A/N: I don't own anything but Antonia

A/N: I don't own anything but Antonia. Everything else is all JKR. Special thanks to Tempesta, my muse, my beta reader, and my sounding board.

This was originally going to be put up as a sequel to My Antonia, but, however, it somehow kept getting lost by fanfic before it made it out of the "just in" section. So, hopefully, people will read and review in this continued format. So, I now present to you Part 2: Into the Maelstrom.

He looked at her sleeping face. God, she was lovely. The Great Cleopatra herself would weep with envy if she ever saw you, my love, he thought as he looked down at her sleeping figure. Her blue eyes were closed, the long black eye lashes resting on the alabaster surface of her flesh. Her soft pink lips were slightly parted. Her breasts rose and fell with her breathing. And this woman loves you, he marveled.

He lifted a fragile hand in his and pressed it to his lips. "I love you, Antonia Delaney Snape."

He lay back in the thick, unfamiliar mattress of his wife's bedchamber and thought back on the events of the day before…

"Are you sure you don't want a big wedding?" he asked, tilting her chin up towards him with great tenderness.

Her blue eyes sparkled. "I don't care if we get married in front of the entire ministry, or if we get married in the Forbidden Forest. I just want to be with you," she confirmed.

They stood before Professor Dumbledore. "Sir," Severus began, "I think that I'm ready for… We want to… We'd like…"

Antonia glared at her lover. "For heaven's sake, Severus, quit babbling and just spit it out."

The glare he gave her was positively murderous. "I'm working on it," he snarled, flicking a fairy off her shoulder.

"Would you mind not doing that?" she demanded.

"Keep the little bugs away from me, then," he replied.

Dumbledore stood back, amused by the whole exchange. "Is there something that I can do for you two?"

"We… We want to get married," Snape forced out.

He smiled broadly. "It's about time, you know."

"No, sir, Severus means that we want to get married today. Here. In your office. With you holding the ceremony, if you're willing…"

"Oh! Of course! I'd be honored and delighted to preside over your wedding…"

A few moments later, they found themselves with Minerva McGonagall and Professor Flitwick acting as witnesses. Of course, Antonia's sons were present.

"Severus, do you take this woman, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, and in sickness and in health, for your lawfully wedded wife?" Dumbledore asked, his voice very solemn.

He looked at his bride, his eyes shining with adoration. "For as long as I shall live," he vowed.

"Antonia, do you take this man, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, and in sickness and in health, for your lawfully wedded husband?"

She was radiant that day. "For as long as I shall live," she responded, an irrepressible grin stretching across her delicate features.

"You wanted to add to your vows?" Dumbledore asked.

Antonia nodded. "Severus, for years, I went on without you. I had children, I had a career… But I was only half-alive. When I saw you again, I knew that you were what I had been waiting for all along. I love you."

"Antonia, when you flew into my dungeon that day, I didn't know what to think or how to feel. All I knew is that I'd seen you, and you'd become the center of my every thought. I felt things that I didn't know that I could feel. Suffice it to say, I love you, and that will never change."

Dumbledore looked upon the young lovers with twinkling eyes and a broad smile. "Then, by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now…"

They didn't wait for him to finish his sentence. Severus had pulled Antonia in his arms, and the newlyweds were in a lip lock that made Professor McGonagall turn a rather peculiar shade of green and Antonia's two children look as though they were going to vomit..

Severus felt more at peace with himself than he'd ever been in his life. He had a beautiful wife, and she loved him and accepted him, faults and all. Her kids? Ah, well, they were okay, he supposed. He might even be inclined to arrange some tutoring or something for potions class. It would be most embarrassing for his wife's children to fail his class… No, they would just get some intensive studying this summer, after the family honeymoon…

Then, he caught himself. Why the Hell was he pondering the dubious intelligence of her offspring? There were much better things to think of…

He rolled over on his side and gently kissed his new wife on her sleeping lips. My wife, he thought incredulously.

He started to wrap his arm around her when he felt it: a searing, burning pain on his left forearm. He stifled a cry and looked at his arm. His dark mark was black.

She woke up. "What's wrong?"

Silently, he showed her his arm.

She gasped, her blue eyes widening as she took in the meaning of his revelation. "You can't go. He'll kill you," she pleaded, clutching his arm.

"If I don't go, he'll kill me. This time, school isn't in session. I can explain away why I didn't show last time. I can't avoid it this time." He sighed. "I'm a Death Eater, Antonia. You knew it all along. I can't avoid going back to the Dark Lord. He'll kill us both. And he'll take special delight in torturing a muggle-lover like yourself."

"Please," she begged, tears filling her blue eyes. She kissed him, a hard kiss filled with desperation. At that moment, she'd use any tool necessary to keep him by her side, including her body.

His face darkened with a barely suppressed rage. "Don't you understand?" he bellowed, shaking her. "If I stay here, we both die! We have no chance if I stay here! Do you want to wait here, like a lamb waiting for slaughter? We can't hide; he'll find us wherever we go! A Death Eater hit squad will be here to take us out in minutes."

She choked on a sob.

"I have to go, darling," he said woodenly, getting up and putting on his standard black robes.

"Severus, no!" she screamed, ignoring the salty warm tears streaming down her face. "Please don't leave!" She couldn't rid herself of the fear that he would never come back. David never came back.

"I'm sorry." He disapparated out of her bedroom.

Antonia picked up a glass from his side of the bed and threw it against the wall, watching it shatter. "God damn you, Severus!"

Talk to Dumbledore, a voice said in her head. He'll know what to do…

Calmly, she straightened herself up and quickly put on a robe. Of course. Dumbledore. Why didn't I think of that sooner?

She apparated herself to Hogsmeade and flew to Hogwarts on a borrowed broom. Dumbledore would know what to do. She realized, as she flew over the lake, that she just went against protocol, and that she should be hightailing it to Fudge's office. Fudge is also an idiot, and the best way to get Severus killed, she reminded herself.

"You!" Filch screamed in his heavy Scottish accent. "Yer feet are muddy and I've jest mopped the floor!"

"Oh, blow it out your ass, Filch. I'm not a damned student to be intimidated. Where's Professor Dumbledore?"

He looked at her, stunned. "He's in his office, I would imagine…"

She ran away from the glorified janitor and rushed up to the gargoyle statue. "Lemon drops, gumballs, stinky feet… God damn it, Dumbledore, can't you come up with something fucking normal?!"

The gargoyle slid open, revealing Dumbledore's office. "Come in, Miss Delaney. It really isn't necessary to curse at my door, is it?"

"Severus's dark mark turned black. He's gone to see the Dark Lord," she cried.

The twinkling in Dumbledore's eyes faded to a stern blue, and his face grew deadly serious. "This does put a different spin on things." He ushered her in, and she found herself standing face to face with her school-time boyfriend.

"Hello, Antonia," greeted Sirius Black.

She glared at him. "I don't have time for niceties." Her attention swung back to Dumbledore. "They're going to kill him, aren't they?"

Albus Dumbledore shook his head. "I don't think so. Not yet. But when he does come home, he won't be up for a vacation for quite some time."

"I'm going to fucking kill him. I'm going to wrap my hands around his neck…"

Sirius looked at her with mild bemusement. "Did someone piss the little lady off?"

Dumbledore shot Black a warning glance.

"Piss me off? Piss me off? DO YOU HAVE ANY FUCKING IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" she screamed.

Sirius stepped back, stunned. He had never seen Antonia Delaney screaming before.

"The first day of my married life, and that fucking mark on his arm has to ruin it. I shouldn't even be out of bed, today. I should be happily curled up with my husband, not in an office, wondering if some psychotic dark wizard has killed him," she fretted, pacing back and forth.

"Antonia, just calm down and think rationally…" Sirius began. He couldn't figure out what man in the world would be stupid enough to chain himself to that viper for life.

She breathed deeply. "Shut up. I have to think." The blond witch continued pacing. "Professor, you're certain that the Dark Lord won't kill him right away?"

"No. Severus may not be very high on Voldemort's list of favorite people right now, but he won't let Severus go unpunished for not showing up when the Mark turned black in May…"

She gasped. "You knew about this?"

"Severus was working as a spy for the Ministry up until Voldemort's fall at the hands of Harry Potter," Albus quietly told her.

Her face went through a myriad of expressions… puzzlement, joy, rage… "I knew that he could never truly embrace the mission of the Dark Lord… Not after Lily…" But he had never told her that he had, in fact been a counterspy… Why?

Dumbledore seemed to be reading the thoughts of Snape's new bride. "He probably never told you, Antonia, because of your position in the ministry. He didn't want you to worry."

"What's going on here?" Black demanded. "Antonia, you didn't marry that slimy git, did you?" He muttered under his breath, "I think I'm going to be sick." He really didn't want a vision of Snape making out with the golden haired goddess that stood glaring at him.

Antonia shot him a murderous glare, one not unlike the glares that her husband had been known to direct at Harry Potter.

"Some developments have come up in your absence," Dumbledore began tactfully.

"Obviously, your need of a personality isn't one of them," Antonia hissed, glaring at Black. Yeah, he was a great kisser. But he had also been so very certain that she would sleep with him after the Yule Ball. She turned him down flat.

"Antonia," Albus reprimanded.

She opened her mouth and closed it, instead settling for glaring at Black.

"Severus and Antonia did get married yesterday, Mr. Black. And this is not a prank," Dumbledore informed Sirius.

Black was horrified. "You? Married him? How could you marry that bastard!"

Antonia slapped him, bringing his merriment to an end. "Yes, I married him. And I would thank you to keep your unflattering comments about my husband to yourself."

Dumbledore looked at them both reproachfully. "If you two could continue this later, I think we may want to focus on the resurgence of Voldemort. His followers are there. He's going to try to rebuild his band of Death Eaters. And he's going to try to kill Harry Potter again."

Sirius spoke up. "Are you certain that he's safe with the Muggles?"

"He's safer there than he is here. As long as he doesn't leave that house."

Antonia sighed. "You've got a couple of days before they try to take Harry. My whole fucking family is in danger. The Dark Lord could decide to take out my husband any time he so chooses. My children are halfbloods. I lived with a muggle for years and had his children. We aren't very high on his list of favorite people."

"Where are your children?" Dumbledore asked.

"They're at my mother's for the weekend."

"Sirius, Hagrid still has your motorcycle at his cottage. Go get the boys. Bring them back here at once."

* * *

"Is there a reason," a high, cold voice began, "That you ignored my previous call, Severus?"

Severus knelt on the grassy knoll before him, his eyes focused on the ground, his mind focused on burying the disgusted sneer that wanted to creep across his face. He forced the hatred that he felt for this monstrosity to the back of his head, for fear that the Dark Lord would see those thoughts of rage over the death of his beloved Lily… "I was at Hogwarts, my Lord, and I could not disapparate without arousing Dumbledore's suspicion. I thought that you may want to take advantage of my position at Hogwarts for information…"

"Yes… Very good thinking, Severus. However, that was in May, and you never sent word explaining your failure to appear. I assumed you had betrayed me, abandoned out cause…" Voldemort stroked his wand almost lovingly. "Of course, you will have to be punished… I should kill you for this… Crucio!"

Snape collapsed on the ground, writhing in pain and screaming in agony. He thought he was going to die from the pain, he wished he would if it weren't for…

"Finite Incantatem," Voldemort ordered.

Snape lay on the ground, panting.

"Do not ignore my call again, Severus. You are lucky I didn't kill you because of last time. I just thought that I might give you one last chance. And this is only because of the quality service that you've given to our cause in the past… I kind of like you, boy."

He nodded, still panting.

But he was still alive. That would be enough, for now.

* * *

Sirius arrived a few hours later with her children. "Mama, what's wrong?" Michael asked.

She continued pacing in Dumbledore's office. "They've taken Severus, and it's not safe for you to be away from Hogwarts now. You'll have to stay here."

"But what about you? You can't leave us…"

She kissed both of her sons. "I love you both very much. But if I stay here with you, all three of us will be in danger. And there's no telling how long it will last. But if I work hard enough, all four of us can be back at home and together again."

"Or you could never come back, like Papa."

She hugged them against her. "I will come back. I won't have you two afraid to go out in the streets because your Papa was a muggle. So, stay here. Severus and I will work hard to make it safe for you."

She looked up at Sirius. "Take them both. I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore."

He nodded at the blond, relieved to see that her humanity hadn't totally left her when she became a Snape. Sirius escorted the two boys to the kitchens.

"Fudge wants to make me an Auror," Antonia began. "But it's too dangerous for Severus. There's no way the Dark Lord would believe it if his right hand was married to a trained hit wizard."

"You'll have to decline, Antonia. Tell Fudge you have children to think about, tell him you're allergic to Forbidden Curses. Tell him whatever you have to, but do not take the position. If you do, Severus is as good as dead."

She went back to pacing in front of his desk. "What's going to happen to Severus when the Dark Lord finds out about us?"

"The name is Voldemort. And it won't be pretty. His right hand married a 'muggle-lover with two halfblood children' who works for the Ministry, no less."

"He's going to kill him. We have to do something."

"You're going to wear out the rug if you keep pacing like that."

"What else am I supposed to do? Bust in with trained hit wizards in masks and take out the entire dark side?"

"You'll just have to make a career change," Dumbledore began calmly.

"And what do you propose I do?"

"We need a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, you know…"

* * *

"Maybe I shouldn't let you live," Voldemort said in his high voice. "Perhaps I should use you for an example as to what happens to those who betrayed me…" He flicked his wand and announced cruelly, "Crucio."

He heard a bloodcurdling scream, and was horrified to realize that such a sound was coming from him... She wouldn't scream if it were her, and he knew it. If he was going to die, he wanted to die with dignity.

"Finite Cantitum. Stand up, Snape. Face me like a man before I kill you. Avada Ka---"

"Wait," he gasped, "You'll lose your best spy…" He closed his eyes, knowing that the green flash of light would overtake him.

The monster stopped his curse. He stood in silence, contemplating the truth of those words. "Explain," he hissed.

"Dumbledore," he panted, "Is convinced that I was a spy for him. I gave him little tidbits of information that I'd heard about the Death Eaters over the years, and he gave me inside information on what the ministry is doing. My position as Dumbledore's right hand is secure, secure enough to feed you information, as long as you let me live."

"You will have to earn your position in my ranking back, boy. I don't take kindly to betrayal… The next time I doubt your loyalty, I shall allow Lucius to have fun with you…"

"Lucius," Snape hissed. "Do you really think that he is loyal to you? He was one of the first to scream bewitchment after your 'fall'. You call that loyal?"

"Wingardium leviosa!" Voldemort hissed. "Do not press your luck, boy. You are only alive right now because I feel generous."

Severus floated above Voldemort's head. Shit, Severus thought.

"Abicio," the reptilian creature hissed, his forked tongue flicking.

Snape went flying through the air, as though he was a bludger who'd been smacked away by a Quidditch beater. Snape bounced off a tree, with no magic to cushion him. "Ow!" he yelped as he landed on his ass.

One by one, other Death Eaters began appearing and gathering in a clearing in the forest. They looked pleased to be before the Dark Lord once more.

"I will not tolerate your insolence. Nor will I allow you to behave as though I don't know what each and every single one of you have been up to in my absence. Welcome home, my prodigal son," Voldemort said, pointing to the empty space in the circle where Snape usually stood…

"Thank you, my Lord," he murmured, his head bowed.

"The Lestranges will be joining us again soon," he announced. "Unfortunately, Bart Crouch, my most faithful servant of all, will no longer be able to join us. That fool Fudge had sentenced him to the Dementor's Kiss. When the Dementors rejoin us, they will give the Kiss to Fudge. The worthless old fool shall have it, after what he has done to my faithful followers…"

He turned his gaze to the Potions Master. "You, Severus, will be on the lookout for youngsters in your house that may be worthy of our cause."

His gaze turned to Lucius. "And I will be expecting you to bring your boy soon. He is old enough to join our ranks."