Chapter Twenty-Seven: Punishment?

The walk to the dungeon was less leisurely this time, but Lucius held her hand gently as Rose strove to keep pace with his long stride. She stole a few glances at him, but he had none for her. His chin was in the air, the same way it had been the night he emerged from torturing Marsh to the point of death, and she shuddered at the recollection of the traitor's torn body. Surely, a minor infraction like waiting to be called a third time didn't warrant that kind of treatment.

When they reached the stone wall, she began to quake inside. Lucius wasn't kidding. He wasn't bluffing, and she was about to face his legendary wrath in one of the most feared places in the wizarding world. They walked only a short distance into the inky blackness before he stopped, turned, and lit the torches with a softly snarled command. She was surprised somehow that the room was clean, it's stone walls and floor shining with polished perfection. But that didn't make the manacles hanging from the ceiling or the impossibly long whip that decorated the wall any less threatening.

Hand on the small of her back, he propelled her forward toward the manacles. A few paces shy, they stopped and his hands snaked around her body. His left stopped on her stomach and pulled her tightly against him, his right curved sensually around her side, over her breasts, and stopped at her throat, a treacherous insinuation.

"Aren't you going to beg for mercy?" he growled softly in her ear, lips just barely brushing her skin.

She shivered involuntarily, hating to give him the satisfaction of her fear mingled with intense desire. "Is that what you want, my lord?"

His hand tightened around her neck. "I asked you a question," he returned coldly.

"No, my lord," she began, swallowing hard. "I don't intend to beg," she answered softly, her pride refusing to give in to his tactics.

Without another word, he released her throat, retrieved his wand and spoke a harsh command. She saw the light flare from the corner of her eye and winced as the heat warmed the side of her face.

"Don't move," he commanded icily.

She didn't, exercising all of her self-control to remain still while the searing tip of his wand began to trail down her spine, not quite touching, but close enough to feel the heat. She was uncertain of his intention until she felt a hint of breeze on bare skin near her shoulder blades, then she understood. He was burning a rip in her blouse, right down the center of her back. This done, he slid the cloth over her shoulders and down her arms. When she was naked above the waist, a single finger traced her spine delicately like a lover.

"Such a shame, Rose. You have the softest skin, and I am very skilled with that whip," he whispered into her ear. "Are you certain you don't wish to fall to your knees?" he mocked.

Had Alex not been so damned angry with him, Rose probably would have done so, but she only tightened her jaw for a moment, steeling her resolve. "I won't beg you, my lord." Her voice quaked with fear and though her tone remained polite, she knew Lucius Malfoy well enough to know that her refusal to play his game infuriated him. And she couldn't for the life of her figure out why she would do that.

He shoved her forward with none of the gentleness he had shown her thus far and she managed to catch herself on the wall. A cruel hand grabbed her hair then, steadying her and freezing her to the spot. It took only a few seconds to secure both of her wrists in manacles which magically tightened just enough to cut into the skin. His boots rang on the stone floor as he distanced himself a bit, and Rose braced herself for a blow that didn't fall.

Instead she heard quiet, almost reverent chanting, and the chains which held her began to draw themselves into the ceiling. Her arms were stretched until they could reach no further and she began to panic as she was forced to rise up on her toes to keep from hanging by her wrists. He stopped before it reached that point, though, and she had to concentrate on keeping her balance while dreading whatever he planned to do next.

She hadn't long to wait. Her ears followed his footsteps to the wall, heard the deceptively soft brush of leather as he removed the whip, and followed him back to the center of the room.

"Do you know why you're being punished, Rose?" he asked coldly.

She couldn't keep the rising panic from her voice. "No. I don't," she answered honestly.

She listened for a response, but heard only a strange rush of air. Before she could wonder what it was, there was a sharp crack and her back exploded in pain.

"You will address me as 'my lord.'" She heard the mocking smile in his voice as he added, "Or, 'master,' if you prefer. I'll ask you again. Do you know why you're being punished?" he asked, more harshly this time.

Rose was at a loss. She had no idea what to say to placate him. The air swirled again and she braced herself for the blow that fell seconds later. She cried out in pain. Either he had incredible luck or he was inordinately skilled. The whip had struck her back in the exact place it had before. He lashed out twice more, and she ceased to deliberate as logic disappeared in a haze of pain.

"Answer me, woman," he snarled, bringing the whip down again. This time, she lost her footing and collapsed in the manacles, sending sharp tendrils of pain shooting down her arms as the metal bit into the skin of her wrists. She struggled to right herself as he continued, layering one stroke on top of the other, fanning the fire that burned in her skin, until she stopped crying out long enough to speak.

What she had considered saying and what actually crossed her lips were two very different sentiments. She had every intention of apologizing for making him wait, but Alex rose up within and choked out a response. "You knew I was sleeping, you insensitive bast---"

The slander was cut off by a sharp cry of pain as he increased the power of his lashes. On they continued, faster and harder until she was lost to everything but the sting of leather on her skin and the cool tendrils of blood and sweat tracing her back.

Then slowly, to her great surprise, the pain and terror began to dissipate and were replaced by something else, something completely unexpected; a familiar liquid heat building white-hot between her thighs. Against her will, her cries of anguish evolved into moans of pleasure. The tears continued unabated but were joined by manic laughter. The muscles in her legs convulsed with the strain of holding her on her toes, and she began to savor the struggle as each lash of the whip brought with it surges of a dark satisfaction and her body drew ever closer to the climax she craved.

She had no idea that she had ceased her pleas for him to stop, or had committed the ultimate sin of calling him by his given name as she begged him for more, just that the lashes had eased. Soon the room had gone silent except for the sound of Lucius' breathing, and Rose's quiet, desperate pleading for him to take her.

When she realized that he had stopped, her head fell back and she released a primal cry of frustration. He was behind her in an instant, his heavy breath in her ear as sweaty hands smelling strongly of leather snaked up her arm and released her bindings with a word. She fell to her hands and knees with a sob somewhere between agony and longing. Lucius knelt beside her, grabbed her chin in his hand, and yanked her face around to his, and she panicked for just a moment at the feverish gleam she saw there.

"I never would have imagined," he whispered incredulously, releasing her chin and tracing her throat with sharp nails. She was shocked when the man who had just been beating her claimed her mouth in a savage kiss, was completely betrayed when she heard a hungry growl rumble in her own throat as she returned it. No sense in lying to herself. She'd wanted him like this for a long, long time.

His response was anything but loving, a torrent of bites and licks down her throat and between her breasts as he shoved her mercilessly onto her stinging back. She cried out once until the cool stone began to soothe the sting of her cuts and bruises. "Lucius, yes. Please," she found herself moaning, again betrayed by her own desperate longing for him.

She had no idea how he had removed his clothing and hers so quickly, only that his skin was absolutely burning as his hands and mouth explored her feverishly. The slick feel of his tongue between her thighs coaxing the flame of desire ever higher almost sent her over the edge, but the lord of the manor had other plans. Twice he brought her to the edge and let her fall back as she tangled her hands in his silken hair, and begged for release.

Instead, he pulled her to her knees, placed her hands flat against the wall, and enchanted them to stay with a sharp command. Still it took her by complete surprise when he entered her body with one violent stroke. In the three wonderful occasions he and Alex had made love, he had never taken her like this. It was better than all three encounters combined, she decided, as he smoothed his hands admiringly over his handiwork on her back causing tears of pain to mingle with the pleasure. He took her with shameless abandon, using her as if she were no more than an object and occasionally bending his head for a taste of her flesh. Still she cried out for him to continue, so close to climax that her head was reeling. Seconds after his hand slid down her hips to satisfy her, she was washed away on waves of pleasure, so caught up that she barely even noticed as he cried her name with his own release.

The room spun sickeningly as her body cooled, and Lucius rested his forehead on her back, his hair spilling out in sweaty strands around shoulders that strained from the weight. "Rose, my lady, my precious pet," he whispered reverently. "Why ever didn't you tell me?"

She didn't quite understand his question, couldn't conceive of giving an answer. She could only gasp for breath as he released her from the spell and her hands fell to the floor. She neglected the extra support, opting to curl on her side as she cried. One shaking hand was drawn to her tormenter's face, stroking it lovingly, and she whispered his name once before the world went black around her.

Lucius gently straddled the inert body of his servant, his knees sinking into the bed as he tried to avoid placing the full burden of his weight on her hips. She was still out cold, though he had stopped the bleeding over half an hour ago with one of the few healing spells he knew. The bottle of oil that he held now was worth more than she made in a year, left over from his encounter with Alexandria. Its skillful application by his mediwizards had spared him the shame of living with burn scars from the potion she had thrown in his face when he'd attacked her.

He sighed deeply, remembering how furious he had been with her then, and how utterly fascinated. It was the same with Rose now, though she had always been much more submissive to his will than Alexandria had the ability to be. He had been furious with her tonight for making him wait, but his anger with Alexandria had made him carry her punishment too far, his notorious temper rearing its ugly head.

Now the fascination had set in. He had doubted himself the first time he heard her moan as the whip lashed her velvet skin, assumed that he had perhaps been remembering something about Alexandria and their night together. But then it came again, louder. He had listened in fascination as, gradually, with each stroke of the whip, she'd moaned louder, then cried out in passion instead of pain, had actually called his name, something he'd heard her utter only once before and that had occured only because, in a drunken stupor, he had asked her to.

He had slowed his strokes, making certain that he heard correctly, and when he heard her beg him to take her, when he knew that she was enjoying the torment as much as he was enjoying causing it, something inside him snapped. He couldn't have her fast enough, didn't want to wait a moment to be buried within that yielding body.

She was stirring now under his touch, moaning lightly as he massaged the oil into the bruises and small cuts on her back. When she awoke, it was with a start of fear. She struggled briefly, wincing in pain as she tried to turn.

"Shhh." He placed a calming hand on her shoulder and spoke gently as if to a startled animal. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

"What are you doing, my lord?" she asked sleepily and a bit too warily for his comfort.

"Making certain that you don't scar," he answered softly, kneading her muscles gently as he worked the potion into her skin.

"Great Merlin, that feels good," she breathed, settling herself more comfortably beneath him.

The movement caused his body to respond with a rush of heat, and he calmed himself with a deep breath before continuing. "It's meant to, my pet."

Rose chuckled shyly.

"What?"

"You've never called me that before," she answered with a small smile.

"You've never begged for me as I whipped you, never told me that pain causes you such pleasure. Things change."

She sighed deeply, obviously enjoying the feel of warm hands on her back. "I don't want things to change. I'm comfortable."

He rumbled deep in his chest. "Are you? You're comfortable being my servant?" he asked doubtfully.

"Mmm Hmm," she purred happily. "The personal slave of Lucius Malfoy. I like that."

"A slave?" he asked with mock offense. "Do I not pay you well enough? I suppose you'll be wanting a raise in salary, now."

She chuckled again, a light, pleasant sound. "Of course not." She looked over her shoulder at Lucius who had stopped massaging and was regarding her with curiosity. "But I'm considering becoming very rebellious."

"All you need to do is tell me what you want," he said seriously, continuing his ministrations. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

She considered this for a moment. "Honestly, I didn't know," she answered. "I knew that I didn't care for gentle lovers, but I had no idea that I would enjoy... something like that."

He froze. "So, you went to your punishment with that much composure not knowing that you would enjoy it?"

"Did I have a choice?" she asked without resentment.

"What you have is a lot of nerve," he answered. "I should have recognized it the night you managed to fight off a room full of Death Eaters... if only for a short time. I attributed your success to desperation, but I see now that I missed the truth. You're simply braver than I thought you were."

She listened carefully for some hint of suspicion. "Is that a bad thing, my lord?"

"I don't suppose so, but I'll be keeping a closer eye on you, that's certain."

"I told you from the very beginning that I would never betray my employer," she said softly.

"It's not your betrayal that concerns me," he answered, closing the bottle of oil and lifting himself from her, settling on his knees as she raised up on her arm to face him.

"Then, what concerns you?" she asked, appraising him carefully with deep brown eyes. "I'm completely loyal to you, my lord. Do you not yet trust me?"

"It's not in my nature to trust anyone," he answered simply.

Somewhere deep inside Rose, Alex felt a swell of vindication.

"I understand, my lord." She rose to her knees. "Thank you for tending to me. You should get some sleep," she whispered, fighting the urge to claim a soft kiss before departing. She had barely begun to turn when he caught her lightly by the arm.

"You're staying with me tonight." There was no hint of compromise in his eyes when she met them with her own.

She hesitated, tried to think of a way out. When she found that there was no graceful way to turn him down, she relented. "Are you sure?" she asked in a small voice.

"I am not in the habit of making requests that I have not thought out," he answered steadily.

She smiled shyly, not meeting his eyes. "Of course not." She bit her lip before glancing up. "I could use a shower, but I suppose that would waste all of your hard work?"

"You can't disturb the potion. It's designed to soak into your skin immediately." He tilted his head slightly, fixing her with a quizzical look. "How long has it been since you cut off your hair?" he asked bluntly.

She never blinked. "I cut my hair when my father died, shortly before I came here. Why?"

He smiled sweetly, an eerily uncharacteristic sight, and smoothed the back of his hand across her cheek. "You have a habit of tucking nonexistent hair behind your ear when you are nervous."

She chuckled lightly at the observation, but somewhere inside Alex's voice spoke up. That's good, Rose. Could you be any more obvious?

Lucius slid from the bed while her inner dialogue insulted her. When she turned to see where he was going, she found that he was standing directly behind her with his hand extended. "Come," he commanded softly. "I'll draw a bath for us."

Mary: Poor Rose, indeed. In his defense, I'm sure that Severus wished he could have helped.

Rycca Wolfbane: Severus can't help her because of the whole needing to stay undercover so that he can help save the world and stuff. Damn those priorities. He knows she's tough... well, I'm sure that's what he's telling himself. As to Rose's quitting, that subject will be touched upon soon. Alex was referring to the fact that Lucius had insisted on calling her Alexandria from the very beginning, which was her mother's name. She has a little angst about being compared to her mother as her father pretty much did that her whole life. I like your questions. They keep me on my toes and remind me to keep things as clear as possible. I heard about the naked Alan thing. If Jen does manage it, let me know. I'd die to see that!

Fleur K: You expected that, huh? Damn. I'll have to try harder to surprise you next time. Did this chapter do so in the slightest? I hope that you approve of her future plans. It's Friday night in the story. We'll get around to her future plans by Monday.

Lady Jenilyn: Wow! That was an amazingly close guess! Are you psychic or something? Our beloved Severus still has a part to play, so don't despair. You know, I tried to read the Merlin Trilogy and that's exactly what stopped me from doing so. It was the fantasy version of a Ray Bradbury novel. I know that if I had really gotten into it, I would have enjoyed the plot and characters, but it was so painfully dull the first few chapters that I couldn't manage. Thanks for the tea. I'm glad that we could come to an understanding. I hate all that negative tension. It keeps me from sleeping. BTW, if Eowyn in armor agrees, then I have no recourse but to submit. Eowyn rocks.

PPP: Yes, war and conquest seems to bring out the syrupy romantic in our Lucius. How sweet! One does wonder if Rose begins to harbor some bizarre ill will toward Alex. After all, she's the reason for almost all of her troubles at this point.

arwen 78: Rose was indeed in a heap of trouble. Shame Lucius has to take out his frustrations on the help, but that's just his way. I think that Severus has a soft spot for women in trouble. The few times that he's shown real tenderness toward Alex was when she was in need of rescue: when she was poisoned, when she first came to him after moving into Malfoy manor, etc. I think he harbors a secret desire to be her hero, but she's too damned independent to often need one.

Silverfey: I'm so happy that I could shock you. It's a thrill to know that you weren't expecting that. I'll tell you in the strictest confidence that I've hoped this chapter would catch my beloved readers off-guard. Did it get you? I was not aware and am still uncertain that I rock, so I'll let your compliment just soak into my soul. It feels good to know that someone out there thinks I rock because very few people here feel that way.

Intel Ewok: Cool! My Severus made you think that? Alright! He was trying to get Lucius to let Alex/Rose in on the kind of danger she was courting, but I think she was right when she postulated that he was toying with her as well. He's a bit of a villain at times. Love that guy!