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

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"Wait, Severus. There is a story I must tell you, first. A choice must be made between us, and then we may lie together."

"I know that I will love any story you tell me, Kalinda. You tell good stories and your voice is most pleasurable to the ear."

She smiled and began.

* * * * *

"In days not so very long ago, a terrible wizard came to power. This wizard loved no people and feared few, yet he was able to raise a following that threatened the fabric of the Wizarding World. He cared little for other people of any sort, yet he managed to amass his followers, by targeting those of non-magical parentage. His power was so great that few wizards and witches chose to resist him; yet a small contingent of people did.

"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. He himself would find ways to live forever. He searched through texts that others eschewed. He found ways to obtain texts that those in power hid. Over time, he discovered several options, but no one would explain them to his satisfaction.

"He spent time at a shop where dark objects were sold, even before he reached his majority. He became friends with the owner of this shop, who showed him an amulet from a distant country. The owner had never found the secret of the amulet, because it was written in a different language, but this boy copied the writing carefully and promised himself to discover the secret if he could.

"On his next holiday, he went to the shop and took the amulet into a back room. Holding the dreadful object in his hand while speaking the spell inscribed upon it, he summoned a djinn from a land far away. He demanded help in his search for immortality. This djinn was loath to help the wizard, for he could tell that the other man was evil. However, he was bound to obey due to the spell upon the amulet.

"The djinn was forced to help the wizard store portions of his soul in various objects. It was distasteful work, for it involved watching the wizard kill several people. Several times he was summoned by the evil wizard over many years to carry out this horrible deed. Eventually the djinn begged to be released from such dreadful work. The wizard had broken his own soul enough times for his satisfaction, anyway, and said, "I shall release you if you give to me your greatest treasure."

"This djinn had a fine home and rooms full of gold and gemstones. Yet he knew that he had no need for all of it. He was sure that perhaps a particularly fine ruby or a chest of golden coins would be exchanged for his freedom. It was a small price, so he agreed. The wizard handed him the amulet, and the djinn went to his home.

"His mortal wife greeted him in tears. Their daughter, who had just come of age, had disappeared at the moment the deal had been struck. The djinn knew his error immediately, for in truth, he had no greater treasure than his wife and children. He hurried back to nullify the exchange, but the evil wizard was happy with the exchange.

"Since his magical mother had died, he assumed that death comes to and through women. He had long since vowed not to have anything to do with them. However, this daughter of the djinn was useful. Through her arts and those of her house-elf, he would have home-comforts such as clean clothes and warm meals. He refused to nullify the exchange and kept the girl.

"Eventually, this evil wizard was killed by a spell he didn't expect. His soul drifted away, although it waits in different objects to be regenerated. The girl was found in his flat and brought to a castle. There she met and was quickly married to a different wizard. He had been a follower of the evil wizard, yet he was a false servant to him. The girl consented to the marriage because he reminded him of her father, who was likewise tied to a man his inferior in many ways.

"The marriage did not go as normal marriages do. This young wizard had other loves and wishes. Yet eventually, he laid with his wife and found pleasure in it. He would not stay in her rooms nor invite her into his, because he still did not love her. He never even kissed her. Yet this marriage progressed in this odd way for three moons.

"At length, his wife became pregnant. Her house-elf quickly took these tidings to the djinn and his wife, who rejoiced and sent messages to their daughter. When the child was born, the parents of the girl would come for her. With the death of the wizard, the spell was broken, and they would rather suffer the shame of divorce than see their daughter tied unhappily to a man who did not love her back."

* * * * *

Severus was swept by many thoughts as he looked at Kalinda. What she had told him explained so many things, and the tidings she had just given him were something he had never contemplated. His first urge, which he decided to obey, was to pick her up and carry her, not to the nearby bed, but to his rooms.

For the first time ever he placed her on his bed. As always, her skin glowed, and she lent new life and beauty to the linens and hangings of his room. He removed her shift and undressed himself. Then he proceeded to touch and caress her until she sighed for more.

After they were done, he touched his lips to hers. She tasted as good as she had looked and smelled. He kissed her for a long time and then carefully put his arms around her as he sorted out his thoughts.

"If the Dark Lord's death nullified the arrangement, then why didn't Zurie bring tidings of his death to your family sooner? You might have gone home and avoided me entirely."

"I would have gone home in disgrace. Everyone knew that I had gone, and to return without a husband would have left me vulnerable to much evil. At least this way, returning with a child, the men will know that I am fertile and will bear them children."

He asked her about the broken soul of the wizard that had been placed in various objects. She told him what she knew, but that was unfortunately little. Perhaps her father would help Dumbledore when he came for the child's birth. After a while the serious conversation became playful as the two spoke of their attachment to each other.

At length Snape said, "I have one other question."

"I will answer if I can."

"How can I prove to your father that I am in love with you and that I wish to make you happy?"

* * * * *

After an idyllic summer spent in the greatest freedom Severus had known, he and Kalinda returned to Hogwarts. They fell easily back into a pattern similar to the one they had known the previous year, with the exception that they spent the nights in one bed together.

Her labor came upon her sooner than expected during the winter. Within hours, Severus and Kalinda were admiring their son. He was quite dark, as they expected, and both parents found him to be quite beautiful.

A few days later, Severus was summoned to the Headmaster's office from a class. When he arrived, he met a being who frightened him even more than the Dark Lord had. He came into the room cautiously and tried not to be nervous.

"You wished to see me, Headmaster?"

"I understand that this is your father-in-law, Severus. He came to meet his grandson."

"Yes, of course." He pondered putting his hand out to shake but didn't know if this was acceptable. What were the proscribed manners for dealing with a djinn?

He found that his hand was taken between two much larger ones. "So you are the young man who has taken such good care of the daughter I so carelessly lost."

"Yes—sir." He wasn't sure how to address the djinn, either. "I'm sure you would like to see her, so I'll take you down to see her."

"Ah, I've already seen that she's happy, and her mother is even now with her. I shall not turn you into a bloody pulp. Just remember that Zurie tells her mother and me everything, and remember that we shall come to visit our grandson frequently."

"I will remember that."

* * * * *

After these events, the Snapes lived a quiet life together while Dumbledore pondered the meaning of Kalinda's story. He spoke at length with Snape's father-in-law, who told him the nature of the objects containing Voldemort's soul. He could not tell where they might be stored or hidden. He gathered information from shopkeepers and professors, from house-elves and contemporaries of Voldemort. He didn't understand all that he learned, but he slowly built up his knowledge. He could only hope that by the time he needed it, he would have the entire puzzle in place.

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A/N: Dear Readers, I wonder if you can help me out a little bit. This story has been very popular compared to some of my other stories. The view counts have been huge compared to my usual averages. I wonder if you could drop me a quick review just to tell me what it was that brought you back to it. Was it the OC? Was it the time frame? Was it the style? Was it something else? I'm not fond of requesting reviews, but in this case it's in the interest of science. Obviously, if most people liked something in particular, it will have an effect on my future work. Thank you in advance! You've all been lovely to stop by and read!

Thank you espeicially to Trickie Woo, who beta read this story.