Loving Lily: A Snily Story

Chapter 50 - Introductions

Severus and Lily found themselves trapped between wistful longing and relieved bliss as they both lamented and enjoyed those extra moments of total privacy that had come to them each day.

One morning in October, Lily served herself and her husband breakfast as Severus scowled at the newspaper clutched firmly in his elegant hands.

Lily noticed the look of resolute concentration on his face before she asked, "Sweetheart.....what's the matter?"

Severus started as if her voice had called him out of a waking nightmare before his black eyes flickered up to her as he cleared his throat.

"I'm not fond of the day's main article." He cryptically replied.

"Oh?" Lily blinked, ".....And why's that?"

"Do you remember, shortly after Potter's death....that they sent Sirius Black to Azkaban?" Severus asked.

"Well, of course I remember." Lily chuckled mirthlessly, "He deserved it for selling James out like he did, I heard Remus was devastated. That's very sad, but that's why your life and our daughter's were gambled that night. That's the real tragedy."

"I completely agree, my love....However......It seems that your old friend may not be finished with his wickedness yet." Severus scoffed.

"Sev....." Lily huffed as she stared at her husband.

Severus glanced up from his newspaper with a frown.

"They were all much more James's friends than mine." She scowled as her bright, green eyes bore into him, "Have you forgotten who stood in my corner when James left me, alone and abandoned, pregnant with Harriet?...Who was there when he tried to take everything from me?"

Severus's frown deepened.

"Not Sirius....." Lily began, "Not Remus.....and certainly not Peter."

Severus watched as Lily pointed at him and said, "You, Sev.....It was you....and I'll never forget that, sweetheart."

Severus stared at his wife as his black gaze softened with awed devotion while she took the newspaper from his hands and frowned down at the page.

Her emerald eyes narrowed as they scanned the text he had been reading in The Daily Prophet:

Notorious Mass Murderer Sirius Black Escapes From Azkaban

Below the title, centered within the words of the article, Lily stared at Sirius's prison picture, his hair wild, a manacial grin covering his face as he writhed and twisted violently with an evil laugh on his lips.

"Do you think he'll come here and try to hurt us?.....Does he know about Harriet? Will he tell the Dark Lord?" She questioned Severus as her gaze snapped towards him.

"The Dark Lord has always been vague about Black." Severus replied as he took the paper back from Lily, "Since his brother's betrayal, I don't believe he's placed much trust in him......Though I must say that on every single occasion when I've tried to extract the exact details about what happened with Black and Potter that night, the Dark Lord has declined to reveal......anything significant."

"Has he ever spoken about it at all?" Lily asked.

"He's only confided in me that Black's punishment was less severe than it should have been." Severus replied, "I'm not certain what that means."

As Lily glanced down, Severus saw the deep veil of worry that creased her fair face.

He ignored the plates of warm food his wife had placed on the table as he rose from his seat and took her hand.