Watching

Two people in this world notice me when I lurk in my world of shadows. They have noticed me many times. They both hate and love me.

The first is my father, Severus Snape. He knows because he taught me. He loves me because I am his daughter and a reminder of a love he lost. He hates me because I am my mother's daughter and the only living thing left of that love that he lost.

They were married, my parents. My father loved her more than anything in the world. She was a Death Eater as well, though no one but my father ever knew. We don't know why she left us; I was only three months old when she did. We only know she left us for James. Harry had her longer than I did. Harry had her a year.

And for that, I hate my brother. He had the mother I have never known. He had the only woman to bring my father joy. And for that, my father loathes him.

The other man who notices me when I am hidden in my shadow world is the man who is sitting in front of the dying fire in our common room. I do not know how he knows, but he calls me from the shadows more than my father ever has. He hates me because of Harry, and he hates Harry even more because of me. But he loves me. He does not know I know, and he does not know I feel the same way, but he does know he is the only one who can get within five feet of me in an intimate manor and my father will not crack down on him.

"Out of the shadows," he says to me in way of greeting.

"How do you always know?" I ask in amazement stepping into the light of the dying fire.

"I wrote the book."

I walk around the chair he is sitting in. A few strands of his hair have fallen over his eyes and his head rests on long slender fingers. He stands and walks closer to me, my heart racing as he does so. He is the only one who can make my breath still, my heart race, my head spin. I can feel his breath on my face as he gets closer. My heart beats faster, pounding in my ears. He leaned in for the kiss.

His tongue brushed across my lips, asking permission, I opened my mouth, giving it to him. His hands caressed my back, tracing patterns while I held on to him, afraid that if I let go, I would find that I was dreaming.

He pulled away, leaving me shocked at the abrupt change.

"I've wanted to do that for years," he said breathlessly.

"Why haven't you?" I asked. "You think you're the only one who's wanted that?"

"Not any more I don't. Maybe I've been waiting for the right moment, the right time. And hopefully your father won't kill me for it."

I chuckled. "He won't."

We sat down in the chair he had previously occupied. I curled up against him, listening to the sound of his breathing and the beating of his heart. It was soothing, and made me almost forget the events of tonight.

"So where were you?" he asked. "You left shortly after dinner."

"Following my brother again. He knows now."

I felt Draco stiffen. "And?" he asked sounding strained.

"And he's crushed. It's one secret he should never have learned."