Chapter 3

Harry sat in the back of the car watching the view as it went by in a blur. Trying to figure out what he was going to say to Severus. The driver spoke up telling him he had arrived at his chosen destination. Harry smiled thanking the man and got out of the car. Walking down the street he waited until the car moved out of sight. Then quickly made his way back to the Cauldron to floo home.

Harry entered in through the flames to find Severus sitting there, his eyes unfocused staring off into space. Not knowing if he was up to having a confrontation with the older wizard, he turned and was about to head upstairs when Severus spoke.

"Where were you Harry." It was a statement not a question and before Harry could answer more was said.

"I have been sitting here since yesterday waiting for you to return. I spent most of the morning calling every Gryffindor I could remember, to see if you happened to be with any of them. Not finding you, I sent the children over to Hermione's house while I searched Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, and still I came up empty handed." Severus looked up with fury in his eyes and said slowly. "So I will ask you again, where were you Harry."

"Muggle London I spent the night there, trying to sort things out."

"I will not have you taking off without notice. You will tell me where you are going before you leave this house again. Is that understood."

Harry was beginning to fume. How dare he tell him when and where he could go and with or without permission. He wasn't a child any longer and could come and go as he pleases. "I think I can do what ever I damn well please Severus, who do you think you are ordering me around like some child."

"I am your husband and by law I am the elder in this relationship. I therefore have every right to tell you what you can and can't do."

"That's ridiculous! I thought I would come back and try to work things through with you, but I can clearly see you only want control. I am taking the children and leaving."

"I'm afraid not." Severus said in a deathly tone that sent shivers of dread down Harry's spine.

"I think you had better talk to your friend, Hermione, about what I'm talking about. You may go and retrieve our children then." Severus stood up swiftly turned and headed off down to his lab slamming the door in his wake.

Harry stood stock-still scared for the first time in his marriage. What was Severus talking about? I can leave if I want. What is there some stupid wizard law that can prevent me from going? He would have to ask Hermione when he went to get his children.

Half an hour later Harry was stumbling through the flames of Hermione Granger's house. It was a small and cute apartment that had shelves upon shelves of books. Off to the side a section was dedicated to a bright orange color denoting that Ron Weasley also lived there. His Chudley Canon's posters and memorabilia decorated the wall. Shaking his head at the thoughts of his best friends obsession with the Canon's Harry turned his sites to see Hermione holding the baby in her arms while reading a book out loud to both children. Chuckling to himself as he watched the two children listening intently to what she was saying. Amused that she would be reading the one book she had told Ron and himself, to read every year of their lives at school. The book she was reading with such fervor was none other than Hogwarts A History. Finally noticing him there she smiled and stopped her reading.

"Hello Harry I was just reading a story." Hermione greeted her friend warmly.

Leaning down he kissed the top of her head and replied. "Starting them off early are you. Making sure they know all the things Ron and I didn't before they get there?"

"Well you know it is the most informative book there is about Hogwarts. Yes this will help them when they get their letter." Hermione stopped her rant when she looked up to see that Harry wasn't even paying attention to her, he was staring at his children with a look she could not define.

"Harry is there something wrong?"

Sighing he sat down across from her taking hold of his youngest child because the other hand already fallen fast asleep snuggling close to his friend on the couch. Not knowing were to begin he started off with the question that had been plaguing his mind since Severus had spoke.

"Hermione, is there a wizard law that says I can't leave Severus and take my children with me?"

Shocked at the question and the implications Hermione didn't answer, but asked her own questions instead.

"What do you mean Harry, why would you ask that? Is something wrong between you and Severus? Has he hurt you or the children?"

"No not really its just that well, I think it was a mistake to marry him. I need to leave but I won't leave my children with him. I don't know what is the matter between us. Not knowing what is wrong to begin with doesn't help to find a way to fix it. I am beginning to be afraid of him too, he said something about me not being able to leave with the kids, is that true?"

Frowning at the knowledge of Harry not being happy and that there was surely something he was not telling her, she got up and headed to the bookshelf to retrieve a book. Walking back to her seat quickly scanning through the pages finding what she had been looking for. Reading it over once she sighed and handed the book off to Harry.

Putting his child down in the pen after she fell asleep he took the book that his friend held out to him. Taking a deep breath he began to read the section she had handed the book open to him at.

Wizarding code of Marriage:

Rights of the spouses when disillusion of marriage is eminent. Part 4: This code is to protect the children's home life and stability. It is said that the children of an estranged marriage loose out when they are forced from the environment they are accustomed to. Therefore laws state that the children are to be left with the oldest of the couple in their current housing. The estranged parent will have no rights to the children except for two visitations per year, both to be supervised by the older of the spouses.

Exception to Part 4 of the code: If the oldest of the spouses are abusive to the other spouse or their children. The younger then has the right to abduct the children and removed themselves to safety. Contact with the Ministry in this situation is a must, for the younger of the spouses has to prove that the elder was abusive.

"So I'm stuck, I can't leave if I want to keep my children." Harry said in defeat.

"I'm sorry Harry, some of the laws in the wizarding world are not fair. I wish I could get some of them removed or at least updated to the way of life. Even if I did it wouldn't help your situation out at the moment. Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione placed a comforting hand on his shoulder making him look up from the book and smile sadly at her.

"No I guess I will figure out what to do on my own, thanks for watching the kids for me. I better get back before he has something snide to say about me being gone longer than needed."

Nodding back to him Hermione set to packing up the children's belongings and helped Harry by carrying one of the children to the fire. She threw the powder in the flames and watched as her saddened friend of many years left, holding his two children close to his body for protection.

Trying to spend as little time as necessary around his bonded, Harry stayed far away only being near at meal times or passing in the corridor. Fear was the main reason; the other reason was that he still could not get over the fact that Severus would use this archaic law to hold him there. The threat of not having his children with him was enough to make his blood boil at times. Holding in his temper and any other comment he could make to his husband. The easiest thing for him to do was keep his distance. The distance it seemed was not working as planned, for Severus was becoming extremely restless and bitter to the younger wizard. Harry could see that all was not right with the man.

On a drunken night Severus took his chance he would either fix what was wrong between them or take what was rightfully his. Sure his mind wasn't completely objective and the thoughts that were running rampant through his head were not good at all. Instead of helping him to think, the alcohol fogged his brain. The hurt feelings of neglect began to shine through, accessing the pain he'd been trying to bury for the past several weeks. The loss of their son, the feelings of uselessness that plagued him from that day on. The feeling of being abandoned by his spouse when they should be holding each other in comfort, was all eating at this troubled mind. Lashing out was not what he wanted to do, but it was inevitable so it seemed.

After three nights back from where ever the young wizard had been. Severus could not take the silent treatment anymore. He had drank nearly a third of a bottle of scotch before he headed upstairs to his and Harry's room. He'd been spending his nights on the couch in his lab, in hopes that it would encourage his young lover to seek him out to talk. It did not happen, Harry had continued to avert his presence as much as possible.

Opening the door to their room he heard the shower running, sitting down on the edge of the bed he began to remove his clothes. Boots robes socks and shirt he was about to remove his pants when the door to the bath opened suddenly.

"What are you doing in here." Harry asked glaring back at his husband.

"This is my room and my bed, I think it would be obvious even to you." His snide comment only helped to fuel his own anger. He hated his own words as they dripped viciously from his lips. This was not the way to fix things between his love, but he didn't know how to go about it.

"Fine I will sleep somewhere else." Harry said as he reached for his pillow thoughts of sleeping on the couch in his mind.

Severus sprang from where he was seated with more speed than Harry was accustom to and had the younger man in his arms before he could blink. Roughly kissing him as he held him close to his body allowing the younger to feel the heat and hardening erection of the other man. He tasted of whiskey and Harry knew he was drunk, trying to push his husband away from him, only caused to make the others grip tighten. Finally when Severus had let go of his mouth to delve on down to the nape of his neck Harry screamed out.

"Stop it Severus, I don't want this, let me go."

This only caused the other man to slap him hard across the face sending him back upon the bed; his husband soon lay atop him as he tried to get away.

This did not discourage the man it only drove him on, he was beyond caring if his husband was unresponsive, he could change that if needed. Grateful that his lover had not had a chance to dress only wearing the light robe back into the room. He quickly divested him of it and began to kiss him passionately all over. In the process he some how managed to remove his own intrusive clothing and was now settled neatly between the struggling wizards legs. With his tight hold of his lover's arms and the placement of his heavier body, the younger could not do much in the way of escape. A quick spell and they were lubricated, without another thought Severus plunged into his lover getting what he'd missed for so long. He could hear the screams from his husband as he continued to thrust into the tight heat. His brain did not register that Harry had been yelling for him to stop, no his body and mind were completely where he wanted to be, in his lover. Climaxing he yelled out his love for the green-eyed wizard and pulled out to sprawl beside him, panting and gasping as the drunken sated body passed out along with his troubled mind.

Crying and curled up in a ball on his side of the bed, Harry could not believe that his husband did not hear his plea's or that he did not stop what he had been doing. In Harry's mind what had happened was none short of being raped. The fears and feelings clouding his mind would not let him sleep, they only troubled him more. Not being able to move for the fear that was building up inside him, Harry stayed there shivering as close to the edge of his bed as he could. Nausea taking its toll on him as he wretched over the side of the bed before succumbing to sleep himself.