Hello everyone! This story was previously posted on my old fanfiction account with the same title, so if you're looking at it curiously, thinking "Haven't I read this before?", you probably have. I had to take it down for some personal reasons, unfortunately. Please leave a review if you liked it last time or like it now- the old post had hundreds of reviews and so many fans and I'd love for this one to receive some love as well. While the story isn't changing, I am editing it this time around, hence why updates do take some time. I've added some minor plot lines and chapters and removed some other other ones, as well as obviously editing for grammar and spelling and what not. Thanks and enjoy!

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"I wouldn't be asking you to stay here at this hour if it wasn't of the utmost importance," Kingsley Shacklebolt said quietly. The light of daybreak was streaming into the dark office gently through a tiny hole in the curtain. She gave no reply. "I think you know what I must ask you."

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I can't…" She whispered.

"You must. We need to know, Gwendolyn." She looked away and focused in on the hole in the curtain. "I know… it's hard."

"You don't know," she said softly. She turned to look at him. "But that's all right. I wouldn't expect you to know or understand."

"Then help me to do that!" He grasped her hand from across the desk and she didn't pull away. "Please, Gwen. I beg of you. This story you have, this secret life you've been living, it has the answers we need!"

"Do you still completely trust me?" she asked, staring into his brown eyes. He shifted uncomfortably and let go of her hand.

"That… remains to be seen. I want to very much, but…"

"But?"

"You've been hiding this from us- from all of us, for years! I just don't know why… and I wish to know why!" Kingsley sighed. "It isn't just for me, Gwen. It's for you. For him. For Snape."

"Stop," she choked, looking down again.

"Please don't let it all have been in vain," he said softly.

"You're going Auror on me," she said coldly.

"Don't think of me as an Auror. Think of me as your friend. You're telling your friend a story." Friend...

There was a moment of silence and a bird was heard singing from outside the window. Besides that bird, the world was still. It had been a long night and everyone was sleeping. Or dead.

"I'll tell it," she said suddenly, breaking the silence. Kingsley smiled kindly.

"Thank you."

Gwendolyn nodded and inhaled deeply. "I've never told anyone the whole story. Tonks knew the general idea. Only Dumbledore knew it all. But, you know…"

"Dumbledore knew everything," Kingsley said sadly.

She smiled. "He still does." Her smile faded. "Don't… don't tell everyone everything. Only what you need to tell. I'm sure, by now, most of them know the general idea." He nodded in agreement and she continued.

"It started three years ago…"