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Hey ya'll, before I get to the chapter I must make the sad announcement that I will be on hiatus for the rest of June 😞 I am sad, but I have my ceremony coming up, family visiting and I'm going on a trip so I won't be able to keep up. But I will likely still write and will post whatever I have come July. I'll miss you all and hope you have a safe and fun start to the summer!

Now, I know here on fanfiction says this is the 99th chapter, but on my A03 where I started this, it's actually the 100th because I had posted a little fun chapter of a preview in the 6th year! So technically this is the 100th chapter, sooo HERE WE ARE 100 FREAKING CHAPTERS. We made it! Thanks to all you readers! It's been such a fun ride and privilege to share this story with you, it really brings me a lot of joy to write, so thank you for being here 💜 🌈 I wasn't sure what to do with this chapter, but hopefully it's a memorable one?

Also, BEWARE there is violence in this chapter. Okay, please enjoy your read and I'll see you at the end

"Honestly, Penny, if she catches you," hissed Hermione.

"If you don't let her concentrate she will and you'll be to blame," Ron hissed back, his eyes fixed on the front of the room where Umbridge sat, looking annoyingly content with herself due to the apparent attentiveness of the class to their reading.

They were so quiet that Umbridge's beady eyes even abandoned their routine surveillance of them all and were now focused on a pink piece of parchment she was scratching some notes upon. Little did she know, the entire class was quiet because they were focused on the hat that had been meticulously levitated across the room by Penny in a manner that would go unnoticed by Umbridge. 20 minutes into this process, Penny had managed to get the hat behind Umbridge, and was now slowly lifting it to head level, where the true difficulty would be getting it on Umbridge's head without her realizing what had been done. Considering the giant, disgustingly girlish bow that sat upon her over-large head, Penny felt the odds were in her favor.

The air became still as her fellow Gryffindors held their breath while the hat inched lower to her head, until finally with an expert flick of her wand, Penny let the hat land softly, her heart stopping for a moment because Umbridge turned to look at them all at this precise moment. But before she could fix her toad-like face upon them, it vanished, and a headless, squat body adorned in a matching pink top and skirt got to its feet.

For a long moment the room just stared at Umbridge, she seemingly looked back at them, and then as though an explosion had gone off, the room erupted into laughter, Ron sliding off his chair and even Hermione smirking despite herself. Having no idea what the disruption was about, Umbridge began demanding students explain themselves, hovering over them, headless, which only resulted in more laughter. But not a single one informed Umbridge her head was missing, and in fact her next two classes with the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs also remained tight-lipped, Umbridge becoming furious about not being able to work out the source of the disruptions.

It was not until lunch that those in her new 'inquisitorial squad' broke the silence. However, much to Penny's pleasure, Umbridge did not realize it was one of Weasley's new creations, headless hats, that were to blame and therefore she futilely tried every spell to return the visibility of her head to no avail. Apparently, she had worked it out later in the evening, most likely when she bathed, because her head had returned the next day and she added the headless hats to Filch's contraband list, a move that sent demand for the hats beyond what Fred and George currently had stock for, so they began a back order list and thoroughly praised Penny for her superb marketing skills.

Headless hats, however, were the least of Umbridge's problems. Since the night she caught Harry during the DA meeting and Dumbledore had sacrificed himself so Harry could remain at school, taking out the ministry officials, including Fudge and left Hogwarts, Umbridge had named herself the new Headmistress so the students had felt it was their personal duty to give her hell. Fred and George naturally led the charge on this front but they named Penny their lieutenant general.

"You are our third, Penny," said Fred one afternoon when they were huddled in a secret passage working on their latest efforts to make Umbridge's life miserable.

"And as our third, you are the only one to be trusted with our legacy, a legacy handed to us by our forebears, the Messrs," said George.

"What are you two on about?" Penny said absentmindedly, as she finished the bow she was putting together. It was the perfect size for Peeves, Penny having enchanted the arrows to be similar to heat seeking missiles, which would chase the target until it reached them and exploded with stink sap.

"You see, Penny, sometimes we have to divide and conquer," Fred went on melodramatically.

Penny turned to him and found him looking up at the ceiling as though he were giving a monologue for a Shakespeare her brow, she looked at George, who decided to give up on whatever the pair of them had clearly rehearsed and get straight to the point. "We got premises," he blurted out, Fred turning and yelling at him.

"Finally! Where?" Penny said, smiling wide.

"Diagon Alley," Fred said, stopping his rant at George to give a little bow.

"How'd you manage that!"

"With talent and impeccable business skills," said George.

"Can I help you set up shop this summer? Work part time maybe?" Penny asked, feeling so overjoyed for her friends and the prospect of ditching the Dursley's for a much more exciting summer.

"About that," George said, glancing at Fred. "Things moved a bit faster than we initially anticipated, and with premises and Dumbledore gone we figured, why wait?"

"So you've already got them? But who will run the shop?" Penny asked, notes of confusion laced through her voice as she looked from one to the other, both shifting uneasily beneath her gaze.

"We will," said George.

"Not even you can manage to run a shop and study for NEWTs. What are you going to do, request to go to London on weekends?" Penny laughed, thinking they were being outlandish again.

Bridging the distance between them, Fred took the bow Penny was holding from her and set it on the floor before placing both of his hands on either shoulder, an apologetic look taking up residence on his normally amused features.

"Don't be absurd, Penny, we can't run the joke shop from here, and especially not with that old toad about. We're leaving to run it full time."

Penny gaped at Fred, uncertain how to process any of what was being said, something that must have shown on her face because George stepped up to elaborate.

"There's no reason to stay, we have premises, and we finished testing. So we reckon it's time to go give it a shot in the real world."

"No reason to stay," Penny said angrily. "What about your NEWTs!"

"Don't need 'em," said Fred, George nodding his agreement.

"You're mum—" Penny argued.

"Can be as furious as she wants, but she can't stop us," George pointed out with the air of someone who had prepared for this argument.

"And me?" Penny blurted out, cheeks flushed with color as she took a step away from the pair. While she knew she should be happy for them, she couldn't help but feel a stab of betrayal in her heart—they were leaving her behind.

"You're our third. It's not like that will—" Fred floundered, his own face flushing

"A bit hard to be a third when the other two aren't here!"

"It won't be permanent, we've already picked a place in London that has a spare room with your name on it," George said, looking serious for the first time in all the years Penny had known them.

"B-but, can't you just not go instead," Penny whined, unable to ignore how moved she felt by the fact they had already considered her.

"Is our little Penny going to miss us?" Fred grinned, his own composure returning in the wake of Penny's pouting lip.

"Yes!" Penny said sternly, not caring for the first time in her life that she was saying exactly how she felt. If there was any chance she could get them to stay, she had to take it, whether they teased her for it or not.

"You know what this calls for, Fred," George said, turning to Fred.

"Group hug," Fred nodded and they both descended on Penny.

"You can't just hug this away!" Penny argued, as they crushed her between them.

"Of course not, so how about you tell us more about how you really feel. How you'll stay awake all night pining for me and spend all your time—" said Fred, but a well placed elbow to the ribs from Penny shut him up.

"Just because we're gone doesn't mean you can slack off either. You are going to be our official representative, we're counting on you," George said, nuzzling her in the hair with his nose like a mother might, a gesture she wanted sorely to dislike but couldn't help but smile from.

"Yeah, yeah," Penny grumbled, giving in and wrapping her arms around them too and giving each a kiss to their cheeks. The twins were outlandish, silly, and a nuisance, but Hogwarts would not be the same without them and Penny would miss them dearly.

With Dumbledore gone, Umbridge now in charge of Hogwarts and the twins leaving, April did not get off to a great start, which put Penny in a horrid mood. While Umbridge spent her first days as headmistress chasing after the Weasleys Wildfire Whiz-Bangs , Penny knew the chaos could only last so long and that Umbridge would be a permanent fixture at Hogwarts for the unforeseeable future, meaning there was the distinct possibility that Penny would be stuck with her for the next two years.

Giving up on her study late that evening and heading back to the Gryffindor common from the library just before Madam Pince kicked her out, Penny was mulling over this horrific prospect of enduring two more years of Umbridge when she found her way blocked. Cassius Warrington, the Slytherin Quidditch team's chaser and inquisitorial squad member looked haughtily down at her as he crossed his thick arms.

"If you don't get out of my way, Warrington, you'll find out exactly what happened to Montague," Penny said, doing her best to suppress an eye roll as he puffed up his chest and pointed to the shiny I that was pinned to his robes.

"Show some respect, Potter or I'll be forced to take points from your house."

"Do whatever you want so long as you stop breathing on me with that rank breath of yours."

"Listen here, you slut—" he growled, grabbing her by the front of the robes.

"Slut am I? I think my betrothed will have something to say about that accusation," Penny said, stressing her threat ever so delicately.

"Go running to daddy all you want, Umbridge owns this place now, so get moving, unless you want me to show you what she's authorized those loyal to her do to any dissenters."

Eyeing the wand pressing into her chest warily, Penny stepped forward wanting very much to punch Warrington when he still felt the need to shove her. But she refrained, her brain too occupied with why any of Umbridge's students would be looking for her and what horrors awaited Penny when she found out. All she wanted to do was go to bed, the day had been long and her brain was at its bursting point from all the study she'd done. She did not have any patience left to spare for Umbridge.

When they finally made it to her office, Penny unable to suppress a smirk because the rumors that the headmaster's office had locked itself to her proved true, Warrington pushed her roughly through the door and left her disgruntled, standing before a much too happy looking Umbridge, who sat smiling at her from behind her desk.

"Ah, Penny, do take a seat, I won't be more than a moment,", Umbridge said with a slack smile, pointing not to the chair across from her, but to another one that was placed in the corner of the room beside a table, upon which sat that cursed device from the Department of Mysteries.

"I can't stay long or I won't make it back to Gryffindor tower before curfew," Penny said, not moving as fear welled in her chest.

"You needn't worry about curfew, you're with me," Umbridge replied with a laugh that tinkled like a spoon on a teacup. "Now, sit, I insist," she said, looking back down at the papers.

With a great force of will, Penny made for the chair, every step that took her closer to it, sending her heart rate skyrocketing and anxiety bursting out of control. Sitting at the very edge of the chair furthest from the table, she clutched her bag to her chest as though it would protect her from whatever came next. If the last time was an indicator as to what to expect, Penny knew she would not enjoy this.

Humming a horrid tune to herself, Umbridge shuffled the papers before her, placed them in a drawer, took a last sip of tea and then joined Penny on the other side of the room, Penny trying to stand, but a fat-fingered hand pushed her back down.

"Get comfortable, my dear," she said in that girlish-voice reaching for Penny's bag, but Penny did not let it go.

"I-I really c-can't linger—"

"You seem confused, Penny. I don't care if you can't, you will be lingering for as long as I tell you to."

"N-no, I won't," Penny said with more force than she anticipated.

Her defiance appeared to have the opposite effect on Umbridge than Penny was hoping, and instead of looking perturbed, her features merely stretched further upward into a grotesque smile.

"You disappoint me, Penny. I had rather thought we had an understanding—"

"An understanding? You sold me to that psycho so you could mutilate people!" Penny cut in, utterly bewildered by the apparent sincerity with which Umbridge uttered those words. Penny had not forgotten how Umbridge hadn't batted an eye-lash when Yaxley had dragged her by the hair from this very castle, or how she praised the mutilation of innocent children. Headmistress or not, Penny could no longer just let Umbridge abuse her without protest. If she wanted something from Penny, there would be no doubt in anyone's mind that Umbridge forced it from her.

"Now, now, temper, my dear. Students should not raise their voices at their headmistress."

"And adults shouldn't torture children!" Penny argued, trying to get to her feet again, but Umbridge pulled her wand out and pointed it at Penny.

"Torture children? Oh my." Umbridge laughed. "Goodness, Penny. Your imagination is quite as out of control as your brother's. I would have hoped he'd told you that lying does not go unpunished by me."

Penny stared at the wand, her jaw clenched but silent. While Penny wasn't all that convinced that Umbridge was very talented with a wand, she did not much like the idea of finding out what happened to a student who pulled their wand on a ministry official. Penny, after all was not Harry and would not have the benefit of Dumbledore to bail her out, so she needed to tread carefully.

"Good girl. Now sit, I have rather a busy schedule tomorrow," she said pleasantly.

Having no other options open to her, Penny sat, Umbridge wasting no time to flick her wand and send coils springing to life that dragged Penny's hands down to the arms rests and tied them there, causing her bag to tumble to the floor.

An unfettered rage was beginning to boil beneath the surface of Penny's composure. She'd escaped the ministry and all its horrors twice. And here she was, in her home, in Hogwarts, being tied down yet again. The unfairness of it all was too much for her to stand. Her hands beginning to shake, Penny closed her eyes, imagining how much she'd enjoy tying Umbridge to this very chair to make her feel small and poke her with all manner of things to show her exactly the kind of terrible creature she was. But Penny would get no chance to do any such thing because Umbridge was powerful and Penny was not. She had the authority of the ministry behind her and Penny was just the sister of Harry Potter. According to the likes of Umbridge, Penny was just a tool to be used by the ones who held the powerful positions but did not deserve them; those who made others like Penny bear the pain of doing the dirty work, because it was Penny's conscience that suffered as she thought of Lupin and how he could be one who suffered because Penny was too weak and too insignificant to stop them from milking her like a cow.

Umbridge was readying the machine when a soft knock at the door sent her turning, the person letting themself in without bothering to wait to be invited.

"The veritaserum you requested is finished, headmistress. Three drops will suffice—" Snape said as he whisked into the room, stopping abruptly when his eyes found Umbridge and then moved slowly to her left, landing on Penny. "What's this?" he said, tones lowering considerably.

Breath catching in Penny's chest at the sight of her potions master, she could not help but hope this was her chance to escape this hellish exchange. Eyes wide, green locked on his and all but screamed help in her mind, willing him to hear her, to look for the answer she knew he could find with his skills as a legilimens.

"Oh yes, thank you, 'll be all, this need not concern you," Umbridge said, reaching for the veritaserum, but Snape closed his hands around it and turned back to her with a sneer.

"You are aware, I'm sure, headmistress, that even you are bound to the bylaws of this school, of which students consent is required in all matters, the violation of which is immediate expulsion."

Umbridge eyed Snape for a moment, evidently determining how to respond. Straightening herself up, she adopted her most girlish voice. "Such irrelevant customs will be removed in due time and Hogwarts brought into proper working order, I assure you. But if you're worried, Severus, Penny is here quite willing. She, like many of your house, has seen the value of helping the ministry."

"Has she?" Snape said, not bothering to keep the tones of skepticism from his voice. "I was not aware it was normally required to tie a willing participant down."

"This was just a precaution to ensure Penny did not hurt herself during the procedure," Umbridge replied.

"A noble pursuit, I'm sure. But I feel inclined to caution you. If it had not been me at the door, and word, or, lord forbid, a photo got out of such a situation— out of context—I think you could understand how it might be suggested that yours and the ministry's methods are not quite kosher, if you understand my meaning."

It was at this point that Umbridge shifted, eyes looking back down at Penny, biting her lip as she considered her and then back to Snape.

"An astute observation, Severus. Perhaps. . ." Umbridge said, raising her wand and releasing Penny's binds.

Now free of the chair, Penny wanted nothing more than to flee across the room and hide behind Snape like a small child, but remained glued to the spot, Umbridge still blocking her path.

"Always happy to be of service," Snape said dryly with an absurd bow of the head. If the situation hadn't been what it was, Penny would have snorted with laughter, instead she glanced back at the machine wondering what would happen next and if there was any way for Snape to get her out of this.

"Arm, dear. We must show Professor Snape how painless this is so there can be no questions."

Umbridge reaching for the sharp end of the tubing, Penny winced, her heart rate speeding up and beads of sweat rolling down her brow. In evident impatience, she forced Penny's arm over exposing the tender flesh in the crook of her elbow and without so much as a warning, shoved the device through her skin.

Penny whimpered in pain, trying to pull her arm away but Umbridge double downed on Penny so she could not escape, wiggling the tube as she went and checking the tubing to see if she'd hit the spot or not. After several moments of her brutal wiggling Penny yelled, something that greatly angered Umbridge.

"You are deliberately making a scene, but I will not allow you to undermine me. Now stop with this ridiculous act!"

"It's not an act, you're hurting me!" Penny gasped, eyes brimming with tears.

In a cruel move, Umbridge pulled the device from Penny's arm again only to shove it back through in a location slightly to the right. It was at this point that Penny's feet lashed out, trying to kick Umbridge, but she had wedged herself between Penny's legs, one hand gripping the hair at Penny's scalp tightly and the other still holding the tubing as she tried to push further into Penny's arm, Penny certain it would come out on the other side.

"It would not hurt if you just held still!"

"I don't care, I refuse! I won't help you destroy other people's lives anymore. You're evil and this is vile! Now get off me!"

"So you admit it, you would oppose the ministry, just like Dumbledore and your brother! But I will not let your loyalties get in the way of such important work. You will give and not complain or you'll find instead of taking your exams like the others you'll live out the rest of your days in a cell!"

Umbridge sounded maniacal now, her eyes bulging from her head, high pitch tones shrieking in Penny's ear and fat fingers pressing harder yet again against Penny's bloodied arm. But before she could make another stab at Penny, she was thrown sideways onto the floor.

Breathing heavily and confused by what had happened, Penny blinked, finding where Umbridge stood not but a second prior Snape standing with his wand still outstretched, cold fury lining his every feature and spewing from him like a live wire that had just been cut. With an angry squeal Umbridge sat up at Penny's feet, clearly as confused as Penny had been.

"So you want to overthrow me too, Severus! I told the minister none of you were to be trusted, and now here is the proof!" she screeched, wagging a knobby finger at him. But for the first time Umbridge looked pathetic, utterly at the mercy of Snape and his tall form towering over her, looking down on her as the vermin she was. He was unafraid, bored even, with her threats. She could wag her finger all she wanted, but in this moment Snape held all the power. It was a scene that filled Penny with desire; she wanted to know what it was like to feel that, to be as powerful and in control as Snape—to make Umbridge cower in fear.

Penny's eyes moved from Snape to the vile creature, her bow hanging loosely from the back of her head, reaching for her own wand, and then trailed to her own mutilated arm, the needled end still stuck firmly into her skin, blood oozing from it. The sight of it sent a horrible throb through her head that almost blinded her, blinded her with rage as the sight of her own injury filled her with a strange kind of blood-lust. The sensation was so strong, Penny was not even aware of acting, she merely moved. Her arms and legs knew exactly what was to be done, while the rest of her merely watched.

All the anger, rage, frustration and helplessness she had welled up inside of her burst forth from her in a great rush of adrenaline. The room around her disappearing, Penny only saw red, only felt the desperate need to make Umbridge know what it felt like to be reduced to something sub-human, who's thoughts, feelings and pain didn't matter. Barely registering Snape's strangled yell, Penny ripped the needled end of the device from her arm and dove at Umbridge. They crashed to the floor, Umbridge turning in horror and trying to shield her face just as Penny landed on her. Knocking her wand from her hand, Penny raised her own arm, the sharp edge clutched in her hand, not caring that the rest of the device had toppled to the floor and shattered around them. And without hesitation, unmoved, and even spurred on by the fear and shock widening the ugly bulging eyes, Penny let loose a guttural scream and jammed the end of the needle into the side of Umbridge's neck, the ease with which it entered surprising her, but not satiating the monster demanding blood.

Umbridge let out her spluttering scream that gargled with blood that already pooled into her mouth as Penny yanked it from her neck in a ruthless motion and made to stab her again, a great burst of blood springing forth from Umbridge and hitting Penny. Umbridge tried desperately to stem its flow with her hands, but that just served to send the blood pooling to the floor and gave Penny a clear shot now that she could see her target again. Incensed, Penny remained unfazed by the sight before her, spurred forward by the growing mass of hatred in her heart, not caring if she left the hag in pieces or not. She'd already taken the plunge so she might as well finish the job.

But before Penny could satiate her need to feel that needle break through Umbridge's neck for a second time and make her feel as helpless as Penny had, a strong arm wrapped itself around Penny's chest and pulled her backward off of Umbridge, infuriating Penny. How dare they interfere? This was Penny's only chance and she could not lose it, and would not let others meddle. And even though something in her head tried to tell her everything about this arm felt familiar, safe and inviting, Penny thrashed against it, screaming in frustration and plunging the needle into it instead in an attempt to break free.

He groaned in her ear, his other hand wrestling the end of her weapon from her despite his injury and yanking it from his arm, letting loose another gush of blood.

"Give it back, she deserves it! Let me do it, let me make her know how it feels!"

Much to her surprise, her captor dropped her to the floor in a heap, Penny scampering around in her rage ready to hit him and wrestle her weapons back from him, but when her eyes found his pale, face, features distorted by unmistakable regret, his hand ignoring his bleeding arm because he was transfixed by her, his agony so palpable that it doused the rage burning in her heart with a bucket of ice water. Penny froze on the spot, her vision blurring as she began to recall who he was and what she'd just done to him.

Mouth falling open in shock, the pain in Penny's head throbbed angrily, as though furious she had stopped her advance and wanted to try to ignite that fury once again but Penny resisted it, eyes welling with tears as the black eyes looked away from her and tended to his bleeding.

"Stay," he commanded, a hand clasping her shoulder reassuringly as he made past her, Penny following him and finding Umbridge flopping sickeningly in a pool of her own blood. Looking down at her own hands, Penny found that same blood, a sight that sent her chest heaving.

Snape was stooping over Umbridge and muttering with that expert calm of his, the one that told her he'd seen worse. The door behind them swinging open and another walking in on the damning scene, Penny turned, green eyes finding the heavy lidded grey ones that took in the scene before him. Cheeks coming alive with color, Draco turned, locked the door and then rushed to Penny's side.

"I-I didn't mean it," was all Penny could stutter between the shaking sobs as Malfoy ripped a strip of fabric from his shirt and began tying it around Penny's arm.

"Of course you didn't, but she deserved it, Penny. I didn't think you'd have the guts, but you never cease to amaze me."

"I didn't mean it, I swear, Draco," Penny sobbed hysterically, unable to process any of Draco's words.

"Hey, let's not think about that right now. Just focus on breathing with me."

Penny looked up at him, brows creased, confused how he'd come to be here, and not registering any of his instructions, the throbbing pain of her head at the point of teetering on the point of blacking out.

"Slower, with me," he pressed.

"They're going to throw me in Azkaban aren't they?" Penny said suddenly, looking back at Umbridge, but Malfoy caught her face before she could turn all the way and forced it back, his eyes boring into hers.

"I'd like to see them try. But if it comes to that I'll sit on the stand and lie through my teeth if I have to. You aren't going anywhere."

"B-but that was wrong, Draco. I shouldn't have done that, what if I killed her?" Penny said, lip quivering, letting her head fall into his chest.

"She does not deserve your tears, Penny. I saw what they did to you at the Ministry. But if you're really worried about it, you should know by now Snape wouldn't let her leave you with that on your conscience, so just breathe, okay?"

"It felt good when I stabbed her," Penny admitted, still unable to get control of her breathing, which was coming in great heaves.

"Of course it did, you idiot, she's a wretch. So don't let growing up with that self-righteous, prat of a brother of yours convince you it means anything. There are loads of people I'd love to stab, doesn't make me a nutcase," he sighed impatiently, his hand rubbing her back now. "Listen, Penny. She would have done the same, if not worse to you. So as far as I'm concerned, this was self-defense."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I'm not blind!"

"Draco," came Snape's voice.

"I think she's in shock, sir," came Draco's answer to the unspoken question.

"Go and find something for her to change into and meet me in my chambers."

"Yes, sir," said Draco, trying to pry Penny from himself, but he did not seem to have the heart to do so. Instead, cold hands took hold of Penny and pulled her away from Draco and into a standing position. Draco gave her a half smile full of pity and worry before leaving while Snape dragged her to the fireplace where he tossed some powder into it and led her through, the other side being his chambers. Still shaking uncontrollably even though she wasn't cold, Penny stumbled after him, her eyes finding the bandage where she'd stabbed him.

"I hurt you. . ."

"You could stab me a hundred more times if it made you feel better. I wouldn't care, Potter. Just explain to me what happened."

"I don't know," she said tearfully. "I didn't think, it all just happened in a flash. I was possessed or maybe I'm just crazy."

"You are far from it, Potter. Considering what that hag was doing—no, you acted as anyone might. But that matters little unless you're alright." he said, guiding her to the sofa and forcing her into it while he knelt down and peered into her eyes.

"I stabbed a ministry official," she said in distress, the magnitude of her crime weighing in on her. "They'll take me from Hogwarts. How could I be so stupid?"

"The only stupidity shown tonight was by me when I did not act sooner. But I won't let you pay for my mistake."

"That sounds well and nice, but I'm pretty sure she will see things a bit differently!"

"I assure you, she won't."

"You don't know that. You heard her, she wants to put me in a cell."

"I would sooner flee the country with you than let her ever put her hands on you again, Potter. Of this you can be sure. But such dramatics are unnecessary when a simple memory charm does the job just fine," he said, his features stony and voice unapologetic.

Penny could not believe her ears and so she stared at him waiting for them to make sense, but still the insanity of them swirled.

"She's a ministry official."

"I'm aware."

"If they found out—"

"Do you take me for a mediocre wizard, Potter?"

"N-no, but I still can't let you—"

"It's not up to you. But do not delude yourself into believing that my hand was somehow forced."

"Of course it was! If I hadn't st-stabbed her. . .I stabbed her," Penny said, the horror settling in. "I'm an awful person. . .I shouldn't—"

"Yes you should have, Potter. You were right, she was wrong and do not let the shock of it convince you otherwise. Her injury only required a basic healing spell and she will never remember it. She will carry nothing like that which she has burdened you with. If you had not acted I would have cut her down and she would not have gotten back up. Yours was a mercy."

"No, don't lie to me. There was so much blood, and she only cut my arm but thats—"

"That is not all she has done! She is responsible for everything that loathsome creature, Yaxley did to you, and she would not have hesitated to leave you to rot in there. Do you understand me? Your house prejudices you against the qualities of Slytherin, but self-preservation is the most basic instinct of every single person who has ever lived!" he said, sounding furious as the hands that clasped her arms shook her as though to shake sense into her.

"How was that self-preservation!"

"How? She was mutilating you! Or did you forget she stabbed you several times first!" he seethed.

"But—"

"Enough, Potter! I will not hear another word. You have been so abused that you are desensitized to even the most blatant acts. But it is my fault, because it was I who let Yaxley—"

"This has nothing to do with that!"

"This has everything to do with that! He locked you in a closet and tortured you for weeks on her orders! Not even the Dark Lord's prisoners experience such treatment! So I refuse to tolerate any more of your self-pity. You will not argue with me, this blood is on my hands. All of it, all that happened, it is my fault," he said, jaw set and dark eyes blazing.

Before Penny could protest he took her by the hand and dragged her back to her feet and led her through his dark quarters, not stopping until he reached the bathroom attached to his bedroom. Flicking the orange light on, he left her and reached into the shower, turning it on and testing the temperature for several seconds before returning to her.

In utter confusion and her legs still wobbly, Penny allowed Snape to discard her and his own robes, socks and shoes, and followed him, fully clothed into the shower. The hot steam billowed out of the door and filled the room before she made it over the shower threshold and he snapped it shut, pausing to look down at her.

They were cramped together in the small space, the back of Snape's shirt already drenched and water making its way to his chest. With a light tug and a step backward, he pulled her into the stream with him, the water hitting his head, running over his face and landing on Penny. He wasted no time reaching for her hands, Penny watching in stunned silence as his smooth ones began wiping the blood from hers, letting it wash away down the drain. Long fingers caressed hers so delicately, like a gardener might touch its most precious rose, coaxing her fingers open and attentively tending to her every crevice, making certain he missed nothing. Between him and the hot water, Penny could not help but feel herself relax, her own fingers squeezing his, willing him to understand the things she could not put to words, to read the silent tears not as those of agony, but of sheer relief at his unwavering presence that somehow made the world right again.

When he was through with her hands, his reached for the several blood stains on her chest, taking his pink bar of soap and rubbing them until the red faded into a distant stain. The numbness in Penny's heart disappearing with all remnants of Umbridge, she turned her head upward, letting the hot water crash into her face. It filled her nostrils and made her feel as though she would drown at any moment, but at the same time, it lifted a great weight from her chest. The watered pattered loudly around them, Snape's melody intermingling with it, easing the tired brain in her head and the aching heart in her chest.

Whatever had transpired, it couldn't reach Penny, not here. Not when Snape was so meticulously washing it all from her, refusing to let it stain her. His hair saturated now and getting in the way, Penny pulled the hair tie from her wrist, and on her tiptoes reached up to tie Snape's hair at the nape of his neck. Though under normal circumstances this would be difficult because of his height, it was made easy because his head was bent low as he worked on her cheeks with one of his soft washcloths.

Her cheek skimmed his in her effort, forcing him to pause his own work. She felt his breath hit her ear, noticed when his breath hitched, as though startled and uncertain what she was doing. When she finished she stepped back to admire her work, she'd missed a couple of strands that framed his face nicely. Staring at the other, the pair stood, their clothing saturated and the shower destroying the evidence of what they'd just done.

There was so much at this point that connected them, destiny, old magic, the Dark Lord, and all their secrets, but standing here looking at him, Penny felt none of that would have mattered. She did not believe what had driven them this far had been completely out of their hands. Something else entirely had brought them here, to this moment. But what it was, Penny wasn't sure. Comprehending why he'd chosen her, it was something she wasn't capable of, not when she felt so undeserving of someone as he.

No, she decided. All of it, everything they had been through and done, it'd never been about anything other than them and the reality there was not a thing they would not do for each other. Perhaps it would have been better if they could blame destiny or magic for their actions, judgment might find less fault in that. Instead they were guilty, committed to their own damnation and consequences of their actions because they refused to let go, to let the natural course of life separate them. Instead, they set out to thwart it, because their greedy hearts wouldn't let go. The reality was none of it, not the world or what anyone would say mattered, they couldn't even make themselves pretend like it did anymore. They were ensnared, too far gone to turn back now.

The evidence of their sins spiraling down the drain like it was nothing more than your everyday baggage one goes to the shower to steam off. But it was much more than that, because nothing about them had ever been normal. That's why people muttered, students gossiped and Sirius raged, because they were an oddity—something that did not quite make sense to the world around them. But standing here, watching the dark eyes, so unperturbed, relaxed even, in the wake of such actions, washing Penny's cheeks as though she merely had a bit of food on her cheek; she could not help but wonder when it would all crumble. Penny knew Snape had seen and done much worse, but Penny, hadn't she stepped over a line? A line she could never un-cross? It was a thought that frightened her. But even still she found she could not dwell on it because she could not help herself finding relief in Snape washing those fears away along with everything else. And in the silence of it they understood each other—damnation was the only option when all other roads sought to steal this from them.

After some time, and when they were both prunes, Snape turned off the water, pulled his soaking shirt over his head and reached for a towel, wrapping the first around Penny before drying himself. Penny knew her clothing was much too drenched to dry with a towel, but Snape took care of that with a flick of his wand before taking her injured arm. Untying the makeshift bandage, he healed Penny, his eyes lingering on her face, the distant look in them telling her he was searching her mind for something, but she did not care what, she merely looked at him back wishing she could see what was hidden behind his dark pools. When he was satisfied, he left her alone, Penny waiting a moment uncertain if she should follow him or not. She opted instead to move to the mirror and wiped it so as to be able to see herself. For some reason she felt she needed to be sure her reflection hadn't changed.

Though she had the distinct look of a sad, wet dog, nothing else seemed very different. She was still plain, much too tired Penny. Sighing she turned, feeling satisfied with what she saw, but something caught her eye as she did so. For a brief moment she could have sworn the reflection in the mirror had changed; that the fiery red locks had become black, and the solemn look of regret had become a triumphant grin full of malice, but when she looked back, it was just her. Staring at it a moment longer, Penny felt slightly unsettled, but told herself she was just tired and spent far too much time studying today.

Hanging the towel as she went, Penny walked through Snape's bedroom. It was much larger than Penny would have expected given the other rooms. With high ceilings and windows on the far wall that reached from floor to ceiling, Penny wondered what it was they looked over. The emerald curtains were shut tight and Penny had the distinct feeling Snape did not often open them. The rest of the room was neat and minimalist, with a large bed and a single bookcase.

On the bed, Penny found a pile of clothes which she concluded must have been the ones Snape asked Draco to find. Reaching for them she stopped. Did Draco enter the chambers himself? Would he have concluded they were showering together and what would he think come day break? The thought made her groan inwardly. How was she going to explain this one, and after he already found Snape basically cleaning up Penny's crime scene. There would be no escaping his insufferable pestering now. The thought made the side of her head throb horribly. So to distract herself she pulled the new clothing on and tossed the others in a pile and sat down, sinking low into the ultra-soft bed. As her body contorted to the shape of the bed, a wave of exhaustion hit her. She suddenly had the horrible urge to run away from herself, her feelings and her own consciousness, it was too much to carry and it made her light headed—the image of Umbridge on the floor in a pool of her own blood.

Finding a pillow and clutching it to herself as she curled into a ball Penny cried into it. "It's because you're not here, Cedric. You made me a better person and without you. . .I don't even know who I am anymore. I just want to recognize myself again." The familiar smell of Snape overpowered her senses as she released all the emotions balled up in the pit of her stomach into it as she tried to muffle her sobs. Months of incomprehensible pain and more trials than any person, much-less a teenager should experience. Was this it? Had Penny finally reached her breaking point, lost her mind? Would she have to worry about snapping again? Of becoming a danger to others around her? And worse yet, would they be discovered and Snape forced to suffer for her own stupidity?

The bed sinking deeply beside her before Penny noticed he'd returned, Penny realized that she did not have to find the answers to these questions alone. Whatever came next, whatever other people thought or accused her of, it did not matter because he knew who she was, and was so certain of her, so convinced that she was deserving that he'd risked himself countless times for her happiness. And even after cleaning up her mess he still found the energy to sit beside her while she broke down. For Penny's entire life she thought she'd understood what it meant to be selfless, had been fed what a selfless person looked like. But she had been wrong and those images of the lawful good character who never did anything wrong and were the picture of moral purity were a lie. A truly selfless man sat here with her, his manners rough around the edges, reputation suspect because he was not vain, and even his features disagreed with that which was normally depicted. But it mattered little because Penny liked the idea that his secret was only known by her. It meant the heart that drove him to do all these selfless acts only ventured out for her.

And in this fact more than anything, Penny found comfort. Sitting up and wiping her eyes, she tossed the pillow away and climbed into his lap, Snape letting her push him backwards and fall flat on his back. Crawling up to his chest, Penny laid down, turning her head so her ear was pressed against the place just above his heart and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of it, acutely aware she did not deserve it but could not go on without it.

The tension in his body deflating like a balloon, he relaxed into her, his arms reaching around either side of her and holding her in a strong embrace, the kind you give when there are no words to express how dear someone is to you.

And just like this, she listened and he held, until their breathing slowed in unison and their tired minds found the peace needed to shut off, their hands still clinging to the other as they slumbered.

OKAY but, I'm with Draco, SHE DESERVED IT. SO GOOD JOB PENNY. I tried to leave off on something nice to keep you all company. When I get back we will see how Penny interprets Snape's worst memory, ahah. Have a good month and if I haven't responded to you I shall in the morning!

Much love ya'll and stay safe!