for the future, Poppy. That is something I have been loathe to allow myself to even be tempted to feel for many years. They are the key to this conflict, and … just days ago, I feared that we had killed them both.” “I shall … try not to alienate Mrs. Potter,” Pomfrey said grudgingly. “You must consult with her whenever possible, before you take an action with Mr. Potter. She is only sixteen, but she is his wife. She has the right to that consideration.” “Of course. I will try to remember.” She sighed heavily. It was so much easier at Hogwarts. No parents or spouses interfered with her treatments there, she simply made the treatment decisions for her patients and acted upon them. Yes, occasionally a staff member would interfere somewhat, but even Dumbledore had always acceded to her supremacy in the Hospital wing. *** Ginny woke, wrapped around Harry in their bed. She was still dressed from the morning, but her shirt was untucked and Harry’s arm was wrapped around her waist, underneath the shirt, touching the skin on her side and back. She felt groggy, but restless. She gently untangled their limbs, kissed Harry, and then propelled herself from the bed. After visiting the loo and getting a drink of water, she meandered into their sitting room. She looked out the window and saw that it was raining. Feeling chilled, she lit a fire in the fireplace with a flick of her wand and sat in the leather armchair next to it. The fire lit the room with a dull glow. Another flick lit the lamp by the chair. She pulled the packet of books out of her pocket and restored it to full size. The packet immediately burst open, and several books spilled off her lap onto the floor. “What’d he do, raid the library?” she muttered. She was soon engrossed in reading the introduction to the apparition text. Having grown up in a pureblood household, the dangers of apparition were not exactly new to her, but reading about different ways a person could splinch themselves was eye-opening. She determined to stick to reading the theory until Snape got around to showing her how to do it. Ginny didn’t notice the heat in her pocket until after she had unconsciously adjusted her position so far that she fell out of the chair, trying to move away from the source of heat. She suddenly realized what it must be, slapped her pocket with an exclamation, and pulled out the instantly cooled galleon. GW — where have u been? HG “Finally!” she said, and put the coin in her hand to reply. HG — with H. u? G GW — WHERE??!! HG — can’t say. u? G There was a pause before the next message appeared. GW — r u ok? HG HG — I m fine. G GW — HP? HG HG — safe. G GW — HP w/u? HG HG — yes. G GW — HP safe not fine? HG Ginny grimaced. Hermione really was too smart some times. Taking a deep breath, she finally replied. HG — yes. tell no 1. G GW — talk 2 HP? HG HG — no. sleeping. G GW — will HP b ok? HG Ginny paused again, uncertain how to answer. Harry certainly was doing better, but he hadn’t woken again, and Snape never really answered her when she asked him about Harry. She still hadn’t had the chance to pin him or Pomfrey down about it. Though she felt like Harry would be fine, she just didn’t know. HG — don’t knw. how r u? r u safe? G Hermione didn’t answer Ginny’s last question for several minutes. Ginny didn’t think anything of that at first, but then she started to get concerned. ‘Just my luck to ask somebody if they’re safe just as they get attacked,’ she thought to herself as she started pacing about the room. GW — i m safe. HG HG — where r u? G GW — can’t say. w/ur family. HG HG — at burrow? G GW — no. HG HG — ur rents? G GW — w/me. HG HG — k. miss u. G GW — miss u, 2. tell HP 2 talk 2 me. HG HG — k. miss mum, dad, sibs. tell 4 me? G GW — k. sent u bday prsnts, owl came bk 2 me. HG Ginny blinked for several seconds. Was it her birthday already? She wondered what day it actually was. HG — srry. no owls for now. G GW — y? HG HG — 2 b safe, no owls. G GW — k. b safe. HG HG — u2. G ‘Well, that was interesting,’ thought Ginny. ‘I really wonder …’ She got up and left the room, intending to find Snape and discover what day it was. *** “Professor! Madam Pomfrey,” she said more quietly when she found them in first floor sitting room. The clock on the mantle chimed four times as she spoke. Snape stood from his chair as she entered. “Mrs. Potter, we were just going to have tea. Will you join us?” “Yes, please,” she said as she sat on a couch near the small table and pair of chairs they occupied. Snape set the tea service on the pouf in front of the couch and poured her a cup. “Thank you, Professor.” “Madam Pomfrey brought sandwiches and biscuits from Hogwarts,” he told her as she added sugar and cream to her cup. “Are you hungry?” “Could I have a sandwich, Professor?” Snape placed three sandwiches on a plate and handed it to her, then returned to his seat. An uncomfortable silence stretched out for several minutes as each occupant of the room contemplated their tea. “Um… Can one of you please tell me … what is the date?” Ginny finally asked. Snape raised an eyebrow. “It is the twelfth of August.” Ginny paused. She hadn’t quite known how to ask Hermione if she’d sent birthday presents before her birthday, or if it was actually her birthday, or if, as it now seemed, she’d just missed it entirely. “You … did the procedure on the seventh.” “Yes, Mrs. Potter,” answered Snape. “It’s been five days.” “Yes.” Another pause. As Ginny sipped her tea, her only thought was, ‘It’s been five whole days! What in Merlin’s name happened?’ “How are you feeling, Mrs. Potter?” asked Madam Pomfrey. Ginny blinked for a moment. “Odd. Out of sorts. Confused.” The conversation jerked to another halt while all pondered again. Finally, Ginny decided to give voice to her most burning questions. “What happened? Why don’t I remember anything from the last five days? I mean, I remember waking up, and talking to you both, and eating sometimes, watching Harry, but I thought it was, maybe, the ninth. “Why is Harry … what is wrong with Harry?” “What do you remember of the procedure, Mrs. Potter?” asked Snape, taking the lead. “I remember you started, and then trying to hold onto Harry as long as I could while we waited for the poison to kill the Horcrux. It seemed like it was taking forever, and then … he started to … slip, and I pushed everything I had into him. I guess, I must have passed out, or fainted, or something.” “You almost completely drained yourself, Mrs. Potter,” replied Pomfrey, with just a bit of disapproval in her voice. “But, from what Professor Snape tells me, you likely saved both of your lives by it.” “So, I slept so much …” “To restore yourself, and, I suspect, because this … connection … you share with your husband continued to pour everything you didn’t need to actually survive right into him, to continue to help him,” Pomfrey said, when Snape didn’t reply. Snape stared at Ginny, trying to understand what she’d just said. ‘Pushed? What does she mean? Did she push her magic, did she push through their connection, through the bond? How did she do that?’ Not for the first time, he wished that his mother hadn’t so foolishly fallen in love with a mill worker. If he’d only grown up among his grandparents and cousins, he’d not only have had a happier childhood, but he would understand this ancient ritual and bond more fully. As it was, he suspected that he was barely keeping up, and that his incomplete understanding wasn’t going to be adequate much longer. Finally, he spoke again. “This morning, you told me that Mr. Potter was doing much better. Did Madam Pomfrey tell you that?” “No.” “How did you know that?” “I just … do. He woke up, and said my name.” Snape sighed. “Why did Harry need so much from me? You said that he could survive it on his own.” “I do not know,” Snape replied. “It took much longer than we had planned, and I feared for both of your lives before it was over. It seems that the Horcrux … resisted being destroyed, pulling power from Harry. Your pouring yourself into him at that time … was critical. When it was finally defeated, the destruction damaged your husband’s … eyes and brain, not to mention the damage to the rest of his body from the Basilisk venom. We’d hoped that by slowing his bodily processes, the venom would never reach his heart. Unfortunately, it took so long, that we had to keep him alive with spells pumping his heart and breathing for him. He has improved dramatically since that time, however.” “When I was checking his eyes earlier, I was not trying to hurt him, Ginny,” Pomfrey said to the now weeping girl. “He finally started responding to light only yesterday. I have been constantly checking him, but you were usually asleep when I did it.” “We think that he should improve much more rapidly now, but it may still be some time before he is up and about. We are still not certain what condition his brain is in, though from what you’ve told us about how he feels, and his … interesting display earlier, we are optimistic. My spells aren’t giving me anything clear from his brain, due to all of the intense magical interference, so until he is actually awake and I can assess him and talk to him, we have no idea what is going on inside his head. We would appreciate it if you would keep us apprised of anything you know, any impressions you get from your link to him. It may help us treat him, and make his convalescence shorter.” Ginny wiped her face with impatient fingers, nodded, stood, and left the room. Pomfrey looked at Snape. She inhaled heavily. “That … could have gone better, I think.” “I think she understands now.” “Sometimes, I wish I didn’t. Their bond was supposed to be extra, insurance, not … the only thing that saved him.” “I know.” |
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