The reuniting begins…

[Severus’s entry]

Coleridge drug Raya off to the side, angered by something no doubt. Severus felt Raven tense at his side, glancing down at her, he took note of the fear in the witch’s eyes. Shifting his ebon eyes back to the other couple, he looked up in time to see Coleridge strike Raya. ‘Bastard.’  Memories of his own childhood surfaced in his mind. His father’s abuse of his mother, hiding out in his room, feeling too weak to do anything, his blood stirred with anger and hatred.

As Coleridge grabbed Raya’s arm in a obviously painful manor, beside him Raven took a step. Reaching out, Severus placed a hand on the witch’s shoulder, it was the first time he had touched her purposefully since his return. "My sister," tears hung in Raven’s lashes as he looked down at her, he could see the anger twords Coleridge boiling inside her as well.

"I will deal with it." Severus returned. ~Thank you.~ Raven thoughts echoed in his head, to which he nodded, before setting out across the room.

Pain was etched on the other young witch’s face, as she struggled with the man before her, tears falling from her eyes. "Cole, stop."

"Not until you tell me what I want to hear." Coleridge spat.

Severus crossed his arms before him, taking up a defiant stance. "You heard the girl, Coleridge, she told you to stop." His voice was cold, his black eyes narrowed at the other man.

"I don’t see where any of this is of your concern, Severus."

"I’m making it my concern, Coleridge." He returned. "I will not stand here and watch you act like a fool."

A sneer played on Coleridge’s lips, as he released Raya from his grasp. Looking past Severus, his eyes came to rest where Raven stood. "I’m not the one in fear of looking the fool here Severus. If I was to wager a guess, I’d say this bravado was for dear Raven’s benefit." Coleridge returned his gaze to Severus. "Not letting her get in the way of your common sense once more, are you?"

"Miss Black, I suggest you return to your sister." Severus didn’t look, not wanting to see Raven, no doubtedly receiving comfort from Wormtail. Instead he focused on his anger, and all that anger from his childhood when he could do nothing to stop the abuse he had witnessed. "This," he began once more, "is not about Raven. This is about proper behavioiur within the Death Eater circle, and the proper way to treat a young woman."

Coleridge scoffed in return. "Perhaps if you had garnered a bit more controll over Raven, you wouldn’t have returned to find her with someone else." A cruel grin snaked around his lips. "Then again, the Dark Lord would have just found another way to break the two of you."

"The Dark Lord." The thought had been there in the back of his mind, that he had some hand in what had occured, but had dismissed it as thoughts of fancy. "What do you know Coleridge?"

"Don’t you wish you knew Severus."

A frown was firmly in place on Severus’s lips. "Tell me."

Coleridge shook his head. "I don’t think so." He now narrowed his eyes at Severus, "and you would do wise to remeber to stay out of my affairs."

"Then I suggest you act like a man when it comes to matters concerning Miss Black, and not…"

"And not what Severus?" Coleridge cut him off. "Not like how your father treated your mother? It’s a bit too late to try and make up for your past failures now, don’t you think?"

Severus’s scowl deepened, "do not bring my family into this."

"Perhaps that’s the real reason you lost the lilin girl." Coleridge spoke in caculated tones.

Severus wrapped his hand around his wand, and withdrew it from his robes. "Mind your own business."

"I will when you mind yours." He too pulled his wand. "Or perhaps…I’ll…"

"Gentlemen," the Dark Lord’s voice interupted the two wizards. "I do believe some of our brethern have returned to report." His red eyes glanced between the two men. "Whatever squabble you are having can be dealt with later." Though the man seemed quite amused by the tension between the two of them.

Severus nodded his head, Coleridge following suit, with echos of ‘Yes, my Lord,’ coming from them both as they headed back to their places in the circle. Once he was in place beside her, Severus felt Raven’s eyes turn twords him. "Thank you Severus."

Instinctively he reached out to touch her cheek, then pulled his hand back, watching as a sigh escaped the witch before him. "It was the least I could do." ‘I couldn’t stand to see you hurting.’ ~I’m hurting without you.~ ‘Raven…’ Before he could finish the thought, the Dark Lord called the Death Eater circle back to order, those who had left coming forward to report.

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"Bellatrix tells me you have found another lover already." Severus’s voice held an accusatory tone.

"And I’m sure she volunteered her services to get over me too." Raven returned, then muttered, "bet when Rodolphus returns it’ll be a real damper on her social life."

A frown crossed the man’s features. "So she is correct."

"Does it matter?" Raven turned to look up at him, his head was turned so he wouldn’t have to face her, as he remained silent. "I love you with all that I am, yet you won’t even look at me. Won’t touch me. Hardly say five words to me under normal circumstances."

Ebon eyes turned to face the witch. "Someone from the Cauldron? Mr. Winters perhaps?" Raven rolled her eyes at the thought of her and Trevor. "Someone from the household then?" This time she looked away, her eyes falling to the floor. "How could you!" The anger in his words caused her to jump slightly. "I’d rather it be the rat."

"Knowing full well what a destructive force I’d be to him?" Severus didn’t reply. "Of course not, he’d end up dead, and I…"

Severus raised an eyebrow at the witch. "And you would what?"

Tears hung in Raven’s eyes. "I’d follow in Naamah’s footsteps, be the darling of the circle, every bloody Death Eater taking a turn." It’s not a life that she desired, far from it, but after what happened with Peter, she feared the lilin blood in her veins. Severus’s frown deepened as Raven continued to speak. "Is that why you wanted me before? Remind you of the snake?"

"I was never with Naamah." Severus returned cooly. "Is that what you want? To be the darling of the circle?"

"Bloody hell, no!" Hurt showed deeply in the witches eyes. "How could you ever think such a thing? Why do you think I’m with…" Raven bit down hard on her lip, flinching at the pain.

Severus’s eyes met hers. "With who?" A silence

hung between them for a moment. "Can you not even say it?"

"Sirius," she dropped her head, adverting her eyes from the man before her. "I’m with Sirius…But it’s not like it’s a relationship…It’s just…I don’t know…" Her own conflicting emotions over just what it was tore at her. Guilt over how it must make Severus feel to hear such words…~That’s if even cares enough to feel anything for me anymore.~

"End it." At Severus’s words, Raven looked back up at him, blinking her eyes. She went to speak, but words would not come to her mind, let alone her lips. "End it with Black." His tone had softened some, as did the look in his eyes.

Raven continued to look up at him, searching for her voice. Finaly finding it, "does that mean?" ~Are we together again?~

"No." Raven’s heart fell, "but we will work on it." She wanted nothing more than to embrace the man, to throw her arms around him. "I’ll see about moving back to Spinner’s End. Perhaps we can find some time together," he paused with a glance twords the Dark Lord, "away from prying eyes."

A small smile tugged on the corners of the witches lips. "I would like that." ‘Do not look too pleased. The Dark Lord must not catch wind of our potential reconciliation.’ The hint of a smile faded. ~I love you Severus. I know we can make this work.~ ‘We shall see.’

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After finaly getting a chance to talk with Severus, though it had been a rough start, Raven was feeling quite good. He hadn’t promised her anything, but he hardly ever did, unless he thought for sure it was a guarnteed thing. But they were talking, and he was even going to try and return to Spinner’s End, so they would have the chance to try and reunite. ~I do love him, so very much. He has to still see that.~ Despite knowing she had a hard task ahead of her, Raven couldn’t help but allow a smile to creep upon her features. "Not that’s a good sight." Sirius’s voice sounded from the doorway.

"Don’t you ever get tired of lounging in doorways?" Raven replied, her smile turning into a smirk. "Seems like you’d have better things to do."

Sirius grinned at the girl. " I can think of something better to do," he replied, crossing the room to where Raven stood. The girl’s smirk faded, being replaced by a frown. Sirius’s hand came to her cheek. "What’s wrong doll? A minute ago you were all grins."

"I…" she swallowed hard. "I can’t do this anymore Sirius." Her top teeth bit into her lower lip, as she trembled slightly.

Grey eyes looked down into her blue ones, the smile faded from his face. "Does this have something to do with Severus?" Raven nodded. "So all is forgiven? He doesn’t care you bedded Peter? You don’t care he turned his back on you?" Raven’s mouth dropped open at the harsh sounding words, and tears lept to her eyes. She wanted to slap the man, tell him it was really none of his bloody business, and ask him what did he care anyway, but her words failed to reach her mouth. "So, that’s it then?"

"Sirius, I…"

He shook his head. "Don’t worry. It’s not a big deal. Just remeber this," Sirius began, looking at her intensely. "If he decides to let you back into his ‘good graces’," he rolled his eyes as he said it, "you’ll be the one losing out." Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around the girl’s waist, and pulled her close to him, causing her breath to catch in her throat. "Tell me you won’t miss me." With that he kissed her deeply. At first Raven made to resist, pushing on his chest with her arms, but he refused to break the kiss. After a moment she melted into his embrace, returning his kiss. Breaking the kiss, Sirius wiped his mouth, and looked down a her. "When you’re in his arms, that’s what you’ll be thinking about." He turned and walked out, leaving Raven standing there. Confusion threatened to surface in the girl’s mind, as she watched him leave. ~Sirius.~

There was an unsettling ache in her heart that she didn’t understand. ~It doesn’t matter.~ She told herself. ~Severus is all that matters. He’s going to forgive me for what happened with Peter, and everything is going to be fine once more.~ Though she couldn’t understand why her eyes still lingered on the doorway, part of her seemingly waiting for Sirius’ return. ~He’s not coming back, you might as well go to bed.~ Letting a sigh escape, Raven headed for the stairs once more, making the way to the room she shared with Raya. The older witch lay in bed already.

Raven drapped her robes over the chair at her desk, then dropped down on her bed with a sigh. "Something wrong Miss Mai?" Raya’s tired voice reached her.

"I…" Again the odd sensation of her heart wanting to fold in apon itself threatened to rear it’s ugly head. With a deep breath, the girl continued, "I broke things off with Sirius." For the most part, the relationship, if one could call it that, between the two had been kept secret. But as Caden had caught them kissing one day, Raya had recieved the information that ‘something’ was going on, and had finaly gotten Raven to admit as much to her.

The older witch sat up a bit, looking over at her younger sister. "Why?"

"Severus has given me hope," Raven began, "that there can be something between us again." Her blue eyes looked over to her sister’s grey ones. ~So much like his~ Frowning slightly she pushed the thought from her mind. "I still love him deeply. I can not let this chance to fix things pass me by. Even if it means…" Raven bit into her lip.

"Even if it means giving up my uncle?"

Raven nodded, though the movement was so slight it might have not even been there. "We…we didn’t have anything, really. There was no talk of what would happen. It was just something that was…" Raven shrugged slightly "…going on." If that was the case though, why was she feeling so confused, so achy, so…she wasn’t sure. "It’s been a long day. I’m tired." The girl annoucned laying down on the bed, and stairing up at the ceiling. "I’ve got dunderheads to teach tomarrow. I need some sleep." She rolled over on her side, closing her eyes. "Good night Miss Jacy."

"Good night Miss Mai." She heard her sister return, though she had the distinct sense that her sister wanted to say more.