Epilogue:
He held her as he explained that they could not tell anyone about their relationship. She had protested at first, 'before…'. But she understood that Severus' cover could not be jeopardised and a relationship with her would not be fitting for a servant of the Dark Lord. She would be happy seeing him in secret. If not happy, then at least content. And when the war was over, perhaps then they could be together properly. If they were still together. She had no illusions about Severus: he was moody, easily angered and vindictive. But she loved him in spite of it all, and intended to keep hold of him.
Later, at dinner, they sat apart. Severus sat beside Sinistra, and she sat with Minerva and Sprout. She could hear him having a spirited discussion with the astronomy professor, although they both spoke quietly. Sinistra it seemed was getting angry. Kaira shot him a glance, which he did not acknowledge, but he soothed Sinistra's ruffled feathers. She smiled into her soup. Perhaps this could work after all.
"Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight.
Where ignorant armies clash by night."
- Dover Beach, Matthew Arnold
Author's Note:
This is it, the end, no more. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Love,
Darklit.