Epilogue: An Explanation & a Promise
Deidra rolled over on to her stomach in bed. Her left hand fell on one of the pillows next to her. She watched as the precious stones of her ring caught in the first rays on dawn and made beautiful rainbows on the wall. She could never stop looking at that ring, it fascinated her. s it was such a small thing, and yet it had such an immense meaning.
It meant that she was no longer alone, and never would be again. It meant that from now one she would have someone to share all her joys and burdens with. It meant that the last sixteen years of waiting and resisting had not been in vain. It meant that she possessed the greatest gift that any one could offer, unwavering, eternal love. And it meant that the man lying beside her would do so for the rest of her life.
With that thought, she turned her attention to the form huddled in sleep next to her. His face was slightly upturned, and his arms lay limp at his sides. Gently, Deidra extended a finger and traced the line of his arm. Up, past his wrist, past his elbow, along his shoulder, up the curve of his neck, down his jaw line, to end tracing his pale, slightly parted lips. In response to her touch Severus shifted slightly in his sleep, and Deidra quickly withdrew her finger, not wanting to wake him just yet.
But it was too late, he'd already begun to stir, and even before she could completely retract her hand he'd risen and caught it in his own. "So," he whispered huskily, "now it is you who watch over me."
Deidra smiled gently and extracted her captured hand to run it along his cheek. While she did this, he closed his eyes, savoring the touch of her hand against his skin. Shrewdly, he snaked his hand around her waist and drew her to him. But just before he could cover her lips with his, she put her hand in the way.
"We have to be careful you know, I'm engaged to be married, and my fiancée is very strict with me." She teased, pulling back seductively.
"Well," Severus said, pulling her back to him, "I'm an old family friend, so I'm sure he won't mind me, kissing the bride." And before she had a chance to toy with him further, he'd silenced her mouth with his.
Carefully, he fell back on the pillows, pulling her with him. When they finally broke the kiss, she laid her head on his shoulder and rested her hand on his chest. Playfully, he picked up the hand and examined it carefully as thought he was a jeweler. "My, my, my Ms. Dumbledore, where ever did you get such an ornate ring?"
"Well," she began, tossing her hair off her shoulders, letting it brush Severus's arm. "This guy I know gave it to me, but I don't know if I'll keep it, it looks a little strange to me." She pulled her hand away and examined it herself.
"Do you know what it mean?" His voice was serious now.
"No, what does it mean my love?" She asked, resettling herself against him.
"Well," he took her hand in his again, and held it so the back faced them. Using the pointer and middle finger of his other hand he tapped the diamonds. "These are two people." Deidra nodded in reply. "And this," he said, indicating the ruby in the center, "is one heart. Two people, one heart."
Shifting so she was face to face with him, Deidra breathed, "that's us, two people, one heart."
Severus nodded solemnly. "I'm just glad it still fits, how embarrassing that would have been."
Deidra cocked her head in curiosity, "still fits, how long have you had this?"
"Um, let's see," he counted on his fingers, mumbling random dates to himself, "fourteen, fifteen, six-, seventeen years."
"SEVENTEEN YEARS!" Her voice was quiet, but full of shock.
"Yes, seventeen years, I picked it up a week before you left. I'd planned to ask you that very day, but things just kept going wrong, I don't know what happened."
Deidra covered her face with her hands. "Boy, we've really bungled this whole thing up, haven't we Severus?!" She muttered, her voice stifled by her hands.
Severus smiled kindly at the sight his love was making, then lovingly pulled her hands away and tilting her chin so she was looking straight into his eyes. "Yes, we made quite a few mistakes in our past, but we got a second chance. We're very lucky."
"Yes," she said, taking his hand and kissing the palm. "Let's promise each other right now, that we'll do our best to not screw up again. Alright?"
Severus smiled at her, "Alright."
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The End!