Three Marks of Power

A/N: Sorry about the slow update! RL has been kicking my butt. I did this in a hurry, so I will correct any mistakes I find after I get some much needed sleep. I didn't see any, but then you could blind me with dental floss I'm so tired.

Please, please, please review! *begging pathetically* I would really love to hear what you have to say on my very first fan fic effort!

Chapter 4

The next morning, Severus cracked one eye open at the sound of someone knocking on his door. Burying his head into his pillow, he fervently hoped they would give up and go away before he was forced to hex someone. He had not gotten much sleep as the erotic dreams of a very naked and aroused Alex kept making him wake up with a raging hard on which he had to relieve, even after he had wanked off twice before going to sleep. He was now sure he was dehydrated.

When the pest at the door didn’t go away, he cursed loudly as he stumbled out of bed and smoothed down his tousled hair as he summoned his dressing gown. Stalking into the parlor, he unceremoniously flung open the door and yanked the other person into the room. He was rewarded with a squeak and a muffled curse from none other than Lucius himself.

Pasting a scowl on his face instead of laughing like he wanted to, he snarled, “What in the seven levels of hell is making you pound on my door this early in the morning Lucius?”

Lucius righted his usually immaculate appearance before he gave Snape a glare and sneered, “Good morning to you too Severus. Have you forgotten that you invited me to take breakfast with you today?”

Snape relaxed his stance and yawned as he said, “Hmm…actually I had forgotten. Give me a moment to get dressed.”

“Late night?” Lucius asked loudly as Severus dressed and performed his morning absolutions. Nosey bastard.

Spitting out his toothpaste, he called, “You could say that.”

He heard Lucius still snorting with laughter as he finished buttoning his robes and left the bedroom. He went to the fireplace and called down to the kitchens for breakfast before telling Lucius, “Get your mind out of the slums Lucius. She left my company the moment we reached the castle, with Minerva’s help.” He muttered the part about Minerva, but Lucius still heard him.

Chuckling softly as the house elves popped in with their breakfast, the shrewd blonde studied his friend carefully before saying, “Did she agree to marry you before you parted company last night?”

From the scowl on Snape’s face, Lucius guessed not.

“So what happened after you left with her?”

Severus finished his toast and took a sip of tea before replying, “I took her to that pub down the road from Headquarters and we had a few drinks and talked. I escorted her to the castle and said goodnight.”

Sighing at his friend’s tendency to have to be tortured just to provide a little information, Lucius asked pointedly, “Did you at least kiss her for crying out loud?”

Snape could no more stop the look of satisfaction than he could stop being Slytherin. Lucius laughed out loud for a minute more and then he turned more serious. After another moment, he said bluntly, “Severus, I am your friend…you know that right?” At Snape’s nod, he continued, “So as your friend, I wish to give you some advice if you want to get this woman to marry you.”

Snape merely raised his eyebrows and said silkily, “And what makes you think that I would need advice?”

Recognizing the signals that he was riding a Thestral over dangerous ground, Lucius stated flatly, “Yes. While I know you have plenty of experience with women Severus, mostly in the brothels, you have never tried to get one of them to marry you, now have you?”

Snape considered the arrogant blonde for a moment. Well, it was certainly true. And Severus knew that Lucius had chased after Narcissa for almost a year before she would consent to going out on a date. Everyone had expected, due to Cissy’s tendency to make a wizard jump through hoops for her attention, that it would take Lucius quite a while to get her to accept his proposal, yet they were married a mere three months later. Neither Lucius nor Cissy had ever alluded to what had made them marry so quickly. Snape knew she had not been pregnant as Draco was born two years later.

He decided to humor Lucius, and then consider his advice very carefully. After all, Alex was a beautiful, powerful witch and Severus knew that friend or not, Lucius would not hesitate to compete with him for her. That included undermining him.

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Later that day, Severus heard the chime of his alarm spell warning him that it was time for lunch. He hurriedly cast a stasis spell over the cauldrons in front of him in varying stages of preparation of the supplies Poppy needed for the Infirmary and headed for the Great Hall after warding his lab.

As he reached the top of the stairs leading to the dungeons, he saw Alex rushing down the stairs towards him and stopped so he could have a chance to escort her. She almost skidded to a halt in front of him with her face flushed.

“If you were a student, I would have to deduct house points for running in the halls.” He said amusedly.

She grinned at him and asked with an air of innocence, “Would you include a detention Professor?” Alex fought another blush as she surprised herself with her own daring. But God’s, the man looked delicious. Images of him bending her over a desk flashed through her mind and she briefly wondered if Uncle Albus placed some kind of lust spell on her, but quickly dismissed the idea. It was all Severus-Sexy-Slytherin-Snape

Severus smirked as he noted her dilated eyes and the pebbling of her nipples through today’s t-shirt and jeans ensemble. He caught a flash of her thoughts and blood rushed to his groin so fast he almost groaned out loud. Down Boy, he thought to himself. She was the first woman within memory that had such an immediate and profound affect on his body.

As soon as he was sure he could get closer to her without poking her with his enormous erection, he leaned closer and said silkily, “Perhaps I would do that.”

Grinning wickedly at the desire in her eyes, he gave the vicinity a quick look to make sure no one was watching. Grabbing her by the arm, he pulled her into a niche and proceeded to kiss her until she moaned loudly in desire. He pulled her into his body so her pelvis came into tight contact with his cock and gave an experimental thrust against her. When she moaned even louder and rubbed her body against him, it was his turn to groan.

Before things could get too heated, they both became aware of the sound of steps coming closer to where they were. They pulled apart, flushed and tousled, just as Albus and Minerva came down the stairs talking in whispers.

They two couples stared at each other for a moment before Albus said with a wide smile and his eyes twinkling over the top of his glasses, “I suspect lunch is ready. Lead on my boy.” Gesturing for Severus to lead them into the Great Hall.

Severus extended his arm to Alex in a gentlemanly fashion and she linked her arm through his with a small embarrassed smile. Albus had a hard time not giggling through his lunch as he watched Severus gallantly pull out the chair next to his usual spot for Alex and they way they had their heads together for the entire meal. From the way they acted, they were not aware of anyone else at the staff table as they discussed potion theory and the latest issues of various periodicals. He could plainly see that the young couple was clearly taken with each other and from their reactions earlier, if Albus and Minerva had not interrupted them, they would even now be in Severus’s rooms and no doubt his bed.

Albus suddenly gulped and paled as he imagined the reaction from the volatile men that would be after his own balls if they thought that Alex had been compromised in any way while under his watch before she was properly bonded. The Marcellus men were a lusty bunch, but as far as they were concerned, no man had better get any lewd thoughts about their baby in their heads without risking losing their assets.

He had been attached to his own assets for many years and had no plans on getting detached anytime soon therefore, he had better have a little talk with Severus before he bedded the woman. It was both of their asses on the firing line.

After lunch, Severus and Alex were still debating over the use of Boomslang skin flakes in certain restorative potions when Severus insisted she come to his personal lab to test the theory. An hour later, they were peering into the cauldron waiting for the potion to reach a boil and turn opaque when they brushed up against each other.

Before Alex could figure out who did what or in what order, she gasped in surprise to find herself straddling Severus’s lap while he sat on an empty table with the very hard, very large proof of his interest in their activities thrusting rhythmically against her. She groaned loudly and rubbed herself against him harder before suddenly regaining her wits when she realized exactly how large the object she was writhing against was. A small tremor of fear shot through her and she decided that they had to have a little discussion first. Before she could even open her mouth, Severus suddenly gripped her by the waist and lifted her off of him.

Sliding off of the table, he turned his back to her and grasped the table with white knuckled fingers as he fought to bring his body back under control. Taking several deep breaths and imagining both Dumbledore and Minerva starkers and doing the nasty finally succeeded in calming down his libido sufficiently enough that he could talk.

“Alex, I must once again apologize.” He said as he turned to face her. She wasn’t looking at him, instead focusing her attention on the shelves of jars full of ingredients to the right. Stepping closer, he lifted her chin with one long finger as he said softly, “I didn’t mean for this to happen when I invited you here to my lab.”

She melted into him and said just as softly, “I know. Me either.” She pulled away enough to play with the buttons of his white shirt and nibbled her lip as she said hesitantly, “Um…I do think that you should know something before this goes any further though.” He looked at her quizzically and she went on, “I haven’t—that is to say, I’ve never—“ she blushed and stammered before giving up and burying her beet red face in his shirt once more.

The penny dropped as Severus realized what she was trying to say. Wanting to be sure, he took her face in his hands and raised her head up to look in her eyes as he asked pointedly, “Are you trying to say that you are a virgin?”

She winced and closed her eyes as she nodded. Severus was flabbergasted. She was a beautiful witch and very responsive. To think that a man hadn’t had her before was making him feel like crowing in triumph, growling with possession and finally, terror that he would mess this up and put her off of sex for the rest of her life. Were all the wizards in America blind or merely gay? He wondered.

He could not deny that he was very, very glad that American wizards were so idiotic. He knew his own nature and knew that if she had not been untouched, he would always subconsciously try to drive the memory of any other man that had ever touched her out of her head completely. But knowing that she would be his in every way possible was very thrilling for the possessive man.

When he did not respond immediately, Alex cracked open an eye to see his face. He was grinning. Both silver eyes popped open, “I am so happy that I amuse you!” she growled as she struggled to free herself from his embrace.

Severus wasn’t having any of that though. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, unable to stop himself from claiming her mouth passionately. She clamped her lips shut and he nipped her sharply. When she opened her mouth to protest, he drove his tongue between her lips. Alex melted against him, unable and unwilling to fight the sharp desire running through her that only this man seemed to be able to create. Twinning her arms around his neck and pulling him closer, she gave back as good as she got, causing the dark wizard to groan and rip his mouth from hers.

“You are mine, you know that right?” Severus asked, dead seriousness ringing through his growl. As far as he was concerned, there was no going back. Prophecy, family, friends and the Dark Lord be damned. This witch was his if he had to throw her over his shoulder, drag her off and lock her up until she either agreed, or was carrying his child, making marriage to him the only avenue open to her as unmarried women in the wizarding world were ostracized.

Alex relaxed and smiled as she nodded. She knew that there had not really been a debate about the outcome from the moment she had met the dour man before her. Yes, she would marry him and yes, she would have his children and spend her days and nights in his bed. There was nowhere else she ever wanted to be.