Disclaimer: All disclaimers can be found in Chapters 1 and 2

Shout outs…

Angoliel… You're right, it is Knockturn. My bad. Thanks too for the reminder on the caps. I must have been a little lazy (or rushed) on this one.

Evenstar Elanor… Who knows what people are capable of? Especially when they're pushed too far…

Wyall Jared… Thank you for the sequel vote of confidence. I appreciate it.

Mercury Gray… There will definitely be an interaction between Serena and Draco, probably not as volatile as you might expect, but they'll definitely spend a little time together.

Chapter 22: Silver in the Dark

November had slipped away unnoticed in a haze of misery, fear and anxiety for Serena. She stared out the window of her bedroom watching the flakes of snow fall as if she'd never seen snow before. December was here and Severus wasn't; it made the winter chill seem even colder.

She sat down on the bed and rubbed her eyes. Bundled in her flannel pajamas she had been resisting bed for some time now. She had spent hours poring over books from the Hogwart's library. Desperate to know how Severus was, Serena had come up with the idea to find away to become an animagus.

Minerva had given her a few books, knowing that Serena wouldn't find a way. As talented as the Defense Against Dark Arts professor was, she had no talent as an animagus and all the research and attempts she made weren't going to make a difference. The worst Serena would do was exhaust herself and maybe actually get some sleep. And as far as Minerva was concerned, sleep was exactly what Serena needed with the trial starting in two days.

The snow started to come down more steadily and Serena wondered if it was falling on Azkaban as well. Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered the Yule surprise Severus had arranged for her last year.

"Miss Serena?" Mina's reedy voice drifted in from the doorway.

Serena looked up and her eyes were shiny. The House Elf hurried in and handed a handkerchief to her. Serena took it with a wan smile and dabbed her eyes.

"Is there anything else Miss Serena needs before she goes to sleep? Mina can get it for you."

"No, Mina. Thank you," said Serena. "Sleep will be the best thing for me. I can barely keep my eyes open."

"Very good Miss Serena. Mina will be back in the morning."

Serena crawled under the covers and pulled them up to her chin. From under the pillow next to her, Serena pulled one of Severus' linen shirts. She'd been sleeping with it ever since he'd been taken away. She pulled the shirt in close and ran the tip of her finger over her wedding band feeling the warmth of the metal. A moment later, her eyes fluttered and closed and she fell asleep still wishing she could shift shapes and go find her husband.

Buried within the dark core of Azkaban, Severus couldn't see the snow as it fell, dusting the walls and turrets of Azkaban in imaginary sugar. He lay awake in the bleak cell, feeling every bump in the cold, hard slab that passed for a bed in the wretched facility. He had a pillow and a thin blanket but that was all. He let his thumb run along the edge of his wedding ring.

"What are you doing, Serena?" he wondered out loud. "It is so hard to remember that you love me… All I can think is I wouldn't blame you if you divorced me. I will only bring you down. Your grandfather was right…"

He physically flinched as he suddenly realized what he was saying. His eyes darted to the door, to the bleak shadow of the Dementor that had paused there. Severus turned on his side so he faced away from the door. He shivered and squeezed his eyes shut. It is just the Dementors, he said to himself. Serena loves you. She loves you. She loves you. He repeated the mantra over and over in his mind, all the while rubbing his wedding band, until he felt the shadow of the Dementor pass away. Every day was a new struggle not to slip any further into an abyss of despair and self-loathing.

Rolling onto his back again, he sighed. It was so hard to remember that someone outside of Azkaban cared about him, especially with the Dementors around. He forced his mind to wander to happier, freer times, and his evening out before his wedding was what he thought of. Then the Headmaster's words came back to him: "Always remember how much you love Serena and how much she loves you. You know it's true, right in here." Severus could almost feel Dumbledore tap him on the chest again. "If you can feel that love in there, it will carry you through darker times than you can ever imagine. It will keep you afloat, Severus. It will save your sanity and your soul. Remember that."

"I just wish I could touch you, Serena," he whispered and touched his wedding ring to his lips. Just as the words left his mouth, there was a small noise and a soft white glow started to fill the room. Severus twisted around on his bed, slamming his back against the wall. There was no way to defend himself from whatever was coming except with his bare hands.

Across the cell, the white light grew more solid and started to take shape. A moment later a glowing white panther stood facing him, staring at Severus with deeply intelligent eyes. It looked like a patronus, but it wasn't his, and this creature was translucent, not as solid as a patronus would be. His own patronus took the shape of a coyote, the trickster from American Indian mythology. Severus sat very still and watched the cat through narrowed eyes.

Without a sound, the panther padded across the room and climbed up onto the platform with Severus. The creature lay down, rested its head on its paws, and shut its eyes. Severus started to get off the bed and the panther growled softly, turning a silver blue eye towards him. When he froze, the cat shut its eyes again and he felt the body relax. Despite the panther's transparent appearance, it felt very warm and very solid.

Soon, Severus' arm began to hurt and he sagged lower on the bed. As he got closer to the beast, the panther began to purr like a kitten. The rumbling vibration rolled through his chest, warming his cold, despondent core. A smile curled his mouth as he started to sink into a real sleep, the first he remembered in weeks.

He let his thoughts wander unexpectedly and found himself thinking of the first time he danced with Serena. The feel of her cradled in his arms had been exquisite, and later they had shared that first kiss, a kiss that had left him breathless. It was one of his favorite memories… He hesitated, waiting for the stab of agony that always followed any happy memory he had, but it never happened. The dark claws of Azkaban didn't touch him this time.

Amazed, Severus reached out and gently stroked the panther's fur, and it started to purr even louder. In the morning, he woke up, alone and shivering but the tiny tuft of silver white fur on his pillow told Severus that last night had not been merely a waking dream.

Sorry it took so long to get this one posted, my friends. Life has been just wild lately (not bad, just BUSY!). Hope you enjoyed this chapter… Please review!