T/W: death and blindness of a magical creature, mentions of abortion and cancer.
First Wizarding War, Part 3
Hagrid's Hut was full yet again. The only Order members present were Dumbledore and Hagrid. They were talking with Skyrah, her mother Andraste, and Grandma Brighid, sitting at a round table. They had expressly come from America to participate in this secret meeting.
"The venom lasts years after the creature dies," Hagrid informed them. By his demeanor, he hated the idea of an animal dying. Yet he was here, discussing this, due to his loyalty to Dumbledore.
"Maybe the basilisk doesn't have to die," suggested Skyrah if only to cheer Hagrid up. She was fond of the half-giant. She wouldn't forget how he'd always comforted and welcomed her despite knowing exactly whose daughter she was. "Salazar Slytherin put it under his influence. Father did the same. I share their blood. I could put it under my influence too."
"And ask the King of Serpents to lie still and close its eyes while you extract the fangs that contain its venom? That is asking too much of the creature," countered Andraste.
"What about blinding it?" asked Grandma Brighid, wanting to reach some middle ground.
Andraste and Skyrah considered it. Hagrid was still uneasy with the topic. The idea of creatures getting hurt, no matter how dangerous the Ministry of Magic categorized them as, got him sad.
It was Dumbledore who spoke, finding her proposal wise. "How do you suggest doing that without us getting harmed in the process, Brighid?"
"Making it fall asleep first so that it can't see us in the first place."
"It weighs a lot. It'd need a lot of sleeping draught," Andraste pointed out.
"A potion wasn't what I had in mind. There used to be rituals by the magical Celts that put somebody to sleep with a chant."
"Those are only myths, Mum."
"Are they?"
Grandma Brighid disapparated and came back a minute later with an old book in her hands. It was one of the books Skyrah had checked to find the potion that would kill Faith without leaving any traces of poison. The magic Grandma Brighid's books contained could often be classified as Dark Magic. Dumbledore wrinkled his nose but didn't complain. Perhaps even he understood that the occasion called for desperate measures. She showed Skyrah the page with the chant written in the original version and an English translation alongside a score.
Brighid said no words but hummed a simple melody twice. "Got it?"
Skyrah nodded.
Next, Grandma Brighid conjured a snake.
Skyrah held the book and sang words in the old language to no effect. Her pronunciation must have been wrong, for nobody in the room felt sleepy at all. If Dumbledore was surprised by her singing voice, he didn't comment on it. Hagrid didn't either, though he did look like he was about to smile. He couldn't help but think that Morrighan, the wounded crow Severus had saved, would've loved to listen to her singing voice.
Since the snake was getting closer to her, she had to speak in Parseltongue to reassure the animal and calm it down. The snake complied. Skyrah studied the English translation and closed her eyes. This time, she sang the words in Parseltongue. When she dared open her eyes, everyone but Hagrid was smiling at her in wonder. Hagrid was simply shocked. Now he understood why Skyrah had been so sure that she could put the basilisk under her influence. She'd inherited her father's gift. Dumbledore looked a bit drowsy but soon recovered.
The snake curled in itself, fast asleep in a moment.
She almost let out a laugh of disbelief but controlled herself and covered her mouth lest she awoke the snake.
"If I put the basilisk to sleep just by singing, we could get near it and blind it, perhaps with torches. Fire would work."
"I have the feeling that'd wake anyone up, no matter how profound the sleep," mentioned Andraste. "A creature doesn't need to see you to attack you, Skyrah."
"It's a first step. If the basilisk sees, we can't even get near it without fearing for our lives. I just need to get close enough to the basilisk and sing it to sleep."
"The basilisk must die. You won't be able to get its fangs if it's alive, asleep or not," insisted Andraste. "It's dangerous. If you're doing this, I'm going with you."
Skyrah's chest felt warm all of a sudden. She wished Severus knew how sweet a mother's love could be. Skyrah smiled at Andraste and kissed her cheek in thankfulness. Grandma Brighid was eyeing her family in fondness.
"I agree with you, Andraste. While it is true that the basilisk has lived under Hogwarts for many years and only one major accident occurred," said Dumbledore, thinking of the ghost Myrtle, "once we open the chambers, we may be unable to close them again and keep it trapped. Consequently, the basilisk must die even if you manage to put it under your influence, Miss Riddle." Hagrid was getting teary-eyed, so Dumbledore added, putting a hand on the half-giant's arm, "It's lived a long life, Hagrid. Salazar Slytherin himself brought the basilisk to the school. Many others will die if we don't find a safe method to destroy the horcruxes."
"So what's the plan?" asked Grandma Brighid.
"I was thinking about bringing a Gryffindor and the Sorting Hat…"
The day to get the tool that would help them destroy the found horcruxes had come. Apart from Professor Dumbledore, Skyrah, and her family, others were to participate in the plan: Madam Pomfrey, Daniel, and Potter. Hagrid hadn't had the heart to join them. Daniel and Grandma Brighid were to wait in Myrthle's bathroom, ready to help Poppy in any way should an incident occur. The rest would go to the Chamber of Secrets Skyrah would open. Myrtle fled with a scream as soon as Dumbledore mentioned the basilisk.
"Ready?" asked Potter. The rest of the team didn't share his excitement, being more solemn instead and a tad concerned.
Before anyone could make a remark, they heard quick footsteps. Skyrah had no time to say the name of the person who'd just come into the bathroom, delaying the beginning of the mission. He was already enveloping her in his arms. A bag he carried dropped.
"Dammit, Severus! What are you doing here?" she scolded him, but she was hugging him firmly.
"Daniel told me about your plan."
Skyrah glared at Daniel, who merely shrugged at her. Daniel didn't usually talk to Severus, but this, he'd found important to inform him about. After seeing Skyrah's face upon Severus's arrival, how could he regret his decision? His friend was worried but most of all happy to see Severus without any mirrors in between them. She still hadn't let go of Severus nor did it look like she would any time soon.
"You can't come with us," she warned Severus. "You can't get inexplicable injuries. Don't give the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who a reason to mistrust you."
"Skyrah–"
"Wait alongside Daniel, my grandmother, and Poppy if you must, but don't come with me. I won't do this if you come with me." She kissed his cheek, lingering for longer than necessary to be considered simply friendly, and pulled back slowly, as though savoring the opportunity of having him so close. "If we aren't back in thirty minutes, alert the Order."
"But–"
"No buts. My mum's with me, plus Professor Dumbeldore… and Potter. I won't be doing this alone."
Severus looked at Daniel. "I thought you'd go with them."
"Skyrah believes You-Know-Who could have trained the basilisk to kill wizards with no-maj parents like me. She thinks it's unsafe. I can't risk her worrying about me when she should focus on the task at hand. You should listen to her and stay here, too."
Severus felt torn. Everyone was looking at him in silence, which didn't help him. He'd come here, not only to see her, but to work alongside her, to protect her, and do his task as a member of the Order, one that went beyond spying Death Eaters. Now she was making demands that didn't suit him.
"I'll take care of her. You have my word," promised Potter, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Your word means nothing to me," snarled Severus.
"It means everything to me. She won't receive a scratch if I can help it."
"I am not entirely helpless myself, thanks for your vote of confidence in me," she cut in.
Severus's lips drew a thin line. "You know that isn't what I think."
She did. It was apprehension that spurred his reaction. She didn't fail to notice that her grandmother looked as anxious as Severus. "Stay here," she insisted, her voice stern but with a touch of affection Severus couldn't fight against. She hugged Daniel briefly and whispered in his ear, "Keep him and my grandmother calm for me, will you? They're bound to get sick with worry."
Daniel smiled, amused by the command. "Of course. Be careful."
She gave those who'd wait for them an encouraging smile and promised to be back in a flash, safe and sound, and with the key for the destruction of the horcuxes.
Andraste, Potter, and Dumbledore had hidden under the cloak in an attempt to confuse the basilisk, although it'd be able to smell them anyway. The chambers had been opened. Skyrah was the guide, walking slowly through them.
"Close your eyes," she ordered in whispers all of a sudden. "Stay still behind that pillar, far from the basilisk."
If she hadn't been so nervous, she might have taken the time to marvel at Slytherin's statue or the pillars which decorated and supported the chambers, dated centuries ago.
"Hello, Basilisk."
Some noise came from Slytherin's mouth. The basilisk wouldn't come out yet.
Skyrah approached it instead, taking one step at a time as she continued in Parseltongue, "I can hear you, my friend."
"You aren't my master."
"Your master won't come here anymore. He abandoned you, didn't he? When was the last time he talked to you?"
"Decades have passed."
Skyrah was now by the entrance, where the basilisk remained hidden. It was better to talk to the basilisk rather than risk it interrupting her sleeping chant. Gaining its trust was crucial.
"Your master told me about you. I thought it was unfair that he'd abandon you. I've come here, instead. I'm his heiress, and I don't wish to repeat his mistakes. Would you give me a chance? Would you be mine?"
Skyrah closed her eyes. The basilisk moved. She felt the air moving around her and smelt the nasty odor from its breath. It hit the back of her head. The basilisk didn't want to harm her and so wouldn't look her in the eye and kept his head behind her. Good, she thought.
"Why should I trust you? I smell others here."
"They're my friends. I thought you'd appreciate my bringing some company after being alone for years."
The basilisk moved. The snout was touching her upper arm. With her other hand, she caressed it very tentatively. Since the basilisk didn't protest nor show uneasiness, she kept doing it. Her skin crawled. To snakes, she was used to. She'd lost her fear early in her childhood after spotting one in the forest and befriending her. Basilisk were beasts, though, huge beasts that could seriously harm her and those she cared about.
"Do you wish for me to kill filthy mudbloods as your father did?"
"Not for now. I only wish to sing for you and my friends. Would you allow me?"
"You're my mistress now. You may do as you wish."
Dumbledore covered his ears. The rest remained still until the song no longer echoed in the chambers. They approached Skyrah, who was in front of the enormous basilisk, curled in itself, eyes closed as the little conjured snake had been back in Hagrid's Hut. Andraste and Professor Dumbledore lit two torches and positioned themselves to burn one eye each.
Potter held the Sorting Hat right beside Skyrah.
The silence was heavy.
She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "I'm sorry," she whispered in Parseltongue. She opened her eyes. "Now."
Simultaneously, Dumbledore and Andraste burned its eyes. The scream resonated so loudly that even those who'd stayed behind with Poppy heard it. Disconcerted and in pain, the basilisk turned its head. Dumbledore and Andraste took the chance to position themselves behind Potter and Skyrah. It had to attack him.
"What have you done? You tricked me!" exclaimed the basilisk.
Skyrah's guilt mounted. She wouldn't stop, though. She had to keep deceiving the beast if she wanted to obtain the tool that would weaken her father and help put an end to the nightmare she lived.
"My friends did, not me! They betrayed me! They aren't my friends anymore! They're here! Do you smell them? In front of you! Kill them! Show revenge! Nobody dares hurt a creature as beautiful as you. Show them!"
The basilisk moved fast. Potter was faster. The sword materialized just in time, and he stuck it to the basilisk right before it could bite his head off. He thought the dying basilisk would fall on him. That would have happened indeed were it not for Dumbledore, Andraste, and Skyrah, that pushed Potter away.
"You're hurt," said Andraste, looking at Potter's perforated arm. It was beginning to bleed, and they all knew venom would get into his system in no time. "Hurry up!"
Dumbledore took the sword from Potter and used it to get the remaining fang… or attempted to. It was taking him longer than expected. Potter was getting dizzy, his normally tanned skin had a sickly pale tone to it. He no longer looked enthusiastic at the prospect of the mission. If anything, he was losing consciousness.
"Mum, take Potter to Madam Pomfrey. Don't wait for us!"
"But the fangs–"
"Go! I'll help Professor Dumbledore."
Andraste helped Potter walk out of the chambers.
Eventually, both fangs were out, each with venom inside. Dumbledore rose and began to leave with the new tools only to realize he wasn't being followed. He turned around and saw Skyrah caressing the basilisk's snout, her expression solemn.
"Salazar Slytherin, my father, and I have something in common: we did you wrong."
"It was for the greater good," he said, and Skyrah realized that, while Dumbledore wasn't a Parselmouth, he was able to understand the gist.
"It doesn't make it right. If there'd been another way to ensure the tools we need to destroy the horcruxes in a safe, controlled way…" She sighed. It was a good thing Hagrid hadn't witnessed the scene.
"Where's she?" asked Severus, not showing any signs of wanting to help Potter.
Madam Pomfrey and Grandma Brighid were doing their best to assist Potter instead. Daniel, having no healing knowledge of the kind, stood beside Severus, trying to appease him with comforting words that did little.
"What happened? Why are you here without Skyrah and Albus? Why don't you have the fangs and–"
"They're fine," Andraste interrupted him, putting a hand on Severus's shoulder. "I wouldn't have left them there if I'd thought my only daughter was in danger." She smiled proudly in a way Eileen had never done for him. "It was a success. It won't take them long to come here."
Severus let out a sigh of relief. "And she says I'm the brave one… Dammit. She bloody defeated a basilisk."
"He killed it, to be fair," said Andraste, giving Potter a glance.
He looked better now that he'd drank some phoenix tears and energizing potions, though still rather pale. He'd come close to death. Daniel was shaking just by thinking about it. It was a good thing Lily wasn't here, or she'd be panicking. Severus paced around the bathroom for minutes, getting more and more impatient, staring at the floor.
"Hey, Skyrah's mother wouldn't lie. She's okay," said Daniel, but Severus only wanted to see her and hold her again. Until that happened, his anxiety would mount.
"Sweetheart," exclaimed Grandma Brighid, her voice heavy with emotion, and that was when Severus knew Skyrah and Albus were back.
At last.
She was hugging her grandmother and kissing her wrinkled cheek.
Skyrah pulled away and gave Potter a nod when she saw he'd made it.
"Welcome back," Daniel said with a smile.
Skyrah smiled back at him and then looked at Severus, who was already cupping her face and looking for injuries. She put her hands over his and pulled them down.
"I'm not harmed. Not even a scratch."
Severus nodded, still agitated, and squeezed her hands.
Albus displayed the sword, which could only be employed by Gryffindors, and the two fangs infested with venom on the bathroom floor. The tension that had been filling the bathroom had now been replaced by alleviation.
"We still should try them to see if they work," said Grandma Brighid. "I find the fangs more interesting than the sword soaked in venom, given that no matter the Hogwarts House we belong to, all of us could supposedly use them to destroy a piece of that bastard. If one isn't enough, both can be used at the same time."
"Your granddaughter should be the one to destroy the first horcrux," conceded Dumbledore.
"You've earned it, Riddle," said Potter before she could protest, letting out a cough.
Seeing how Daniel, Severus, and her family were looking at her, she had no choice but to accept or else she'd let them down. In truth, she thought Potter should be the one to destroy the first horcrux considering he could've died. To him, should the honor go. If he weren't so fragile right now…
"You should start with the diary," revealed Severus, taking it out of a bag he'd carried with himself. The grand birthday party had already taken place in Malfoy Manor nearly a week ago.
"I sense Father," she said, running her fingertips against the leather. Most of the diary was blank but for the beginning which contained a message written by a sixteen-year-old Riddle. Words appeared one by one. "He's speaking to me. It's him." She was in awe of the diary. It was clear by their expressions they would've liked to avoid the turn of events. There was something very wrong about this that Skyrah, for some reason, entirely missed. "I think Dad wants to get to know me. If only I could write on it, maybe…"
Severus snatched the diary from her and hid it behind his back.
"What are you doing?" exclaimed Skyrah with a huff.
"It's controlling you. Your eyes… They looked… The horcrux was doing something to you."
"Give it back, Severus," she warned him.
"I won't unless you promise to destroy it."
"I will, but not now. I don't have to destroy the diary yet. Don't you see it? It's a memory of him that's trapped in there, a piece of his soul. He's sixteen. He isn't You-Know-Who yet. He could–"
"Tom won't love you, Skyrah," Andraste cut her off. There was no way to be tactful about it, and Skyrah flinched. "He already couldn't love."
"He'd only made one horcrux at that age. You're judging him too fast. He must be able to love," countered a hopeful Skyrah. "I only want to talk to him, talk to my dad before he–"
"Listen to us," her grandmother advised her. "Talking to a young Tom won't help you."
"You talk as if he were a monster. He's just a boy, younger than me."
"He'd killed one person by that age. That was more than enough to ruin him," assured Andraste.
Skyrah narrowed her eyes. "Is that what you think of me too, Mother? Am I ruined?"
"Of course not. You're–"
"Just like him whether you like it or not. I didn't make a horcrux, but I'm not so different from this young Tom…"
Those who didn't know the whole truth about Faith's death were confused but didn't dare intervene. The Skyrah they were seeing was behaving out of character: snarling at Severus and her mother, ignoring her grandmother… Her eyes weren't quite right either. Her pupils were so big the brown of her irises couldn't be seen. It was perceptible not only by those standing near her.
Skyrah pounced on Severus. It was so unexpected that they ended up on the floor, wrestling: she trying to get the diary back, he keeping it out of her reach. The only good thing about the diary being cursed was that a simple accio didn't work on it, and so Skyrah couldn't use a spell to get it back into her hands.
"Is this how you show me that you love me? By impeding my trying to talk to my dad? To experience for once in my life what it feels like to be loved by a father? I should've never given you my heart! You'd give me what I needed if you loved me. Just because your father could never love you, it doesn't mean mine can't! You don't love me! You don't love me at all! You've only used me! Used my heart and body for your own pleasure, to feel less lonely. Did you think it'd be fun to play with my feelings?"
The more she talked, the more pain Severus was in. The iris of her eyes had completely disappeared and the white of the eye was slowly darkening as well. The sight was as terrifying as her words.
"Don't let him possess you!" he begged, trying to push her away without harming her as she attempted to reach the horcrux. It was proving to be tricky. He was used to dueling with her, but not fighting physically.
She didn't seem to hear her family and Poppy begging her to let Severus go and not to speak such things, nor Dumbledore instructing them all to get away. He was about to stupify her when Severus allowed her to get the diary, but in doing so, he guided her face to his and kissed her with all his might. Everyone held their breaths and watched the scene unfold. Skyrah had frozen on top of him. Slowly, she let the diary go and put her hands on his cheeks to kiss him back. It had been so long since they had kissed, and Severus, glad to feel her respond, deepened the kiss, not caring one bit about the audience. Eventually, she put an end to it and looked at him, frightened, or so the trembling of her body indicated. Her eyes were the same he'd fallen for, which meant that she wasn't dominated by the horcrux anymore. The Skyrah who'd kissed him back had been conscious.
"Severus… I… I don't know what came over me…"
He caressed her cheek tenderly as if everything she'd said earlier hadn't affected him one bit. "It's okay, my heart. It's over."
She let out a shaky breath and then frowned. "Don't you hear him?"
Nobody heard a voice. Only she did, as if the horcrux called her. A glimpse at the diary on the floor, not far from them, was enough for her eyes to darken again. Severus cupped her face so that she'd look at him instead.
Too late.
She'd just got off him and was extending her arm to grab the diary. Daniel was faster. He'd taken the Gryffindor sword and stabbed it into the diary. It bled out black blood, and a scream so shrilling it made them all shiver.
"DAD!" shrieked Skyrah.
But it was over. The horcrux existed no more. Her eyes progressively returned to that brown that held so much warmth. She looked at her family, who were staring at her, worried but not daring to speak just yet. Then she looked at Daniel, who'd dropped the sword. It now lay next to the ruined diary.
"You okay?" he asked her, breathing harshly.
No.
How could she be okay?
Skyrah began to run away, only Severus caught her before she could exit the bathroom, hugging her from behind.
"Let me go," she begged. She knew it was him just by his smell.
"Where will you go?"
"Far from you."
"It's been too long since we could actually hold a conversation face-to-face, with no mirrors in the middle. Please don't leave yet. Not yet."
"Why do you want me to stay? I hurt you," she croaked. "I said horrible things to you and my family."
He kissed the back of her head. "It was the horcrux. It had power over you."
"Which proves I'm too weak. Father's right. He–"
"You're the strongest person I know, and that's why you're going to dry your tears and come back so that we can talk about what happened. Nobody here blames you. Only you do. Leaving won't solve anything."
Skyrah let out a muffled cry. "...I don't regret giving you my heart and body."
She felt his smile against her hair. "I know."
He snaked an arm around her middle section and found her hand. Hand-in-hand, they walked back to the rest. They'd made a circle.
"I'm sorry for the scene I made," said Skyrah. "I couldn't quite control what was getting out of my mouth or what I was doing. I only cared about the diary. If not for Daniel… Thank you."
To her surprise (and only hers), nobody had judged her. If anything, they were relieved to have got rid of such a frightening magical object.
"This is a most interesting discovery, Miss Riddle, one of which you shouldn't be ashamed," Dumbledore replied. "The horcruxes try to get attached to those who hold them. They manipulate, make us feel what we shouldn't, and act as we normally wouldn't. It uses our deepest fears and hopes to control us. Whenever we aim to destroy one, it can't be done by a person alone, or they will run a huge risk of being dominated by the horcrux. As a team, we're stronger. The stronger the bond is, the harder it is to fall under any influence. That is my conclusion, given that Severus's action managed to stop you, if only for a moment."
Skyrah blushed, the taste of Severus's lips still in her mouth. Severus, too, though he was softly smiling at her. He was thankful that Dumbledore was trying to make her see she shouldn't be so afraid of caring for anyone or assume Voldemort was more powerful than the Order.
"Love is the weapon," agreed Andraste.
"This family is more powerful than him," added Grandma Brighid. "Because we love. Now we know what to expect. We won't be caught off guard."
"And the sword works. We should try the fangs," mentioned Daniel.
Hufflepuff's Cup was next. Dumbledore asked them to follow him to a room. It was secreted by a portrait Dumbledore himself had enchanted. Those who wished to enter had to solve a riddle only he knew the solution to. The room was spacious enough for them all. It had nothing but a robust table that dated from medieval times and a rose window with crystals that illustrated Helga Hufflepuff bringing house elves to Hogwarts, plus other, smaller windows. On top of the table lay the Cup. Grandma Brighid, who'd carried one of the fangs, offered it to Skyrah.
"Oh, no. I've had enough for one day," she responded, raising her palms. "Besides, the Cup may start talking to me again and I might do something stupid. Daniel did a great job at it. He could do it again. It's poetic revenge that a muggle-born beats him."
"I think you should do it, to prove to yourself you can do this," opined Daniel.
Skyrah narrowed her eyes at him. "You aren't helping me."
"That's what you think."
"Daniel, listen, if you don't want to do this again, it's totally fine. There are more people in this room, but don't make me do it."
"What if we did it together?" suggested Severus. He saw what Daniel meant. After such an ordeal, destroying a horcrux successfully would heal the wound in her confidence.
"Pardon?"
"Together. You were yourself when we kissed."
"I know you miss my kisses but don't you think this isn't the best timing?"
Severus smirked at her words. "You're absolutely right in that I miss kissing you, but that isn't what I meant. Allow me to hold your hand. If I see that your eyes begin to change, or if you see mine changing, we'll drop this. Does that sound feasible to you?"
"It does to me," was Daniel's response.
To everyone, it seemed, so she took the fang from Grandma Brighid's grasp. Skyrah was trembling. Severus gave her free hand a squeeze. Together, they approached the Cup. The gust was so powerful the rose window rattled. They didn't let their guard down and kept walking. One of the crystals depicting a house-elf entering the kitchens exploded. The people in the room squealed. Severus instinctively covered Skyrah with his body.
"Severus," she whispered, concerned.
She touched a few drops of blood from his cheekbone.
"You're hurt…"
"Just a small cut."
"My family, Daniel—"
"We must get rid of the horcrux first."
She took a big breath and nodded. Another step, and the gust came again, this time, through the broken rose. So strong it was that they were nearly knocked over as if they weighed less than a small owlet. Yet the Cup remained immobile. No voices came from it, no messages upon its gold. It was reacting to them in a different way, controlling the weather, impeding them from coming near. They struggled through the gale-force wind and nearly slipped more than once.
"Together… They need help," muttered Potter, still weak.
Daniel, having heard him, was the first one to join them and push Skyrah. Dumbledore, strong for his age, joined him by putting his hands on Severus's back, helping the pair take one step at a time. Andraste and Grandma Brighid positioned themselves behind Daniel and Dumbledore while Poppy made sure Potter didn't move despite his need to act.
They needed four hands to hold the fang without it slipping through their fingers. Skyrah and Severus looked at each other.
Three, two, one.
Bam!
A piece of soul screamed. This time the crystals from the windows cracked due to the intense gale and flew, hurting them all in the process.
Professor Dumbledore touched his cheek, which had a deep cut, and looked at his former students. Madam Pomfrey needn't be told to please help. She got to work, starting with the one she deemed the most vulnerable and gravest: Grandma Brighid.
"See? You could do this," Daniel told Skyrah, distracting her from the sudden fear of seeing her family hurt.
"We're bleeding. All of us," she said, worried about a cut that had reached his eyebrow. A few centimeters below and…
"Not for long. Two horcruxes gone. He's going to be weaker now. We're closer to our victory."
"There is a place in this castle in which I suspect one of the horcruxes could be hidden," said Dumbledore as Poppy assisted Potter. "The Room of Requirement, after all, is famous for giving us what we need. We should take advantage that you've come all the way from America and look for it once we are in good conditions."
Severus was in. The faster they destroyed those nasty objects, the better. Plus, it gave Skyrah an excuse to stay longer in Scotland, close to him. Every moment with her had incalculable value and he would take advantage of it.
While Daniel said they had nothing to lose by trying, Andraste put a hand on her womb. Only someone as observant as Skyrah would've noticed, for it'd been a brief gesture, one Andraste rectified by letting her hand fall limp by her side.
"Mum, did a crystal reach your stomach?"
Andraste's no had been too quick a response, almost a yelp.
"You should tell her," whispered Grandma Brighid so only Andraste would hear her, seeing Skyrah's confusion. "She'll learn about it sooner or later. This is the Order. It is okay if they know. They'll aid you."
Andraste took a moment to think about it. Her hand had found its way back on top of her womb. Skyrah was getting nervous with what-ifs her mind came up with: from an illness that affected her stomach to aches, but certainly not the reality. Skyrah's gasp at the news was the only one that didn't come with happiness from the entire room.
"Pardon?"
"You'll be a big sister. I'm expecting a baby girl."
Whoever the father was, it couldn't be Voldemort. Her mother hadn't mentioned any dates nor having an interest in finding a partner. In fact, Skyrah had always thought her mother was fine and very happy as a single woman and wanted to remain so, especially after her bad experience with Tom Riddle. The longer the silence, the less Skyrah wanted to accept it.
"We're in the middle of a war. How could you be this irresponsible?"
"Don't take such a tone with your mother," said Grandma Brighid sternly.
"You shouldn't support her. Father will—"
"It's none of his business."
"He'll make it his business, Grandma."
"Tom and I broke up a long time ago. Connor's a good man. I wasn't planning on getting pregnant, I'll admit that, but it isn't a mistake."
"Connor? Connor Fawley? Your dragonologist co-worker?"
Andraste had mentioned him a few times, mostly as someone with whom she had to work closely due to her research focused on dragons. Skyrah had seen her, years ago, reading an article by the wizard. She had suspected a possible friendship at most, for Grandma Brighid looked at Andraste with a twinkle in her blue eyes whenever Andraste brought up Connor.
"How professional, Mum."
"It wasn't like that. We're friends and nothing's ever happened at work."
Skyrah let out a bitter laugh. "Clearly, something more than friendship happened outside of work."
The audience in the room had quietened down to listen. Severus wished they hadn't, if only for Skyrah's family to preserve their privacy. Nevertheless, Grandma Brighid was right. A pregnancy would show. As allies, they'd need protection the Order would grant. It was a truth that had to come out sooner or later.
"Skyrah, I should've told you that I was seeing someone. I see that now. If you met him, you'd understand why I like him so much. He embodies the House of Hufflepuff perfectly but possesses a brave heart that many Gryffindors would like to have themselves, and a curiosity that rivals even that of a Ravenclaw like me, plus the sort of determination that is expected of a Slytherin."
"Why you like him doesn't matter. The mistake wasn't keeping me in the dark. The mistake was forgetting to use protection! Father will feel like you're insulting him and he'll seek revenge."
"Maybe he shouldn't be so sensitive. He was the first to cheat, back when we were together. I haven't done anything wrong."
"He'll torture you and you'll lose the baby!"
"Not if we hide the pregnancy," assured Grandma Brighid. "There are spells that hide the symptoms of the fourth first months. After that, using such magic could affect the development of the little one's magical core, but we'll think of something."
"All right. Let's pretend you succeed and give birth to my half-sister. Then what? How do we hide a baby?"
"I wouldn't raise her," said Andraste. "Connor would as a single dad. I'd stay here, in Europe under Dumbledore's protection, and Connor would stay in America with our baby."
The silence was heavy. Everyone was processing what that meant for Andraste.
"You'd be willing to do that? Have a baby and get separated from her?" asked Skyrah.
"I love her. I want her to live."
"You should abort."
Even Severus was stunned by Skyrah's retort.
"Please don't," said Daniel, who'd flinched at the word 'abort'. As a devoted Christian, the notion made him truly uncomfortable. "The baby will be loved. If there's a way to keep her safe, we must protect her so that she lives with her dad."
"This baby's putting my mother in danger. Why should the life of an unborn person be more important than my mother's?" asked Skyrah, clenching her fists. Her lips quivered.
"I'm in danger anyway, my child."
"Well, yes, but while you weren't pregnant I didn't have to worry about you loving a baby born from love more than you could ever love me, your abuser's daughter. I didn't have to worry about losing a sister and mother at the same time!" Skyrah was now crying and drying, in vain, her tears. It had clearly been an exhausting day for her and most likely it wasn't the right timing to announce the pregnancy news, after all. Severus almost intervened but Grandma Brighid acted more quickly than him.
"Sweetheart, your mother will never stop loving you."
Andraste touched Skyrah's cheek. "You'll have more than my love. Connor wants to meet you. His wish is to become a family once the war ends, your dad. He'd love you like Tom never could nor will."
Skyrah let out a snort. "Sure. Let's add a caring step-dad to the list of people I will disappoint or get killed."
"Miss Riddle, I do not wish to interfere in family matters, but in my humble opinion, family is most important," said Dumbledore, surprising them all. "I learned that the hard way, and now I do not have a family who cares for me. Do not allow your fear and low self-esteem to rob you of your family."
"They should get away from me. Everyone who cares about me! Maybe it's easier to give Father what I want in exchange for leaving you all alone. I'd do it if it meant saving you. You could have a good family, Mum. A second chance. That baby won't hurt you as I do."
Severus was so shocked and hurt he couldn't speak. That would mean Skyrah was willing to marry a Death Eater, someone more valuable to Voldemort than Severus himself, that was for sure. She was willing to sacrifice her happiness if it meant protecting those she loved.
"I don't want you to speak that way again," Andraste reprimanded her, and Severus was thankful, for he couldn't stand the thought of Skyrah giving up on them.
"You don't want me to keep you safe?" asked Skyrah, raising an eyebrow. "To keep my grandmother safe? My sister? My friends and love? I was expecting some gratitude."
"As did I, for loving you and taking care of you for nineteen years. You're my daughter, Skyrah, and I love you even if you don't love every part of you. We're a family. It's our love that has helped us cope and move on, that will make us vanquish Tom forever. So don't you dare push us away, don't you dare marry a faithful, most likely violent Death Eater when you have the choice to fight together and marry the man you love, and don't you dare tell me I should interrupt my pregnancy. I won't."
Her brown eyes filled with tears. Suddenly, Skyrah let out a sob and covered her face. Her grandmother, fast for her age, caught her in her arms. She hummed, rather than sang, the lullaby, and called her sweetheart. Everyone felt like they were intruding, witnessing a too-personal scene. None dared move nor make a sound for fear Skyrah would lash out again, none but Severus, who'd put a hand on her shoulder for support.
"I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me," said Skyrah amid sobs.
"We know. It isn't your fault, sweetheart, it's Tom's. But you're doing so well. The Order is on the right track. You only need to be a little patient and have faith in us, in this team."
"Mum shouldn't be forced to give up on my sister."
"She's strong. She'll fight to get her back. All of us will."
Skyrah broke the embrace and wiped her tears away, too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye. Instinctively, she got near Severus. His presence alone was comforting.
"Well," started Potter, clearing his throat. "Can we go to the Room of Requirement now and find another horcrux to beat your sociopath of a father's arse? I hate him more and more every day. No tragic decisions have to be made if we win."
"For once we agree," said Severus, caressing Skyrah's arm up and down.
"Allow me to heal everyone first," pleaded Poppy, who'd just finished healing Daniel's wounds. "As for yourself, Mister Potter, I advise you to go to bed and rest at home."
"But–"
"Pardon my choice of words. You are obliged to go home and rest for at least three days."
He raised his hands in defeat. "Okay. I'm going home, but before that, I must remind you to tell them about your new mate," he said, his eyes on Severus.
Skyrah turned her head to him. She had an idea of whom Potter meant.
"It happened the day I retrieved the diary, at Malfoy Manor. I obliviated Lucius after obtaining the location of the diary, though I doubt he was going to remember anyway… Everyone was drunk, everyone but the wizard that caught me red-handed," started Severus.
"Stealing, half-blood? Is that the reason you befriended my cousin Narcissa and her husband? You did it for their riches."
Severus froze, not grabbing the diary inside a drawer from Lucius' desk yet, and looked at Regulus. At first, he didn't say anything, not knowing how to react. His cover could be blown. Maybe that was why he took the risk and used non-verbal, wandless legilimency. Regulus realized what was going on too late. Severus could have easily resisted his weak attempt at occlumency but decided against it and pulled out out of his free will. He'd already seen enough to conclude that befriending or associating with Regulus wouldn't be so hard after all. They had a lot more in common than Skyrah and Severus would have ever intuited.
"You didn't like it when you realized the Dark Lord didn't care about your House-Elf, did you? Where is the Locket?"
Regulus remained quiet and pale. The question confirmed that Severus had seen too much inside his mind. He misinterpreted the lopsided grin on Severus's face as mockery.
"If you tell the Dark Lord, I'm dead. I'm entirely at your mercy. How much money do you want to keep your mouth shut?"
"Are you bribing me?" asked Severus, quirking an eyebrow.
"You're the type to be in need of money, waiting until Lucius passed out to steal some of his jewels. You're better dressed now but we all know how your school uniform used to look."
"It isn't gold nor money I'm looking for, Black. Bribing me is absolutely unnecessary. I won't tell the Dark Lord about your disloyalty."
Regulus narrowed his eyes at Severus. "Liar. He'd reward you. You'd be well-seen regardless of your blood, valued by him. It's what any half-blood Death Eater would do. You will tell on me unless I somehow offer you something better than that, so stop playing games and tell me what you want."
That lopsided grin enlarged, and Regulus gulped.
"I see I must spell it out for you since you haven't realized it yet: I'm robbing Lucius for the same reason you made a copy of Slytherin's locket. Just like he meant to hurt your House-Elf, he succeeded in hurting someone dear to me."
Severus finally took the diary and put it inside a bag. When he turned around, Regulus, normally composed, was looking at Severus with round eyes, almost gaping.
"These objects… They have a piece of him, don't they?" asked Regulus, though it sounded more like a claim. "How on earth did he do something alike? With what aim? I cannot fathom–"
"Immortality. Power. As long as a piece of him lives, he'll live. His biggest fear is death."
Regulus gave a slow nod of understanding. "How are they destroyed?"
"There are two ways."
Regulus waited for Severus to inform him of the matter, but he didn't yet.
"How many more cursed objects are there?"
"A bunch," Severus replied vaguely. "Listen, we can do two things: you can give me the locket and I'll take care of it all. After that I can obliviate you so that he can't find anything in your memories even if he legilimencies you; you'd be safe. Your Occlumency skills clearly need an upgrade."
"If I followed that plan, I'd be loyal to someone who put Kreacher in danger. That isn't what I wish. What's the second option?"
"Join the Order."
"The Order? But that means…" Regulus shook his head as if in disbelief but voiced his thoughts anyway. "You must spy for Dumbledore, Snape. How can you, as a Slytherin? When has he ever helped us?"
"He's the one that can defeat the Dark Lord. He may not have helped us in the past but he can help us in the present and the future. The Order would benefit from having a second infiltrated Death Eater."
Regulus got near a window as if he needed fresh air. "I'm not cut out for being a spy."
"I'll teach you decent Occlumency skills myself. You only need to stay quiet and listen carefully, pretend to agree with everything being said if asked. Whatever you learn, any Death Eater plans and goals must be shared with Albus. If you'd rather not talk to him directly, tell me, and I'll act as an intermediary. Given that you tend not to bring attention to yourself, you could become a useful spy."
Regulus turned to face Severus. There was a strange, negative feeling in the room. It came most strongly from the bag Severus carried, where the diary was. It was a reminder of just what was at stake and what could have happened to Kreacher, of how little Voldemort cared for those who gave their all to him.
"Why help me at all? My brother was an arse to you at school."
Severus shrugged. "We don't choose our family. I know that well."
"When and where should we meet for the Occlumency lessons? It can't be Grimmauld's Place."
"I'll give you my address. It's a muggle neighborhood. The Dark Lord would never go there." Maybe Regulus wouldn't want to go either, seeing the way he'd grimaced when he'd heard the word 'muggle'. "Only the Malfoys do on occasion. If that were to happen, you could use the floo network and disappear... Unless the idea of collaborating with a half-blood repulses you."
Regulus looked at Severus for a long time. The Dark Lord repulsed him more.
"So he's with us now?" asked Skyrah.
"Yes, and Sirius thinks he may get his brother back," replied Potter. "They even destroyed the locket together. Daniel, Remus, Lily, and I had to help clean the mess the fiendfyre caused, but it was worth it. We could have died, hence why getting the fangs was so important. We also managed to escape from an Inferi army and put a fake locket in the place where the original one was found."
"So we've destroyed the cup, the diary, and the locket," recapped Grandma Brighid. "Only the diadem and the ring are missing. And it's only March. Everything could finish before the next year."
They all hoped so.
Daniel turned to Dumbledore. "Professor, you believe one of the horcruxes is here at Hogwarts. We'll start searching now, but what about the other?"
"I suspect one of them has to do with the Gaunts." Dumbledore looked at Andraste, seeking her agreement.
She, after all, knew Tom's secrets better than anyone. She would need time to think about it carefully and even revise some memories in his pensieve. There might be something there, a comment she'd taken for granted, perhaps, that could lead them all to the location of the last horcrux. That was something to be done another day, though. For the moment, they headed to the Room of Requirement.
An hour was spent searching in vain. The Room was filled with lost objects from different time periods. Some were bizarre, some were common, and others appeared to be muggle technology. In the end, Professor Dumbledore canceled the search for the day and informed them all that, starting the following day, the Order would seek the horcrux: either the diadem or the ring, in this special room. He and Poppy were the first to leave. Daniel gave Skyrah a hug and said goodbye to her family, knowing they'd need a moment alone.
"Mum, I… I'm sorry about what I said about…" She put her hand on Andraste's belly. "About this baby. About you and Connor. It was wrong of me."
"You were agitated and scared, and probably still affected by the horcruxes and everything that had happened."
"Can you forgive me?"
Andraste hugged her child tight and kissed her black hair, so different from her own red curls yet similar to the waves Tom had never allowed to run her fingers through. Sometimes, Skyrah would look at herself in the mirror and find herself twisting her wavy hair in an attempt to make it as curly as her mother, if only to feel more like her daughter and less like his. It was a habit that had begun as a child and which she hadn't successfully kicked yet.
"I do. I love you. Having another daughter won't make me love you less."
"I love you too," Skyrah croaked, holding back tears. "But I don't think I can meet Connor. If he's going to raise my sister alone, at least until the war is over, he shouldn't be linked to me in any way for his sake and the baby's."
"He's the first person I approve for your mother, a good man. He'd love you. You'd have a father's love," countered Grandma Brighid. Her greatest wish was for her granddaughter to receive all the love in the world.
"It's a sacrifice I must make for him and my sister. I've always wanted a sibling. I didn't expect her to arrive when I was nineteen and had accepted the disparity it'd be, but I'll love her. I already love her," said Skyrah, caressing her mother's still non-showing belly. "Rest and stay safe."
After a few more hugs, Andraste and Grandma Brighid left Skyrah and Severus behind. Neither had missed the longing glances Skyrah and Severus threw at each other throughout the quest, or how they seemed to attract each other, standing near all the time. They needed some privacy, and so her family granted it.
"Severus, I… What I said and did… I'm ashamed. I must have hurt you so much. I…"
She trailed off when he put his finger on her mouth to shush her. Then he began to caress her face affectionately.
"It was the horcrux speaking for you. I know you love me," he said, glancing at her snake bracelet. Then he unbuttoned two buttons from her shirt and slipped his hand in. She gasped and flushed although he didn't touch her breasts. Instead, he grasped the pendant of the two crows surrounding a black pearl and took it out. He smirked. "I knew you were wearing this. Our crows. Our love."
He closed his eyes and rested their foreheads together. He was reminiscing the moment they'd discovered they had matching patronuses. It lasted but a moment, for he pulled away and began to walk away. Skyrah felt cold. She had expected a goodbye kiss, at the very least. Considering they'd already kissed, if only to block the trance the diary had put her in. Another kiss wouldn't harm them, she reasoned. If anything, she craved his lips upon hers.
"Wait!" yelped Skyrah. "Why are you leaving so early?"
"I must. Otherwise, I will struggle not to kiss you. We must be careful. Collaborating today, although a gift, has been a risk in itself. Now we must be rational and keep some distance." So much distance he hadn't even faced her while he spoke, as if the sight of her alone had the power to disarm him and act against his logic.
"Please don't."
"You're always saying that cautiousness is crucial to survive and be able to be together in the end, that distance is what keeps us safe. I want us to be safe."
"I need you to stay."
"If I do—"
"You'll kiss me. I know."
"I won't want only a kiss," he confessed. "Not when it's been so long since we…" He groaned and covered his face with his hands, trying to get a grip. Even when searching for the horcrux in this room, he'd kept glancing at Skyrah, and memories of their times together, his happiest years, had flooded his brain. Andraste had caught one of those glances. He'd blushed but she'd just smiled at him and told him that she was glad he still loved Skyrah despite the kilometers that separated them.
"I want more too," Skyrah confessed, standing behind him.
"Skyrah," he said as a warning. They shouldn't be discussing this. If Voldemort saw a glimpse of this moment in their minds, they'd be in trouble. The more emotionally involved he got, the more likely it was for his occlumency walls to weaken at the most inopportune timing. "We've worked so hard. We're advancing. We must keep a cool head."
"I want my head to shut up already and allow my heart to feel."
"You're a Horned Serpent. Please act like one." Because he couldn't and he needed her to be the sensible one for them both. He couldn't be the mind of the wizard if he was tempted.
"Best friends with a Pukwudgie. He's teaching me the heart matters just as much as the mind. I'm listening to my heart, now. It wants you. If you don't want to make love, that's fine. I understand. But please let me hold you before leaving. A hug is okay. It's okay."
Her hands settled on his waist. When he didn't push her away, she hugged him fully, from behind, resting her cheek on his back.
"Thank you," she said, kissing his nape in lieu of his cheek, out of reach.
It had been an innocent kiss. He could tell. Out of habit more than anything else, a sign of gratitude. His resolution broke anyway. He turned around and kissed her, pushing her until her back hit a big oval object covered in a thick blanket. He broke the kiss, his hand on her jaw, his fingers touching the neck he so wanted to playfully bite and lick.
"Again. Longer," she breathed, just like she'd done after their first kiss in the Lunar Ball.
Severus stared into her eyes, searching for the minimum sign, a small part of her, that hesitated, that wanted to stop this madness before it delved into something deeper. Nothing. Instead, her hands were caressing his hair and she looked so happy to have been kissed, looked so eager to be kissed again. Before he knew it, his lips were on hers again.
And again.
And again.
Each kiss grew longer, more passionate.
"Skyrah," he said, his voice shaky. "Do you want this? Are you absolutely certain? We can stop." Please let's not stop, he thought, completely forgetting about Voldemort.
He kissed the part of her jaw that connected with her ear and went down, down, leaving a trail of feather-light kisses that made her grab him a bit more strongly and sigh. She tilted her head, a silent plea for him to kiss her with more fervor in her neck.
"Don't you stop," she pleaded, closing her eyes when he nibbled her earlobe.
"I won't. I won't," he repeated, as if enthralled. His attention was entirely on her neck and the sensation of her hands caressing his covered chest and slowly going down. "I've missed you. Your love, your smell, your…" He gasped and buried his face into the crook of her shoulder when she touched his erection through the fabric of his black trousers. "Your touch."
She unzipped his trousers and slid her hand beneath his underwear, wrapping her hand around his shaft to stroke him at the pace she knew drove him mad.
"If you keep doing that, I'll come. It's been too long. Don't make me come yet. Not yet."
She let go of him and he kissed her, pressing his erection against her body. He opened her blouse and kissed her cleavage, making her sigh. What a sight it was: the symbol of their love, the necklace Daniel had given her on his behalf for her birthday, there, between her breasts, so close to her heart. It was she, who got rid of her bra and guided his mouth to her nipples. He happily complied. It was a delight to see just how much pleasure he was able to give her, especially after spending so many months apart.
She began to unfasten his buttons. He was wearing dark wizarding clothes with a white cravat. Beneath the outer robes, he wore a white shirt: even more buttons.
"The uniform was much easier to get rid of, but I'm not complaining. You look so sexy in these robes. They fit your body so nicely. They make your waist look…" She moaned, her trail of thought lost, when his fingers rubbed her through her tights and panties. They were soaked despite having barely touched her. Severus growled and nibbled her collarbone. It was a delight to find that her words, calling him sexy, matched her physical responses. She wasn't lying. She found him attractive, always had, and it made him fall harder for her.
"Can I taste you?"
She removed her tights and panties, lifted her skirt, and spread her legs for him, leaning her back against that large object. She didn't care if she looked wanton or desperate. She'd touched herself many times thinking about Severus using his mouth on her the way he was now requesting. She thought he was teasing her by kissing her legs and licking her thighs, going as far as leaving a love bite on her right one. But he wasn't. His goal was to elongate the moment and her pleasure. Eventually, Skyrah couldn't wait anymore, and guided his face to her crotch, keeping her fingers on his hair. She threw her head back and bit her lip. It was useless, though. Soon, she was moaning out loud, completely immersed in the pleasure he was providing her. It mounted, more and more, until she reached her climax.
He stood up and looked at her with a slightly smug grin on his face. "I deserve a thank you kiss on my cheek for that."
She burst out laughing. It was a sound so contagious that he couldn't help but laugh alongside her. Even after she kissed his cheek, they kept on laughing like they hadn't in ages. It felt as good as holding her in his arms. He only stopped when her lips crashed against his, and her arms circled his neck. It was a passionate kiss that made all his skin feel hot. She pulled back to gaze up at him and catch her breath, her expression that of worship.
"I love you, Severus."
He caressed her cheek, knowing it made her feel special. She nuzzled her cheek against his palm, eyes shut.
"I love you too." He kissed her between her eyebrows. "I loved you even before dating you."
And then he was inside her for the first time in long months. The emotions were so overwhelming he could barely breathe. He could only hold her and kiss her face. She was hooking a leg around his hip for better stability and nodded at him with an encouraging smile. The rocking came naturally. The sighs and moans and whimpers, too. They kissed. They expressed their love through words and through their bodies. It was the perfect union of bodies and souls…
Until the blanket that was covering the object they were making love against fell upon them, that is.
Skyrah chuckled again, instead of being annoyed, so Severus couldn't be annoyed either. She simply pushed the blanket away with his help and prompted them to resume their love-making, now, with her back against the uncovered large mirror. Neither paid it any attention, though. Only each other mattered.
"Skyrah, I can't… I can't hold back… I'm about to…"
"Me too. So close… So…"
It had happened to them a few times, though it wasn't common, and now again, to have an orgasm at the same time. By the time he gathered his wits, what he first noticed were the tears in the corner of her eyes.
"Not even a minute after I made you come, and you're already regretting this?" he asked, not quite masking his pain even though he'd meant to joke with her, desperately needing her to giggle and say he was worrying over nothing. She kept uncomfortably quiet instead. "Do you think it was a mistake?"
"It was a gift."
So she's simply overwhelmed, he thought, relaxing.
"But I'm very worried, Severus. If this meant to you the same as it meant to me, you'll be thinking about it for a long time, especially when we're apart. Our occlumency will have to be flawless when in front of my father."
"You're always on my mind. My occlumency has to be perfect no matter what, like yours. It wasn't a mistake, Skyrah, not to me. I'd have regretted it if I'd left this place without at the very least having kissed you and held you. I'm thankful that you urged me to stay. I often think that all may go wrong at the end, that my cover may be blown and I may die. I feel lonely most of the time. This was a moment of bliss, a gift, as you said. You make me forget about the bad things in my life. You've always had that power."
Skyrah hugged him. They were still naked, and the intimacy of the act reassured Severus that something that felt this good couldn't be a mistake.
"I don't know if it was or not a mistake to let our feelings guide us, but I don't regret it. That I know," she said, kissing his chin.
They kept holding each other until she shivered. Now that lust wasn't warming their bodies, they started to feel the cold of the Room.
"I should return to the US. I won't help you find the next horcrux. Coming here was dangerous already, but it was a risk I had to take, being the only other Parselmouth…"
"You've been brave, my heart."
"You're brave every day." Teary-eyed, she tightened his grip on him. "I don't want to leave, but…"
She had to. Reluctantly, they pulled apart and got dressed. Hadn't it been for his loud gasp, she'd have left.
"What's this enchantment? The mirror…"
His face was one of sheer joy, and so Skyrah knew exactly the mirror Severus was referring to. It made her blush to think of what Dumbledore would think of her if he knew she'd made love to Severus while standing against such a peculiar mirror.
"The Mirror of Erised. It shows your greatest desire. I didn't know it was here. Professor Dumbledore obliviated me after I used it in our third year so that I remembered the mirror and its reflection, but not its location. It's addictive. I'll tell him to move it." She made sure not to look at it and took Severus's hand. "Come on."
"Let me stay."
"Severus." There was a hint of concern in her tone.
"I heard you. It's addictive, but I want to stay for a while."
Curious as she was about what he saw, she didn't dare ask. Maybe she was afraid of being disappointed by what he saw. Maybe she was simply anxious in the presence of the mirror and needed to get out.
Yet Severus spoke without being prompted. "We're dancing." Skyrah relaxed, realizing his greatest desire was simply to go back to what they used to have… until he opened his mouth to give a detail. "We're wearing matching rings."
She was staring at her shoes, pointedly avoiding the mirror. That didn't stop her from hearing the longing in his voice. She allowed him to watch the reflection, if only to give him hope that one day, he'd have that, that those invasive thoughts of losing the war or dying were only that, thoughts. He was in complete silence, presumably enraptured by the idea of marrying her, for a long time. When he grabbed her arm, though, she knew there had to be more to what he was seeing. He was slightly shaking, and his grip was firm.
"You're taking my hand and putting it..." He turned, difficult as it was to get his eyes off of the mirror, and put his hand on her flat belly. At once, she knew exactly what the mirror was showing him. "We look blissful."
Skyrah gulped and looked him in the eye. He looked so touched by the scene that she felt like hugging him but didn't. "I'm sorry I can't give you what your heart most desires."
"Why do you say that? I know you want to marry me. Wouldn't you want to have a baby with me?"
"Severus–"
"Supposing it's safe. Supposing your father can't reach us and there isn't any war. Supposing we're happily married. Would you like to start a family with me?"
Skyrah gave him a sad smile and put a hand on his cheek. "If everything goes as we wish, yes. Yes, I'd love to."
It was more than enough for Severus, who was grinning ear to ear by then. She wondered if he looked this thrilled in the mirror, dancing with his pregnant wife.
"I've never thought about having children before. Truth be told, the prospect is intimidating, especially when my own parents… But with you, I'd do it. I'd have the family I lacked as a child. I'd do my best to make my children proud of me and love them. I'd love them so much. I'd have the family I've always longed for."
He captured her lips in his to give her a lingering kiss.
"Won't you look in the mirror again?" she wondered, keeping her arms around his form.
"No. I trust you. It's addictive. I don't need another moment. Aren't you going to take a peek yourself, though?"
"The last time I did this, it showed me my father saying he loves me. What if nothing's changed? I'd rather leave this place."
"I understand. You don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with. Although, if you care about my opinion, I don't think that'd be the case."
"The horcrux didn't agree with you. It played with my emotions so well."
"That doesn't mean his love is your biggest desire. I know you. Now that you know your mother's expecting a baby girl, your biggest desire is to keep your family safe." He lowered his voice, "To keep me safe."
If she'd dared to look in the mirror, she'd confirmed his words.
...
A/N: May 2025 be a good year for you all!