The 8th Year Student

by Virgil McMeanie

(Finished) New transfer student George arrives at Hogwarts, and shares rooms with Prof. Snape. A reluctant friendship eventually, magnified by the horribly different backgrounds. Heaps of songs. Lots of colorful language, and this is my first fic.

19. Chapter Nineteen New Faces and Lessons

Chapter 19-New Faces and Lessons

She awoke early in the morning and with an excitement that she always felt on days when she had something particularly interesting to do or a place to go.

Severus however remained calm and outwardly unaffected by the enthusiasm of his friends: with Georgie prancing and laughing and the quiet smiles of Remus Lupin nettling him for some reason. She'd somehow managed to transfigure a couch cushion into a bagpipe and having never played before, belted out a screeching, wailing rendition of Scotland the Brave, before he could stun her repeatedly into stopping.

Severus had insisted once again for the blindfold, and Georgie had lashed out against the injustice of it, as he'd snarled at her and roughly tightened the silken cloth over her eyes. Remus bit his lip to keep from laughing as Severus walked a few paces away and told her that he had just then fitted Remus' blindfold on as well. Remus shook his head in mock- disapproval, and Severus glared at the other man sharply, as if a warning to not say a word.

Before he realized it they all three had landed onto the ground of the island, this time directly in front of the imposing gray-stoned building.

"Well," Severus spoke up, dismounting from his broom. "Shall we?" He indicated to the front walk to Lupin, leaving Georgie where she stood and still blindfolded.

"Hey!" She tugged at the knot, but wasn't making much progress. "Aren't we forgetting something?"

Severus approached her, "Oh of course." He murmured silkily. He grabbed both of her shoulders and shoved just enough for her to fall down onto the ground onto her knees. He looked down at her as she swore and thrashed about violently trying to get at Severus and to rip the blindfold off-- which had gotten a piece of her hair in it.

He turned on his heel and began to walk up the house, but the figure of Remus Lupin stood between him and his destination.

Remus just looked hard at the amused Potions Master; Severus puffed up at the other man's attempt to dictate how he should behave--especially at his own home!

"Severus Snape!" Georgie lividly bellowed.

Returning to her, he magicked away the blindfold and lifted her to her feet.

"Thanks, Snape." She nearly spat, and swept his feet out from underneath him. She walked haughtily over to Remus without even glancing back. "Shall we then?" She grinned wickedly, and Remus applauded her as the walked inside leaving Severus stomping to his feet and dusting off his robes.

He narrowed his eyes at the pair as they stood by the door waiting for him to join them. All of the sudden, he felt deflated of his anger and need for revenge and let the feelings pass as he crossed the pathway to let them inside.
Georgie knelt by the great fireplace and tried to balance a log on top of the others already crackling and glowing on the hearth.

"Georgie, I think it's going alright already now. You don't have to tend it like that, just relax." Remus coaxed.

"Miss Flaing, has a fondness for fire." Severus offered from his armchair drawn back into a corner away from the fire and the candlelight. "She enjoys burning and destroying."

Georgie rolled her eyes at him. "And Professor Snape has a dislike for warmth and light, a common trait for those things one would find crawling beneath rocks."

His eyes glittered at her from his seat, but he didn't speak any further and immersed himself in his reading.

Georgie returned to her spot opposite Remus at the side of his Monopoly board. It was the Coronation Street Edition and Remus was proud of the fact that he remembered to bring it, but Georgie wasn't very good at the strategy and only played to pass time and please Remus. Severus refused to play "because it's a Muggle game," but it was generally suspected that he really just wasn't any good at it either.

They were all resting from the journey, which though windy, was at least dry. Remus suggested they go for a walk after not many hours and see the place again.

Georgie swore, "This game sucks. If I buy up all the properties, then I'll have no money to build up the hotels.makes no sense!"

Remus tried explaining to her that the object wasn't to own the most property, but rather to make the most money..La de dah, she couldn't be bothered to get sucked into some economic simulation. "How'd you get so good at this Muggle game, anyway?"

Remus ran his hand through his hair, which was speckled with gray at his temples. "Remember when I said I traveled and worked at the foreign schools?" He sat back in his seat. "Well, at the Australian school I lived in one of the other professor's home, as there weren't rooms for us at the school. That professor played a cutthroat game of Monopoly. Almost every evening she'd pull out the box and start up a game. A horrid waste of time as the sessions would last for hours, cutting into our grading and preparations.."

"Wait, you lived with a witch?" Georgie teased. "In her house? All alone? Naughty, naughty.."

Remus laughed, "No danger--It wasn't like that. Halfway through that year she found out what I was and told the Headmaster. I was asked to quietly resign and not raise a fuss. She never really did like me much--just sort of tolerated my presence and criticized how we did things 'over here'."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know." Georgie apologized. Georgie herself felt really quite grateful that everyone was as open to her presence as they were. She'd met more than her fair share of people in her new homeland who would mutter 'damn foreigner' after her as she passed them on the street.

"Nothing to it. As it was halfway through the year, the school year in America was starting up, so I got invited to teach at the Salem Institute-- beautiful grounds, interesting teaching methods." He chuckled at his own private joke.

"Have you ever been to New Brunswick?" Georgie started, but Severus broke in.

"If we are to go out for a walk, we'd better start right away, or else the darkness will catch up with us."

Georgie looked to the enormous windows and saw that the sun was already beginning to sink behind the dark hills rising on the backside of the island. "Ready?" She looked to Remus.

He nodded and together they hastily threw the pieces into the box. Georgie coughed as they all three proceeded out the door and up the great staircase at once. Georgie and Remus had rooms across from Severus' room at the far end of the hallway. As she slipped into her room to slip on a sweater and her new coat and hat.

Her room this time was smaller and cozier, and it looked a bit more feminine. There was a short stool in the ensuite bathroom that was cushioned and upholstered with flowers. Georgie dressed quickly in there, putting her foot up on the stool to tie up the laces on her boots. Snatching up her wand and her cap, she dashed back out into the hallway and shut the door behind her.

The boys weren't there yet, so she ambled idly down the stairs and in the direction of the kitchens to find Cassy. Cassy wasn't about, but she chatted with the two elves that were in the kitchen preparing the soup for that evening. They'd almost pressured Georgie into accepting a cup of tea when she heard deep voices coming from the entryway, so she excused herself.

They both looked up at the sound of her footsteps hurrying towards them. "Oh, good, ready to go I see." Remus smiled. Severus fastened his cloak and nodded, leading the way outside.

It was very cold out, and the fresh air made her breath come quickly, but it was invigorating. Severus led the way up a path that seemed to climb forever upwards. After awhile her legs ached from the exercise and the chill, but she wouldn't admit that for the wide world.

She was winded when they seemed to reach the top and the ground leveled off. A small and deep stream was flowing in the dusk light and Severus was pointing out the view of the sea from that spot. Georgie stood on tiptoe directly behind the two men and bit her lip anxiously as she strained to see the objects they were pointing out.

Severus said, "We can rest here for a spell." Georgie heard that and a second later she let herself fall over flat on her back onto the patch of grasses behind her. Severus and Remus both turned to look at her curiously, then turned back around to admire the sights. Georgie was freezing, but the ground was so comfortable, she felt as if she could sleep right there...

She opened her eyes and saw Remus standing over her with his wristwatch held out in front of him pointedly. He held his hand out to help her up. "You're going to get your coat dirty."

"What does it matter." She hugged her arms around her body for warmth. "It's beautiful and it smells heavenly here." She looked around herself or a moment. Suddenly she stooped down and picked a piece of grass growing by the stream's bank. "Mint." She pronounced handing a bit to Remus.

"The water looks so clear, I think I might try a bit before starting out again."

"You know mint's wonderfully edible and it'll make the water seems fresher if you eat some before drinking--try it." She pressed.

Severus came and stood beside her. She held out the mint, "Try some?" Not really expecting him to agree.

"No."

She watched as Remus stooped to drink from his cupped hands. She squinted as her eyes were failing her in the fleeting light.

"This is really nice. Thanks." She said aside to Severus.

"We should get back now." His eyes glittered in the semi-darkness. Remus stood up, and Georgie took hold of Severus' shoulders and spun him around, steering and pushing him along for a bit down the path playfully.

"How big is this island?" Georgie asked, after she figured they should have made it back by then.

"Big enough."

She snorted and walked on in silence enjoying the night sounds.

At last the house loomed over the top of the black trees, the lights casting eerie long shadows through the trees and over rocks.

"You're too slow, I'm going to run on down."

"If you break your neck.." Severus started.

"Just don't bury me until you're sure I'm dead." She teased as she took off into a frolicking jog.

"No promises." He spat.

Remus waited until she was out of earshot. "I know you don't hate her or wish her ill, so why the animosity still?"

"Habit."

"Yes, I suppose habits are tough to break." He nodded as they walked even slower. "But you're not an old dog yet, Severus."

Severus looked all around himself and wrestled with ridiculous thoughts. Remus watched as Georgie disappeared from sight a long way off down the path, then he began to whistle a low tune as they strolled on through the darkness.
Georgie tore into the entryway, and slamming the heavy door shut behind herself she walked towards the drawing room and it's cheery blaze, fumbling with her coat's buttons. Suddenly she walked into something tall and solid- -so solid, that it made her stumble backwards and fall on her backside. She looked up in surprise at the tall figure before her.

"You know, that's the second time I've fallen on my bum today." She bantered.

The man took a quick step forward and lifted her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" he asked with an almost imperceptible smile.

"Yes, I'm used to it actually." She smiled and stood there nodding to herself, feeling like a first-class idiot.

He took mercy on her after a loud and long silence, "I'm a friend of Severus' from a long time back. Andrew. Andrew Carris." He offered his hand out to her.

She took hold of his and shook firmly. "George Flaing. Pleasure."

He motioned with a nod towards the drawing room and they continued inside together. He had the palest skin she'd ever seen--save Severus' of course. It was almost translucent and Georgie had to fight not to stare too hard at him. But he was quite handsome. He had dark brown hair, wavy, but definitely not poofy. And he was tall, and though Georgie was perhaps of a medium height, Andrew was several heads taller. Very handsome indeed.

She seated herself in a chair on the opposite side of the fire from him.

He cleared his throat, "Severus didn't tell me anything about you." Georgie frowned at hearing this, but he continued. "But of course I haven't seen the man for a year and perhaps he wanted to surprise me with a new acquaintance."

"Perhaps," She smiled quietly, and racked her brain back to when Severus had mentioned introducing someone new to her. "No matter though, now we're here and we'll all have a lovely time and be quite jolly and comfortable."

"Yes, the days I spend here with Severus are the most relaxing of my entire year. I look forward to them more to any other time, and the company of course is the primary reason."

Georgie nearly balked at Severus' company being so valuable, "Well, it seems we'll have to perform twice as well, at least sociably, to keep up the standard."

"Oh no. When I say that, I mean that being here is it's own reward. Don't any of you trouble yourselves or even check yourselves when it comes to my being here. I won't stand for it."

Georgie smirked, "I don't think you realize the implications of your words-- we can be a, erm, well, a spirited bunch."

Andrew's eyes widened, "I can't imagine Severus being spirited."

"At all?" She asked, her voice tinged with disappointment. "But he's lovely when he's here and acting like himself and fun."

Andrew almost spat, "Fun?!"

"Not always of course, but at times." Georgie wasn't enjoying the back-and- forth over whether Severus was capable of enjoying himself. "At the least he's pleasant."

"I take it you are from the school."

"Hogwarts? Yes, for now." She nodded, watching as Andrew got to his feet.

"Something to drink?" He offered.

"Thank you, no."

"So I suppose you're to graduate soon? You look older than 17."

"Thank you. I'm 21. I graduated from The Institute in Poland a few years ago. However I've relocated to this country, and I've enrolled in Hogwarts for some rounding over of my rough spots and things."

"I have heard of The Institute." He returned to his seat by her and the fire.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, from Severus." Oh great, she thought mournfully, whatever did Severus say to Andrew?

Georgie coughed and fumbled with her remaining buttons. "Severus does have strong opinions on the place."

Andrew nodded at this, but didn't comment. Georgie's mind kept returning to Severus and what the devil could be keeping he and Remus.

"Have you met Remus Lupin? --He's here with us as well."

"Ah yes, I was very surprised to hear he was back at the school teaching. I had heard there had been some concerned parents." Georgie's patience was beginning to fray. "But I've also heard he's a competent teacher."

She smiled and looked at the fire to keep from either glaring at him, or else staring at his skin. "That he is." She looked up as she heard footsteps outside the room and a door slam. The two by the fire rose and walked over to greet Severus and Remus.

Severus walked briskly forward and welcomed Andrew almost warmly. Georgie could see by his eyes that he was pleased. She stood a few paces behind the rest of them watching as Remus stepped forward and nearly hugged the man, shaking his hand so heartily that she almost became dizzy watching it.

Exclamations of happiness and surprise at seeing each other were exchanged. Severus caught Georgie's eyes and Georgie purposefully just smiled blankly and shrugged lightly in response. "You've met our friend Georgie?" Severus posed to Andrew Carris, who acknowledged that he had. Georgie puffed up at being introduced as their friend. A small matter, but it meant a great deal to her all the same.

"Did Cassy show you to your room?"

"Oh yes, she was most helpful, thank you."

Severus looked at the clock above the fireplace, "I see it's almost time to eat. Will you be joining us? Come have a glass of wine." He urged.

Georgie's jaw was to her chest; she had never seen Severus act so interested in making another welcome or comfortable.

"Well, I can speak for Remus and myself when I say we need a few minutes to freshen up. So how about if we all meet back here in forty-five minutes time?" Nods all around, and Severus and Andrew strode off together in the direction of the library talking in low voices together. Georgie stared after them both, the two tall men dressed all in black, both similar in their paleness and curious lacking of footfall sounds.

"Who the devil is he?"

"A friend of Severus'--a scholar and a traveler I've gathered. He tells the most fascinating tales when we're all gathered before the fire at midnight. Curious habits, but a sound fellow."

"Ach, you're useless." Georgie teased as she threw her hands up in the air and stalked off towards the stairs. Remus caught up with her soon enough.

They walked down the hallway, "At first I thought he was some relative of Severus'. He looked just like him--like death warmed-over."

Remus screwed up his face as if contemplating something. "Severus hasn't any living relatives."

Georgie remembered that Severus said he had a brother, but perhaps Remus wasn't to know that, so she dismissed it. "I just hope he won't be a big killjoy." She stopped outside her door. "I'm not exactly the quietest house-guest, and it'd be awfully difficult to try and check myself. I don't even think I'd want to try."

Remus smiled to himself, wondering what was with the household and inability and non-desire for change. Instead he just reassured her that he wouldn't even know she were there, and he could be quite boisterous himself, so she needn't worry.

She smiled as she went to her own room. She liked it, she had to admit as she went to the window and looked out. The room had two wide windows in the far wall that looked down upon a sloping stretch of lawn that was broken at the end by rocks jutting up from the earth. She had missed having windows and a view. The dungeons were wonderful: quiet and dark and comfortable--in their own way. One just got used to them. But the tiny slits of windows, way up high in the walls--above her head--always made her feel as if she were being stifled or buried alive. Severus told her once he imagined himself drowned in the dungeons back when he was a student in Slytherin House

She slipped off her coat and her boots and sat on the edge of her bed to put on normal shoes. She heard a knock at her door, and hollered "Come in!"

Severus entered in and crossed the floor between them.

"It can't be time yet." Georgie didn't lift her eyes from the laces she was tying. "It's been, what? Five or ten minutes? You said forty-five, you know."

"Yes, but I need you for something else."

She finished with her shoes and slid off the bed, and eyed him skeptically. "Okily."

He turned from her and walked away. She rolled her eyes and followed him out the door and down the stairs. He led her briskly past the house-elves in the kitchen and around a corner to a door she'd never noticed. He opened it and stepped down a flight of stairs.

Georgie followed him uneasily. The cellar? What, did he need help carrying up jellies or something? But when they got to the ground Georgie realized it wasn't a cellar at all, it was an immense dungeon. They stood at what appeared to be the central spoke in a wheel of halls and rooms, twisting off into the darkness.

"Wow." Georgie laughed. What impressed her was how clean the dungeons were. Sure they had stone walls and floors, but the stone was smooth and clean, and the main passages were well lit. "I should have gone down here when I was running from you."

He walked to the first door and held it open for her. "You'd have gotten very, very lost." He predicted as she swept through.

Inside there was just a mat on the ground covering all but a few feet by the door. "What's all this for?" Georgie asked.

"You're training starts now."

"No!" Georgie rolled her eyes and turned on Severus.

"It's as good a place to start as any."

"I hate you."

"I wish." He sighed, and glared right back at her. "We're just going to do a bit tonight--more later. Dumbledore wished you to begin during the Holidays. We can work on dodging spells tonight--that's not difficult."

"Says double-oh-flipping-seven, here." She growled.

He pushed her to a spot on the mat and backed up to a spot far enough away from her.

"You know this doesn't look like a dungeon. There aren't any of those ring- things on the walls and it's very bright in here."

"That's because it hasn't been used as a dungeon for a very long time and the 'ring-things'," he pronounced contemptuously, "Are in the cells and rooms in the back. Now concentrate on what we're doing here in this room."

She shot daggers at him, to which he just sneered. "Alright, now here's what we'll do. I'll shoot a few weak stuns at you. You'll have an advantage because you know what I'll be doing so your reaction time will be nothing really. The trick is to keep the foe concentrating on getting their spell off, so they won't realize you've anticipated their move and you can dive off to the side and get off one of your own. Sometimes the hardest thing is standing there still so they think they have you, when you're just biding time so you can get the better position. Are you following me?"

She nodded at Professor Snape.

"Good, now make sure that you don't give away that you're about to bolt by twitching or looking about you or they'll just follow your movements with their wand. A straight-on, locked-arm shot is the easiest to elude."

"Ready?" He asked calmly.

"Yes." She focused on his wand hand and listened for his voice to speak.

"Stupefy." He spoke quietly but with force. Georgie had just dove onto her stomach, just out of reach of the bolt that shot out of the end of his wand that continued on to the back wall of the room with a crack.

"Good, good." He strode over and helped her to her feet. "That was surprisingly good. I couldn't guess which direction you were going to go, and if you can fool me, then that's good indeed. Now, we'll try it a few more times, and this time be sure to get down into a position where your wand hand can get off another shot from the position you fall into. The way you fell that way, your arm was under your body to break your fall. Good habit if you're tripping over your feet, bad if you're being hunted down."

"Great, I gotta think like a psycho killer.." She murmured, and Severus ignored her comment.

When they were set up, Severus asked if she was ready, to which she rolled her eyes and acknowledged that she was, and dove off once again just out of reach of the stunner. Severus seemed to scrutinize her as he helped her to her feet the next time.

The third time Georgie reasoned she should dive the other direction, but when she did Severus followed her with his wand and hit her with his stunner. She was thrown up against the far wall, almost as if she were picked up and thrown there by unseen hands, causing her to smack the back of her head against the cold stone.

For a second she couldn't breathe, and she started to panic, then slowly her breathing evened out and her focus regained. Her head, however, felt hot and stiff. Severus was looming over her seated form asking her something. Her head roared, but she managed a weak smile, to reassure him. He frowned and spoke once more not soliciting an answer from her. After an odd minute she shook her head violently, "Wow, that's heaps better'n caffeine.." She joked.

"I asked if you were alright." He repeated clearly.

"Yup, I'm groovy. Alright and having fun, shall we have another go at it then?" She scrambled to get to her feet. Severus didn't retreat from his position over her. She chuckled, "Always concern, blah blah malarkey." She pushed him backwards and away to the far side of the mat.

"I messed up. I learn from my mistakes. Whomp me again, I dare ya!"

He looked her over, as if considering, "Whomp? If you think you're up to it.."

"Bite me." She snarled, "So when do I get to fight back? It's easy for you if you have a captive fighter who can't fight back. "

"Ready?"

"Yeah," She smiled excitedly, though her head still swam.

She dodged his attempt and even managed to get her shot off, though it went wide. Severus was pleased (she gathered) when he criticized her form, then told her to get up and try again.

She wouldn't admit--even to herself--that she really did want to send Severus flying across the dungeon. It wasn't that she wanted to see him in particular hurt, but it was the adrenaline, the skill in the fight, and well.yes, actually she did want to smash up Severus a bit as well. This could turn out to be a great deal of fun in future.

It unnerved her that Severus didn't budge at any of her stunners, perhaps he had an eye for her aim, or who knows.."You have to keep your focus. You're doing fine, but really, you must take this more seriously." He scolded.

"Fine," She forced through clenched teeth. "If you want me to hurt you I will." Her eyes flashed in his direction.

He smiled, "That's the sort of response needed. Good. We will continue later, today was just supposed to get you used to the idea." He motioned for her to exit with him. "Besides, I think it must be just about time to eat, and Cassy keeps a tight schedule around here."

Georgie relaxed as she led the way up the stairs, "She's your house-elf, if you don't like it, ask her to stop. Hey, stop looking at my ass." She teased.

"You're an imbecile. Who in their right mind.oh, I don't even know why I bother."

Georgie paused just outside the door at the top of the stairs, "Lead the way, Yoda."

"Why?" He scowled at her darkly.

"Why not?" She said lightly. The truth was, her head was aching and if she stumbled she didn't want him behind her seeing it and worrying. She'd been injured before and she knew she was fine, but unnecessary worrying irked her.

He outpaced her to the dinning room, where Andrew and Remus where chatting idly and waiting for them. Remus looked up at the pair as they walked in and joined them at the table, "Where have you two been? We thought we'd have to start without you." All four gathered at one end of the solid oak table.

"Snoggin' in the dungeons." Georgie quipped as seriously as she could manage.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Remus laughed despite the look Severus was sending his way.

Georgie plopped into an empty chair and confided. "Me too--it wasn't that good."

Andrew snorted and Remus shook quietly to himself. "Actually," Severus' voice rose above the sniggers. "I was teaching her to fight."

Remus stood up and was filling the wineglasses, "So how did she do? You're both alive and appear unscathed. A success?" Georgie turned down the wine as she indicated the soda can waiting beside her place setting.

"Ask Georgie." Severus looked her straight in the eye.

"Always so damn enigmatic.." Georgie lowered her head to the table and bashed it lightly on the wood. She remembered herself and sat up, raking her hair out of her eyes. "It was just a start. I did fine, I took a hit, but learned from it. Life is dandy and fine and I can't wait to get better at it so I can maim and maul my dear friend."

Remus sat down, "What is with you two and violence?"

Andrew cleared his throat, "Remus tells me that the last time you were here you single-handedly convinced the house-elves to join you in much mischief. Are we to expect much of the same?" He joked.

"Only if Severus let's me get away with it." She looked to him soberly. She had to remind herself that it was his house and if it was order he wished to maintain she had to respect his wishes.

Severus smirked and said dryly, "I couldn't stop her if I tried."

Andrew brought his glass down hard on the table, "My dear, Severus is an uptight jackass--even if he is one of my closest friends," He nodded to Severus who was leering at the other pale man over steepled fingers. "He's had far too little enjoyment and happiness in his life and if we, who call ourselves his friends, can't manage to help him out a bit, then we're a sad party indeed." Georgie snorted, but opened her soda instead of answering. How in the world did Andrew and Severus ever find each other out?!

Remus quietly pointed out that it was Severus' choice as to how he lived and how he conducted his life. Severus sat back with an arched eyebrow and watched his friends discuss his fate.

Andrew was outspoken, "Bollucks. It's a choice to stifle and kill oneself as well--does that mean we should count it as a good decision? One that's best for the person? Sit back and let themselves do harm?"

Georgie piped up. "But how are we to know what is harmful for another person, suicide notwithstanding? A solitary life isn't damaging, nor is it a crime. Just because we see it as not desirable from our current point of view, does that mean we must subject the person to our solution for their own particular ill?"

"True, but what of anti-social behavior? It's not that behavior in itself that worries others, is it? It's that there must be something else behind it--some deeper problem or ill manifesting itself in that fashion. It may hurt society as a whole." Remus pointed out.

Cassy and another house-elf entered into the room balancing plates on their large, knobby hands. "I hate to interrupt, because as you have probably I guessed I so enjoy listening to the lot of you, but I suggest you eat while the food's still warm." Severus drawled sarcastically.

Georgie bit her lip and stole a glance across the table at Severus. He was staring at Andrew with a glint in his eye, then abruptly took up his fork and began to eat.
Georgie sat on a flat cushion by the fire on the floor, her back up against the fitted stones that encircled the massive fireplace. She lazily strummed Severus' guitar--sometimes forming songs, but more often not. Severus had excused himself for an hour and no one had a clue where he was, and so Andrew and Remus were in the Library chatting and drinking sherry. Georgie didn't feel up to joining them. She adored Remus, but Andrew was too new for her to let loose around just yet. He was a puzzle: What was it about him that made Severus act so cordial? Well, not so very cordial.just, so ready to please. And that coming from the self-absorbed, ambivalent professional Potions Master.

She was glad for the solitude of that moment so she could gather her thoughts and reflect.

A sad fact widely known

How the most impassionate song

To a lonely soul

Is so easily outgrown.

But don't forget the songs

That made you smile

And the songs that made you cry.

When you lay in awe

On the bedroom floor

And said "Oh, smother me, Mother..."

The passing of time

And of all its crimes

Is making me sad again.

The passing of time

And all of its sickening crimes

Is making me sad again

But don't forget the songs

That made you cry

And the songs that saved your life.

Yes, you're older now

And you're a clever swine

But they were the only ones that stood by you.

The passing of time leaves empty lives

Waiting to be filled

The passing of time

Leaves empty lives

Waiting to be filled

I'm here with a cause

I'm holding a torch

In the corner of your room

Can you hear me?

And when you're dancing and laughing

And finally living

Hear my voice in your head

And think of me kindly

Do you

Love me like you used to ?

Georgie messed up the notes of the songs so horribly that when it was finished she flung aside the guitar in disgust--disgust aimed at herself, at the song, at general feelings of ineptitude. She sat the rest of the evening with her back up against that fireplace frowning and thinking sour thoughts.
"How are you this fine morning?" Remus asked cheerily as Georgie padded into the dinning room and seated herself next to Remus. Severus looked up at her as she entered, then lowered his eyes to the Daily Prophet in his hand. Andrew wasn't present however.

"My head fucking hurts." She moaned.

"Georgie!" Severus looked up at her from his paper and balked.

"If you had this headache you'd say that too." She looked at him and there seemed to be an unspoken acknowledgement that the ache did not come from any drink she'd had.

"I would say no such thing," he scoffed

"You just would say it in such colorful a way." He glared at her, as she continued. "Ah, come on say something bad. Damn or something--that's mild enough. Say 'shit' or something."

Remus looked shocked, but was laughing. "He won't, don't even bother Georgie."

"Come on, one gratuitous curse." She teased him, as she put jam on her toast, giggling as he ignored her.

Remus suggested that she apply to Severus for a headache draught, but Georgie assured him that she'd take a bit of Belladonna later.

"You know, I never got the greatest marks in Potions when I as in school, and I hardly remember any of it now--" Severus looked on the man with intense black eyes. "Well, I just haven't used it!" Remus laughed. "But forgive my ignorance, isn't Belladonna a poison."

"Yup." Georgie grinned evilly.

"At least you know what you're doing." He handed her the sugar.

"Nah, I just pretend I do, then Severus bails me out when I've overdone it and I'm poisoned."

"Frightening."

"Where's Andrew?" Georgie looked at Severus.

Severus sighed, "He keeps odd hours, prefers evening hours."

"All the time!?"

"Yes," Severus replied amusedly.

"That's mad, he'd have to find a job working later and everything. But what fun, being able to sleep in all the time.I'd give anything to not have to be awake and alive during the day! I hate waking up early." She grumbled. But she noticed Remus sent a queer sort of look at Severus when they thought she wasn't looking.

"How is it that I've barely seen Cassy, Severus?" She peeped slyly at him. "Is she frightened of something, or is she acting on orders to stay away from me?"

"Nothing of the sort. Nothing to do with you, she just has particular aversions to disturbing our party. She's tending to the gardens with an added fervor to make herself scarce."

Remus frowned. "Oh, enough of that Severus--she'll think it's something to do with her. Georgie, Cassy's scared of Andrew." He explained.

She snorted in reply, "Oh really? And he's such scary a person!" She reminded herself to poke fun at poor little Cassy later on when she managed to corner her somewhere in the house.
"Do you mean to say that Minerva's not seen her family in over five years!" Georgie screeched. Severus and Remus and Georgie were tromping through the frost and mud on the ground on the path leading up to the ruins of the old manor.

Remus explained that she was needed for Harry Potter's protection--"Even over the summer?" She interrupted.

"Yes."

"How sad."

"No, she volunteered. Besides Hogwarts is her real home now and the staff and students are her family."

Severus just listened to them ramble on. Soppy and sentimental...

"I still think it's sad."

Remus was always the voice of reason. "Her family, from what I gather, were always sort of distant. Perhaps she doesn't mind it--"

"--Perhaps she prefers it." Severus pointed out.

Georgie laughed, "Perhaps."
She managed to corner Remus alone in the old rotted-out kitchens at the ruins. "So, not to pry or anything, but your mind isn't really here, and I think we can all guess where it is. Or rather, on whom it dwells."

Remus was silent, "For the longest time, I hadn't a real place to live--a real home. Not that I was without a roof over my head. My parents were at the same old-fashioned cottage I grew up in--they're still there now. And they would always welcome me there, but it wasn't mine. I was always going from job to job, from continent to continent and I never found 'home'. And I was stubborn too, full of pride." He ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know why I'm even telling you this." He focused in sharply on her, and Georgie found a low ledge to lift herself up and on to.

"When I inherited the old house from my aunt truthfully it didn't do much to lift my sprits. Of course, it was a generous gesture and I am grateful, I have a place to go now--true place of my own, with a garden and a front walk and trees surrounding it." He smiled. "Then Sirius came back and it was like old times again--my friend was restored to me. Then we lived as two bachelors this past summer. He enjoyed his bachelor status while I quietly mourned it. Alone isn't all it is cracked up to be." Georgie nodded solemnly at his words, though not fully understanding them. The room smelled moldy and stale, it bothered her nose.

"It wasn't just the place that would make a place a home though. It was the people. I hadn't any people--any family of my own. You have no idea how disheartening it is to finally face the fact that you may very well be alone for the rest of your life--and you don't want to be alone."

"Unlike Severus." She sniffed, and tried to keep from sneezing.

"Severus doesn't want to be alone--who really does? It's just once you get to a point when you sort of give up on yourself, and on your hopes and aspirations."

"But you've got someone now--oh, sorry, I know. I'm assuming too much."

"If you do, then so do I." He smiled sadly. "Nothing has been said, no promises given. Time will of course tell as it always does. I can't ask for promises when we're in such a.precarious position, and besides, an old monster like me.."

"You're not a monster!"

"A few days out of every month--"

"Me too." She joked eliciting a smile from him.

"Enough! You're neither old nor a monster; you're a fit, handsome dear and wonderful with a heart of gold. You're no more an old man than I am, and since there's very little danger of that, you have to be more sure of yourself. Not over-sure of course, but surer of yourself and of whom you are. You're lovely--get used to the idea."

"Like Sirius."

"No one's as beautiful as Sirius--even Sirius." She smiled wily. "She adores you, and you'll not be alone. I'm sure of it."

"I'm glad you are--because I'm not so sure."

His eyes lifted to the passageway beyond them, and she followed his gaze with curiosity. "What is it?" She nearly whispered.

"Severus." He smiled and walked over to stand by her. She hopped down, "Lor', I hope you just have sensitive hearing, and I'm not losing any of mine because I can't hear a thing." They walked out of the room and saw Severus approaching.

"Hello Darling!" She gushed. He looked down on her as if she were something disgusting and grotty lying in the road. Remus only smiled.

"Do you know," She said looking up at her two friends. "That I feel slightly inferior here."

"Can't imagine why." Severus said dryly.

"Why?" Remus baited.

"You both are tall and thin--you're both nearly two heads bigger'n me! It's not far. I'm a cherub-goblin in comparison. Perhaps I can get some lifting shoes or else shrink you two."

"The smallest things always have the loudest voices." Severus looked at Remus over her head.

"Think toddlers." Remus nodded.

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!" She punched Remus in the arm, then took off out of their sight.

"So very odd," Severus murmured.

"Perhaps we'll understand better someday."

"Yes, give us ten or fifteen years and we'll be able to understand George Flaing's mind."

"Say, do you know why she's named George anyhow?"

Severus narrowed his eyes, "No, I never bothered to ask her. Why?"

"Get her to tell you the story sometime--it's quite interesting and it explains a lot too."

Severus stiffened and stalked off and left Remus standing where he was. Right when you think you know a person, then surprise--something new about them! He kicked his toe at a corner of the stone wall as he walked past it. It wasn't that fact that he didn't know--it was the fact that Remus did. Severus knew his disposition towards making things into competitions, but he was being ridiculous. Who cares why?

He walked outside into the stark winter light, he wanted to shield his eyes, but instead just hung his head as he walked forward. Plop, something soft hit his shoulder. He looked up startled to see Georgie balled up on a boulder between a cluster of trees. She winked and lobbed another object at his face, which he snatched out of the air and turned over in his palm. It was a mushroom.

"You could use those, you know." She called out to him seriously.

"They don't grow here in the winter ordinarily. How odd." He stood his ground in the center of the path.

"Why are you sitting over there?" He was making chitchat, and he detested making chitchat.

"No reason," She parried.

"Oh.." He seemed at a loss for what to say, she wasn't going to be of any real assistance. "Would you like to walk on awhile more then?"

Georgie scrutinized him and answered in the affirmative, to which he replied he'd track down Remus, then he turned away.

She sat on the rock and breathed deeply. The woods smelled heavily like dirt and pine, it was delicious and calming. There weren't any birds at all in the sky, and the only sound came from the wind blowing through trees and over the icy spots and down the hillside. It was like the entire earth were resting, and she felt horrid to make any noise at all to disturb the peace.

Remus and Severus tromped back to where Severus had left her to find Georgie waiting in the path with her eyes lifted to the sky in rapt pleasure.

"Shall we?" Remus gestured off down the path.
She knew she shouldn't have worn sandals today, she swung the towel around her arm as she walked. It was freezing outside literally and Georgie first off had gone swimming in the sea, and secondly had trudged all the way back up in a terry-cloth robe and a pair of sandals. Georgie returned back to the house and pushed open the door, Cassy stood before her as if waiting for someone.

"Hello Cassy, what've you been doing today? Haven't seen any of you. I've been out swimming in the." Her voice broke off. Something in the tiny house-elf's face told her she needed to stop.

"Oh gawd, what is it?" Georgie hurriedly set her towel by a bench just inside the door.

"There's been an official letter from Hogwarts, flown by stealth owl just before you came in. It's addressed to Severus, but below that it says Mister Lupin's name and..yours." Cassy seemed just as confused as Georgie felt evidently.

"Why me?" Georgie mumbled to herself, and Cassy just shook her head. "And Remus and Severus aren't here? Do you know where they got off to?" Cassy shook her head once more.

"The owl's waiting for a response as well."

"Oh dear, well, where's the letter: I'll determine if it really is for my eyes." She followed Cassy back into a study where the fireplace wasn't in use and Georgie shivered from her wet hair.

The letter did comprise her name on the outside of the parchment and the seal was Hogwarts, she produced her wand from her pocket and muttered a few unlocking charms for the privacy and identity spells placed over it.

She broke the seal at last with her numb fingers and quickly scanned the letter, not even noticing that Cassy had left her alone in the room. Sinking down into the first available chair, she bit down on her lip quite hard, and didn't realize she was drawing blood. It was from Minerva--all in her flowing scrawl.

The letter was to inform them that Professor Vector had been singled out and killed by a Death Eater's attack over the holiday. Minerva just wished the staff to hear this from her first before they got a chance to read about it in the Daily Prophet. She gave what details she knew--it happened at her home while she was visiting family--a brother and his wife also were killed--reasons still remained unknown. There would be an announcement when school recommenced and they would find someone to fill-in for her until a permanent replacement could be found. Near the very bottom there was a note that the three of them should try to rest and enjoy the last of the holiday and to try not to dwell on the things that were beyond repair. Minerva closed it telling them to stay on their toes and to please reply that the entire party was safe.

At first a sense of relief washed over her: she'd thought it was something , well, worse. Hogwarts had been taken, Dumbledore or Minerva..But just as quickly, feelings of sickness and guilt over what she was really saying to herself sunk in. Alright, so Georgie wasn't fond of or close to the Professor, didn't have classes with her, barely said Hello on passing her in the corridors, but still. This was a professor! A fellow witch being cut down by..

Georgie got to her feet stiffly and taking the letter in her hand sat herself behind the mahogany desk and slipped out a sheet of parchment. If the owl were waiting for a response, she would send it off presently. She dipped her quill in and with a shaky hand scratched off to Minerva that they were all fine and safe and that this was such a huge shock..

She was just finishing up when she heard a heavy footfall in the doorway, making her look up sharply. Remus and Severus crossed the floor with alarmed looks on their faces, especially Remus'. Georgie didn't speak a word, but handed the letter up to Severus and sealed the other letter. She got to her feet, breezed past the two men scouring the contents of the letter and found Cassy, giving her the reply with directions to send off the detained owl immediately.

When she returned to the cold study, Remus was the color of ash in the chair and Severus was pacing the floor. Georgie stepped just inside the door, and leaned her back against a bookshelf watching them. She didn't feel it was her place to say anything, they would have known her so much better..

But as it turns out they didn't. Severus knew her more than either of the other two and he still didn't know much. He admitted he'd never really talked to her--she was careful to not get involved with friendships with the other staff. He thought he could recall that she was forever writing to a fiancé somewhere on the continent, but he was surprised to hear she had family so close by.

Remus remarked on how strange to not really notice someone, until they were gone and it was too late.something about life's being fickle.. Georgie faded in and out. She felt worse that she didn't care --because she didn't know her. Was she that shallow? But it wasn't just her who was able to see beyond the tragedy, the two men quickly moved thoughts away from the person and on to the issue of safety and made plans to talk with Dumbledore at first opportunity.

Georgie wished Andrew were there, so she could talk to him as he probably could offer her some detached insight. Her mind raced away. Why Vector? Vector was nothing, did nothing. It made no sense. Someday perhaps she'd get a somewhat adequate answer, she hoped. But in all honesty, the people who should have been targeted were Dumbledore, Harry Potter, or Snape. She listened to the wind scraping the bare branches across the glass and thought of other things, dancing and hiking and swimming.Anything to--

"Georgie." Remus was standing right before her looking concerned. "I've been saying your name."

"Oh. Sorry."

"You alright?"

"Yes," she mustered a smile to get the dogs of her track and was allowed several more minutes of mind wandering and numbly avoiding thoughts. She felt bad for the fiancé--to get a letter with news like that.

She slipped out the door and headed for the kitchens. Cassy was in there assisting with the meal preparation and organizing the efforts. Georgie thanked her for mailing the letter and for remaining level-headed, filling her in vaguely on all that had transpired. Georgie walked to the refrigerator and retrieved her own Diet Coke and sat on a stool at the table, much to the protest of one house-elf, whom Georgie just ignored when he offered to fetch it for her.
Severus pushed open the door and saw Georgie sitting on a stool with her back to him blowing then on a mug of tea.

"I thought I just might find you here." He said.

"Shut-up." She retorted bitterly without facing him.

"I didn't mean that you'd be in the kitchens, I meant you'd be with others. You're not often the solitary type." He sat in the next chair over and a house elf handed him a cup of steaming tea.

"Sorry." She said sheepishly. "I jump to nasty conclusions."

"You're not affected by all this are you?" He analyzed her closely.

"Nah, not really."

"Good, because I wouldn't want you to harp on things over and done with that you can't fix. You'll ruin your time of rest and diversion."

She drew a long breath, "Not I. I'm wonderfully shallow and callous, I'll forget after not a very long time. I promise I'm fine and happy and smiley and wonderful. And this tea is fab."

He got to his feet. "Good." He wasn't convinced. "I'm meeting with Albus in Hogsmeade for an hour or so. I'll be back by dinner or a little afterwards."

"Oh," she whined. "You're leaving?"

He snorted, "I'm coming back." He pointed out condescendingly. He patted down the top of her hair reassuringly, "Dry your hair or you'll catch a cold and die from it." She was still wearing her robe with her swimsuit beneath it.

"Ay ay Captain," she saluted and laughed.

"That sounds more like you. Did you take your headache draught or belladonna?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't know." She spat, clearly losing her temper. Snape may have been just showing his concern, but it nettled her by how he presented it.

"Does your head still hurt?" He demanded.

"Yes."

He glared at her, "I know I'm not the big mediwizard here, but."

"Okay I'll take it tonight! Oh, just leave already!" She turned on her stool and tried to kick at him playfully.
"How is it, that he flies us out here in the high wind and freezing cold, and he's connected to the Floo network?" She griped to Remus at the dinner table.

Andrew hadn't shown up yet, but according to Remus that was pretty common for him.

"It's for emergencies--really. When he comes here on his own he flies, but he's connected only for emergencies ." His voice trailed off. "This being an island, you'd have to have another way of travel."

"And he's never heard of a boat?" She growled.

Remus chuckled, "Could you imagine Severus at the wheel of a sailboat or a motorboat? Nor could I."

"Yes, but for awhile I couldn't imagine him on a broom either."

He laughed and ripped open a roll. "Now what was it we were talking of before you went on your paranoid rant about him tricking you into flying blind?"

"You were telling me about Lily."

"Oh, yes. Well, anyway, she was very clever--she could control us boys when we got out-of-hand, steer us gently away from potential problems. And we never knew she was doing it. She just had a way with her. And poor James, he never knew what hit him--but then again he had no reason to look back. They were perfect, even their arguments were stunning. They both were generous and would apologize for days if they felt they'd done or said something wrong." His eyes twinkled.

"She had a temper, usually she'd be so serene and mild, so kind, but if you got her justifiably angry--and we all did plenty of times!--Her eyes would glow and she'd let loose on you. She smiled a lot--was generally happy. Didn't have as great a sense of humor as the rest of us, but it suited her fine." Georgie heard mostly the same things from every person she asked about Lily Potter: She was young, beautiful, good and sorely missed. Not much of an ease to her mind though.
Severus returned and ate by himself, but Georgie sat by him prattling on about something or other. Remus had received a letter by owl right after dinner and had gone off to his room to read it in the privacy there. Georgie had sneaked a glance and saw it was postmarked from Co. Cork, and so she reminded herself to tease him afterwards.

Severus was in an odd mood--strangely verbal. Especially odd coming from the thin-lipped vague and cryptic responses he usually gave. Georgie had gone down to the dungeon and worked on her aim on her own that day, and reported that much to him. He just nodded and looked preoccupied.

"Are you alright?" She reached her hand out to touch his shoulder warmly.

"Of course." His face was devoid of emotion. Fine, if he won't tell me, I won't pressure him. She stiffly got to her feet.

"Well, I'm freezing." She rubbed her hands up her arms and chattered her teeth for emphasis. "I need a coat in here. I'd swear it's better out there than in here."

She passed out of the room and Severus raised his eyes to follow her just as a hollow bang sounded, followed by a hoarse howl. "Ow! Damn, damn, damn, damn!" The noise disappeared deeper into the house.

She returned several minutes later wearing a sweater and a hat as well: a tam with a knit ball on top. He thought she looked like a cubby little snowman in her cream-colored sweater.

"I thought you were giving up foul language." He scrambled to organize his thoughts.

"I am."

"So what happened?"

"When?"

"Shut up."

"Make me, you horrid bat." She challenged.

"You are exasperating." He snarled at her, much like when they first met.

"And you are determined to be unpleasant. Damn isn't naughty." She growled.

He laughed at her. Gradually she let herself join in. He was laughing more and more these days.

She sought out a Diet Coke and popped it open with her front teeth, uncontrollably Severus felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise from the picture she made--like the emotion fingernails on a chalkboard elicited: not pleasant. She looked over the rim to see Severus giving her an unguarded funny look.

"What did I do now?"

"Why didn't you visit your parents over the holiday?"

She smirked and raised an eyebrow, "Don't miss much do you? Well, it's a simple enough answer and I won't hold it back from you. When my brother died my parents never got over it. He was their favorite--hell, he was my favorite as well. It was as if their lives ended with his. Part of the reason I had to get away from them and go away to school. The holidays are hard on us all." Severus frowned.

"Oh, don't give me any of that! They never made me feel unwelcome or unloved. It was just too uncomfortable watching them sinking further into their own mourning. I try to spend time with Aunt Sylvie if possible. It's been years since he .and I don't think they'll ever get over it. Sad."

"Yes, sad."

"That and they're a bit mad as well."

He choked, "You're lying."

"Nope. They are a bit mad--nothing drastic or anything, they just are a bit unbalanced--touched in the head, harmless of course, but they still function--my dad still works and my mother still helps out with 'The League' and her charity work. They just have some.. Peculiarities." She chose her words carefully. "But they are indeed distracted."

Severus looked out the window.

"If you feel bad for me, I'll kick your ass, Snape."

"Try." He leered. "Someday perhaps I'll meet them." He said that as an offer of goodwill towards her divulging the information up to his curiosity.

"Not if I have anything to do with it."
Georgie sat across from Severus in the plush armchair near the fire. She tucked a blanket in around herself, and nuzzled the soft fabric against her cheek, ignoring the long dark shadows she sensed where creeping up towards her. She set her glass down on a side table and cast uneasy glances about at the fireplace and the windows where the wind lashed out violently using tree branches as instruments. The storm seemed to have sneaked itself inside as well. She shivered as she felt enormous pity for those who had to be outside in weather such as this.

Severus watched her in silence for the better part of an hour. "What are you afraid of?"

"Now? Nothing." She seemed surprised at the question

"No. What are you afraid of?" He repeated.

"Feeling nothing. Feeling everything." She started, then cut short with a sigh. A cryptic answer.

"So you don't know?" He pried.

"No. I know." She insisted.

"It's not anything dangerous though?"

She held herself back from laughing outright at him. It wouldn't have been a well-meant laugh. "Yes."

"Well, we can find protection for you, we can teach you--there are ways.. Stick close to us, we won't allow harm to come to you." How like the loyal and single-minded knight he acted.

"The literary 'hooded claw'." Severus had once used the expression when he was in one of his 'moods'. "You won't be able to solve every problem, you know."

He shot her a cruel hard look, and his eyes bore into her as she looked elsewhere. He didn't have an answer for her, so they let silence envelop the room instead.

"If I had the power. I would." He looked not at her, but at the flames.

"I know that, and I'd do the same for you."

"I know that."

"But that still leaves us here with our hands empty." As neither of us have any power to speak of.

"Keeping bad at bay: it's an endless struggle."

"Who wins, Severus?" She asked him with wide, knowing eyes.

"Do you want to hear the truth or do you want me to--" His glassy black hair shone in the firelight--little dancing points of lights ran up and down the side of his head, jogging his face over.

"Lie."

"The good guys always win, truth prevails, we are all rewarded for our efforts, no one ever dies, and we live happily ever after.."

"Liar." She whispered.

"You sound like me."

"Now or then."

"Now, come to think of it."

"Good."

"I don't see your logic." He pointed at her with the rim of the glass in his hand.

"That's what I like about you."

"What?" He was slightly taken aback.

"You will let me say anything, even if it's not in character--even if I'm feeling the world's going to end and I don't care a whit, you let me say and feel these things--all things. You're good to be around."

"Never thought of myself in the capacity--ever. And I dare say no one else in the world ever has either."

"Here's to firsts, then. You're good to be around." She repeated.

"I thought we were speaking of you and your thoughts. How did this get around to me?"

"No, it's my turn now. We go in turns. Deal with it."

"Amazing." He almost smiled.

"What is?" She asked in surprise.

"How I got to be here--now."

She cocked her head so she could look at him out of the corner of her eye. "And you always say that I'm the odd one..."
She had retreated to a kneeling position by the fire, lifting her hands out to the flames to soak up their warmth and glow. Suddenly thrusting her hands into the heart of the blaze, she watched the flames lick at her fingers.

She removed her hands hastily and turned then upside down and back again, scrutinizing them. "If I touch the fire and I feel nothing..." She didn't know what was wrong with her--she just felt so spiritless, she hardly realized she'd spoken out loud.

"It freezes me." Severus whispered at her hoarsely.

"Then there's something wrong with the fire." Andrew stepped out from the shadows of the wall.

They both spun around in surprise. "I'm sorry to eavesdrop, but I wanted to express that I'm sorry to hear about your colleague. Remus has told me. Might put a damper on things."

Severus checked himself from saying anything rude.

Georgie sarcastically jumped in, "Well, it'll make us postpone our group- sing tonight."

"Have you eaten?" Severus inquired of his pale and sleepy guest.

"Yes, a house-elf left a tray for me." He smiled coyly.

"Fine," Severus put his hands on his knees as to raise himself. "Sit by the fire and I'll go find Remus."

Georgie threw off the blanket and jumped up, "Don't bother-I'm up. My head's aching so I think I'll take your advice and take something for it."

He scowled at her. "Are you sure you're alright? You look a bit flushed." He pointed at her with a thin finger.

She retreated to the enormous mirror hung on the back wall next to the door. It was gold and ornate, and besides costing a small fortune would probably be heavy enough to crush her, she smirked. She poked a finger just under her eye and drew the skin down to make a silly gargoyle face. She did the same thing with the other eye and stuck out her tongue at herself, trying not to laugh and ruin the look. Severus caught her eye from across the room through the mirror, and sent her a 'stop being so childish' sort of glance. She held his gaze and with a stray little finger pushed her nose like a pug dog's.

Severus didn't remove his eyes from the spectacle in the back of the room, but spoke instead to Andrew, "About the Professor, as I'm sure Remus has informed you, she wasn't any great friend of ours, however the loss is still greatly felt."

Andrew's voice piped up, "Of course, these things are always difficult when they hit close to home." He continued quizzing Severus on Hogwarts and it's security. Georgie scanned the mirror quickly to see Andrew, but see didn't see him. Maybe it was a trick of the light, the long shadows, or was he lying down?

She dropped her hands and with a sharp movement spun around. There was Andrew sitting in plain view seated on the couch she just vacated. Was she losing her mind? Yeah probably, she figured. A side effect of hitting her head must've been losing her mind.

But looking into the mirror once again she clearly could see Severus and the couch, but Andrew wasn't.But she heard him speaking. She looked again at the Andrew sitting in the couch with such a bolting, jerked movement that Severus looked up at her. She glanced at the mirror, back into the room, back at the mirror. She felt hot and confused, as if she wasn't getting oxygen; still Andrew wasn't there. He had no reflection-so what does that mean? Her eyes rolled back into her head, She chuckled, Oh dear, I'm going insane.. The world slowly covered in black and she collapsed.
Remus was leaning over her, dangling something under her nose. She opened one eye then the other. Narrowing her eyes at him, "What time is it?"

He smiled, "Didn't think that was the first thing you'd ask. I'm disappointed." She took that opportunity to look around her. She was in the drawing room, sprawled on the couch. Severus and Andrew where gone.

"So, he's what, a vampire?"

"That's better-more like you. You are correct. " Remus looked at her seriously. "You fainted we gather."

"I've never done that," her voice tinged with disappointment.

He smiled, "Don't beat yourself up over it. I've fainted, it doesn't say anything bad about you." He reached down and lifted a glass up to her, wrapping her fingers around the stem. "You drink it."

"Really? I always figured you planted it in the ground." She sniffed it. "What's it?"

"Sherry."

"So if I 'faint' I get to drink?" She teased, sitting up and taking a deep drink of the stuff. She pressed the glass back into Remus' outstretched hand. "Cor! Where's Severus?"

"Hiding I reckon." He confided. She leapt up and ran towards the stairs, before Remus recalled her, suggesting she try the direction of the kitchens and dungeons. What a wonderful lad that werewolf is, she recognized.
She put her hand up next to his head on the wall she'd just backed him into and leaned in nearly nose-to-nose with him, "He drinks what I work to keep in your damn veins Severus!" She hissed.

"Oh, don't now go and choose what's an acceptable form of person!" He snarled, his breath hitting her face. "You've put up with worse offenses than this before and now you choose to show your prejudices."

"I'm not choosing whether he's acceptable. He is what he is, and he's dangerous. Andrew is wonderful and I have nothing whatsoever to say against him. I am saying this against his kind."

"So just because his race is driven to kill, he is bad. It's very easy and simple for you, isn't it? Now he's a monster when a few hours ago he was just Andrew. I've killed, and that doesn't make all mortal humans bad, does it?"

"Damnit, no. I'm saying he's dangerous that's all. What if he's hungry and he looses control or something?"

"But he never does! He's careful, we're careful, he feeds daily from cow's blood, takes extra with him always. If he ever gets into a spot of trouble he heads straight for here, where the house-elves know enough to take care of him!"

"So that's Cassy, then."

"Will you even listen to yourself! Remus isn't a monster and he looses control just as much--maybe even more-so when he's fully transformed, yet you don't consider him dangerous."

"It's because we can predict Remus, with Andrew it's different. Outside circumstances--God! I can't believe you're even arguing this! He could get caught in the sunlight, or meet some Muggles." She raged on, yet the fire was leaving her.

"He's lived for nearly 700 years--he knows what dangers there are and how to avoid them. He's careful." Severus repeated, calmer this time and quieter. "I've known him all my life, I swear that he is a safe person to be around."

She lowered her hand from beside his head slowly. "That's all I need to know. Heaven knows I try to make my judgements against individuals and not against a whole people. At least I try to." She said somberly. She felt deflated, and turned around crossing her arms in front of her before leaning into the wall next to Severus' side.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

It nettled her that it sounded in his voice that he merely asking her to ask her, in account of his emotion never showing through. "I'm upset. You could have--no. You should have told me, I'm always getting things sprung upon me and it's making me angry. I don't understand what this lack of faith in me is--you think I'm going to give away all your secrets or something. You could have told me this days ago--Remus too, I would have been fine. But shocking the hell out of me isn't the best way of introducing your friends." She rubbed her head. "When were you going to tell me? When I saw him drinking blood from the goblets or what?"

"I was going to tell you today, it's just that things got.complicated."

"Welcome to life, Snape." She snarled.

He smiled, "You only call me Snape when you're angry with me."

"And this makes you happy?"

He didn't reply. Georgie pushed herself up from the wall and walked away.
"So, can you fly?" Georgie plopped herself down on the couch next to a surprised Andrew.

He laughed a moment before replying, "Yes, I can fly."

"Without a broom? Just through the air? Like Superman?"

"Yes, just like Superman I suppose."

"So do you have to lift one arm up like this, or do you do the two arm thing?"

He managed to show her his flying style in between broken laughter.

"So is it fun?"

"What flying?"

"No, being a vampire. Living forever, seeing everything--all times, sleeping in late every day, healing quickly and that."

"It's hell." He said slowly. "Don't ever think that any of this is fun or desirable. Only people matter, and I've seen more die than.No, it is not fun. It's actually a great stifling weight."

"Oh." She nodded thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry for the scare I gave you."

"It wasn't you. Severus can be such an ass."

"Well, at least you've come to this conclusion early on."

"You're lovely, I couldn't be so stupid as to blame you. I was just very, very, very, very surprised. No, I blame Severus."

He pat her knee wisely, "Don't let it eat you up."

"No, we have a rhythm to things: We hold the grudge until we can injure the other person back--retribution or something or other. We're always rowing."

"Interesting."

"So, can you lift heavy things and fly with them?"

"Yes, why? Do you have anything in mind? Drop boulders on Severus' head?"

"Oh my God, why didn't I think of that? I'm losing my touch."

"No, I've got a great idea though."
At breakfast the next morning Georgie cleared her throat and looked poignantly at Severus, "Can we do something different tonight?"

"Like what?"

"You're supposed to just agree to whatever I ask because I'm lovely and your friend." She pouted and Remus choked on his tea.

"Like what?"

"Could we play a game? It's great exercise and even Andrew can play if we play at night--then the teams would be even as well. Oh, please?" She pleaded.

Remus jumped in, "You know it'd be good to get some exercise, and to have a little competition and fun while we're at it." He stretched his arms out, "Lately I've been feeling like the old man I look."

Georgie gave the man a quick side-hug, "No one would think you're old."

Severus looked sour, but agreed to it if Andrew agreed as well.

"Cracking! How about Auror-and-Assassin?" Remus suggested his mouth still full of food.

"Has Georgie got you up to this?" Severus barked suspiciously.

"Oh course not, though I like your style!" She winked at a sheepish Remus.

The Potions Professor nodded, "I hadn't realized that was the true name of the.a-hem, game."

"Why, what's Georgie call it," Remus' smile twinkled.

"Asshole." She volunteered.
Georgie and Severus spent a few hours down in the dungeons, Severus filling her in on the finer points of the organized Death Eater's attack strategy. Things like how to 'go around' no-apparate zones, break through lethal locking charms and traps.

Georgie was fumbling with a hidden flame trap, when she stopped. "You know for a Potions Master, how is you don't have anything like that here? No laboratory, no vials, no ingredients, no cauldron? You'd think you were a Muggle household if it weren't for the elves." She paused. "Wait, or for the wands, the broomsticks, the enchanted books and the back staircase, the talking paintings, the floating torches.." She bit her lip. "Okay, scratch what I just said."

He removed his hand from his chin where it had been resting as he sat observing his student learn. He stood up to bring himself to his full height and held out his hand to her.

She frowned and took his hand and felt lifted up and pulled out of the room and around a corner in the dungeons. He hadn't been trying to mislead her when he said the dungeons were confusing. Plus there was a strange earthy smell coming from deeper inside the dark passages. And every so often, they passed a corridor that would lead off a few feet into the darkness, and a light breeze would blow at his robes and her hair.

"This is larger than a train station," she muttered to herself. "We can't still be under your house."

He didn't answer but instead stopped before a set of massive wooden doors. He pulled them open and stepped inside, allowing Georgie to step through before shutting them behind them both.

"What, no locks?"

"No need."

He lit a dozen torches set high in the walls, making the place look almost.cheery? There were no windows, and no other doors. It was a square- cut room lined on three sides with bookcases. She stepped forward to a simple table covered with scraps of parchment bearing Severus' script. In the center of the room there stood four different cauldrons of varying sizes and metals. She turned around and on either side of the centered door were shelves filled with of a fair few jars, vials with stoppers, boxes and..

"What nothing alive? Nothing fresh?" She jeered.

"You haven't been outside to the owlery yet." At that she squirmed uncomfortably.

"So what are you working on now?" Everything was meticulous: like a medical clinic or a scientist's laboratory. Everything scrupulously labeled and put away.

"Now I'm not working on much. There's a few I've been working on for years on my own authority: Remus' wolfsbane is one of the improvements I've come up with. Years back I tried something for Andrew, but it failed." She was impressed he could speak so reasonably of his failures: she'd expected him to not acknowledge them at all. Sometimes cocky, sometimes reasonable.

"I've developed a few counter-curses against the most common of Voldemort's arsenal, but nothing against the Unforgivables for example. I just don't have the time to devote myself wholly to it."

She stood at a wall shelf and turned her head to read the contents of several vials.

"Aurors every day take a safety-draught I made up that renders them immune to paralyzing jinxes and other spells that effect the body's ability to perform normal motor functions."

"That's a very big deal." She said strongly. "How many of our people have been taken down on account of some silly, leg-locking spell or the like."

He shrugged, "It's what I'm good at."

"So when you're down here changing the course of history, what are you thinking?"

He stared at her with unrestrained curiosity, "I usually think that it's a good thing I'm working for the 'good side'. If that wasn't so, then there would be no stopping me. No one in the Ministry or elsewhere would have a chance--all is lost, and it all hinges on me and my inclinations."

"Ouch." She let out a low whistle; he was probably saying all that to impress something on her--responsibility or some other such rubbish. She turned and looked over the bent and beat parchments lying on the tabletop, "And these?"

He came up behind her and looked down at the papers, "Theories I haven't tested yet. Someday I'll get around to it." He lifted them gently from her hands and glanced them over before setting them back in their place.

"That's not right."

He sneered at her, but this time it wasn't the cold degrading one as before. "I know what you'll say, and so don't bother. The ministry has me contribute in different ways. When I feel I have something here or in my revisions at Hogwarts I send it to a laboratory run by the Ministry for them to suss it out. They seem to feel that I impact more by teaching the next generation and for my keeping them on the up of Voldemort's plans."

"The Ministry is sorely wrong."

"I can't say, as I have no choice in the matter anyhow."

"So resigned, so complacent--is this the bellowing, stormy, scarfing pig- headed Professor I know?" She shook her head.

"Touched by your kind words, as always."

She bowed grandly. "Just do me a favor then?"

"What?"

"Get the Wolfsbane potion fixed up by the time they get married off?"

He groaned and headed for the door.
"How's it going--the training I mean." Remus was seated at the high table in the corner of the kitchen surrounded by parchment and quills when they emerged over-ground.

"Great. I can break your neck in your sleep." She leaned over his shoulder and stole away a chocolate button and crammed it into her mouth.

"Severus is that really necessary?" He looked concerned.

"It's not necessary. I just thought it'd be fun."

"You're idea of fun might not be ours." Remus tried to cover up what he was writing.

Georgie stood next to him, "Oh Remus. You're my only friendship that's not going to get me killed--how can I not adore you!" She went to hug him, but instead snatched up another button.

"Not true. What of Siobhan or Niamh?"

"Wrong answer, you're supposed to say, 'What about Minerva or Hagrid or Hermione'?"

"And why can't I mention her?"

"No reason." Georgie mumbled straight away without pause, her mouth full of the chocolate again. "I just like giving you grief." Severus walked away from them. "Plus it irks him something awful." She smiled. "He can't stand the idea of anyone having success where he failed."

"I can hear you!" Severus bellowed from across the room where he was dictating to Cassy.

"Oh, you're referring to Lily." Remus replied matter-of-factly and dragged his parchment out from under his elbow.

"What!" Georgie demanded more sharply than she meant to.

Lupin looked genuinely surprised and brought his finger to his lips for her to stay quiet, looking beyond her to Severus. "Never mind: I misinterpreted as to what you were referring."

"Oh sod it all!" She screeched, throwing her hands in the air and storming out of the kitchen, all eyes following her.
Several hours passed and Remus Lupin managed to finish up his correspondence and was returning from the owlery when he overtook a brisk- walking Severus on the dark, well-worn pathway.

"Out for a walk." He explained.

"You never walk at Hogwarts."

"Unless Georgie drags me into it." He said acridly.

"It's healthy." Remus brushed away at a brunch that had tangled itself in his robes.

"Since when have I cared for my own health and prolonging this wretched excuse for a life?"

"Since this autumn." Remus smiled knowingly.

"Watch yourself." Severus warned.

"There's nothing wrong with a friendship."

"There is something wrong with her."

Remus laughed, "Bit rich coming from you! Still, I won't contradict you, because you'd become unreasonable all over again."

Severus ignored him.

"I must ask you though: why did you do that for me back at the ball?"

Severus shrugged, slightly embarrassed, "I don't know."

"Hm." They walked into the house then parted ways, Remus tacking on, "It was rather kind." He turned and walked away.

Severus looked like the man had assaulted him.
"I can't find Georgie." Andrew swept into the large library. Unlike the wizards, he adopted more of a Muggle fashion style, though for the most part he lived in the Wizarding World. He wore a shirt open at the collar and heavy brown trousers, a style Sirius Black sometimes sported.

"I believe she's hiding," Severus didn't bother looking up from his book.

"Oh really, how are you so sure?"

Severus smiled a secret smile, "I just know."

"And you don't want to get her."

"I gather if she wants to hide, she wants to hide. Why do you need her?"

"At least she's not drowned in the pool or the sea..Well, can you tell me where she is?"

"She's in this room," Severus replied enigmatically.

"You're impossible, old thing!" Andrew turned around and scanned the shelves and the curling staircase that rose to the upstairs. He stood before the stairs and stepped on letting them carry him up.

Leaning over the rail he called down, "I can't very well go around calling out to her at thin air, can I?"

"You could wait. But, I am amused by the prospect. Call out to the walls and see if the walls answer."

"I'll never live it down if I do so."

Severus chuckled.

"You know I've never had this problem with you before--you're a terror!" Andrew stormed around on the upper floor.

"Georgie! Where are you girl?"

"Oh, don't call her girl," Severus warned. "On second thought, call her girl."

"Georgie, Cassy's putting together a tea of your favorite things and wants to know what you would have!" Aside to Severus, "I feel like an idiot up here spouting and I don't even know if she's here."

"Smart thinking: using food as bait. By the by, your position is quite cool to hers."

"Thank you." Andrew skirted the room and stood by the opposite wall and rose his voice to the same words.

A few seconds later a low scraping noise sounded and Georgie stepped out from behind a swinging shelf and into the room. "Yummers, food."

Severus became interested in his volume once more, "So were you reading?"

"Yes, how'd you know that?"

"Tell you later. Go off now and help Cassy." And she bounced out.

"So how is it you tell her about that place, and I've never been made privy to the information and I've been here for simply ages?" Andrew was turned in at the same wall examining the books, and testing several with little tugs.

"She found it herself."

Andrew straightened up, "She's a remarkable woman."

"She's a Slytherin." Severus all but gloated.

"More than that." Andrew whistled. "Is there anything she isn't good at?"

Severus howled, "Thinking, thinking before speaking, controlling her temper, staying serious, staying in focus, discretion, perceptivity.shall I go on?"

"Enough." Andrew held up his hands. "I like her, so don't ruin it for me."
"Yes, get the sweets." Georgie demanded like a spoilt child.

"What'll you have for puddings?" Remus asked.

"I don't want puddings. I don't even like pudding."

Snape snorted, "You have to be literal with her. It's that strange upbringing she's had."

"Don't speak over me." She punched him. "You condescending yobbo."

"For dessert. Biscuits?" Remus stepped between them.

"That I know!" She took up a couple and stepped back.

"It's like with Australians: they've almost got it the same, then they throw some queer phrase in and then you're at confused about the whole thing." Remus conjectured. "Dinkum.."

"I'm not Australian, I was born in America." She pointed out with a chocolate wafer.

"Yes, but you're not from there." Severus growled.

"But she's not a Polish National either."

"Nor is she English, nor Canadian--Her parents," Severus answered Remus' look.

"Polynesian." Georgie offered.

"Yes, that explains the hair and the affinity for cane sugar." Remus quipped.

"What's so wrong with my hair?"

"It's attached to your head." Even she had to laugh along with that. Suddenly Snape asked, "Are you enjoying this rather isolated Holiday?"

She coughed, "On one hand I'd love to be on permanent holiday and swim and walk every evening and do nothing but read novels, but I miss the castle and having work to do." At least Severus had his laboratory if he chose to busy himself that way.

"I do as well. I look forward to the start of term." Remus said.

"I was planning on leaving the day after next if that's fine by you both. Andrew's to remain if you feel like staying.."

Remus assured him that they would follow his plan, of course, and Georgie piped up in accordance. Truth was she wouldn't look forward to staying alone there with no one around to talk with during the day if they went on. She wasn't at all superstitious, but the very thought made her feel creepy. No, that would be no fun at all.

"Well, we still have our fun tonight though." She teased.
"So you're going with the lot of them?"

"Yup. And you're staying for a few more weeks here? What is it you do then?"

"Do? By occupation I'm considered an expert on antiquities--I am a consultant to museums and private collectors. I move around quite a bit, stay indoors a good deal of time, of course, mostly underground. I lived through most of it, so I'm an expert in a way. It's hard not to jump in when modern historians and anthropologists try to speculate and piece together history and they're so very far off the mark." He chuckled.

"So who killed JFK?"

"I did."

"No really."

"That will just remain one of life's great mysteries won't it now?"

"I liked JFK," she muttered into her hands.

"You weren't even alive then."

"So? I still liked the man. I like St. Thomas Aquinas and Louis the Fourteenth as well--never met any of them either."

"Can't help you there. I try and keep a low-profile."

"Clever. Do you ever go by Andy? Or just Andrew?"

"My full name is really Andre. Andre-Jean Louisnard Carris.

She thrust her hand out, "Pleasure to meet you then. Again."

"But I prefer Andrew."

"It's got a nice ring to it. You look like an Andrew. So you don't eat anything? Not even sweets?"

"I can eat sweets and real food, it just doesn't 'nourish' me as it 'nourishes' you. It's as if you 'could' eat paper, but what good would it do you? Very little, so don't bother."

"But there's chocolate!"

"Yes, and would you rather I sucked on it for the flavor then spat it out?"

"I would." She grumbled, and glared at him as if he were a traitor.

"Not after a few hundred years."

"Want to bet on that?"

"You'd lose."

"Damn, I hate it when people are so self-assured. I like the gullible ones that I can suck into my dastardly plans." She rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Can I see your fangs?" She asked artlessly.

"No, and Andrew don't let her bully you." Severus glided through the open door.

"Shouldn't listen at doors, Batty." She scowled and sunk in her chair gloomily.

Andrew grinned widely. "Don't worry, I've got her under my thumb, Severus." But he winked at her.

Severus snorted offensively. "That'll be the day.." And seated himself at her right hand.

"Hey, I very well could be under.What the devil am I talking about? Why would I want to be? Ignore everything I've said." She prattled.

"You heard the lady." Andrew pointed out.

"Except the fangs bit." She added.

"Georgie, don't harass my friends!" Severus roared.

"Oh, get over yourself, he can say no for himself if he chooses to. And I'd respect that, so just hush up."

"Yes, but that's an abysmally rude question. You're prying into the man's mouth for Merlin's sake!"

"I'm just trying to be open and friendly! I'm curious about him and think he's great--I'm not going to point and giggle like an empty-headed child. You don't have to be here to protect others from me, as if everything I were going to say might do damage."

"But you do damage, sure you don't mean to, but you have these little things, these stupid little ridiculous quirks that drive others insane. Of course I'm going to try and shield others from you and your annoying ways!" He was virtually shouting by that point in time.

She just stared at him; "I apologize if I've overstepped myself. I didn't realize I.I apologize." She got quickly to her feet and fled.

Silence hung heavy in the air. Andrew didn't want to say anything too controversial or turncoat, especially as he looked explosive still, but..

"I would have showed her my teeth, Severus. I thought it was cute." He began with.

"I knew that."

"Then.?" He prompted easily.

"I'm an old fool." He wanted to hit his head against the table they sat at, or kick a wall, or burn something.but that would show a lack of control. There'd been enough of that for the evening.

"No one's old here except me, and even I have my facilities so it's not a valid excuse is it?"

"No, I have a feeling that if I knew Georgie for a hundred years, we'd still have petty arguments and shoot barbs at one another."

"Some people do that everyday like clockwork, doesn't mean it's the end of the world."

"No, it's just not a good thing."

"You both have been flying on a whirlwind these past few months. To make such fast friends and to be able to click.no don't go expecting a miracle there." A slow smile spread across Andrew's pale face. "It would have been nice to hear about her before meeting her though.."

Severus looked taken aback, or disgusted--Andrew wasn't sure which, "Why would I do that? She's just a girl."

"Oh well, when you strip it all down to that, I wonder why you brought her here now and before."

"She's a friend." He reluctantly admitted.

"Is that so difficult to admit? And to whom? Yourself or others? I'd be more ashamed to have none than to have one like Miss George."

"That's your perspective." Severus drawled.

"I've never known you for a fool before Severus Snape, don't change my opinion of you here, now." Andrew warned suddenly looking angry.

Severus leaned his elbows on the table and massaged his temples. "I'm out of control these days--it's not as bad as I'm making it out to sound, but she just seems to get under my skin and makes me want to say everything I'm thinking--rude or not--and curse her on top of it all."

"I am feeling the same happy feelings toward you right now, so I can relate." Andrew beamed on the younger man. "Georgie may not be." He paused and seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "The best Ambassador for.well, any cause," Severus managed a smile. "But she's a good friend to you, and you're a good one in return, or so I've heard. You really can't ask for more from any man.or witch."

"The truth of it is, you're changing. That requires time to get used to." Andrew stretched his long legs out under the table, "You've heard me say it before and I'm going to say it once again: this life's too short to die over every argument or difference we see in others. I wish someone had pointed that out to me a long time ago."

"That doesn't excuse her mouth." Severus grumbled.

"Her swearing, you mean? Not ladylike?" Andrew threw back his head and laughed so hard he was left clutching his side. "I went through a phase like that when I was in my early hundreds.. It, like everything, shall pass."

"And if memory serves, you went through an interesting phase yourself when you were a student at Hogwarts."

"Unfortunately your memory does serve. And I'd ask you not to tell others about that."

"If you wish it." Andrew shrugged. "Now, I'm a bit hungry, and if I remember correctly you had no love of watching me feed, so I'll ask that you go find my new little friend and talk with her. For me."

"I don't do anything for you." Severus pushed out his chair and walked away.
"So can I still do something awful to you? It's only fair! Like a public humiliation?"

"No." They were going down the hallways chatting idly. She was nearly running to keep up with his quick strides.

"How about when I'm teaching your class I let something slip.oh, oops, I let it go that you got a bear."

"NO."

"I'm joking, I like having a card to hold on to."

He smirked, "That's a wise plan. Even if it is to be used against me."

"Did you know Andrew speaks nine different languages! That's mad!" She squealed.

"Somehow it never came up in our conversations."

"Am I really annoying?"

He looked down at her curiously and walked on. "No, I'm only upset at myself."

"Whatever for?"

"I am out of control."

"Oh yes, I can see that so clearly." She balked sarcastically.

"It's true."

"I don't see your right hand turning on your left hand. You function as a professor as always, you still make up your potions, you manage to spend half the day being snide--oh, I think things are just fine for you."

"It's easy for you; you wake, you eat, you study, you sleep. If you pass your N.E.W.T.S you'll be fine. That's all."

"Wow, I'm insulted by how little you think of my life." She laughed.

"Likewise, though I don't think little of it."

"Yes, you do. I'll be honest with you." She grabbed his sleeve and dragged him to a stop and forced him to look at her. "You look at me wrong. You look at me as something beneath what I am. You're all condescension and distrust. One day you'll wake up and see me for who I am, for who I should be seen as. Not as a girl, or as entertainment, or merely as a responsibility or an annoyance with which you must be stalwart and put up with."

"Heavy charges indeed. Are you going to break out into some sort of feminism I-am-Woman foolishness, because I don't want to hear it." He wasn't taking her seriously. "So duty calls is it? I have you here because I'm obligated, or I'm desperate, is that it?"

Georgie sighed and walked on, "No, you're missing the point, and I'm doing an ill job of telling it."

"That and I'm not listening."

She clutched his sleeve absent-mindedly, "At least you're honest--that's a start, and I greatly appreciate it."

"How is it I never have a conversation of this.magnitude, with Remus or Andrew?"

"It's because I'm a girl perhaps, or, oh I don't know. I have conversations like this often enough, even with Remus. Well this is a crash-course, welcome to the living Severus Snape. This is how friends talk sometimes." She was annoyed.

"You're upset."

"What do you see when you see me?"

"This is a trick question. You'll rip me apart no matter what I say, isn't that right?"

"Probably."

He heaved a sigh, and quickly ticked off on his fingers "Female. Smart. Talkative. Sensitive. Proud. Loyal. Short. Are any of these right?"

She shrugged, "I just wanted to know. I don't think there is a right answer. I wasn't asking just to hear things, I just don't really know myself."

"But that wasn't it?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. I'm just Georgie." She replied sadly.

"At least you're not upset any longer," He ruffled her hair up playfully, but still in his standoffish way.

"True, I can't stay angry long."

"I used to be able to." His eyes twinkled.

"So you miss that?"

"Yes. I miss the predictability and stability my life held. But don't get me wrong, I'm still an unpleasant person."

"Don't worry, I remember." She played with the ring on her finger mirthfully. "You really ought to try integrating colors into your wardrobe..."

"I don't think so."

"But you'd look so jolly." He gawked at her. "Okay, poor choice of wording, but still, you know what I mean. Even if only for shock value."

"If I want assistance with a 'new look' I'll know where to find you."

"You've got six months!" She said.

Severus opened his mouth, and then clamped it shut. How many times over the past few weeks had he almost let it slip about Dumbledore's plans for the Mediwizardry class, and her possibly staying on as an instructor? Instead he just smiled a thin-lipped smile and murmured, "Perhaps."
The night of the game that Georgie had suggested had ended up with everyone, even Severus, in very pleasant spirits. Georgie and Andrew had teamed up against Remus and Severus and had 'killed' them both very easily. Severus insisted that having Andrew fly Georgie all over the island so she could get marvelous clear shots at them wasn't a fair advantage, but Remus admitted the game is a simulation and in life, people might use brooms to fly--or vampires.