Tempus Fugit Praeterhãc

Chapter Two - in which Severus is a bit of a bastard to Harry

see last chapter for thank yous and explanations, two chapters tonight as a special treat!

Two days later and Severus’ lab was almost ready. Modia had sent a friend over to build some shelves and workbenches and install two internal doors, one which would lead to the shop, which Severus did not plan on using very often, and one in the entryway which led to the rest of the premises. He had told Potter that he could order whatever shelves and furniture he thought would be of use in the shop when Bassus, the rotund joiner, had finished in Severus’ lab; following which Severus had sent the boy to fetch something to eat and drink. Bassus was on his hands and knees fitting hinges when Potter fell over him.

“For Circe’s sake, Potter, why can’t you look where you are going?”

The boy scrambled to his feet. He had cut his forehead in his fall and it was bleeding steadily. Severus handed him a cloth.

Then he realised, Potter wasn’t wearing his glasses, hadn’t been wearing them since they arrived. They must have been lost somewhere in the explosion of magic that had sent them here. No wonder he had been even slower than usual.

Severus helped Bassus up, apologising profusely about the clumsiness of his slave, and sent the portly man through to the room that Severus was using as a bedroom; he really did not want the workman in the same room as them whilst he was making Potter’s potion. There was no glass in his bedroom windows and Severus had decided that he needed some shutters and some storage so he set the joiner to work on those.

“How much can you see, boy?” Severus asked, once Bassus had left.

Potter shrugged. “I’m all right.”

Severus scowled at him and switched to English. “You are patently
not all right, Potter! You just fell over a man who is called Bassus, which - because your Latin is still execrable – means plump, denoting his size, and you didn’t see him, did you?”

Potter blushed.

“I…er…um…no?”

“Why on earth did you struggle on with those dreadful glasses? Was it that important that you continue to resemble your odious father? At least he had an excuse, there was no real cure for short sightedness when he was your age. Why have you never just taken an Occulist Potion?”

“There is potion?”

“Yes, there is a potion, Potter,” Severus replied rolling his eyes at the boy’s ungrammatical Latin.

Severus guided the boy to a chair, firmly grasping him by one slim arm. “Sit down, boy, and don’t speak a word.”

It did not take Severus long to make the potion; the ingredients were easily available and the potion itself was very easy to prepare. All the while, Potter sat and watched him and didn’t say anything at all.

He took the potion when Severus gave it to him without complaint and as the concoction took effect his green eyes widened yet again as he looked around in astonishment. With no glasses to obstruct his view, Severus thought he could easily become addicted to those eyes, which was a very disturbing thought in itself. But the boy was obviously seeing clearly at last, making him far more useful as a support for Severus. He told himself quite firmly that this was the ONLY reason he had made the potion in the first place.

“Wow!” Potter said. “Wow, this is amazing, Domine! Everything is so clear. I can really see.”

“Don’t speak, Potter, unless it is in Latin.”

The boy’s face broke into a surprisingly sweet smile that made Severus uncomfortably aware of how strongly he resembled his mother sometimes. He had her eyes and her smile and the same long slim legs and delicious slim feet.

“Thank you, Domine,” Potter said.


********


Severus noted grumpily that Potter seemed to be everywhere, now that the boy could see clearly and wasn’t running into things all the time. He was constantly getting in the way. The brat kept bringing through trays of food; little tid-bits to tempt him, and butter him up, Severus thought bitterly. Severus had to be downright rude to make him stay away.

But he still took the boy with him the next market day. The green eyes were wider than he had ever seen them as Potter took in the sights and sounds of the market-place. Then he saw the slaves. Severus felt quite disconcerted when the boy held on to his robes and somehow moved closer to him. Potter had always been ridiculously brave, throwing himself in the way of danger without a second thought, but here he seemed so very young and vulnerable and Severus felt strangely protective of the boy.

“Professor?” the boy’s voice whispered, in English, close to his ear. “Do you think that they will be all right?” He was staring at the sad group of figures that Severus didn’t like looking at either.

“No, Potter, I do not think that they will be all right! They are on sale in the market-place. I believe that at this moment they are as far from all right as it is possible to be.”

“Could we help them?”

Severus whirled round on the boy, Potter seemed to shrink.

“No, we cannot help! We are in a culture that happily crucifies people! That chops off people’s hands if they steal something. That hamstrings slaves if they try to run. The only way to keep ourselves safe is to keep quiet and to try and fit in! If the slave market upsets you, Potter, do not look at it!”

The boy swallowed hard and looked down at his feet. “Would I have ended up there if I had been on my own?” He waved a hand in the direction of the pathetic souls that he couldn’t seem to bring himself to look at any longer, just as Severus had advised.

“But you were not on your own,” Severus said. “You were with me, you are with me. I have lodged citizen papers, I am legally a Roman citizen, and I am doing all I can to get us home. I will keep you safe, Potter, as I always have. Just remember, speak Latin, behave in a deferential way and we will get through this. I will not let you be hurt. Now we must move on, people are staring at us.” The boy nodded once and Severus turned around to carry on his journey.

He was not quite sure why he had felt the boy needed reassurance, or why he had felt that he should give it. This was Harry Potter, spoiled brat, over indulged favourite of Albus Dumbledore and son of Severus hated worst enemy. But right at this moment he was also a frightened child, who was in Severus’ charge and Severus knew, that on this occasion at least, he had to put his own feelings aside and help the boy. This was why he chose to ignore the fact that Potter slipped his hand in Severus’ and held it tightly.

At least that was what he told himself.


**********


They had been in Rome now for almost three months, but Severus still felt no closer to discovering the way back home. He felt cross and frustrated. The door to Severus’ workshop was open, which didn’t help his mood at all. Most of the time it was firmly shut, but Potter must have forgotten to close it when he brought Severus his lunch. Severus had decided the boy was not allowed into the room any longer, he babbled on too much. But he could place a tray of food at the door as long as he didn’t disturb Severus’ research. The tray was indeed there, heaped with bread and cheese and fruit; Severus went to fetch it.

Voices were drifting in from the shop, slightly raised, cutting into the otherwise quiet afternoon. A shrill girl’s voice seemed full of hilarity, but he could not distinguish the words. He huffed in annoyance, he was trying to work! Not wanting the noises from the shop disturbing him, he began to shut the door, but at the last minute he stopped, recognising the owner of the voice. The girl in the shop was the dratted Hermia.

Severus still didn’t trust the chit. He knew that she had told her mother-in-law that the boy reminded her of her own brother; but Potter was not unattractive and Severus still was not convinced that she would not sleep with him, if given half a chance. He wondered if the little hussy was flirting with the boy.

“But they are taking bets now, Harry,” the girl giggled.“Mater said that Thomas is making money out of you, on how long it’ll take your master to bed you.”

Severus couldn’t hear Potter’s reply, it was a low mumble.

“You should seduce him.”

Severus moved closer to the door and peered though the gap. Potter was looking pensively at Hermia, he bit his lip. His answer was so soft that Severus barely heard it. “He doesn’t want me, Hermia.”

Hermia snorted. “Of course he wants you! He is always looking at your arse!”

Potter blushed.

“No he isn’t, Hermia, he sort of feels responsible for me. That’s all.”

“But, Harry, it’s criminal, that’s what it is; you have to be the oldest virgin in Rome.”

“Hermia!” Potter hissed.

“Well, it’s true!” Hermia insisted. “And people, like Devis Iulius Nocens, are not going to leave you alone until your master has popped your cherry.”

This time Potter squeaked his friend’s name.

“You could suck his cock,” she said, cheekily. “All men like their cocks being sucked, and you have such a nice mouth.” The girl had tilted her head to one side and was peering at the boy as if he were some sort of prize whore.

Severus bristled at the girl’s insolence. He thought that Potter was going to start hyperventilating. But the girl was right, he did have a delectable mouth and the very thought of those lips wrapped around his own cock caused the organ in question to harden rapidly.

Hermia picked up the heavy wooden cylinder that Potter used as a rolling pin, she wiggled it back and forth near Potter’s mouth. “Come on, Harry, open up, I’ll teach you what to do.”

“All right, Hermia. That’s enough! Please stop.” Potter looked quite distressed.

“I told you, he doesn’t want me!”

“Harry, trust me, he does. He has a hunger in his eyes when he looks at you.”

“Please don’t say that. He just sees me as a silly little boy.”

Hermia sighed, “Harry, your master is a bit of a catch, and you should let him know that you are ready to be caught.” Severus’ eyebrows nearly hit his hairline. He didn’t think anyone had ever said anything remotely like that about him in his entire life. ‘A catch!’ Him? Severus Snape! Potter’s father would have died laughing.

“If you don’t get a move on, someone else will move in on him and you’ll find yourself with a mistress telling you what to do, or a jealous young master, who might end up selling you if you get in his way.”

Severus couldn’t help thinking this girl would have done well in Slytherin.

But Hermia had not finished, she was currently listing Severus’ attributes, which seemed to be far more extensive than Severus had ever thought them to be. She had praised his hair, his eyes, the fact that he wasn’t fat, the fact that he had all his own teeth. When she started speculating about the size of Severus’ penis, he felt more than a shred of gratitude towards Potter when the boy finally started manoeuvring the disrespectful wench out of the shop.

“Do it tonight, Harry,” she called as he finally pushed her out into the street. Severus wanted to go and see the young man but he was disconcerted. Potter seemed rattled by the conversation, too. As well he might be, considering how forthright the young matron had just been. Severus was very far from being a prude; he had slept with a lot of different people in his life, but the Romans were far more frank about sex than any race of people that he had ever encountered before. Everywhere there were signs of their attitudes to sex, in the graffiti that decorated their walls, the statues, even in their temples. Sex was obvious, out in the open and discussed by everyone.

More than once he had heard speculation about Potter and himself, lewd speculation, crude suggestions. The talk had made Severus look at the boy in a different light, that and the overly short tunics the boy had taken to wearing. The ones that exposed those slim, brown legs of his, the neat little arse that Severus occasionally got glimpses of when Potter bent over.

But the young man suddenly looked quite vulnerable and Severus felt surprisingly protective of him for a moment. Was he really thinking about seducing Severus? The stupid child! Severus would hardly be susceptible to any of the hackneyed attempts that a somewhat dim creature like Potter and his floozy girlfriend could come up with.

But before he could open his door and go and speak to the boy, a hugely fat woman wearing a hideous green stola bustled into the shop, shepherding several children before her and Potter turned to serve his customer.

Severus had lost the chance to talk to Potter, for now at least. The brat would have to come to him sooner or later, and when he did Severus told himself they would discuss how much Potter’s Latin had improved lately. Yes, that was it – they would talk about the boy’s language improvement, that and nothing else.


********


They had eaten dinner and Severus was in his study by the time Potter finally came to see him. Severus had set aside a room for the research that he had begun and he spent most evenings in there. It was one of the labyrinth of rooms that he and the boy had first cleared out all those weeks ago when they had first moved into this place. The lab was sacrosanct, Potter never disturbed him in there, but he was allowed in the storeroom to refresh ingredients and he could come into the study if he needed to ask anything of Severus.

“Erm,…er,…Domine?” Potter said, tentatively knocking on Severus’ door. “I need to speak with you?”

“What is it, Potter?”

“Can I sit down?” Potter, looked somewhat hopefully towards a chair. Severus, sighed.

“If you must.”

The boy took him up on his somewhat grudging offer and sat. He had his hands clenched in his lap and he was biting his lip

“Can we speak English, Domine?” Potter said in English.

Severus glared at the boy, perhaps not that confident yet, then? After holding the boy’s gaze for a moment, he finally nodded once, curtly.

“Hermia came to see me today and…” Potter paused.

“Yes?” Severus snapped.

Potter looked at him, rather nervously.

“She said that everyone is talking about us, that they are taking bets on when you’ll sleep with me. She said that she thought I should sleep with you; that you are a er…handsome man and that I should seduce you before it’s too late and someone else gets together with you.”

Severus didn’t know what to say. He had not been expecting Potter to be totally honest.

“I told her that you didn’t look at me that way. That you didn’t think much of me.”

“That was a bit presumptuous of you, Potter.”

The boy looked at him in surprise.

“But you don’t think much of me.”

“No, I don’t,” Severus agreed. “But I don’t have to like you to sleep with you. You are not unattractive. It is not as if there are many other options at the present time. Even if I liked women I would not be able to sleep with one here. What if a pregnancy occurred? The whole timeline could be affected. As for men? There are not many men of my own age that I’d wish to risk sex with. I could buy a boy and have him, but I would not do that; it would not be consensual and I do not wish to force myself upon anyone.

“If you wanted sex with me I wouldn’t try to discourage it or be adverse to making an arrangement between us.”

Potter’s jaw had dropped. He looked completely moronic for a moment and then he grinned.

“I’m not unattractive?”

Severus almost smiled, but decided against it. Instead he inclined his head in an affirmative gesture. “I am moderately interested in you.”

Potter’s grin widened, but then he looked puzzled. “Why would it be a risk to sleep with other men?”

“It would not be safe to sleep with anyone from this time, whichever sex they were. Disease is rife, it would be hard to protect oneself. Unless one slept with a virgin, and I doubt there are many of those in Rome.”

“Oh,” Potter said, and then, “Erm…I’m a virgin, Professor.” The boy was blushing deeply, he was obviously embarrassed so Severus did not chastise him on his use of the incorrect honorific. He had thought the boy to be dissembling when he had discussed this possibility with his freedwoman friend earlier, and she had teased him about it; however, it seemed that Hermia knew him well.

But he had to check.

“Really, Potter, you expect me to believe that! Surely you and that Weasley girl managed something during all those adolescent fumblings of yours? You are a healthy seventeen-year-old and you did spend an inordinate amount of time in a tent with Miss Granger, did you not?”

The blush deepened even further.

“I never have…erm never. And especially not with Hermione, she’s my friend, and she’s with Ron. I wouldn’t do that!”

“Oh come on, Potter!” Severus drawled. “Don’t tell me that you haven’t made use of your fame, what with all those little girls throwing themselves at you!”

Potter leapt to his feet.

He was breathing hard and clenching and unclenching his fists. Severus somehow knew that he was going to begin shouting, so he surreptitiously cast a silencing charm around them so that the neighbours would not hear them arguing in English.

“Okay, fine! I get it! You don’t have to sleep with me, I am sorry I bothered you! I know you hate me but do you have to be so nasty? I have never had a chance to sleep with anyone. I have been too busy fighting Voldemort.” His breath hitched and he clenched his fists again, his eyes flashed dangerously as he struggled to hold on to his temper. Severus thought he looked gorgeous. “I don’t use my so called fame and I never have,” Potter shouted. “But even if I did, I wouldn’t use it on girls! I…I don’t even like girls that way.”

Severus let him have his tantrum, until finally running out of steam, Potter turned away, “Just forget it Professor…I’ll get out of your way.”

“Oh, stop being so dramatic and sit down,” Severus sneered. For a moment the boy wavered and Severus thought he had lost him. If he left, Severus would have to go after him, as now that he had made his offer Severus was very keen to take him up on it. Severus thought that Potter was totally transparent. His emotions, his feelings were so easy to see on his face, chasing one after the other: embarrassment, hurt, uncertainty. Finally, Potter made a decision. He lifted his chin as if he was buoying up his confidence and then, somewhat reluctantly, he sat down again.

“Okay then, so what do we do first?”

Severus smirked. “We shall go through to my bedroom and you will take off that dreadful tunic. I am certain that you have a nice body under there, Potter, and I should like to see it.”

Potter flushed again. “All right, but you mustn’t hurt me and if you are going to fuck me then the least you can do is call me Harry.” That sweet chin of his was still raised in challenge, his eyes sparkled with a sort of fierce defiance and he trembled slightly, though whether from fear of what was about to happen or shock at his own audacity, Severus was unable to say.

“I shall be through momentarily, Harry,” Severus said.

The boy nodded and stood. In their own time Potter was one of the smallest in his year, even several of the girls were taller than he was, but here and now, amongst the Romans, the boy was a decent size. As he left the room, however, he looked young and vulnerable and very, very attractive. It was all that Severus could do to sit there and let the boy leave, he wanted to bend him over the work bench and fuck him there and then, but that would never do. Severus was determined to play it cool, he didn’t want Potter to think that he wanted him; the boy was arrogant enough as it was.

But want him he did. Potter had been surprisingly quiet and respectful over the last few months since they had arrived here. Of course, he didn’t have much Latin to start with and was even now, after all these weeks, barely able to have a proper conversation, at least as Severus would wish to have one. He also had no access to his magic as Severus still had the two wands locked away. There had been nowhere he could go, no-one he could turn to, apart from Severus; maybe that was one of the reasons that the boy had finally turned to him? He felt lonely, isolated. Severus didn’t particularly care, Potter was hopelessly spoiled. It wouldn’t hurt him to struggle with his life for a while rather than having everything handed to him on a plate.

Severus took a deep breath. He had to calm himself, if he was going to sleep with the boy it would not do to be too annoyed. He had a selection of scented oils on the ever more crowded shelves of his store room, he chose one and then he went through to his bedroom.

Potter was curled up like a child on the bed. He had removed the tunic as instructed and also the breechcloth that he had taken to wearing as underwear. His eyes were closed and a fist was clenched near his head, his long slim legs were pulled up to his stomach, hiding his genitalia. Severus could see the somewhat grubby soles of his feet, the neat ankles, the small delectable toes. He was quite simply the most beautiful creature that Severus had ever seen.

Green eyes opened, glittering strangely in the half light as they gazed at his Potions Master. “I thought you weren’t coming,” the boy whispered.

Severus smiled. This was not the annoying brat that he had protected for seven years, or James Potter’s spawn. For tonight Potter was his lover and Severus would treat him as such. He held up the clay jar that he had detoured to fetch. “I thought we might need some lubrication.”

“Oh, um, yeah, right.” Potter blushed as those glorious eyes fell to look at the bed and he licked his lips nervously.

“Er… what do I do first?”

“It is not a test, Harry,” Severus said. The boy’s eyes widened as if he had not expected to hear his name, even though he had demanded that Severus promise to use it. He pulled those coltish limbs of his away from the centre of the bed to make room for them both and Severus sat down. He shrugged off his cloak but decided to leave on his tunic for the time being. The evening was cool, the boy’s skin was covered in tiny goose bumps. Severus ran his fingers along the soft flesh and Potter shivered.

“Beautiful,” he whispered as he placed his lips in the hollow of Potter’s throat, leaning forward to see if he tasted as sweet as he looked. The boy tasted of lemon verbena and the oil that he used to cleanse himself, his skin was like satin. Severus licked a line from the nape of the boy’s neck to just below his ear and then he took the fleshy lobe in his mouth and bit it.

Potter moaned. His hands came up in their turn and buried themselves in Severus’ hair. “Soft!” the boy exclaimed in what seemed like awed wonder. “So soft, so silky.”

Severus ran his own hands down the slim body beneath him, along the still too prominent ribs, stopping at the neat waist for just a moment before reaching the boy’s legs. Potter moaned again and as Severus’ questing fingers sought out the sweet young cock that lay hard against his thigh, his breath hitched.

Severus grasped the cock gently. It was a good size and soft as satin. He gently lifted the foreskin with his thumb and circled the tip with his nail. The boy arched up beneath him, fingers buried ever deeper in Severus’ hair. “Oh, God!”

“Patience, Mr Potter. What have I told you about curbing that Gryffindor impetuosity of yours?”

The boy moaned and arched further into Severus’ exploring hands.

“Please, oh please,” he whispered softly. Severus caressed Potter’s balls with his fingers, weighing each one in turn, squeezing them gently. The boy was melting under his touch and Severus wondered how often he had ever even touched himself. He had certainly never been stroked and teased as Severus was doing right now.

Potter reached above his head, hands that were as slim as the rest of him seeking purchase in the soft pillows. He whimpered as Severus bent down and nibbled a sweet pink nipple. Severus thought that he had never been as hard as he was right then; he had never had such a feast laid before him either.

Long moments passed as Severus played with the unsullied young body beneath him, and the boy teased him further with the delicious sounds that he was making. His eyes were glazed, the vibrant green dulled a little as he became lost in the sensations that overwhelmed him. A wet dusky-rose tongue crept out between lips swollen from bites the boy had inflicted upon himself. Severus wanted to savour those lips for himself, nibble them with his teeth, taste them with his own tongue.

But not yet.

Instead he sucked at the tender skin of the boy’s neck and shoulder, raising red, livid marks that he knew from experience would take days to fade. Had the Weasley girl ever marked him like this?

No matter, she had never touched him so intimately, of that Severus was certain.

He chuckled wryly as he bit down yet again. So they had made bets about him and the boy, these Romans who surrounded them and took far too much interest in their lives. Tomorrow no-one would doubt what had happened. Potter would be marked for everyone to see and comment. Severus sucked hard at the skin his bite had raised, causing the boy to moan in pain this time. “Shush, shhh,” he murmured against pale skin that was marked in blood. “Mine now, boy, all mine.”

Potter writhed beneath Severus’ ministrations and Severus growled deep in his throat. The boy was so passionate, so responsive. Normally he would not be allowed anywhere near a creature such as this boy, would not even consider doing something like this. He was so much older, old enough to be his father, he had been the boy’s teacher, and he hated him. And yet.

And yet.

Here, in this time, what he was doing was considered perfectly acceptable, expected even. His neighbours and customers would tease him tomorrow when they saw the boy’s new decorations, but they would look at him with more respect.

With a whispered word Severus removed the earlier silencing charm. Potter was going to scream and Severus found that he did not care who heard.

Tomorrow when Potter turned away from Severus in disgust, at least he would have had this and he would have what no-one else would ever have - he would be the one who took the virginity of the Hero-of-the-Wizarding-World. No matter what happened in Potter’s life, no matter who he went with the next time, Severus would always have been first.

Severus thought that he would probably never know what had spurred the boy to propose himself as he had, but he was not about to refuse. He was going to take what was offered and make sure that the boy never forgot tonight.

Potter whimpered again.

Finally, Severus slicked his fingers and propped the boy on yet more pillows, shoving them under his arse to give better access. Gently, carefully he inserted his index finger into the boy’s neat pucker and watched it disappear into the velvety channel, felt it being sucked in to the greedy entrance; he pushed further in, angling his finger to press against the boy’s prostate.

Potter gasped, and pushed back hungrily against Severus’ hand.

Severus withdrew his fingers and grinned to himself. “Turn over,” he said curtly.

The boy’s green eyes were still fogged with lust, he was lost to sensations which he had so obviously never felt before, he was helpless with desire.

“Wha?”

Incoherent too.

Severus slapped the boy’s arse cheek, leaving behind a very satisfying red mark.

“Over.”

Potter rolled onto his stomach. “Please,” he whispered. “Please.”

“Please, what, brat?”

“Oh, please, Sir, please do something. Do that again.”

“Call me, Domine.” Severus commanded.

“Please?”

Severus bit the boy’s arse, harder this time, eliciting a delicious yelp.

“Please, Domine.”

Severus inserted another finger into the boy’s arse.

“Yesssss!”

“More?” Severus whispered.

Potter squeaked as the tips of Severus’ fingers brushed his prostate again.

“More?” Severus whispered again.

The boy had wrapped himself around the pillow. He was hugging it close, his eyes tight shut. He was lost in sensation.

Severus pushed in further, just touching that special spot this time.

Potter opened his mouth in a silent scream. Severus half wished that his cock was between those lips, being sucked and licked. He would have to teach the boy what to do. The thought of Potter on his knees with Severus deep inside his throat, almost made him come there and then.

“Please.”

“What do you want now, brat? Do you want my cock?”

The boy whimpered, he bit his lip and nodded. He had thrown his neck back, exposing a long slim throat, marred only by a necklace of livid red bites which he wore like a collar.

The boy’s arse followed Severus’ fingers as he withdrew them and he whimpered once more.

“Such a greedy little whore!” Severus breathed into a pretty ear that he had decorated with teeth marks, narrow red lines incised in the lobe.

Severus poured oil all over his hand. He had prepared the boy well and waited long enough; it was time to prepare his own cock, and he did, covering it in the oil from his hand. It was rock hard and aching, he could wait no longer. He placed the blunt tip against the boy’s entrance.

“Now?” he awaited permission.

Potter nodded and Severus breached him.

“Oh, Gods!” The boy was so tight! Severus withdrew a little and then pushed in as deeply as he could.

Potter screamed.

Severus was buried deep inside him, held tight in that hot, slick channel, and he wasn’t sure that he could control himself. Having the boy totally in his power was overwhelming. Seeing himself piercing that delectable arse made his cock unbelievably even harder, made the tight little channel feel even tighter.

The boy squirmed; he was trying to catch his breath, gulping desperately, his eyes still squeezed shut.

This time his moans were pained ones. Severus thought that the boy’s arse must feel like it was on fire, he must feel like he was split in two. He had not been gentle, why would he be gentle with this boy? This is what Potter had asked for, to be fucked and that was exactly what Severus was going to do.

He was going to take the boy roughly, he didn’t think that he could stop himself, he was going to pound into him. All those years when the boy had sneaked around and disobeyed him, supported in his arrogant ramblings by a crazed and meddling headmaster and his hero-worshipping friends. He was going to pay for them all tonight and he was going to love it, beg for more.

Potter was making tight little sounds now, as if he was trying to speak. Severus pulled out a little and the boy yelped but then he thrust back in again, burying himself almost to his balls. Again, again, again. The tight friction of the sweet little channel was unbelievably good. For a moment or two he lost control of himself, overwhelmed with pleasure, grunting as he pounded into the boy. Potter wriggled and squirmed so Severus held him still and thrust harder and harder desperate for completion. Potter clutched his pillow and began to sob.

“Please, hurts, oh please, Domine!”

Something in that cracked little voice reached inside of Severus. What was he doing? The boy was a virgin, had been a virgin. He was a generous partner, he had always been unselfish before, before this boy at least. He had meant to forget that this was James Potter’s son, to treat him like a lover, to treat him well. But he had forgotten, had wanted to forget; but now he had to bring Potter pleasure too. He stopped pounding into the boy and lifted himself up a little, pulled Potter into a position where he could reach around and grasp his cock. Then he angled himself better, it would hurt less if he manoeuvred himself to hit the boy’s prostate.

Earlier the boy had been rock hard, as hard as Severus himself was. Even now, when he was obviously hurting, he was still half hard; it would not take much to bring him off. His hand was still slick with oil and he used it to tease the boy’s balls, to stroke the long slim shaft of the boy’s penis.

He was still sobbing, but no-longer just in pain Severus thought. Now he sounded desperate with need, too. Severus knew that his cock was now brushing against that secret bump inside the boy with nearly every thrust.

Potter was keening.

“Come for me, boy,” Severus hissed. He could feel the veins standing out on his neck, hear his breathing grow rough and heavy as he continued to push and thrust into the tight channel of Potter’s arse.

Then Potter was screaming again, but this time he was screaming in orgasm and as the violent spasms raged through his body, they tightened his channel, finally tipping Severus over into orgasm as well. His shout of completion drowned out the boy’s fractured scream and Severus fell forward onto the slim body beneath him, hot and sweaty and totally replete.

The boy groaned again and writhed, then he winced as Severus spent cock fell limply out of his arse.

Severus pushed himself off the boy. He looked completely ravished and totally gorgeous. His hair was wet from his exertions, his lips swollen where he had been biting them, his cheeks were flushed a dusky delicate pink. For a brief, fleeting second Severus felt a tendril of tenderness stir inside him, Potter looked so fragile, so young all of a sudden. He wanted to reach out and brush the dark fringe from the boy’s forehead, lean over and kiss him.

But he steeled himself, he was not going to do that. Severus was determined not let himself weaken, no matter how strange and lonely this place became. He had not allowed anyone into his heart since Lily had staked a claim there long ago and he was not going to let anyone in now, especially not Harry-the Golden-Boy-Potter.

“Go and clean up,” he said, firmly. The boy’s eyes grew wide.

“But…”

“Then go back to your own bed.”

Potter flushed.

“You are throwing me out? But you just fucked me!” he sounded hurt, indignant.

“Yes, I did. And very nice it was, too. I’ll see you in the morning, Potter.”

The boy was trembling but whether with anger or with the chill that must be settling over him, Severus wasn’t altogether sure. He scrambled off the bed in a rather ungainly fashion and clutched his tunic against himself. Severus almost smiled at that, it was far too late for such false modesty. Potter’s eyes were narrowed in impotent fury and his chin was vibrating, he seemed to be trying hard not to cry. As he left the room Severus could see trails of moisture trickling down the backs of his legs. For a fleeting second he felt tendrils of concern, the semen that was visible, even in the near darkness from Severus’ position on the bed, was tinged with blood. Had Severus been too rough with the boy?

He dismissed that feeling ruthlessly. Harry Potter was not a boy, he was a man and he had just had sex like a man. It had been fierce and passionate, as it should be.

Severus cast a quick cleansing spell on himself and on the sheets and then he lay back against the pillows. Another thought flitted through his mind as he drifted off to sleep. Despite the young man’s demands Severus had only called him Harry twice. In his life, in his experiences with the boy’s father, Severus had not managed many victories over the Potter family, which made this one feel even more sweet. As he drifted off to sleep Severus could feel his lips curl into a satisfied smile.


**********

In the morning Potter did not come cheerfully into Severus’ room as he often did, clutching a tray with one of those delicious cinnamon buns that Modia made, still hot from the oven. The tray was there, the roll wrapped in linen, probably to keep it warm. There were some grapes and some crumbly, white goat’s cheese and a cup of steaming peppermint tea. So the boy must have been here recently, he just hadn’t stayed around. Severus sat up, he winced a little, he was sore. He felt another one of those fleeting pangs of guilt he seemed to be feeling far too frequently lately when it came to Potter. If he was sore what must the boy be feeling today? Severus had been too rough with him, he knew that he had.

But that was the way that Severus was used to fucking, he liked it hard and raw. Potter had approached him, not the other way around, so the boy would just have to get out of his sulk. He had no reason to be feeling guilty he told himself firmly. He reached over and grabbed the warm roll, dribbled honey on it and began his breakfast.

He was later than usual getting to his workroom that morning because Potter hadn’t called him as he should have done. He had a lot to do but he also wanted to go to the baths today. He still felt sticky after the night before, despite the Scourgify, so he decided to put his work off for now. He thought he would ask the boy if he wanted to go, too. A nice hot soak, and maybe a massage, would take away any residual stiffness; Severus would treat the boy to one. They could always get Rufus in for a short time to watch the shop. He would send Potter to fetch him now as he wanted to get to the baths early before they became crowded and the water became dirty.

He went into the shop for the first time in a while to tell Potter of his plans.

Severus rarely ventured into this part of the building; in the shop he would have to deal with the public and he hated doing that. Because their home was made up of two premises which had been amalgamated, Severus seldom, if ever, had need to pass this way. He had his own entrance and the boy was around Severus often enough, fetching him food or collecting potions to sell, that if Severus ever needed anything from the shop, he simply told Potter when the boy came to him.

But Potter seemed to be avoiding him this morning.

The shop was flooded with sunlight and Severus noticed there seemed to be a lot of changes since he had been here last; he hadn’t really been looking yesterday when he had watched the conversation between Potter and his girlfriend.

All the shelves were tidy now and filled with neatly labelled jars and chunky glass bottles. A large table had been placed in the middle of the room, scrubbed clean and containing a very simple pair of scales and a large wooden bowl. Herbs were hanging around the room drying nicely and several sacks of ingredients that Potter sold loosely were piled around the room, sacks of herbs that had been chopped or ground for use in cooking or pot-pouri to scent a room. It smelt wonderful.

Potter was leaning over the bowl; he was mixing something, concentrating hard. He glanced up when Severus came in.

Severus started in shock.

The boy looked terrible with deep, dark circles under his eyes (he couldn’t have slept much the night before) and the collar of blood bruises stood out stark against the biscuit-brown flesh of his throat.

“Good morning, Domine,” he said stiffly, back to his halting Latin again.

Definitely sulking then.

“I am going to the baths, Potter. Would you like to come too?”

Potter blushed and looked away.

“No thanks…I..er…I have a lot to do today.”

Severus harrumphed. The boy didn’t do very much of anything as far as Severus could see, and he said so. Potter glared at him and turned away with a stiff shrug and limped through into the back room. He would get over his huff eventually, Severus didn’t particularly care when, but the boy’s mood had absolved him of his guilt. He had known that Potter was a brat and he delighted in being proved right. So, looking forward to a nice hot soak and a massage, Severus left him to it.

The morning was warm already when Severus stepped outside, shrugging off the cool darkness of his home and the sulks of Potter. Marcus Iulius was just opening his shop and setting out his wares.

“Good morning, Severus,” he said in his usual oily way. “Sounds like you finally rode that sweet little slave of yours last night. Was he as tight as he looked? He certainly sounded pretty enough when he screamed.”

“Piss off, Marcus, you nasty little man,” Severus said and, feeling rather pleased with himself, he strode off in the direction of the baths.


**********


He was very impressed with the fact that it took him three days to finally loose his temper with the boy.

Potter had just served dinner, some sort of rabbit stew. It was absolutely delicious and Severus told Potter to give Modia his compliments on her exemplary cooking. Potter glared at him again.

As there was no one around, he spoke in English so at least the boy would understand what he was saying. He was sick of speaking slowly and clearly while the boy struggled to keep up, hampered as he was by his woefully limited intelligence.

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake, Potter, do stop sulking! You wanted a shag, you got a shag. Why the fuck are you carrying on like a blushing virgin?”

Potter’s glare intensified.

“Do you have to be such a bastard?”

“I am what I am, boy. If you wanted hearts and flowers you should have found someone else to fuck you.”

“I am trying to get on with you,” Potter said, through gritted teeth. “I know you don’t like me very much but do you always have to treat me like shit?”

“I treat you in the way that you deserve, Potter. You are, and have always been, an obnoxious, spoiled brat. Do something to earn my respect and I will treat you differently.”

“What more do you want me to do? I am trying really hard here!” said Potter, his eyes flashing angrily.

“Stop whining! We have to work together if we are going to get ourselves home, and you skulking about in such a childlike way is not going to change things for the better.”

“I am not skulking!” Potter spat. “I just didn’t expect it to hurt so much, that’s all. I certainly didn’t expect any hearts or flowers from you, but I didn’t think that it would hurt so badly that I would hardly be able to walk afterwards. Then when you’d fucked me, you kicked me out of your bed like I was some sort of cheap tart!” With his eyes still flashing, his voice broke a little on the last word.

“If it hurt so much then you should have asked for a pain potion.” Severus felt yet one more tendril of guilt.

“Right and you would have produced one without any sarcastic little comments, would you? Because my welfare is so important to you that you couldn’t even use a cleaning charm on me. I had to wash myself in cold, dirty water.”

Severus winced.

“It wouldn’t have been the first time that I helped you Potter.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time that you had enjoyed my humiliation either would it, Professor?”

Severus had to admit to himself that the boy was right. He had treated Potter badly that night. He had always been a generous lover; the way he looked, it was often the only thing he had going for him. Severus prided himself on the fact that no one had ever walked away from sex with him dissatisfied. Not until now, not until Potter!

“Are you still hurting?”

The boy looked shocked that Severus had asked. He shrugged.

“A bit.”

“Come through to the lab with me and we’ll get you something.”

“But I’m not allowed in the lab,” Potter said.

“You are this time.”

“What, just like I am allowed to speak English again? Because you say so?”

“Exactly!” Severus hissed. “And don’t you forget it! I am in charge here and if anyone suspects that I am not, you could well find yourself tied to one of those posts in the forum; see what that would do for your disobedience.”

Potter paled and he did not resist as Severus took the boy’s wrist in his hand and led him through to the room where he made potions.

Severus had rarely been a fair man. He had enjoyed his grudges and his petty jealousies, but he felt he owed Potter this, even if he was immensely annoying and appallingly behaved. He reached down a pain salve and handed it to the boy. Their fingers brushed as the young man clutched it and Potter shivered. His eyes looked up into Severus’ and Severus felt a frisson of desire followed by a sharp pang of regret. He had blown it hadn’t he? The boy would never want to sleep with him again.

Now that they were so close, in the better light of Severus’ Potions lab, he could see how truly dreadful the boy looked. The dark circles had not faded and the bites on his neck had turned a lived purple. There were more bruises that he’d hadn’t seen before, finger-marks stood out clearly on the boy’s arms. Had Severus done that too?

He vaguely remembered holding a squirming Potter down at one point. Maybe the bruises had happened then? He wondered if there were more marks, before deciding that there almost certainly were. Perhaps that was why the boy had been so reluctant to go to the baths the other day, because there was no mistaking that he had been well used.

Severus flushed. He reached down a salve that helped with bruising to go with the pain potion.

“Can you manage to apply them?” he asked

Potter blushed a deep pink.

“I…er…no probably not.” He put the pot of salve back into Severus’ hand and turned around, hoisting his tunic to bare his body. Severus flushed again. The boy was decorated with bites and bruises, each one stood out lividly against the fair skin, he really had been far too brutal.

Slowly he applied the bruise salve and watched the bruises disappear beneath his touch. Even more slowly he worked his way lower and Potter just stood there sweetly and let him do as he wished.

Oh, Merlin!” Severus thought, as he rubbed liniment into a hand shaped bruise on the cheek of Potter’s bottom. The boy was allowing him to touch his arse, even after the somewhat disastrous session the other night. “Bend over.” Severus said, and Potter did as he was told, exposing the pucker of his entrance, a pucker that was red and sore, even after three days. Merlin, he had really hurt the boy and yet he was trusting Severus to succour him. Frowning, Severus didn’t understand why Potter was being so accommodating and he certainly wasn’t sure, at all, how he felt about it.

He crouched down and took a generous handful of the thick, creamy healing salve. He had torn the boy, inside. He had been far too rough, vicious. Carefully he placed the blunt tip of his finger against the hot little hole and pushed in.

Potter whimpered.

“Shush, Harry.” Severus said, the name coming easily to his lips this time. The boy stiffened at the use of his name and continued to whimper as Severus covered the swollen flesh with the soothing salve.

“It wasn’t all bad, you know, the sex,” Potter said, finally when Severus had finished at last. Severus stilled. Touching the boy again like this was very arousing. He was so very beautiful, so very matched with Severus’ tastes. “Most of it was good, most of it was lovely,” Potter whispered. “It was, it was, yeah…it was good, it was awesome.”

Severus’ breath hitched. He finished applying the salve and removed his hand. He thought wryly that sometimes the young man’s use of English was not much more fluent than his Latin.

“Can you do the front yourself?” The boy nodded, he bent over and retrieved his tunic but he did not put it on. Instead he held it in front of him, not that it covered much. Severus could see a dusky nipple, pebbled in the cooling air, and deep scratches that were further evidence of the boy’s ravishment.

“Thank you, Domine,” Potter said.

Severus felt an unexpected wave of tenderness.

“You don’t need to thank me,” he told the boy. “After all, I caused the hurt.”

Potter stood. He gave a short bitter laugh. “Lots of people have hurt me, Sir, but not many ever tied to make things better again. I…I appreciate it.” He had to stand on tiptoe to do what he did next, but the quick kiss that the boy placed on Severus cheek felt like a slap, so unexpected was it.

“We could do it again if you want,” the boy said, seriously.

“But I am not a whore, and I won’t be treated like one.”

Severus was speechless.

Potter must have taken his lack of reply for agreement.

“Next time, you don’t hurt me, or kick me out of bed, or call me Potter when you’re fucking me.”

“Um…all right.” Severus agreed, still somewhat stunned.

“Okay then, tomorrow night, and we will speak English again? Okay? It just makes me feel a bit better when we do, a bit closer to home.”

Severus nodded his assent.

“Your salves should have worked by then, shouldn’t they? The bruises are nearly gone already, I can feel them fading.” Then the boy gave him a cheeky smile. “Night, Domine.”

He had turned and left the room before Severus could think of anything to say in reply.


**********