Chapter 8-Obilivion, Dreams, and Promises

He angrily entered his chambers, slamming the door for good measure, and headed straight for his alcohol cabinet and withdrew a bottle of Jack Daniels Whiskey. He placed the bottle on a table near the fireplace and all but ripped off his teaching robes to reveal a Victorian looking white shirt and black trousers. He threw his robes into his closet and hurriedly unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt as he flung himself down unto his couch. He grabbed the bottle, accio'd a glass, poured four fingers worth, rather than his customary three, and knocked it back. He sat still as the rush of the liquid burned on the way down. Oblivion was his destination tonight and nothing was going to stop him. It was a Saturday night and he had no plans for the next day. He growled and poured another four fingers.

It was official, he had finally completely lost his sodding mind! To even hope for a moment that someone was capable of loving him. He sneered. He had learned that the hardest way possible growing up. First with his parents and then again at school, both as a student and now as a Potions Master. His circle of 'friends' had no problems casting Unforgivables and loved to see him unsuccessful and in pain.

Knock, knock. Someone wanted to talk to him…too bad tonight. He wasn't going to talk to anyone.

"SOD OFF!" He said threateningly.

Draco opened the door. "Tsk, tsk, Sev. That's no way to treat your favorite godson."

"You're my only bloody godchild, Draco." He sighed wearily. "What do you want? I was on my way to a blissfully happy place." He snorted as he said this…the alcohol was starting to kick in.

Draco stood in silence. It was obvious that Sev was already starting to feel intoxicated and Draco wasn't quite sure how he wanted to say this to his godfather. Severus was always the adult guiding Draco, but this time Draco knew he needed to guide Severus.

Draco opened his mouth, hesitated, and then spoke anyway. "Why did you not make your presence known at the little 'meeting' earlier tonight? How come you didn't confiscate Hermione's potion?"

Severus motioned for Draco to join him on the couch. Draco sat and calmly took a swig from the bottle on the table. Severus rolled his eyes as he thought how he could reply without letting Draco know he enjoyed Hermione's company. He didn't want to see her throw away her future for Lupin. Even if Lupin was a good man. Severus simply didn't think he was quite smart enough for Hermione.

"It would have frightened the others. It was enough that Miss Granger and yourself were alerted to my presence. As for why I didn't take that potion from her, she has a valid point. Rape is not the way a young woman, or anyone for that matter, should first experience that intimacy. Now I have a question for you, how is it that you kept the true nature of your bonding with Miss Granger from myself and everyone else present at the 'meeting?' How was it that Potter or Weasley never suspected anything?" His voice full of disdain. Leaving it perfectly clear what he thought of those two's ability to see anything subtle. Severus finished draining his glass and quickly refilled it again, as if he needed the alcohol to burn through him more than he needed oxygen.

Draco raised an eyebrow, Sev hadn't answered his second question completely and he was drinking faster than he had even seen him do before; in fact, Sev normally didn't drink unless he had returned from a particularly malevolent Death Eater revel. Draco decided to take advantage of the situation, damn being a gentleman!

"Hermione is a very passionate individual," Draco started cautiously. "She is naturally affectionate with those she trusts. Any marks that people believed were hickeys or the like were actually caused by us sparring. I've been training her in physical self-defense since the beginning of sixth year. She kicks my ass on a weekly basis." He paused, as if once again gathering his thoughts while watching Sev kick back another glass full of Jack. "Harry and Ron only saw what Hermione and I wanted them to see. She's been the brains of their group since the first Halloween when they saved her from the troll in the girl's bathroom. Ginny, of course, as a female was able to tell that we were just friends so we've been seeing each other on the sly."

Severus chuckled, the room was tilting and Draco's voice was growing louder. It was kind of hard to carry on a conversation when one had downed half a bottle of Jack Daniels in less than ten minutes. Draco's words penetrated his fuzzy brain. "That's hardly surprising." Severus remarked in a dry voice.

"Sev?"

"Yeah?" Wow, it was getting very hard to say difficult words. Hopefully Draco would just ask him a few yes or no questions and then be on his way.

"Why didn't you take the potion from her?"

"Why should I care if she throws away her future for that werewolf Lupin? He's not bright enough for her; he's smart and I admire and respect him, but he's not smart enough for Mia." Severus was too drunk to register that he had just called Miss Granger 'Mia.' Only in the hidden part of his heart did he call her that name. "Wait, who's with Mia if you're here? You supposed to be protecting her!" Severus tried to rise, but found it tricky to make his legs respond.

Draco smiled when he heard Sev call Hermione by a nickname. Yep, it was official. Sev was over the moon in love with Mia. About bloody time! "It's okay, Sev. Ginny, Neville, and Luna are all crashing in my room tonight. Luna and Hermione are sharing the guest bedroom and Neville is sleeping on the couch right outside the door. Don't worry, everything's alright." He said soothingly as he restrained Sev. As funny as it would be to see Sev collapse, he didn't think Sev would find it so.

Hmm…this was a perfect time to be nosy. The best thing was that there was a high probability that Sev wouldn't be able to summon up all of this conversation when he woke. "Why are you so convinced that Mia is after Lupin?"

"Who else in this bloody school would she be after? Dumbledore? One of the older Weasley boys? You know, Draco, I found it quite humorous when Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood mentioned me. I am the great greasy git and the dungeon bat, according to my students." Severus twitched a little. He wished he was an option, but the only people who willingly touched him were Albus and Draco. It wasn't his fault he needed to wear a glamour everyday of his life until Voldemort was dead and gone!

Draco looked at his godfather. He hated how Sev did this to himself…he wasn't greasy, he could be a git (so could everyone else), and he certainly didn't fly through the dungeons like a bat.

"Sev? What if I told you I knew who it was and I said it wasn't Lupin or Dumbledore or a Weasley?"

"Like I said, boy, who else is there? No one else left that's worth mentioning." Severus was busy trying to finish the bottle of Jack as he said this. Alcohol poisoning was preferable to this line of thought. He couldn't afford to get his hopes up. Only Albus and Draco accepted him completely and loved him unconditionally. He had long ago resigned himself to the fact that his past would interfere with any relationship he might have had.

"Uncle Severus." Draco drawled as he had when he was younger. He knew how much it irritated Sev. He carefully hid his smile as he took the bottle from Sev to take one more swig.

"What? What else do you expect me to say?" Severus snapped. "If you're so incredibly illuminated to Mia's mind, then tell me who you believe it to be when there are no more options." He tried to send Draco a menacing glare, but he couldn't tell which Draco he needed to send it to.

Draco almost laughed as he watched Sev try to figure which vision of him he was supposed to freeze. He controlled himself, barely.

"Have you ever been talking with Hermione over tea and when you look up she's blushing a little. Even when it's a neutral topic? Does she shy away if your fingers or bodies brush while working on a potion together or does she look at you and then quickly return her attention to the potion? Think about it. The answer will come to you on your own." Draco stood up and gently guided his inebriated godfather to his bed. He shoved an anti-hangover potion down Sev's throat after he had taken off his shoes and tucked him under the covers.

Severus was already floating toward dreamland as Draco exited and softly whispered, "Sweet dreams, Sev. Don't let her get away. You deserve each other. Find some happiness together."

Severus was drifting. He knew he was asleep, but instead of nightmares like he expected, he was reliving neutral or somewhat-good memories.

It was the first day of Potions in his N.E.W.T. level class. Very interesting combination: three Ravenclaws, one Hufflepuff, four Gryffindors, and two Slytherins. Mia was so beautiful as she brewed the required potion with ease. Of course, her lab partners were Draco and Neville. Somehow, Neville Longbottom had found his courage and managed to make an E on the potions O.W.L.S. She glanced up at him as if she had felt his scrutiny. Her face had picked up a pinkish twinge, but she gave him a halfway smile as she lowered her head back down to her potion. That smile had made him feel less horrible for a week, he idly recalled. The scene faded.

He was walking down the corridors to the Astronomy Tower. Correction: it appeared he was walking. His feet weren't quite touching the floor. He made it up the stairs and pushed open the door. Mia. She was standing bedside the window, looking out into the night. He took a moment to study her carefully. Her eyes were aged far beyond her seventeen, no twenty years. It was the slightly haunted look he himself had since he the Dark Mark was burned into his arm. Her face and body were more mature than he recalled from class. She wasn't a toothpick, by any means, and that was fine with him. Her hair cascaded down her back in curls that just begged to be touched. Her smooth skin reflected the moonlight. He gave her the once over very slowly, from head to toe and back again. Her body was curved and firm, apparently from all those classes from Draco in self-defense. Long legs that were hardly covered by the slip of dress she was wearing. The green and silver dress whispered as she breathed and he watched with fascination as the rest of the dress moved in beat to the rise and fall off her chest. Slytherins colors looked magnificent on her.

He stepped forward and accidentally stepped on one of the creaky floorboards.

She turned to look at him and smiled. She extended her hand to him. "Come, Severus, it's a beautiful night and I want to share it with you."

"You look different; more grown up." Stupid, Severus, really stupid he was thinking as he heard her laugh. He glanced up. Severus was completely floored, it was rich, sultry, breathtaking. A man would be willing to sell his soul just to make her laugh or to find that smile directed solely at him.

She was still smiling as she replied, "Well, of course. I've been using a glamour so my classmates can't tell I'm twenty instead of seventeen like the rest of them. You different too. But then again, I knew you have to be wearing a glamour." She looked down sheepishly and blushed. "That's just great, Hermione, go off on a know-it-all rampage why don't you," she mumbled under breathe.

Severus stepped in front of her, slipped his hand under her chin and lifted her face. "Mia." He whispered softly, seductively. She looked at him expectantly. "I don't care if you go on a know-it-all rampage. I lo-, I care about you for you. You should never put down your intelligence; it's a gift."

Her eyes shone brightly at this. She straightened and moved so close he could almost feel her heartbeat. "Severus, I have something to tell you," she started.

"Shh. Later. Mia, may I kiss you?" He asked hesitantly. He was afraid that if he moved she would vanish.

As an answer she took both his hands and put them on her hips. She stepped even closer, slid her arms around his neck, ran her fingers through his hair, and looked up at him. She grinned impishly, he could no longer breathe, and he wasn't able to move either. "Honestly, Severus, do I have to do everything?" She said jokingly.

He shot her a look of astonishment and muttered, "Witch." Severus freed one hand from her hip to slip it into her hair and pulled her into him as he tenderly met her lips with his own.

Heaven. He closed his eyes to savor the moment. She tasted of heaven was his last thought and then he could think no more. Sensations raced up and down his spine. Gods. He felt alive for the first time in twenty years. Every nerve was on fire as he angled his head to deepen the kiss. She responded by firmly griping the back of his head and changing her angle as well. He could feel her body heat and felt her heart beat in time with his. A growl emitted from her throat and she slide her hands to his shirt buttons while keeping her mouth fused to his, their tongues locked in a battle for dominance.

Somewhere his brain protested. He hadn't expected it to go this far with a simple kiss, even though that kiss was far from simple; especially not if she wanted to talk to him. He reluctantly eased off. They were both finding it hard to get their breathe back. She shot him a look that plainly said 'why did you stop?'

"Mia," he sighed her name. "You said you wanted to talk to me and if we had continued any longer talking would have been the furthest thing from ours minds. I don't believe that the Astronomy Tower is the proper place, even if other students find it to be so." Severus sank to the floor and pulled her with him. "What was it you wished to say?" He said, staring in her cinnamon-brown eyes.

"I didn't think of it like that. Thank you for being so considerate. You know, your outer beauty matches your inside without that glamour on." She raised a hand to stroke his cheek and Severus found himself leaning into her hand, missing the last sentence she had spoken. She smiled at him. "This is the only place I can tell you how I feel about you. I love you, Severus Snape. I have for a year now and I always will."

Severus' heart leaped for joy, but the sadness creeping into her eyes didn't escape his notice.

"The Final Battle is coming, I can feel it. There is a way to protect all of the Order and the innocent students. Blood." His eyebrow shot upward, but he listened on. "Draco will get Dumbledore to give me a drop of everyone's blood on a necklace. Severus, you must wear that necklace. You are the only one it will be safe with."

Severus was shocked. "How can it be safe with me, Mia? I'm just a Death Eater."

She scowled at him. "An ex-Death Eater. Don't give me that crap about you not being worthy enough. Please, Severus, do this for me. You are the only one it will be safe with. For me?" The pleading look in her eyes so intense he almost couldn't bear it.

He nodded.

"Thank you." She smiled. Her smile faded and her eyes took on a faraway look. "I love you, Severus. Draco's at your door, its time for you to wake up." She pressed her lips to his, gave him a hug, and faded.

Someone was pounding on his door. He groaned. That had been an exotic dream. Very different from what he was used to. Something about and love and a necklace he promised to wear was all he could remember.

He dragged himself out of bed and yanked the door open. "What!" He scowled. It was Draco. He sighed and opened the door all the way. "What do you want at this time of morning?"

Draco looked at his godfather's harried expression, looked down and raised an eyebrow. "Pleasant dreams last night? Sev, it's almost time for lunch. The Headmaster requested for you to join the rest of us in the land of the living."

"Alright. Go along. I'll be there shortly." He slammed the door shut. He was now in a foul mood. He never had good dreams anymore and the first one he got in more than three years he just had to be present somewhere else. Damn. He hadn't dealt with a morning boner since he was a student! BULLOCKS AND BLOODY HELL! He was still protesting the summons as he slipped under the spray of hot water.