Dierna rested her head on Nick's shoulder as they finished up lunch, "can I sleep here? You really make a wonderful pillow..."

Nick smiled, "of course, just don't blame me if you fall in a heap on the floor when I stand up."

"That's not very nice Nick; don't you agree with me Serena?"

"Of course," her twin answered from her place on the other side of Nick, "I think we'll have to get even with him..."

"Now girls, be reasonable, I didn't do anything to you," Nick said as he held his hands out in front of his in supplication.

"Nick, you know that's not true, you were obviously baiting me," Dierna replied sweetly, a look of pure innocence on her face that Nick knew better than to fall for.

"It's not nice to try and aggravate people Nick, especially when that person is my twin," Serena put in just as sweetly as her sister.

"Oh no..." Nick didn't like the looks he was getting. In one smooth motion he was up from the table and sprinting out of the Great Hall, with the twins right behind him. Several students from the other houses' tables looked up at the commotion, and most of the Gryffindor girls cheered the twins on in their pursuit of Nick.

Nick shot a quick look over his shoulder as he ran down the hallway, and was shocked and a little scared to see how closely he was being pursued. He took a sharp turn down another hallway and skidded to a halt, barely avoiding knocking Mrs. Snape down.

"Mrs. Snape, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," Nick stammered, out of breath, before he was nearly knocked off his feet by Dierna and Serena when they came around the corner right behind him.

"No harm done Mr. Wood. Although I would like to know what the three of you are doing, tearing around the halls like this," Morgan eyed the three students in front of her, "on the other hand, I'm not sure I really want to know," she said with a small smile.

"It wasn't anything Mrs. Snape, your daughters just felt that I had stepped out of line, and decided to chase me down," Nick gave a lopsided grin.

Morgan laughed, "yes, that does sound like my little angels. By the way Nick, how are your parents? I haven't talked to them in ages."

"They're both fine ma'am. Mum writes with something to nag me about every week. And Dad says that he'll make it to at least one quidditch match this year."

"You know, you look almost exactly like your father did when he was in school," Morgan's eyes twinkled with amusement, "did you know that the two of us went out for awhile? I was the envy of every girl in Gryffindor house and of quite a few of the girls from the other houses..."

"Mum, we've heard that story a million times!" Dierna rolled her eyes, "we don't need to hear it again."

Morgan shook her head, "really Dierna, you are just about as cheerful as your father," she commented dryly.

Dierna only scowled in reply, and she narrowed her eyes when her mother moved to brush a few strands of hair out of her face.

"Yes, just like your father," Morgan said with a laugh as she took in her daughter's dark expression, "why don't you three run along now, you have class again soon."

Morgan shook her head slowly as her daughters and Nick left, "I hope the three of them can always remain such good friends," she muttered to herself.

"You look like you're in an awfully good mood," Remus commented as he approached Morgan.

She looked up and smiled brilliantly at her friend, "I am, it must be because Severus is gone," she said mischievously.

"I'm telling him you said that," Remus said with a grin.

"And I'll tell him that you flirted with me the whole time he was gone," Morgan shot back.

"I have not!" Remus replied indignantly.

"Ahhhh... but who do you think Sev will believe, you or me?"

"You're positively evil."

"My dear Professor Lupin, that's precisely why I married a Slytherin, it lets my evil side come out more often."

Remus laughed, "Trust me, from what I remember of you as a student, you had no problem letting this 'evil side' out on your own, without the help of any Slytherin.

Morgan shrugged, but was saved the task of replying when Harry joined them.

"I thought you were going to go home for a couple of days Harry," Remus frowned slightly.

"I couldn't, Severus has me filling in for him while he's gone," Harry replied.

Remus' frown only deepened, "you need to go home to your wife, I'm sure something else could be arranged..."

"Its fine Remus, really, circumstances allowing, I'm planning on going home over the weekend."

Although Remus didn't look satisfied with that answer, but he quickly excused himself and went to prepare for his next class.

"Morgan, there is something I would like to ask you about," Harry looked a bit skeptical, although he wasn't sure he should be asking, "but I've been told that you might be able to offer some personal insight on what I can do to fix my marriage, can you help me?"

A look quickly passed over Morgan's face that Harry couldn't quite place, it was almost a cross between grief and anger, but much deeper. Morgan looked down at her hands, which she had clasped in front of her, "Harry, as much as I would like to help I just can't. Not now. There are times when I'm more vulnerable about that subject than others and I... I just can't."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to offend you in any way Morgan."

"I know Harry, and I'm not offended. Maybe you could ask Severus about it sometime, I think he is better able to talk about the subject than I am.

"I can't believe you got Severus to leave," Kalliope said as she helped Eric prepare some dried herbs.

Eric winked at her, "I know how to get him to do what I want, but I think his main concern was leaving you alone with me."

"And why is that?"

Eric smiled, or at least Kalliope guessed he was smiling from the way his eyes were shining, his face was so distorted on the one side that it was hard to tell, "my dear, it is because I have a most amazing reputation. Severus knows the truth behind it, and that is more than enough for him to worry about leaving a beautiful woman such as yourself alone with me."

"And should I be worried?"

"No. I have never taken a woman to bed against her will, and I can clearly see that your heart belongs to another. But, I would at least like to know your name, since Severus was rude enough to leave without providing me with that bit of information, tell me about yourself child."

Kalliope smiled, "my name is Kalliope, and I am a priestess of the mother goddess in Greece."

"And what of your family? Surely a woman such as yourself must have a family." Eric watched as a pained look crossed Kalliope's face, "I am sorry child, if my prying goes to far, just let me know."

"It's alright; it's just that the memories of my family are all painful ones. But, I think that now you should tell me of your family wizard."

Eric laughed, it was a dry and rasping sound, "well it's obvious that you're used to being in charge, there are not many who would tell me what to do with such force. As to my family... there is little to tell. I have a nephew, but he has been dead to me for many years, we've had a few... disagreements... over the years, we currently aren't on speaking terms. And I have a grandson."

"Are your children still living?" Kalliope inquired tentively.

Eric paused in thought for a moment, "I don't believe so, no, I had a daughter, at least I think it was a girl... and she died."

"You're not sure if your child was a daughter?" Kalliope looked completely bewildered.

"It is a bit odd isn't it," Eric mused, "but I never knew her. I was around just long enough to impregnate her mother and that was it. I've never met my grandson either, but I left my fortune in the care of Albus Dumbledore when I was exiled, and when I found out about my little family I instructed him to use it to provide for both of them, when Albus died Severus took charge of the funds."

"Severus does a lot for you, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he is a good man, once you get passed that cold exterior, and he is very protective of the ones he loves. Although I have never had the pleasure of meeting his wife or children, I know that they are his life, without them I don't doubt that Severus would have traveled down a much different path in life. But that is nothing that needs to be discussed here, tell me more about the man in your life..."

"Well," Kalliope began, "he's a werewolf..."

Serena reached for Mark's hand and gave it a quick squeeze before they went their separate ways after Divination. After a quick promise to meet him later that night she hurried to meet Nick in the Great Hall. She had promised him a game of chess after class, even though she knew that he would beat her.

Nick made a show out of checking his watch and sighing loudly when Serena slid into the seat across from him at the Gryffindor table, "honestly girl, can't you be on time for anything?"

Serena rolled her eyes and tucked a strand of her straight black hair behind her ear, "it's not my fault that the North tower is so far away."

"It's your fault for taking Divination, I'm glad I steered clear of that class. Although I do suspect that a certain Slytherin might have delayed you a bit..."

Serena laughed, a light airy sound that was always music to Nick's ears, "not really, although I did promise to meet him later tonight," she admitted, blushing slightly.

"Alright, enough with the stalling, do you want to be black or white?" Nick asked as he set up the chess board.

"Ummm... black."

"You just don't want to go first," Nick accused.

"Precisely," Serena smiled back at him. As they got into the game Serena remembered why she usually refused to play. Particularly when she lost her first piece only two moves in. She sighed, knowing that this game would be over soon, and hoping that Nick wouldn't make her play again. She was focusing on her next move, trying to decide if there was any way to save her knight when she felt a light touch on her shoulder. She turned to see her mother, and was momentarily grateful for the interruption.

"Have you seen your sister sweetie?"

"Which one?" Serena tried to stall.

Morgan sighed, "You know very well which one. And before you try to cover for her I know that Dierna was not in class this afternoon, as a rather irate Trelawny informed me. Now where is she?"

Serena bit back any excuses she could come up with, knowing that her mother would see right through them, she thought fast, and opened her mouth to speak but was cut off.

"And don't try to tell me that she was in the hospital wing, I already checked with Madame Pomphrey."

Serena frowned, "Mum, I have no idea where she is. After lunch she went back up to the dorms to get her books, but she never showed up to class." Serena opted to tell her mother the truth, even though she was willing to cover for her sister without knowing where she actually was.

Morgan nodded, "alright, I'll go look for her there." As she left the Great Hall she added under her breath, "and that girl better have a damn good excuse for skipping class."

"Were you talking to yourself Madam, or were you perhaps looking for an audience?"

Morgan's hand flew to her chest as she jumped slightly, "Sir Nicholas, you startled me;" she gave a shaky laugh as she recovered herself."

"My most humble apologies Morgan," Nearly Headless Nick bowed to Morgan from where he floated in front of her.

"It's perfectly fine Sir Nicholas, I was just looking for one of my children, and I ended up talking to myself."

"You weren't looking for Kamen now, were you?"

Morgan noticed that Sir Nicholas looked a bit nervous as he asked that question, "no..." she answered hesitantly, "I was looking for Dierna, but from the way you look I have a strong suspicion that I don't want to know why I should be looking for my son."

"Very well then, please forget that I mentioned it. But I believe that Miss Adelaide was in the Gryffindor common room. I would be more than happy to accompany you up there."

"Thank you Sir Nicholas, I would like that."

Kalliope found that in the few hours she had spent with Eric she had become rather accustomed to his face, or at least as accustomed as one could become to the horrible scarring and twisted features.

Severus had not yet returned, but the priestess had fallen into easy conversation with the wizened wizard. He had been very interested in her life at the temple in Greece, and she had been more than happy to describe as many of the temple activities to him that someone who wasn't an initiate could know. But other than the admission to having a nephew and a grandson Eric had shared little about himself.

"Eric, would you mind terribly if I asked about your exile?"

"Of course not mademoiselle, what do you wish to know?"

"Why are you exiled? You have been a complete gentleman, and you seem to be a very kind and educated man, I'm afraid I don't understand what you could have possibly done to be banished from your homeland."

Eric looked sad for a moment, as though he were reliving his past in his mind. He shook his head, "it is a long story, and not all pleasant. I am afraid that I have killed a few men in my time."

"I would like to hear your story."

"Very well," Eric told Kalliope a story of death and deception, in which he was the victim of circumstances. Kalliope listened with interest, but she couldn't fight back the nagging feeling that some things in Eric's story just didn't quite match up.

Eric finished his tale reached for a bottle sitting near his elbow. He poured some of the dark red contents into a goblet which appeared in his hand, "Will you join me in a friendly drink priestess?"

"Kalliope, we are leaving for the night. Now," Severus had returned, and there was a dark expression on his face.

Morgan gave the password to the Fat Lady who guarded the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. She paused for a moment in the entry way, a small smile playing across her lips as she remembered her own days as a student.

Morgan was glad to see that none of the students were around at the moment, except for her daughter who was asleep in a chair in front of the fire. Morgan crossed the room, and gently shook her daughter awake, an easy task since Dierna slept as lightly as her father.

"Mum? What are you doing here?" Dierna asked groggily.

Morgan frowned slightly, but knew that she had never been good at playing the part of the strict parent, Severus was much better at it, "I think a better question would be why are you here and why weren't you in class this afternoon?"

Dierna groaned, "I missed class?! Honestly Mum, I didn't mean to. I just came up here to get some books and I sat down to read for a few minutes and I guess I fell asleep..."

Morgan nodded, recognizing that her daughter was telling the truth, "alright, but you need to speak with Trelawny to see what you missed, she was very upset that you missed her class."

"Mum, do I have to?" Dierna whined, "She would have been upset if I had shown up to her joke of a class, she hates me."

"She does not hate you..."

"Mum, she told me I was the worst student she had ever had, both in talent and temperament, she hates me."

Morgan frowned, making a mental note to talk with Minerva about the situation, but she was more concerned about her daughter at the moment. Something just wasn't right. Dierna's grades had always been excellent, but they had been slipping lately. And her already slim daughter had lost enough weight for Morgan to be concerned, and it wasn't like her to sleep during the day. "Dierna, is there anything you want to talk about?"

"No..."

"Dierna, I'm worried about you. I know that something is wrong. Are you worried about Stefan?"

Dierna nodded, "Mum, what am I going to do if he doesn't come back to me?!" she asked desperately.

"Oh sweetheart," Morgan wrapped her arms around her daughter, "you can't think like that. You have to think positively, otherwise you world will come crashing down around you."

Safely wrapped in her mother's arms Dierna poured out her heart, all about how much she loved Stefan, her plans of being with him forever, and all her fears for his safety and their future together.

When Dierna finally finished Morgan continued to hold her for some time. When she finally got up to leave she turned to her daughter with tears in her eyes, "thank you."

"For what?" Dierna looked confused.

"For confiding in me. You don't do it very often, you usually run to your father with your problems. I know that you're closer to him," Morgan silenced her daughter when she tried to protest, "You always have been. But I'm glad you talked to me this time, I love you." With one final embrace and a kiss on the cheek Morgan left, she had a problem of her own to work out.