Ok, here's the next chapter. Sorry about that awful cliffhanger in 17. Hope this makes me forgiven :)
This chapter has some language in it, although I wouldn't call it R.
Chapter 18
Iris lay still with her eyes closed as she listened to Snape's sobbing and felt a little guilty but also deeply touched. She didn't know he was capable of such a show of emotion. He was always so in control of himself.
"Severus." She said quietly as she opened her eyes and met his tear filled brown ones.
Severus abruptly dropped her, listening to her grunt as she hit the floor, and with a sharp intake of breath, backed away quickly.
"Oh Merlin. You're a ghost." He said.
"No. I'm very much alive." She said as she lifted herself off the floor.
"But you're dead. Malfoy used the killing curse on you. I heard him." Snape said.
"Yes. He did use the Unforgivable on me." Iris answered.
"Then you have to be dead." He said. Severus had heard that a lot of people who became ghosts had a problem accepting their fate but he was in no mood to try and convince Iris of her deceased state.
"Severus, darling, listen to me. Look on the table. We've done it!" She said, no longer able to contain her excitement.
Snape looked at the simmering blue potion in disbelief then back at Iris.
"We've done it? We have the Deflector Potion?" He asked.
"Yes."
"And you used it against Malfoy? You're alive?" He asked again.
"Yes." She answered happily.
Without any more thought he ran across the room and scooped a surprised Iris into his arms. He took her lips in a passionate kiss and then began raining kisses all over her face until she was squealing and squirming in his embrace.
When he set her back down she was breathless and almost panting. He slapped her arm lightly before he spoke.
"You scared the shit out of me. Don't ever do that again!"
"I'm sorry. I had to play dead for Lucius you know. And you ran over here so quick I didn't have a chance to say anything." She defended.
"Yeah, yeah." He conceded.
"By the way, thank you." She said and leaned forward to kiss him gently.
"For what?" He asked in confusion.
"Loving me that much." She said simply as she squeezed his hand.
"Those were undoubtedly the worst moments of my life, when I thought you were dead. I do love you, so much it's scary." He said tenderly.
"I didn't mean to scare you. I love you very much Severus. I can't imagine what would have happened if it had been you laying here instead of me. I probably would have had a heart attack." She replied.
They looked at each other for a moment, wearing ridiculously silly grins, reveling in each others company.
"What was the missing ingredient Iris?" He finally asked.
"Hellebore." She answered.
"Of course! Why didn't we think of that sooner?" He asked as she laughed.
"Unbelievably, it came to me in a dream."
"You dream of potions? What am I doing wrong?" He teased as she simply smiled.
"You know, now that the potion is completed we're not supposed to see each other anymore. Rule two you know." She said.
"Fuck the rules. We already broke rule one. Why should two be any different? You're not going anywhere." He answered as he wrapped his arms firmly around her again.
"I'm not eh?"
"Which reminds me....you just need to quit looking for a flat. You're mine and you belong here with me." He said possessively.
"Good. I don't really want to move out anyway. Where ever you are is where I belong." She replied with a content smile as he stroked her hair.
"Come on. We need to go tell Dumbledore and Shacklebolt we have their potion." Severus finally said as he reluctantly pushed back from her.
"They'll be so pleased!" Iris said as they walked hand in hand down the stairs.
Thank you for reading and thanks for taking the time to review! You don't know how much I appreciate that!
That just made it sound like the end....not quite yet.