She put her head in the pillow and started to cry softly praying she wouldn't be heard from the bathroom.

Her cries were heard by Snape. He hesitated in front of her bathroom door but at the end he didn't dare to enter. What could make the directress cry wondered Snape. She had been in the Forest and she came back with a wide smile. She dared to throw food at him, the most feared teacher in all Hogwarts. She was the directress of Azkaban, she saw everyday wizards begging or threatening her without batting an eyelid. She was always smiling. Seemed that nothing could ever touch her or her happiness so why was she crying for?

Snape couldn't sleep. His head kept going on and on trying to discover what was the reason of her sorrow. His thoughts settled a little when he decided to ask Dumbledore. But still a problem remained. Each time he closed his eyes, her almost naked figure popped in his mind.

He woke up and picked up his bathroom things but as soon as he was about to open the door he remembered the two incidents that happened the day before.

Before he opened the door, he knocked and waited for any answer when he heard none, he entered to the bathroom.

It was very early but he had had a restless sleep and once he had opened his eyes he had not been able to fall asleep again. He quickly got dressed and left the room.

Lara had also a restless sleep but she, unlike Severus, had slept until late. She didn't want to go to the Great Hall and face the other Professors and all the little kids. The impact made by the memories had shaken her a lot. The unexpected flow of memories that she had buried long ago had made her feel again all the feelings she had buried with them, the sorrow, the desperation, the despair, the anguish, the suffering, the hurt.

She had cried in her sleep but with a little bit of magic she could easily hide it. She wasn't in the mood for chit chatting about things without importance. She wasn't hungry. But she could not sit in a corner and cry until all her sorrows washed away and throw her life away. She could not do that she had people who depended on her.

She washed her face and looked into the mirror. C'mon Lara you already been through this and you have moved on, you are stronger than this, you cannot let yourself fall in despair, there have passed years since it had happened, c'mon compose yourself what will the students think, and the teachers, and Snape. Lara went on and on in her mental monologue.

At the end she held on the light that had made her get through the rough patch. It had been the sole reason she moved on and tried to be happy and more or less she accomplished it.

In the teachers' table there was only Dumbledore and Snape. Severus was silently analyzing her. He couldn't see any traces that she had been crying like he heard but he also knew it was easy to hide. But he could observe two things clearly: her smile was more forced and her shield was weaker.

-Oh, I was starting to wonder if you would join us – said Dumbledore

-Yeah, I've overslept and I didn't know if I would be in time.

-I've got your map ready

-Thank you!- her smile seemed a little more true now but still forced like if she stopped smiling she would crumble down.- but I don't think I'll go today

-There's no hurry and I sure if any teacher needed your help, they would tell you without you having to visit their classes.

Lara excused herself and left. She went to the Forbidden Forest again, since she was little she had been attracted to the forests.

In the Great Hall, there was only Snape and Dumbledore

-Headmaster may I have a word with you at five.

-What's the matter Severus?

-There's no hurry. I must go to teach those fools.

Lara didn't appear during the dinner. She was in the forest talking with the centaurs who quickly liked her. She was enjoying herself. It made her forget her memories and bury and lock them away.

At five o'clock, Snape was punctually in Dumbledore office.

-What's the matter, dear boy?

-Who is really Lara Rider?

-The directress of Azkaban

-That's her title, a person is more than her title

-Exactly what do you want to know?

-She is a very guarded person that I'm not able to read

-Takes one to know one

-Yesterday after returning back to our rooms

He was cut off by Dumbledore before he could say anything else

-Interesting evening wasn't it?

For an instant Snape thought the headmaster was talking about the scene in the bathroom, but then all the pieces fell into their place. The headmaster referred to the incident in the Great Hall, it had been the only public place.

-You know, I had a sore throat and I wanted a cup of milk and sugar, but then I saw something interesting and I couldn't help myself and I took a picture.

Dumbledore rounded the desk and took a photo from the table's drawer.

The picture had been taken when they had been hugging each other. Snape shocked could be seen very clearly and it had softened a little bit when he had got lost in his thoughts. Lara's face showed contempt. Her lips formed a true little smile. Snape couldn't help to think she looked very beautiful when she wore a true smile and not the fake one she always wore.

Great, just great, it was enough that it happened and now there was a proof, a remainder, and an eyewitness that could not be anyone else than Dumbledore who always stuck his nose in the other people business, thought Snape, had Lara been lying when she told him she was sure the Hall was empty? This question kept running around his head. He decided he would confront her.

-I think you are getting along well, maybe there's no need to change her room

-There is. But don't change the topic. Has any disgrace ever happened to her?

Dumbledore face turned somber. The entire happy glint that shone there disappeared, his eyes were totally serious.

-Why are you asking me this?

-Yesterday I heard her cying

-If you must know she had experimented a great disgrace. If you want to know anything else you should ask her. Now if you excuse me I have a lot to do and very little time to do it.

Serverus was laying in the bath when he heard the door open. Lara marched directly to him this time there wasn't any blush or embarrassment. When she stood in front of him, she sat down with her back facing him as if this way she would compensate that she had broken his personal space and intimacy. For a second Snape though she was gonna hit him but he could not think any reason but then she had sat down beside him

Why the hell she had done that?