Astronomy Tower
Florence closed her eyes as a nice breeze blew through the tower, making that warm chaotic night more bearable.
She sat on the floor near one of the large openings that circumvented the Tower, thinking on all that had happened in the last five hours; a deep sense of loss-of-self sat heavily on her chest, nausea threatening to flare up again, even though she had nothing else to throw up.
For the first time in her life, she was afraid of her own powers.
Soft thuds of fast footsteps on the spiral staircase cut through her heavy thoughts, making her smile for she recognised those steps.
"It's a beautiful night, isn't it, Severus?" she said when her husband appeared.
He carefully approached her, unsure of how to address her, "Florence," he spoke softly, deciding to act as if she were an unstable wild animal, "Are you alright? Why are you here?"
"I just needed to be alone," she sighed, "But then I was alone and realised I'd rather be with you and the kids and tried to apparate home... but I vomited, so I decided against apparating again," Florence gave him a small smile, "Didn't want to end up splinched in our backyard."
He stopped near her, waiting for a sign that she wasn't still angry with him, pondering if touching her would get him hexed or not.
"Sit down, Sev," she finally said, scooting forward and giving him enough space to sit behind her.
He sat and she made herself comfortable between his legs, laying her back on 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 the side of her head and smelling her sweet-vanilla scent.
"I took a gamble, and it paid off," Florence whispered, her voice low and tired, "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 entwined hands, "I tortured Bellatrix today, Severus. Not only that: I summoned her."
He tensed up, "You have tortured her before, love."
"Yes. With the Cruciatus curse, not with my bare hands and no spell but my pure desire to cause her pain."
He hesitated, feeling her pain through their bond but also getting a glimpse at the memory of the excitement that had filled her as she tortured the woman – it was terrifying.
"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."
"And then your father appeared?"
"Yes. I was able to stop myself a few seconds before he walked into the Training Room," she paused, adding in a small voice: "I left after he said Bellatrix would be punished accordingly."
Severus nodded, "He sent a letter saying it had been done."
She returned his nod silently and he tightened his arms around her, trying to reassure her that everything would be fine – even if he didn't believe so.
"I vomited my guts out once I got here," she grimaced, adding with a dark chuckle: "How not very Princess of Darkness of me."
Severus shook his head, "You're not that, love."
"Oh, but I am, Sev. I am," she turned 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 Severus 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," he 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!"
Pop.
Pop.
The sudden sound of two people apparating interrupted them.
"There you are!" said Nicholas, smiling at his parents.
"What's happening?" asked James, walking towards his parents and kneeling in front of his mother, "Why are you crying, mum?"
Nicholas knelt beside his brother, concerned and waiting for her to speak.
When she didn't, Severus explained: "She's worried the war might turn her into her father."
"WHAT?" the boys asked in unison.
"You're not evil, mum!" said Nicholas, shaking his head at that absurd notion and holding one of her hands.
"We're dead-scared of you – but you're not evil," agreed James, holding her other hand, "You're scary but also the sweetest bravest mum we could've ever wished for."
"Yes, mum. You took on the challenge of raising the two of us by yourself when you were but a teen and during wartimes."
"And you did it with so much love," James lay a kiss on her hand.
"I had a lot of help, my loves..." Florence said with a smile.
"Don't sell yourself short, mum!" 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 James.
"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, mum?" it was Nick's turn.
"I did..." she whispered, crying.
"Who graduated top of her class, even though she spent many nights awake with two rambunctious boys?" James asked, with a 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 mum 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, mum," 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 tear tracks on his face, "I love you, Sev. Sometimes I want to strangle you. But I love you."
He smiled and pulled her for a kiss.
"Aaand here comes another traumatising moment," muttered James, quickly covering his eyes.
Florence and Severus laughed at their son, while Nicholas just shook his head at his brother's antics.
"Wait," Florence suddenly frowned, realising: "You two apparated here."
"Yep," they replied.
"We used a tracking spell to find 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 and laying her head on her husband's chest, "I don't think I can disapparate again tonight. You boys go home and your dad and I will stay here a little longer."
"And I sense another traumatising 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," Severus replied, "I'm actually surprised none of the kids were conceived here."
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 hot water, 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 off her skin and put on one of his white sleeveless undershirts, which looked like a short dress on her smaller frame, her wavy hair falling down her shoulders in messy waves, and 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.
"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, Severus. A lot. But... yeah, it was hard," she had tears in her eyes, "I remember thinking about giving up my studies 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 shortcomings, "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, Flor?"
She 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 similar to his... 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.
Florence feigned a shudder, making him laugh as he picked her up and carried her to bed, where, after hours of love-making, they fell asleep - their bodies satiated, entwined and covered in sweat; their hearts full of love for each other.
Florence returned home the next day, after lunch, going to look 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 jet 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 use magic against 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, seeing how that immediately caught Liz's attention, "I believe you've talked to him since his father was arrested."
"Yes," Liz confirmed, "He is 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 turn of events?"
Liz frowned, "No. Only that he and his mother are happy. Why?"
Florence let out a heavy 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 sombrely, "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..."
But Liz wasn't listening to her, she'd turned around and run to her desk, getting 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 hug and comfort her – but Elizabeth didn't want her then.
So Florence left the room.
After dinner that same 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 ingredient 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 fantasising 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 heard an elf calling her.
"Yes, Mel?" she whispered, not opening her eyes.
"Mistress Liz is calling for Mistress Florence."
Florence quickly stood up and blocked her mind from her husband's, walking upstairs straight to her daughter's door.
"Liz?" Florence whispered, knocking before walking in. And then she saw her sitting on the middle of her bed, crying, a letter clutched in her hand, "Muffliato" Florence whispered, silencing the room.
Liz let out a sob: "You were right, mum. 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, mum."
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..." Elizabeth sobbed.
"I know, baby. I know," Florence said, holding her tightly.
"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 away 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 family.
Your mother doesn't know the man your father truly is. He's loyal to the point of being the Lord's most trusted advisor nowadays – even though 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; but I won't let anyone stand in my way as I restore my family's name.
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 is just another lost boy on an impossible mission.
And that made him dangerous.
