As always I own nothing. Thanks for the continued feedback and support. My muse would have given up without you all (clearly it tried quite hard, but not hard enough!) I know this is short, but it feels like a more natural break (although not where I thought it would be) The next few bits are mapped out and I hope to have to have an update written in the next week.
Harry POV
Harry reread his note to Professor McGonagall for the third time.
Professor McGonagall,
I hear you will be accepting the position of Headmistress this year. I would like to offer my congratulations. Professor Snape and I have a few issues we would like the opportunity to discuss with you. It would be greatly appreciated if you could please join us at Potter Manor tomorrow evening. If another time would work better for you please respond using this owl. Thank you in advance.
Harry
He couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something, but with a shrug he slipped it to Hedwig and sent her to deliver the note.
Harry wasn't actually sure that they would be able to work out any way of getting Severus to Hogwarts without everyone knowing he was a slave. He hoped Professor McGonagall would a better idea because what would he do if it wasn't safe to bring Severus? Could he leave the man at Potter Manor knowing the pain it would cause him to be so far away? With a sigh Harry admitted to himself that it was far more likely Harry would give up returning to Hogwarts than put the older man in a position where he had to be in constant pain.
Harry went outside to concentrate on tweaking the wards to allow Professor McGonagall onto the grounds tomorrow. Harry hoped they were able to come up with a way to go back to Hogwarts safely. While it was nice to have a home now, the school had been there fore him when he needed a place to call his own. And he didn't feel like he knew all of the magic he would need to destroy Voldemort.
Harry sighed as he considered again how unlikely it was that he would be successful in his destiny. He knew the prophecy implied he would, but Professor Trelawney had shaken his confidence in divination.
Harry was interrupted from his musings by a soft noise behind him. He spun around and was relieved to find it was only Severus.
"Lunch is ready, Master. I'm sorry for disturbing you, but you said to remind you if it seemed you were forgetting to eat."
Harry smiled to reassure the older man that he wasn't mad. "Thanks, I appreciate it. I know that looking after me is a full time job."
"It is my pleasure to be of service, Master," Severus said softly.
"I wrote to the headmistress, she should be out tomorrow to talk about the problem of what happens when school starts back up."
"It's only a problem if you wish to keep my position a secret, Master. I know that is unlikely and am prepared to be open about our connection."
Harry sighed and almost argued, but Severus was merely voices the thoughts he just had. "I know it might not work for us to return to Hogwarts. Maybe we should start working on a plan B."
"Master, we can return, we just may not be able to keep it a secret that I am your slave."
"Can you honestly say you'll be happy that way? With your colleagues knowing you're enslaved to a boy? With your students knowing you serve one of their fellow students?" Harry said with anger creeping into his voice.
Severus POV
Severus immediately sunk to his knees and bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Master, please forgive me."
"That's not an answer," Harry snapped.
Severus felt the bond sear through him in retribution for angering his master. Before he could recover enough to answer Harry sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, I'm not mad at you. I'm just mad at this whole situation. It's not fair."
Severus allowed himself a small sigh of relief as the pain from the bond faded away. "Thank you, Master." Before Harry could begin to say his thanks wasn't necessary he continued, "I apologize, please tell me what I must do to earn forgiveness."
Harry looked confused. "What do you mean when you talk like that? You're always going on about atonement and forgiveness like you're offering something big, but I don't know what you're trying to say."
Severus was surprised this question hadn't come sooner. While he wasn't looking forward to being punished, it was long past time his master understood his rights. "I'm offering myself for punishment so I can earn forgiveness and make up for my mistakes, Master," Severus said softy.
"What?" Harry jumped back away from Severus.
Severus bowed his head lower. "It is offered so you may teach me to be better and to forgive my mistakes, Master."
"You want to be punished?" Harry asked, sounding incredulous.
Severus can tell this conversation is upsetting to his master, but he can't figure out a way to stop it while still answering the questions asked of him. "I want to be better for you, Master. I want my mistakes to be forgiven. I want those things whatever the cost."
Harry POV
Harry felt like his head was going to explode. This was truly a situation only he could find himself in. Certainly no one else had their school professors beg them for punishment. "Is that really what you think of me? That I would punish you for every mistake?" Harry asked softly.
Severus looked uncomfortable. "It is your right to punish your slave so that my behavior improves, Master. I wouldn't mind."
"So you do think that's the kind of person that I am," Harry said as he backed away, hurt creeping into his voice.
"No, please, I'm sorry, Master! I didn't mean to offend," Severus said, his voice choked by tears.
Harry felt a little guilty for the pain he was obviously causing the older man. How was he to meet all of the needs of his slave if they included pain and punishment? Even when he'd thought he hated the man he wouldn't have wanted to torture him like that if he were helpless. Hadn't he just got into a fight about Ron wanting to do something along those lines? "I won't hurt you. I can't," Harry finally choked out after a long pause.
Severus looked up and there were tears continuing to stream down his face. "That's fine, whatever you want is fine, Master. Please, I'm sorry for bringing it up, Master. Please, forgive me, please."
For a minute Harry struggled to figure out what he was supposed to be forgiving. He forced himself to step forward. Harry dropped to his knees in front of Severus and pulled the sobbing man into his arms. "There's nothing to forgive, Severus," Harry said softly.
Severus POV
As he lay in Harry's arms he could feel the anxiety slide away from him. He wished he could have explained that any punishment would have hurt less than the anger and hurt in Harry voice at his actions. Anything would have been preferable to Harry backing away as though Severus had burned him. When he regained enough control for the crying to stop he expected Harry to pull away but he didn't. Severus soaked in the joy of the contact for what felt like an instant before Harry finally pulled away. He was scared of ruining the moment, but couldn't help but offer, "Thank you Master."
"I should have controlled my reactions better so we could have talked that through more calmly, I'm sorry, Severus," Harry said.
Severus bit of his retort that no apologies were necessary and just nodded.
Harry cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable. "Er, so we don't need to talk about this again, yeah? No more offering atonement?"
Severus squirmed. His instincts were clashing. He wanted to immediately agree to anything Harry wanted, but he knew that would be a lie. "Master, I can try, but the bond urges me to offer when I have erred," he whispered, knowing the words were wrong but not having anything else to offer.
Harry looked angry and Severus felt his heart stop. "You know, the more I find out about this bond the more I don't like it," he finally ground out.
Severus felt a small amount of relief that the anger was not towards him, but it was not much comfort when the bond was the cause. Before he could apologize and offer to return home Harry spoke again, "Fine, you may offer atonement, but I'm going to ignore and move on, ok?"
Again Severus can feel the urge to simply nod, but he has to ask, "Does that mean you won't forgive me, Master?"
Harry POV
Of course that was the real crux of this whole problem. Severus felt like if he made a mistake Harry would turn him out. He clasped the other man's shoulder and softly said, "Of course not. You're human and you will make mistakes. Everyone does and that's ok. All I ask is that if there is a problem we can talk about it and work out a solution. I know I'll make more mistakes, and I hope that we can deal with them the same."
Severus nodded and softly said, "Yes, Master."
Harry felt like he was still missing something. Severus was clearly not reassured enough, but he couldn't think of anything else he could offer. He only hoped that time would prove the truth to his words and that Severus would grow to trust him. He stood and reached a hand down as he said, "Come on, let's go eat lunch, yeah?"
Severus grabbed his hand like it was a lifeline and made no move to release it once he was standing. Harry knew that the man was taking some small amount of comfort and walked to the kitchen to start moving, still hand in hand with the older man.
