FicWad

Severus opened the door cautiously, surprised to see that the lights were on. It was long after midnight and his exhaustion weighed heavily on him. He heard male voices and after a confused moment realized, with pained regret, that Potter and Weasley were present. They turned as the door clicked shut behind him, and he was treated also to the sight of Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley staring at him as apprehensively as though he were conducting a pop quiz.

"A Hogwarts reunion, perhaps? Is half the school present?" he sneered. He wished he could eat before sleeping, but did not want to linger with these pestilent creatures. Potter stood up, and had the gall to examine him closely.

The boy frowned and said abruptly, "There's some pizza left from dinner, Sir. Let me heat it up for you."

Severus blinked in surprise. His treacherous stomach rumbled. The mere thought of leftover pizza made him ravenous. "Thank you, Potter," he muttered ungraciously.

Harry turned to Weasley and they exchanged a thoughtful glance, after which Harry headed for the refrigerator and took out a familiar, flat cardboard box.

"It's late, girls, let's sort out the sleeping arrangements," Weasley said awkwardly.

He offered the girls Michael's vacant bedroom with the attached bathroom, and after the door close behind them, he headed for the third room. "G'night, Harry. G'night, Professor Snape," he muttered before he disappeared.

If Severus had not been so weary he would have had to wonder at the fact that the Weasley boy could actually be civil to him. He responded with a nod to him, removed his cloak and sank down on the wooden kitchen chair. He rubbed his temples, trying to ease the dull throb in his head. He noticed with faint amusement that the girls had stared Potter in surprise before they vanished into their room, but his mind was burdened with all that he had done and learned. He stared vacantly forward, starting slightly when Harry put a plate bearing hot, fragrant pizza before him. A glass of iced tea arrived next.

"I'll be off, Sir," Potter said quietly. "Good night."

"Wait, Potter..." Severus said stupidly. What had he been going to ask? "Zelda is here, isn't she?"

"Course she is, she went to bed hours ago. Hey, did you know she needs glasses to read sometimes?" he asked inconsequentially. "She's going to make us help her with the Muggle Studies thing tomorrow." Without another word he turned and followed Weasley into the bedroom.

Severus wolfed down his midnight feast and tossed back the iced tea without tasting it. Once his hunger was satisfied, the need for sleep became foremost. He was briefly free from his responsibilities, and entering their room, he sighed with pleasure to hear Zelda snoring gently. He had only enough energy left to throw off his clothing. He then fell into bed and drew her tightly against him.

"You're home," she breathed, still asleep. She kissed his neck, buried her face against him and relaxed.

A wave of bliss washed over Severus at her words. He buried his nose in her sweet-scented hair, wrapped his arm firmly around her waist and dropped off to sleep.


&&&&&&&&&&


When Zelda opened her eyes, she could tell it was later than usual, and she realized Severus was pressed up against her back, snoring into her hair. She wanted badly to wake him up, but controlled her breathing and lay completely still. He must have come in very late, she thought, and not knowing how long he could stay she wanted him to rest. Every cell in her body was aware of him, and she knew if she didn't get up she'd end up kissing him awake. So she slipped cautiously out from under his limp arm and headed for the bathroom.

The bathroom was shockingly decadent and she loved it. She began running water into the large bath and went to stand before the mirror. Same old crone, she thought ironically, knowing that Severus found her beautiful. But his loving nature could not conceal the toll that the years had taken. At times she longed to see the foolish, happy girl with the unlined face that she'd been so long ago. Stupid, she thought. She sneered at her reflection and then reluctantly chuckled, preparing for her bath.

Severus woke suddenly, having discovered in his sleep that something was missing. He felt disoriented and shockingly irritable when he realized that Zelda was unaccounted for. He rolled onto his back and gathered his thoughts, only then realizing that there was water running somewhere nearby. He stretched luxuriantly and smiled as he climbed out of bed, heading for the bathroom.

"Is this a private affair?" Severus hissed, leaning naked against the doorway with his arms folded across his chest.

Zelda had just washed her hair, and she jumped at the sound of his voice. The vision of sexiness she saw before her brought a delighted smile to her face. "Please join me," she purred. "I'll be happy to... scrub your back."

Severus could not take his eyes off her. He was in the bath and kissing her immediately, savoring the amazing feeling of the way she fit him so splendidly. "You are lovely, my Zelda. Every time I return it seems you are more beautiful."

She ran her fingers through his hair searchingly. "You didn't suffer a head injury, did you?" she asked ironically. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"You are disparaging the woman I love," he snapped. "You will cease at once."

The presence of her adored wizard was having the usual effect on Zelda. It was an intoxicating mix of giddy joy and raging lust. She put her arms around his neck, grinding her hips lightly against his. "Mmm... I missed you. You must've come back very late, but I don't remember. You look wonderful."

Severus remembered then, who had greeted him on his arrival. "Darling, I do not wish to criticize your choice of houseguests, but..." his voice trailed off mockingly.

"Who was there when you got back?" she asked quickly. "Did they behave themselves?"

"I hope there are only the four. You haven't started your own summer Gryffindor Academy, have you?"

"Would you prefer me to start a Slytherin Academy? If your House's students are as charming as these, I look forward to meeting them." As she spoke, Zelda shampooed his hair. "Hold still while I rinse," she said.

The lingering tension began to leave him as she rinsed his hair. Next she took a rough cloth and began scrubbing his skin, making him groan in contentment. "Must we face them immediately? I had other plans for the immediate future," he said, taking the cloth from her and rubbing it firmly over her back.

"I'm at your disposal," Zelda replied generously. "Let me get you a towel." She climbed out of the bath and wrapped herself in a towel before offering one to him.

"I would use my wand to dry you, but I like that your hair looks so wild when it dries in bed." He smirked, toweling her hair briskly.

"When I was young, I hated my hair," she mused. "I wanted long, straight hair like most girls had, but finally I got used to it."

"When I was young, I hated everything about myself," he said witheringly. "But enough of this. At times, beloved, you think too much," he muttered sternly. "Come with me."

"As you wish, Professor," she murmured, kissing his throat in passing.

He paused only to use his wand to seal the bedroom door against intruders. "Potter never fails to put his nose where it should not be," he said.

He tossed his towel aside, bringing a dazzled smile to his lover's face, and he pulled the towel away from her and scooped her into his arms. His black eyes glittered as he studied her face. She was so /real/, he mused, in a way that no one else was real to him. The laugh lines, which he knew she regretted, showed to him the fun and goodness in her. He kissed between her eyebrows on the frown crease which was nothing compared with the one on his own grim face.

"I still feel self-conscious, you know," Zelda said, blushing slightly. "No one ever looks at me like you do. I'd hate it, but you're actually the prince of self-consciousness and you can stand it when I look at you... So I'm getting used to it."

Severus lowered her to the bed, and if he had looked into a mirror at that moment he would have been hard put to recognize himself. The impassive mask was gone, and while his narrow lips only smiled faintly, his black eyes gleamed with desire.

Zelda sat up and wrapped her arms around his waist. She nuzzled the black hair on his belly and lowered her face to his enticing erection, glancing up at him briefly to savor his enjoyment.

He moaned at her touch, standing a moment longer, feeling his raging arousal until he could wait no longer and he flung himself on her. She laughed and began kissing him; teasing his lips open with her tongue and expertly making love to his mouth. His black hair fell forward over their faces and she slipped a hand into it and twisted it in her fist.

Their lovemaking was fierce, emotions roiled between them. Love, frustration, happiness, fear and anger all came together in a heady mix that demanded release. Afterward Severus allowed her to hold him protectively against herself, and for a short time he closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel safe.

Eventually he sighed and propped himself on one elbow. "What the bloody hell are those... students doing here?" he asked irritably.

Zelda's mouth twitched. "Harry needs to see you, my boy," she began, "and..."

"What do you mean, needs to see me?" he snapped, staring at her apprehensively.

She kissed his nose and said, "He's just a kid, isn't he?" Seeing his reluctant nod, she said, "I'm sure you don't want to hear this, but he's terrified, he feels completely alone since Dumbledore's gone, and I think he needs to reassure himself that you're on his side."

Her words struck a chord in him. Severus had lived with isolation for much of his life, and only Dumbledore's reassuring presence had kept him sane at times. But still... "What do you expect me to do for him?" he asked aggrievedly. "What the hell does he expect of me?"

"Just be here," she said soothingly. "Be your usual adorably nasty self with him. If you turned all nurturing I don't think he could cope with it any better than you. But I wonder if part of his fear is that you'll get yourself killed. Every time I see him he wants to know if you're okay."

He rolled his eyes resignedly. "What about the others? I realize that Potter must be physically attached to Weasley and Granger, but now we have his little girlfriend too?"

Her eyes reflected sudden concern. "She's here because I worry about what she'll do as this unfolds, Sev. It's no joke."

"What exactly do you mean?"

"I hardly know her, but what I've seen is a clever, determined teenage girl who'll make everyone's life miserable if she can't have her way, including Harry's life. I'd bet he really broke up with her because he knows she'll latch onto him and force his confidence." She looked seriously at him. "I think her presence in this is dangerous to Harry and to all of you."

"Have you said this to Molly?" he asked, suddenly worried about Zelda.

"Molly must not be worried about the girl, she's seeing to the Order. I promised Molly that when the attack comes Ginny can stay here, and I meant it," she murmured. "Now I have to see if there's any way she'll be willing to do it, instead of Apparating into a battle."

"I believe I prefer dealing with Death Eaters to another bloody teenage witch," he growled.

"Enough grim discussion," Zelda said with a mock frown. "I haven't had my coffee." She leaned forward and bit him firmly where his shoulder and neck met, sucking at his pale skin to mark it.

"Wretched brat," he snarled, grabbing her wrists and pinning them above her head with one hand. He straddled her, allowing her to see how much he enjoyed her struggles, then he kissed her mouth for a long, bruising time. He raised his head and stared a moment at her swollen lips and dazed eyes. "Lovely," he purred. Next he nipped a firm line of love bites down the side of her neck before biting firmly and marking her in the same spot she'd marked him. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated a Healing Charm on it, creating out of it a Slytherin 'S', which he spent a moment admiring.

Her struggles had created fresh heat between them, so he decided the world could wait a bit longer. He grasped a breast with his free hand, then applied his mouth to her nipple as he squeezed. When he realized she was no longer struggling he raised his eyes to hers.

"Do you wish to say something?" he said mockingly.

It was such fun, and she knew a protest would egg him on, so she said, "This is childish, Severus. Stop it at once."

His black eyes gleamed brilliantly. Without bothering to respond verbally, he attacked her mouth once more, and then proceeded to nip and suck and kiss every part of her that he could reach, letting go of her hands in the process. He concentrated hard upon her inner thigh, pausing for a long moment and smiling an evil smile.

That wicked, sexy smile made Zelda forget all about coffee. His warm breath between her legs was driving her mad. "Severus," she moaned, "Don't play with me."

"Who... is your daddy?" he purred, lightly kissing her.

"Mmm, you are, Sev," she gasped.

He climbed up her body and smiled into her eyes as he entered her. "My good girl," he said smugly, kissing her yet again.

Zelda dozed off afterward, but Severus realized they must make an appearance before the wretched young people. Her explanation of Potter's odd behavior made more sense than he wished to admit. It seemed too hard that in addition to dealing with the enemy he must deal with Potter's... /feelings/, but Zelda had appeared in his life at precisely the right time to make it almost bearable. He must trust her in this, he decided.

"Wake up, my naughty pet," he murmured tenderly. His first guilty glimpse of her neck had made him realize he'd better be very good, lest she murder him for what he'd done. He could not wait for Potter to see it.

"Coffee?" she muttered hopefully.

"You will have your coffee after you have greeted your guests," he said sternly. "I did not choose to fill the house with those creatures, you know."

He rose, cleaned himself up and began dressing, choosing his Bob Marley T-shirt and his black jeans. He heard an outraged gasp behind him and turned to find her standing before the mirror, wearing a sundress that exposed not only the elegant 'S" at the base of her neck, but several of the small love bites that trailed down her left breast.

"You monster!" she said. "How the hell did you do that?"

He strode over and touched her temporary brand, and it tingled with warmth. "You started it," he reminded her, and pressed his lips to the swell of her breast. He pushed the thin strap of her dress off her shoulder and moved his lips lower, drawing a gasp from her.

Zelda refused to let him distract her. "What did you do?"

"I simply healed the required area," he explained innocently. "I believe you now belong to Slytherin House."

"Heal it all," she said firmly. "I can't go out there looking like last night's main course."

He laughed. He couldn't help it, seeing the kiss-swollen lips combined with his territorial markings. "You look good enough to eat, my girl," he chuckled. "May I suggest a less revealing garment?"

As usual she was completely disarmed by his rare laughter. She flounced off, rummaged around and found a different dress, which covered more than before. After changing her dress she saw that nothing would entirely cover her temporary brand but a turtleneck. She turned to face him again. "Don't look so smug," she warned. "Come and see."

Severus was guiltily amused to see that the very top of the hickey she'd given him was visible above his shirt. His faint smirk caused her to glance suspiciously at him.

"I like it," he said simply.

Zelda crowed with laughter and threw her arms around him. "I adore you, Severus Snape. Now, I need to wash up a bit, before I face them. Why don't you go ahead without me?"

"Or I can wait for you," he replied, kissing her forehead before he released her. While she was gone he looked around at the room he had created. It was a whimsical and fit setting for his lovely Zelda. His mind drifted, imagining a future where he could have her with him always. He would surround her with beautiful things, and their days and nights would be filled with fun and love... He shook his head then, appalled at his ridiculous fantasy. He must be losing his mind, he thought furiously.

Zelda emerged from the bathroom with her hair brushed into rather neater curls than before, but still looking a bit like she'd just come from his private orgy. His ill humor departed instantly, and as he opened the door he touched his magical brand on her neck again, making her purr with delight.