It was dark and storm clouds swirled relentlessly in the sky above. He walked through the muddy field into a darkened forest. He hadn't been here before. As he walked the trees towered far above him in an intimidating manner. Eventually he reached a clearing. There he found about twenty men and women who stood in a circle, their faces covered with cloaks. Dead bodies were piled up haphazardly in the centre of the circle. They had been ripped and torn at to such an extent that the faces were barely recognisable. But there was nobody there he recognised anyway. The blood from the victims saturated the grass underfoot. It bubbled up from the ground and the warm, metallic smell overpowered the senses. He couldn't bear the sight anymore, but still he stumbled forward. Another figure stepped forward into the middle, draped in long black hooded robes. The clearing was silent. The moonlight was the only source of light so he couldn't see the being's face. Something, some presence about this…this thing, told him that he should leave. Now.

Suddenly, he tripped over an unseen tree root and fell forward with a silent cry into the pile of dead. Lifting his head and looking around in shock he saw the hooded people turn and stare at him. They were laughing. The thing in the black robes turned and moved towards him. It was staring at him, moving closer and closer, reaching out to him with a skeleton-like hand, grabbing him, pulling him, closer and closer and closer until….

Severus woke with a start. Sweating slightly he reached for his wand and as he waved it the candles in the room burst into flame. He realised he had been trembling and lay slowly back down into his pillows. The now all too familiar feeling of horror washed away from Severus as he remembered were he was. He was in Hogwarts. He was, for the moment, safe. It wasn't the first time he had had this dream, it probably wouldn't be the last time either.

He got up, realising that he probably wouldn't get any more sleep that night. Still it was only half two, perhaps Albus would still be up. The old fool had asked him once why he didn't take a sleeping potion to try and stop the dreams, but Severus knew that this was a bad idea for two reasons. Firstly, he couldn't risk not realising that the dark mark on his arm was burning again, and therefore potentially miss an important Death Eater meeting. The Dark Lord would not be amused if this happened - that is, if he ever actually returns. Secondly, he could risk sleeping in for work, although Albus pointed out that the Gryffindors would find the fact that their 'favourite' potions teacher had slept in and was late for class rather amusing. Lord forbid that either should ever happen.

Severus grimaced slightly at his last thought as he pulled on his black robes and draped a cloak over his shoulders. Passing a mirror on the way out he looked briefly into it, and looking at the reflection he saw a man with a long, pale face and lank black hair hanging in strands and sticking to his face. The eyes stared back at him coldly but then he looked at the reflection with a rather amused expression on his face. His greasy hair looked even worse than normal. 'Ah well', Severus thought to himself, 'If I'm lucky perhaps I'll see some trouble-making Gryffindor on my way and scare them half to death. Could be rather amusing'.

Brightening up considerably at the prospect of deducting some house points, he headed out the room and went in search of Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore looked up from the letter he was reading as Severus stalked into the room. He hadn't arrived in the best of moods after walking right into Filch the caretaker, who was on his nightly patrols of the castle, on the way to Dumbledore's office.

"Off any were interesting?" Filch had sneered, inches away from his face.

"Because that any of your business?" Severus had replied levelly with a cold stare.

"Alright professor, keep yer socks on, I was just wonderin' "

"Well you can go and do your wondering elsewhere" Severus had snapped at him, "Or else I'll be more than happy to hex you and that bloody cat of yours". Ms Norris hissed softly at him. "Fine, fine! Be like that…" Filch rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath as he slowly shuffled away and let the professor past. Severus swept past him and walked swiftly away. He had sighed wearily as he continued up the darkened corridor. 'God, I wouldn't mind giving that cat of his a good kick one of these days' Severus thought darkly to himself, 'And the same goes with that Filch'.

Severus was brought back to the present by an enquiring glance from the headmaster.

"And to what, exactly, do I owe the pleasure of another late night visit from you, Severus?"

Severus grimaced inwardly as he was reminded that this wasn't the first time he had came here for advice since the dreams had started.

"Well…it's those dreams again actually" Severus began, rather embarrassed. 'I'm a bloody Death Eater for god's sake; I shouldn't be scared of a few silly nightmares' was the first thought that came into his head. 'Well, I can't exactly turn back now, can I?' was the second.

"Still bothering you are they?"

Severus nodded slowly, walking over and sitting down. "I'm still sure they're a warning of some sort"

Dumbledore chuckled softly. "But the real problem is, you don't know what they are trying to warn you about, am I correct?"

"Yes, I suppose you're right" Severus agreed somewhat reluctantly. "It's just, I've seen death and violence before, It shouldn't bother me - but these dreams are…well…they're different" he finished rather lamely, looking down at ground.

"I see" the headmaster replied softly.

"I'm not scared of them!" Severus suddenly growled, standing up and staring at the professor angrily, as though challenging him to disagree. "They're just a nuisance, that's all, nothing more!"

"I never said you were scared, Severus" Dumbledore replied gently, looking over his half-moon spectacles at him.

"Well…" Severus looked away from the professor. He knew fine well that what Albus was thinking. He could see it in his eyes. He thought that he was scared. That he was weak. It was at times like these that the headmaster could irritate Severus to no end. Severus wanted to scream at him, shout at him, but he knew there wasn't any point. As much as he loathed to admit it to himself, he actually needed Dumbledore's help. Not that he would ever, ever, ever admit it to another living soul, of course. And especially not Albus Dumbledore himself.

Severus sat down, crossed his arms and glared haughtily at the letter in Dumbledore's hand, as though it had been the letter itself that had accused him of being weak.

"Anything interesting?" Severus sneered at the letter.

"Well actually…" Dumbledore smiled at Severus, "I've finally secured two teachers for the vacant posts we had last term."

"You found someone willing to teach Defence Against The Dark Arts?" Severus raised his eyebrows sceptically.

"Indeed, he's taught here before so I know he's up to the task."

"Hmmm…" Severus raised his eyebrows even further, "Care to expand?"

"Remus Lupin" was Dumbledore's only reply.

"The werewolf!" Severus exclaimed loudly, clearly shocked. "But…but the parents, they won't want him teaching their children!"

"I think you will find that attitudes toward werewolves have changed quite a bit since Remus's involvement in the Second War-"

"But, but…" Severus hadn't seen Remus for years now. Would he still be as insufferably kind as last time? Probably. Still, Severus couldn't see any way around it. If he was the only one willing to take DADA post then…

"Yes?" Dumbledore glanced at Severus inquiringly.

"Hmph… I suppose you'll want me to brew the wolfsbane potion again?" Severus muttered, defeated, looking back at the letter and not wanting to meet the professors' gaze.

"That would be great!" Dumbledore exclaimed, grinning at Severus enthusiastically.

Severus simply rolled his eyes, "What about the other teacher?" he enquired, trying to move the subject on swiftly, "A vampire perhaps?" he muttered to himself.

"Do you remember Hermione Granger?"

"The irritating Know-It-All? Unfortunately, yes."

"Well, she's going to be our new Ancient Runes professor"

"Indeed." Severus raised his eyebrows again, "Well, as long as she doesn't bring Potter and Weasley with her. I don't think they ever quite forgave me for 'killing' you"

Dumbledore chuckled. "I think you'd find that people don't actually hate you as much as you would think. Some within the Order actually consider you a sort of 'hero'."

'Really? Tell that to the people that send me the hate mail each day…' Severus thought inwardly. In an outward response to Dumbledore's statement he merely laughed humourlessly.

A few hours later Severus stood up, brushing some invisible dirt off his robes. "Well, this year should be…interesting. The werewolf and Hermione Granger.", he spoke, his voice full of disdain. "Remind me exactly why I ever came back here?" Severus sighed to himself, shook his head and turned to stride out the room.

"Did you know that Ron and Hermione got married last year?" Dumbledore asked suddenly.

"No" Severus spun round to face the headmaster. "That does surprise me" he looked at the professor. "I wouldn't have thought that… well, you know? Those two…together-" Severus didn't know how to finish. He wasn't exactly an expert in that area. Painful memories of a girl with red hair were trying to resurface, but Severus pushed them away without even thinking about it. He was used to the pain now.

Dumbledore just shrugged. The headmaster was obviously thought Severus was not willing to talk about it any further. Severus bade the old professor goodnight, turned around and walked out the room, deep in thought. He wondered why the headmaster had thought to mention this to him. He couldn't care less who, or what, the girl had married.

'Still, Ron Weasley! What was she thinking?' Severus shook his head again, not noticing as he walked across the entrance hall and back to the dungeons, that a dark figure was standing in the shadows, watching him with a pair of blood red eyes.