Chapter Five
In Which Snape's Voice Of Reason Strikes Back And Piper Gets Hysterical
"That was…uh…wow, Sev!" Piper gasped. Snape grinned as he rolled off her with a sigh of contentment. For long moments, the only sounds to be heard was their heavy breathing and Piper's quiet, sated laughter. The once familiar giggles tugged at the corner of his lips and he smiled for what felt like the hundredth time that night. All too soon though, the annoying little voice in his head spoke up and he felt reality intruding, as unwelcome as the bloody Dark Lord himself. He rolled onto his side, propping his head on his hand. "Pip, there's a lot I haven't told you. The last thing you remember is Tom Riddle sealing you into the bottle in 1974, yes?" Piper, still coming off her passion high, turned her head and looked at him, frowning. "Yes, but Sevvy I…" Snape hushed her with his finger on her lips. "Let me finish, Pip. This is going to be hard enough without you interrupting." He paused, wondering how to begin. "See, before, when you said I looked old? That's because I am. That's how I really look now, Pip, its 1994 now. You've been in that bottle for 20 years." Piper blinked, watching his face for any sign of emotion. A small puff of air rushed from her lips as she tried to absorb the information. "You're kidding right? Not even Riddle's that vindictive, is he?" Her beautiful eyes pleaded him to agree with her. Snape smiled sadly. "No, Pip. After you disappeared, Riddle started calling himself Lord Voldemort and he built an army of followers. Witches, wizards, were wolves, you name it. He killed a lot of innocent people. I joined his ranks because I wanted to belong, although in hindsight, that wasn't the smartest thing to do. It didn't take me long to figure out I didn't want to be there, so I came back to Hogwarts. You remember Proffesor Dumbledore? He's the new Headmaster and he gave me the Potion Master's job. That's what I was talking about before when Potter was here; Riddle never told me what he did to you; he just let me join him even though it was his fault to begin with." Piper looked ill. When she spoke, her voice was a cracked whisper. "Twenty years? Didn't you ever think to look in this room?" Snape smiled tightly. "Believe me, Pip, I've tried to find this room most every night since you disappeared, but it never appeared for me. Maybe because it wasn't the room I wanted to find; it was you." He reached out to stroke her cheek, but she jerked away so fast she fell off the bed. Struggling to her feet, she backed away. "Twenty years, Severus! Did anyone bother looking for me at all?" Her voice was rising, becoming hysterical.
Snape tried to calm her down. "I did. Your parents did. So did all your friends. Even Lilly & James. You were the first of so many disappearances. Actually, I should have known Riddle was involved when others started disappearing because of him. I'm sorry, Pip." Piper began to laugh madly. "You're sorry? Sorry doesn't cut it, Severus. and it's not you I want an apology from. Tom Riddle is going to die. Very slowly. Maybe I'll crucio him until he goes crazy, or I could use that curse you invented; what was it? Ah yes, Rictusempra. Yes, until he bleeds to death; that could be fun..."She stopped ranting at the look on Snape's face. "What? Don't you want revenge on that slimy, disgusting, perverted, no-good…what is it, Sev?" Snape forced a tight smile on his face. "Piper, that boy, Potter? He's James' son. He and Lilly got married and spawned." Snape sneered momentarily, but stopped when he saw the sorrow on Piper's face. she, unlike him, had been friends with both James and Lilly, despite the house rivalry. She was the reason James had never gone too far in his taunting of 'Snivellus'; she'd hexed him whenever things went too far and it was for the sake of her friendship James had saved Snape from Lupin when he was a howling werewolf. "Ridd…Lord Voldemort came for them and they died. For some reason, Avada Kedavra failed to kill that boy." Piper frowned and opened her mouth to protest, but he overrode her. "The curse backfired and Voldemort was thrown from his body, but he didn't die. He's been after the Potter boy for 14 years and Potter's been defeating him every year since he started school and Voldemort just keeps coming back." The sympathetic look on Piper's face warred with the disgust for Riddle's seeming inability to just bloody die. "That prat. So, he's still alive then? He must be really powerful. Can I kill him, Sev? I don't think I'm strong enough if he's still here after all that." She was slumping in defeat and exhaustion.
Snape opened his arms and, moving forwards, she settled into their shelter miserably. "Can we work, Sevvy? You've seen so much; done a lifetime's worth of stuff I wasn't a part of. Do you still love me?" Ah. There's the real reason for the hysterics; she thinks I'm not going to be interested in a younger women. No mention of her not wanting an older man; that's reassuring. In answer, Snape twisted around and lay her back on the bed. Covering her body with his, he kissed her; slow, deep and gentle as he trailed his hands down her sides & back up to stroke her face & hair, as if he meant to memorise the feel of her in his arms & hold her to him forever, which he did want to do, desperately. Drawing back, he brushed her hair back from her face; so familiar and fondly remembered. "I would have no other, beloved. In twenty years there has been none who can hold a candle to you. I will show you how precious you are to me later, my girl, when you're over the shock. Until then, how about we get some sleep?" Piper, already sleepy, smiled at his declaration & hinted carnal promise, then nodded, reassured. Smiling, he shifted them until he was spooned up behind her, arms wrapped around her small frame protectively. Sighing contentedly, Piper snuggled back against him and he pulled the blankets over them both. With a wave of his wand, the torches lining the walls snuffed out, leaving them in warm darkness. Snape set a Tempus charm to wake them up a bit earlier so he could get Piper back to his own rooms and visit the headmaster before breakfast. He had no idea what to do with Piper. He wondered how he could possibly keep up the heartless bastard façade with his girlfriend popping into the room to smooch every few minutes the way she used to when they were in school. The scenario played out in his head & he chuckled sleepily. Piper was already asleep, looking every inch the beautiful, peaceful angel in his protective arms, dark hair fanning out across the pillow.
On the dresser beside the bed, the green glass bottle glinted in the silvery moonlight.