Author's note: All characters in this story (other than my own OC creations) are the property of JKR. I am simply borrowing her wonderful world. Updated 3/10/12

Chapter 20 – Good Intentions

Severus Apparated with a loud 'crack,' appearing just outside the Hog's Head tavern. He flew up the steps and opened the door in one swift motion, his cloak sliding against the porch pillars as he moved. If Andrea had come into town looking for a room, this was the most logical place for her to stay. But, was logic reasonable in this equation? His wife could act most irrationally at times, especially in stressful situations. In any case, the time spent here would not be wasted. A conversation with the barkeep or the clientele could prove enlightening. He would start his search here.

The tavern owner smiled broadly as he watched Severus approach the bar. "Well, good afternoon, Professor Snape. Why, I could have bet money that I'd be seeing you today."

Inwardly, Severus smiled. He nodded his head slightly, acknowledging the man's greeting with a cautious reply. "Aberforth," he drawled. "And why, may I ask, do you say that?"

"Well, just a few minutes ago," Aberforth confided, leaning conspiratorially over the bar, "your pretty little wife came in here looking for a room."

Severus glanced around quickly, before refocusing his eyes on the tavern owner. "And where is she now, may I ask?"

"I really can't say," he replied. "All I know is that she left. She was in the middle of signing the register when something got into her. What it was, I couldn't tell you. She must have changed her mind. I was just telling her that I thought you'd be worried about her, especially in her condition."

Snape's eyes narrowed, the black, heavily lidded orbs bore into the tavern owner's skull. "What else did you say to her?" he asked, his precise and penetrating tone making Aberforth uncomfortable.

"Well, Professor," he replied, "nothing really. I simply said that I thought maybe you two had a fight or something." Aberforth quickly looked away, afraid he may have said too much, but Severus wasn't interested in what the tavern owner had said, but rather what he had seen. In just those few moments of eye contact, the Potions master had peered into the tavern owner's mind. A vision of Andrea standing in front of the tavern register leapt to the front of Aberforth's memories. Severus's heart jumped as he clearly saw the fear etched on his wife's face.

"Dammit," Severus swore angrily under his breath before storming out into the street, leaving the stunned barkeep to stare at the man's retreating back. Now where should he look? Was Andrea still in the village, or had she Apparated away? Well, he was here now, so he may as well finish the search of the town before moving on. Beginning at the east end near the tavern, Severus scanned the winding street in frustration, his eyes blazing like candles as he peered into the growing darkness.

As he walked the lanes of Hogsmeade long past dusk, his mind continued to work on the problem, weighing the probabilities. Where would she run? It had to be a place that seemed safe and secure to her. To America? No, she wouldn't go that far, would she? As he entered the main shopping street for the third time, he was about to admit defeat when he sensed a faint presence. It felt like an imprint, or an impression – just a wisp of a sensation that Andrea had been somewhere very close to where he was now standing. Was it instinct or was it their 'connection' that he felt?

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he found himself staring at a familiar boarded up shop. It was Russell's Wand Emporium. She must have been inside – maybe she was still there. He bolted to the shop steps and then stopped before the entrance, listening. All was quiet, the front door secured and undisturbed. Next, he walked around to the back of the building and immediately saw that the door had been opened and the shop broken into. Stealthily, he snuck in the back door, remaining in the entryway to once again listen for any disturbances. It was absolutely quiet.

His eyes adjusted to the darkness, enabling him to quickly scan the entire main floor. Finding no one, he returned to the back room, stopping for a moment as he felt the strange sensation return. At the back of the shop, the feeling seemed the strongest, so much so that it made his skin tingle. He could almost smell her perfume. Yes! he thought, she has been here. But where was she now?

The floor held the next clue. Scanning the area by the door, he could barely make out the faint footprints on the dusty old boards. Along with his own large ones, there was Andrea's and a third set, smaller than his own but most likely male. The footprints also revealed that their owners had not left in the same manner in which they arrived. That could only mean one thing: Apparition. But where had they gone, and who was the owner of the third set of prints? An ugly scowl etched across Snape's face as he stared at the floor. He had reached a dead end.

xxxxxx

The next morning Andrea and Russell made their way to breakfast, arriving at a quaint shop just around the corner from his apartment.

"Here you go, love," he said, guiding her through the door. "Have you ever been down here to Chelsea before? It's a nice little village. Well, a village within a village, you could say." He laughed, showing her to a table in the middle of the small restaurant.

Andrea couldn't help but smile. Russell's upbeat personality was extremely infectious. "No, I've never been to London, except for the Ministry office."

"Oh, that's wonderful! Then, I'll be the first one to show it to you. This section of Chelsea has a very small wizarding community," Russell explained. "I guess we have maybe a hundred residents. The only entrance to the Muggle world is through this very shop. Actually, there are pockets of homes just like this all over London. I've been told by Clara here …" He waved at the owner as she cleared a table next to them with her wand. "That London has quite a rich wizarding community with a very long history that goes back beyond the Roman era."

"That's interesting," Andrea commented. "I don't think we have anything quite like that in America. Our Chicago community revolves around the school, and the town where I grew up in Wisconsin was pretty rural." Her eyebrows furrowed in thought as Clara brought over some menus. "I'm sorry, Russell, I just can't seem to concentrate this morning. I just keep thinking about … about Severus …"

"Aw, don't be sorry, love. I think maybe after a hearty breakfast, you'll feel like dancing again. They have some big, juicy sausages on the menu today. What do you think of that?" Once again, he continued with a steady stream of friendly conversation, trying his best to put her at ease.

Russell was almost the exact opposite of Severus. At a height of five-foot eight, he still towered over Andrea's small frame, but he was five inches shorter than Severus. Plover's smile was certainly different, too. His appearance was extremely charismatic, his mouth full and appealing. It opened handsomely to reveal a set of perfectly shaped, sparkling white teeth. His features were even and straight with dark blue eyes that drew a woman's gaze in an inviting, yet casual way. Stockier and more muscular than Severus, he posed a strong, attractive figure that drew the admiration of those around him. And with his heavy New Zealand accent, the girls often found him irresistibly charming. Although his clothes were a tad on the shabby side, they fit his physique and matched his colorful personality. But the brown bowler hat with the feather trim was his favorite. Even though it was faded and worn, he adored the hat and was always ready to tip it to a lady.

Trained as an Auror in New Zealand, he'd worked at the Ministry in London for a little less than a year, having left Hogsmeade after the incident in the village square the previous spring. In that short period of time, his outgoing personality had won Russell an army of friends and acquaintances, enabling him to make contacts with almost anyone. He knew the owners of the breakfast room and all the clients, greeting them by name as they entered. Andrea couldn't help but marvel at his sweetness.

While they were having breakfast, Russell gently placed his hand on top of Andrea's, but she recoiled. "Please don't," she responded uncomfortably, not wanting anyone to touch her.

A brief look of sadness filled Russell's eyes before he quickly converted his expression into a smile. "You know love, I've been thinking. It might be a good idea if you could change your appearance a bit. Maybe a disguise might work for you."

Seeing the frown appear on Andrea's face, he hurried to continue. "Now, don't get me wrong. You know I love your hair, but that husband of yours, well, he'll be on the lookout for you, and those long, red curls of yours could certainly give you away, that is, if Professor Snape were to search for you and all …" Russell was trying to be careful. The 'Devil's Divorce' was still in Andrea's system and would continue to influence her for a few more days, and he knew any talk of Snape was going to upset her.

"Russell, I don't …" she started to say, but her voice trailed off as she looked away from him.

"You'd look awfully cute with real short hair. Maybe you could dye it a nice shade of platinum blonde? Or maybe you fancy yourself a brunette?"

Sighing, Andrea shook her head. The words she tried to utter just stuck in her throat. She imagined Severus looking for her, his eyes peering out from behind every lamppost. Maybe he was right here in the restaurant, in one of the booths or looking through the window. Reflexively, she lifted the menu up to hide her face.

"Okay," she finally said, "but I'm not cutting my hair."

Looking furtively around the restaurant, she excused herself and left for the restroom. The bathroom had a large mirror that seemed to emphasize the dark circles that had sprung up under her eyes. Uttering another sigh, she took her wand and flicked it in a circle over her head. The action transformed her curly locks into a long, straight flow of thick, shiny, raven-black hair. As she ran her fingers through it, her heart began to ache as she immediately thought of Severus. Why had she chosen that particular color? She was such a fool. With another flick of her wand, the color changed to a pale, mousy brown. The look was horrid, but it seemed to accomplish its task. No one would look twice at her. For a finishing touch, she used her wand to braid the mass into one, thick plait.

Her clothes would have to change too. Severus knew all of her robes and would certainly recognize her various yellow, flowered prints. With a bit of imagination, she changed the color of the material to a simple gold and red plaid. The Gryffindor colors would surely help to throw her husband off the trail. For her traveling cloak, she decided on purple. It seemed a fitting color as it matched the strange glowing images that had appeared on her belly from time to time during the past few weeks. Perhaps the babies might like it.

Making her way back to the table, Andrea felt as if her feet were filling with lead. They seemed to drag her down, matching the heaviness of her heart.

Like the perfect gentleman, Russell jumped up and pulled out her chair, a huge grin spreading across his face as he observed her new look. "Now, that's a good girl. That hair would fool anybody. And I just love the plaid."

"You would like anything," Andrea sighed, finally getting a bit irritated at Russell's constant optimism. She thought about Severus and his much more realistic outlook on life. Closing her eyes, the sadness washed over her in waves as she reminisced, the vivid flashes of memories flowing through her mind like an old photo album. At first she saw only happy visions, but the images cruelly changed. Gasping at the realism, Andrea sat up straight in her chair as her husband's angry face burst to the forefront.

"You okay, love?" Russell once again reached out for her but stopped himself from actually touching her hand.

She nodded and smiled weakly, staring down at her bowl of oatmeal. Had the last two years of happiness been just a dream, or a nightmare of deception? How had she been so fooled by Severus? She supposed it had been easy for him. After all, he had been a spy in the last war, and his skills at espionage had earned him the respect of both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Wasn't she simply a mere toy for Severus? His reason for marrying her seemed perfectly clear. All he wanted was to further his own bloodline and take advantage of her pureblood status. Or perhaps he truly was keeping her for Voldemort. Remembering those horrible days at the Riddle mansion, Severus's silky voice played out cruelly in her mind as the words repeated over and over ...

"Oh yes, Master, I am, as always, your loyal servant …"

But like a swinging pendulum, her feelings seemed to change as the poisonous powder began to wear off. Crazily, she debated the issues, no longer feeling as she had the day before. With the light of this new day, she still felt certain that Severus was the enemy, but she couldn't believe he would want to kill her babies. It just didn't make sense. Pressing her hands to her temples, she squeezed her fingers, hoping to overcome the fog in her brain.

Looking down at her swollen belly, she realized that her babies had been very quiet ever since she'd left Hogwarts. A memory of Severus's long fingers stroking her belly suddenly made her shiver. Then, the question without an answer bubbled up again in her mind. Who was the father of her twins? Perhaps it no longer mattered, as either possibility filled her heart with dread.

Breaking Andrea away from her sullen thoughts, Russell's soothing voice filtered through as he began to discuss their next steps. "Perhaps we should go to the Ministry today and file for your divorce. What do you say? I think you'd feel much better."

"End my marriage with Severus?" A stab of pain entered her soul as she thought of her wedding. Once again, there was anger building upon the pain. Their wedding had been a lie, a sham. "Of course," she said softly. "You're right. Can we go right away? I don't want to wait a single minute."

They exited the breakfast shop by the corner fireplace and almost immediately arrived in the Ministry lobby. The long rows of grates held little traffic by midmorning, and they were easily able to find their way to the information booth on the plaza. The helpful witch directed them to the Office of Marriages on the second floor, just up the main staircase. Andrea let Russell pull her along as she dragged herself wearily up the steps to the office entrance.

As they opened the door, a tiny jingle of fairy bells sounded above their heads, announcing their arrival to the balding clerk at the counter.

"Good morning, mate!" Russell said with a grin to the little man, pulling Andrea up to the window. "Don't I know you? Isn't your name Hugh Peebles? I believe I know your son, Ed. He works in Payroll, doesn't he?" Russell never forgot a name, and the astounded clerk grinned back, happy to talk to a friendly customer. "My name's Russell Plover. I'm an Auror up on level six working for Mr. Shacklebolt. And this little lady is a friend of mine, Andrea Snape."

A brief look of surprise spread over the man's face before he quickly recovered, the smile easily returning to his face. "Well, good morning, Mrs. Snape. How can I help you today?"

Now, that was odd, Andrea thought. How did he know I was a Mrs.? She frowned and opened her mouth to speak, but Russell took over and gave her a squeeze on the arm.

"The lady wants to file for a divorce," Russell announced.

Uncomfortably, Andrea shrugged him away and looked at the clerk. "Sir, Mr. Peebles … yes, I'm so sorry to bother you, but is this the right place to file for a divorce? I'd like to get this done as soon as possible."

"Hugh," Russell said with a wink, "She's in a hurry … well, we're in a hurry. Could you help us out, mate?"

The clerk smiled and nodded, sliding his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Yes, of course, Mr. Plover. Mrs. Snape, I'll just be a minute. Let me go look up those records for you." With a tap of his wand, the clerk closed the sliding door on the counter, but within seconds, the door reopened with a swish.

"Well, Mrs., ah … Snape is it?" The clerk shook his head and stared down at the stack of parchment he held in one hand, his index finger moving along the page on top.

"Yes. My name is Mrs. Snape. Mrs. Severus Snape …" Andrea replied.

"Well, ma'am, I'm sorry but that marriage was annulled last fall." The clerk looked up with a puzzled expression.

"So, I'm not married?" she said, her entire body relaxing with relief.

"Oh, now, I didn't say that," he said as he squinted and pointed his short stubby finger to the signatures on the page. "It says right here that you're still married to your second husband: Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"What?" Andrea's heart froze. "No! No, sir … that can't be right. How? I mean – let me see that!" she grabbed the paperwork and scanned the parchment documents in disbelief. Unfortunately, everything seemed to be in order. There in front of her were the signatures on the marriage certificate. Her own name, in her own handwriting stared back at her, right underneath the signature of Tom Marvolo Riddle. Even more amazing were the signatures on the annulment document. In addition to her own name, Tom Riddle had signed the paper affirming that her marriage to Severus was never consummated.

Her hands shaking in shock, Andrea sputtered, "How can this be? I don't remember signing this!"

Russell smiled at the clerk, his expression silently asking for patience. "Hugh, will you excuse us for just a minute?" He pulled Andrea off to the side and took both of her shoulders in his. "I'm sorry, but he's right. You did sign those forms. Don't you remember? I was there. You were under the Imperius curse. Lucius Malfoy cast the curse and made you sign it."

"But if I was under the curse, how can the marriage be valid? I don't understand." Andrea felt as if she was at the edge of a precipice, looking down into hell. "Why is this happening?"

"Don't you worry, love. We can talk about it later, but you have to be patient. It'll be clear to you soon. Just let me handle this now." Russell attempted to give her a hug, but she pushed him away roughly. "Stop it, Russell! Just leave me alone!"

"Okay," he said, throwing his hands in the air. "But trust me. You are married to Tom Riddle." Russell had lowered his voice when he'd said the name, afraid that someone would overhear. They moved back to the clerk's window to verify the records: the second marriage was still quite valid and had been since October of the previous year.

"Sir," Andrea asked wearily, "May I file for divorce from Mr. Riddle please?"

Sadly, Mr. Peebles shook his head. "I'm sorry ma'am, but with a consummated marriage, you need to have the signature of both parties."

Andrea began to turn a very gray shade of pale as she closed her eyes. What on earth was she going to do?

A/N: Please take a moment to review. It feeds my muse. Thank you to my faithful beta Fainting Fancies. Also thanks to my loyal reviewers: Wendy Waddles and Snapesdreamer.