Chapter 2

Harry's body froze, his heart clenching and his muscles tensing as he arrived in a mansion that he did not recognise. He could, however, take in none of his surroundings, his only focus on the man that stood with his wrist clasped in his cold fingers. He was dragged through the corridors by the hard hand, the fingers wrapped tightly and pulling insistently. Harry's heart was in his mouth, his breath coming faster than was normal, faster than any human's breath had a right to be coming.

Harry was pulled into a room, the door shutting finally behind him. His breathing quickened further. Hitches and irregular gulps came as tears began to fill the green eyes. Harry felt sick. His muscles clenched before relaxing, before clenching again in a rapid cycle. He did not want to do this, he did not want to do this. The mantra repeated on a loop in his head.

Harry felt the hand release him only to quickly tingle across other parts of his person. The hands reached for the buttons on Harry's robes and the young man could no longer hold back the tears that threatened to spill down his face. He attempted to keep the whimpers at bay as the robes were pushed from his shoulders; his bare chest revealed to the cold room.

A hand clasped each shoulder and pushed Harry toward the large double bed that was situated behind him. Harry's knees shook as they hit the back of the bed. They crumpled as he was pushed down. A shudder shock his form as his back hit the sheets. Harry dared a glance as the Dark Lord stood above him, the man's eyes were roaming over his small form.

Harry felt a weight settle upon him, legs either side of his hips. The man above him lent down ensnaring Harry's lips with his own. Harry could do nothing as the tears streamed harder down his face, pooling on the skin. He was frozen in place. The Dark Lord used one hand to pin Harry's hands above his head as he deepened the kiss.

The other hand ran down Harry's side, the long fingers causing Harry to gasp. A tongue was forced into the gap that Harry had opened. The hot tongue pushing its way into Harry's mouth. Harry attempted to focus every thought on not biting the invader in his mouth. He could do nothing more than that. He knew if his concentration were to slip for a second his tongue would clamp down on the muscle forcing its way into his mouth.

Harry felt hands continue to run up and down his sides, the fingers running along his ribs. Harry's eyes continued to stream as he felt a digit stroke over his nipple. His breath hitched and a choke forced its way from the throat, muffled by the Dark Lord's lips.

The Dark Lord released Harry's lips, moving along Harry's jaw, lightly littering kisses along Harry's jaw. Harry let out a whimper, hot tears trickling from his eyes. His mouth found its way to Harry's neck. His teeth captured the skin just below Harry's ear. He sucked on the skin harshly, the blood blooming to the surface of the skin before the Dark Lord moved to his next point.

Releasing Harry's hands and neck the Dark Lord made his way down Harry's chest, kissing and licking the expanse of skin. He took one of Harry's nipples in his mouth, his teeth clenching down on the delicate skin. He let his tongue find its way into Harry's belly button, twisting the pink muscle in the small hole. The only accompaniment to this was Harry's whimpers, moans and groans as the Dark Lord took control over his body.

The Dark Lord brought his hands up to either side of Harry's hips, pulling down the white leggings that remained on Harry's form. He threw the leggings on the floor before removing his own clothing. He pulled off his robes and shirt, before pulling off his own trousers, leaving both men only in their underwear.

Harry looked at the man above him and flinched at the hungry brown eyes. His breathing sped up and his heart hammered harder as the hands regained their position on his hips. Lips covered his again and Harry began to panic. Fingers curled around the waistband, pulling down the last line of protection that Harry had.

Harry could no longer stop the words that spilled from his lips, nor the actions that the his muscles dictated that he take. He pushed the man back, their lips disconnecting.

"No, no, no" spewed from Harry's lips, more tears streaming. "no please no" he begged. His voice was weak and his face pale.

The chocolate brown eyes looked down at Harry's pathetic form. Harry curled in on himself as much as he could, continuing to mutter 'no' repeatedly as he attempted to hide away from the scrutiny of his husband. His eyes scurried away, tears still streaming from them. He therefore did not see the look of anger and disgust that graced the Dark Lord's face in an unattractive grimace.

The man pulled off the young boy below him, his form graceful even in his position. Harry let out a gasp; a mixture of shock and relief filling him as the man removed himself from Harry's chest. His watery eyes looked up to the retreating form of his new husband.

"Go to sleep Hercules" the deep voice commanded "I'm going to have a shower." With that the man left the room, pulling the door open, to what Harry assumed was the bathroom. Harry lay for several seconds, panting and attempting to pull his thoughts together. What the fuck was going on?

Harry's head was a mess, his thoughts spinning out of his control. He pushed himself up off the bed, looking down at his disheveled form, he shivered. The Dark Lord's intention had been obvious. He had planned to consummate the marriage. To become fully bonded. What had made the man change his mind? What was it that had made him make such a total u-turn?

Harry gave a glance to the bathroom as he stood from the bed, water audible through the walls. It appeared the Dark Lord was actually taking a shower. Something so normal from a man such as he was may be the most baffling thing of the day. However that may have just been down to the fact that Harry's mind was nothing more than mush at that current moment. He didn't think that he could take anymore surprises today.

Harry wondered over to the large walk-in-wardrobe that lined one wall. He let the doors swing open to reveal both his own clothes and those of the Dark Lord. Harry scuttled over to the left side where his clothes were located. There were significantly less of them then of the Dark Lords, but he was glad that someone had thought forward enough to send them. Even more grateful that they had been placed somewhere easily accessible. He would have been shocked if not for the fact that he was far too exhausted to have such emotions.

Harry scurried forward. He rapidly pulled a pair of pyjamas from a hanger. Harry tugged off the white boxers that were damp with sweat. He quickly pulled on the pyjamas, covering his exposed body as quickly as he could.

As Harry pulled the shirt over his head he got stuck. He attempted to pull his head through the sleeve, his arm coming out through the head hole. Harry's emotional stability being at an all time low he was unable to deal with this fact. With his head still in his shirt and his arms in a mess above his head he let out a sob.

His knees thudded to the floor as his breath hitched again. He was blinded by both his shirt and his own tears as he could do little more than let the emotions of the day consume him. The fear, the loneliness, the anger; they all piled up upon him, hitting him like a train. His sobbing was loud and debilitating as Harry remained in his pathetic position.

Harry was unsure how long it was that he knelt on the floor. However he was drawn from the spiral of emotion that he was trapped in by a hand on his arm. Harry froze, all movements halted as he felt the hand touching the exposed skin. He let himself be moved, his arm pushed back through the shirt before it was pulled over his head, sitting on Harry in the correct position.

Harry was shocked. His eyes were wide as they met with the pyjama clad Dark Lord that stood before him, a scowl on his face.

"Go to bed Hercules" the man said. There was no malice in the words, but no kindness either. It was simply a matter of fact statement; an order.

"Y-y-yes My Lord" Harry mumbled, his hands pushing to him from the floor. His arms as weak as his shaking legs as he went toward the bed.

Harry spent the rest of the night slipping in and out of restless sleep. He felt the bed dip, waking him from the light slumber an unknown time after he himself had been forced into the bed. Harry stayed as still as he could, barely daring to breath as he felt the man lay behind him.

Somehow Harry managed to fall asleep. His brain switched off without him even realising it, the stress of the day finally catching up with him. His dreams were of angry faces. Friends and family disgusted by his predicament. Harry had not been able to talk to anyone about the events that had occurred that day. He had been forbidden from sending letters to anyone for the month that he had been housebound. He had also not seen anyone other than his mother, father and Kreacher in that time. He was therefore utterly in the dark about what anyone thought of these arrangements. However his assumptions led him all to anger.

Harry woke the next day, feeling some sense of calm as his eyes fluttered open. He felt more at ease than he had done in the past month. His heart was not pounding, his stomach was not churning and his eyes did not burn with the unshed tears of a nightmare. Harry felt peaceful.

However the feeling did not last long. Harry looked over to see a sleeping Dark Lord right before his eyes. His heart jumped into his throat, thumping erratically as he saw the closed eyes. Harry attempted to scramble from the bed, as delicately as possible, striving not to wake the Dark Lord on the bed next to him. However he was unsuccessful. His sudden movements caused the man on the bed beside him to open an eye.

Harry watched, breath held, as the man sat up. Even with his disheveled hair and sleep clothes, the man was still intimidating. The potential of what the man had to do was the thing that Harry feared the most. However the Dark Lord said nothing. He stood from the bed, a glance to Harry as he righted himself.

"Breakfast will be in thirty minutes Hercules. I suggest you ready yourself." Harry gave a hesitant nod before scurrying toward the walk-in-wardrobe. He rapidly gathered his things, pulling a pair of robes, underwear, socks, trousers and a shirt into his arm, before he almost ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. He finally let out a breath as his back rested on the closed door.

Harry spent the next fifteen minutes showering, dressing and making himself look presentable, ready to attend breakfast with his new attempted to cover the bruises that littered his neck as well as he could, but they were too numerous and too dark for him to do anything about them. Therefore Harry stepped from the bathroom, fully dressed except for shoes, several dark bruises still clearly visible.

The room before him was empty and Harry found himself relieved at that fact. He did not wish to see the man now. In fact he never wished to see him again. Harry rushed through the room, wanting to be ready before the Dark Lord returned. He placed his neatly folded pyjamas underneath the pillow that was his own as of last night, ready for another night of use. He then proceeded to make the bed neatly, pulling the sheets and straightening the duvet. With one finally hand smoothing over the cover, he began to investigate where to find his shoes. They were situated at the bottom of the wardrobe where Harry slipped them on his feet.

With nothing else to do Harry looked around the room, investigation more than he had last night. Harry had always been curious, it was a weakness of his. However unlike his oldest brother he was discreet about it. Sirius was loud and boisterous. Finding secret passages and hidden locations in the school was a specialty of his, however he told anyone that asked where they were. He liked to get credit for his discoveries, just as he liked credit for his pranks. Harry, however, was much more secretive. Harry had discovered rooms that the marauders had never dreamed of.

So when Harry saw a door that had gone unnoticed by him last night there was little he could do but take a look. It seemed that some of the fear had leaked out of him. He was too exhausted to be scared. His emotions had drained from him, the stress of the last month leaving an empty feeling. Therefore when a remotely positive emotion entered his mind, he clung to it like a drowning man to a life ring. It grew in his mind quickly; a weed that had finally been given water. It grew until Harry could think of nothing else. Consequences seemed to be of no concern. Death seemed of no concern. Harry was sick of being scared.

Harry pushed the door open, a smile gracing his face as he was met with no resistance. It was the first smile that Harry had had since he had returned from school at the end of the year. Harry crept into the room that appeared to be an office. From his position in the doorway he could see bookcases lining the back wall; ones that Harry longed to look at. He wanted to loose himself in the knowledge that the books were sure to hold.

However as Harry made his way around the corner, able to see the full extent of the room, he froze. Sitting at a large and elegant desk sat the one and only Dark Lord, a letter in his hands. Harry slowly back tracked, attempting to make his way back from the room, praying that the man had not seen him. He had.

"Hercules" the harsh drawl came from his new husband's lips. Harry froze, fear returning to him in full force. He didn't know what had possessed him to enter an unknown room. Stupid, stupid, stupid. How could he have been so stupid?

This man may have granted him some leniency last night. He may have stopped when Harry was at his most vulnerable. However that was no guarantee of anything. This man was a Dark Lord. He tortured people for fun. He killed people without a second glance.

The Dark Lord placed his letter down on the wood, before standing up and making his way toward Harry.

"I don't object to you entering my office" the man's face was neutral, although Harry felt he was being scalded, a small child being informed of his wrongdoing. "However I do object to you not announcing your arrival" the man raised a brow at the much smaller man before him. "I may have some rather…unpleasant guests present and your presence would be…ill-advised at such times."

"Yes my Lord" Harry mumbled, his eyes skirting away from the piercing brown eyes.

The Dark Lord gave a satisfied nod. Happy with Harry's answer.

"Come then Hercules, let us go to breakfast" The Dark Lord extended his arm. Harry crept forward, reluctantly resting his arm atop his husbands. He was lead through yet another door and toward breakfast.

Harry was led into the dining hall, his arm still gently resting on the Dark Lord's. Harry followed closely behind his husband, to the head of the table. The Dark Lord sat and Harry quickly took the seat to his right, that he assumed was his own. It seemed he was right as the man gave a hum of approval.

The rest of the room was filled with numerous people, many of which Harry assumed had spent the night after the late finish of the wedding celebrations. Harry's eyes flickered nervously to those sitting around the large table; all of whom were looking at Harry and the very visible marks on his neck. It seemed that Sirius had left the celebrations earlier than his parents and Regulus; the three sitting at one side of the table.

His father's face was stoic, his eyes hard as he looked at his son. He was unreadable. Harry was unable to tell what the man was feeling. His mother was, however, far more transparent. The smile that lit up her face as she looked at her son was clear. It spoke of pride but also self-importance. Harry could see in the look that she was satisfied to have a son who was married to the Dark Lord. It gave her power and a bragging right. It gave her something to hold over other people. He was finally a useful asset to his mother.

Regulus however was utterly different. His emotions were as clear as his Mother's, however they were the polar opposite. Regulus looked at Harry with hatred glittering in his eyes. It was angry and vicious hatred that seemed to boil under the surface. Harry did not like the look as it was directed at him. He turned his eyes away from the vicious grey.

Harry didn't want to eat, couldn't eat with the all eyes that were watching his every move. If he took a single bite of the food in front of him then he taught he may be sick everywhere. He only sank lower and lower in his seat as the minutes ticked by. Finally when he felt that he would soon be on the floor the Dark Lord stood.

"Bellatrix" the Dark Lord said, looking to Harry's slightly insane cousin.

"Yes My Lord" she chirped happily, willing to do anything for the man that she admired more than anything. She worshiped him.

"Take Hercules and show him around the manor. I have business to attend to." With that the man walked from the hall, leaving Harry to the mercies of his family, the Death Eaters and his insane cousin. Bellatrix stood with a bright grin and skipped over to Harry.

"Come on little Hercules" she said with an insane grin. She gripped his hand tightly and dragged him from the hall. She spent the next half an hour showing Harry all of the rooms in the manor; from the kitchens to the Death Eater meeting rooms. The final room he was shown was one that Harry had been longing to see, the library.

However as they entered the majestic room, with tall celling and overflowing with books, a look adorned his cousins' face that he did not want to see. A manic grin, an evil glint her eyes. She drew the wand from under her robes. Before Harry had time to grip his own wand his cousin muttered a spell.

Red light shot from her wand and hit Harry square in the chest. Pain like he had never felt before ripped through him. Each nerve screamed in agony, matching the screams that forced their way from Harry's own mouth. He writhed on the floor, the screams the only sound he could make as he attempted to beg for mercy.

Finally the spell was lifted. Harry lay panting on the floor, small whimpers escaping him without his permission. His eyes were wet with tears that were equally as unwanted. Bellatrix's laughter accompanied Harry's pained moans.

"You may have taken him from me" she screeched in anger "but he will never love him." She spat the words out, loathing clear in every syllable, before turning on her heel and marching from the room.

Harry could only lay there, the pain still rippling through his form. Any movement that he made sent shooting pains through each and every muscle in his body. Harry didn't know how long it took him, but he finally managed to pull himself up onto one of the chairs that were littered through the library. He dragged himself across the floor, collapsing every few seconds to draw breath. As he sat, panting, pain still ran through his body with each gulp of air the he took. Each part of his body was shaking, his muscles still protesting at the agony that they had been put through. Harry didn't think that he would ever feel normal again.

"Hercules" a voice called from the set of double doors that marked the entrance to the room. Harry looked up to see the Dark Lord standing majestically. His face was hard, the look in his eyes one that dared him to disobey.

"Come. We are going to lunch" he ordered. Harry's eyes widened in panic at the order. There was no way that he could stand, let alone walk. Harry set his hands on the chair and attempted to push himself up from his precarious position on his chair. However his arms only wobbled, his nerves still protesting to the any movement that he made.

"Hercules" the Dark Lord growled out. His tone dangerous. He stepped toward the young man. Harry, however, was still unable to move. The closer the man got, the more fear rippled through his mind. Shakes were beginning to rip through Harry's body, the pain tripling as he forced the muscles to move. Harry clenched his teeth through the pain, tears beginning to form as still tried to force his protesting muscles into standing. He couldn't.

The Dark Lord was there soon enough. His dark eyes filled with anger. His hand bunched Harry's robes, pulling the dead weight up off the chair. He pushed Harry backward, slamming his already sore muscles into one of the book cases. Harry had to suppress a scream.

"You will not disobey me Hercules." The man growled out. His other hand came up to tighten around Harry's neck, cutting off his air supply. "You are mine. I can do what I like with you when I like." his voice was vicious and his eyes glinted with murderous intent. His grip tightened and Harry began to panic, his body attempting to thrash away from the hand that cut off his air supply. However it was useless. The man only held firm and continued to talk.

"You will do as I say" each syllable punched through the air, an order, a demand. Harry had trouble concentrating on the words though, as his need for oxygen overwhelmed him. His vision began to blur, black spots overtaking his vision.

Just as Harry thought that he would pass out; that his life would be over, the Dark Lord let him go. Harry dropped to the floor like a rock, his body thumping harshly against the hard wooden floor. However he didn't care. As he lay there, gulping in large lungfuls of air all he could think of was the relief that he was still alive.

"I assume you'll be ready for dinner." the man said with a sneer before leaving an agonised Harry on the floor.

Harry couldn't raise the energy to watch the man go. Instead being able to only drag breaths in through his battered throat. His muscles screaming in agony at any movement. Harry found himself wishing that the man had just killed him. At least he wouldn't have to live through this pain. At least he didn't have to fear every step he took. At least he would be free.