A/N: I apologize so much for the unexpected hiatus! Life has been busy but this story has called to me again and I find myself writing at 2 in the morning utterly exhausted but unable to sleep. Thank you to all of my loyal readers and reviewers!:)

"Now that we're finished with that, how have you been, Severus?" Dumbledore enquired of him lightly. Even though it was Dumbledore's typical question, one that he always asked the night of a meeting, this time Severus sensed a difference. Sure enough, when he looked up, Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling. Damn this man.

"The same as always, Headmaster." He immediately knew that his customary response wasn't fooling Dumbledore who seemed to want to make Snape admit something.

"Hm, if you say so. I've just noticed a subtle change in two members of my staff lately and…" Dumbledore allowed his voice to trail off suggestively. Severus remained silent. Seeing that Severus wasn't going to tell him anything he let go his words of restraint, anyway.

"Just remember your position right now. And how careful you always must be. But God, she is beautiful."

Dumbledore's ambiguous caution rose Snape's hackles. The latter complimentary part of Dumbledore's statement fell on deaf ears as Snape's inwardly cursed Dumbledore for the unnecessary warning. Severus needed no reminding of how potentially dangerous his and Angelina's relationship was. He was painfully, no, agonizingly aware of that every second of every day. Fighting the urge to leave the office immediately, he bowed his head in a curt nod and then asked blandly,

"May I leave now?" Dumbledore nodded tiredly and gave a silent assent. Severus left without another word and headed to his office to place his protective wards before taking his leave of the castle for the night.

Severus had almost made it down to the dungeons, almost.

"Snape!" Angelina's voice called from behind. It had gone without saying that they would continue to use surnames in public. From the outside, it would be impossible for anyone (except apparently Dumbledore) to guess that their last names now sounded clumsy and inappropriate in each other's mouth. Slowly, Snape turned around, his mind racing for a logical excuse. For Angelina, of course, did not know of his second life.

"Johnson." He acknowledged her presence swiftly and continued down to his office. Angelina quickened her step to catch up with him.

"I need to pick up some ginger from your office; I completely forgot to visit the apothecary today." That entire statement was complete rubbish and they both knew it. It was nothing more than a guise, a cover up that would assuage any suspicions if anyone happened to be observing them at the moment.

Once they reached the safety of his office she immediately embraced him. However, the burning on his left forearm told him that he must leave soon, that he probably should've already left by now. Separating himself from her, he turned his face away.

"I'm late for a meeting with Dumbledore, I just came down here to set the wards." Knowing that his excuse was inept he waited with bated breath for her reaction.

"Didn't you just come down from his office…?" her voice was not angry, or mistrustful. It was just simply confused.

"I was on my way there when I realized that I had forgotten to lock the office." There was no way that she would believe him, his words were bald and spoken quickly, two perfect trademarks of a bad lie. Forcing himself to face her, he read her expression. Angelina knew that something was not being said, he could tell it in the way her eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly. Severus braced himself for the barrage of questions that would inevitably come, that had to come because he was now one hundred percent sure that she knew that he was… maybe not lying, but definitely bending the truth a bit. The seconds stretched on into what seemed to be an eternity, and then she spoke.

"Oh alright, I'll let you go then. I promised Pomona I'd come have a brew with her tonight anyway." She touched her lips softly to his cheek and was gone. Severus was left more than a little bit disconcerted. He would have almost preferred it if she had questioned him openly, right there and then. The fact that she knew that he was lying but kept it completely to herself bothered him. The amount of trust that she showed him absolutely terrified him for it made his deception that much heavier to bear. But what was the alternative? There was no way that he would ever allow her access to that treacherous and dark part of his life. For darkness has a way of completely destroying beauty and happiness. Shaking his head, he muttered an incantation and left the office, rubbing his arm as he swept toward the great doors that marked the boundary between safety and the forever unknown.

Damn these white peacocks. Severus hated the Malfoy Manor. He arrived at the grand entrance irritated and exhausted. Raising his fist, he gave the door two solid knocks. He stepped back as the door was thrown open by none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. Laughing quite insanely, she leaned on the doorframe and denied him entry.

"Ah Snape! What are you doing here tonight?" Severus sighed inwardly as he realized that she was going to attempt to make his life difficult.

"Bellatrix, cut the silly games, and let me in." Severus kept his voice as bored and uninterested as he could but she would not relent.

"Have you heard what I've found? An entrance to Hogwarts!" she swayed against the doorframe and her eyes protruded quite madly.

"Good for you." It was becoming even more difficult to keep his voice uninterested as the mocking quality in her voice angered him immeasurably. His mind flashed to that morning on the lawn where an oak casket lay surrounded by mourners covered in a bouquet of red-orange poppies. Unable to restrain himself he spat,

"I also know what else you did that morning. That shitty cover up didn't fool me. I wonder how the Dark Lord would feel if I enlightened him on how his little demented princess messed up and got herself discovered. Oh, I would hardly think that he would care, since you covered your tracks, but didn't you tell him that you met no one on your search? It's a small lie but you do know how the Dark Lord hates being lied to."

Bellatrix's eyes gleamed with rage, but she stepped aside and let him in without another word. Making his way to the large room with the polished table he instantly regretted his outburst. I just made life potentially much more difficult for myself and made a sure enemy. What happened to your self-control, Severus?

Anger lapped at Severus unendingly as he listened to Bellatrix's arrogant report. As he had predicted, she made no mention of coming upon (or killing) anyone in her search. However, Severus was brought out of his anger by the Dark Lord's next announcement.

"I want no one to start getting their own ideas about entering Hogwarts, however. When we do that is a decision that is solely up to myself and any that even attempt to go against my wishes, shall die." The looks that a moment before had been excited at the prospect of a major takeover now turned to a restless disappointment. The Dark Lord looked around the table with something like amusement on his face.

"Do not despair, my loyal followers! I have an attack planned for probably the most…ah what is the word? Industrial. I have an attack planned for the busiest and most industrial magical area in Britain." The room was again silent as everyone attempted to guess at where.

"I've been thinking that it's time to make ourselves a bit more visible. Make people a little more aware of what we're capable of. Remind them that we can strike anywhere, at any time. On Friday we shall ravage Diagon Alley!" The room erupted in cheers at the prospect of unrestrained bloodshed.