"Severus? Oh gosh!" Cora looked around the room frantic. What was those healing spells again? Should she get Madam Pomfrey? No. She would only ask questions Cora couldn't respond to.

She looked down on her husband's lifeless form. His damp, black hair covered half of his face and she carefully pulled it away. The movement only revealed more bleeding slashes.

Cora bit her lip. Being a nurse was definitely not something she was used to. How could she know what he needed when he was knocked out cold?

She tried to enter his mind with her own, but all she could see was a grey fog.

"Damn it!"

Again, her eyes scanned the room, as if the answer was somewhere around her.

"Come on, Cora, pull yourself together!" she chastised herself. She rubbed her sweaty hands on her pajama pants and bit her lip. There had to be something, or someone that - "The house elf! Oh, but what's his name again? Warner? Watson? Willow!"

A single pop and the little house-elf appeared in front of her.

"Help him!" she ordered and pointed to Severus.

"Of course, mistress." Willow jumped quickly onto the bed and began a little chant. As he continued, Cora could see how the little slashes disappeared from Severus' cheeks. She watched him chant for several minutes, hoping that the injures weren't too severe.

"Is he going to be ok?" she asked worried.

"I think so, mistress." Willow turned Severus wet clothes into a blue, flannel pajama. He then lay him more comfortably on the bed, head on pillow, and covered most of his body with the duvet. Then he jumped off the bed and landed next to Cora, where she'd been standing for a while.

"His body is well, mistress, but..." Willow hesitated and looked up at her with big, brown eyes. He reminded Cora of a beige version of Yoda. "I do not know about his mind."

"What do you mean?" Cora could feel her pulse rise from his words.

"He was cursed badly, mistress." Willow looked at Severus again, as if assessing if there was more that could be done. "We will know when the master wakes."

Cora nodded.

"Would you like me to stay, mistress?" He looked up at her again, and if he'd taken her hand, Cora was sure she'd burst into tears. She shook her head.

"No, we'll be fine." She faked a reassuring smile. He clearly didn't buy it, but did as he was told. "But stay close. And don't mention this to anyone. Not even Madam Pomfrey. Do you understand?"

The house-elf looked uncertain for a moment, but then he nodded.

"Thank you so much for your help, Willow."

"You're welcome, mistress." Willow took one last glance at his master before he made a small bow, and then popped out of the bedroom.

Cora hugged herself. She almost regretted that she'd sent him away. What if Severus woke up as a total vegetable? Like Neville Longbottom's parents after her mother had cursed them?

She bit her lip.

What if he didn't wake up at all?

With careful movements she crawled into bed and next to Severus. He looked so peaceful where he lay. As if this was just a normal Thursday night and not something that would haunt Cora in her nightmares.

Minutes turned to hours.

Cora lay perfectly still, just staring at him. His chest was moving up and down. Up... and down again. At least he was breathing, and that had to count for something.

When the sun was on the horizon, and casting an orange ray of light through the window and across Severus' face, Cora saw a small twitch in his eyes.

"Severus?" She sat up immediately and watched him stir a little. With slow motions he opened his eyes and looked confused around the room. "Are you alright?"

He blinked a couple of times, as if to take her really in, and then he slowly nodded. "Water..." He sounded parched.

"Of course!" Cora summoned a glass for him with her wand, and held it up to his lips. She carefully poured the water into his mouth, and then placed the empty glass on the night stand. "What happened?"

"Later..." He whispered and shook his head. He swallowed heavily. A couple of seconds later, he fell asleep again.

Relieved to find him somewhat normal, Cora pulled the curtains shut and covered the room in darkness. She lowered herself next to Severus and placed a protecting arm across his chest. She didn't know if he would appreciate it or not, but she figured it didn't matter. His steady breath gave her a sense of comfort, and if something happened to him, she would feel it. After a couple of minutes of just listening to him sleep, she finally allowed herself to relax and drift off. She was absolutely exhausted.

--

As breakfast and lunch passed, not a sound could be heard from the Snape's bedroom. It wasn't until the afternoon classes had begun, that Cora felt herself come back to life again. She looked groggily around the semi-dark room, and withdrew her hand from Severus' chest. Her arm felt dull after lying in the same position for hours.

"You snore," Severus muttered, though she couldn't make out if he was actually irritated or just making fun of her.

"I do not!" Cora said defensively and looked up at him. A small smile tugged at his lips. "You probably dreamt it."

"And pink elephants can actually fly."

Cora was about to argue that in the movie Dumbo, there actually was a gang of pink elephants and that Dumbo could fly, but then she remembered last night.

"How are you feeling?" She didn't mean to sound so concerned, but he had definitely given her a scare.

"I've been worse." He sat up straight against the headrest and grimaced. If last night wasn't the worst, then what horrible things had he been through in the past?

Cora's brows furrowed. Clearly she didn't know professor Snape as well as she thought she did.

She pulled the curtains away. The sky was grey and uncomfortably bright. She squinted and turned towards her husband again, avoiding the light. His cheeks had gotten some color again, and it made her glad.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"Not really." He looked down on her, then rolled his eyes. "But I'll never hear the end of it if I don't." He raised a questioning eyebrow and got a smug smile in return. Of course she'd never let it rest.

Severus swallowed. He really didn't want to tell her what had happened last night. His eyes scanned the ceiling for a moment, searching for the right words to say.

Cora waited patiently for his response. Though, the longer she waited, the more concerned she got. Had it something to do with her?

"Your father wants an heir." Severus avoided her eyes. He knew that a part of his story would hurt her feelings. "And when I told him that I wanted to wait until the end of the year, he got angry."

"Why?" Cora sat up straighter. "It's something we both agree upon."

"He doesn't see it that way. It was paramount that you continue the line of Slytherin, and the sooner the better." Severus stopped. He looked down on his slender hands and the wedding ring she had given him.

"Is that the reason why he punished you?" Cora was confused. Surely, that couldn't be the case. Otherwise, her father would have said so in the forest.

"No. It's not." Severus felt his mouth dry up. He twisted the silver ring a couple of times around his finger, before deciding it was better to just jump into it. "He said that he had sensed a tension between us when he met you in the forest. That you weren't happy. And when he searched my mind, he found the memory of our conversation about an annulment. And he..."

"...cursed you for it." Cora finished his sentence. She had never felt more guilty in her entire life.

"He wanted to make sure I knew my place. And if I didn't make amends, he would pass you on to someone else."

Cora just shook her head in shock, while silent tears ran down her cheeks. This was all her fault. "I'm so sorry. I-I didn't know."

"I know you didn't." He gave her a solemn look. "I didn't want you to feel worse about our situation than you already do."

Now it was Cora's turn to look down on her hands. A part of her wanted to make things right and the other part didn't know what to say. The two of them had hurt each other so many times since the beginning of term, that half of it would be enough.

For a couple of minutes, neither said a thing. Both contemplated where they could go from there. If Cora still insisted on breaking up their marriage, what would her father do then? Kill Severus? Pass her around until a suitable Death Eater claimed her as his wife?

Either option made shivers go down Cora's spine.

She glanced quickly over to her husband for a moment, before studying her hands again. Things had been going more smoothly this week, compared to the former weeks. And perhaps they were about to discover some things in their relationship that hadn't been there before. But could it be enough?

Severus watched Cora from the corner of his eye. She looked so torn and lost. Her fingers were fidgeting with the hems of her navy blue night dress. Her hair hung down like a curtain of brown silk. Her emerald eyes harbored a haunted heart that couldn't find rest anywhere.

Severus pitied her. Pitied her for being stuck with him. Pitied her for having such a ruthless and diabolical father. Pitied her for never being given the chance to find love. The kind of love he had had for Lily. The kind of love he doubted he would ever feel again.

"I... I don't want my father to pass me on to somebody else."

"Pardon?"

Cora had spoken so silently that Severus had a hard time catching her words. And if he had, he surely hadn't caught the meaning behind them.

"I know this isn't a dreamy situation for either of us." Cora dared to face his eyes again. "But for what it's worth, I don't want to marry another Death Eater. I will admit that you really hurt me when you threw me out on our wedding night, and that your stubbornness and secretive behavior, makes me very frustrated."

Severus huffed, but for the sake of his curiosity, he held his tongue and waited for her to finish.

"But apart from that, I've really enjoyed these last couple of evenings with you." Cora's cheeks were turning warmer, but she chose to ignore them. She bit the inside of her lip. "And seeing you hurt like this..." She looked down again, ashamed and with furrowed brows. "I don't want to see that again. It really scared me, Severus."

"Will we continue with our marriage then?" he asked slowly. He didn't want to push her, but he was also tired of their game of back-and-forth. And last night it had nearly cost him his life.

"Yes."

Cora swallowed hard and blinked several times to remove her unshed tears. This was the closest thing she'd done to profess her emotions for someone. The feeling left her both terrified, guilt ridden and hopeful. Exactly what she was hoping for, she did not know.

A true love story? Hardly.

To make amends and find a better way of living? Maybe.

A warm hand found her hands and squeezed them lightly.

"I've enjoyed our evenings too."

Cora looked up again and found his dark eyes. Instead of black pools of mystery, they now resembled a cup of hot chocolate on a snowy day. The thought made her smile. And he returned it, ever so slightly.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked. Seeing him so beaten up, still gave her a worried feeling in her stomach. "Is there something I can do to make this better?"

Severus shook his head. "I'll be alright." He closed his eyes for a second, and then he grimaced. "But I don't think I'll be able to do my usual position tonight."

It took a little while before Cora realized what he was talking about. And when she did, she was very happy that his eyes were closed, so he couldn't see the crimson color on her face.

Then suddenly a thought came to mind.

"Maybe we'll have to try something new then?" Cora said, and gave him a mischievous look. Severus still had his eyes closed, but a small smile appeared on his face.

"I'm open for suggestions, wife." He let his thumb rub over her knuckles. A small way for him to say that he was ready to move on from this horrible night.

Cora let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. Seeing him so fragile and hurt, hadn't just made her terrified, but it had also made one thing very clear to her.

She cared about him.

Not just as a teacher, and someone that had been in her life for almost seven years. She genuinely wanted him to be ok. And if she could take away some of the pain she had caused him, she was willing to do so.

"Well... I have a few things in mind, if you're up for it."

"I'm all ears."

Cora now knew he kept his eyes shut on purpose. A part of him was playfully coaxing her to make a move.

With careful movements, Cora crawled closer to him again and straddled him. Sitting with her back straight, she looked down on his black eyebrows, black hair; that framed his face, and his lips. She wondered what they tasted like.

She let her thumb trace over his eyebrows and further down his right cheek. He still had his eyes shut, but his hands now rested on her bent knees.

"Seems like I'll be doing all the work today." Cora bent down, not daring to meet his lips, but started to kiss his neck instead. A small moan escaped him and it made her smile against his nape. She let her tongue roam playfully across his jawline, and that made him grip her thighs harder.

With her left hand, she began to explore the back of his head, twinning locks of black hair between her fingers. Apparently, he liked that too.

"Unless you're not up for it yet," she said, close to his ear, and wondered if she should be so bold as to lick his earlobe.

"If we're careful, I think it'll be alright." Severus moved his hands up her thighs and rubbed them. They were warm and firm. He moaned again when she continued to kiss his neck and suckled on his earlobe. "Just be gentle with my chest, if you could be so kind."

Cora stopped for a moment and pulled back so she could see his face. Her left hand was still holding on to the black locks on the back of his head.

"I'm really sorry."

Severus opened his eyes and found hers. He wasn't playing anymore. His onyx eyes harbored a large amount of pain, that Cora took straight to heart. When she was about to retrieve, both physically and emotionally, he lifted his right hand and cupped her cheek. "I know. I'm sorry too."

Seeing how his words made little glimmers appear in her green eyes, gave Severus the confidence he needed. With firm, but gentle, movements, he pulled her closer to him. When she was so close that he could feel her warm breath on his face, he noticed how she licked her lips. A small smile tugged at his lips. She wanted this too.

Cora's heart was beating like a bullet train, as she lowered herself towards Severus. When she was all but an inch away, she looked deep into his black eyes once more, before closing her own. Her wet lips touched his gently, and it made something flutter in her stomach.

He deepened the kiss, and let his tongue move playfully over her lips so she would part them. When she did, and his tongue had full access to hers, the kiss became more forceful.

He ignored the pain that occurred in his chest, from having her so close. It was more than worth it, at the moment. His left hand moved up her thigh, wanting to remove the fabrics between them. Without thinking, he snapped his fingers and the underwear was gone.

Cora stopped and pulled back, a little startled. Her husband responded with a lifted eyebrow, clearly teasing her. She narrowed her eyes, and then shrugged. "You can buy me new ones."

"Is that so?" Severus asked, in between kisses.

"Mhm." Cora was busy with his neck again. She felt his hand move from the outer side of her thighs and to the inside. When he began to rub her at a slow pace, it was her turn to moan. "I love that."

"So do I," he said huskily into her ear, enjoying how wet she felt. He was beginning to get quite hard himself. "Ride me."

"You might have to snap your -" Cora shut her eyes as his thumb made circles around her clit. "- fingers again."

"Do you mean, like this?" Severus snapped and his pajama pants disappeared. He still had a pair of black boxers on.

"Snap again." Cora covered his mouth with hers, while occasionally moaning from the movements of his hand. She heard a snap, and the upper part of the pajama vanished. The boxers still remained.

She pulled back a little and looked disappointed down at him. He only smirked. "You could remove them yourself."

"Now where's the fun in that?" Cora found the spot on his neck again.

"Cheat."

"You asked for it."

He didn't argue at that, and snapped his fingers twice. This time he removed what was left of both their clothes. "I believe I asked you to ride me."

"Yes, professor." Her comment made him tense and gained her a disapproving look. She laughed. "Too weird?"

He thought about it for a moment, but then he shrugged. He then pulled her face down again. "I'll allow it for now." He kissed her passionately and placed himself by her entrance. When she lowered herself on top of him, he almost growled.

It took her a couple of tries, being new to the position, but finally she found a steady pace. She enjoyed the satisfaction that occurred on his face, as she did. "Do you like it?" She totally knew that he did.

"Yes." He gripped her bum with his hands and shut his eyes in delight.

As he later on came undone underneath her, something dawned on him. If it was up to him, he'd have her do that every night and not just on Fridays.

Cora crawled off of him again and sprawled out on the bed beside him. If their marriage could be like their sex-life - improving for each time they did it - then this could actually work.

"That felt good." Her pulse was still raising and she was sweaty, but she didn't care. The sensation between her legs, was still delightful.

"We should do this more often." He said it as a sort of joke, but secretly hoped she would agree. He almost regretted saying anything, when she took his right hand in hers.

"I'd like that." Then she thought it over and removed her hand again. He looked puzzled, and slightly hurt. "But only if you un-ban Quidditch again. I'm getting pestered by my classmates for it."

"I didn't think you cared what they thought of you."

"I don't," she answered defensively. "Well, except for one."

"So that's why we didn't have lunch together yesterday?"

"Reinstate Quidditch, and we can have both lunch and this every day." She raised her eyebrows in a suggesting way. Much like Roger Rabbit would do in Loony Tunes.

"Fine. I'll think about it." He rolled his eyes, and drew the covers further up his chest. He was beginning to get cold, and at the same time sweating from exhaustion. The curses from the Dark Lord had been worse than anything he'd experienced before.

Cora noticed how her husband was starting to shiver. "Lie back down." He did as he was told, and Cora joined him underneath the covers. She found his hand again and stroked it gently. "Does it hurt?"

"A little bit." He was lying through his teeth, but didn't want her to feel more guilty than she already did. Especially after the moment they'd just shared.

"Can I get you anything?"

He shook his head, and squeezed her hand. "Just stay with me."

Cora could see that he meant it in more ways than one. There and then she decided that she was done running. Done trying to figure out a way out of this marriage. Done thinking just about herself.

"I will." She moved closer to him and rested her head next to his shoulder. Knowing the pain he must feel in his chest, she didn't dare to lie on top of him. Not even with her head.

He kissed her gently on the head and gained a warm smile in response.

"Why did you cancel Quidditch anyway?" she asked after a while, not moving from the comfortable position she was lying in.

"Safety reasons."

"How come?"

"The Carrows wanted to teach first-years how to fly by having violent bludgers chase after them." He grimaced at the thought. Why they even worked as teachers, was beyond him.

"That's awful!"

"And if that was their suggestion for first flying lessons, then I didn't want to find out what they would suggest for Quidditch."

"They're bonkers." Cora sighed. Her father should be punishing them instead of Severus. She would do it herself, if it helped reinstate the favored sport, had it not been for her father's warning. No unsolicited cursing. "Is there nothing you can do?"

"About the Carrows or Quidditch?"

"Both."

"With everything going on, it has been a relief to not have to deal with sports-addicted dunderheads."

Cora rolled her eyes. Typical of him to say something like that. But if she was being honest, she had to agree with him. She'd never been much fan of games that consisted of endless chasing of a ball. Hadn't it been for Draco's part on the team, she'd spent her time elsewhere than in the bleachers.

"Would you reconsider your decision if we came up with a way to protect the players?"

"I might." He kissed the top of her head. Her hair smelled of coconuts, and it reminded him of summer. "But you would have to pull a good case."

"Challenge accepted."