Morgan woke up very slowly. Last night had been the same as the all the others in the two short weeks since she had married Severus... except for their wedding night. That night she had cried until nearly dawn while Severus awkwardly rubbed her back. The nights since then... she had laid passively under her husband while he made love to her.
She sighed sleepily as she tried to figure out why she had woken up. Her eyes flew open as she realized what it was, and it was pressed very prominently against the small of her back. Please, please let him be asleep. Maybe I can escape without waking him up.
She tried to gently wiggle her way free of the arms wrapped around her, but they tightened and she felt her husband's lips graze her neck. No no no!!! I can't do this, I CAN'T!!! She tried to lay still, but couldn't help the small whimper that escaped her lips.
The arms around her were instantly gone and she felt the mattress shift as Severus got out of bed. She cringed, feeling his eyes on her, even though she couldn't see him.
"You are my wife, and I have every right to your body, but in Merlin's name I will not force you!" he spat at her.
Morgan felt several tears spill down her cheeks as she heard the water turn on in the bathroom. She let them soak the pillow. She had thought she loved him... but was now realizing it had only been a girlish fancy. She sat up, swiping the back of her hand across her eyes. "I'm such a child," she said to herself, "thinking that just because he's gorgeous and has that damn sexy voice everything would be a fairytale."
She walked over to wardrobe and pulled out a set of pale blue robes. "I was a fool to believe that he cared."
"Of course he cares you silly girl."
Morgan frowned at the enchanted full length mirror, usually it had enough sense to stay quiet, "and what would you know about it?!"
The mirror made a tsking sound, "if you saw the things I have... you're not the first girl he's brought back here, but you're the only one he's married. That in itself means something. He's the sort of man who gets whatever he wants. If you meant nothing to him he wouldn't have married you, he'd have had his way with you and tossed you aside."
"He can toss me aside yet if he chooses," Morgan said as she pulled the robes over her head and struggled to do up the lacing in the back.
"I don't think he will."
"He's always so angry at me... it's barely been two weeks and all he does is find fault. I'm afraid of shaming him and I'm just plain afraid of him," Morgan found it somewhat ridiculous to be having this conversation with a mirror, but it felt so good to talk to someone. As a new bride at seventeen she longed for a mother to talk this over with, but it seemed the best she could do was a busy-body mirror.
"You have nothing to fear," the mirror said compassionately, "he's not his father."
Morgan looked up at the mirror foolish girl, she chided herself, did you think there would be something to see there besides your own reflection? "What... what was his father like?" she asked tentatively.
The mirror clucked her tongue, or would have if she had a tongue to cluck, "Child, if it had been his father, you would have been black and blue by now for refusing his attentions like you did this morning. Severus is a good man, he just has trouble showing it."
Morgan paled slightly, "I suppose his father beat him too..."
"That's nothing a nice girl like you needs to hear about."
Morgan chewed on her lower lip as she realized the water had stopped running awhile ago. She was still debating what to do when her husband came back into the room. She decided that she hadn't been a Gryffindor for nothing, she just hoped her courage wouldn't desert her now, "Pro... Severus, can you do me up in back, please?" she asked softly.
She turned, facing the mirror, as her husband's deft fingers quickly did up the laces. Deep breath girl, it won't kill you to try a little. Maybe he'll show a little more kindness if he thinks you want this. She turned around and rose up on her toes to kiss his cheek, "thank you," she didn't think she could blush any darker.
She chanced a glance up when after what seemed an eternity her husband hadn't moved. She searched his face for something, anything... but she couldn't read his expression. She felt a measure of pride in herself when she didn't so much as flinch when he brought a hand up and brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek before leaving the room.
She was left standing there in confusion, she wasn't sure where they stood. But it didn't seem to be any worse than before, hopefully it was better.