Carmina wasn't bothered by Sirius Black anymore, nor did he curse Severus. That didn't mean he changed his mind, though. He decided he would get her, against her will or not. No female ever told him no and it wouldn't start now with this pretty stranger. What could be a better solution than a Love Potion that she so unthinkingly mentioned at the Christmas Ball? It wasn't difficult for a pure-blooded wizard to get something like that. Then she would surely realize how much better than Snivellus he was.

A month before the N.E.W.T.s Carmina watched the Slytherin table amusedly, while eating her lunch. For two weeks now the only thing Severus was interested in were books. When they were together, she usually spent her time silently watching him study and becoming more and more restless every day. Even now he was sitting at his House table with a book in his hand, practically ignoring the food he was supposed to eat. She would have to drag him to the kitchen once more in the evening.

She drank her pumpkin juice with a grin, grimacing the next second. It tasted even stranger than usual. She put the glass on the table. She'd have to start drinking something else. She never liked that pumpkin stuff much.

"Hi, Carmina, what do you say, will you be my date tomorrow at Hodsmeade?" Sirius Black's voice sounded at her table, unwelcome as always.

"Call me that one more time and I'll beat it into that head-like thing of yours you are not to do that, you idiot. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever am I going anywhere with you. Leave me alone, be so kind."

Sirius´ face took on a slightly confused look. "What… Oh, come on, surely you will give me one chance at least, won't you?"

Carmina snorted. "I've no intention in giving a chance to an idiot who bullies others just because he doesn't like them or is simply bored. I won't repeat it to you. Get lost."

Sirius frowned. "But—you drank that juice! You should be all over me already!"

Carmina's chair crashed to the floor and Black found himself in a very uncomfortable position with her wand stabbed into the soft place under his chin. There weren't many students left in the Great Hall at the time and almost no Professors, but those who were got silent and watched their interaction curiously. Even Severus pulled himself out of his book.

Carmina's eyes were flashing dangerously when she hissed into the Hall's silence, "What did you put into my drink, Black?"

"Hey- put that wand away," he feebly protested. Why was it that he always found himself in such position when he approached that girl? The wand's pressure increased.

"Answer me!" she snapped.

Sirius gulped. Maybe it wasn't such good idea, after all.

"I… nothing, just a bit of a potion…"

"What's happening here, students?" sounded a thunderous voice of Professor Slughorn next to them. "Miss Stetson, put your wand away, please."

Carmina ignored him.

"A bit of what potion did you put into my juice, Black? Make that answer quick."

"I… only Perpeto Amor, just a little bit-"

"It suffice to swallow one drop of it you moron! How dare you feed me something like that?!"

"It didn't work anyway, so what?" Black grumbled bitterly.

"Miss Stetson… What?" erupted Slughorn, staring at Black. "You gave Miss Stetson a Love Potion Perpeto Amor and it didn't work?"

"Why is it that I think you don't care at all that it's against the school rules?" Carmina growled at the Professor.

A little wave of laughter came from the direction of the Slytherin table. Slughorn looked at her excitedly.

"I think you don't understand the nature of this potion completely, Miss Stetson. Potion Perpeto Amor affects everyone if it is done correctly. If it is not correct or gone off, it is a poison. The only thing to render it harmless is strong and firm love, love 'so powerful that it never disappears,' The object of your love should be honoured to have such a strong feeling directed at him. Whoever it is, you'll never stop loving him. Quoting the Powerful Love Potions of the Wizarding World 'this love will survive all obstacles and boundaries.'"

Carmina's wand hand fell in shock. She forgot about Black's presence. Slughorn looked at her in an interesting and exhilarating way. She forgot her anger. Fearful doubt raged inside her.

"What do you mean, never?" she asked quietly.

"Exactly what I said, Miss Stetson. You will never stop loving this person, until you die. You will love him even if he is not interested in you that way, though that would be a shame, really, to waste such a gift. This feeling of yours will never disappear, nor will it dampen. I have never encountered anyone capable of resisting the Perpeto Amor. It's wonderful."

"Right," she got out. "What if he dies… before I do?"

Slughorn expression grew sombre, for a while. "Well, that would be truly awful way of things. You would spend the rest of your life in mourning, and given the strength of the feeling, you would never get over it, I think. I don't think you would be able to function normally anymore. The grief would most probably kill you in the end."

Carmina stared at him in shock, unable to move. She knew she loved Severus. Severus was going to die. She was bound to not change anything. She had to get out of there and quickly.

Severus watched as Carmina ran out of the Hall. He saw the tension in her face, and by now, he knew what it meant. He didn't like when she was crying, but he couldn't leave her alone. Leaving her alone, without any comfort would be much worse than anything else.

He threw his book into his bag and walked over to her table where she left hers. He lifted it, walked carelessly around his Head of House, who was still pondering her sudden retreat, slapped one astonished Sirius Black, and hurried after her.

He found her in a dark alcove apart from used corridors a couple of minutes later. She was scrunching up against the wall with her wand lying on the floor next to her as it fell out of her hand.

Severus saw Carmina crying a couple of times already, but what he saw now was something completely different. This wasn't just unhappy Carmina. She was desperate, nearing a complete break-down, her eyes and face red and swollen from sadness. She had her arms wrapped around herself as she sobbed.

He put both bags hurriedly on the floor in the alcove and ran to kneel at her side.

"Carmina, what's the matter? Hush, please, calm down." he moved his hand up and down her arm in the most comforting manner he could manage. He had had a number of months to learn how to comfort her, he didn't sound that unsure anymore.

His friend usually calmed down after a few minutes when he touched her. She hated crying, he knew that, but sometimes she remembered something and teared up sooner than she realized. Now it was a bit different, though.

The minute she felt his touch, Carmina threw herself at him, wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, and wailed into his chest in despair. It took him a while to make her loosen her choking grip on him.

He was confused and worried; she never lost control in that way. He continued moving his hand over her back gently, but with good enough pressure to be felt as a support.

"Shh, Carmina." he mumbled into her hair quietly. "It will be all right. Relax. There, hush. What happened, darling?"

The use of similar names used to calm her down a bit, whether she was upset or angry. Now it only made her answer.

"That potion…" she gasped.

Severus shook his head. He was so going to kill Black for this.

"I'm sorry, cutie. Black's an ass to pull a stunt like this," he mumbled, petting her hair comfortingly. "Why does it hurt you so much, huh? If there's anything I can do…" he trailed off in question.

"Yes," Carmina sobbed. "Don't-" her voice failed abruptly. Severus saw that she wanted to say something but couldn't. He knew what it meant, it wasn't the first time. Headmaster's spell. He'd have to kill him, too. Carmina put her head back down on his chest and cried a bit more.

"I'd love to strangle Dumbledore now, Cara. There's nothing worse than to stop you from talking it all out. Say, my dear, is it because of something you know and cannot talk about again?"

Carmina gave his shoulder an unhappy nod, in between slowly receding sobs. His robes were so wet that he could feel her tears through all the layers of clothing he had on. He kept playing with his hair carefully and holding her in his arms, when he continued.

"Is it… do you know that the one you love will die and there is nothing you can do about it?" he guessed cautiously.

She whimpered and delved deeper into his embrace. He strengthened his hug and sighed. The weak peek of jealousy was pushed down; there was no time for fooling around. Whoever it was, he would be a fool not to love Carmina back, but right now she needed her friend Severus and not a jealous fool named Severus.

"I'm sorry about it."

The light coming from corridor was suddenly partly blocked by a figure of a man and Severus growled, when he recognized the Headmaster. Now he turns up, old fool.

"Carmina," Headmaster said after a while of silence. He looked extraordinarily serious, just a trace of twinkle left in his eyes.

Carmina turned her red eyes in the direction of the sound.

"I heard what happened," he said. "I am sorry; I didn't expect something like this. I knew your feeling for him were strong, but not that they were this strong. What I am about to do is dangerous, but there is nothing else to do." he waved his wand and Carmina stiffened. "It is very risky, Carmina, you know this, but to let it be would be a torture to you. Carmina, you know how much depends on this. I ask you, despite the spell being broken, do not do anything to change the way it has to be. If you want to save him, try it, but do it to make it seem like nothing changed. It is very important."

Carmina nodded. "I know," she whispered. They talked on a few occasions about the books she read back home – or not so much of a home anymore. Dumbledore had a suspicion that with the way how the things were outlined, changing the book's contents might have severe consequences in their world and he told her so on a couple of occasions.

Headmaster nodded and turned to walk away. That was when Severus's most deadly voice caught up to him.

"About time," he growled.

Dumbledore looked back and regarded Snape carefully. He smiled at the boy.

"Miss Stetson couldn't wish for a better friend," he told him mildly. He saw a shadow of annoyance, brought up by reminding him of his position, but didn't comment it. Let them solve it.

"You are freed from your afternoon classes, Mr. Snape. Be with Miss Stetson as long as you are needed." he nodded at them in goodbye and left.

Carmina started crying again out of relief. Severus held her tightly for a moment to let her know he was there still.

"I can try; I can save him, Severus. I needn't wait until he… I can at least try." she laughed through her tears. She didn't really want to go back home, but now she knew that if Severus died she would be unhappy enough to enable it. She didn't want him to die, she didn't want to mourn him like Slughorn said she would, she didn't want to go home. Dumbledore gave her a hope that it might not happen.

Severus swallowed his feelings. He nodded. Carmina tightened the grip she had on him. Then she lifted her head and kissed him with feeling. Severus was so shocked he couldn't react at all, but Carmina didn't mind. She leaned her head on his chest again and was smiling cheerfully, not caring if her face was wet or not.

This time Severus managed to push down his feelings again, but he couldn't ignore them anymore. The sudden pain that came after the kiss told him enough. He wasn't sure how it could happen to him, but he managed to fall in love with Carmina. It hurt quite a bit that she kissed him out of joy of being able to save the one she loved.

He gritted his teeth, and blinked a couple of times.

"Whoever it is, he would have to be a fool not to feel the same to you," he told the girl in his arms with a strained voice.

She smiled up at him.

"Do you think so?"

"Sure," he managed.

Carmina snuggled against him and hugged him fiercely. If he only knew…but she couldn't tell him yet. Not until he turned the card, not until there wasn't any other way.

A/N - Well, that's it for now. I want to warn you – things are going to speed up a bit. There will be a couple of time-jumps in the next chapter as there isn't so much to say anymore. This story is nearing the end actually – only three or four chapters left I think. Enjoy and thank you for reviews!