Chapter 17: Severus Snape

"Severus, what are you doing here, shouldn't you be at the school?" Viktoria asked as she opened the door to see Severus standing there. He looked somewhat troubled as he stared down at her. Inside he was battling whether or not he should say what was troubling, whether to tell her the whole truth, or if he should not. A part of him wanted to tell her, so that she wouldn't think so badly of him, but another part of him thought that he shouldn't say a thing, that it would make things easier for her.

"Is it so bad that I want to visit my wife?" he asked as he stared down into her eyes. She shook her head and stepped aside and allowed him to come in.

"It's just strange. I mean after all that's happened and the fact that you haven't really wanted to see or talk to me lately, and the last time that you came like this was to tell me bad news. That's not it, is it?" Viktoria asked as she looked up at him after closing the door. He turned around to look at her and shook his head.

"No, no. I've just missed the way that we used to be," he said as he reached out his hand to hers and pulled her toward the couch and sat down to stare at her. He stared into her beautiful ambers eyes. Her long brown hair was tied in a loose bun; ever since Amadeo was born she pulled it back so that he would not tug on it with his tiny baby fist. "You know once you put the boy to sleep you should set your hair loose, it has always looked far more beautiful when it's down," he said as he reached up to her hair and set it loose.

Viktoria stared at Severus who was staring at her with sparkling eyes. She turned away and looked down at her hands to where the wedding ring was still poised as if her marriage were perfect and normal. She knew that there was a reason for Severus' sudden appearance and change of attitude, but she'd preferred not to ask as to why that was. She'd also missed the way their marriage had once been.

Viktoria looked up and reached to his collar and reached inside. She tugged out a silver chain that hung beneath his robes from which he hung his wedding band. He'd done so ever since he started teaching at Hogwarts, and Viktoria didn't mind. She understood that he didn't want his students or colleagues to know that he was married, didn't want to mix his work life with his private life. "You still wear it," Viktoria said as if she'd half expected him to have thrown it out. She stared at the wedding band with her name etched onto the outside on inscribed on the inside was her response to his question.

"Of course I do. We've had problems, but you've always been the girl of my dreams and I won't let you go again," he said as he stared down into her eyes. She looked up and tried her best to smile as she leaned in and placed a kiss on his lips, something she hadn't done in a very long time. It was meant to be nothing more then a chaste kiss, but years of not so much as touching each other sparked a large flame in their hearts.

Severus kissed her soft lips and savored their taste, the way they moved. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her body so that it was practically on top of his. She was still as light as he remembered her. He pulled his lips away from hers and traced a trail of kisses down her neck. "Will you still love me in the morning?" the question came out in somewhat of a soft moan as she closed her eyes at the feeling of his lips on her neck.

"Always and forever," he responded into her neck.

Viktoria reached out to the owl and untied the Daily Prophet from its leg before dropping a few coins into the pouch that the owl was carrying. Immediately it flew off. Viktoria sighed and sat down as she opened the Daily Prophet. Her eyes widened when she read the headline and she quickly scanned the article for information.

Only a few days ago she'd seen Severus and now she read that he was on the run from the Ministry of Magic because he murdered Albus Dumbledore and was in fact on Voldemorts side. It just didn't make any sense to her. Sure Severus had once been a Death Eater and was capable of murder, but he would never do anything to Dumbledore. He loved the man as though he were the father that he'd wished he had. They'd had their differences and spats in the past, but Severus would never hurt him.

Viktoria felt her heart heavy with woe. It was very hard to believe that Dumbledore was dead. She'd almost forgotten that Dumbledore was in fact human. She'd gone through her whole life, never thinking that Dumbledore could ever die. It was like the world was missing a very big part. Viktoria stood up and ran up the stairs and looked out the window. It was a bright sunny day and as she stared out the window she could have sworn she could hear Fawkes' lament.

Viktoria closed her eyes as a tear slid down her cheek. She turned away from the window and slipped down so that she was on the floor in tears holding a hand to her heart. And for the first time in her life, she sung a song, very loud and clear to the world. A beautiful, mournful song, that spoke of a wonderful man who'd passed away. A song that magically echoed through the city.

TBC…

A/N: Please Review. And if you wish, tell me if you would like me to add a guideline that will help you if you are having trouble keeping up with the timeline of the story. If you woulf like one, I would certainly add one.