Chapter 29
In My Den
Hessa had her debut into society; she was educated in the laws and was made to study more languages. Over the course of a few more months, she had become more refined…but was still herself. Often she would get her clothing dirty from trying to find the proper herbs needed to help make her mother's potions or from playing with the children she had made friends with during what were known as 'simple classes', the basics of a Conk's education. At first Hessa was embarrassed but the children were nice and liked having an adult in their class that they could show things to.
Often there would be two or three that would follow her home and want to help her with sorting herbs or watch her make potions since it was not within a full-blooded Conk to make such things. She would sometimes do little magic tricks to make them happy with a simple wand that was made for her, and did it in the same spirit Harry did for her. Marius watched her from a distance with a silly smile on his face and sighed…
Marcus snuck up on him, "SO…the formal and business minded Marius is smitten like a Hogwart's schoolboy."
He stiffened and lowered his eyes, "leave it alone, Marcus."
"Oh…personally I think it's wonderful. You've never had a serious relationship before…have you asked her to your home yet?"
"No."
"You should…if you let it go too long, others will think your mating is just for play. Look, the sharks are already starting to circle…" Marcus pointed at two younger Conk males slowly approaching Hessa, each elbowing the other to get each other out of the way. Marcus started to smile at Marius' reaction, "you'd better do something, her skin is glowing, a sign she'll be ready to have offspring soon…and with the children all around her…kinda makes it tempting for a young buck."
Marius turned and narrowed his eyes at Marcus, then turned back and noticed that as Hessa was about to go into the shop, the two men stopped her and…was one handing her a flower! He clenched his jaw and marched straight to Hessa. "Go get'em!" Marcus cheered and laughed, it was about time his old friend found someone and Hessa was the perfect person to soften him.
He heard her giggling…it irritated him to no end. They were making her laugh and she was responding by putting her little fingers over her mouth…
Their chuckling stopped when Marius appeared, stiff and cordial, "good afternoon gentlemen, is there something I can help you with?" He put his arm around Hessa's waist from behind, one man cocked his eyebrow.
"Not really, we were just entertaining Hessa…," he responded cordially as well.
"Well then," Marius plucked the flower from Hessa's hand and threw it to the side. "I guess that's it gentlemen…good day," he nearly pushed Hessa inside the shop and slammed the door.
"That was rude," she put her hands on her hips.
"Not as rude as the way you were acting," he spat.
"What are you talking about, they were just being nice."
"No, they weren't."
She rolled her eyes, "Marius…you know that I'm with you and I would never do anything to jeopardize that. I'm…I'm not like the other women here…you know that. What is the matter with you?"
"Will spend the night with me at my home?"
"Yes…why wouldn't I? I've been wanting to see where you live, you've stayed at my house plenty of times, rather my mother's house."
He beamed, kissed her on the forehead and said he would be back to pick her up after the shop closed. Cynthia came in then, "what was that about, Marius nearly ran me over?"
"I guess he's excited because I agreed to spend the night with him at his home…I don't know what the big deal is?"
Her mother turned serious for a moment, "it's a very big deal here."
"Why?"
"Because, for a male Conk to invite you into his…well…'Den' or home, it means you are committed completely to each other. That you are exclusive…"
"Oh," Hessa shrugged, she thought they were exclusive anyway and put away the dried herbs…,"mother, I was wondering? When you were with father, was he very…um, sexual?"
Cynthia smiled, "yes, yes he was." She blushed at the thought of Adem and how passionate he often was with her, how aggressive but kind. "I take it Marius is?"
"Well…yes. I don't mind it but sometimes he's a bit bullying."
"He doesn't hurt you does he?" Cynthia knew that sometimes the males could go too far as Marius tried to do with her daughter in the public bath, nearly raping her.
"No, I was just wondering."
"All right, just as long as he's kind to you. Was Draco Malfoy unkind in that area…?"
"No, passionate but nothing like Marius or Harry. Ironic, isn't it?"
"I suppose. I thought he'd end up just like his father in EVERY area. I had heard about it from some girls how Lucius Malfoy was in my school days. After I refused him, he chased after Narcissa like a wild man and she hardly wanted much to do with him either, but he put on the charm…or threatened her, either one."
"No, he did protect me from his father though," Hessa looked down. She missed Draco in all honesty, but he had broken her heart many times through cruel behavior towards her loved ones…especially Harry.
"Don't defend him, Hessa."
"I'm not…"
"Yes, you are. I know he's the one that you're bonded to and it's in a Conk's nature to feel that they should defend their masters or mistresses…even when it's broken. I'll be honest, I'm afraid he'll come back for you and succeed…I lost you once, I can't do it again, Hessa," Cynthia started to tear. "I'm not strong enough…" Hessa ran to her and hugged her as her mother kissed her head.
……………………………………………………………………………..
Marius came for her and nearly paraded her as they went to the house, she didn't quite understand what he was doing but assumed it had something to do with 'making them exclusive'. Some of the male Conks scowled, as did some of the women, she had learned that she was desired because she had 'witch's blood' in her, something many Conks wanted in their bloodline. Marius was desired because he was successful in business dealings, trading, and good provider in general.
When he took Hessa's hand, he was the happiest he had ever been. This was a woman desired by the feared 'Dragon', desired by the great wizard Harry Potter, a woman who had witch's blood in her and so fair of face she could stop muggle and wizards in their tracks. Yet she was down-to-earth and didn't think of herself very highly, she thought that others viewed her as a 'reject' but that wasn't the case at all. Hessa was the talk of the entire city and like all rare jewels…he possessed them, polished them, and put them in their rightful settings and her rightful setting was by his side. Hessa did not know that he had already fashioned an engagement ring for her, he knew her ring size and soon he would ask her to marry him.
They finally reached his house and he led her in, looking at the other male Conks and smiling while almost slamming the door, it startled Hessa a bit but then she looked around. His home was lovely and it definitely was him, very comfortable with plush and fine materials, and had an office where he clearly worked on jewelry and paperwork.
"Do you like it?" he asked keenly as if calculating something in his head, this made her feel nervous all of a sudden.
"Y…yes, it's very much you," she smiled.
Marius grabbed her by the wrist instead of the hand this time, "come, I will show you the other rooms." Nearly dragging her he showed her the kitchen, the extra bedrooms, the library, and finally his bedroom, a double door room with a very large four-poster and canopy on it and also with lavish and soft fabrics. He seemed to favor the colors red and purple together, a sign of a fiery and creative personality.
Hessa turned when she heard him shut and lock the doors with a key, which he put away in a box, "why are you doing that?"
"Because I don't want any interference…"
"Like? Who would just come into your house and…."
"It's to keep you in."
"Marius….I…"
"You will leave when I say you can," this was part of it, showing his dominance.
"I leave when I say I can," she stated back.
He narrowed his eyes at her, "you should know better then to test me, didn't you learn last time? A female Conk's strength isn't very much while a male's is much greater…and your defenses aren't very much against mine….YOUNG ONE."
'Young one', the name he called her when they first met. Chills went up her spine, she wanted him so badly but she had read up on this, this dance of sorts while she was at lunch. When a male Conk asked for you to come to his 'den' or 'home', a quest of dominance was performed, to see which one would have more say in the relationship. If the female gave into the male right away then he would have control in every single aspect of her life, if she fought him and defied him, teased him and ran away from him, he would allow her certain freedoms. According to her mother…she had to do the same with her father. After reading the book, she did notice how their husbands or boyfriends possessed the female Conks who were married or courted. They were not unkind at all, it was just a way to make in a very sexual society that their females were not approached.
As he came after her, Hessa ran and jumped onto the bed, scurrying over it to the other side and he followed around to try and block her path, but she was lithe and quick and got away from his grasp. She grabbed the box and got the key, but as soon as she managed to unlock the door, Marius placed his hands on it and slammed it closed again, "this is a dangerous game you play!"
He knew what she was doing; Hessa had read some of those annoying books about this, how they should tease and run. But some male Conks could not be treated like that, some were hostile when aroused and he was one of them. If she didn't stop he would rape her and he was already too big for her, there was no doubt he would hurt her. Of course she thought he was playing but when he hurt her arm to get the key and Hessa squealed in pain, she suddenly realized he wasn't and became afraid of him. Marius slung her away from the door and this time threw the key on a high shelf were she couldn't reach it.
Hessa rubbed her arm and was nearly in tears, she suddenly did not like this and backed up from him as he approached. Marius did this slowly as if to be careful, only to end up having to launch himself on top of her as she tried to scurry across the bed again, wrapping his body around her. He noticed she started to cry and whispered in her ear lovingly, "no…please don't cry, I won't hurt you…please don't cry. I want you, I've always wanted you…ever since your pictures…ever since the first touch."
She calmed down after that and freely gave herself to him. It was intense and passionate, more so than any other time they had made love. And in the morning while she still lay asleep, Marius got up and got dressed…it was time to ask for her hand in marriage, but first he must get through Cynthia…
