Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Chapter 11: Ultimate sacrifice
"Go away Sirius. Just go away." Severus said emotionlessly.
Sirius rested his head against the rough oak door.
How in the hell had they got to this point? Half an hour ago, they had been happily rejoicing their impending nuptials with their friends and colleagues. Now he was stood the wrong side of a warded door, reasoning with Severus to forgive him and not to cancel their wedding.
All because he'd flirted with the first dizzy witch to pay him some attention in a while.
He truly was a stupid bastard
He'd never had any intention of taking it beyond a little light flirtation but he'd been flattered that such a nubile young witch had made it so blatantly obvious that she found him attractive.
Frankly, he'd been beginning to worry that he wasn't attractive anymore. Twelve years in Azkaban and the short time he spent behind the veil hadn't been kind to his looks. He realised when he looked in the mirror that there were lines on his face that weren't there before and he now regularly disposed of a number of greying hairs that'd had the audacity to emerge in his glorious dark curls. But they'd quickly returned; bringing a few friends with them by the looks of it!
What could he say? He was one vain mutt.
So he'd done what many other middle-aged wizards did when they begin to realise their own mortality.
He had fought against it.
But at what cost? He was on the verge of losing the one and only person he could envision spending the rest of his life with.
He groaned out loud.
"Please don't so this Sev. I love you so much! I'm so sorry I flirted with her but I give you my word as a Gryffindor I never kissed her or even sought her out. She followed me and next thing I know…well you know."
Silence
"Severus, please let me in. Let's talk about this like adults."
Silence
"Damn it Severus!" He raged, banging his fists against the dungeon door.
Silence.
He punched the door again.
And then he heard it. He almost missed it in his rage.
It was quiet, so quiet but he could hear it all the same.
In later years, if anyone were to ask him what was the one memory he would remember, good or bad in his life, he would recall this exact moment in time.
Standing the opposite side of a door and listening to the sound of Severus Snape softly sobbing his heart out the night before his wedding.
Sirius fell to his knees and spread his hands against the wooden grain, almost in an effort make contact with the man behind the door.
"I'm so sorry. Don't cry honey." He whispered, his own face now wet with tears.
What could he do? If he didn't think of something fast, he was going to lose this precious gift he'd been given.
For the first time in his selfish existence, he tried to empathise with another person. It wasn't an easy thing to do.
He tried desperately to imagine how Severus must be feeling. How he must have felt we he had flirted with the young witch, how he felt seeing his beloved being thoroughly kissed by another person.
He felt sick with jealousy.
He probed further.
He had sensed that Severus was feeling trapped and nervous about making a lifetime commitment to him. A committment to a man with a nonexistent track record in relationships.
If only there was way to level the playing field. Putting them both onto an even keel.
"Oh my God!" He thought. It was so simple.
He hesitated briefly. It was a huge step, not one that he'd have ever thought that he was capable of making.
"Severus." He said quietly, in an even tone.
Silence
"Severus, I know you can hear me because I can still hear you. I want you to listen to me. Our wedding will go ahead as planned tomorrow. Not because I am going to make you go ahead with it but because you will willing want it to."
"Severus, I'm going to invoke the Eternus fidelitas oath."
The sound of sobbing halted.
"I will invoke it tonight if I have to; if it's the only way I can convince you to continue with the wedding." He paused, giving him time to absorb what he was saying. "But I would much prefer to say it tomorrow after our vows, in front of all our friends."
Sirius heard the door unlock and a blotchy faced potions master emerge tentatively.
"You would do that for me?" He asked incredulously.
"Yes, it's only the same as the adorable bonding that you will undergo. But this way we will both be bound to remain faithful to each other for the rest of our lives."
"You're serious?"
"Deadly." There was no trace of humour in his voice.
They continued to look at each other from the doorway.
Sirius held his arms open and within seconds Severus was enveloped in a rib-crushing hug. Words hurriedly left their lips; promises, vows and apologies that were punctuated with blisteringly heated kisses.
"I love you."
Kiss.
"I'll never risk losing you like that again."
Kiss.
"I'm so so sorry honey."
Kiss.
"Can I stay with you tonight? I don't want to sleep alone ever again." Sirius asked.
"Don't worry love, you'll never have to again."