“Regardless of my brother’s opinions,” he interrupted her, “I would rather keep you alive than preserve the so-called family honor.”

It was serious business, being schooled at this level. Three intense years focused on the major of your choice, in pursuit of that almost unattainable title Master.

No one held her to the old standards but him. No one expected their pureblood daughters to be completely ignorant of sex, profanity, politics and anything else that mattered but him.

Leona wished she could say what she did next was unthinking, but that would have been a lie. She knew exactly what she was doing, and why she was doing it.

“Mr. Snape,” Pravido said, in the kind of voice that told Leona he was choosing his words carefully, “Miss Harlaw has just told me a rather interesting story.”

Leona handed her bags to a house elf and smoothed her hair, looking every bit the poised, perfect, virginal pureblood witch she was supposed to be.

“Of course I’m not bloody well alright!” Leona practically screamed. Never in her life had her trust been so violated.

Unkind words were bad.

Unkind silence was worse.

It was dated to before the fall holiday, just after they’d been married. Right around the time Severus had started vanishing in the middle of the night.

Inmate Found Dead in Cell

Cause of Death Unknown

A room full of anonymous faces, faces that, in just a few weeks, Leona would become innately familiar with