Severus Snape found Elsa seated atop a stool in his laboratory, wearing a light summery white dress, her hair in its typical long braid, made complete by the wildflower tucked behind her left ear. She was bent nimbly over her work, her teeth clenching on her writing instrument as her right hand twirled around, her wandless magic tipping a small vial carefully into the boiling cauldron in front of her. Releasing the quill from her mouth, she wrote down her findings in a dark, leather bound book, humming a soft, melodic tune. Leaning against the door frame, he allowed himself to properly admire his current view, the sound of her voice calming him from his earlier unpleasantries with the other Death Eaters and followers of Voldemort. His life was stressful, being a double agent had placed him in many a precarious situation, but this moment at least was all stillness and tranquility.

As Elsa motioned her hand upward, the liquid vial set itself back onto the shelf tidily, and Severus took the opportunity to sneak up behind her, wrapping his arms softly around her waist. As she jumped, startled by his presence, he spun her around agilely to face him, catching her chin between his index finger and thumb.

"I've missed you" Elsa sighed as his thumb grazed her lower lip. "I always seem to be missing you." Grasping his black tunic between her hands, she pulled him to her, the side of her face planted firmly onto his chest as her cheekbones rose to form a smile. If I could die of contentment...

"You know" she said, pulling away from him to stare into ebony irises, "you left me to the wolves back there this morning". Letting a pale hand slide through his straight black hair, Elsa cocked her head, letting her lips caress his with velvety softness.

"Did I? And what did these wolves think about it?" He growled, his hands reaching into her hair and snaking around her hip to pull her closer to him, her legs on either side of his body.

"That you look at me in a very marked way". Elsa laughed a bit as she said it, and Severus lifted her up, thinking her painfully light, setting her down atop the wooden worktable, so that he could look her directly in the eyes.

"And what do you think that I think of you, Elsa?" He asked, his eyes appraising her. Elsa's eyebrows furrowed together pensively, and he allowed her a few moments to gather her thoughts.

What does he think of me? She knew what she thought of him. Every time she saw him was like the first, he was intimidating, the way his eyes could be felt on her lit up her senses, as if those sharp eyes could leave physical marks on her skin. But he was also gentle, much more so than he appeared, his body near hers soothed her, as he had become such a positive constant in her life. He was always there for her, to be a physical and mental stimulant, her mentor, her teacher, and someone, the only person, that she truly loved. Loved? Elsa rolled that word around in her mind, both excited and frightened of its meaning. Looking up into his eyes in wonderment, she was sure that he could hear her inner voice, a mute confession. I love you.

"I… I cannot speak for you. But…" She let her hand hover over his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat, far more tempered than her own "I know how I feel about you, Severus".

"Then allow me to enlighten you".

He was finally ready, after all these years, to tell her that he was in love with her. Had he not already alluded to it this morning with his Amortencia? Merlin knew would never be the most outwardly affectionate person, no, but his loyalty was to her, his little Queen, with her brilliant mind and wandless magic that made her so incredibly special. He closed his eyes for a moment, images of their time together flicking like well-worn pages through his head.

He recalled the first time he had Elsa in his upper level Potions class. She had sat down right in the front, unfazed that the rest of the students had chosen to sit as far from him as they could manage. She asked thoughtful questions throughout the lesson, and he, like the rest of the persons in the room, was in awe of her unique magical abilities. She was clever, far more so than the others, but also painfully shy, the way she held herself was not pompous or arrogant or even particularly self assured, her arms frequently hugging herself as if she was holding herself together.

"Professor-" Elsa had found him after that first class, her gloved hands clenching around her textbooks, ice slowly forming on the brown leather. She had startled him, she was so close to him, he could see her pale skin flush pink, his hands aching to touch her warmed cheek. Temporarily blinded by her, he had nicked his finger on the blade he was holding, and a small stream of blood swept across his hand.

"Oh dear." He heard her sweet little murmur, and before he knew it she had set her right glove on the workbench, grasping his hand in hers as a warm golden glow emanated out of her hand, healing his instantaneously. Severus was taken aback, by her magic, certainly, but also by her touch. It had occurred to him, as she cupped his hand delicately in hers, that he could not recall the last time he touched another human, and he reveled in the fleeting feeling of her softness.

"Thank you". He said roughly, his long buried emotions threatening to rise to the surface.

Elsa had asked him to make use of his laboratory for additional instruction after class, and he had accepted her proposal, a first for him. He wasn't even sure why he had allowed her, as his preference was to solidarity- his students generally annoyed him. But he found rather quickly that watching her practice in his workshop was the highlight of his day, her beauty only increased by her passion for Potions, one which they seemed to share. She clouded his judgement, each time her skirt hem would graze his hand as she sashayed by, or when those delicate little hands would touch his as they exchanged potion vials set his need aflame. How often he wanted to grasp her by the waist and kiss her, taste her, touch her, until he had satisfied his childish obsession with her. Now he knew that there would never, could never, be enough of her.

"Queen Elsa!" A squeaky voice interrupted Severus' blissful train of thought, and, reticently, he opened his eyes to see one of the Hogwarts house elves patter in, holding a sealed letter in front of its gangly body, eager to reach the woman in front of him. Irritated, he watched as Elsa placed her feet back on the floor, meeting the creature halfway.

"A letter for you- urgent, yes, very urgent". It said proudly, placing said letter in the blonde woman's hands. Joining her side, Severus immediately recognized the stamp on the parchment, the black wax embossed with a thorny vine looping in and out of a human skull. Bellatrix Lestrange.

Dearest Queen Mudblood-

It pleases me to tell you- yes, pleases me greatly- to let you know that I have something of yours in my possession. I'll give you a hint. It's something freckled and small- and calls you sister! Oh dear, now I've given it away! No matter. She's fiestier than I expected, I like that in a muggle.

Don't get icy, darling. The Dark Lord won't let me play with her - muggles are just too easy to kill if you know what I mean. He has a proposition for you- He's just so clever. I'm sure you'll grow to love Him like I do- even more than this scrawny ginger muggle that looks like you. Hurry up though, Frigid Ice Bitch, she looks soooo much like you, I might forget which is which. I do wonder what her blood tastes like on my knuckles.

3 Grievers St. S London-

B.L.

Elsa was out of breath by the time she had sprinted to Hogsmeade, just out of the protection ring around Hogwarts for apparition. Her lungs protested the speed at which she had fled, and her heeled shoes had dug into her feet, fresh blood pooling onto the light blue silk. She was only mildly aware of Severus at her side, his strides one to every three of hers.

"Elsa. Elsa, look at me". Warm strong hands brought her back to reality, placed firmly onto either shoulder.

"She has Anna". Elsa said through labored breath, her eye shining with tears.

"No. They have her".