Severus stood facing out of the window and stared out at the moon drenched city watching as a few lonely souls crossed the streets, avoiding each other at all costs. He felt very much like those street urchins at that moment. Lost and alone, yearning for human contact, but without the nerve to seek it out.

His breath caught in his throat as a pair of warm, slender arms wrapped around his waist. He closed his eyes as he felt a soft, feminine body press up against his back and hold him tightly.

"I don't want us to end like this, Severus," The voice said softly, "I don't want to lose you."

Severus sighed and opened his eyes, keeping his gaze out on the city. He was determined not to look at her. His heartbeat quickened as he felt her hold him tighter, resting her cheek against his back.

"In all my life I have never had anyone I could really talk to… someone I could open up to like I do with you," She continued, "And I don't want that to go away." She paused, waiting a response.

"Won't you say anything?" She finally asked, her voice pleading.

"What would you have me say?" Severus said curtly, "We have been over this. My decision has not changed. I am joining Lucius and Tristessa. They need me."

"And what about me?" she asked, her voice sounding more stern, "You don't think I need you?"

"I offered you to come with me," Severus said, "The Dark Lord would…"

"You want me to serve some madman? Some sadist?" she said angrily.

With those words spoken Severus turned to her, rage in his eyes. For the first time that evening his own dark black eyes met the girl's steely blue. He noted how she had left her long dirty blonde hair down, something she rarely did as she always had it pinned up in a messy bun or, more often, two plaited braids. Her own eyes were filled with both anger and desperation, leaving her to look both passionate and innocent. Standing almost a foot shorter than him - at that moment - he had never seen her more beautiful.

"The Dark Lord is not a madman," Severus said, his voice softer than he had originally intended, "He seeks to bring order to the wizarding world. Lucius has explained this all to me and so has the Dark Lord himself during the few meetings I have attended. He is looking for recruits to help him correct some horrible mistakes and injustices that have been carried out over the years."

"Severus," She said, stepping closer to him, "I have heard Lucius speak of this 'Voldemort' and I have heard others speak of him. They say his intentions are not as noble as they seem."

"Pet," Severus said placing his hands on her shoulders, gently gliding them upward so his large, long-fingered hands engulfed her small, heart shaped face, "He is not as evil as they say."

A single tear escaped the girl's eye and gently rolled down her cheek. Severus smiled lightly and leaned forward to kiss it away. As his lips came in contact with her own soft skin the girl could hold back no longer. The tears spilled from her eyes like a waterfall and she crumpled against him. Severus caught her in his strong arms, pulling her frail form to his own. He kissed the top of her head gently as she sobbed into his chest.

"Please Severus," Lana said between sobs, "Please don't do this. Don't leave me. I can't lose you too."

"You're not going to lose me, Pet," he said with softly, "I promise."

Lana held onto him tighter. "I love you." she said in a barely audible whisper.

"I love you," Severus said, again placing an almost fatherly kiss atop her head, "And I always will…"

Severus woke up and sat upright, startled by his surroundings. It took him a moment to recognize the familiar green bed curtains and the surrounding room he occupied at Hogwarts. He breathed heavily, his mind still racing, filled with her. The way she looked, the way she felt - Severus could almost swear he smelled her soft lilac perfume in the air around him. But it was impossible. It was simply a dream.

He stood and crossed over to his armoire glancing at the mirror on its side. Gone was the young man in his dream. All that remained was Professor Severus Snape - Hogwarts potion master and ex death eater. He stared at his reflection, reveling in how much his face had changed over the years. He sighed and brought his fingers to his temples and rubbed them gently.

Why couldn't he stop dreaming of her. It had been nearly 10 years since he last saw her, yet his night time world was filled with nothing but her. He was only thankful that this dream was one of the better, less dismal ones.

Severus returned to his bed and laid down, his heart still beating quickly, but not nearly as fiercely as before. He had been teaching here at Hogwarts for almost 20 years, yet every time he dreamed of her and the life he once had he had awoken to feel as though this place was the dream and not her.

Severus closed his eyes and rested knowing that tomorrow would be a long and arduous day that he would need every ounce of his strength to Face. Severus pulled his blanket over his body, anxious to fall back asleep in hopes that this time, while he dreamt of having her in his arms, he would not awaken.