A/N: I'm totally back in business and soooooooo incredibly sorry for the long wait. This story has about three more chapters (including this one) before it's over. And then perhaps an epilogue...evil grin

'But master- '

'Not now Kreacher!'

Thrusting the elf forcibly out of his way, Severus Snape stalked into his study, closing the door behind him.

The only light in the square room came from a rather sizable black marble fireplace that took up most of one wall. Floor-to-ceiling book cases occupied every free space of the oak-paneled walls, shelves crammed with forbidding old manuscripts.

The windows were smothered by huge, heavy green velvet curtains, held in place by silver snake clasps. The only pieces of furniture in Snape's study were two regal green and silver brocade armchairs.

It was to one of these armchairs Snape now strode, flicking his wand at it so it drew closer to the fireplace. Pulling a small silver bottle from his robed and uncorking it, he settled into it, sprinkling the fire before him with dark grey powder from the bottle.

The flames flickered, and turned white. Snape curled his lip at them.

'So,' Snape said, his voice dangerously low, 'Lucas has found help in high places, has he?'

The flames roared.

'Silly boy,' he said, sneer turning into an evil grin. 'Silly girl, silly headmaster. What the dark lord wants has always happened. Lucas will join us, if I have to put him under the imperious curse to do it!'

His laughter echoed all throughout the old house.

In a small room upstairs, Narcissa closed her book, and strode to the window.

'Please, Aberforth,' she whispered helplessly. 'Keep him safe.'

The wind blew, and still Snape's laughter rocked the old house. Kreacher began to laugh as well, in a high-pitched bark that sent shivers crawling up and down Narcissa's spine.

A single tear rolled out of her sad grey eyes. 'Keep my baby safe.'

Setting the book gently down on a table, Narcissa composed herself and swept elegantly out of the room, chin held high.

'Twelve uses of Mandrakes, Twelve uses of Mandrakes, DAMNITT, WHY AREN'T THERE TWELVE!'

Rose Potter looked up from the thick book she had been hunched over for the last two hours. The whole Gryffindor common room was staring at her.

'Well, there are twelve, aren't there?' she asked sheepishly.

'Actually, there's seventeen and ½' said Lianne, with a completely straight face.

'I knew it, I knew it, I'm going to fail,' Rose began muttering again, pouring over her book with renewed vigor.

Lianne sighed, and shook her head. 'Bloody hell, she's far gone. I can't believe she believed that one.'

Lucas, Harry, Lotte, and Calder glared at her.

'What! Don't look at me like that!'

Lucas got up and tried to tug Rose away from the book. Lotte got up and tried to tug the book away from Rose. The end result was a huge 'THUMP' and Rose, Lucas, and Lotte tangled together on the floor. Rose still had her book.

Harry rolled his eyes.

'Honestly, you're a wizard and a witch! Accio book!'

Lucas groaned exasperatedly, and helped Rose to her feet.

'Sure, sure,' Lotte muttered grumpily 'nobody helps Lotte, oh no...'

'Lucas, give me back my book! I'm going to bloody fail the blood finals and I'll be a bloody seventh year my whole bloody life!'

Lucas scooped up Rose in his arms and walked out of the common room.

'This is so not fair,' Rose muttered, before disappearing through the portrait hole.

Lotte looked at her brother, her boyfriend, and her friend.

'I strongly suggest we hide all of her books before Madam Pomfrey gets ahold of her and commits her to St. Mungos.'

Calder, Harry, and Lianne nodded in agreement, before realizing that the whole common room was still staring at them.

'We're not going to start doing a dance routine, in case you're wondering,' said Calder, glaring at the gawkers.

Lucas carried Rose all the way to the edge of the lake, Rose protesting all the way.

'I have legs, I can walk, I need to study I'm going to fail bloody hell put me down – AH!'

Lucas had dumped her unceremoniously under a tree. Rose glared at him. Lucas stuck out his tongue, sat down next to her, and pulled her onto his lap.

'You were going to seriously damage your remaining sanity, and god knows what's going to happen when you do that.'

'Hmph.'

Rose leaned her head against his chest and they sat like that for a long time, until the sun began to sink into the forbidden forest.

Not very far away, another person watched the sunset from his office. Aberforth Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully, and looked at the couple cuddling by the tree.

'Poor children,' he whispered sadly 'so many clementines for them to deal with.'