Disclaimer: The Harry Potter World belongs to J.K. Rowling.

I could tell Severus was in a bad mood when he came into our rooms that night. The day had started so nice by waking up to find the rose and classes had gone well. My students were so well behaved that I feared my students had been kidnapped and replaced with new ones. When Severus first entered our rooms, he slammed the door and walked over to his favorite chair next to the fire without saying a single word. I have only seen him do this on a few occasion and it was never an indication of a good mood. I got up from my seat and made a cup of tea for him. I walked over and set the tea cup on the little table next to his chair. I placed my hand on his shoulder and said, "Severus?" He looked up at me and I saw something in his eyes that I had never seen before...defeat.

"Why?", asked Severus softly.

"Why what, Severus?" , I asked nervously.

"Why are you with me, Mara?", Severus said as he looked back down into the flames.

"Where the hell did that question come from, Severus? I love you and that is why I am here!", I huffed out as I came around the table and knelt in front of his chair. I grabbed one of his hands and interlaced my fingers with his as I reached up with my other hand to caress his cheek. He looked at me with uncertainty and I knew someone had put doubt in his mind. "Who said something to you?", I asked gently.

"No one said anything directly to me. I overheard a few of the new dunderhead professors talking about us."

"And what exactly did they say, Severus?"

"They just made it clear that you could do much better and that they will never understand why you would be with someone such as me", said Severus with venom in his voice.

I could kill those dunderheads for putting doubt in Severus' mind. He has always had a hard time accepting that he deserved me and they had just bloody freaking put more doubt in his mind. I would take care of those idiots later. Right now I need to squash this self-doubt that Severus is feeling. I pushed off the floor and sat myself in Severus' lap. He looked at me in surprise. I gave him a wicked grin and leaned down and kissed him with all the passion I had in me. His hands reached up and tangled in my hair as he kissed me back. When we finally broke apart for air, I kissed along his jaw until I reached his ear and whispered, "You are the only man I have ever or will ever want. I'd love to show you just how much I want you." I nipped his ear and I heard him sharply intake a breath.

"Vixen", said Severus as he carried me to our bedroom.

Hours later I laid wrapped up in Severus' arms. I traced the scars on his chest with my fingers and kissed each one.

"I will never understand why you always do that, Mara. They are just ugly old scars." said Severus as he leaned against several pillows.

"I don't think they are ugly and I love every part of you." I said with a grin.

"Crazy woman", said Severus as he looked down at me and smirked.

"I am your crazy woman so you will just have to deal with it.", I chuckled as I bent down to kiss another of his scars.

Severus reached his left hand down and caressed my cheek. I leaned into his touch. When I opened my eyes, I noticed that his dark mark was next to my face. Severus noticed what I was looking at and began to pull away. I quickly grabbed his wrist and brought my lips down onto the mark. I met his eyes with my own and said, "I love all of you." He pulled me down onto his chest and wrapped his arms around me. He held me so tightly as if he feared that if he loosened his grip that I would disappear. I just laid there and let him. I knew that he needed this without him saying a word. Life may not be easy with Severus but it was all worth it for the moments like these. I smiled against his chest as I drifted off to sleep in his arms.

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