Chapter Ten: Severing Ties

Lucius Malfoy awakened later than he'd expected, but then he'd had a bit more to drink than usual after Rose had left him standing on the balcony. Had he been less surprised he might have just gone after her, taken her by force, and altered her memory. He paused at the mental image and smiled.

No, he wouldn't.

He didn't want yet another unwilling lover. He wanted to hold a woman again, to feel her surrender to him, lose himself inside a warm, welcoming body, and wake up with that someone in his arms. It had been far, far too long and he had set himself back by acting so impetuously with his intriguing new servant. She was an intelligent, pure-blood witch, not some ditzy trollop who was ready to leap into bed with any man who was willing to buy her affection.

Blaming his behavior on the wine, he sat up with a light groan, and spied a small bottle on the side table filled with golden liquid.

Hangover potion.

Through the door of his washroom, he could see a cloud of steam where a hot bath was waiting with a tray of tea, fresh fruit, and scones beside it. The corners of his mouth turned up a fraction.

No hard feelings, apparently.

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Alex Borgin faced the grim-looking winged boar on the left side of the entrance to Hogwarts and spoke carefully.

"Alex Borgin to see potions master Severus Snape, please."

There was a pregnant pause in which she turned her back to the gate, intently searching the road behind her. She had made absolutely certain that she couldn't be followed on her way to the school, but was still paranoid. Enough had gone according to plan the past few days that she felt her old luck was still with her. However, one false move could unravel the complex web she had woven, to the ruin of her carefully-organized plan.

"Alex?" Snape's voice sounded tired and strained, but vastly relieved.

"Yeah. It's me. Can I see you?"

"You'd bloody well better," came the surly reply. "I shall meet you at the entrance."

At these words, the gates swung open just long enough to allow her passage, then slammed closed again with a finality that sent chills down her spine. Everyone spoke of how safe Hogwarts was, but being locked in like this, not knowing how to let herself out gave her the creeps.

Severus Snape arrived at the entrance just as Alex mounted the last stone step. For a moment, they both froze, drinking in the sight of one another, whole and unharmed.

It was Alex who broke the ice, leaping into her lover's arms with a force that nearly launched them both into the gargantuan doors and kissing him with breathless abandon. He returned her affection without reservation, locking her into an immovable embrace as if he planned to never release her again.

Alex was in heaven. There was nothing, nothing like being smothered with kisses by her potions master. No one had ever held her so tightly or loved her in just the right way. She could stay with him forever, wanted nothing more than to do just that. But she hadn't much time; one day, no longer, to learn everything she needed to know about Nina's killers.

Severus' hands buried themselves in her hair and a low growl escaped his throat, stoking the fire within Alex until it burned white hot. First things first, she thought, realizing that they were in danger of making love right here on the steps of the school. Reluctantly, she pulled away, feeling as though she'd left a piece of her soul behind. He seemed to understand and took her hand, leading her quickly along the familiar path through the entrance hall and down, down the stairs to the cold dungeon where the terror of Hogwarts reigned.

They arrived at his bedroom in a half-dressed tangle, his arms around her waist, kissing and nipping the back of her neck. Their shoes had been left in the office, Severus' coat on the desk, and his waistcoat on the floor of the lab with Alex's blouse. He was now working expertly to remove her trousers. These were gone before she turned to meet his questing mouth with hers and down they fell in a moaning, writhing wreck.

Alex whispered his name over and over as Severus devoured every inch of her, jealously claiming her as his own, leaving marks that would remain for days.

The jealousy that had been festering for an entire year had finally burst forth, poisoning him. Alex Borgin was his, and no other man would ever touch her again as long as he was alive.

He'd kill Lucius if he so much as considered it-- Voldemort and the Order both be damned.

Sweet Mab, he wanted her now, wanted to lose himself inside her body, but it was too soon. First, he needed to hear her scream his name, to acknowledge his right, then beg him for the pleasure.

He settled his head between her thighs, smiling wickedly at the unintelligible whispers streaming from his lover's lips. Somewhere in her mind, he knew, she was cursing him thoroughly for taking his time. He indulged in one long, slow lick, immensely pleased with the reaction, the quickening of breath, the twisting of clever fingers in his hair, and an agonized moan from Alex.

Don't ever leave me in the dark again, woman, he warned silently as he teased the pink flesh with tiny flicks of his tongue. Alex squirmed under his torturous attentions, and he entered once, twice, three times, just barely tasting her essence before returning to the crucial point.

Slowly, he increased the pressure there, holding her thrusting hips still in a stone grip, but he held back, never giving enough, waiting for her to--

"Severus, please! Please! I can't--"

Ah, yes. Just like that. Call my name.

Beg me, you willful witch.

And, she did, with great abandon.

He answered her frantic pleas with exactly what she wanted, and in a matter of seconds, she burst open, crying his name until he was satisfied that she'd never want to scream another.

Alex was almost relieved when he returned his mouth to her own, certain that he would make her faint with pleasure if he lingered much longer. She was not prepared, though, for the ferocity with which he entered her; no subtle pressure, no teasing, just a frantic need to be buried deep within; and as they began to move in the most magical of dances, she understood his desire.

How had she never realized how right this was, how utterly perfect? His body moving with hers, her eyes locked into that intense, black gaze. And when he shuddered in ecstasy, the intensity of his climax tore a ragged cry from his throat. Shortly thereafter he collapsed, burying his face in her hair.

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Reclining on one arm, Severus lazily traced the lines of his lover's face with a long finger. "I missed you, Alex," he confessed.

"I missed you, too, Sev," she answered sorrowfully. "And, I hated just leaving like that, but I was out of my mind. It was like my father had died all over again. I guess I just went a little crazy."

"The time for that has passed. You need to get out of Malfoy's household. You have no idea the danger you're in. Just stay here. I'll go and collect your things before he knows what's happened."

"And then what?" she asked wearily. "Hide in here until your war ends so many years down the road, or wait until he discovers what you've done and comes after you-- so I can lose you, too?"

"Of course not."

"Then, what?" she snapped. "Go to him and offer to become his personal assassin, just like he wanted me to in the first place?"

"Alex, you are being unreasonable," Severus said with a look of warning.

"Am I? You want to me just crawl into a hole and lie low while these butchers go unpunished. That is unreasonable," she answered heatedly.

"I want you to stay here-- with me! It makes no sense to stay with him. What reason could you possibly have for doing so?" His voiced raised just a fraction, enough to make Alex cringe. He wasn't going to make this easy.

"How many reasons do you want?"

Severus glared at her for a moment, daring her to continue being sarcastic, then seemed to realize that that wasn't her intention. He closed his eyes with a sigh, calming his temper.

"As many as you have," he answered quietly.

Alex lay back, staring at the ceiling. "Alright. First and foremost, for information. He's allowing you to tell me about the people who killed Nina in the hopes that I'll bump them off and get them out of his way-- for a reason I have yet to ascertain." She furrowed her brow for a moment, then waved the quandary away. "It doesn't matter. I have no issue with our goals running parallel for a time."

"As you stated, I can give you the information that you require, so your first point is moot," Severus argued calmly.

"No, Sev. You can only tell me about the ones who are directly responsible. Any information beyond that and you'd be in danger." He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "As far as I'm concerned, they're all guilty."

Severus snorted. "So, you are intending to kill all of the Death Eaters one by one as they are revealed to you through Lucius Malfoy-- in cold blood? You diagnosed yourself properly, Alex. You are indeed out of your mind," he said humorlessly. "How long do you assume you will survive?"

"I'll outlast every one of them," she answered sincerely.

"You are not that skilled."

For a brief moment she considered telling him of Cimino and the knowledge she'd gained through him, but quickly changed her mind. Some skeletons had to remain in the closet, for both their sakes.

"The second reason," she continued as though she hadn't heard his less-than-flattering comment, "is that as long as I can keep up the charade, being a maid in Malfoy Manor is the perfect cover. Soon, the Ministry will be hunting me as avidly as the Death Eaters."

"Why is that?"

"The third reason," she dodged, "is Draco."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I know it sounds stupid, but he needs me. His mother's gone. No one will work in the household. I feel particularly responsible that he's rarely let out of the place on his own since I 'poisoned' him. His father's convinced that he's in constant danger. He's lonely. He's confused." She smiled sweetly. "He needs me."

"Those are the soppiest words I have ever heard come out of your mouth," he sneered, genuinely disgusted. "How could you possibly give a damn about such a spoiled-rotten brat? How can you live in that house, take orders from Lucius Malfoy? Because of some twisted need for vengeance? Some insane desire to strike at the Death Eaters? You stupid girl! You will not make a dent in their ranks before they destroy you, or worse yet, take you prisoner. You are not the Alex I knew. Alex was not fool enough to throw her life away on some ruthless quest for blood."

Severus ran an irritated hand through his hair, then slipped out of bed and donned his robe, shrouding himself in an obvious attempt to escape an intimacy with which he was no longer comfortable.

The simple gesture was enough to bring an already unstable Alex to tears.

"I understand that you want revenge," Severus was saying to the wall, "but you are not listening to--- Alex?" He turned, hearing a sniffle behind him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, staring in disbelief at the puddle that had been Alex just moments before.

"I'm doing the best I can, Sev," she sobbed through the torrent of tears. "There's no other way. I know what you're implying, why you're so angry, and it's not true. I'm not sleeping with Lucius, I'm not a whore, you know." She slipped out of bed and padded softly up behind him. "I love you. I want to be with you, but that's just not possible right now."

"Stop saying that," Snape warned.

"Saying what? That I love you? Does it scare you to hear the truth, or do you not love me?" Alex asked, reaching for him, but he stepped away and turned to face her, his face an impassive mask.

"I did love you-- once," he confessed softly. "But, you are not the woman I thought you were. I must assume that my love met her end the same night that Nina met hers." He stepped smoothly to the desk and seated himself behind it, carefully, as if straining to hide some overwhelming emotion. "Perhaps you should simply obtain what you came for, and leave," he stated softly.

Alex was frozen to the spot watching Severus retrieve a scroll of parchment from a locked drawer of his desk. Apparently, he had already copied down the information she needed.

How typical of Severus. Always prepared. Somehow, though, acquiring that information had lost it's appeal. She felt only the poisoned dagger of his words in her heart and the intense desire to remove the blade.

Before she even realized what she was doing, she was kneeling before him, her arms wrapped pitifully around his legs, and her head resting on his knees. "Sev, please, please don't do this," she begged. "I'm still me. I love you. I don't want to live without you."

Severus lifted her chin in his hand and she raised her gaze to meet the eyes of a stranger. "You are debasing us both. Now, get off of your knees and sit down over there," he ordered, indicating the chair across from his desk, far away from him.

Alex didn't move, if anything she nestled closer. "Sev, what have I done? What can I do? I can't just let you go."

"You never had me to begin with. Now take this information and leave. The gate will open for you of it's own volition."

Alex could not believe and certainly could not accept what she was hearing. She sat at his feet in shock as he removed her hand from his thigh and placed within it the roll of parchment he had retrieved.

"Go and accomplish your chosen task. The world will be a better place without the few Death Eaters you manage to destroy-- if any, but I will ever lament the loss of the only woman I have ever loved."

With that, he stood and walked out of the room without sparing her another glance.

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Author's Note: As always, thank you all for reading and reviewing. The story's been slowly going up the second hill of the coaster and is about to take another plunge. So, thanks for plodding through the last few chapters with me.

Intel Ewok: I'm glad you liked Draco's room. For all the eccentricities of his life, I like to think of him as a normal teenage boy. After all, he goes to school , has homework, plays sports, has 'friends.' He can't be all that different. I'm sorry about Darth Life catching up to you. I hate it when that happens, and I hope you recover soon. And, no, one can be assured that when Severus Snape compares you to Potter, he's not happy with you.

Silverfey: I'm happy that the reminiscing worked for you. I was pretty nervous about writing that part, hoping that it wouldn't seem too hokey. Draco is never sweet, but it seems to me that, much like his father, he's only vile when he has good reason to be. Unfortunately, I don't think Lucius cares either way how Draco treats the maid. Kind of sad, but that's what nobles are like. And poor Alex is so in love with Sev, I'm not sure she'll ever melt for Lucius again, but-- who knows? She surprises me sometimes.

Rycca: Another prediction came true. Amazing! Quick! What are the winning lotto numbers? Heh, heh. Chewbacabra-- that is clever. It's good that Draco's growing on you. Like his father, he's not all bad, just vicious when he needs to be.

Lady Jenilyn: I assume that at the end of OOTP when this story occurs, Draco is about 15. Actually, your first impression might be right. He is physically small and a bit immature, but I may be making him sound a bit too young. I may need to work on that. Thanks for the input. Ps. I know I said it in my review, but I love your story! Top notch!

Fleur K: Ah, the endless duel of attraction between Alex/Rose and Lucius. How will it end? What will she do? I have an idea of what will occur, but then, she always manages to surprise me! And as for Lucius, what he will do is anyone's guess. It's hard on me because I'm rooting for Lucius and Severus both. What's an author to do?