Morning came, and Nina returned, her smile jovial and her eyes blank. Another mask. She looked around the Slytherin table for Olga while enduring endless taunts from the block heads also in Slytherin.

"Hey Ninniwart, looking for your lover girl?" sneered one overly-pimply seventh year. "Gonna go make-out with her in a broom-closet somewhere?"

"Oh why Darnha," Nina replied with a smile after spotting Olga at the end of the table with Severus. "You know we'd never go back into the closet!"

There was no use arguing with rampant stupidity, Nina told herself as she forced her way through the mass of students. It only got you more jeers and closet jokes.

"Hey Nina," Olga smiled through a mouth of bacon and eggs.

"Oh god," the other girl smiled pretending to cover her eyes, "chew and swallow!" Olga flicked her friend and then motioned for her to sit down. "You know I can't," Nina sighed. "Ravenclaw and all that." She pouted. Cheering up, she continued "But, not all is lost, because I have had a wonderful brunch with Twinky the house-elf, and she informs me that dinner tonight is to be of massive proportions. Something about announcing a post-New Years dance or something."

Olga squeeled at the thought as Severus looked pale. "Oh cheer up Sevvie," Olga smiled, tapping him on the head lovingly.

"I don't dance," he muttered into his pumpkin juice.

"Well that's something we're going to have to remedy, now isn't it?" joked Nina as she put her arms around Olga's shoulders. Olga seemed to be off in another world, thinking.

"Nina?" she questioned unexpectedly.

"Yes dearest?"

"Why don't you ever eat in the Great Hall anymore?"

Nina chuckled with relief, she had been afraid it was important. "Because the Ravenclaws call me a traitor, (because I helped you with Trasfiguration...)"

"I thought we'd never speak of that terrible subject again?"

"Oh, right, sorry," Nina said. She wasn't sorry at all. "The Hufflepuffs adore me, which is terrifying in and of itself."

"True," said Severus, finally butting into the conversation. He winced as his smile came into contact with his badly beaten cheek. Olga placed a caring hand on his face and Nina continued, pretending not to see his pain. He wanted it that way.

"The Gryffendors annoy the shit out of me, barring Lupin ofcourse," she smiled fondly. "And most of your lovely Slytherins want to fillet me."

Darnha made a sizzling sound with her eggs.

"How did she," Olga began, and then realized she really didn't want to know. "Come on Nina, sit! It's not like you've ever had a regard for rules before..."

Her friend rolled her eyes. "I break into the teacher's lounge ONCE, and never hear the end of it!"

Severus' eyes got wide. "That was you?"

"How else did you think she knew about your apprenticeship?" Olga questioned.

"Psychic powers?"

"Hah! I wish." Snorted the blonde haired Ravenclaw. "However my dears, since I am currently lacking the urge to feed myself, I'm gonna head on down to Care of Magical Creatures, and probably stop at Rubius'."

"It's not fair that he was expelled..."

"Tell me about it. No one liked Myrtle anyway." Joking seemed the only way to cope with grave matters. "So I'll see you both down there in a few." She unhooked her arms from around her best friend's neck, and planted a kiss on both her and Severus' heads.

Olga's eyes followed Nina as she parted the red sea of students and progressed onward. She was soon jarred from her thoughts by Severus' voice.

"Is something wrong with her?" he asked concerned.

"She's just...having trouble coping." Olga replied, hoping that detail would not be necessary. Her hopes were in vain.

"With what?"

"The fact that every time you come back, you're more badly bruised than the last time, and she has to stand idly by and watch you suffer. She wants..."

"I know." Severus sighed. "I don't think anyone can help me."

Olga placed a reassuring arm around his skinny waist and pulled him closer to her. "We just want to see you happy, see you loving."

Severus replied by borrowing his head into her shoulder briefly. It was enough.

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Sorry about the shortness of this chapter! After making you guys wait so long for an update I feel like 10 shades of suck making this so short. But I'm tired, (just got home from church, ugh), and I thought that something was better than nothing! PLEASE REVIEW, I love you all!

-QOS