The Potions Master and the Ravenclaw

Worth It

That night as they were eating dinner, Snape suddenly dropped his fork and grabbed his left forearm. He closed his eyes, his lips a thin line.

"Severus!" She knew what it meant. His mark was burning.

He stood. "I must go."

She nodded and stood as well, not knowing what else to do.

He went to the bedroom and she followed him. He pulled his traveling cloak out of the wardrobe and put it on. Then he opened a drawer in his bureau and pulled out his Death Eater mask, concealing it in his cloak. Madeline shivered.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply.

"I love you."

"I love you. Please be careful, Severus. Come back to me." She fastened his cloak for him.

"I will, my love. I'll be back as soon as I can. Try not to worry."

She followed him to the door and he kissed her once more before sweeping out into the corridor.

She turned and looked at the food on the table, the dinner uneaten. She had absolutely no appetite left, so she waved her wand and cleared the table. She sat in her chair, picked up a book, and tried to study for her upcoming exam, but found she could not focus.

This was unbearable. Watching him leave and not knowing if he would return. Not knowing if the Dark Lord would discover his secret and murder him.

Worrying. Waiting.

Oh, God. How many times would she have to do this? Severus said the war could go on for years. She would go mad at this rate.

She had to calm herself. She took a deep breath. This was going to be a recurring thing and she would have to learn how to cope. 

Maybe a drink. Perhaps that would calm her nerves. It always worked for Severus.  Her eyes went to Snape's bottle of fire whiskey.

No. That was a terrible idea. She very rarely drank and she hated whiskey. And she didn't want to turn into a drunk like her mother.

A bath. Yes, that would help. A nice, hot bath.

She went into the bathroom and turned on the taps, adding a fragrant bath oil as the tub filled. She undressed and climbed in, submerging herself in the warm water. Madeline closed her eyes and tried to relax. She replayed their wedding in her mind, then thought of the beautiful places they had visited on their honeymoon. Anything to distract herself from worrying about her husband. She felt herself starting to calm. She soaked for a long while and then when the water began to cool, she got out and dried herself.

She went into the bedroom and put on one of Snape's shirts, breathing in his scent and smiling to herself. He seemed to like seeing her in his clothes and she thought he might be pleased to find her in nothing but his shirt and some lacy knickers. Maybe he would make love to her when he came home...

Madeline went back to the living room to wait for Snape, sitting in his chair. Merlin jumped up next to her and she stroked his fur. The fluffy black cat purred and snuggled up against her as if he knew she needed calming.

"Thank you, sweet boy," she whispered to the cat.

Her Severus would come back to her. She knew he would. He was strong and powerful and clever, and he wouldn't leave her.  It served no purpose to panic or worry. Severus wouldn't want that.

She looked at the clock. It had only been an hour since he had left.

She picked up her book again and forced herself to read.