Note1: this chapter is huuuge. Hope you enjoy it!
August 1996
Spinner's end
Severus got to his mother's house an hour before the time he had told Narcissa to arrive, for he had to hide all the pictures of the kids his mother had all over the place.
Once there were no more signs of them in the house, he made himself some tea and sat on an armchair to read the newspaper while he waited.
At around six-thirty, he heard someone knocking on the front door.
"Narcissa." he said, once he opened the door, frowning when he saw she wasn't alone. "Bellatrix." He said bitterly, not hiding his disgust at the sight of that woman.
"Half-blood." Bellatrix replied, clearly as happy to see him as he was to see her.
He opened the door wider, allowing the two women to walk in; then he closed the door and turned around to face them.
Narcissa sat in the armchair he'd been occupying earlier while Bellatrix walked around the room, looking at his books with contempt and touching some of his mother's knick-knacks.
"Put that down, Bella. We mustn't touch what isn't ours." he said in a bored tone, turning to look at her blond sister. "What brings you here, Narcissa?"
But the dark-haired woman put a little figurine back on the mantle hard and spoke, before her sister could: "Where were you when the Dark Lord fell?"
Severus didn't hesitate: "At Hogwarts – where he told me to be." Then he looked at the blond woman again: "Why are you here?"
"It's Draco." Murmured Narcissa. "He's just a boy." the tears already flooding her blue eyes.
"So," interrupted Bellatrix. "You stayed at the school, playing Dumbledore's lapdog, while most of us were locked up!"
"Yes, Bellatrix, I stayed," said Severus, betraying a hint of impatience. "I had a comfortable job that I preferred to a stint in Azkaban. They were rounding up the Death Eaters; they even made me help capture some – if you don't remember who got you and your husband locked up."
Bellatrix snarled at him. "I'll never forget: it was you and that little girl!"
Ignoring her anger, Severus continued: "Dumbledore's protection kept me out of jail; it was most convenient and I took advantage of it. The Dark Lord does not complain that I stayed, so I do not see why you do."
"Bella!" Narcissa spoke harshly. "You promised to keep quiet! You said you'd come just to guarantee my safety!"
But Bellatrix ignored her sister, her dark eyes fixed on Severus, murderously. "Why did you stop the Dark Lord from getting the Philosopher's Stone? Where were you when we battled to retrieve the prophecy? And why the fuck is Harry Potter still alive?" she finished in a deranged shout.
Severus could feel the beginning of a headache prickling his temples. Ignoring the crazy woman, he turned to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of firewhisky. "Can I get you anything, Narcissa?"
"Firewhisky. Neat." The blond woman replied.
He poured two glasses, giving her one, deliberately forgetting to offer Bellatrix anything – she could drop dead and parched for all he cared.
"Before I answer you, Bellatrix." He said, after sipping from his glass and siting down on the armchair opposite to Narcissa's. "Let me ask a question in turn: do you really think that the Dark Lord has not asked me each and every one of those questions? And do you really think that, had I not been able to give him satisfactory answers, I would be sitting here talking to you?"
Bella hesitated. "I know he believes you, but... how does Dumbledore? The old man can't be that senile to have never suspected you! You want me and the others to believe that he has no idea of your true allegiance? That he trusts you implicitly still?"
Severus smiled inwardly, keeping his tone as bored as if he was watching the kettle boil. "I have played my part well, Bella. And you overlook Dumbledore's greatest weakness: he always believes the best of people…."
Narcissa shouted angrily: "Enough of this, Bella!" then she looked at Severus. "I need your help! My son... my only son!" her voice faltered. "Draco is just a boy... he shouldn't have to kill anyone! And the headmaster of all people!"
And right then Severus remembered how, after Lucius was arrested, the Dark Lord had confided to him that he'd give an impossible task to the young Malfoy, to make an example out of him – his goal was to have Lucius leave Azkaban only to find his wife turned into a whore and his son dead.
Fuck, he thought. This only complicates things.
Then he spoke: "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to change the Dark Lord's mind. Lucius insisted the boy be Marked soon..."
"I never wanted that for him!" Narcissa suddenly shouted the admission, tears falling down her face.
Bellatrix hissed: "You should be honoured, Cissy, as should Draco!"
Severus frowned, looking at the blond woman crying on his mother's armchair, fearing the worst had already happened; so he waited for Narcissa to continue:
"He accepted taking the Mark to protect me." she whispered, confirming his suspicions. "I told him I didn't care about being... used." She gulped, clearly disgusted by that possibility.
"So he has already taken it?" Severus asked for verbal confirmation.
Narcissa nodded. "Yesterday, after I wrote to you, we were called. I wrote to you because I wanted to ask you to... to make the Lord give him more time; I'd make Draco see that he shouldn't be Marked. But then we were called to Little Hangleton..."
"You're sounding like a traitor, Cissy!" Growled Bellatrix.
Narcissa flinched, knowing it wasn't below her sister to tell the Lord about her lack of faith and reluctance in seeing her son receive the Dark Mark – even though Bella knew Narcissa would be punished for it.
"Maybe I shouldn't have come here." Narcissa shook her head. "The Dark Lord actually forbade me to speak of this."
"If he has forbidden it you ought not to speak." he paused before speaking again: "As it so happens, I was aware of what the Lord was going to order Draco to do."
"You knew?" interrupted Bellatrix, walking towards him. "The Dark Lord told you?" she narrowed her eyes at him. "What did you do to become his trusted confidant, half-blood? I'm fucking him and still have to learn things through others."
Severus smirked, knowing he couldn't tell her the truth but imagining her face if he could just blurt out: I'm fucking his daughter. Married her. Gave him grandkids.
As he couldn't, he just shrugged, finished his firewhisky and looked at Narcissa again. "The only thing I can do is help Draco – discreetly, of course."
Narcissa scoffed: "Draco will never be able to kill Dumbledore, Severus! Unless your idea of helping him is doing the actual job for him, he'll die!" she shouted, desperation in her voice. "My only son is going to die and there's nothing I can do! You have no idea! You cannot imagine how painful it is for me to be a witness of what is happening to my son!" She sobbed. "You don't know, Severus, you made kids on Delacour but you didn't raise them! You don't know what it's like to know your son will die!"
The sudden memory of an unresponsive James lying on the snowy ground by the pool filled his mind, and Severus forced himself to take a deep breath – he knew exactly what Narcissa was talking about, he knew that too well.
"I'm glad that you brought that up." He said, needing to know: "Did you know about Lucius' attempt to poison my firstborn?"
Narcissa looked at him in shock, and he could clearly see in her mind that she truly had no idea what he was talking about.
But one look at Bellatrix and he knew she had more than just an idea.
"Did you know, Bella?" he asked.
She smirked and giggled. "I was the one who gave him the drink." She admitted in a very excited whisper. "I Polyjuiced into a very nice little female and was actually hoping to have some fun with him before watching him die, but... he disapparated."
Severus stood up and walked to her, before he could stop himself; he wanted to just end her right then, watch her smug smile turn into a painful grimace as she bled out at his feet.
But he didn't do anything, he simply glared at the black-haired witch, adding that information to the extensive list of reasons to kill her.
Narcissa interrupted his thoughts of revenge: "Will you do it, Severus?" she got up too. "Will you finish Draco's task?"
He turned his eyes to the blond woman and nodded: "I can make sure things don't get out of hand in Hogwarts."
"You'll protect him?" Narcissa looked at him with hope in her eyes. "You'll watch over him for me?"
"Of course. Draco is my godson, it's my duty to look after him, as I've always done."
"Thank you, Severus!" Narcissa threw herself on him, hugging him.
"Swear to it." Bellatrix said abruptly. "Make the Unbreakable Vow."
Narcissa took a step back and looked from her sister to him.
Severus fell silent, quickly thinking of his choices: he knew what Draco had been ordered to do; if he agreed to the Vow, he'd end up having to kill Dumbledore himself. But he had to think about his family, and his role within the Order of the Phoenix. I can't do this. Florence will be furious.
"It's just empty words…" Bellatrix kept talking. "He'll give it his best effort, but when it matters most, he'll just slither back into the hole." she smiled sadistically. "Coward."
He regretted not having killed her a minute ago, as he said: "Take out your wand."
One hour later
The sisters had already left, but Severus was still in Spinner's End, sitting on the armchair, thinking of what he had done and what he would have to do.
He hadn't worried about the Dark Lord's plans to Draco before; he was certain he'd find a way and the boy wouldn't have to die for failing to kill Dumbledore. However, now, if the boy failed, he'd have to be the one to kill the Headmaster.
And if I don't do it, I'll die.
He could already see his wife's furious green eyes staring daggers at him – for they both knew Draco would fail; Florence had said it the day before: the boy had his heart in the right place.
Severus got up from the armchair and started pacing; he couldn't go straight home, he had to talk to Dumbledore first.
Florence will certainly hex me when I tell her what I had to do just now.
He walked to the fireplace, grabbed some Floo powder and went to Hogwarts.
Severus quickly walked from his quarters to the Headmaster's office, giving the gargoyle the password and going upstairs. However, he was completely taken by surprise by the scene that greeted him once he opened the door.
"Dumbledore!" he shouted, running to the Headmaster.
The old man was lying on the floor by his desk, semi-conscious, mumbling incoherently; a ring with a cracked black stone lay by his right hand – his black-burned right hand. The sword of Godric Gryffindor was also on the floor, only adding to the strangeness of that situation.
Severus lifted the headmaster from the floor and put him on the throne-like chair behind his desk, then he sent Florence a Patronus.
Dumbledore got himself seriously hurt. I need you here. Bring the Golden Potion to his office. Don't tell anyone.
In less than five minutes she had apparated into the Headmaster's office, moving towards the unconscious man.
"Where did you find him?" Florence asked, conjuring a gurney beside the desk and levitating the old man until he lay on his back on it.
"He was on the floor, murmuring things. I put him on the chair and he lost consciousness."
"You should have left him on the floor." She chastised him. "Never move a patient before the healer arrives."
"I'm not a healer, Florence, that's why I called you here!" he replied, exasperated.
But she was already ignoring him, running her wand over Dumbledore, checking vital signs and possible injuries.
She frowned, concerned. "There's a curse running through his body."
"Can you counteract it?"
She moved her wand over him again. "No. I don't think so. But I can contain it to the place where it first hit him: his hand." She took a deep breath, focusing on doing that. "I have the Golden Potion in my pocket; but he'll need a vial of Wiggenweld and one of the Draught of Peace."
Severus didn't argue, he flooed to the dungeons and got what she'd asked, returning in minutes.
Florence tipped the Golden Potion, the full Wiggenweld vial and half of the vial of Draught of Peace down Dumbledore's throat and they waited.
"Is he dead?" Severus asked, concerned.
"No." She sighed heavily.
"I can sense a 'but'."
Before she could reply, Dumbledore gasped loudly, sitting up on the gurney and looking around the room, alarmed for a moment, until he saw the couple beside him and smiled, "Severus, Florence."
"You finally did something that almost got yourself killed, Albus!" Said Severus, angrily.
"I was seduced by hope, my son." He whispered weakly. "That, on the floor," he pointed at the ring with the cracked black stone. "That's the Resurrection Stone."
Florence took it from the floor, recognizing the Peverell coat of arms engraved in the stone. She performed a spell to identify it and frowned, whispering: "This is Nuummite."
"Meaning?" asked Severus, irritated.
"This is the oldest mineral ever to be identified by humans." She explained. "Its estimated age is around three billion years. Ancient muggle societies believed the Nuummite stone could be used to bridge the gap between physical and spiritual worlds."
He looked at her in clear disbelief: "So you're saying you believe that thing is the actual Resurrection Stone? From the tale?"
Florence ignored her skeptical husband and asked Dumbledore: "Did you try to use it?"
He nodded in reply.
"And did it work?" asked Severus with his arms crossed.
Dumbledore nodded again slowly. "In a way."
"Why did you break it then? And with Gryffindor's sword of all things." Florence asked, looking at the ring again.
"To try and stop the curse." He pointed to the ring. "Also, that was another Horcrux..."
"Another one?" whispered Florence, "How many of these do you think my father still has?"
Dumbledore shook his head, "I believe he made seven in total. But I don't know for sure, my dear. However, I think your father confided that information to a certain professor he trusted."
"Slughorn." Said Severus.
"Yes. So I'll use Harry to bring him back this year and try to acquire that information." They fell into silence, until he asked, looking at his burned hand. "How long do I have, dear?"
Florence shook her head, "I couldn't stop the curse, I only contained it to your hand. It will continue to spread..." she babbled, not knowing how to tell him the truth.
"How long, Mrs. Snape?" Dumbledore insisted.
"About a year. No longer than fifteen months." She finally said. "There is no halting such a spell forever. It will spread, eventually, it is the sort of curse that strengthens over time."
And again the silence reigned in the room.
Dumbledore smiled; the news that he had less than two years to live seemed a matter of little or no concern to him.
"I am fortunate," he said. "Extremely fortunate, that I have you two, Severus and Florence. Thank you for the time you've bought me, my dear. We must plan now." He looked at Severus. "I didn't call you here, my son, so I can only assume you came here to tell me about your conversation with Narcissa Malfoy."
"Yes, but..." Severus hesitated, looking at Florence.
"Oh, I see." Nodded Dumbledore. "You haven't talked to your wife yet. If you'd like to leave and talk before we discuss our future plans, feel free."
"No." He shook his head. "She'll be angry no matter how I tell her."
"She is right here and already pissed at both of you." Said Florence, knowing she wasn't going to like what she was about to hear. "Now just explain to me exactly why am I angry, Severus?"
He sighed, knowing she was about to be even angrier.
"A while ago," he began. "After James' poisoning – which Bellatrix had something to do with, by the way." He remembered to tell her. "Your father mentioned his wish to destroy the Malfoys. Now, he's started to put his plan into action: Draco knows what he must do to prove he's deserving of the Dark Mark that has already been given him."
Florence gasped: "Wait. Draco has been Marked already?" she thought of Elizabeth.
"I'm afraid so." Severus nodded.
"And what is it that the boy must do to prove he's worthy of being my father's stupid pawn?" Florence asked angrily.
"He has one year to kill Dumbledore."
She looked from her husband to the headmaster and frowned. "That's preposterous! Draco is a child! He'll never be able to kill him!" she pointed at Dumbledore.
"And that's exactly the point." Said Severus. "The boy will fail and be killed for it. The Malfoys will be turned into an example: if you're working for the Dark Lord you'd better do it well and not get caught, otherwise he'll destroy you and your family."
Florence frowned, using occlumency to block her thoughts since she couldn't stop thinking of Elizabeth. If Draco died, her daughter would never be the same again – and would never forgive her from having kept her away from the boy during all that time.
"The thing is," Severus continued, looking at Florence, "Since the Dark Lord found out about us, he's been favouring me. However, he hasn't yet removed the curse forbidding others to talk about you as being his daughter, so he has everyone wondering why I'm suddenly his bestie. I am hardly ever called to the day-to-day meetings, instead your father calls me for lunch, dinner or a drink to keep me up to date with what the Death Eaters are doing, and to get information from me about what Dumbledore and the Order are planning."
"Why are you telling me this?" she could sense he was trying to justify something.
"Because of that... due to those festering feelings of jealousy and anger... I was forced by Bellatrix to make an Unbreakable Vow earlier this evening. If Draco fails to kill Dumbledore, I must be the one to do it."
Florence stared at him, her blood boiling in her veins, "You did what?" she asked dangerously low, her eyes turning the light-green shade that indicated her veela was close to the surface and furious – just like he had foreseen it.
"Oh…" Dumbledore interjected, as if there wasn't an angry woman about to chew her husband's head off right in front of him. "That's very convenient."
Florence turned her angry gaze to the headmaster. "Convenient? Severus will have to kill you and you say it's convenient?"
"Well, we can't allow Draco Malfoy to kill me, his soul is still untouched by death, and it must remain that way." Dumbledore paused and smiled after a moment. "It's perfect!" he shouted. "Draco will fail and you'll kill me, thus solidifying your position as Voldemort's favourite!"
"What? I don't want to kill you!" exclaimed Severus.
"Ooh, but you will." Said Florence, getting into her husband's personal space. "I'll kill you myself if you don't! We didn't come this far for you to die protecting a man who's already at death's door!"
"She's right, Severus." Added Dumbledore.
"What about the Order?" asked Severus. "If I kill you, they'll be left in the dark about the Dark Lord's plans."
"No. That's where Florence comes in."
"Keep me out of your crazy plans, Dumbledore!" she shouted. "I'm already father's future Minister of Magic!"
"I know. But Tom will love to have his daughter back sooner. Neither or you have a choice. Severus made the Unbreakable Vow, he'll have to kill me or he'll die. You said it yourself, Florence: he must kill me." He looked at the man in front of him. "I was hoping to give you a very calm year just brewing potions for Pomfrey and handling the Slytherin House, since Slughorn will teach potions. But considering that killing me will get you sacked, you can have the DADA teaching position this term, Severus, like you've always wanted. So it's all perfect!"
"No!" Florence suddenly said, realizing something, looking up at her husband's face. "You know what is going to happen, don't you? You kill him and the Order will hunt you, they'll want your head. You'll be a traitor! They'll come after me – I won't be able to be a spy for the Order! We let a lot of people be sure about us this past year..."
Dumbledore sensed she was getting cold feet, he could almost hear her brilliant mind trying to come up with a different solution.
"I'm dying already, Florence." He spoke. "Your father's trust in your husband will be unwavering if Severus kills me. And the Order... they will receive you with open arms after you cry to them about how wrong Severus treated you. After all, he hasn't even registered the twins."
She shook her head and looked at Severus again. "The kids are already prisoners in their own home, and for now only you have been directly involved, Severus. If I become involved too, where will we hide them?"
"I've thought about it before coming here, Flor." He touched her face, trying to placate her. "Inside Hogwarts' grounds there's a safe-house, where Sirius Black was supposed to hide. Nothing as big or as comfortable as our home, but the kids and my mother can stay there. We can keep living in Hogsmeade and working here in the castle as if nothing's changed."
She shook her head, "Sophie is just a little older than one, I don't want to stay away from her! And what if something happens to us?"
"That's always been a possibility, love." He spoke softly.
She shook her head again, not wanting to agree to that plan. "What about the twins? You told my father about them."
"They will stay in Hogsmeade with us."
Florence looked at him, anger and fear burning bright in her eyes. "This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. All those years ago, when I told you not to join them – this is exactly what I didn't want!"
"I know, love." He dejectedly replied. "And I'm sorry."
"You can shove it, Severus." And she disapparated.
Dumbledore watched the man in front of him, "I'm sorry if I caused you problems with your wife, my son."
Severus looked at the flames in the fireplace for a while, "No, this is all my fault. Years ago she repeatedly asked me not to join the Death Eaters, but I was blind by greed and power and didn't listen to her." He sighed. "This is all my own doing."
And he went home by Floo.
Snapes' family home
As he walked out of the fireplace, Severus was greeted by the two very familiar faces of his sons' – which were as angry as their mother's.
"Good evening." He said, knowing he was about to be lectured by the twins.
"Is it, dad?" asked James, crossing his arms on his chest and staring at his father angrily. "Is it a good evening?"
"Why was mom so furious, if that's so?" asked Nicholas.
Severus didn't reply to either question. "Where is she?"
"She left." James said, catching Severus' attention, who looked at his son waiting for him to continue. "She walked in, sat in the library for a moment, cast some spell, looked pleased with herself and then she left."
"The smile on her face with whatever spell she cast was downright terrifying, dad." Nicholas paused and the added: "Also, she used parseltongue to cast it."
Severus slowly nodded. "Did she touch her left forearm as she...?"
"Yes." They answered in unison.
There was an uncomfortable and heavy moment of silence, which was broken by James's concerned voice: "Is mom Marked now, like you?"
Severus shook his head, "She doesn't have to be. She has the Mark of the Lord in her blood – she's his daughter." He walked to the liquor cabinet and poured himself his favourite mead. Then he sat on the sofa, looking at the empty fireplace.
"You don't look worried, dad." observed Nicholas. "Do you know where she is?"
"Yes." Severus nodded. "I have a pretty good idea. And I can't follow her there without having a good reason." He sighed, sipping his mead. "So we wait."
Little Hangleton
Bellatrix Lestrange walked into the beautiful manor with a spring in her step; her Dark Mark had burned a few minutes ago, so she had quickly showered, dressed up and run to attend her Lord's call.
She walked into the large meeting room to the right of the stairs, closing the door behind herself and giggling as she approached the armchair by the fireplace.
"You have summoned me, my Lord and Master." She said in an attempt to sound sexy.
"Actually, I have." The armchair turned around and a familiar woman stood up.
Bellatrix frowned, slowly recognizing who she was.
"Florence? Florence Peverell?" Bellatrix snarled: "What are you doing here?"
"I am the one who summoned you, Bella." Florence spoke softly, the sound so similar to her father's voice that the deranged woman in front of her suddenly shivered, the snarl slowly disappearing from her face, giving place to confusion.
"H-how? Why?" stuttered Bellatrix.
"Oh, how I did it is none of your business." Florence smirked. "Now, why I did it? It's very simple: you did something, Bella, something that puts my family in danger; your stupidity is gonna force me into doing things I didn't want to do." she walked right to the other woman's face, "Also, I know you had a hand in my son's poisoning." She added, her voice low and dripping with hate. "So here I am, Bella. Because I'm furious, I'm outraged. And I need to make the guilty party pay. And that's you."
Then Florence grabbed Bella's left forearm and looked at the Dark Mark, touching it for the first time, wondering for a second if she would be able to do what she wanted without her wand; so she tried: pressing the tip of two fingers onto it, channelling all of her anger, fear and resentment into fuelling her desire to watch the other woman suffer.
Bellatrix screeched in pain and surprise, falling onto her knees, trying to pull her arm away from the woman's grasp; but Florence didn't let go of her arm, pressing harder on the tattoo until it quivered, the black ink turning dark red.
Bellatrix's screams filled Florence with a strange feeling: pure raw power – and the desire to hurt her even further arose: a need to kill the other woman, to watch her bleed. That was when Florence forced herself to stop – she knew giving into those desires would be to allow herself to be seduced by the darkness she'd always feared she carried in her blood.
So she finally let go of Bellatrix's arm, and the death eater fell onto the stone floor, curling around her own left arm and staring up at Florence in sheer confusion and paralyzing fear in her dark soulless eyes.
In that moment, the door was opened and a tall man walked in. "Florence?"
"Hello, father."
Bellatrix froze, looking from Florence to the Dark Lord, completely terrified.
Voldemort moved towards Florence, opening his arms in an welcoming gesture and she stared at him for a moment, before conceding and accepting his embrace.
"It's really good to see you, my dear. You're as beautiful as your mother." He said, caressing her face. "Care to explain to me what I see here?"
"Bellatrix is working behind your back to protect her nephew, father."
"Young Malfoy?" Voldemort said with a frown, staring at the woman on the floor, clearly displeased.
"And," continued Florence. "She had a role in James's poisoning too."
"What? Is that true, Bellatrix? You helped Lucius Malfoy attempt to murder my oldest grandson?"
The female death eater whimpered and shook her head, while still holding her arm. "I-I didn't know, my Lord."
Florence continued: "She forced Severus to make an Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco, and now he'll have to be the one that kills Dumbledore. And the Order of the Phoenix will hunt him down! And me!"
Voldemort touched Florence's face again, in a weird display of affection. "Don't worry, my daughter. She'll be properly punished."
Florence nodded once, showing she was pleased, "Also, I'm here to tell you that I'll try to take over Severus's role within the Order, once Dumbledore is out of the picture."
Voldemort's ophidian face morphed into what seemed to be a satisfied smile. "As I once said: you'll always have a place by my side, my daughter."
"Thank you, father." She bowed her head in deference, leaving the room without another word.
Snapes' family home
Two hours had gone by and Florence had yet to get home.
The twins watched as their father still sat in the armchair in the living room, not having moved since he had arrived.
What do you think is happening, James? Nicholas asked.
No idea, man. But it can't be good. Mom's not here and dad's concerned. Not good at all.
All of a sudden, a letter arrived through the Floo Network, falling at Severus's feet, so he leaned forward and picked it up.
My loyal servant
I'm as glad as I'm impressed with my daughter's change of heart – for that, I have you to thank.
Let her know Bellatrix has been dealt with accordingly.
Severus frowned, wondering what that was about.
"What's that, dad?" asked Nick. "Is mom ok?"
James looked at his father as apprehensive as his twin.
"She's fine." Severus replied, throwing the letter into the unlit fireplace and casting Incendio.
Where are you, Florence? He sent her through their bond.
For a moment he thought it hadn't worked, he thought she was blocking him. But then his mind was filled by images of the Astronomy Tower.
So Severus walked into the fireplace and called for his quarters in Hogwarts.
Astronomy Tower
Florence closed her eyes as the nice breeze ran through the tower, making the warm night more bearable. She sat on the floor by one of the large openings around the Tower and sighed, sadness taking over her heart as nausea threatened to flare up again, even though she had nothing else to throw up.
She heard footsteps on the spiral staircase and smiled, recognizing those steps, and waiting for her husband to appear.
"It's a beautiful night, isn't it, Severus?" she softly spoke.
He waited for her to say something else, but when she didn't, he asked: "Why are you here, Flor? Why didn't you go home?"
"I just needed to be alone." she sighed. "But then I was alone and realized I'd rather be with you and the kids and tried to apparate home... and then I vomited, so I decided against apparating again." She gave him a small smile. "Didn't want to end up splinched in our backyard."
He walked close to her, sitting by her side and waiting, not sure how angry she still was with him.
Florence scooted closer to him, until she was sitting between his legs, her back to his chest, taking his larger hands and entwining them with her more delicate ones over her stomach, in silence.
"What happened tonight, love? Where did you go?" he asked, kissing her shoulder and smelling her sweet-vanilla scent.
"I took a gamble and it paid off." She whispered, her voice low. "Now, as that muggle detective says: the game is afoot. I'm in on the plan, Severus. I'll try to be your informant inside the Order; I'll help you do whatever necessary to kill Dumbledore within the next twelve months." She looked up at him, tears falling down her face, as she voiced her biggest fear: "I don't want you to die."
Severus held her firmly against his chest, "I'm just glad you're not chewing my head off..."
She chuckled, closing her eyes, feeling safe as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, then she continued:
"I saw a part of myself today that I never wanted to see." She paused, looking at their hands entwined. "I tortured Bellatrix today, Severus. Not only that: I summoned her."
"You have tortured her before, love."
"Yes. With the Cruciatus curse, not with my own hands and nothing but my pure desire to cause her pain."
He hesitated, feeling her pain but also the memory of the excitement that had filled her as she tortured the woman – that was a side of Florence he had never seen before either.
"You said you summoned her, Flor. How?"
"I cast a temporary Mark on my arm and focused on Bellatrix, on ordering her to go to Little Hangleton. Then I went there. And waited. And it worked." She finished in a whisper. "Then I hurt her, and I... I wanted to kill her. I wanted to watch her bleed."
"That was when your father appeared?"
"Yes. I talked to him and then I came here." She paused, adding in a whisper: "I vomited my guts out once I got here." She scoffed: "How not very Princess of Darkness of me."
Severus grimaced. "You're not that, love."
"Oh, but I am, Sev. I am." She turned on her side to look at him with tears in her eyes. "I liked torturing Bella with my own hands." She admitted in a whisper.
He touched her face, wiping her tears. "Anyone would enjoy torturing Bellatrix, my love. I'm sorry I wasn't there to witness it myself."
Florence shook her head slowly and he could sense that she feared that being close to her father would change her, make her more like the Dark Lady she once joked the wizarding world needed.
"Flor, look at me." Severus held her face in his hands. "You're not your father. You're nothing like him!"
"I can summon his Death Eaters, Severus. I can torture them with the touch of my fingers. I'm more like him than even I knew!"
The sudden popping sound of two people apparating into the Tower interrupted them.
"There you are!" said Nicholas, smiling at his parents.
"What's happening?" Asked James. "Why are you crying, mom?"
She didn't answer, so Severus said: "She's worried the war might turn her into her father."
"WHAT?" they asked in unison.
"You're not evil, mom." Said Nicholas, shaking his head at that absurd notion.
"We're dead scared of you – but you're not evil." Agreed James, walking towards her and their father and sitting beside her, Nicholas did the same, sitting on her other side.
Each boy held one of her hands.
And James spoke again: "You had us when you were really young, mom. You faced the challenge of raising us both by yourself in wartimes. And you did it with so much love." He lay a kiss on her hand.
"I had a lot of help, baby..." Florence said.
"Don't sell yourself short, mom!" Nicholas admonished her. "In the middle of the night, when we would wake up, who looked after us?"
"I did." She whispered.
"Who would spend an entire day working at St. Mungus but still played with us, gave us baths, stayed with us until we fell asleep at night?" asked Nicholas
"I did." She whispered again.
"Even when you had an important test in the morning, if we were sick, who stayed up all night looking after us, mom?" it was James's turn.
"Me..." she whispered, crying.
"Who graduated top of her class, even though she spent many nights awake with two rambunctious boys?" Nick asked, with a sweet smile.
Florence just nodded, too many emotions tightening her throat and making it hard for her to talk.
"Did your father ever do any of those things to you?" Nicholas asked.
She shook her head. "My mom did. And then Tiffany."
"So how can you possibly compare yourself to him?" James finished.
Florence sobbed, throwing her arms around her sons' necks. "I love you, my babies."
"We love you, mom." They said in unison, something she always found cute when they did.
"Awwn." She said, kissing their cheeks. "You're everything to me." She turned to look at her husband who also had tears on his face, "I love you, Sev. Sometimes I want to strangle you. But I love you."
He smiled and kissed her lips.
"Aaand here comes another traumatizing moment." Said James, quickly covering his eyes.
Florence and Severus laughed at their son, while Nicholas just shook his head at his brother's antics.
Suddenly Florence seemed to realize: "Wait. You two apparated here?"
"Yep." They replied.
"We used a tracking spell on you." Explained Nicholas.
"You used blood magic to track us." She translated, looking at them reproachfully.
"Hey, we learned that at the school you sent us to." James shrugged.
Florence rolled her eyes at his finger-pointing.
"I'm honestly upset that I've never tried apparating here before. I could have visited Freddie at night..." said Nicholas with a smirk.
Florence shook her head, chuckling: "I can only imagine McGonagall's face if she caught you on the Wesley's bed." she paused, sighing with her head on her husband's chest. "I don't think I can apparate again tonight. You boys go home and your dad and I will stay here a little longer."
"And I sense another traumatizing moment coming." grimaced James.
"We have a lot of good memories in this Tower, don't we, Sev?" Said Florence, just to annoy her kids.
"Yes, love. I'm surprised none of the kids were conceived here." He replied.
And the twins disapparated.
Severus and Florence didn't go home that night, they went to his quarters in the dungeons; where he drew her a bath and let her relax in the bathtub, while he went to the fireplace and ordered dinner for two from the kitchens. Then he showered and helped her out of the tub.
Florence dried her body and put on one of his white sleeveless undershirts, which looked like a short dress on her smaller frame. Her wavy hair was messy, but she looked relaxed and happy when she sat in front of him at the table.
Severus looked at her with renewed admiration.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Florence asked as they ate their dinner at his small dining table.
"I'm ashamed to admit that I've never thought how hard it was for you to raise the boys. You could've let Tiffany or my mother look after them while you studied to become a Mediwitch, but you didn't. You looked after them yourself and still managed to be top of your class."
"Eileen and Tiff did help me, Sev. A lot. But... yeah, it was fucking hard." She had tears in her eyes. "I remember thinking about giving up many times. And that was when I'd run crying to your mother's and she'd always calm me down. Or I'd spend a day at the hospital wing with Pomfrey and she'd help me see that I really wanted to be a healer."
He grimaced, "I'm sorry, my love... I should've been with you..."
"Yes, you should have." She didn't sugar-coat his guilt. "But you're lucky I love you."
"Yes, that I am." He leaned over the small table and kissed her. "Are you really feeling better about all that you'll have to do in the future?"
Florence sighed, "Yes. The twins helped me remember that I am certainly not my father. I may look like him – well, what he used to look like – and I even have some reactions like him... But my heart is with my family."
"I've never doubted that." Severus smirked, and she knew he was about to say something dirty: "Well, at least now we know you can summon me to you whenever you need me." He winked.
"What?" She frowned, "I'm not doing that!"
Severus quickly got up from his chair, "I'd run to you if you did." he circled the table in two steps. "And I'd kneel in front of you." He knelt.
"Mm... I do like it when you kneel." She whispered over his lips, before kissing him and they shared a long sweet kiss.
He whispered: "I'll make love to you tonight, wife."
"Oh, no." She grimaced. "Very slow and lovingly?"
"Very very lovingly." He repeated, nodding.
"Oh, the agony!" Florence threw her head back dramatically.
He chuckled and stood up, picking her up, bridal style, and carrying her to bed, where he put her in the middle of the mattress and stood up by the foot of the bed, taking his shirt off.
"So I'm getting a show?" Florence asked, eyeing his hard abs and large shoulders. "If your students knew how sexy you look without those many layers of fabric and rows of buttons, I'd have to spend some more time in the Potions classroom scaring them away from you."
Severus smirked, lowering his hands to the waistband of his pants, pulling them down and off and kneeling onto the bed.
"Hey, you forgot one piece of clothing." She said, pointing to his underwear.
"Nope. I said I'll make love to you. If I get naked, then you'll attack me and I'll have to fuck you."
Florence pouted, lying down onto her back.
Then he began touching her legs, massaging her calves, her feet, kneading her foreleg muscles.
"You'll make me relax enough to sleep if you keep that up." Florence whispered.
"You can sleep if you feel like it, my love. I just want to make you feel good tonight." He said, his firm hands getting to her thighs, where he stroked hard where she needed hard and caressed softly where she loved to be softly caressed.
Then he kissed her inner thighs, getting very close to her entrance.
"Are you still sleepy, Flor?" he asked quietly.
"No, but I'm on my way to needing some Skele-Gro, cause you've turned my bones into jelly. I'm loving this." She sighed as his hands bunched up the white shirt of his that covered her body. "I'm not wearing any bra, Sev."
He groaned, "I'll have to be strong and resist temptation."
"Not even one tiny little bite?'
He smirked and shook his head, pulling the shirt off of her, exposing her full breasts for him.
"I guess I can love on them slowly and tenderly." He whispered, lowering his mouth to her left nipple, licking it slowly.
"No no no." She grimaced. "Bite me, Sev, please. This is torture of the worst kind!"
He could sense through their bond that she really didn't like the soft licks on her breasts, so he conceded: "Fine. I'll give you what you want: it'll be hard, but not fast."
Then he filled his mouth with the tip of her breast and sucked hard, holding her nipple between his teeth. And she moaned loudly. He gave the same attention to her right breast.
Then he kneeled between her legs and trailed kisses from her hard nipples up to her mouth. His slow drugging kisses distracting her from his hands pulling her knickers and his own underwear down their legs. Next he was rubbing the head of his cock at her entrance and entering her at an unrushed pace; moving in and out slowly.
She tried to wrap her legs around his waist but he stopped her.
"Just lie down, relax and let me love on you, Florence."
"I want you pounding into me." She demanded, not wanting to admit that his slow love-making was giving her as much pleasure as any hard pounding he had ever given her before.
"I can feel your pleasure, my love." Severus whispered over her lips, grinding his hips against her at every in stroke, impaling her to the hilt, stimulating her clit and her g-spot.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, caressing his strong back, moving one leg up to rub against his side, the shift on her hips making his dick move deep into her.
"Oh, fuck, yes!" Florence moaned, moving her other leg as well and he went even deeper, always grinding, never failing to hit her g-spot. She arched on the bed, her climax was building ever so slowly, maddeningly delicious.
She touched his lower back, going down to his hips, grabbing his butt, the difference in their bodies only making her hotter. That strong, sexy, hard male body was fucking her smaller softer female one, his deliciously thick cock stretching her tight pussy, filling her up to the limit, making her lose her mind to his love-making.
He felt her pussy closing around his dick, wrapping around him tightly, but he kept his thrusts deep and slow, followed by the grinding. Florence moaned incoherently, her orgasm so close but she just didn't seem to reach it.
He smirked, knowing exactly what she needed. He moved his hips away from hers, leaving only the tip of his hard cock against her entrance, then he plunged inside, balls deep, making her scream. He did it once, twice and by the third hard thrust he had her climaxing under him – but he didn't stop. Two more deep thrusts and he was shooting his cum into her clenching pussy.
He kissed her lips lovingly, then rubbed his nose down her neck.
"Are we done with all these loving and taking-it-slow thing?" she asked, panting. "So now fuck me!"
"You are ruining my romantic plans, Florence." Severus said, although he had a hard time keeping a straight face. He bit her right nipple, sucking hard, just like she loved it.
"Fuck, yes... give in to your obsession with my tits, suck them, bite... oooh!" he pulled them together and tortured both nipples at the same time.
Florence arched under him, his dick still deep inside of her, but he wasn't moving. She circled her hips, needing that friction as he kept on worshipping her breasts.
"Look at these... So red and sensitive from all my sucking." He groaned, sucking on her nipples again.
Her pussy quivered around his cock. "You're gonna cum for me again, princess?"
"Oh, yes! Get your dick deeper, bite my nipples! Oh, please!" She moved her hips faster and he started to grind his hips against her, his mouth working her nipples mercilessly.
"Fuck, yes, cum on my dick, princess!" he ordered, and her pussy clamped on his hard cock.
She screamed in pleasure and then he moved, slamming hard into her, making her orgasm never ending.
She was whimpering, the pleasure so strong she had no more energy to do anything but to accept his hard thrusts and keep cumming under his hard body.
Then he filled her with thick ropes of cum again, spurting inside of her still clenching pussy.
"Ooh, fuck." he groaned. "I love you, Flor."
"I love you, Sev." She replied, breathlessly.
He rolled them onto their sides, and they fell asleep like that, their bodies satiated, entwined, covered in sweat; and their hearts full of love for each other.
Florence returned home the next day after lunch, looking for Elizabeth as soon as she walked in.
"Little Mistress Liz hasn't left her room all day, Mistress Florence." Said Melody.
"Thanks, Mel."
Florence worried, going upstairs and knocking on the Elizabeth's door. "It's me, Liz, I'm going in." She opened the door and entered.
"Aqua eructo!" Elizabeth cast.
But Florence was too fast for her, sending the large spurt of water right back at Liz who shrieked and jumped out of her, now, soaked bed.
"What the fuck?" Elizabeth shouted. "Why did you do that? Now my bed's all wet!"
Florence walked in and closed the door, casting a silencing spell before speaking:
"You can be mad at me all you want." Her voice very low and dangerous. "But if you try to hex me again, you'll lose your wand."
Elizabeth hid her apprehension and dried herself and her bed magically, staring daggers at her mother.
"I came here to talk to you about Draco." Florence said.
That had Liz's attention.
"I believe you've talked to him since his father was arrested."
"Yes." Liz confirmed. "He is very relieved that he doesn't have to fear his father hurting his mother while he's at Hogwarts this year."
"Well, he may be relieved, but Draco is now the son of a convicted death eater. Lucius being caught is an enormous shame to their family name. And..." she observed her daughter's face. "Has he mentioned to you any new developments?"
Liz frowned. "No. Only that he and his mother are happy. Why?"
Florence took a deep breath, "You're going to learn soon enough: Draco's been Marked."
Elizabeth just looked at her for a moment, silently shaking her head.
"No. No that's not true. It can't be true. He said he didn't want to..."
"During wartimes what one wants or doesn't want has very little weight when it comes to what one must do." Florence said somberly. "Your father learned about Draco's marking yesterday. It happened two days ago." Florence paused, looking at her daughter's despair-filled face – a pain she knew very well herself. "I feared this would happen..."
Then Liz turned her back to her and got a pen and paper to write Draco a letter.
Florence just stared at her for a while, her heart clenching for her daughter, wishing she could just hold her and comfort her – but Elizabeth didn't want her.
So Florence left the room.
After dinner that night
Florence was in the living room, just listening to her husband and James talking in the library. Severus had begun teaching their firstborn the art of Potion making, something James had told them he wished to pursue as a career in the future.
Just like she had begun teaching Nicholas about Charms and spell making in the afternoons.
She was lying on the sofa, just listening to Severus's voice as he explained to James about how adverse factors like temperature and humidity affected certain ingredients and how he had to have a very thorough knowledge of each ingredients in a concoction to be able to alter and balance it to reach a perfect end result.
She sighed, If you were my teacher I'd never be able to learn anything, I'd just spend the whole time fantasizing about you.
In the library, Severus chuckled and she heard James shouting: "No flirting! I'm trying to learn something here! And I already know you two are perverts!"
Florence laughed and closed her eyes, just listening to Severus as he resumed talking about ingredients and what could affect them.
"Mistress Florence?" she suddenly heard an elf calling her.
"Yes, Mel?" she whispered, not opening her eyes.
"Mistress Liz is calling for Mistress Florence."
She quickly got up and blocked her mind from her husband's, walking upstairs, knocking on her daughter's door.
"Liz?" Florence whispered, walking in. And then she saw her sitting on the middle of her bed, crying, a letter clutched in her hand. "Muffliato." Florence whispered, locking the door.
Liz let out a sob: "You were right, mom. He was marked – he's a Death Eater now."
Florence walked to her and sat on the bed, once more stopping herself from hugging and comforting her daughter.
But suddenly Elizabeth kneeled on the bed and threw herself in her mother's arms. "I'm sorry for acting out with you, mom."
Florence exhaled in relief and wrapped her arms around her daughter, letting her cry against her chest.
"I know exactly how you're feeling, baby girl. And I didn't want you to suffer like I did..."
"It hurts so much..." She sobbed.
"I know, baby. I know." she just held her tightly.
Elizabeth whispered: "I broke up with him. I even... sent the ring back to him."
Florence looked at her daughter's hand and sighed at the little mark on her finger where the ring used to be – like a painful reminder of what she was destined to have but life's ups and downs had taken from her.
"Did he tell you why he took the Mark?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "No. His last letter was... hurtful and... awful." She was crying again.
"Oh, my baby-girl." Florence whispered as she hugged her daughter; she had hoped it wouldn't come to that; she had hoped Draco wouldn't follow on his father's steps.
But he had, and now Florence had a heartbroken daughter to comfort – but there was nothing she could do to make it better. So she just held her and let the girl cry into exhaustion.
Nearly an hour later, Elizabeth finally fell asleep and Florence lay her more comfortably on the bed. But a crumpled up piece of parchment on the floor by the nightstand called her attention – it was Draco's final letter.
Elizabeth
If that's how strongly you object of the thought of being with a death eater, you should think of ditching your father.
Your mother doesn't know the man he truly is. He's loyal to the point of being the Lord's most trusted advisor nowadays – although no one knows why.
My aunt told me to be wary of him, for he'll certainly not like the fact that I'm his equal now, and I'll work to restore my family's pride.
Don't worry, I'll never reveal the truth about you to anyone – not even to my own mother. I don't hate you that much.
Thanks for returning my ring – I can now give it to someone who will stay by my side no matter what.
Draco.
Florence sighed heavily. Draco's letter was clear: he was hurt – but worse: he was lost. He was just another lost boy on an impossible mission.
And that made him dangerous.
Note2: a lot of inspiration and sentences from 6th book and movie. Whatever you recognize as being from those medias is not mine. And the information about Nummites is real – however, it's not canon that the resurrection stone was made of it.