Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Honeymoon

A/N: I am sorry for the wait. I had surgery and then I had major writer's block. Hopefully it'll get easier from now, one who knows. However! I am posting this s day earlier than I wanted because I was so excited to post this but we have news.

Tomorrow's my Birthday! Make my day by leaving a review, kudos, follow, favorite! Do something to put a smile on my face. Please :)

Disclaimer: I only own Aurora and any other OC's. Remember, I will occasionally use quotes from both the books or movie, depending on the scene; I do not own direct quotes or phrases.

~ oOo ~

"Severus?" Albus peered down at the man standing the straightest he ever had with his hair tied back in a green ribbon. "You may now kiss your bride," the Headmaster smiled.

"It's about bloody time," the man muttered under his breath. Aurora was the only one who could hear him as she chuckled softly.

Stepping closer to his beautiful witch in her lovely lace wedding dress, Severus gently cupped her cheek. Face falling towards hers, Aurora met the man halfway, their lips connecting in a sensual link of love and happiness. Cheers erupted from the crowd, the entire Great Hall became loud with laughter and clapping. Once the two pulled away, they looked upon those who witnessed the beginning of their marriage and smiled.

Minerva was dabbing her eyes, as well as Hagrid too. Rose let the tears run free as the rest of their colleagues and friends clapped with enthusiasm and love for their own friends. From behind, Albus smiled as he watched on, still in utter disbelief that his longtime friend would finally tie the knot and settle down.

With his booming voice over the claps and cheers, Albus then declared, "And now, witches and wizards, do I present: Mr. and Mrs. Severus and Aurora Snape!"

Aurora turned and captured Severus' lips once more in a quick kiss as they descended the small set of steps into the crowd, who then surrounded the newly married couple with congratulations flowing through their ears. They spent some time talking when Albus suddenly clapped his hands.

"I believe it's time for dinner? Will the magical couple please follow me for their special seating?"

Glancing at each other, Severus and Aurora turned around and made their way back up the steps just as Albus conjured their specific table, all decked out with the flowers that was the theme of the entire wedding. Nodding at the Headmaster, Severus held out Aurora's chair for her as she claimed her seat. Taking his, they watched from above as the others claimed their seats in the circular tables designed specifically for tonight. As everyone claimed their seat, Aurora stood, pulling Severus with her as she gently clanked a knife against her glass. When she had everyone's attention, she then spoke.

"I wanted to thank each and every one of you for being with us tonight. Some of you are probably still in shock this happened so quickly, as am I. Still, I am grateful for all of you to witness my marriage to Severus and I…" She swiped at her eye, peering to the side at her now husband.

Clearing his throat, Severus continued her speech. Wrapping an arm around her waist he pulled her closer. "I think what my wife is trying to say is this: we wouldn't be here tonight if it wasn't for all the help and support from each and everyone of you, this ceremony wouldn't have happened. So…thank you."

The entire room clapped again when suddenly their dinner appeared on their tables before them. Taking their seats once more, Severus and Aurora enjoyed their meal, as did everyone else. It wasn't that long after everyone had the time to eat and consume their meal did Minerva declared it was time for the newly married couple to share their first dance.

Stricken with embarrassment, Severus continued to stay seated as Aurora stood. Walking around to his side, she gently yanked his arm until he finally stood. Walking down the few steps, they maneuvered themselves into the small clearing, all the while holding hands. Suddenly, soft music entered their ears and Aurora was able to immediately recognize the song. Taking both her hands, Severus moved them to wrap around his neck as his fell onto her hips. Swaying to the beat of the song, Aurora could feel the the eyes of everyone in the room until Severus grasped her chin to keep her attention on him.

"It's just you and me right now."

Smiling, Aurora chuckled. "This isn't like you, Severus."

The man's face fell momentarily before his grinned once more. "I wanted…today to be perfect for you."

"Oh Severus…we could've gone to the Ministry and had a planned wedding there for all I care, but this…?" She stared around at the beautiful sky of the Great Hall, the flowers, the decorations, the food - the ceremony itself! All of it had been perfect and was beautiful beyond anything she could've perceived in her head. "This is absolutely beautiful!"

"What's beautiful is you. I knew you would choose lace for your dress, but this…?" He leaned his head down towards hers. "This is exquisite. And I cannot wait to rip it off of you later."

"Severus!" She squealed quietly.

Giving her his devilish grin, Severus spun them around at the height of the song, and they stayed like that. Silent, but their eyes never left one another. He spun her around several times and caught her in his arms. She loved every moment of it. The entire venture had far exceeded anything she ever thought her wedding would be. But that was just it. She was now married, and she had only been engaged for less then two days!

Glancing down at her ring finger, she smiled. The beautiful, giant blue diamond was exquisite and she didn't know what she did to deserve it. Regardless, she loved it and would always love it. She had only given him a basic black ring, and she hoped to whatever deity existed that he loved it just as much as she loved hers.

The song had already ended yet they continued to dance. From the corners of their eyes, Severus and Aurora could see their colleagues pair up with others to join them on the dance floor.

And that's how they spent the rest of the night.

By the time midnight had rolled around, everybody was slowing down. Severus and Aurora hadn't left the floor when the wizard leaned downward handspike softly into his wife's ear. "Why don't we get going?" She shook her head yes, knowing exactly what was to come next.

"What about all our stuff in our room?"

"Don't worry, I had it taken care of already."

Mouth falling, Aurora pushed her back away to stare upwards at the man. "You truly thought of everything, did you not?"

The man shrugged a shoulder. "It wasn't too hard. Besides, I didn't want to stay here on our wedding night."

Cheeks turning red, Aurora giggled. "You really did think of everything."

"That I did," he answered smugly.

By the time they were ready to leave, everyone came up to Aurora and gave her a hug, stating how she was the most beautiful bride they had ever seen. Rose was the last person to meet Aurora and they stayed in each other's arms for some time, one crying while the other was trying not to ruin her makeup. Grasping her arm, Severus led Aurora out of the Great Hall whilst everyone cheered one last time. When the giant doors closed behind them, Severus took off running, Aurora following close behind, their hands linked together as her laughter echoed across the castle.

Running outside towards the point where they could apparate, it was now or never. Holding her close against his chest, he leaned down and kissed Aurora just as he apparated from the castle to their home in Spinner's End. As they arrived right outside the door, Aurora squealed loudly as she was picked up beneath her knees by Severus.

"Severus! What're you doing?!"

With a roll of his eyes, he magically opened the front door to their renovated home. "I thought it was customary for the groom to carry his bride over the threshold?"

"It is in the Muggle world…" Kissing the top of her head, he stepped inside, willing the door to close as several candles lit their way upstairs. "Candles too? How much of this did you plan?!"

"I planned it all, Aurora. Any and everything special just for you." She was placed on the ground when her lips immediately connected with his, arms wrapped around his neck.

"Oh, getting started early, aren't you?"

"Severus, I've had to stare at you in those glorious dress robes for the last few hours. What did you think would happen?"

"I'm not sure, I don't read your mind." He grinned, causing Aurora to smirk too.

"And I thank you for that, but…" She stepped forward, running her finger up and down Severus' dress shirt. "I bet you can tell what I'm thinking right now - oh goodness!"

Severus picked her up again, raining kisses all along her head as the woman squealed with laughter. "I don't need to read your mind, my wife."

"I doubt I need to read yours, my husband." Aurora giggled at the new nickname he could call her and vice versa.

Quickly walking up the stairs, Aurora nibbled on Severus' neck, sucking more as he groaned and tried wiggling out of her grasp. Maneuvering around the banister, the tall wizard nearly ran towards their shared bedroom as he kicked the door down, dropping Aurora to her feet as he loses the wood behind him. Gazing upon the beautiful woman who was now his wife, Severus couldn't imagine another woman being in her place. If there was anything Severus deemed himself worthy of holding close to his heart, it was the woman standing before him.

When he felt lips upon his, Severus was brought back to the moment.

"What're you thinking, Sev? You've gone quiet." Aurora asked.

Saying nothing, the man lifted his hand to her cheek, loving the way it was sculpted perfectly to fit in the palm of his fingers. "I just…do I really deserve this? Do I deserve this happiness after everything…?"

He was silenced by another kiss. "Shush you. Of course you deserve this happiness Sev. You, Severus Tobias Snape, deserve all the happiness in the world and I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that smile I love remains on your face."

He grinned at that. Why wouldn't he? Aurora had this power over him and he couldn't deny the hope dwelling in his heart that she was right. There was a fear within the man about Voldemort's return, to which the two had spoken of numerous times before. They were prepared as much as they could be. But the man was still terrified something was going to happen to his wife.

Wife.

That is what Aurora was to him now; his wife.

Engulfing the woman in his arms, Severus's hands ran over the lace of her wedding dress. "I must admit, Minerva did a splendid job on your dress."

"You think so too?" Glancing down at the lace, Aurora trailed her fingers up and down her arms. "I absolutely love it."

That's when the wizard bent his head down towards her ear. "To bad I have to rip it off of you."

She smacked him for that. "You'll do what…?!"

Instead, Severus grasped the top button at the nape of her neck, popping it open to reveal the long line of fasteners which trailed down the entire length of her back. "I might just have to because of all these buttons! Couldn't Minerva transfigured a zipper or something?"

Aurora shook her head. "No, because this dress is modeled after the one my mother wore when she married my dad."

Severus bit his tongue, now understanding why she wanted to keep the dress in tip top condition. Instead, he turned Aurora around and brushed the length of her hair over her shoulder to tackle the long line of buttons. It took some time, but once the last button had popped off, his fingers curled against her shoulders, tenderly dragging the soft material down her arms. Twisting her head to watch the man, Aurora dropped her arms, the dress falling towards the ground the moment it left her hips.

Underneath? Severus whistled, as Aurora was practically bare, for she wore no bra. And her underwear? If you could even call them knickers Severus didn't know what to say.

"It's called a thong," she answered as she turned around.

Clearing his throat, Severus rubbed his freshly shaven face. "I-I-I can tell. How come you've never worn one before?!"

She shrugged her shoulders as a smile crept along her lips. "I was waiting for the opportune moment. Now, you, good sir, are wearing way to much clothing."

Stepping forward, Aurora pushed the outside robe away from his shoulders and watched as it fell to the ground, Severus never moving his eyes away from hers. Next came the black band wrapped around his waist followed by the buttons of his own shirt, leaving the man in nothing except his trousers and shoes.

"I believe these are to come next…?"

Unfastening the button of his pants, Aurora slowly lowered the zipper, dragging the material down the lean length of his legs, kneeling until she was on the ground. Hitching his breath, Severus watched the entire ordeal as his near-naked wife knelt before him as she unlaced his shoes then finally removed his pants completely. When she finally stood to full height, Severus took the woman in his arms, carrying her to their bed.

Carefully depositing her upon the sheets Severus crawled over the woman who was now his beloved in every such way of the word. "Wife," he called out.

"Husband," she copied.

His hands trailed down her side, tickling the woman as her soft giggle entered the man's ears. From the neck to the waist down to her hips, he grasped the flimsy material that was her underwear and dragged it down, throwing it somewhere within the confines of their shared room. Eyes gazing over her naked body, Severus groaned, dropping a kiss upon her neck.

"Now that is a sight I'll never tire of."

Moaning softly into the night, she copied Severus' movements as she trailed her fingers down his side until they were met with his boxer-briefs. Tugging them down as far as she could from her position, the wizard stood on his knees and banished them from sight, leaving them both in their bare skin, scars and all.

"Aurora you look…so beautiful." Severus leaned down and kissed her neck again, not leaving the spot even as she spoke.

The witch grasped his head, keeping him there. "And you are so handsome, my dear husband."

Nudging her head away, Severus trailed kisses down the length of her neck, down to shoulder, her waist, stopping just at the apex of her thighs. Dragging a circle over her brown curls, Severus grinned as he snuck the digit inside. His grin widened when he realized she was wetter than he had even anticipated. "Bloody hell Aurora…you're so wet…"

"I'm always wet for you, Severus."

At those words, the man peered upward, loving the look she held in her eyes as she stroked loose strands of hair that had fallen from the ribbon. Reaching backwards to tear the ribbon from his hair, Aurora's voice caught him off guard. "No! Leave it in, please? You look…so dashing with your hair back."

He chuckled at that. "As you wish, my darling wife."

Before climbing back up towards her face, Severus leant down and kissed the pearl between her luscious lips, causing the woman to squeal and leap off the mattress. Maneuvering his body above hers, the wizard grasped the witches hips, not waiting a moment longer as he thrust his already hardened cock inside. Aurora tilted her head back and hissed, all with a smile on her face. Severus stopped the moment he was fully in.

"Is everything alright? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, you're just…so damn big and I love it!"

"Then you're gonna love this." He thrusted, long and hard straight into her core.

And that's how they spent their first night as husband and wife, curled in the arms of each other, making love every second they could. When one session ended, they would they would start another, staying connected at their heated core of their bodies. By the time dawn was on the horizon, Aurora couldn't tell how many times she had orgasmed as her sweaty body fell into Severus's arms where they finally allowed themselves to fall asleep.

Come noon, Aurora was able to open her eyes to see the sun high in the sky, but she was the only one in the bed. Stretching her arms above her head, she meagerly stood on wobbly legs, nearly falling to the floor. Laughing, she grabbed her robe from the closet and wrapped the short cloth around her body, wondering where her new husband was; that is, until she smelt the air.

Making her way downstairs, Aurora followed her nose towards the kitchen to see Severus in his low-cut pajama bottoms cooking them breakfast. Knocking on the doorframe, the wizard turned, smiling to see the woman in the doorway.

"Good morning," he muttered loudly, getting back to the food on the stove.

"Good morning," she replied. "Or more correctly, good afternoon. What're you making?"

"Something simple; toast, eggs and beans."

"Oh yum!"

Aurora took her seat at the table just as Severus finished cooking everything that was needed for their morning meal. Placing an equal amount on two plates, he handed one to his wife as he sat down. Consuming their meal in a comfortable silence, Aurora went for seconds as Severus watched her move.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" She asked, as she sat back down.

"We have somewhere we need to be."

Fork held close to her lips, Aurora froze momentarily. "Somewhere we need to be? I don't remember discussing anything of the sorts."

Reaching across the table, Severus grasped her hand. "It's called a secret, Aurora."

This caused the woman to roll her eyes. "Secret this, secret that…I swear what haven't you planned, Severus? Our Honeymoon?" The man said nothing as he took his plate to the sink and rinsed it off. When the wizard didn't say anything, Aurora dropped her fork. "No way. You planned that too?"

He nodded.

"Where the bloody hell are you taking us then?"

Severus turned over his shoulder. "You'll see. But everything's packed and ready to go, I'm just waiting on you."

"On me?!" The woman began scarfing her food down, coughing here and there, but she was soon done before she could even blink. "Alright, I'm done. Where're we going? Tell me, tell me!" She stood from her seat to jump up and down in the air.

Hands placed on her shoulders, Severus was able to get the woman to calm down. "Easy now. You wouldn't want the surprise to be ruined, would you?"

She merely blinked at him. If it means I get to know where we're going, I'll take that risk!"

But Severus shook his head in defiance. "Let's take a shower, get dressed then we'll be off, I promise."

"Ok!"

Taking his hand in hers, Aurora dragged Severus upstairs with her and forced him to join her in the shower. They spent more than enough time cascading in the warm water to where it eventually turned cold, and by the time they stepped out into their bedroom, both were pleasantly pleased and satisfied. Dressing and taking care of her hair as quickly as she could, Aurora was ready to go, finally noticing there were two suitcases at the end of the bed, waiting just for them.

"So, are you gonna tell me now where we're going?"

"Nope, you should recognize it once we're there." Still dressed in his typical black attire, Aurora had decided on a nice sundress, not knowing where they would be heading off too. Grabbing one trunk, he instructed Aurora to take the other as they grasped hands.

"Wait! What about Merlin and Sapphire? I haven't seen them all day!" She asked curiously and worriedly.

"Don't worry, I took care of everything. Rose will be watching them while we're gone. Now, take my hand, I'm going to apparate us there. Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be!" She said excitedly. Nodding, Severus surged the magic from deep within, and soon they were no longer inside their house in Spinner's End. The moment their feet landed, Aurora had to blink several ties before she could even open her eyes. In adjustment to the bright sunlight, she finally opened her blue orbs and was surprised to find themselves in front of the lobby to a hotel.

She smacked his arm. "Severus! You just apparated us in front of a hotel?! What if someone saw us?!" Just then, another couple apparated several feet away and walked straight inside the building. "What the…? Where the bloody hell are we?"

"Not just yet. Come on, I'd like to get checked in."

Walking inside, the warm breeze was replaced with a magically cooling sensation across her limbs. They walked to the front counter where a lady wearing robes greeted them. "Hello! And how may I assist you today?"

"We're checking in. The room's under 'Snape'."

"Snape…" She flicked through some pieces of paper where she found what she was looking for. "Ah, here it is! Mr. and Mrs. Severus Snape, to be staying twelve days in the honeymoon suite. Does that sound correct?"

As the two of them conversed, Aurora stood dumbfounded. Twelve days? Honeymoon suite? Just what in the name of Godric Gryffindor was the man even doing?

"Here's the key. Take the elevator all the way to floor eight and you'll be in room eight-fourteen. I hope you enjoy your stay and congratulations!" The woman smiled as Aurora still stared. She was finally able to mutter a thank you as she and Severus made their way towards the elevator.

"Seriously, where are we?"

"You're about to find out."

The ding of the elevator had them exiting the contraption and walking down the hallway to their designated room. Turning the key in its lock, Severus allowed Aurora to enter first as she was stunned to the ocean through the large bay windows. Dropping her trunk she ran to the bay windows and opened the glass, instantly wafting in the smell of salt water and what would be tons of fun. When she felt Severus' hand grasped the base of her back, she smiled.

"This is absolutely spectacular, Severus!"

"That's what I thought too. So, Aurora…welcome to Cephalonia."

"Cephalonia…wait, we're seriously in Cephalonia right now?!" Squealing, she turned and hugged the wizard with all her might, kissing every single spot of his cheeks. "Sev, I can't…I can't even believe - "

"That we're in Greece right now? I know, kinda hard for me to believe as well."

Face falling, she grasped the front of his frock. "But…how did you? When did you…?"

Severus shook his head. "That's a secret only I get to know. For now, let's just enjoy ourselves for the next twelve days."

Turning back towards the window, Aurora breathed in the familiar salt air of the Mediterranean Sea. She hadn't been to Greece since before her father died, but was she ecstatic to be here right now!

"I still can't believe you did all this. How did you find this place anyways? Are there any Muggles here?"

"There shouldn't be. This island is wizard territory and is managed by the magical world. Thus why I was able to apparate us right at the front of the hotel."

I can't even…this is wonderful! But Severus, you've done…The proposal, the wedding, and now this? What do I get to give you, Sev?"

Taking her hands in his, Severus kissed the top of her head. "All I want is to spend the rest of my life with you. That's what you can give me."

~ oOo ~

For Severus, he had never been so happy.

For the length of their, he always had a smile on his face, not caring about those around him. They spent each morning in the arms of one another, naked from their nightly activities where they would eventually arise to either enjoy breakfast in bed or downstairs at the restaurant. They would then enjoy the afternoon walking around the small town to discover that Severus was right: the island held a small, magical community.

And Aurora was loving every second of every single day.

Her favorite part was when they would walk the beach at night, sometimes enjoying the scenery during they day. Aurora would don her black bikini whilst Severus wore a long sleeved shirt to avoid anyone seeing his Dark Mark and some board shorts. At first, Aurora had laughed as she had never seen the man in shorts, but the wizard gave her comeuppance by throwing her over his shoulder and dumping her into the ocean water.

There were times Severus would wince, catching Aurora from the corner of her eye though she didn't say anything. Maybe it was the sun? The man had gained some color during their stay and wondered about that. Through the last few days of their Honeymoon, Aurora noticed it was happening more and more. The man would suddenly cringe then straighten his back as if nothing had happened. He didn't mention it at all, and though it bothered Aurora, she had to wonder what the problem was.

She didn't want it to affect the remainder of their stay so she kept her lips shut and would only bring up the subject once they were home.

~ oOo ~

"Aurora!"

"Oh Severus!"

It was their tenth night and they had just enjoyed dinner when another appetite overran their bodies needs. Barely shutting the door, they had ripped their clothing from each other before falling onto the bed, Severus immediately returning home as he thrusted his hardened cock into her moistened hole.

Holding onto the man for dear life, Aurora had her arms wrapped around the man's neck as he thrusted again and again into her. He rammed into her core, grunting as sweat trickled down the side of his face.

"I need more."

"You need…more?!" Severus grunted. "How much more do you want?"

"I don't know!" Aurora cried out when he hit the perfect spot. "I just need you, Sev!"

Pulling the woman in his arms, he lifted her up as Sev kneeled backwards onto his knees. Legs now wrapped around his waist, she could feel all of him most definitely. "Is this what you wanted?!"

"YES!" She died again, latching her lips onto his neck. :Oh god, I can't…I can't hold out much longer!"

"Cum for me baby," Severus muttered. Grasping her chin, he forced Aurora to stare into his eyes as one hand traveled to her raw nub as he started to caress it with his thumb. "Cum for me!"

"I am! IamIamIam!" Screaming at the top of her lungs, Aurora tilted her head back, moaning towards the ceiling. She could tell Severus wasn't to far behind, his cock hardened even more and she could feel the tightness of his balls beneath her. Clenching the inside other muscles, she was able to pull out a long, hard moan from the man as he stared at her.

"Bloody hell, I love it when you clench your vaginal muscles!"

"Cum for me Sev!" Aurora kissed the man many times on the lips, ever waiting for the inevitable. "I love it when you cum inside me. Please baby, I need to feel you."

That must've been the trigger as Severus roared, hips rocking back and forth as he came for all his worth. Once everything had been seeped from his cock and into this wife did they collapse onto the bed. Both were breathing heavily as they turned to stare at one another.

"Have I…told you this week…that I love you?" Aurora was gasping for air, pleasantly pleased, body tingling with happiness.

"Yes." Severus swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "And I love…you too, Aurora." Curling into the man, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her as physically close as possible.

That is, until he pushed her away.

"What the hell…?!" Aurora had nearly fallen off the bed, catching herself at the last second to see Severus against the headboard, holding onto his left arm.

Specifically, he was holding onto his Dark Mark.

"Severus…?"

Crawling closer, Aurora didn't say anything else as she moved his fingers away, bring the limb to her lips. Kissing the mark on his skin, she peppered the entire thing with her lips, only stopping when she felt his body relax, all tension washed away. Staring upwards at him, she saw the concern filtering from within his eyes.

"I've noticed all week you've been uncomfortable at random moments. Was it always from the mark?" He instantly nodded, not wanting to keep such a secret from his wife. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I…" He still watched as Aurora rubbed her fingers over the horrendous design, trying her best to extinguish the pain. "I didn't want to ruin the remaining days we had here."

"Severus," Aurora cried softly. "We're married now, and even if we weren't, I would expect you to keep me updated on something as important as this. Was tonight the worse it's been?" He nodded slowly. "Does that mean…?"

"I don't know what that means, Aurora," Severus instantly said.

The witch paled. "Voldemort…could he…does this mean he's coming back?"

Covering her hand with his free one, Severus shook his head. "This means we're in for an interesting year."

~ oOo ~

They stayed up late that night discussing the possibility of Voldemort's return. Though they seemed confident this was just a fluke, they still were unable to come up with an explanation regarding their marriage. Lucius, his wife, and any other Death Eaters would soon find out that the one Severus Snape married a Muggle-Born. That thought alone was scarier than the possibility of Voldemort returning.

Instead of worrying of something that hadn't even happened, they spent the last few days of their Honeymoon enjoying themselves before they were to return home. They enjoyed the sun, the water, and even the people, even though they mainly kept to themselves. By the time their Honeymoon was over, they packed their trunks and apparated back to Spinner's End. Though she wanted to spend more time in Greece, but she definitely missed the home she shared with Severus. Especially now since they were husband and wife.

They spent the summer enjoying newly-wedded life, though compared to them living together during breaks and at Hogwarts, nothing really changed. They cooked together, brewed potions for school together, and even cleaned together now that they had renovated the house. This caused the summer to go by quickly, with very little instances of Severus' mark causing him pain as it had during their trip.

One day in early August, they had received a letter from Lucius stating he would be appearing the next day to speak with Severus. Aurora grew concerned that Lucius would notice the changes around the house and question what had happened, or maybe he would even notice her presence in the house.

Pulling the woman into a hug, Severus stroked her hair. "Don't worry about the house, I'll handle that. For now, we'll just say I needed help brewing more potions for Poppy and asked for your assistance. How does that sound?"

"It sounds alright, I guess. Will it fool Lucius though?"

"It will, don't worry."

The neck day, there was a knock on the door at the exact moment Lucius stated he would arrive. Hiding downstairs in their potion room, Aurora was actually concocting potions for Poppy to make it seem real if she were to be called upstairs. Neither wore their rings that day as to not have Lucius grow suspicious.

Opening the door, there the man stood in all his blackened glory with his wand/walking stick held in his gloved hands. Nodding his head, Lucius said, "Severus my friend, it is good to see you."

"Lucius, same goes for you." Pulling the door open, Lucius walked inside towards the main living room, where he stood as if waiting for something. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, thank you, Severus, I'll be - "

MEOW!

SQUEE!

Suddenly, Sapphire and Merlin ran from upstairs down towards Severus then straight into the mini library room, away from the two men. Lucius rose an eyebrow as he the animals run amuck within the house. They then heard the two run from the library down into the basement. Severus sighed with a shake of his head.

"I…didn't think you were one for animal companions, Severus."

Severus swallowed. "They're not mine," he said quickly. "I have some help over and they're - "

"Merlin! Sapphire!"

They heard Aurora call from downstairs, soon arriving in the front room with Merlin in her arms and sapphire on top her head. It was a funny sight to see and Severus had to maintain his self-control not laugh as the woman reprimanded her companions.

"I told you two to stay upstairs! Now that's where you're going to stay until I say so. Understand?" She walked right in front of the men, only saying, "Hi Lucius," before she traversed upstairs.

Lucius turned his head towards Severus. "What…is she doing here?" He asked with his eyebrow still raised.

"Madam Pomfrey requested I begin early on the school potions for next term; I asked Aurora if she would help me today and she said yes."

"I…see."

Coming back down the stairs, Aurora slapped her hands together to get rid of any cat hair as she watched the two men. "Lucius, a pleasure to see you."

"And you, Aurora," he bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"How are Narcissa and Draco?"

"They're just fine, thank you for asking."

"Good! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some potions to brew." Both men watched the woman walk back into the library where they heard her steps vanish as she made her way into the basement.

"I see you and Ms. Warrington are still close."

"She is a good friend, Lucius. And a good colleague." Severus moved away from the door as Lucius took a seat upon the couch.

"Yes, well…is it a good idea to keep someone such as her that close to you?"

With his back turned, Severus fought with all his strength not to lash out at one of his longtime friends. Clenching and unclenching his fists, Severus turned. "The woman suspects nothing, Lucius. She is just a colleague. Nothing more."

The white-haired man nodded. "Alright then. Well! On to business for my visit." The man stood and reached inside his traveling robes before pulling a small piece of paper out. "I purchased prime tickets for the Quidditch World Cup in a few weeks. I am offering one for you, if you so desire to join me and my son."

Taking the ticket in his hand, Severus eyes the paper, watching how Quidditch players moved across magically to show it was between Bulgaria and Ireland. He was pleasantly surprised to find Lucius inviting him to anything that wasn't Death Eater related; but his mind turned to Aurora.

"The offer is much appreciated, Lucius," he handed the ticket back. "But you know I've never been much of a Quidditch person. I thank you, but I must decline. I'll most likely spend that night concocting more potions anyways."

Lucius accepted the ticket back as he frowned. "I wish you would venture out more of this house, my friend. Besides, it's due time we find you a woman! I know plenty of those who would be interested…?"

Severus shook his head. "Not this again, my friend. If it happens, it'll happen. But for now, I am content being alone."

Lucius eyed him suspiciously. "This doesn't have anything to do with Ms. Warrington, does it?"

"It does not, Lucius," Severus replied too quickly, earning a raised eyebrow from the man.

"Well, at any rate, you at least need to join my family and I for dinner. Narcissa would love to see you as I suppose your godson as well."

"Dinner would be acceptable, Lucius."

"Wonderful! Now, I must take my leave. I have some matters to attend to at the Ministry, I just wanted to stop by." Heading towards the door, Lucius turned as he opened the wood to say, "Please give my…regards to Ms. Warrington." And with that, the man apparated and thus disappeared.

Closing the door, Severus leaned his forehead against the wood, sighing in the process. Leaving the living room, he headed down into the basement to find Aurora in her element, mixing different ingredients into the giant cauldron that was set in the middle of the room. Grinning at her tenacity, he walked up behind her to wrap his arms around her midsection.

"So? What did Lucius want?" Aurora turned in his arms to kiss his cheek.

"He actually invited me to the World Cup in a few weeks."

"Did he really? And you refused?"

"It wouldn't be the same if you weren't there by my side. Besides, you know I'm not that much into Quidditch."

She turned back around to sprinkle another ingredient inside. "I know. I'm surprised didn't try and push you harder to go."

"Same here." Knowing which potion she was making, he grabbed the next jar he needed from the long shelves upon the wall.

"He's still trying to get me over for dinner sometime."

"Well you should go. If you're worried about me, I can handle a few hours without you," Aurora smirked in his direction.

"Oh you can, can you?"

Walking around the cauldron, Aurora leaned over the steaming potion, Severus copying the same movements until they were almost touching lips. "Why, yes I can, Mr. Snape."

"Oh, once I get through with you later, Mrs. Snape, you'll wish I never leave your side."

~ oOo ~

I hope everyone enjoyed. This was loosely edited so please forgive me.

DragonGoddess629