To my readers: I love you guys! Thank you so much for taking time to read my story!

To my reviewers: I love you guys more! ;-) I really appreciate it that you take some extra time to write your thoughts to me about this story. You are the encouragement that I need to crank out these chapters! (PSTurner: I love your reviews! I actually will sit at the computer and wait for your review! Thank you so much for being so faithful! I hope I do not dissapoint you or any of my other readers!)

First Times, Second Chances

Chapter Ten: Reunion

Meri had escaped from the house and settled herself in the Burrow's garden. Her welcome at the Weasley home had been one of extreme glee and astonishment. But there was only so much happiness she could take at the moment. She had returned to her own time but she had lost her brother all over again. Not to mention Sirius and Peter was back to being a traitor once more. It was a true shame now she had seen what he could have become had he stood up to Voldermort.

The other thing that bothered her was the fact Snape hadn't contacted her yet. She thought she had found him but the mental shields went up so fast she still had a headache from it. She had been informed that Snape was responsible for Dumbledore's death, but she found that extremely hard to believe. Dumbledore had called for a meeting shortly after Snape defected from the Death Eaters and what she found in his mind was fear but resolution. She had assured Dumbledore of his sincerity. Perhaps she had been wrong all along.

"Hey."

Meri turned to see Harry standing next to her. "Hey."

"Is it alright that I'm out here with you? I mean, you didn't want to be alone, did you?"

Meri patted the stone wall beside her. "I don't mind having you out here with me. I did need a break though."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Half of the Order isn't even here yet."

"You're kidding." Meri turned back to look at the already full house wondering how in the world they would fit more people in there. But the large amount of numbers did her confidence good. They at least had a fighting chance this time around.

"Look, uh," Harry kicked at the stone wall nervously. "I uh, I don't know how to tell you this, or if it's any of my business really…"

"I'm a big girl, Harry. I think I can take it."

"Remus is married. In fact, they just announced not too long ago that they're expecting a baby."

Meri was so thankful she was already sitting down on the wall. She swallowed the burst of air that was knocked out of her lungs at the announcement. But why shouldn't she have expected that? She bit back her bitter disappointment and summoned up a sense of gratefulness. "That's good. That's really good news."

"But I thought that-"

"That was sixteen years ago, Harry. I know Remus wanted a family of his own but he was so terribly nervous about his condition and passing it along." It was getting easier to be happy for her old friend as she spoke so she kept it up. "I can't wait to meet his wife. She must be a force to be reckoned with if she got him to marry her and have a kid."

Harry laughed, relief obvious in his face. "She is. Her name is Nymphadora Tonks, but don't call her by her first name. Most of us call her Tonks."

Meri turned to Harry and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Harry, for telling me that. And don't ever worry about telling me anything. Chances are, I've handled a lot worse."

He nodded. "Alright then."

Meri turned back to the house and saw a red-headed girl staring out of the window at them. Ginny, Meri remembered from the introduction. "She really likes you know." Meri turned back to Harry. "Ginny, I mean. I may go so far as to say love judging from how she looks at you."

"Yeah, sure. I guess."

"What are your feelings for her?"

"It's…complicated."

Meri grinned. She knew all about complications. "Is this too deep a subject to talk about with your newfound aunt?"

Harry grinned slightly. "No, not really. It just comes down to fact that Dumbledore left me with a mission that I need to complete and I don't want to put her in danger. And," he paused, "I'm not sure if I'm going to survive this."

"I don't think any of us are certain that we're going to survive, Harry. As for not wanting to put her in danger, that's very noble but not practical. If James and Lily took to that line of thinking, you wouldn't exist right now."

Harry shook his head. "I just want to do what's right."

"And that's why you'll end up doing the right thing." Meri fingered the chain that was around her neck and finally pulled out the diamond ring from under her shirt. She unclasped the necklace and slid the ring into the palm of her hand. She gave it one last look before holding it out to Harry. "Here, I want you to take this."

He looked down at the ring in confusion. "Where did you get that?"

"It doesn't matter. I want you to have it and give it to Ginny whenever you feel it's right."

"Did Remus give-"

She sighed briefly. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind that I gave it to you."

Harry took the ring from her almost reverently and stared at it. "Thank you."

Meri patted his shoulder and finally pulled him into a hug, which he didn't fight at all. "I love you, kid. I told you that half a dozen times when you were little but I'm sure you don't remember that."

She felt Harry start to say something when a voice cut through the night air with a ring of such familiarity to it, Meri couldn't hide her smile.

"So where is she?"

The recognizable thumping of his wooden leg announced Mad-Eye Moody's presence before Meri could even release Harry and turn around. She gave him on last squeeze before jumping off the wall and walking over to Moody. She was surprised he was the one that initiated the hug but she welcomed it all the same. It only lasted a few seconds before he pushed her away and cleared his throat.

"That's enough of that then," he grumbled. "Let's look at you, now. You've been keeping up with your training."

Meri bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm thirty-six, Alastair. I've been living in a world that is run by Voldermort. What do you think?"

"Good, good. You can never slack off with your training."

"No sir." Meri motioned for Harry to join them. "Harry, here's something you probably don't know about me. I was an Auror at the ministry. I was taught by the best." She punched Moody in the arm playfully. "Alastair was my mentor when I went through my training."

"She was one of the finest Auror's we ever had. Interrogation skills like no other. If you still want to be a Auror, Harry, listen to your Aunt here. She won't lead you wrong."

"Thanks, I'll keep that mind," Harry responded.

Another voice echoed through the night that gave Meri another jolt of excitement. She didn't even have time to respond before the ground shook under her feet and Hagrid's enormous shape squeezed through the door of the Burrow and out in the backyard. Realizing the odd rendition of the "welcome home" party was now being moved outside as well, Meri steeled herself for the trickling in Order members.

"Hey, Hagrid!" Meri called. By the time she reached the half-giant, he had tears, actual tears running down into his beard. It touched her to no end to see the out pouring of emotion from an old friend. She allowed a few tears for herself and hid them from everyone when Hagrid pulled her into a giant sized hug.

He waited for her long into the night, constantly checking his arm in case he would be summoned. He thought he had a chance when she first came out into the backyard but then Potter followed her out. Shortly after that, pretty much everyone came outside. The Weasley twins had even set up enchanted lanterns along the perimeter of the yard which drove him further into the shadows.

He should have been thankful just to see her with his own eyes. She had definitely aged over the last sixteen years but not by any drastic means. She was still tall and thin, shaggy black hair that had the usual messed up look of the Potter family. He knew he should have felt some annoyance at the strong resemblance of James, but he couldn't. She was quite possibly the only alley he had left.

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that Meri was left alone in the backyard. He wasn't sure how shielded her mind was at the moment. When he flitted across her conscious he found her very sleepy but troubled. Well, it was now or never. He gave her a hard stare and concentrated. He was very much out of practice when it came to communicating this way.

Meri…

She jumped about two feet. Apparently her shields were farther down than he expected.

Severus? Where are you?

Out in the meadow.

He barely had time to step from the shadows before she was on him, with sixteen years of fury behind her. She flung out her hand and before he could even raise his wand, Snape found himself thrown to the ground and held there. Meri's face was white in the semi-moonlight and pinched.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," she snarled.

Annoyance and anger fused together and it was as if they were back at Hogwarts. "You think so? What about you?"

"I'm not the one that killed Dumbledore. At least, that's what everyone is telling me."

"You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me!"

He had seen her angry before but this was a completely different Meri. There was true rage behind her blue eyes which were burning with more aggression than he had ever seen. He took the time to study her now that she was close up. His first assumption of her being thin was true but it was more than that. She had the appearance of someone who hasn't eaten in over week yet with the emotions driving her, she looked like she was about to tear him apart at any given moment. "What happened to you?"

"What happened? I've been living in a nightmare that was run by your master. What's happened to you? Just dreaming up that world these last few years? Waiting to make to your move?"

He never thought it was possible but she had rendered him speechless. He was still searching for what he wanted to say but couldn't decide how he could put without betraying Dumbledore. Apparently, he took too long and Meri's lip curled.

"Glad to see some things didn't change while I've been gone. You're still an insufferable, arrogant little berk."

Snape shoved himself back up onto his feet and brushed off his robes. "If you would give me a moment-"

"How about a look into that brain of yours? Why are you so guarded around me?"

"I'm allowed my secrets."

"Not now, not with me. Dumbledore trained us, together, if you'll remember for the sole purpose of bringing down the Dark Lord."

"How could I forget those…engaging lessons."

"What happened to Dumbeldore? And I deserve a truthful answer."

"Do you now?"

Meri stepped right up into his face. "I was the one that vouched for you. I used legilimencey and told Dumbledore what I saw in your mind was true repentance. He trusted you on my word. I find out now, sixteen years later that I was wrong?!"

"No," the word slipped out before he even had a chance to stop it. But it stopped her from talking and caught her interest. "You were not mistaken."

"How did he die, Severus?"

He could keep up his mental shields at all times but Meri was relentless. She would wait for a moment's slip and barrel her way through to find the truth. He sometimes wondered why Voldermort didn't do the same to him. Surely it wasn't because Meri was a stronger legilimens then the Dark Lord himself?

"Sev?"

Deception never worked with her. Besides, he was getting weary of it anyway. If anyone could understand the situation, could help in the situation, it was her. Perhaps that was why she was brought back to this time. But fate never worked that way for him in the past, why should it start now? He would have to take his chances with the truth. "I killed him."

Confusion and disgust spread across her face quickly. "What?"

"I killed him by his own request. He was dying from a curse already. The Dark Lord had set Draco Malfoy up to fail in an assassination attempt on Dumbledore just to punish Lucius. He didn't want to die from the curse and he didn't want Draco to be responsible for murder."

"So he asked you to do it?"

"Yes."

"Why you?"

"I assume it was to stay in the Dark Lord's good graces, as well as relieving Draco of his nasty task."

Meri seemed to process the facts for a while. Finally, she crossed her arms across her chest and stared up at the stars. "Dumbledore's gone then."

Snape remained silent.

"Are you really on our side?"

"You're the one who saw into my mind."

The anger flashed across her face again. "You were worried over Lily. I think you would have been willing to sell your own soul if it meant keeping her alive."

"And you wouldn't have?" he countered. "For your brother? For your nephew?"

She sighed heavily. "You're right, Severus. I did see into your mind back then. But I can't right now. You've shut me out completely. I don't know for sure who's side your on."

"I suppose you'll just have to trust me then."

Meri stepped up to him and stared him right in the eyes. He knew she was trying to see in but frustration was written all over her face. "We'll just have to see about that."