Author's Note: The rating on this is going to increase soon, if that is an inconvience I am very sorry. However, this chapter is a transition chapter into the next little bit of excitement, sorry if it isn't quite right...

"You okay, Freshie?"

A few days later Tempus went to the library, still trying to sort things out in her head. She was sitting at a table by herself, looking through old Hogwarts archives, looking for more information on her mother. She was coming up with as many reasons why her mother could have left and what it all meant but mostly she was thinking about her father and how wonderfully horrible it had been to see him cry.

Tempus slowly looked up from her book. It was one of the Weasley twins, although she couldn't be sure which one. His shaggy red hair was windblown obviously from Quidditch practice and his eyes twinkled with laughter. Tempus forced a grin.

"Yeah," she whispered unconvincingly, "I'm fine." The twin broke into a delightful grin and took a seat in front of her.

"Don't ever aspire to act, Freshie, you're posilutely terrible at it," he gave her a wink as he placed his duffle bag on the floor. Tempus didn't bother to argue that she actually was rather good at acting- she just didn't have the energy to put forth the effort. His smile was infectious and she couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks for the advice, but truly, I'm fine." He nodded with mock agreement and lounged back in the chair with his hands cupped behind his head.

"I'm a good listener, you know." Tempus rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. She shut her book and pushed it to side.

"Which one are you, again?" she inquired, aquiring her father's charming sardonic behavior.

The boy gasped with facetious indignation and clutched his heart melodramatically.

"Forgot me, already? Honestly, girlie, get with the program, you've known be for almost a month now and have spoken to me twice now? I'm very disappointed that you didn't know I'm Fred!"

With a smirk, "Fred, then? Let me tell you, Fred, I will immediately get started on learning the differences between the two of you. Let me guess, George has a special freckle or something?"

"Lord no, woman! Us gingers have all kinds of freckles, that would be ridiculous. It's a mole, actually. Right here-" He pointed to a small, round mole near the bend of his arm. Tempus knitted her brow.

"But you have that mole..."

He grinned mischievously.

"I'm only yanking your wand, I am George!"

Rolling her eyes and sighing, Tempus sat back in her chair and crossed her arms moddily.

"Oh aren't you cute," she sneered. George's retort was interrupted by the sound of books crashing to the library floor. Frantic whispering sounds came from the back of the library. Tempus immediately turned to see if Pince had noticed, but surprisingly enough she was going about her business as if she hadn't heard anything. George and Tempus exchanged furtive looks and as quietly as possible, got up from their seats and headed for the back.

Staying a safe distance away, but close enough to hear, Tempus leaned her ear against a book shelf.

"I'm not going!" the first whisper was a girl. She was vehement and obviously unhappy.

"You will do as I say," the second voice was obviously from a grown man. His sounded calm and authorative.

"You can't just come here and yank me out as it pleases you, Father!"

"No one dares stop me, Adrienne, and as you know, I do what ever I deem necessary to get what I want. You are leaving with me and doing as I say, or there will be serious repercussions."

Tempus's eyes bugged out of her head. Adrienne Smith? Tempus peeked over the top of the books and peered into the opposite asle. Adrienne was up against the other bookshelf, clutching her right wrist. Her father had shoved her into the shelf during their argument, causing the books to fall. Adrienne's aqua eyes where enflamed with hatred, but she lowered them to the floor.

Adrienne's whisper dropped, "What else could you possibly do, Father?"

Her father took a step forward, causing Adrienne to wince. He took a deep breath before proceeding in a horrible whisper. The kind that is worse than shouting.

"Here's the deal, Adrienne. You leave with me quietly and when our errand is done you will return, like always. Or I drag you out of here kicking and screaming like an insolent child and you do what I ask and you never return. Either way I get what I want, but if you don't cooperate you will regret that decision, Adrienne."

Adrienne's jaw clenched and her fist balled up.

"Fine," she growled. "Let's go."

George lowered his lips near Tempus' ear.

"What d'you think that was about?"

Tempus found it hard to concentrate on what he said, his warm breath in her ear had sent shivers down her spine.

"Wha..." She turned to look at him, his face was only inches from hers. She hadn't been expecting him to still be so close. Her eyes were immediately drawn to his soft-looking lips.

"You!" A book slammed shut, Tempus and George turned their attention to Madame Pince, glowering at them. "The two of you think you can just sneak around my library, snogging in the privacy of the bookshelves...well I have a rude awakening for the two of you! Fifty points from Gryffindor! Each!" her face was red with anger. Tempus wondered if this anger wasn't so much at the two of them, but at having to turn the other cheek to whatever just occured in her library.

George grabbed Tempus' hand and took off down the asle, but not without shouting a not very convincing apology as he dragged Tempus out of the library. He kept pulling her until they were near the moving staircase.

"Wow," Tempus muttered breathlessly as they waited for the staircase to connect with their floor.

George only grinned and shifted his bag on his back.

"I believe you were asking me about what had happened...with Adrienne?" Tempus said casually as they stepped onto the bottom stair.

"Yeah, d'you know?"

"No, and I don't have any idea...I was kind of hoping you might...I'll ask my father about it."

It appeared that George was going to ask her something, but thought better of it. Good decision, she thought, if he was going to ask about my father. I don't want to talk about him.

"Pigglypuffums," the two of them gave the password at the same time and George smiled at her.

I rather like him, she thought as she walked into the commonroom.

***

"There will be no more talk of Adrienne Smith, do you understand me?"

The moment the question left Tempus' lips, Severus' physically showed discomfort. He was speaking in that low, dangerous register that all his students had come to fear.

"Father, don't you think something should be done? What if Adrienne is being forced into being a Death Eater? She isn't exactly a good person, but you always say that just because someone is bad doesn't mean they are evil. Father, how can you just sit there?!" She was growing impatient with her father's seeming apathy.

"I said that was enough!" he said, raising his voice, "Do not preach to me, Tempus. I do not need for you to twist the blade of guilt. I have no power over what is happening to that girl!"

Tempus didn't understand, but didn't have the courage to ask further. She gritted her teeth and stormed out of his classroom. Severus sighed heavily as he sat down his quill. He couldn't tell her what was going on because then he would have to verbalize it. He would have to admit a part of his dark past, a part of the equation that he had left out. Severus felt trapped in the miserable life he had created for himself and in this life of darkness, Tempus was his only light. He didn't want to lose her.