She Deserves Better.

Severus was already at Hogwarts, almost a month before the new term started. Some of the staff were obviously unhappy that he was made headmaster.

He sat on the chair behind his desk. A few minutes later a timid house elf named Dinky appeared and brought his dinner.

Severus was not hungry. Hogwarts was not the same without Dumbledore and Alexis. Thankfully, he still had the potrait of Dumbledore, who gave him encouragement and instructions.

He played around with his food, pushing his peas and potatoes around the plate with his fork.

"Severus, you don't seem to happy with your new position." Dumbledore's potrait behind him spoke, startling him.

Severus sighed and turned. "It is a joy indeed, when everyone is against you." he said dryly.

"Or does your lack of enthusiasm has anything to do with a certain Mrs Severus Snape not being here?" Dumbledore mused, even his potrait seemed to have a twinkle in the eye.

Severus stiffened a little, keeping silent. Dumbledore was actually right. Alexis had been on his mind ever since he had to leave her. "She's pregnant! How can he seperate us like that?" he said, furious.

"Now, Severus. I know she will be fine." Dumbledore said calmly. 

Severus was about to retort back when there was a tapping sound on the window. He stood up and pulled the heavy curtains and saw an owl outside.

"What's Draco's owl doing here?" Severus murmured to himself as he untied a scroll from the owl's leg. The owl flew off as he unrolled the scroll and read it.

"Severus, 
Alexis is in labour now. 
Lucius."

Severus let out a little gasp. "It's Alexis! She's in labour!" 

"Then go!" Dumbledore said. "She needs you."

Severus summoned the house elf to clean his table and he grabbed his cloak and flew to the Malfoy Manor.
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"Severus!" Lucius greeted him at the door of the manor. 

"Where is she? Where's my wife?" Severus asked quickly and impatiently.

Lucius brought him upstairs to a room where Alexis was on the bed, looking in pain. Narcissa was by her side and another lady, whom Lucius said was the midwife. Alexis turned her head when she heard the door open. 

"Severus!" she cried as she felt a contraction and her fingernails dug on the bedsheets. 

Severus rushed to her side and grabbed her hand. "Alex! It can't be. It's too early."

"Yes I know that!" Alexis growled as she felt another contraction. "Why don't you-argh-tell it to-argh-stay?" Alexis glared at him.

Soon, Alexis was ready to give birth. Severus wanted to stay but the midwife told him to wait outside. Severus was too anxious as he heard Alexis's muffled screams and groans, to tell Lucius who was going on about the time when Draco was born to tell him to shut his mouth. 

Severus felt his heart beating faster when there was a moment of silence from the room, but he found himself breathing again when a loud, sharp shrill cry broke the spell.

The door flung opened after what he felt was eternity and Narcissa's head popped from the side. "Severus, come in.
Meet your child."

Severus went in to find the baby cleaned and Alexis just finished feeding it, buttoning her top. She gave Severus a wide smile.

"Severus, meet our daughter." she said as Severus carefully took the baby from her hands and Narcissa and the midwife left the room so the family could bond.

"She's perfect, Alex!" Severus said smiling. Alexis smiled as she made space so he could sit next to her. "Hello, Serene." Alexis whispered to the baby who wide wide eyes, that were brown as Alexis's gazed from her father to her mother. 

"She has your hair, Sev." Alexis laughed as she used her thumb to stroke little Serene's cheeks. Severus just smiled, his heart overflowing with emotions. The two watched the baby, their daughter, close and open her eyes, yawning and grizzling. Severus gently placed his finger in her small palm and she responded, gripping it. 

Alexis felt warmth for Severus as she watched him play with their daughter. She stroked his hair as he kissed the fist of Serene and then kissed her cheeks and forhead, his long fingers stroking her cheek.

Severus turned to look at Alexis and kissed her tenderly. "I missed you." he said softly. 

"I missed you too." Alexis said. She was leaning in for another kiss when there was a quick knock and Voldemort went in. Alexis quickly sat up  and Severus stood up.

"Ah, Alexis. How are you feeling?" asked Voldemort, eyeing the baby in Severus's arms.

"I'm fine, my Lord." Alexis said quietly.

"I see it's a girl." Voldemort said, coming close to Severus and with a long finger, ran it across Serene's head and took her away from Severus. Serene raised a fist at his touch and waved it in the air, making a gurgling noise. Alexis and Severus tensed up a little, they were not happy that their child was literally in the arms of the Dark Lord.

"What is her name?" Severus asked, slowly.

"Serene." Severus said, keeping an eye on Serene who was staring at Voldemort. 

"Serene." said Voldemort softly. "Serene Snape."

Alexis resisted the urge to let out a sigh of relief as Voldemort gave her Serene back, who closed her eyes back once she was in the safe arms of her mother.

"I shall leave you to rest. And once you are fit, you may join Severus, Alexis." Voldemort said and left. 

Alexis placed Serene in her cot next to her bed, and Serene soon fell asleep and she placed a simple monitoring charm so she knew when Serene was awake. Alexis sighed and fell back on the bed, wincing as she felt a little pain in her abdomen. 

Severus had ran her a bath and Alexis insisted he joined her. 

"Hmm." Alexis moaned softly as she dipped herself in the warm water and slowly leaned against Severus. After a while, she turned to face him and tangled her fingers in her hair. And trailed her lips down his neck to his chest. 

"How was it here when I was gone?" Severus asked. Alexis sighed and she leaned her head against his chest before she sat up and started story telling him about how boring it was here when he was gone, how she had to sit and listen through Narcissa's suggestions for a baby room. 

Severus smiled as he watched her. He rested his chin on his hand which he placed on the side of the bathtub. He watched her speak, her brown eyes that hypnotised him, shifting, almost like a dance as she spoke, laughing softly in between. There was glow in her face as she laughed and smiled. She was almost, child like, in her own way.

Alexis suddenly stopped talking. She narrowed her eyes. "You're not listening to me!" she complained as she splashed some water on him.

Severus laughed as he pulled her and kissed her neck. "I am! I am!" he said. "Let's get out. Or you'll be wrinkled as prunes."
*********************************
Alexis sighed as a loud cry next to her, interrupted her sleep. Serene. She saw Severus shift and open his eyes. 

"Do you want me to?" he mumbled. 

"No, I think she's hungry." Alexis said as she kissed his cheek. She dragged herself out of bed, lighted a candle on the table near her and gently picked Serene up. She gently sushed and rocked the crying Serene in her arm as she sat on her bed and unbuttoned her top to feed Serene.

She softly hummed a lullabye her mother used to sing to her, gently rocking Serene. She smiled as she watched her daughter. She used to play with dolls, pretending she was a mother and now she was finally one. 

Her eyes flickered to Severus who was asleep. She sighed softly. Her thoughts drifted to Sirius. She had hoped that if she ever married, he would be her child's godfather. Her love was for Severus, but she still missed him, she could not lie and she still thought of him from time to time, but she of course never mentioned in to Severus. She remembered how Severus had almost made Sirius receive the dementor's kiss. 
*********************************
Alexis ran towards the shrieking shack after getting the note from Remus. Peter was still alive. 

"That traitor!" Alexis cursed under her breath. Suddenly it all made sense. Sirius was innocent and made to pay for a crime he did not commit.

Right now, Harry, Ron and Hermione were already at the shrieking shack. And no doubt Harry would try to kill Sirius since he did not know the truth. Worse, Severus was not in school and something told her she had to rush there before anything happened.

Alexis ran up the staircase, her lungs taking deep sharp breaths. She could hear voices. Severus was standing near the door, his wand pointed at Sirius. 

"Severus! No!" she screamed as she reached the door, panting. "Don't. You've got it all wrong!" Her eyes shifted to a man in front of her. He looked dead with his pale skin. His hair was unkept and he was unshaven. His grey eyes looked at her greedily. She knew those eyes.

"Lexy." 

That voice was all it took for Alexis to run into the arms of the man. "Sirius!" she whispered as she put her arms around him, letting out a soft sob and Sirius returned her hug enthusiastically.
"You still look beautiful." he whispered as he gently rocked her in his arms. Severus scowled, as he heard this and Sirius silently smirked at him. 

"How nice," Severus sneered as his eyes went from Alexis, Remus and Sirius to Hermione, Ron and Harry. "We have two golden trios." his voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Now move aside Reyson, so I can give your dear boyfriend, a kiss from the beautiful dementors." 

Alexis's eyes widened a little. She knew that expression on his face. He was jealous. He did not have to say, she knew. It was the same expression whenever Lily talked to James. 

Alexis went to his side. "No Sev! You don't understand. Sirius is innocent. The real murderer is here. Peter Pettigrew." 

Severus looked at her, as she tried to get him to lower his wand. Only when she gently placed her hand around his arm that he did.

Thankfully Severus trusted her and Peter was caught.
*********************************
Alexis was interrupted from her thoughts when she heard Serene made a noise. Serene was yawning and Alexis smiled. She placed Serene back into her cot and went back to bed.

Yawning, she snuggled next to Severus, smiling happily as she felt him nuzzle against her hair and ear. She knew she had married the right man.