Hello everybody, I'm sorry, I know I haven't been updating lately (neither reading... uu') I don't have as much free time as I thought between my summer job and the classes I teach... that mixed with a period of author-blocking makes me useless as a writter... but I am back with a few new chapters that I'll try to be posting this week.

I hope you enjoy this ;-)

Still at your side

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Chapter - 2

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MM-POV

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When I came back to our private rooms I expected to find Severus either sleeping or gone to one of his secret escapes one more time... what I had never expect was to find him packing a suitcase.

"Am I back too early?" I startled him and he turned around.

"Minerva... I..."

"Don't try to explain... as good as your reasons can seem to you, I don't think they will be good enough to convince me that this is the only solution... So if you are really leaving for good, please, do it quickly, I don't like goodbyes..." For a moment he turned back to his suitcase and I thought he wasn't going to say anything else but he then sat at the edge of the bed and looked at me.

"Won't you try to stop me?" he wondered.

"Stop you? Why should I do that? If you want to leave, you are free to cross that door and disappear... but once you do it, don't ever dare coming back because I will be too mad at you to forgive..."

"You don't understand... I am doing this to protect Ross and you..."

"First you lie to me, now you are running away... you have a very peculiar way to protect the people you love, Severus..."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean you have been spying on the Dark Lord for the Order again at my back!" I yelled not thinking that Ross was sleeping and he began to cry.

"You knew?" he asked while I picked the baby up.

"I wasn't sure, but... I was worried, so I went to Dumbledore tonight to ask if I was right..." I said, more calmed.

"You said you were going to play chess..."

"I guess you're not the only one who lies around here..." I said in a tone I later regretted.

"I'm sorry" he said after a silence, and I know he meant it, but I didn't want to hear any apologize... "I'm really sorry, I was trying to protect both of you from..."

"From what, Severus? From the world? Things are bad... and they'll get worse... a new war could start up at any time and you won't be always here to protect us..."

"But I do can protect you now..." he said "...from him... I won't let him get closer... you'll be save in the castle and I..."

"What are you talking about?" I was confused.

"I received an owl from Malfoy. Lucius is going to tell the Dark Lord about us, about Ross... he'll use it to make me look as a traitor because everybody knows you are Dumbledore's right hand..."

"Wait a minute..." I interrupted, "... if they see you as a traitor... they won't let you just leave... they'll kill you..."

"That's right, that's why I have to run away... not to involve you in this..."

"I'm afraid I am already involved, Severus" and I looked down to Ross, who had fallen asleep on my arms and Severus took him back to his crib.

"I'll run away and let them catch me as a traitor... Dumbledore will protect both of you..."

"Are you expecting me to let you sacrifice yourself like that?" I asked very seriously.

"You were going to let me leave..." he said with a joking tone on his voice that irritated me at that point.

"I was really mad at you when I came in, now I am disappointed... I can't believe you are really considering getting yourself killed. Severus there must be a way... I don't want to be your widow..."

"You won't... we never got married, don't worry..." I was getting tired of those witty jokes.

"Of course... that's it..." I muttered.

"What's what?"

"We have to get married..." I said.

"Excuse me, my dear, but I think I got lost at some point..."

"Well... You said Malfoy wants to use our family to make you look as a traitor... let's turn it over... let's make me look as a traitor to Dumbledore... we could make you-know-who believe that you recruited me to get closer to Albus, that you made me fall in love with you... and we could get married in front all of them to make it believable..." I said excited because this way he would have to leave, he wouldn't have to die...

"No." he replied emphatically, "It's too dangerous."

"... but this way nobody has to get hurt..."

"You don't understand... it's not that easy... you'll have to show your loyalty to the Dark Lord, they'll test you and..."

"I love you," I said putting a finger on his lips to make him shut up, "Severus, you were at my side when things were hard for me, let me be at your side now..."

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TO BE CONTINUED...