Zach accompanied Eva back to her room to put Clara to bed. As little as he thought of his grandfather, he was taking the old man's advice to watch over this woman to heart.

Eva sighed, "What story do you want?"

"Der Erlkönig."

Eva frowned, "I don't think that's a good bedtime story."

"Bitte?!"

"What's the..."

"Erlkönig," Eva supplied to Zach's question, "something that I do not think qualifies as appropriate bedtime material. You'll have nightmares Clara."

"Will not! Es is sehr gut Tanta Eva!" Clara pleaded, "'Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind? Es is der Vater mit seinem Kind: Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm, Er fast ihn sicher, er hält ihm warm'," she chanted in a sing-song voice.

"Well since you know it I guess I don't need to tell it to you," Eva tried to reason.

"Bitte Eva, du must mir helfen, ich kenne das Ende nicht."

Eva rolled her eyes and looked over at Zach, "the Erl-King is an old story. In the poem a son and father are riding through the woods at night, only the boy can see and hear the Erl-King, and by the time the poem ends the boy is dead. It is a rather grisly tale, und sehr traurig."

"Tanta Eva, ist der Erlkönig the same as Voldemort?"

"The children certainly took the news well."

"I figured they would."

"How do you do it Sev?"

"Do what?" Severus glanced down at his wife.

"You always try to give me exactly what I want without giving it a second thought; you're so good to me."

Severus reached for his wife's hand, "I just hope you realize that the girl is your responsibility. With what the Order has given me to do..." he sighed, "I won't have much free time to assist in child rearing."

Morgan shrugged, "we'll manage just fine." At the moment she didn't think anything could crush her spirits. Olivia had been told that she had a choice, she could be adopted by the Snapes or another family would be found for her. When the girl agreed to stay with them Morgan had been moved to tears. Now she was content to build castles in the sky for the newest addition to their family, a beautiful little girl with ebony curls and dusky blue eyes. Even with the impending hostilities she was strangely at peace.

"Eric wants me to come to Paris for a day or two before classes start up, will you be alright on your own?"

"We won't be on our own, all the staff is back at the school."

"You know that's not what I meant."

Morgan rose up on her toes to kiss her husband, "we'll be fine."

"I'm glad you brought the kids with you, this will be fun," Sirius commented as he stood up from where he had been playing with Bran and Branwen on the floor.

Meg smiled, "I didn't have much choice, if the Order needs me here then they have to come too."

"At least it will keep things interesting."

Meg rolled her eyes, "interesting is definitely an understatement. Do you realize how many things I have to worry about them getting into? Trust me, I've heard enough horror stories about when Sev and Morgan's children were this age growing up in the school, I'm terrified."

"Where do we stand now?"

"Our men are at the head of nearly every department in the Ministry."

"Good, getting rid of that mudblood-loving Weasley should prove to be an easy task," Draco's eyes shined maliciously, "we shall be one step closer to victory."

"How are we going to remove Weasley from office, he is a very popular Head Minister. People may become suspicious if the other heads of office merely call for his removal."

Draco glared, "you are incredibly dense sometimes Macnair, however did you climb so far up the political ladder? We simply plant evidence that he has been embezzling funds from the Ministry, charges will be brought against him, and his own supporters will be forced to remove him from office. They will do our own work for us, and then our people will see that one of us replaced that good for nothing Weasley as the Head Minister."

Macnair coldly calculated Draco for several minutes, of late Malfoy had become very hard to read, "And what is my role in this mission?"

"You will supplant Arthur Weasley. How does 'Minister Macnair' sound to you?"

"Miss Bhaer, I trust that you have been informed as to the nature of our assignment?"

"Ja Herr Professor, I was informed."

Severus looked down at the young woman, "I find it hard to believe that someone of your age knows enough to be useful in this endeavor. However, since we have been given the same task by the Order I trust you will be able to prove yourself."

"Professor," Eva drilled him with her cool grey eyes, "I am not one of your students to be intimidated by you. I know very well what I am doing; I have no need to prove that to you."

"Very well then. Why is your niece in your care?"

"Is this an interrogation?"

"No, merely idle curiosity. If we are going to work together I feel that I am at least entitled to know a small part of your background."

Eva arched a delicate eyebrow at this assertion, but shrugged it off, "she is my brother's child. My brother was much older than me, and our parents died young so he ended up raising me for the most part. When he and his wife died it was the least I could do to take Clara."

"Why are you here?"

"Because the Order requested that I..."

"No, why do you have the knowledge that is needed for this particular mission?"

"So, I really am going to stay with you forever?"

"Yes you are," Morgan smiled kindly at Olivia; it was about the fifth time now the girl had asked her that same question.

"But are you really my mama now? Because I still love my real mama and I don't want her to go away forever."

"Sweetie, I know you miss your mother. And I don't expect you to call me 'mum' until you're ready. You can just call me Morgan for now, I don't mind."

Olivia nodded gravely, as she held Tristan close, "that's ok. I don't want to make my mama sad because she thinks I forgot her."

Morgan tried to keep the wave of sorrow from showing on her face. She wanted Olivia to really be her daughter, but she knew she would have to wait. She would never rush the girl into accepting her new family, even though it hurt her to not be able to claim the girl as her own. Before she could come up with a suitable response to Olivia's last remark the girl came up with another question.

"What am I going to do now that I live with you? I went to school in Hogsmeade."

Morgan was thankful for the change of topic, "you'll still have school here, we're getting you a tutor."

Olivia wrinkled her nose, "I'm not sure I like that idea, I liked my old class and teacher, can't I go back there?"

Morgan fought a smile, during the day Olivia was turning out to be a bright and serious opinionated little thing, such a far cry from the miserable way she cried herself to sleep every night. "You won't be the only one, there will be several others sharing the tutor with you, it'll just be like having a really small class."

"Really, who?" Olivia looked up excitedly.

Morgan bit her lip, she had yet to see the child smile, but this look of excitement was definitely an improvement. She vaguely remembered Severus making a comment about the elasticity of youth, and that they should be thankful Olivia was still so young as it would be an easier transition for her. She had found it cold and unfeeling at the time, but she now wondered at the truth of it. "Well, let's see... there is Clara and then Meg's Cassandra will be there, but they're two years older than you. But Diana is your age, so I'm sure you'll be working together on your lessons."

"Another girl my age? Can we play together sometime?"

"Mmm-hmmm... I think we can arrange that," she absently wondered what Severus would think if their living room was overrun by six-year olds, but decided it would be best to find out after the fact. She lost herself for a few moments, remembering when the rest of her children had been this young; it seemed like forever ago... She was brought out of her reverie by a pair of small arms encircling her waist.

"I'm glad I'm staying with you Morgan. I miss my mama and daddy, but you're very nice, I think they'd like you."

Eva shrugged, "I always grew up working around potions, and I had access to a rather extensive library."

Severus narrowed his eyes, "where exactly in Germany are you from?"

Eva shrugged and answered ambiguously, "Norddeutschland."

"You grew up by St Petri's didn't you?"

"Yes, I am familiar with the monastery."

"They have one of the most complete libraries of medieval and ancient sources. You know what they're planning to bring Voldemort back, don't you?"

Eva nodded slowly, "have you ever heard of Quintessence?"

Severus tapped his fingers on the stone counter top, "dear god, would they really attempt that? But how, it hasn't been made in centuries, it's supposed to be one of the most difficult potions ever created, and the instructions have been lost for..."

"I have the directions; I found them, scribbled on a scrap of parchment stuck between the pages of the Timaeus."

"They're supposed to be encoded."

"I've spent the last five years deciphering the code."

"Miss Bhaer, I believe we shall have no problems working together."

"I'm sorry our trip was cut short, I would have liked to spend more time with you in Greece."

"Why? We spend time together here," Remus said as he lifted Kalliope's hand to his lips.

"It's not the same."

"How is it different? We're both her together, you're the only thing that matters to me right now..."

"It's different because I don't know when I'll be able to return to the temple. It's the only home I've ever known and now..."

"And now?"

"And now I'm giving it up for you. You're worth it Remus, it just takes some getting used to."

"For some reason that doesn't sound like the assertive, outspoken, feminist priestess I know..."

Kalliope smacked him, "just because I'm starting to like the idea of being a married woman does not mean that I've changed. Besides, everyone knows that women are really the dominant ones in any union."

"Is that so? Do you really still fancy yourself to be the dominant one in this relationship?"

Kalliope frowned at him, "we're supposed to be patrolling the hallways."

"I'm pretty sure I can harass you and patrol at the same time."

"I'm serious wizard, shape up now or else."

"You're not Sirius, I'm pretty sure that you're Kalliope."

Kalliope rolled her eyes, "what has gotten into you tonight? We're in the middle of a crisis and all you can do is make bad puns. You're worrying me Remus."

Remus sighed as he gathered her in his arms, "just trying to find an outlet for all the stress," he smiled sadly, "there are rough days ahead, if I can't keep a sense of humor I may go mad."

Kalliope shook her head, "I have no worries about you going mad wizard, you have me here to keep you in line."

"I feel like all I do lately is worry."

"Why is that?"

Morgan sighed and snuggled closer to her husband as she stared into the cheery flames of the fire in the hearth, "Dierna is going to worry herself sick over Stefan, Serena is still sulking over that cat, I don't know what Kamen has been up to lately but I doubt its anything I want to know about, Nimue is still fighting her visions, Olivia may never truly accept me as her mother and she's still scared of you, we're on the brink of war, my husband is one of the enemy's main targets, and you ask why I'm worried?"

Severus sighed, "We'll make it through this somehow, we have before."

"But I..."

Severus silenced her with a wave of his hand, "aren't you supposed to be in bed?" He heard a small gasp behind him, "well come out here now that you're up." He looked questioningly at Olivia as she came around to the front of the couch, "well?"

Olivia swiped at her red eyes, "I had a bad dream, I saw it happen again, how they killed my parents..." she sniffed, "am I in trouble?"

"Why on earth would you think you are in trouble child?" Severus asked in clipped tones.

"'Cause I'm out of bed..."

"Of course you're not in trouble sweetie," Morgan jumped in, "would you like me to come in and sit with you until you fall asleep again?"

Olivia shook her head violently, she was afraid the nightmares would come back again, "no, I'm scared to go to sleep again, and it's too dark in there." She clutched Tristan a bit tighter as she looked at Morgan with pleading eyes.

Morgan made a mental note to come up with a nightlight and was going to perhaps suggest some dreamless sleep potion when Severus intervened. In one smooth motion he wrapped a blanket around Olivia and her constant companion Tristan and deposited the tiny girl in his lap.

Severus looked down to find Olivia staring up at him with large eyes, "What?" he frowned slightly when she didn't answer but wrapped his arms a bit more securely around her, "go to sleep, I'll put you back in bed after awhile."

Olivia continued to stare at him wide eyed for a few minutes; she was still a bit scared of him. She looked over at Morgan for reassurance and when she got a nod of approval she relaxed, leaning against Severus as her eyelids became heavy and she started to drift off.

Morgan smiled gently at the pair and waited until Olivia was once again asleep before informing her husband that she didn't doubt that this new little one would have him wrapped around her finger before too long.

"What do you think about this whole thing mate?" Kamen asked as they prepared to leave the latest meeting of the Grigorian Brotherhood.

William shrugged, "not quite what I was expecting, but it seems fine to me. What about you?"

"I know my dad would hit the rough if he found out, but I don't mind it. It looks kinda cool," Kamen said as he rolled up his sleeve to examine the tattoo that now adorned his left arm. He traced a finger over the black markings, which formed a shield with the words "corvus invigilat Britannia et plebicola est" written in the middle of it. "I like what it stands for; I think we're doing the right thing."

"So why is this a secret?"

Kamen shook his head, "can you imagine the reaction our parents would have? Secret society, a tattoo, passwords... the only thing they're going to think about is death eaters; they won't think about that this group is doing the right thing. You're not trying to back out, are you Will?"

"Of course not, I just figured one of us should try to be the voice of reason."

Kamen shrugged, "whatever. I'm not worried at all. We're doing the right thing."

Severus cursed as he looked at the papers that still needed to be graded sitting on his desk. The students would be returning tonight and he needed to get through them, however, he was not in the mood to read whatever drabble it was that his students tried to pass off as acceptable work. He started in on the stack, but found he had trouble concentrating. He kept thinking about the list of worries Morgan had confessed to him the night before, and he realized there was relatively little he could do to make her feel better. He looked up as the door creaked open.

"You wanted to see me Dad?" Serena looked in.

Severus nodded as he set aside his quill and came around to the front of his desk. He awkwardly cleared his throat as his daughter looked at him expectantly, "I feel badly about your cat, and I feel responsible for what happened. If those damned..." he stopped, trying to figure out what he should say, "I wanted to make it up to you." He reached behind his desk and retrieved a tiny sand colored kitten with a ridiculously large blue bow the damned meddling clerk at the creature shop in Diagon Alley had insisted on tying around its neck.

Serena dropped her eyes, "you didn't have to get me a cat."

"I thought you would like it."

"But you hate cats."

Severus silently cursed himself realizing that Serena probably didn't want another mangy beast taking the place of that ball of fur she had loved so much. He regretted not talking this over with his wife first, "it is no matter," he set the kitten down on top of his desk, "I'll take it back."

Serena chewed her lip as she continued to stare at the floor. She knew her father meant well, but she didn't want to replace her darling Bastet. "Dad I..." she paused in indecision as she watched the kitten roll over and try to chew at the bow around its neck, "I'm glad you got me a new cat, I'll just take her up to my room now." As much as she was hesitant about taking it, she didn't want to hurt her father.

Severus sighed in relief, perhaps he hadn't messed up as much as he feared, "well then," he looked up as Eva slipped into the room, "take your cat and go, I have work to get done."

"I brought my notes on Quintessence, I'd thought we'd go over them and get started."

Severus nodded curtly as he took the paper from her and glanced over it "'Quintessence," he read, "Has the power to restore those addled in the mind to their former state. It derives its purity from the grace of God almighty..." he raised an eyebrow.

Eva shrugged "the wizard who created Quintessence happened to be a Benedictine monk."

Severus shook his head and looked back down at the paper, he frowned, "it's a serious of numbers... 18, 11, 3, 11, 6, 22, 8, 7, 2, 3, 11, 18, 11, 6... this makes no sense."

"It does if you have the code."

Severus looked at her expectantly, "and the code is..."

"The letters of the alphabet are each assigned a number. That was the hard part, since the manuscript is in Latin I was looking for a Latin key. I finally stumbled across the key, which is in German, several years ago thanks to a side note on the manuscript, here look at this" she handed him a piece of paper, reciting what was on it as he read, "'Denn also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, dass er seinen einzigen Sohn gab, auf das alle, die an ihn glauben, nicht verloren werden, sondern das ewige Legen haben.' The order in which the letters of the alphabet appear in that verse is the number they are assigned and then the remaining letters are assigned numbers in descending order, so..."

"So," Severus quickly caught on, ", 11, 3, 11, 6, 22, 8, 7, 2, 3, 11, 18, 11, 6 is cinis phoenicis, ash of a phoenix..." he frowned as he looked at the list of numbers, alga mare nostrum, that's easy enough to get, ungula draconis, I have that in my stores." He frowned, "terra sacri speulcri... this is a Christian text, is there any specification on what kind of holy grave the earth has to come from?"

Eva shrugged, "I don't know. The only thing on the list that might cause problems is the 'blood of an unwilling virgin' part. It sounds suspiciously like dark magic to me..."

Severus shook his head, "no its not. Consider the source, we're probably dealing with an author who consulted the Hippocratic Corpus and Soranus, they would have thought nothing about bleeding someone."

Eva nodded thoughtfully, "so where do we begin?"

Severus gestured towards his personal supply cabinet, "set aside everything we need, I'll tell Minerva to set aside the ashes from Fawkes' next burning day and we'll have to figure out where to procure the rest of the ingredients on the list."

Eva paused, "Professor, we will have to test this eventually, to make sure we got it right..."

"I already thought of that."

"How are we going to test it?"

"I have a friend at St. Mungo's who I am sure will assist us in finding someone to test it on."