Severus was feeling very uncomfortable about his growing attraction
to Amy. The shadow seer revealed her tall, slender outline, and she was
self-described with long black hair set in soft waves, brown eyes and a
face that was "okay".
Looks no longer mattered to the man, but her defiant and still so loving personality that betrayed her loneliness and feeling of being an outcast struck a nerve in him. He too knew what it felt like to be so alone and unsure where you belonged.
His wife, Alexandra, was never one to be jealous. Quite the contrary, she was somewhat unfeeling about things like that, but he understood that it was her nature. Still, he couldn't figure out why she insisted Amy move into his quarters at Hogwarts. He was already sharing the multiple roomed tower with Harry whom he had adopted in his seventh year.
Severus had to come to grips with the realization that Harry was not like his father in many respects. Harry screamed at Severus, angry for his mistreatment.
"I'm not my father, Professor! Yes, I know what he did to you, and I have never put a single person in danger because I was feeling arrogant. I would never harm another student because of peer pressure. And I've never saved a life because I was saving my own neck! I don't know why you still see me as the man who tried to have you killed."
"I'm not seeing you at all, Potter," he spat back.
Harry took a deep, calming breath. "I know that, and I'm sorry." Suddenly he began to sob, "I may as well have pointed the wand at you, Professor. If I had just died along with my parents, no one would be dead, and you would be...well, you would be better. I'm supposed to kill Voldemort, but I can't. I don't know how and I may just be dooming us all."
That was a year ago. Voldemort was still at large though his numbers had suffered many losses. Harry was feeling stronger, taking up the position of the DADA teacher. He was perfect for that, of course. He was sure to be head of Gryffindor house in a few years, when McGonagall retired, if he lived that long.
Now he was sitting in a squashy armchair by the fire, cuddling his fifteen-month-old daughter, Violet, waiting for his wife to return with their new roommate. Listening to Vi's deep rhythmic breathing, he knew she had finally dropped off. He walked carefully to her room and placed her in her pram. Making his way past Harry's room, he stopped to say hello.
"Working hard," he asked.
Harry laughed, "You startled me. I was just working on my lesson plan for next week. Take a seat," he offered.
Severus hesitated, "You're insufferably messy, Potter. Your room terrifies me."
Harry obliged and led him by the hand to a chair. "Sorry Severus, and you are right. My room is in a right state. I've just been so distracted."
Severus sighed sympathetically. "Things have been the same for me as well. The shadow seer has been killing my head even more lately."
"You've been using it too much," Harry scolded. "You should give it a rest. You know Hogwarts like the back of your hand."
He shrugged, "Still a bit insecure." He stood up, "I'm waiting for Alex to arrive with our new house mate. I best be in the living room to greet them." Harry helped him around the junk and he found his chair, still warm and inviting.
Severus managed to drop off before Alex returned and woke as she turned the key in the lock. Severus slipped on the talisman and stood to greet the guests. To his surprise, there were not just two, but three. His stomach began to flip-flop with nerves. It was the feeling he always got when Alex was going to surprise him with something that wasn't necessarily good.
"Severus," Alex said, staying by the table in the kitchen. He moved to get closer to her and to catch the scent of the third mysterious visitor. He smelled cologne. "I have something to tell you, and it wont make you happy."
His hands began to tremble and he grasped his wand out of habit. "Yes, my love?"
"Well...you remember Victor, right?"
Severus filled with immediate rage. "Victor? This makes no sense! He's the man that kidnapped you, beat you and raped you!"
He heard Amy gasp in surprise. "What?"
Alex held up her hand. "There were extenuating circumstances," she said in an annoyed tone. "It doesn't matter to me anymore. The point is, I can't be with you anymore. I have to leave and I don't know if I'm ever coming back. My mission is too important, much more important than you."
His lower lip trembled but he refused to give in to the despair. "What about Vi? Are you to take her with you?"
Alex laughed, "You really haven't learned anything about me, have you? Violet's half human. She'll change, but until then, you can handle all the...parenting stuff. When she wants the truth of life and when she has let go her mortal attachment, she can seek me out." Alex slapped a small stack of papers on the table. "Divorce papers. I thought you would need these taken care of since you are human." She moved to walk out but turned back to Severus, "If I could love the way you wanted me to, I would. But I'm not like you. Little Amy here is going to stay with you and help you take care of the offspring, since no one else wants her and she's too full of mortal self pity to join our world fully."
"Don't say that," Victor said acidly. "Amy, it's not true. If I did not need to be with Alex right now, I'd be with you. I love you and even though I am like her, I still love." He kissed her on the cheek, and moments later they were gone.
Severus groped for a chair and collapsed into it. He was so full of shock that he was unable to tell if he was sad or angry. He tugged at the talisman around neck and pulled it off, tossing it to the floor. He put his face in his hands and let out a long, shuddering sigh.
Looks no longer mattered to the man, but her defiant and still so loving personality that betrayed her loneliness and feeling of being an outcast struck a nerve in him. He too knew what it felt like to be so alone and unsure where you belonged.
His wife, Alexandra, was never one to be jealous. Quite the contrary, she was somewhat unfeeling about things like that, but he understood that it was her nature. Still, he couldn't figure out why she insisted Amy move into his quarters at Hogwarts. He was already sharing the multiple roomed tower with Harry whom he had adopted in his seventh year.
Severus had to come to grips with the realization that Harry was not like his father in many respects. Harry screamed at Severus, angry for his mistreatment.
"I'm not my father, Professor! Yes, I know what he did to you, and I have never put a single person in danger because I was feeling arrogant. I would never harm another student because of peer pressure. And I've never saved a life because I was saving my own neck! I don't know why you still see me as the man who tried to have you killed."
"I'm not seeing you at all, Potter," he spat back.
Harry took a deep, calming breath. "I know that, and I'm sorry." Suddenly he began to sob, "I may as well have pointed the wand at you, Professor. If I had just died along with my parents, no one would be dead, and you would be...well, you would be better. I'm supposed to kill Voldemort, but I can't. I don't know how and I may just be dooming us all."
That was a year ago. Voldemort was still at large though his numbers had suffered many losses. Harry was feeling stronger, taking up the position of the DADA teacher. He was perfect for that, of course. He was sure to be head of Gryffindor house in a few years, when McGonagall retired, if he lived that long.
Now he was sitting in a squashy armchair by the fire, cuddling his fifteen-month-old daughter, Violet, waiting for his wife to return with their new roommate. Listening to Vi's deep rhythmic breathing, he knew she had finally dropped off. He walked carefully to her room and placed her in her pram. Making his way past Harry's room, he stopped to say hello.
"Working hard," he asked.
Harry laughed, "You startled me. I was just working on my lesson plan for next week. Take a seat," he offered.
Severus hesitated, "You're insufferably messy, Potter. Your room terrifies me."
Harry obliged and led him by the hand to a chair. "Sorry Severus, and you are right. My room is in a right state. I've just been so distracted."
Severus sighed sympathetically. "Things have been the same for me as well. The shadow seer has been killing my head even more lately."
"You've been using it too much," Harry scolded. "You should give it a rest. You know Hogwarts like the back of your hand."
He shrugged, "Still a bit insecure." He stood up, "I'm waiting for Alex to arrive with our new house mate. I best be in the living room to greet them." Harry helped him around the junk and he found his chair, still warm and inviting.
Severus managed to drop off before Alex returned and woke as she turned the key in the lock. Severus slipped on the talisman and stood to greet the guests. To his surprise, there were not just two, but three. His stomach began to flip-flop with nerves. It was the feeling he always got when Alex was going to surprise him with something that wasn't necessarily good.
"Severus," Alex said, staying by the table in the kitchen. He moved to get closer to her and to catch the scent of the third mysterious visitor. He smelled cologne. "I have something to tell you, and it wont make you happy."
His hands began to tremble and he grasped his wand out of habit. "Yes, my love?"
"Well...you remember Victor, right?"
Severus filled with immediate rage. "Victor? This makes no sense! He's the man that kidnapped you, beat you and raped you!"
He heard Amy gasp in surprise. "What?"
Alex held up her hand. "There were extenuating circumstances," she said in an annoyed tone. "It doesn't matter to me anymore. The point is, I can't be with you anymore. I have to leave and I don't know if I'm ever coming back. My mission is too important, much more important than you."
His lower lip trembled but he refused to give in to the despair. "What about Vi? Are you to take her with you?"
Alex laughed, "You really haven't learned anything about me, have you? Violet's half human. She'll change, but until then, you can handle all the...parenting stuff. When she wants the truth of life and when she has let go her mortal attachment, she can seek me out." Alex slapped a small stack of papers on the table. "Divorce papers. I thought you would need these taken care of since you are human." She moved to walk out but turned back to Severus, "If I could love the way you wanted me to, I would. But I'm not like you. Little Amy here is going to stay with you and help you take care of the offspring, since no one else wants her and she's too full of mortal self pity to join our world fully."
"Don't say that," Victor said acidly. "Amy, it's not true. If I did not need to be with Alex right now, I'd be with you. I love you and even though I am like her, I still love." He kissed her on the cheek, and moments later they were gone.
Severus groped for a chair and collapsed into it. He was so full of shock that he was unable to tell if he was sad or angry. He tugged at the talisman around neck and pulled it off, tossing it to the floor. He put his face in his hands and let out a long, shuddering sigh.