A/N: This is slash as in homosexual relationships if you don't like this (How did you read this far?) then don't read it. Snarry (Snape/Harry) I don't own Harry Potter if I did Sev would never have died and The Epic Fail of an epilogue would not exist.

Chapter Warning: If you haven't figured it out yet there is BDSM in this story and it will be discussed in this chapter.

Recap:

"Good afternoon. You had us all worried there for a while. It's okay though, I'm just glad that you felt safe enough to wake up. Are you hungry or thirst?"

Chapter 26: Keeper, Not Master

"I…May I please have a drink, Keeper?"

"Sure! What would you like? And you don't have to add Keeper to the end of every sentence. Think of it as a term of respect. You respect the Dark Lord and there are times when you call him by his formal title to show that respect, but you don't always use his title when talking about him. That would be tedious."

"Okay. I get to choose? I thought…"

"Severus, I am your Keeper. That means I protect you and, yes, at times I may make choices for you. However, I don't want a slave. I want you to think for yourself, voice your opinion, respectfully, and when I do give an order I expect you to obey or have a decent reason why not. Right now, I see no reason why you can't pick what drink you want. Maybe someday in the future, we will go out to eat and I will order for you. If this happens, it will not be a form of debasement or because I think you're incompetent. It will be to show you that I can provide not just what you need but also what you want. It will also serve as a warning to others that you are taken. Now what would you like to drink?"

"Water, please."

Harry moved away from Severus and summoned Simba to fetch the water. While waiting for the house-elf's return, Harry noticed that his shirt was still hanging around his neck and hastily finished pulling it on. Once Harry was fully dressed, he handed the water over to Severus and sat in the bedside chair. Then, the room fell into an awkward silence. Harry was unsure what to say. Should he ask about the panic attack or should he simple avoid mentioning it and talk about something else? Severus was having a similar problem. Should he bring up why he had the attack? He knew now that he could trust Harry but he obviously did not completely understand what the contract meant. Would Harry be mad if he asked questions? He had said that Severus was to voice his opinion but he also said for him to think for himself. What if that meant that Harry didn't want a stupid submissive, who needed to ask questions? Severus continued to slowly drink his water as the thoughts raced through his head. When his glass was empty, Severus simply stared forlornly at it as if hoping it held the answers he so desperately sought. After noticing Severus staring at his empty glass, Harry asked if he wanted more. Severus merely shook his head in reply.

Severus knew he should say something, after all Harry had promised not to hurt him; he even went so far as to say that he would protect him. No one had said that before and it sounded almost too good to be true. Severus knew that Harry would want to know what was bothering him, but he was frightened. Frightened that Harry would laugh or decide he was not worth the trouble. Harry knew that making meaningless talk would only make things worse later on, but he was frightened. What if asking about the attack brought on another? For all that they did know, neither man knew what to do next.

Harry decided to make the first move and hope for the best. He decided to reach for a middle ground. He decided to let Severus decide what path their conversation would take.

"Severus? Is there anything you would like to talk about?"

Severus knew that Harry was giving him an escape. He could start talking about the weather or a book he had read and Harry would follow his lead. He also knew that if he did that it would be the coward's way and he was no coward. He decide to answer truthfully.

"Do you mind if I ask a question?"

"I give you full permission to ask any questions you have now and any you may have in the future."

"Okay, um, what exactly does the contract mean? I mean, I thought it meant that I gave all control to you, but you just said that is not true. So then what…what is required of me?"

"Alright, how about we review the contract and I can explain the different parts to you. This way you can see what it requires of us both, and you can ask any other questions that might pop up. Does that sound good?"

Severus nodded his head. Harry went and grabbed the contract out of the bedside drawer, where he had placed while Severus was unconscious. He then went and sat next to Severus on the bed, and made sure they could both read what was written.

"Okay so this first part here says, 'I ask that He accept the submission of my will unto His and to take me into His care and guidance and that we may grow together in love, trust and mutual respect'. Really all that says is that I will care for you, and be there for you, and that together we will come to care even more for each other and learn to trust and respect each other.

Where it says submission of your will unto mine, I think is better explained later on, down here where it says, 'To that end, I offer Him use of my time, talents, and abilities' and 'To obey His commands to the best of my ability'. Your submission only means that you respect me and listen to me when I ask you to do something. However, my power is not absolute, I am human, I do make mistakes. Which is why the contract states that, 'My surrender as a submissive is done with the knowledge that nothing asked of me will demean me as a person, and will in no way diminish my own responsibilities toward making utmost use of my potential'. If something is demeaning to you or if you feel as if I'm pushing you too far then, you must talk to me. I also am not a Potion Master; I cannot guide you on that. The best I can do is offer my advice about different situations that might crop up during your work. It is your responsibility to use your full potential in every aspect of life. I will be there to help and to show you new areas for achievement but I cannot achieve things for you.

The main point of the contract is the, and I quote, 'intention of furthering self-awareness and exploration, promoting health and happiness, and improving both our lives'. Your submission is supposed to help you safely explore new things, and it is supposed to bring you happiness. If at any time you want to stop being my submissive than you just have to let me know."

Severus had no reply. He simply stared at the contract in sheer disbelief. He had it all wrong. He had not traded one master for another; he had traded a master for a Keeper. His keeper would to guide and protect him, not hurt and humiliate him. He was safe with Harry. Harry would protect him.

"Severus, I know this is a lot to take in, would you like sometime alone to think? Or maybe you would like to talk to someone?"

"No, please don't leave me. I understand now. You are my Keeper; you will protect me. You are safe. Please don't go."

A/N: Next chapter Severus will leave his room for the first time! What do you all want to see happen?

Also, thank you all for the reviews, I'm afraid that I don't have time to reply to them all, but please keep'um cummin'*wink, wink*.