Harry entered the back door carefully, trying not to jostle Lily who had fallen asleep in his arms. He cautiously navigated the stairs so he could put her in bed. Once he had her safely tucked in, he headed back down to the kitchen, intent on seeking out his wife.

She was standing with her back to him looking out the window. Harry walked up behind her and gently slipped his arms around her waist, but he was immediately shrugged off.

"Harry, don't do this."

"Ginny, please, I'm trying so hard, the least you could do is try to hold up your end of this."

Ginny turned to face her husband; her tone was weary and edged with defeat, "Harry I do try, I have been trying for years. When are we going to come to terms with the fact that this is not working out?" She thought back to the crush she had had on him in school and the passionate love of the first years of their marriage. How had it all slipped away?

"We have to make this work, if not for our sakes then for the children."

Ginny sighed, "Harry, how good can it be for them to see us like this? Maybe we should think about what is best for us."

"I can't imagine my life without you."

"And I don't want to live my life without you, but if it's for the best..."

"Let's try just a little longer, I promise you, if by Christmas we still feel this isn't working we'll sit down and figure out what will be best for all of us." He looked at her soft brown eyes and her soft red hair and thought that his Ginny still looked as beautiful as the day he married her.

She sighed, "Alright, we'll give it till Christmas."

The conversation was halted when two black haired children came tearing around the corner, "Dad! We taught Snuffles a new trick today, you have to come see it."

Harry smiled at his children, thirteen year old Ophelia and eleven year old Brandon, as they ran into the kitchen, closely followed by Snuffles, their large chocolate lab. Even if his marriage had grown cold he still had the love of his children, and that, he thought, is the most important thing.

Dierna climbed the stairs to her room with a heavy heart. Stefan had left, they're goodbye had been emotional, but she had remained dry eyed for the whole thing. She could be strong. She had to be strong.

She entered the room she shared with Serena and sat down stiffly on her bed.

"Dierna, is everything ok?"

Dierna looked up; she hadn't even realized that Serena was in the room. She had been too wrapped up in her own thoughts.

"Dierna, what is it?" Serena was concerned; all the color had drained from Dierna's face.

"Stefan is gone; I might never see him again." All of a sudden the truth sank in and reality hit. She might never see him again. She placed the brown package he had given her on her nightstand, barely realizing that her hand was shaking. She felt so cold.

"Dierna?!" Serena looked at the shock that was registered on her sister's face. Oh god, she thought, she's either going to faint or do something to herself.

Morgan smiled when Severus finally joined her in their bedroom. "It took you long enough." She frowned at her husband in mock irritation, but her eyes were laughing.

Severus sank down into the easy chair next to their bed and sighed as he leaned back; it felt so nice to just sit. He eyed Morgan as she came up to him, she looked so beautiful.

"Tired darling?" Morgan gently ran a hand through Severus' hair. She smiled when he just closed his eyes and didn't respond. "I guess I'll just have to sleep by myself tonight if you're going to fall asleep in this chair." She bit her lip, trying to keep from giggling. She let out a small shriek instead when Severus grabbed her arms and pulled her down onto his lap.

Morgan smiled contentedly as she rested her head against his chest. She felt his strong arms encircle her. It felt so good to just be held. "Hold me forever?"

"With pleasure," Severus lowered his head and gently kissed his wife. The kiss deepened when her arms slid around his neck, pulling them closer together. When they finally separated Morgan smiled playfully at her husband, "if that is all I'm going to get I think I'll head to bed."

Severus raised an eyebrow, "you little vixen..." he leaned down to kiss her again. It was wonderful to be able to hold his wife.

Morgan snuggled herself closer into her husband's embrace, with her tiny frame she fit perfectly in his arms. She was on the verge of relaxing when there was a tentative knock on their bedroom door.

Morgan tried to extract herself from Severus' embrace to get the door, but he wasn't letting go, "Sev, let me get it."

"No, stay here, it's probably nothing."

"Severus..." Morgan gently removed his arms from her waist. She leaned back down for one more kiss before she went to the door.

Morgan opened the door partway and felt a wave of concern when she saw the look on Serena's face, "What is it darling?"

Serena spoke in an urgent whisper, "Mum I need you, something has got Dierna really upset."

Morgan took in the level of panic in Serena's eyes. She fervently hoped that everything was alright as she quickly slipped out of the room to join Serena in the hallway, "What happened?"

"I don't know, she said something about Stefan but I don't know the whole story."

Morgan made her way to her daughters' room, hoping that the situation wasn't as bad as it sounded. Her concern increased dramatically however when she took in Dierna's pale face and the look of shock etched in her face.

"Dierna, what is wrong dear?" Morgan sat on the bed next to Dierna and put an arm around her trembling frame.

Dierna took a deep as she tried to register the question, everything was a blur. She closed her eyes and recounted the circumstances behind Stefan's departure, her voice completely devoid of emotion. It all felt like a horrible dream.

Morgan felt her heart clutch in pain for her daughter. She thought of all the times Severus had willingly gone into danger during the time of Voldemort and the complete sense of helplessness she had felt when she was left alone to wonder if she would ever see her husband again. She knew exactly how her daughter felt.

Dierna rested her head on her mother's shoulder. Her world felt like it was falling to pieces. She told herself to be strong, but painful thoughts of what might happen kept filling her mind.

Morgan gently stroked her daughter's hair, "it's alright to cry. I know you don't like to, but it would be a good release."

"I don't feel anything." Dierna felt as though everything was closing in on her, everything felt heavy and dark and cold.

Morgan rearranged herself so that she was propped up against the headboard and wrapped a protective arm around Dierna who had slid down so that her head rested in her mother's lap. Morgan gently worked her fingers through her daughter's hair, hoping to get Dierna relaxed enough so that she could sleep. She had seen the exhaustion in her daughter's face, she only hoped sleep would claim her quickly, it might spare her some painful thoughts.

Morgan closed her eyes and rested her head against the headboard. Between the concern she felt for the safety of her family and the now the concern she felt for the state of her daughter's heart she was under an incredible amount of stress. When she finally opened her eyes again it was to see Severus standing in the doorway, it made her smile to know that he had come looking for her.

"What was wrong?" He gestured towards Dierna who had finally fallen asleep.

Morgan quietly explained the situation to him as she carefully got off the bed, making sure she didn't disturb Dierna in the process. She turned and gently tucked a blanket around her sleeping daughter; she hoped the night wouldn't be too rough for her. She knew very well that young love could be painful at times.

Severus felt a sense of pity for his daughter. He did not want to think about what it would do to her if Stefan never came back.

Morgan held a cup of tea in her hands as she sat down at the kitchen table, which was bathed in the morning sunlight. She smiled at her daughter and the young man with her. It had been a pleasant surprise when Viviane had unexpectedly shown up. Morgan felt like she never saw enough of her eldest child.

Viviane had the same brown curls and bright brown eyes as her mother, aside from their slight difference in height Viviane could have easily passed for a younger version of Morgan.

Viviane smiled slightly as she held the hand of the man beside her, "I actually came by to get a few things that I left here. They're shipping me off someplace for work, but they won't tell me how long I'll be gone for."

"Where are they sending you?" Severus asked from his place beside Morgan as he reached for his wife's hand.

Viviane rolled her eyes, "I can't get them to tell me. All I have been told is that it is a secret operation with no set time limit. I swear, the majority of the people I work under are complete morons who lack the competence to successfully run the department."

Severus silently agreed with her, "At least you have the benefit of working under a capable Minister of Magic; I am relieved that the days of Cornelius Fudge are over."

"Of course Arthur Weasley is wonderful to work with, unfortunately he is surrounded by a rather unsavory, bungling crew."

Morgan thought about what her daughter's assignment could mean, "Viviane, you work in the same department as Stefan, do you think there is any chance that you will be working together?"

Viviane shrugged her shoulders, "Like I said, I've been told next to nothing about this assignment, right now I have no idea. But, I do need to get my journals from my last assignment, for some reason I was told to bring them with me this time. Where did you store them?"

"Come on, you can help me get them. I also have a few other things of yours that you might want." The two women left the kitchen, leaving the men alone at the table.

"So, can I marry her?"

Severus looked at the man across from him, more than a little surprised at the abruptness of the question, "If you promise to treat my daughter with the respect and the love that she deserves I will not refuse you my consent."

Colin smiled in relief; he had been terrified about asking to marry Viviane. He hadn't planned on blurting out the question like that, but he was glad he had gotten it over with.

"When do you plan on asking her?"

Colin grinned, "as soon as possible, I want to have an answer from her before she leaves on this assignment."

Severus extended his hand to the young man across from him, "treat her well, or I will see that you suffer." His voice and look were stern, but he knew he would never have to worry about Viviane if she married this man, they would be more than happy together. But he was not pleased with the situation; he did not want to think about his daughter getting married.

Dierna squinted her eyes against the morning light as it streamed in her window. Damn mornings, they just had a habit of coming too... early. She tried to stretch out but her feet hit something. She turned over, glaring, trying to find the obstruction.

Nimue was sitting on the edge of the bed watching her sister with ill concealed amusement. Dierna never had been a morning person. "Dad says you need to get up now."

"Why would I want to get up now?! It's too early for any decent person to get up." Her voice was groggy and her head felt horrible. She had not slept well; images of Stefan walking away from her, never to return, had plagued her dreams.

Nimue bit her lip, she knew about how Stefan had left and she didn't want to push her sister too much, "well, I'm just the messenger, but we're supposed to leave to go get school supplies soon and Dad said that if he had to come up and get you up it was not going to be pleasant."

Dierna groaned as she sat up, her head hurt and she was still tired and the heartache she had felt last night seemed to be setting in again. It looked like a bad beginning to the day.

"I guess I should get up..."

"Dierna, don't lose faith. You and Stefan are meant for each other, nothing will happen to him." Nimue's violet eyes were serious; there was no hint of mocking in them.

Dierna fervently hoped that her little sister was right.