I liked to dedicate this chapter to flower, thanks for reviewing I really appreciate it and am sincerely going to try to update more often! Hope you enjoy!

I own only Scarlett, everything else came from somewhere else.


She knocked on Dumbledore's door. This wasn't going to be the greatest day of her life. She knew she had lost her temper and stabbing the head table wasn't the way to fix anything, though admittedly she did feel better. Something about a hall full of shocked children left her with a smile. Her time with Barty was helping him, but not her. Perhaps outlooks were like energy, transferable.

"Come in Miss Birch." It was never a good sign when the headmaster knew it was you at the door. Through the door.

Surprisingly, Dumbledore was the only one waiting for her in the office. She had expected an onslaught of screaming red faced staff members. Instead she walked into a quiet room with a very irritated head master. Even the portraits were silent. Technically he couldn't fire her, only the Ministry could do that. But Fudge would have to be able to find her body to terminate her position, and by then it would be too late.

"Sir I…" she began.

"Sit down." His demanding voice interrupted. Any trace of the friendly old man that she was used to was gone. She sat obediently.

"Your actions today were, to say the least, inappropriate. What on earth made you think that was a good idea? Scarlett, do you have any idea what kind of situation you've put me in, with the parents and the Ministry?"

"I'm very sorry sir, I lost my temper. And I'm sure Fudge is throwing a fit. I'll understand if we're not welcome here anymore." She realized the weight of her actions and what it could mean for her and Barty.

"We, Miss Birch?" His face had changed instantly from anger to interest. "If removed from the grounds you intend to stay with Mr. Crouch then?"

"Yes sir, I do."

"You do understand what would eventually happen out there don't you? People want him dead." He said slowly, possibly to make sure she understood what he'd said.

"I know sir, but I've made a commitment to my post and to Barty."

"I'm very angry with you, and I suggest that you both keep your heads down. I'll try to keep this as quiet as possible but I require your cooperation. There can be no more incidents like the one today. And don't ask for anything for quite a while. Just assume the answer is a resounding no. You are not a child Scarlett. I might have expected this from Mr. Crouch but not you. What was it exactly that caused you to completely break your professionalism? This note?" He held up the note, his expression disbelieving.

"Yes sir, not what was in it, it's just…I can't get anything done continuously looking over my shoulder." She was frustrated with the whole situation.

"I understand your irritation but I assure you I'm doing everything I can to keep the students away from you. Unfortunately it's catching them that is the problem. Everyone was at breakfast when this happened. And I can't post someone in every corridor. I'm sorry but you'll have to find some way of dealing with it, I'd recommend someone to talk with about it but I assume you'd sooner poison yourself than have a civil conversation with Severus. Ironically, he'd still be the man to see."

"Yeah, you hit the proverbial nail on the head sir," she gritted her teeth but said nothing more.

"Regardless, stay quiet Miss Birch. Any more incidents and not only will you lose the support from this office but you will find yourselves unwelcome at Hogwarts. Do I make myself clear?" His offer was tense to say the least. She had no choice to concede.

"Of course, Headmaster."

"Then you may go Miss Birch." She scrambled from the office. As she made her way down to their quarters she was sure she looked like a scorned child, and essentially she was. Perhaps it was best to heed Albus' warning and make themselves scarce over the next few weeks. Hopefully they'd manage to stay under the radar, for the most part.

The following weeks were all the same, seemingly pointless banter over tea, rotating harassment and threats from random students, mostly Malfoy and his posse of thoughtless bandits, and useless arguments with the administration. They used every holiday as an excuse to find themselves intoxicated and giggling. Halloween and the entire week leading up to Christmas was a drunken blur. They were told to tone it down by Dumbledore after they spontaneously decided to play hide and seek in the halls at one in the morning, wearing curtains as capes. Rather than actually quieting down, wards and extra locks were put on the doors to prevent further incident. However they'd managed to not attract any more unwanted attention from the staff, students, or Ministry.

"Come in Miss Birch," the Headmaster's voice called from the opposite side of the door. She entered the large office and took a seat across from him in front of the hearth. "Lemon drop?" he offered.

"No sir, I think I've had enough of a sharp tongue this term."

He smiled compassionately at her, "I understand you are protecting your patient. Speaking of which I expected Barty to be accompanying you, from what I've surmised the two of you are practically joined at the hip."

"He's in his room or at least somewhere in our quarters."

"How has your therapy been coming along?" he asked casually.

"Just fine, we've made good progress so far but I've been backing off for a while now." Dumbledore tilted his head and looked at her inquiringly. "We're dealing with very sensitive subjects and long hidden pain. Pushing too much too quickly can be detrimental. You wouldn't tell someone your life story the day you met them, it's very similar."

"He appears to trust you quite a bit, which in its self was very difficult I'm sure. I never thought I'd see the day that Barty Crouch Junior would stand up for a friend the way he has. But they say that time heals all wounds."

"You and I both know that is true, but sometimes you run out of time."

He nodded in agreement, somber for a moment. "What will you do at the end of the year?"

"I don't know, I play most of this by ear to be honest with you, I sort of have to. No matter how calm the water may be, you never know what's around the bend. A lot of it will depend on where we're at in our sessions. What options are even available to us will also play a large part in the decision." The Headmaster nodded again. "He'll never be able to have a normal life again though. But we'll deal with that when the time comes."

"I agree on both points. Nothing is easy and a second chance will only go so far." Dumbledore seemed much more interested in listening than talking at current. Her intuition kicked in and she felt it necessary to ease his mind.

"Sir," she paused, "I'm just fine, you know." She met his gaze with a serious face. "Really, I'm a bit drained from the students' antics but I'm truly doing fine."

The Headmaster nodded in acknowledgment. He seemed to have a great weight on his shoulders. As if the whole world might collapse in on itself at any moment and he knew he was the only one who could save it. She was compelled to reach out to him, the way she had to Barty, to ease his buzzing mind and heavy heart.

"You know Albus," she began casually. "I am posted at Hogwarts for Barty's care but that doesn't mean he's the only one that can utilize my skills."

He nodded again, recognizing her offer. "While I realize my need to talk to someone and your very fine abilities, the less people who know what lay in my head the better."

"I understand sir, right now everyone has extenuating circumstances. But my services extend to all staff and students as well, just something to keep in mind."

"I will Scarlett, and I'm glad to hear that you're making progress. You were set with a very difficult task." He looked at her, searching for something in her eyes. She knew he wasn't completely sold that she wasn't about to crack from the stress.

"It's the hard tasks that are most worthy of doing Albus," she said with sincerity. Barty was worth it, every minute of bullshit she'd had to wade through, and all that was to come. She still felt it was a worthy cause.

He smiled at her and for a moment his grin glinted in his eyes before quickly disappearing again. She nodded to him and moved to leave. She was halfway out of the door when Dumbledore called her back.

"Scarlett, you said that Barty would never have a real life again," she nodded. "You're partly correct. He will never have a normal life here again, not in this region and most certainly not in the wizarding world. But somewhere else, on another continent in the muggle world, they know nothing of his past discretions, just something to keep in mind."

"Thank you Albus, I will." With that she left to return to their quarters.

As she walked through the hallways she wondered what Barty had been up to in her absence. Hallways after hallway, watching students glare and cower as she passed. She wondered briefly if that was what it was like to be Snape.

She turned a corner into an empty corridor, then another turn and yet another barren corridor. She hadn't seen them, why she wasn't sure. They were massive. But she felt the contact as they grabbed her and pinned her to the wall. Smashing her head against the stone.


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