Thankfully the weekend came, and although they had no

classes, Severus and Alexis had something new to deal with at dinner

the following evening. "If I may have your attention please," said

Dumbledore, standing up. "I have an announcement to make, or

rather, a toast." He turned to Severus and Alexis, and suddenly

they both knew what he was doing, and Severus slid about a foot

underneath the table. "I would like to congratulate Professor Snape

and Professor Zarinsky. They were both married just a few short

days ago!"

Stunned silence.

Severus opened his eyes and looked at the Great Hall;

he could almost hear the crickets outside the windows. Finally, one

of the Slytherin students clapped ever so slowly, and gradually

everyone else began to clap. Alexis's face burned bright red as

Dumbledore continued, "So I'd like to make a toast to the both of

them. May your marriage last long, and may you have many children!"

They both grimaced, and so did the rest of the Great Hall, although

some of them were stifling back laughter at the embarrassed looks on

the faces of their professors. Severus simply put his head in his

hands, wishing he wasn't sitting at the table, wishing he was

anywhere but there. Alexis, in the meantime, also slid down about

six inches in her seat, managing only a small wave at the students.

"That is all, thank you!" said Dumbledore, sitting

down. 'That was more than enough,' thought Severus, rubbing his

eyes irritably. Suddenly he realized that no one was yet moving; he

opened his eyes to see that one of the students, Seamus Finnigan of

Gryffindor, in fact, was raising his hand. "Yes Mr. Finnigan?" said

Dumbledore. "Sir," said Seamus, standing up, "should we refer to

them both as Professor Snape?" Half the Great Hall (mainly the

Gryffindors) erupted in laughter, but the other half (mainly the

Slytherins) knew better and kept quiet. As Finnigan sat down,

Severus noted his friends were patting him on the back; he had been

dared to ask that question.

Dumbledore turned to Alexis, "Well?" She shrugged then

nodded, "I guess." "Yes, well, there you have it then Mr. Finnigan,

now let's eat!" said Dumbledore. Seconds later, the food appeared,

although Severus and Alexis were a little slow on the up taking.

When dinner ended, Severus and Alexis got up quickly

and headed out of the Hall, hoping to beat the students, but to no

avail. Some of them also left alongside them, saying things like,

"Congratulations!" and "Way to go!" which only made them cringe.

Severus almost said "Twenty points from Hufflepuff!" to one first

year who looked overly happy, but Alexis grabbed his arm and said,

"She's just trying to be nice. Let her go." "Oh fine," he muttered

as they went down to the dungeons.

It was some time roughly an hour later when they

finally cracked the Project. "Alexis...I think this is it," said

Severus, looking at the potion and writing down a few equations on

some parchment. "We added the right amount of Woad Leaf and

Nettles; combined they produce exactly what we need." Alexis took a

look at the parchment, "Add the Freezing Charm and..." "Permanent

suspended animation," said Severus, suddenly aware of the key they

held right there in the dungeon. Alexis's face became excited,

"We'll finish the sonofabitch off for good this time!" she

whispered. He smiled, "The perfect wedding present, don't you think?"

Alexis chuckled, then said, "I wish we could celebrate,

but I don't think it's safe going off grounds." "True," said

Severus, locking up the potion and the equation quickly, "but we

could always go for a stroll across the grounds." She smiled,

"Sounds wonderful, let's go."

A few minutes later, they were walking past the lake

together, enjoying the moonlight. "Somehow the thought of a wedding

always struck a different image in my mind," said Alexis. "Somehow

the thought of a honeymoon always struck a different image in my

mind," said Severus with a slight hint in his eyes. She laughed, "I

didn't want to say it, but I was thinking the same thing. There's

too much work though. We can't just get up and go at a time like

this." "I know," said Severus, sitting down by a large beech tree

by the lake, "it's the unfortunate responsibility for those of us

who have seen this sort of a menace before."

Alexis sat down beside him, "There are some days where

I really wish I had never been Branded." "Some days?" said Severus,

"How about all days?" She was silent for a moment, "If I had never

been Branded, we never would have become so close." This time it

was his turn to fall silent, 'It might have been better for you,' he

thought, 'because I'll never be good enough for you.' "You're too

good to me," said Alexis, ironically enough, staring at her ring.

He looked at his own ring; for years he thought he would never wear

one of these things. Alexis looked at him suddenly, "I can't wait

till he's gone so we can live a normal life together."

"A normal life?" said Severus, "Who wants to do that?"

Alexis smiled, and she was almost stunned to see him smiling at her

fully in the moonlight. He never looked better.

* * *

Dumbledore was seated in his office when he heard an

intent knocking, "Headmaster! Sir!" said a muffled voice that

clearly belonged to Ron Weasley. "Come in Mr. Weasley," said

Dumbledore. Ron and Harry immediately rushed in, both looking quite

upset, "What's the matter?" said Dumbledore. "Headmaster, look!"

Ron shoved a pair of Omnioculars into his hand, "Press play and

watch! It's right before the smoke bomb went off in the stadium!"

he said frantically. Dumbledore held them to his eyes and watched;

he saw nothing except for the instant appearance of the smoke.

"What am I looking for?" said Dumbledore. Harry suddenly took the

Omnioculars and hit the SLOW button, "Now look again." Dumbledore

held them up and this time he saw it. He rewound it again and

again, then froze the picture. "I see..." said Dumbledore softly.

"That's how he got the bomb into the stadium! He

figured out a way to Apparate onto Hogwarts grounds! The problem is

that he did it so fast no one saw him!" said Harry. Dumbledore put

the Omnioculars down, "May I keep these for now?" Ron nodded, "Of

course sir!" He stood, "Thank you boys. Now quickly, off to bed

with you, and tell no one about what you saw. I have to speak to

the Ministry about this." Harry and Ron nodded, saying only a quick

"Goodnight!" before running off to their dorm.

Dumbledore stood and threw Floo Powder into the fire grate,

"Severus, I need to speak with you."

No response.

"Severus, this is urgent! Voldemort found a way to Apparate onto

school grounds! You're both in grave danger!"

* * *

Severus and Alexis had been sitting by the lake for ten

minutes or so when they finally decided it was time to go back

inside. They had started walking up the grassy hill when Alexis

stopped Severus, "Before we go inside...there's so many students and

I don't want to be caught by McGonagall...may I have one kiss?" He

smiled, "You needn't bother asking."

For one long moment, nothing else existed but them, and

then...

"Naughty naughty, you'll get caughty!" hissed a voice in their ears.

Suddenly Severus was struck across the forehead and he fell to the

ground; Alexis screamed, going for her wand, only to find that her

arms were restrained by...someone. Severus felt his head spin,

although he tried to stand and fumbled for his wand. When he

finally stood, he realized who it was.

Voldemort.

And he was holding Alexis.

Instantly his wand was out, "Let her go, Voldemort,"

snarled Severus, "or I'll hex you into oblivion." "Oh, at the risk

of hitting your own wife?" said Voldemort. Severus's blood froze,

"We're not married." "Yes you are, you filthy little liar," said

Voldemort, holding her tighter, "Dumbledore made a little

announcement in the Great Hall about you two." Severus's grip on

his wand grew tighter, "She's worth nothing to you. You want

something, take me." "Ah, Severus, still trying to be the hero

after all you did as a Death Eater?" said Voldemort, red eyes

glinting with malice, "How can you possibly even begin to pay back

what you did?" "I've paid my dues, goddamn you!" snapped Severus,

"Now let her go!"

"Tut tut, not a good negotiator, must control that

temper," said Voldemort, "you see she's worth a lot to me alive.

Mostly because she is the number one way to get through to you."

Severus felt his blood roiling as he continued, "And when I'm

finished with her, you'll find her rotting carcass on your front

doorstep. Goodbye, Snape."

Pop.

They were gone.