Nights of Gethsemane

As soon as the library door shut behind Snape and Enitan, Harry slipped off his bed, and set to work preparing the bedsheets. After he had finished tearing and tying them, he glanced around his small cell for something else to occupy his time. There wasn\'t anything in sight. He was too giddy with anticipation to read, and there was no way in hell he could fall asleep. Exercise was the only option.



He was stretching between sessions when footsteps sounded in the library, and he returned to his bed. Snape fetched him to cook dinner. After consulting the cookbooks, Harry decided to make chicken with masala sauce. Snape and Enitan talked boring potions talk while Harry moved around the kitchen, preparing everything as best he could. He served them tea first, and poured two glasses of elf wine for dinner. Knowing he would be fed from Snape\'s plate, he served the Potions Master twice the amount of what he usually consumed. Snape only ate a bit, floating an entire meal down to Harry. As he didn\'t know what Enitan would be feeding him, or when, Harry licked the plate clean.



After Harry\'d had his fill, Snape suggested that they move to the sitting room and conjured a leash for Harry. Dutifully following, Harry crawled after him. When Snape took the sofa, Harry prepared to curl up by his feet, only to receive a tug on his leash. So they were playing that game, were they? Crawling up on the sofa, Harry nuzzled Snape\'s thigh, keeping his head down and his arse up. He rested his head in Snape\'s lap, and curled against his side. Snape never broke the conversation, as if it were a perfectly natural thing for a bloke to act like a dog. Enitan seemed not to notice at first, but after they had finished their conversation on cauldron cleaners, he asked, "How long did it take you to get him to do that?"



"Not long," said Snape, absently stroking down Harry\'s spine. "He\'s naturally submissive."



Harry hid a smile in Snape\'s thigh.



Enitan said, "I didn\'t realise that you had any interest in males."



"I prefer females, but such a prize cannot be ignored." Snape\'s fingers curled in Harry\'s hair and tugged him up. Harry allowed himself to be pulled into a kneeling position.



"Show him your eyes," commanded Snape.



Harry flickered his gaze to meet Enitan\'s as long as he felt it was safe to do so without worrying about Legilimency. The Death Eater wore a look of fascination on his handsome face. Spreading his knees, Harry displayed his flaccid penis, noting with satisfaction that the dark eyes lingered on his groin for longer than was necessary.



Snape\'s fingers drifted down Harry\'s neck, pushing him back down, and Harry resumed his position at Snape\'s side.



"I\'ve never desired a sex slave," said Snape as if such a thing could be obtained at the local market, "but there\'s nothing like knowing I can do whatever I like to him."



"Anything?"



"Within reason, of course. Fortunately, I\'ve got no desire for anything forbidden by the Dark Lord."



"I kept a Muggle once," said Enitan. "But they require too much care; far more than I have the patience to deal with. I wouldn\'t mind a Mudblood slave. I imagine they would be far more entertaining."



"Quite. His lack of magic is one of his few flaws."



"You don\'t think he\'d kill you if given the chance?"



Snape chuckled. "No, never. He has no desire to harm me. Even if he did, that\'d be an exciting risk to take. Speaking of risks, you promised you would reveal your secret for brewing Draught of Freniere. I\'m eager to hear the tale."



They launched into more potions discussions and it was so boring that Harry fell asleep. Snape shook him awake when it was time to go to bed.



As soon as the door closed, Snape flicked his wand to set up wards, and Harry collapsed on the bed.



"That was the most boring evening of my life."



Snape pulled off his outer robes. "You\'ve had a short life." He paused in his undressing to look at Harry. "He\'s attracted to you."



"He wants to fuck me," agreed Harry. Impishly, he added, "I think I may let him. It gets my guards in a good mood."



Snape swooped over and pinned Harry down against the bed, one hand on each wrist. "One guard in a good mood, another guard in a very bad mood."



It was too much fun to take the mickey out of Snape. Pretending he didn\'t see the danger in Snape\'s eyes, Harry smirked and said, "And one very satisfied prisoner."



"Slave," corrected Snape, his dark eyes intense. "You\'re a slave." He released one of Harry\'s wrists and touched the collar around Harry\'s neck. "My slave."



"You just said you were my guard."



"I can be your guard and your owner."



Harry pretended to consider it. "Maybe I want a new owner."



"No." Snape ran his fingers through Harry\'s hair, pushing his fringe back from his face. "You don\'t."



Harry pushed up to kiss him, but Snape pulled away. "Training first."



"In here?"



"Off the bed."



As soon as Harry jumped to his feet, the bed shrank and ran into the bathroom. Boxes appeared and dotted the small room. Summoning the balls from his cupboard, Snape enchanted the fake Death Eaters to appear and wander around randomly.



"Wards as well?" asked Harry as he hopped around, trying to not to get in the way of the furniture flying around.



"You\'ll see," said Snape, casting furiously. "As before, you want to try to steal my wand."



"While you try to steal mine?"



Returning his wand to his robes, Snape removed the fake wands they had practised with earlier. "No, start on the other side of the room in your slave position. I\'ll tell you when to begin."



Harry trotted over to the other side of the room and bent down, pressing his head to the floor.



"Go!" said Snape and Harry barely managed to dodge a spell. Off and running, avoiding wards, spells, and balls, Harry tried to approach Snape as discreetly as he could, pretending to focus on the Death Eaters instead. Soon, a ball hit his arm, and Snape restarted the lesson.



Over and over again he was hit either by Snape or a ball before he had got even within an arm\'s reach of Snape. After what seemed like hours, Harry tricked Snape with a feint and managed to pull the wand from his hand. When his hand closed around the wood, he was so excited, he forgot to dodge, causing a flood of balls to pound into his body at once, making him drop the wand.



Removing his actual wand from his robes, Snape said, "Again," as if Harry had just accomplished a routine task. With a wave of his wand, he removed all the boxes. "This time, don\'t let anything hit you at all and keep hold of the wand."



Celebrating his victory even if Snape wouldn\'t, Harry tossed the wand back to him and trotted over to the other side of the room. Again and again they ran through the exercise, until Harry once again captured Snape\'s wand.



Turning the fake wand back on Snape as if the Potions Master were Voldemort himself, Harry said, "Avada Kedavra!"



Snape flicked out his arm and a thousand balls hit Harry at once. When they fell to the floor, he said, "Don\'t be so obvious in your poses and move while casting." He Summoned the laser pointer and threw it at Harry. "This time, after you\'ve taken the wand, use the laser pointer to destroy me and all the Death Eaters."



"Right," said Harry, crouched and eager to begin.



"Now!"



Harry hadn\'t yet got close enough to steal Snape\'s wand again when he jumped too high to dodge a ball and landed on his elbow, sending pain shooting up his arm. "Fuck!"



Everything in the room vanished and Snape swept to his side, a painkiller in his hand. Thrusting it into Harry\'s hand, he chained him to the floor, then left in a hurry. When he returned, he released Harry and said, "That\'ll have to be enough of that type of practice for now. We\'ll do something less taxing. "



Feeling more than ready - especially with his new plan - Harry agreed. "We can do more after you return."



"I don\'t know if I\'ll have time alone with you once I return. The Dark Lord might wish for you to be more closely monitored before the ceremony."



If this was to be his last training session, then so be it. It wasn\'t what he needed the most. Knowing that it would be difficult to talk his way out of more training (especially with the end so close), Harry crossed the room and threw his arms around Snape\'s shoulders. "I can\'t wait. When you return, we\'ll do the ceremony, then I\'ll kill him. We\'ll both be free of him forever." Curling his hand around the back of Snape\'s neck, Harry pulled him down for a kiss.



Snape returned it softly, one hand drifting up Harry\'s back while the other scratched through his hair.



Deepening the kiss, Harry rubbed his hardening prick against Snape, only to have Snape pull away.



"Shower first," he said, removing Harry\'s collar with a wave of his hand.



Reluctantly, Harry released Snape and walked to the bathroom. "If the Order rescues me while you\'re away, I\'ll go to Hogwarts."



"Do you imagine they will try?"



"I think so," Harry told him as he turned the water to hot. "They know you\'re my guard, they probably know my general location, and I imagine that they\'ll stop at nothing to try to free me."



"That they probably will; however, I doubt they\'ll succeed."



When Snape failed to enter the shower, Harry poked his head around the curtain to see him washing his hands at the sink. "Are you coming?"



"I don\'t need a shower."



"I want to take one with you."



"I don\'t."



Harry pushed aside the curtain. "Why do you care if I see you naked? It\'s not like I\'ve not seen you naked before. Yeah, you\'re fucking ugly, but I still want to see you naked."



"Your pillow talk leaves much to be desired." With that, Snape left the bathroom.



Harry hopped out of the shower and marched after him.



Turning around, Snape sneered, "You\'re getting water all over the floor."



"So use a drying spell," said Harry. "Look, these are our last hours together before you leave me alone with a Death Eater for days. You say he won\'t abuse me, but you don\'t know. You just think that they haven\'t thought of ways around the rules, or that you know them well enough to predict what they\'re going to do. Even if he leaves me alone, I\'m not going to have anyone to talk to for days. If you won\'t come shower, then at least come talk. Don\'t leave me alone longer than is necessary."



Snape\'s eyes never wavered from Harry\'s face and his sneer melted. In a soft voice, he asked, "Do you really think he\'ll hurt you?"



If he was worried about him, Snape would never leave. "No, it\'s not- I\'m not worried you\'re wrong about him. I just don\'t want to be alone. I mean - I know I won\'t be alone, but...." He couldn\'t explain his way out of it. Cursing himself for being stupid, Harry shook his head and said, "Just forget I said anything." He turned, heading back to the bathroom.



Snape swept across the room and grabbed Harry\'s arm. "If you think for even one second-"



"I don\'t."



"If he does-"



"I\'ll bite my tongue. I\'ll take the potion. I won\'t let him near me."



"I wouldn\'t let him near you if I thought-"



"I\'m not worried," Harry assured him. To distract Snape, he closed the distance between them and cupped Snape\'s groin, his other hand pulling the Potions Master tight against him. "Just fuck me hard enough to leave marks so he\'ll have no doubt about who owns me. Make sure he knows that I\'m yours."



The distraction worked. Without another word, Snape bent down to kiss him, shifting his hips to press his prick further against Harry\'s hand.



Releasing Snape\'s back to undo his buttons with both hands, Harry worked his way through the barriers of cloth until he had Snape\'s hard flesh in hand. He wasn\'t completely erect - not at first, but Harry slowly stroked him until wetness covered the tip and his kisses became more breathless. Snape\'s hands remained above Harry\'s shoulders - massaging his neck, curling in his hair, stroking his face. The dark eyes never wavered from his own, fixed on his face with a hunger that probably should have scared him but didn\'t.



Snape loved him. Snape would kill for him. Snape would die for him.



And he would die for Snape.



Slowly, carefully, savouring each moment, Harry undressed him, letting his fingers slide through the layers and layers of cloth to the flesh hidden beneath. The thin, scarred body was somehow perfect, even in all its ugliness, and Harry delighted in the feel of running his fingertips across the damaged flesh and kissing the small, dark nipples. Snape\'s fingers stroked through his hair and scratched at the back of his neck, but he didn\'t make a sound, not even when Harry flickered his tongue over a hardening nipple.



Numerous scars transected Snape\'s chest and Harry petted them all, stroking across the damaged, oddly smoothed skin. He kissed their ridges and let his tongue trail across their centres. As he sank lower, his mouth exploring Snape\'s abdomen, his hands curled around Snape\'s hips for support, the fingers in his hair picked up speed and he knew from the tension now running down Snape\'s back that they were both eager for Harry to go lower.



Reverently, Harry pushed down the trousers and pants, and helped Snape bare himself, stripping him of every layer. Kneeling on the floor after helping him remove his socks, Harry stared up at the skinny yet proud body, at the man who\'d treated him with the utmost mockery and ruthless abuse, but had also loved him in a way that no one had before.



Harry had an army of supporters who would fight to the death for him. He\'d had people die for him, and knew that there was a good chance more would before it all was over.



Snape had only just found him and Harry would be gone soon. There was no one who could protect Snape. Was there even anyone who would try? To the Order he would be the blackest villain, and the Death Eaters would kill him without a second thought. As much as Harry knew that he needed to escape and hunt down the Horcruxes on his own, Snape would be in grave danger the moment he left.



Rising up on his knees, Harry wrapped his hand around the hard cock and bent forward to offer Snape comfort and an apology the only way he knew how. As much as he hated doing it, he sucked him into his mouth and bobbed his head over the hard flesh, trying not to gag. There was no way to know how much Voldemort would blame Snape for Harry\'s escape. There was no way of knowing how safe Snape would be when the Order decided to attack. Harry could only hope for the best and try to show that, whatever happened, the last thing he wanted was for Snape to get hurt.



Snape said not a word. When Harry\'s jaw began to ache and he stopped for a moment to catch his breath, Snape just bent down and pulled him to his feet for a kiss. Cloth appeared, wrapping around Harry\'s back, legs and arms, pulling him up into the air until he rested on a loose swing. Desperately needing contact, Harry wrapped his arms around Snape\'s shoulders and his legs around Snape\'s waist, pulling him close, and pressing their bodies tightly together.



For a moment, he just held Snape, delighting in the feel of Snape\'s steady, strong heart beat against his chest. Then Snape, cupping Harry\'s face gently in his hands, pressed his soft lips against Harry\'s.



Slowly rolling his hips, Snape kissed him tenderly, his hands roaming over Harry\'s chest and thighs. Moaning softly as each slow glide of Snape\'s cock stimulated his own with delightful friction; Harry could do nothing but cling to Snape, putting everything he had to offer in his kisses.



Snape broke his kissing and petting long enough to Summon the lube and Harry took it from him. Not wanting any more time to get between them, Harry smeared it on Snape\'s dick, then guided him inside, using his feet to pull Snape closer and closer, as he lost himself in the pleasure of feeling Snape\'s heat both inside and outside his body.



Without words to get in the way, they moved together, somehow in rhythm. It was perfect.



If only it could never end. If only they could somehow be together forever.



Unable to say what he most wanted to, Harry tried to convey everything with his body. Snape seemed to understand, his pace somehow matched to what Harry needed. They found completion together, each holding the other tightly.



After they finished, Snape returned the bed and laid Harry across it. "Do you want marks?" he asked, his hands roaming over Harry\'s torso.



"Yes," said Harry straight away. He\'d just been talking earlier, but now he wanted them. They\'d be testaments to Snape\'s protection.



Settling down beside him, Snape gently cupped Harry\'s neck, pushing his head back and up with his thumb. He bent his head and closed his mouth over the junction of Harry\'s neck and shoulder. Sucking softly, he stroked Harry\'s jaw, his thumb moving back and forth over the unshaven skin as if to map it.



Basking in the attention, Harry let his fingers drift through Snape\'s soft hair, teasing the strands as he caressed him.



Snape marked his neck, the skin above his right nipple, his inner left thigh, then picked up his right arm. Turning it palm up, he raised it to his mouth and, with his eyes on Harry\'s, sucked a dark purple mark on the surface right below his cuff.



"It\'s perfect," said Harry once Snape finished. He\'d have to hide the marks when he escaped - if they lasted that long with the capsule leaking healing potions into his skin.



"I\'m not finished yet," said Snape with a wicked grin. Pushing Harry\'s legs up and apart, he settled between them and rubbed his nose in the bit of curly hair that remained.



"Not on my-" gasped Harry, but Snape closed his mouth around Harry\'s flaccid cock and sucked hard. Releasing the prick after too short a time, he teased the balls, then lifted his head.



"Do you want more?"



Harry wasn\'t sure what \'more\' referred to, but he knew he\'d love it no matter what it was. "Yes!"



Snape flipped him onto his stomach and, grabbing his arse, pulled it up, spread the cheeks with his thumbs, and buried his face in the crack.



Oh fuck!



Harry could do nothing but grab the sheets and try not to melt into a puddle as Snape\'s amazing tongue flickered over his pucker, turning his knees to mush. How could something so gross to think about be so mind-blowingly fantastic?



He held out as long as he could, trying not to touch himself, but he couldn\'t last, not with Snape\'s tongue doing such wickedly wonderful things.



Propping himself up with one hand, he reached down his other to stroke himself. Snape released Harry\'s arse and pressed his cock up against Harry\'s arsehole, pushing through the tight rim with one forceful stroke.



Fuck! The sudden feel of his hole being stretched and the hot, heavy cock spearing him made Harry gasp, his fingers tightening around his own cock. It felt so bloody brilliant.



His hips snapping hard, Snape grabbed Harry\'s wrists, pulling his arms behind his back and holding him suspended above the bed. He fucked him hard as he held him in place, his cock slamming deep with each pounding stroke.



For a moment, the feel of that fat prick hammering into him was enough, but then he realised that this might be one of the last times they would have sex before the ceremony. Maybe even among the last times they had sex before he died. It was not what he wanted to think about and, determined to have his brains fucked out so that there\'d be nothing to focus his mind on but the exquisite feel of Snape\'s cock taking him, he demanded, "More."



Releasing his wrists, Snape grabbed his hips, and somehow doubled his already insane pace. Bracing himself against the bed, Harry thrust back to meet him, trying to ride the thick cock as fast and as hard as he could. The pace was enough to leave him breathless, the pounding so hard, he couldn\'t think.



Snape shifted slightly and suddenly there were stars behind his eyes, his whole world nothing but pleasure. He screamed as he came all over the sheets, ecstasy rushing through him like a volcanic eruption. When his senses cleared, he was lying flat on his stomach, Snape kissing down his sweaty back.



"Bloody hell," breathed Harry.



Snape chuckled and carefully pulled out his softening cock.



"Tea?" he offered as he cast the cleaning spells, then scooted to the edge of the bed.



"Please." Harry rolled over and stretched out on the bed.



Along with the tea, biscuits and sandwiches appeared on the bedside table. Harry hadn\'t been feeling hungry, but seeing them there made his mouth water and he shot to his hands and knees.



"Off the bed," said Snape as he stood, his clothes flying to him and around him.



Harry hopped off the bed, stealing a sandwich off the table as he left it.



Snape transfigured half of the bed into a table with two plush chairs. Dropping into the one nearest him, Harry watched the food and drinks float over his head and settle neatly on the tabletop.



Snape poured the tea, preparing both of their cups.



"Thanks," said Harry when Snape pushed his cup across the table. "How are you going to get to Hogwarts without him knowing what you\'re doing?"



"I\'ll tell you once I\'ve destroyed the Diadem."



Determined to get at least some answers, Harry asked, "Are you going to go to Hogwarts first?"



Snape just raised an eyebrow at him.



Setting down his sandwich, Harry asked, "You don\'t trust me? After all this time? After everything-"



"I\'m not concerned about you intentionally telling anyone anything," said Snape.



Gutted, Harry could only say, "You think my Occlumency is weak. You think I can\'t lie under Veritaserum."



"I think that if the Dark Lord wants something from you he will take it."



"But you told me that you\'re going to Hogwarts to get the Diadem. You\'re acting all secretive which means you are going to go and steal it. If he goes in my mind, he\'ll know that. That will be enough to get you killed by him as it is!"



"If he suspects I\'ve turned against him, the less he has to take from you, the better."



"I can defend against him. I\'ve-"



"No," said Snape quietly. "You can\'t."



Harry opened his mouth to argue when Snape said, "Would you like me to demonstrate?"



"Yeah," challenged Harry, throwing up his mental walls. "Try to take the Diadem information from me."



Snape lifted his wand and Harry tensed, ready to throw off any spells. A swish of his wand chained Harry to the table and he stood and left the room.



Sitting still, trying to focus his mind, Harry waited for his return.



After what was probably a minute but seemed like an hour, Snape stepped into the room in a dramatic cloud of black, carrying a bottle in his hand. "Drink this," he said.



Harry clamped his mouth shut and stood, getting as far away from Snape as the chain allowed him. Reaching into his robes for his wand, Snape flicked it several times, and the chair raced towards Harry\'s knees just as an invisible solid force pushed him over the seat. Chains appeared, binding his wrists to the front of the chair as magical bands wrapped around his knees and ankles, holding him in place, bent over the seat. Struggling hard, Harry attempted to stand, but he couldn\'t move.



Snape marched over to the chair and grabbed one of Harry\'s arse cheeks, giving it a squeeze. "There are many ways to give you a potion." Without any of the gentleness that had characterised their earlier sex, he pushed apart Harry\'s arse cheeks and shoved the tip of the cold, hard bottle inside.



"Don\'t!" Harry tried to buck away, but he was pinned too securely in place, helpless to do anything against the wet, warm potion being poured inside of him. He tried to ward his mind as his vision fogged and a feeling of weightlessness stole over him. When Snape released the bindings, Harry pushed himself to his feet, but his head felt cloudy and each step was wobbly.



"Imperio!"



He\'d thrown it off countless times before, but he couldn\'t shake it off this time, not when he couldn\'t concentrate enough to walk straight.



"Come to me," said Snape.



Harry\'s legs moved, even as he tried to get them to stop, even as they shook and jerked as they moved. They took him straight to Snape, unsteady but obedient.



"Kneel."



No! Stop it! He couldn\'t control himself. He sank to his knees before the dark swimming cloud of black that was Snape.



"Kiss my boot."



Don\'t move! He threw everything he had into his mind. STOP! It didn\'t work. He bent forward, pressing his lips to the leather.



"Get up and lie on the bed on your back with your legs spread."



STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! His body moved of its own accord, taking him to the bed and arranging itself just as Snape had ordered.



"Orgasm."



He somehow came, even though he wasn\'t hard, even though he hadn\'t touched himself at all. He\'d had enough. Snape had proved himself correct. He didn\'t care anymore, he wanted control back. He tried to open his mouth to speak, but he couldn\'t force his jaw to move.



"Have you ever wet the bed?" asked Snape and Harry heard himself say, "Yes, I did it a couple of times and Petunia made me wash the sheets."



NO! Snape would learn about his escape plans! He needed to escape. He didn\'t care that he wasn\'t supposed to use his magic, he had to get rid of this potion.



Snape leveled his wand at Harry\'s chest and Harry\'s heart slammed to a stop. With the potion and the Imperius Curse, Snape could make him do almost anything. An Obliviation spell later and he\'d be none the wiser. Snape could do anything to him. No, it wasn\'t possible. He would have that subconscious reaction to any betrayal by Snape.



Expect that it was Snape who\'d told him that he\'d have a subconscious reaction even if he didn\'t remember himself. Snape could\'ve lied. Snape could\'ve done anything to him and he\'d never, ever know without those memories.



Gods, he was fucked. Even if he had his magic, Snape was too damned powerful, too clever, and too strong for him to defend against.



Snape said, "Finite Incantatem," and the Imperius Curse left him. He was still under the potion, but he could move of his own accord.



Returning his wand to his robes, Snape removed a bottle. "Drink this."



No more potions. Snape was right. He was helpless. He couldn\'t defend himself. But could anyone save him? Even Tom might not be able to stop Snape from taking complete control. If Snape did intend to enslave him, he was completely and utterly fucked. Cold all over, his limbs shaking, Harry summoned all his strength to roll over onto his stomach and pull himself across the bed away from where Snape stood.



Behind him Snape said, "This will clear all trace of the potion from your system," but Harry kept crawling away. He just wanted to curl up into a ball and wait until everything had passed and he could think clearly again.



"Harry," said Snape gently, touching Harry\'s right foot with a warm hand. "Drink this. It will help you."



Snape loved him. Snape loved a challenge. He wouldn\'t want Harry helpless to stop him from doing whatever he wanted. He couldn\'t.



It took Harry all of his willpower and strength to roll back over and put out a hand to take the bottle from Snape.



Intense dark eyes met his own, but they weren\'t filled with anything but concern. Harry accepted the bottle Snape pressed into his hand and took a swig from it, letting the sweet potion flow down his throat.



"Drink all of it," said Snape, taking a seat at the table again. "You\'ll feel better shortly."



Harry lay on the bed, sipping the potion and willing his heart to calm. With each swig, the fog over his head faded away more and more and, by the time he finished the bottle, he could think as clearly as before. He sat up to find Snape drinking his tea as if nothing had happened.



Tossing the empty bottle to the floor, Harry scooted to the edge of the bed and took his seat at the table. Avoiding Snape\'s eyes, he sipped his tea.



When his heart was no longer hanging in his throat, he put down his cup, met Snape\'s eyes and said quietly but firmly, "Don\'t ever do that to me again."



Snape arched an eyebrow at him. "You wanted-"



"I know. I know I challenged you, but just- Just promise me that you\'ll never do that to me again." He knew that it was pointless to make Snape promise - his promises might mean nothing to him, but he still needed to hear it.



"I should hope I\'ll never need to," said Snape over his teacup.



"Need to?" asked Harry, horrified that Snape would consider it a possibility.



Snape gave a short nod. "Right now, it is impossible to say if it should ever become a necessity."



"Never!" Harry nearly yelled. "It will never be a necessity! You never have any right to take away my self-control!"



Calmly, Snape set down his cup. "And if I should suspect the Dark Lord has taken control of you?"



Harry had no answer to give him. Tom saw everything he did, so he couldn\'t even offer Snape a password, couldn\'t begin to offer a suggestion on how Snape could untangle what was him and what was Tom pretending to be him. He doubted Tom could play him for long - they were too different - but Tom could certainly muck up all of their plans. He\'d seen Harry\'s entire life. There was no one who could play him better.



There was nothing Harry could do. Other than to trust that Snape knew him well enough to know when he was no longer himself. But did Snape? Snape seemed to know him better than most people, but he could still hide things. If Voldemort or Tom did take control of him, Snape would be most at risk.



Lost in the horror of thinking of what Voldemort or Tom would do with control of his body, Harry forgot the tea and Snape until Snape said, "I won\'t let him have you."



"But how would you know?"



"I\'d know. He\'s nothing like you. He couldn\'t be you - even if he tried his hardest. I\'ll show you." Snape stood, chaining Harry in place with a flick of his wand. He disappeared into his cupboard, and returned with the Snitch. Placing it in the centre of the table, he said, "Do you remember how you caught it?"



How could he ever forget that? "Of course!" Picking up the Snitch, Harry turned it over in his hands. "My first Quidditch game. I fell off the broom and caught it in my mouth. But that doesn\'t prove a thing. If he possesses me, he could steal my memories."



"He could steal your memories, but he can\'t steal what makes you you. The parts of you that he could try to imitate, but never fully understand. Parts such as your love for that game. Do you remember that broom of yours that was destroyed your third year?"



"My Nimbus 2000," said Harry fondly. "I was so upset when the Whomping Willow destroyed it. Thankfully, Sirius sent me my Firebolt. If only I still had it. I\'d love to have a go on it now!"



"There are probably better models out now," said Snape dismissively.



It was Harry\'s turn to look scornful. "Better than the Firebolt? Do you have any idea-"



Snape held up a hand. "No, nor do I care to waste my time learning about brooms."



Harry smiled to himself as he played with the Snitch. "You\'ll never know when it\'ll come in handy."



Motioning to the Snitch, Snape said, "Activate it."



Harry pressed the Snitch against his lips. "I open at the close," he read once the letters became visible.



"I know what it means," said Snape. "The Snitch will open before you face the Dark Lord for the last time. I\'ve told the others that special preparations need to be made before the ceremony can be undertaken. You are to fast for twelve hours and bathe before the ceremony begins. You should be left alone in your cell during those twelve hours, which is when you will open the Snitch and remove the Resurrection Stone. Hide it in your body, either orally or rectally. Do not allow the Dark Lord to take possession of it."



Harry turned the Snitch over in his hands. "Why open it in the first place? Isn\'t it best to leave it hidden?"



"No, he may realise the Snitch\'s potential. He might plunder your mind to determine what you know about the Horcruxes and it is best to keep him from taking the Stone."



"You know, even if I do manage to swallow it, he can just cut open my stomach."



"Not if he wishes to complete the ceremony in a timely fashion. It\'s best for him to wait until after the ceremony to take the Stone."



Although the timing was perfect with his plan to escape, Harry had to ask, "Why are you giving it to me now? Won\'t we have a bit of time between your return and the beginning of the ceremony?"



"We\'ll have a short while, but I\'m certain the Dark Lord will want us both watched as much as possible once the ceremony draws near." Leaning forward, Snape held out his palm. "Give it back to me for now."



Harry placed it back in Snape\'s hand.



Snape just sat there, his palm open and the Snitch exposed like an offering. "You don\'t want to keep it?" asked Snape.



Not understanding this sudden change, Harry frowned. "It is mine. Dumbledore gave it to me, after all, and he wouldn\'t have given it to me unless he thought I would need it. I can\'t have it on me though. How would I explain it? I know you\'ll give it to me later."



Snape\'s eyes never left Harry\'s face. "And its contents?"



Harry shook his head. "I don\'t know what I\'m supposed to do with them. Do you think- Dumbledore doesn\'t want me to bring any one back from the dead, does he?"



"You\'ve no desire to become the Master of Death?"



"You need all three Hallows for that," Harry pointed out. "The Cloak, the Stone and the Wand."



His black eyes glittering, Snape calmly said, "The Cloak is yours by birthright. You possess the Stone. To control the Wand, you need only take it from me."



Why tell him that? Was that what they\'d been doing? Had Snape transferred control of the Elder Wand to Harry? Was it a challenge, was Harry supposed to try to steal control? Harry stared at Snape, unsure how to respond.



Snape just looked at him, as evenly as if they\'d just been discussing what to have for breakfast.



Finally, Harry said, "Didn\'t you say that the reason you could take control of the Elder Wand was because Draco had control?"



Slowly, Snape nodded.



Empowered, Harry continued, "And you said that if someone had disarmed Draco after that encounter, then Draco would\'ve lost control of the Elder Wand. That means a person doesn\'t even need to steal a wand to take control. A person might even be able to take control through another means."



"No," said Snape, setting the Snitch down and selecting a sandwich off one of the plates. "It must be another wand. A replica won\'t do."



Oh. Then Snape hadn\'t transferred control of the Elder Wand to him.



"To take control of the Elder Wand," said Snape, "you must disarm the current owner - either through physically or magically stealing the owner\'s wand."



Why bring it up again? The training! Harry nearly shot upright. Snape was training Harry to steal wands from him. Maybe Snape knew the location of the Elder Wand and was going to steal it, with the expectation that Harry take control of it sometime during the final battle. It was so bloody brilliant, for a moment, Harry just sat there, mulling it over in his head.



Harry watched Snape closely, wanting to confirm it, but he dared not say anything, not as long as he had Tom lurking, able to see everything he saw. Was that the real reason why Snape was reluctant to share all his plans with Harry? If he knew about the Horcrux, it was possible that he knew how powerful Tom had become.



No, not possible. A certainty. He\'d been sealing Tom up, trying to keep him from talking to Harry. Maybe he\'d also been trying to keep him from Harry\'s mind. Oh, if only he knew enough literature to somehow communicate with Snape without Tom figuring out the conversation! Tom would dismiss Muggle literature as rubbish and they could talk in private, just as they had done with Billy Budd.



For the first time in his life, Harry wished he\'d read more of those long, boring books.



Now, there was nothing he could say. He\'d just have to communicate with his body. Snape seemed to agree and, after they\'d both had their fill, they returned to the bed for more love-making. Whether hard or soft, it was always face-to-face, Harry kissing and stroking every single part of Snape he could reach.



He didn\'t want to sleep. He wanted to spend the entire night with Snape. Unfortunately, each orgasm left him more and more tired and - after fighting it for hours - he decided to give in. He needed to be in top form for his escape the next day anyway.



Curled up against Snape\'s side, Harry drifted off to sleep.