'Severus found himself in a different place. It was a very familiar
room. But where was it? Then he silenly answered himself. "This is my old
home." He got up and went into the next room. Sitting on the couch was none
other than his wife, Sara. On her lap, asleep, lay Lily. He ran forward to
grab the both of them, but when he reached out to touch them, they both
disappeared.
He was in the middle of a street now. Suddenly he heard a scream. He
knew who it was... the voice was so familliar... Sara. "Please don't kill us!
Don't kill Lily!! Please! Severus!" He ran until he turned the corner at an
alley. Lily started to scream and cry. He knew it was over. The screaming and
the crying both stopped. They were dead.'
Severus sat up with a start. He looked around him and found that he
was not in the dark alley, but in his room. He looked over and found
Sheyliegh sound asleep at his side. They were both lying on the couch. The
cheerful, crackling fire from the night before had simmered down. A cold
sweat was covering his entire body.
He got up and walked over to the window. Sitting in a near by chair,
he looked out onto the grounds. The dream was still vividly playing in his
mind. He heard the screams, the crying, and the pleading over and over again.
Then a new thought occured to him. The night before he had almost died. He
had been so close to seeing the both of them again.
A silent tear slid down his cheek, unnoticed. He sat there for over
an hour thinking of both his dream and the events that had taken place the
night before. He sat and watched the sun come up over the horizon. As much
as he hated to admit it, it really was a beautiful sight. The sun hit the
beads of dew upon the grass, making the grounds below shimmer.
A hand reached out from behind him and grabbed his shoulder. He
looked back to find a pair of silver eyes staring at him. "How does a walk
sound?" So Severus grabbed his cloak and put it on over the robes he had been
wearing since the night before.
They walked out on the school grounds, hand-in-hand. Neither one of
them spoke at all. They circled the lake twice before deciding to go back
inside for breakfast. The Great Hall was deserted except for a few early
students. They made their way up to the staff table. Albus and Minerva were
all ready seated, and eating away their toast and eggs. And much to Severus'
displessure, Remus and Sirius were both seated at the staff table as well. He
shot both of them a very grimmacing look, then took his seat on the oppisite
side of the table along with Sheyliegh. But Sheyliehg merely smiled at the
both of them.
***
The weeks carried on and on. Finally the excitement of Christmas
filled the entire castle. There were wreaths, trees, and decorations every
where you turned. But the dungeons remained their normal selves- dark,
uneventful, and quiet. "Severus, I just don't get why you refuse to decorate
your living quarters."
"Christmas just isn't my holiday." He turned to look at Sheyliegh.
They were in the classroom cleaning up after the classes earlier that day. "I
take it you're going home for the holidays?"
"Actually, I thought I would stay here and spend my time with you. My
mother's going to come and visit the castle on Christmas eve. I thought that
maybe the three of us could have dinner together in my living quarters. I
mean- that is if you don't already have plans."
"No that sounds wonderful. Your mother really seems like a wonderful
lady." He walked over torwards the door. "Ready to head to dinner?"
"Alright." So they walked up to the great hall to eat their dinner.
All the students were engulfed in conversation. The next morning most of them
would make their way to Hogsmeade to take the train home for the holidays.
Severus sat at his usual seat, and Sheyliegh sat beside him.
In between bites he would look over at Sheyliegh. 'She's so
beautiful. You don't deserve as good as her.' She looked over at him. Their
eyes locked and they both broke into a smile. 'God, I love her. I have to do
it. I'm going to do it. But when?' He looked down at his steak as if waiting
for an answer from it. 'Christmas eve.'
***
"You really get into the Christmas spirit huh?" Severus had just
walked into Sheyliegh's over decorated living quarters. There was red and
green everywhere he looked. He saw a Christmas tree over in one of the
corners. It was decorated from the angel at the top clear down to the lowest
branch.
"Yeah, well that's kind of my mum's fault. She always got into the
Christams spirit. She started decorating for it the day after Halloween. So
I guess I could say that it's hereditary." She gave a little chuckle.
They sat down at her kitchen table and covered it in essays they were
in the middle of grading. They both started grading, not saying a word.
Finally Sheyliegh looked up at Severus. The question that had been burning in
her mind, was suddenly bugging her so much see couldn't keep it in anymore.
"Severus, can I ask you why you won't talk about your father?"
Severus looked up into her eyes. He was definately not expecting
this. There was a burning feeling in his stomach. He had never talked to
anyone about his father before. Looking down at the parchment in front of him
again, he let out a small sigh. "What do you want to know about him? I guess
I should ask, why do you want to know about him?"
"I don't know. It's just that I've heard about your mum, and your
brother... I just have never heard you mention your dad."
"I don't talk of him." He could tell there was no way of getting out
of this one. "Like I already told you, he worked in the Ministry. He was an
unspeakable.There were many people who respected him. But no matter how long
I live I will never respect him." Severus' eyes did not come up from the
parchment the entire time he was speaking. Sheyliegh's silence told him that
she wanted to hear more. So he continued.
"He was the type of man that could strike the fear of God into you.
He was very strick when it came to disiplin. My mum was often told that she
could do better than him. And I was one of the people that often told her. I
was only 8 years old, but I knew she was scared of him. She was scared to
leave him." His voice became quiet and somewhat shaky. The memories of his
childhood were ones that he hadn't thought of in a long time. And it was
painful.
He looked up to see Sheyliegh looking strait at him. "Why was she
scared of him?" Her voice was small and sounded as if she was almost scared
to know the truth.
"I started noticing the bruises and the cuts on her body by the time
I was 8. My father was strict even to my mother. If she did something that he
disaproved of... he would hit her. Sometimes he would get drunk and just hit
her for no reason at all. I remember sitting in my room, hearing her begging
him to stop. I could hear him slapping her, and her falling to the floor.
"And then he must hav thought that my mum wasn't enough for him. He
started hitting me too. I remember standing in front of him as I felt the
hate inside of me swell uncontrolably. He would smack me across the face.
Then if he got mad enough he would punch me or kick me when I had fallen to
the ground without the strength to stand. But not once did he ever hit Sean.
Sean was the perfect son. He never had to experience the pain I did- not just
physically, but emotionally. My mother would cry and beg him to stop hitting
me. But he never listened. He would just hit her and then yell something at
her and call her names.
"The day we got the news that he had been killed while on duty at the
Ministry, was the happiest day of my life. I knew that the bad times were
over. I would never have to hear my mum cry. But I was wrong. My mother would
spend days crying. I never understood why though. I mean, if the person who
made your life hell day after day dropped dead, wouldn't you be happy?"
Severus looked up at Sheyliegh. He had just remebered that he was in
Sheyligh's living quarters. For a minute he could have sworn that he was back
in his childhood house. Words could not explain the way that Sheyligh felt.
Sympathy was an understatement. She simply got up from her chair and walked
over to his side of the taable. She pulled him to his feet and hugged him.
"You never have to worry about that again," she whispered into his
ear. "I'm here. You don't need your father or anyone else for love. I'm
willing to give you more love than you can imagine. I love you so much
Severus."
***
The table was set to seat four. It was Christmas eve. Severus looked
around his living quarters. He couldn't remember it ever looking this good.
Him and Sheyligh had decided to have Christmas dinner in his living quarters
rather than in hers. The room was decorated, but not as much as Sheyligh's
was. There was a Christmas tree beside the fireplace that crackled cheerfully
in the hearth. But it was no where close to being as full as Sheyligh's.
Severus clutched the pocket in his robes. He felt the small square
box which made his mind go haywire. 'I'm really going to do it,' he thought.
But the small voice in the back of his head interrupted, 'Yeah if you don't
chicken out you coward.' But he regained control of his thoughts, 'I AM going
to do it.'
There was a knock at the door which interupted his thoughts. He made
his way from the table to answer it. And there stood Sheyliegh. She was
exceptionally beautiful tonight. She wore her hair up in a bun with a few
hairs suspended which had been curled. She was wearing a pair of light blue
robes, which made her eyes sparkle more silver than ever.
Standing next to her was her mother. She had dressed her best in a
black evening gown, with her hair flowing down her back. And standing next to
her was her brother, Albus. He wore his dark blue robes with stars covering
them. He was the only one that looked like himself.
Severus led them into his living quarters where they all sat in front
of the fire. They talked for a while before deciding that it was time to eat.
Sitting at the table they all were engaged in conversation. It looked as
though all of them were enjoying themselves. Severus on the other hand,
almost shook with nervousness. Sheyligh sat to the side of him. He looked
over at her. She was laughing at one of Albus' jokes. 'God she's so pretty.'
"Well Severus I'm starving. How about some food?" announced Albus
rubbing his stomach. And so almost instantly Severus waved his wand and the
dinner appeared in front of them. There was ham, potatoes, fruits, and then
pies for desert.
Supper went quite well. They talked happily over their mouthfuls of
food. After they had all finished with their last peice of pie, Albus waved
his wand and cleared the table of all of it's contents. "I brought presents
for everyone. Perhaps we could move to the fire and open them?" suggested
Sheyligh's mum. By now she had insisted that Severus call her Grace.
So they did just that. All four of them sat around the fire with
presents which they traded to one another. Severus had been dreading this
moment all night. But he knew that if he didn't do it now, he would never
have a better chance. After every one had opened there gifts, they all went
quiet. 'This is the time' he told himself.
"Sheyligh, I have one more present for you." He got up and walked
over to under the mistletoe that they had both put up the day before.
Sheyliegh walked over with him. Albus and Grace both looked over at them with
curiosity.
Severus put his hand in his pocket. he got down on one knee and
pulled out the black, square box. He opened it to reveal a diamond ring.
"Sheyliegh Elizabeth... will you marry me?"
room. But where was it? Then he silenly answered himself. "This is my old
home." He got up and went into the next room. Sitting on the couch was none
other than his wife, Sara. On her lap, asleep, lay Lily. He ran forward to
grab the both of them, but when he reached out to touch them, they both
disappeared.
He was in the middle of a street now. Suddenly he heard a scream. He
knew who it was... the voice was so familliar... Sara. "Please don't kill us!
Don't kill Lily!! Please! Severus!" He ran until he turned the corner at an
alley. Lily started to scream and cry. He knew it was over. The screaming and
the crying both stopped. They were dead.'
Severus sat up with a start. He looked around him and found that he
was not in the dark alley, but in his room. He looked over and found
Sheyliegh sound asleep at his side. They were both lying on the couch. The
cheerful, crackling fire from the night before had simmered down. A cold
sweat was covering his entire body.
He got up and walked over to the window. Sitting in a near by chair,
he looked out onto the grounds. The dream was still vividly playing in his
mind. He heard the screams, the crying, and the pleading over and over again.
Then a new thought occured to him. The night before he had almost died. He
had been so close to seeing the both of them again.
A silent tear slid down his cheek, unnoticed. He sat there for over
an hour thinking of both his dream and the events that had taken place the
night before. He sat and watched the sun come up over the horizon. As much
as he hated to admit it, it really was a beautiful sight. The sun hit the
beads of dew upon the grass, making the grounds below shimmer.
A hand reached out from behind him and grabbed his shoulder. He
looked back to find a pair of silver eyes staring at him. "How does a walk
sound?" So Severus grabbed his cloak and put it on over the robes he had been
wearing since the night before.
They walked out on the school grounds, hand-in-hand. Neither one of
them spoke at all. They circled the lake twice before deciding to go back
inside for breakfast. The Great Hall was deserted except for a few early
students. They made their way up to the staff table. Albus and Minerva were
all ready seated, and eating away their toast and eggs. And much to Severus'
displessure, Remus and Sirius were both seated at the staff table as well. He
shot both of them a very grimmacing look, then took his seat on the oppisite
side of the table along with Sheyliegh. But Sheyliehg merely smiled at the
both of them.
***
The weeks carried on and on. Finally the excitement of Christmas
filled the entire castle. There were wreaths, trees, and decorations every
where you turned. But the dungeons remained their normal selves- dark,
uneventful, and quiet. "Severus, I just don't get why you refuse to decorate
your living quarters."
"Christmas just isn't my holiday." He turned to look at Sheyliegh.
They were in the classroom cleaning up after the classes earlier that day. "I
take it you're going home for the holidays?"
"Actually, I thought I would stay here and spend my time with you. My
mother's going to come and visit the castle on Christmas eve. I thought that
maybe the three of us could have dinner together in my living quarters. I
mean- that is if you don't already have plans."
"No that sounds wonderful. Your mother really seems like a wonderful
lady." He walked over torwards the door. "Ready to head to dinner?"
"Alright." So they walked up to the great hall to eat their dinner.
All the students were engulfed in conversation. The next morning most of them
would make their way to Hogsmeade to take the train home for the holidays.
Severus sat at his usual seat, and Sheyliegh sat beside him.
In between bites he would look over at Sheyliegh. 'She's so
beautiful. You don't deserve as good as her.' She looked over at him. Their
eyes locked and they both broke into a smile. 'God, I love her. I have to do
it. I'm going to do it. But when?' He looked down at his steak as if waiting
for an answer from it. 'Christmas eve.'
***
"You really get into the Christmas spirit huh?" Severus had just
walked into Sheyliegh's over decorated living quarters. There was red and
green everywhere he looked. He saw a Christmas tree over in one of the
corners. It was decorated from the angel at the top clear down to the lowest
branch.
"Yeah, well that's kind of my mum's fault. She always got into the
Christams spirit. She started decorating for it the day after Halloween. So
I guess I could say that it's hereditary." She gave a little chuckle.
They sat down at her kitchen table and covered it in essays they were
in the middle of grading. They both started grading, not saying a word.
Finally Sheyliegh looked up at Severus. The question that had been burning in
her mind, was suddenly bugging her so much see couldn't keep it in anymore.
"Severus, can I ask you why you won't talk about your father?"
Severus looked up into her eyes. He was definately not expecting
this. There was a burning feeling in his stomach. He had never talked to
anyone about his father before. Looking down at the parchment in front of him
again, he let out a small sigh. "What do you want to know about him? I guess
I should ask, why do you want to know about him?"
"I don't know. It's just that I've heard about your mum, and your
brother... I just have never heard you mention your dad."
"I don't talk of him." He could tell there was no way of getting out
of this one. "Like I already told you, he worked in the Ministry. He was an
unspeakable.There were many people who respected him. But no matter how long
I live I will never respect him." Severus' eyes did not come up from the
parchment the entire time he was speaking. Sheyliegh's silence told him that
she wanted to hear more. So he continued.
"He was the type of man that could strike the fear of God into you.
He was very strick when it came to disiplin. My mum was often told that she
could do better than him. And I was one of the people that often told her. I
was only 8 years old, but I knew she was scared of him. She was scared to
leave him." His voice became quiet and somewhat shaky. The memories of his
childhood were ones that he hadn't thought of in a long time. And it was
painful.
He looked up to see Sheyliegh looking strait at him. "Why was she
scared of him?" Her voice was small and sounded as if she was almost scared
to know the truth.
"I started noticing the bruises and the cuts on her body by the time
I was 8. My father was strict even to my mother. If she did something that he
disaproved of... he would hit her. Sometimes he would get drunk and just hit
her for no reason at all. I remember sitting in my room, hearing her begging
him to stop. I could hear him slapping her, and her falling to the floor.
"And then he must hav thought that my mum wasn't enough for him. He
started hitting me too. I remember standing in front of him as I felt the
hate inside of me swell uncontrolably. He would smack me across the face.
Then if he got mad enough he would punch me or kick me when I had fallen to
the ground without the strength to stand. But not once did he ever hit Sean.
Sean was the perfect son. He never had to experience the pain I did- not just
physically, but emotionally. My mother would cry and beg him to stop hitting
me. But he never listened. He would just hit her and then yell something at
her and call her names.
"The day we got the news that he had been killed while on duty at the
Ministry, was the happiest day of my life. I knew that the bad times were
over. I would never have to hear my mum cry. But I was wrong. My mother would
spend days crying. I never understood why though. I mean, if the person who
made your life hell day after day dropped dead, wouldn't you be happy?"
Severus looked up at Sheyliegh. He had just remebered that he was in
Sheyligh's living quarters. For a minute he could have sworn that he was back
in his childhood house. Words could not explain the way that Sheyligh felt.
Sympathy was an understatement. She simply got up from her chair and walked
over to his side of the taable. She pulled him to his feet and hugged him.
"You never have to worry about that again," she whispered into his
ear. "I'm here. You don't need your father or anyone else for love. I'm
willing to give you more love than you can imagine. I love you so much
Severus."
***
The table was set to seat four. It was Christmas eve. Severus looked
around his living quarters. He couldn't remember it ever looking this good.
Him and Sheyligh had decided to have Christmas dinner in his living quarters
rather than in hers. The room was decorated, but not as much as Sheyligh's
was. There was a Christmas tree beside the fireplace that crackled cheerfully
in the hearth. But it was no where close to being as full as Sheyligh's.
Severus clutched the pocket in his robes. He felt the small square
box which made his mind go haywire. 'I'm really going to do it,' he thought.
But the small voice in the back of his head interrupted, 'Yeah if you don't
chicken out you coward.' But he regained control of his thoughts, 'I AM going
to do it.'
There was a knock at the door which interupted his thoughts. He made
his way from the table to answer it. And there stood Sheyliegh. She was
exceptionally beautiful tonight. She wore her hair up in a bun with a few
hairs suspended which had been curled. She was wearing a pair of light blue
robes, which made her eyes sparkle more silver than ever.
Standing next to her was her mother. She had dressed her best in a
black evening gown, with her hair flowing down her back. And standing next to
her was her brother, Albus. He wore his dark blue robes with stars covering
them. He was the only one that looked like himself.
Severus led them into his living quarters where they all sat in front
of the fire. They talked for a while before deciding that it was time to eat.
Sitting at the table they all were engaged in conversation. It looked as
though all of them were enjoying themselves. Severus on the other hand,
almost shook with nervousness. Sheyligh sat to the side of him. He looked
over at her. She was laughing at one of Albus' jokes. 'God she's so pretty.'
"Well Severus I'm starving. How about some food?" announced Albus
rubbing his stomach. And so almost instantly Severus waved his wand and the
dinner appeared in front of them. There was ham, potatoes, fruits, and then
pies for desert.
Supper went quite well. They talked happily over their mouthfuls of
food. After they had all finished with their last peice of pie, Albus waved
his wand and cleared the table of all of it's contents. "I brought presents
for everyone. Perhaps we could move to the fire and open them?" suggested
Sheyligh's mum. By now she had insisted that Severus call her Grace.
So they did just that. All four of them sat around the fire with
presents which they traded to one another. Severus had been dreading this
moment all night. But he knew that if he didn't do it now, he would never
have a better chance. After every one had opened there gifts, they all went
quiet. 'This is the time' he told himself.
"Sheyligh, I have one more present for you." He got up and walked
over to under the mistletoe that they had both put up the day before.
Sheyliegh walked over with him. Albus and Grace both looked over at them with
curiosity.
Severus put his hand in his pocket. he got down on one knee and
pulled out the black, square box. He opened it to reveal a diamond ring.
"Sheyliegh Elizabeth... will you marry me?"