Stefan thought that this had to be the most beautiful night of the summer. The moon was bright and the stars were shining majestically. He held Dierna's small hand in his while his mind wandered. He had his future all planned out. As soon as she graduated he had every intention of marrying her. That was almost two years away. But he was more than happy to wait, because he loved his darling Adelaide.

Stefan smiled at the darkness, he was the only one Dierna allowed to call her by her given name. If anyone else tried it her deep green eyes would flash, the gold flecks in them would glitter dangerously. It was true; he thought absently, redheads really did have dangerous tempers. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing as long as their anger wasn't directed at him.

He leaned in close to Dierna, "We've walked a long way, we should start heading back if I'm going to have you home on time."

"Oh, Stefan, the night is so beautiful, let's stay out here forever."

He pulled Dierna in close to him and kissed her softly. "I don't want you to get in trouble because I kept you out to late. Besides I have a feeling your father wouldn't be overly thrilled with me if I did that. But, we can walk very slowly, and enjoy this evening to the fullest."

Dierna pulled Stefan back into her and kissed him. He was so good to her.

Serena was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace in her father's study. Where was he? She had just decided leave and was headed to the door when her father walked in the room. He was scowling. Not good. Serena could see why most of the student's at Hogwarts feared her father.

Severus moved to stand in front of the unlit fireplace and pointed at the couch which sat in front of him, "sit." He often wondered if he acted too much the teacher at home and whether or not it hindered him as a parent. All he could do was perform his role as an authority figure the best way he knew how, often drawing from his years of teaching experience.

Serena moved in the direction her father had commanded her, but paused to stand in front of him. She took a deep breath, she could do this. "Dad, I'm really sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier. I shouldn't have taken out my anger on you like that. I...I..." she faltered at the cold look her father was giving her, "I'm sorry for my earlier behavior and I..."

Severus cut her off, "sit down." Serena quickly sat down on the sofa, but did not take her eyes off of her father; she knew she was treading a very fine line. She looked up at where her father stood above her, "exactly how much trouble am I in?"

Severus raised an eyebrow at his daughter, and then sat down beside her, "that all depends..."

"On what?" Serena looked at him apprehensively.

"On how the rest of this conversation goes."

"Oh..." Serena picked up a pillow and held it in her lap, concentrating on it, not sure she wanted to look up.

Severus examined his daughter while she absently smoothed the pillow in her lap. He could tell she had been crying, and he could tell that her apology had been sincere. However, one of the things he hated the most was being talked back to, especially when he was already not in the best of moods. "You have a tendency to let your anger control you. I find that kind of behavior to be absolutely unacceptable. You will work at controlling your temper and you will not talk anyone in the manner in which you spoke to me earlier. I will not tolerate it." He paused briefly to see if his daughter would respond. After seeing that she was going to remain silent he continued, "Do you know why I find that sort of behavior unacceptable?"

Serena took a deep breath then hurriedly recited the lecture she had gotten before, "because you want me to be the kind of person that can be respected and can show respect to others. That I must learn to control my temper, because if I can't control myself I will never earn the respect of others."

Serena continued to smooth the pillow in her lap, she had already cried once, she would not do it again, but her eyes were stinging nonetheless. She was truly sorry, and ashamed of the way she had acted earlier.

Severus thought for a long moment about how he was going to handle this situation, he considered the factors that had come into play, he also thought about the advice Morgan had given him. Severus gave himself a moment to calm down, "I will admit that I have not been in the best of moods all day, and you, young lady, were not at your best this afternoon. I think that we both took out our anger on each other. So, I am prepared to end this conversation now, and say nothing more about it for the time being. But I will not be pleased should this happen again."

Serena nodded her head slowly in wonderment. It really wasn't anywhere near as bad as she had been expecting, Mum had been right. "I really am sorry Dad; I can't believe I acted like that."

Severus put an arm around his daughter and pulled her in close to him, "I know that you are sorry my little English Rose, no... not so little anymore I suppose. But you need to learn how to control that temper of yours; I want you to grow into a gracious and respected woman. I only want what is best for you." He held her close to him for a moment and gently brushed her straight black hair out of her face.

Out of his four daughters she was the only one who had inherited his coloring. But, she had her mother's delicate facial features. Severus was proud of the fact that all of his children were attractive looking, although it made him rather nervous when he considered the reaction many of the teenage boys had where his daughters were concerned. Luckily, at school his presence was enough to dissuade most would be admirers.

He looked down at his English Rose, she had relaxed considerably, and although she was still absently playing with the pillow in her lap, she looked much more at ease than she had earlier. He didn't want his children to fear him. He wanted respect, but never fear. He had experienced that in his own childhood and wanted better for his family. He put his arms around his daughter and hugged her close. "And now, I think its time that you headed up to bed, its getting late."

Serena leaned against her father and accepted the warm hug he gave her. She would work on her temper; she wanted him to be proud of her. But she didn't feel like heading up yet, it wasn't overly late, she opened her mouth to speak, but her father cut her off before she could begin.

"Now, to bed, and no protests," Severus released his daughter and saw her out of the room. He glanced at the clock, almost another hour before Dierna would be back, and there was no way he would consider turning in before he saw that she was home safely.

The figures in black were moving in on her. The voices, they seemed so familiar, but she couldn't place them. Their conversation was so disturbing. Death. Revenge. Annihilation. A new reign in memory of their dark lord. They would strike at those who had betrayed them. They would have their revenge. No one to stand in their way. But what could she do to stop them. It didn't matter now, it was too late.

Nimue sat up in bed, she was shaking. It was too real. Nightmares had plagued her since the week before. The figures were the ones she had seen in Hogsmead, but she didn't know who they were or what they were planning. She just knew that something was going to happen. And it wouldn't be good.

Severus moved toward the kitchen in search of his wife. Two of his children were in bed, presumably. He found that unless they were right in front of him there was no telling what exactly his children would find to get into. Dierna was still out. That was a thorn in his side. Severus found that he had been wishing she would come home early. It certainly would have put his mind to rest. And Kamen... where was Kamen? Not a good sign. Severus hadn't seen his son since the afternoon; he only hoped it didn't mean more trouble.

Severus entered the kitchen, Morgan was alone. Good. Perhaps now he would get a few minutes alone with his wife, without fear of interruption.

Morgan smiled at Severus as he entered the kitchen. She had been hoping he would seek her out. She moved around the kitchen table quickly, and embraced her husband.

Severus sighed as Morgan embraced him. He wrapped his arms around his petit wife, she was so small. The top of her head barely reached his shoulders. It felt so good to hold her; she was such a perfect fit in his arms. He leaned his head down and kissed her passionately.

"Oh god!!! My virgin eyes! My retinas are burning! I have been blinded by the most horrific sight in the world! Let me die now before I am forced to witness any more of this appalling scene!"

"Kamen," Severus growled, "That is quite enough of that."

Kamen clutched his chest dramatically, and staggered, backing up into a row of cabinets, "Come on Dad! I come in here to get a quick snack and what do I see? Possibly the most horrendous scene ever to befall mankind. My parents kissing! I honestly think that I am scarred for life."

"Then would you just grab something to eat and go to bed?" Severus felt like he was just about ready to lose his mind. Would he never get an uninterrupted moment alone with his wife?

"I think I've changed my mind about that snack. I lost my appetite after that shocking display of affection. But I'm definitely leaving. I'm gonna go try to erase that mental image from my mind, although I have a feeling its going to come back and haunt me in the form of a terrifying nightmare tonight."

"Kamen..." Severus was desperately trying to refrain from losing his patience. His son was not making this easy.

"I'm going, I'm going... although I think that you might want to consider having a little more sympathy now that you may have seriously traumatized me for the rest of my life..."

"Kamen!"

Kamen quickly retreated out of the kitchen, no point messing with short tempered parents. Besides, he had a sister due home from a date anytime now. That would make for a bit of fun. He grinned widely.

Dierna slowly walked up the path with Stefan. She didn't want the night to end. She was so content, so happy. Plus, there would only be a few more days that they could spend together before she had to return to Hogwarts. After that they would have to rely on letters and the few Hogsmead trips for contact. She sighed dejectedly; it just wouldn't be the same.

Stefan looked down at Dierna when she sighed. He had a fairly good idea of what she was thinking. They had become a couple the year before. Although they hadn't been in the same house at Hogwarts they had been able to see each other nearly every day at school and they had continued to see each other frequently this summer. All that would change next week. Stefan tightened his grip on Dierna's hand. He wasn't ready to be separated from her like that. And, it would be a real test for their relationship. How well would they be able to handle having that amount of space between them?

They were quickly approaching the Snape home. Neither of the teens felt ready to let go of their companion. Stefan checked his watch. 12:25. He had a few minutes left. In just seemed like they never had enough time together.

They paused when they reached the front door. Stefan took both of Dierna's hands in his own and looked down at her. She looked absolutely gorgeous in the moonlight. He felt his heart do a strange flip-flop as he drew her into him for a long embrace.

Dierna smiled contentedly when Stefan's arms went around her, however she wanted more. She turned her face up, and gently pulled Stefan down to her level to kiss him with all the passion she felt.

Severus was pacing in front of the dining room window. It gave him the best view of the path leading up to the front door. Where on earth could his daughter be? He checked his watch for about the hundredth time. She still had a few minutes. He looked up again. A sigh of relief. Dierna and Stefan were walking up to the house now.

He watched as the couple approached the front door, waiting very impatiently for his daughter to come in. He felt a twinge of annoyance when Stefan embraced his daughter. That feeling quickly increased to infuriation when he saw his daughter kiss the boy. That was it. He was going to go out there and drag Dierna in.

He moved quickly toward the entry way. Dierna came in the door before he got there. She was positively glowing.

"What were you doing out there?!"

Dierna looked at her father in shock, "what are you talking about?" She searched her mind, trying to come up with something that she could have done to upset him. She was home on time so he couldn't be mad at her for breaking curfew.

"I told you that your behavior was to be above reproach. What I saw was completely unacceptable. I am extremely disappointed in your behavior. What were you thinking Adelaide?" He was livid.

So, he must have been watching them through the window. He was probably upset about the kiss, it was infuriating the way he was treating her, "You were watching us?! How can you be angry with me for something that wasn't even that bad when you were spying on us?" Dierna could feel her own temper rising. How dare he spy on her and Stefan! They hadn't even done anything wrong.

"You kissed him! You have really crossed the line this time young lady. You are only 16, that kind of behavior is not tolerable. I am offended that a daughter of mine would act in such a shameful way." He glowered at her.

Dierna was not ready to back down. She honestly believed that she had done nothing that deserved this kind of reaction from her father. "I am not going to discuss this with you because you are being completely unreasonable. I have done nothing wrong and you are treating me like I have completely disgraced you! I am going to bed now." She stood her ground bravely and raised her chin. She would not be weak, she would not back down.

"Young lady, you will not go anywhere! This conversation is not over, and I am nowhere near finished with you yet." His voice was harsh and his glare cold. He was not going to let his daughter off easy this time. Her attitude and the way she was speaking to him were not to be tolerated. He really was going to lock her in her room until she was married.

Dierna glared at her father, "What do you find so offensive about me kissing my boyfriend? I see nothing wrong with that. And I see no reason in talking about this when I have done nothing to warrant your anger! Mum will agree with me! Why don't you ask her about this before you start yelling at me for no reason?!"

"You are way out of line young lady, and do not bring your mother into this when this conversation is between you and me. Tomorrow we will discuss the fact that you will not be allowed to see Stefan anymore. You are grounded indefinitely, now go to your room!" Why was it that his own daughter could infuriate him more quickly and to a greater degree than an entire class of incompetent first years?

Dierna turned and rushed up the stairs. He was so unreasonable sometimes! She resisted the temptation to slam her bedroom door. She quickly changed into her pajamas, and sat down on the window seat and began absently drumming her fingers against the window pane. Hopefully sleep would not be long in coming. It would provide her with an escape from the rage she was feeling.

Severus wearily mounted the stairs in search of his own bed. He needed sleep badly, besides he wouldn't have to deal with his children if he was asleep. He entered the master bedroom tiredly. It definitely felt like the longest day ever.

Morgan was already in bed. She was propped up, reading a book. "I thought I heard yelling, anything wrong?"

Severus didn't respond right away, he changed out of his clothes and climbed into bed beside his wife. "I was waiting for Dierna to come home and saw her kissing Stefan. She seemed to find nothing wrong with her behavior." His voice was stiff, betraying the anger he felt.

Morgan debated what to say, this was a delicate situation, "Severus," she tried to keep her voice as low and calming as possible, "you know that I had a boyfriend when I was Dierna's age, and we kissed each other. I see nothing wrong with our daughter kissing her boyfriend as long as it doesn't go beyond that. I think that given the right circumstances it is completely acceptable and is nothing that you should worry about."

"Dearest, I have to disagree with you. I do not want that boy touching my daughter, and I do not want her to behave in such a manner."

Morgan sighed; this was going to be harder than she thought, "Severus, do you truly think that this is the first time they have kissed?"

"Are you suggesting that they have..."

"Sev, Dierna came and talked to me the first time they kissed, that was a long time ago. I told her then that as long as they didn't go past that I was not going to interfere in their relationship."

Severus didn't respond.

Morgan continued calmly, hoping her husband would be receptive to her, "And Sev, I'm sorry that I suggested you extend the kids' curfew. I shouldn't have done that. I was comparing your set of rules with those that my father set. And as you know, my childhood was hardly structured, and I was given much more freedom than I think is right for our children to have."

"Morgan, I am concerned about what our daughter's relationship will lead to. I understand how a teenage boy thinks, and it is not a comforting thought. I cannot believe that you would actually condone this kind of behavior."

"Severus I honestly find nothing wrong with it. And I think you overreacted down there. Our daughter is probably sulking in her room, thinking about what a tyrant you are right now."

"I am not a tyrant."

"No, but you can act the part at times. I trust our daughter to be reasonable in her relationships. And I trust you to make the right decision where our daughter is concerned. You are an excellent father Severus, a bit overprotective at times, but I think that is better than my own father who could have cared less what I did with my life. I think you need a goodnights sleep. I have a feeling everything will look a little better in the morning."

Severus looked at his wife; she was always such an optimist. This was somewhat of a surprise considering how her childhood had been. Severus thought back on what he knew of Morgan's upbringing. Her mother had died when she and her sister were still very young, leaving them in the care of their father. Unfortunately their father had never recovered from the lose of his wife.

Their father had continued to provide monetarily for his children, but was never there for them emotionally. He hadn't really cared what his children did. It probably would have been better if the man had gone ahead and died with his wife, Severus thought bitterly. He had been as good as dead to his children.

Severus' own childhood had not been a happy one. While Morgan had had almost no rules governing her actions, Severus' case had been at the opposite end of the spectrum. It was no wonder the two of them longed for something better for the children.