Pet

Disclaimer: The story is based on characters created and owned by J.K. Rowling, various publishers including, but not limited to Scholastic Books and Warner Bros. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended; no monetary gain will be made from this story.

*~*~*~
EIGHTEEN
*~*~*~
“Check.” Draco moved the black knight into place. He looked across the library table at his mother; she gave no indication she heard him. “Mother?”

Narcissa looked at her son; she had been preoccupied all evening. Draco was surprised when she challenged him to a game of chess. She hated chess.

“Mother, is something wrong?”

“No,” she replied, distractedly. “I wonder what is keeping your father.”

“His meeting probably ran late. I am sure there is nothing to worry about.”

“Oh, he’s not in a meeting. He went to Muggle London.”

Draco looked at his mother as she moved her queen into position to be captured by a pawn. His father hated Muggles and didn’t think much of London.

~*~*~*
A soft pop was the only warning before Lucius, Rosamond and Harry portkeyed into the library. Narcissa and Draco lowered their swiftly raised wands in recognition. The shrill scream of a terrified infant echoed in the massive room. Harry tried to reach for her, but the white blond wizard jerked him violently back into a submissive position.

Delightedly, Narcissa crossed the room and gathered the desolate Rose into her arms. The tiny girl shrieked louder as Lady Malfoy stepped away from the only person she knew.

“Give me my daughter,” Harry pleaded. “You’re scaring her.”

Narcissa looked down her nose with a look of absolute disgust.

“Your daughter?” she snarled. “She never was nor never will be your daughter. Silly whore, you were just a convenient vessel to store her in.”

The elegant witch spun on her heels and strode from the library, ignoring Rose’s screams and offering her no comfort. Harry lunged after her, only to be caught short by Lucius’ grasp on his choke chain.

“Calm yourself, Pet, or I will do it for you.”

Harry’s struggles abated as the continued pressure of the chain cut into his throat, limiting his air supply. He panted at Lucius’ feet, his hair tumbling out of his braid and his black t-shirt torn at the neck.

Lucius drew his wand from a pocket hidden in his shirtsleeve. He closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling as he gathered his concentration. He would cast the spell that Dr. Eeylops should have cast the moment of Rosamond’s birth.

“Hold still, Pet.” He ordered as he placed his wand against Harry’s temple. Harry’s face paled and his eyes widened; the kohl eye makeup streaking messily beneath his eyes. “Obliv…”

Harry twisted away in panic, clutching at his master’s knees.

“No! Please, Master, no! You have stolen my daughter from me…please do not steal my memories of her.”

Draco saw something like compassion flicker in his father’s ice-cold eyes. The wand was secreted back into his sleeve, the spell left incomplete.

Powerful hands gripped Harry’s upper arms and pulled him abruptly to his feet. “You need a bath. A good scrub to remove all traces of that disgusting Muggle face paint.”

~*~*~*
A silent flick of the dark wizard’s wand caused the contents of Harry’s jean shorts pockets to appear on a table beside the older wizard. Another flick brought Harry’s inexpensive Muggle wristwatch and the cheap imitation emerald earrings the young wizard forgot he was wearing.

Lucius was angry with him, that much was certain, and the near silent coldness of the man chilled Harry to the bone. A softly uttered incantation left Harry standing naked in the middle of his old bedroom. The clothing, his trainers included, folded themselves into a neat pile in the fireplace hearth. Lucius separated Harry’s wallet, spare change and a ring of keys from the other items on the table. Watch, earrings, scraps of paper, pencil stub and a pacifier joined the pile of clothing. A flash of light, the smell of charred rubber, and all that remained was a pile of ash to be swept away by a house elf.

Harry stood immobile and the blue gray eyes narrowed, examining his figure. His beautiful concubine had filled out a bit and his shoulders had broadened slightly. The repetitive lifting involved in his dishwasher position had defined muscles on his elfin figure. Lucius’ eyes settled on the delicate face, marred by the streaked Muggle stage makeup.

*~*~*~*
Harry gasped for air just before he was once again plunged beneath the fragrant water of the bathtub. With as much gentleness as one would use to scrub a dirty cauldron, Lucius scrubbed his flesh until he was uniformly bright pink. The strong fingers harshly massaged shampoo into the long black tresses and Harry was once again submerged.

*~*~*~*
A black silk nightshirt draped over his arm, Harry watched the older wizard stalk out the bedroom door, with a promise of punishments to follow. A wave of the manicured hand set security wards around the room. Harry knew there was no sense in even trying to escape. He could feel the powerful magic surrounding him.

His eyes drifted to his reflection in a floor length mirror. In the background he thought he heard Rose’s cries and he wished he could go to her. Harry’s fingers ran lightly over the serpent tattoo on his hip, the symbol of his bondage.

Light reflected off a matched pair of heavy gold bracelets encircling his wrists and he tugged unsuccessfully to remove them. Decorated with elaborate runic symbology, the flat metal muffled his ability to use magic – wandless or otherwise – and the hollowness he felt when his magic first shattered returned. They were beautifully crafted works of art and he hated them.

As he tried to ignore the sound, Rose’s shrieks seemed to amplify. HIS daughter, he thought, NOT her daughter, but his reflection in the mirror told another truth. He could no longer lie to himself; the tattoo marked him. He was merely the bound concubine of a powerful dark wizard, and as such, had no rights at all. The choke chain and the bracelets were a not so subtle reminder of Lucius Malfoy’s dominance over him.

Harry slipped the nightshirt over his head, feeling the sensuous movement of the silk. Dawn was breaking as he slid into bed, the echoes of Rosamond’s cries in his ears. He wondered why, in a house as large as the Malfoy Manor, he could heart his daughter’s distress in a room several floors away from the Nursery. He buried his head in the pillows, muffling the sound. Just before he drifted to sleep a thought floated to the surface and it made his stomach twist. Narcissa Malfoy had to be sending the sound of the baby’s cries into his room, knowing full well it would torment him.

~*~*~*
Sally popped into Harry’s bedroom prison several hours later with a covered tray. He was curled up in the large bed, staring out at nothing.

“Hello, Sally,” he greeted her quietly.

The little elf approached the bed, her large eyes staring into his. “Sally is not happy to see Master’s Pet, but Sally is happy to know Harry is not dead. When Lord Malfoy could not find you, I was afraid you froze to death.”

“You didn’t get into too much trouble when I left, did you?”

“No. Sally pretended to be Oblivated.”

“Oh, so he didn’t punish you?”

“No more than usual…” She shrugged. “I looked in at your daughter…she is very beautiful.”

“How is she? I keep hearing her cry…but I shouldn’t be able to hear her at all.”

“Lady Malfoy plays a cruel game with you…”

“Rose isn’t crying?” he asked hopefully.

Sally shook her head. “The crying is real…she will not settle…She finally fell asleep due to exhaustion. Lady Malfoy is beside herself, but she will not let the house elves help her.”

Harry indicated Rosamond’s diaper bag which had some how ended up in the room with him. “Please…take Rose’s bag to Lady Malfoy. The stuffed bunny is her lovey…it will help her settle.”

~*~*~*
Rose’s cries echoed down the hallway and Harry worried she was making herself sick. He hugged Rose’s stuffed bunny to his chest and paced the bedroom. Sally had returned with the untouched diaper bag. Narcissa Malfoy refused to have any Muggle articles touch her “Lucretia”.

Sally removed the untouched tray of food.

“Lady Malfoy has called the Dark Lord’s companion to visit. She can not get Miss Potter-Malfoy to stop crying and she can not get her to eat.”

“If she would just let me see Rose.”

“You know she will never agree to it…She will not even let Pippi near the baby and Pippi raised Master Draco.”

“What does Lord Malfoy say? Rose seemed to feel safe with him.”

“Master is not at home.”

~*~*~*~