The Choice of Destiny (Snape Love Story)

To Not be of Age

………………………….

Severus woke up and noted with relief that Caty was still locked safely within his arms. He remembered her eyes swirling quickly between the gold and green as she yelled at him for keeping things away from her; the Dark Mark on his forearm was probably what angered her the most. After that discussion, he expected her to turn around and leave. But judging from her possessive embrace, he could tell that she planned on keeping him.

 He eyed her sleeping face; enjoying the thought that today he wouldn’t have to wake her up for class and she wouldn’t have to hurry away from him to avoid a suspicion from the other students. He tried to move up a little to catch a glimpse at the clock on the nightstand only to feel her stir against him. Her leg wrapped around his waist in the most natural fashion while her nails dug themselves gently into his shoulder but she didn’t wake up. He smirked in surprise; obviously he wasn’t allowed to move.

I could really get used to this, he thought as he pulled Caty even closer and closed his eyes again. But he opened them again rather quickly as he heard a slight pop and a rather menacing little sound.

Dumbledore, you old sadistic….

“Ouch!”

Fawkes has obviously decided that the letter tied around his leg wasn’t as important as snapping away one of his toes. Catalina sat up as he tried to kick Fawkes away.

“Fawkes?” she asked sleepily.

The phoenix chirped happily as he hopped across the bed to Caty and offered her the letter.  

You’ve got to be kidding me…

Caty handed him the letter and he opened it. It was logical to assume that Dumbledore would have his house watched over his time of absence in case he and Caty would show up here but he could have sent a house elf to do that, not his masochistic bird. While reading, Severus still observed Fawkes from the corner of his eye but the phoenix was more than busy trying to get Caty to pet him, completely ignoring him for a change.  The letter wasn’t any easy reading.

We get out of one problem and here comes the next, he thought, putting down the letter and sliding his hand up Caty’s back and into her hair.

“Come here cub.”

She giggled. “Who are you calling a cub here?”

She leaned back against him, revealing the Slytherin insignia of his old Hogwarts shirt that she snatched yesterday for sleeping. He didn’t even know it was still lying around.

“I’m calling you a cub; and after yesterday, you don’t really get to object to this one.” he wrapped his arm around her, planting a kiss in her hair. He noticed that she didn't object to the nickname; after all why should she? This petname couldn't be easily applied to just anybody it was only hers. She gestured towards the letter.

“What’s the news?” she asked.

He sighted.

“The news is that Voldemort works fast,” he started. “Your mother’s body was found last night after you ran away; now the Ministry is looking for you.”

A sadness crossed her face for a couple of seconds when she heard about her mother. “And the true problem is?”

He pressed his forehead against hers.

“You’re not of age,” he whispered.

“And right now, the Malfoys are your only living relatives that are not sitting in Azkaban. Save for Sirius Black of course, but he can barely step up and take the custody of you unless he wants to join the Azkaban crowd. Dumbledore is inviting himself here to talk this over.”