Facing the Flame

By Skyechan112

And I want a moment to be real
Want to touch things I don't feel
Wanna hold on and feel I belong

And how can the world want me to change
They're the ones that stay the same
They don't know me
'Cause I'm not here

-I'm Still Here

The Goo Goo Dolls, Treasure Planet soundtrack

Note to self: she who expects airport coffee to be any good is sadly mistaken. Mia Evens thought to herself, grimacing over the Styrofoam cup in front of her. She ruffled he short black hair and yawned, glancing at her watch. 5:46 in the morning. This was no hour to be sitting on a gum covered bench waiting for a plane to arrive. She swished the coffee in her cup and took a sip. Terrible or not, it was caffeine. She glanced around the airport for someone, anyone to talk to. She pulled her carry-on bag from the floor and unzipped the top. Her emerald green eyes flickered to the sign showing departure times, a scowl formed by her mouth, blood red lips pursed in annoyance. Impatiently, she rifled through its contents, pausing to check the sign again for her flight. It wouldn't be here for another two hours. She pulled out an MP3 player and jammed the headphones into her ears, cranking up the volume. The few sounds of the airport disappeared into bass guitar and Ville Valo's vocals.

Memories, sharp as daggers

Pierce into the flesh of today

Suicide of love took away all that matters

And buried the remains in an unmarked grave in your heart

With the venomous kiss you gave me

I'm killing loneliness (Killing loneliness)

With the warmth of your arms you saved me,

Oh, I'm killing loneliness with you

I'm killing loneliness that turned my heart into a tomb

I'm killing loneliness

Nailed to

The screen went black. The batteries were dead. Mia pushed the play button again, false hope inching foreword, but nothing happened. She groaned, looking at her watch, then the sign. Somehow, her flight was now one hour and forty-five minutes earlier. "Oh, crap, oh crap, oh crap..." She thanked whatever Higher Being was currently watching that she'd taken care of luggage early. She had fifteen minutes to make the plane.

She managed to make it, the trip onto the vehicle a complete blur. She collapsed into her seat, attempting to catch her breath as the elderly gentleman next to her gave her a scrutinizing look before returning to the paper. The pilot told them to please, fasten their seatbelts, and enjoy the flight. Mia wondered for a minute how much they were paid to say that, then shrugged, deciding it didn't really matter. She pulled out her notebook as soon as they were in the air. She flipped to the front, scanning the picture taped to the page. Four people stood grinning and waving at her from their two dimensional world, three boys and a girl standing between them. Little arrows drawn onto the paper labeled the people with their name, age, favorite beverage and blood type. Why and how she found out the last two are beyond even her.

The girl in the middle was Hermione Jane Granger, age seventeen, her favorite beverage was Cream Soda, and she was blood type a positive. To her right was Ronald Weasly, age seventeen, favorite beverage ginger ale, blood type a negative. Behind Hermione was Neville Longbottom, aged seventeen, his favorite beverage was a caramel latte, blood type B positive. And to the left of her was a relation – no matter how distant- of Mia's, Harry James Potter. He'd turn 17 in a week and a half; he favored a good glass of milk, lame as it sounds.

The occupants of the photograph waved at her and she smiled. Would they be this happy to see her when they actually met?

Reality kicked in and she shook her head, attempting to clear her thoughts and figure out why there was a bag of peanuts on her lap. Her caffeine- addled brain came to the conclusion that it had been left by a flight attendant or by ninja squirrels 1. She decided on squirrels undercover as flight attendants, which led to a page in her sketchbook full of squirrels wearing flight attendant uniforms, maid uniforms, Japanese schoolgirl uniforms, and one of a raccoon in a mushroom suit 2. The man next to her apparently had no taste for good art and proceeded to stare out the window for the entire flight.

As the pilot asked passengers to buckle up, as we will be landing soon, Mia dug out a compact mirror from her bag and looked herself over. Five feet, six inches with a small, pixie-like build, she had short black hair streaked with purple. Her emerald eyes were shaped like almonds were outlined in black, making them appear almost cat-like. She had a gentle, heart-shaped face and full lips she adorned with a dark red color. She was hopeful they'd think her pretty at least. She certainly dressed differently from Hermione, anyway, favoring the garage-rock style. She fingered a purple lock of hair by her face. Purple clashed with her eyes. Maybe pink would work better? She screwed up her eyes in concentration. The purple streaks became pink, creating a rather nice effect. She pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt and slung her bag over her shoulder. She stepped off the plane, shielding her eyes. The lights were bright. Once she could see again, she spotted the sign to the baggage claim and retrieved her bag, listening to the sound of the wheels hitting cracks and ruts in the concrete floor. She followed a sign marked "Passenger Pickup" to a lobby crowded with people. She scanned the room and spotted a mop of untidy black hair. Two pairs of electric green eyes met and she hurried over.

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"Ron, would you please hurry up? We're going to be late!" Harry Potter called up the stairs of number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. A tired and disgruntled looking Ron stumbled down the stairs, hopping as he attempted to get on a shoe. Gravity had other ideas and he fell down the stairs headfirst, Harry flinching with every bump. Ron ended up sprawled on his back at the foot of the stairs, and was tripped over by Neville exiting the kitchen. Neville went flying across the room and knocked over Hermione, who was carrying Crookshanks. The cat went flying and landed on Harry's head. Harry swore and detached the cat from his scalp, setting it on the floor. His friends were picking themselves up off the floor when Ron's flame-haired sister walked into the room. She looked around at them and sighed.

"I've missed something again, haven't I?"

Harry gave her a wry smile. "Not really. Ron just can't get his own shoes on without causing mass mayhem."

She arched an eyebrow at him, "I believe we knew that already. Are we going to leave now, or allow your cousin to be stranded at the airport?"

Harry raced out the door, drawing his wand as he neared the street. He pointed it across the street and with a loud bang; a purple triple-decker bus appeared before them. The conductor stepped off of the bus and began his speech.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen, my name is Stan Shunpike and I shall be your conductor this evening." He read off of an index card.

"It's eleven o'clock in the morning." Hermione read off of her watch.

Stan's ears reddened and he looked up to see them grinning at him. He relaxed upon seeing who it was. "'Allo 'Arry! Where you need to go? We can bump you up a few stops, eh Ern?"

'Hello Stan." Harry stepped onto the bus, giving the fee to Stan as he headed for the second level. The scent of mint tooth paste and chocolate wafted off of a witch to his right. Harry sat in an empty seat and was soon joined by Ginny. She studied his face and sighed. "What?" he asked.

"You're fretting. She'll be fine, you know. It's a plane trip, not a visit to Voldemort."

Harry sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I know. I know… Mia can handle a flight across the Atlantic. But I'm not worried about that. She's a foreigner and a relation of mine. She's going to have some trouble."

Ginny snorted in laughter, and Harry arched an eyebrow in a way that vaguely reminded her of a certain Potions Master. "Have you read her letters? I'm more worried for the Slytherns than I am for her. A brain that rivals Hermione's and the cunning of Professor Snape, the girl's brain is incredible."

"She's a Metamorphous too." Harry added, shaking his head in wonder.

"I hope she has a good sense of humor, she'll need it. We're helping out in Fred and George's shop this summer, remember?"

"If she does, we're all going to be in trouble."

Ginny folded her hands in a mock prayer. "And to that I say, 'Amen'"

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Draco Malfoy sat in a cell. Not a cell in Azkaban, no, he was in a cell in his own house, placed there by his father. His head slumped against his chest and he closed his eyes, recalling the last few days.

The "escape" from Hogwarts had been carefully planned. Snape's "attack" on Dumbledore, leading to his "death", all planned. Dumbledore was now somewhere in South America, waiting until he was needed to return.

Snape had explained everything to Draco the night of Slughorn's party. Upon sensing Potter's presence, Snape had taken up the role of the teacher and Draco the role of the student. Potter was kept out of the plan because it would, "Be too great a tax on his mind." Draco snorted in exasperation at that memory.

In the cell next door was the Potions Master himself. The two communicated sparsely, using a sort of Morse code. Luckily, the guard was not versed in the communication methods of Muggles and merely thought he was guarding two madmen. Draco chuckled darkly. The truth was far from that. Contrary to his Father's knowledge, Draco not only enjoyed the literary works of Muggle authors, but had also stumbled upon the blueprints of Malfoy Manor and had memorized them. The new moon was almost upon them, and half of the guard force would be at its weakest. Snape had watched Lupin closely, last time they'd been in each others presence during the new moon. The man had been tired, more so than usual, and unwilling to do anything.

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The Knight Bus pulled up to the curb of the airport and the group got off, stretching and saying goodbye to Stan. They trooped inside and waited in the lobby, Ron and Ginny seated on a bench with Hermione perched on the arm next to Ron. Harry stared at the door she'd (hopefully) come out of. "A watched pot never boils, Harry." Ginny scolded him. Harry sighed and turned to face her.

"I know… I'm worried. "

"Don't be, she's right there." Ginny pointed toward a figure framed in the doorway, black hair streaked with pink and electric green eyes that met Harry's. She hurried towards them.

"Harry!" Mia grinned and let go of the trolley she had her luggage on. Harry gave her a hug and took hold of the trolley handle, wheeling it towards the door. They waited as Hermione poked her wand out of her pocket and the Knight Bus rolled up the street. Stan got Mia's luggage on board and they followed. Mia found herself next to Neville and conversation about plants ensued. Soon, they pulled up at number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, and went inside. Harry motioned for her to be quiet, removed his shoes and crept up the stairs, dragging a suitcase. Mia followed with her school trunk and a backpack, and Ginny behind her with a cat carrier.

Ginny and Harry deposited her luggage on the bed and Mia set her trunk on the floor, slipping off her backpack and dropping it onto the floor. They left her to unpack and she opened her trunk. Contained inside were assorted school books, some art supplies, and posters. The schoolbooks remained in their prison, while the posters were charmed onto the wall and the art set was arranged on a small desk. The wicker carrier mewed impatiently and Mia knelt to let free a small, ruffled black cat. It blinked lazily at her and proceeded to wash its face with a dainty paw. Mia smiled and shook her head.

"Hex, I think you'll like it here, at any rate. The people are nice, but they're so, well, nice. Does that make sense?" Hex got up and stalked away. "I love you too!" Mia called after her, rather cross with the kitten.

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"Draco! Keep up! Severus Snape hissed at the youth behind him, his gaunt face looking like that of the undead. Or one of those Muggle Gothic rock bands, either or. Draco scowled at the Professor and started up the ladder Snape had just reached the top of. He watched in stony silence as Snape pushed on a section of the ceiling, causing a section to lift up like a trapdoor. Dirt and spiders showered down, causing Draco's already dirty blonde hair to take on a more literal definition of the word. Snape climbed out of the hole and he dutifully followed him, pausing to close the trapdoor behind him. Snape rolled up his shirt sleeve- the right one, not bearing the Mark- and removed two twigs from a pocket in the lining. Draco watched in awe as the Professor muttered something and the twigs became their wands. Snape pocketed his and tossed the other to Draco, who gripped it firmly. The cool wood let the power within him circulate fully, let him stop feeling like a short circuited wire- whatever that was… Granger had said it once.

Draco picked then to realize that Malfoy Manor was not in sight. They were standing in the Potions classroom at Hogwarts.

"How did we get here?" Draco inquired, running a pale, shaky hand over a wooden desk. Long fingers found a carving that had been done, recently by the looks of it. R.W. + H.G. 4ever. Draco smirked, recognizing the redhead's scrawl.

"Place an Impalpable charm on yourself and follow me." Snape's disembodied voice floated in the air next to him. Draco followed Snape's directions and followed the Professor out of the dungeon. The halls were strange to see so empty, no Slytherns leaning against the walls, the lack of pathetic Hufflepuffs scurrying in tight packs, no Ravenclaws walking around with their noses buried in books, and no Almighty Gryffendors strutting, no he was the one who strutted, they just shot him looks of loathing. The Golden Trio in particular. Draco drew his now baggy robes tighter around himself. He couldn't understand it. He and Snape had been locked up in exactly the same manner, same amount of food (next to none) and yet the Potions master had managed to still look impressive in his torn and dirty ebony robes. Meanwhile, Draco looked gaunt and dead, not that he felt far from it. Wrapped up in his own thoughts, Draco ran into the Professor, not that paying attention would have helped much. Snape probably shot him a glare, but Draco just felt the heavy hand touch his arm and a feeling as though they were being squeezed into a rubber tube.

Before Draco could check whether or not he still had eyeballs in his sockets, Snape had tapped him with his wand and he could see his hands again. The Potions Master strode ahead and Draco checked to see if he still was gifted with eyeballs, thankfully they were still there.

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"Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety nine bottles of beer." Mia sang softly, painting her toenails a bright shade of green with her wand. Dinner at the Potter/Lupin Residence had been, well, eventful to say the least. The Weasleys were loud and cheerful; Mia could see why Harry loved the family.

Mrs. Weasly had sent her to bed, claiming she needed to "rest up". She snorted. She'd stopped going to bed at eight when she was seven. She swished her wand over her cell phone, transforming it into a laptop. She logged onto IM and scanned her buddy list. Miracle of miracles, Lisa was on. Mia double-clicked her friend's screen name and waited for the screen to pop up.

ViciousWhisper364: Hi, girlie.

Mrs.Brightside: OMG how's England, Mia?

ViciousWhisper364: I am surrounded by awesome accents. My cousin is hot with a capital "H".

Mrs.Brightside: Bloody awesome, that.

ViciousWhisper364: Get this; his friend is one of seven kids.

Mrs.Brightside: My parents suddenly seem sane.

Mrs.Brightside: I didn't mean that… that's impossible.

Mrs.Brightside: Aw, shit. I have to go. Take hold of London for me!

Mrs.Brightside has logged off.

"Well that was productive." She shut the lid and slid off the bed. Her watch said two am. Mia grinned; it was time to get to know the area. She changed into a tank top and a pair of shorts, pulled on her sneakers, and climbed out the window, crouching as she hit the pavement. She straightened herself and took of running, feet pounding the pavement as the sound faded into the night.

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Where the hell are we? Draco looked from side to side, always staying behind the black clad figure in front of him. A sign on a nearby house said Grimmauld Place. That was an accurate description, at any rate. The houses were bleak, from what he could see of them. Most of the exterior was covered in ivy. Draco heard the sound of feet hitting the pavement and turned to see a girl running in the distance. Snape seeped to be aware of her presence as well, for he casually pointed his wand at her and muttered, "Impendia." She froze, her momentum causing her to fall forward. The two strode towards her, Draco watching as Snape bent and rolled her onto her back. A smile crept across the Potion Master's face. "Well, well… Miss Evans. I don't believe Mr. Potter knows about your taking a little midnight jog?"

He cast the counter curse on her and waited for her to talk. She stood up straight and Draco could see she was of average height. Dirt was in her short black hair from being on the ground, and green eyes, identical to Potter's, glared at the two of them. This was a girl who was not pleased when people interfered without her consent. She placed her hands upon her hips and finally spoke.

"Who the goddamn hells are you and what the hell do you think you're doing? Can't a girl go for a goddamn run without getting knocked to the bloody ground?!"

Yep, she's pissed. Draco massaged his temples with his hands, while Snape just looked at the girl with indifference. He turned her around with a hand and gave her a gentle push towards the house.

"All shall be explained in time."

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The next morning, Harry stumbled downstairs to find Snape, Draco and Mia sitting in his drawing room and sipping coffee. He stumbled into the kitchen without a word, deciding he was still tired and hallucinating, and poured himself a cup. The world became less like a scene from Alice in Wonderland after the first sip, so he gathered his Gryffindor courage and entered the drawing room. Nothing had changed. Too tired to put up a fight, he sat in an armchair and listened.

Mia was attempting to explain the internet to the two. Judging from their behavior so far neither had any idea what she was saying. The expression on his Potions Master's face was that of confusion, while Draco looked as if he hadn't heard a word she said. His normally cold grey eyes looked misty, and he was staring at the chattering girl with a strange expression Harry was almost positive he'd seen before. Almost like the one Ron wore when Hermione was explaining something to him that he knew nothing about, cared nothing about, but listened anyway because it would make her happy. The thought that Draco could feel that way about anyone, especially his cousin, was disturbing. Incredibly disturbing, he thought, shuddering to relieve himself of the image. He was beyond grateful when Hermione stumbled into the room and curled up on the couch, snuggled up against the Potions Master. This too caused Harry to shudder, this time pounding himself on the forehead with the heel of his hand.

Severus looked down at the girl snuggled up against him with an expression of surprise. He gently prodded her with a finger, causing her to tilt her face up and look at him through her lashes. "I trust you are aware of whom you are curled up against, Miss Granger?"

"Yes sir. If you don't mind, I am quite comfortable and have no intention of moving. You have a side well suited for snuggling against." As if to prove her point, she snuggled closer and fell asleep. He hesitated, and then flicked his wand, creating a blanket out of thin air that drifted down onto the sleeping girl and him. In reply to the strange look Harry was giving him, he shrugged. "No need for the girl to catch cold."

Draco hadn't removed his eyes from Harry.

Heavy footsteps tumbled down the stairs, followed by the appearance of Ron. He swayed in the entrance of the room for a minute, taking in the sight of Draco, Severus and Hermione, and the two cousins, and shrugged. He muttered something about purple elephants and tap dancing hyenas before slumping into the last available chair. At least, this was his intention. In reality, he missed the chair and hit the floor, landing at Draco's feet. The Slythern helped him up and this time Ron made his target.

They sat like that for maybe ten minutes before Draco suddenly cleared his throat. "Not that I'm complaining, Po-Harry, but you did not attack us upon seeing us in your sitting room. Sudden insanity or something else?" he inquired, setting his mg on the coffee table.

Harry looked at him. The blond was struck by how much older he looked, more like a man of his late twenties then a seventeen year old boy. Harry sighed and put down his coffee. Green eyes met icy grey ones as he gazed at him, strangely calm. "Mia seems to trust you, and once you get to know her, you'll find that's hard to do. She had Moody slammed against the wall with a knife at his throat in less than thirty seconds when he accidentally snuck up behind her in the hallway. Yes, Professor, a knife, not a wand." He answered the unspoken question from Severus. "She was trained in what was basically a magical boot camp in the States when she showed the ability to change her appearance at will without any magical means outside of birth-given talent."

"Basically, I'm an assassin. Voldemort needs to be brought down, I share Harry's bloodline. And now his blood, thanks to a ceremony Mione dug up. For all intents and purposes, I can fulfill your prophecy." Mia spoke quietly, her position in the chair still relaxed, yet not entirely so. Severus arched an eyebrow at this.

"I trust you are Harry's age?" At her curt nod, he narrowed his eyes. "How is a seventeen year old girl going to take down the most powerful wizard of our age?" Mia's face curled into a catlike smile at this.

"World's most powerful wizard he may be. But I was trained by- and surpassed- the world's most powerful witch." Severus' eyebrows shot up at this.

"Impressive. Maybe you won't be as inept as I had thought." He absentmindedly reached an arm around Hermione's shoulders and stroked her arm with the tips of his fingers. She smiled slightly in her sleep, causing Harry and Ron to look at one another and shudder. One caramel colored eye popped open and she gave her friends a halfhearted glare, notifying them she'd caught the exchange. Harry's jaw tensed into something between a smile and a grimace and he cleared his throat.

"Well, it's about time for breakfast. Ron, Mia, and Draco- could you help me in the kitchen? Professor, you seem to be trapped at the moment and Mione was up all night working, so I'd rather not wake her." The four students trooped out of the room into the kitchen, Harry closing the door behind him with a nod to the pair on the couch. Severus poked Hermione's arm and she twisted up to look him in the eyes. "What was the point behind your little charade, Miss Granger?"

"I don't believe there was one, Professor."

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Draco rounded on Harry the minute the kitchen door was closed. "What the bloody hell was that? Granger was practically draped over Professor Snape, none of you have cursed at us yet, and you're acting as dotty as Dumbledore!"

Harry looked at him. "Draco, the wards on this house would have killed you were you not fully aligned to the Order. Hermione's been stressed and Snape was the one to pick the couch. Mia fixed the coffee, correct?" At Draco's nod, Harry gave a wry smile. "She's a sly one. There's a version of a love potion in there that will only work if feelings of that sort already exist in the mind of that person for the person prescribed." At Draco's confused look, Harry explained. "If Sn-Severus actually has feelings for Mione, then the potion will make him want to express them. If not, he'll get a mild headache."

Draco nodded, and then turned to Ron, a question etched onto his face. Ron just shrugged and continued burning toast. Mia patted Draco on the arm, then handed him a carton of eggs. "Make thyself useful." She said.

She stalked across the kitchen to Ron's ever growing pile of toast that looked more like cinders. A low snore was heard from under the door a few minutes later, and Harry cracked open the door to see Severus stretched out on the couch with Hermione curled up next to him, her head on his chest. A few of her copper ringlets were threaded through his fingers and a content smile graced the face of the normally surly Potions Master. The man in question seemed to sense Harry's gaze, for with out opening his eyes he muttered, "Make me leave the side of this little vixen and that cup of coffee shall be your last, Mr. Potter."

Harry was not one to disobey a Professor.

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"Resign?! Why would you resign? Dumbledore stormed through the fireplace, tracking soot across the carpet. The other occupants of the room jumped. Hermione was the first to speak anything comprehensible.

"Sir! You were dead! How…?" she trailed off, looking into the face of the Headmaster's would be murderer. The ebony haired man sighed and gave her arm an affectionate poke. "Think, woman. When has the killing curse ever propelled someone backwards? You saw the results of a plan that had been concocted between Albus, and I. With the earlier help of Black."

Harry jumped to his feet at this. "Sirius?! Sirius helped? But how?"

"No, his younger brother… what was his name?" Severus looked up at Dumbledore for assistance. Dumbledore looked perplexed.

"I don't rightly know, to be honest. Quiet sort of bloke, didn't get into trouble as much as his brother. Though few did." He mused.

"Yes... you found his note, Harry. In the locket. Regulus Antonio Black. That what his name was."

"He was RAB?"

"Is, actually. Still alive and living in Cleveland. He was posing as Mia's Uncle so as to get her information."

Harry's brain broke just about then. "So, he's alive in... why Cleveland? Never mind." Harry collapsed into an armchair, massaging the bridge of his nose with one hand. Behind him, Ginny exchanged a quick look with Mia, and then dragged the bespectacled boy to his feet, saying something about a nap doing him good. Dumbledore took a moment to survey those around him. Blue eyes twinkled to see Hermione standing in Severus' embrace, to Draco speaking softly to Mia, who'd taken a seat next to him. The Slythern Prince was waving one hand around in the air while he talked, and the two kept motioning towards the stairs where the pair had just gone. After a dry word from Mia, Draco laughed and bounded up the stairs with her following behind with an amused expression on her face. Only the second youngest Weasly looked out of place. The Headmaster placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I believe Remus is awake by now. The poor man could use the company."

Ron shook his head. "Remus has a date with Tonks later today. He's pacing. I could get you some tea in the kitchen though, Professor." At Dumbledore's nod, he led the way to the kitchen. The elderly wizard waved an idle hand at the burner, which ignited. He sat on a kitchen chair and regarded Ron with his blue gaze.

'"Why is the Head Girl wearing Severus as if he were a blanket? It is not his usual behavior, I can assure you."

Ron shrugged. "I dunno. But they've been like that for the past two days, since Snape got here. I don't really know what's going on, but he refers to her a "woman" instead of "Granger". I actually heard the word "Hermione" escape his lips." He snorted "Mione probably needs sleep or something. She's been working hard on that assignment you gave her for the order. But Snape, he's different lately. He's been acting like less of a git, Mal-Draco too." Dumbledore's bushy eyebrows rose at this.

"Why are you referring to Draco by his first name?" He asked.

Ron shrugged. "Harry said we ought to. He's been calling Professor Snape 'Severus' on account of him not being our Professor anymore and Mione getting all cozy with him." The last words were said with a scowl. "I don't like this, any of it." He declared, getting up from the table to rescue the screaming kettle.

"If it turns out the best for your friends, then what will your jurisdiction be?" he inquired. Ron looked as if he was contemplating this carefully as he poured the steaming tea into two mugs. He set them on the table and pushed one towards the Headmaster.

"If Snape is good for Mione, then I will support them. If Draco-"he broke off here uncertainly, looking at Dumbledore to see if he should continue. At the older man's nod he resumed his train of thought. "If Draco is good for Harry, so be it." At this point, Dumbledore's half moon glasses slipped off the bridge of his cooked nose and shattered on the floor.