The cobblestone streets were stained and worn, seeming to lead everywhere and nowhere all at once. The sky over head was black and cloudy, and not a star could be seen in the heavens. The wind blew through bare trees and rattled them, while dead leaves were whisked through the heavy breeze to skitter along the stones. The grass was dead and a thick, ancient smell filled the air, as though it were a musty room instead of a hidden path. Wikeni crept silently along this road, alone, in the dark, with nothing on her feet and nothing to cover her bare arms. Her shoes had gotten stuck in mud, and she hadn't bothered to go home to receive her coat. She needed to see him. She needed to know.

She would follow him to the ends of the earth.

The wind blew heavily again, knocking her off balance and throwing her to the pavement. She lay there, sprawled across the stone, for a few second before getting up and continuing to walk. She kept going… there were hardly any lights on inside any of the houses. Most looked abandoned. She silently stepped towards one, where again, there were no lights, but she knew who lied within. This was the house in which Severus was living. For all Wikeni knew, he could be there right now. She hoped so. Every living moment, every day, every minute, every second was agony without him. She ached to see him – and be with him – so badly, that she was willing to risk her life just to gaze into his eyes one last time. She held her breath, then reached slowly for the door and gently knocked. Although there were no sounds coming from inside, it was as if everything came to a halt. She brought her hand halfway up to the door again, holding it there, hesitant. Her fingers curled. Her heart began to pound. The wind blew roughly again, and as she looked down the street, she heard the door open just a crack. She whipped her head around to peer in through the opening. A tall, shadowy, hooded figure was staring out at her.

"What is it?" it whispered.

Wikeni suddenly began shaking. Was it Severus? Did he know it was her? Could he see her face through the dark, and if he could, how would he feel?

"I-I-I am here for S-S-S-S-Severus Snape."

"What is your business?"

"I know him. I – I wish to see him."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Wikeni."

Suddenly the door flew open and a hand reached out and grabbed her. Before she could scream, she was tugged inside quickly as the door slammed and a hand went across her mouth. Candles suddenly lit themselves on the walls, and as she gazed at them, the hands turned her roughly around. She peered up into the hood, but suddenly the figure embraced her tightly, and she felt hot wetness on her neck.

"Why did you come?" it whispered.

"I had to… Severus."

She pulled back his hood. He was crying. She had never seen him do that before.

"Why? Don't you know how dangerous this is for you?"

"For me?" she scoffed. "But yes, I do know. However, what I don't is what you are doing here."

"Hiding."

"Why not hide with me?" She stroked his cheek. Although his tears had stopped already, the trails they made down his face were still shining in the candlelight, his eyes glittering and illuminated by their dim glow.

"I would be caught," he said, taking her hands from his cheek and into his own. "You know that."

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't. I have to stay here in order to keep away from the ministry."

"I see," she said. She twirled around and examined the house. "So this is Spinner's End. I was right when I called it gloomy."

"Yes, you were. But only half right," he said. She turned to face him.

"Now that you're here… somehow, it's acceptable."

The held each other again.

"I can't believe you came here. How are you going to leave?" He took in her bare feet and arms. "You must be frozen. Here, sit down."

He led her to a dusty velvet couch in front of a fire and sat her down. She was shivering, but he lit a large fire immediately and sat next to her, draping an old blanket over her shoulders.

"Nice place," she said. Severus smiled a little, but the crease in between his eyebrows looked more pronounced. Wikeni shivered. "It could use a woman's touch, though."

"Woman's touch?"

"I can't go back now, Severus. I told McGonagall and Lupin and them that I was headed to your mother's house to find out where you were."

"My mother? How did you find her?"

"A lot of determination and a little bit of sleuthing goes a long way. But now that I've found you here, I have to stay. If I went back, they would all want to know what happened with your mother, and…"

"Just lie," he interrupted.

"Severus… Oh Severus, I can't. I just… I can't. They're probably questioning my whereabouts with her right now…"

"Are you saying they're going to track me here?" he roared.

"No! No, they're not. I told your mother not to say anything…" At this Severus snorted. Wikeni continued as if nothing happened. "That, and I have already sent two letters… one, to your mother, via my kind of post, explaining that you were not there, but a Death Eater was and questioned me, so she shouldn't say anything to anyone, least of all McGonagall and the Ministry, because they know where she lives. And a second, a fake one, to Hogwart's, using your mother's owl when she wasn't looking, saying that I was a Death Eater and 'killed a Muggle girl named Wikeni' working for them."

"So you're dead?"

"Technically. My family knows I'm still alive. They think I'm hopping around the world with you, so I can only keep in touch with letters from a post office. No one from the Ministry or otherwise will bother to track them down. They don't know anything at all about my family."

"I love you so much," he said, embracing her. She flushed crimson, but tears began to work themselves down her cheeks.

"Do you mind that I stay with you?"

"It will be tough keeping you quiet…"

"No! I don't want to BE kept quiet. I want to be with you, and not have to hide. I heard you have enough of that to do already."

"I cannot protect you! You are a Muggle and part of our goal is…"

Wikeni only shook her head with a smile.

"Then lie," she said.

Severus thought for a moment before saying slowly, "You were an American witch and had your wand broken for crimes against Muggles. You are forbidden from any kind of magic under penalty of imprisonment, so a spell tracer was put on you. You fled the country to avoid visible detection, but if you do magic of any kind you will be found. You support us in the hopes of our cause spreading to America."

"Got it," she said.

"Are you sure you can do this?" he asked.

"Hey," she said. "It's nothing I can't handle."