Harry didn’t move away from the wall. He kept a wary watch on the potion master as the man searched through the potion stocks that Lucius had brought in earlier.

“I don’t need your help,” Harry said when the potion master had stopped and looked over at him.

“Yet, I am here and I intend to heal you,” Severus said as he turned back around to investigate the make-shift potions lab. The ingredients for the healing potion he wanted to make were all there. He lit a fire under several cauldrons and began to brew the healing cream.

Harry huffed out in frustration. He didn’t trust Snape but knew he had to do whatever Lucius wanted. Something deep inside him wanted to protest but he couldn’t bring himself to actually complain anymore then he already had.

He struggled to keep from falling asleep. He was so exhausted but too afraid to fall asleep with Snape in the same room. He tried to concentrate on remembering where he had met Snape, because he knew they had met before. His memories of his life before coming to live with Lucius were foggy at best.

His clearest memories were very recent and even those memories were a bit fuzzy. He remembered being terribly frightened and angry when he had first arrived here. Mulciber had tied him down to the long dining room table with a spell and then shoved that silver bullet down his throat. He rubbed at his neck at the painful memory.

He remembered Mulciber casting a Cruciatus spell on him because he had refused to drink the blue potion. He also remembered Lucius entering the dining room and making Mulciber stop hurting him.

Unfortunately, Lucius hadn’t stayed and as soon as he had left Mulciber shoved a tube down his throat and forced him to take that blue potion. His memory of being dragged down here was vivid due to the fact that his back had hurt so dreadfully. He remembered the horrible thirst he had. He wasn’t sure how long he had been left in the pitch blackness but it had felt like it had been several days.

Then, he remembered Lucius coming to save him. He had awoken to Lucius gently shaking him awake and offering him a tall glass of water.

Harry’s face reddened with shame when he remembered how he had treated Lucius that first time. He had struck out at him and had even tried to make a run for the open door. Lucius had made short work of immobilizing him. Then the man had conjured a chair and explained the situation to him.

It hadn’t taken him very long to realize that Lucius was only trying to help him. Lucius had been very patient with him, even offering him that tall glass of water again.

Lucius took good care of him, teaching him all sorts of things and telling him stories about his past. Everything Lucius had said rang true and Harry had even had dreams of his past life to confirm such things had truly happened. The Dursley dreams were the worst, but there were other dreams that were just as bad.

Sometimes he dreamt of a frightening dragon chasing him on his broom and Grindylows biting him in the lake. Lucius had helped him remember that Dumbledore had forced him into competing in a competition that he was far too young to be competing in. It was Dumbledore that wanted him to live with the Dursley’s too.

He didn’t know exactly what Dumbledore’s plans had been for him but he did know that he didn’t want to be under the man’s control again.

He felt his eyes starting to shut again so he sat up straighter, rubbing his tired eyes in hopes that they would cooperate and stay open.

Severus added in the last of the unicorn thistle to the healing potion, then lowered the heat on the cauldron. His thoughts went back to this complicated crisis that they were in. He had been assessing the potion ingredients that were on the shelf and came to the distressing conclusion that he did not have the necessary components to concoct a counter remedy to the Potion of Domination. He had only brewed the counter potion once before. It hadn’t worked very well and the poor Muggle slave had never fully recovered.

He shook his head as he thought of the silver anti- apparition bullet that was in the boy’s belly. The only way for the boy to leave these premises would be by Lucius’ side. The bullet would explode unless Lucius lowered the wards completely.

He rubbed at his neck as the tension mounted. He looked over at the forlorn boy and shook his head with remorse for having let the boy put himself in such a dire predicament. He knew better then to speak openly in front of Potter, since not only was the teen thoroughly brainwashed to think Dumbledore was the enemy but he also knew that Lucius would be cautious enough to perform a Legilimens on the boy after he left. It also hadn’t escaped Severus notice that Lucius had been addressing Potter by his first name, thereby establishing a bond with the teen.

Severus could see that the boy was drifting off to sleep, so he quickly conjured an examination table. The small stroke of good fortune they had been given had been when Lucius had instructed the boy to obey Severus. It would be easier to treat the teen for not only his injuries and fever, but also for the Potion of Domination. Potter would not be able to disobey him.

Severus stepped around the work table intending to help Potter to the examination table, but stopped when the teen looked up at him with fear.

“Don’t come any closer,” Harry said, distrust and panic clearly in his tone.

Severus was momentarily taken aback. He wondered again what else Mulciber might have done to the boy. In a firm voice Severus ordered, “Potter, take your shirt off and come get on this table,”

Severus went back to the work table to give the boy his space. He watched as the teen tried to disobey but knew the potion running through Potter’s body would not allow him to do so. With stiff movements the boy stood up and pulled his shirt over his head. It looked as if the teen was fighting the potion, trying to keep from doing what he had been told but failing. It took a full three minutes for Potter to walk a short distance to the table. Once there, he lied face down on the table in defeat. Severus could see Potter gripping the edge of the table until his knuckles were white.

“Potter, can you recall anything before arriving here?” Severus cooled down the potion and came to stand next to the anxious teen.

Harry gripped the table tighter, “Lucius doesn’t like me to talk about that stuff.” Harry looked back over his shoulder at the Potion Master. He eyed the small cauldron with distrust.

Severus let out a sigh of frustration. He knew their time was limited but special dispensation would need to be applied to gain the boy’s trust.

He set the potion down and moved to the head of the table. He squatted down so that the boy could look at him without twisting around.

“I want you to know that I would not intentionally harm you.”

The boy’s dubious look didn’t change. Harry reached a shaking hand up and scratched at his scar.

“Does your scar hurt?” Severus asked.

Harry rubbed at his forehead, “Yes, but... it doesn‘t hurt so much right now.”

“I can help you, if you will allow me to.”

Harry rubbed his scar once more, “Lucius says that it’s a privilege to feel the Dark Lord’s emotions.”

Severus could hear the slight uncertainty in that statement. He thought that would be a good place to start.

“Do you think the Dark Lord to be a fair ruler?” Severus had to tread carefully. He could see that the question was troubling the teen. The boy frowned at him before answering.

“I’m not certain why he punishes so many people. Lucius doesn’t like me asking those kind of questions though,” Harry said, burying his face in his folded arms.

He hated it when those awful visions of torture accosted him. The one time he tried to ask Lucius about them he’d been struck across the face and told not to question the actions of the Dark Lord.

Severus could see that Potter was distressed with this line of conversation. He stood up and went back to the boy’s side. He carefully scooped out a handful of the healing cream.

“Lie still. This will only sting for a few minutes before it begins to numb your skin,” Severus said. He slowly placed his hands on the boy’s back on a place that was not as badly injured.

The teen practically jumped off the table as he let out a scream and tried to sit up.

“Hush,” Severus said in a soothing tone, pushing the boy back down again. He watched the teen bury his face back in his arms once more.

Gently, Severus began to rub the cream into the festering wound. The teen shook under his touch but stayed put on the table. The cream helped the raw angry burn to form a thin layer of skin.

When he was almost finished, the door to the dungeon room opened up. Lucius came into the room with his normal grandeur. Much to Severus’ dismay, Harry immediately slid off the table and knelt at the pompous man’s feet. The wound on the boy’s back ripped open and the teen let out a cry.

Severus growled out in frustration, “Lucius, unless you would like my potion to be entirely useless, I suggest you allow Mr. Potter a reprieve from groveling at your feet.”

Lucius chuckled as he petted Harry on the head, “Come now, Severus, we mustn’t allow the boy to be coddled. It is my responsibility to train him properly to be presented to the Dark Lord.”

“He very well may not live that long if this infection is not properly healed,” Severus snapped out in exasperation.

Lucius knew the teen was in bad shape. He tilted his head in concurrence, “Very well. Harry,” he said in a stern voice, “Get back on that table and do not get off unless Severus gives you permission.”

Severus could see how distraught Lucius’ reprimand made the boy. He watched as the teen painstakingly made his way back to the table. As soon as Potter lied down he looked to Lucius for approval.

Lucius ignored the teen and continued talking, “When do you think Harry will be healed, Severus?”

Severus kept his tone steady as he lied, “I do not have all the ingredients required to heal the many layers of skin and muscle that are infected. I need to go back to my stock of potions at Hogwarts to acquire such rare ingredients.”

Lucius looked doubtful, “If you obtain these ingredients will you be able to heal the boy faster?”

“Exponentially more rapidly.”

“How soon?” Lucius asked in a stressed tone.

Severus raised an eyebrow over Lucius’ anxiety, “A week, I should think.” He hoped to be long gone from this dreaded place by then.

Lucius shook his head, “No that will not due! He must be healed in a few days at most. I am barely able to keep Mulciber at bay.”

Harry’s head came up at that name. His large green eyes were filled with fright.

Lucius chuckled, “Not to worry, Harry. You are still under my protection.”

Harry felt a small measure of relief and let his head rest on his arms once more.

Lucius turned to leave, motioning for Severus to follow him, “I hope you understand the precautions I will need to take in order to allow you to leave whilst I still have Harry in my home, Severus?”

Severus knew there would be some concessions to leaving Malfoy Manor. Lucius would not be able to risk anyone knowing he was in possession of the most famous wizard of their time.

Severus looked back at the examination table, “Mr. Potter, you are to rest. Lucius, please instruct your house elf to bring Potter a full meal. This potion will do no good if the boy is half starving.”

Lucius waited until Severus was out in the hallway before closing and spelling the door locked. They made their way back up to the study in the manor before Lucius spoke once more.

“Severus, I must ask you to perform a blood oath.”

Once Severus raised his wand, Lucius held his own wand up. Their wands touched causing a spark. Lucius spoke in a solemn tone, “Severus Snape, you must pledge to keep your knowledge of Harry Potter’s location and my name a secret. You must swear to Merlin that you will never divulge my involvement with Harry Potter’s capture and imprisonment.”

Severus despised what he said next, “I, Severus Snape agree to all that you ask.”

Another spark emitted from their wands before a blue light encircled them, thereby sealing their vow.