" No, Severus. I can't. It's not that I don't love you; it's that I want to remain the woman who took your heart with her honesty and belief in loyalty," Petunia said.

"You always knew how to torture me, didn't you?"

" Perhaps, but I do love you, and if we are ever to be happy, we have to do what is right."

" Yes, my mind believes it, but my heart won't accept it. You know, I look at her, and I see what my mother should have been had my father treated her right. I regret making the decision to spy, but I wanted to be to you what James was to Lily."

Petunia grabbed his hands firmly and said, " you were my hero; because, you chose to overcome your feelings of bitterness, and to become someone that I could love. I recall the tales of horrible abuse that you told me, and it made me doubt our choice to pair, but seeing you do those things that were selfless despite the way that others took advantage of you, made me fight those feelings of hesitancy, and march forward to face a life with you. If anyone here is to blame for how this all turned out, it's I. Instead of using your love to learn how to release my inner pangs of bitterness and jealousy toward my family, I used it as a place to hide."

" We both did," he said regretfully.

" I know. Had I for once tried to see something through, we might have had a halfway decent life."

" I could have been more open."

" No. I had to keep begging for something that nobody could give me."

After a few more exchanges, they both fell into a kiss, until Griselda interrupted them by clearing her throat to announce her presence.

" What is it?" Petunia snapped unintentionally.

" Well, I've taken the job here as the Potions assistant."

" What?" both parents shouted looking t her disbelievingly.

" I've taken the job as the assistant Potion's professor."

" Have you taken leave of your senses? It's too dangerous," Severus snarled," you will march you self right back down to that office, and you will tell them that you have decided to withdraw your interest in this position!"

" I will not! I've got a life of my own, and I can do with it what I like!"

" You will do exactly as we tell you, young lady!" Petunia snapped.

" This is my first chance to be near you, and you're pushing me away."

" Oh, very well, stupid! Go and get yourself killed for all I care!"

" Nothing is going to happen to me, mom. I can take care of myself. I know when trouble is about."

" Oh you do, do you? Well, what about all those reports that I used to get about your tomfoolery about Cackle's Academy with that Prunella Feverfew?"

" It's Fenella, and we were always careful."

" Careful? Do you call blowing the roof off the Great Hall careful?"

" Well, no, but I always knew when to stop, though."

" Petunia, you mean to tell me that she was behaving so stupidly, and you never even bothered to contact me for help?"

" Well, you were never there for me; so what could I assume?"

" You could have at least assumed that I was human enough to take an interest in my own daughter."

" Fighting amongst yourselves isn't going to change my mind about anything. I'm staying put," Griselda said before turning her back to them to leave the room.

Severus quickly unsheathed his wand and hit her with the Imperio jinx, and then he bade her to tender a letter of resignation.

" Really, Severus, don't you think that the 'Imperio Curse' was a bit much?"

" No, Petunia; I am going to show you how to parent a child by applying reasonable force to troublesome situations that arise."

Petunia had to laugh. " You sound just like a father."

" Well, that's what I am, her father."