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Beep-beep.
"Room 107 cleared, boss," Snyder's voice came through the magical intercom.
"Target 107 has been cleared, understood."
The MACAW (Magic Allowing Communication Across Walls) beeped once more, signalling the end of the connection.
Harry nodded as he checked 107 off on their plan. They'd already cleared out the targets deemed to be the most dangerous, and were nearly finished with the rest – mainly the last two cabinets in this room.
“Just this one left, then.”
“Caution, Potter,” came Severus’ warning from his right. “You would not want to be caught out by any nasty surprises after all.”
“When do I ever want to?” Harry retorted, turning back to the cabinet he was working on.
Indeed, through some twist of fate (or the Potter luck, as he would have it), Harry always managed to be confronted with the most dangerous suspects, the most trap-ridden locations, the most aggressive curses – and it was not because he was actively looking for them.
No more than the average Auror at least.
Of course, some of the Alphas on the Corps had to insist on flaunting their status, regularly getting themselves and their teams into danger. It had been a point between most of the senior and superior members, many of them defining themselves as the stereotypical loudmouth Alphas, and himself, even more so after his presentation not long after his first promotion.
He had realised, by then, that any attention could be fatal in their line of work. Especially the uncontrolled, wild kind unsuppressed Alphas would attract.
And Harry had enough attention as it was, at any rate.
“Concentrate, for pity’s sake!” Severus hissed, interrupting his mental grumbling.
“Yes, sir,” Harry snarked, and straightened back up to the next shelf.
Well, half-snarked. He was perfectly happy to defer to Severus although he, the most senior Auror on the case, officially led the operation. Their task was to secure anything of relevance from a major smuggling ring that had been busted earlier this week. Most of the traded goods had been volatile or otherwise harmful potions and ingredients. Some of those were so obscure or dangerous that they were only whispered about in very limited circles – the most dangerous, and the most academically-minded. More often than not, these circles overlapped.
So yes, it was certainly wise to listen to Severus who had travelled both, even though he was both a civilian and an Omega.
And he would like to think he’d learnt some wisdom during all his time with Severus, even if it was just how to collect this sort of evidence. He picked up a vial, simply labelled 2684-203, that contained some sort of potion. It looked like it belonged to the mental manipulation superclass, a love potion from the sheen of it.
Something about it felt… different, though.
At any rate, he would have to seal it into a clear MagiVac evidence bag, tagged with date, case number V40/102, item 115-05-1080 (it had been a long day), and his initials – HJPS.
Harry was intrigued by it though, and he made a mental note to ask Severus about it later – one of the upsides of being married to one of the top Potions Masters of their generation.
Their first meeting after the war had actually been in a somewhat similar situation to this, Harry remembered. It was the first bigger raid he had been part of as a young Auror, fresh out of the Academy. It had also featured busting a smuggling ring, though the goods did include a smaller variety of potions and more cursed artefacts and books.
Harry had been surprised to see Snape there, summoned by the Ministry to lend his expertise since their resident expert was temporarily indisposed.
Soon after the war, as the smoke and blood had cleared after the battle, so had Harry's emotions. He had come to understand the reason for the bitterness Snape had displayed: it could have come from a misplaced sense of self-defence learned from past experiences, and from Snape's role as a spy. If Harry had thought his task was thankless, Snape's had been even more so.
In addition, he found that the Horcrux had shaped his judgement more than he’d thought. In fact, the better part of that mistrust against Snape had not been his, but Voldemort’s – although the memories had done the rest to vanquish Harry's remaining doubts.
After the early chaotic days, Dumbledore's portrait had told him in confidence the man had survived, and Harry had been glad to hear of it. He had been prepared to speak up for Snape at a trial, only to find that the evidence Dumbledore had already secured his freedom and a very begrudging Order of Merlin, Third Class. Harry had to admit, he hadn’t much kept tabs on the older man thereafter – he had only known that Snape held an Owl-Order Potions business.
He had, by no means, been on friendly terms with the man. And yet, the other team members’ open hatred towards the Potions Master had immediately brought bile into Harry’s mouth. Was that how he, and the majority of Hogwarts students, had talked to and about the man? What base did they have apart from ill-reported trials and rumours?
At the same time, the other externals (Curse-Breakers and Defense Masters of significant renown of their own, if their credentials were to be believed) seemed to have stumbled into some sort of spell influence whenever they met Harry, unable to keep from fawning over him – so much that even the press got wind of it. It had nearly given away their mission before the team had started.
Harry had had enough. He'd volunteered to pair with Snape since everyone else kept giving the Potions Master a wide berth at best. (He would have liked to say he wanted to break the vicious cycle of mutual hatred by extending a hand first, but his motives had been entirely selfish at the time. He'd mainly wanted to spite the fawners and keep them away from him.)
The unimpressed look on Snape's face had softened ever so slightly when Harry told him he'd rather not deal with the fawning idiots if that was okay by Snape.
And from that first moment in their professional partnership, something seemed to click into place. Harry became their spear, forming and supplying magic to further their tasks, while Snape, with his strong defensive instinct and sense for subtle dangers, had taken the role of their shield. That could change at the drop of a hat, though, and the switch would happen so naturally that no words were needed.
It was like they had been born to work together.
And if anything happened, Harry could trust Snape to catch him – and to not mince words if he'd made a rookie mistake that could have cost them dearly. Snape, in turn, had left his disdain behind, which brought out the glint of humour in the sharp wit. It wasn't long before, of all people of the Auror department and their affiliates, Harry felt the most comfortable around Snape.
Slowly but surely, the professional camaraderie from occasional common missions grew into a personal friendship, then a relationship.
Harry had presented as an Alpha at age 21, and inadvertently felt Severus' secondary gender when they'd met on his first day back at work. It had been slightly awkward at first, on Harry’s part at least, not knowing how to adjust to these new feelings and sensations. Severus, in turn, had been cautious towards his advances at first. But with time and patience, they had developed a very romantic relationship (at least it was in Harry's mind).
Not to mention that the two of them had become one of the most successful and highly-respected duos of the Auror department.
He found himself smiling as he felt his magic reach out for his partner's, settling in the sense of safety he'd found in the man's presence from their first meeting as adults.
"Potter!" Severus' voice sounded much closer this time. "if I have to warn you one more time – "
Though there was something ominous in Severus' tone, his magic reached back towards Harry's, reassuring him of his presence.
Harry's smile only grew wider. "You'll be forced to send me out like an errant schoolboy, I know."
"Don't get cheeky with me," Severus muttered, the hint of relief enough to let Harry know he wasn't as annoyed as he sounded. "Back to work with you, and you'd better not drift off again."
"Yes, – "
"Hey, boss! Have you already seen – " The door slammed open.
Harry could almost see it in slow motion.
In his excitement, Snyder tripped over the crate of evidence that Harry had left near the door for transport. The man did his best to turn so that he didn’t hit any of the cabinets, but that meant he slammed into Harry instead, jostling his grip on the vial in his hand.
The next thing Harry knew was… scent.
Not just any scent. It was the most heavenly scent in existence, encompassing everything Harry loved.
Home-made treacle tart, adjusted to include cinnamon and just the tiniest hint of ginger as Severus had learnt from Harry's grandmother. The scent of broom polish on his hands after exercise, knowing Severus was admiring his movements in the air even though he would never admit it.
The woodsy scent of their home – a two-storey cottage in the countryside – greeting him whenever he came back from work. Standing in the dew-kissed grass of their garden, early in the morning, beneath the fragrance of the young crab apple tree they had planted in the first year of their marriage. The incense they burnt when sitting outside during the summer, sharing silence or conversation under the light of the stars.
"Potter –"
Harry sighed.
Severus.
His Severus.
The specific brand of coffee Harry had introduced him to, when they had still been just friends, and that Severus now refused to go without. The potions he so often prepared for the both of them, Calming Draughts, Pain Relievers and Pepper-Ups leaving traces of lavender, valerian, poppy seeds and mint; and Suppressants with the sharp notes of ground unicorn horn.
And then, best of all, something uniquely Severus. It was both sweet and musky, and always clean regardless of what he had been doing, or how sweaty he was. Harry would lie in it all day if he could, soaking it in, letting it catapult him to pleasurable heights.
He inhaled deeply.
It wasn't often that he got to smell it in its full intensity, with all its rich layers. Both of them had chosen to regularly take suppressants and mask their scents, so that they could guard their privacy, unwilling to be defined by the masses' conceptions of their secondary gender designations in their everyday life – it was much simpler to maintain the dose rather than tracking their cycles. Only during their bonding had they undergone the purification ritual that flushed out all potions as they had feared those could potentially interfere with their bond.
Their bonding. Oh, how blissful that week had been. Just him and Severus, entangled in one another. (Although the condoms had felt a bit in the way.)
" – alright? Hey, boss? I'm really – "
"Snyder, out."
Mmh. That growl. Harry loved it.
"Potter, are you with me?"
Harry blinked.
"Uh. Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."
Severus was shaking his head. "Evidently not. Deprendo Maximum! Vitam Revelio!"
Harry frowned. Why would he be in vital danger – ?
The scene in front of him sharpened into focus. Severus was kneeling at his side, near-frantically checking the parameters projected by the Monitoring Charm, magic reaching out to connect with Harry's.
Worry filtered through their bond.
Worry?
Wait. He was lying on the floor. Everything from the floor to the air around them shimmered blue with the strongest Containment And Detection Charm he knew of.
"What happened?"
"Your fall broke the seal on the vial in your hand. We must get you out. Expecto Urgentiam."
Get you out… Severus never used such simple language – unless the situation was dire.
Harry nodded. "Yes, sir."
Severus let out another growl. Currents of concern pulsed through their bond – but what did Harry have to worry about with Severus by his side?
Harry moaned as he found himself floating on a stretcher, supported by Severus' magic.
"Stay with me."
A long beep, then, "Unknown penetrative mind-altering substance spread in target 115, temporarily contained. Potter indisposed, Snape escorting. Snyder potentially affected, Johnson to escort. Thomas, call for reinforcements.
"I repeat: Unknown penetrative mind-altering substance spread in target 115, temporarily contained. Potter indisposed, Snape escorting. Snyder potentially affected, Johnson to escort. Thomas, call for reinforcements. Disconnect."
Another long beep, then something like a murmur rose in the MACAW, signalling a flood of communication among team members and the base.
"Urgentia."
A tug, a whirl.
White. The medical bay of the Auror department.
"Master Snape! What happened?"
Harry knew her from somewhere.
"Auror Potter has been affected by an unknown, penetrative mind-altering substance following an accidental spread. Temporarily contained with Deprension; vitals stable so far, though he seems disoriented."
"Got it. Disoriented patient affected by contained unknown penetrative mind-altering substance, stable vitals. Room 5, I will be there in a moment."
Another whirl.
Harry was being settled into the examination cot, sheets tucked over him with gentle hands before Severus turned to pace along the edge of the cot.
Harry smiled. Everything was tingling from where Severus' magic was still scanning and cradling him. Their bond was wide open for once; they only rarely indulged in the sensation since it was incredibly distracting to have two minds turning in each head.
He knew Severus loved him. But it felt indescribable to bask in this sensation. He'd have buried himself forever in that sweet-spicy magic if he could.
"... Auror Potter, what happened?"
Huh? It seemed he'd missed the Healer's entry.
"Sev – "
"Answer her question."
"Yes, sir." There was no disobeying the command.
Oh. It was Healer Weigert to the other side of his bed; he'd somehow not recognised her.
He could trust her, Severus was right.
"Someone – "
Severus let out another growl. The Healer silenced him with a look.
"Someone stumbled into me and I fell. I guess the cork popped on one of the vials…? It smelled so good. Like treacle tart and home and Severus and – "
Harry blushed when he remembered where his thoughts had been going.
"Almost – too good to be true… Wait. Amortentia?"
"Could have been," the Healer responded, at the same time as Severus responded, "Likely modified."
The Healer nodded for Severus to go on while she flicked her wand, starting her own assessment.
"The Deprension Spell gave no definitive readings on the substance class, though the emotional manipulation and obsessive-compulsive components were noted at its forefront. Together with the flushed appearance and the sensations described, the similarities to Amortentia seem obvious. Due to the nature of our bond, I cannot tell whether the target of the obsession was meant to be the potion's creator."
Harry nearly swooned.
"Thank you," the Healer was replying in the meanwhile. "Apologies for interrupting, I need to draw blood for class panel analysis if that is alright?"
Blood? Were scans not enough to detect most things?
Harry looked up at Severus. His partner would know – Severus always knew.
Severus assessed him for a long moment, then nodded once.
Harry stretched out his arm towards the Healer. A tingle, a prick to the side of his finger, a bit of pressure, then it was laid back on the bed.
"That's it. Yours as well, Master Snape. Standard operating procedure, as you well know."
Severus sighed and held out his arm as well.
Harry nearly giggled. Both at his partner's exasperation and the ridiculousness of the thought that Severus would need Amortentia to make Harry love him – silly them for thinking it.
"But there is more," Severus continued, unfazed. "I have already remarked on the penetrative component that allowed it to pass by the standard Auror protections when in direct or short-distance contact, and manipulate the affected person's behaviour through touch or inhalation alone, without need for ingestion. Furthermore, Harry's behaviour leads me to suspect an enslavement component – although neither the cursory assessment of its magical signature on-site, nor any spell readings have supported this."
"Neither can the panel, so it is likely not our first guess, though we will keep it in mind," replied the Healer. "I will also document the negative cross-match. He still takes suppressants and masks his scent, I assume?"
Severus inclined his head.
"Then it is much more likely the effect of the disinhibition and lust components, of which there are inhalative formulations – they'd have turned him mindless already had he not been on suppressants."
Severus hissed through his teeth. "The active conflicting signals need to be removed from his system."
"Yes, or he will be lost to them sooner or later. Purification by potion is the best option since we don't have time for a full course of targeted antidotes; we have the Purification Philtre on hand."
Severus nodded once again.
"You are aware that with his current state, the sudden de-suppression will very likely tip his body into rut, and that suppression in this state will be detrimental for his further sexual and reproductive function."
"Yes."
"Any new conditions since the last visit? New potions or other medication?"
"No."
A pause, then: "I will get the Purification Philtre."
Harry hadn't understood much, if he was honest with himself. He could only drool, utterly fascinated by the rate at which his partner and the healer were exchanging information. He'd seen Severus' competence – hell, he'd grown up with it, and he was lucky enough to experience it every day.
But it had never made him so… hot before.
He couldn't hold back the whimper.
Severus' head whipped around, concern etched on his face. "Harry – "
"Hot," he replied.
Or tried to. The sound that came out instead made him flush even more with shame.
"Harry," came more insistently.
Harry raised his eyes, obeying the unspoken command. A warm hand gripped his at the same time as their eyes met, tightening in the same way he felt Severus' mental shields pulling his consciousness further into Severus' currently unaffected body.
The haze cleared a little.
He looked beautiful to Harry anyhow.
Urgency was flooding Severus' mental form. "Listen to me."
"Yes, sir."
"We have no choice but to flush out everything; I can only shield you for a limited time."
"Mhm."
"You'll likely experience some cramps – as you did before our bonding."
"Not the worst thing."
"Don't curse it. You will also go into artificial rut afterwards. It will likely tax your body more than a natural rut would."
"Okay. Will it … will I hurt you?"
A huff echoed through their shared mindscape. My Harry, always thinking of others before himself.
"No, you will not. I can handle myself."
"But – "
"I am aware of the potential consequences. If it reassures you, we can stay connected as we are currently – as we were during our bonding."
"Yes, please."
Severus nodded, reassured.
"Thank you, Healer Weigert. Drink up, Harry."
A cool vial was pressed to his lips. Harry opened his mouth.
Oh. It was the same potion as they had taken during the pre-bonding purification ritual.
The mint note is more pronounced than it should be, but... it will do, Severus' mental voice supplied.
Oh, stop nitpicking.
Severus' mental form growled again. But before Harry could think about what that sound did to his body, the strange sensation of purification overtook him – as if his blood was being separated into layers and stripped of anything unnecessary, like a soup might be skimmed and strained before being served.
It bordered on painful when it hit his intestines. It burned when it reached his lungs - he was breathing fire.
Severus' hand squeezed back.
Harry, he whispered.
There was so much in these two syllables. A lament for Harry's pain. Presence, comfort. Encouragement to hold on.
Eventually, the pain faded, and Harry drew in a ragged breath.
His thoughts felt clearer for the moment. However, in the heat of his blood, he could feel the rut looming on the horizon; he had half an hour, maybe an hour at the most.
With a pulse of thought, Severus reminded Harry of what they had discussed, and Harry sent back his agreement. When Severus gently nudged him back into his own body, it was not so much the disorientation as the loss of Severus' immediate presence that discomfited him the most.
I'm still here, came back through the bond.
Harry sighed.
"There we are," Healer Weigert said. "Welcome back."
"Thank you," Harry croaked, then sat up slowly to take some of the water Severus offered him. Their fingers brushed; enough to reassure Harry of his partner's presence.
Healer Weigert cleared her throat. "I will need your blood again to ensure everything has been flushed out."
"Alright, have at it."
Severus huffed. Harry glared at him – though he was not truly annoyed.
You know I love you getting all possessive over me.
A long moment of silence followed as they waited for the results.
"The panel looks clear though I would want to re-check in a week, just to be sure there are no hidden timed-release components. Do come to me at any time if you feel something is off; you as well, Master Snape, if you feel anything unusual through your bond."
Harry nodded.
"Of course," Severus replied. "Thank you for your timely help."
"Happy to. I believe I can trust you to come to me at any time, so this is merely an offer: Do you wish to remain in one of our private rooms for the duration of your rut? Or do you wish to spend the week at home?"
Harry's and Severus's eyes connected, one thought echoing between them.
Home.
"Thank you for the offer, but we would rather be at home," said Severus.
"Alright, but you must come to me if anything feels wrong."
"Understood."
"I will let Head Auror Robards know you have both been signed off for the week.. Are you alright to walk?"
With Severus' support, Harry got on his feet.
I've got you.
You could pick me up if you needed to, Harry smiled.
"Good. The apparition point is just off the side of the waiting room. Enjoy your time together as much as you can."
"Thank you."
Harry waved at the Healer as they left the room.
Brat, Severus glowered.
Your brat.
They crossed the two corridors quickly, leaving them at the door to the apparition room. The sign glowed green before it opened.
They stepped in. Harry relaxed into Severus' hold as he twisted them away.
Home. Together.