Chapter 25

Severus finally went to sleep just three hours before Andraste's movement woke him back up. "Ahhh, sleepy head," she greeted, "nice to see that you'll be conscious in time for class."

"Not voluntarily," he said, dragging himself out of the bed. Severus shook the tiredness off of himself, and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower while Andraste headed towards the classroom. He came in as the last of the kids took their seats. Class went quickly for everyone, the sixth year students quickly finishing the potion he assigned them to make that day. "I am, for once, not horrified with the lot of you," he said as they prepared to leave. "Your performances as of late have proven to me that you do, in fact, belong in my classroom. Please keep it up." The kids filed out in pairs, with Hermione, Ron, and Harry hanging behind the rest. "I need to talk to you for a moment," Severus told them, and the three followed him and Professor Andraste to his living room. Once everyone had seated he began. "We've had a small change of plans. Harry, we're going to practice the astral projection after we talk, instead of later tonight. There is going to be an Order meeting in the morning, at 10 a.m." he told them, pausing a moment. "I am assuming that you all fully realize this is confidential." The students nodded, but the confused looks on their faces prompted him to go on his explanation. "You're 16, which technically does not make you of age. However, because of the things that you have faced in the past, as well as what we will all face in the near future; Professor Dumbledore has chosen to induct you into the Order. I can not say in honesty that I agree with his decision, I would prefer you all out of danger, but I, of course, will respect it." Severus ignored the huge smiles that had overtaken the trios' faces and continued. "The four of you will be inducted at 9:30, so I would like you all to be here at 9 am. I will explain exactly what is going to happen during the induction then. After the ceremony is over, Andraste will give the Order a full briefing on how we plan to proceed with Voldemort, as well as a report on your progress, Harry," he said, focusing on the boy for a moment, "so your progress tonight is particularly important as we will be setting a time table tomorrow. The specifics of our attack on the deatheaters will also be sorted out then. And hopefully," he said, giving Andraste a quick glance that no one noticed, "I will have another announcement to make."

"So, we get to stay for the meeting, for once?" Ron asked, excited but still not sure if he believed it.

"Seeing as how you will be members of the Order at that point, you will be expected to stay," Severus replied. "Now, I believe we have work to do. Ron and Hermione, you are both welcome to stay, but you must remain absolutely silent. Do you understand that?" The two nodded to him and he went on. "Harry, I need to know exactly how Nikoli Therale made the potions that we're going to need, so we're going to go observe him making them. Have you ever used astral projection to move around in time?"

"No. I didn't know I could," he said, an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Very well, whenever you are both ready to begin, just say so; I will show you how instead of trying to explain it." Andraste and Harry nodded to him, and they all laid back in their seats, closing their eyes. Andraste and Severus pulled their spirits away from their bodies in just moments, and Andraste used the minute of privacy to ask him some questions of her own.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this before now?"

"I had planned on it," he told her. "You fell asleep before I got the chance."

"Oh. Sorry about that," she said as sheepishly as was possible without the ability to blush. "So what's with this announcement you want to make tomorrow?" Severus was spared the need to answer by Harry joining them in the ethereal world. "That was rather quick, Harry," Andraste told him. "I'm impressed."

"Thanks, Andi," Harry replied before Severus started to speak.

"What we're going to do is rather simple Harry. Moving around in time is the same as moving around any other way in this realm. You just need to think about where you want to be. We're going to go to January 1, 1715. Instead of looking for a specific place, we're going to concentrate on centering in on Nikoli Therale. Once we find him, we'll just move through the days until he makes the potions, does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I guess it does," he replied hesitantly. "But what if I get lost?"

"You won't, Harry," Andraste promised, and then added with a laugh, "and if you do, he'll be lost with you."

"No one is getting lost. This is very simple, and you're fully capable or we wouldn't be doing this," Severus assured him. "Now, let's go."

"Wait," Harry said with a tone of panic threatening his voice. "What about Andi? She's coming too, right?"

"No," Andi said. "Someone needs to stay here and watch over your body. We don't want anyone to decide to visit while you're gone. You'll be fine, Harry. Don't worry." He nodded in agreement and Andraste watched Harry and Severus fade away.

The mist swirled around Harry as he concentrated on the creator of the potions that they needed. Within seconds, he was floating in a room above an older man working steadily over a cauldron. "Very good, Harry," Severus commended. "Judging by the ingredients, however, I don't think that he's making either of the potions that we need. Now concentrate on moving forward in time, but stay in this room." They watched as time seemed to speed past them through a foggy sheen. After a few minutes, Severus motioned for Harry to stop. Nikoli Therale was hastily setting out ingredients in front of two separate cauldrons. Judging by the items he had, they had reached a day that he was making Venus Water and Snapdragon Fire. The pair looked on as Nikoli worked, Severus taking careful mental notes about the way he added each ingredient. "The Venus Water only has 12 seed pods," Harry heard him mumble.

"What did he use as a base? I didn't recognize it," Harry eventually said.

"That was holy water," Severus replied. "It glows silver in this realm."

"Where are you going to get that much holy water?"

"A church, or we could just have a priest bless it; that would probably be easier."

"You know a priest?"

"Several." They lapsed back into silence as Nikoli added a small container of purple liquid that Severus was sure contained blood and ashes.

Andraste watched the space where Harry and Severus had been for nearly an hour before they returned. "Did you find what you needed?" Andraste asked.

"Yes, I should be able to duplicate it without a problem." They talked for a few minutes before returning to their bodies and opening their eyes.

"Well, that was bloody boring," Ron said as soon as the three moved again.

"Not for us," Harry replied with a smile before Severus took over the conversation.

"Our trip was very successful. Now I have much to do tonight, so if you three would like to excuse yourselves, we will see you at 9 am." The students said their goodbye's and headed towards the door.

"Just a reminder, Harry," Andraste called out just before they disappeared from sight. "It's not safe for you to do this without us there." Harry stared at her for a moment before nodding in agreement and turning back to follow the others. Once they were gone Severus walked into the bedroom and came back a moment later carrying a small piece of carved wood.

"I'd like to show you something," he told Andraste. "This portkey will take us there." She held out her hand and he put the portkey in it, mumbling words that Andraste couldn't quite make out. Less than a minute later they were standing in the middle of a large clearing surrounded on three sides by dense forest. In front of them towered what would at very least be called a large manor, framed by an endless expanse of blue water.

"This is beautiful, where are we?" she asked, turning in circles to take in the view around her.

"Chateau de Toujours se Rappellent. It means 'always remember'," he told her, thrilled that she seemed so impressed with the surroundings. "This is my home." He took her hand and led her towards the large manor, telling her about the history of the land they stood on. "The Snape family built it over 400 years ago. It's obviously been updated since, but when my parents passed I restored as much of the original style and furnishings as I could," he said as he opened the large door that led into the house. The columns leading to the high ceiling were engraved with what Andraste assumed was the Snape family crest; and the deep mahogany floor held a reflection of the same design. The walked through the ancient home as he talked about the history of his family. "We're originally from France," he told her. "In 1572, after the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre took the life of Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, my ancestor – his younger brother – was exiled to Switzerland. Queen Elizabeth, however, sent word that he was welcome here; and gave him the land this house was built on as a gift. When he arrived here, he built this home; and gave it the name that it has so that the generations that followed him would always remember why our family line left France, and why our loyalty is owed to England. My great-great-grandmother, Elisia de Coligny inherited the estate when her only brother died, and soon after she married Severus Snape, the man I was named after." Andraste listened intently as they strolled through the perfectly decorated home. Most of the decoration looked as though it was several hundred years old, and the history that the house brimmed with made Andraste's entire body tingle with questions, but Severus had never opened up like this before and she certainly wasn't going to interrupt him. "This was my room growing up," he said, opening a door and stepping aside to allow her to view the space behind it. The large room held a desk and a bed but for the most part was empty space. It reeked of the loneliness that Andraste was sure his childhood had been littered with. Severus shut the door and quickly moved to the end of the hall. When he opened a set of double mahogany doors, a room was revealed that would have easily held his entire apartment at Hogwarts, including the classroom space. A beautiful mural of the eternal battle between good and evil was painted on the ceiling, and the hardwood floor was partially covered in thick throw rugs. Along one wall of the room was a large stone fireplace that someone had already lit, easily big enough for a person to comfortably walk into or out of. Opposite the fireplace was a wall comprised entirely of floor to ceiling windows, the most modern thing Andraste had seen yet in the house, but the view clearly explained why they were there.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered, looking out on the sun that was sinking below the ocean in front of her.

"This is the master bedroom," he told her, "where I sleep on the rare occasion that I'm here."

"Why don't you come here more often?" she asked him gently.

"Habit mostly, I would assume. I avoided it when my parents were still alive, and I guess part of me still sees this as their home, even though its mine now." Quiet drifted over them for a moment before he continued. "That, and it's a big house for one person," he said, laying a kiss on her forehead before he turned to head back the way they had came. "I'm sure dinner is ready, shall we?" Andraste followed him out to large deck, where a small table had been set up. Soon after they sat down, food appeared on the table much the same way it does during the feasts at Hogwarts.

"I'm surprised it's so warm out here," she commented nonchalantly after they had pushed away their plates, unsure of what else to say.

"This area is enchanted," he informed her with a smirk. "It could be hailing and we'd be dry and warm right here." She smiled sweetly at him, and then turned her attention to the wine swirling in the glass she held. This had been such an odd evening that Andraste found herself confused and unsure what to think. He had never been so open with her, so when he barely whispered words to her Andraste wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly.

"What?"

"My parents were deatheaters," he repeated, sounding only slightly more sure of himself. "When I was 17 they forced me to take the dark mark. I didn't want to, but I wasn't given a choice. It was that, or they would kill me. I didn't know what else to do, so I went along with it; and when I returned to Hogwarts for my seventh year I told Albus."

"Severus, you don't have to..." she said, seeing how hard it was for him to tell this story, and doubting he ever had before.

"Yes, I do. I want you to know," he responded, the pleading in his eyes close to what she was sure hers had been only a few nights before. She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile, and he continued. "I was scared and I didn't know who else to turn to, so I told Professor Dumbledore. I cried and I begged him to help me, to know that I didn't want to be a deatheater. There were others in the school that had the mark as well, and most of them were proud of it, of being one of the dark lords chosen, but it disgusted me. And it terrified me. I had seen what these people did, the people they would torture just for fun, just because they could..." Severus drew in a deep breath, trying to find his words. "I didn't want to be one of them, and I begged Albus to believe me." He paused again, searching Andraste's face for some sort of sign that she understood. When he was sure she did, he took another deep breath and went on. "That's when he asked me to become a spy for his Order. I thought that I would get found out, that they would kill me, but I would have rather died for his cause than ever be a part of Voldemort's; so I accepted. I proved to be very useful for Dumbledore; because of who my parents were I was quickly accepted into the inner circle of his deatheaters. The Order was very careful about how it used information I gave them in the beginning; partly because they didn't want Voldemort to have reason to doubt my loyalty, and partly because most of them didn't trust me. A lot of them still don't. After the tri-wizard tournament, when we were sure that Voldemort had returned, Albus asked me to continue my old duties...I, of course, said yes. That's the point I was at when I met you. That's also something I won't ever have to do again, and for that I thank you."

"You saved my life, Severus, I am the one that should be thankful."

"No more than you saved mine." When the silence that fell over them made it clear to Andraste that he wasn't going to continue, she broke and asked him the question that had haunted her mind all night.

"Why are you telling me all this? I mean, I'm glad you are..." she added before he got the wrong impression, "but why? Why now?" Severus sat there staring at her for a moment, his face unreadable.

"I want you to know me, to know my past and who I am so you can make your decision properly."

"What decision, Severus?" she asked, very confused and slightly concerned.

"Promise you will listen to everything I have to say before you answer," he gently insisted.

"I promise, now tell me what this is about." He started speaking quickly, as if he was almost afraid that he would run out of words before he said what he wanted to say.

"I understand that there is a chance that time may be running short for both of us, and I have had to make my choices with that in mind. I don't know if we're going to survive this war, Andi, but I know that if we don't I'll regret it if this isn't said..." He drew air deeply into his lungs and exhaled slowly, as if trying to calm himself. "You don't have a family, Andraste. You don't have a past of your own to speak of – one that was about you...not about helping others, and I don't want your future to be the same way. You deserve more than that. You don't have a history to tell your children about, or even a last name for the students to call you by." He rambled on as he reached into the inner pocket of his cloak, and then held out his open hand to her. "I'd like to change that if you'd let me."

Lying in his hand was the most beautiful ring Andraste had ever seen. It was obviously an antique, because the two emeralds that framed the center diamond were both the purest shade of deep green. The band was a thin gold that looked as if it was woven by tiny faerie hands. "I'm not much good at this kind of thing," he told her, a vulnerability in his voice that she had never heard before, "so I'll just come out and ask. Will you marry me?" Andi sat there staring at Severus while minutes passed by. He watched her, thankful that he was capable of seeing her silence as the shock it was, instead of the hesitation that he feared. Slowly, in answer, she held her hand out to him so he could place the ring on it. When he did she jumped out of her chair and practically leaped into his arms, kissing him as passionately as she ever had.

"Yes. Yes, I will." He held her in his arms, thanking God that she had agreed. "When?" she asked him after a moments pause.

"How's next weekend?" he suggested with a smirk.

"Are you serious?"

"Very," he replied, his tone absent of even the slightest trace of humor. She smiled brightly at him and kissed him again.

"I think I can free up my schedule. So is this the announcement that you wanted to make tomorrow?"

"Yes it is beautiful. And now we can, if that's alright with you."

"Very."