The Sleepers Awake

Chapter 19: Now Voyager: The City of Light

Erszhebet was the first to stir. She was quite pleased to be waking up in Severus' arms after everything that had happened. The man himself was still sleeping peacefully.

It was going to be a bright and hot summer day if it was this bright so early in the morning, she thought. Erszhebet rolled over and looked at the clock radio on her nightstand.

"OH, FUCK - HOLY SHIT!!!" she groaned. It was 10:00am and her plane was supposed to take off at 11:30am. It would take them over an hour in traffic just to get to JFK Airport in the nether regions of Queens. They had not even packed yet and Erszhebet had planned on giving Severus a haircut.

There was no time for the extras now. She must have forgotten to set the alarm.

Severus turned over once she extricated herself from his arms.

"Severus, Severus - wake up!" said Erszhebet as she shook him.

"Wha - wha...no," he said and rolled over again throwing an arm across his eyes. He was fast asleep again; knocked out.

"Severus - GET UP!" shouted Erszhebet.

"Go away," moaned Severus in his sleep. He started snoring slightly.

"Oh for God's sake," muttered Erszhebet as she jumped up and sprinted over to his side of the bed.

She reached down behind the nightstand on Severus' side of the bed and pulled out an old-fashioned alarm round clock with two giant bells on the top. It was a Mickey Mouse wind-up clock and it was rather large - about 22 inches in diameter. It had been given to her as a joke because she supposedly 'slept like the dead' and had once slept through an 8.8 earthquake on the Richter scale in Los Angeles while her hotel cracked around her.

Who was she to argue? It was the truth.

Erszhebet stepped back to her side of the bed. She placed the giant clock next to Severus and let the twin alarms rip.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!

Severus never jumped out of bed so quickly in his whole life.

"WHAT THE FUCK???!!!!!!" he roared as he looked around wild-eyed and slapped his hands across his ears.

Erszhebet could not help herself - she fell down on the bed laughing so hard she almost wet herself. Severus' reaction was simply priceless.

"I FAIL TO SEE THE HUMOUR IN TRYING TO GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK AND MAKE ME DEAF!" Severus roared. He was furious.

Erszhebet was laughing so hard now that tears rolled down her checks.

"Oh God; I'm sorry," she laughed. Erszhebet held her legs tightly closed. She was going to loose it in a minute.

Severus was even more furious now. She did not seem sorry to him.

Erszhebet could not stop laughing. "I am going to pee on myself in a minute...."

"It would serve you right!" Severus hissed. "What is the hell is wrong with you - is this your mad idea of a sick joke?!"

"No," said Erszhebet as she tried to calm down. "We have to be at the airport for take-off at 11:30am. And we are supposed to be there two hours ahead of time."

"Is that what you half killed me for?!" he asked as he folded his arms across his chest. It really did not have the effect it should have given he was naked and sporting a rather cracking erection.

"Err; look at the time," said Erszhebet as she pointed to the time on the clock radio and tried to ignore the throbbing manhood that was now in front of her face. "You were deader than dead; I couldn't get your ass up - you told me 'no' and to 'go away',"

"Bloody Hell...really??" asked Severus as he eyeballed the alarm clock. He ran a hand absently through his messy hair.

"Really," replied Erszhebet.

Severus frowned as he blinked his eyes.

"Why bother with Muggle transport - I have Floo Powder...," he said. He was somewhat calmer now. "You know what that is, yes?"

"Yes I know what it is - Papa T hates the stuff and won't use it if he can help it. Says it is not fit for civilized people. I thought it would be nice to drive into Paris from the airport - as mad as that is now that I think about it...," she said.

"Besides it's my own plane...it should be already fueled."

"You have your own Muggle air transport?" asked Severus incredulously.

"Yes. I heard that Concorde might be folding and they are probably going to sell off all of the planes," replied Erszhebet.

Erszhebet explained what Concorde was.

"One came up for sale quite cheap. They will take what they can get rather than have to pay all the fees to have it scrapped so I bought it and had it completely refitted. Better than a Lear Jet.

We can get to Paris in only a few hours. It's quite useful for international travel. And it's quite comfortable. Has a bed and everything."

"Oh...?" asked Severus trying sound innocent. "Why do you need a bed in Muggle transport?"

"Oh...you never know. For this and that," replied Erszhebet silkily with a wink. "Mostly that...I was hoping we could, ahh, join the 'Mile High Club'..."

Erszhebet went bright red; this was something quite new to see in her and Severus was intrigued.

"Oh? Do explain," asked Severus as he sat next to her.

Erszhebet explained in graphic detail with a lascivious smirk before going even redder.

Severus lost his composure and his mouth fell open.

"Well," said Erszhebet smoothly, "I suppose I could have them take off without us and then we will have all the time in the world to get to Paris if we use that powder thingy-bob of yours."

"Oh?" said Severus with a smile. That was a far more suitable arrangement. A most pleasurable way to start the day.

"Of course if you'd rather I didn't," said Erszhebet as she pretended to get up.

"Don't be daft," said Severus as he pulled her back down and started kissing her neck.

Erszhebet made the quickest call of her life to the airport and then tossed the phone on the chaise lounge.

"Now, where were we..." whispered Severus silkily.

[[[]]]

Three hours later they finally roused themselves out of bed and got showered and dressed. Erszhebet trimmed Severus' hair to just above his shoulders. The hair in front wisped under and forwards a bit and in the back it wisped up. Some of the bits around his face were shorter.

Erszhebet thought he looked quite dashing with his new 'do.

"You have such gorgeous hair, Severus, all it will need is a bit of trimming now and then," she said as she ran a hand through it while they had brunch in the sun room. Severus' hair was quite soft and silky. He had even allowed her to work some serum through it and it shined.

"Oh? - so I don't scrub up too badly for a 'Greasy Git' then?" he asked with a smirk.

"Severus, what is this 'Greasy Git' business??" asked Erszhebet with a puzzled look.

"Nothing," said Severus as he focused on his lasagna and garlic bread.

"No, I don't accept that. You have said it several times now with particular emphasis in my presence," said Erszhebet. "Come on...tell me please."

Severus thought for a moment. It was better for Erszhebet to hear it from him rather than be blindsided by it listening to someone else once they were in Britain.

"It's what the students call me; it's what everybody calls me in one form or another - I don't usually look like this. I am usually not like this; the way that I have been with you. I never was," said Severus with a frown. "Not before I met you - ever."

He described what he looked like as a teenager and young man. Severus Snape did not change for the better as he grew older. In fact the older he got, the worse his appearance became. He never cared to do anything about it though he could have done quite easily. He described not only what he had looked like but also his usual malevolent, sarcastic and abrasive personality

Erszhebet was in shock. The man sitting before her looked nothing like what he was describing. Greasy sheets of long hair, bad complexion, uneven yellowed teeth, extremely thin and unhealthy. Clothes so worn out and uncared for that anything white turned gray in a very short time. That was not her Severus.

She had seen some aspects of the personality he was describing; but he was not consumed by it - not with her. The person Severus was detailing was not the Severus Snape that Erszhebet knew. Not at all.

"Once I saw you; once we met - everything changed," said Severus quietly. That morning when I set out to find you; that is when I allowed myself to finally change. My hair, my hygiene, my teeth, my clothes - everything. I think deep down I realised I would find you and that I did not want continue with being that way. It is a struggle, but you have brought out things in me which I never thought possible."

Erszhebet reached out and stroked his cheek and Severus kissed her palm.

"It helped with the work I was doing for the Order - keeping myself like that I suppose. It certainly suited the Dark Lord and His Death Eaters. The one thing I do know is that now that I have you, and I have a different kind of life, I never want to go back to that - ever," said Severus. "It was the physical manifestation of every bad thing I thought I was, every horrible thing that I saw in myself and what I felt. I felt nothing and I did not value myself and it showed. I became what I myself believed I was."

"Don't do anything you do not want to Severus," replied Erszhebet as she took one of his hands in hers. "It sounds like you were suffering and having to live with Depression; Depression in the Muggle medical sense for so long without any help. It isn't any different in the Wizarding world either from what I have heard. Surely a great Wizard such as your Dumbledore is supposed to be would have recognised this?"

"You know, that is the first time I have ever admitted that to anyone...even to myself," Severus said quietly. "Dumbledore may be a great wizard, but at the end of the day he is still a man as was so aptly pointed out. He is human and he makes mistakes - especially with those he does care about as anyone can I guess."

Erszhebet nodded. It was better to drop that line of thinking until she met the great man himself.

"I am glad you told me - I know that was hard for you," said Erszhebet softly.

"I am struggling Severina. It might take me a long time to let go of still feeling like that is all that I am and identifying with that image. Certainly no one else is going to let me get past it. You will see."

"Are you speaking of the Order?" asked Erszhebet.

Severus nodded.

"It is not just the Order...," said Severus

"You risk your life and sacrifice yourself for these people and that is how they repay you?" asked Erszhebet.

"Not all of them - the exceptions being Albus, Minerva and Poppy," Severus replied with a frown. "Well - Albus and Minerva now I guess...I don't know..."

"It seems like I have only made things worse for you Severus...," said Erszhebet sadly.

"No, that is not true. I never thought someone like you would ever be interested in someone like me...and I don't want to have to live out my life without you, so-called friends be hanged," replied Severus.

"Well - I certainly proved you wrong then...," said Erszhebet. "What do you mean someone like you? Someone who is strong, brave, caring and loving? Someone who takes good care of me and protects me and shows me loyalty? Someone who has more good in him than anyone has wanted to believe, least of all himself? Of course I would fall for you; how could I not?"

"Is that how you see me?" asked Severus. "Is that what you truly believe me to be?"

"That is what you have been to me and it is what I see when I look at you," replied Erszhebet. "It is what you yourself have wanted me to see, Severus. I see it because you'Someone like me'...that's ironic...I don't hold myself in the high esteem that you seem to, Severus. Really and truly I don't. I am nothing special."

"You are so much more than what has happened to you and so much more than any rubbish that anyone can throw at you about who and what you are," said Severus.

He paused for a moment.

"Severina, I need to ask you something and I hope that you will be honest with me," said Severus. "I do not want to upset you, but I must ask as you have not spoken of it yet."

"OK," said Erszhebet with a note of curiosity in her voice as she took a deep breath.

Severus paused and then spoke.

"I know about the violence perpetrated against you - when you were a child and as you grew up. You were quite brave to expose yourself like that and I have not taken it lightly."

Erszhebet nodded 'yes'.

Severus paused again and then spoke hesitantly.

"Severina," he said, "there is more to it than that, isn't there?"

Erszhebet hesitated and then nodded 'yes' as she looked down. She could not look Severus in the eyes.

"They did not limit themselves to only hitting or beating you, did they?" asked Severus in a grave tone. His face was a mask of anger.

Erszhebets face started to crumple and she hesitated. She could not help it, but she was feeling ashamed and dirty. What she'd had to endure came flooding back to her and she hated herself. After a moment Erszhebet slowly nodded 'yes' again not taking her eyes off the floor as she started to rock herself gently as she wrung her hands.

"Don't," said Severus gently, "Gods, you have nothing to be ashamed of...ever. It's not you that has done something wrong."

Severus gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You are loving, kind, generous and accepting," he said quietly. "You have a good heart and want no less for anyone else than what you have for yourself. You love the unlovable, and inspire us to be more than we ever believed possible. You do have an inner strength that kept you going in spite of everything and you never stopped daring to dream and trying to make your dreams come true. You are not afraid to feel and to risk expressing it. You are everything I wish I was, everything that I wish I had been, Severina."

Erszhebet continued to look down quietly through the tears which had started to fall and Severus put his arms around her.

"You are still my Angel, for always" Severus said softly, his voice cracking slightly as he held Erszhebet tight blinking back his own tears. "Don't ever stolieving that, my love."

Erszhebet did not speak for a moment. But that was what she needed to know yet again.

"And you are still my Hero," replied Erszhebet finally in a low hush with her head buried in his chest. "More than ever."

There was a comforting energy that passed between them.

"What a fine pair we make," said Severus quietly as he thought of his own troubled background and brushed a renegade tear of his own away.

Erszhebet knew that there was more to that comment than Severus was letting on. He would tell her when he felt ready. She would not push.

"Severus; I love you for not only who you are, but for who I am when I am with you," said Erszhebet softly. "You are everything to me - everything. You make me forget it all...you help me to find reasons to rise above it. With you I feel like anything and everything I ever dared to dream of is possible. I feel like a fool for trying to end the life that others would give anything to have if returning from the grave was possible.

For only the second time in my life I know the joy of simply being alive - and this time I am hanging on to it; I will not let it go again. I appreciate how lucky I am - how lucky I am to be here with you and I will never, ever let it go."

All Severus could do at first was look at Erszhebet tenderly in surprise. He tilted her head up for a kiss and stroked her lingering tears away.

"I hope I never do anything to make you feel otherwise," said Severus.

"As I said; I know what you are," said Erszhebet in a choked whisper, "and I know what you are not. I have faith in you and I have faith in us. Mainly because of the tremendous leaps of faith and acceptance and trust you have taken with me. Especially since..."

Erszhebet voice trailed off. She could not give voice to the events of the previous day.

Severus nodded as he continued to hold her. He understood without her having to say it.

"There is no rush for you to open up entirely to me," whispered Erszhebet softly in his ear.

Severus parted his lips slightly as if to speak and Erszhebet placed a finger over them so that he could not.

Severus pulled her even closer and then kissed her deeply.

Reluctantly Erszhebet pulled away after 20 minutes had gone by.

"Come on, the sooner we get packed the sooner we get to Paris. With the six-hour time difference we have the whole glorious day ahead of us," she said quietly.

[[[]]]

Once the kitchen and sun room were tidied Severus and Erszhebet set about packing. With all the things she had in Paris, Erszhebet did not have much to do regarding her wardrobe so she helped Severus with his things first before packing up the music, masks and costumes she had been working on and a few extras.

As each of their trunks and luggage was finalized, Severus set them in the large fireplace in the bedroom. Once everything was ready he flooed them separately to Erszhebets dressing room and living room as needed in her duplex with aid of some rather complex charm work. Charms may be foolish wand-waving and silly incantations, but they did come in handy when you least expected it.

There was a final checking of the doors, windows and electrics. Finally at 3:30pm they were ready to leave.

"Have you done this before," asked Severus.

"No," replied Erszhebet. Truth be told she did not want to; she was scared to death. Her voice betrayed her.

"It's not that bad - the only consideration is the soot and ash that one gets from Fireplaces that are not tended to properly," said Severus soothingly. Truthfully he hated traveling by Floo himself; but now was not the time to get into that.

"Well mine are fairly clean so hopefully no problems there," replied Erszhebet.

"OK; time to go," said Severus as he took out a handful of La Vie Françaiseuality Floo powder from his shoulder bag and tossed it into the fire he'd had to re-start in Erszhebets fireplace.

Brilliant flames of blue white and red fluttered across the hearth in the pattern of the flag of Muggle France alternating with the British Union Jack once again.

Severus stepped into the fireplace and held out a hand for Erszhebet to help her across the hearth.

"Hold on to me and don't let go," said Severus.

"I...I have to step in that?" asked Erszhebet incredulously.

"Of course...," said Severus. He suddenly realised that Erszhebet still had much to learn about the ways of the Wizarding world. Despite her connections it seemed that she had tried to not get too involved in their way of life.

Erszhebet stepped in hesitantly and then held on tight...too tight. It felt awful. Travel via unnatural ice-cold flames. How did these Wizards stand this? Erszhebet supposed it was probably better than burning to death from hot flames.

"Relax your grip, my love, otherwise I shall die of asphyxiation before we arrive," said Severus.

"Sorry," mumbled Erszhebet as she eased up a bit.

"777 Rue Marais-en-l'Île, Île St-Louis, Paris, France, via the United Kingdom," Severus enunciated in a strong clear voice.

WHOOOSH!!!

Erszhebet felt a pull in her stomach as they took off. She closed her eyes and held tight to Severus.

After a moment opened her eyes and nearly died of shock at seeing the flames surrounding them and rooms glanced at fleetingly from behind their fireplaces. Wind whipped across her face and her stomach started to churn slightly.

She blinked and then suddenly they seemed to be moving through the Atlantic Ocean and then underneath it. My God, were those Mermaids in underwater house thingys??!! Yuck! They were green and nasty-looking. This was too much. The sight of them made her stomach churn. Erszhebet closed her eyesfont>

After a few minutes she opened them again and they were whipping through more fireplaces - British this time from the details she could pick up of room décor and accents.

There was a lull of 30 seconds and then they whipped forward again. Yet more fireplaces, what she guessed was the English Channel with more freaky-looking Mermaids and other ghastly looking things in their equally strange aquatic houses and then finally France. There was no mistaking the details in some of the rooms and the accents of the industrial North. Thank Goddess, they were almost there.

Finally they came to a hard stop.

Erszhebet let loose with a steady stream of swearing in French as she almost slipped and hit her head.

Severus leaned over and pushed back the grate in front of them. Bright light filled the space and he stepped up and then out first and then reached a hand back for Erszhebet.

Out she stepped into her Parisian Living Room.

[[[]]]

"See - all of no more than 10 minutes grate to grate," said Severus. Merlin's Beard, he thought, Thank Goddess that is over. It took a great deal of control to not shudder.

"Grate to grate my ass...," muttered Erszhebet as she attempted to dust herself off and straighten up. Damn if her body did not ache! "Damn Wizards have no sense of being civilised." She let loose with a steady stream of insults in French.

Severus smiled to himself at hearing Erszhebet's Gallic pride coming through. Her French sensibilities were highly insulted by the experience.

"Spoken like a true French woman," he said silkily.

Severus looked around the room which was aristocratically French in its proportions and décor. Large floor-to-ceiling French windows opening up onto Juliet balconies. Genuine Louis XV and XVI French antiques artfully blended in with few modern pieces such as her elegant sofas. Yes, Erszhebet was definitely one for the finer things in life since she had worked so hard for them.

Erszhebet loved French painted furniture, inlay, mixtures of wood - anything tht brought more texture and warmth to the rooms. The foyer and upstairs hallway, like the living room, also featured Louis XVI-style demi-lune commodes with a Wedgwood plaque, Louis XV parcel-gilt side chairs and Aubusson rugs.

He himself knew that an address on the Île St-Louis was very prestigious. Anyone and everyone wanted to live there. It was home to Royalty and the aristocratic and wealthy upper classes and was also thought to be the most romantic, if not also the most expensive part of Paris coveted as it was for its real estate.

Severus strolled over to one set of windows and opened them, savouring the sights and sounds of one of the two little islands in the middle of such a great city.

Erszhebet was near the River Seine and the views of it and the Pont Marie, her nearest bridge to the Right Bank were glorious. There were no Metro stops on the island itself so one would have to walk or ride across one of the four bridges connecting it to the Left and Right banks of Paris.

How ironic that Severina lived there. Of all the places she could have lived in Paris it had to be there. Severus had buried the memories of exploring it with his mother and his uncle Julian when he was a little boy. He used to love the sorbet at Berthillon on Rue St-Louis-en-l'Île.

"Severus?" asked Erszhebet.

"Hmm?" he replied idly, still lost in his surfacing memories.

"It never occurred to me until now - how is it that you speak French; and with a perfect Parisian accent?" asked Erszhebet.

Severus' dark head snapped around. He had forgotten that he had occasionally spoke French to Erszhebet from the moment they met. He liked it a lot - it came so naturally to him and he never really had the opportunity at Howarts with the exception of when the School hosted a delegation from Beauxbatons for the Tri-Wizard tournament between the three most prominent of all the European Wizarding schools in Harry Potters fourth year.

Severus hesitated. No more secrets and lies...

"My mother," he replied quietly. "My mother was French; from Paris."

Erszhebet walked out to join him on the balcony and wrapped an arm around his waist. Severus' eyes were filled with so much pain at the mention of his mother.

"I take it that she is not alive then," asked Erszhebet softly.

Severus shook his head 'no'.

Erszhebet pulled him into a hug. She tapped into his feelings and some random thoughts; 'sorry' was not want he wanted to hear. She stayed quiet and let him give voice to his truth.

"She died when I was a child," whispered Severus. He could not tell her how. No, not just yet.

"What was she like," asked Erszhebet.

Severus smiled ruefully. "She was like you in some ways," he said wistfully. "She was loving and kind. She had a good heart. But unlike you she did not have the inner strength and determination to get herself or those she loved through or out of...extremely difficlt situations."

Severus moved behind Erszhebet and pulled her into his arms, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Erszhebet folded her arms over his and continued to listen as she tucked her head under his chin.

"She was quite pretty when she was young and very delicate - very small," said Severus tenderly as he warmed to sharing his memories with Erszhebet. He had never spoken about his mother with anyone before. "I remember the way she smelled - the perfume she used to wear when she could get some from one of her siblings. Lustrous brown hair that would get red highlights from the sun in summer, milk chocolate brown eyes - her skin was quite lovely when she caught the sun - a rich dark honey colour like yours. She had a beautiful smile just like you as well. One of my earliest memories of her is how she smiled at me. Unfortunately I don't take after her at all."

A ause.

"She was from just over there actually," said Severus as he nodded towards the district on the Right Bank known as the Marais that lay at the foot of the Pont Marie on the other side of the bridge from where they were. "Her family still lives there; scattered throughout the neighborhood. I still hear from one of my uncles quit a bit; my uncle Julian. Of all her siblings, he was the closest to her. They both loved music and the arts, just like you.

Uncle Julian totally embraced the Muggle arts community here and my mother did as well. Whenever he brought us to stay with him we would go to the ballet and the opera; even to concerts and little clubs for live music. He would always be ready to bribe doormen so that I could come along. Uncle Julian especially likes Jazz and pop music. He had quite the collection when I was a boy. Goddess only knows how extensive it is now. The Wizarding world has nothing like these things at all, not really. Our attempts at culture are rather feeble-minded. Culture; there really isn't any as such...as far as I am concerned."

"What was her name?" asked Erszhebet quietly.

"Séverine," replied Severus with a smile over Erszhebets dark head. "Séverine Emilie de la Montagne Ste-Geneviève - quite a mouthful."

"Séverine; so obviously you were named after her," said Erszhebet quietly not failing to notice the similarity between her middle name and Severus' mother's given name also. How very peculiar indeed. "...'de la Montagne Ste-Geneviève'; that is quite an old and prominent family, even for Mugissants."

"How do you know?" asked Severus.

"Because there are a number of things all over Paris and France named after them," replied Erszhebet matter-of-factly.

"Ahh true. This side of the family is the Wizarding side, however," said Severus. An old and prominent bunch of purebloods."

"Then Papa T probably knows them - or knows of them," said Erszhebet.

"I would not doubt that - Wizarding circles are quite small actually," replied Severus. "Would you like to meet him?"

"Who - Papa T?" asked Erszhebet. No she did not - not just yet. She was not in the mood. If she saw him now she might say some things they would all regret until the day they died. She at least wanted some time with Severus without some sort of theatrics going on.

Severus chuckled softly, "I understand, but I meant Uncle Julian. I have been avoiding him somewhat since my mother died. He reminds me so much of her. But he would love you - my mother would have loved you too," said Severus sadly.

Erszhebet gave one of his arms a gentle squeeze. She was not going to turn this into a conversation about her.

"Why don't you think about it since it has been such a long time, Severus...I don't want you to try to run before you can walk so to speak," replied Erszhebet sensibly.

"I understand what you mean, and I appreciate the sentiment behind it," said Severus. "But the time has come, especially with everything that we might be facing. He has always been very good to me...and I...and I have not been so very good to him. I regret avoiding him as I have done.

He used to take my mother and I for long walks here exploring the island when I was a little boy. I loved the sorbet at Berthillon on Rue St-Louis-en-l'Île. I do not have very many pleasant memories of my childhood other than the times we spent with Uncle Julian and his family here; as few as they were. I owe him quite a lot actually."

"If you want to get in touch with him then you should," said Erszhebet. "People like that are always worth keeping in our lives. We must appreciate them while we have them."

"Will you come with me?" asked Severus quietly.

Erszhebet turned around to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"If you need me, if it helps you, I am more than happy to my love," said Erszhebet softly. "I will even phone him for you - if he uses one..."

Severus wrapped Erszhebet in a warm hug. He did not know what he would do without her. He was the luckiest man in the world as far as he was concerned.

"Severina," he whispered in her ear.

"Yes?" she answered softly.

"Thank you...," came the reply.

[[[]]]

Severus and Erszhebet spent the rest of the morning unpacking and getting settled. Severus looked around her bedroom - their bedroom she had corrected him. The dressing room was spacious, but was only large enough for their clothes, accessories and luggage.

The bedroom was quite the French boudoir. The dressing table and lamp tables were French antiques. Sumptuous raspberry moiré velvet covered the chaise lounges. There were Kravet bed coverings and pillow prints. The area rugs were Saxony and Old World Weavers lace draped across one chaise.

Filling an entire wall was a French gilt wood trumeau painted with cherubs. The lit a la polonaise, had a full canopy draped with silk and coquille lace. It was also strewn with a mixture of antique pillows and modern ornamental throw pillows. The embroidery on one throw pillow in French read, 'Behind every successful man is a successful woman; behind every successful woman is herself.'

Severus got a good laugh from that...it was so like Erszhebet and her Aunt Livia. It was particularly apt when one considered how much Erszhebet had achieved in her life against considerable odds. You could not begrudge her for expressing that sentiment. It was an undeniable truth for her.

The bed in and of itself was really incredible with its canopy. Severus would leave it to Erszhebet to make up the bed - Goddess knows he would not know how to handle such a thing. It seemed rather complicated in its magnificence. Hogwarts did not even come close to such extravagant luxuriousness. The moneyed French really knew how to do things right, he thought.

"Would you like to change anything in here?" asked Erszhebet as they unpacked.

"No, not really" replied Severus. "You have remarkable taste - it's a bit feminine I admit but I don't mind it." It was one hell of a romantic place, he thought. Fleetingly Severus wondered who else was familiar with the intimacies of Erszhebet's boudoir; who else might have shared her bed.

"Then some personal things of yours perhaps - so that it feels like your home too," she replied. "Give it some thought."

"I don't really have much to be honest," replied Severus with a frown. He did not have even one memento of his mother or his Uncle. His father had destroyed them all. But he could not tell Erszhebet this, not yet. Perhaps Uncle Julian could help...

"Then we will have to do something about that - no disagreements, ok?" said Erszhebet.

Severus reached over and kissed her. "OK - but there is no rush," he said. Severus was not about to get carried away spending his partners money. No, he had his pride after all, if nothing else.

But Erszhebet was not thinking of a shopping spree. She was thinking of how important it was for Severus to reconnect with what seemed to be the only bit of family he had in his Uncle Julian. he should have something of the family for Severus.

Interesting, in all this time he had not even broached the subject of his father or his father's family. Erszhebet realised that Severus had just as many secrets as she did. However, it was up to him to trust her enough to open up completely. The fact that he had spoken to her about his mother was a good start.

Erszhebet was determined to do all she could to be as supportive and caring with Severus as he had been with her.

[[[]]]

Erszhebet and Severus had a relaxing lunch in her expansive eat-in kitchen and then had an afternoon siesta as they were quite tired from travel. Once both were up again they spent the rest of the afternoon just relaxing in the library. The couple enjoyed having time completely to themselves for a change; knowing that whenever they returned home this week it was just them. Severus made a mental note to himself to make sure they always had this sort of refuge even at Hogwarts. He was entitled to a private life and it was about time he truly had one with Erszhebet.

Severus organised an evening out for them. Paris was not the kind of city where one should spend so much time indoors as they had done in New York City. He took Erszhebet out to a lovely quiet little restaurant on the banks of the Seine in the Marais for supper at 7:30pm.

The French were not ones to rush the preparation of their cuisine or eating their meals and it was something Severus appreciated. Dinner was 7 courses, two bottles of wine, Perrier Mineral Water and several sumptuous desserts from an antique trolley. Like many local establishments off the tourist track the food was good and very affordable, even on Hogwarts wages.

They talked about anything and everything. And yet again Severus was brave enough to reach out and take Erszhebets hand as they dined.

About three hours later they went for a stroll along the Seine after leaving the restaurant, stopping to sit on a bench and admire the lit views across from them on the Île St-Louis and the Île de la Cité.

Severus then took Erszhebet for a romantic cruise up and down the Seine. As it was summer the cruises ran into the early morning hours. They sat out in the open air on their bench with their hair blowing about in the breeze; Erszhebet tucked in Severus' arms with his frock coast wrapped around her, quietly looking at Paris lit up like something out of a fairy tale. The City of Light was truly dazzling and it felt like the City existed just for them.

At some point (neither would be able to recall exactly when it was when telling the story to their teenaged children of their first ever night together in Paris) they stopped looking at the sights and got lost in each other as they made out. It was quite a French thing to do. Couples were at it all along the banks of the Seine and even on their cruise.

This was Paris, the most romantic city in the world. Severus and Erszhebet only stopped when boat docked and one of the deckhands tapped Severus on the shoulder.

It was a short ride on the Métro to the stop for the Pont Marie and they slowly walked across the pretty lit bridge in the moonlight, arms wrapped around each other, savouring the views. They were just like any other young couple that was happy and had their whole lives in front of them. By the time they reached home, which was on a small quiet street, it was almost 2am. It was great to feel normal - even if it was for just one night.

[[[]]]

Severus watched as Erszhebet sat at the dressing table and brushed her long dark hair. She had a little smile and looked lost in thought. Finally she came to bed and snuggled up next to him after adjusting the silknd coquille lace into a thick curtain that enclosed them. The effect was quite sensual.

"Two pence for your thoughts," he whispered as he began to explore her soft body.

"I was just thinking about today - it's been a great day, Severus," replied Erszhebet softly. "Thank you for such a wonderful evening."

"There will be plenty more, my love. I am glad you enjoyed it," said Severus.

There was a slight pause.

"Severina," he whispered.

"Hmm?" she replied.

"Thank you...for everything else," said Severus softly.

Erszhebet leaned over in the moonlight filled room and kissed her life partner. He was to be her soon-to-be-husband, but she was completely unaware of what was on Severus' mind. She was allowing Severus the privacy of his own thoughts and feelings unlike her aunt had done.

Severus eased Erszhebet over onto her back and the couple consummated their relationship yet again this first night in Paris. How could they not? They were in the most romantic place in the most romantic city on earth where they had just had their first romantic evening together.

All of their stresses and collective dramas were banished a they gave into their great passion for each other.

They would always make the most of every day and every night that they had together.

Who knew what tomorrow might bring?