The Raven and the Snake

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Chapter Seven

Nexi walked into the Great Hall pulling her trunk behind her. She was leaving for the winter holiday, but first she had to say good-bye to Severus. He never went home for the holidays, preferring instead to stay at the castle. She found him sitting alone at the Slytherin table.

“Happy Christmas, Severus.” She offered, releasing her trunk and sitting down next to him.

“Oy, what’s a Ravenclaw doing sitting at our table,” one of the younger Slytherin’s protested, before Nexi’s icy glare stopped him cold.

Severus smirked at the younger boy, then looked at Nexi. She was dressed immaculately in dark blue today, with her black velvet traveling cloak draped casually over her robes. Her dark hair lay loose down her back and her eyes were sparkling. Bloody hell, when did she become so...

“Going home for the holidays?” He asked, forcing his mind away from disturbing thoughts.

Nexi smiled and nodded. “I see you’re staying. Hope you enjoy the break.”

It was Severus’ turn to nod. Anything was better than going home to watch his father ruin another holiday. If only his mother would just use her magic to put him in line, but she seemed helpless against his rages. It wasn’t so bad staying at Hogwarts during breaks. He was mostly left to his own devices, rarely forced to socialize at all.

“Well, I should be off, I think the carriages are here to take us to the Express.” Nexi said standing up. “You could write to me, if you get bored that is.”

“I will, if I get bored that is,” Severus answered, feeling more awkward with Nexi than he’d ever felt before.

Nexi turned to go, but stopped and before Severus knew what was happening she’d wrapped him in her arms for a hug. Dropping a quick kiss on his cheek, she turned and walked away while the younger Slytherins erupted in a mix of shock, disgust, and, of course, scathing wit. He felt his face burn, but couldn’t find it in him to be angry with her. His mind tried to wrap around Nexi hugging and kissing him, but all he could do was feel warmth from her touch. Bloody hell, he thought, when did she become such a girl?

Lucius and Nexi Apparated with a loud pop on a cobbled path off a small dirt road lined in winter bare trees. She was carrying a small carpet bag with her overnight things that he had insisted on her bringing. She didn’t know where he was taking her, he’d refused to say, only telling her to pack enough for a few days away when he came to collect her two days after she’d arrived home. Her parents hadn’t been of help either, saying simply that it was Lucius’ secret to tell.

Lucius watched as she took in her surroundings, a look of utter confusion on her face. He’d Apparated along the road on purpose, wanting the surprise of where they were going to have full effect. He took her hand in his and started walking down the cobbled path, into what looked like a forest of trees. As they walked, he kept stealing glances at her as a thirsty man might steal sips of water. How he’d missed her. How his fantasies didn’t compare to seeing her in the flesh, to touching her soft skin. She was more beautiful than his memories allowed him to believe. And she was here with him finally.

Nexi loved the feel of his hand on hers. Loved the strength she felt in his fingers. Her heart was pounding, knowing that where ever they were going, tonight she’d be his finally. Her gaze lingered on the trees, naked without their leaves and wondered just where he was taking her. Her short heels crunched along the path as they continued through the trees. They sky was a cold grey and she wondered if it would snow, wondered if they would be trapped together longer where ever they were going. She noticed the trees thinning and her eyes fell on a house that could only be described as a gingerbread cottage. She let out an excited little gasp, and started to walk faster.

Lucius heard her gasp and smiled. He knew she would love it, there was something simple and quaint about the cottage so recently left unoccupied. When the Death Eaters raided it, killing the couple that lived here who had run afoul of the Dark Lord, his only thought had been how much Nexi would love it. He’d waited, biding his time until the house went on the market, and he could pretend he only just heard about the vacancy. It was hers, he’d bought it a month before and deposited the deed into her vault at Gringotts. Her Christmas present, extravagant yes, but well worth it from the look of rapture on her face.

It was beautiful, Nexi thought. A hideaway cottage that, from the empty vines, had ivy covering it during spring and summer. The cobbled path led to a wide porch framed by two willow trees. The warm brown wood was weathered, giving it an air of homeliness. The door, with it’s diamond shaped glass panes, beckoned to be opened. Nexi’s hand twitched to answer the call.

“It’s wonderful, Lucius.” She whispered, tearing her eyes away from the house. He looked almost smug standing there, watching her take in the house. “Did you rent it for the weekend?”

“Actually,” Lucius started, walking her across the porch to the front door, “I didn’t rent it.” He drew his wand and whispered a spell that Nexi found herself memorizing. He turned to her and scooped her into his arms before crossing the threshold. She giggled as he set her down on the hardwood floor of the foyer. “I bought it.”

Nexi looked up at him in shock. He bought it, just so they could have a tryst? “You didn’t.” She whispered, looking around at an interior that belied the quaint cottage exterior.

He watched her looking around the manor-like interior and savored the surprise he was about to give her. She walked through the empty rooms in awe, her finger sometimes trailing over a mantle or bookshelf. “I bought it,” he said again, “for you.”

She turned around, her face a picture of shock and glee. “For me?” She asked, walking toward him. He nodded, a smile playing on his lips. “This is my surprise?” She was in front of him, looking up into his eyes. Her hands had fallen on his chest and he suddenly had trouble breathing.

“Yes, Nexi, for you.” He whispered, his hand moving to her face. His thumb smoothed along the full lower lip that had haunted his dreams. Her hands slid up his chest to his shoulders, then around his neck.

“Then I suppose I should say thank you.” She said, pulling his head down to hers.

Their lips met, and like the first time they kissed it was exploratory. She wanted to savor this moment, to memorize every flick and gasp. He tugged her against his chest, and she felt the heat from his body on hers. She moaned and tried to pull closer, her clothes and traveling cloak along with his prevented her from her goal. She gave an impatient whimper and Lucius chuckled, pulling away.

“Perhaps you’d like to see the second floor?” He asked, his eyes hooded with passion as he dropped a kiss on her nose.

She gave him a look that said that wasn’t what she wanted to see at all, which made him chuckle again. He took her hand again, and ignoring the silent protest pulled her toward the stairs. As they walked up, he had images of taking her here, on the stairs. Of ripping off her clothes, leaving them scattered as they fought to touch each other. He was already painfully hard, and these thoughts were doing anything but helping.

On the second floor, Nexi realized there were nine doors, all closed. What the bloody hell could be so important on the second floor, she wondered, her mind still on the kiss they shared downstairs. She let him take the lead, and he pulled her toward a door off to itself. He opened the door and drew her up into his arms again, carrying her into the only room she’d seen thus far that was furnished. A glance around the room told her why the second floor was so important. She was in the master bedroom, a large four posted bed dressed in dark blue and green sat parallel to the glowing fireplace. Two wardrobes stood on either side of the bed with small bedside tables between each wardrobe and the bed. Candles flickered from the mantle. Two Queen Anne chairs in the same green and blue color scheme sat before the fireplace with a small table holding a bottle of wine and two glasses between them.

“Oh, Lucius,” she whispered in awe as he once again set her down, this time on a plush rug of black. She turned in his arms and planted a kiss on his shoulder.

“I take it that you like the house?” He asked, with a hint of teasing. He didn’t wait for her answer, instead lowering his head to take her lips again. There was a hunger in their kiss, a need for more. Her fingers went to the clasp holding his cloak on, and she impatiently worked at it, trying to free him from at least some of his clothes. His hands found hers and stopped her, making her whimper again. He turned his hands to her own cloak and with an expertise she didn’t care to think about, he got rid of the irritating garment in no time. His fingers moved to her black robes, working steady until he felt the warmth of her skin against his knuckles. His hands shook, wanting more, but trying to focus on the task at hand.

She gasped as she felt the skin of his fingers slide over her skin. Her knees felt weak, but she refused to pull away to sit down. In mere moments, her robes pooled around her feet and she stood before him in a simple white chemise, white lacy knickers, and her little kid boots. Lucius on the other hand still wore everything including his cloak. She stepped from the collection of her robes and moved her hands back to the clasp at his neck. This time she was purposeful, unclasping the serpent and watching the rich material of the cloak fall from his shoulders. Her hands moved back to his neck and set to work on the buttons of his own robes. She moved closer, tugging the buttons from their holes steadily and kissing his skin as it was exposed. His breath came in rasps as she worked, but he let her have her way.

When his own clothes lay in heaps at his feet, he pressed her back until the back of her knees felt the mattress. She sat down, and he kneeled before her to remove her shoes. Then, before rising, he rid himself of his own. Standing before her, completely naked, he took in her own pale form in the simple underthings she still wore. The chemise did nothing to conceal the dusky rose of her nipples, hardened and pressing against the silky material. The lace of her panties begged to be ripped from her body, but he forced himself to take it slow. This was her first time, and he wouldn’t scare her.

Nexi drunk in his perfect nakedness. The broad shoulders and lean body before her was exactly what she imagined. Well, except for his hardness. It was huge, would it even fit inside her, she wondered. She wasn’t frightened so much as curious. Biting her lip, she reached forward and cupped it in her hand. Lucius sighed above her as her fingers slid around him. It was so much softer than it looked, almost like velvet. She let her hand explore, learning the veins, rubbing against the spongy head which leaked a bit of fluid into her palm. Looking up into her lover’s eyes, she pulled her hand away and licked the bit of wetness from her hand, tasting a touch of saltiness.

Lucius couldn’t believe how forward she was. She’d touched him without any urging on his part, and when she’d licked his precum from her hand he’d moaned. Dear Merlin, she had no idea what she was doing to him, the wicked little witch. He took her hand, the one she just licked, and put it back on his shaft. She closed around him automatically and he closed his eyes, savoring the feel of her hand around him. He closed his own hand around hers and started sliding her hand up and down his shaft, showing her how to manipulate him. When she learned the rhythm, he moved his hand from hers and moved up her arm to her neck before dipping down and cupping her breast. His thumb teased the rigid tip of her nipple through the silk of her chemise and her fist tightened around him. Groaning, he pulled her hand from him, and kneeled on the bed beside her. He tugged the hem of her chemise up, and pulled it over her head before tossing it to the floor to join the rest of their clothes. His mouth found hers for a smoldering kiss as his fingers teased her nipples. Her back arched, pressing her breasts into his hands. His lips left hers, blazing a trail down her neck as he rushed to taste her. His lips found her breast and he took his time learning its curve before focusing his attention on the hard peak. Her breath came in gasps as his tongue flicked. He opened his mouth and suckled at her breast as his hand lavished attention on its sister.

It couldn’t get better than this, she thought, feeling his mouth kiss across her chest to continue his tasting on her other breast. His hand trailed down her stomach, smoothing the flat plane before moving lower. He cupped her sex through the lace of her panties, feeling her heat and dampness. She arched into his hand, moaning his name. His fingers found the waist, and with two flicks of his wrist he tore them from her body. He looked down at the center of her heat and couldn’t wait to taste her. Lowering his head, he felt her hands slide into his hair. He teased her silky lips with the tip of his tongue, barely tasting her offerings. Smiling at the gasps he heard from his lover above him, he slowly slid his tongue past the puffy lips and was greeted by her musky sweetness. His tongue tempted and teased her, flicking over her hard nub to focus on the source of her wetness. Her hands tightened in his hair with impatience as her hips rocked against his mouth and he answered her need by latching onto her bud, sucking and flicking until her moans turned to screams of ecstasy. Her grip on his head slackened and she fell back against the pillows, gasping for breath.

Lucius chuckled, she was every bit the tigress he’d suspected. His head tingled from her tight grip on his hair and his ears buzzed with her vocal approval. He licked his lips as he rose up on his elbows to look at the satisfied witch above him. Her hair had a wild tumbled look, her face held the sheen of sweat. Her lips were still kiss swollen and her eyes were hooded with lust. He’d never seen her more lovely.

He crawled up her body, his hardness aching with need. He stopped along the trip to kiss and nuzzle her flushed skin, tasting her breasts once more before meeting her eyes. Her hand slid along his cheek as he lowered his head to take her lips. He shared her flavor, reveling in the fact that she didn’t shrink from it, but sucked his tongue deeper into her mouth to capture more of it. Her hand moved down his body, along his chest, teasing at his waist before cupping his shaft. He broke the kiss to let out a hiss of air as her hand enclosed him, stroking his shaft with deliberate ease. He bent his forehead to her shoulder, closing his eyes to enjoy her touch.

“Lucius,” she whispered, her strokes long and steady. “I want you to take me. I want you to bury yourself deep inside of me. I need you to penetrate me.”

Her words coupled with the magic of her hand made Lucius moan. Bloody hell, she was more than a witch. He pulled back, holding his head up to hold her gaze. Her hand stayed on his shaft as she spread her legs in invitation. He lowered his hips to hers as she guided him to her opening. Her walls were tight around his head, and he didn’t feel her hand leave him so entranced with the feeling of being inside her. Her lips found his shoulder as her hands fell to his backside. Slowly, inch by inch, he entered her, feeling her walls stretch to accommodate him. He braced himself for a barrier that never came, and soon he was buried fully inside her warmth.

Nexi’s head fell back, her neck bared to his lips. His mouth met her pulse as he began thrusting. Her legs wrapped around his waist, back arching causing him to feel even deeper. The friction from his thrusts tickled against her clit and causing another orgasm to roll over her. Her walls clenched around him and her hips rolled up to his thrusts making it damn near impossible to hold back from his own orgasm. With a roar he released his seed as another wave hit Nexi. Her voice caressed his name as they lay spent and still joined.

Lucius couldn’t believe how satisfied he felt, holding Nexi’s glistening body in his arms. She rained kisses on his cheek, brow, lips, and shoulder between panting breaths. Smiles lit up both their faces as they looked into each others eyes. They kissed as Lucius shifted, rolling to his side beside Nexi. She settled in the crook of his arm and laid back looking up at the canopy of the bed. She was just drifting off when his voice stopped her.

"Onyxia O'Dwyer, I'm in love with you." He whispered into her hair.