Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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It was a quiet day for business. Emma Johnson walked around the little store that she owned in Henley, the small town where she was born, and was reflecting on her life. She was 29 years old, it had been 11 years since she had left Hogwarts.

At first, Emma had continued studying potions, but she missed her family, and her experience with Tom Riddle had left her wary of wizarding life, so she had decided she preferred being close to her family and live the rest of her life as a Muggle. With the help of her parents she had opened the small general store, and she was quite happy with it. Most of her customers were ordinary Muggles, but she did get the occasional odd-looking customer, who would come for some of Emma's 'special' product line.

In the back of the store there was a small hallway, with a door and a set of stairs. The stairs led to the modest apartment upstairs over the store, where Emma lived. The door led to Emma's office. The office contained a cupboard that contained these 'special' products, all potions that were hard to make and sought after by many a witch and wizard, who would travel to Henley just to obtain one of these little vials with their liquid treasures inside.

That is to say, anyone opening that cupboard would see shelves that were sparingly filled with a few of these vials. But for Emma, the cupboard was much more than that.

When the store was closed, Emma would use her wand to open up the back of the cupboard, which would lead to an expansive room. This was Emma's 'magic' room, where she kept anything magical, hidden away from anyone who would come visit the store or her apartment. Three walls in this room were covered in bookcases, filled with many, many books on various magical subjects, but mostly about potions. The fourth wall contained shelf after shelf of highly unusual items, like frogs' legs, unicorn horn powder, dragon liver, etc. etc., and cauldrons in various sizes and makes. This room was where Emma would brew her potions.

Emma was a highly skilled potion maker, she could make any potion known to wizard kind, which is why wizards and witches from all over the country would come out to Henley to obtain some of her products.

But in addition to the known potions, she would also work on her 'fantasy' potions. She still got a thrill out of trying to develop new and 'impossible' potions, but never again, not since she had left Hogwarts, had she succeeded in producing another one. It didn't stop her from trying, though.

Emma sighed as she reflected on the other aspect of her life; her disastrous love life. When she had left school, she had at first been very wary of anyone of the male species, and had not wanted to be involved in romantic relationships at all. But eventually, the trauma of her experiences with Tom Riddle had started wearing off, and she had let herself be seduced by some of the many male suitors that had been pursuing her.

The men Emma had been with, had been Muggles, and after a lengthy courtship she had allowed one of them to become more intimate with her. But there had been a problem. For some reason, he had not been able to touch her. In fact, when he tried, his hand had burned and he had received blisters on his fingers.

Needless to say this was a major setback in their relationship.

Emma didn't understand, and consulted the witch she had met in school, with whom she was still in contact; Jarinda. They had met in the Leaky Cauldron and enjoyed a meal together, reminiscing about their school days. Emma had explained about her problem, and her friend's reaction had been…well, interesting.

"Oh, Emma, you have been claimed!" had Jarinda's immediate response been.

Emma had given her a puzzled look. "I have been what?"

"Claimed! It's pretty common, a lot of wizards do that to their girls." Then she had casually followed that up with, "It must have been Tom Riddle, since he was your first, and you can only be claimed after your first sexual encounter."

Emma had been shocked, and anxious to learn what this was all about.

"After you had sex for the very first time, Emma, did he cast a spell over you?"

Emma had thought back to that day, and remembered he had indeed done something that resembled casting a spell. But when she had questioned him about it, he had said he hadn't actually done anything! So this is what she had told Jarinda.

"Well, clearly he did, since you have the symptoms. When a girl has been claimed, she cannot be touched intimately by anyone but the caster. Anyone who tries, will burn themselves, usually resulting in blistering."

Emma had frowned. "But that doesn't make sense!" she had said. "I have visited doctors since, and they have been able to touch me without any problem!"

"There has to be sexual intent, otherwise the spell doesn't work," Jarinda had simply explained.

"But that is awful!" Emma had complained. "So any girl that has been claimed, would never be able to be with another man after that?"

Jarinda had been laughing at her after this. "Of course not, silly, that would indeed be awful! But fortunately, it isn't anywhere near as bad as that, as the spell can be removed. In fact, it is really simple. The boy or the girl, either one can remove it. All you need to do is give a little wave with your wand, think about the person who was involved, picture them in your mind, and say 'Virgo Cantatem Libra'. That's all! Piece of cake."

Emma had felt relieved. That didn't seem like such a big deal at all! She should be able to accomplish that. "Alright, I think I can do that. But what is the point of such a spell, if it can so easily be removed?" she had finally asked Jarinda.

Jarinda had shrugged. "It's useful when there still is a relationship going on between the two parties involved, since the boy will know that way when the girl intends to be unfaithful. She would have to remove the spell first, and that will have an effect on him. He will know."

Suddenly, Emma's breath had been stuck in her throat. She had experienced a sinking feeling in her stomach. "He…he will know? How will he know?" she had fearfully asked.

"That's what the spell does. If it is removed, both people involved will feel it. They will know. And, of course, if you're still in that relationship, that would spell trouble! But you're no longer involved with Tom, are you? Have you even seen him since you left Hogwarts?"

Emma had shaken her head. No, she hadn't seen him at all since she had left Hogwarts. But she still remembered his parting words, as if he had spoken them only the day before, 'If you are ever in doubt about whether I would approve of something…just assume that I would not.' That's what he had said. Is that what he had meant? Would she be in trouble if she removed this spell? But he couldn't have meant that, could he? That must have referred to other things, not to this! It couldn't have referred to this, that would have been ridiculous! But how could she find out? Should she take the risk? She gulped.

Jarinda had had no idea what their relationship had been like. Emma had told her on the train that he had broken up with her just before they had left the castle, and Jarinda had assumed that Emma had been heartbroken. She wouldn't have understood that Emma was ecstatic about her break-up, so Emma had never explained that that's how she had felt.

So on that day in the Leaky Cauldron, more than 2 years later, Jarinda had been staring at her. "Emma?" she had said, when she had noticed Emma's uncomfortable expression. "Emma…you are going to remove it, aren't you? It has been more than 2 years! You don't really think you are going to get back with Tom again one day, do you?"

Emma had shaken her head and laughed. No, she doubted very much that she would ever see him again. At least, she hoped with all her heart that she never would! So she had pretended to be perfectly happy with Jarinda's explanation and they had finished their meal.

And now, 9 years after that conversation with Jarinda, she still hadn't taken off that claim. She had intended to, though. The number of times she had stood in her 'magic' room, with her wand out, ready to say the words, were practically countless. But she was supposed to picture him in her mind before saying the words, and every time she did, a chill would creep up her spine and she would be afraid. What if that would displease him? He said he would find her. Her and her family. And that he would do horrible things to them, and most likely kill them! She couldn't imagine this would actually displease him, but what if it did? They weren't exactly hard to find…

She shivered at the thought. She had never been brave enough to try. And so, she had never again had a steady boyfriend. She had practically resigned herself to living out her life on her own, and consoled herself brewing potions.

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Tom Riddle, or Lord Voldemort as he was now mostly called, was having a bad day. He had gone to Hogwarts and had practically begged Dumbledore to give him a job teaching at Hogwarts. Dumbledore had not gone for it. Not that he had expected him to, but he was still unhappy about it. He did not like it, when people were defying him, and he would usually deal with them right away. But this wizard was different. He was stronger, more powerful than any other wizard or witch he had ever met. Not that he did not think he could defeat him. He was pretty certain he could, but this had not been the time, or the place. However, one day, he would kill that man, as he had been a thorn in his side ever since his first day at school. Just thinking about him infuriated him!

He sighed. He had gone back to the bar after his meeting with the old coot, met up with his Death Eaters, and apparated to Malfoy Manor, the home of Abraxas Malfoy, a wealthy associate of his. He had been living in various different places, but for right now he was a guest in this man's home. He was sitting in a chair in front of the fireplace, thinking. He had ordered everyone to leave him alone, as he needed some time to himself.

Hogwarts…it had been 11 years since he had been there. He had fond memories of the place, since he had considered it his first real home. It had been a good feeling to walk through those familiar halls. The castle with all its secrets, a lot of them only he knew about. He thought about the Chamber of Secrets. The Room of Requirements. The secret passageways. His potions lab.

He grinned when he thought about his potions lab. There had been this girl… what was her name again? Emma Johnson. Yes, she had been a source of enjoyment for him at the time. She had been tough, at first, but he had broken her eventually. And she had been useful, too! Two of his best potions he had developed with her. And not to forget…his 'special' spells. He smirked. She had been his inspiration for those. And they had been extremely entertaining! He certainly had had some fun with them.

He wondered what had become of her. Clearly she never married…as he would have noticed. The girl couldn't have had sex for 11 years! Such a waste, since she sure had been pretty. She had been a great fuck! He lay back in his chair, and realized he was getting a hard-on thinking about her.

Then a roguish thought came to him. It had been a while since he had been with a woman. He had been too busy. But right now he sure could use some! He needed something to cheer him up, and Emma would do nicely. He would test his Death Eaters' abilities and see how long it would take for them to locate her, and bring her to him. He grinned as he called for the house elf.

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That night after dinner, Emma had gone to her 'magic' room to work on her potions, when she heard the doorbell ring. She hadn't really started anything major yet, so she left the room, closed the cupboard and went to open the door. Wizards, she thought as she glimpsed them through the glass. She frowned. She had not received any owls announcing the arrival of any wizards with a request for a particular potion, as she usually did. She wondered what they needed at such an unusual time. The store was closed after all!

She opened the door. "Good evening," she said. "It's really past closing time, but I'll see what I can do to accommodate you. What kind of potion do you need?"

The two men sneered at her. "No potions today," one of them said. "We'll be needing something else…" And with a wave of his wand, she was immobilized. Two hands grabbed her arms and before she knew it, she felt like she was being squeezed through a tight tube, and everything around her disappeared.

When things came back into focus, her surroundings had changed. She appeared to be in a field in front of a gate, that was part of a fence around a massive house. She was being levitated off the ground, through the gate and up the walkway to the house.

Emma was overcome with fear. Clearly, something bad was happening. She was being kidnapped! She had read in the Daily Prophet that there had been the occasional attack on Muggle-borns lately. She wondered if this was related to that?

The walk was short. In no time, they reached the house. Her feet were set back on the ground, and someone searched her for a wand. It wasn't there, she had left it in her office. She had been so stupid to feel safe enough to leave it there, when she went to open the door. When they were satisfied that she didn't have a wand on her, they took off the spell.

"Where am I?" she asked in a voice laced with panic. "Who are you? Why am I here?"

One of the men grinned at her. "The Dark Lord wants to see you," he replied.

She shook her head. "The…the who?"

"The Dark Lord…Lord Voldemort," he explained.

And suddenly, Emma was unable to breathe. She felt a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes opened wide, and fear started flowing through her veins, flooding every part of her body.

She was in a state of near paralysis as she was being led through a door into a room, towards a high-backed seat that was facing the fireplace.

"We have her, my Lord," said the man who had been answering her questions.

With that, a figure stood up from the chair, and turned towards them. Emma gasped. Although changed significantly and no longer as handsome as he used to be, there was no doubt that the man standing in front of her, was the adult Tom Riddle.

His eyes locked onto Emma's for a moment, then he turned to the two men. "Forty minutes," he said. "Not bad. Not bad at all! I thank you, you may go now." And the two men left, leaving Emma alone with the man who had once been the only boyfriend she had ever had.

Emma was staring at him with her mouth open, as he stood, with his arms folded, a somewhat angry look on his face. He appeared to be waiting for something.

Emma's palms were sweating. She was searching through her mind, trying to think if there was anything, anything at all, that she had done that could have angered him. Did someone produce one of the potions they had developed? He had said he'd blame her if that happened. But it hadn't been her! She had never mentioned them to anyone, and even though she had permission to use them, she never had! So why was she here?

"Did you forget the rules, Emma?" he finally said.

The rules! The rules? What was he talking about, which ones? 'Oh damn,' she thought, as she fell on her knees.

"My Lord," she whispered humbly.

Still, he didn't say anything. Emma became more and more scared as she was lying there on her knees. What was he waiting for? He was going to kill her, wasn't he? How long would he take? Was he going to torture her first? A thousand questions ran through her mind as she was trembling before him.

Then he finally spoke again. "Get up, Emma."

She was trembling from head to toe, as she rose to her feet. But to her surprise, he was actually smiling now.

"How nice to see you, Emma," he said. "It has been a while, hasn't it? About 11 years I would say. Isn't that right?"

Emma nodded cautiously. "Yes, my Lord," she replied softly.

"I see you have not changed much. A little older…more mature. But you are still beautiful!" With that, he took a step closer to her, cocked his head and gently stroked her hair.

Emma gulped.

He laughed softly. "You are afraid of me, are you not, Emma?" he said. "Why is that? Is there anything that you did, that would give you cause to be afraid?"

She shook her head and swallowed.

"Hmm," he said as he stared into her eyes. "No…I see that you did not. You have been loyal."

He smiled at her, as his hand moved towards her chin and pushed it up a little. "So there is no need to be afraid, my dear. You must know by now that Lord Voldemort appreciates loyalty? You are in no danger."

Somehow, she wasn't entirely reassured by his words, although she did manage a faint smile.

He paused for a moment. "You wish to know why you are here, don't you, Emma?"

"Y…yes, my Lord," she stammered.

He took a step back from her. "I had the pleasure of visiting our old school today, Emma," he said, as he was slowly walking around her, observing her from every angle. When she came back in his line of vision, he continued, "And as I was walking through it, remembering what it was like when I went there, I was reminded of you."

He grinned. "I remembered all the happy times we shared there, Emma." He stopped and stared directly at her again. "And I felt an urge to…reminisce. Relive old times, if you will."

She gulped again. A feeling of impending doom was enveloping her.

He smirked. He walked forwards. "I can see you are excited," he said sarcastically. He cupped her face with both his hands now and gave her a penetrating stare. "But Emma…we had some good times, did we not? It has been a while. And I know there has not been anyone else! You must feel like you are…missing out." He let go of her face and started laughing. "Don't worry, Emma, I shall give you something tonight to last you another 11 years…or more."

He took a step back, pulled his wand out and waved it around, and a moment later, a beautiful, large and ornate bed appeared in the middle of the room. Next, he pointed his wand at her, and her clothes disappeared like snow for the sun. She gasped, as he stood and smirked at her.

"Come here, Emma," he said softly, while staring unabashedly at her naked body.

Emma carefully took a step forward, breathing heavily now, as nerves were raging through her body. He put his arms around her. "You still have a certain…effect on me, Emma," he said. "Why don't you…confirm that?"

She gulped, and reached a shaking hand out towards him. He was looking at it amusedly, as she carefully brought it down to the buckle of his belt, and slowly moved downwards from there. She gasped, as she touched him lightly. He was undoubtedly hard. She closed her eyes and quickly withdrew her hand.

Then he pulled her head back by her hair, hungrily pressed his lips on hers, and kissed her. And Emma felt as if she was taken away to a different world, one she thought she had left behind a long, long time ago.

After Emma felt like she had been reacquainted with just about every single sexual spell in his repertoire, he finally seemed to have had enough of her. He got up and dressed with a wave of his wand. A moment later she found herself completely dressed, too. Useful spell, she thought, she would like to know how to perform it. But of course she would never dare ask him about it.

She got up, and after another wave of his wand, the bed disappeared.

"Did you bring your wand," he asked her.

She shook her head.

"Fine," he said. "In that case I shall get one of my Death Eaters to take you back home."

One of his what? Death Eaters? What kind of name was that, she thought. But she knew better than to ask. Plus, she had something more pressing on her mind.

"M…my Lord?" she started. "Could I…could I possibly make a request?"

He gave her a curious look. "Go ahead," he replied.

She swallowed hard. "Would it…would it be possible for me to…to remove that…that Claim Spell?"

He looked surprised at first, then he started laughing. He laughed at her for quite a while before he finally replied. "Oh, Emma," he said, approaching her and taking her face in his hands. "You are still capable of amusing me! Would I have put that on if I wanted you to take it off?"

"B…But," she stammered, "that…that was such a long time ago! And…and we're no longer together, now."

He chuckled. "No, Emma," he said. "You have had the great honor of being the only girlfriend Lord Voldemort has ever had. I would never allow any man to be able to say that he had you after that!" And in a menacing tone, he stated simply, "I would have to kill him."

Even though his expression was still amused, his eyes looked dark and dangerous, and she could see a shimmering red glow in them.

Emma finally knew then that she would remain alone for the rest of her life, as the only man who would ever be able to touch her, was her… first.

The End