Time is slipping away very quickly now, thought Wikeni. One night two years ago in June, not even a month after they had been married, he had come home extremely late – and Wikeni was terrified. She had never seen him in the way that she had that night… and didn't think she ever would again. It was long after midnight, about three hours away from dawn, when Severus arrived home, pale-faced and wide-eyed. "The Dark Lord has returned," was the only explanation he gave to her before leaving again as quickly as he had come in. Wikeni didn't sleep at all, and she didn't see him again until the night after, where he was in better condition, but still very rattled.
Since then, they had moved out and moved on, quite strangely, into a small suburban country town, where both of them had nearly sworn they would never end up, while Wikeni still worked on her degree. (She had since changed it to education… Severus, although excited she was choosing a "real profession," felt competed against, and refused to bring the subject up.) They still had no children, which filled Wikeni with a large emptiness that seemingly could not be filled by Severus.
He had relaxed ever-so-slightly since (it had been almost two years, after all), but had been disappearing every now and then, to what he only told Wikeni as "Business." She knew it couldn't be anything good. Every time he came back from it, he was distracted, vague, and irritable. She was on her toes every time he came home, anxious, waiting for him to snap at her. They hadn't gotten into any large fights, however, only occasional arguments about the possibility of children, her excess of plants in the house, and even once or twice about their room – which was mostly decorated with her own personal belongings. Severus especially loathed a glittering plastic rainbow curtain Wikeni had gotten for free and insisted on hanging up in front of their door… it was tied back, but he hated the sight of it against the dark wooden walls and dull carpeting. Wikeni had given the room character, and Severus hated it. It gave him a headache to see all of her bright knick-knacks lined up against the walls or sitting on a table.
He was grateful for Wikeni though. Whenever he came home, she could automatically sense his mood and act accordingly to either cheer him up or stay out of his way. She always had tea ready for him, always perfect, for when he got home from work or "business." He supposed it was her way of telling what type of mood he was in… the way he poured the tea or drank it. He also guessed that it was her way of relaxing him before they spent any time together, which made him feel guilty. He made vows to her, and yet he was breaking them already. He knew that she felt he was not "honoring and keeping" her.
Wikeni looked mournfully out of the window. Already June, Wikeni's classes were long over, but Severus still had to teach. It drove her mad when he did not come home after work. She knew he would never cheat on her (who else would want him?), but horrible thoughts still nagged at the back of her head. Was he hurt? In danger? Tired of her? She stared out at the setting sun, bathing the sky in gold, orange and pink. She sighed. A beautiful sunset, and Severus was not home yet. She wasn't surprised, but it still hurt her to know that instead of coming home to her after a potentially rough day, he decided to skulk and frown in some unknown place instead.
Suddenly, a tear trickled out of Wikeni's left eye. She wiped it away quickly, startled, and stared at in on her palm. It turned orange, the color of the sunset, then suddenly black. The sun had set quickly, but the sky seemed darker than usual. Something was going to happen tonight.
She could feel it.