Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Freedom Bound in Chains	By : TaintedSensibly Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 58478 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 13
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Harry Potter characters. I did not make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 96
- 97
- 98
A/N: I want to thank ALL OF YOU for all the very well expressed feedback. I am still mulling it over and going back and forth to be honest. There were SO MANY good points. :D I have a few chapters to make a final decision. I think I’m pretty set on them not returning for the rest of 1st year at least. Dumbledore has that much time to decide (and me lol).
THANK YOU TO MY FABULOUS READERS!!!
Lost and Found
Deeply unhappy, Remus stared anxiously across the street at the unassuming stone building in front of him. Cars drove past. People walked quickly along the sidewalk, bundled in their scarves and jackets. At the end of the street was a local grocery. He could just see the spire of a church a block over to the right.
The park behind him had a little pond and a fairly wide stretch of lawn. There was slush gathered here and there in the areas that didn’t get much sun. Bare oak trees were scattered about. In spring and summer, they would likely provide lovely shade.
Amidst all this normalcy sat a club that Draco had told him to find. Remus had no idea why Draco thought seeing this type of lifestyle up close would make him more accepting instead of less, but he owed Draco at least this much trust. The day was overcast and the wind was biting. It was cold, but Remus hardly felt it. He had been sitting there for hours, lost in thought.
Laila had warned him about his habit of avoidance and escapism. It was his prime coping technique and it was decidedly unhealthy because it never settled anything. He had a swamp of issues and feelings that only kept growing deep in his subconscious. Laila had taught him the signs to look out for if he began to avoid dealing with difficult things again, but even still he hadn’t noticed he was doing it again. Because he had wanted it to. Because it was so far outside his comfort zone and bore such a heavy consequence.
He was a werewolf. He had inhuman thoughts and urges tugging at him all the time. The closer to the full moon, the worse it was. He would be hated and feared by society if they knew, but he hadn’t hated himself enough to turn himself in to be euthanized or hospitalized for the rest of his miserable life. And he couldn’t reconcile knowing that he was an evil thing dressed as a man and yet he was not being willing to do the “right” thing and sacrifice his life. What kind of person did that make him? So he avoided thinking about it. Just shoved it away and focused on keeping everything locked down and hidden so no one could figure it out and force him to choose.
He ran when the war had grown more intense. He’d been afraid the violence would break down the walls he’d built, terrified he’d be exposed for what he was. His friends… They’d understood. They’d forgiven him for running. But he never stopped. He heard of their deaths and just kept running. Running from the knowledge that his beloved friends, his pack, had fallen apart, and the certain knowledge that it wouldn’t have happened had he been there to protect what was HIS!
But that was the mad howling of the wolf. So he’d shoved everything down even further. Pushed and shoved and locked it all away. He hadn’t even realized ten years had passed. It was a blur of full moons and sleepwalking through life, drifting rootless and alone.
Then Dumbledore had come to him. Told him about Harry - the one remaining piece that connected Remus to the only time he’d been happy. Dumbledore had shown him the memories they had secured. To prepare him for what to expect when he found Harry. Remus had seen a small, defenseless child, brutally starved and subservient and helpless… and for the first time in Remus’s life, he truly cared about something more than his curse and hiding it.
He didn’t care what it cost - coming out as a monster, even his pathetic life - Nothing mattered as much as getting that child back and making sure he was safe. For the first time in over ten years, Remus felt clear-headed and fully present in his own life. He would stop at nothing to get to Harry. That had been the turning point. That was the point at which something changed in him and he began to break free of his self-imposed prison.
As well-read as he was, as much as he knew about other countries, and histories, and cultures of the world, he never allowed himself to acknowledge that the way other cultures saw his condition was different from Europe. Finding Shamanism and being embraced by a cultural acceptance for lycanthropy while he was in America was like being blind all his life and thinking it was normal to being able to seeing for the first time. The mere possibility of forgiveness and control gave him a newfound strength. He’d been on a mission to find Harry, but in the end he'd found himself.
And that was just the start. With Harry had come Draco. Draco’s mind was almost as alien to a normal human’s as a werewolf’s because Draco’s mindset clashed terribly with conventional norms. He clashed with all the ideas of what a child was and should be. Especially the place of a child in relation to an adult. Draco defied all of it. Remus had thought he had come to terms with who Draco was, with what Draco was to him, but Draco was right. He hadn’t faced it fully.
The truth was Draco was extremely intuitive when dealing with others and he made decisions rationally and pragmatically. Unlike Dumbledore, he was never mysterious or self-serving in his decisions. Sometimes he could be ruthless and cruel, but - unlike Sirius - it was never without a practical reason. Remus would have no reservations in trusting himself to the leadership of such a man, but Draco wasn’t a man yet. Remus’s mind still had trouble accepting the idea of a grown man of thirty-two submitting to the leadership of an eleven-year-old.
But hadn’t he already done just that? Draco had always made the final decisions when it came to him and Harry. The fact that those decisions lined up with what Remus thought they should do made swallowing that truth easier, but if he were honest, Remus had always known that should Draco ever disagree on the direction they were taking, Remus would be unable to change Draco’s mind or force Draco to follow his directions.
Was obedience from a child like Draco really so necessary? Draco was as reasonable as any adult. If he felt another option was better after hearing everything Remus had to say, then it was likely that Remus would be the one convinced to change his mind and support the new direction. It had happened regarding the Vivificantis serum, had it not? And Draco hadn’t even been present for that! His decisions had been spoken through Harry and still Remus had come to agree with and accept it. So why was he resisting? Draco had clearly been acting as Alpha all this time and Remus had no complaint. Draco was a great leader regardless of his age. He could be trusted to maintain the role with responsibility and respect.
Remus growled in frustration and ruffled his hair. He was running away again. He knew what was holding him back; he just didn’t want to admit it. If it was just a matter of accepting Draco’s leadership, he would have already accepted that and moved on, but it was Draco’s relationship with Harry that still gave Remus pause.
Accepting Draco as his Alpha meant accepting the boys’ relationship, which he’d done his best not to acknowledge up to this point. He hadn’t accepted Draco’s sexuality deep down where it mattered. That coupled with Remus’s resistance to fully accept and forgive the monster inside him and Remus had gone back to old habits. He’d avoided and shoved down and passively allowed events to unfold.
But as the years went on and Remus slowly built trust and acceptance with the creature inside him, as the monster became a wolf, his instincts toward Draco grew stronger. He’d let himself get carried away by them without fully acknowledging how it would change his relationship with both boys.
He needed to stop running from this. He needed to look it square in the face and either accept it or leave, just as Draco had said. But the mere thought of leaving the boys for good sent pain spearing through his center strong enough to constrict his chest and prevent him from drawing a full breath.
Remus knew for a fact that Draco had healed something in Harry. That Harry had been so far damaged that he likely wouldn’t have survived or would have even become an Obscurus if it hadn’t been for Draco. Remus had witnessed with his own eyes again and again how genuinely happy Harry was with Draco. Still, the fact that they were sexual at so young an age was disturbing. Add in the fact that it was a bit more extreme than just sex… Remus could hardly even think of it, let alone accept it…
Night had fallen while Remus had sat in thought. The pedestrians and cars had become fewer. Now cars were coming and parking along the street. People in trench coats rushed from the warmth of their vehicles to the club’s door. Remus could just make out the soft thump of music every time it opened. He had to admit the soundproofing was good. There wasn’t a sign advertising the club, just two words drawn in black cursive on the door: The Garden.
Remus pushed it open and was hit in the face by loud music. It was music he had never heard before. Repetitive and provocative with a lot of bass. There was a small entrance hall with curtains blocking off the rest of the club. Two bouncers were waiting for him there. They were both topless and wore leather pants with steel-toed boots. One had a bunch of silver pierced through his skin, chest and face. The other man was even more disturbing. He had on a black latex mask that covered his entire face except for his mouth and eye holes. Remus cringed inside.
“Ten pounds,” the non-masked bouncer announced. “You can put your coat in the closet.”
Remus would rather not, but it was warm inside and he bet it was even warmer past the curtains. He could hear cheering now. Numbly he put the money in the man’s hand. The coat closet was over-full so he just stuffed it in at the bottom. The bouncers both gave him curious looks for the plain black slacks and grey t-shirt he wore. He’d done research and knew that the dress code was extravagant, skimpy, and bizarre, but he just couldn’t bring himself to even attempt anything so outrageous. Dressing in black and dark grey was the best he could do.
The red curtains parted and Remus was plunged into overstimulation. The room was dark with flashing lights and lasers. Hanging from the ceiling, there were men and women on hoops and ropes, practically naked with leather straps and harnesses decorating their bodies that covered nothing. They wore bold, bright make-up and twisted and turned in the air.
Floodlights highlighted a half-dozen small stages scattered about the room. Some men and women were giving strip shows, others were being spanked or whipped. On one stage, a man was drawing something on a girl’s skin with a tattoo gun.
In the far back was a DJ in front of a table with odd contraptions all around him. The space in front was an open dance floor where people jumped up and down and gyrated. The room was full, but it wasn’t packed. He could clearly see the costumes that were being worn.
People were covered in feathers and leather and latex. Some were more covered, others were more naked. There were a lot of exposed breasts and asses. There were a lot of couples, Remus noted, mostly men with women, but there were a good number of gay couples. A woman came in behind him and Remus quickly scurried out of the way, heading toward the bar, the one place that seemed the most familiar.
The bar was enormously along the right side of the massive room with four bartenders. People were gathered there, shouting drink orders over the electric music. Remus took the stool on the very end, closest to the red curtains and escape. As sipped on his white Russian, he braced himself to observe the crowd once more.
It was all so shocking! What these people were wearing was almost more than he could overcome, but as an hour passed, he began to notice all the laughter. The atmosphere was exotic and sensual, but there was a lot more playfulness than he expected. People were getting drunk and silly. There was as much dancing and watching the acrobatic shows as there were punishment scenes. And even Remus could admire the athleticism and artistry of those arial hoop shows.
Remus turned bright red when he noticed in a shadowed booth in the corner near him there was a couple having sex. The man was on his back on the wide booth seat. He had on leather chaps that left him completely exposed and nothing else. The woman had on high-heels, stockings, and a black corset, but between her legs was bare to the world.
Remus felt mortified for them, but he realized there were no crude comments or jeers as they were discovered. People watched in appreciation before moving on. A few made out while watching, but the couple wasn’t disturbed or made to feel disgusting. The woman was clearly in control of the scene as she rode the man. She was beautiful and unashamed. The man looked like he was in heaven.
Remus had no idea what in the hell to think. He was buzzed by this point, but not so much so that the frown had left his face. A gentle hand touched his arm and he nearly jumped off his stool. He turned to see an Oriental woman smiling gently at him. She wasn’t dressed as outrageously as some of the others, but she would still draw looks on the street.
She wore a black, skintight skirt that fell to mid thigh and a red corset that hung low enough to expose most of her breasts but kept her nipples covered. She had exotic and fading tattoos in a rainbow of colors down her left arm. Her hair was ruler straight and had a sheen to it. It fell past her shoulders. Her straight bangs fell just above her eyes, covering her forehead completely. She was not young but not old. It was hard to judge her age, but her dark, slanted eyes spoke of knowledge somehow.
“What’s a fine man like you doing here?” she asked just loudly enough to be heard over the pounding bass.
Remus blushed a dark red and spluttered something inarticulate.
She gave him an understanding smile and took him gently but firmly by the wrist. She led him back to the red curtains. Remus figured he was being kicked out, but then she turned and they slipped down a shadowed hallway. She took out a key from somewhere and unlocked a door. Light flooded out into the hallway and Remus had to squint a bit as he stepped into a perfectly normal kitchenette.
There were light blue counters with white tile countertops. A microwave sat in the corner next to a fridge. A darker blue couch with white pillows was placed against one wall. The woman guided him to the round wooden table that sat in center of the room. It had four chairs placed around it. She pulled out a seat for him before moving gracefully to the fridge.
“We can speak more easily in here,” she explained. She took out chilled bottles of water and returned to sit next to him.
It was then that Remus realized the music had been greatly muffled. He was again impressed with the soundproofing of the building. He accepted the water, keeping his eyes down as he drank some. He waited for her to say something, but she just sat quietly.
“I’m not sure about the lifestyle, but I’m thinking about becoming a sub,” he suddenly spoke into the silence, quoting Draco almost verbatim. “Can you explain it to me?” He looked up to see the woman tilting her head slightly as if curious. When she saw him looking, her mouth curved into a smile.
“Yes, of course.” She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. It made the skirt ride up a bit and Remus blushed and quickly averted his eyes. “First, having a dom/sub relationship as a lifestyle is not the same thing as the party out there.”
Surprised, he met her eyes. “It’s not?”
She shook her head. “No. Today’s society is very rigid and people’s desires are suppressed. This is a place where people can let their inhibitions fall and be free to express all the feelings and desires that they have to repress in their day-to-day lives. A lot of these people go home to normal lives by society’s standards. It’s very different from truly living the lifestyle.”
“You mean, they have to be like that everyday to be considered in the lifestyle?” Remus asked, his expression twisted with distaste.
“Not at all.” The woman leaned forward slightly, resting her arm on the table. “In fact, I know many couples who are in the lifestyle who would never come to one of these parties. These parties are all about exhibition and voyeurism. It’s a thrill and there is a beauty to it, but everyone is unique. Such shows do not appeal to all.”
Remus considered that. It was true that he couldn’t actually see Draco at a party like this one or happy about showing Harry off, either. His frown deepened by realizing just how much he didn’t understand. “Then why did he send me here?”
Her smile sharpened, her dark red lips parting to show perfect white teeth. Humor danced in her eyes. “That is the question. Maybe to shock you. To test you,” she reasoned. “But it might also be because we are a very private group. This is one of the only places to make contact with someone who could answer your questions.”
Remus’s brow furrowed. Was Draco testing him?
“In any case, it was a risky order,” she said slowly, her smile gone. “There are many people who practice and the spectrum is very large. Not everyone has strict ethics as I do. I will not lie and say there isn’t a dark side to those who are attracted to this lifestyle. Someone with less discipline or integrity can perpetrate or become victim to true slavery and abuse.”
Remus cringed and took a deep swig of his water.
She sighed and leaned back, her arm sliding off the table. “I can tell you are deeply uncomfortable with this subject. May I ask why you are even considering it?”
Remus rolled the water bottle between his hands and thought about her request. He’d come here for answers, but could he really explain the situation in a way she could understand?
Long minutes passed and she didn’t once grow impatient or try to hurry him. That made up his mind. He looked up and met her eyes once more. “Do you mind if I ask you a question first? If you’d rather not, I understand that you have no real obligation to help me.”
She smiled her gentle smile. “Ask.”
“Why would someone want to become completely submissive to another person? Why would they want the person they loved to hurt them?” he asked a bit more heatedly than he’d meant to, his thoughts on Harry.
Harry was probably his biggest hangup. Harry was so sweet. Why would he want anything like what was out there in that club? Why wasn’t being in love and having sex enough? Why was there a BDSM edge to it? Draco lived for Harry. Remus was clear on that. So Harry must in someway be asking for that kind of dominance for Draco to respond in kind. And why would Draco accept it instead of steering Harry away from it? Unless there was a part of Draco that enjoyed it, too? Remus was only making himself more confused. Thankfully, the woman’s voice drew him from his thoughts.
“People submit for many reasons,” she said, calm and completely at ease with the conversation. “But it sounds to me like you are describing a true psychological need.” The woman leaned forward again, bracing her forearms on the table, her hands clasped. “In that case, the reason is simple. Security and reassurance. Think of someone with a broken back. They cannot move or walk on their own. It truly feels that way to some. Fear and anxiety can be just as crippling. A dom’s authority can break a sub free from that and grant a sub true peace. Better yet, through service the submissive can give back to the dom, which will boost self-confidence and self-esteem.”
Remus stared at her, surprised by the educated answer.
She smiled, amused, and reached over and let her fingertips rest on the back of his hand. “Every human soul suffers damage as we move through life. We seek companionship in part to soothe those damaged bits. A healthy dom/sub relationship does exactly that. It allows the dom the control he or she needs to feel safe enough to open their hearts, and it allows the sub security and focus.”
“So it’s not about sex?” he asked, bewildered.
She shrugged her bare shoulders, bringing attention to the wide expanse of pale skin across her chest on display. “It is and it isn’t. There are some who practice without sex and there are some where sex is the core of their relationship.” Her smile this time was full of carnal knowledge. “We are sensual beings. Sexuality has been long repressed and seen as depraved, but sex is born from the most primal aspect of our being. Our need to connect with one another and feel decadent pleasure. When we deny an entire aspect of our humanity, we get things like the party out there. As shocking as it seems, it’s basically a harmless and much needed release of too much repression and tension.”
“Harmless…” he echoed dubiously.
She actually laughed. “The club is surprisingly safe. We have staff blending in to make sure people don’t get carried away in the heat of the moment and that the house rules are being followed. In my old place of business, we didn’t allow alcohol and play to mix. To prevent accidence or overindulgence. But we have fewer incidences than you would think. No more than any other more socially acceptable club or bar. There are depraved people in the world no matter where you go, but here we have people in place to make sure no one is being truly harmed. In that way, you are safer here than any conservative club you would call normal.”
Remus nodded his head to show he understood. She did make good points. Taking a deep breath, he decided he couldn’t let this opportunity slip by. He wasn’t sure why she was taking the time out to speak to him, but he was sincerely grateful.
He dropped his eyes to the water bottle clasped between his hands. It crinkled loudly under the pressure of his grip. “If you would spare me a few more minutes, I’d like your thoughts on my situation.”
“I am very curious,” she admitted.
“There’s this… person…” Remus couldn’t tell her Draco was a child. She would rightfully be doubtful of his claims of not being sexually attracted to the boy and likely call the police. “I’ve… I guess I’ve always been looking… for someone to follow…” Remus shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. “I haven’t always been truthful about what I want or need. I’ve… suppressed it, I guess. Like you said.”
“Something changed?” she prompted when he fell awkwardly silent, dark eye soulful and compassionate.
Remus looked at her, almost pleading. “I just… It’s so hard to explain…”
She grabbed his hand again, this time more firmly. “Don’t worry about me understanding what you are trying to say. Just say it in words that make sense to you.”
Remus nodded shakily and gripped her hand back, surprisingly grateful for the support. He closed his eyes and just thought about what he wanted to say. “I met this person and he… He has this aura. He’s so confident and decisive. I’ve seen others around him get resentful about that, but if anyone wanted to voice an opinion on the decisions, he always listens.” Remus smiled against the darkness of his closed eyes. “That’s not to say he’ll go with what you want, but he always listens. Truly listens. He’s a great leader. People follow him naturally. He’s very insightful, and he’s good at taking care of people. Everything in me screams to follow his lead, to support him and help make his goals into a reality, but… It’s so hard. There’s an age difference and he’s male…”
Remus flashed his eyes open to look at the woman, needing her to understand. “I don’t want to sleep with this guy. At all. I am completely straight.” A traitorous memory of waking up after Beltane inside of another man’s body flashed before his eyes and he scowled. “So I’m a little disturbed by the sexual dominance/submissive aspect of his relationship with this other boy. I guess I don't understand why such… extremes… are necessary.”
Dark eyes looked at him compassionately from under pitch-black bangs. “I don’t think you are going to like what I have to say, but I am going to say it anyway.” She took her hand away, giving him space. “You are very lucky this dom is so understanding. You clearly need the relationship more than he does, and you’re questioning a pre-established relationship of higher intimacy. Most doms would not stand for that because it might unbalance or upset their sub. The fact that you are not asking for a sexual relationship is probably the only reason this dom is considering accepting you, but even without sex, such a relationship is by its nature intimate. He and his sub must feel extremely confident of their bond to allow a third party to intrude. Successful polyamorous relationships are rare for a reason.”
Remus swallowed hard. He was such a selfish bastard. He never once thought what Draco being his Alpha would do to Harry. He just figured since sex wasn’t involved it wouldn’t affect him. But that was so stupid on his part. He knew that anything to do with Draco would affect Harry, especially something like this were Draco would have to make a big commitment.
“I think on one hand this dom and his submissive are not your concern. It doesn’t sound like they would perform in front of you or anything. It is the dom’s place to take care of the details. It is the sub’s place to take care of the dom. He will know if and when things are out of balance or needs adjustments. At least, if he is a good dom. If you see things that concern you, always talk to him about it, but then you must accept that he will take care of it and let it go. If not, you are not truly accepting his authority. There will be no true trust between you. On the other hand, if you are that disturbed by their sexual relationship, that will definitely affect this other sub. Subs are extremely sensitive to judgement. It will poison, not only your relationship with the dom, but the relationship between the dom and his sub, so I definitely don’t recommend you attempting this relationship if you are not able to accept that they are together and practice this lifestyle.”
Remus wilted. She was right. She was right about all of it. It did boil down to trust and the fact that, as much as he professed to trust Draco and Harry, he clearly didn’t. Not implicitly anyway.
She took his hand once more. “I think you are trying too hard. Understanding may be impossible, but acceptance is not. They are two different things. The sexual aspect is clearly not attractive to you, so it is not something you can truly understand. Instead accept that you will not understand, but that it exists. No true harm is being done to this sub or you would have reacted completely differently. That’s all you really need to understand, yes?” Her dark eyes stared into him, making him feel small but at the same time at ease.
“Yes… That’s true… I’ve thought much the same for a long while now, but actually admitting I want a deeper relationship with the… dom… made me confront it again, if you know what I mean?”
She smiled softly. “I do. It sounds complicated, but…”
She was cut off by the door opening behind him. Music flooded the relative quiet of the room. The woman was sitting with her back to the fridge so she was able to simply turn her head to see the man who had entered. Remus had to turn halfway around.
Remus’s eyes widened, recognizing the man instantly. He stood so abruptly that the table rattled and slid a few inches across the floor. The man’s face was one he would never forget. Not after watching the gut-wrenching goodbye in the hospital room.
Black wavy hair pulled back into a low ponytail - angular features - thick brows over glaring blue eyes - thin frame and of average height. The man wore faded blue jeans, combat boots that were only half-laced, and a black leather jacket over a skin-tight black t-shirt.
Smiling wide enough to split his face, the man moved forward in a long, graceful stride and grabbed Remus by the shoulders. “Fuck! I was startin’ ta think we’d never find you,” he said brightly, his New York accent as thick as ever. “How are Draco and Harry?”
The woman got up and shut the door behind the man, plunging the room into relative quiet. She came to stand a little behind the man as calm as ever. Remus stared at her and realized he recognized her, too. In his defense, he’d been more than half out of his mind when he met her from literally being tortured. She was the woman who had saved him from the Scourers! He felt surprisingly betrayed. She had set him up! She must have recognized him immediately and called this man… Wait…
“I thought they wiped your memory?” Remus frowned at the man still holding his shoulders. “Both of yours.”
“They did.” The woman shrugged. “I don’t remember you or seeing the boys in that basement, but Liam gave Drey and I a description of you. Anyone who came close, we got alone and waited for Liam to come confirm the man’s identity.”
Liam stepped back and ran a shaking hand over his hair. “That chick at the hospital. She felt bad, I guess,” he explained, talking fast in his excitement. “She pretended to wipe my memory. Told me to get out of America. Said she’d erase my memory for real next time she saw me. Said I deserved a chance seeing how I came to rescue Draco an’ Harry an’ all. ‘Sides, in Europe they ain’t so strict about non-magical people like me, so she figured it was England’s problem not America’s since I wanted to go after the boys anyway.”
Remus couldn’t help chuckling in disbelief. He remembered Betty. Such a risky and highly illegal action sounded just like her.
“How are they?” Liam demanded again, staring Remus down. The desperation and sincerity of that question was hard to miss.
Remus considered his options. It was illegal to tell a Muggle about the Wizarding world if that Muggle wasn’t related to a magical child, but in this case Liam was a type of family and he’d come all this way on the mere chance of seeing Draco and Harry again. That kind of devotion was hard to refuse.
“I want to explain something first.” Remus took a deep breath, meeting their eyes solemnly. “Harry is a target of a very dangerous wizard. A magical war is coming, and Draco is doing all he can to make sure they are on the winning side. I tell you this because without magic you will be a very tempting target to use against the boys. Knowing this, do you want to risk getting involved in their lives?”
Liam opened his mouth, a frown darkening his features, but Jess cut him off, placing a hand on his arm. “We would rather not die or be used to trap or hurt the boys,” she said reasonably. “Is there a way to limit the risk and still be a part of their lives? And can you afford to make the decision alone?”
Remus flushed a dark red, realizing that she now knew the dom he’d been talking about was Draco.
Jess kept her gaze even with his. “I think we should discuss this with Draco before making a decision. If it is decided that we should stay away until after the war, then that’s what we will do. But I want you to consider that Draco will eventually need guidance from a more mature dom. As the boys hit puberty, things will get more chemical and intense.”
Remus swallowed hard, terrified by the pronouncement.
Jess hoped he was listening. “A dom/sub relationship is an intense one. No matter how true and good the couple, it needs tending and maintenance to avoid it becoming negative or stagnant. Draco has incredible instinct, but there a lot of damage can happen in such a relationship by the trial and error method. I say all this to let you know that if we need to keep our distance, you will have to find another mentor for them. Personally, I believe we were reunited for a reason. We are meant to be in their lives.”
Liam waved his hand in an abrupt gesture, as if pushing that issue to the side. “How are they?” he asked again, this time quietly although no less intense.
Remus sighed. “They are doing well, but they are having a difficult time adjusting to the school.”
Liam shared a knowing glance with Jess before turning his full attention back to Remus. “Like how?”
Remus didn’t know if he should tell them more. Would it pull them in? Would it make it harder to say goodbye if they were deemed too much of a risk? Or would knowing more give them some peace, enough to wait for the war to be over, however many years that would take?
“It would be better for Draco to tell you himself,” Remus finally decided. “As I wasn’t actually with them at Hogwarts.”
Instead of getting angry at the denial, a large smile spread across Liam’s face at the implication of being allowed to see Draco again. A smaller, but no less sincere, smile softened Jess’s face.
Reassured that he’d made the right decision, Remus smiled back, tension bleeding from his frame. “Thank you for your help earlier,” he told Jess, giving her a short bow, cheeks blushing red. Then doing his best not calm down, he looked back to Liam. “Where should I bring Draco to meet you?”
“Our apartment.” Liam tossed his head toward the door, still grinning like mad. “I’ll take you now so you know where it is.”
Remus nodded and followed him out the door. Music crashed over him like a wave as soon as the door opened, but he barely spared the party raging inside a second glance. He felt almost dazed. Between the drinks, the outrageous club, his conversation with Jess, and meeting Liam again, Remus almost felt like he was dreaming.
Draco and Harry’s adoptive family from New York were living in London! He couldn’t even believe it. Remus had only met Jess once when she pulled him down off that godforsaken cross. He hadn’t even really met Liam. He’d merely stood in the doorway watching helplessly while the boys were forced to say goodbye. But Liam had spoken to him, just before Remus had turned away, and he wasn’t ever going to forget that moment…
… The young muggle, no older than nineteen, had been spelled unconscious on a hospital bed in a private room as far away from the magical patients as possible. Draco hesitated when he saw the man lying so still and pale, but then Liam opened his eyes, clearly feeling groggy and Draco relaxed. He pulled Harry fully into the room just as Liam sat up-right and swung his legs over the side of the bed, swaying woozily.
“Take it slow,” Draco advised.
Liam’s head turned quickly toward the sound of Draco’s vice and he grinned, tears filling his eyes as he saw Draco whole and well standing a few feet from him. Harry was right behind the blond, slightly to the side. He had a hand hooked in Draco's white cotton shirt. He wore an identical shirt, and they had on identical white pajama bottoms. It was what all the patients at the hospital wore. Remus felt his hands clench into fists, his breathing becoming rough as he fought back memories of their torture and capture by fanatical, magic-hating muggles. They were almost dead when the boys’ adoptive brother had saved them all.
“Draco. Harry.” Liam reached for them, clearly feeling too unsteady to stand. Draco took his hand and stepped closer so that Liam could pull both boys into a hug. “Thank god you're okay.”
“Thanks to you,” Draco answered, voice uncharacteristically soft against Liam's chest. “How'd you find us?”
Liam pushed the boys back just enough so that he could see their faces. Harry was unusually silent. Remus winced and couldn’t imagine how Liam must feel. Harry may look well, but he wasn't, and neither was Draco. Not after what those bastards had done to them.
“I tore through the underworld 'til I found someone who knew something. Busted up a few people doing it. Might be a good idea for us to get out of town,” Liam confessed with a lopsided smile.
Instead of looking relieved, Draco looked infinitely pained. “Look.”
That one word and Remus saw Liam’s expression harden and shut down. Like he knew what Draco was going to say.
“Liam.” Draco straightened his back and looked him in the eye. “I don't think we can stick with ya. Those Scourers, they're not gonna stop 'til we're dead this time. We've got to stay with magic people and learn how ta protect ourselves. We need ta learn how ta control this power we have. And you ain't got magic. It's illegal for us to be with you cause you don't got it an' we do, so we can't go with ya.”
Liam stared into Draco's serious little face and said, “No.” Grey eyes widened and, with a grin, Liam said it again. “No. Hard rule. We stay together. I don't give a shit about those psychos. Don't care about some stupid law. Hell if I'm going to let that happen! We stick together, Draco. We're family.”
“Look...” Draco tried again, frustrated.
“No,” Liam said simply, forcing a bored expression.
“Liam...”
“No.”
Fire ignited in Draco's suddenly silver eyes. “Shut the fuck up and listen! It's not like we want you to go, but what the fuck are we goin' ta' do? They got magic, Liam. They're gonna make ya think you're happy we're gone. I can't stop that. You definitely can't stop it. And you may not care about the danger, but that just means you're a stupid, selfish fuck!” Draco was panting by this point, fists clenched, cheeks red. “I sure as hell fuckin' care!” he yelled angrily. “Care what it'll do to us if we have'ta watch you die like we did Brendon! Care that sticking together might end up getting us all killed!”
Liam reached forward and hugged Draco tightly to his chest. Harry pressed up against Draco's back, up against Liam's arms. Remus could see that Harry was trembling. He bit his lip, wondering if he should intervene, but then he saw the grief and acceptance in Liam’s eyes and realized he didn’t have to.
“Shit. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Draco. You're right.” Liam visibly braced himself and whispered into Draco’s ear, Remus hearing only because of the nearing Full Moon.“Fuck, I love you guys. So damn much.”
Remus felt tears prickle in his eyes as Harry began to sob, loud and heartbreaking like only a child could.
Liam pushed Draco gently away and ruffled Harry's hair. “Hey, none of that. I'm sure you guys are going to go on awesome adventures and do kickass magic, right? I'm going to be alright, Harry. Really. You guys helped me out a lot. We're always going to be family, even if we don't see each other again. Family, real family, they stay in here with us always.” Liam placed his hand flat against Harry's chest over his heart. He offered him his best smile.
Draco grabbed Liam’s other hand and pressed it flat over his own chest, mirroring Harry. Remus could tell by the slight shift in Liam’s expression that the man could feel the flesh there was just slightly raised and uneven with scar tissue.
Simultaneously the boys lifted a hand (Draco's left, Harry's right) and pressed them flat on Liam's chest. “You saved us,” Draco told him solemnly. It was said with a wealth of meaning, telling Liam that Draco would never forget.
Liam's lips trembled.
“I love you, Liam,” Harry said with a simple honesty that was just so him. Honest, pure, open; he was the most generous and loving person Remus had ever met.
Tears slipped down the man’s cheeks, but Liam forced his smile to hold. He pushed on their chests hard enough to make them back-step. Remus knew they had to go. Now. Or Liam wasn't going to have the strength to follow through. He'd grab hold of them and make the Aurors separate them by force. The boys didn’t need any more trauma.
“See ya around, kiddos,” Liam said as lightly as he could. “Maybe we'll run into each other again in a few years and you can fill me in on all of your adventures.”
Crying, Harry curled into Draco's side, pressing his face against the blond's shoulder. He looked so small in Draco's arms.
Draco mirrored Liam's fake smile and gave a wave. “Bye, Liam. Thank you.”
“Bye,” Liam whispered back and watched the boys walk out of the room, Draco's arm firmly around Harry. That was when Liam had locked onto Remus. Voice with both rage and grief, spat an order, fierce and bitter, “You better fucking keep them safe! You hear me? Keep them safe!”
Remus had met Liam’s eyes solemnly before giving a nod. Then he left, leaving the man to scream and rage before spells pulled him down into unconsciousness…
Chapter end.
A/N: All of you who missed Liam, Jess, and Drey…. Can I get a HALLELUJAH?! LOL! Surprise!!! XD
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Freedom Bound in Chains