Author's Note: I must say I'm quite proud of this chapter! If I do say so myself! And thanks again to those of you reviewing this story! T'is much appreciated!

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Chapter 5: A Trip to Hogsmead

Within the first week of term, it seemed the Duelling Club had become most people's favourite subject. Even Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had nothing to complain about. September melted into October; the weather became more brutal with frosty mornings and gale force winds which ripped through the caste. Students could be seen shivering down to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures, hats pulled firmly down and scarves wrapped tightly around necks. Owing to the recent attack of a student from a Hippogriff, Melora heard many a complaint that Care of Magical Creatures had become dull; many lessons being whiled away by shoving mouldy lettuce down the slimy throats of Flobbaworms. Melora couldn't help feeling for Hagrid, nothing ever went as he planned and by the looks of things it seemed he had lost confidence completely in his teaching skills. Melora however, didn't have time to worry about Hagrid or anything else for that matter. Her workload seemed to be reaching dangerous levels, and when Melora wasn't teaching she spent most of the time auditing the castle and filling out and submitting paper work. Even the excitement of the oncoming Quidditch season did nothing cheer her mood, and when the first Hogsmead visit of the year approached she planned to spend it locked in her office. Melora wasn't even sure she'd be able to attend the Halloween feast; a thought which saddened her deeply.

On the morning of the Hogsmead visit, Melora was sitting behind a mountain of parchment when there was a knock at the door. She craned her neck over the pile of paper.

"Come in" she replied to the door, returning her gaze to her desk and hearing the door open.

"And why are you not down with the rest of the rabble enjoying a break in the weather?" Came a deep voice from in front of her.

Melora rose from her chair and saw Severus standing in the door way. She had hardly seen him since the first week of term, only having time to greet him swiftly in the corridors between lessons and at meal times. She lowered her quill and made her way towards him; feeling the familiar sensation of having eaten a hundred wriggly worms for breakfast. She closed the door behind him and beckoned him to a sofa in the corner of the room. Even though she still had more work to do than the Minister himself, she felt she needed a break.

"I have way too much work to do to be enjoying the delights of the village," Melora answered, conjuring two cups of tea and handing one to Severus. "The Ministry is ordering me to double my audits since Black was spotted in Dove Town." She sighed heavily, glancing back at the pile on her desk.

"Ah now that is a shame," he replied with a mock sigh. "As I was planning a trip to the village myself, and was wondering whether I could tear you away from your work."

Melora sat there with her mouth slightly open in surprise. "O-Oh well, I erm do deserve a break I suppose" She said, feeling her face flush furiously.

Severus gave a small smile and took a sip of his tea. He wasn't really sure why he'd asked her to Hogsmead, only that he had missed her terribly since the beginning of term. He wasn't planning a trip to the village at all, he had simply walked past her office door three times before deciding how to best phrase asking for her company. He didn't think she'd agree, not only because of the vast amount of work she still had to do, but he never thought any woman would want to be in his company for more than was necessary; especially not someone so beautiful. Just being so close to her was tearing him apart, all he wanted to do was hold her and … kiss her. He glanced down and saw her hand was only inches from his, a force seemed to be moving his hand closer to hers, though apparently she had not noticed. He was about to reach out for her hand when she quickly withdrew it and got up. He hastily placed his hand on his lap, cursing himself inwardly.

"Right, I think we had better be going!" She said lightly, throwing on her cloak. "I do not wish to miss the Halloween feast tonight!"

Severus smiled weakly and fastened his own cloak around his shoulders, following her out of her office. The weather had vastly improved since the beginning of the week, and although it was cold the sun was shinning making the dew covered group sparkle. Severus elected not to walk down the path to the village, instead he lead Melora into the small woods on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Unlike the main forest, these woods were a wash with bright shimmering sunlight. Melora gazed in wonder at the beauty of nature; small birds could be seen nesting in the tall oak trees, while small animals scurried about the ground avoiding the two humans that had invaded their peaceful territory. Severus watched her out of the corner of his eye as they made their way down a slight slope to the village; her long mahogany hair was tied in a loose ponytail, allowing smaller section of her hair to fall effortlessly across her face. Her deep hazel eyes were simply irresistible to get lost in, and her smile was enough to melt the stoniest of hearts. She must have noticed he was watching her, for a small smile had appeared on her face and she seemed to be avoiding his gaze. They reached the edge of the forest after ten minutes of walking in silence.

"So, where too now Severus?" She voiced, putting her hand in front of her eyes to avoid the glare of the sun.

"Well I was thinking we could walk by the Shrieking Shack?" He suggested quietly, trying to keep his voice from shaking with nerves. "Students will be running amuck in the village, and I wish to have a peaceful afternoon."

"Ha, I'll agree with you there" Melora chuckled, following Severus along the narrow path towards the small cluster of fields that housed the Shrieking Shack. "Beautiful day, don't you think?" She added, pulling her cloak tighter round her shoulders as the wind picked up.

"Mmm" Severus mumbled vaguely.

Melora chuckled to herself; it seemed to be impossible for Severus to refer to anything as beautiful. In his world, everything was dark and ugly. But even Melora, who really hardly knew Severus, she could see his perceptions changing slightly. Yes he still was a grumpy and bitter man much of the time, but lately he had become more bearable to be around. It wasn't as if he was smiling and joking (that would be really out of character) but he was definitely much less sarcastic than when she'd first arrived at Hogwarts. Whatever was causing this mysterious personality change, Melora found her affections growing. She finally admitted to herself that she was falling in love; something she never thought she'd experience again. Seeing the shack in the distance, Severus slowed the pace and leant against a small wooden fence which divided the two fields. Melora copied him and rested her arms on the fence, looking philosophically into the distance. Neither of them spoke for a moment, seemingly not knowing what to say. When in fact both knew what they wanted to say, they just didn't quite know how to say it. Severus was the first to break the silence.

"You gave me quite a shock when you turned up here, you know" Severus admitted, giving Melora an apologetic smile.

"Ha well, I was surprised to see you back at Hogwarts." She replied, turning to meet his eyes. "I mean, I thought I'd ruined any chances of you getting any sort of job after I nearly sent you to Azkaban on Death Eater charges."

Severus sighed. "Do not put yourself through feeling guilty about what you did" he said solemnly. "Everything that has occurred in my life has been because of the decisions I have made, or didn't make so to speak."

"We all make mistakes Severus" She said gently, laying her hand softly on his. "Some worse than others, and I know you regret every terrible thing you did whilst with the Death Eaters. Showing remorse is what makes us human; you are not an evil man, Severus."

Melora could his face was full of emotion, and it broke her heart to know the pain he had suffered this past decade. She tightened her grip on his hand, feeling him return it and stroke the palm of her hand softly with his thumb. Melora felt a tingle shoot up her arm and she shivered slightly. He turned to say something, but Melora shushed him and took his other hand in hers.

"Evil deeds are not always carried out by evil men" she said soothingly, pulling him closer to her. "You were young and you became what you thought was expected of you. You thought becoming a Death Eater was all you could do with your life because of the friends you had and the house you were sorted into. But you realised the error of your ways, and came over to the right side. That's something, isn't it?"

Severus was silent for a moment; seemingly too overcome with emotion to say anything. Several times he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He couldn't believe she understood him, that she was willing to look past what he had done as a youth. Only Dumbledore seemed this convinced that he was truly a good person. She saw past the bitter persona he put on, she saw much deeper than that. He felt the grip on his hands tighten and that their faces were inches apart. He looked into her eyes and saw tenderness and understanding; no one had ever affected him this deeply before. In that moment his love for her intensified more than he ever thought possible, and he knew than that if he let her go he would regret it for the rest of his life. He pulled her closer to him and placed her arms round his waste, then using his own hands to cup her face tenderly. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs and watched her eyes flicker shut.

"You'll never understand how much those words mean to me" He breathed, feeling a prickling sensation in the corner of his eyes and hot trickles of tears flow freely down his cheeks. "I cannot believe someone as compassionate and understanding has walked into my life." He choked his words out, his voice filled with emotion.

Melora smiled. "You're the bravest man I have ever known." She breathed, tears falling down her own cheeks. "You left the life of a Death Eater behind and risked your own life to spy for Dumbledore. I've never known anyone like you before."

Severus made up his mind, he wanted to show her just how much she meant to him and didn't care about any repercussions. He leant closer, so their lips just brushed and he felt the hot breath on his face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips passionately against his own. He entwined his arms round her waist and pulled her tighter into an embrace. She ran her hands through his hair, letting the tips of her fingers softly caress his neck. His hands rested on her hips for a moment, then slowly snaked their way up her back and into her long hair. He took in every part of her; her kisses, her embrace, her vanilla scented hair and her touch. They paused her a moment, he gently brushed the tip of her nose with his own and cupped her face with his hands. He could feel tears running freely down his cheeks, he had not been this happy in a long time.

"Why are you crying?" She asked, wiping the tears away with her fingers.

"B-Because, I –" he paused to compose himself. "Because, I-I love you, so much and I am happier than I ever thought possible."

Melora took a sharp, shaking in take of breath. "Oh Severus," she clutched him tightly. "I love you too!"

Severus and Melora took their time walking back up to the castle that evening. By the time they reached the castle grounds the sun was beginning to set, and there was an eerie red glow about the castle. Neither really wanted to attend the Halloween feast, but thought suspicions might be aroused if they both missed dinner and Severus knew only too well how fast gossip spread amongst students and staff alike. Severus wished he could tell everyone about there relationship, but as Melora pointed out it would be highly inappropriate for a teacher to be seen to date a visiting Auror from the Ministry; especially as she had arrested him twelve years ago herself. Despite having to keep their relationship a secret from the rest of the castle, Severus felt as though his life was finally back on track. He was in love with the most beautiful creature, and she loved him in return. Entering the castle, it was clear the Halloween feast was already in full swing. Taking a deep breath, Severus pushed the doors of the Great Hall open and strolled towards the teachers table, Melora following closely behind. The hall had been decorated splendidly for the occasion, with hundreds of glowing pumpkins suspended above the four house tables, a large cloud of rather noisy bats and fire coloured streamers which swum gracefully across the cloudy ceiling. Many head turned with curiosity at the late arrival of the Potions Master and Melora, with furtive whispering being heard even over the clatter of knives and forks.

Melora and Severus reached the staff table and filled the only two vacant chairs, with much of the staff watching them with raised eyebrows and smirks. Dumbledore gazed at them with a small smile and a slight twinkle in his eye, and when Melora caught his gaze she looked quickly away and blushed furiously. She could see Severus trying to hide laughter whilst helping himself to a delicious looking pumpkin pie; she kicked him playfully in the shin under the table and helped herself to some shepherd's pie. The feast was even more delicious than Melora remembered, and she managed second helpings of nearly everything on the table. Once the last of the desserts had been polished off, entertainment was provided in the form of the Hogwarts ghosts. Nearly Headless Nick went down a storm with a re-enactment of his own bloody beheading. Clapping for the final time as Sir Nicholas bowed and exited the hall through a wall, the students in the Great Hall began to rise and return to their dormitories. Severus and Melora were eager to leave the hall and return to each others company in privacy, but it seemed the headmaster had other ideas.

"Ah Melora, Severus I trust you found a more engrossing activity than the Halloween feast?" He asked innocently, though his twinkling eyes gave his thoughts away.

"I was assisting Melora with an audit of the castle." Severus replied quickly, but Dumbledore wasn't taking the bait.

"But Minerva assures me she saw you heading to Hogsmead; surely the Ministry doesn't want the village audited as well?" He pressed, raising his eye brows over the top of his half moon glasses.

Melora was just about to answer, when a forth year Gryffindor ran into the hall as white as a sheet and looking petrified.

"P-Professor Dumbledore," he panted leaning on his knees to catch his break. "There's been – Sirius Black – slashed – Fat Lady."

The entire colour in Melora's face drained, and she ran at full pelt from the Great Hall with Severus and the rest of the staff following closely behind. She clutched her wand tightly; her heart was pumping furiously in her chest and her head was swimming with fear. Finally, the teachers caught up with her as they reached the Gryffindor tower. Melora nudged the group of scared looking students out of the way and gasped; the fat lady was gone from her portrait which had been slashed so violently that pieces of canvas covered the floor. Melora clutched her chest and felt tears of frustration well up in her eyes. No one said his name in accusation, but everyone thought it. Who else would have slashed the Gryffindor common room so violently; Sirius Black was here, and he'd almost met his target.

"H-How –" Melora began, but Dumbledore cut across her.

"Everyone will return to the Great Hall, and for your own safety you will spend the night there" Announced Dumbledore sternly. "The teachers will need to carry out a search of the entire castle. Prefects shall stand guard of the hall until the all clear is given, then you may join you classmates in the Great Hall."

At this announcement dozens of students hurriedly excitedly to the Great Hall, whilst Dumbledore sent the staff to search different areas of the castle. Melora stood there for a moment, and when Severus looked round and saw she had not followed he ran back.

"Melora come on," he urged, grabbing her arm. "We have to search the dungeons!"

"I-I don't understand" she said quietly, looking at Severus in complete despair. "I p-placed spells all over the castle, they were meant to detect any human presence. W-Why didn't they go off?"

"Listen, there's no time to think about that now!" He said urgently, shaking her gently by the shoulders. "Black might still be in the castle. COME ON!" He raised his voice dangerously which snapped Melora back to her senses.

They rushed to the dungeons, Melora barely able to catch up with Severus as he ran ahead of her. After a complete search of the dungeons Melora and Severus both decided that he was not there. Melora leant against the cold stone wall and slid down it where she collapsed on the floor. Severus quickly ran over and knelt in front of her, taking her shivering hands in his own.

"I know what you're thinking Melora," he said, growing concerned at the rate tears were running down her cheeks. "You are not to blame for this! Black got past the Dementors once, and he can do it again."

"I-I was supposed to p-protect the school" she said quietly, barely able to speak through tears. "I-I placed spells everywhere. H-How did he get past?" She looked deeply into Severus' eyes, which were full of concern.

"I do not know," he answered truthfully. "Black in cunning and he has already shown once he possesses dark magic that we do not. He was probably able to undo the revealing spells you placed."

Melora gave a small sob, and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Severus pulled her into an embrace and placed a tender kiss on the top of her head. He felt her sobs continue into his chest, clutching at his robes tightly. So, Black had found a way to enter the castle? That fact did not surprise him; he was clever enough to stay sane in Azkaban and slip past the Dementors unnoticed. It was only a matter of time before he found a way to out wit them again. He had been so close, and that thought enraged him. His hatred for Black had never wavered over the years, but now seeing the hurt he was causing Melora made his loathing stronger. And Harry, he had nearly got to him. If they had arrived to the Gryffindor's only seconds before, Harry would have been victim to Black's inconsolable rage. Severus had made a promise to Dumbledore long ago to help protect Lily's son, and he had almost failed.

"Severus," Melora said in a small voice.

"Yes my darling?" He answered, kissing her head once more.

"W-Would it be alright if I slept with you tonight?" She asked, lifting her head from his chest and meeting her bloodshot eyes with his own. "Its just, I don't feel like being on my own tonight."

Severus felt his rage with Black melt away. "Of course it is," he said, standing up and pulling Melora to her feet. "I was about to suggest you did. I do not know whether I could bear to sleep apart from you after this."

Melora smiled weakly and followed Severus into his quarters.

Author's Note: Hope you liked! Please review

Peace xx