The Second War

The Story of Sarah Snape

Chapter Six

Her father's worst fears come true.

"Dad!" Sarah replied jumping from her seat to meet him half way as he walked into the room. She was so happy to see him, but he looked very exhausted. His black eyes staring into hers and hidden in the back was the worry he had been feeling all morning. His black traveling cloak, much like hers that he had gotten for her, swept the floor as he walked swiftly up to his daughter, placing a comforting hand on her shoulders before pulling her into in a warm embrace. Relief of seeing his daughter alive flooded through him as he held her in his arms, with hers around his waist; both relieved to see the other. Tears started to run down her cheeks without her knowledge as she hugged her father tightly.

"I'm glad that you're okay," he said to her as he pulled away from their hug. "Dumbledore contacted me the moment Tonks told him. I got away as soon as I could." He left out the part about having gone to talk speak to Voldemort about Bellatrix, but he would tell her later along with Dumbledore. "Are you hurt in any way?"

"No," she replied not meeting her father's gaze. He raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed. "My pride is all that's hurt. I failed…" She trailed off hating to admit her weakness.

He smiled with relief that no harm had come to his daughter. "Don't worry about that right now, the important thing to me is that you are alive," he said, and then noticing everyone staring at them, he straightened up and cleared his throat. His voice, now back, to his 'normal' cold tone as he spoke again. "I want to know exactly what happened."

Sarah walked over and sat back down in her seat; her father's hands on both her shoulders. "Well I guess I should start from the beginning but I think Kingsley should tell us what the Minister said to him before I got to work this morning."

Kingsley nodded in agreement. "Well I got to work earlier than Sarah because the Minister had asked me to come in at once," he began explaining. "He said that someone had informed him that something weird was going on in the old abandoned building; strange noises, lights going on, and stuff like that. He said he needed me to go check it out and take Sarah with me. However, he didn't seem quite himself then again he hasn't seemed all there for a while now. I told him I didn't think she should go with Bellatrix being at large. He said everyone else was busy, he trusted enough that this would not be anything and said she would be safe."

"Safe my ass," Sirius growled, recalling the events that happened earlier.

"I know," Kingsley said -- not really to Sirius -- he was looking at Sarah's father behind her as if agreeing to some unsaid words that he was reading on Severus' face. "He was wrong as he has been on a lot of things. I shouldn't have taken her along or I should have forced her to leave before we even went in. I take full blame."

"What?" Sarah said shocked at Kingsley's last words. "I would have gone anyway and there's no way I would have left! You know me better than that." Her father squeezed her shoulders. She could feel him turn tense and tried to calm herself down. "Look it happened; it's over, the end."

"Sarah why don't you tell us what happened next," suggested Dumbledore after looking at his pocket watch.

"Well, Kingsley and I Aperated near the building," she began her explanation of the earlier events. "We wanted close but not close enough they could hear us. When we walked over, I could sense there was something not right. Kingsley agreed but we went in anyway. I transported us into the building where I thought it was safe, no movement, and such. I saw two Death Eaters, but couldn't see the other had had sensed. That was when we heard a voice behind us. It was Bellatrix with her wand out. I told Kingsley I had a plan telepathically and I distracted her while Kingsley got ready to knock the crates over like I had planned. The crates hit one of the Death Eaters, but missed the other. Kingsley started dueling with him and I started to duel Bellatrix."

"Did she say anything to you?" asked Dumbledore her as she felt her father tense more at the mention of Bellatrix.

"Yes, quite a bit actually," she replied as she tried to remember everything that would help the Order. "Well after Kingsley tried to get me to leave and I wouldn't she said 'Always the brave one aren't you?' then added that my daddy wouldn't be there to save me this time. Which I thought was odd, but I didn't think much of it. Then when I didn't respond, she said that was right 'Daddy's far away under the Dark Lord's orders. And now the Ministry has sent his little girl to the one place he doesn't want her to be, right in front of the women who will be her end.' which kind of ticked me off, well the tone she used that is."

"What kind of tone was that?" Dumbledore asked at once.

"Well kind of like she was gloating or something, I'm not real sure," she said then continued on when her old professor nodded. "I told her I didn't need my daddy to save me, that I can protect myself, and told her that today wasn't going to my end. That's when Kingsley knocked the crates over."

"You little bitch," Bellatrix shouted just before sending a spell flying at Sarah who dodged it by just a few inches.

"I'm not the same little girl you knew before," Sarah stated just after she sent a stunning spell flying at Bellatrix. "I'm the youngest Auror ever that's been accepted as an Auror at the Ministry. I won't be taken down so easily anymore!" Bellatrix blocked the spell, which caused it to hit a crate nearby her. "You escaped Azkaban once before and caught, you will be again………by me!" Sarah shot another spell at her.

"Oh yes and I almost killed you that time as I recall," Bellatrix pointed out, in what Sarah felt was an almost gloating sounding voice that made the rage inside her burn even hotter than before as the hatred grew stronger.

"The Dementors should have given you a kiss," Sarah replied blocking Bellatrix's spell. "They let you off to easy, if you ask me; thinking you would give them Sirius. Then again they think he's guilty of a crime he never committed!" She shot another spell at Bellatrix while Kingsley and the other Death Eater were still dueling. Though Sarah worked for the Ministry of Magic she often despised their way of doing things; they could be so dense sometimes.

Bellatrix gave an evil laugh before blocking the spell. "They thought I would break if they just put me back in Azkaban," she replied. "I just strung them along to by myself enough time to escape again to finish what I started." Bellatrix sent a green stream of light at Sarah.

"And that's when I fell over the crate, the Aurors got there, and she got away," Sarah said as she recalled the fight with Bellatrix, pain, frustration, anger, and sadness in her eyes from being so bloody clumsy and letting Bellatrix get away like that. When she quoted Bellatrix's words "finish what I started' she could feel the tension in the room grow, especially from her father and Sirius.

Dumbledore seemed to be contemplating everything that had happened as he sat in silence for a moment. "There seems to be more here than we know," he stated looking grave. "It just seems unlike them to be there like that."

"I agree," Severus said still with his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "I will find out what I can." There seemed to be unsaid words between Dumbledore and Severus, as if they were reading each other's minds.

"Did anything else happen?" Dumbledore asked Sarah.

"Well the Death Eater that Kingsley had knocked unconscious with crates was the only one we caught," she pointed out. "It was Albert Westins." She felt her father tense up even more.

"Are you sure?" Severus asked his daughter through clinched teeth.

"Yes," she answered, not wanting to point out to the rest of the Order that she remembered him from his visit with her father. Her father seemed to swear under his breath. "The Minister didn't say if they got anything out of him or not. I'm not sure Fudge trusted me enough to give me any information about it." Sarah, her father, and Kingsley exchanged a look and Dumbledore seemed to catch it, but no one else.

"What all did the Minister say to you while in your meeting with him?" asked Dumbledore, changing the subject somewhat for now.

"Well he first asked me to explain what happened and after I explained he asked me questions," she began explaining things once more.

"Are you sure it was Lestrange?" Cornilus Fudge, the Minister of Magic, asked her from behind his desk, as they sat alone in his office.

"Yes," Sarah replied. "I would know her anywhere."

"Was the other one that Kingsley dueled Black?" he questioned further.

"No. He was to short to be him, he was almost as short as I am."

"Was it Black's son?"

"No, I would have sensed it was him if it had been. This was someone else, but I'm not sure who."

The Minister seemed to take that into consideration as he thought of more questions to ask her as he slid a cup of tea towards her. "Here drink up," he said to her with a warm smile. "After what you just went through you probably need it."

"No thank you," she replied, her stomach not in the mood for anything right now. "I'm not feeling very thirsty right now." She stated to slide the teacup back to him, but he stopped her.

"I insist," he said firmly and something in his eyes seemed different to her. "We don't want you going into shock or anything."

"Really I'm fine I'm not thirsty," she said once more.

But that didn't seem enough for him. "I insist," he said again this time more furiously this time; so furious that it frightened her slightly.

She took the cup in her hand and pretended to drink it. Something inside her told her not to drink it; it was something in his eyes. She wouldn't even let it touch her lips. What if it was poised? What if he had done something to it? He hadn't been in his right mind for so long, what if he lost it completely.

"That's better," he said more calmly now, almost back to his old self. "I know your mother was close to Sirius Black. I don't want you hiding things from the Ministry because of that."

"I would never do that," she said quickly. "I work for the Ministry now. I am loyal to my job." She was a little insulted that he thought this of her after all she had been through. Where was he going with this? She looked down at her cup and realized something she didn't think about before. Had he put the truth potion in her drink? Was he really that paranoid now that he would use that on his own workers? Yes, yes he was. Paranoid idiot, she said to herself as she pretended to take another drink, playing along with his insanity.

"Has he tried to contact you since he escaped? Have you contacted him since he escaped? Do you know where he might be? Can you think of anything that we might need to know to catch him?" he asked her curtly trying to get what he could out of her. Did he really think if she knew this that, she would tell him?

"No he hasn't tried to contact me. No, I have not tried to contact him. I have told Kingsley everything that might help find the murderer." She added the last part purely for the Minister's spite. "He talked to me when the Ministry did a background check on me before I became an Auror. If you haven't forgotten I was interrogated for four and half hours over it. I told I everything I possible could then, remember?" At least she wasn't completely outright lying to the Minister, stretching the truth yes, but not completely lying.

"Oh yes I remember," he said, somewhat satisfied with her answers. "I just thought maybe you thought of something else or had new information for me, us. Now have you heard from his son Ricky at all? I know you were very close to him when you attended Hogwarts together."

Paranoid fool, she thought to herself. "No, I have not. Last I heard from him was after you sent him to Egypt. I told Kingsley as much when I was asked about this last time."

"Do you know where he is at?"

"No."

"Have you heard from him at all?"

"No I haven't."

"Do you believe he helped his father escape?"

"No, I do not. He went missing a year and half after his father escaped Azkaban and it's been said he is believed to be dead remember?"

"Yes that is what we believe. Do you think Black killed him?"

"I doubt it. He probably got lost in a tomb or got hexed by some ancient curse or something." She hoped he was satisfied with her answers and he seemed to be.

"Would you tell Kingsley right away if he either of them contact you, I know you and Kingsley seem quite close?" he asked her and she wanted badly to roll her eyes, but fault back the urge.

"Of course, I will," she said and that was no lie. She would tell Kingsley if Sirius told her anything or if she heard from Ricky. What the Minister didn't know was that Kingsley would either change things around, giving him false leads or not tell him at all.

"Good! You may go now," he said as he waved a hand satisfied with their conversation.

"Thank you Minister," she said as she silently cast a spell to make some of the tea disappear before sitting the cup back down on the Minister's desk.

Everyone stared at her silently in shock as she told them what happened with the Minister earlier that morning. Kingsley, however, was the only one who didn't seem the tiniest bit surprised. She figured he had gone through a similar situation as she had or the Minister had told him what he planned to do.

"What is he up to?" Lupin wondered allowed, being the first to speak after Sarah was finished.

"I honestly don't know," answered Kingsley.

"His a paranoid git, who's going to get us all killed," said Fred and George at the same time. Their words made Sarah smile a little because it was true. The minister's stupidity was going to be the end of them all if they weren't careful. Their mother, however, did not like it and gave them both a disapproving look.

"Sarah and Kingsley have given us much to think about," Dumbledore said finally. "This is bad, but we all knew this was going to happen. Does anyone else have any news that we need to discuss?"

Some had updates and others told rumors they had heard, but nothing seemed as huge as Sarah and Kingsley's news or not as important. She was happy that the attention was finally off her, but her father still hadn't moved his hands from her shoulders. She didn't think that the meeting was ever going to end, but it finally did.

All that remained were Sirius, Lupin, Severus, Molly, Arthur, Tonks, Fred, George, Alastor, Kingsley, and Dumbledore. However, Molly and Arthur excused themselves from the room after a few minutes, giving Fred and George a look before leaving. It was then that Fred and George got the hint and unwilling excused themselves as well, but Sarah knew they would be listening in. Tonks, Remus, and Alastor followed soon after, leaving Sarah, her father, Dumbledore, and Sirius in the room alone.

"If you need me I'll be right upstairs," Sirius said to Sarah, knowing she wanted to speak to Dumbledore and her father alone. He gave her a smile before standing up.

"Thanks Sirius," she said as she watched him leave the room and was now standing leaning against the table. She waited until he was gone and the door was shot to speak.

"Sirius and Remus said you wanted to speak with me privately?" Dumbledore said before she could say anything.

"Yes, to you and my dad," she said with a heavy sigh. "I know some of the Order doesn't trust me so I didn't want to say a lot in front of them."

"Of course not," Dumbledore understood what she was getting at, he knew everything or so Sarah and most everyone else believed.

"I recognized Albert, but I didn't say how, nor did I tell the Minister," she said at quickly.

"I believed as much when you said his name," her father said coldly. "Are you sure you don't know who the other one was?"

"I can guess, but I wasn't focusing on him once I knew Bellatrix was there," she admitted feeling slightly ashamed for letting her hatred of the Death Eater block her good judgment of doing her job correctly.

"Who do you think it was?" asked Dumbledore looking up at her from his half moon spectacles.

"I'm not really sure," she admitted. "I don't think it was Avery. I know it wasn't Dolohov because he's better then whomever the masked Death Eater was."

"I agree I don't think Avery would," Severus said as he too was looking at his daughter. "He -- unless the Dark Lord gave him the order -- would have contacted me at once. Dolohov was with me, Rodolphus, and Nott."

"I thought possibly it was either Macnair or Travers," she said to her father.

"If it was Travers he will be the best to get the information from," her father pointed out. "It won't be as easy if it was Macnair."

"I'm just glad it wasn't Dolohov," she said relieved, knowing how dangerous he could be. "However, I don't think he, Avery, Nott, or Malfoy would attack me unless Voldemort gave them orders to do so."

"I do need to have a word with the Dark Lord as soon as I leave here," he said with a heavy sigh. He would not let this happen again.

"Do you think he will agree?" Dumbledore asked, apparently to an unasked question that he saw in Snape's eyes.

"I can only hope," he replied. "But he did give me what I wanted before. Perhaps he will again."

"Let's hope," Dumbledore agreed.

Sarah knew not to ask questions, if it was meant for her to know her father would have said it allowed. Then she remembered what else she needed to speak to him about and wondered if it would be better to bring it up with Dumbledore here to keep her father calm.

Dumbledore seemed to see what she was thinking, as she was no longer listening to them. "I believe he will be able to handle it," he said to her getting her attention. She looked at him with more fear in her eyes than she had ever shown before. He stood up, put his hand on her shoulder, and smiled at her. "He loves you no matter what, even if he doesn't like your choices." He looked at Severus as he passed by him. "I believe I'm going to go say goodnight to the others before I get back to the school. I'll see you when you get there." Then he whisper as he placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't be too angry with her." He walked over to the door and said somewhat loudly, "Goodnight Sarah, Severus I will see you later."

Once he closed the door behind him fear and panic began to show itself even more as she tried hard not to start hyperventilating, as she was now alone with her father with news that he would not approve of. He got her eye as she was staring into space, part of her wanting to bolt and get the hell out of there as fast as she could.

"Are you going to tell me now or run?" he asked, knowing his daughter better than she did at times.

"I don't know," she croaked, terror freezing her body like ice.

He waited almost impatiently for his daughter to say whatever it was that she was so afraid to tell him. He sat back in the chair looking at her. He had places he needed to go, but his daughter came first.

"Dad," she said, her voice shaking and full of uncertainty. "I…"

"What did you do?" he asked, guessing she had done something wrong or thought she had.

"I…" she tried again, but words didn't seem to come out so easily now. Just tell him, a voice said in her head. "IminlovewithFredWeasley," she managed to say, but said it so fast it sounded like one word and was not understandable.

"Calm down and try again," he calmly said to her, his black eyes staring at her.

"Dad, I'm in love with Fred Weasley," she said, her hands and most of her body shaking with fear and panic.

"YOU'RE WHAT?" he yelled, now on his feet, hate in his eyes. "This better not be a joke!"

"It's not," she said, her voice low as she tried to calm her nerves. "And he feels the same for me."

His dislike of the Weasleys apparent on his face without having to even speak the words allowed. This was his only daughter; he would never think anyone was good enough for her, but a Weasley? What was she trying to do, send him to an early grave? He would hex Fred right this moment if had been in the room. This explained the look in Fred's eyes from the moment he arrived in the kitchen and the look the Weasley had when he looked at his daughter. Hatred boiled inside him strong as a fire in a burning building. I'll kill him, he said to himself, his fingers wrapped tightly around his wand without thinking.

Sarah noticed her father's hand on his wand. Damn it! she thought to herself. "Dad calm down please!" she shouted as his hand was on the door. "Dad, please!" He had the door open and was moving rather quickly. "Damn it!" There was sounds coming from upstairs, she guessed Fred and George were up there listening.

He was going to curse him all the way to hell if he could. Killing him was still at the top of his list. His mind was only on one thing, his daughter's voice was in the far distant, a faint whisper.

Sarah Apperated a foot in front of her father, in hopes of stopping him on the stairs that least to the second floor. Sirius seeing the commotion aimed to stop Severus, but Lupin stopped and shook his head. "They need to work this out," he said to him. "Let Sarah do this. She needs to this herself." He unwilling stood there watching, Remus not letting go of his arm, Alastor now at Sirius other side holding his other arm. Arthur holding his screaming wife back by putting his arms around her tightly; he knew Sarah could handle this; after all there was nothing Severus wouldn't do for his daughter.

'He's going to kill him! He's going to kill my son!" Molly shouted trying to push her husband away.

"No he's not, now calm down Molly please," said Arthur sternly to his wife. Tonks standing at the top of the stairs, standing the drawing room doorway after hearing the commotion didn't seem to know what to think or do. Her eyes were wide with shock and horror.

Whoever thought Severus Snape would take this news easily and without overreacting, was only fooling themselves. Kingsley stood beside the drawing room's door near Tonks shaking his head. He knew this was going to be bad, but why did Dumbledore have to leave. If this got to out of hand, he would be the only one to stop him. Would he have it in him to hex Sarah's father even if he had no other choice? She would not approve of anyone hurting her father. This was more complicated than most had expected.

"Dad! Please stop!" she shouted.

"Out of my way." he said through clinched teeth as he pushed her out of his way. Only to have her Aperate a few feet in front of him again as his attempt failed once more.

"Dad please don't do this!" she said more begging now in her voice, tears filling her eyes. Fred and George both were standing just five feet behind her.

"Move!" he commanded his daughter, anger still strong in his voice. All eyes still on them; Molly still trying to get away from her husband, who threatened to hex her if she didn't stop struggling believing Sarah could handle this. He understood Severus, to a point. What if his daughter, Ginny, was in love with Draco Malfoy? Would he react just as Severus? He loathed the Malfoys with a passion. Yes, he would be reacting just like Severus there was no doubt about that.

"No!" she shouted, tears starting to stream from her eyes. "Dad, please!"

He stopped just an arms length away from her. "Move. NOW!" he said forcefully.

Sarah stepped backwards a few steps to find Fred's hand now touching the center of her back. "Dad, please!" she begged again through the tears gushing down her face. "I won't let you hurt him! Please!" Her hand went for her wand; she would stop her father one way or another.

"No," Fred said behind her grabbing her hand before it got to her wand. "I won't let you do that, he's your father." He sighed and began to step around her. "I should have talked to him before I told you how I felt, traditionally at least. I love you and will take whatever consequences come, it's my choice."

Everyone was froze, Molly now in tears and Arthur holding her comfortingly. Lupin secretly praying to himself, Kingsley wondering if he should hex Severus or not while Tonks was frozen in the doorway still. Alastor still not letting go of Sirius watched anxiously as everyone else, not daring to move. George watching idle as his brother stand up to the father of the women he loved not daring to breathe. Even the house elf Krecher was watching from a dark corner, unnoticed to the others.

Sarah put her hand out blocking Fred. "Please dad!" she said again, her face soaked with tears. "I can't live without him!" She was not crying hysterically.

"I can't live without you either," Fred said beside her, no smile on his face, his voice stone solid serious.

Their words froze her father in his tracks; his eyes seemed to stare at them. His mind pulling him back in time, to a time he would never forget. His wife was the only thought on his mind now.

"I love you Hope," he said looking deep into the young Auror's eyes. He had only felt this way about one other in his life, Lily Evans, who was in love with someone else whom he loathed more than anything, James Potter. However, with Hope, it was different and he knew that.

"Severus," Hope said as she stared deep into his black eyes. "I love you too."

"This is so wrong," he said not taking his eyes off the amazing woman in his arms holding her close. "I should hate you, but I don't. You are to close to them. You are an Auror and I am…" He couldn't bare to say he was a Death Eater, though she was more than aware of this fact.

"I know," she said gloomily. "Sirius and James will throw a bloody fit when I tell them and probably want to kill you, not that they probably don't already."

"I know and I don't want to hurt you in anyway, I love you to much to do that," he admitted to her, his voice full of sorrow. "I can see the pain it causes you in your eyes. I know you love them and he sees you as his sister. I know it pains you deeply and your heart is at war with itself. You don't want to hurt them and you want to be with me. I know it's not easy on you."

"I don't care what they say to be quite honest with you," she pointed out, her heart racing out of control as it often did when he was near or held her close. "Lily, will be the only one to understand, but Sirius and James is another story. I have to make them see…" She looked deeper into his black eyes, usually cold, but soft when he looked at her. "I can't live without you."

"Nor can I," he admitted. His life would not be worth living alone now that he had found her, it would not be worth another breath of air if he could not hold her in his arms for the rest of his life. The Dark Lord, Dumbledore, spying for both sides, none of it would matter if he did not have her.

His heart sank deep in his chest. His daughter, his whole life after losing his beloved Hope, felt as deeply and strongly about this Weasley, whom he despised, as he had, still felt, for his wife. He wanted to kick fate right in the bloody ass for doing this to him. His eyes narrowed slightly in frustration from the whole situation. Why couldn't she have fallen for anyone else, even Potter would have been better than this Weasley, but not by much. He stared at his daughter -- the others still not daring to move -- to see his daughter was crying. He could not do this to her -- hurt her in this way. She looked so much like her mother even with her crimson hair color she had today. This was the one thing he could not do; see her in this much pain. He would rather death take him now that see his daughter in any sort of pain. It was there in her eyes that same look her mother had, the strongest sign of love. He knew this was whom she wanted, even if he hated it. He knew this was doing to her what it had her mother when she fell in love with him, the confusion, the pain, the unconditional love never fading no matter what. He sighed heavily.

"You hurt her in any way at all and I will kill you myself wither she likes it or not," Severus said fiercely to Fred meaning every word he was saying.

"Are…are you saying what I think you are?" Sarah asked through her tears, her eyes wide as shock seemed to be taking over her body now. Fred seemed just as shocked has his girlfriend at what they were hearing from Severus.

"I don't like it," Severus replied to his daughter. "I won't lie to you, but I see it in your eyes and if this is what you want I won't stop you."

"It is!" she said quickly as more tears fell from her eyes, no longer tears of sadness, but tears of joy. "It is! Oh thank you dad!" She ran to him wrapping her arms around him so tightly he almost couldn't breathe.

He looked over at Fred and said, "I do mean what I said. I will if you hurt her in anyway."

He returned her hug instantly. There were no words he could say after seeing how happy he just made his daughter. This was not going to be easy but for her he would do whatever he could to make her happy. She was all he had left in this world and he would not let anything change that, even if that meant having the Weasleys as in-laws, he shuddered at the mere thought of Sarah marrying into that family.

"Yes sir," Fred said, knowing he meant it. What father wouldn't? Sarah walked over to him after letting go of her father and wrapped her arms around him, as she smiled. All their worries about her father not approving faded and filled with joy and happiness.

Everyone else had felt the change in and relaxed. Lupin and Sirius both sighed in relief, now smiling brightly. Molly was still crying, as she tried to wipe the tears away, her husband, with his arm around her, smiled happily. George patted his brother on his back, relieved, as everyone else was to have this over with and end happily for his brother and best friend. Alastor laughed not believing his eyes or ears after all he had seen of Snape's hatred of the Weasley family. Tonks wasn't sure what to do; all she could do was smile as she looked over at Kingsley, who looked like twenty years of worry had just been lifted off him. He smiled back at Tonks, he was happy he didn't have to do anything after all.

"So is the world coming to an end now or what?" asked George with a laugh in a teasing way. Everyone but Severus rolled with laughter; none of them would have seen this coming, well at least not have seen Severus agreeing to let his daughter date a 'Weasley'.

"Maybe?" Sarah said laughing then sticking her tongue out at George and the both laughed even more. She was so happy right now; she didn't care if Voldemort himself showed up with Bellatrix.

"I hate to interrupt," Severus said calmly to his daughter. "But I do need to get going now."

"Oh," she said as she let go of Fred and walked over to her father. "Please be careful." She looked at him pleading with her eyes; she could not handle losing her him.

"I try my best," he said as he hugged her once more. This was going to be a longer night than he had expected two of his worst fears in one day. First Bellatrix going after his daughter and then his daughter falling in love with a Weasley, what worse things could happen? Facing the Dark Lord was going to be so easy after dealing with this. He kissed the top of his daughter's head. "I need you to be careful, I can't lose you as well."

"I will," she replied, knowing exactly what her father meant. "Goodnight."

"Sleep well," he said before letting her go. Then swiftly he turned moving down the stairs and out the door, not looking at anyone.

"Well this has been an eventful evening," Sirius laughed as he met Sarah, Fred, and George at the bottom of the stairs.

"More like an eventful day," Kingsley corrected him as he and Tonks made their way down the stairs as well.

"Never thought I would see the day," Alastor stated shaking his head in disbelief.

"Me either," Arthur said with a smile agreeing with Alastor's statement, knowing as well as everyone else what he was referring to.

"I don't know about anyone else but I'm just happy to be still standing," Fred said, his arm around Sarah's waist. "I thought the moment we heard Snape yelling that I was dead. Dumbledore's warning about the conversation that was going to happen should have included 'he might kill you'. Now that would have been helpful."

"Wait. Dumbledore warned you that I was telling my dad?" Sarah asked feeling slightly out of the loop.

"Yes," everyone said answering Sarah's question at the same moment.

"That's why Alastor, Tonks, and I are still here," Kingsley pointed out. "Just in case anything went wrong, though he said it work out just as it did. He just wanted to be on the safe side by having us stay behind."

"He told us that we should all be on guard just in case things didn't go the way he believed they would," added Lupin with a warm smile, looking ragged and tired as ever, but the look of relief shinned deep in his eyes.

"Whoever would doubt Dumbledore is out of his bloody mind anyway," George said with a smile.

"In that case then apparently I'm far past insanity," Sarah said as she shook her head at George's statement. "I thought my dad was going to kill Fred for sure even after Dumbledore told me he would be able to handle it."

"Handle it?" laughed Fred once without humor. "You call that 'handling it'!" He stared at his girlfriend for a moment with surprise showing both in his eyes and on his face. He would not call that 'handling' anything.

"Yes. Don't you?" she asked with a smile. "He didn't kill you did he? You're still here, breathing, unharmed, and alive aren't you? I'd call that 'handling it' wouldn't you?"

"Yeah bro, at least he didn't hex you to hell and back," George said as he playfully punched Fred's shoulder.

"I guess, but still…" He looked as if he was on the verge of collapsing on the spot as the realization, of how close he came to death, finally set in. "That was bloody frightening!"

"Could have been worse," said Kingsley. "I thought I was going to have to hex him and I was trying to figure out how to stop him in a way that wouldn't hurt him because of Sarah. Hexing Severus Snape is not one thing I'd like to have on my list of things to do." His words made Sarah smile a little; it was nice to know that some people cared that much about her despite whom her father was.

"I think it's getting kind of late." Molly pointed out.

"Yes of course," her husband replied looking around at the others.

"Yeah some of us have to work tomorrow," George replied with a fake yawn.

Sarah laughed gently at George's 'yawn' and then looked at Kingsley. "Do you know what I'll have to do tomorrow?"

"I wish I did, but I do plan on taking to the Minister and having you put on desk duty until Bellatrix is caught," he began and then seeing that she was about to argue he quickly added, "or at least have more than two Aurors with you at any time you are sent out. If possible, I'll see if I can be assigned to be one of them or have Tonks be one of them. I'd much rather have someone in the Order with you as an extra precaution."

"That sounds fine to me," she agreed. Then she looked over at Tonks who smiled at her. "You going now too?" She added to Tonks.

"I'll see you at work," Tonks replied with a smile, just before she and Kingsley both walked towards the door to leave, followed by Moody, who patted Sarah's arm before leaving as well, but not before whispering something to Lupin first. George was telling his parents that he and Fred would be going back to their shop tonight and would send word when they got home.

Sarah turned to Fred and smiled halfheartedly up at him. "This has been a very long night," she said to him, knowing what he was feeling. "At least my dad is okay with us."

"Yeah," Fred said as he looked down at his girlfriend, who looked more beautiful to him now. Coming that close to death was not something he would ever want to go through again; leaving her was not something he ever wanted to do. "Will you come to the shop for lunch?"

"I don't honestly know yet," she answered as she placed her hands in his. "We'll see what the Minister has me doing. I'll send word to you if I can make it for lunch, but if not you and George should come here for dinner."

"That sounds like a great idea," interrupted Molly smiling the pair.

Fred looked at George, almost pleading with him to agree and his brother nodded his head once at their father's side. Then he looked back at Sarah and smiled down at her. "I guess we'll see you either at lunch or here for dinner tomorrow."

Everyone else seemed to either leave for the kitchen or turn away or walk a distance from Sarah and Fred, giving them privacy to say their goodnights, but it went unnoticed to the pair as they stared into each other eyes.

"Sleep well," Sarah said looking at him, her heart pounding slightly faster than normal. Their eyes locked, looking into the other's eyes as they moved in closer till their lips met in a gentle kiss, but pulled away seconds later. "Goodnight."

"Sleep well," Fred said finally letting her go.

"Goodnight Sarah," George said as he squeezed her shoulder lightly as he walked past her.