Disclaimer:I don't own anything, it's all JKR's except a select few characters.

A/N: Here's chapter two. I'm gonna try to update a chapter a week. I have the first 6 chapters already written so it should give me enough time to work on the rest of this fic and others. For now though I need to eat before I pass out. PLEASE R&R!

Chapter 2

I woke up the next morning to something scratching at my bedroom window. I flung back the blankets and climbed out of bed before my eyes even had time to focus. It wasn't until two owls flew in over my shoulder that I looked around to take in my surroundings. I didn't recognize anything, until my eyes met the bed. There sleeping in a huge king-size bed was Severus Snape. My heart jumped. I quickly surveyed myself. I was only missing my shoes, which I now saw at the side of the bed, my socks, and my robes and cloak. I crept over to the bed and lifted the blankets and peeked under. Though he was shirtless, he was otherwise decently clothed. Satisfied with my search, I crawled back in bed next to him and lowered my lips to his ear.
"Morning Hooknose," I whispered. He moaned and flung out an arm around me pulling me against him. I bit back a giggle covering it with a sigh. "Come on Severus, it's time to wake up." I allowed him to hold me for a moment longer, until my words finally sunk in. He bolted up in bed.
"Esther!" he exclaimed looking at me. I just smiled while he did the same thing I had done checking his self and myself and the room for any signs of foul play. "Oh." he gave me a crooked grin.

About that time he caught sight of the owls and hopped out of bed. He paid them both and took their Prophets before setting himself back in bed. He handed me one. On the front page was a huge story about the Potters. But I wanted the highlights so I flipped to the obituaries. It seemed a little heartless to only care about who had died and nothing else, but I would catch the details later. Their under the P's was Cassidy Pennington, then James and Lily Potter. But no mention of a third Potter.
"What's the boy's name?" I asked. Severus looked up from his paper at me. I felt like I was playing grown ups with my sister again.
"Harry James." he said after a moment. "Don't call him the boy either. If someone has a name - use it." I gave a harsh laugh and suddenly his face softened. He'd forgotten how many times I had to make up names or codes or something else of the same sort to protect people. If someone had a name you didn't use it no matter what the price. "I didn't mean to bring in our pasts." I shook my head.
"You're still not forgiven." The only reason we'd broken up was because I found out through the media of all places that he'd been playing a double agent. I had told him; been straight forward and honest. He'd lied to me.
"I know. Essie, it's just that I didn't want you…" he trailed off.
"Hurt." I finished for him. He didn't want me hurt and I didn't want him hurt so I had told him. "We just have different ideas of what hurts worse," he leaned over and kissed me; a soft, nervous kiss that tried its best to make me lighten up.
"That's why I love you so. You always know why." I shook my head.
"Don't," was all I managed before he kissed me again. This time with more passion and after a few seconds I kissed back. When the kiss broke, we were panting. "Okay you may be forgiven, but I haven't forgotten." He smiled at me pressing his forehead against mine.
"Go get cleaned up. Let's celebrate."
Without thinking about how we could celebrate the deaths of three amazing people, I took off. I was so joyful about the new terms of our relationship that I actually sang a beer drinking song my father had taught me while I bathed. I was quick in trying not to lose the moment, but it was being killed, without my knowing, down stairs. As I bounced down the stairs, towel wrapped around my head like a turban, and yesterday's clothes on, I was stopped by voices.
"He's gone."
"Are you sure? How could a baby stop He-Who-Mustn't-Be-Named?" Severus questioned the other voice.
"I don't know. I have theories. Right now I'm just getting all my… all my ducks in a row." I caught it then. This was Albus Dumbledore. I knew only because of the Muggle phrase he'd used.
"I'm not a duck." Severus challenged.
"You and Esther will be under enough microscopes without adding a reunion. People will think-"
"Let them think!" Severus broke in.
"Sirius has just been locked in Azkaban for the murder of Peter Pettigrew. No trail, Severus. If Rita Skeeter digs, even a little, your past will surface and both of you will meet the same end." I rarely heard Albus talk in this forceful manner. He was usually such a kind, gentle man. It was hard to imagine him… Before I finished my thought, I remembered Peter and Sirius fighting last night. I jumped down off the stairs skipping the last few.
"Sirius couldn't have done it. We all heard him leave." I tried.
"Esther, my dear girl, you don't know what you're doing. You should be at home with your family. Didn't your sister just wed yesterday?" I nodded.
"Yea, but I know what I'm doing as well as I know Sirius didn't do it." Dumbledore looked away from me to Severus.
"See to it that you're not seen together. Or I'll withdraw my pardon." He took a few steps away and apearated. Severus turned to look at me. He sighed and shook his head.
"You-Know-Who is dead. He was stopped by the baby."
"The baby has a name." I tried to tease.
"I don't think it's too early to drink," he said wandering off to the kitchen. I followed.
"Sirius is innocent. I'll prove it." He pulled two beers from the cabinet and put a chilling charm on them before handing one to me.
"Don't, Dumbledore is right."
"He's always right. But I'm not going to let him know it. We're not doing anything wrong."
"Now about us." he stopped before I reached a rant. "You don't know what you're doing. You can't just take on Sirius' case without any evidence." I grabbed his paper of the table and scanned the front page. No news of what Sirius had done. But there was the disturbing bit, that this was the evening news, when it should have been the morning paper.
"What time is it?" Severus leaned back in his chair so he could read the clock. "Merlin!" he swore, "It's after ten." I dropped the paper in front of him and pointed to where it read Evening Prophet. He looked up at me a little more than confused. "We need to back track here."

I sat down at his kitchen table and together we worked through the previous day starting with when I arrived at the pub. We Apparated to his place and had several drinks before I passed out. He knew I hated sleeping on couches so he carried me up to his bed where he drunkenly decided to stay because the bathroom was closer. But even if we'd talked through an entire keg, neither of us was so light weight to have slept through an entire day. It wasn't adding up. But there was some pressing business I needed to attend in this case. So I dismissed myself from Severus' home.
"As soon as you get home Floo me." he said hesitantly as I stepped out the front door.
"Sev, I'll keep in touch. You just take care." I called over my shoulder. I took off walking out of town to a safe distance to Apparate.
I had to repeat this to get to my own house walking two blocks to my door. My neighbor, an elderly overly religious woman, quoted scriptures to me as I climbed the steps to my front door. She had a theme today: I was going to hell for a sinful life style. I already had figured that much, and I had never touched a Bible, well there was one time when I was sworn into court, but that was a Muggle affair. The moment I opened my door my dog burst through. She didn't stop to say 'hi', she just ran straight for the nearest patch of grass. The family who had lived here before me had let their son play with a chemistry set in the front yard and for the most part grass didn't grow. I still haven't figured out how a Muggle chemistry set could conquer Severus Snape.
I stumbled in the front door leaving it open for when Hobo came in. I dropped my keys on the end table in the living room and picked up the mail. Water bill, garbage bill, my sister, my mother, Flourish and Blotts catalogue, Lily Potter, my boss… WAIT! Lily Potter? I ripped open the envelope carefully so as to not to destroy her seal. The letter within was short.

Dear Esther,
I know you were looking forward to dinner with us, but the baby's not feeling well. James, of course, not Harry. If it were Harry we'd already be at St. Mungo's. We'll have to reschedule. How did your sister's wedding go? I know you planned on spending the weekend with your parents, so I won't expect a reply back right away. I just hope you get home safe. Peter says that there are some copy cats showing up, nothing too serious yet, but enough to cause worry. I can't wait until this is all over. I never thought I'd be raising a son in this war. It terrifies me.
Well, dear Esther, James wants to get to bed and I still have to bathe the little one.
My best,
Lily Potter

She must have written this just before she died. My heart sank. I heard Hobo come in and kick the door shut, which reminded me to search for her little messes. I started out just cleaning up her messes, but after a few moments I decided to sweep and then clean the carpet. Before I knew it, it was dawn and I had scrubbed every inch of floor in my home. The toilet and bath tub were shinny now. When I needed to think, I cleaned. It used to drive my parents nuts, because I'd take off cleaning and house elves would complain that I was doing all the work. I set a pot of coffee on to brew and stoked the fire before putting in a fifth load of laundry. I had managed to wash all of my dirty clothes and this was the last of the furniture covers. As I was tugging a plaid cover over my loveseat, the door bell rang.
In my current world, this was a very late call, but since for everyone else this was only a little after seven o'clock it was really an early one. I stood up brushing stray hairs from my lose ponytail out of my face and trotted after Hobo to the door. Remus Lupin's distorted head met my eye when I looked through the peep hole. I unlocked the door and opened it.
"Morning," I said. There was no need to sound cheerful. He'd just lost three friends in one 24 hour period and a fourth was locked up.
"May I come in?" I nodded stepping out of the way.
"Of course. What do you need?" He gave me a wry look.
"How about the past 48 hours back."
"I wish I could do that. I really do." He patted my shoulder.
"Well, then I have a different favor to ask of you." I showed him to the kitchen and poured us both a cup of coffee.
"Alright. Name your price." He looked so ragged. He always looked like he'd been run through the wringer, but that was a well loved teddy bear look. This was a different sort of thing. His eyes were obviously red and puffy, he was in possession of a five o'clock shadow, and his hands shook terribly.
"I want information. Everything you have. I want to know how long this had been planned. Who planned it? How Sirius got involved without anyone noticing. I want it all."
"How am I supposed to do that?" I asked. He was shocked.
"You don't know? Everyone else does."
"It's seven in the morning and I've been up all night. There are a lot of current things I don't know so why don't you fill me in." He pulled a page from the Prophet from within his patched up robes and handed it to me.
"Your unit is in charge of clean up and investigation of Peter and the Muggle deaths." I scanned the page and sure enough there was my unit's listing.
"I don't know how much I'll get, Re. I'm a witness at this point." He watched me quizzically.
"What did you witness?"
"That fight yesterday, then when I was leaving I saw Peter talking to someone in the alley." Remus sipped at his coffee for a while, thinking.
"You'll still give me what you can get?"
"I'll lose my job if I'm caught, but yes, of course I will." I answered.
"I wouldn't want you to lose your job." he said worriedly.
"I won't get caught."
After he finished his coffee, I walked him to the door. He hugged me before leaving telling me to take care and stay in touch. I finally had something real to do. So I went and showered and dressed for work. I had to do this for Remus. Remus and I barely knew each other. We'd talked a few times, shared tricks of the trade and such, but never really made it to the friend stage. I will doubt to the day I die, that I was so determined just for him. I wanted the truth about Sirius while the tracks were still fresh.