Oh, I thought I would get you shouting at me if you received a New Chapter Alert from me, and it wasnt for this story, so I decided it might be best to upload this next chapter at the same time. I loved all your reviews, especially from the new readers. I hope you continue to the end - not long now - and Furys Grace - I am SO sorry I left you off my last notes. I really didnt mean to. However, you did get your own message a few chapters ago, when no one else did, so maybe that makes up for it! lol Severusgirl.

THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT

Andi didnt know whether to laugh or cry. This was so sweet. Five minutes after learning he was her grandfather, he was trying to protect her.

She jumped up and went to the Minister, who was bouncing on his feet, his wand still threatening Snape.

Gently, she put her hand on his arm.

"Min...erm..." She no longer knew what to call him. "I wasn't taken advantage of. I haven't been seduced if that's what you think. In fact, if anything..." She looked at Snape and smiled, warmly. "It was the other way around."

The Minister looked at her astonished. "Well, I must say...I was only trying to..."

Andi took him by the arm and led him back to the table.

"I have some photos of Gran in my bag, would you like to see them? I'll go and get them."

She made towards the door.

"Allow me." Dumbledore waved his hand and Andis bag appeared on the table.

Hesitating at first, in case it was hot or something, she opened the bag and began rummaging through. She was so eager to find the photos, that when a few moments of searching through the junk produced nothing, she tipped the whole contents over the table, not caring this time what was displayed or seen.

Things scattered everywhere, falling on the floor, the chairs, the table. She scrabbled around until her hands alighted on her credit-card wallet. She opened it at the photo page and handed it to the Minister.

The Ministers mouth fell open as he gazed at the two photos of Andis grandmother.

"My goodness, she's better looking now than when I knew her!"

Andi had been putting things back into her bag. She stopped and her heart gave a lurch as she heard him use the present tense. She looked at him.

"Gran...died two years ago, Minister," she said, gently.

He looked up at her and his face was so distraught that it brought her own grief to the surface. She bent her head and continued packing things into her bag, her eyes blurring.

There was a silence.

"I think," said Dumbledore after a while, "that you both need a little time together."

"Unfortunately, no time, Dumbledore," said the Minister, thickly.

"Which brings me to a proposal. Firstly, however - as I try never to take things at their face value - and you must pardon my intrusion, Severus, but I need confirmation that Andreas situation has indeed changed."

Snape took a deep breath before replying, "Yes, Headmaster, it has."

Dumbledore studied Snape over the top of his spectacles. "You appreciate what I am asking?"

Another deep breath. "Yes."

"Very well. And Andrea is aware...?"

"Of the problem, yes."

Andi looked from Snape to Dumbledore. This was obviously connected with what shed been told last night.

"Cornelius, if Andrea is to return to the Muggle world, she will need wizard protection. I would therefore like her to remain at Hogwarts for a further day or so while that is put into action. It will give you both a chance to talk."

"P...protection? Why would she need protection?" said the Minister.

"Do I have your permission to continue, Severus?"

Snape inclined his head.

"You are aware, Cornelius, that Severus was once in the employment of Voldemort."

Andi was astounded to see a reaction from both men at the sound of the name.

"But that he deflected and came to Hogwarts to work for me. This action put his life in danger and as we all know, Voldemort will stop at nothing to seek revenge - even if that includes harming the people closest to his enemies. By her association with Severus, Andrea may now be in danger."

"By the hounds of hell, Snape, you have a lot to answer to." The Minister stood up, his face furious.

Andi stepped towards him and touched his arm.

"I've all ready explained, I was the instigator in this. I admit, it would have been handy to know about this threat beforehand." She grinned. "But I can't say it would have stopped me. You know how things are...in the heat of the moment." She actually blushed as she looked at her grandfather.

He looked at her and patted her hand indulgently.

"Yes...yes...perhaps I do." Then he pointed at Snape. "But you should have known better. By thunder, you're old enough. Come to think of it, aren't you a little too old to be meddling with my granddaughter?"

"Cor-ne-li-us!" exclaimed Dumbledore. "We are all very touched that you wish to play the protective grandparent, but please allow these people their privacy."

"Minister," Snape spoke in a soft, dangerous voice as he swept around to the other side of the table. "I can assure you that had I my wits about me at the time, this thing would never have happened..."

Andi stared at him, her face feeling hot.

"I cannot express my dismay at the turn of events..."

She felt a knot appearing in her chest. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear any more.

"Because of a momentary lapse..."

"Three momentary lapses," she reminded him.

Snape scowled at her.

The Minister coloured.

Dumbledore appeared to be having trouble with a twitch and turned to look at the wall.

"Miss Carver must have full wizard protection when she returns to the Muggle world." Snape stepped back and trod on something. Bending down, he picked up her pocket pleaser. "That is the second time I have picked this up for you, Miss Carver," he said, irritably, looking at her with cold, hard eyes.

"So it is, Professor," she snapped, riled by his comments and the sudden reverting back to her surname. "A third time and you can keep it." She snatched it off him, hissing, "And you know where you can shove it!" Then she looked at what she was holding and realised what a redundant threat it had been.

She moved to her bag and flung it in.

"Why can't she stay here?"

Everyone stared at the Minister.

"Cornelius?"

"Yes, I've been thinking, Dumbledore. Who better to teach Muggle Studies...than a Muggle? And she'd be safe at Hogwarts-"

"No vested interest for you, then, Minister?" said Snape, sarcastically.

"Neither for you, Snape, by the sound of things," snapped the Minister.

"You know, Cornelius, that is a jolly good idea," said Dumbledore, and Andi knew immediately that he'd been waiting for one of them to suggest it. "Although I do all ready have a competent Muggle Studies teacher. However, I believe Andrea, you are an accomplished pianist?"

"Are you really?" said the Minister, looking around proudly.

"Erm..." Andi was having trouble keeping up with the pace of things. "I...yes...I mean, yes, and clarinet and sax..but..."

"We have an excellent choir here and the classes in wizard music are always popular," continued Dumbledore. "But we do not have any facility for the study of Muggle music, which I believe in many cases, excels our own. It would be wonderful to include it as a complimentary study."

"You...you're asking me to stay here and teach? Hum..ha...but...I dont have any teaching qualifications."

"Phsssh, thats never bothered Dumbledore in the past, I can assure you!" quipped the Minister. "Anyone can see youd be ten times better than a lot of people he's hired."

"I appreciate you will have commitments to honour at home, and obviously there will be certain..." Dumbledore glanced at Snape, "factors to take into consideration, but you will be most welcome; especially, I think amongst those first year students who come from muggle homes. They can often be a little overwhelmed and homesick sometimes. Oh, and we do need an extra House Master for Hufflepuff." He smiled at her, invitingly. "All I ask is that you consider it as an option."

"Headmaster, I hardly think it appropriate that a Muggle teach at Hogwarts." Snape was standing across the table from Andi, but spoke as though she wasn't there. "Without a full understanding of how the wizard world works, she will easily become a burden rather than an asset."

She stared down at the table as she listened. The elation she had felt a moment ago at Dumbledore's offer, popped like a balloon.

"Not to mention the students running rings around her once they learn what she is. There is hardly any merit in teaching Muggle music to wizards."

Andi had gone cold. She supposed his arguments might be quite valid; quite sensible; but this had to be the most hurtful and humiliating 'last-night-was-great-but...' speech she'd ever heard.

"Miss Carver does not belong in the wizarding world, even with the drop of wizard blood she possesses. I believe she will be very unhappy and uncomfortable in such an environment. She has encountered numerous problems in just the few days she has been here."

She'd never had a one-night-stand before, and now she realised how they could happen. Shed had no thoughts of what would happen the following day - the inevitable goodbye. She had just followed the moment. She was no better than her mother.

"She has no sense of direction. It would be ludicrous to put her in a school of this size."

Andi couldn't believe this was the same man who, just a few hours ago had shared such intimate moments with her. He was speaking as though they'd shared nothing more than a brief hello. God, this hurt. Andi actually had a pain in her chest. She was breathing carefully, trying to control her emotions, but knew they were dangerously close to the surface.

"No one regrets more than I, this unfortunate episode..."

She swallowed. She was managing to hold back the tears but her nose was running. She would have to sniff in a moment and then everyone would know she was about to cry.

"For which I hold myself fully responsible. Having observed her these past few days, I can assure you she would not survive at Hogwarts. She is a highly emotional person who wears her heart on her sleeve. Hardly apt material for a teacher. She must be returned to the Muggle world with full wizard protection and, I suggest, with her memory modified."

The last few words sent a tear tumbling from each eye. 'Memory modified'? Did that mean what she thought it meant?

Snape sat down with an air of finality.

A high-pitched WHEEEEEEE... issued from under his bottom.

He shot up as if hed sat on a pin.

"...WOOOOOOOO..."

With a look of incredulity, he reached down and picked up her lucky penguin which must have landed on his chair when Andi had tipped her bag up.

Andi felt she was going to explode. No one could cope with the war of emotions going on inside. There was a pain seering at her heart and yet she wanted to laugh until she was sick. She thought she would die if she stayed in the room.

Without a word, she ran..