Chapter 9

Skyrah folded her arms across her chest, clearly annoyed by the rude behavior her husband had just exhibited in front of the headmaster.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I understand that you don't want anybody else living with us, but what has this Potter boy done to you? You spat his name as if you despised him!" Severus stared at her. In a softer tone, Skyrah tried again, "I'm a teacher too, and there are kids who can be brats. It's difficult to deal with them. Did he misbehave at your class? Did he disrespect you? Is that why you are so uncomfortable?"

Severus kept quiet. When Skyrah thought she wasn't going to receive an answer, she heard him admit, "It's complicated."

"I'm listening."

He didn't elaborate though.

"Severus, you can tell me. I need to understand why you are so against tutoring Potter when it could help us vanquish my father."

Silence.

Skyrah was growing tired of his lack of cooperation. She shook her head in defeat. "If you ever want to tell me, I will listen to you."

She made to leave him alone when his silky voice stopped her, "I'm not against Potter receiving Occlumency and advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons. I'm against being the one in charge of them. The brat hates me, it would lead nowhere."

Skyrah turned to face him. "But why do you hate him?"

"I told you. It's complicated."

She looked at him sadly.

"Albus was convinced that you are the right man, and I agree. You have been fooling my father for so long… You are a master of the Occlumency art. Maybe we could teach Potter at his home. We would visit him a few times a week. He doesn't have to stay with us. Advanced Defense lessons can wait until school. Occlumency can't."

Severus cringed. "I'm not going to teach Potter!"

She took a big breath, gathering all the patience in the world. "I meant what I said, if you're not willing to help, I will. Would you agree to that? To me tutoring him a few times? You wouldn't have to see the boy."

"I guess," he drawled.

Skyrah smiled. At last. Progress.

"Good. We will tell Albus tomorrow." She paused, seeing he was still uncomfortable. "So… What do you say? Shall we brew some potions? You said I was ready to brew everlasting elixirs."

The suggestion cheered Severus up. He was thankful she did not mention Harry again.

He was getting used to waking up with her body pressed against his. He should probably have a shower and let her rest longer, but he found he quite liked studying her features while she slept. A lock of hair fell down her cheekbone. He tucked it behind her ear to uncover her face. The gentle touch was enough to wake her up. She squinted and rubbed her eyes. When they adjusted to the light, she gave him a smile.

"Good morning."

He said it back, wishing he could wake up like this until his dying day. He bet her fiancé had wished that as well. Severus pondered asking her about him. He did not wish to intrude, but he was curious, and dare he admit it, jealous, despite recalling her saying Severus's kisses felt better than they had ever felt with her fiancé. Before he could open his mouth, she leapt to her feet and said she'd have a shower.

He did not pluck up the courage to ask her until after breakfast, when she took a potions book to tell him which potion she would like to learn about next. As she flicked through the pages, he said, "There is something I have been meaning to ask you."

"What is it?" she asked, eyes still fixed on the book.

"It probably is a sensitive topic for you, so if you're not ready to tell me, I will understand."

She left the potions book on a table and met his eyes. He took it as a sign to question her.

"You mentioned your fiancé… What happened, exactly?"

The lines of her face darkened. She stood in silence. Severus felt like an idiot for asking.

"My apologies. You don't have to tell me. Forget about it."

"No! I-I'll tell you. It's just that I haven't talked about him to anyone since he passed away. This will be difficult for me... May we sit down?"

They sat down on the sofa, next to each other, but not close enough to brush their shoulders or knees. Skyrah gulped, staring at her wringing hands. Severus waited patiently for her to start. When she did, she wasn't really looking at him. It was as if she was looking at the infinity, lost in her memories.

"His name was Daniel. He was my best friend at Ilvermorny, even though we were in different houses. He was a Pukwudgie, which represents the heart of the wizard and favours healers; while I was a Horned Serpent, which represents the mind of the wizard and favours scholars. We were so different, and yet..."

She smiled sadly.

"I loved him, I loved him so much. And he loved me even more. We became engaged. When my father came to the United States to look for me, I was with him. My father didn't even vacillate to kill him the moment he found Daniel was a muggle-born wizard."

Her expression darkened as much as her voice. The light in her eyes died out. Surprisingly, they didn't hold hate, only emptiness. It occured to him that Skyrah might have loved Daniel as much as he did Lily.

"I saw my own father uttering the k-killing c-curse without remorse. And he was going to do the same to my mother and Dione, my half-sister. I couldn't let him… I..." she trailed off.

"I am sorry."

Unable to speak, she gave him a nod.

"Is Daniel the reason why you know muggle songs?"

He realized his mistake as soon as she gasped.

"How do you know I know muggle songs?"

"I heard you singing Imagine by John Lennon."

I thought you spied on my father, not on me, she thought, but then she realized all he knew about her back then was that she was Voldemort's daughter. He had probably told Albus about her, and she found she did not care that much. He had been doing his job.

"It was one of Daniel's favorite songs."

"Lily liked the song as well."

"Lily? Was she a muggle-born, too?" He gulped and stared at the floor. "S-sorry. You don't have to tell me about her."

He gave it some thought. Should he tell her about Lily? That would mean showing that part of him he kept from the world, being vulnerable. He wasn't sure he was ready, but a part of him told him that talking about her would help him close his still open wound. Skyrah had opened her heart to Severus more than once. Even though she had just said that he needn't tell her anything, he felt like he owed her.

"I met Lily when I was just a kid. I was the one who told her she was a witch."

The small smile she gave him encouraged him to continue.

"She was my first and only friend. She was sorted into Gryffindor, whereas I was sorted into Slytherin. Historically, these two houses have never been on good terms. The house rivalry is very strong, even nowadays. We remained best friends for years. However, we drifted apart in fifth year when I called her a…" he trailed off.

Pronouncing the insult was still dolorous.

"Mudblood?" muttered Skyrah.

Severus nodded. He had expected her to judge him or look at him with disgust. He wouldn't have blamed her, considering she had almost married a muggle-born. She did nothing of the sort. She just listened.

"She never forgave me. She married my school enemy and had a son with him. I joined the Death Eaters and told the prophecy to your father. He targeted them. I was unaware of whom the prophecy referred to at the time. When I found out, I went to Albus. I've been loyal to him ever since."

Skyrah looked at him sadly and then, her eyes widened.

"The prophecy... Harry Potter is Lily's son?" she asked, although it sounded like a statement.

"He is."

Her expression softened. "That's why you dislike the boy... He is the actual proof that your best friend left you for your school enemy."

He didn't affirm nor deny it. He didn't have to speak. The fact he avoided her eyes was enough to gather she was right.

"I'm sorry," she said, putting a hand on his knee.

He gasped and locked their gazes. After everything he'd told her, she still was unafraid of touching him.

"You know, our stories are quite similar…"

He snorted. "You never insulted your friend and you were about to marry him. I'd say they are quite different."

"Perhaps, but we both were fond of a muggle-born who was sorted into a different house and who had been our friend in spite of it. We both lost them because of my father, the same curse, and yet, we blame ourselves." He looked away. He hadn't said he blamed himself for Lily's death. Somehow she knew. And it might be because... "Severus, you and I aren't that different. We can heal each other."

Skyrah squeezed his knee. Gods. His heart was pounding fast. Lily was able to speed up his heartbeat with one simple touch, too, and he knew how attached he had grown to the red-haired witch all too well. He was getting just as attached to Skyrah, and it was terrifying. It wouldn't be so scary if he knew for certain that she felt something similar.

"You told me you felt something for me which you hadn't felt for your fiancé. Is it true?"

"I would never lie about that. Daniel was my first love; he'll always have a place in my heart. But I... I think I'm falling in love with you," she confessed with a blush on her pretty face.

His cheeks turned bright pink as well. It wasn't every day that somebody said they were falling for him. He couldn't tell her he returned her feelings. He was neither sure nor ready.

Skyrah wasn't expecting him to say it back anyway, for she inquired, "Have you ever been with somebody? Have you ever had a girlfriend or…"

"No. I've always been alone."

"Hence, why you were still virgin," she quipped, trying to lighten up the mood.

"You are the one to talk," he scoffed. "How come you were virgin if you had a fiancé whom you clearly loved?"

She bit her bottom lip. "His parents were religious, and so was Daniel. He didn't want to get to it until after the wedding."

He snorted. "And you agreed? You were whipped."

She smacked him playfully on the arm. "Shut up!"

"Just saying…"

She grinned again, but unlike all the sad smiles from this morning, this time, the smile was of happiness. It suited her. It made her look even prettier. It made him want to kiss her. He restrained himself, although he couldn't help but stare at her lips. His gaze lowered to her visible cleavage. It had been an unconscious move, but now that he had done it, he found it impossible to look elsewhere. After all, the soft blue shirt she was wearing hugged all her curves and made her breasts look-

"Severus."

"Yes?" he asked, still gawking at her chest.

"You are staring," she stated, not amused.

Finding that attempting to deny the undeniable would be even more humiliating, he whispered a low yes. She took a pillow from the sofa and hit him with it square on the face.

"You don't stare at a lady like that! My eyes are up here, not down there!"

"I apologize," he said, now looking at her face. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

Uncomfortable?

No. She had only mentioned it because she was getting aroused, and he had told her to wait for that. If he hadn't looked at her with hungry eyes, she might have waited, but right now, she needed to persuade him. She was a descendent of Slytherin, after all. She was ambitious and cunning enough to try. Hence, she lay beside him, took his arms and enfolded herself in them, while her head rested on his shoulder and nuzzled his neck with her nose.

"What are you doing?"

"Cuddling. I liked it the last time."

They stayed in that position for some time, no words exchanged between the pair. Holding Skyrah like that made him feel warm inside. He had been a foreigner in the emotional field, he still was, but Skyrah was teaching him how to progress, and he found that cuddling was an activity with great potential. She had been the Horned Serpent? If she had been the mind he could only begin to imagine just how emotional and affectionate her Daniel had been.

We can heal each other, she had said.

She didn't know he was unfixable. But he could pretend. He had deceived one of the greatest wizards of all time, after all.

Skyrah pecked his neck. Quick as it was, his breath hitched. Noting it, she smiled against his skin and started to kiss, lick and nip his neck.

He felt giddy.

"S-Skyrah."

"Mhmm?"

"What ex-exactly are you pursuing?"

She stalled and sat astride on his lap, her hands on his shoulders.

"We have been thinking about death, regret and misery for too long. I'm trying to rest my mind and focus on pleasure… I won't go one step further until you are ready."

Was he ready for more? His body definitely was. He was sweating in anticipation.

"I feel that we know a lot about each other now. I feel close to you, and I want to feel even closer. Do you?"

She said it with a smoky, deep voice while leaning in. By the end, her lips were barely brushing his and her hot breath on his mouth made him gulp. Caressing ever so slowly the crook of his neck, she husked, "You liked what I was doing to your neck, didn't you?"

Yes.

He liked it.

He liked her mouth on his neck very much.

Her dark brown eyes were pure lust and the sight was enough for Severus to feel his member hardening. Damn this woman! he thought. He remembered her soft moans when they consummated the marriage. The way her skin felt against his, the way her walls tightened against him. Her lust when she saw him wrapped in a towel. The way she had offered herself just yesterday.

Suddenly, she was kissing him. It started off as sweet, almost chaste, and he didn't collaborate. She parted, bit her bottom lip and kissed him again. This time, she squeezed his shoulder, making him open his lips in surprise. It gave her the perfect excuse for exploring his mouth with her tongue. Severus kissed her back. It felt so good, after all, and he had already denied her sex twice even though he had clearly been turned on. He had never expected Voldemort's daughter to be so passionate, so warm, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't like her like that. He wanted her. Badly. He couldn't believe she was willing to have sex with him.

"Is that a yes? Are you sure you don't want to wait?" she panted, hope etched on her features.

He pushed her off him gently and got up. Disappointment and shame ate Skyrah. Every time she tried to get close to him, she scared him off. It was frustrating. She wanted to live her life the fullest. She had already lost Daniel. She didn't want to look back someday and feel like she had wasted opportunities with Severus.

"I am sorry for pushing you. We don't have to do anything you don't want to. I-"

"Skyrah, I am not doing this in this cramped sofa. Let's go to bed."

Her head shot up, eyes wide. He only had time to smirk before Skyrah pushed him against the nearest wall, kissing him roughly, possessively, curling her fingers in his hair.

Oh, shit.

Now she would realize touching him was repulsive. His greasy hair would disgust her.

Or not.

She did not stop playing with it. Nobody had ever dared to touch his hair. He welcomed the gesture with a low moan. His hands caressed her back and slid down tentatively until they reached her bottom. The contact made her gasp and break the kiss. He feared he had gone too far until she grinned up at him with playful eyes.

"To bed. Now!"

They got to their bedroom amid a tussle of kisses. Skyrah shoved Severus into the bed. She was on top of him next, snogging him senseless while struggling to unfasten the buttons of his robes.

"These buttons are so sexy yet so impractical!" Severus almost choked. His name and sexy had never gone together. "Take this off, for Merlin's pants!"

Well, she was impatient. Not that he minded. With a flick of his wand, he was just in his pants. She copied him as soon as she found her wand. She was straddling him in her black underwear. Severus took in her appearance once again. She was so bloody perfect: her round breasts, her slender waist, her strong legs… Everything about her. What did she see in him, again?

She kissed his chest while her hand teased him down there, barely touching him through his pants. He tried hard not to whimper. He failed. Then she gently bit his nipple, never distracting her attention from his erection. He had to remind himself he had to breathe. She had too much power over him. He was too vulnerable to her warmth and her touches. Astutely, he rotated their positions so that Skyrah was under him and he was the one in control.

He kissed, licked and bit her neck in the same manner she had done to him on the couch. When he reached the crook of her neck, her breathing sped up, a little whimper escaped her throat and her eyes shut in ecstasy while she gripped rumpled bedsheets. He grinned wickedly. He had just hit upon her weak spot. After memorizing it, he left a trace of butterfly kisses that reached her lacy bra.

Unclasping it was proving to be one of the toughest challenges he had ever faced. Skyrah chuckled and untied it in a second, throwing it away and exposing herself. Severus started to massage her voluptuous breasts, playing with her nipples, something she had seemed to enjoy the first time they had had sex. He had enjoyed it even more. On instinct, he sucked on her erect nipples, causing Skyrah to swear.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, alarmed.

"Do that again."

He hadn't hurt her, then. He complied. Meanwhile, she toyed with his hair and grinded her hips against his. His hand caressed down her belly until he encountered her panties.

When she nodded, he took them away, exposing her curls. His hand was trembling, but he followed his impulse and touched her intimate area. Skyrah closed her eyes and let out an urgent moan, as she raised her hips to scrub herself against his hand. Severus found her clitoris and rubbed it with his thumb, drawing circles like she had done to herself before climaxing the last time. She was getting wetter and wetter and he could only focus on her urgent sighs and the blood that pumped through his veins.

"I want you." He halted. She arched her eyebrow at his astonished face. "Don't be so surprised! Your hands are driving me crazy right now… And I want you inside of me."

He didn't need to be told twice. He positioned himself at her entrance and was about to enter her when she put her hands on his chest.

"Wait. I... I want to try something."

She rolled them so that she was on top of him and straddled him. She took his erect member, gaining a grunt from him. She thought it had been from pleasure. It had been from surprise. He tensed, and she met his eyes. That was when she realized he was... uncomfortable?

"Relax. I only want to feel good. I want you to feel good. I have never done this, but I... I'll give my best. We'll change positions if it doesn't work."

His gaze.

It turned so intense. He wasn't scared, anymore, but amazed, as if the thought that somebody wanted to pleasure him was something irrational, as if he had been convinced that the only reason that she wanted sex was to satisfy her needs, and now he found out he had been wrong. He still felt more comfortable being on top. After all, he had been on top during the only sexual encounter he had ever had. She had reached her climax in that position. What if she didn't reach it now? What if he couldn't last long with her having the power?

Because she had the power. The fact he found it difficult to think when she rocked her core against his throbbing member was proof enough.

"S-Skyrah."

She licked her lips.

Severus shuddered at the sight. Dammit. He couldn't wait anymore. If she wanted to be on top, so be it, but he wouldn't let her tease him longer, or he'd come before the fun really started. He raised his hips and filled her, making them both cry out in pleasure. It took her a few seconds to adjust to his size, and then, she started to move experimentally. Soon, she found a rhythm she liked. He liked it just as much, especially when she moaned his name. He had been reluctant to let her take control, but right then, he decided to stop thinking and let himself feel. How could he not feel, when she was kissing him?

It wasn't a regular kiss. This kiss was different. This kiss screamed that she was in love, that she was giving her all to him. Severus was overwhelmed: overwhelmed by her passion, overwhelmed by her strong emotions, by her throaty moans, by the way she touched him, by the way she looked at him, by the way her tight wet walls wrapped him so perfectly…

She broke the kiss and increased the rhythm, resting her hands on his chest. Severus held her firmly by the hips and followed her with every thrust, mesmerized by her bouncing breasts and lustful eyes. He was close, so close, and when she took one of his hands and brought it to palm her breast, he spilled his seed inside her. Skyrah followed him two thrusts later, crying out his name. Her contractions felt amazing against his member and Severus could only focus on his flushed spouse. She was beautiful with her head thrown back, eyes squeezed shut, thighs squeezing his hips - so freaking beautiful. How come he had married her, again? Oh, yes. It turned out becoming a Death Eater hadn't been such a regrettable mistake, not when he had met somebody who actually cared for him thanks to it.

The pleasure waves faded and peace settled in. Skyrah landed on the mattress with a thud. Both of them were utterly satisfied and spent, breathing hard and sweating.

"This was even better than our first time."

"Indeed," he let out, struggling to even his rapid breaths and pumping heartbeat.

She smiled at him and tenderly kissed his cheek. Her fingers spidered and found his hand, taking hold of it. Severus tangled their fingers unwittingly, and she sighed contently. They stayed like that, in comfortable silence, until Skyrah got up and got dressed.

"Where are you going?" he asked, hiding the disappointment of her leaving his side flawlessly, like the spy he was.

"To the living room, to floo call Albus. Let's see how he takes that you aren't going to cooperate with Potter and that instead, I'll do the job a few times a week in his place, never here."

Before he could object, she had already climbed downstairs. Sighing, Severus got dressed and waited for their conversation to finish. Eventually, Skyrah faced him and told him that Albus wanted to discuss the matter in depth at Hogwarts right then.

"Why did you have to tell him so soon?"

He wouldn't have minded it if they had spent the rest of the day in that bed, just being with each other, chatting, or even repeating the performance. Heck, just cuddling would have brought him joy. Now, they could do none of that since the headmaster required their presence elsewhere.

"I'm not going to give my father more time to screw up anything else."

He grunted. Now he saw why she was a Horned Serpent. She may be emotional, but she knew when to follow her mind.

"Point taken. Follow my lead."