Harry soon fell back into an exhausted healing sleep cuddling his bear, much to the relief of the two older wizards. Both older men moved into the attached library to continue their discussion about the young lion. As they settled into matching arm chairs they noticed a portrait of the founders on the wall and the fact that one of them was missing.
"Helga decided to watch over Harry while we discuss the situation with you," Salazar explained, noticing their inquiring looks, both nodded their acceptance before settling back into their chairs.
"The amount of damage that Cissy uncovered is appalling and I haven't made the situation any better," Severus muttered almost morosely.
"And I've done better than you?" Voldemort asked with a snort of self disgust. "At least we can keep him from going back and actually have a chance to apologize, leaving aside the fact that he appears to fancy both of us on top of it all."
"That actually may help us," Severus pointed out pensively, the look he received from the Dark Lord had him back tracking and explaining. "Oh, I'm not suggesting that we try to manipulate him like the old coot does, that would just make the situation worse. However, if we want to heal him, emotionally as well as physically, then it provides a basis of trust we can work from, despite the damage we've already done."
Voldemort hummed his agreement as he turned the situation over in his mind. He wasn't quite willing to admit that he might fancy both the dour man and the young lion even if only just a bit. It also wasn't as if he was unwilling to take either wizard into his bed, perhaps even both. What was stopping him was the fact that he was unsure how to be in a relationship and the fact that he knew if he claimed either of them like that he wasn't letting them go any time soon for any reason. Neither man was prepared for the flood of warm feelings that flooded their senses after voicing their opinions. When they once more paid attention to the world around them they found, much to their astonishment that their wands were sitting in their laps.
"Hopeless romantic," Salazar said with a fond snort, referring to the castle.
"Don't expect to actually be able to leave this set of rooms yet," Godric warned, a smile playing about the edges of his mouth.
"Of course," Snape commented with a snort of combined amusement and mild disgust at the situation.
"Our green-eyed menace is old enough for courting isn't he?" Voldemort asked pensively, playing with his returned wand after having thoroughly checked it.
"As if Dumbledore would allow anyone but his choice to court the brat," Severus sneered, having slid his wand into its holster after examining it. "From what I can tell he's practically promised him to the Weasley chit. I would be very surprised if there wasn't a marriage contract already filed or only waiting on the moment when the Headmaster can convince him to sign it. It actually helps us at the moment that he's avoiding Potter or the contract would be signed and we wouldn't have had a chance with him."
"If I offer a truce on condition of a general amnesty and full open representation in both the ministry and the wizengamott then slip in the proviso of being allowed to court both of you without interference..." Voldemort mused aloud as he finally slid his wand back into its holster, earning a deer-in-the-headlights look from the potions master.
"Why would you want to? I understand getting Potter onside but I'm hardly desirable," Severus asked in a self deprecating manner, earning a sharp look from the other man.
"Oh I wouldn't say that," Voldemort said softly, watching the other man carefully, almost speculatively. Severus noticed his look and fought the urge to gulp, knowing it would be a sign of weakness in this highly unusual situation of cat and mouse.
"At least he seems to be sleeping, it will speed up the healing," Severus said softly, refusing to meet Voldemort's gaze, signal of submission or submissiveness be damned.
"Severus, we both know some of what he's been through. We both lived it for all that we don't know his specifics," Voldemort said softly. "We have at least the rest of the winter holidays to put some of this to rights and set up some sort of defense against the old fool."
"You're acting remarkably sane," Severus absently commented before mentally cringing at his slip and hoping he wasn't going to get crucioed, even if it was limited to 10 seconds under the curse with a 20 minute rest.
"That has more to do with the fact that most of his soul shards are nearby," Rowena explained, amusement lilting through her voice. "We're having a little difficulty retrieving the ring because Dumbledore keeps wearing it and talking to thin air, not to mention calling the air Ariana. All of the other pieces are in the same room as Nagini, which happens to be within twenty feet of your special suite. The proximity negates or lessens most of the more extreme side effects, which is one of the reasons why Godric sent Fawkes to get them. I think the old fire bird had to fight with a deranged house elf for one of them. He was quiet aggravated when he dropped that one off."
"Something else you need to consider. If the two of you truly want to help the little one heal, you're going to have to be willing to comfort him, to simply touch him," Godric pointed out softly, silently noting the slight blush that seemed to instantly stain Severus' cheeks at the mention of 'touch' and continued to speak. "From what we've gathered he considers himself unclean and unworthy of almost everything without giving far more in return for a simple basic kindness. From the sounds he makes during his nightmares he seems to have been taught that even the most basic necessities need to be earned from an early age, such as the meanest bed and board even a prisoner would receive. If he does have that mentality, especially if its in a more extreme form, then it will never fully leave him, only be tempered and redirected. Which is probably where he gets his saving people thing that his friends tease him about. Its likely that his time here at the school has helped him to gain some perspective, no matter how little."
"We can't touch him. Our natural bodies are long gone and judging from the way he tends to flinch around his friends he hasn't experienced a great deal of gentle touch." Salazar added softly, his tone sad as his image shivered slightly in what appeared to be a remembered sympathy. "All three of you will always have a home and a family with us but until we've sorted out even temporary bodies physical touch is out of our reach. Until then the three of you will have to rely on each other for any physical comfort, such as hugs."
"Harry is also likely to mentally switch between his current age and someone much younger now that he has the chance to feel safe. His body and power are going to be effected by the Phoenix Tears and Basilisk Venom in his veins. There's also the fact that both factors may increase his incidents of accidental magic well into his late twenty's, especially if he doesn't gain someone to act as his ground." Rowena explained, sympathy shining in her eyes as she fought back her painted tears. "The medical scan will only give us a starting point for what he went through and how to fix his body, and the two of you are more likely to understand him than we are. Aside from Sal, we all grew up fairly spoiled in both material goods and affection, as a result we simply wont understand some things."
"Lovely," Severus commented sarcastically with a heavy sigh, before abruptly standing up and his tone softened. "I'd best get started on the nutritional and scar reduction potions he's obviously going to need if his nightmares, what we've observed, and what the founders told us have anything to do with it. Lord Slytherin? Would you be willing to join me in the potions lab? I might need more information than I already have in regards to the way Potter is being altered by the Basilisk Venom and Phoenix Tears in his blood, which I presume you have knowledge of due to your earlier comments."
"Certainly," The portrait said graciously as he left for the frame in the other room, Severus following quickly via the door.
"I'd best get started on researching the detection spells to see if any of us has been tampered with and how so that we can start repairing any damage done and removing the effects," Voldemort said broodingly with a deep sigh of his own, turning to search the books filling the walls and shelves around the room; Both trusting Helga to watch over Harry and alert them if something happened to him.
Neither man surfaced from their self imposed tasks until supper time and they had to be forced out of their respective tasks by the founder that had opted to watch or help them. In the end Salazar and Godric had to threaten to take away the library and potions lab and Rowena idly pointed out that the castle could confiscate their wands again if they didn't take care of themselves and each other. Both men grumbled and complained as they left their respective tasks, discretely clutching at their recently returned wands with white knuckled hands, checking to make sure they hadn't been taken again.
Neither wizard expected the changes they discovered in the main combination bedroom/dining room. They stopped dead in their respective doorways when they saw the new configuration of the room. The three separate beds had been replaced by a single large bed decked out in a deep forest green with silver embroidery and a still sleeping Gryffindor in the center of the mattress that could easily hold five people. Severus leveled a sour glare at the tapestry of the founders while Voldemort simply raised an eyebrow before examining the new bed and its occupant speculatively.
"We told you she's a hopeless romantic," Godric said pointedly in response to the Potion Master's glare. "For all we know the first time Harry decides to do something incredibly cute or brave she may return his wand as she has already done for the two of you. Expect her to help Harry snag the two of you as husbands. Which also means that she's just as likely to try and get the two of you to interact as more than master and servant."
"If Hogwarts has her way they'll be bonded before leaving these rooms," Salazar pointed out almost sardonically with a snort of dry amusement. The alarmed look both men had on their faces had the founder biting back a grin. "Oh, don't worry about it so much. For the castle its a preferred out come not a requirement. She's learned over so many years of hosting students that it doesn't always work out. Honestly? If Harry makes a bit more progress she might let you out, provided Helga gives you a clean bill of health and you can prove you've not been tampered with. Of course then our restrictions on the three of you kick in."
"Its so much easier to enforce when the three of you are simply stuck in this suite but Helga is going to insist on the three of you getting some exercise and sun. Of course until you've all been cleared by her medically there isn't a chance that you'll be allowed to go far," Rowena agreed mirth dancing in her fabric gaze.
"I can speak for myself," Helga pointed out crossly, before turning and checking Harry again. "And, no, none of you are going to be leaving any time soon. Godric's heir isn't the only one who needs healing. All of you are far too thin and wont be leaving until you're up to a decent weight or I am made aware of an acceptable medical reason why all three of you are under weight! Honestly, that woman should be stripped of her Medi-Witchery certificate, missing so much damage and not taking proper care of the castle inhabitants."
"Helga, you know perfectly well that Dumbledore has been interfering with just about everything. You also know that Hogwarts is having one hell of a time fighting him. She admits that she made a mistake accepting him as the headmaster but until we can break the custodial bond there isn't all that much that we can do," Godric pointed out calmly almost soothingly. "What we've already done here is going to seriously irritate the man. You know how he sees each of our boys. You know what he would do if he had any idea as to what was happening in here. We've provided some basic protections for when they leave but so many of the magics are still dormant until we've done more work and woken Hogwarts further we can only do so much. We have to wait for everyone to get back from the break and get the entire school chanting the incantation that the four of us worked out. That's why Sal is in charge of presentation. Once they've gone through it at least once we'll have more leeway."
"I know but its just frustrating and depressing," Helga fretted, much to the concerned amusement of the other founders.
"~Tom? Tom!~" Hissed a voice from under the bed as Nagini slithered out and joyfully wrapped herself around her human.
"Well at least we know it worked. The side effects the magic had on her before were appalling," Salazar commented dryly as he watched his son embrace his familiar with tears glistening at the corners of his eyes.
"~Nagini. I missed you so much.~" Voldemort hissed back, his voice barely above a whisper as he practically cuddled his familiar.
"~The painted speaker explained what happened and why the hatchling tastes like the treasures.~" Nagini explained as she rubbed up against her human, glad that the madness had gone away and that there was a way to make it stay away. "~You are not master any more. You are my Tom again and I will protect you. I will protect your dark man. I will protect the treasure-hatchling-that-may-be-mate-and-is-no-longer-enemy.~"
"~Thank you.~" Voldemort hissed before looking up at the founders and sincerely repeating the sentiment in English. "Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me."
"~I think I do.~" Salazar hissed back with a sad understanding, thinking of his own familiar and how Harry had been forced to kill her. The other founders muttered their own responses as they politely ignored how tenderly Salazar's heir cradled his long time friend and companion. None of them noticed Harry quietly waking and observing the reunion from the center of their new joint bed.
"~Tom? Why are you making face water? Everything is better now. Your mates can not be taken away. I no longer hurt. You no longer hurt. What is wrong?~" Nagini hissed in concern as she licked away the tears that her human was shedding as he began to quietly weep.
"~Nothing is wrong my dearest. Nothing is wrong. Salazar... the painted speaker... helped make things better. The face water is because I no longer hurt so much and I have a chance for a mate and hatchlings. I thought... I thought I would never have a mate and hatchlings, that I would have to make something right before I could take the long rest. You were the only one to stay with me and comfort me when I remembered the hurt of no mate and no hatchlings. Now... now Salazar and his painted friends, the founders, have given you back to me. Thank you dear heart.~" Voldemort explained stumbling and weeping through his explanation as he clutched the serpent to him. It wasn't long after that when Snape, encouraged by Harry, and Harry himself carefully approached and wrapped both of them in a careful hug.
"~Tom, you will tell these other two-leggers that you are my Tom. You will tell them when you are hurting so they can help make it better when I can not.~" Nagini informed him solemnly as she gently pulled back to meet his gaze.
"~I don't think he will tell us.~" Harry hissed back uncomfortably, unsure of why he was even speaking up but not wanting the snake to be hurt when Voldemort didn't tell them something. He was still confused about what had happened while he slept but he had decided it was important not to have an upset or angry snake and dark lord locked in with them.
"~Then I will tell you or the painted speaker and you will take care of my Tom if I can not.~" Nagini informed him in a resigned tone, not really surprised at the information. She'd been with him long enough to know that he only really talked to her about such things and she couldn't understand most of what he told her. "~It has been a very long time since he made face water. He hides the hurts deep inside and allows it to turn to bad venom as when a snake waits to long to use its venom on food or enemy. The venom turns bad and hurts the snake. Sometimes the bad venom kills them. My Tom must not die from the bad venom. You will make my Tom better and remove the bad venom.~"
"~I'll try.~" Harry said softly, surprise and sincerity evident in his tone, easily heard even by those who didn't understand the parseltongue he spoke in. A band of light formed briefly between the lion and the serpent before winking out of existence.
"What did you just agree to?" Severus asked darkly, recognizing an informal magically binding contract.
"He promised to try and help take care of me if Nagini can't," Voldemort practically breathed out. The shock was evident in his voice even as it was mirrored across his features as he stared at the young man he had been trying to kill for so many years.
"That ends that then," Godric said with a chortle, gleeful at this latest development. He didn't notice when the castle quietly slipped Harry's wand onto the bed. "The bastard can never force our heirs to fight or try to kill each other ever again! Not after that heartfelt promise!"
"Do I need to drag you to that portrait of that pond on the fourth floor and toss you in? Dunce!" Salazar scolded in exasperation, ignoring Godric's gleeful prancing about the tapestry.
No one expected Harry to quietly double over in pain behind Voldemort and Severus as he abruptly let go of the hug. Nagini hissed in alarm, drawing everyone's attention to his collapse and nearly silent writhing on the floor. A quiet whimper was all it took to get the two wizards frozen in shock moving as they quickly picked up the young lion and moved him to the bed. Nagini slid from her human's arms to allow him to help tend to Harry as the sable haired youth began convulsing and had to be pinned to the bed. His wand falling, still unnoticed, to the floor, knocked their by one of Harry's kicking legs.
"Oh, I'd forgotten about that stage of the reaction," Salazar commented, interest clear in his voice. The glares and looks of astonishment he got in return had him shrugging and asking, "What? I didn't realize it would be this violent and its not like I fully remember my own transformation. Of course I should have presumed something like this might happen since I woke up to an overturned meal and an awful headache at one point. I believe when I asked Helga to check it she called it a concussion?"
"Well if you reacted the way Harry is and had no one to keep you from hurting yourself, I'm entirely unsurprised that you nearly cracked your skull!" Helga shot back furiously before returning her attention to her patient. "No Severus, put something in his mouth so that he doesn't bite his own tongue off. No need to have him choking on his own blood or drink potions when the need can be prevented."
"The final results are likely to be different in any case," Rowena pointed out as she tried to keep her mind off of how worried she was about Harry. "Sal, did you remember to have your library, or mine for that matter, painted or woven into a magical tapestry so that we can consult it?"
"We can't access it yet," Salazar admitted sadly as Harry's convulsions finally died away leaving him panting from the effort. "Hogwarts isn't strong enough yet. I tried earlier when Severus was working in the lab. She can't support us out of this suite of rooms yet."
"A little warning would have been nice," Severus snarled at the tapestry and its occupants, even as Nagini made her way up the bed post to look worriedly at Harry.
"~Is the hatchling hurt? What can I do to help the hatchling?~" Nagini hissed worriedly.
"~Nothing at the moment. He has Basilisk Venom and Phoenix Tears in his blood, they are changing him.~" Salazar hissed in explanation. "~I'm not quite sure how some of what was already in his blood is changing the changes but there isn't much we can do about it. I had gotten the Phoenix Tears into my blood on accident before the Basilisk Venom from my young familiar entered my blood nearly a month later. Harry had them introduced at about the same time when he killed the now very old Basilisk that was my familiar several years ago. The age and timing changes things as does the fact that Harry has had many many potions since the Tears and Venom became part of his blood. We are very lucky that his change is going so smoothly and not hurting him.~"
Voldemort, realizing the importance of Slytherin's words to Nagini, quietly relayed the conversation to Severus. He knew they would need to account for the additional power in the Venom, the time difference, and several other additional factors. They rearranged an exhausted Harry on the bed and removed the bundle of fabric that had been shoved into his mouth so that he didn't bite his tongue. A whispered spell from the potions master had Harry switched into pajamas and the young lion falling back asleep.
A shared look between the older wizards had them both quietly preparing for bed and sliding in on either side of Harry. Severus paused long enough to pick up Harry's wand and set it aside next to his own on the suddenly present bedside table when his foot bumped into it. As their charges slept the founders moved into the attached library to discuss them without disturbing their rest.
"The records show that Tom is the product of a love potion, yet his reaction to the serpent doesn't match," Godric said thoughtfully when they were each settled into a portrait that had a set of round sofas for them to sit and converse comfortably together.
"That might actually be a side effect of either putting his soul back together or the resurrection ritual," Rowena offered consideringly.
"Or it could be that one or both of them are his soul mates and he simply didn't have enough soul to start feeling the effects until we brought his Horcruxes together near him," Helga pointed out quietly thoughtful.
"It would make more sense if it was a combination of factors," Salazar pointed out, just as thoughtful as his friends. A tinkle of laughter had them all looking up in shock with both men practically gaping at Hogwarts as she silently explained what she had done.
"Hopeless romantic indeed," Godric breathed with more than a little awe in his voice.
"To think that our daughter had found a way to fix that kind of long term damage in one of her favorites... mind boggling," Salazar murmured, completely overwhelmed at what the castle had risked and sacrificed to heal his son.
"Well, at least we don't have to worry about him being completely incapable of returning the sentiment if one of them does fall in love with him," Helga said briskly before turning the discussion to the physical aspects of their healing.