My Secret Shadows

《Chapter 23》

Lillian's POV:

I couldn't believe how stupid I had been. Kai was a wonderful, amazing person, but I knew where my heart truly lay. I craved the baritone richness of Severus's voice and yearned for his frigid touch. But how to apologize for my mistake?

I felt my cheeks heat up as my mind flitted through possibilities.

I could offer him a coupon for buy-one-get-one free broom at Quality Quiddich supplies. I laughed at myself for thinking of such a dimwitted apology gift. Besides, the coupon was probably expired anyways. A new cloak perhaps? No. Severus was too proud to accept a new cloak, even if it was from me.

I sighed and rubbed my temples. All of this worrisome love business was messing with my head. I knew the right way to apologize was not with a meaningless coupon or an article of clothing. I needed to say it face-to-face to the person I had wronged.

Spewing Toadguts and Dimwitted Mutton Dollops.

I angrily cursed as I remembered
the haunting look of betrayal in Severus's eyes as he watched me kiss Kaimyth. If I was being honest, I admired how Severus expressed such a wide depth of emotion with only his eyes. Somehow, on that face carved out of stone-Wizard marble, those gleaming, lash fringed eyes glowed with betrayal and hate. I huffed in annoyance.

How was I supposed to know Severus was going to be in the exact location I was?!?

I sulkily stuck my hands in my pockets and my hand brushed the square of parchment Kai had given me. Something had been niggling at the back of my mind since that night in Greenhouse number 3. If the paper was my birth certificate, why had Kai really given it to me?

Kaimyth was an intelligent Elf, and he was smart enough to know that with my birth certificate I was basically a walking target to Voldemort. If I had this on my person and I was captured, there would be no lying about my Surname. My fingers pulled out the parchment absentmindedly and rubbed a peculiar mark in the corner.

It looked like a spell mark, but I couldn't identify the orgin of the mark. I had tried researching an answer but all of the books I studied gave vague answers... A sly smile played at my lips as I realized this could work in my favor. If these papers weren't real, then Severus Snape should be able to help me figure it out. It was the perfect excuse to see him without groveling for forgiveness at his feet.

I slipped into the chilly hallway as my feet carried me back along the familiar path towards Severus's office. My emotions were a mix of muddled confusion. I was secretly delighted at seeing Snape again, but wanted to die from embarrassment at him witnessing my kiss with Kai.

And oh. Oh no.

I saw Severus Snape stalking up the hallway.

"Going Somewhere?" Severus's lithe body blocked me from walking forward. "Yes, Thank you." I kept my voice polite and formal though I craved to trail his jawline with my hand. Severus kept his arms crossed as he continued speaking. "I believe you have something of mine."

I played coy. "And what is that?" He still  didn't blink.

"My trust."

The two little words sent me a shiver of regret, but I laughed lightly. "To have given me your trust must have come easily." Severus narrowed his ebony gaze as he smirked. "Tell me something, Lillian Grindelwald. How would you prefer I kill you? I could make it quick and painless or slow and exquisitely painful."

Oops. I had hit a nerve in his pride.

This was a very unsettling question, but I answered tactfully. "I've seen your true character. You do not kill willfully. But if given the choice, I would choose a slow and painful death. That way I could torture your conscience as you tortured my soul." I held my head high as Snape raised one perfect eyebrow. His lip curled in disgust. "I am astounded at your idiocy. Do you not know how you have tortured my conscience, or are you here to rub salt in my open wound?"

I closed my eyes for the briefest moment. " Severus." His name trickled off my tongue like a melted snowflake. "I had no intention of hurting you. It was not my best choice and I didn't realize it could effect others so deeply." There was a very long pause. An icy hand slid over my cheek while my eyes were closed.

Severus's lips whispered into my ear. "I was the one who gave you the rose."

Oh. Oh no. He was right. I was an idiot.

I moaned in pleasure as Severus's lips traveled to mine. His kiss was different this time. It was fiery and passionate, but very cautious and cool. He wanted to give me more. I tugged playfully on his robes until he slowly undid the buttons on his shirt. Severus's lean chest muscles gleamed by the few torches lighting the hallway. My fingers glissaded over his collar bone and icy skin.

It was pure bliss. I was so entranced by his handsome face and rippling muscles that I almost forgot the second reason I had come to see Severus. I gently finished another kiss and caught my breath. How could one man be so attractive? I wanted to look at him forever, but I fished the fraudulent papers out of my pocket.

"Severus, I have a question for you." He hummed in pleasure. "Do you know what this mark is?" Snape drew back for a moment to study the spell mark. "This is a simple deception spell. Illusio!" His wand erased my name and birth date to reveal a first-year Hogwart student's supply list. "Did you really think this was a true Witch's birth certificate?"

I shook my head no.

"Hmm. Maybe you have more smarts than I gave you credit." He nuzzled my neck and growled. "For future reference, a true Wizarding world's birth certificate is a star chart. It depicts the patterns of planets and stars at the time of birth of the Wizard." I inhaled Severus's cedarwood scent as he drew away at last.

"Where are you going?" I purred.

His features returned to an indifferent mask as he finished buttoning up his shirt. "I have business to attend to. But do not worry. I will return." His voice held a sharp, decisive finality that surprised me. For some reason this frightened me, and I placed a hand on his cheek. "Be careful."

"Always." And then he was gone, melting into the night.

I sighed in happiness as I turned to go back to my room. I was so busy replaying Severus's kiss in my mind that I didn't notice a glowing pair of amber eyes. The eyes crept up behind me and my world went black.