Married by Contract

Married by Contract

A/N

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. There is one more chapter to come after this. I expect to post it tomorrow but I\'m still tinkering with it.

Spaz141- I\'ve upset you again. Please bear with me, this chapter is not quite so strong.


Negotiation


The manufactured portkey delivered the couple to the garden of Severus’ house where they landed in an inelegant tangle on the path. It was still daylight and the relative warmth hit them both. Severus waved his wand over the portkey to deactivate it and handed Olivia her shoe back. She put it on and laced it quickly. Severus watched her trying to gauge her reaction. When she turned her head he noticed the swelling from the blow he had given her earlier. It was probably going to bruise. Maybe he could find something in the store to put on it. He led her through the main entrance to the hall where the main staircase was located.

“How do you find the house?” he asked.

“It’s beautiful,” she said guilelessly. “No wonder you decided to move here.”

“It’s not the biggest house in the family but it’s the only one I’ve inherited as yet.”

“It’s big enough.”

“My great grandparents mixed in Muggle society in their younger days. When they grew too old to explain their continuing existence they sold their larger homes and retired to this one, which is unplottable. Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“Me neither.”

“May I ask a question?”

“Yes.”

“Did you have a choice about having this contract?”

“Yes. A choice in that Lucius discussed approaching my father with me before he did it. My father was more easily persuaded than I had thought so it happened sooner than I had thought it would.”

“So the idea didn’t come from you?”

“Not initially. I’m at the age now where everyone is trying to convince me to marry. I had no inclination to court some vapid witch. Lucius suggested contracting you as an alternative. He told me you were attractive and I knew myself that you were intelligent and of good pedigree. It seemed a logical solution.”

“Then in a way you did choose me?”

“Yes. I remember you from school and I found your company tolerable. You had the capacity to carry on an interesting discussion. I have a lab here where I carry out my research. I thought you might be useful in that regard. Did you know what Lucius was planning for you?”

“No. I knew he would not let me be to come of age, but I didn’t know what I would have to endure. In a way I had grown weary of waiting for the axe to fall.”

“I didn’t know how much your relationship had soured. When you were younger he was content to ignore you but I saw how he was with you earlier. What has he done to you?”

“You mean the unnaturalness?”

“If that is what you wish to name it.”

“He began to kiss me and try to touch me the summer after you left Hogwarts. He worked out that I was becoming a woman. It has been growing more and more difficult to be near him. He doesn’t force me any more than you saw today. His idea was to make me want him but I don’t.”

“Not many people have been able to resist Lucius once he has singled them out.”

“I already had an idea in my mind of what I would want and he was not it. I am his sister after all. He cannot fool me.”

“He won’t touch you again now that you belong to me. We are friends, brothers now so you will have to see him but I made it clear that I would not want my wife to be tainted by other men. We work too closely together for him to want to cause an upset.”

“That is a comfort. How is this marriage between us going to work?”

“I expect loyalty and obedience in all matters. If you provide me with those things then I will provide you with all the books and materials you desire for your magic and pledge never to injure you.”

“Loyalty and obedience to what?”

“To me of course.”

“What commands of yours am I to obey?”

“All of them.”

“Yes but what specific commands do you foresee yourself giving over the next forty-eight hours?”

“I expect to take you to my bed shortly to instruct you in my requirements and I expect to have unrestricted access to your body and mind at all times. I will brook no argument in this matter.”

“I see. The physical requirement is not unusual. I had anticipated that that would be the case. I take it that you will practice your legilimency to access my mind?”

“I will. I have practiced and refined my abilities since leaving Hogwarts. I spend more time than I would like dealing with people I deem unworthy of my trust and it is a useful weapon. I have purchased your body and mind and I will not be denied either.”

“Purchased for ten galleons.”

“The sum was nominal. The amount happened to be a sum Lucius already owed me. He suggested I use the money to buy a whore but then the conversation turned to my need to find a wife.”

“Quite a bargain. I’ve never met a whore but I imagine they charge more for their services.”

“I do not appreciate your tone.”

“You are going to view my mind in any case so I may as well have the pleasure of speaking it out loud.”

“Make no mistake Olivia, I will control you completely.”

“You will try.”

“You sit there, moments away from your first rape, and you are attempting to anger me.”

“It cannot be called rape and I thought you were the person in control.”

“You are a child. You have no idea what I will do.”

“It won’t be rape. Even Muggles respect a man’s right over his wife’s body…In England anyway. I don’t know about here. I’ve never been here before.”

“I repeat, you have no idea what I will do.”

“I consent. I’m old enough to consent and I consent. Are you happy or can you only get it up when the woman cries and begs?”

Without thinking Severus slapped the other side of her face. This was lighter than the blow he had felled her with earlier and she did not fall this time. He advanced on her and pushed her up against the wall. Holding her there with his forearm pressed firmly against her neck he drew his wand, flourished it and hissed “Legilimens.” He stooped to bring his face level with hers and kissed her in the manner of a Dementor seeking to suck out a soul.

When the visions began to hit he went rigid with the force of them. The tiny woman had a powerful mind and seemed almost to be projecting images at him. Normally the target of the spell was the one who suffered ill-effects from the invasion but not in this case. Severus lasted for less than a minute before he was compelled to break the connection and fall to his knees. Olivia slid down the wall to sit on the floor and watched him.

It was a full five minutes before Severus had recovered himself enough to speak.

“How…What are you?” he asked in confusion.

“You know what I am.”

“How in Merlin’s name did you do that to me? That wasn’t Occlumency. What did you do?”

“I let you see everything I could. You were overwhelmed. Did you learn anything of value?”

“You want to be here with me. You love me. How can you feel that in this situation?”

“Love grows. When I was a little girl I wanted you as my brother instead of Lucius. I was thirteen years old when we last knew each other but that is when a girl begins to have a woman’s thoughts.”

“I don’t understand you.”

“Just because I was kept out of sight doesn’t mean I didn’t know you were still around. It didn’t mean I didn’t know you were a man now. It didn’t mean that I didn’t know that you are walking hand in hand with my brother to lead this world into hell.”

“What has Lucius told you?”

“Nothing. I draw my own conclusions. I see the people he associates with. How I dreaded being thrown to one of them when Lucius was finally able to take me out of Hogwarts.”

“Isn’t that what he’s done?”

“He thinks so.”

“Are you a Seer?”

“The term is debased. I see some things but I don’t know how. It comes naturally to me to have an awareness… nothing more than that.”

“You are so…. Pure… I don’t have the words. What’s going to happen with us?”

“You should be telling me that. It depends on your choices and I cannot make them for you.”

“My choices being?”

“You can choose to allow me to love you and have the loyalty and obedience which stems from that love or you can do as Lucius did. You can control my outward behaviour with violence and I will show you what you want to see as I did with him. However I will not be able to control my thoughts. Lucius could not see into my mind so the submission was a useful survival tactic. He was frustrated that I would only show passivity and that is why he passed me on.”

“Why do you love me though? I don’t understand…”

“I don’t understand it either but if I hadn’t I would be my brother’s concubine by now. Sometimes a thing is just meant to be and we might never know why. You’re an intelligent man. Would you not prefer a wife who loves you?”

“What do I have to do?”

Olivia knelt up and touched his face. He leaned into the caress, his hair falling over his eyes. She brushed it back with her free hand and touched her lips gently to his. It was their first kiss and Severus was instantly aroused by it. After a few seconds he took control and manoeuvred her down onto the floor without breaking it. When he eventually broke it off he whispered,

“I need to fuck you now. I know I’m going to hurt you.”

“It can’t be helped. Do what you have to.”

Severus coupled with his wife on the marble floor of the foyer.