Disclaimer: I don't own anything. J.K. owns all. I don't even own the story title. That credit goes to Corinne Bailey Rae and her lovely song "Like A Star". However, I do own the future OC that will appear in the coming chapters. I also own any mistakes that you may find. I have no beta.

Chapter 1: Mistakes Will Be Made

"I can't keep this up anymore, Severus," she whispered.

This caught his attention. "What?"

"I can't keep hiding this from James any longer. I'm running out of excuses as to why I have to leave at odd hours of the night. As for Harry; I can't do this to him. He needs me at home right now."

"What about what we have here?" Severus sneered, feeling anger boil in his chest. "What are you going to tell your precious husband? Do you think he'll trust you after what you tell him? That he'll welcome you home with open arms? His Gryffindor pride won't allow it. You know that!"

She stared at the carpet for a moment before saying, "That's why I'm not coming back. I don't have the heart to tell him." Severus felt his heartbreak but he wouldn't dare show it.

"You're willing to leave every moment we've been through, for him? Do you realize what I've sacrificed?"

"I never asked you to become what you are; to affiliate yourself with the likes of Malfoy," she paused for a moment. "You're not the only one I care for, Severus."

"That's not what I meant," he snapped. She pursed her lips.

"Maybe if you would stop being so selfish about this..."

"Me, selfish? I'm not the one who's running away! All you would be doing is stowing your secrets in box under your bed! What happens when someone discovers those skeletons you've kept hidden?" Severus balled his fists at his sides, attempting to calm himself before he could act irrationally.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get there," she said with finality.

"Leave then," he stated in a harsh, distant tone. She nodded numbly, knowing she had to do this, despite the pain. She walked to the door, opened it, and left without another word. Severus stood in the foyer, unsure of what to do.

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. Severus frowned. The knocking grew louder.

Severus opened his eyes. The knocking was real. Someone was at his door. Severus groaned as he lifted the covers and swung his legs over the bed. The moonlight from the window contrasted drastically against the darkness of his room. He stood up and stumbled for a moment, clearly not awake. After gaining some composure, he snatched his wand from the bedside table and guided himself though the dark house to the foyer. The loud knocking had begun to grate on his nerves. Severus positioned his wand, ready for whatever was behind the door. He slowly turned the handle of the large oak door, opening it just enough to see who disturbed his rest; but then he thrust the door open upon seeing who it was.

"Severus, we had nowhere else to bring him. His wards were too strong for us to take him to his manor. He needs immediate attention," said a dark, hooded figure, carrying what appeared to be an unconscious, bleeding, Lucius Malfoy. It wasn't until the figure entered the foyer that Severus noticed another, but much smaller, dark figure. Of course, Severus knew who they were without an introduction.

"What happened?" he asked, glancing at Lucius' motionless form.

"He decided to pay Fenrir a little visit. Unfortunately, he picked the wrong time to do so," the figure grunted, trying to support the weight of another. The figure's hood fell to reveal a worn looking Remus Lupin.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. He had told Lucius told let it go. "Was he bitten?" he asked Lupin.

"Yes," said a more feminine voice. Severus didn't need to see her face to know it was Lupin's wife.

"Take him to the upstairs guestroom; it's the second door on the left," Severus told the pair before he quickly ran to a wall of books in his sitting room. He pointed the wand at the bookshelf and the hidden door was forcefully opened. He swiftly climbed the narrow staircase before reaching yet another door. He deftly muttered an incantation and the door revealed a potions lab. A glass cabinet that contained several phials faced him from across the stifling room. He passed several cauldrons he had previously placed stasis charms on. He waved his wand at the cabinet and the glass doors flung open to let a phial fly into his palm.

Severus made his way back up to the guestroom. Tonks' spikey, sky blue hair seemed to glow in the candle light. She was watching Lupin mend minor cuts along Lucius' torso, but what caught Severus' attention was a large gash on the right side of his neck.

"He needs a healer, Severus," Lupin said. Tonks grimaced at the sight as her husband muttered "Tergeo," removing the blood from Lucius' left cheek. A long gash stretched from behind his ear to the middle of his cheek.

"Lupin, you of all people should know that no healer would touch him, especially in his state," Severus stated, staring at the murky contents of the phial. "I have not fully discovered the effects of this potion but I have reason to believe this will cure, if not, prevent the obvious symptoms that lycanthropy entails," he explained as he uncorked the phial. "Lift his head."

Tonks placed her small hand beneath Lucius' chin, tilting his head back. Severus spilled the liquid into man's mouth. Tonks massaged his throat, making sure the potion was swallowed.

"What about Sleeping Draught? Or something to ease the pain?" Tonks asked.

"We can't risk having an ingredient from another potion disable the properties of the one I've just given him," Severus told her. "He'll have to live through the pain until I clearly analyze his reaction to the potion."

A few minutes passed before any of them spoke. Lupin continued to clean Lucius' wounds to the best of his ability.

"He needs to be under supervision. At least until I'm positive there are no ill side effects," Severus sighed.

"How will you be able to stay with him? Term begins in a fortnight," Lupin inquired.

"I have even less than that. Minerva needs me there to make preparations for the coming students. With the war over, more and more students will be returning to the castle," he said sternly.

"Does Lucius have anyone he trusts—" Tonks started.

"The only person I can think of is his son but—Wait. Does Draco know what has happened?" Severus stood up.

"Not that I'm aware of," Lupin answered, looking at Tonks who shrugged.

"It appears I have two letters to send tonight," Severus exhaled as he reached the door.

"Who's receiving the second letter?" Lupin's question caused Severus stop.

"Someone who will reside with Lucius," he answered, his hand frozen on the doorhandle.

"Do you trust this person?" the werewolf asked in a low voice.

Severus turned around to look at him. "With my life," he whispered in a hollow voice.