FOR SERVICES RENDERED

Farid was standing as close to his master as it was possible to get, to watch the arrival of the students and Severus was exhausted. The twenty four hours since he had left Ollivander’s had been so eventful and Severus was still reeling from it all. Last night had been their last night eating together in Severus’ chambers, Dumbledore had decreed that, even though Farid was a special case, an apprentice not a student, he would be sorted and eat with the members of his new house, whatever that might be.

The staff were divided over which house Farid would be in, most of them, including Albus were convinced that he would be in Hufflepuff, because of his loyalty to Severus and his submissive nature, but Severus thought that Farid was a Slytherin through and through. Whatever house the hat chose for him though he would only take some classes with them, he would continue to live and sleep and do most of his training with Severus.

Ever since their last night at the vampire stronghold Farid had always sat to eat with Severus, in his own chair, with his own utensils, even if those chairs were far closer than they might normally be. He would never kneel beside his master to eat ever again as far as Severus was concerned; mealtimes had taken on a whole new significance because of course Severus loved watching his slave eat. Farid found such joy in this simple freedom, he would savour every mouthful and then lick his fingers with great gusto, quite often after that he would lick Severus’s fingers too and they would end up in bed together and Farid would put his mouth to other purposes, purposes that were just as pleasurable, if not more so. But Severus was doing his best to teach Farid that this way of eating could only be done in private.

Farid could not understand that he could not suck his master’s fingers in public, or get on his knees and suck any other part of his anatomy either, as he had indeed done more than once, because this was what Farid had always done and the problem was that Farid was very, very good at what he had been trained to do, he pressed all of Severus’s arousal buttons and Severus could simply not resist him.

They had tonight, for the first time managed the whole meal without any erotic incidents whatsoever and Severus was quite absurdly pleased with himself and yet at the same time hugely disappointed. Afterwards he had promised himself that he would take Farid into the bedroom and fuck him senseless, but just as pudding was served by a rather nervous house-elf named Bluie who had attached herself firmly to Severus’ strange new household since the arrival of Farid, he felt the familiar sharp burning sting in his forearm. He gasped and grabbed his arm which was increasingly awash with pain, focusing all his attention on that area, setting his teeth on edge; for a moment or two Severus’ dark mark burned ever more strongly and then it subsided to a dull but persistent ache. He was being summoned.

He cursed himself for not having explained to Farid about his spying activities and now there was no time, for the first time since they had been together Severus had to leave Farid behind, he only had minutes to make a decision because if he did not arrive quickly or have an explanation for why he was delayed then Severus would be punished, painfully.

He dismissed the elf and grabbed Farid’s hand, “quick Farid we must go to Dumbledore Master must go out,” and they ran as fast as they could, along corridors, past portraits until they got to the foot of the stairs leading to Albus’ office where Severus of course realised that he did not know the pass word.

He groaned in despair.

“Masteerr, cwhat is wrong?”

“We need a pass-word, Farid,” Severus said, and then looking into the boy’s eyes, “to open the way, to move the guardian,” Farid put his head on one side and looked quizzically at Severus, who closed his eyes in despair, he had minutes left to apparate to Voldemort’s side, he knew what it was about, this summons, he knew what the Dark Lord wanted to ask him about.

Farid.

Rudolphus Lestrange had seen them in Ollivander’s and reported back, and The Dark Lord wanted to know more.

He and Albus had already discussed this issue at length, Severus would tell Voldemort that Farid was a lame duck rescue of Albus’ and that he had been foisted upon Severus by the headmaster, Severus would pretend to be reluctant, and no-one could find out how things really were, because the Dark Lord was a jealous master and he would want what Severus had for himself, and Severus could simply not do that to Farid. He could not, would not share him, not for the war, not to keep his cover, not for anything. The very thought of his sweet boy being made to serve the monsters who supported the evil wizard made Severus feel cold all over. And luckily, because Severus did not know what he would have done had things been different Albus agreed with him.

But he opened his eyes again, resigned to start the litany of bloody sweeties to meet the upturned face of his curious slave.

“Open?” He said, and at Severus’ nod, he waved his hand once and the gargoyle moved aside at once.

“Open!” This time with a huge grin on his face.

And once more Severus was astonished, what Farid had just done so casually was impossible, the headmaster, he who controlled the school, set the passwords. There was no way that Farid should have been able to do what he had, never mind with such ease, but now Farid was pulling him up the stairs,

“We go qvick?” He asked as he pulled Severus up behind him


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Either he had not been quick enough, or the Dark Lord was in a foul mood anyway, because Severus certainly had suffered tonight. But at least he seemed to believe him about Farid. So despite the pain that he was in and the exhaustion he felt mildly elated and at the same time very tired. All he wanted was a couple of potions to take away the pain of the Cruciatus, a hot bath and a loving boy in his bed, but when he returned the castle had been in uproar.

Farid was missing.

They had looked everywhere they told him, absolutely everywhere and he simply could not be found.

Albus looked terrible, but for once Severus did not care, he was absolutely furious with the old man, but he let himself be dragged into the headmaster’s office while Hagrid and a number of the teachers searched the castle from end to end looking for the missing boy.

“I am so sorry my boy,” Albus said, “ I should have listened to you about Farid’s magic. The last two hours have been……very difficult for him. This office, hurt his eyes, he can see the magic here Severus. To see magic, be able to tell me the colour of it, that is phenomenal, astonishing. I asked him why this had not happened before but he said that it was because of the pain tonight, the pain in his head. I think he is connected to you somehow Severus, because…. He knew that Voldemort tortured you, he was desperate to get you but he could not see he said because of the magic in the room and because of all the dark objects.

“Albus, you are rambling, you are not making sense, what on earth are you talking about?”

I’m, sorry Severus, so sorry.” The old man looked tired and haggard but he took a deep breath and tried to explain things more succinctly. Farid had been fine at first, he had missed Severus but he and Albus had chatted and then Farid had asked Dumbledore why he kept all the dark objects, he had been referring to the artefacts that had belonged to Tom Riddle, the things that Dumbledore strongly believed contained the fragmented parts of Voldemort’s soul.

“He knew, which ones they were, which ones were part of Voldemort and which were just cursed or otherwise dark, he sat right here and told me, which were safe, which were cursed, he said he could see the strands of darkness. Weeks and weeks Kingsley and I have been working on them, and that child told me more about them in ten minutes than we have found out in all that time.”

“But then he clutched his head and started to keen, and rock back and forth, he said that ‘the Evil One’ was hurting you, and then, then it is as though he could feel your pain, Cruciatus, I would recognise it anywhere, and he kept you under for so long! Farid was screaming and screaming. But then he stopped suddenly and said, ‘It is finished, Master is safe now.’ And for a moment or two he was fine but then Tom must have moved on to someone else?” Here Dumbledore, looked at Severus for confirmation, and at the Potion Master’s curt nod, “Farid saw that too, and felt it, and he was screaming again, how can that be? How can it be?

But then he started to sob, Severus, he said the magic was hurting him and he wanted you, he kept saying cage or master, master or cage over and over again. Did they cage him Severus? Did they keep the child in a cage?”

Albus was so upset, but Severus could not comfort him, he was too angry, he still had not found out about Farid yet, where he might have gone, had he tried to search for him? Had he run from the room? Where the fuck was he?

He snapped at Albus in his rage and worry. Of course they kept him in a cage Albus, they beat him and tortured him and raped him and yes they kept him in a fucking cage. Now where is he? where did he go?”

“I do not know Severus, he was screaming and I was holding him and trying to soothe him and then, and then he just vanished, he did the impossible he apparated within Hogwarts, we know he didn’t leave the grounds because the alarms on the wards did not go off. But what he did, it can’t be done, such power Severus, such magic!”

“I know Albus, I told you how powerful he was, it was you who did not believe, with your tests and your instruments, but I need to find him I need to find him now, he’ll be frightened, he’ll need me and I don’t know where to start looking!”

*************************************************

It was cold and dark and cramped.

Farid had seen the cages when he was in the barns two days ago, helping Hagrid. He had needed to be quiet, safe, away from all the bright magic, being here was like when he was back with the vampires, he had always given up when they put him in a cage, he felt acceptance then, he had stopped fighting and just submitted and it had been peaceful, sometimes he had been gagged, or tied or both, they had usually left him alone though so mostly his cage had been almost a sanctuary, a haven.

Small as he was he was still crammed into the diminutive mesh box, curled into a little ball he felt the metal press against him and he was comforted. If his master could not hold him then he needed to be here, away from all the bright magic and away from the pain and Albus Grey Beard’s need. He had been in the mind of the evil one much of the evening and that felt like being buried in slime, black and dark and menacing. He had heard his thoughts, the glee that Voldemort had felt when he had tortured his followers, when he had tortured Farid’s master, such evil such pleasure in another’s pain. Farid felt disgust and revulsion.

Farid did not understand why his master would be one of the evil one’s followers, it did not fit what he knew of his master, or of the grey beard come to that, he thought that his master was hiding like he had hidden his magic when he was with the vampires. But he could not be sure, he felt that he should trust Master, but there had been that time when Severus had enjoyed his pain, and then there was the way Master felt about Harry Potter, the Chosen One.

Did that mean that he was chosen? What was he chosen for? He was scared. Terrified if he were honest. He had some sort of connection with the evil one, it had been there for a few years now, but muted, just on the edge of his conciousness, but here the dark one felt so much closer. As yet he had not noticed Farid, but when he did, would he come for him? Would he come for his master? Was this what the silver man had meant?

Farid wished he could talk to Severus, ask him, but then he would have to admit to being Harry Potter and he could not bear to see the anger in his master’s eyes, the anger that had been so apparent when his name had been mentioned, by grey beard, Albus who needed so much from Farid, had looked at him with hunger in his eyes when Farid had told him about seeing magic.

In the quiet, in the darkness, his eyes were wide open and he chewed his lower lip, stroked his own face with the back of one hand, he had learned to comfort himself from an early age, and this is what he did now, worn out with worry without realising, without knowing, he lulled himself to sleep.

Severus had finally found Hagrid over near the green houses, if anyone knew where there were cages in this place then it would be him, and Farid seemed to feel comfortable with Hagrid, Severus did not know why, but he suspected that Farid felt safe with the kindly half giant, Farid had been raised like an animal, without even basic human rights, the behaviours he had been taught, some of them were so deeply ingrained that Severus wondered if he could ever change them, but Hagrid did not judge, he accepted Farid as he would accept any damaged young thing, and Farid would chatter to him, and listen to him learning a very strange sort of English from such a peculiar source.

Together, he and Hagrid and Albus, who guilt ridden at being unable to comfort the boy, had insisted on tagging along made their way to the barn where Hagrid kept hay for the thestrals, and there in a corner, was a small stack of cages, battered and rusty and forgotten, and curled up fast asleep, in the smallest one in a tiny ball, his hair all wild and messy and tear stains trailing down his pale white cheeks, looking for all the world like a fallen angel was Farid.


A/N Wow thank you all for the lovely reviews, it is great to be able to sit and read them when I upload my stories and seres_mimosa, thank you very much for all your considered feedback, sorry that I am torturing you so much! *hugs you all* Luciex