Lucius Malfoy gave his wand a harsh wave and cast the cruciatus curse at Severus Snape. He shut his eyes, ready to take the pain and gave a small shout when it made contact with him. Arabella felt herself shivering as she hid in the closet of their bedroom.

"Where are you, Arabella? Come out and show yourself or Severus will continue being punished!" Malfoy yelled.

She bit her lip and put a hand to her belly, where her baby lived. Quietly, she opened the closet door and stepped outside. "Leave him alone, Lucius."

Lucius raised an eyebrow and kicked Severus in the stomach as he lay on the floor. Arabella cringed at that, but kept her head held high.

"Why are you doing this?"

Lucius scoffed. "Severus was a double agent for Dumbledore. He never told me, his trusted friend, anything of it, and I have been risking my own son for this entire scheme they've kept hidden. That sounds a little selfish, doesn't it?"

Arabella lowered her eyes. "Lucius...please, leave him be. This will fix nothing."

He gritted his teeth and noticed her belly. "What a father he'll be. I can only imagine how that will affect the family. But, nevertheless, I shall take my leave. I suggest you stay away from him, Arabella. The Death Eaters will hunt him down and kill him if they find out he survived the battle. They will use anyone they can to get to him. I'd hate to see you fall victim of their wrath."

He gave Snape another cold sneer and apparated out of the house. Arabella hurried to Snape's side and cupped the side of his face. "Breathe...he's gone. You must relax."

"I'm sorry...for all of it," he groaned as he tried to sit up.

She shook her head. "You did everything you could to make sure Dumbledore's wishes were fulfilled. Harry is safe and I love you."

He finally sat up and gave a deep sigh. Her hand slid into his and he hung his head. "Lucius is right. You must stay away from me."

"Don't think about what Lucius said. He's just-"

Snape gave her a small glance. "Afraid? I am afraid as well. You must raise the child on your own. I cannot be there or the Death Eaters will return and harm anyone related to me."

She felt her heart beating faster as he got up to his feet. He ran a hand through his dark hair and held his injured arm. She felt his dark glance and tried to think quickly. "Severus...you cannot leave me alone like this. Do you hear me?!"

Her voice cracked as tears filled her eyes. He looked into her dark blue eyes and sighed. "We're never too far apart. I will always be there to protect you. You must understand."

"I don't! You hear me? I won't let you do this...Severus!"

His hands shook as he held her face in his hands. Slowly and shyly, he leaned in and pressed his lips onto hers. She cupped the side of his face and let a few tears fall. He pulled away and lowered his eyes. "I will call...whenever I can."

He apparated and Arabella stood alone. Several years later, Severus only called once. He sent her an owl a few months ago saying he was coming back. She had raised their son on her own. His name was Markus. He was starting his third year at Hogwarts and was filled with excitement.

He had never met his father, but he understood why he had left them. His father was a bit of a legend in their world. Arabella was asked about him for years, but was left alone over the past few years. She heard a knock at the door of the house and held her breath. Quickly, she hurried to the door and reached for the knob. Slowly, she turned it and opened the door.

Severus Snape had aged a bit over the years, but he was still the handsomest man she had ever seen. His hair curtained the sides of his face, as usual, and his dark eyes brightened when he saw her. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him and gave a small sob. He gently hugged her back and held his breath as he held onto her tightly. Markus heard the ruckus and hurried to the front door where his parents stood.

His eyes widened and gasped. Arabella turned and Severus glanced at the 13 year old staring at them. He rushed over to them and looked up at his father.

"Dad..?"

Snape knelt down and examined the boy's face. He had his nose, eyes, and pale skin. His facial structure, however, was the same as his mother's. His hair was dark like his parents too. "Markus..."

Markus wrapped his arms around his father and Arabella hugged herself. Snape held the boy tightly and glanced at Arabella as she smiled softly. "We were going to go out to Diagon Alley and buy his supplies for school."

"Yeah, I'll be a third year!" Markus said as he let go of Snape.

"A third year? I've been gone a long time."

"Markus and I will be go and be back in a few minutes. Can you handle it?" Arabella asked.

"I'll be alright."

She took Markus' hand as he pulled his coat on. They apparated away, leaving Snape alone in the house.