Elmund wasn't sure of what he thought his life was supposed to be like now. Nothing felt any different than before. Joren let him return by himself to his dorm. All he wanted was a shower and no amount of hot water could help him feel that his decision to be Joren's slave was the right thing to do. Every time he thought maybe it was a bad idea, Giles face as he fled from Elmund popped up and solidified his mind. A pocket of anxiety filled a small corner of his stomach. Every time he sat down to a meal for the next week, he thought it would burst and he might throw up but Elmund was an expert at pushing that feeling aside and getting a bit of food in.
With no advances from Joren and curiosity clouding his judgment, Elmund made the first move. He had to know what Joren was planning. It took him all day to muster the courage to corner Joren down after dinner. He didn't say anything to Joren as he waited outside the Great Hall for him to leave but he managed to get the hint without words and sent his goons off without him while he siddled up to Elmund's side.
"Come to find me, eh? I hoped you would if I didn't say anything." Joren admitted without any sort of tone in his voice.
"Well, we kind of just let it be as to what this mock slavery entailed. I need clarification. How am I supposed to be yours in every way? You haven't even asked anything of me." Elmund said, glancing at Joren's stoic face before averting his eyes back to the floor.
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to spell it out for you but obviously your intelligence level doesn't comprehend my actions. I want you Elmund. Only Merlin knows why but I seriously do. I have for years. You've just ignored me at every turn to the point that I can't ignore you anymore. You could say I lost my cool when I saw the friendly banter you had with that Gryffindor. I couldn't stand it and I saw red. I took it out on you and I needed to have you in any way that I could. So, I agreed to do anything you wanted just so I could have you for a short while." Joren didn't look at Elmund. He was admitting a secret he'd kept locked well within himself. It was the most difficult thing he'd ever said aloud. He'd never repeat it either if things turned sour. He couldn't do that to himself.
"Have me?" Elmund questioned. "Have me? You mean you want me? As in, you want me sexually? But, I don't- I mean- I'm not really sure what to say." Elmund was flabbergasted and a feeling he wasn't sure of built up and exploded through his brain. He was the very epitome of mentally lost. His eyes locked onto Joren's face but without Joren looking at him, he missed the look of despair and pleasure fighting to surface. Despair that it was Joren who wanted him and pleasure that someone wanted him at all.
"Yes, I want to have you. Just accept it already. Accept me." Joren ordered. "Come to Hogsmeade with us this weekend. I promise the boys won't rough you up. In fact, they won't ever rough you up again, at least, not on my orders." Joren was offering something that Elmund had never dreamed of; Freedom from being beaten up in school for the first time.
"I guess," Elmund waivered uncertainly. "Don't you have quidditch though? I could have sworn there was another game this weekend." His food kicked the dirt unconsciously.
"Not Slytherin. That's your house and Hufflepuff that has a game. You should pay more attention to the things involving your house even if they can't be as exciting as what happens in the Slytherin house." Joren joked to the wide-eyed wonder of Elmund at hearing a joke from Joren that wasn't intentionally mean or directed at him. A small seed of belief was beginning to bubble in his brain.
"Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow for Hogsmeade then?" Joren spoke, standing up from his slight lean on the wall as he got ready to go back to the dorms as more people began to leave the Great Hall to head to their own common rooms.
"Yeah, we'll head out after breakfast around half past nine. I'd suggest long sleeves. I hear it's supposed to be cold." Joren left first, even before he was done speaking. He didn't even turn around, only waved his hand as if their conversation had only been about Hogsmeade. It took Elmund a few minutes to process everything that had happened for a second time. Joren was in love with him and had been for awhile. He'd used his bully act to keep it secret. If he'd really thought about it, it kind of made sense. Why else would Joren have been so interested in tracking him down if he wanted to just be mean?
Filing into the Great Hall to his table at Ravenclaw alone, Elmund managed to eat some food before heading back to his common room and up to his bed to mull over the conversation a thousand times before finally falling asleep with an unknown smile on his face.