Vulnera Sanentur

Twenty Seven

I stared at my mothers body laying lifeless in front of me. I let out a heavy breath, one that I hadnt realized I had been holding. The light had faded from her eyes and the color had began to drain from her skin. I felt a bit of peace now, knowing she was gone. Bellatrix LeStrange would never hurt anyone again. 

"Rowan," Severus' voice broke my thoughts. I looked to him and his eyes widened a bit. "Your face," He breathed, bringing a cloth from his pocket to wipe the blood away from my eye. I let him do the small act. When he had finished, I could see clearly again. 

Severus looked to my mother and I shook my head, not wanting to speak of it just yet. I tuck my mothers wand in my back pocket, along with the other wands I had collected. His hand took mine. "Come, we must get your face taken care of." He pulled me towards the stairs. I wanted to protest, but I knew that it was best for us to hide now. 

He led me back into his office, locking the door behind him. He searched for a potion before he moved back over to me, uncorking it. He held it up to my lips. The smell was absolutely putrid, making me want to gag right then and there. His fingers forced the vial against my lips and I opened my mouth, letting him pour it in. 

He smiled as I made a face, the taste being worse than the smell. "You would think someone would have come up with a way to make those taste better." I muttered, shaking my head. I could feel the skin starting to close up now. 

Severus laughed softly at my comment before he leaned on his desk. I moved over to the bathroom sink, washing the blood from my face. I could see the scar from my mothers spell still there. It was faint and it would fade with time, but it was there. I let out a sigh before I returned to Severus. 

"Do we go back out to fight?" I asked. He shook his head softly. 

"Right now, we need to be at peace. Once your father knows that your mother is dead, he will be angry. She was one of his best." His voice was soft as he ran a hand through his messy hair. "And we need time alone." He moved over to me, his hand placing on my face. "You really showed me what happiness is." He smiled. 

I shook my head. "Not this, Severus. This is not our goodbye and I refuse to let you make it that." I stated, pulling away from him. He took in a shaky breath before he nodded and pulled me into him again. My eyes closed, relaxing in his embrace. 

"You are my home, Severus." I whispered. I could feel his breathing slow as he relaxed with me. Nobody in this life had ever made me feel such peace in the midst of all this war and anger. He had saved me from a fate so horrible.  From a life I had never wanted. 

My father would be the next to die and I knew I would be completely freed then. The Dark Marks on our skin had slowly faded over the last few months, only a slight bit of color remained. My father was weak and was dying. 

His death would be the last I would face and it would mean my freedom and Severus'. I smiled up at him. "As soon as this war is over and my father is dead, what will we do?" I asked. 

Severus sighed out softly. "You will finish your last three months here at Hogwarts. I will regain my position as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and we will raise Tobi to be am outstanding gentleman with a good heart." He tried to reassure me, but I could see in his eyes that he did not believe the words he spoke. 

"Sounds like a plan, Severus."