Behind the Looking Glass

The Return of the Master




Augusta had only been in Paris a little less than a month. She had found a cosy pied-à-terre on a very quiet street in an equally quiet neighbourhood, and had been quickly employed by a progressively thinking wizarding family, who firmly believed in living among muggles to tutor their three children. A visit to the museum was free, as it was on every Sunday, and she eagerly looked forward to it for she dreaded to have the day with nothing to do to keep her mind off of Severus. She had been walking down the rue de Lille on her way to the Musée d'Orsay when he found her. Vladimir Roshenko swiftly came up behind her and immediately bound her magic, making her completely defenceless in the face of his attack.

He then dragged her away as she struggled, pleaded and wept copious tears, which he cold-heartedly ignored as he deftly told curious passers-by that she was mentally unbalanced and desperately needed her medication. After sending servants to clean out her apartment and remove any trace of her having lived there, he then sent an owl to her employers with the very convincing message that she no longer wished to remain in their service, which they supposed to be from her. Thus, Augusta’s disappearance did not raise the slightest alarm, as it would have otherwise.

As soon as they were back in Bucharest, when he first had her alone behind closed doors, he beat her unmercifully and for some unknown reason he had stopped short of finishing the job and left her to lie where she fell unconscious, bruised and bleeding. Some time later, when she woke up and found herself in bed after one of the servants had been ordered to clean her up and care for her wounds, he enlightened her to the fact that he had, without an explanation as to why, changed his mind about her fate. Once she had healed from his brutal punishment for leaving, his plans for her would consist of producing a male heir for him. Roshenko was as good as his word and when her injuries had healed, he had gone above and beyond the call of his twisted duty to try to make that very thing happen and just stopped short of forcing her to swallow a fertility potion; apparently his ego wouldn’t allow him stoop that low. He had even went so far as to forbid the wearing of any undergarments, informing her that he had every intention of taking her as often as he pleased, whenever he pleased, and wherever he wished; and therefore would be no need for the time-wasting inconvenience.

It was evening, and a light drizzle of rain had begun when he had barged in without his usual early morning pronouncement that he would make use of her that night, and snatched her from the window that she often stood gazing out of. He then threw her to the bed and pushing up her skirts, cruelly entered into her, tearing her dry and unwilling flesh while he had the audacity to complain about her body becoming much too thin. Silent tears rolled out of her clenched eyes as her hands clawed at the sheets, and Augusta finally lay still and tightly bit her lip against the pain as his shaft sawed repeatedly within her. She had long-since ceased struggling against him as he used her like a brood mare, since it served no other purpose than to earn her another harsh beating followed by a seemingly unending harangue filled with denigrating remarks and threats of death if she continued to refuse to comply.

Vladimir finished with her then stated to her that she barely looked like a woman any more because of her thinness and he would send a servant to bring her food. He threatened to have her force-fed by the servants, or do it himself if she still refused to eat properly, telling Augusta the choice was entirely up to her. He then retired to his own chambers after locking her in with a powerful charm that sealed the door to prevent her escape, for which she had been punished for her many attempts.

Her insides felt as if they had been pummelled and rubbed raw by his member, which in fact they had. She lay upon the bed, the very core of her femininity stinging and burning in an almost unbearable pitch. The insides of her thighs were black-and-blue and tender, and her groin complained bitterly from her legs being forced too far apart; and she was cold and trembling uncontrollably. Despite the blazing heat from the fire and the many blankets, she was utterly, completely, and horribly cold. She knew she was in shock, and it wasn’t the first time either, but she didn’t care, as she had no more interest in living any longer. In fact, she rather hoped he would find her dead the next morning, it would serve him right to know he would not be able to hurt her to any further extent, or force her to present him with an heir. For the last seven months she had vainly hoped for death to happen, and yet it had never come to pass for she still endured his nightly, and sometimes daily abusive visits.

The charm fell away from the door allowing a servant to enter carrying a platter of steaming food. The old woman, who had been Roshenko’s nursemaid when he was a child, was wearing a look of utter disdain at having been ordered to care for what she believed to be someone not worthy enough to warrant her attentions, and placed the food upon the table trying to scold her captive mistress into eating.

“The master wishes for you to eat. He says you are starving yourself. If you don’t do as he says, there will be much more trouble in store for you. The only reason he punishes you, is because you refuse to act like a proper wife to him and co-operate,” Magda peered at the younger woman then tried a different tact, and said slyly, “Do you not know how powerful and handsome he is? You could have anything you desire, if you would only abide by his commands – such a small thing to do, to get so much in return.”
Seeing that her admonishments were not effective, she left in disgust and the charm once more sealed the suffering woman inside alone.

Augusta listlessly turned her head away from the food as bile threatened to fight its way into her mouth, and groaned inwardly as a dull cramp hit low in her abdomen from his misuse. Then she remembered how affectionate and gentle Severus had been with her and she rolled to her side to curl into a ball and began to weep inconsolably. She wept tears of regret for striking out on her own and refusing to hide any longer, wept for not listening to Severus’ counsel, and wept for foolishly throwing his love away with both hands because of her pride. She lay desperately wishing, yet firmly believed the opposite, for him to take her away from this miserable existence she found herself in.

It was a secret daydream that was her only indulgence allowed her for Roshenko never bothered to probe into her mind as his opinion of any woman was they had little, if anything of importance, contained therein. For many long days, and many more even longer nights, she had lain suffering in these chambers, and in her mind she would see Severus Snape; and he would enter with his robes billowing about him like a black cloud and take her far away where she would be safe once more in his arms. But, it hadn’t happened, and Augusta felt in her heart it never would, for she was completely convinced she had condemned herself, without any end in sight, to a very harsh reality.

The wards placed on the door fell with a distinctive pop and the door quickly flung open causing Augusta to flinch and cringe in the fear that Vladimir had returned to torment her further. The old nurse backed into the room as she stammered and stuttered in shocked surprise as she preceded the stately figure that entered.

“My lord, mistress is resting now and needs not be disturbed,” she protested, trying to keep him away and fearing what he would do when he realized the extent and cause of the younger woman’s misery.

“What? You, a mere dried-up wet nurse, think since I have been away on holiday that I do not have the right to any part of my own house? Out of my way woman!” He used his walking stick to move her from his path and continued into the room.

Gregorio Alexi Roshenko, was not yet seventy. He was tall, muscular, and still held himself erect as befitting his station. With handsomely chiselled features, thick salt and pepper hair with matching moustache and goatee, he continued to commanded a presence that still caused ladies of all ages to pause as they admired his form, and men to immediately acknowledge his power and influence. He had been widowed for many years, his wife having died in childbirth. He had extravagantly celebrated the impending birth of his son while lavishly bestowing more of his love and many gifts upon his wife withholding nothing from her. For months after their child was born, he had significantly mourned her death to the point that many had feared he had gone mad from it. He held his small son in bittersweet pride. Against all advice that he seek another spouse he hired a wet nurse instead, vowing he would not remarry and betray the memory of his beloved whom he had tenderly worshipped un-abashedly while she lived, and still greatly honoured his memories of her.

He stood over Augusta and saw much to his consternation, how drastically she had changed from the last time he saw her. Her startling blue eyes were now sunken, lifeless, and dull as was her hair. Her face had become drawn, thin, hollow cheeked and pale, and this disturbed him greatly. For he always had envisioned her as she was on her wedding day with a bright smile, and lively blue eyes. He never saw her after the honeymoon for he had travelled abroad soon after the wedding and had been told by his son that she had abandoned him after a mild spat that he himself had started, and had died tragically in the wars. When Gregorio had been informed that she had been found alive and had returned, he had hoped it was with a willing heart and that she and his son had finally fallen head over heels in love. His spirits had lifted considerably, thinking Vladimir had at long last listened to his guidance and had changed his demeanour and won back his lovely former bride.

He reached down and jerked the bedding back, exposing her bruised body as she weakly attempted to cover her breasts and lower regions with trembling hands. His lips thinned in displeasure that she mistook as being directed toward her, and she cowed before him. He gently replaced the blankets, and pulled them under her chin.

“You’ve done nothing wrong child,” he said as he saw her fear, and looked into her frightened eyes and placed a gentle hand upon her brow.

He whirled upon the nurse and bellowed as she backed away from him as he rapidly advanced on her, “You will see to her, and do everything in your power to make her comfortable, and don’t tell me you can’t for I know your abilities well. You shall do as I say, or face the consequences from me! You have always been a wicked woman and the only reason I kept you around was because my son was so fond of you and I hadn’t the heart to disappoint him. Now I know, for I did not wish to believe it, who had put him on the path of destruction and encouraged him in it - and just how evil you are for letting this continue without informing me. Pray that you still have a place to live when I return – better yet, pray that you will still live…” He towered in his anger over the cringing woman and demanded, “Where is that whelp that I have the sad misfortune to call my son?”

“He has retired to his chambers for the night my lord,” she bowed her head and bent low in terrified obeisance.

“When I return, this child shall be in better condition that she is now, and I believe you know what will happen if she is not,” he bellowed once more as he jabbed his cane in Augusta’s direction and left to deal with his son.