The weight of my secret relationship being lifted from my shoulders, I proudly told my friends where I was headed this morning. I didn't have to hide Sev anymore, at least not from my two closest friends, who were the only ones I wanted to tell anyway. Being able to talk about him made me feel like we were a real couple.

I showed up to his house as scheduled, and we spent the morning drinking tea and finishing Jane Eyre while I sat in his lap, deciding it was my new favourite seat. When the book was through, I had to ask repeatedly for his opinion because he wasn't so willing to share it.

"I found it well written, and the plot was sufficient. I didn't get bored, but that's partly to your credit." He squeezed my shoulder before giving the bad news, "I do have a complaint, however. This Mr. Rochester is no good for Miss Eyre. He repeatedly tormented her, looked down on her, and worst of all, deceived her. You can't enter a marriage based on a lie, especially one as big as a wife hidden in your attic."

I understood where he was coming from, and under normal circumstances, I would have agreed. But not today, not to him. I explained, "he made bad decisions, but do you doubt he had good motives? Do you doubt he loved Jane?"

Severus took a moment to think before responding, "no, I believe he does love her, but is that enough?"

"For her it is."

He leaned his chin on the top of my head, "you are too forgiving."

I wrapped my arms around him, knowing he was talking about himself now. "No, I just don't see a troubled man as an evil one. A few bad decisions doesn't mean you are unworthy of love. Or forgiveness, for that matter."

He didn't respond, and instead, let out a long sigh. I wanted to say more, to tell him directly how I wouldn't be with him if he were a Death Eater at heart, and wouldn't love him if I thought he would ever hurt me, but I could tell he already heard the message loud and clear.

"Sev?"

"Yes?" He said, softly now.

"I want to spend the weekends here, with you."

He stayed silent, making me worry that I had misinterpreted his proposal, but finally he spoke up, "I would like that."

Thank god, I thought. We were on the same page after all. I vowed to stop doubting myself, it was clear Severus felt the same about me as I did him. Fate brought us together. We were two people who were raised by parents who treated us like a burden, and wanted nothing more than to belong. And now we do. To each other. We didn't find ourselves in hospital beds beside each other at random. No, it was the universe conspiring for us to be together. All the events in our lives, good or bad, brought us here.

The truth of it was, I didn't forgive Severus. I didn't need to. If he hadn't made the decisions he had, we wouldn't be here right now. So how could I possibly hold it against him?

I might be getting ahead of myself saying this is fate, but even if we don't live happily ever after, I just know it is. I valued all the time I got to spend with this man. He grew more and more interesting to me. I will be honest, up until he killed Dumbledore, I had respected and even admired him. He might have been a strict professor, even a bully at times to a few select students, but you could see the power and intelligence oozing out of him.

Every potion he brewed was flawless, and every spell he performed had all his energy channeled into it. Everything he did was calculated, learned; but it was also raw talent. Every movement he made was filled with such intensity that it left me mesmerized. He was a very capable wizard, and being interested in the Dark Arts just made him all the more impressive. He knew how to hurt people, and how to heal them. He knew how to defend himself, and others, and could take on almost any wizard thrown his way. I had seen him duel three other professors successfully. Even when I loathed the man, thinking he was evil incarnate, I couldn't help but acknowledge the power he possessed.

And even with all that authority, he didn't think it beneath him to make me lunch. I offered to help, but he wouldn't let me do anything more than set the table. I swore I would be more useful in the future, but if the man wanted to show me affection by feeding me, I'd happily oblige.

When we sat down the eat, I thought more of his level of wizardry and felt envious of it. I had gotten decent grades in school, and I had an aptitude for herbology, but I knew from the battle that I was lacking in the fighting department. I held my own, even after my little fall, but I only knew a handful of spells. I could stun, but I couldn't cause any real harm.

"Severus... do you think you could teach me how to defend myself?"

He took a bite of his sandwich, chewed, swallowed, and nodded at me, "I can teach you anything you want."

I beamed. Private lessons from the most capable wizard at Hogwarts? Or, I guess he wouldn't be returning next year. I had almost forgotten. "What do you plan to do if you're not teaching any longer?"

"I haven't made up my mind yet. I might have been pardoned, but the majority of witches and wizards, especially parents, will hold a grudge. For good reason." He explained, "I was only at Hogwarts as a favour for Dumbledore, and after that, it was for Voldemort."

"You didn't like teaching?" I asked, somewhat shocked, despite knowing he wasn't a fan of the students.

He finished the last bite of his sandwich and started clearing the plates, "it was never the teaching aspect I liked. It was being at Hogwarts, the only home I've ever know."

I brought the rest of the dishes to the sink for him and hugged him from behind as he performed a spell to make them clean themselves. Another thing I needed to learn, household magic.

He turned back around, leaving an enchanted sponge to do the dirty work. "Don't worry about me, I'll find another profession to pursue."

"I know you will. If anyone can, it's you." I looked up at him, teasingly, "that's why I asked you to teach me, you're quite an accomplished wizard."

His arms wrapped around my waist, and he started to sway with me, smirking, "did I ever tell you I can fly? Without a broom, that is."

My jaw dropped, and he responded by laughing and spinning me around, catching me after two twirls and returning to a sway. My mind grew dizzy in more ways than one. Was he joking, or could he actually fly? That was a level of magic only the Dark Lord himself could reach, and even then, I expected it was a rumour. The rest of us needed brooms to fly- but I guess that rule didn't apply to Snape. Will he ever cease to amaze me?

"Teach me."

"First Lesson," he stopped swaying now, looking down at me, directly in the eyes. "Find someone who makes you feel weightless."

He leaned in, kissing me ever so gently it sent tingles throughout my entire body. Weightless was a perfect way to describe it; if it weren't for his hands on my waist, I could have sworn I was floating away.

"Lesson one, complete," I whispered in his ear.