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When Severus awoke he had an arm full of Farid. The boy was completely naked and sprawled over his master with total abandonment. His hair had worked itself loose from the single plait in which he usually wore it and tumbled freely across his shoulders. Severus raised his free hand to stroke it. Soft and silky as it was, playing with Farid’s hair was a singularly erotic experience, and Severus was hooked.

He would never allow him to get it cut he thought, and then he realised with a pang exactly what had just gone through his mind. It hardly boded well for freeing Farid if this was how he thought about him. If Farid were free, it would be up to him whether he cut his hair or even stayed with Severus come to that. He placed a tender kiss on the top of the boy’s head, and Farid sighed gently in his sleep.

Severus felt, rather than heard a small noise. He looked up to see Dumbledore watching him, and couldn’t help himself as he started at the old wizard’s presence.

“Albus, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Sorry, my boy. I did not mean to startle you. I was looking for Harry. I fell asleep beside his bed last night. Must be part of growing old eh? When I woke up he was gone.”

His expression softened somewhat. “He truly is a remarkable young man, is he not? To live through what he has lived through and yet to be able to love so much? That is more amazing than even his magic I think.

"He seriously damaged Voldemort you know Severus? The Dark Lord has gone to ground. The reports that we have received tell us that he is not even in the country right now, and several Death Eaters have defected. Not very prominent ones right enough, but still. He has halted the march of dark forces, Severus, even if only for a while. Untrained and with wild magic, he has done more damage than anyone else has ever managed against Tom Riddle. Well, since he stood against him last as a child at least. I now think that he was the Dark Lord’s equal when he was little more than a baby. He is much more powerful now. When he is trained to fight Severus, just think of what he can do!”

“Just wait a minute Albus,” Severus was pushing himself into a more upright position. Farid however did not stir. He slumped down his master’s chest somewhat, but other than that, he slept on unaware of their visitor.
Severus was getting agitated now though.

”Farid is mine Albus. You will not take him away for training. He has enough training in his life already.”

Albus held up his hands in supplication. “It’s alright my boy. I just meant training here at Hogwarts, in one or two spells, that’s all. But it won’t be easy to keep him away from the world forever. The Prophet is going mad with speculation, and Fudge has been here all the time. He is only not around at the moment because it is 5:30 am, and I expect he is catching up on his sleep.”

“Are you threatening us Albus?” Severus growled in a low tone.

“Severus, please calm down. Of course I am not threatening you. I was afraid that you might react like this. Fawkes told me that he thought the bond had grown stronger. Looks like he might have been right.” Few people knew the power that Albus’s friend and familiar had at his disposal; he could read magic, and he and Albus were connected telepathically so he could easily communicate with the old wizard. Fawkes was so much more than a pet or a familiar, He was almost as powerful as Albus himself. The headmaster always listened to the Phoenix. As far as Severus knew, he was very rarely wrong.

But right now Severus just felt cold. Goose flesh popped up on his arms and neck, and he shivered, “What do you mean, Albus?” he asked tentatively

“Fawkes thought the bond might have a stronger effect on you from now on, make you more jealous, more possessive. Harry saved your life my boy, if he had not fought Voldemort in the way that he did then, quite simply, you would be dead. None of us could help you. You were in agony, screaming and begging for release, and Harry protected you. He stood against the most powerful dark wizard to have ever lived, and he rescued you and damaged him quite severely in the process I believe. That will make the young man even more precious to you. You will need to be aware that this might happen Severus. That you might lose control.”

Severus felt close to losing control right now.

“I can not talk about this right now Albus. He is still asleep, and we need….um I need for us to be alone for a while. Farid is exhausted too, he needs to sleep.”

“I’ll leave you in peace then child. I have cast a privacy spell around this bed that will last until you release it. No one will be able to disturb you for a while, not even me. And Severus, if you do need to talk, then I am here for you. Sometimes this war has made me do things that I will always regret. What happened to that child in your arms is the biggest regret of my life. But we do need him; he is all that we have. He has the power to save so many innocent lives; he has to fulfil his destiny. We have no choice. Take care of him my boy”

The eyes that met Severus’ then were as old as time and infinitely sad.

Then he turned away and left.

Severus tried to still his rising agitation; he looked down at his boy to see gorgeous green eyes watching him solemnly.

He felt an unaccountable wave of anger. Had Farid been listening? How could he have risked his life in the way he had? The world wanted his boy hmm? Well Farid was his, and he was not going to share him. Not with Fudge, Dumbledore or anyone else come to that. He wanted to take his boy and leave. Severus could care less about all of those innocent people that Albus was talking about; they had never cared about him after all! He found one of Farid’s nipple rings and started to pull at it with increasing agitation. He was breathing deeply trying to calm his panic, the growing anger that threatened to engulf him.

He wanted to take his boy, he needed to be inside him, to possess him. Worse, he realised with horror he wanted to punish him,hurt him.

Farid was stroking his cheek. “It okay Masteerr,” Farid said. “It ze bond. It make dyou feel like dis.”

Severus was trembling now. Fighting desperately against the feelings, the desires, that had seemed to come from nowhere and were pulsing through him with increasing urgency. He was fighting a losing battle.

“Farid, I have to take you. I have to be inside you, or I’ll hurt you. I….can’t….control…it.”

“S’okay Masteerr. I know, I feel hit too.”

Then Severus had the boy on his back, legs up, bottom exposed. He was overcome with need; he had to be inside Farid. He had to mark him, make him his. He couldn’t see properly now, his head was pounding. It was almost as if the bond had taken over his mind, his desire. It was ruling him, forcing him to subjugate Farid. He had enough presence of mind to growl, “Hard Farid!” And then he was inside his boy, pounding into him. He leaned over and bit into Farid’s naked shoulder drawing a yell of pain from the boy, and then he was sobbing, messily, openly.

It was all over so quickly. Mere minutes later, and he was coming hard inside the tight hotness of Farid’s anus. “Come now, Farid.” he sobbed, “Come now.” And Farid did, obedient as always, but he could have had little time to get any pleasure from the act itself. It had been too short, too urgent.

He fell forward and gave into his grief. This time it was Farid who was stroking his master to comfort him, whilst Severus muttered, “M’sorry, so sorry.”

Farid just continued to caress him, running his fingers through Severus hair. Hair that had once been lank and greasy but which shone with health since Farid had taken over the washing of it.

“Farid, oh Farid,” he sobbed. The need that had ruled him just moments before had dissipated as rapidly as it had come upon him. He wanted to console the boy that he had just used so roughly, but Farid was still shushing him, crooning softly.

“Is Albus right?” He finally croaked out, “Has the bond changed Farid?”

“I zink zo Masteerr, but not for me. For dyou I zink jes?”
“Will I hurt you? I wanted to.” Then, “Will this happen more Farid?” He could feel the levels of agitation rising again, but he angrily tamped them down. “Oh Merlin, Farid. I did hurt you just then, didn’t I? I bit you, I marked you and then I came into you with out preparation, and you are still so tired. Did Albus wake you?” He had lifted his head from Farid’s chest where had lain it after their frantic coupling and now he lifted his hand too to cup the boy’s cheek, tenderly.

“It does not matter Masteerr,” the boy replied, “I ham okay I zink. It vas not Alboos zat vake me, it ze bond. I feel it also. I know dyou have need. Zis mean I cannot sleep, no cry Masteerr, pleas no cry?”

Severus knelt up and scooped Farid into his arms. Once again he was overcome with tenderness. “I will break this fucking bond,” he whispered into the slave’s hair, his soft, silky locks. “I will, I promise. I cannot live like this, continuing to use you.” But Farid just smiled at him. The boy was drifting back to unconsciousness, his eyes becoming glassy. He had expended so much raw power to save Severus, and in return, he had been fucked into the mattress

“S’okay, Masteerr,” he muttered. “S’okay.”

He was exhausted and he needed sleep. Severus had to try to protect him, from Fudge, from Dumbledore, but most of all he had to protect him from Severus himself.

An hour later and they were still entwined on Severus’ bed. He wondered how long the boy could keep turning to him like this. How long before he began to hate him. Farid seemed to feel no resentment against Severus, which, to a genius at holding on to old slights such as Severus was, seemed completely unbelievable.

The boy had grabbed a handful of Severus’ pajama top and had the fabric pressed against his cheek, and Severus almost started to sob again. But he continued to ruthlessly tamp down his feelings instead. Whenever he began to feel upset, he noticed that the boy stirred, murmuring in his sleep and furrowing his brow. Watching Farid sleep like this, Severus realised just how connected they were, and as he lay there watching Farid’s chest fall and rise with the easy breaths of slumber, Severus began to make plans.

Poppy came in at about 7 o’clock, as soon as Severus removed the privacy ward; she stood beside them both enquiringly.

Shortly after that Severus had sent for Hermione, Ron and Draco and Remus Lupin.

Farid had been very difficult to wake, and once he had opened his eyes he had been worried about drinking the Dreamless Sleep potion that Severus pressed upon him. Severus insisted though and of course the boy complied. He looked so vulnerable sitting up, with a sheet wrapped around him sipping the potion which had been mixed with a nutritious milkshake. He lifted the beaker to his lips and stared at Severus over the top of the cup with his large, frightened eyes fixed accusingly on his master. Severus knew instinctively that the boy was scared of being drugged and left alone. But he also knew that he needed sleep and Severus had a lot to do that day. A lot to organise.

He sat down on the bed beside Farid and talked to him soothingly. “Do not worry sweetheart,” he said. “You need to rest. Do you understand? You will not be on your own though, Ron or one of the others will sit with you all day whilst I am away, and you will not be here. Madam Pomfrey has organised a private room, and no one will be able to get in but your friends and me.”

Farid’s eye’s filled with tears, and he trembled slightly. Severus thought perhaps he was remembering the last time that he had left the boy alone. “It won’t be for long,” he promised, “and I’ll be back before you wake. You will not be alone love, I promise.

“Can you stand?”

He took the beaker from Farid, and checking that it was indeed empty, he placed it on the bedside table. He gestured for Farid to lift his arms and cast a simple cleaning charm before popping a clean, sweet smelling nightgown of his own over the boy’s head and smoothing it down. It was huge on him, but at least it covered him more effectively than the hospital gown, or Severus’s favourite silky pajamas.

Farid swung his legs out of bed and tried to stand, but he went crashing heavily to the ground before Severus could catch him. The potion took longer to act than that, even on someone who was as currently weak as Farid obviously was. Severus felt dreadful. Farid’s collapse just confirmed his suspicion about how fatigued the boy was, how exhausted, and didn’t that make his earlier behavior even worse? He scooped him up and carried him into the room that Poppy had set aside. Severus was dressed now, and this time Farid grabbed a handful of his master’s robes, reluctant to let go.

“Pleas Masteerr,” he whispered. “Jon’t leave me.” Severus just kissed the top of his head and nuzzled him gently.

“It’s okay my love,” he whispered. “It’s okay.”

Weasley was already waiting for them, munching a bacon roll.

“Hi mate, good to see you,” he grinned at Farid. And tired though the boy was, he could not help grinning back, so infectious was Weasley’s happiness this morning. “I hear you gave that bastard Voldemort a good kicking? Well done you!”

Severus could feel his boy relax, and he blessed whatever god had brought the youngest Weasley into their lives. He tucked Farid under the soft fluffy duvet that Poppy had unearthed and tenderly stroked his cheek. The boy grabbed his hand then but without the earlier urgency, and Severus leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. “Just rest love,” he said. “I’ll be back soon.” Then he turned to Ron, “Call for me if he needs anything and look after him this time!”

Then he spun around and stalked out of the room, ready to face the day he had planned.