The Bond

Huge thanks to Rohal, my beta for this chapter


Chapter 3: Diagon Alley

Harry blinked wearily. He lifted his head and looked towards his bedroom door. Who was making noise that early? He decided to ignore it, allowed himself to sink back into his pillow and pushed the blanket over his head. After a while an extremely pleasant smell began to attract his attention. He made a decision, sat up, walked downstairs and stopped with eyes wide, hair standing wildly in every direction in front of the kitchen.

With a puzzled expression he stared at Severus who was standing at the stove, preparing pancakes for breakfast.

Severus halted in his task, bowed low and said ”Breakfast is nearly ready, Harry.”

“You don’t have to prepare, I mean it’s nice but it’s not necessary.”

Harry surveyed the table. Cereals, tea, eggs, bacon. For a moment he considered to say something about wasting money but after a second thought he decided not to disturb the other man any further and make him feel uncomfortable again. Instead he seated himself and began to fill his plate.

"You’re free to take everything you wish, Severus” he said, when the black haired man placed another plate on the table, then standing beside Harry obviously not sure what to do next.

”Yes Harry.”

”Ähh, if you not sure what you want, the eggs are quite good.” Harry added and served himself another portion.

Ah eggs. Severus decided to fill his plate with eggs.

”Please, just take what you want.” Harry explained again, this time with a full mouth, pointing around the table with a fork.

After several requests Severus had eaten something, although he basically pecked in his food than actually eating it.

As Harry did not want to put more pressure on him, he did not make any further suggestions and relied on the fact that Severus would eat something when he was hungrier.
When he had finished his breakfast, he let the table ware float into the sink with a flick of his wand.

His view slid over the man sitting in front of him.

”New cloth would suit you. You can’t run around in my jeans and T-shirts forever, you know. We should go to Diagon Alley and buy you some things.”

”As you wish, Harry.” Severus answered, trying to hide his feelings behind an indifferent expression and started to wash the dishes.


”So?” Lucius Malfoy stated watching the trembling slave with disgust, who was kneeling in front of him in the large entrance hall.

“How often do I have to tell you?” He began to pace up and down.

”YOU don’t have any rights! You have no right to say or even mention your opinion. You’re not allowed to have an opinion!

No desires, nothing! You are nothing! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT!?"

”Mast..ster! I do… really do-- I am really so….sor….ry.”

”This will NOT happen again!” the blond man hissed.

The kneeling man raised his handed pleadingly. “No, no!” he shook his head forcefully
“It won’t happen again. I..I promise.”

”I guess it’s to late for that, slave!” He grabbed the long black hair firmly and pulled him through the great hall to a room located on the leftside.
“Please…, plea…se don’t!” the slave whimpered.

”PLEASE what?! You should have considered that before you’ve made a fool of me when we visited Diagon Alley today! What shall all the others think of me, hahh? That I can’t handle my slave? A slave who chooses his robes??PAH!”

He spat on the ground.

”Madame Malkins… asked me. I…. I just answered."

”I just answered.” mimicked Lucius with a high pitched voice. It seems to me that you forgot the rules AND where your place is! Looks like Ihave show you again!!"

"Crucio.”

The black haired man began to twitch and shake uncontrollably. Watching with an evil smile Malfoy turned around and surveyed the different tools he could use, without wasting a single glance at his slave, letting the other man struggle with the curse. Several whips and paddles were lined up on the wall, different in seize and possibilities to use.

He grinned. Today would be a hard day for his slave. Not that he minded.
A certain idea came up to his mind when he recognized a small wooden table which stood near the window. Yes, that would certainly teach the traitor how to behave.



Severus ran his nails deep into his palm, when the memory came back. Sweat pored down his forehead and he started to feel panic rising.

They were already standing in the little hall of Grimmauld Place, both wearing a travelling cloak and ready to leave at any moment. Harry was busy scrawling notes on a piece of paper, which was placed on a small wardrobe.

”Let’s see. You need robes and a new wand. Would you like any books? Ingredients for potions, if you want to brew?” he raised his head to look at Severus.

Severus simply shook his head while biting his upper lip.

”Well, perhaps we just have a look at the different shops and decide then what to buy?"

Come Severus, take my hand. We will apperate together.” He continued, took the other mans hand in his without waiting for an answer and headed to the door.

Shortly after arriving in Diagon Alley, Severus started to sweat even more. He hid his trembling hands under his cloak. That could not be real. It just couldn't. Why was his new master behaving in such a strange manner? He really hoped that this shopping tour would be better than last time but what if the end would be just the same?

Harry, who was walking beside Severus didn’t seem to notice. He talked about Quidditch the whole time, about a new broom, he would like to buy and about the new tactics used by the English Quidditch team.

”Ah Severus, look there is Madame Malkin’s shop. Come on, let’s have look. Hey, you are completely pale.” he realized, when he glanced up at him. He linked his arm with Severus’. “We don’t have to stay long, you know. We just buy the things you need and when we’re back home you can lie down and rest, ok?”

Severus simply nodded not wanting to contradict his master. Then Severus' breath quickened, when they finally stood in front of the shop.

Stars began to dance in front of his eyes. “Hey, what’s the matter? Say something!” Harry asked as the man sank slowly to his knees and drew several raspy breaths.

And then the world collapsed.



Pain…..Just pain…..and nothing else…

he screamed and screamed but it did not stop…..

he could hear the laughter of his old master...

”That happens when you do not behave” he heard him saying.

And again pain…..

His body, especially his hands and his back burned like fire.

Until finally the world became black and he fainted.

But it was not over….

A flush of cold water ran down his face and made him shiver...

Why couldn’t that stop….?

he could not cry any more….

he could not feel anymore….

he did not hear anything anymore…..

everything was indifferent to him….

he just wanted to die…..

and it hit him again….

Lucius Malfoy watched his slave contently, who was lying motionless on a small wooden table. With a quick wave of his wand a box containing long silver nails flew back to its original place, a small shelf near the window. He turned around and placed a long leather whip with golden ornaments at the handle back on a clasp at the wall.

”Skimmy!” A small house elf appeared with a loud plop and bowed low in front of his master.

”Clean this mess up!” He demanded and pointed at a huge stain on the ground, which looked like it had been eaten before and at a yellow stain under the unconscious slave.

”After finishing this task, take him to our personal healer.” he turned to leave and added “it would be easier to transport him, if you would try toget the nails out of his hands. Otherwise you will have difficulties to transport him without the table.”

He laughed coldly and headed to the huge living room. Exhausted he fell into the nearest armchair and decided to have a glass of whiskey. He sighed. Nevertheless his life was already bad enough.



Harry paced up and down in front of a room in St. Mungos. Just five minutes ago he had brought Severus here, after he had broken down in Diagon Alley.

He collapsed in the nearest chair and wiped away the sweat dripping down his forehead. It was his fault. He should have known. Should have taken better care of him,… if he just had not been so self centred; because Severus had not simply broken down.

He had started to scream and had switched wildly on the ground. Every attempt to bring him back to consciousness had failed. He had called his name, he had even slapped him but it hadn't worked. And if the situation had not been worse enough a crowd had started to form itself around them. People had started to insult him, accusing him of mistreating the man.

Finally he had summoned a stretcher, had bound the still screaming Severus on it and had apparated to hospital. He hid his face in his hands. He hated this bastard Malfoy. He clenched his fists.

”Harry?” A woman with thick brown hair and a red haired boy approached him.
“Hermione, Ron, what are you doing here?” he asked surprised.

He rose and enclosed both in a firm embrace. After that he sank back to his chair and summoned two chairs for both of them.

”Well” the brown haired woman started sheepishly “we were shopping in Diagon Alley and everybody was talking about Harry Potter who tried to torture another man to death. Not that we would believe that. " she added hastily "But I guess we made the right conclusions and went straight to the hospital.”

Ron nodded in agreement.

”How is Professor Snape doing? What happened?” Hermione continued looking worried.
He started to tell them the whole story. At some points his friends interrupted and asked questions. Then Harry ended with his concern about Severus and that he was not quite sure what really happened to him to cause such a reaction.

”Honestly Harry, what did you expect?” started Hermione after Harry had stopped talking “that we get him out of Malfoy Manor and he’ll live with you happily ever after? After this torture?”

”No, definitely not.” Harry answered shaking his head. “But I have to admit that I did not expect such a strong reaction.

I really doubt that I can get through this and I have to admit: I feel a bit helpless. And I don’t know what to do.”

”You could sell him again!” suggested Ron being completely pragmatic.
”To someone who has more knowledge about psychopaths!”

”RON!” Harry and Hermione called out at the same time.

”Harry wouldn’t ever do this!” Hermione stated “Would you Harry?”

”No, absolutely not.” Harry answered and glared at Ron.

“And he is not a psychopath! I know why you’re saying that, just because….”

”Because you’ve rather rescued Snape, our old most hated potion teacher and prefer to live with him instead of my sister?” interrupted Ron. “Because you left Ginny when you noticed you preferred men? Do you know that she cried for months because of that?? She loved you. Does that mean nothing to you?”

“That is completely between Ginny and me, so stay out of this!” he said through gritted teeth. “And the whole thing with Severus has nothing to do with her!”

”Oh, no more Snape, now he is already Severus! Perhaps you two have already….” he made a quite obvious gesture.

"RON! That is absolutely inappropriate! Get a grip on yourself!” Hermione said taken aback.

With a look of disgust on his face Ron rose and ran without one more word to the exit and slammed the door behind him.

”Why is he behaving like that?” discouraged Harry let his hand fall into his lap. Why doesn’t he understand that we just had to help Severus Snape after all he had done for us; to put one’s life on the line as a spy for our side? I couldn’t just leave him there.”

Hermione shook her head. “He doesn’t want to understand, Harry. It is difficult for him that his best friend suddenly realises he prefers men…and he did’t really want to hear what happened to Professor Snape. I tried to speak with him about that issue several times. Just this morning he promised to avoid trouble. Give him some time.....”

After a few moments of silence, a healer opened the door to Severus’ room.

”Mr. Potter? He is stabilized. We gave your slave a strong calming draught and a potion for dreamless sleep. He is sleeping at the moment and will wake late in the evening. Come in please, so that I can explain more about his condition.”

Harry rose, but turned again before he entered the room.

”Mmh I think it would be better if you wouldn't come with me, Hermione. I don’t want to ask too much of him. You know too many people..and all.."

Hermione nodded understandingly. “No problem Harry. I do understand.”

”Could you do me a favour Hermione?”

”Yes. Of course.”

”He needs some new cloth and I need some things for my household. I mean it will be difficult to leave the next days while he is in that condition, so...?”

Hermione smiled. “That's no problem. I remember how he was dressed, when he was teaching at Hogwarts, so perhaps I will get some of his old clothes. I will come to Grimmauld Place tomorrow afternoon and will bring you everything.
I wanted to discuss something concerning Professor Snape anyway.”

”Thanks” Harry sighed. “See you tomorrow!” he handed her the notes he had written in the morning and then headed into the room behind the healer.


Severus blinked. He could see green eyes looking at him. “Where…where?”

”In St. Mungos. You simply broke down and I could not bring you back to conscience ….so…that’s why I brought you here. And no need to apologize again.” Harry added to prevent a possibility of slipping out of bed and falling to his knees.

The black haired man looked around quite insecurely and noticed that he was lying in a bed and was covered with a blanket.

His master was sitting at the edge of the bed with a sad look displayed on his face.
Severus blushed deeply and started to tremble visibly.

”Severus?” Harry started cautiously. “Didn’t you want to go Diagon Alley? You could have told me, you know! It wouldn’t have been a problem! Please tell me the reason? What did upset you so badly?”

The other man did not move or answer. “I take this as a 'no'.” Harry sighed.

“Please, next time just tell me what is troubling you before something like that happen, ok?”

“Yes Master.” Severus answered with a rough voice.

”Severus? That does not sound convincing to me?” he tried to stroke his cheek.
“And remember its Harry, not master.”

He noticed how Severus body stiffened when he touched him, so he withdrew his hand.
The healer said, you had a break down.” stated Harry “he said it would be better in your condition to stay here overnight. But you can come home with me, if you would like to. So it’s up to you. What do you want?”

Uncertainly Severus lifted his head. What kind of response was expected? If he would decide to go home this evening he would definitely be punished for his actions. And if he would decide to stay he would be punished tomorrow anyway. Which answer did his master probably expect? He swallowed hard. The panic was coming back.

Harry recognised the immediate change after his question. The hands of the black haired man clung desperately to the cover and his breathing started to quicken.

Slowly Harry seized his hand pressed it encouragingly.

”You know, perhaps it would be better, if you would stay over the night. I could sleep here too, as there is an unoccupied bed in this room.”

He pointed to the empty bed next to Severus bed.

“I will be there for you, and tomorrow we will go home together.” he nodded encouragingly. Severus relaxed quite visibly and sunk with a sigh back into the pillow.

After the healer had supplied the exhausted man with a meal and potions, Harry made himself comfortable on the second bed while the other man seemed to be sleeping. He started reading a magazine letting his thoughts drift, until he recognized that Severus was obviously pretending to be asleep. Every now and then when Severus thought Harry wasn’t looking he risked a quick glance at his master.

”What’s the matter?” Harry said lifting his gaze.

Severus helped himself into a sitting position and said slowly unable to keep the trembling out of his voice.

”I’m sorry, Harry, I did not want you not to disturb you.”

”Well, that’s not the case. No need to be sorry. What’s troubling you?”

”I…. I…“ the older one seemed to be struggling with words.

”Severus, whatever you say, I will not be angry with you!” Harry tried smiling at him.

”Iaskedmyselfwhatyouexspectofme” he answered quickly lowering his gaze to the sheets.

“What I expect of you?” Harry smiled. “I do not know exactly. I do not expect anything from you, but I would be happy, if I could have my old Professor back.”

He put the magazine on a nightstand beside his bed and reached out for a water glass, which stood beside a large candle.

The raven haired man seemed to be thinking about the words of his master and asked quite hesitantly.

“I don’t understand? You expect me to treat you like I did in school? Sarcastic and Cruel?? I.. don’t understand ….”

Harry, who was just sipping at the water, choked and started coughing. Coughing and half laughing he placed the glass back onto the nightstand. After calming down somewhat he got up and went to sit beside Severus.

”No, that’s not what I meant.” he suppressed a chuckle. “I'm sorry, actually that’s not funny at all.”

Again more serious he stated. “You should behave like you want to behave; you should be who you want to be and do whatever you want. As you did, before you were sent to Malfoy. I can understand that after the ordeal you have been through, it will be extremely difficult for you.”

Severus stared at his hands. “I have a problem to differ between….I do not know how… he said with a desperate undertone. “It’s like I forgot. And I can't simply do what I want. You are my master. I am just.. I…”

”I understand.” Harry meant and slipped a loose black hair behind Severus ear. Severus stiffened at the touch but did not draw away.

”I'm sorry Mas… Harry that I’m such a disappointment. Especially today.” He turned his gaze and swallowed hard.

”You aren’t.” Harry said simply and raised his hand to Severus cheek and stroked him softly. He expected Severus to withdraw but he did not. Instead Severus closed his eyes and leaned into the warm caressing hand. He sighed and slipped slowly back into the sheets. After a while Harry pulled up the covers and whispered. “Sleep now. Good night.”


to be continued....