A/N: Welcome, welcome, one and all to the , sorry. Wrong story. Anyways, this is the third chapter of my little story of love and I hope you like it, or I will rain messy chaotic troubles on you.(thwap Muse smacks Chaos Dancer upside the head and glares) Ow, ok ok, no threatening the 't do anything I want..thought growin up meant that ya got to do what ya want? Anyways, Only Tania and Kit are mine, all else belongs to JK Rowlings, and there is ooc, slash and het. Gotta problem, take it up with Strife, or Spike. Angelus is a bit busy with Xander and Jonathan. (gazes blankly into space drooling. Is joined by muse..) A-HEM! Right, on with the show.

Chapter 3

The next few days were hectic. Tania and Kit took a lot of the work onto their shoulders and helped out with Severus. Tania kept glancing worriedly at her daughter and finally the two sat down to talk in the Nurse's Office.

"Kit, you were very brave. But taking the wounds Professor Snape had was a very dangerous thing to do."

"I know, but mom, I had to. I really really like him." Kit looked at her hands and curled them into fists. "I think something happened that I didn't intend to do, happened though." panic rushed through her mother at this admission. something unplanned? oh dear Merlin...

"What? Baby girl, please, tell me. I can try to fix it, but not unless you tell me.."

"NO! No, it doesn't need to be fixed. In fact I don't think it can be fixed, if it is what I , I think I touched his soul, with mine."

Tania sat back and stared at her child. Large amber eyes looked pleadingly at her and shimmered with tears, but awe and hope were clear. Kit was happy by this thought, and hoped that Severus would be as well. Tania opened her arms and they were filled with a warm body. She took a deep breath and smelled the spicy scent that she knew from her daughter's birth.

"I hope then, my little one, that all goes well, if that did happen. If you need to talk, owl me." She murmured, pulling back to kiss the forehead of her only child.

"I will."

At that moment, Poppy's voice broke through, excited and relieved.

"Severus! Welcome back to the land of the living! No, don't try to talk, you took a severe beating, and it was only thanks to Kit and her mother helping me, that you are able to wake up at all." Kit was up with a wild, joyful cry and out the door, heading for the cot that held the body of the tall slender man she called friend, and felt more for. Tania looked up and prayed that her child's heart wouldn't be broken, before going in to join them.

Severus looked back and forth at them, black eyes shining suspiciously and he smiled slightly at sight of the teenager who was babbling a million and one things to him, catching him up. Poppy and Tania began to speak, explaining everything that had happened over the past three days. He was curious as to how come he felt so good so soon, but was given evasive answers to questions of that sort. Poppy wasn't sure, but she did understand just how dangerous and difficult the spell Kitiara had done for Severus, and didn't want him to fret over what had been done. What she couldn't understand was how Kit had gotten healed so quickly. While the adults talked, Kit gently stroked his arm, and as she was brushing her fingers over the Dark Mark, a wicked smile bloomed on her face. Making sure the adults weren't paying her any attention, she reached out with her magick, and sent fire to everyone who bore the mark, using the link the Dark Lord had so conveniently provided. Voldemort got it the worse however. Fire literally leapt out of Wormtail's arm, and scored across his face. The voice was loud and rage filled in his head, and he cowered under the strength of righteous fury.

"FUCK WITH MY MATE, YOU FUCK WITH ME! AND YOU WON'T SURVIVE THAT ENCOUNTER!"

Drawing back she felt satisfaction and a sense of rightness. She smiled and gave Severus a quick kiss on his lips and bounced off. Totally missing the shocked look on Severus and Poppy's faces. Tania chuckled and looked at the young man in the bed.

"She's chosen you as her mate. She herself isn't completely aware that this has happened, but it means that you are worthy in her eyes and in light of her soul. Her father did the same thing to me when we courted." She chuckled. "That doesn't mean she's going to ease up on the pranks when you're better, but they will be more. attuned to you."

"But, I've done such ?"

"Why does she love you? Who can tell the nature of love? It's there, no matter how you look at it. Just, don't hurt her if you don't feel the same."

"You approve of this then Tania?" Poppy asked cautiously. The other woman shrugged then smiled sadly.

"It's her life, and she can live it her way. I am not going to stand between her and the kind of love I shared with her father. It was for a short time, but Gods I loved that man, and if I had to live through the same thing, knowing what was coming, I still would marry him. I miss him like you wouldn't believe, but at least I had that time with him, and I treasure those memories." The look in the mind healers' eyes, convinced the two of the truth. Poppy dismissed it as trivial, but Severus thought long and deep on what he'd been told and wondering at the gift of love bestowed on him.

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The wind howled across the tombstones and the old house shook with every blast. Residents of the town below looked up at the old house on the hill and shuddered in fear they dismissed as superstitious foolishness and went on their way. Dismissing the instincts that had kept their ancestors alive when they still lived in caves. For the house did harbor something evil, and it sat on a throne of wood, cheaply gilded and peering out of blood red eyes. Forms huddled in a ragged circle, robed and masked. They couldn't contain their shudders of revulsion at the sight of the old, wizened man. He had been no beauty, with his face as flat as a serpents' and coldly amused viciousness, but now they saw the deadly strength for which he was known; As well as the burn scars across his face, in four parallel streaks across his face.

"How? How did thisss indignity, come to passs? Who hasss the ssstrength to do thissss to ME!?" He asked. "Why have none of my Death Eatersss found thisss misscreant, who dared to attack their Lord?"

"M. Lord, I believe I might know the being behind this attack." Lucius's voice broke the silence as he groveled. "I am not sure, after all she is a colonial brat, but she shoved me out of the robe makers' when I went with my son to get his uniform. She was twenty feet away at the time, and had no wand."

"Iss thiss correct? A CHILD, did this?! A girl? Even if it was her who did this amount of damage, I want her. If I could turn her away from the old fool, I'll give her Severusss. If not, her blood would be useful." Red eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation. "Have your son watch her, Luciusss. And have him attempt to turn her. If he can do nothing but make her willing to serve the dark, then complete her turning."

An evil laugh rang out, echoing up to the sky as the stars watched silent and cold.

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In his room, later, that night, Draco physically watched the stars, but was lost in his thoughts. His father was no longer the one he remembered. No this man was colder and more cruel than ever. He didn't doubt for a second that if the dark lord asked him to kill his son, the other man would do so in an instant. Add in the few facts that he had sent Dobby to Potter in second year to try to protect his secret love; that he loved Severus like a father, a real father, and his encounter with that strange girl in Diagon Alley and you had one deep thinking Slytherin. He was determined to find a way out. He refused to let his blood decide who he wanted to be. He gave a shudder, if his father knew he wanted to be an artist. it didn't bear thinkng about. No, his best bet was to go to Dumbledore and throw himself upon the old man's mercy. His knowledge of what was going on would be helpful there. And his assignment with the girl, would give him the excuse to hang around her without anyone being the wiser. He smiled.

What could go wrong?

A/N: OOOOH!!! Draco, don't you know that whenever you ask such a question, EVERYTHING goes FUBAR? Tsk tsks, for more, stay tuned. Same bat time, same bat wrong story, anyhoo, review. Please? You know ya wanna..puppy eyes