Chapter 43: The Pull Of Love's Reins
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The Kitchen,The Snape Residence, Unknown World...
It had taken quite a bit of effort to get Regulus to go to sleep. The stubborn young wizard had insisted on being in his father's arms as he drifted off hoping it would make him stay despite the attempt being futile. Elaine had been in the kitchen when Severus put the boy to bed smiling as the seven year old slept with his tiny fist balled and his raven hair against his pillow.
Taking a moment to relish his minor victory, Severus Snape smiled down at his son and gently tussled his lengthy hair.
"Sleep well little prince." he said before leaving his son's bedroom and venturing into the kitchen where his wife was hard at work clearing away the remains of their supper for the evening.
Elaine Snape had been content with her modest life raising her son with the means provided to her by her husband. The revelation of him being a Professor at a prestigious Magical School had given them a sense of normalcy. When he had been absent she knew he had been teaching and she was pleased to not he had been safe within the wizarding world.
With Voldemort gone and Severus with steady employment they lived rather comfortable in their equally modest home far from the perceived threats of their past and able to concentrate on their future.
"Let me assist you." said Snape moving over toward the kitchen sink as his wife washed the remaining dishes and he rinsed them.
Normally Elaine would object siting that she wanted him to rest but he remained intent on assisting her. The two of them washed and dried the remainder of the dishes and went about ensuring the kitchen was neat and tidy.
Once the job had been complete, Snape noted how truly exhausted his wife appeared for the first time since he arrived. He walked up behind her as she finished wiping of the counter top and began to massage her weary shoulders.
"How long have you been running yourself ragged woman?" he asked in a low voice that sent chills down her spine.
"Hmmm." purred the slowly relaxing woman as she surrendered herself to her husband's antics. "All my life it seems."
Snape sighed.
"You deserve better." he said continuing to ease the ache of her shoulders.
"I have you." she replied. "You and our son is all that matters...you both are all that have ever mattered to me."
"I will never understand you woman." said Snape giving his wife a half smile.
"But I will always understand you wizard." replied Elaine turning to face him.
There was an expression of love on her face that he had no right to witness. She smiled at him and took him by the hand silently leading him out of the now cleaned kitchen and into their shared bedroom.
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The Master Bedroom, The Snape Residence, Unknown Location...
Severus Snape had not taken his eyes off his beautiful wife as she lead him by the hand toward their shared black four poster bed. Severus couldn't get over how strange this muggle woman had been. If the wizarding world had known about their marriage the consequences would have been severe given the nature of their union.
Elaine had been worlds away from her own family and outlived the group of friends she's had since she was a child only to end up in a strange country with a wizard for a husband and an equally magically inclined son, Yet she was here making the best of it despite hardly ever seeing her husband given his assignment to Hogwarts Castle and recent imprisonment in Azkaban.
"I've missed you so much." she said softly as the young Potions Professor watched with hooded eyes as she stripped off her cotton dress letting it slide off her body like rushing water as she stood before him.
He licked his pale lips in anticipation. No matter how many times he had taken his eager wife to bed in the past, it never seemed to be enough for either of them and their time being shortened made this moment that much more desperate.
"I've missed you too." replied Severus not at all content to remain patient given all the time he spent away from her.
His lengthy pale fingers calloused from his harsh life in Azkaban and his new trade in potions work trailed along her soft, smooth, exposed flesh.
Unable to avoid direct contact for long, Elaine pressed her newly exposed chest into his pale lean form as he skipped the pleasantries and spelled away the remainder of their clothing.
"Someone's eager." said Elaine with a smile as Snape pulled her down onto the bed.
"What do you expect woman...I've never been one for patience." he replied.
Elaine smiled recalling fondly just how she ended up with Regulus.
"No." she agreed. "You aren't."
They kissed again and proceeded to further enjoy their long awaited reunion.
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The Master Bedroom, The Snape Residence, Unknown World...
Severus Snape stared out the window of his bedroom taking a moment before his early flight back to Hogwarts. He had wished he could linger so he could spend the morning with both Regulus and Elaine but he knew he had to get back before there were questions asked. Despite the dark lord being gone, he knew he had far too many enemies on both sides to expose the truth about his family.
Taking a breath he stepped away from the window and got dressed in the rather leisurely way watching his sleeping wife's chest rise and fall during her slumber. He smiled noting just how content he had left her as he pulled on his long sleeve white shirt.
She shifted in bed and moaned as her beautiful eyes opened attempting to adjust to the darkness that surrounded her.
"S-Severus...?" she began.
"Shhhh." he urged kissing her repeatedly. "Go back to bed woman I've got to return to Hogwarts."
She seemed rather disappointed to hear this.
"But you just got here." she complained. "Regulus is going to be looking for you."
"I know." replied Snape. "But this is the way it must be...I'll return when I can."
"Promise?" asked Elaine sitting up in bed and meeting his obsidian gaze despite the semi-darkness.
"You have my work woman." replied Snape kneeling beside the bed and taking her hand in his own. "I will comeback to you whenever I get the opportunity to do so."
"Always?" she asked gripping his hand tightly.
"Always." he replied before kissing her hand once more. "Now get some rest...you know the boy's bound to be full of energy come morning."
"Like his father." said Elaine turning onto her side and collecting her husband's pillows to sleep better in his absence.
Snape took one last look at his wife before venturing out into the hall and moving toward his sleeping son's bedroom.
Regulus had still been asleep much to his satisfaction and adorable if the young Potions Master would be so bold in admitting. The seven year old wizard in the making had made him proud in more ways than he had ever known.
His tiny fist had still been balled from when he last held on to his father's hand before drifting off to sleep.
"My little Prince." said Severus Snape noting just how fortunate he had been in terms of a family that loved him unconditionally. "Sleep well."
With that Severus Snape departed the home of his family once more to return to Hogwarts castle, content in the knowledge that he'd return as he promised his sleeping wife he would.