Three Marks of Power

A/N: I have been working on this story for forever it seems. It's my first, so please be gentle with me! I have no beta, so any mistakes are mine alone.

Chapter 1


Snape entered the basement kitchen of Headquarters silently and quickly sat in an empty chair next to Arthur Weasley, who tipped his head to him while wordlessly sliding a bottle of Ogden’s and a glass towards the spy. Waving off Molly, who was always flittering about making sure there was enough food and drink to feed a large army, he took note of the others in the room as he sipped his whiskey.

Most of the core members of the Order were already present with the exception of Albus, Minerva and the Granger chit. Albus should be arriving shortly and Minerva was at Hogwarts keeping an eye on some of the Muggle-born students that had lost their families due to the war that had been becoming more bloody by the day. The ones at Hogwarts had stayed over the summer simply because they had no where else to go while others were staying with wizarding friends and relatives.

Before his thoughts took a further dive into melancholy, the door opened again to admit his longtime friend and now fellow spy. Lucius Malfoy surveyed the gloomy underground room with the distain of a king looking upon a hovel. Pulling out the chair next to Severus, Lucius took his seat and drawled, “And just where is our esteemed leader?”

Snape shrugged his reply as he thought about Lucius and his son’s defection to the Light. The Dark Lord had made the grave error almost two years ago of thinking that the Malfoy men’s loyalty to him was greater than their love for Narcissa when he had allowed Cissy to be torn apart by Greyback after she had insulted the werewolf in front of the Dark Lord and his Inner Circle. When Lucius and Draco had returned from a mission in Italy to find Cissy dead, they had been devastated, especially since they had been told that they would not be allowed retribution against Greyback for the deed. The comment by the twisted despot that the life of Narcissa was a small price to pay for the loyalty of the pack that Greyback led had driven father and son to Hogwarts a week later under the disguise of discussing Draco’s marks where both Lucius and Draco had sworn their allegiance via Unbreakable Vows to the Order.

There had been much resistance from the rest of the Order naturally, but most of it had died down after it became known what had happened to Narcissa Malfoy. Finally there had been only Black and Potter arguing against bringing the Malfoy’s into the Order. Surprisingly, one of the first to welcome the father and son had been Granger, and when Black and Potter had made a scene when the Malfoy’s had attended the next meeting, Granger had quickly shut them both up while at the same time making her opinion of Blacks’ juvenile behavior and Potters’ tendency to deny the evidence right before his eyes and blindly following everything his godfather said quite clear. It had in fact led Snape to believe that Black had done or said something unforgivable and that Potter had taken his side as usual.

He had noticed of course, everyone had, that there seemed to be a fracture in the friendship of the Golden Trio for the last six months or so. Granger was no longer speaking to the other two and sat as far away as possible from them. It had amused Snape at the time, he had really no idea why such an intelligent girl (not that he would ever admit that aloud) had even become friends with the two knuckle draggers in the first place. True, she had been annoying as hell when she was younger with her need to answer every question with the accompanying perpetual hand waving, but she had calmed down considerably since the death of her parents in a car accident a month before Narcissa’s death.

It had been surprising to find, when Minerva and Albus had helped her to retrieve certain papers from her parents house afterwards, that her father had been adopted and when Albus had checked into it, that Michael Granger had in fact been a wizard which made Granger a half-blood. A squib born to an old pureblood family and put up for adoption as was the custom at the time. But it had been downright shocking to find that Granger was related by blood to none other than the Marcellus’, one of the most legendary and well known families in the wizarding world. Fabulously rich and magically powerful, they made the Malfoy’s look like paupers in comparison. Severs knew for a fact that the Dark Lord had sent emissary’s to the Marcellus family, trying to get them to join his ranks. The snake-like tyrant had been livid when his messengers had been sent back in pieces with the added insult of being piled into muggle plastic garbage bags. The message had been crystal clear that the Marcellus’ would never join him. The Dark Lord had ranted for days, but even he saw the wisdom of staying clear from the wrath of that family.

Voldyshorts may think himself the most powerful wizard in the world, but even he had to admit that any further action would be unwise at that time. He had enough to deal with planning his take-over of the British wizarding world without aggravating a family of powerful wizards in America very well known for their temper and a mean streak 3 dragon-lengths wide.

Severus and Lucius actually knew two of the Marcellus brothers when they had attended Hogwarts for a year; they had been placed in Slytherin during Lucius’s final year and Severus’s fourth year. Bobby and Jake Marcellus had been good friends with the skinny outcast and the blonde Prince of Slytherin. Both had had wicked senses of humor and even more wicked tempers. There had been another brother with them who had been placed in Gryffindor with the Marauders, but his name escaped Severus for the moment. Bobby, Jake, Severus and Lucius had had a lot of fun that year as the two brothers made it their mission to get the snobbish Lucius to loosen up a little by taking him to Muggle nightclubs, which Lucius had enjoyed, even if he would never admit it. Bobby and Jake had returned to America after term ended and the four of them had naturally drifted apart, but Severus still got the occasional letter and small gift at Christmas from the two.

Granger had started a correspondence with her relatives, which included her five uncles, who had been thrilled to hear from her. Albus had confided to Snape that they had had no idea until the death of their parents that they had another brother, Michael having been born after they had all been in school, and that they had been searching for him for years. They had been saddened to find out that their brother was dead, but ecstatic that they had another niece to dote on, females being a rarity in that family. Granger had gone to visit at the end of the term.

It was a pity that she had not seen fit to take the two dunderheads with her, but then he was not at Headquarters that much this summer, having more important duties to perform. Snape’s face formed its habitual scowl as he thought of the problem he had been presented with a day after term had ended.

The Dark Lord had summoned Snape as well as both Malfoy’s to inform them that there had been another prophecy made. The seer who had made it was a ‘special guest’ of the Dark Lord since he had regained his corporeal form three years before. Severus suppressed the shudder that went through him as he thought of the poor woman who was repeatedly forced to perform disgusting sexual acts on Voldemort, both in public and in private. Indeed, while informing them of the new prophecy, the Dark Lord had been raping the woman anally as he told them over her screams of agony that he decided that the prophecy was referring to the three of them.

Without telling them the exact wording of the prophecy, he stated that it said the Head of the Snake and the two dragons would mate with three marked with power and bring forth a new era. He took this to mean that Severus, Lucius and Draco were to marry three women having a marking on their person that would translate to the word power. They would then father children from these women that would turn the war in his favor.

He had then set them to finding these three women with the order that they were to impregnate them as soon as possible whether they were willing or not. He had also informed them that he would be looking for these three as well. He had then quite calmly finished raping the by now silently crying woman and proceeded to make her lick his snake-like cock clean of her own blood and his foul smelling ejaculate. Severus had barely managed not to loose his lunch before apparating, but only just.

Snapping out of his thoughts as Lucius asked him about the relationship between Granger and his son, Severus merely replied, “I know that they have become friendly since you joined the Order, but other than that, I have no idea.” Which was a lie, Severus had a very good idea what was going on between the newly discovered half-blood and the Malfoy heir, but it was not his place to inform the father about it. Severus had faith that if it was serious, Draco would inform his father himself.

Just then, the door opened once again and Draco entered the kitchen hurrying over to his father and godfather. The boy had grown into a fine looking man since his graduation, the spitting image of his father at the same age. Right now, his face was split into a goofy grin as Lucius hissed, “Where have you been, we arrived ten minutes ago.”

“Grangers back. I met her and her cousin Alexandria in the hall.” He said without loosing the dopey look on his face. When the two men looked questioningly at him, his grin widened until Severus swore every one of his teeth was showing, “Just wait till you get a look at her.”

“Who, Granger?” Severus asked. While the girl had indeed become quite a pretty young woman, he doubted that her looks had changed much over the last two months.

Draco shook his head and said, “No, Alexandria. Just wait.” He turned expectantly towards the door, then turned back and said with a hint of laughter, “Do try to keep your tongues in your mouths. It would be embarrassing if my father and godfather literally drool at the table.”

Snape narrowed his black eyes and Lucius huffed in annoyance, but before they could say anything the door swung open and Albus swept into the room with two women in tow. One, Snape immediately recognized as Granger who was greeting the youngest Weasley female with squeals of joy. When Snape’s eyes flicked to the other woman, his jaw literally dropped.

He didn’t think he had ever seen a more beautiful woman that was not at least part Veela. Dark honey blonde hair fell to her trim waist in waves as the blue robes she wore outlined full breasts and lusciously rounded hips. Her face was a pale oval with eyebrows a shade darker than her hair and eyes so grey that they appeared silver. She had high cheekbones and full kissable blood-red lips that immediately made Severus think rather lewd thoughts about what those lips would look like stretched over his cock.

He shifted in his chair as his member hardened and throbbed. Thank the Gods that he was already sitting down so he would not embarrass himself in front of the others. Taking a look around the table though, Severus thought he probably wasn’t the only one in that predicament. Black was drooling like the dog he was while beside him, Lupin still hadn’t closed his mouth. The two idiots known as Potter and Weasley looked as though they had simultaneously came in their trousers and even Arthur looked dazed…but then again, that was his normal expression. The women in the room though, looked through narrowed eyes at the beauty and moved closer to their men seemingly thinking that she was going to throw herself across the table at them.

Draco nearly fell over in his haste to offer her a seat next to him, but she declined and sat next to Granger and opposite Snape. When Draco pouted slightly, she gave him a wink and a grin that made most of the men in the room, Severus and his own father among them, to glare at the young man with something akin to jealousy. A squad of cheerleaders, which seemed to have taken up residence in Snape’s head, and were calling for the immediate hexing of his godson.

Her eyes met his and he saw something flash through them for a moment before she looked away. Severus sat back in his chair and watched her through narrowed eyes as he traced his mouth with a finger and contemplated the emotion he had seen in those silvery eyes. Before he could define what he had thought he saw, Albus cleared his throat and called the meeting to order.

Albus stood at the head of the long table that had been expanded to suit everyone. With his eyes twinkling enough to blind anyone that looked directly into them he began to speak, “Everyone, as you can see Miss Granger has returned from visiting her relations in America. What most of you probably don’t know is that I have long been friends with Jackson Marcellus and I am happy to announce that the entire Marcellus family has decided to join us in the fight against Voldemort.”

He paused as those that were aware of the reputation of the Marcellus’ and what it meant for some of them let alone all, to join the Order gasped and applauded as they filled those that didn’t know about that family in on why it was such good news. As the clapping and cheering died down, Albus spoke once more, “Joining us now is none other than my goddaughter Alexandria, who prefers to go by the name Alex. She will be arranging for the family estates to be opened to accommodate the rest of her uncles, brothers and cousins who shall be arriving within a month or so.” He smiled at the woman across from Severus. She smiled somewhat tightly back.

With a more grave expression, Albus announced, “There is some bad news I am afraid. My friends on the Wizengamot have informed me that the bill commonly referred to as the Marriage and Procreation Act passed in a late night session last night and will announced in two days.” Now gasps and cries of ‘No’s and ‘How could they’s’ rang around the room. Severus felt the blood drain out of his head in shock for a moment before his scowl deepened and his fists clenched. It was bad enough that he was going to be forced by the Dark Lord to marry and impregnate some poor unsuspecting woman, more than likely against her will, but now the Ministry was going to do the same.

Fuck. And that didn’t quite cover it.

Seeing Alex’s puzzled expression, Albus explained calmly, “You see Alex, St. Mungo’s has issued a report that has stated that due to intermarriage between purebloods, the rates of still-births and squib-births are alarmingly high. While I would have to agree with that assessment, the Ministry has decided to take a rather drastic action. They have decided to draft a law that not only disallows marriage between purebloods, but states that a pureblood may petition for the right to marry any half-blood or muggleborn they see fit and the ones that receive the petitions have thirty days to accept one or face Azkaban. This in effect—.”

“You mean to tell me that with Voldemort out there,” Alex interrupted Albus with a horrified expression on her face as she ignored the ripple of gasps around the room as she used the name of the Dark Lord, “the Ministry is going to force muggleborns and halfbloods to marry someone that might very well be a Death Eater?”

“Well…yes.” Albus finished uncomfortably, “You see, Fudge will not accept that Tom has returned you see. He thinks that I am merely after his job. This report gives him the perfect opportunity to act as if he is a competent Minister as well as take attention away from anything I may say about the return of Tom Riddle.”

Alex gaped at Albus for a moment before putting her head in her hands as she said to herself quietly, “Castration is too good for that fucking bastard.”

Severus was quite sure that she had not meant for anyone to hear her, but he replied with venom, “Indeed.”

Her silver eyes narrowed into slits as she hissed at Albus, “Did Dad know about this before he sent me here?”

The Headmaster looked very uncomfortable and pretended not to hear her question earning him a lethal glare.

As his goddaughter muttered rude suggestions about what to do to the Minister of Magic, her father and Albus that sounded what promised to be very painful, if not downright physically impossible even with the use of magic, Albus resumed the general discussion, “So, what this means is that while most of the Order will not be affected, there are those that will be. As I understand it, most of the Weasley boy’s are already planning on getting married or are already married so that will not be a problem. Now we have to decide what to do for those of us that will fall under this laws reach. As I understand it, Molly and Arthur have already submitted a petition for Harry on behalf of their daughter Ginerva.” He turned to the two in question as the younger members blushed and held hands. “As soon as Harry reaches the age of majority, they will be married and Ginerva will finish her last year at Hogwarts. Remus and Nymphadora have decided to marry tonight before the law takes effect.” Lupin gazed adoringly at Tonks whose hair turned red to match her own blush. “That leaves only Ronald and Hermione since we have already heard of the prophecy regarding Draco, Severus and Lucius.”

He turned to Alex and said, “As Hermione is your cousin and without a father right now, Jackson would be the one to help with the petitions I presume?”

Alex’s head came up with a snap as her face flushed with color slightly. For some inexplicable reason, her eyes darted to Draco before saying hesitantly, “Umm...actually Dad is not the Patriarch. My Great Uncle Edverard is, but…umm.” She looked one step away from squirming in her chair like a first year when Draco took a deep and bracing breath and stood up.

“What she means to say is that Hermione will be marrying me.” Draco faced his father with a challenging look in his eyes even as he spoke to the room, “We have been seeing each other for a few months now and I was planning on proposing after graduation anyway.”

“Oh she bloody well will not be marrying anyone but me Ferret-face!” exploded the ginger part of the trio as he jumped up with his face red and his hands clenched into fists.

Before anyone could react to this, Granger stood up with her hands on her hips and said so fiercely Snape was surprised Weasley didn’t cower behind his mother, “Shut up and sit down! I am marrying Draco and that is final Ronald!”

Weasley tried to bluster his way through the argument by saying with a definite whine in his voice, “How can you pick him over me ‘Mione? I know I made mistakes but so have you and you know that you were always meant to be mine.”

“Are you insane Ron? Anything between us ended the minute I found you with your bare arse in the air shagging Lavender in the Astronomy Tower!” Granger spat angrily.

Weasley’s face suffused with color again as his gaze slid towards his mother who was looking shocked that her son should actually engage in what most teenagers seemed to do. “I wouldn’t have given her the time of day if you weren’t being such a frigid bitch!”

At this, Draco, Granger and Ginerva all snarled as they pulled out their wands. Molly tried to calm the situation by stepping in front of the boy and saying desperately. “Now Hermione, Ron loves you, you know that. I’m sure that whatever happened was simply a misunderstanding.”

Granger snorted and said heatedly, “What was there to misunderstand? I caught them with no clothes on and shagging like kneazles in heat! It was no misunderstanding!”

“It’s true Mum.” Ginerva piped up, “He’d been seeing Lavender on the side for weeks before Hermione caught them.”

Rounding on her son who was so clearly in the wrong, Molly cried flabbergasted, “Ronald! How could you?”

Weasley’s chin set in a stubborn angle as he spat, “She was ignoring me! So what if I spent some time with someone who wanted to be with me—she obviously didn’t!”

At this statement, even Potter interjected with a roar, “Her parents had just died you prat!”

Molly’s face turned red enough to match her hair as she grabbed Weasley by the ear and dragged him out of the room shouting at the top of her lungs about honor, fidelity and proper behavior.

Now that that seemed to be settled, Draco turned defiant eyes to his father who had not said a word. Snape glanced at Alex and saw that she was gazing through narrowed silver eyes at Lucius as if daring him to refuse his son’s choice of bride. Snape knew exactly what his old friend was thinking in that blonde head of his. On the one hand, he had always planned for his only son and heir to marry a pureblood girl in order to keep the line pure. On the other hand, Granger was a half-blood but she was related to none other than the Marcellus’, which would be quite a coup for the Malfoy’s to be related to through marriage.

Finally, Lucius nodded his head and said quietly but with deep emotion, “I will help you with the petition at any time you choose to submit one.”

Draco and Granger both released the breath they had been holding as Lucius came to his decision and smiled sappily at each other while Alex regarded Lucius with a smirk as if she knew exactly what he had been thinking. Her silver eyes met his again as that same emotion flashed through them and Snape finally put his finger on what it was that he was seeing.

It was desire.

A slow grin that would have surely scared the students of Hogwarts past and present into thinking that the apocalypse was near began to unfurl on the face of the Potions Master. He wanted to laugh out loud but thought better of it as he considered that it might cause most of the people sitting at the table to fall to the floor in shock. He wanted to leap across the table and claim her in the most basic and animalistic way possible for all to see and witness as he marked her as his.

It took him a long moment to calm himself as Albus prattled on oblivious to the storm of emotion that was engulfing his spy. His fists clenched until the knuckles showed white as he forcibly reminded himself that she was not his and he was in no position to claim her, not when he was going to be forced to marry whatever woman that the thrice damned prophecy was talking about.

As the meeting broke up, Albus gave Severus and Lucius a swift nod to signal them to join him in the library for a private word. Severus turned back to Lucius who was questioning Draco and his new fiancé about wedding plans while Alex looked on when the sound of a throat clearing made them all turn to Potter.

Red blood infused his face as he muttered loudly and condescendingly Severus thought, “Mione, I just want you to know that I don’t blame you for the break-up with Ron and I am willing to be friends with you again when you admit that you lied about Sirius.”

Now it was time for Grangers eyes to narrow as she said with a hiss that was so remarkably like the Dark Lord’s to cause the three other men to shiver, “Oh you do, do you?” She turned to face Potter fully as she spat with venom, “In that case Harry, don’t hold your breath waiting for it to happen! You would die of suffocation before I apologize for telling you what he tried to do, and if you don’t like the truth then I am far better off without your friendship!”

The blush of embarrassment turned to the puce of anger, but before he could say anything scathing back at her, Severus heard Black roar, “You lying little slut!” as he advanced upon the girl. Before Severus or Lucius could step forward, Black found himself on the wrong end of a wand pointed steadily right between the eyes.

“Don’t. Even. Think. About it” snarled Alex. Powerful magic swirled around her like a strong breeze gaining momentum into a small gale as she went on to say with icy venom, “I will cut off your balls and feed them to you right here and now.”

When Black had the audacity to look towards the door as if hoping Dumbledore would come back in and make his goddaughter back down, she smirked evilly as she said in a slightly amused tone, “Aww…what’s the matter Black? Don’t know how to handle a woman instead of a young girl?” All trace of laughter left as she said coldly, “Albus won’t be able to protect you from me if you even think about approaching my cousin again, or any other girl for that matter because he does-not-scare-me. Neither does he control me as he very well knows. If I so much as see you alone in the same room with Hermione, I will take great delight in making you absolutely useless to any woman ever again…do I make myself clear you pathetic excuse for a man? As a matter of fact…” She grinned wickedly as she cast a non-verbal hex at Black that made him temporarily glow blue.”

She nodded with satisfaction as the glow faded over the stunned Animagus and said, “There. Now we can at least be sure that you won’t be able to do any damage to any other young girl.” She narrowed her eyes and informed the room, “You will be able to feel arousal, but the moment you try to do anything about it—even with yourself,” she smirked, “You will feel nothing but a very intense pain that will last for hours, so I would recommend that you keep your thoughts out of the gutter and your filthy, child molesting hands to yourself!”

Lucius and Severus both snickered at what she had done. It was a hex that dated back since before the Founders and considered very dark. Mostly because men, who made up a majority of the wizarding worlds government, feared it being cast by vengeful wives and lovers.

“You can’t do that to my--.” Potter spluttered before Remus, who had been watching the whole scene unfold from his seat at the table, laid his hand on Harry’s shoulder and silenced him.

Alex, not one to make her feelings unclear in any situation merely told Potter in a flat voice laced with a razor sharp edge, “Shut up boy. Just because Albus thinks you are the golden child does not mean anyone is going to bow down and kiss the ass of a seventeen year old wizard that hasn’t even sprouted facial hair yet. You should be ashamed of yourself. Your godfather tries to crawl into the bed of a seventeen year old girl, without an invitation and you take his side…and you call yourself a friend.” She sneered in disgust as she looked him up and down making the Brat-That-Lived-To-Make-Trouble shrink back and flush with a combination of shame and anger. Severus’s smirk grew wider as Alex let loose and continued with even more venom, “Of course, it really shouldn’t be that surprising should it? I mean, every time you or your precious side-kick have a problem, you both shut her out in the cold don’t you?” Narrowing her eyes at Potter as he fumed in helpless rage, she spat, “This is family business boy, and you are not a Marcellus. It is well within my rights as a representative of my family to contain him until the Patriarch of the Marcellus family deals with him, and believe me, if he knew about this your godfather would even now be buried under Azkaban, so stay out of it!”

Potter finally gathered the courage to splutter, “Dumbledore—“

“Will do nothing.” Alex dismissed with a wave of her hand and smiled a smile that made the hair on the back of Snape’s neck stand up at the resemblance to a dragon looking at a particularly fat sheep, “He needs more followers for the Order or there will be no possibility of victory you dumb little shit. He will do nothing to risk my family not joining. He needs us far more than we need him and he knows it. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind and turn you and your pervert of a godfather into something unnatural for the remainder of the year.”

Potter and Black looked at the faces surrounding them. Severus, Lucius, Kingsley, Tonks and Lupin along with Alex, Draco and Hermione. Each face showed disgust and condemnation, even Lupin, as the mystery of why Black was on the outs with the Headmaster was revealed. Finding not one friendly face among them, both Potter and Black seemed to decide that retreat was the better part of valor and left the kitchen without another word.

Lupin broke the silence as he mused quietly, “I think I will have a word with Arthur and make sure that he wards Ginny’s room securely while the family is staying here—just in case.”

Granger gave him a grateful smile and said, “Thank you Professor Lupin.”

Lupin, to his credit looked surprised for a moment before he went and gave Granger a one-armed hug saying, “You my dear, have nothing to thank me for.” He met Severus’s eyes squarely as he said in a soft voice, “I find that I can no longer stand by and do or say nothing while my friends behave reprehensively as I did when I was younger.” Turning to Lucius, he inquired politely, “I trust you will also be warding the room that Hermione is staying in as I will?”

Lucius, hating to converse with Lupin at all deigned to incline his head, “One can not ward a young ladies room enough.” As much as Lucius hated to admit it, Hermione loved the werewolf and for the sake of peace seeing as the girl would shortly be a Malfoy and under Lucius’s protection, he would be polite if it killed him.

Lupin smiled at them all as he left the room. Granger turned to Alex and snickered, “Well, Uncle Jackson and the others told me not to doubt that you had the Marcellus temper, even if you have more control of it than they do. I see he was right.”

“Yes, I usually keep it in a bottle on top of my dresser.” Alex deadpanned making everyone chuckle before saying, “Well, shall we hunt down Albus?”

“Oh let’s” Granger replied, grabbing Draco’s hand and pulling him from the room after them.

Hanging back, Lucius and Severus exchanged a look and a grin at the evening’s events. “That is one witch I will make every effort not to cross.” Lucius shuddered.

Severus chuckled as he agreed and added, “Things are certainly looking like they will be far more interesting with her around.”

Lucius clapped Snape on the back as they left the kitchen to follow the women and Draco as he said quietly, “You know now that you will never again be able to complain that the meetings are boring.”