Into the Light

Finally Mine

Julie looked out of the window, at the opposite house. The barren house wall, which had been marked by the weather, rose up into the gray sky. Time had not failed to leave its mark on it. Cracks in the masonry were clearly visible from the opposite side of the road. It looked as desolate as all the houses in this area, but not all houses had been as neglected as this.

A frown appeared on Julie's face as she wondered how the house had looked when Severus had been a child. What had become of the family which had once lived there? Certainly it had once been the pride of a man who had bought it for his family. The present owner no longer seemed to care about its condition. Was it the same owner? The windows were mostly dark, rarely showing signs that it was inhabited, except for the dull light, which shone through the grayed curtains from evening till the early morning hours. Why was someone living in a house like this, Julie wondered.

Her gaze fell upon the window-sill in front of her whose cream-colored paint had begun to peel off. The house in which Severus lived when he was not in Hogwarts, did not look as dirty and in disrepair as the house on the opposite side of the street, but time had not failed to leave its mark on it as well. Why did Severus live here? Why did Severus want to live in the house where he grew up? The environment was dreary and gray, depressing, cold and desolate. Julie had tried, but she could not find any positive words to describe it.

Memories, that were clearly of a bad nature, still haunted this house and thus Severus' mind. Memories that hurt Severus, depressed him and burdened him considerably. But why did he decide to stay here anyway? Why did not he leave this place behind to make a new beginning? Why did Severus consciously choose to stay here, live here, and continue to be under the influence of this house and thus its past - his past.

Julie sighed softly, trying to banish these thoughts from her head. She would not get answers to her many questions anyway. Maybe later, but not now. Severus was not yet ready to deal with his past. Or did he do so without her knowing it? Secretly, in the depths of his being? Julie frowned, biting her lower lip thoughtfully. Perhaps Severus was much more concerned with his past than she suspected. Could she have been wrong? Yes, it was possible.

Although she already knew a lot about him, Severus hesitated to reveal his inner self, especially when it concerned his past. Severus was very reserved in this regard and she suspected that one of the reasons why he was not talking much about his life was herself. Maybe he did not want to burden her too much.

Julie took a deep breath and, with her fingernails, scraped off the the windowsill's paint. This was a topic which was currently not the focus of attention. She would marry Severus very soon. A smile appeared on her rosy lips as she thought about how emotional she had become yesterday. It had suddenly come upon her, without any warning. But she should have known. She was about to take a very important step, which would bind her to Severus. But this was not the cause of her concern. The certainty that she could spend the rest of her life with him made her happy.

However, she had begun to realize what this step would entail, what would change in her life. Suddenly she had not been as confident as she had been before. She had talked to Severus a few times about what would happen if their relationship became public. The moment this would happen, they would already be married.

Julie sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, which had fallen into her face as she had studied the windowsill indifferently. However, it had an advantage: The wave of curiosity and how Severus called it - sensation mongering of the reporters and the world of sorcery - would only hit them once. After that, it would be over - hopefully.

She was startled when Severus gently touched her shoulders. His hands lingered on them for a moment, then he slowly trailed his fingers down her arms until he wrapped his arms around her body to pull her against him. Julie leaned back contentedly and let herself be held by Severus. His chest rose and fell slowly, and Julie closed her eyes as she let herself be soothed by the gentle movement of his body.