Sheyliegh and Sirius were out on a walk. The moon was shining bright
down onto the grass. There was a warm breeze that blew through the trees. It
had been so long since Sheyliegh and Sirius had been out on these very
grounds, talking. It had been since their last day at Hogwarts that they had
been here together.
Sirius was the one who broke that silence. "So, are you and Severus
getting along okay?"
"Of course. I mean we have our disagreements about things every once
in a while, but who doesn't?"
"You know, I remember when we were younger and you and I dated. Those
were some fine times when we were kids. We had so much fun together." He
walked over and sat underneath a near-by tree. "Remember that one time we
sat here one night and played truth or dare? I do. That was so much fun. I
remember Lily dared us to kiss."
"Yeah, but that was when Albus caught us while he was on a midnight
stroll. I can still remember the look on James' face." She let out a small
snicker.
"You know I never got that kiss." He looked over at Sheyiegh and
saw the moonlight reflect in her eyes.
Sheyliegh laughed at this. "Well I can't help you now. These lips
belong to Severus."
"Oh yeah. That's right. But you know, a dare is a dare. Come on Shey,
Sev will never know." Sheyliegh, by now had sat down next to him. Sirius
leaned over and got closer to her.
"Sirius it just wouldn't be right."
"Oh come on Sheyliegh. You kissed James."
"That was a long time ago. We were kids. I'm married." Sheyliegh
stood up and was getting frustrated. There was no way she was about to kiss
him when her husband was right inside the castle.
Sirius stood up now too. "Oh Sheyliegh. You always were the chicken.
Everytime we planned to do something fun, you always found an excuse to get
out of it. Either that or you would try to talk us out of it. We're out here
by ourselves. No ones going to know." He walked forward and grabbed Sheyliegh
around the waist and kissed her.
She pushed him away and slapped him. "How dare you! I just got
married four months ago! I have a husband! I thought that you were happy for
me!" She stormed off and left Sirius by himself.
***
Severus didn't stay to see what happened after the kiss. He turned on
his heel and stormed out of the room. He didn't wait for the stairs to stop
moving. He ran down them. When he made it to the doorway, he saw Sheyliegh
running up to the castle. She stopped right in fron of him-her eyes were all
red and full of tears.
"How could you?" Severus whispered.
"Sev, it wasn't my fault I-"
"Out of my way. I'll talk with you later." He took of again in long
strides, his robe blowing in the now harsh wind. When he reached the tree
that Sirius and Sheyliegh had been at, Sirius stood on the spot with his hand
on his cheek where Sheyliegh had slapped him.
Sirius looked up just in time to see Severus with his wand pointed at
him, muttering a curse. Suddenly he was laying on his back. The force at
which he fell knocked the wind out of him. While still lying down he searched
frantically in his robes for his wand. But it was too late. Severus had cast
another charm which made him hang upside down in mid-air.
"How does it feel Sirius?! No, there's no need to tell me how it
feels, I've already experienced it!" He let him drop back down to the ground.
Another charm-this time he had been put under the Cruciatus curse. Sirius
fell to the ground and began to twitch. He screamed from the pain so loud
that he could have been heard a mile away.
"Sev! NO!" Severus turned to look behind him. There stood Sheyliegh
and Albus. Sheyliegh was hysterically crying. Albus whipped out his wand and
said the counter-jinx. Sirius stopped twitching, but didn't move from his
spot on the grass.
Albus ran forward and leaned over Sirius. Sheyliegh stood in her spot
unable to move, talk, or do anything at all. Finally Severus came to his
senses. He realized what he had just done. The Death Eater within him was
showing his colors. Looking over at Sheyliegh. He could tell she was very
scared. Severus went to move torwards her. But she took one step back, and
then took off at a run torwards the castle.
***
The next morning was not a happy one for anyone. Severus had spent
the night in Albus' office because Sheyliegh had refused to let him in the
living quarters the night before. Albus had spent his night in the hospital
wing by Sirius' bed. Even the students were in a bad mood. Maybe it was
because that Professor Grubly-Plank was taking over Sirius job for a while.
Or maybe it was because they had been awakened the night before by Sirius'
screams.
Severus went to his morning classes, but there was no sign of
Sheyliegh. He went down to their living quarters. He knocked on the door, but
there was no answer. So he knocked again, this time louder. But still
nothing. There was no other choice. Whipping out his wand he muttered a spell
and the door swung open.
Walking inside he saw Sheyliegh laying on their bed all curled up in
a ball. She had the covers pulled tight around her. Severus sat down on the
end of the bed. Sheyliegh seemed to not notice that he was there at all. He
layed down beside her and looked into her eyes. She still seemed frightened.
"Sheyliegh, listen to me. I know what I did last night was wrong. And
I'm very sorry. I just couldn't help it. Seeing him kiss you... I just..."
"You're not the same Severus that I married." Her voice seemed very
far off. She refused to look into his eyes.
"I was as surprised at what I did as you and Albus were. But...
sweetie... listen to me." He leaned over and kissed her softly upon her lips.
"I'm so sorry. Let me make it up to you. I'll make it up to Sirius too. Just,
please forgive me. Please sweetheart."
Sheyliegh lifted her head and their eyes locked. She could tell that he
was truly sorry. It was pretty easy to read Severus. But before she could do
anything at all, Severus winced and grabbed his fore-arm. There was a burning
pain in his arm that was only too familliar. He looked back up into
Sheyliegh's eyes. The only way to make her understand what it was really like
was to show her. He raised up his sleeve. On the inside of his fore-arm the
Dark Mark glowed black. At first Sheyliegh looked somewhat frightened. But
then she reached out and touched to spot where the Dark Mark laid
pernamently. She told herself, if she was to be his wife, she was to
understand and accept.
"Severus, if he's calling you.."
"Then it's not good. I have to go tell Albus. He'll want to know."
"I'm coming with you. I'm your wife now, and I'm going to stand by
you in no matter how bad the situation."
So Sheyliegh and Severus walked down to Albus' office. When they
knocked on the door, they were beckoned inside. Once inside, they took a seat
in front of Albus' desk. "Severus, I know why you're here." His voice was not
as joyful as it usually was. He looked worried and exhausted.
"But how did you-"
"Karkaroff. He just left. He felt the mark burning this morning and
used the floo network straight away to tell me." He took off his half-moon
spectacles and rubbed the bridge of his nose. After replacing his glasses, he
carried on. "You know what this means don't you?"
Severus looked over at Sheyliegh. He knew exactly what it meant.
"What time do you want us to meet you there?"
down onto the grass. There was a warm breeze that blew through the trees. It
had been so long since Sheyliegh and Sirius had been out on these very
grounds, talking. It had been since their last day at Hogwarts that they had
been here together.
Sirius was the one who broke that silence. "So, are you and Severus
getting along okay?"
"Of course. I mean we have our disagreements about things every once
in a while, but who doesn't?"
"You know, I remember when we were younger and you and I dated. Those
were some fine times when we were kids. We had so much fun together." He
walked over and sat underneath a near-by tree. "Remember that one time we
sat here one night and played truth or dare? I do. That was so much fun. I
remember Lily dared us to kiss."
"Yeah, but that was when Albus caught us while he was on a midnight
stroll. I can still remember the look on James' face." She let out a small
snicker.
"You know I never got that kiss." He looked over at Sheyiegh and
saw the moonlight reflect in her eyes.
Sheyliegh laughed at this. "Well I can't help you now. These lips
belong to Severus."
"Oh yeah. That's right. But you know, a dare is a dare. Come on Shey,
Sev will never know." Sheyliegh, by now had sat down next to him. Sirius
leaned over and got closer to her.
"Sirius it just wouldn't be right."
"Oh come on Sheyliegh. You kissed James."
"That was a long time ago. We were kids. I'm married." Sheyliegh
stood up and was getting frustrated. There was no way she was about to kiss
him when her husband was right inside the castle.
Sirius stood up now too. "Oh Sheyliegh. You always were the chicken.
Everytime we planned to do something fun, you always found an excuse to get
out of it. Either that or you would try to talk us out of it. We're out here
by ourselves. No ones going to know." He walked forward and grabbed Sheyliegh
around the waist and kissed her.
She pushed him away and slapped him. "How dare you! I just got
married four months ago! I have a husband! I thought that you were happy for
me!" She stormed off and left Sirius by himself.
***
Severus didn't stay to see what happened after the kiss. He turned on
his heel and stormed out of the room. He didn't wait for the stairs to stop
moving. He ran down them. When he made it to the doorway, he saw Sheyliegh
running up to the castle. She stopped right in fron of him-her eyes were all
red and full of tears.
"How could you?" Severus whispered.
"Sev, it wasn't my fault I-"
"Out of my way. I'll talk with you later." He took of again in long
strides, his robe blowing in the now harsh wind. When he reached the tree
that Sirius and Sheyliegh had been at, Sirius stood on the spot with his hand
on his cheek where Sheyliegh had slapped him.
Sirius looked up just in time to see Severus with his wand pointed at
him, muttering a curse. Suddenly he was laying on his back. The force at
which he fell knocked the wind out of him. While still lying down he searched
frantically in his robes for his wand. But it was too late. Severus had cast
another charm which made him hang upside down in mid-air.
"How does it feel Sirius?! No, there's no need to tell me how it
feels, I've already experienced it!" He let him drop back down to the ground.
Another charm-this time he had been put under the Cruciatus curse. Sirius
fell to the ground and began to twitch. He screamed from the pain so loud
that he could have been heard a mile away.
"Sev! NO!" Severus turned to look behind him. There stood Sheyliegh
and Albus. Sheyliegh was hysterically crying. Albus whipped out his wand and
said the counter-jinx. Sirius stopped twitching, but didn't move from his
spot on the grass.
Albus ran forward and leaned over Sirius. Sheyliegh stood in her spot
unable to move, talk, or do anything at all. Finally Severus came to his
senses. He realized what he had just done. The Death Eater within him was
showing his colors. Looking over at Sheyliegh. He could tell she was very
scared. Severus went to move torwards her. But she took one step back, and
then took off at a run torwards the castle.
***
The next morning was not a happy one for anyone. Severus had spent
the night in Albus' office because Sheyliegh had refused to let him in the
living quarters the night before. Albus had spent his night in the hospital
wing by Sirius' bed. Even the students were in a bad mood. Maybe it was
because that Professor Grubly-Plank was taking over Sirius job for a while.
Or maybe it was because they had been awakened the night before by Sirius'
screams.
Severus went to his morning classes, but there was no sign of
Sheyliegh. He went down to their living quarters. He knocked on the door, but
there was no answer. So he knocked again, this time louder. But still
nothing. There was no other choice. Whipping out his wand he muttered a spell
and the door swung open.
Walking inside he saw Sheyliegh laying on their bed all curled up in
a ball. She had the covers pulled tight around her. Severus sat down on the
end of the bed. Sheyliegh seemed to not notice that he was there at all. He
layed down beside her and looked into her eyes. She still seemed frightened.
"Sheyliegh, listen to me. I know what I did last night was wrong. And
I'm very sorry. I just couldn't help it. Seeing him kiss you... I just..."
"You're not the same Severus that I married." Her voice seemed very
far off. She refused to look into his eyes.
"I was as surprised at what I did as you and Albus were. But...
sweetie... listen to me." He leaned over and kissed her softly upon her lips.
"I'm so sorry. Let me make it up to you. I'll make it up to Sirius too. Just,
please forgive me. Please sweetheart."
Sheyliegh lifted her head and their eyes locked. She could tell that he
was truly sorry. It was pretty easy to read Severus. But before she could do
anything at all, Severus winced and grabbed his fore-arm. There was a burning
pain in his arm that was only too familliar. He looked back up into
Sheyliegh's eyes. The only way to make her understand what it was really like
was to show her. He raised up his sleeve. On the inside of his fore-arm the
Dark Mark glowed black. At first Sheyliegh looked somewhat frightened. But
then she reached out and touched to spot where the Dark Mark laid
pernamently. She told herself, if she was to be his wife, she was to
understand and accept.
"Severus, if he's calling you.."
"Then it's not good. I have to go tell Albus. He'll want to know."
"I'm coming with you. I'm your wife now, and I'm going to stand by
you in no matter how bad the situation."
So Sheyliegh and Severus walked down to Albus' office. When they
knocked on the door, they were beckoned inside. Once inside, they took a seat
in front of Albus' desk. "Severus, I know why you're here." His voice was not
as joyful as it usually was. He looked worried and exhausted.
"But how did you-"
"Karkaroff. He just left. He felt the mark burning this morning and
used the floo network straight away to tell me." He took off his half-moon
spectacles and rubbed the bridge of his nose. After replacing his glasses, he
carried on. "You know what this means don't you?"
Severus looked over at Sheyliegh. He knew exactly what it meant.
"What time do you want us to meet you there?"
