Chapter Forty-One

Workings of the House

Jennifer woke in her own good time, stretched, and then pounced, immediately getting countered by an already awake Severus who was quickly over her, pinning her on her back and gazing at her face.

"How I've missed that smile. I think I've only seen it twice this year," Severus murmured.

"It has been a rough year," Jennifer said quietly. "Please tell me we won't ever have to have another like it." Severus kissed her gently. "And don't ever keep me in the dark like that again." Severus sighed softly and nodded.

"Aurelius wanted me to keep it professional. I admit the lines became more blurred as time went on," he murmured. Jennifer frowned at him and he sighed again. "But you're right, I should have spoken to you. It was wrong of me to demand your blind faith when I gave you little reason to trust me."

"That's true," Jennifer agreed, "although admittedly, I feel guilty for not trusting you, after all we've been through. I should have at least realized that you never would have abandoned one of our children. I overreacted… because I couldn't read you… just as I always have with Aurelius for the same reasons."

"Also true," Severus said quietly. "Although Aurelius himself will admit he's hardly innocent in this as well. I think it's safe to say that we've all hit some stumbling blocks this year. Perhaps it's time we met and sorted out the details. I suspect Dumbledore is waiting in his office for us now."

"And just how much did he know about this?" Jennifer wondered as Severus got up. "And Andrew? He was in this too, wasn't he?"

"From the moment he agreed to report to me," Severus said, handing over her robes.

When they arrived, they found Alex, Alicia, and Andrew already there, sitting around a low coffee table full of scones and muffins.

"Are you sure these aren't potioned?" Alex said, staring at the scone suspiciously while Alicia and Andrew grinned at her.

"I promise you that they're not, but to humor you, I shall take the first one," Dumbledore said, picking out a raisin and nibbling on it, careful not to get crumbs in his beard.

"Potioned?" Jennifer asked as she came in, Dumbledore greeting her with a warm smile.

"Please! Come in! It is good to have you all here at last," Dumbledore said.

"But… we're not all here," Alicia said with a frown. Dumbledore merely smiled at her and went over to the curtain dividing his sitting room. Behind it stood Aurelius and Corey; Aurelius back in his Slytherin robes. The others got up and immediately went over, hugging Aurelius enthusiastically and leading him over to the table. Aurelius paused to give Andrew a firm handshake before he sat with the others, looking a bit embarrassed about the whole thing.

"I wasn't expecting you here too, Corey!" Jennifer said, giving him a gentle hug.

"Aurelius spent the night at the shop last night," Corey grinned at him. "Apparently he wasn't ready to explain all of this to his grandfather yet, and for some strange reason, he didn't want to go back to the Malfoy's."

"Don't tell me he's still alive too?" Alex said disappointed.

"Yep, I gave him the same mixture I gave you… a Sleeping Death potion engineered to be triggered by a spell. But don't be too put out about it. I guarantee you he's not happy," Aurelius grinned.

"Yes, it seems that while Malfoy was out of the house last evening, someone made an anonymous tip that a raid upon certain areas of the mansion might prove quite fruitful, thanks to a bit of undercover work by someone managing to get in," Severus said.

"Now, I wonder who might have done that?" Dumbledore asked innocently.

"Well, I suppose I wouldn't have had the opportunity to get into the Malfoy Mansion if it hadn't been for Mum," Aurelius smirked.

"Yes, because it so happened that someone poking about the Pig's Pannage nearly uncovered the entire conspiracy," Severus said. Jennifer grimaced sheepishly and tried to ignore his scrutiny. "Fortunately, I had put into place quite a number of contingency plans just in case she or any of Aurelius' siblings got too resourceful, although I admit even taking into account all possibilities, we began running low on alternatives. That was also why I had to leave cryptic messaging at the end. 'Spare Juliet' was a direct reference to a discussion Jennifer and I have had numerous times over what went wrong with the Sleeping Death potion that Juliet took in Shakespeare's play. I said it in hope that she would catch on and humor the situation," he explained. Jennifer nodded with a smile to let him know that she had gotten the reference, "and mustering the two drakes…a pair of ducks…"

"A Paradox," Aurelius said, smirking a bit. "Good thing I understand how you think, or I wouldn't have gotten that one."

"So the real reason Aurelius was expelled was that the plan was in jeopardy because we were getting too nosy? And that's why you went along with it!" Alex said, staring at Andrew whose eye was now purpling nicely.

"I didn't want to in the end. To be honest, when I saw Mum's reaction, I wanted to call the whole thing off," Andrew said. "But Dumbledore and Father wouldn't let me back out."

"But I don't understand… all of this was part of the plan? You mean, you've been doing this all along? But what about the Broom Closet?" Alicia asked upset. Aurelius got up to sit by her.

"That was me being an idiot," Aurelius admitted. "As was the potion accident in class, and what happened to Rasputin... both the first time when I stoned him with the shield's reflection to steal Father's watch and take a crystal gem that Malfoy wanted, and later the fight with the Stymphalian. Malfoy sent me the egg and I placed it in the room the night before. But that was supposed to just cause trouble for Father, I never meant for it to hurt anyone, not Rasputin and definitely not one of you. I was even the one who put the powder in the Sleepsand bin, but by then… well, let's just say by then I was starting to realize I didn't like myself anymore. In fact, I hated myself and what I was doing. But Father, I guess, had caught on by then and sent Andrew to make sure I didn't do anything stupid, and it's a good thing he did, because I would have." Jennifer stared at Aurelius, astounded by the fact she could clearly read what happened in his face. She then gazed over at Severus, who seemed lost in the memory of that night himself. "That's when I went to talk to Professor Snape. It was on Christmas Eve, and we ended up talking most of the night about, well, I'd rather not get into it, but it wasn't anything I didn't deserve. Anyhow, I admitted to him that I was supposed to steal the Sorting Hat and start a fire that very night. Before I knew it, we were off to Dumbledore's Study to discuss it with him, although I was surprised when he gave us the Hat outright."

"Oh, I had a feeling that I would get it back," Dumbledore smiled, glancing at where the Hat sat intently watching the proceedings from his spot on the shelf.

"I borrowed it back from where Malfoy had put it so I could not only use it to get the items back to the school, but so I could tell myself apart from well, myself, when I had to make sure we were all doing the same thing. Even then it wasn't easy. Even considering all of the planning we did setting up the eight different places to hide myself in the different time periods and all of that, knowing what was going to happen, it was still a rather nasty shock to see myself doing things I hadn't done yet and knowing I was going to have to do later. It got easier the more tasks I finished though, but I sure was relieved when I finally got to the end and over to the shield that protected Mum and me from the blast."

"So everything you did after you stole the Hat, all the meetings at the Pannage and everything, were part of the plan?" Alex asked.

"Well, sort of, except we kept running into problems. Namely resourceful family members putting their noses in where they didn't belong," Aurelius chided.

"Nonsense, we're your siblings, of course our noses belong in your business," Alex scoffed.

"I second that sentiment," Jennifer said, nodding to her daughter. "We're willing to stand behind you no matter what you've done, but we're not going to be left behind," she said, glancing at Severus pointedly.

"I believe what he's attempting to say is that Andrew and I ended up spending most of our time trying to do damage control, Andrew with you and your friends and I with your mother," Severus said, glancing at Jennifer. "Although in my task, I believe I can say I failed completely."

"Yeah, I think that was the best part," Aurelius said with a slight smile. "I've always thought she didn't like me so much. And after what happened with losing the house, I was sure she would hate me."

"Oh, Aurelius," Jennifer said with exasperation, walking over. "I admit I can get overly judgmental, it's a Craw family flaw."

"One of very few," Severus said dryly, earning a dirty look from Jennifer before she turned to Aurelius again.

"And I know that this… opposing talent thing… has gotten in our way over the years…" she said, her words slowing as she stared in his face. "Aurelius, why can I read you now?" Andrew, Alicia, and Alex blinked, looking at each other in surprise.

"Let's just say I've had my fair share of skulking and hiding. I don't want to do it anymore," Aurelius said with a thin smile. Jennifer hugged him joyfully then looked at the other three, frowning.

"But I still can't read them," she complained.

"Them? They've still got secrets to keep," Aurelius grinned enigmatically. "You really didn't expect me to stop protecting them, did you?" The other three let out sighs of obvious relief.

Draco Malfoy stood on the dais next to Rummert, not even offering him a cursory glance as Head Magistrate Muse stood between them, waiting to pass judgment in the strange event of a tie. But Draco wasn't worried; Muse would vote as any judge would and side with the winner of the popular vote, and Draco had gotten that by an easy margin. Even so, fifty free votes or not, many believed that it was going to be a close vote, for quite a number of members of the current Council was on Draco's list of wizards and witches he wanted to see gone from the Ministry. But Draco also knew something that the majority of wizards there did not.

As the vote was called, the entire Council was very surprised when Rummert's own band of supporters stood in Draco's favor. A rumble went up which Muse had to quell; the number of changed votes had been enough to safely put Draco ahead. Rummert stood tight jawed, quickly conceding and then hurrying out of the Assembly before any reporters had time to catch up with him.

Draco himself seemed neither concerned nor surprised, accepting the position and then turning to leave. Muse called after him.

"Are you not going to make an acceptance speech?" Muse asked with a smile. All of the Counsel were standing in support regardless of their vote as was customary after such an event.

"Thanks, but I have work to do. Peasegood? Thurspire? With me," Draco said, stepping off the stage as the Council looked at each other with wonder. Draco turned to the spectator stands, pointing at Severus and Aurelius. "And I want to see you two," he added. Aurelius looked up at his father who nodded in response, and the two of them stepped out of the box.

"Are you sure we did the right thing, supporting him?" Corey murmured to Jennifer. "The Ministry isn't ever going to be the same again."

"Yes, that's true," Jennifer murmured back solemnly. "Change is never easy. If nothing else, this year has taught us that. What we think we want is not always what's best, and sometimes what's best for us is a good hard kick in the rear."

"That definitely describes Draco, doesn't it?" Corey said, Jennifer grinning ruefully at that.

Draco, meanwhile, wasted no time in looking around the Ministry office, moving some of Arnie's paperwork out of the way as he motioned them all to sit down and took a scroll out of his jacket, rolling it out to sign it.

"There is some information I want to pass on to you tonight, Severus, although officially I cannot claim to have told you until I take office next week. The item you filled out a report for wasn't among the items apprehended from the mansion, nor did I find any Craw crested items. Likely if he has them, he's either keeping them in one of the business safes or on his person. He is, however, being held for questioning on several other illegal items. He, in turn, is claiming that your son has stolen an artifact out of his collection, a bronze medallion of some renowned power."

"Would this help, sir?" Aurelius asked, pulling out a collection of rolled up notes fastened with a rubber band, holding it out. Eagerly Thurspire stepped behind Draco to see the personal letters, but a sharp glare from Draco caused him to move further back as Draco gazed over the notes.

"Are all the notes he sent you here?" Draco asked thoughtfully.

"Only the non implicating ones, sir," Aurelius said. Draco looked up at him with a thin smile while Thurspire squinted at him with a frown.

"Good, that's exactly how it should be. Snape, you're taking full responsibility for the events at Stonehenge? You realize of course, that your son broke some of our most fundamental laws against manipulating time."

"I am taking full responsibility, yes, but if I may be so bold as to point out, most of what occurred happened within the Twilight Arc which is technically not counted as a part of regular time. Therefore, in the strict letter of the law, no crime was truly committed," Severus said. Draco gazed at him dubiously.

"Nice try. Next you'll be telling me that Stonehenge and the centaur glens are dead zones so the fact that he cast two major death spells didn't count either," Draco said before handing him the rolled scroll. "This is a pardon for your actions at Stonehenge, and an exemption from crimes committed by both of you that led up to the apprehension and arrest of my father on charges of illegal possession of over a half a million galleons worth of illegal Dark items and artifacts. He seemed to be making a regular business out of it, strangely enough. Of course, he won't stay in jail. I suspect he'll probably just bankrupt and liquidate a business to pay for the fees, but the legalities should be enough to keep him preoccupied away from your family for a while. That was the plan, wasn't it?"

"A plan that might not have worked had you not agreed to stall him at the Quidditch game," Aurelius said daringly. Severus nudged him hard.

"Game, what game?" Draco said evenly. "I was out of the country on that day as my alibis and personal court records will tell anyone. By the way, that pardon isn't legal until next week either, so I'd appreciate it if you attempted to keep this matter under your hat until then. And if you want to keep your position as Minister of Law Enforcement, I suggest you belay your investigation until then as well, Thurspire. Besides, I'm sure you'll be too busy with press conferences about my father's case to have time to deal with that anyhow."

"What? You don't really mean to keep this bag of air as the Minister, do you?" Aurelius snapped, but this time his father didn't try to stop him.

"Odd, I was under the impression that Dumbledore spoke to you about hiring…"

"I am Minister of Magic, Severus, not Dumbledore," Draco said firmly. "And as for Dumbledore's suggestion for Law Enforcement, that will happen over my dead body. This department is going to be rebuilt from the ground up and reforms will happen, but it will be under my control, not in some thick headed Auror who would undermine everything I hope to accomplish through his petty fame and hero worshipping friends. Thurspire will be Minister of Law Enforcement." Ederick smiled defiantly at Severus, who in turn regarded him with the freezing look of absolute zero. "Now, I need to get with Peasegood about other matters, so you can go back to your family now. And by the way, well done, Mr. Snape. You can keep the Aegis so long as the Greeks don't hear about it," he said to Aurelius. "There's nothing like a Slytherin to shake things up when the chips are down."

"So it would seem," Aurelius grinned, looking Draco up and down and deciding he was going to like this change in the Ministry.

"By the way, just how did you get Rummert's glee club to throw their votes for you?" Severus asked, squinting at him. Draco looked him straight into the eye, seemingly unconcerned about Peasegood and Thurspire standing right next to him.

"Blackmail, of course, how else?" Draco said bluntly. "Mind if I get back to work now?"

"No, not at all," Severus said evenly, glancing at Arnie and Ederick who hadn't moved a muscle, neither one too surprised by the admission. "Congratulations, Minister of Magic," he added before leading Aurelius out of the room. Draco merely smiled at them, and then turned his attention to Arnie to get paperwork to study overnight.

It was the next day when Aurelius was able to at last return to school, showing up at breakfast. The Great Hall became quiet as he walked in until finally the Slytherin table and small groups around his siblings broke into a round of applause. But Aurelius didn't go straight to the Slytherin table, stopping first at Ravenclaw where his sister greeted him warmly.

"All right, there, Mandria? I heard you had a nasty run in with Ciardoth," Aurelius said.

"Yes, all right," Mandria said, although she unconsciously touched her cropped blonde hair, having been cut after the flames had gotten to it. "Lucky we had those teleporters, or we'd have all been goners. You should see the room we went into, it was like teleporting into mud only it was breathable. I did break my glasses, though."

"I thought you had new lenses. They're definitely an improvement. Those old glasses made you look like a bug-eyed old librarian," Aurelius said before heading towards his table. Mandria glowered, looking over at Alex.

"Yep, he's still my brother all right," Alex smirked.

"Hey, Rel! Just in time for finals, I see!" Xavier said. "Sorry you missed the tournament. We won the most points anyway."

"I won our year," Heph said proudly, Xavier grinning at him. "And I was assigned the tiebreaker pro-tem."

"Well you can move over, because I am back and I'm taking back my title," Aurelius said.

"You can't do that, you know. The rules say if you lose the title for any reason, you can't get it back unless you can match the amount of points of the temporary Tiebreaker, and as I just stated, I won our year in the tournament," Heph informed him.

"Then you had better look at the hourglasses again," Aurelius said. "Those fifty extra points that happened overnight is mine." Heph squinted at it, and Xavier merely grinned at him, noting how far they were ahead of Hufflepuff now. With a week to go, there was very little chance of a comeback.

"Welcome back, Tiebreaker," Xavier agreed without even the slightest look of apology to Heph.

"By the way, where's Stock? He's not normally one to miss meals," Aurelius mused.

"You mean you didn't hear?" Heph said in surprise, lowering his voice. "Galemaster Brooms went bankrupt, and I guess he put everything he had into it. He even signed over the mine as collateral! He's lost everything!"

"Stock is broke?" Aurelius said, unsurprised but still concerned.

"Poorer than his parents," Heph said. "Even worse, poorer than me! Where am I going to get my constant supplies of candy, tricks, and equipment now?"

"Don't look at me," Aurelius said getting up. "I have to take a job with my brother Corey this summer to pay back for a lot of lost inventory and damages I owe him. You're on your own this time. Maybe you could get a job too," he suggested.

"A job?" Heph repeated ominously. "Where are you going?"

"To see Stock," Aurelius said. "We'll meet you in class," he added, leaving Heph to stare off into space, still horrified by the idea that had just been presented to him.

Aurelius knocked on the door of his own room and opened it, finding his trunk back at the foot of the bed and everything as if he had never left. But Stock, sitting at the desk, had a look Aurelius could have once imagined on his own face… it was the look of someone who had lost everything and didn't know where to turn. Aurelius sighed softly, grabbing his cloak off the bed before sitting down across from his friend, not speaking but fairly sure that Stock was aware of him.

"You were right, you know. About Rummert," Stock said, picking at the desk and glancing over the final red lines, dropping the ledger. "Malfoy got into some sort of legal trouble, and since Galemaster was having financial problems anyhow, he liquidated it. He bought the mine, which I had been stupid enough to sign over to the company at a hundred times less than market value, and sold the rest. When Rummert found out I couldn't pay him, he dropped my civil case and walked out… just like that… after four years…."

"Money isn't everything, Stock," Aurelius sighed.

"You might as well call me George. Stock doesn't seem to fit now. Heph doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore, neither does the rest of the House. What have I got to offer now?"

"What makes you think you have to buy friends in the first place?" Aurelius asked. Stock shrugged slightly, still picking at the table. "And even if you did lose some friends from that, they're probably not worth keeping. Besides, you still have your family."

"My family? That's the worst part of all! I bet the moment I return home, they're going to be telling me 'I told you so.' They're laughing behind my back. I'll be forced to clean the barn and do menial chores around the farm again. I'll have to eat gallons of turtle soup and give up gourmet meals."

"I rather liked your Mum's turtle soup," Aurelius admitted.

"Well, I like it too, sometimes, just not every day," Stock said.

"I also don't think your parents are the sort to laugh behind your back and say I told you so, either," Aurelius said then pulled out several full money pouches setting them on the table. "Here, this is for you."

"I don't need your charity," Stock murmured.

"It's not. It's Malfoy money," Aurelius said, nudging it over to him. "Every sickle and galleon he ever gave me is in there. It's only right that you have it, although I'm sure he owes you a thousand times this much. If you want my advice, I'd suggest you put it all in savings except for a couple of sickles of it. With that you might buy your Mum a basket of tea and gingerbread mix as a peace offering. But this time, actually stay for the gingerbread," Aurelius added, getting up. "It doesn't take a lot of dough to make amends, you know." Stock nodded and then caught the joke, giving him a dirty look and then a reluctant grin.

"Maybe I will," Stock agreed thoughtfully, getting up and grabbing his books. "But do you really think she'll accept it, considering the way I've treated her the last few years?"

"Stock, you would be amazed to learn just how much a mother can forgive," Aurelius said, quickly grabbing his books as well. "I know I am."

The Great Hall was indeed flying Slytherin colors on the last day of school, and not one person seemed to doubt their right to the cup. Even McGonagall, sitting in her best dress beside Dumbledore, acquiesced to admit they had done a splendid job, and not all of the points had been won without merit. In fact, the two biggest point winners, Xavier Platt and Aurelius Snape, sat side by side, looking both smug and proud as they gazed up the head table, catching the eye of Professor Craw who smiled warmly at them in return.

At last Dumbledore stood and the students quieted down as he looked out upon them, reciting the points while the Professors watched, and Jennifer found herself thinking how glad she was to not only see that relentless year come to an end, but that all four Snapes were still below her, clapping as enthusiastically as they were when Slytherin House was announced, glancing at her husband who acted as if it came as absolutely no surprise to him that they were once again victorious.

"Now, I have an announcement to make both sad and happy," Dumbledore said, glancing at his right side towards Minerva, who was smiling although tears flooded her eyes. "Our dear Professor McGonagall, whom we all know and have come to love… or at least respect," he added, looking over the rim of his glasses at a couple of nervously giggling students. "Has decided to retire after a very long and accomplished career at this school," he said, calming the murmur rumbling through with a motion of his hand. "She has endured as a teacher here through the worst of times, and through the best of students any school could ever wish for, and her dedication will leave a mark upon this school and upon the thousands of students that she has touched with her firm but gentle hands. I shall greatly miss her, even though I know that a good teacher of this school never truly leaves. Her presence will be felt here forever. But I also wish her all the greatest of luck in new ventures, for she has told me that she has already purchased a piece of property in Hogsmeade for a Dress and Alterations Shop, and I know that several staff members…" he said, gazing at Jennifer knowingly, "have already signed on as permanent customers," he finished, several of the students chuckling at that.

"Now I suppose you're all wondering who her successor might be. Well, as far as the next Transfiguration Professor, I admit I'm not quite sure just yet, but I'm certain that we'll have someone capable by next year. However, I would like to introduce to you a very exceptional member of my staff who has agreed to serve as the new Deputy Headmaster, and the new Head of Gryffindor House. May I present to you then… Hermione Granger Weasley," he said, gesturing down to the end of the Hall where Hermione stood, smiling. Immediately all of Gryffindor stood, then the staff and the rest of the students, causing quite a clamor as Hermione took a deep breath and strode up the center aisle, beaming with pride and shaking with excitement as she walked to the main table, Minerva slipping over a spot so that Hermione could take her place on the right side of Dumbledore. "Professor Weasley, if you will do the honor?" he asked.

"Very well," Hermione said, raising her chin as she tapped the glass. "Let the End of the Year Feast begin! And may you all have a wonderful summer!"

A loud outcry of caws and squawks outside Severus' office made him groan, knowing exactly what he would find when he peered out the door.

"Rasputin, would you kindly stop stoning all of Descartes' food so he can't eat it?" Severus hissed, fixing Rasputin's eye patch.

"If I have to diet, so does he," Rasputin said, eyeing the bird with his new glass eye in apparent dislike.

"He is still growing."

"So am I. I'm growing a tail," Rasputin complained. "And he stole my mouse."

"Please, let's not get into that again. Rasputin, I know you're not happy with the situation, but you're just going to have to get used to him. Now if you don't mind, I still have an office to pack," Severus said. But the moment he went back in and started on his trunk again, the caws started up again. Exasperated, Severus shut the door and decided to let them work out their own problems. It was then that he heard a yelp that sounded nothing like a Stymphalian, and looked up to see an intruder in his wife's picture just as he got smacked across the cheek. Rubbing her backside, Jennifer stormed out of the picture and Severus sighed with irritation to see Merlin peering out.

"What are you doing here?" Severus snapped.

"Well, I thought if I couldn't tempt your wife, maybe her portrait would be more accommodating. But apparently not," Merlin mused, rubbing his cheek.

"Yes. Well. The real reason? You don't come out for trivialities," Severus said impatiently.

"I wanted to commend you on your use of the scroll to create the Paradox," Merlin said. "Although I'm deeply hurt that you didn't come and thank me."

"I have better things to do than play up to your ego, old man," Severus said curtly, pulling his books off his shelf and stacking them in his trunk.

"To be sure, and so do I," Merlin agreed thoughtfully, watching him pack. "But there is something I thought you ought to know, about where you sent Ciardoth. You see, I was there… where she is now… myself at one time. Viviane and I had a little… well, that's really and I do mean really ancient history, but the point is that I found a way to get out eventually." Severus, packing another stack of books, paused what he was doing and stared at Merlin. "Oh, it may take her a very long time to figure out how to get out… not time for her, time for you… let's not get into that either. The point is, dear boy, that I hope you were not counting on this to be a permanent arrangement."

"I was," Severus admitted, throwing the books in the trunk and turning to him with a frown. "Are you sure she's capable of figuring it out? She's hardly got your brains, no complement intended."

"None taken. But might I point out that now she doesn't have time blocking her vision where she is, so she's probably thinking more clearly now than ever. It might even do her a bit of good to spend a good five hundred years or so in there. But I doubt she will. Oh, it may take a year or two of your time before she appears again, but this isn't over yet, Severus. Now would not be a good time to grow lax on your study of the Ancient Arts," Merlin said. Severus squinted at him.

"Ulterior motives again?"

"Always," Merlin smiled with a wink. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go see if I can figure out where your wife's portrait is hiding." Severus glared at him but didn't comment, turning back to his packing, while deciding to file the information away in the back of his mind. He had every intention of enjoying the summer with his family, whole and complete, from Father-in-law to children to familiars. There was a soft rap on the door and Jennifer peered in.

"Aren't you ready yet?" she asked with exasperation as Severus waited for the Jennifer in the painting to hop in place before putting it in the trunk. "The family's waiting, you know, including my father. I hope you don't expect me to tell him everything."

"And expect to keep it civil this summer? No, I don't think it'd be prudent," Severus said. "The less he knows about the affair, the better. I have already asked the children not to bring it up unless Aurelius does."

"Isn't silence what got us into this mess?" Jennifer pointed out.

"The children have all expressed both the need and desire to get this behind them, and I couldn't agree more. Aurelius will need his space to come to grips with his decisions."

"And we need time to actually be ourselves, instead of having Professor Snape standing in our way," Jennifer said, an almost wistful look in her eyes as she gazed at him.

"Then I'd guess we'd better be off," he said after a pause, throwing in the last few items and shutting the trunk. "Let's go home… or should I say the summer house?"

"Home is wherever family is, Severus," Jennifer smiled, leading the way out.

End of book 4

A/N I hope you enjoyed this book! The next book is a loose homage to an old fashioned adventure story and, being Ciardoth-less, is the lightest book in this otherwise dark third series. I hope you'll find it a nice change of pace as Thomas threatens to...well take over everything and kill everyone who don't like it...just kidding...but still, hope you read Jennifer Craw and the Riddle of the King. In any case, keep reading and reviewing and thanks! Doublequill