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Chapter 17

Severus rolled over and tugged Iris into his arms as had become habit over the past two months. She slept on but snuggled trustingly into his chest as he stared at the ceiling.

He'd gotten so used to her presence he couldn't remember what his life had been like before she was in it.

She was still looking for her own flat but every time she brought it up he would change the subject. He didn't want her to go, he liked her here. With him. He sighed deeply rubbed her back unconsciously. It was so natural with her here. They'd even started working on the Deflector Potion in his upstairs lab again.

They were getting closer each day and he could almost taste the success. The break through would mean almost certain victory for the Order. He sighed loudly again and slipped quietly out of bed so he could take a shower. School had started and he had to get ready for today's classes. He looked back one last time at Iris sleepy soundly, hugging his pillow before he shut the bathroom door behind him.

Iris rolled over and continued dreaming after Severus had left her alone. They were upstairs working on the potion when they suddenly had it. She felt as if she was having an out of body experience. She watching herself and Severus celebrating while she tried to get close enough to see what ingredients they had used. Almost there, she thought as she tried to press closer.

The ingredients were laying out neat and organized as the Deflector Potion glittered a brilliant blue color. She saw bezoar, armadillo bile, ginger roots and the last one she couldn't see. Iris knew about all the other ingredients, they already had those. She strained to see the last one. Those ingredients wouldn't make the potion blue, she thought.

Then just as she had reached the edge of the table and could see the final ingredient something fell over in the bathroom and she was wrenched from her dream.

Iris lay there cursing as she struggled to remember what the ingredient had been but could come up with nothing. She had been so close, had even had the bottle in her hand but hadn't had a chance to read the label before she'd waken.

She knew they already had the first things she'd seen but she closed her eyes to get the vision of the last bottle.

What could make a potion blue, she asked herself.

She lay there listening to the shower running as she ran through all the possible choices.

Her eyes popped open at the sudden idea. She jumped out of bed and ran up to the potion lab, gathering ingredients as she ran around the room. She mixed them all together in the simmering cauldron and watched in apprehension as she added the final step.

She held her breath as she added the hellebore and almost laughed with glee as the sizzling potion turned a bright blue color.

"Oh Merlin! This is it!" She said out loud.

A crack behind her made her whip around in surprise. She felt her heart slam into her throat as she met Lucius Malfoy's cold blue eyes.

"Free are we? Where is your Master?" Came his merciless voice.

Iris backed into the table and subtly tried to spoon some of the liquid into her hands but Malfoy was quick and stood directly in front of her.

"I said where is your Master?"

"I killed him." She said the first thing that came to her mind.

"You what?" Malfoy asked in disbelief.

Iris whipped around, taking advantage of his shock, and dipped her hand in the potion to bring it to her mouth but then she heard his curse.

"Avada Kedavra!." Malfoy cried and cackled with delight as he watched the prisoner hit the floor as death washed over her.

Severus heard the commotion up stairs and came out of the bathroom, a horrible feeling settling in his stomach when he saw the empty bed. He ran up the stairs and reached the lab door just as he heard the killing curse, immediately recognizing Malfoy's voice and hearing the distinct thump of a falling person.

Oh my sweet love, he thought as he filled with unequaled sadness. But now he had to appear unruffled with Lucius.

He opened the door and stepped in the room, his eyes immediately falling on his dead lover and he blinked back tears of sorrow. He was not a cryer but this was too much.

"Severus! You're alive." Lucius said.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Snape asked as normally as he could.

"You're prisoner said she killed you so I'm afraid I had to kill her."

"Thanks." Severus said in a flat tone.

"Sure."

"What do you want Malfoy?" He asked, losing all patience with the situation.

"We've not been able to spring anymore of the Deatheaters from Azkaban. The Dementors have been replaced with new creatures being controlled by the Ministry." Lucius said.

"Oh?" Snape said feigning interest.

"We need a new plan." Lucius continued.

"Listen, we'll have to talk about this later. My neighbor heard the commotion and has sent for the Ministry Patrol. It's not safe here for you. You better go." Snape lied.

"Fine. I'll contact you back. Do you want me to dispose of the body on the way?"

"No!" Snape bellowed. "No. I'll do it. Just go."

Malfoy Disapparated with a crack and Severus sank to the floor and dragged Iris's cold body into his arms. He felt the tears welling up again and anger as well. Anger at himself for crying, anger at Lucius for murdering her, anger at Iris for not still being safe in bed, and more anger at himself for being in the shower.

"Oh Iris. I love you and now your gone." He said brokenly as he kissed her forehead.

Damn cliffies. Sorry :(

But I'm working on Chapter 18 right now.