The Love Of A Wizard

CHAPTER 25
Fire Side Chat

Claudia was enjoying a night alone. The guys had taken off to cause a bit of trouble in neighborhood bars and left Claudia to her solitude. She showered and dressed in comfortable clothes. She grabbed her neglected book and a glass of wine and settled into a chair by the fire.
It was getting late and she felt herself dozing off in the chair. She really missed this quiet time she had been denied for a long time now. She closed her eyes and relaxed.
An hour later, Claudia felt a hand caressing her face., softly stroking her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open and was greeted by Severus. He bent to kiss her and she welcomed him with a return kiss. He always smelled so good, she thought. She brushed side his stringy hair and held his face in her hands. He knelt on the floor in front of her.
“Hi stranger.” She whispered. “I’ve missed you.” Claudia never failed to notice how surprised he was when she spoke this way to him. Severus was accustomed to frankness, rudeness and even hostility. But give him tenderness, and he was still flustered. He kissed her once again. A long passionate kiss she knew was the prelude to a sleepless night. However, Severus pulled her hands to the floor and hugged her close. This was so out of form for him, she frowned.
They sat that way for a few minutes and Claudia could stand it no longer. She looked into his face and saw pain there. The kind that is hidden away and covered up daily. But one tender moment can open the gates and allow it to flow. She kissed his hand and allowed herself to be snuggled back into his arms.
“Claudia, we have to talk.” Uh oh. Claudia stiffened and turned to look at him.
“You haven’t been talking to Remus lately, have you?” She asked, almost joking. He frowned and looked down on her.
“No.”
“Oh, well…it’s just that…never mind. What is it?” She asked. Severus sat back with his back on the chair and his long legs stretched out in front of him. He conjured himself a glass of wine and sipped it. Claudia grabbed hers and he tapped the glass to magically fill it. They sat in more silence. Claudia had the feeling he was wrestling with something. Claudia broke the silence.
“How is Dumbledore doing?” She asked. Severus snorted and Claudia caught the smallest glimmer of anger.
“If you are referring to his injury, it is under control.” He said, in classic Snape fashion. “The time is coming, very quickly, that certain…unfortunate events will make it so that I may not be able to return to you for some time.” Claudia’s eyes narrowed.
“What do you mean by ‘unfortunate events’?”
“That, I can not tell you.” He said.
“Why not?”
“I made a promise.”
“Then break it.” She added sternly. Here Severus eyed her and gave an empty laugh.
“Oh, that I could. But you see, some promises can not be broken. Promises, sealed by magic.” Claudia raised her eyebrows and looked at him. “I must ask you Claudia, what would it take…for you to no longer love me?” He was looking into the fire and Claudia felt a wave of love for him at the sight of his face. He was fighting feelings and not doing a very god job of hiding them.
“For me to not love you anymore? I don’t know…nothing I suppose. I do love you, and have loved you for a long time. I don’t think you could do anything to change that.” Severus slowly nodded his head, but was still deep in his own thoughts.
“Tell me, when the war is over, were you looking to reclaim your life of quiet and solitude?” Claudia nodded her head. “And do you see us still…meeting like this, even then?” Claudia laughed herself a small, lifeless laugh.
“I would hope that, yes, we would be carrying on like this even then. Perhaps a bit more often. But I won’t be greedy.” Severus turned his eyes to face her.
“It would be fair of me then, to share with you a little of what is to come. First, let me say that if things were different, I would have already properly proposed to you as I should have. But given present times, formalities seem to clutter the reality of a situation. We are bonded, bonded by magic and I hope that is enough for you. Me however…I don’t know how I will end. A very delicate house of cards has been built. Slowly, events are causing the ones on the bottom to fall. Soon…very soon…I will fall with it.” He stopped speaking and sipped his wine. Claudia was breathless. She didn’t dare speak right now, for she knew Severus, and knew he was trying very hard to make her understand something.
“It would be wise for you to consider the possibility that things will happen to make you not love me anymore. To despise me and ultimately want me dead. For I know you, and your quick temper, and your love of action. I wouldn’t put it past you to be the one who did me in.” Here he chuckled and polished off his wine.
“You’re being dramatic Severus.” Claudia said.
“Am I?” He tapped his wine glass again and filled it. Claudia watched him as he swirled the red wine around in a cup.
“Then I shall make a promise to you then. No matter what happens, I swear I will not be the one to hunt you down and kill you. Happy now?” Claudia tried to lighten his mood, but he just sat and swirled his wine. “There really is something bad going to happen, isn’t there?” He nodded.
“I have something I wish to give you. A secret of my own I hope you will keep until the time is right.” He pulls from his pocket a small, wooden box. He handed it to her and she felt something inside of it roll around. “Do not open it. It means nothing to you at the present. Just keep it, preferably in the cottage, until…” Here he swallowed more wine.
“Until what?” Claudia did not like this at all.
“You will know when.” He said. He placed his empty wine glass on the floor and took hers from her hands and put it next to his. He pulled her to the floor and kissed her. All of her worry and fear melted as she was swept into her lover’s arms.
Minutes past and Severus was fumbling with buttons when they heard the unmistakable “WHOOSH!” of the fireplace coming to life. Claudia berated herself for not thinking ahead and quickly they scrambled to their feet. They were met with the twinkling blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore.
“Excuse me. I am so sorry to call on you at such a late hour. I was depositing young Harry Potter at the Weasley’s home and thought I might find you here Severus.” Claudia glanced at Severus and saw a flicker of anger in his eyes. Something was going on between them that couldn’t put her finger on.
“Well, you have found me.” He said curtly.
“Indeed. Perhaps my timing isn’t convenient. However, I have a matter I wish to discuss with you of the utmost importance.” Dumbledore acted as if he didn’t notice Severus’s obvious distemper.
“Of course.”
“Thank you Severus. Can we meet in my office in…ten minutes?” Severus nodded and Dumbledore turned to go. With a “WHOOSH!” he was gone.
Severus exhaled loudly and tuned to face Claudia.
“My apologies. Perhaps we can proceed later?” She smiled and reached out to kiss his face.
“I love you Severus Snape. Never forget or doubt that fact. I will always be here for you, even if you can’t be. And if you need me to be there for you, just send word. You know I will come.” He kissed her forehead and walked quickly into the fireplace. Then he was gone.
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A/N: Damn you Dumbledore! *shakes fist in air* That could have been some sweet lemons...Maybe I\'ll keep doing that until I get more reviews! *lol*