In the dark
It was evening, maybe already night, but even if it were midday it wouldn't have been much different, not at Malfoy Manor, Lord Voldemort's new general quarter, not during one of the death eaters's meeting. It didn't matter much if now the meeting was over, or if everybody felt like it would have been one of the last ones: all that Narcissa Malfoy saw around her was total darkness and, despite the control she tried to keep, she perfectly knew that it was just the start. Of the end.
"You can't carry on like this" it was just a whisper in that dark; it was too close to her ear and too far from other people's ones; they were leaving to serve the Dark Lord, Lucius included, anyway.
"I have to, it's not like I have another choice" she answered bitterly, not daring to turn the head and just closing slightly her eyes to hold the tears already forming in her eyes.
Severus Snape remained to look at her for some moments, then he grabbed softly but firmly her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him. And there was silence then, and then again darkness, darkness in his dark eyes that seemed to reveal a certain light though. But that light wasn't and couldn't be hope. Maybe it was more similar to despair.
"Yes, you have instead… Take Draco and runaway…" he suggested eventually, still looking at her in the eyes.
"It's impossible…" she murmured bending her head, while the tears were silently falling down her cheeks now.
And it was really impossible. She had been left alone and, until she could have saved her son, she honestly didn't care about the war, or about betraying her husband and her sister; maybe, quite the contrary, she never really cared about the two things since the beginning. Nevertheless, trying to escape, without a destination, would have actually been a suicide.
"I could help…" Severus simply said, letting her go but not looking away from her.
An ironic smile appeared now on Narcissa's lips. She knew everything: she had always known about Severus's love for Harry Potter's mother and she had always believed, maybe eve hoped, that he was working for Dumbledore… But what difference would it have made, after all? She had never trusted the late headmaster of Hogwarts, she didn't trust the dark Lord, she trusted him and only him; she trusted Severus because she knew everything and he knew that she knew, even if they never talked openly about that.
"You can't save everyone, Severus!" she exclaimed with sudden annoyment and sharpness in her voice. And it was the strange voice of jealousy to speak, to accuse the only man that was helping her just because he never realized that, while he was sacrificing his life in Lily Evans Potter's name, she was there loving him in the dark.
The witch waited for a while, then, not obtaining any answe, made a move to the door.
"I only care about saving you, Narcissa!" the teacher suddenly exclaimed, stopping her before she could leave "… And Draco" he added then, looking away from her eyes which were now again looking in his direction.
He had admitted that in the end. He cared about her, of course not how much she did for him, but from Severus Snape that was more than enough… Or maybe not enough yet, but words weren't what she was looking for now. She moved some steps toward him until they were face to face, then she slowly raised a hand and with slight hesitation caressed his cheek, but Severus, even if he instantly froze at that unexpected touch, didn't stop her; on the contrary he looked up to see her again.
"It's almost over…" he said with an unnatural calmness, a calmness that could derive only from a sudden vulnerability and pure resignation.
"It's almost over…" she repeated, as to realize that herself, while the tears kept on falling from her gray eyes "It's almost over…" said again, this time almost as a plea, letting their lips meet, searching for a more intimate contact.
This time Severus not only didn't back away, but he kissed her back expressing all the despair she had previously seen in his eyes. And there wasn't only despair, there was also something else, but it would have been silly to ask what it was in that moment. What was certain was that it must have been some kind of magic without magic, a spell soon broken by a figure outside the window. Severus separated quickly from her and took the wand, enlighting the suspected point.
"What is it?" she asked when seeing him putting the potential weapon down after some moments.
"Just a fox" he answered, while she couldn't help but chuckle "What's so funny?" he asked therefore, surprised by that strange reaction, especially since he had never seen her laugh before.
"There was a fox even the day I came with Bellatrix at Spinner's End…" she explained smling sincerely at the memory. Yes, the memory of that day was now making her smile, because that was the day Severus had completely gained her trust, her respect and also her love.
Snape hinted a smile as well and this time he was the one to kiss her with a sweetness he didn't know to have in himself, not at least for a woman that wasn't his first love. But if Lily had been his first love, Narcissa would have been the last one, in that last meeting in that last night, the night when both of them made for the first time in their lives love.
A love that had no witnesses. Except for a fox. In the dark.
First, and so far only, attempt to write about this ship. I hope you like it :)