Forever Yours

1. Taken

Tears were pouring down his face.  The man in front of her was broken, a shell of a human being.  His wand was laying carelessly up on the bar.

"Oh, Lily, my Lily, it's all my fault."  As soon as he said it, he sobbed even louder.  The bar patrons were starting to stare at the two of them now.

She patted him on the shoulder, her eyes moistening.  Her heart was breaking for him, a perfect stranger who had knocked her on her butt the moment she came in.  Still, she cared that he was obviously distraught.

"Can you tell me your name?" she asked him gently.

He looked up at her and she wiped the tears from his face.  He flinched a little at her touch.  "Severus Snape."

She smiled at him.  "It's going to be okay, Severus.  Just tell me why you're so upset.  Who's Lily?"

At the mention of her name, more tears came.  He buried his face in his hands.  She calmed him down the best she could, even wrapping her arms around him and holding him there for several minutes while he sobbed.  Suddenly, he pulled back and seemed to gather himself together a little.

"A woman I love...well, loved.  The Dark Lord killed her and her husband just a few hours ago."

She gasped in surprise.  That was terrible.  "I'm sorry.  Is there anything I can do?"

"Not really.  But thank you anyway."

She pressed her lips together.  This guy was completely heartbroken.  She frowned as he motioned for the barkeep.  The young lady walked over and took an order for another firewhiskey.  She brought it over to him a few minutes later.  He tried to take a sip, but the glass was moved from his reach.

"I think you've had enough of this," she told him softly.

Severus protested.  "How dare you!  This only makes my-"

"Seventh one," she finished.  "You're already plastered.  I don't think you need anymore firewhiskey."

He tried to grab for it, but she purposely let it slip from her hands.  He sneered at her.

"You did that on purpose!"

She shrugged her shoulders innocently.  "Maybe I did, but it was for your own good."

Severus got up from his seat and staggered closer to her.  He tripped and fell forward into her lap, knocking her off of her own stool and onto the floor again, him landing on top of her this time  The impact seemed to sober him a little.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.  "I'm not usually like this."

"I understand," she said.  "I won't hold it against you."  She looked into his eyes.  She could see the grief inside of them, the pain that he was trying so desperately to drown out.  She raised up and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"What did you do that for?"

"I don't know.  You looked like you needed me to."

"You don't want to fall in love with me.  Trust me.  It'll get you killed.  Just look where it got Lily.  She wasn't in love with me though, was she?"

She frowned. He wasn't making any sense.  He rolled off onto the floor and sat up as he pulled something out of his pocket.  He took her hand and placed the small object inside, then closed her hand and held it that way, his onyx eyes burning into her light green ones.