A/N: I hope you all enjoy this chapter. WARNING it contains RAPE and MURDER.

I woke up in the middle of the night with a sweat breaking on my face and tears forced themselves out of my eyes. I hated when I had these nightmares. I could feel their hands touching me. It sent shivers down my spine and I just couldn't handle sitting there any longer. I got up from my place on the bed and briskly made my way downstairs. I had noticed that my father had fell asleep on the couch so I slowly put a blanket on his cold body and slipped outside into the night air. At first I heard nothing but then I heard voices. I walked to the edge of the porch and ducked down on my knees, not wanting to be noticed.

"I wasn't aware that you had neighbors Severus."

"There has been an older gentleman living there for years. Just recently his daughter, I presume, came into town."

"Ahh a change of scenery then. Perhaps it will be good for you Severus."

"I don't believe so Minerva. I'm not sure but I do believe the girl to be Serah Anderson."

"Oh! That's even better. Have you talked to her? She should have received her letter by now. She is only ten years younger than…"

"Don't you even Minerva!"

"My apologies Severus. I do believe I shall be going. See you in a few weeks then."

And with that I watched the woman disappear into thin air. Not meaning to I let out a gasp and he quickly turned my direction. I quickly covered my mouth and closed my eyes.

"Who's there?!"

I slowly raised myself from the floor of the porch to look at the man who I had defended so many years ago. 'I wonder if he remembers.' It was only then that I was really self-conscious. I knew I probably looked like a total idiot. Either way I slowly made my way off of the porch and walked over to him.

"I was having nightmares so I stepped outside to get some air and accidentally overheard the two of you talking. I apologize for that."

I looked down at the ground the whole time and whenever he didn't respond I slowly looked back up at him and our eyes met. This was growing increasingly awkward so I started to think I should leave.

"Well I think I'm gonna go try to…"

"Nightmares."

"Excuse me?"

"You said you were having nightmares."

"Oh yeah. More like memories than nightmares but yeah."

"Follow me."

I just looked at the man in awe as he walked briskly back to his house. I followed in quick pursuit and walked in and he closed the door behind me. He walked into another room and started pilfering around. I slowly took a seat on one of the chair that was in the front room. He quickly returned with a tray of tea and a little vial of odd looking liquid. He sat down and I slowly took a cup and inhaled.

"Ahh this is Earl…"

"Gray."

"It's my favorite."

I looked at him and flashed a smile.

"Severus? Wait. Can I call you that? Seeing as I got this today."

I slowly placed the letter from Hogwarts on the table.

"I don't see why not. You are not enrolled as of yet so I don't see any issue with it. So pray tell Serah what exactly have you been up too these past twenty years. Last I remember of you, was when you blew those boys away and ran off."

"Wow umm…yeah that was kinda crazy. My dad wanted absolutely nothing to do with me after he found out I was a witch. So my mum left. Me and her took off and moved to America. I completely disregarded my magic as it was highly frowned upon in the community we lived in at the time. So by the time I graduated I had enough money saved up to move out into a bigger city. Shortly after graduation my mum died due to disease and I didn't want to live in a house where she wasn't there. So I moved to California. There I met this amazing guy. He was so kind, caring, and completely selfless. It was love. The week of my twenty fourth birthday he brought me to muggle London and after an amazing romantic dinner he proposed me to me. Of course I said yes. That night we had decided to rent a little cottage. We never slept together or anything. We just relished being in each other's presence. But during the night something really bad happened. People broke into our room and….murdered the man I loved. Right in front of me! And…"

I broke out into hysterical sobs and I knew right then and there that I must have looked like a blubbering idiot. I slowly placed my head in my hands and tried to cover my face.

"You don't have to explain."

My head shot up and I looked at him completely clueless. He muttered a word I couldn't understand and I suddenly felt this tugging on my mind. I knew what he was doing now. To save me from explaining he was looking into my mind. He was seeing my memories. My body started to shutter as I felt the memories replay out before my eyes.

"I love you Serah."

"Aww. I love you too Zane."

We wrapped our arms around each other and was about asleep when all of a sudden the door to the room burst open. People wearing all black and masks came in and pulled us apart. I screamed. Reaching for him and was instantly pulled back and tied on the bed. I tried to fight it but I couldn't break the man's grasp. I watched as they stabbed my fiancé in the stomach. He fell to the floor and blood gushed out of the open wound. I screamed as they continued to stab him over and over until eventually he sunk down. Tears racked my eyes as I felt a blindfold wrap around my eyes. Then I heard it.

"Avada Kedavra!"

I heard Zane scream one more time and then nothing. Just pure silence. For some reason I couldn't even scream.

"No! Please don't!"

"Hush Girl!"

I felt a rough callused hand on my cheek. The hand then traveled down my body. I tried to let out a scream as I felt myself being undressed but nothing would come out of my mouth. I tried to fight the man but let out a shriek of pain once I felt myself being penetrated. It hurt. So much pain went through my body and it never stopped. All I felt was a pain similar to being ripped apart. As much as I wanted to scream I couldn't. I couldn't even see. Whenever the man pulled out of me I was grateful that it was over. That all stopped when I felt a dagger being plunged into my stomach. I could slowly feel the life draining away from away from me as I slowly faded into darkness.

I gasped as I felt Severus pull out of my mind. I could see a look of disdain and surprise on his face but he did his best to hide it. I slowly took another sip of tea.

"I had no clue to this very day how I stayed alive. By all rights I should be…"

"Dead."

Without another word I slowly started to break out into sobs again.

"Severus?"

He looked at me and I just couldn't stop the tears.

"Have you ever….have you ever loved someone so much that you just couldn't imagine life without them? Then they get pried away from you and you're forced to live in this nightmare."

I looked at him slowly and I saw something in his eyes that I couldn't define.

"Yes. I have, and it is not a pleasant feeling. Here take this. It's a potion that should help you sleep. Meet me back here at nine in the morning and I shall take you to Diagon Alley to get what you need for Hogwarts. If you desire to go that is."

"Of course. That sounds terrific. Thank you so much Severus. Have a wonderful night."

With that I got up from my spot in the chair and slowly made my way out of his house and into the night, knowing now that I might actually get a good night sleep.

Severus' POV

After Serah left I couldn't help but play the young girls memories back through. No doubt about it. The girl's fiancé was killed by Death Eaters. I stood up, grabbing the girls file that Minerva had given me just earlier in the day, and apparated to Azkaban. I walked into the building and walked towards the small desk in the middle of the room.

"Ah Professor Snape. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I need to speak to Lucius Malfoy."

"Ah of course. This way sir."

I followed until I was brought to an interrogation room. Lucius was brought into the room the same time I was and we both sat at a small table and was left alone.

"I know that look Severus. What's bothering you my old friend."

I pulled the file out of my cloak and filtered through it till I found a picture of the girl and I laid it down in front of him. He looked at the picture with confusion then recognition crossed his face.

"Do you know who this girl is Lucius?"

"She seems rather familiar."

"Muggle London. Four years ago. Right before the Dark Lord came back. A few other Death Eaters and yourself killed this girl's fiancé, raped her, and left her to die."

He looked at me with surprise in his eyes.

"What does it matter Severus? The girl is dead. Bellatrix stabbed her after I…"

"After you raped her Lucius? On the contrary actually. The girl lives."

"Impossible!"

"She is to attend Hogwarts in the fall. She will be the oldest student we have ever housed in the school. That being said if she were dead it would not be a problem but she is not. She is much alive and in a living hell because of what happened. I'm sure you understand how much your sentence were to change if the girl testified."

I got up from my chair and walked out of the room leaving a very confused Malfoy in the room. Once outside I apparated back to my home in Spinners End and decided to try and get some sleep.

I woke the next morning and quickly started scribbling a letter to Minerva.

Minerva,

I spoke with Ms. Anderson last night shortly after you left and I discovered some rather interesting information. She was engaged to be married, however, her fiancé was murdered by Death Eaters. Somehow she managed to survive being tortured and raped by them. I am taking her to Diagon Alley today to obtain her things for the upcoming term. She has agreed to come to Hogwarts. I will explain more of the situation later but for now I must go.

Severus

I quickly got ready, wearing my normal black teaching robes, and prepared myself for her arrival.

Serah's POV

I decided to wear my emerald green dress today. It was just plain fabric. Not the silky kind or anything fancy. However, it was sleeveless. I wore a silver necklace with an emerald accent that had my initial in the center in silver. I looked myself over in the mirror and twirled. Dang did I look good. I braided my hair over my left shoulder, slipped on my silver strapped sandals and went out the door. Leaving my father a note before I left. I quickly walked over to his house and rapped on the door. He answered rather quickly and I noticed that he kinda just looked at me before asked me to go inside. For some reason all of a sudden I was rather nervous. I quickly brushed if off and braced myself for a day with Severus.