Madness Most Discreet

Chapter 3 - Saving Luna

Luna grasped his hand tight as he lead her out of her bedroom. They were making their way to the fireplace when she heard a window break somewhere in the house.

"Merlin! They're here Severus!" She took her wand from behind her ear and pointed it in the direction of the doorway. "I can fight Severus! Harry's trained me!"

Snape quickly stood in front of Luna. "Go to the fireplace and floo to Beta's Safe. Go now!" he said as the Death Eaters started to approach.

'Where in the hell is the Order?' he thought to himself.

Just before the Death Eaters entered the room, Luna wrapped a hand behind Severus' neck and pulled him into a furious kiss. "I'm not leaving you, " she hissed in a low voice. "You can't decide for me."

She turned to face the doorway, truely afraid. Just as she saw a leg cross the threshold, she yelled "Stupify!" and grinned when the body fell backwards.

Snape felt his knees buckle under kiss and her demand. He watched as she took out the first Death Eater and grinned. "That's my girl," he whispered as he started to fight with her.

Seeing another man from the corner of her eye, she turned and was about to yell a total body bind curse when she realized it was Professor Lupin.

"Go!" yelled Lupin as Tonks and Moody came running in. "Get out of here!"

Snape didn't need to be told twice before grabbing Luna's hand and running toward the living room. He grabbed the bowl of floo powder but it fell to the floor. "Fuck," he muttered as he picked up two handfuls and handed one to Luna.

"Go," he said as he pushed her into the fireplace. "It's Beta's Safe. Go Luna!"

Luna stumbled into the fireplace and yelled "Beta's Safe!" and was off in a burst of color and movement. She tumbled out into a dusty room, landing on her hands and knees.

"BUGGER!" she yelled, her spectacular landing had put too much pressure on her wrist. She wasn't sure if it was broken or strained, but she knew it hurt.

Scurrying out of the way, she waited for Severus to join her.

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Snape watched Luna disappear and turned back toward the fighting. He was in trouble and knew it. It wouldn't be long before Voldemort would know of his doublecross. It was at that moment that Snape knew he needed to go into hiding with Luna.

Alone with Luna... Oh Gods...

He turned toward the fireplace and stepped in. He held the floo powder above his head and said, "Beta's Safe!"

The fireplace spit him out into a dusty house. He felt himself smack into something soft and warm. And when he finally opened his eyes, he figured out he was on top of Luna.

"All right Luna?" he quietly asked.

So she hadn't made it out of the way completely, naturally he had to land on top of her. Her wrist burned and she let out a small 'ow' in response.

Snape heard her small "ow" and quickly rolled off of her. He got up onto his knees and looked at her in concern.

"Are you all right love?" he asked.

"Severus," she said slowly, "don't call me that if you don't mean it, I can't take it." Refusing to cry, or to back down, she just pushed her arm out in front of him, hoping he knew good healing charms.

Snape sighed at her defiance. She had no idea what she was doing to him by being so bossy. He perked an eyebrow and carefully took her arm into his hands.

He softly ran a hand down to her wrist and felt the break. "It's broken, love, but I can fix it." He raised his wand and said a healing charm. "Feel better sweetie?"

Her arm was tingling, but she didn't care anymore. She was furious.

"I said don't DO THAT! Do you even remember what you said to me the last time I saw you? How you hurt me, ON PURPOSE?" She turned away and walked to the opposite wall, wanting to be away from him, yet not able to leave his presence. She kicked out at the wall, not making a dent due to the fact she didn't have any shoes on.

"ARRGH!" she cried in pain.

Snape stepped back as Luna yelled at him. He hated having her angry with him and all he wanted to do was to tell her how he really felt.

"Luna, I lo.." But before he could finish, she had kicked the wall and was crying out in pain. He sighed and stepped toward her.

"Need me to fix another break?" he asked as he tried to supress a laugh.

"Shut it, you!" she yelled.

A few seconds passed in silence...

"Damn!"

Another five....

"Yes! Help me please, it hurts!"

Snape chuckled and helped Luna sit down on the floor. He carefully picked her foot up off the floor and craddled it in his hand. With his other hand, he ran it over her big toe, purposely trying to tickle her before casting another healing spell.

"There you go love," he said with a smile. "No more breaking things, all right?"

Luna leaned back and closed her eyes, letting out a something sounding like a cross between a sob and a laugh.

"Do you want me to break something else? This time it might not be MY bodypart." She lifted her foot out of his hand and laid flat on the floor, staring at the ceiling. It was easier that way.

"I was being serious. I'd rather you don't pretend. It confuses me and it's not fair. Please."

She hastily wiped a tear starting to fall from the corner of her eye.

Snape laughed out loud at her comment. "If you think you can, then go ahead," he said as he slid closer to her. "I deserve anything you dish out."

He carefully reached over and touched her face, knowing there was a possibility Luna would kill him for doing so.

"Go ahead?" she whispered as he got closer and touched her face. She whipped around as fast as possible and sucker punched him in the nose.

"How's that, love? Are you enjoying tormenting me?"

Chapter 4 - Making up and Making out

Snape felt himself fall back as his nose stung. He quickly squeezed his eyes shut as he saw stars floating around.

"Oh Luna Lovegood," he whispered and then laughed, "If I wanted to torment you, I'd have you tied to the bed... naked."

Luna stood and had to restrain herself from kicking him.

"Stop! Stop! STOP!" she yelled as loud as she possibly could. Her tears were finally falling free, again.

"You son of a bitch! How dare you tease me like this? You know how I feel! You KNOW! I thought you were cruel when I left Hogwarts, I had no idea how nasty you could be! It's as if you're getting into my own thoughts, and twisting the things I want you to say into something perverse and mean." Her volume had steadily gone down, ending in a whisper.

Snape rolled away from Luna, afraid that she was going to kick him. He wanted to tell her how he felt. He wanted to tell her how his heart dropped and he almost cried when Dumbledore said she was in danger. Why couldn't he just say it?

He let her finish with her rant before standing up, his own anger racing through his veins. "I'm sorry!" he quickly said. "I'm sorry for coming... I'm sorry for bothering you... I'm sorry for hurting you... maybe I should just leave," he muttered as he picked up his wand.

"NO! No you don't get to leave until we're FINISHED! You don't get to say you're sorry like that! As if you've said it a thousand times and I've ignored it, as if I'M wrong!

"I've been through bloody HELL this past month, thinking either I was worthless or just in love with a horrible man. And I know you're not really horrible, otherwise you wouldn't have come here to save my dad and me! So what am I supposed to think? That I'm only good to you naked? What are you trying to do?"

Snape stopped and turned to look at her. A month of frustration and hurt boiled to the surface as he looked down at her. "I'm trying to tell you that I'm in BLOODY love with you!" he yelled.

Luna sank to the floor, her legs totally giving out on her. Still in her purple sheep pajamas, hair unbrushed and face blotchy, she sobbed again.

Closing her eyes, she said, "Why then? You bloody git! I love you so much, why did you do this?"

Snape bowed his head down and felt a lump grow in his throat. "I'm scared Luna," he quietly whispered. "I'm scared that I won't live up to you what you want. I'm scared that you'll find someone younger and better than me. I'm scared that my love for you will get you killed."

He stepped to the other side of the room and sat on the window seat. "You scare me Luna Lovegood... and I don't know what to do about it."

"Oh Severus! I'm still mad, don't you forget it, but..." She got up and went over to the window and climbed onto his lap.

"There is no one else for me, Severus. I don't want someone younger and there is no one better for me than you. And now, well, now I'm a target all on my own. If anything, being with you might save my life."

She brushed a hand down the side of his face, tears still spilling, but a different, relieved kind. "I love you," she said as she kissed one cheek, saying it again before she kissed the other. "Never leave me again."

Snape dropped his head down to her shoulder and cried. He'd never cried like this before, not even when his father beat him. He cried tears of joy and tears of fear. He wanted to stay with Luna but part of him told him to run.

"Luna," he choked out through his tears, "I love you... please promise me it's going to be all right."

"Oh baby, it'll be OK, shush, everything will be fine." She tried to soothe him, rubbing little circles up and down his arms, running her hands through his silky hair. "I love you so much Monkey!"

She didn't know what to do...he was scaring her like this. He'd always acted so tough, so emotionless. Even though she knew it wasn't so, it was different to confront the fact.

"Baby?" she asked, lifting his face gently. "Baby, it's OK."

She kissed him gently on the mouth, tasting his tears.

He looked her in the eyes. "I'm marked now," he quietly said. "They're going to kill me. You can't be here. You have to go and be with your father."

"Listen closely. Being with you is the most important thing to me. I would risk it if it guaranteed my death. Which it doesn't. Don't you see? Death Eaters attacked me in America! There's no way I'm safe now, with or without you. If it has to end, I'd rather it be with you. Please?" She held him for a few minutes in silence.

"Weren't you saying something about tying me up while naked?"

Snape took a deep breath. He couldn't believe that Luna would risk death for him and it made him feel... feel something he couldn't quite describe.

He gently nudged her off his lap and stood. He suddenly felt old and he laughed about that.

He turned and looked at her and smiled. "Thank you Luna," he quietly said as he leaned down and softly captured her lips. "I was such a mess without you... Dumbledore was at his wit's end with me." He laughed but suddenly stopped.

"Oh Gods," he moaned. "That old man tricked me!"

Feeling relieved that he seemed to have snapped out of it, she giggled. "How do you mean? Is that why he sent you by yourself?"

Snape laughed and shook his head. "He knew..." he quietly said as he thought back to the conversation he'd had with Dumbledore just days before...

"Love is a fickle thing, don't you think Severus?" asked Dumbledore as he quietly walked into The Hog's Head.

Severus looked up from his drink and growled. Why was Dumbledore there? He looked up at the Headmaster and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't believe in love," hissed Snape as he downed another drink.

"Ah!" said Dumbledore as he sat next to him. "But yet, you're in love."

"I am not!" Snape growled as he told the bartender to pour him another drink.

"Keep denying it Severus and it'll kill you," said Dumbledore as he stood. "I hope Miss Lovegood is enjoying her summer holiday."

Before Snape could say another word, Dumbledore was gone. "The old man is off his rocker," he growled before having another drink.

"He knew if I came here, I'd be found out," explained Snape as he pulled Luna to him. "Brilliant plan and a bit humbling. He risked losing his best spy so I could be with the person I love."

Luna cuddled close to him, laughing at Dumbledore's audacity. "He really likes to interfere, doesn't he? Remind me to hug the man when we see him next," she said with a smile.

"Uhm, Sev? D'you...it's been a while since we've been together...d'you think we could..." she trailed off, unsure how to ask. Clearing her throat, she tried again, "D'you think we could see if there's a bedroom here...and maybe just lay down together, like we used to?"

Snape laughed at her request and grabbed her hand. He found a bedroom and led her inside and allowed her to lie down. He shrugged off his robe and laid down beside her.

"I've missed this," he whispered as he pulled her close. "So tell me, have you done anything exciting this summer?

The warmth of his arms was something she never wanted to leave again. She could smell his aftershave and his musky, manly scent. It was Heaven. "Oh the summer? Well I moped a lot, did some whinging, you know, the usual. And yourself?"

Snape kissed the top of her head and listened to her talk. Her voice was so soothing to him.

"Oh," he said after she asked her question, "I drank a lot. Made potions while I was drunk. Drank some more. Almost punched Percy Weasley out when I was drunk. Oh, and I found this angel that likes wearing purple pajamas."

Luna laughed and wiggled a little against his body. "Drunken potion brewing? I'm sorry I missed it! It wasn't naked, was it? How long are we going to be here Sev? And oy! Where's my dad?"

"No... I only do one thing naked," he growled as he nipped at her neck. "And your father... he's at another safe house. I don't know where it is but later I have to floo Dumbledore through a secured channel to tell him we're all right."

He sighed and pulled himself up and looked down at her. "This house is stocked for at least a month," he started to explain. "If we need anything, a member of the Order will bring it. Now I have to ask you something and please don't get angry but, are you sure you want to stay?"

She smiled and said, "Yes, more than anything."

Watching him leave the room, she marveled at the way the day had started. She never would had guessed it would end so wonderfully. Then again, she never would've guessed being stuck in a safe house on the run could be great either.

She fell asleep a few minutes later with a smile on her face.

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Snape left the room and went to the fireplace. He flooed Dumbledore and told him what happened. The older wizard seemed thrilled that Snape was with Luna and told him that he was happy that the young woman was in safe hands.

After finishing his conversation with Dumbledore, Snape went back to the bedroom to find Luna sleeping. He sat and watched her for a moment, memorizing her form. He then leaned forward and pulled up the bottom of her shirt before laying small kisses on her bare skin. He smiled to himself as he moved up her, watching her face to see if she'd wake up.

She tried to pretend she was sleeping, but her shivering gave her away. She laughed and ran a hand through his hair, tugging lightly to bring his face to hers.
She didn't kiss him, but stared. She could see his desire in his eyes and knew she must be revealing the same in her own.

"I want you, " she declared before capturing his mouth with her own.

Snape looked down at her and felt himself melt away with her words. "I want you too," he said as he raised his wand up. In a matter of seconds, they were both undressed. He took his time touching and loving her for he wanted this moment to last forever. He couldn't believe how much he missed this and he knew he could make love to her for a week straight.

But after a few hours, he had to stop. He was hungry and a bit sore. "Luna," he whispered as he collapsed beside her, "I need food..."

Luna's entire body was tingling, every nerve, every muscle. "Merlin, you're amazing, " she breathed, smiling.

She panted for a few seconds, trying to calm down.

"I'm bloody starving," she laughed, "but I don't think I can move!"

Snape laughed and scooped Luna up. "I know I'm amazing," he said with a wink. "And I thought you said you were still mad at me! You sure didn't sound mad when you were whimpering my name two minutes ago."

Luna laughed again as he picked her up. "Oh, just furious!" She had forgiven him completely...but didn't want him to know yet. "Now take me to the kitchen and feed me!"

Snape carried her to the small kitchen and sat her down on the table. He rummaged through the cabinets, looking for something to eat. He found some chocolate and unwrapped it.

"Tell me Miss Lovegood," he said as he dangled the chocolate in front of her face, "how furious are you with me?"

Chocolate...yummy chocolate.

"Oh you know full well that I utterly and completely forgive you, now gimme!" she laughed, snatching it from his hand. "Now while I eat this, I expect a full breakfast to be cooked, Mr. Snape!"

Snape started to cook some waffles as he watched her. She was amazingly beautiful and he felt so lucky to have her with him again. He also knew that he never wanted to be away from her.

He quietly put the waffles on a plate and carried them to the table but before she could grab them, he grabbed her hands.

"Luna," he said as he cradled her face, "I want you to know something... things are going to be difficult for a while but I'm glad you're here with me. I know we can get through this together. And once things settle down, I'll take you hunting for whatever creature you want to find."

"Even if it's 'Totally nonsensical to continue to believe in such foolishness'?" she asked, quoting something he said to her once.

Grabbing the plate, she sat on top of the small table, completely starkers, eating the waffles. Severus helped himself to a plate as well, sitting like a proper human in a chair. There was a comfortable silence until a loud crack interrupted them.

"AAAAAAAAH" Luna screamed, seeing Harry Potter standing in the kitchen.

Trying to cover herself, she couldn't decide which part was more important, and ended up protecting nothing. She dropped her plate to the floor and fled the room.