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The Long Road	By : SinisterMe Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Remus Views: 63598 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 18
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling. This story is purely for entertainment purposes, no money is being made from it.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Severus opened the door to Teddy’s room a little more so he could slip through the crack, casting a small ‘lumos’ and tiptoeing toward the bed. The boy seemed to be sleeping soundly, his breath coming in slow even draws. His small face looked more peaceful in sleep than Snape had seen it yet. He straightened the blankets that were twisted around the small form and covered him back up properly.
Satisfied that everything was as good as it was going to get that night, Snape headed off to his own room, leaving both his and Teddy’s doors open a crack so he would be able to hear if anything went wrong.
Severus slid out of his clothes, remembering that he had left his robe hanging on the bathroom door. He put on his nightclothes, depositing what he had been wearing into the laundry bin. Casting a charm to raise the lights he sat in the armchair closest to the window.
Snape poured himself a solid three fingers of scotch from the tumbler on the side table.
Tonight had not gone at all as planned. He was supposed to show Lupin that he wasn’t of the same cloth as Walden, but as soon as he had the man alone, he’d basically molested him.
Severus shook his head, taking a sip out of his glass. What Remus had made of it all, he’d no idea. Hell, he barely knew what to make of it himself.
Lupin had expected something terrible there in the bathroom, he’d seen it plain as day. At the same time, he’d seemed so eager for Severus’ touch; there could be no denying that he’d enjoyed it at least on a physical level. Not that that was such a great excuse; trying to prove he had the other man’s best interests at heart would be much more difficult after this, of that he was sure.
Snape was quite disappointed in himself, not that it hadn’t been wonderful to watch Remus enjoy his ministrations. He wondered when the last time lycanthrope had taken pleasure of any kind from another person. Macnair certainly hadn’t been the type to worry about such things. Lupin seemed to think he was going to fly into a rage over the whole thing, even though he was the one who had initiated it.
Taking a long pull from his drink, Severus cursed his own lack of control. Who knew how far he had set them back with his actions. He grabbed a book from the side table and opened it to the page he’d last been on, trying not to think about the look of incredulous amazement that had flashed across Remus’ face as he’d came, how he’d grabbed on to his arm almost as if he needed to be anchored or the sensations would sweep him away... Severus took another slug from his glass.
The book he’d chosen had very recently been added to his collection. It was bloody ancient and he had been quite fortunate to get his hands on it at a decent price. It was a compendium of bonding methods and practices. It would give him an idea how to shape this enslavement spell into something manageable for both he and Lupin. His translation work was still important, but it would better be left to the light of day. Right now he needed to get his mind off of his own stupidity for a while.
Snape had no desire to have to give Lupin permission for every damned thing he needed to do in his life. It seems that that may well have been the case with the lycanthrope and Macnair. He might have even preferred the idea himself, had he been twenty years younger and still the power hungry fool he was at that age. Now, the idea of that was quite unattractive. Merlin, it would drive him mad to have to give the man leave to take every drink of water, every morsel of food, each trip to the loo.
Uncounted hours and a few glasses of scotch later the words on the page began to blur together; from exhaustion or alcohol he wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter, more than likely it was for the best.
He felt that he had made some progress. He had found the origin of the bond he would share with Lupin. It was a curse that had been popular over a century ago, frequently cast during wartime. Instead of killing useful or alluring conquests it would bind them to the caster on one of two ways, for labor or for pleasure.
From the documents sent to him by the Ministry Division that regulated these things, he gleaned that Walden had totally butchered the intents of the spell, melding traits from both sides into a twisted jumble for Snape to try and untangle. They had done their best to give him some instruction, but had largely left it up to his discretion, having thrown up their hands at the whole mess. From what he remembered of the document, there were aspects of the curse that probably came from other enchantments and it didn’t seem like the actual spell had been completed properly. Leave it to Walden to half-ass something so pivotal.
It would be extremely helpful if he could view the memory of exactly how the ceremony was completed the first time. From his understanding, he would be able to manipulate the curse, so long as he stayed within the parameters of the original spell, which was an interesting thought, because it seemed Macnair hadn’t bothered to do that himself.
More research would be necessary; in a day or so when Remus was stronger he would discuss the viewing with him. It was clear that the spell intended absolute control over the enslaved, but such things were easily shifted if one were familiar enough with how to do it. He happened to be more acquainted with bonding than he was comfortable with, having tied his soul to two masters over the course of his life. Everything had a loophole or a back door; one just had to be diligent enough to find it.
He set the book aside for the night, deciding to have one more quiet drink to himself before turning in. Who knew what tomorrow would hold? Teddy would have to be bound soon; there was little chance in delaying it much longer. He would be bound as an apprentice, escaping whatever spell Macnair had originally cast on him. The man Severus had paid at the auction house more than likely thought he had taken advantage of him; to the contrary, he had done them all a huge favor. Teddy would be granted vastly more freedoms in his life if Snape had total control over the curse enslaving him.
Taking a large swallow of his drink, he decided that the boy would be allowed one more day of adjustment. If the Ministry sent him a warning that he must finalize his transaction soon, that was fine with him. Make the bastards wait. Merlin knew that he had received worse from them than a stern reprimand in the past.
He had fairly decided that ‘Sclavus Teneo’ was the way to go. It was from a similar time period as the curse that would bind his father. However, he believed if he went into it with his mind set firmly on teaching the boy his trade, it would be possible to free him when he came of age. It was not something he would discuss with either the boy or his father until he was more certain.
There was a version of this particular spell that had been used specifically for the children of the poorer class; basically parents (or less commonly, an owner without funds to finance it himself) would basically sell the freedom of their children (or young slave) for a time to further their education in one or more subjects. This would be because they could not afford the cost of formally indenturing them to a Master of the subject.
How the Master (both of the art and the child) would choose to exact payment from their now-slave would be completely up to them, the law was exempt from interfering in such contracts. However, because he was inherited, it would be possible he would never be able to free him from his servitude while he himself was alive. However, intent played such a large part in the outcome of these curses that it was hard to say.
He knew in his heart of hearts that he had no desire to control the life of the young man sleeping in the other room. He deserved to be able to make his own way; to have friends and colleagues, a lover if he so desired. Severus knew he would do everything that was in his power to allow Teddy these freedoms. The same freedoms he had denied himself of as a young adult.
Severus did not wish the tribulations of the servitude he had endured for so much of his life to continue on in Teddy. The fact that that was the honest truth gave him hope of someday being able to grant the boy his own life. In the meantime he would do all he could to educate the child well enough that he could make it on his own, were he only given the chance.
He stood and walked over to the bed, glass in hand. He took one last sip, leaving about a third of the liquor remaining. He sat the glass on the nightstand beside his wand, turning back the covers and climbing between the cool sheets. He drifted off to sleep more easily than he had in weeks, despite his nagging conscience.
Severus slept so soundly, that he didn’t hear the soft chiming of his alarm, alerting him that Teddy was out of bed, or even the hesitant knocking on the door to his chamber. Somehow he slept right through the quiet patter of feet up to his bedside. He was so soundly asleep in fact, that he continued his slumber right through the first reluctant whisper of his name. It took a small hand resting lightly on his arm to startle him into consciousness. He must be getting old.
He jarred awake, sitting up and grabbing his wand purely on instinct, knocking the glass of spirits onto the floor near the boy’s feet with a sickening smash, the smell of spilled liquor wafting up between them. The lights in the room jumped alive, revealing a cowering Teddy beside his bed, directly in front of the tip of his wand.
The boy’s arms were flung up to cover his face. His eyes were scrunched shut, torso curled inward slightly to protect himself as much as possible. Severus blinked once, twice and lowered his wand so it wasn’t aimed right at the terrified child.
“Don’t move,” Snape heard himself bark. Mentally cursing, he continued in a softer voice, “There’s broken glass everywhere.” He tried to shake off the last traces of sleep. The boy seemed to have no problem following his last command; Severus couldn’t see him so much as breathe. His had opened his eyes though, tears forming in anticipation of what was to come.
Snape raised his wand again, casting a ‘reparo’ on the shards of glass, which immediately pulled together back into the shape of a cup. It wouldn’t hold forever, so badly broken was the glass, but it would get all the sharp pieces off the floor and away from Teddy’s bare feet. The boy yelped when the magic was cast bud did as he was told and stayed in place. Severus cast a second spell, banishing the spilled alcohol in an instant.
Snape sat up in bed, swinging his feet over the edge of the mattress and rubbing blearily at his face.
Teddy scooted back a few feet, scuttling to get out of arm’s reach and almost falling over himself in the process. “I’m sorry sir! I didn’t know what else to do!”
In the dim light Severus could see tear tracks marking the child’s face, more still falling. He pulled himself together.
“What’s wrong?” He’d heard the panic in Teddy’s voice immediately.
Teddy bowed his head and slammed his fists up over his face to cover it. “I wet the bed again,” the boy moaned piteously. “Please forgive me, master. Don’t hit me; please don’t hit me, sir.”
Snape reached up and carefully pulled the boy’s arms down, revealing his agonized face. He held the balled fists loosely in his own hands. He noted that the child had put on a new set of nightclothes.
“I’m not going to hit you,” Severus kept his voice as gentle as possible. “How about we go get your bed taken care of? I see you have already changed; that was a good idea. Your soiled clothes are still in your room?” He kept his tone lax, finding it unnecessary to frighten the child more than he already had. Teddy nodded. He stood, placing his hand lightly on the boy’s shoulder and walking with him back to his room.
Severus made the light just bright enough that they could see about the room. He pulled the chair by the desk out for Teddy to sit on. Then he went to the bed and stripped off the top quilt, which was perfectly dry. This, he draped over the boy’s shaking shoulders.
“Here, hold onto this for me.”
Teddy grasped its edges and pulled it tighter around himself like a shield.
Severus continued to change the sheets; spelling the old ones and the mattress dry along with Teddy’s previous sleeping attire and throwing it all into the hamper to be laundered the next day. From a drawer in the bed frame he removed a new set of bedding and installed them on the bed. He fluffed the pillow and signaled at Teddy to come closer while kneeling by the bed.
The boy started to head over, but his feet got tangled up in the quilt. Severus was across the room and couldn’t stop him from pitching forward onto the floor with a thud. He stood in one fluid motion and took the few steps over to the boy, kneeling back down at his side, one knee complaining loudly.
He helped the boy to sit up. “Are you alright, Teddy?” he asked in a calm voice, knowing that children often mirror panic or worry in such circumstances.
The boy blinked a few times, putting his hand up to his head, which had hit the floor fairly hard. There were tears in his eyes, but he wasn’t really crying. “I think so, sir,” he whispered with a nod.
“Good. Let’s get you back to bed,” he said to the sniffling child. Then he did something he couldn’t for the life of him ever remember anyone doing for him. He stood and picked Teddy up off the ground, carrying him close to his body.
The boy instantly wrapped his arms around him and buried his face in his neck, crying earnestly now. Severus shifted him around on instinct so that they were both more comfortable, his own arms curling supportively around the child’s back without much thought of his own. It was frightening how natural this seemed, when he had never experienced such affection himself.
He walked both of them back over to the bed, but Teddy made no move to release him. So he sat on the edge of the bed, still holding the boy close in near bewilderment. What was he supposed to do next?
Teddy was wailing so openly now that Snape began to be concerned. He put his hand up to feel Teddy’s head in an attempt to make sure there was no real damage.
“Are you hurt, child?” he asked quietly.
Teddy shook his head and pressed his forehead tighter into the curve between Severus’ neck and shoulder.
Snape cupped the back of the boy’s head in his hand, not knowing what to do for him. He was prepared to just sit there with him until he calmed down. Against his own better judgment he chose to brush minds with Teddy for a second time.
Most things in his mind were jumbled, torrents of emotion crashed around him.
A series of images stood out stronger than the rest. It was then he was sure that he was seeing something Teddy himself would not be able to explain. He saw an image of Lupin, arms open wide but standing distinctly out of reach. The child was alone, that desolate aura clung about him in a shroud so thick it was hard to see through it.
All of a sudden he appeared, looking somehow not quite the same as he knew himself to be, scooping him off the floor and enfolding him in his arms.He felt warmth coursing throughTeddy, a happiness that was somehow melancholy yet still managed to overwhelm Snape.
Without even knowing it, he had sparked that feeling in the boy. With just one simple action he had made him feel worthwhile and it had done more for Teddy than any words he could have said. The emotion was overpowering, it was no wonder the child was having a hard time managing it.
He pulled away from the child’s mind carefully, not wanting to distress him further. There was no way he was fit to be dealing with this situation; he was in way over his head.
“Try taking a couple of deep breaths,” he tried calmly, making his own breathing slow and measured to show the child how.
Teddy tried, his first couple of inhalations coming out in quick, shuddering gasps. He kept at it until his sobbing settled down and his shaking shoulders stilled. He made no move to draw back, his face still hidden in Snape’s shoulder.
Severus briefly tightened his arms around the boy then loosened them, pulling away just a little to try and get a look at his face. He brought his hand up, using his thumb to wipe the tears away. Shifting them both he pulled a clean handkerchief from one of his pockets and held it out to the child.
Teddy took it and blew his nose loudly. He offered it back, unsure of what to do with it now that it was used.
Severus took a clean portion of it in his fingers and set it on the nightstand.
“Do you feel better now?” he asked.
Teddy nodded. Severus felt it rather than saw it, since the boy’s head was resting on his shoulder again. They sat like that for a while, Teddy reclined against him and his arms looped around the child’s middle.
“It’s getting late, do you think you could go back to sleep?”
Teddy shrugged and then nodded again.
“Alright,” Snape said, standing carefully with the boy still in his arms. Holding Teddy against his hip with one hand, he pulled the new sheets back with the other. As smoothly as he could, finding himself completely unsure of the mechanics of such a maneuver, he laid him down in the bed and pulled the sheets back up over his small shoulders. He retrieved the quilt from its place on the floor and spread it out over the bed, boy and all.
He felt the need to say it, “I didn’t mean to frighten you earlier. You did the right thing in coming to me for help.”
“I thought you were going to be so angry, but you’d said to do it. So I figured you’d be mad either way, sir,” Teddy admitted.
“I will not tell you to do something and then punish you for doing it. However, you were very brave tonight, thinking what you did and still coming to get me.”
“Thank you, sir. For everything.” Teddy’s breath hitched again.
Snape pulled the chair from the desk back over by the bed, and sat down; setting the book he’d been reading to Teddy earlier on his lap. He saw plain as day that the child would have a tough time going back to sleep with so many thoughts flying around his head.
“How about we read one more chapter?” he asked, seeing Teddy smile in the dim light.
It only took three pages for the boy to be out like a light. Snape closed the book with a marker to hold their spot, setting it aside. He decided to leave the chair there for now, standing and dimming the lights again. He left the door open again and retreated back to his rooms.
Snape didn’t even bother to check the time, climbing straight back into bed and closing his eyes.
Morning came too soon. He rose feeling quite unrested. Absently, he noted the broken glass on his nightstand. The cup had fallen apart when the spell had failed; he banished the whole mess with a wave of his hand.
Snape quickly dressed and ducked into the loo, splashing cold water on his face in an attempt to wake up. It was only moderately successful.
He checked in on Teddy, finding his bed empty. The child had clearly made a rough attempt to make it, sheets and comforter slightly askew. Snape smiled to himself, leaving them as they were.
Severus then opened the door to Lupin’s room, a thrill of uncertainty flashing through him upon finding a snoring Remus to be the room’s only occupant.
He found himself hurrying downstairs, eyes scanning the rooms as he went.
He stumbled into the kitchen, eyebrows raising to see Teddy dressed and sitting at the table eating a bowl of oatmeal. There was a tall glass of juice and a bowl of grapes beside him. He was swinging his feet freely and munching on his warm cereal, seeming quite care free.
Fred was at the sink, running water for dishes. There was a steaming cup of coffee sitting on the table opposite the boy. He crossed the room, picked up the cup and took a long sip before taking a seat.
“Good morning,” he said to the room in general. Teddy gave him a shy smile from behind a spoonful of oatmeal.
“Good morning,” Fred said cheerily. “Breakfast is being ready, although you is probably wanting to drink your coffee first.” He placed a bowl of porridge in front of Snape, who predictably didn’t touch.
“How was the rest of your sleep, Teddy?” Severus asked between sips.
“It was okay, sir,” he said, careful to swallow first.
“I see Fred helped you get ready. Have you been up for long?”
Teddy shook his head. “Just for a few minutes, sir.”
Snape drank the rest of his cup in silence, standing and refilling it before sitting back down and tucking into his own breakfast. When he was done, he brought his and Teddy’s dishes over to the sink where Fred was nearly done washing up.
“There are some things that need tending in the garden this morning,” he said to Fred. “But I will need to see to Lupin before I get to that. If you’ve the time I was thinking you could keep Teddy entertained until I am finished with that.”
“Of course Fred could be doing that, sir!” The elf exclaimed. “Fred brought the box of things down from the attic for the little one yesterday. There is being a few toys in there for us to be playing with,” he said with a glint in his eye, looking over at Teddy, who had perked up visibly at the mention of toys.
Severus wondered if there would be anything the boy would find to his interest in there. His family had never been wealthy and what money they had had was spent on other things more important than his recreation. He supposed it would keep them busy for a while at least.
“That sounds good, Fred. If you could ladle out another serving of porridge, I’ll take it up to Lupin so I can get some more potions into him.”
He finished his coffee while Fred made up a small tray for Remus. Porridge, some fruit and a glass of orange juice was laid out for Snape to take upstairs.
He picked it up and walked to the door. “See you in a while,” he said to the two of them, who were already chatting away. Fred had always been good with children.
Upstairs, he cleared a space and set the tray on the night table in Remus’ room.
“Morning, Lupin,” he said gruffly.
Remus jerked awake, looking around wildly. Interestingly enough, he relaxed when he saw Snape.
“Hello sir,” he greeted groggily. “Where is Teddy?”
“He’s fine. Fred and he are going through a box of old toys he found in the attic. It should give us more than enough time to get some food in you and change your dressings. I thought it best he not see your current level of healing.” The child had enough to worry about.
“Thank you, sir.” Remus struggled to sit up a little more.
Snape sat down by his bed and helped him through breakfast as he had every other meal the lycanthrope had eaten so far. He was rather pleased that Lupin’s appetite had picked up, seeing the whole meal cleared away. It meant he was healing at a faster pace; his body was working harder than it was when he had first arrived.
He set the tray aside and brought the potions closer, helping Remus to drink his allotment. “How is your pain this morning?”
“Oh, better than it was yesterday when I first woke up.” He tried rolling his shoulders carefully. “There’s definitely a greater range of movement.”
“Good. I’m going to change your wrappings and put more of the healing salve on. Let me know if the application feels any different than last time.”
He helped Remus sit forward again; carefully assisting him out of the button up top he was wearing and unwinding the bandages from around his arm and chest.
The wounds were still red and angry but the edges were clearly receding, leaving scar tissue in their wake. He uncapped the salve and rolled up his sleeves, sterilizing his hands and forearms with a charm. Dipping his fingers into the large pot of cream he began to apply it in long even swipes.
Remus’ skin was jumping and twitching under his fingers, more of a reaction than yesterday that was for sure. He continued his ministrations across Lupin’s chest and stomach, keeping the weight as light as possible across the tender flesh.
“How does that compare to yesterday?” he asked.
“The salve is cold; I can feel that now. Also the pressure of your hands, I barely sensed that yesterday.” What went unsaid was that the feeling of Snape’s hands spreading the healing cream across his skin was wonderful. He wasn’t sure if it was the cream itself or the mere fact that he was starved for physical contact that didn’t end in something awful. He didn’t care, trying to silence sounds of appreciation, attempting to keep his mind off Severus applying that same careful pressure to his cock the night before. His face flushed.
Snape repeated the process from the day before almost exactly; spelling a charm to protect his stomach and then levitating him so he could work on the other side of his body.
“Your back seems to be improving at a more accelerated pace than your chest and arm,” Snape said observantly. He pressed his fingers more firmly against some of the healed skin on Remus’ lower back, testing to see if the nerves responded.
Remus couldn’t help it; he let out a long exhale of contentment. The pressure in his back lightened immediately. Even with all the potions and the bath, there was no denying that his muscles were sore.
Snape didn’t say anything, but he didn’t stop applying the salve in the same fashion as before. Only this time he continued, covering Lupin’s entire back with it, including the unburned flesh. He pressed his thumbs with greater pressure into the unmarred tissue, finding a knot on the shoulder with no burns, working it under his fingers until he heard Remus groan. The sound would have gone right to his dick, had he not had the damned thing deliberately deflated. Maybe he should move on to the other man’s feet.
He bandaged Remus’ torso, arranging him so he was lying back in bed properly. Snape moved to the foot of the bed. The same process was repeated, only more slowly. Extra care was needed to tend these wounds; improper treatment could easily do more harm than help.
“Do you have any more feeling in them than yesterday?” Snape asked, Remus’ foot held carefully in his hands.
“It’s hard to say, I think so.” Remus wasn’t sure if he was making that up out of wishful thought or if it were true. “If there is, it’s minimal.”
“That’s to be expected. They were by far the worst of the damage; it will take them longer to heal.” Snape bandaged them again. He took a pillow from beside the bed and tucked it under Remus’ feet so they were slightly elevated and then covered them back up. He looked up at Lupin and found worry written across his face. “We’ll just have to wait and see; I’ll do all I can.”
Remus gave a snort of bitter laughter. “I hope so, sir. There isn’t much use in a lame slave.”
“Perhaps,” Snape drawled with one eyebrow raised. “We will worry about that when – and if – the situation arises. Just give it time.”
“You’re probably right, sir.”
“One or two more days of rest like you’ve been getting and you’ll more than likely start being awake for longer stretches. It may not sound like much, but you’re really improving at an accelerated pace.”
“Lycanthropy does have the occasional benefit.” Lupin agreed wryly, eyes slowly closing.
“If you wake and need anything, call Fred; if he is unable to assist you he will notify me. Teddy and I will be spending part of the day outside; some fresh air would do him good.”
Remus’ eyes opened. “Outside? Where are you going?”
“Relax, Lupin. We’re going down to the garden. I have some work to do out there. Teddy will… I don’t know; run around on the grass or whatever it is young boys do for fun.”
“You say that like you were never one yourself, sir,” Remus said with a smile.
Severus merely shrugged, anything he would say in response to that would be too revealing.
The smile dimmed from Remus’ face. “Don’t worry, sir. He’ll find something to amuse himself.”
“Of that I have no doubt. I’ll be up around lunchtime to see how you’re faring.”
“Thank you, sir.” Remus let his eyes drift shut again.
A/N: Please don’t look too carefully into the name of Teddy’s bond. I know nothing about Latin and do not pretend to.
What I found was:

Sclavus: slave

teneo : to grasp, know, understand.

teneo : to hold, keep, possess, maintain.

teneo : to keep on, persist, persevere, endure.
I found all three uses of ‘teneo’ pertinent to the bond in reference. Sorry if I botched it!
Thank you for reading and reviewing, as always. Hope this and the chapter before it are alright, they gave me quite a bit of trouble. Let me know what you’re thinking!
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The Long Road