All of the teaching staff was gathered outside of the castle, overseeing as Aurors from the ministry herded together the captured Death Eaters. Jas watched from a shadowed alcove of the outside wall of the castle.

Dumbledore exchanged pleasantries with the Auror in charge before the Auror gave the order for his colleagues to leave. The group of Aurors and the ten or so Death Eaters they guarded disappeared with a loud crack, leaving the professors staring at an empty patch of grass.

"What are we going to do now?" Minerva asked Dumbledore.

"We won't be resuming classes," Severus said with the air of someone pointing out the obvious.

"Severus, we cannot sacrifice the children's education-" she began.

"Oh, but we can sacrifice their lives?" he sneered. "Until we have re-established the wards it isn't safe for the students here."

"Quite right," Dumbledore agreed. "And I doubt the students would be very attentive if classes were continued," he said with a small smile. "We'll send letters to the parents to let them know we will be finishing term a week or two early and that they should pick up their children from the station tomorrow." There were murmurs of assent among the gathered members of staff. "If its not too much trouble, I'd appreciate it if the heads of houses went to have a reassuring word with their students," he said glancing at the four professors in question.

He gave the staff a brief nod to tell them that was all and they began making their way up to the castle. He stood and watched them all go, Minerva, Remus and Severus being the last and so the ones to walk up to the castle with him.

"Severus," Remus said quietly.

"Yes?" Remus nodded over to where Jas was leaning against the wall. "Headmaster I-"

"No matter Severus, I've been meaning to pay a visit to the Slytherin common room for a while now. I shall talk to your students for you," he said with a smile. Severus frowned suspiciously.

"Thank you."

"Not at all." Dumbledore smiled serenely again as Severus crossed the grounds to where Jas was standing, she straightened up when she saw him coming.

"Sir, surely you can't be condoning-" Remus began.

"Miss Poliakov will not be returning to Hogwarts next year, she is no longer a student and therefore it is little to none of my business." Dumbledore replied.

"She's seventeen!" Remus said, although lacking in any true determination as he had been trying and failing with this line of argument with Severus all year.

"Are you suggesting that Severus and Miss. Poliakov are - are-" Minerva tailed off.

"At it like bunny rabbits?" Remus suggested dryly, she looked positively horrified.

"I admit the age difference seems substantial now, but she is very mature for her age. Not to mention the fact that Severus hasn't been as particularly caustic and sardonic this year as usual. I have taken that as a good sign." Dumbledore said with a small smile, he continued before Minerva could voice an objection. "As I think you've found Remus, they are practically inseparable and I think that bond is only going to grow stronger in the foreseeable future," he added, sounding for the world like he knew something they didn't.

"Severus," Jas smiled as he approached her. He nodded at her in greeting and glanced over to where Dumbledore and the other two professors were, still walking up to the school.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"I wanted to talk to you," she told him. "How's Draco?"

"Mister Malfoy is still unconscious. You wished to speak of Draco Malfoy's health with me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I guess not," she smiled tiredly. "Come here Severus," she said, he took a cautious step forward. She took one of his hands and pulled him so they were nose no nose.

"Jas-", she cut off his objection by kissing him.

Severus has never been one for expressing emotions, he was a product of his unhappy upbringing, his difficult life. If she began spouting rhetoric of her love for him he'd run a mile, or say something cutting before sweeping away dramatically. No, words weren't the answer. So she put every ounce of her feeling for him in that one kiss, hoping to hell he realised what she was doing and didn't pull away. It didn't matter if anyone could see, this was more important.

Eventually thought the need for oxygen also became important. When she pulled away she saw everything she been trying to convey shining back at her through his obsidian eyes. She felt the tell tale prickle of tears in the corner of her eye andblinked furiously to dispel them, then kissed him softly again.

He looked at her for a moment before his gaze flickered over to where the three professors were standing. Lupin was leaning wearily against the stone wall watching with an air of resignation. McGonagal was glaring at him furiously, she would have surely intervened if Dumbledore wasn't holding her back gently with a firm hand on her arm. What was going on? Severus frowned as he turned back to Jas.

"Jas?" he asked, she just smiled sadly at him.

"I've got to go now Severus."

"Go? Go where?" he asked frustratedly.

"I'm so sorry, I-", she bit her lip. "Goodbye Sev'rus, take care of yourself," she said softly.

"Wait," he reached out a hand, intending to grab her wrist but she disappeared before his eyes with a crack and his hand clutched thin air.

"Albus! How can you allow this?" Minerva asked angrily.

"Now is not the time Minerva," he said, watching Severus sadly.

"I'm guessing she left then," Harry said, coming to stand between Lupin and Dumbledore.

"That she did," Dumbledore nodded.

"Professor Snape doesn't look very happy," Harry commented as Snape stalked towards them. He drew to a stop before Dumbledore and opened his mouth to say something, presumably to demand answers, but closed it again and shook his head.

"Pointless," he muttered as he walked round them and back inside the castle. Professor McGonagal left to tend to the Gryffindors still muttering angrily under her breath, and Remus followed shortly thereafter.

"She should have told him," Harry murmured.

"Sometimes people have to make their own mistakes, Harry," Dumbledore said sadly.

"You'd know," Harry said, looking at Dumbledore warily.

"That I would Harry, that I would," he replied with a smile. "Come along then," he said clapping his hands together and turning to face the entrance doors. "We need to get organised," he declared, laying a hand on Harry's shoulder and guiding him in. "We have a war to win."

Harry let Dumbledore steer him inside with a grim smile. It was time to forget life's recent relatively inconsequential trials and tribulations. He had a war to win.

The End

Thanks to Captain Oz for reviewing every chapter of this story! Thank you! And to Destiny Entwinement and SweetWillowTree for reviewing the last chapter, and to everyone who has read, reviewed, and added this story to their favourites and alerts! I'm so grateful!

There may be a sequel sometime in the future . . . I do have a couple of ideas for it but at the moment another HP plot has entered my brain and won't go away so that'll probably be first.

Thanks again! x Queen of Fairyland x