Love Of My Life

Chapter Nine: A Lovers Quirell

"Okay, what is up with you? You've had a blank expression all morning." Severus asks her as they walk through the crowded hallways.

"Nothings wrong." She lies. "Did someone say something?" He asks.

"Well, yes but it's nothing that I didn't already know." She admits as they turn a corner into a less crowded hall. "What does that mean?" He asks, worried about his friend. "It's nothing, we'll talk later." She tells him as they take a turn into transfiguration.

Snape takes his seat next to Lucius as Salem sits with Andromeda.

"Hey, you okay?" Andromeda asks her. "I'm fine." She says, lying to her friends once again. "Well if you want to talk, I'm free until 8:00. I have to go to Bellatrix's wedding." Andromeda rolls her eyes as Salem pushes back tears.

It wasn't the fact that they were going to a wedding together that upset Salem, it was just the mention of it that knocked her out of her Malfoy-induced haze. She knew that he was meant to be with Narcissa and they wouldn't work and the wedding reminded her of that.

*********

After potions, Salem decided to go to the Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor quidditch match to get her mind off of the whole ordeal.

Once she was walking back, she ran into Severus once again in the hall. "Okay, now I know that there's something up because you hate watching anything other than Slytherin quidditch." He tells her as they walk towards the dungeons where the Slytherin common room was.

"No, I just had some time to kill." She lies once again. "If you don't stop lying to me, I will enter your mind myself." He threatens.

She contemplates it for a second before sighing.

"Dammit, Severus!" He chuckles at her frustration.

She grabs his hand and drags him to her room. "Sit down." She tells him as he takes a seat on one side of her bed, leaning in the post.

"Ground rules. You cannot tell anyone, especially Andromeda." She takes a seat on the opposite side of her bed. "Got it." He says.

"I've been seeing Lucius Malfoy." She quickly says. "I know, he told me last weekend." He admits. "What?!" Salem groans.

"I still don't get how though, he hates anyone that's not a pureblood." He says. "But you're a half-blood and you're best friends with him?" She questions his logic.

"Well he tolerates me, but this isn't about me." He smiles, confusing her.

"No, this isn't a good thing. He's marrying Narcissa and I feel like a homewrecker." She sighs as she lays back on her bed.

"Oh, screw Narcissa. He hates her anyway, he'd be much better off with you." Severus admits.

"Yeah, well his father doesn't see it that way." She rolls her eyes.

"You met his father? Scary, isn't he?" Severus laughs. "We ran into him at Hogsmeade yesterday and I lied about being pureblood." Salem tells him.

Salem Sioux, Lying?" Severus says as he dramatically gasps. "You aren't helping." She says as the two laugh.

"Well if you actually want advice, I'd say go for it. If you see this as something that will last then I encourage it. Just don't get hurt in the process... Malfoy's are people that you need to be wary of." He warns her.

"What do you mean?" She asks. "You know exactly what I mean. Lucius is like a brother to me and I'd do anything for him but the Malfoy's have done some sketchy things and you have to be careful around them," he tells her with a stern voice but good intentions.

"Noted." She says.

"Alright well I'm off to go finish homework but I will see you in the morning," Severus tells her as he gives her a warm smile.

"Alright, goodnight Severus." She says as he leaves.

She stares at the ceiling for a few minutes, truly feeling better after her talk with her best friend.

She goes to reach for her book when she sees a letter slip under her door. She gets up and finds that it had her name in calligraphy written on the front, sealed with emerald wax.

She opens the door and finds nobody in sight. She quickly removes the wax seal and reads through the letter.

Salem,

I'm sorry about last night. You haven't said a word to me all day and I feel like shit because of it. Tonight, I'm begging you, please wait in the common room. I'll be back at Midnight and I just want to talk. Please.

-Lucius

She sighs, knowing she couldn't say no to him.

***********

Midnight

Salem sat in the common room with a throw blanket draped over her body and a book in hand.

She slipped in and out of sleep while reading Sense And Sensibility.

"What am I even doing here." She mentally slaps her forehead while looking at the time.

Just as she was about to fall back asleep, the common room door opens and Narcissa comes in, arms crossed with an angry expression on her face.

She was wearing a light blue dress, with spaghetti straps and a slit up to her thigh. Salem had to admit, she may have been a spoiled prick but she was still beautiful.

She stormed off to her room as Lucius entered, taking Salem's breath away in the process.

He was wearing a full black suit, with his hair tied back into a low ponytail, and many silver rings on his fingers.

"Hey." She sleepily says as she rubs her eyes. "Hello, darling." He says as he takes a seat on the couch next to her. "You said you wanted to talk to me. So go ahead." She says, trying not to let herself give into him so easily.

"I had been planning what I wanted to say but now that I'm here, I have no idea where to start." He says, fiddling with his hands like Salem does when nervous.

"Narcissa and I had an argument at the wedding, and I've decided that this is my life and I get to choose who I want to be with." He says.

Salem was upset but not surprised.

"I get it. I hope you and Narcissa are happy together." She says as she gets up and suddenly feels a hand pull her back.

"I never said anything about Narcissa." He says making a smile erupt on her face. "There is only one woman in this world that I love and her name Salem Aldridge Sioux." He says as he pulls her into his arms, kissing her several times.