Chapter Sixteen

It took all of Alex's willpower to keep from spilling tea all over his pristine white shirt as she served Lucius Malfoy. There wasn't a bit of her that wasn't trembling now as she tried to concentrate on anything except the fact that they were a few feet from her bed and he had already stripped himself of his coat, his waistcoat, and his gloves, complaining of unseasonable warmth. She could barely hear him speak over the warning bells in her head as she sat next to him, but not too closely, on he sofa.

Lucius was perfectly calm, as always. One would think that he did this everyday. "I do thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Alexandria. I've been quite preoccupied with business since I returned home and this was the first moment I could spare. I hope it is not inconvenient."

"No. It isn't," she answered hesitantly. "I was expecting Severus when you arrived, but I suppose something came up." The warning bells grew louder, only to be drowned out by the sound of his voice and the fact that he was leaning into her as he spoke.

"Severus is often so involved with one experiment or another that he loses track of time. It's been his habit since childhood." His smile took her breath away. "He's quite the perfectionist."

"I've noticed that." Damn it all, how could he be so collected, so perfectly poised?

"And I have noticed that you refuse to look me in the eye. It's quite disturbing." Her glance shot up out of habit and she immediately looked away again, murmuring an apology.

He placed a finger to her lips and the blood rushed to her cheeks. "Stop saying that. I have come to offer an apology to you."

Gently, she pushed his hand away. "You should." She was surprised at the sudden anger that surged within her. Frustrated, finally, at the casual comfort he seemed to have with her, and his ability to make her squirm, she slammed her cup down on the tray and sat back, putting a bit of distance between them. "And apologize to yourself while you're at it. You screwed both of us."

Gray eyes took on the glint of steel at her audacity, but her words had begun to gain momentum and they were out before she could stop them.

"Why, Lucius?" she spat. "You're not stupid. You knew you had me. I would have given you whatever you wanted. I would have torn this place apart looking for your damned scroll! It's your own fault that it's gone. You attacked when it wasn't necessary, forced me to defend myself, I had to seek help from that sanctimonious old man from the school. Do you think I wanted to see such a rare item destroyed?" She was up and pacing angrily, now. "What the hell changed between Nina's and here in the course of a few hours? Was it something Severus said? What it something I did? Please explain to me why you insisted on doing things the hard way."

"Alexandria, I have no intention of explaining myself to you. It's not even your place to ask. But, understand this. Right or wrong, I was certain that you were lying to me. Thus, I perceived you as my enemy, and I show my enemies no mercy. Keep up this tirade, and I may return to my previous opinion." Despite the wards she knew to be in place, her eyes darted to the walking stick sitting within easy reach.

Lucius was greatly enjoying her gradual loss of composure, and decided to top his threat with kindness, just to keep her off her guard. "I thought that perhaps this," he produced a small package seemingly from thin air, "would begin to make amends for my behavior."

Regaining her seat, she stared at the package as if it were a coiled cobra, unable to bring herself to touch it. "Come now, Alexandria. You have no reason to fear me---at least, not presently."

A tentative hand brought the package to her lap and she opened it delicately. The item she spied in the box caused her breath to hitch. "Lucius! This can't be real! I've never even seen one of these before."

"But, you know what it is?"

She lifted the entwined gold off of the emerald pillow on which it lay. "Of course I do. It's a Celtic torque. If it's authentic, and I suspect that it is, it has to be at least 2000 year old." She closed her hands gently over the ends. "My gods, you can still feel the magic flowing from it. I'm overwhelmed." Her adoring gaze rose to meet his and lingered there. "Where did you get this?"

Lucius smiled at her obvious delight. "It's part of a private collection of small treasures."

Her smile wavered. "I can't accept it."

His voice hardened almost imperceptibly. "You can and you will. I would be deeply offended were you to refuse it."

"Lucius, I don't know what to say."

"Allow me to be forthcoming with you, Alexandria. I think that you and I could enjoy a very positive relationship if you will only allow me to prove to you that, while I must be stern at times, I am not an evil man." The back of his hand brushed her face lightly as he lifted her hair behind her shoulder. "And that I have no desire to be your enemy."

"What do you desire of me, Lucius?" she asked in broken whisper.

Ah, you see, Severus, just as I told you. "Tonight, I would fulfill your desires, Alexandria." Strong hands delicately framed her face as he slowly brought his mouth to her own.

It gave her just enough time to consider what was happening. If he kissed her, if she felt those exquisite lips on hers, she knew she would be lost. With a groan of regret, she halted his progress, placing an unyielding hand on his chest, and praying that he wouldn't hold this against her.

"Alexandria?"

She spoke slowly, daring her voice to crack. "I know this is crazy. I can't believe I'm saying no to you, but---I can't do this." Her gaze met his, no longer wavering, but resolute and in full command of herself. He did not retreat an inch, but held her with a questioning stare. "I'm not stupid, Lucius. You don't want me," she admitted regretfully, "at least not remotely as much as I want you."

Tenderly, she removed his hands from her face and released them almost immediately. Feeling her skin on his for any length of time, she knew, would shatter her resolve. "Do you know what I respect about you, Lucius?"

His perplexed expression was her only reply.

Alex pulled away until she reclined on the arm of the sofa, on leg cocked onto the cushions and an arm flung over the back. "I respect the fact that after you dropped your wand, you kept fighting. Do you know how few wizards will do that? Nine times out of ten, if you can disarm a wizard, you automatically have the upper hand. They seem---lost. But, not you. You didn't back down, damn near killed me without your primary weapon." She smiled in admiration. "You are a relentless, conniving, horrifyingly lethal man. You terrify me, Lucius, and I'm completely infatuated with you."

His face was impassive, now, gray eyes completely unresponsive, but the slightest hint of a smirk played around his mouth. "You don't need to abase us both by seducing me. I hold you in the highest regard. It would be my great honor to be allied with you. Let me prove my value. I'm sure that we can come to an arrangement that will be mutually profitable. That's what I want from you, not a night of passion that I know in my heart was completely staged to win my compliance. You have that." Alex stood and made a bit of progress toward the stairs. "Your offer is more tempting than I can express to you, and I'm sure I'll regret this later, but not remotely as much as I'd regret allowing myself the exquisite pleasure of your company in my bed, tonight."

"And, now, allow me to top all of that by begging you to leave before I humiliate myself by changing my mind." His smile widened gradually and finally located his eyes as he swept gracefully to his feet and crossed the room to his intended prey. Feral gaze never leaving hers, he placed the reptilian head of his walking stick none too gently at her throat and began tracing the front of her body with the cold metal. Her resolve began to crumble once more, the trembling in her voice, impossible to contain as she spoke. "Please, Lucius. We both know I'm no match for you. This is no way to reiterate the point."

The smile disappeared only a moment before he crushed his lips to hers, searing her with his heat. Mother of Merlin! Her entire body went up in flames in an instant! How could she have said no to this? A controlling arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her body to his as the other entwined itself in her hair, creating a vice from which she could not escape.

His tongue plunged into her mouth and was welcomed enthusiastically by her own. Gods, yes! He was perfect. She could taste his power. Her heart was thundering in her ears as he invaded her mouth mercilessly, stealing her breath. She was vaguely aware of alternately moaning and whimpering as he began to map her body with hands that fairly crackled with magic. Damn, this man had to be the most powerful wizard she'd ever known. How had she escaped him? Soon, thoughts ceased to be coherent and she surrendered herself to instinct alone, frantically kneading his back with shaking hands and urgently melding her hips with his. His obvious arousal pushed her over the edge as she began to tear at his clothes.

Then abruptly he stopped, grabbed her wrists in a steel grip and pulled away. Gods, she remembered that inflexible grasp, and half expected him to bring his wicked blade to bear. Her eyes searched out his own, questioning his motive. The fire she saw there was frightening. "Tell me that you want me to stop."

Her ragged gasps were subsiding by the time she comprehended his command. It was all she could do to choke out a short reply. "I can't." Anything to bring his mouth back to her own. There was no more fight left in her. She was conquered, crushed, devastated by this adversary.

The smile was wicked and it cut through the haze of lust in an instant. "Another lesson for you, Alexandria. Do not forget it."

At that, he whispered words she could not hear and slipped directly through the floor. An instant later, she heard his boots lightly hit the stone below and followed the steady sound of his footsteps out the door.

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The breath left her lungs in a whoosh and once again, she found herself sitting on the cold stone floor, this time shaking with laughter for a very long time. The relief she felt at having that man out of her room was immeasurable! Once her legs stopped shaking, she would probably dance all night. She had done it, had said no to Lucius Malfoy. The last few minutes didn't count. That was clearly foul play. Ha! And Severus had said she didn't have any self-control.

Severus! She hoped that Malfoy had merely demanded that he steer clear of the shop. Surely he wouldn't have hurt him. Of course, the more she knew of Snape, the more she got the feeling that he was as formidable as Lucius in his own, subtle way. Hoping that Lucius hadn't decided to discuss the evening with Severus immediately, she conjured a quick fire and tossed in a handful of floo powder.

"Severus Snape's study."

There he was, casually reading a book, seemingly at peace with the universe. She drank in the sight happily before she spoke.

"Severus?" she called softly.

Only his eyes moved, darting to the fire with obvious apprehension.

"Severus, I have to see you. Can I come over, please?"

"I will come to you."

He rose with feline grace to his feet, and Alex stepped back from the fire. She waited only a moment before Severus stepped through the hearth. Curiously enough, the wards shivered as he appeared, but she'd worry about that later. For now, she wrapped her arms around her lover with a huge sigh of relief. His arms remained at his sides and there was no warmth in his words when he spoke.

"I was quite occupied, Miss Borgin. What did you need?"

Alex stepped back and met the pale wizard's eyes. The cold fury she saw in them gave her no more pause as to the source of the tremor in her wards.

"Severus, what is it?"

"I asked you a question. Why did you disturb me?"

His tone at once burst her bubble and caused her blood to boil. "I disturbed you to ask why the hell you completely disregarded our lesson today."

"I was otherwise occupied."

His cool demeanor set her temper to blazing. "Following Malfoy's orders to hide in your dungeon while he had his way with me, subdued and manipulated me with my own lust?"

"My 'orders' are none of your---"

"The hell they're not!" she was shouting now. So much for that great feeling of satisfaction. "Could you not at least have warned me?"

"Would it have made a difference?"

"Of course it would have made a difference! I was terrified, Severus! I had no idea what he wanted! I can't believe you just sat back and did nothing! What the hell is the matter with you?"

The flicker of a sneer appeared at the corners of his mouth, and his voice was laced with scorn. "I was not aware that you lacked the ability to look after yourself. Perhaps you should have traded that scroll for a babysitt---" SLAP!

"You cold-hearted son of a bitch!" She continued her tirade, infuriated by the lack of emotion in that pale, thin face even after she'd struck him. So, she did it again. Harder. She shouldn't have been surprised when his wand appeared in his hand, leveled at her heart.

"Miss Borgin, if you so much as lift your hand again, I will make certain that you regret it for a long time to come. There are methods of getting around these wards, especially for one who helped to weave them, and I will not tolerate being assaulted, certainly not by you." He looked her up and down with open disgust before gesturing toward the sofa with his outstretched wand. "Have a seat."

For a just a moment, a spark of rebelliousness flickered, but her logical side took over before she could act, and she perched on the edge of the cushions, eyeing the potions master with trepidation. Seeing him angry was unnerving, somehow even more so than Lucius. He was logical, could be reached with reason, but Severus seemed to have come a bit unhinged, and she waited in silence to see what he would do next.

"Understand, Miss Borgin, that I will do what I must to survive. I suggest you lean to do the same. Your problems with Malfoy are not my problems. The fact that he chose to bed you in order to win your loyalty should be considered a stroke of your renown luck. The tactics he takes with those who have less appeal are not nearly so pleasant. In short, Miss Borgin, you are now involved in the war you wanted no part of, and your side has been chosen for you. What you do at this point is of no consequence to me, unless you become an obstacle. I have been removed from the task of gathering information from you, and am no longer required to keep your company." He favored her with a rare, quirky smile. "Welcome to the ranks of unwilling warriors---Alexandria."

He turned back to the hearth, but a last spark of defiance in Alex wouldn't allow him the comfort of a peaceful retreat back to his dungeon. She stepped in path, hoping that her luck held. "Severus, you are not leaving."

"Get out of my way."

"Not until you've heard me out."

"If you think I'm interested in anything a Death Eater's whore has to say--"

Her hand twitched at her side, itching to knock the words from his mouth. "Severus, I am no one's whore. I don't know where you've gotten that---" Suddenly, her face lit up as if someone had cast a 'Lumos' spell behind her eyes.

"Severus Snape!" she whispered in awe. "You're jealous."

"That is completely ridiculous."

"Yes, it is. It's also incredibly flattering. Who would have thought that a man like you would be jealous over a nobody like me?"

"I don't have time for this."

"Of course, it makes sense," she mused. "Allowing your enemy to just step in and take what you perceive to be yours probably kills your pride."

With an imperceptible flick of his wrist, she was silenced, and found herself being flung back on to the sofa. "I like you much better this way, Miss Borgin. It's a shame the spell is temporary."

He stalked toward the hearth without another word and grabbed a handful of floo powder. Not even bothering to turn, he gave his parting shot. "You were an amusing distraction, Miss Borgin. I do hope Lord Malfoy likes it rough."

His robes billowed for a moment as he stepped into the hearth, and then he was gone.

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Kitora Crysta: Ok, Ok, here's an update. Sheesh! You know how to guilt a girl into writing, don't you? Just kidding. I'm so flattered that you're excited about the story. I'm blushing over here.

Fluer K: Sorry about the cliffhanger. It's not intentional. I just stop where the guys tell me to stop. I take my orders from Severus and Lucius. Take it up with them! :-)

Snapekisser: Thanks for the review. I can't see Severus staying nice (well, nice for him, anyway) to anyone for too long, even if she's good in bed. He just has too much on his shoulders. And, yes. You seem to have a good feel for Alex's character.

Silverfey: I get the feeling that Lucius was in the US gathering info on our American shopkeeper. I'll ask him, just to be sure. Yeah, Alex is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. She's pretty trusting and way too forgiving, but give her a chance. She may surprise you. I know she's shocked me a few times. So glad you liked the escape. I can't tell if Alex is totally graceful or just really lucky. Thanks for your reviews. I've said it before, but they really mean a lot to me!