A/N: I don't own this, and I guess it's a blessing, cuz Alan Rickman doesn't know that I'm obsessing. LOL hehe. Smirks and smileys...

Chapter 29

It was hours later when Andraste looked up at Snape, exhausted but energized at the same time. "I'm hungry again," she said as she pulled herself out of the bed and disappeared to the next room. She came back quickly with a tray that had two sandwiches and a bag of Doritos on it.

"What is this?" Severus asked as she opened the bag and handed him one.

"Geez, do you people even live on the same planet as the rest of humanity? It's a damn tortilla chip," she told him, shaking her head and laughing quietly.

"Thankfully not," he shot back at her, still staring at the dorito as though it was poisonous.

"Just eat it." He hesitantly obliged and she watched in amusement as a variety of strange expressions crossed his face.

"It is..." he said after taking a second bite, "...orange."

"The dye makes it taste better. Really, only muggles understand junk food." Severus shrugged his shoulders at her and reached for the bag, taking a handful out and throwing them on his plate. He watched with a mixture between odd curiosity and appalled confusion as she opened up her sandwich and covered the surface in the colorful triangles. Ignoring the look he was giving her, she closed it again and took a bite. "It's yummy," she told him after she swallowed. "You should try it." He raised one eyebrow at her, as if to say that he was finally sure that she belonged in the psychiatric ward of St. Mungo's.

"Yummy? It's yummy?" he asked, accentuating the word as if it was one he had never heard before that he was trying to understand the definition of.

"Yes, yummy," she reiterated firmly. "As in to be full of yum." Totally unsure of how to respond to that, he picked up his sandwich and started to eat it, sans chips. When they were both done he gathered up what little mess there was and took it into the kitchen.

"It's 3:30, we need to leave soon."

"Off the find the wizard, are we?" she asked, making a reference to a muggle movie she was sure he wouldn't get.

"That we are," he replied with a smirk. "So how does it feel to not be in Kansas anymore?" She let out a small laugh, but her eyes turned serious as she thought about the question.

"Like I went to visit Crazyville and missed the last bus home."

"Glad to know you're so optimistic about your life here."

"Don't get me wrong, Severus. I wouldn't change it for the world. It's just that it's been one thing after another since the day I arrived. You're not the only one a bit freaked out by the changes in their life."

"I am not, as you said, "freaked out." I am perfectly capable of adjusting to change."

"That's bullshit and you know it. Inside you're scared to death." Severus' eyes turned cold and harsh at the accusation that hit much too close to home for his liking.

"I have spent years risking my life to spy on the dark lord. What makes you think some silly American girl could scare me?" Andraste involuntarily shuddered at the way her referred to her, but she did her best to bite down the anger that was threatening.

"Because it's a lot easier to risk your body than it is your heart." Without waiting for a response Andraste left the room, shutting the door a bit harder than she had intended, and thinking that the man she had agreed to marry had the ability to turn nasty quicker than anybody she had ever met. "But I love him and that's that," she told herself, and then pushed the entire conversation out of her mind; instead focusing on the task that was coming up on them. She was mentally running over the options for the day, wondering if there was one aside from cold-blooded murder – killing people was definitely not one of her favorite pastimes – when there was a knock at the door. "Come in," she shouted, more to tell the painting to admit whoever was there, than anything else.

"What's the point of having the password if Salazar will never let me in anyway?" Remus asked as he walked through the door.

"Good afternoon to you too, Lupin," Snape responded. Andraste turned around to see that Severus had just strolled out of the bedroom, apparently ready to go. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" he asked, his tone cold and sarcastic as always.

"I think that I should join you in your ventures today. I've never seen your boat."

"Then I will be sure to remedy that at some point. Today, however, is not that day," Snape replied harshly.

"Severus," Remus insisted, "you have no idea what you might be up against. It's stupid for you two to go alone."

"Your concern is appreciated," he responded, in a way that made it clear that the concern was not, in fact, appreciated; "but completely unnecessary." Remus opened his mouth to argue his point further, but was interrupted by another knock at the door. For the sake of removing herself from the childish argument the other two were having, Andraste got up and opened the door. She was immediately greeted by Harry, Ron, and Hermione; two of which had bags slung over their shoulders. She stepped to the side to allow them to get past and the three walked into the living room where two of their professors seemed to be locked in a contest of willpower.

"Do come in. Join the party," Snape said unpleasantly, his tone reminiscent of the potions professor that they all knew and feared. Harry straightened his posture considerably, preparing himself for the battle he knew he was about to face.

"We're coming with you."

"Absolutely not!" Severus and Remus shouted in unison.

"With or without your permission, we ARE coming with you," Harry asserted.

"And how exactly do you plan on managing that?" Severus shot back. "The only way to get there is by portkey, MY portkey."

"You assume that I didn't make one of my own," Harry said with a smirk, his eyes set in determination that would have made Severus proud if it hadn't been directed at him.

"Making a portkey is far too advanced for you," Snape said casually, trying to call his bluff. Hermione looked at him, her eyes holding the same determination that he saw in Harry's, and spoke for the first time.

"But it is not too advanced for me, Professor."

"HOW DARE YOU..." he began, but was quickly interrupted by Andraste cutting in to the conversation.

"That is enough from all of you. We are all old enough to handle this like adults..." she said, her volume raised but her tone even and calm. She stared straight at Severus before she continued, "...without screaming. Now sit. All of you."

"Very well said, Professor Andraste," came a voice from behind her. Through all of the bickering, no one had noticed that the Headmaster had come in, and was standing in the doorway. Immediately everybody in the room, with the exception of Andraste, began talking. Dumbledore spoke over them all, in a firm but gentle voice. "I believe that she asked you all to sit." They obeyed reluctantly, but continued to give each other defiant stares. "Very good. Now, would someone like to tell me what is going on?" Again, the entire room started speaking at once. Albus raised his hand to quiet them all, and turned to Andraste. "Since you seem to be the only calm one, why don't you explain, Professor Andraste?" She sighed, partially wishing that she wasn't involved in this one... she was bound to piss somebody off.

"They want to come with us, and Severus isn't comfortable with that," she told him, choosing her words carefully. "Remus feels that it's stupid for us to go alone, and Harry says that he's coming if we like it or not. They apparently have their own portkey to Professor Snape's boat." Much to Snape's irritation, Dumbledore smiled brightly at the students, the twinkle of mischief in his eye growing.

"When I suggested that you assure yourself access to places that could be important, Harry; I was not referring to your professors' yacht."

"I thought that it might be necessary for something like this," Harry defended, "and I was right."

"They never would have done something this audacious a month ago," Severus said pointedly, giving all three students a cold stare.

"Well forgive us for suddenly bloody caring if you die!" Harry shot back at him, the irritation in his voice almost overwhelming the sentiment of what he said. Severus' eyes softened for a moment, and then he spoke again, calmer than before.

"Harry, we have no idea how many deatheaters we're going to be up against today. I can not allow for you three to risk your lives."

"You don't know," Remus broke in, "that's exactly why I should go with you." Dumbledore raised his hand again, and immediately received the silence he was requesting.

"I believe," he told them, looking at them all in turn and then settling his eyes on the woman standing next to him, "that I am going to let this decision rest in Professor Andraste's hands." Andi suddenly felt as if she had been kicked in the stomach, but was silenced when she started to object. "No one will be angry with you, Andi," Albus reassured, "regardless of your decision." He gave Severus a meaningful glance that unfortunately was completely missed because of the intense glare that Snape was giving Andraste. It was obvious in his eyes that he was telling her, insisting, that she do things his way. Andraste took a deep breath and braced herself for the firestorm that was sure to come.

"Where did you make the portkey, Hermione?" she asked, her voice even and calm.

"The engine room, where we could appear without being seen." Andraste smiled softly at her; she was definitely a very intelligent girl.

"I suspected as much." She paused, all eyes were on her waiting for a verdict. She waved her hand and five vials appeared on the table in front of them. She walked over, picked them up, and handed one to each person. "Everybody goes."

"Andraste!" Severus interrupted, his voice hard and demanding.

"Everybody goes, Severus. The potion should protect them." She turned her focus back to the rest of the group. "The four of you are going to use Hermione's portkey. It's in our best interest if no one knows that your there. When we come in sight of Malfoy's boat, I want you to take the potions I gave you. They're made with my blood, so for two hours they'll make you impervious to magic. With no curses or spells working on you, you should all be safe. Now," she said, looking at the students, "what's in the bags?"

"Mine has the invisibility cloak in it, and some of Hermione's healing potions," Harry said. Ron, who had been unusually quiet, smiled brightly.

"Mine has a bit of a sampling from my brothers' stores." Severus sighed loudly and clenched his jaw. Fred and George, while talented, had been the cause of many headaches over the years. The previous year, when they left in a flash of glory for the benefit of an overbearing Ministry witch, he had thought that he was finally rid of them. Dumbledore, however, had insisted that they return to school as soon as he regained his position as Headmaster.

"I strongly doubt that any of the deatheaters will be interested in tainted candy, Mr. Weasley."

"I quite agree with you, Professor Snape," Hermione interjected with a knowing smile. "That's why we didn't bring any. What we brought should prove much more useful."

"And what is that, Miss Granger?" Hermione took the bag that Ron was holding on his lap and gently laid the contents out on the table in front of them. There was a large assortment of small balls of different sizes and colors.

"The red ones are confusion bombs, they'll disorient whoever they hit for a few minutes," she said, standing up and moving to the other side of the table. "The blue ones will make someone lose their voice – temporary laryngitis. But the green ones," she said, picking one up and throwing it soundly at Ron's chest, "are my favorite." The small bomb dissipated into a puff on green smoke as soon as it made contact.

"Yllaer tnaillirb ydoolb," Ron muttered. Everyone but Professor Snape let out a small laugh at this, and Hermione continued her explanation.

"Blabber bombs," she said with a bright smile. "Whoever they hit will say everything backwards for the two minutes – but only the person that it hits. It's a safety precaution so that it doesn't backfire on the one that threw it."

"Taht ekil lla eryeht," Ron said, still obviously effected by the smoke he had inhaled.

"I think he means they're all like that." Harry offered, "and the great thing is, they can't curse us if they can't talk." Severus scowled at him as Hermione gathered the bombs and put them back in the bag, but Andraste interrupted before he got the chance to make another unpleasant comment.

"Wonderful. You three definitely came prepared. Now, I believe that that it's time to go. Professor Snape's crew is expecting us."

"I would like a private word first, Andraste," Severus insisted, getting up and walking to the bedroom without waiting for a response. She looked to Albus for help, but he simply smiled at her. "Traitor," she thought to herself as she followed Severus back to the bedroom. As soon as she entered, he closed the door behind her and put a silencing charm on the room. "Uh-oh," Andi thought, "that is not good."

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded. "You are intentionally putting all of them at risk. If you think that it's dangerous enough for us to need help, what would possess you to say that it's okay for children to be there?"

"They're not children, Severus. They're Order members now, and they've handled a lot more than most wizards twice their age."

"And most of it was sheer dumb luck, Andraste," he said, his voice getting louder as he went. "If you think it's too dangerous, you stay here. I don't want them involved."

"The decision was mine, Professor Snape," she said firmly. "And I'm standing by it."

"Fine, but if something happens to them, their blood is going to be on YOUR hands, not mine," he told her, and then stormed out. Everyone watched as Severus stalked back into the room, angrier than they had seen him in a long time.

"Let's go. When we get back, however, I want your portkey." Andraste held up a finger that everyone but Severus could see, and Harry gave her a slight nod to say that he understood. Severus had naturally assumed that Hermione had only made one portkey, but Andraste knew better. She had slyly suggested that they return only the one that Severus knew of; what he didn't know couldn't piss him off.

Hermione and Severus activated their respective portkeys at the same time, both groups disappearing from the living room and quickly reappearing on Snape's boat. Andraste had barely had time to register her surroundings when hands seized her and she heard someone shout a curse. She watched, almost as if in slow motion, as Severus dropped to the deck, writhing in pain. They were where they were supposed to be, she was sure of that, but something had gone terribly wrong. They were standing in the middle of a group of at least 15 deatheaters, and she was staring into the eyes of Lucious Malfoy.