For those who read the story before, this is a completely new chapter. Enjoy!
XXXXXXX
They had fallen asleep almost immediately after they had finished that night, leaving the large lantern in the corner on. It hadn't bothered her all night, but the draft from the doorway into the sitting room was now causing the light to flicker so violently and obnoxiously that she could see the light dancing through her closed eyelids. She groaned and stuffed her face into a pillow and started drifting back to sleep when she heard a rattling coming from the same lantern. The draft was causing it to shake now. She pulled the pillow up over her ears- maybe the sound would just stop? Maybe the draft would die down or cause the door to shut? Maybe, maybe, maybe-
"Can you shut the door and turn out the lantern?" came Severus's muffled complaint from the pillow in which he was stuffing his face and covering his own ears. She sighed and rolled over, eyes still shut, and grabbed her wand from the bedside table.
"Claude ostium!" She muttered lazily, waving her wand. But she immediately opened her eyes when instead of feeling the familiar surge of warmth flooding through the wand, she felt a burst of ice cold. The magic spat out of the wand and slammed the door so hard it burst into a million little pieces. The lantern fell to the ground from the force of the door slamming home, the fire going out immediately against the cold dungeon floor, but the wax splattering everywhere. She stared at what her simple spell had caused, mouth agape. "What the-"
"Are you insane?" She heard him say quite loudly from beside her and she felt him snatch the wand from her hand. She turned to see that it was not her wand she had used, but his. So that was why… "Who told you you could use my wand?"
"I…" She spluttered, confused by everything that had just happened and still barely awake. "I thought it was mine- I just grabbed the one nearest to me. You never keep yours on my side." She was staring at the wand in his shaking hand- Merlin, he looked angry- in shock. That had never happened to her before.
"So look next time!" He shouted and she blinked at him.
"I've used other people's wands and that's never happened," she said plainly, beginning to feel awake now. "That isn't normal."
"I don't give a shit if it's normal or not," he spat. "Do not use my wand again, do you understand?"
"I'm not a child, Severus, you don't get to reprimand me like I'm one of your students-"
"You're not a child but you're acting like one! Do not use my wand ever again. You're bloody lucky nothing worse happened!" He turned to the mess. "Reparo! Scourgify!" The pieces of the door reunited at the hinges and closed home and the lantern flew back to its stand, the fire out, and the wax disappeared off the floor. He sighed, glared at her, then put the wand down on the table on his side and laid back down. She stared at his figure for a moment, still trying to process everything that had happened and the strange sad knot she was feeling in her stomach. After a moment, she simply slipped back down under the covers and tried to sleep.
XXXXXXXXXX
Bang, bang, bang!
Bang, bang, bang!
"SEVERUS!"
Her eyes shot open and then immediately slammed shut as the sun was beaming directly into them. She groaned at the stinging light. Why was it so bright?
Bang, bang, bang!
It was never this bright when she woke up here- the dungeon's were already much dimmer than the rest of the castle and it couldn't be any later than 7- Severus's alarm had yet to go off.
Oh fuck… She looked at the clock. It was already ten. I have a meeting at the Ministry in half an hour! She sat up immediately and looked at him as he threw the blanket off of himself and got up.
"Severus Snape, I swear on Merlin's grave I will break down this door!"
He barged out of the bedroom and she heard him go through his small parlor and slam open the door to his quarters.
"There was truly no need for that," she heard him say, his voice rougher than usual.
"Really? No need for that when you completely missed your first class and your second one begins in thirty minutes?" She heard Minerva's harsh voice shriek. Gwen hurriedly glanced at the clock again. All she wanted was to grab her stuff and go, but if Minerva heard something, they'd be caught. "You're never late for anything, what was I to do? Just hope you were fine and weren't killed at a meeting?" Gwen closed her eyes again. She had never heard so much fear in Minerva's voice before. She knew they were friends, but she didn't realize how much Minerva cared for Severus. It made Gwendolyn smile slightly. He needed more people like that in his life.
"Minerva, I overslept."
"You have never overslept a day in your life."
"There's a first time for everything. Please, stop worrying." His voice was calmer now. Minerva sighed loudly.
"Report to Professor Dumbledore by 10:30. He wants to see you. I'll have Filius watch your class until you return from the meeting."
"Very well." The door shut and Gwendolyn nearly leapt out of bed and started changing. She didn't have time to shower- she had to report to Mr. Cuffe before her meeting at the Ministry. He came into the bedroom.
"Why didn't the alarm go off?" She asked hurriedly, searching under the bed for her shoe.
"Because once the alarm is set, the wand cannot be used and if it is, the alarm turns off," he said harshly. She looked up from her search at him.
"Are you blaming me completely for this? I don't know how the wand alarm works, I've told you- I use a Muggle one at home."
"Well, it wasn't I who turned it off, so who else is to blame?" He said coldly.
"You could've turned it back on! You snatched your wand away and screamed at me for making a simple mistake, what was I to do?"
He was about to say something else- he looked very angry- but instead, went into the bathroom and slammed the door. She made a sound of frustration, applied a small scourgify to her mouth- her toothbrush was in the bathroom and there was no way in hell she was going in there- and left.
XXXXXXXXXXX
"Gwen, I thought you were supposed to come to the Ministry today for a meeting," Mr. Weasley said that night as Order members began showing up to the Burrow. "I didn't see your name on the visitor's list."
"Mr. Cuffe sent my colleague, Betty, in my place," she said with a shrug. Mr. Weasley didn't question it, but Tonks looked suspicious.
"Why didn't he send you? You're his best writer."
"Thanks Tonks," Gwen said genuinely. "But I wasn't able to make it. I, er, overslept." Tonks immediately looked upset.
"Gwen, you can't be oversleeping again," Tonks chastised. "She used to do that all the time, until she finally figured out how to use an alarm a few months ago." Or I started sleeping with a man who's never been late a day in his life until today! Oh no… she flitted her eyes over at Minerva, who was looking at her with a curious expression. Damn it! Now she knew Gwendolyn was also late. Professor McGonagall was not a stupid woman. She would figure it out for sure.
Dumbledore and the final stragglers arrived and the meeting began and the longer list of casualties was read. Dumbledore looked weaker today, his hand perhaps even more blackened and burnt, if that was possible. There was no good news to report, nothing hopeful to discuss, and even Dumbledore had no encouraging quote to deliver at the meeting's end.
She went to twist the ring on her right hand, like she always did when she felt anxious, but there was nothing there. Her eyes shot down to her empty ring finger and she felt panic flood her body. That was ALL she had left of her mother… she had definitely put it on this morning, didn't she? Yes, yes she did! She remembered playing with it while Mr. Cuffe yelled at her. So where had it gone?
The meeting closed and she started hurriedly looking around the sitting room as people grabbed their cloaks and began hurrying out into the winter air. Nothing- the ring was nowhere to be felt. She was nearly blinded by panic.
"Gwen, darling, supper's nearly ready," she heard Molly call from the kitchen.
"I'll be right there," she called shakily, now looking under sofa cushions. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
"Are you looking for something?" Minerva asked her, the sitting room nearly empty now.
"I can't find my ring," she said hurriedly, not stopping her search. "It's a small Claddagh ring, it's silver with a diamond in the center and it's gone."
"Have you checked your cloak? Or outside?"
"I haven't looked outside," she said, slamming the pillows back onto the couch. She barreled through the door, slamming it behind her, and nearly bumped into Severus, who was standing on the porch. "Oh," she said softly. She had forgotten about their bickering last night and this morning and wondered briefly if he too had gotten in trouble for being late. "Sorry about that. Have you seen a ring? The one I wear all the time- it's small and silver and-" He opened his hand in front of her and in his palm was her ring. "Oh my God! Where did you find it?" She exclaimed, nearly laughing, overjoyed. She grabbed the ring and put it on her finger.
"I had it," he said and she was confused.
"I put it on this morning," she countered. "I remember having it on in the Ministry."
"You did," he said plainly. "I took it during the meeting."
She blinked. "Wha- why?"
"To get your attention, so you would come outside." She was almost angry at him- she had been so worried! But it was unlike Severus to do something like that for attention…
"Why? Is something wrong?"
He looked uncomfortable. "I didn't know if you would come tonight or if you wanted to come back at all… But I realized that the alarm only turns off when the wand's owner uses the wand, so nobody can sabotage someone else. It was my fault. Forgive me, I hope you didn't get in much trouble with your superiors. And forgive me for yelling, you didn't know about my wand. Nobody can use it, I don't know why."
She blinked. She wasn't sure she had ever heard him apologize before. He sounded almost childlike, ashamed, maybe even nervous. "Why wouldn't I come back at all? Because we had a row?" He didn't say anything- looking more uncomfortable than ever now. Hm. Maybe he did actually care about her. "Thank you for apologizing. I appreciate it." The uncomfortableness in his shoulders and expression melted away when she said the words and he simply nodded. "I know how you can make it up to me," she said slyly, raising her eyebrows slightly seductively, trying to make him feel normal again. He smirked.
"Indeed? Then I expect I'll be seeing you tonight."
"I don't know," she countered. "I'm rather tired. Getting yelled at by your superior for being late is cumbersome, as you are probably aware." Snape scowled.
"Indeed. He thoroughly interrogated me about why I woke up late," Severus said. "He's… suspicious."
She remembered what Kingsley had told her at dinner. "There are a lot of rumors going around about us. Kingsley and I went to dinner the other night and he let me know. I think we need to be a bit more careful-"
The door burst open and Minerva came out into the snow. Severus's face darkened immediately and Gwen felt awkward, as if she had been caught doing something wrong.
"Oh! I'm so sorry to interrupt!" She exclaimed with a smile. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright, Gwendolyn, you were gone quite a while."
"You didn't interrupt anything," Gwen said quickly, almost harshly. She held up the ring. "Snape here found it." His surname felt strange rolling off her tongue.
"Excellent, Severus, how good of you to help your friend. And I'm very glad to see you've decided to stay for dinner!" She said politely with a smile. Gwen glanced at Severus, who looked almost horrified.
"I was just leaving."
"Nonsense, you ought to stay. You're here anyway!"
"Why is everyone gathered by the door?' They heard Mrs. Weasley shout, coming towards the group. "Oh! Severus, are you eating with us? You're much too skinny, you must stay!" Gwen was sure that he had never been asked to stay directly by the Weasley matriarch, even though all Order members were welcomed. And while he was a rude person by nature, being rude to Mrs. Weasley was out of the question.
"Fine," he muttered and she beamed.
"Well then, in the kitchen! Both of you!" Gwendolyn awkwardly walked over to the door and back into the house, through the sitting room, and into the kitchen, the other three behind her.
The harsh brightness of the kitchen hurt her eyes. Kingsley, Tonks, Bill, Fleur, Fred, George, and Arthur were already seated at the table. Gwendolyn felt a sweet relief that Moody was not present. Bill and Fleur were talking and smiling, Fred and George were showing Tonks some of their products, Kingsley and Arthur were engaged in a very serious conversation. Tonks was the first one to notice that Snape had entered the kitchen with Gwendolyn.
"Wotcher, Gwen," she said, her voice rather monotone. "Wotcher, Snape." She didn't look at him.
"Wotcher," Gwen said with a small smile. Snape said nothing and she knew he felt out of place. He was an introvert who hated these people- and she had just told him about all of the rumors and that certainly didn't help. Of course he didn't want to stay. Fred and George gave him cold glances, as did Bill, and Fleur didn't even look at him.
"Good evening, Gwen. Severus," Kingsley nodded. Gwendolyn smiled. Always so polite.
"Sit down," Arthur said warmly and Gwendolyn eyed the two seats next to one another. She was relieved- for some reason she felt oddly protective of her friend. She didn't want to be separated from him when he felt so awkward.
They sat down and Mrs. Weasley served dinner and soon the entire table was filled with serious Order talk. Mrs. Weasley was worried about Harry and Ron and the other children, saying they were much too young to grow up so fast.
"They aren't as young as it feels they are, Molly," Arthur said kindly. "They're only two years younger than we were when we had Bill."
"Merlin's Beard! You had Bill when you were nineteen?" Tonks exclaimed.
"We were married!" Molly said rather defensively.
"That's maddening," Tonks said. "All of us here are much older than 19 and I know at least I'm not planning on having kids anytime soon."
"Nor am I," Kingsley said.
"Things were much different. More old-fashioned," Minerva explained. "The attitude was if you were ready to have sex, you were ready to have children. And if you're ready to have children with someone, you're ready to marry them." Gwendolyn and Snape glanced at each other from the corner of their eyes and she stifled a laugh.
"And things were more unified back then," Arthur continued. "There was not a small group of people in whom you could trust. Getting married was easier because you didn't have to be so wary."
"There were much more men to choose from than- what? Six single men in the Order of the Phoenix?"
"Mum, you did not just count Mundungus Fletcher!" George exclaimed and Gwen almost choked on her pumpkin juice.
"What? He is a single man and a member of the Order!"
"I severely doubt any sane woman would touch him with a ten foot pole, however," Gwen said and Arthur laughed.
"You're being a bit hard on poor Dung!"
"Well, it's the truth! Git's always drunk or falling asleep, he never washes either." She replied with a huff.
"He also always tried to snatch some our lingerie- do you remember, Gwen?" Tonks cried excitedly from across the table, nearly falling out of her chair. "At Grimmauld Place!" Snape raised his eyebrows and everyone at the table burst out in shock.
"What the absolute-"
"Merlin's saggy Y-"
"I remember! Dear God, I had to put security spells on my bras."
"Mundungus Fletcher is a mess of a man," Minerva said, the table finally calming down. "But there are other men in the Order-" Gwen could have sworn she glanced at Severus "-that have much better manners and are more…"
"Clean?" said Fred.
"Sober?" said George.
"Tolerable?"
"Human?"
"Quit it, both of you!" Their mother snapped.
"Even so, just because everyone else is much better than Dung, it doesn't mean they're good marriage material," Tonks said with a shrug and Gwen knew that if Severus hadn't been there, they would talk about him too.
"But even so, the number of young single men outnumbers young women by quite a bit," Kingsley said pointedly and Gwen realized he was right. Tonks was with Remus, practically. Emmaline was dead. It was just her.
"Bill had the best idea," Minerva said teasingly and slyly. "Date out of the Order and recruit them in." Bill grinned and kissed Fleur's forehead. Gwendolyn felt a slight bang at her heart and her expression darkened slightly.
"I'd say you single men are very lucky!" Molly huffed. "Gwendolyn is a beautiful girl. For the only single young woman in the Order, she isn't a bad catch at all."
"Alright, Gwennie, you're the minority here so you get the say," Fred said with a grin. "Pick one of the fine eligible bachelors at this table."
"You and George, of course," she said coolly, not allowing them to make the dinner awkward, especially with Bill right there. "I'm rather greedy and I can't stay put with one man for long." A few people laughed, "Gwendolyn!", Molly chastised, and she could've sworn Snape smirked.
"I ought to hook you up with someone from work, Gwen," said Tonks. "There's this really cute bloke who works in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. Name's Thomas O'Rierdan."
"I'm fine," Gwendolyn insisted, standing up to put her plate and glass in the sink.
"You ought to do it," Minerva cooed. "I thought you wanted to get engaged and married in the future? Unless you've already found a bloke you like?"
"I assure you, I haven't," she nearly snapped. Minerva knew, dammit! And she was being so blatantly untactful about it. Someone had to talk to her about it.
"Alright you lot, out of the kitchen while I clean up this absolute disaster!"
"Do you need help, Mrs. Weasley?" Gwen asked her as the rest of the group slowly disappeared into the sitting room.
"Just make sure Tonks doesn't break anything in the sitting room," the obviously tired woman muttered and Gwen grinned and left the kitchen.
She noticed Severus by the door, putting his cloak on, and she wanted to approach him to let him know she'd come over that night. But everyone was already so suspicious and Minerva was also putting on her cloak. She made eye contact with him and raised her eyebrows slightly, hoping he understood, then turned to look for her purse as he left. Tonk hurriedly approached her and grabbed Gwen's wrist.
"What are you doing?" Tonks exclaimed, her eyes widened, her hair turning red.
"What are you talking about?" Gwen asked, wrenching her wrist free from Tonks's grasp.
"You know what I'm talking about! Why were you talking with Snape? Why did he stay for dinner?"
She heaved a heavy sigh. "This again? He's my friend. I don't know why he stayed for dinner."
"A friend you had sex with?"
"It's not impossible, Tonks."
"He's bad news!" She insisted. "Remember what Harry said about the Unbreakable Vow!"
"What Unbreakable Vow?" Gwen asked, very confused.
"See? Snape didn't even tell you! I thought you heard at New Year's when Harry told Remus and the rest."
"No, I was…" She must have been upstairs with Bill by then. "I didn't hear. What are you talking about?"
"Harry overheard Snape speaking with Draco Malfoy about an Unbreakable Vow he made."
She had never heard about this, only that Harry had been suspicious something was going on between Snape and Malfoy. Why did Severus not tell her? He doesn't have to tell me anything… She argued with herself.
"It isn't our business what he does to secure his position," Gwen said. "Just because he made… mistakes, doesn't mean he doesn't deserve a friend. Everyone needs a friend."
Tonks sighed reluctantly. "Just… be careful. Please. And make sure he isn't more than just a friend. No matter where his loyalties lie, falling in love with someone who has the Dark Mark will get you killed, Gwen."
"Falling in love- Merlin, Tonks, I-"
"Be careful," her friend interrupted, then walked away.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The next morning was beautiful, ethereal. It was Sunday morning and neither of them had work. It was raining and Snape was reading the Prophet. Gwendolyn had her head resting on his chest, reading along with him, showing him things she had written or edited. She would occasionally shut her eyes and rest again. They were relaxing in a sleepy, post-sex haze. They deserved that once in awhile, she mused.
He started stroking her hair and she closed her eyes. She liked that. She liked this. "Can we order breakfast?" She asked, breaking a very long silence. The only thing that would make this better would be food.
"If you'd like," he said. "Two orders?"
"I'll share with you."
"You always say that and then end up eating most of mine," he muttered and she laughed.
"I won't this time! I promise."
"You always say that as well," he said with a smirk, summoning a house elf and ordering one breakfast. When the elf disappeared back into the kitchens to get their food, he put the paper down.
"I could stay here all day." She said.
"You can."
"I could stay here all night too."
"That you can't do," he said pointedly. "I have a meeting with the Dark Lord tonight." Her face darkened, though he couldn't see it. She remembered what Tonks had told her about the Unbreakable Vow.
"I spoke with Tonks after you left yesterday," she said slowly, still unsure if it was appropriate to bring up. But she had always been too curious for her own good.
"And what did she have to say?"
"Well, she was talking about you."
"You ought not to be surprised," he said softly and he started stroking her hair again. It made her feel calmer. "She knows that we slept together before, she's obviously suspicious, especially after Minerva's foolish comments and us appearing at dinner together."
"Deny, deny, deny," she muttered.
"Precisely."
"Well, she brought up something I found rather odd." He didn't say anything, obviously waiting for her to tell him. She breathed in deeply. "She said you made an Unbreakable Vow."
The hand playing with her hand immediately withdrew.
"Do you not trust me?" He asked, sounding cold.
"Of course I do!" She said immediately, sitting up and looking at him. "I just wondered why… you never told me."
"Gwendolyn, honestly, when do I ever tell you about my dealings with the Death Eaters?"
"Not often," she admitted.
"And how often to I give reports to the Order anymore?"
"Even less often."
"My position and work with the Death Eaters has come to a point where I can only tell Dumbledore and Dumbledore alone of what occurs," he said, closing the newspaper and putting it on the bedside table. "Despite our arrangement, I cannot divulge any information."
"But was there a Vow?" She persisted, expecting him to get angry, maybe even kick her out. She needed to know. But he didn't and instead, after a pause, nodded. She said nothing else, asked no more questions, but laid back down with her head on his chest, and wrapped her hand up in his own. And after a while, he started stroking her hair again with his free hand.
Hours later, when she decided to get dressed and go home, she said, "I'm sorry if what they were saying yesterday made you uncomfortable." He raised an eyebrow. "About me getting engaged and what not."
"It didn't," he said simply, putting the paper down. "If you ever desire for a relationship of more… substance with someone else, you're at perfect liberty to go pursue one." She nodded slowly. The idea felt strange.
"The same goes for you, of course," she said, putting her shoes on.
"I won't."
"You don't know that."
"I do. Spies don't get married. This arrangement is risky enough in itself." She couldn't help feeling a little sad for him. A bittersweet feeling welled up in her chest.
"I suppose we can just do this forever, then," she said casually, with a teasing smirk.
"Probably not," he said blatantly, not looking at her, and the words stung. "I'm supposed to give Potter detention tomorrow night, so perhaps don't come till the night after."
She blinked, still taken aback by the entire encounter, offended, but she didn't know why. "I'll see," she said, rather harshly. He said nothing, but disappeared into the bathroom, leaving her alone.