Saved by Love (Severus Snape / Original Female Character)

Future (?)

Severus woke up early the next day - a little too early; throughout the night his nightmare had simply refused to end.

He woke up four times and each time he closed his eyes again, the nightmare went on: Florence was married to Sirius Black and they had kids.

In the dream, Severus kept trying to talk to her, but she had her elf Tiffany repeatedly tell him she didn't talk to Death Eaters.

As a result, he'd had a horrible sleepless night, tossing and turning on his bed as he tried to think of something to make that nightmare go away – but nothing worked.

So, at five in the morning, he finally gave up sleeping, got up, put on some comfortable clothes and walked out of his room.

The house was quiet, not even Tiffany was up yet. The little elf slept soundly in a corner of the kitchen in a pretty bed she'd "found in the trash" in front of Florence's house.

He stood and watched the elf for a while. Tiffany had to be the cleanest and best-dressed house elf he had ever seen.

"Florence takes really good care of Tiff, doesn't she?" he heard his mother whispering behind him.

"Yes. If there has ever been a spoiled house-elf, that's Tiffany," he agreed, "And she's fiercely loyal."

"True," Eileen paused, going to the screened backyard porch to watch the snow fall.

Severus followed her and heard her say, chuckling: "Tiff doesn't like you."

"I know. She told me."

"Because you 'smell like trouble'. Those were her words," continued Eileen.

"She said I'm bad news for Florence."

"Are you?" Eileen asked, bringing back the previous night conversation.

"I don't want to be. But..."

"Spare me, Severus," Eileen stopped him, "I'm your mother, I'll be by your side no matter the stupidity you end up getting yourself into. You don't need to explain your reasons to me. Florence is the one who has to hear them and agree to live with them," Eileen looked at him, "But I can tell you I don't see her accepting being a Death Eater's wife."

Severus nodded, the nightmare coming fourth in his mind at his mother's words.

"I know."

Eileen and Severus sat to have breakfast and neither of them spoke, he couldn't stop thinking how bleak life turned out when Florence wasn't around, even the scrambled eggs Tiffany had perfectly cooked tasted unsalted, he couldn't even find it in himself the desire to eat another slice of the strawberry shortcake that he knew was also delicious.

Knocks on the front door had him jumping from his chair and running to open the door, his heart getting lighter when he saw her there on the porch.

"Florence," he breathed.

"Found your way home, I see," she sounded bitter.

He just stared at her, wanting to wrap her in his arms and carry her to his room, to kiss and touch her to erase that nightmare from his mind, to prove to himself she was still his. But he didn't do any of that; she looked angry enough already without him going all caveman on her.

"May I come in?" she asked.

Then Severus realised he had been blocking the door, so he moved, letting her walk into the house, and closed the door.

Eileen got up from the table to welcome Florence with a hug, "Hi, my dear. Missed you," she said as they hugged.

"Missed you too, godmother," Florence smiled, "I'll take my things upstairs," and she went to Eileen's bedroom.