Disclaimer: Unless some lovely person has bought me an early birthday present, I don't own anything that the benevolent goddess of Hogwarts (JK Rowling) created. Bugger, eh?

Author's Note: Since I don't think anyone's really reading this story anyway, this is probably a waste of time, but here I am, writing anyway. Stupid me, huh? Oh well. To my non-existent (or as my friend Justine is so fond of saying 'null') reviewers, here is chapter six, and anyone who wants to see Severus get drunk and Morag pick between Harry and Draco, here ya go! Also, Jenni turns into Papa Bear from Goldilocks and does a striptease on the roof – no, not really, but I got your attention, didn't I?

Dedicated to: my friends, who I thank for being there for me when I need them, the way Morag's friends (well, friend) are for her. I want you guys to all know how very important to me you are, because without you, I'd probably be a recluse, and I'd never have done that really stupid thing I did last Friday. I pray that I can still look Nick in the eye on Monday.

(You people have sick minds. All I did was tell him I have a crush on him. My God. You people!)

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Chapter Six: Choices

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**Morag's POV**

Este looked me in the eye and told me exactly what she thought.

"Your father will never, ever let you date Harry."

I sighed. I knew she was going to say that, and I knew she was right. But it still hurt to hear it aloud. "I know, he hated James and all that. But he was one of Lily's best friends! And he hated Lucius Malfoy almost as much." I was on the defensive, and a defensive strategy is a well-known way to crash and burn.

"He won't accept you and Harry."

"It's not a question of safety anymore, though. Voldemort knows that Father was a spy." I argued.

"He'll send you to America again." She said flatly.

"That was Mother's idea." I said weakly.

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**Severus's POV**

"Morganna."

I heard her come in, she wasn't the best at stealth. I turned, and she came forward to embrace me and bury her face in my shoulder.

"Severus," she whispered, and I knew instantly something was wrong.

Actually, I knew it when I felt her hands shaking against my back. Crohns. Well, at least this time she told me.

She was about to say more, and then she passed out, and went limp in my arms.

I scooped her up – she was so light! When had she last eaten? – and carried her back to our chambers from the piano room where I had been examining her mother's musical instruments. I tucked her into our bed, and then stepped out into the corridor to shout for Renè.

"Master Snape?" he asked, then blanched when he saw her. "Just like Miss Gloria Anne," he whispered, as he fled to find a mediwizard or –witch.

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I sat next to her as the mediwitch clucked over her.

"Overgrown mother hen." I muttered. The woman was France's answer to Madam Pomfrey. I was angry that Morganna had left it so late, angry that she was lying there and wouldn't wake up, and I was taking it out on anyone I could get hold of.

Renè translated what the daft woman said for me. "She says that Anna is suffering from the advanced symptoms of Crohns."

"Will she recover?" I asked immediately, dreading his answer.

Renè looked down. "She doesn't know."

I punched the wall, and told him to bring me a few bottles of wine and then get out.

He did so silently.

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I sat silently with my wife for some time, as I got steadily drunker. Then I started talking to her. I don't know if she could hear me, and I don't know if I really wanted her to hear. I just…talked.

I took her hand in mine, and started talking.

"You wanted to come to France, Morganna, you said you wanted to talk to your old friends, see your family. You missed it, you told me. I brought you here, Morganna; I gave in, didn't I? Morag and her friends are in the parlor, doing god knows what.

"I love you, Morganna, dearest, wake up. I couldn't bear to lose you, not now, not so soon after getting you back. Please, Morganna."

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**Harry's POV**

Morag's mother was in a coma, and Professor Snape was with her. I heard what Morag's servants were saying – he was getting really, really drunk.

I could understand that. From what the mediwitch said to Morag, her mother could go either way. She might never wake up, or she could be up and about tomorrow. He really loved her, and it was understandable. I hadn't known Mrs. Snape long, but she was kind, warm, caring, beautiful, and motherly. If only I were born 31 years ago…!

Morag was sitting with Este, Hermione and Ginny, who were trying to comfort her.

Hermione hadn't trusted her at first, but this seemed to bypass that.

Draco seemed at a loss. He didn't know what to do; anyone could see it in his eyes. He'd lost his own father so recently – the father that would have tortured her mother in a second, the father that hadn't cared a jot for anyone, not even him or his mother.

That night was a night for choices, important ones.

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**Jenni's POV**

"Severus?" I entered their chambers quietly. Sev was really drunk, that much was obvious. Morganna lay oblivious to all around her, the tears that were rolling down her husband's face, the pain and fear in her daughter's eyes…she looked angelic, like Severus talked his way into Heaven and stole her away.

And now, God was thinking about taking her back.

"What?" his words were slurred, and he looked godawful.

"Severus." I repeated. "You like you've been dead a few months and then someone dug you right back up."

"Well, we might be burying Morganna sometime soon, according to that good for nothing mediwitch." Severus growled. "Maybe I'll go with her. Nobody needs me around here, anyway. I can see it, don't think I can't. The evil old Death Eater, that's what all those students think of me. That I'm going to fail them in Potions just because I can. That I eat babies for breakfast and I'm going over to the Dark side just as soon as I can work out how."

"Don't be an arse, Severus." I said, tired. "Morganna's not dead," I caught myself before I said 'yet', "and Morag needs you. Now more than ever!"

"Morag is not my daughter."

With a sharp intake of breath, I drew back from him.

And then I hit him. Hard.

"That's what Morganna's been moping about, isn't it? That's why she's been trying so hard to make you happy, because she thought that you didn't care about Morag and that you might leave them." It all made sense. Morganna was like that. "And now maybe you will lose her, and you're getting pissy over Morag's parentage? You're a real prat, you know that? Lucius had nothing on you, Severus Snape."

He recoiled from me as if he'd been struck.

Hey wait, he had been struck. Good.

"So when Morag needs her father the very most, he's sitting in here, getting drunk, and whining that she isn't his daughter." I continued, furious with him. "You know better than almost anyone why Morganna did what she did with that stupid O'Connell prat. So, Morag's 'natural father' is O'Connell? Who gives a damn? You raised her. You held her in your arms when she was a baby and laughed when she tried to stick her toes in your mouth. You watched her when she had her first steps. You watched indulgently when Morganna told anyone who'd listen about Morag's first words. I still say that 'Moop' is not a word, but saying that to Morganna would be like kicking a puppy. A Golden Retriever puppy. So you have to make a choice, Severus. Are you Morganna's husband and Morag's father, who Morganna loves, is blindly devoted to, and who Morag wants to make proud, or are you some bitter idiot who is going to lose everyone he loves if he isn't careful?"

He didn't answer.

I didn't really expect him to.

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**Ginny's POV**

I was way over Harry now; Kieran and I had been dating for a few months. So when he started liking Morag Snape, I thought, hey, fine, cool for Harry.

Then I find out that she's Kieran's half sister, and she's dating Malfoy. Bugger for Harry, huh?

Then it all goes south for her too. Mrs. Snape might be dying, nobody's sure. The butler guy is wandering around moping about how she's going to die just like her sister Gloria Anne, and the servants keep going up to the Snape's chambers with bottles of wine.

For Professor Snape, I guessed.

Este's aunt came down from the Snape's chambers looking like she might throttle someone.

I was talking quiet reassuring nothings to Morag with Hermione and Este, and watching idly as my stupid brothers talked to Harry, and Malfoy stood by the window, doing the 'Strong and Silent' thing.

Idiots.

If Draco loved Morag so much, he should have gotten off his arse and comforted her. And if Harry did, he would too. I guessed they were just scared.

So was Morag.

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**Renè's POV**

I'm a butler. I listen at doors.

It seemed to be that they all had choices to make that night, and it wasn't going to be easy for anyone.

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Author's Note: Nyah, nyah, I'm not telling…