Melanie Reyes seemed acutely aware of the fourth year that was following her through the library. She was third year, and a fresh transfer to the school. This had been her fourth transfer since she stated school at 11 and she was accustomed to never solace but this school, unlike the others was different. Melanie felt at home here.

She had never questions Tom Riddle's motives for moving her around often. He had always assured her it was for her own protection. The children of Dark Wizards were never accepted in the magical community, he said. Her parents had been summarily executed for teaching the Dark Arts to a circle of adepts when she was a infant and Tom had taken her under his wing. He was her only family although she rarely saw him, save for holidays and the unexpected midnight visits she sometimes got from him. But Tom was never far from her. He wrote to her regularly to have an idea about her life, he always said with a boyish grin. She owed him everything and therefore she never complained when he moved her.

But looking into the arresting eyes that were so dark that almost looked of the boy who was watching her, Melanie hoped she would never have to leave. Quite simply, she was in love with this boy. She couldn't wait to tell Tom about him.

"Are you going to spend the entire time staring at me?" She asked. The boy smiled and nodded. He leaned against the bookshelf and continued to watch her. She bit her lip nervously. "Can you talk?"

He nodded.

"Then why don't you?"

He shrugged and then turned his head swiftly revealing chin length black hair that was tied back. His profile was defined and even more handsome but marred by two small scars just below his left ear. She knew exactly what it was. Her breath caught, a little excited. She was about to speak again when a trio of Slytherin pounced on the boy voyeur.

The tallest a platinum blond the others called Silas spoke. "Come on, Avery's about to start a duel with Remus! He needs you to cover for him."

"Sirius is Remus' helper if that sweetens the deal." Another boy coaxed.

The voyeur's face darkened with hate and nodded. He turned quickly to Melanie, and bowed genteelly before following Silas. She watched him go, unawares that the final Slytherin, a girl, had lingered to study Melanie.

The girl was watching her with cold, steely eyes and for a moment Melanie was afraid she was the girlfriend. Then the girl spoke, "So what's your name?"

"Melanie Reyes." She whispered.

The girl's face brightened. "Ah, so your Melanie."

"Excuse me."

"That boy who just left, the one who you were gazing dreamily into his eyes? His name is Severus and your all he's been talking about."

"I don't even know him."

"He saw you once, about two weeks ago but I don't think you saw him."

Melanie was about to frown when it struck her. "The boy in the tree?" The girl nodded and Melanie felt pleased. "So are you the girlfriend?"

"Hardly." She laughed. "Best friend, Jamie Kahle." She extended a hand, which Melanie took. "Which means, I'm the one who has the sacred duty to hook you two up."

Melanie laughed. "So what do we do first?"

That night, Severus leaned over to make sure Jamie was still asleep. He called her name softly and when he didn't hear a response, he slipped out of bed and snuck out of his dormitory. He wasn't aware of Jamie following him or her escaped giggle when she left him to find Melanie. He was too engrossed in his thoughts to hear her. He crept up to the Owlery, his favorite haunt during the nights, and sat looking at the stars, grounds and world around him, passing him by.

For the first time in a long time, his dreams had not been about the darkness. They had been about Melanie. He conjured her up in his mind and tried to remember every detail of her face, body, and those soft, sad eyes. They had burned deep into his soul and embedded themselves there. In his memory, he could be at peace.

He watched as an eagle owl swooped down and snatched a fish from the lake. He smiled; the darkness was theirs and his. This moment was his.

"I heard I'd find you here." He heard a voice from behind and it startled him. He turned abruptly and saw Melanie.

There was something unusual about her expression. Her eyes seemed to dart over his entire body and then seemed to rest on his face. She remained that way for a long time, just watching him. Or, he thought with a little unease, studying him.

"My god," She whispered. "You're beautiful."

"I love you." Became the first words he spoke to her and he said in a deep, serious tone. He had never been so compelled or so certain of anything in his life until now. "And one day, I'll marry you."

She was quiet for a moment. Then she nodded, equally somber. "Ok."

And a sort of understanding passed between them just then. It was like they had just acknowledged their destiny together. Something deeper bound them and they accepted it without hesitation. From that moment on and for the next two years, Melanie Reyes pledged herself to Severus Snape.

The night of his graduation, Severus Snape did something he hadn't done in almost four years. He opened the doors to Akel Dama. He had not remembered it as cold and abandon as it looked now. He had not been through those doors since the funerals and now the house was forgotten. The House Elves had retreated to the servant's house, only entering the main house on Sundays to dust. Severus walked up the familiar stairs and darkened halls with a kind of macabre awe for the stillness.

He found the doors to his Grandmother and Aunt's rooms locked, as well as Celeste's private study and laboratory. Jesse's room, as always, was opened and prepared, as if the owner would return any day now. Severus didn't dare try the annex of the Gray Library. His things were already gone from the house. Ever since the funerals, he had spent his summers in France, at his mother's childhood home where his only surviving relations-his uncle Pascal Rinaldi and family lived. The Rinaldis had always been kind to him but he had never considered them truly family, in fact being there was the exact same as being here in Akel Dama, except the faces changed and the language was different.

Looking back, Severus never considered anyone family; not Mara, not Celeste and certainty not the Rinaldi. To them, he had just been the replacement for Jesse. To everyone he had always just been the latest avatar for the Snape destiny: Live, marry and die according to the rules of protocol. In this latest generation, protocol demanded he be an Auror and so as he completed his schooling at Hogwarts, a seventeen-year-old Severus Snape took a last, long look at what had been his home for years.

Someone stirred behind him and with a start, he turn around at see the expecting face of Dahlia Wyvern, waiting. She was watching him with a respectful gleam in her eyes. "Are you sure about this?"

"What?" He asked innocently enough.

"Leaving England, going to American to become what, an Auror? Is this really what you want to do? I thought you wanted to keep dueling." Dahlia bit her lip. "Or at least go find Melanie."

"Melanie made her decision when she left." He said stiffly, not wanting to remember that heartbreak. "Besides are you sure you want to follow me?"

Dahlia smirked. "Anything to get away from mother."

He smiled slightly, amused and wondered why did it feel like they both were running away. He shrugged off the unease and motioned for her to lead. And so, Severus Snape pulled shut the doors of Akel Dama and followed Dahlia towards his future at Hecate Academy of Aurors.

"What happened to Melanie?"

"She left my sixth year."

"Any reason why?"

"None at all. No explanation, no goodbye."

"And that's it?" Sydney asked, taking in the last drag of cigar.

"That's it." Bitterly and almost sardonically it occurred to Severus that he had been following people places all his life. He wondered if he ever would do something truly his. "Story of my life, nothing fancy or ornate outside the means of my family's death."

"Why didn't you track Daniel down?" Remington asked. "Or why didn't you go after Melanie? It sounds like she loved you."

"She must have had her reasons for leaving. I'll respect them." Severus leaned over and stole the last of Billy's whiskey. "Besides, she had her own demons to fight. Just like I have mine."

"Whatever." Remington countered, "And Jamie?"

"We went out about two weeks ago but that was the first I'd seen her since we graduated."

Remington nodded slowly then rose up on drunken legs. "Well, I best be off, gents. Brigit is probably going to have my hide for tonight." He bowed his head lazily and walked into the other room to retrieve his girlfriend.

Dahlia appeared a moment later to take Billy home. The unconscious man leaned heavily on the socialite much to Severus' amusement. Sydney's girlfriend left with Dahlia, clearly more then a little annoyed that the men had become so…spirited.

"That leaves just you and me, partner." Sydney teased. "We could A) play some chess or B) get some sleep considering we have this new thing popping up…what's this guy's name anyways." Van Ness leaned over the coffee table, shifting through the old newspapers.

"Voldemort." Severus supplied from memory. "They call him Voldemort. There's some speculation he may be gaining a following, we have to question that new list Crouch sent us. Which is why," Severus rose, himself a little spirited. "I'll take my leave of you. See ya tomorrow." Severus bowed his head, poured the remaining whiskey into a plastic cup and left.

Alone.