Sasha Burke

3/3/09

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Sasha walked into a dark, damp looking cell. Lucius slowly stood up, he out-stretched his arms, but she refused to go to him, and kept her distance. Lucius lowered his arms in disappointment. He turned his head in confusion and almost innocence.

"Sasha?" He asked.

"You cursed Severus." She replied.

"Sash..." he began.

"You cursed my husband! What right had you? And why am I here?" she asked.

Lucius returned to his usual 'better than thou' expression, which unfazed Sasha as she had seen it so many times before and seen it vanish just as quickly, as it could appear.

"I did and I had every right to. You should want to visit me..." He began.

"I would have done, if not for the fact you cursed the man I loved, who has put his life on the line to help your son. Tell me your rights Lucius? As a godparent? The stand in father?" she asked.

"Yes. Severus...isn't pure..." he began.

"No! Tell me you didn't do it over blood, I can't take that. Your disapproval for not thinking to ask you, I can accept and apologize for, but to bring in his parentage, something he has no control over...is no reason for him to make me a bad husband." She said.

"No, but your father trusted him. You know he was the the only person, but me that he confessed about your behaviour to get NEWTs. He called you all sorts to him and me...but I was impressed and I paid your debt. Severus...clearly showed his admiration another way..." began Lucius.

"It was never like that Lucius. We weren't together until after the dark lord's return, we tried to ignore it once, but in the end when it counted, he was there." She added.

"And if he is captured? Will you be there for him?" asked Lucius.

"More than that, I'll be with him. I have been marked and if I leave him, thanks to your sister-in-law, I die. I can't change anything now..." she began.

"Looks like we'll be one happy family in Azkaban." Added Lucius.

"If we all live." Said Sasha.

"Oh you will. You just proved it to me. If some how you do die, it won't be because you left Severus. My own wife would never have showed the same loyalty to me, as you have to Severus. She wasn't marked as a test...oh yes a test. Only he has the power to remove it. You'll have to prove yourself trust worthy before that will go, and let me be honest, you don't exactly have the best record." Said Lucius.

"I snapped! Father wouldn't listen Lucius, I told him I didn't want his business, I begged him and pleaded. I told him I had other plans. I got sick and tired of doing as I was told, for nothing. I wasn't shop girl material..." began Sasha.

"I know. If you'd have stayed...well to be honest I had hoped as your godfather I had taught you, if you want something, you'll get it and not care who you upset. Severus and I aren't that different. We've both ruined your lives with the decisions we made. I'm sorry Darling." He said.

Lucius looked as though he meant every word. Sasha fell for the grey eyes, that shone with water and used a childhood name.

"Don't cry Loo-Lee..." She began.

"I've not heard that in a few years." He admitted.

Sasha smiled at him. For the second time, Lucius out-stretched his arms, only this time Sasha ran into them and hugged him tightly, struggling to keep her own eyes dry. Sasha left Azkaban and back to dry land. Severus had gone with her, as they were both unsure about the terms of the vow that she had made, there is more than one way of leaving someone. However he had stayed out of the way, not wanting to damage Sasha's relationship with Lucius.

"How is he?" he asked.

"Can't say. That wasn't the Lucius Malfoy I grew up with. A stranger was who I saw. That just wasn't him. I spoke to a man I don't know." She replied.

"You found out why he cursed me?" he asked.

"Protectivity. One of those no one would ever be good enough..." she began.

"Don't lie...just tell the truth." He said.

"Severus..."

"Say it. Why aren't I good enough for you in Lucius' eyes?" he asked.

"You know I won't say it because it matters so little." She replied.

"It might, but that's not all he said. I heard him, I wasn't that far away. Ruined your life with my decisions." He said.

"He didn't..." began Sasha.

"Oh he meant it, he won't have changed that much. Lucius Malfoy always says what he means. If it weren't for his imprisonment, Bellatrix's forced vow, he'd have us apart." Said Snape.

"No. He wouldn't." Argued Sasha.

"What really hurts the most, is that he is right. It sounds different coming from someone else. I've brought death to you, just like Lily." He said.

"I'm not dead!" Cried Sasha.

"It's a time-bomb." He said.

"I will out-live you, on the pure basis that I am younger than you." She said.

"Cedric Diggory was younger than you, he's dead. Age has nothing to do with it, blood yes, connections...well we proved that. On top of all of that we are both under unbreakable vows." He added.

"But they don't matter!" Shouted Sasha.

She finally followed Snape into the house, and he turned around at her sudden out-burst.

"Ok yours does, but I can't stand this anymore! There is no vow holding me to you, other than our wedding vows. I'm staying with you, unbreakable vow or not." She added.

"I'd rather you had the freedom to choose. There's a chance you could...fall out of love..." he began.

"No there isn't. I never stopped thinking about you, from walking out of Hogwarts as a Slytherin student, to walking back into Dumbledore's office for the first time." She added.

"You never told me...a student? Sasha you looked ready to shove the test I marked, in a very uncomfortable place, the first time we met." Said Snape.

"Severus, you pushed and I responded. You tested me and I was keen to show you up. Merlin only knows how that last year would have actually been. Not only was I tested, but you put faith in me and I respected you for that. That faith you showed, made me think...I'll get that NEWT he was so willing to give me. The next thing I knew I had more than one NEWT and I owed it to you...but how could I repay you? I returned to help Dumbledore and yes to thank you, but it didn't seem enough and it didn't feel right." She added.

"We almost kissed, before you left to take care of your father." Said Snape.

"I know. But Dumbledore told me I had to go straight away, just incase and I couldn't say no." She said.

"He has a lot to answer for, your father." Said Snape.

"Not really. We made it in the end...I mean you owe him really for forcing my hand into the business account." Said Sasha.

"You shouldn't have had to do that. I should have ordered him to let you stay, but I was too worried about loosing my job." He said.

"You'd never have won. My father is set in his ways, proud and stubborn as hell, the only way it would have worked would have been, to have been disowned. There was no way I could have handled that back then, it would have ruined me." Said Sasha.

"I let you down. I lived with letting you down..." he began.

"Severus please, you didn't let me down. Can't you see it? Strange though it might seem, I'm the happiest I have ever been." Added Sasha.

It was all going so well, Snape realized he no longer had to feel guilty about her past or her future. That was until later that evening, they were visited by Lord Voldemort and both Severus Snape and Sasha Burke-Snape, dropped to their knees. Voldemort didn't appear alone. Bellatrix joined them and Voldemort snapped his fingers and in an instant, Sasha was on her feet.

"Bellatrix is here to unbind your vow. Join hands!" Ordered Voldemort.

Severus went to obey, but Sasha didn't move her hand from her side.

"Sasha?"

"I don't want it removed." She replied.
Snape looked dumb-struck and Voldemort glared at Sasha. Bellatrix managed to smirk, knowing that refusal, was a big mistake.

"I don't recall, asking what you wanted Sasha. The vow is to be lifted and that is an order, or do you need a lesson in loyalty?" he asked.

"You misunderstand me, my lord. The reason I want the vow to stay, is so that I prove my loyalty. You see if I can't leave Severus, I can't leave you." Replied Sasha.

Voldemort turned his head to Bellatrix.

"Never the less, your loyalty has been proven. You did not tell tales. That shows loyalty to your fellow follower. I'm impressed, however the vow has to end tonight. I have a mission for you, Sasha and you can't do it if you can never leave your husband." He said.

Snape and Sasha joined hands, and the vow was lifted from Sasha, which gave her hope of life. However she was very anxious about her mysterious mission.

"Now. I need an...inside view...treachery to the old man, before he dies, make his life not worth living. That way Draco's conscious could be eased. Like Potter, he likes to play the hero...but what if the victim bites? The wasp stings? Sasha...you melted the heart of Severus, an achievement for any woman I don't doubt. Now I need you...to leave him." Ordered Voldemort.

Sasha looked a mixture of angry, heartbroken and confused. Snape looked at Voldemort as though he had cancelled Christmas, Easter and his birthday. Even Bellatrix looked very surprised.

"Leave?" asked Snape.

"Manners Severus! Yes leave...a separation, well staged. I need anger between you, displays of hate. That means you need to find somewhere else...as soon as possible...no don't. Go to Hogwarts, stay and work. I need you to keep this marriage secret to the rest of the world. For this year only, that's all I ask. In return...I shall remove your mark and you need never assist me again." Replied Voldemort.

The offer was to powerful to refuse. Sasha packed her bags, slowly under the watchful eye of Voldemort. Snape had never felt so powerless, as when he watched her shut her trunk and shrink it. Sasha then turned to him, aware that he had a reputation to keep.

"Goodbye..." she began.

"Don't wait for the grass to grow." Ordered Voldemort.

Snape nodded briefly. The door closed and so did his eyes. Voldemort smirked as Snape looked as though it didn't matter.

"Oh Severus...show me some emotion...tell me how you hate me for taking another woman away from you." He hissed.

Snape stayed silent, and expressionless. Voldemort smirked even more. He had never met anyone so in control of their own feelings, in body and mind. He was the one man that he struggled to punish.

"No? Merlin...you don't have a heart do you? No matter. I like it. I have nothing to threaten you with. It is almost annoying...but too impressive. I shall leave. Bella! I'm not done with you yet." Added Voldemort.

The dark-haired witch looked quite worried, however she vanished with her master and left Severus Snape, without his wife and without any company. Or so he thought, until he saw a rat scuttle across the room. Out of temper, he cast a spell and a man appeared in it's place, who let out a sore cry.

"That hurt!"

"Pettigrew! That is nothing compared to what I'll do, if you are still in my sight within the next three seconds. Funny. I have been thinking about a pet of some kind, my wife I'm sure would love a cat." Said Snape.

"But she's not here Severus...maybe you could wait until...well if she..." began Peter.

Snape pointed his wand at him and he transformed back into a rat. He couldn't remember the last time he had been in such a foul temper, out of Hogwarts. Suddenly he remembered a tantrum, involving a time he left a potion to brew for too long. The language he used turned the rooms blue and equipment ended up in all sorts of directions. That was before Sasha returned and he fell in love with her. But she wasn't there anymore and there was nothing he could do, but accept the fact, that the next school year, although he has his dream job, he would be the unhappiest he had ever been.