Elise's face blanched as she walked into the kitchen of the cottage. Black was there, looking horrible. She reached for Severus's hand and he gave it a reassuring squeeze. McGonnagall was there, too, looking quietly pleased, but a hundred years older, like Severus. So tired – all of them looked tired, especially another man she thought she should remember. He looked vaguely familiar– one of that crowd. Richard? One of them – one of his friends. He looked her over closely, but without hostility. She wished she could remember, but it didn't matter. If she needed to know, Severus would tell her.

The kitchen was a wreck – it looked like no one had cleaned it in weeks. Cobwebs hung in the corners, the window sill was caked in dust. Weeks? Months. She looked over all the faces again and started to shiver. McGonnagal brought her a soft shawl and draped it around her shoulders, and Severus poured them both tea from the chipped red teapot. Antigone had loved that teapot. A dull ache began in her chest and she forced herself to think of other things. Her eyes darted around the room, and settled on the yellow paper tacked to the wall – cracked old paper, with a bright orange scribble on it. Ducks for Daddy. Black, dust, ducks – she was going to go explode. Get out of my house! Get away from me! She wanted to yell. She looked at her husband's strained face, and summoned up all the strength she could. She had to think about him – she didn't have the luxury of falling apart anymore.

"So, what brings you all to Skye?" she asked in a low voice, sipping her tea.

Just then, a gaggle of children stumbled out of her fireplace. Five – three boys and two girls – covered in soot. She stood up in surprise.

"Sirius!" one of the boys exclaimed. "I knew it wasn't true! I knew you'd be here!" He ran up to the man and threw his arms around him in a bear hug.

"I'm here, Harry. I'm here for you. Don't fret. Takes more than a magical curtain to bring the curtain down on me! Besides, I had a lot of unfinished work to do."

"We're here to help!" the boy said. "All of us. When we heard you weren't dead..."

"Good news travels fast," interrupted the man she couldn't place. He turned to her husband and said with a smile, "Thank you, Severus. We never could have brought him back without you."

The demonstrative boy looked around, puzzled. "Snape? What has he got to do with this?"

"Professor Snape was able to use a TimeTurner to substitute the Veil in the Department of Mysteries with a Portkey. Instead of falling through, Sirius was transported here," the thin man...(not Richard. Not Gus. Damn it, what was his name!) said, still smiling.

A red haired boy spoke up, "Mum and Dad will be along directly, with Charlie and one of his friends."

"I'd best make more tea, then," Elise said, standing up to busy herself in the now crowded kitchen. Tears started to fall as the group chatted happily. She felt arms go about her waist and jumped, dropping a cup. It shattered in the sink. Her husband repaired it with a flick of his wand and whispered in her ear, "Relax, Elise. Let's go out a moment. They can make tea for themselves."

"The house is a mess," she protested weakly, leaning back against him.

"They can clean it better than you can, Wandless Wonder. Come on – it's a warm night. Or morning, I suppose," he said, looking up and glancing over her shoulder to see the frozen garden lit up with the weak dawn light. He adjusted the cashmere shawl around her shoulders and steered her out the back door.

Light danced across the frozen ground as they walked away from the house. He climbed over a low stone wall and lifted her petite body over, then put his arm around her shoulders and guided her through the tall pine trees to a bubbling pool that was smoking in the morning mist. He leaned over and dipped his hand in the water, the straightened and drew his wand. "Uiskavar!" he said, and the water glowed. "Get in," he commanded, unlacing her robe.

She stood there passively and let him slide it off her shoulders, the heavy white silk puddling at her feet. She stepped out of her slippers and into the soothing hot water, twisting her long hair into a knot on top of her head. She sighed with pleasure and looked at him expectantly. "You're not coming in, too?" she asked.

"Not now, Elise. I have to talk to you," he sighed. "It's been a long time."

"Very long. You're tired – please, talk to me here. It will soothe you," she insisted, slightly agitated at his reluctance.

He walked over to the edge of the steaming pool and tilted her head back to kiss her brow. "It's not that. It's not. There are things you have to know. Those children..."

"What about them?" she said, her heart pounding. She knew. She didn't want to hear anymore. The saw that boy, the image of his father. Almost as beautiful as her own son. She wouldn't hate him. She wouldn't. She wouldn't blame a child for his parents. He'd done nothing to her, and she'd suffered enough from other people judging her for the sins of her parents. Lily never did anything to harm her. Never.

"Elise, how long do you think you've...been away?"

"A week? I don't know," she lied. "You started going mad, then Black started going mad, and I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't get warm. It was cold, Severus. Very cold."

"You know it was longer."

"Time hasn't done anything to you. You look gorgeous," she said quickly, words tumbling out of her mouth in a nervous rush. The boy – the demonstrative one. Who loved Black. Who was nearly grown. Harry. Lily's Harry.

"Fifteen years, Elise. Fifteen."

"Why so long?"

"Black had you. I couldn't find you."

"Black?" she gasped. The thought she might vomit. "Oh God!" she exclaimed, shaking her head and looking up at him in anguish.

"He was in Azkaban. I didn't know he had you. I couldn't find you. I was at Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts? For the love of God, why?" she said. Her mind rebelled – he shouldn't be subjected to that. There was no reason for that.

"I teach there, Elise."

"You're a teacher?"

"So I said. Potions. Don't look so shocked."

"You have no patience; you don't suffer fools gladly; you have a wonderful imagination. The stress of imagining what could go wrong would kill you. You're no teacher – you haven't the stamina."

"Dumbledore looks after me."

"Someone has to."

"Professor Snape!" a boy's voice called.

"Yes!" he shouted back in an exasperated tone.

A red-haired boy and girl came crashing through the bracken. The boy took in the sight of a woman in the steaming pond and turned beet red, his eyes wide and staring at his shoes. The girl spoke for them both. "Mum and Dad are here, with Bill and Oliver. They asked if you'd mind if they started breakfast?"

"Delightful," Snape said, adding under his breath, "while you're at it, add another wing onto the house."

Elise smiled slightly and muttered, "Neglecting my guests. Bad hostess..."

"We'll be back presently," Snape said from where he sat on a large stone behind his wife. The boy stood there and stared until the girl grabbed at his sleeve and pulled him back toward the house.

"Elise, I didn't know they would come, not with you here. I can make them leave. I can call it all off. It hurts - I know how it must hurt, seeing them."

"And yet Dumbledore has you with them every day," she said tightly. "What of your pain, Severus? They were your children, too. How can you bear it?" she said in a strangled whisper.

"It's been years, Elise. It doesn't hurt the same anymore."

She closed her eyes. It still hurt her. "Why?"

"Because these children aren't dead. We can stop it, Elise. You and I. No more dead babies."

"No more dead babies," she echoed. She rose out of the steaming water like a latter day Venus, and picked up her robe. "It's ruined," she said blankly, looking at the muddy skirt.

"Give it here. I'll fix it," Snape said, waving his wand. The stain lightened, but stayed. "Oh, hell," he muttered. "What color do you like?"

"Blackwatch – Minerva will like it."

"Sweet Mother of Merlin, woman, where did you get your fashion sense?" he said, but flicked his wand again and transfigured the robe into a lovely blue and green tartan pattern, with white lace at the collar much like Professor McGonnagal's own robe. The silk shimmered in the sunlight.

She pulled it on easily, and let down her hair again. He ran his fingers through her heavy tresses. "They'll think we've been shagging."

"I thought that's all teenaged boys thought about anyway," she said lightly.

"Middle aged ones, too," he muttered. "I'll have to go to him soon; you know that."

"I'll be fine," she said with a fake smile. "There really isn't any other way, is there? You have to go first."

"I must. No other order will work. I'll send for help if I can."

"Dinna fash yersel'," she said in a mock Scottish accent, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "The boys will keep me busy."

"Naughty wench."

*

Back in the crowded kitchen, Professor McGonnagal watched out the window with a keen eye. The Snapes were clearly overwhelmed by all their company. Hermione slid up next to her and asked who the lady who left with Professor Snape was.

"Mrs Snape was injured a long time ago, Miss Granger. She has just recently recovered. How is Mr Potter?"

"Excited about Sirius, of course. Very happy."

"Excellent," the professor said, looking around the room. Most of the people had left for the living room, and Mrs Weasley and Oliver Wood were busily frying up enough sausages for an army. Charlie sat at the table regaling Ginny with tales of dragons.

"Professor, why is everyone here? You'd think Voldemort himself was coming."

"He will be, Miss Granger. He will be."

Just then Ron bolted through the door with Harry on his heals. "Dad says you need help with breakfast," he said. Then he noticed Hermione and started acting all cool. "Need me to move any furniture, or anything, Mum?"

"No, dear, just the toast. You can Harry just sit down. You, too ladies," she said as she put a platter of eggs and sausage on the table. "Tuck in, boys! You, too, Oliver, Charlie. Tuck in."

The Snapes came through the door just as they all sat down. Professor Snape raised an eyebrow and sat his wife down, next to Professor McGonnagal, and on the opposite end of the table from Harry and Sirius. She didn't fill her plate, instead sipping her tea and watching everyone silently. For once, Mrs Weasley didn't criticize anyone's appetite, letting them pick at their food if they wished.

"So Elise, what did Severus bring you back for? Joining the Death Eaters or the Order? I suppose you learned enough curses from your parents to make you a little useful to the bastard. Or are you just here to stir his caudrons?"

"Mrs Snape's a squib?" whispered Hermione to Ron.

"I'm an accountant," said Elise to the younger woman. "I don't do magic."

"Just curses."

"As I've thrown three curses in my life, and two of them have been on you, I'd say you're the authority."