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Not Myself by Saerry Snape

Chapter 148 – A Near Miss and Conversations

"I heard Snape almost caught a couple in the West Tower last night!"

"I heard that too!  Who do you think it was?"

"Had to be Slytherin's.  I've tried getting up there.  Couldn't do it."

"Don't you know it won't let anyone up but Slyth's?"

"What are you lot talking about?"

"Hmm?  Oh, hi, Hermione."

"We're talking about that couple Snape nearly caught.  You hear about it?"

Hermione blinked and asked, "Where?"

"West Tower.  Y'know, the one that'll only let Slyth's up."

"Oh.  No, haven't heard a thing."

Hermione turned and sat down across from Ron, who was busily stuffing his face with food.  She glanced over towards the Slytherin table and saw Niamh slumped against Harry's side, her eyes closed.  The long-haired teen had one arm around the girl's waist to steady her and was eating with the other, his eyes never straying from the book that he had propped up on a jug of milk.

Turning back towards the empty plate in front of her, the bushy-haired girl wondered if they had been the couple up on the West Tower.

Maybe Ginny knew…

* * * *

"Ginny?"

The redheaded fifth year looked up from her book and blinked at Hermione.  She had to blink a few more times to bring the older girl into focus.

"Oh…  Hi, Hermione."

"I have a question."

"Sit.  Ask."

Hermione sat down across from her, glancing over at Madam Pince.  The librarian was currently occupied with a large stack of recently returned books so she spoke a little louder than usual.

"Do you know what Slytherin's Professor Snape almost caught last night?"

Ginny's cheeks flushed pink and Hermione grinned in triumph.

"You do know!" she exclaimed.  "Was it Harry and Niamh?  Have they finally gotten together?"

Ginny flushed red as she nodded slowly.  Hermione's grin widened and she laughed.

"That's great!"

"I know.  Mika and I almost walked in on them."

"What were they doing?"

Ginny arched an eyebrow and Hermione's eyes widened.

"Kissing?"

"Mmm-hmm."

Hermione let out a whoop then hurriedly covered her mouth as Madam Pince turned to glare at her.  Ginny rolled her eyes and picked up her book, grabbing the older girl's arm and dragging her from the library.

"You've been around us for far too long, Mione."

"Hey, happy moment.  Can't I be happy during a happy moment?"

Ginny glared mildly at her then sighed.

"You are now far too cheery."

"Can you blame me?"

"Not really."

Ginny then smirked and added, "Now if only you and Ron would get together…"

"WHAT!"

* * * *

"Sir, I want to help!"

"No!  Absolutely not!"

Mika scowled and snapped, "You let Harry help get me out!  Why can't I help get Amadeus?"

Severus closed his eyes, rubbing his left temple.  He glanced at his son for help and got a shrug in response.

"Mika, there is no way that either of your parents would allow you to do such a thing.  Not after what has happened."

"I'm sixteen!" shouted Mika.  "I can choose what I want to do and what I don't!"

"And if that choice costs you your life?" hissed Severus.  "I have no wish to find your father upon my doorstep because I allowed you to aid in this rescue and you died in the attempt."

Mika scowled and looked at Harry, who was lounging on the couch.

"Harry, what do you think?"

The dark-haired teen sat up and brushed back the hair that had escaped the braid his hair had been put into.  He'd discovered it in that condition when he woke up face-down on the couch in the Hexer's Corner.  A glance at Niamh had proven it to be her doing from the smile on her face.

"I agree with me da.  Mik, it'd just na be safe.  An' what about Mischa?"

"She's doing perfectly fine."

Harry arched an eyebrow and the white-haired boy scowled.

"Okay," he admitted, "she's not perfectly fine.  But she's okay.  We adapt well, we Moody's."

"Not well enough," said Harry, remembering when Mischa had shown up a week before when Christmas holidays ended.  Her left arm hung in a sling at her side and though she put on a brave face, he knew that the eleven-year-old was frustrated.  And he didn't need Niamh's empathic powers to know that one.

"No.  But what's that got to do with me helping with the rescue?"

Harry scowled, snapping, "Ye've been injured enough, as is!"

"So?" spat Mika.  "I'm fine with being a werewolf and having only one working eye – while annoying – isn't that hard to get used to."

Harry continued to scowl at him and Mika glared back for a few moments before he looked away.  But the look in his eyes showed he wasn't beaten.

"I want to help," he growled softly.

Severus sighed and sat down heavily into a chair.  He ran both hands back through his hair, which was exceptionally greasy from his standing over a cauldron for nearly seventy-two hours.

"By now they have moved him.  And they know I was involved.  They will be on guard for us."

"Let me have them."

"I beg your pardon?" said Severus, staring.

"Let me have them," repeated Mika.  "Wait for a full moon to attack.  There's not much magic that can bring down a werewolf."

"A full-grown werewolf!" exclaimed Harry.  "Which is categorized as one o' at least twenty-five transformations!  Ye've only had two!"

"So?  I can still help!"

"By transferring the virus you now carry into them?" said Severus snappily.  "No!  Under no circumstance!"

"Why not?!"

"Because werewolves who 'liberately attack people are killed," snarled Harry in a dark tone.

Mika scowled and cried, "There is no way to have one's way in a argument with two Snape's!"

"Two Snape's who are also Slytherins," added Severus.

"Sir!"

"No, Mika.  If you do not recall, I was an Auror under your father's command.  I have seen his temper and have been under the brunt of it more times than I like to remember.  You know as well as I how he would react to anything happening to you."

Mika's scowled faded a little at Severus' words.  He did know his father's temper very well.  The retired Auror had never hit him but he was as hard a taskmaster as Severus and would punish his children if they did wrong.

"But, sir," he said after a moment, "I could help.  I could find Amadeus wherever he is."

"I am sorry, Mika, but I would far rather trust Lupin's werewolf senses in a hunt.  You are young and still know very little about your own kind."

"You took Harry with you to rescue me."

Severus glanced at his son, whose brows were knitted together in a frown.  The green eyes met his and the frown deepened.

"Ni saw him dyin' if I did'na go," he said softly.  "I forced me way into going."

"How true," murmured Severus.  "Stubborn as your mother."

"An' you," shot Harry back.

"Hmphf."

"Sir," said Mika, getting their attention back to the previous conversation.

Severus sighed and ran a hand back through his hair again.

"I will only consider it if your parents consent.  And even then I do not know if I will allow you on such a dangerous mission."

Mika also said 'You allowed Harry' but he quickly snapped his mouth shut over that and nodded gratefully.

"Thank you, professor."

Severus waved his away and Mika left, leaving the two Snape's alone in the room.  After a moment Harry spoke.

"Da."

"Yes?"

"Will there be any time in me life where Voldemort isn't in 'i?"

Severus frowned and looked over at his son, who was looking at him with the most open expression he'd ever seen on the boy.  He was aware of his own open expression that revealed his exhaustion and complete lack of comprehension of their current situation.  The emerald eyes staring at him showed him worry, concern, and several other emotions that his tired brain couldn't identify.

"I hope so, Harry.  I really hope so."