CHAPTER 13: SUCH A BEAUTIFUL LIE TO BELIEVE IN

Morgana woke the next morning with a headache and a stuffy nose. There was a large bump on her head from where it had smacked against the stone floor when she fell, and she had practically cried herself to sleep, making the dull ache increase tenfold.

She stared at herself in the mirror – her dark hair was a mess and her eyes were ringed with red, a sign of her fatigue and bloodlust. Her back was sore from where her father had crushed his knee into her, pinning her to the ground. All in all, she was a train wreck, and if it had been a school day, she would have needed someone to cover her classes.

Pleased to know that it was a Saturday, however, she remained in her room for most of the morning, sipping tea and reading through The Daily Prophet and its bland stories of anything but the obvious return of Lord Voldemort.

"Stupid morons," she whispered as she tossed the paper into the fireplace. "Fudge wouldn't know terror if it stepped on his scrotum."

A faint chuckle made its way to her ears from the doorway, and she turned around to see Dumbledore standing in navy blue robes, a terribly saddened look on his face. Standing beside him was Severus, with an equally depressed expression.

"Headmaster, Severus," Morgana said quietly, rising to greet them. "I'm sorry; I didn't hear you come in."

Dumbledore nodded and followed her back over to the sofa, where they both took a seat next to each other. Severus made his way to the mantle and watched as the remains of the Prophet were turned to ash, unable to look Morgana in the eye. An uncomfortable silence fell between the three of them, disrupted only by the occasional crack in the fireplace.

"Is…is there something wrong, sir?" Morgana questioned, looking at Dumbledore curiously.

The old man sighed and nodded. "Yes, my dear, something is terribly wrong." He looked at Severus, whose back was still turned to them. "Perhaps you should tell her."

The Potions Master's shoulders sank at the request, and he turned so he was profiled against the dark mantelpiece. His eyes were closed and his brow furrowed in thought.

"Severus, if this is about last night, you must understand, I –"

He held up a hand to stop her. "The combination of both our impulsive actions has the Dark Lord in an uproar," he explained, pacing in front of the fire. "I was summoned a few hours ago to be punished for my own actions……and now I'm forced to punish you for yours." His voice shook as he finished his sentence, trailing off to barely more than a whisper.

Morgana stared at him. She supposed she should have felt fear, or shock, or hatred. But nothing came to her. She could only sit there, absorbing what Severus had told her and feeling absolutely calm about it. If he refused an order from Voldemort, then he would put his own life in jeopardy, and he was a crucial part of the Order. If he were lost, there was no telling what would happen. She, on the other hand, would only put his life and the life of the others in jeopardy if she remained.

"I'll leave," she said, slowly standing and making towards the oak dresser near the window. "I'll leave tonight, so you don't have to go through with it. He can't blame you for losing me."

"Yes, Morgana, he can," Severus said in a scratchy voice.

"Then I'll go to him and turn myself over," she hissed. "I will not let you kill me, Severus!"

At this point, Dumbledore stood and sighed. "It is far too late to discuss matters such as this. Wait until tomorrow, and we will have a meeting to figure something out." He eyed the both of them in an almost grandfatherly way before exiting the room.

Morgana stood between the dresser and the bed, and it was then that the terror of losing her life struck her. Her throat constricted and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe, and collapsed to the floor in a flurry of gasps and tears. Severus kneeled by her side, holding her close as she came to terms with what was happening.

"I don't want to feel this right now, Severus," she muttered into his chest. "I've been feeling like shit for too long now. I need to feel something else, anything but this. I'd stick my hand in the fire if I could, but I'm not sure if I'd burn up or not."

Severus chuckled at the remark. Full vampires would burn as quickly as parchment if placed in the flames; but a half-vampire? It wasn't something he was keen on finding out at the moment.

She stood up and pulled him with her, taking his hands in hers. "I love you," she whispered, holding his black gaze with her amber eyes.

He sighed, a faint smile working its way onto his pale face, and he pulled her close, lips inches apart. He listened to her breathing, how it quickened when he ran the tips of his fingers lightly up and down her arm, how it was warm on his cheek. The gap between them slowly closed as his mouth covered hers, and he could feel her icy hands searching for a way beneath his robes. He pulled away from her, staring at her, how her entire body begged him to allow her to feel something apart from suffering, if only for one night. "I love you, too." The words slipped out as barely more than a breath of air, but he had said them, and he meant them.

She pressed her lips hungrily against his, running a hand through his hair as he shrugged off his robe and began to unbutton his black frock coat. He could feel her hands as they slid down his chest, eager to help him remove the garment; meanwhile her own dressing robe had slid into a pool of cloth on the floor, revealing her creamy white skin and a hunter green slip, lined with silver lace.

"Feeling a bit nostalgic, are we?" Severus asked in a low voice as he played with one of the straps.

"Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin," Morgana replied, tugging his shirttails out of his trousers and pulling the linen top over his head, allowing it to join his robe on the floor.

He slipped a strong arm around her waist and pulled her close, whispering, "I never thought I'd see you in the House colors again," as he planted light kisses down her neck.

She laughed quietly. "Then I hope you took a good look, because they won't be staying on much longer," she murmured into his ear, "will they?"

Severus stared into her eyes, and a faint moan escaped his lips as she kissed him deeply, pulling him down with her onto the bed and into her world.