Chapter 19: The Raging War

"Viktoria are you all right, what are you doing here?" Severus asked as he stared down at Viktoria and removed the cloth that was about her mouth, keeping her from saying anything. Lord Voldemort had her gagged for her voice was causing his Death Eaters a disturbance, not to mention he himself couldn't resist the voice of a siren. But her voice had forced him to fall so for her that he couldn't kill her. So instead he'd had her bound and gagged in the basement of his hideout. Viktoria stared at him through glazed eyes. It had almost been a year since the last she'd seen him, and here she was with him again.

"Where is my son?" she asked as she stared into his eyes as soon as he freed her.

"He's fine, I've heard that when they searched for you that they couldn't find him. I've heard that he's with the order and being well taken care of," Severus said as he stared into her eyes. His eyes were filled with pain as he stared at her, as though he were truly sorry for all the pain she'd been put through for the past two weeks. He'd meant to come to her earlier, but didn't want anyone to suspect and much less find out that she was his wife.

"Why did Voldemort take me away, what does he want with me?" Viktoria asked as she stared at Severus. He stared into her eyes; he'd snuck down into her cell to see her. He hadn't had much of a chance to before. And after all the commotion that she'd caused, the Dark Lord was keeping her well locked up. Which was partly a good thing, at least it kept all the Death Eaters from coming down and abusing her, though, that did not pertain to the Dark Lord himself.

"Why did you join the order of the Phoenix? He would have never trifled with you before. He thinks that because you are Potter's godmother that it will lure him out of hiding and lure the rest of the Order out of hiding as well. The only reason they haven't done so yet is because they know it's a trap. He's done it before with Black. The Dark Lord is giving them only one more week to come out and when they don't come, which I know they won't he's going to get rid of you," Severus said as he took out his wand.

"What are you doing?" she asked, almost flinching. He stared at her in pain.

"Do you think that I would hurt you?" he asked as he stared at her.

"It's been a year Severus. I haven't seen or heard from you in an entire year, which you have completely had nothing better to do then to devote yourself to the Dark Lord. How can I possibly know what you feel for me or what you would do to me?" she asked in a whisper as she looked into his eyes, her very own filling with tears.

"My feelings have not changed for you, and they never will. In this past year all my thoughts have only been on you and your well being. If I could redeem myself in any way or change the situation that we have come to be in, I would. But I know it is impossible," he said as he pointed his wand at her. The ropes that bound her together to tightly immediately dropped and he hastily removed the shackles on her wrists and feet. "But I have to set you free. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything ever happened to you."

"Why are you doing this Severus? Won't Voldemort severely punish you, or worse kill you?" she asked as she rubbed her wrists and tried to get up, but couldn't. He held her gently and offered her support. She'd not been on her feet for many days and she'd been bound for so long. Not to mention the fact that she'd not been fed for days, she simply did not have the strength anymore and she knew that they only thing that was keeping her alive was her thoughts of seeing her son.

"Because I love you and I don't care anymore. I'd rather die then continue on this way. You and me both know that whether I live or die is of no consequence, there will be no good ending for me anyway, and my life is betters spent in saving yours," he said as he took her arm.

Silently they made their way through the dark corridors and got out of the Dark Lords headquarters, a feat that took quite sometime considering her debilitated state. Luckily for them, the Death eaters were out doing more raids and the Dark Lord was too busy expanding his control in the rest of the Wizarding world too care too much about placing guards at his headquarters. Besides, he knew that there was no way that anyone would ever find his headquarters. He turned his attention to her and took from his pocket her wand. "Do you feel well enough to apparate. I'm afraid that I shouldn't take you any further. If I disappear for too long, someone is sure to take notice."

"Yes, I'll be fine," she said as she turned to look at him and took her wand in her hand. She stared up into his eyes. Despite the fact that they were as black as the night and despite the fact that they hid from the sky's light in the shadow of a tree, she could still see them sparkle with love and sadness. Her heart ached. Despite everything, despite the fact that he was the reason that Dumbledore was gone, he still owned her heart he would always be there. Her heart ached that their love had been so imperfect but she still loved him.

"Before you go, I just want to tell you that I am so very sorry for everything. I know it means nothing, but I love you with all my soul," he said as he stared down at her and a tear escaped from her eyes. She stared down at her feet as she placed a hand on her mouth to cover up a sob threatening to come.

"Severus," she said as she through her arms around him and hugged him. For a moment he held her in his arms, as tears welled up in his eyes. He pulled her away and stared down into her eyes and could see the tears shining on her cheeks.

"I will never stop loving you, Viktoria," he said as she pulled away from him.

"Always and forever, Severus," she whispered as she backed away into the darkness and disappeared.

---

"Mummy," the toddler yelled as it ran into his mothers eyes. Viktoria smiled and wept as she held her child tight to her. Harry, Remus and Tonks all stared at her as if they were sieng a ghost. They had all been so distraught ever since they found out that she'd been abducted by the Dark Lord and taken prisoner.

Remus walked over and dropped on his knees near Viktoria and through his arms around her. Ever since that day in which Tonks had met her, Viktoria never spoke to him or Tonks again. She completely refused to even so much as look at them, even when they addressed her. Despite the fact that the Weasley's and everyone knew as much as there was to know about her and the fact that they accepted it without casting judgment on her, she still had not been able to forgive her brother for exposing her like that.

"Viktoria, please forgive me already. You do not know how much I have suffered to think that something might happen to you and the thought that I might never see you again. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you and you never forgave me," he said as he held onto her tight. She could hear the faint sound of tears creeping into his voice, something she'd never seen and wrapped her arms around her brother, but she wouldn't let go of her son.

'Oh Remus, I was so scared that I might not see you again. I don't want to be angry with you anymore,' he read as he pulled away and stared into her tearful eyes.

"Look at you Viktoria, we must tend to you right away," he said as he stood up and helped her too his feet.

"Come sweetie, mummy is back and she's not going anywhere," Tonks said as she pulled away Amadeo so that Viktoria could stand up. She could see that Viktoria was in far too weak a state to hold onto Amadeo. Viktoria offered Tonks a weak smile before turning her attention to Harry.

"Come on," Remus said as he tried to pull Viktoria to a seat.

'Not before I hold my godson,' her words glowed green as she stubbornly pulled her arm out of Remus' and walked over to her godson, whom she held onto as if he were her own son. She'd grown a very motherly attachment to him, one that he returned. Harry held her tightly as a single tear slid down his face. He didn't know if he'd been able to survive loosing one more parent. To lose his parents and then his godfather, she was all he felt that he had left. Even if the Weasley's treated him like one of their own, what he felt for both Sirius and Viktoria was quite different and he'd even grown to think of Amadeo as a little brother. Amadeo even called him big brother, rather instead of Harry.

"You can't imagine how happy I am to have you back," Harry said as he swallowed hard and tried to smile. She pulled away and smiled at him. "Come on," he said as he helped her over to a chair with Remus.

"What happened?" Remus asked as she sat down and he started to tend to open wounds. Viktoria then explained her capture, Volemorts intentions, and the riot she'd caused by singing and turning the Death Eaters on each other. She explained how the Dark Lord had severely tortured her and then thrown her into a dungeon, bound and gagged and had not fed her for many days.

"How did you escape? How did you get your wand back?" Tonks asked as she stared down at her. Viktoria turned her attention to her hands. She didn't know what to respond. She couldn't just say that Voldemorts turned her out, but she couldn't tell them the truth. How would she explain that he'd set her loose, without explaining every word that they exchanged with each other.

"Severus set you free," Remus suddenly said as the idea dawned on him. Tonks and Harry seemed taken aback by this as Viktoria turned to look at her brother. She merely nodded in response, causing Remus stand up and start pacing. "But why would he do such a thing? The Dark Lord is going to kill him for it."

'He still loved me Remus. But does it really matter why he did it? All that matters is that I'm here,' her words glowed green as she looked over at Remus. Remus stared down at Viktoria and smiled as he got on his knees before her.

"Of course, that's all that matters," he said as he took her hands in his and placed a kiss on them.

TBC…