The last year of the war wears Severus down to a shell of a human. After the war, he is put on trial and subsequent parole. When a trial witness turns neighbor, how will they change his life?
The crackle of the fire in his living room warmed his bones as a light snow began outside, glitter falling from the grey swollen clouds. The cauldron had started to smell wonderful, the herbs and seasoned beef fragrant. The mountains of San Martino in Italy held magic and charm.
"Dad?" asked Solomon, softly padding into the room from down the hall
Severus smiled at him, motioning for him to come over to the table where he was working on a puzzle
"Good morning, I thought we could work on this before we go to town for lunch?"
Solomon smiled and settled in next to him, immediately finding three pieces
"Is Mum going to go with us?"
"I'm not sure. She said she had some errands to run today but you're welcome to go back to her house tonight or stay here"
The year following their discovery had proven eventful. He tried to live in London but the onlookers and gaukers made life unbearable. Aysel found no allure in city living where she had reminders of her lost career and together they searched for a place to live in relative peace where Solomon could go to school and enjoy a life away from the theatre of war.
He pushed aside the paperwork from his job at the potions maker guild. He enjoyed interviewing potential potions masters and testing their life's work. A life of quiet research and experimentation.
He drew in a deep breath at the picture on the mantle of the three of them. The stalemated relationship placed somewhat behind them, they moved to this tiny village in San Martino, a place where they could start over. Together they raised Solomon, in separate homes. Lives interwoven by the love of a little boy who needed them.
Severus felt no need to seek a relationship. No need for a lover. The empty space inside of himself fed by a platonic relationship with Aysel, Solomon's adoration as his son, and the friendship of several Potions masters in the mountain guild.
He thought that Aysel could prove to be his one great love. That was how he had envisioned it, the mother of his child would be the love of his life. But that was not how it turned out. And he had come to terms with it. They were too different. Too stubborn. Too volatile in their words and emotions. She didn't understand his depth and didn't want to learn how to dive. He didn't understand her love of novelty and constant search of new adventures. All of the great formulas for romance stated that they would be perfect for each other, but formulas very rarely worked in favor of real human relationships.
Not that they didn't try. After she found Solomon eating crisps in his living room that day he ran away from her, they swore they would try to be together. To put aside whatever had been between them. Her fear of commitment and his fear of abandonment. The spark that they felt was only the intrigue of a possible new beginning. Once they had explored each other's bodies, the spark turned cold. The only thing they shared was a time in confinement. They found themselves in awkward bouts of silence, uncertain of what to brace their relationship upon; the only thing to bond them was Solomon.
And that was too great a pressure to put upon a child's shoulders.
He remembered the morning that they sat together in silence at the table while Solomon waited on the porch for the neighbor children to walk to school with him in London. The silence weighted yet familiar.
"We don't have to follow any path we thought was set for us" he mentioned cautiously, stirring cream into his tea
She visibly relaxed and held onto his hand
"I love you. But I'm not in love with you. Does that make sense?"
"It makes perfect sense. Because I feel the same way. I suppose family looks different to every one" he smiled, hoping that she would understand his intention
"I want us to be a family. But this way isn't working" she anxiously tore at her napkin, and then kissed his knuckles
"We can figure out something that does work. Love is flexible, that's something I've learned" he spoke vulnerably, kissing her cheek
"Can we get shrimp at Dolce?" Solomon asked forty five minutes later, stomach grumbling loudly
"You just want Ilya to give you free cake" he teased, knowing that the waitress had a sweet spot for Solomon
Solomon smirked, devilish grin lighting up his features
"I don't ask her to give it to me, she just knows I love it"
That knowledge of how people worked was purely from him. Perhaps it was wrong for him to take pride in it. But he didn't care. Some may call it manipulation. But he saw it as playing to his strengths.
"Come on, we'll buy your mom some tiramisu" Severus stood up and put his arm around Solomon's shoulder
This was a good life. The one that he had been waiting on. The one he never thought he would get to have. And he would live as presently and fully as he possibly could.
A free man.
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