Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. My name is Bob. Clearly I do not own it.
A/N: Tremble in fear! The story is more than halfway through, and I've already typed the last two chapters. But don't worry: there is a sequal on the way, and I'm not talking about "Obsessive Misbehavior".
"Six months," Bobbi began one afternoon while she and Severus were having a plotting session, "At least 6 months should suffice."
Severus smirked , wishing he could see into her mind so he wouldn't always have to ask what she meant when she said random things like this. "Six months?"
"I think we should wait until Voldemort's been dead 6 months before we think about making our relationship public knowledge," Bobbi explained.
"I didn't know you were considering it in the first place," Severus replied.
"As much as I love my secrets, they eventually become hard to keep."
Severus smiled, "Whenever you're ready, I'm willing. But if we wait six months, there will be no one left to reveal the secret to."
"Then perhaps we will be long gone before then," Bobbi speculated, "And we won't need to hide anyways."
"I wouldn't want to hide my love for you if I could get away with it."
Bobbi smiled and kissed him briefly. Then she went back to her calculations.
Five months after Voldemort had been killed, things were brighter than ever in the Lair. The name "Death Eater" had almost completely been erased from the identification of the group. They were now simply a large gathering of people who enjoyed spending time with each other.
Many of the former Death Eaters had moved on and returned to their homes before the reawakening of the war, much like they had after Voldemort's first death, no longer concerned with killing mudbloods or purifying the wizard race. It wasn't who they were anymore, and they were happier for it.
Among these disappearances was Wormtail, though his whereabouts and motives were unknown since he was supposed to be dead by the rest of the wizarding world.
Phil and Mel remained at the Lair and enjoyed daily play-dates with Bobbi, who had almost thoroughly forgotten about her late husband. She'd left her things in the Masters' bedroom, but she rarely visited it other than to get clothes. Blaise Zambini had left shortly after Draco, blaming Bobbi (if only jokingly) for running away all his friends. Bobbi didn't much mind.
The Lair was quieter with so many former inhabitants gone. Sometimes a few would return for the "club meetings," but that stopped after a while. But nefarious plans were a thing of the past, and no one expected them to start up again.
Things were finally looking up.
One night as they were getting ready for bed, Severus mused aloud to Bobbi, "Even if we make our relationship public next month, I doubt there will be enough people here for it to make an impact."
"I almost wish Gregory were here for it," Bobbi said, "I wish I could've seen the look on his face when we announce it. That would've been priceless!"
"Evil child," Severus smirked, "You cause me to fear for myself once you stop loving me."
"That will never happen," Bobbi promised, climbing into bed with him.
"What do you want to do after we've completed our task of debunking the Death Eaters?" Snape asked.
Bobbi smiled as she stared into his eyes, "Grow old with you."
Severus sighed, "If only. I am already old, and you will be young forever."
"I'm sure we can work something out." And with this, Bobbi held tightly to the one secret she kept from him, the one secret that she had locked away for so long.
Someday, she thought serenely as she sailed off to sleep. Someday.
The next week, Bobbi left Severus to get her monthly "blood donation."
"I'll be here when you get back," Severus said as he kissed her goodbye in his quarters before she went.
"I might be gone for a while, assuredly longer than usual," Bobbi warned.
"Why? How long?"
"Don't fret your pretty little head over it. I won't be gone too long. I've just got to take care of some business out of town, for personal reasons. I'll tell you all about it when I get back. I'll probably not be back tomorrow, but maybe the next day, very late, or perhaps very early since it will be morning by then. Don't wait up."
Snape sighed, kissing her forehead, "Hurry home."
"As fast as your love can carry me," she promised, then was gone.
The next morning, when Snape woke up, Bobbi was not there as she had promise. He went to breakfast impassively and sat with Mel and Phil. They ate quietly without their mistress there to feed conversation.
When breakfast was over and they were the only three remaining, Mel finally wondered aloud, "Where is Bobbi?"
"She said she was going out to feed," Snape informed them.
"Usually she's back by breakfast," Phil said, "She hates to miss eating bacon."
Mel shrugged, "Maybe she'll be back for lunch."
"Sounds likely. She hates to miss eating her fried chicken," Phil agreed.
But such was not the case.
When Snape went to bed that night, Bobbi was still not back. So for the first time in 4 months, Snape slept alone.
Bobbi did not return the next day. In fact, she did not return for the next week. She sent no word back of her whereabouts and none of the owls anyone sent could find her, not even her own treasured hyacinth macaw. It was as if she had vanished entirely.
The Lair became dull and boring again. The remaining inhabitant thinned in number until there were only maybe a dozen left. Without Bobbi there to entertain them, the Lair was no longer a fun place to hang out.
Mel and Phil remained, mostly to help Snape look for Bobbi, but it was all in vain.
Then one night without warning, Bobbi was back. She walked into the Dining Hall in the middle of dinner looking extremely exhausted. Her hair was blacker than ever, but she had a silly, small smile on her lips.
"Bobbi!" the entire room cried in glee and rushed to greet her. She smiled at them and straightened herself up as much as she could. The crowd bombarded her with questions, but she waved them off, only answering in vague sentences.
Snape pushed the crowd aside and led her to the largest table that all the inhabitants had concentrated at since the number fell below 12. "Obviously she's starving," he rebuked them, "She'll answer your questions after she has replenished herself." The crowd nodded in agreement and settled back into their seats.
The three men surrounded her like bodyguards, assuring her a pleasant meal. They remained quiet despite the nagging questions that were eating at their tongues. Finally, when Bobbi had finished, Mel blurted, "Where were you?"
"Replenishing myself," Bobbi answered vaguely.
"For 2 weeks?" Mel demanded.
"Has it been that long? I guess the time got away from me. I didn't even think it'd been over a week."
"Where did you go?" Phil asked. "It must have been pretty far away for it to have taken that long."
Bobbi shook her head. "I can't tell you guys. It was top secret, and I don't know the name of the place anyway. No one can know of my mission except me. Please, I'm tired. It was a very long journey."
The boys unwillingly let the subject go. They were so relieved to have their Bobbi back that they would not press the matter further out of fear that they would displease her and cause her to leave again.
As Snape walked Bobbi up to the Master's room so as to not look suspicious, she whispered to him, "Meet me in this room after everyone else has gone to bed. I'm too tired to make the trip to your room by myself."
Snape nodded, then left her.
At around 10:30, Snape Apparated into the room to find Bobbi sleeping heavily. He rolled his eyes, then picked her up in his arms and Apparated them into his bedroom. He reflected briefly that this might be perceived as creepy, but he dismissed the notion because he knew Bobbi would find it sweet and maybe even romantic, even if she did tease him about it first. He placed her gently under the covers, then joined her, and fell asleep quickly knowing she was at last safe in his bed. It was the best sleep he'd had in two weeks.
When he woke up at nine the next morning, Bobbi was still sleeping soundly, and Snape knew it would be better for her to rest. He began getting dressed for the day, then in a notion of kindness, he Apparated up to the Master's room and picked out clothes for her to wear, laying them at the foot of his bed so she would see them when she woke up. Then he went to breakfast.
About halfway through the meal, Bobbi joined the only table left, a rested look on her cheery face. She offered Snape a smile when she sat down, and he knew she meant it as thanks. The Dining Hall was much more talkative this morning with Bobbi back in their midst. Phil and Mel and Bobbi carried on a conversation as if she'd never left. Snape threw in his two cents, but mostly remained quiet as always.
After the meal, Snape escorted Bobbi to the study where they usually spent time together planning. Or snogging. Since the Master's death, Bobbi had become the leader, and Snape was once more (although even more influential than before) the second-in-command. Everybody accepted this – welcomed it even – and the peace grew in the castle.
When the two were safely alone, Snape asked, "Where were you?"
Bobbi shook her head, "It's hard to explain. I was taking care of some extremely important business. I was, you could say, bartering with Death."
Snape raised a brow questioningly. "What does that mean?"
"I'm sorry, Severus," Bobbi shook her head, "I really can't tell you. Not right now. But I'll make you a promise: When we start to see results, I'll explain everything to you."
"You've never kept something from me before," Snape said in disbelief, "Why now?"
Bobbi took his hands. "It's for your own good. If you knew, it could interfere with what I've done. But I promise you, as soon as I know it has worked, I'll explain. But you've gotta trust me right now. Just trust me."
Snape looked into her eyes, then sighed and kissed her forehead. "Okay. I trust you."
Bobbi smiled up at him. She kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, Severus Snape."
"And I love you, Bobbi Re."
In the weeks that followed, things began to change. One morning when Snape awoke, he went to the bathroom to wash his face before getting dressed just as he did every morning. When he glanced in the mirror, he got the shock of his life. A younger, handsomer face was looking back at him.
"Bobbi!" he called in alarm, and she ran into the bathroom to see to his cry.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Have you been practicing some more of your feminine magic, or am I losing my mind?" he asked, turning his dripping wet face to her.
A euphoric grin exploded onto her lips. "It's working," she whispered in delight.
"What's working?" he asked in befuddlement. "Does this have to do with your disappearance?"
Bobbi nodded. "I'll tell you tonight. I only hope you won't kill me for it."
So that afternoon, when they were plotting how else to make the world better, Bobbi began her story. "I'm sorry for deceiving you, Severus. I did it for your own good. You see, when I left here, I replenished myself to the maximum to prepare for what I had to do. I went far away to a place I cannot tell you the name of because no one is allowed to ever go there. I've known about this place for many decades, but I could never go there because I had never found someone worthy enough of it. And then you came along.
"I knew you were the one. You see, we have a bond that passes human understanding. But I had to test you to see if you were worthy of my attention, of what I could give you. And when you passed, I knew I had to keep you forever. That's what I was doing in that place. I was making you immortal."
Snape raised an eyebrow skeptically. "So, is that why I've been feeling and looking younger?"
Bobbi nodded. "Because it worked. I can't tell you the exact details of how I made you immortal, mostly because I've been bound to silence by a being more powerful than I. But I did have to make a sacrifice for you to be immortal."
"What was the sacrifice?" Snape asked, dreading the answer.
Bobbi bowed her head. "Our firstborn son. I have to give him up to the Supreme Being. I alone will have to carry him back to the place and offer him to the Supreme Being. It was a hard sacrifice to make, but you're worth it. I'm sorry I didn't get your permission before. I couldn't stand the idea of you disagreeing with me. I know you're very angry with me, and you have the right to be, but it had to be done. For your own good."
Snape sat in silence for a long time, not looking at Bobbi. Eventually, he sighed and pulled her into his lap. He kissed her cheek and whispered, "Thank you. I know it was a hard decision for you, but I am glad you did it, even though it meant deceiving me. Just promise me one thing."
"Anything," Bobbi whispered.
"Don't keep things from me again."
Bobbi nodded, her head still bowed.
Severus lifted her chin and met her eyes. He kissed her lightly on the lips, then embraced her securely. "I love you, Bobbi. Don't ever forget that."
"Not in a thousand years," she smiled.
Snape continued to look and feel younger. He was more energetic and less sleepy at night. And in addition to all that, he was a more powerful wizard. One afternoon while he was dueling Bobbi in the dungeon, he actually managed to knock her down and get an "Ouch!" out of her.
"Are you alright?" he asked in concern.
Bobbi rubbed her rear as she stood up. "Yeah, I'm fine. You're starting to develop more powers, aren't you?"
Snape nodded. "Maybe I'll be as powerful as you one day."
Bobbi smiled, "You can only dream."
One night, after Bobbi and Severus had been dating for 7 months, Severus took Bobbi by the hand and stared into her eyes. "Bobbi, you have been the best friend I've ever had. You have been there for me when no one else even knew I was suffering. You are the most beautiful woman anyone has ever known. And you are more amazing than humanly possible. But I don't think we should be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore."
Bobbi's smile dropped. "What are you saying?" she asked in a tiny voice.
Severus dropped to his knee, staring up into her face lovingly. "I think we should be something more." He pulled out a ring, small in size but huge in significance.
Bobbi gasped, clapping her fingers to her mouth, her eyes streaming happily.
"Bobbi Re," Snape began, "Will you marry me?"
"Oh," Bobbi chirped, "Yes, Severus Snape. 100,000 times yes."
Severus smiled euphorically, his face glowing from the brilliance of this moment. Bobbi mirrored his expression exactly as he slipped the ring onto her finger. She jumped into his arms as he stood and began kissing his entire face, but when she reached his lips, she stayed there. Their kissing was slow, intense, and it had an air behind it which conveyed that they would never need another as long as they lived, which would be a very long time.
When they broke apart, Severus made a discovery. "Bobbi, your hair is blonde again."
Bobbi grabbed her hair and pulled it in front of her eyes. She smiled at Severus and kissed him again. "You've restored my happiness. I love you, Severus."
"I love you too, Bobbi." He pulled her into another kiss, stroking her beautiful hair.
Then Bobbi pulled away. "What are we going to say to the others? Surely they'll notice the ring. Are you ready to tell them?"
Severus smiled. "I'm ready whenever you are. If you want to tell them, I'm with you all the way."
Bobbi smiled, kissed him once more. "We'll tell them tomorrow."
The next morning, Bobbi and Snape walked into the Dining Hall holding hands and sat down with Phil and Mel.
"I should've seen it coming," Phil chuckled, examining Bobbi's ring. "The way you two are always together – it only makes sense."
"It's so pretty, Bobbi," Mel exclaimed, pulling her hand away from Phil and towards himself. "I wish the others were here to see it. They would be so happy for the both of you."
"Goyle would have cried," Phil chortled.
Bobbi smiled, taking Severus's hand. They touched noses affectionately.
Since the news of their engagement, Snape and Bobbi no longer had to hide their relationship, and they no longer snuck around about visiting each other. While they were not as touchy-feely as Bobbi and Voldemort had been, Mel and Phil could tell that they meant more to each other than the previous couple. With the number of inhabitants dwindling so rapidly, there weren't many people to notice this new arrangement anyway.
Bobbi had yet to move her stuff into Snape's room, but there was a different reason for that: his room was too small for her huge wardrobe. So her stuff remained in the Master's bedroom, which was her only reason for visiting it. She hadn't touched Voldemort's stuff; he was so far from her cares that she hadn't given it a thought. She'd be leaving to find a new home with Severus soon, anyway, so bothering with it would just waste time.
Then one night, it happened.
While they were sleeping, a hard, rapid knock came on the door.
Snape groaned, pulling on his robe. He shut the bedroom door behind him when he went into his study because Bobbi was unclothed in his bed.
He pulled open the study door, and his jaw dropped.
The tall, bald man grinned at him evilly. "Hello, Snape. Surprised to see me?"
"Master," Snape stumbled as he tried to collect himself.
Voldemort strode into the room past the shocked man and threw open his bedroom door. No one was inside. He turned back to Snape, scowling. "Where's Bobbi?"
At this point, Snape had himself collected. "I don't know. Did you check her room?"
"Yes. I checked both hers and mine. She is in neither."
"She's probably out hunting," Snape suggested.
Voldemort glared at Snape for a moment longer, then exited the room silently.
When Voldemort got back to his room, he found that there was someone in his shower. He threw open his shower curtain to find a naked Bobbi washing her hair. She jumped when she saw him, then snatched the curtain from him and closed it back. Then she sent a spell at him that threw him out of the room. She locked the door behind him. Then she screamed angrily, "I will deal with you when I'm finished with my shower. You will not get away with this insolence."
"Bobbi, it's me," he shouted back.
"I don't care who you are. You know better than to sneak up on me. You shouldn't be in this room. Just wait until I get through." Then the shower shut off and within a minute, Bobbi was out of the shower, clean clothes on.
The steam billowed out the door with her, giving her an even more frightening-yet-sexy appearance. She glared into the room. "Now who dares to invade my privacy?" she demanded. Then she saw him, and her whole composure dropped. "Tom?" she questioned in utter disbelief.
Voldemort smiled, "Hello, wife."
Her jaw flapped before she touched his face and asked, "Is it really you?"
He smiled. "In the flesh."
"How?" she breathed, pawing his face gingerly, "How?"
"Bellatrix brought me back in a manner similar to how Wormtail did the last time Harry Potter destroyed my body. She gave me some alarming news, however. Something about how you had stopped the fighting between our two sides."
Bobbi bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry to say that I was distraught after you died. I could not continue your reign without you beside me. I tried, I honestly did. But I loved you so much, it hindered my ability to function."
Voldemort smiled, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "That's cute."
Bobbi smiled at him, pulling him into a kiss. "Unfortunately, I have some bad news. Most of the Death Eaters left a few months ago. There was nothing to do, so they went home."
"That's okay. All that matters is that we're together again. We will rebuild the Death Eaters and get our cause back on track. But now we will have the element of surprise."
"Will you call everyone back to the Lair?" Bobbi asked.
"Of course, my pet." He kissed her, but the love was not in it anymore, and Bobbi knew he was suspicious of her.
She kissed him back, wrapping herself around him as if she had missed him the whole time and were so ecstatic to have him back. But in reality, this was a nightmare. She hoped more than anything that he would not find out about – but she couldn't let herself think about that in case he was watching her thoughts. They crawled into bed together to perform their act they both expected of each other. But it wasn't like before. It was the same motions without the love or emotions. They fell asleep wondering how each would deal with the other.
The next morning, Bobbi went around to do damage control. She rounded up the 5 people who knew that she and Snape had "gotten cozy" during the Master's death. The three adults swore not to tell (Bobbi trusted them to keep their word), and Phil and Mel denied that they even knew.
Even still, Voldemort made sure not to let Bobbi out of his sight, especially if Snape were around. He kept her under constant supervision for the next week or so. But then he had to let her out to feed.
As soon as she was out of the Lair, she ran to the field where she had taken Gregory when she needed to talk to him alone. She waited there for a minute after sinking into the ground, cross-legged on the floor. Then Snape joined her.
"I locked my bathroom door and turned on my shower," Snape informed her.
Bobbi smiled and giggled. "Severus, you're as giddy as a school boy. Have you never snuck around behind the authority's back before?"
"You know I have. I've just never snuck out with a girl before. Especially not the authority's wife."
Bobbi pecked him on the lips quickly. "I've missed you. What is the plan?"
"We can't stay here," Snape said, meaning the Lair, "Obviously. But when do we leave?"
"We could leave right now," Bobbi said, "But we'd have to leave everything behind. Are you willing to do that?"
Snape nodded, then shook his head. "I left the ring in my room. I'd rather have it. It means something to us."
Bobbi nodded. "Okay. Next month on this exact day, I'll leave to go hunting again. Have your things packed and in this room before then. When I leave, meet me right here, and we'll go from there. Make sure to remember, but be very inconspicuous about it. He can't be onto us in the slightest."
Snape nodded, then kissed Bobbi one more time before he went back to his room.
A/N: Yes, it is very choppy, but that's because I'm trying to get through a lot in a little chapter. The sequal will be of much higher quality, for sure. Just try to make it through the last two chapters after this. Again, thank you for your fanship. I think that's a word.