Hogsmeade, Circa 1826

The following review was left for me at the end of Chapter 6. It bothered me so much, that I felt compelled to answer it. I started babbling in my response, tho, so if you get bored, feel free to skip it and head straight to the story.

Let me guess - you happen to be North American. And since slavery was allowed there at that time of course it had to be everywhere else in the world too! Never mind that in Europe - and England specifically - slavery and even weaker forms like serfdom had been prohibited and outlawed for a long time! And incidentally also before the split between Wizarding and Muggle World!, meaning the wizards had the same view and knowledge Muggles had.... Really, setting this 1826 is just plain ridiculous!
I understand that it doesn't really matter since the amazingly unrealistic setting is only done so that you can have Snape subservient to supposedly reluctant Harry (who seems to already gotten over petty moral qualms and the fact that the whole situation is non-consensual and is already deliberately ignoring cues of his coerced sub - how nice and responsible >_

Let me first start by pointing out that this is NOT historical fiction! This is AU, Alternate Universe. Obviously I didn’t make that clear enough for some people. Let me also point out that I am NOT a professional writer! I do make mistakes, the shower being one of the most obvious mistakes. (And being North American doesn’t make me stupid!)

As for the setting being ‘amazingly unrealistic’… I wasn’t trying to be a perfectionist! Yes, it has its flaws, as do the characters, but that is the whole point of writing AU! To have the liberty of creating whatever damn setting you want! If you’re looking for historical fiction, don’t read Harry Potter fanfiction! If you’re looking for precise characters from Harry Potter, read J.K. Rowling’s books not fanfiction! If you’re looking for interesting stories, based on the characters Rowling’s created, THEN read fanfiction!

Lastly, if you don’t like a story so much that you have to leave a nasty review, THEN DON’T READ IT!! Reading is NOT a mandatory thing. I write because I enjoy it, not to please anyone else.

For those demanding speedy updates, I’ll post them as soon as I have them. That’s all I can promise. I’m going through some rough health issues, though, so it’s hard to write consistently. Sorry if you get bored in between posts, but it’s the best I can do.

A very special thank you to Avihenda for the encouragement. Amazing how words can cut or heal without thought or consideration. Thank you, Avihenda! Hugs!

~*~*~

“What was wrong with the red shirt?” Harry asked as soon as the door of their room was closed.

Severus carefully set the packages down on the bed, then turned to face Harry. He sank gracefully to his knees and looked up at Harry with irritation sparkling in his obsidian eyes.

“I hate red,” he muttered. “I look awful in red!”

“Oh, please! With your pale complexion and black hair, you’d look fantastic in red!” Harry said as he started rifling through the boxes looking for the shirt in question. “Here! Try it on,” Harry said, pulling the shirt from the box and holding it out to Severus.

“No, I-“ Severus’ voice was cut off as the collar around his neck tightened.

Harry stood over Severus with a smirk on his face. While there were many issues regarding slavery he didn’t like, he was certainly beginning to like the control he had over his very controlling professor. He had to admit that the power was exhilarating and he really did want to see Severus in red.

Severus snatched the shirt from Harry’s outstretched hand and began changing. Harry took off the leash to make things easier for him.

“There, you see?” Severus said when he had finished with the last button on the new shirt. “It looks hideous on me!”

“Stand up,” Harry directed, wanting to get a better look at him. He looked up and down Severus’ body as he circled around, openly admiring him. The soft cotton was almost silky and had a slight sheen to it. It hung loosely over his shoulders with long sleeves that flared at the wrists. The v-neck collar was open half way down his stomach, showing off his narrow chest. If Severus shifted at all, Harry would see the man’s small nipples in the gap. The waist of the shirt was tighter, almost clinging to Severus’ stomach.

“No, Severus, I think I was right. You look gorgeous!” Harry licked his lips hungrily, which caused Severus to blush.

“Well, in any case, I can’t wear it,” Severus informed Harry as he began unbuttoning it.

“Why not?” Harry asked, clearly disappointed.

“Slaves do not normally wear bright colors. It makes them stick out too much.” At Harry’s confused look, Severus explained further. “The only time a slave would wear something so flashy, is when the owner is either showing him off for selling, or for sharing. You are doing neither!”

“For sharing?” Harry asked naively.

Severus sighed impatiently as he pulled out one of the plain white tops Harry had bought him.

“Yes, sharing, as in allowing another Master to touch me the way you let Wulfric do today!”

“OH!” Harry exclaimed, blushing again. “About that… I’m so sorry, Severus! I had no idea what he was going to do! And when he asked you to drop your pants, I couldn’t very well say no, could I?”

“No, I suppose not,” Severus admitted. “He did rather take liberties, though, didn’t he? Normally, a Master must ask permission before physically touching another’s slave. He did ask, though not as clearly as he should have.”

“Right… Um, about that… Well, you can take it off if you wish,” Harry said softly. He secretly hoped Severus would leave it on. He thought it very sexy for Severus to be wearing it.

“No, it’s fine. Wulfric may ask about it later, so I think it would be best to leave it for now.” He wouldn’t admit that he wanted to leave it because it felt good. It had been a very long time since he had felt sexy, and wanted the feeling to last.

Severus finished with the shirt and began opening his trousers to change those, as well. He took the soft, almost suede, brown trousers Harry held out to him. He blushed, but didn’t turn away, as Harry stared openly at his semi-hard cock surrounded by the leather ring.

Harry tore his eyes away from Severus and shook his head, trying to clear it from the lusty images rising in his mind. He turned and picked up a box, setting it on his lap. When he opened it, he blushed. Inside, instead of the slave shoes he expected to find, was the buttplug Severus had chosen.

“I can’t believe you bought that,” Severus muttered when he saw what Harry was looking at.

“What are you complaining about? You picked it out,” Harry replied. “Can you really…?” Harry felt his cock twitch at the image of Severus taking the rather large sex toy into his body.

“Yes, I can,” Severus stated matter-of-factly. He smirked as Harry’s eyes grew larger, nearly drooling over the toy.

“Want to show me?” Harry asked impishly, eyeing Severus and smiling innocently.

“No, I do not want to show you!” Severus wasn’t worried about the collar forcing him to comply because of the way Harry had worded the request. He sat on his knees in front of Harry and watched the younger man. He was amazed at discovering that not only was Harry obviously attracted to him, but that he was also finding Harry to be quite appealing.

He had never considered the young wizard as a possible sex partner before, not being attracted to anyone, really. Now that they had been forced into a situation that might bring that about, however, he wasn’t as repulsed by the idea as he once might have been.

In the last year, Harry had grown up a lot, emotionally as well as physically. His body was well toned from Quidditch and dueling, and he had an air of confidence without arrogance that added to his physical charms. Severus knew that if the time came for them to ‘perform’ in public, he would easily follow Harry’s direction. Harry was also proving to be an apt Master, whether he wanted to be or not. He was picking up the characterizations quickly, and though Severus knew Harry greatly disagreed with the concept of Master and slave, he swallowed his objections and stayed on track. Severus was beginning to believe that they would survive this journey relatively unscathed.

“Well, you know, I could ‘order’ you to do it,” Harry said with a suggestive grin.

“I do believe you are enjoying this entirely too much, Master!” Severus’ harsh words were softened by the light in his eyes.

“Well, maybe just a little,” Harry admitted shyly. Severus raised an eyebrow at him disbelievingly. “Come on,” Harry said at Severus’ look. “Didn’t you have a teacher you would have loved have to controlled? So, yes, I am enjoying some aspects of our situation. There’s a hell of a lot I don’t like, but some of it is kinda fun!”

Severus snickered quietly while Harry laughed. It was the first time Severus had really heard Harry laugh and he found the sound to be almost contagious.

“So, what about this?” Harry asked pulling out the vibrator Severus had chosen. “Why was Wulfric so shocked that you activated this? I thought you said sometimes slaves had some magic?”

“No, what I said was that typically only bodyguards had any magic and that was normally limited to protective magic.” Severus hung his head in shame. “I never even considered that it might have been charmed. I should have removed my hand as soon as it started vibrating,” he muttered.

Harry saw the weight of guilt on Severus’ hunched shoulders. “Severus, you couldn’t have known about the charm and forgetting that you’re a magic user is completely understandable! I mean, you’ve been a wizard your entire life! You can’t expect yourself to just forget who you are!”

“Perhaps,” Severus whispered. “I just hope my mistake doesn’t come back to haunt us.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. I don’t think Wulfric’s the sort to gossip.”

“It’s not Wulfric I’m concerned with,” Severus said cryptically.

Harry sighed and put the toy back in it’s box. He quickly changed clothes, then decided it was time for lunch. He reattached Severus’ leash, then led him down the stairs and into the dim dining room. Harry stopped in the door frame and gapped at the commotion in the little bar.

~*~