TRUST.

I pulled away reluctantly. "We have to be careful," I warned him in a whisper. "Now that she knows about us."

Lupin looked at me and then nodded slowly.

"I'm going to go back to the Ball and talk to Harry," I told him and I stood on my tip toes and pecked his cheek. As I slipped my shoes on, Hermione poked her head around the corner and I raised my eyebrow. She grabbed my hand. "What's going on?"

"There's people who want to meet you," she explained. "People from the Ministry."

"No!" I ripped my hand away from Hermione's. "The Ministry hates me! Why would anyone want to meet me and why would I want to meet them?"

"I've… convinced them… that you aren't a bad person. I told them all about your grades and your talent," she grinned. "And of course, Lucius Malfoy put a word in or two about you."

Our attention was suddenly caught by the blonde haired man walking out of the Great Hall and out onto the grounds, followed by Snape. Snape looked back at me and then at Hermione, following Lucius in a hurry. I turned to Hermione, pulled out my wand and tapped her head, performing a Disillusionment Charm. I did the same for me and we removed our heels so no one would hear the clicking of our shoes against the ground.

We snuck outside and a few yards away where Lucius was smiling at Snape's cold, hard face. "Think about it, Severus," he was saying.

"Think about what?" Snape snapped.

"I'm sure I could persuade the Minister to let Miss Darcy Potter get some kind of job at the Ministry," Lucius continued. "And you know what that means."

"I don't, Lucius."

"Death Eaters will be able to keep an eye on her. We'll be able to get information out of her," he said. "The Dark Lord will be able to get to her easier."

I breathed in sharply. Why was he telling Snape all of this? "Darcy Potter is no fool, Lucius, and she does not trust you. She knows who her friends are in all of this," he paused to take a breath. "And besides, she wouldn't leave her brother's side. Not in all this mess. You seem to think she's a daft bimbo – in reality, Lucius, she is not just a pretty face."

"I hardly recall calling her daft," Lucius smirked. "Or a bimbo. And from what you have to say, it seems as if you're defending her. Have you feelings for her? Or is it because of sweet Lily? Do you feel obligated to protect her, Severus? If she is more than a pretty face, I doubt she needs much protecting."

Snape's face twisted and he frowned. "She's stubborn. She insists she can do it by herself."

"Do what, exactly?" Lucius laughed. "Defeat the Dark Lord?"

"Something along those lines."

"You know," Lucius said seriously. "He's angry. You didn't return when he was reborn."

"Because I was here and he knows that," Snape replied coldly. "I had to play my part. Dumbledore needs to believe that I'm on his side now and what would he think if I ran away to go assist you in bringing back the Dark Lord? I am only doing my job as a spy."

My blood turned ice cold and I reached out, trying to find Hermione. I found her elbow and I grabbed her arm. My eyes were wide.

"Besides, here at Hogwarts, I can keep a close eye on both Miss and Mr. Potter," Snape finished. "Dumbledore has even asked me to keep a close eye on Darcy."

"You better not be lying to me, Severus," Lucius said firmly, taking a step towards the castle again. "I have a feeling we will all be meeting again towards the end of the year." I took a step back as Lucius almost walked right into me and I stepped on a leaf, crunching it underneath my foot. I held my breath and Lucius froze and looked around. "Did you hear that?"

"It's probably just some animal," Snape said as he walked briskly past Lucius, his black cloaks billowing behind him. Lucius took a final glance around the area and then strode into the castle. I pulled my wand out and took the charm off both me and Hermione and our eyes were wide. My face was pale.

"Snape's a spy," I repeated, my voice barely audible. "He's on their side. He's going to kill us."

"He can't be," Hermione shook her head. "He was defending you. He's just trying to –"

But I didn't stay to listen to her. I ran off towards the castle, running as fast as I could in my dress. I saw Snape turn the corner, up the stairs and I skipped up the stairs and caught up to him. Lucius was nowhere in sight. I was panting, panicking and scared.

"I trusted you!" I shouted and Snape turned around, startled at my sudden appearance. His face hardened. "How could you? We all trusted you!"

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" he hissed. "You think I'm stupid enough to think you wouldn't go out and spy? I know you well enough, Miss Potter. I am not against you. I am not trying to kill you. In fact, I'm trying to do quite the opposite. I'm trying to protect you – if you'd let me."

"Prove it," I challenged him.

Snape smirked. "Alright, I'll prove it," he thought for a moment. "Your brother has Occlumency tomorrow. Come an hour before. I won't be there, but the door will be open."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I pushed open the door to the potions room and walked inside, looking around. Snape wasn't there, like he said, and I sighed. What was I supposed to do if he wasn't coming? How was he supposed to prove anything if he wasn't going to be there? But as I turned to leave, something caught my attention.

Dumbledore's Pensieve was sitting in the corner of the room. I walked over to it and looked around. Whose memory was even in there? Was it Snape's? Dumbledore's? I glanced towards the door once more and breathed in deeply, diving straight into the Pensieve…

I fell down and down and down until I landed in the Great Hall. I looked around and noticed that everyone was testing. It was their O.W.L. tests, so everyone in the room had to be about Harry's age. I immediately spotted Snape, sitting with his face close to his paper and he was writing furiously on his paper with his quill. He had the same black, greasy hair framing his pale, sour face.

I turned around quickly and my heart stopped as I noticed Sirius Black, his dark hair in his eyes, his chair tilted on two legs. He was giving the thumbs up sign to someone and as I followed his line of sight, I found my father sitting in his chair, grinning back at my godfather. I felt tears well up in my eyes and I didn't know why. I quickly wiped them away, glad no one could see them. My father looked just like Harry and I wanted to reach out and touch him, but I couldn't even bring myself to lift my arm.

I knew that if my father and Sirius were there, then – Lupin was sitting in another chair, scratching his chin with his quill, rereading his paper. My heart fluttered as I saw the teenaged Lupin. He was handsome, scarred, and kind faced and I grinned. Peter Pettigrew was a few seats back, nervously glancing around him, hopeful for some answers.

As the tests were collected, Snape stood up quickly and I followed him reluctantly, leaving the four friends behind. Snape walked out towards the Black Lake, passing the Marauders'.

I looked towards my father and his friends, though. Peter was watching my dad show off by catching a Snitch and Sirius was eyeing up some girls. Lupin was studying and I smiled – that was so much like him, it was like he hadn't changed.

And then all of a sudden, Sirius's head snapped and looked towards Snape. We were far enough away now, almost towards a nice tree to sit under, when Snape turned around, pulling out his wand almost as if he were expecting it. My eyes widened.

"Expelliarmus!" My father had disarmed Snape. Sirius was laughing. "Impedimenta!" Snape was knocked down to the ground.

People had gathered to watch now and I was disgusted. My stomach churned as I watched my father bully Snape, but I still didn't see how this was proving anything. Either way, I felt sick to my stomach and hoped that my father would soon stop. I looked towards Lupin – he was still buried in his book, trying to ignore what my father and Sirius were doing.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" my father asked and I cringed.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius. "There'll be grease marks all over it; they won't be able to read a word."

Snape was struggling to stand up, but the curse kept him bound on the ground. He began shouting a stream of nasty words, curses and hexes, but since his wand was still out of reach, the spells had no effect on anyone.

"Wash out your mouth!" my father snorted. "Scourgify!"

Pink soapy bubbles foamed from Snape's mouth, choking him and then –

"Leave him ALONE!"

I spun on my heels to see a red headed girl with green eyes stamping angrily towards the scene. She looked just like me, or rather, I looked just like her. I looked back at Snape and only caught parts of my parent's conversation as Snape struggled, inching towards his wand.

"But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said my father. "Go on… go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Snape had pointed his wand and flicked his wrist towards my father and there was a flash of light. A cut appeared on the side of my father's cheek and he was bleeding. My father retaliated quickly, hanging Snape upside down in the air, letting his pants fall to reveal his graying underwear. I finally reached out to Snape, trying anything to get him down, but when my hand reached his flailing one, my hand went right through his, like I was a ghost.

Anger surged inside me as I looked at my father and his friends again. I looked again and Snape, who was looking at my mother. But it was different this time. I saw the way he looked at her. I knew what he was thinking.

It was the way Harry looked at Cho. It was the way Tonks looked at Lupin. It was the way Lupin looked at me. I knew what Lucius was talking about when he mentioned 'sweet Lily' now. I knew what he meant when he asked if Snape felt 'obligated to protect me'.

Severus Snape loved my mother and he was still in love with her and as long as he was in love with her, he wouldn't lay a hand on me or my brother. I was sure of it. I knew it. And as I was contemplating all of this, still in shock, I heard Snape speak for the first time.

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

My heart stopped and I looked from Snape to my mother. She blinked and then bit her bottom lip. "Fine," she told him. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash my pants if I were you, Snivellus."

Suddenly, I was thrown out of the Pensieve and I landed on my ass. I was still alone. Tears were brimming my eyes and it wasn't because I loved Snape or something like that.

It was because I knew how it felt. I knew what it felt like to be in the middle of everyone. I knew what it was like to be bullied and talked about and I knew what it was like to have people hate me. It was happening to me that year. I knew why Snape didn't want to be there when I saw that – that was his worst memory and he didn't want to relive it ever again – who would want to?

I ran up the stairs to my quarters, but met Lupin on the way. He turned to me and smiled. "Hey, where were you? I was just knocking –"

"You bastard!" I screamed, smacking his chest as hard as I could. I aimed for his face and his chest and his stomach, punching and slapping until he caught my wrists and held me tightly. Tears filled my eyes. "I can't believe you!"

"What are you talking about?" he cried, gripping my wrists tighter so I wouldn't hit him.

"You were horrible to Snape! You sat there and watched it happen!"

"What?"

"You hung him upside down and pulled his pants down and –"

"Your father did that! Not me!"

"But you let it happen!" I yelled and he fell silent. "You sat there and pretended like it wasn't happening! You let it happen, Remus! How could you?"

"Why are you so concerned about something that happened to Snape – of all people – over ten years ago? Why are you so upset about it?" Lupin asked and he shook his head. "Why are you so concerned about him?"

"Do you know what it feels like? Do you have any idea what it's like to have people watching as you're being humiliated?" I asked. "Do you know what it's like to lose someone you really love? I do!"

He was quiet. "Why do you even care about Snape? He's horrible to you. I see the way he treats you."

"Horrible?" I pulled away from him and smacked his chest hard again. "As if! He's been kind enough to invite me back as an intern so I could stay here with Harry! And he defended me against Lucius Malfoy!"

"But he's –"

"You are disgusting! You make me absolutely sick!"

"We were only fifteen!"

"Harry is fifteen!" I replied angrily. "Harry is fifteen and do you see him jinxing someone just because they don't like them? What was wrong with you?"

"How did you find out about this?" Lupin asked quietly and I shut my mouth.

"Snape told me," I lied softly. "He told me because I told him to prove that he's –" I wasn't sure what Lupin knew. I shut my mouth and looked him right in the eyes.

"Prove that he's what?"

"Prove that he wouldn't hurt me."

"Why wouldn't he hurt you? Just because we made fun of him? I don't understand."

"You never noticed the way that he looked at my mother, did you?" I said with confidence. "It's the same way that Tonks looks at you and probably the same way I look at you – not anymore, though! He loved her! Snape loved my mum and because of that, he wouldn't lay a finger on me or Harry!"

"Looked at your… you said he told you this," Lupin frowned and his forehead creased.

"He had pictures."

"Would you quit lying to me?" he shouted and I felt like a child being scolded. Lupin hardly ever raised his voice around me. Although, I couldn't hide it any longer and I recalled what I had heard him say to Lucius Malfoy and what Snape said when I confronted him. I told him about going into the room and into Snape's memory.

"Please don't tell anyone," I begged.

"I have to. I have to tell Dumbledore."

"No, you can't," I pleaded, grabbing Lupin's arm. "He's on our side. You have to trust Snape. You have to trust me."

"I do trust you, Darcy," Lupin replied. "But you don't know Snape like I do. He was always with Death Eaters when he was in school. All of his old school friends work for Voldemort now and –"

"And now he's under close watch by Dumbledore. Dumbledore is smart – extremely bright – and he'd be able to tell if Snape was lying."

"But what if you're wrong?" There was some sort of strain in his voice.

"Listen to me, please," I whispered. "I heard Snape call my mother a Mudblood. He lost her that day. You don't really know what it's like to lose someone you truly love. And I think – I think that's why he's so nice to me. Because I look like my mum. I mean, he certainly isn't in love with me, but I know he wouldn't hurt me or Harry. Why would he hurt the two people in his life that are part of her?"

"What if he doesn't want part of your mum around? What if he's too…? I don't know – damaged? What if he doesn't want the constant reminder?"

I looked up at him. "When you lose someone you love," I said again. "You'll always want them around."

"You act like I don't know what it's like."

I shook my head. "You don't."

"I lost you, didn't I?"

I shook my head again. "I'm right here, Remus," I looked down, hiding my tears. "It's me who has lost you. I've lost you to another girl. You haven't lost me to anything. I'll always be here for you. You'll never lose me."