The Stars on the Staircase

Star Crossed Others

Four Years Later

~+~ A Birthday to Measure By ~+~

Clinking in the kitchen told me Severus was up and working on our morning drinks. I pondered staying in bed in case he had plans to bring up a tray, but a glance at the clock showed me I had languished in our snuggling longer than I thought.

Severus stood at the kitchen counter, meticulously measuring coffee grounds and water, the potion he took the most seriously of late. In the sun from the kitchen window the grey in his hair shimmered. The side the snake had bit him was almost completely grey, where the other was only white at the temple, and smattering through the rest. He still had the shorter hairstyle I had given him while I nursed his neck wounds.

I missed his long hair sometimes. But I enjoyed having access to his neck. He still wore it long enough on top that the pieces that swooped over the crown of his head could fall down around his face while we made love. I enjoyed those hairs that framed his face when he was above me. I sneakily enjoyed my moment of observing him here. He pushed his glasses up his nose, a frequent motion I found adorable, and he was self conscious of. He still wasn't used to having to wear them, but his eyesight had never fully recovered from the venom. It was one of his small vain things, hating his glasses. I liked them. He looked perfect to me.

He was prone to worrying about looking prematurely old now. He was only in his early forties now, but the poison of the snake's venom had done damage that was not curable with anything he could whip up in a cauldron. He even mentioned dying his hair once. I was so distraught at it that he didn't. I loved his new silver temples. He looked distinguished. I loved his glasses. The only part I happily let him change was that scar that came up his beautiful face.

He had made several potions that were working wonders in that particular area. I tried not to comment on it over much, giving him privacy for the vanity of removing his scars. I would have loved him if the great scar had still twisted across his cheek or no. Finally he noticed me standing at the bottom of the stairs and startled. "Curse my weakened ears, you scared me half to death."

"I was being sneaky. Watching my handsome coffee maker at work."

"Don't. Sneak." His voice threatened retribution and as usual his threats brought only sexy ideas to mind.

"It's my birthday I shall sneak if I wish." I say haughtily as I approach.

"Wait! There is an important ceremony we must do this morning." He produced a cupcake with a small candle from the tray in front of him. The candle flickered to life under his fingertips and he drew his wand from his pocket. In our yearly tradition he cast an age line on the floor of the kitchen. "Come blow it out."

The candle on the cupcake flickered at me. I didn't want to know yet, so early in the morning, yet in my gut I already knew. There was no avoiding the fact I supposed. I walked over the age line easily, as I knew in my heart I would. My sigh blew out the candle for me. I tacked on a wish for happiness as an afterthought.

"It had to happen one year, sweetheart." My husband's small smile was meant to be comforting but I could see a cocky little curl on the end of it. He had been waiting for me to start aging again. I was thirty. I had been twenty nine on hold for so many years I had sort of forgotten that I was meant to be getting older.

"Stop looking so pleased." I huff, tearing off the wrapper and biting into the small cake. Stuffing my face with cake was also my consolation for the remaining magic of the stars that brought us together being over. For twelve years I had been suspended agelessly. I worried it marked the end of an era I was unwilling to part with.