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Kim and thequeenanne, you know I love you ladiesxxx


It was late when he returned. Farid’s room was lit only dimly, just enough light in fact for Hermione to be able to read from her Arithmancy book. She looked up as he came in.

“Hello Professor, he is still asleep, hasn’t woken all day.” She looked at the boy who was curled under the covers in a foetal position with an anxious expression creasing his brow. “He looks so petite and fragile like that, doesn’t he? Hard to believe that all that strength and energy fits into such a small frame, isn’t it?”

Severus knew exactly what she meant. When Farid was awake he seemed to light up a room, he fairly crackled with life and energy. But asleep, he looked young, defenseless. It was hard to believe that this fragile creature had survived what he had in his life, and then gone on to stand against an evil wizard with so little fear.

He nodded at Hermione and then asked “Any luck on the search?” They had spoken at length earlier about the bond and its effects on him. Between them, she and Lupin were the only two people apart from himself and Farid who knew the full impact that it seemed to be having. Even Draco, who had been drafted in to help with the potions that Severus had decided to take, knew only the basics.

Severus had had a busy day. Once he had left Farid with Weasley, he had arranged to meet with both Hermione and Draco. Hermione, he told about the bond and some of the compulsions that it seemed to force upon both him and Farid. As she was already eighteen, she did not need a pass to the restricted section of the library, and it seemed that she had spent almost the entire day there searching the stacks for information. But as yet, she had found nothing to help them. She promised that she would continue the search the next day and the next. He knew that confirmed seeker of knowledge that she was; she would never give up until she found the answer she sought.

His answer
.
He sent her off to her own bed, but suspected that she would probably do a little more reading before the night was through. He crossed the room to be with Farid. It was his turn now to be beside a hospital bed and wait for the occupant to wake and, as he drew closer, he felt calmer than he had all day. His slave seemed to sense his presence as well, as he uncurled a bit from his protective position and the frown that had marred his forehead disappeared.

Severus smiled down at the boy and decided that he would take him back to his own quarters. It was very late and there would be no one around. Madam Pomfrey had long since gone to bed he knew, but he had warned her that this might be a possibility. He gently pulled back the covers and lifted the boy into his arms.

The nightgown had fallen from one shoulder, exposing the livid bruise left by Severus’s bite that morning. Part of him wondered why the school nurse had not healed it, and yet another part thrilled with the fact that the boy had worn his mark all day. All at once, he had his answer. Poppy obviously understood more than he gave her credit for. She had realised about the compulsion and knew that he needed to leave his mark on the otherwise mostly unblemished skin.

Because he was unblemished now, Severus was certain. The scars left by his uncle were easy enough to clear up Poppy had said; they contained no residual magic, unlike the scar on his forehead. No, those scars had been made out of nothing other than cruelty, and Farid deserved to have them removed. So Poppy had removed them, sometime today when Farid slept. Severus would check properly later, but right this minute he was going to take Farid home to their bed.

Farid shivered a bit now that he was out of the warmth of his cosy nest of covers, so Severus wrapped his robes about him and started the journey back to the dungeons. He knew that finally the boy was safe, well from him at least

He and Draco had spent much of the day working on the potions he was determined to take, to stop the sort of behaviour that had happened this morning, and he was fairly confident that they would work.

One was an anti-compulsion elixir. It would not stop Severus’ feelings, but it would give him a fighting chance to overcome them, he hoped. He had first devised the recipe as a way to try and combat the Imperius, but it had only ever worked partially. Severus had added daisy root and alchemilla mollis, and he thought the combination of these two might help direct the efficaciousness of the potion.

The other potion that he had taken, was Anti-Lust. This, he knew would work. It was the potion he had always taken on those night-time raids with the Death Eaters. The last thing he had ever wanted to be on any of those nightmarish escapades was aroused by the pain of others, and he knew from the reactions of his companions that such arousal was all too common.

Draco had helped him enormously, chopping and stirring and watching the potions as they brewed. Severus had been unable to undertake these tasks as he had been otherwise engaged much of the time. But Draco had sequestered Seamus Finnegan to help him. Severus had not been too happy about this at first, but since he had wanted the potions ready today, then he had to have help. Finnegan had risen to the occasion quite admirably, Severus was surprised to see, and if his fingers did graze Draco’s occasionally when they prepared the ingredients, and if their eyes did linger on each other for a little too long, then who was Severus to complain?

Severus had to speak to Lupin. They had had breakfast together. It was the longest time they had ever spent with each other and, by far, the most civil. No one understood an overwhelming compulsion in the way that Lupin did, Severus believed. If any one could understand his behaviour and perhaps at least forgive Severus, even if he didn’t condone his treatment of Farid, then it had to be Lupin.

The meeting had been very uncomfortable indeed to begin with. Lupin watched him closely with those unfathomable amber eyes of his and Severus had felt judged. He had also never truly overcome that fear of werewolves that he had developed on the night that he had nearly died, thanks to Black’s vicious trickery. Recent events in Kazakhstan had only really added to the problem.

They had been in Lupin’s chambers, a series of light airy rooms, which were close to the man’s spiritual home in the Gryffindor Tower. Every surface, it seemed, was covered with photographs; a smiling Black astride a large motorbike, several of James and Lily Potter, some of which contained a smiling baby Harry held by one or the other of the couple. Also scattered around were at least half a dozen shots of a happy, grinning girl whose hair ranged from bright yellow to deep purple; sometimes even in the same photo.

Lupin had come into the room and laid the tray he was carrying at the table that was placed next to the window and turned to look at him. Severus was holding a photo of the Potters.

“They all look so happy, don’t they?” Lupin commented.

Severus nodded once rather curtly and replaced the photo.

“Just as well that they never lived to see Harry in my clutches, then.” he said somewhat bitterly, “They would have hated that.”

Lupin looked at him steadily. “I think, Severus,” he said, carefully, “that you are very far from the worst thing that has ever happened to Harry.”

Severus gazed at him steadily, betraying a vulnerability that he did not wish to own.

“You found him, and you rescued him.” Lupin continued, “It might not have been deliberate, but you did it and now we have him back, if you will allow it, that is? I would like to get to know Lily and James’ son, if Sirius has not ruined that for me with his idiotic behaviour? I would like another photo or two to add to my collection.”

Severus gaped at him. He was not expecting that. Lupin had not launched into a verbal attack about Severus’ treatment of Farid. The sad looks, that the werewolf had given Farid from time to time, said everything, in Severus’ opinion. They said that Severus was not fit to be with the golden child of Lily and James, never mind get so much obvious pleasure from his ownership of the boy’s body. But maybe those looks had not been condemnation and had meant something else, after all?

“I want to free him.” he said, “I am well aware of the fact that, if I do free him, he may leave me and never come back. But he… he does not deserve slavery, no one does. There has to be some way of breaking the bond. Miss Granger is looking into it for me. I….I don’t like what the bond makes me do sometimes, it makes me savage, dominating… I hurt him… I use him and that has to stop. It is not right, it is not dignified.” Severus was looking at his lap; he felt his cheeks burning with the shame of his revelation.

“And you are telling me because I understand exactly what it is like to be forced to behave a certain way by an unreasonable compulsion?”

Severus nodded. He was still waiting for Lupin to denounce him for the misuse and abuse of the son of two of his oldest and most cherished friends.

“I was there when he removed the Dark Mark, Severus.” Lupin said finally, “If I had had any doubts about how Harry… how Farid felt about you, they would have shattered then. He obviously adores you. Slavery bonds are not common any longer in our world, but after Lily and James died, and Sirius went to Azkaban, I travelled.” He looked sadly at Severus, and Severus found that he was not quite able to meet the other man’s eyes. “I saw a number of slaves, all of them subservient, devoted. But none of them looked at their masters like Farid looks at you. He loves you, Severus.

I can’t believe how stupid we all were back then. We hated you. You hated us. I truly believed that Sirius killed Peter and Harry… why, the poor little boy he slipped through the safety net he should have had, and ended up with those monsters who were related to Lily. It is our fault what happened to him. I wasn’t allowed to look after him, so I took myself off for a ten year sulk, and all the time Harry was being so abused, so tortured that I can’t even bear to think about it.

Albus is guilty too, because he never went to check and Sirius for being such a hot-headed fool that he walked straight into Peter’s little trap. It never should have happened. Harry is meant to be so special to us all, so precious and look what we let those monsters, all of those monsters do to him. Who do you really think Lily and James would despise the most Severus? You for rescuing him, or us for putting him in the situation where he needed to be rescued at all?”

“Believe me Severus; you have no guilt to carry in this situation at all. Not as far as I’m concerned.”

This time Severus did meet Lupin’s gaze, and he lifted his hand to shake with the werewolf, affirming their new alliance. Then bizarrely they had sat down over poached eggs and toast and milky coffee to discuss, the compulsion and how Severus might be best able to deal with it.

Severus had told Lupin how he felt when the urges came upon him and they discussed what the warning signs might be and how Severus might deal with them. How much of the compulsion was the bond in action and how much might be generated by Severus’ own nature they were not certain, but they speculated. When they had parted they were still not friends as such, but neither were they enemies anymore either.

Severus had reached his rooms now and he whispered the password and entered through the portrait hole. Farid had hardly stirred so deeply asleep was he. Severus could really appreciate why the boy had been reluctant to take the potion this morning as it truly did leave him very vulnerable and Farid had never really had anyone to protect him before had he? He had always had to be on guard, to try to protect himself as best he could in any situation. Severus felt warmed by the level of trust that Farid must feel towards him, because despite his fear he had indeed drunk the potion as he had been told.

Severus placed him in their bed after first muttering a warming charm. Farid sighed in his sleep and Severus placed a gentle kiss on his head. Shortly after he too slipped beneath the covers beside the boy, clad in another one of his nightgowns. Farid nuzzled into him, and Severus nearly melted with tenderness.

Severus had always been a good name for him he thought, idly, he had for most of his life been very severe. But Farid, Farid got to his tender, though well-camouflaged heart as no one else had ever managed. So he held his boy, and gently stroked his hair and stared wide eyed into the darkness. He knew he would not sleep tonight, too much had happened during the day and his mind was churning. As he lay there with Farid cuddled against him, he thought about those events and the strange alliances that he had formed during the last few momentous hours.