A Slave to Die For: chapter 2

pairings: HP/DM, HG/RW, GW/NL, LM/BL

author's note: *gets down on knees and grovels* I am profusely sorry for taking so bloody long, school's screwed up my extracurricular schedule....I barely have any time to write:( But here we are, the next chapter!

Thanks to all who reviewed so far!

~~***~~

Draco smiled in amusement as Harry was tossed into a freezing cold bathtub. He shrieked in shock and annoyance, trying to fight off Fred and George. The twins dunked him under roughly, both thoroughly tired of the slave's unruly and unorthodox behavior.

"Honestly, Draco! Why would you buy an unruly fella like this one? Well, you can't say that he doesn't have- Hey!!" Harry had spit water into his eyes.

"Harry!" Draco admonished, finally pushing himself from the wall to assist his two red-headed guards. He was impressed that the youth could hold his own against two fully trained warriors, though.

Harry was slipping and sliding his way out of the large copper tub when Draco strode over and shoved him back in.

"Argh! Gerroff me!" The raven-haired servant shouted, but was finally conquered when the two men restrained him, while his master lathered up a loofa. "Nooo! I HATE baths!"

"We can tell." Draco grinned maniacally, and started scrubbing the cake of grime and dust off his filthy purchase.

After a half and hour of labor, they could all see Harry's true complexion....porcelain with a touch of tan. His skin would be beautiful, if only Draco could get him to moisturize. He had ashy patches on all his knuckle, his knees, and his elbows.

Harry had calmed down substantially after his initial temper tantrum. While scrubbing his head with a hair cleansing potion created by the resident potions master, the Slytherin Prince took the chance to examine his slave's total damage. Seventy whip scars cris-crossed his back and sides, twenty in the front, and two short gashes shown like tattoos on the backs of his legs. He suspected that they were inflicted with daggers.

And just between the boy's shoulders, he made out two faded lines, twisted like licorice, coming together to form a V. Vernon the Twisted, his signature branded into white flesh. Well, that would just not do.

"Fred, go to Severus and request a bottle of scar removal salve. On second thought," he ran his fingers along two of the parallel gashes, "make that a scar removal AND a tattoo removal." Fred bowed and with long strides, exited the Prince Chambers.

~~***~~

"What does he want a scar and tattoo removal salve for?" Severus Snape asked, glaring at the Prince's two mischievous bodyguards. He had never trusted the two Gryffindor POWs after they, at the age of twelve, had somehow turned his hair fuschia at dinner. But he had always grudgingly respected their creativity and balls. That's what made them such wily guards.

"Draco bought one bull of a slave today. To fill in the ah...recently vacated position."

Severus raised an eyebrow. A new acquisition to the Slytherin palace? That was news indeed. The Malfoys rarely bought new slaves....they preferred to keep a tight number of well-trusted, hard-working servants, usually if they were descendants from a pure blooded line. He must meet the Prince's new......worker....at the soonest time.

"I presume that he was in a more-or-less 'used' condition then?" He said as he fished out two bottles, one containing an orange goo, and the other with reddish paste. He thrust one each into the warriors' hands.

"Quite. We had to restrain his for Draco to scrub him down." George admitted, pocketing the vial.

Snape spluttered. "You-you TOUCHED him?! Are you crazy?! If the King ever found out...." He trailed off, his heart racing. He shouldn't have shouted....one of Lucius's spies might have heard him.....

"I know, but Draco insisted. And we are sworn never to go against Draco, even if he orders us to "stick our head up our asses and hop like a rabbit," as he eloquently put it. But we know better than to go blabbing it to just anyone. YOU'RE at least trustworthy." Fred whispered, glancing around the hallway.

"Well, must be off. Prince Draco thanks you for the potion. G'day." And with that, the two men were gone, down secret passages that only they knew.

~~***~~

"Ah, thank you. Stop squirming, Harry. This doesn't hurt that bad. Severus puts liquid anesthetic into the more painful of his concoctions." Draco smirked, and poured a dollop of the orange glop onto his palm, and applied it gently to the raven-haired slave's ugly torso.

"Ow!" He complained, as the liquid stung mildly as it touched the places that needed healing.

"Quit griping, you baby." Fred snapped, and George groaned in agreement. Harry shot them withering glances, before whimpering again when the red paste was rubbed roughly into his brand.

"Wash off now." Draco ordered, wiping his hands and moving to the bath chamber's large wardrobe. "And put this on." A black silk robe was tossed onto the floor by the tub, and Harry closed his eyes and sunk sullenly under the murky water.

"Brat." Fred muttered, moving into the Prince's living quarters, away from the willful servant.

~~***~~

Draco sipped his wine and listened offhandedly to his guards' light chatter. The bath door slammed open, and an angel clothed in the devil's color emerged, eyes bright with spirit and intense emotion. His long hair dripped onto his robe, and Draco gasped in delight at the transformation. He was CLEAN, oh so clean! His skin was now unmarred and flawless, radiant from his long-needed wash. Aside from the rough patches that needed lotion, Harry was fit to be seen in public now. Fred whistled and George clapped. Harry picked up one of the sofa's pillows and chucked it at them. They caught it together, laughing.

Draco stood and strode over to him. "Wonderful. Now, that hair."

Harry fingered his black locks protectively. "What about it?"

"It's still wanting. I'm going to have it cut to a more tolerable length. Ginny!"

At once, the twins' youngest sister pushed open the door and walked in brusquely, accompanied by a pair of silver scissors.

"I'll see to it at once, Draco."

He smiled at her and pushed Harry down onto the soft couch. "I would like it just below his ears, long enough to be pulled up in a half-pony tail when needed. Hop to it."

~~***~~

An hour later, Harry looked like a totally different person. Everyone in the room was stunned. But now the bad part of this improvement came upon the young prince.

"Now that you are decent, Lucius will want to see you. And Hermione. But first I guess I should fill you in on the ah, 'details' of your position. Ginny, Fred, George, thank you." The three Weasleys bowed and immediately left the room. Harry gazed up at his master, feeling anxious. Now he would finally know why he was here.

"Have you ever heard of the Angelus Victum?" For the first time, Draco couldn't meet a servant's eyes. Harry didn't notice, as he was deep in thought.

"Rings a vague bell...."

"It means 'Bound Angel.' Well, ah, the Angelus Victum is like the head wife of a harem, except there are no other concubines. And the orientation of the Prince determines the gender of the Angelus Victum."

Harry felt an angry blush spread over his cheeks. He was a personal whore?! Not in this lifetime! He would run away with Hermione before that ever happened. Labor her could handle for a while, but being a concubine to this slimy royal was unthinkable! Draco continued while Harry started to seethe, unshed tears of anger welling up in his bright green eyes.

"No one is allowed to touch you without my permission, or my father's. He and I are the only ones allowed to touch you in any way. But he cannot ah...'use' your services. Only the Crown Prince owns that right. The Angelus Victum serves only the Crown Prince of Slytherin, and when I am king, you shall then receive some high title, servants and privileges all your own. It the Angelus is a woman, she becomes Queen. But the Angelus Victum is always bound to his or her master, and their quarters are connected to the Prince's. You will have that room, and your own wing connected to mine.

"I'm not that special! Why me?! I'm a disobedient little street rat from the gutters of Gryffindor, why would the High and Mighty Prince of bloody Slytherin want me as his slut? I was expecting to be your sodding WHIPPING BOY!" He finally shouted, letting out all his fright and anger.

Draco did not rise to fury, but merely narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "It's a matter of fate. The Angelus Victum is almost always descended from one or another royal line, usually Merlin's blood flows in his veins. It is most interesting that Fate has chosen you to by my life-mate, but I am not that unwilling to accept you, you know. You really are quite stunning, once cleaned up a bit. But we do need to work on your air and manners. You have want of patience, too. Well, that's why we have tutors. Any other questions?"

Harry locked gazes with him, and ground out, "Will I have to start right away?"

Draco smiled. "Of course not. You have no experience. You will be taught."

"BY WHO?!"

The smile widened. "By me. Remember, only I am allowed to use you in that manner. And hear me now, or forever regret it," his voice grew soft and menacing, "if I find that you have ever let someone else touch you like that......the consequences will be severe. We will start your ah...training....in a week. Go to bed now, it's the door beside the bureau."

Harry stormed off, slamming the door, and without taking in his new room, vaulted himself onto the bed, and screaming into the pillow like an injured tiger.

~~***~~

author's note: I'm just now learning Latin, so if Angelus Victum is in any way wrong, please feel free to correct me, you Latin scholars out there! Please review!!!!!!!