(Disclaimer: at beginning)

Thanks a lot for the support guys! ^-^ so awesome! I'm currently working on a one-shot with Tonks and Remus. It'll just be a look at their morning together that we got a glimpse of in a previous chapter. Just some cute Remus/Tonks fluff

I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

And as always thanks to my betas, Emilia Wolfe and McGonagall's Bola.

Last time:

"You'd better get to class, Granger. You wouldn't want to lose anymore points." With that said, her professor dropped his arm and swept out of the alcove and down the hall.

"That's not fair!" Hermione called after him angrily.

His answering chuckle echoed back to her from down the hall.

Chapter 21

The rest of Severus' day ran blessedly smoother than his abysmal morning. He only had to deal with two cauldrons melting and one unfortunate incident in a second year class where Melanie Brisburr, an irritating little Hufflepuff, had nearly killed all her peers by creating a noxious gas. (He was still astounded by the monumental ineptitude of the collective student body some days).

Aside from that, his day was relatively normal, and after reporting back to Albus he was able to put the morning disruption with the Dark Lord behind him. He had even managed to convince his brain to forget the…whatever it was that had happened with Granger in the hallway earlier as well.

In fact, he was so successful in his endeavor to forget the Granger incident that his thoughts hadn't once strayed to the witch for the rest of the day, not even when said female was in his class. His eyes had just glazed over her as if she were another fixture in his class, like the chairs and tables.

He hadn't noticed that she was sneaking glances at her Slytherin classmates at an increasingly alarming rate, or that she seemed to be concentrating more on scribbling in her notebook than actually paying attention to his lecture, or that she sent those large, nosy eyes to him every time he rubbed his temples.

He was happy to say that during the lesson he had also never contemplated what had made him stay in the alcove with her instead of just taking points and walking away, or why he had listened to her rant about being a student again, or why he had prolonged his time there by offering his inadequate advice.

No, Granger and his peculiar behavior were far from his mind when he finally decided to retire for the night. Which was why the sight of the small silver tray of chamomile tea and cooked broccoli on his coffee table had him standing immobile in the doorway of his sitting room.

There were a handful of explanations for the tray's presence in his rooms. The House Elves could have been feeling especially solicitous and were forcing food on him again. Albus could have somehow found out about his talk with Granger and could be poking fun at him, but the most predominant reason, that he just couldn't shake from his mind, was that Granger had sent it.

It was ridiculous. Ludicrous even, to think that one of his students would actually extend herself in such a way. Yet, he couldn't deny that it was the most plausible conclusion.

Granger sent me tea and broccoli. What an absurd notion.

Severus took a seat on his couch, carefully lifting a cup of tea and taking a small sniff. His tongue darted out quickly, tasting a small amount of the liquid. He let the hot beverage settle on his tongue thoughtfully for a few seconds, waiting to see if anything happened, but nothing did. He did the same thing to a small bit of broccoli as well, coming to a similar conclusion. The food wasn't poisoned, or even doctored with potions, healing or otherwise. It was just plain old tea and broccoli, brought to him out of…concern?

Granger sent me tea...Snape shifted in his seat, feeling highly uncomfortable and flustered. He glared at the offending food as if it were about to jump up and bite him.

What business was it of hers, how he was feeling? What gave her the right to insert herself in his personal time and play nursemaid? As if he couldn't watch over himself! He was a grown man and had been taking care of himself for nearly all his life. He didn't need some self-righteous Gryffindor poking about in his affairs.

But he still brought the teacup back up to his lips to take another tentative sip. He peered at the small plate of broccoli, deciding that he might as well eat some of that as well, and grumpily munched on one of the green vegetable.

He would have to track the witch down tomorrow and give her a piece of his mind, making sure that she understood that her "concern" was neither wanted nor needed. He speared another broccoli stem with his fork and took another angry bite.

Even deep in sleep, Severus felt the wards of his room itch in awareness as a new presence appeared in his sitting room. He jolted awake on his couch, and had his wand out not a second later, pointing it at the intruder.

The House Elf in front of him visibly shook. "Mips is sorry to be waking the Potions Master! Oh Mips is so very, very bad!" The Elf twisted her ears sharply, tears already bubbling.

Severus rubbed the sleep from his eyes and put his wand away. He looked around his sitting room, wondering why he had been sleeping on his couch when his very comfortable bed was just in the next room. His eyes landed on the tea tray, his empty tea cup and the half eaten plate of broccoli.

Right, Granger and her persistent meddling.

The House Elf sniveled a little louder in front of him and he rolled his eyes.

"That'll be enough of that, Mips. I don't need you blubbering all over my couch and stop twisting your ears. It's annoying," he snapped.

Mips immediately stopped, her hands fluttering about her as if she didn't know what to do with them. "Mips is being sorry, Master Snape!"

"Fine, fine." Severus waved his hand impatiently. "What did you wake me for?"

"Post come for you, Master Snape. Mips thinks it were urgent because the owl that brings it kept nipping at Mips' poor hands."

A blank letter with no address on the front was presented to him. Turning the letter over, he saw a red seal with an ornate M and a rose pressed into the wax, and immediately recognized it.

Narcissa Malfoy...what in Hades' name could you want? He could only guess as to why she would send him mail at this time of night, but whatever the reason, it couldn't be good.

Severus looked back up to the Elf who was still waiting for orders. "Did you feel any type of magic on the owl that brought this?" he asked the Elf.

"Oh no, Master Snape! Mips took a very hard looks over the bitey bird and its letter before bringing it to Master Snape."

"Very well. You may go." He turned back to the envelope, waiting until the House Elf left for good before cracking the seal open and looking over the contents of the note.

Serpentine Bridge in Hyde Park at 3

~NM

Severus stared at the message even as the ink slowly began to disappear, and the parchment, following suit, turned to grey smoke in his hands.

How curious, he thought, and how very suspicious.

Taking out his pocket watch he noticed that it was already well past two in the morning.

"Damn." He snapped his watch closed and grabbed his wand and cloak, as he rushed to the door. He paused for only a second wondering if he should alert Dumbledore about what was going on, but decided against it.

He owed a lot to the Malfoys for everything they had done for him, and even if Lucius was too far entrenched up the Dark Lord's arse, he knew he could still at least trust Narcissa. As gullible and naïve as it made him sound, he couldn't let the Headmaster into what could be a private affair. So, he would wait and hear his old friend out first, give her a chance to tell him what was going on, then he would decide whether to involve Albus or not. For now he owed her his silence on the matter.

The thought that this could possibly be a trap had crossed his mind, but he didn't think it was. His instincts and Narcissa's odd behavior told him that that she was no more invested in the Dark Lord than he was anymore. Whatever she wanted to talk to him about must be important though, especially if she were interrupting her beauty sleep to sneak out of the house and meet with him.

Severus closed his door, tightening his robes around his body as he cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and quietly made his way to a portrait of a sleeping dragon. At his approach the dragon blinked one lazy eye open. It snorted at him, as if to say, 'bugger off', then dropped its head back down.

Ignoring the scrap of paint and magic, Severus lifted a finger to run it along the underside of the glided frame, from the very top corner of the right hand side to the bottom in one smooth move. He let only the tiniest bit of his magic spark from his finger tip as he did so.

He stepped back as the dragon yawned in boredom, before swinging the portrait open, revealing a wide, dank tunnel. Severus stepped inside, lighting his wand. The door closed, flooding the tunnel with darkness.

His sure feet quickly navigated through the secret corridor, bringing him outside and by the gates of Hogwarts in no time. The second he crossed the castle's ward lines, he Apparated away, ignoring the bright red phoenix flying above him.

Unsure if there were Muggles meandering around the park or not, Severus Apparated to a heavily wooded area just in case. With the dark filter of night and his black robes, he easily blended into the park's shadows, his 'pop' of arrival barely disturbing the area's natural stillness.

Severus made his way to the Serpentine, keeping out of the small blimps of light provided by the street lamps. The bridge, when he got there was completely empty and had him looking around in confusion. Cissy was never one for tardiness (unless she was trying to make a point, of course) and it was already five to three.

The thought that this was a trap, again reared its ugly head, but Severus stamped it down. It couldn't be one. He knew Narcissa's writing, knew her seal, that she had charmed herself so it couldn't be replicated, he had even smelt the faintest touch of her rose oil scent from the parchment.

Besides, he had detected the slightest hint of desperation from her note. The slant to her words had been sharper, and the indent from her quill tip had been heavy as if she had been in a rush when she wrote it, possibly even upset.

The nature of the message was odd as well. Having him come here in the dead of night meant that she obviously didn't want anyone, namely Lucius, to know about their meeting. Otherwise she would have just invited him to the manor like usual.

But what could she be hiding from Lucius? What didn't she want him to know? Was she in trouble? No, that didn't make sense. If she were in trouble the first person she would go to would be Lucius, not him.

Unless Lucius is the one she's trying to escape, he thought, anger rising in him swiftly at his old friend. Could he be that far gone? Lucius absolutely adored Narcissa. He practically worshipped the ground she walked on. Severus knew that the man was turning darker, but he didn't believe he had gotten to a point where he would hurt his most prized treasure yet.

So caught up in his thoughts, it took a while for Severus to register that someone was walking up behind him, but when it did his wand slid down into his hand. The familiar tap of heeled boots and the scent of roses in the air stopped him from raising his arm.

"Narcissa," he murmured.

"Severus, I'm glad to see you." Narcissa smiled gently. "Come, let us take a walk," she said and taking his arm, she steered him off the bridge and along the park's dirt sidewalk.

Severus remained silent, knowing that no manner of prompting would get Narcissa talking before she wanted to. The two walked companionably for a little while, soaking in the silence.

"I know you are wondering why I asked you here, Severus," Narcissa began.

"The question had crossed my mind."

The witch huffed. "I'm sure it has…I …" She stopped, letting go of him and turning away. She peered thoughtfully into the distance, struggling with a decision and then suddenly, she was turning, with a determined look.

"You love Draco, yes?" she asked, catching Snape off-guard.

"Cissy, why are you asking me—"

"It's a simple question, Severus. Do you love my Draco?"

Severus said nothing for a moment, taken aback by the abrupt change in his friend's demeanor. Had something happened to Draco? Had she learned about something that was going to happen? He was tempted to take a peak into her mind, but knew that she would be aware of his presence the second he tried.

"You know I do," he answered her finally.

Narcissa looked at him hard, as if trying to detect a lie in his blank face. With a sigh, she looked away, nodding to herself. "Yes, I know you do."

"Cissy, what is this about?"

She seemed to be gathering herself as she answered, "I have a proposition for you, Severus."

"Oh?"

"I'm offering my services to you and your Order," she replied, her mouth thinning with displeasure.

Severus froze and his heartbeat pumped loudly in his ears. Suspicion was his first reaction. How could it not be in his line of work? But he kept calm, because he knew that Narcissa wouldn't turn her back on him. At least she wouldn't do so without giving him a proper warning first. It was what he would do for her.

"They are hardly my Order. I only spy on them on behalf of our Lord, nothing more," he said with forced calm. He gripped his wand in anticipation. Just in case.

Narcissa looked at him patiently. "I am not my sister, Severus. I have no interest in tattling to the Dark Lord on you. Rather I find your true allegiance quite fortuitous at the moment."

"I do not know what you—"

"Do not play me for a fool, Severus! I've seen the picture," Narcissa hissed, her face fierce and serious. Severus looked down at her in surprise, unused to seeing her as anything but measured and dignified.

Quickly following on the heels of that shock was panic, because if she had truly seen that picture then he knew there was no way for him to lie his way out of this. There was no point. She had all the proof she needed that he wasn't the loyal Death Eater he claimed to be and no matter what she said about not caring, there was no reason why she would bring up the picture if she wasn't planning on exposing him.

Damn…I should've warned Albus before I left.

He looked around, wondering if a bunch of hooded figures would emerge from the trees to cart him off to the Dark Lord for judgment. Had this been just an elaborate set up? Had he misplaced his trust all these years? The idea was like a punch to the gut, the first drops of betrayal a bitter taste on his tongue.

"Have you now?" he asked, his gaze hardening as he took a step back.

"I've known for years, Severus," she told him. "Ever since Draco was three."

He paused. If she had known for that long, then why hadn't she said anything? Why hadn't she warned Lucius that his friend wasn't on their side? Why hadn't she warned the Dark Lord, when he had slunk back to his side as his 'spy?'

Snape pointed his wand at her, curiosity and wariness clawing at him. "And yet you said nothing. Why?" he demanded.

"Because you were and still are a dear friend," Narcissa responded, the rigidness leaking from her perfect features. "And I believed the Dark Lord to be truly dead, so in the end it didn't matter."

"But he came back," Severus pressed.

"Yes, he did. But you have proven time and time again your loyalty to MY family…" Narcissa gulped, a stricken look crossing her face. "If not for the potion you created for me, I would have never been able to carry Draco to term. And, well."

Severus looked away, lowering his wand. A flood of relief washed over him, because he had seen the truth in her eyes. A truth that not even the most cunning Slytherin could hide. Narcissa was grateful and loyal to HIM, at least more than she was to the Dark Lord. She wouldn't be running to the Dark Lord to spill his secrets anytime soon.

"It was the least I could do after everything you and Lucius had done for me," he finally said. "You should not feel as if you should pledge yourself to the Order's cause to repay me. I would never ask that of you."

"It is not for your sake that I offer my eyes and ears. It is for Draco's."

"For Draco? If you were to be caught, you would put Draco in even more danger. He would be the first one that the Dark Lord would punish. Just to make you suffer," he warned her.

Narcissa grimaced. "Not if Draco is out of his reach."

"You cannot think that hiding him will work."

"Lucius knows too many dark spells for me to try to hide Draco away at a safe house, and he would be more than willing to use them if it meant getting him back."

"Even if Draco's return would mean his death?" Severus asked, even though he already knew the answer to that. There wasn't much Lucius wasn't capable of anymore.

Narcissa frowned. There was a spark of sorrow, of longing, in her eyes as she stepped away.

"Do you know, the week that the Dark Lord came back, Lucius and I had celebrated our 20th anniversary."

Severus looked at her strangely. "I had forgotten in the excitement."

"He wanted to keep our celebration private. A rare occurrence with Lucius. You know how ostentatious he gets," she continued, lost in her memories. "He took me to a quiet park where he had a gazebo decorated, a small orchestra and a dining table set. He flew me in on his broom, straight onto a bed of rose petals covering the ground around the gazebo. When I asked him why he had covered the ground with rose petals, he told me, 'his queen should never have to walk on the ground of commoners.'"

Narcissa turned to him with watery eyes. "That man, who danced with me under the stars, was my husband, my Lucius. But my Lucius is gone now. He started slipping away the moment the Dark Lord came back. I can't save him, but I can at least save my son. You and I both know that Draco won't survive being a Death Eater."

She took a deep breath. "He's a gentle soul, really. And I have no doubt that should Lucius fail the Dark Lord again, Draco would be the one to suffer...I can't...I won't let that happen to my son. I won't lose him too."

"How do you hope to accomplish this?" Severus asked. "You've already acknowledged that you wouldn't be able to hide Draco without Lucius eventually hunting him down."

"By hiding him in plain sight," she answered with a sly smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I want him with the Order, under Dumbledore's protection. At the moment, the Headmaster's side is the only safe place for him."

"Who's to say Lucius just won't pluck him away from Dumbledore the first chance he gets?"

Narcissa pursed her lips in exasperation. "The Potter boy has been in the public's eye since he was an infant, doubly so since his return to the Wizarding World and yet he keeps slipping through the Dark Lord's fingers. The same could be said for the Weasleys and Potter's little Mudblood friend. Whatever methods Dumbledore is using to protect them, use them for Draco."

"There is a difference between them and Draco, Cissy. Their legal guardians are only too happy for Dumbledore's assistance. Draco does not have that luxury. The law would be on Lucius' side," he reminded her.

"Draco will be a legal adult in a matter of weeks. His choices will be his own. Until then, I've arranged for him to be out of the country, which should delay his initiation long enough for him to get out."

"And Lucius is okay with this?" Severus asked incredulously. Draco's initiation was all the other man ever talked about.

"He will be," Narcissa commented, unconcerned.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Cissy, I am not even sure Albus and the Order will agree to this. They won't want to work with a Malfoy."

He could already imagine their outraged accusations. They would yell and hiss, believing that the Malfoys were trying to spy on them, and then they'd toss mother and child out on their ears without a thought.

Her blue eyes narrowed, but she remained calm otherwise. "It is not a matter of 'want', it is a matter of 'need', and right now your Order needs me. We both know that your position within the Inner Circle is hanging by a thread."

"Yes, charming assessment. Thank you for that," Severus drawled.

"It is simple truth, Severus. Bella is gaining favor rapidly. I don't know what she has done, but for now, she has the Dark Lord's ear and has been doing nothing but whispering your faults into it since. It's only a matter of time before he caters to her whim and what will your Order do then? If I were to take your place then you would at least be able to get out in time and the Order would still have their information," she reasoned.

There was some truth to her words. He himself knew that it wouldn't be long before the Dark Lord found him out and punished him accordingly. He had only hoped that by the time his true loyalties were exposed, the Light would have all the information they needed to finally put that monster to rest. It was the only hope that kept him going back to the maniac's side some days, but if they had another informant…

"What will you tell Albus? And the Order?" he suddenly asked. "They won't believe that you've suddenly decided to befriend Muggles."

Narcissa waved her hand, unconcerned. "As well they shouldn't. I have no interest in what happens to the Muggles." Her nose wrinkled in distaste. "My only priority is Draco."

"Albus will want to look into your mind. He won't be satisfied with just your word," he cautioned her.

"I'm prepared for that. I will do whatever it takes, as long as Draco is taken care of."

"Very well," Severus relented. "I will speak with Albus."

"Thank you," Narcissa responded, releasing a relieved breath.

"I'm still not sure how you will keep Lucius from turning the country upside down in order to get his son back."

"That's something I'd rather not get into just now," she responded. Her words were sad, yet resigned.

Severus looked over his friend in concern. He didn't like the way she was talking. "Cissy, I don't want you doing anything too dangerous. You have Draco to think of."

"I am a mother, Severus. A desperate mother who is on the cusp of losing her son," she said, dangerously. She looked at him and her eyes flashed with a deadly promise. "I'll do whatever it takes. Draco will eventually understand."

After extracting a promise from him that he would contact her after he talked to Albus, Narcissa bade him goodbye, disappearing with a pop just as the sky lightened with the morning.

Severus watched her go, feeling uneasy. Her last words sat poorly on his brain. She had insinuated that she was going to do something drastic in order to protect her son, and that Draco would probably not approve of it, which worried Snape. There wasn't much that Draco wouldn't forgive his mother for doing. Hell, Severus was positive that Narcissa could kill a man in cold blood in front of Draco and the boy would still forgive her. The only thing Severus could think of that Draco would object to would be if Narcissa put herself in unnecessary danger.

With a sigh, he rubbed at his tired face. He had a lot to think about and even more to talk to Albus about.

A/N: So Narcissa is just a tiny bit Ooc here, because she's not as attached to the Dark Lord here, but I believe that if its for her family, she'll do anything, even turn her back on a mad man who's determined to hurt them.

Next up: Draco and Blaise talk strategy and the ministry pays a visit.

As Always

~Review!