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Sorry I suck at updating, but I promise if you hound me via reviews I'll get to it. I do read my e-mails….

Chapter 7!!

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"I've got to get some supplies from Diagon Alley, do you want to stay here or come with me?"

"Would you mind if I came?" I ask.

Snape rolls his eyes at me. "If I minded, I wouldn't have asked you if you wanted to come."

"You never know with you," I mutter, finishing wrapping the Quidditch pitch model I had bought for Harry through mail order. "Just let me write quick note."

"Finally writing to Lupin?"

I pause for a moment before reaching for my pen. When not required to use a quill, I avoid it at all costs. "No, Harry…and how'd you find out I hadn't replied to him yet?"

"He wrote me," Snape replies. "And believe me, I could do without communicating with him."

"Well you can tell him I'm not planning on writing back," I state, tying Harry's gift and note to Snape's owl Ceres. Onyx was still in route either to or from my father.

"I think he's realized that, seeing as he wrote to me and not you."

I shrug and watch Ceres get smaller and smaller from the window. "We going now?"

He nods at me and I take my moneybag out of a drawer in my desk. "I hate Floo, so I thought we'd do side-along."

"No complaints here," I reply. "No chance in you letting me apparate by myself?"

Snape frowns at me. "You shouldn't even know how to apparate."

"It's not like I tried to," I reply. "It was a complete accident."

"Well the answer's no," he states, gesturing me out of the room. I follow him down the staircase and to the front step where I grab hold of his arm. With a pulling feeling, I quickly find myself facing Diagon Alley.

"Do you happen to know what books I'll need for this year?" I ask him.

He shakes his head at me as we walk towards the potion supple store. "The bookstore should know, though."

Walking into the store, we both pick up a basket, taking what we both need off the shelves. I go to the student section, getting what I need to refill my potion's kit from third year and some new ingredients needed for next year. I grab several more ingredients for more complex potions and bring my basket to the front of the store to pay.

I wait for Snape to pay for his ingredients, watching the masses of people walk by on the street through the window.

"Bookstore then?" Snape asks, as we walk out of the store.

"Yeah," I reply. "I might as well get all my school supplies now while we're here. As long as you don't mind."

"Since when would you care?" he asks with a grin. "And I figured as much."

The witch behind the counter at the bookstore tells me that the only required new textbook is The Standard Book of Spells; Grade Four. I pick that book up and look around the shelves for an advanced Transfiguration book to help me in attempting to become an animagus. Seeing as I could already perform wandless magic, it should only take a few months more of research and attempts.

"That book is beyond N.E.W.T. level," Snape says, reading over my shoulder.

"What's your point?" I reply, walking towards the counter.

"My point is," he states as I pay for the book. "You have no need to be reading it."

I smile at him; placing the books in the bag I had my potion ingredients in. "I also have no need to be reading any of the books in your library."

He doesn't respond and we leave the store walking towards an accessory shop where I can buy some parchment and quills. Entering the store, Snape stops short in an isle before a man I had never seen before.

"Nott," he says, shortly.

"Severus," he replies with a smile, holding out his hand. "What brings you here?"

Snape nods in my direction after shaking hands with Nott. Nott looks at me in curiosity.

"I don't believe we've met," he says, holding his hand out.

I hesitate slightly before grasping it. "Taylor Black."

He smiles and looks to Snape quickly before turning back to me. "Ah, Miss Black," he says slowly. "Lucius speaks very highly of you. That is certainly a high compliment indeed. I look forward to seeing you frequently in what may perhaps be the near future."

"Thank you, Sir," I reply. Nott says goodbye to the both of us and walks over to his son, Theodore, who's in my year but in Slytherin."

"Lovely," I state when they leave the store, walking over to the parchment. "Just what I need in my life. A marriage to my brother and a one way ticket to Azkaban for conspiring to be a Death Eater."

"Keep your voice down," Snape says from beside me. "Death Eaters aren't recruited by anyone other than the Dark Lord, although, it probably doesn't help that you're friendly with some of them. Especially with Mad-Eye teaching Defense at Hogwarts this year."

I almost drop my bag. "Please tell me that you're joking."

"I only wish," Snape replies. "But apparently Dumbledore thought that with recent events, having him at the school would be a good idea. And with the tri-wizard tournament being held at Hogwarts this year, Mad-Eye could hardly pass up the offer."

"So it wasn't a rumor?" I ask, in reference to the tournament.

He shakes his head. "The headmaster sent me an owl yesterday."

"Joy," I state sarcastically. "I always loved the Germans and the French…should be entertaining though, as long as no one dies this time. The ministry would never hear the end of it if within a year they misplaced a Hippogriff, allowed a convict to escape and killed a student."

"And now we must deal with Mad-Eye."

"Funny," I state, walking up to the counter. "I would have thought he'd be more of a liability than an asset to the ministry."

"Well Fudge certainly isn't the brightest wizard alive," he states. "Need anything else?" he asks when we're outside the store.

"I don't believe so," I reply. "Not necessarily right now, anyway."

"Let's get back and have some lunch then."

I nod at him and grab hold of his left arm as he apparates us to outside his house. Leaning against Snape's door is Dumbledore.

Snape raises an eyebrow at the headmaster as he lets us both inside.

"Severus, Taylor, how lovely to see you both."

I nod at Dumbledore, choosing not to verbally reply to him. After three years, I'm still not sure how to react when in his company.

"What brings you here, Albus?" Snape asks him suspiciously.

"That somewhat involves both of you, actually," he replies. "Can we sit somewhere?"

Snape nods and leads us into the living room. Before following, I summon my bag into my room, choosing to lean against the doorframe rather than sit on the couch next to Dumbledore.

He turns to me and smiles. "I'm sure that Severus has informed you that Alastor Moody will be teaching at Hogwarts this year?"

"I was just told today," I reply coldly. "And I assure you that I am way beyond thrilled."

He continues smiling at me. "I thought," he starts, looking back and forth between Snape and I. "That I would come here in person, rather than write the two of you. You see, he can be frightening enough to people on his own. I am here to ask the both of you to treat him at least respectably."

Snape nods at Dumbledore, a slight frown on his face.

"I'll take that as a yes," Dumbledore says with a grin. "Adara?"

I glare at him. "I will if he will."

The smile fades from Dumbledore's face. "Enough people will be watching him for mistakes. I am asking this as a favor from you."

"In all due respect, Sir," I state. "You're asking a rather big favor from me. Since I met him when I was seven, he has been nothing other than rude to me. Reminding me constantly that he put a number of my relatives and family friends into Azkaban, warning me that I'd be next if I live up to my name. He always has an eye on me when were even somewhat together, telling me that he'll be watching who I communicate with. He started a file against me when my father was sent to Azkaban!"

"At least promise me that you won't start anything?"

"Fine," I reply.

"Jolly good," Dumbledore says with a smile. "If you don't mind, I'd like a private word with Severus."

I nod at him and leave the living room for my bedroom, grabbing the Transfiguration book from the bag from Diagon Alley, and lying on my bed to read.

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