Severus Snape Phoenix Freed

Chapter 29 - Intertwined

Phoenix was so relieved. It wasn't how she had wanted Christmas to go, but she knew it could have ended much worse. "Severus, thank you. I don't know how you found me, but I'm so happy you did," she said. He took her into his arms and kissed her like he might have feared he would not have had the chance again.  Finally he broke away, but kept his face close to hers, looking in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked. "Tell you what?" she replied, not knowing what he was asking. "About the threat from the Carrows. About you and the Christmas party?" he asked. "I guess I didn't think it was worth mentioning. I'll admit, I didn't want to worry you, but it was just something I thought I overheard, and I wasn't sure enough to bring it to you," she replied honestly. "And yet it was important enough to tell your friends," he said. "Please don't be angry with me Severus. I couldn't bear that right now. I am sorry. I had my mind on the party, and I didn't want to ruin it," she said, fighting back tears. The whole ordeal she could have dealt with easily enough, but to face his disappointment and anger now was difficult. More difficult than meeting the Dark lord. He reached up and stroked her hair, "I'm not angry. I was just so worried that I wouldn't find you... that they would hurt or kill you. I didn't know where to even start looking. We will talk about that all later. I have to go tell everyone that you've been found. I will inform them that you had been practicing apparating, and when the lights went out, you accidentally apparated to the Forbidden Forest. The boy who was found tied up has been obliviated, and I can give him a new memory. I have told no one but you that. Your friends can know more, but only if you trust them enough to be discreet," Severus said, and she nodded. "Now, go take a bath if you're not too tired. You smell like you've been lost in the woods for a week," Severus said, and they both smiled at that. "I will return soon," he said, and kissed her once more.

When Severus returned home, Phoenix was finished with her bath and was pouring herself a drink. "I brought you some food. Maybe you should eat before the wine," Severus said, wondering if she'd even eaten since the Christmas party. "Thank you, that's very thoughtful. I sure could have used that advice last week," she smiled. They both ate, and he realized he hadn't eaten since the Christmas party either. "Was that your first encounter with Voldemort?" he asked, curious about their interaction. "Yes. I have heard of his appearance, but I didn't expect that. I don't know how you do it Severus. When I looked in his eyes, I saw... I saw rotting, putrid, evil. There is nothing left in him that is good. Well, almost nothing. He let me go to you. I think he values your devotion to him. But even that is self serving," she said. "Did he try to look into your mind?" Severus asked. "Yes. And he even told me that he was unable to do so. He asked if I was blocking him, and I told him that you said even you could not see into my mind. I thought being straightforward with him would make him less suspicious of me," she said, looking at him as if for his approval. "That was wise. He is powerful, but he is not infallible. Enough about him, how do you feel?" he asked, hoping she did not suffer at the hands of the Carrows. "I'm fine. They kicked me a couple times, but nothing serious. I slept well last night. That's one thing I'm usually pretty good at," she said. "I don't think I've yet to find anything you're not good at," Severus replied, "I watched you at the party. Everyone was taken with you, especially me," he said. "Thank you, Severus. I only had eyes for you. I wish the night would have ended differently," she said, and he saw the regret in her eyes. He would have none of it, "It's not too late to make up for it. We still have a few hours of Christmas left, and I haven't given you your Christmas present," he said, rising to go retrieve the package. He returned with it and presented it to her. She opened it, and her eyes teared up when she looked at it. It was a necklace with a locket, and inside there was a picture of them together, and when the locket moved, they moved to look at each other. "Oh, Severus, it's wonderful, how did you do this?" she asked. He took the necklace and fastened it around her neck, lowering to her ear to whisper, "Magic."  She giggled, "You definitely have your way with magic... among other things," she said as he kissed her ear. "Come with me, and I will let you have your way, for as long as you need, or want," he said. "I have a gift for you too, Severus... but it can wait," she said, and took his hand to allow him to lead her into his bedchamber.

Phoenix looked up at Severus as she started to unbutton his jacket. She felt nervous, just as if it was their first time, and she wondered if she would always feel this way with him. He smiled at her as if amused, and she wondered for a moment if he had actually read her mind, until she realized her hands were shaking, and he had noticed. She smiled shyly back. He was the one person she could show her vulnerability to, so she didn't need to try to hide it. "I love this time with you Severus... no hurry, no worries, unwrapping you slowly like a present," she said, surprised she had let that slip from her mind to her mouth. "You even have a bow," she continued playfully, pulling at his ascot. "As much as I enjoy being 'unwrapped', it is my turn to unwrap my present," he said, reaching for the ties of her gown, "And I couldn't imagine a more beautiful gift than the one before me now." Severus slowly pulled down her gown, following it down with kisses, until he was on his knees in front of her. She watched him as he pulled down her panties, running his hand along each leg as she stepped out of them, his gentleness in sharp contrast to the fierce look she found in his eyes. When he slowly kissed across her, from one hip to the other, she felt her stomach start to quiver. He kissed back to her center, holding her hips with his hands. When she saw his eyes as he looked up at her, she felt the overwhelming desire for the man in front of her come over her like a wave of electrified energy. He has been distracted lately, although understandably so, but now she saw a smoldering intensity in him that shook her. It was a culmination of all of his feelings for her, as if the recent threat of losing her had shook him as well. It was more than just a physical desire for her, but she saw that take forefront as he pulled her into him, covering her with his mouth, delving into her greedily. She gasped as the sensation clenched at her stomach, and she wrapped her hands in his hair. He moved one hand behind her to firmly grab her ass cheek, and moved his other hand between her legs, slowly working his fingers into her. Her grip on his hair became more of a support as she felt her knees starting to grow weak. His mouth and his fingers moved slowly and seductively, and she breathed heavily in rhythm with them.

Severus felt his desire for her wash over him like a wave of molten lava. The realization of her passion for him drove him, and consumed him, and he felt an unrelenting need for it. He felt her on the verge, and he wanted to take her there... to hear and feel her release in such an intimate way. He heard her breath out his name, and he groaned at the exquisite sound of it. He felt her hands in his hair, grasping him, as he felt and heard her moving past the point of no return. He slowed, knowing the inevitable was coming quickly, and was rewarded with the feeling of her orgasm squeezing hard as she gushed in warm wetness on him. When her knees buckled, he grabbed under them, and lifted her onto the bed. He shed his remaining clothes quickly and moved on to her, kissing her in a line up her center to join with her mouth in a hungry kiss. He felt her hands on his back, pulling him to her, her legs wrapping around him as she pleaded lustfully, "Severus, please," and he could no longer hold back his own need for her. He felt her move her hips towards him, and he pushed into her, his stomach contracting to pull his hips forward to slide himself deep into her. Then it was there, as it was the first time they had made love... her mind opened to him, and they merged. He was suddenly met with the unexpected sensation of the awareness of her body as well as his own. With each thrust into her, he could feel not only his own pleasure, but hers as well, and he slowed to savor the erotically euphoric experience. He looked at Phoenix, seeing the expression on her face change, and he could see that she was sharing the same experience with him. He felt the sudden need to drive into her faster and harder, and he felt his climax coming quickly. He was surprised as he realized it was her who was close, and he closed his eyes, feeling her orgasm as if it was his own, and he gasped at the sweet intensity of it hitting both of them in waves of pleasure. He almost stopped, but he felt his own climax approaching, and he opened his eyes to watch her as he felt the intensity building to an almost unbearable level until they cried out in unison as the force of it rocked them both. They lay together, stunned, as their link gradually subsided. Severus relished in it as long as it remained, feeling the closeness to her that he had craved.  They laid together, intertwined, sharing words of love and wonderment, until they both drifted off into a deep sleep, their minds still whispering to each other's.