FOR SERVICES RENDERED

Chapter Twenty-Two

They sat and talked for much of the morning. It was Saturday, so there were no classes. Severus knew that they would not be left alone for very long, but for now at least the world had left them in peace.

He had asked Farid about his scars thinking they had been done by some particularly nasty vampires and was shocked to the core when Farid assured him that no, these had been made by his uncle. The word freak had been carved when he was very little indeed, he could still remember his uncle ramming some socks in his mouth to muffle his screams and tying him to the kitchen table so that he could not move. Farid knew the word had been carved before he started school, because he thought his name was freak until then.

They had made love that morning also, Severus had been very mindful of Farid’s pleasure this time, and Farid had been in ecstasy, as Severus had nibbled and kissed his way up the boy’s body and stroked him to completion, before coming himself deep inside his slave.

Farid had slept again then, he was still exhausted from the day before Severus thought, and whilst he slept curled against his master dark lashes curled on his cheeks, pink lips pursed a little, hair tumbling all over the pillow. And Severus ached with love for him.

They had had another bath but this time Severus had tried to restrain himself, even though a pick cheeked Farid damp hair curling slightly from the heat of the bath, was a most delectable morsel. Farid however had different ideas and he jumped his master so that both slipped under the water and came up gasping for breath, he had stuck his tongue in Severus’s mouth and he had been able to resist sucking the boy’s voluptuous lower lip and then one thing had led to another and they had made love amongst the fast depleting bubbles and after that they had needed a shower.

Farid was sitting, completely naked cross-legged in his chair when the alarm sounded to say that there was someone at the entrance to Severus chambers, they had just finished brunch and Farid had been nibbling on a pastry, and looking most delicious himself. Severus sent him off to put some clothes on, he was almost relieved because he was, he had to face facts, not getting any younger, he did not have quite the stamina that he once had and he did not want to disappoint Farid.

He went to the portrait hole to find the usual Gryffindor crowd, with the addition of Finnigan and Thomas and new best friend of the house of the red and gold, Draco. Once again, Hermione was the spokeswoman.

“We have come to see Farid,” she said her chin tilted defiantly as if daring him to disagree with her, he suspected that the Gryffindors had doubts about his suitability as owner and master of their precious mascot. After last night’s performance he told himself they would not be completely wrong if their thoughts ran along those lines.

These students had truly become devoted to the boy in such a short time and he was sure that they would be fierce in their defence of him, so he welcomed them in and ordered them coffee and cakes.

Farid wandered in from the bedroom then, and Severus could have groaned, for Farid’s idea of dressing for company and his were quite obviously poles apart. When Severus had first purchased Farid’s wardrobe he had bought a number of sensible practical items, but he had always had a certain fondness for silk pajamas he had bought several pairs and the boy wore them quite often when they were alone. Severus had discarded the tops and kept the trousers, he had also purchased them two sizes to large so that they would sit low on Farid’s hips and leave his torso and his chest, with those nipple rings that Severus was addicted to completely exposed.

Farid was both completely unselfconscious and stunningly attractive and as he walked into the room with his damp hair held back by a ribbon - green to match these particular pjs, curling around his face. His eyes sparkled with happiness and his cheeks were still slightly flushed from exertion, and from the heat of the bath.

The Gryffindors looked astonished, and Severus, most embarrassingly, found himself beginning to blush. Farid had not seemed to notice the stunned silence and he walked over to his master and standing on tiptoe placed a sensuous kiss on Severus’s mouth before turning to see who their guests were.

His face broke into a huge smile when he saw his friends.

“Chello, good morning!” he said cheerfully, “Chit is good to zee dyou.”

Seamus perhaps summed up the feelings of every one in the room at that point when he said

“Fecking hell Farid, you are fecking gorgeous! No wonder half the wizarding world wants to get into your pants!”

Now they were all seated round Severus dining room table, which he had allowed Farid to enlarge, playing exploding snap. Farid it seemed had never played the game before and he was laughing and clapping the others, the first time he had ever played he had beaten them all soundly and was well on his way to doing the same thing all over again.

Severus was talking again to Draco, but still keeping half an eye on his boy, he was not in the slightest bit worried that any of the children at the table might wish him harm, well not consciously at least but something niggled away at him, and he supposed it was the bond. It seemed much easier to identify, now that he was aware of it, but it remained another matter to see how well he could control it.

Ron was laughing at something Farid had said and Hermione was eyeing Farid’s nipple rings and surreptitiously glaring at Severus every so often. He knew the girl had run endless campaigns on Elfish welfare and he was quite worried that she would start on him fairly soon about the fact that Farid was a slave.

He knew he would need to talk to her very soon, because what he had learned from the boy was that he had no concept of freedom, he knew what it was, obviously, and maybe he felt it sometimes when he flew. But from their long conversation last night Severus had realised that as regards himself, Farid could never envisage freedom.

Therefore it was up to him to ensure the boy had as much freedom as he possibly could given the spell that bound them and he was very unsure how to go about that. He thought about asking Albus, but found that he did not altogether trust the old man to have Farid’s best interests at heart. Oh he undoubtedly cared about the boy, but Severus could not quite escape thinking about the hungry look in Dumbledore’s eye when he had found out that Farid was Harry Potter. So though it seemed strange him asking advice from a mere girl, he had decided that he would indeed talk to her about it when the opportunity arose.

The door alarm went again and this time it was Albus. He had Black and Lupin in tow again and Severus felt very reluctant to let them in.

“Please Severus, we do need to talk and Sirius has promised to be on his best behaviour.”

Severus humfed at that and stood back to let the trio enter.

Farid had stood up too. He had tensed somewhat and the other students seemed to have tensed to some extent too they were all eyeing Black warily.

“Good morning children,” Albus said cheerfully

Good morning Alboos Grey Beard,” Farid replied, seemingly for all of them, Severus did not know how he did it but he was standing there by the table, surrounded by his friends. He managed to convey immense dignity whilst clad only in a pair of silk jama bottoms and some silver nipple rings and looking as he did extremely well fucked.

Black’s eyes were just about popping out of his head Severus thought, meanwhile Lupin just looked rather sad.

“Professor Snape, we were thinking of doing some Quidditch practice, could we take Farid along?” Ron Weasley asked, “It might be good for him to get outside for a while.”

Farid’s eyes lit up joyfully

“Oh Masteerr pleas?” he asked

“I think that is a very good idea Mr Weasley,” Dumbledore cut in, annoying Severus quite considerably, he was not about to refuse his boy but he was annoyed that Dumbledore thought he had rights in the matter.

So he merely nodded, somewhat churlishly he knew, but he was very gratified when Farid flew into his arms and smothered him with kisses.

Two minutes later and he was much more suitably attired in a thin jumper and chinos holding his cloak and ready to go. The others had risen from the table and moved towards the door as the children moved past Black shot out a hand and grabbed Farid’s arm.

“Harry” he said “I am so sorry about yesterday,” Severus was incensed, how dare he grab hold of his boy like that with out even asking Farid if it was okay? But Black was continuing

“I just got so angry, and sometimes I say things I don’t mean, you are my godson and I care for you and I want you to know,” Here he glared at Severus, “If anyone ever hurts you I am here for you, I’ll always help you.”

Farid was about to speak but at this point Ron Weasley stepped up instead, gently pushing his diminutive friend in the direction of Hermione and Neville.

“Professor Black,” he said to the some time Quidditch coach, "as far as we can all see the only person in this room to seriously hurt Farid so far is you. He is our friend and we care about him, and we know he has been through far too much shit in his life to deserve the sort of treatment you dished out yesterday.”

“Ron,” squeaked Hermione, “You swore at a teacher,”

“Did I really?” Ron said, “Well I am about to do much worse than that.”

Ron Weasley was a big man, he was well over eighteen and stood six foot four in his socks, he had large shoulders and big hands.

“One more thing Professor,” he said drawing one of those hands into a fist and when Black looked at him enquiringly he pulled it back and punched Black square on the jaw.

“Ron!” Hermione was really agitated now, “You hit a teacher!”

“No Hermione,” the young man replied, “I hit a bastard who also happens to teach!”

“We’ll look after him Professor Snape.” He promised, “we’ll bring him back safe,” and with that he and the other students, Farid in their midst swept from the room.

Severus felt like clapping, like laughing aloud, but from Albus and Lupin there was a stunned silence, finally broken when a voice came from the floor.

“Ow that fucking hurt!”