endingsbegin

Secret Santa fic for Amanda (V. Mures) .

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Finite Incantatum."

The pain went away. Thank Merlin.

"Severus? Snape? Come on, growly bear. Get up. We have to get out of here."

"You." He hissed, looking up at what had been the redheaded bane of his existence for that last few months.

"Me." Willow said almost playfully.

Only she would play when the streets of Hogsmeade were literally burning due to an attack by Voldemort. Though he'd cut off his own hand
before admitting it, her lack of severity in grave situations was one of the things that drew him to her. She was serious... just not too serious.
He was a little bitter black moth, and she was his flame.

"Rosenberg..."

"I have told you repeatedly to call me Willow, Sev." The petite redhead said as she ducked back down behind the pile of crates she had
dragged him behind before counter-cursing him.

He took a moment to study her. He was forever studying her. Every inspection uncovered something new. He couldn't comprehend a woman
like her. Red hair. Green eyes. Skin like a porcelain doll's. She didn't look like she even belonged in this plane of existence. She should have
gossamer wings on her back and be flying around a toadstool ring somewhere. That he could comprehend. Just not the other. She was full of
good intentions. She had not always been. No. There was darkness to rival all black depths within her... but she held it at bay. It flowed in her
veins. It seeped from her laugh. It shown in her eyes. He could see it... but he was always looking for that in a person.

It was difficult to breathe.

"Sev?"

"Woman-"

"Oh goddess. I thought you'd left me there for a minute."

"One can only wish."

"Don't talk like that." She snapped before grasping that wand she didn't truly need in her teeth like a dog might a twig it had fetched before
hefting one of his arms about her shoulders and pulling him, incredibly, to a semi-standing position. The little redhead secured his arm about
her and held it at the wrist before taking her wand out of her mouth and wrapping her other arm about his waist. "Let's walk, sweetheart."

Severus groaned. Walking was bad. It hurt like the blazes. She really was sort of irritating... and struggling under his weight.

"Leave me." He rasped. "Too heavy."

"Not leaving you." She gritting through her teeth.

Determined, she was as well. That was infuriating. He was about to start arguing it when suddenly she dropped him like a bad habit. Severus
crashed to the ground in the dirty alley. His nose bent oddly as he hit the cobblestone. He was too weak to catch himself. He was about to
start letting out foul strings of filth by way of his mouth when a craning of his head showed him that his little redheaded savior was facing off
with Bellatrix Lestrange... the very person who had cursed him earlier.

He heard it.

Crucio.

The curse hit his redhead hard. The pretty little wand in her hand fell to the ground. The girl, his savior, went down in a scream of pain. She fell
next to him with tears leaking from her eyes already. Her back arched as she screamed again after hitting the ground. She took a deep
pained breath and set out to let out a third howl of agony.

Then she abruptly stopped yelling mid-scream.

It was as if nothing had happened.

Like a vampire in some muggle film, she went from lying on her back to being on her feet. As if on a spring, she snapped up to face her foe
again. Wand quite forgotten.

"That wasn't very nice... and now you've gone and made me cranky."

The air in the alley was suddenly oppressive. It was her. The redhead. Her aura swirled in the air, pressing back anything but herself. After
months of avoiding her, shying away, being unforgivably rude, and flat-out ignoring her, she had finally done the one thing that had gained his
notice. She had attracted him. Finally.

The girl had just let a little of her dark side out.

She was about to flatten Lestrange. He could feel it. Severus knew she was powerful. She was a bloody force to be reckoned with. It wasn't
just the rumors. No, he'd met her when she was struggling to control herself. When she had just tried to end the whole wide world with one flick
of those delicate wrists. He'd hated her then. She was a thing then. Something to be pitied if he had ever pitied anything. Her evolution to now
was awe-striking. All that power... all that control over it.

He watched in rapt admiration as the hair on the young woman's head bled from red to onyx. Her eyes traded normal green with and iris and
a pupil for all black. Empty. Dangerous. Blue energy cracked and hissed along her hands as she moved her fingers.

Bellatrix raised her wand again.

The evil little pixie held up a single hand. "Nuh uh. My turn."

Lestrange looked like she was trying to move but could not.

"Don't bother fighting it, you hag. My will can not be broken by an insect like yourself." Her voice had gone all low... and dare he think... sexy.

Severus managed to push himself up a bit. He'd thought her far too sweet for the likes of this. Things were getting fairly interesting in this alley
just now. There was something very attractive about a woman who was wicked yet not evil. She walked that line expertly. Sinister yet not
beyond redemption.

"Tell me, she-who-is-about-to-be-administered-the-big-old-smackdown, you ever seen 'Return of the Jedi'?"

Severus's brow furrowed. Return of the what?

"Well?"

Nothing.

"Oh right." Willow waved her hand a bit. "You can speak now."

"Filthy little mudbl-"

"That in not an answer!" She roared.

Severus flinched as thread seemed to come from nowhere and sew Bellatrix's lips shut.

"And don't call me a mudblood, Elmira Gulch, or I'll drop a house on your ass. I don't like that. Now, I will ask again, just a hint, this is a yes or
no question. That means the answer is either yes or no." The former redhead, current raven-haired girl paused dramatically. "Now... have you
ever seen the movie 'Return of the Jedi'?"

She waved a hand again slightly. The thread disappeared from Bellatrix's lips.

"No."

"Pity." Rosenberg said dispassionately. "It would have made this a little more ironic... or at least it would have some sort of meaning to you
outside of blatant torture."

Blue bolts of lightening seemed to come from the tips of the girl's fingers. Bellatrix screamed in pain as she started to fry. She fell to the
ground and started twitching like a fish out of water. Willow just kept the juice on her.

"Not so tough now, are you?!"

The woman screamed in pain.

"That's what you get for hexing the guy I wanna be snuggly-wuggly with!"

Bellatrix screamed some more.

Severus's brow furrowed. Snuggly-wuggly?

"How dare you touch him." Rosenberg hissed.

His mouth gaped a little. She couldn't... fancy him... could she?

After several minutes she stopped. Bellatrix was whimpering on the ground. The impressive and scary Bellatrix Lestrange was whimpering
and twitching... and quite possibly drooling on her Death Eater robes. It was a sight to behold.

"That's right." The girl purred as she stalked towards Lestrange. "Suck in all the air you can. Breathe it in.... because you won't be breathing
for very much longer."

"B-Bitch." Bellatrix spat.

"That was smart. Taunting the executioner."

She let fly with the blue energy again. Bellatrix screamed.

"WILLOW!"

"Dammit." The girl hissed.

The lightening died.

"You lucked out. I really wanted to kill you a lot." She spun on her heel and headed back towards Severus.

The black bled out of her hair and eyes and scattered into the wind behind her like ash. The girl was as before. Fiery red hair and moss
green eyes. So soft looking. She had just crouched down next to him, as if to check that he was all right when her little group of friends
rounded the corner with a band of Aurors behind them. Severus just stared in shock. How had he been so blinded by what she seemed to be
that he had failed to see what she truly was?

"Willow?!"

"Here. I'm here!" She called as she stroked a finger down his bloodied cheek. "I think Sev needs some medical attention."

He blinked at her.

"Don't tell anyone I tortured her." Willow whispered.

"What?"

"Don't tell them I played with her. They won't like it. It'll be too close to evil vein-y Willow for them."

"Your secret's safe with me."

"You aren't..."

"Aren't..." He prompted.

"Repulsed?"

"Quite the opposite."

"Oh?" She blinked. "Oh!"

He managed to smirk at her.

"Miss? Could you move?" An Auror snapped. "A mediwitch is wanting to tend him."

"No, you bumbling dunderhead. She can not move. I do not want her to move." He gripped her little white hand as much as he could. "The girl
stays with me."

Willow's eyebrows went up.

"She saved my life. Bugger off and tell the sodding mediwitch to work around her."

Willow grinned. "You know, you didn't seem like the touchy-feely type before. What's up?"

"I know a delicious secret."

"Delicious?"

"Mmm. I think I'd like to take a bite out of it later."

She had the unique ability to blush just then. She was such the conundrum. Sweetness and spice with darkness and raw power sprinkled in
wickedness.

"Wh-when you're feeling up to it, huh?" The blushing redhead stammered.

"Mmm."

The young mediwitch, one Ginny Weasley, was looking from one to the other as she did her usual checking routine. She had not known
Severus Snape to flirt with anyone. Ever. She further had not known anyone to flirt with him... ever. Or act demure yet pleased with his
attentions the way Professor Willow Rosenberg seemed to be doing just now.

"Can we get a stretcher in here for the professor. Now." The mediwitch snapped.

Severus craned his head around. "Miss Weasley?"

Ginny looked at him. "You'll live, Professor Snape. We just need to get you to the infirmary at Hogwarts. Bed rest, sir, lots of it." She turned
again. "Stretcher! Now!"

"Damn, Weasley." Came a droll voice from the shadows. "You certainly have not changed a bit."

Severus rolled his eyes as Draco Malfoy sauntered out into the dim light. Several people shouted in alarm and pointed their wands at him.

"For Merlin's sakes, you idiots, point those away." Severus snapped.

"Darn tootin'" Willow added.

"He's a Death Eater!"

"And I'm the Virgin Mary!" Ginny snapped.

Draco snorted at that. He knew firsthand she was no such thing.

"Shut up, Malfoy."

"Wires SO crossed." Willow said. "He's a spy."

"Am I ever." Draco said leveling his gaze at Willow.

Severus tightened his grip on her hand. So Malfoy had witnessed Rosenberg torturing his Aunt Bella.

"Where's Lestrange?" A gruff voice hollered.

Severus rolled his eyes as one Ron Weasley, redheaded ape-man, came lumbering through the crowd, wand drawn, Auror robes slightly less
than pressed and crisp.

"Hey, Gin. Willow. Professor Greasy Git. Ferret boy." He nodded at each of them before moving towards Lestrange who was still whimpering
on the ground. "What happened to her?"

"She made me cranky." Willow said.

"Hey!" Someone yelled at the end of the alley. "It's over!"

"No shit!" Draco snapped.

"No! It's REALLY over! Potter and Dumbledore killed HIM!"

"What?" Draco said in shock.

"Potter and Dumbledore killed Voldemort! It's over! The war's over!"

Draco shoved his left sleeve up frantically. The inside of his forearm was smooth, unmarked skin. He shouted in surprise and did some very
uncharacteristic jumping up and down. Then he stalked over to Ginny Weasley just as she had finished magicking Snape onto the stretcher
that had finally arrived. He lifted her by one arm.

"Malfo-"

His lips settled over hers.

"Oy!" Ron shouted.

"Rosenberg..."

Willow just nodded. She knew what Severus was wanting her to check. She didn't need to. She could feel that it was gone, but she shoved up
the sleeves of his black robe and shirt to appease him. His arm was smooth and unmarked.

Willow smiled. "It's gone."

She leaned forward and kissed his arm where the dark mark used to burn. Severus grabbed a handful of her red hair and yanked her face up
to his, his strength was returning a bit thanks to Ginny Weasley... who was still being orally assaulted by Draco Malfoy. He felt an odd bit of
something for the young man. Dare it be happiness? Severus was not sure. All he knew was that Draco and Miss Weasley no longer had to
hide themselves from the world. The young man was in earnest about his feelings towards the girl, but he had not declared much of anything
because he feared his spying would get him killed. Now he was free to pursue, to court... in the open.

Willow leaned in and pressed her lips to Severus's jarring him from his thoughts of how his godson would finally be able to find some
happiness.

"Been waiting to do that all term, snarky butt."

"What did you call me, woman?"

"Snarky butt. You gonna punish me for it?"

"Punish?"

She leaned into his ear. "Or perhaps I should punish you. I saw your face earlier."

"I think that would be most agreeable."

Willow arched her brow. "Freak."

"Freakier."

She gasped. "I think the curse earlier effected him! He just joked!"

"Oh Rosenberg, you're hysterical."

"You think that was hysterical? Wait until you see Xander do the Snoopy dance."

"The what?"

"It's a muggle thing... like plastic spatulas and edible body paint." She leaned in to his ear again. "And crotch-less leather undies."

His eyes went wide. "You know, I rather think I formed the wrong impression of you. You are a very naughty girl, Willow Rosenberg."

"I know. Santa skips my house every year." She grinned. "Then again that might have to do with the big honking menorah.... possibly that
tacky old alter to the goddess with the big sharp athame on it... or could be the trying to end the world thing a few years back. I think that might
have gotten me permanently naughty listed. It's all about lumps of coal and switches for this little wicca."

He chuckled a bit. "The switches might come in useful."

She blushed again. How annoying, yet attractive.

"So this trying to be all mean and resist-y with me is over then?"

He scowled at her.

She leaned into his ear. "Can we pull some wings off of flies later?"

"Perhaps."

The girl had the gall to giggle in his ear before kissing his filthy jaw line and face until she found his lips.

"Malfoy, would you mind horribly taking your tongue out of my sister's mouth and helping me cart off your aunt? You know, Ginny has to get
Snape to the wounded area." Ron Weasley grumbled. "I can't believe I didn't kill you when you asked my permission to see Ginny."

Then he turned and saw Snape and Willow kissing.

"Bloody hell!" He slapped his hands over his face. "My eyes!"

"Ron?" Came the voice of Harry Potter. "Ron, what it is? What's wrong? Why are your hands over your eyes?"

He skidded to a stop when he took in the scene in the alley. Malfoy kissing Ginny. Snape kissing Professor Rosenberg.

"Eww."

"Harry Potter, don't you run off from me when I'm trying to tend you!" Luna Lovegood snapped as she came storming around the corner with
her mediwitch robes flying.

"Miss Lovegood." Severus snapped in complete sarcasm. "Could you perhaps screech a bit louder? I think there are some villagers in the
next town over that did not hear you."

Willow chuckled as she looked at the tall blonde girl. Luna was a trip.

"Oh, Professor Snape, are you hurt?"

Severus rolled his eyes. The annoying little lunatic had cleaved to him like some sort of fungus ever since her father had been murdered by
Death Eaters in the middle of her seventh year.

"He's in good hands, Luna."

Harry shuddered.

"Problems, Potter?"

"I just... you and he... you two are..."

"Just never saw Professor Snape as a sexual creature."

"Goo!"

"Ah!"

"Rosenberg!" Severus snapped.

Ginny had finally pried Draco off of her and had magicked Snape's stretcher.

"Can I get a lift back?" Willow asked.

Ginny arched an eyebrow at her. "Hop on."

Willow hopped on the edge of it.

"That was rather naughty of you." Severus purred as he managed to grab her hip to keep her on the stretcher with him.

"What was?"

"The sexual creature comment, woman."

"Oh. So you thought that was naughty, huh?"

"Very."

"You're in for some shocks then."

"Oh?"

"Mister, I can be way more naughty."

"Interesting."

"You two are grossing me out." Draco Malfoy snapped as he walked next to the stretcher.

"Well, you had better make yourself scarce when he's back at full Snape strength, spy-boy. Things are only gonna get smoochier from here."

"Smoochier?" Ginny asked looking at Willow.

"You know, smoochies. I know you two know about smoochies."

Draco looked at her like she was unhinged.

"Smoochies, Malfoy. Like this." She leaned over and kissed Severus.

"I don't think I should be watching this."

"I think it's kind of cute." Ginny said.

"It looks naughty, Gin. Her tongue..."

Ginny grabbed his chin and turned it away. "If you can't be an adult, Draco Malfoy..."

"I just don't like to see my godfather snogging one of his coworkers is all."

"Then don't look."

Yes, don't look. The whole world could look away.

All of it was over, and the dark shape in the dungeons of Hogwarts had finally found another shadow to share the darkness with him. A devil in
angel wings.

*~*

end fic