"It has to have been someone who saw you go to the hospital wing." Jas said as she dropped down on Severus' sofa.

"That in itself wouldn't imply my betrayal, if that is even what irked the Dark Lord, it may have just been my failure." Severus reasoned, sitting in the adjacent armchair and sinking into it. Just the one back day teaching classes had exhausted him. "Either way it could have been anyone who witnessed Minerva's collapse in the Great Hall." He sighed.

"Okay, well there weren't that many students at school for Christmas. We just make a list of everyone present, and question them all for alibi's." she said enthusiastically. "It's just a simple process of elimination." Severus rolled his eyes.

"You've been reading those infernal muggle detective novels again haven't you?" he asked.

"Maybe." She grinned. "Come on, you've got a good memory, who was in the hall?" she asked.

"I don't remember." He said evasively, he wasn't about to tell her he'd spent most of lunch watching her and Draco laugh and joke over their lunch. There was a knock on the door, breaking through his thoughts.

"I'll get it." Jas said and jumped of the sofa and half ran over to the door. Severus idly wondered where she got so much energy.

"Jasrene? What are you doing here?" Severus scowled, Lupin, wonderful.

"Come in Professor." Jas said and led Lupin to where they were sitting.

"Who gave you permission to invite people into my quarters?" he scowled at her. She ignored him, and indicated for Lupin to sit down on the sofa.

"We were brainstorming on who passed on that Professor McGonagal got the poison instead of Dumbledore." She said and then muttered, "Acio parchment and quill." She caught the parchment and quill as it flew towards her from his desk.

"How far have you got?" Lupin asked interestedly.

"We've deduced it could be any one of the students, or teachers who attended Christmas lunch in the Great Hall." Severus said.

"Okay, so we've got all the teachers." She muttered as the quill scratched out the names of the staff on the parchments. "Except you sir." She said to Lupin. "Was Morton there?" she asked Severus.

"Yes."

"Right. Now the Slytherins, there were only four of us. Me, Draco, Tracy Mitchell and Rebecca Abbeyswith." She said, writing the names down. "If I remember correctly there were six Ravenclaws. Luna Lovegood, Marietta Edgecombe, Andrew Brent, Casey Locke, and two second years. What were their names?" she asked.

"Here." Severus pulled the parchments away from her and wrote down the other two names. "There were only three Hufflepuffs." He said.

"Hannah Abbot, Rachel Warbeck . . ."

"And Grant Powly." He finished. "Twelve Gryffindors." He said.

"Katie Bell, Eric Johnson." Jas named the seventh years.

"The Creevy brothers. Thomas and Finnegan." He added.

"Those three little first years, the two boys and that little girl with the cute pig tails." Jas said, Severus looked at her incredulously and Remus laughed. "What? They're sweet." She said defensively. Severus rolled his eyes as he scribbled down their names. "Didn't that slut in Harry's year stay as well?" Jas asked.

"Which one?" Severus asked innocently.

"Severus." Remus admonished.

"The one who hangs around the one with the twin." Jas clarified.

"Lavender Brown?" Remus suggested, Severus scribbled her name down. "And James Johnson, Craig Duvall . . ."

"Anthony Fielding and Ian Richards." Severus finished with a sneer. "Painted a Christmas tree on the entrance of the Slytherin common room with everlasting paint on Christmas Eve."

"I knew they were up to something." Remus commented.

"You could have warned the rest of us." Severus said.

"Okay so that's it?" she asked and Severus nodded. "Good now we can start crossing off names."

"All the teachers obviously." Remus said.

"Or not. They could be under the influence of Imperius or playing for the other side, who knows?" Jas said.

"I suppose." Remus nodded.

"Especially where Miles is concerned." Severus said.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked, frowning.

"Nothing." He muttered. "I think we can cross off myself, Minerva and Dumbledore." Severus said and put a line through each of their names."

"Draco, Tracy and Rebecca and I went back to the common room straight away." Jas said.

"Were you there all evening?" Remus asked.

"They were. I went to look for Severus after a while. When I found him in the hospital wing we were called only moments later" she explained.

"Anyone to corroborate your story?" Severus asked.

"Not really no." she said reluctantly.

"Well we'll cross them off then." Severus said, doing so, and putting a small question mark next to Jas' name.

"Okay I think it's detective time." Jas said, duplicating the list and taking one.

"Want a hand?" Remus asked.

"Sure, they'll take me more seriously if I have a teacher backing me up." She said thankfully. "We'll start tomorrow?" she asked.

"Sure, come to my office when you're ready." He said.

"Have fun." Severus said dryly. "I'm going to bed." He said, standing up wearily.

"Good." Jas said, walking over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, Severus glance warily at Lupin. He was scowling, but didn't look too angry. "Sweet dreams Sev'rus,." She murmured.

"Night."

Thanks Captain Oz, for reviewing, so this was an interesting chapter huh? making a list . . . hmm maybe not . . . review and berate me