One wish alone have I

Chapter 22 (part 2)
Back to Hogwarts

The ominous Dark Mark materialised in our fireplace the second week of September, as Severus had anticipated. The meeting took place the following evening and most of the Death Eaters were summoned to it. The Dark Lord questioned Severus and me about our absence of over a month, and he was satisfied to learn that the new Clan leader was still supporting his cause and would be ready to meet him personally as soon as the Russians were talked into cooperating with him too. Just as we had expected, I felt Voldemort’s unwanted searching presence within me as I spoke to him, and he smiled very unpleasantly when he took the floor again.

“Your efforts in Romania largely compensate for your failure with the Auror during the Azkaban raid, Antanasia,” said his disagreeably high-pitched voice, “and I am very pleased with you. I also see that you are expecting a child! Am I to conclude that it is one of my Death Eaters who gave you that invaluable honour?”

“Yes, my Lord. Severus is the father of my child,” I declared, ignoring the sinking sensation in my stomach by remembering Severus’ reassuring presence at my side, just as he had promised it would be.

“I had figured as much,” he quickly intervened. “I know the perfect gift to give you, then. If I am not mistaken, your kind in particular has to feed on human blood during pregnancy.”

“You are right, my Lord,” I replied, feeling that it was not only useless but also dangerous to correct his beliefs.

“Did I not promise, many months ago,” he said, walking slowly towards Severus and me, “that I would give you nobler blood to feed on, eventually?”

I bent my head in a respectful bow, feeling amazed that he would remember such an insignificant detail after so much time had passed.

“What could be a more fitting gift to both of you,” he continued, “than having some Death Eaters’ quality blood intertwine with Antanasia’s to nurture your growing child?”

“It would be an honour, my Lord,” intervened Severus before I could speak and risk betraying my embarrassment.

“Very well, then. I shall grant you your wish right after the meeting is over. You may go back to your seats for the moment.”

We both bent into deferential bows and did as he demanded. Severus threw me a few reassuring glances when Voldemort was not looking, and I did the same. I remembered very well what had inspired that offer from Voldemort and therefore, I could perfectly figure out which wizard would be chosen to become a prey for my fangs this time. I tried to prepare myself the best I could, and it allowed me to have a calmer attitude when the Death Eaters exited the room after the meeting.

Just as I had guessed, Lucius Malfoy was still sitting on his seat at the front after all the others had left.

He looked at me in a very strange way with his pitiless icy blue eyes, and the distance between us sizzled with the anticipation he obviously felt at that moment. The Dark Lord exchanged a few words with Pettigrew, who finally left as well. Only Severus, Voldemort, Lucius and I remained. We stayed silent for an instant that seemed to drag on for hours. I did not know how that particular Kiss would feel, let alone how Lucius and Severus would react to it. I was still debating whether I had to attempt some hypnotic control over my future vessel or not when the Dark Lord spoke, and surprisingly, made things easier for me.

“I believe we can proceed with the gift, now that we have privacy,” he began, with an obvious air of self-importance. “Severus, I am afraid that you will be completely useless for the next few minutes, so I suggest you to simply go back to your seat and watch.”

Severus obeyed without saying a word; his eyes were fixed upon Lucius and they did not miss the smallest of his movements. The latter kept looking at me with a small but irritatingly superior smile; I thought that wiping that smirk off his face would probably be the most pleasurable part of the Kiss I was about to give him.

“Lucius, are you ready?” asked the Dark Lord.

“And enchanted, my Lord,” purred his syrupy voice as he rose from his seat.

“No, sit down,” ordered Voldemort, raising a commanding bony hand. “She wants you to remain seated… with your hair untied and the collar of your robes open,” he added, hitting my wishes right on target in a very scary way.

I silently walked to the front and sat next to Lucius after Voldemort’s outstretched arm ordered me to do so. Lucius was taking his time; there was no doubt left that he was thoroughly anticipating the sensual pleasure the Kiss would give him. I fully intended to disappoint him. What I had in mind was something quick, efficacious and painless that would let us all find ourselves at home less than half an hour later.

Lucius certainly did not let things happen that way. He first untied his queue and his shockingly blond hair cascaded on his shoulders. He gave me a side-glance just to check if it had any effect on me; the self-confidence I saw in his eyes told me he was used to having an impact on women by doing that. It did have one on me, too, in a way. To my regret, I must admit that, though I loathe Lucius Malfoy with all my might for the horrors he committed, I can still see that he is a man of particular beauty and virility. When I had Kissed Pettigrew while imagining Lucius in his place, the Dark Lord had probably felt it when I thought how Lucius’ long locks looked silky and smooth, making you want to run both your hands shamelessly in his thick mane and intertwine your fingers with it…. It was a thought I had quickly chased away, for its mere presence in my mind disgusted me profoundly, but given the instinctive hunting and sensual mode I was in when I Kissed Pettigrew, it had slipped through my Occlumency barriers and had been perceived by Voldemort. That remembrance served as a warning; I simply cleared my mind and raised my barriers so no disturbing thought would blossom on either side of them.

Keeping his cold eyes locked in mine, Lucius slowly worked to undo the numerous buttons of his robes first, and then he undid the elaborate knot of his tie to finally reach a black shirt, which he unbuttoned until his collar opened wide enough to show his neck and upper chest. I could have sworn he was absolutely convinced that his slow stripping was a real treat for me. By that time, to be honest, I had regained enough self-control to be indifferent; the rage from Arnaud’s death stayed buried deep inside and did not come to my rescue, fortunately.

“How much blood does your Lordship want me to take?” I asked, in a very professional tone.

“Enough to be worth it without depriving him of the capacity to walk his way home on his own,” he replied, observing us with an amused curiosity from his usual seat, close behind me.

“Half a litre will be more than sufficient, then,” I told Lucius, once I acknowledged the Dark Lord’s reply. “I will do it quickly and painlessly. Please remove your hair from your neck and we will proceed at once.”

“Now, my dearest mademoiselle,” he purred, giving me the arrogant half-smile that usually stretched his thin lips, “why in the name of Merlin should we rush things? Remember that my blood is a gift for you; I only find it appropriate that you should unwrap it yourself first…”

“Lucius is right, Antanasia,” resounded the unpleasant voice behind me with a joyfulness that rang with a menacing warning. “His blood is one of the purest you will find among my Death Eaters; it is therefore extremely precious and you should treat it, and your vessel, as such.”

“Of course, my Lord; I thought I was merely respecting his wishes, on the contrary,” I replied, as reverently as I could.

When I turned back with the intention of tossing his hair out of the way and proceeding as quickly as he would allow me, I was faced with a very unpleasant surprise. Lucius had buttoned both his shirt and robes again, and he looked at me with a satisfied and suggestive expression.

“As I said, I think you should unwrap your gift yourself,” he repeated, answering my questioning eyebrow.

“Fine,” I simply uttered under my breath, before I delicately unbuttoned the collar of his robes and shirt, trying to only brush my fingers against the high quality fabric of his clothes.

“I imagine it just cannot compare to a Hogwarts’ teacher uniform,” he meowed, leaning back in his seat and half closing his eyes to show his satisfaction. “Just as this touch must represent a pleasant change from the… oiliness you are used to,” he whispered, as I moved his locks behind his shoulders.

I did not reply and focused my attention on his uncovered carotid artery, which pulsed slowly but powerfully underneath the delicate skin of his neck. My eyes soon turned red and my canines lengthened, faithfully answering the call of my rising hunger.

“About the Kiss, however,” he interrupted, just as I was about to bring my mouth closer.

“Yes, what about it?” I asked, summoning all my patience.

“You said you would make it painless… but that is not my wish,” he murmured, very seductively.

“How could it not be your wish, Lucius? Surely you are not aware of the pain associated with the bite!” I replied, giving him a very disapproving frown.

“More than you think, my dear,” he purred, while putting his hand over mine, which recoiled from his touch instinctively. “I do not want you to spare me from it. I want to feel everything from your Kiss, every second of it, every sensation from it, whether bad… or good…”

“I did not know you were versed in the art of masochism,” I sarcastically commented, giving him his own arrogant smile, which made something tilt behind the coldness of his eyes. “But given your more than renowned sadistic side, I guess I should not be surprised to find its logical counterpart in your personal fantasies. However, no matter how… experienced you are, Lucius, I must warn you again. I would truly be sorry if my Kiss made you squirm and cry like a girl in front of your Master and your brother Death Eater,” I added as quietly as I could to give him a chance to still change his mind without humiliating himself.

“My Death Eaters are used to witnessing and enduring a great deal of suffering while they are in my presence, Antanasia,” intervened Voldemort in the same amused tone that now rang with excitement. “You will proceed as he wishes you to; we do not have all night, even if you do.”

“You really asked for it, Lucius,” I murmured, shrugging my shoulders in fake detachment before I put my hands around his neck and made him tilt his head to the side.

His pulse started racing under my fingers and his blood was seized by a fever I was only too familiar with. I could fully sense that danger aroused him greatly; it crept in a fine layer of sweat all over his shivering skin and invaded my nose as soon as I brought my mouth close to him. I did not give him the satisfaction of feeling my tongue searching for a good spot; I used my lips and did not look for long. Seconds later, my fangs pierced his skin; they tore a loud and languid moan from the very depths of his throat and made his muscles tense at once, arching his back and throwing his head back.

His blood flooded my mouth and I gulped it fast without tasting it, trying to disregard the very essence of lust and desire that pulsed within the hot liquid. I soon regretted my decision to bite the farthest side of his neck. It gave me a more comfortable angle than the side that was the closest to me, but presented the strong disadvantage of placing me over him, at the mercy of his hands. They first clutched the fabric of his robes, and then fumbled for my body to embrace it in a long, unwanted, and uncalled-for caress, crushing my breasts against his chest. My own hands were chastely placed on the armrests of our chairs; my original goal had been to touch him as little as was feasible. Past that point, it did not seem to matter much to him. I nearly choked on his blood when one of his hands left my waist, in a long caress up my back, to land on the exposed and extended skin of my throat.

That wizard’s touch… I still shudder violently each time I think of it. It was a commanding and demanding touch, but much unlike that of Severus. The latter had an unquestionable authority as well, but it also bore the promises of pleasure and care, while Malfoy’s only promised orders, domination, suffering and threat, should his wishes not be granted. In addition, and most unfortunately, the mutual position the Kiss placed us into made his mouth stand right next to my ear, allowing him to murmur things that would be heard by me only. He plainly seized that opportunity.

“Yes… oh, yes! I like the feel of your mouth on my skin, Antanasia,” he whispered, gasping each time I drew more blood from the two small wounds. “I was right, you know… the pain you gave me is nothing compared to the pleasure you reward me with. Oh… suck me, my dear, that’s it… suck harder! You think I don’t know how much you are enjoying the taste of my blood, its warmth, its thickness on the naughty tongue you are flickering against my neck? Mmmmh? Does Snape taste as fine as I do? Ha! I am quite sure he does not, nor do his arms have the effect mine are having on you right now.”

To be honest, his embrace had the feel of a boa constrictor’s grip and his words made me shudder deeply, a thing he obviously but wrongfully interpreted as a delighted and anticipatory shiver. No matter how dominant my position was supposed to be, as I was the one Kissing him and not the opposite, I still felt incredibly powerless and dominated. It was impossible for me to say anything in reply, as any attempt to speak and shut him up might have spilled some blood down his throat, and I was sure the spoiled and cheeky dandy would have had Voldemort order me to lick it clean. I had no choice but trying to ignore the feel of his hands and the sound of his voice, but it was, as you can imagine, horribly difficult to do. I was still amazed at his capacity to endure so much pain without letting anything more than a couple of winces betray his suffering; his voice still had the smoothness of a low purr and the coldness of a blade pressed against my throat.

“Oh, my dearest Antanasia, should you wish to taste my blood again after tonight, I shall be more than delighted to give you that pleasure, not to mention the satisfaction of giving your child the incommensurable honour and blessing of being nurtured by the noble blood of a Malfoy. Surely you would not wish to deny yourself, and your child, that privilege? And should you indeed dare to ask and be granted, you could have much more than my blood to taste… here, let me illustrate my point.”

Before I could even unlock my mouth from his neck, close the bite, and harshly retort that I had no such wish, he magically vanished the two armrests that were between us. My hip was leaning against one of those sturdy pieces of wood and their sudden disappearance made me lose my balance in an instant. I instinctively clutched his shoulders to avoid falling on him, but a firm pull of his strong arms made me do just that. A split second later, I found myself lamentably sitting on his lap, and his infernal grip pressed my buttocks against what was unmistakably a very strong erection.

I hurriedly licked his wounds closed, even though I had not drunk the half litre I had promised I would take, and I moved to get to my feet at once. He kept me tight against him for a few more atrocious seconds, and buried his nose shamelessly into my curls as his lips brushed against my ear one last time.

“Think about it, my darling… I am sure that you and I could spend unforgettable moments together; you know it as much as I do,” he murmured, running a vicious tongue up my earlobe. “I will be there whenever you want me to. You know where my flat is.”

I got to my feet at last and threw him a glance that I forced to be cold and indifferent, a thing I did not completely achieve because of the shock he had caused and the languor derived from the Kiss I had just given him. I had the irresistible urge to spit the mouthful of blood that the narrowness of my throat sequestered in my mouth all over the ugliness of his pretty face, but self-control stopped me in time. I felt the burning sensation of tears starting to build up in my eyes, and I fought them hard, thinking of the pleasure and sense of victory he would gain from seeing my distress. As he buttoned his shirt, he gave me one other strong reason to swallow down my disgust and misery.

“Thank you, Antanasia, that was most pleasurable,” he said out loud with a leer. “I can very well understand why you chose her as your partner, Severus,” he continued, turning to my lover, who looked at him as if he had nothing but Unforgivable Curses in mind. “Her hypnotic powers are quite irresistible; I found myself completely entranced there! I really had no choice but to obey all her secret wishes and desires. No wonder you crave the exclusive use of such a tremendously sensual talent...”

“Exclusive is the term indeed, Malfoy,” echoed Severus’ low voice in a dangerous and warning tone, before he made an astounding effort to stretch his lips into his usual sneer. “But thank you for your contribution, nevertheless. We both appreciated it very much.”

“No doubt you did,” he commented, giving Severus a curt nod. “But really, the pleasure was mine.”

The three men rose from their seats and I could not help but notice that Voldemort had a very satisfied smile on his dry lips. I had the very ominous impression that it was far, far from being the simple smile of a leader pleased to give his followers a treat. There was more to it and, though I believe I only know just what it was now, I never doubted the extent of the plans he had in mind at that precise moment.

After we all bent in low bows, Severus, Lucius and I exited the room and I was both grateful and embarrassed to cuddle up in Severus’ arms before he Disapparated us to the back store in London. As much as I wanted him to never let go of my body and keep holding me until we were in the remote safety of Hogwarts, I still felt horribly ashamed about my reactions to Lucius and the awful things he had insinuated about my hypnotic powers. The git had made it sound like I had been the one manipulating him through all this!

When we walked out into the cool night, Lucius grabbed my hand before I could walk away. He pressed his lips against it and seized one of my knuckles so discreetly that Severus did not see any of it, nor did he see how Lucius lustfully flickered his tongue against my skin.

“Good night, my dearest mademoiselle…” he said, in a tone that was meant as supremely gallant.

“Good night to you, Mister Malfoy,” I courteously but coldly replied.

“Oh, now, now… let’s not have this memorable night take away the wonderful habit we had of calling each other by our first names!”

“You are right,” I replied, wishing desperately that he would let go of my hand. “Good night, Lucius.”

“Much better,” he purred, before he turned to Severus. “Same to you, Severus.”

“Goodbye,” he curtly replied.

I felt so dirty that I did not even dare to look at my lover as we walked along the seedy back street leading to Diagon Alley. I found myself unable to decide what perturbed me the most: the guilt of having enjoyed the fine taste of Lucius’ blood, or the lamentable way in which I had let him manipulate and take advantage of me the way he had done, under the eyes of my treasured Severus, in addition! Only then did I give myself the right to let a few tears roll down my cheeks, counting on the darkness of the night to hide them from him. Just before we reached Diagon Alley, though, Severus gently pulled on my arm and made me stop and turn to him.

“I do not want you to feel bad; I am sorry for what happened, Antanasia,” he said. “What he did is so very typical of him… I should have warned you… or have attempted something to stop him from taking advantage of the situation like he did.”

“You do not have to blame yourself for what happened, my love, there was nothing you could do about it. The more I think about it, the more I realise that this was a way to test our loyalty far more than it was a gift. On the contrary, I am the one who is sorry for what I am about to do,” I firmly replied, taking a few steps away from him and giving in to a sudden urge to purge myself from Lucius’ unwelcome presence inside of me, so close to the baby.

Turning to the nearest wall, I plunged my fingers as deep as I could into my throat. The desired effect did not take long to come into action; I powerfully gagged and vomited all the blood I had drunk minutes before. It did not completely remove the impression of dirtiness I felt, for Lucius’ whispers still rang unpleasantly in my head, but it made a noticeable difference. Severus, though he never said it out loud, seemed suddenly relieved to see that no other wizard’s blood was to intertwine with that of his child. That, too, gave me a lighter heart, along with the thought that I was giving Severus unquestionable proof that I had no intention to benefit from the Kiss or have it happen again.

Before I straightened up, I felt a caring hand in my back and saw the whiteness of a folded handkerchief come into my view underneath my face. I took it with gratitude and patted the last remains of my inelegant gesture before I finally stood straight, only to be drawn into Severus’ embrace, which felt much more comforting this time.

“Would you like me to Obliviate you, my darling?” he suggested, stroking my hair reassuringly.

“Yes… but I know just the way to do it without a wand.”

That night, before we went to bed together, we cuddled up against each other on one of the school’s roofs, wrapped in Severus’ warm cloak, and we took a moment to observe the stars, trying to guess which one had appeared first in the sky.

~*~

Following the orders of the Dark Lord, we resumed our production of illegal potions and the Headmaster kept closing his eyes as to what was happening in our lab. Fortunately, the ingredients and the fumes produced by the brewing of these potions were harmless to the baby, and I was able to help Severus like before. Soon after the beginning of the classes, the marking tasks came back and we found ourselves sitting on each side of his desk and bent over piles of parchment rolls. In a way, I liked the consequences the pregnancy had on my tasks as the Potions master’s assistant. It allowed me to teach almost all levels whenever the lesson’s topic allowed me to brew a harmless potion.

When I was not teaching, however, I dispatched my time between our lab, the library, the teachers’ lounge and the hospital wing. My pregnancy required me to avoid an exposure to sun as much as possible, so my strolls in the Forbidden Forest were impossible to take during the afternoon and early evening as I did before. Therefore, I was glad that Poppy and I had become closer friends at the beginning of the summer, no matter for what reason. She always welcomed me cheerfully in her office and we spent agreeable hours chatting about various subjects together, usually around a cup of tea (perfumed with several drops of liquefied Leukocytes, in my case).

Sometimes, when Severus was scheduled to teach the whole afternoon and I did not have too many rolls to grade, I Flooed to the Headquarters and paid a visit to Remus. Somehow, the evolution of my relationship with Severus made me feel more free and liberated. I did not intend to lock myself in the solitude I had known in the past, when I was so desperately waiting for our relationship to blossom and then fought so hard to keep it alive, despite Severus’ sometimes trying attitude. He did not seem to mind my social contacts at all, and I felt that, as long as he knew where I was and I did not wander far from Hogwarts or the Headquarters unaccompanied, he was comfortable with my new habits. Of course, unless Remus kept me for dinner, a thing he rarely did, I always showed up on Severus’ arm in the Great Hall for the evening meal and was there to play our traditional game of chess a few hours later, before we retreated to the intimacy of our private cocoon.

Valerica and Cami wrote often, and Ivantie scribbled a note here and there at the bottom of their parchment when he had a minute. From the angle in which his handwriting was sometimes displayed on the parchment, I deduced that the two ladies probably caught him unexpectedly by the sleeves in the corner of a corridor between two meetings to ask him if he wanted to write me, too. Those owls and a few occasional Floo conversations allowed me to inform the Order of the successful negotiations with the Russians at the end of September. It was during that particular meeting with the Order members that other wonderful news reached us.

I was reporting the success of the negotiations to the small assembly, and was commenting about Ivantie’s intention to send a few warriors from Zaharia to help the Order fight the Death Eaters when an unexpected but much awaited sensation made me halt my speech in the middle of a sentence. I stayed open-mouthed for a few seconds, while I verified what was happening, and then I let out a few giggles that just could not help but blossom on my lips. Severus discreetly asked me if something was wrong through a Legilimency link and I quickly reassured him that everything was all right. However, I found myself unable to explain what was going on; I just felt too overwhelmed with my emotions to focus my mind on the message I wanted to transmit. I merely asked him to wait patiently until the end of the meeting for us to discuss what had just happened privately, and I resumed my report with a luminous smile.

We left with the other Order members and were among the first people to Disapparate. The last thing I saw before I magically vanished was Albus’ knowing and protective glance. Once we found ourselves in Severus’ office, I hurriedly unbuttoned my robes and placed his hands over my exposed belly.

“So, do you feel it?” I excitedly asked.

“What should I look for?” he asked back, with a puzzled expression.

“The sex of the baby! It is possible to feel it now! Do you want to know?”

“Of course, Antanasia,” he replied, looking back at my belly with a concentrated frown.

“Then I will let you try to feel your way to it. Maybe it is too faint to be felt by somebody else…”

“Shush, let me focus…” he softly said.

Severus searched for the answer for several minutes, but his efforts were unsuccessful. Nevertheless, the more minutes that passed, the more resolute and stubborn he became to find the answer by himself; it soon even seemed to become a question of self-respect and honour. After a while, he finally took my hand and led me to the bedroom, where he made me lie comfortably on the bed. His hands had become warm at the touch of my skin and they provided me a most pleasant and reassuring sensation; I was soon tempted to simply doze off. He finally removed his hands and leaned the side of his face against my lower abdomen. I gave him patient caresses, stroking his thick locks and massaging his shoulders and the back of his neck, until I felt his cheek lift and his lips stretch into a smile against my skin.

“It seems we are going to have a little witch!” he victoriously declared, lifting his head from my belly and turning to me with a satisfied smile.

“This is what I feel, too,” I replied, returning his smile as he cuddled next to me and leaned his head on my shoulder this time. “I take it that you are not too disappointed?”

“Disappointed? Why would I be?”

“I figured that you would have preferred to have a boy; you seem more at ease dealing with young wizards than with young witches, in general,” I observed.

“Young witches are fine with me unless they become drama queens,” he explained, “and when they do, they make me wish that Hogwarts was an all-boys school! But to answer your question better, I had no particular expectations concerning the baby. A witch is perfectly fine with me. She is a Snape…”

“And a Sheridan,” I added.

“And as such,” he continued with a self-confident smile, “she can be nothing else than unique, talented and amazingly intelligent… therefore, not a drama queen.”

“Fair enough; I will buy that!” I giggled.

The weeks died and gave birth to other weeks as fall slowly conceded its place to winter. The cainite warriors arrived shortly after Halloween, once Ivantie was reassured that the conflicts with the Russians were definitely over. He accompanied them himself during their journey to Hogwarts and surprised me by showing up one night earlier than planned. That is why one evening, just as we were finishing dinner in the Great Hall, a small flock of birds flew through the owl trap and headed towards the front table. Ivantie had told me nothing, obviously; he wanted to surprise me and he did. I rose to my feet as soon as I felt who those birds were and whispered the good news to Severus, who got up as well.

The amazed and very curious students saw the falcon, who was leading the group, land softly on my shoulder and brush its beak against my cheek; two other birds, small eagles I recognized at once, landed on Severus’ shoulders. The remaining two birds, white owls I was only vaguely familiar with, landed on the backs of our chairs. We must have looked quite odd, being surrounded by all those birds, but I was far too transported with joy to care. I placed a kiss on the falcon’s head and told the flock to follow us out of the Great Hall. As soon as we found ourselves in our office, everybody Transfigured and I fell into Ivantie’s arms. Niculaie, who was already clapping Severus’ back, soon came to me as well, shortly followed by Marcela after she kissed Severus hello.

“Please meet Vladimir and Jorge; they are from Pietr’s personal guard and they came with Niculaie and Marcela to assist the Order,” declared Ivantie, before we all shook hands.

“I am guessing you are tired from your long journey!” I said. “Would you like me to show you the flat we have prepared for you?”

“Please, Madam,” said Jorge with a strong but charming Russian accent. “We would be delighted to see them.”

“Follow me, then!” I joyfully replied. “We can Floo our way there; I guess you are a bit tired of flying.”

One by one, we all let the Floo network take us to the flat Remus and I had found. It was located in a charming quarter of east London and was perfect for cainites. Its small windows and long roof greatly limited the amount of sun that came in, which was seen as a disadvantage by humans, but quite the contrary by my kind, as you can imagine. We helped them settle in, and Ivantie came back to Hogwarts with us. After a meeting with Dumbledore, during which Ivantie informed us of the lasting peace and satisfactory arrangements with the Russians, we all retreated to the dungeons. We spent some agreeable time in our quarters, and then Ivantie retreated to my former resting room, where Winky had thoughtfully prepared a spare coffin for him. We almost chatted until the sun rose; it was so good to see my old friend again!

The following night, Severus contacted the Dark Lord and asked for a private meeting, which the Dark Lord granted easily. Ivantie was officially introduced to him on that occasion, and he reinstated his wish to help Voldemort’s endeavours. I was still to be the Clan’s emissary during Ivantie’s absence, but the latter made an arrangement with Voldemort to avoid assigning me to dangerous missions as much as possible. They were to be delegated to the warriors who had just arrived and who were said to be under my authority. Severus and I were extremely grateful to my friends for taking that responsibility from me; it made me feel much better during the Death Eaters’ meetings. For one thing, the mere fact that I was not alone in my duty was a relief, but there were also more practical details in the matter.

Being well into the first trimester of my pregnancy, I was afflicted by women’s usual sources of discomfort. The enhanced fatigue appeared first and was soon followed by afternoon nausea and sickness, which eventually occurred during the evening and night as well. Severus did his best to help, as always, though “help”, in his mind, also included an offer to brew me a potion made of sour milk and salamander brains each afternoon when I woke up. This happened each time he found my nausea dragging on unnecessarily, which would quicken my dishonourable run to the washroom. I must admit that his technique was almost infallible, and if I gave him my purest thoughts of loathing after my first gag, I quickly forgave him each time I felt his caring hands place a cold wet cloth on my forehead and guide me back to a comfortable seat where he talked to me reassuringly until the nausea subsided.

Ivantie met with the Order later that week, and I feared Mister Moody’s reaction to being surrounded with cainites, given the way he had reacted to me at first. Nevertheless, the fact that Ivantie, Niculaie and Marcela had helped the Order in the past seemed to reassure him somewhat, and we were honoured with his silence, which was devoid of nasty remarks for a change.

Despite our efforts during the subsequent weeks, however, the Death Eaters’ activities became bolder and a few members of the Wizengamot were assassinated for not accepting bribery from the Dark Lord. Some even lost their family in murder attempts and gradually, the streets of the Magical world became more and more unsafe. Even the prostitute we used to see on our way to the Death Eaters’ meetings did not show up anymore on the seedy street.

Severus and I read the Daily Prophet nightly and acknowledged the news of robberies, murders, and overall spreading of fear all over England, Scotland, Ireland, and the rest of Europe. We could not help but feel somewhat powerless at times. Oh, my precious little one, it was not a safe world for you to grow up in, and Severus often threw worried glances at you through the small barriers of flesh that separated you from him. I remember that he always insisted that I drink his blood on those nights, even if I was supposed to feed on Blood potion instead. It was the closest he could be to you, to nurture and protect you, and I did not want to deprive him of that privilege. So I pressed my lips against his enticing neck, and let him believe that I drank from him to satiety when in fact, I took just a small sip over many, many minutes. That gave him some sense of responsibility and power… yet kept his strength and health intact.

On the evening of December 3rd, Severus let out a small exclamation when he checked his schedule. Raising his head from the small book, he gave me a knowing smile and raised his eyebrows suggestively.

“Do you know what today’s date is?”

“December 3rd, I believe?”

“Exactly… meaning that we are on the hundredth night of your pregnancy, darling.”

“And? Why is that night so… oh, I see what you are getting at! You want to know if our daughter is to be a ruler one night?”

“I never said I totally believe that tale, but Valerica and Cami are pretty excited about it; I would not want to disappoint them by not checking, at the very least.”

“It is true; I had forgotten that they had written to us last week especially so we would not forget…” I distractedly replied.

“So? I am surprised you are not already standing outside with your face turned to the moon!” he observed.

“For one thing, if you take a good look by the window, you will see that it is raining far too much; the moon is completely hidden right now,” I explained, pulling the heavy curtains open in front of the window in question. “And second, well… providing that the tale is true indeed, I am not really sure I want to know.”

“Why not?”

“Think about it… if she is to be the next leader of the Clan, how will that affect the way we treat her, behave with her? How will it affect the way other cainites look at her as she grows up? That sign would be no different from Harry’s scar, after all. No matter the issues you have with the lad, do you really want your daughter to know the same fate and suffer from that kind of celebrity among my kind?”

“I had not considered things from that angle…” he thoughtfully declared, before musing on my arguments for a while. “Maybe you are right… maybe it is better not to know.”

“She will already be special enough,” I said, rising from my seat to sit on his lap. “She will know her destiny as it unravels before her… and if she wants to gain knowledge about what awaits her down the road, the Great Dragon will inform her of what is best for her to know.”

“What shall we tell Valerica and Cami?” he asked, giving me back my kiss.

“Tell them just that.”

We spent the rest of the evening seeing to our usual chores and leisure before he headed for my coffin and went to sleep. I remember feeling very tired that night, but I stayed up later than usual, feeling hyperactive despite my fatigue for some unknown reason. I did not know what terrible events were happening while I tranquilly sat by the fire thinking about Christmas gifts or as I unhurriedly checked the simmering potions in our lab. News of them only reached me much later… almost too late.

The sun had been up for a long time when I first heard their desperate cries in my mind. I heard Marcela first, but Niculaie’s voice soon joined it. They were calling me to them, and from their panicked tone, I immediately knew that they were in trouble. I awoke with a start and pushed the lid of my coffin open. Concentrating harder, I finally established a primary link that let me have vague images of what made them attempt to contact me at that early hour. What I saw chilled me with horror.

Niculaie and Marcela were tied to their chairs, probably magically from the way the ropes were tied around their bodies and mouths. They struggled forcefully without being able to free themselves, and I quickly understood the reason for their agitation. Above their heads, a large dome made of reflecting material directed the sunlight right on their faces. Even with their Sun-blocking potion, they would burn to death in a matter of hours if they were not freed quickly, and maybe even sooner, depending on when they had last taken their dose.

I tried my best to remain calm and have them communicate their location, but they were barely able to let me know that they were in the London vicinity before the link was broken. They were probably already getting weaker; there was no time to waste. I hurriedly grabbed the first robe I saw and got dressed. Clutching my wand, I rushed into Severus’ office and let out a silent but angry huff; he was not there. The sound of his voice on the other side of the door and a quick look at the clock told me that he would still be teaching for half an hour before the lunch break.

I did not have the luxury of waiting for him, let alone the time to tear him from his classroom and have him come with me. I grabbed the first piece of parchment I saw and scribbled a note.

Severus,

Niculaie & Marcela captured. Do not know their exact location but will attempt to help them. Could not wait. Do not worry; will be back soon, maybe with them. Alert Poppy; they might be wounded. I love you.

A.

Running to the fireplace, I grabbed a handful of Floo powder and disappeared into a blaze of green flames. To my immense relief, Remus was in the Headquarters’ dining room when I walked in.

“Remus! Marcela and Niculaie are in great danger; I need to find them and help them. Can you help me? I do not know how hectic the rescue will be…”

“Who has them? Do you know where they are?” he asked, rising from his seat and running to me in alarm.

“Probably in London, but I do not know exactly where. I do not know who captured them. It might be Death Eaters, Russian warriors… or even a group of cainite hunters! No matter who they are, they tied them and placed them under concentrated sunlight. They might have been sitting there for hours already; they are going to burn to death if we do not take them out of there!” I quickly explained, walking up the staircase towards the front door. “You can come with me or not, but I have to leave now!”

“Wait, wait a minute!” cried Remus, hurrying behind me. “I will come with you, but wait a second! You do not even have your cloak on!”

“Who cares? I will Transfigure anyway while I search the city.”

“You take this,” he ordered, throwing his patched cloak on my shoulders, “and you wait right here. I’ll be back in no time and we will leave.”

Remus ran upstairs while I adjusted his cloak over me and he came back with several additional pullovers that would keep him warm. He took out his broom from the hall closet and we rushed outside in the cold day. I was about to Transfigure when Remus grabbed my shoulders and made me face him.

“You said they were under concentrated sunlight?” he asked.

“Yes! This is why we must hurry, remember?” I harshly retorted.

“From a natural source?”

“I think so; they are using a dome to reflect it towards them. Why do you ask?”

“Let’s hide it, then! If we hide the sun, it will give us some extra time for the search. The sky is already rather cloudy; we just have to make the clouds thicker and larger; that should do the trick. If we put our skills together, I am sure we can manage to do it.”

“Clever boy,” I exclaimed, giving him a tight hug before we both took out our wands and pointed them to the sky.

Using my cainite senses, I fully connected to the Goddess Mother through the ground under my feet. Remus started murmuring incantations and soon, our wands produced two strong spells that merged together and shot through a large cloud above our heads. Thunder rumbled threateningly as the cloud darkened and became enlarged, joining with other clouds nearby and slowly forming a thick layer of vapour that covered the entire city like an immense blanket.

“Splendid!” exclaimed Remus. “That should last for a couple of hours. Do you want to ride with me or do you prefer to fly by yourself?”

“I will ride with you, Remus,” I replied, sitting behind him on his broom and circling my arms tightly around his chest. “I prefer to preserve my magical resources for the fight.”

Seconds later, we had left the ground and hovered above the capital. Letting Remus handle the flying trajectory, I concentrated with all my might in an attempt to feel Niculaie and Marcela’s presence underneath us. We first flew over their flat, of course, but I felt at once that it was empty. It took us over half an hour to get the first sign; it was feeble, but tangible. We followed that path, and it led us to the southern suburbs. There, the magical link started to grow stronger. It led us to a quarter that was upper class in appearance; it was difficult to imagine that such a terrible scene was taking place in one of those pretty cottages with their front yards still perfectly well-groomed despite the imminence of winter.

From one of them, however, emanated Marcela’s heart-breaking scream. Nobody heard it except me, for it travelled directly from her mind to mine, but that time, I was able to send a direct reply, now that I knew exactly where to aim it.

“Hang on! I am coming!” I said, hoping that she would be able to hear my words.

“Quick, Tasia! They are executing us!” she replied.

“Remus, they are executing them! Fly to that house, now!” I screamed, pointing to the house in question.

“I’ll do even better; brace yourself and lower your head!” he screamed back, bending forward and directing us towards the house.

We plunged down from the sky and flew right to the front of the house. Waving his wand, Remus threw a powerful spell ahead of us that made the front window explode, creating a large hole through which we zoomed at the maximum speed we could risk. Remus stopped his broom just before we hit a wall inside. We found ourselves in a vast living room that had probably been enlarged magically, and once the dust from the explosion settled, we saw a scene I will never forget.

Four cainites were tied on chairs; two of them had their heads cut off and from their chests emerged the larger ends of wooden stakes. Marcela and Niculaie were still alive; their eyes were widened in surprise and shock, but lightened up with joy as soon as they recognized us. Standing around them, about ten humans were turned to us, their faces marked with astonishment and fear. Some were coughing loudly because of the dust, a few additional ones were lying motionless on the floor (they had probably been blown unconscious by the explosion) and one other chose to run for it and climbed through the hole to escape. The rest of them were taking out their wands while anger slowly wiped off the shock from our dramatic arrival. Something caught the light through the dust; I distinguished a tall and sturdy man raising a sword above his shoulder.

“Stupefy!” shouted Remus, waving his wand in his direction.

He reacted so fast that his hex hit the man directly in the ribs; he collapsed onto the floor. Unfortunately, it made the others come back to their senses at once and their spells’ jets of light tore the dirty air between us. Remus let go of his broom and we plunged down, landing flat on our stomachs to avoid the hexes that were thrown at us.

My priority was to free my friends, so I crawled to the side in order to have a clearer view, and waited until Remus, who was crouching behind a large sofa, got the best of the others’ attention.

“Finite Incantatum!” I shouted, aiming for the ropes that were still tied around their chests.

My spells hit their targets and the ropes vanished. Marcela and Niculaie slid off their chairs and lay weakly on the floor. I motioned them to move towards me, but they seemed too feeble to do so. Marcela regrouped her limbs and clutched her chest with a raw expression of pain everywhere on her features while Niculaie merely rose on all fours and threw up. I needed to put them out of danger promptly, and they would not be able to help me much.

A quick estimate of their state made me conclude that an attempt to use a Summoning Charm on them might worsen any injuries they had. There were not many options left, so I Apparated between them, grabbed them by their torsos and Disapparated in a flash to an adjacent room, which was fortunately empty.

Marcela moaned in pain and rolled onto her back; her face was covered with bruises. Niculaie’s fine features were also distorted by cuts and swellings; his blond hair was stained with blood and a quick check made me suspect he had received a painful blow to the head. Those injuries were not what worried me the most, however. Their skin… the usual pallor that characterized it was gone. They had been severely burned by the sun and most of their faces, necks, arms and chests had turned to a horrible shade of red. Some parts were even starting to blister.

“Can one of you tell me what happened?” I asked, throwing a few cooling spells in an attempt to relieve some of the pain caused by their burns.

“Hunters, Tasia…” articulated Niculaie raucously. “Found us in our coffins this morning…”

“What did they want? Information? Were they sent by the Dark Lord?”

“Do not think so,” moaned Marcela. “Only wanted our skin!”

“Oh, Gods!” I swore through clenched teeth.

Cainite hunters, usually witches or wizards, are rare in the current era of Wizardkind, but they are present nevertheless and relentlessly track down our kind, supposedly to cleanse the world of our unwanted presence. Vasile once compared them to the plague that Muggles’ Ku Klux Klan once represented for coloured humans, and I found his comparison very accurate. Cainite hunters capture, torture and kill people of our kind because we are immortal and have some magical skills they do not. They were far more active during the 18th and 19th century, an epoch during which their ranks even counted many Muggles, but the Ministry of Magic in several countries had successfully dismantled their organizations all over Europe. The small group that had captured my friends was the living proof that the British Magical government had not done its job properly… or had lowered its surveillance. I guess it was not surprising, given the fact that its efforts were mainly focused on Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

“I have to help Remus, guys,” I declared, after I took care of their pain as best as I could. “We will get you out of here in no time and bring you to a safe place. Hang on!”

I ran to the door leading to the living room and risked a quick look outside. Loud bangs were echoing off every wall, but spells were still steadily zooming across the room from behind the sofa where I had last seen Remus, which reassured me somewhat about his well-being. I began to run inside, but somebody grabbed my ankles and made me fall forward. I barely had the time to put my arms in front of my face in a desperate attempt to protect myself before I hit a glass coffee table.

It did not hurt at all; I blamed it on adrenaline. A quick check on my arms told me that I had not cut myself, so I hurriedly turned back. A wizard was swooping down on me, his outstretched arms aiming at my throat. I grabbed him by the collar and smashed my fist against his jaw before having the time to even think of what I would do. My fist hit him so hard that he fell back on his rear, looking just as astonished as I was. I shook my hand by reflex, but soon realised the foolishness of what I was doing, for I felt no pain at all, even if the blow had been administered with a strength I did not know I possessed. Adding to my bewilderment, the man passed a hand over his bleeding mouth and spit out a tooth. A sudden rush of determination made me come back to my senses; in the blink of an eye, the man lay Stunned on the floor. Once I was crouched behind a sofa in relative safety, I heard a familiar voice that shook my heart with an unexpected joy and answered all the questions that whirled in my head.

“Antanasia, I am here!” echoed Severus’ voice in my mind. “Try to relax and do not fight my presence inside you; we will work better together that way.”

“Ok,” I replied, not even knowing if he could hear me back. “How do I proceed?”

“I can be your guide or your assistant; fight normally and it will come easily to you.”

I could not leave Remus fighting alone any longer. Risking a glance towards the rest of the room, I distinguished two witches that were slowly progressing towards where Remus was hiding. I threw two Stunning spells that hit them right between their shoulder blades and they fell unconscious onto the floor. This attracted the others’ attention, however, and flashes of light soon started to zoom in my direction, creating small explosions when they hit the wall behind me. I did as Severus instructed and fought the way I was used to, without paying too much attention to his presence within me. I was soon amazed by the way the power of my spells and the rapidity of my reflexes nearly doubled; Severus was merging his own skills with mine and it had amazing effects.

Once I fought alongside him, however, Remus found himself in a better position. The remaining four cainite hunters were literally trapped between the two of us and we soon got the better of them. Once our last opponent fell on the floor, tied up from head to toe by a spell Remus had cast, we were able to relax slightly.

“Remus? Are you all right?” I panted, walking to him on the other side of the large room.

“Yes! Not a scratch!” he replied. “Are you ok?”

“Same here!”

“Let’s get the hell out of here; we can Floo Tonks or Shacklebolt once we are back home. They will manage to send Aurors here to pick them up.”

We hurriedly went to the adjacent room and conjured stretchers for Marcela and Niculaie. Their state was somewhat unstable, but they were still conscious and said that their pain was manageable. We made them float through the doorframe into the living room, and while Remus took them outside, I conjured two additional stretchers to take the two corpses with us. When I picked up their heads, I recognized Vladimir and Jorge, the two warriors that Pietr had sent along with ours. Putting aside the sinister shudders that seized my body as I bent down over them, I conjured two white blankets that magically wrapped around them and held them in place.

Just as I was taking them through the hole in the front wall, however, an evil voice shrieked an incantation behind me. A heartbeat later, a jet of red light passed so close to me that it brushed against my hip and made me fall on my side. Thanks to my enhanced reflexes, I quickly rolled back and Stunned its perpetrator. Remus ran to me and helped me get to my feet, but though my legs obeyed a will that was not really mine, my guts were seized with a very primal fear.

“Antanasia, are you all right?” asked Severus’ worried voice in my mind. “You are terrified; I can feel it very well! Is there something wrong?”

“I am fine, Severus!” I replied, trying hard to calm down, which was not an easy thing, given that my Possessor felt as distressed as I was. “It is just that… the baby…”

“Has something happened to her?” he asked, making my hands explore the surface of my belly.

“No, no!” I exclaimed with emotion. “It is just that the blow passed so near… I was scared for a moment that… but I was just scared! She is all right!”

“Antanasia, Disapparate at once and come back here; we will talk about it then.”

“I will be there as soon as I can.”

His voice had changed… there was something colder, harsher in it, as if the fact he knew I would soon be out of danger modified his attitude. I had guessed right, and I was just about to find out how much…

Remus and I Apparated to the front of the Headquarters with the four stretchers and moved them inside without wasting a second. As soon as Marcela and Niculaie were installed on comfortable beds in the bedrooms upstairs, Remus told me to Floo to Hogwarts and bring back the proper potions for their burns. He assured me that he would take care of their other injuries in the meantime.

When I emerged from our office’s fireplace, I found myself practically nose to nose with Severus. When he saw me, his glance first probed me with warmth and tenderness, but as soon as he was reassured that I was not injured, the darkness of his eyes brutally started to feel like the pitiless bite of the winter’s cold and he promptly walked away from the embrace I offered him.

“Is there something wrong, Severus?” I tentatively asked, removing Remus’ cloak to let it fall on an armchair nearby.

“Really, the impertinence, the nerve of that woman!” he ruthlessly retorted. “Something wrong, Antanasia? Something wrong? Can you imagine how I felt when I found your note, coming back here after my morning lesson?” he exclaimed, retrieving the piece of parchment from his pocket and crippling it in his hand. “Have you any idea how unbelievably stupid, foolish and imprudent your behaviour was? Have you any sense of responsibility, any sense of respect for me?”

“Calm down! And right now, mister!” I snapped back, feeling all the tenseness of the rescue submerging me unexpectedly. “What was I supposed to do? Tell me! Was I to wait patiently until your lesson ended while Niculaie and Marcela, who are like family to me, were being tortured to death? Or was I to storm in your classroom in complete panic and ask you to drop everything and follow me, which you could not have possibly done anyway? I had very little time to react, Severus, I had to Floo to London as quickly as I could and try to find them! I still took the time to write you about my departure; I told you everything I knew at the time, ok?”

“Oh, and I should thank you for this, I guess?”

“It certainly showed consideration! You should at least try to understand!”

“So should you!” he bellowed, grabbing my wrist rather painfully and pulling me to him. “Things are different now, don’t you see? Have you thought even for a second about the risk you were running head first into, you and the baby? You could have been severely injured or even killed out there!” he spat, screaming within inches of my face. “You did not even take the time to know your adversary before you jumped into the fight; you’re worse than a Griffyndor!”

“Severus… Severus!” I yelled, trying to cover his voice and make him listen to me. “You are holding me too tight! Stop it! You are hurting me!”

He finally released my wrist and looked at the red marks that were, once more, the sad testimony of an anger he did not control well. It was the first and last time Severus and I quarrelled with me fearing that he might actually hit me. I think he felt it, for my fear shook him enough to stop screaming and let go of me. The fury still pulsated sinisterly into his eyes, but he forced himself to settle down and breathe normally. In return, I kept looking at him with a mix of disbelief and fear on my features, being too shocked yet to shed a tear.

A discreet cough in the corner of the room behind me broke the tension-filled silence and took me completely by surprise. Turning back, I found myself standing in front of an older version of Severus. He was tall, too, and had the same large shoulders, yet an even sturdier frame. His masculine face was framed with a mane of short black hair freckled with white. It also had strong and determined features: his jaw was strong and squared, his lips were a bit fuller, his nose had the same recognizable lines, though its angle was a bit different. I guessed it was probably the result of past fractures. That face definitely betrayed the wizard’s bad habits; his cheeks, which had probably been as gaunt as his vast forehead in a distant past, were flushed with a very contrasting shade of red. As for the eyes… they captured mine and literally held them prisoner. They were of a very dark shade of maroon and shone with intelligence, authority and… interest.

“Did I not made it clear that I wanted you out of here?” snapped Severus, addressing him in a voice that vibrated with anger, defiance and a touch of dread.

“You did, Severus,” he calmly but firmly replied, “but just as I was heading to the door, I heard the lady here coming back and I thought I would stay and make her acquaintance.”

“Fine,” grumbled Severus. “Antanasia, this is my father, Marcus Snape. Father, Antanasia.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Antanasia,” said the wizard, holding out his large hand, which gave me a surprisingly warm touch. “When Severus Flooed me at work today, I was hoping you and I would be introduced at last…”

“The pleasure is mine,” I politely replied, trying to adjust my behaviour to what I assumed were Severus’ expectations and wishes.

“Well… from what I heard, I will be a grandfather soon,” he declared, obviously eager to get the conversation going.

“Yes, at the end of May,” I confirmed, putting a hand instinctively over my belly, which still did not betray the baby’s presence.

“Only by blood, father,” retorted Severus defensively. “Only by blood.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” snapped his father in the same tone.

“That as long as I shall live, I will let you nowhere near my children. Do I really have to illustrate why?”

“It would rather be reckless to do so, Severus,” he gruffly replied, his eyes shining with threatening anger.

He started walking towards the door, apparently willing to let the conversation end in that awkward manner. I looked at Severus; he had already turned his back to the door and was walking towards his desk.

“Mister Snape!” I suddenly said, just as he was stepping into the corridor. “I have not had the chance to thank you for what you did. Your help was greatly appreciated; it made a big difference during the fight. You have my gratitude,” I added, putting a caring hand on his arm.

He plunged his eyes in mine for a few seconds and they felt warm, for a change. His hand covered mine for an instant and gently removed it from his arm.

“Really, the pleasure was mine, Antanasia,” he said, before he turned to Severus. “Had things been different, however, you would not have needed my personal help at all! Nevertheless, shall you need it again… you know where to find me. Good evening.”

Without a word, Severus packed a few bottles of potion that were on his desk and he handed them to me. He then pointed the fireplace with his chin and motioned me to walk into it.

“Poppy gave me a few potions that should take care of the burns and their side-effects,” he explained, handing me the Floo powder bowl. “They are properly labelled, I trust you will know how to use them; try not to let Lupin mess them up too much. Take your time; I will be here when you come back. You are supposed to feed on me tonight.”

Some unpleasant replies came to me, but I shut them up and simply nodded my understanding. Remus had taken care of my friends’ wounds as promised when I arrived: their cuts were disinfected and their strained articulations were being cooled off with ice. Poppy’s potions were indeed very useful and my friends soon regained better levels of consciousness. They told me how the cainite hunters followed them to their flat and waited until morning had well settled in to capture them directly in their coffins, breaking through their numerous protective spells. They brought them to a house in the London suburbs and tortured and tormented them for a while before they put them under the dome to finish them off with a deadly burn. After we magically clouded the sky, however, they got impatient and started executing their prisoners using a different method. They were about to shoot a stake through Marcela’s heart when we reached them. Had we flown inside a few minutes later, we would have arrived too late.

Severus had tossed a Draught of Peace into the bag along with the other potions, so I gave them both a fair dose and they soon drifted off in a blissful sleep. Just before I left the Headquarters, Tonks stuck her head through the fireplace and informed us that the cainite hunters had been captured and imprisoned. Marcela and Niculaie would have to be interrogated the following night, but they already had enough evidence to press charges against the group.

Remus expressed his worries about the occasional frowns he read on my face, but stopped asking questions when he realised I was obviously lingering at the Headquarters, finding excuses to stay always a bit longer. Later in the evening, he informed me that Emmeline Vance would make the proper arrangements to have the two warrior’s bodies repatriated to Russia, and she was also supposed to retrieve their four coffins at their flat on her way to Grimmauld Place. The Order’s wonderful organization for the emergency situations like these made me leave the Headquarters with a calmer mind… well… at least where that part of my preoccupations was concerned.

I gave Remus a long and tender hug in front of the fireplace before I left, and thanked him countless times for the invaluable help he gave us. We agreed that I would come back the following evening to check on my friends and he promised he would contact me if anything changed in their condition.

When I walked out of our office’s fireplace, it was well past ten in the evening and I still felt a knot in my stomach. I had no idea what mood would be displayed on Severus’ features… or in his gestures, and it worried me. He was sitting by the fire and was bent in a strange angle over his armrest, a position that was very unusual. In front of him, a plate had replaced the chessboard on the low table. In it, I saw the remains of a lonely meal. His eyes were filled with sadness and quite a fair level of exhaustion when they set on mine.

“How are they?” he asked with his deep voice, while I cautiously sat in front of him.

“Both have third-degree burns on their upper body in areas that were not covered by their night robes,” I slowly replied, feeling the exhaustion of my hectic day catching up with me at long last. “Therefore, Niculaie is more severely burned than Marcela; he went to his coffin wearing only pyjama pants. They also suffered several cuts, bruises and strains, but Remus took care of that amazingly well. They should be almost recovered at Christmas; the burns will heal well with Poppy’s potions.”

“What happened? Who captured them?”

I told Severus about the chain of events that my friends had reported and I saw him become visibly more relaxed, once he was reassured that the Dark Lord was probably not behind the attack. Rising to his feet, he took his plate and announced he would go to the Headmaster’s office and inform him of what had happened. He put a hand on my shoulder when he walked next to me and I stiffened slightly at his touch, which sent a stinging pain through his heart, or so I felt.

After he was gone, I took a long relaxing shower and put on a night robe, a thing I had rarely used since we had finally got back together in Romania. I just felt the need to protect myself… to cuddle in a safe place and let go of all my accumulated tension. When Severus came back in the bedroom, I was curled up in my coffin with both my hands tenderly placed around my belly. I heard him remove his clothes in silence and he soon lay beside me. He made no attempt to touch me again despite an obvious craving to do so, and I kept my back turned to him.

“When I found your note, Antanasia, I thought my heart would stop and never beat again,” he slowly began, in a low voice that did not have the slightest trace of anger. “I would have dropped everything and came to find you, but I had no idea where you were, and to be honest… I was scared to death that something would happen to you or the baby...”

“Was that a reason to scream and hurt me like you did?” I replied, rather harshly.

“No… of course, not. It was not voluntary, Antanasia, I just lost control. I am always on edge when my father is around… I lost it. I apologize.”

“To be honest, Severus, you scared me to death, too,” I replied, turning to my other side and plunging merciless eyes into his. “The wizard I had in front of me was not the Severus I know. And I do not want to ever see him again, nor do I want our daughter to see him either.”

“Antanasia, I would never hurt you, you know that!” he pleaded, his eyes glittering with alarm at my painful warning. “On the contrary! I wish I could take all your pain on me! I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you…”

“You will have to, because many things will happen to me,” I argued, feeling already a bit more softened by his sincerity. “You cannot protect me from everything, just as I cannot give you the same in return. Do not take so much on your shoulders; no wonder you are so tense and easily lose your temper!”

“Forgive me… it will never happen again, I promise,” he intervened, in a very grave tone that gave me my lover back, at last.

“I love you, Severus… the last thing I want to do is blame you tonight. I just want things to be clear, but I do not want us to dwell on the subject. That being said, you did protect me the best you could out there,” I said, reaching for his face and running a caring hand through his hair. “You were amazing! You master Possessimency far better than you thought; I am sure that your father was greatly impressed!”

“If he was, he did not show it very much… but he still told me a ‘well done, son’ that I have rarely heard in my life.”

“It must have been difficult to contact him…” I empathically commented.

“It was worth it. That is all that matters,” he softly concluded.

He held out his arms and I cuddled against him spontaneously and with ease, feeling incredibly relieved to find in there the warmth and comfort I was looking for. I meant to embrace his chest and lean on top of him, but he winced and recoiled slightly from my body.

“Are you hurt, my love?” I asked, aiming for the upper buttons of his robe.

“A little,” he admitted, stopping my hands from opening his shirt nevertheless. “You fell on something, at a certain point…”

“A glass coffee table!”

“Ah, that explains the cuts.”

“You cut yourself? Deeply?” I anxiously asked.

“Just a few cuts on my arms and side… they are nothing, really. They just needed to be disinfected; I did not even have magical work done on them. The cracked rib was another story, but Poppy mended it well; it will just be a little sore for the next few days, she said.”

Biting my lip, I lifted his robe slightly and saw a large bruise on his right side, exactly where the table’s wooden frame had hit me. Just below, I also saw a long superficial burn; I deduced it was the final spell that had barely touched me. It explained the matching tear in my robes…

“Is there any way you can give me back some of these injuries?” I said, caressing him with my most tender glance.

“I beg your pardon?” he exclaimed, giving me a superior but taunting sneer. “I worked hard to get them! They are mine; no sharing.”

We argued for a few minutes about his proposition to have me feed on him after such a trying day, but the atmosphere was notably more relaxed. I finally gave in to his insistence and locked my lips on the side of his neck, being careful not to put any weight on his sore chest. He stroked my hair, back and belly amorously while I drank, and murmured tender words in my ear that told me just how much he treasured the both of us. When we fell asleep, both exhausted but holding each other close, nothing came between us… not even some useless layers of fabric.

~*~

AUTHOR’S NOTES

As always, thanks for your patience! And remember... reviewing will not hurt you, I promise! Why don\'t you give it a try? ;o)