Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter, and it's quite long, so I really hope you guys are gonna enjoy it! And please, if you can spare a minute of your time, leave a review, it always warms my heart to read your opinions! fionawinxhester, .2021 and iRedeem

Thank you so much for your nice words!

Rufus has appeared far sooner than she had expected him to. She thought her older brother would wait a bit till the later evening and avoid causing a scene, but it appeared she was wrong.

She carefully turned towards her older brother, now being fully aware that they were the centre of attention of many people around them.

"Head auror, surely it's not necessary-"

"Madam Lestrange, I must insist on you accompanying us out of this hall," Rufus didn't let her finished.

"Rufus-," this time, she made sure it looked like she played it on the sibling side.

"Now." Rufus face was a hard stone rock, that hasn't betrayed a single slip of emotion.

"Very well," Caroline acknowledged her defeat and sent a look to Lucius and Cissy. She took her handbag and made a step towards her brother, with Severus quickly following her.

"Your presence will not be necessary, professor," Rufus dismissed Severus coldly without a hint of emotion and although Caroline kept her face impassive, in her head she surprisingly raised her eyebrows. What was Rufus doing?

"Head auror, I must repeat what my wife already stated. Madam Lestrange has been a guest at our home for some time, as she didn't feel safe to stay alone with all the prisoners on the run," Lucius intervened one more time, and Caroline had to admit he was good. His calm features, together with his experienced diplomatic way of talking made him sound genuine even to her.

"It's alright, Lucius," she said his way with a slight smile.

As the aurors were guiding her out of the room, everyone was looking her way and she though she even heard flashes of photo apparat. Great. That much for being in hiding until today.

But she held her head up and walked with pride, the way her mother-in-law would be proud. It may have taken her a long time to learn that face, but she was a Lestrange and a Slytherin.

She was led into the aurors department, with altogether five aurors accompanying them. Still looking ahead, she carefully spread her mental abilities and reached around. She couldn't feel that any of them would consider her as a threat but she could feel weariness from most of them. Her brother however knew better, and his occlumency shields were risen, and he guarded his emotions and thoughts well.

However, there was one person, that felt more anxious then the rest. Without letting her calm mask slip, Caroline carefully eyed a person to her left, who was walking just behind Dawlish and who she could feel the most anxiety and nervousness from.

It was a young woman, on first sight younger then rest of the aurors accompanying her, one Caroline would even describe as a girl just few years ago. Feeling she could have more luck with her than anyone else, Caroline carefully manoeuvred her magic towards the woman's mind.

The younger lady's defences were close to non-existent. Caroline was basically walking through her mind and could differentiate the thoughts and pictures in the woman's head. Seeing what she saw, she had to smirk. Although the lady was wary of her – mostly because of her surname than anything else, her main concern was not to screw anything up so that Dawlish wouldn't be mad at her again. Caroline deducted the girl was an auror trainee, assigned to Dawlish, perhaps on something similar as a field practise and she didn't envy her her mentor. She knew the man back from school – and her experience with him – as a student who had nailed all of his OWLs with outstanding – wasn't very nice. He was one of those who never missed an opportunity to mock her whenever possible.

The fact the Rabastan made him pay for it several times during his final year didn't make him to like her more.

They led her through the DMLE to the rooms she was already familiar with. It weren't her best memories she had from here. The last time she was here, she was questioned about the Longbottoms and whether she had anything to do with their fate.

What was surprising however, was that the head of DMLE herself, Amelia Bones, was in the room as well.

"Madam Lestrange, " Dawlish started, "please, sit down." Caroline did as she was asked and slowly looked around the room. They let her into one of the rooms meant for questioning those, who weren't considered extra dangerous. She appreciated that.

Once she was seated, she noticed the aurors carefully placed themselves around the room, so that they would cover her from all ankles, with her brother quietly standing in the corner, letting Dawlish lead the process.

"Please, submit your wand, for the time of this interview, " the Senior Auror continued formally and she slowly got her wand out and placed it on the table.

When she looked up to Dawlish again, he was looking straight to her face and she could feel the shifts in his mind magic.

"Are you, Caroline Emily Lestrange, neé Scrimgeneur, wife of a convicted Death Eater Rabastan Lestrange?"

"Yes."

"Have you been in any contact with your husband?"

"He sent some owls and I ignored them all. I've been doing this for many years now," she answered calmly, and had to fight herself not to smirk when she felt his magic checking for the truthfulness of her answer. There were about three people in Britain, Dark Lord included, who could have a chance to catch her in a lie. And Dawlish was not one of them.

"Do you know where he's staying?

"No."

"Where have you been during the past weeks? What have you been doing?"

"When I heard about the escape I panicked. I travelled to Wales, where I stayed at a small wizarding hostel. After a week, I have received a letter from Narcissa Malfoy, asking whether I was okay. She understood my situation and offered me I could stay at Malfoy Manor with them for the time being. She and Lucius persuaded me going to this ball would be good for me.¨

"Why haven't you contacted the Auror office or DMLE? Why hadn't you asked for protection?"

At this, Caroline smirked. "Sixteen years ago, I asked for protection, Senior Auror. I asked for protection after I was tortured by my beloved husband's companions and lost the child I was carrying. Do you know what I was told? That it was my choice to marry him. As if I could have known what would become of him. I didn't have a reason to believe this time would be any different."

The room was silent after that, and Caroline felt she made some of them quite uncomfortable. Dawlish however, wasn't one of them.

"Madam Lestrange, it is a standard procedure to verify the truthfulness of answers by Veritaserum at the end of questioning of people in similar situation such as yours. But you can, of course, decline to do so."

Caroline smiled in her mind, he desperately hoped she would decline to submit to Veritaserum questioning.

"Of course I will agree to answer your questions under Veritaserum, Senior Auror. I have nothing to hide." Caroline answered and made sure she sounded like she wouldn't even imagine any other option.

Bones was staying by the wall, with Rufus at her side for the whole time, both of them just eying the situation carefully but not interfering. Dawlish didn't let his displeasure change his expression and just nodded to the trainee that was with him. She immediately came forward with a vial. Soon after, Caroline drank it all to the bottom.

She could feel the potion grabbing her mind and forcing it to comply. But in this small area, she was very powerful and didn't let it.

"State your name and status," Dawlish started automatically.

"Caroline Emily Lestrange, neé Scrimgeneur, Head of Mind-healing department at St. Mungos," was her truthful answer.

"Were you, Caroline Emily Lestrange, completely and utterly truthful in all questions during this questioning?" he fired next question immediately.

"Yes." It took a just a little effort to dodge this question.

"Have you talked or written to your husband, Rabastan Lestrange, since his escape from Azkaban?

"No."

"Did you take any part in the mass breakout from Azkaban?"

"No."

Where were you staying for the past seven weeks?"

"Firstly in Wales, afterwards in Malfoy Manor."

Silence filled the room again. That was it. Some people, with enough training, could false the Veritaserum during yes or no questions. However, it was believed to be nearly impossible to lie during open ones. Dawlish was testing her.

She eyed him carefully as she sensed her opportunity. "Did you really think, Senior Auror, that after what happened to me - and I am sure you knew before I came here tonight – I was the one who helped my husband flee Azkaban?"

Dawlish face was impassive, not showing a bit of the emotions Caroline sensed from him.

"I think as of now, we can say that Madam Lestrange should be deleted from the suspects-list, Senior Auror Dawlish," Madam Bones spoke for the first time. "Although I agree with you that her sudden disappearance was indeed very suspicious, she explained herself sufficiently tonight. I do, however, thank you for your work tonight, nevertheless." Afterwards, she turned back to Caroline. "Madam Lestrange, as of now, you are no longer considered a suspect in the case of Azkaban breakout and we thank you for your cooperation during this questioning. Should you require protection due to your situation, please, contact DMLE and fill out the required forms, we will see what we can do."

Caroline was actually surprised how well Dawlish managed to hide his emotions that she felt so strongly out of hid expression.

"Am I allowed to go back to the Ball, Madame Bones?" Caroline asked politely as she turned towards the highest ranking person in the room.

"You are. Head Auror Scrimgeneur can accompany you there," was her polite answer before she nodded at everyone in the room and left it with a polite goodbye.

Caroline was then returned her wand and she slowly got up, still carefully eyeing the rest of the aurors in the room.

"All of you, get back to your positions." Her brother spoke for the first time with a voice that didn't leave space for arguments. One by one, everyone, including Dawlish, left and they were left alone.

"I think it'd be better if we continue this conversation in my office," he stated just when she opened her mouth to ask what the hell just happened. She understood the fake calmness in his voice and quietly followed him to his remote office of the Head Auror.

Once they entered the room, Rufus didn't waste a second and started putting privacy charms all around them. Once all of them were in place, he turned to her, his mask gone for the first time that evening.

"Sorry about that."

Caroline an eyebrow on that. "What the hell was that supposed to mean? Why did you drag Dawlish into this?"

"I didn't. But he was muffling around your name for some time. I let him have you questioned in order to get him on to something else. He would never stop sniffing around otherwise."

Caroline snorted at that. "You could give me a hint," she said, "I wasn't sure whether it was safe to do anything."

"You've done it just right. A little bit bigger use of your abilities and either Dawlish or Amelia would have noticed. This was okay."

"Hmmm," was all Caroline had to say to that.

"¨How is it going otherwise?" he asked with what sounded as a completely calm voice, but his sister knew better.

"It's fine," she answered shortly. She didn't want to go into much detail, for both of their safety and Rufus understood that.

"You know what to do in the case of need," he stated and she nodded sharply. She knew.

They both looked at each other for a while, none of them speaking having a silent conversation of her own.

"Just one more thing before you get back there," she heard his thought.

"Go ahead."

"Is he treating you well?"

"He is."

With that, Rufus put his defences back up and pushed her out of his mind. While being an above average occlumence and legillimens, it was still quite exhausting for him to have this kind of controlled mind-conversation with her.

They were heading back toward the ball room, both of them lost in their thoughts, none of them sharing facts with each other. Caroline respectfully stayed out of Rufus's mind, and he didn't ask her any questions either. They both knew knowing too much could be dangerous for both of them.

Just a few corridors from the main hall, after turning the corner, Severus Snape appeared in front of them, with his usual unmistakable cold voice filled with irony.

"Finally. I started to get worried."Caroline smirked at the potions master as he was measuring them both.

"Based on the annoying smug on your face, I judge it went well," he stated. Caroline didn't even bother to keep her face straight. How nervous she might be couple of minutes ago, it was all gone. After some time, she was finally back with people and using her magic like this filled her with joy.

"Lucius and Narcissa were ridiculously worried. They were practically sure you'd be forced to tell them about Rabastan." And their involvement. He didn't say the last part aloud be she heard it nevertheless.

"My sister has been cleared and is no longer considered a suspect in the case of Azkaban breakout," Rufus announced.

"Was she? How fortunate for her." Severus raised his eyebrows and turned towards the mind healer. "Then I expect you will want to go back to your work soon?"

Warmth spread through her body when she heard the mention about her work. "I will indeed."

"You two do whatever you came here to do. Try not to drag too much attention to yourself. I will take my leave. The less we're seen together, the better," her brother stated and then left without another word.

"At least the Dark Lord doesn't have him on his side," Severus muttered into her ear and Caroline could only agree. Her brother may be a ruthless bastard sometimes, but he sure had moral standards steady as a rock and brain of a genius.

Caroline just watched her brother limping away when she heard a familiar voice cut through the corridor.

"Caroline!"

Caroline turned towards it with a slight smile on her face. Narcissa was walking towards her, with such a grace Caroline could only envy.

"Cissy," she gave her companion one of her honest smiles.

"I was worried. What did they want? Is everything alright?" It felt nice for Caroline to feel that the blonde women was worried about her and not just about the questioning. An although Narcissa was a person almost impossible to read for most of the people, the mind healer was sure her intentions weren't just selfish.

"They questioned me about the Azkaban Breakout. Apparently I was one of the suspects. But I told them the truth – that I had nothing to do with it."

"Of course you had nothing to do it with. Has everyone in the auror office gone mad? Did they really think you'd be involved in helping the prisoners after what Rabastan has done?"

Even for Caroline, it was fascinating to see how skilled liar Narcissa was. For everyone else, who would happen to listen to their conversation, this wouldn't raise any suspicion of dishonesty.

"Apparently, that was the conclusion they came to in the end as well. Caroline is now cleared," Severus stated coldly.

"As she should be," was the blond woman's answer. Narcissa hide her surprise well but Caroline felt it nevertheless.

But before Caroline could say anything in return, Lady Malfoy spoke again. "If I may offer my opinion, I think it would be for the best of we returned to the ball. You deserve to enjoy at least a bit of the night, Carol, and Lucius will be thrilled to hear the news." And Caroline nor Severus disagreed.

They headed towards the main hall, passing more and more people on the way, some of them giving them curious looks, as Caroline's removal by the aurors earlier that night was a great topic for a lot of them.

There were a lot of things Caroline felt passing by. And very few of them were positive. Hostility. Curiosity. Anger. Hate. It was a long time ago she was so in a centre of attention. And she didn't miss it a bit.

"That's the Lestrange bitch. Wonder when they're finally gonna lock her up."

"What is she doing back? I thought the aurors took her away."

"Lestrange, Malfoy and Snape. All of them should rot in hell."

"So Rabastan's wife has finally left the house. I guess now I can see why he kept her hidden till now. She may be useless with a wand be she has definitely become prettier since the last time I've seen her. Maybe he'll let me borrow her for a few days."

That last thought she picked up made her turn her head and look at its author. Corban Yaxley. She couldn't even recall the last time she met him face to face, it would be more than few years.

Their eyes met for a second, but before she could dip into his mind, she was interrupted by the deep voice of Lucius Malfoy.

"Ah, there's my wife," as she turned towards the blonde male she felt a strong disdain from Severus next her and she immediately understood why.

Next to Lucius stood Dolores Umbridge, in a hideous pink outfit.

"Madam Umbridge, you know my wife," Lucius politely said as he pointed to his wife.

"Of course! My dear, you look splendid!" Caroline was glad for her mental shields, otherwise she would have to laugh at Umbridge's "my dear". Narcissa wasn't a type of woman who would be called "my dear" and although she didn't let it show on her emotionless face, Caroline knew her companion long enough to be sure she didn't like it a bit.

Umbridge ignored Narcissa's cold face as she turned towards Severus and Caroline.

"Professor Snape, I see you took a night off from Hogwarts," she said sweetly while completely ignoring Caroline . Too sweetly.

Severus didn't move a single muscle in face and just stared at his superior. His occlumency shields were forbidding Caroline to read anything from him, but unlike him, the pink toad in front of her had no idea what occlumency was which allowed Caroline to do a little bit of research. She heard distantly Lucius explaining that Severus was extremely important to St. Mungo's as its potions master but Caroline didn't really focus on that.

Umbridge didn't like Severus. A thought crossed her mind whether the potions master can't wash his hair at least for social event but behind these shallow opinions was the true feeling about him. Umbridge didn't really mind his hair or anything about his appearance. She was afraid of him. She was well aware of how skilled wizard he was and he lacked Lucius's class and didn't even bother to pretend he liked her.

Suddenly Caroline felt something she would compare to a stab to her mind – two times, coming right after one another but each feeling a bit different. She withdrew from Umbridge's mind with impressive speed and quickly refocused on her surroundings just in time to hear Narcissa introducing her to the High inquisitor of Hogwarts.

"Oh really? Lestrange?" Umbridge turned her attention to her with the fakest smile she's seen in a long time.

"I am indeed, madam," was Caroline polite answer before she felt another weak attack against her mental defences. And this time, she was able to locate the source. She turned her head just a bit towards Lucius and send a short but very vigorous feeling of pain his way. She smirked as she noticed him touching his forehead with a painful movement and although she felt the pain too, satisfaction spread around her heart.

She however rapidly turned her attention towards the woman in pink and after a few seconds of short focus, she knew exactly what to say. "Madam Umbridge, although I was indisposed for the last few weeks, I have followed your work in Hogwarts and I must say that I'm quite impressed."

The two of them exchanged a few more phrases, with Caroline reading in the other woman's mind like in an open book and giving her exactly the answers she would like to hear. That, together with an impression made by her surname and a bit of her mind magic, made Umbridge create quite a positive standing towards her.

"Tell me dear, you are a Mind-healer. You have surely heard about the Potter boy and the nonsense he's spreading around. What do you think about it?"

The eyes of all four of them were now focused on her waiting for the answer. Caroline took a small sip of her wine before answering confidently.

"The boy's behaviour is clearly pathological. I would actually like to examine him myself and see what kind of fallacies and delusions he's suffering. Of course, there's a possibility that these delusions were put in his mind magically by someone else. There are certainly at least some wizards around him who would be able to do so."

And Umbdrige took it all. Her eyes narrowed before she turned to Lucius and then back to her. "Lucius, why haven't you introduced me to Madame Lestrange earlier? I think we could even start a cooperation! I can only imagine there are students at Hogwarts who are in a serious need of a Mind-healer and whose behaviour is – as Madam Lestrange said very pointedly – pathological."

Lucius however didn't even have to answer as she continued on. "I must go and discuss this with the minister at once. Excuse me!" And with that, she turned on her heals and theatrically marched away from them, in the direction of the Minister of Magic who was just having a conversation with the director of St. Mungo's on the other side of the hall.

Both Lucius and Severus were giving her piercing looks. Narcissa didn't seem bothered by the scene at all, and spoke elegantly: "Caroline, I always forget what a joy it is to watch you participate in a conversation with such a class. You truly do have a talent for such things."

"I must once again agree with my wife, Caroline. It truly was a joy to watch." Lucius's was still intensely looking at her but he didn't really look joyful. He knew something happened and he noticed Carol's mental defences. And he definitely noticed the short attack she send his way.

Whole situation was saved by Narcissa who insisted on Lucius taking her for at least one dance. Caroline watched them leave her and Severus by the edge of the room and she prepared herself on the burst out that she was sure was about to happen.

It didn't take long before Severus spoke, voice cold as ice. "Have they taken away your brain during the interrogation?"

"He tried to get passed me," she answered calmly with an emphasis on the word me, as it represented her mental defences which she wasn't willing to discuss aloud with so many people around her.

He took her by her elbow and turned towards him and whispered angrily. "Of course he tried to get passed you. Lucius is not some bloody brainless aristocrat, he recognises work of an expert when he sees it. And you were basically reading her bloody thoughts."

Caroline frowned at that. The fact that it was noticeable meant it wasn't that much of an expert work. "It's not that you were noticeable. It's that you were too good. He knows that woman for some time now and I can tell you she never ever behaved this way to someone below her social status."

Ouch. That she found offending. "Below – her – social – status?" Caroline whispered through gritted teeth. "I am a bloody Head of one of the St. Mungo's departments. And this is St. Mungo's Annual Ball."

Severus pulled her even closer and this time, she could feel fury coming from him. "You're of no use to her. You're a wife of a convicted Death Eater on the run, which you were, by the way, interrogated about today. So yes, she does consider you her inferior."

Caroline felt a presence of a familiar mind approaching her, so she pulled away from the potions master, put away her glass and set a cold smile on her face. "Shall we dance, Severus?"

He didn't really have a choice, because she was soon dragging him towards the other dancing pairs hoping she could avoid the man anywhere near her. Martin Avery was really the last person she needed to encounter tonight.

Severus did not speak during the two dances their shared before a man approached them and they stopped in order to greet him properly.

"Director Spleen," Caroline greeted the director of St. Mungo's in front of her with a respect she didn't need to pretend.

"Healer Lestrange. Severus, " he greeted them back and shook both of their hands. "Now, seeing you here, I hope you are coming back to work and I can expect you in my office on Monday morning. I need my head of department back where she belongs," he said towards Caroline with eyebrows slightly raised.

"If you have me, it would be an honour for me to get back to work, sir."

"I don't see a single reason not to have you, healer Lestrange. I don't suppose you're in any touch with your husband? Should you be, I would consider it a great failure on my part as of judging your character," he spoke and Caroline felt a slight stab of guilt for lying to him.

"No, sir, I am not."

"Then I expect you in my office on Monday 8 a.m.," he stated with a small smile on his lips before he turned a bit more of his attention on her companion by her side. "And Severus, always a pleasure to see you. I wanted to write you for weeks now – your update of the Blood-replenishing potion is just remarkable. It's sufficient to use only half of the usual dosage now, and the side effects are much rarely noticeable."

"I'm glad to hear that, Edward," Severus replied with a nod of his head which only made Spleen's smile wider.

"But enough of work! Are you two finally officially together? My wife will be thrilled to hear that!" At that notion, both her and Severus froze and Caroline could feel her blood pressure rise a bit.

Severus however, didn't let the unexpected question surprise him and calmly answered that they were still just colleagues and while Caroline maintained her face, a short stab of guild that she hadn't felt for some time appeared again. A few more pleasantries passed, together with another notion towards Caroline, that she shouldn't forget to stop at her boss's office by Monday morning, before they politely said goodbyes to each other. They passed the edge of the dancing floor, where Caroline hungrily took another glass of wine she felt she needed and carefully looked around the room.

Lucius and Narcissa were having a conversation with a few of highly-placed Ministry officers, Corban Yaxley included, and the last thing Caroline wanted was to join them. Their tasked were almost finished as for today.

"Does he know?" Severus barely audibly whispered behind towards her, his voice deprived of any emotion. He didn't specify it more, but Caroline knew very well what was the source behind this question and what he meant by it.

"He doesn't." And she had every intention of keeping it that way.