Brave New World

By Ratwoman

Disclaimer: I borrowed them from JK Rowling, and they'll certainly be glad when I bring them back because I'm a very sick person.

Fandom: Harry Potter

It felt so wrong.

Lucius crying on his shoulder felt so wrong; Lucius was a proud man and Severus had never before seen him crying. Then again, Severus had never before seen Draco Malfoy being torn away from his father to be sold as a slave.

Severus envied those who had died at the Lord's side. At least, they did not have to go through the disgrace of enslavement.

The Dementors had joined Voldemort's ranks; nevertheless the war was lost when the Boy-Who-Lived had killed Voldemort, mostly because of the demoralising effect HIS death had on the Death Eaters.

Should Severus be glad or horrified that Azkaban was no longer considered secure? Could personal revenge be worse than a life-sentence in Azkaban?

Now the remaining Death Eaters were to be given as slaves to whoever had the greatest claim on them, the utmost reason for revenge. Severus could imagine that a lot of people were eager to
get their hands on him, the traitor, the double-crossing double-agent.

Currently they were kept in a big dungeon, but every once in a while Aurors came to pick up prisoners for sale. They did not seem to do this in any particular order, not alphabetically, not by
importance, but rather at random.

Three Aurors entered, one calling: "Severus Snape!"

Severus briefly closed his eyes, then moved to stand up. He'd rather walk out of his free choice than be forced by them.

Lucius was still clinging to his shoulder, still weeping as he had done since they'd taken away his son. Narcissa was dead; perhaps she was the luckiest of them all. Severus gently loosened Lucius
fingers and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Then rough hands grabbed his arms and pulled him away.

***

Severus's hands were tied behind his back (as if he was dangerous, without his wand and wearing a collar that restricted his magical abilities) and he was brought into a huge hall. He knew that hall
as twenty years ago his trial had been held here. Back then, he had been acquitted. He would not be as lucky now.

Severus, uncomfortably aware that he was only wearing a torn shirt and ragged trousers, let his gaze travel over the faces of the wizards in the audience. Some were angry, some disgusted.

Severus recognised Hermione Granger, looking furious and scribbling hastily on a piece of paper.

The current Minister of Magic, Madame Minx, was a stern-looking woman with short black hair and a pointed face. When she stood up the hall grew silent. "There are quite a few people who made a claim on Severus Snape." she said. "We limited it to the three with the most justified claims: Remus Lupin, Neville Longbottom, and Harry Potter."

Severus saw the three of them standing up and stepping to her desk, looking determined.

Madame Minx smiled at Harry Potter: "Mr. Potter, of course I'm inclined to fulfil each of your wishes, but you already have two slaves, and Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Lupin also laid out quite good claims. Mr. Longbottom said Snape was undermining his confidence all through his youth. Mr. Lupin, on the other hand, has been the target of Snape's enmity for for thirty years...Beside that, he is in need of Snape's potion brewing abilities."

"Maybe we can sort this out among ourselves." Lupin offered with a friendly smile and gestured towards the two to follow him a few steps aside.

Severus watched them discussing his future. He could not overhear them, but they were arguing quite heatedly. Who would he prefer as his master? Harry Potter, to whom mutual dislike had bound him since Harry's first year? Neville Longbottom, who saw his opportunity to make up for the years of humiliation at school? Or Remus Lupin, who had been his enemy since school?

Did it really make any difference?

After a while the three of them shook hands.

"Have you come to an agreement?" Madame Minx asked.

"Yes," Remus Lupin said, gazing darkly at Severus. "He's mine."

So, it was the werewolf, the man who had tried to rip out his throat 25 years ago. Great, just great.

Remus Lupin was given a leash by one of the Aurors, and the werewolf slowly walked up to Severus. Severus forced himself not to blink or look away. He swallowed when Lupin raised a hand and fastened the leash at his collar. At least he did not have to receive brandmarks or something like that.

Lupin led him to the Minister's desk, where the Minister signed a sheet of paper then handed it to Lupin to add his signature.

"From now on, Severus Snape is your property. Feel free to do with him whatever you want, including the Unforgivable Curses."

Severus felt his stomach clench in fear. Maybe he'd prefer Azkaban after all.

Lupin tugged at the leash and led him out of the Hall. Severus silently followed Lupin, his owner, through the corridors of the Ministry. He saw other Dark wizards being led away by their new
owners, some scowling at their masters, some swearing uselessly, some looking apathetic. He was probably among the apathetic ones.

After a while they reached the entrance hall, and Lupin threw some floo-powder into a fireplace. Tugging Snape along with him, he stepped in and said the address of his flat: 212, Crevisse Place.

***

Remus stepped out of the fireplace of his living-room, dusting off his robes. He had played an important role in the fight against darkness, and now his reward now was a secure job with good
payment. His flat was much bigger and more comfortable than anything he had lived in so far. Compared to what Snape was used to his three-room-flat probably was nothing, but for Remus it was Paradise.

Talking about Snape... Snape was standing at the fireplace, looking around without particular interest. Remus did not really know what to say to him... he had never before had a slave. Also
he did not really want to explain to Snape why he had claimed him. How did you explain to someone that you'd just taken him for a slave to protect him from unnecessary cruelties? Why did he want to protect Snape anyway, he had betrayed them all by giving information to Voldemort when they had thought he was a spy for them?

"Come," he finally said and showed Snape his flat; the neat kitchen next to the living room, the rather large bathroom, the bedroom.

Remus pointed at a mattress lying on the floor at the wall opposite of his own bed.

"That's where you sleep."

Snape stared at the shackles inserted into the wall, the long chain and the fetter.

"Just to make sure you won't murder me in my sleep." Remus said with a smile.

Snape almost, just almost, smiled.

"Did you lose your voice?" Remus asked.

Snape shook his head.

Remus sighed. "Take a shower." he ordered then. "You smell of dungeon." Without a further word Snape went into the bathroom.

***

With closed eyes, Severus let the warm water soothe his muscles, clean his skin. They didn't have a shower in the dungeon where he had been kept, and his muscles hurt from sitting on the hard stone floor that had been inadequately covered with dirty straw. Severus spent a long time in the shower, until the hot water ran out.

Lupin had laid out clean blankets for him and a linen pair of pyjamas. Severus had lost all feeling for time in the dungeon, but since it was already dark outside it must be rather late.

Dressed in the pyjamas, Severus entered the living room. Lupin was sitting on a couch, reading. He looked up when Severus entered.

"Are you hungry?" Lupin asked.

Severus could not remember the last time he had eaten, but he felt he could not swallow a bit, so he shook his head.

Lupin shut his book and shot him a piercing, impatient gaze. "When I ask you a question, I want you to ANSWER, in words, not in gestures!" he said.

Severus felt himself blush as he said quietly: "I'm not hungry."

"That's better." Lupin said. Yawning, he stretched and stood up. "Time for bed." he said, "Come!"

Severus felt a slight tremble running down his spine as he followed Lupin into the bedroom. What should he do if Lupin wanted more than just to sleep?

But to his relief Lupin just closed the shackle around his left ankle, then went to his own bed alone. Soon afterwards he had switched out the light and fallen asleep.

Severus was lying awake for quite a while, staring at the ceiling. What was he to expect from the rest of his life, from his master? Would Lupin always be so considerate or was he saving his
punishment for tomorrow?

Where was Lucius? Where Draco? Where Bellatrix, where Avery? Were they lying in a make-shift bed as he, clean and spared, or were they currently being tortured, raped, broken? He'd probably never know.

***

Remus woke up earlier than Snape, opened the fetters at his ankle but decided to let him sleep longer. He didn't need a slave to make breakfast.

He had already made coffee and scrambled eggs and sausages when Snape appeared in the door frame, looking at him curiously.

"Take a seat." Remus said, then put food on their plates, sat down and started eating. Snape hesitated at first, but then sat down and greedily started on his eggs. So, he was hungry after all.

"We're going to Diagon Alley today." Remus said.

Snape stopped and looked at him questioningly.

"We will buy the ingredients for the Wolfsbane. Do you need to make a list first?"

"No, sir." Snape replied, then shoved more food in.

"I'd advise you not to tamper with the Wolfsbane, Severus." Remus said, "After all, you will spend each full moon in the same flat as me."

"I understand." Snape said between mouthfuls.

Snape soon had finished his breakfast.

"You may cook yourself some more eggs." Remus said.

"Thank you." Snape said politely and stood up. At that moment the post came. Two owls were flying through the open window, dropping newspapers on the table.

"Would you please feed the owls?" Remus dimly heard Snape's murmured "certainly" and picked up the papers.

The Daily Prophet was announcing today's auctions and the deadline for making claims on slaves. The system was simple: whoever thought he had a right to own (and punish) a particular Death
Eater reported it to the Ministry, and a jury would decide who had the most justified claim. Those for whom no one had made a claim would afterwards be sold for money.

Remus unfolded the paper and searched it for interesting articles. There was an interview with Hermione Granger on page seven, headed //Miss Granger Protests//.

Remus smiled. Although Hermione was only twenty, she already was notorious in the Wizarding World for her uncomfortable points of view.

//"It is an outrage!" Miss Granger told the DP reporter yesterday after the slave auction. Referring to the Death Eaters who are enslaved in retribution for their horrible crimes, she said "Just because they were our enemies at war does not mean we can deprive them of all human rights! They should be put in a proper prison that will ensure that they'll be treated with some dignity, not put at the mercy of some revenge-thirsty perverts!" Miss Granger seems to forget that many of her friends died during the war against the Death Eaters, including her boyfriend Ron Weasley. But in her obsessive quest she sees injustice where there is none; only a few years ago she went on a similar crusade to free the house elves, forgetting that they are happy in serving.//

Hermione was far from being the Daily Prophet's darling; most of the time, their articles depicted her as a slightly mad, obsessed human or elfish rights fighter.

By now Snape had finished his second helping and was gazing with longing at the newspapers. Remus sighed and gave him his finished copy of the Daily Prophet, turning to his other subscription, the Quibbler. It had turned into quite a decent paper since Hermione had taken the post as co-editor. The other editor was, of course, Luna Lovegood.

Here, on the front page was an article written by Hermione Granger herself, headed: //Are we turning into the thing we hate?//

Next to it was a picture of the slave auction, showing one slave being rudely dragged out of the hall by his new master, who was smiling rather unpleasantly.

//I visited the auction yesterday, and I was thoroughly shocked. Is this how civilised people should treat other people? Even if they are criminals they ought to be treated with respect. But what did I see? Leering faces, cruel smiles, people fighting about who may get the right to abuse and humiliate others, greedy, vengeful faces. And I'm not talking about the Death Eaters, mind you. I'm talking about seemingly decent citizens of the Wizarding World, who shake off all pretence of morality when given the opportunity to hurt and debase others.//

Hermione was very direct. How Remus loved that girl!

//This is the darkest hours of the Wizarding World. In some way, Lord Voldemort has won by being defeated: we ourselves are slowly turning into Dark Wizards like the ones we've been fighting. H.G.//

Remus put down the paper and poured himself some more coffee. He had taken the day off, his boss understood the necessity of having at least one day for his new slave, obviously thinking he was intent on taming him. Quite disgusting, actually.

Remus looked up when Severus cleared his throat. "Do you... do you happen to know what happened to Lucius and Draco Malfoy?" Severus asked in a hesitant voice.

"Draco Malfoy has been given to Harry Potter." Snape flinched slightly. "I don't know about Lucius." Remus put away the paper. "Let's go!"

***

Severus, wearing one of Lupin's old robes, had not seen sunlight since his arrest, which was almost two weeks ago. Diagon Alley looked the same as always, except that some wizards and witches had their slaves with them, leading them along on a lead as Lupin did with Severus. The slaves were carrying their masters' shopping, scowling at them behind their backs.

Lupin and Snape had not walked far when they saw a crowd gathering at the entrance of Knockturn Alley. Severus stretched to see what was happening: a group of Aurors were tugging some struggling wizards and witches out of Knockturn Alley and into an Auror transport device formed like a huge container.

"What's happening?" Lupin asked.

"They're cleaning Knockturn Alley of all those Dark Wizards." an older wizard next to them said. "About time!"

"What will happen to them?" Severus asked.

The elder wizard obviously did not notice his slave-collar and said: "I dunno. I suppose they'll be sold when they finished auctioning them Death Eaters!"

Severus watched as an Auror stunned a struggling old hag and threw her into the container.

"When do you think they'll go for werewolves and other dark creatures?" Severus noticed with satisfaction that Lupin was gazing intently at him.

"Soon, I hope." the elder wizard said.

The Aurors shut the container, one of them tipped his wand against it and it disappeared, probably to reappear in the Ministry of Magic.

Severus gagged as Lupin tugged unnecessarily sharply at the leash and followed him along the street.

"Where do you usually buy the ingredients for the Wolfsbane?" Lupin asked in a slightly irritated voice.

"McGillian's herbs and animal parts." Severus replied. It was just at the other side of the street.

Mrs. McGillian was a witch of about 50 years, who knew Severus well, because he was one of her regular customers. She smiled broadly at him when he entered the shop, but her smile faded when she saw his slave-collar. Her gaze wandered to Lupin, and with a slightly forced smile she asked: "What can I do for you, sir?"

"Severus," Lupin asked, "what do we need?"

Severus started recounting the ingredients, all of which were fetched by Mrs. McGillian and laid out on the table for his inspection.

"Wolfsbane." she recognised. Gazing questioningly at Lupin she asked: "Are you Remus Lupin, the werewolf who fought on our side?"

"The same." Lupin answered.

"You're very lucky to have purchased Professor Snape." she said earnestly. "Few others are able to brew the Wolfsbane. Treat him well, for you won't find a replacement."

Lupin nodded his head. "I know." he said. "How much for the ingredients?"

They did stay a bit longer in Diagon Alley because Lupin had some more things to buy, including a pile of clothes for Severus in a second-hand shop. Severus mutely followed him, carrying his bags.
He felt debased at being treated like a mule, but he distinctively knew that it could be worse. So far, Lupin had treated him fairly decently compared to what he had expected.

They passed Ollivanders and Severus gazed longingly at the wands displaced in the window. He had watched as they'd broken his wand and thrown the pieces into the fire. He had felt as if they'd castrated him. But, at least Lupin would let him brew potions.

***

The following two weeks passed rather quietly. Remus went to work during the day and spend the evenings reading or listening to music. His slave was very quiet, as if trying not to draw any
attention to himself. Anyway, Severus brewed the Wolfsbane, and that was all Remus required of him. Though Remus found out that Severus also was a good cook. He had not ordered Snape to do the housework, but he did it anyway, maybe because he did not have much more to do.

One evening Remus watched Severus over his book as he was solving a cross-word. Sooner or later he would have to tell him about his arrangements with the other candidates. Only he didn't quite get himself round to it.

But then Harry's voice called from the fireplace.

Remus went over to answer the call.

"Good evening, Harry." he said, crouching down at the flames. "How are you?"

"Fine," Harry's head in the flames answered. "I love my new job." He was seeker in the National Quidditch Team. "And how are you? Like your job?"

"Thank you Harry, fine." Remus said, knowing full well that he had got that position partly thanks to Harry's influence.

"Do you have some time this weekend?" Harry asked, "Saturday six PM?"

Remus wished it were full moon so that he could deny it.

"Saturday is fine." he said. "Where?"

"At my place." Harry answered. "I've invited Neville, too."

"See you then." Remus said and stepped back from the fire. He'd better tell Snape now.

Remus sat down, staring at the man solving cross-words. Finally Snape looked up, raising an eye-brow.

"We're going to visit Harry Potter this weekend." Remus announced.

"Indeed?" Snape said evenly.

"Neville Longbottom will be there, too." Remus said. He took a deep breath. "We... er... we made some agreement concerning you."

Snape laid aside his cross-words and stared intensely at Remus.

"They both had claims on you," Remus said slowly. "We agreed that I... lend you to them from time to time."

"For what purpose?" Snape asked harshly, looking upset.

"Whatever they want to do with you, as long as they don't damage you permanently." Remus replied.

Snape buried his head in his hands. It was almost a relief to see him upset, for he had seemed so lifeless during the last two weeks.

Snape looked up after a few seconds, a slightly haunted look on his face. "Sure, fine, whatever," he hissed. Hastily he stood up and walked towards the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" Remus called.

"Nothing!" Snape called from inside. "I want to be alone, if I may in your goddamned flat!"

Snape's collar was enchanted so that he could not only not use any magic, it also kept him from deliberately hurting himself or from leaving Lupin's flat without permission. Having no need to worry that Snape might do something stupid while digesting this news, Remus switched on the radio and listened to Magic Songs of the Week.

***

He shouldn't be so shocked about this. Should have known that things had been running too smoothly during the last two weeks. Not that Severus had been happy, far from it, but he had not been suffering either. Rather like in Purgatory.

So, what was so shocking about being sent to hell for an evening? What could they do to him anyway? They were just kids, how much imagination could they have? Certainly not as much as His Dark Lord.

***

Harry Potter watched calmly, as Draco Malfoy was writhing on the floor, screaming in agony. Having the right to use the Unforgivable curses on his slaves had proved quite useful.

Harry let his wand sink and watched as Draco drew some shuddering, deep breaths. For once in his life, Harry was the one who triumphed over Draco. Compared to his last big crime it seemed
almost trivial that Draco had bullied him at school all these years... It had been Draco (with the assistance of Pansy Parkinson) who had lured Ron into a trap, delivering him to Lord Voldemort who had tortured and killed Harry's best friend. It seemed only fair that Draco now paid for it at Harry's hands.

A small whimpering sound reminded Harry that Pansy was there, too. Harry looked at the scared young woman, who flinched when he met her gaze. She had been easier to subdue than Draco.

"Come here, Pansy!" Harry ordered.

She swallowed and hesitatingly came closer. Harry was well aware that Draco was staring at him with hatred burning like flames in his eyes when he pulled Pansy close to him, ripping her blouse
apart. She stiffened and turned away, her face twisted in disgust, when he roughly started kneading her breasts.

"You've got such nice tits," Harry said, "too bad that your face is so ugly." He twisted one of her nipples until she screamed.

Draco rose to his feet, looking as if he was just short of jumping between them. He sometimes did that, always suffering the consequences.

"Leave her alone!" Draco called. "It's me you hate, don't take it out on her!"

"You think you've got a monopoly on my hatred?" Harry hissed, hitching up Pansy's skirt. Draco made a movement as if to attack him, but Harry quickly pointed his wand at him and called "IMMOBILUS!" Draco froze in the step.

Harry never broke eye-contact with him as he bent Pansy across the backrest of an armchair, took out his erect cock and fucked her slowly. He often made Draco watch; he should feel how it was to see a friend suffering without being able to do anything about it.

***

Finally, Saturday evening came. Remus looked around in Harry's living room when he stepped out of the fire place with Snape. Harry's income as Quidditch player must indeed be high: the room was huge, expensively but comfortably furnished.

"Hello Remus," Harry said with a smile, shaking Remus's hand. He really looked like James had looked at twenty.

"Hi Harry," Remus answered, "nice flat."

"Yeah, it's fine, compared to the cupboard I grew up in." Harry grinned.

Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were standing at the other side of the room, staring haughtily into nothingness.

Remus cast a quick glance at Snape, who was looking around without much curiosity. A second later green flames flared up in the fire place and Neville Longbottom jumped out of it.

"Good evening, Professor Lupin!" he said politely. "Hi Harry!"

"Well, dinner's ready, I suggest we eat." Harry said. While sitting down with his guests at the huge table he said to Draco and Pansy: "You may eat in the kitchen."

Remus watched Snape following the other slaves outside. He wondered how proud Slytherins would take being sent into the kitchen.

***

"This really is demeaning!" Pansy hissed. "To be sent into the kitchen as if we were some... some..."

"Slaves?" Severus said helpfully.

To his surprise Pansy suddenly hugged him and burst out into tears. "It's so awful, Professor!" she sobbed. "I tried to kill myself, but the collar..."

Severus helplessly patted her back. Somehow he still felt responsible for the kids, after all he had been the head of their house, but he knew there was nothing he could do for them.

Meanwhile, Draco had opened the fridge and put some food onto the table. The kitchen was very stylish with its metallic furniture.

"Severus," Draco said, looking hopefully at him, "do you know what happened to my father?"

Severus sighed and shook his head. "The last time I saw him was in the dungeon." Pansy was still crying on his shoulder. Severus gently sat her down on a chair. "Eat something. Or rather, eat as
much as you can, so that Potter has to spend more money for you than he would like to."

Pansy smiled slightly.

"How does Potter treat you?" Severus asked with a sense of foreboding.

"Our house elves had a better life." Draco said.

Severus raised an eye-brow.

"Well, not really." Draco admitted. "And Lupin?" he asked carefully.

Snape shrugged his shoulders. "He pretty much ignores me, which is fine by me."

His former students looked at him in surprise: "Why did he want you, then?" Draco asked in surprise.

"To brew his Wolfsbane." Severus replied. It almost made him feel guilty, seeing these scared, abused kids while he had a comparatively easy life. At least, they'd be left alone tonight. Severus swallowed and tried not to think about what was up to come.

They were talking about trivial things while eating. Draco had put a rich variety of cheese and sausages and cold meat onto the table, and Pansy was following Snape's advice to the extreme.

"Maybe we deserve this." Draco suddenly said.

Severus looked at him in surprise.

"I don't know what I've been thinking... I mean, when I delivered Weasel to Lord Voldemort..." Draco blushed in guilt. "I've only thought about the reward I'd get, not about what he'd do to
Ron..."

Draco fell silent.

Severus was desperately searching for an answer that would not be completely clichéd, when the kitchen door opened and Remus Lupin appeared in the frame.

"Severus," he said, "it is time."

Severus tried to stare him away.

"I can put the Imperius on you if you don't come of your own choice." Lupin said in a deceptively friendly voice.

Severus silently rose and followed Lupin into the living room. Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter were still sitting at the table.

"You first, Neville." Potter said.

Neville, with glowing eyes, rose and went into another room, beckoning Snape to follow him. Steeling himself, Severus followed.

"Um, Neville!" Remus called from behind, "Don't forget, I need him to brew my Potions, no permanent damage!"

Well, that really served to brighten one's day!

The room Neville brought him into was a large room with a bed with bedposts in which chains were installed. On a table was set out a range of whips, chains, plugs and similar devices. Also, inserted in the ceiling were two iron rings from which chains were dangling.

Neville Longbottom shut and locked the door behind them, then turned around and glared Snape up and down, a sinister glowing in his eyes.

"Now, Mr. Longbottom," Severus said, hiding his nervousness behind a condescending sneer, "what wonderful plans to punish me has your undersized brain constructed? Detention with Mr. Longbottom, very exciting."

Neville Longbottom blushed in anger, pointed his wand at him and called: "Crucio!"

Severus gasped and stumbled backwards as his body burned in pain. Fortunately, Neville Longbottom was not able to cast a strong Cruciatus, much less one that lasted long. After a few seconds, the pain faded.

"Is that all you can offer?" Snape snapped.

"CRUCIO!" this one was stronger, and lasted longer.

Severus bit his tongue to hold back further taunts; maybe it was not a good idea to anger Neville Longbottom now that he was at the handle end of the whip.

"Take off your clothes!" Neville ordered.

Severus rose an eye-brow at him. "I never guessed you were infatuated with me." So much for not taunting Longbottom. Seems it had turned into a habit.

"I could rip them apart, but I guess Remus paid for them." Neville answered evenly.

Severus was still pondering the consequences of refusing to do what Neville ordered him, when Neville pointed his wand at him and yelled: "Vinculum!"

Severus had not noticed that he was standing under the rings with the chains dangling from the ceiling: within seconds, the chains elongated, cuffed his wrists and pulled his arms above his head so that he was completely stretched and could hardly move.

Neville smiled darkly and stepped towards Snape. "I guess Harry will know a mending spell for your clothes." he said, grabbed Snape's shirt and ripped it apart. Severus shivered as Neville
moved his fingers down his chest, over his abdomen to his crotch. The young man rubbed his palm repeatedly over Snape's still dressed groin. Severus repressed a moan, but of course Neville nevertheless noticed that he was growing hard.

"You like that, you slut?" Neville asked spitefully.

Severus screamed for the first time when Neville squeezed him.

***

Remus was glad that the walls of Harry's bedroom were soundproof. He would get nervous if he heard Severus scream.

Remus felt very awkward, giving Severus to them for a few hours. But then, he probably would not have got Severus at all if he had not agreed to this arrangement, and he needed the Wolfsbane. Besides, he told himself, Severus would suffer everyday if one of the boys had got him.

He and Harry had been talking about their jobs until now, but Remus decided that it was time for a more difficult topic.

"What do you need your slaves for?" he asked.

Harry blinked in incomprehension. "Need? I don't understand..."

"I need Severus to brew the Wolfsbane." Remus explained. "For what reasons did you claim Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson?"

"Oh, that," Harry said, "well, they trapped Ron, it's their fault he's dead!" his voice turned into a embittered whisper.

"I still don't get what you need them for." Remus answered.

"I don't think you comprehend the enslavement-program." Harry said with a frown. "It's about retribution, not about economics."

"I thought we're rather supposed to make sure they don't commit any crimes anymore." Remus said. "That does not mean we're to maltreat them."

"Aw, you sound just like Hermione." Harry said. "Can you imagine how many Howlers she sent me during the last two weeks?"

Remus grinned. "Yeah, that's what she'd do..."

"She undermines my authority with Draco and Pansy! How are they to take me seriously if her magnified voice is shouting at me!"

"She's just doing what she's convinced is right." Remus said in an appeasing way.

"Yeah," Harry grumbled. "Reminds me of the house elves thing..."

Remus smiled remembering Hermione's unsuccessful revolt to free the house elves. Hermione always had been standing up for the weak. Admittedly, former Death Eaters were not what one would consider as "weak".

Remus sighed and looked nervously at the door. He had known Neville as a shy, good-hearted boy. He would not suddenly have changed and found pleasure in abusing people. Certainly Snape
would not have too hard a time with him.

***

Severus could not longer bite back screams of pain, as the leash again and again hit his back. His shirt was torn to rags, his skin on fire. He did not listen to the insults Neville was shouting at him.

It did not matter what he called him; he knew why Neville hated him, because of seven years at school. Well, actually he had just been trying to make the boy grow some backbone, but how could he ever have expected him to understand once he'd grown?

Finally the whipping stopped. Severus was breathing heavily. His back felt as if not one inch of skin was unhurt. Slowly Neville walked around him and stood in front of him. Severus looked up,
trying to shake his hair out of his face. Neville met his gaze, smirked, raised his arm and started whipping Snape's front.

Severus closed his eyes, not wanting to see his tormentor's triumphant smile as the whip incessantly hit his chest and abdomen. He did not know how much time had passed when Neville let the whip drop and stepped behind him. He just knew that his skin was on fire, that he hurt everywhere and that he was surprised about the strength of Longbottom's blows.

Then Severus felt his trousers being pulled down. Against better judgement Severus tried to wriggle away when he felt strong hands grabbing his buttocks, pinching and kneading them, but to no avail: the chains held him in place.

"Do you know what this butt needs?" Neville said, then moved away for a second.

Severus could not see Neville nor guess what he was up to. After a moment something hard and wooden, probably a cane, hit his buttocks, sending sharp jolts of pain through his body.

"It needs a good spanking!" Neville said.

Severus arched and groaned in pain as the cane hit his buttocks God-only-knew-how-often. Eventually, Neville put away the wooden device, and let his persistent fingers move over Snape's
oversensitive skin. Even a slight touch would have hurt, but Neville mercilessly pinched and pricked and squeezed his buttocks.

Neville's breathing quickened, he was panting slightly, his breath brushed against Snape's neck. After a while, Severus heard Neville wrestle with his trousers. Knowing what would come next, Severus took a deep breath. Well, it was not the first time, it would hurt, but everything Neville had done to him so far had hurt, too.

Severus swallowed when he felt his tormentor's hard cock pressing against his arse, then he cried out when Neville thrust in, hard. He felt his inner muscles tear when the boy buried himself to the
hilt. The boy moved in and out in a fast, steady rhythm, with hard, deep thrusts that seemed to tear him apart. Severus stared at the opposite wall, trying to distance himself from the rape, but all he could think of was how terribly it hurt.

Fortunately it did not last long; Neville soon came, spattering his semen into Severus, and stepped back.

Severus dimly heard Neville rearranging his clothes, then heard him say: "Scourgify!"

It was a cleaning spell, but either Neville wilfully cast it badly, or he just couldn't do better, because the cleaning was not supposed to burn so badly. Without a further word, Neville
Longbottom left the room.

***

Harry Potter entered, glaring at the chained man in the middle of the room. Finally he got his hands on the traitor... worse, the man who had tormented him for years, who was to blame for Sirius's death...

Trembling with hatred Harry stepped closer. Neville had done quite a job on Snape. His back and chest were littered with welts, sometimes even the skin had split, and small streams of red, red
blood were flowing down his skin. His buttocks were red and swollen, probably the consequences of a hard spanking.

Harry licked his lips and stepped even closer, then dived to lick up the blood streaming down Snape's back. He grinned when he heard Snape's surprised moan, then sneaked around Snape to lap up the blood where the skin of his chest was split. Further and further his tongue travelled downwards until he reached his groin. Despite himself, Snape was already half erect. Harry grinned evilly and swallowed the older man's cock.

***

Severus gazed down in surprise and growing horror at the young man kneeling before him. He felt his cock twitch and grow at the attentions Harry Potter paid to it. With his tongue swirling around the shaft he was sucking it in deeper and deeper. Severus could not help but buck into the welcoming mouth, the tight, moist heat surrounding him, milking him, until he ejaculated against his
will with a loud cry.

James, no, Harry Potter stood up, glancing at him with a wicked smile: "You know what you are, Snape?"

This was a rhetorical question, but Snape answered nevertheless: "I'm impressed!"

"Impressed?" Harry repeated non-plussed.

"You're much more inventive than Mr Longbottom when it comes to imaginative ways of humiliation." Severus said in faked calm. "Guess that's the reason why the hat wanted to put you into Slytherin."

For that, Harry backhanded him hard. "What do you know about that?" he yelled furiously.

Severus's head was still spinning when he answered: "Albus told me, probably hoping that I'd despise you less."

Harry backhanded him again. "Don't talk about Dumbledore!"

A year ago they had thought that the death of Albus Dumbledore would be the end of the side of light. But then he had become a martyr figure who spurred on the Order to fight even more grimly.

Obviously Harry Potter was not yet over his death.

"But you're right, I'm quite inventive." Harry said, then leaned in close to lick along Severus neck. Whispering in his ear, he said "Draco was your favourite, wasn't he? He's quite hard to break." Severus felt hot anger building up in the pit of his stomach and spreading through his body. Between licks, Harry added "But I'm making huge progress with him. I noticed that he does almost everything if I threaten to hurt Pansy."

Potter took Severus's head between his hands and kissed him forcefully on the lips, sneaking his tongue in and ravishing his mouth. After a minute or so he broke the kiss, staring maliciously at a panting Snape. Harry looked even more like his father than usual.

"But it is most entertaining to put the Imperius on Draco and force him to do things with Pansy, to hurt and torture and fuck her." James, er, Harry looked as if even the thought was arousing to him. "Maybe one day I'll put the Imperius on you and watch as you're having your wicked ways with Draco."

Severus yelled in helpless anger, but Harry just laughed and laughed.

Harry Potter's skilled fingers started roaming his body, burning painfully whenever they touched injured skin, while his tongue moved on him, too, down his neck, along his collar bone, along his
chest until Potter's lips sucked in one of his nipples. The intimacy of Potter's approach was much harder to bear than Longbottom's whipping.

Potter actually was purring like a cat while he was pretending to make love to Severus.

His tongue was lavishing attention on his nipples until they were hard and erect, then he moved further down, crouching down to tease his navel with the tip of his tongue. Severus moaned in
frustration at his growing arousal. His cock was springing to life again, twitching slightly. This time, Harry took it in his hands and pumped it slowly.

"Slut." he hissed condescendingly, then stood up and walked behind him.

Severus gasped in pain as Harry grasped his raw arse-cheeks. "Hot, so hot," Harry murmured, then did a quick lubrication spell. It was not as agonising as before when Neville had penetrated him, though he thrust in harshly. Harry set a fast rhythm as he moved in and out, reaching around Severus's waist and stroking off his cock in time with his thrusts. Severus felt his inner muscles
constricting around Potter's cock as he came, which in turn sent Harry Potter over the edge so that he too came into him.

Harry Potter stepped back and closed his trousers, then pointed his wand at the chains and opened them. Snape fell hard to the floor, too exhausted to stand.

Harry Potter did a mending spell on his shirt and said dismissively "Get dressed!" before he left the room.

***

Remus was quite worried when he brought Snape home; the man looked as if he could barely stand. What the hell had the boys done? After stepping out of the fireplace with him, Remus led the former Death Eater into the bedroom.

"Take off your clothes and lie down on the bed." Remus ordered.

Snape's head jerked up and he stared in alarm at Remus. Oh damn, he must have thought...

"Don't worry, I just want to tend your injuries." Remus said, then went into the bathroom and filled a bowl with warm water. He had a good stock of ointment in his medicine cupboard, due to his
condition once a month. Gathering a few towels as well, he returned to the bedroom.

Snape was lying on his stomach on the bed, head resting on his crossed arms.

Oh dammit... the boys had been thorough.

Snape's back was covered in welts, in some places the skin had split and was bleeding. His buttocks were red and swollen, as after a really hard spanking. Remus sat down beside him, put the ointment and the bowl onto the nightstand and dipped a towel into the water. Carefully he started cleaning Snape's wounds, starting from the gash at his shoulder blades and working his way downwards. After finishing his back he let a hand hover mere inches over Snape's buttocks. As expected, he could feel the heat radiating from the bruised skin. Remus sighed and briefly wiped the wet towel over Snape's arse, hoping the water would cool it down a bit. His gaze fixed on something white between Snape's thighs. The boys hadn't... or had they?

Snape made a small frightened noise when Remus nudged his thighs apart. There was dried semen, and blood.

Remus closed his eyes in denial. Harry and Neville had been among his favourite students when he'd been teaching at Hogwarts, they couldn't possibly have changed that much since then. Or had he misjudged them from the beginning? Had he thought they could not do anything wrong because they were Gryffindors?

Remus wiped off the semen and blood on Snape's thighs, but there must still be something inside. He'd better clean it, but how?

"Severus," Remus said, "I'm going to use a cleaning spell for your insides, ok?"

Remus took the little thrust of Snape's head as a yes. Pointing his wand at Snape's arsehole, he murmured a mild cleaning spell, then held the bloodstained towel to his buttocks to catch up the
blood and semen being washed out.

Remus tossed the stained towel away and took the ointment, spreading an amount of it onto his fingers then starting to massage it gently onto Snape's back. Remus was not thrifty with the ointment, he had another tube in the cupboard. He also spread it on Snape's buttocks. Remus sighed, realising that there was another place that could need wound ointment.

"Severus," Remus said. "I'll have to put some ointment _inside_ you, too, you understand?"

Snape's whole body tensed.

"It will help against the pain, and it will heal your inner injuries. Please, try to relax."

Snape took a deep breath and relaxed, at least a bit.

Remus put a large amount of ointment onto two fingers, and carefully, slowly, pushed them into Snape's opening. Snape tensed reflexively and Remus waited until he had relaxed before he pushed them in deeper.

After making sure he had spread the ointment Remus withdrew his fingers and wiped them on the stained towel.

He could not believe that the boys he had taught had done that. Then again, what had he expected? That they would only shout at him? Remus sighed and told Snape to roll onto his side so that he could also tend his front.

Snape turned slowly as if every movement was exhausting him. His chest looked better than his back, with a smaller number of injuries. Remus took a new towel, dipped it into the water and
cleaned the wounds.

Remus also massaged in the ointment on the front, while Snape seemed to be dozing off. Severus had built up some muscles since school, he was still lean, but not so thin anymore. Remus's hands
slid further and further down and he noticed that Snape's cock was stirring slightly under his administrations.

Should he? It had been so long. Remus had not been intimate with anyone since Sirius's death. And maybe it would help Snape to feel better?

Remus lightly moved his fingers up and down Snape's cock. The skin felt velvety...

Snape opened his eyes, looking perplexed, even scared at Remus. Damn! What had he been thinking? Snape had just been... maltreated and he was trying to...

"Sorry," Remus said, rose and took the bowl and the towels back into the bathroom.

Remus poured the reddened water down the sink and put the towels into the laundry bag, wondering what would happen if he told Harry and Neville that he did not want to lend Snape to them ever again. Maybe he should really do that. But Harry was very influential in the Wizarding World, he could make sure that Remus lost his job. But would Harry Potter really do that?

Remus returned to the bedroom to find his bed empty. A look around told him that Snape was lying on his mattress, curled up into a ball.

Remus lay down in his bed and tried to sleep. Everything would be better tomorrow.

***

Severus woke up late the next morning from an uneasy sleep. Every movement ached as he slowly got up. Lupin was already up... most of the time he was up before Severus, though sometimes at weekends he slept longer.

Severus slowly limped into the kitchen, trying to ignore the stabs of pain running through his body. Lupin was sitting at the table, eating his breakfast, but jumped up when he saw Severus coming.

"Take a seat, please!" he called. "What do you want for breakfast? Eggs? Sausages?..."

Severus blinked at Lupin in incomprehension. Usually, Lupin let him make his own breakfast, why this sudden care?

It dawned on Severus a second later. Lupin felt guilty for what had happened yesterday. Maybe he would find a way to use that guilt against Lupin.

Severus sat down and "ordered" scrambled eggs, sausages, toast and coffee. A few minutes later Lupin filled his plate.

Severus silently ate his breakfast, then suddenly asked: "Can I have a Potions laboratory?"

Remus looked up, puzzled. "W...what?"

"A Potions laboratory." Severus said calmly. "A place where I can brew Potions." he pointed at the cauldron in the edge of the kitchen where the Wolfsbane was simmering on a magical flame.

"Um... no!" Lupin said, still puzzled. "My flat is not big enough."

"Buy a bigger one!" Severus said.

"Why should I want to do that?" Lupin looked almost offended.

"Because I'm bored when all I have to do all day is look after your Wolfsbane!" Severus snapped.

"I don't have the money for a lab!" Lupin replied.

"You could sell the Potions I make." Severus offered generously.

"NO!" Lupin said determined.

Severus raised an eye-brow at him. "Is it because you earn more money pimping me?"

Lupin looked as if he was close to jumping at Snape's throat. "I don't get money for that!" he shouted. "Don't you know how lucky you are to be here?"

"Why? Because you don't abuse your privileges each day?" Severus hissed. He was dimly aware that his attempt to persuade Lupin to buy him said laboratory was slowly getting out of hand.

"Because I made that arrangement!" Lupin growled.

"What?" Lupin really expected him to be thankful for that?

Lupin jumped up and glared scornfully at Severus: "If I hadn't made that arrangement with the other two, the Minister would probably have preferred Harry's claim, simply because he is the
Boy-Who-Lives. And if Harry had renounced it, she'd have preferred Neville, because I'm a werewolf!"

"O brave new world, that has such people in't!" Snape said sarcastically.

"Pardon?" Lupin's eyes narrowed.

"I just find it ironic that you fought to create a world where the same old prejudices against your kind exist." Severus said with a sneer.

"Certainly better than the world you wanted to create!" Obviously, instead of making Lupin feel guilty, he had made him angry.

Severus did not answer, just smiled. He was told that his smiles were quite unnerving.

With a furious growl Lupin stormed out of the kitchen. Severus heard the door of the flat open and shut a few seconds later.

***

Neville woke up around midday, stretched languidly, and went into his kitchen. He was working in a plantation for herbs nowadays, but today was Sunday, and he loved sleeping late.

After finishing his breakfast, he took a bowl of cornflakes and a cup of coffee into the living room. Bellatrix was curled up at her place where he kept her constantly chained to the wall by a manacle around her ankle. Neville put the bowl and the cup on the floor in front of her, ignoring the hate-filled gaze she shot at him through her shaggy hair. The first couple of days she had
refused food and drink, throwing the bowls and plates at him. After a few days of starving she had grown reasonable. At least where food was concerned.

Neville ignored the things she was muttering while she hastily ate her cornflakes. Usually, nothing of what that bitch said made any sense.

Neville had no big plans for today. It was raining, so going to a park and admiring the plants would make no sense.

Maybe he'd read, visit his parents at St. Mungos, torture Bellatrix a bit... An ordinary Sunday.

***

Remus was not bothered by the rain, quite the opposite. Walking through a nearby park, he enjoyed the water running down his skin, soaking in his clothes. Rain was always good to wash away his emotions.

He had spent hours walking through the rain after Sirius had died. Why had Sirius gone, mere three years after his breakout from Azkaban? Why had he been taken from him so shortly after their reunion?

Remus remembered something Harry had said yesterday... He had given Snape the blame for Sirius death, and Remus had answered that he couldn't possibly blame Snape for it... Harry was taking the easy way out by blaming others for his losses. It was frightening to see what pain, and the way Harry had chosen to deal with that pain, was doing to Harry...

Remus had not really been angry at Snape when he had stormed out of the flat - well, a bit, after all Snape was a traitor, even if he had not done anything to Remus personally. But Remus had rather been angry about the truth in Snape's words. He still lived in a society that discriminated against werewolves, he felt every day at work that he was only tolerated because the boy who lived was his friend. And the winners of the war had installed an abominable slavery system that made Remus sick. Remus shook his head, trying to get the pictures out of his mind, pictures of Snape's raw back, the blood and semen between his thighs...

Hermione was right, they were slowly turning into what they despised.

But why did Snape not see that he was really lucky with his situation? Remus had not treated him like a slave until now, rather like his flatmate. His fate would have been much worse if anyone else got him. Remus was really doing all he could to protect him - he did that for the Wolfsbane, and partly out of guilt because in their childhood he had just tried to ignore what was happening when his friends were teasing Snape. But Snape obviously did not want to understand that.

***

Severus paced the living room, feeling like a caged tiger. Actually, what would happen if he left the flat? He had not tried it before, because, where could he go? Yet he did not want to stay
here any longer when anytime he could be handed over to Potter or Longbottom. The ointment Lupin had used was a good one, though, as he only ached a little now.

Maybe, if his will was strong enough he would defeat whatever inhibition was hexed into the collar?

Severus slowly crossed the room and opened the door. So far, his collar was not protesting.

He stepped outside. Piercing pain stabbed his neck, where little thorns had grown out of the collar, cutting into his skin. Severus gasped, instinctively reaching for the collar and trying to tear it off. Severus took another step outside, but the thorns pierced in deeper, hurting flesh and veins. Severus fell to his knees in pain, convulsively tearing at the collar, but to no avail. He brought his hands before his eyes, seeing that they were red with his own blood. One last attempt, but it felt as if the thorns were injecting acid now. Severus screamed and crawled back into the flat. The thorns retreated into the collar.

Severus stayed sitting at the door for a while until his breathing had slowed down. Where did Lupin keep that ointment?

***

Remus returned to his flat in the late afternoon. Snape peered out of the kitchen, said shortly, "Ah, you're back," and retreated. A few seconds later he returned with a foaming goblet.

"Drink!" he ordered.

"Thank you," Remus said, noticing that he was dripping onto the floor. After a quick drying spell, he took the offered goblet and emptied it. It tasted as awful as he remembered.

"Aw, can't you change the taste?"

"I could by adding strawberries," Snape said, "but that would neutralise the dragonblood, and you'd still attack anything that moves."

"Ok," Remus said with a smile, then noticed the little red points all around Snape's throat. "What happened with your neck?"

"I tried to leave." Severus said, not showing any emotions on his stony face.

"You know you can't." Remus answered. Severus must have known!

Snape just shrugged and returned into the kitchen, obviously feeling uncomfortable with Remus in the same room. He nevertheless followed him.

"You know," he said, "I've been thinking about what you said, about potion brewing... We could need things like strengthening potions, pain relievers..."

Snape turned around, looking attentively. "I'll get my Potions lab?"

"No," Lupin said, "you can use the kitchen for that."

Snape raised an eye-brow and looked around, obviously thinking that the kitchen was no adequate substitute for a lab.

"Write me a list for the ingredients, and I'll get them if they aren't too expensive."

***

It was full moon the next night; Remus took a few days off, and spent his time waiting for dusk. Even with the Wolfsbane the transformation was painful. Hiding in the bedroom, Remus tried to
repress howls of pain as his bones and muscles changed size and substance. Fortunately it was over soon; and he felt like cheering that his mind was intact, that he was not plagued by immense
hunger, that he did not want to kill anything that lived.

Remus opened the bedroom door with his paw and went into the living room. Snape looked up from the book he was reading with a slightly wary look on his face.

Remus could smell that he was in a great fright. The werewolf avoided going anywhere near his slave and curled up at the fireplace to sleep.

***

Weeks passed, Severus brewed a few other potions as well, when finally it was time for the next session with Harry and Neville, this time at Longbottom's place.

His flat was big, but not as expensively furnished as Harry's.

Neville had set the table and beckoned Remus and Harry to sit down, but Remus stared at the human figure sitting hunched at a wall. The figure looked up at them through dishevelled black hair, then shouted:

"As wicked dew as ever my mother brush'd with raven's feather from unwholesome fen drop on you both! A south-west blow on ye, and blister you all over!"

"What's she saying?" Harry asked.

"Oh, just don't listen, she never makes any sense lately." Neville answered condescendingly.

Snape quickly crossed the room and crouched down in front of her.

"Hello Bellatrix," he said softly, "quoting Caliban?"

"This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, which thou takest from me!" she hissed. "And here you sty me in this hard rock, whilst you do keep from me the rest o' the island."

To Remus's surprise, Severus said with a rather friendly smile: "Thou most lying slave, whom stripes may move, not kindness! I have used thee, filth as thou art, with human care, and lodged
thee in mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate the honour of my child."

Harry and Neville, too, stared in incomprehension at the slaves. It was as if they were talking in some secret language only known to them. Suddenly Lestrange's voice changed into a high sing-song, while she was giving Snape some imaginary flowers.: "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember: and there's pansies, that's for thoughts."

"Wait, you've switched the play." Severus said with a frown, then added: "A document in madness - thoughts and remembrance fitted."

Bellatrix started to sing: "By Gis and by Saint Charity, alack, and fie for shame! Young men will do't, if they come to't, by cock, they are to blame."

"Ophelia, from Hamlet!" Remus recognised. Snape briefly gazed at him, nodded, then turned back to Bellatrix, saying: "Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more, men were deceivers ever; One foot in sea, and one on shore; To one thing constant never: Then sigh no more, but let them go, and be you blithe and bonny; converting all your sounds of woe into Hey nonny, nonny."

"So, how come you can both quote Shakespeare?" Remus asked.

"We founded a Slytherin drama club when we were at school." Severus answered.

"Really? I never knew there was a Slytherin drama club!"

"'course not, Gryffindors were not invited to our performances." Snape said haughtily.

Harry and Neville actually looked offended, but Remus only grinned.

It was quite odd, eating dinner while Snape and Bellatrix Lestrange were having a real conversation in Shakespeare quotes, but Remus enjoyed Harry's and Neville's visible unease. This
combination of culture and madness seemed to scare them, and somehow it only seemed fair to Remus.

***

Severus felt uneasy when he followed Harry Potter into the Longbottom's bedroom. It was similar to Potter's bedroom, with a huge bed with manacles.

Harry Potter glared at him, raised his wand and did a disrobing spell, next a spell that bound Snape's hands behind his back, then slowly, predatorily walked towards him. Though feeling exposed and vulnerable, Severus forced himself to stand stoically - after all, where should he go?

Harry's hand shot forward and took hold of his cock, stroking slowly. Severus shuddered and couldn't help but retreat a few steps. Potter followed, never letting go of his cock.

"So eager to get onto the bed?" Harry Potter asked sarcastically.

Severus only now noticed that he had moved towards the bed.

Severus stood and looked aside, blushing in shame as Potter's nimble fingers moved over his prick, stirring it to hardness. After awhile Harry took something of leather, a cockring, out of his pocket and fastened it around the base of Snape's prick. He took a step back and admired his work, grinning wickedly. Then he pointed his wand at Snape and called: "Imperio!"

Obviously Harry Potter did not know that Snape was one of the few people who could fight the Imperius Curse. Severus felt the usual feeling of relaxed emptiness floating his head, but some small voice at the back of his brain stayed alert.

"Kneel down and suck my cock." Harry ordered.

Severus automatically stepped towards Harry and went to his knees, but then the voice at the back of his head screamed: DON'T

Severus blinked up at Harry in incomprehension.

"Take it out and suck!" Harry's voice sounded impatient.

"Why?" Snape said insecurely, then shook his head to shake off the emptiness.

The spell was broken when Potter backhanded him hard.

His cheek was burning, but Severus grinned when he looked up at Harry Potter. Potter just took him by the hair and dragged him towards the bed. A few second later Severus found himself lying
across Potter's lap, one hand holding him firmly in place.

"You ignored a clearly formulated order!" Potter said, then his palm hit Severus's buttocks. And again. And again.

It did not sting as much as Longbottom hitting him with a cane, but it was terribly humiliating to be spanked like a naughty child by his former student.

Finally, Potter shoved him off his knees. "Lie down on the bed, on your back!" he ordered.

There was not really anything else he could do, so Severus obeyed. He also did not fight when Harry tied his wrists and ankles to the bedposts.

Potter knelt between Snape's thighs, gently stroking the skin, then bent and licked along his trapped shaft. Severus tried hard to suppress his growing arousal when Potter's clever tongue set
his nerve endings on fire. After a while Harry took it in, sucking at its head. Severus's hips bucked, but Harry pressed them down to the sheets, making him completely immobile. Snape cried out in frustration when Potter deep-throated him, a tight heat pressing around his prick, sending him higher and higher... yet he could not come, Potter's cockring made sure of that.

***

Harry listened with satisfaction to Snape's frustrated gasps. It must feel terrible, to be on the brink of coming but not able to. Harry gave Snape's cock one last hearty suck then let go of it.

Harry sat up, gazing Snape up and down. His whole body was flexed, cramped.

"All mine." Harry whispered. He took off his shirt and lay down on Snape, feeling skin on skin. Harry licked along Snape's jaw and thought about things he could say to him. He knew from personal experience that words could hurt much more than physical pain. From his first session with Snape he had gathered that Draco was his weak spot. So, he'd just tell him about Draco.

"Tell me, Snape," Harry whispered between licks. "Draco was always teacher's pet - did you ever fuck him?"

Licking along a vein in Snape's throat, he could feel Snape's heartbeat accelerating, as if in anger. Delicious.

"Answer me!" Harry hissed, before he bit down hard at Snape's throat. Snape screamed in surprise and pain. "Did you fuck Draco Malfoy?" Harry hissed. Severus slightly shook his head.

"Then it was probably Lucius, you liked Draco because his father fucked you." Harry nibbled at Snape's collarbone, then said: "Wonder what became of old Lucius; can't imagine him being a good, obedient slave." Harry left it to Snape's imagination what happened to defiant slaves.

"Draco is just like his father; you wouldn't believe how often I need to discipline him." Harry said, then started describing the things he did to Draco. Harry spent half an hour stroking and licking Snape's helpless body while he was telling him in vivid details how Draco looked when he was in pain, how his skin tasted when he was in fear, how he writhed under the Cruciatus, how tight his arse was, how his cock was shaped, how Draco did the most disgusting things when under the Imperius, how he cried and screamed at him...

Harry felt Snape tremble underneath him, looked into his face and saw tears glistering in his eyes.

A wave of satisfaction washed through Harry. He had succeeded.

Harry's cock was rock-hard by now, so he shoved it down Snape's throat (whether he wanted to or not) and relentlessly fucked his mouth. After all, he HAD ordered Snape to suck him.

***

Severus apathetically lay still during his session with Neville Longbottom. What did it matter what Neville did to his body, when all these terrible pictures of Draco being raped and tortured were floating through his head?

Severus was dimly aware that he screamed when Neville whipped him, that he was turned around, his backside whipped, and his arse violated. Was he doing the same kind of things to Bellatrix? No wonder her mind had completely snapped.

But Draco... he'd known Draco since he was a baby, he'd seen him growing up, and now... Nothing he could do for the boy.

***

Back home in his flat, Remus, with a sigh, asked Snape to lie down naked on his bed again, fetched a bowl of water, towels and the ointment.

Snape's back side looked not quite as bad as last time, but again there was blood and semen between his thighs.

He did not know why he wanted to know, but Remus asked hesitatingly: "Did both of them whip you, or was that the work of one of them?"

"Mr Potter has a more psychological approach." Snape said sarcastically.

"Oh," Remus said, "makes sense."

Severus turned his head to look at him questionably.

"Did you know his family, the Dursleys? They were terrible. Not that they beat him, but it definitively was psychological abuse..."

Snape yawned demonstratively and said, voice dripping with sarcasm: "You can't imagine how much this grieves me."

Remus smiled slightly, then said, while applying some ointment: "What happened in your childhood? What turned you into a cynical dark wizard?"

"My parents forced me to wear fluffy pink robes." Severus said earnestly.

"Didn't know you had a sense of humour." Remus replied. "My childhood was wonderful. I was the middle of three children. Did you know that this is the perfect position to be born in? I was
neither the big child who was to take responsibility, nor the spoilt youngest child." Remus spread some ointment on his fingers to heal the wounds inside. "We were not rich, not poor either, but
there were many forests around where we could go playing." Though Remus was very carefully pushing his fingers in, Severus tensed. To distract him, Remus kept on talking: "It was a great time - until I got bitten." Remus removed his fingers, wiped them on the towel and told Severus to turn onto his side. Cleaning the wounds on his chest, Remus said: "I liked the full moon, I often went outside at night. Then I heard a sound behind a bush, went to look..." Remus stopped. Too painful was the memory. Sharp teeth had bitten down his arm, his brothers were screaming... His father had run out of the house and killed the werewolf with a curse, but it was too late... His father had been crying while he was examining his arm. The next day he had started building a cage...

Remus noticed that Severus was watching him with interest. He smiled apologetically and said: "You can have the bed tonight, I can sleep on the couch."

"We could also share, your bed is broad enough for two." Severus replied.

Smirking, Remus said: "Oh, you trust that I won't force myself upon you?"

"Even if, what could I do against it?" Severus said and slipped under the bed sheets.

Remus emptied the bowl of water and lay down as well. Severus already was asleep.

***

The developments both in the Daily Prophet as well as in the Quibbler were worrying. The Daily Prophet more and more often included articles promoting the view that now that they had defeated the dark wizards, they should also go after werewolves. The Quibbler, on the other hand, grew steadily fiercer in their criticism of the system of enslavement and the government in general. Remus's sympathies were with the Quibbler, of course, so he was surprised, but not in a negative way, when one evening Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood paid him a visit.

They exchanged polite phrases at first, then Remus asked for the reason for their visit.

"We're looking for interesting topics for articles of the Quibbler." Luna said directly.

Hermione smiled apologetically, but then she spotted Snape on his way to the kitchen. With a slightly predatory look on her face, she called him back: "We've never had the chance to interview a slave! Please, Professor, may we interview you?"

"No!" Snape snapped and left the room.

"Please, Professor Lupin," Luna said, "can't you force him?"

"Luna!" Hermione called out indignantly. "We're against that!"

"Oh," Luna said, sounding disappointed. "Too bad, you're right."

Hermione looked at her as if she wanted to say that she was always right. Then suspicion formed on her face: "Why does he retreat into the kitchen when you have guests?"

The unasked question, did you order him, hung in the air.

Remus smiled and said: "I don't know, maybe he does not like company."

That seemed to satisfy Hermione, after all, Snape had been living a secluded life at Hogwarts, too.

Smiling charmingly, she said: "Anyway, we came here because we wanted to write an article about the only werewolf working at the Ministry."

That was what Remus had been afraid of. "I would like to keep that job." he said.

"Oh, why should they fire you just because of an interview?"

Because his views were not really in line with the Ministry. The young women looked pleadingly at him. Remus sighed and said: "Ok, but I may refuse to answer some of your questions."

"Of course," Hermione said.

She started with questions about his role in the Order of the Phoenix, about his job at the Ministry, rather harmless questions at first. Then, she asked: "What is your opinion about the enslavement program?"

Dammit! Remus searched for a truthful answer that would not endanger his job. "I don't think it is the best solution."

"What would you think is the best solution?"

"A proper prison with proper prison guards."

"Why?"

The questions got harder and harder!

"Because I think no one has the right to own another person."

"Why then did you take Severus Snape as your slave?"

Remus felt as if in an inquiry. "There are only three people in the world who can brew the Wolfsbane. Severus is one of them."

Hermione looked at him with contentment, Luna in fascination.

"Aren't you worried about current developments in the Wizarding World, about the voices growing constantly louder who demand the hunting down of the werewolves?" Luna asked dreamily.

"I can't answer your question." Remus said. He was quiet worried about the knowing gaze Luna and Hermione shot at each other.

***

How right he was with being worried Remus found out when he read the Quibbler two days later. The article started rather harmlessly with a description of Remus's role in the war against Voldemort, but it took a bad turn as soon as the slaves were mentioned.

//Mr. Lupin is one of the few decent wizards who oppose the enslavement program. "No one should have the right to own another person." Mr Lupin told our reporters, "the enslavement program is an offence to human dignity."//

Remus could not remember saying that.

//Yet Mr. Lupin profits from the enslavement: His own slave is Severus Snape, famous Potions Master, who is one of only three people who are able to brew the Wolfsbane, the potion that is a
remedy against lycanthrophy.

Remus Lupin refused to answer when we asked him whether he is worried about the ever-growing discrimination of werewolves; an obvious sign of his fear of losing his job at the Ministry if he criticises their ways.//

Oh dammit! He was as good as sacked.

***

Half an hour later, his boss, Mr. Snides, a small round wizard, was shouting at him in the office that he might as well pack his things, if he had the nerves to criticise the Ministry in public.

"I didn't actually..." Remus started, but was interrupted by his boss: "Which part of YOU'RE SACKED didn't you understand?"

"I... If you fire me now, it will look as if Hermi... Miss Granger was right." Remus said.

"Who cares about a sacked werewolf?" his boss shouted. "Well, I do," a calm voice at the door said.

Remus turned around and saw Harry Potter, who winked at him.

"Mr. Potter!" Remus's boss exclaimed nervously. "What... to what do we owe the honour of your visit to the Ministry?"

Harry Potter's opinion was of high value in the Wizarding World. After all he had defeated Lord Voldemort. Twice. One dismissive word of Harry Potter against Mr. Snides and he would be in really big trouble, with the whole Wizarding World against him.

For one odd moment Remus thought that it was good to have the new Dark Lord at his side. Remus shook his head. Such an odd thought, Harry was far from being a dark lord.

"Pure coincidence." Harry said, "I just thought I might pay my dear friend Remus a visit, then I heard voices shouting... What did I hear about him being sacked?" Harry asked in a threatening
voice.

Mr. Snides started sweating, Remus could see how his mind was working. Harry might give an interview to a newspaper, saying how outrageous he found it that Mr. Snides fired his friend Remus Lupin...

"Just a misunderstanding." Mr. Snides said in a submissive voice. "Of course, Mr. Lupin is a valuable co-worker and we would not want to lose him..."

"If he's so valuable you should increase his salary." Harry said.

"Of course, I will arrange that." Mr. Snides said and left the office.

"Thank you, Harry!" Remus said in relief. "If you had not been there..."

"I came here when I saw what Hermione has written." Harry said. "Don't know what she's been thinking... guess I'll send her a Howler."

"How can I ever thank you..." Remus said, and regretted it at once.

"Just give me Severus for a weekend." Harry replied off-handedly. "Bring him next Friday, and fetch him again next Sunday afternoon."

"Umm," Remus said. He could not do that to Severus! "I'm afraid I can't do that..." he said hesitatingly.

Harry glared at him coldly. "I don't think you understand, Remus. If I had not saved your job, you would not even have enough money to keep a slave. I expect him on Friday at 4 p.m."

An unspoken threat hung in the air that Harry would make sure Remus would lose his job if he did not do as he was told. Harry nodded shortly and left the office.

***

Severus looked up with his characteristic raising of an eyebrow when Lupin came home this evening, carrying two bottles of mead. Either he wanted to get drunk because he had lost his job, or because he had kept his job and was happy.

Lupin looked far from happy, so Severus asked: "Have you been sacked?"

"No," Remus grumbled, put the bottles onto the table and went to fetch two glasses. Severus watched him curiously when he filled both glasses with mead and gave one to Severus.

"Get drunk!" Lupin ordered.

"Why?" Severus asked.

Lupin gulped down his glass and poured himself some more. "Harry Potter saved my job. As repayment he wants you for a whole weekend."

Getting drunk suddenly seemed to be a good idea. Severus emptied his glass in one swig.

"That means I have to pay because you're stupid enough to talk to these journalist girls?" Severus said.

"Exactly." Lupin answered grimly.

After sharing the first bottle, Severus felt slightly dizzy, but the weight of Remus head lying on his shoulder was strangely comforting.

"I don't understand what's become of Harry." Remus whined. "He always was such a nice boy..."

"Nah, he always reminded me o' James." Severus snarled.

"Me, too." Remus said.

"Then why are you so surprised?" Severus asked, "James was the meanest, nastiest, cruellest boy I knew."

"No, he wasn't." Lupin sounded slightly offended.

"He was even worse than Sirius!"

Remus sighed. "I really miss Sirius."

"Me, too." Severus whispered. He had simply been so used to Sirius, so much a part of his life that he missed him out of habit.

"You really tried to save him." Remus said, sounding puzzled. "You did all you could to alarm the Order, followed Harry outside to tell him you found out that it was a trap, that Sirius was not in danger... Only you did not catch Harry in time."

"It was my job." Severus replied.

"Then why did you betray the Order in the end, why change sides?"

Remus had long been thinking about that without coming to a conclusion.

"What difference is there between Your side and Our side?" Severus asked.

"We don't kill and torture innocents!" Remus replied in indignation.

"Right, you just kill and torture the guilty." Severus frowned slightly. "Though Draco and Pansy, they are mere children, I would not count them among the guilty."

"They are as old as we were in the first war." Remus replied and opened the second bottle of mead. He poured them two glasses and leaned back snuggling against Snape's shoulder.

"It was a trick." Severus suddenly said.

"Hmm?" Remus looked up questioning.

"The Dark Lord was getting suspicious, so Albus decided that it would be best if we make it look as if I have changed sides... in reality I was still slipping information to Albus."

"But..." this could not be true, someone would have known that Severus was not a traitor...

"Albus and I thought it safest if no one except him knew that I was still loyal." Severus's voice sounded far-off. "We were so stupid, did not even think of the possibility that Albus might die
and be buried with his knowledge."

Remus stared at Snape in disbelief. He was being punished for nothing? Remus felt sick when he thought about the coming weekend. "Didn't you tell anyone when you got caught that you were on our side?"

"Of course I did. The Aurors were very amused." Snape was staring absent-mindedly into his drink.

"I'm sorry," Remus whispered. "I wish I'd never agreed to that...deal."

"As you said before," Severus said calmly, "the Minister would have given me to Potter or Longbottom if you had not sorted it out among yourselves. And as much as I enjoy staging plays with Bellatrix, Neville Longbottom would be... disturbing."

Remus giggled, noticing that his voice sounded slightly hysterical. "Bellatrix Lestrange was already mad when she 'scaped from Azkaban, wasn't she?"

"Yeah," Severus said darkly, "but she had not yet completely withdrawn into the world of Shakespeare's plays."

Half a bottle later, Remus dimly noticed that Severus was kissing him, and since it was nice, he decided to kiss back and help Severus out of his clothes. He might not be Sirius, but he was the
closest friend left to him.

***

Bellatrix, huddled up, was trying to protect her head with her hands while the leash of a whip hit her body again and again. Why did he torture her that much? She was Ophelia, she was innocent,
she'd never said a rash word to anyone! And who was that who flogged her anyway? Hamlet? Claudius? Macbeth? Prospero? She couldn't remember.

But then anger flooded up in her. Who dared to hurt her? Her, a helpless young girl? No, not helpless, she didn't want to be helpless victim anymore, she'd rather be ireful, strong, aggressive, a villain.

A moment later she was Don John, the bastard brother of Don Pedro. Looking up at her tormentor, she hissed defiantly:

"I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace; and it better fits my blood to be disdain'd of all than to fashion a carriage to rob love from any: in this, though I cannot be said to
be a flattering honest man, I must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain."

The man who had been flogging her let his whip sink and stared at her slightly confused. Then he shrugged, put the whip away, knelt down before her opening his trousers and forced her legs apart.

***

Severus awoke when Remus swore something about being late to work. He turned and saw Remus getting out at the other side of the bed.

Wait, why had they been sleeping in the same bed? Severus tried to remember last night. They'd been drinking mead, talking 'bout all manner of things, kissing, getting naked... ok, that was why,
they'd been drunk and lonely.

Today was Thursday... remembering what Remus had told him about the weekend Severus groaned and pulled the sheets above his head as if to hide.

Reminding himself of how much worse his situation could be he tried to go back to sleep, but in vain; thoughts of tomorrow kept plaguing him.

***

They also shared the bed that night. Remus tried to be especially gentle, as if to make up for everything. He wished he could prove that Severus was innocent, that he had never really changed sides. He wished he had never made that arrangement with Harry and Neville in the first place, that he was not bound to his obligations. In some ways, they were both prisoners.

***

Severus tried to hide his fear under a cool facade when Remus delivered him to Harry Potter the next evening. Harry seemed to notice that Lupin was unsettled and offered to let him take one of
his slaves over the weekend, which he declined.

Remus avoided to meet Severus's gaze when he changed the adjustments of the slave collar so that Severus had to stay at Harry Potter's place.

"I need Severus back in a state that he can brew Potions. Don't do any damage to him!" he admonished Harry Potter.

Harry blinked. "I never damage other people's property."

Without a further comment Remus left through the floo system.

Snape's stomach cramped in a knot of fear when he was alone with Potter.

"You won't need your clothes this weekend." Potter said coldly. "Take them off."

Pondering his choices for a moment, Severus decided that obedience might be the easiest way, and did what he was told. Potter watched him coldly.

Severus had not seen Draco and Pansy since his arrival, but he was thankful that they were not in this room to see his humiliation.

"Hands and knees!" Harry ordered.

Severus went on all fours and closed his eyes, bracing himself for what was up to come.

***

Harry looked down at his former professor with grim satisfaction. With all his friends gone, what was left than to punish his enemies?

Sirius, Ron, most of the Weasleys had died because of the likes of that piece of scum on the floor. Cho Chang was also dead...

Hermione and Neville were the only ones of his friends who were still alive, but Hermione had ceased to understand him. How could she defend the people who had hurt and killed so many, who had taken everything away from him until only emptiness was left?

Harry noticed that Snape stirred and turned his head to look at him, obviously wondering why he was still standing there.

"Don't move!" Harry said and crossed the living room.

"Draco!" he called into the hallway. The door to Pansy and Draco's room opened and Draco put out his head, looking disgruntled. "Come, now!" Harry ordered. Draco knew better than to disobey and followed him, his hate filled eyes piercing into Harry's back.

Harry noted with satisfaction how Draco was taken aback by the sight of his former professor on all fours on the floor. Snape looked up through his greasy hair, looking similarly disconcerted.

"Fuck his arse!" Harry ordered.

"No!" Draco called firmly in protest.

"No?" Harry asked ironically. "Then I'll have to fetch Pansy. She can't fuck Snape, but maybe the other way round..."

Draco's eyes closed in resignation. "All right." he said. "Leave her alone."

Draco was so easy to manipulate: Threatening Pansy always worked!

Harry sat down in an armchair and watched as Draco walked behind Snape, opening his trousers. Snape was still staring at Harry.