J.K. Rowling owns HP and I own the plot and OC's...thanx :)

Alone No More

CHAPTER TWELVE vision

12

"Deal." Snape drawled, his tone stil as icy as ever, but she could tell something inside him was grateful to be able to help her in return. "Are you finished with your lesson plans Professor?" He asked in his steely voice. He had moved to stand in front of her.

Lumora looked up at him, and nodded. He slowly took the book from her placing it on the table behind the sofa. He drew her into his arms and kissed her. Lumora fought a gasp of surprise and felt her protest begin to dwindle. She found herself being propelled backwards until she felt the couch hit the back of her knees. Then she was falling again, his leaning over her. Severus began to trail kisses down her neck to her exposed collarbone.

Lumora giggled.

Snape pulled back to gaze down into her flushed face. "Is something funny?" He asked quietly, she could see his lips twitch as if he was fighting a smile.

"Your elbow is tickling my ribs," she smiled sweetly.

"Oh?" he replied in fake surprise, his eye brow arching up curiously. His lips held a small mischievous smirk.

Her eyes widened. "No," she whispered, then as she scrambled out from under him, "No, no no!" she squealed higher and higher.

Severus stopped to look at the woman across from him. Here he was, about to play tickle monster with her and he had to surpress everything inside himself to smile crookedly back at her giggling flushed face. Slowly he made his way toward her.

With every step he took forward, she took one back. His eyes were coal black, his face held an awkward, but handsome smile. She was sure that her face was flushed and pink as a cherry. Something stopped her retreat. She found herself cornered between two bookcases.

Snape's smile grew, but Lumora's faded. He could see her youthful demeanor change to fear. Confused by her sudden reaction he muttered, "Legilimens,"

Her thoughts were horrid. She was twenty-one again, Death Eaters surrounded her Aunt and Uncle. She had plastered herself against the library bookcase. He saw his own form in the corner, observing. Then he saw Goyle slowly moving towards her, a crooked smile on his face. He could see her terror and her fight not to shift to her eagle form and fly from the room. She was bravely murmuring a concealment charm. Kenning stared at the bookcase in confusion. Green light flashed through the room. Snape then collected all the Death Eaters together and then in a hiss of black smoke, they were gone.

Snape had stopped his advance, watching the emotions of that night play out on Lumora's face. Lumora covered her face with her hands, sliding down the bookcase until she reached the floor. He took a deep breath, considering leaving her alone. He knew that she would have tried to help him. He may appear cold, and heartless but somewhere deep inside the blackness he did still have a soul. He knelt down and placed his hands over hers. He could see her shaking. Quickly he wrapped her up in his arms and carried her over the sofa. Sitting down, he cradled her in his lap. In the silence he ran his fingers threw a few golden curls that had escaped her clip.

She couldn't believe her reaction. Why would she be so deeply upset about that night when she was now getting her chance for justice? Slowly she uncovered her face. Giving a small sniffle she whispered, "I'm sorry."

Snape shook his head, "No," he corrected, "I am sorry." He smoothed away tears with his thumb.

She understood he wasn't just apologizing for scaring her just then, he was apologizing for the deaths of her aunt and uncle. "You didn't have a choice!" she exclaimed angrily.

Snape closed his eyes, and pinched his nose in frustration. How could she just wave away his treachery like that? "How can you do this?" Snape whispered, more to himself than her.

"How can I not?" She looked up at him, her chin lifted again in defiance. She looked ready to fight him if he told her that she was just a foolish twenty-two year old girl.

Part of him wanted to believe that, that she was just some silly, naive, girl. But the more time he spent with her, the more he had come to terms with that he had a brave, defiant, dedicated and attractive young woman as a partner.

"I am grateful that you are so brave," Snape whispered. His voice was uncharacteristically soft. Then he kissed her.

"Brave enough to waltz into the snake's lair," she teased, smiling against his lips.

"Brave enough to charm the snake?"

"Oh, yes."

Sirius Black sat in the living room of Grimmauld Place. Suddenly a sleek, black raven flew in through the window. He recognized the bird as Horace, Snape's pet. He took the parchment and the bird returned to the skies. His brow furrowed at the response he had received from Snape. It seemed that he may have some competition with Severus for Lumora. He had been the one to receive her plea for help when her Aunt and Uncle were killed. He thought they had become close over the past year. She would visit Grimmauld Place occasionally and join him for dinner. He had kissed her once, it became very passionate. He had just begun to unbutton her blouse when she had pushed him away. She had withdrawn from him after that. He would ask her what was wrong, but she would make up an excuse of a headache or some other ailment. He needed to figure out a way to make Lumora understand how much he cared for her.

"Concentrate Ollivander." Snape sneered coldly, taking on the role of teacher smoothly. He had brought Lumora out to his private potions garden. They stood just outside the end of the garden, facing the hill where they had apparated to Voldemort. Lumora stood just in front of him, her Soaring Eagle 5 on the ground next to her. He came to stand in front of her. Eyes closed, and a smile on her face Lumora out stretched her hand over the broom. He knew that smile, it was a smile of power, control and anticipation.

"Up!" The broom smoothly flew up from the ground into her waiting hand.

Snape kept composed, but inside he almost felt fear. Lumora was much more powerful than she realized. That could be very dangerous, especially now that she was in feigned allegiance to the Dark Lord. "Mount your broom."

Lumora opened her eyes, and met his. He could see the awareness burning in them. He mounted his broom, and she mirrored him.

"Push off from the ground, channeling the same energy you used the make the broom come to your hand." Snape instructed, pushing off the ground himself to hover a few feet up.

Lumora closed her eyes and allowed her energy to fill the broom again. It surprised her how much energy she had. She pushed off from the ground, and hovered a little bit above where Severus was. He moved up, and flew to her side. She was looking down at the ground in amazement. He then flew up away from her. Staring after him in amusement, she could see the way he belonged on a broom. She began to wonder if he had played Quidditch while in school.

"Follow please," the call reached her ears bringing her back to reality. Lumora followed and caught up with him. He stopped to look down at the garden below. They were probably a good fifty feet up. She was smiling and a sigh of contentment escaped her lips.

"Thank you." She breathed, basking in the feeling of flying without being in animal form.

Snape nodded, enjoying being on his own broom again. He had liked flying her Soaring Eagle 5, he had the same broom, but there was something about flying his own. He looked over at her as she gazed over the garden. From the air she could see the giant S pattern the plants made. It was entirely made of green, 'for Slytherin,' she mused. The rest of the square were different patches of colorful flowers and herbs.

"To give you practice, we will fly to London tonight." He stated, as she flew in a playful circle around him. She didn't need practice. Flying came as natural as breathing did to her. It helped that she was a flying Animagus, but her power was so strong.

Lumora had trouble justifying his statement. She really didn't need practice. As she flew around the garden, she could recall her first year at Hogwarts, and learning how to fly on a broom. Three short years later she found herself able to change into a bird, so the broom was soon forgotten. He just wanted to fly, it was obvious he enjoyed it. It was the most relaxed she had ever seen him. So she nodded in response to his declaration of their travel arrangements.

Severus was thankful they had eaten lunch before coming out to the gardens as it was now almost 2 o'clock. He wanted to finish brewing Lupin's wolfsbane potion before their meeting tonight. "I believe that is enough for now," He mused causing her to glance at her watch.

On Sundays, she usually would take the afternoon to dance. From years of classes, she became very disciplined. The Nutcracker ballet was put on by the local ballet studio every year in her home town. Since Hogwarts got out at the beginning of December, she was able to join the show. She needed to work on turns and leaps today. Thursday she was able to work on extensions and floor work.

Snape flew down to the garden and came to a stop next to the fountain. Lumora followed and smoothly landed back on the ground. "I need to finish a potion in my lab. Meet me at the Astronomy tower at six fifteen."

Lumora nodded. She usually used the tower to dance, as it was one of the few open areas in the castle with a smooth wood floor. The railing served as a ballet barre, such a blessing it was. "I will see you then," she whispered. He had taken her in his arms, the wind whipping around them. He kissed her roughly, as if he had been waiting the entire time they were flying for it. He pulled back suddenly, his cold black eyes piercing down into her own. Then in a swirl of black cloak he was gone. She could vaguely remember Dumbledore telling her apparition was impossible within Hogwarts grounds. Maybe Snape had found a loop hole? She would have to mention it the next time she had a chance.

Brewing the wolfsbane potion took less time than usual. He found himself extremely relaxed and focused on each individual ingredient. The potion had been simmering away and he found himself anticipating the upcoming meeting with the Order. He was particularly interested in sharing words with Sirius. He found himself playing an old classical piano record, and quietly humming along to it as he brewed. Something about the way the music soared and dipped, twisted and turned made the brewing process flow. After bottling the potion, he decided to head up to the Astronomy tower to wait for Lumora. Stopping at his lab door, he paused briefly to douse the lights with a whispered, "Nox."

"Up, higher, push, turn," Lumora chided herself as she moved across the floor. She was working on a difficult combination of a triple turn a la seconde, then a full split extension finished with a back Grande Jeté. Sweat trickled down her back and beaded on her forehead. She wore a 3/4 sleeve black leotard with gaucho pants and bare feet. Today was her lyrical technique day. She was listening to "I caught myself," by Paramore.

Severus could hear music, a genre unfamiliar to his ears, floating down the astronomy tower stairs. He carefully picked his way up the steps, not allowing his boots to thud too distinctly against the marble surface. The scene on the observation deck was enough to take his breath away. The dancer before him was full of emotion, conflict and desire. He could vividly see the lyrics being shouted from her legs and arms.

"I usually don't allow an audience." She mused while in a lifted arabesque, her gaze flicking to him. Snape had come up to the top of the steps, just inside the observation deck. He was leaning casually against the railing she had previously used for barre work. She then continued to leap across the floor, two Grande jetes followed by a Grande center leap. Turning out of that, she shanaed and pique turned to the railing where he stood. Taking a few moments to cool down and stretch, Lumora inquired, "How did your brewing go?"

Snape almost smiled, he could tell that she was attempting to make small talk. His lips twitched, he wanted to point out how pointless small talk was between them, but instead he replied, "Very well. Lupin should be ecstatic." His tone was rather sarcastic, but she could tell that he was successful in his brewing hours.

She nodded, and turned away from him, to the shadowed corner of the deck where her change of clothes were. Thankful that magic would allow her to change clothes without stripping in front of him, Lumora redressed in her signature black-violet attire. Glancing at her watch, she rejoined him at the railing.

Severus was thankful she did not make a big deal of her undressed state. He was having trouble focusing on something else while she had slipped away to change. He had found himself wanting to undress her, to discover the skin that had been revealed by her dance outfit, now hidden again under her alluring black-violet robes. "We should go," Snape stated. He noticed that she had her broom. He nodded and mounted his own. Then pushing off they hovered for a few moments, so that Lumora could get used to the senstation again. Snape looked over at her. With bright, excited eyes Lumora nodded. With the Order of the Phoenix as their destination, the two flew off into the night.

My Dearest Readers,

I like this chapter, but I feel like it was completely pointless. Although Lumora learned to fly, and we find out that Sirius is pinning for her affection, I would like your recommendations and comments as this is my first fic! thank you for reading and reviewing. up next is "green-eyed monster."

xoxo

Lumora The White