Disclaimer: Except for OCs, the characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling and her assigns.

When he awoke the next morning, Severus found that the robe he had laid out was replaced by a coat cut similarly to the one he had seen on the girl—Kalinda, if the elf told him correctly. He pulled the rest of his clothes on and made his way up to the staff room, carrying the coat and resolving to put a stop to everything. As he reached for the handle of the door, he realized that for once, he had gotten up on a Monday morning, showered, shaved and dressed with very little of the aches and stiffness he usually experienced. He resolved again to analyze the tea she had sent. It might be quite useful.

When he entered the staff room, he had to step out again to make sure he was in the correct hallway. He looked around, felt like a fool, and opened the door again. Someone had gone to great efforts to make the room look like an exotic palace. Thick carpets in many colors lay upon the floors and the walls were hung with silk, which gave the room a much warmer feeling. There was a small fountain in a corner and soft cushions for the guests—Snape's fellow staff members—to sit upon. The most impressive thing in the room was a table laid with a rich cover. Upon it were so many items and foods that Snape couldn't keep track of them all: nuts, sweets, coins, and other precious-looking things.

The bride stood in a corner, wearing clothing similar to that which he had seen her in before, but much richer. Her coat was cream-colored silk and brocaded with threads that he somehow knew were real gold. Her face was veiled again, so now he was looking at those eyes. He had forgotten how moved he had been by them on Saturday morning. He put the coat on that had been sent to him and only barely avoided sighing contentedly at how well it fit and how comfortable it was. It was wool, but the softest, finest wool he had ever touched. He turned away because he noticed her eyes light up when he finished buttoning it.

For once, Dumbledore didn't pontificate; he went through the rites that were necessary with a minimum of fuss. Perhaps he sensed that the rites required to satisfy the local authorities and those of the girl's homeland were long enough. It was a school day, after all. In a blessedly short time, Snape walked his bride from the room and to her quarters. He walked into his own quarters and found his teaching robe. Exchanging it for the coat, he returned to tell his—erm, wife—to stay out of his rooms before going to breakfast.

* * * * *

After breakfast, a morning spent teaching, lunch, and then an afternoon of teaching, Dumbledore forced Snape to return to his own rooms. "You should be with your bride, Severus."

"I have nothing to say to her."

"Ah, but she may have a great deal to tell you. We need to know everything we can learn about Voldemort from her. I doubt he's gone for good. Since you're her husband, she can tell you now."

Snape made a great show of sighing and turning toward the dungeons. "Fine, Albus, but when this is all over and we're sure he is gone for good, we need to get this marriage annulled and send the child back to her parents." He would have stomped away, but it wouldn't have looked dignified.

"She's of age and then some, just as you are, Severus. Keep that in mind."

He went to his rooms and saw that a door had appeared in his sitting room, near the fireplace. He stepped over and lifted his hand to knock but then stopped himself. Turning, he looked over at the coat he had worn that morning. It might be a sign of good will on his part. He had become very much aware during his youth that the right clothes opened pathways that might otherwise be closed. He changed back into the coat and knocked on the door.

The door opened, and he stood in the doorway in confusion. The sitting room was laid out as the staff room had been that morning. The cushions were placed on the floor before a warm fire. A table was covered with delicious-smelling foods and the fountain in the corner gurgled merrily.

What confused him most was the girl. Instead of the attire she had worn previously, tonight she was wearing filmy trousers that did little to hide the shape of her legs, nor—he averted his eyes upward. There he found a flat belly which beckoned the touch of—not himself—a man. Keeping his eyes moving, he discovered that her breasts were covered by a snug blouse or shirt that clung and outlined a form that was not in the least girlish. Her veils were lying over her hair, which had been let down.

He couldn't look at her. It caused him to entertain thoughts, and he shouldn't have such thoughts. He was in mourning, after all. "You were going to tell me your story."

"I cannot tell you my story."

"What?" This new development was irritating. Was the marriage a waste of time? A line formed between his eyebrows.

"I think we must be husband and wife together for a while first, perhaps."

Snape sighed. Perhaps they needed to prove something to the fates who controlled the charm. "Very well, then."

"I can tell you a story, however. Would you like to hear it? First you must eat and tell me such things about your day as you would like."

He found himself strangely motivated to describe small anecdotes from his classroom with her. She nodded her head in agreement with all that he did and shook her head or laughed at the antics of the students. He found her attention and her desire to agree with him quite gratifying.

Eventually, dinner was finished and the house-elf carried off the remainder. They were alone. The elf must have turned down the lamps, because the room seemed a bit darker and the mistress of it seemed to glow in a way he hadn't noticed before.

"You were going to tell me a story," he reminded her.

"Yes, of course," she said. She started to speak. There must have been some magical charm about her voice, for as she told her tale, pictures of the events passed before his eyes.

* * * * *

"I have learned, my lord husband, that a long time ago, but not too long, a young man realized he had curious abilities. At an age when it is common among your kind, this young man learned that these abilities were more common than he liked. It was a source of great consternation that others could have such skills. Yet when the opportunity to learn about and develop his art was offered, he eagerly took it.

"When he arrived at his school—such an odd school, but wonderful to him—he discovered that his abilities, while common, were above those of his peers. He comforted himself in the fact that, once fully trained, he would be the greatest wizard of his time.

"He gathered weaker wizards and witches around himself. They were drawn to his power and to the promises he made to them. He started suggesting that they carry out certain acts of evil. They loved the power this gave them and continued even as his suggestions slowly became orders. Over time, when they didn't conform to his wishes, he would perform small tortures and they would quickly fall in line.

"As his power over them grew, they obeyed him because they feared him. Oddly enough, his following grew, even though he was an object of fear. He promised his followers power and the respect of other witches and wizards. This they received even as they feared him, and so his adherents grew in number.

"One thing troubled him. He had a magical parent and a non-magical parent. Of the two, the magical parent had died but the non-magical parent was still living. This was distasteful to him. Surely it should be the other way around, and yet it was the case. His magical mother had died in childbirth while his non-magical father lived. He was greatly angered by the injustice of this. Surely magic should have saved his mother and allowed her to live.

"He decided that his mother died because she was a mere woman. He, being male and magical, would find the secret to long life. He asked his teachers to help him, but they gave unsatisfying answers about living a great life or working to ensure the greatness of the next generation. None of them answered the question of how he could live a long life.

"He searched through texts that other students eschewed. He found ways to obtain texts that his professors hid from him. Over time, he discovered several options, but no one would explain them to his satisfaction. Unhappy with the results, he chose to look outside of his culture. He started exploring other magical traditions."

* * * * *

Kalinda fell silent.

Severus looked at her for several minutes. When it became apparent that she was done, he burst into questions. "What happened? Where did he go? What did he discover?"

"These things I cannot tell you, lord husband. I cannot tell you about myself."

"You're not telling me about yourself, you're telling me about—" He stopped short. Perhaps the next part of the story involved the way she came to be in the Dark Lord's possession. He sighed.

"Why can't you tell me about yourself?"

"There's a charm. Only a husband can know me so intimately."

He nodded his head as he mentally cursed the foolishness of this bit of magic. Of course there was a charm, and of course the requirements were murky. Simply being the girl's husband was insufficient. She suggested that it might take some time, and she was more likely to know than he was. He looked at his watch and stood.

"Well, it's been a long day, and I have papers to grade, so I'll bid you good night."

"Oh," she said, "I thought..." Her eyes darted to the alcove where a richly hung and cushioned bed stood.

"I wouldn't presume," he answered.

"But you're my husband."

"I'm here to protect you insofar as my name and wand can do so. Don't ever think that what is between us extends further than that." He was unaccountably angry. He stood and went to his own rooms, closing the door between them.

He leaned against the wall. "Lily," he whispered, "I might have betrayed you tonight." He decided that it wouldn't happen again.

* * * * *

He repeated the story for Dumbledore. "I don't believe that's all there is," said the Headmaster. Snape took his wand and removed the memories of the entire evening up to the moment the door shut. He all but flung the smoky gray thoughts into the Pensieve.

Several minutes later, the Headmaster reemerged from the bowl. "It's a bit of a problem, but not insurmountable. It just needs time, as she said. Perhaps you could hurry it along a bit, by..."

"Not on your life."

"What's wrong with her? She seems quite lovely, for men who are interested in that sort of thing."

"She's not Lily."

"Severus, we need that information."

"You're welcome to take my place, old man." The black eyes were intransigent as they looked into the blue ones.

Dumbledore stared at the professor. The boy had been through terrible grief recently, and this marriage had been sprung upon him unawares. The Headmaster considered that perhaps he had pushed too hard, too quickly. "I suppose we have a little time. The thing is, we've heard this bit about immortality from other sources. If it's true, then perhaps he's not dead and gone after all."

"So where is he, then?"

"That's an excellent question."

"When or how will he come back?"

"Another excellent question. You see why we need the information in that girl's head. The sooner we know what we're up against, the better prepared we'll be."

Snape sighed and nodded. "Do you suppose there's a counter charm?"

Dumbledore didn't think so, but he didn't want to discourage the other man, who was grasping at straws. "That's an excellent idea. You might check with Filius, and there are several books in the Restricted Section that deal with memory charms and charms which invoke the nuptial bond."

It was not an altogether satisfactory interview on either side, but both wizards decided it was the best they would have on this night. They said their goodbyes and Snape headed for his quarters. When he walked through his sitting room, he heard the squeaky voice of a house-elf.

"Mistress is beautiful. Master will see that. Mistress is desirable. Master will love Mistress."

"Thank you, Zurie."

He heard a hiccuping sound, followed by something very much like the blowing of one's nose, and then silence. He sighed and went toward his own bedroom.

A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing! Thanks especially to Trickie Woo for beta reading!