p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Severus stepped into the kitchen, only to immediately cower. The youngest Weasley boy was there. Harry was away for a few hours working at Hogwarts to set up curriculums, and whenever he was gone he made sure that Ron and Hermione were there with him so that Ginny wasn't in the house alone. She was using the library to study for her NEWTS so that she wouldn't have to repeat her sixth year, but that didn't mean Harry trusted her with free range over the manor./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It had started small./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"strong**FLASHBACK**/strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Harry pressed a soft kiss to Severus' lips, pulling away only to brush another onto his forehead./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'll be back before you know it, love."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Severus smiled, enjoying the open affection Harry was showing him even in front of his friend./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Just go, Harry," Severus told him, shaking his head in amusement. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Harry beamed at him, pecking him on the lips once more before disappearing into the floo./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The moment he was gone, the air became tense./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You may have him fooled, but you won't be fooling me," Ronald snarled, swiping his wand across the air sharply, tying Severus up with ropes that cut into his skin./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Severus moved to undo it, but he paused at Ron's next words./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'll tell him to leave you to rot if you dare," he warned, cocking his head to the side. "I'll tell him you've been rude to Ginny… He loves her, you know, even if he stays with you to fulfill some heroic sense of duty he's got." Severus shook his head sharply, but he didn't try to untie himself and he could feel his insides squirm. "You're wrong! Harry loves me!" Ron laughed a cruel laugh./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""No one could ever love a used up old death eater like you, Snape. Let's not lie to ourselves."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He pulled Severus back by his hair and spit in his face, rubbing the glob of saliva into his cheeks and pushing it into his mouth with his fingers./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You're nothing, Snape."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"strong**END**/strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He wanted to shake it off. But it brought up doubts that he'd had from the beginning. He was just an old, used up deatheater. He had no money and was ugly to boot. Harry would surely not want him for the long haul./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"That was the first time Severus told Harry he wanted to sleep alone. His dominant hadn't questioned him, just nodded and sent him on his way with a soft kiss to his forehead. The "I love you," Harry whispered to him as he held him close before walking to his own bedroom almost convinced him that Ron was surely wrong, but he still went to his own bed without a word./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"strong**Flashback**/strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I think I want you to suck my cock, get you nice and ready for Harry to use you like the whore you are." Severus looked up with wide eyes, and, for the first time, told him no./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""No?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Severus swallowed./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I… I can't. Please. I'm not to take another without my master's permission." Ron snarled his nose up./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'm not asking to fuck you, slut. I'm telling you I'm going to use your mouth." Severus jerked back, the rope cutting into his arms./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I can't! I would have your—your scent on me. He'd think I—I—Please, don't make me." Ron frowned at him, but nodded./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Fine. But you're still going to humiliate yourself. I think you should clean the library today, and I've brought you a nice little outfit to do it in." Severus shook his head./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Harry wouldn't let you get away with this. I'm not going to."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Harry would never choose a slimy, ugly faggot over his best friend, Snape."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"And that was the crux of it all. And Snape believed him. So he put on the outfit, and he cleaned the library./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"strong**End**/strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Severus sighed, mumbling a healing charm for the bruises on his wrist before climbing out of the shower./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Harry was waiting, sitting at the end of his bed with a serious expression on his face./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What's going on, Severus?" The man demanded of him. "Has something been troubling you? Draco will be moving in next week, but Ron tells me you two have been getting along."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Severus groaned. "No, it's nothing like that."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Harry stood quickly a paced the room, rubbing at his temples./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'm fine, Harry," Severus told him, pulling him towards the bed. "Stop worrying."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Harry growled then forced himself calm. It wouldn't help him to scare his submissive while he was trying to get the truth out of him./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Please, little one," he said gently. "Trust me with whatever is bothering you." Severus swallowed and averted his eyes./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I do trust you," he said slowly, moving his eyes to Harry's shoulder so he wouldn't have to look into his heartbroken eyes. "I'm just tired now. Can't you just hold me?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He'd never allowed himself to ask for Harry to hold him, but he needed it if he admitted that to himself, and Ron's words kept banging around in his head, telling him that Harry would not want him forever so he better just enjoy it while it lasted./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Harry immediately softened, and he pulled Severus into his arms on the bed. "Of course, baby." Severus sighed and relaxed despite himself./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I like it when it's just us. You're nice and safe."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Harry chuckled, but then he frowned. Why would Severus not be safe? Only Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had been in the Manor while he was gone, and Mione said that her and Ginny had remained in the library as requested everyday. Ron had told him they were getting along. Was there something more going on that he was unaware of?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He looked down at his mate to prod further, but found him sound asleep./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Severus blushed when he realized what he had just admitted to. He was tempted to tell Harry the truth, rip it off like a bandaid per-say. Sure, Harry might tell him to suck it up if he wanted to be with him, but it would be better than this torture, wouldn't it? He opened his mouth to do just that, but then Ron's words echoed in his head. "Get you nice and ready for Harry to use you like the whore you are."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Severus withheld his shiver. No. He couldn't tell Harry. That opened the door to possibilities he wouldn't be able to handle./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He fell asleep to unpleasant thoughts./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Harry frowned down at his mate, brushing the hair from his eyes./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Something was bothering his mate, he was sure of it./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"TBC/p