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Chapter 11 - The Morning After

Roger Nelson ran the green grocer's shop in Hogsmeade, it wasn't a large business, but the demand for fresh produce from the village and the nearby school kept him busy year round. His wife, Ruth did the magic with the accounts and his thirteen year old daughter Jenny and nine year old Kyle helped where and when they could. He had just returned from a successful buying trip in the closest muggle town when he saw a young man in a dark cloak waiting by the cash register. When the pale haired boy with the pinched face drawled that his business needed protection from those who would harm it and its employees Robert had, at first laughed. Then when he realized that this punk was some kind of a junior death eater he got angry and threw the snarling pup out the door. The next morning he woke to find himself, his wife and son and daughter bound to stone pillars in a huge cavern facing a throne made of human bones.

Morning broke late that Saturday and Harry couldn't help but notice that for the first time in his life he was not waking up alone. He liked that part. Part of him liked that immensely. Wonderful word, 'immense,' that was how Marietta had described him, "bigger than life," she had said before snuggling in for a long morning's nap.

He wanted to kiss her and nuzzle her and wake her in the best way possible when the little voice in his head said 'loo.' He got up carefully so as not to disturb 'Marie' and relieved himself. While he was in the little room he thought that it would good if he brushed his teeth and rinsed his mouth out with mouthwash then whisked the morning stubble off his chin with his wand.

He carefully crawled back into bed and spooned against his lover's back, she cooed and snuggled her shapely bum against him in such a way that she could not help but notice that he was awake and ready to continue from where they left off the night before, or rather earlier that morning.

"Hmmm, shaved."

She kissed him deeply, "no morning breath."

Rolling onto her back she held his head in both her hands and asked, "all right, who's she?"

"Who's who?"

"The woman, it as' t' be a woman, who is coaching you on how t' be the perfect lover."

"Um, that would be Marietta Edgecombe?"

"Nice try, but I'm not goin' for it."

Harry stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and looked at her with eyes as deep as wells.

"Marie, you are the first woman I've ever made love to and the first I've ever spent the night with. This I vo-" Marietta stopped him form performing a magical vow by kissing him deeply.

"If what you say is true, then you are a natural amoureux."

"Is that like a 'man-slag' thing?"

"Well," she said with an evil smirk, "it could be, but I think in your case I'm just going t' keep you in an ivory tower and keep you t' meself!"

"Then I'll grow my hair really long and change my name to Rapunzel."

They both laughed at this and kissed tenderly, without the urgency of the previous encounters. As Harry started kissing the juncture of her neck and shoulder Marietta pulled away and said, "oh no you don't, you got up and 'freshened up' for me now I have to do the same, b'sides, I think I'm sloshing from all our 'activities' earlier this morning."

As she padded off to the loo Harry admired her upside-down heart shaped derriere. He hopped out of bed, cast a scourgify and drying charm on the sheets, made up the bed, pulling one side of the sheet and comforter then conjuring a rose to place on the pillow. A scented votive candle completed the picture. He then joined Marietta in the tiny shower where they proved that two could shower as cheaply as one as long as the two were very, very close.

Harry left Marietta in the tiny shower after a long wet snogging session so that she could wash her hair; he was waiting for her wearing a deep green towel wrapped around his waist holding out a large, soft, fluffy towel of the same color that he used to embrace her as she exited the stall.

"Oh Harry, if word gets around about how attentive you are, in and out of bed, I'm going to have to invest in a beater's bat."

"To keep me in line?"

"No luv, t'keep the others away from me man!"

"Oh so you're claiming me then?"

"Well, if it's all right, that is. . ."

Harry spun her around and kissed her completely.

"No one has ever wanted me or made me feel as beloved as you do right now Marie; of course you have a claim on me, for as long as you'll have me."

With a look of almost grim determination Marietta pulled Harry into the bedroom and stopped.

"D' you have a house elf here?"

"No."

"Then the clean sheets, the rose an' the candle?"

"All my work, I wanted to try to show how I feel about you, about us really."

With a husky "c'mere you" Marietta loosened Harry's terrycloth skirt and used the ends to pull him to herself. As they kissed his magic fingers loosened the towel to release her from her terrycloth wrap and they came together for the first of many times that day.

Bellatrix smiled, she knew her suggestions would cement Harry's reputation as a consummate and accomplished lover and that was a good thing for a young man to enjoy. Goddess knows she could count the number of really good lovers on the fingers of one hand, of course, Harry was one of those.

Her musings were interrupted by an anguished shriek coming from the throne chamber. Oh Hecate, did those animals never get their fill of rape and murder? She hurried to the chamber to see if she could forestall the 'revelry' and perhaps affect an escape for herself and the latest victims.

As she entered the chamber her heart sank, a family of four was bound to the limestone columns that supported the cavern's ceiling: husband, wife a young teenage daughter and a school age son, maybe eight or nine. Bellatrix registered that these were the Nelsons, and that Jenny was a rising third year Ravenclaw. That information must have come from her link with Harry. She shuddered to think of all the uses that the children were about to be put to while the parents could only watch in anguish and despair.

As the death eaters began to assemble Bellatrix devised a plan, it was risky but it was the best she could do on a moments notice. She wrote a quick note on a piece of parchment, then put a 'portus' spell on one of her jade bracelets. Wrapping the bracelet in the parchment she slinked over to the parents, both of whom cringed at her approach.

"You know who I am?"

They both nodded, from her reputation they both knew there was no mercy to be found here. Bellatrix took comfort in the confirmation that they were a wizarding family and would know about portkeys.

She vamped over to the husband, Roger, and placed both hands on his chest before leaning forward to place her cheek on his.

"I am not who they think I am" she whispered to him, "do not give me away and I can help you."

Roger looked shocked, which was what Bellatrix was hoping for.

She moved over to the wife. The two women looked into each other's eyes and Ruth Nelson saw compassion in the eyes of her captor. Bellatrix caressed the woman's cheek and continued down her arm and side and palmed the parchment and bracelet into the back of the woman's trousers.

Bellatrix then glided over to the two children and told them softly that if they loved their mum and dad they would do exactly what they told them to.

She then went to the throne and knelt before Voldemort.

"My lord?"

"Yes Bellatrix?"

"I do not wish to deprive your followers of their revelry but an accidental discharge of magic could ruin our 'developing' plan."

"Do you wish to leave?"

"No m'lord, but if the 'entertainment' could take place in the lower chambers, perhaps you could make some sport; a hunt in the caverns below? Some of our new associates haven't yet proven themselves in battle. You could even allow the quarry their wands? Or not, it will be, of course, as you command."

Bellatrix knew that Voldemort would like this idea. No one could escape from his stronghold and even if anyone in the family eluded capture, they would inevitably capture at least one of them and as the tortures began the others would beg to be allowed to take the captives place. People who loved others were stupid that way.

"It will be as you say my faithful one, Malfoy," he called out "take the prisoners below, take their wands with you and await my orders."

Draco bowed and moved to the prisoners. He released the ropes binding them to the columns but left their hand tied behind them as he led the family of four to their execution grounds.

"With your permission, m'lord," Bellatrix waited for his snakeyness to nod and then withdrew.

Rather than turn right into her chambers she went straight into the corridor leading to the lower caverns. When she arrived she saw a rather one sided scuffle as all four Nelsons were kicking the already unconscious prone form of Draco Malfoy.

Bellatrix stifled a laugh. This was too priceless.

"Let me guess," Bellatrix smirked and the four Nelsons were frozen in fear of her, "my nephew probably got a little too familiar with, Jenny is it, and got his bullocks handed to him, am I right?"

The Nelsons didn't know whether to flee or to fight. Bellatrix sighed, and placed her wand on the floor beside her, then walked up to the group and kicked Draco in the head for good measure.

"If you'll just turn around then I can get you free, it would be easier with my wand but you don't seem sanguine with the idea of me having one."

With some difficulty she undid the knot on Roger's wrists first. As soon as he was free he snatched his own wand from the floor where Draco had dropped it and pointed it at Bellatrix.

"I think you would be better off using that thing to free your family, don't you?"

Never taking his eyes off Bellatrix he moved over to his wife and loosened her bonds, Ruth Nelson picked up her wand but didn't point it at Bellatrix.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"Because I'm not who the death nibblers think I am. Now where's the parchment I gave you?"

Ruth reached into her trousers and pulled out the parchment and bracelet.

The note read "Portkey to Diagon Alley go to white stalagmite, all four touch and go."

"I know it's not very eloquent, but I only had a few seconds to write it and make the portkey. There are anti apparition and anti portkey wards all over this place, but for some reason they don't work around that particular stalagmite for about an arm's length around."

"Why should we believe you?" Roger growled.

"Look, you have your wands you are free to go, you can either go back through the throne room or you can go straight to the Alley; your choice, goodbye." With that Bellatrix turned around and started to leave.

"Wait," Kyle asked "can't you come with us?"

"I'd like nothing better, but if I show up in the middle of Diagon Alley they will hex first and ask questions later, no I have to have somewhere else to go first, but not to worry, I'm not long for this place that's for certain. Now go, quickly!"

As Bellatrix hurried back to her quarters she heard the whirlwind sound of a portkey being activated.