Chapter Four

June 15, 2003

Ministry Now Accepting Applications for Adoptive Parents

Starting immediately, the Ministry of Magic has created a special Department to assist prospective parents get approved for the Minister's Magical Adoption Program. Married couples interested in being considered are urged to visit the Ministry as soon as possible to begin the thorough screening process. Both parties should be prepared for interviews with…

Antonin slammed the front door behind him with all of his strength. The sound of the door crashing shut seemed to break the silence of the area. He needed to get away from the horrible woman before he did something insane. Like murder her or throw her on top of that sinfully comfortable-looking bed to fuck her until neither of them remembered their own names.

He was rapidly approaching an unhealthy level of furious and needed to do whatever it took to calm his temper down. For five years he had had no one and nothing to take his anger out on besides himself. One could only flip his horrible cot over so many times without feeling any relief. No longer having the bars to separate him from everyone else could be very dangerous. He'd never been all that good at controlling his volatile temper. Not since he was a little boy.

Just steps outside of his new, much larger prison cell, Antonin lifted his eyes off the ground to take in the immediate area. A quick count revealed sixteen identical cottages arranged around a large, grassy square. Four cottages on each side of the common area. He checked the position of the sun to get his bearings. His cottage was in the Northwest corner. It wouldn't do to get turned around and end up in the wrong cottage. What if he accidentally walked into the one housing Alecto Carrow? Just the thought of that made him shudder in disgust. He would have to figure out some way to make his cottage easily discernible from the others.

It all seemed like some quaint, little village one might pass by on a train trip across the countryside. Antonin wasn't sure exactly what he had been expecting to find on the island he and the others had been exiled to for the immediate future. Not a community that reminded him of the tiny village in Russia he used to spend summers in while his grandparents were still alive. Who would ever guess it was home to some sick, fucking government breeding program?

The realization of what he was expected to do still hadn't hit him yet. He never anticipated he would have children. Once upon a time, he'd assumed he would have that life. His parents had been madly, almost disgustingly in love with each other. When his mum died, his father didn't take long to follow. He'd always envied their relationship. There had been a couple of witches in his past he had almost married. He almost had a family, but as it turned out, it wasn't in the tea leaves for him.

Being forced to live with the Granger girl and impregnate her as many as ten times actually sounded like a nightmare. Sure, she was an attractive girl when her mouth was shut. Too bad it rarely was. He hoped that their new living conditions could bring them both to a healthier state. There was no way she could carry a baby to term in her present condition. She was half-starved.

His daily arguments with the girl had broken up the monotony of prison life. Antonin just wasn't sure he was ready to be in such close quarters with her. She was nice to look at when she took her weekly bath, but to have to hear her voice constantly might drive him even madder than a prison full of dementors.

Most of the other members of the Ministry's fucked up program were tucked away inside their little cottages. Only a few were walking around outside. He imagined that most were still enjoying the first hot shower they had had in years. Maybe even more than one couple was learning the joy of sharing.

Determined to take his mind off of the horrid woman who refused to climb into the shower with him, he focused instead on his surroundings. He was very curious. Just where the hell were they? The sharp scent of saltwater told him that the ocean wasn't far. Tall trees surrounded their complex. Before he could talk himself out of wandering off, Antonin walked behind his cottage to see what was back there. Hadn't they been promised room to walk around? The women would need some form of exercise to stay healthy when they were pregnant after all.

Thinking about Granger being pregnant with his child only made him sick. What would happen to their children? What wretched Ministry-Approved family would get to tuck them in each night and teach them how to ride a broomstick? Would he even get to see them when they were born? Get to hold them? What kind of utterly fucked up world was he living in that these were even questions he had to consider?

The further he walked into the thickness of the trees, the more tired his body grew. He wasn't used to so much physical exertion. In his early years of incarceration he used to exercise in whatever way he could in his tiny cell. It didn't take long before he recognized the futility. Exercise was only important if one wished to live longer. There hadn't been any reason to continue. Their starvation rations meant he never had to worry about growing pudgy, but no exercise made him feel weak. He didn't like that feeling now that there was a reason to live.

He pushed himself a little further through the trees. The desire to find out what was there seemed to take over his better senses. When he walked until his breath came out in pants and his leg muscles were screaming at him, he hadn't even reached the edge of the forest. Antonin sat down on the ground to catch his breath.

It was peaceful in the middle of the woods. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been completely alone. All he knew was that it felt odd and exhilarating. In the months after he was broken out of Azkaban the second time, there had not been much time to just sit and be. He was certain he would use the woods to his advantage in the coming years of his new sentence. They were quiet. Only the sounds of the birds squawking, leaves rustling, and the myriad of other soft sounds that could be found in any forest could be heard.

When he no longer felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest, Antonin got back up. It had been a long time since he could remember sweating. Prison was always too bloody cold to make him sweat. He was already looking forward to another hot shower and maybe a nice, long nap in his new bed.

His mood was considerably lighter leaving the woods than it was when he entered. As he made his way into the village, he could feel the last bit of anger leave him. He wasn't foolish enough to believe that would be the last time he would seriously fantasize about murdering the witch in his bedroom. Maybe he discovered what he needed to do the next time the obnoxious chit angered him again.

A few more people were outside when he returned. Rodolphus Lestrange stood in the front garden of his cottage. It was on the west side of the square in the corner closest to his. Antonin had always liked the wizard. He was a quiet man with the strangest taste in witches if his late wife was any indication.

"Hello, Antonin."

He closed the distance between them to shake Rodolphus' outstretched hand. They had not seen each other since their trial five years earlier. Lestrange looked as bad as everyone else.

"This is all pretty fucked up, isn't it?"

Rodolphus chuckled softly. Antonin had to fight back a grin,

"You have always been a man of few, but powerful words, Antonin. I respect that."

"What are your thoughts?"

The older Lestrange brother sighed.

"I'm still trying to process everything. It's been a remarkable day. I woke up not expecting this day to be any different than the thousand we've had before it. Now I am outside in my very own garden with the most enchanting witch currently taking a nap in my bed. I've allowed myself five years of foolish, inappropriate fantasies that I now am being encouraged to act out. It's all very bizarre."

Antonin had to force himself to laugh with the other wizard to keep from grinding his teeth into powder. At least Rodolphus seemed pleased with the arrangement. Why did he have to get stuck with the most infuriating witch he'd ever met?

"I should return to my own enchanting witch."

The words felt bitter in his mouth. There may never be a time when he looked at his witch the way Rodolphus looked at his. He'd had fantasies over the past five years too. Most of them had to do with filling her mouth in various ways when she wouldn't shut it. Somehow he didn't think the witch he'd been assigned would appreciate him filling her mouth when she got obnoxious. She might bite off his todger and then where would they be?

Antonin took his time walking back to his cottage. His muscles were still screaming at him and he wasn't really looking forward to being in the same room with the harridan. The cottage was silent when he finally entered. He assumed that everyone within was napping. Not that he could blame them. He wanted to take advantage of a real bed with an actual mattress and soft sheets too.

Hermione was fast asleep when he carefully pushed open the door to their bedroom. Her wet hair was forming a spot on her pillow proving that she waited until he was gone to shower. Not wishing to disturb her when she was so peaceful, he tiptoed into the bathroom. Antonin enjoyed his second shower of the day almost as much as he enjoyed the first. He wasn't sure that he would ever get used to having hot water again. There was no rush for him to hurry. He took his time enjoying the feel of the water on his exhausted muscles.

She hadn't even changed positions when he exited the bathroom. Clearly the bed was even better than he hoped. Antonin wanted to slip between the covers completed naked. He loved the feel on this bare skin. Unsure what to do, he stared at the sleeping woman for several long moments before deciding he could do whatever he wanted in his own bed. He dropped his towel from his waist and climbed in.

The feel of the soft sheets on his skin almost made him groan. Living with the horrible woman would simply be his penance. It was a small price to pay for the bed that felt like a cloud. He fell asleep very quickly once his eyes were closed.

His bedroom was dark when he opened his eyes again. The sun must have already gone down while he was sleeping. Antonin stretched. He couldn't even remember the last time he had a better nap. A glance to the other side of the bed proved that Hermione was staring at him.

"Where did you go?"

Her voice was softer and meeker than he had ever heard it. Usually she spoke in high-pitched shrieks. Had he frightened her that much earlier? He turned on his side to look at her.

"Went for a walk. There's a thick forest all around us. I could smell the ocean, but I couldn't see it. Walked until I got tired."

"I stood in the doorway but couldn't step outside. It all seemed so big."

Antonin understood what she was saying perfectly. When he was broken out of Azkaban after fourteen years, he'd been terrified to step outside too. His life had been lived in just a few square meters. The world seemed so terrifying. He felt a softening towards the woman. Though he might never like her, he felt like he could at least understand her.

"We can take a walk tomorrow. We can walk around the square of cottages and see who lives where."

He was surprised he made the offer. Even more surprised when he realized he actually wanted to. What was wrong with him? Maybe it was because for the first time since he'd known her she seemed so vulnerable and so fragile. His instinct made him want to protect her from the dangers of the world around them. For all intents and purposes, she was now his witch. She was his responsibility. They might not have the great romance that his parents had, but she was likely as close as he was ever going to get to a wife.

"I think I would like that," she responded in that same meek voice he wasn't used to hearing.

The smell of something delicious assaulted their noses. Antonin could feel his stomach begin to wake up for the first time in years. Could it be actual edible food? He was so excited by the thought of having a full belly again that he practically jumped out of bed.

"Why are you naked?"

Antonin laughed at the return of her horrified shriek. He walked over to their shared wardrobe to find some clean clothes to put on. It might be fun to strut around naked in their bedroom to make her uncomfortable, but he doubted their roommates would appreciate it if he did it around the cottage.

"I like the feel of the sheets on my skin."

"There are several sets of men's pajamas in there."

"You wear them. I don't need them."

He dressed quickly, completely ignoring the petulant expression on her face at the thought that he would be spending even more time around her naked. Once he was modest, he exited to find Thorfinn and the Abbott girl were already seated at the dining table. It was amazing the difference a hot shower and a nap could make. They were almost two completely different people than they were that morning when Thorfinn was charging the auror who was too rough with the witch. Both of them were smiling at each other in that way happy couples often did when they were in love. Antonin felt extreme envy in his gut. What made them so special?

To prevent ever increasingly depressing thoughts from invading his mind, he tried to focus on the fresh bread and light soup on the table instead. Clearly their bodies weren't going to be ready for much more than the simple fare for a little while longer. It didn't matter to him. He couldn't wait to tuck in. Vials of potions were set up at each place setting. Before he could sit down, Hermione joined them.

"Our fertility potions, I take it?" she said with a grimace.

Thorfinn picked up a few of the vials to read the labels. Potions was never Antonin's best subject.

"These three are just vitamin potions. I'm guessing they're trying to get us as healthy as possible first. These two here are to boost our fertility. For Antonin and me, they will boost our sperm count and for you ladies, they will help regulate your menstrual cycles and…"

Hermione scoffed. Thorfinn stopped his explanation to glare at the witch.

"Is there a problem, Princess?"

"Do you honestly expect us to believe that you know what you're talking about? You might sound confident, but you're not exactly known for your brains."

"It might surprise you to know that I'm more than just a pretty face."

His remark only made the wretched girl laugh. Antonin rolled his eyes. He used to be Thorfinn's partner on many different raids and missions and he felt like he'd gotten to know him fairly well after five years in cells next to each other. Thorfinn was a very intelligent wizard. He simply was discounted because he was so large and something of a bully. Also didn't help that he preferred to keep his intelligence a closely guarded secret. He didn't like to show all of his cards.

"It's true," Thorfinn insisted with a smile. "Made an 'O' on my Potions NEWT."

Hermione's laughter stopped. She seemed confused.

"Then after Hogwarts I went on to have an apprenticeship with Professor Snape's old mentor. He was the one who recommended me. I was halfway to my Mastery when my mum died and I had to come home to take care of my little sister. Worked in an apothecary until the war started."

Clearly she didn't know what to say in response. Antonin laughed. It amused him that she was speechless. Finally, she cleared her throat.

"I apologize. All of those times I found you with your cock in some poor witch in various places all over the castle, I just assumed you were nothing more than a rutting pig."

Thorfinn chuckled loudly at her words. Antonin didn't understand what she was talking about. Clearly there was a story there he didn't know. Later he would have to figure out what they meant.

"I was seventeen. That's exactly what I was. I just also happened to know a lot about potions too."

"So what's that last one?" she asked in an effort to move the conversation along.

"A very mild lust potion."

The witch groaned.

"It's an old fashioned recipe. Doesn't get brewed very often. I think I only brewed it two or three times in all my years at the apothecary. It was commonly used by newly married couples in arranged marriages. Something to start up the spark in their loveless unions if you will. Like I said, it's very mild. It will take some time to build up in our systems. It's supposed to open our eyes to what we already find naturally attractive about the other."

"So we all drink this potion and then our bodies will force us to find our partner attractive?" Hermione seemed disgusted by the very idea.

"I don't think Hannah and I will need it, but it should have some pleasant enhancements."

Thorfinn winked at Hannah, making her blush bright red. Antonin hadn't even eaten yet and he was ready to throw up. One glance at Hermione showed she had a similar expression. At least that was one more thing they had in common.

"Well, I'm not taking it," Hermione declared.

"We don't have any choice, Hermione," Hannah explained gently. "The house-elf that delivered our meal said that the vials are charmed. If we don't drink all of them, none of us can eat. Finn tested it. Couldn't even dip a spoon in the soup."

It seemed that occasionally one of the idiots employed by the Ministry of Magic had a stroke of genius. Naturally there would be some initial resistance amongst the breeding stock to take all of the prescribed potions. Antonin certainly didn't like the sound of the lust potion even if it was as mild as Thorfinn claimed it to be. Wasn't it bad enough that he had to eventually fuck the obnoxious girl? Now he was expected to find her attractive when he did so? If one person at the table was unwilling to drink them, no one would be able to eat. He didn't imagine one person would have any chance against three starving dining companions.

Wanting to eat the soup that was taunting him, Antonin uncorked each of the vials in front of his plate. In quick succession, he swallowed them all. The other three just watched him, perhaps waiting for some kind of ill effect. When nothing happened immediately, Thorfinn and the Abbott girl followed his lead. Only Hermione was reluctant. He rolled his eyes and uncorked her vials for her. If she thought he was going to let her keep him from the first hot meal he'd had since before the Battle of Hogwarts, she was sadly mistaken. Antonin would pour them down her throat if it came to it.

Thankfully, she caved under the pressure. He didn't even have to resort to threats. Hermione swallowed each of the potions. A shifting in the magic over the steaming dishes indicated they were free to eat. Thorfinn told Hannah to help herself first. Hannah told Thorfinn to help himself. Still annoyed with their behavior, Antonin helped himself first. When his bowl was full and his plate had several pieces of hot bread, he handed the ladle over to Hermione.

Everyone's spirits increased the more they ate. It felt amazing to finally have a warmth in his belly. An entire bowl and a half was consumed before he knew he needed to stop. Too much too soon and he would get sick. Though it was tempting to keep pouring the soup down his throat, he didn't fancy spending his first night in the tiny bathroom.

He could hardly keep his eyes open as the meal wound down. It didn't matter that he'd taken a long nap only a short time earlier. His exhausted body craved more sleep. A loud yawn from Hermione that she couldn't stifle made them all chuckle. Moments later they excused themselves to return to their own bedrooms.

Hermione didn't spend long in the bathroom brushing her teeth and washing her face. She was already in bed when he was finished. He almost laughed when he saw the terror in her eyes. Before he got in next to her, Antonin crossed the room to the wardrobe. Though he hated the thought of anything getting between his skin and the sheets, he didn't really care for how she was looking at him. It reminded him too much of the two times they'd been on the wrong end of each other's wands.

She relaxed only slightly when she watched him change into the dreaded pajamas. At least some of the terror dissipated. Antonin rolled his eyes and climbed into bed. Her eyes never left his frame. It was unnerving.

"What?" he finally demanded when he couldn't take her staring any longer.

"Are you... I mean, are you wanting to…"

"Am I wanting to what, Granger?" He was too tired for games.

"Are you wanting to have sex with me?"

The eight words might as well have been one single word. She spoke them so quickly that he almost didn't understand what she was asking. Antonin rolled over on his side to face her before responding. Was that why she was so terrified? Did she sincerely think he was some kind of animal that couldn't keep his hands to himself? He had never taken a witch against her will. There had never been any need. They came willingly and often when he was younger.

"No, I'm not. This may come as a surprise to you, but after this enormously fucked up day, I'm not in the mood to defile some quivering virgin before bed. I'd rather go to sleep and enjoy one night in this bed where I can do nothing but sleep."

She didn't respond. If the lamps were on, he was certain her cheeks would be flushing bright red. After he stared at her for an awkward length of time waiting for her to say something, say anything, he turned back over to his other side and closed his eyes.

"I'm not, you know."

Her words were spoken in the same meek tone she used earlier. He almost missed it. If the rest of the cottage hadn't been completely silent, he wouldn't have heard.

"You're not what?"

"A 'quivering virgin'," she declared in that same voice. "I'm not completely without experience."

"Oh."

Antonin wasn't sure what to do with that knowledge. Certainly it would make matters just a bit easier when it finally came time to do what they were expected to do. His mind moved down avenues that it was best he not go down. He tried to shake out the thoughts before they took root. One night. One night of nothing but sleep was all he wanted before he had to face his new reality. Was that too much to ask?

"Good night, Antonin."

The use of his first name was a surprise. She at least seemed to be trying. Surely he could as well.

"Good night, Hermione."

His eyes grew heavy. Her shift in breathing next to him meant she was already asleep. Just as he felt the first wave of drowsiness take hold, a loud bang on the wall behind their bed made him jump. A second even louder bump shook their bed enough that Hermione was jarred awake. When a third and then a fourth and then a fifth bump shook their bed again, he was livid. Delighted, breathy moans and proud grunts bled through the paper-thin walls.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he growled.