Disclaimer: Except for some OCs, the characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JKR. This chapter takes place between the timelines of HP and the Chamber of Secrets and HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

It was a sticky July night when Emily left work at St. Mungo's and two members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement greeted her. She inwardly groaned to see Bartemius Crouch and Rufus Scrimgeour.

Scrimgeour spoke. "Mrs. Snape?"

"Yes?"

Crouch consulted his notepad. "The former Emily Smith?"

"That's me."

"You need to come with us." Scrimgeour took Emily's arm and a moment later they were at the Ministry of Magic.

"My husband will worry--"

"We stopped at your home before going to the hospital. They know where you are."

Severus was in the questioning room to which they brought her. Mad Eye Moody was also there, a grin of delight on his face as he looked at the professor. "Here, we are, all cozy."

Emily opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but at a look from her husband shut it again. Moody noticed, anyway. "Curious, Mrs. Snape? Wondering why we've brought you down here?"

Severus shrugged and answered blandly, "It had crossed my mind to wonder, and I'm sure my wife is wondering, as well."

"She's a quiet one, isn't she? We're curious about her associations."

"I don't have any associations outside of my husband, daughter and mother, people I work with, and those I see when school is in session at Hogwarts," Emily stated calmly.

"Aren't you leaving one out?" asked Moody. He leaned toward Emily and asked conspiratorially, "Would you rather have your husband leave the room?"

Emily leaned away from the Auror and reached for her husband's hand. "I have no secrets from my husband, if that's what you mean. We've been close since we were children."

Severus cleared his throat and glowered at the Auror. "Is there a point to all of this, Moody?"

"We were curious about Mrs. Snape's boyfriend, Sirius Black." Crouch's voice came from across the room.

"He's my former boyfriend, Mr. Crouch," Emily corrected. "I haven't seen him since sometime in the summer of 1981. That's, what, twelve years ago?"

"You haven't seen him, but have you heard from him?" Mr. Crouch leaned forward in his chair.

"Of course not. Why would I hear from him?"

"Are you saying you have not received any contact from him since he went to Azkaban?"

"I'm saying I have not received any contact from him since even before then."

"How about you?" asked Moody. "Have you contacted him?"

"Of course not!"

"Have you tried to contact him?"

"For what? I have had neither contact with Sirius Black, nor any interest in contact with him."

Moody shifted his attention to Severus. "How about you, Professor?"

"I am no friend of Sirius Black. I have had as little to do with the man as I can get away with. Had I run across him twelve years ago, Azkaban would have one less prisoner."

Crouch looked uncomfortable. "As it happens, Azkaban does have one less prisoner. Black has escaped." Emily and Severus looked at each other, shock in their eyes, as he continued, "Do you know where he might be?"

Emily shook her head. "I never kept track of where he went or lived after my marriage."

Moody peered at her with his good eye. "So you won't mind if we stake out your flat?"

Emily shrugged. "That apartment has not been in my possession since Severus started teaching at Hogwarts. It doesn't trouble me in the least."

The Auror and the Ministry Official left the room. Severus shifted his chair so that he could put an arm around his wife's shoulders and kissed her temple. "Hope is at your mother's terraced house with her. They should be fine."

"But if Sirius comes looking for either of us?"

"Why would he look for us? If he was helping the Dark Lord find and kill Potter, then he will look for Potter, not us. It's more important that someone catch him and give him the justice he deserves."

Emily's eyes started to glaze over. "You were right, all those years ago... I never should have dated him. I should have kept him out of my life."

"No one could have known what it would have led to. If Black has done something, then it is Black who is to blame and Black who should pay the price," Severus said harshly.

They sat quietly, leaning on each other, not saying much. About an hour later, Remus Lupin was shown into the room and they were all locked in, together. Shortly after that, Albus Dumbledore came through the door and sat down with them.

"The whole thing is cleared up. Severus, you and Emily may go back to your home until it is time to return for the term. Remus, you will come with me tonight."

"Headmaster..." said Remus.

"I'm sorry, Remus, we cannot argue this point any longer. You will be the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor this year. I can secure your release on my word that I will keep an eye on you and will prevent you from helping Sirius."

"Albus, I must protest!" said Severus.

"Severus, I know both reasons you have for protesting and you know one is somewhat petty. The other is a valid concern, but not when we have a Potions Master who is able to make Wolfsbane Potion." He held up his hand as he saw Severus open his mouth. "I will be willing to discuss all of your concerns later, Severus. Right now, the main thing is to make sure the students will be well protected. Having someone on staff who knew Sirius Black better than anyone else living will be to our benefit."

The Headmaster turned on his heel, leading Lupin from the room. Severus and Emily followed, heading home to their daughter and the rest of their Summer Holidays. It had been far too long an evening.

Emily was chilled to the bone by the time Severus got her to her mother's house. He led her up to their bedroom and put a blanket around her. She was still unresponsive, so he sat on the bed and pulled her close.

"Emily, why do you have this look in your eye? What is the matter?"

"I was just remembering the other time we were questioned at the Ministry about Sirius. And... I remembered the things that happened then." Her voice sounded quiet and far away.

"You mean when we got back to Hogwarts? Emily, I'm so sorry--"

She answered quickly. "No, not that, I was remembering all the losses. The Potters, the Longbottoms, the Prewetts, Marcus..."

"Isn't that why we're so grateful to be here, together?"

"What about..." She wasn't sure how to say it. "What if he's trying to help bring You-Know-Who back? It was so difficult with Quirrell always looking at me, but I never thought he would overpower me. What if Sirius were to try to--" She couldn't say it.

"I don't think the Dark Lord would possess him the way he did with Quirrell. Quirinus was a reluctant servant, I think. A loyal servant would not be treated that way. I think you are safe from the Dark Lord's advances through that route and you have proven yourself quite safe from Black's advances in the past. The picture they showed us lacked even the dubious charm he used to have so I doubt you are in much danger of seduction, Emily."

He could feel that some warmth had come back to her hands as she touched his face. They undressed and got into bed together. Severus held and caressed his wife, willing her temperature back to normal. At some point in the night she reached for him and he made love to her gently and tenderly, as though she might break.

A/N: For those of you who are still subscribed to my finished story, "Year Between," I apologize for the mix up. I was in a pregnant fog yesterday and tried twice to attach chapter 41 to the wrong story, succeeding once, hence the alert to a chapter that doesn't exist. I'm really sorry about that.

Thank you, readers, and especially reveiwers Istani, Babington, angstycryingbaby47, debjunk, excessivelyperky, and williammoseleysgirl.

A special thanks to Mark Darcy, who beta reads and provides a good sounding board to my issues with the canon.