Snape In Love

Oh, and this chapter is twice as long as my usual chapters. I don’t know why, except I just kept on adding bits during the (long!) editing process!

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Chapter 49

You Ought To Know By Now

Hermione and I had bought a very modern three-wheeled Muggle pushchair for Persephone on our shopping expedition to London, and Severus placed her in it gingerly as we prepared to go to the Great Hall for dinner.

"This doesn't look at all safe," he grumbled.

"Thousands of Muggles find them perfectly safe!"

"And is that supposed to reassure me?" he retorted condescendingly.

I rolled my eyes without further comment and took a last look at my reflection in the mirror above the dining table. I wore a long blue skirt and matching embroidered blouse, and I had piled my hair on the top of my head using a series of clips. Stray tendrils hung down at the sides and at the back, since I had done it hurriedly with a very vocal accompaniment from Persephone, but I quite liked the casual effect, and judging by Severus' reaction, which was to come up behind me and suck gently at the nape of my neck while twisting stray locks in his fingers, he found the look very erotic.

We walked along the dark lower levels of the castle, Severus levitating the pushchair up the staircases with Persephone still in it, much to my disapproval, and stopping a few times to enable some of the less intimidated portraits to admire her and congratulate us both.

When we arrived in the Great Hall it was thronging with people. The eighteenth birthday of The Boy Who Lived was something his many friends and admirers were determined to celebrate in style.

The Headmaster came over to us as we pushed Persephone through the doors.

"Ah! Goodness! A Muggle contraption, unless I am very much mistaken! A - perambulatory device, is it?"

"It's called a 'Pushing Chair', Headmaster," corrected Severus knowledgeably. I smiled up at him fondly, my arm linking through his. I did not have the heart to contradict him.

Severus attempted to be gracious as well-wishers approached us but it was glaringly obvious once more that accepting good wishes and congratulations did not come easily to him, and I thought to myself that if he looked equally as miserable on our wedding day I would probably be sorely tempted to strangle him.

I gave our gift to a beaming Harry and received a warm hug in return. An unenthusiastic Severus shook him by the hand, a little grimly, and said,

"Happy birthday, Potter. Harry," and, turning to me once Harry had moved on, whispered to me, "What on earth was that? What did you get him?"

"We got him a set of Quidditch themed Wizard chess pieces."

"Hmph."

Dinner was a veritable feast and I was ravenous. Severus reminded me dryly that I was eating for two, not ten, but I ignored him and asked Sirius to pass me another chicken leg.

"I wonder what Rita Skeeter would make of all this," I commented, picking it clean. "Us, Persephone, Harry's eighteenth. Lots for her to twist around!"

"There would be, if she was able to get in here, and if she was even still around!" replied Remus as he helped himself to a giant-sized portion of roast potatoes.

"What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled.

"Ask Sirius! He told me."

"Sirius?"

"Hmm? Oh, Rita Skeeter? Yes, she's disappeared off the face of the earth, apparently," he said. "I was talking to Eglantine at the Three Broomsticks yesterday."

"Hah! Pillow talk?" Remus smirked, elbowing Sirius in the ribs.

"Who is Eglantine, and how would she know?" enquired Severus.

"She's one of Rosmerta's barmaids...has a sister in London, an aspiring actress - she tries to keep well in with the press, wants the exposure..."

"Oh, an actress," Severus said disdainfully.

"Yes, well...anyway, Skeeter promised this girl a bit of publicity, but then went AWOL without a word. No-one seems to know where she is."

"Well, hasn't anyone been round to her home?" I asked, wondering why on earth I should care where she was anyway.

"She moved recently...somewhere remote, apparently," Sirius shrugged. "Remus, what is wrong with you? You've had six of those already!"

I fell silent and became lost in thought. I was about to tell Severus that I had my own suspicions about Rita Skeeter, when the double doors to the Great Hall swung open and a tall, slender figure strode through them, casting his eyes over everyone in the Hall before letting them come to rest on Severus and me. The newcomer had short dark hair, cropped close to his head, and a neatly trimmed beard. He was strikingly handsome, not least because he exuded confidence from every pore, and I couldn't help but catch my breath, since he looked just like Severus.

"What on earth is he doing here?" Severus muttered darkly.

"Who is it?"

"Caius," he replied grimly. "My brother."

"Of course..." I breathed, making a mental list of their similarities as he approached; their shared height, strong hawk like features, arrogant swagger, long strides, elegant fingers.

Severus stood up and waited. As Caius came closer he held out his hand stiffly and said,

"Caius."

His brother ignored his outstretched hand and, instead, clapped both of his own on Severus' shoulders in a friendly hug, which Severus did not return.

"Severus! Good to see you!"

"What a - pleasant surprise," Severus replied awkwardly. "To what do we owe the honour?"

"Oh, come on Sev, don't be like that! Do you think I could let your wedding pass without coming to see you off?"

"Albus told you, didn't he?" Severus replied, shooting a dark glare down the table to where the Headmaster was watching intently, a half smile on his face.

"Yes, he invited me last week, I thought I'd come a few days early, get to know the lady - " he turned to me expectantly as he said this and held out his hand. "You must be Ella!"

His grip was strong and firm, his palms soft, his fingernails well-manicured. His eyes were a very dark blue, direct and friendly. There was nothing of Severus in his gaze, or in the touch of his hand. Although their features were, at first appearance, disconcertingly similar, on closer inspection he was but a shadow of his elder brother. No, not even that, I decided, as I glanced up to see Severus frowning down at me.

"I'm so glad you could come to our wedding!" I smiled as Caius released my hand. Severus raised an eyebrow.

"You invited Caius?"

"I asked the Headmaster if he would, yes," I murmured, fully expecting to be called a Slytherin again before the night was over.

"Come on, Sev! Say you're glad to see me!"

"It has been - too long," Severus acceded grudgingly.

"Mm. And I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see what breed of woman was prepared to put up with my miserable brother, could I?"

I slipped my arm around Severus' waist and squeezed.

"I didn't know you had a miserable brother, Caius! Severus is the one I'm marrying!" I answered mischievously.

"I think what my younger brother means is that I do not feel the need to spend my every waking moment with an inane grin plastered to my face, Ella!" Severus said dismissively.

"Glad to hear it!" I muttered, earning a brief, tight-lipped smile in return.

"Haha!" Caius laughed, causing Severus to grimace irritably. "Where's my niece, Sev? Where's Seffie?"

"Severus," he snapped, "And her name's Persephone!"

"Right, right," said Caius, leaning past Severus to peer into the pushchair. "Well, she has the Snape hair...what do you think, she'll be, Sev? A Gryffindor?" he joked, elbowing Severus in the ribs.

"I sincerely hope not," Severus replied in his silkiest and most dangerous voice. Fortunately Professor Dumbledore, who had approached as we spoke, accompanied by Harry and Ron, curtailed any further discussion.

"Caius! My dear boy, welcome back! Let me introduce you to Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, they are both most keen to make your acquaintance!"

Ron looked anything but keen, I noticed, and even Harry, always so good-natured, looked as if getting to know the brother of one of the erstwhile banes of his life was not high on his list of favourite ways to spend his eighteenth birthday. However, they were gracious and welcomed him to join them, along with Fred, George and Ginny Weasley and several other of Harry's friends, readily enough, despite their misgivings. Before very long, raucous laughter from their end of the table resounded around the room.

"I might have known he'd go down a storm," Severus muttered darkly, spearing a large chocolate covered profiterole with his dessert fork and smiling thinly with grim satisfaction as it bled cream across his plate.

"He's very...sociable, isn't he?" I noted.

"Hmph."

"How long has it been since you last saw him?"

"Seven or eight years, I believe."

"Really? That long? I didn't know. Were you estranged?"

"No, not really...but as you can see, we have little in common! I just found it easier to lose touch. And besides, he always was the black sheep of the family."

"What, he was?" I asked wryly. He turned in his seat so that he was facing me, and gave me a penetrating stare.

"Well, I wasn't!" he retorted, affronted. "He's the one who got sorted into Gryffindor!"

I snorted loudly and used my napkin to wipe the sudden tears of mirth from my eyes.

"It isn't funny!" he hissed into my ear, aware that everyone around us was staring.

"Oh, love, but it is!" I said hoarsely.

"I suppose I shall have to introduce you properly later. Let you get to know him," he noted when I had stopped giggling to myself. "I warn you, though, he's nothing like me."

"No-one's like you, love!" I laughed, kissing his cheek affectionately.

Several hair-whitening anecdotes later and I could see exactly why Severus was always so very uptight. His brother's natural foolhardiness had forced the teenaged Severus into the unwanted role of minder and occasional rescuer, and had undoubtedly helped mould him into the stern authoritarian figure who nowadays delighted in removing house points from his students for the most trivial of infractions, particularly if the culprits belonged to Gryffindor House.

"So, it's no wonder he's getting on so well with Potter and his fan club, is it?" he finished waspishly.

I looked down the table and Caius looked at us both, smiled, and raised his glass to us.

"Yes, but look at him, love. You're the one he's come to see. It's written all over his face."

A wondering look washed across Severus' face then, and he bent down into the pushchair to attend to Persephone, hiding his expression from me and from the rest of the room. I smiled fondly at him, allowing him to ponder what I had just said in his own time. Then I recalled the matter I had been about to mention to him before Caius had arrived. When Severus turned back to the table, I asked

"Severus..."

"Yes?"

"I think I might know where Voldemort is."

"What? What do you mean?"

"He and the Malfoys are wherever Rita Skeeter is."

He took my shoulder and turned me to face him, interrogating me with his eyes.

"Why would they be with her?"

"Remember when you found me in the library with Hermione that day?"

He nodded.

"I'd been reading the Daily Prophet archive. I - I noticed something that struck me as strange... I think Rita Skeeter and the Malfoys are connected somehow. Did she used to be a Death Eater?"

"I don't know. We were always masked. Not one of us knew the identities of all the others. We must speak to Albus about this, there could be something in what you say, Ella!" he muttered urgently. "Remus, Sirius, we need to see Albus. Now."

He stood up and walked along the table until he reached the Headmaster, who was busily explaining the finer points of caring for phoenixes to a bemused Harry.

"Albus, I'm sorry to spoil the party but there is an urgent matter we need to discuss. May we go to your office?"

"Certainly, Severus, by all means! Come, Harry," he replied, rising to his feet.

A short time later, having left Persephone in Madam Pomfrey's care, we were all sitting in the Headmaster's office and Severus and I shared my theory with him, Sirius, Harry, Hermione and Remus.

The Headmaster looked more determined than I had ever seen him before as he strode across to the fire. Throwing a handful of powder on to the flames he said,

"Minerva McGonagall!"

When the Deputy Headmistress appeared in the grate he said,

"Minerva, a few minutes of your time, please?"

When Professor McGonagall stepped out of the fireplace moments later, the headmaster explained to her that he would be leaving her in charge while he went to the Ministry of Magic to consult with the Acting Minister, Isembard Factor.

"I'll come with you," said Severus grimly. I looked at him in horror, but Dumbledore said,

"No, Severus, that won't be necessary. I shall be back in the morning, and your place is here."

Too right it is, I thought, glaring into the back of Severus' head and ready to burst into angry tears.

Severus turned to look at me, his eyes haunted once more, and was distracted by a morose Harry saying,

"Why couldn't I get rid of him once and for all when we were on the plateau? You were all there with me, what stopped me killing him?"

Severus' hands bunched into fists at his side, and then flexed, and he faced Harry, saying awkwardly,

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Potter. I, for one, have lost count of the number of times you've bested Voldemort."

"But my best is never quite good enough, is it, sir?"

Clear green eyes met black depths. Severus regarded him gravely, and simply replied,

"It'll do."

Turning once more to me, he took my hand, and I saw Harry look after him, puzzled and obviously surprised at the sincerity in Severus' tone.

"Well, let's get back to the party!" said Remus brightly, looking at Hermione. "I was just about to take to the dance floor!"

"Yes, yes, you youngsters enjoy yourselves! Minerva and I have a few matters to discuss before I leave," said Dumbledore.

I descended the spiral staircase still trying to blink back those unexpected tears. I was filled with frustration that the Dark Mark was still on Severus' arm and that he could still, therefore, be of use in the fight against Voldemort at immense personal risk. I was annoyed with myself at even mentioning Rita Skeeter's name so soon before our wedding, let alone voicing my suspicions. And, not least, I was furious with Severus for volunteering to put his life in danger yet again, as if Persephone and I were not as important to him as his feeling of indebtedness to Dumbledore. All at once, I felt unloved, unappreciated and unattractive. Severus took my hand as we reached the foot of the staircase, but I wrenched it from his grasp muttering,

"Leave me alone!"

"Ella, what's wrong?" he asked curiously.

"You are! Jumping straight in there, ready to risk your life again with no thought for us!"

"I didn't - "

"What's wrong with you?"

"Ella!"

"Let go of my arm!" I hissed. His grip tightened.

"Not until you tell me what on earth is the matter!"

"We're supposed to be getting married!"

"Your point being? All I did was offer to go to London with Albus!"

"And the rest!"

"What rest?"

"They'll send Aurors, loads of them, so why do you have to be so bloody noble? Why are you still so indebted to him?"

I could hear my voice becoming more and more hysterical and felt myself tense up until I just wanted to scream. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Harry and Hermione, who were some way ahead with Remus, turn to look back at us, and I bit my lip until they had turned the corner and were gone.

Severus took my other arm and now held me in front of him, trying to catch my gaze. Unwillingly I looked up at him, expecting his habitual frown and maybe even an acerbic comment and half wanting the opportunity it would afford me to scream and shout at him some more. Instead, I was most disconcerted, and even a little annoyed, to see his fathomless black eyes filled to overflowing with warmth and curiosity as he smiled down at me.

"Hah! Well, well! Poppy told me this might happen! Fascinating! She warned me you'd probably be a textbook case, knowing your history!"

"What?"

"Oh, Ella, love!" he cajoled, moving one hand up to cup my face. "You and your blasted hormones! Look, I understand this time! I'm here!"

"Don't patronize me! You were going to go off again!"

"To the Ministry, and then back home again, that was all! I've got a wedding to go to in a few days, and the bride would kill me if I missed it!"

I burst into tears helplessly at that, and hung my head in abject misery.

"Oh, come here!" he soothed, enfolding me in his arms as I wailed into his frock coat. "You're over-reacting! You appear to be suffering from what I believe is known as the 'baby blues', Ella. That's all this is!" he continued matter-of-factly.

"All?"

"You'll get through it! Just let it all out!"

"Why do you have to be so bloody understanding?"

"Would you rather I tore you to shreds with my cutting tongue?" he asked dryly.

"Yes!"

"Well, much as I hate to disappoint you, I'm afraid this time my heart just wouldn't be in it!"

After a while I began to feel better, comforted by the steady, hypnotic rhythm of Severus' heart pounding against my ear. His deep voice rumbled soothingly in his chest as he said,

"Let's go back to the Great Hall and get our baby, and we can all go home. Hmm?"

I nodded vigorously and he chuckled softly.

"Here, I'd better tidy you up a bit. People will think I've been cruel to you."

"Since when did you care what people thought of you?"

"Hmm."

He took out his wand and performed a simple charm to reduce the puffiness of my eyes and restore my makeup, so that I looked as I had done before I had started to cry. Then we walked back to the Great Hall, arm in arm, Severus holding me close to him and slowing his pace to fall in with mine.

As we re-entered the Great Hall Severus squeezed my shoulder and then let his arm drop to my side, taking me firmly by the hand. He led me over to where Madam Pomfrey was sitting, rocking Persephone's pushchair back and to as she slept.

"Thank you, Poppy. I hope Persephone has behaved well?"

Madam Pomfrey gave Severus an exasperated look.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Severus, she's not even a week old, how on earth do you expect her behave well?"

I took a sideways glance at him and was amused to find his eyes glittering with good humour, obviously unexpected and unnoticed by the long-suffering Madam Pomfrey. Feeling a little better I said to Severus,

"Let's hang around for a while. I feel better now, and I'd like to get to know your brother."

He looked down at me resignedly.

"Are you sure? Well, don't say you haven't been warned."

We took our place at a small round table between Caius and Remus, also joining Hermione, Sirius, Harry and Ron, to find that Caius was regaling everyone with stories about his years at Hogwarts, and he, Harry and Ron compared notes about secret passageways, particularly eccentric paintings, and, of course, how many school rules they had broken.

Severus sat back and crossed his legs, drumming disapproving fingers on his knee with one hand and nursing a large golden goblet of red wine in the other, snorting in disgust every so often, particularly when Harry listed all the uses to which his invisibility cloak had been put over the years.

"I always knew it was you on the staircase that night when that impostor Barty Crouch bested me!" he said bitterly at one point, making Harry grin sheepishly. I had to lean over and discreetly remind him of Harry's visit to the Infirmary with Hermione the year before when he was at death's door, which would have been impossible without the notorious cloak, before he would stop muttering under his breath and grudgingly hold his peace. Disgruntled, Severus then spent several minutes glowering into his wine, swirling it around in the goblet morosely.

At last I decided that I had heard enough heavy sighs. Caius had just finished recounting yet another hilarious anecdote, and after I had stopped giggling I turned to Severus and slipped my arm around his neck.

"I think enough is enough, Severus," I whispered firmly into his ear. Brooding, he looked into my eyes.

"Are you ready to go yet?" he asked sullenly.

"Not until you've enjoyed yourself for a while!" I teased, taking his chin in my hand and leaning over to plant a lingering kiss on his surprised, part opened mouth. As I flicked my tongue into his mouth he sighed and returned my kiss, but after a few moments he remembered himself and took my wrist in his hand, pulling back slightly and murmuring,

"Ella, what will people think?"

"Oh, Severus! If they think anything at all it'll probably be something along the lines of how lucky we are!"

"Hmph, or that I've gone soft and what on earth do you see in me anyway..."

"Oh, come here!" I insisted and kissed him once more, both of my arms fastened around his neck this time. Taken completely by surprise for the second time in as many minutes, Severus gave up the fight and I felt his hands slide around my waist, splaying out across my back as his full, soft lips caressed mine. When we broke apart his eyes were smiling and his frown had softened.

"Well, I'm enjoying myself now, so can we go?"

I smiled, shaking my head, and turned back to our friends, resting my hand on his knee. As I stroked up and down his thigh, he moved his arm so that it was around my shoulders and I leaned against him happily. After a while he even began to pass comment on some of Caius' wilder stories, and I found the interplay between the two brothers fascinating, as did, I believe, the rest of our table. The words issuing from Severus' mouth were as dry and as caustic as ever, but coming from a man so obviously in love, whose eyes shone and whose hand stroked his devoted fiancée’s shoulder ceaselessly while he gesticulated eloquently with his other to emphasise his comments, such words became wickedly amusing rather than bitingly hurtful, affirming his love for his brother rather than denying its existence. While Hermione, Sirius and especially Remus looked quietly pleased, as if they had known all along what Severus could be like, I caught Harry and Ron exchange bemused looks on more than one occasion and smiled to myself, realising that they were very possibly having to rewrite seven years of their own personal histories as they sat and listened.

Severus' hand began to curl round after a while, so that his fingertips grazed my neck, before winding themselves around the loose tendrils of my hair as they curled on to my shoulders. Feeling my goose bumps under his fingers he leaned forward and nuzzled my ear with his nose as he whispered,

"It's time to go, Ella."

I turned to look into his eyes and as they burned into mine I saw them widen for a fraction of a second, a seductive punctuation to his words. I shivered and touched his cheek, bringing a half smile to his lips as he moved in to let them brush mine before pulling back and lifting an eyebrow. I was so pleasantly surprised to have him initiate a kiss in front of everyone that it was all I could do to hold myself in check and not insist he continue. Instead, however, I restrained myself and turned to Remus, sitting on my right, to make our excuses.

Back in our rooms again I felt tearful once more, and when Persephone began to cry as I tried to change her, I broke down once more and I don't know which one of us made the most noise. Wordlessly Severus took over from me, dressing her and rocking her until she fell asleep, whilst I curled up on the sofa and sniffled miserably to myself.

"I - I - I can't even - even change my own baby!" I wailed as he closed the door to the nursery behind him.

He crossed over to me and sat down beside me, pulling me to him and on to his lap. I buried my face in his neck and cried into his hair, and he stroked my back and my hair.

"I feel so useless, and frumpy, and ugly!"

"Don't be ridiculous. You're a wonderful, beautiful mother."

"No I'm not."

"I'm taking you to see Poppy tomorrow, maybe you'll listen to her!" he said firmly. "She told me to expect these mood swings from you. I have to admit, I thought she was exaggerating, but I am prepared to admit I was wrong, in this case...and it really is most interesting."

"Oh, I'm so glad I'm entertaining you!" I said bitterly. He smiled into my hair and hugged me.

"All of this is quite normal, Ella."

"I know it's normal, just make it stop!"

"I can't! All I can do is this. And love you. And you know I do, don't you?" he cajoled, nuzzling my cheek with his nose and his lips.

"Don't know why," I muttered petulantly, and he chuckled softly as he squeezed me more tightly.

"Are you fishing for compliments? Because I think you should know, I'm saving them all up for our wedding day, and I don't think I have any to spare!"

Sorrowfully, I looked up into his beloved face.

"Ah, yes, maybe I have one to spare," he murmured in a gently mocking tone. "Your nose is a very fetching shade of pink!"

I laughed in spite of myself and snuggled against him once more. Once again, I felt so safe and so secure in his arms that my irrational concerns melted away, and when a short while later Persephone began to cry once more I began to get up, to go to her.

"Hmm. Perhaps I'm not such an acceptable substitute for her mother after all?" he said dryly, looking up at me meaningfully as he too began to rise to his feet. "Go on, it's you she needs. And no more crying along with her, she makes quite enough noise without your help!"

Shortly after we were in bed, facing one another as our baby lay between us, suckling contentedly. Severus had one arm curled under his head, making a pillow, and I mirrored him, holding Persephone to my breast with my other hand while he stroked my hip with his. I felt so tired, my sudden mood swings of the evening having left me drained and confused, but, at that particular moment, very secure and contented.

"You were wonderful tonight," I murmured, gazing at him fondly. His eyes were downcast, watching his daughter with a smile playing around his lips. He adored Persephone, it was obvious, and I knew we were making him happy. As I spoke he looked at me, surprised at my comment.

"Why?"

"You were so...warm. Sociable."

"I drank too much."

"And you actually kissed me at one point, in front of everybody!"

"It was the wine. It won't happen again."

"I liked it!"

He looked at me seriously and sighed.

"I liked it too," he said quietly. "But it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't drunk five large goblets of wine. Don't expect me to change too much, Ella."

"I don't want you to change at all, love! I never have! It was just nice for our friends to get a brief glimpse of what I see, that's all."

Severus raised himself up on his elbow and leaned over, trailing his hand up my back and underneath my hair so that his fingers stroked the nape of my neck. His lips caressed my cheek and the corner of my mouth before moving so slowly, so sensuously, to cover mine. I sighed as I felt his tongue insinuate itself between my teeth, and I sucked gently. Being careful not to squash our baby, Severus edged a little closer to me and entwined his legs around mine. At last he said, our lips still touching,

"Remember once, a couple of months ago, you said I wouldn't be any happier than I was then until I was a father?"

"Mm?"

"Well, I think this is that time."

"And what about Saturday?"

"Hah!" he smiled as I planted soft kisses all over his lips and his nose. "Well, our wedding day will give me more happiness than anyone has the right to expect, especially me!"

Deliciously relaxed now, my eyes closed in sleep. After a while I became dimly aware of Severus' absence from our bed, and I opened my eyes drowsily to find a slumbering Persephone levitating away from me about twelve inches above the bed.

"Severus! What are you doing!"

"Shh! I'm putting her to bed."

"You're levitating her!" I scolded.

"I didn't want to wake her up."

"Yes, but - " I spluttered.

"This is the most efficient method, under the circumstances. Look, she's fine! It's not as if I'm going to drop her, is it?"

Grumbling, I got out of bed and followed him out of the bedroom and across the living room to the nursery. Lowering her gently into her cot, Severus put away his wand and tucked her in gently. She did not stir, and I pursed my lips as I heard his small, smug "Hm!"

"See?" he said proudly, turning to me and slipping his arm around my shoulders. "Why have you got your arms folded like that?" he teased. "Don't you want some time alone with me?"

He stood behind me and squeezed my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder as he pulled me back against him. I could feel his thighs pressed against me, and as I tilted my head over so that he could suck at the soft skin at my shoulder, one of his hands trailed up my body to cup my breast and as his breathing quickened I could feel his desire for me increase rapidly.

"Come on," he coaxed in his silkiest murmur, "Let's stay awake for a little while longer, hmm?"

"You were very sneaky just now. I think I need to make you suffer," I decided, grinding my hips back against him before ducking underneath his arm and running lightly out of the nursery and back through to our bedroom. In a few easy strides he had caught up with me and pinned his arms around me tightly. I pretended to struggle, feeling his arousal hard against the base of my spine, and he laughed, a deep, rich, gleeful sound that tickled my ear and made me shiver with excitement. How I wished I could turn around and wrap my legs round his waist, lower myself on to him and cling to him wildly, feeling him fill me with his passion, knowing the full measure of him. I moaned in frustration and gripped his arms, twisting my head so that he could lean down and capture my lips. I bit his bottom lip and he growled, pushing me forwards on to the bed and climbing astride me, pinning me down with his full weight and kissing my shoulders and back. He ran his hands around my waist, teasing with his fingers so that I did not know whether to moan with desire or scream for him to stop tickling me. Of its own accord, my body chose the latter and I began to squeal uncontrollably until we were soon both helpless with laughter. Eventually he took pity on me and rolled off me, breathless, but still desiring me. Seizing my chance I grabbed my wand from the bedside cabinet and shouted,

"Corpus manaculum!"

Green satin cords tethered themselves around Severus' wrists and ankles. His laughter subsided slowly as I sat back on my knees and looked him up and down mischievously. His skin was white in the glow of the waxing moon, the hollows of his arms picked out in tenebrous grey and black as they lay against the pillow. I ran my fingertips along his left arm, down to the light thatch of black hair at his armpit, and then lower, smoothing over his ribs, pausing to watch the way his muscles rippled under my touch before trailing back up again, looking into his eyes now, bible black reflective pools, glittering with reflected moonlight.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked. "Tell me. Put me out of my misery!"

I leaned over him so that my nipples grazed his chest, flooding warmth through me, and I whispered against his parted lips,

"Lots of things...now, where shall I start?"

"Just don't go anywhere near my feet!" he complained, twitching against his restraints as I licked and sucked at his nipples.

"Don't worry," I murmured, "I expect I'll get sidetracked long before I get down that far!"

"Aah! Oh, you'd better!" he gasped as I let my hand wander down his body, grazing my nails back up his inner thigh until he arched his back with pleasure.

I made him suffer that night. I punished him so thoroughly for levitating our daughter against my explicitly voiced wishes after she was born, that I left him weak, drained and helpless, begging for mercy, moaning with frustration. At one point I ceased my ministrations to use the bathroom and he howled with impotent rage as I left him to ache for me with no immediate chance of relief. On my return he pleaded with me to pick up where I left off, saying,

"Damn it, Ella, you're driving me mad! I can't bear this, you witch!"

"Yes you can, and you will. Until I say you don't have to any more...mmm..."

"Aah!"

After torturing him for a short while longer, I felt his body begin to stiffen underneath me and I knew his climax was imminent. I released him long enough to mutter,

"Finite Incantatem!" and then his hands were in my hair and he was shouting my name over and over, but I did not stop, would not stop, until he was limp and exhausted, silent underneath me. I stretched out on top of him then and rested my cheek on his sweat-dampened chest, licking up and down, craving more of his musky male saltiness.

"I can't get enough of you," I murmured, kissing my way up to his neck now before looking down at him longingly.

"Ella..." he murmured lazily, his eyes heavy-lidded with his afterglow. "Mmm...can you explain to me just how, exactly, what you just did is supposed to discourage me from performing magic on our daughter?"

I allowed myself a slow, triumphant smile and stroked my finger along his nose as I vowed,

"The discouragement lies in your being made fully aware that should you use magic on her again without my express permission, I will never punish you like that again!"

Dawning comprehension stole across his face as I spoke.

"You scheming little witch!" he smiled admiringly, pushing me off him and rolling on to me. "But I think it's an empty threat!"

"Why, do you think you're so irresistible?"

He smirked.

"No, far from it. But you do! And you just admitted it!"

I wound my arms around his neck and sighed as I silenced his gloating with a deep, plunging kiss. His tongue moved around mine and he began gently to push my legs apart with his left thigh. I wound my legs around him and moaned as he pressed himself against me, moving his hand down along my body firmly and determinedly until it cupped my mound.

"Severus, no," I groaned in frustration, knowing that however much parts of me cried out for his touch, they were not ready for him. He froze.

"I'm sorry, Ella, what was I thinking?"

"Only the same as I was, love," I answered resignedly.

Sliding off me, he rested his head in the crook of my arm and I stroked his hair back from his temple.

"I love you, Ella."

"I know. I love you too."

We slept, at last.