A/N: All right, so the cute little bunnies in my head went on a Disney kick with the first flashback of the chapter. There should be five well-known Disney movie allusions. I have another scene with adult situations, but they just married so it's understandable. :D So the chapter starts out a little fluffy, but ends with a tearjerker. In other words, it should be a contrast of the previous chapter. :D I sincerely hope you enjoy, and so sorry if I make you cry with the chapter ending. I'll make it better with the next chapter. I promise. :D
Memories and Tears Part 2
Two years later…
Severus stood in front of his mirror, glancing at his reflection. He was getting old. He could tell by the number of wrinkles on his face. A few seconds later, he scoffed, shaking his head. He was 32 years old. He shouldn't have as many wrinkles as he did. It had to be teaching the horrid brats for so long that caused him to wrinkle prematurely. Turning around, he stalked back into his bedroom and grabbed his wand from his dresser before leaving his rooms.
The walk to his destination didn't take long. Thanks to the recent petrified attacks, there were no students out and about to catch their Potions professor dressed in his finest robes that weren't black. He had to admit he felt rather nervous about this whole thing. It'd been a rather long time for him. Sighing, he soon found himself standing in front of the lone portrait in the tower. Most of the students were unaware of this portrait's existence. Only the staff in fact knew about it, which was for good reason.
In the canvas, a thin crimson cloth wrapped around the guardian witch's breasts and lower body to shield her nakedness as the stars twinkled mischievously behind her. She wore a shimmering silver necklace with matching bracelets and anklets. Her long black straight hair shone from the serene moonlight in the background. Smiling seductively, she walked barefoot across the jagged rocks in the gentle stream towards him to greet him with her two snakes following her close. Once she was as near to him as the portrait allowed, she slowly raised her arms, making her bracelets jingle softly. Her dark eyes were full of amusement as the two boa constrictors slowly coiled themselves around her body.
"My dearest Severus," the witch purred. "What brings thou to my portrait on this fine night? It is not out of love, is it?"
"Good evening, Circe," he replied respectfully.
"Ah, yes, so it is out of love," she said with a soft laugh. "My dearest Severus, thou hast fallen for a lovely enchantress. She shall bring great happiness, but only if thou allows it."
"You are an oracle now, Circe?" he responded dryly.
"Perhaps," she answered airily. "Thou hast made a payment in blood for me?"
"I am under the impression that you would allow me entrance by my mere presence."
"Ah, 'tis true, but not entirely. Thou must make payment to me before thou may enter."
"Forgive me, Circe, but I do not wish to bloody your portrait." He was starting to get annoyed with the witch. Of course, he was rather certain that intimidating her would not be in his best interests.
"My dearest Severus, thou wilt not bloody my portrait. Thou wilt add to it with thy blood, and blood I shall have."
Realizing that he wouldn't win this argument, he pulled out his switchblade from his pocket and sliced his hand. He then passed his bloodied palm over the portrait and sighed when he heard the locks disengage from inside. Glancing towards Circe, he waited patiently for her to allow his entrance.
"Tell me. Did the Headmaster's blood give you the boa constrictors?" he asked, once a large Weeping Willow tree grew in the canvas from his blood.
"No. Miss Sinistra added them soon after I was hung. Thou wilt be late, however." Her canvas then swung open, revealing the hidden entryway.
Walking in, Severus inhaled the rich scent of raspberries that he associated with Aurora. This was the first time he had been in her rooms. It wasn't at all messy like her office was. He was actually impressed for that reason. He was half expecting a pigsty. However, her room was spotless as if she never spent time in her rooms at all. A soft sound to his left made him glance and swallow harshly.
Obsidian eyes watched Aurora slowly begin her descent down the black spiral staircase in the small entryway off to his left. He assumed it led up to her bedroom. Her white heels clicked with each step against the metal, producing a type of bell sound strangely enough. She looked amazing with her thick curly dark hair all swept up.
Made of a silky blue material, the dress glided over the black metal. Each step down caused the slit in her dress to open just a bit wider. His eyes followed the slit up past Aurora's deliciously silky legs, over the gentle curve of her slender hips, and lingered for a moment on the sequined dip of her cleavage.
The luscious low neckline slanted easily up from the center, giving the impression of a large sharp grin with sequined teeth. Trimmed into straight lines, the straps were practically just extra pieces of material attached to give Aurora's breasts extra support. Leading away from her cleavage towards her neck, the straps crisscrossed in the back. Sequins adorned the v-shaped cutout of her dress near her lower back, attaching what appeared to be a silky tail that billowed behind her. Had he been any other man, he would have chuckled at her swishy tail.
Inclining his head, he brought out a single yellow daffodil and held it out to her. He caught her shy smile immediately as she glanced towards the floor. Sometimes, she reminded him so much of that bashful first-year who annoyed the hell out of him all six years he shared with her.
"You didn't have to get me a flower, Severus."
"Perhaps not, but the horrid thing found its way to my room nonetheless. Why waste a perfectly good flower?" he replied briskly, feeling horribly uncomfortable. "You should perhaps grab your cloak before we leave. We will not be staying here for the evening." He instantly caught her surprise. "I had thought perhaps we would go elsewhere for our…date," he said with a slight grimace.
"You do realize that we don't have to do this, right?"
"You perhaps could have informed me of that before I made reservations for two," he replied. "However, it makes no difference now. I won the duel, and you are my reward."
"I'm not sure who got the shorter end of the stick then, Severus," she muttered.
"Clearly, it was me," he drawled before whirling around, stalking out of her quarters. He heard her rush after him, which made him nearly chuckle. She was always so predictable. When they reached the observatory, he suddenly held his arm out to prevent her from coming any closer lest ruin the big surprise that he had planned to the very last detail.
Whirling around once more, Severus glanced down at her. He could tell that if he wanted to, he could easily rest his chin on top of her head then. In one fluid motion, he suddenly swept her up off her feet before mounting the broom that flew to his hand. Kicking off from the floor and flying out of the Astronomy tower, he nearly laughed again when she screamed loudly, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her head into his shoulder. Yep, she was extremely predictable. Though, he was rather concerned when she started to dig her nails into his back.
While not normally a frequent flier, it was unfortunately the only way to get to their destination. Granted, he could fly without a broomstick, but he was rather convinced that Aurora would have killed him for that. Not to mention how tired he'd be flying both of them there and back. Slowly, he brought the broom lower towards the massive body of water.
"You can reach down and touch it. I've got a hold of you. That is unless you don't trust me," he said, glancing down at the massive clump of hair glued to him. His left arm effectively pinned her to his chest as his right hand gripped the broom. He was in complete control and rather relaxed despite the fact that she was practically sitting in his lap. When she hesitantly pulled back from him, he glanced down at her again. "I won't let you drown if that's what you're thinking."
"Sure you won't," she replied quietly. "So where are we going anyway?"
"Close your eyes and we'll be there," he answered calmly. He was at least half right. They'd certainly be somewhere, just not where he had reservations for. Then again, he wasn't an idiot. He was well aware that certain people from his past would be very interested in where they were. Since he was rather certain that their reservations in London would be discovered, he developed a foolproof backup plan that was never really going to be the backup.
Guiding the broom into a gentle turn, he slowly started their approach towards the clearing. Once they hovered close to the already set up items, he smoothly touched back down onto the ground. His house elf had certainly gone a bit overboard with the decorations, but it was certainly a sight to behold under the stars. Helping her to stand up a few moments later, he noticed that her eyes were still closed.
"You can open your eyes now," he said behind her. He watched her closely to tell her reaction.
"Severus," she whispered awestruck once she had regained enough control. "It's beautiful." Whirling around, she glanced up at him. "Did you do all this?"
"My house elf Mokai did the decorating. I only chose the location. I take it this is acceptable?"
"It's more than acceptable, Severus. I love it."
Walking towards the raised platform that had a small candlelit table on it, Severus escorted her quietly and held the back of her chair when she sat down. He then walked around the table and took his seat across from her. This entire date might have been a sham from the start, but that didn't mean he was going to waste it either. They ate their meal without saying a word.
"So," Aurora finally said with a laugh as the silence started to get to her.
"Indeed," he replied.
"I have to admit, Severus, that I'm rather confused as to why you asked me. I mean, I get that I was your prize for beating Lockhart, but I wouldn't have thought you'd wager such a thing."
"I didn't wager anything," he admitted quietly. "I regret that my mind was on other things when our esteemed colleague mentioned it. I was not even aware of what I had replied to until Minerva later informed me after the duel."
"You two didn't give each your oaths to do this, did you?"
"Not that I'm aware," he answered. He caught the flash of anger in her eyes almost instantly.
"Forgive me for feeling ungrateful and all, but why would you go through with this then? I mean, we don't get along that well, and I'm rather convinced that you're still not over Evans." Lowering her voice and glancing away, she added, "And I doubt you'll ever be."
Severus stared at the witch in front of him unable to speak. She was more confusing than Schrödinger's cat. One moment Aurora seemed completely thrilled to be on a date with him, and then next she seemed almost…infuriated being here with him. He soon caught the brief flicker of hurt followed by a sense of uneasiness in her eyes, which made him sigh. He should have known that she compared herself to others. It wasn't the first time he had seen this ridiculousness from her.
"Aurora, I am here because I chose to be, not because that idiot Lockhart made me."
"Then why didn't you ask me before now…before you made that stupid pact with him?"
"I am unsure, Aurora, as to that reasoning. However, I assure you that my asking you here has nothing to do with Lockhart." He then gently set his napkin down on the table and locked eyes with her. "I asked you here for the sole purpose as to have one evening with you. If you wish, though, I will be more than—"
"Do you mean that, though?" she interrupted. "Did you really ask me here for an evening?"
"I do not understand," he replied, knowing exactly what she meant. He could see it clearly in her eyes what she was getting at. However, he couldn't give her the answer she sought.
"Fine, I'll be blunt then."
He instantly quelled the voice in his head that wanted to tell her to do so. He would not interrupt her. He could see in her eyes that she needed to say it.
"I love you, Severus. Hell, I've been crushing on you since I was eleven." She then inhaled slowly before glancing away. "If you're just doing this because—"
"I already stated that I asked you—"
"You stated a lot of things, Severus. It's what you do," she quipped.
"Aurora, I am here because I wish to be. You are here because I asked you. There is no sinister plot at work here." He then sighed when he noticed she didn't believe him. Hell, he didn't really believe it himself for that matter. Drawing in a slow breath, he decided to change the subject. "I perhaps did not tell you this earlier, which was a clear oversight on my part, but you do look lovely."
"I'm severely overdressed."
"You were unaware that I would bring you here," he gently replied. "Though, I will admit that I did enjoy our ride here." He then attempted to give her a small smile.
Since they were alone on an island with no one for miles, he didn't really feel the need to keep his barriers up. It was only Aurora, after all, and she had certainly proven herself trustworthy with his secrets over the years. She never informed anyone that he had taken the Dark Mark. She never told anyone that he had kissed her under the mistletoe his sixth-year. She definitely never told anyone about walking in on him once masturbating in his office. So why should he be concerned that she'd tell anyone that he attempted to smile, something he hadn't done for years? There was also the fact that once the night was over, he'd then remove the memory and set it aside so no one undesirable learned about it.
"Be careful, Severus. You might sprain a muscle," she teased with a soft laugh. "So you actually meant to ask me out? Lockhart just gave you an excuse?" she asked full of skepticism.
"I will admit that compared to other witches, you are certainly more…desirable."
"I'll take that as a compliment then." Sighing, she shook her head. "What's changed, Severus?"
"Nothing," he replied. He then scoffed. "Well, clearly, something has for me to ask you for an evening and later inform the Headmaster that he would need someone to cover my morning classes."
"Wait…what? You asked him—why?"
"It is not for the reason you are thinking," he answered rather amused by her look of shock. "I am well aware that you are not the common whore I believed you to be."
"Gee, thanks, Severus," she said with a scoff.
Since it was unusually warm where they were, he stood up, removed his outer robes, and hung them on the back of the chair. He then removed his socks and boots, leaving them next to the table. He nearly chuckled when she removed her heels. Pushing up the sleeves of his white undershirt, he walked around the table towards her and held out his hand. He caught her brief hesitation before she finally accepted. Silently, he led her over to the emptied area of the dais one could consider to be a dance floor.
Deciding to be a bit bolder than usual, he wrapped his arms around her slender waist and held her. He felt her tense up slightly, but she quickly forced herself to relax moments later. When her arms wrapped around his neck, he softly chuckled at the obvious height difference between them. Clearly, her boots she wore on any other day had a height extension charm to them.
Gently swaying back and forth to the ambient noise around them, he allowed himself to feel every sensation with her. He found it odd how calming her heart beating against his chest was. Tilting his head forward, he gently rested it against hers in a rather loving embrace.
"This island is considered by many to be the best place to view the night sky and Aurora Borealis," he quietly spoke. "It is also rumored to have a certain magical ambiance to it. Therefore, I assumed it would be the perfect setting for our first date then."
"Well, it's certainly magical," she mumbled into his shoulder.
"I concur." He then stopped, which caused her to do the same. When her head slowly lifted up, he took a step back from her. He, however, slowly raised his right hand and uncertainly placed it above her breasts. Within seconds, a reddish glow surrounded his hand and the spot he was touching.
"What is this?"
"According to certain researchers, one can tell by the luminosity given here how strong a relationship is or will be in the future. For example, if green, then the two only have a lust-filled bond."
"And if it's red?" she asked, staring at him.
"Red is typically a passionate color and associated with lovers," he answered, sounding rather clinical about the entire thing.
"Well, that's very interesting then." Drawing in a slow breath, she stared at him before laughing.
"You don't believe me?" He watched her take a step closer to him. She had almost a, well, a predatory look about her. When she leapt at him a few seconds later, he instantly braced himself so they didn't end up on the ground. Unfortunately, she didn't jump on him as he had thought. Instead, she reached a hand into his trouser pocket and snatched his wand before rushing off towards the dense forest. He just stood there for a few moments, staring after her. Her hand had been his pocket. He wasn't sure if he should be outraged or order her to do that some more. He then violently shook his head. Where the hell did that thought come from?
Since she had his wand, he rushed off after her. He couldn't believe the nerve the witch had. Honestly, to stick her hand into his trousers like that, it was… He then shook his head to clear his mind. He really should stop thinking about that. Aurora had at least a good minute ahead of him.
Sighing, Severus thought about how this was one of the weirdest dates he had ever been on. He'd been forced to have Aurora sitting in his lap the entire ride to the island. He actually smiled, and she didn't shriek like a banshee or anything as he had envisioned earlier. He had avoided an argument with her, only to have her steal his wand then. And now he was chasing after her in attempts to reclaim said wand from the little kleptomaniac. Could this night get any weirder?
The bushes next to him suddenly shook followed by a low warning growl. He instantly went on his guard. He hadn't read an indication of fauna being on the island. However, nothing leapt out at him luckily. Taking several steps closer, he found the bush devoid of life. Whatever had been there was gone, but it left its tracks behind.
Transforming into his Animagus form, he silently lowered his nose against the soft earth. Within seconds, he smelled the familiar scent he was searching for. His keen eyes then caught the tracks in the dirt leading further into the forest. Without a doubt, he knew he was tracking the right female.
Sprinting alongside the paw prints, he quickly caught up to his furry target. He peeked out from behind the thick tree trunk that he hid behind and glanced towards her. Her sleek tan coat with black spots shone majestically in the moonlight. Noticing her lower her head towards the gentle stream, he watched her take a drink from it.
Cautiously, he slowly moved closer to the jaguar. Her head rose immediately, and her eyes watched him make his slow approach. Lowering his own head, he took a drink from the stream not that far from her. He could see that she was attempting to ignore him, but that didn't seem to be going well. When she glanced back at him, he growled in amusement before brushing past her. He could feel her eyes on him the entire time, which only made him more amused.
Why he hadn't changed back yet was beyond him. Yet again, so was the fact that he leapt off a precipice into the water a few seconds later. Splashing into the water, he quickly swam back up to the surface. As soon as he saw her searching for him, his arms wrapped around her neck before he pulled her into the water with him. When she quickly scrambled out of the water moments later, he followed her out calmly with an amused look. She always hated the cold, and that water was freezing.
Within seconds, Aurora shifted from her Animagus form. Her dress clung to her, and her thick curly hair was horribly matted. She shivered, glaring at him as he morphed back with a wide grin.
"I cannot believe you."
"Shouldn't have stolen my wand," he drawled, folding his arms across his chest. He then noticed the fireflies around them, which made him chuckle quietly. "I think they're trying to tell us something."
"Likely that you're a bastard," she quipped, casting a drying spell on herself.
"No. I think they want me to do this," he responded before tipping her head up and brushing his lips over hers. He didn't know how to describe it, but it felt right to him at the time. Their kiss was gentle and sweet. Pulling back a second later, he stared at her. He could move on. That kiss proved it.
~RWWL~
Five years later…
He married Aurora in front of all their friends and family, namely hers. They had shared the traditional bride-groom dance, but he could tell that his blushing bride was horribly distracted by something. Luckily, it didn't take long to figure out what 'it' was.
At the time, he had been attempting to find Albus to speak with the older wizard about what would happen with his godson Draco since the Malfoys were found earlier dead in their manor. As he walked past an opened door, however, a hand latched onto his wrist, yanking him into the room. It had caught him off-guard so his first reaction was to fight back at his attacker. Lips on his gave away his so-called attacker's identity immediately, though.
"Aurora, what are you doing?"
"We have ten minutes before they realize we're missing," she replied seemingly out of breath.
"Ten minutes to do what?" He felt incredibly stupid when he felt his belt being undone a few moments later. "Aurora, we can't do this, not now," he whispered, placing a hand on top of hers. "We have guests that are waiting for us downstairs. We can do this later."
"I don't want to wait later," she whispered in a sing-song voice.
"Nor do I, but that's how it's going to be." His words clearly fell on deaf ears, though, as his pants and boxers fell to the floor. "We can't do this."
"Yes, we can," she happily sung in a very soft voice.
"Aurora, stop please." His hands grabbed her roaming ones. "I understand your need to rush. I admit that I too am guilty for thinking of whisking you away to a closet or something, but I want our first time together to be…meaningful."
"Oh, this will be very meaningful," she purred.
"Sex in an unknown darkened room is not meaningful," he replied. "It's shagging."
"I know, and I don't have any issues with that. Now, shut up and shag me, Severus."
"While I'm flattered tremendously by your exuberance, I have to decline out of respect for you."
"I don't want respect, Severus. I want you inside me."
Hanging his head, he sighed heavily. He was rather certain that Slytherin ingenuity wouldn't be enough with his bride tonight. She had that look in her eye like a hyena stalking its prey. Drawing in a slow breath, he stared at her, trying to figure out the consequences like any good Slytherin would do. If he conceded, then their first time together would not be as amazing as he had hoped. If he didn't, well, there was a rather good chance that someone would find his naked, unconscious body somewhere in the manor. He did after all lose a few duels with her rather badly before. She was clearly capable of it again.
"I want this to be special, Aurora, and doing this now would be anything but."
"You're right, Severus," she replied quietly a few moments later. She then laid her hands against his chest. "I apologize for nearly jumping you."
"You do realize that my lower half is completely uncovered, right?" He heard her laugh softly.
"Sorry, I got carried away."
"Just a little," he replied with a snort, pulling up his trousers.
"Do you really mean that, Severus? That you want our first time to be special?"
"I do." For a few moments, he just stared at her, catching the unease in her posture. He should have known his words would have unsettled her. She likely hadn't encountered many wizards who respected her as much as he did.
"That's rather sweet," she quietly replied.
Severus narrowed his eyes. Since he had expected much more resistance than that from his bride, he knew without a doubt that she was planning something. He'd certainly have to word his responses more carefully from now on. Aurora, despite her Hufflepuff tendencies, was a model Slytherin when she wanted to be. And he was rather certain that she wanted to be a Slytherin tonight.
"Then again, I should have known you'd say that. You might be a bastard 98% of the time, but you do have your 2% sweet moments." She then gently laid her head against his shoulder. "I don't even know why I'm rushing this. We have the rest of our lives together."
"Likely you are doing so because your feelings for me are so strong."
"We once stated if we took our relationship further that it wouldn't be purely sexual."
"And it isn't," he replied.
"Yet I nearly made it into one."
"Well, sex isn't necessarily a bad thing. We are both adults in a stable relationship. It's perfectly natural that we'd be sexually active more after marriage." He then sighed as his words echoed back to him. He was practically talking her into shagging him now. Honestly, how had the roles reversed so quickly? Hadn't he just been telling her to wait? Now, here he was, practically begging her to shag him. "Aurora—" When the door opened, he instantly took a step back and glanced towards their intruder.
"Forgive me for intruding upon you both, but I was under the impression that you wished to speak with me, Severus." Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled mischievously as he glanced at both of them. "I didn't catch you at a bad time, did I?"
"No," Snape answered quickly. Judging by the look the Headmaster was giving him now, his reply was a little too fast to avoid suspicion. "I'll speak with you later," he spoke to Aurora before attempting to walk out of the room.
"Oh, no need to leave your bride, my boy, especially not on your wedding day." Dumbledore then laid a gentle, reassuring hand on the younger wizard's arm. "I only wished to inform you that I've spoken with an official in Child Services. He assures me that there is no reason to remove young Mr. Malfoy from your custody, Severus."
"They are turning a blind eye to my past then, Albus?"
"It's more along the lines that you could be no worse than young Mr. Malfoy's own father."
"Such high standards they hold me to," Severus responded with a derisive laugh.
"Indeed. Now, if you forgive me, my boy," he warmly said as he pulled out a mauve flask and took a swig from it. Within seconds, the older wizard started to thin. His hair darkened and morphed into black shoulder-length locks, while his nose lengthened and hooked. It wasn't long before Albus Dumbledore was replaced by a cloned Severus Snape who wore emerald robes with charmed in slithering silver snakes. The robes, however, quickly became the same as original Severus's. "I expect you two dunderheads are aware of my intentions now," the rich baritone voice drawled as obsidian eyes twinkled in the familiar Dumbledore way. Whirling around, Polyjuice Severus briskly walked out of the room with his black robes billowing behind him.
"Well, that was certainly interesting," Aurora quietly replied next to Severus.
"I concur." Glancing towards his wife a second later, he sighed. While normally he wouldn't wear his emotions so openly, he did so with Aurora. In fact, he'd admit he was practically salivating with the newfound chance to get away with his bride. "However, he has provided us with a means to disappear for awhile." He watched her lips curl upwards slightly as she caught his meaning.
"Oh, yes, so he has," she said with a lopsided smile. "What to do. What to do." Letting out a short squeal of delight, she found herself being swept her up off her feet.
After he had apparated them from her parents' manor directly into the master bedroom at Prince Manor, he slowly carried his wife over to the four-poster bed decorated in Slytherin colors. He could see the sheer glee in her face as she stared back at him with eyes full of warmth and love. After gently setting her atop of the comforter, he quickly joined her. His heart pounded hungrily against his ribcage as he kneeled before her on their bed. His mind was filled with thoughts of what he could do to her, but not a single thought formed coherently enough for him to act on.
With growing and painful discomfort, he took a few moments just to stare at her. He could tell his inaction was frustrating her slightly since she wasn't getting her way quite yet, but he was going to take his time with her. He would not lose himself to the lascivious thoughts that clouded his mind no matter how badly he wanted to. He was in control of his desire, not the other way around.
"Severus," she softly purred, staring up at him with a soft smirk.
He wanted to tell her everything that was going on his mind. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked, how desperately he desired her, how badly he wanted to worship her, and how he never wanted to leave their bed again as long as she was lying there beside him. The words wouldn't leave his throat, though. Sighing, he settled on one thing that would sum up everything.
"I love you," he whispered. His lips then found hers, and the desire quickly took over.
~RWWL~
Fourteen months before the tragedy…
Severus experienced the scare of a lifetime. It had been the morning after their first date night so they woke up in one another's arms in twisted sheets. In fact, he woke up to Aurora lying on top of him with her hair all fanned out on his bare chest. Her right hand rested against his inner thigh, and her left hand braced her so she didn't roll off him.
Carefully extracting himself from her, he quietly got out of their bed and went to the lavatory to take a quick shower. While his wife's contract stated that she didn't have to attend the mandatory breakfast in the Great Hall, he unfortunately didn't have that option. His first class was at nine, meaning his attendance at breakfast with the horrid brats was compulsory.
Sighing heavily, he glanced towards his reflection in the mirror before scoffing at the angry red marks on his neck. It would be the perfect day to wear a turtleneck in his opinion. After all, there were too many prying eyes sitting at the High Table. Not to mention how his young daughter would react if she saw the marks, which reminded him. He would have to thank Harry this morning for watching Angel last night.
Stepping into the shower, Severus released an immediate groan as the water jets turned on by his mere presence. While he was accustomed to the cold dreary dungeons, he'd admit that he always took steaming hot showers that made the lavatory into a sauna. There was just something soothing about a hot shower, especially after a night long of lovemaking.
Grabbing a shampoo bottle from the shower basket, he quickly lathered his hands before washing out all the grime that had collected in his hair since yesterday. Thankfully, he didn't need to worry about its usual grease anymore since he had finally discovered a formula that dealt with that. The only drawback was that witches now frequently expressed wishes to run their fingers through his hair since it was so soft and silky. There were only two witches he'd ever allow to touch his hair: his wife and daughter. He wasn't a dog after all.
His fingers instantly stopped massaging his scalp when he inhaled the rich vanilla scent. His eyes then opened, and he glanced at the bottle he had set back in the basket. Gritting his teeth, he held back his urge to swear. He had grabbed the wrong stupid shampoo bottle. He could only imagine the looks he'd get today at breakfast.
Quickly rinsing out his hair, he inhaled more of the vanilla extract, which made him clench his teeth even more. How could he have been so stupid? Granted, his and Aurora's shampoo bottles were the same color, but there was a definite difference between the two. Shaking his head, he grabbed the wash cloth, lathered it up with his body wash (which he ensured was his this time), and scrubbed the dirt from his body.
While the majority of the castle's inhabitants likely thought that he cared little about personal hygiene due to the grease that had always been associated with him, they were incorrect. In fact, when it came to his cleanliness, he was somewhat of a clean freak. He just had been cursed with his bastard father's greasiness and the hazards of being a Potions Master.
Once he was finished, he turned the water off and carefully stepped out of the shower onto the green mat. He silently dried himself off, smiling when he felt eyes watching him from the doorframe. Only his close family had seen him smile lately. The others (his coworkers and such) didn't need to see that in his opinion. Slowly, he glanced up and met his wife's gaze.
"I'm beginning to think you like to watch, Aurora," he drawled.
"Well, there is nothing sexier than a naked man drying himself off," she quipped with a smirk. Her silver nightgown hung loosely on her body as she leaned against the doorframe. "After all, you never know what might pop up."
"Your father would be appalled by your vulgarity."
"I can't think of a single thing we did last night that wouldn't horrify Orin, Severus," she replied with a short laugh. "I'd say he'd find his son-in-law's behavior last night to be rather scandalous. Don't you?" she asked, slowly lifting the bottom of her nightgown up to expose the mark to her inner thigh.
"Touché," he replied, inclining his head. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I do have to get dressed."
"Ah, but, Severus, I like this view, though," she whined, sticking her bottom lip out at him.
"I bet you do."
"Well, I'll leave you to get dressed. Remember, though, that we were going to try that potion."
Aurora didn't need to elaborate for him. He knew specifically which potion she was discussing. It was what he referred to as the 'I don't want to be a thirty-five year old father with two children under the age of five' potion. Their four year old was tough enough to keep up with by herself. Add another child on top of that and it would kill him. Thanks to his Death Eater and spying days, age unfortunately was already beginning to take its toll upon him. His joints sometimes creaked and ached horribly.
They tried the common contraceptive charm, but that had…undesirable effects on him. Madam Pomfrey still couldn't look at him for more than a few seconds before quickly retreating back into her office barely containing her laughter. So much for being professional he'd always think.
They were now onto the contraceptive potions, which luckily he could brew in the privacy of their home without anyone having to know their business. Unfortunately, this was one of the last methods they could use since he was allergic to latex, which he'd have to use if they tried the Muggle way of things. Well, there was always the abstinence method, but with a wife like his that wasn't going to happen. He enjoyed their time together just a little too much. Though, what could he say? She brought the dirty old man out in him.
"I'll bring it to you shortly," he replied curtly.
"You better or we're having another baby, Severus," she said with a short laugh walking out.
He shivered instantly. The thought of more children running around their quarters was slightly horrifying. There was no way he could deal with the frequent wailing at two in the morning anymore. Unfortunately, Aurora was right, though.
It was just a few weeks ago that they had learned the good news from Pomfrey. During Aurora's fourth-year, Bellatrix had carved the Dark Mark into her arm. Someone, likely the Dark Lord, then spelled a fertility charm into the wound to enchant it to a specific person's magical signature. In Aurora's case, it was her husband. So thanks to the Dark Lord, his crazy ideas about breeding, and a little dumb luck, Severus and Aurora were guaranteed a pregnancy until she gave birth to a boy. This, however, was the same condition needed to break the curse on Severus using the Prince name.
Quickly tossing on some clothes, he briskly walked out a moment later and headed towards his private laboratory. The deep pink bottled liquid on his worktable instantly caught his attention. Why he hadn't brought it with him last night was beyond him. Well, not really, he was rather…busy at the time. Whirling around, he walked back towards their bedroom and calmly handed the potion to her as she sat on the edge of the bed brushing her hair.
"I don't have to do anything else, do I?"
"No. It only requires you to drink it," he replied.
"Well, let's hope this works then." She softly laughed when he kissed her cheek a moment later. "I'll see you later?" she asked with a smile as he grabbed his wand from the nightstand.
"I have a meeting with Albus this morning," he explained. "He wishes to go over some of the intelligence I gathered. I shall return after breakfast to drop Angel off, though."
"I'll be waiting then."
He only inclined his head before spelling his boots on and walking out of their quarters. Any other time he would have used his Floo to meet with the Headmaster, but he felt like walking this day strangely enough. Sighing, he continued down the darkened corridor. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he had a rather bad feeling about something in his gut.
Once he had finished with his first class of the day, he calmly walked into his quarters. He luckily had an hour break that technically was designated for office hours. However, the day he had a brat voluntarily come to his office for help that wasn't Slytherin or Granger was the day he'd announce his retirement. While he had earlier stated that he'd bring their four year old with him to their quarters, he didn't do that. It wasn't by choice, though. Angel nearly threw a fit in the middle of the Great Hall when he had approached the subject with her so he left her with her brothers. Of course his daughter's peculiar reaction against seeing her mother only made the bad feeling in his gut worsen.
Walking through their quarters, he headed towards the bedroom. No doubt his wife had crawled back into bed after he left. Thinking nothing of the door still being closed, he opened it and crossed his darkened bedroom before sitting down on the edge of their bed. Sure enough, he was right. Aurora was all covered up sleeping.
The dark didn't allow him to see that much of her face, but he did see a stray curl hanging down. He gently reached towards her to brush it back as he always did. His fingers, however, immediately became damp from the quick touch. Flicking his hand towards one of the candles in the room, he spelled it on as he feared the worst.
Her long dark curls stuck horribly to her sweat-drenched and flushed face. Her closed eyes moved back and forth as she continued to dream non-peacefully. Her breathing quickly turned into soft gasps for air. Her silver nightgown stuck to her like saran wrap as her chest rose and fell.
Acting on pure instinct, he threw the covers back from her and picked her up out of their bed. He did his best to ignore the feverish warmth she gave off. He quickly attempted to carry her to the Floo, but stopped at the doorframe of their bedroom when her gasps became more desperate sounding. Casting his Patronus, he watched the ethereal doe leap through the door and charge off towards the Hospital Wing. He knelt down with Aurora still in his arms. Brushing back more of her curls, he held her close to him, feeling horribly helpless. He only knew minor Healer spells.
Footsteps heading towards them made his head snap towards the door. He watched Madam Pomfrey quickly rush down the corridor towards him with her wand drawn. She was clearly in Healer mode already. He said nothing when the Healer's wand expertly passed over Aurora.
"What's wrong with her?"
"She's having some sort of reaction, Severus." A blue light then passed down the witch in his arms. Within seconds, Aurora started to convulse, causing Pomfrey to cancel the spell immediately. The seizure stopped within moments with the young witch going limp once again. "I've never seen anything like this," she quietly said under her breath. The Healer then glanced up towards him. "Did you give her the contraceptive potion?"
"Yes of course," he answered with a puzzled look.
"Oh dear Merlin," she whispered breathlessly at the scans in the air above Aurora.
"What is it?
"The fertility charm casted on her is violently reacting to your contraceptive potion. It is as if the charm is punishing her, which I suppose makes sense considering who did this to her." She then sighed quietly. "It doesn't appear to be doing any harm right now to her, though, Severus. She currently has a mild fever, which I believe we can control slightly. However, neither I nor you can undo this magically. We unfortunately have to let it run its course naturally."
"I understand," he said with a soft sigh. "What must I do?"
"Keep her upper body elevated. It will lessen the strain on her breathing. If her temperature elevates anymore, give her a lukewarm bath." She then rested what she hoped to be a compassionate hand on his arm. "Severus, it is imperative that you don't give her anything magical, though. You saw her reaction when I attempted to control her fever. We have to wait for the potion to leave her system."
Unfortunately, he had seen the reaction, and it would give him nightmares for years to come. He glanced down at Aurora and sighed. They couldn't do anything to help her. Brushing back her hair again, he closed his eyes. He could get through this hurdle. He was strong enough for it. He was!
"I am sorry, Severus." The mediwitch then stood up. "Alert me the second her condition worsens." She watched him hesitantly nod back. "I'll inform Albus and ask him to watch your classes." Once more she caught the slight jerky nod. "I'll see myself out then." She didn't wait for him to respond. She just calmly walked out of the room and headed to the Floo.
"Shh," he quietly whispered as he caught his wife's soft pain filled moans. He gently stood up with her again and walked back to their bed. He spelled the sheets clean and gently set her down. Pomfrey was right. It was just a mild fever. Her body temperature wasn't anywhere near 116 degrees yet. In fact, she was only at 100 degrees currently.
Conjuring up a glass of water, he calmly attempted to assist her in sipping it. He could tell that she likely hadn't a clue what was going on around her, but she trusted him. That was all that mattered.
For the numerous hours afterwards, he alternated between placing a cool washcloth on her forehead and getting her to take a sip of water. Every few minutes he'd cast a diagnostic spell on her just to check her temperature, which only made him feel worse. Her fever was gradually inclining instead of the opposite.
"Shh, Aurora, it's all right," he whispered. He had followed Pomfrey's orders and sat her up against the backboard of their bed. It did help her breathe easier. However, he could tell that it also hurt her so he quickly moved behind her and held her against his chest. He sighed as he felt that her clothes were drenched again.
Deciding it'd be better if he didn't have to keep spell-drying her nightgown, he banished it. After yanking one of the sheets from the end of the bed, he wrapped it around her to keep her from shivering. Once more he checked her temperature before sighing heavily. Her fever still hadn't broken yet.
Leaving the sheet behind, he picked her up and carried her into the lavatory. He waved his hand towards the tub faucet to spell it on and silently banished his clothes except his boxers. Very carefully, he stepped into the tub, gently lowering them to sit down. The water was a bit too cool for his tastes, but he had to get Aurora's temperature down. When the water shut off by itself, he grabbed a handful of water and poured it over her head. When she turned into his chest, he nearly laughed. He definitely could see their daughter in her today.
"Severus," she rasped quietly.
"Shh, it's all right." He held her against him. The warmth coming off her was positively scary. Hoping that it'd help, he poured more water over her. He didn't really know what else to do. Pomfrey couldn't help. They couldn't do anything to help Aurora. Her fever was still rising becoming more dangerous by the second.
Remembering how his mother had used to sing a lullaby to him when he was sick, he attempted to do the same. He wasn't really much of a singer, though, so he just hummed. He didn't know the song he was humming, and he didn't really care. He'd just keep humming to her, hoping her fever broke soon. They'd get through this. They would. They'd spend the rest of their lives together then.
~RWWL~
Back to the present-day, Severus sighed heavily as he slowly got out of bed. He didn't need anyone to tell him just how long he had been in bed swallowed by his grief. He could feel it in his stiff joints. By his estimate, he had to have been in that bed for at least a week and a half. However, since he didn't have bedsores littering his body, he clearly had moved somewhat.
"You're awake again," a voice spoke quietly from the chair in the corner.
"So it would seem," he replied softly.
"Do you want me to bring you anything, Snape?" the voice asked, now standing.
"My wife would be nice, Lupin," he responded, closing the lavatory door behind him.
The reflection in the mirror instantly caught his attention. He barely recognized the man staring back at him. The obsidian eyes were soulless again. Deep wrinkles had been etched into his scruffy face. He looked as if he had just emerged from a POW camp for the first time in years.
Rubbing his week and a half beard, he thought about shaving. He had always been clean shaven because beards in his opinion were absolutely murderous to take care of. However, he shook his head and allowed himself to answer nature's call instead of shaving. Flushing the loo once he was done, he walked back to the sink, washed his hands, and walked back out. He made sure that he didn't glance at the stranger in the mirror this time.
Sure enough, the werewolf was still standing there in his bedroom. He, however, scoffed and walked out of his bedroom towards his sitting room. He caught the two Gryffindors sitting at the island in his kitchenette. As if this could become any worse, he had Sirius Fucking Black and Bill Weasley in his rooms. Growling, he ignored both of the men and whirled around towards Lupin.
"Where are my children, Wolf?" he hissed dangerously.
"They're staying with Arthur and Molly, Severus."
"Why?" he snarled, grabbing the man's outer robes.
"I'd think that'd be obvious to you, Snape, considering that you're nearly shaking Moony like he's a ragdoll," Sirius quietly replied. He instantly let out a shriek when Snape leapt towards him with a murderous look in his eyes. He had never seen that look in the man's eyes before, not even after James was a complete bastard to him and removed the man's trousers in front of the entire school. He was saved, however, by Bill who took a step in front of Snape.
"Get the hell out of my way, Weasley," Snape hissed, baring his teeth.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that, Professor."
"Mr. Weasley, I've killed men for lesser and stupider reasons than yours. Get the hell out of my way or I will send your body back to your parents in a matchbox." His eyes were black as coals as he glared at the redhead.
"I can't do that, sir," Bill replied with a slight quiver to his voice.
A red jet of light then streaked past the redhead, striking the bookshelf behind him. Wood splinters shot up into the air with thousands of slivers of paper raining down around them like confetti. Glass around the room then crackled before violently exploding out towards them. The Gryffindors instantly cast shield charms around them with Lupin casting one around Snape.
"How about now, Mr. Weasley?" hissed Snape.
"No, sir, not even now," he answered with a large gulp.
The room violently rattled around them as Snape stared the young Gryffindor down. The large glass window pane that held back Black Lake then cracked, causing water to seep into the room. The Gryffindors glanced down at the water pooling around their feet before Remus threw a quick spell to hold back the entire lake temporarily.
"Dammit, Snape, don't you see!" yelled Sirius. "You can't even control your magic with me. Just think what you'd do when your daughter asks why her mum isn't there with her."
As if someone had popped a balloon, Snape's anger vanished. He took an immediate step back from Bill and stared at Sirius. The ass unfortunately was correct. He couldn't control himself. He didn't even want to think what could have happened if his children had been here to witness his outburst.
"Let's just, you know, take some time to cool off, okay?" Sirius then sighed. "We haven't stopped searching for her, Severus. We're going to find her one way or another. I promise, Severus."
~RWWL~
Facing the raised mahogany casket, row after row of empty white chairs sat in the small clearing on the Windsor estates like the headstones left after the first Wizarding War. A year had passed with no hope given. Slowly, the somber family walked towards their grim reminder of what they had lost. They took their seats in the front row staring straight ahead at what they knew was an empty casket. The rest of the mourners soon made their way, filling the chairs up with warm bodies. No amount of applied heating spells would ever warm the cold box in front of them nor would the breath of life ever awaken the lifelessness in it. Empty, void of any existence, a box that held nothingness, that was all it was, and all it ever would be.
"Today is a somber day," droned the quiet voice standing in front of the casket. "We are here to mourn the loss of Aurora Celestine Sinistra."
Guiltily, Severus glanced down at the ground. Even in death she didn't share his name. His in-laws had of course informed him that they'd understand if she was buried with the Prince or even the Snape name. He couldn't do it, though. He didn't want her to be buried with the Snape name because she didn't deserve that disgrace. However, he couldn't bring himself to give her the Prince name either. He knew he'd never share it with her now so he couldn't do it. Granted, it was rather selfish on his part, but he and Aurora had discussed it numerous times. She always stated that she could wait until they both could take the Prince name. It was just a name to her. It didn't hold the meaning it did for him. It was one of the various things he loved about her.
"Who gave her life valiantly a year ago during a raid," the voice continued in the background.
Brief flashes flickered in Severus's mind. He saw Aurora laughing that tragic morning as their children sat on the sofa waiting for them. He watched the seriousness enter her face as she contemplated possible strategies with Charlie Weasley at the Order meeting that afternoon. He saw her blood-soaked robes that he clutched desperately to his chest that night. The invisible knife plunged deep into his heart.
"I've been asked to forgo the usual eulogy. So in lieu of that, I will just state how deeply missed she shall be."
Severus glanced towards the casket and sighed. He had asked for no eulogy because he was unsure how long he could bear to hold back his grief. It was said that over time one's grief lessened. They were fucking liars in his mind.
"Dad," a soft voice spoke to his right.
He glanced towards Harry and inclined his head before standing. While walking towards the casket, he rubbed the silver wedding band on his left ring finger. It had been a year since he had last seen his wife, and it still didn't feel in heart like she was truly gone. The pain he felt was different from how it felt with Lily's death.
Resting a hand on the casket, he attempted to reach out to the heavens in order to bring her back. His answers were unheard, though. Sighing at yet another disappointment, he slowly walked away from the lifeless, empty box to stand off to the side, waiting patiently for the others to pay their respects. He watched Draco and Harry lift Angel and little Roxi up so they could place a hand on the casket. The boys had grown up so much that he barely could recognize them anymore. When Draco and Harry then brought the girls towards him and took their places next to him, he held his arms out and lifted the youngest child up out of her brother's arms. Holding her tightly against him, he glanced at the dark-haired toddler with Aurora's eyes.
"Momma go bye-bye?" she softly asked with big brown puddle eyes.
"Just for now, Sweet," he whispered back, pressing a kiss against her forehead. He then caught the dark eyes on him from his other little girl. "What is it, my Angel?" His watched his blond daughter whisper something in Draco's ear before the blond Slytherin slowly walked them closer.
"It's okay, little sister," the five year old said with a soft smile. "Daddy's gonna find her."
"You pruhmise?" replied his youngest.
"On my witch's honor," Angel softly answered.
Severus watched the interaction between his little girls and felt the familiar stabbing pain in his chest. Both had so much of their mother in them. He would find Aurora. He wouldn't stop until he did. He would find his wife so they could have their happily ever after. The universe owed him that much.
