Forever more my Lioness

Chapter 5

"Can I write Harry now?" She asked after the interviewer had left the room. Her voice was soft and sounded full of despair.

Yes Miss Granger... Your behavior was exemplary during the interview so I will grant you that luxury. A quill and parchment floated towards her. Voldemort returned to her side drinking from a tumbler of firewhiskey looking over her shoulder.

"Invite your friends to our wedding. I've given you my vow that they are not in danger from me. As long as they behave, so will I..." he says, with a kiss to her temple.

My dearest friend Harry,

   I'm sure by now you have noticed by absence. And tomorrow's paper will be full of lies. But I'm comforted by the fact that you know me well enough that I never betrayed you and you would come to the conclusion that it was concocted by Voldemort himself.
   There is one glimmer of hope in all this, he's made an unbreakable vow that he won't kill you or hurt you so long as you don't go after him. The same applies to the rest of our friends and family. In exchange he requires my hand in marriage... I've made a vow that I will do so. So there is no use in making plans for my rescue as it would kill me if I don't honor my side of the agreement. If you can be brave enough to sacrifice yourself for the greater good... Then so can I. I love you Harry. Tell Ronald I love him too. Talk to my parents for me will you?
 
  He told me to invite you and my friends to the wedding and that you guys won't be in any danger and under his protection as long as you don't interrupt. Please Harry, come... I want to say goodbye to you as I'm sure I won't see you again. Please invite Ronald, Ginny, Professor Mcgonagall, and Professor Lupin. I would like the chance to say goodbye to them as well. I love you all. I have to go now. My husband to-be (SF) wanted me to make this short.

          With Love,
      Hermione Granger

Hermione rolled up the letter and tied it to the waiting owl. The owl fluttered its giant wings and took flight out the window. How she longed to do the same. To escape... Instead she was caged in with the most deadly snake to ever exist.

"SF? I have to ask dear, what did you mean by that? I know that it wasn't code because you would not put it out so openly. So what is it?" The scent of firewhiskey was heavy in his breath.

" Snake Face." She stated in monotone. Waiting for the backlash and anger she expected to follow.

A dark oppressive laughter filled the room and it chilled her to the bone.

"You are a naughty little lioness... Oh is this your way of begging? Hmm... I could show you what being naughty will earn you right now. You will love it. Especially after what I saw in that little mind of yours... I know you will." Voldemort downed the rest of his glass, and promptly threw back another.

His form was looming over her. Hermione shivered both from the threat looming in the air and the smell of firewhiskey fuming from his mouth. She said nothing but reached for the bottle of firewhiskey. His hairless eyebrow quirked and he levitated the bottle to her along with the glass. She only took the bottle leaving the glass dangling in the air, which earned another eyebrow raise.
She took a deep swig of the potent beverage and grimaced, forcing herself to take in more of the alcohol.
Hermione looked up at him and handed him the bottle.

"You're going to hurt me at some point. At multiple points I'm guessing. I don't have to be sober for it." She drawled. Feeling the alcohol course through her veins and a buzz starting to wash over her.

"You're right my little wit-" he was cut off.

"And I'm not little. I'm within normal range for a female. Maybe an inch or two shorter at 5'1, but you on the other hand are a behemoth of man er... snake. Snake man. Ooh! Snake face!" She dissolves into a fit of giggles.

Voldemort lunges for her and grabbing her and sit back down. He looks deep in her eyes and sees a thick fog of alcohol clouding around her mind. Oh the little witch is drunk... this could be amusing.

"You're holding me too tight! Why are you so snake-like! You're going to squeeze the life out of me!" She struggles against his arms. He relaxes his hold on her, studying her face and reading her surface thoughts. Voldemort leans over to grab the bottle and puts it to her lips and without needing any coaxing she swallows a mouthful.

" I'm going to be Mrs. Voldemort... Mrs. He-who-shall-not-be-named..." Hermione used a playful ominous voice and poked him in the chest.

" Yes Miss Granger... is there a reason you so daringly poke the giant snake man you think is so scary? Snakes have a tendency to strike you know... I would be careful if I were you." He played along in her teases.

She was now staring at him and started to move in his lap again. He assumed she was going to try to escape his grasp again so he tightened his grip only for her to change positions to straddling him. One hand rested on his shoulder and the other wandered to his jaw stroking it curiously.

"You don't have snake fangs... I'm thankful for that" her hand moving to his cheek. " and your skin is completely devoid of scales, which I'm also happy about. But you're skin is much colder. Is that typical for you?"

Voldemort was somewhat unsure of her reasoning for this inspection of his features. But she wasn't being outwardly rude or hostile so he decided to see where this would lead.

" it's cold darling... I'm not cold-blooded if that what you were thinking." He unfastened her robe leaving her in the knee length dress. " see? Without your robe don't you feel the chill?" His hands raised to run along her arms.

"I'm straddling Voldemort..." She giggled again.

" You will do much more than just straddle Lord Voldemort soon my Hermione..."

She was now biting her lip and a blush creeped to her cheeks. " I won't be any good you know. I don't... I can't... I'm not sure how to.. uh..."

" I'm aware that your virtue is still in tact and that you are ignorant in the knowledge of intimacy Miss Granger." He paused. "I feel as though I should inform you that I prefer it that way... You'll learn how to please me in time... and, even though you doubt you could feel pleasure with me, you will feel it. I assure you."

" You've been.. Almost kind to me so far. Why?" She asked while tracing the lines where his nose should be.

Voldemort sighed and snatched her hand away from playing with his nose. "Should I not behave amicably towards my future wife?"

Hermione yawned feeling the alcohol drain the energy from her body. "I suppose so... I just expected torture, or rape, or I don't know. Not this." She gestured to their current state. "I never thought I would be drinking firewhiskey with the Dark Lord."

"I think it's time for you to go to bed my little dove..."

"But I'm barely even tired..."

"Trust that I know best dear." Voldemort insisted.

"You like to kill people... and you're forcing me into marrying you. You can't always know what's best." Hermione's eyes were beginning to flutter closed.

"Would marrying me really be so dreadful?" He questioned, quirking a smile.

"The worst..." Hermione assured.

"Shhh... Sleep now." The Dark Lord said bemused. He tapped her on the forehead and she fell into a deep sleep. Carrying her bridal style into her room, he laid her on the bed and magically dressed her for bed in a pink silk nightgown that was rose to mid thigh. No one has ever spoke to me so bluntly as this little Gryffindor... I suppose there is a reason she was placed in that house.

With that thought still lingering in his mind, he left her chambers and went to attend his Death Eaters meeting. He needed to check the status of his plot against Dumbledore and inform them of Harry Potters new status as an untouchable. Today's events were more than unexpected, but he couldn't say they were disappointing. Perhaps marriage to Miss Granger wouldn't be so burdensome after all.