J,K. Rowling owns H.P. I own OC and the plot. thanks :)

Alone No More

CHAPTER EIGHT: silence

8

Lumora found herself in the Room of Requirement. Lovely. All she thought when she disapparated was silence. The room around her wasn't just "hear a pin drop" silent, it seemed to be listening intently. She was eerily aware of a presence in the room as well. Snape. rats. He must have read her mind when she had pushed away from the bookcase. Big. Fat. Ugly. Rats.

Master Spy wasn't his only forte. Severus Snape was also a remarkable Legilimens, and it seemed he had out done himself yet again. The Room of Requirement was silent. Too silent. Well, at least it had listened to her plea for help. He still wondered why she had done it. Why had she left? Was she so hurt that he didn't trust her? Wait. He wasn't extremely experienced in relationships, but common sense told him that she trusted him, and thought he would return her gesture. Ooops. Big. Fat. Ooops.

That was just it. He did trust her. It scared the living snot out of him. Part of him didn't want her to know that he did. Trading trust meant vulnerability. Vulnerability was not an option in his life.

Moving silently through the various aisles of this and that, he caught sight of her. Tears were streaming down her face, and she stared at her feet, fist clenched at her sides. She was biting her lip with such force he was afraid she had bitten right through it.

Lovely. Lumora could feel the estrogen in her system rearing its ugly head. Emotions of disappointment in herself for allowing her heart to trust him, along with frustration at his manner, swirled in her veins, overwhelming her consciousness. The only thing she could do was ride out the storm. Biting her lip, she scrunched her eyes shut, and clenched her hands into fists.

She looked so broken. He wondered if this was how he looked when he just couldn't take it anymore. She was beautiful. The courage she possessed to fight even herself was overwhelming. It was astonishing how much she could take. Severus moved silently forward, the desire to erase the pain coloring her features became overwhelming. Odd, He thought. This time he didn't shake away the urge to comfort her. He welcomed it. Moving forward, he hit the desk sitting to his right, knocking off a candle stick. Candle and all, it clattered to the floor.

Her eyes snapped open, immediately locking to his. Even shrouded in shadow, she was acutely aware of him. She furiously wiped at the tears flowing down her cheeks. He could tell she was cursing under her breath.

"I'd like to be left alone." Her tone was almost identical to his usual drawl, he struggled to keep a straight face. He stepped forward, out of the shadows.

"Someone once told me I didn't have to be alone," He mentally smacked himself for how cheesy he just sounded, he cleared his throat, "You are not alone."

Lumora's face twisted into a sardonic smile, she didn't need his pity. With a turn of her back she dismissed him, "Leave,"

Snape shook his head. He moved closer to her, one warm hand coming to rest on her hip. The other had ventured its way into her golden cascading curls, sweeping them away from her neck.

"I said leave," Her voice faltered this time, sounding less sure of what she wanted.

Lips kissed her neck, right below her ear, just as they had done in the broom shop. This time she did not step away from him or ask him to stop. Severus pulled back, and came to stand in front of her. Tears streamed down her red stained cheeks. He could tell she was still fighting within herself to control her emotions.

"I will not," Snape continued to evenly meet his gaze.

"Please," the plea had no sooner left her mouth, when Snape pulled her forward into his chest. Silent sobs wracked her body as she gripped the front of his shirt quite fiercely. Soon she could feel the great tension and turmoil leave her body, washed away in her hot tears.

Severus sighed as he felt her body begin to relax. Lumora pulled away a little to tilt her head up at him, she looked up at him with a rather fond smile forming on her lips. In a soft voice she whispered, "Thank you,"

For once he allowed himself to smile back. Lumora's eyes crinkled with enjoyment and she did something that startled him. She threw her head back and laughed. Still giggling she untangled herself from him, squeezing his hands then dropping them free. Severus's smile had disappeared back behind his usual nonchalant smirk.

Severus had led them away from the Room of Requirement back to his private quarters. He again sat her before the fire, because for some blasted reason she had become quite chilly again. He had asked her again, "Why are you here?" this time instead of freezing, she answered.

"I was instructed to get close to you, become friends." Lumora said softly, nodding at his restated question. Then she looked away from him, unsure how to phrase the next part of her story.

Snape could tell there was more. He waited. Then he put a finger under her chin, guiding her eyes back to his. "And have you been successful in your mission?" He asked, his lips curled into a faint smile.

"That would depend on if you considered us to be friends."

"Do you?" He asked, finding himself desperate to know what she thought of their relationship. He most certainly thought of her as a friend, but she was more, much more.

"Y-yes." she answered, fear overwhelming her. She had an awful feeling that he did not. "Do you?" she repeated his question.

He looked at her thoughtfully. He could tell she was holding back. Her fingers had unconsciously curled themselves into his hair, she had shifted so she was curled up next to him her face dangerously close to his. "Yes," his breath was warm on her face, making her melt.

Lumora couldn't believe her ears, she had done it. She had done what everyone thought impossible, she had become friends with Severus Snape.

"Are you happy that you have succeeded in becoming friends with the dreadful Potions Master?" He asked her, his fingers playing with her golden curls.

"Are you?" she countered, not trusting herself with the real answer.

Snape thought about this for a moment. For the first time in his life, he realized he was happy that someone had refused to let him intimidate them. He shook his head, "I tried to warn you, make you understand the pain and self hatred this mission brings." His voice was as cold as ice, "You listened and just kept coming. You wouldn't stop. Every time I tried to dismiss you, you exceeded my expectations. The Order obviously knew what they were sending."

"I won't stop because I care about you." Lumora answered. She turned to kneel in front of him, the coverlet falling away. Taking his face in her hands, she took a deep breath. "Look at me," she commanded softly. Slowly he met her eyes, they were filled with a fire of determination that took his breath away, "I want you to be able to share the pain and self hatred with someone. When I joined the Order last year, I saw you at meetings. I noticed how distant and cold you were. Then I learned that you were a spy and you were a Death Eater. No one else was able to give up a normal life and do this with you. Sirius has Harry to look after, Remus has Tonks, Dumbledore has Hogwarts. I was the youngest and most logical choice." Tears were now streaming steadily down her face. She couldn't help it. Remembering how awful he had looked at meetings and then not seeing him because he was hurt made her heart break.

"You are also the bravest. Not many people outside of my usual circle with take a potion from me." Snape remarked, he leaned to her face and began to kiss the tears from her cheeks, and her eyes. Then he said something that made her laugh, "I believe Sirius and Remus miscalculated. They have forgotten that I am still a man. What were they thinking when they sent at beautiful, talented, pure hearted witch into the snake's lair?"

After a moment Lumora smiled at a memory, it was only the second full smile he had ever seen from her.

He looked at her wonderingly, "What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, laughing a little. "Oh, I just am remembering over hearing Sirius and Remus talking about you and I." she shook her head.

He waited. His eyebrow cocked suspiciously.

"Well," She chuckled again, "Sirius was telling Remus that I was a very attractive and talented witch, especially with all my powers. Remus countered him with that you would find me too intimidating, that you would resent me. They concluded that our personalities were too similar for us to be attracted to one another." Suddenly sober she asked him, "Do you find me intimidating?"

"Sometimes," He admitted, shifting his gaze from her face to the fire. He pulled her closer, taking the coverlet and wrapping around the two of them. He leaned back against the couch, his legs bent, she rested into his chest, her arms around his waist. He noticed that she had stopped trembling, "Are you warm?" He asked, smoothing the hair out her eyes as she looked up at him.

Lumora smiled warmly at him, "Almost." Slowly she brought a hand to rest at the back of his neck. Her warm, sweet breath fanned his face as she leaned closer to him. He thought that she was going to kiss him, but she stopped just before touching her lips to his. Then came the whisper that, for the moment, brought down his walls, "Severus." she sighed.

Hearing her say his name so tenderly broke his restraint. He had been fighting against the warm fire, the sweet breath on his face and the attractive woman in his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, one tangling in her hair to bring her mouth closer. Then he was kissing her, softly at first. Light brushes of his lips became more pronounced as his grip on her hair tightened. Lumora could feel herself being lowered to the floor so she lay parallel to the sofa. Snape was ravishing her, plundering her mouth, tasting the sweet and spicy tea he had made. He slid a hand down her side, resting on her hip. Trailing kisses down her throat he came to her collarbone. He placed a feather kiss on the exquisite structure eliciting a moan of pleasure from Lumora.

"Severus," came his name again. Goodness, he was only kissing her and she felt as if she would incinerate. Her hands tightened in his hair, bringing his lips back to hers causing him to groan.

"Lumora," his voice was as tender as she had ever heard it. His hand had picked its way under her shirt and was resting on her stomach. Her skin was the softest satin he had ever felt. Suddenly a burning pain ripped through his left forearm. Her eyes locked with his, she had felt the same thing and grabbed his hand. They had been summoned.

Dearest Readers,

Thank you for reading and please review!

Things can't stay peachy forever, such is life...but this duo is realizing that maybe, just maybe they would be better together than apart. Well, Voldemort has a little surprise party scheduled for all his Death Eaters. It seems he thinks there might be some spies and he wants them taken out. No, they couldn't have been found out, could they? Up next is "share."

xoxo

Lumora The White