Chapter twenty-six (Daughters and Lovers) was posted last Friday and you may have missed it because FF did not send out any new chapter alerts. Thank you so much to those who managed to find it anyway, but for those of you who missed it, you might want to read the previous chapter before going on to this one. Lol, Severusgirl.

This next chapter is quite short even by my standards (sorry QotF), but quite a significant one nevertheless. The remaining chapters are much longer. I apologise for the clumsy blue line I have to use to separate the sections to this story. FF doesn't seem to allow anything else. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks to my beta, JessiokaFroka who pulled a very dodgy word from this chapter and replaced it with something better.

Chapter Twenty-seven

BOTH SIDES NOW

Had he whispered a stunning spell?

Andi couldn't move. She just stayed in his arms, staring at the wall behind the bed, clutching at his shirt. When she eventually spoke it was in a strangled voice that almost hurt her throat as it passed.

"M... married?"

He put a hand on each of her shoulders and raised her gently from his body. He looked at her. "I was under the Imperious Curse. It is an Unforgivable-"

"Yes, I'm aware of Unforgivable Curses," she interrupted, bitterly.

"I was married at Mulciber Croft, to a Spanish pure-blood called Mercedes Castillo-Valdez, who was also under the Imperious Curse."

"Then... then obviously the marriage isn't legal, surely?"

"The Minister is putting the wheels in motion to annul the marriage-"

She stared at his face, suddenly realising there was more; hearing the unspoken 'but' at the end of his sentence.

"There is, however, a complication."

"What complication could there be?" She frowned, feeling frightened. "Do... do you have feelings for her?"

He shook his head. "Of course not, but-"

She didn't allow him to finish. She stood up quickly and turned from him. "Then what else could it be? There's nothing." She was wringing her hands, a panic rising inside, fearing she knew what this 'complication' might be, but refusing to allow the thought in.

"Andrea, I beg you remember I was under the Curse." She dropped her face in her hands, not wanting to hear. "The marriage was... consummated."

She drew breath sharply, a bolt of pure hot jealousy streaked through her. She had no way of knowing what this woman looked like, but a mental image of Severus in bed with her seared her brain, causing bile and anger to erupt from within, and pain! Pain, as though he'd stabbed her and dragged the knife downwards. She turned on him, her eyes burning, firing invisible swords at him.

"While I was recovering from being attacked," she spat, her fury gathering momentum with each word. "While I was recovering from losing our baby, and grieving over your dead body, you were fucking someone else?"

He sat quite still, staring at her, seemingly oblivious to the harsh biting verbal attack she was raining on him.

"What did you say?" he whispered, his voice incredulous.

"You heard me, you fucking... bastard... " She pounced on him, flailing her fists towards his head, wanting to hurt him, rent her frustration, grief and pain on him.

He grabbed her arms and restrained her easily.

"I thought I'd lost everything," she yelled as she continued to struggle with him. "I thought I'd lost you forever - now I realise I might as well have..."

He got off the bed, wincing as though in pain, but rearranging his grip on her, pinning her arms down by her sides.

"Listen to me!" he commanded steadily, authoritatively, shaking her body, desperately trying to make eye contact with her while she struggled to free herself. "Listen to me! Forget your very obvious pain for just one moment; our baby?"

"Yes," she spat, finally stopping her struggles to glare at him, feeling glad she hadn't told him before; feeling a malicious satisfaction at the shock in his face. God, how she wanted to hurt him. "Our baby. Lestrange killed our baby. She was almost five months inside me; a healthy little girl by all accounts, and Lestrange killed her, just because her blood wasn't 'pure'; but don't you worry about that." She walked into him as she spoke, barging into him, knocking him off balance so that his back collided with the bedside table. "I coped, with the help of my friends, while you were busy screwing a pure-blood. At least any baby of hers will be safe - unlike mine."

He was white with shock. A line of pain creased his face. His mouth opened, but for a moment no words came out.

"Andrea. Gods! Andrea." He clasped her to him, holding her tight, one arm gripping her back, the other across her shoulder and up into her hair at the back of her head, but she pushed away from him, her face burning with rage and indignation.

"I... I can't... be near you right now..." She sobbed and turned, hurrying out of the ward as quickly as she could.

It took her around an hour to calm down and begin to think rationally.

He had been under the Imperious Curse. He hadn't wanted to do any of those things. He'd been in hell, the same as her - only a different kind. Surely this marriage could be annulled, even if it had been consummated.

The thought of Severus in bed with his 'wife' flooded her brain again, threatening to unhinge her leveled thoughts. With difficulty she pushed the image away.

She'd left him only moments after breaking the news about the baby. Of all the ways she'd planned to tell him - both while she'd been pregnant and after, this was so way off the mark. She owed him an apology at least.

Making sure she looked at least half decent, she left her quarters and returned to the Hospital Wing.

"He's not here," said Poppy. "He went out about twenty minutes ago."

"Where to?"

"He took his cloak. I would try the grounds."

He was sitting on the rock.

She watched him for a moment, her vision interrupted by swaying willow tendrils. He was quite still. Quite silent. He looked up as she parted the willow curtain. They regarded one and other for a moment, then silently she went over and sat beside him.

"Hagrid told me he'd shown you here," she said, gently.

He didn't respond.

There was silence as they both looked towards the heart-shaped grave.

"I... I called her Josephine - is that OK?"

"Yes, of course," he whispered.

"Severus, I'm so sorry - the way I told you - I never planned-"

"It is done. The news is unchanged however it is said." He picked up her hand and brought it to rest on his thigh, his fingers lacing through hers. A fine rain had begun to fall.

"I never considered children," he said, looking down at their entwined hands. "I was in sole charge of a baby once, many years ago. Little bastard yelled from the moment I raised him from the crib until I set him in his grandmother's arms what seemed a life-time later. Almost got us both killed."

"You both survived the ordeal though?" she smiled, weakly.

"Me through pure luck; he because I restrained myself from smothering him. To this day I have the desire to stuff a cushion over his face each time I hear his voice, and I believe I am his boggart."

"His boggart?"

"The thing that most frightens him."

He was silent again for a moment, opened his mouth and paused before saying quietly, "My boggart has always been a werewolf; but I believe if I were to face a boggart today, it would change into something quite different." He swallowed. "To gain and lose one's own child in one breath-"

"I am so, so sorry - I shouldn't have-"

He squeezed her hand. "I find it distressingly..." His voice faltered.

She glanced up, absolutely astonished to see his eyes glistening.

"S... Severus?" She brought her other hand up and gently touched his arm, feeling slightly frightened at this totally uncharacteristic show of emotion; feeling a lump rising in her throat; feeling her head suddenly heavy and thick, as with a cold.

With a swift movement, he swiveled round and sank to his knees, collecting her in his arms. "I concerned myself with revenging my past, when I should have been here," he said, his voice muffled into her shoulder. "I should have been here to protect you both."

His black cloak was covered now in a fine coating of glittering raindrops.

She held him to her, feeling his shoulders trembling beneath her arms, and finally the tears she'd been unable to shed for their murdered child came flooding out, and they clung to each other in their grief.

It was the most intimate moment they had ever shared.

A/n - I suspect there is a reason why Neville is particularly scared of Snape, and my humble theory is that Snape was the one to collect him after his parents had been tortured, so Neville subconsciously connects Snape with the most frightening time of his life. The same thing with the werewolf - suppose Sirius had discovered (during a DADA lesson) that Severus' boggart was a werewolf - how delighted Sirius would have been to have one at his disposal. It might answer the question of why he led Severus to the Shack that night.

Mark Darcy - Sev is in every remaining chapter - very much so, although not every single moment - I'm afraid I couldn't find a part for him in Guys and Dolls! (Perhaps if they'd done Chitty Chitty Bang Bang he could have played the Childcatcher, hehehe) I promise a more sexy Sev in the next chapter. As to SS/HG fics - I agree she has to be of age, otherwise it isn't healthy. There is something rather compatible about them, though.

Kerichi - Was Andi's reaction OK? I was tempted to let one of her blows make contact with his skull, but I imagined Severus would be too quick for her. Dear Genevieve - I have a fondness for her, in spite of everything.

Midnight Lilly - Hahaha - married to Genevieve? Now there's a thought. Poor Sev. I guarantee that within a week either he would be insane, or she would be dead.

Queen Of The Faeries - I'm sorry about the cliffies. Compared to some fics, I think I have quite a small amount - they just all seem to come at once. You think Snape is going to survive the whole series? I seriously doubt it (more comments to Spykedjadedragon), and there will be much wailing and renting of garments from this member of the audience as she watches AR die yet again.

Thouandl - Severus would never have an affair (and that's a little appetiser for next week's chapter). The marriage took place during his disappearance. We are of like mind when it came to Andi's reaction.

Helena Oe - I have never read Doctor Zhivago and I confess to switching off the film halfway through. I couldn't champion a love story that happens while he's married. The inspiration for that scene came from my own thoughts and experience, I'm afraid. Lol. And yes, they had a moment; and now a more important moment, with more to come.

Wytchkat - Still want to be the other woman? (I guess we mere mortals would be pleased to get him whichever way, hehehe). Thanks so much for your review.

Emma Barrows - Thanks for reviewing. Update here.

trekker1976 - Thank you so much for your review. I'm glad you like the way I write Snape. You wouldn't believe the number of lines I change because I can't hear AR/Snape's voice saying them.

Spykedjadedragon - Wow, thank you so much for your review. Yes, Andi is pretty emotional - as Severus pointed out at the end of MwtB. I'm glad she has her weaknesses and faults - it helps prevent her being a Mary Sue. And about Snape dying - we've been warned that not everyone is going to survive, and I believe JK's comment about Snape and love coming in book seven means that he will give up his life for Harry and the good of Wizardkind - not because he loves Harry, but because he knows he has to. He'll die a hero's death...and our hearts will break.

Hysterically Insane Author - Yes, everything I know about torture I learned at Malfoy Manor (and that's all I'm saying about that)! Thank you - this half of the story does have more plot.