A Wolf in Slayer's Clothing

Chapter Seven:

Wild or Domestic?

Eva slowly opened the door to her bedroom. Isabella was nowhere in sight and she smiled at the intelligence of her small daughter.

"Bella? Come on out baby, its mommy," Eva said gently. Isabella crawled out from under the bed and ran to her mother, hugging her knees.

"Mommy, mommy, mommy," she sobbed. She clung to her mother's legs as if she would fall if she let go. Isabella screamed in fear and hopped onto the bed cowering under the blankets.

"What the..." Eva said but Sirius came into view. He was still in dog form and all Isabella knew was that this dog had attacked her father.

"Bad doggie, bad!" Isabella screamed.

"No, no honey he's a good puppy," Eva said. She sat on the floor beside Sirius and began to pet him. He sat and wagged his tail hoping the little girl would catch on. "Come here Bella, pet the puppy," Eva said. Isabella slowly scampered off the bed and sat in her mother's lap. She hesitantly reached out and began to pat Sirius. Without warning he turned and began to lick Isabella's face. She smiled and began to giggle.

"Silly puppy," she giggled and he stood up as if he wanted to play. "What's his name mommy?"

"Padfoot," Eva said. She was glad that she had managed to talk to Sirius out in the hallway before going in after Isabella. He had transformed back into himself and told her the best way to handle this was to show Isabella that he wasn't a mean dog. Eva had swiftly agreed as had Sanura.

"Padfoot," Isabella repeated. She walked over to Sirius and jumped on his back. She gently grabbed his ears. "Giddy-up," she said in a high-pitched squeal. Obediently he began to walk about the living quarters. Eva smiled, relieved at the outcome and decided that Isabella could meet Sirius later, and let her have fun with Padfoot now.

"Bella, come here," Eva said.

"Go to mommy Padfoot," Isabella said.

"I'm going to go check on daddy, I'm letting you with the puppy, promise to behave?"

"Yes mommy," Isabella said.

"If you need anything just tell the puppy to find me and he will,"

"Kay mommy," Isabella said. Sirius began to prance around the living room again and Isabella seemed content. Satisfied that Sirius wouldn't let anything happen Eva left the room to find where Sanura had taken Christian.

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Chapter Eight:

Oh, Stupid Man

Christian sat down in the greenhouse and looked at Sanura. He wanted to hug her for fighting so vehemently to defend his daughter and wife. His fangs had retracted and he did not want blood anymore right now. Sanura had offered him a vial of the thirst suppressing serum but he refused to drink it.

"Christian take the potion," Sanura said angrily. "I'm not going to let you attack Isabella or Eva, I will kill you first,"

"I won't attack them again," he said.

"Christian don't make me hurt you please," Sanura said pleadingly. She was about to continue when Eva opened the door to the greenhouse. She didn't look upset or worried but she did look tired and scared. Christian jumped from his seat.

"Eva why was Sirius Black trying to take Isabella? Do you know what he's done? Do you know he's a murder?" Christian screamed.

"He's not a murder Christian! He's not a bad person. Dumbledore told me all about him and he's innocent. He's going to watch Bella until I change so what happened with you today doesn't happen again," Eva said angrily. "You promised if you heard the pounding you'd run away! You could have killed Isabella today!"

"Eva I... I didn't hear the noise until I started arguing with Sirius,"

"I told you anger makes it wear off faster, don't you listen to me?"

"Eva I..."

"Never mind, just drink the damn serum or I swear you won't see Isabella again,"

"You wouldn't..."

"I would, you are not hurting my daughter!" Eva screamed.

Christian took a step back and looked at Eva in surprise. Never before had he seen her act this way but he knew that she would in fact take Isabella away once she had turned if he didn't take precautions. He also knew that Eva and Sanura were right. He took the serum and grimaced as he drank it.

I am not drinking this shit again. I don't need it. I have things under control now. Christian thought to himself. He would pretend to take the potion and hide it from Eva and Sanura. A few moments later Sanura, Eva, and Christian headed back toward the castle. Isabella and Sirius greeted them.

"Lookit daddy," she said smiling. "His name is Padfoot. He's a fun puppy," she said.

"Don't go any farther than the first greenhouse," Sanura said lightly.

"Yes Auntie Sanura," Isabella said and off the two of them went. Christian looked as if he wanted to protest but said nothing. Eva told him he had to go to the infirmary and Christian scowled like a child.

"You're not my mother Eva, you're my wife,"

"Right now you're acting worse than Bella. You and Sanura fought. You are going to the infirmary," Eva said slowly and deliberately through her gritted teeth.

"Christian, don't make me drag you there," Sanura threatened. The thought of Sanura dragging him up a flight of stairs persuaded him to go to the infirmary willingly.

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Chapter Nine:

Failure and Redemption

Severus Snape lie in his bed tears sliding down his cheeks. This day had been the worst day in his life. Even being tortured by Voldemort would have been better than this. His cure for vampirism had failed, the ministry was summoning him, there was the possibility that he was going to lose his job, Sanura had broken up with him, and blinded by bloodlust she had attacked him. Madame Pomfrey had applied a small amount of phoenix tears on his neck wounds and he could feel them healing.

I'm a failure. He thought to himself. As if he needed proof Sanura came into the infirmary followed by Eva and Christian. Severus noticed that Christian was covered in blood and realized that he too had turned back. Disgusted with himself he turned his head and choked back tears of disappointment and loss. Only when he heard approaching footsteps did he look up.

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Sanura walked over to were Severus lay, wondering if he was still alive. She was not planning on fixing their broken relationship, she was only checking on him because she cared enough to do at least that. He had his back to her but turn over when he heard her approach.

"Can you forgive me?" Severus asked suddenly.

"For what?" Sanura asked.

"For failing you,"

"You didn't fail me, you did your best. That's all anyone could ever ask," Sanura said a small smile forming on her face.

"My best wasn't good enough but I'll do everything I can to make it right. Please don't leave me,"

Sanura took a step back and blinked. She looked at him in surprise, tears threatening to fall down her face. What should she do? "There's nothing you can do to make it right Severus, I've already changed back...it's too late,"

"It may be too late for my vampire cure, but please tell me it's not too late for us. I promise to be the man you deserve,"

"Severus, I..." she began.

"I can't live with failure and rejection at the same time Sanura please..." he pleaded.

"All we've done for the past two months is fight. I am so tired of arguing with you,"

Severus opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. Instead he began to sob. Loud, violent sobs racked his thin body and he trembled. Sanura reacted instinctively, sitting on the edge of the bed, wrapping him in a warm hug. She rocked him back and forth, whispering in his ear, telling him that she still loved him and they could try to fix things. After a few minutes he stopped crying and she lay beside him. He wrapped his arms protectively around her silently vowing that he would prove that he could do something right, even if it was having a relationship with a vampire.

"Would you like to go back to our quarters?" Sanura whispered. Her back was starting to ache from the awkward position she was laying in.

"Yes," Severus said. She helped him to his feet and something small and metal hit the floor. Sanura bent down to retrieve it and she felt the snake ring slither around her finger. She noticed that this time it was not the left ring finger but the middle finger. She knew this was a sign that she and Severus would never be the same again. They had drifted too far apart. Deciding to ignore it, she supported Severus as they walked to their living quarters, which were in the dungeons. She helped him change for bed despite his protests.

"Severus," she said as lightly as possible, "you can barely stand and it's my fault...let me help you."

He looked at her and smiled. He truly did love her. He had to love her. He was going to be with her for a long time.

"But it's..." he began again but she placed her finger on his lips.

"It's okay...I won't see anything I'm not supposed to," she said shaking her head. She resisted the urge to let him fall to the ground and dress himself. After he was in his gray nightshirt Sanura laid him in bed, pulling the blankets up to his chin. "Good night," she said rising from the bed and walking toward the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked in a small voice. He sounded like a small, helpless, and frightened child who did not want to be alone.

"To sleep on the sofa," she said. "I don't want you to lay there afraid I'm going to bite you."

"I know you wouldn't do that,"

"You trust me?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes," he said nodding his head.

"Very well," she said. Grabbing her pajamas from the closet and went into the bathroom to change. Severus lay in bed wondering if he could do this.

She's dead again but she wouldn't be had you tested the potion for a longer period of time. This means all of the vampires I did give it to along the way back to Hogwarts have probably changed back as well. The ministry is going to have a field day with me. Oh god what am I going to do? I need to make sure Sanura's happy...so I can prove to her that I can succeed at something.

Sanura emerged from the bathroom wearing an oversized button down nightshirt and she blew the candles out as she walked toward the bed. She lay down beside Severus and instinctively turned her back to him leaving a gap between them. This was the way they had slept every day since she had become a vampire the first time. She felt Severus sliding toward her and was quite surprised when he wrapped his hand carefully around her waist. She rolled over and looked at him in surprise.

"You haven't..." she began but he stopped her with a quick kiss.

"I know I haven't slept with you like this in a very long time," he said in a whisper, "but I swear to you Sanura that things will be different from now on." Sanura wanted to ask him why he was suddenly obsessed with change but decided to let it go. It had been a very long day and she too was tired. She nuzzled her head in the crook of his neck and closed her eyes.

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A week passed and for that short span of time things were well between Severus and Sanura. Dumbledore spoke to the ministry and the charges against Severus were dropped. Isabella met Sirius as a person and instantly took to him, which made Eva very happy. Christian learned to trust Sirius and they even became friends. Unfortunately, the short honeymoon period that Sanura hoped would last did not and Severus began to push her away again. They started fighting much more than before and Sanura started sleeping in Eva's quarters on her sofa. One morning she decided that she was tired of Severus and wanted nothing more than to end the relationship. Rising from Eva' sofa early one morning she headed to Dumbledore's office to find out if she could have her old living quarters back. One thought ran through her mind as she walked down the hall...would anyone love her?

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