Snape awoke with a jolt when he heard the small ringing. He rubbed his eyes wearily and listened again. He heard the ring again and recognized it was his cell phone. He reached over clumsily to the nightstand and answered it.

"Hello?" he yawned. No one spoke. There was only a muffled sobbing on the other end. "Who is this?" he asked.

"Dad," said a shaking voice. Snape felt an instant pang of fear and he sat strait up knowing immediately it was his daughter.

"Sarah? What's wrong?" there was a long silence and soon he could hear her sobs again. "Sarah, talk to me. Are you in trouble?"

"Yes," she said. She started crying even harder and soon whispered. "Bud," into the phone and hung up. Snape sat there holding the phone to his ear. His heart was pounding. Bud was in that house, with Sarah doing only God knew what. Snape shot out of bed, tossing the cell phone on the floor and changed as fast as possible. He quickly scribbled down a note for Dumbledore to find and left it in his office, then hurried out side until he was out of school ground and apparated away.

He appeared with a loud crack in front of the house he hadn't seen in years. The lights in all the rooms were now turned on and the red and blue flashing lights of police cars the lighting up the neighborhood. He hurried inside, burst through the door and ran to the upstairs. Policemen and women were talking and placed 'crime scene' tape over the door. One of them looked at him and stepped up.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Where's Sarah?" demanded Snape harshly.

"Are you family?"

"I'm her father. Where is she?!"

"Downstairs in her bedroom talking with some CSI investigators." Without another word Snape ran down the stairs and into the other bedroom. He found Sarah sitting on her bed, huddled up in a corner (the mattress fit perfectly into a corner of the wall she used to lean against,) sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. She looked up at him and cried out, "Dad!" and ran to him and into his arms. She sobbed into his shoulder and he held her closely and comforted her.

"What happened?" he asked to the CSI investigator.

"Are you the father of Sarah?" he asked.

"Yes. Severus Snape."

"Severus, your wife has been a victim of homicide." Snape felt his stomach drop. Samantha, his Samantha was dead. It couldn't be. This couldn't be happening. And he had never been able to tell her he still loved her.

"Oh god," he muttered. "What happened?"

"She was stabbed to death. Sarah was the one who found her. She said she had called you and wanted to wait for you here."

"How long has she been dead?" asked Snape.

"A week," said the agent. "When Sarah found her she was in an bad state of decomposition. It's rattled her up." (I really don't know how long it takes to look very grody, so don't yell at me.)

"Oh dear god," he said, clinging to Sarah closer. She was all he had left.

"Mr. Snape, is there anyone who could have possibly done this?"

"Yes," he said after a minute. "Bud."

"Who's Bud?"

"He's my x-wife's boyfriend, or was anyway."

"Has he ever made threats against Samantha?"

"Not that I know of, but he shot both me and my daughter last year. There should be a warrant out for his arrest....."

Sarah placed a rose on her mother's grave and stood there, tears overwhelming her eyes. This was all Bud's fault. She hated him now more than ever and now there was a large gap in her heart that she knew would never be filled. She felt like she had been cut open and was now slowly bleeding to death. Turning her head a little she caught a glimpse of a boy standing not too far away. Draco.

She wanted to go to him, to be comforted in his arms. But something held her back. So instead she stood there, staring at the tombstone. There was a crack of thunder and it began to rain. She felt a hand reach out and touch her shoulder and she turned to face him.

"Come on," whispered Draco softly. "It's time to let go." She nodded and allowed him to put his arm around her and walk with her into the church and out of the rain. Once they were inside, Sarah stepped into the empty sanctuary. She walked over to one of the empty benches and sat down, burying her face in her hands.

"I can't believe this is happening," she whispered. "A few months ago I was so sure that Bud was gone for good." Draco sat down next to her and put his arm around her. "I can't get the images out of my head. The look on her face when I found her...."

"Don't think about it," said Draco comfortingly. "Bud will be dealt with, I promise you." He kissed her forehead lightly. "So how's your dad handling this?" Sarah shook her head.

"He doesn't talk much. I think it's eating him up as much too."

"Have you tried talking?"

"I can't, it's so hard." She wiped her eyes and looked up to the ceiling. "I wish I was up there with her. I wish I could just leave this place."

"No, you don't."

"Yes I do!" she cried. "I'm so sick of all of this. I can't take it anymore. How many more people is it going to take? I'll be next. I know it."

"No, you won't."

"It won't matter whether I want it or not. I'll be next. He knows the police know. I wasn't supposed to tell."

"The police are keeping all information about who contacted them, confidential."

"He still knows it's me." She wrapped her arms tightly around herself and Draco held her closer.

"I promise you that you won't ever have to face Bud alone. I'll be here." She looked at him with tear stained eyes and he kissed her softly on the lips.

Sarah shook her head and pushed him back.

"Not now, Draco," she muttered. He stared, appalled, and nodded, not really sure of what to do now.

"Sarah," he muttered, stroking her cheek. "It's okay." He kissed her again quickly. "It'll be okay." She stared, unsure for a moment, and let him kiss her. She slipped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss and the world around her seemed to vanish. It was only her and him. The feeling of his lips pressed to hers made her shiver and she melted in his arms as he kissed her thoroughly. She could feel his hands caressing her shoulders and back and she soon pulled away. He moved his lips to her neck and kissed every inch of her neckline. She smiled and drew his face back up to hers and kissed him again. She pulled away seconds later and smirked.

"I.... I think I love you," she whispered. Draco snickered.

"Well I know I love you," he said softly. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, cheeks, eyelids, and then lips again.

(A/N: 20 chapters today!!! Pour the wine and cut the cheese! And best yet, I actually kept an audience after one! That's never happened before! You like me! sniff You REALLY like me...)