Chapter 3

A couple weeks had passed and Marie was beginning to feel like a caged animal. She would certainly go mad if she spent one more minute staring at the boring, dark walls. One morning she approached Severus while he was reading the Daily Prophet in the living room. "I want to go outside." She had more demanded than asked.

Without looking up from the paper he replied. "No."

"Why?"

"It's not safe. What do you not comprehend about this?"

"Then go with me."

Severus began to get annoyed. He peered at her from over the top of the paper, then tossed it onto the coffee table. "I'm not going to tell you again. We still don't have an all clear with Dumbledore. In fact, I very much doubt this will be resolved before the holidays."

Marie huffed impatiently and plopped into an armchair. "Then entertain me." She was starting to sound like a child. Merlin, maybe I should take her outside. I don't need to be raising a brat here.

"I thought you already went through your whiney teenage years." Marie shot him a dirty look. "We've been working on potions, isn't that enough?" he tried to reason with her. Marie shook her head.

"Amazingly I've grown bored with it. I'm used to coming and going as I please, like at the castle. You know this, sir." She explained. "I can't work on that without a break of some sort – I'm going mad!"

Severus folded his arms sternly. "And just where do you expect us to go without being noticed? Last I heard more people have been recruited to pick you up." I don't need this now, there's a meeting I must attend tonight. I've been ignoring it for too long.

"Even if it's just for half an hour, I don't care where it is. I haven't seen any nature in ages. Like, y'know a lake or something? I doubt anyone would look for us in a place like that." Marie continued to plead.

He rolled his eyes, but she did have a point. Against his better judgment he agreed to a little time out of the house. Severus mulled over their choices, then knew exactly where they should go. Marie became excited and ran upstairs to pack a bag. "We can't stay long!" he yelled after her. Maybe it'll be alright. If we go to a different country, I would feel better. Severus began to prepare a Portkey and finished by the time Marie returned with her knapsack.

"You'll be in a better mood too once we get there." She teased as they grabbed the key.

The Portkey brought them to a large lake in the middle of a long valley. Marie brushed off the sick feeling from traveling and took a look around. Her mouth opened slightly as she moved in a circle, taking in the magnificent view. In the distance she could see the remnants of an old round tower and what was most likely a church at some point in history. Clouds had finished gathering above them and a light rain began to fall. Severus waved his hand and the water fell to the ground around them, forming an invisible shield and keeping them both dry.

"Where are we?" Marie kept turning in circles, her eyes darting from the mountains, the flowers, the water and the old ruins. There was no one in sight for miles. "I've never seen so much green before."

"A very ancient place," Severus began, walking towards the edge of the lake and picking up a stone. He rolled it around in one hand, studying it. "My mother used to bring me here, to Ireland, whenever we needed to get away from my father." Marie turned to face him but he continued staring down at the rock. Severus cursed himself for letting old memories get the better of him. The past few months had broken him down more so than usual and it was becoming increasingly difficult to pick the pieces back up each time.

"Why did you need to get away from him?" She quietly asked, already sure of the answer. She noticed him tense up before he threw the stone. It skipped a good distance across the water before sinking. He stood in silence and she accepted that she would probably never receive the full answer. After a moment she too approached the edge of the water so that they were side by side.

"We can't stay long." Severus broke the silence. He glanced down at Marie and noticed a tear rolling down her cheek. "What is it now?"

She shook her head slowly. "I've just never seen anything so beautiful before. It's stupid…" She could feel her throat tighten up. "This place reminds me of Hogwarts, but it has its own uniqueness to it. I would love to travel more in the future." Marie became quiet again.

The future. That's something that they were both unsure about. Marie wiped her face with her sleeve and swung her bag from her shoulder. Reaching inside, she pulled out a small camera. "I bought this not too long ago," she put the bag on the ground and began fiddling with the device. "They finally made a small enough model for us magic folk." She held it up to one eye to test the view finder.

Severus backed away slightly, not wanting to obstruct her view. "Can I take one of you?" she looked at him, hopeful. He cringed on the inside. Severus had not had his photograph taken since he was in school himself. "I'll break it."

Marie nearly snorted. "Oh, stop," she backed up until both Severus and the lake were in perfect view. He felt out of place but if this simple photograph made her happy, then he had to comply. "I don't suppose you're the smiling type." She continued to get the picture in focus. He forced himself to give a sly smirk. "Good enough." There was a small flash and a puff of smoke.

Severus dreaded what the photograph would look like later on. "I think it's time to return." He reminded her. Marie made a face and put the camera back in the bag. She took one last look around while Severus prepared the Portkey. I'll be back one day.

When they returned home they were shocked at what they found. The living room had been torn apart and a note was left on the table. 'I know she was here', was all it said. Marie dropped her bag and ran upstairs; to her relief none of her things had been touched. Whoever it was wasn't smart enough to check every room. "Professor, why is it my room was left alone?" she asked, dashing back downstairs.

Severus still had the note in his hand. "You think we would add on a room and not protect it? It's only accessible to you, myself, and Dumbledore if need be. If you were anyone else, you would not even see the door in the hall." He explained. Thank Merlin we thought of that. But who was this?

Marie walked around the living room slowly, trying to pick up the pieces of paper torn from various books. Placing one of them back on a shelf, she noticed a hair strand sticking out from a page. "Blonde…" she whispered. Severus turned around to see her holding the strand between two fingers.

"It's not long enough to be Lucius's though," he noted. "They sent Draco."

"That explains why he didn't sense the room. I bet if Voldemort himself came, or even Lucius, it wouldn't have worked." Marie became upset again. She only wanted to get out of the house because it felt like a prison, and it may have saved her life. "Thank you for taking me today." She set the book back down. "I had fun while it lasted…" she walked away and disappeared upstairs.

Severus fell onto the couch and sighed heavily. What made them check here? Or is it just to scare me? That may be it, considering I've ignored the Mark. But tonight I have to go. I just hope she is okay by herself for a few hours. I should tell Dumbledore to send an Order member at the very least.

"Why do you have to leave?" Marie followed close behind Severus, almost knocking him over every time he changed directions. "Why can't I go too? Where are you going?"

"Stop!" he yelled at her. "Look, I can't tell you. All I can tell you though is that an Order member will be here soon to watch you until I get back." Marie still didn't look any more relieved.

"I only feel safe with you." She admitted quietly. "How do I trust someone I haven't met before?"

"That's because I'm the only human you've seen in weeks. I'm sure whoever Dumbledore sends is just as qualified as I am." Severus reassured her. "I have to go."

Marie watched as he stepped into the living room fireplace and vanish in a layer of Floo Powder smoke. Soon after the fireplace began shaking and out of it came Nymphradora Tonks. Marie studied the thin woman, especially vibrant pink hair color and edgy clothing pieces. "Are… are you from the Order?" she asked carefully. She did not know what to expect in terms of appearance.

"Yeah, that's me. I'm Tonks." She extended a hand to Marie and smiled. "It's so awesome to meet someone like you!"

"Well, I don't feel very special right now."

"Don't worry about it. Everyone is working to make sure nothing bad happens. I don't know what's worse though – people after you, or you having to live with Snape!" Tonks joked, now sitting down. Marie took a seat as well.

"Actually, it hasn't been that bad. I got him to take me to a lovely scenic place today."

Tonks's jaw almost hit the floor. "Did ya have to curse him or somethin'? Wow… maybe he's chillin' out in his old age." The woman shook her head and giggled with Marie.

I didn't think it was like him at all to give in so easily. But then again it's probably out of pity. He probably hasn't changed at all.

Severus cautiously entered the Little Hangleton graveyard where Voldemort and the Death Eaters were waiting for him. This graveyard housed the final resting place of the Dark Lord's family and also had become the center of many a meeting. It had been awhile since Severus's presence was requested, no, demanded. He had skipped out on too many meetings. He hoped his cover wasn't completely ruined.

"Ah, Severus, how wonderful to see you again." Voldemort beckoned for him to move closer. "I was beginning to think you abandoned me."

"Never my Lord." He gave a slight bow out of respect.

"LIAR!" he screamed, his face contorting in a horrific manner. "We know you had the girl in your home!" his eyes pierced Severus's.

Severus shook his head. "Whoever gave you this information has their facts all wrong," he began coolly. "When Dumbledore and the boy escaped from the castle that night, they had Marie with them. I was unaware of this until that old nut decided to use my home as a safe house without my knowledge. Yes, the Half Blood was within reach, but there were too many Order members around to just snatch her. It would have been a suicide mission, and I believe I have a lot left to offer you." Severus had become a pretty good liar and manipulator in his years of service.

Voldemort let this story sink in for a bit. He then slowly began circling Severus, searching for any sign of fear, weakness or dishonesty. "Fine." He snapped. "It doesn't matter anyway for I had made good use of some of your Polyjuice Potion earlier. The girl is being guarded right now, but what she doesn't know is that her protector is also her predator." He laughed darkly.

Severus' heart sank but he kept his composure. "What do you mean my Lord? Where is she right now?"

"It seems Dumbledore knows exactly when you vacate your house. Fool. By now I'm sure Draco has finished what we sought to start." Voldemort again continued to laugh.

"He's doing it of his own will? I thought he cared for the girl and refused to participate?" Severus had tried to remain hopeful but his first instincts seemed to be correct.

Voldemort's laughter became darker. "Ah yes, that was a bit of a problem I'm afraid. It was nothing a little Imperius Curse couldn't fix." He seemed rather proud of his work. "You will continue to house her; it actually worked out to be quite convenient." By this point Severus had broken into a cold sweat. "I'm done with you. But if you hurry on home, I'm sure you could have a turn, just as long as the seed is from him." He then disappeared.

"Hey Marie, can I ask you a question?" Tonks stood up and sat next to her on the couch.

"Um, sure I guess so." Wow, this lady talks a lot.

Tonks moved even closer to her, now grabbing her wrist with surprising force. "What… what are you doing?" Marie's heart sped up. The other woman didn't say anything – she didn't need to. The Polyjuice Potion began to wear off and her skin started to bubble. "Oh no…" Marie tried to get away, but the assailant threw her to the floor.

"When did you become so gullible?" Draco laughed, now crawling over her. He pinned her arms to the ground above her head by magic.

"Draco, please don't do this!" she cried. "Don't you remember when we used to be friends?!" he ignored her and started to pull down her jeans. "Please, this isn't the person I grew up with!" She could see that his eyes were different somehow, as if they were glazed over and empty. Is he cursed or is this really him?! "You're under a spell, please snap out of it! Please! Draco, wake up!" She desperately continued to scream.

Draco smacked her across the face. "Shut up!" she continued crying and looked away. She felt him claw at her panties. When her sex was revealed she blushed violently in shame.

He slowly inserted a finger into her, and soon was met with resistance. "Well now… still a virgin are we? That means this child will definitely be mine." Draco continued probing in order to make her wet.

"Please stop…" she whispered. "It hurts…"

He only inserted another, and another, until there were four inside her. "Your mouth says no, but this definitely says yes. Can't you feel how wet you are?" he chuckled darkly. "I think you're ready now – I know I am." He unzipped his trousers and released his now hard member. She refused to look at anything but the ceiling, bracing herself for what was next.

Marie tried to imagine that she was far away from here. Anywhere else would be better than this. She thought back to her first night in the house, when she held Severus's hand. It had been scary at first, but then it became a comforting thought. She held onto that memory as Draco entered her.

"This may be the best assignment I've had so far," he moaned between thrusts. "Not only am I fucking a virgin, but the heiress of Slytherin? Oh it's wonderful…" Marie bit her bottom lip, not wanting to cry anymore. She wasn't going to give him that satisfaction, curse or no curse.

Draco picked up his speed and became more demanding. "Call me your Master!" No answer. "I said call me your Master!" he struck her again. Marie cried out in pain, her face throbbing.

"You're… my Master…" she whispered and closed her eyes. Why did you have to leave Severus? I don't understand…

Draco's moans became louder and closer in time. "Oh yes, I'm going to cum inside of you and make that heir…" Marie sobbed harder. This was now her life until they decided to either kill her, or died of injuries. "That's it… yes… I'm going to…" before he could finish he was pushed over the edge into an orgasm, spilling himself inside of Marie. He held himself steady and did not stand until his breathing stabilized.

"By the way," he began. "I won't tell them you've been here for weeks. I'm sure he wants a turn too. But these children will be mine." And with that he left her crying, whimpering and curled in a ball. Marie couldn't process what just happened. She used what was left of her strength to pull a nearby blanket from off of the couch and draped it across her lower half.

Marie's cries trailed off into silence after some time. She heard the familiar popping sound from the fire place followed by footsteps. "Marie?!" Severus found her in a shaking mess behind the couch. "No…" he collapsed by her side cradled her in her arms. He lightly brushed the hair out of her face to reveal bruises on her cheeks and sides of her skull. "Marie, I'm so sorry. I wasn't here!" he yelled, nearly on the verge of tears himself.

"I thought of you," she said weakly, opening her eyes to look up at him. Severus was confused. "I woke up the first night I was here… you held my hand through the nightmares… You're not like them…" Severus didn't care that he had been caught; he cared about making sure biological processes were stopped. Immediately. "At least that's what I thought."

That grabbed his attention. "Marie? What do you mean?"

"You want this too don't you?!" she started to yell. "You went on and on about it the first night I was here! Just fucking go ahead! I don't care anymore!" she tried to sit up and hit him but he dodged her blows. Severus held her more tightly until she stopped swinging her arms and relaxed.

"Marie you don't have time for this. I have a potion that will inhibit conception. I'm going to go fetch it now, alright?" he did not even wait for her consent. Giving in now is just an invitation for them to return.

She cried into his chest and nodded. "I will be right back." He gently laid her back down and rushed to find the vial. He returned quickly and held up her head. "Drink." Severus guided the bottle to her lips and made sure all of it was ingested. "I can't let you lie here like this anymore, we need to clean you up."

"Don't touch me!" she spat, still traumatized. Marie fumbled to pull her panties and jeans on underneath the blanket. She motioned that she needed assistance to stand. Severus helped her up the stairs and to the bathroom where he started to run the tub.

"Will you be able to get in yourself?" he asked, testing the temperature of the water.

Marie shuffled from her bed to the bathroom doorway. "Why am I so dizzy?" she tripped and caught herself on the sink. "I feel like I'm going to vomit."

"It's a side effect of the potion." Severus explained. "It is still guaranteed to work even if you do."

"I don't think I can keep myself up and undress at the same time…" she began to remove her shirt with one hand while clutching the sink with the other. Her head was pounding and she could see multiple copies of herself in the mirror.

"Do you want me to help you?" Severus asked uneasily. He wanted her consent after her experience, but he could see how dangerous her balance was. He did not want her to injure herself even further. Marie nodded and more tears fell. She felt humiliated and helpless. Severus moved slowly as to not startle her. "I'm going to pull your sweater up until it's around your neck. You should be able to remove it from there." He narrated his steps for her. Marie shivered slightly at his cold touch and the room spun faster.

Severus pulled the back of her sweater up and over her head, revealing her backside to him. He saw more fresh bruises from her being thrown onto the hard wood floor. "I'm only going to unhook this, no further than that." His hands hovered above the clasps of her bra, waiting for any signal from Marie to stop. She nodded again and he undid the three hooks. Severus took a step back and remained in the doorway.

"Will you be able to do the rest yourself?" Marie stood up straight and looked at him through the mirror. Her vision was becoming clear once more and the nausea was slowly passing.

"Yes, thank you." Her voice was fragile. Severus closed the bathroom door behind him and left her to bathe in private. The image of her beaten and swollen skin kept intruding on his thoughts. He blamed himself for the attack. Severus sat in the armchair in her bedroom. He held his face in his hands, cursing himself for ever leaving her side. Draco knows she's here, and once they ask me if she's pregnant or not, they'll keep coming back. This will continue until Voldemort is defeated. What am I supposed to do? Just let Lucius and Draco in whenever they please?

Marie's insides felt like they were on fire. Whatever this potion was, it was extremely potent. Marie clutched her stomach in between washing herself. The cuts Draco left inside of her stung. Marie watched drops of blood dilute into the bath water. He was my best friend… And I thought for sure that day he was finally going to ask me out…

Marie sat in the library with her piles of homework when Draco knocked all of her books and papers to the ground. "Is this supposed to be funny?" she tried to play it off. "What's your deal Draco?" He grabbed her by her robes and pulled her into an outside hallway.

"You're fucking disgusting!" he screamed in her face. Marie stared at him blankly. She had never seen him so angry before.

"What did I do?" her voice broke. Just yesterday they were getting along fine. He had taken her on a romantic walk through Hogsmeade and treated her to dinner. Neither of them made a move but she could have sworn he wanted to.

Draco pushed her against the wall. "You've been lying to me for nearly seven years," he growled. "You're nothing more than a nasty Half Breed!" He mostly hated himself for falling for her. His parents would never allow him to be with someone like her. Marie's heart sank.

"I… I didn't want to tell you because we were getting along so well… I'm sorry…" she cried, falling to the floor. "You're my best friend here, Draco!"

"Don't ever speak to me again! Don't even look at me!" he spat on the wall just missing her face. He stormed away and Marie continued crying, never having another conversation with him again.

Marie wiped away the oncoming tears and started to drain the bath water. After soaking for a good while the nausea had subsided completely. Standing and wrapping herself in a towel, she studied her face in the mirror. A faint hand print was visible. Draco… She touched it lightly – it still burned. Marie stepped into her bedroom for new clothes and found Severus in the corner still sitting. She blushed furiously.

Severus's hands flew over his eyes. "I thought you had clothes. I just wanted to make sure you were alright before I left." Marie glared at him as she made her way to her trunk.

"No thanks to you," she muttered coldly under her breath, picking out fresh night clothes. Severus heard her comment and immediately felt guilty again. I'm sorry… She went back into the bathroom to change and reappeared shortly, dressed for bed. Marie didn't feel like being around anyone now. She threw the covers over her head, hoping he would leave.

Severus understood the hint fully and rose from his chair. "If you do need me though, come find me. I promise I'll be around this time," he blew out of the candles and partly closed the door. "Sleep well."