Chapter 28

Belonging

Draco stood in the fields of Japan, the wind whipping through his blonde hair. The amulet was very strange, first it would get hot and then cool…and he noticed that it didn't start to act this way until he got to where he knew Hessa was. It must be connected to her in some way, so he kept it on, surely it would lead him to her. He followed the hot feeling…

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Marius was spending more time with Hessa, she would often hold his arm while walking down the streets of the city now and there was much close physical contact. He was trying to take it easy with her, though his instincts were not making it very easy on him. But he was doing well and promised Hessa that he would not 'casually mate' with another…but only if she agreed that if he absolutely had to have his desires fulfilled, she MUST give into him. She did.

He was with Hessa at her mother's potions shop, helping her pack for the Festival of Stars held in wizarding Paris, a new one that the Parisians created to lift the saddened spirits over Voldemort's rule. Her mother had helped create special fireworks for such an event using certain ingredients she promised to teach Hessa later. But they were halted when one of the head council members ran into the shop with a great deal of urgency and pulled Marius aside. "We have a serious problem," he harshly whispered and stared at Hessa.

Marius blocked his view of Hessa. Since they'd agreed to be together, he had become extremely territorial and this news wasn't going to help matters, "what is so urgent that you would disrupt our packing for the festival?"

Marcus pulled him aside further so Hessa couldn't hear him, "Draco Malfoy."

He straightened and stiffened, his face contorted with anger, "HOW did he find the city?"

"I don't think he knows he has…but he has her amulet."

"HOW?"

"It must have dropped when we came and got her, her mother says she wasn't able to find it earlier but figured it was just accidentally misplaced."

It was their own foolishness, not making sure that nothing was left behind, "alright then." Marius turned to Hessa, "I'm afraid I have some urgent business to attend to…" Hessa stiffened and she looked at if she were lost for a second and then stepped back, her head bowed…she sensed him…Draco. Her heart started to beat in her chest and she held a small firecracker to her chest, Marius snapped his fingers loudly to get her attention, she would have been offended if she weren't so distracted. He simply locked eyes with her and said, "NO…this PET is not running to her master…"

Cynthia knew then…Draco Malfoy was either close or had found the city, her question was…HOW? She held Hessa close to her, "Marius, what do we need to do?"

"Take her to the house, lock her in her room until we move the city."

"I can control my actions, you know," Hessa spat out. "I'm not a DOG…" She backed up when Marius approached her, cornering her against the counter…

"No, you are not a dog…but once you meet his eyes again, you'll want to go to him and I won't allow it," he petted her face. "Not only as someone who involved with you, but as a council member. I will not allow THIS Conk to be taken by a dark wizard and that is MY final answer."

"I thought that law stated you couldn't interfere with…"

"With a bond ONCE it has been established. But since it is broken…we may do as we like. And what I WOULD LIKE, is to move the city," he said it in a venomous tone, as if to dare her to challenge him again. She nodded sternly…she finally understood where her place was with Marius.

He left with Marcus to get full permission to move the city. "You didn't have to be so stern with her, Marius," Marcus cocked an eyebrow. "I doubt she will run off with him."

"Even so, he is dangerous and would try to get through the walls. I will not compromise the city…or her."

"I …"

"I am simply protecting my future wife…is that good enough for you?"

"Ah, I see finally. Does she know this?"

"She will."

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Draco looked around; the amulet had become very warm, so warm it nearly burned his skin. Then there was a blast of great wind that nearly blew him back, but he got his bearings and looked on where it was coming from…he saw it, just before it disappeared again…the city…the city that held his Hessa. Draco smirked, now he knew…and now he would go back to his books, the old ones and figure out a way to the city. They may not voluntarily let him in…so he would find an alternative.

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Amazingly, Hessa was allowed out but only because her mother insisted on it. She would not allow her daughter to be locked up like cattle. Marius watched Hessa help her mother, she seemed to be happy, and he especially loved to watch her with the children. She only spoke three languages where as other Conks spoke many. He was sure in the wizarding world that was impressive but not by the City's standard and she would have to learn more about their laws. Yes, he had much work to do, but he would be gentle with her… Tomorrow though was for her, they were having a wrestling match and he was one of the participants…he was going to show her his physical prowess.

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She sat with her aunt and mother who had good seats thanks to Marius. The matches were fun but it came down to two and one was Marius, the other was another male Conk that she did not know, someone younger and fairly good-looking. Hessa was not a distraction for Marius, though he waved to her and flexed to be funny, but he was very focused and disciplined, 'that is the way he has always been,' her aunt explained proudly. It was a tight match but Marius won when he slammed the other opponent down on his back, knocking the wind out of him enough where he couldn't get back up.

She cheered for him but as she went down to greet him, she noticed a very peculiar thing…some of the prettier women were lining up in front of him and actually seemed to be offering themselves to him…? "Aunt…er…?"

"Oh, that silly tradition…the winner gets to choose his prize…well…you know, the ones that volunteer anyway…," her aunt seemed slightly annoyed with it. She was like her brother who believed in a little more discretion and apparently Hessa thought the same way.

Hessa looked down, Marius was looking at each of their faces as if he was looking at jewelry, appraising and smiling…this was mortifying. Adamina realized her mistake in not further explaining that she should go down there, wasn't Marius supposed to explain it to her already, he would pick her?…that this was just a formality, for show, Hessa started to tear when one of the girls grabbed his arm and practically threw herself at him. Marius looked up in amusement…but noticed that Hessa WAS NOT AMUSED. In fact, she had tears in her eyes…Cynthia also looked down in disapproval, he should have known better then to act like that in front of Hessa…or act like that at all.

Marius motioned for Hessa to come down, to take her place but she misunderstood and turned to leave when she heard a female's voice say, "Marius…really. You should have picked someone that understood our ways. After all, she can't even speak that many languages." It was Viktor's daughter, Rose. Some of her friends laughed with her and Marius saw Hessa stop and look slightly back, she couldn't have looked more in pain than if they had physically attacked her.

"BE QUIET, ROSE!" Marius roared. The girls gasped and got very silent. But it was too late, Hessa practically ran home while Cynthia looked at the others who had humiliated her daughter and scoffed, joining her sister-in-law.

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Marius immediately threw on his tunic and chased after Hessa…didn't Adamina explain everything? That she was supposed to come down and he would choose her…he wouldn't bother with the other girls, it was just a formality! He caught up with Cynthia and Adamina, "didn't you explain to her?"

"No, that was your job…I thought she understood, but I was wrong."

"You shouldn't have done it at all!" Cynthia snapped. "A horrible custom."

"My brother agreed with you, as do I…I don't even understand why we do it, it's so humiliating to the female…"

Marius lowered his eyes in annoyance, "it's just a celebration of physical prowess…"

"Whatever," Cynthia chided then stopped and crossed her arms. "Well…?"

"Please…let me go to her alone," Marius requested.

"Fine, we'll go to the market and take our time picking something for dinner."

"Thank you," he was gone in a shot.

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Hessa paced back and forth in her room with tears in her eyes, she was so humiliated. What made her think she could fit in here? One time she remembered meeting a little boy Conk who was only ten years old…and he spoke five languages, he thought it was funny that she only spoke three…thought it was down right hilarious in fact. Marius played it down…but she felt like the kid that should ride the short bus to school that day.

"I'll never fit it here," she said to herself. Hessa knew…they all starred at her because she was 'scarred', she was 'sexually inexperienced', and apparently now…'uneducated.' That's why her mother did so much to protect her, because she knew Hessa was behind and she blamed herself for it. She wondered if her mother was embarrassed by her…no, most likely not. But she had to embarrass Marius…why would he pick her? She thought this as she started to pack her things…she couldn't be here. Perhaps it was self-pity…but it would be better to go back to Draco. She knew that world, she knew her station.

Hessa continued to think and pack, she would leave a nice letter…

Hessa was thinking so much that she had not heard the door open and shut. She was thinking so much that she had not heard the heavy footsteps that stopped at her room…she was thinking so much; she did not notice that Marius was standing in her doorway looking absolutely livid. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Hessa jumped and nearly dropped the shirt that she had in her head, "you…you scared me." She bit her lower lip and put it in the bag, "I'm…I'm leaving. I don't belong here…"

"THE HELL YOU DON'T!" Marius marched up and started to dump all the clothes back out of the bag. He noticed that they were all her old clothes and he stared at them in contempt.

"What do you think you're doing!"

"You're staying here! What right do have leaving all of a sudden!"

"What right do you have telling me what to do? Why don't you go back to your female WHORES!" she glared at him…Marius wanted to smile…this was the first time she showed signs of jealousy towards him…it was a good sign to him. What a thing to think about in the middle of an argument. He frowned though when she insulted him further, "oh…wait…I forgot. It's a celebration of SEXUALITY! I feel like I haven't walked into a city, I feel like I've walked into a BROTHEL! Fine then. I'm not like them anyway," she started to re-stuff her bag. "I never will be…lucky me, I'm 'SCARRED'. Well forgive me for managing to keep my LEGS CLOSED! For having a bond…something they won't understand…or YOU. But I guess since you can't find your witches or wizards…SEX is the best you can do, it's the best way to have that feeling of the bond, isn't it?" tears were pouring down her face.

Marius tore the bag out of hand and this time he threw it in the fire…

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

"That's enough!" he shouted. "You are not leaving the city…for your mother's sake, for your aunt's and for MINE. You won't go back to that monster! Do you not remember how he killed your friends! How he killed Harry Potter! How you ran from him for days…to be bonded to someone like that…are you mad!"

"You're just jealous…," she wanted to hurt him like he had hurt her.

Marius came up on her then, his one arm clenched tightly against her waist, one hand squeezing the back of her neck painfully, she was fighting him, "and why should I be jealous? I believe that I am in the one here in front of you, I am the one that has you where I want you…" He laughed as Hessa tried to use her shields against him, "silly girl…your shields are just a bit weaker then mine…and I am tired of playing cat and mouse."

He smashed his mouth over hers and drug her to the bed, "Marius…please!" But he was tired of her telling him to stop, he wasn't going to this time…they both needed to be pleasured, her body needed it and so did his. It was one of the reasons why she was being so irrational and didn't know it. Marius hiked up her robes and removed her panties as he lowered his pants and forcefully plunged into her. Hessa screamed out…he was massive, and could hardly stand it. His breath wavered and he groaned, "too tight."

Marius was afraid he had hurt her, he was afraid that he had gone too far…. but soon she was embracing him, riding him, kissing him…loving him until she cried out in pleasure. Once she had finished, he rolled her on her back again and kissed her, and while still inside of her, plunged extremely deep. Hessa cried out and tears pricked her eyes, "MARIUS, STOP!"

He was not doing this to be cruel…he was measuring how much of him she could really take so that he could ensure pregnancy. He eased back and kissed her face, "I'm sorry…," he whispered.

"Why did you that?"

"My own reasons," he said. "I'm sorry about the arena. It was just a tradition…I wasn't going to go home with them. I thought it was explained to you to come down so that I could pick you…it was a misunderstanding. I should have communicated to you better…"

"We seem to have a lot of those," she said softly.

"It's because I keep forgetting that you are not from this world…I am not used to explaining everything or myself. I do things my way and I have never had anyone else to live for…and now I do," Marius relaxed when her face softened. "Did I hurt you?"

"A little…"

"You tested me…I know I scared you, but your body needed the release as did mine…do you feel better?"

"Actually, I do…," she blinked as if in amazement, Marius laughed. "You hate Draco, don't you?"

His face darkened, "he is a threat to what I want…and I HATE being inconvenienced."

He said it with such a look on his face that Hessa started to laugh, he cocked his eyebrow at her, "you're just funny, Marius…" Then she said with such an innocent face, "am I an inconvenience?"

"No," he smiled. "You are my treasure. And don't let what those others said weigh on your mind. They are ignorant and petty, troublemakers…"

"She liked you though," Hessa had this look of slight worry. "You think I don't know, Marius but I do. She's the one that Viktor wants you to marry…he doesn't like me and neither does she."

"Like I said, petty and troublemakers. He doesn't like me much either…though he claims he loves me like a son. I humor him in acknowledging such claims but I know how he thinks of me…because like you, I don't follow the rules…," he chuckled. Hessa nodded and smiled. Marius held her close…,"you will be kept a way from Draco at all costs, do you understand?"

"Yes…but Harry…."

"Harry didn't have a whole city to protect him…," Marius engulfed her in his embraced and stared into the fire…Draco Malfoy would not win this battle.