.:This is where it gets kind of fluffy :p and sweet in a Snape sort of way…:.

The Saints of Donovan

Chapter 7: Sleep Spell

Nessa's guest room in Severus' flat was one of the only places she could call home. The room itself wasn't very grand, but it was comfortable. The sheets were white, the wood was polished and it was warm. Nessa didn't ask for much and graced Severus' household with knowledge and understanding that his home was open to her and Severus' minimalist sense of hospitality. When it came to charm, Death Eaters simply acknowledged each other's existence as a common courtesy and didn't do anything for each other unless it was asked. A fend-for-yourself sort of independence was a matter of pride for both Severus and Nessa.

Nessa spread her grey fingers over the soft wrinkles of her sheets, throwing them lightly over and climbing into her bed. Her hair clung to her pillow, it still being slightly damp from her bath before. She sighed as her body relaxed; her silken night gown and supple cotton sheets softly wrapped around her. She was warm and comfortable and sleep was slowly taking her. Just before she dozed off completely, a soft light pooled into Nessa's room from the hall; waking her again. She shot straight up in bed, gripping her wand under her pillow as she waited for the light to enter her room completely, with the person holding its source. She sighed as Severus entered, holding his shirt closed with one hand, and holding a bedside lamp in the other. His eyes were blood shot and his hair was more tangled and messy then usual. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his breathing seemed slightly labored.

"I'm out of potions…" Severus grumbled, slightly embarrassed as he eyes darted from her to the floor. Nessa blinked, her grip on her wand relaxing. She sat up straight and folded her hands in her lap.

"How could you be out of potions?" Nessa asked simply.

"I mean…my sleeping draughts." Severus sighed, leaning against the door frame.

"Oh…I'm sorry…" Nessa frowned. She knew where he was going with this, but she was enjoying making him ask for what he wanted, rather then having him just expect favors from her.

"Nessa, please don't toy with me…I can't sleep." Severus grimaced, his brow strained and frustrated. Nessa blinked again and smiled, getting up from her bed and leading the way out of the room. She padded into Severus' room and sat on the bed, pulling her hair to one side of her neck. Severus sat down as well, feeling the pang of nervousness in his stomach that he always felt when Nessa came into his room. He and Nessa had never been more then close friends despite the feelings that they both had for each other. Both were to sheltered and business like when it came to relationships to make any move towards romance.

Severus set his lamp down next to his bed and sank back on his pillows, his arms crossed over his chest. Nessa smiled and gently uncrossed them, setting them on either side of him. He gulped as his unbuttoned shirt followed his arms, exposing his pale chest.

"Relax…" Nessa whispered under her breath, "…Close your eyes…" Severus did so.

Nessa's eyes drifted over his chest briefly, her eyes following the crease down Severus' middle, which trailed down into his navel, a small fluff of hair flowing down into lower regions.

Nessa's gaze returned to Severus' face. She sat up, bringing her legs onto the bed and sitting lightly on Severus' thigh. His body went tense here. She brought her hand up to Severus' forehead and placed her first three finger tips on his brow. His face started to relax further as she started to concentrate her magic, letting warm, soothing fluidic waves flow through her fingers as she traveled through his mind. She searched for the dark and cold regions of Severus' brain where his nightmares were controlled. This is where she found the dreadful images that Severus' was kept up by every night. Images of blood and beatings and torture; torture that he had endured from Voldemort. She started working around these images, setting up her temporary psychic barriers to block the nightmares that tormented her dear friend.

Severus' breath started to even to even out, and his hand slowly traveled up to Nessa's left calf, his thumb stroking her skin slowly. She felt it, and liked it, but continued her work.

"…Nessa…" Severus whispered.

"…Sleep…" Nessa whispered back. Severus' hand went limp at this, and he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Donovan rubbed his towel fervently over his wet hair before leaving his room, throwing his towel on his bed and pulling a shirt over his head. He pushed the kitchen door open and found Nessa sitting at the table with a cup of coffee to her lips. He cleared his throat and crossed the kitchen to the cupboard, grabbing a glass and pouring himself some water from the pitcher on the table. He sat down across from Nessa and took a sip from his glass.

"Mornin'…" he murmured, still embarrassed from the night before. Nessa looked up at him and smiled. She stared at his glass and he watched her eyes start to sparkle slightly, making him squirm uncomfortably. She lifted her hand up and his water was lifted from the inside of his cup. He watched in wonder as she lifted it into mid air, carving it into the shape of a bird in mid flight, flapping its wings. Then she changed the water into a figure of blooming flower, the petals slowly unfolding into a water lily. The last shape was of Donovan, and the exact movements he had made walking into the room and pouring his water and even him sitting. She then turned her hand over and the water slowly poured back into his glass.

"That was brilliant!" Donovan said, examining his water. "Severus always uses his wand when he does magic, you only used your hands."

"Well, I'm a better witch I suppose." Nessa smiled, "Actually, it's just that I'm a mage, my magic is extremely concentrated in one element. Obviously, it's water…" she said, lifting Donovan up a foot off his chair. He gripped the table and she let him go, his butt hitting the chair rather hard. "The body is seventy percent water you know…" she said, taking a sip from her coffee.

"Um…about last night…I'm really sorry I was so rude." Donovan said, getting up and grabbing an apple from a fruit bowl on the kitchen counter.

"Heh…Severus gave you a hard time didn't he?" Nessa laughed, "It's quite alright, I'm used to it believe me."

"If you don't mind me asking… why do you look…the way you do?" Donovan asked nervously.

"It's quite a long story really." Nessa sighed, running her fingertip along the rim of her mug.

"I'm sorry. It's just I've never seen someone that, well…" Donovan faltered.

"It's alright; I'll tell you the story. There is a man, a wizard, a very powerful wizard, that my fiancé and my father worked for. Well you see, this wizard was betrayed by both of them, and so he killed them. He also killed my mother and my fiancé's parents, simply because they were in the room when he killed them. After that, I was devastated. I got into the shower, and turned on the water…and I stayed there. Because my house was enchanted the water never stopped running. I went crazy and lost all account of time and space. I wanted to wash away. I was told that I'd stayed in there for over a year. The only reason I'm alive is because I'm a water mage; the water kept me alive. But I was still pretty badly malnourished. I woke up one morning in St. Mungo's after being in a trance like state for over three years. Now I'm…lets just say working on compensating for losses…" Nessa finished, with a tad bit of bitterness.

"Why are you so…grey though?" Donovan asked.

"This is the result of what a year in a dark shower will do to you." Nessa smiled weakly.

"Ah, and how did you and Severus meet?" Donovan asked.

"Through work, but he's always been a dear friend. He took me in after I became cognoscente again and helped me get on my feet, back into the world. He's a good friend but it's strictly professional." Nessa said, getting up and taking some bread from the cupboard and putting it on a plate.

"Oh." Donovan said with a tone of sarcasm.

"What?" Nessa asked as she spread some jam on her bread, her eyebrow perking up at his tone.

"Oh nothing …it's just, late last night I heard you and Severus talking…and then go to his room. Not that it's my business or anything, just doesn't seem very… 'Professional'." Donovan smirked, biting his apple and leaving the kitchen. Nessa gawked at him as he left, striding past Severus as he entered the kitchen.

"Did he give you any more grief?" Severus asked, rubbing his eyes as he poured himself a cup of coffee from his percolator.

"No, he's very sweet actually." She smiled at Severus, "how did you sleep?"

"Like the dead." Severus smirked, taking some eggs from the ice box and magicking them to crack and fry themselves.

"Mmmm." Nessa smiled, staring absently into her coffee.

"What is it?" Severus asked, cocking an eye brow over at her as his eggs dished themselves out onto a plate.

"He's very sweet…but very perceptive…which could be very bad for not only him but for us." She said, her disposition becoming very serious. "What does he know Severus?" she asked as he grabbed a fork and some grapes and sat down.

"He knows I'm not really his father, and he thinks I was sent by Dumbledore to retrieve him." Severus spoke quietly, taking a bite of his eggs.

"He doesn't know about Lord Voldemort…?" she whispered. Severus shook his head. "But…then why is he here? Why has he stayed with you?"

"He wants answers on his mother, what her life was like. I think he was tired of the orphanage as well. I asked for a year, and he said he'll live with me for a year, and then he'll be off on his own. He's so desperate for answers on Larien that he'd live with a complete stranger. I bet Our Lord was counting on that…" Severus sighed.

"You know Voldemort wants his son back…" Nessa said, pushing her coffee aside.

"But Donovan doesn't; and I'm keeping it that way for as long as I can." Severus said, clearing the table with his wand.

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