Another Dark Star

Chapter 17

Sadira was sat at the staff table for breakfast on Friday when a handsome Eagle owl swooped over her and dropped an official looking letter. She turned it over and saw the Ministry’s seal on it. She opened it and read it with a sombre look on her face. She stood and passed it to Dumbledore, deliberately standing between his and Severus’ chairs.

“What is it?” he asked her.

“The Ministry are calling me back, for this weekend only. Apparently, they are short on Aurors and they need me to go on a recce.” She informed him.

“I suppose that as it is on a weekend and will not interfere with your classes, I can see no problem with this. I have no choice in the matter in any case.” Dumbledore told her.

“How soon do you have to leave?” Snape asked in a low whisper.

“As soon as possible, now I expect.” She replied.

“Be careful,” he whispered, brushing her hand surreptitiously with his.

“I always am.” She replied, moving down the table and handing the letter to Umbridge, who merely nodded and handed it back.

“See you all Sunday evening then.” She called to her colleagues, casting one final sad look at Severus’ disapproving face. She was supposed to have spent the weekend with him, planning the wedding and shopping for a ring. ‘Oh well, it would have to wait.’



But Sunday came and went, and she had still not returned. Severus stormed around like a black cloud, torn between fury at the Ministry and worry for his young fiancée. His Occlumency lessons with Potter were not going well either. In fact they were almost unbearable on top of everything else he was going through.

Every night, alone in his chambers, he wondered where she was; how she was. His troubled mind imagined hundreds of varied scenarios in which his beloved Sadira was hurt, trapped, tortured or dying; calling for him and he was unable to help her. He was losing sleep, wasn’t eating and Dumbledore was beginning to worry. Even Minerva has begun to fear for his health, but knew better than to call him on it. She liked her eardrums intact, thank you very much!

His students were on high alert as he had begun docking points for the slightest infraction. They saw the shadows under his eyes, his sallow skin even paler and greyer and his temper shorter than ever. They wondered what the hell had happened to him and why they had to suffer for it.


Monday evening, he finally heard Sadira had returned. Apparently she had arrived by Portkey directly to the hospital wing.

He tore up staircases and bolted down corridors to the infirmary and found his beloved laid out on a cot, her skin ghostly pale against the black leather duster coat, black corset blouse and black combat pants she wore. Her lips, once rosy pink and bruised by his kisses, were now blue and cracked. She was badly beaten and bruised. Blood oozed from a head wound into her hair, giving it an even darker red highlight than it usually had.

Even in this fragile state, she was beautiful to him and he could hardly stand to see her in such a condition. Fortunately for her she was unconscious or she would surely have been in a great deal of pain. The thought that he nearly lost her, may lose her yet, stung him like an icy dagger to his heart. He knew he shouldn’t have let her go off on such a wild goose chase, should have pressured her to stay with him. His thoughts drifted to a small velvet jewellery box in his desk drawer and he wondered if he would ever get to share it with her.

Madam Pomfrey was fussing round her looking worried and Dumbledore was stood at the foot of her bed wearing a very grave look.

“What happened?” Snape asked; his voice calmer than he felt.

“We still don’t know Severus, I’m sorry.” Albus replied sadly.

“What did they do to her?” he asked again, drawing up a chair close to her bed, his eyes never leaving her face.

“She has three broken ribs, a fractured femur, internal tissue damage as well as superficial cuts and bruises. She lost a lot of blood from that nasty wound on her head, but I can’t tell through the swelling what damage there is to her brain and I daren’t move her to St Mungo’s in this state.” Poppy recited.

“I’m sorry Severus, I don’t know if she will ever wake up.” She added softly, welling with tears.

“I see, thank you Poppy.” He said in a strained voice. Poppy and Albus respectfully left, drawing the screen around her bed to give him some privacy to digest the terrible news about his friend and lover.

If there had have been any students recuperating in the infirmary at that time they would have believed they were the ones suffering brain damage, because everyone knew the stern Potions professor did not weep.


He stayed with her all that night; sometimes stroking her hand, sometimes whispering to her, encouraging her to wake and telling her how much he missed her, loved her, needed her. He finally fell asleep in the chair, his head rested on her chest and his fingers laced with hers.

Poppy hadn’t the heart to move him. She hadn’t seen him so vulnerable since he was a very young student. However she insisted he leave in the morning to get a shower and a change of clothes, perhaps some breakfast. The staff had not been apprised to the true nature of their relationship and Poppy assumed he was devastated at the loss of a true friend, as she knew he hadn’t many of them in his life.

He forced himself to continue with his classes and his violent mood swings had his students even more terrified of him than ever. The students all knew she was his friend, and some believed the rumours that she was more than that. Of course, a small group of Gryffindors and a smaller group of Slytherins knew exactly what was wrong with him.

Many students thought he was close to a breakdown and wondered what would happen if he was no longer capable of teaching. Would they be better off without him hovering over them like a malevolent black storm cloud or would the Ministry’s choice be even worse?


When he arrived back in the Hospital Wing that evening he noticed she had not been alone. News of her return had gotten out, but all that the student body knew was she had been hurt. She had become fairly popular, despite her strict attitude and high expectations of them, but Pomfrey had refused to allow her ward to become a thoroughfare and restricted her visitors to close friends and family.

Ron, Ginny, Fred and George had all spent a great deal of time with her, bringing Harry and Hermione with them. Draco Malfoy had even popped in briefly, but being unsure of what to do with an unconscious friend; he sat beside her for a few minutes, patting her hand uncomfortably, before conjuring a black rose and placing it in the water jug by her bedside, hoping she would recognise the gesture if and when she woke.

Snape resumed his silent vigil every evening, concentrating every effort into assisting Poppy when he could. He took charge of administering her potions, spooning them slowly past her blue tinged lips and stroking her throat to encourage her body to swallow. Poppy finally kicked him out at 1am, telling him if he didn’t get some rest he’d be no good to anyone.


By the third day, Thursday, he was beginning to lose hope of her ever waking. Her physical injuries were all completely healed and yet she still remained comatose, she hadn’t made even a flicker of her eyelids or sign of movement. Distracted by his thoughts dwelling on her, he sent his fourth year class on a research assignment to the library for the rest of the afternoon and went straight to the hospital.

He glared at the only other occupant, a Hufflepuff third year who'd had an accident in Care of Magical creatures, and drew the screens around him and Sadira to continue watching over her in silent solitude.

He hadn’t even realised he had fallen asleep when he was awoken by a pressure on his fingers. At first he didn’t realise where he was. It wasn’t till he felt another pressure on his head, stroking his hair, that he remembered what that must mean. He sat bolt upright in a shot, realising his prayers had been answered. She was awake, barely, and smiling weakly at him.

“Hiya.” She said croakily, her voice weak from lack of use. “How long was I out?”

“Three days, you gave us all quite a scare,” he said, sitting on the bed next to her and drawing her close.

“Three days? No wonder I feel so stiff.” She said in wonder, sitting up and returning his embrace as tightly as she could.

“That may have something to do with the three ribs you broke.” He replied sardonically. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. All I remember is tailing the mark to a warehouse in Sheffield. Stupidly I entered without knowing what I was getting into, then nothing.” She told him.

“Whoever it war beat ten tons o’ shit out of yer, they thought yer might never wake up.” He told her hoarsely, his carefully cultured accent dropping and reverting to his Yorkshire twang under the emotional stress. It was all he could do to hold back the tears that threatened at the relief of her return.

“Yes, but what a sight to wake up to.” She said, touching his face and pulling him in for a heated kiss that expressed how much he had missed her and how glad she was to be with him again.


Madame Pomfrey scurried over upon hearing Sadira’s voice and was shocked to discover her patient locked at the lips with her solitary visitor. ‘That explains a lot’ she thought to herself, tactfully backing away before they noticed her, coming back when they had broken apart.

“Well, Miss Prewett-Black, you had quite a sleep there! For a while there I thought you were never coming back to the land of the living.” Poppy said, checking over her patient and running diagnostic spells to ensure there was no lasting damage.

“All clear! You are a very lucky girl.” She finished.

“Can I leave now then?” Sadira asked hopefully, looking up at Severus.

“Not yet girl, I have one last potion to give you.” Poppy admonished, returning to her office.

“Wow! Who’d have thought I’d be so popular?” Sadira remarked when she noticed the cards.
Fred and George had sent her one with sleeping beauty on it and got Ron and Harry to sign it too. Ginny had put a lot of work into her, thankfully silent, handmade card. Hermione had brought a large card written in hieroglyphics on the front, signed by the whole of her Ancient Runes class. Then she noticed the rose in the jug.

“Did you bring that?” she asked Snape.

“No.” He replied, puzzled.

“Ah, Malfoy then!” She smiled.


“Here you are. Now, you can’t leave until this bottle is gone,” Pomfrey said, handing Sadira a tall earthenware bottle filled with a sludgy potion the colour of peanut butter. She took a sip and nearly gagged. It was horrid, reminiscent of potato peelings, old socks and rancid milk.

“I have to take all of this?” she asked.

“Yes or you aren’t going anywhere. Usually a patient gets through a bottle in twenty-four hours but you can take smaller doses for longer if you hate it that much.” The nurse told her.

Sadira looked at Severus and saw how much he had missed her. She pinched her nose and knocked it back like liquor, slamming the empty bottle back on the table with a grimace, as Pomfrey and Snape looked on in shock.

“There you go, all gone. Let’s go.” She said to Severus, who grinned. Poppy shook her head incredulously as the two professors left arm in arm, headed to the dungeons.


When they arrived in Severus’ private rooms, Sadira settled herself in one of the comfy chairs in front of the fire.

“I could murder a cup of tea after that vile gloop.” She said. No sooner had she said so than a beautiful china tea set appeared on the table between them. “Any biscuits?” she asked cheekily.

“Sadira, you have been unconscious in the hospital wing for three days. You had extensive physical injuries and no idea how you came to receive them. I think we have more important things to talk about than tea and biscuits.” He said, dangerously quietly.

“Sev, I’m an Auror, It’s the risk of the job. I’m used to getting into the odd scrape. Usually I get out of them much better. I have you to thank for that, you trained me well. I’m sorry you had to see me like that. I know you must have been worried.” She said softly.

“Worried? I was bloody terrified! Poppy said your brain was swollen and you might not survive. I really thought I’d lost you.” He snapped. She stood and passed the small table to sit in his lap and placed her hands in his hair.

“I am sorry Severus. I never wanted to hurt you. How can I make it up to you?” she asked.

“Marry me.” He said suddenly.

“I know I got knocked out, but I still remember getting engaged!” she said smiling.

“No, marry me now; this weekend.” He clarified. “I don’t want to wait any longer. If you had died before I had the chance to make you my wife I couldn’t bear it. You suggested we elope together, why not?” he said seriously.

“You’re not kidding, really?” she asked, thinking.

“Yes, screw it! Let’s get married this weekend then.” She agreed grinning. He grinned back and clutched her to him as she kissed him firmly on the cheek.

“The only thing now is to decide on the ceremony. Would you prefer Muggle or Wizarding? Unless ...” he began, breaking off and looking at her thoughtfully.

“Unless what?” she encouraged.

“Sadira, would you consent to a Handfasting?” he asked.

“Really? A proper old fashioned binding? I...yes but are you sure?”

“I have never been more sure of anything.” He told her. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You already have my heart; the least I can do now is offer you my soul.” He replied, nuzzling her neck.

“Tomorrow is going to be the longest day of my life.” She sighed, but the sigh became a yawn.

“Come on, to bed with you. You are not quite healed yet.” He admonished, pointing toward his bedroom.

“Will you be joining me? I missed you when I was away.” She asked following his instruction.

“Yes, I did not get much sleep while you were gone and should catch up now.” He replied.

“What makes you think I intend on sleeping?” she said cheekily as he joined her in his bedroom, his coat already halfway off.

“Behave, we both need to sleep. We have classes tomorrow. But I will have dinner sent here for us tonight.” He said as he undressed, slipping into bed beside her. She curled into him, enjoying the sensation of his skin against hers once more.

“Severus, I promise I won’t take senseless risks like that again. I love you.” She said, stifling a yawn. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

“I love you too, now sleep my bride-to-be.”