Morgan and the story are mine. The rest unfortunately are not...
Severus found himself unable to resist the lure of her and leaned closer to place a soft kiss on those sweet lips. "Good night my princess," he whispered softly. As he rose to leave he noticed that she had a Pensieve in the far corner of the room. Quietly he mad his way to where the rune covered bowl sat on the shelf. He was just tall enough to peek inside and see the memories swirling like a cloud of mist.
The dark man frowned and looked back to his wife. What could she have hidden away in there that she doesn't want me to see? Why is she hiding anything from me? She doesn't trust me, he thought. Does she trust me? Maybe she's hiding something she's done, but what would that be? I can't believe that it's something against me or the order. He contemplated this for several minutes and the anxiety began to build. It would be risky to delve into the Pensieve when she could wake up. Perhaps something more subtle; he reached out with his mind to enter that of his wife.
The first thing he saw was the Tibetan village and Master Guaynan. He heard the rhythmic chanting of the monks while Morgan sat on the wooden porch. This scene quickly disappeared to be replaced with a scene from her childhood. A younger Minerva, and a man he assumed was Morgan's father were laughing at the little blonde girl chasing a kitten around the yard. The adorable little girl was giggling and smiling as she ran after the cat. Severus found himself wishing he could stir such a response in her.
This scene faded to reveal Morgan's sorting. Her Aunt stood over her looking livid as she insisted the hat must be wrong. The girl was trembling as she looked around in shock. Everyone was watching as Minerva and the hat argued. The child she was hunched forward with her hands tightly between her knees. Severus could see blood where she'd bitten her lip.
Severus who was normally a very strong Legilimens found himself unable to control or slow the memories as they flooded over him. He saw her suffering the taunts of the other children, "Morgan, why don't you ever wash your hair? Morgan, can you get any more zits? Morgan, was your mom really a Troll? Morgan, here this is for you. You won first prize in the ugliest girl in the school contest. Morgan, how come your robes are so short? Are you waiting for a flood? Eeeew, Morgan touched me! Quick wash it off!"
The Potions Master was surprised to see himself next. Morgan sat outside under a tree watching him from the distance. He watched his own most humiliating memory play in her mind. The day of his D.A.D.A. O.W.L. The taunting by Potter, the curses that flew. He saw her face contort with rage as she jumped to her feet and started across the lawn only to stop when she saw Lilly approach. He was startled at the realization that she had witnessed this event. A stirring of shame rose through him and yet she, his future wife, was going to come to his aide. What would she have done? Once again his mind recalled the ease at which the Forbidden Curses flowed from her. Even at thirteen he'd be willing to bed Morgan would have been a most formidable foe.
Memories of Morgan as a child changed to the horrors of a Death Eater. Snape witnessed her participation in several attacks and the solitary desolation that followed.
Suddenly he was outside in the midst of a snowstorm. This must be a recent memory because his wife looked exactly as she did now. She was in a warm wool coat, snowflakes falling on her pale golden hair. A snowball came out of nowhere to hit her square in the back. "Oh! Of all the low down dirty! Morgan reached down to gather a snowball of her own, "you are going to regret that particular action Mr. Snape."
Severus watched the snow fly through the air only to hit his 'other self' on the shoulder. He realized that she must have slipped into a dream as this was definitely not a memory. "Am I now?" he heard himself reply. The two threw several more missiles at each other, getting closer and closer. Morgan pushed her husband over and Snape watched them laugh as they rolled in the snow. He'd never seen himself laugh and he wondered how realistic this dream was? While it did look somewhat awkward on his face, he also looked happy. Very happy. Out of nowhere a small boy appeared. No more than four or five he had short black hair and eyes. "Daddy," the boy said tugging on Snape's coat. "Uther, are you ready to play? Come to mommy sweets." His wife gathered the boy in her arms and hugged him tightly. "Mommy loves you very much," she looked over to her silent husband before continuing, "and Daddy loves you too. No matter what happens never forget that sweets. We love you."
Something snapped inside of him and Snape quickly pulled out of her mind to retreat to his own room. The memory of that dream would stay with him forever. The vision of them as a happy family. The sight of his son riveted him to the core of his soul. Damn, he wished he'd paid more attention in Divination! What should he be reading out of this dream? After she'd told the boy that she loved him she'd looked to me for something. Morgan had told the boy that his father loved him. Why didn't he? Does she think me so cold-hearted that I can't love or so much a coward that I can't express such feelings to my own child?
He undressed and slid naked beneath the sheets. I am a sissy aren't I. Even now I can't bring myself to tell my own wife I care. Being timid is usually not part of my nature and yet I can't open up to her. If I tell her I care for her, that I want her? What if she rejects me? We're getting on so well now, why risk it? No, perhaps her dream is right. Maybe that is something I'll never be able to come to terms with. Maybe the fact that she knew that he did love should be enough. How does she know, he wondered, if I never show it? The only answer that came to mind was that she wouldn't.
Severus lay awake living her dream over and over until sleep finally overtook him
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Severus and Morgan walked to the dungeon together after dinner as had become their habit when a voice stopped them.
"Professor Snape," Dumbledore called catching up to them. As they both looked at him with questioning expressions he added, "er, Mrs. Professor Snape I mean. If I might have a word with you. Severus you are welcome to join us if you'd like?"
Morgan looked at her husband and waved him off with a hand, "you go ahead and go I'll tell you about it later."
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"Dumbledore wants me to teach Harry Potter Occlumency."
"Nincompoop," he muttered under his breath.
"Are you calling me fat?" Morgan asked with her best look of shock. Oh the look of horror on her husband's face as he sputtered was worth a million Galleons. She couldn't help but laugh out loud. "I'm just teasing you professor."
His eyes narrowed and he growled, "that was not amusing."
"Oh yes it was. The look on your face was priceless," she said flopping down on the couch next to him.
"Hmmm. Did the Headmaster tell you I have already tried to teach Potter Occlumency? It was useless. That boy has no ability to concentrate what so ever."
"Unfortunately I don't have much either. I suppose that's why he was hoping I could teach the Harry. My methods are very different from those you use. Apparently he's been seeing flashes of the Dark Lord again and Dumbledore wants me to give it a try."
"Well it's your time to be wasted."
"Are you questioning my ability to teach?"
"No, I'm questioning Potter's ability to learn."
"We'll take it slow. I'm sure everything will work out just fine."
"We shall see?" his deep voice droned. "Chess?" he asked changing the subject.
"You feel the need to kick my ass at another game of chess?" She watched his eyebrows rise as he nodded. "Fine, but keep in mind if you never let me win one of these days I'm going to stop playing."
Several hours later Morgan laughed heartily as she said, "check mate!"
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Morgan was in her office preparing for Harry's first Occlumency lesson. Her husband was there, once again protesting the futility of the lessons when the boy arrived.
Snape graced him with the customary scowl and turned to his wife, "I will see you later if you survive."
"Yes dear," she said. A huge sarcastic smile graced her features and her husband stormed out in a swirl of robes. "Come on in Harry, have a seat," she motioned to some pillows on the floor.
"I still can't believe that You Know Who made you marry Snape. That's got to be awful for you," he said shyly.
"Oh no, not at all. We get on rather well actually. Both of us have been alone for a very long time Harry and I for one enjoy his company. No, don't be sorry for me. I'm quite content. Besides it could be worse. He could have made me marry Lucius Malfoy."
"Malfoy? Really?" She nodded, "I suppose even Snape is better than Malfoy. Still it's hard to get used to two Professors Snape."
"Imagine how hard it is to get used to being a Professor Snape. Ok, enough. Lets get on with this shall we?" Morgan grabbed a small object and sat across from Harry on the pillows. "What I practice is sort of an imaginative form of Occlumency. It's sort of odd, you need to have an understanding of Legilimency to get it right so I'm actually going to be teaching you a bit of that too. It's a state of absorption when you bring your mind into focus. You also need to be able to receive. You need to be able to cultivate all that comes in to you."
She started the small instrument and a rhythmic chime began to sound through the room. "We're going to move very slowly Harry, short sessions but try and absorb what happens and play it over in your mind through the day. Ok, feel the bell Harry. Hear the bell, feel the bell, be the bell. Let it wash over and through your mind."
For ten minutes Morgan sat entranced by the rhythm of the bell before continuing. Slowly she eased into the boy's mind. "I'm here Harry. Can you feel me?"
"Yes."
"Good. Take a moment to let the way your mind feels when I'm here settle in. Let me know when you've done that."
"Ok, I'm ready."
"Get as close to me as you can. Close your mind around me. Hold on to me Harry. I'm going to bring you over."
Morgan withdrew from the boy as she helped lead him into her mind. They emerged into the mountain top village in Tibet hand in hand."
"What is this place?" Harry asked as he looked around in wonder. He could hear the bell still and smell the fragrance of flowers in the air. Wide eyes took in the sights and sounds of the village as he followed Professor Snape up to the wooden porch.
"This is my mind Harry. It's what I want you to see of it anyway. This is what you are going to learn to do. Hide your memories and thoughts by masking them. You can create whatever you can imagine. Samsara Harry, wandering through the transformation." Morgan straightened her arm out and made a slow motion with her hand. From one side of her body to the other it moved and with it the scene before them rippled like water.
As the ripples subsided a new landscape emerged. Harry now stood in a field of tall grass and daisies. Butterflies flittered about. He could hear the rippling water of a nearby brook and smell the freshness of the earth.
"Feel Harry. Take it in. Absorb everything you feel. Do you still hear the bell? Concentrate on the bell."
The boy listened, centered himself on the rhythmical ringing once again. He felt a tingling sensation as the professor swept the field away. Finding himself on the edge of a cliff he stepped back. The roar of the ocean crashing against the rocks was almost deafening. A whiff of salty air permeated his nostrils and once again he found himself in motion.
Harry found himself at Hogwarts. The other students were bustling down the hall in between classes. Hermione strode up to him and stopped, "you'd better get to class Harry. You know what Snape will do if you're late again." The boy gawked at the reality of the place. Everything was exactly as it should be. The sights and smells and sounds. Snape glowered at him as he approached him in the hall, "late for class again Potter?" he said with a sour arrogance only the Potions Master could possess. "That'll cost you fifty points from Gryffindor and a week's worth of detention. I'm sure Mr. Filch could use some help scrubbing the toilets clean."
Harry turned to Morgan wide eyed, "wow. You really do him well don't you?"
A grinning professor returned his gaze, "I should, I am married to him remember?"
"Oh. Yeah." Harry noticed the professor had stop motioning with her hand yet now he stood in Diagon Alley. Immediately he centered himself on the sound of the chiming. He followed Professor Snape into Flourish and Blotts and began to look around. His fingers ran over a book on the table as he took in the texture of the surface.
"Well, well. If it isn't the infamous Harry Potter?"
Harry whirled around coming face to face with Lucius Malfoy.
"And Hogwarts most delightful new Dark Arts instructor. Professor Snape," he took Morgan's hand and pressed it to his lips, "enchante as always Morgan." Lucius held her hand in his as he stared in her eyes. "I do regret any inconvenience my actions may have caused you." He released her hand and brought his body against hers. A silky hand slipped around her waist to the soft swell of her bottom. He leaned forward and Morgan could feel the breath on her ear as he whispered, "there is still an empty spot in my bed."
Harry watched the exchange between the two in amazement. He'd never seen Malfoy act so forward toward a woman. The professor pushed the man back suddenly and Harry near jumped out of his skin at the flash of her wand. "CRUCIO," he heard the force in her voice as the curse slammed into the man. Malfoy's face contorted in rage as he fought the pain. Finally his hands covered his face and he screamed in agony. Professor Snape's face was stoic as she dropped her wand and Harry stared at her open mouthed. "Do you realize what you just did? The Ministry will be here any second now."
"Calm down Harry. It's not real. It's my mind and I can do what ever I want. Believe me I wanted to do that very much. Bastard! Er, sorry if I startled you. Just venting a bit of frustration towards that arrogant son of a-"
"Right." Harry noticed the colors around him had altered again and as he looked around a chill of fear swept through him. He was standing directly in front of Voldemort! Dark red eyes bore through him before the creature threw it's head back. Shrill, insane laughter rang in his ears and the sound of Nagini hissing made him look to the snake.
"Hessss got youuu now Harrryy. Evvven youuu cant esscape deatthh at the handssss of the massster."
Harry felt the blood drain from his face. He froze at the sight of his worst nightmare, sitting in front of him on the throne. His body trembled in fear as his mind raced to his impending death.
"Goood work my faithful Black Witccchh."
"Thank you my lord," Morgan said with a slight bow. "I would gladly give my life my lord, if only to please you."
Harry was thunderstruck! Professor Snape had led him right to Voldemort! She hadn't switched sides after all!
"Oh yes, you have pleassssed me as I knew you would. Dumbledore is a fool to believe that you sssspy for him and his sssilly little Order." The smile on Voldemort's hollow face was full of evil and hatred. His fingers cracked as he flexed his hands into tight fists. "Quite an ingeniousss plan wouldn't you say Potter? That old fool played right into my handssss. I knew he would you know. How I would love to sssee the look on hisss face when he realizes that inssstead of protecting you, he has sent to right, to, your, deattth."
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NativeMoon, I try to be inconsiderate thank you. It's in my nature. Do I do cliffhangers? Hadn't noticed...is this one?
Ember, I'll send Snape over to your house to relieve some of that tension ok?
Jay Orin, I have a great love of Merlin and the Arthurian legends and they just seem to end getting written in somehow.
LatinChickey, Viagra...Lol...maybe I can work that in somehow.
SnapeLady, It's not my fault they can't communicate is it? Yeah, I suppose your right. Prepare to die...
Annie Black, good question. I'd have to say they probably at least falling in love at this point. Neither one of them could possibly admit that though, even to themselves. I'll be sure to make it clear when (and you're assuming they will...)they do realize it...