The atmosphere was intense as Mara stood in front of Dumbledore's desk, the Headmaster had just asked her what she wanted to do for the funeral, and he had asked Snape if he would accompany her there. Since she had no family to go with her, and Mrs Malfoy was quite unwilling to take the job.

She tried to ignore the sour expression on Snapes' face, and inched away from the anger that radiated off him.

Mara didn't know what she what she wanted to do, did she really want to go out there, to the real world where people were being attacked daily, kidnapped and tortured? But didn't she owe it to her Aunt to go to her funeral, where there would most likely be no other family member there; and besides, she would be safe with Snape, wouldn't she? He was a very skilled teacher, after all.

"I'll go," Mara said finally, gazing back at the expectant look on Dumbledores' noticeably greying face. "I'll go to France."

Dumbledore smiled comfortingly.

"And Severus?" Dumbledore asked, Snapes eyes lowered dangerously but said.

"Yes." through gritted teeth. Was he really being made to go to France with this girl? The girl who wasn't even thankful of him for saving her!?

"Thank you." Dumbledore said softly "I will arrange a portkey with the Ministry a time and date, and I will notify you both when it has been done-you may both leave."

Snape turned and marched off, Mara had to hurry to keep up with him...

The door closed behind them, and suddenly they found themselves in the cramped staircase together, Mara shuffled her feet uncomfortably; but she wasn't as uncomfortable as Snape, who felt a warmness radiating off Mara as she stood behind him, and a wave of a sugary candy scent engulfed his senses. He wished this cursed staircase would hurry up and reach the bottom as it lowered in slow, almost torturing pace.

When the Gargoyle finally leapt aside, Snape hurried out of there, and welcomed the fresh air that hit his skin. Mara watched sullenly as Snape put a large gap between them and marched off down the corridor, not even casting her a backwards glance.

She frowned after him, and wondered why it made her feel sad when he ignored her like she meant nothing. Did he regret saving her? Did he hate being in her company?

Mara shook her head, and thought sternly that Snape was just being his usual, unkind self, and wondered why she was even thinking about him like this, when her aunt had just died.

She pushed Snape out of her head, and took Daniel's advice to focus on the good memories. Mara thought back to the last good memory she had of her aunt; they had just sat down outside the ice cream parlour in Diagon Alley with many shopping bags placed in front of their feet, Melina, who had the same coloured eyes and greying brown hair, wore a motherly smile as she looked at her niece, who was eating a banana ice cream, topped with lots of hundreds and thousands and a stick of chocolate.

"..Mara, dear." Melina said, but Mara was too intent on finishing the ice cream in front of her to have heard. So she waited until all that was left was a tiny bit of cone in-between Mara's finger and thumb.

"Mara."

Mara smiled up at her aunt, who chuckled, pulled out a napkin to wipe Maras' small face clean.

"Are you looking forward to Hogwarts?" Melina asked, and Mara frowned at the serious look in her aunts aging eyes.

"Yes, Auntie. I can't wait until I turn eleven and receive my Hogwarts letter! I've been looking forward to it since I can remember!" Mara beamed "I can't wait to travel to the platform with you, but I'll be a bit sad that I'll be leaving you for so long!"

Melinas' eyes seemed to water, and the smile she gave looked forced.

"Are you sad we'll be apart, too?" Mara asked, suddenly worried about the frown on Melina's face. "Don't worry, I'll be back for the summer holidays, and Christmas! I'll send you loads of letters in between, so we won't really be apart, will we?" she beamed, and looked with a smile as Melina pressed her hand on top of her nieces.

"I want to give you something, before you go." Melina said quickly, and Mara gave her a perplexed look

"But I don't leave for a while, silly!" Mara chuckled, but looked expectant nonetheless as Melina pulled out something purple from her bag.

"This," she put it on the table, and pushed it towards Mara, who looked at the purple coloured book in front of her. "is a diary. I want you to fill your days and thoughts inside it, since I wont be around."

Mara looked in surprise "But, I only want you to start filling it when you turn eleven. Is that okay, dear?" Melina said, Mara nodded

"Yes, Auntie." Mara looked back at the book and opened it, the pages were blank as she skipped through them.

"The Diary is enchanted," said Melina "you will discover it's many properties once you write in it." she smiled "...well, we better go back home and get dinner started."

Mara frowned but stood "May I carry the book back with me?" she asked and Melina smiled.

"Of course, dear. Well, come along."

Mara followed Melina happily back down the cobbled street, but she thought she saw a tear leak down her aunties cheek...

"Mara!"
Mara jumped as she heard her name called, she felt herself pull back to the present and realised she'd made it to the Entrance Hall. Looking up she saw Hermione wave at her, hurrying over.

"Hey." Mara said quietly.

"How did it go?" Hermione asked, Mara glanced away.

"I'm going to France," Mara exhaled, trying to push the last of the memory aside. "and Professor Snape is taking me, since no one else can."

Hermione frowned, a sadness appeared in her brown eyes.

"Well, I hope the funeral goes well-as well as they can go-And try to keep on Snapes' good side, it's amazing he even took the job to escort you." Hermione said, Mara nodded in agreement.

"I'm just about to head down to the Quidditch Stadium," said Hermione "would you like to sit in the Gryffindor stand with me?"

"Really." Sneered a voice, both Mara and Hermione turned in surprise to see Pansy Parkinson in front of them, along with a gang of sneering Slytherin girls. "Going to cheer on the Gryffinbores, are you? Where's your house pride!?" Pansy snapped

"Piss off!" Mara snapped back, in no mood to be picked on by Parkinson.

"Or any pride for that matter!" Pansy said loudly over Mara "Hanging around with mudbloods like Granger!"

Pansys' friends cackled around her, Mara withdrew her fist

"Mara, no!" Hermione cried.

Pansy yelled out in pain as Maras' knuckles collided with her nose, causing a sickening crack to echo around them.

Mara shook her vibrating hand.

"You shouldn't have done that!" Hermione gasped.

"What's going on over here!"

Professor McGonagall hurried over, along with Professor Snape, who had both just been talking outside the Great Hall.

McGonagall gasped at the blood gushing down Pansy's bent nose

"W-who did this!?" McGonagall asked in surprise, and Pansy pointed at Mara with her free hand as the other tried to stop the bleeding.

Both Snape and McGonagall looked in equal surprise at Mara, who had never once shown an act of violence before.

"She was defending me, Professor!" Hermione said quickly, drawing furtive looks from both teachers "Pansy called me a, well..mudblood." Hermione added quietly, McGonagall's eyes flashed and Mara's cheeks burned under Snape's gaze.

"If is the case," McGonagall snapped, although a hint of surprise reached her eyes "violent behaviour must be diciplined, I am very surprised at you, Miss Morris." Mara looked down at her feet, but was unashamed for defending Hermione.

"Since Miss Morris is in your house, Professor Snape, I leave her punishment up to you. As for you, Parkinson, get to the hospital wing, quickly, there is a bloody puddle growing on the floor." Pansy was helped away by her friends, McGonagall whipped out her wand and waved it over the puddle.

Snape turned his attention towards Mara, who shrank back a little under his glare.

"I assume you were both heading to the match?" Snape asked, Mara nodded meekly "Then I suggest you serve detention with me, right now, during the match."

Mara's eyes widened.

"That's not fair!" she snapped

"Violence in this school must be punished, no matter the intent." Snape sneered.

"It's either detention, Miss Morris, or I personally remove thirty points from Slytherin!"

Mara gaped open mouthed at McGongall, unable to believe she would remove so many points. She quickly regained her senses and glared back at Snape.

"Alright, fine, I'll serve detention, sir."

Snape glowered slightly.

"We will be having detention in the Greenhouses." Mara looked in worry and back at Hermione who said.

"Thank you, Mara. But you didn't have to go and get yourself in trouble." she said softly, an appreciative look in her twinkling eyes.

"I know..." Mara sighed "see you later." She turned and hurried after Snape before she could be told off again, unable to believe her onset of bad luck...


Snape led Mara out of the castle and towards the greenhouses, she looked longingly after the dispersing crowds of students as they all went in the opposite direction to the Quidditch stadium.

She turned back towards the dull looking greenhouses and spotted two Aurors guarding the gates, one of them waved, and a heat rose up the back of her neck as Snape looked at her over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised at her.

"Hey, Mara." Daniel said, giving her a wary look as she approached, Snape walked over to the other Auror who Mara didn't know, but his almond shaped eyes looked disdainful, and his thin lips pursed in disapproval.

"Why aren't you watching the match with the others?" Daniel asked, Mara rubbed her arm as Snape and the other man talked.

"I kind of have detention.." Mara grumbled, Daniel looked in surprise at her.

"Why?" he asked

"I don't exactly feel like recounting it." Mara said haughtily and glanced around. "Er, better go." she said, as Snape pushed open the gate. "See you later." she hurried over to the entrance. Daniel frowned at the dark look Snape cast him and watched the Professor disappear after Mara...

The Greenhouse was filled with a dull grey light that shone in through the window, rain pattered against the glass but she could still hear a loud cheering echo through the grounds, and the commentators voice booming through the air.

Well, at least she could still hear the match.

"You will be collecting ingredients for the Draught of Peace." Snape began sternly, beginning to walk pace in front of her. "Can you tell me what ingredients are needed for this draught?" he asked, Mara looked in thought and ignored the indifferent look Snape gave her as she began to count on her fingers.

"Uh, I think, Syrup of Hellebore, um, Powdered Moonstone...Powdered Unicorn Horn and Porcupine Quills."

Snape had paused to watch her as she finished counting on her fingers, she felt her cheeks burn at the dereisive look he gave her.

"Correct," he said "but, in your N.E.W.T level examinations, I advise you refrain from counting on your fingers like a silly child."

Maras' fists balled and she glared back at Snape, who merely smirked.

"Now, I suggest you begin collecting the Porcupine Quills that are scattered around the dirt, then we will head over to the corner and collect the Syrup of Hellebore."

Mara felt herself deflate "Yes. Sir."

She turned away from Snape and walked away far enough from him so she could hear the match, but still wished she could be out there with the rest of the school, instead of being stuck in a miserable, stuffy Greenhouse with Snape.