((A/N Warning – smut! This is a confusing chapter, I needed to add a bit of depth to Severus Snape, make him just a tiny bit more confusing but I hope you bare with me, I promise everything is going to make sense in the end…. ))

In a bed, the enchanted night sky above her, the pale light of the moon shining through the window did not add colour to her face, on the contrary. Severus leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at her. The potions were working, she was still alive but still not awake. He had a theory why that was though it was a field he had little experience in. Like a caterpillar her body had entered at cocoon-like-state, protecting and sustaining her and her precious cargo. Sighing he rubbed his brow with a hand, he could sent her to St. Mungo's but that would require some explaining and since he wasn't exactly on the list of most trustworthy he argued against it, another option was to drop her off and disappear before any questions could be asked but how long would it take them to figure out what was wrong with her? Would they be able to save her? Exhaling deeply he turned to leave…

"Damn you…"

Spinning around he rushed to her side

"Amanda?"

"Why couldn't you just let me die…"

He grabbed a glass from the nightstand and helped her to drink a bit.

"Because of the paperwork"

"Ha ha, funny…"

As he helped her to sit she looked around the room.

"Yes, my private quarters, consider it an honour"

The gagging sound she made, made him flinch and he moved just in time before she leaned over the side of the bed and spilled her stomach-contents. With a wave of his wand the mess was gone and he poured a purple liquid into her glass, offering it with a reassuring look. Pushing the glass away she moved away from him, sliding of the bed she found her legs unable to stand and ended up in a heap on the floor. As he came into view and lifted her back onto the bed she pushed him away.

"What have you done to me?"

"Apart from what you already know; nothing"

"Stop messing with me, I am all spent as you can see…"

Offering the glass again she refused a second time.

"Come on, it will make you feel better"

"No, I want to know what's going on"

Eyeing her for a minute or two he started:

"The anti-contraception potion I gave you last night, it was supposed to taste like a sweet Chardonnay but if it tastes like strong alcohol and bitter lemon it's taken in vain"

She starred at him in disbelieve

"Are you saying..?"

"Yes, that all the practicing you and Marcus have been doing have finally paid off"

Watching as she threw herself back into the bed and pulled the covers over her head, Severus heard the first sobs escape, what was it with her and crying?

Amanda sat in one of the armchairs in front of the fire, her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms hugging them close. She noticed that he had entered the room but she didn't acknowledge him.

"So what are you going to do?"

Continuing to stare into the flames she shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know"

Severus glared at her

"He deserves to know"

Amanda returned the glare

"He deserves nothing – at least not from me!"

The professor walked over

"If you don't tell him, I will!"

Amanda jumped to her feet, narrowing her eyes at him as she pointed a slender finger at him

"You will do nothing of the sort!"

Severus growled deep in his throat as he moved in on her.

"Taking fatherhood away from a man is just about the cruellest you can do!"

"Cruel? That's rich coming from you!"

Looking at him advancing on her with a dark look on his face she suddenly felt uneasy and swallowed nervously.

"If you keep this from him I swear you have created an evil that will haunt you to your ending days, you should really consider yourself lucky that someone loves you and will want to marry you!"

Seeing a flash of hurt cross his face, a side of him was human, a small side but never the less.

"See, I never had the option… or at least, never the chance to marry the one I loved"

She eyed him closely as she sat on the edge of a table

"What happened?"

"She married my arch-enemy"

"I guess we have a similarities in our lives"

Smirking at her he walked back towards her

"You might see it that way but you're wrong"

Sliding of the desk she moved around it, creating some distance between them

"You could try and explain it"

She said in a hope of desperation, she knew he never would, he had already said too much and why she wondered, maybe she had caught him off guard. How was it again, he always wanted to be in control… What now?

"Don't be ridiculous!"

She gave him half a smile and a nervous laugh

"You know me…"

As the desk started to move to the side she pressed herself against the wall.

"Come on, you wouldn't do anything to an expecting mother?"

She said in desperation

"I did what I did to you last night, knowing you were with child!"

Feeling her blood running cold and shivers coursing over her skin she frantically ran her hands over herself, feeling for her wand but it was nowhere to be found.

"It's on the nightstand and to be honest, you're no match for me and you know it"

He had seen her search for her only kind of protection against him and knew that he was right, not to mention that she knew it, she was just desperate.

"I suggest you make up with Marcus and go live happily ever after"

He was dangerously close now, towering over her

"If I find that you've kept this from him…"

He left the sentence unfinished but she got the point as he grabbed her face with an unoccupied hand, digging his fingers into her cheek, making her wince from the pain and he continued

"Just remember, I can make you hurt and bleed, I am skilled in torture and I can do many excruciating things, all without endangering the baby the slightest!"

He released her and turned his back on her, silently putting a shield up in case she should lose her wits and throw something at his back. By the chair in front of the fireplace he stopped and looked at the door leading to his private chambers

"Fancy a last go before you leave?"

Cheeky! He suppressed a laughter and as a large cyclopaedia flew at him, he merely waved a hand and the book landed on the floor, far from him.

"You never learn do you?"

Amanda stood frozen to the spot, she felt as if under the Imperius-curse, as if someone had made her throw that book. Had she truly lost her mind? About to open her mouth she knew that apologies were be fruitless.

"You bastard!"

-Yes, that's it girl, insult him, just add fuel to the fire-

"When does this all end? The games? The insults? Can't you find someone else to torture, maybe for money?"

Closing her eyes she sighed: she had done it again. Opening her eyes again she flinched as he was standing right in front of her, a playful smirk on his lip

"Oh my, you are truly daft!"

Growling she pushed him out of the way, aiming for the bedroom.

"Ok, traditional then"

Spinning around she glared at him

"Not in this lifetime, I'm leaving!"

Entering the room she found her wand on the bedside table, just like he had said. Pocketing it she turned and found him standing in the doorway, blocking the exit. Waving her hand at him, motioning for him to move out of the way, she gave him a dangerous look, one he did not return but instead stepped into the room, grabbing her arm and guiding her towards the large four-poster bed. Digging her heels into the ground she grabbed his hand, pulling at his fingers to get him to release her but in vain. As she kicked him over the shin she was tossed onto the bed, with only enough time to roll over before he had straddled her.

"You are amazing really, acting like a victim when in reality you must be enjoying this. It's either that or you are truly stupid and know with what OWL's and NEWT's you left school with, I know that's not it"

Trying to squirm away he grabbed her arms and pinned them to the madras, lowering his face to meet hers.

"Had I only known about this years ago Marcus would certainly not have had you to himself"

As she screamed in frustration he slapped her, pulling her arms over her head and binding them to the headboard, the moment's occupancy earned him a kick in the side. Learning about her condition had truly revived her fighting spirit. He smiled through the pain as he discarded his clothes and then hers, a firm hand on her throat he pressed her into the bedding with his larger frame. Feeling their skin connect took his breath away, a bit provoked by her wrapping her legs around his torso and squeezing with all her might. Laughing he undid the leg-lock.

"So feisty!"

With a hand on her thigh, digging his fingers into the flesh he gently bit her neck, tasting the skin as he moved to her ear, a small nibble and just pausing long enough for her to feel his hot breath. Feeling her chest heave under the weight of him he couldn't help but notice that his actions had some effect on her. Grabbing her round breasts he gave them a light squeeze before pinching the nipple between thumb and forefinger, the action making her arch into him. Chuckling low in his throat he caught her lips in a passionate kiss while grabbing her hips and slowly guiding himself into her. Once again she arched her back, gasping to breathe.

It was over too soon for the both of them and as they lay panting on the bed Amanda looked at him, a puzzled look in her eyes.

"That's a first…"

Cocking an eyebrow he scoffed

"What's that supposed to mean? Have I underestimated Marcus?"

"Pfts! Not what I meant you nit!"

Sitting up she gathered her clothes and started putting them on

"With someone else than Marcus"

He smirked at her

"I told you experience would make a difference"

Laughing she smirked at him

"I've had better…"

As he jumped out of the bed, grabbing her, she squealed as he tossed her back into the bed, giggling as he pinned her down

"Oh is that so?"

Grabbing his hand, trying to removed it from venturing under her shirt, she tried to squirm away but he held on tightly. Between laughs she tried to speak but he caught her lips in another passionate kiss, breathing into him she moaned as she felt the weight of him on her again. No one had ever made her feel like this, apart from Marcus of course but this was different. The few items of clothes she had managed to put on disappeared quickly and she entangled her fingers in his hair as he explored the skin and nerve-centres of her chest, gasping as he bit her. As he bit her lip, making it bleed, he caught her hand in mid-air as she swung it at him and he forced it behind her back. Purring in her ear he bit her again

"Playing rough turns me on and you know it, fighting me will only make me continue"

Hissing as he drew blood from her neck she was rolled onto her stomach and with his larger frame he weighed down on her as he entered her, slowly and inch by inch. Biting her shoulder this time he pushed her hair out of her face before blowing in her ear, guiding one of her hands to her private parts, placing a finger on the nerve and making her work herself. As her internal muscle started to spasm he followed closely, exhaling deeply and collapsing on top of her. This had been more exercise than he had had for years and to be honest, he had enjoyed it all too much, it had been long overdue. Rolling off her he caught her eye from under her cascading hair.

"What is it?"

"Marcus…"

He cocked an eyebrow

"Feeling guilty?"

Groaning she nodded while hiding her face in the pillows

"it's a common problem with you Huffies, guilt and emotions, a wonder you have lasted all this time"

Catching a glare from her as she turned to look at him again.

"Well, it's true, we never have such problems with the Slytherins"

Rolling her eyes at him she got out of the bed

"Bathroom?"

"Honestly woman, have you no limitation?"

Another round of rolling eyes

"Where is the bathroom? I need to … erhm … freshen up"

He nodded, pointing the way. As he watched her leave he got out of the bed as well, getting dressed without a single concern about bodily hygiene, he kind of liked the smell of her on him and knowing that this would probably never happen again, he wanted to savour it a bit longer. After a few minutes he knocked on the door, pushing it open as he heard the water running.

"Amanda?"

"Get out!"

He laughed

"Come on, it's not like you have something I haven't seen before"

Her head popped out from behind the shower-screen

"What?"

"A single word question is not adequate my dear"

Hearing her groan as she got back into the shower he found a towel for her, putting it on the chair next to the shower cubicle. As she turned the water off he handed her the towel and sat down on the chair.

"What about staying here?"

He could hear she stopped what she was doing and a second later her head popped out again

"Come again?"

"You're not very articulate today my dear and you heard me perfectly"

Wrapping the towel around her she stepped out while trying to tame her run-away hair by braiding it.

"Has all blood left your brain? I am carrying another man's child and you offer me to stay? What kind of life does being with you offer? Always ready in your bed or hid away off castle grounds? You don't strike me as the domestic type"

"We can work out the details later"

Amanda laughed as she passed him

"Oh the choices life brings me, the plague or cholera – both not so appealing"

Seeing him get up she quickly raised her hands in a defensive manner

"Calm yourself, I was kidding!"

He advanced on her, stopping only inches from her.

"It's an offer I have never made anyone else and probably never will, you are not exactly the most desirable person to spend one's life with"

Glaring at him she turned her heel but he grabbed her arm, stopping her

"You know what I mean!"

Looking at his hand around her arm she sighed

"I'll think about it – ok?"

"No, you decide now and if you leave you can never come back"

Eyeing him she went back into the bedroom, finding her clothes and putting them on, pocketing her wand she found him standing behind her, blocking the doorway.

"I'm serious!"

"I know you are, I know you well enough for that"

Pushing past him he grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face him, her back resting against the doorframe. Running a hand over her cheek he sighed

"Go to him then"

Taking his hand she placed a small kiss on the palm before smiling lightly at him.

"Thank you"

Leaving the office through the back door Amanda quickly made her way to the Gates from where she Disapperated. She wasn't going to choose any of them, least of all Marcus, actually she never planned to see any of them again, she knew the professor had threatened her with a fate worse than death should she choose to keep this new piece of information from Marcus but right now a plan was forming in her brain, she was going to be rid of the both of them. Something had changed and seemingly she was no long bound by the potion, she had a theory on why that was but to be honest, it was not important anymore – she was free. Appearing at the foot of the hill she pushed the gate open to the garden, seeing a familiar face in the kitchen window she waved at the older woman.

Stopping at the half open door she looked at her mother, her face was stern, her hair a mix of salt and pepper, time had been hard on her.

"10 years Amanda!"

Her hands in her side, her wand in the pocket of her smock. Amanda shrugged her shoulder.

"Oliver told me to stay away"

The older woman scoffed

"And since when have you ever listened to your brother?"

"He told me you guys would never want to see me again!"

The woman in front of her scoffed again

"You are my child, my babygirl! I would never shun you"

She pulled Amanda into a bonecrushing hug

"Oh that's so good to hear mum because I have something to tell you…"

Hands on her shoulder the woman cocked an eyebrow at her

"You're not pregnant are you?"

((A/N: in case you guys wonder why she was so quick to be 'persuaded' by Severus, I'd like to defend her: when you're pregnant, almost from day one, hormones are doing weird things to you… I speak from experience!))