Shadow & Love

II

Leonor prepared a black coffee for Minerva and herself once the children left grudgingly.

Minerva stirred coffee cream into the steaming mug speaking thoughtfully, "My memory deceived me; I was in the opinion that you had a baby girl first."

"Well, Eileen is the older of the two. She'll be eleven in July."

"Oh! And how old is Marcus then?" asked Minerva curiosity in her eyes.

Leonor sighed. "He turned ten last week and wants to learn magic sooner than later. It will be challenging to keep his thirst for knowledge at bay if Eileen starts at Hogwarts. It would actually be good for him to be more challenged, best at a magical school."

Minerva's wrinkled face softened. "Marcus is a tall boy, like his father. Severus was lanky and thin too; the black hair obscured his face as if he had to hide something. He was a bit jumpy in the first year if I remember right, walked always hunched and alone. Severus never forgot a homework, studious, diligent. Albus and I should have taken better care of him. We had no idea about his anti-social home. Albus never mentioned a thing and I only know because Harry told me after Severus' release from Azkaban."

The professor gasped, "I understood too late that Severus controlled his magic and feelings very well. Today I know that Potter and Black must have provoked him to the bones before he struck back."

Leonor nodded; there was not much to say about that anymore.

The Professor sipped the coffee and whispered nervously, "How is Severus today?"

"Well, for me he's still the same person. We all get older, though I believe that Severus looks more youthful now with the grey highlights in the black hair and since the weight of the war and the prison is lifted from his shoulders. He's very protective about me and the children; he fears isolation. Nightmares haunt him — still. Severus doesn't speak about it, but I know it's either Voldemort's torture or the occasional visits of Dementor's in Azkaban what gives him sleepless nights."

"I came unannounced because you did not reply to my request and it was now the last day of the Easter break. Will he be ready to talk to me?"

Leonor shrugged. "I think it would be good for him to talk to you, but I cannot say how Severus will react to find you here. Usually he's already back, whatever held him up today."

"Horace praises him highly for every lecture at the Potions' Guild. He's been devastated admitting that he refused to invite the reserved and withdrawn boy to the Slug Club when he now turned out to be the creator of a potion against the aftereffects of the Crutiatus Curse. Another sad case of unjustified judgment. Hogwarts made too many mistakes with the Slytherins."

Leonor smiled mildly. "Severus invented the base formula already two years after graduation. It's been about time that it was published."

"I feel so embarrassed, Leonor. I was about to kill Severus right before the Final Battle started. I had not the slightest idea, mistrusted Albus in his judgement. I've been wrong."

Leonor glanced to the wedding band.

"Tell Severus that and he will listen. He will return soon."

Leonor refilled the mugs with another coffee waiting for the creaking of the front door. Minerva chewed on a self-baked shortbread getting more and more uncomfortable with the minute.

Severus entered and stopped immediately in his tracks seeing the familiar green and blue tartan dress of his former superior who sat on his chair on the kitchen table.

Leonor gave an encouraging squeeze and a smile to the old professor's hand and hurried into the corridor.

"Hi, Sev," she said lightly distracting Severus with a kiss. It did not work out. He looked questioningly at Leonor, his body rigid and the heart hammering in his chest.