Inside the Fire

Dante ordered another shot, downing it quickly, she grimaced at the burn sliding down her throat. The burn cleared her head of the memories that were clouding her mind. Every image, thought, memory, of Severus Snape, were locked back in place. She couldn't afford them right now. She couldn't afford to feel the pain that leaving him had caused. She couldn't stand it anymore. She hardly slept now. She would wake up in a cold sweat and be full of adrenaline after dreaming of him. She lit up a cig at the bar, inhaling deeply. She rubbed her temple as the migraine she'd just gotten rid of began to return. She had to see him, that was the only solution. At least that was the only one she could think of. She slid some money on the bar and quickly left. The golden trio was safe for the night she could leave them. Her bike gleamed wetly in the dim cone of lamp light. She kicked it into gear after settling her helmet on her head. She needed to see Severus. Seeing him would make it stop hurting.

Severus was staring at the ceiling again. He couldn't sleep again. And that picture next to his bed wasn't helping anything. Dante wasn't smiling, but she had this knowing smirk on her face, like she knew something that the photographer was dying to know, and she wasn't gonna tell. He loved that picture of her, she seemed so at peace in it. He sat up and put his head in his hands, he had to stop this. This constant thinking about her, the worrying, the hoping she was going to come back. It was all nonsense, he shouldn't be feeling this, he was a cold-hearted bastard, not some love-struck schoolboy of fourteen. The front door slamming open in the living room made him fly out of bed with wand in hand, ready to kill whoever was coming for him. The intruder's boot steps were light,almost cat-like, but hurried.

A wide-eyed crimson haired Dante burst through his bedroom door and flung herself at him. Severus caught her with ease, shocked to see her in his arms. He felt the warm wetness of her tears trickling down his neck.
"Shh Dante, it's alright, I'm right here."
She lifted her head, her mismatched eyes boring into his, like he was all she saw and all she ever would see. He lowered his head until their foreheads touched.
"Don't you ever leave me like that again. Do you hear me?"
"Yes, yes I promise. I swear I won't leave you again."
Severus hugged Dante, like he would never let her go.
"I hate to sound cruel, but you look like hell. "
"I haven't been sleeping well."
"I can tell. Come on, to bed with you. We'll talk after you've slept a bit."
"Okay."
Dante's voice was tired but grateful. Severus stripped her of her clothes, putting her in a nightshirt, she tucked her into bed, her head pillowed on his chest. Within five minutes, they were both asleep, smiling contentedly in their dreams.