A.N I don't own Harry Potter.
Voldemort knew Emma wouldn't remember him. The last time he saw her, she was barely talking. The males who were in Emma's age group were eying her. If she is anything like Dorea, she would have been oblivious.
Narcissa spoke. "I have brought Emma, my lord. Emma, I know you don't remember him. This is Lord Voldemort."
"Emma, how exactly did you discover it was Albus who killed your parents?"
The wizard wanted to hear it from her. He wouldn't keep Emma long tonight when she just got back from a war zone. Severus wanted to piece the events together because it must have been around the time of the second task, when she became distant and spent more time alone.
"It was in my fourth year. I had gotten up to use the loo in the middle of the night.I heard Professor Dumbledore admit it was him who killed my parents,not you Lord Voldemort from the common room. I was essential for his plans of merging the two worlds. Professor McGonagall told Dumbledore that if I find out, all of their hard work will backfire. Dumbledore was overconfident and assured her that even if I found out, I would have had no one. It was why he had me isolated."
When Emma's memories were seen, Voldemort and the other death eaters were horrified. Severus knew the man who he wished was his father was still alive then. "What did you tell your aunt and your grandfather?"
"It was the same as I am telling you. Even with all of General Evans' connections, there was nothing he could do. My grandfather and aunt knew it was treason. I was told to keep my head down and focus solely on finishing school and getting out."
"Your aunt and your grandfather never bought Albus' claims?"
"No they did not. My grandfather used to say Dumbledore had far more to gain with my parents dead, than alive."
Severus had one more question. "Why didn't you try to come to any of the professors?"
"I knew it was Dumbledore who painted me as the attention seeking brat, Professor Snape. I didn't feel I would be believed over McGonagall and Dumbledore. My aunt, uncle, and grandfather felt it was a risk that needed to be taken by keeping my head down and keeping quiet."
The meeting drew on, the plan was for her to go with her great uncle Marius to the Ministry of Defense. Despite what Emma thought with her role as a nurse practitioner, she was ideal for this because her parents', Remus, and Sirius had gotten Voldemort the intelligence in days that would have taken his ordinary spies years to obtain. Afterwards, Marius introduced Emma to Pollux and Cassopeia.
"Let me guess, Dumbledore also lied about the death eaters killing my grandparents?"
Cassopeia hugged Emma tightly. "Yes, Dumbledore was looking for funding. What the going theory is, when your grandparents told Albus no, he got angry and murdered them."
Pollux agreed. "Now, your service to the royal navy, how much time do you have left for your obligation? Your grandparents would not have been the biggest fan of you getting involved with a muggle war."
"The renewal of my contract is in three years. If I were to serve out the remainder of my contract in the reserves, it would take until 2011."
The agreement was she would stay in. When Emma was getting ready to leave, one of the Slytherins who had fancied Emma in school grabbed her wrist gently. She was never hostile towards him or his housemates but she was never social with the slytherins outside of class or defense tutoring. He tried asking her to the Yule Ball but she politely declined saying she had a date.
Later he learned that if Emma showed up with anyone not in Gryffindor, she would have been restricted to Gryffindor tower outside of class and meals. McLaggen had his slimy hands on Emma at the ball outside of dancing. The advances were not welcome and she told him no. When he wouldn't take no for an answer, he said "You will do as you are told or I will tell McGonagall you were fraternizing with the enemy." Krum, Davies, and Diggory put the rat in his place. Emma screwed McLaggen out of a spot in the quidditch team when she was made captain in sixth year.
"So where do you think you are going? You haven't seen me in nine years and you were going to ignore me. Typical Gryffindor."
"I just got back from Iraq after eleven months. What were you expecting, Adrian?"
The Slytherin was in an even better mood when he saw no ring on Emma's finger. He had zero luck dating. "Have dinner with me"
"Okay"
Adrian didn't give her a chance to rethink her decision and apparted her to his favorite restaurant in London. Emma started laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"Look behind you."
Adrian turned around and saw a giant royal navy ship. "That's the ship you were on?"
"Yes, the HMS King George VI. I wasn't strictly on the ship. I was treating patients at a joint base hospital in Iraq. I also got to see camel spiders too."
He had an arm wrapped around his witch as they went in. "Camel spiders?"
The waitress took them to a table and seated the two. "Yes, my aunt thought I was exaggerating until I sent her the pictures. Camel spiders grow to the size of a dinner plate and have a nasty bite."
Adrian shuddered. "Why the bloody hell do you stay?"
"I think it would be obvious with Dumbledore. Besides, I didn't think my leaving for university in the States would be a big deal or joining the royal navy."
The two ordered dinner and Adrian shook his head. "Again, why are you Gryffs so oblivious to those not in the lions' den?"
"For me, it was all of Dumbledore's manipulations. He led me to believe that no one wanted to be seen talking to me because of my so-called fame. He controlled my every move as a child so in my mind, it was a safer bet being alone so I wouldn't drag anyone in. Now Adrian, I'm going to take a wild guess and say those in any high level position in the ministry will have to kiss Dumbledore's six?"
"Huh"
"Sorry, military term, I meant you have to be a Dumbledore arse kisser or your family has to be members of the Order?"
"Yes, fortunately for those in Voldemort's circle, all of us work for private companies. My father's company has made it a point to not hire anyone loyal to the Order. Now about your time in the navy…"
"I talked it over with my granduncles and grandaunt. The contract is up for renewal in 2008. If I switch to reserves, it gets extended until 2011. They feel I should stay on active duty."
Unfortunately Adrian agreed with what the Blacks said. "Bugger and you missed out on the Olympics."
"My deployment in Iraq began three days before the start of the Olympics in Athens. I don't regret it."
The rest of the "date" went well. When the two left together when they saw Ron and Hermione. Adrian had his arm wrapped tight around Emma.
"Potter do as you are told also meant outside of school. Come, you have put Dumbledore behind…"
"I'll pass."
Emma and Adrian had their wands drawn. Hermione glared. " Why are you hindering true progress Emma?"
"For being the brightest witch of your age, you are quite stupid, Granger. What will happen if Dumbledore goes through with his plans is millions end up dead. You bloody well know a nuclear bomb will overpower the best warding."
Hermione got it but Ron did not. Adrian apparated Emma to his flat before Weasel and Granger pulled something else.
"How the hell did you share a common room with those two?"
"Ron you could ignore and go into the girls rooms. It's Granger who was the bloody nightmare to share a dorm room with. I cursed her numerous times."
