Bound in Leather

once more, we find ourselves back to see what the hell i've done to these poor people this time. i know you're all anxious to see what happens, so i'm trying not to keep you in suspense for too long. pardon the length of time it took me to post this, but real life has reared its ugly head and has given me a severe case of banana pudding brain. i've been slowly trying to get it back to some kind of solid mass. its been slow and painful, as my brain has decided it rather likes being the consistency of banana pudding.

just so you know, nothing that you recognize here is mine. i'm borrowing from the illustrious j.k. rowling so that i can do to her characters whatever i chose to do. (insert evil laughter here) the rest that doesn't come from her world is strictly from my dirty, evil mind. i'm not making any money from this, so don't even try to sue me. i'm a poor, struggling author with nary a penny to my name.

warning! danger, will robinson! danger! there is angry monkey sex ahead. please proceed at your own caution. and be sure that the batteries are fresh.

if you like what you read here, please feel free to leave a review. it isn't necessary, but us authors live on them as if they were air.

Chapter Twenty Six: The Aftermath
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Al lifted her skirts as she tried to hurry down the stairs. She didn't want to be in the same room with that arrogant shit anymore. He'd hurt her beyond all repair with his words and his mistrust and there was no way he could ever make it up to her. As soon as the year was over, she was going to ask the Headmaster if he would find her a way back to the States and back to where she belonged. If she was lucky, she'd be able to forget the entire, miserable event some time before she died. Maybe she'd get really lucky and find someone she could love.

Except she'd already done that. She'd given Severus her heart and she never wanted it back. If it wasn't so sad, she'd have laughed herself silly.

She'd barely made it to the second landing when she felt his hand curl around her arm once more. He jerked her to a stop then swung her around to face him. Severus' eyes were blazing with anger and something more. Something primal and instinctive. For a moment, she was afraid he might hit her. But then he grabbed her other arm and dragged her body up against his. 'You are mine, Alasdair. You have been since the moment I first laid eyes on you. And you always will be,' he told her, his voice low and full of some emotion she couldn't name. 'No matter who comes after me or how many, you will always be mine.'

'Fuck off,' she replied evenly, not willing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her scared or simpering.

'If you insist,' he drawled and Al suddenly found herself pressed up against one of the support posts again, his body once more pinning her there. Al tried shoving him back, but he didn't budge. Instead, his hands lifted to dive into her hair, scattering the flowers to the ground as he worked most of it loose. The braids unraveled as he touched them so that her hair fell down around her face. Then his hands were in the silken tresses once again, this time curled around large clumps of it tightly. He pulled her head back, then leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

Al's hands clawed at his back in an attempt to draw him off of her. She caught the braid and pulled on it, but his head never lifted from hers. Instead, he became more punishing and bruising. His mouth ground against her own. He leaned closer to her, driving his erection into the softness of her belly. Some sound came out of her mouth, some kind of whimper, and he pressed his advantage. His tongue stabbed deeply between her lips, claiming the moist cavern as his own.

She felt his hands leave her head and slide down her shoulders, over her back and to the curve of her ass. He grabbed both cheeks, one in each hand, and jerked her lower half up against him. She couldn't stop the moan that came rolling up her throat, that slid easily into his mouth. He swallowed it down, his tongue still leaving his mark upon the interior of her mouth. The searching muscle was scorching her, setting her body on fire despite the overwhelming hurt she felt. She was disgusted by his blatant disregard for her feelings. And, at the same time, she was turned on by his anger.

Her breasts ached for his touch, her nipples tight and firm with want of his hands and lips upon them. Her pussy was wet, weeping for him and with the need that swept over her like wildfire. She could feel him through all the layers of clothes, his erection long and firm as it pressed against her abdomen. She could feel it throbbing with his own need, beating in time to the blood pounding through her veins. She didn't want to want him. She didn't want to need him. But the truth was that she did. Even like this, when he was so angered and impassioned, she wanted him. She wanted to feel him shove himself inside of her and feed that part of her that responded only to him.

Despite herself, Al was whimpering into his mouth. She knew the sounds served only to push him on, to drive him further into the well of pent up need so that he wouldn't stop. Even if she wanted him to. Even given all that had happened, she still wanted him with a blinding passion that frightened her. Her hands stopped tugging at the braid and instead clutched at his shoulders. It felt so good, so right, to once more be in his embrace and she didn't care that he was mad at her. She didn't care that he didn't love her. She only cared that, for the moment, he was touching her in a way no one else would ever be able to again. He was more right than she'd ever admit. She was his and his alone.

Severus lifted his head and stared down at her, his eyes so dark she couldn't see anything in them other than the flames of desire that licked at his soul. Though she didn't want to, she reached for his waist, seeking out the buttons that held his trousers closed. A knowing smirk tilted his lips up. His hands grabbed fistfuls of her skirts and slowly began pulling them up, gathering them between her body and his arms. He was surprised and rather pleased to find that she had worn a pair of silver hose held up by the suspender belt he'd given her. His smirk grew and she muttered a curse when the buttons wouldn't cooperate.

Wordlessly, wandlessly, he cast a charm that saw her panties gone, leaving her very center exposed to him. He also charmed the bulk of her skirts up and out of the way so he wouldn't have to hold them any longer. He wanted his hands free for what was to come. He stared down the length of her body, watching the way she quivered. She was so angry and yet so very much in need. Her hands still fumbled with the buttons on his trousers. He pressed closer to her once more, trapping her hands between them. His mouth took hers again in a ruthless kiss, his lips grinding into hers as he shoved himself against her. His hands took the opportunity to curve around her buttocks, slipping up under the bunched material of her skirt to cup the bared globes. She moaned at the feel of them, her mouth opening so that he could once more drive his tongue into it.

She shuddered at the feel of his tongue as it slithered over her own, prodding into the moistness of her mouth. Unconsciously, she pressed herself even closer to him. Her hips rubbed against his insistently. She was so hot for him. He could smell her arousal as it filled the air around them, feminine musk and desire combined to drive him to the very edge of insanity. He wanted to rip his trousers away and sheath himself in the very center of her being. But she'd made him wait so long. She'd hurt him in such a basic way that he planned on ravaging her until she begged him hoarsely to take her.

His mouth continued to plunder hers, his hands still curled around the curves of her bottom. Her skin felt silky smooth and tender against his roughened hands. He dragged his palms across her arse, making circles as he kneaded her flesh. Each circle saw his fingers moving ever closer to the delicate line that divided the two globes. Finally, after what felt like long, agonizing minutes, his fingers were buried in the crack, the tips of two digits pressed tightly to the puckered rim of muscles concealed there. She groaned, need eating at her from the inside out. Her body shifted, her hips rocking backward in a silent plea for his fingers to do what it was they promised.

Slowly, a single finger pushed through the ring and into her dry hole. Something like a squeal vibrated up her throat. He took the sound into him, swallowing it down as his tongue thrust in and out. His finger began mimicking the motion and soon, her hips rocked in time to his questing digit. Each time she moved away from his hand, it pressed his hard shaft further into her belly. Her hands twitched between them, the need to grab him so strong that they moved of their own accord. She heard the chuckle rumble up his throat, felt it along her front. And then her mind shattered when he drove a second finger into her bottom to join with the first.

Panting and mewling sounds rolled up her throat. Severus could feel the faint quivering of her muscles as she moved into and against him. She was driving him insane with the feel of her body moving so sinuously, so wantonly, against his own. If he wasn't careful, she'd push him over the edge before he was through torturing her with his touch. His mouth broke from hers, leaving her gasping for breath, and moved down over her cheek. Teeth, tongue and lips made a path along her skin, to the edge of her jaw. Wordlessly, her head tilted to the side to give him complete access to her throat. He took advantage in the most Slytherin way possible.

His mouth opened and settled over the spot where her blood pounded in her neck. Slowly, he sucked at the skin there, drawing more and more of it into his mouth despite it being stretched with the way her head was angled. When he had an adequate mouthful, he bit down sharply. Al's cry, loud and filled with both pleasure and pain, was music to his ears. He began sucking on the flesh he held harder. Before their interlude was over, she would bear his mark upon her delicate throat.

Not that the mark would last. He could be a complete and utter bastard. He could charm the mark to remain for a time. But that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted her to go home and look in the mirror and see his claim over her. In fifty years, when she was alone and sad, he wanted her to still be able to see where his mark had been. He wanted her to recall every last moment of their time together today with vivid clarity. He wanted her to dream of him and wake up crying out his name, her body bursting with orgasm and her hands buried between her own thighs. He was going to ensure that she never, ever, forgot him.

The moments ticked by and his mouth continued to work at her skin. The cry had become small sounds that he was unable to distinguish between pleasure and pain. The muscles in her bottom had stretched to accomodate both fingers and were now clutched tightly around them. He gave brief consideration to exchanging his fingers for his erection, but he didn't want her to associate her last moments with him with a force and displeasure. That wasn't his goal. He had other things in mind.

His head lifted and he stared down at her. Her head was still tilted to the side, her eyes shut and a look of near complete rapture on her face. Already, he could see the bruise forming where his teeth and mouth had worried her throat. She'd have a large mark there, one she wouldn't be able to hide unless she wore something with a ridiculously high Victorian collar. Her eyes fluttered, as if she realized that he was no longer assaulting her. So he lowered his head and began trailing light nips and kisses over her collar bone and down toward a breast. Her breath hitched in her throat, her body stilling in the hope that he would continue on.

The silk of her bodice did nothing to hide her arousal from him. Her nipple, tight and pebbled up with building desire, pushed the material up and slightly away from her breast. His mouth captured the peak and bit down sharply. She made a strangled sound, her back arching toward him. The thin material was no protection against his teeth. He worried at the tip, alternating between sucking and biting at her. Somehow, her hands had managed to shift and were now fisted around the lapels of his coat. She was pressed against him mindlessly, her hands clutching at him to keep her on her feet despite his body doing it already.

Severus moved his mouth to the neglected breast, treating it to the same abuse as its match had just had. At the same time, one of his hands worked free of the tightness of her ass and then slipped between the two of them. She jerked as he slid one finger up into her body, slowly thrusting it in and out. His other hand continued to do the same to her backside. Her body shifted mindlessly against his own, the tension building within her as he pushed her closer to orgasm.

The tension in her became like a frozen river, thick and clogged but easily unstoppered. He could sense she was on the edge of exploding. The sounds coming from her throat were so distinguishable and so heady. He was drunk on the desire they evoked. It was enough to make him want to shove himself deeply inside of her and take her with force. He felt the first real tightening of her inner walls and knew that it signalled the impending release. He withdrew his hands from her body, bringing forth a loud cry of some strangled emotion. He couldn't exactly call it frustration. It was something stronger. She glared at him, a font of foul words spewing forth as she brought into question his parentage, his ability to please her and several other things that made him chuckle under his breath.

He made a point of drawing his wand, the tip pointed directly at her. Her eyes went wide and he read a small amount of fear in them. His smile was something less than congenial and he waved the wooden piece at her, his lips working silently. She felt invisible bonds slide around her arms, drawing her hands up above her head and securing them there. She also felt them wrap around her body, just below her breasts. These drew her in tightly to the post behind her, allowing her no room to move. 'Rotten bastard,' she snarled at him, testing herself against the invisible ropes.

'I know I am,' he returned, then slipped his wand back into his robes. She watched him, still wide eyed, as he reached for the buttons on his trousers. Her eyes followed each single movement, growing wider and more eager as the buttons gave way one at a time. By the time he made it to the last one, she was licking her lips as if she were some kind of sex-starved nymphomaniac.

Severus didn't bother to shove his trousers down. He simply pushed them low enough on his hips so that he could draw the pulsing length of his hungry erection out. Alasdair's eyes were locked onto the reddened shaft and some kind of piteous moan bubbled up out of her throat. His smirk broadening, Severus stroked himself for her viewing. Her body shook against the spell that held her in place. He advanced upon her, his hand still holding himself up so she could see him. 'Please,' she panted.

In a moment, he'd closed the distance between them. He was pressed up against her intimately. His hands moved to her legs, sliding slowly down her thighs to her knees. She made some sound of approval, then yelped softly when she felt his hands jerk them upwards until he could slide his arms under her bent knees. She found her legs pressed back against her chest, bent over his arms and hanging in mid-air. The length of his cock was laying against her swollen folds, teasing her with its hardness. She moaned, her hips shifting slightly against his own.

'Hungry little bitch, are you not?' his voice was low and rich, teasing her already strung out senses with sensual sound and pleasure. There was a certain amount of derision in his voice, but she said nothing. She merely moved along him more fervently. Finally, he pinned her to the post so that she couldn't move. 'No, no, my dear. I do not think so. This is my show and I shall control it,' he told her.

She mewled then, trying in vain to push him away so she could move against him. He knew the friction felt good to her, that she wanted nothing more than to use the rigid length of his shaft to bring herself to her own release. But he wasn't going to allow her to do that. He wanted her to see that he controlled her. That he owned her and would never stop owning. No matter what happened after their interlude was completed.

Slowly, he inched back from her, his arms still propping her legs up. When he was far enough back that air flowed between them, he looked down. She was open to him, her flesh swollen and deep red with her need. Little drops of her juices dripped from the open folds, catching faint beams of light and sparkling like precious jewels for a moment or two before pattering to the floor. The sight of her legs, so shapely and long, still encased in the silk of her hose was so enticing. His cock surged with need. He could feel her eyes on him, watching his every move. One hand curled around himself and he stepped closer to her once more. A sigh escaped her when she felt the head of his erection prodding her opening. Then he was pushing forward and plunging into her welcoming body.

Alasdair's cry filled the empty stairwell. Severus smiled at the feeling of her tight, moist core wrapped so willingly around him. He planted his hands on the wood behind her and spread his legs, then began to thrust up into her. His strokes were slow and deep at first, driving her mad with the feel of him filling her up and stroking her insides in such a leisurely way. She tried shifting her body, tried forcing him to take her with harder thrusts, but he refused to do so and she found she couldn't move much at all. She whimpered in frustration and stared at him with silent pleading in her eyes.

It was heaven to be buried within her body once more, her pliant flesh clinging almost too well to his own. She was moving against him as best she could, her breath coming in loud gasps. It had been so long and all he wanted to do was simply fuck her. His body screamed for him to pound himself into her and take her roughly. For a moment or two, he kept the need at bay. Then he gave up trying to hold back and began to furiously piston in and out of her body.

He watched as she threw her head back, the line of her throat stretched. If he'd been in any other position, he'd have leaned in and taken advantage. As it was, his body was screaming for release. He'd been without a woman for far too long. Already, his cock was filling and lengthening, preparing for his orgasm. He wished that he could hold out longer, that he could take more time to fully enjoy the woman who'd come to mean so much to him. But she'd lied to him and left him. She was no better than those women who followed his band from one town to another in hopes of being able to add his name to their bedposts.

Those last thoughts spurred him on and his hips flashed all the faster. He still managed to go deep despite his speed and was rewarded for his efforts by the sound of Alasdair's breath rasping in her throat. He watched her through half-closed eyes, noting that her face was flushed and her chest heaved as she gasped for breath. His balls were tightening, spurring him to move even faster. It seemed only a moment and an eternity had passed when he could finally hold back no longer. The tension within his body exploded and he felt his seed pulsing up into her in thick ropes.

After several long moments of his body spending itself, he finally felt the unbearable tension he'd felt slip away. Unconsciously, Severus leaned forward, resting himself against Alasdair's body. He was completely spent. Spent in the most satisfying way. It had been a very long time since he'd felt such utter completion after a sexual act. Her body was soft and yielding next to and around his. His shaft, though softening, was still nestled snugly within her body. He had always loved the feel of her flesh closing so easily and hungrily around his. Even in the moments after the act. He couldn't say when it had happened, but he'd eventually started to think of Alasdair and her sweet body a his. As home. His eyes closed, he rested his head against hers and tried to remember the steps one took to breathe.

Alasdair's soft sigh of yearning and fulfillment was what brought him screaming back to where he was. And why. Almost as if he'd been touched with fire, Severus jerked back from her to stare down into her eyes. They were dark blue with spent passion, but he could see the hurt and confusion in them. He could see something else there, too. Something deeper and far more dangerous. Something he wouldn't be able to walk away from if he thought about it too long. Malfoy's words echoed in his head once more, reminding him that she'd left him. That she'd hurt him. That she'd betrayed him.

His black gaze, just moments before soft and full of things he'd never be able to say, went flat and hard as he continued to look down into her face. For a moment, she simply stared up at him, a small flicker of hope burning in her own eyes. Then she saw his face and the flames died. With cold, precise, methodical movements, he tucked himself back into his trousers and righted his clothes. Almost carelessly, he drew his wand and flicked it at her. The invisible bonds simply went away and Alasdair was suddenly on the floor in a heap. She lifted her head, her hair in complete disarray about her face, and stared up at him.

'I do hope you will remember this encounter each and every time you crawl into another man's bed and whore yourself for him. I want you to remember the touch of my hands and the feel of my heated skin upon your own. I want you to recall, in vivid detail, how it felt to have my cock pound in and out of your clinging little cunt. I want you to know that I own you, each and every time you allow some other lesser man to fuck you,' he told her in an emotionless voice. He stood over her, arms crossed over his chest and his face impassive. 'I want you to know that you will never escape the memory of me, no matter how many times you engage in sexual relations to do so. I want you to know, you heartless bitch, that you are ruined for all other men. That no one will ever be able to make you feel as I did. That you are nothing without me.'

They stared at one another a moment while he allowed his words to sink in. Then he pressed on, making sure she understood just where they stood. 'I want you to know, Alasdair, that you are nothing to me. I want you to remember that, too. And I want you to hear, in your head each time you fuck someone, my voice calling you a sweet little whore.'

Alasdair staggered to her feet, her face pale and wet with tears. She stared for a moment, then drew back and hit him. Her palm connected sharply with his cheek. Her chest heaved when she was finished, her hands clutched at her sides in tight fists. 'You ass! How dare you? I hate you. I never, ever, want to see you again, you miserable son-of-a-bitch!' She turned then and took to the stairs, hurrying down them so fast that he could hear her feet as they slapped the wooden steps. He heard it each and every time she staggered and fell. And he felt every single one of her sobs as they floated back to him and stabbed him in the heart like a thousand tiny knives.

~*~*~*~*~

'Darling,' Remus tugged gently at Aletha's sleeve to draw her attention to him. She smiled at Professor Trelawney and greatfully made her excuses. Then she turned and allowed Remus to draw her away from the few people who were milling. She noted the frown on his face and laid her hand on his arm.

'What is it?' she asked. He remained silent and merely drew her further from people so no one would overhear them. When they were a good twenty feet from the small crowd that had been near Aletha and Sybill, he stopped and made an abrupt motion with is hand toward the castle.

'I just saw Alasdair running toward the school. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say she and Severus had a run in. He's in a foul mood and he'd have likely taken it out on her. She might need a shoulder just now,' he told her softly, his frown deepening. It wasn't the way he wanted to start out his married life, but he knew that his loving wife would never forgive him if they left without her being able to comfort her daughter one last time.

'Of course. As soon as I give that horrible man a piece of my mind,' she retorted and immediately craned her neck to look for the man in question.

'No, love. Allow me to have a few words with him. You go see to Alasdair. She needs you more,' Remus smiled at her anger. 'Besides, if it gets nasty, I wouldn't want to have to hurt him because he did something unforgivable to you. Now go. See to Al. I'll deal with Severus.'

'Alright. Just make sure you let him know that I'll cut his balls off if he's hurt my baby girl,' Aletha snapped, then went up on tip toes to press a kiss to her husband's lip. Remus chuckled and watched her hurry off after her daughter. When he was sure she was inside the castle, he turned and moved off toward the Quidditch Pitch in an unhurried manner. He was quite certain that Severus would still be there when he got there.

~*~*~*~*~

Al was huddled in a stiff, wing-backed chair, her face turned into the corner as she cried. Aletha stood over her a few moments, watching her child pour out her deep sorrow with hiccuping, heart wrenching sobs. Her hair was in a shambles around her face and shoulders and there were wet spots on her gown that hadn't come from crying. Aletha suddenly understood what was going on and she knelt down in front of her daughter, laying her hands on the girl's legs in a loving touch. 'What happened, honey?' she asked softly.

'I don't want to talk about it,' Al sniffed, her words muffled by the chair.

'Sweetheart, you can't let him do this to you. You have to....' Aletha began. Al lifted her head and pinned her mother with a stare that the older woman had never before seen on her daughter's face.

'I said I don't want to talk about it!' she snapped. Aletha started at the heated anger in her only child's voice. Al stared down at her mother for a moment, then her tears dried and a frown took control of her face. 'How could you? How could you do it?'

'Do what?' Aletha was confused by the sudden change in Alasdair's behavior.

'How could you marry him?'

'I beg your pardon?' Aletha stood to stare down at Al. The younger woman climbed from the chair and stood before her only parent, her hands on her hips in a defiant pose. Her eyes blazed with fury and fear. Aletha didn't understand what had happened to bring on such an attack.

'How could you marry him?' Alasdair demanded, her tone louder and her face drawing in tightly with her pent up anger.

'What on earth are you talking about, Dare? What's gotten into you?' Aletha frowned at her daughter.

'Aren't you afraid? What if he hurts you? What if... what if he kills you?' she asked, her voice filled with so many emotions that her mother thought Al would explode. She blinked at her child as she let the questions rattle around in her brain. Finally, she thought she understood and reached out to lay a hand on Alasdair's shoulder. The girl jerked away from her and stared at her mother as if she didn't really know her.

'Remus would never hurt me, love. Don't you know that? He's nothing like Kevin was,' Aletha said with a smile meant to reassure.

'He's a fucking werewolf!' Al snarled, then turned to pace. Aletha stared after her in confusion. How had she found that out? She and Remus had discussed it and both had agreed that it wasn't anything Alasdair needed to worry about at present. They felt that she wouldd better receive and handle the news when she'd gotten her life back on track. With or without Severus. 'How can you?....'

'He's my choice, Alasdair. I won't have you second guessing me. And I won't have you questioning me. You're still my daughter,' the older woman's tone became cool. She crossed her arms before her and pinned her child with a stern look. 'I know who and what Remus is. I love him anyway. I know you're hurt, but that doesn't give you the right to take it out on me. You'll respect my choice, girl. I don't expect you to understand. But I'll be damned if I'll let you use your sadness as a way to make me feel bad.'

'This has nothing to do with me. Nothing to do with that pompous asshole. This has everything to do with you making a decision that could cost you your life. I couldn't stop Kevin and I swore...' Al paced back and forth, her hands clenched so tightly that Aletha could see her knuckles turning whiter by the second. 'I swore I wouldn't let anyone hurt you like he did ever again.'

'Remus won't, honey. I know he won't,' Aletha interjected.

'And how can you be so sure? How do you know he won't turn on you and rip your throat out or...' Al interrupted. She stared at her mother, some kind of wild desperation lighting her eyes feverishly.

'Because I know! I know,' Aletha said over her. Alasdair stopped and stared at her mother. 'Honey, you're going to have to trust someone sometime. Just because Severus...'

'Don't go there,' Al shook her head, the tears already threatening to fall again. This wasn't about him and she wasn't going to talk about him. It would only make the hurt that much stronger. That much worse. She didn't want to spend the rest of the day bawling like a baby. She didn't want to hurt any more than she already did. 'Don't. I don't want to talk about him. I gave him everything I could and he threw it back in my face.'

'Honey, it isn't the end of the world because he doesn't love you,' Aletha said gently.

'Yes, it is! Don't you get it, Mom? I love him! I love him with the kind of love that you hope you'll find at least once in your life,' Al practically shouted the words out. She stopped moving and clutched her hands together before her so that they wouldn't shake. She didn't want to be a wimp in front of her mother, a woman who'd endured and survived so much. Al didn't think she was strong enough to let him go. 'I'm never going to love anyone like that again. And he doesn't feel the same. He hates me. He thinks I'm nothing more than a whore.'

'Oh, honey. You'll get over him...' Aletha began, but Al interrupted her.

'No, I won't,' Al shook her head. Her face went slack and then she sobbed again. 'I lost his baby and now I've lost him. I don't have anything.'

'Alasdair, that isn't true. You have...' Aletha felt her heart ache for her daughter. Alasdair was in so much pain. She needed someone to hold her and tell her it would be okay, even though they both knew it wouldn't. She moved to pull Alasdair into her arms. Al moved away from her and shook her head. 'Sweetie, please don't.'

'Just go, mom. Go and be with your husband. Please. Just leave me alone,' Al whispered, turning her back on her mother. A few moments passed in which Aletha stared at her daughter's back, her heart aching for her only child. She wanted to go to her and pull her into a hug. She wanted to make the pain go away. But Alasdair's back was ramrod straight, completely uninviting. Aletha stood there, wavering between doing what she wanted to and what her daughter wanted her to. 'Please, mom. Just go,' Al whispered.

Reluctantly, Aletha moved for the door, her eyes still on her child's back. Alasdair never moved and she didn't speak again. For several long moments, she stood and stared at the rigid set of her daughter's back. Alasdair was holding on to her battered emotions by sheer determination, but it wouldn't last for much longer. And Aletha knew that Al didn't want anyone to witness her break down. With a sigh, Aletha slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her. The thick stone walls and wooden door left her in silence and she had to wonder, as she made her way back toward the Entrance Hall, if things would ever be the same again.

~*~*~*~*~

'You're a rotten bastard, Snape. You know that, don't you?' Remus asked as he emerged onto the top of the observation platform. He could recall times spent up here as a student and as a teacher, watching Quidditch games with his friends. Those had been happier times, even though he'd been utterly alone. Harry had befriended him while he'd taught and he'd had James, Sirius and Peter to accompany him when he was learning. But those days were so long gone and nothing could bring them back. He hated to come up here and find himself assaulted with images of what could never again be. It made him feel old. It made him feel useless. It made him resent the solitude that had befallen the stands.

Any other time, the towers would be crowded past capacity with screaming fans while students tossed the Quaffle about and blocked it. While they hit the Bludger back and forth in an attempt to stop the others from scoring. While two gifted flyers searched the heavens for a small, golden orb that moved faster than a single thought. Today, the tower was lonely, save for the singular person sitting in the first row. Severus didn't turn to acknowledge either his words or his presence. Slowly, Remus made his way to the bench the git sat on and took a spot next to him.

'Whatever it is you think you know, you know no such thing,' he snarled at Remus a moment later. Some emotion colored his words and made them come out harsher than he'd intended. Not that he cared. Severus always had been and always would be a rotten bastard, just as Lupin had said. Nothing about that had changed during his time as a Rock God.

'I saw Alasdair, you ass. You hurt her badly. What did you do to her?' Lupin's tone was less than friendly. As if Severus gave a shit one way or the other what the bloody werewolf sounded like. Severus certainly didn't need him.

'I did to her what I do to all of the other groupies in my life. I fucked her and sent her on her way. The little whore really did not even deserve that much of my time,' he told the man next to him, his tone and manner haughty. 'But I found I could not help myself. Old time's sake. Sentimental bullshit. Complete lapse of sanity. Call it what ever you will.'

'You did what?' Remus turned to look at him.

'I fucked her like the whore she is. Then I cast her aside,' Severus replied slowly so that Remus was sure to understand what he was saying. The other man stared at him in total silence for several long moments, his eyes wide as he thought about what he'd been told. Then he exploded.

'You treated her like one of your groupies? Why the hell would you do something like that?' Lupin asked, his tone full of disbelief. His voice was actually loud and anything but his usual reasonable self.

'Because she is one of my groupies.'

'Are you out of your ex-Death Eater mind? Alasdair is no more a groupie than I am,' Remus reached out and smacked Severus upside the head. Hard. Severus glared at him with a deep scowl. 'That girl loves you, you know.'

'She loves me. And that is why she packed up every item she owns and left me. Without a word to me. Without a 'by your leave'. Without a single, solitary good reason. She simply packed up and left. If that is her idea of love, then I want nothing to do with it. Or her,' Severus snarled heatedly.

'You bloody ignorant fool,' Remus shook his head, chuckling soflty under his breath. Severus turned a very nasty stare Lupin's way and dared him to continue. 'Don't you understand what the hell is going on here?'

'Apparently I do not. What is going on here?' Severus asked, though his tone indicated that he didn't care in the slightest. Remus stood and began pacing, staring out at the expansive school grounds as he did so. After several long moments of silence and the annoying sound of Remus' robes swishing with each and every turn, Severus growled at the other man. 'Desist that infernal clattering back and forth. Either tell me what the hell is going on here or bugger off and leave me in peace!'

'Alasdair left because of Malfoy,' Remus turned and snarled the words at Snape. Severus looked up at him, mildy shocked with the vehemence in Lupin's tone. But there was an inquisitive light in his eyes that prodded Remus to finish what he'd been saying. 'Lucius Malfoy paid her a visit. And that slippery bastard told her all about how you didn't care about her. He told her that you wouldn't have ever cared for the child you'd created and that you were glad it was gone. In short, he...'

'He was every inch a bastard to her,' Severus interjected softly, his voice full of venom.

'And you, stupid sod that you are, only bullocksed it up even further. She thinks you hate her. She was upset and confused. If I hadn't have come along, she'd have wandered off into the forest surrounding your house,' Remus told him, still recalling with alarming clarity just how frightened he'd been that he wouldn't have found her in time. There were some nasty curses laid down upon the area surrounding Severus' home. Alasdair wouldn't have stood a chance.

'I am going to have his lily white testicles in a jar, pickled and awaiting use in some obscure potion,' Severus drawled angrily. 'Perhaps one that softens the skin on an elephant's backside. Or takes boils off the arse.'

'As much as I love to see you passionate about your work, Severus,' Remus chuckled and moved to sit next to the other man once more. 'I'd rather see you passionate about Alasdair. She truly does love you.'

'She did,' Severus corrected him and frowned, looking out across the pitch. When Remus remained silent, he sighed and went on. 'She has told me she does not wish to see me again. She told me that she hates me. I was rather crass with her.'

'How crass?' Remus sighed, wondering if he could explain to his wife just how rotten Azkaban was before he was taken away for murder.

'I told her that she meant nothing to me. And I told her I believed her to be a whore.'

'You stupid arse!' Remus spit at him, his hands itching to curl about Snape's neck and strangle him for his inability to be anything less than a git. To avoid the overwhelming temptation, he stepped away and looked out over the pitch at the castle. Maybe Aletha would have better luck with Alasdair than Remus was having with Severus. 'That was the worst thing you could have done. She's been confused about whether or not you cared about her since she lost the baby. You have succeeded in convincing her that you were only using her for sex and that emotions never played into your relationship with her at all!'

'And you think I am not fully aware of this? There is no need to rub my mistake in my face. I am the one who must live with the consequences of my actions. Not you!' Severus snapped angrily. Remus turned to look at him. There was a calculating gleam in the other man's eyes that the snarky bastard found he didn't care for. It meant that Remus was up to something. He'd seen that look before, on the faces of James Potter and Sirius Black. It could bode no good for him.

'Then you have to go to her and tell her you made a mistake. Tell her you're a pompous ass and beg her to take you back. Tell her you were under a spell and didn't know what you were talking about. Tell her you're sorry, for Merlin's sake. Just go to her. Don't let her get away from you, Severus. You'll regret it every day of your life if you do. Trust me.'

'What do you know of how I feel?' Severus turned to him, his eyes flashing with anger.

'I was afraid to ask Aletha to marry me. I was afraid she'd run screaming when she found out who and what I am. I didn't want to lose her, so I found the courage to do what it was I had to do,' Remus told him, moving to once more sit next to him. There was an earnest look in Lupin's eyes. 'I know you've spent far too long hiding inside of yourself. There's been so much anger and hate and Merlin only knows what else bottled up inside. But you've found a reason to let some of that go. Alasdair is good for you. She's right for you. And if you don't go to her and tell her you're sorry and exactly how you feel.... You'll always hate yourself and regret not doing anything. Regardless of what she said to you, she loves you. She wouldn't have told you she hated you if she didn't.'

'That is a moot point, Remus,' Severus stood and moved for the exit.

'Don't be so god damn stubborn, Severus. Go to her!' Remus called after him.

Severus stopped in the doorway leading out to the stairs. There was the most sorrowful look on his face that Remus had ever seen there. Slowly, he shook his head. 'I do not know where to find her,' he replied, his tone one that told Remus the man wouldn't do anything of the sort until he was good and ready to do so. Severus disappeared in a swirl of black cloth, leaving the other man to sit upon the bench and ponder how someone so disgustingly brilliant could be so flaming stupid.

~*~*~*~*~

From their spot at one of the tables set up under a tent, Albus and Minerva watched Remus and Aletha meet by the entrance to the gardens. Both looked solemn and sad. They spoke to one another softly and each time Remus said anything, his hands moved about in wild gestures. It was something that spoke of agitation. Albus felt he had a pretty good idea of what was so aggrivating to the newly married man. He turned to look at Minerva when her hand touched his thigh under the table. 'This doesn't look good, Albus. Something is seriously wrong.'

'It would appear to be,' the Headmaster agreed with a sad shake of his head. Children today. They had no clue. Expecially when it came to pig-headed Potions Masters and their feelings.

'What are we going to do? We can't let the two of them give up. I saw how they looked at one another. They love each other. The boy is just too damned stubborn and proud to admit it,' she said with a faint growl in her words. Albus knew that Minerva had always had a soft spot for Severus, despite the man's tendency to be stand-offish and downright cruel.

Albus continued to watch Remus and Aletha for a while, noting the way his former student and staff member's long hair moved each and every time he shifted his head. A twinkle came to the older man's eyes as he thought of the many listening deviced he had locked up in his drawers. His desk was overflowing with what the Muggles called cd players and compact discs. In point of fact, nearly all of them were the recordings of the band Severus fronted. From what information he'd gleamed from his staff and from the portraits scattered about the school, many of the students spoke of Severus' band quite a bit. It seemed that he was as popular with the magical world as he was with the Muggle world.

'Albus, what's going through that gray head of yours?' Minerva asked, spying the twinkling that had become almost maniacal in the last few moments.

'No need to worry, Minerva,' he informed her with a smile. 'I have a plan. And a damned good one, if I do say so myself.'

She stared at him, curiosity bright in her eyes. Albus leaned into her and began whispering in her ear. She eventually pulled back and stared at him. Then she smiled. 'You really are quite the devil when you want to be. You know that, don't you?' she asked him. Her only reply was a hearty chuckle before Albus lifted his pumpkin juice to take a sip.

~*~*~*~*~

The knock on the door was short and abrupt. Albus smirked a moment, then drove the expression from his face. He'd summoned Dobby and asked the little Elf to find Severus and deliver a message to him. The knock let him know that Dobby had succeeded. He'd also most likely ended up terrorized and would require a nice tea cozy or hat to make up for it. Shuffling a few papers to look busy, Albus called out for his guest to enter. The door opened and Severus strode in, his face all darkness and scowls. 'Ah. Severus, my boy. Thank you for coming. Please,' Albus motioned to the chairs before his desk. 'Have a seat and I shall get straight to the point.'

'I would appreciate it if you would, Albus. I have a concert to give tonight and I need to be on my way soon,' Severus replied evenly, though there was a thread of emotion straining the normally relaxed tones of the younger man's voice.

'It has come to my attention that many of the students here are big fans of your band. I had thought to offer them a special ending to the term this year and wondered if you would be willing to play a concert for the school,' Albus asked in a tone that was as genuine as he could manage. Severus cocked a single, raven colored brow at him. It let Albus know that he was listening. 'Seeing as you are planning on coming back to work for me at the start of the next term, I thought this would be an excellent way to say goodbye to your musical career. I'm sure the students would love to have you play for them.'

'You wish us to play here? Why?' Severus asked, his tone skeptical.

'Need I have a reason other than I want you to?' Albus asked innocently, his face showing a mildly hurt expression at being so mistrusted.

'You are a conniving old goat and I would put nothing past you,' Severus returned.

'Honestly, my boy. I'm only asking for a favor. It isn't as if I have things planned. I merely thought you wouldn't mind one last concert before bidding your exciting life behind.'

Severus stared at him a moment. The old man was up to something. But, for the life of him, Severus couldn't figure out what. After many tense moments of thinking and coming up with nothing, he finally sighed and nodded wearily. 'Very well. An end of the term concert. Allow me to go back and discuss it with my band. I shall contact you later and let you know details.'

'Thank you, my boy. That's more than fair,' Albus gave him a smile and reached out a hand to him. Severus took it and shook it reluctantly. 'Now. You'd best be on your way. There's so much to do, I'm sure.'

'There always is, sir,' Severus nodded and stood. He moved for the door and turned back to look at Dumbledore. The old man was already nose deep in a pile of parchments, letting Severus know he was already forgotten. Sighing, he slipped out the door and made his way down the stairs. Yes, there was so much to do.

And, at the top of this list, was a visit to Lucius Malfoy. That man was going to learn once and for all not to cross Severus. If it was the last thing he ever did.

end chapter twenty six.
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first and foremost, i must thank my regular crew for all their love and support. they mean the world to me and they help me keep going when i don't want to type another word. their faith in me is surpassed only by their love for me. extra special thanks to onyx and my kitty cat for everything, both literature-based and reality-based, that they do for me. i couldn't function some days without their unwavering friendship and support. i love you guys.

i'm working on winding this down. i might dedicate my time to finishing this and getting it posted. i've spent enough time on it, i think. my problem is i have too many ideas and not enough hands. ugh. nor enough brains. i've already got the next chapter started and nearly completed. so i don't think it out of line to say i could have it finished soon. within a month isn't unreasonable.

finally, some thanks.

to star: here you go. another chapter to read. i hope this satisfies the cravings. sorry its taken me so long. RL is a bitch.

to Emily: i'm so pleased you've enjoyed this. i try so hard to keep Severus who we see in the books. its easy to change his surroundings, but that doesn't mean one should change him. i prefer him the snarky bastard that he is. i only pray that the rest of the story is as good as what's come before. please enjoy and thank you for the kudos.

and, as a last thank you..... to whomever it was that nominated me for a Goblets award..... thank you so much! i am so shocked and surprised that someone out there thinks this story is good enough to deserve a nomination. it means so much to me and i would willingly get down and kiss your feet if i but knew who you were.