Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all his friends (and enemies) are the brain-child of J.K. Rowling. Exclusive ownership belongs to JKR, Arthur A. Levine Books and Scholastic Inc. Grace Millgrove and all additional characters belong to me. You belong to yourself.
Chapter Three – Consummation
…where Lucius throws down the gauntlet, and Severus springs into action…
"Good morning, dear cousin."
Grace jumped. She was sitting in the library and had been so absorbed in her book, she never heard anyone enter. Her eyes widened as she watched Lucius Malfoy stride into the room in all his handsome glory. As always, her cousin was dressed in meticulous black accessorized with silver and emerald trinkets. Grace hated how his white-blond hair was never out of place, always perfectly coiffed. She, on the other hand, had to keep her own unruly hair in a tight knot at all times to prevent it from flying all over the place. She gave herself a mental nudge. This wasn't important now. Lucius had invaded her home and her privacy without giving her the courtesy of an advance warning. He had pompously walked into Thornhill, as though he owned it. His presumptuousness angered her beyond words.
"Lucius," she greeted him coldly. "What are you doing here?"
"Temper, temper," he mocked amusedly. "It doesn't become you, you know."
"I don't care," Grace countered. "Thornhill is my home and you are not welcome. You have no right to barge in here like this."
He raised one of his elegant eyebrows and regarded her haughtily. "Oh, but I do."
Lucius didn't wait for her invitation to sit, and sprawled his tall frame arrogantly in the armchair across from her. He thumped his cane onto the floor and playfully fingered the silver handle while he lazily twirled the cane back and forth, his eyes never leaving her.
"I have just come from that dotard, Inkwell," he informed her pleasantly after a long pause.
Grace suddenly straightened, steeling herself for whatever would come next. Her cousin was never pleasant, unless he was about to impart some extremely disturbing news or hurtful insults. He was entirely too calm and smug, she thought, recalling his irate reaction at the reading of her uncle's will. She hated to think what information he had received from the old solicitor. No doubt, he had inquired about the details of the will.
Lucius was intently watching his cousin. Nothing escaped his sharp eyes. He had noticed her change in posture, and he knew immediately he was on the right track.
"Loyalty is so passé, don't you think?" he asked casually, flicking an imaginary speck of dust off his trouser leg.
"Would you please get to the point, Lucius?" Grace demanded. "The sooner you tell me, the sooner I'll be rid of you and can get back to my book."
"Meow," Lucius mocked. "You're finally showing some spunk, Grace. Good for you! Hmm, I wonder…"
He stroked his chin, pretending to consider this new facet of her character.
"You wonder what, Lucius?" Grace's patience was wearing thin, and the longer her cousin remained here, the more her bravado was fading and being replaced by uneasiness and fear.
"I wonder," he repeated, "whether your new status as a married woman has anything to do with this… interesting change."
Grace blushed. "My married life is my own business, Lucius."
"Naturally…" He nodded agreeably. "…if you are truly married, that is – in every sense of the word."
His cousin was unable to suppress a gasp of surprise, nor the blood rushing to her face. Lucius smiled maliciously, and Grace quickly looked away.
"I… I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Lucius."
He leaned closer. Cold steel-blue eyes bored into gentle grey ones. "Don't you, Grace?"
She shook her head, unable to speak.
"That old fool, Inkwell, denied me at first," Lucius told her. The amused sparkle had vanished from his eyes, and he looked at her now with a mixture of contempt and anger. "He kept babbling on about how Runyon had secured your inheritance – made it untouchable. Your inheritance! Ha!"
"You've always known that my uncle never intended to leave anything he owned to you, cousin."
"Don't play with me, little girl," Lucius warned her. "Don't even try. You are no match for me."
"I'm not playing with you…" Grace countered lamely. She felt increasingly tense under her cousin's cold gaze.
"After some… persuasion, Inkwell finally let slip a rather interesting tidbit…"
Grace cringed now, knowing what he must have discovered. Lucius was watching her like a hawk, and her telltale reaction confirmed all his conjectures.
"Imagine my surprise, dear cousin," he told her, his voice as smooth as silk, "when I discovered that your marriage had yet to be consummated."
"What makes you so certain it hasn't?" Grace made one last effort to divert him.
He studied her for a moment. His cousin looked as innocent as ever.
"Oh, I'm certain," he assured her, a cruel smile on his lips.
"You're wrong, Lucius," Grace lied helplessly. If only her husband were here. Snape would have quickly and competently taken control of this entire unpleasant situation. He would have known how to handle her cousin.
"We both know I'm not," he told her coldly. "So, let's not waste each other's time with this nonsense, Grace. Your fool uncle tried to trick me, tried to cheat me out of my inheritance. I don't take kindly to being robbed of what is rightfully mine. Runyon has made a big mistake, thinking that I would let something as insignificant as the law stand in my way. He's always underestimated me, and now he has left you alone to deal with me."
"I am not alone, Lucius," his cousin corrected him. "I have a husband."
His finely sculpted lips twisted into a cruel sneer. "Ah, yes, let's talk about good old Severus for a moment. Your uncle should have chosen a younger husband for you, cousin. One who has no problem performing his duties…"
"He doesn't," Grace lied again, desperately wishing for Snape to be here.
"That's not what I've heard, cousin."
"Then you've been misinformed," she told him coolly.
Lucius pretended to study his cane. "Oh, I think not. Thornhill is as good as mine, Grace," he informed her smugly. "It is merely a matter of time, and even if Severus should manage to finally do the deed…"
"Oh, don't be crude, Lucius." Grace had enough of his insinuations. "If you have something of import to say, then say it now," she told him decidedly, "otherwise, leave."
"It's only a matter of time," he repeated and gracefully got to his feet. "Don't say, I didn't warn you."
Grace stood also, ready to see him out.
Lucius adjusted his suit. "Meanwhile, cousin," he told her smoothly, "if I were you, I would take great care when setting foot outside of Thornhill. And I wouldn't wander too far, either. You couldn't possibly imagine the accidents that can befall one…" He studied her with cold indifference. "…so unskilled and unprotected."
With this ominous warning, Lucius strode from the room, leaving nothing but evil in his wake. As soon as the door closed behind him, Grace rushed to her writing desk and penned a quick note to Severus.
---
"I… have a problem."
Professor Minerva McGonagall, headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, looked up from the scroll she was reading and studied the austere man standing before her over the rim of her glasses.
"Yes, Severus?"
"It's my wife," he began, but didn't get any further.
"Your wife?" Minerva exclaimed, unable to hide her shock at his incredible revelation.
"Yes," Severus said firmly, indicating that now wasn't the time for silly jokes and lengthy explanations. "My wife."
"Erm, well…" The Headmistress adjusted her spectacles with trembling fingers. "What can I do for you?"
"I need to bring her to Hogwarts posthaste."
"For a visit? Of course, Severus. Why do you even ask?"
"No," he informed her, shifting uncomfortably. "Not for a visit. I need to bring her here to stay… with me."
"Severus, you know that's out of the question," McGonagall declared impatiently, her Scottish brogue getting more pronounced with every word that followed. "Just imagine the implications! If I grant your request, then every member of my staff will want to bring their families here, as well. This is a school, Severus, not some… commune. And think of the students!"
She wrung her hands as all the possible disastrous consequences assaulted her mind.
"She is in danger, Minerva. She's the cousin of Lucius Malfoy, and he has threatened her life. He isn't a man of idle threats, and you know very well what he is capable of."
"But there must be another solution…" she offered helplessly.
Severus cleared his throat. "She's a squib, Minerva. I am the only one she has left in her life. Without me, she is completely unprotected, and since I can't leave Hogwarts indefinitely, I need to bring her here… where I can look out for her."
"I… see." McGonagall adjusted her spectacles once more.
"She could work, Minerva. If she were a member of the staff, her presence here could be explained easily enough."
"Yes, well, Severus, that is true. But how do you suggest I accomplish that?" The Headmistress asked worriedly. "It's the middle of the school year, and she's a squib. I cannot simply make up a new class for her to teach." She stopped suddenly, having thought of something. "Unless… yes, it might work. Severus, let me get back to you on that."
"Time is of the essence, Minerva," he reminded her curtly.
"Hmm? Oh, yes, yes." She nodded distractedly, her mind somewhere else. "I realize that, Severus. Just give me an hour, will you?"
"Yes, Headmistress."
---
"Mr. Snape! What are you doing here?"
Grace couldn't think of anything else to say to her husband, who had shown up so suddenly and unannounced.
"I have come to fetch you to Hogwarts," he informed her without preamble. "It has all been arranged. Pack whatever you deem necessary to tide you over until the winter holidays. We can then return for more. Oh, and please hurry. We don't have much time."
He finally looked at her, and when she showed no inclination to move, his brows knitted together into a frown. "Well, what are you waiting for?"
"But I thought there were no family quarters at Hogwarts." It was all Grace could think of on the spur of the moment. She was still too shocked to say anything else.
"You will join the staff at Hogwarts," Severus explained impatiently. "It has all been sorted out. Our current librarian, Madam Pince, is getting on in years and will retire at the end of this school year. You have been hired as her assistant with the stipulation that, should you prove competent, you will take over as Hogwarts librarian after her retirement."
"Me? A librarian?" Grace's eyes lit up with pleasure, and Severus felt a strange lurch in the pit of his stomach. Inexplicably, he was pleased that he had made her happy.
"Yes," he answered dryly. "Now, will you please get ready?"
"Of course!" She rushed to the door, but turned to him once more when she had reached it.
"Thank you… Severus," she said shyly and quickly left the room before he could respond to her familiar use of his name.
---
He lived in the dungeons, Grace thought disgustedly when he ushered her into his quarters. Almost immediately, however, her disapproval gave way to a mixture of horror and outrage. He lived in the dungeons! She looked about her. The rooms were small and claustrophobic. And dark… Oh, so dark. And he expected her to live here, too? Impossible!
"This is where you live?" she asked him incredulously.
Severus frowned. "Yes. Why?"
"It's so dark and dreary," Grace commented morosely. "How can you stand living in this… gloom?"
"It suits me and my needs," he told her tersely. Her displeasure with his quarters did not sit well with him.
Grace sighed, taking in her surroundings one last time. "Well, I guess, it'll have to do for now."
"I'm glad you approve." Her husband's voice dripped with icy sarcasm.
"It's not like I have a choice," Grace countered, unperturbed by his dour mood. "So, where do I sleep?"
Severus pointed towards one of the doors at the other side of the room. "Our bedroom is over there."
Her head shot up. "I beg your pardon? I don't think I heard you correctly."
"We sleep in there," he clarified.
Grace paled. "We?"
"I'm afraid so."
All of a sudden her legs gave out, and Grace sunk on a nearby stool. Severus scowled disdainfully. Granted, their situation was rather… unfortunate, but he thought her reaction quite exaggerated.
"Can't you conjure a second room for the time being?" she asked hopefully, her voice shaking with emotion.
"Unfortunately, no."
"But why not?" she whispered. "I thought we had agreed…"
"We had, indeed," Severus acquiesced wryly. "However, there have been certain… developments since we last talked. After I received your note, I owled Inkwell. He was rather shook up after Malfoy's visit, but he informed me of a little stipulation he failed to tell us at the reading of the will…"
Grace met his gaze. "Yes?"
"According to the Law of Old, any marriage contract must be validated within three months of signing it. If my calculations are correct, Thornhill, and everything in it, will belong to your cousin in a matter of days, unless we..."
"Oh, no!" Grace exclaimed, horrified.
Severus primly pursed his lips. "Yes, indeed."
They stared at each other for a long time, and a heavy silence fell over them.
Severus watched as his wife struggled to digest the information she had just heard. He himself wasn't too thrilled about how everything had turned out. This marriage of convenience was becoming more inconvenient by the minute. And, yet, inexplicably, her shocked reaction offended him.
"Do we really have to do it tonight?" Grace finally broke the silence.
"We might as well."
She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "I certainly didn't expect this…"
"Neither did I," Severus assured her. "Unfortunately, Lucius has left us no choice. There is no time. We have to go through with it as soon as possible."
Grace exhaled slowly. "I… will need some time to… to get ready."
Severus nodded. "Of course."
He crossed the sitting room to a small occasional table on which a bottle of Ogden's finest Firewhiskey patiently awaited him.
"Alright." Grace said, more to herself than to her husband. "I'll go unpack, then."
Without waiting for him to respond, she quickly hurried through the door he had pointed out earlier. Severus did not watch her leave. He poured himself a glass of Ogden's Finest and raised it to his lips. He stared into the amber liquid and noticed that his hand shook slightly. He grimaced. If Grace hadn't left when she did, she would have seen that his composure was no more than an act. Inside, he felt as nervous and uncertain as she did. Severus downed the Firewhiskey in one quick gulp. It wasn't that he found her unappealing, he realized suddenly. His wife was rather pretty – in an unassuming sort of way. In fact, he had thought of her rather frequently since their hasty wedding. She even had popped into his mind at the most inopportune of times – during one of his classes. He felt a familiar tightening between his legs, and his lips twisted into a wry smile. At least, he wouldn't have to worry about that tonight. Now, he could concentrate on soothing his frightened and possibly unwilling bride.
His eyes wandered to the door through which Grace had disappeared. His bedroom was rather quiet. At least, she wasn't sobbing. He couldn't abide women who cried. Severus poured himself another glass of Firewhiskey and checked his pocket watch. He would give her another ten minutes, he thought, when the door suddenly opened, and Grace poked her head into the room. He noted with interest that her eyes were dry and otherwise showed no signs of crying.
"Erm, I'm done unpacking," she informed him quietly. "I… I figured you might want to freshen up, before… erm, well, the bathroom is all yours."
Her head disappeared from the door as quickly as it had appeared. Severus stared after her. He had not expected her to be so composed and calm. Maybe he had worried over nothing. Maybe everything would work out, after all, and their coming together tonight wouldn't be as unpleasant as he had feared. He quickly downed the Firewhiskey and took a deep breath. It was now or never.
Grace lay lay in the simple austere bed, the coverlet pulled up all the way to her neck, when he entered the bedroom. She had taken her time unpacking the trunk she had brought with her. However, she had known that she wouldn't be able to delay the inevitable forever. In the end, she had decided to simply accept her fate and make the best of it. As she waited for Severus to make his appearance, she took a few moments to reflect on her husband.
He wasn't a handsome man, she thought. Not handsome, at all. Nigel had been very handsome, with his golden hair and warm hazel eyes. Nigel had also been much younger than Severus, close to her own age. And, yet, she found her husband strangely compelling. Her husband was a quiet inscrutable man, yet his eyes and voice hinted at hidden depths. His dark fathomless eyes were so intense, they sent icy-hot jolts of electricity down her spine. Inexplicably, Nigel had never made her feel like this man did. When Nigel had looked at her, she had felt warm and secure, safe and protected. Yet, his most passionate kisses had given her nothing more than a cozy feeling deep in her stomach. Her husband, on the other hand, aroused feelings in her she had never thought possible. Grace scoffed. She didn't even know the man! She knew nothing of his past, didn't even know his likes and dislikes, or what pleased or displeased him. She exhaled slowly, hoping that she would please him tonight. More than that, though, she hoped he would be gentle with her. Her husband did not appear to be a gentle man, but she fervently hoped she was wrong.
Severus entered the bedroom with his usual brisk stride, and Grace clutched the coverlet to her throat. However, her husband didn't look at her as he quickly walked into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door firmly behind him. She stared after him and sighed. He hadn't even looked at her. He didn't find her attractive. Grace knew she was no classic beauty, but Nigel had thought her the most beautiful woman in the world. It probably had been presumptuous of her to think that her husband might think her pretty also. He didn't take long. He returned in a matter of minutes, dressed in an emerald green dressing gown. Severus approached the bed and without ado reached for the covers.
"Just like this?" Her eyes widened apprehensively. "Shouldn't we drink a love potion or something?"
He straightened abruptly and regarded her darkly. "What for?"
A faint blush spread over her cheeks. "To help with, well, you know…"
"The marriage act has nothing to do with love," Severus informed her tersely. "We shouldn't delude ourselves that this is nothing more than a necessary evil."
"But that's so cold, so business-like…"
"My dear, this is about your inheritance. In a way, this is business."
"I don't care about the money," Grace cried passionately. "I've only agreed to all this because it was my uncle's wish, and I wanted to please him."
He fixed her with a stern glare. "Well, then I believe we understand each other."
Grace knew he was right and gave in. She nodded slowly. "Alright, let's get this over with."
"Very well, then."
He bent down again and as he reached for the coverlet, the sleeve of his dressing gown rode up his arm. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the black mark on his left forearm. Grace recognized the brand marring his pale skin, and her hands flew to her mouth.
"You… you're a Death Eater!" she exclaimed horrified, scrambled out of the bed, and rushed for the door.
Severus drew his wand and quickly warded all the doors, denying her the way out. When she wasn't able to undo the bolts, Grace turned around, breathing heavily, her eyes wide with fear. Panicked, she looked for another way out, but when she could find none, she flattened herself against the door and faced Severus like prey would its predator.
"Let me go!" she demanded frantically.
"Not until you've let me explain, Grace."
"I have no wish to listen to your lies, Death Eater."
"I may be many things, but I am not a Death Eater," he told her quietly. "That is… I was once… when I was young and stupid."
"I don't believe you!"
"It's the truth. Ask anyone here at Hogwarts," he challenged her. "My past is no secret. Even your uncle knew of it. In fact, it was he who saved my life when I broke with the Dark Lord's followers and fell victim to their wrath and revenge. In exchange, he extracted the promise from me, which now has me bound to you."
Grace shook her head, refusing to believe what he was telling her. "Nigel told me about the Death Eaters and what they are capable of," she said quietly. "They are monsters…" Her eyes met his. "One cannot simply stop being a monster."
"You're right, of course," he agreed, "but I am no monster, Grace…. That is why I joined forces with Dumbledore in the fight against the Dark Lord."
"A likely story," Grace grudgingly admitted, "but you'll have to do better than that to convince me."
He stared at her for a moment, debating how much he should divulge of his past, when something she had just said penetrated his mind. "Who is Nigel?" he asked her suddenly.
Grace straightened her back. "He was my fiancé," she informed him proudly. "He was a Ministry Auror… before he was captured and tortured to death by your friends."
Severus slammed his fist so hard on the dresser next to him that several of the jars and vials sitting on it jumped into the air. Grace shrunk back even more.
"I no longer associate with Death Eaters, Grace," he told her tersely, struggling to keep his temper in check. "And they never were my… friends."
Severus could tell from the way her eyes narrowed suspiciously that Grace still didn't believe him. He knew that he had to tread very carefully, if he wanted to convince her of the truth.
"We have arrived here too late for you to meet the Headmistress, or other members of the staff. Among the teachers here, there are two former Aurors, as well as members of a secret society founded by Albus Dumbledore, who can all vouch for my… character. If you wish, you may ask them anything you like about me. You may not like some of the answers, but I promise you, Grace, they will verify that I am no Death Eater."
Grace had relaxed somewhat during his speech. When he had finished, she looked at him. Defeat shone in her eyes.
"Alright." She nodded, making her decision. "I shall give you the benefit of the doubt."
"That is all I ask of you."
Severus moved towards the bed and undid the sash of his dressing gown. He pulled back the covers and looked at her expectantly. Grace's eyes widened as she understood his intent.
"You can't be serious!" she exclaimed.
He raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"Why not?" Grace echoed incredulously. She felt like she was losing her mind. The man actually had the audacity to expect her to go through with their plan. Not now. Not after the conversation they'd just had.
"I'm no longer in the mood," she bit out.
He raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, in that case…" He reached for a red vial sitting on the nightstand and held it out to her.
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's that?"
"A love potion," Severus informed her dryly, "as you requested."
Her gaze dropped to the vial in his hand.
"Go on," he invited her. "Take it. I promise there won't be any lasting effects. It will merely make tonight more… tolerable."
Grace slowly inched towards him. "Do we really have to go through with it tonight? Can't we just do it tomorrow?"
Severus regarded his wife for a moment, his face deadpan. "Just take the potion," he finally said.
She looked at him dubiously. For someone who didn't want to sleep with her, he was rather insistent that they did do the deed. Grace eyed the vial again and sighed. Well, they might as well get it over with, and if that potion would make it more bearable, then even better.
"Alright, give it to me."
He handed her the potion and she downed it in one go. Almost immediately, she felt a deliciously warm, tingling sensation spread through her body, and her limbs suddenly felt heavy and relaxed. A content sigh escaped her lips. Severus had been watching her, and when he saw the potion take effect, he held out his hand.
"Come on, then," he coaxed her softly.
Grace took his hand and let him pull her towards him.
"That's it," Severus whispered when she finally stood in front of him.
He placed both hands on her shoulders, turned her towards the bed and pushed her down. She looked up at him, and the trusting expression he now saw in her eyes inexplicably touched him.
"Get into bed," he told her quietly.
Grace didn't have to be told twice. The initial warm tingling in her belly had become stronger. All of a sudden, it had turned into a raging fire within her, a painful yearning, which she knew only her husband could quench. She quickly slid under the covers and impatiently waited for him to follow. Severus took off his dressing gown, revealing a crisp white nightshirt underneath. The upper few buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing his pale chest underneath. The sight of that small bit of naked skin did strange things to her, and Grace dropped her gaze, only to have her eyes drawn to the tenting bulge below his waist. She suppressed a nervous giggle when she realized what it was.
Severus had noticed her looking at his midsection. His arousal had burgeoned when Grace had scrambled off his bed and stood before him in a thin cotton nightgown, her petite body silhouetted by the light of the fireplace behind her. His wife was nicely rounded in all the right places, he had thought appreciatively. Who would have guessed what an alluring body she had been hiding underneath her unassuming clothes?
He climbed in beside her and for a moment just lay there, contemplating how he should proceed from here. The potion had given her had made her rather compliant, he realized. Severus thought it very interesting, given the fact that it hadn't been a love potion, at all, merely one that relaxed the body and soothed anxiety. Grace's reaction to it was rather strong. It was almost as though it had removed all her inhibitions and enhanced her deepest, most secret desires. He raised an eyebrow. That was a most interesting development, indeed. He turned to her and placed his hand flat on her stomach. Grace immediately began to moan and writhe beneath his touch. Very interesting, indeed, he thought. Severus reached his arm around her and pulled her closer. As soon as their bodies touched, she began to tremble violently, but not from fear, he realized. He caught the smoldering gaze she was giving him and smiled. His wife was hot for him.
Severus let his hand slide slowly over her body, causing her to tremble even more. He lifted her nightgown, tracing one finger along her thigh. Once he reached her waist, he began to remove her knickers with the same deliberate slowness. After tossing them into the room, he returned his hand to her thigh and slid it carefully between her legs. But he needn't have worried. As soon as his hand touched the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, her legs sprung open in invitation. Severus grunted appreciatively and brought one long elegant finger to the junction between her legs. Beneath the dark curls of her sex, he found her hot and slick, and oh, so ready.
Grace moaned contently when she felt him touch her in the most private part of her body, the secret place only she knew. His touch had fanned the fire that was consuming her body, his hand searing her skin wherever it made contact. She writhed impatiently against him, and Severus knew she was ready. He was, too. He hadn't been with a woman in more years than he cared to admit. During his time as a spy, he had consciously distanced himself from anything that could prove a distraction, and after his term in Azkaban, he had felt no desire for human contact. But it had been too long, and the years of denying himself this most basic of human desires were finally taking their toll. His patience was wearing thin, and he could wait no longer. Spurred on by his wife's passionate response, he moved over her and eased himself between her thighs. She was rather petite – almost delicately built – but he knew he wouldn't be able to go slow or be gentle. Grace didn't seem to mind, though. She was clutching him to her with her arms and legs as though she never wanted to let go again. Severus needed no further incentive. He positioned himself at her entrance and pushed into her with one forceful thrust.
Grace hadn't been prepared for his powerful invasion, nor for the piercing pain that shot through her body as he pushed his way into her. She felt something tear, and all of a sudden, he was filling her, painfully stretching her to her limits. The pain sobered her instantly, driving away the rose-colored haze that had clouded her brain. Hovering above her, Severus immediately stilled, muttering an oath. He had felt a slight resistance give way, but it had been her surprised gasp and painful moan that had made him realize what had happened. He knew he should withdraw immediately, but the slick passage throbbing around his arousal felt overwhelmingly good. His wife was wonderfully hot and tight, and he was too close to stop now. Grace shifted slightly in an attempt to push him off or get more comfortable – he wasn't sure, which. He couldn't think rationally, anymore. The slight movement had snapped his control. Severus withdrew and, heedless of her protests, pushed into her again, and again. He finished quickly and eventually rolled off her, panting heavily.
As soon as his bulk was no longer holding her down, Grace drew up her knees and huddled into a fetal position. Severus felt her shudder and tremble beside him, sobbing quietly. He turned onto his side and lightly touched her shoulder, but she shrunk away from him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her, while his breathing slowly returned to normal.
"Why didn't you ask?" Grace sniffed indignantly.
Severus propped himself up. "You're thirty years old!" he exclaimed incredulously. "And you've been engaged! It never occurred to me that you still could be… untouched."
Grace sat up, but did not look at him. "Nigel was a gentleman!"
Nigel again. Severus closed his eyes and counted to ten. Would he ever be free of this very paragon of men?
"You were engaged for some time!" he ground out impatiently, his temper quickly rising. "The man was either a saint or a…" Severus caught himself quickly before he said something he couldn't take back. "… or a fool," he finished lamely.
"Oh, what does it matter now?" Grace muttered resignedly. "The deed is done. The marriage has been consummated, and all the terms of the contract have been fulfilled. It's all been sealed with blood, even. Nothing can break it now."
"Sealed in blood," Severus mused thoughtfully. "The way your uncle had drawn up the contract should have tipped me off, shouldn't it?"
She tiredly waved him off. "As you said, you had no way of knowing."
"I still wish you would have told me," Severus said quietly, his anger quickly subsiding.
Grace finally looked at him. "Why?"
"I would have taken more care… prepared you. I wouldn't have rushed you like I did," he admitted. "And I would have given you something for the pain."
She searched his eyes and saw he was sincere. At that very moment, all the doubts she ever might have had about her husband disappeared. His concern for her was genuine. He cared for her – if only for her wellbeing. Uncle Reginald had been right. Severus Snape was a good man. There was hope for their marriage, yet.
Potions Master's Bride © 2006 by MMHG
