Another Dark Star

A/N: Sorry for the long wait between chapters. I think the muse is sad that this story is drawing to a close soon,and it trying to make it last as long as she can. ;) If you love this story as much as I do,please drop me a review. I do so love to see who is reading,and why you like it! It saddens me to see so many people read, and I get so few reviews. Empty inbox does not a happy author make!


Chapter 58

Severus Snape was worried. No, more than worried, fearful! Last week, Potter had nearly been caught at the home of that weirdo, Xeno Lovegood. Then Hagrid was arrested for throwing Potter Parties; a stupid thing to do and leaving him without a safe but cruel seeming punishment for rule breakers. Had the fool no idea how vital he was in protecting the students? Now his Mark was burning and he could feel it; the Dark Lord was returning to Britain. Snape only hoped, prayed, that it was not because of Potter. One of his friends maybe, but surely Potter had more sense than to be caught so soon?

This was enough. He left his office and entered the private rooms he shared with his family. The children were asleep in the nursery and Winky was working on repairing Hadrian’s trousers. The boy must have torn them during play.

“Sadira, pack everything, you must take the children back to Spinners End tonight.” He told his alarmed wife in a deathly serious tone.

“What? But why? No! I don’t want to leave you.” She protested.

“Winky, pack all the clothes and personal effects and begin returning them to Spinners End immediately.” He ordered, ignoring his wife’s protests.

“Severus, what is going one?” she said tugging at his sleeve to grab his attention.

“The Mark. It burns, HE is returning and I have no idea where to or why. Please do not argue. I want you all away and safe, just in case.” He pleaded.

“But, what will you do without us?” she complained weakly.

“I will follow when you are clear, and place a Fidelius Charm over the house. The battle will be fought here and I will have you as far as possible. Should we lose the battle, or my true allegiance be discovered...” he trailed off .They both knew what would happen then. Tears welled in Sadira’s eyes.

“I don’t want to leave you!” she whimpered. “I don’t want to lose you, you’re my everything.” She sobbed, unable to hold her tears as she grasped his robes weakly. She was afraid, and she knew that she couldn’t help him.

“I will return to you my love, believe in me. Oh, you have given me so much to live for. How could I possibly give that up so lightly? I fight for you Love, and our children. Help me do this, help me keep them safe. Knowing you are away from harm will help me focus on keeping safe enough to return to you.” He assured her, pulling her into a firm embrace, resting his chin on her head and inhaling once again the smell of Honeysuckle and Roses; the scent of love to him for ever more.

She turned her face to gaze into his obsidian eyes for what she feared may be the last time. He traced the track of her tears, down her cheek and cupped her face lightly, drawing close for a soft and bittersweet kiss, full of promises, expressing what they daren’t voice in words. His hands stroked softly over the outline of her robes, soothing her troubled mind. When he broke apart from her, he looked as though he were about to say something, but thought better of it. He could feel the Dark Mark burn with the Dark Lord’s fury and felt no pity for the followers who had summoned Him and were subsequently being punished.

“Now Love. Quickly, He is coming, very soon.” Severus urged. Sadie nodded and rushed to the nursery to move the children.

While alone, he summoned the remains of his personal life from his office: the silver photo frame on his desk, toys Hadrian had left about, Sadira’s blanket from the chair opposite his desk. These he shrank and gave to Winky, to return with the clothes, books, toys and myriad evidence of the family he adored. Once again the Headmaster’s office was the bare, impersonal space of a solitary man.

Sadira returned with Isabella asleep in her arms and a tired and grumpy looking Hadrian shuffling beside her in his pyjamas and duck slippers, rubbing the sleep from his dark eyes.

“Hold tight to me Love.” Snape whispered, gathering Hadrian into his arms and pressing close to his wife and daughter.

He placed one arm around them all and carefully Apparated the whole family from his office to the sitting room of the small house in Spinners End. Winky had lit the lamps and there was a small fire in the grate already. Winky was still going about her work, unpacking the various boxes. Sadie put the children in their respective beds, and returned to find Severus finishing the Fidelius charm.

“You will be Secret Keeper.” He insisted waving his wand over her in complicated gestures and muttering an incantation she had never heard before.

“Please Love, be careful.” She urged, clinging to him once more.

“I will Sadira, I promise.” He replied. He knew he had to move quickly. The Dark Lord would soon be at Hogwarts.

“I love you Severus Snape.” she sniffed, smiling through her tears.

“I love you too Sadira. Always.” He assured her, kissing her quickly but ardently before Apparating to the gates at Hogwarts.

As Snape glided beside his ‘master’ toward the castle, his scheming mind worked furiously to work out why the Dark Lord was at Hogwarts now. He has been told nothing and the Dark Lord then summarily dismissed him, ordering him back to the castle and going off on his own. This didn’t bode well, Snape could feel something, he just couldn’t put his finger on what. By the time Snape was at the castle, he heard a loud crack, and the crumbling sound of rubble. His sallow features paled as he prayed that sound didn’t mean what he thought it did.

Sadira woke late next day. Her hair was like rats tails stuck into a birds nest and her face streaked with tears, and she was still in yesterday’s robes. She had cried herself to sleep in worry and frustration. She was a qualified Auror, she was tough, she knew the Dark Arts, she was fast and Severus had taught her much of her skills himself. She should have been there with him. But she had given up on the exciting and dangerous life in order to give Severus what he so desperately craved; a family who loved him. She could not find it in her to regret having the children so soon after marriage. And though the thought chilled her, she knew there was a chance that soon the children would be all she had left of her darling husband.

Shaking such brooding thoughts from her head, she stripped out of her rumpled robes, brushed her unruly curls and got into the shower, washing the tears and fears away, fresh for the day. As she was no longer around other wizarding folk, she had no need to wear robes all the time, and she found she had no desire to; plaiting her long hair into one simple braid and putting on jeans and a long-sleeved grey t-shirt; the washed out, drab colour suiting her feelings well.

When she came down for breakfast, the grandmother clock in the sitting room read eleven o’clock. Winky had already woken, dressed and fed the children. Hadrian was dressed in dark denim dungarees and a striped t-shirt, playing with his favourite train set. Isabella was lying on the floor on a soft tartan woven wool blanket, dressed in a simple cream cotton jersey dress and booties with a hand knitted cardigan in soft mint.

Sadira thanked Winky for her foresight in dealing with the children, and her kindness in allowing her to sleep in. The poor elf blushed rosily against her white embroidered and lace trimmed pillowcase. Winky had insisted in not wearing clothes now she was bound, but Sadie had insisted that Winky should have something nice at least, and had presented the bashful elf with a selection of hand embellished and beautiful (if slightly too worn to use) pillowcases that Delilah Prewett had been given years ago as a wedding gift.

Sadie sat at the kitchen table, inhaling the soothing and wakening scent of Bergamot drifting up from her cup of Earl Grey. The scent was always comforting to her, the smell of warmth and comfort; of home. Every sip seemed to strengthen her resolve. She finished the toast Winky had left for her and took the rest of the pot into the sitting room, browsing Severus’ collection once more. She was now a woman on a mission, and once she got the bloody wards off Severus’ lab, she would not sit idly by and let others fight this war alone.