Snape In Love: Chasing Darkness Away

A companion piece to Snape In Love, set at the end of that story but told in flashback, investigating Snape's psyche as he slowly allows himself to fall in love with Ella, and events in his past that have made him the man he is.

Snape's equilibrium is upset by the presence of a stranger at Hogwarts, and he determines to discover who she is, and why nobody saw fit to inform him.

Agitation. Snape's encounters with Ella leave him very disturbed, and unwilling to admit to himself that he is powerfully attracrted to her.

Ella wanted Snape as badly as he wanted her, although he hated to admit to the strength of his feelings. ‘Know thine enemy’. Both Voldemort and Dumbledore subscribed to that little homily. He had just become far better acquainted with his, and he knew what he had to do to dissuade her attentions.

Everybody except Snape seems to think he’s falling in love with Ella Redemte, but who’s right? Black teases, Lupin gives him a pensieve he says he doesn’t need, and Ella makes another move. Meanwhile Snape stalks the dark corridors of Hogwarts and terrifies the students while trying to come to terms with his feelings.

Snape and Ella witness a thunderstorm, Hogwarts style, and he tells her of the time he realised exactly what he had to do to send her away.

Going against everything he wants, Snape lets his head rule his heart and takes the potion he knows will drive Ella away, and then finds himself thinking on his feet when confronted by Sirius Black and then Voldemort.

Snape manages quite nicely without Ella in his life, but during the summer holidays the school decides he needs to be reminded of exactly how much she means to him. Once realisation hits, he has to find her, and fast. And then he has to talk her round.

Caius reminds Snape of a childhood horror that has remained with him all his life, prompting Snape to tell Ella about what happened to him when he returned to Voldemort’s side after seeing that she returned to Hogwarts. Warning; this chapter is darker than usual for me and implies possibly disturbing acts.

Relieved that Ella is safe at Hogwarts, Snape travels Europe drumming up support for the Dark Lord and reporting back to Dumbledore on his success. Recalled suddenly to Voldemort’s side he finds that his cover has been broken and Voldemort is intent on exacting a cruel revenge.

Remus joins Severus and Ella as they picnic and relates to them his account of finding Snape near death outside the Shrieking Shack, returning him to Hogwarts where a cure is sought, and his own burgeoning feelings for Hermione.

Snape has a near death experience but reawakens to find Ella by his side. As he recuperates they begin to make up for lost time.

Snape decides to pay a visit to Diagon Alley to do a little Christmas shopping, but first he has to try to dissuade Ella from accompanying him.

Snape continues to reminisce about the early days of his relationship with Ella, remembering the horror of her abduction by Voldemort, the bliss of their first Christmas Day together and her reaction to the emerald pendant, and then the satisfyingly violent snowball fight on Hogwarts’ front lawn.

Snape confesses to Ella the full extent of Voldemort’s depravities as they try to exorcise another of Snape’s own personal demons. He tells Ella a little about his schooldays and the incidents that drove him to the Dark Lord, and relives the deterioration of his relationship with her that led up to the ill fated Valentine’s Ball.

In which Snape tries unsuccessfully to cope with life without Ella, seeking solace from his own bitter memories rather than from his friends. He then has to steel himself to confront her again at Lucius Malfoy's trial. On the eve of the trial he travels alone to the Ministry of Magic for a private meeting with the Counsel for the Prosecution.

It’s the day of Lucius Malfoy’s trial, and Snape has to face Ella for the first time since their estrangement. His hopes of getting through to her are dashed and he seeks solace in the bottle, refusing surprising offers from elsewhere.

Week follows week, and Snape finds no relief from his unhappiness no matter how much firewhisky he drinks. Sirius Black travels between Hogwarts and France, making Snape bitterly jealous, until one night Ella returns and tries to explain why she left him…

Snape comes to a decision about letting Ella back into his life.

Ella's persistence helps Snape believe that she might have come back to stay, and when she takes matters into her own hands he relents at last...

Snape and Ella are betrothed but their future happiness is compromised by worrying news.

Snape and Ella use Professor Gruber’s notes to try and remove the Dark Mark, and Snape feels it begin to burn.

Snape, Lupin and Black set off in pursuit of Malfoy and Fudge, leaving their loved ones behind.

Chapter 24; Snape, Lupin and Black catch up with their prey.

Chapter 25; in which Snape discovers the joy of fatherhood and celebrates his wedding day.

Snape confesses the extent of his culpability.

Ella struggles with Snape’s confession, and he anxiously awaits her return.