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Chapter 1 Hogwarts

The woman sighed. Life hadn't been easy since she had lost the baby. A part of her felt empty, and the missing memories didn't help either.

Her husband had started re-teaching her every detail of their life together, but he had been asked to kill Dumbledore and had been on the run ever since.

She heard that he'd been called to be Headmaster at Hogwarts. She didn't think it wise, but he didn't have a choice.

Severus had to obey the Dark Lord, otherwise he was certain he'd be killed. To protect his wife, he'd hidden her away in Spinner's End. She spent her days alone reading, going through momentos, old picture albums or brewing potions that the Healer at Hogwarts needed.

She didn't mind being alone, but sometimes it was awfully lonely. She hadn't seen Severus since the night on the astronomy tower.

She knew why he did it and she wasn't angry or upset in the least, but still, he wouldn't return home.

It was the day before school started and Eliza itched to take out the class plans she made the year before and return to the school, despite her husband's protests.

It wasn't fair that she wasn't allowed and he was the Headmaster. She knew it was for her own safety, but she couldn't help but wonder if it were some other reason he was keeping her away.

***

Severus winced. He had just met the new professors for Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Muggle Studies. They were all very old, but apparently withheld very powerful magic that could protect the school, should anything happen.

They had just stepped out of his office when he sat in Dumbledore's chair. Why couldn't Minerva have this job? She was deputy after all. He would be free to return home and care for his wife, instead of keeping an eye on the school in case the Potter brat showed up again.

He groaned. He hadn't seen his wife in 3 months. He felt terrible. They hadn't even gone on their honeymoon yet and he feared that it may never happen. He was sure to die before the end of the second wizarding war.

He rubbed his eyes and leaned back into the large office chair.

He wished she was still at the school, despite how imprudent it would be.

***
Eliza made her decision. There was no way she'd let Severus have all the fun.

She grabbed her cloak and bag, and disapparated to the small town outside Hogwarts.

The air was cold and it was only then that she noticed the Dementors gliding a few feet off the ground. Hundreds of Demetors were guarding the grounds.

What was going on?

Making her way to the front door, she was greeted by a man in dark grey robes.

"State your business." He said abruptly, stopping her from entering.

Eliza bit her cheek." I work here, I am the Potions' Professor and my husband is the Headmaster." The tried to speak as calmly as possible, but she felt anger bubble in the pit of her stomach.

"The new potions' professor just walked in." The man spoke nonchalantly, obviously unaware of who she was.

The witch cleared her throat. "I am the only woman in the entire wizarding world who was honoured of being named Potions' mistress. I possess magic you could only dream of." Her voice turned ominous. "If you do not let me in this very moment, you're entrails will become your extrails, however, it will not kill you. You will forever live in pain and embarrassment as the rest of your life goes by."

The frightened guard could obviously sense the storm brewing within the dark haired woman.

He open the great oak doors and let her in, his voice shaking. "Of course, Professor."

She thanked him and smiled sweetly, brushing past him. She walked down the hallway and up the spiral staircase to the Headmaster's office.

She knocked thrice on the door and an exhausted voice replied.

"Come in."

Eliza's heart fluttered and she pushed open the door. His chair was turned and facing the window, staring at the Dementors floating around.

She approached his desk and waited.

"What is it?" Severus drawled lazily. "If you haven't anything pertinent to say, you best leave me be."

Eliza smiled. "I haven't anything to say."

At the sound of her voice, he stood from the chair and in one smooth motion, came around the desk and scooped her into his arms.

Pressing his lips to hers, he felt some of the coldness in his heart fade away.

"Eliza!" He exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

The woman in his arms smirked. "I wasn't going to let you have all the fun, now was I?" He parted his lips to speak and she cut him off. "Don't even try to tell me that this place has become dangerous, trust me, I know. There's nothing for me back home. You're here, Garrett started his apprenticeship at the apothecary in Diagon Alley. I have nothing."

The man in black nodded. "Very well, I'll fire whoever is teaching potions. They are quite dim, the new professors."

He saw his wife smile and duck her head.

"You will, however, stay in my rooms." The wizard warned. "I don't appreciate the thought you being alone in the dungeons."

Eliza nodded. "Neither do I."

"This way, your sister can follow through with her apprenticeship and you can still keep an eye on your house."

"House? What house?" She asked, bewildered.

Severus smirked and arched an eyebrow. "Slytherin House, of course."

He could see the sparkle in her eyes growing bigger as she took in the information.

"Oh, Severus! Thank you!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, before capturing his lips with her own once again.

When they pulled away, she frowned. "As for Mae, she moved to Ireland. She's fallen in love with Finnian. He told me, before they left, 'she's no Eliza Barron, but she's a firecracker all the same'. They're quite lovely together."

Severus sighed. He had missed so much in the few months that had passed.

He walked back to his desk and handed her a large leather folder with a belt to keep it closed.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts, Professor Snape." He emphasized on his last name, that she had taken upon their wedding day.

She smiled softly and took the folder from him. "Thank you, Headmaster."

Although her name was world renowned as Eliza Barron, Potions' Mistress, she liked the sound of being called by her husband's surname.

At the school, she'd make the students call her Professor Snape. It would add to the reign of terror she had already instilled upon them last September.

Approaching the man before her, she pressed one last gentle kiss to his lips before leaving, making her way down to the dungeons to move her things, that had never been collected, from her old chambers to the new ones upstairs and to post a message on the Slytherin board.

It was going to be an interesting year.