The Moon Has Spoken

Fiddler jumped awake, startling the big Merlin out of Severus.

“What is wrong?” he asked.

Fiddler blinked, trying to clear her sleepy brain, and relaxed as she noticed she was on her bed, not late for work, and with her head resting on the lap of a man with a cast to his nose, and some spectacular-looking bruises adorning his face. She smiled at him.

“I thought—”

“You were late”, he finished. “I know. You did startle me, though”.

She moved her head forward and kissed his navel, making him shiver. She thought idly that she must have been sound asleep indeed to not to have waken when he maneuvered her to rest on his lap, and she smiled again. She looked up at him and realised he had a book in his hands.
How weird.

“What are you reading?” she asked.

Severus took one of his large hands from the book he was holding and brought it to her hair.

“One of your Gaelic books”.

“Oh? Any reason in particular?” it wasn’t what he usually read.

“Yes, actually”, he replied. “I am looking for an endearment for you”.

Fiddler stared at him from his lap. She seemed beyond shocked and she was blushing violently. In fact, for a second there she seemed really close to tears, but she blinked them away.

“Why?” she asked instead, hoarsely.

“Well, because, despite your name being a mlouslously fitting one, I got the sudden urge of finding a sweet nothing you’d like to hear”.

She snorted and eyed him suspiciously, laughter gleaming in her eyes.

“Fine, then, you did not fall for it”, Severus gave in.

Fiddler shook her head.

“You’re not that kind of man”.

“True. But still. Given the circumstances, I believe a proper pet name would not be amiss”.

“The protocol step by step, I’d say”, she mocked. “But then, that’s you indeed”, and she kissed his abdomen again.

“True once more”.

“And? What have you found?”

“Before I tell you, I want a promise from you. You will not laugh, you will not snort, you shall not argue, and you shall accept it”.

“That’s four promises”, she observed.

“Fiddler”.

“Oh, all right! I won’t, happy now?”

“I will reserve my glee for a bit”, he said, tersely.

Fiddler eyed him through half-lidded eyes and Severus, acting on instinct, leaned forward and, wrapping his arms around hpullpulled her to him.

“So?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Álainn”, he whispered into her ear.

Fiddler tilted her head to one side to look at him. She was utterly speechless, but for once, it was Severus the one able to get into her head in the way that was her privilege. Just as he’d done in his dreams.

Say something, Fiddler, some part of her mind was ordering her.

I’m in bed with a rather dark man, the biggest part of her answered numbly. I am lying on hiss, as, and he’s just called me ‘beautiful’. How am I supposed to react?

Say ‘thank you’, maybe. Or be you and roll your eyes at him. And while you’re on it, laugh in his face as well.

He made me promise not to, the devious Slytherin chap.

Severus laughed helplessly, both at the way she’d called him and at the way she argued with herself. He tightened his arms around her and kissed her slowly, savoring every inch of her mouth.

“Right you are…” He mumbled in between kisses. “That I did… Álainn”.

He stretched the endearment, making it sound both suggestive and enticing, and Fiddler’s skin broke in goose bumps. Severus slid his palms over her arms, reveling on her primal reaction.

“I find that… so arousing…”, he rasped.

“What’s… that…?”

“Your instincts…”, he mouthed her neck. “Just beneath your skin. Unsuppressed. Waiting but for the slightest stimulation to surface…”

She corresponded his caresses, circling his nipples with her fingers, moving her head down to nibble his neck as well.

“Yes… Just… a couple of… lusty animals, are we…”, she breathed. “Wonder… what would… the kids say… if… if… the could see us…”

Severus’ lips stilled over her skin and he groaned against it.

“Now, that was a passion-killer”.

Fiddler chuckled unable to help herself, and kissed him apologetically. After a moment’s time of passionate kisses, Severus decided she’d earned his clemency, and he laid her on the crumpled sheets, positioning himself on top of her with urgent movements, to love her ardently and thoroughly, until the both of them exploded in ecstasy.

They lay, sagged but sated, arms and legs entangled, hands and lips still caressing each other in the comfortable silence that reigned between them. Severus was starting to doze off when he heard Fiddler’s voice.

“Come again?”, he mumbled.

“I said, what happened before what I saw?”, she repeated.

Severus sighed, wondering where to start.
Or whether he should start at all.

He held Fiddler to him, pillowing his chin on her head, breathing in the scent of her hair, and opened his mouth to speak.

“Would you rather to see it for yourself?” was what came out.

He raised her face to look at him.

“Only if you want to”.

He gave her a lopsided smile and made a small inviting gesture.

And Fiddler took it.


~*~*~*~*~*~*

They were gathered round a gloomy-looking bonfire. They were all wearing black cloaks and silver masks, all of them but one. Carnavon Ludlow stood amidst his minions, imponent in his Smokey-gray robe, his face uncovered, his eyes full of hatred and fixed on the flames. He was whispering a deafening elegy that could have been heartbreaking if it hadn’t been for his eyes.
They all praised Wynn’s sacrifice and cursed her death. One of the dark forms turned his eyes to fix them on one of his companions, and Fiddler recognized in him the lean form and wide shoulders of Severus Snape.
The ceremony continued for hours, none of them faltering in the least, and Fiddler could tell Severus was just waiting for the right time to make his move. But he also knew his presence hadn’t gone unnoticed. A wisp of platinum blonde hair had escaped from the hood of the man that still surveyed Severus intently, and Fiddler thought, sardonically: “Well, boo-hoo. Like a false Penny”.

And then, Carnavon did something of the worst tastrom rom Fiddler’s point of view: He produced glittering smoke from the tip of his wand and shaped it to resemble Wynn.

Oh, come on!

The ghostly Wynn glided among the Death Eaters like a Queen, and the worst part of it, in Fiddler’s opinion, was that they actually worshiped as if she was alive. But she only remained for a while. Then, things turned the Death Eater’s version of cheerfulness, and Malfoy was soon drawn from the contemplation of Severus by the insistent tug that a very pretty, young-looking Death Eater female gave at his arm. She dragged him around in a frantic dance that, Fiddler thought, oddly resembled a tonic-clonic seizure… or a very twisted Kamasutra position.
Severus seized his chance and Fiddler watched him glide towards the house stealthily, until he reached the library and begun browsing through the books systematically. Fiddler could tell he was growing impatient as he didn’t find what he was looking for, but still he didn’t lose control and kept on opening books, trying bookshelves and magically locked crystal cases to no success whatsoever. Fiddler watched him put his wand away with a sigh and then turn hastily as he heard Lucius Malfoy’s derisive voice:

“Lost something, my dear old friend?”

He seemed to revel in Severus’ ugly expression and held out a hand to shush him.

“No, no, do not bother on answering…”

Malfoy walked elegantly towards Severus and smacked him playfully on the cheek.

“So”, he drawled. “Did your bitch send you?”

Severus stiffened but didn’t answer.

“I thought so”, Malfoy said smugly. “You’ve fallen low this time, though. Honestly, Severus, after Wynn… A Muggle?”

He sounded utterly heartbroken and suddenly Fiddler wanted to laugh.

“But we won’t discuss such disgusting matters under this roof”, Malfoy went on. “What you are looking for is here no more. It has been placed on a secure location… With trustworthy elements guarding it”.

Which means you have it, you dunce, Fiddler decoded his smug statement.

“So it is under your custody now, is it not?”, Severus echoed her own thoughts.

“Well, I am glad to see cheap sex hasn’t dulled your sense”.

Severus didn’t react at the brutal way in which Malfoy spat those words, and Fiddler felt somewhat outraged.

Be sensible, Fiddler, the git’s taunting him, you don’t honestly expect him to challenge Malfoy over this on a duel.

But some part of her did. A very girlish, flashy part of her that was quickly smothered by her sensible side.

“Why did you leave the Remembrance?” Malfoy was still speaking. “Feeling guilty, perhaps?”

“You are loosing your touch, Malfoy”, Severus said in a tired voice, “is there anything I can do for you?”

“Yes, actually”, Malfoy said. He took another step forward and added, almost casually: “Expelliarmus”.

Severus’ wand flew from his pocket despite his efforts to catch itmid-mid-air. Malfoy caught it smoothly and snapped it in two pieces with deliberate slow movements and then turned to Severus again.

“Crucio”, he hissed, and Fiddler watched the man that had become the most important part of her life writhe in pain on the elegant parquet floor.

She didn’t realise her hands were curled into white-knuckled fists until she felt Severus gently plying her fingers open with his own, rubbing them softly and lacing them together.

“The rest of it, you’ve already seen it”, Severus mumbled.

Fiddler freed one of her hands from Severus’ hold and caressed his chest hesitantly.

“Are you OK?”

“I am”, Severus said dismissively. “It is not the first time I have been under it”.

“Oh, Severus”.

“Do not go soft on me, álainn”, he admonished, half serious and half playful. “I like you zesty”.

She laughed against his skin and he trembled in delight.

“I’m sorry. I just can’t help to think—”

He put a finger to her lips.

“Don’t. We already have Molly Weasley to play the fatalistic role in this house”.

Fiddler laughed again.

“So you couldn’t get the ingredients”.

Severus eyed her somewhat scornfully, his long time demeanor getting the best out of him.

“Obviously I did not”.

“Well then. I am only saying so because we could use Dung or the Twins…”

Severus shivered despite himself.

“Oh, I know you think they won’t succeed if you couldn’t, but trust me, they have hidden skills”.

“If you say so”.

Fiddler glanced at the clock guiltily and sighed.

“We should get out of bed”, she said.

Severus raised an eyebrow.

“I do not see a reason to do so”, he replied silkily. “If anything, I am an injured man and I should remain in bed, being taken care of by a qualified medical practitioner”.

“Is that so?” Fiddler asked mischievously. “Do you want your breakfast in bed and everything?”

“Fiddler”, he said, boring into her eyes. “I only want you in my bed”.

She blushed, as usual, and looked away. He cupped her face and made her meet his gaze.

“Why is it that you cannot accept compliments?”

“I— Don’t know. I just can’t. Can we drop it?”

“No, we cannot. I think we need to settle this once and for all”.

“I—”

“Shush. Let me speak. Fiddler, I do not usually say this, but I feel you need to sort things out. Whatever it is that happened to you to make you feel this particular way, I believe you need to see things objectively and realise the true worth in you”.

She snorted.

“Do not argue with me”, he admonished. “Honestly, Fiddler, do you not see? You’re one of a kind, a rare—”

“Yeah, my Mum used to say originality is closely related to ugliness”.

“Is that your problem?”

“Well, it has always been the condition sine qua non to be accepted in my family. If they reject me, what can I expect from the rest of the world…”

“They are not your family, Fiddler”.

“Genetically, no. But socially, they are, and I grew up with their rejection. I was brought up with the concept of beauty equaling love. Hence…”, she shrugged and raised her shoulders.

“All right. So you are not breathtakingly beautiful”, Severus said with the honesty that was his brand. “But, you are not a hag, either. I’ve met worst”.

“And better”.

He rolled his eyes impatiently.

“You won’t let it go, will you?”

“I am sorry…. I can’t blame you, really… But…”

“I did not mean to call out her name, Fiddler”.

“I know, Severus. I don’t hold you responsible… Not fully, at least… But I can’t help to feel bad about it. And to wonder what is it that you see in me”.

“I could ask you the same question”, he said.

“Nice way to avoid the answer”, she smiled, and he mirrored it.

They moved towards each other without thinking and they kissed softly.

“It is… hard to… answer”, he said, gasping for breath, after a while. “Not enough… words”.

She nodded silently and stretched to reach the CD player.

“Well, I hope this song will help you”, she murmured, leaning back against him. Severus circled his arm around her and listened to the soprano voice accompanied by flutes, guitars and violins.


Close your eyes
Feel the ocean where passion lies
Silently the senses
Abandon all defenses

The place between sleep and awake
End of innocence
Unending masquerade
That’s where I’ll wait for you

Hold me, near you
So closely, sear you
Seeing, believing
Dreaming, deceiving

Sleepwalker seducing me
I dared to enter your ecstasy
Lay yourself now down to sleep
In my dreams you’re mine to keep

Sleepwalker


When the song had finished, he looked at her, without words. Again, he realised, she always skipped flashiness and rosy words. It truly amazed him how she could manage to send out her feelings without making him feel awkward. She returned his gaze, unfaltering, and smiled.

“See? Sometimes it’s not that hard”.