Kalliope blushed nervously when Remus reached for her hand, and then mentally cursed herself for acting like a silly little novice. But she reminded herself that it wasn't everyday that she decided to leave the only life she'd ever known, a little bit of nerves was to be expected.

She sighed when he kissed her neck and continued to clutch her hand. It took all of her self control not to throw herself at him.

"Stay with me."

Kalliope blinked, took a deep breath, and looked into his eyes. Sweet goddess how she loved those eyes. And his soft hair, it looked good with the grey steaks that shot through the brown, very dignified... "I'll stay with you."

Remus grinned a bit foolishly, although he wanted Kalliope to stay with him, he hadn't thought that she would say yes. "You'll really stay here with me?"

"Yes."

"You'll marry me, live here as my wife?"

"Yes."

"Even though you think that the wizarding society is incredibly chauvinistic?"

"Umm-hmmmm..." she thought she would melt in his hands.

"You'll be mine forever?"

"In the name of the goddess, how many times do I have to say yes before you'll believe me Remus?!"

"I just want to make sure; it's not fair to get my hopes up if it's not what you really want."

"I want you Remus."

"We'll have to plan everything," he was getting excited, "a wedding, a home, hopefully Sophia will want to stay with us and we can start a family..."

Kalliope laughed and pressed a finger to Remus' lips, "I want all that, but I was thinking of the immediate future when I said I wanted you. Shall we head to bed?"

Neither Severus nor Morgan had thought that the next few days would pass as quickly as they had. It was now Wednesday, and Morgan was getting more and more restless at her husband's insistence that she continue to rest. In fact, it had been due to his concern, and that of their son that had caused Morgan to laugh for the first time since her miscarriage.

The night before she had snuck out into the living room and was attempting to climb up on a chair to reach a book on a shelf high above her head. She had been caught red handed by her husband and son, and had received a lecture from both of them on taking care of herself and being more careful.

The sight of the two of them scowling at her, so alike in height and looks had been too much for her. Morgan nearly collapsed from her fit of giggles before she managed to control herself, while Sev and Kamen continued to stand there and glower at her.

Now, she had finally managed to convince her husband that she was ready to go back to teaching her classes. She was looking forward to having something to help fill the hours, and was now feeling enough like her normal self to become concerned about Dierna, who was still sulking about Stefan's most recent departure.

Severus sat close by, pretending to read, but really keeping an eye on his wife and daughter. Morgan and Dierna had been sitting cross legged, knee to knee, on his bed for well over an hour now in whispered consultation. He had caught bits and pieces of their conversation. Some of it he immediately tried to block out. He suppressed a shudder at the thought of some of the female problems they had been discussing.

He quickly glanced back down at his book when he realized he was being watched.

"Sev, how long were you going to sit there?"

"As long as I feel I need to keep an eye on you."

Morgan felt her heart swell at the way Sev tried to protect her without being too obvious. He was so sweet to her. "Don't you have a class to go teach?"

"Don't you?" He shot back.

Morgan smiled a bit as she crawled off the bed, smoothing her robes, "yes I do." She let Sev catch her for a lingering kiss before she headed out the door. She was ready to go on with life, but knew that the emotional healing process had a long way to go.

"And you," Severus beckoned to his daughter, "are not going to class looking like that. Even if it is Divination..." he added dryly.

Dierna rolled her eyes, "Dad, you worry too much."

"And you show a distinct lack of respect for your school uniform. I would have thought that after five and a half years you would have learned how to tie this," he removed the Gryffindor tie from his daughter's collar.

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does," he tilted her chin up as he retied the offending Gryffindor red and gold striped tie.

"I thought it was pretty good before," Dierna pouted, "I actually did it myself."

"You don't tie it yourself normally?"

"No, I usually get Nick or Kamen to do it for me."

Severus had to fight back a smile. As much as he hurt over the loss of his and Morgan's latest unborn child, the children they already had were a ready balm for that hurt. Dierna had been particularly good for his heart the last few days. This feisty little girl, who he had to keep reminding himself wasn't really a little girl anymore but a young woman, hadn't crossed him once since the weekend. Something that he was immensely grateful for.

As he impatiently sent her off to class, her tie now sitting perfectly in her collar, he was reminded of how lucky he and Morgan already were.

"I'm going to get you a ring."

"You don't have to."

"But I want to."

"Remus, it's not important to me, you needn't bother."

Remus placed his hands on Kalliope's shoulders, "But I want to give you something special, a symbol of our love."

Kalliope sighed, trying to find the right words to explain, "Remus, I have never had a need for jewelry. Cadmus has given me a couple of necklaces, but I only wear them on high feast days. I'm not overly comfortable with jewelry, it's not something that I've ever given much thought or had any desire for."

Something in Kalliope's tone made Remus wary, "you're not having second thoughts are you?"

Kalliope shrugged, "why would you think that?"

"Because I know that your decision to stay here must have been a hard one to make."

"I talked with Rheia last night," Kalliope changed the subject, "I'm to take Nimue to Avalon soon, the priestesses there wish to meet her. Rheia also wants me to bring her to Greece."

"Will you?"

"I don't know. Rheia can be very demanding, and she is set in her ways. I fear that she may already have plans for the girl."

"But she had plans for you, and you are casting those aside. What does she think of that?"

"We did not discuss it. I have told no one else of my decision to stay here," there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"I love you Kalliope, but if you have any doubts about staying here with me we have to discuss them. If you're not willing to that it might be best for you to return to your temple now."

Dierna barely made it to Divination on time, not that she really cared. With every class she regretted taking this class even more, and her dislike of Trelawny multiplied.

"Adelaide Snape! If I have to ask you again you'll be spending your evening in detention! Now, tell me about the art of scapulamancy and its use among Eastern seers." Professor Trelawny looked as annoyed as her students had ever seen her.

Something in Dierna snapped, and all of her pent up frustration came pouring out, "Bloody hell! Why should I care about some bogus mockery of prediction which is used by a bunch of crack-pot seers?! This is the most worthless class ever, and a complete waste of time!!! Especially with a teacher as worthless as you, who couldn't predict her way out of a paper bag!"

Trelawny trembled with rage, her sparkling mass of jewelry shook, as she sputtered for a moment before finding her voice, "Out! Get out of my classroom now! The Headmistress will here about this! Now out of my class!!!"

Dierna held her head high as she slowly gathered her belongings, and she swept out of the class without a backward glance. But as soon as she descended the ladder from the North Tower her shoulders slumped. "Dad is going to kill me," she muttered as she walked down the hallway dejectedly.

She didn't even bother going to her classes that afternoon. She spent most of the day sulking in an empty classroom until a house elf showed up to clean. She walked for awhile, before stopping in an empty hallway. Heaving a huge sigh she sank to the floor at the base of a statue of Elena the Resourceful.

She hugged her legs to her chest and propped her chin on her knees. She stared, glassy eyed, at the floor, wishing that the stones would just open up and swallow her. That way she wouldn't have to face Trelawny again, or the headmistress, or her head of house who she knew would be dragged into this, or her parents...

She quickly fought back tears on that last thought as she heard footsteps approaching and an all too familiar pair of black clad legs stopped in front of her. She held her breath, bracing herself for the worst, hoping that she wouldn't cry.

"I heard you had a rather interesting Divination class today."

Dierna shrugged and sniffed, furiously blinking back her tears.

"The headmistress wants to see you."

"Am I going to be suspended?" Dierna's voice sounded uncharacteristically high-pitched, and nervous.

"I don't know."

Dierna finally looked up "but I thought..."

Severus crouched down in front of his daughter, "I did not come looking for you to drag you to the headmistress's office, and I don't know how much trouble you're in yet, although I'd wager it's going to be a lot. I came looking for you because you neglected to show up at your other classes and I was getting worried about you."

"But you're going to make me go to the headmistress' office aren't you?"

"No, but I am going to suggest that you go and get this over with."

Dierna nodded and pulled herself up off the ground, trying to hide how her legs were shaking. Tears threatened once again when her father took her school bag from her and walked her to the entrance to the McGonagall's office and gave the password. But she couldn't make her legs move to take her up the curving staircase. She turned pleading eyes to her father, "do I have to...?"

"Would you like me to go with you?" he asked calmly. He found he lacked the energy to be angry at his daughter. One look told him how tense and scared she was, and he didn't want to abandon her. Although he didn't get an answer he knew that she wanted him to go with her, "Come on then," he gave her a gentle push toward the stairs and followed her up.

"Why are you upset?" Sophia looked quizzically at her guardian as Kalliope paced the confines of their sitting room.

"I am not upset."

"Yes you are."

"Do not contradict your elders."

Sophia rolled her eyes, "fine don't tell me. But I bet it has something to do with Remus..."

"You need to learn when to be silent."

Sophia grinned as she lifted a small green snake out of a pottery jar and cradled the reptile close to her, "I think you should marry him."

Kalliope stopped her pacing and closed her eyes, "I have thought about it."

"You don't want to leave Greece do you?"

"I thought I told you to be silent."

"You told me that I needed to learn when to be silent, there's a difference. And I still think you should marry him. I wouldn't mind living here, even if it is bloody cold."

Kalliope suppressed a smile, apparently her ward was picking up the more colorful aspects of the English language, "we shall see."

Dierna wasn't surprised to see that Professor Lupin and Professor Trelawny, with Professor McGonagall of course, were waiting in the office. She wondered if they could hear the thumping of her heart, she swore it would come out of her chest.

"I'll let you deal with her Headmistress," Trelawny said with a sniff, "but I hope I have made it clear that I do not want her back in my class," the Divination teacher swept from the room.

"Please sit down Miss Snape," McGonagall looked over her spectacles at the nervous girl as she directed her into a straight backed chair.

Dierna perched on the edge of the chair, only too aware of the way she was being watched.

"You know why you're here young lady, but do you have anything that you would like to say on the matter?"

Dierna felt as though her face was on fire, "no ma'am, I'm sure Trelawny already told you everything."

"Professor Trelawny," Minerva patiently corrected. "I feel that it's only fair to tell you that Professor Trelawny has asked that you be removed permanently from her class. I have granted that request. So now we are left with another problem, what are you going do with yourself during that time?"

"I don't know ma'am."

"Might I make a suggestion?" Severus stood behind his daughter and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I believe that we are all in agreement after the appalling way my daughter behaved this morning that she is in need of something more structured and more challenging than Divination proved to be. And that she needs closer supervision, with someone who will not tolerate the least bit of disrespect from her. I think Adelaide would benefit from an independent study. I would be willing to supervise her in an advanced course of potions."

Minerva nodded, "I think that is an excellent suggestion Severus, and one that should prove efficient at keeping her out of more trouble I should hope. Remus, you're her head of house, what do you think?"

Remus seemed to consider the idea for a moment, "I think it's a start. But if there are any more problems we will have to consider something else."

"There will be no more problems," Severus said in a voice that made his daughter cringe. Even though he was supporting her now, she was still in more trouble than she cared to think about.

Minerva nodded, "I should certainly hope so. Now then, our next order of business. Professor Trelawny has requested that you be, at the very least, suspended from school for you actions today Miss Snape. However, I have left that decision up to Professor Lupin."

Dierna looked up for the first time since she had entered the office and turned pleading eyes on Professor Lupin, silently begging him not to suspend her.

"Things are going to be a bit different from now on," Ron Weasley addressed the assembled group, which included Viviane and Stefan, along with several aurors. "First off, I think we all need to understand that Miss Snape and MacNeill should never have been part of this mission, that they were slotted for it should have been our first clue that spies had infiltrated the Ministry. However, things have gone on too long for either of them to be removed.
"We will continue on as before for the most part. Stefan, you will continue to spend as much time with Malfoy and Macnair as possible, you will then report directly back to Viviane, who will organize your reports for me. There will be at least three aurors stationed close by whenever you are with the dark forces to help ensure your safety. Any questions?"

Viviane softly spoke up, "do we know if Malfoy suspects anything yet?"

Ron shook his head, "if he does he isn't letting us know. We just have to wait and see, and be as careful as possible."

The gathered group sat in contemplative silence for a minute. They all knew that there was a good chance they wouldn't all come away from this mission.

"One more thing," Ron said as he prepared to leave, "I'm removing the order that disallowed all outside communication. Considering the prominent danger some of you are in, I think it's only fair that you maintain contact with your loved ones."

"I have decided not to suspend you Dierna, but I want you to realize the seriousness of what you did today. You will serve a week's worth of detentions with me and you will write a respectful apology to Professor Trelawny. In addition, you will be banned from all Hogsmeade trips for the rest of the year. Do you have any questions?"

"No sir," Dierna mumbled. She was glad that she hadn't been suspended, but she had been hoping to get off with less. She knew her dad was still going to have something to say about the way she had behaved, and it wasn't going to be good.

"You may go now."

Dierna wasn't sure how it happened, she could have sworn that her shaking legs wouldn't have been able to carry her, but she found herself back out in the hallway with her father. "Am I really going to do an independent study with you?"

Severus schooled his features into a stern expression, "as long as you stay out of trouble you will."

Dierna felt like she was going to cry, something she hated. When had she gotten this emotional? She hid the tears in her eyes by looking down at the floor, waiting for the tirade that was sure to follow. When there was only silence she chanced a glance up at her father, "are you mad at me?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes, but more serious than that is the fact that I'm disappointed in you. When are you going to learn to control your temper?"

"But I..."

"No excuses, what you did was wrong and you know it. No matter how much you dislike Trelawny, you should not have spoken to her that way. You're lucky that you got off as easy as you did, had you been in my house you would have been suspended!"

"I'm sorry."

"Are you sorry for your actions or just sorry that you got in trouble?"

Dierna opened her mouth to respond, but promptly closed it again, heat staining her cheeks.

"I am waiting for your answer," gone was the understanding and patience, Severus' tone was dangerously low.

Dierna steeled herself, "I'm not sorry for what I said to Trelawny, I hate her."