Votation ended, the result was unanimous: You want darkness and heaviness. I've written some drama before but never at the level I will do here. This chapter will be short but will give a glimpse of what is to come. Fluffiness between the main characters will be over for a while.

But if you now find yourselves not liking the heaviness… Sorry, but I'm not accepting changes of heart so soon.

Love you all

Your Author

"Love? Are you awake?" Severus velvety voice reached Harmony in her sleep, rousing her from her rest.

"What is it, Honey? I'm still tired…" She muttered in thought, not even opening her eyes. Instead she snuggled more on her pillow.

"I know. I'm tired myself, Sweetheart. But it's almost nightfall."

That gained her attention.

"Nightfall? Are you sure?"

"I can see it through the window of our room. That and the clock tells me it's 6 o'clock in the afternoon."

"Minerva?"

"She is still with me. She told me you were resting in the sitting room."

"I am. How do you feel?" She asked as she stood up and walked to the sink to wash her face with cold water.

"Can't really tell. Besides feeling sore from all the spasms I don't feel much of my body at all. Minerva told me I wetted the bed while I was sleeping." He confessed, embarrassed with the situation.

"She will not hold it against you, you know that." Harmony fought with the urge to giggle as she pictured the situation in her mind. That would hurt his feelings.

"Nonetheless…"

Yes, she could understand his point. He had got used to some embarrassments with her but she was his primary caregiver. Minerva was a former colleague and friend.

"Let me prepare some coffee and I will return to your side, okay Love? I just really need to fix myself first and tea is not strong enough for what I need right now."

She heard him chuckling lightly in her head.

"Would you fix a little bit for me too? I would like it."

"I'm not sure if it would be wise. Let me check you first and then I will decide, alright?"

"Deal." He agreed without further argument. He knew by them that she always gave him everything he asked for if she believed it would do him no harm.

Harmony sighed as she supported her back against the arch of the fireplace, sipping her cup of coffee. Her world was upside down at the moment and she couldn't do much about it. Hopefully, Severus would be alright again soon.

Soon enough she found herself in the room she shared for months with Severus and asked the Headmistress to give them some space, offering a fresh batch of tea in the living room.

The old lady agreed immediately, probably very tired already. It should be difficult to have nights and days like those at her age, Harmony thought.

As they were left alone, Harmony turned her attention to her man. He still looked so pale and weak.

"Let's do this?"

"Go on."

"My Love... Whatever happens, happens for a reason. I will test your reflexes,check if your body is still reacting... Then… We see."It sounded a shaky answer even to her but there was little else she could do or say. She was as afraid as he was. Perhaps not for the same reasons but nonetheless, Harmony was conscient that he felt every bit of her fear and nervousness.

Severus nodded and watched closely as Harmony uncovered his body and started touching him in every joint and crucial place. It wasn't the first time she did that. It had become almost a routine for them during months until Christmas Eve.

He kept an even closer eye to her face and emotions.

Then he saw her picking a needle, already knowing what she would do.

"Do you feel this?" She asked, as she pricked him one place at the time.

He swallowed, feeling a sudden urge to scream of pure agony. He wasn't feeling anything at all. It was a nightmare. It had to be. Just the night before he had danced with Harmony in his arms and now… They were back to square one. It wasn't fair. A tear rolled down his face and Harmony noticed.

"Severus? Am I hurting you?"

He denied with his head and turned his face to the wall, not feeling up to meet her eyes.

"Severus, Love. Tell me, what's wrong? You're scaring me. I feel that there is something very wrong that you're not sharing."

"I… Feel nothing. Nothing at all." He finally muttered, accepting the terrible truth.

Harmony just stared at him, completely at loss of what to say, what to do. The floor could have swallowed her in that minutes and she wouldn't have cared. She felt his pain, his despair. She understood him, she felt just as bad. They had been so close to success. The needle dropped from her hand to the ground as her shoulders slumped down and forward. She didn't shock was just so overwhelming…

For what seemed like hours, they stood there, both in their own heads, trying to digest all the implications. It was him to finally break the silence, silent tears still rolling down his face.

"What now?" His voice had gained an edge.

"Now… We start over. Once again." She bit his lower lip, struggling to gain some form of control. "First, you need to rest. You will stay in bed for a few days, trying your best to relax. Then we try again. You're still very sore all with some rest…"

"Don't give me hope, Harmony." He roared unexpectedly. He had never truly raised his voice to her since… Ever. It left Harmony stunned. "It's over. It was a wonderful dream but it's over now. The sooner we… You… Accept that, all the better."

"Don't speak like that, Severus. We fought and we succeeded the first time. We can do it again. But we can't give up hope now. If we do… Then it's really over."

"What if I don't want to fight anymore?" He cried, his feelings heavily dripping into their connection.

"Maybe you just need some time. Time and rest. Because if there is something that you are is a fighter by nature, Severus. You would never quit like that in normal circumstances. And I will not let you do it now." She raised herself from the bed, her hands on her shirt, smoothing out wrinkles that weren't there. "I will tell Minerva the news. Then I will come back and we will figure things out, alright? Cry if you feel like it. It will do you good, Honey. Let it all out."

She left and closed the door behind her without making noise.

Harmony made it to the sitting room, step by step. The hall had never seemed longer.

Only once she arrived there and saw Minerva glancing at her,mouth agape, did she let her body drop on her knees and sobbed harder than she had in a long time on the old wood floor.