Severus lost sight of Riley and Sirius as a plume of gray smoke filled the tent and chaos ensued. People were running in all directions as Severus was still trying to grasp the situation at hand. The sound of small explosions popped by his ears as smoke started clearing out the sides of the reception tent. The overhead lights gleamed off silvery, carved masks that advanced towards the middle of the dance floor. Within seconds, Severus recognized the haunting appearance in front of him—death eaters. There had to be at least four or five queuing up, viewing the perimeter of guests racing around them. Severus' agile hand quickly thrust inside his robes and drew his wand in a defensive stance. While his hand pointed, his eyes searched the sea of people pouring out each possible exit. Finally, to his right, he saw the sky blue silk fabric shine under the glitter of a disco ball. The figure encased in it was strewn to the ground, hair cascading in front of her slender face so her expression was obscured from his view. Next to her, Sirius Black knelt, fending off incoming hexes with the use of his wand and a pained expression as two death eaters outnumbered him.

Before any other options even entered his mind, Severus dashed forward to Sirius' side and raised his wand high, calling out curses to counter combat the ones thrown in his direction.

"Riley!" Severus called, or rather demanded, as he glanced her way. His heart commanding her to wake from whatever she had encountered.

"She won't get up. I tried." Sirius said with pain in his voice.

Severus tried to maintain his composure as Sirius' words touch his ears. But rage filled him and overflowed from his fingertips, fueling the power of his hexes, forcing the death eaters back from their positions. Light flashed in furious sparks and streams as Severus waved the wooden stick in his hands. The unreadable expressions of the death eaters infuriated him further as he watched them stumbled backwards, trying to compete in counter curses. Severus laughed wildly as they fell to the wooden floor at the end of the tent, cornering them. They crouched on their hands and feet, tangled up in their black leather cloaks, struggling to maintain their stance and get up. Shouting and angry cries began to erupt from behind their masks when Sirius jumped in beside Severus and tied the two false demons up with a binding spell. Sirius wiped his dark brow with the back of hand and placed his hand on Severus' raised forearm, lowering Severus' wand by his side.

"Enough, Snape. Enough." Sirius said firmly, trying to calm the Slytherin.

Severus looked over at Sirius and his eyes shifted suddenly from red hot rage to their normal black color, hearing Sirius' voice.

"Riley's waking up." Sirius said, turning his head to the prone figure behind him.

Severus turned his body and saw Riley's head rise slowly and hesitantly from the ground. Her movements were sluggish and lethargic as he stepped quickly to her and knelt down on the ground. He picked up her chin with long fingers and gazed into her ocean blue eyes to see any spark of recognition.

"Are you alright?" Severus asked in a quiet tone.

Riley looked into his eyes with confusion written upon her face and blinked rapidly in reply.

"What happened?" Riley muttered, her eyes searching the quiet room around her. An occasional muffled grunt was heard from the two death eaters in the corner of the room followed by smaller, distant explosions outside the tent.

"You don't remember?" Severus asked, looking at the rest of her body and checking her extremities with his eyes to make sure she did not succumb to any further injury.

"I remember hearing someone say, 'kroo-see'?" Riley whispered, staring off as if to remember what she had forgotten.

"Crucio?" Sirius said and asked at the same time, standing to the right of Severus. "I thought I heard an unforgiveable being shouted," He mumbled, "But with all the noise…"

"It seems it very brief. Others have gone mad if they've been under it longer." Severus said shortly.

"Are you alright?" Riley inquired suddenly, whipping her eyes back and forth between Severus and Sirius. Consciousness seemed to have hit her like a hammer as her eyes implored them.

"We're fine." Sirius chimed in merrily, "I actually feel kind of sorry for those slime balls over there," he shook his head in the direction of the bound men on the floor. "I've been on the other side of Severus' wand and I can't imagine what pain they're in right now."

As if on cue, one of the gagged men moaned under his bindings and wriggled about.

Riley managed a small grin and patted Severus gently, "Atta boy!" She said in congratulatory tone.

"Your boy, Ry, lost it when he saw what had happened to you." Sirius said smoothly, a smirk breaking out on his face. "I'm gonna check on the others." He stated, walking out of the tent as Severus' face turned a shade of pink.

"Lost it, huh?" Riley echoed, looking deeply into Severus' dark eyes.

"We need to get back to Hogwarts before something else happens. You also need to be looked at." Severus stated in a matter of fact tone, avoiding her gaze.

Riley reached for one of Severus' hands, visually relishing the feeling of it in hers, and pulled herself up with his help.

"I'm fine." She said with a smile that covered her grimace.

"Of course." Severus said in a tone that bordered on sarcasm.

Riley rolled her eyes at him, as she pulled at his upper arm, bending him down from his taller stance. She gripped his arm tightly as she captured his lips with hers, parting her mouth to deliver a deep, passionate kiss that left him dizzy.

"I love you." She told him, breaking away from his lips and nuzzling his nose.

"Marry me." Severus whispered, his voice rough with lust.

Riley stared back into his charcoal colored eyes and searched for the sincerity she hoped he was presenting. Severus stared back, their noses touching, his larger, hers smaller.

"You mean it? Don't you?" Riley said in a reverent tone, shocked by the sudden declaration.

"More than ever." He said, his words short but meaningful.

Riley knew, deep down, that tonight was the first of many more battles to come in this war of sorts. Everything seemed shorter than it used to be, quicker. Life no longer moved at the easy pace it did when they were in school, everything flew by like a golden snitch that could never be still enough to catch. Who knew how much longer the world would be safe? Where would tomorrow take them?

"Of course." Riley told him, with a smirk and slightly less sarcasm.

With that, Severus pulled Riley's small form into his long lithe arms and captured her lips once more.

The End?