"Are we clear of the protections around the prison yet?"
"Not yet," Macnair growled, "it's just a little further and then we will be safe."
Stefan felt like he was going to be sick. The most feared wizard of all times was sitting across from him in what felt like an absolutely tiny boat. He couldn't help but notice the vacant look on Voldemort's face, and he shivered as he thought of the affects the dementor's kiss had.
"You look a little squeamish MacNeill," Macnair said bitterly.
Stefan ran a hand through his hair, thinking that he was going to have to shower more than once when he got back to the safe zone to try and erase all the traces of Azkaban off of him, "I just don't understand how... how..."
"How we will be able to use someone who has been administered the dementor's kiss?"
Stefan nodded, not trusting his own voice. This was probably the most dangerous situation he had ever been in.
"There are ways; they are difficult, but effective."
Stefan swallowed hard; he didn't particularly want to know what those ways were. P
"Ahhhh... I believe we are far enough away now," Macnair pulled out a small glass bottle, "hands on everyone."
The death eaters and Stefan all grabbed the bottle, and the portkey whisked them off into the blowing mist.
Severus wrapped an arm around his wife as she snuggled up against him. He took a sip of his drink and smiled at how pleasant her warm weight felt leaning against him.
Morgan looked up at her husband, "I love you,"
"And I love..." but Severus didn't get to finish his response.
"Severus, Morgan! There's been an emergency," Professor Flitwick rushed up, squeaking excitedly.
"What is it?" Severus was on his feet immediately as he sent a worried glance down in his wife's direction.
"There was a break-in at Azkaban, Voldemort has escaped!" Flitwick was beside himself with anxiety.
"Bloody..." Severus let lose a string of profanity, "how did it happen?"
"No idea yet, but Minerva got an urgent message from the ministry. She wants all the students back at the school now."
Severus gave a curt nod, "then we best start rounding them up, this could take awhile."
Flitwick glanced around nervously, "Remus and Sirius are here, they are going to check off all the students' names as they get back on the carriages, the three of us are to round up any stragglers."
Severus turned and offered Morgan his hand as she stood up, he took her chin in his hand, "do not go off too far, I want you to stay within the immediate area, I will check the outskirts of town for students, is that clear?"
"Severus, I'm not a child..."
"I know that Morgan, I just don't want you putting yourself in any unnecessary danger. Promise me you won't go too far by yourself."
"I promise Sev."
Dierna shivered in the cold breeze, "why did we have to come so far Nick?"
"Why did you have to leave your cloak at the school?" Nick shot back.
Dierna chose not to respond to that. She turned away from Nick and frowned at what she saw, "I wonder why Dad is all the way out here..." she watched her father approaching.
Severus felt an immense amount of relief when he found Dierna and Nick, but there was also a twinge of fear when he noticed that Serena wasn't with them. "You two need to go back to the carriages now, there is a... situation... and all the students are going back to the school."
"But why..."
"Do not question me now Dierna, this is serious. And where is your sister?"
"Well...."
Severus put his hands on his daughter's shoulders and looked her in the eye, "Tell me Dierna, I need to know where she is." There was a note of panic in his voice.
Dierna looked at her father uncertainly, her resolve wavering. On one hand she had promised to cover for her sister, but she couldn't help but see the fear in her father's face. "Dad, I promised I wouldn't... I just can't..." she fought for the right words.
Severus sighed; he knew that honesty on his part would probably be the only way to get an honest response from his daughter. "Dierna, Voldemort has been broken out of Azkaban, the Ministry is in the middle of a serious security breach. Right now there is no way to tell if the area is safe, now where is your sister?!" His voice rose at the end.
Dierna flinched slightly and looked away, "She's with Mark, they were headed toward the south side of town last time I saw them."
Severus nodded as his mind searched to put a face to Mark, but he didn't dwell on it. He had a feeling he would find out soon enough. He frowned when he noticed that his daughter was shivering in the icy wind, "and where is your cloak young lady?"
"At school."
"And why is it there?"
"Because I didn't think it would be this cold," she replied miserably.
"I think the key phrase there is that you didn't think," Severus looked stern.
Dierna looked at the ground, very much aware that she was under her father's harsh scrutiny.
"Here, it's a long walk back and you don't need to be half frozen by the time you get back to the school," Severus undid his own cloak and wrapped it around his daughter's shoulders. "Chin up," he commanded as he fastened the clips, settling it snuggly around her.
"Thank you," Dierna mumbled as the soft fabric was folded around her. She was grateful for it as she felt warmer almost instantly.
"Please get back to the carriages quickly, both of you," his gaze took in the two teens.
Serena sighed contentedly, "You're wonderful Mark," she murmured into his shoulder as he held her. She turned her face up for another kiss.
Serena closed her eyes as Mark's mouth covered her own. His touch was so sweet, so gentle. When he pulled away she kept her arms tightly wrapped around him, "Oh Mark, you're so... oh no..."
"What is it?" Mark turned around to look in the direction Serena was facing. He thought for a moment that his heart had stopped when he saw his irate potions master standing there watching them.
"Dad, let me explain..." Serena knew that she was in serious trouble; she just hoped that her dad might be compelled to listen to reason. And if not maybe her mother would talk around him.
Severus tried to follow the advice Morgan always gave him about counting to ten, but it wasn't working. "Serena Rose, I don't want to hear your explanations right now! We're going back to the school now, and if I hear one word out of either of you," he paused making sure he had their complete attention, "you will regret it."
Serena clutched Mark's hand as they followed her father out of the ally. All she could think about was how much trouble she was in. And it wasn't getting any better. At one point her dad turned around to make sure he was being obediently followed, under his sharp gaze Serena instantly dropped Mark's hand.
They reached the edge of town where Remus and Sirius were waiting with the last two carriages. Severus approached his colleagues, his expression openly displaying his displeasure, "I think it would be best if Mark rode back with you two."
"And why is that?" Remus asked, although from the look of things he had a good idea where this was heading.
"Because I might be forced to castrate him if he spends anymore time in a close proximity to my daughter."
Remus and Sirius shared a look, "I'm not sure if I've ever seen him this ticked off," Sirius muttered.
"It's probably only going to get worse," Remus quietly answered back.
Serena entered the Gryffindor common room and felt a momentary wave of relief. She was safe from her father's wrath for the time being. But, she knew that would only last as long as he was busy with the other teachers enforcing the protections on the school and discussing other security measures.
"Serena!" Dierna rushed up to her twin, "I'm so sorry, but Dad made me tell him where you were and I was scared about what had happened and I had to tell him, I really didn't mean to. Please don't be mad at me."
Serena sighed, "Its ok. We knew he would find out eventually. But I am in a hell of a lot of trouble."
While her siblings engaged in a frantic discussion, trying to figure out the best way to keep Serena out of as much trouble as possible, Nimue quietly slipped out of the portrait hole unnoticed. She made her way through the hallways; she felt a horribly guilty about what had happened today. If only she had told someone...
"All students are to be in there common rooms, you're in for it now little Snape."
Nimue jumped when Mr. Filch stepped out of a shadowy corridor, his bitter gaze trained on her. Tears filled her eyes, "please Mr. Filch, I need to find my parents, something happened..."
"It can't be that serious that you need to be violating school rules, running around the halls. I think that warrants a detention." Filch smirked.
The tears spilled over, "please, I need to see them now, it's an emergency."
"There, there girl, now don't cry over it. I think they're still in the staff room, I'll walk you up." Filch had a soft spot in his icy heart for the youngest of the Snape children. And her tears affected him more than he would ever admit.
"Thank you," Nimue sniffed as they turned the corridor and paused in front of the door to the staff room.
"No more wandering the halls or you'll be facing a month of detention," Filch growled roughly. He opened the door to the staff room, "Ah, Severus, found someone looking for you," he spoke with a hint of respect in his voice as he addressed the potions master, pushing Nimue into the room with his free hand.
Severus nodded to Argus as he moved towards his youngest, her tear stained face worried him. "What is wrong?" he leaned down to get closer to her level.
"It's all my fault," Nimue sobbed out, "I knew it would happen, I saw it, but I didn't tell anyone. I could have stopped it!"
"What on earth are you talking about child?" Severus asked as he led her to a chair.
"I saw the break in at Azkaban this morning, if I had told someone it might have been stopped!"
"Nimue, please slow down and tell me what you are talking about." Severus kept his voice deceptively calm as he tried to work through what his daughter was trying to tell him.
Remus and Minerva, who were the only other two in the room, besides the Snapes, moved in a bit closer. Remus frowned, this all sounded familiar somehow...
Nimue, through her tears, sobbed her way through her whole story. She told them about all of her visions and what she had seen that morning. "Don't you see it's my fault!" she was reaching hysterics, "I knew what was going to happen and I didn't tell anyone."
"Shhhhh.... It's not your fault child," Severus held Nimue close to him as he shared a worried look with Morgan. "Why didn't you tell us about this sooner?"
"Because I was scared," Nimue sniffed.
Remus had listened to Nimue's story about her visions with a quiet detachment. His thoughts flew to Kalliope. "I know someone who can probably explain everything behind Nimue's visions, and who can probably help her learn to handle them."
Everyone in the room looked to him expectantly, "what exactly do you mean Remus?" Morgan asked quietly, "and what do you know about what is happening, can you explain her visions?" Morgan turned her gaze back to her daughter, who was trembling.
Remus sighed and shook his head, "I don't know enough to explain it. But I have a friend, who is a priestess in Greece; she deals with this sort of thing on a daily basis. I'm sure she would be willing to help Nimue understand what is happening."
Severus frowned, "Are you sure this friend can be trusted. I don't want to put my daughter in the hands of someone who would harm her."
"It is perfectly safe Severus; I would trust this woman with my life."
"I am just trying to think of what is best for my daughter Lupin," Severus growled.
"And I think that this would be very helpful for Nimue," Remus responded calmly.
"Would you stop talking about me as though I wasn't here?!" Nimue was still in tears, "I just want someone to tell me why this is happening." Her small frame trembled and the tears continued to pour down her face.
"We will figure this out child, I promise," Severus gently pushed her down into a chair and knelt in front of her.
"But I could have stopped it..."
"Nimue, listen to me, you will not blame yourself for this," there was a note of authority in Severus' voice.
"But..."
"Darling, this is in no way your fault. I just wish you would have told us sooner so that you wouldn't have suffered alone." Morgan gently brushed the hair out of her daughter's tear streaked face.
"How soon can you get a hold of this priestess?" Severus turned back to face Remus.
Serena, Dierna, and Nick had taken over a corner of the common room. They huddled together in frantic consolation.
"He's going to kill Mark and he's not going to let me go anywhere ever again," Serena groaned. "I am so dead."
"It could be worse; he could have caught you having..."
"Nick! That is not funny right now," Serena groaned.
"Sorry, was just trying to lighten the mood," Nick gave her a weak smile.
"Well don't," Dierna snapped at him. "Serena, maybe if Mum talks to him first..."
"Ok, that would maybe stop him from killing Mark, but that still wouldn't help me any." Serena was starting to get desperate. "Any other ideas?"
"Ummm... cry, a lot. Tears can sometimes get you pretty far with Dad." Dierna tried to give her sister a reassuring look, but knew that this situation was beyond hopeless.
"I don't think that will work this time," Serena chewed her bottom lip nervously.
"Well you're about to find out little sister," Kamen came up, "Dad's waiting out in the hallway for you."
"Oh no... Kamen, can't you tell him I'm sleeping or something, make up anything, please."
"Sorry little sis, but he told me either I brought you out or he would come and get you. I really don't think you want him coming in here."
"At least there would be witnesses when he kills me..." Serena mumbled.
"Hey, I promise to give you a nice funeral," Kamen flashed her a lopsided grin.
"That makes me feel so much better," Serena observed dryly as she got up.
"Good luck," Dierna called after her as Serena made her way across the common room. She took a deep breath before exiting through the portrait hole. She gulped when she saw her father waiting for her, he did not look happy.
"Come with me," Severus commanded.
"How much trouble am I in?" Serena couldn't help asking, she swore her feet were glued to the floor. She was growing very nervous.
Her father glared at her, "would you rather do this here or in the privacy of my office?"
"Your office, sir," Serena mumbled. She really didn't want to risk having an audience for what was sure to follow.
"Then be silent and come with me now," there was a deadly calm to Severus' voice. He set a brisk pace as he turned on his heel and headed down toward the dungeons, knowing full well that his daughter would follow him. He frowned as he thought about how to deal with this situation.
He and Morgan tried to keep their roles as parents and teachers separate as far as their children were concerned. Morgan had reminded him of that, and since they decided to act purely as parents in this instance that meant detention was out of the running as a form of punishment.
Severus had wanted to take Serena off the quidditch team; he felt that it was fitting since she had been lying to him and Morgan for months. He did not like the fact that she had been in a relationship behind their backs. But Morgan had stood up to him; she said that taking Serena off the quidditch team would also hurt their other children and the whole Gryffindor team. He had grudgingly agreed with her. But he still wasn't happy.