FOR SERVICES RENDERED

Much, much later Severus and Farid lay wrapped in each other’s arms Farid was completely naked again, Severus had almost torn his clothes away in his frantic desire and Farid had arched his back and melted into his master’s embrace, both were exhausted, from the walking, the worrying that they had done, each wrapped in their own thoughts, and now each of them was replete. The moss was that they lay on was like the softest feather mattress only they had loosened fragments of it with their tumbling and they were tangled in the mass that was Farid’s hair

Farid had lain awake for a long time afterwards, while his master slept, He still did not understand everything that his master had said, but the gist of it, what Master had been trying to say, that, he had absorbed, when Master had removed the collar and cuffs, freed his hair, gone on his knees Farid had been absolutely astonished but then he had thrown the collar away, the mark of ownership that he had worn since he was a small child banished forever. And just for a moment, for the first time ever, Farid had truly felt free.

He was far from the naïve, delicate little slave most of his masters assumed him to be, to survive the punishment he had had to cope with in his life, he had to be able to read behaviour, and try somehow to divert the worst of whatever torture was to be inflicted upon him, he did that by using his sweet, giving nature, and his immense inner strength to enthral those who had power over him, Farid had resilience, he had potency, he had an inner core as strong as steel. He had never had a master who had not been captivated by him. But that which had proved his salvation was also his curse, the very attributes that ensured that he was never hurt too much, damaged beyond repair also meant that he became addictive, just like he had to Yusuf, who gloried in any reaction he could wrench from the boy and whom had grown ever more cruel in his attempts to own that hidden part of him. Yet who in the end had balked at completely destroying him and had instead given him away to a man who could show him love.

All those who had owned him or used him had gone to extremes to try to reach the unattainable within him that they could sense, the part that he kept hidden, that they strived unsuccessfully to reach. This Master had been the first to ever even glimpse the depths of Farid’s nature that he had so carefully tried to protect, but this master Farid decided was worthy of the gift he had bestowed.

Even when he had despaired the day before, Farid had not been able to stop loving this man. He looked at his master now and saw the unfathomable black depths of his master’s eyes gazing back. Only this time Farid did not look away, or lower his gaze, he stared steadily back at his new owner, lovingly, unblinkingly and in the end his master looked away first.

“Shall we eat little one?” Severus asked gently rising somewhat stiffly from the nest that they had created.

Farid nodded, he leapt to his feet and started to bustle about, preparing the cold food that they had brought with them while his master sat and watched then they sat together side by side and ate the cold chicken and cherry tomatoes, whilst Severus tried to teach Farid more English, pointing to objects, to the food they were eating and saying the word once, twice before making Farid repeat it several times in his rich, rounded tones. Finally they were ready to move on, Farid once more clad in his master’s garments, shod in the heavy boots.

The clothes felt strange against his skin, they itched, he had loved the feeling of the moss against him, his masters hands as they caressed him, but the scratchy cotton and wool irritated him and he would rather have left them off if he could. But Master had said that where they were going he would have to wear clothes and Farid thought that in order to escape the horror he had had to live through after the last few years it would not be too bad an exchange. And as the afternoon wore on, his master walked more slowly so that Farid could keep up and talked to him about Hogwarts and magic and what their new lives might be like.

Severus, could not imagine his life now without Farid in it, had not realised how lonely he had been without someone to love, he wanted to take him to Diagon Alley and buy him clothes, to stand beside him in his lab and talk while Farid helped him chop up potion ingredients, to sit beside him in his study at night and have him listen to his worries and dreams.

He wondered what Farid would look like when he was fully-grown, because although the boy was eighteen he looked much younger than that. Yusuf had told him that that was because he belonged to a vampire, he had been given several tastes of his master’s blood. Not enough to turn him but enough to slow the aging process, enough to give him the strength to survive the demanding wants of vampires. Farid had been fed blood several times a year, and this had kept him small, arrested his physical development and accounted for the fact that he remained on the brink of manhood long after he should be fully grown. Now that he belonged to Severus and had stopped receiving his monthly dose of vampire blood Farid would continue soon to grow in a normal way and Severus would be the one who would have the pleasure of seeing his boy grow to adulthood.

The sun began to set now somewhere beyond their view and the sky grew pink, Severus decided that it was time to stop and set up camp for the night. It was late August and the nights were warm, so Severus had not bothered to bring a tent, instead he had a sleeping bag, which he would open out for him and Farid to share. He sent the boy to gather firewood whilst he unpacked and together, companionably he and Farid set up their camp for the evening. The sun was setting fast and filling the clearing in which they were camping with a flood of red light. Against this background the boy looked even more beautiful with the dark hair which framed his face dancing with auburn highlights and his eyes darkened by the advancing evening sparkling in the firelight with a hint of green.

Severus idly wondered where Farid had learned to cook, for his was at this moment chopping ingredients and adding them to the stew he was preparing, he hummed as he worked, a song unfamiliar to Severus, but still charming. And Severus relaxed, he decided that he would take whatever was coming with this boy by his side, to support him, to care for him, and whistling to himself under his breath he started to bustle about too preparing the camp for sleep.

Later after they had shared the delicious stew, Farid set to washing up and clearing away and Severus, unused to being cared for was delighted to let him. The day had been a good one he decided. Farid had forgiven him, and Severus would never take such a risk with his slave again. From now on he would love him, look after him and protect him and revel in the fact that Farid would care for him in return.

It had grown really dark, now and somewhere in the distance Severus could hear the hooting of owls. Soon he and Farid would be cuddled in his sleeping bag and Severus found that he thrilled in the thought of sleeping out here in the open with a naked boy wrapped around him. He thought he would love to keep Farid naked if he could, but he knew that was not possible, not at Hogwarts, so he would take every opportunity to enjoy the boy’s glorious body before they got back. He did not think the boy would mind too much, he obviously felt restricted by the clothing he was wearing and every so often he would frown at them or scratch himself where the garments itched. Severus became quite aroused by the thought of how the moonlight that was currently flooding the clearing in which they were preparing for bed would look against his slave’s naked body. Severus glanced up at the stars again shining brightly here without the muggle light pollution that prevented them being seen clearly in so many places in the British Isles. Then he glanced at the full, pregnant moon, which seemed surrounded by a magical glow and seemed so close tonight.

Severus froze.

The words that Yusuf had spoken came back to him clearly now.

“It best to wait one more night, English Wizard, not safe tonight.”

But Severus had known that one more night might have been one night too many for him had Farid and he stayed at the castle. He had believed that he had had no option, and was not prepared to listen to any more advice from the monstrous Yusuf, but he had made the wrong decision, and maybe condemned them to death, or worse. He should have listened, he should have stayed, they could have hidden in their room, stayed away from the others. In his haste to get away Severus had forgotten that tonight, tonight, the moon was full.

In the distance, some way away from them Severus heard a howl, long and loud, answered instantaneously by another and then a third. He sprang into action shouting to Farid to help him he started to pile leaves on the fire to dampen it and shoving things in one of the rucksacks, he told Farid to remove his boots knowing the boy would be faster without them, tying the laces together and then flinging them over the pack that he hauled onto his own shoulders, then grabbing his slave by the hand Severus turned in the opposite direction from the voices he had heard.

Together they ran, ran for their lives, Severus and his boy, Severus’ heart was pounding in his chest the blood pumping in his ears as he desperately tried to get them to safety, they could not apparate, the broom was not an option, the only choice they had, the only chance was to run. So run they did as quietly as they could through the trees which had earlier seemed to protect and now served only to imprison them.

After ten minutes of frantic flight Severus could not run anymore and Farid was panting heavily too so they stopped, just for a moment until they could catch their breath, Severus prayed, hoped that they had done enough and outrun the pack that he had heard, he bent over placing his hands on his knees gathering his energy he felt Farid’s slender hand touch him gently in the small of his back and stood tall to see the boy staring around him with a fearful look on his face. There in the bushes and all about them, glittering untamed in the undergrowth were about twenty pairs of yellow eyes. And Severus realised that it was already too late and there was no hope for salvation, werewolves surrounded them.