Italics are memories. I think you probably already figured that out but for those of you who haven't, the Italics are the memories that Elizabeth is remembering. The ones that appear in a normal paragraph are thoughts and others are for emphasis. I think you're all intelligent and educated to know the differences. Enjoy!

Elizabeth looked out over the stars, pulling her robes close from the cold. It was late at night, the castle was all asleep while she found herself unable. She had finished all her grading, went over her lesson plans for the rest of the week yet sleep still would not come. Deciding that a night walk might help, she had found herself walking across the grassy lawn towards the lake. She grinned, seeing that even the squid was able to sleep.

She was standing beneath a willow tree, her head looking up towards the sky, so she didn't see him approach. His steps were silent, his movements smooth. His wand was already in his hand and Elizabeth screamed when a hand covered her mouth and her body was pushed into the tree trunk.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" He hissed. Elizabeth stopped struggling and blinked. It was Severus Snape! She pulled his hand from over her mouth.

"It's me you idiot!" She hissed in return. His face, before filled with anger and rage, flashed in an instant to recognition. There was also the briefest show of embarrassment before it returned to anger.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing out here? At this time of night?"

"I can ask the same of you professor." She pushed him away from her. Severus straightened and Elizabeth rubbed her arms, which had gotten scratched against the tree's bark.

"Do you make it a habit to attack and interrogate fellow staff members in the middle of the night?"

"Do you make it a habit to be walking around in the dark in the middle of a war?" Was his reply. Elizabeth felt her shoulders stiffen. It was so easy to forget the outside world while here at Hogwarts. Lord Voldemort was one of the last things on her mind during the school term.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I couldn't sleep." She replied, pulling her robe closer. He raised a brow at her.

"So you chose to go for a mid night stroll in the dark?"

"I was looking at the stars."

He rolled his eyes with a sigh but she noted how he gave the stars a small glance before looking at her again. She shivered in the soft wind.

"I see you forgot all common sense." He shrugged his cloak from his shoulders and offered it to her. She thought to refuse but then, he was showing her some kindness in the small act. She had been teaching here long enough to know that the man had a reputation of being hard and cruel. No one ever spoke of him having any kindness in him.

"Thank you." She pulled the cloak close around her and turned her head back up to the stars. She sighed, smiling softly. "It's a beautiful night."

"It is the same as any other." He retorted. Elizabeth glanced at him.

"Pardon me professor but can't you just enjoy something to simply enjoy it? Other then criticize those of us who try to enjoy our lives despite the hardships in them?"

"And what hardships do you know?"

She frowned at his tone, for it implied that her hardships were nothing compared to his.

"Everyone has hardships. They are different for all of us."

"So you have none."

"No." She shook her head and looked at the lake. She watched how the surface rippled, making it appear that the stars were winking at her. "I just choose to keep them private. To myself. Albus Dumbledore might think they need to be shared but he doesn't understand that some of us, can't depend on others to be trusted. That not all of us are capable to allowing others in."

Silence fell between them.

"He tells me the same."

Elizabeth turned her head to look at him and he continued.

"He thinks that, I should share what I am going through so that it will be easier on me and my psyche. I too believe that it is hard to find trust in others that you can depend on. He and Minerva are the only ones I would dare think to allow such information to fall on."

"It must be hard though."

"Is it?" He asked her. She smiled, looking at the sky again.

"I know my hardships aren't like yours' professor. We don't need to pretend and tally up the score here. I know of your roles in our world and what that must demand of you. With the war and all."

"And what do you know?"

"I know that if anyone deserves a keeper of trust, it's you." She met his eyes. He was frowning, something she was thinking was his natural response to most things. She laughed softly. "I know things that have been entrusted to me and aren't things I would announce here, standing in the open when a Death Eater could be overhearing in a bush."

They fell silent, each to their own thoughts. Severus turned towards the castle.

"I will escort you back to the castle then professor."

"My father past away today."

Severus met her eyes and she smiled weakly.

"We were close." She swallowed. "Momma says it was quick. Painless." She sighed. "I just wished I could of been there. To say good bye. To have closure."

She turned to the castle and he escorted her in silence to her rooms before parting on his separate way.

"Elizabeth! You should be resting!" Protested Minerva, standing. Elizabeth waved her off as she sat down for breakfast in the Great Hall. Severus had already tried to get her to stay in their rooms to rest but if she rested anymore, Elizabeth would go crazy. As she firmly told Severus so.

"I'm fine Minerva. Besides, maybe working will help me recall quicker."

"There's nothing to rush dear."

"I know. I know. I just need to be doing something."

Minerva didn't look happy about it but Severus gave her a look telling her not to argue with Elizabeth and Elizabeth knew she won. She smirked. She liked how Severus quickly ended some battles before they got annoying quickly.

"Have you reviewed your teaching plans?" asked Severus.

"Yes. I found them in my office. Headless Nick was kind enough to point them out to me." She poured herself some orange juice before she poured Severus some as well. She blinked, realizing what she had done and how Severus hadn't reacted in anyway. Did she usually pour him juice in the mornings?

"I don't think I forgot anything about teaching. I can recall all my other teaching positions."

"Like riding a bike, as the Muggles say." Said Severus, turning the page to his newspaper. Elizabeth frowned at him.

"Do I usually pour you juice in the mornings?"

Severus frowned at her before looking in his cup. He hadn't even realized what he was drinking. He shrugged.

"I suppose you do. Must be your Severus Health Project flaring up again."

"My Severus Health what?"

He smirked leaning towards her.

"The Severus Health Project. During your first year of teaching here, you made it your personal mission to see to it that I was eating healthy and not walking the castle at late hours of the night."

"Why did I do that?" She asked, leaning forward. He grinned.

"Because I rarely ate, I stayed up all night, was addicted to Pepper Up to get through my classes and you were terrified the first time you saw me after a revile meeting."

"Revile meeting?"

It was a cold, stormy, raining night. Elizabeth was unable to sleep again and was walking the castle corridors.

I wonder where Professor Snape is? He's always sending me back to my rooms.

Elizabeth froze, hearing a groan coming from the shadows. She griped her wand.

"Who's there?"

Whoever it was groaned louder and in an attempt to stand, crumbled to the floor at her feet. She gasped as the dark wizard was covered in blood, his robes burnt and torn.

"Professor! Oh Merlin, what has happened to you?"

She fell to her knees, turning him over. His face twisted in pain and she looked him over.

"Oh Severus, what have you done to yourself?" He looked near to death. To make matters worse, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he became a dead weight in her lap.

"Severus? Severus!"

Elizabeth shook herself, blinking. The Great Hall was empty and Severus was giving her an odd look.

"Are you alright?" He asked. She turned to him wide eyed before she grabbed his left arm. Severus, taken by surprise, didn't react quick enough and she was able to pull his sleeve up. She blinked before touching the pale skin. There was no snake tattoo.

"But you were... you were..?"

"I am a former Death Eater." He confirmed. "My scar faded after Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord in the Final Battle."

She looked at him. "I remember. One night...you were so hurt." Tears filled her eyes in remembrance and she welcomed the arms that pulled her close for comfort.

"Oh Severus! It was so hard seeing you in such pain!"

"I know love. It's alright. It's all over." He gently rocked her.

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