The Love Of A Wizard

CHAPTER 36

Claudia saw Emma off at the airport the next morning and headed back to the hotel. She spent the day playing cards with the guys and watching movies. She felt so much more relaxed after her day with her friends she decided to go to bed early.
As she lay in bed, trying to invite sleep, she thought that it was nice to have a day with no wizards in it. In truth, she felt her own world was being swallowed whole into their own and someday she would regret it. It was also nice that Nick, at least, acted as if he forgave her. They won a wonderful game of Spades against Rod and Bones, who were the worlds worst cheaters. All in all it was a fantastic day, and Claudia let herself drift off to dreams of happiness.
But her dreams switched sometime into the night. She saw shapes of people reaching out to her and she as trying to run from them, but her feet were like glue. Everything was in slow motion as she tried to get away. From a distance, she heard her name being called. “Claudia…Claudia…Claudia…”
“Claudia.” Her eyes shot open. That voice was so real, it felt as if it was coming from right inside the room. She blinked again and her heart exploded at the silhouette of a man sitting in a chair next to her bed.
“Severus?” She whispered. He was sitting with his elbows on the bed and his head in his hands.
“Why did you do it?” He whispered in urgent tones. She couldn’t see his face in the dark, but his voice was hoarse and deep. She reached out to him but he pulled away. She sat up and covered herself with the bedding and answered him.
“I had to know.” He sat back in the chair and the moonlight shone on his face. He looked tired and a little older than she last saw him.
“What did you need to know?” He hissed.
“I had to know if you wanted me there.” She said trying to control the shaking in her voice.
“You could have died! The Dark Lord is powerful and he could have hurt you if he wasn’t so surprised at your being there in the first place. You must think!” The last part was delivered in a hoarse yell.
“Everyone keeps saying that I could have died. But I didn’t, did I?” She flared back at him.
“Why are you so hell bent on proving you’re so tough when everyone already knows it. You are acting stupid, and childish.” Severus shot at her.
“Stupid? Childish? Seriously, do you really want to start pointing fingers at who acts childish?” She snapped back at him feeling her temper rise .
“You have aligned yourself with the Dark Lord!” He said softer, but still urgently.
“No…I aligned myself with you.” Claudia whispered. Severus sat stunned for a moment and then dropped his head onto his chest. Claudia reached out, once again, for his hand and this time he allowed her to take it. “I love you Severus. I told you I would always be where you are.” She said with more love than even she realized. “I also believe you are on the side of good and it will come out…in the end.”
“What makes you think that?” He hissed, snatching his hand away. Claudia was momentarily stunned by this and pulled herself off the bed and stood over him with her hands on her hips.
“Because I feel it. Because you still love me. Why else would you be here?” She hissed in a very Snape like fashion.
“And how…do you know I really love you? Tell me, didn’t you once call this, “ He grabbed her amulet. “a mere magic trick? Perhaps…you were right about it after all.” He crooned. She snatched the amulet out of his hands and glared.
“What are you doing? Why do you keep trying to push me away? Why? Stop trying to save me Severus!” She didn’t mean to but she started to cry again. Somehow, she had allowed him to get to her once again.
“Alas my love…I have failed to save anyone…” He said softly as he crossed one ankle over his knee and rubbed his temples with his hands. She stood over him and realized with a sudden jolt of shock that Severus was crying and a single tear dropped from his eye and rolled, mournfully, down his cheek.
“Tell me about Lily Potter.” Claudia whispered. Somehow, she had something to do with Severus’s need to protect her. He sighed and dropped his hands into his lap.
“I tried to save her the night that…The Dark Lord repaid my faithful service by awarding me one request. I requested he spare Lily Potter’s life.” He was speaking now from a far away place full of bad memories and pain.
“Why did you? Did you love her?” Claudia asked. It wasn’t the idea that Severus had ever loved someone else. She knew that was something that was natural. But she had a problem with the idea that he STILL loved a woman who had been dead for over sixteen years.
“I…I thought she was strong. She was smart, top of her class, resourceful, talented. In all, everything you are. Something I could never have. I owed her for kindness given to me that I did not deserve…so long ago. I failed to save her. Rather, she could have lived, but she was strong until the last and died for her son.”
“She chose to die for her child. That is the most honorable death a person could hope for. I wouldn’t expect less from any mother.” Claudia said. He nodded.
“What about Dumbledore, Severus?” Claudia asked cautiously. Perhaps, if he came here ready to tell her some truth, she could get the truth about this as well. She waited, holding her breath, for his reply.
“That…you will learn soon. Suffice it to say, Dumbledore was old and aware of his…frailties.” He had that nasty glint in his eyes. It dawned on Claudia that Severus really did care about Dumbledore. And his anger showed more than he knew. It was his grief.
Claudia reached out and cupped his face in her hands. His eyes met hers. She pulled him onto the bed and he gave up all resistance.
“Tell me that you love me Severus…” She said in his ear as he gracefully disrobed. His mouth found hers and in between kisses, he whispered:
“You know that I do…” As his clothes were expertly peeled off, she saw his amulet glowing on his pale skin. She reached for hers still around her neck and saw, that for the first time in a long time, they both glowed pink.
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A/N: I\'ll leave the lemons to your imagination right now. They had a night of simple love-making. Let\'s just leave it at that. I am saving the blow-by-blow lemons for later. Please review!