"Light of Mine" (Severus Snape/OC) MA
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Whatever it Takes is the first story, which is complete with 445K words. This one is purely a post-war severitus, which has a cameo of my OC before I decided to make her prominent. AO3 & FFnet
Light of Mine is the sequel, with an already established severitus, but with slowburn romance between Severus x Dawn. AO3 & FFnet
Characters/Pairings: Severus x Dawn is the focus pairing, with Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione background pairing.
Rating/Warnings: +MA/Explicit
Genre: Slowburn romance, angst, hurt/comfort, eventual smut, family fluff, mental health themes of
Summary: "Sequel to Whatever It Takes, but can work as a stand-alone with an already established Severitus. Several years have passed since the post-war events, and everyone is focusing on building their renewed lives and families, but moving on is never easy. Fears are faced, truths are realized & ambitions are turned into reality. Slytherins are in despair. New Dark Wizards are at large, leaving Muggleborns disappearing shrouded in illusion magic leaving a team of Aurors baffled by the mystery as with the mysterious happenings around Hogwarts. How will a certain Potions Professor cope with a new task? Harry and Severus face new difficulties and must learn to lean on each other once again to get through the nightmares of war still plaguing them while a new darkness is brewing, friends are made, and love is found."
Considering Light of Mine is still a WIP with 335K words already, I'll use this thread to update future chapters, and perhaps share some snippets/ideas/quotes as a teaser.
As of last week, I have published CH 40: The Bitter Storm. I aim to upload the next one this weekend.
'In this blessed silence my soul yearns for, in this solitude my heart needs to thrive, it is enough to know that I am loved, that there is someone out there, under this same vault of sky, who thinks of me, who cherishes my heart, who loves my soul as their own. And sometimes I don't need the words, not even his presence, just the certainty of this knowledge in my heart, this absolute truth that sings incessantly in my soul, that I am loved as I love, that I am his as he is mine.'
e.v.e.
@ heartofmuse
Quote from SanctuaryAngel on June 3, 2023, 4:53 am
'In this blessed silence my soul yearns for, in this solitude my heart needs to thrive, it is enough to know that I am loved, that there is someone out there, under this same vault of sky, who thinks of me, who cherishes my heart, who loves my soul as their own. And sometimes I don't need the words, not even his presence, just the certainty of this knowledge in my heart, this absolute truth that sings incessantly in my soul, that I am loved as I love, that I am his as he is mine.'
e.v.e.
@ heartofmuse
This reminds me of Wuthering Heights, "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same"
Quote from Dark Angel on June 3, 2023, 11:15 amQuote from SanctuaryAngel on June 3, 2023, 4:53 am
'In this blessed silence my soul yearns for, in this solitude my heart needs to thrive, it is enough to know that I am loved, that there is someone out there, under this same vault of sky, who thinks of me, who cherishes my heart, who loves my soul as their own. And sometimes I don't need the words, not even his presence, just the certainty of this knowledge in my heart, this absolute truth that sings incessantly in my soul, that I am loved as I love, that I am his as he is mine.'
e.v.e.
@ heartofmuseThis reminds me of Wuthering Heights, "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same"
I've never read/seen Wuthering Heights - though I have heard of some Severus similarities with another character in there? Maybe?
I've never read/seen Wuthering Heights - though I have heard of some Severus similarities with another character in there? Maybe?
Definitely Heathcliffe, both are Bryronic Hero kinds of characters, both have the audience love and hate them and both have the capacity to hate as deeply as they love.
I'm sure Heathcliff served as inspiration for Snape
(Fancast: Laura Smet)
Dawn Margaret Rheingold is an Auror who has worked in the field for just over ten years of her life. She spent most of her youth after Hogwarts working in her father's family-owned bookstore, unsure of what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.
She was a Gryffindor, who was passionate about charms and DADA. When she secured a job as an Auror, she specialised in defensive spells, later acting as a teacher for those in the Academy.
Suspicions of Death Eater activity began to rise prior to the rise of Voldemort, and Dawn was selected to command a team and infiltrate a dwelling of Death Eaters. A decision was made there, creating a ripple effect that eventually struck her life with tragedy - a pain she carried with her even eight years later, and a pain she never dares to speak of.
When Severus Snape survived the Second War and fled as a fugitive, her team was tasked to reign him, but he was elusive, hiding within Grimmauld Place until the time came and he gave himself up for trial.
In the year following the War, Minerva McGonagall requested her to take up a teaching post at Hogwarts, so she gladly stepped into the shoes as the next DADA Professor.
Four years later, Severus Snape rejoins Hogwarts once again but has returned a very broken, future-less man. She is met with immediate resentment upon their first meeting, but as their time together becomes frequent and Severus learns that her kindness towards him is genuine, an eventual friendship and love form. Through their shared pain of their pasts, they learn to connect in beautiful and unexpected ways - Dawn is met with a love she thought she'd lost forever, and Severus is touched with a love he's never had.
Meanwhile, a growing force is brewing leaving Dawn enlisting her team of Aurors, and Severus' assistance to aid in solving a very dangerous mystery that could threaten all of their lives.
New chapter published!
Dawn sat, astounded and speechless. Her lips parted and her eyes glazed over in such a deep empathy, enough to dull those eyes he had so come to love. He wasn't sure if she was about to break down, but her face drooped in such a deep sorrow, that he almost regretted telling her a single thing. He didn't want to wound her in this way, and he didn't even expect her to even get upset by what had happened to him. Especially by something he hadn't spoken about in years.
Without a single word, Dawn slowly reached for Severus' hand and held it tenderly between hers, feeling his tremors slowly subside once she made contact. She traced gentle strokes upon his hand with her index finger, soothing him from the anxiety gnawing at his chest. Her touch never faltered, delicate in its simple magic, calming his soul with every circle across his skin. Slow, methodical, gentle. It was almost as if she knew exactly how to calm him. It very well worked, because he had never felt so reassured and safe in all his life. Her presence alone was like a calming elixir and the gentle focus in her touch upon him was enough to tell him how careful she was of him.
For so long he had since flinched from her touch – anyone's touch – and yet the feeling of her skin against his was euphoric. Succumbing to this irreplaceable kindness, he allowed his own hands to entwine slowly with hers, feeling her touch further collide with his wounded soul. His very being. A man once so lost in the dark, that she became his beacon of light guiding him out. Those same hands who led him to freedom and opened his heart soon became someone he could not bear to part with. He remembered the feeling of her last touch on that night in his quarters when she observed his old Mark, and yet this time felt so much more surreal.
He wanted her. All of her. With him.
Dawn continued to hold his hand, running her fingers over every scar, callous, and wrinkle his hands contained, when eventually she looked sympathetically into his blissful gaze, "Severus, I am so sorry you went through what you did. Your life…Your life is precious. I am glad you were able to chance another, and I'm…I'm so glad you are here."
Severus himself felt speechless, merely squeezing back her hand in response. That was all his fragile heart could manage, hanging his head still for that ounce of forbidden shame that still consumed him.
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Follow their journey of friendship and love on Light of Mine
“I am so proud of you. For not allowing your past to force you into solitude and recluse again. Instead, your past is fueling you for a better future, “ Dawn smiled lovingly at him, as her fingers softly caressed his own upon his lap. Her eyes gleamed with such softness and love that it took every ounce of her own strength to quell her tears of pride, “You have hope, now. That new light in your eyes…I wish you could see what I see.”
New chapter published! Sneak peak of CH 42 below:
Severus awoke slightly disorientated, not remembering when he ever drifted off to sleep. He cast his eyes before him to find Dawn snuggled and sleeping peacefully upon the crook of his arm, thinking how on earth this transpired as it did.
What was supposed to be a night working on deciphering the mysteries happening within the school, led to a first kiss after months of silent, built-up longing. What quickly escalated was the pair of them finally giving their bodies to each other, touching every forbidden spot they could until they made love upon Severus' usually cold, empty bed. It didn't feel real because he couldn't believe that it actually happened. He knew there was a sense of attraction with the woman so captivating and genuine and a connection he couldn't quite comprehend. But there was always a spark of something unique between them during their company, until finally, their lust led them through the night, and it was at their moment of absolute bliss, did he realise he cared for her so very deeply.
He fell for Dawn…Hard. He was infatuated by her presence. The thought alone sent ripples down his spine, tingling every nerve in his body. His heart strangely grew warm and for that moment, he felt loved too. He had never experienced a returned love and thus felt so out of his depth upon what he was currently feeling.
She returned his love and Severus felt safe with her soul so close to his own.
…Love? A word that never truly touched his lips.
He found his curious eyes wandering down upon her serene, sleeping form. Her warm naked body against his own gave him life, and the image of her pale curves and smooth skin was a sight to behold for his wary eyes eternally longing for some type of intimate connection. But he had to wonder if this was all just a cruel dream because it didn't quite seem real. The wondrous night he shared with her in absolute bliss had been one of - in fact only - night of pure happiness he had ever truly experienced. That kind of joy was not familiar to him. He has had a rare few one-nights with women anonymously in the past to satisfy himself and release the stress and tension of being Riddle's servant. Even some cohorts were offered as a gift from the Dark Lord himself after a completed mission, which it would be foolish of him to refuse. But they were empty and meaningless intercourse filled with desperate lust, and no purity or genuine love. Hollow feelings. Nights where he just wanted to feel something other than his usual emptiness. He hated when he succumbed to it because it made him feel treacherous and disloyal. Filthy, even. So, he found it best to simply do without.
He denied himself as such, for as long as he could.
And yet he still had to wonder if this was an illusion. A trick. A sick prank. He'd been fooled before.
He didn't ever want her to leave his side. He wanted to lay with her for many more blissful hours, taking in her scent and love, because that was a rare magic in itself. That night they finally gave themselves to each other, melting together as if their bodies had been searching for one another for eternity…It felt pure. Real. He could only wonder what she truly saw within him because surely, he could not have appealed so much to her. He wanted to wake her, kiss her, and make passionate love to her again, but instead, he could not tear his eyes off her in wonder and adoration. He was content enough just to hold her within her arms, resisting the urge to pull her tightly towards him.
But so, he allowed her to sleep, undisturbed. Her company alone was the balm to his bleeding heart, and it beat only for her. There was nothing else keeping it alive.
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Follow their journey of friendship and love on Light of Mine
