Nothing new to say. blah blah blah blah don't own it blah blah blah.
Ch 7: Alone Again...
Belldani stirred, she was … in the guest room. Potter's. Someone was beside her.
"Sev?" she brushed a strand of hair from his face. His face… it was criss-crossed with deep scratches, and his breathing was raspy. Every once in a while one of his legs twitched, and he would groan in his sleep.
She sat watching him, sitting up with her chin on her knees. She could hear the sounds of the Muggles below her, breakfast or something. There was a knock at the door on the floor below. Molly must be returning.
Severus' eyelids fluttered and slowly opened.
"Sev!" she gasped, leaning close, so she was in his line of sight.
"Bell," he wheezed, "Where…this?" he tried to lift his hand, but managed only to make it move around a moment.
"We're at Potter's," she told him, holding his hand with hers, "I rescued you last night, do you remember? You're alright now, you're going to get better and…" He closed his eyes again.
"Stop," he sighed as Molly knocked at the door, opening it slowly.
"You're awake," she said, disappointed and strode to the bedside, removing several potions from her basket.
"I've got the next doses," she said, falsely cheerful as she uncorked the first of about five. Belldani leaned to her husband's ear.
"Open your mouth," she instructed before getting up and heading to the bathroom, not wanting to watch Molly force-feed him.
"Morning, Professor," a young man the size of a small whale smirked in the hallway and Belldani turned on him.
"Watch your cheek, boy," she snarled, pointing her wand in his face. His eyes widened in fear and he slowly backed off.
That might not have been necessary, she thought later. Molly had left and Severus was asleep again. Belldani had put a Silencing charm on the walls after she had heard footsteps outside the door - the adult Muggles were listening, their ears pressed to the door. She sat on the stiff chair by the window, having pulled the curtain back. Outside, Potter was working again while the fat child sat on a bench watching and eating ice cream.
"Bell?" Severus called lowly. She was immediately at his side, on the bed.
"Why…saved?" he managed, and Belldani sucked in her breath.
"Why not?" she spoke, leaning in to unbutton his shirt. His bare chest was covered with bruises, signs of internal bleeding. She took the jar of salve Molly had left her and began to softly apply it to the the purple, green and blue patches.
"My…fate," he gasped, moaning softly as she touched a particularly sore one.
"Nonsense," Belldani felt tears beginning to form again and continued tending to him, "I need you, the Order needs you… Albus needs you. He told me I could take over Potions next term, as if I was an adequate substitute. When I snuck in… I was trying to find my cloak, I know it's gone, you don't have to speak. Squeaky… the house elf, she's been trying to take care of you, told me that there was a man in the dungeon. I found you… don't you think that was fate?"
"That… was foolishness," Severus grumbled, the potions beginning to take some sort of an affect. "You should've forgotten me…" Belldani fought the urge to smack him.
"How could I?" she snapped angrily, "I love you!" She kissed him carefully, becoming more passionate as he responded. After a few moments of cautiously brushing their lips together, he jerked his head away.
"Belldani, this is pennance for my sins," he spoke remorsefully. "I've killed with these hands… the hands I can't move properly any longer. My last victim was a Seer… Right before I killed her, she told me that I was going to die to save the woman I would love and that this woman, this wife I had yet to meet, would be forbidden." He stopped as a spasm shook his form. He knew the other half of what the Seer had said, but he didn't want to tell Belldani.
"You will love the forbidden!" The old crone had screamed, as he stood before her, wand raised. He wasn't expecting this and he froze. She continued, taking the chance. "You will sacrifice yourself so she and the one she is destined for will escape." The crone had laughed at the stunned look on his face.
"What is the forbidden?" he roared, and she laughed harder.
"Albus Dumbledore has the answer! Repent!" she gasped as he launched the Killing Curse, ending her life.
"I'm forbidden?" Belldani asked, amused. He snorted.
"You were my student when I fell," he explained, as if to a child. Belldani nodded, and got up from the bed.
"I'm going for a walk…" she muttered, leaving the room. Severus was alone with his thoughts.
Harry was taking a break, gasping for breath, when a shadow fell over him. It was thin, so possibly Aunt Petunia, but silent, meaning it could only be one person.
"Should I call you Professor Snape?" Harry asked finally, "Or Mrs. Snape? Or Belldani? We never really discussed it."
She stopped short. "Professor Snape's upstairs, Mrs. Snape sounds too formal… Belldani, I guess, Potter." Belldani sat down on the grass beside him. She waved her wand and there were two glasses of lemonade in the air before them.
"Thanks," Harry said, surprised. Belldani made a motion to not mention it, and sipped hers in a ladylike fasios while laying on her back and watching the clouds moving by.
"He keeps saying that I should have left him there," Belldani spoke quietly, her voice conveying the pain she felt. "A Seer told him that he was going to die for a woman…"
"It was prophesied?" Harry asked, suddenly relating to the situation. Knowing that either he or Voldemort would destroy each other was foretold fate had made Harry withdraw from his friends for a few days. Finally he had made up his mind; he would not allow himself to be defeated by Voldemort, he would win. With everything that had happened up until then, it would be pointless not to.
"I guess," Belldani said absently and glanced at Harry. "You know something about prophecies?"
"There's one about me," Harry spoke, joining her in watching the clouds. That one looked like a dog… "I'm the only one who has a chance of destroying Voldemort."
"Someone had to tell you that?" she laughed, "I thought it was like… common knowledge." Harry shared her smile for a moment.
"So it was prophesied that Snape was going to die for you?" he asked, and Belldani gulped.
"The forbidden woman…" she corrected, "And, well, I was only a 7th year last term…" Harry's eyes widened. No wonder she looked so young - she was only two years older than he was! A tall shadow loomed over them both.
"Interesting clouds, Harry?" the voice of Dumbledore asked, and Harry jumped to his feet.
"Dumbledore!" He stared, and Belldani rose to her feet, nodded curtly and mumbled "Albus".
"I understand Severus is upstairs?" his voice was tired. Belldani nodded. Dumbledore strode inside, Belldani and Harry at his heels. The Dursleys were sitting down to lunch and they were painfully (for them) ignoring the wizards and witch passing by. Belldani entered the guest room first.
"Sev?" she covered him with a loose blanket, because his chest was still bare. "Albus is here…"
"Severus," Albus greeted, and Harry hung in the doorway, unsure if he should stay or go, "How are you feeling?"
"Like Hell," The Potions Master replied, and Belldani brought the chair around for the Headmaster.
"Belldani, I have to admit I was surprised when Remus informed me that you had rescued Severus here. I should have expected it, after you told me you two had wed." Snape looked surprised; nothing was said for a few moments.
"I'm afraid I will not be around to teach this term, Albus," Snape coughed, and Belldani looked angry.
"Why say something like that?" She snapped, feathers ruffled. He grabbed her hand.
"Are you the only person who doesn't realize it? I know, the Order knows, Albus knows, I'm sure even Harry knows!" Snape snapped back at her, "Bell, I'm a living dead man! You don't know what they did to me there." His voice was becoming more ragged. "I can still feel the Crucio inside me for Merlin's sake! Tell Molly to leave off with the potions so I can die already."
Belldani began to cry. "Sev…" Dumbledore reached to put a hand on her shoulder. Snape continued to talk.
"The will I have written up now calls for my family home, Snape Manor, and its contents to be liquidated and the proceeds to go to Hogwarts… Albus, I want it rewritten to become the property of Belldani Snape instead. Belldani…" Severus squeezed her hand, "My prophecy… there is one that you are destined for. The Seer told me so… that man is not me. Fate will lead you to him, whether you like it or not."
Harry wasn't sure if Snape was growing a sense of humor, but seeing as no one laughed he guessed not.
"Albus… watch over her for me," his voice was getting weaker, "Belldani… please don't spend your life mourning me. I'll come back to haunt you if you do. " There was a long pause. "Harry…" all eyes were on him, "I'll give your regards to your godfather, if I see him." Harry nodded mutely; he was in shock. "And do defeat Voldemort, would you?" Harry nodded again, stepping closer to Dumbledore.
Snape gave a sort of sigh and shuddered, his body relaxing completely. He had breathed his last.