The rained flittered down onto the roof, causing a soothing sound to echo throughout the house. Elodie quite enjoyed the rain. She wasn't sure whether she liked it before, but something about the power of a storm stirred her mind.

Once she and Voldemort had finished shopping, they spent nearly the entire day discussing everything under the sun about anything in the wizarding world. She was astounded with the information that flooded back to her mind, though she felt a little uncomfortable with her 'husband' prodding her for what she knew. He seemed rather excited with her endless prattling of wizarding wars and complex spells.

After they had finished, Voldemort had her cook him a dinner. Once she had maneuvered her way around the kitchen, she managed to cook a decent meal, earning her a little bit of praise from the man she was supposed to call husband.
There was an odd aura hovering around Voldemort. It had an evil presence, while also containing a certain innocence. The odd thing about her memory loss, was that she could remember so much information about the wizarding world, but nothing about him. He was a mystery.

She was sprawled out on their shared bed, reading a novel she had found in the downstairs library. Voldemort's back was to her as he wrote a letter, his quill scratching loudly against the paper. With a sigh, she closed the book, "Can you do something for me?"
"Hmm?"
"Take me for a walk."

Voldemort paused and turned back to her, resting his elbow on the back of his chair, "What?"
"A walk," she repeated, rolling off the bed and slipping into the new cloak they had purchased late in the afternoon, "In the rain... Come on."
"No," he snorted, returning to his letter, "You'll freeze."
"I will not!" she groaned, digging his cloak out of the closet and slowly sauntering over to his desk, "Please? It would be so romantic..."
"You want romance?" he chuckled, still not looking up at her, "I thought you would have noticed by now I'm not a romantic man."
"I don't remember," she admitted, slightly put out, "Right then... Never mind."
He released a groan and pushed out from the desk quickly, "Guilt usually doesn't work... Give me the bloody cloak."

Elodie smiled and swiftly helped him into the cloak. She couldn't help but be smug about her small victory. Not even a day with him and she was already getting him to do things.
Had it always been like this?

She was sure most men liked to act tough and in control, but with the right persuasion, they could be twisted.

He led her outside and into the rain, her arm twisted around his as she pressed closer to him, staring contently into the rain. The large water droplets cascaded down the leaves on the trees, slamming into the wild flowers as they were ripped back and forth in the breeze.
The forest only surrounded the small house. As soon as they pushed through the woodland barrier, Voldemort introduced her to the large cliffs and open sea in the English Channel and the Straight of Dover. The sea air was lovely, and as she inhaled, her eyes slowly shut, a smile spreading across her lips.

"Are we quite finished?" Voldemort droned, his hands deep in his pockets, "We are thoroughly soaked, and it's cold."
"I thought you were a Lord," Elodie mused, grasping his arm and pulling him down a stony path toward a tiny beach amongst the cliffs, "I didn't think the cold would bother you."
"I am a Lord," he snapped, "Doesn't mean I can't get cold."
"Oh, touchy," she giggled, enjoying his sudden irritation, "I'm only playing with you."
He shot her an annoyed look, "You were never like this before."
"Does it bother you?" she inquired, giving his hand a squeeze before flitting off, climbing up onto a drenched rock. The wind nearly sent her flying off, but in the end, it was the slimy surface of the rock that did the trick. She released a soft squeal and fell backwards, causing Voldemort to reach out swiftly in order to catch her.
"You also weren't a klutz," he grumbled, "Let's go."
"But..." she grunted, wriggling in his arms, "It's nice out here!"
"It's pouring," he argued, heading back toward the cliff pathways, "Wouldn't you rather sit inside and just... watch the rain?"
"Maybe."
"Well that's what you are going to do."
"Why did you ask then?"

He let out a huff of irritation and set her down, moving forcefully back toward the house. Was he always like this when he didn't get his way? She picked up her skirts and moved faster along the stony path, catching up to him quickly.

"Wait," she urged, grasping his arm and turning him back to face her. He raised an eyebrow, and she did the only thing she could think of doing with her face so close to his; she kissed him.

*-

"He found a plant?" Hirman repeated, raising his eyebrows, "And that's how he plans to find You-Know-Who? Blimey... He has gone mad."
"Apparently it has to do with this whole Muggle investigating scheme," Edward sighed, drumming his fingers on the table they were seated at, "It's not doing us any good."

Gill had sent them a letter telling them to meet him at a Muggle bar near the Ministry headquarters, and that he had excellent news. Edward was still confused with what the news could be, since both he and Hirman were utterly lost when it came to this Muggle researching.
A figure suddenly appeared at the door, and Gill pushed in through a crowd of rowdy Muggle sport fans, who were all huddled around a small television near the entrance, shouting profound things as men kicked a ball around on the screen.

Hirman called the waitress for another drink, and they both greeted Gill as he plunked down into a chair, a smile begging to spread across his face.

"You have something you want to tell us?" Edward pressed, chugging back the rest of his drink, "Because, as grateful as I am for your help, this isn't getting us any closer to Elodie."
"You need to learn some patience," Gill stated, adjusting his glasses and pulling a small vial out of his pocket, "Do you know what this is?"
Edward and Hirman leaned closer, squinting at the small green substance inside the glass. With a small sigh, Edward looked up, "A piece of grass?"

"Algae," he said simply, setting the container on the table. Hirman picked it up and examined it closely, "Algae? What good is that?"
"Well, it gives us a location, doesn't it," Gill informed the pair, "I'm guessing You-Know-Who had some stuck to his shoes when he walked in... Now we know he lives close to water."
"Close to water?" Edward droned, rolling his eyes, "We have a creek behind our house! He could have walked-"
"You have a vile temper, Mr. Potter," Gill chuckled, "And you didn't let me finish. This is special. While you can find most algae in fresh water ponds, lakes and streams, this is saltwater algae, meaning it's from either the Channel, or the ocean."

Edward hated to admit it, but the information was somewhat useful.

"So now what?" Hirman grumbled, "We search the entire coast of England?!"
"Or Scotland," Edward groaned, sounding defeated, "Or Ireland, or Wales... Gill-"
"Give me more time," Gill said firmly, "My suspicions say he's in the southern part of England."
"Why?"
"Because that's where none of you have looked."

*-

Voldemort dragged Elodie up towards their room, barely breaking contact between their lips before shoving her back onto the bed.

It was about damn time!

He steadied his breathing and looked down at her, her chest heaving, a rather attractive sight. With a swift movement, he had removed his cloak and tossed it aside, hearing it land with a loud, wet thump on the floor.

Pig, Tom, pig.

Oh, shut up! That bloody voice was supposed to be on his side!

"Sit up," he ordered, somewhat coldly. She complied and he unclasped her cloak, then with her help, removed it and in an instant it joined his cloak on the floor. He knelt down in front of her, his hands roaming along her soaking legs, while his lips immediately found themselves at home against her neck. With a soft moan, she threaded her hands through his hair, giggling when he bit down.

She was different then the last time they had done this. Submissive all the same, but there was more... passion? Bah, he'd find the word later.

His fingers dug sharply into her hips, and he tugged her off the bed, pushing her down onto the hard floor. She inhaled sharply as he rammed his lips back into hers, demanding access roughly as he pinned her down with his legs.

Oh, yes, this marriage thing had its perks.

Voldemort yanked her wrists and held them down, pulling away to look at her for a moment. She licked her lips, "What?"
"I've always liked you like this," he muttered, moving closer and nipping at her lip. She grinned and sat up the best she could, pressing her lips into his. Hearing her sigh contently made it all the more better, and he finally released one of her wrists, his hand slithering down to her chest. Her back arched, pressing her breast into his hand and she moaned loudly, the sound vibrating between their mouths.

Aroused, Tom, aroused.

Yes, thank you so stating the obvious. Glaring at his forehead, he rolled his eyes and kissed Elodie roughly, earning him another squeak. Whether it was from pain or pleasure, he wasn't sure, but he was quite happy with both.

"My lord?!"

Both he and Elodie jumped at the sudden voice in the room, and Voldemort glanced up to see Adrian Malfoy's floating head in the fireplace, "Are you there, Master?"
Voldemort groaned and climbed off Elodie, then made his way over to the fireplace.
"What?!" he snarled, glaring at the head. She finally submits, not that it took very long, and someone interrupts!

"A few aurors have breached the Manchester stronghold," his servant informed him, "We're in dire need of some assistance."
"Can't you idiots keep one building safe?!" Voldemort exploded, "This is the third defense you've lost to those damn aurors!"
"We are not worthy of any sort of favour," Adrian groveled, "But please... It's one of our largest remaining defenses!"
"Fine," Voldemort growled, glancing back to Elodie briefly, "I'll be there soon. Do you think you can handle insignificant little aurors until I arrive?"
"Of course, sir," Adrian whispered, his head vanishing. With an irritated sigh, Voldemort turned back to Elodie, who was back to sitting on the bed, picking at her nails. He swept over and cupped her face, "I'll be home soon."
"Be... safe," she muttered, kissing his hand. He smirked, "Don't worry about me... If anything, fear for those insufferable Ministry officials... They won't live through the night."

She smiled weakly and he gave her another quick kiss before apparating out of the house, appearing inside a house quite similar to his, only larger.
He had personally designed all of their major headquarters to look almost the same as his home, but big enough to fit in the single men and women who weren't living in their own homes. He wondered why he was actually giving people somewhere to live, since most of his followers were on the extreme sides of money; filthy rich or horribly poor.
A pair of aurors dashed out in front of him, and with a flick of his wand, they both fell to the floor, completely stiff. He strode past their bound bodies, giving them each a swift kick in the face before carrying on, hoping to find the idiots who couldn't keep his stronghold safe, and thoroughly punish them.

Fun for Tom, Tom, fun for Tom.

Yes... He was sure it would be quite entertaining. Watching his servants wriggle in pain was always worth it.