Shadow & Love

15* Keeping Secrets

The sun climbed the horizon without mercy. A spring rain made the air fresh and humid. Green sprouted up out of nowhere. The grey and brown of the winter retreated slowly into the mountains.

"Leonor, let me go," whispered Severus. "Lessons start soon."

"That is difficult. I never know when I will see you again. It's always just hours." She embraced him, resting her forehead on his chest.

"I understand. To tell the truth, it's not going to be better," sighed Severus. "Take care of you and the baby, will you?"

Leonor nodded, like always. She accepted the circumstances and never put the blame on him. Deep gratitude warmed his soul like he never experienced it before.

Severus kissed Leonor a last time, sweet lips and soft touches followed the beat of their hearts. It felt so right to stay and yet the time to be always together was just a dream; the present separated them again and again to look forward to another moment of bliss in an uncertain future.

Severus rushed uphill. Hagrid watched him from the small round hut; the Hippogryph was carefully put on a leash eyeing Severus suspiciously. Severus recognized it but hurried towards the large oak gate. He spent no time thinking about it. The wizard wanted to show up for breakfast, making sure to mitigate the risk that the absence tonight got noticed.

The large hour glasses sparkled in the always festive light of the entrance hall. Severus' eyes lingered for a short moment on the emeralds of the Slytherin House; it looked as if the number of precious stones changed since the evening before. Severus almost run down the stairs and through the alcove to his chambers, exchanging the heavy travelling cloak against the regular teaching robes. He never had been that late back.

Some students sat already at the long house tables in the Great Hall. The few Slytherins looked nervously down when Severus walked swiftly to the staff table; the cloak billowed behind. Albus and Minerva finished the meal already and chatted; Professor McGonagall looked grim and the headmaster looked like having a flash of inspiration seeing Severus coming; he pierced Severus with his blue sparkling eyes from a distance.

"Good morning, Minerva. Albus." Severus nodded curtly and took a seat next to his peer.

Minerva frowned, "It's about time to turn up again, Severus. I believed you have the grace to inform at least the headmaster of your absence."

"I got hold up."

"You have not even been back at dawn."

"I trust that you handled everything without needing my authority," sneered Severus.

"What did you think," replied the older Professor and shook her head crossly.

Dumbledore explained now, "Argus Filch got attacked, given what he told us."

Severus scoffed, "It happens almost every year, doesn't it?"

"For a change, the Slytherins incurred the displeasure. If I remember correctly your house snooped on the whole student body supporting Umbridge and Filch last year," reprimanded Minerva.

"And what did the Slytherin's do to annoy Filch?"

"Set Peruvian Instant Darkness Power to the corridors. We had to clean up the dungeons near the entrance of the common room. Some first years and Argus were frightened to death, bumped their heads."

"I see, that explains the reduced number of house points," said Severus calmly. He didn't bother at all about the house cup this year; only Draco's strange ideas saving the honour of the Malfoy family worried him. Severus' feared that Draco lured Death Eaters into the castle getting support. Bella mentioned something.