A/N: Of course, this takes place after the first ending that I wrote in Mendacity where they survive. This story probably won't make much sense if you haven't read that, so if you haven't, go check it out on my profile! Thank you to all of you who read Mendacity before this and to those of you who read it in the future. I appreciate it greatly. (You're also very lucky because there was a long period of time where I really didn't think I'd write a sequel, but here I go anyway.)

I walked towards Severus, my fingers rolling across his cheeks like tears. He stared at me with those coal eyes, but they weren't emotionless like they once were. I sat down next to him. I felt a slight pain in my head and my instant reaction was to thump Severus on the arm. "Hey!"

"You make me emotional," he responded clearly, turning from me. "You left your mind open."

"You stopped doing it when I was still in school, so I didn't think I was at risk," I told him, eyeing the way that his eyes fluttered shut then opened again. His orbs were focusing on the sea in front of us. My toes sunk in the sand as I pushed them against the floor, standing up. Severus' gaze was torn from the ocean as he looked up at me curiously.

"I don't like the sun," I said quietly.

He chuckled. "Neither do I, Verita. It's the afternoon, though, the sun is barely visible."

"It's still hot."

"Maybe it's my influence on you."

It was almost as if Severus' transformation had changed him a little, too. Not that I minded the rare, flirtatious remarks; it was just something that I would've never expected to hear coming from Severus' often reserved mouth. He watched me as I left. I strolled through the open doors of our somewhat beach house and scaled the stairs, entering our bedroom.

I flopped on the bed and sighed. I looked at the ceiling and for a moment, I considered what was going on in the outside world.

Last thing I'd heard, Voldemort had been defeated by Harry Potter, and as intrigued by this as I was, I knew the darker forces within the world wouldn't be destroyed as easily as that. Evil people still existed, whether their leader still lived or not. Although Severus was likely to be safe, I wasn't. I hadn't changed a bit.

I heard footsteps and I rolled over on the bed to face the door. Severus entered with a beautiful smile and I grinned back at him.

"I missed you too much."

"Maybe it's all that time we spent apart while I was captured."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Severus replied with a small smile. He moved towards me and embraced me softly, pulling me into his chest. My head came into contact with his shoulder and neck and I enjoyed the moment. "What's wrong?"

"Huh?" I asked, moving backwards and out of his warm arms.

"Something's wrong."

"I just... I'm an open target."

Severus sighed. He looked to the ground, clearly acknowledging that I was right - and so I was. Severus was fairly well concealed, but I wasn't. I was just Verita, and all of Voldemort's followers knew who I was because of that time they captured me.

"I'll protect you," Severus said boldly, wrapping his fingers around my hand. He squeezed my knuckles and I grinned at him. He knew I still wasn't content, and I wouldn't be fully happy until I was 100% safe - but no one ever was.

The truth is, we were all exposed. A man could pick out Severus and label him as someone they wanted to murder whether it was right or wrong. I could have got hit by a bus. The truth is, death followed us and it was inescapable. I knew I'd narrowly escaped my demise a few times, one being the first day that I arrived at the Malfoy Manor and was used as a practice target for all of the cruel and dark wizards and witches to try out their most powerful spells on me.

"I know you will, Severus. But you must understand that I, too, must do my best to protect you."

"I do not need you to protect me."

I scoffed. "Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes," I said, dragging out my 's'. "You do."

"No."

"Yes."

This continued for a good half an hour before Severus finally gave in. He was a fairly stubborn man, but I could always beat him with my puppy dog eyes. If only he wasn't in love with me, he might've stood a chance.

I knew our feelings were equal. The way that we looked at each other was so clear even for someone on the inside and he expressed it in the smallest of ways and with the kindest of words, perhaps without even knowing it. Severus and I loved each other and if we didn't, we would both be dead.

"Verita, I was being serious. I will protect you until my last breath."

"As was I, Severus. As was I."