A/N: Apologies for the chapter in computer script. I don't know what I did wrong. Hopefully, this works now! Also, apologies for the slow updates. I hit a bit of a writer's block but will now post with some regularity.

Chapter 9

Severus eyed Lupin with suspicion. He knew that the mangy wolf had something to do with Black's infiltration of the castle. Currently, the graying professor looked on edge and sickly even as he listened to Dumbledore's search instructions. Severus knew that this was partially due to the effect of the upcoming full moon but he willfully ignored that detail. Lupin looked his way with a weary glance and Severus glared back with the full force of his hate. Lupin looked away quickly.

Glowering, Severus turned his attention to the headmaster who was inquiring about which areas were searched. Severus, himself, had checked the astronomy tower, the divination classrooms, and the entire dungeons. He wondered briefly about the hidden passageways and about Filch's knowledge of said entrances. The cantankerous caretaker spent most of his time railing the Weasley twins and took far too much delight in catching students out of bounds. Severus doubted that he paid much attention to expanding his knowledge of the castle. Glancing up at the headmaster, Severus noted that the old wizard looked increasingly grave as each area was cleared and no sign of Black was reported.

He registered a faint pop beside him and turned to glance at Cressida, her expression stoic. He raised one eyebrow in question. She subtly shook her head. No sign of Black then. He imagined that she was frustrated. She had arrived moments after the portrait had been attacked and was unable to find any trace of Black. If her cold stare at the headmaster was any proof, it seemed that Cressida considered Dumbledore to be more of a hindrance than help in her search. Part of Severus almost wanted to laugh at her frustration. It wasn't often that Cressida had to admit continual failure. In fact, almost everyone was certain that Black would have been caught during the first few weeks of the school term with her personally assuming leadership on the case. Her reputation, both in the British wizarding society and the larger international community, was bound to be questioned due to Black's ability to slip through the castle defenses under her watch.

It was nearly 3 AM when Dumbledore had called off the search. Severus stalked down to his dungeon quarters. He let out a weary sigh as he thought about his potions lessons for the upcoming week. Undoubtedly, the students would be sensationalized by the events of Halloween and would be hard pressed to pay attention to anything else.

Severus whipped around quickly as he heard soft footsteps behind him. He relaxed upon seeing Cressida walking towards him. "I though the search was called off?" He asked.

"It was." Cressida answered.

"Any particular reason you would be in this part of a castle, then?"

Cressida smirked. "Does the head of security need any particular reason to be anywhere?"

Severus shrugged.

"If you must know," she stated as she caught up with the professor, "I was simply wondering if an old friend would fancy a nightcap."

"Ah, stealing from my stores now. Has the ancient DuLac line become so impoverished as to need to pilfer from a poor professor?" Severus chuckled.

Cressida smiled, enjoying their game. "Hardly. But since said professor has been gifted, not once but numerous times of the estate's finest vintage of elf-made wine, one might wonder at his miserly ways."

A door materialized in stonewalls of the dungeon as they reached their destination. Severus held his wand to the keyhole and the door swung open to admit their entry. Severus waved his wand again and lights began to flicker in the sconces on the wall. Cressida took a seat in one of his leather armchairs. Severus took out two goblets and a bottle of wine from a cupboard and set them on the low table in front of them before taking a seat himself. He poured wine into the goblets and handed one to Cressida. She nodded in thanks.

"I wanted you to take a look into something for me" Cressida began with no preamble.

Severus raised his eyebrow. "What…did you want me to look at?" He was too tired to come up with a snide comment.

Cressida took out a small jar, containing what seemed to be black fur. "I lifted these from the area in front of the portrait."

"Aren't you a real Sherlock?" Severus asked sarcastically, taking the jar from Cressida's outstretched hand.

"Oh, shove it." Cressida took a sip of her wine.

"Care to explain?" Severus asked.

Cressida looked into her goblet as she gently swirled the contents. "It might have something to do with Black. It might be the fur from some poor student's cat or Mrs. Norris or from any other contraband animal or creature. In any case, it might be helpful for us to know the identity of the creature that it belongs to."

"You think that this has to do with Black?"

Cressida sighed. "Frankly, I'm at my wits end. I must have laid out countless locator spells when I arrived on the scene. He should have been detected. Short of blood magic, I don't know how else to find him. Either he knows some loophole in the castle's magic or we are missing an important piece of the puzzle. I'm looking at all possibilities. He can't have disappeared into thin air. Only I can do that." She smirked.

"And you believe animal fur might give us a clue." Severus was beginning to wonder to what degree Cressida's fatigue was impacting her thinking.

"My dear Watson, once you eliminate the impossible, what remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." She answered cryptically as she smiled mockingly at him over her goblet.

Severus scoffed and sipped his wine. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"It most likely will belong to some cat but I will run the necessary tests." He finally answered.

"Thank you." She answered.

Severus waved his wand at his fireplace and the hearth came to life. They both stared at the flames.

"Charlotte wonders if you'll come around during the holidays." Cressida began, conversationally.

"Hm" was Severus' answer.

"She tells me that little Lily has been asking for you. Apparently, you need to finish the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. According to her, Charlotte doesn't do the voices correctly."

"And how is she?"

"Lillian or Charlotte?"

"Both, I'd imagine you wouldn't mention one without the other."

"Charlotte is doing well. Her research seems to be coming along. I have no doubt she has sent you a new list of questions about potion properties."

Severus nodded in response.

"Lillian is growing too fast." Cressida sighed.

"I'd imagine there is some degree of motherly bias in that assessment. I doubt she is growing faster than other children her age unless her accidental magic is behaving oddly." Severus smirked at Cressida.

Cressida laughed softly. "I suppose. I feel that every moment that I'm away, I'm missing something new. Charlotte says that she argued quite philosophically a few nights ago about the merits of having her pudding before her dinner the other night."

"Seems that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Anyways, you can always pop over whenever you feel like it."

"I can but it's not the same. Anyways, this is your official invitation to spend the holidays with us. You have about a month and a half to think up your excuses, none of which we will accept, of course." Cressida drained the rest of her wine and set the goblet on the table.

"Right." Severus answered. Despite the number of times he had visited Cressida and her family, he had never gotten quite accustomed to being wanted for the holidays. Charlotte had already included that he should visit in one of the post-scripts in her letters. Little Lily, as he had dubbed the couple's four-year-old daughter, who had been named for Cressida's late cousin, had also sent along one of her drawings. Though he would never admit it, Severus held a soft spot for the little girl who was the spitting image of her namesake. He had every drawing and picture saved in a little box in his dresser.

"Think on it?" Cressida asked she gathered her robes in a motion to stand. "I know the invitation is early but when I issue it too late, you always think that I'm doing so out of pity. You know that it isn't. I'm telling you ahead of time for selfish reasons. It's so that you cancel all of your plans and stay with us. We could honestly use the help."

"Are your house-elves lagging in their duties?" Severus asked sardonically.

"No, but Charlotte is expecting again. Don't tell her that I told you. It's supposed to be a secret."

"Is she? Congratulations." Severus formally responded. He knew that Charlotte had been trying to conceive for the past two years. While finding a donor in the Muggle world was not particularly difficult, it seemed that Charlotte had been struggling with fertility. Severus knew more than he wanted to from her letters but that was Charlotte's nature. He had thought that Cressida had begun to try or that the couple had given up on a second child, based on the lack of mention in the last few letters.

"Thank you. Anyways, it is a secret, for now but Lillian could use the extra attention."

"I'll see what I can do." Severus responded tiredly.

"It's all I ask."

"It's never all you ask of me."

Cressida laughed. "Good night." She simply stated as she apparated.

Severus continued to stare at the flames in contemplation, before finally drinking the rest of his wine and heading to bed.