(A/n) Thank you to those of you who added this story to favorites and alerts! I'm glad Lumina isn't too bad of a mary-sue to detract from the story. ^.^

Special thank you to Taciturn Night, Kat, Naomisingerkitty, and sTeRIOb for their reviews! I'm happy you're enjoying it so far!

Sorry for the late update, my muse had left me so I had to watch a lot of Severus Snape movie scenes on YouTube to get my creative juices flowing again. ^.^

Update: A big thank you to reviewer Xav, who pointed out the obvious flaw of my story. -=blushes=- I didn't notice but when I had been describing Lumina's funny green eyes, I kept saying her irises were silver. What I MEANT to say was that her PUPILS are silver. Sorry for confusing everyone with that, I went back to correct that terrible mistake so it make sense now. Thank you again Xav!

Chapter 10

The little girl was being led down a long, dark hallway, the large hand that gripped her small one pulling urgently. She struggled to keep up with the long strides of the man that pulled her so earnestly toward the door at the end of the hall. She looked up at the man that held her hand, her small feet taking three steps for every one of his. The man passed a glance over his shoulder as they stopped at the door and then looked down at her. A smile lit his face and she felt her heart soar at the sight but she still could not keep the flicker of fear from showing on her face.

The smile faded just a little and the man kneeled so that they were eye to eye. He was a handsome man with hair as dark as a raven's wing, a touch of silver at his temples. His brown eyes warmed as he studied her and he reached out to run a large hand down over her hair, which was as dark as his own.

"Don't be scared Lumi… after we do this, you'll be able to cast magic just like your mum and me." His hand cupped her small chin and he stared intently into her green eyes, the pupils as dark as shadows. "You'd like that wouldn't you? To be able to use magic?"

The little girl nodded just a bit. "Y-yes, Daddy." She barely whispered, staring into her father's warm brown eyes and lavishing in the love that she saw there. There was a glint in his eyes however, a glint that the nine year old girl did not recognize as madness. All she saw was her father looking at her with love and she craved for that love more than anything.

Her father smiled again and chucked her under her chin. He looked back up the long hallway, his brown eyes searching before he turned back to the door and opened it. He took a step forward then stopped, sensing his daughter's hesitation. His brown eyes widened just a little and he pulled gently on her hand. "Don't worry my little Lumi. Everything will be all right. You can trust Daddy…"

The little girl looked up at her father, looked at the man that she, as a child, loved beyond the need to understand. He was Daddy and Daddy would never hurt her, he loved her and she trusted him. She gave a small nod and gripped her father's large hand while he led her through the door to the room beyond…

--

"No more… please no more."

Lumina was kneeling on the floor of Dumbledore's office with her head bent, the white part of her hair hiding the tears that streamed down her cheeks. Dumbledore was kneeling in front of her, his wand just above her temple where a silvery, white strand of memory clung to the tip. He eyed the woman with understanding and gave her arm a comforting pat. "Let us call it a night shall we?"

She gave a nod in return, brushing the tears away as she got to her feet. Dumbledore had straightened as well and went to slip the memory into a stone basin that rested on his desk, the rim covered in old runes. He let the memory drop down into the basin, the silvery form swirling with the rest. He heaved a sigh and glanced over at the woman who had moved to sit in the arm chair, she looked tired again. The dark circles under her eyes were coming back.

"Lumina, have you been taking any sleeping potions?" Dumbledore asked while picking up the basin and setting it back in the black cabinet that was on the other end of the circular office. He closed the cabinet and turned his attention back to her, watching her through his half-moon spectacles.

"Sleeping potions?" Lumina glanced back at him and stared, wondering what on earth could have made him ask that question. Was it so obvious that she looked tired? She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "No… I haven't thought about it…"

For the past month, she had been running all over the castle doing the errands that old Filch assigned to her, helping the professors with whatever mundane, non-magical task that needed to be done, and trying to keep the hallways and corridors of Hogwarts as under control as possible. Filch did not help in matters, he was always popping up out of no where, scaring the younger students and handing out detentions should any be found of serious rule breaking. Most of the time, it was like a good cop and bad cop routine between the two of them. The students had grown accustomed to Lumina's stern but friendly ways but the old hermit would come right around and ruin whatever chances she had with having at least some of them following the rules.

Then there was his cat, always following her around, watching and waiting to see if she would mess up just once. She hadn't given the irritable caretaker any reason or sign of slacking off at her job but she was close to pulling out her gun and shooting the tail off of the feline if it made her trip one more time. On top of that, there was the Potions Master. She had no idea what the forces that be were trying to do but it seemed that it was her new duty to drag heavy cauldrons down to the dungeons to replace the ones that were melted, cracked, busted or just completely unrecognizable. It never failed, either by lunch time, the breaks between classes or dinner, Lumina was often seen hefting cauldrons down to the classroom and always Severus Snape would be there.

Since their last encounter, she had not said one word to the Potions Master and neither he to her. She was quick to replace whatever cauldrons that had been damaged and leaving as soon as possible without so much as a glance his way. She was still livid at his last remark but seeing as he was a narrow minded wizard like the rest of them, it shouldn't have surprised her. Why he did manage to get under her skin so easily? Well, it did not matter and so far he appeared to be quite content with the silence. Add all of that togther plus the once a week sessions that she had with Dumbledore to delve into her memories, she was just a too stressed to sleep much at night.

"Lumina, you should go and see Severus. He can make you a something to help you sleep a little better." Dumbledore had moved back to his desk and studied the woman, noting at the sudden stillness of her body at the mention of the Head of Slytherin house.

"Is it a request that I can decline?" Lumina dropped her hand and looked up at her mother's old friend, her eerie green eyes flicking between his blue.

Dumbledore smiled serenely and sat back in his chair. "I am afraid my dear, that it was not a request." He placed the tips of his fingers together, trying not to laugh at the spark of annoyance that had flickered across her face. "I do like to see the members of my staff healthy and well rested and frankly Lumina, you have not been resting. You should take a day off."

"Oh yes and have old Filch yell at me because I've been slacking in my cleaning duties?" She rubbed her hands over her face and huffed. She couldn't believe she was thinking this, but she really missed her days running around as a tomb raider…

"Lumina go and see Severus now for that sleeping potion. Tomorrow you are taking the day off from your assisting duties. I will speak with Mr. Filch." Dumbledore said, holding up a hand to stave off any protests that were about to fly from her mouth. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."

Realizing she had been dismissed, Lumina got to her feet, gave a nod in goodnight and left the headmaster's office without another word. As she made her way down through the castle toward the dungeons, she kept an eye out for Mrs. Norris, who had a bad habit of popping up in the least likely of places. It was late in the evening and all of the students were in their dormitories since dinner had ended long since. It was almost eerie with the corridors so empty like this… her heart gave a startled jump as she paused in mid step, a cold prickling along the back of her neck signaling her to the approach of a ghost. Lumina stayed where she was, waiting for the ghost of the tall witch to disappear and when she finally went through a wall further up the hall, Lumina released the breath she had been holding. She hated being near ghosts…

When the cold prickling faded to a dull, cool tingle, she swept down the marble staircase and down the narrow staircase that led to the dungeons. Lumina knew that the office of the Potions master was about halfway down the hall, almost directly adjacent to his classroom. She never had reason for visiting the professor in his office, in fact she never had reason to visit the professor at all save for changing the cauldrons in his class. As she walked down the cold corridor, she made a mental note that if she ever found out who the student was that was constantly ruining the school's cauldrons, she would personally make them spit shine every blasted set of armor in the castle.

Stopping in front of the door, she gave it a firm knock, her face set in a frown. She mentally ticked away the seconds before she knocked again, a part of her wondering if the Potions master was even in his office. She counted the seconds again before she heaved a sigh and turned to leave. The door swung open at that moment and the scowl on the professor's hook nosed face flickered quickly with surprise. Whoever he had been expecting to see, it most certainly wasn't her.

"Ms. Peacecraft…" His soft, almost deadly, voice seemed to linger on the last part of her name and once more that shiver made itself known down her spine. She straightened as she faced him, her eyes remaining fixed on his. He kept his hand on the door while his dark eyes searched hers with a look that was hard to read. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this… unexpected visit?"

The sarcasm was not lost on her and her frown deepened slightly. "The headmaster had sent me down to acquire a sleeping potion from you." She folded her arms beneath her breasts, her eyes flicking between his dark ones. She noted the scowl on his face had grown a tad worse at the mention of a potion and she stiffened in response. "I assure you Professor Snape that I would not be down here of my own accord. It was an order from our dear boss and as such I must honor whatever order that he gives, seeing as he is the one to give me my pay."

The corners of his lips twitched at that last statement and he promptly looked away, his curtain of dark hair hiding his face from view. He moved away from the door and gestured for her to enter. "Very well then…"

He walked further into his office and Lumina followed in after him, her frown easing as her curiosity got the better of her. The office was dimly lit so that the walls were immersed in shadow. Glass jars lined these walls filled with only Merlin knew what, all of it suspended in liquid that Lumina felt it was best not to think of. There was a cupboard in one corner of the room, in which the professor was currently digging around. His desk was front and center, a rather worn desk that was made of some dark wood. Two chairs stood before it for the occasionally rare visitor or unlucky student that managed to gain his annoyance. A fireplace stood along one end of the room, now currently without the warmth of a flame, though this office could use it for certain. There was also a clock on the wall, ticking away the seconds that passed and an extra table used for whatever fancied the Potions master.

"Here. This is for you, I assume?" Snape emerged from the cabinet with a small glass vial, a cork set firmly in place to keep the contents from spilling. He walked over and handed the vial to her.

"Is it that obvious?" She said in turn, a light smirk playing on the corners of her lips. She took the vial and slipped it in the pocket of her coat. She noticed the arched brow on the professor's face and her smirk slowly disappeared. She sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead. "I've been having trouble sleeping at night. Normally, it's not so bad but lately…"

"Lately?" He studied her, his sallow face hard to read in the dim lighting. She shook her head in response to that question and gave a half hearted shrug. "Stress… Let's see how you deal with cleaning this castle with just your own elbow grease."

"Elbow… what?" The confusion of that comment threw him off guard and he stared blankly at her. What in blazes was this woman going on about?

"Nothing, never mind, just an old Muggle term." A faint blush rose in her cheeks and she frowned, looking back at the office door. "I should get going, I haven't had dinner just yet and I'm starving. Thanks for the sleeping potion, professor."

"A word of caution Ms. Peacecraft…" He said as he watched her, she had turned to look back at him with a slender brow raised in question. He cleared his throat and gave a curt nod. "Do not take that potion until you are ready to sleep. The effects are instant so be sure that you are in bed."

She seemed surprised by that comment and she stared at him as if she were seeing him for the first time. After a heartbeat, she returned his nod and turned on her booted heel without another word. He watched her as she closed the office door behind her and slowly shook his head. For whatever reason, that woman always left him feeling somewhat dazed and confused.

Severus turned back to his desk and gathered the mess of essays that he had left strewn on his desk. He had been in the middle of grading them before she had interrupted him. Why in Merlin's beard was that woman so… strange?

His thoughts were interrupted once again but not by a knock. An ear piercing scream filled the corridor outside of his office, breaking the dead silence of the dungeons. Dropping the parchment, he withdrew his wand and rushed outside to the corridor, looking up and down to see who it was that was screaming bloody murder. His dark gaze found the source and he dropped his wand hand, the sight that greeted him like nothing like he had been expecting.

Lumina was on all fours on the floor of the corridor, gasping in ragged breaths while her entire frame trembled. She was deathly pale; literally, her skin had taken on a pale, almost ghostly, hue while her body seemed to be emitting a silvery mist. Her breaths came in white puffs as if she were in the middle of her own winter climate. The silver coin that always hung around her neck was blazing red, looking as if it would catch on fire at any moment. Her eyes, which normally bore a subtle glow, looked inhumanely green against the pale flesh. Those eerie eyes were currently staring at the ghostly form of the Bloody Baron, who was floating but a foot from her.

The look on the ghost's face, which was usually blank or menacing, was one filled with confusion and awe. He was staring down at Lumina, a hand reaching out to touch her face. His eyes grew wide as his ghostly fingers trailed down along her jaw. "I can… feel you…" The Bloody Baron whispered, his fingers lingering above her lips. "You are so warm…"

Lumina shrank back from the touch and scurried away, little bits of ice that had begun to form on her flesh breaking away and falling to the floor. "D-don't touch me…" She stuttered as she tried to get to her feet, her hand braced on the wall.

"It has been so long since I have felt the warmth of flesh… why can I feel you?" The Bloody Baron glided after her, his hand reaching out toward her.

"Bloody Baron…" Severus placed his wand back within his black robes and rushed over to where Lumina struggled to keep herself upright, silver mist drifting from her frame. The ghost stopped in surprise and looked over at the Potions master, his eyes still wide with disbelief. His hand fell away and he looked back at Lumina with something akin to longing before he turned and disappeared through the wall.

Severus scowled as Lumina staggered and fell, right into his waiting arms. Bloody hell, it was like holding a block of ice. The minute he touched her, the air had grown terribly cold and even his breath eased out in white puffs. She was still trembling and he could see bits of ice still clinging to her pale flesh. He reached out to brush the ice from her cheeks and hissed in surprise. She was too cold, why was she so cold? "Ms. Peacecraft, what happened?"

Her eyes moved up to gaze into his and Severus could feel his heart clench at the sight. Staring into her eyes at that moment, he felt as if he were staring at death. She took in a ragged breath and reached up to grasp the front of his robes. "F-fire…" She whispered and closed her eyes. "I n-need warmth… t-take m-me s-somewhere w-w-warm…" Her head dropped and fell against his chest, her fists grasping his robes as if she were trying to take in his warmth. "D-Dumbledore… h-he'll know…" She trailed off as she finally slipped into unconsciousness and her hold on him slackened.

Severus stared down at the pale woman in his arms, disbelief gripping him as much as she had just done. He blinked then tucked his arm under her knees and swept her up. He moved back into his office and set her carefully down on a chair. He then pulled out his wand and pointed it wordlessly at the fireplace, flames erupted and warmth and light spilled into his dimly lit office. He took a fistful of glittering powder from a jar on the fireplace mantle and threw it into the flames. "Headmaster! I need your assistance!"

He stood back as a form began to take shape within the flames, spinning very fast and then Dumbledore emerged, rubbing ash from his robes. "My word Severus, what could possibly…" The headmaster trailed off when he caught sight of the very pale woman slumped in the chair, silver mist easing from her body. His blue eyes grew wide and he rushed toward Lumina, his wand in hand. He pressed the tip of it against the blazing red coin around her neck and muttered a single word. "Incalfacio."

The coin burned brighter at the force of the spell then faded to a dull, red glow. The silver mist slowly disappeared and the frost that bit her pale flesh melted away. A gentle stream of silver mist eased from her nostrils and she began to relax. Dumbledore lowered his wand but his grip remained tight. "Severus, will you please help to bring Lumina to the hospital wing? Madame Pomfrey will need to attend to her."

Severus stared at the headmaster, wondering what on earth he had just been witness to. He turned his dark eyes back to the unconscious woman slumped in the chair, who looked a little more alive than she had ten minutes ago. Even a bit of the color was returning to her cheeks. He gave a nod to Dumbledore and moved to once more sweep the woman into his arms. He waited for the headmaster to lead the way then followed after him. He glanced down at her, her head had managed to settle itself against his neck and she was certainly warmer now. What in the world had happened to this woman?

As Severus followed Dumbledore out of the dungeons and into the entrance hall, he had a bad feeling that the answer to that question was going to be more trouble than it was worth.