chapter 4
"You! Look what you have done!" Draco yelled, but the fierceness lost its touch as he struggled to come to a sitting position.
"What I have done? If I am to blame then so are you! We both cast the same spell that caused this. Stop being immature and accept that! There is nothing we can do!" Harry yelled back with a slight smirk as he was already sitting up before the blond across from him did.
"Well if you hadn't been following me, I wouldn't have had to curse you!"
"Well if you hadn't been sneaking around and trying to accomplish," Harry gestured with his hands trying to find the proper wording. "something, then I wouldn't have had to curse you!"
"Enough!" bellowed the headmaster. Both teens jumped at the voice and only then realized they had an audience. "Whether you two like it or not, you are now bond-mates and should treat each other accordingly. It does not matter where the fault lies or what the person had been doing pervious to the formation of the bond. Now, can we continue talking about this like two mature young men or do you plan to fight each other like boys and make your bond suffer?"
"Yes headmaster," both boys mumbled, looking down into their laps. Harry was still confused about the Soul Bond. Sure Sirius had given him a brief explanation about it, but with Dumbledore mentioning fighting could make the bond suffer, he wanted to learn why. While on the opposite bed, Draco had the beginnings of a panic attack. He would certainly be punished by both his father and the Dark Lord for what had happened. Draco was already terrified about failing his mission, but maybe this could save him from doing so?
"Sir?" Harry asked gaining the attention of everyone in the room. He looked directly at the headmaster so it would not be mistaken about where his question was directed. "Are there any books about Soul Bonds? My guide only gave me a brief explanation, but I still feel lost about it."
"Don't you read? Everyone knows about Soul Bonds, Potter! Only idiots and muggles do not know of them," sneered Draco. How did Potter survive anything, he thought.
"I was raised by muggles and never told about what I was until I received my Hogwarts letter, so excuse me if I didn't get to learn all of this before I turned eleven!" shouted Harry. He was pleased to have brought on some shock to the annoying blond sitting next to him. Harry smirked as Draco looked away and became lost in his thoughts, before turning back to the headmaster.
"I have a few books that will help you better understand your situation Harry, and I am sure Remus will be glad to help you as well. But don't forget you now have a bond-mate who has knowledge and you can go to him as well," Dumbledore watched as Harry gave a shy look over to Draco and he knew that Draco would be the last person Harry would ask questions about Soul Bonds.
"May I speak to Severus alone, please?" Draco asked. He stood up when the potions master waved him over as he walked towards a corner in the room. Neither noticed the raven-haired boy watching them walk away. Draco turned to Severus. "What am I supposed to do Severus? I can't be bonded to Harry bloody Potter! And what will He think about this?"
"Calm down, Draco. Your father and mother have already been here and Lucius will hold off the Dark Lord. He may ask you to bring Potter to him using the bond you two now share. However, I am inclined to urge you to use this as protection. Draco do not act rashly and give up whatever the Dark Lord had assigned to you, this bond should be your priority." Severus gave a pleading look to Draco. He had always feared for his godson and it seemed that he was the only one that actually about his well-being. Narcissa had turned out to not have a spine and let Lucius do what he thought was right regarding her and Draco. Severus could not condone that however, because what mother would allow their husband to offer their only child to an insane dark lord?
"What am I even supposed to do with this bond? Nothing good could come from it! We hate each other and yet we are in a bond that will kill us if we even verbally fight," Draco huffed. He was already growing tired and wished to return to his bed. At least that is what he told himself as he tried to ignore Potter looking at him from across the room.
"You both are sixteen and have found yourselves thrust in the middle of a war, do learn to act mature about this. Talk about your childhood, you will be surprised when he reciprocates his own," Severus said. He turned around and began walking towards where Potter was still seated, blatantly ignoring Dumbledore and Lupin talking to him as he watched Draco walk behind Severus. Severus pushed Draco onto the bed next to Potter's and turned to the headmaster waiting for instructions.
"Excellent. You two now have your own quarters where you will stay since you are now bondmates. You will still be allowed to enter your respective houses and will still gain or loose house-points. However, we expect you to act as your bond demands. If not the consequences could be dire," Dumbledore watched with mild amusement as both boys loudly swallowed at the implication of his statement. He clapped his hands, jolting the boys from their thoughts. "Now before I take you to your new quarters, you need to decide on a password for your guardian. The doorway is guarded by the Great Sphinx and says he will only allow a password that is decided by the both of you and is worthy of him. You are not to give it to anyone. We will let you be for a few minutes so that you may decide."
Both Harry and Draco refused to look at each other as Dumbledore lead Remus and Severus into Pomfrey's office. Harry tried to think of something that could be used as a password that no one would know about. It was difficult because of how much of his life was plastered across newspapers and his friends knew about most of his life. There was one thing however that even though people knew about him, no one would be able to understand him.
"What if we made the password in parseltongue? I could teach you how to speak it. You would just need to choose the word and I could translate it. Most of my life is known by either my friends or the general public, thanks to Skeeter, and although everyone knows I can speak it, only one other person can speak it and I doubt He is going to be waltzing into the castle just to speak parseltongue to our guardian," Harry was staring at his hands in his lap as he nervously waited for Draco to respond to his suggestion.
"Daisy," Draco said with heavy emotion in his voice. He would never forget her and knew how special bonds were, regardless of the type or how they came to be.
"What?" Harry barely heard what Draco had said. He thought he mentioned a type of flower, but he was uncertain as to why he would choose a flower.
"I said Daisy. That is the word I choose," Draco snapped. He knew Potter would ask about the significance, but he did not want to at the moment. "Just translate it."
"Okay," Harry cleared his throat before looking over to Draco so that the blond could see his mouth movements, because not only was parseltongue a different language, but the tongue and lip movement for speaking it were much different. "Daisy."
"Say it again?" Draco asked, although he wanted it to be said as a command. Whenever he heard the Dark Lord speak the snake language, it always struck fear within him. But hearing Potter speak it, it sounded like a pleasant exotic language.
"Daisy," Harry repeated. He noticed how Draco did not flinch like many people whenever he spoke the language around other people. In fact, he seemed intrigued as he spoke the word again so that Draco could learn their newly set password.
"Daisy," Draco tried. It felt odd speaking in parseltongue since he was not meant to speak it, but at the same instance he enjoyed speaking it. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if Harry would teach him to speak it and maybe whenever they needed to talk about something others could not overhear they could talk in the ancient language.
"Almost. Just try saying it a few more times. Its coming out as dazing rather than daisy," Harry felt his lips turn up as he listened to Draco say their password. It was amazing to be able to teach another person something not many knew, but that he had complete knowledge over.
"Thank you," Draco said, looking away from Potter. "For teaching me."
"You're welcome. I could teach you more, if you'd like?" Harry said as he shifted uncomfortably. Both Harry and Draco looked up as they heard the door to the office open up and reveal the headmaster poking his head out.
"Decide on a password, my boys?"
"Yes sir. May we present it to the Great Sphinx now?" Harry asked. He knew that Draco did not completely trust the headmaster so took the position of communicating with Dumbledore until he had the opportunity to talk with Draco more about their bond.
"Of course! I will lead you to the corridor where your quarters are located and leave you to present it to your guardian without anyone present. You two will be excused from classes for the rest of today and tomorrow since it will be Friday so that you may have extra time getting to know each other and the bond. Remus will be staying with Severus in his quarters in the dungeon if you need him Harry. And there is an extra painting with Severus so that you may send for either man through the Sphinx," Dumbledore ignored the grumbling behind him. While the boys were talking, he had told Remus and Severus about the plan to allow Remus to stay and in the same area because he knew that the Great Sphinx would not allow another painting to be added for him. It had taken most of the time they were in the office to calm both Remus and Severus.
"Come along," Dumbledore waved his hand for the boys to follow him. Students were still in classes so they did not run into anyone on their way to the fifth floor. He stopped at the beginning of a corridor and pointed down the hallway. "Here you are. I will let you boys be now."
Harry and Draco cautiously approached the painting that would now be the entrance to their new quarters. When the reached the painting, they saw the Great Sphinx look at them. Harry was the one to bow before the creature, showing it the respect it deserved. Seeing how Harry acted towards the Sphinx, Draco followed suite remembering the incident with the Hippogriff. The both stiffened, but stood straight upon hearing a voice.
Young Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Have you thought of a password?
"Daisy," both boys hissed. They watched as the Sphinx regarded them for a moment before opening the portrait and allowing Draco and Harry to enter.