[Notes, disclaimer and everything in chapter 1 – do read that]
.
Agatha and Minerva got along rather well, and the other teachers compared notes with the retired schoolmistress; the conclusion was that pupils are pupils, whether they're Muggles or have magic. That launched Hermione into a defence speech for Muggle Studies that managed to interest her fellows in the topic for the first time.
They were sharing some cheese when Severus asked Minerva if she had a valid candidate for the "cursed position".
'Cursed?' Agatha asked in a worried gasp.
'Not literally, Aunt Agatha, but the position is rather unfortunate,' Severus said.
Agatha sighed with relief.
Minerva took a deep breath and said, 'I've got an appointment with another candidate in a few days. If this one isn't brave enough to become our next Defence teacher, I'll have to ask you to find a way to help us, Severus.'
He looked at Hermione, who nodded.
'If there's no one, I'll teach both,' Severus declared.
'I can help with the theory of Potions and Defence,' Hermione added.
'We cannot risk your magic, my dear. It's too dangerous for the moment!' Minerva protested.
'Why don't you have Harry detached from the Ministry? He was great when he taught Dumbledore's Army,' Hermione said.
Harry almost spat the pumpkin juice that he was swallowing, but Minerva had a strange light in her eyes.
'No way!' Harry protested. 'Look, Min, I wouldn't be an Auror if you hadn't protected me, but I'm not stopping my training to come teach. If I do, I can kiss my badge goodbye.'
'He's right,' Severus agreed with Harry.
Minerva sighed deeply and said, 'You're right; you're made to be an Auror like your parents.'
'And Deputy Headmaster Snape can multitask like a god,' Harry added.
'I don't know if I should thank you for the compliment, or hex you for the possible triple job I'll have,' Severus said.
'Perhaps the next candidate will be the right one,' Harry declared with optimism.
Minerva smiled.
'If you want, I, too, could try to find someone competent, Headmistress,' Severus said.
'If the next candidate isn't good enough, I'll ask you to help me find someone, and if we can't find a proper teacher, then you and I will share the position,' Minerva said.
Severus nodded.
'You have a very nice school,' Agatha told them.
'Thank you. I'm glad we could save it,' Minerva said.
'The war nearly destroyed us,' Filius added softly.
'I'm glad you still have your school,' Agatha said.
All the teachers smiled; they knew that Agatha understood.
They finished having dinner, and Agatha and George headed to the Snapes' quarters for some tea. George called his brother, and they Floo'ed to their place in order to spell some order there before Severus came with Agatha.
Once Severus and Hermione promised Agatha to phone her regularly, and once they'd agreed to have lunch with her next Saturday, Severus escorted his aunt back to her house.
'Go back to your delightful wife now,' she said as she hugged him fiercely.
'May I ask for your fireplace to be connected to the Floo Network?' he asked her.
'Of course! It'll be easier for you when you come to see me,' she agreed.
'If it's not done by next Saturday, I'll Apparate to you to take you to the Grangers',' he said.
She nodded. 'Now go home to Hermione. She's a delight,' she said.
He kissed her cheek and Disapparated to George and Fred's place. George thanked Severus again for his fake ear.
'Stop thanking me! I should have known better than to use that spell in a messy battle. I got your ear, but I could have killed you,' Severus said.
'It was meant to happen that way, Professor…' Fred said.
'And I'm really grateful your potion could help me,' George added.
That bit of good strategy made Severus smile.
'Good night, gentlemen,' Severus said, as he took a pinch of Floo powder.
'Good night!' they answered in synch.
A moment later, Severus was home.
Hermione was working on a file on her laptop, and she was chatting with her mum on the phone. When she saw Severus's look of surprise, she said, 'Weniers cast the spells for me.'
He looked a bit disappointed that she hadn't been able to do it herself.
'Go see your Slytherins,' she said, knowing that he needed to make sure that his charges were all right.
He pecked her lips and did as she suggested.
In the Common room, Daphne Greengrass was almost interrogating her younger sister (apparently their father demanded to know what Astoria had done to help Auror Potter).
'You're brainless, Greengrass,' Severus hissed at Daphne. 'I'll have to ask the Sorting Hat why it made you a Slytherin when you're obviously the worst sort of strategist,' he added.
'I must obey Father,' Daphne answered bravely, if stupidly.
'I see. You prefer to blindly obey to the one who should be protecting you, not abusing you and using you as a spy, rather than help your sister in her mission for the man who won the war,' Severus pointed out.
Daphne was lost, and Astoria was in shock.
'I didn't single-handedly win the war, Deputy Headmaster,' Harry said as he stopped hiding under his Invisibility Cloak and stepped out of the corner where he was hiding.
'You're the one who ended it,' Severus insisted.
Harry pretended to wave a hand in dismissal, and he turned back to Daphne as he said, 'I'm not going to claim that I know everybody at the Ministry, but I know that your father isn't working in, or for, the Auror Department. Therefore, you have no business interrogating Astoria. You're going to tell your father that you have nothing of interest to report, and Daphne… if he insists that you spy on your sister, you'll ask him to come see me at the Ministry. I'm in the middle of a big inquiry, and I won't have a civilian ruin it because he's a paranoid parent. Clear?'
'I can't do that!' Daphne protested.
Harry glared at the silly girl.
'Miss Greengrass,' Severus addressed Daphne with his most suave and dangerous voice, 'Auror Potter can have you arrested for interfering with his work.'
'What is it going to be, Miss Greengrass?' Harry asked Daphne.
The girl seemed to hesitate.
'Don't make me call the Headmistress,' Severus added ominously.
Daphne looked at Harry and nodded.
'Thank you, my dear. Now, I need a word with your sister, and I think you've got a letter to write to your father,' Harry said.
Daphne looked at Severus, who said, 'Dismissed.'
Daphne left, but somewhat reluctantly.
Astoria looked on the verge of tears.
'I'd like to know why no one kept Daphne from her while I was away?' Draco shouted at his mates as he walked into the room.
'She's her elder sister, Malfoy, and she's obeying their father,' a seventh year answered quietly.
'We're not Gryffindorks, but I was expecting you to stand on the side of the law,' Draco spat.
'On the side of your new boyfriend,' another student hissed.
Draco and Harry had anticipated such a declaration, and they'd agreed on a strategy. They looked at each other and started laughing heartily.
'Oh, my! Look, Astoria is helping with one of my files because she happens to be able to do something to help me, and she's agreed to help; that's one inquiry. Now, I've been spending a bit of time with the Malfoys because I stopped trespassers on their property. Draco is a witness in that case,' Harry explained.
The accusing student was about to say something nasty, but Severus spoke first, 'I know that the last few months have been quite taxing, but I'm expecting you to stick together, not become divided.'
Harry felt that a few students were about to protest, and he decided to strike low and said, 'You're not going to behave like post-war Muggles, are you?'
'What do you mean?' a young student inquired.
'After wars, sometimes Muggles turn against each other, making some people pay for things that happened during the war,' Harry explained.
'That's stupid,' the same student commented.
Harry beamed and said, 'Quite.'
There was a low grumble; being compared to Muggles didn't please the Slytherins.
'So, may I work in peace?' Harry asked.
The students nodded.
'By the way, Auror Potter, my wife needs your help with a mobile,' Severus declared.
'I'm seeing Kate about more items soon; I can go chat with Professor Snape and ask her what she needs. I'd rather take care of the shopping than have your wife in Muggle London without her magic back,' Harry said.
Severus nodded.
'I can help if you want,' Draco said.
'Still a student, Malfoy… You're not allowed to go out,' Harry teased his boyfriend.
'Hell!' Draco hissed.
'You were allowed to stay outside because your parents went home, and then you were attacked, but you can't leave until the next weekend or the end of the school year,' Harry reminded him.
'You're right, Auror Potter,' Draco conceded.
Harry gave him a small smile, and then he turned to Severus and asked, 'Would you like me to go see your wife now?'
Severus nodded. 'I'll be with you momentarily,' he said.
'I was moving Miss Greengrass to the spare room,' Draco told his head of house.
If Severus gave his blessing, the room where Draco and Harry had meant to spend the night when they'd found Astoria would become Astoria's until the end of the term.
'Excellent idea, Mr Malfoy. She'll be safe, and Auror Potter will know where to find her,' Severus said.
The three men reflected that they were getting along splendidly now.
Harry went to see Hermione, Severus checked that his Slytherins were all where they should be (and he checked a few strategic places in the castle, making sure that older students weren't recovering from the war in compromising positions), and Draco escorted Astoria to her refuge.
'Would you like some tea? Hot cocoa, maybe?' Draco asked her.
She shook her head and whispered, 'You can go now.'
'Why would I leave you when you're obviously quite shaken by your stupid sister's behaviour?' he asked.
She cast a Silencing charm on the walls and said, 'Because you'd rather be with someone else.'
'What do you mean?' he said.
'I'm not stupid!' she shouted.
'Astoria?' Draco said gently.
'I won't tell anyone, but you can go see him. He's your friend… and more,' she told him.
'You'd make a good Auror,' Draco said.
'Do you think?' she asked, forgetting her anger.
'You'd need training though,' he pointed out.
She titled her head, puzzled.
'Auror Potter isn't exactly who you think he is,' Draco told her.
'Why?' she asked, genuinely curious.
'Let's have tea, then,' he said.
She nodded, and they sat at the desk that was near the fireplace as a house-elf brought cups and a teapot.
'You're both lonely,' Astoria declared.
'Which means that we're only spending time together,' Draco told her.
'That's all?' she inquired.
Draco nodded and checked the teapot. Astoria gently slapped his hand.
'Let's forget stereotypes, shall we?' he told her, as he poured their tea.
'You've changed,' she told him.
He chuckled and said, 'It's called growing up, I think.'
She smiled. 'What about…?' she began to say.
'Astoria, you can ask me anything you want. I'm not going to hex you,' he told her.
She looked terribly sad.
'Does your father hurt you? You're not his property, you know,' he said.
'He hexed me once, and that was enough to teach me to obey him,' she whispered.
'Hell!' he exclaimed.
'It's all right,' she said, shrugging.
'It's not all right,' Draco protested.
'Look… if my beloved sister doesn't get me disowned, he'll betroth me to one of his friends,' she said.
'That's terrible! Even my strange family doesn't do such things!' he exclaimed, truly horrified.
She laughed softly and said, 'None of my father's friends would want a wife who doesn't have her diploma.'
'You're going to get the best grades you can, and you're going to run away!' he said.
'As fast as I can,' she admitted.
'You're good!' Draco said with awe.
'So… You and Harry? It could work,' she said.
Draco blinked and said, 'Slytherin!'
She smiled again.
'And no… This is not what we want in the long term. We're building a friendship,' he told her honestly.
'Not to be alone,' she said.
'You know, I'm going to spend another year here. We could become friends,' he suggested.
'Really?' she said.
'You're more interesting than most of the rest of the lot,' he told her.
'You never paid attention until you found me right here, after… you know what,' she pointed out.
'Sorry, I was busy plotting against the Gryffindors, Harry in particular, and trying to survive the Dark Lord's associates and the madman himself,' he explained.
'We have madmen in common,' she joked.
Draco couldn't blame her for comparing her father to Voldemort. Lucius might have made some terrible choices, but when things got nasty, he and Narcissa had risked everything for Draco, whereas Mr Greengrass abused his children and would sell Astoria to some affluent man.
She sipped some of her tea and said, 'It'd be nice not to be alone, but I don't want to drag you into my nightmare.'
Draco was about to protest when the door opened and Daphne walked in. Astoria was frozen with fear, but Draco saw Harry getting rid of his Invisibility Cloak right behind her.
'Where's my cup?' Harry inquired nonchalantly as he walked past Daphne.
'We didn't know how long Professor Snape would need you,' Draco answered.
'Sorry, Daphne, but I don't think Auror Potter can allow you to stay,' Astoria lied.
'No way in hell,' Harry said quietly. 'Good night, Miss Greengrass,' he added.
Daphne took a step back, and Harry closed the door in her face.
'You're good,' Harry praised Astoria.
'I was telling her that she'd make a good Auror,' Draco said.
Harry smiled and said, 'Since we'll have to stay with you for a few minutes, perhaps you could tell us what you want to do after Hogwarts.'
She shrugged.
'Let's imagine that you escape your father's clutches, and you've got the best possible grades on your NEWTs, what would you like to do?' Draco asked her.
'You've got to have a dream,' Harry added.
'I'd like to teach, but the possibilities at Hogwarts are limited, or I'd like to work on plants,' she said.
'There are other magical schools in the world besides Hogwarts,' Draco pointed out.
'But she likes it here,' Harry said.
Astoria looked a bit surprised, but then she reflected that Harry might be a Legilimens, and she smiled. Harry winked at her.
'Your Headmistress allows you to lock your door with the most powerful charm you know,' Harry announced.
'That's very kind of her,' Astoria said.
'She's on your side,' Harry said.
'I should probably leave you now,' Draco said.
'Dessert tomorrow night?' Harry asked.
Draco nodded.
'I'll check you-know-what,' Harry said.
Draco smiled at his boyfriend and turned to Astoria. 'If anything happens, come see me immediately,' he said.
'He means it,' Harry told her, 'and yes, you're right about me.'
Astoria beamed. With those two around, she was beginning to think that she might escape and have a nice life far from the Greengrass family.
Draco went to his room, and after a few minutes, Harry headed to his quarters. En route, he tried to summon the Room of Requirement, which Draco and he were hoping to use the next night. It was still not responding, and Harry decided to check on the Marauder's Map what was going on with it.
When Minerva came home, Harry was in the parlour, grumbling as he read his map.
'What's wrong?' she inquired.
'I wanted to use the Room of Requirement, but it's stuck, and there's something strange about it,' he told her.
Minerva looked at the area where that room was supposed to be.
'Min, I don't like that,' Harry declared seriously. 'Do you have a way to check who's in there?'
'I could try to send a house-elf,' she said.
'Would you, please? I've got a bad feeling,' Harry told her.
It was Kreacher who answered Minerva's call, but when he went to the Room of Requirement, it appeared as an empty room, and he couldn't find a clue as to who had last summoned it. Perhaps Harry would be able to use it, at last, to spend some relaxing time with Draco, but Auror Potter had an odd feeling about the whole thing.
.
[Next part as soon as possible]
