Disclaimer:  They are not mine, but I promise I'll put them back when I'm done! 

Author's note:  I made a mistake last chapter and said that George and his enemy had hated each other since they were boys, and I mean to fix that.  But the truth is that they only became rivals in later adult hood, and it was the rival who pushed away George and not vice versa.  And now, on with the show!!!

Outside the Globe

            Hermione waited patiently for the old mage to come back to this world and out of his clouds.  Upon noticing Hermione, he began to address her once more.  "You know, he was my best mate once."

            "Your best mate?" she was taken aback. 

            "Yes, when we were little.  Well we always had our differences.  I had the strength and daring, while he had the cunning.  We were quite a pair in our youth, unstoppable.  Yes, quite the pair."  His old eyes glossed over once more and Hermione cleared her throat to bring him back.  "What?  Oh, I suppose it was pride that lead to our falling out.  We were both so young and always right of course.  Shame too, we were stronger together than we ever were apart."  A sigh escaped his elderly lips.  "But he is long since dead, and I am stuck in here still." 

            "But there must be a way out, if Rosy and you switched places!" 

            "Yes there is a way out, but I'm afraid you'll find it quite paradoxical."

            "Paradoxical?  How so?"  Her heart was beating faster each second; if there was a way out she would make it work. 

            The old man sighed and leaned back in his chair.  "What I wouldn't give for a good pipe."   Immediately a pipe appeared on the table before him.  He raised it to his lips, and a split second later bubbles came out the end.  Hermione stifled a giggle as the old man carefully examined the pipe before tossing it into the small fireplace.  "Always a comic.  Anyways, what I was saying was that the only way to get out is to be out." 

            When Hermione said nothing, he pressed on.  "To leave, you must have the key.  It usually looks like the original globe but smaller.  But you see, the key is not in here, so in order to get it, we would have to be outside."

            The wheels spun quickly in Hermione's head as she added things up in her mind.  Suddenly unable to detain herself any longer, she burst out, "George!"

            The old mage was so surprised at the sudden burst of sound that he toppled over backwards chair and all.  "George?"

Hermione rushed over to the man to help him up.  In a very strained voice he said, "Do you mind telling me what was so dang important that you had to scream like that in my ear?"       

"Sorry George, I just got excited."

"Well I don't see what there is to be excited about unless you've got the key.  Have you got the key?"

Hermione shook her head, "No, but it comes into the globe ever night in the big house."  The old man eyed her curiously. 

Remus stood pacing his bed room.  A pale light was shining in through the window, even thought the moon was not visible.  As Remus walked back and forth across the floor, he was aware of two things, his feet and the cold floor beneath them.  Everything else could have easily disappeared and he would have taken no notice.  Which is why it was no surprise when he failed to notice the knocking at his door. 

What he finally did notice was when the door flew open and nearly fell off its hinges revealing a rather smug Severus Snape holding a wand in one hand and a goblet in the other.  "After all the trouble I go through, I'd figure that the least you could do is open your door."

Remus returned the door to its rightful spot.  "Well you might knock instead of blowing my door open!"  He reached out and took the potion.

            As his hand clutched the drink he started pull it away only to find it stuck.  His attention turned upwards to Snape's callous eyes, "I did."  And with that he let go. 

            "Oh," was all Remus could say as he turned so that Snape wouldn't see the trepidation in his face. 

            However without even seeing Remus's face or even knowing him at all, Snape could sense his tension.  Yet he'd be damned before he was going to comfort the boy who had tormented him so when he was younger and tried to kill him even.  No, now it was Lupin's turn to suffer. 

            But as Snape saw Remus walk to the window, he found it very hard to remain as ruthless as he would have liked.  Because the more he tried to deny it, the more apparent it became that Remus had suffered through child hood as much as he had and was still as alone as him.  Severus had been jealous when he saw the sparks that flew between Hermione and Remus when the year was beginning; not because he fancied Hermione, but rather that he longed to have some one to care for him the way she did Lupin. 

            Yes, Lupin and himself had always been very similar.  Both had been rather smart enjoying their studies, both had become outcast, both even ended up in the same field of occupation, and both were sentenced to a life of solitude.  Yet in childhood, Remus had found friends and now, he had Hermione while Snape still had no one.  Lupin had always broken away from his prison while Severus had always been trapped.  It was for this reason that he had always disliked Remus. 

            And it was dislike that made him turn his back on Remus and head towards the door.    But a strange thing happened; on the way out Severus encountered a mirror.  Just a plain simple mirror.  Yet for some reason, seeing the suffering of Remus in the mirror was akin to seeing the suffering on his own face through the same device.  It was this that made him once again turn around. 

            "You know the Dark Lord has been recruiting more and more followers."

            Remus stared at the man not sure what he was getting at.  Snape continued-

            "Now I haven't seen any of the pledging, and there hasn't been a recent meeting that involved all of his minions, but I have heard tale of a faithful servant to the lord who is residing under this very roof."

            "Irving?" Remus whispered more to himself than to anyone. 

            "Yes, and I wouldn't put it past a Death Eater to do what ever it takes to get what he wants."

            "Hermione"

            Snape had now gotten rather close to Remus.  "Now, the Dark Lord has many dark toys that he likes to reward his new members."

            Remus continued to study Snape he was getting at something but he couldn't figure out what. 

            "These things have a very dark purpose.  Some may even trap people.  I glanced into his room in passing, and I saw such a thing as I have not seen for quite some time."

            "The snow globe!" his voice was a whisper, confirming what he had suspected.  He knew that he had felt her!  And now he would get her back.  He would go himself into the globe and find her!

            "Wait a second!  This has to be done cautiously!  Tow consecutive nights I have seen him go into the globe after dinner and then return a while later cursing.  My suspicions are that he is keeping her in there and is trying to force her to be with him.  Based on his reactions, I assume she remains true to you."

            A smile spread across Remus's face and Severus found himself wondering why he was helping this man. 

            "To leave such a device, you will need the key, which hangs 'round his neck.  Go tonight, before dinner, and touch the glass of the globe.  This will take you into the globe.  Wait there for him to come, and then you must face him.  To get out again take the key, place it around your neck and Hermione's neck, and make sure you are both touching it.  Then say, 'Exeunt.'  This will bring you back out."

            Remus looked at the man before him.  It was strange that his childhood rival would be here now telling how to save his loved one.  Remus was slowly being overcome with emotions and flung him self at the other man and hugged him tightly. 

            Severus was taken aback.  He stood there for a second wondering what to do.   Finally he put his arms awkwardly on the other man's back.  Remus took a step back and grabbed his shoulders and looked into Severus's bewildered face.  "Thank you!" he said as he smiled broadly. 

            Severus did not know what it was, but Remus was looking at him like a friend would, and he felt good.  Although he tried not to, he smiled.  "Don't forget your wand!" 

            "I won't"

            Remus felt his breast pocket for his wand; it was there.  He took a deep breath.  Irving had just gone down to dinner; it was time. 

            Silently he slid down the hall way and into Irving's room.  The air inside the room felt dense to Remus, dangerous.  Yet any normal person would not have noted a difference.  He began to examine the room. 

            There!  It was there in all its splendor sparkling in the light of the setting sun.  Remus was sure that even if he had not wanted to turn to it, he would have anyways.  It pulled him; he could not escape it.  As he slowly approached the globe, his hands reached out and he touched the ball. 

            "What was that?" 

            "Damn squirrels!  Making such a confounded racket!  Why I'll show them!  Come on!" 

            Hermione stood up to follow the old mage in his quest to show those squirrels who was boss.  The two walked into the woods towards the sound of the racket. 

            "Oh, it's a big one!"

            "George no!"  Hermione noticed that there was no squirrel but a man. 

            "Oh why not?  Some one has to teach them squirrels a lesson!"

            "But it's not a squirrel."

            "Not…a squirrel?"

            "No," she said shaking her head. 

            The old mage pulled something out of is pocket and put spectacles on his eyed.  "No," he said looking despondent, "It's not a squirrel."

            Just then the man moaned and began to stir causing Hermione's heart to leap.  "Remus!" 

            Next thing Remus knew he was being smothered.  "Mmumph mmm!"  Hermione released him slightly and he realized it was her, "Mione!"  He hugged her back as hard as she hugged him before.  Soon enough their lips found each other and they shared a blissful moment in the snow. 

            "A hem!" 

            Hermione and Remus pulled away.  "Remus, this is George." 

Remus extended his hand to greet the older man who happened to look incredibly familiar.  "Do I know you?"

"Have you been inside a snow globe in the past few centuries?"

"No,"

"Well then."

"Oh Remus!"  Hermione interjected "How did you ever find me?"

He shrugged, "Snape."

"Excuse me?"

"Snape told me where he thought you were and how to get there… and back."

Then the old man decided to put his two cents in.  "Yes, but that Annoying or, what's-his-face, um, what's-his-face?"

            "Irving"

"Yea that!  That Irving has the key, and a wand to defend it!"  Remus reached into his robe and pulled out his wand.  "Good boy!"

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And that is where this chapter ends!  I'm sorry that it took so long!  And I'm sorry that its really short, but that's all this chappie includes.  Next chapter is going to get exciting!  MWAHAHA!!  What ever will happen?  I know I know!!  Well, lets see.  This means Solitude goes up either tomorrow or the next day, and this one ought to be up again this weekend.  And then I might write more to Lost this weekend if I'm in the mood. 

Read Lost!!  Its my newest endeavor!  It's fun I promise!! 

THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING!!!!  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!

~Atiannala