It was the next morning and no sound was heard as Severus slept in the leather armchair, you slept with your head against the couch cushions, and Alec with his head on your shoulder.

Severus was the first to wake and when he saw Alec's head on your shoulder he pulled out his wand and made his head roll off, waking him.

Alec yawns. "Mornin."

"We need to talk. Study. Upstairs. Now."

Severus and Alec both went to the study and silently shut the door.

"So, what's up Severus?"

"I see the way you look at her."

"What do you mean?"

"You're in love with (f/n)."

"Well, so are you. You think I haven't noticed?"

"I swear if you say or do anything to expose her your head will be on my wall, Boot."

"What? Are you her protective father figure all of the sudden?"

"You're changing the subject."

"I wasn't planning on exposing her secret in any way, shape or form. I would never."

"It'll be best to remember that, Boot."

Severus opened the study door and walked down the stairs to see you awake and waiting.

"Morning, Severus. Been up long?"

"No, not at all." He eyed Alec as he exited the study upstairs.

"Morning (f/n)!" Alec said with a grin.

"Morning!" You replied. "Say, have you seen my owl anywhere? I haven't seen him since yesterday."

"No, I'll tell you if I see him though. I don't wish to be rude but I need to get back to Ilvermourny." You stood and walked with him to the door to say goodbye (Severus still eyeing Alec with you).

"Well...it's sad you have to go. But remember....watch where you make tea." You said the last part with a sly grin.

Alec chuckled. "I will. I hope to see you soon."

Before Alec apparated you said: "Don't get splinched, Alec!"

Once he was gone, you turned to see Severus glaring at the spot where Alec was.

"Are you jealous of Alec or something?"

"Of course not!"

"I would like to have friends without you despising them you know."

"I don't despise him I just don't like him around you."

"Feeling possessive are we?"

"No."

"Maybe....jealous.?"

"Stop it."

"Ah ha. I knew it. You can't resist me and you think Alec is going to date me or something."

Severus only grumbled, telling you that it was obviously true.

Severus slowly approached you and put his hand on your shoulder. "(F/n), you make me whole," so then, with little warning, he planted his lips on yours.

At first you were a bit surprised but then deepened the kiss until you had to break for air.

"Yup, definitely jealous." You said with a smirk.

"Hey!"

"Mmmmmhmmm. Severus Jelly Snape."

"Seven years." Severus said, trying to change the subject. "Why did you leave me for so long?"

"Dumbledores instructions were for me to stay at Ilvermourny until he called me back. So, I did as he told me to."

"You don't have any idea how insane things have been since you left."

"Dumbledore filled me in. Not gonna lie, Harry's been through a lot."

"I see he filled you in on Potter."

"Don't even start with your complaints. Just because Harry's father and his friends were rude to you when you attended Hogwarts and Lily went off with James doesn't mean that you should be mean to their son. If anything, I bet Lily doesn't appreciate you being so mean, not to mention Neville."

"Don't bring her into this."

"Mmmmmmhmm. Letting your past affect your present. That's not good for you, Severus. I've seen everything you've been through. I do think Lily should've forgiven you, but is it really necessary to let it bother you? You're 36, perhaps it's time to let up a bit."

"I still don't like him. Potter, he's just like his father. Strutting about with his friends disregarding the rules-"

"Please just stop complaining and be at least a bit nicer. Besides, he's gotta deal with Umbridge, and you know how she is."

With a deep sigh, Severus sat on the couch and looked up at you. "I suppose you're right. But it'll always bother me."

"I know."

"Also, that Alec guy..."

The moment he said Alec's name, your owl came swooping downstairs and landed on your shoulder.

"Hey, Alec. Where have you been?"

The owl hooted as if he were responding.

"You seriously named a bloody bird after him?"

"Yes, Severus. I did. Is there a problem?"

"Out of all names in the known universe, you choose Alec."

"Well, doesn't the owl look like him? There's no way you can argue with me on that."

"Maybe he does. But you could've named him something else."

"Leave my owl alone."

As if on cue, Alec hooted and flapped his wings in Severus' direction.

"See, Severus. Even Alec agrees that you're being mean."

"Oh hush." As he said this you laughed and he scowled.

You stopped laughing after a minute and sobered up.

"Severus. Is he really back? Out of all the people I know, you're the only one who knows for sure."

Severus paused and considered your question.

"Yes. He's back."

The news shocked you, you had no idea as to what was going to happen, seeing as Severus was a double agent and could be found out any given day.

"I need you to promise me that you'll be careful."

"You know I can't guarantee that, (f/n)."

"Please. I've seen things- terrible things- and I don't know if I can prevent them from happening."

"What sort of things?"

"I don't want to lose you, Severus. I'm not saying that it's going to happen, but I can't lose you."

"You won't. I promise."

"Good."

A moment passed until Severus spoke.

"What's being immortal like?"

"Horrible. It's a complete curse."

"How so? You can experience everyth-"

"No. It's a curse. You have to sit around forever watching the people you care about die, never being able to pass on and join them. Besides, I'm not completely immortal. If someone kills me before I regenerate I'll be gone for good."

"And I won't let that happen."

"You know what that means right? I'll out live you unless I waste my other 11 regenerations before you..."

"Yes."

"So you're ok with the fact that I may outlive you and be alone until I use my last regeneration?"

Severus didn't answer, he just sat and stared into space.

"Just know that immortality is a curse, and I would do anything to live a bit of a shorter life."

The two of you locked eyes and Severus gave you a concerned look.

"You're not planning on wasting your lives just to live a normal life are you?" He asked.

"No, I'm not that reckless."

"Good. Because even though I'll inevitably die before you I don't want you to kill yourself over me." He patted the couch beside him and you sat, Alec flying back upstairs as you moved.

You snuggled against Severus and laid back on the couch and he wrapped his arm around your shoulder.

"I was all alone until I met you 30 years ago. I stayed and built this house for 74 years. Even battling through a war during the time."

"Of course, it didn't take me 74 years to build a house. I had to teach myself the ways of magic, find a decent source of income- which is my weapon craft, and just wait until the day I finally had my first regeneration. Then it would start all over again, the waiting."

"But then one day I came across you, a young 6 year old wizard. At that point I told myself I'd look after you- even though it wasn't directly- and make sure you were safe. It's not like I had anything else to do but wait."

"So basically you've been following me around for 30 years, minus the 7 you were gone." Severus interrupted.

"Yes, but look at me now, I'm not alone. You wanna know why?"

"It's because the day I met you we promised to be friends, remember?"

Severus stroked your hair and planted a kiss on your forehead.

"You won't be alone anymore, (f/n). Because I'm here."

You sighed heavily, a tear beginning to form in your eye. "But what happens when you die? Remus dies? Alec dies? What then? I'll have nobody and I'll be alone again." The tear rolled down your cheek and you faced Severus. "I can't bear being alone again."

He brushed the tear off of your cheek with his thumb and held you against his chest. "Don't cry. I'll be here for you, whether I'm dead or alive, always."

"I don't know what to do with myself. What happens when Umbridge leaves and Dumbledore doesn't need me to be undercover?"

"We'll figure it out, (f/n)."

You wiped a tear off your cheek with the sleeve of your sweater and got up.

"Do you want some soup?"

"The soup?"

"Yup, that soup Severus."

"Yes.................please."

With a chuckle you pecked him on the cheek and skipped off to the kitchen to start making said soup.

Several minutes later, Severus creeps up behind you and slides his hands around your waist, slightly startling you.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. Do you want some soup?"

"Of course."

You poured two bowls of soup, turned off the stove and sat side by side on the couch enjoying the soup.

"You know nobody could replace you you know."

This made Severus stop mid-bite and look in your direction.

"Yeah, right."

"I'm serious. No one could replace you, Severus."

The both of you paused for a moment, both putting your soup bowls down on the table.

"I love you, Severus. I hope you know. Nothing can change that."

Severus went to plant his lips on yours but you jumped up from the couch before he could.

"Wha-"

"Gotta catch me!" You laughed and started running around the living room with Severus chasing you.

You eventually got chased into your room and the both of you jumped and landed on your bed.

Severus was finally able to plant his lips on yours and the two of you laid there in a tangle of limbs snogging for several minutes before you broke apart for air, Severus on top of you.

"Caught you." He laughed, making you smile.

You continued snogging, you tangled your hands in Severus' hair and he had his hands on either side of you. Severus started trailing kisses down your neck until he got to your collarbone where your mark is. He pecked every detail of it before stopping and putting your hair behind your ears. Kissing your forehead, he laid down beside you and held you in his arms.

You looked up at him with a grin as you played with his hair.

"I know you want to, Sev."

He kissed you again and the rest is up to your imagination.

(No really, I don't write that stuff. I'll leave it up to you guys.)

~the next morning~

Severus woke up and looked at you resting on his bare chest and smiled. He played with your hair- careful to not wake you and planted a kiss on your forehead.

You finally woke up and gazed up at him with a grin.

"Good morning sleepy head." He said.

"Morning, Severus. How'd you sleep?"

"Pleasantly, since you were here with me."

At that moment when you smiled up at him, the doorbell rang and both of your eyes widened.

"Who would be coming here at this time in the morning?!?!" You said in a panic.

Both of you were trying to climb out of bed and you were throwing on a robe to cover your bare form to answer the door.

Severus pecked you on the cheek before he got back in bed as you ran to answer the door.

As you opened the door you recognised the form of Bosco.

As soon as he saw you in your robe his cheeks flushed a bright red.

"I-uh. Is this a bad time?"

"A little bit, yeah. Just in the middle of a shower."

"Oh uh. I just wanted to wish you Happy Christmas, (f/n)."

"Happy Christmas, have a good one."

"See you after holiday!"

Bosco left and once he'd turned his back you closed the door and returned to your bedroom, taking off the robe and hanging it over a chair as you got back in bed with Severus.

"That was quick."

"Yeah, just Bosco wishing me a Happy Christmas."

"Speaking of Christmas. Happy Christmas, (f/n)."

"Happy Christmas, Severus." You pecked him on the lips and wrapped your arms around his torso.

This tops last Christmas I had here.