A/N: Two tickets to Chamber of Secrets - $17.00

Chocolate frogs to eat during film - $10.00

House striped scarf to wear to opening weekend - $25.00

Finally getting to see Snape blast the bloody snot out of Lockhart - priceless.



And let me tell you what happens if you are the only one waiting in line dressed from head to toe in black, wearing cobra earrings and a Slytherin house scarf. I was given evil looks and comments by a hoard of little Gryffindorks the whole time, an usher verbally accosted me, and when I was leaving, some woman pointed at me and said "Can you believe that blonde? She's a Slytherin!"

Hehehe.







Nytd sits quietly alone, typing at her computer when Snape walks in, looking around and seeming puzzled.

"Where is everyone?" He asks, curious, but not disappointed at the peace and quiet.

Nytd looks up. "The trio are busy with a bunch of CoS stuff, and Black and Lupin had a meeting with Rowling, so they're gone for the weekend.

"I see." Snape says softly, sitting next to Nytd at the computer. "So that leaves us alone?"

Nytd stops typing and looks at Snape warily. "Yes."

"So perhaps it is time?" Snape asks, looking into the lady author's eyes.

Nytd starts to look away. "Severus, I don't think...."

"Come now," Snape says, taking her by the hand and drawing her to her feet, "surely you aren't afraid?"

"No." She says quietly. "I'm just....."

"Nervous?" Snape asks, drawing her closer and dropping his voice. "There's nothing to be nervous about. I assure you that you'll be in most capable hands."

"But you're...a wizard." She replies in a hushed voice. "I've never..."

"Then it's high time you did, my dear." Snape purrs. "I'll make it easy for you." He whispers near her ear. "Just put your arms around me."

"I don't think I can do this." Nytd says quietly as he pulls her closer.

"You know you want to." Snape says. "Admit it."

The temptation is just too great, and with no witnesses about, Nytd gives in and puts her arms around his neck, holding him close as he puts his hands on her waist.

"That's my girl." He says softly. "You're sure that you're ready for this?"

Nytd nods, looking into Snape's eyes.

"Very well." He replies.

A scream starts in Nytd's study and is cut off abruptly, and the muggle author finds herself standing breathless and giddy in the middle of her yard with Snape, after getting her very first taste of apparation.







Friday the Thirteenth ~*~





On Friday afternoons, Remus had a free class period that he had often used to catch up on grading or to meet with students. Starting at the beginning of the term with the segment on dragon handling, he had since taken to going and observing the last Care of Magical Creatures class for the week.

On Friday the 13th, Remus went to the courtyard with the retaining charm that Marlina had left in place to watch the remainder of her last fifth year class. He held his hands over his ears after a moment as he watched her patiently guiding the students in their attempts to round up and place silencing charms on a small brightly colored flock of fwoopers.

When the last neon pink bird had been hushed and placed back in it's cage, Marlina made some last minute comments to the class and then let them go for the weekend.

She looked up from where she was securing some of the Fwooper cages as Remus walked toward her.

"That was certainly a noisy bunch!" He said, eyeing the now silent birds.

"It's not bad at first, but let me tell you about listening to them for three or four hours!" Marlina laughed.

"You're doing a great job, Marlina." Remus said sincerely, picking up a cage, and stacking it alongside some of the others.

"Keeping the fwoopers quiet?" She asked in an amused way.

"No!" He laughed. "With your students." He handed her another cage, and she placed it on top of the first one.

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Remus. That's a very nice thing to say."

"It's the truth." Remus replied. "I think you definitely found your calling as a teacher."

"I really love it." She admitted. "But I do also love weekends!" She joked as she stacked a last cage.

"Tell me." He agreed, smiling. He was quiet for a moment, and then got up the courage to ask her what he had come to. "Speaking of weekends, Marlina, would you be free for a few hours tomorrow evening?"

Marlina stopped dead with what she was doing. He couldn't be, could he?

"I suppose....."She began, occupying herself with the last cage longer than really required.

"I mean, if you are.....that is if you wanted to be.....I know Sirius would watch Noah for a little while." He was struggling.

She finish with the last cage and looked up at him and smiled. "I would like to be free for a few hours tomorrow night, so if Sirius could watch Noah that would be wonderful."

"Really?" Remus asked, now wearing an apparently hopeful expression.

A wicked thought crossed Marlina's mind, and she just couldn't resist the opportunity to give the Defense professor a hard time. "Yes," she replied, "then I think I might take a long hot bath, do my nails, a little reading....." She saw the look on his face. "Oh. Did you mean to spend time with you?" She asked innocently.

Remus frowned. "Yes."

Marlina started laughing and he knew that she was teasing him. "Of course I'd like to spend tomorrow evening with you, Remus."

"Good... I think." Remus teased back. "You have a tiny bit of a mean streak in you, don't you?"

"I can't help it." She smiled and pointed to the silver and green scarf she was wearing.







Sirius kicked back on the couch and entertained himself watching and listening to Remus agonized over the fact that Marlina had agreed to spend time with him alone on Saturday night.

"Now what do I do? I didn't think she'd really say yes, I mean with Noah and all." Remus was pacing as he talked to Sirius.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to go through with it." Sirius grinned.

"Well, I want to. I just don't know what I should do." Remus continued to pace. "I mean I want time alone with her, but I don't want it to be too romantic. You know, low pressure the first date."

Sirius sniggered. "Good job asking her out for TOMORROW night then."

"What?" Remus asked. He stopped pacing to look at Sirius, puzzled at the comment.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Moony, what's today?"

"Friday." He said. "The 13th." He added as Sirius raised an eyebrow.

Sirius looked at him with exaggerated expectation. "So that makes tomorrow?"

"Saturday the 14th." Remus said. Suddenly it hit him and he groaned. "Oh no! Valentine's day?"

Sirius was grinning again. "Afraid so."

Remus sank onto the couch and buried his head in his hands. "Great job, Lupin." He chided himself. "No pressure there at all."

Sirius was very amused at Remus's plight, and he patted Remus on the knee and got up. "I'll see you later."

"You're leaving me?" Remus asked. "You're not going to help me?"

"Moony, you don't need anyone's help. She already said yes, so any pressure you feel you're putting on yourself. She won't care what you do." Sirius said encouragingly.

Remus looked up. " I suppose you're right."

"Of course I am. Just promise me one thing?" Sirius stood near the door, wearing a mischievous smile.

"What's that?" Remus asked.

"Whatever you do, for Merlin's sake don't take her to the Astronomy tower." Sirius smiled wickedly.

Lupin nodded emphatically in agreement and smiled in return. "Good advice."









Snape walked into the great hall and strode past the Slytherins on his way to the head table. He could see that Lorien was talking to Minerva, but had looked in his direction and smiled briefly before turning back to the older witch. His expression remained neutral but he couldn't help but feel pleased whenever he saw that she was watching him.

Ever since their discussion about his past, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something would go wrong, but each time she smiled at him or perked up when he came into a room, he began to feel a little more confident that he was just being insecure, and that she did indeed still care for him as much as she said.

At dinner in the great hall there was a good deal of talk of the weekend, and the conversation at the Slytherin table as Snape passed was no different than the others. He heard comments all along about how the curfew had been extended for the next night, and whispers about what was planned by several of the students for Valentine's Day.

Snape almost stopped in his tracks when he heard what they were discussing, and had to force himself to continue on to the head table. Valentine's day. Tomorrow.....was...Valentine's day. When the hell had he ever given a second thought to Feb. 14th being anything but the day before the 15th? He groaned as he thought to himself that he'd better start giving it a second thought, and quickly.







Sirius, of course was probably the wisest of the three bachelors concerning Valentine's Day, and it had been his encouragement and coaxing that finally gave Remus the confidence to ask Marlina out. It had also been his idea to volunteer to watch Noah for the evening so that he would be exempt from having to put himself through the same agony trying to deal with whether or not to spend time with Kaneene . He knew he was now off the hook with the perfect excuse.









Kaneene and Keath were on duty that night and walked the grounds surrounding the castle together.

"So how long do you think we're going to be here at Hogwarts?" Keath asked his older sister casually as they walked.

"I don't know. I would imagine that it's going to be a while though." She replied. "Did you check that courtyard earlier?" She said as an afterthought.

"No. I thought you were going to." He answered.

Kaneene found dealing with her young brother frustrating at times, and this was definitely one of them. "Keath, I specifically asked you to check that courtyard where Perkins holds her classes before you came on duty."

"Sorry, sis. I guess I misunderstood." He apologized. "Should I check it now?"

"Yes, and then meet me by the lake." She said, still a little irritated as her brother walked away. She continued on to walk the path surrounding the lake.

Her mind had been on her brother's forgetful tendencies as she walked along, and she was caught off guard as she suddenly realized that someone else was on the dark path approaching her quietly. She drew her wand and stood her ground as the black clad figure neared.

"You're a bit slow on the draw, Moody." Said a voice sarcastically.

'Snape!' She realized when he spoke. She could see the man a little clearer now that he was nearly to where she stood.

"You ought to be paying a bit more attention." He continued to scold her. "You would have been in trouble about twenty seconds ago had I been a Death Eater." His tone just begged her to make a snide comment.

"What do you mean if you 'had been'?" Kaneene spat back at him, but she was angry with herself for having been caught unawares.

"Ah, touché Miss Moody. Very droll indeed." He said, continuing in the same sarcastic manner. "I assure you, however, that you are in no trouble with me."

"How comforting." She sneered back. "What are you doing out here, Snape?" She fell in next to him as he headed along toward the castle.

"As if it's any of your concern." He said arrogantly, glancing at her sideways.

"It's definitely my concern." She said. "Are you going to answer me or what?"

"I was walking. Nothing more, nothing less." He said. Seeing that she wasn't completely satisfied with his answer, he shot a brief explanation at her. "I needed to clear my head."

"And you do it by coming way out here?" She demanded, eyeing him with her usual suspicion.

"I always do." He said, not looking at her and continuing to walk.

She snorted as she kept pace with him. "Well, you might do well to let us know that you're going to be out here." She scolded. "You could be in trouble yourself if you caught one of us by surprise. It wouldn't take much to mistake you for one of them."

Snape stopped short and pressed a hand over his heart in a gesture of mock alarm. "Is that a veiled threat?"

"Take it for whatever you like." Kaneene replied coolly.

Snape narrowed his eyes and spoke again in a dangerous tone. " I would have thought an experienced auror such as yourself would have been a little more open-minded..... ah, but not where someone like me is concerned, right?"

Kaneene narrowed her own eyes and stared at the man standing before her as he continued.

"Is everything really that clearly black and white with you?" He asked, seeming curious more than anything. "Nothing is ever gray? Nothing ever changes?"

"I'd say it's pretty clearly black, at least." Her gaze flicked meaningfully to his left arm and back.

"I see. So because of this..." He yanked the sleeve of his robe up and thrust his arm out at her. "I couldn't possibly be capable of anything good?"

Kaneene cringed as she saw the Dark Mark and looked away. "You made your bed when you turned to dark magic, Snape."

"Perhaps." He said to her. " Although, dark magic does not always mean that one embraces the dark side, Moody."

She glared at him. "They do in my book."

"Then you are a fool." He waved a hand at her dismissively. "There are times when they are two very different things. I no longer embrace the dark side, as I have no doubt made you acutely aware." Snape almost had an amused aspect to his haughty manner.

"And dark magic?" She asked suspiciously, not liking the conversation she had gotten herself into.

He merely shrugged. "How dark any magic is all depends on your perspective."

"I knew you were no good." She said, almost to herself. It puzzled her that Snape now stood there almost laughing at her. "What's funny?" She asked in an irritated way.

"You are." Snape said, sober now. "That Hufflepuff mind of yours can't grasp that there could be times when there might be certain uses for more, shall we say, distasteful magic?" He saw her look of surprise. "Yes, Kaneene, I remembered that you alone of all the Moodys were not a Gryffindor."

"Good for you." She snapped, tired of debating with him out here by the water. "There isn't a time I can possibly think of when I would ever use dark magic." She stated proudly.

"Are you sure?" He asked casually, taking a step closer to her. He knew what her answer would be and he was ready to pounce.

"Absolutely." She said defiantly, meeting the midnight gaze.

Snape stepped in for the kill and stood very close as he looked down into the green eyes of the auror. "You wouldn't even use a class IV restorative potion to prolong the life of a valiant young auror long enough that he'd make it to the hospital?"

Snape looked at her for just a moment longer and then whirled and walked away from the woman. He had his back turned when what he was saying finally hit her, and her mouth dropped open.

Kaneene wouldn't have known what to say at that moment if her life depended on it.





After he finished checking the courtyard, Keath came walking up to where his sister was standing dazed. "Hey, was that Snape I just saw walking back toward the castle?"

"Yes." She said distantly, staring out over the lake.

"Did you speak with him?" Keath asked, trying to see if there was something out there that had his sister's attention. He didn't see anything.

"Uh huh." She nodded, still staring off into space a bit.

"What the hell did he want?" Her brother demanded, now worried that Kaneene had been alone out there with the former Death Eater.

She blinked and looked at him finally. "Nothing. Just a bit of conversation." She lied quietly.

Keath put his hands on his hips and frowned at her. "Come on, K. That's a crock. Did he give you any trouble?" He asked suspiciously.

"No, and I doubt very much that he will." Was all she said. "Come on, let's go." She turned and headed back around the lake.

Keath shrugged, knowing it was the end of the discussion, and hurried to catch up with his sister.









Lorien awoke and saw that the day was going to be overcast with possible precipitation, and she decided that she would take advantage of the weather and change the lesson plan for her morning meeting with Harry. She had a few things to do in the hospital ward, so she left Harry a note pinned to the door of the classroom they'd been using so that he'd know to meet her in the Care of Magical Creatures courtyard.

She had just reached the medical ward, when the arriving owl caught her attention. It was a long-eared owl, often favored by the Nemorosi, and she smiled as she held out her arm for the bird to land, anticipating that Perth must have sent her a letter. She spoke softly to the bird, and scratched it's head for a few moments as it closed its eyes in enjoyment, and finally took the letter the bird carried to open it.

Lorien was puzzled at first, noting that the writing was not Taber's, but after a moment she frowned when she read the contents of the letter sent to her on Valentine's day. She gritted her teeth and finished reading before she sent the owl on its way with a word of thanks but no reply.

Madame Pomfrey glanced her direction casually. "I take it that wasn't a romantic letter from Severus?" She asked wryly, teasing Lorien.

Lorien shot her a look but then laughed. She knew that she should know better than to expect that the irritable Slytherin even knew what day it was. Poppy knew that as well, and Lorien realized that there were just certain things that she was going to have to resign herself to accept about Severus Snape. The lack of romance-inspired word or verse on Valentine's day would probably top the list.

She looked back at Pomfrey and sighed, and then handed over the letter.

Poppy read for a minute and then nodded appreciatively. "You have to admit that the man does have a way with words."

"Yes," Lorien agreed, taking back the letter and tossing it into the fireplace, "but definitely not with women." She said, irritated still. "If you're all set, I'm off to meet with Harry again."

Pomfrey nodded and watched Lorien leave, feeling a little sorry for the younger medical witch. Few people knew better what difficulty Lorien had been through with the men in her life recently, and Poppy hoped that the periodic letters she always burned didn't cause any more trouble.







Saturday morning Harry went to the classroom to find a note left there for him by Lorien. At first he was afraid that she was canceling their meeting, but when he read the note it only indicated that she would meet him shortly in the courtyard used by Professor Perkins.

Curious as to why she wanted to work outside this time, Harry hurried to meet her.

Lorien was in the courtyard eyeing the large cage that remained in the corner over the past several weeks as Harry walked up behind her. He glanced up at the heavy, overcast sky and wondered again why she picked today to be out here. "Professor Perkins kept the dragon in that between classes at the start of the term." He said.

She turned to look at him and smiled. "Yes, I know. How are you this morning?"

"Great. It looks like we might end up getting wet out here, though." He said, still eyeing the clouds.

"I certainly hope so." Lorien replied, and Harry could hear the mischief in her voice.

"We're not working on the winds today are we?" Harry surmised, now feeling the excitement at possibly learning something new.

"No. Today will be a good day to get a feel for Summoning of the Rains." She said with a smile.

Harry was nearly beside himself. "Really? A new one?"

"Yes. It'll be easier at first for you if there is actually rain or the potential for it nearby." Lorien explained. "Let me show you."

Lorien took several deep breaths and then raised her arms palms up out in front of her until they were nearly over her head. She concentrated and spoke the command words. "Rhos tim pe!" She drew her arms down as if she were closing a shade.

Harry laughed aloud for a moment as the icy rain and sleet began to fall on the area immediately surrounding them, but quickly realized he was getting wet.

"Finite incantatum." The rain stopped. "Your turn, Harry." She said.

Harry stepped closer to Lorien and she gave him words of advice. "Draw the water to you, not down. It'll fall anyway when you bring it in."

Harry nodded, and started to concentrate, not knowing that Lorien was not the only one watching the lesson.





Sirius stood with his arms folded, leaning against the doorway that led out into the courtyard. He was far enough behind Lorien and Harry that they wouldn't immediately know he was there. Curiosity had brought him, and he wanted to see Lorien instructing the boy, and also if he was as adept as she seemed to think. He felt he needed to at least know some of what Harry had gotten into while he pursued the art of wandless magic. It was part of the responsibility of being Harry's godfather, and Sirius took that responsibility to heart.





Harry pulled his arms down as he spoke the spell, and for a brief moment nothing happened. He had just turned to look questioningly at Lorien when a handful of water suddenly fell on his head.

Lorien clapped her hand over her mouth, and tried unsuccessfully to hide her laughter at the water running down the boys face and glasses.

In the doorway behind them, Sirius also stifled a snicker but continued to watch to see what would happen next.

Harry wiped his glasses dry and made fun of himself as he replaced them. "Quite a flood, huh?"

Lorien was still chuckling. "Try it again, Harry."

Harry concentrated again and this time he managed a tiny freezing drizzle immediately over his head. His hair was getting soaked with icy rain and he rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. "Impervious!" He cast the spell and the water began to roll off harmlessly.

Lorien's eyes went wide at that same moment and Sirius stood bolt upright from the doorway behind them.

Harry saw the look on Lorien's face. "What?"

She didn't answer at first.

"Finite incantatum." The rain stopped. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Harry asked again.

"Harry, don't you realize what you just did?" Lorien asked, looking a bit stunned.

"Besides drenching myself? No." He admitted.

"Harry you held the summoning spell and cast another wandless charm at the same time." She said excitedly, and then turned to look at Sirius who was walking rapidly toward them.

"Did he just..?" Sirius asked her.

"Cast two wandless spells at once? Yes." Lorien said proudly.

It hadn't occurred to Harry that he might not be able to cast the Impervious charm without his wand. He hadn't really thought about it, he just did it.

"I didn't even realize that I had done it until you said something." Harry admitted.

"Do it again." Sirius directed Harry, who shrugged and turned to concentrate.

This time a larger amount of icy rain fell, but it was on top of Sirius, and Harry couldn't hang onto the spell long enough since he was laughing at his wet godfather.

"Very funny, Potter." Sirius said, shaking his head in a good impersonation of his alternate form. Water flung all over Lorien who cried out and stepped back.

"Sirius, you're being disruptive." She scolded, although she was smiling.

"I'm helping." He corrected her insistently.

"I see." Lorien looked overhead and back. " Would you like to help me demonstrate one more summoning spell for Harry?" She asked sweetly.

"Of course." He replied, looking eager to actually help.

"Alright, stand over there." She pointed halfway across the courtyard.

Sirius looked at her a little suspiciously. "You're not going to hit me with a lightning bolt, are you?"

"No, that's another lesson." She assured him with a smile. "Go on."

Sirius obeyed, and went to stand in the middle of the yard.

Lorien turned back to Harry. "Stand back a little further. I don't want you in the line of fire." She smiled and winked.

Harry definitely wanted to see this. He knew she was up to no good, and it amused him that his godfather was her unsuspecting victim.

Lorien looked up again for a moment and then appeared to find what she was looking for. She stared at the sky and then cried out the command word as she turned to point at Sirius. "Corvus!"

Harry realized what was happening a brief moment before Sirius did. "Why did you call all those crows..." He broke into a grin as he realized that the small flock was now diving straight for Sirius. "They're not going to go near his face, are they?" He asked, becoming a little concerned at the number of birds that Sirius had also now spotted.

"Not to worry, Harry. I assure you that they won't even touch him." Lorien spoke softly as she smiled.

Sirius knew instantly that the birds themselves were not going to touch him, but he also knew he was in it deep. Or was about to be. It only took a second for the black dog to appear and beat a hastier retreat than he otherwise would have to the door way. He was fast, but not fast enough, and the thick black fur was quickly dotted with white. A large number of splatters hit the ground outside the door as he leapt through the opening, and Lorien finally dispersed the flock.

Harry hadn't laughed that hard in a long time, and neither had Lorien. Sirius walked back out to them grinning as well.

"Well done, Mistress Lorien." He said, and cast a spell to clean the copious bird droppings off his robes. "Just remember that when it comes payback time. I've heard they can be a bitch." He said slyly.

She rolled her eyes at him.

"And as for you!" Sirius grabbed Harry suddenly and put him in a headlock. "You're in trouble for soaking your godfather." He dragged Harry toward the door.

"Lorien!" Harry cried out with mock alarm in his voice. "Help me." The teenager was half gagging and half giggling as Sirius pulled him along.

"Wish now that you'd brought your wand, don't you?" Sirius laughed as he dragged Harry through the doorway, grinding his knuckles playfully into the boy's scalp.



When Lorien caught up to Sirius there was no sign of the younger wizard, and the older one was doubled over trying to stop himself from sneezing. He couldn't stop long enough to say anything so he just gave her a rueful look instead.

Lorien broke into a wide grin at the plight of the handsome man before her. Harry had hit him with the ceaseless sneezes hex. Wandless.

She smiled at him sweetly. "Apologize for disrupting my lesson and I'll cast the counterspell." She held her hand back as if keeping something just out of his reach.

He couldn't say anything as the next fit of sneezes wracked his body, but he managed to look at her and nod.

"Good enough." She released him from the curse and he took several moments bent over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath .

He finally straightened and spoke to Lorien. "He's getting a lot better at that, isn't he?"

"Yes, Sirius. He is."







A/N: The command words for the Summoning spell are derived from Quenya and Sindarin elvish terms for rain.

Next chapter - Still Sat the 14th. We deal with a few issues and then Marlina's date with Remus.