Year Six: The Shadows Unravel

Year Six: The Shadows Unravel

"I don't have to talk to you," Snape muttered distractedly as he kept his eyes focused on some third-year Potions essays and attempted to pretend that the two-way mirror on his desk didn't have Remus Lupin's scowling face staring at him.

"You do and you will," Lupin replied, his voice slightly tinny and his reflection rather faint in the old mirror. "How can you have stopped Harry's Occlumency lessons now of all times? Especially when Dumbledore's final order before he left Hogwarts was for him to keep studying with you."

"It's very easy," Snape replied, still calm and disinterested. "I just told him to get out and never come back."

"This is bigger than your pride, Severus," Lupin continued. "Harry is very sorry for what he did; he knows it was wrong to snoop through your memories."

"Oh, that makes it all better," Snape quipped with a curled lip.

"You can't blame him for being curious though. Anything that gives him a feeling of being close to his father and mother is going to be irresistible to him."

"Well, then I hope he got a good look at what a big hero James Potter was back then, picking fights just to entertain his friends and impress girls." The memory, to this day, still burned like acid on Snape's tongue when he spoke of it. "But perhaps Occlumency lessons are not what young Potter needs most. Perhaps some pointers on impulse control would be best."

Lupin gave a hiss of annoyance and took a breath before he tried again. "What did Dumbledore say about this?"

"I wouldn't know since he disappeared from the school without a word to anyone but Potter and McGonagall." Snape went back to his essays.

"He doesn't know you've stopped the Occlumency lessons?" Lupin's anger was renewed.

Snape rolled his eyes and finally turned to address the mirror. "Though the boy is as dense as Devil's Snare, he did manage to procure enough knowledge of Occlumency to be able to resist the Dark Lord's intrusions IF he wishes to. However, I cannot make him practice those skills. I've done all I can and all I'm going to. Now, if you will excuse me, Lupin, I have work to do."

With that, Snape reached over, and with one finger, flipped the mirror face down on to the desk, silencing all communication. He sighed with relief and returned to the work before him, though his mind still turned over many events that did not pertain to grading.

Dumbledore had left in a dramatic fanfare of suspicion after Fudge had tried to take him in for conspiracy against the Ministry. He now hid himself away where no one could find him but he could still keep an eye on Hogwarts and the Order's activities. Unfortunately, that left Dolores Umbridge in charge of the school, and mutiny on a grand scale had ensued. The massive and endless fireworks display was actually quite creative, and Snape knew that it had the Weasley twins' signature all over it. There was no denying they had brains and balls as well as a sense of style to their mayhem. Most faculty also knew who was responsible, but all kept their mouths firmly shut and let Umbridge and her new stooge, Filch, enjoy their supreme power and clean up all the messes which sprang forth completely unaided.

Still, the old horrors remained, brought back to life in that one moment just nights before. Coming into his office and finding the arrogant brat standing inside one of his most private and painful memories, which he had stupidly thought would be safe in the Pensieve, had nearly pushed him over the edge. The Headmaster didn't know how close he had come to losing the lone savior to the wizarding world that night. All Snape knew was that he didn't ever want to look into those snide, boastful green eyes and know that one of his weaknesses was being carefully contained and analyzed inside that head only to be used against him later. If and when Dumbledore found out Snape had stopped the lessons, he would deal with it. For now, he would enjoy the return of his solitude and continue to sit back and watch Hogwarts fall down around Umbridge's ears.

For several weeks Snape had stayed away from Davindra. The weeks felt like months or even years in a desolate desert with no water, food, or shelter in sight. She managed a calm, unaffected exterior when around him in class and he did the same. But it was not without its price. There were the long, barren stretches of night when Snape would lay in bed, not sleeping and unable to turn his thoughts and desires away from her. His own forms of self satisfaction hardly compared to her company. But his concerns of being turned out or chased out of Hogwarts like Trelawny and Dumbledore kept him chaste. And with so many spies about, most of whom were in his own house, he knew he could spare no chances.

There was plenty to keep his mind occupied, if he simply focused. There were always demands of his time and energy. Part of his concern was still Madame Collins's peculiar activities and Davindra's situation of being left in the care of her grandmother for the summer. He imagined that part of Davindra's cool manner to him involved some disappointment in his dismissal of their relationship and presumably her problems. If she only knew how he pondered what would be best for her and how he ached for their time together to resume. But as he had always claimed, he would not risk his livelihood for his own hedonistic wishes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Strolling the aisles of the sixth-year Potions class, Snape stopped to peer at Davindra's work. She had seemed particularly distracted today and had nearly added the wrong amounts of water and boomslang skin. As he watched her now, her fingers seemed to tremble as she tipped in a small amount of rose oil. Snape gave her a quizzical look, which she returned with nervous eyes.

"I need to talk to you," she said in barely a whisper. "I got a letter today."

He let nothing register on his face as he softly replied, "After class," and walked away.

As the class left the dungeon after being dismissed, Snape moved on to his office. Davindra followed, and without anyone's notice they disappeared behind his closed door.

For a moment they stood staring at one another, sharing their first private moment in nearly a month. She looked tired and pensive. Her hair drawn into a haphazard bundle at the back of her head made her neck look long and fragile and her haunting, smoky eyes more noticeable. Snape held out his hand for the letter she said she had received.

Fumbling in her book bag for a moment, she withdrew it and held it out to him. But they were almost across the room from each other. Someone would have to submit to the other. Davindra finally took careful, slow steps to close the gap and come to stand directly in front of him. When he took the letter from her hand, she threw her arms around him in a crushing embrace. Her face was buried in his hair, and her groan of relief tickled his neck.

Snape pulled her head back so he could kiss her, his own sounds of release reverberating low in his throat as her savored her taste and texture. For several moments the letter was forgotten, and they reacquainted themselves with each other's bodies and touches. As Davindra began a slow, seductive nibble of his ear and neck, Snape let his eyes fall to the letter still in his hand. It was Madame Collins's writing. With the nimble fingers of one hand, he unfolded it and began reading, though Davindra's expert tongue was making it hard to concentrate.

In blunt, succinct words, Madame Collins said that she had submitted an application for Davindra to finish her last year of schooling at home under her grandmother's tutoring and return to Hogwarts only to take her N.E.W.T. finals. Nothing was said about why or how she planned on surpassing or even equaling Hogwarts's education at home.

Snape found that as he read, he had pulled away from Davindra, who by now figured that the impact of the letter had set in.

"She's taking you out of Hogwarts?" Snape summarized incredulously. "How does she plan to prepare you for N.E.W.T.s on her own?"

Davindra shook her head. "I've written to Mother and Granny Lilly this morning hoping they can change this. I don't want to leave here. I don't want to leave..."

Snape knew she was going to say 'you,' but he ignored the comment. "Why is she doing this?" he asked her.

"I don't know!" Davindra again shook her head more fervently. "I was hoping you could tell me."

Sitting on the edge of his desk, Snape again read the letter, but it revealed no more. "You are seventeen-years-old. You are of age and can make your own decisions. You don't have to leave Hogwarts just because she tells you to."

"You try going against what Demelza Collins has planned for you," she replied wryly. "The scary thing is, I think she knows I'm going to fight her on this. And I think she's ready for the battle."

"Are you sure she doesn't know about us?" he asked suspiciously.

Davindra slumped against a nearby bookcase. "I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. If Professor Dumbledore were here, I'm sure he could sort this out. But I wouldn't trust that Umbridge woman meddling in my affairs for all the gold in Gringotts."

"Davindra, a lot of people remove themselves from their parents' home when they reach seventeen, even though they still attend school," he reiterated. It seemed the most logical plan to him at this point.

She sighed with exasperation. "I have no problem with my parent. It's my grandmother who wants to run my life."

"And she's not your legal guardian; she has no say," Snape replied in a loud, frustrated voice.

Davindra gave him a hard, impatient look. "You do what Professor Dumbledore tells you, right? Even if you don't always agree with it?"

He didn't respond. He knew what she was getting at.

"You fear, respect, love, and hate him, and the last thing you'd want is to be on his bad side," she continued. "And he knows it, so he knows he can ask anything he wants of you. It's the same with her."

Snape pursed his lips as he thought. Mindlessly his finger stroked his bottom lip as he considered her astute assessment of the parallels of their relationships.

"If I felt that being under Albus Dumbledore were a detriment to my life and health, I could get out."

"Could you?" she asked skeptically. "How?"

The conversation was starting to make Snape's head throb. He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes, wishing he could block out her and her incessant problems.

"Don't you have another class?" he asked tiredly.

"Yes," she replied with equal fatigue. "I'm already late."

"I'll write you a note," he said moving to his desk. "We'll discuss this later."

"The end of term isn't far away, Severus," she reminded.

"I know," he said with dark irritation. "We'll think of something."

Handing the note out across the desk, Davindra reached out to take it. Grasping her chin in his hand, Snape brought her lips in for one more sweet, forbidden kiss before he relinquished her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Weasley twins had departed Hogwarts in a blaze of chaotic glory, which everyone then continued on their behalf. Snape spent as much time trying to undo curses and hexes as he did teaching these days. Slytherin had completely blown their chances for the Quidditch Cup, and Snape had been summoned to the feet of the Dark Lord twice recently to account for Dumbledore's whereabouts and who was now watching Harry Potter.

It was on a rare instance that Snape called it a relatively early night, downed his usual wine and sleeping potion, and was in bed, sound asleep, that the anti-intruder charm in his office woke him. At first, completely disoriented about where he was and what time it was, it took him a while to realize it was the middle of the night and he was in nothing but his old, worn night shirt. Stumbling up the stairs, he made it to his office and looked around, his eyes squinting against the light. Nothing seemed out of place and no one was there. That was then he went to the door to pull it open and found Davindra on the other side, casually leaning against the door frame with crossed arms.

"I knew that would get you up," she said and walked passed him into the office.

"What are you doing here?" he finally barked when he comprehended the danger she had just tempted to get there. He poked his head out the door to look up and down the hall, but saw no one. Closing the door he turned to her, but found she had disappeared. The only other exit was down to his chambers. He took off after her, his bare feet smacking against the cold stone of the stairs.

She was standing in the middle of his sitting room, waiting for him, with the same care-free look and crossed arms.

"It is the middle of the night," he began in a low snarl through clenched teeth. "Umbridge keeps patrols in the halls at all hours. You could have risked expulsion or worse coming down here! Do you know how stupid an idea this was?"

Davindra remained unfazed my his tirade.

"So tell me," he spat with disdain, "what was so important that you had to risk your neck and mine to get down here?"

"I've missed you," she stated firmly with a piercing stare.

Snape let out a gasp of disgust and rolled his eyes. He then walked to his sleeping area to look for clothes to put on.

Davindra followed. "It took me an hour to get down here. I kept having to hide every time someone came around. But no one saw me."

"And you think that makes you clever?" Snape sneered as he looked for his pants.

"Perhaps it's more lucky, but I'm here at least."

"Well, you're just going to have to get yourself back to Ravenclaw tower the same way," he replied as he drew the nightshirt over his head and started to step into his pants. Then he felt Davindra's arms wrap around his waist and her body press against his back.

"Haven't you missed me just a bit?" Her breath came against the back of his neck, and her lips brushed his shoulder.

"I didn't say I hadn't." He attempted to keep his voice as calm as possible, though his cock was already starting to twitch and rise from her touch.

"So, you did miss me?"

"I didn't say that either."

Her hands slid down his slender, bony hips to brush against his quickly stiffening shaft. He let out a breath and reached back to tangle his fingers in her loose hair as her lips traveled his neck. Tossing his pants aside, Snape turned and clutched her body to him, covering her mouth with his. If she was there, and if she was willing, who was he to push her away, he reconciled with himself. Slowly her hands and mouth began a descent down his body until she set upon his now completely prepared erection and took him into her mouth. A slow hiss of pleasure escaped him as he looked down at her.

He had taught her this talent. Her mouth had known only him; she had experienced only his body. There was a thrill of pride in him when he thought of it. And he realized that she had been correct. He did have a terrible possessive streak that he chose to ignore. The idea of settling down and being confined to one woman had never appealed to him, but the thought that she would only know his touch and only find pleasure in him was a comforting one. He just wasn't sure that it was logical. Possession required a lot of care and attention, more than he would want to devote his life to.

By the time they had finished with each other, and were properly spent and draped across the bed and each other as though de-boned and haphazardly cast there, it was well into the wee hours of the morning.

"Davindra," Snape murmured sleepily. "You can't stay here. You have to go back to your room."

"Mmmmm," came a vague reply next to him. "Just let me rest a while, then I'll go."

He felt her arm come across his chest and a sigh of her breath on his shoulder. "Don't worry," she mumbled. "I won't let her come between us."

Snape was about to ask what she was talking about but found his mind was shut down by sleep before the words made it out of his lips.

He woke with a start as he often did, but this time there was a swell of panic in his chest when he realized he wasn't alone. It was already daylight, and Davindra was still sprawled in his bed, her head and pillow buried under a wild mass of ebony hair.

"Wake up!" he shouted as he shoved her.

She woke with a jump and grunt. "What?" she asked in a startled voice from somewhere under all that hair.

"It's morning!" Snape yelled as he began searching for his clothes. "You didn't leave last night, so not only do you have to figure out a way to sneak out of here, but also to cover for the fact that your bed was empty all night!"

Davindra gave an exhaustive cry of dismay but only fell back into the bed.

"UP!" Snape physically shoved her body from the bed. and she hit the floor with a squeak of surprise and a thump, followed by an "ouwww."

Crawling about the floor, she finally found her clothes and began pulling them on. Snape was nearly ready to leave for the Great Hall and breakfast. He stepped from his bathroom after a quick shave, a splash of water to his face, and a hurried combing of his hair.

"What will I say?" Davindra finally asked in horror as full consciousness set in. "Do you think anyone even noticed I was gone? I left the curtains on my bed closed."

"That's not my problem," Snape hissed as he stomped his foot into his boot. "Now go, before I bodily throw you out. And don't let anyone see you!"

She got up to leave, but as always, stopped to kiss him before she exited. It was a silly habit in which he indulged her in.

He counted to thirty before he exited his chambers himself. Not far out of the dungeon he heard voices, one of which he disappointingly recognized as Davindra's.

"It's hardly seven a.m., young lady," a voice dripping with sweet vitriol said. "Now tell me just exactly what was so important that you had to be out so early? Or was it that you are just now attempting to sneak in?"

Snape casually walked up to find Umbridge holding on to Davindra's arm and gazing at her through suspicious eyes. Davindra in turn looked haughty yet slightly panicked.

"Is there a problem, Headmistress?" Snape asked calmly.

"Yes, Professor Snape," the reptilian witch said with a sickening smile. "This young lady was found roaming the halls before curfew ended, and I have a strong suspicion she is attempting to get back to her room. I was just trying to ascertain where she spent the night."

"Indeed?" Snape let his gaze drift to Davindra with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Well, Miss Collins does have a propensity for wandering. I myself found her out past curfew last year. More than likely she was in the library or astronomy tower. You know the bookish sorts like their privacy for reading."

"Oh, not this one," Umbridge said with a flash of evil in her eye. "She is quite the cheeky little tart. I think she was probably meeting a boy for some filthy little liaisons."

Snape gave the halls a sweep with his dark eyes. "Did you see anyone else with her?"

"No, he probably got away."

"I told you, I was out early sending an owl and tried to sneak back in through the side door," Davindra said, jerking her head back in the direction of the hall.

"I don't know of any side door," Umbridge said indignantly.

"It's not one that is in service and is supposed to be locked at all times," Snape added on to the lie, appreciating Davindra's quick wit. "But students have used it in the past. It really should be sealed. I can take her to Professor Flitwick and let him deal with her, if you like," Snape offered.

"Oh, no, I'll deal with this myself. Thank you, Professor Snape." The woman returned a terrible smile to him and marched off dragging Davindra behind her, who shot Snape a worried glance as she followed.

Snape had no idea what had happened to Davindra for some time after. He was just glad that the Veritaserum he had given Umbridge was a dud batch that was missing several of the key ingredients that made it a truth serum. It was instead, a harmless base. He had an awful feeling that the old toad might decide to extract some highly incriminating information from the girl. At least Snape knew his hide would be safe.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

All the way into his dungeon, Snape could hear the ruckus of Umbridge trying to apprehend Hagrid. His stomach sank when he thought who might be next on her list and in what horrible, degrading way she would try to eradicate them from Hogwarts. He got outside just in time to see McGonagall fall to the ground after four Stunning Spells were shot at her. He immediately stepped back inside to watch the chaos, knowing that no good could be served if he lay dead on the lawn. She was taken to St. Mungo's in hopes they could save her, but it looked grave. Snape was now the last Order member left at Hogwarts. He realized how important his position was. And no matter how much he wished to wreak some vengeance on the corpulent bag of bile, he knew it was important he not give her any reason to think him anything but a supporter.

Harry Potter's cryptic message to him while being held in Umbridge's office was an immediate indication that the Boy Wonder had never bothered to use his meager Occlumency skills. If he was getting visions of the Dark Lord holding Sirius Black in the Department of Mysteries, it was more than likely that it was a foil planted there to draw the boy in. Revealing nothing of his belief of the warning, Snape's immediate check with Grimmauld Place proved that Black was safe and sound and that Potter was a fool. But it was no matter. Before he could even report to Dumbledore, the band of merry nit-wits had disappeared into the Forbidden Forest with Umbridge.

Later, as Snape considered the events of that night, he wondered how much he was to blame. He didn't like Potter. He liked Sirius Black even less. But he felt miserably responsible for what happened. Maybe if he had insisted on continuing the Occlumency lessons, Potter would have known it was all a ruse or he would never have seen those things at all. Maybe if Snape had insisted harder somehow that Black stay behind at Grimmauld Place, instead of tossing out his usual snide remarks about worthlessness to the Order, then he might still be alive. Maybe if he had only handled things differently he wouldn't be such a disappointment to Dumbledore and an embarrassment to himself.

If anyone looked as miserable as he felt, it was Dumbledore. With the Dark Lord's return finally acknowledged by the Ministry and Umbridge removed, the wizard could finally regain his rightful post at Hogwarts. But the great man's grief and shame were startling to witness, for Snape hadn't ever recalled seeing the Headmaster look so defeated. He seemed to not even have enough rage left to chastise Snape at all for his wrong-doings. He only seemed to want someone else to share and understand the powerful emotions that were involved in fighting such an immense battle.

"So, you finally told him?" Snape asked quietly.

Dumbledore only nodded. And then there was silence again.

"Did you really tell him everything?" he asked tentatively.

Dumbledore shook his head. "I didn't think he needed another reason to be angry with you."

"Me?" Snape spat. "I tried to help him! It isn't my fault that he is too stubborn and arrogant to put faith in anyone else's efforts."

"Right now he's angry with everyone and everything. He's just lost the only loving family member he has known. He feels guilty."

"Don't we all," Snape murmured bitterly.

"Yes, we do," Dumbledore sighed. "I'm afraid I have another bit of bad news. Demelza Collins has taken Davindra out of Hogwarts."

"What?" Snape's mind immediately scrambled for comprehension. "Already? When?"

"Yesterday. It seems she got into a spot of trouble for breaking curfew with Umbridge, and her punishment landed her an overnight stay in Filch's dungeon." There was more of the grave worry in the old wizard's eyes.

Snape had a sudden desire to beat his head against the stone walls that surrounded them. She had only missed one class and a fellow Ravenclaw had said that she had seemed ill and stayed in bed that morning. He had intended to investigate, but the events of Potter, Umbridge, and the Order had distracted him enough that he had completely forgotten.

"Madame Collins was furious and came for her granddaughter, saying she wouldn't be returning next term."

"She had that in plan all along," Snape fumed as he stood from the chair in which he had been sitting in to walk the room in an attempt to burn angry energy. "Miss Collins had told me that her grandmother intended to continue her education at home. The girl was very distressed, Headmaster. She still firmly believes her grandmother is planning something that could have dark connections. Miss Collins was genuinely afraid when she spoke to me."

Dumbledore nodded. "It's unfortunate, but I don't see what we could do. Davindra is of age that she can legally go against her grandmother's wishes."

"There is no legal issue to begin with because Demelza Collins was never her legal guardian!" Snape said testily. "The girl still has a mother. But that woman has just taken it upon herself to control the girl's entire life. She fears going against her grandmother's wishes. And I have an awful feeling it's a fear for her life."

The Headmaster stared at Snape curiously as the Potions master stormed about the room on his tirade.

"From what I hear, she put up a pretty brave fight," Dumbledore continued. "Sarah, one of her dorm mates, said Davindra was flat out refusing to go until Madame Collins said something to her that changed her mind."

"What did she say?"

"Sarah didn't know. She only said that it made Davindra go quiet and start packing."

Again Snape paced. He had a nauseating feeling as to what Madame Collins could have threatened her with. His own name was probably attached.

"Do you know what she might have said, Severus?" Dumbledore asked. There was something in the lilt of his voice and the look in his eye that told Snape he suspected he did.

"I wouldn't know, sir," Snape uttered calmly.

The men held each other's gaze for a while until Dumbledore finally spoke.

"I'll send a letter and attempt to reason with Madame Collins. But I'm not sure how much good it will do. And honestly, Severus, I don't have much time to spare to pursue this matter. And neither do you."

"I understand, Headmaster." Snape reeled in his temper. Any more impassioned outbreaks and the old man would surely know that an ulterior motive was behind his designs. "Please let me know of any progress you make."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Snape sat on his knees, his nose pressed to the cold wood floor of what was once an orphanage. He could smell the mold, decay, and rodent droppings in its porous texture. For some time he stayed curled into a position of subservience at the feet of his Dark Master, waiting to be told his exaltation was adequate enough so he could rise. But he was kept on the floor as the Dark Lord sat by a dim fire, lovingly fondling the giant snake that wrapped around the chair.

"I do so hate mistakes," the dark wizard spoke lazily. "You do know how much Lord Voldemort hates mistakes, don't you, Severus?"

"Yes, my lord, I do know," Snape's voice came from the ground.

"And there were so many mistakes made at the Ministry," he continued in a deceptively calm way. "I think what I hate the most is the waste. Some of my best Death Eaters are again behind the walls of Azkaban. And what of the prophecy? Smashed to pieces, heard by no one. Forever lost to Lord Voldemort." A melancholy tone seeped into his words as he spoke. "Almost a year of hard work squandered on nothing but defeat."

Snape dared a glance at the master before him. He saw the pale, corpse-like form reclining in languish, backlit by an eerie red glow. The Dark Lord caught Snape stealing his look and suddenly sat straight in his chair.

"You have not earned the honor of laying eyes upon your master!" he roared at Snape, who quickly tucked his head back to the floor. "There is no reward to be imparted to those who fail me!"

"My lord, I did all you requested of me," Snape dared from his crouch of submission.

"You did nothing!" the Dark Lord continued. "Your efforts at keeping young Potter's mind free to me were pathetic! It took months longer than intended because of it. And your alerting the Order only caused more trouble."

"I'm truly sorry, my lord," Snape said in earnest. "His Occlumency skills were never strong. I truly believed his curiosity would bring you in sooner. And I waited as long as possible before I contacted the Order members. I believed the group would have completed their task by then."

"I grow so weary of excuses upon excuses upon excuses!" he again roared. "Crucio!"

A jolt of white hot pain ran the length of Snape's body and exploded in his head, knocking him completely to the floor. When it mercifully subsided, he lay panting and shaking.

"Oh, it is not all your fault, Severus," the Dark Lord then continued in a suddenly sympathetic way. "The real thorn in Lord Voldemort's side is Albus Dumbledore. Without him, my reign would never have ended and my body never broken. It's him who should be suffering instead of my devoted disciples." He let out a sigh of mock sorrow. "But I cannot get near him. We would spend the rest of our lives locked in a duel, each blocking the other's advances and never landing a solid blow. The element of surprise is the only thing that will bring him down."

Finally back to his knees, Snape's heart now raced with fear.

"Tell me, Severus, how strong is your dedication to your master?"

"There is no measure to my devotion," Snape said in a creaking voice. "I will do anything you ask."

"Will you even take down the one man who saved you from Azkaban and the wrath of the entire wizarding world and employed and housed and trusted you for the past fourteen years?" the Dark Lord asked this with a bit of whimsy in his voice, as though enjoying the possibilities the idea would inspire.

Snape swallowed hard and forced his mind to calm before he spoke. "If that is what my lord asks of me."

The dark wizard slowly strolled in front of the kneeling man in black. "We shall see, we shall see. There might be another way, but I do like knowing the extent to which I may rely on my servants." He gave a sickly, wet chuckle. "In the mean time, I have a little task you may do for me. You will take Wormtail into your home. He will be of more help to you than he is here with his simpering, useless bootlicking."

Snape could not hold back the snarl of revulsion as he said, "But, my lord, I am home so little, I have so many duties with the Order that could be..."

"Do you DARE deny your lord his meager request? Was your pledge just now a lie, my clever Occlumens?" the Dark Lord again raged.

"No, my lord!" Snape insisted. "I will be honored to perform this favor. The details will be mine to arrange."

"Indeed," he snapped in return. "Now, go back to your cozy dungeon, Professor Snape, until you are needed again. I will send Wormtail on his way shortly."

Snape backed out of the room on his hands and knees and did not stand until he was on the other side of the door and could flee the condemned old building as fast as his feet would allow.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I don't know how you can be so cavalier about this!" Snape paced the length of Dumbledore's office for the tenth time since his arrival. His story of the Headmaster's possible demise was met with hardly a shrug of the old wizard's shoulders.

"Severus, I've always known that Voldemort wished me dead and was only steps away from figuring out how to accomplish it." His voice was as placid as if he were discussing next year's school curriculum.

"Well, what if his plan is to have me do it?" Snape felt panic at the very words he shouted at Dumbledore.

The man gave another shrug and turn of his hands. "I couldn't think of a better candidate. You have unlimited access to me, my total confidence, and you would undoubtedly have the knowledge of how to go about it."

"And then I might as well turn my wand on myself because every decent wizard out there as well as every member of the Order would be demanding my blood," Snape quipped with snide misery.

"I long ago gave up worrying about my own death for I knew it would come eventually," Dumbledore said. "I frankly would rather go dramatically than be like Professor Binns, who simply fell asleep by his fire and woke to find himself as the dearly departed yet his existence unchanged."

"That is all well and fine for you," Snape reminded him, "but I would prefer my last days to not be spent as a soulless zombie rotting in Azkaban! A quick Killing Curse would be a blessing in that case."

"Let's look at this logically, since you are so obviously bothered by it," the Headmaster began, holding up his hands to calm Snape. "Voldemort has not actually asked you to do anything, yet. I think he mostly wanted to test your loyalty. And if he is honestly looking at ways to get rid of me, then you will probably be the first to know and therefore be able to prepare me and everyone for what is to come. His theory of the element of surprise is, therefore, shot."

Snape's agitated pacing began to slow as he let the wizard's calming words sink in and soothe him.

"And honestly, Severus," Dumbledore added. "I am an old, old man. My usefulness has almost reached an end. There comes a time in all wizard's lives when they serve the greater good from the other side."

Snape stopped and stared at the old man behind the desk. "What are you talking about? You head the strongest organized resistance to the Dark Lord. You alone know the most about him. Only you would know how to defeat him."

"No, there is another. One who is actually better equipped for the job of dismantling Lord Voldemort from his self appointed throne. One who only needs a bit of faith and knowledge to fulfill any task put before him."

"You're not talking about Potter and that damned prophecy, are you?" Snape asked in incredulous irritation. "He's an impulsive, immature, inexperienced boy. A child who nearly got himself and several of his classmates killed because of his arrogant obstinance."

"We were all boys once," Dumbledore said. "Even Tom Riddle. But we have to give Harry credit where credit is due, Severus. What he did was honorable and brave and not even Voldemort himself expected such valor from a mere child. One of Harry's greatest strengths is that he has been underestimated. Even by me. But I plan to correct that mistake. Before I am thrust out of this world and into the next either by your hand, someone else's, or even nature's, I will make sure that Harry is prepared."

The two men stared at one another with respective looks of confidence and doubt.

With cool reserve, Snape said, "I envy not your endeavor, sir."

"Nor I yours," Dumbledore replied.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Snape was home less than a day when a short, lumpy, nervous form appeared on his front step. Wormtail looked even less thrilled to be there than Snape was to have him. The reluctant cohabitation was not going to be easy. Snape had not lived in such tight quarters with anyone since his mother. But he was under no illusions as to the real reason behind this arrangement. The rat was there to spy on him. It meant that Snape no longer had any sanctuary to retreat to where he could be himself and not be concerned with whom he served and how he acted. The intrusion was far more offensive than the mistrust the Dark Lord had of him.

Snape had awarded Wormtail a small space off the kitchen. It had been a pantry at one point, but had often been used as Tobias Snape's refuge for sleeping off his excess imbibing. So it was good enough for an unwelcome houseguest.

After showing him around the first floor briefly, Snape then addressed the shifty-eyed rodent.

"Since neither of us is terribly pleased with this arrangement, I suggest we do our best to stay out of each other's way. And I highly suggest that since you are in MY home, you do nothing to annoy me. Stay out of my room, stay out of the basement, and don't be poking that twitchy little snout into my personal belongings. I will have everything warded that you are not to bother. And of course, while you are here, you will be doing your share of the work."

"The Dark Lord did not send me here to be your servant, Snape," Wormtail spat with indignation.

"Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to spy on me between cleaning and cooking," Snape replied with biting sarcasm.

Wormtail looked uncomfortable at the accusation but made no denial.

After outlining the chores for the new housemate, Snape then left him to get settled in. As an exit, he delivered a look of warning that Wormtail returned with equal malice though with less assuredness.

After only a few days of listening to the little man's scurried footfalls, seeing his pinched, stubbly face around every corner, and feeling his beady eyes upon his back, Snape was about ready to physically toss him into the street, the Dark Lord's orders be damned. If not for fear of his privacy being horribly invaded in his absence, Snape would have fled just to find some peace and quiet.

Then late one evening a knock came at his door. Wormtail was in the kitchen doing Merlin knows what while Snape had been attempting to relax in front of the fire with some reading. The idea at having more intrusions had Snape in a fury before he even reached the doorknob.

He was barely surprised to find Davindra on his porch, wrapped in a black cloak with the hood hiding most of her face. But her pale jade eyes shone through immediately speaking her identity.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with both shock and irritation.

"I had to leave," she said firmly. "Let me in."

Snape moved aside with no protest. Wormtail had stepped out of the kitchen to survey the new guest.

"Get back in the kitchen and stay there," Snape snarled to him. "And if I catch you eavesdropping, I'll make that tail permanent."

The man gave him a searing look of contempt but silently disappeared behind the closed door.

"Who was that?" Davindra asked.

"An oversized house-elf," he replied. "Now what are you doing here? Don't you know by now that this is the first place your grandmother will look for you?"

"She won't find me gone until the morning," she reassured him as she lowered her hood. "I snuck out and left a charm on my bed to make it look like I was still in it. She won't discover I'm not really there until sometime tomorrow morning."

"How did you get here?"

"Apparated. I passed my test this past spring."

"So what made you desperate enough to leave again this time?" Snape asked crossing his arms and looking down his nose at her.

"There is something very wrong happening," she said wearily, untying her cloak and taking it from her shoulders. "She was drugging me at night. It took me a while to figure it out. I'd be so sleepy, and then I'd go to bed and feel like I'd hardly shut my eyes, and it would be mid-morning the next day. I started to fake drinking the tea she gave me a few nights ago. And then, the other night I heard someone come to the house very late. I snuck downstairs and saw three or four people talking to Grandmother."

"Who?" Snape demanded, suddenly very intrigued with the events she spoke of.

"I don't know. They were all wearing black cloaks and hoods or hats. And I couldn't hear them very well, but I know I heard my name mentioned several times." Her eyes stared into him fiercely. "I know I heard it. That's when I decided to go."

Snape let out a breath of air. "Well, you can't stay here." His eyes darted to the kitchen. "I'll contact Lillyth Sparrow, and if we can't find her, I'll talk to Dumbledore."

He began to walk to the sitting area to find parchment and a pen to begin his letter when her hand on his arm stopped him.

"Just let me stay tonight at least." Her voice was only slightly pleading, but her eyes were begging.

Stepping closer so he could speak softly, Snape said, "I don't know that it is much safer here." Again his eyes went to the kitchen door. Her eyes followed and seemed to understand his meaning.

"Where will I go?" She looked positively lost and hopeless at the prospect of going into the world alone.

He had no answers. Instead he continued on his search of parchment and began his letter to Lillyth Sparrow. As he wrote, she told him of her time at Madame Collins's home and how, for the first time, she had felt like a prisoner. Madame Collins refused to discuss Davindra's return to Hogwarts in the fall but neither would she say how she planned for the girl to pass the upcoming N.E.W.T. exams. All she would comment on was the promising future Davindra would have if she would only trust her grandmother. She also refused to allow Davindra to help in any of the potions she worked on, which had always been a point of bonding between them. If Davindra dared to venture outside she said she constantly felt watched and guarded. Her requests to visit the nearby town were all rejected. In fact, Madame Collins said little of anything to her granddaughter, making her feel even more lonely, isolated, and paranoid.

By the time he had procured an owl for delivery and sent it on its way, it was quite late, and Davindra sat in the corner of the couch, her head listing to the side, and her eyes heavy with sleep. Snape knew that he couldn't with good conscience turn her out, and, deep down, he didn't want to. The sight of her was strangely comforting and refreshing.

He leaned down over her, his hand bracing his towering form against the sofa arm. Her eyes widened at his closeness.

"One night," he said softly, "no more. Go upstairs."

The soft smile that never failed to melt him appeared, and she reached her hands up to take his face and pull him close. He allowed a light kiss to his lips before he moved away.

He watched her climb the stairs behind the bookcase before he headed to the kitchen to find Wormtail still at the table, nursing a bottle of Snape's Firewhisky. Resisting his possessive urge to reclaim his drink, Snape allowed him to keep sipping in hopes it would soon lull the little pest into a deep sleep.

"We will have a guest for tonight only," he informed the half drunk rat. "You will not leave this kitchen until tomorrow and until I have managed to straighten out the particular predicament that brought her here."

Wormtail smiled in a nasty way. "I'm smarter than you think. I know who she is," he said with slurred words. "And you shouldn't be diddling where you don't belong, Severus."

"I'll thank you to keep your insipid concerns to yourself," Snape hissed. "Now go to bed before you pass out."

Halfway up the stairs Snape spied Davindra standing outside the one door that was obviously his. He had forgotten about the ward he put up to keep Wormtail out. She had watched his ascent with a look of hunger. He stopped in front of her, his body almost brushing against hers. The familiar heat and electricity passed between them, raising a flood of insistent craving inside of him.

Their eyes raked over each other. Their tongues dared to moisten lips that yearned for touch.

"I've missed you," she breathed.

"Don't you ever get tired of saying that?" he asked as his hand went to her waist.

"Oh, yes," she sighed.

The desire could be held off no longer, and their mouths found each other with their bodies quickly following. Wet, lush, gluttonous kisses only continued to drive the desire inside them. No matter how deeply he kissed or how hard he ground his body against her, it would never be enough. Snape pulled away only to grab her arm and disengage the ward to continue to his bedroom.

Inside the sparse room he had called his own since childhood, Snape hurriedly stripped her of her clothing as she fumbled with the buttons of his coat. Their lips and hands hardly parted from one another as they finally fell into the rumpled bed and began a frenzied claiming of each other. Quickly Snape pushed himself inside her, not bothering with the formalities of foreplay. The past month had been nothing but a building of rapacious, unheeded desires that a few minutes of touching and kissing had sent into a raging torrent of need. Luckily, it must have been the same for her, for Snape found her eagerly accepting him into her hot, wet core.

He had never remembered their encounters ever being so hurried, forceful, and demanding before. But it felt erotic and primal to completely lose himself in something so base and yet so perfect. It would be a quick endeavor for him, he realized, when the tingle of pleasure began deep in his groin. However, her own quickening moans and rubbing of her pelvis against him told him she too wouldn't need long. Snape forced himself to back off but keep his thrusts strong until she cried out and writhed beneath him, signaling he could finally follow.

Snape wondered, as he lay tangled in the sheets and her limbs, if they had managed to last a whole five minutes. He supposed it didn't really matter for those few moments had eased weeks and weeks of pent up lust. She squirmed to nestle closely to him. The feel of her long body against him was at once soothing and familiar. He could tell she was about to speak, and he feared to hear what she might say. Often it was whispered words of adoration and declarations of love to which he could not respond to.

"So who's the house-elf?" she asked, surprising him. "Is he a relative?"

A snort of disgust suddenly escaped him. "Hardly. Just someone I am supposed to shelter for a while."

"If I'd known you were looking for a room mate..." she began with a playful smile.

"I fear you would be no less annoying than him," he replied tiredly.

He expected a sharp and clever retort to his remark, but none came.

"What happened at Hogwarts before you left?" He had been curious about the events since Umbridge had dragged her away.

"Umbridge decided to let Filch have me," Davindra said with cynical smirk. "I was put down in the dungeon for a night, even wore old-fashioned manacles and leg irons."

If anyone else had suffered such a fate, Snape would have found it vaguely amusing. Now he just found it horrifying.

"Did he do anything to you?" The question almost caught in his throat as tried to sound relaxed.

"Just cackle and torment me with stories of the 'good old days' of torture," she again said with candor. "But I was so mad afterward I owled grandmother. I'm sorry." There was misery in her voice. "I know I should have just come to you like I promised, but I was feeling angry at everyone, and I thought maybe if there was some retribution to be paid, at least she would do it. Well, that backfired on me."

"What did she say to you to get you to leave?"

Davindra looked at him solemnly. "She said she'd tell everyone about you, about us. That you would lose your job and end up in Azkaban because of me."

It was as he had figured. Madame Collins knew everything about them just as if she'd been standing in the corner the whole time.

Another soft apology came from the girl beside him as she buried her head against his shoulder.

"It doesn't matter now," he replied, though it was hard to not let bitterness rise with his words.

"What's going to happen to me?" Her voice was quiet and somber as she absent-mindedly began playing with the ends of his hair. "I don't belong anywhere. I feel pushed and pulled in all these directions. I feel like everyone has planned my life for me but never bothered to tell me what it's to be. It's like I'm a nonentity. Just an object to be picked up and placed here or there or traded about and bartered with. But not of any real value to anyone."

Snape felt misery and sympathy wash over him, for he could not help her. She was as much an object of possession and power to him as she was to Madame Collins. There was nothing he could give her of any real comfort. No words would do, at least none that he knew how to say or could honestly mean.

"I'll do everything I can for you, Davindra," he finally said. "There isn't much that I can promise, but I do swear to protect you, just like I've done since you first stepped foot into my classroom."

A slight, warm smile helped ease some of his guilt, and he pulled her to him in a strong embrace that eventually led to a slower, more sensual reenactment of earlier events.

After a few hours' sleep, Snape woke to find a pale morning light filtering in through dark, dust-soaked curtains. Beside him Davindra dozed peacefully with her arm thrown over her head and legs sprawled out covering more than half of his bed. Though he had slept fairly well, he felt stiff and sore. Standing and stretching, his thirty-eight-year-old body suddenly felt eighty-eight.

After he dressed, he went to the kitchen to get Davindra's breakfast. He didn't want to subject her to sharing a breakfast table with a hung-over rat, though Wormtail still snored loudly from his pantry. As Snape had hoped, an owl soon arrived with a note from Lillyth Sparrow saying that they would be arriving at Spinner's End before noon to see to Davindra.

'Lovely, more guests,' he couldn't help but silently grumble.

Tea and toast balanced on a tray, Snape climbed the stairs back to his room to find Davindra awake but still lounging across the entire expanse of the bed.

"There you are," she murmured. "I was worried you had left me alone."

"No, just slaving away for your breakfast," he replied formally as he set the tray on the bed.

She sat up and poured them both tea, then leaned back against the pillows to drink it. Still completely naked, she didn't bother to cover herself as sipped her tea. A sight Snape appreciated as much as the warm cup at his lips.

"I got word from Lillyth Sparrow this morning. She'll be arriving with your mother before noon," he informed her.

Davindra didn't look relieved to hear the news, and he studied her for a moment.

"But what about when Grandmother shows up, which shouldn't be too long from now, after she discovers my bed is actually empty?" she asked.

Snape felt renewed annoyance for he had almost forgotten about Madame Collins. "I'll take care of it," he said calmly.

She moved to set her cup back down, but her unsteady hand spilled some tea down her bare chest. Snape watched the pale brown rivulet run down her perfect round breast. Davindra made a sound of distress and reached for a towel, but he stopped her.

Leaning forward, Snape extended his tongue to lick the droplet of liquid from her pale skin. She giggled and moaned from the sensation but pulled him closer. Then filling his mouth with her supple flesh, he sucked firmly, causing more sounds of pleasure to escape Davindra and chase away all thoughts of impending visitors from both of their minds.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just as she had predicted, Demelza Collins hit his doorstep with a fury by mid-morning. He had instructed Davindra to stay hidden in his bedroom and not come out until Lillyth and Abigail arrived later in the day. So it was that Snape met the angry witch at the door with a calm and cool smile, though her own face was masked in barely contained rage.

"Where is my granddaugher?" the woman demanded as she pushed past Snape to stride into his home and begin looking around.

"Do come in, Madame Collins," Snape said as he closed the door well after her dramatic entrance.

"Don't be cheeky with me," Madame Collins spun and spat at him, her eyes flashing with an easily recognized ferocity. "I know she is here. I demand to see her at once."

"I'm afraid I can't help you," he answered with an easy air and a shrug of his shoulders.

The witch stepped closer and glared at him. "Don't lie to me." Her voice was a cold threat. "I said I know she is here, and I DO know it. She's upstairs. Now bring her down."

"Oh, I won't attempt to deny she is here," Snape continued in equal calm. "But you won't be seeing her. At least not yet."

"You can't keep her from me. You have no right!" With that Madame Collins attempted to find the staircase behind the walls of books.

"Davindra! Davindra Collins, you come down here this instant!" The woman began to yell at the unyielding shelves. Her face was now a furious red, and her hands shaking.

"Madame Collins, please control yourself," Snape said. "You will do your health no good to get so upset. Davindra won't come down until Lillyth Sparrow and her daughter, Abigail, arrive." He ended with a slick smile.

"Lillyth and Abigail?" she asked with surprise. "They're in Croatia dragon watching. They shouldn't be bothered with this."

Snape allowed a look of feigned concern to washed over his features. "Well, they seemed very alarmed in their letter, which said they would be here this morning to retrieve Miss Collins."

"What lies did you tell them?"

"Only what Miss Collins told me herself. And I must say it all sounds very distressing." Again he smiled as he announced, "I think some tea is in order. Do have a seat, and we shall wait together for Mrs. Sparrow and Mrs. Collins to arrive."

Snape left Madame Collins stunned into silence by anger and shock. In the kitchen he found Wormtail finally beginning to move about, though it appeared the activity was a slow, painful one for him. With another reminder for the rat to stay hidden and quiet, Snape left the kitchen with another tray of tea bound for the sitting room. He was beginning to feel like a waiter.

By now Madame Collins had found her way to the fireplace and was attempting to stand in a proud, stoic manner, though her flushed complexion and fidgeting fingers said she was far from calmed.

"I don't know what she's told you, but I'm sure it is all a mistake," she began in a remote voice. "I don't know why she has turned on me so. All I've ever done has been for her, and now she fights me and says I'm attempting to do her harm. It hurts me so." Tears began to spring from the woman's eyes, and Snape couldn't help but suspect it was more of the fine acting he had witnessed in years past.

"Then perhaps when our other guests arrive we can sort this all out," Snape replied as he commanded the tea to pour itself for each of them. "In the mean time, why don't you sit and relax."

She eyed the tea suspiciously but didn't move to take it in hand. "Is she alright at least?"

"She's perfectly fine."

Madame Collins narrowed her gaze at Snape as if to question his assessment when there came a knock at the door.

"Ah, they're early," Snape said with more enthusiasm than he had ever had for anyone who had appeared at his door.

Lillyth Sparrow looked as lovely as ever, though with a bit more worry etched around her vivid blue eyes. Abigail Collins was, surprisingly, dressed much like her mother, in traditional witch's robes and also with an expression of anxiety. Immediately they began questioning Snape about Davindra's well being and demanding to see her.

After ushering them into the sitting room, they took notice of Madame Collins.

"Demelza, what are you doing here?" Lillyth asked.

"Yes, I'm sure you are surprised to see me." There was venom in the witch's voice for her old friend.

"It's just that..." Lillyth exchanged looks with her daughter.

Abigail turned to Snape. "Where is Davindra? I want to see her."

Snape waved his wand and the case of books swung outwards to reveal a stairway and signal for Davindra it was safe to come out. She immediately came down the stairs, fully dressed and carrying her cloak.

"Mum! Granny!" she said with relief and allowed herself to be pulled into a tight embrace by the small, fair-haired woman as Lillyth also fawned over her presence.

"Are you alright, really?" Abigail asked, sounding as if she were afraid for the answer.

"I'm fine now," Davindra assured.

"You gave me a horrible fright, Davi, you should be terribly ashamed of yourself, doing that to me," Madame Collins spoke from her place across the sitting room.

All eyes turned toward her and none were anything but cool. And she had the audacity to look confused.

Abigail wrapped a protective arm around her daughter, though she stood nearly a head shorter. "Davindra is going to come home with me now."

Still Madame Collins seemed aghast. "What about your trip? You had reservations until August. Davindra was supposed to stay with me."

"The plan has changed."

The delicate woman suddenly took on a strong, steely quality. Snape could tell that she was set for battle if need be while Lillyth remained silent but equally unyielding.

"How can you do this?" Madame Collins demanded. "How can you just shut me out of Davindra's life after all these years. After all I have done for her."

"What have you done?" Davindra suddenly said. "What about drugging me at night? And what about those men who came in the middle of the night? Why were you talking about me? Why wouldn't you let me out of your sight?"

Still Madame Collins looked shocked at the accusations. "The potion was just to help you sleep." A condescending smile crept onto her face. "I knew you haven't slept well since your father died. The people who came were clients. All they did was ask about you. All my clients ask of you. I have just been worried about you, Davi. You haven't been yourself."

"I think you've done enough now, Demelza," Abigail started in firmly. "David and I allowed you take on Davindra's education because we believed that being Squibs made us unable to decide the best course for a witch's schooling. But she is an adult now and can make her own decisions, and I trust her in it."

"She is still a child! She can't know what she wants or what is best for her at seventeen. And look at what leaving her to her own devices has brought." Madame Collins turned her infuriated glare to Snape, which the other women followed. Snape felt his blood suddenly turn to ice water.

"What do you mean?" Lillyth asked.

"Our dear Potions master, who I trusted to look after Davi during her education, has taken the most obscene and reprehensible liberty imaginable," she replied with satisfied insolence. "I've recently learned they have been having an affair for sometime now."

If he could have Disapparated on the spot, he would have. Instead he was left with giving the most loathsome death glare he had to the smug looking old witch. The other two women stared in disbelief, and Davindra simply looked ashamed.

Lillyth's lips moved but nothing came out until finally she managed, "This can't be true. Davindra? This has to be a mistake."

While his mind searched for what to say to protect himself from the possible onslaught of vengeance, Davindra came forward.

"It's not his fault." Her voice was strong, and her features set in a stubborn line. "I was the one who instigated it. I've been in love with him since I was eleven years old. I did everything I could to gain his attention."

This only made the women's eyes grow wider with horror, and Snape began to go for his wand believing the only way out of this was to Imperius Davindra or Obliviate them all.

"How long has this been going on?" Abigail demanded.

"Just this last year," Davindra assured them. "He never forced me to do anything I didn't want to do. If anything, I tricked him into it."

Lillyth and Abigail now looked at her as though they had never seen her before in their lives. Suddenly it was her honor he needed to save.

"That isn't quite true," he finally spoke. "I take more than an equal share of the blame. I realize I have abused my position as a trusted teacher and protector, and I never intended for anything of this nature to ever happen. But I have grown quite fond of Miss Collins over the years. My job can be a lonely one at times, and I'm afraid that in a weak moment I did allow for the affections of a beautiful young woman to sway me into a situation I would normally abhor the thought of."

Snape kept his expression humble yet serene as he spoke. Davindra watched him with trepidation as Madame Collins kept dark loathing in her eyes for him.

"You should be relieved of your post, Professor Snape," Lillyth said boldly.

"Indeed, it would be a fitting and just punishment," he consented. "One I would rightfully deserve for the magnitude of my crime. I would likely hand in my own resignation if it were not for one important thing."

Madame Collins let out a sound of disgust at his words. "Don't listen to him. Don't you realize this is exactly the smooth kind of talk that got Davi into his bed in the first place?"

"My employment at Hogwarts has had a dual purpose," Snape began, ignoring the blistering comments. "My service to Albus Dumbledore is in more ways than just a Potions teacher. In being there, I serve a great duty in the resistance against the Dark Lord. A role made more important as of late, as I'm sure you can surmise. Though my leaving may give you peace of mind, it would undoubtedly leave a glaring and possibly fatal chink in the armor of the rebellion."

"You're saying that if we turn you in for having an affair with a student, then it leaves us in danger of being over taken by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" There was disbelief but yet a tinge of fear in Lillyth's words.

"It is an unlikely and ridiculous story he's concocted in hopes of saving himself," Madame Collins interjected.

"Wait a moment! Just wait!" Abigail now stood in the middle of the room, her hands held up to quiet the argument.

"Davindra," she turned to her daughter. "You can't really be in love with this man."

Davindra's eyes quickly darted to Snape before she nodded. Snape again felt a chill of horror run through his body.

"But he's twenty-years older than you! Old enough to be your father." There was desperate disbelief in her voice. She sighed heavily as she looked from Snape back to her daughter. "Do you want to go back to Hogwarts in the fall?"

"Yes," Davindra said emphatically. "I want to go back, take my N.E.W.T. exams and take the apprenticeship at St. Mungo's."

"But we had arranged for Davindra to finish her schooling at home," Demelza insisted.

"I will let this be Davindra's decision," Abigail addressed her mother-in-law before turning back to her daughter. "But there will be one condition. And that is that this relationship ends right now."

Snape and Davindra exchanged glances.

"I agree that is for the best," he said smoothly, still playing modest. "It was an inevitable end. Miss Collins, I'm terribly sorry for the hurt and confusion I have caused. I never meant to exploit your affections. You do have my deepest respect."

Snape knew if he didn't back off a bit, then everyone would soon recognize his obsequious fawning for what it really was. It was looking for the moment that at least Abigail was convinced of his regret. Madame Collins still looked murderous. Lillyth Sparrow seemed disappointed and shocked. Davindra's face was a mixed mask of sadness, worry, anger, and determination.

"I beseech you, Abigail," Madame Collins came from her corner to take the woman's arm. "Do not let your only child go back to that school. She was locked in a dungeon as punishment. And who knows what other unabated debauchery goes on there ignored by the staff. They can't prepare her for the future the way I can."

"The woman who inflicted that punishment on your granddaughter has been removed from Hogwarts," Snape assured. "And my own actions aside, there has never been a tolerance for corruption of any sort. Hogwarts is one of the finest schools in the world. I doubt any one person could equal its standards of education."

Abigail shook her arm free. "If this is what Davindra wants, then it is what her father would and I will support. But I do mean it, Mr. Snape," she again turned to him. "I appreciate to no end you being there for Davindra when she needed you, but this inappropriate relationship stops right now. What happens between you two after she has graduated and is no longer your student might be another thing. But for now, you will keep a civil and decent distance, and I will not report you Albus Dumbledore. Do we have a deal?"

"Absolutely," he replied with a slight bow. "I very much appreciate your leniency in this matter."

"Just see that you stick with your end of the bargain," she reminded firmly, her blue eyes snapping in warning. "We're going home, Davindra."

The woman took her daughter's arm and began pulling her toward the door.

"Davi," Madame Collins finally addressed her granddaughter with pleading eyes, "how can you turn your back on all we've done, all we've accomplished. Don't you know how much I adore you and want only the very best for you?"

Davindra looked at her grandmother with a pitying sadness. "I know you do, Grandmother. But I can't live your dreams anymore. I have my own."

She turned then to Snape and regarded him with a calm face that seemed to scarcely hold back a flood of emotions. To his surprise she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, pressing her lips to his cheek and whispering, "I'll love you no matter what," before she pulled away, avoiding his eyes totally.

They exited, leaving Lillyth Sparrow behind to give him a long, contemplative look with narrowed eyes. She came close and said in a dark tone, "And when you could have had a real woman. Honestly, Severus, you do disappoint me."

Pulling the hood of her pale blue cloak over her platinum hair, she too left, not waiting for his reply.

Last remaining was Madame Collins who still shot daggers from her cold green eyes as she too approached him.

"You will be very sorry for this, Severus Snape, for it isn't only me you've crossed." Her voice was low and menacing. "And you will stay away from Davindra, or I will not only make sure that everyone from the Ministry down to the Daily Prophet knows of your perversion, but I will make sure that you never have the desire or ability to accost another young woman again." She gave a meaningful glance down to his crotch to accentuate her point.

"A very fine performance today, Madame Collins," he sneered back. "You almost had me convinced that you cared about your granddaughter's virtue. When we both know it has been your weightiest bargaining piece thus far." Snape let his smile grow to one of obscene villainy. "But since I have already relieved you of that possession, I wonder what you will barter favors with now?"

"If I am ever foolish enough to need you, Snape, I'm sure I won't have to look far to find a little shred of something to bind you to my bidding." She returned an ugly grin. "Your desperation prices you cheaply, Professor. The only honest thing about you, by the way."

With no words, he let his cold, black eyes sink into her like a knife delivering a lethal jab. Though she didn't falter under his savage glare, she did pull away and move through the door very quickly.

A wave of his wand slammed the door and sealed it from any further intrusion. Snape let out a hiss of anger and exhaustion along with a mental resolution to never involve himself in domestic disputes ever again.

He headed to the kitchen in search of something to ease his frayed nerves and furious panic. A bottle of Firewhisky and a rat to kick repeatedly would be meager yet adequate consolation for his rage.