Unedited, enjoy and wow, look- it's a return of the plot! Read and review and beware, the end is finally coming.

Chapter Fourteen: Death/Rebirth

The cold night made Becka's breath visible on the night air and to amuse herself, she blew out to study the white plumes of smoke. She watched as the white air disappeared into sky before turning her attention to the leering Jack o Lanterns that were peering at her through their clear triangle shaped eyes. Back during their glory days, such pumpkin guardians were meant to ward against demons or other bumps in the night, now they were widely considered only as a seasonal family project.

Erised herself had never enjoyed such traditions or customs that most took for granted. Her father had been a Kaga, while her mother had the wife of a President. Their offspring- a twin boy and girl- had been promptly shuttled away and forgotten. For the first decade of her life, she had been drugged, charmed, transfixed and drilled into a perfect ubermensch and for the decade that followed that, while most magical children were barely beginning their schooling at places like Hogwarts and Hecate, she was already serving as child soldiers. She had never regretted this life for more then a few passing moments when she would see innocence and simplicity and forget for that moment that hers was a higher calling.

Her brother Eoin, on the other hand, had never had her resolve and discipline to fully devote himself to the Kaga. He lent himself only to those great and wonderful ideals of family. He had left Hecate Compound when he was only sixteen, in search of his father. He found Conaire Malone working as a weapon for hire for a then Tom Riddle and would eventually take his place as the Dark Lord's very own Kaga Companion. Eoin Malone's life was fuller and happier then any life Eoin Hecate could have- with a stepmother, half-brother, wife, two boys and a small, unassuming home in Kings County, Ireland.

Eoin had lived a full life, and when it was time, had died attempting to destroy an evil he had helped foster for too long. Erised had received word of Eoin's death through her brother Kiernan but had never understood the reasons behind it. She didn't need too. All she had really needed to know was that Eoin's murderer had been a girl child called Kaiya Alchemy.

The daughter of Severus Snape, and her own pupil.

In her mind eye, she could still see the fourteen-year-old girl who had searched her out because she had barely discovered her father's existence. Kaiya was a small, wild haired child who had crept into her office with the hope that she could find some idea about what kind of a man was the Auror-turned teacher. Kaiya had said Gideon Mallory had referred her to Erised, and wanted to know anything she could about the man. Erised had approached the subject carefully and sanitarily at first- like all Kaga would have when remembering a past charge.

But how do you recall and write off three years of your life to a child? How to you contain and clean up all the pain and pleasure of an idealistic youth and explain to a girl that you saw her father when he was a Romantic and a dreamer and watched him become what he is today. How do you explain the fall of such a great man as Severus Snape?

Truth is, you don't.

Erised had told the only story she had known. She had spoken of the man she had loved, the Auror who was the child of Aurors before him and had done great things in the name of justice. She had spoken of the father, and friend and comrade and soldier. She had told the story of Severus that he himself had forgotten. She had told and Kaiya had believed. Kaiya had believed and in turn made real by choosing to following his path and becoming an Auror.

In the days that followed Kaiya's death, Erised wondered if she had included the pain in with the pleasure, the bitterness in with the hope- would Kaiya still be living today? Would it have mattered in the end? And if it did matter, to whom would it have mattered? To Erised? To Severus?

Severus…

So much of Erised's life had been shaped by his, without the slightest hint of knowledge on his part. He had become her obsession, ever lingering, and immortal like some stain-glassed deity that was never realized and never understood. His presence was a doubled bladed sword, a two faced god that was at once comforting and fearful, merciful and jealous. She had spent half her life protecting him from coups within the Death Eater ranks, and the other half attempting to destroy him. Such a precarious and tenacious love, it had all but destroyed her.

And even now, it didn't release her.

Which was why Erised was freezing her butt off in the English winter while waiting for Choice to appear. It was purely for Severus' sake that she was searching for Choice. The man had already lost too much; she would not allow him to lose Choice too. She had used all the resources she had at disposal as Saint Michael to search for Choice, but as fate would have it, he had found her. He had written her to meet him here at Hogsmeade.

She had thought it was odd, picking such a public space, especially if he was hiding from the Death Eaters like he said but she knew better then to question desperate men. Besides, there was no way the Dark Lord would attempt something here so close to Hogwarts. Despite herself, she turned and glanced at the school. Things were complicated sometimes, too complicated for her own liking and she longed for the days when the world was simpler- black and white.

"Michael?" Erised almost jumped and turned to watch Choice appear from the shadows. He looked up at her through tired eyes and pulling his hair back with his hands. "Are you alone?"

"Yeah, I am. Why, should I have brought a medic…" She looked him over, and moved closer. "Choice, you look like…" Her words were cut short by a soft, guttural growl coming from the corner as a young handsome man appeared from behind Choice. He was looking up despite his bowed head and watching her with intense eyes. She instantly recognized Eddie, and raised a brow, dropping her hand over her wand, "Choice, get behind me."

Choice looked away and didn't move. The figure of approached to his side, and did nothing. There was another flutter of movement in the dark, making Erised tense even more and waiting. Another man appeared, this one was older then the young werewolf. He smiled at her carefully and raised his hand, as if he was prepare to draw on the air. There was a stirring in the pit of her stomach that began to grow into full-blown fear. Erised looked up and found Choice's eyes around the same time he found a voice.

"I'm sorry, Michael." He said simply.

Erised glanced at the two men and knew somehow there were more around her. "So am I."

"Touching, Angel, very touching." Erised heard an old familiar voice sing as he walked in. This face was from Erised's memory and caused the fear to swell and choke her. It was Ezra. The werewolf that had been with Silas on Day of the Dead.

The demon, who with Silas, had raped her and laughed.

Ezra seemed to recognized this and laughed again. "Yes…you remember me, don't you? I remember you. I remember that pitiful creature who moaned and bayed like a dumb animal when Silas had his way with you…and you know what, I don't think all of you resisted." No one had pulled their wands yet, seemingly intent to wait until Ezra had finished his baiting. "Can't say I wouldn't love a second visit, but sadly I won't get that chance." He looked up, and smiled softly. "I'm here on behalf of Imre. He's willing to spare your life if you cooperate."

"You can tell Imre to kiss my natural Kaga ass."

Ezra raised a brow. "I'm not your enemy, Michael and you know it. You could care less about this war, and that makes us friends so why don't you drop the pretense and just tell me what I need to know."

"You should never spit into the wind or go swimming right after eating."

"Imre just wants to know where you put it."

"Put what?"

"What you stole from him in Africa, that's all he's after…give it to him, and you'll have the chance to walk away from all this."

"Why? So you can shoot me in the back, no thank you."

"So you can come home."

Erised felt her heart twist as she turned, ignoring her enemies and looking on Isaiah's gaunt, pale face. Those deep, murky blue eyes of his were staring into hers with infinite sadness that was a stark contrast to the power he gave off. The vampire was watching her keenly, and spoke again, walking closer to her. "And you know it's time. The war, for you, has lost its purpose. There is nothing here for you. If you remain, all you'll see is death and destruction…"

Turning again to look upon Choice and the others, Erised looked at them all, then caught sight of Hogwarts looming in the distance. There were so many youngsters there, with no idea that the world end painfully soon for them. In her mind's eyes, she saw a vision- she knew it must be one and it seemed to stretch into eternity. She could hear the screams of dead now, and see the pale, drawn faces and see their hands reach to her with trembling, bony hands that had the flesh seared from the bone and marrow. She saw a fire burning as bright as a star, that pierced through her mind's eyes and causing her to bow her head.

Dropping her hands to her sides, Erised began to whisper. "Then the angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch…and the name of the star was Wormwood…"

With that, she fell to her knees, pulling both wands and screaming "Crucio!"

~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~

"I have a responsibility to these people, Bram! I can't leave them now, I told Ezra this!"

"You have a greater responsibility to our pack, and you know it!"

Remus looked up and stared at Bram's callow face and as always was struck about how much Bram resembled his father. Abraham had been one of Remus' mentors, a second father to him when Remus had been nothing more then a frightened child fresh out of Hogwarts and barely stepping into a world where he would be exiled and feared for a condition he could not help. During those times, even the Marauders seemed so far away, and Abraham was kind and gentle. He was also something the Marauders could never be- another werewolf who had once been as frightened and as unsure of himself as Remus felt then. It had been Abraham who had taken him to the haven that was the Astor Estate, was Abraham who had encouraged him to take up a career in Dark Arts study and to one day endeavor to teach.

And even now, Remus could see Abraham's passionate resolve in his son's face. But unlike his father, Bram hadn't fought in the first War. Abraham had fought- and died- in the war, as had his wife and Elise. It had been a vicious, bloody battle and before the end, it had left Remus wondering what could have been so damn important to lose all those people. He had decided then never to fight again.

A choice he been able to honor until today. Today was different. Today was chaotic and deadly in it's own right but only promised more before the end. Today, like Erised had said, was the beginnings of Armageddon and he knew it. But how do you explain to a boy who's lost his parents that they had died for the wrong side?

Truth is, you don't.

"I love you and Ezra and the others, but I won't fight and die for them when they sign themselves over so willingly to the Dark Lord. Don't you see Voldemort only wants us to die for him? If we fight and win, Voldemort won't give us the power we want. He's use us and he'll betray us."

"You don't know that!"

"Yes, I do and so do you, Bram. Even if you won't speak, you know that what I say is true, because you have felt it."

Bram bowed his head, and studied his hands. "…I won't betray Ezra, Remus. I can't. He's done so much for us."

"I'm not betraying Ezra." Remus whispered, and hated himself for not fully believing what he was saying. "But I'm not following him in his lies either. I've lost too much to fight for lies."

"And yet you would fight and die for the promise of a boy." Bram looked up but this time to study the school. "You all place so much on this boy's shoulders, it hardly seems fair."

"I know."

"Do you?" Bram asked. He had risen from his seat across from Remus and shrugged into his dirty blue coat. In the dark sky, with the way shadows played over his face, Remus could have sworn it was Abraham. "After tonight, nothing will be certain anymore."

"What do you mean?"

Bram pushed open the door and looked at him, quietly. "Tonight even Angels can die."

Remus lolled over in his mind what Bram had said for the next half hour, and couldn't shake either the confusion or the fear that peppered his mind. It hadn't been a threat, merely a statement that had seemed to trouble Bram himself. He wondered if he should warn Severus, he had once been named after an Angel if Remus remembered correctly and then, in the next beat recalled that Snape probably didn't need any help or warning. The man was god when it came to dealing with troubles and problems. A small, begrudged smile overtook Remus' features.

Once, just once, Remus wanted to be as cool and in control of the situation as Severus always seemed.

"You're up late." Remus turned and smiled at Amissa Moon. She was standing in her robe, with one hand holding a mug of what was probably hot chocolate and the only hand tucked into her robe's pocket. She smiled at him, "Couldn't sleep?"

Remus shrugged. "Last minute duties, what about you?"

Amissa's eyes flickered. "Bad dreams…I hate Halloween."

"Why? I always remember you running around with the rest of the Illuminatti and causing mayhem."

Again, she smiled but this time, it was smaller, contained and rueful as if the memory all at once comforted and pained her. "I did. But Sydney died on Day of the Dead and Halloween usually just reminds me that another anniversary of his death is going to past and I can't even visit his grave…not really."

"I don't understand." Remus said, as crossed the distance to her.

"They never recovered his body. We had a funeral for him of course…but it was just an empty casket. I remember I had this wild notion that because they had been no body, he wasn't really dead…that some mistake had been made and he'd return to me." She looked up at him, and snorted. "I know it sounds cliché but I never thought he was dead, not really. It was this feeling I had in the pit of my stomach that he was still alive. Half of me still believes that it's true."

Remus put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "In a way he is alive. As long as you or someone remembers them, they are never gone, are they?"

"Do you really believe that?"

"I try to." He nodded. "Because I don't think I can stand being without some people…"

"Like Kaiya?"

"Kaiya, yeah…like her." He said, quietly. "Honestly, I was never in Kaiya's heart, not like Choice. I was just there at the right time, you know? I was there to hold her at a time she needed to be held…and not that I mind either." He smiled. "I wouldn't give up the time I had with Kaiya, or the son she gave me for anything in the world but I knew I wouldn't be who she wanted. I was just an intermezzo in her life, before Choice came back."

Amissa nodded thoughtfully. "It's never the same after you find true love. It wasn't for me at least. After someone like Sydney, or Elise for you I imagine, it doesn't feel the same because they'll always be there. All you can do is go on…"

"And hope you find someone who can make you feel just as secure and brave as they made you feel."

"Or hope at the very least hope you find someone that you can be all those things for." Amissa whispered, stopping and looking into Remus' eyes. "That's what you did for Kaiya…that's what you do for me.'

Remus frowned, and tilted his head. "For you?"

"Well yeah," She said simply. "I mean, come on Remus, with you around and holding on to me…what could possibly go wrong?" She blushed and looked down, pushing open the door to her room. "Goodnight Rehmy…"

Remus allowed her to take one step into the room before reaching out and grabbing her wrist. He pulled her so close to him that she made a sound as she bumped into his chest. She looked up, watching him carefully as Remus leaned down and kissed her softly. Amissa dropped the chocolate she was holding and pushed her hand through his hair before deepening the kiss.