Well shit, what do you guys think happened? Moody coming back around with his bullshit.

Let me know what you think about in the reviews.


The next time he opened his eyes his vision was blurry. He could feel her around him, hear her moving around the room. Was it morning? He called out for her and she shushed him, running her fingers through his hair and pulling him back to sleep.

Another moment of brief coherence when she woke him and sat him to press a goblet of water to his lips. What day was it? She pressed her lips to his again and laid him back to continue his rest.

Again, he opened his eyes, this time to find her curled up around him. Her head on his shoulder with her legs tangled with his and a small smile on her lips. Her hand resting on his chest, rising and falling with his breath. Where she rightfully belonged. He moaned her name and she instinctively buried her face in his neck and tightened her hold on him. Knowing she was still real; he closed his eyes again and slipped into blissful slumber.

His nose woke him this time, the smell of something burning. Or at least it had been. He peeked an eye open and felt for her, but her side of the bed was empty. When he opened his eyes the final time, he rolled over he called out to her, leaning his elbows on his knees as he sat at the edge of the bed.

His eyes still weary, he rubbed them and yawned. He looked down at his hands that were covered in something black. Soot, or ash of some kind. He looked back onto the bed and saw small specs of black and bits of cloth.

His eyes traveled upwards as another fell onto the sheets where he'd laid. The canopy above the bed was burnt and singed, bits of it falling onto him below. Did he melt her?

The sound and smell of sausage and bacon hitting a hot pan caught his attention. He sniffed a laugh at his poor logic. She was here with him, safe and cooking breakfast. He struggled to get up, gaining his balance, and knocking a shoulder into the wardrobe as he passed.

"You're naked."

"I'm Severus." He replied immediately when Moody poorly greeted him in the kitchen, his eyes still half-lidded and swaying as he stood. His voice like gravel and lips dry and cracked from his hibernation.

Now that it was mentioned, he noticed a significant temperature change from the bedroom to the rest of the apartment. Shrugging uncomfortably and looking around for his wife.

Moody pulled his wand out slowly, allowing Severus to see his hands but he didn't react like expected. Instead, Severus yawned and unintentionally rubbed more black soot on his face. Moody waved a wand at him and conjured a bathrobe to wrap around a stretching and naked Severus.

"Where… is… she?" he asked as he looked around. He was sluggish in his speech, feeling as if whatever drug she'd given him as tranquilizer was still coursing strongly through his veins.

"Sit down." He ordered calmly and pointed to the kitchen table that hadn't been there before.

Severus looked over Moody's shoulder and saw his breakfast being cooked by magic. A quick sniff and licking of his tongue to the tip of his upper lip confirmed it was her magic. He let the issue settle for now and took a seat. Not because he was instructed, but he was quite done standing.

Moody stood at the opposite end of the kitchen, blocking the doorway to the kitchen and gripping the back of the wooden chair before him. His scowl etched deeply into his aged face, his hard eyes glaring at him down the bridge of his crooked nose.

"It's high time you start answering to me," he began, thrusting his thumb roughly into his chest.

Severus snorted, rocking back and forth in the chair slightly, "How… amusing…" He tilted his head back, exposing a good look at his face for the first-time months. The stubble on his cheeks missing patches of hair around the scarred tissue along his jaw and lips. His dark eyes bloodshot and weary, lips chapped and cracked but smirking.

"Tell me about the night you were initiated," he demanded, standing up straight.

Smiling contentiously, "I don't remember."

Moody huffed and turned his back, walking into the kitchen out of view.

"Where is she?" he blinked a few times to try and clear his vision, realizing the man was no longer in front of him, he moved to get up from his seat and follow.

He returned with a large plate holding a mountain of food floating in front of him, "I don't remember."

Severus growled angrily, deep from within his chest. A sound that only a beast could have made, shaking the small glass objects on the table. "Fool."

"Shut up and eat," the plate landed in front of him with a heavy thud.

The smell distracted him for the time being. Severus had forgotten the last time he ate, or what it was he'd eaten. Everything tasted of ash and dirt since she'd been gone. The food itself smelled amazing but the smell of her magic was absolutely addicting.

With hunched shoulders, he hovered over the plate and grabbed a large sausage with his hand. He bit into it, moaning softly and increasing his speed of intake. Moody circled the table, wand in hand, and eyes trained on the man devouring the food before him.

"Tell me about the night you were initiated," he asked again.

Severus ignore him this time, continuing his meal with food covering his face and hands.

Moody reached for the plate of food, hoping to take it away from him but his forearm slammed on the table between them loudly. Creating a barrier to protect his precious food. He growled at him, baring his teeth and he chewed angrily.

"Tell me or I'll take it," Moody threatened.

Severus twisted in his seat, nearly getting on top of the table to protect the 'Juliet Covered' food. His eyes changed as they did the night they last met. Red orbs with Black slits and Gold flakes, mouth fuming with black smoke. His body still emaciated from his own neglect and lack of mate, he struggled with transformation and was unable to bring the full dragon out. The inner beast needs more hibernation from its long and weary battles thus far.

Trying his luck and changing his tactics, "Tell me and I'll-"

"Have you tried speaking to him as a man, rather than trying to train the best?" An angry voice came from the doorway.

Garrick stood angrily with his normally pressed white dress shirt untucked and rolled haphazardly to his elbows. One of his suspenders handing off his shoulder and his top four buttons undone. His usual tousled hair now sticking up in all directions as if he'd been restless in bed. Obviously, his day had either started much earlier or never ended from the day prior.

"How did you find them? I reinforced the wards, specifically from you."

"You didn't think I'd look here?" Moody shrugged him off, hoping he'd drop the topic.

Garrick hadn't slept last night. At least not soundly. He had a nightmare after nightmare of his little girl dying in the most horrific ways. He was woken by unnerving silence and something in his chest aching.

"What have you done to her?" Garrick asked in a horrified whisper.

Moody tensed, quickly adjusting his body and pivoting to where he had both men in his sight. Severus was still focused on his plate, ignoring both men and whatever conversation being had.

"Nothing she didn't agree to," Moody grunted.

"Where is -" Garrick's words failed him. Unable to speak the name on the tip of his tongue. "Where – she – what's going on?"

He stumbled from the landing to the living room, gripping the back of the couch as he began coughing in a fit. A hand to his chest, trying to calm himself.

"Calm down," Moody ordered him.

Garrick pulled his wand, his other hand to his throat and wincing in pain, "What have you done?"

He fell to a knee, leaning heavily against the back of the couch. Now clutching his head and chest, gasping for air and eyes wide with worry.

Moody looked from Severus to Garrick, before finally attempting to help Garrick. He crossed the room quickly once he realized that Severus was not concerned with anything other than the plate of food before him. "Stop fighting it. Let go, Garrick. Let go of all memories of her. Trust me, it will be far easier."

Garrick quieted, his eyes drooping and a string of drool falling out of the corner of his mouth. Moody cursed under his breath and stood quickly, "What's the name of the damn elf – Robbie!"

A small 'pop' and the large-eared elf was standing in front of Moody with nervous eyes. He saw his father on the floor and he squealed in fear. Moody snapped his fingers and called for him again, "Listen to me, I was never here. Ya understand? You get him help and I was never here."

Robbie looked from him to Garrick and over to Severus who was slumped forward in his seat. Moody had his wand out and pointed to Robbie's temple before he looked back to Moody.