DESPERATE MERASURES

CHAPTER ONE

Beginnings

AN: I don't own Harry Potter. This is just for fun not profit yadda yadda yadda. Karkaroff is a very interesting but in my opinion underwritten character. I had fun including him in Second Chances, another fanfic of mine and decided he needed a fanfic of his own. So I serve him up to you, with a side of Lucius, a sprinkling of Severus, and a dash of smut.

This will be AU. Set in the Marauders era and after the first (and in this world final) fall of Voldemort. This story will be a little darker than Second Chances—that's your warning Hope you are up for it. Enjoy, and please be so kind as to leave your thoughts.

"I love you." Lucius would always tell Natalia, he loved her after their encounters. Given the nature of their relationship, she found it odd, but in that moment, and for long moments afterwards, he meant it. Eventually however the feeling would pass, and he would come to his senses. This always made her just a little bit sad, for she liked who he was in those moments as he pressed against her, catching his breath, and nuzzling her neck. She wondered what was his true self, the loving person who professed his love, or the monster that led her into her nightmare.

That nightmare was the memory she most wanted to forget, but was forever burned into her mind like the dark mark that eventually burned his forearm, shameful, fading, but always there. It was their private, sinister connection.

Natalia was shopping alone in Diagon Alley a few days prior to the start of her fourth year at Hogwarts. She worked all summer cleaning after hours in some of the office buildings around the orphanage that was her home. It was distasteful to have to go back to that dismal place every year after Hogwarts, but that was her lot. Knowing that all her housemates, save Severus, were having wonderful summers with their families, made it all the more miserable. The coddled children of the wealthy would go on lavish holidays, and attend elegant parties at each other's estates. They would attend professional quidditch matches, and rub elbows with the well to do. Then when they returned to school she would have to hear all about it. Being poor wouldn't have been half as bad if she didn't have to listen to those prats.

She managed to save just enough money for school supplies, as long as she bought her books second hand. Tuition would be earned through a work-study program. Slughorn had agreed to take her on as a teaching assistant, and her other duty would be to assist the gamekeeper with the animals. Not glamorous work by any stretch of the imagination but they were good opportunities to learn and she was grateful for them. She was so worried about not being able to come back because of the money. Magical education was her only hope to make something of herself.

Diagon Alley was not particularly crowded that day, it was the day before students were to catch the train to Hogwarts, and most people had done all their shopping long before now. The sun was glistening on the damp cobblestones and she could hear music coming from one of the local pubs, Rikki Don't Lose that Number, by Steely Dan. Their music always put her in a good mood, and so she walked with a little spring in her step.

Since she would be spending her own money this year, she waited until the very last to shop and hoped for some sales. Her first stop was Gringotts to exchange the muggle currency for galleons. Then she was off to purchase books. She had no idea what would happen between Gringotts and the bookstore, but it was something that would haunt her for years.

She took a long time selecting her second hand books, looking hard at the prices to see if she could squeeze out enough money for a few extras, but it was not to be. She waited until there was no one else near the register before taking her books to the counter to pay for them. The woman behind the counter totaled the purchase, which came to $200 galleons. Natalia breathed a sigh of relief as she had just enough money. However, when she reached into her bag she couldn't find it. Not good. Frantically, she rummaged through the bag, the side pockets, the bottom, even feeling for holes, but it was gone. The fruits of an entire summer of work, had vanished. In desperation, she walked back through the store retracing her steps, while the annoyed clerk waited for her. She was breathing hard and beginning to panic. Tears were burning her eyes, and about to start rolling down her cheeks.

"Is there a problem?" The oily voice of Lucius Malfoy purred right behind her and a little too close.

And this began her nightmare. The most respected, and not to mention, arrogant boy in Slytherin, and here he was to see her at her lowest point. Explaining this problem to him would be unthinkable.

Natalia was so humiliated she couldn't even turn to face him. "No. No problem." She tried to get away from him and approached the counter again, retracing her steps a second time.

"Did you find your money yet?" The clerk was getting even more agitated, and she wanted to hex her for airing her dirty laundry in front of Lucius.

"Having trouble keeping track of our funds?" He raised his eyebrow while steel blue orbs, eyed her up and down. "How much is the bill?"

"Two hundred galleons." The clerk barked at him.

Once again he cast an appraising look in her direction. Then he shrugged, and reached into the pocket of his elegantly and perfectly tailored trousers. He pulled out a rather sizable money pouch, and carelessly tossed the money on the counter. Natalia couldn't believe her eyes. No one had ever done such a kind thing for her before, and here was Lucius Malfoy, the boy that everyone in our house admired, helping her. She felt special.

"Thank you. Lucius, that was so terribly kind." She positively gushed. When she later recalled this, it would make her ill to think of how naïve she was, like a lamb being led to the slaughter. The clerk bagged her purchase and handed it to her as she continued to smile demurely at Lucius.

He leaned in closely, so close she could smell his cologne, and a wisp of his blonde hair tickled her cheek. He whispered. "Come with me." His voice was so smooth it sounded like Parseltongue, and taking her hand, he gently led her out of the store. Foolishly, she was initially flattered by the attention. Natalia was a plain girl, too thin with short dark hair, but not so dark as to be striking. No one ever looked twice at her, so she understood nothing of such things. She thought he was flirting with her.

He led her to the shadowy alley behind the store. He reached down and took her bag, tossing it aside carelessly. Then he pushed her gently until her back was against the wall. One of his hands snaked behind her lower back, then he leaned against her and a little groan escaped him. Natalia's heart was pounding like a drum. She was sure he could feel it against his chest. She was never so terrified in her life. Much to her shock, he grazed his hips back and forth against hers. "You have a tight little body Natalia. But you know that don't you?"

Natalia did not respond, hoping that was a rhetorical question, but he was relentless, and asked again.

"Don't you? Answer me you little tease."

"Yes." She squeaked, hoping that was the right answer and hoping he would stop. As good looking as she'd always thought he was, this was a nightmarish predicament that she felt powerless to stop. His lips descended on hers, and now his weight was crushing against her, pushing her harder into the wall. Harder still, he ground his hips against hers.

Too afraid to struggle, too afraid to scream, she shut her eyes and hoped it would be over soon. He grunted as he rubbed his hips back and forth and now she could feel his hard length against her. Fear and humiliation won out over her pride, and she began to cry. How could this be happening to her? Having no protectors, she'd always drabbed her appearance down for precisely this reason. She was afraid of what he would do to her if she cried, so she tried to choke back the tears. He heard her and abruptly ceased his gyrations.

"What's the matter?" He said matter of factly. "Don't you like this?" What an idiotic thing to say. Where there women that actually like being molested against their will in an ally? Natalia didn't know any.

Again she was fearful of giving the wrong answer. He was not a person to be trifled with. She'd seen enough of him to know he was arrogant and vindictive if his vanity was offended. She stammered, looking for a way out.

"Oh," he purred, his tone softening, "You're a virgin aren't you?" He was hissing like a serpent. "Never been kissed either I'll wager."

She shook her head no, while pressing her lips into a tight line and staring hard at the ground.

He placed a well-manicured hand under her chin and pulled her face to meet his gaze. "I won't harm you." His seductive voice seemed made to tempt women. She couldn't think of a way out. "I'm a virgin too. I'll remain that way until marriage to keep our bloodline pristine. But I'm 16 years old and I have…needs. If I'm…nice to you, you could be…nice to me. You understand, don't you?"

No! Hell no! Her head was screaming, but she nodded in agreement.

"You'll need funds throughout the year to replenish supplies and such. Let me have some moments with you like this, and I can help you with that." Natalia didn't answer. One moment like this was enough for her. "Don't even think of refusing me. If word of today got out, you'd be expelled."

At the time she was a scared 14 year-old orphan girl and he was the Slytherin prefect from a wealthy family. She looked up to him and thought he was right. This would have looked very bad, and who would believe her over him? So she gave her answer.

"Okay." How she hated herself in that moment.

"Good girl." He planted one last slimy kiss on her lips and left the alley without so much as a backward glance at the wreckage he'd left behind. She spit his saliva out onto the ground and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. Then she gathered her things and began to make her way home. More than anything she wanted to take a shower.