Fragile

Chapter 8

At eight o'clock that evening, Harry Potter and Severus Snape stood in Professor Dumbledore's office. They had agreed with the headmaster that this would be the best place for the bonding ritual.

"Who would have thought that I'd get married on my seventeenth birthday, no less to a man everyone believes I hate," Harry thought.

Despite the actual spell being fairly complex, the entire ceremony only took a couple of minutes. Dumbledore asked Harry and Severus to join hands and then wrapped a very old-looking linen shawl with red embroidery around their hands. Covering their enveloped hands with his own, he started to chant an incantation in a language that Harry didn't recognize but knew from his research to be an old Egyptian dialect.

Slowly, the Gryffindor felt magic coursing through his body. At first, it was only what he knew as is own magic but gradually, a new, different magic began to mix with his. It felt like a warm tingle, strange but not unpleasant. In Severus' eyes, he could see that the other man was experiencing the same.

Dumbledore's chanting became faster but Harry barely heard any of it. The magic rushed through him like blood pounding in his ears. Severus' magic was overwhelming in its power and with it seemed to come fragments of thoughts and memories. It was different from entering the man's mind through Legilimency, more like trying to hear words shouted in the middle of a storm. It made Harry feel dizzy and it scared him. But then he felt Severus' soothing presence. The older man appeared to handle the onslaught of new sensations more easily and tried to use their new connection to reassure and stabilize his young bond mate.

It all ended so suddenly that Harry almost lost his balance. Dumbledore's voice was becoming higher and higher and the words he was pronouncing were blurred from the speed. When it finally seemed that he couldn't chant any higher and faster, it all stopped abruptly. The magical flow ended and the connection between the two younger men collapsed. Caught by surprise, Harry swayed but Severus held him upright.

Their eyes met and Harry could feel an echo of the Slytherin's feelings and thoughts. The other man appeared to experience the same. They stared at each other for a long time, trying to get used to each other's mental presence. Finally, they were interrupted by the headmaster clearing his throat.

"I take it the spell was successful," he beamed. Harry mentally snorted and vaguely perceived a similar reaction from his bond mate. As if the old wizard would mess a spell like that up.

"Of course the bond will now have to be strengthened by the physical, umm, component," Dumbledore reminded. "Only then will you actually be able to share each others' thoughts and powers at the level necessary for separating Harry from Voldemort."

"Is there a time limit?" Severus asked.

Professor Dumbledore shook his head: "The earlier the bond is strengthened, the better, but there is no real time limit." For a short moment, the three men stood in embarrassed silence, trying not to look at each other. Finally, the headmaster cleared his throat.

"Off you go then, my friends. There is nothing more I can do at this point." Dismissed, the two younger wizards left the office and made their way to the dungeons.

As soon as the door to the Potions Master's quarters had closed behind them, Severus grabbed a bottle of Brandy and a glass. He poured himself a drink and downed it in one gulp, then proceeded to repeat the action. Harry frowned at the man's behaviour but realised that he was just trying to deal with the nervousness that had taken hold of him on the way to the dungeons.

"Getting drunk won't make it easier, Severus," he admonished gently. He removed the glass from his bond mate's hand and took a sip, pulling a face at the unusual taste. Severus scowled at him but set the bottle down.

"I'm not trying to get drunk," he protested. "I am merely enjoying a glass of fine old brandy."

Harry raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Too large quantities of alcohol can have an adverse effect on a man's sexual prowess. If we want to do this, you'd better enjoy your glass afterwards."

Severus took a deep breath. "I am nervous," he admitted. "I'm afraid that I might not be able to go through with this at the last moment."

Harry felt the echo of his bond mate's anxiety and tried to send calming thoughts towards him even though he felt nervous himself. He set aside the glass he was still holding and wrapped his arms around Severus, pressing their foreheads together.

"No one says we have to rush this," he whispered. "Let's just go slowly, take our time, until we're ready. I'm sure Dumbledore won't come looking for us." He placed a small kiss on Severus' lips. The Slytherin responded by holding Harry close. The two men stood in silence for a while, eyes closed, taking comfort in their embrace.

Finally, Severus opened his eyes and kissed the tip of Harry's nose, then caught his lips for a long, deep kiss. When they broke apart, he smiled slightly.

"Should we adjourn to the bedroom then?"

"Absolutely!" Harry agreed, moving out of Severus' arms and pulling him along. They made their way to the room they had shared for several weeks now and closed the heavy door, shutting out the world and its unpleasant realities. The dim light and the familiar intimacy of their surroundings helped them to let go of their fears.

Kissing and touching, they started to unhurriedly remove each other's clothes. Every inch of exposed skin was greeted with a thorough exploration. Their new connection increased every sensation as both men felt the other's pleasure.

After the last piece of clothing had been discarded, they lay down on the bed, bodies pressed together, skin sliding over naked skin. Lips were constantly seeking each other and hands were roaming anywhere they could reach.

Harry had no idea how much time passed while they explored their now oh-so-familiar bodies, knowing exactly how to bring each other the greatest amount of pleasure. Every single sensation was doubled by the echo coming through the bond, which seemed to grow more and more intense.

When Harry thought he couldn't take any more without bursting, he caught Severus' hands in his own, stilling their progress.

"I'm ready," he whispered. The two men looked at each other silently for a moment.

"Are you sure you want to do it?" Severus asked. "I could do it, I would manage." Harry put a finger on his lips.

"Shush, love. I'm sure you could but I really want this. I want you to make love to me. I trust you." He smiled encouragingly. Severus hesitated for a second then returned his smile. However, when he tried to turn Harry on his stomach, the younger man shook his head. "I want to see you," he said.

Severus frowned. "It would be easier for you...," but Harry cut him off.

"I said I want to see you and I trust you. You won't hurt me."

Severus held his gaze for a moment before finally nodding. He reached for the phial that he had sat on the bedside table earlier that evening in expectation of their bonding. His eyes sought Harry's for a final reassurance before he coated his fingers in the slick oil. Hesitantly, he began to prepare his young bond mate. When Harry showed no sign of discomfort, he became more confident. Soon, Harry was writhing under his touch, begging for more. The onslaught of sensations on the younger man came back to Severus who in turn grew more and more excited.

"Gods, please, I want you," Harry moaned. Hoping his preparation would be enough, Severus complied.

The moment he entered Harry, the world seemed to stand still. The two men locked eyes, completely lost in each other. The entire universe was reduced to their united bodies. Nothing else mattered. Their minds completely opened to each other and slowly merged into one as their bodies were moving together, faster and faster. Neither man knew where his own pleasure ended and the other's began. It didn't matter. They were almost one. Not Harry and Severus but both of them together, distinct yet mixed.

An impossible pressure was building inside them, pleasure so pure that they felt they would burst any second. Just when it became almost unbearable, it all erupted in a kaleidoscope of sensations and impressions, colours and sounds and tastes and memories, the two minds now completely one.

Harry was losing himself. He couldn't tell anymore where he ended and Severus began. The pleasure he felt was so intense it took away his breath. Pure bliss, the sheer perfection of the moment was overwhelming. He heard someone scream but couldn't tell whether it was him or Severus. Not that it mattered. They completed each other. They were each other.

After an eternity, the two minds started to drift apart again. They stayed close but there was Harry and Severus. Two distinct consciousnesses, individuals' thoughts. They could tell their memories and feelings apart. Some things were drawn back into the shadows of the individual minds, away from the spotlight of their shared consciousness.

As their united minds separated into two again, so did their bodies. Severus murmured a quick cleaning spell before gathering Harry in his arms and holding him tightly. The younger man buried his face in the crook of Severus' neck. Exhausted from their overwhelming experience, the two men fell into a deep sleep.