"An absolute atrocity," Severus spat, glaring at Minerva over his desk. "Information not strictly related to the subject they are paid to teach… Have you ever heard of anything so… undemocratic?"

Minerva pursed her lips and sat back in her chair, sipping the whiskey Severus had poured for her.

"I don't know how long this can go on, Severus. That evil woman is getting more and more control over this establishment. Sybil gone, Hagrid next, and then who?"

"Albus appears powerless. Since the Winzengamot dismissed him, and since the Dark Lord's return, his image in the public eye is unfavourable."

"Unfavourable or not, we have to do something."

Severus sighed and straightened the quills on his desk. Minerva had sought him out after Umbridge's latest Educational Decree. As Albus' closest colleagues she wanted them to act and do something, but other than risk getting them both fired, he didn't quite know what could be done.

Sybil's public dismissal had shaken Minerva and many of the other teachers, too. Serena and Pomona had gone up to the divination classroom with flowers but had come down looking ever more worried than before.

"Well," Minerva sniffed. "We must support the students as much as possible. If I can't talk about anything other than transfiguration, and that means I have to call Umbridge every time a student does something forbidden, or has an extra-curricular question, then so be it. She'll soon be regretting this new decree; you mark my words."

"She won't know what hit her," Severus drawled sarcastically, an eyebrow raised. He thoroughly enjoyed baiting Minerva, and she knew it.

"What's got you so mellow? Normally you'd be raging just as much as I."

"I have learnt to pick my battles."

Minerva gave an unattractive snort. "I don't believe that."

"What can I say?" he smirked, "Marriage suits me."

"Yes, well, it certainly looks as though you have found another outlet for your pent-up energy and anger."

Severus made a face of disgust. "Minerva, please, if I wished to feel nauseous I would simply inhale the scent of Longbottom's thickening solution."

She chuckled. "Where is she, anyway?"

"France."

"Again? She was gone last weekend too."

"And the weekend before that. They aren't taking their prison security seriously."

"But the Azkaban breakout was over a month ago, surely they have had time to act by now?"

"It is not a question of time, but of will," he said simply.

Minerva contemplated that for a moment. "But how can Serena change that?"

Severus smirked. "She has certain powers."

"Yes, I must agree that her charm can certainly be a weapon."

Severus scowled, "I was referring to her elemental magic."

Minerva shrugged nonchalantly and finished her drink. Severus had forgotten how she drunk whiskey like water. "Well, I hope she is using both. I'm not sure if any man could deny her anything if she uses all her attributes."

Severus' scowl turned into a glare as he felt negative thoughts whizzing through his brain. Had the Order really sent off his wife to France to flirt?

"Don't be ridiculous," Serena snapped on Sunday evening as Severus had subtly put the question to her.

"Well how else are you persuading him?" Severus pushed, coldly, "you can't deny that-"

"Her," Serena interrupted, and he could sense anger on the surface as she unpacked her belongings.

"What?" the word caught him off guard.

"I said, her. The French prison manager is a woman. You know, a girl, une femme if you prefer."

He cursed himself mentally.

"And if you'd actually been paying attention to everything I have been researching for the past month, you'd know that I am persuading her by trying to break through their bloody mortal wards. I mean, any spell is breakable, we know that, and combined with my elemental powers I am able to point out the weaknesses."

"It's not a question of attention," he snapped, trying to direct the wandlight away from himself. He was feeling something that seemed uncomfortably like guilt. "I have barely seen you these past few weeks. You are away every weekend, you work until late every evening-"

"And the past two evenings when I actually was free, you were off having dinner with Lucius fucking Malfoy-"

"You said whatever it takes-"

"Yes, and I know, and I am aware that you are only spending more time with him in order to get more information on my Father and to secure your position in the Dark Lord's inner circle, I know, I really do… It's…" she sighed and when she looked at him he finally noticed how tired she was. It was strange, it always seemed to be her looking after him, leaving him notes or meals or books, but now he actually took the time to look behind her mask of smiles and laughs and make up, he realised she looked… exhausted. He watched as she rubbed her red eyes. "Severus, it's just a tough time, that's all… we'll just have to sit it out and hope things will calm down, okay?"

He never had the words like she did, so he just pulled the suitcase from out of her hands and crushed her between his arms.

He sensed her surprise at first, but she soon leant into his touch and after a long moment he suddenly found himself supporting a lot more weight. When he looked down, her eyes were closed, and her body swayed unevenly against his. He guided her very slowly to the bed and helped her lie down. He took off her shoes and socks, vanished her jeans, and cast a warming charm under the blankets. "I can't sleep," she murmured, pushing his hand away as he brushed her hair out of her face. "I haven't finished marking the third years' work for tomorrow."

"I will take care of it," he said quietly.

"But you're too mean," she mumbled against his hand.

He supressed a smile. "Sleep now, wife."

He couldn't help but linger for a few seconds, watching her beautiful face slacken and her eyes twitch against their lids, remembering how exactly a year ago she had been unconscious in the hospital wing, inches from death. His eyes grazed her small body lovingly, but quickly the sentimentality of the moment sickened him and he had to move away. He scolded himself internally. He was becoming weak, and weak men did not win wars.

Hagrid was, indeed, next to be put on probation, but the teachers had triumphed over the fact that Albus had managed to find a replacement for Sybil himself, albeit a very atypical one. Serena had to push away the comments of her parents that echoed in her head about how dangerous centaurs were and how they should have been culled, as she shook hands with the man. Or horse, she should say. Although she did not view any memories, she didn't quite like the way his eyes seemed to pierce hers and see deep into her mind, occlumency or not.

As March pressed on and exams grew nearer, stress and anxiety built in the castle and was only accentuated by Umbridge's incessant creation of new educational decrees. Serena now had around four hysterical students in her office per week and Severus had upped his production of calming draughts to meet demand.

The French Ministry of Magic were finally listening to her requests about their prison security and Severus had only been summoned once in three whole weeks, which meant that despite the approaching exams, they had more time together than before.

After an evening duelling in the forbidden forest, Severus and Serena retired for an early night.

"I feel like an old lady," Serena mumbled, pulling Severus' arm around her body and settling backwards into his chest. "It's quarter past ten and I'm in bed."

Severus kissed her bare shoulder. "You are exhausted," he said quietly, rubbing his nose against her skin. "We should make the most of sleep whilst we can."

"Mmm," she agreed sleepily. "'Night Sev."

"Good night."

The silvery light woke them both and in a heartbeat they were crouching, either side of the bed, wands gripped tightly in hands, senses on high alert and magic crackling in the air around them.

"It's Minerva."

Severus straightened up first, unabashedly naked as the swirl of silver light morphed into a fuller, recognisable form and a small tabby cat spoke to them.

"Albus has fled the Ministry's arrest. Meeting in my quarters immediately. Be careful."

As the light faded, Serena and Severus stared towards each other in the darkness.

"What the..." Serena trailed off as she didn't know what to say and her brain tried to make sense of the message.

She turned to their wardrobe and starting summoning clothes as they both dressed in haste.

"Ministry's arrest? What the hell are they arresting him for? Do you think this is an educational decree?" Serena asked, pulling her thick black coat over her t shirt and jeans and looking around for a pair of trainers.

"I have as much information as you do,". Severus said curtly. "but if Umbridge is prowling the halls we need to be careful."

"I'm ready," she said breathlessly, straightening up and following him out of the bedroom.

"Stay two metres behind me and walk only there where I put my feet. She could have used tripping jinxes and all sorts."

"Ok."

Serena tapped her head and cast a disillusionment charm on herself before following Severus to the classroom door.

He cast a discreet Homenum Revelio on the corridor and then stepped out, his black robes billowing behind him.

Serena flowed carefully and shut the door quietly behind them.

When they reached the Entrance Hall, however, it seemed they did not need to fear Umbridge sneaking around.

The Minister for Magic himself was hurrying across the hall towards the grounds with what looked like Percy Weasley trailing behind him, as well as Umbridge, Tonks and Dawlish.

"He can't have apparated from within the castle! He must still be here!" Fudge was shouting to them all. "Dawlish you take the grounds, Tonks with me to the gates, Dolores try Hagrid's hut and Weasley you get those notes off to the Prophet immediately! We must make the front page!"

They waited in the shadows as the strange group ran out of the huge castle doors into the night, before sneaking out and heading up the staircase.

Half-way to Minerva's office they happened upon Poppy who was accompanying a sobbing student towards the hospital wing. "Edgecomb?" Serena asked, trying to see the girl's face in the wandlight, but Poppy pressed her lips together and shook her head slightly as the girl wailed and brought her hands up to hide her face even more.

"Edgecomb, take your hands away from your face this instant," Severus snapped, storming towards the girl quite threateningly.

She whimpered, but slowly, with trembling hands revealed her face.

There were huge, blistering pimples scattered over her cheeks, all spelling out one word: sneak.

Severus' face was scrunched up in disgust. "Yes... Perhaps you'd better cover it after all," he sneered, and the girl burst into hysterical sobs once more.

"Severus, really!" Poppy snapped, pulling the girl away from them and moving further down the corridor.

Serena pushed the light of her wand into Severus' face and glared at him. "Haven't I spoken to you about girls and their lack of confidence?"

He pushed straight passed her and kept walking.

An annoyed sound escaped from her throat but she ran to catch him up all the same.

When they arrived at Minerva's chambers, many of the teachers were already there, most wrapped in dressing gowns or fully clothed but with slippers poking out from beneath their robes.

Serena joined Pomona whilst Severus pushed through and found Minerva, who immediately pulled him to the side and began an urgent, whispered conversation.

"What's going on?" Serena asked Pomona as Firenze the centaur arrived and they all had to squeeze a little further along to make room.

"No one knows, she's waiting for everyone to get here, we're just missing Poppy I think."

A few minutes later, Poppy arrived back from the hospital wing and Minerva called for silence.

Serena had never seen her look so... Out of control. Her hair was in a long, messy braid, her glasses were askew, and she didn't look nearly as imposing as usual in her dressing gown.

"I have called you all here tonight because Albus has left the castle and I fear difficult times are upon us.

"This evening, Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad," here she gave a disapproving look to Severus, pointing out that the majority of members were Slytherins, "caught Potter and his friends partaking in a secret Defence Against the Dark Arts study group."

"How dangerous," Severus muttered, a scowl on his face. Serena met his eye from across the room and they shared a look of complicity.

"Many of us were aware of the existence of such a group, but since Educational Decree god knows what, it is forbidden to belong to a group that is not approved by her majesty."

"Get to the point, Minerva," Severus sighed, seeming utterly disinterested at all the context.

Minerva narrowed her eyes at him and Serena almost smiled as Severus immediately shut his mouth and stood up a little straighter.

"My point," Minerva said forcefully, glaring at Severus, "is that the group was discovered along with a list of the participants, and... rather unfortunately they had decided to call themselves... Dumbledore's Army."

There was silence in the room and then Pomona clapped her hands together and said "how symbolic, but what does this actually have to do with Albus?"

Minerva sighed. "Fudge believes that Albus has been creating a private army and training them to be able to overrun the ministry. When he came here tonight, I think his best hope was to expel Potter, not that such a job needs two aurors and the Minister of Magic, but there you go... Then, one of her minions discovered the list of students belonging to the group and the group's name at the top... I was present when Fudge found out... He was jubilant. He told Tonks and Dawlish to arrest Albus, well, we all know that wasn't going to happen. He stunned them all and Fawkes apparated him out of there. He is in hiding and we are now expected to manage the school and protect the students as best we can from... Our new... Headmistress." She spoke the final word as though it was something utterly disgusting, scrunching up her nose and brushing an imagined smell away with her hands.

"Headmistress!" Poppy shrieked.

"Why isn't it you?" Pomona argued.

"The rings of Jupiter foresaw change," Firenze said wisely.

"We will fight her every step of the way!" Professor Vector bellowed.

"Please," Minerva said loudly, raising her hand. "Our priority is quite simply to protect the school without getting fired. If we lose any more teachers it will be difficult to shield Hogwarts from Fudge's grasp. I want everyone on their best behaviour."

"That doesn't mean we have to make it easy for her," Serena said quietly and several people nodded around the room.

"Of course not," Minerva agreed reluctantly, "but please, be careful. We don't know when Albus will be back but it looks like we have her at least until the end of the school year. I suggest you all get back to your chambers before she realises something is amiss..."

Serena waited until everyone but Severus had left.

"Do you have any idea of where he is, Minerva?" She asked quietly.

"None."

"And... What will happen when this news reaches the Dark Lord?" She looked uncertainly at Severus whose eyes had darkened.

"As tempting as a school without Dumbledore may be... I don't believe that he will risk breaking his cover. Being invisible and unrecognised by the majority of the population is working in his favour as he gathers followers. Taking control of the school would be a huge risk. I shall advise him against it."

Serena grimaced.

"I shall contact Tonks," Minerva said thoughtfully, "she may have suggestions for security. She was quite brilliant tonight, modifying the girl's memory so subtly."

"It was Edgecomb that sold them all out then?"

Minerva had an expression somewhere between pity and shame. "It was."

Severus snorted, "and whose mastery was the sneak charm?"

"Miss Granger's," Minerva said disapprovingly as Severus snorted again and muttered something that sounded like "genius".

"Come on," Serena said, putting a hand on his elbow. "We should get back, you must have letters to write."

Severus jerked his head and they both retreated back down to the dungeons.

...

As expected, the castle without Albus was very strange. The general atmosphere was extremely sad and tense, and yet students and teachers alike found any excuse for mischievousness and fun; as long as it annoyed Umbridge. Hogwarts itself, it seemed, did not agree with its new Headmistress either, and the sixth year Ravenclaws reported that when she arrived at the gargoyle staircase with all of her belongings floating behind her, ready to move in, the passage had sealed itself to her and refused to let her enter Albus' office. Some of the girls swore that the gargoyles began throwing insults at her until she scurried back to her office with cheeks as pink as her cardigans.

Serena did have to admit she was enjoying causing as much havoc as the students, assisting Peeves with pranks and swearing to Umbridge that she didn't know how to undo many of the charms and hexes that were performed upon members of her inquisitorial squad, although this greatly annoyed Severus, as he spent a lot of time in the hospital wing removing antlers from Slytherin's heads.

"You may be against Umbridge," he sneered to her one evening after spending another hour trying to stop a Slytherin girl puking up pinecones, "but these are my students you are blatantly neglecting-"

"I am not neglecting anyone," she retorted, "you know I am as neutral as possible when it comes to the kid's houses, but it is not my fault they have turned on fellow pupils and decided to join that evil bitch."

"Slytherins will be Slytherins," he snapped. "They are cunning and act quick to survive."

"Even if that means turning their back on-"

"On who? Students that have never once gone out of their way to help them. Even the teachers have abandoned them! Look at Montague!"

"Oh, you're just sore because Slytherin lost to Hufflepuff last weekend," she countered.

"Yes I am, and we only lost because Montague's head was pushed down a toilet and he's still confused two weeks later! I have no idea what is wrong with him and I have his very angry parents to deal with tomorrow!"

"Oh, angry parents are no trouble for you, dear, stop making a fuss."

"You are testing my patience, witch," he hissed, and she had to supress a smile.

"Oh am I?" she drawled, allowing a hint of good humour in her voice and stretching back across the sofa so that her t-shirt rode up slightly. The scar treatment Severus and Remus had given her had been working well, and the main tear of angry skin had almost entirely faded. She saw Severus' gaze drop down to her bare skin and his eyes widened as he released that she had been teasing him all along. "And just what are you going to do about it, husband?"

Severus subconsciously licked his lips and then glared at her. "Very, very bad things," he growled, throwing his essays to the floor and standing up dramatically.

She squealed as he threw himself on top of her and giggled furiously as his hands found her skin and began tickling her relentlessly.

"Stop! Ok! Ok! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she squealed, "you were right!"

"As always," he rumbled into her ear. "Come on, say it. You were right as always."

Her eyes were running she was laughing so much. "As always!" she shouted, wriggling away from him and sliding off the sofa, panting heavily. "As always! You're wrong as always- no!" She screamed as he grabbed her ankle but at that moment the wards sounded and they heard an amplified knock on the potions classroom door.

Serena stuck out her tongue childishly as a rather flushed-looking Severus straightened his robes and his hair and gave her a smouldering look. "You got lucky," he smirked, poking her leg with the toe of his boot. "You won't be so fortunate next time."

She couldn't stop laughing as he stormed out, ready to scowl and scare students when just minutes before he had been tickling the Charms Mistress on the floor of his dungeon.

A few moments later he came back. "Niffler in her office," he muttered, scowling, "and then I have another lesson with Potter."

"Well be nice," she said, knowing her words wouldn't make a single ounce of difference. "He needs to keep making progress, just try and keep your cool, ok?"

He grunted and left.

Serena heated up the leftovers from last night's sausage casserole ready for nine o' clock. With a whispered charm the table set itself and she poured herself a glass of water, sitting down to continue her book on the giant wars.

Nine o' clock came and went and Severus still hadn't got back from his lesson with Harry. She hoped it meant that Potter was making progress, although it was more likely that Severus had kept him longer to punish him for not improving.

At half past nine she served herself a small portion of the casserole and ate it alone. She didn't think too much of Severus' absence, he was a very busy man, and half the time she didn't know where he was or what meetings he had in or out of the school.

Still, at ten o' clock she slipped her shoes back on, pulled a thin jumper over her t-shirt and found herself in the dungeon corridor. With a few spells she made sure there were no lurking students or Umbridges about and walked a little further down the corridor to Severus' office.

She knocked on the heavy, wooden door and waited. There was no answer but something kept her there, at the door. Severus' wards were in place and she knew that a spell to check for human presence wouldn't work, so instead, she closed her eyes and focussed on the particles around her. Using her elemental powers she pulled forward water particles and pushed away the air around her. She saw the construction of the wooden door and pushed past it to find hundreds and hundreds of different liquids, some denser than others, and she could visualise the glass jars and vials that held them.

As she went further into the room, she found what she was looking for: the vague, blurry outline of a man with a black arm full of darkness.

She opened her eyes. What the fuck was Severus doing alone in his office?

She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to smother him if he clearly wanted to be alone. She wasn't to know what had made him retreat to his office, or what state of mind he was in. He might simply want some space.

She decided to leave him alone, but when she got back to their quarters, she sent him a patronus just telling him that dinner was ready if he was hungry. An hour later he still hadn't emerged and she was too worried to leave him in his office alone all night.

"Severus, please let me in."

She knocked again, but still nothing.

"I will undo all the wards if that's what it takes, but it would be a lot simpler if you just opened the door for me."

His office wasn't nearly as heavily warded as his quarters or classroom, so it took her about five minutes to dismantle all of the charms. When the lock clicked open she paused. She was clearly going against his will, but she needed to know if he was ok.

"I'm going to come in," she said quietly, "I know this is totally against your privacy, Severus, but something is wrong and I'm just going to make sure you're okay, and then I'll fuck back off, okay?"

As she pushed open the door and stepped forward, glass crunched under her feet and there was some strange, green slime slopped across the floor. Several of his jars had been smashed and she could see jagged shards in the dark light. A movement behind the desk startled her.

"Severus?"

"The door was locked for a reason," he said in a cold, dark voice that scared her more than she would ever admit.

Her eyes focussed and distinguished the silhouette of his face, just visible in the silvery light which she realised was coming from his pensieve which sat on the desk before him.

"Is- is everything ok?" she asked quietly, taking another step into the room and letting the door fall shut behind her.

"Does it look like everything is ok?" he said in a low, barely audible voice. She felt herself shiver. She would have preferred him shout. She watched in the darkness as he took a swig from a bottle of firewhiskey and prodded the silver whisps of the pensieve with his wand.

"Where… where is Harry?"

His head snapped upwards and the look of pure hatred he shot her chilled her to the bone.

"That… boy," he spat, "has gone."

"Gone where?"

"How the fuck should I know? He can jump of the astronomy tower for all I care-"

"Severus, I know you hated his father, and I understand why, but-"

"Oh no, no, no," he said in a low, fear-inducing voice, shaking his head and standing unsteadily, before walking slowly around the desk towards her. "No, no, you see what I feel towards his Father, is hate… but the son? It's indescribable. If I hadn't made a vow I would kill him myself."

"Severus!" she gasped, talking a step back and pressing herself against the door, flinching as more glass crunched under her trainers. "He's a child, what could he have done-"

"Ah," he said coldly, coming to a stand-still in front of her. "Do you want to know what he did? Do you?"

Serena found she was terrified of the answer, but all she could do was nod.

"He looked in my pensieve," Severus hissed, his eyes widening in rage. Serena's stomach dropped, as she finally understood.

"Oh shit," she sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "God, why? Why would he do that? What did he see? Were we… having sex? Which memories had you extracted?"

Her mind raced as she tried to decide what was worse: Harry seeing them fucking or Harry seeing Severus' gentle, intimate side. She knew Severus had been using his pensieve regularly, and that he used it before Harry's occlumency lessons to protect certain memories, but… her mind slowed and her eyes refocussed on the scene before her.

Severus had not replied.

She met his eyes, dark and glittering and unreadable and then frowned.

He sneered at her. "It wasn't you."

Serena swallowed hard. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, it was so loud she was sure Severus could hear it too. She forced herself to meet his eyes. "It was her."

"Her name is Lily!" he said sharply, banging a fist against the door just next to her head. Serena had to focus all of her strength on pushing away the tightening sensation in her chest and taking deep breaths. Severus wasn't hurting her, he was just hurt himself. He wouldn't hurt her, he wouldn't.

"What did you do with Harry? Can- can he use what he saw against you?" she asked in the calmest voice she could muster.

"No," Severus said coldly, "he won't breathe a word to anyone, I made sure of that. And he won't be coming back here ever again."

"Wait- what, you, you cancelled his lessons?"

Severus' eyes narrowed. "Of course I did-"

"You can't stop helping him fight the Dark Lord, Severus!"

"He wasn't learning a thing," he spat, his fists clenching so tightly she could actually see his knuckles turn white.

"Severus!" she implored, raising her voice slightly and trying to look imposing. "Occlumency was the only thing helping him put a barrier between him and the Dark Lord. Albus trusted you with this, you can't stop protecting him just because he saw some memories of a childhood romance-"

"You don't understand anything," he said coldly, spinning away from her and picking up his bottle of alcohol again.

"Perhaps not," she said quietly, "but I understand the importance of your task. You have to put your past behind you, I thought you were over her!"

In a flash Severus' wand was pointing between her eyes. "How fucking dare you-"

She didn't even try to draw her own, she merely stared at him, so confused by his reaction. She had really thought that Severus had pushed past this.

"Severus, this was years ago-"

"Jealous again, are you?" he sneered nastily, his wand unwavering.

"Jealous?" she almost laughed. "Jealous of a woman who's been dead for fifteen years? Jealous of a woman who couldn't even love you-"

She hadn't even seen him move but suddenly she was slammed against the door and his elbow was restricting her chest.

Slap.

Severus staggered backwards.

Serena blinked away the tears that had overflown.

Her hand touched her chest shakily, reassuring herself that there was nothing there, that she could move if she needed to.

She watched as his own hand lifted up to his cheek where an angry red mark had stung him.

"Did you just… slap me?" his voice had lost all anger.

She took several shaky breaths. "You scared me." Her voice sounded so much smaller than she had wanted.

He stared, his eyes racing over her from top to bottom, and she watched as the anger in his eyes grew smaller and smaller. She knew that self-loathing would come next.

She stepped carefully to the side and felt for the doorknob behind her back. "I'm going to bed," she said in barely a whisper. He didn't stop her as she slipped out into the corridor.

Surprisingly, her feet took her not to the potions classroom, but up through the stairwells of Hogwarts to her own living quarters.

For the first time, she found she wanted to sleep alone.