Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Thank you to everyone for your wonderful reviews. I started this story because I have a bit of free time this summer. After reader's response I am looking forward to continuing this story :)
"Are you ready, Harry?" Marvolo calls from the doorway.
Merlin, the man looks exquisite. He is wearing extravagant robes in green and silver and carries them with an effortless grace that I have not seen much even among purebloods. I had read somewhere that the best aphrodisiac is a willing partner. Let's put it to test. I stride up to him and run my hands warmly over his chest.
"You look ... amazing." I breathe.
"I..thank you, You look quite good yourself." Marvolo looks at me slightly lost making me wonder when the last time someone had complimented him, I put it to the back of my mind to do it more often and flutter my eyelashes dramatically at him.
"What do you want?" Marvolo smiles looking amused.
"Why, a kiss of course." I inform him pouting my lips.
He laughs a little, "You are such a child." he says drawing me into his arms and kisses me soundly on my lips. Soon his tongue is mapping my lips asking for entrance, I hesitantly open my mouth. He is mapping my mouth like he owns it and it feels like he is sucking my soul. Merlin, the man can kiss. He is withdrawing too soon to my liking and I am left breathless.
"Satisfied?" he asks in a smug tone and I simply smile goofily at him. "Let's go, or we will be late." He flicks his wand to straighten both our robes, takes me in his arms again and apparate us to the Ministry in front of huge doors.
The doors are creaking open and I am faced with a huge, beautiful room packed with nearly 500 people I would guess. Marvolo leads me forwards, my feet following the older man's lead nearly automatically as I try to take everything in. The ballroom is nearly as impressive as the Great Hall at Hogwarts, just as impressive in a different way.
The ceiling is high, high above our heads and a deep mahogany wood carved in detail with swirls and waves. Ten huge chandeliers hung down from the ceiling all across the room, the hundreds of candles in them making the diamond, ruby and sapphire hanging jewels glitter and shine, beautiful wall sconces lined the walls, the silver shaped into flame shapes the bright torches flickering brightly.
Soon we are standing on a wooden dais at the end of the hall, a long wooden table has been laid out already, a velvet silver runner going down the middle of the table, silver plates laid out waiting for us. Two chairs sat in the middle of the table, both the same size but bigger than the rest of the chairs at the table and much more innately carved. Snake formed the arms and back of the chair, the very top of the chair having a snake that was eating its tail.
I blink at the almost throne like chair as Marvolo pulls it out for me, it is one of the most comfiest things I had ever sat on. The rest of them take their seats at the table, Marvolo taking the other throne like chair, Lucius taking his right side and Narcissa on my left. Marvolo's inner circle, Dumbledore, Fudge and few higher ranking Ministry officials take seats on head table.
And the rest of the room hold two long tables with benches on either side running the length of the room and as we took their seats at our table everyone in the hall moved to sit down at one of the tables. Death eaters and their families sit at one table and order members and ministry employees on other.
Everyone is dressed beautifully, and all of them are looking up at our table, or more exactly at Marvolo and I, hardly able to look away, so an almost silence fell over the hall pretty quickly. I take note of Draco, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Theo Nott, Goyle, Crabbe and a lot of other Slytherin students I recognise by face sitting on the right table closest to us, along with a good large smattering of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors. I note that Draco, Pansy and a few others are glaring at me, I ignore them.
On other table Weasley brood is easy to spot. Ron, Ginny and Hermione are also glaring at me. Well, it looks like they have been informed that they won't be getting my bride price after all, I think gleefully. A lot of reporters and photographers are scattered throughout the room. Today is going to be a media circus that I have been dreading. I finally locate Remus sitting with Tonks and give him a beaming smile.
We sit for a few moments waiting for everyone to settle before Marvolo lifts my hand and kiss it soothingly, meeting my eyes and clearly trying to communicate the need to act like a loving couple that public wants. Smiling a little I nod my understanding and only after another kiss to my hand does the Dark Lord stand up and face his people proudly.
"Today I am holding a celebration feast for my people, for we have plenty to celebrate!" Marvolo calls out. He raises his voice only a little but the magic in the hall carries it around the whole space. I have heard that he had a way of speaking, but this is the first time I am truly witnessing it. Marvolo's words seem to resonate in his chest with a power of their own. A loud cheer went through the room at his words and he paused before carrying on.
"We are celebrating the end of decades long war. We are celebrating the dawn of a new era. We are celebrating return of the Slytherin Lordship. Most of all we are celebrating the peace we are guaranteed today. A lot of work needs to be done to fix all problems present in our society. We will start that work tomorrow. But Today we celebrate and Enjoy!" A thunderous applause breaks across the room as Marvolo takes his seat.
The dishes appear in front of us, Marvolo and I open the feast. Soft murmurs break throughout the room as people start talking to their neighbours.
"It will be better for your and your families health if you control your brat Narcissa." I whisper to Narcissa indicating to Draco who is still glaring at me. She nods her acquiesce.
"You sister is married to Lestrange, then how come you hoped she will be Consort Slytherin." That question has been going through my mind since our morning talk.
"My Lord did not want to marry her," she looks like she is sucking on a lemon, "he wanted an heir from her, before end of last war she was pregnant with our Lord's heir, but she lost the child in Azkaban. My Lord was punishing her for her failure to protect his heir. But sooner or later he would have accepted her back if not for you and then he would have made Draco his consort as he rightfully deserves." She looks like she is trying to convince herself.
She is delusional. Sirius had informed me that Blacks were one of the most ambitious families around. Narcissa looks like to be most ambitious of the lot with her head so high up in clouds that she cannot see reality. Or maybe it is slight insanity that comes with inbreeding.
Soon the feast is over and Marvolo is leading me to dance floor to open the ball. At first I am tense, as I am still not a very good dancer. But soon I relax in Marvolo's embrace and follow his lead. With someone else leading the dance, someone as skilled as Marvolo, I am able to dance fairly well. Slowly other couples trickle on dance floor and it becomes a little crowded.
Marvolo leads me off the dance floor and start introducing me around. After hours and hours of introductions, I am, to put it lightly, tired. My face is starting to hurt from all the fake smiling I have done this entire evening but I am forced to maintain the act knowing that, despite the carefree facade the guests put on, they are all watching me with hawk eyes, waiting for a slip they could pounce on.
I sigh inwardly as I am introduced to yet another family who started to rant about how great it is to have Lord Slytherin as overlord of our world. At first I had made an effort to retain all the names and faces of the people that were introduced to me but, after I had passed the hundred limit, I was forced to give up.
Greengrass, Goyle, Torras, Bones, Patil, Pucey, Croy, Smith, Ivanov, Debnoir, Longbottom, Rosier, Gamp, Sawada, Flint, Bulstrode, Brown, Lestrange, Yaxley and many, many other names formed a labyrinth of mixed faces and voices inside my head inside which I am sure I would be forever lost.
With a barely contained sigh I excuse myself from the boring conversation I am having with the head of the Crabbe family, who didn't look any less a troll than his son do, and head towards the balcony for a breath of fresh air. My peaceful solitude is broken by one the people I least wanted to see this evening.
"Harry, my boy, how are you this fine evening?" Dumbledore greets me cheerfully.
"What do you want, Headmaster? And I am not your boy." I respond coldly.
"Now Now my boy, you should not let anger get best of you, after all anger leads down to the dark path." I stare at him incredulously.
"You know my boy I have always done my best for you, why I have given you the perfect opportunity to fulfil your destiny."
"What destiny you are talking about?" I ask him confused.
"Why my boy you were born to end the Dark Lord for good, now you are closer to him than anyone else. You can take care of him easily." Wow the so-called leader of light advocating cold-blooded murder.
"You know Headmaster, I signed the marriage contract, don't you? If I do anything harmful to my husband, my magic will punish me."
"My boy, surely you must know that is a small price to pay for the greater good." He informs me jovially, his eyes twinkling all the way. "Think on it my boy, you will be avenging your parents." He leaves and I am left in doubt about my intelligence, how come I did not see past that facade for five years.
"Are you alright, cub?" Remus asks as he enters balcony.
"I will be okay Moony, Dumbledore just advised me to murder my husband, and whatever punishment my magic doles out will be small price to pay for the greater good." I inform him in a matter of fact tone.
"Bastard!" Remus snarls, he closes his eyes and visibly calms himself, "I will meet you tomorrow to formulate a plan cub, now let's head back inside, Dora wants to meet you." He leads me inside.
"Dora? Something you want to inform me of uncle Moony." I ask him teasingly.
"You know very well that nothing can happen cub, after all I am a werewolf." He responds bitterly.
"Werewolf law is one of the first that is going to be repealed, don't let society's prejudice come in your way. You more than anyone deserve some happiness." I try to convince him.
"I will think about it." But he looks happier already.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Slytherin. You give this humble servant a huge honour to grace me with your presence my Lord." Tonks gives me an exaggerated bow, turning her hair light purple with gold tips to match my robes. I laugh at her antics.
"Come on Tonks, you need not call me my Lord, Harry is fine, after all you are family. And maybe soon I will be able to call you Aunt Nymphadora." I tell her playfully.
Her face turn a fetching shade of red and she scowls at me. "Don't call me Nymphadora, Lord or not, I can still smack you around." She tries to flex her biceps, Remus and I erupt into peals of laughter.
"Well well well, isn't it You-Know-Who's slut. Tell me whore did your master used you well last night." I turn around to face Ron. He looks ready to burst from his anger and jealously, Hermione and Ginny are trying to silence him unsuccessfully. People around us moves away from them, giving them disdainful looks. Ron does not seem to notice. But Hermione and Ginny look around uneasily.
"My family and I had to put up with you for five years and we did not even get anything for our troubles. We were supposed to get money for selling you to You-Know-Who. Did you not please your master whore? Is that why we did not get our money." Ron seems to be on a roll.
"Something you want to say to my Consort, Mr. Weasley." Marvolo strides over to us looking truly pissed off. We have attracted the attention of whole hall by now. Ron rapidly pales, Hermione and Ginny stepp back trying to blend in with crowd.
"Bride price is paid to family Mr. Weasley and my consort considers only Mr. Lupin as family. From your actions here today, it is very clear why he does not count you or your family as such. You are, hereby, expelled from Hogwarts. You will not be allowed to sit for NEWTs until you learn some respect." Marvolo orders coldly.
"That seems a bit harsh Tom." Of course Dumbledore has to interrupt.
"No it is not, Headmaster. I am rather being merciful. I could have called him to an Honour duel to death for his slurs against my Consort." Ron is shaking now and Dumbledore looks dejected.
"You must be tired Harry, Let's go home." Marvolo informs me in soft voice and offers me his arm. Then he turns to Remus, "You are welcome to join us tomorrow morning for breakfast Mr. Lupin." He informs Remus and stride out of the ballroom.
Marvolo takes me in his arms and apparate us to my bedroom. He kisses me deeply and passionately as soon as we arrive in my room. He snogs me for at least five full minutes, I am panting when he releases me. "You are tired Harry, sleep well. Good Night." He kisses me lightly on lips.
I stare after him stupidly for few minutes. Damn who said I can be tired and not have fun. Now I have take care of my problem on my own, I think morosely as I move to my bathroom.