In a World Fighting to be Warm...

A/N: Thanks again to my betas, Augury27 and ImONMedication. Hope you enjoy this delicious chapter and see you all soon on the flip side. I can't believe we're almost done! One more chapter and the Epilogue. Please review---it's better than chocolate!!

***

May was a beautiful month. I spent my days working hard on my studies during the day while Severus taught and dealt with the ever-relentless Umbridge. Severus worked hard at his fake Veritiserum potion, and I took it upon myself to learn wandless magic. I knew Severus would be furious if he knew what I was up to, but I figured I needed to learn how to fully protect myself, just in case something went wrong.

But after the day’s work was over, the nights were for us. Severus and I explored each other and together discovered delights that were more than I believed to exist. I grew more confident in my ardor and was surprised by my husband’s eagerness in allowing me to experiment with pleasuring myself as he watched and fulfilled my fantasies of watching him pleasure himself as I watched. I was fascinated with his penis. I loved how such a calm and controlled man, such as he, could become a babbling, mindless mass of raw masculinity each time I kissed and stroked his manhood. The shy, humiliating side of sex was vanishing, and I found sex could be as playful and skilled as dueling. Dueling, after all, had been foreplay for me. My husband’s prowess and skill was enough to dissolve me into a puddle of writhing desire. Soon, I realized he felt the same for me. Each time I was able to thwart his hexes, the look on his face was apparent that all he wanted to do was throw me down and have his way with me—much to my delight!

I couldn’t wait for all of the secrecy to end, so we could be free to openly declare our marriage. I knew Severus wasn’t “in” love with me; there was something I couldn’t put my finger on, but he loved me, cared deeply for me, and we understood each other in ways no one else could. We were bound in a kindred way that was so unique; I could honestly say I was not threatened by his lack of being in love with me. I knew that his being older held a past that had nothing to do with me. I didn’t feel the need to impose my presence upon it. What was true was that he LOVED me, even if he wasn’t “in love.”

I figured there had been a past tragedy and that was why he never told me he loved me. I deeply respected my husband and was grateful for the sacrifices he had made to be my shelter from those who would surely kill me if they knew where I was. A part of me felt I should not get involved with the coming storm, that out of gratitude I should allow Severus to deal with whatever battle came and continue to let him shelter me, but I couldn’t. I still needed to have my revenge. After all, I had a new anger rising in me: I would never be able to give my husband a child. I wanted to punish those who took life from me. So it was clear: I would take life from them!

***

Slowly, I began to move small objects around the room by the wave of my hand. But, I needed to practice actual destructive spells on someone or something to test my mettle.

I looked around the room. Ah! A glass. I positioned it on the table a few feet from me and pointed my index finger and, with a “swish and flick” said, “Wingardium Leviosa.”

Okay, start with movement, I thought. The glass began to levitate and I sent it soaring around the room as I steadied my pressure. Okay, now this is what separates the women from the girls! I smirked to myself. I forced my palm out and forcefully bellowed, “Reducto!” which blew the glass to bits. I then said, “Reparo”, and it flew back into place as if it had never been broken. I squealed with delight at my triumph. After a few covert lessons along this vein, I decided the time had come to work my “magic” on Severus on our next duel.

***

We were back in the forest and he immediately drew his wand upon me. “Expelliarmus!” he rang out. My wand flew out from my hand, landing a few feet from my side.

He frowned as he walked towards me. I knew he was disappointed. I was far too advanced to fall for such an easy disarming spell. He was halfway to me when I raised my palm and cried, “STUPEFY”!

He was blasted a good ten feet from me, completely disoriented as he struggled to rise. I was standing, giddy and quite proud of myself. He came to himself and straightened his robes. He walked over to me and glowered.

“What am I to do with you? Did I not give you my final word that it was far too dangerous for you to be meddling in this type of magic?”

“Well, obviously, I am capable; I was able to disarm you quite easily,” I said, smiling rather smugly as he walked up close to me.

He smiled in spite of himself. “I think my Slytherin is rubbing off on you.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Ohhh! I could do with some of that rubbing right about now!”

His eyes smoldered with the lust I was so familiar with. He threw me down on the grass and cast another protective and silencing charm around us. He grabbed the bottom of my long skirt and pushed up the voluminous material. Up my legs and in between my thighs, until—surprise!

He drew back. “You’re not wearing any knickers!” he gasped.

I sat up and eyed him wantonly. “I knew once I had disarmed you, my success would have turned you on.” I leaned in and kissed him softly and said, “I know what gets you randy.”

To that, he cocked an eyebrow. “That’ll cost you, my wicked Gryffindor,” he growled as he picked me up and pushed me roughly against the nearest tree. Within seconds, he had my skirt up, my naked thighs wrapped around his waist and he was freeing his cock from his trousers. “Do you want this?” he asked me seductively.

“Yes,” I breathed.

I giggled and shrieked with pleasure as he lost himself in me, whispering sweet nothings in his most velvet tone. I closed my eyes and rode on the wave he created. Afterwards, when we had returned to our rooms, we fell onto our bed exhausted from our excursions and the long trek back.

I was awakened by screams and hollers from outside. Severus came back seething with rage.

“That damned Umbridge woman has lost her mind! The Ministry attacked Hagrid, and of course, it failed! And now he’s gone off into the Forbidden Forest. The old bat tried to have him arrested!”

“Whatever for?” I asked indignantly.

“The woman is truly a unique brand of evil. She hates half-breeds, as I’m sure Muggleborns as well. She is a foul, evil creature! McGonagall was stunned when she tried to stop the arrest. I don’t know if she will survive. She was hit by many spells at one time. This is madness—we are right buggered!” He sank down into his chair with his hands massaging his eyes.

My hand flew to my mouth. Dumbledore and McGonagall were gone! Who was going to stop Voldemort and his Death Eaters from coming into Hogwarts now? And what of the Ministry?

He went to the bathroom to clean up. There would be no time to lose. I would need to make sure I knew exactly what was happening and when. I’m sorry, Severus, for using you like this, but I’m going to need to know exactly where the showdown will be. Where Voldemort will be, Death Eaters are near by. And I will be there waiting…