Late One Night

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns everything that I did not create… Damn.

Thank yous:SaintEmo, Tubs, MoonyPadfootJr, EsScaper, ThouandI, Sarahamanda, 'Mione and Sevvie, yoblossom, Remusgrl101, SilverGlitterSprite, ForsakenChilde, Marblez, Nic6590, Victoria, honeyduked, Fallen Angel of Hell, Mizuki hikari, snowflakelupin,Neous, Lady Orient.

If I have missed anyone out, I'm sorry, but thank you for reviewing!

Sorry for the long delay! Be thankful the Half-Blood Prince came out, because that gave me the inspiration to continue with this fic!

NOTE: Happenings in the Half-Blood Prince will not bear any changes upon this story – particularly the big death and the murderer.However, saying that, as we were introduced to a few new things in the book, I may employ them into story – I will place SPOILER at the beginning of a chapter if so, for at least a couple of months after July. That is, of course, if I deem it spoiler worth.

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Chapter 22:Familiaritas: Part 2

Remus was on his hands and knees on the cave floor, he was trapped in a cage that had been erected while he had been unconscious; his breathing was erratic, he was in so much pain. He was certain that it had been at least a week and a half since he had been knocked out while on his path to find one of the Italian werewolf colonies; knocked out by Death Eaters, which had not surprised him one bit.

"Lupin, you are really irritating me now."

Remus forced himself upright, an arm tightly across his stomach, trying to support his ribs, some of which were no doubt broken from his beatings. "I have already told you…I don't know anything about what you're asking of me! I don't know what else you expect me to say!"

"Crucio!"

Remus cried out as the force of the Cruciatus Curse hit him once again, the pain now was like nothing he had felt before; it was much worse than his nastiest of transformations. It was most probably worsened by the amount of injuries that he had sustained already.

All Remus could think after the curse was lifted off of him was that if this persisted, then he would probably never see his family again.

Just as he was starting to feel his world go black again, Remus heard an unfamiliar voice shout:

"Stupefy!"

…

"Hermione, you need to sleep," said Draco for about the sixth time in the last hour to his girlfriend. It had been two days since Severus had collapsed during their potions class and Hermione hadn't slept or ate since; it was now after midnight and she was sitting determinedly in an armchair in their common room. "You need to eat."

"No."

Draco sighed and slumped in the armchair opposite the brown haired girl, "Look, if anything was going to change with him, Madame Pomfrey would let you know. You need to look after yourself, 'Mione, I mean, if neither of your parents are around anytime soon, someone has to be there for Maria, don't you think?"

Hermione gazed at the blond, tears welling in her eyes; but Draco was certain that he had finally gotten through to her, "I-I…" she just burst into tears before she could get a proper sentence formed.

"'Mione…" Draco went over to his girlfriend, he pulled Hermione to her feet and hugged her tightly "Hey, don't cry, everything will be all right…"

………

Hermione spent most of the third day of her father being unconscious fast asleep; she had finally fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning in Draco's bed, in his arms. McGonagall had exempted her from classes for the rest of the week unless she felt that she could manage them, so when she was awake, Hermione sat at her father's bedside in hopes that he would wake up. Right now, it was the evening, she had managed a bit of dinner in the Great Hall but the constant stares and murmuring about her slip of shouting 'dad' when Severus had collapsed, made her leave Gryffindor table as quickly as she could get away.

The Head Girl was curled up in a chair beside the potion master's infirmary bed now, watching the slow but steady rise and fall of his chest. He was extremely pale (more so than usual), his jet-black hair was in stark contrast against his pale skin and the white of the infirmary bedding. As she sat there, Hermione couldn't help but think that this was at least partly her fault. Perhaps if she hadn't forced that antidote into him or mixed it with a drink, then he might still be all right and then perhaps he could have gotten proper help for whatever was wrong with him. She rested her head on a hand and closed her eyes just as she heard voices nearing the infirmary, they grew louder as who ever the people were entered the vast room.

The irritated voice of Madame Pomfrey then sounded, "Dumbledore, I have patients, don't you think you could- Oh my… Remus!"

Hermione was out of her chair in a flash upon hearing the name of her missing parent; she rushed out of her father's cubicle and nearly bowled Remus over by hugging him. "I'm so glad you're back!"

Remus was, needless to say, a bit surprised, not to mention a bit pained, as Hermione had just pushed against some of his injuries, "Anyone would think you missed me," he said in a strained voice.

"Hermione, let go," Dumbledore gently pulled Hermione away from Remus to allow Madame Pomfrey to sort him out. Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had helped find Remus, led the injured werewolf over to a bed before Dumbledore spoke again, to Madame Pomfrey this time. "Poppy, Remus has sustained many injuries through beatings and the Cruciatus Curse," Hermione squeaked.

"Very well," Poppy rushed over to Remus. "I am going to need some quiet, Dumbledore, so if you would please-"

"Certainly, Poppy," replied the old Headmaster curtly. "Kingsley, Hermione, if you would come with me, please."

"But-"

Dumbledore nudged Hermione out the door before she could stubbornly stay behind, "Kingsley, thank you for bringing Remus here. Could you go on to the Headquarters and inform Sirius and James that he is back?"

"Certainly."

Dumbledore watched Kingsley leave before he turned back to Hermione who had been inching back towards the infirmary door, "Hermione, please come along to my office, I have a proposition for you."

……

"Drink this Remus, it should lessen the discomfort somewhat," said Poppy, she handed Remus a goblet of a rather foul smelling potion.

Remus took the goblet and quickly gulped it down, he sighed and leaned back against the pillows after he had handed the goblet back to the school matron, "I am never doing something for Dumbledore again, if this is what happens… Who was Hermione seeing?"

Poppy hesitated a moment, "…She was visiting Severus- stay still, Remus," she pushed the man back against the pillows by his shoulders. "His health has been on a severe decline since the summer holidays, and he passed out during his seventh year class three days ago. Your daughter looks as though she will be heading in the same direction if she does not sleep and eat any time soon. Now, I want you to recover a bit more before I allow you to sit with Severus, and I mean it, Remus, I want you to stay right where you are unless you need the bathroom. Understood?"

Remus nodded, "You remind me of my mother…"

"I have met your mother on many occasions, Remus," replied Poppy. "It is quite understandable that she is as over bearing as you think with you and Romulus for sons."

"Thanks."

…

Hermione sat in a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk, feeling slightly surprised, "You want me to be in the Order?" Dumbledore nodded. "But, I thought you wouldn't allow people still at school to be in the Order…I thought you had to be over-age and finished school…"

"That is true, yes," replied the wise old wizard. "But I do believe that you are eighteen now, yes?"

"I will be tomorrow," said Hermione quietly. "Wouldn't it make sense if Harry was in the Order before me though? I mean, he and Voldemort are the entire basis for this war, surely he has more right than I do."

Dumbledore nodded, "You are right, of course, however, times are getting more desperate. I would induct Harry into the Order today, as he has every right to be in it, like you said, but his father has made it clear to me that on no grounds must I do so until Harry has finished school. You, of course, would not be the first teenager still at school to be in the Order."

"Yeah, but Draco is a Death Eater as well, it makes sense that he would be…"

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, "Was I mistaken in thinking that you would jump at this chance?"

"No!" said Hermione quickly. "No, I just find it a bit odd. I mean, why? What…what would I be able to do for the Order if I'm stuck at school until next June? I don't understand how I could be of any use, right now."

"The Order could use a brain like yours, Hermione," replied Dumbledore honestly. "I have not yet set a task for you to do, but all in good time," Hermione nodded slowly and curiously. "Now I do have another proposition for you…"

…

"So um, I take it Hermione wasn't exactly discreet when Professor Snape collapsed, yeah?" said Ginny quietly as she sat down at a table in Gryffindor common room opposite Harry and Ron.

Harry shook his head, "She said 'dad', and well, she wasn't exactly making an effort in pretending to dislike him, understandable, I suppose."

"Is she all right? I only saw her briefly at dinner this evening…" The two boys shrugged in reply so Ginny got to her feet. "Right, well, I'm going to go to the Head Students' common room to see if she's okay."

……

Later that night, Hermione was back in the common room with Draco, reading through a pile of notes that the Headmaster had given her after she had agreed to his second proposition. She had seen Ginny and gotten a hug off her friend before settling down in an armchair next to the fire.

Draco watched her silently for a few moments before putting his quill down and speaking, "I have to ask, why would the Headmaster give you reading material?"

Hermione snorted, "Dumbledore asked me if I would mind giving a bit of help towards the first to third year potions classes, as the professor is unconscious, and I said 'yes'."

"What do you mean by 'help'?"

"Along with the classes I am taking this year, I am now also a substitute professor of potions for the younger classes," replied Hermione to the curious blond. "So instead of attending my regular lessons in those time slots I have to pass my knowledge onto the first to third years, and catch up with my classes in the evenings and weekends."

"You're mad, you know that, don't you?" said Draco, he just could not understand Hermione's enjoyment of being overworked, it just wasn't normal… Was it? "Why only the first to third years?"

Hermione scratched her nose and made room for Crookshanks on her lap, "Because anymore of dad's classes and I would have to do all of mine after lessons and in weekends until he is able to teach again."

"Who's taking the other classes then?"

"Um, Dumbledore will take some, and the other teachers will share the bulk load between themselves, I think, unless he can find a suitable replacement."

"When do you start?"

Hermione yawned, "Tomorrow."

Draco raised his eyebrows, "Tomorrow's your birthday, do you enjoy torturing yourself?"

Hermione shrugged, "So what if its my birthday? I don't care."

"I do."

"And why should that change my mind?"

"Because…I'm your boyfriend, you twit, I might have had something planned."

Hermione arched an eyebrow, "Watch who you're insulting, little boy, I have the full powers of a professor now."

"Watch who you're calling 'little boy'…"

Hermione smiled serenely, "I will call you whatever I wish, Master Malfoy, you are after all, seven months my junior."

Draco huffed, "What's put you in such a good mood, anyway? You were depressed this time yesterday."

"Didn't I tell you?" Draco shook his head. "Moony's back."

………

By the next day, Hermione was starting to feel much better again. She had had a good night's sleep and she had managed to eat a good healthy portion of breakfast in the Great Hall before she had to go off down to the dungeons for the Slytherin and Gryffindor second year potions lesson. She wasn't exactly looking forward to teaching the Slytherins of the three year groups that she had been given, but at least she could assert authority over them and be unfair if she had to be.

"Please sit down quietly and get your things out while I do the roll, thanks," said Hermione after all the students had entered the classroom. "Say 'yes' when I call out your names."

"What are you doing here?" questioned one of the Slytherin boys in distaste.

"Watch your tone," Hermione narrowed her eyes slightly at the boy but she didn't reply to his question until she had finished taking the roll. "I am now teaching all first to third year potion classes until Professor Snape is well enough to come back to work. So, until then, I will be your substitute professor and I have been given permission to punish you as any other teacher would," she gazed around the class briefly. "Right, today you are going to be making a Swelling Solution. The ingredient list and instructions are on the board, the ingredients are in the supply cupboard, and you have forty minutes to make this. And please, be careful, I don't want to have to use the Deflating Draft."

Hm, piece of cake, thought Hermione as she watched the students obediently get to work, although she was getting some dirty looks from the Slytherins. "There is no point in glaring at me, you'll have to get used to me whether you want to or not," she noticed a small Gryffindor girl with her hand in the air. "Yes?"

"I-I heard rumours," started the little girl, she was rather small for her age. "Are you really Snape's daughter?"

"Professor Snape," corrected Hermione, she noticed she had the whole class's attention again, especially the Slytherin students'. "And yes, Professor Snape is my father."

"Why are you Granger then?" questioned another Slytherin, a sneer on his face.

"That is not really any business of yours, now is it? …Right, all of you, get back to work, you have to have this finished before the end of the lesson."

……

At lunchtime that very same day, Hermione headed to the infirmary so that she could see how both of her parents were doing. Upon entering she saw the Severus's cubicle was still closed off so there did not seem to be any change with him; Remus's cubicle was also closed off.

"You can go in, Granger, he is awake."

Hermione nodded at Madame Pomfrey's words and went into Remus's cubicle, she saw her dad lying in the bed seemingly sound asleep; but when her foot hit a chair and caused it to scrape across the sound his eyes opened and he smiled slightly.

"Hey, you."

Hermione smiled slightly and sat down on the edge of the bed, "How are you feeling?"

Remus sat up a little and leaned back against his pillows, "Better than I was a few days ago, I'll tell you."

Hermione pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, "What happened, dad? Where did you go?" she was used to seeing him not looking his best, especially after a full moon but at the moment he was looking far weaker than usual.

Remus raised his eyebrows slightly; "I'm surprised, being as nosy as you are, that you haven't figured it out."

Hermione had the decent to look a little sheepish, "Well, ok, I know why you had to go, and that you were in the general vicinity of Europe, but I don't know what happened. I mean, how did you get to be in this state?"

"Death Eaters," was Remus's short and rather to the point reply; the tone of voice that he was one that suggested that he did not particularly wish to talk about his ordeal at the moment.

"Oh…" Hermione looked down at the bedclothes for a few moments before looking back up, she opened her mouth to form another prying question but the very wary look on the werewolf's face made her decide otherwise. "Um…have you seen dad yet?" she asked instead in a small voice.

Remus sighed and shook his head, "No, I am not allowed to leave this bed until I have Madame Pomfrey's consent… Speaking of Severus, I was told that I should ask you for more information on his condition, as apparently, you are far more in the loop than everyone else."

"What do you know already?"

"That his health has been deteriorating since I left in the summer, and that he collapsed a few days ago."

Hermione ran her fingers through her hair before she started to speak, "I only know the little bit that Lucius told me, he is the one that should be questioned," she then launched into everything that Lucius had told her five days ago about the curse and his suspicions, as well as the antidote. Though she did leave out the part where she stole Severus's wand and forced him to drink it. She also let Remus know about Severus's even nastier behaviour, and his being mean to Maria, even.

When Hermione had finished there was a frown on Remus's face; he rubbed his forehead as he spoke, "I must say, I was wondering about the curses used on him… You say Lucius knows more?"

Hermione gave a shrug, "I'm not sure, but I think he knows more than he told me…he was really anxious that day as well. And when I flooed him the day after to tell him dad had taken the antidote, he looked quite worried and said it wouldn't be safe to floo him anymore."

"I would imagine Voldemort is just having a bit of fun with him… Where's Maria?"

Hermione gazed blankly at him for a moment, "Um…I don't actually know…"

"The responsible big sister, I see," Remus smirked and held out an arm. "Come here."

Hermione shifted up the bed and sat next to Remus so that he could give her a proper hug, something that she accepted gratefully; it was really all she had wanted from Severus since Remus had left but the Potions master had never been the most affectionate parent. That and the two of them had spent many hours fighting since Remus's departure.

Remus rubbed Hermione's back and pressed a kiss to her head before speaking quietly again, "And what does one give an eighteen year old girl for her birthday?"

Hermione smiled against Remus's shoulder, not that she cared, but she was surprised that he knew what date it was, "My parents," she lifted her head and gazed at the curious werewolf, the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "I just want you both to be alive and well… I mean, I was ready and willing to accept that I would never see you again, but this has far surpassed my thoughts for the last week or so," she gave a sniff. "And I thought, after dad collapsed, that I was going to have to raise my own sister…"

Remus pulled his eldest daughter back into his arms and hugged her tightly, "Believe me, I have no intention of leaving you and Maria alone, for a long time…and I would like to see her, by the way."

Hermione lifted her head again, "I'll track her down after class, I'm free last lesson anyway."

…

After her last lesson of the day, Transfiguration, Hermione held back after class to see if her Head of House had any idea where her little sister was.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Granger?"

"I don't suppose you know where my sister is, do you?"

McGonagall sat down behind her desk a her next class of fourth years started to file in quietly, "She is with the Headmaster, as far as I know. The password is the same as usual."

"Ok, thanks," with that said, Hermione left the Transfiguration classroom and headed for Dumbledore's office.

"Hermione!"

Hermione stopped and turned around to see a red headed girl running towards her, "Hey, Gin."

After Ginny had slowed to a half she hugged Hermione vigorously, "Are you all right? I haven't seen much of you."

Hermione smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I'm ok. Both of my parents are alive and in the Infirmary, its just one is still unconscious."

"Moony's back?"

"Yeah," Hermione started walking again, with Ginny at her side. "He was dragged in half-dead last night, but he's all right, I think."

"Where are we going?"

"To get my sister from Dumbledore."

Ginny nodded, she sidled closer to Hermione and nudged her friend in the side, a sly look on her face, "How are you and Mr. Malfoy going?"

Hermione grinned, as they rounded a corner and started climbing a flight of stairs, "We are going absolutely fine, though he is really hankering to get me into bed now."

"Oh put out for him, 'Mione, I know you want to."

Hermione laughed, "Yeah, true, but it's fun to tease him."

Ginny smiled, "So, when are you going to tell Harry and Ron?"

"Ha! Not any time soon, I don't think…no matter what they know about Dray, they still hate his guts, same with my dad."

"Well, yeah, but you never know…"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Gin, look how Ron reacted when I went to the Yule Ball with Viktor, admittedly Harry would probably be far more understanding, but its Ron's temper I'm worried about," she saw the red head open her mouth to argue. "And after the way Ron reacted after he found out about my parents, can you honestly blame me?"

Ginny sighed, "I guess not."

"Don't you have a class to be in?"

Ginny gave a grin, "Only Divination, but we all know what a load of crap that is."

"I still don't understand why you've decided to take it this year, you could have dropped it and had more free lessons."

"I know, I was just interested in what N.E.W.T Divination would be like."

………

By the afternoon of the next day Madame Pomfrey had given into Remus's begging and let the injured werewolf out of his bed so that he could sit with Severus. As Remus sank back into the transfigured armchair beside Severus's bed, he could not help but marvel at how vulnerable the ex-Death Eater looked right now – he and many other people had never seen Severus in this kind of state before. He leaned forward and brushed a hand through some of that black hair, Severus was so pale and almost painfully thin now, and it was heart breaking to see him like this.

A slight twitch of a hand brought Remus to full alertness; he pulled the chair closer and took a hold of the hand that had moved, he gave it a squeeze and within seconds he felt a squeeze in return.

"Ngh…"

Remus watched, smiling slightly, as his dark haired love started to stir from his previous comatose state, "Sev?" he watched as eyelids fluttered open to reveal slightly confused and glazed black eyes. "Hey."

"…Remus…"

"Its me," confirmed Remus; he rested a hand on the waking man's stomach and watched as those dark eyes slowly focussed on him, he could see the questioning in them. "You are awake, I assure you."

Severus groaned quietly and squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again, "What happened…"

Remus leaned forward on the bed; "You collapsed during your seventh year class about five days ago."

"…I've been out that long?"

"Yeah, you have."

Severus attempted to sit up a little bit, but it was too much of an effort for him; he felt so weak at the moment and it was not a feeling that he liked, "When did you come back?"

"Night before last," replied Remus; he was gently stroking the back of one of Severus's hands now. "This is the first time Poppy's let me out of my bed, as well…" he trailed off when he saw the look of alarm on the thin Potions master's face. "Don't give me that look, you had to know I wouldn't come back from that mission unscathed. Anyway, what happened to me doesn't matter, I want to know what happened to you."

Severus used his free hand to rub his eyes and then his forehead before managing a little shrug, "I…I don't really know what happened…all I remember is feeling really ill…"

"Ah, Severus, you're awake," said Poppy coming around the cubicle curtain; she handed a goblet to Remus before pulling out her wand. "Drink that straight down," she then turned her attentions to the Potions master. "Now, you. I don't suppose you know what's wrong with you, do you? I could do a lot more if I knew."

"I honestly don't know."

Remus had drained his goblet, a look of disgust on his face as he spoke, "Hermione said Lucius Malfoy knows more about what happened."

Poppy humphed in disapproval and then she spent the next half an hour checking Severus over, poking and prodding him, practically force-feeding him potions, and complaining that it was hard to see his pupils because his eyes were so dark.

……

After dinner that evening, Remus was still sitting with Severus who was sitting up properly now; though he was annoyed that Poppy nor Dumbledore would allow him to leave the Infirmary until one or the other of them had spoken with Lucius Malfoy.

Severus rested his head back against his pillows and closed his eyes, "Are you going to tell me about your mission or do I have to break down your Occlumency walls?"

Remus raised his eyebrows slightly, "No need for that," he sank back into the plush chair and started to speak. "…Before I left England, I went underground with the British werewolves, and had a little meeting with old Fenrir Greyback-" he saw a look of alarm pass over Severus's face. "Needless to say, he roughed me up a little before I left the country, I'm sure he would have bitten me if he hadn't already done so. I went to France first, had no real luck there in the Paris underground-"

"I am going to take a wild guess here and say that you did not have any luck at all, yes?" interrupted Severus; he was a bit more with it now that he was properly awake, fed and full of potions.

Remus shook his head, "I had a little bit of luck in Italy, but eh, the handful that were willing to side with the Order were killed before I could talk with them again and my life was threatened, so I left. Of course, at that point, I had no idea I was being tracked by a group of Death Eaters," he sighed and had a drink of water, his mouth felt so dry. "They, of course, are the reason I'm in here – they wanted information that I couldn't give them. I highly doubt they were in Italy on Voldemort's orders as well."

"Why?"

Remus frowned a little, "I never heard them mention him, except for when one expressed his concern about their 'Master' finding out what they were doing," he felt one of Severus's hands brush through his hair. "I'll tell you in more detail when I report to the Order… I'll tell you this though, I do wish I had listened to you and stayed home rather than go on that mission."

"I told you so."

Remus rolled his eyes, "Yes, I know, go ahead and gloat-"

"You're awake!"

"Astute observation, Hermione," replied Severus; he had adopted a scowl now, directed straight at the eighteen year old standing at the foot of his bed.

Hermione cowered back a little at the look she was getting; "I take it you haven't forgotten?"

Remus was glanced between the two of them with a frown on his face, "Not forgotten what?"

"Oh, you didn't tell him, I see?"

Hermione folded her arms and huffed before looking to Remus, "He's just upset with me because I stole his wand and forced that antidote, the one I told you about, down his throat," with that said, she shrugged and gave Severus a hug. As she opened her mouth to speak again there was a loud commotion entering the infirmary.

"What the- Oh hell, what happened to you Aiden?"

"I was just practising for Defence Against the Dark Arts, Madame Pomfrey, and he got in the way."

A nasty look and an evil grin passed over Hermione's face upon hearing the voice of her cousin, Trinny, "Oh I've been waiting for this moment…" she headed out of Severus's cubicle leaving her parents with their eyebrows raised.

"Hold still, boy! I can't very well fix it if you don't sit still," said Madame Pomfrey impatiently. "You, girl, I do not believe for a second that he 'got in the way'."

"Is there anything I can do, Madame Pomfrey?" asked Hermione in a sugary-sweet voice.

"Yes, deal with Miss Jacobs," replied the impatient matron. "Mind you, I know Dumbledore has given you teaching responsibilities now, but that does not mean that you can abuse your power."

"I wouldn't dare," replied Hermione in feigned innocence; vaguely wondering if either of her parents knew about her position as a temporary member of staff or a permanent member of the Order, because she certainly hadn't said anything. "Trinny, corridor. Now!"

Severus blinked after the Infirmary door was slammed shut, he turned his eyes to Remus, "Did Poppy just say what I think she just said?"

Remus raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly, "I'm not sure I want to know what was running through Dumbledore's mind when did that…"

"Teaching, what?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

…

"You have no power over me-"

"Yes, I do!" snapped Hermione at her cousin. "Not only am I the Head Girl, but I am now also a temporary professor and have all the rights of one. Do not push me, Trinny, because I have every right to get you suspended, or expelled! Now, what in the hell did you think you were doing? What did he ever do to you?"

Trinny merely gave a shrug, "He got in my way."

"That is your only excuse for breaking the boy's nose?" Hermione glared at the girl in front of her, one of the cousins she so hated being around – one of the cousins that had made her summer hell. "What is wrong with you, you stupid girl!"

Trinny mumbled something.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

Trinny drew herself up to her full height, which still made her a couple of inches shorter than Hermione, "I said, you're an ugly whore-" she squeaked in shock when she was back handed hard across the face.

Hermione seemed to crackle with energy as she glared menacingly at her cousin; but when she spoke, her voice was in forced calmness, "For the next two weeks you are going to be in detention, every night. If you fail to turn up I will make your life a living hell. Are we clear?"

Trinny sniffled, a hand on her cheek where she was struck, "Crystal."

"Good," Hermione headed back for the Infirmary door, "I'll catch up with you tomorrow about your detention. Now go back to your common room and do not even think about leaving it."

…

"Remus, I said not to over exert yourself, so sit back down."

Remus raised his eyebrows at the irate Madame Pomfrey; "I was just seeing what was going on."

Madame Pomfrey huffed, "Right, you are good to go, Aiden. Try not to rile that girl up again."

"I didn't do anything in the first place," mumbled Aiden as he got off the bed. As he got to the Infirmary door, his hand reaching for the handle – the door slammed open and he was knocked off his feet.

Hermione gasped from the doorway upon seeing what she had just done, "Oh my god, I killed him!"

Madame Pomfrey nearly screamed in irritation before rushing over to the newly unconscious teenaged boy on the floor of her Infirmary.

"Is there anything I can do, Poppy?" asked Remus; he gazed curiously down at the unconscious boy at his feet. …He looks an awful lot like Romulus…

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

A/N: How was that? Different to what it should've been but, meh…

Next Chapter: Just how much alike are Romulus and Aiden. Severus is back on his feet – how will he feel about how his classes have been taken care of? Sirius, James, and Lucius make appearances. Draco finally gets what he wants from his girlfriend.