Chapter Fourteen

Elaine woke up in a bed that wasn't hers. She sat up quickly, her immediate reaction to look down. She was fully clothed, to her relief. And the memories came back - crying so hard Severus had taken her back to his quarters. He'd silently offered her the bottle of firewhiskey and she'd taken it - shot after shot after shot. Eventually she'd been so drunk Severus had insisted she stay the night in his room, and then he'd left.

Elaine groaned, reaching a hand to her head. She didn't get hangovers often, but then again, she didn't drink quite that much often either. A knock on the door startled her, and Severus entered, a potion vial in his left hand and a cup of water in his right. He offered them both to her without a word and she took them, one after another. The headache faded quickly and she sighed with the relief. "I'm sorry," she said after a moment, her voice cracking.

"For what?" Severus questioned, already having turned to the door. He turned back to her now, a curious look upon his face.

"For - " Elaine heaved a sigh, standing and stretching. "For being here," she said finally. "For - for helping me get my son back, and for being there after I let him go."

His lip twitched. "You don't have to thank me for acting like a human, Elaine. I may have my faults, but I will be there for you as much as you will allow. I know things are - things have been rough, this year, for you, and for us in general, however, I still would like to take you on that date."

Elaine took a step forward, then another, until she was standing next to Severus. He bent his head to look at her and she stood up on her tiptoes, and then she kissed him firmly. He kissed her back, backing her up to the wall, their bodies pressed together. The kiss intensified, his hands wrapping themselves into her hair as he pushed closer to her. They broke away for a second, reaching a mutual understanding using only their eyes, and then they were drawn back in.

Elaine could only thank Merlin that is was Saturday as she climbed out of Severus's bed hours later, dressing quickly before brushing her messy hair back into a tame bun. She turned back, looking at his sleeping form, before slipping into his small bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror, examining her face as if she expected something to be different.

Obviously she'd slept with men before - well, she'd slept with Ben, anyway - but they'd been together for at least a year before she had done so. She and Severus had no sort of a relationship, beyond mutual understanding and being in the same situation in the war.

Elaine let out a small groan, letting her face fall into her palms. Why had she slept with him? She liked Severus, sure. While not overly kind, he was decent enough to her, and after all, he understood where her mind was.

A soft knock on the door startled her, and she turned to it as Severus softly pushed it open. "Hi," she managed to say, before tears slid out of her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm not crying because we -"

"Had sex?" Severus finished for her, when she couldn't continue. "I didn't think you were."

Elaine took a deep breath, turning back to the mirror. She could see his dark eyes watching her in their reflection, something Elaine could only place as sadness whirling around in their depth. She choked on a sob, pressing her hand against her mouth to hold it in. "I my die without seeing my son," she stated calmly, after a long while. She caught his gaze again. "I don't know how I can bear it."

"You can," Severus said, stepping forward and placing his hands upon her shoulders. She leaned into him absently. "You can bear it, because you are strong, kind, caring, but above all, Elaine," he said, turning her to face him. "You are a mother. Other than my own, most of the women I know that are mothers fight as hard as a lioness for her cub. If you can pardon the Gryffindor expression."

Elaine rested her forehead on his chest for a moment before pulling away as a loud knock struck his door. Severus looked at her sharply, before grabbing his wand and marching over, pulling it open. Minerva stood there, visibly shaken. "What's happened?"

"Cho Chang is in the hospital wing. Poisoned." Elaine hurried over, her mouth dry. Minerva eyed her curiously, but didn't say a word about her presence as she continued. "It turns out she stole a bottle of poisoned mead from Filius a couple of nights ago while in his office. The mead itself was poisoned. If it weren't for her friend Marietta, she would be dead now."

"Why did Filius have a bottle of poisoned mead?" Elaine questioned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It was intended to be a present for Albus," Minerva said darkly. Elaine and Severus exchanged a glance, and all three professors hurried out of the room.

"I ordered it from Rosmerta," Filius squeaked as they all sat in the headmaster's office. "I don't know what happened. I've had it in my chambers all this time. I forgot to give it to you for Christmas, Albus."

"What reason would Rosmerta have to send poisoned mead to Hogwarts?" Elaine asked curiously. "It doesn't make any sense to me. And why in Merlin's name would Cho Chang steal it and drink it?"

"I don't know if you recall, Elaine," Minerva told her, "but Miss Chang was the girlfriend of Cedric Diggory, the boy who was killed at the end of the Triwizard tournament. The poor girl has gone downhill since, and perhaps she thought a bit of alcohol would aid her in whatever she has going through her mind."

Trying to forget she'd done the same thing, Elaine scoffed. "She's what, barely seventeen? There are healthier ways to cope with death." She felt Severus's eyes on her, but she shook it off. "Will she recover?" she asked at last.

"She will. Her father has already been notified," Dumbledore stated. His face was drawn as he eyed both Filius and Minerva. "If it is alright, I would like to speak with Severus and Elaine alone, now." Both professors stood and bid their farewells without a protest, and once the door was shut behind them, Dumbledore let his head drop. "I was hoping," he said softly, "that young Mr. Malfoy would harm no other students on his way to me."

"You believe that the poison was supposed to reach you then," Elaine said. Dumbledore nodded. "So you know he's been ordered to kill you?" Her voice cracked on those words.

"Of course I do." Dumbledore's voice was calm, even. "How much is it that you know, Elaine?"

"I-" Elaine hesitated, but the headmaster gestured for her to speak. "I know he's under orders to kill you, and that Severus - Severus vowed to protect him as much as needed."

"You mean to say Severus vowed to kill me if young Mr. Malfoy fails." His voice was still calm, even as he spoke about his own death. "I know everything, my dear, and I have in fact asked Severus to do the deed in the end."

"Why?"

"My soul is already black from death," Severus entered the conversation, his own voice empty of emotion. "Draco's is not. His attempts are weak, and we - that is, Albus and I, the Malfoys, even the dark lord - we all know he will fail in this task and that it will be up to me, in the end."

"I welcome death," Dumbledore told her. "I am old, I have lived my life, and with my death, Severus will become Voldemort's- don't flinch, dear, it is a name- right hand man. He will be trusted above all others, and this is needed if this war is destined to be won."

Elaine stood on shaky legs. "You are a manipulative bastard," she said coldly. "Did you even give Severus the choice, or do you just demand this like you demand everything else?" She was aware her voice was rising as Severus tried to grip her arm. She jerked away, eyes blazing. To her surprise, Dumbledore began chuckling.

"I'm sorry. It isn't that funny, Elaine, however you look so much like your mother the day we told her she had to go into hiding. The people in your family are very protective of the ones you love." His eyes drifted to Severus, and Elaine blushed, feeling the heat even in the tips of her ears. "I asked Severus to do this the night he came to me and told me what Draco had been ordered to do. He had a choice in the matter. You can ask him yourself." Elaine glanced over at Severus almost unwillingly, and the dark haired man gave a small nod. Dumbledore continued. "Believe me, Elaine, if there were any way I did not have to ask yet another thing from Severus, I would take it. As of now, this is the only way I foresee the war ending and our side winning."

Thoughts? This chapter actually came out very quickly, I was surprised!