Disclaimer: Everything is J K Rowlings except the characters that I have created.
A/N: WARNING…this chapter is quite violent. It could not be helped because this is how I see Lucius. I hope that I do not offend or upset anyone. Oh and don't get too angry…it's a cliffhanger.
The Beguiling of Snape: The Silent Prison 5
Over the next few weeks, Katarina and Severus became very close. Every night he would sit and read to her. He enjoyed this as much as she did. They had finished The Hobbit and had moved on to Lord of the Rings. As the weeks passed, Severus began to notice that Katarina was starting to get tense due to the fact that the 15th of August was bearing down on them. Katarina was very nervous and was frightened the night the big storm hit. An early August thunderstorm was all she needed to send her over the edge.
As the storm raged outside, Katarina could not sleep. She had been very restless for days. Now she sits in the window seat watching the storm. It was night just like this when Lucius had first violated her. That was eighteen years ago and it is as fresh in her memory now as it was then. Just like all the other times he came to claim her. She had grown to hate this man she once loved, with a passion that was most unhealthy. Again tonight she sits in the window crying. How was she ever going to endure it yet again? Severus was there but if Lucius knew this he will surely kill him. Katarina couldn't bear that. She had grown quite fond of Severus in the last two months. There was something about him. Every time she touched him she got this warm and safe feeling, but could she let herself feel again? Look what happened the first time, and yet she couldn't help it. Was it love? He had never done anything inappropriate and was always kind and considerate. He had been working diligently on trying to find a counter curse to lift the silence.
There was another crack of lightening and a roll of thunder. This time it shook the windows. "That was a close one," she thought. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear him come up behind her.
"Katarina? Are you alright?" Severus asked.
She gave a little start and grabbed at her chest.
"Oh I am so sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," he said as he smiled slightly. She patted the seat next to her inviting him to sit down. It was then he noticed her tears.
"Why are you crying?" he asked as he reached up to wipe them away with his thumb.
As he wiped away the tears she closed her eyes and breathed deep as the warmth spread over her. She turned and leaned back against him as he wrapped his arms around her and she cried. Silent sobs wracked her body as he held her tenderly. After what seemed like hours, with the storm still raging outside, she reached for a piece of parchment and a quill. He read over her shoulder as she wrote…..
Lucius is coming soon. He will force me again and I don't know if I can bear it. Oh Severus he hurts me so much and I can't…she couldn't write anymore because she was crying too hard.
As the hate welled up in Severus even more he said,
"I will do everything in my power to keep him from you."
After she calmed down some she wrote….
It was a night like this that Lucius first raped me. There was a storm raging just like this one. I used to like thunderstorms, now I fear them. She paused for a few moments. Severus, I need your help. I will understand if you feel you can't help me.
"What is it you need me to do?" he asked her as he stroked her hair that he finally convinced her to wear loose.
She wrote….
I need these demons exorcised. I need a happy memory during a thunderstorm to rid me of this fear. She paused again. Oh my, how can I ask you this?
"You can ask me anything Kat. I would do anything for you. Anything," he whispered in her ear.
She wrote…..
Could you rid me of these demons? Severus, would you make love to me?
He didn't answer her. As she turned to look at him he gently took her face in his hands and kissed her. Her heart felt like is was going to burst when he whispered,
"You don't know how long I have dreamed of loving you."
He gently picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. She discovered that night that love was beautiful and worth experiencing. Severus was a skillful and most tender lover and made her feel like this was how it was supposed to be. Afterwards when they were lying in each other's arms, Severus whispered in her ear,
"I love you."
She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"It's alright if you don't love me too. I have loved you since we were in school at Hogwarts. When I heard that you were dead, it nearly killed me. I love you more than life," he said as he pulled her closer. He felt her body tremble from more silent sobs.
When the sobs subsided she looked him in the eyes and mouthed, "I love you too."
As the storm raged on the lovers slept the most peaceful sleep either had in months.
The week of the 15th came quickly and anxiety grew. Katarina was in the greenhouse when Lucius' owl arrived.
Katarina,
I will be arriving tomorrow evening. I expect you to be bathed and have dinner ready for me. I hope that you have learned to be more responsive.
Lucius
Katarina nearly fainted. She was finding it very hard to breathe. Severus, having seen the owl, came into the greenhouse. As he came in he saw Katarina clutching the letter in her fist with her head between her knees taking big breaths.
"Kat, are you alright?"
She nodded her head yes and handed him the letter.
"He won't get you I promise," he said as he put an arm around her trembling shoulders.
She turned and threw her arms around his neck. He held her gently whispering reassuring words in her ear. After a while she straightened up and wiped the tears away.
"Better now," he asked. She nodded and reached up and kissed him. She then took his hand and led him out of the greenhouse back to the cottage and into her bedroom. She then kissed him passionately and proceeded to make love to him the rest of the afternoon.
The next morning apprehension was running high. Severus had told Katarina that when Lucius arrived he would over power him and take his wand. She reluctantly agreed. Around 2:00 Katarina was getting a little edgy and decided to make a pot of tea. As she and Severus finished their tea she took out a quill and parchment and started writing a note.
Please don't be mad at me. I am afraid that something will go wrong when Lucius gets here and I can't risk something happening to you. Just remember how much I do love you and I hope you will forgive me. By now you should be getting sleepy and I need to get you into the basement before you pass out, otherwise I will never be able to conceal your whereabouts. Again, remember that I love you but I need to handle this.
She handed him the note and as he read his head started swimming.
"Kat No. Please, you can't do this alone," he said as he started to stagger.
Katarina gently took his arm and lead him down the steps to the basement. She walked him over to a cot that had been set up there. As he lay down he looked at her with fearful eyes. She bent over him and kissed his forehead and mouthed "I love you."
"Kat, why did you do this?" but he would never know why because he fell into a deep sleep.
Katarina made her way back up the stairs with a heavy heart. She knew she was doing the right thing but somehow still felt that she was betraying Severus.
As the afternoon went on, Katarina finished cooking dinner for Lucius. It was around dusk, when she heard a whinny outside the cottage. Lucius had arrived and on horseback. He tethered his black stallion Death to a small tree and knocked on the door.
"Is everything ready like I asked?" demanded Lucius as he came into the cottage without waiting for her to answer the door.
She nodded.
"Good," he said as he sat down to eat.
As he finished his meal and his third cup of tea he looked at Katarina and noticed that she didn't look very nervous, as a matter of fact she looked almost radiant. What was going on? And then he realized that his maleness had been excited when he came in and now he felt nothing. When reality hit, it hit hard.
"You fucking bitch, what have you done to me?" he demanded as he came charging across the table at her, knocking what was left of dinner on the floor. As he reached her he grabbed her by the front of her dress and hit her so hard that she went sailing to the floor unconscious.
When she woke she realized that she had been stripped of her clothes and was lying face down on the bed with her hands and feet bound to the bedposts. Lucius was standing over her with triumph on his face. When he saw that she was awake he took her hair out of it's bun leaving her long braid, which he started wrapping tightly around her throat. If she moved it cut her air off so she decided to lie still until she heard the swishing sound and then a crack. At first she was so numb that she didn't realize what it was and then she felt the burning across her exposed back. Lucius was using the riding crop on her. She wanted to cry out but she couldn't. Tears were streaming down her face by the time the third lash hit. She had never seen him so angry. There was no way he was going to let her live.
After a while she lost count of how many lashes he had inflicted, all she knew was that she could feel something warm and sticky running down her sides. By the time Lucius was spent, there were angry welts and bleeding gashes covering her whole backside and legs.
"So how do you feel now you bitch? Have you had enough?" he asked through gritted teeth.
She nodded.
"You will never see me again after this night so tell me, was the potion you gave me to make me impotent permanent?" he demanded.
She shook her head "no."
"How many days will it last?"
She slowly held up five fingers, which was difficult since her hands were bound.
"I see, well you might survive that long but it's doubtful. Tonight I finally grew tired of your bullshit and now you are going to die slowly," he said as he placed her wand next to her.
"Even though you can't use it a witch should never die without her wand," he said with an unearthly cackle.
Tears started to flow more.
"You could have had so much. It is such a shame that you had to be so defiant. I will not think of you again after this night. On our anniversary next year I will send someone here to bury what is left of your decaying body if the animals haven't gotten to you yet," and with this he bent down and kissed her on the cheek and was gone.