Azalea sat in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place chatting to Sirius and Molly, the teenagers were upstairs making the most of the last two days of the Christmas holidays before they had to return to school. Azalea had kept herself occupied during the holidays with work; visiting her muggle friends; studying the subjects for her NEWTS and practicing the control techniques that Dumbledore has taught her. Her increasing confidence in being able to control her power and the passage of time since the frozen soul incident had led her to forgive Severus although she hadn't yet told him so. It had been his birthday recently and instead of giving him his card and gift in person she'd sent them by owl being unsure how she would tell him she was sorry. It should be an easy thing to do but she kept procrastinating, just as she was doing now by spending time with Sirius and Molly, instead of mending her relationship with the man she loved.

The doorbell sounded and Molly said she'd answer it. While she was gone Sirius and Azalea continued their conversation. They heard the front door slam and then the strident ranting of Mrs Black's portrait began, "Blood traitors! Half-bloods! You're not welcome in my house!"

Azalea stood up "I'll go and shut her up," she said.

Sirius grabbed her by the hand to stop her leaving, "Don't bother," he said "whoever it is should know better than to slam the door and set her off."

They heard footsteps descending the stairs into the kitchen and both turned to see who it was. Snape appeared followed by Molly. "Severus," Azalea said in confusion as she withdrew her hand from Sirius's hold, "we weren't expecting you today."

"So I see," he said darkly having seen Azalea's movement. "I hope haven't interrupted anything" he paused fractionally, "I shouldn't have seen."

"No, not at all," Azalea replied sitting down again and moving away from Sirius. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"I've come to see Potter," he said curtly.

"Harry?" Azalea asked in surprise.

"Is there another Potter here that has escaped my notice?" he said sarcastically.

Molly said "I'll go and get him," and fled the room.

The room became silent after Molly left. To fill the gap Azalea said, "Why don't you sit down?" and indicated a seat at the end of the table. Snape moved slowly and purposefully to the space and sat down glaring at Sirius and ignoring Azalea. He had come readily on this errand to speak to Potter in person when he could just as easily sent the information by owl or told him when school started, but he had hoped to see Azalea. What he had not expected to see was her holding Black's hand and his hopeful mood turned bitter.

The silence deepened and the two men were studiously staring in opposite directions when Harry came in.

"Sit down Potter," ordered Snape.

"You know," said Sirius, "I'd prefer it if you didn't give orders here, Snape. It's my house, you see."

Harry sat down next to Sirius. Snape said, "I was supposed to see you alone, Potter, but Black…"

"I'm his godfather," said Sirius.

Azalea, uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going, interjected "and I'm his cousin."

For the first time since he'd arrived Snape looked directly at Azalea then looked away again saying, "I am here on Dumbledore's orders, but by all means stay Black, I know you like to feel…. involved."

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Sirius.

"Yes, what's that supposed to mean?" Azalea echoed.

"Merely that I am sure you must feel – ah – frustrated by the fact that you can do nothing useful for the Order."

Sirius flushed and Azalea glared at Snape who smirked before speaking to Harry, "The headmaster has sent me to tell you Potter, that it is his wish for you to study Occlumency this term."

While Snape explained to Harry what Occlumency was and stressed the need for secrecy, Azalea's attention was divided between the two of them. "Who's going to be teaching me?" Harry asked.

"I am," Snape replied.

Azalea saw the horrified look that crossed Harry's face and he looked towards Sirius for support. "Why can't Dumbledore teach Harry?" asked Sirius "Why you?"

"Professor Snape is highly accomplished at occlumency," Azalea said to Harry and Sirius in support of Dumbledore's decision and of Severus' skill, but Severus did not want her help.

"I suppose it is a headmaster's privilege to delegate the less enjoyable tasks. I assure you I did not beg for the job." He rose to leave. "I will expect you at six o'clock on Monday evening, Potter. My office. If anyone asks you are taking Remedial Potions. Nobody who has seen you in my class could deny you need them."

"Wait a moment," said Sirius.

Snape turned to face him, still avoiding Azalea's look of anger directed towards him. "I am in rather a hurry Black… unlike you I do not have unlimited leisure time…"

"I'll get the point then," said Sirius standing up, "if I hear that you're using these Occlumency lessons to give Harry a hard time, you'll have me to answer to."

^^And me^^ Azalea projected into Severus' mind, he stiffened, so she knew he'd heard her.

"How touching," Snape sneered. "But surely you have noticed that Potter is very like his father?"

"Yes I have," said Sirius. Azalea glanced over at Snape wondering where he was going with this.

"Well then, you'll know he's so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him," Snape said sleekly.

Sirius strode round the table towards Snape, both men had drawn their wands and were squaring up to each other.

"Sirius!" said Harry loudly.

^^Severus!^^ Azalea shouted into Snape's mind.

Neither man appeared not to have heard. When he was within a foot of Snape Sirius growled, "I've warned you Snivellus, I don't care if Dumbledore thinks you've reformed, I know better…"

"Oh, but why don't you tell him so?" whispered Snape, "Or are you afraid he might not take the advice of a man who has been hiding inside his mother's house for six months very seriously."

"Tell me," responded Sirius, "how is Lucius Malfoy these days? I expect he's delighted his lapdog's working at Hogwarts, isn't he?"

"Speaking of dogs," said Snape softly, "did you know that Lucius Malfoy recognised you last time you risked a little jaunt outside? Clever idea, Black, getting yourself seen on a safe station platform …. gave you a cast iron excuse not to leave your hidey hole in future, didn't it?"

Sirius raised his wand. Harry and Azalea exchanged despairing glances as Harry yelled "NO!" and vaulted over the table.

"Are you calling me a coward?" Sirius roared.

"Why yes I suppose I am," said Snape.

"ENOUGH!" yelled Azalea and with a gesture both men's wands were torn from their hands and clattered on the kitchen floor. Holding out her arms towards the two men she lifted them both into the air and slammed them into opposite walls of the kitchen holding them up by the ceiling. Her eyes were blazing and heavily flecked with red sparks. Harry stood open mouthed he'd never seen Azalea like this. "What's wrong with the pair of you?" she demanded, "I swear you'll be the death of me. You're acting like children. Why don't you just grow up and start acting like men? How can you possibly fight Voldemort when you're wasting energy fighting each other? You're losing sight of who the real enemy is. It's not him," she said looking at Severus and pointing at Sirius, "and it's not him," she said moving her gaze to Sirius and pointing at Snape.

"Well I'm so not sure about that" muttered Sirius.

"Well I am and so is Dumbledore," Azalea retorted. "Now, do you both understand me?" Snape and Sirius continued to glare at each other across the room and Azalea tightened her grip and started to exert pressure on their throats. "Well do you?" she hissed.

Snape and Sirius began to struggle for breath and grabbed at something invisible around their throats. Harry looked on worriedly, "Leah," he said by way of warning and pointing at the two men gasping for breath.

Azalea's attention snapped back to Harry and she realised what she was doing, relaxing her hold on their throats she repeated the question, "Do you understand me?"

"Yes," they both mumbled.

She released the men, gently floating them back to the floor where they had started from, standing a couple of feet from each other with Harry in between and his hands still pointing in their direction. With a flick of her fingers she returned their wands to their hands and apparated herself out of the kitchen.

As soon as she left, the kitchen door opened and in walked the Weasley family and Hermione. They stopped in shock at the tableau in front of them - Sirius and Snape looking towards the door with their wands pointing in each other's faces and Harry immobile between them, a hand stretched out to each of them as if trying to force them apart.

Snape returned his wand to his pocket and swept out of the room, at the door he looked back "Six o'clock Monday evening Potter," and he was gone.

Snape exited the house through the front door and stomped across the road towards the central square. That meeting had gone nothing like he'd planned. He'd intended to tell Potter about the occlumency lessons calmly and professionally and then find an excuse to speak Azalea. Instead he'd allowed his feelings to overcome him; his dislike of Black and his jealously at seeing Azalea holding Black's hand. For someone who had just been described as highly accomplished at occlumency he had hardly demonstrated his ability.

At the edge of the grassed area in the square was an old tree and as he walked past it he heard someone call his name, "Severus." He paused and looked around him, aware there was someone standing under the tree, its leafless winter branches offering little in the way of shelter. A shadowy figure blended into the trunk detached itself. He would know that voice and that figure anywhere – Azalea. He stepped towards her and she towards him. She looked up at him and he could see in the moonlight that her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry for having a go at you just now and for nearly strangling you. I'm sorry for the way I reacted about the frozen soul potion. I'm sorry for the way I treated you when I was affected. I'm sorry for ignoring you for weeks. I'm sorry you ever met me."

He stared down at her, all manner of words coming to his mind but the only ones which made it out of his mouth were "I'm leaving now." He turned on his heels and walked away. He hadn't gone more than a few steps when he turned round again, she remained where she had been standing forlornly watching him go. He rushed back to her, "and you're coming with me." He swept his arms around her and apparated them both to his house in Spinners End.

They appeared in the lounge of his house, he had spent the last few days here and the room held some residual warmth from the fire which had now gone out. With a few movements of his wand he cleaned out the fire grate, restacked it and lit it. "Why are we here?" asked Azalea.

"Because I brought us here," he replied.

Azalea sighed, he was in his pedantic mood. "Why did you bring us here?" she clarified.

"To talk. In private. Without interruption."

"Well let's start with your behaviour at Grimmauld Place this evening." Azalea said heatedly, "You were awful to Sirius. It's not his fault he can't be more active with the Order and you rubbing it in didn't help. It wouldn't surprise me if he goes and does something reckless now."

"I did warn him that his dog disguise is no longer effective," Snape retorted.

"Yes but you did it in a roundabout, insulting way and you accused him of being a coward."

"It wasn't my intention to accuse him of cowardice that's the way he interpreted it. I saw no point in disabusing him of his assumption." Snape said defensively.

"There's a muggle saying that if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all. I think perhaps you should bear that in mind next time you meet Sirius" Azalea advised him.

"I could do that but make sure you tell him the same thing."

Azalea sighed, "All right I will."

"Good I don't want to talk about Black any more, let's change the subject. You said you were sorry for many things. Are you sorry that you hate me?" he asked trying to goad her into a full reconciliation.

She reacted in the way he hoped she would. "I don't hate you, I love you."

"Why then are you sorry that I ever met you?"

"Because your life has been complicated since we met. Because I have done unkind things to you. Because I'm not Lily. You'd be better off if you'd never met me," she said contritely.

"Maybe so," he admitted, "but I have met you and I wouldn't change that now. I forgive you for the unkind things you've done, even trying to strangle me tonight, because all the good things you've brought to my life far outweigh the bad. As for you not being Lily, I'm glad you're not her. She would never have loved me the way you do." He paused before saying, "Why did you mention Lily?"

"The photograph," Azalea said pointing to the pocket of his cloak. "I found it that day in the park."

Snape smiled at the memory and pulled the photograph from his pocket, "This photograph you mean?" he asked. She nodded. "Now, if you'd put your hand in the other pocket you would have found this." He reached into the other pocket and produced a red Swiss army knife. "I carry it with me all the time." He stood in front of her and pulled out a purple amulet on a chain hanging around her neck, "I notice you always wear this amulet."

Azalea had only put it back on in the past couple of days after a period of not wearing it. "It's just a pendant," she said defensively.

"And this is just a knife," he replied, "I have other knives, you have other pendants. We both know why we treasure these above all others." Azalea regarded him with a frank expression in her green eyes and he knew he'd struck a chord with her, he pushed home his advantage. "I'm opening my mind to you," he said, dropping his mental shields, "use your Legimancy skills to see what I say is true."

She accepted his invitation and could see he was completely sincere.

"As for the photograph," he explained, "it serves two purposes. Firstly, you gave it to me and when I look at it I am reminded of you as well as Lily. Secondly, I don't always find it easy to do the task Dumbledore has given to me, when I find myself starting to flag or to doubt or to fear, I look at this picture to remind me of my purpose and to give me the strength to carry on." He looked once again into her eyes and spoke some more, "Leah, you know I loved Lily and I probably always will, just as I know that Edward will always have a piece of your heart that will never be mine. Our first loves can no longer be with us but by extreme good fortune we have found each other. I never want to lose you Leah, I love you and I'm sorry for the things I've done to you and I will never hurt you again."

"I love you too Severus and I never want to hurt you again," she said quietly.

They stood in silence close to one another not quite touching. Being unsure where to take the conversation now Severus said casually, "Arthur Weasley came out of hospital today, he arrived at Grimmauld Place just as I left."

"Did he?" said Azalea brightly, "I knew he was due to leave soon. I've been helping with his treatment. I removed the venom from his injury. My healing skills have improved and Arthur won't have a scar like you do," she said and put her hand over the location of the scar on Severus' chest.

At the touch of her hand, even through two layers of clothing, Severus's body suddenly burned with desire for her. He hadn't had sex since the night of the frozen soul incident and although he had gone without sex for long periods of time he had become accustomed to making love with Azalea and missed it as part of missing her. He decided to take a chance, "Do you need to check my scars?" he asked mischievously. She understood the reference at once and he saw love and lust reflected in her face in equal measures.

"I believe I do," she answered grinning broadly.

They leant in to kiss which soon became passionate and they fumbled urgently with their clothes, until, becoming impatient, Severus removed them with a flourish of his wand before casting it to one side to concentrate on the needs of his body and giving pleasure to the woman in his arms.

"Severus," Azalea gasped "feel what I feel," she mind merged with him to share her sensations and to let him know how much pleasure he gave her. He was overwhelmed by the experience, he could feel physical sensations in parts of the body he didn't even have. He returned the mind merge and she felt what he felt. They were both in raptures over the double sensations of jointly experiencing orgasms, they truly were one mind and one body. Sex with anyone else would for ever be a lonely experience. The shudders of their lovemaking ceased and they lay gasping on the floor in front of the fire, "That was incredible," Azalea said in awe, "we must do it that way again."

Severus hugged her close, "give me a few minutes!"

-oOo-

Snape started the new term in a buoyant mood, not even the thought of giving private occlumency lessons to Potter was enough to dampen his spirits on that first day. He'd had the best sexual experience of his life (more than once – just to be sure), Azalea still loved him: - it was Dumbledore who'd been helping her control her power – not Black as he'd thought. He shouldn't jump to conclusions where that man and Azalea were concerned, but he couldn't help believing that Black was in love with Azalea, however much she dismissed the suggestion. Why shouldn't he be? She was a beautiful, wonderful woman but it was Snape whose love she returned and he finally had something that Black could never take from him.

On Monday evening Snape waited in his office for Potter who arrived on time, most students did for appointments with Snape. Potter was woefully ignorant about the subjects of occlumency and legilmency, at least Azalea had read up about them before she learnt the techniques. Potter could have asked Grainger, she was bound to have known. He told Potter about the basics of occlumency and legilmency, which Potter, like a typical muggle, assumed was mind reading. When Potter wanted to know more about why he needed to learn occlumency Snape had considered how much to tell him, how much Dumbledore would want Potter to know. He stared at Potter trying to decide what information he should pass on. Snape reasoned that as Dumbledore had delegated the task to him it would be his decision. What Dumbledore didn't know was that it was Snape who had hinted to Voldemort that there was a mental connection between him and Potter - the Dark Lord would have eventually worked it out for himself. Vodlemort had tested out the theory when Nagini attacked Arthur Weasley and it proved to be correct. Once more Snape had risen in Voldemort's estimation as a loyal follower. Snape knew he could do no less that tell Potter all he the information he had about the connection between the boy and the Dark Lord and so he warned him of the possibility that Voldemort might try to make him do things.

Snape finished the discussion and moved on to the purpose of the lesson, to teach occlumency. Without offering Potter any explanation, Snape pointed his wand at his head, removed some silver thread of memories from his mind and placed them in a pensieve which was on his desk. There were two ways that memories could be removed, either a copy is made or the entire memory is taken from the mind. The former technique was more common because the original memory is retained. However, today Snape removed entire memories from his mind in case Potter either intentionally or accidentally managed to see those memories. Mostly they were about his relationship with Azalea, he did not want some teenage peeping Tom prying into his private life or being a voyeur into his sex life. At the last minute he decided to add some memories about how Snape had been treated at school by Potter's father and the time where Snape had ruined his relationship with Lily. Once the memories were out he would forget everything but he would remember that he had removed them so he could put them back. Without those memories he felt strangely empty as if the defining moments of his life had never happened.

Potter proved to be slightly better at occlumency than Snape had expected him to be but he needed to learn control and not give in to his emotions. Snape was slightly unsettled at some of Potter's memories; he had been tormented by his cousin and uncle, the sight of hundreds of dementors closing in on him, the death of Cedric Diggory. It had been a memory of Cho Chang under the mistletoe that had given Potter the impetus to force Snape from his mind, but by using his wand not the strength of his mind. Snape remembered he had a similar memory he would protect. At the end of the session Potter had been recalling the time when Arthur had been injured when he'd suddenly realised that the Department of Mysteries was central to the visions that he had been experiencing. Snape had stopped the legilimens spell instantly and tried to play down the significance of the Department of Mysteries. He urged Potter to empty his mind of emotions and calm himself before sleeping, advice he thought Potter would find difficult to take. The boy's lack of control over his own emotions could end up sealing his fate.

As Potter left, Snape went to the pensieve and put back the memories he had removed, thoughts of Azalea flooded back into his mind and he felt whole again.

At breakfast the next day, as Snape walked to his table to have breakfast he overheard, Grainger, Potter and Weasley discussing the headline in the Daily Prophet which was about the escape of ten prisoners - all former Death Eaters – from Azkaban. The newspaper reported that the Minister for Magic suggested that Sirius Black had masterminded the escape and was a rallying point for the escapees. As Snape passed them he stopped held out his hand and demanded that they pass the paper to him. Grainger reluctantly handed it over. Snape quickly read the article then returned the paper to Grainger saying curtly, "From my knowledge of Black I find it hard to believe he had the intelligence or the ability to organise something like this." Potter scowled at him, Snape stared him down and continued the walk to his table feeling oddly proud that his own intelligence had led to the successful break out from Azkaban and that now Voldemort would trust him even more.