Tempus Fugit Praeterhãc

Chapter five - in which Harry and Severus get up close and personal, and make some plans


Severus awoke plagued by hunger and the tantalising scent of baking bread. Harry was no-longer beside him. It seemed that he was already in the shop, working hard. He looked up embarrassed as Severus walked in.

“Um…good morning, Domine.”

“Good morning, Harry.”

Harry had just turned towards the oven when Severus spoke, and at hearing his name he halted and peered back over his shoulder, hands covered in flour.

“Oh, erm…we are still doing that Harry thing today then are we?”

Severus smiled. “I think you might have to get used to the Harry thing, Harry. It is your name after all.”

Harry blushed. I know my name, Domine, it’s just that you haven’t used it much until now.”

It was Severus’ turn to blush then. He had been engaged in a sort of strange game, whereby he had used Harry’s name as little as possible whenever they were in bed; and it had rarely occurred to him to use it when they were not. It had almost become a source of pride that he could deny the boy what he had asked for, which seemed so churlish now that he realised Harry had asked him for nothing else.

Harry had turned around fully by then to look at Severus. He was still blushing, neat white teeth worrying at his full lower lip. The cut had been healed by Severus the night before and now only a faint trace remained to show it had ever existed, but the fact that it had been there at all made Severus’ gut tighten with anger.

“I just don’t understand, Domine. You hate me, I know you do,” Harry said plaintively. He shrugged one shoulder, appearing rather small and lost. “You’ve told me so often enough. What’s changed? Why now? What you said last night, did you mean it? Do you really want me in your life?

The look on his face, in his eyes, was so needy, so vulnerable that Severus wanted nothing more than to enfold Harry in his arms and comfort him with loving words. But just then the door opened and a man came in, a stranger to Severus, but someone who was obviously a regular customer. The man cringed at the growl Severus sent his way but, despite the fact that Severus paced up and down muttering darkly to himself showing his very obvious animosity, he obstinately stayed for what seemed like hours buying a variety of potions.

Conversely, Harry was nice to the man, even managing to sell him a potion for weight loss without ever mentioning that the man might need such a thing. For the next several hours, as one customer after another trickled in and out of the shop, there was no chance for them to speak at all. Hating every cheerful word that assaulted his ears over this period, Severus perversely chose to stay anyway, reluctant to let Harry out of his sight.

He did not retreat to his room; he did not take the warm rolls and leave to eat them in peace with his usual dribble of honey and hot peppermint tea. Instead he helped, biting his tongue to keep from bestowing the acerbic comments that occurred to him on their hapless customers. He ate like Harry did, standing up, grabbing a bite of fresh bread, a handful of grapes as they worked. He took the myriad of small gifts that were offered and accepted praise for Harry when person after person told Severus what a good boy he was, what a wonderful slave Severus owned, how lucky he was.

Harry for his part, blushed ever deeper at all the compliments but seemed determined to pretend that Severus wasn’t there and carry on as normally as possible. Severus’ actions obviously had him somewhat confused, it made Severus want to smile seeing the boy so strangely disconcerted. This had not been his initial goal in choosing to help him, but he supposed he could not blame the boy as he had never been nice to him before, never helped him carry out his tasks as he was doing now. He had moved the Quidditch hoops, so to speak, and Harry was obviously uncertain as to exactly what was happening. But the boy would just have to get used to it as Severus found he liked being with Harry, something he had only just discovered for himself and which he had not had time to explain to the boy.

The pile of gifts, left by the steady stream of visitors, grew as the morning wore on. Severus was astonished at the variety of the tokens that were left in exchange for the freshly baked bread and at the warmth that these strangers, his neighbours, extended to him and to Harry. When, finally, the last person had left, Severus barred the door.

“Domine, what are you doing?” Harry said surprised. “We can’t close the door. This is just a lull; we’ll be busy today.”

“We were busy yesterday; surely most people got what they needed then? I need some peace to speak to you,” Severus replied crossly.

Harry looked astonished. “No, we weren’t. It was quiet yesterday because it was a market day and everyone was at the forum. We’re always busier after a market day. We can’t turn people away.”

It was Severus’ turn to be surprised. The shop had seemed popular enough to him the day before, certainly plenty of people had come through the door to keep Harry active all day long. Surely there weren’t even more people craving salves and potions? Just how popular were they, he wondered? But then, in truth, he didn’t care. “I think that the customers will come back after eighth hour, Harry, if they really need to. They can survive without my potions for an hour or so.”

He couldn’t resist reaching out and touching the boy’s cheek. The bruise from the day before had nearly faded, but there was still just a slight shadow left behind. “When did you last take a day off, little one?” He already knew the answer to that, didn’t he?

“I…I’ve…erm…well you have never taken any time off either, Domine!” Harry said, almost indignantly.

Severus nearly smiled.“Then perhaps we should both take a morning to ourselves?” Severus took Harry’s hand and brought it to his mouth, laying a kiss on the boy’s slender fingers. “We do need to speak. I need to explain some things to you, Harry. And then, I promised you something last night, promised that we were going to do a lot of wonderful things together but you fell asleep on me, didn’t you, little one? I think I may have to punish you for that.” he whispered in Harry’s ear, chuckling softly.

Harry gasped as Severus sucked Harry’s fingers into his mouth and then moved forward to press against the boy. This time he did smile, Harry’s cock was already half hard beneath his tatty tunic.

Severus reached down and cupped the boy’s balls through the fabric of the tunic. “I think you like the idea, don’t you?” Severus breathed.

“Oh, God!” Harry whispered.

Someone banged on the door and Harry jumped, Severus huffed and removed his hand from Harry’s genitals, curling his fists with annoyance instead. “Go through to the bedroom, Harry, and get ready for me. I’ll deal with whomever is at the door.”

“But…”

“Now, Harry.”

Harry closed his mouth and left the room without another word. Severus couldn’t help wishing that the boy had been this obedient when he had been at school, but then he didn’t taunt Harry much anymore, did he? Or push him into rudeness and bad behaviour as he had once revelled in doing? Even before his recent discoveries he had stopped being quite so scathing when he spoke to the boy. Plus, the ‘punishments’ that he doled out to Harry now, during their playful lovemaking were ones that he seemed to enjoy very much indeed, almost as much as Severus enjoyed giving them. He smirked to himself as the thought occurred to him that he had never had such an armoury available at Hogwarts.

The knock came again, harder this time. Severus opened the door with yet another growl and the middle-aged lady on the other side squeaked as she saw him, but stood her ground nevertheless, determined it seemed to buy what she wanted there and then. She scuttled off happily enough, though, a few scant minutes later, clutching a potion that aided stamina. She told Severus confidentially that she planned to use it on her husband. Severus pinned up a hastily scrawled notice with the words ‘closed until eighth hour – do not disturb’ written clearly in dark ink and firmly barred the door one more time.

Then he made his way through to the bedroom.

Harry was waiting, curled up on the bed like a kitten, an impression that was enhanced by his amazing green eyes. He knew what to do by now, what Severus liked best. He waited patiently, eyes half closed, cock hard and weeping, waiting for Severus’ touch, legs spread wide displaying himself, a teasing smile on his lips.

Severus knew he had first begun to fall in love with Harry in bed; the boy had always been so willing, so responsive and so generous. This was where they had first learned to communicate, after all, with gentle touches, kisses and sighs. In bed there had been few barriers between them, it was here that he had come to know Harry’s sweetness and vulnerability and here that Harry had truly learned to trust Severus fully.

Even now, with Harry was so clearly confused and disconcerted, it seemed he didn’t want to deny Severus; he still wanted sex with him. As he thought about it, he realized the young man had never once denied him or even seemed reluctant, not in all this time. He’d always looked so wanton lying on Severus’ sheets waiting to be ravished, so emotionally open, so willing. Yet, most astonishing of all, after all these months of shagging nearly every night,(c) there was still something almost heart-breakingly innocent and pure about Harry.

Harry looked up nervously as Severus walked in and gave him one of those sweet smiles that Severus had begun to find so endearing. This one was rather more tentative than usual, though, and his eyes still seemed somewhat clouded with confusion.

The boy was undoubtedly puzzled, having as yet no idea what had brought about such a change in Severus. In fact, Harry still seemed most comfortable on the occasions lately when Severus was being firm with him, telling him what to do. It was behaviour he was used to, after all. Severus realized they desperately needed to talk. But not yet. First of all, he was going to make love to Harry as he had promised the previous night.

Severus lay down beside his boy and a shiver ran down his spine. Harry was so gorgeous, Modia was right about how lucky Severus was. They had had sex many times before, he and Harry, but those times had always been about his pleasure. Oh, Harry had always had a good time, Severus had seen to that – probably one reason Harry became so easily aroused, was so willing to go to bed with him. But this time it was going to be all about Harry’s pleasure. That would be Severus’ first gift to his boy.

He began by kissing him, tenderly, lovingly. He ran his fingers through Harry’s hair. It was so gloriously messy, so dishevelled, so freshly fucked, the strands were gossamer fine, like incredibly soft thistledown. Harry was moaning already, gasping as Severus explored his mouth, deepening his kisses, running his tongue along Harry’s lips, forcing himself in and revelling in Harry’s responsiveness.

He ran his fingers lightly along the boy’s skin, allowing them to dance along his arm and back up before drawing them sensuously across his chest, brushing his nipple with a feather light touch. He traced Harry’s ribs, down lower to his belly button and back up to caress the other nipple, causing it to grow hard and pert beneath his touch. Harry shuddered. He was fully hard already. His cock was slim and firm, in keeping with the rest of Harry’s body; it rested heavily on one delectable thigh. Severus smirked to himself. He had learned all about the boy’s sensuality over the last few months, how easily he became aroused. No one else had ever seen Harry like this, open, trusting, whimpering with need. This was all for Severus.

He kept a pot of scented oil next to the bed; he dipped his hand in and coated his fingers liberally. They he reached down and caressed Harry’s cock. The boy gasped and arched into Severus fingers.

Severus chuckled.

“Beautiful boy,” he whispered.

Harry groaned. “Oh God! Don’t say that! Do you know what your voice does to me, my Dominus?”

“Why, no, my Harry, I don’t. Why don’t you tell me?”

“Guh!” Harry gasped as Severus ran his thumb over the skin that covered the end of the boy’s cock, he panted and swallowed, seemingly unable to speak for a moment or two.

“I am waiting, Harry,” Severus whispered, just before he allowed the pointed tip of his tongue to follow the path that his thumb had already traced.

“Sinful voice!” Harry croaked. “ Wicked and dark. Like melted chocolate. Ahhhhhh!” he arched up again, exposing the delectable line of his throat.

Severus smirked through a mouthful of Harry. He had taken the head of the boy’s cock into his mouth and was currently sucking it in, running his tongue along the underside. Harry whimpered with need.

Severus released him for a moment. “Don’t stop, Harry. I am most interested in what you have to say.” Severus finished his sentence by licking one of Harry’s balls, rendering him incapable of saying anything for several seconds.

But he kept on trying, brave Gryffindor that he was.

“I…I could co…Oh, my God! I…could come…ah…just from…Fucking Hell, Dom-in-e!...Oh...ah…justfromthesoundofit!...Oh, fuck-ing-Helllll!”

Severus smiled wickedly, allowing his hand take over from his mouth, letting his thumb gently massage Harry’s perineum. He had come to adore the reactions that he could elicit from his boy. Harry was just so incredibly responsive.

“Very eloquent, Mr Potter. If I heard you correctly, you could come just from the sound of my voice?”

“Bastard!” Harry screamed as Severus nibbled gently at the base of one of his balls whilst squeezing the other one and cupping it in his hand.

“We should try that one day. Would you like me to talk you to orgasm Harry?”

But Harry had given up on speech it seemed and settled for a strangled moan as Severus’ finger breeched him, and Severus decided that he could watch the boy, needy and wanton like this, all day long.

Harry had abandoned himself completely to whatever Severus wished to do. His arms were thrown up over his head, his fingers curled. His eyes were shut tightly, but his legs were wide open, to allow Severus to do as he wished.

Such trust in Severus, such sweet abandonment. Severus relished it, did whatever he wished. He played with Harry, whilst time seemed for once to stand still. He teased the boy, tormented him with lips and tongue and fingers, until Harry mewled and begged and whimpered.

Eventually he prepared Harry’s entrance, dribbling oil along the crack of Harry’s arse, massaging it into the velvety skin. Harry’s greedy pink hole sucked his fingers in and clenched them tightly.

“Please, Domine?” Harry finally managed to beg, sounding almost pitiful in his desperation.

“Please what?” Severus purred against the damp, superheated skin of Harry’s inner thigh.

“Please…f-f-fuck me, Domine. Oh please.”

“Why, Harry,” Severus said teasingly, “as you beg so prettily I think I just might.”

He lined the blunt tip of his cock against Harry’s entrance and then pushed inside, past the guardian ring, taking the boy slowly, carefully. Harry squirmed and whimpered again.

“Harder!” he pleaded, pitifully.

“So needy, Harry.” Severus pulled out slowly.

“Oh!” Harry whimpered the word, and Severus slammed back in, pushing the boy up the bed with the force of his entry. Harry screamed. The boy’s tight channel spasmed around Severus’ cock and Severus shouted too, howling his pleasure. Then he was pumping into the boy and Harry was squirming, writhing beneath him. Severus grabbed Harry’s feet, to steady himself and his lover, holding one foot in each hand. They fitted so beautifully, Harry’s heels in Severus’ palms, Severus fingers twined with Harry’s toes. Toes which flexed against Severus, sending him over the edge, triggering one of the most intense orgasms that he had ever had. It seemed to go on for several minutes, stream after stream of ejaculate, filling Harry, marking him as belonging to Severus.

He lowered Harry’s legs and his softened cock fell out of Harry’s entrance. The boy whimpered at its loss.

“Don’t think I’m finished yet,” Severus whispered, taking care to keep his tone low, his words sibilant. “You look so beautiful there laid out
before me, my darling boy. Seeing you like this makes me want to do things to you Harry. Tie you down, play with your helpless body for hours.”

Harry was keening now, squirming in desperation, eyes clenched shut, body writhing slowly as if he was seeking Severus’ touch. Severus picked up one of Harry’s feet and started to nibble along the instep, punctuating his words with bites and kisses.

“I want to kiss you and lick you all over. I want to start with your toes and work my way up to your cock. I want to swallow your cock Harry take it deep into my hot, wet mouth.” Harry was panting harshly as if on the very edge of orgasm. Severus consciously lowered his voice yet again and said slowly and sensuously. “You are so very beautiful, so precious! Come for me, Harry.” And Harry did. He came. Hard. Screaming at Severus’ command.

If Severus had not just had one of the most incredible orgasms of his life, he would have hardened again, just at the sight of Harry lying beneath him – flushed, trembling, eyes closed, his cheeks flushed a dusky pink. He was so incredibly gorgeous and he belonged to Severus. So much so that he had orgasmed to the sound of his lover’s voice with hardly a touch besides. He felt humble then, overwhelmed with the gift that he had been given, the precious time that he had shared with his boy.

At last Severus relaxed down onto the bed; he pulled Harry close to him and dropped a kiss on the boy’s temple. They would doze for awhile perhaps, comfortably wrapped around each other, and then they would talk. He reached up to stroke Harry’s hair wanting to touch him.

“I love you,” Harry whispered as he snuggled into Severus’ chest. Then he stiffened, looked up at Severus with horror in those wide green eyes of his.

“I’m sorry, sir. I, shouldn’t have said anything…I er…”

“Oh, Harry. My Harry.” Severus had never felt such tenderness for another human being as he felt for Harry just then. He placed a finger on Harry’s lips, quietening him, seeking to reassure him.“Shush now. You are such a foolish boy sometimes. Don’t you know that I love you, too?”.

**********

“I think I started to fall in love with you the day you fixed my eyesight,” Harry said dreamily sometime later, when he had woken from his nap. “Nobody’s ever cared enough before to ask about it. I thought the world looked fuzzy round the edges to everyone, until I was seven and had my eyes tested at school. The optician wrote me a prescription for glasses and the first time I put them on I can still remember it. It was like when I first saw the magical world at Diagon Alley, everything was so clear and bright.

“Nobody else bothered to ask me if I wanted to take a potion, not even Dumbledore or Pomfrey. I mean, now I think about it, I realise that there had to be something that cured eye problems because no one else in my year wore glasses, just me. So why did nobody ever tell me?”

Severus couldn’t answer him. He couldn’t say why Poppy and Albus had not bothered to help. Perhaps Poppy assumed that Albus had already made an offer? Perhaps Albus didn’t even notice? Perhaps he liked Harry’s resemblance to James? It was far too late to ask him now, of course.

“There was so much I didn’t know, you see. I didn’t know that I was a wizard until Hagrid told me.” Harry was staring at nothing as he continued to speak, not even hearing the Severus’ gasp at the revelation. He had known, from some of the things that Albus had said, that Harry had not had the happiest childhood, but he had always assumed that the boy had at least known of his heritage.

“They hated magic, my aunt and uncle,” Harry continued, “ and because I was magical they hated me. I thought that my mum and dad died in a car crash; they told me that my dad was a useless, unemployed drunk and that mum wasn’t much better.”

Severus gasped again, louder this time. He was horror struck. The Petunia Evans that he had known had always seemed to envy magic and he had assumed that the woman would have adored her magical nephew. He had thought she would have basked in the glory of being able to raise a child so beloved of the magical world. It seemed, though, that he was wrong. The magical world or James & Lily had rejected Petunia, and she, in her turn, had rejected her sister’s child.

“Were they cruel to you, Harry?”

Harry looked at him with a steady gaze. “I think they thought they were generous, keeping me at all. They worked me hard, made me do chores all my life, lots of them and they dressed me in Dudley’s old cast offs. They were terrified of me; I see that now. Compared to what happens to children here, they were kindness and generosity itself, I think.”

“Ah, but we are not from here, are we Harry? I think we have let ourselves forget that far too often. In truth, you are not my slave. I think we have both forgotten that, too. You are a very powerful young man. You are already a great wizard and since we arrived here I have taken that away from you. I’m sorry about that Harry. I am sorry I took so much from you, and I’ll ensure that you get all your money back. I should have not taken it without asking.”

Harry had been curled against Severus with his head resting on Severus shoulder, but he pushed himself up now so that he was propped on one arm looking down at him.

“It’s all right,” he said seriously. “I was really angry with you for a little while, but then I realised that you didn’t mean to hurt me. I can be too impulsive sometimes, so maybe you were right about my cloak and the wands. I reckon that I didn’t really mind about those. It was the album that hurt me so much. It is all that I’ve got of my mum and dad. I mean I know I have the cloak but it isn’t the same. Hagrid gave me the photos; did you know?”

Severus didn’t know. He’d had no idea, but Harry still wasn’t looking at him or expecting an answer. He was still staring into the distance, at something only he could see, eyes dry, voice steady but quiet.

The only thing that Severus did know, had learned over the past twenty-four hours, was that everything that he had ever assumed about Harry, his childhood and his personality had been completely and utterly misguided.

“Looking to the Dursleys, after my first year at Hogwarts… umm…well, they locked me in my room, that summer, and they weren’t feeding me much or talking to me. I would sit and look at the pictures and pretend that my mum and dad could really see me and that they were smiling and waving at me. That maybe I’d made them proud.

“For a while it was all that I had, and when I thought that I had lost it? It hurt, you know? But then you apologised, no one has ever done that before, said sorry like that.

“As for the rest of it? It’s not that I couldn’t have used my magic sometimes, because it would have been useful now and then, but I don’t care about the money and I sure as heck don’t want it back. It helped buy us this place, didn’t it?” questioned Harry, glancing shyly at Severus out of the corner of his eye. He continued, “Yeah, I guess I was just mostly angry about the cloak and the photos. As I said, they are all I have of my mum and dad. I mean I know that he was a jerk to you, but he was my dad, and I think he’d grown up by the time he had me.”

The cold knot of guilt was suddenly back in Severus’ stomach.

“I am so sorry, Harry.”

“I know you are. You’ve said so, haven’t you? It’s all right, Domine.”

Harry leaned over and kissed Severus tenderly on the cheek.

“I was really worried when we first arrived because we hated each other so much and there was no one else to turn to. But you were all right, you weren’t cruel or nasty, you looked after me.”

“Not nearly well enough,” Severus said, feeling deeply ashamed.

“You did!” Harry insisted.

“On the contrary, child, I used you for my own pleasure and worked you like a house-elf!”

To Severus’ surprise, Harry laughed.

“No, you didn’t, Domine. I’m not a child. I got as much pleasure from our love making as you did, and you didn’t work me like a house-elf! The Dursleys did that, for as long as I can remember. I know the difference. I always get plenty to eat here and somewhere comfy to sleep. And sex!

“Lot’s of yummy, scrummy sex!”

Harry’s eyes were sparkling with a sort of fierce joy. He was teasing Severus! No one had ever done that. Not since…

But Severus refused to even think that name, or let her into his thoughts, even. He was with Harry. His Harry, there was no room for anyone else.

Harry ran one of those delectable feet of his along Severus’ leg and drew a circle around Severus’ nipple with the tip of his index finger. He was smirking, an expression that Severus couldn’t help feeling somewhat proud of, as it was so close to his own familiar smile.

“You are insatiable, brat!” he said with a chuckle. “I’m not sure I can do anything else right now. I think you might have killed me.”

They lay entwined together like that for some time, whilst the warm morning summer sunshine streamed in through the shutters. Finally, and somewhat reluctantly, because it meant he had to move, Severus decided he could not wait any longer. He was hungry. He had missed dinner the night before, well, he had given it away to Modia at least, and breakfast had been eaten ‘on the run’ as he and Harry worked.

“Are you hungry, Harry?” he whispered into soft black hair.

Harry, it seemed, had been nearly asleep. He looked up at Severus somewhat blearily. “I made some soup earlier,” he said. “I’ll go get it.”

“No, you’ll stay here,” Severus said softly, loving Harry’s answering shiver arousal. “Today, I’ll get our lunch.”

Harry’s eyes grew wide with astonishment. Severus had never done such a thing for Harry before, had he? Harry had always prepared and served all their meals. With Severus watching him so carefully earlier in the morning, he had made sure he kept busy, even going so far as to bustle around getting both lunch and dinner started, waving off Severus’ offers of help.

This time Severus was determined that Harry would be the one that was not allowed to help. He tucked the boy in bed and plumped up the pillows, silencing Harry’s protests with some gentle kisses.

As he pottered around the part of the shop that served as a kitchen, Severus determined that he would take care of Harry like this more often. The boy was a stupendous cook. Again the thought crossed his mind that the brat should really be very able at Potions, if he, Severus, ever gave him a chance. As he lifted lids and examined storage jars he was impressed by how well Harry had learned to preserve things the Muggle way, by drying meats and pickling fruits and vegetables. Severus felt another of those pangs of guilt, with which he was becoming all too familiar, as he realised, once again, how a wand and a simple charm would have saved Harry so much time and energy. He shook himself and assembled a tray of food to carry through to the bedroom.

Harry glanced up when Severus came in – he still looked nervous, uncertain.

“Thanks, Domine,” he said.

Severus placed the tray on the bed and Harry reached over to grab a piece of bread. Severus slapped his hand away. “Oh no you don’t!” he chuckled. “I’m taking care of you today, Harry, in every way.”

Harry looked completely bemused.

Severus dribbled some honey on a small piece of bread and then brought it close to Harry’s mouth.

“I don’t suppose that anyone has ever really looked after you, have they Harry?” Severus whispered. “I haven’t taken care of you properly either, not properly. Well, that’s all going to change starting right now.

“Come on, little one, open up.” Severus brushed the honey soaked bread against the boy’s lips and Harry’s eyes filled with tears. He hesitated for a moment longer and then opened his mouth as Severus had requested.

Another piece of bread followed the first and then a grape and a slice of apple. Harry obediently opened his mouth and sweetly accepted whatever Severus gave him. Seeing Harry this pliant, and apparently happy, stirred something in Severus; he found it deeply arousing that the boy could submit with such joy to being cared for in this way. He didn’t quite understand how he had managed to ignore for so long the feelings of tenderness that Harry roused in him. His fingers disappeared into Harry’s hot, wet mouth. Harry’s tongue brushed against his skin and sent a shiver down Severus’ spine.

The tears in Harry’s eyes had welled but not fallen. In fact, those eyes were smiling now, as were the full pink lips. The next time he put a sliver of apple on Harry’s tongue, Harry closed his mouth around Severus’ fingers, sucking them in. Severus moaned. Harry reached out and took Severus’ hand in his own, pulling it down until Severus’ fingers brushed against Harry’s rapidly hardening cock.

He moaned again and Harry’s grin widened. Severus reached over to the tray and grabbed a small bunch of grapes. He held the stalk between his index finger and thumb and gently ran the fruit along Harry’s luscious lower lip. Harry giggled and snagged a grape between neat white teeth. Harry wiggled his hips, brushing his cock against Severus’ hand again.

Severus chuckled. “You are such a bad boy, Harry,” he purred. He lifted a goblet of watered wine to Harry’s mouth and tipped it so the boy could drink. Harry tilted his head so that the wine ran down his chin and his neck. Severus put the goblet aside and followed the wine trail with his tongue. He followed Harry back down to the pillows, pinning the boy’s hands down and kissing him deeply on the mouth.

Kissing Harry was wonderful and Severus could not understand why he had ever resisted this, why he had held back from this for so long. Harry’s kisses were passionate and loving, and sensually sweet. . With many of his previous lovers Severus had felt as though he had forced his kisses on them. He had no such doubts here. Harry kissed him back as needily and as forcefully as Severus kissed him.

This time their coupling was slow and tender and lasted for a long, long time.

************


“You’ve definitely killed me, this time, I think,” Severus moaned, much later as he lay amongst the soft pillows... a smiling Harry cuddled up to against his side and gently stroking his chest.

“Nah, you look fine to me.”

“I am an old man, Harry. I don’t have the stamina of a seventeen year old anymore.”

He could feel Harry’s half laugh against his chest. “I’m eighteen, Domine, not seventeen. It was my birthday in July.”

“Oh fuck!” Severus couldn’t help exclaiming, lifting his hands to cover his face.

“What?” Harry looked completely bewildered.

Severus sighed. Here was yet another thing he could feel guilty about; Harry’s birthday had gone by unacknowledged and uncelebrated. It was yet another way that Severus had let him down. The ironic thing was that Harry didn’t even understand why Severus was upset.

Harry reached up and gently pulled Severus hands down. Severus was lying on his back and Harry was sitting beside him, naked and cross legged looking down at him with a worried expression.

“Domine, what’s wrong?”

“I forgot your birthday!”

Harry looked totally puzzled then. “So?”

Severus pulled Harry down and wrapped his arms around the boy again and kissed him on the head. He wondered again how he had managed to misunderstand the boy so completely. The misconceptions he had foisted on Harry, all his beliefs about the boy, they’d all been so wrong, so twisted.

“I’m sorry,” he said, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

“I know, Domine. You said that already.”

“I didn’t apologise for forgetting your birthday,” Severus continued, not liking the fact that he sounded quite sulky, even to himself.

“Did you know when my birthday was, then?” Harry asked, earnestly.

Severus had known when Harry’s birthday was. Not the exact date perhaps, but he vividly remembered hearing about Harry’s birth. Severus rarely drank to excess, it reminded him too much of his own boorish father, but the day that Harry Potter was born he had gone on a three day drinking spree. He had done his best, long ago, to banish that memory as well as many others from that awful period of his life.

Here, in ancient Rome, he had once again forgotten who Harry truly was. Not a slave boy to be treated as such (despite the fact they had to pretend for the sake of their safety), but a bright, funny and gifted wizard – nothing like the brattish, pampered princeling that Severus had once supposed him to be. Severus had, at last, come to accept and believe this, totally and completely. Now he just had to convince Harry – both that his whole attitude had changed and that the boy was worthy of respect and love. He still had much to make amends for.

“Well, not exactly.” he said finally, getting back to Harry’s question. “But I should have remembered when it was, more or less. I have not been very good to you, Harry, I have so many things wrong and I am sor…mhmph…”

Harry had put his hand over Severus’ mouth, holding it there quite firmly. “No!” he said. “I don’t want to hear it. You’ve said sorry, and that’s enough now. You’ve treated me better than anyone else I’ve ever lived with, so stop it. No more sorrys, okay? We just go on from here.”

Still totally naked and as unselfconscious as usual, the boy gazed quizzically at Severus, who thought he looked just like a dark-haired imp. Harry’s eyes were sparkling and his head was tipped to one side. Severus was sure he was being laughed at and tried to put a disgruntled expression on his face, but he couldn’t quite manage it. Seeing the delight dancing in those glittering emerald eyes was an unexpected pleasure, like a cool breeze on a very hot day.

“Mlph ump phump!” Severus mumbled through the boy’s hand.

Harry laughed out loud.

“Okay, Domine?” he insisted.

Severus nodded.

Harry took his hand away from Severus’ mouth and kissed it instead. He reached over and snagged a bunch of plump red grapes while positioning himself so that he was draped over Severus’ chest, effectively pinning him to the bed, and proceeded to feed the fruit to Severus one grape at a time.


**********


They would have to get up soon. Eighth hour was fast approaching and they had to open the shop. Severus placed a kiss on the boy’s messy hair. It didn’t seem fair that they should have to return to work, especially Harry, who had already worked so hard and who deserved the rest of the day away from the shop. He pondered for a little longer, wondering if there was a way that they could have the remaining work hours free of commitments.

“Do you think Rufus or Hermia, would stand in for you this afternoon?” Severus eventually asked. “I want to take you shopping.”

“What for?” Harry asked, seemingly taken unawares.

“Oh, Harry!”

The boy looked adorably confused again.

“You need some tunics, some sandals, a belt. You’ve asked me not to apologise again, Harry, so I won’t, but I do have to make amends. I’ve bought you nothing since we arrived. I used your money to pay for the shop, my ingredients and plenty of clothes and other items for myself. In the meantime, you have enabled us to earn a lot more. It’s your money, too, and you need these things and more. You’re dressed in rags, little imp, and you shouldn’t be.”

Severus smiled at the boy who was suddenly looking uncomfortable. He couldn’t seem to bring himself to look at the Potions Master.

“You don’t need to buy me anything,” Harry muttered, still not meeting Severus’ eyes.

Severus wrapped his arms around the boy again and pulled him close, so that Harry’s head was resting on his shoulder. He cradled the boy against his chest and carded his fingers through Harry’s thick, silky hair, trying to soothe him.

“Yes I do, Harry. You deserve some nice clothing at the very least, I promised I’d take care of you, remember? Besides, it is time my slave was dressed in a manner that reflects proudly upon his Dominus,” Severus smirked. “Don’t’ you agree, brat?”

From his position against the firm, warm chest, Harry peeked up at Severus through his lashes his mouth curling into that increasingly familiar smirk.

Smiling, the older man continued, “That means clothes, shoes and anything else that you need or want. So, we are going shopping. Agreed?”

Eyes shining with something undefinable, Harry nodded his agreement.

“There is also something else I want to discuss with you, Harry. You were, and technically still are, my student. Even here in ancient Rome, there is a lot I could be teaching you and I’ve been neglectful of your studies long enough. We could go home tomorrow or, more likely, we could be here for a long time, possibly for years. If there is a chance for us to get back to the 21st century we need to start working together, you still have the Dark Lord to face. You could learn a lot whilst we are here. We will find somewhere safe to practice and start your lessons again.” Here Severus smirked at Harry. “After all, Dominus means teacher as well as master and since we’ve been here, I’ve taught you nothing, Harry.”

Harry laughed, a little uncomfortably this time both at the thought of Voldemort and the idea of starting lessons again. “But, Domine, I don’t think I have time for lessons right now,” Harry offered hopefully.

“I’ve finally realised that you waste too much of your day on mundane chores,” Severus said. “We should get someone to help you in the shop which would free up much of your time to spend helping me with research and allow us practice time.”

Harry stiffened. “What, like buy a slave, you mean?” He sounded appalled. “I don’t think I could do that, Domine. Buy another person and make them work for us.”

Part of Severus felt just as appalled as Harry. He still wasn’t able to cope with the way people were treated in this time; but he and Harry had too many secrets – secrets that needed to be kept at all cost. Harry needed help and it was imperative they find someone who would not betray them, someone they could trust, someone whose loyalty was unimpeachable. A well treated and cared for slave would be just such a person.

“Think, Harry, anyone that we, acquired,” - funnily enough he couldn’t quite bring himself to say the word purchased – “would have a much better life with us than many places in which they might end up. I would train whoever it was in simple potion making and then, when we return home, we could free them.”

Harry shuddered, and nodded, reluctantly accepting that Severus was right. He hid his face in Severus’ chest. His next words were muffled against Severus’ skin. “Would you have to go to the slave market?”

Severus almost shuddered, himself. The thought of walking among all that misery, of being a buyer, owning another human being, selecting just one person to bring back with him, chilled Severus to the very bone. He wasn’t sure he could do it.

“Maybe Modia…?” he wondered aloud. Modia did have a soft heart, but she was used to the cruelty that was Rome. Five of her own children were slaves and she accepted slavery as part of everyday life. One of her sons had been mauled by a wild animal and yet she still went to the games, teased Severus, in fact, for what she saw as his ‘fragile sensibilities’ when he continued to refuse to attend the all too frequent circuses of slaughter.

“It’s just the thought of it!” Harry whispered.

For a long time, neither of them spoke. Harry held onto Severus as if holding onto life itself and Severus continued to keep the boy close to him, stroking his hair. It was wonderful, this closeness. But so much was alien here, they were a long way from home and sometimes Severus felt the strangeness more acutely than others, but never had the feeling been stronger than it was right then.

“Oh!” Harry said, sitting up suddenly, as if he’d had a revelation. “ What about Apisus? We could make his life better. Maybe the inn keeper would sell him to you, Domine? He has such an awful life.”

Harry sounded quite excited as he suggested a possible solution. Severus had to admit that it was a good idea. Modia herself had said that she wanted to get rid of the boy. Severus had seen for himself what an awful life Apisus was living, being brutally fucked several times a night, being regularly battered by Thomas, the innkeeper. If they left him there at the tavern he might not live much longer, he might succumb to disease or the over enthusiastic fists of a drunken customer.

Severus smiled. “I think that is one of your better ideas, Mr Potter. Now move your lazy arse and get some clothes on.”

Harry studied his face closely for two or three beats of a heart, without saying anything. But he must have found the reassurance that he was seeking in Severus’ eyes because he answered Severus with a tentative smile of his own.

They had built a much closer relationship in the last few hours, he and Harry, but they obviously had a long way to go yet. Severus’ change of heart was still too new for Harry. All he had was his word that things had changed. Severus was very relieved that Harry was prepared to trust him as much as he obviously did. After all, he had not been privy to Severus’ paradigm shift. He could not know how differently Severus felt now.

They had to take it slowly, Severus thought. He would have to woo the boy, show Harry that he could trust him completely. He had a lot to make up for, he knew. But Harry was worth it, Severus had no doubt of that whatsoever; he had finally found someone with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life, however long that life might be. He could only hope that one day, perhaps, if he were very lucky, Harry might feel the same way about him.