May 1995
Saturday
The third task
Florence arrived at the site of the third task and was impressed by the size of the maze that Hagrid had grown.
She had missed the four Champions entering the gigantic maze for she had had to breastfeed Sophie and wait for Eileen to get to her house before she could leave for Hogwarts.
All her kids had gone home that weekend to celebrate her birthday, so leaving the house proved to be a challenge as each kid asked for something as she was on her way out.
But she'd finally arrived at the school and sat beside her husband in the staff's bleachers.
"What's happened so far?" Florence asked.
"Your cousin, Fleur Delacour, has been disqualified." Severus said.
"Why?"
"She told the jury that Krum attacked her."
"Wow. That's pretty low, to attack the only female Champion."
Severus cast a Muffliato around them before speaking again:
"Why did it take you so long to get here?" he asked, worried.
"How do you want me to start?"
"By birth order." he said almost smiling.
"Well, James and Nick left earlier without telling me where they were going – again. So I was going to leave Chris and Sophie with Liz. I mean, Chris is eight already, and Sophie will probably sleep for the next two hours. But Elizabeth screamed and shouted and cried and... well, in the end I called you mother and I had to wait for her to get to the house so I could come."
"Why didn't you let Tiffany or Mel take care of the kids?"
"They're both overworked already, Sev. All the kids are at home, and there are four of them asking things from the elves during the entire day. I know they like to please but, at the end of the day, Mel and Tiff are beat."
"Maybe we should invite Winky to work for us."
"Winky? The elf who got clothes?"
"Yes. Dobby told me she's been drinking her sorrows in the kitchens, she was loyal to the Crouches so..." but he was interrupted by red sparks shooting out from the maze and two aurors ran inside, soon walking out carrying a passed out Viktor Krum between them.
"Hogwarts is the Champion!" the students began shouting from the benches. Some screamed: "Potter! Potter!" and others shouted: "Diggory! Diggory!"
"Now we just have to wait and see who'll get to the Cup first." Florence said.
Thirty minutes later
Severus suddenly grabbed his left arm, cursing: "Shit!"
And Florence looked at him, her eyes widening and filling up with worry.
"No. No." she murmured. "What are you feeling?"
"It's like... like I'm being summoned." he replied in a low voice. "We must tell Dumbledore."
Florence forced her body to move despite the paralyzing fear running through her veins. She followed Severus down the stands, spotting the headmaster near the entrance of the maze and going to him.
Florence could sense how painful the summoning was and shared in Severus' pain through their bond, not letting him suffer alone – which granted her a scowl from him.
"Stop it, Florence!" Severus growled. "I can handle it. I've handled it for years last time."
"This is not like last time, Severus." She replied, as angry as he. "I won't let you suffer through it by yourself. If that's what you want, what's even the point of me being by your side?"
He rolled his eyes but didn't say anything else, for they had reached Dumbledore.
"Headmaster." Severus said.
"What's wrong, my son?" the old man glanced from the seemingly calm man to Florence beside him, not failing to see the fear and the anger in her green eyes.
"I'm being summoned." Severus said between gritted teeth. "And it's strong."
"So go, Severus." Dumbledore simply said.
"No! He can't just go!" Florence snapped, her heart racing.
"I have to go, Florence." Severus touched her arm. "Remember our plan."
"What if the plan doesn't work?" she whispered, looking into her husband's eyes. "The plan never survives an encounter with the enemy." She recited a common muggle-army saying.
"Trust me, Flor." Severus replied, touching her face, hating to see the desperation in her green eyes.
"No. No." Florence murmured. Please. Don't go.
I have to go, love.
All of a sudden, a loud apparition 'pop!' was heard and Harry and Cedric appeared near the entrance of the maze, the Triwizard Cup on the floor beside the two boys.
The stands exploded in applauses and shouts, the band began to play a happy victory song. But as they all cheered, Fleur Delacour screamed in terror, making them stop.
Dumbledore ran towards Harry and Cedric, Florence and Severus right behind him.
"He's back!" Harry shouted, crying profusely. "Voldemort's back! Cedric asked me to bring his body back... I couldn't leave him, not there!" and he began sobbing.
"You're all right now, Harry." said Dumbledore trying to calm the boy down. "You're safe now."
"What's happening?" demanded the Minister coming closer to them.
"A boy has just been murdered." said McGonagall, crying.
Florence and Severus moved away from that scene, but not before looking at the dead boy on the floor and then at the Diggory couple. The boy's father was howling like a wounded animal, his pain as he looked at his only son lying dead on the ground hit Florence right on the heart and she couldn't stop the overwhelming sense of terror that took over her body.
"Florence." Severus called her; noticing her eyes glued on the Diggorys as they sobbed over the body of their son. Love, look at me. He called in her mind, touching her arm.
Then she seemed to snap out of the whirlwind of fear she had gotten into and looked at him. He motioned the stands and she turned to see what he was trying to show her.
"Why is Moody dragging Harry away?" She asked, finding that very strange. "Has Dumbledore asked him to take the boy to the castle?"
"I'm afraid not." Whispered Severus getting closer to her. "You go after them and I..."
"You'll answer the summon." she looked into his dark eyes, the old nightmare of her father killing him coming forth strongly in her mind after so many years hidden.
"You know I have to go." he sighed.
"I know." Florence whispered and more tears fell down her face.
Severus looked at her and he knew he couldn't go without kissing her once more – maybe for the last time.
"Don't think such things, Severus." She shook her head.
But he pulled her under the stands, where no one could see them, and cast a silencing spell before pulling her into his arms.
Florence fisted both hands in his hair and kissed him desperately, begging in his mind: Don't die. Please. Don't die.
Severus stopped their kiss and looked at her: "Flor, if this is the last time I see you-"
"No! Don't say that!" she vociferated, holding onto his robes with white knuckles. "Don't you dare say that!"
"Listen to me, Florence!" he shouted, holding her face between his hands, looking into the green eyes he loved. "I love you and our family. The last fifteen years have been perfect – a lot more than I've ever deserved, you're a lot more than I've ever deserved. You're everything to me, Flor."
"No no no no. Stop talking, please. You won't get yourself killed!!" she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Please don't go!"
"I'll try my best to come home, my love." He kissed her once more and pried her hands away from his waist. Keeping his eyes on her, he took a step back, touched his wand to his Dark Mark and disapparated.
Florence let out a chocked painful sob, "No no no." her knees giving out from under her and she fell onto the soft ground. "Oh, gods, no, please. Please. He can't die. No. No! Please." Her heart clenching as her desperation made it hard for her to breathe.
But her pain slowly turned into anger, her veela starting to take over her, reminding her that she had to get up and protect their family – even though her mind kept replaying her worst nightmare, and thoughts of what she'd do if Severus died filled her mind to the point of paralyzing her body.
Florence took a few deep breaths and focused: she had work to do if she wanted to see her father gone forever. So she wiped her face and walked out from under the stands, realizing quite a few minutes had passed for the benches were all empty and the body of Cedric Diggory had already been removed.
She had never tried apparating inside Hogwarts grounds before, but in that moment, with pain and anger running through her veins, Florence decided to try it – after all, she was Salazar Slytherin's descendant, maybe that granted her the ability to apparate there.
She picked up her wand and thought about Dumbledore's office, and the familiar feeling of apparition took over her body.
It worked!
She opened her eyes, expecting to see a very surprised Dumbledore, but his office was empty.
She decided to go to the infirmary then – Harry most certainly would've been taken there, hurt as he was. But as she walked from behind the gargoyle, she heard screams coming from he Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, so she ran in there.
From the door she could see a man being held down on a chair by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks inside the DADA teacher's office up a short flight of stairs at the back of the classroom.
"Crouch Jr.?" She exclaimed, running towards the office and stopping in shock at the door. "What's going on here?"
Dumbledore handed her a weird flask she recognized as the one Moody had been taking sips from during the whole year.
She opened it, recognizing the smell, "Polyjuice Potion." and remembering that Severus said someone had been stealing from his personal stores.
"I'm afraid Moody has never been Moody." Dumbledore told her.
Then she realized: that was why he didn't remember her involvement with Severus, and the reason he looked at her funny – the mad Death Eater certainly saw similarities between her and her father but couldn't say anything about it.
"Where's the real Alastor Moody?" She asked.
"In that chest." Answered Dumbledore. "I'll be sending him to the infirmary as soon as the Ministry comes to pick Crouch Jr." He paused, looking at her with concern. "How are you, dear?"
She shook her head, not wanting to talk about her feelings in front of two strangers, a murderer and her shell-shocked godson.
Harry.
Her eyes fell on his dirty, wounded and tear stained face, and he became her focus of concern; she walked to him.
"Come with me, Harry. I'll take you to the hospital wing to clean up those wounds and rest."
Dumbledore silently looked at her and nodded.
On their way out of the DADA classroom, Florence noticed the boy was limping.
"Wait, Harry." So she conjured a gurney for him. "Lie down here." The way the boy promptly accepted her offer told her how hurt he was. His eyes, so much like his mother's, looked troubled – she'd never seen Lily's eyes that way before, then she felt tears running down her face again as she walked towards the first floor with the gurney floating behind her.
"Why are you crying?" Harry softly asked.
"I'm crying for you. For my family. For the Diggory's. For the future." she wiped her face. "Why are you crying?"
"I'm tired, Madam Delacour." His voice sounded as tired as he claimed to be. "Every year something horrible happens to me. And now... After what I saw tonight... I know it'll only get worse." He cried harder, trying to hide his tears on the gurney's pillow.
"It's alright, Harry. You can cry in front of me. I can only imagine what you saw tonight... and I know about all the horrible things you've been through."
They walked into the hospital wing and Florence helped him into a bed, walking to Pomfrey's medicine cabinet and retrieving two vials, some bandages and an ointment.
She stopped by Harry's bed again, her mind focused on treating her patient; after a flick of her wand, he felt his body become clean.
"What's that spell?" he asked, surprised. "It's handy!"
"Thinking about skipping bath time, Harry?" she said, trying to make him smile as she applied the ointment on his bruises and bandaged his cuts.
It worked, he smiled weakly at her and she heard herself saying: "You have your father's smile."
That called his attention. "You knew my dad?"
"And your mom." She decided to tell him that. It couldn't do any harm. "We were good friends. Some might say you're only here today because Severus and I played cupid then."
He seemed to want to ask her something, but hesitated.
"What is it, Harry?" she finished bandaging his head.
"You and Prof. Snape. You are... a thing."
She chuckled. "Yes. We are a thing."
"That's why you're crying. He was a Death Eater – he must have been summoned."
She just nodded, not wanting to think about what could be happening to her husband right then; she picked up the two vials she had selected.
"These are the Dreamless Sleep Draught and the No Pain Potion. So you'll sleep, have no dreams and feel no pain until tomorrow."
"That sounds amazing. Can I have some of those to go?" He asked, jokingly. "I could use them most nights lately."
He smiled, but Florence could tell there was, sadly, some truth to his request.
"Unfortunately, no. But you can enjoy them for tonight." She gave him both vials and he drank them before lying down under the covers.
"Good night, Harry." She had to stop herself from kissing his forehead as she would her own kids'.
Before he could reply, the potions started to take effect and he fell into a deep sleep.
Florence didn't apparate home, she decided to walk from the castle to Hogsmeade, her mind focused on her bond with her husband, trying to sense anything that could tell her if he was injured, being tortured or dead.
After around fifteen minutes, she was surprised to see she'd reached the main square of her beloved village.
Looking around, Florence noticed that only the Three Broomsticks was open at that time of night. Then she peeked inside through the window as she walked by it, wondering what kind of person stayed in a pub after midnight.
"What the hell?" she suddenly exclaimed, stopping in the middle of the street.
"Nick and James?" she couldn't believe her own eyes. Her sons were in that pub!
Florence stormed into the place, wand in hand, moving towards their table as fast as Fiendfyre.
Rosmerta was sitting on James' lap and Florence saw her son put his hand on the woman's thigh.
"You better take your hand off that bitch before I remove it myself." she growled, her glowing wand pointed at James' hand.
"Mom!" the twins exclaimed, getting up as fast as they could, both looking terrified and putting their hands up in the air.
"Florence." Rosmerta said with an ironic smile. "What a pleasure seeing you here."
"We can-" Nicholas began.
"Not. A. Word." Florence interrupted, her wand pointing at his face. "I want you two home in five seconds. Out!"
And the boys ran out of the bar.
Florence stared at Rosmerta with disgust, but she was too angry and worried about her husband to give that woman a minute of her night. So she lowered her wand, and turned around, going to the door without another word.
"You know..." Rosmerta said. "Your sons look just like Severus. I didn't get to have him for myself, but maybe I can have one of them... or perhaps even both."
One flick of Florence's wand (Sectumsempra) and Rosmerta's face was bleeding.
The entire bar became silent as the air got heavy with angry magical power, a mysterious wind beginning to blow inside the space.
Rosmerta took her wand out as well and screamed: "You've been asking for this for years!"
"Oh, really." Florence smiled, realizing that maybe a duel was exactly what she needed that night. "Come on then. Try me!"
Rosmerta mutely cast something, but Florence easily sent it into the wall, destroying part of it, making the customers sitting nearby run away screaming.
Rosmerta tried again, and once more Florence sent her spell into the wall, causing more destruction to the pub and terrifying the patrons.
Florence walked closer to the owner of the Three Broomsticks, calmly saying: "You could never accept that he never really wanted you! You crawled at his feet like a whore and he kept on using you to forget me." said Florence disdainfully.
"You want to talk about being a whore?" Rosmerta shouted. "You fucked him and Black for years!"
Langlock. Florence silently cast and stopped right at the other woman's face. "You'll never be anything but a whore, Cassie." she whispered, her voice dripping with venom, staring Rosmerta in the eye.
Then she took a step back and looked around the bar. Everybody was staring at the two women in fear.
Florence just turned around and left the blasted place.
Snapes' family home
Florence walked into her house, finding the twins waiting for her in the living room.
"Mom…" they both said, getting up from the sofa.
She cast a silencing spell and slammed the door shut, not wanting to wake up her younger children.
"Don't even start!" she angrily hissed, pointing a finger at them. "I don't want to hear one fucking thing coming out of your mouths!" she walked towards them and stopped, her eyes falling on Severus's favourite armchair, its vacancy reminding her of where her husband was, making tears fall down her face.
The twins stared at her, and then shared a puzzled look.
Something's not right with mom. Nicholas told his brother.
I can clearly see that. Where's dad for starters?
They watched Florence sit on Severus's armchair and start to sob.
"Mom, what's happening?" James asked, kneeling down in front of her, Nicholas doing the same beside him.
"Your father has been summoned." she whispered. "Voldemort is back. He killed a boy in the Tournament…"
"Harry?" both asked, worried.
"No. Cedric Diggory. He was an only child… I can't even begin to imagine the pain the Diggorys must be feeling right now." she cried harder and the twins hugged her. "Now, your father is probably with my…" then she stopped, realizing that the kids didn't know who her father was.
"Your what, mom?" asked Nick, looking at her.
"Where's dad?" asked James, concerned.
She just looked at the twins for a few seconds; she already knew she wouldn't be able to protect them from her father, everybody knew about them.
Florence touched their faces and whispered: "Severus is with my father." she paused. "The Dark Lord is my father, boys."
The twins stared at her with equal disbelief expressions.
What the fuck? James mentally asked his brother.
"WHAT?" they asked out loud in unison.
She glanced at the stairs, checking if Liz or Chris hadn't woken up.
"I've never told any of you that before... but it's the truth – I'm the Dark Lord's daughter and he... he is back. He's summoned all his death eaters. So your father is, right at this moment, in a meeting with him. And..." she paused, taking a breath before sharing with them her n fear.
"What, mom?" asked Nicholas, sensing there was more to that story to have her so nervous.
"Many years ago, before you two were even conceived... my father threatened to kill Severus if I ever dated him again."
"Fuck. And now you're married." Cursed James, understanding her fear.
"Will he really kill dad?" Nick asked apprehensively.
"I don't know." She whispered but her voice broke and the boys knew it was possible they'd never see their father again. So they just looked at her, not knowing what to do.
We've never seen her like this before, man. Nicholas said to his brother.
What will we do, Nick?
I don't know. She's mom. She's the one who keeps our family together.
But if dad dies tonight... nothing will be the same again. Mom will never be the same again.
No. I'm afraid mom won't last long if that happens, James. Nicholas said, seeing the fear and the pain he was feeling reflected in his brother's eyes. We can only stay with her... maybe apologize for being at the pub tonight?
James nodded and said, out loud: "Mom… I…" he held her hands in his. "I'm sorry. We know you don't want us going to the Three Broomsticks…"
"I'll forget that happened." She said, shaking her head. "This time. But don't ever go back there." she added firmly.
"We promise." they said in unison.
Florence took a deep shaky breath and kissed both her sons' cheeks. "I love you, my babies."
Then a baby cry was heard.
"Sophie." She whispered, wiping her face and walking upstairs, meeting Eileen, with a crying baby in her arms, and Elizabeth beside her, in the corridor.
Eileen took one look at Florence and her eyes filled with tears.
Florence moved to pick up Sophie and Eileen whispered to her: "Is everything ok?"
"No." She whispered back, not giving any details, holding her baby daughter tightly against her chest, her heart clenching as her mind replayed the many times she'd seen Severus holding Sophie and all their other kids.
"Mom… were you crying?" Elizabeth's voice brought her back to reality.
"Yes, dear." she kissed her daughter's forehead. "But I'll tell you why later, now I have to feed your sister. Go back to bed, love."
Eileen and Elizabeth saw the twins in the living room and they looked like they were discussing something very serious through their bond.
"What's happening, guys?" Elizabeth asked, walking downstairs with her grandma.
They stopped and looked at them, not knowing what to do.
Should we tell them? Asked James.
No. I don't think it's a good idea.
But mom said she'd tell Liz. And grandma probably already knows.
Exactly: mom should tell her, not us!
"Boys, what's going on?" Eileen asked.
"Where's dad?" Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears and fear as she waited for them to tell her anything.
"Dad is with the Dark Lord." blurted James.
"Don't!" exclaimed Nicholas.
"So he's back?" asked Eileen, knowing what that meant.
"Yes. Mom said he is. And..."
"James, stop!" growled Nicholas. But trying to stop his brother was like trying to stop a hungry troll at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
"And what?" asked Liz. "What is it, James?"
"He's my father." Florence said from the top of the stairs, walking down slowly.
"What?" Liz exclaimed.
"The Dark Lord is my father and years ago he threatened to kill Severus."
"What? What does that mean?" Elizabeth asked, her voice breaking as she whispered: "Will we see dad again?"
"I don't know. All I hope is that your father survives tonight." Florence couldn't stop the tears that started falling again.
Eileen pulled her into a hug, whispering with a heavy heart: "This is like a horrible deja vu. To be living this nightmare once more..."
"Yes. But it's even worse now, godmother."
"No no." Elizabeth whispered, crying. "Dad has to come home. He has to!"
"He will, Liz." James put an arm around his sister, walking towards their mother and grandmother, pulling them into a group hug. Nicholas joined them.
"He has to come back." Liz whispered.
After a moment, Florence pushed her fears aside and thought logically, knowing they should all calm down and rest, for the morning could bring an attack, they'd need their energies then.
"Listen, kids, you'd better go to bed. I'll try to sleep too."
"I don't think I'll be able to sleep, mom." Liz said, looking at her mother as if she had gone mad.
"Try, honey." Florence touched her cheek. "We don't know if we won't need our strength come morning. I don't know what my father will do. We must try to rest." She kissed her kids' faces.
And Eileen took Elizabeth upstairs; but the twins pulled their mother to another hug before going to their room.
Florence took a shower, after checking baby Sophie's diaper, and lay down on her bed; but she couldn't even close her eyes to try and sleep.
Severus had closed off their bond completely – so she knew he was certainly in her father's presence and using strong impenetrable occlumency walls to safekeep his memories.
But not being able to sense him let her mind free to come up with all kinds of possible scenarios; the most recurrent of them showed her husband being tortured and killed while her father promised to come after their children and kill them all.
The hours passed agonizingly slow, it was almost like she could feel each minute that she lay awake on their bed, clutching Severus's pillow, anxiously waiting to hear her husband's voice calling her through their bond, to listen to his steps on the stairs, to see him opening their bedroom door.
It was past three in the morning, the house was completely silent and Florence couldn't keep tossing and turning in bed any longer. So she got up and walked out of her room, wanting to see her children, needing to make sure they were all safe inside the house.
She walked to Elizabeth's bedroom. Her beautiful daughter was asleep sitting up on the bed, a book on her lap and little Chris sleeping beside her. Florence put her in a more comfortable position, kissed both her kids' heads and left the room.
She entered the twins' bedroom next, looking at the two double beds in the room, remembering when they were toddler beds; now her firstborns were teenagers, snoring on their big beds.
Nicholas on the bed on the right, arms and legs spread out on the mattress, his duvet on the floor. She picked it up and covered him, kissing his forehead. Then she went towards James' bed – he was completely covered, from head to toe, his arms around a pillow. She kissed his head and left the room.
As she was closing the door, she heard a sound on the stairs and her heart skipped a beat – someone was walking upstairs.
Florence raised her wand, slowly walking towards the sound, not sure who it could be. Was it her husband? Or was it her father letting her know he had killed Severus and had gone there to end the kids she'd had with him?
She hardly blinked as she approached the stairs. But then... she saw him! And for a moment she wondered if he could be a figment of her imagination.
When he reached the last step, she ran, whispering: "Severus." throwing herself at him, holding him tightly.
And he caught her, wrapping his arms around her and keeping her against his chest for a long time.
"Are you all right?" she finally asked, touching his face, kissing his lips, trying to convince herself he was truly there – alive!
He smiled at her, "Apparently I am the only one not being tortured tonight." He held her against his side and they walked together to their bedroom and closed the door.
Severus pulled her into his arms again and Florence sobbed on his chest for a few minutes and he just held her, feeling her soft body shaking against his, letting her presence wash over him and take away the fear of never seeing her again.
She moved her hands all over his chest, rubbing against him, needing to feel him.
"I need to shower, love." He whispered, pulling her chin up gently and kissing her lips.
She silently nodded, and he wiped the tears from her cheeks, kissing her once more before walking to the bathroom.
Florence followed him, wanting to keep him on sight, needing to reassure herself he was home; he was fine – at least for that night.
"What happened there, Severus?" she asked, looking at his left arm once he removed his shirt, where the Dark Mark was now completely visible, as dark as the day it had been given to him. "How was it?"
He inhaled and exhaled slowly, starting to remove his pants, before speaking: "It was a long and weird meeting. We were called to the Manor in Little Hangleton. And your father ordered us all into a large room to the right of the staircase." He walked under the shower spray, naked.
"The training room. That's how I used to call it." Florence said, glancing at the skull mask resting on top of his discarded clothes. "I've never seen this before." She whispered, picking it up and analysing it.
"I kept it at Hogwarts all these years. I didn't want to risk the kids accidently finding it."
She nodded and put it inside a drawer, hiding it, not wanting to be able to see it any more.
Severus continued, as he washed his body: "So we all sat around a long table and he asked each of us questions. To me he asked what I have been doing all these years and I told him that I've been where he had last ordered me to be: at Dumbledore's side in Hogwarts. And he was pleased with that. But what he really loved was the fact that I am now a member of the Order of The Phoenix – which I've already informed him Dumbledore has started recruiting for. So he's ecstatic that I'll be able to tell him all about their plans."
"And about us?" she asked, apprehensively.
He sighed, rinsing himself. "I requested a private audience with him to discuss family business."
"You said that?" she was surprised. "And?"
"He obviously understood I meant you. So he looked at me for a few seconds. And I think he was pondering if he'd let me live or not."
Florence tensed up again, looking at him in silence, fear filling up her eyes once more, as he finished rinsing his hair and turned off the water.
He dried his body with a fluffy white towel and resumed talking: "But, at last, he nodded and said he'll be calling me to discuss that as soon as he is done dealing with his unfaithful servants."
Florence walked towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist, letting his strong presence sooth her.
You're here. You're fine. You're alive. She thought repeatedly.
Yes, I am, love. He replied, no longer blocking her with occlumency.
But she asked in a fearful voice: "Do you think he might change his mind and…?"
"Kill me?" he finished for her. "No. Although he came back with one too many screws loose. He was crazy before, now he's completely deranged." Severus caressed her back, resting his chin on the top of her head. "But I'm useful to him, Flor, and he doesn't have that many followers now, he needs the few he still has." he paused, looking into her eyes. "But if something ever happens to me…"
"No!" Florence interrupted him by kissing his lips. "No! Don't say it. Don't even think about it. I've thought about that more than enough tonight." she kissed him again, both her hands on his face. "I've told you once, Sev: I don't know if I can live in this world if you're not in it."
"But the kids…"
"They'll survive. If my father kills you, I'll hunt him down. I'll do my best to end him, and I don't care if I die as long as I kill him too."
He hugged her tight, knowing there was nothing he could say that would dissuade her from that idea – he knew he'd do the same if their roles were reversed. So he ended up just saying: "Let's go to bed, love."
Back in their bedroom, Florence went to Sophie's crib to check her diaper and then she sat on their bed.
Severus put on a pair of dark blue sweatpants, kissed Sophie's forehead and lay down on the bed with his wife.
"What happened in Hogwarts after I left?" he asked. "Did you stay or come home?"
She had nearly forgotten about the clusterfuck that had ensued at the school right after he had answered the summoning.
"Oh, it was a shitshow." She said, shaking her head. "I went looking for Dumbledore but he wasn't in his office, then I found him at the DADA teacher's office where two aurors had Barty Crouch Jr. at wand-point."
"What?" He couldn't have heard it correctly. "You said: Barty Crouch Jr.?
"Yep. Moody wasn't Moody all along: he was Crouch Jr. He was the one stealing ingredients from your personal stores to brew Polyjuice."
"Holly fuck! He was the one who manipulated the Goblet of Fire. He turned the TriWizard Cup into a portkey!"
"Right on both accounts. And the worst part is that I think Dumbledore already knew about it." said Florence, clearly upset. "He knew it and allowed a crazy person to teach his students!"
"As if Dumbledore could be called sane." He added.
Florence chuckled, laying her head on his chest. "Right." she whispered, entwining her hand on his. "I had a talk with Harry too. It was sweet. He looked so disturbed, Sev, I had to help him." She kissed his lips softly. "Harry asked if we were a thing. And I said yes. I told him we played cupid for his parents. I tended to his wounds as we spoke... it was nice talking to him."
Severus didn't say anything, he knew how much Florence blamed herself for Harry's misfortunes and that she wished he had been raised within their family and not by the Dursleys.
"I also told the kids about my father." She whispered, rubbing her nose on his skin.
"Good. It's better that they know." He kissed her left hand, smiling as usual as he saw his family ring on her finger. "I love you, Flor." He said, kissing her lips.
"And I love you, Sev."
Then they both fell asleep, emotionally exhausted, but their soul unscathed, for they still had each other.
The next morning
Florence sat in the Great Hall on her customary spot beside her husband at the high table – but nothing felt the same anymore.
The usual loud and boisterous students, eager to go home to enjoy their summer vacation, were not as loud not as boisterous as they were supposed to be.
Actually they barely spoke at all.
Dumbledore stood up, beginning the expected end-of-the-term speech.
"The end," he said, looking at the students, "of another year." His eyes fell upon the Hufflepuff table – the saddest and palest faces in the Hall.
"There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight," continued Dumbledore, "but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here," he gestured toward the Hufflepuffs, "enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."
And the sound of the benches scrapping the stone floor filled the air as everyone in the Hall stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice, "Cedric Diggory."
Florence looked at the students, from the Hufflepuffs to Harry, passing by Miss Chang – Diggory's girlfriend – and resting on Draco at the Slytherin table; he seemed tense and nauseated.
Once everyone took a sip in Cedric's memory, the headmaster motioned for them to sit down again.
"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, and he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."
Harry raised his head and stared at Dumbledore, looking at Florence at the high table – who looked as surprised as he.
Florence frowned, asking her husband: Is he going to tell them?
Yes, I'm afraid so.
She shook her head, Fudge will have his head of he does it.
And they all heard the Headmaster's angry voice: "Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."
The students froze, staring at Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. But he looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence.
"The Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore continued, "does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so – either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."
Stunned and frightened, every face in the Hall was turned toward Dumbledore now. . . or almost every face. Florence noticed Draco was leaning towards Crabbe, listening to whatever he was saying, and the blond boy faked a smile.
Oh, Draco. She thought to herself. Each one of his friends would certainly bend the knee and receive her father's Mark sometime in the upcoming years. I just hope you're strong enough not to break under pressure.
"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death," Dumbledore went on. "Harry Potter managed to escape Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Voldemort, and for this, I honour him."
Dumbledore turned gravely to Harry and raised his goblet once more, saying his name before drinking to him. Most students stood up and did the same. But Florence's previous fearful thought was justified when many students at the Slytherin table remained defiantly in their seats, their goblets untouched.
Severus noticed her apprehension regarding his godson, so he said through their bond: If Draco had toasted to Harry, I'd have him sent to St. Mungus, Flor. Saviour or not, Harry and he are not friends. They hate each other.
She just nodded, hoping his hatred towards Harry was the only reason he hadn't toasted.
When everyone had once again resumed their seats, Dumbledore continued, "My biggest reason when I accepted to host the TriWizard Tournament's was to promote respect and understanding. In the light of what has happened – of Lord Voldemort's return – such ties are more important than ever before."
Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime and Hagrid, to Fleur Delacour and her fellow Beauxbatons students, to Viktor Krum and the Durmstrangs at the Slytherin table.
And Karkaroff? Florence asked her husband. Was he there yesterday?
No. He ran. But he won't get far. Unfaithful servants are your father's main targets at the moment.
"Despite our differences, we coexisted more than just peacefully this past year. Many of us made friends for life. And I say to you all, once again – in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust." Then his eyes fell on the Slytherin table. "It is my belief – and never have I so hoped that I am wrong – that we are all facing dark and difficult times ahead. Some of you in this Hall will suffer directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families will be threatened and destroyed.
"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, just because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."
Florence looked at Draco Malfoy again, and his blue eyes met hers – he no longer smirked as he had before when looking at Crabbe; he seemed worried. She hoped he remembered that she said she'd be there for him if he ever needed help.
Next, Florence looked at Fred Weasley; such a sweet young man, his face wet from the tears he hadn't been able to contain as the Headmaster spoke.
Then her eyes met Hermione's – the most obvious one to be targeted out of the three of them. Potter's best friend. Muggleborn.
Breathe, love. Severus said in Florence's mind, sensing her sadness and worry.
The hearts of three of her children were in that Hall, as was her own – she glanced at Severus.
And they were all in danger.
Note: a lot of Dumbledore's speech came from the 4th book.