It Rains

Winter

Severus' breath on her lips relieved the icy cold of that December night. At that moment nothing mattered to her, nothing in the world was as important as feeling the caress of his hands on her cheeks.

"How am I supposed to set you free now?"

The bitterness in his low voice took her by surprise.

"Free?" - she repeated, pulling away from him, her frightened eyes scanning his afflicted face.

"I thought... I thought I could disappear, leave you here, in your home, where you belong".

"No..." - She whispered with a brittle voice. - "I don't really belong here anymore".

"You belong here, Laurel. The money issue can be solved".

"I'm not talking about money." -She said as she leaned her head against his forehead and closed her eyes. - "Now I know that my family is fine, my mother is healthy, Fern can fend for herself and for the family... The only person left for me to take care of, is you... Severus, please... Let me stay with you."

His chest jolted at hearing those words. It was not joy, nor passion, it was a sentiment beyond that; his whole life, he had felt like a ship adrift, sailing through oceans of loneliness and resentment, no land in sight. For the first time, he had reached safe port.

He kissed her again, this time slower, his tongue traced her lips gently, his hand tilted her chin to one side to deepen the kiss, and was then that he realized that the terrible experience of his youth was slowly disappearing from his thoughts, being replaced by that moment, by those kisses on that winter night. He would preserve that new memory forever in his mind, keep it safe from prying eyes under thousands of occlumen layers; he would feed on it daily, it would comfort him once he gave himself to the Death Eaters, and serve as a shelter when he felt the cold impact of his master's killing curse. Even knowing that he would face his execution, he would no longer feel alone.

"I can't do that to you". - He whispered unable to meet her eyes.

"You need me." - She insisted. - "You need me to stay alive. Do you think I don't know what will happen to you when they realize that you have freed me? The Dark Lord does not forgive traitors, Severus".

"I..."

"I want to go." – She said, closing the photo album with a determined gesture. – "Allow me to take that decision. Allow me the freedom to choose".

"Choose to remain a prisoner of the Death Eaters? Choose to put your life at risk? "

"Choose to be with you." - Laurel answered and with the faintest smile, she added - "I know you think I am a dimwit, but I made a promise to help you and I will not turn my back to you now".

Severus brushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ears.

"I am the dimwit; I know I'm going to regret allowing this".

"Perhaps you will. I will not". - She said, standing up and looking around her, glancing at the barren garden, the crackling fire, the coloured lights of the Christmas tree in the living room. She was going to miss them, but she had faith she would see them again, sooner or later, she would be with her family again. - "It is time to go".

Severus nodded and stood up as well. Taking the leather satchel, he put his father's belongings inside at Laurel's request, and with a slight movement of his hand, the flames died, gradually burning down to nothing but embers. The darkness engulfed them, and they embraced each other. He wanted to say how wrong all that was, how dangerous it was; more than anything, he wanted to ask her to repeat those words she said after their kiss. "I love you, Severus". Nonetheless, the reality of having to hand her over to the Death Eaters again had left his throat dry. He swallowed hard and squeezed her body tightly before soaring into the overcast sky.