Perviously-

"Why is Snape writing you?" He spat his name.

"Why is Remus writing you?"

Sirius frowned deeper "Fine, I won't try to read your mail. Now why are you going to Durmstrang … and Hogwarts?"

Jessie sighed "To babysit."

Sirius hauled a large trunk from the bedroom, down the hall and into the living room. "Bloody hell, how much crap do you need?"

Jessie looked at him from the couch before applying her glamor charms "I'm going to be gone until Christmas, I need everything."

He sighed "I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I want to go to Hogwarts too."

"You can't" She stood "It's too dangerous."

Sirius frowned "If you can do it, so can I. Roxy can stay with someone if you don't want me to bring her along. Erik can-"

"He has a two month old baby! Roxy would get in the way." She pointed out.

"Your grandma?"

"She hates dogs."

He sighed, looking at her. "I really want this, Jess."

After a moment of thinking she nodded "Alright. Just wait a month so I can find something to do with Roxy."

He nodded and hugged her tightly. "Be careful."

"I always am." She smiled and headed into the fireplace with her trunk, then said seriously. "Please don't burn the house down."

He rolled his eyes "Go." He pushed her into the fireplace.

Jessie walked cautiously through Durmstrang with her trunk, looking around for Kingsley. Finally she found him in front of Karkaroff's office.

"I thought you were going to Hogwarts." He said to her, confused.

"I am." She sat her trunk down. "I just came to make sure you had everything under control."

"He can't be too much trouble." He shrugged "Don't worry about me. It's only a few days until we arrive."

Jessie nodded, suddenly feeling guilty about lying to Sirius. Instead of going to Durmstrang with Kingsley to escort Egor Karkaroff to Hogwarts, she was going straight to Hogwarts. It wasn't something she had planned. It was orders from Fudge, which were given to him by Dumbledore. However, if Sirius knew she was going to be in the same building as Severus he wouldn't have stayed, which is what was best for the moment.

"If anything changes, just let Dumbledore, or me, know." She smiled. "I'll come and save your ass."

Kingsley rolled his eyes. "Go before you get into trouble."

She sighed, hoping the orders had changed. Obviously they didn't.

Jessica apparated outside the gates of Hogwarts where Severus was waiting for her and she saw he appeared to be nervous as he stood leaning on the gate.

The only thing he was thinking about was the letter he wrote. Hopefully it was lost in the mail he kept thinking as he watched Jessie, Jamie rather, walk over to him with her head down slightly, levitating her trunk.

"I'm so sorry I didn't get a chance to reply… to be perfectly honest I haven't gotten a chance to open your letter." She told him quietly, not even bothering with a hello, as she pulled it out of her pocket.

He let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding and took the letter out of her hand. "That's ok."

She raised a brow.

"I wrote it what I was upset with you" He lied coolly. "I didn't mean what I said and what I said was… It would have upset you."

"Oh…" She nodded "I suppose I probably deserve it though."

He sighed softly "No. You've done nothing wrong."

"Well you don't exactly seem thrilled to have me here."

"I'll be happier when you look yourself." He promised.

There was a moment of awkward silence in which they just stood; the only thing they could say was the obvious. Neither really wanted to go there. Severus was surprised when Jessie wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him. He returned it.

"How is your arm?" She finally asked.

"It was darker the other night… but not now." He answered quietly/

There was another pause; they took a step back from each other. "He's coming back, isn't he?" She finally made eye contact.

He saw a flash of worry in her eyes for a small moment. "We don't know that for certain."

"In other words, yes." She sighed, walking through the gate.

He followed her, but said nothing for a while, "Jess doesn't worry. Nothing is going to happen."

"Yeah… you're right." She tried to convince herself. "How was your summer?"

"Same as usual." It was also a lie; he had more things on his mind than usual. "How is the job?"

She shrugged "I don't like it so much."

He raised a brow and looked at her "I thought you would."

"I mean don't get me wrong, I love almost everyone I work with and the idea that I can help a lot of people makes the late nights worth it. But" She shrugged "I don't like people at the ministry outside our department, such as Lucius and Fudge."

"Has Lucius said anything to you?" He asked with a frown.

"I only see him occasionally and when I do I try not to give him a chance, but there is no doubt in my mind that he would. Yaxley is the one I have to watch out for." She muttered the last part, almost hoping he didn't hear.

Severus stopped dead in his tracks. "Yaxley?"

She nodded and stopped as well to look at him "Something wrong?"

"He is- was- a follower."

Jessie tried not to roll her eyes "For some reason I'm not surprised. I think I've learned to pick them out…"

"You could always pick them out." He started walking towards the castle again. "I was the one that couldn't. At least not at first…"

She smiled "That's right, how ironic."

"Indeed." He mused as they entered the castle.

"Did Dumbledore put me in the same rooms?"

He nodded. "Yes, he thinks it would put you at ease knowing I'm just down the hall." He smirked.

She frowned slightly. "He did not say that!"

"Oh I do believe that's what he said."

"How would having you down the hall put me at ease? You tend to come into my bedroom without permission." Jessie said pointedly as they walked down the long corridor to her rooms. "It disrupts my dog." As soon as she said it she mentally kicked herself.

At the word "dog" Severus frowned deeply. "It must be irritating to have to pick up after two mutts now."

She frowned as she reached for the door knob. "I'm not talking about this with-"

"Of course not, your love life isn't any of my business. The last thing I want to hear about is you sleeping with a dog." He spat angrily.

She glared at him as she walked into her room and put her trunk by the bed. "Actually,-"

He cut her off again, walking in and closing the door behind him "As I said before. Don't want to know."

Jessie ignored him and took out her wand to take her glamor charm off. Once she did, Severus's mood almost instantly changed.

"I just don't like to think about him…" He said softly, trailing off, not daring to finish his sentence.

"I know." She replied as she began to unpack, noticing the change in him.

They shared a quick glance. "I'll let you unpack."

She nodded. "I'll see you at dinner probably."

He left, closing the door behind him.

This is going to be a long year again, isn't it? She sighed. "Lovely."

I havent abandoned you guys. Im just straightening out my life. I've hit a rough patch but everything is slowly getting better. I love you guys.

-Laya Luv