A/N: This is a hard chapter to read, it includes memories/flashbacks from Minerva's life with Ethan. Just wanted to warn you before reading... There's also a change of POVs... I already wanted to do it with Minerva, but then I thought it was interesting to add Ethan's POV too. The strange thing is that, in my opinion, Ethan's part is a lot better than hers... you'll see. Anyway, I hope you like it.

Enjoy ^.^

1982

.

Chapter 9

.

Beethoven

.

by Saeshmea

.

Ethan Coen went back to his empty rooms and poured himself a long shot of firewhisky.

It wasn't unusual for Dumbledore to send Minerva to London to attend business but, when it included spending a night off she would always say no; because Minerva knew her husband wanted her to be home after he was done with his duties.

Ethan sat on his armchair and made a sip of his drink. The silence of the room only helped to increase his anger, reminding him that his wife wasn't home.

Why wasn't she home? What kind of emergency regarding the school could have made Minerva forget the consequences of disobeying him like this? Not that her excuses would make any difference; whatever tale she would tell him the next morning, it wouldn't spare her of a good reminder of who was in charge.

Ethan sighted, his eyes fixed on the red flames in the fireplace as he remembered the first time he'd had to teach that lesson to his wife

...

It was a few days after their civil wedding in London. She wanted a beautiful ceremony in Scotland, but he'd managed to convince her that it was stupid to prepare such an event in the middle of the school year when nobody would be able to attend.

After a very tiring day, specially that terrible last class with the second year Hufflepuffs, Ethan was back into their rooms - Minerva's rooms, actually, because twenty-five years living in a boarding school gives someone the opportunity to transform a studio into a home, and even him understood that asking his wife to give up to all those memories was asking too much, for the time being.

Minerva was busy in the kitchen when he came in and hadn't even noticed his presence, but he was welcomed by the awful sound of that muggle music she loved so much. Ethan couldn't believe his ears.

During their first dates he had accepted to stand that noise every time he'd come into her rooms, but a couple weeks before their wedding, once they had establish where they would live after becoming husband and wife, he'd decided he'd had enough.

"Minerva, I know you really like this music and that's why I am not going to forbid you from listening to it," he had said, "but I honestly can't stand it. It only gives me a headache and once I move in with you I don't want having to hear it," he had given her a moment to sink the information and then he had added, "promise me you won't make me listen to this anymore."

"Alright," she'd replied with a smile on her lips, "I promise."

But they hadn't even been sharing those rooms for a month yet and that music was already playing in the gramophone. Ethan breathed deeply. He would at least give her the benefit of the doubt; so he coughed to make his presence noticeable.

Minerva turned around.

"Ethan, you're back," she said smiling like a stupid child, "I'm making baked potatoes for dinner," she kept talking as she walked towards him, "how was your day?" she asked, before rounding his neck with her arms and leaving a kiss on the corner of his lips. The music was still playing.

After she'd broken their brief embrace, he slapped her. It was quick, sounding but not too strong; it wouldn't leave a mark.

Stupidity was drawn into his wife's face for a second and it repulsed him. Then came confusion, and Minerva took a hand to her cheek, trying to relief the sudden pain. Ethan stood still, looking down at her showing no emotion, waiting for her reaction, for her first words; knowing that whatever came now would determine the future of their marriage.

"Why would you do that?" she asked. She didn't slap him back, she didn't defy him or run out the door; she asked for the reason of her punishment, because she was a woman of logic, and she knew there had to be a reason. This was going to be a long lasting relationship, he thought.

"The noise, Minerva" he said, and realization came to her.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized, quickly grabbing her wand and making the music stop, "I forgot," she said.

"You are not supposed to forget the promises you make to your husband," he warned her.

"You're not supposed to slap your wife either," she dared to defy him now, and he slapped her again. This time she let go some tears, and Ethan stood there, keeping his temper, saying no word, waiting for her to do the next move.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Sorry for what?" he asked and she looked up at him, like begging him to let it go, but he said nothing.

"I'm sorry for making you hear that music," she said, "it won't happen again."

"Good," he smiled, "let's go eat, I'd say those baked potatoes might be done already."

…

Of course she had needed some reminders over the following months, specially when new rules were introduced, but that night it had been established for the first time in their relationship that he was in control and he would always be.

By leaving to London without telling him, and spending the night over without caring about him, Minerva was only showing her husband that she had completely forgotten about that. Yes, she would really need a good reminder this time.

…

Minerva McGonagall was tossing and turning in that strange bed she was sharing with one of her former students. Severus had been sleeping calmly at her side for a while, now. She had seen him fight against his eyelids, trying to stay awake with her, and she had pretended to fall asleep so he would give in. She smiled at the sight of him dreaming, his greasy hair falling over his closed eyes.

Minerva turned away one more time, looking now at the darkness of the room. Maybe she just wasn't tired because she had allowed herself to fall asleep while waiting for Dumbledore. It was very unusual for her to have a nap, but she remembered feeling so relax on Severus hands in that couch that she just surrendered to her tiredness.

Or maybe her body wasn't tired because it had got used to falling asleep after pleasing her husband, maybe it was missing his hands, his magic, his abuse, his cock.

Minerva closed her eyes and forced herself to think of something else. Ethan could be a great lover, when he wasn't angry. On a good day, his touch would be tender, he would even allow her to have some control, to guide his hands over her body, to decide the rhythm of their lovemaking.

The rest of the times it was so different…

Usually he would just instruct and expect Minerva to obey, spanking her if she didn't or magically restraining her to use her body at his will. Those times weren't that bad, Ethan was good at giving pleasure when he wanted and that made the pain more bearable. Minerva had enjoyed herself many times during those nights.

Sometimes, if he was upset about something that had nothing to do with his wife, Ethan would just relief himself, fucking Minerva in silence until he had come and afterwards, if he noticed she was trying to reach climax on her own, he would tie her hands to the bedpost for the rest of the night saying: "I am the only one allowed to give you pleasure". On the morning, if he had calmed down, Minerva would wake up feeling his fingers rubbing her clitoris, taking her to ecstasy before breakfast time. It was his way to apologize and she had learnt to accept it.

But the worst times where when he got mad at her. The most silly thing could make his anger grow towards Minerva and even most of the times he had enough giving her a smacking, other times the punishment could last hours, including any type of abuse he could imagine. It was then when Minerva was most afraid of her husband, when she would learn what he was capable of.

That is why she was so careful, trying not to upset him, pleasing him in every way possible, remembering every rule he'd established. But even for Minerva it was difficult not to slip sometimes…

...

"That was a great dinner, wasn't it?" she asked, standing up to take the dishes to the kitchen, after Severus had left the night they celebrated his first week as a professor.

"Go back to your chair," Ethan said with that tone that indicated he was upset.

Minerva left the dishes back on the table and obeyed, not hesitating, knowing there was no meaning on asking what had possibly bothered him after such a lovely evening. He had already come upset by that hippogriff beating and Minerva had imagined that not even a nice dinner with a friend would make her husband forget to pay it on her, but she had hoped it to be only a cold fucking before going to bed and nothing else.

"I am very disappointed," he said.

"Ethan, I…" she thought that maybe apologizing before he told her her mistake would be helpful, but she just made things worse, before she could finish the sentence, Ethan took his wand out and whipped her with his magic.

Minerva left go a cry. The left sleeve of her dress was torn up and a red bruise was staining her arm. She clenched her fists, holding her tears.

"Sometimes I wonder how you became a professor in this school," he said, "because for being such an intelligent which you are a very slow learner," he finished giving her a second whip, that tore her sleeve two fingers lower and increased the red colour of the bruise.

"I'm sorry," she said, keeping her face down, not daring to look at him in the eye.

"Sorry for what?" he asked.

"I," she muttered, that was it, "I don't know," Minerva hold herself to the chair, shrinking herself to bear the pain of the next whips. She didn't even count, she knew they wouldn't finish until she realized the reason why he was upset with her, so she tried to concentrate, thinking of every event of that evening… Severus had been early, he had brought chocolates, they had been chatting, about what? Oh yes, about Severus past as a Death Eater; she had asked him if it bothered him to listen to muggle music. Oh Merlin! The Beethoven disc, she realized; it was still playing when Ethan arrived and he had had to ask her to turn it off.

"The music!" Minerva cried out, "The muggle music," she said among tears, "I'm so sorry, I forgot, I'm sorry."

The whipping ceased. Minerva's dress was tore up in many places and she was sore on both sides of her body and her chest.

"Stop crying like a child," Ethan said, "now go to the bedroom and take this clothes off," he instructed, "we'll make sure that you don't forget it again."

Minerva did as she was told, and Ethan made her wait naked in their bedroom for several minutes. She knew he did that on purpose, making her mind go crazy thinking of what was to come next before he came in.

"Ethan, I'm so sorry," she said when he appeared by the door, "I'm sorry I made you listen to that music, I'm really sorry," she walked towards him and rested her hands on his chest, hoping that he'd calmed down. Ethan grabbed her hands, strongly, with his good hand, and looked down at her.

"It's too late for apologies," he said, and she noticed a heat around her wrists and when she looked down, she saw he had let go of her, but her hands were magically bound together. That was one of Ethan's favorite spells, it tied her up in a way that if she struggled to get free the invisible ropes burned her skin.

"Ethan, please," she begged, "you should rest, and I am tired too," she looked down at his bandaged arm and he used his other hand to grab her by the hair, messing her perfect bun.

"You can't be tired," he talked into her ear, "not until I'm done with you," and he pushed her, making her fall face-first on their bed.

Minerva said nothing else that night. On the morning she woke up earlier to apply the necessary ointments and charms to her injuries. She was no mediwitch, so she managed with the little healing spells she knew and the potions she managed to bring with her at the beginning of the year; because going to Poppy was no option.

"Good morning," Ethan said after walking into her in the bathroom.

"Good morning," she replied, not looking at him.

"You look gorgeous today," he added, and he kissed her forehead before stepping into the shower.

"Thank you," she whispered, holding some tears and leaving.

...

Minerva suddenly felt an arm around her waist and the warm of another body against her back. It was Severus, cuddling her, in his sleep. She smiled. It was a good feeling to be in his arms. A while later she was sleeping too.

.

TO BE CONTINUED...