Daimons

Chapter 16

Lucius was all ready in a foul mood even before he stepped into Gringotts. Voldemort had used him numerous times the night before and everything about him hurt. Not in the least his pride. What probably annoyed the Slytherin most was how the Dark Lord coaxed so many orgasms out of him. He was a man and men don’t fuck with other men unless, of course, he was on top. He found it disconcerting how much he enjoyed Voldemort's attentions. But that wine… it was hideous. Where would the Dark Lord fine such a bitter tasting vino?

“YOU WHAT?” Lucius screamed at the top of his voice at the goblin. Who wasn’t at the least bit intimidated by the Slytherin. “What do you mean you can’t find my money?”

“You may scream as much as you like but it won’t get you your money back any faster,” the goblin snarled.

“I demand a line of credit until this matter is settled.”

“That can be arranged. And what will you use as collateral?” Never looking up from his desk the goblin wrote frantically.

“Collateral? I have my fucking mansion.”

“Do you have proof of ownership?” Griphook asked.

Between clinched teeth Lucius continued. “All of my paper work was in the safe where it was supposed to be… SAFE!”

“How do you expect this establishment to give you a line of credit if you have no proof of collateral?” He slammed his bookwork closed. Tucking it under his small arm, he left a fuming Lucius standing.

“Why you little…” Before he could finish, he spied a group of his ‘colleagues’ in the corner of the bank. By the looks on their faces they were as unhappy as he was. When they saw them they crossed the room to meet him halfway. They spoke in whispers, their eyes constantly darting about.

“Have all of your accounts been tampered with?” Lucius asked the small group.

“Every knut,” Goyle Sr. replied.

“This has to be a conspiracy,” Crabbe Sr. said as he looked about the room.

“What are we going to do? I have a family to feed,” Avery questioned.

“At least the Aurors didn’t arrest you like they did Nott,” Macnair told his fellow Death Eaters.

“Nott's been arrested?” Goyle questioned

“For what?” Crabbe asked at the same time.

“Evasion to pay his taxes,” Macnair explained

“He couldn’t pay it now if he wanted to.”

Lucius was barely able to follow who was asking what.

“Do you think Dumbledore is responsible?”

“Not his style,” Lucius stated.

“Then who?”

“There is no doubt in my mind that this was done by the Order of the Phoenix but it’s not the Headmaster’s method. It seems that they have new leadership.” Lucius took control of the conversation.

“What do we do now?” Crabbe asked.

“We wait. Do nothing that the Aurors can arrest you for.”

“That’s easy for you to say. Malfoy’s Mansion can survive months on the supplies that are in its warehouse. But what of us? We survive day by day,” Avery whined.

“Send your house elves to the mansion. I’ll be sure you continue to have food. I want everyone here to listen very closely to me… Severus' child is mine to kill. The ten thousand galleons will be distributed among the lot of you.”

“Why?” Macnair asked.

“Why do I want to kill Severus’ child?”

They all nodded.

“They hit us were it hurt us the most. I can’t think of anything that would hurt the Order more than to show how easy it was to kill a child.”

“The child isn’t due for months…”

Lucius interrupted his friend. “Who said I was going to wait until the child was born? No, I plan on destroying the child and Severus’ life soon, very soon.”

“Our Master wants Severus alive.”

“He will be alive but his life as he knows it will be destroyed. He’ll only wish that he was dead. It’s nothing less than he deserves.”

Somewhere, Severus felt a shiver down his spine.

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Severus sat across the breakfast table staring at his husband eat. He blamed his hormones for the fact he wanted to jump Armstrong’s bones. He had to blame something. It would not do for him to admit that he might just want his husband.

“What are you staring at?” Armstrong paused from reading the paper and looked up to catch Severus looking at him.

“I want you in me… hard, for the rest of the day.

The Daimon snickered. “You flatter me and my endurance but,” he placed the newspaper down, “I’ll see what I can accomplish.” Standing, he walked about the table and took his husband's hands and helped him rise. He palmed his husband’s face and pressed their lips together. Armstrong was taken back when Severus tried to consume him with their kiss. A cool hand slipped passed the elastic of his waistband, finding a hardening cock. The Potion Master couldn’t get enough of his husband and started to crawl up his body until his legs were crossed behind Arm’s back. Severus arched back when his mate attacked his collarbone and throat with tongue and lips.

Armstrong was heading to the bedroom with armful of Snape, when someone started to pound on the door.

“No, no, no… they’ll go away.” Severus nuzzled and kissed his husband’s neck, encouraging him to take him there in the hall. “I have to have you… NOW!”

As much as Armstrong wanted to comply there were issues he knew that had to be handled this morning. For one, he was expecting Poppy and Edelman to be checking up on Severus. Drawing his husband as close as he could, his arms wrapped tightly around Severus he gave him a lovely orgasm through the Slave bar. Severus clamped his teeth into his husband's shoulder as he shuddered his relief. Boneless, he whispered in his husband’s ear, “I hate you.”

“I know love, now go get cleaned up we have company.” He placed Severus on his feet.

“I hate them too,” a disgruntle Severus sulked as he went into the bedroom to clean up and dress.

When he returned he was surprised to find half of the Order sitting in his living room. Their faces were so somber he knew someone must have died. Stopping in his track, he looked about the room. “Who died?”

“No one… yet, not if we can help it.” Severus found it odd how much Harry had grown in a few days. The boy was gone, in his place stood a man, a leader of men, who Severus would be honored to follow.

“Then, who are we going to save?” The smooth, graceful movements that Severus was known for was replaced by a slight waddle. He held the arm of the chair as he lowered his body into the seat. He wasn’t very far along but the twins were making themselves known already.

“From our spy we have found out that the inhabitants of Hogsmeade are to be murdered.”

“The whole town?” Severus asked as if the air had been knocked out of him. “How is it possible?”

“A poison to be put in there water supply,” Harry replied.

“He already killed every inhabitant in a small muggle community,” Ron added.

“Would you have any idea what kind of potion he could be using?”

“I know of many potions that the Dark Lord could use. Many, a first year could make with the proper ingredients.” His mind was a whirling dervish, as he sorted and filed every poisonous potion he could think of. “It has to be strong enough to not dilute in the water, perhaps one that is activated by the water,” he said to himself. His eyes opened wide as he mouthed the word ‘no’, pushing off the chair he hurried into his lab that Armstrong had made him.

Everyone followed until they were stopped at the door by Armstrong. “No one goes into his laboratory unless they are invited. I made him that promise.”

Severus had pulled a well loved book from the shelf. It was filled with dark potions which only endeared itself more to the Potions Master. He was frantically thumbing through it when he realized that he was alone.

“What the devil are you doing out there? Come in, come in.”

Armstrong rolled his eyes. There was no pleasing his husband. If he had let them enter he had no doubt that Severus would have thrown it in his face that he was not a man of his word. He stepped aside and let the members of the Order file in. Severus was pushing for a spanking. Armstrong curled one side of his mouth upward. Yes, which exactly what his lover was egging him on for; a good spanking followed by a good screw. Thank God for pregnant hormones, Armstrong thought as he entered the lab.

“Yes here it is.” He pointed his bony, long finger at a paragraph in the book. “The poison ‘is’ activated by the water and the more water there is the more potent it becomes.” He looked at all the blank looks staring at him. Rolling his eyes he continued. “Let us say if you mixed a teaspoon of the powder with a glass of water you would more that likely get an upset stomach. Now if you put that same teaspoon of powder into a lake you will kill a whole community.

“Crap.” Harry was the first to reply. “Can anything be done?”

“Yes but I can’t be the one to brew the antidote.”

“What? Why?” The same questions were asked by all who were attended.

“To make this particular antidote one must use extremely powerful poisons. The potion that will kill the active ingredients in the other is twice as deadly and being pregnant I would be more susceptible to their effects.”

“If you weren’t pregnant could you make the antidote?” Ron asked from the far side of the room.

“Easily!” Severus place a protective hand over the bump while Armstrong stepped in front of him with his wand pulled.

“Relax.” Ron walked to the table with all of Severus’ equipment was set. He gingerly touched a few vials. “I was thinking,” he ignored the snickers, “I could be your hands and eyes, while you rested by the open window watching my every move.”

“Mr. Weasley, I appreciate your offer but after many years of watching you in class, I don’t think it would be wise to let you get near any potion much less one that could literally blow up in your face.”

“I am capable of following orders, Sir, if need be and I think the demise of hundreds of people is a need I can’t ignore,” Ron argued.

“Severus, how dangerous would it be for you and the babies if you directed Ron from across the room?” Arm inquired.

“If the widow remained open… not much.” He saw the look of hope on all of there faces. “I shall do it but if Mr. Weasley blows up my house, all of you shall never hear the end of this.”

“Thank you, luv.” To the hoots and whistles of everyone in the room, Armstrong pulled his pregnant husband into his arms and thoroughly kissed him

Blushing, Severus reluctantly pulled away from his bonded wanting nothing more than to repeat the kiss. “The rest of you may be on your way. Mr. Weasley and I have to start and prepare the ingredients.” After the room was empty, leaving only himself and Ron, Severus turned to the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Let us see if ‘need’ is enough.”

For the rest of the afternoon, as they went about and prepared the components of the potion, Severus repeated over and over each step Ron would have to follow. By the end of the day Ron could repeat word by word the instructions.

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Hermione woke naked in Gavin’s bed. In the doorway stood a partially clothed Gavin with a steaming tray of food in his hands.

“After last night I thought you might be hungry.” He smiled.