Things continued in a similar fashion as the month wore on. She started asking him more questions about his life. Why did he start teaching potions? What about the Dark Arts had interested him so much?

He would have minded all the prying if it was anyone else, but there was something about the way her dark hair shone in the sunlight...

He was slipping into a realm he knew nothing about, and he needed to get back on his feet. Their friendship and openness was making his life much easier, but he still had a reputation to uphold. This was difficult when all he could think about was the way her eyes lit up when he opened up a little more. It was like she had been waiting for this all along.

She had been waiting for this all along. She couldn't really understand why, but it had been all she could think about most days when she was mind numbingly bored. Perhaps it was her lack of communication with anyone else. Everyone needed someone to confide in, didn't they?

She was glad they could be friends after all the tension between them, and she could finally relax.

My face hurts I've been smiling so much. She sat thinking one evening after they returned from the meadow. She hadn't understood what contentment felt like until that moment, but suddenly she felt like she had a real home. Sure, she had to stay hidden, but her entire life was like that. At least there was a bit of stability now. This was a taste of what friendship felt like. She never thought she would have been able to pull down her shield and trust a man the way she trusted Snape, and there were millions of people out there she could potentially be this close to.

She finally realized how much she was missing out on. If they could just find a way to defeat Voldemort, all these doors would open for her.

She sighed. It always came down to her father. Never mind murdering countless innocent people she had never met, and robbing her of her entire family. He was the one obstacle in the way of her future happiness. Her newfound content opened her eyes, and morphed into anger.

Her drive to see him defeated was refueled; she craved vengeance for everything he took from her the moment she was born. The only real question was how?

Despite the increased attention Snape was giving her, she still spent a good part of the day studying alone. She poured over her books until she knew every last bit of magic contained in them.

One such day, she had a brilliant idea. It was unlikely she would ever willingly be allowed to fight in the inevitable battles, but if an opportunity presented itself she needed a plan. Severus was teaching her skills in defensive magic, so she could protect herself incase of danger.

What if she wanted to do more than that?

Maybe she needed to cause harm more than she needed to stop it. It was a dark thought, but she wanted to avenge her family. She didn't want to protect herself; she needed to make them suffer.

Snape knew she was reading some of his books while he was out. She probably thought she was being careful over the past few weeks, but he was far more observant than she expected.

He had a vague guess at her motives, and he really wasn't surprised. A young woman, likely jaded, out for revenge. He knew better than to think she would sit idly by like a good girl, while everyone else got in on the action. He had been teaching her the same defences the regular students learned, but that would never be was cleverer, more mature, and far more focused than his regular students.

He never would have pushed her to learn dark magic, but he admitted she could make use of it more than he could. She was choosing this path for different reasons than he had anyways. He would leave her to it, but he made a mental note to inform Dumbledore of her new side project.

Snape made his way down the corridor to Dumbledore's office. It had been a few days since he'd gone to see the Headmaster. He couldn't recall what happened during that meeting. He was never much for daydreaming, and his focus was one of his best qualities, but for some reason all he could remember was thinking about Athelina. He was about her newfound interest in the Dark Arts, worrying about her feelings for him, and contemplating his next move.

Something important had been said at that meeting, and for the life of him he couldn't remember what it was he should have remembered or done. He would be reminded soon enough, he was sure.

The halls were eerily silent as he approached the stairway entrance, muttering the password to the gargoyle. He knocked on the door. No one answered.

He knocked again. Still nothing.

"Alohamora". The door swung open as the lock clicked.

The room was empty, but a note was sitting on the desk. He picked it up and started reading.

Severus,

I've just left with Mr. Potter to go to the cave. Hopefully you are prepared for what is going to happen this evening, and have been keeping an eye on Draco. I also trust you have prepared the girl to leave as soon as it is over. The school may not be a safe place for her anymore.

Albus

The letter dropped to the floor as Severus Snape ran to the dungeons as fast as his feet could carry him.

Athelina was making serious progress on her new spells. She'd learnt at least 20 she was sure could do serious damage if necessary. She'd just put her books away when Snape came running into the room.

"Pack everything up as quickly as possible. We need to be ready to leave, and I don't know how much time we have." He was grabbing objects and stuffing them in trunks like a whirlwind. She didn't question his urgency, but began packing her few important belongings.

Snape guessed her question anyways.

"I don't have enough time to explain, but something important is happening. It needs a lot of information for you to properly understand, and I'm very sorry I avoided telling you. I meant to explain it and my mind was otherwise occupied." He moved his trunks to the fireplace he'd reconnected to the floo, and stopped to look at her. "I'll run these home now, and be right back. I think you'll be safer if you stay at the school."

She sat on the bed, wondering what horrible situation she was suddenly stuck in the middle of. Just when she was getting into their routine, and enjoying spending time with him, things had to get worse. She longed for a day where a boring life could be a promise.

Snape added extra wards to his home before he returned to the school. He needed time; time to plan what to tell Athelina, time to mentally prepare himself for what was coming. He heard a commotion elsewhere in the castle that brought him back to the present.

"Get ready to transform. I'm going to need you to stay in my sleeve no matter what! If something happens, or things get dangerous, I need you to jump out and get away as fast as you can. Make for the school gates and wait for me there. If I don't arrive by nightfall, head back to the castle and floo back to the house. The wards know to admit you." He kept his face void of emotion, but it was taking all of his skill. Apparently she was doing the same.

"Now, change now. We have little time."

With a snake in his sleeve, a very distressed Severus Snape headed through the castle, directly towards a panic stricken Harry Potter.