A/N: I hate when bunnies do not cooperate. I've tried repeatedly (since I last updated) to get Harry/Luna in here and only managed to get some hints at it. However, with the big question now answered (in this chapter) of why I saved Albus Dumbledore out of the way, I can get on with what I was trying to accomplish with this story again. Harry/Luna lovers, stay tuned for the teaser at the end for the next chapter. As always, enjoy, loves.

Trials and Tribulations

With his hand in hers, they walked down the deserted corridor towards the moving staircases. For months they had worn their masks. So, now not having that layer of protection, it felt strange to him. He would be Severus once more. Severus the traitor, that was.

"Ah, Headmaster, there you are," Sir Nicholas, the Gryffindor ghost, suddenly announced as he and the other apparitions floated in the hallway before them. He gave a curt smile towards the both of them before he returned to his business-like tone. "The Aurors are requesting a brief meeting prior to attending the party, sir."

Severus held back his scoff. Of course the Aurors wanted to do this now of all times.

"Shall we inform them that you are otherwise occupied?" asked the Gray Lady.

He glanced towards his wife before he shook his head. "No." He was done lying. He wanted to live in the light again.

"Then, we'll escort them to your office, along with the others." The Friar inclined his head briefly before he and the other ghosts quickly flew off through a wall.

"I apologize—"

"Don't, Severus," Aurora quietly replied, rubbing the back of his hand tenderly. "You have nothing to apologize for. We knew this would happen eventually."

Unfortunately she was right. They did know his past would be brought up once more. It didn't make it any easier, though. He turned away and glanced out the window, sighing quietly.

"You did nothing wrong, Severus," she softly reminded.

This time he did scoff. There was the woman he married, the eternal optimist who would forgive him even if he tried to kill her. Well, perhaps not then, but she did have an annoying habit of forgiving him when others, for good reason, would not.

"You didn't." She then gently grabbed a hold of his face and turned his head back so he'd be looking at her. "Everything that happened can be attributed to Albus and his moronic Greater Good excuse. You did nothing wrong."

He turned his head a bit more before gently kissing her palm. He felt the change in her instantly and knew she understood. He wouldn't continue this ongoing argument of theirs. As her hands fell to her side, he waited for a moment, hesitating slightly, before he grabbed her hand once more. He could feel the tension in her before she finally sighed resignedly and followed him to the Headmaster's office.

Now situated in the Headmaster's office, Severus calmly regarded the other occupants as they entered the large room. He had expected the Aurors and Albus for obvious reasons. He had not, however, expected the current Heads of Houses walking in behind them.

With his wife sitting by his side, Severus remained perfectly neutral as he waited for everyone else to take their seats at the large table. A part of him wished he could spare Aurora the pain that they would endure, but he knew she'd be stubborn like always and refuse his request.

"Before we begin, is there anything either of you need? Water? Food?" Kingsley, the former Auror, asked, his dark eyes resting on Aurora briefly before darting back to Severus.

"If either of us needs anything, we will call on the elves, Minister Shacklebolt," Aurora replied sharply, giving him an annoyed look.

"Kingsley, please," Shacklebolt corrected gently, giving her a pleasant smile. "But duly noted." He then motioned towards the dark-haired, middle-aged man beside him.

"I'm Auror Hawkins, and this is my colleague Auror Mateo." The dark-haired man motioned to a muscular, dark-skinned man sitting on his other side.

"Just ask your damn questions so we can get this over with once and for all."

Severus bit his tongue to keep from saying anything to his wife. He understood her frustration. He shared the same fears, but it wouldn't do any good to snap at the Aurors clearly.

"Of course, ma'am," Auror Hawkins replied calmly, seemingly brushing off her harsh words. "We'll try to make this as painless as possible."

When she scoffed instantly, Severus squeezed his wife's hand sharply. He caught her surprised look when she glanced at him before she turned away a moment later.

"What would you like to know?" Severus asked soon after.

"Tell us about the events leading up to that day on the Astronomy tower in 1997."

"Concerning the Order?" Severus inquired, keeping his eyes firmly on Hawkins.

"No." Hawkins then leaned forward slightly. "We would like to know how it was possible that you and Professor Dumbledore were able to convince so many of us of his death."

"Not many people could pull that off. Especially not after his being in an already weakened state to begin with," Auror Mateo added on, his dark eyes locked on Severus.

"Prior to his meeting with Mister Potter, Professor Dumbledore drank an elixir that contained Re'em and dragon blood. It allowed him to gain the necessary strength to heal himself if need be."

"This was a potion you brewed for him?"

"Yes," Severus answered honestly. "At the start of the year after his hand had been injured severely, he gave me the instructions for said-potion and stated that I should wait with it until he called upon me to administer it. I was unaware of its effects at the time."

"And you didn't attempt to discover these effects for yourself while you were waiting?"

"No. I had more important things to deal with at the time."

"That would be young Mister Malfoy, correct?" Hawkins inquired.

"It would, yes." Severus nodded slowly. "Professor Dumbledore asked me to keep an eye on the young man after his mother came to see me that summer at my home."

"Where you made the Unbreakable Vow."

"Yes."

"And where were you, ma'am, during all of this? The night Professor Dumbledore supposedly was murdered by your husband, I mean?" Auror Mateo asked, turning his full attention to Aurora a moment later.

"If you're suggesting that I—"

"Ma'am, I'm not suggesting anything," Mateo replied, his voice gentle and soothing. "I'm merely asking about your whereabouts during this time to establish a clear timeline."

Aurora regarded him suspiciously for a moment before she finally answered. "I was asleep."

"In your rooms?" Mateo prodded.

"No. In my husband's."

The two Aurors nodded slightly before they continued.

"Prior to your arrival in the Astronomy Tower that night, you were in your rooms with her?" Hawkins asked, turning back to Severus.

"Only until she fell asleep, yes. After that, I went to my office to mark exams."

Mateo then glanced towards Dumbledore. "When did you take the potion you instructed him to brew for you, sir?"

"Two hours before I returned to the Astronomy Tower with young Harry."

As Mateo wrote something down, Hawkins picked up the line of questioning. "Since we know now that you didn't use the Killing Curse on Professor Dumbledore, maybe you can enlighten us on what you did use."

"I modified the Petrificus Totalus charm. When it hit him, it put him into a dormant state temporarily, similar to a coma I suppose."

"Witnesses stated that you blasted him off the tower, however, sir."

Severus nodded. "And they would be correct. I did. However, as mentioned earlier, he had taken an elixir that had been infused with Re'em and dragon blood."

"In other words, when I hit the ground, I was badly hurt, yes, but physically I was stronger than I had been previously," Dumbledore added, picking up where Severus stopped.

"According to Mister Potter's own recollection, though, sir, you were in a weakened state as a result of the liquid you had consumed prior to arriving back at Hogwarts."

"Yes and no," Dumbledore replied with a listless shrug. "I had been weakened when I was with Harry, yes, but once Severus had casted his spell on me, my body didn't require as much energy as it had before."

"You expect us to believe this?" Mateo said with a scoff.

"What you expect to believe and what you do believe are entirely up to you, young man."

Mateo pursed his lips before he shook head.

"Would Madam Pomfrey not have discovered these measures upon her examination?" Hawkins asked a moment later.

"Likely, but it would have required her to have been willing to look for them, I'm afraid." Dumbledore gave the dark-haired Auror a faint smile. "And, unfortunately, Poppy has always had a soft spot in her heart for me, so she'd have not wanted to disturb me any more than necessary."

"In other words, you knew she wouldn't do a complete exam of you."

"Precisely," Dumbledore replied with a curt nod.

Hawkins frowned before his face returned to its neutral pose. His dark eyes then returned to Severus. He clearly didn't seem to be liking the answers he was hearing.

"Did Professor Dumbledore ask you to kill him?"

"Yes." Severus then drew in a slow breath, the weight slowly coming off him. "Repeatedly." He felt Dumbledore's blue eyes dart to him instantly.

"Why? What was his reasoning?"

"The initial injury to his hand was a result of a dark curse that would slowly spread throughout his entire body over the course of time. He asked me to kill him to spare him the pain and give him some form of dignity over his death." Severus closed his eyes when he felt Aurora rub the back of his hand once more. The anger that he had thought he had left long behind for Dumbledore's callousness for his own well being was still there even to that day. "And between a sixteen-year-old boy who had yet to commit such dark sins as I had—well, I was the obvious choice for his executioner."

"But you didn't kill him," Hawkins stated firmly.

"I did not."

"Why?"

Severus felt Dumbledore's eyes become even more glued onto him. He knew what the old man was thinking, what he was hoping Severus would say. But he was done with that life. So done with it.

"Was it on his orders that you did not kill him? That you would instead fake his death?"

"No." Severus did his best to ignore the piercing blue eyes that were likely commanding him to remain quiet. He raised his head up a bit higher. "I chose not to rip my soul apart any further than it had already been," he answered, his voice firm and steady. "He wished me to kill him. To give him a martyr's death. It was the only way he believed we could achieve success."

"You disagreed, though."

"Unequivocally."

"So he asked you to use an Unforgivable on him and you refused?"

"Yes." Only then did he feel Dumbledore's eyes move away from him.

"I take it you weren't pleased with his decision," Mateo stated quietly.

"I was not," Dumbledore replied, "but he was correct in the end. There had been another way."

"The curse that was in your system, what happened to it afterwards?"

"Once everything had settled down at Hogwarts and I was buried, Severus returned to retrieve me and end the spell. Prior to my waking, however, he removed my hand and spelled my Phoenix Fawkes' tears into me to rid my body of the curse." Dumbledore sighed heavily. "Something of which Severus had suggested to me repeatedly over the year."

"What occurred after that?"

"My plans had to be altered obviously. He needed to become Headmaster to ensure that the children would be protected. That could only be achieved if I remained out of the way. So I used one of the empty canvases and spelled myself into it whenever necessary to ensure that the charade of my death was maintained."

Severus heard Aurora's soft intake of breath, recognizing it immediately as a sign that she finally understood something.

"To maintain the illusion on my end," Severus continued, saying aloud what his wife had realized, "I restricted access to the Headmaster's office once I was named headmaster."

"There was an incident of students breaking—"

Severus frowned and inclined his head, recalling that incident perfectly. He had never felt so off guard as he had that day.

"Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood, and Mister Longbottom, yes. They had broken into the office to steal the Sword of Gryffindor. I caught them in the act and sent them to detention with Rubeus Hagrid, whom I knew would keep them safe for the time being."

"Were you allowed to see your husband during this time, ma'am?" Hawkins asked quietly.

"I saw him in passing a few times, but we kept our distance." Aurora then sighed, shaking her head. "The longest time we spent together last year before . . . then was two hours." The silence settled around them soon after for a while as no one spoke.

Mateo finally broke the silence after a few minutes had passed.

"On May 1, when the Death Eaters were summoned, what did you do?" he asked Severus.

"I knew that Harry had to be near after the Carrow twins summoned the Dark Lord. And as it was vital that I gave him the last piece of the puzzle Professor Dumbledore had intentionally held back, I did my best to find him quickly as possible," Severus answered. "However, I was met with opposition." Filius and Minerva instantly hung their heads.

"We thought he was one of them. We didn't . . . if we had known . . ." Filius sighed quietly, his eyes still downcast as his hands remained folded on top of the table.

"Yes, it would seem that would be for everyone unfortunately," Kingsley stated with a sigh.

"Who came across—?"

"I did," Minerva piped up. "I came across Mister Potter and Miss Lovegood inside Ravenclaw Tower after letting Amycus Carrow inside. After we subdued the Carrow twins, Mister Potter informed me that Albus had given him a mission to find certain objects and that . . . Voldemort was on his way to the castle."

"Which is when you three attempted to gather the rest of the staff?"

"More or less, yes. It was on our way to evacuate the castle that we ran across Severus, who had been following us."

Mateo's eyes darted to him.

"As I said before, it was imperative that I tell Harry the truth," Severus explained.

"Which was what exactly?" Hawkins asked quietly.

He closed his eyes briefly before he inhaled slowly and reopened his eyes. "That in order to defeat the Dark Lord and destroy the Horcrux inside himself, Harry would have to sacrifice himself to the Dark Lord in the end." The ugly silence filtered around them again, causing Severus's insides to knot horribly. He felt the knowing eyes on him, waiting to see if he'd reveal all. After all, that wasn't the only thing he had revealed to the boy. As the terrible silence continued, he found that it was harder to maintain his composure. He had to tell them. He had to tell them everything. Even if a certain someone didn't want it revealed ever. Drawing in a short breath, Severus continued, "That up until that point everything Harry had known in his life was a lie orchestrated by Albus Dumbledore." There were several sharp intakes around the room, but Severus merely went on. "Professor Dumbledore had known the minute he had left Harry with his Muggle aunt and her family that the boy would experience a lifetime of hell with them." Severus caught Minerva's eyes immediately and saw that she too had objected to the boy's placement long ago. "In fact, once the boy arrived to Hogwarts and it was clear that he showed classic signs of abuse, Professor Dumbledore still refused to remove Harry from their care over the objections of several members of his own staff."

"Is this true, sir?" Mateo inquired, his dark eyes locked on Dumbledore.

Dumbledore remained silent for a few moments before sighing. "I was misguided, yes."

"Misguided?" Severus sneered, his anger quickly taking hold. When he caught his mentor's eyes, he scoffed and shook his head. The old man clearly hadn't learned a damn thing. Well, Severus could fix that. "You knew what scars would be left as a result of their 'loving' care. You knew and did nothing. Nothing! Because you wanted him to sacrifice himself, to choose death, without knowing if he'd ever make it back to his friends in the end."

"Severus," Dumbledore quietly warned.

"You raised him like a pig for slaughter! As if his life didn't matter!" Severus was shaking with anger now. "As if he was a chess piece in your stupid godforsaken game! Well, guess what, Albus? He won! He survived. Just like the rest of us you've used over the years with our scars that we received because of you and your goddamn quest for the Greater Good."

"Everything I did, I did for—"

"For yourself!" Severus snarled.

"No," Dumbledore replied sharply. "I made mistakes, yes. I don't deny that, Severus. But I did not think that Harry didn't matter. Quite the opposite actually."

"You left him in their care after knowing what they were doing to him."

"But he still called it home, Severus."

"Because that was the only home he knew!" he snapped back. "If he had been placed elsewhere—"

"If he had been placed elsewhere, the protection Lily placed on him would not have worked."

"You said it yourself, though, that the moment the Dark Lord used Harry's blood to resurrect himself, he increased the bond. Harry could have gone elsewhere after his fourth year. As I had suggested and which you blatantly ignored because it didn't fall into your perfect plan!"

"He needed—"

"Love! He needed someone all to himself who loved him, Albus, and you knew that. That's why you denied the frequent requests from the Weasleys, Black, and myself to care for him."

Dumbledore's blue eyes softened sadly. "If he'd had someone as you suggested, Severus, it would have made that decision even harder in the end. You know this."

"There was another way, Albus."

"Perhaps."

Severus glared at him, his jaw locked firmly closed.

"So," Hawkins cut in, steering the conversation back in the right direction a few moments afterwards, "you told Mister Potter the truth before he walked into the forest."

"Not face-to-face, but, yes." Severus sighed, finally breaking his death glare he had locked on Albus. "I gave him vital memories he would need, as I was unable to speak at the time due to a result of injuries I sustained."

"Which would be from the snake Nagini, correct?" Mateo stated.

"Yes." He inhaled slowly, feeling a slight pinch of pain in his neck at hearing the name. "I had returned a few minutes after I had initially fled the castle."

"Why?"

Severus felt Aurora's hand flinch instinctively and sighed as a result. "I returned to find my wife and get her to safety." He watched Mateo and Hawkins nod slowly. "Once I had found her, I Apparated us to our cottage, instructing her to remain there as I returned to find Harry."

"But I didn't listen," Aurora stated quietly. "I Apparated back to the castle, specifically Severus's office. I just, I wanted to find him. To know he was safe. I, I thought at the time that if I didn't return to Hogwarts, I'd be a . . . a widow for sure in the end. I needed to know."

"Forgive me, but wouldn't the anti-Apparation wards around Hogwarts have prevented this?" Hawkins asked, giving them a look.

"Normally, yes, but not in this case clearly," Albus answered, drawing the attention back onto himself. "Hogwarts is a living breathing entity. At least so I have always considered it to be." He gave a soft sad smile. "The castle likely admitted her because it knew her heart and intentions were pure. That she meant no harm but to those who would harm Hogwarts and its children."

The Aurors nodded slowly.

"When you arrived in your husband's office, what happened?"

"I found it empty." Sighing softly, she continued. "Which didn't last long because two Death Eaters entered a few minutes after I had arrived." She glanced down, biting her bottom lip.

The memories quickly flashed in Severus's mind, allowing him to know what was going on with her. She was still understandably shaken by that encounter. But who wouldn't after losing a child?

"And a duel ensued between you," Hawkins politely offered after a few moments had passed and she still had said nothing.

"Yes. Which, um . . ." Her voice faltered again, and she quickly tried to regain her composure. "I gained the upper hand on Dolohov, but lost it with Travers. I . . . I don't remember much after that."

"You have no recollection of how Antonin Dolohov and Michael Travers died?" Mateo inquired.

Severus noticed his wife's blink of surprise.

"They died?" she whispered.

He then caught the Aurors quick looks between one another and frowned. In all the time that had passed, he hadn't thought about that either. He had just been glad he and Aurora had survived.

"Do you know who found you afterwards, ma'am?"

She seemed to think for a moment before she shook her head. That was another thing he hadn't thought to ask himself.

"I see." Hawkins's frown deepened instantly.

"Forgive me for asking," Severus spoke up in order to regain their attention, "but what difference does it make who found her exactly?" He caught the Aurors' eyes and held their challenging gazes. "She was not a part of this. Any of it. I assure you of that. Everything, Professor Dumbledore's supposed-death and my double-agent status, all of it can be attributed back to my choices. Not hers."

"That may be, sir," Mateo replied, "but there were mysterious circumstances surrounding your wife that demand answers."

Shacklebolt quickly cleared his throat before he spoke. "Perhaps we should take a break, hmm?"

"What sorts of 'mysterious circumstances?" Severus repeated, brushing off Shacklebolt's weak attempt at diffusing the situation.

"I take it after you were released from St. Mungo's and returned to Hogwarts, you inspected your office, yes?"

Severus's eyes narrowed. "I did."

"Then you saw to what I'm referring to, sir."

"It had nearly been a month before he was released. The repairs were already well underway by then," Minerva cut in, clearly knowing just what it was the Aurors were asking. "Whatever horrific things found in his office had already been removed and cleaned up."

Severus's head snapped towards Minerva. What on Earth was she talking about?

"I don't understand." Aurora glanced at her husband, clearly confused. "What's he talking about, Severus? What things?"

"Ma'am, may I remind you that you are under oath?" Mateo reiterated quietly, his eyes resting on Aurora. "Now, I ask you again. Do you recall the deaths of—?"

"I think we've covered this topic quite enough for one day," Shacklebolt interrupted once more, giving the two Aurors a stern look.

"Minister!" they cried.

"You received your answers concerning this earlier. She stated that she didn't recall how they died. Which, honestly, is understandable given the events and the trauma she endured. Don't you agree?" Shacklebolt replied, crossing his arms. The Aurors remained silent. "So, let's move on to more recent events."

Hawkins sighed rather resigned and inclined his head.

"Concerning you and your husband's whereabouts for the past few months, ma'am, isn't it true that the both of you intentionally—" Mateo started before he was cut off yet again.

"Are you seriously that mental? All of you?" Pomona asked outraged.

"Professor Sprout, please," Mateo calmly replied.

"If you believe they hatched some sinister plan to overthrow the Ministry or some other horrendous act while pretending to be students, then you are the ones who should be under investigation, not them," Minerva snapped.

"Exactly," Filius piped up to say.

"Of all the things . . ." Horace Slughorn said in clear disgust. "Next, you'll be rounding up all the Slytherins just because of which house they belonged to."

"That's not—" Mateo and Hawkins tried to argue.

"They lost a child. Have you two forgotten that?" Minerva spat out. "A child they had to hide from the world. Pretend that didn't exist out of fear of what others would think. And what do you do instead of letting them grieve after losing said-child?" Minerva pointed her fingers at the two Aurors. "You send subpoena after subpoena after them and hound them, you and the press, all because you want answers to questions we've already answered for you!" She scoffed. "It's no wonder they hid behind masks and pretended to be students here. They just wanted to be left alone for once. To heal. To finally be free of all of us and our petty thoughts."

"Be as that may be, Professor McGonagall, they did willfully attempt to cover—"

"I think we're done here," Shacklebolt interrupted, standing up.

"Sir, need I point out that we are here to—"

"To learn the truth, and we learned it, Auror Mateo," Shacklebolt replied, holding the other man's gaze. "There is no sinister plot going on here. There is only a couple who is grieving for the loss of their child in their own way, clinging to the only way possible to heal out of the public's eye. That's all this is. Unless you believe I have it wrong?"

Hawkins sighed quietly. "No, sir."

"Then, we have all we need."

"Yes, sir."

"Good. So, let's finally leave them in peace." Shacklebolt then slowly approached Aurora and Severus, who quickly stood up. With the other two Aurors on their best behavior now, the Minister began in his usual formal tone. "On behalf of the Ministry of Magic, I would like to apologize for the obvious witch hunt that was brought against the both of you these past few months and furthermore for bringing the regrettably painful reminders of the past up again. It's understandable to me why you would resort to such drastic measures, considering to which lengths my Ministry unfortunately went in order to uncover the suspected truth. There was no ill will here from either of you, just as I knew it would be learned." He sighed heavily, his eyes closing briefly in obvious sadness. "One's perception of the truth does not always mean it is the actual truth. Sometimes it's just . . . a mask meant to protect loved ones." He then turned towards the Aurors before he turned back. "Based on the results and what we learned here today, it is clear what happened. While the method was extreme, the point is clearly heard. Neither one of you deserve to be hounded as you were during such a painful time. Nor did either of you deserve to have to hide your true selves away." He shook his head. "No one should have to hide his love for another. And certainly no one should have to justify that love either. The charges of obstruction of justice is hereby dropped for both of you."

"Minister Shacklebolt, I object," Hawkins declared.

"Look at them, Hawkins. Really look at them. Do they look like they give a damn about who the hell is in charge of the Ministry right now?" Hawkins remained silent. "As Minerva said earlier, we were given our answers by the others. They've given us all the answers we need to make our case. Now, do you disagree with my findings?"

Hawkins sighed again, shaking his head. "I do not."

"Good." Shacklebolt then caught Aurora's gaze. "Then we'll take our leave."

The two Aurors quickly said their goodbyes before they turned and headed for the doors with Shacklebolt. Severus's eyes followed them the entire way, his mind working out the mysteries they had left behind. What had this all been about exactly? What case were they trying to make? He glanced briefly towards the others and watched the Heads of Houses and Albus quietly leave as well.

"Severus?" Aurora softly said once they were alone.

"I'm at a loss as well, Celes," he replied with a frown. "But we're going to find out." He held his hand out to her and gave her a faint smile when she took it without any hesitation. Within a second, they had vanished from the room and reappeared in the entrance hall, a few feet behind Minister Shacklebolt and the two Aurors who were making their way for the doors as curious students looked on from the doors to the Great Hall. "Minister, if I might have a moment of your time," Severus announced a few seconds afterwards. He caught the two Aurors flinching instantly.

Shacklebolt whirled around, though, with a faint smile. "Please, Headmaster. It's Kingsley." He then motioned towards a vacant area where they could speak privately. Severus briefly glanced at Aurora before he walked over there alone as she headed over to speak with Luna, who stood away from the other students.

"What was this? What case are you trying to establish exactly?"

Shacklebolt gave a soft laugh and shook his head. "It was never about prosecuting you and Aurora, Headmaster. The Aurors—to put it mildly, they believed that without your corroboration on several key facts, they would be unable to bring a highly controversial case before the Wizengamot. As I'm sure you can understand, they were very concerned when they couldn't reach either of you so to put it bluntly they panicked."

"You still haven't answered my question, Kingsley."

He nodded slowly. "You're right. I haven't." He then sighed, taking a step closer to Severus. "During the course of their investigation, they learned of the—shall we say—interesting methods Albus implemented while things were becoming darker for our world. You must understand that since Rita Skeeter's book was published, there have been concerns about him in the back of the Aurors' minds lately. Add on top of that his faking his death and all his meddling."

"They believe he's going to overthrow the Ministry now?"

"No, Severus. The Ministry is looking for someone to blame."

"Then place it where it belongs. With the Dark Lord."

Shacklebolt sighed. "If only it was that easy. Since Harry's interview, I must say I've had doubts about him as well. Even the castle itself, I'm told, doesn't trust him anymore."

Severus's eyes narrowed.

"With this whole Horcrux and Hallows thing coming out, it's as you said, Severus. There was another way. One that wasn't even discussed."

"There is no way to know, though, if taking a different path would have—"

"That is one of many things he must answer for, I'm afraid. You mentioned yourself the fact that he knowingly placed Harry with abusive Muggles over the objections of others. Take into fact as well about his ordering you to kill him. We won't even approach the issues concerning his overlooking certain abusive tendencies by some of his employees. He sacrificed some of us, Severus. You admitted as such back there. No one, Ministry or otherwise, gets to play god. The evidence—it all speaks to the fact that—and I cannot believe I am about to say this—that Albus Dumbledore was no different from Voldemort."

"In other words, the Aurors needed to hear me say his crimes aloud to verify the truth."

"Yes. And you did."

"What about Aurora, though?"

"Ah." Shacklebolt shook his head before he reached into his robes and pulled out a photograph. "This is why they were questioning her."

Severus's eyes flickered down at the photograph. The moment he saw the grizzly scene of the two dead Death Eaters, he closed his eyes and looked up.

"They believe she did that?"

"They found her magical signature on them, I'm afraid, Severus." Shacklebolt briefly rested a hand on his arm, though. "It's my understanding, though, that what occurred was deemed self-defense."

"She doesn't recall anything after that. A bright light, yes, but—"

"Severus, it's all right," Shacklebolt reiterated. "We know. The Aurors just needed to hear her repeat that for the record."

His eyes narrowed on the former Auror. They knew? The only way they would know is if . . . "You viewed her memories?"

"Not me personally, but, yes." The moment it was clear that Severus was about to snarl some particular harsh words, Shacklebolt added, "I was not aware of this until after the fact. The Auror in charge—he wanted to clear that case quickly and rule it as self-defense. And as I'm sure you're aware, Aurors are able to submit one's memories as evidence even if the person is unconscious."

"And myself?"

"A few days after the battle, the Ministry approached Harry to ask him if there was anything he wished for as a gesture of our gratitude. His reply was that he wanted us to expunge your record and see you as the hero that you are. I happily granted that request, Severus."

"I see." Severus crossed his arms. "And to what do I owe the Ministry now, Minister?" He should've known there would have been a catch. There was always one. Everyone wanted something after all. Life had taught him that. Nothing came for free.

"You owe us nothing. Not after everything you went through in silence for us." Shacklebolt's eyes then trailed over to Aurora, who was speaking quietly with Luna. "She always talked so highly about you with so much love in her voice. I could never understand what she saw in you." He turned back to Severus. "Why she loved you and not me." He gave a soft self-deprecating laugh. "I see it now. I mean, she said yes to a date with me once, but I knew she wouldn't come in the end."

Severus sighed inwardly. Had it not been for his interfering with her date and sending Kingsley elsewhere, who knows what would have happened? "She had, Kingsley," Severus stated quietly. "She waited at least an hour before returning to Hogwarts. You were deceived, yes, but not by her. I was the one who sent you to the other restaurant that night, not her."

Kingsley gave a soft chuckle. "I should've known. Did you ever tell her to the truth about what was really going on with her dates?"

"Eventually," Severus admitted. "As you can imagine, she was not amused."

"I bet not." He then held his hand out to him, which Severus shook instantly. "To the better man." His eyes then trailed briefly back over to Aurora before he pulled his hand back. "Until next time, Headmaster." With a turn, he then motioned to the two Aurors and they left Hogwarts.

Severus quickly returned to his wife's side.

"They must have gotten to him. It's the only explanation," Luna stated.

"Or maybe he decided that it'd be nice to go with a friend?" Aurora replied with a smile, her eyes sparkling when she glanced at her husband. He clearly was missing something.

"No. It has to be them. They were the reason he asked me to Professor Slughorn's party a few years back. The others didn't understand, of course, why he'd take me of all people. Loony Lovegood," she said with a shrug.

"Luna, you're a very lovely girl. Anyone would be lucky to have you as their friend."

She glanced up at Aurora with a slight coy smile. "You're a good mother, Professor."

Severus heard his wife's sharp inhale suddenly and reached for her hand.

"Thank you," she replied to the insightful Ravenclaw. "I like to think I will be as well." She then returned Luna's smile.

"We should go," Severus said quietly. She nodded in return.

"Just a moment." She then turned back to Luna. "I don't think they're to blame for his asking you tonight, Luna. And I would wager you don't think they're to blame either."

The young witch sighed softly and glanced down at her feet. "He cares for me unfortunately, which will only cause him pain as he remembers the past."

"Sometimes, Miss Lovegood, pain is needed in order to find the strength to move on, though," Severus offered.

She nodded, clearly agreeing. "Perhaps I will go with him after all. He certainly does need the distraction." Luna smiled brightly at them before she turned away and headed through the crowd.

"What happened to protecting the little brats from heartbreak?" Severus muttered under his breath as he and his wife headed for the staircases.

"Oh, who are you fooling this time, grumpy bat?" Aurora replied just as equally soft. "You care about them just as much as I do."

He gave a quiet snort and rolled his eyes. "No one cares about them as much as you do." They silently headed up the stairs, all thoughts about attending the party far from their minds.

"Are you certain there is no counter for this, Severus?" she asked a few moments later.

"Positive." He then shook his head. "It's why I chose this particular potion in the first place. To ensure that it remained in full effect." He glanced at her when he heard her faint sigh. "It is hardly ideal, I'm aware, but there is nothing I can do, Celes."

"It's not that. It's just . . . now what? Everyone knows we're not Celes and Toby anymore. So we can't pretend to be them. So, what now?"

"Now, we deal with the consequences of our running," he answered honestly, "and live our life."

Teaser: An hour had passed since they arrived in Hogsmeade with Harry and Luna, and Severus was ready to head back to the castle already. It was only because of his wife that he didn't.

"You know, I never thanked you for helping me escape, Luna," Harry quietly said as they walked past Madam Puddifoot's burned-out building.

The dishwater blonde, however, only smiled.

"Helped you escape?" Aurora repeated, giving the two teenagers a confused look.

"After I beat Voldemort and the dust had settled, everyone was sort of picking up the pieces in the Great Hall," Harry explained. "Luna just knew that I wanted to get out of there. Away from the others. So, she yelled out something—"

"Blibbering Humdinger," Luna stated proudly. "It was rather fascinating to see how quickly everyone flocked to the windows afterwards. Don't they know how rare it is to see one so close to humans?"

Harry gave a soft laugh, moving instinctively closer to the blonde. "Something tells me you'll be the one to teach that to us all one day."