A/N: Thank you to all the new followers and continued support. Thank you WizardSmurf for being a betareader. I hope you continue to enjoy the story and as always please feel free to give me feedback.
Disclaimer: This chapter containsAdult Themes that are Non-Explicit.
All characters and copyright belong to J.K. Rowling
As they walked uphill towards the villa Harry was surprised. He was expecting a cold imposing structure. Instead, they passed through peaceful vineyards. The air was clean and smelled of ripening grapes and dirt. It was only when Harry looked closer, did he notice the disturbing traces of slavery. He saw slaves working in the vineyards, using magic to lift the heavy burdens. They passed a few, but they had kept their heads down and continued their work. To his horror, he passed what looked like stocks with dried blood staining its surface.
He looked back and saw Snape still followed behind him. While he knew his former professor did not talk much, the man that followed him did not carry the same imposing silence that scared him as a student. As Snape had caught up to him, he questioned "Is there a problem, Master?" Harry shook his head and continued on, before Snape could berate him for dawdling. Harry was not sure if it was an act, but Snape was right when he said that attitude was the best disguise. He would not have guessed that the man standing behind him would be a proud Professor at Hogwarts.
As they came to the entrance, it was covered in vines and surrounded by lush gardens. An older gentleman who seemed in his sixties came out to greet them. The man was rotund wearing a burgundy robe that could barely contain his girth. There were two women behind him who were clearly slaves by their collars. One had a platter of fruits and cheeses and the other had a small tray with wine.
The man came forward and said enthusiastically. "Ciao, Welcome to Villa Pietra."
Harry greeted the man.
"I see you already have a slave, but have you come to purchase another?"
Harry, surprised by this question quickly said "I'm here to see the library" Then slowing his pace and remembering what Snape had told him to say recited "I recently inherited this slave on my seventeenth birthday. I was hoping to take a look at your collections since my estate does not have much literature".
The man clasped his hands together and started to get paperwork from his desk, "Of course, of course. There is a nominal fee for the retreat, but we offer a variety of services here; a wonderful bathhouse, restaurants, exercise and other training facilities, and of course our renown collection on slavery practices." The man then said with a smile like a shark, "The fee will be waived, if you purchase a slave during your stay".
Harry tried not to react at the last comment. "That sounds good. I do not think we'll stay over a week here." Harry noticed the man's eyes twinkle as he pulled out gold to cover the deposit. Fortunately, the show of gold waived most questions as Harry mentioned he was from Britain and did not want a record of his visit.
The man grabbing out a large key said "Your bags and property will be escorted to your room in the west wing. Please allow me to give you a tour." Harry was not able to respond fast enough and before he knew what was happening he was escorted out of the room and given a tour of the grounds.
If Harry had not been disgusted, he would have been impressed by the tour. Like the man said there was a large Roman bathhouse, gardens, a restaurant, and plenty of other amenities. The last part of the tour included the collection of books specifically on slavery and the training rooms. The man took him to a training room where he saw some slaves around his age. They were not clothed as they knelt as a trainer seemed to inspect them. His eyes were transfixed, as a 17-year-old male, it was quite difficult to turn away. In horror, he noticed that he had become stiff. He could not help it and the man said something to snap himself out of his stupor. "These slaves are in the final steps of their training. Coincidently they'll be on sale in a few days."
Harry now got why this man was showing him these slaves. He was hoping he would purchase one. Harry tried to remain neutral although he was starting to get annoyed. "Like I said I just came here to look at the archives" Not wanting to be rude he then said "Thank you for your consideration. I will keep it in mind." The man nodded and went to show Harry to his suite.
While Harry was being shown the grounds, Snape was led away holding the bags. While the last time he had been here was as a teenager he knew these grounds like the back of his hand. He had spent enough time physically scrubbing the floors to have memorized the layout. As another slave led him to the room he numbly followed. He never thought he would be back here. Being sent here was a threat made a few times by the Malfoy's, but the warning had always resulted in immediate compliance.
Snape went to unpack everything and awaited his Master's return. Being here brought back so many memories, most of which he wished he could forget. Hopefully they would be able to leave as soon as possible.
Around an hour after he was put in the room, he heard voices coming down the hallway. He went to the center of the room and knelt there with his head on the floor. Being back here had definitely eased the transition to his supplicatory behaviors. He would feel odd not performing them here. He then felt the presence of his Master enter the room. He also heard the voice of the man who welcomed them saying "Hope you enjoy your time here. If you have any questions, you know where to find me." With that, he heard the man leave and the door close.
He then heard quietly "You can get up now, he's gone." Snape then stood and noticed his Master acting a bit strange. His face was flushed and the bond was telling him that his Master was aroused.
"I-I'm going to shower." Harry stammered.
Snape was at first amused at the boy's innocence. At seventeen Lucius was quite familiar with slaves uses. However, he started to feel pain when he was not doing all he could do to please his Master.
He was my student. He felt his legs move towards the bathroom. No, no. He heard that Potter already turned on the shower. He felt his mouth voice out "M-Master?"
Harry shot his head out of the shower. "What the - Professor what are you doing?!" He was so surprised he forgot his earlier vow to not call him Professor.
With teeth gritted, Snape managed to get out "Is there anything this slave can do to please you." He glared at his Master and spat the words out, causing pain around his neck.
Harry, surprised at the interruption and wanting privacy yelled "What? No, go back to the room!"
Snape, although initially relieved, felt the bond chastising him. Your Master has rejected you. You displeased your Master. However, with a bow, he left the awkward situation. He went back into the suite and did not know what to think or do. Being here did not help clear his mind as years of training were beat into his bones and mind. Additionally, his head started to throb, as thoughts of displeasing his Master took hold. To his disdain, he found kneeling on the ground relieved some of this pain.
A few minutes later Harry stepped out of the bathroom. After the interruption, he opted for a cold shower. He felt quite guilty as something deep inside himself apparently found pleasure in what he saw there. He found Snape kneeling on the floor, and his irritation started to grow again. "What the bloody hell was that about?" He saw the former proud professor wince, and he immediately felt horrible at his tone. He tried to say again, but more neutrally "I mean, I was quite surprised."
Snape could feel the changing emotions, and he himself did not know which emotion he could feel more. Anger, embarrassment, rejection? He thought it best to answer his Master before there was more pain "I am sorry to have interrupted you, Master. The bond told me of your need." He did not want to delve in further and hoped the boy could connect the pieces together.
Harry sighed, he hated that this bond left him with little privacy. He looked down at Snape who was still on his knees. As he looked down he noticed something different. Since Snape wasn't in a high collared shirt he could see angry red lines coming from the back of his neck. "What is that!" He pointed to Snape's neck.
At first Snape was confused. Was something on him? He then realized the boy was talking about the physical manifestation of the curse. Not only did the wretched curse always put thoughts in his mind, but it also physically tortured him. He hollowly said, "The bond can feel your displeasure, Master."
His Master then collapsed on the chair and said "This place is messed up. Let's try to get out of here as fast as we can."
The next morning Harry woke up to the sun streaming into the room. He looked out the window, noticing the picturesque vineyards. He looked around, noticing Snape wasn't there. From being at Spinner's End he knew that Snape got up early. Being woken up by his Aunt screeching at him had also caused Harry to wake up earlier than most of this peers, but at least Harry did not wake up before the sun rose.
He was surprised, as they stayed up pretty late going over the plan. Snape informed Harry that they couldn't act like they were working together. Snape would be there to hold the books, but he was not expected to read them. They would have to take them back into the room to do further studies. They would go chronologically through the collections, to ensure that they wouldn't miss anything.
As Harry stretched, Severus came into the room holding a large tray of food. He bowed quite elegantly with the tray, something that had come out of practice. "Master, I brought some breakfast."
Harry said his thanks and moved over to the table and chair in the room. The tray contained an assortment of rolls with some butter, jam, and cheeses. He also noticed a carafe of coffee. He didn't want Snape to have to kneel at his feet while they ate, so he ate quickly and said "I'm going to stretch my legs, please eat something. When I come back we'll get to work."
Snape bowed relieved that he didn't have to perform the humiliating ritual. He did not show it, but he was tired from last night. Perhaps the familiar smell or just being here had caused him to be on edge. Harry had told him he could sleep on the couch, but he had woken himself up a few times trying to control himself to stay on the surface. He was afraid he would wake up his Master, but Harry slept soundly on the large bed. As a child, he would not have known what the trainers would have done if they found him sleeping there.
He savored the food once his Master had left. For the first time, he partook in the fresh baked bread and coffee that he eyed enviously as a child. He noticed how Harry separated the food so that he wouldn't be eating his scraps. While he enjoyed his food, he also knew that he would have to order some of the tasteless gruel a few times. When he ordered the food the kitchen staff probably thought that he would remain starving, but that was better for their cover.
When Harry came back he found the food finished and only a small amount of coffee left. He then said, "Alright, I guess we're going to the library now, I already saw where it was on the tour." He then had to get rid of a blush, after the image of the training center came into his mind.
When they stepped through the door of the library Snape noticed the smell of old books. He wanted to look but kept his head down knowing that attendants were watching them. Harry, however, saw the vast space and wondered how they would get through it all. He looked over to an attendant and commanded, "Direct me to the earliest collections." Harry was curter than he wanted, but Snape had suggested this tone when dealing with people that worked here. They were led down the hallway and to a smaller alcove with He was not sure what to look for, so just started to go by section. Luckily, Snape had by helped him out - by either putting the book back on the shelf or putting it on a table to be carried back to the room. When they had a large stack, Harry led the way back to the room with his slave trailing behind carrying the books.
Snape knew that the whole villa was enchanted so that the collections would not disintegrate as long as they stayed on the grounds. It was one of the reasons wizards and witches from around the globe would have to come here. Once they got to the room he organized the pamphlets and scrolls. These ancient documents would be hard to understand, so he pulled out an enchanted glass, that looked like a monocle that would decipher the texts. He handed one to Harry who looked at amazement at the magic item. Harry commented, "Hermione would die for one of these."
By mid-afternoon, Harry's enthusiasm wavered. His head hurt, and his eyes were sore from squinting through the glass. Harry tossed himself on the bed giving himself a small break. He looked over at Snape who was quickly scanning over each book intensely. After a minute Snape tore his eyes from the book and asked "Are you well Master?"
Harry grumbled "I'm fine, I just don't know how you can stand reading this stuff. It's all so horrible."
Snape let an eyebrow raise. As much as it may have made his Master feel uncomfortable, the tales and spells recollected in these ancient texts were the foundation of his slavery. As they went through the years he learned about the beginnings and changes from the original curse. He then answered "I had never been taught this history. We had been taught that the bond and Masters were infallible. However, early on there were so many uprisings and experiments, who knows what kind of knowledge is stored here." When Harry had suggested going to Villa Pietra Severus was not that hopeful. However, as they continued to read his mindset started to change.
Harry got up and grabbed a book with renewed vigor, maybe he had made a good decision to come here.
