A/N: Another update! And another chapter will be up soon, I just have to polish it.

AzNeRd: I'm a big Piper/Leo fan, but in this story, she's a little too young to be with him. I have been toying with an idea for a sequel that would take place when she's old enough to be with Leo, but I'm not sure if I'll pursue that idea or not. Thank you for reviewing.

Despite all that Rhiannon had seen, things went on normally at Hogwarts. Piper and Phoebe took lessons with Leo while Paige went to classes. None of the other students were informed of what Rhiannon had seen, and the sisters were strictly forbidden to speak of Rhiannon's vision.

Phoebe felt a little more secure now that the Power of Four was protecting Hogwarts. Their sisterly bonds were strong, so the protection surrounding Hogwarts had to be strong as well. Perhaps now Voldemort wouldn't be able to break into the castle. Rhiannon still looked worried, though, whenever Phoebe was with her. She kept asking how Phoebe felt, how her magic felt. Phoebe didn't feel any different, as she told Rhiannon, and she couldn't really tell how her magic felt. It was just there.

Phoebe was still afraid of an attack, but after they had performed a fifth protection spell on Hogwarts, this one with potions, she didn't feel in immediate danger. She relaxed somewhat, though she was always on guard.

A week went by without any interesting events. Paige was still acting up, but Phoebe concluded that the change in her was probably hormonal, nothing to worry about. Piper had finally abandoned her mittens, and could reliably freeze or blow up things at will.

If it weren't for Rhiannon's vision, Phoebe would think that things were pretty good at Hogwarts. She wasn't even dreading her potions lesson with Severus today.

The potion they were working on required particular attention to detail, and Phoebe felt up to the challenge. She'd reviewed the potion thoroughly beforehand, as she always did before her lessons with Severus.

Severus greeted her with a nod. "You're prepared?"

"Of course," she said, easily.

He motioned for her to begin, and she gathered the ingredients for the potion and began to prepare them.

She was slicing the galangal root when Severus said, "Wait," and slid behind her, placing his hands over hers. "Like this," he said, right into her ear as he manipulated her hands to show her a better way to slice the root.

He was gone an instant later and was explaining why cutting that way was better. She didn't hear a word he said. All she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears. She could still feel his hands on hers.

Phoebe stumbled through the potion, prompting Severus to ask what was wrong with her. Phoebe didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything. He'd never touched her before, and she was startled by how warm his hands had been, how gentle his touch had been. She'd never really thought about being touched by Severus, but she would have expected him to be cold and rough.

She was relieved when she finally got the potion done to Severus's satisfaction. She fled to her room, grabbing some books and heading to the library. Doing some work would set her mind straight.

She had an essay to write about History, and she eagerly got to work, filling her mind with dates and names and places, displacing all thoughts of Severus and his hands.

Phoebe must have been there for hours. By the time she became aware of her pangs of hunger, she'd gotten caught up on all her work. She hadn't quite managed to get Severus out of her mind, though, and her hands kept tingling. She rubbed them, absently.

In the Great Hall, she sat down with Rhiannon. Ray greeted her, then looked at her very carefully.

"What?" she asked, nervously.

"There's something about you," Rhiannon said.

Phoebe looked away, hoping the loss of eye contact would make it harder for Rhiannon to read her. It proved to be a mistake, as her gaze immediately landed on Severus. He looked at her; she stared back.

"Oh, I see," Rhiannon murmured.

Phoebe looked back at her friend. "What? What do you see?" She picked up her tea, trying to act nonchalant as she sipped.

"You like Severus," Rhiannon said, singsong.

Phoebe managed to shoot hot tea out of her nose while making sounds of violent disagreement. That made for an interesting trip to a hospital wing. As Madam Pomfrey clicked her tongue and said, "Well! I thought I'd seen it all," Phoebe glared at Rhiannon. What an absurd thing to say! How could she like Severus, when he was so intolerable? Admittedly, he had improved somewhat now that Phoebe wasn't completely hopeless at potions, but he was still a rude, obnoxious boy. She didn't like him. She couldn't explain exactly why she felt so odd during her lesson with Severus, but that wasn't the reason.

Phoebe was unusually studious the following week. If she let her mind wander, it would inevitably go back to Rhiannon's comment. So she read and wrote essays and most certainly did not think of one Severus Snape.

The week passed with shocking speed. It had just been Monday, how was it now Friday? Phoebe tried her best to focus in her lessons with Leo, but it was impossible. She kept thinking of the lesson she'd have to take with Severus, the next day. Maybe she could pretend to be ill. She could tell Grams she couldn't go. Grams would understand; for the first time, her grandmother actually trusted her.

But this was ridiculous. She didn't have feelings for Severus, so there was no reason to avoid having a lesson with him. Phoebe felt silly for worrying about the lesson. Clearly, Rhiannon was getting to her, making her believe things that weren't true.

The next day, she entered the potions classroom feeling perfectly fine. "Hello, Severus," she said. "Another antidote today?"

"No," he said. "I thought we'd try one you haven't had a chance to study. I want to see if you remember the skills I've taught you."

It was like they were normal people, having a civil conversation. Once, Severus would have thrown an ugly look at her the moment she greeted him. Now, he didn't look at her like she was an inferior being, but like she was just another person.

She wasn't used to this new Severus, who didn't speak condescendingly to her or constantly insult her intelligence. It threw her to work with him like an equal, but she forced herself to focus. She didn't want to ruin his good mood by messing up.

"Very good," he said, when she diverged from the book's instructions on how to cut the rehmannia, flattening the root with the blade of her knife before cutting it. She recalled from Severus's previous lesson on rehmannia that it was best to get the juices out before cutting the root.

"Thanks," she said, and was mortified at the way her voice came out—soft and shy, like she was flirting or something. She cleared her throat and avoided looking at Severus.

Did Severus always stand this close to her? "So," Phoebe said, uncomfortable with the sudden silence, as well as Severus's closeness. "What do you like, other than potions?"

"Why do you want to know?"

Phoebe chanced a look at him. Suspicion was clear in his expression.

"Just making conversation," Phoebe said. "I mean, I've been taking lessons with you forever, and I hardly know anything about you. Do you like Quidditch?"

"I despise Quidditch."

"Oh." Phoebe frowned, pausing in her preparation of the sweet flag. She didn't know much about other wizard hobbies, having grown up in the muggle world. "Are you muggleborn?" Realizing how that might sound, she hurriedly added, "Not that that's a bad thing. I'm half-blood, myself."

"I'm not muggleborn," he replied, stiffly.

Obviously, not a good line of conversation. "Why'd you agree to do these lessons?" she asked, honestly curious. "My grandmother said you didn't have to."

"Why do you care?"

"Why do you have to be so contrary?" she countered, sensing the tension grow between them.

"I'm not contrary."

"Then give me a straight answer." Phoebe turned away from her potion to face him, crossing her arms.

"No," Severus said. "It's none of your business."

"See, you could have just said that," Phoebe said. "And I'll move on."

"Just do the damn potion, Halliwell."

Phoebe went back to her potion for a few minutes. "Talking to you is like pulling teeth," she said, after a short silence. "Is it really so awful to talk to me?"

"Yes," he said, curtly.

"You're such a liar," she said.

Severus didn't say anything, letting his stony silence be his response.

"Fine, don't talk to me." Phoebe felt a little juvenile saying that, but it was annoying that he wouldn't have a conversation with her. Phoebe was a likable person, especially now that she had adjusted her attitude. Why wouldn't Severus give her a chance?

But then, why did she care? She was just here to improve her potions skills, not make friends with Severus. It shouldn't hurt her that he didn't want to talk to her.

Phoebe opened her mouth to say something, but closed it, realizing she didn't know what she wanted to say. All she knew was she was feeling annoyed and hurt for no reason, and Severus was to blame.

"God, you're so—" she blurted.

"So what, Halliwell?"

"I don't even know," she finished, lamely. "Infuriating. You're infuriating."

"You're one to talk," he sniped back.

Phoebe turned toward him, meaning to say something wounding. But he was much closer to her than she had expected, and she felt her angry words melt away. "Um," she said, and then took a step toward him. They were so close she could feel the heat from his body. Oh God, what the hell was she doing? "Um," she said again, and reached her hand up to touch his face.

He jerked away before she could touch him. He stared, wide-eyed, at her. "What are you doing?" he said. There was an edge of hysteria to his voice. It was strangely endearing.

"I don't know," she said, and laughed. "Just let me…" She tried to touch him again, but again he stepped away.

"Stop," he said, so she did. For a moment they just looked at each other.

Phoebe felt like she was going to die if she didn't do something, but she kept still, waiting for Severus to make the first move.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and Grams entered. "Ah, Phoebe, Severus," Grams said. "I've just come to mark some papers. Don't mind me."

Severus practically ran to the door and disappeared down the hall.

Grams raised an eyebrow. "Was it something I said?"


"So is this a regular camera, or a soul-stealing, monstrously evil camera?" Prue asked, holding said camera with both hands. As a precaution, they were both wearing charmed gloves.

Regulus tapped the camera with his wand. "Regular camera," he said, so Prue snapped a picture of him. "Hey," he protested. "Get back to work, you."

Prue picked up a small globe that went black when she touched it. "What about this?"

"Ah, that." Regulus took the globe from her and tossed it in a bag of rubbish. "For detecting muggle blood. I think one of my great uncles invented it. As the story goes, he claimed it didn't work when it turned black in his hands. Of course, that didn't stop the family from disowning him."

"There's muggle blood in your family?" Prue said, surprised.

"Of course," he said. "It's the big secret all the pureblood families pretend they don't know. Purebloods would have died out long ago if they hadn't interbred with muggles."

Prue thought this over. "So why do they insist on blood purity?"

"They need a reason to feel superior to everyone else," Regulus explained. "We'll try to get the grandfather clock next."

"Why on earth did your father bring that into the house, anyway?" Prue said, following Regulus to the room where the grandfather clock was stored.

Regulus pushed the door open cautiously, standing to the side. "I don't think it was activated before he died. I suspect mother turned it on."

A bolt shot out of the room, hitting the wall behind them. Regulus pointed his wand in the room and cried, "Finite incantatem!" before ducking out of the way.

Prue waved her hand in the doorway, retracting it just before another bolt shot out. "Anything of value in that room?" Prue asked.

"Not that I know of." Regulus eyed her. "What are you thinking?"

"Blast it."

Regulus sighed. "All right. Have your fun."

"Confringo!"

There was a small explosion, but when Prue peeked in the room, the clock was still standing. "Still there. Maybe we should have Piper try to blow it up," she said.

"Maybe," Regulus agreed. "Desino!"

They tried a few more spells, but ultimately abandoned the clock for another day. They ended up in library. The first book Prue picked up tried to bite her. She threw it at the wall, and it whimpered when it landed. "I don't feel bad for you at all," she said to it.

Several of the books, actually, were biters—but only when Prue touched them.

"They must be charmed to recognize people who aren't Blacks," Regulus said, taking one of the biters from her. It didn't attack him.

Prue scowled at the stacks of books. "Well, I'm not touching any more of them," she said, and resorting to levitating them off the shelves. She was surprised that Mrs. Black hadn't come by to scream at them about defiling the Black house or something like that. Regulus certainly wasn't treating these books very kindly; most of them, he was setting on fire. Why wasn't she throwing a fit?

Some of the books refused to move from the shelves, even when Regulus touched them. "Mother's spells, I'm sure. She's probably trying to save the worst of them."

Prue definitely didn't try to touch those books. "I bet your mother's spells aren't as strong as the Power of Four. I'll bring my sisters over some time so that we can try to undo her spells."

Regulus picked out a book that screamed when he opened it. "Merlin's sake," he muttered and tossed it to the side.

A lot of the books held unpleasant surprises. One started bleeding when it was picked up. Another opened by itself and began to pour out insects. "What the hell," Prue said. "Why would anyone make a book that bleeds?"

Regulus shrugged. "Dark objects do some strange things."

They took a break when they were halfway through the books. Prue sat down by the window, feeling worn out. Getting rid of the dark objects in this house was proving to be an exhausting task.

She felt something tickling at her shoulder, and she turned her head, thinking of the spiders. But it was only the curtain, blowing in the wind. Prue blinked. The window was closed.

Suddenly, the curtain wrapped around Prue's neck and started choking her. "Reg!" she gasped, as the curtain tightened.

"Diffindo!" The curtain was severed, and Prue sucked in lungfuls of air. Regulus was at her side immediately, swearing.

"I told you!"

Prue looked up to see Mrs. Black standing in the doorway.

"Mother, you did this?" Regulus said. "You've gone too far this time."

"I told her, the very walls would turn against her," Mrs. Black said, triumphantly. "And so they have."

"The house isn't turning against her," Regulus said, advancing on his mother. "You did something."

"I only awoke the spirit of the house," Mrs. Black said. "It doesn't want her here."

"What have you done, mother?"

Mrs. Black grinned maniacally. "I told you. I've woken the house to the threat within it."

"An intruder spell?"

Mrs. Black shook her head. "Oh, no, son. Nothing so simple as that."

"Mother, you will tell me what you've done," Regulus said, raising his wand.

"You threaten your own mother?" Mrs. Black hissed. "Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!"

"Depello!"

Regulus was thrown across the room. Prue used her power to send Mrs. Black's wand flying out of her hand. "Ruere," she said, pointing at Mrs. Black's wand. It shattered, and Mrs. Black screamed in rage.

Prue raced over to help Regulus up. "Are you all right?"

"Fine." He turned on his mother. "Are you happy now? You've lost your wand, and you won't be getting another."

"It doesn't matter," Mrs. Black said. "I've done what's most important." With that, she left the room.

Prue anxiously looked around, trying to spot any potential attackers. "What do you think she did?"

"I'm not sure, but I think you should stay at your grandmother's house for a while," Regulus said.

The carpet tripped her up twice as she went up to pack a bag. The stairs bucked as she went down.

"Hold on tight," Regulus said and apparated them to the Manor.

The house was silent, as Prue had expected, but welcoming. Nothing, other than demons, would try to attack her here.

"I'm going to fix this, Prue. I promise you."

Prue wasn't so sure, but she nodded.

"You'll be all right alone?"

"Of course," Prue said. "Go on."

Regulus disapparated, and Prue went upstairs to her old room. It was pretty much unchanged. She sat on the bed, contemplating what had just happened. She didn't like staying in the Black house, but she was angry that Mrs. Black had managed to kick her out. She wanted to be with Regulus, even if he was in a house that she didn't like.

She sighed, looking at her suitcase. "This is only temporary," she told herself, taking out her things. She would return to the Black house, somehow.