Author's Note: Apparently FFNet loves to mess up my updates/posts, because I've just noticed that the last chapter to this story never posted correctly, that is to say, never posted at all! Here is the final chapter to this story, sorry it's taken me so long to notice, my mind's been occupied elsewhere for the past nine months. ;) I hope you enjoy, and I'd love to hear your final thoughts on the story with a review! Thank you again for checking out my little story. Andrea

CAUTION: minor lemons to follow, though nothing terribly graphic.

The pair Apparated directly into the small living room of her flat, and Severus clutched at her hand a little unsteadily as he regained his balance.

"Been a while since you've Side-Alonged, hasn't it?" she asked him with a small smile. He nodded. "Well, now that you've been here, I imagine you can Apparate and Disapparate as you please." His pleased, crooked smirk told her that he was Slytherin enough to interpret that sentence as an invitation to visit her as often as he liked, and stay as long as he wished to.

"At any rate, I live in a Muggle neighborhood- lower rent- and the neighbors really don't pay any attention to whatever noises they hear, so Apparating isn't a problem."

He nodded as he listened to her slightly nervous rambling.

"Oh God," she suddenly exclaimed as she grabbed his elbow, "what will the hospital think when they find you're missing? They'll have no idea where you left!"

He smirked wickedly as he signed to her. I'm a big boy. They can live without me, at least until my rounds tomorrow afternoon.

She smiled in return and let him pull her towards him, as he enveloped her in his black robes..

Angelica wasn't what she would call "very experienced," sexually, but she wasn't inexperienced either. She'd been with a few men in her life so far, all of whom had coincidentally turned out to be rather.. vociferous.. in bed. She'd always thought it a bit of a turn off- as if they were (over)acting for her benefit, or imagining that they were such talented lovers they were in a x-rated video shoot. And was there a rule somewhere that said your partner had to change positions every five minutes? Couldn't you find a position that was pleasurable for both parties, and just enjoy it?

She found that being with Severus was totally different, on all accounts.

He was slow and gentle and tender with her, as they finally shed all their clothes and ended up in her bedroom. As he needed his hands for.. other activities.. he did not sign to her his thoughts or emotions, but she could read them as clearly in his expression as if he were speaking directly to her. His soulful chocolate eyes conveyed to her his eternal thanks for seeing him through his hellish recovery, his astonishment that she loved him, and his fierce desire to never let her out of his arms again. His hands explored every part of her body, his mouth captured her lips, her neck, anything that he could reach, and he worshipped her as one might a deity, until she cried out his name beneath him in release.

As he finally neared closer to his own orgasm, Angelica watched his dark eyes flutter shut above her, and his face bunched up in a pained-looking version of ecstasy. Though he had no voice to give his ragged breathing any sound, she found there was something incredibly erotic about hearing his near-silently panting breath coming faster and faster in her ear, the puffs of warm air on her skin an indication of how close he was getting to release. In fact, she felt her body tensing up beneath him for a second orgasm when he suddenly opened his eyes and returned her gaze.

Do you trust me? he mouthed to her silently.

She nodded at once. "Of course, Severus."

Legillimens, he mouthed, and at first, Angelica felt as if nothing had happened.

Can you hear me? She suddenly heard Severus's deep, silken voice in her mind, while she stared up at him in amazement. Even wandlessly, he had enough control over the magic so that neither seemed to leave their body as they had previously when she had established the connection.

"Yes." she told him outloud. Yes! she thought.

Good, his voice sounded strained, in her mind. I just wanted to tell you- Oh Merlin, I'm so close-

It's okay, love. Come, she told him. Whatever it is, it can wait for now..

No! he sounded almost panicked. I wanted you to hear- to know- that I love you!

I love you, Severus, she thought in return, just as she felt his body tighten up above her, as her own body seemed to coil inward before exploding together with his as their shared orgasm overtook them.

As they lay together in bed afterwards, Angelica felt her heart swell with joy and happiness and love for her dark-haired man, who had literally floated into her life two years prior, unconscious and dying, with The Most Feared Wizard Ever's tattoo branded on his arm.

Dear Mister Potter,

I must thank you from the bottom of my heart for agreeing to send a photo to Severus last month. He was.. deeply moved that anyone cared enough to gift a Death Eater with the happiness that picture brought him. He will always have a spot in his heart for Lily, as I am sure you know, but I am glad to say that he is making steps to move forward with his life. I am also happy to report that he is a completely different person than he was even two years ago; you probably wouldn't even recognize him now, he has changed so, and all for the better. Again, I thank you for your swift reply and genuine kindness.

Sincerely,

Angelica,

Junior Healer, St. Mungo's

FIN

Ending Notes: Credit has to be given to Aurette, whose story, "The tattered man," I pulled the inspiration from for Snape being so damaged that he can no longer speak. It's a beautiful yet sad story, and I HIGHLY recommend you read it (with a box of Kleenex nearby!). In fact, read all of her pieces- you won't find a bad one! Everything else was my invention, though it morphed into a much longer story than the one-shot I'd originally had planned. Apparently my muses are all very loquacious. *sigh*
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