Chapter 2 A Decision to Make.

"Carina...?" Remus began as he moved forward to the woman who had never seemed this small to him before.

They watched as her head and shoulders sagged,she turned around, not looking them in the eye. She didn't think she could face anyone right now, much less a whole crowd wanting answers. She walked to her mother and wrapped her arms around her. "How are you?" she whispered.

"I'm... going to be... better when the shock and grief fade. How are you?" Minerva moved her arms around her child and felt a few tears soak through her shirt.

Carina moved from her mother to Remus, ever the loyal friend, she smiled a bit when she saw how much taller he was standing. He hugged her and she whispered "Thank you." before pulling back.

The twins moved to the her and repeated Remus' the steps. She still hadn't been able to look anyone in the eye yet, and each of them missed the warmth that they always felt from them.

Tonks came to hug her and she whispered a sincere "I'm sorry." Whether it was for all the pain she had once caused or the certain circumstances that surrounded Carina now, Carina wasn't sure but she thought that maybe it was for both.

"I know." she whispered back.

Hermione had been enraptured with the black and white painting the whole time, staring at it with great shock on her face. Remus raised an eyebrow when she looked at him and pointed at the painting as if saying 'Did you see this?'. Carina was hugged by Soot and Hermione realized she was the only one who hadn't hugged Carina, so she walked stiffly over to her and wrapped her arms around her. In a low voice she whispered "Carina, that painting... it's of..."

Before she could finish Carina whispered a "Shhh." and Hermione closed her mouth and instantly knew that the scene in that painting like so many others was real. Hermione's heart wrenched so hard that she wrapped her arms tighter around Carina. This seemed to be the undoing of the strong woman who broke apart in Hermione's arms.

"I'm so sorry Carina." Hermione sobbed to her.

Minerva moved forward taking her crying daughter into her arms and led her out of the room but not before Carina grabbed the robe and the pensieve. Hermione stood there and wiped her eyes looking down at the floor, Remus waited for Tonk, the Weasleys and Soot to follow Minerva out before he approached Hermione.

"Hermione, what was all that?" He looked kindly into the sad brown eyes.

Hermione pointed to the painting of black and white and Remus was completely confused so he looked back at her for further information. "Look at it more closely." she said sounding completely beaten.

He turned back to the painting and this time took the time to focus, it was more then black and white but the other colors were subtle. The masses seemed to form something but he couldn't quite catch what the painting was conveying. He focused on what looked to him like a nose and as if turning on a light he saw the painting clearly for what it was. The pale man wearing the infamous black cloak, Severus, the very thought made Remus heart twinge yet again with an odd mix of pain, regret, lose, and hate. Here was a picture of the traitor, and the traitor was kissing Carina, the figure of white. He could have cursed just looking at it, and one look at Hermione told him that the painting was an illustration of a real event. The dirty filthy man had murder the girls father in cold blood and dared to kiss her lips so sweetly.

"Let's go." he growled out. His words were said bitterly but he slowed and waited for the sniffling Hermione.

The funeral would be beginning shortly and Carina stood before a mirror looking through the thin material of the black veil that covered her head. She was forced to wear it, it was either that or stay at the Weasleys. Severus knew to many of her secrets to risk openly showing her face at the funeral. With much fighting with Kingsley and Remus she was finally allowed to go. Tears fell seeing her image clad, head to toe, in black and the veil falling gracefully from her head around her.

"Carina it's time for you to go." Tonks said from the door.

Carina nodded and grabbed the bracelets that sat on her bedside table and portkeyed to the lawn across from the funeral. Slowly she made her way to one of the white chairs that made up the many rows. Every chair was soon filled and the people surrounding her gave off different degrees of sadness and she focused in on them honing in on the ones who felt the worse, she ignored her own feelings pushing them away. She did in fact feel quite comfortably numb. She was bombarded by an overwhelming sadness from a person behind her, the feelings matched the ones she had felt from someone else, the guilt and pain. Curious she turned her head and saw another figure wearing white with a veil folded around his head. She and the mystery person weren't the only ones with veils, there was a good amount of people who came with their faces covered.

This persons veil was white as well as his robes and the the only thing visible underneath was a pair of dark eyes that were staring straight at her. The dark eyes haunted her and the ache of her heart made her reach up to grasp the cloak she wearing. She put her hand to her heart trying in vain to reduce the pain there. 'Would it always hurt this bad?' her mind wondered. The funeral began so she turned herself back and sat in her chair and gazed at the white coffin in front of her.

She was thankful for the veil once it began, she liked the wall it created for her from the world. The funeral ended and Carina moved about the people trying to reach the tall figure in the white veil. Moving through the people she stopped and listened to the conversation around her.

"He is a cold blooded murderer, and if none of Dumbledore's family comes forward he is going to find himself in Azkaban."

"What are you talking about Firimus? The evidence in the Dumbledore murder case is so overwhelming that I'm surprised that Snape hasn't already received the 'Kiss of Death', really Firimus."

Carina once again reached to her heart.

"Yes, yes, I quite agree but the desision hasn't been put into the hands of the ministry, Dumbledore put in a clause a few years back saying that 'in event of a murder his closest relative would decide the punishment of the guilty party."

"Oh surely Aberforth wouldn't allow a murderer to go free." the short man scoffed.

"Well here is the kicker, when we brought Aberforth in and told him, he said it wouldn't work for him because he isn't the closest relative."

"But he is his only relative."

"Or so we thought, we are just waiting now for some one to take claim."

Carina fisted her hands tight and scowled at the ground. So it was all on her shoulders! She not only had to bury her father but now she had to choose the fate of Severus. She hated the burden. She hated the stab in her heart at the thought of Severus. She hated what he had done! She hated herself for loving him. She hated herself for not hating him even now. She hated that her father wasn't here to tell her what to do. Se hated it all and she wanted to run away and get away from all the political goons who had no idea what they were talking about!

"Carina? It's time to go." Remus called out to her, but she couldn't face it, any of it. Not here, not at his funeral surrounded by strangers! She needed to be alone, she needed time to think and process. She, without even realizing it, ran; to the one place she could always run to.

But now as she stood looking at the door, she didn't think she could open it. The astronomy tower was once a refuge a place to hide, now it was the biggest reminder of why she wanted to hide.

"Carina!" she heard her name echoing down the long corridors of the school, in a split second she dashed through the door and out into the warm Spring wind.

She stood staring down at the tiny figures on the lawn bellow. What was she going to do? It should be an easy answer, he was guilty of murder! But her stupid heart and conscience kept jumping in the way screaming that he could not be truly guilty. It seemed to her that her father had known more then he let on, this 'murder clause' reeked of his 'know-all-uncommon-sense'. She grunted and ran her mind over all the information that fluttered around her poor head. She remembered times in the past weeks that her father had admired her loyalty to Severus and even told her that she should always be loyal to him not matter what, but how much had he known of Severus? Sure he said he had known that he was going to die but be murdered? Knowing her father it was a possibility. What if it was all planned? It was crazy but more believable then Severus just randomly wanting to kill her father. Then her mind clicked, she had the answers all along, he had even given them to her. She knew what she had to do!

Sorry it took so long I truly am, I've been hiding out in my cabin in the woods, so no computers, or wifi. I had fun though. I'm sorry to have you all wait but the chapters aren't going to be uploaded as fast as the first stories was.

Debjunk- Well I'm glad your sticking with me on this next part of the story, please tell me what you think! And yes I'm trying to edit this one. If i mess up I'm sorry.

Obsessed.Otaku.of.America- really don't think she would be 'Carina Dumbledore' if she didn't forgive him. She has a hard road ahead of her though, it is a war after all. Thanks for your review!

maraudergirl02- I love that you look forward to it, and I'm sorry it took so long Christmas was... something.

MioneRocks - Yes better later then never I completely agree. As for Carina not trusting Severus it's not that she doesn't its that she is torn, she doesn't know what to think. She can't go from loving him for the last 14 years of her life to hating him at the drop of a hat. But she does hate that she doesn't hate him. Vicious cycle really. I'm not saying that she's okay with him either, like I said she has a really long road.

Soccergirl0388- I did not update soon and for that I'm so so so sorry. Please stick with me and enjoy the story. Bad author, bad.