Cold, As the Dark Expanse

When the Ministry of Magic declares Muggleborns illegal and takes drastic measures against them. Lily finds her future is going to be much different than she'd ever imagined.

Pairing: Lily/Orion
Rating: teen
Warnings: mentions of rape, mentions of domestic violence, anxiety attack
Tropes: marriage law, forced marriage
Words: 3,146
Original Release Date: 22 Feb 2020

Lily couldn't believe what she was seeing. The Daily Prophet's headline, the following article declaring people of her birth illegal. What... how... All she could piece together in her spiralling brain was that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was in control of the Ministry. She barely caught the words of Professor McGonagall calling the Great Hall to attention.

"All students of Muggle birth, please join me in the antechamber as soon as you're finished with breakfast."

James and his friends were just strolling into the Great Hall when Lily stood to follow the Deputy Headmistress. "Lily, where are you going this fine morning?" he asked, though when he got a look at her face his smile faltered. "Lily?"

Words were stuck in her throat and she just gestured to the newspaper on the table. She worried that if she tried to speak she might burst into tears. She turned and walked away before he or any of them could stop her. In the antechamber, Lily stood around waiting for the last of her fellow Muggleborns to enter. They all shared similar looks of worry and fear. What was going to happen to them? The Prophet had been vague about it. Something about underage witches and wizards becoming wards of prominent pure-blood families. There was no mention of what was to happen to of age Muggleborns. She was eighteen, had just had her eighteenth birthday three months ago.

There were fewer Muggleborns that she had expected. Most were in the lower forms with only her, Mary, and Dirk Cresswell the Muggleborns that she knew. As McGonagall started to explain to them about what was contained in The Daily Prophet and how she and Headmaster Dumbledore were going to try to influence which families received custody of the students—and what was going to happen with their parents—Lily fidgeted.

Professor McGonagall dismissed the younger forms, confirmed with Cresswell that he was a month underage still, and sent him away as well. With only Lily and Mary left in the room, McGonagall's calm in-charge persona cracked a little.

"Are we going to be assigned guardians as well?" Mary asked.

"Unfortunately, no." She paused and took a deep breath. "There's no good way to say this. When the students come of age, their wardens will be turned into their spouses. As you two are already of age, your spouses—" she said the word as if it were bitter in her mouth—"have been chosen for you."

Mary gasped and covered her face with her hands, overwhelmed with the idea. All Lily could do was stand stock still, her thoughts racing on ahead of her. Marriage. To their wardens. Guardians would be older and chosen by the Ministry, the Death Eater controlled Ministry. Marriage meant sex. Sex to someone she didn't know, someone older, someone prominent and important to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, someone to whom she didn't consent. Rape.

She didn't realize she was hyperventilating until Professor McGonagall put her hands on her shoulders and squeezed, speaking in a soft voice. Lily couldn't comprehend the words but her soft, comforting tone did much to calm her. Finally, when Lily had calmed enough catch her breath, McGonagall stood and address them again. "The Headmaster has been told that you'll be sent an owl within the week to learn who your..." she glanced at Lily again, "spouse will be."

"What's the consequence if we run?" Lily asked.

McGonagall's lips pursed in anger at the situation. "Wands snapped and Azkaban for life."

* . * . *

The students had regained some of their liveliness after the announcement and by the end of the week, anyone who the new law didn't affect had forgotten about it. Lily's tablemates and friends included. At breakfast on Thursday, she sat quietly trying to stomach at least a little something when the owl post started arriving.

"That's my father's owl," Sirius said as a majestic grey and black owl swooped down and landed on the table between her and him. "I haven't got owl post from him since he told me my mother died last spring. Wonder what he wants now." He reached towards the bird but it nipped at him and hopped a few steps away from him, closer to Lily.

A knot had formed in the pit of Lily's stomach. She reached towards the owl to take the missive with trembling fingers. The owl hooted at her and flew up into the rafters. Lily didn't know what she wanted. Did she want this letter to be from Sirius's father or did she want Sirius to have mistaken the owl for someone else's? She inhaled to gather her courage and opened the letter. It was very short, only giving her the barest information necessary.

Miss Evans,

Arrangements have been made for our marriage ceremony Saturday next. Headmaster's office at two in the afternoon, presided over by a Ministry Official.

Orion Black, Paterfamilias

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

Lily exhaled and glanced up at her tablemates. Sirius, James, and Remus were both looking at her with curiosity. She glanced further down the table to see Mary looking a little green as she read her own post.

"Well? What's it about?" Sirius asked.

"I'm to be your step-mother."

"WHAT?" he and James shouted together. It attracted the attention of a few other students but neither James nor Sirius cared. James continued, "That's crazy, he can't—"

"That article in the Prophet about Muggleborns being illegal?" Lily explained, "It left out this part. Muggleborns are assigned wardens who then become their spouses."

"There's got to be some way—I mean, I'm pureblood, I'll petition for you or something," James said. His eyes were open wider than normal behind his glasses and there was a tinge of panic in his tone.

"I don't think that's an option," she said. She let the letter slide from her fingertips. It slipped across the table and stuck under Sirius's plate. He picked it up and read it over as well. "The marriage is already scheduled." She glanced over to see Mary looking even more sick than before. "See you guys in class," she said as she stood and headed towards her friend.

She patted Mary on the shoulder and the two of them left the Great Hall together.

* . * . *

On Saturday, Sirius snagged the Map and hid in a secret alcove off the corridor to the headmaster's office. He saw Frederick Nott, whose two previous wives both died of mysterious causes, and some Ministry Official named Pepperquat stroll past around a quarter one. Fifteen minutes later, he saw his father's name enter the front doors of Hogwarts and head up the Marble Staircase.

When Orion was a few metres past the alcove, Sirius stepped out. "Orion," he called. His father stopped walking and turned around.

He looked Sirius up and down—and Sirius fought the urge to squirm and tidy his tee-shirt—before acknowledging him. "Sirius."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sirius asked, his tone and volume rising with his emotions. "Lily should be marrying James! How could you even—"

"Your feelings of outrage have never had any bearing on my decisions before, nor will they in the future." He turned and continued down the hall.

"If you rape her I'll kill you!"

Orion momentarily paused but did not turn to look at his son, then walked to the gargoyle and up the spiralling stairs.

Sirius clenched his fists and breathed heavily through his nose, irritated at the old man. No matter what Sirius said or did, Orion would never raise his voice or fight back. He always remained calm, cold and collected. Calculated. Sirius's brother was the same way. Their mother, on the other hand, had been like Sirius, quick to temper and prone to shouting, always ready for a good, loud row. It's the one thing he had had in common with the old windbag. He heard footsteps coming up the corridor behind him and ran back to hide in the alcove. McDonald and Lily were walking hand in hand. McDonald's eyes were red-rimmed and puffy and her shoulders were hunched. Lily's head was held high and level, her shoulders were back. She looked regal and ready for battle. He hoped she was ready.

* . * . *

Lily knew Orion Black immediately when she walked in the room. He had to be at least fifty but he didn't look it. He was lean with well-tailored robes that emphasised his build. He had Sirius's colouring, pale skin and black hair, though his hair was shorter and slicked back. He was tall and despite not being a broad-shouldered man, his presence was commanding.

After introductions made by Headmaster Dumbledore, Mary and Frederick Nott were married. It was the first time Lily had witnessed a magical wedding. The officiant incorporated Latin spells in with the hand binding and what Lily could pick up made her nervous. What was Mary being made to vow? The ceremony was short and as soon as it was over, Nott insisted he and Mary floo to his home. Before she disappeared in a flash of green, Mary started to cry again.

Lily's own marriage ceremony seemed even shorter than the one she'd witnessed. As the last touch of magic tingled on her skin, she felt a surge of anxiety spread through her limbs, ready to overtake her. She waited for Orion to tell her the name of his house for floo travel but instead, he turned and headed towards the door.

"I don't want to walk through the school with you. We might as well floo," she said. She was surprised with how steady her voice came out considering her nerves were threatening to strangle her.

He turned to look back at her. "Consummation needn't happen immediately. I'll retrieve you at King's Cross at the end of the term, Madam Black." Then he nodded to Dumbledore and the officiant and left.

Lily tried not to let her body sag in relief. She looked at the floo and then to Headmaster Dumbledore but before she could ask about Mary, he was giving her a smile and ushering her out of the door. "Why don't you head back to Gryffindor tower now, Madam Black."

And that was it. She was out of the office, hand-bound to the father of one of her peers, reeling from the release of nerves and her new name. A clearing throat caught her attention and she looked up to see Sirius standing there looking worried.

"All right, Evans?"

She didn't know what her face was doing but her eyes were starting to sting from oncoming tears. "It's Madam Black now."

He inhaled like he was going to say something but instead stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug. His whispered, "I'm sorry," broke her rein on her emotions. He didn't say a word when she started to cry in his arms. All he did was pull her into the alcove so no one else would see.

* . * . *

Lily had noticed James's subdued attitude and coldness towards her for over a week since she'd received the letter about having to marry Orion. It wasn't her fault any of this had happened and she was frustrated that he was taking it out on her. So she confronted him after Herbology.

"Why the cold shoulder, James? I didn't do anything wrong here."

When he looked at her, though, she couldn't see the blame she imagined he held. "I don't fault you at all in this, Lily."

"Then why have you been ignoring me?"

"I haven't been," he said, but at her raised eyebrows and skeptical look he rephrased, "not intentionally. I've been owling my parents to see if they could do anything about this whole illegal business, to see if we can contest this from a legal standpoint. And I've just been so frustrated and angry about the entire thing that I've not wanted to be around you—or anyone really—because I don't want my foul mood to make it all worse." He sighed and grabbed her hands in his. "I'm sorry."

Lily looked down at their clasped hand and tried not to think of what a future with him would be like. "I just want the rest of the year to be as normal as possible, and that means you being... well, you."

He grinned at her. "I knew you liked me for my charm, Evans."

She laughed.

* . * . *

Lily grew more anxious the closer the Hogwarts Express got to King's Cross Station. What awaited her in Sirius's former house of horrors? She had seen Mary when she'd returned from her husband. Bruises up and down her neck, a black eyes, and more that her robes had covered. She'd had to stay in the Infirmary for two days before Madam Pomfrey would allow her back in class. It was awful.

Nothing any of their friends said or did made the anxiety any better either. Sirius was the one brooding now while James, Remus, and Peter tried to carry the levity. Mary was quiet and scared.

When Lily started to see the signs that they were getting close to the station, she started saying her goodbyes. Each person got a hug, and well wishes, and "see you soons" even though nothing was certain. Mary clung to her, terror making her tremble in Lily's arms and when she finally pulled away from the look in her eyes filled Lily with so much dread she had to look away. "You'll be okay," Lily whispered.

Mary's response brought tears to Lily's eyes and a lump in her throat. "I'll be dead."

And then the train was stopping and the whistleblowing and they were all making sure to get their trunks before they disembarked. The platform was just as noisy as normal but Lily didn't hear much of it for the sound of blood rushing in her ears.

Orion was standing near the back of the platform. He stood—straight, tall, menacing—rather than casually lean against the wall and though he saw her, he did not approach. He waited for her to come to him. When she was close enough to hear him over the din he gestured towards her trunk. "Kreacher will take this ahead of us."

A bent, old House Elf appeared beside her and she let go of her trunk so he could disappear with it.

She looked back up to find him looking her up and down, not in a leering sort of way, but a calculated way.

"We could Apparate if you so desire, but it's not too far of a walk."

He said it as a statement but he did tilt his head like he was expecting an answer. She nodded and then answered allowed, "A walk is good." It came out weak and mumbled and she cleared her throat to say it again but he was already walking towards the wall back to the Muggle side of things. She followed along two steps behind.

His robes looked more like fashionable menswear from a bygone era than some wizard's robes she had seen, so when they stepped out into the overcast evening, he didn't look too unusual. He slowed his stride once they were out of the crush of people and walked beside her. He didn't talk to her, though she wasn't sure she expected him to. A knot was forming in her stomach as they went on until he finally stopped in front of a normal-looking set of rowhouses with an odd numbering error. There was a ten, an eleven, a thirteen, and a fourteen. But no twelve.

He leaned towards her and she flinched. She looked back up at him but couldn't read any emotion on his face. He leaned close again and said in a quiet voice, "The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black sits at 12 Grimmauld Place."

Before her eyes, another rowhouse appeared, squeezing itself between numbers eleven and thirteen. It was darker than the others, like it rarely saw as much sunlight, but otherwise it didn't look too threatening. She looked up at Orion and he was watching her, like he was making sure she was seeing her new home.

"Kreacher will have dinner ready," he said, and then he led the way up the stairs into the house. The inside was dark and dreary but well-kempt. The walls were shiny with polish and there were portraits lining the hall. The air smelt clean and the hint of roast lingered, tempting her to settle her nervous tummy with a pleasant meal.

Orion led the way down the hall and into a room to the left, a dining room. Two places were set opposite each other on a long oval table and he took his place at what she assumed was his usual seat. The cloche over the dinner plate disappeared and they were presented with a hot and tasty meal. They didn't speak.

Lily was hungry and despite her nervousness about what was to come, she ate well. When the meal had come to an end—with a delicious pudding, he finally addressed her.

"I'll show you around the house tomorrow. Your bedroom is on the first floor, the second door on the right."

He stood to leave and Lily should have let him, should have thanked her lucky stars that that would be the end of things. Her own bedroom? Had she heard that right? "I'm not sharing a room with you?"

He stopped and looked at her again, with those calculating grey eyes. "No matter what my son may have told you, Madam Black, I'm not going to force myself on anyone for the sack of someone else's ridiculous, pompous-arsed ideas."

She stood to be closer to eye level with him. "I saw what Nott did to Mary."

His expression grew darker somehow. "I am not Frederick Nott. You-Know-Who has puppets in the Ministry, Madam Black, that started this incredulous mess, but not enough to force Mud—" he frowned midword and rephrased, "Muggleborns to be imprisoned or killed. This marriage was mandated by the Ministry but they cannot dictate what happens in my own home. I had assumed this sleeping arrangement would be to your liking but—"

"Yes, yes. Separate bedrooms are great," she answered. If she wasn't already half frightened of him, the look at her interruption may have scared her further. "First floor, second door on the right."

He nodded and left the room.

She exhaled, feeling the tension she'd carried all day lift from her. She nodded to herself, wondering for the umpteenth time how her new life as Madam Black was going to go. She looked around the beautifully decorated dining room and wondered, too, how lonely this life was going to be. She exited the room and headed up the stairs to the bedroom that was solely hers.