The Way Back Home

WL1031: Here’s chapter 7!

Jade: Enjoy! And a big thanks to our reviewers! It’s really appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don’t own it. Only the story line and the characters that you don’t recognize are mine. Everything else—the main characters and the Harry Potter Universe is the fabulous brainchild of J.K. Rowling and her publishing company friends.

Second disclaimer: The song that Zeporiap sings, “Cuando Te Beso” was written and composed by Juan Luis Guerra with Musicos 440. All copyrights belong to Sony Music and their friends.


The Way Back Home
Chapter 7: A Breakthrough, Roommates, and Consequences


After setting the wards to his private rooms with a wave of his hand, Severus headed for his bedroom. Placing the sleeping woman on his bed, he stood back and thought about whether he should leave her in her clothes to sleep. He thought about if the idea of letting her sleep in her clothes would be too bothersome or if he should make her comfortable—his evil dark side argued to remove all of her clothes, saying that being naked would make her very comfortable. Severus, for once, shoved his dark nature aside for the sake of the sleeping woman’s modesty.

Moving forward, he removed her shoes, taking care not to jostle her too much. Thinking that she would be fine, turned and made began to make his way into the living room. He was almost to his comfy chair before the fire when he remembered that she needed a Dreamless Sleep Potion. Damn, now I’ve got to wake her. he thought, turning back towards his bed. Quickly grabbing a small vial of the potion from his personal stores, he stepped forward and lightly placed his hand on Zeporiap’s shoulder. He had barely even touched her when her eyelids fluttered open. She moaned and opened her eyes wider.

“Where am I?” Zeporiap asked. She looked around, noticing the dark interior décor of the room. She saw the furnishings similar to her room, except that it wasn’t her room. It felt cooler—much cooler than hers ever was—and the room gave off a decidedly masculine vibe. She moved her eyes to the man standing next to the bed, a questioning look on her face.

“Zeporiap, you are in my rooms.” Severus explained quietly. “After what happened in the hallway, I didn’t think that it would be a good idea to put you back into your room. Even though there was a protective ward that kept you safe inside your room, I felt that you should be placed elsewhere in the castle.”

“I’m not really following what you’re saying. I had a protective ward around my room?” Zeporiap was confused. She shook her head. “My room kept me safe—from who?”

Severus looked down into Zeporiap’s frightened eyes. “The wards around your room, as well as the staircase that led up to your room, kept you safe from harm. It allowed for no one to enter except myself or an approved house elf because I felt that you needed the extra protection.” His eyes grew angry, his body unconsciously readying itself to attack. “But, now…”

“But, now I am not safe?” Zeporiap queried.

“No, you are not safe because there are those that wish to do you harm.” Zeporiap laughed bitterly at that last remark.

“I never in a million years expected to have something like this happen to me. I’ve never hurt anybody in my life, always being the mothering type to the few friends that I had.” Tears brimmed in her silver eyes. “I only wished for some excitement in the sorry life that I had back home and what do I get: A man and his friends coming into my house and I was raped. I WAS RAPED! No man ever looked at me twice or gave me the time of day and now I’m ruined beyond repair!” Zeporiap wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop her body from shaking. “I came here by some unknown force of nature thinking that I would be protected and now somebody is trying to get me again—I’m constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering if that man is going to come back and finish off what he started.” Zeporiap’s shoulders began to heave with the effort to keep herself from going into a hysterical fit: she was trying to keep herself from breaking down.

Severus looked down at the woman pouring her heart out. Her face was stained with her tears, crying out all of the grief she held inside. Her body shook with frustration and pain, the two emotions battling for precedence in her soul. Her voice was strained from the screams she let loose, the words now coming out in nothing more than sobs, so deep was the ache. To any other person, the emotional scene that Severus was witnessing would be nothing more than a hysterical fit—a temper tantrum. But, Severus was not like other people. He knew what pain was—that deep emotional pain that one felt when nothing else could be felt. He knew what that kind of pain was because he had experienced it. He knew everything about the deep, gnawing frustration; the hot burning and breaking inside the soul that forced the body to shake in response: he knew how it felt to be broken and have your life shattered by a single devastating event. He knew because he had been the cause of it for many—he had been the cause of it for himself when he finally realized what he was doing.

So, Severus did what had been done for him a long time ago. He did what was done for him when he came to Dumbledore tired and weary, when he was broken.

He walked to the broken woman and put his arms around her.

She took what he offered and clung to him in acceptance.

Zeporiap held onto Severus until she could not release anything else: no tears, no screams, or emotions. He didn’t break the contact until her body stopped shivering and shaking; until her voice was too hoarse to say anything else; until she was virtually numb of all feelings. He stroked his hands in her hair and across her shoulders, easing the hurt that was all too familiar to him He held onto her so long that he could feel the pain leaving her body; leaving her body weary and completely exhausted.

Zeporiap leaned her head against Severus’s strong chest. She breathed in the strange spicy scent that was him and relaxed. She listened to his heart beat, calmed by the strong beat sounding in her ear. She took a deep breath, expelling the pain and grief from her tired body. The strong hands continued to caress her hair.

“Are you feeling better now?” Severus’s voice rumbled into her mind. She smiled tiredly and nodded against his chest.

“I feel a little bit better. The hurt is still there, but it was good to release my frustration.” She breathed deeply again. “I only hope that I didn’t look like a crazy woman to you. I don’t normally act like this but…”

“There is nothing wrong with letting your emotions out. It has to be done from time to time—it’s what keeps most of us sane.” He threaded his fingers through her hair again. “You needed to do it more than others; now was the time for it to happen. So, no; I don’t think that you’re crazy.” Severus stepped back from the woman, putting some space between theme loe looked down into her eyes and felt something as he looked at her. He couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was, but it was not a feeling he was used to.

Still, the unnamed emotion that he was feeling was drawing him to her. He wanted to explore it until all of his questions were answered; delve into the emotion until it was taking him over; until—Severus stopped his mind right there. He could fill the darkness in him taking him over, wanting to seek oue ane answers and take them until there was nothing left to take. Looking at the woman did strange things to him—it set him off balance—putting him on a path that he didn’t need to step on. Whether it was a physical desire that he was feeling or an emotional connection, he couldn’t be sure. What ever it was, he didn’t want to deal with it—at least not right now. He exhaled the breath he had been holding and stepped back. He needed to get away from her for a while to clear his mind.

Zeporiap, on the other hand, felt a jolt of energy run through her body when she looked into his eyes. She felt it all the way down to her toes, trickling into her very being. There was something about this dark man that was drawing her closer to him. It was reeling her in, forcing her to move in his direction, making her want to literally crawl inside his soul. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her mind down. Maybe I’m still feeling the effects of my emotional storm. She said that thought so manmes mes over in her mind that she convinced herself that the jolt she felt was just that: an emotional aftershock.

Still, she didn’t want to fool herself into thinking that what she felt was something else. She could feel some kind of connection forming with this man but she didn’t understand it. But, she was too tired to try and sort her feelings out—the best thing to do at the moment was to move away from him and put some space between them. She exhaled the breath that she had been holding and broke the contact from his gaze.

“I think that I will try to sleep.” Zeporiap said, looking down at her hands. “But, I don’t have anything to wear and I can’t go up to my room to get something.”

“I will give you something to sleep in—it is most uncomfortable to sleep in your clothes.” He turned and went into a closet. He came back a moment later with a long-sleeved, button-down white shirt. “You can change in the bathroom.” Zeporiap nodded and jumped down from the bed. She quickly headed into the bathroom to change.

Waiting in the other room, Severus sat before the fire in his comfortable chair. He tried to read a little bit from his monthly subscription of Potion’s Digest but he just couldn’t focus. All he could think about was how Zeporiap would look in his shirt, her little frame shrouded in the linen material. He wondered how it would feel to run his hands over her body, feeling jealous over the shirt that would be touching her skin. He shook his head and turned back to the article, forcing his mind to focus on something else.



Standing in front of the mirror, Zeporiap looked at her reflection. She saw a tired and completely worn-out girl staring back at her, a sad look hovering about her eyes. Her hair curled wildly about her head, completely looking disheveled. Sighing, Zeporiap splashed cold water on her face and rinsed out her mouth, and then dried her face on a black towel hanging on the warming rack next to the sink.

Stepping back from the sink, she began to undress. She pulled her shirt over her head and then unbuttoned her jeans, rolling them down her hips and to the floor. She took off her socks, throwing them on the pile of growing clothes. Sighing, she picked up the white shirt. She contemplated it for a good five minutes before undoing the buttons. As she slid the shirt over her body she felt a strange sense of safety surround her. However, her mind was too tired to even think about analyzing those feelings. Quickly fastening the buttons, she left the bathroom.

Coming into the bedroom, she didn’t see a sign of Severus anywhere. She could feel his presence in the general area, so she knew that he had not left. ¿Dónde está él? she thought. He couldn’t have gone far. Moving to the door of the living room, she found him.

“Severus?” He turned to look at her. “I’m ready to go to bed. I can sleep on the couch, if that is okay with you.”

Severus looked up at the sound of her voice. He turned to find her standing in the door way to his bedroom, with an expectant look on her face. She was tired, but she was still beautiful. And she’s wearing your shirt fabulously, I might add, his dark side put in. Severus couldn’t argue there—she looked damn good in his shirt. He liked the way that it contrasted against her skin, and his fingers itched to feel the fabric under them. He moved his eyes down to the hem of the shirt which stopped just short of her knees. The top buttons were open to show more smooth skin, giving him a view of the tops of her breasts. He wanted to—Severus shook his head. It wouldn’t be right to go there with her; he didn’t think that she would be able to put her fears aside to be with a man again. He stood up from his chair and walked slowly towards her.

“You may sleep in my bed. I can find another place to sleep.”

“Are you sure? I can take the couch; it wouldn’t be fair for me to take your bed over like this. These are your rooms and—”

“No, I will be fine. I’ve slept on my couch before so it is not too much of a big deal.” He motioned for her to go into the bedroom.

Zeporiap relented and turned towards the big bed. “Well, alright. That doesn’t mean I won’t feel bad about it.” She hopped up onto the bed and sat back near the pillows. She looked shyly down at her hands again, then back up at him. Tears brimmed in her eyes again. “Muchas Gracias, Severus. I don’t know what I would have done or what would have happened to me if—if you weren’t there.”

Severus leaned forward and wiped the tears from her cheeks. It was killing him to see her cry. “Shh, you’re fine now. Just lie back and tryrestrest. I want you to take this potion because it will ease your mind and help your to sleep better. It’s a Dreamless Sleep Potion and it will allow you to sleep without dreaming.”

Zeporiap took the small glass vial from his hand and drank it down. She settled herself under the black silk sheets, turning on her side to face him. “Will you stay here just until I fall asleep, ¿por favor? Can you hold me just until I fall asleep?”

She looked so downtrodden that Severus could not say no. He nodded and walked around the bed to the other side. “I will stay just until you fall asleep.” With a wave of his hand, he had removed his shoes, outer robes and suit—all which was replaced by a pair of black silk pajama pants, resting low on his hips. He climbed into the bed and pulled her into his arms. He lay on his back as she got comfortable next to him, laying head on his chest. She listened to his heart beat, the solid rhythm lulling her off to a peaceful sleep.

Severus also found comfort with Zeporiap next to him. In the past, whenever he had a woman in bed it was for sex—hot and sweaty jungle-sex that brought a physical release. But, this was different—it was just one person comforting another—something that he’d never done before. Severus looked down at the woman in his arms and found her sleeping with a smile on her face. He couldn’t help but feel peaceful, and for once the demons clawing at his soul were quiet. And with the demons quieted, he knew that he would only find that calm place with this woman in his arms.

He closed his eyes and slept peacefully for the first time in a long time.


Several floors up and several hours later in the Gryffindor Tower, Harry and Ron sat down on the comfy couches in the common room. Ginny and Hermoine weren’t down from their rooms yet, so they decided to play a game of Wizard’s Chess to start the day off.

“Thank Merlin it’s Saturday.” Ron said stretching. “That was a long week and the homework was piling up with each class.” He frowned. “I just hope that I’ll be able to get it done with the Quidditch practices starting today.”

Harry smiled at his friend. “Yeah, it was a crazy week, especially with what happened last night. I wonder what Dumbledore is going to do with Malfoy and Zabini.”

“I know what you mean, mate. And what was up with Snape’s eyes? I’ve seen him completely pissed off, but I’ve never seen his eyes looking like that!” At that moment, Ginny and Hermoine came downstairs.

“I was wondering about that myself. Hermoine and I were just talking about that upstairs.” Ginny said thoughtfully as she sat down on the arm of Harry’s chair. “It was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen and now I’m wondering what’s going on with him.” Hermoine agreed, sitting down next to Ron on the couch.

“I’ve read about this exact thing in the library. One of the books was saying that magical power can be seen in the eyes, often reflecting a latent magical ability that has yet to be acknowledged. Sometimes, this magical ability can be hidden until times of great distress and reveals itself with startling results. Other times, it comes out when a person with this ability sees his or her soul mate in danger.”

Ginny’s mouth dropped open. Everyone fell silent for a moment, mulling over their thoughts. Then Harry, Ginny, Hermoine, and Ron all spoke at once.

“Do you think that—”

“Maybe Snape has—”

“Could Zeporiap be—”

“I think it could be—”

The group fell silent again. They were quiet for a few more seconds before Harry let out a breath. He looked around at the others.

“Do you think that Snape has some kind of latent magical ability? Could it be possible that Zeporiap is his soul mate?” The others looked just as flabbergasted. Hermoine gathered her senses first.

“I think it might be true on both counts.” She confirmed.

“Remember that day when Zeporiap came to Hogwart’s. She came from the sky—that’s got to be something right there.” Ginny put in. “When she came onto the shore she looked like she had been in some kind of dangerous situation—”

“And her eyes were glowing!” Ron finished. “That has to mean that she has some kind of ability she doesn’t know about.” He leaned forward in his seat. “It might be true then that they both have some kind of magic within them. Should we tell Dumbledore?”

“If we do, I think we should wait until he tells us about it.” Harry said. “If we go to him he might start asking all kinds of questions, totally avoiding what we were trying to inform him about. And what if he hasn’t even told them about it yet?”

“Told them about what?” Neville Longbottom said. The group sprung apart and leaped into silence.

“Oh it’s nothing, Neville. We’re just talking about something for Potions class.” Ginny said calmly. Neville looked suspicious even though they were talking about something to do with Snape. “It was just about something going on in my class level that I was talking about with the Harry, Hermoine, and my brother. I was asking them advice about how to handle the situation.”

Neville nodded, still looking suspicious—although now he had a concerned look on his face. “Well, I hope that you work it out Ginny. I hope it’s not too bad. Well, I’m off to breakfast, see you all later.”

They waited until the portrait hole closed to talk again. They agreed to find Zeporiap and check up on her at breakfast.

They forgot about their quest to check up on their friend when the owl post arrived with a letter from the Headmaster.

Zeporiap opened her eyes. She felt refreshed, emotionally drained, and… very warm. The warmth was surrounding her and it was good. It was cocooning her body, making her feel like she was in the safest place in the world. Then she remembered last night. The feelings of fear and panic at being kidnapped again, the emotional tidal wave, and crying in Severus’s arms. Now she understood why she was so warm—her mind finally registered that someone’s arms were wrapped around her, protecting her in her sleep. She looked up, her eyes moving from the well-built chest, up into his eyes. She looked down shyly again, ducking her face down to his chest.

Severus tucked some of her curls behind her ear. He placed his finger under her chin and raised her face up to look in his eyes. They stared at each other for a few minutes, mentally reaching out to each other.

“Buenos Dias, Severus.”

“Good Morning, Zeporiap.”

Zeporiap bit her lip. “I hope that I wasn’t too much trouble. I don’t want to be a burden.”

Severus shook his head. “No, you were not. You’re no trouble at all.” A ghost of a smile floated around his mouth. “You’re the best burden that I’ve ever had.” Zeporiap smiled shyly. She opened her mouth to speak but a strange ruffling sound interrupted her, startling her. She turned her head and saw an owl waiting patiently on the side table with a letter tied to its leg. The black owl, turning its head from side to side, hopped onto the bed.

“Nemesis, not on the bed, girl.” Severus said sitting up. Zeporiap curled up on his side as he untied the letter from the owl’s dainty leg.

“Hoot.” Nemesis responded as she nestled down in the warm blankets. Zeporiap reached towards the owl intending to caress the owl’s glossy feathers.

“Watch out.” Severus warned her. “She doesn’t take well to strangers and might even try to peck you.”

Zeporiap looked disappointed and rested her hand in her lap. Nemesis surprised both Severus and Zeporiap when she hopped over, landing practically in Zeporiap’s lap. She ruffled her feathers and nestled down, closing her eyes. Severus looked on in an uncharacteristic display of shock.

“She never takes to strangers and she barely tolerates Dumbledore when he comes down here.” He stroked the owl’s feathers. “I think that she might accept you—she rarely does that for anyone, so she considers you worth it.”

Zeporiap smiled charmingly. “I hope that I am worth it to her—I’d like to stay friends with her.”

Opening the letter Severus scanned it quickly. He was frowning by the time he got to the end. “What’s wrong?” Zeporiap asked when she saw his face. Severus handed her the letter.


Severus and Zeporiap,

I hope this letter finds you both well. I have now reached a decision as to what to do with the two kidnappers, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. They will be serving a month’s long detention with Hagrid caring for the magical creatures kept on the grounds. On top of that, each Saturday and Sunday morning they will spend with Professor Sprout working in her greenhouses. If they skip out on either of their detentions or arrive tardy, they will lose 25 points each time, on top of the 150 points each taken from their house points.

Severus, I know that you probably had other plans to punish them, but this will have to do for the time being.

Now, as to Zeporiap’s room situation: Severus, I have decided to allow her to stay with you. She will be the safest under your protection. You may have her clothing and other personal belongings moved down to your quarters at your leisure. You may magic a spare room for her as I have set the wards of the castle to allow it.

If you have any complaints, come to my office.

Albus Dumbledore


Zeporiap put the letter down and turned to Severus. She looked at him frowning and placed a hand on his cheek, feeling the stubble along his jaw. “You do not mind?”

He shook his head. “No, I do not. I am just irritated at the minimal punishment doled out to the boys who tried to hurt you last night.”

Zeporiap sighed. “I am okay with it as long as I don’t have to deal with them again. I didn’t really see what they looked like, so it won’t be too much harm to have them around. Still, a nice beating with a drag over hot coals wouldn’t hurt.”

“Why my dear, I didn’t know you liked that type of thing.” Severus smiled a full smile this time—his dark side woke up and cheered at the idea of torturing someone—the smile lighted up his whole face, making him very attractive. He patted her hand.

“Come, it is time for breakfast. I will have some of your clothes here for you when you are done in the bathroom.” Zeporiap nodded and watched as the owl woke up and fluttered off of her lap.

Severus, in the bathroom, quickly washed, shaved and dressed. He came out of the bathroom to find Zeporiap making the bed. She settled the pillows, tucked in the sheets, and flattened out the creases with her hands. Her movements were graceful and she sang softly.

Cuando te beso
todo un océano me corre por las venas
nacen flores en mi cuerpo cual jardín
y me abonas y me podas soy feliz
y sobre mi lengua se desviste un ruiseñor
y entre sus alitas nos amamos sin pudor
cuando me besas
un premio nóbel le regalas a mi boca.

Cuando te beso
te abres y cierras como ala de mariposa
y bautiza tu saliva mi ilusión
y me muerdos hasta el fondo la razón
y gemido se desnuda y sale de tu voz
le sigo los pasos y me dobla el corazón
cuando me besas
se prenden todas las estrellas en la aurora.

Y sobre mi lengua se desviste un ruiseñor
y entre sus alitas nos amamos sin pudor
cuando me besas
un premio nóbel le regalas a mi boca
cuando te beso
tiembla la luna sobre el río y se reboza.


Severus listened transfixed at the soft contralto of her voice—he’d never heard anything so soothing and beautiful. Although he didn’t understand a word of it, he enjoyed it. He sighed and stepped into the room.

Zeporiap turned around, hearing his sigh. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was making the bed.” She smiled. “I know that there are house elves that love to do this kind of stuff—and Tinky would cry if she saw me trying to make the bed—but, it helps me clear my mind for the day.” She fluffed one last pillow. “There, esta bíen. It is all finished. Just let me know when you’re ready to go to the Great Hall. I will be right out.”

Later, Severus guided Zeporiap upstairs. They made so many twists and turns, going down familiar and unfamiliar hallways, and around so many corners that Zeporiap asked for a map to get back to his rooms.

Entering through the faculty door, they made their way towards the table. Severus moved out Zeporiap’s chair for her to sit down, and then sat down himself. The owl post had just arrived and they swooped down around the room, delivering to various students.



Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermoine watched as the owls dropped identical letters in front of them. Looking around to make sure nobody was paying attention, they discretely read their messages knowing that it was from Dumbledore.

Misters Potter and Weaseley and Misses Weaseley and Granger,

I hope this letter finds you all well. I have now reached a decision as to what to do with the two kidnappers, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. They will be serving a month’s long detention with Hagrid caring for the magical creatures kept on the grounds. On top of that, each Saturday and Sunday morning they will spend with Professor Sprout working in her greenhouses. If they skip out on either of their detentions or arrive tardy, they will lose 25 points each time, on top of the 150 points each taken from their house points.

Professor Dumbledore

Harry dropped his letter into his lap. He shook his head. “I can’t believe that they didn’t get expelled. They should for what they were trying to do.” Ginny agreed, folding her letter nicely and placing it in her pocket.

“I think they should have gotten expelled, too. You just don’t do that to people: dragging them off into Merlin knows where for some kind of sick games.” She shuddered at the idea, thinking back to her own captivity a few years back.

“Yeah, those sodding bastards were completely crazy, sneaking around at night.” Ron fumed, a bit red in the face. “I bet they were just waiting for her to walk by so they could grab her.”

Hermoine folded her letter up and held it under the table. She pulled out her wand and carefully set it to burn, quickly disposing of the letter. She did the same for the others as well when they handed them to her. “But, think of the commotion it would have caused if they were expelled.” She said, putting the small fire out. “That would definitely put Malfoy Senior on alert and he’d be over here in an instant. Then what would happen?”

The others agreed, but they didn’t like it. Still, if the punishment kept Zeporiap safe, they would feel a little better about it. Looking to the head table, Harry made eye contact with Professor Dumbledore. He nodded to him, smiling a little bit when the elder man saluted him with his tea cup.

Things would be calm—at least for right now. They’d make sure of it.

_,’^’,_._,’^’,_._,’^’,_._,’^’,_._,’^_,’^_,’^’,_._,’^’,_._,’^’,_._,’^’,_._,’^’,_._,’^’,_._,’^’,_.


WL1031: *breathes a sigh of relief* That was a long chapter. I had a tough time writing this one—

Jade: *rolling her eyes* Why? You usually just write off the top of your head with little inputs here and there from me. What was so hard about it?

WL1031: *sighs* Well this one was tough because I was trying to portray Severus differently. The problem comes in because of Out-of-Character aspects. Like when he was with Zeporiap.

Jade: What’s the big deal with OCCness? It’s not like we know a lot about how he is in private. He could be just like you described him. The book doesn’t go into detail about his character on a private level. So, you’re fine.

WL1031: *mouth hanging open* *hugs Jade tightly* You’re so smart Jade! And you’re right: we don’t know!

Jade: Well, I am a muse. I just have one question for you, though.

WL1031: What\'s that, Jade?

Jade: \'Hot and sweaty jungle-sex\'? *tries to look innocent* *she fails* *smiles slyly* Why WL, I didn\'t know that you were getting it—

WL1031: *slams a hand over Jade\'s mouth* Shut up! *turns to the audience* Read and review people! Look out for Chapter 8 in the next day or so! *drags Jade offstage*


Translations:


¿Dónde está él?: Where is he?

Muchas Gracias: Thank you

¿por favor?: please?

Buenos Dias: Good Morning

esta bíen.: it’s good