#alectus

At first she ignored it, but then it came to apoint that his distance was physically painful. So that night when she arrivedafter another dinner date with the old creep, instead of going straight totheir bedroom, she went to his study where he had been since she left their home earlier that day.

She knocked on the door but had no response, so shewalked in only to find him staring at his work but not really doing anything. “Hey…”Alecto said softly but immediately tensed when his cold eyes meet her. She knewhe preferred when she – or anyone for the matter – didn’t go into his study,but she had this feeling that this time it wasn’t about that.

His hard gaze ranked her body and he clenched hisjawline at her wardrobe choices. He could tell she was wearing stockings, thatall he had to do was hike up her dress just a bit to meet the lacy arrangement that huggedher thighs firmly. She was even wearing the emerald necklace that matched herbig eyes. Her lips – her red lips – looked bigger with that lipstick that shewas wearing and that fortunately, it wasn’t ruined. 

Fuck she looked ravishing.

“Hey” he said seriously and looked away. “I havework to do” he said, as in letting her know that he wanted her gone.

Alecto pursed her lips and looked down at her feetfor a moment. She didn’t know what to do when this happened because it neverhappened. He was never this cold with her, even when they started dating.

“No” she said after a moment. “No, I want to talk”she said softly and took a careful step towards his desk and then another andanother until she was on the other side of it. “C’me on, sweetheart…” shesaid softly. “I know you are upset but–”

“You are doing a job for the Dark Lord, Alecto, I’mnot upset” he interrupted her. “Now, will you let mefinish here?” He said before looking away.

Alecto sighed miserably and nodded. “Right… sorry”she said quietly. She glanced at her husband one last time but then just turnedaround and walked away. She closed the door of his study and ran her fingersthrough her hair before making her way back to her bedroom, not noticing howthe door of Gus’ study opened again nor her husband’s eyes following her as sheclimbed up the stairs.

She walked into the large dressing room and took off her high heels. With a swift wave of her wand, she sent said heels totheir rightful place in the closet and then walked towards the jewelry closet.She had plenty of those: diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, pearls…

He had always been so quiet that she nearly jumpedout of her skin when she felt his fingers helping her remove her necklace. Guswas so impossibly close to her that she couldn’t help but to sigh with both reliefand excitement, it seemed like ages since they had been this close.

“How was your dinner?” He asked, his tone was lowand he was whispering in her ear. He carefully placed the necklace back on thebox and then moved her black hair to the side.

Alecto closed her eyes and let out a shaky breathas she felt his lips near her ear. “Boring” she mumbled. “I missed you…” sheadded, feeling her legs quiver as he pulled down the zipper of her dress.

“Did he kiss you?” He asked, ignoring what she saidabout missing him. His hands slowly pulled down her arms the straps of her dressfirst, revealing her lacy bra that matched her stockings.

“No” she replied as she placed her hands in one ofthe shelves, not really trusting her legs at the moment.

“Good” he said while he carefully started pullingher dress down. “Did he touch you?”

Her grip on the shelf tightened as the dress fellto the floor, making a puddle surrounding her feet. Alecto felt his handssliding down her arms as he pressed himself against her, pretty much trappingher between his body and the closet. “No” she lied. Immediately his grip on hertightened and he pressed himself more against him as in letting her know thathe knew she was lying. “Just my thigh…” she gasped, finding this incrediblyarousing. “Gus I–” she began but was quickly interrupted again.

“You.belong.to.me” he said, pausing in each word toemphasize his statement and using that low and grave tone that made her knees goweak. “Do you understand that?” He mumbled, pressing himself even more to her. “Youare mine” he said slowly so he would make himself very clear, he didn’t like toshare, and particularly he didn’t like to share her.

“Yes…” Alecto moaned quietly, her grip on the shelfgripping even more, finding this incredibly erotic.

He wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but he could also tell that she was enjoying this as well, so he pressed his body against her evenmore. “Say it” he ordered, whispering those words in her ear.

“Fuck, yes”she hissed. “I’m yours… I’m your girl, always”she mumbled incoherently before turning around, lookin desperately for hislips and kissed him hungrily. “I fucking love you” she mumbled heatedly,wrapping her arms around him and pulled him inexorably closer.

Gus shook his head and shifted slightly so he couldtake a better look at her. He didn’t know what to do, how to ease her pain, tomake her more comfortable and it bothered him more than he could let it show.He knew he wasn’t good at noticing certain things, but with Alecto it was morethan evident. “What can I do?” He asked, not sure if he should touch her or ifthat would upset her even more.

Alecto looked at him and reached for his hand. “C’mehere” she said softly, tugging from it so he could snuggle and he obeyed, beingextra careful as he wrapped an arm around her and gently pulled her closer tohim, pressing a kiss on the side of her head. “I love you” she mumbled. “AndI’m sorry I’m being really whiny lately” she sighed, reaching so she could buryher fingers on his hair.

“Alecto, you are pregnant, it’s normal for you to beuncomfortable and whiny” he said, closing his eyes as her fingers startedtwirling around his curls. “And I love you too” he added before opening hiseyes again and leaned over to press a kiss on her lips, cautiously placing hishand on her large stomach and brushed his thumb across it.

When he pulled away, he noticed her hand on his hairtightening her grip on him.  “No-uh” she mumbled, puckeringup her lips, pretty much demanding another kiss to which he complied, chucklingterribly amused by the whole scene. He kissed her again, this time lingering a bit more as he felther lips curving into another smile. When he tried to pull away again, hecouldn’t help but to laugh when he felt her grip on his hair tighten again.

“More?” He smirked, glad to see her grin.

“Mhmm” she nodded and pulled him closer.

Augustus couldn’t help but to chuckle, giving herquick but continued pecks on her lips. “I love you” he said again in betweenkisses as he pulled her a bit closer.

“I love you more” she replied instead, grinning widelyagainst his lips.

“No you don’t” he shook his head, pressing his lipsfirmly against hers.

“Yes, I–” she began but stopped abruptly, pushing himaway from her as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. “Fuck” she hissed, sitting down abruptly.

He froze and remained very still for a moment beforesitting down as well and moved closer. “Are you–?” he began but Alecto cursedagain and he immediately stood up. 

“My water just broke…” she gasped, lookingup at him, her eyes widened in shock. “She’s coming… Gus, the baby… she’scoming…” she began, the panic starting to take power of her.

Well, that was obvious, but he knew he had to remaincalm so he gently took her hands and crouched down so he could be at herheight. “I know, darling, but now I need you to stay calm and take in deepbreaths, yes?” He said, his tone soft and calm as Alecto nodded. “Okay, good”he said cupping her face and pressed a loving kiss on her forehead before hestood up and summoned everything that they needed.

Sheblamed herself, assumed that he did as well. How could she not think that he’dblame her for what had happened. He’d been locked up for so long and she’d beenoutside, with all their money, power and resources and she hadn’t even managedto see him, hadn’t managed to get any of her hundreds of letters to him. She’dgrown up being told that she couldn’t do anything right, and she felt that thisonly proved it. They had been isolated because of her.

Heblamed himself, assumed that she did as well. He hadn’t been careful enough,hadn’t toed the line as well as he had before the war, before he’d gottenconfident that Voldemort would win. He knew that his name had been given byanother Death Eater, and while he blamed that Death Eater enough to hunt himdown, most of the blame still fell at his feet. He hadn’t hidden his trackswell enough, and so he’d been taken away from the only person that had evermattered to him. They’d broken because of him.

Therewas still love. It was withered and atrophied, but still there. Like a sun-wornphotograph, the good memories were still there, though time had left its mark.Left to grow on their own instead of together, they wilted instead. Bothfrustrated by their inability to instantly bloom from the moment of theirreunion. But she lacked the confidence to try and explain it and he lacked thewords.

Slowlythey began to piece themselves back together, to reshape not the life that they’donce had, but a new life that fit the people that they were now. He held her alot more then he had, disliking the space between them. He told her that heloved her more frequently, kissed her a little longer. She reached for his handwhenever he was near, joined him in his study more often because being on theother side of a door didn’t feel right anymore and he didn’t seem to want hisown space anymore.

“Areyou happy?” He asked her one night as they lay on a bed that wasn’t theirs, inthe dungeons of their old school. Neither of them wanted to be there, but bothwere there out of loyalty.

Shedidn’t answer for a long while, just rested her head on his chest and snuggledcloser to him. “Maybe right here.” She said, squeezing his hand. He lookedaround the room and wondered what she could mean by that. The room was cold,dark and far smaller than anything that they were used to. She looked up andsaw him inspecting the room and shook her head. “No, love. Right here,” She repeated, folding their armsso their hands rested against his chest.

Helooked down and smiled at her softly. “Right here.” He repeated.

Shenodded, “The world is a little happier with you in it.”

Hesqueezed her hand and pulled her closer. Same as before, same as when they wereyounger, he was amazed that she could say such things to him and mean them.That he never questioned her because her conviction was always unwavering. “Idon’t know what I’d do without you.” He said quietly, pressing his lips to theside of her head. “I love you, darling.”