Paige arrives back at Grimmald Place with Draider, Tonks and Remus. They have yet to discuss what her and Draider have found in the basement of the museum with the other two. As they enter the dining room, they discover Sirius still awake, drinking a glass of what Paige guesses was brandy and reading a worn red leather book.

"Why are you all back so early?" Sirius comments as he puts his book down onto the table.

"Yes, I would like to know that as well." Remus adds.

"Is the rest of my team here?" Paige asks Sirius, wanting them to hear this too.

"No, Dumbledore sent them on another mission earlier today. They should be back tomorrow if everything goes well." Sirius replies.

Paige glances over at Draider.

"Okay, so I'm just going to say it. Draider and I followed the man down into the basement where we found an underground labyrinth of tunnels. We didn't get a chance to check each way, but we managed to continue to follow the man to a room with just a single staircase in the middle. It wasn't attached to anything; it was just there." Paige informs them.

"So naturally, we climbed the stairs." Draider remarks. "And after jumping from the top of it, it led us to a room with ancient ruins, keeping people from apparating and disapparating out of there."

"We heard a conversation from the other side of a door, with who we suspect is the man who has been entering the museum at night and another man named "Zanteri." Paige adds.

"Sounds like he was making a deal with the Death Eater." Draider says.

"A deal for what?" Tonks asks Draider.

"Blood. We suspect they were vampires." Paige replies.

"Impossible." Sirius comments.

"Do you know for sure they were vampires?" Remus asks.

"Not too sure. We didn't get any closer, figured we were pushing it being in that far, but it sounded like there was a lot of them." Paige lies, hoping Draider goes along with it.

"You were smart to back off, if there were vampires, I doubt you two would have made it out of there." Tonks comments.

"Yes, Captain Asher seems to be good at making calls like that." Draider replies with a smirk.

Paige lets out a sigh of relief, glad that Draider took the hint to not disclose how close they actually got to the vampires.

"I'll send word that we need to have a meeting with Dumbledore, hopefully it is something he can manage especially being so closely monitored by the Ministry." Remus comments.

"Thank you, Remus. That is everything on my end, if there is nothing else to add, the mission seemed to have wiped my energy, so I am going to go catch a few hours of sleep." Paige says to them, her exhaustion finally catching up with her.

"Great job tonight, Captain. See you in the morning." Draider replies.

The rest say their goodnights to her. Paige gives them a small wave and a faint smile before exiting the room, just wanting to be laying down on any sort of soft surface.

She flops down on the single mattress bed in the girl's room, the other beds empty like usual as Tonks likes to go home unless extremely tired. Paige hangs over the side of the bed and grabs a black box from underneath. She lifts the lid off the box and pulls out Severus' cloak, the scent of him still lingering on it. The smell triggers recent memories of being with him. The loss of control, the punishments, the pleasure – everything floating to the surface of her thoughts, causing her to shift in the bed as her lust suddenly smolders for him.
She grips his cloak tighter, trying with everything in her just to fall asleep and ignore her desire for his touch.

"You're not really going to disobey a direct order, are you Captain?" Otakemaru whispers in her ear.

"No. I'm going to sleep." Paige grumbles as she turns over onto her side.

"Good. Even though I'm sure you would just enjoy the punishment anyways. More of a win-win for you if you ask me."

"Goodnight." Paige says sternly.

"Sure thing. I'm going to be deep in my own thoughts for a while, so don't expect a response out of me for a bit." Otakemaru replies, his intentions very clear.

"Not going to work. I am seriously going to just shut my eyes until the morning." Paige comments as she brings Severus' cloak closer to her face to inhale his faint scent again.

She tries to keep her mind blank as she attempts to fall asleep. Images of Severus spanking her for disobeying him enter her once clear mind.

Paige huffs and moves onto her back, staring up at the ceiling.

"Otakemaru?" Paige asks inside her head.

She gets no response from him.

"Fuck it." Paige whispers to herself as she starts removing her pants and underwear.

Paige quietly drops the bottom half of her clothing to the floor and gets into a more comfortable position on the bed. Thoughts of Severus biting onto her neck gets her more into the mood as she anxiously moves her hand between her legs and begins rubbing her clit.
The pleasure hits her instantly, a craving only being mildly satisfied by her own fingers. She wants nothing more than to feel him inside her in this very moment.
She does only what she can to herself and moves her other hand down to her other and slowly inserts on of her fingers inside herself as she continues to rub her clit.
She ignores her own words, telling her that she can only cum when he tells her too. The thought of disobeying him ramps her up even more, the feeling of being bad and going against his orders leaves her in a dangerous territory she is unsure she is willing to leave. The heat of the moment feeling so good that her pleasure climbs so rapidly that she is sure she will cum at any moment. Severus' scent suddenly hits her stronger as she continues to touch herself underneath his cloak, her climax nearly in her grasp.
She fights internally with herself, trying to convince herself that she doesn't need his word to cum. She tells herself that she doesn't need his teeth in her neck, or his hard throbbing cock inside her.
Paige is wavering on the edge, just wanting the sweet release to come. She gives into her thoughts about needing his permission to cum, but now tries to manipulate her memories for his word. Just needing it to set her off.

"Cum." She hears his voice whisper in her ear, the recent memories with Severus entering her mind.

Paige finally climaxes, biting her bottom lip hard to try and suppress her moan. She lays there, staring at the ceiling with a smirk on her face, stroking her own ego for being able to trick the system. She leans over the bed to grab her pants from the floor to put them back on but stops when she notices her fingertips look darker. She lights the lantern on the nightstand next to her and lets out a gasp.

There are dark green blotches all over her hands and covering the entire tips of the fingers she used to pleasure herself. She quickly puts her pants back on and exits the room to make her way down the hallway to the bathroom to try and wash her hands. Her hands tremble as she turns the taps on and runs her hands under the water, but it's stained and the water is doing nothing to wash it off. She fumbles to grab the bar of soap on the counter, it slips out of her already wet hands and falling into the sink. She manages to grab the bar of soap and tries to frantically clean her hands, hoping and praying for the bubbles to turn green. The stain remains on her hands, still as vibrant as ever.
She desperately grabs the hand towel hanging next to the sink and starts trying to scrub the green stain off her hands. The towel remains perfectly clean, nothing rubbing off on it.

"I've made a huge mistake." Paige says to herself as she looks down at her dyed fingers.

True to Otakemaru's word, he remains silent, presumed to be lost in his own thoughts, but probably snickering at her for acting so foolishly.


Paige managed to avoid contact with everyone the house all day, mostly hiding out in the bedroom saying she needs more rest. She could not hide any longer when the Order requests a meeting that night with everyone. She keeps her hands hidden under the protection of gloves, trying to hide her embarrassment of having to explain her dyed fingers.

She enters the dining room, finding her entire team and Sirius in the room.

"You're back." Paige says to Ripley, who notices she entered the room.

"Yeah, it was something light." Ripley replies.

"Why are you wearing gloves? Are you going somewhere?" Draider asks her.

"Hm? Oh no. Not going anywhere." Paige says, trying to be vague and hoping their attention would move to something else.

"Are your hands cold? I can get Kreacher to add more wood to the fires to warm it up in here." Sirius informs her.

"No. Not necessary, my hands aren't cold." Paige replies. "It's just… fashion."

"Fashion?" Ripley repeats, looking at her suspiciously.

"Did we get word back from Dumbledore? Is that why we are having this meeting?" Paige asks him as she can feel her face and neck turn hot, just wanting anyone to take the attention off her.

"Not too sure." Draider replies as Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks and Kingsley enter the dining room.

"No Remus tonight?" Paige asks Tonks.

"He's feeling under the weather." Tonks replies in a quiet voice.

"This is everyone." Mad Eye says, now standing in the corner of the room. "I called this meeting after discovering what Captain Asher and Lieutenant Draider claim they found underneath the museum in Liverpool."

"What did you guys find?" Hernandez asks, looking over at Paige.

"We think they were vampires." Paige replies honestly.

"Are you serious?" Bobcat asks.

"There's no way." Hernandez adds.

"It may not be that, but we need to come up with a plan to infiltrate the building." Mad Eye comments.

"It's going to take a lot of manpower to get in there, it won't be stealthy." Tonks says.

"We also must prepare for the high chance of being bit. Not all of us are going to walk away from this." Kingsley adds.

"Dumbledore trusts my judgement and I say we storm the building as soon as possible before they catch wind we are on to them." Mad Eye says to them with a bit of a growl in his voice.

"We should be doing more surveillance before going in there, we also don't want to rush it." Ripley replies.

"I agree. I am not particularly fond of the idea of possibly walking into a horde of vampires." Hernandez says.

Paige glances over at Draider who is staring at her to fix this.

"There is no need for all this. I'm just going to go talk to them." Paige informs them, trying to contain her web of lies.

"You're going to talk to them?" Ripley asks.

"You think you can just waltz up to vampires and just have a chat with them, Captain Asher?" Mad Eye asks her in disbelief.

"Yes, I do." Paige replies confidently.

"Lieutenant Draider, please talk some sense into her." Tonks comments.

"I think she can do it." Draider replies with a grin.

"Did you guy drink out of some sort of crazy fountain in there? These are possible vampires we are talking about." Ripley comments.

"I'm aware of what could have been possibly behind that door since I was the one in there. They talked with a Death Eater, perhaps I can persuade them to stay out of this." Paige replies.

"They can offer them more than we ever could." Mad Eye says to her.

Paige struggles to find an excuse for that, knowing that Mad Eye was right about what little they had to offer a horde of vampires.
She is saved by a man entering the frame of the picture hanging on the wall in the dining room.

"I have urgent news from Dumbledore. He suspects that Arthur Weasley is in danger." The man in the picture says.

"He is on guard duty tonight at the Ministry." Tonks says to Mad Eye.

"You two go check on him." Mad Eye instructs as he looks at both Tonks and Kingsley.

"I'll go as well." Paige says, standing up from the table.

"You're over here illegally Captain, you cannot just walk into the Ministry of Magic, unless you think you can converse your way out of that too." Mad Eye says in a snarky tone.

"He's right again. Man are you feeling okay Paige? You're off your game tonight." Otakemaru comments.

Paige ignores both Otakemaru and Mad Eye as Tonks and Kingsley make their way out of the dining room to go check on Arthur. Paige looks up at Mad eye, his normal eye looking at her while his other mechanical eye constantly darts around the room.

"May I have a word with you in private, Captain Asher?" Mad Eye asks her.

"I would really rather wait to hear news to see if Arthur is okay." Paige replies nervously.

"I assure you it will only be a moment." Mad Eye says as he limps towards the door where Tonks and Kingsley left from.

Paige follows him out into the hall, him leaving her no room to object to the private conversation. He leads her into the room she found Sirius in before just off the hallway, closing the door behind her as she enters.

"Dumbledore says he trusts you and that's all fine and dandy with him, but I'm different from him and I know you are hiding something from me Captain Asher. So, what is it?"

"Hiding something? I have given you all the information I've collected and have fully co-operated in whatever you needed. What could you possibly think I am hiding?" Paige asks him.

"I don't know. There is something about you Captain that is unusual."

"Perhaps you find my charming personality endearing." Paige replies with a smirk.

"Okay Captain, if you aren't hiding anything then why do you think you can reason with them?"

"Perhaps I can relate better with them, knowing what it's like to be in hiding."

"Are you referring to you being over here illegally? Having to hide from the Ministry?"

"Sure." Paige replies.

Mad Eye watches her in suspicion for a moment before replying.

"I'll leave them to you then Captain Asher, just know if you don't make it out of there, I will not be losing sleep over your death."

"Understood." Paige replies quietly.

"We should get back to see if there are any updates on Arthur." Mad Eye says, opening the door behind him. "I have my eye on you."

"I'm sure you have your eye on everything, sir." Paige remarks, trying to keep a straight face.

"Damn right I do." He replies, as they walk out of the room and back to the dining room.

"Any news?" Paige asks as they come back to the dining room.

"Nothing yet." Draider replies as he eyes her concerningly.

She gives him a smile, indicating that she handled Mad Eye.

"Paige, for the love of all that is good, please take off those gloves." Ripley remarks.

"No." Paige replies sternly.

"Seriously, if it's chilly in here for you I can make the house warmer." Sirius comments.

"The temperature of the house is fine, please, stop commenting on my gloves. They are staying on." Paige replies, looking back at Ripley.

Ripley puts his hands up in defeat, not wanting anymore of her attitude over the gloves. The awkward conversation is welcomely interrupted by the man entering the picture frame again.

"Arthur was attacked, but he is alive. The two Order members have taken him to St. Mungo's hospital and Dumbledore is sending Potter and the Weasley children to you via Portkey." The man informs them.

"Thank-you for the update. Let us know if there is anything else we can do." Mad Eye replies to him.

The man nods and exits the picture frame once again.

"I'm going to go investigate the Ministry, see if I can spot any clues to who could have done this." Mad Eye says as he limps towards the door. "Thanks for taking care of that little problem, Captain Asher."

Paige nods her head in acknowledgment before Mad Eye exits the room.

"You can't be serious about just going down there and talking to them, are you Paige?" Ripley asks her.

"I have a plan in my head that I'm still working out, but I promise I will handle it." Paige assures him.

"You better come up with one hell of a plan Captain." Hernandez remarks.

"I'm trusting you on this. I will not be happy if you end up dead or turned into a vampire." Ripley says to Paige.

"You know how much I hate it when you're not happy Rip." Paige replies with a smirk.

Ripley gives her a small smile.

"We will clear out the bedroom for the kids." Ripley says, now standing up from the table.

"Good idea. You can move back into the room further down the hall again." Sirius replies.

The rest of Paige's team gets up from the table and exits the room to get the room ready, leaving just Paige and Sirius.

"Seeing is how Severus isn't here to offer his bed to you, I will offer mine if you'd like it." Sirius says to her with a sly grin.

"I'm sure Severus wouldn't be to be pleased if I brought back fleas to his bed, so thank you for the offer, Sirius, but I think I'll crash with my team tonight." Paige replies with a smirk before following her team out of the room.


Harry Potter and the Weasley children all arrive like the man from the portrait said, and it now becoming a very full house again like the beginning of the year.
Paige and her team mostly hang around in their room over the next two days, wanting to give the Weasley's space to be together.
Arthur Weasley makes a full recovery just as Hogwarts begins their winter break. Paige's stomach flutters with excitement as she might be able to spend some time with Severus.
That night Sirius comes up to their room and informs Paige and Draider that Dumbledore is there to have a meeting with them about Liverpool.
Sirius walks with them down the staircase then nods towards the room off the hallway and breaks off from them there, heading back into the dining room. Paige and Draider enter the room her and Mad Eye had their conversation together a few nights ago.

Paige smiles as she sees Severus is also waiting with Dumbledore when they enter the room.

"Captain Asher, Lieutenant Draider. Good to see both of you well, especially after the stories I have been hearing about the mission in Liverpool."

"About that Professor Dumbledore… I'm afraid I must confess that I wasn't being entirely truthful about the situation with the others."

"And what is the whole truth?"

Paige glances over at Severus, then at Draider. She reconsiders her happiness of Severus being there, not wanting him to hear about what happened underneath the museum.

"I can confirm that there were vampires there." Paige admits, treading cautiously around her words.

"How?" Dumbledore asks with an amused smile.

Paige clears her throat.

"We were listening in on their conversation and they… smelled our blood." Paige replies.

"Oh, for crying out loud Paige, the man doesn't have all night." Draider says, growing impatient with her slow rendition of the truth. "Yes, the smelled our blood. We were then chased back into the room we arrived in which had ancient ruins on the walls, we were stuck with no way out."

"I can only assume the method you used to run into vampires and live to tell the tale." Dumbledore comments.

"Everyone here knows about Otakemaru. I might as well just say that I had to use lethal force against most of them." Paige says quietly, now trying to avoid eye contact with Severus.

"How many of them where there?" Severus asks.

"A few." Paige downplays, trying to minimize the danger they were actually in.

"A few? There were at least a hundred if not more." Draider replies.

"I'm also amazed you knew how effect ancient magic is against them." Severus comments.

"I sure did know…about that." Paige replies before quietly cursing under her breath for her inability to fully lie to Severus.

"You said use lethal force against most of them, you didn't kill them all?" Dumbledore asks Paige.

"I left the leader, Zanteri, alive. Along with a handful of others. There were going to side with he-who-must-not-be-named, but I'm sure I have convinced them otherwise." Paige replies.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention Captain Asher, you handled the situation well." Dumbledore says with a faint smile.

Paige is about to ask him if everything is alright with him, but she decides against it. The obvious answer being no. Not when there is a war going on and people being attacked, all the while trying to protect a school full of children from both the Ministry of Magic and Voldemort. Dumbledore pulls out a pocket watch from inside his robes.

"If there is nothing else Captain Asher and Lieutenant Draider, I must be heading out. I have much more to do tonight." Dumbledore says as he puts his pocket watch back inside his robes.

"That's everything on my end. I hope you have a goodnight, Professor Dumbledore." Paige replies somberly.

"Happy Holidays." Dumbledore says before leaving the room, leaving Paige with Severus and Draider.

"I don't think we've officially met. I'm Dan Draider." He says to Severus as he extends his hand to him for a handshake.

Severus pauses for a moment before returning the gesture and shaking Draider's hand. Paige glares at Severus, remembering the first time they met on the train to Hogwarts, and he refused to shake her hand.

"Severus Snape."

"Got your hands full with this one, eh?" Draider remarks as he nods his head towards Paige.

"Draider!" Paige exclaims.

"You have no idea." Severus replies, a small smirk on his face as he looks over at Paige, knowing this is going to be absolute torture for her.

"I'm curious how stubborn she is with you." Draider says, also knowing this is nothing but pain for Paige.

"Please, make this stop." Paige whimpers.

"I must admit she's gotten a lot better, but when we first met is a different story." Severus replies to Draider.

"Impressive. There is hope then." Draider comments with a grin.

"I will start killing people." Paige threatens, wanting this all to stop.

"I knew her father and he was almost the exact same way. Not that she would believe me, since she will tell you about nature versus nurture." Draider adds, ignoring her threat and continuing with the most awkward conversation of her life so far.

"I haven't had that conversation with her, although I'm sure she will assume she is right."

"Why are you talking about me as if I am not standing right here?" Paige asks them both.

"I'm surprised you can have any sort of conversation with her at all. I seem to hit a lot of walls." Draider says to Severus and continuing to ignore Paige.

"I would say give it time, but I'm afraid I have the same problem." Severus replies to Draider.

"Oh no…" Paige groans.

"So, you also know about Otakemaru?" Severus asks Draider.

"Yes, I suppose she had no choice with me though." Draider replies.

"Please kill me." Paige says to Otakemaru in her head.

"Why? This is highly entertaining for me." Otakemaru replies to her with a bit of a chuckle.

"Not you too." Paige says out loud as she covers her now flushing face with her hands, unable to handle the train wreck happening in front of her.

Draider looks at her in confusion.

"Otakemaru can talk to her and hear her thoughts." Severus explains to him.

"Oh, interesting. I would love to speak to him sometime."

"You could, there is this thing they can do where they switch places. He's very large though."

"I am also interested on how you obtained him Paige." Draider says to her.

Paige opens her fingers slightly to see Draider and Severus both looking at her.

"I found him in a cereal box, a cheap prize for my sugary taste in the morning." Paige replies.

"Wow." Otakemaru replies.

"Paige." Severus says sternly.

"I am feeling attacked right now." Paige says to all of them.

"It's all fun and games with you until the spotlight gets turned in your direction." Draider comments with a smirk.

"True." Otakemaru whispers to her.

"It's maddening sometimes." Severus comments.

"Severus!" Paige exclaims, unable to handle the team up against her.

"It's fine. If she doesn't want to tell me how she and Otakemaru came together that's okay. Just another wall I suppose." Draider remarks.

"I didn't know being passive aggressive was in your skill set Draider." Paige replies with a glare.

"Is it working?"

Paige lets out a long, defeated sigh.

"I went on a trip to Japan with a couple who adopted me. We went to this shrine, and I guess Otakemaru was there. He says he didn't choose me, fate did, and we have been together ever since. Anymore questions?" Page says, praying this very centered around her conversation would just end.

"You were adopted? I thought you had said you were fighting to survive. Did they not treat you well?" Draider asks her.

Paige glances over at Severus, not yet revealing this information to him.

"After… Otakemaru and I came together, I blacked out and he took over me. He attacked the tour guide that brought us there and my adoptive family didn't want me after they found out what I've become." Paige says quietly.

"So where did you end up?"

Paige closes her eyes tightly, the internal pain of having to talk about herself becoming almost too much to bear.

"With a man, Theodard, who is knowledgeable of the Oni's powers and trained me to harness it." Paige says, omitting her five years in the lab and successfully deflecting away from the 'surviving' comment.

"I'm amazed you've managed to keep it hidden so well with only a few people knowing about it." Draider says to her.

"Even before those vampires, I've been finding myself getting into more dangerous situations that I wouldn't have otherwise survived if it wasn't for Otakemaru. So, I'm afraid it won't stay hidden for much longer at this rate." Paige replies.

"Is that so?" Severus asks, a hint of anger in his voice.

"I shouldn't have said that in front of Severus, right?" Paige asks Otakemaru in her head.

"How would I know? I am only a 'cheap prize.'" Otakemaru replies.

Paige glances over at Severus, his eyes both cold and heated at the same time.

"Anyways, I might turn in early tonight." Draider says, knowing that the tension has changed in the room.

"Yeah, me too…" Paige says, trying to find a way out of this situation.

"Captain Asher, may I have a word with you alone for a moment?" Severus says, his voice cold.

"Of course." Paige says quietly as she watches Draider leave the room.

"See you for Christmas dinner?" Draider asks her with a smirk.

"If I survive." Paige replies.

Severus closes the door to the room. He doesn't say anything until he hears Draider's footsteps to climb the staircase leading upstairs.

"I don't even know where to begin." Severus says to her.

"I do not understand why you are so upset Severus." Paige replies, trying to diffuse him.

"Perhaps it is the fact that you could have been killed."

"Key words there being 'could have'." Paige says with a smirk

"I am not going to sit here and argue semantics with you." Severus snaps at her.

"How was I supposed to know that there was going to a room full of vampires?" Paige argues.

"You were on that mission less than two days Paige."

"Tonks and Remus were sitting on that place for like a week before I even got there."

"Oh yes, outside surveillance is comparable to the information you need from the inside."

Paige opens her mouth to argue again, but she knows he is right. She rushed this mission, and the outcome could have been a lot worse. She put not only Draider in harms way but could have potentially put Tonks and Remus in danger as well.

"I'm sorry." Paige says quietly.

Severus looks at her in confusion.

"Did you just apologize instead of continuing to fight me?"

"Yes, and you are right. I knew there was the possibility of another exit and I overlooked it, deciding to go in anyways."

"Why are you being so reckless?"

"I…don't know." Paige replies.

"Paige."

"Severus, I give you my word I won't rush another mission. Alright?"

"You are still avoiding my question."

Paige sighs, upset that her usual tactics on avoiding questions isn't going to work with him.

"How many times have you come face to face with your own death?" He asks her.

"Like this year? Or like lifetime? Because I might need to crunch some numbers before giving you an honest answer." Paige replies with a bit of a chuckle.

"You find this amusing?"

"I just don't take my life that seriously Severus."

Severus runs his hands though this hair in frustration and worry. He turns to the fireplace, unable to handle her answer.

"So, this doesn't bother you? The number of times you were on a razor's edge away from death?"

"I knew what I was signing up for when I became an Auror. I thought you of all people would understand my duties."

"Have you thought about what it would do to Lieutenant Ripley and the rest of your team?"

"I assume they all would move on."

"What would you do if something happened to one of your team?"

"I would be very sad, but I've already lost members of my team, it's part of the job."

"So, what about me then?"

"What if something happened to you?" Paige asks concerningly.

"Yes."

Paige says nothing, unable to tell him the truth.

"Well? Would you just move on? Would I be so easily forgotten?"

"No." Paige replies quietly.

"Then what would you do?"

"I don't know. I try not to think about it." Paige lies.

"And why not?" Severus asks, stepping closer to her intimidatingly.

"I REALLY think we should have this conversation another time and perhaps somewhere more private." Paige replies.

Severus' eyes narrow before he swiftly grabs her hand and drags her to the door.

"Severus?" Paige asks in confusion as he opens the door and leads her towards the front door.

He says nothing to her as he takes her outside into the snow and cold. He grips onto her hand tighter as they apparate out of Grimmald Place.


They reappear at the end of Spinner's End.

"Please say something." Paige begs.

"You wanted somewhere more private to have this conversation, well here it is." Severus says coldly as he lets go of her hand and begins to make his way down the street towards his house at the end of the street.

Paige slowly follows the clearly angry Severus to his house. They stay silent as he unlocks his front door and lets her into the house, locking the door behind them.

"Now. Answer my question."

"Please, stop Severus. I don't want to answer the question." Paige pleas.

"Why can't you just answer a simple question? What would you do if something happened to me? How would you feel?"

"Because maybe it isn't as simple as you think it is." Paige replies, her anger now starting to grow inside her.

"We have all night. Please explain the not so simple answer."

"I don't want to discuss this all night. I don't want to discuss this at all."

"We are going to discuss this, Paige. Right here, right now."

Paige can't control her anger any longer as the heat from her emotions fills the core of her body.

"Why can't you just listen to me sometimes? You push and you push until there is no where left to push someone. You are so used to getting your own way with me, but not this time Severus. I told you I don't want to discuss it. Accept that."

"Do you understand what I am forced to think when you say that you won't answer this question?"

"Then that's your own problem created by your own thoughts, not by my words."

"Do you love me?"

Paige's anger suddenly disappears. She can see the desperation in his eyes, barely visible with his own anger.

"Of course, I do." Paige replies, her tone dropping into a calmer one.

"They why is this so hard to answer?" Severus asks, his tone also dropping to match hers.

"Please just drop it."

"I can't now. We are in too far and so close to a real answer."

Paige takes a deep breath in, trying to mentally prepare herself for this difficult and complicated conversation.

"It wouldn't be good if something happened to you. Alright?"

Severus growls in frustration.

"Why must I pry every bit of information from you?"

"I'm sorry if you're so used to other people giving you what you want so freely." Paige replies with a smirk.

"Will you just tell me?" Severus asks her with a voice of defeat.

Paige looks into Severus' dark eyes. They were searching for an answer so desperately in her.

"I would die. Either by my own hand or by any other means. I would kill myself not being able to live in a world without you in it." Paige mutters quietly, finally giving him his precious answer.

"Paige…" Severus whispers as he steps closer to her.

"Look, I know it may seem like an over-reaction, but I have thought about it… a lot, and I have concluded that is my path if something were to ever happen to you."

"And what does Otakemaru think of your little plan?"

"He doesn't have a choice in the matter. This is still my life, not his."

"Okay, so now after having this conversation, why are you being so risky with your own life without thinking of what your death could do to me?"

Paige lets out an exhausted sigh.

"Must he always have a difficult conversation with me? Can we not just discuss the weather or something?" Paige asks Otakemaru inside her head.

"This is part of being in love Paige. There are difficult conversations to be had." Otakemaru replies.

"Well?" Severus asks, growing impatient in her silence.

"Because it's always how I thought. I never had a reason to live before and it's hard to re-program your brain to think differently I suppose."

"So, it's out of habit that you don't value your own life?"

"Yes." Paige replies honestly.

"Well can you do me this favor that the next time you want to run headfirst into danger that you think about me if anything were to happen to you."

"Does he expect you to not do your job?" Otakemaru comments in her head.

"Not now." Paige snaps at Otakemaru.

"What do you think he would do if I let anything happen to you? I mean he's walked away from you before, perhaps it would be much easier for him than it would be for you."

"I know, and I am not asking him to take his own life if I die. I chose to trust him again, right? I can still do my job and be safer while doing it."

"Is this favor too much to ask of you?" Severus asks her.

"No. It's not Severus. Sorry I was lost in my thoughts."

"Well tell your 'thoughts' that this is my time with you."

Paige smirks.

"Are you jealous of Otakemaru?" Paige asks him.

Severus says nothing, his eyes now burning into hers.

"Oh well, would you look at that. How the tables have turned on these difficult conversations."

"Paige this is a nonsense conversation that doesn't need to be had."

"Well, I want to discuss it."

Severus doesn't reply to her.

"Now look who has to pry information." Paige continues smugly.

"You really want to know my true feelings on the matter, Miss Asher?" Severus snaps as he swiftly moves closer to her, his face inches away from hers now.

"Yes." Paige says confidently, unwilling to let him intimidate her even though the shift from using her first name to her last name leaves an unsettling feeling.

"You asked if I am jealous of a demon getting to spend every single moment with the woman I love? Was that your question? Or the fact that he gets to know every thought you have, every fantasy and pleasure you crave when you crave it. He gets to know your true emotions along with all your hopes and fears that you refuse to show everyone, me included. So, to answer your question, Miss Asher, yes, I am jealous that you are more intimate with the man inside your head than you are with me."

Every smug feeling suddenly disappears out of her and is promptly replaced with guilt.

"Otakemaru and I….we've been best friends since I was ten. And in all fairness, he hears my thoughts involuntarily. It's sort of part of the package."

"It doesn't matter. I want to get to know everything and anything about you and I feel like I will never get on the same level. There will always be walls with you."

Paige looks at him with desperation, afraid of losing him because she refuses to let him in fully. She gently places her hands on either side of his face, looking deeply into his dark eyes.

"Severus… I open my mind to you. Come and go as you please."

"You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do. I would rather this than ever risk losing you. I want you to feel as if you are on the same level as Otakemaru, not beneath him. You are too important to me, and I am sorry I every made you feel this way."

"Paige…" Severus says as he tries to move his head to break his gaze with her.

"Please. Whatever you want to know, I will stop fighting you on it. I want to let you in."

Severus' eyes glint with interest and excitement as he tempts the idea of entering her mind.

"My mind is all yours my love. I have nothing to hide in there from you."

He gives into his temptation, unable to resist her offer. Paige feels him penetrate her mind as distant memories start to surface.


Memories of Paige sitting in the snow all alone, drenched in blood and shivering in the middle of the forest in Russia flashes in her mind.

"Need some help?" Dumbledore's voice echoes in her head as her memory plays like a film.

"No, thank you. Just came here to chill." Paige could hear her own voice say back to him.

The memory quickly speeds up to Dumbledore holding his hand out for her, and her slowly trusting him enough to place her hand in his.


Paige's memory quickly faces to black before the next memory slowly fades into focus, replacing the forest the barn and compound of her mission before heading to Hogwarts.

Her mission plays in a fast forward type of motion. They breach the barn, releasing the children as Paige and Bobcat move through the building to assist with her other team mates on the outside of the barn.
It jumps into her running with Bobcat through the forest, catching up to Yankis and Miller on the trail.

Paige flinches as two men pop out of the woods in between her and the team up ahead. She relives the man killing Miller as he dives in front of one of the children to save their life.
Paige could feel a rear fall from her eye as she was unable to cry for Miller in the moment.


The memory fades to black then moves on to her first time in her room in Hogsmeade.

There was suddenly a knock on her door that made Paige jump. She walks over and opens it slightly. She opens it all the way when she sees that it's Severus, the man from the train.

"Sorry to disturb you, but Dumbledore requests to have a quick word with just you before dinner." He says to her.

"Thank you, I'll be right out." Paige says with a smile before closing her door again.

Paige checks herself in the mirror beside the door, making sure her hair was still neatly in its bun. She couldn't help but think of Severus' dark eyes.

"Hm, perhaps a dark and mysterious man you met on a train is more of your type." Otakemaru says, teasing her.

Paige doesn't respond to him. Still thinking of his eyes.

"Oh, Paige might actually have a little crush on the guy?" Otakemaru asks, getting excited.

"Shut-up. I don't have a crush on him." Paige says to him in her head as she rolls her eyes.

"Well, we will see. Don't forget I can hear all your thoughts kid." Otakemaru whispers.

"How could I ever forget." Paige thinks to herself as she opens her hotel room door again.

She sees that Severus is still standing there.

Paige could feel her cheeks flush red, now revealing to Severus when she first started to have feelings for him as this memory now fades, moving onto the next one.


She is standing by the lake in front of her cabin. She can remember the gentle breeze blowing though her hair as she watches the waves of the lake lap up against the shore. She can feel discomfort growing inside her, knowing what memory was about to play out.

"Funny how you insisted on being at the back of the line while getting to the Port Key."

"Not now Otakemaru…"

"I know you are secretly happy they left without you."

"Can't get anything past you, can I?"

"No, and I know what is in your thoughts now."

Paige says nothing, her eyes on the water, the way the sun hit it making it look like it was sparkling.

"Paige, please reconsider." Otakemaru says inside her head.

"What is there to reconsider? I have hit a block in my life that I cannot overcome." Paige hears her voice reply to him.

"He meant that much to you that you will end your own life over it?"

"I don't know what else I can do Otakemaru. I'm sorry. It would destroy me seeing him and it's destroying me not seeing him again. I am completely torn. Maybe I was never meant to love anyone, and this is the reason why."

"I think you're just emotional right now Paige. We just lost our last ticket out of here and you're feeling overwhelmed. I think we need to take a step back and rethink this."

"You've heard my thoughts Otakemaru. There is nothing to rethink. I have done what I've said I was going to do and I got my team over safely to help Dumbledore. They don't need me there holding their hands."

"They do need you though Paige."

"Ripley will be able to handle it."

"And what about me? Am I not enough for you to survive?"

"You've been an amazing friend and mentor to me Otakemaru, but no, you are not enough for me to want to keep on living."

"He is the only person to keep you from doing this?" Otakemaru asks her.

"I don't know. He doesn't feel the same way as I do. Am I just supposed to just live in a world without his love?"

"Guess there is only one way to find out."

"It's too late for that Otakemaru."

"Is it? Look behind you."

Paige glances over her shoulder, seeing Severus standing behind her.

"I can't…" Paige's voice says frantically in her head.

"I will protect you until you are ready then." Otakemaru says as Paige engulfs in flames and Otakemaru emerges from the flames.


Paige closes her eyes and breaks her connection with Severus, unable to relive any more memories in the moment.
She falls to her knees in front of him, fighting every sad emotion inside her begging to escape. She suddenly feels Severus wrap his arms around her tightly, pressing her close to his chest.

"I tried living without Severus and I couldn't. That will always be one thing you have over Otakemaru. The hold you have over me make me feel both immortal and weak at the same time. I may fight you on somethings, but that is only me trying to keep hold of any sort of control I can have with it comes to you."

Severus swiftly grabs her face, forcing her to look into his eyes once again.

"I want to show you something." He says to her as he starts to enter her mind again.

She doesn't fight it; she lets him back into her mind, allowing him to project his own memory inside her head.


Paige sees an image of herself outside in the Forbidden Forest, the moon light shining down on her through the bare tree branches above.

"I want to stay here with you." Paige can hear herself say quietly to a memory of Severus.

"Please, I don't want to relive this." Paige says desperately, trying to block out his memory of the events of that night.

"I am right here, and I promise I am not going anywhere." Severus assures her.

Paige feels the tears roll down her face, the pain of him walking away from her already stinging every inch of her body.

"She will regret ever making this decision. I cannot make her happy here with me." She could hear Severus say to himself in the memory.

"Then you're more foolish than I thought." He says coldly to her. "Why would you want to stay when you have so much waiting for you back home?"

"I… um… I." Paige tries to stutter out, but the words not coming to her.

"I must hide these feelings I have for her."

Severus turns away from her and starts walking away.

"I love you." She says, loud enough of him to hear her.

He stops.

"I can't stop these feeling I have for you Severus. Going back to my old life seems pointless in comparison to the last six months here." She says, stepping forwards closer to him. "I will trade everything right here, right now… for you."

"I cannot hold her down from her true potential. She is so talented that it would be selfish for me to ask her to stay and let her squander her abilities for me. I cannot see her look change from the way it makes me feel now to something into distain for me."

Severus hangs his head, keeping his back to her.

"I'm sorry if I mislead my intentions. This was physical and nothing more." He says quietly to her, a small choke in his voice.

"I hate lying to her… I hate everything about this."

"Are you saying you don't want me to stay?" Paige asks him, her eyes welling up with tears.

"No. I'm saying I don't want to hold you back."

"Yes, that's what I'm saying." He whispers as he walks away from her.

"I just need to get through this… and then my life can end when I have been used to my own full potential to right my wrongs. She can never know I let her in to deeply and that breathing without her seems pointless. She can never know how much I truly love her. Death cannot come soon enough."


The memory suddenly fades to darkness as Severus exits her thoughts and his dark eyes come back into focus.

"Now will you please value your life more now that you know how it will affect me?" Severus says desperately. "You are the only person I will not live without, and that was decided long ago when I made one of the stupidest choices I've made when I walked away from you. Never again will I walk away from you Paige."

Paige nods her head in agreement, unable to form words as she tries to stifle her sobs.

"Our souls are intertwined, bound to one another until death takes us both in one fell swoop."

Paige collapses back into him as comfort and relief soak into her. Her tears turn into ones of sorrow to ones of joy, knowing that even if something happened to her, there was a chance for her finding him again in any sort of afterlife, as he would for her.

He holds her for a few minutes before speaking again.

"I am sorry for earlier; we did gang up on you a little."

"A little?" Paige repeats, looking up at him.

"Will you just take the apology?"

"For you? Yes. But can we please discuss something else? Perhaps something a little more light-hearted?" Paige asks him desperately.

"Well, I couldn't help notice you've been wearing your gloves all night."

Panic sudden hits Paige as she remembers the green stain on her hands.

"Oh… yeah… My hands are a bit chilly." Paige lies.

"I have the fireplace lit in the bedroom."

"Fantastic." Paige manages to squeak out as her throat tightens.

He helps her up from the floor and silently leads her to the bedroom. He brings her closer to the fire.

"Better?" He asks her.

"Not yet. Might be a circulation problem maybe." Paige lies.

He grabs her gloved hands, moving them closer to the fire.

"How about now?" He asks as her hands begin to sweat inside the gloves from the heat.

"Odd. They are still cold." Paige whispers, knowing she is in serious trouble with him.

"Remove your gloves and let me see your hands." Severus says to her gently.

"I might have to resort to cutting them off, so we should probably keep the gloves on. You know, to control… the mess." Paige replies as she pulls her hands out of his.

"Miss Asher, remove your gloves now. Your lies are getting more ridiculous by the minute." His voice shifting into a more stern one.

"My poor hands, I just cannot Severus. So cold." Paige saying as she rubs her hands together, trying her hardest to lie her way out of this.

She cowards as he steps even closer to her, fury in his eyes.

"Take them off now." He says quietly, but with a deathly tone as he stares down at her.

"If you insist." Paige replies as she moves her hands behind her back.

She removes her gloves as he requests, but keeps her hands hidden behind her back. She smiles up at him innocently.

"Keep playing games with me and the punishment will keep getting more severe."

"I do not know of which games you are referring to."

He swiftly grabs her arm and yanks one of her hands out from behind her back, revealing the green stain on her fingertips. He lets go of her arm and smirks.

"We're in session, Miss Asher."