By the time Harry got back he was beyond cold, beyond freezing. What possessed them to go out for a walk in the middle of January? He shook his head to himself and walked quickly in the direction of the common room, longing for a warm fire to sit by.

He and Jas still had not discussed their chaste kiss the other day, it seemed as they'd both come to a silent agreement not to mention it. Harry wasn't about to break it, it would complicate things far to much. They were much better as friends, and they'd only kissed that once. Well, if he remembered correctly, there may have been some more than friendly interactions one night in the holidays when she'd introduced him to alcohol, but it was all a bit fuzzy.

He grinned when he remembered Dudley's face when Piers had told him the next morning that he'd seen Jas ('some real hot girl' as he'd described her) all over Harry the night before. He was still smiling when he walked into the common room.

"What are you smiling about?" Ron asked suspiciously as Harry approached. Harry laughed.

"Paranoid much?" he said falling gracelessly into a chair.

"No, just when you go for walks with Slytherins and come back smiling, it throws me off a little." Ron said.

"I was just thinking about something that happened while I was at the Dursleys." Harry told him.

"And you were smiling?" Ron asked incredulously.

"It involved taunting Dudley." Harry explained.

"Oh." Ron nodded. "So what did you guys talk about?" Ron asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Her being evil." Harry scowled as he remembered her continued refusal to give him any cigarettes. Ron raised his eyebrows curiously. "I wanted to borrow something of hers and she said no." Harry said. "So where's Hermione?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Library." Ron snorted.

"Right. What's the time?" Harry asked. Ron looked at his watch.

"Dinner time." he said enthusiastically, throwing down his Herbology book and standing up. Harry laughed and followed him to the Great Hall.

"You can't stalk a student." Severus said exasperatedly.

"Why not!" Jas exclaimed, jumping of his desk, where she'd been sitting. "She's like one of the main suspects!" Snape rolled his eyes.

"As are you." he commented.

"And as such I wouldn't object to being followed." She countered. "Especially if it was you." she smirked at him. "I quite like the thought of your eyes on me." She whispered. Snape cleared his throat.

"Nonetheless, I doubt Abbot would feel the same." He said.

"She's Hufflepuff, she wouldn't know." Jas said dismissively.

"Which makes it all the more less likely she had something to do with this. How many Hufflepuff Death Eaters do you know?" he asked her sardonically.

"Look all I'm saying is we keep an eye on her, and you keep an eye on Morton."

"You do realise he told me to watch you."

"I think we've established that I don't have a problem with that." she grinned, he rolled his eyes.

"You're insatiable." He muttered. "Very well, watch her if you must. But from a distance, no spying or following her around." He acquiesced.

"Thank you Severus." She said smiling at him. "Isn't it time you got some rest?" she questioned.

"I'm fine." He told her, but his body betrayed him and he tried to stifle the yawn.

"Sure." She said. "C'mon, time for bed." She said, pulling him gently to his feet. It was a sign of how exhausted he was that he didn't argue, but let her lead him by the hand into his quarters.

"You're working yourself too hard Severus." She muttered as she unbuttoned his robe for him.

"Are you planning on staying?" he asked, suppressing another yawn.

"Why?" she asked as she started on the buttons on his shirt.

"It's just Lupin has been giving me an early morning wake up call ever since last week when you told him you slept here." She smiled warmly, and Severus frowned, thinking he was seeing things in his sleepy haze.

"I could've sworn you just smiled when I said that." he said as she sat him down on the bed and began unlacing his boots.

"I did."

"Why?" he asked, perplexed.

"I dunno, he's trying to protect me. It's kinda nice." She said shyly.

"I protect you." he said indignantly, cringing at how childish he sounded.

"I know, but with him its more like a parent. You never protected me from anyone who wanted to take my innocence." She said pointedly.

"That would have been an interesting conversation with my mirror." He commented and she laughed.

"You get it, right?" she asked quietly.

"I get it." He murmured. "Doesn't mean I like it." He added, she smiled at him as she helped him into some pyjama bottoms. "When did I turn into a five year old child, and you into my mother?" he asked as she shooed him to the top of the bed, and he leant back into the pillows.

"It seems to be a recent development." She commented as he pulled her down so she was lying next to him.

"What about Remus?" she asked.

"Screw him."

"One professor is enough for me." She said, curling up into his side.

"Good." He murmured into her hair as he kissed the top of her head.

"Hannah, a word?" Professor Morton asked at the end of the 6th year defence lesson.

"Sure professor." She said an waited at his desk while the rest of the class filed out. Harry noticed Jas trailing back. She walked out the door last and shut it behind her with a frustrated look. Harry stopped and asked her what was going on.

"The two suspects are in that room talking to each other, and I can't hear what's going on." she said, stamping her foot in frustration. Harry glanced up the corridor, Hermione and Ron had stopped a few metres away, waiting for him.

"Sonorus Amplifius" Harry muttered, pointing his wand at her, then repeated the same for himself, suddenly he could hear Hannah and Morton's voices as clearly as if he was standing next to them. A spell from Snape's book. Harry wondered if it was where the idea for the Extendible Ears came from, he'd have to ask Fred.

"You did well at Christmas Hannah." Morton said.

"Thanks Miles. He was pleased then?" Hannah asked.

"Absolutely. You are helping redeem yourself and your family Hannah." He said.

"I'm trying to." She said. "Is there anything else?"

"I'll talk to you if there is." Morton said.

Harry cast a quick Finite Incantium on them both and dragged her up the corridor quickly, Ron and Hermione joined their quick pace, and they heard the door open just as they turned round the corner.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked.

"I've got to go and talk to Severus." Jas muttered to herself. "Thanks Harry." She said to him as she sped off towards the dungeons.

"So, are you going to tell us Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Not here." he said as a couple of fourth years walked past.

Once they were in a secluded corner of the common room, Harry filled them in on what they'd just overheard. Hermione quickly made her opinion heard.

"Well that in itself isn't incriminating is it?" she asked. "I mean, they could have been talking about anything, work for class."

"And who is 'he' then?" Harry asked.

"Professor Lupin?" Ron suggested.

"And the part about redeeming her family?" Harry questioned.

"Maybe they're all useless at Defence." Hermione suggested, Harry snorted. "Harry, all I'm saying is don't jump to conclusions."

"So what you're saying is . . . that Morton and Hannah are probably innocent?"

"Yes."

"And that it was probably someone else . . ."

"Right."

"The only someone else there is, is Jas!" Harry exclaimed. "So what you're saying is, it's probably her!" he hissed.

"No, Harry, I-" she stuttered.

"Oh shut up Hermione." He snapped as he stood up, and stalked out of the room.

"Bloody hell." Snape muttered. "I should have seen it before."

"What?" Remus asked. Severus wondered why Lupin seemed to be a regular visitor to his quarters nowadays.

"Seen what Sev?" Jas prompted.

"The Abbot's." he said. "They were a important pureblood family, until one, the only heir, was born a squib. Hannah Abbot must be the first witch or wizard to be born into her family in three generations. That's why she's trying to redeem her family name. Not to mention the fact she was sorted into Hufflepuff." He added.

"And Morton?" Remus asked.

"Likely put here to make sure she did what she was supposed to. It's probable the Dark Lord contacted her, offered her wealth, fame, and respect for her family. To a witch from her type of family, promises like that are hard to ignore." He said knowingly.

"But he helped us when we went to get Harry." Remus said.

"Probably to gain our trust." Severus sneered. "I should have seen through it." He said angrily.

"It's okay, we have to tell Dumbledore and the Order." Jas said.

"Come on, we'll go now." Remus said.

"This could work to your advantage you know." Jas commented.

"How's that?" Remus asked, as they exited Snape's rooms. Severus looked at her in understanding.

"We can feed him false information."

The next morning Harry went down to breakfast with Dean and Seamus, having woken up Ron but not waited for him, as he'd probably be waiting for Hermione and Harry was avoiding her after the previous evening. He hadn't meant to snap, but she'd annoyed him so much . . . He sighed as he picked at his breakfast with his fork.

"Here they come." Harry heard Seamus whisper conspiratorially to Dean.

"Seamus no, you can't!" Dean told him, and Harry looked up to see Seamus point his want discretely at Ron and mumble an incantation. He turned round to look as Ron and Hermione walked towards them. Just as Seamus mumbled his spell, Jas came pushing between them.

"Sorry Weasley." She said to Ron and walked towards Harry. After a few steps she turned around and looked at Ron, who was staring at her in a way Harry thought he'd never see. She walked towards him and smiled seductively.

"Shit." Seamus cursed from across the table.

"I told you not to do it." Dean chastised.

"Do what?" Harry demanded, turning round to watch them again. Hermione was looking slightly horrified and edged away, sitting down next to Harry, last night apparently forgotten.

"So what you doing now?" Jas asked him.

"I was gonna eat breakfast." He said, waving a hand at the Gryffindor table.

"Wanna come and hang out with me instead?" she smiled charmingly at him, and started to walk out of the hall. Ron gave Hermione and his roommates a backwards glance, shrugged, then followed Jas out of the Great Hall.

"Oh my!" Hermione exclaimed. "He's staring at her . . ."

"At her arse." Dean supplied.

"In his defence she has a very nice arse." Harry supplied, the others looked at him. "What?"

"Seamus what did you do?" Hermione demanded.

"Just this charm . . ." he said evasively.

"What charm?" Harry growled out, his eyes scanning the teachers table and locking with Snape's, who was scowling for all he was worth.

"A lust charm." Dean told them.

"A what!" Hermione asked, her voice uncommonly high pitched.

"It wasn't meant to be her!" Seamus defended. "It attracts the first girl he talks to, he was walking next to you, how did we know she'd speak to him first!" Seamus said.

"We? There's no we mate, it was all you." Dean said.

"Hang on, the charm was meant for me and Ron?" Hermione asked, they nodded. "Why?"

"Oh come on Hermione, we see the way you look at each other, but neither of you seem to do anything about it." Seamus said, Hermione had the decency to blush.

"But still . . ."

"Look guys, shouldn't one of us go and find them? Before Snape blows a gasket?" Harry asked. They all looked at him, then at the head table.

"And why would Snape care?" Hermione asked knowingly. Harry's eyes widened as he realised what he'd said.

"No reason." He said quickly, and got to his feet before they could question him anymore and headed out of the Hall to find Ron and Jas.

When he found them they were in a nice little corner of a corridor, and he couldn't tell where Ron began and Jas ended. They didn't seem to notice he was there. As they came up for air Jas spoke.

"You do realise someone charmed us?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yeah, I guess I wouldn't do this otherwise." Ron agreed, "I mean you're . . ."

"A Death Eater whore." She finished.

"No." he protested.

"That's what my father used to say." She mumbled, kissing him again.

"Used to?" Ron asked distractedly between kisses.

"He's dead now." She responded.

"How?" he asked, kissing her again. They pulled apart again and she answered.

"I killed him."

"FINITE ICANTIUM!" Harry shouted and watched as they pulled apart, and as Ron realised what she'd just said, whipped his wand out and pointed it at her.

"You what!" he demanded.

"I - er - I-" she stuttered and looked at Harry fearfully.

"Ron put your wand down." Harry said placatingly, walking nearer.

"Put it down!" Ron asked almost hysterically. "Harry, did you hear what she said?"

"Yes I heard it. Put your wand down." Ron frowned at him and then looked at him accusingly.

"You knew!"

"Yes I did, come on put it away." Harry said soothingly, reluctantly Ron put his wand back in his pocket.

"Why would you . . . ?" he trailed off, watching Jas closely, who was looking withdrawn and upset.

"He, he hurt Severus . . ." she began.

"He did more than that." Harry growled angrily. After she'd opened up about what she'd done to her father she'd told him a little about her childhood. If she hadn't done it then he would have definitely considered it. It had also made him a little more understanding of her relationship with Snape.

"Harry, don't." she whispered. "I've gotta get to class." She mumbled and darted away down the corridor. Harry watched her go sadly.

"Harry, what-?"

"Ron, her father was a death eater. She didn't exactly have the best of childhood's." Harry said.

"Oh." He said quietly.

"Come on, let's get to the library before Hermione starts looking for jinxes to exact her revenge upon Jas with." Harry said and the started walking towards the library in silence. After a few minutes Ron spoke up.

"Hermione was jealous?" he asked hopefully. Harry laughed.

Thanks Captain Oz for reviewing the last chapter, much appreciated. I know what you mean about the smoking at college! The way I walk in to 6th form you have to walk down the path where all the smoking is going on, my coat stinks of it.

Anyways ... Congratulate me on the longest chapter I've ever written for anything! It was six pages long in Word, that's a lot for me! So please REVIEW! x