Chapter 14: Discovery

By the time they reached Rose's rooms it was quite late. Rose's head rest on Severus' shoulder as he climbed the stairs to her sitting room.

"Severus," she whispered. "Stay?"

The question sent his heart a flutter.

"As long as you want," he answered softly.

He walked over to her love seat and sat down with her in his lap. Her hand went up and absentmindedly began to play with his hair. She looked into the fire intently, biting her lips, as though something was on her mind. Severus could not take his eyes off her beautiful face.

"Severus, are you still in love with Lily?" Rose whispered fear lacing every word.

"I loved her, I can never deny that. I will always love her, Rose. No one can forget their first love, but seeing you tonight, dancing with you tonight and reading the letter she sent me, it only reminded me that I have been given a second chance. I can't promise that I will never think of her. But, I do know that after tonight, I no longer see you as my little sister. I love Lily and forever will but you are the star that burns brighter in my heart." Her hand stilled in his hair and he felt his shirt getting damp. He sat up and took her face in his hands and made her look into his eyes. "Rose talk to me."

"Severus, I love you and have loved you since the first time we met. I don't want to compete with Lily's ghost." She choked the words out as tears streamed down her face.

"Rose, I wasn't kissing Lily, up there on the Astronomy Tower. I was kissing you. I wasn't thinking about how much I loved her, I was thinking about how much I wanted you. I realised a long time ago that you can't make love to a ghost. You can worship them and love them but it doesn't keep you warm at night and it doesn't talk back to you. When I saw you walking into the Great Hall tonight, in that piece of cloth you called a dress and saw Weasley put his hand on your back, I wanted to hex him into the next century for touching you. When I read her letter, all I could think of was that I was finally free. She wrote that you loved me and that I would be a fool not to love you back. The letter was a way for her to ask forgiveness but to give me the closure I needed in order to move forward. Now is it all over now for me? No, but I feel I can start to let go and move forward. The letter made it clear that the only one for me was always you and not Lily. I can understand what she meant. I would get nervous around her and I miss my old accomplice I had as a child. When I saw you, my heart skipped a beat and in my heart I knew that I needed you and couldn't be without you. Your sister broke my heart, losing her shattered it. Seeing you, gave it a new life."

Tears streamed down Rose's face as she heard Severus' words. His eyes looked deeply into hers and searched them for answers. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in it. Sobs wracked her body and all Severus could do was rub her back. She seemed inconsolable.

"I hope I have not hurt her." He sighed inwardly. He rubbed her back and shoulders as she cried, kissed her head.

"Severus," Rose looked up at him, her green eyes shining with tears. "I have loved you for so long." She leaned in and kissed him gently. Her lips soft and tentative. Severus could taste the tears on her lips. His hand cupped her face and he pulled her closer.

"I want to try this with you Rose," he whispered before he took the kiss deeper.

After what seemed like seconds, they broke the kiss off. Rose put her head on his shoulder and they stared off into the fire. Rose's breathing began to soften and Severus knew she was asleep. He picked her up and brought her into the bedroom, lay her down on the bed and covered her with the comforter. He then slid in next to her and held on to her.

"I better not be dreaming," he thought to himself before falling asleep.