Confrontations

Regulus paced to and fro along the Quidditch pitch, his classes were done till three o'clock and so he had time to plan something with the Marauders before heading over to Herbology. He wished he'd thought to bring along his broom, then he could have practiced a bit, but he didn't want to Summon it and waste the energy. So he paced and stewed, imagining what he was going to do to the three bullies when he caught up with them and wondering what in seven hells was taking James, Sirius, and Remus so long. Didn't they ever hear about being punctual? Raised in a household where being late was not an option, Regulus was always either on time or early, thanks to Walburga's teachings. He had no idea why Sirius was always late for everything, unless he did so merely to spite his mother, and had then carried the behavior over to school.

Suddenly there came a cough and Reg jumped about a foot. He spun, his wand in his hand in one lightning quick move. "Who's there? Show yourself, coward!"

"Relax, Blackie," James chuckled, throwing off the hood of his Invisibility Cloak. "It's only me."

Regulus lowered his wand. "Dammit, Potter! You could have warned me."

James smirked. "Then I wouldn't be able to see how high you could jump."

"You're a riot, Potter." Regulus rolled his eyes. "Where'd you get the cloak?"

"Family heirloom. My dad gave it to me when I turned eleven." James answered. Then he stopped grinning and said, very softly, "Did you know, Regulus?"

"Know what?"

"What Severus wants me to do? It's unbelievable." His handsome face looked troubled and he tossed his hair out of his eyes with practiced ease.

Regulus nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I know. I hate it, but they have no choice. Even if we settle with these three, there will be others."

"Yeah, Slytherin's full of You-Know-Who supporters."

Regulus looked grim. "Not only them, Potter, but anyone who's a pureblood supremacist. You have your share of them too. Every House does. And that's why Sev asked you to do what he did."

James shook his head. "I could tell he was upset, I mean who could blame him, having to pretend to break up with your girlfriend in public and then not being able to see her except out of school and having to watch her walk off with me? I could never pull that off."

"You're not a Slytherin. You don't have the cunning."

"Mmm . . .it's going to be hard enough for me to pretend to love Lily. I wonder if we should tell Tuney about this? So she doesn't think I've thrown her over for her little sister?"

"You could, but ask Lily first. Does her sister read the Prophet?"

"Tuney? Only if I give her a copy. I've just begun to introduce her to our world."

"Talk to Lily, Potter. Then go from there. And mind, it's only pretend, so don't go getting any ideas." He warned.

James gave a half-snort. "I know that, Black! I'm not stupid. I'm over Lily. Really. All I care about now is Petunia. I don't want her hurt and she would be if any rumors ever got back to her that I was seeing Lily."

"How would that happen if she doesn't follow wizarding papers?" Regulus pointed out.

"True. But I'd feel better if she knew. I don't like lying to her."

"I can understand that. Most girls hate guys who lie to them." Regulus said. "Have you come up with a way to expose those pricks? I really want to rip them a new one, but I don't want to get in trouble for using semi-dark magic."

James nodded. "Remus and Siri ought to be here any minute. They're good at plotting and planning the pranks. I'm good at carrying them out."

"What's Pettigrew good for?"

"Back up and a look out." James replied.

Regulus said nothing, but he thought he would never trust the sly slinking Peter to guard his back. There was something untrustworthy about the other boy, something that made all of his instincts scream—beware, he'll crack under pressure, he's not to be trusted.

Sirius and Remus appeared a few moments later, Sirius in his dog form and Remus walking beside him. James, recalling then that it would look odd if Regulus were with them, handed Reg the cloak. "Here, put this on, so no one sees. You'll be an honorary Marauder today."

"Oh, joy."

But Reg took the cloak and wrapped himself in it, vanishing an instant later.

Then the "four" Marauders began discussing various pranks they could play upon the bullies without getting caught. Or expelled. Finally, after two hours, they all settled down and came up with the following plan.

Based on Reg's purloined schedules, the three Slytherins had a break period just before dinner. Sirius would use the Marauder's Map to find out where they were at that time. "Then, you'll like this part, Reg, you can slip some kind of potion in their drinks, we'll get butterbeer and send a house elf to deliver it to them."

"Good thing we've got Reg here to make the potions, 'cause the rest of us suck," admitted James.

"I'm all right," Remus objected. "But Regulus is better."

"What kind of potion will you make?" asked Sirius.

Regulus gave him a smile that was pure wicked mischief. "Something very humiliating. Trust me."

"Good. Then we can nail them," James said, sounding quite eager to go and do some arsekicking.

"How will we get them to drink the butterbeer?" Sirius asked. "I mean, wouldn't they be kind of . . .suspicious if a house elf comes up to them without being summoned and gives them a drink?"

"Why?" asked Remus. "Mine always does things like that. But just in case, I can put a Thirsty Charm on the bottles, so that when they look at them they'll become terribly thirsty and have to drink what's there."

James clapped Remus on the shoulder. "Good thinking, Moony! We'll all be watching for the right moment to come out and accuse them. Or taunt them."

"I'd better do the accusing," Regulus said, sounding disembodied because he was shrouded inside the Invisibility Cloak. "Sev's my roommate and best friend, it would look strange if you accused him."

"Right. But Padfoot can come to your rescue if they start trying to hex you, since he's your brother. And then Remus and I can come help him."

"Sounds like a plan." Regulus said. "I'll go and brew the potion now. Then you can meet me by the greenhouse after four and I'll have the potion bottled and ready. Then we can use the map and summon the house elf and we'll be in business."

Sirius rubbed his hands together. "Can't wait for the mayhem to start."

Regulus glanced around, then when he saw no one was about, whipped off the cloak and handed it back to James. "Remember, four o'clock behind the greenhouse. Don't be late." Then he turned and walked away, his mind filled with ways to get back at the three bullies who had hurt his best friend.

* * * * * *

Meanwhile, inside the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore was getting his head bitten off by a very irate Eileen. The dark-haired witch was in a fine rousing fury, and she was not bothering to spare the greatest wizard in the world the sharp edge of her tongue. She fairly crackled with suppressed magic and her glare alone could have set fire to a house. She did not raise her voice, that was not her way, but it made her no less effective in conveying her vast displeasure of the old man and how he was running his school disciplinary policy.

" . . .what happened to Severus is intolerable, Albus Dumbledore!" she growled, her dark eyes glittering. "There is no excuse you can give me that will make it less unbearable, do you understand? My son could have died that night, or been irreparably damaged by those . . .those thugs! If not for Dickon's familiar Eclipse and Dickon himself, Severus might well be maimed for life or worse!"

"Eileen, please accept my deepest regret that this occurred. Had I had even the slightest inkling that they were capable of such malice—" Dumbledore began placatingly.

"You should have, sir!" she cried. "They say not a mouse crawls upon the grounds but that you know it first! And these students were known followers of You-Know-Who! You should have kept better watch upon them, or upon my son. For this isn't the first time he has been persecuted in this school by bullies, is it?" Her eyes narrowed to slits and had she been a cat, she would have been bristling and lashing her tail. "Don't bother to answer, for I know from listening to my son and Lily Evans talk in my hearing that there has been trouble of that kind before, with members of Gryffindor who resent Severus for daring to be friends with Lily."

"You are right," he said heavily. "But they have been reprimanded severely, and they have not tried anything since the beginning of term."

"Well and good, but what about these others? Those were no harmless hexes they cast, Albus! They meant killing! And you permit such to walk the halls of your school. It's a disgrace. I sent Severus here thinking he would be safe here and now I find he was no safer here than he was with my ex-husband! What I want to know is what you plan to do about catching those responsible and how they shall be punished. If it were up to me, I would give them a taste or two of what they gave my son and then boot their sorry backsides out of this institution!"

"When I find their identities, Eileen, I promise they will be suitably dealt with," Dumbledore said soothingly.

But Eileen would not be soothed. "What exactly does that mean? That they will get a few detentions and maybe a letter home to their parents? Who will most likely praise them for trying to get rid of a traitor Slytherin? Oh yes, that will be most effective!" she sneered. "I have dealt with this same kind of vicious prejudice, because I too dared to step outside the boundaries of "accepted" society and marry a Muggle. It is blind and unreasoning and it can destroy you if you let it. My own family cast me out for refusing to marry the pureblood my grandfather had contracted for me when I was just a baby. My father was a weak-willed man who did whatever Grandfather wished, and my defiance of so-called "tradition" caused my grandfather to declare me unfit to be a Prince. Now you may think, given what happened later on, that he was right to forbid me to marry Tobias, but the Tobias whom I divorced was not the man I married. The Tobias I once loved was protective and loving, until his fear of failure and his addiction to alcohol turned him into a monster. He was not afraid of magic then, it was only later, when he sought an excuse for his inability to get a job and succumbed to the bottle that he blamed magic for his troubles, and turned upon me and Severus."

"Eileen, you need not defend your actions to me—"

"Hear me out and you will understand why passive resistance is not a good idea," she said, holding up a hand. "You know what magic I and mine command, Albus. You know that my father's line is directly descended from Merlin himself and much of his power is passed down to his descendants. You know that we once were the rulers of wizarding Britain, back when wizards still wished to be ruled by a monarchy, it's no coincidence our surname is Prince. You also know that my mother was one of the greatest War Mages of our time and I was her student from an early age. Had she lived, I would still be a member of the Prince family, for she would have never allowed Grandfather to cast me aside merely for loving a Muggle." Eileen said tightly. Her eyes shone with an old pain. "But I could have lived with that, if Toby had not allowed failure to swallow him and beer to dominate him. I had hoped that he would change, that he would get up courage enough to help himself, I tried many times to get him to go for counseling, but he refused. He wouldn't even admit he had a problem, and in the end you cannot help one who refuses to help himself. Not even with magic. I could have used magic to alter his mind, but I knew it would be wrong, my love blinded me to the truth, that he was a danger to me and to my son, and I could not wait around for him to realize the error of his ways. So at last I acted, and now Sev and I are free of him, and I deeply regret that I did nothing for so many years, and put us both through hell. My mother would be ashamed of me."

She shook her head and then set her hands upon the edge of the desk and looked Dumbledore right in the eye. "That is why I cannot leave here until I am sure that Severus will be protected from further reprisals and those who did this are found and punished to the full extent of the law."

"Eileen, that wouldn't be necessary—"

"Is it not? Have you wards about the Hospital Wing to prevent unauthorized entry, Dumbledore? No. Have you posted a proclamation that whoever committed such a crime will face harsh penalties and asked the students to come forward with any information they might have as to the whereabouts or identities of those who did this? No. You have done nothing but sit up here in your office and play benevolent despot!" Her hand slammed down upon the desk, scattering papers all over. "I give you fair warning, Headmaster. I will not hesitate to withdraw my son from here unless you get up off your arse and show me that you are actively doing something to put those wicked brats in their place! This never should have happened! You need to take a stand and make it known that any kind of prejudiced act against a fellow student will not be tolerated—no matter who they are! Why are you allowing those with ties to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to run unchecked? So more students can be hurt like Sev?"

"No, Lady Eileen," he said, giving her the title she had once held as a daughter of one of the most noble families in wizarding Britain. "I confess I had hoped that by ignoring them they would think twice about following the dark path. I see now that I was in error."

Eileen snorted. "Now, when a tragedy nearly occurred. In Merlin's name, Headmaster, make an example of them. It's the only way that others like them will get the message. They respect only fear and power. For Godsake, show them you have some, before it's too late. Encourage inter-House unity too, instead of letting this petty infighting continue as it has for decades. Then maybe you wouldn't have to worry about half your Slytherins being seduced down the dark road. If you give them a reason to stay, they will fight for you. Show that the snake matters as much as the lion and you will have their loyalty forever. But don't wait too long. Or else you shall weep over a grave next and see half your students swallowed by darkness."

Dumbledore glanced away from her and at Dickon, who had been sitting quietly all of this time, observing the fiery witch chastise the Headmaster. "And I think you share much of her views, don't you, Dickon?"

The astronomer nodded. "Though it's hardly my place to instruct you on school policy, Eileen has expressed several doubts I have had since coming to teach here. I too found it odd that so many Death Eater supporters were so vocal among the student body, or that the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor ran so deep that it was almost hatred. I know these are troubled times, sir, but I would say that means we must encourage students to set aside old grudges and band together, not allow them to tear themselves apart. It's always easier to hate a group than an individual person, to stereotype them. It's harder to do so when the member of that group is the friend you share lunch and homework with or trust with your secrets."

"You are right, of course. I have been meaning to adjust my policy for years. Bu things kept getting in the way. I know you think me lax, but I assure you I have good reason for letting the children of Voldemort supporters speak their minds," he said carefully. He knew quite well he was treading on dangerous ground, that if Eileen ever learned of the danger he had put her son in asking him to spy upon the Death Eater supporters he would end up a grease spot upon the floor, for Sorcha Prince had been the most powerful War Mage since Merlin, and he had no doubt that she had taught her daughter much of her battle magic. That Eileen had never used it upon the abusive bastard her husband had become was a testimony to her great control and even greater love.

"What reason? To allow them to recruit more susceptible purebloods? To put more students at risk?" Eileen demanded.

"No, but sometimes it's safer to keep an enemy under your eyes rather than allowing him to run off and cause mischief unseen."

Eileen flashed him a look. "Only if you keep the enemy on a leash." She returned to her earlier tack. "You haven't answered my question, Headmaster. What will you do to these delinquents when you catch them?"

"I shall put forth a notice for expulsion if they are underage. But it might not go through. The Board of Governors must approve it."

"And why would they not? My son was unjustly attacked and nearly killed by Death Eater supporters!"

"Yes, I know, but we haven't expelled a student since I was a Defense Professor. The Board is always cautious about such matters."

"The maybe it's about time they became uncautious. If they are of age, Albus, I shall sue them for assault and if they are convicted, you know where they shall end up." Eileen declared flatly. "Azkaban."

"Where they belong," Dickon declared coldly. Then he added in softer tone, "If you wish, sir, I can help you draw up a draft of a proposal for inter-House activites and policies that would help diffuse the tension between the students of the various Houses. That would help a great deal in squelching incidents like this."

Dumbledore nodded. "I would be grateful for your assistance, Dickon." And grateful if Eileen never finds out that her son is spying for the Order. He made a mental note to tell the three children to be even more careful when they attended the next meeting of the Iron Masks.

"Would you care for some tea? It's nearly four and I confess I am a little hungry. Dinner won't be served in the hall till six tonight."

Eileen sighed and wrapped her black cloak closer about her lithe frame. "All right. But mind what I've said."

"I shall, my lady." Dumbledore reassured, then he rang for a house elf.

Eileen gave him a small smile. "I am not a lady any longer, Albus. Not since I was eighteen."

"Nonsense. Once a Prince always a Prince. And once a lady always a lady."

"Flatterer." She rolled her eyes, but he could tell she was pleased, for the rejection by her family had left scars that even time could not fully heal.

She sat down in the chair Dickon graciously held out for her and soon two house elves returned with all of the fixings for a classic high tea.

* * * * * *

"They're in the hall, having a bit of a snack," James hissed, indicating the three dots on the map labeled Winthrop, Cord, and Sickles. "Perfect." He tucked the map away and prepared to head over to the castle.

Regulus had the bottles of butterbeer tucked safely in his potions case. He had brewed up a special concoction called the Black Plague—which was a play on both his name and the disease that had wiped out so many in Europe and Britain during the Middle Ages. His potion wasn't as deadly, however, it would provide those watching with several minutes worth of entertainment and the three with humiliation that would take the rest of the year to live down. And hopefully the proof they needed to bring them to justice.

When they reached the doors to the Great Hall, Regulus summoned Watson, and told the house elf to please deliver these three butterbeers to Misters Winthrop, Cord, and Sickles. "But don't tell them I sent you. It's a surprise for them to guess."

"Very good, Master Black." Watson placed the three butterbeers upon a silver tray and vanished, to reappear a moment later inside the hall beside Sickle.

The three just happened to be eating a very salty plate of chips and fried fish and the elf's timely appearance was welcomed without a second thought. The charm Remus had worked upon the bottles simply added to their thirst and as the three Marauders and Reg watched, the bullies downed the potion-laced butterbeer.

"How long before it takes effect, Reg?" asked Sirius, peering through the crack in the door.

"About ten minutes. Let's go inside. I'll pretend to be studying and you can pretend to eye up some girls or whatever you Marauders do."

The three wore eager expressions and waited briefly before trailing after Regulus.

Acting nonchalantly, they walked over to the Gryffindor table and ordered some chips and ketchup and pumpkin juice, none of them felt like drinking butterbeer after Regulus' trick. But all of them kept glancing out of the corner of their eye at the three sitting at the Slytherin table. So far they seemed all right.

Regulus had his nose buried in a book and there were several Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws nibbling at snacks and discussing various subjects.

Silently, Reg counted off minutes in his head. . . .eight . . .nine . . .ten.

Suddenly Cord rose to his feet, a confused expression upon his face, then he turned green and vomited all over the table, projectile vomiting that hit his seatmate Winthrop in the face.

"Ahhh!" Winthrop yelled.

"Eeeww! Gross!" screamed some Hufflepuff girls.

Then Sickles turned to run out the door but barely made it past the table before throwing up too, all over the floor.

Winthrop was heaving too, but that was not the worst of it. Huge pustules broke out all over them, and they were colored red and gold like the Gryffindor banner.

"Winthrop! You're changing colors!" blurted Cord. He stared at his friend in horror, clutching his stomach.

"So're you! You're going all red and gold! Ugh!"

Several people started to snicker and jeer, suspecting the Marauders.

"You've been had, Cord!" yodeled a Ravenclaw.

"Maybe you should try out for the Gryffindor mascot!" cried a Hufflepuff.

Sickles whirled and saw the three Marauders sitting there, laughing their arses off, and he growled something and started forward.

Regulus looked up from his book and cried loudly, "Hey, Sickles! What are those scratches on your neck, huh? Looks like some cat got at you. Like maybe a black cat named Eclipse?"

Sickles froze. But he didn't have the wit to mask his shock and turned and glared at Regulus. "Mind your own business, Black!"

Regulus rose, wand in hand. "Or else what? You gonna do for me what you did to Severus Snape one night?" Temper was simmering in the hazel eyes.

"We just might, little punk!" Sickles threatened, trying to look intimidating, but given his vomit-stained robes and red and gold boils all he succeeded in doing was making himself look ridiculous . . .and confirming Reg's accusation.

The others watching gasped, and too late Sickles realized what he had done. He advanced upon Regulus, intent upon casting something on the younger Slytherin.

That was Sirius's cue to jump up and yell, "Oi, dumbarse, leave my kid brother alone!"

"Make us, Black!" growled Cord, moving slowly to face Sirius.

Winthrop groaned and pushed himself to his feet. He knew they had to Obliviate and silence that damn Regulus Black as well as the Marauders. Otherwise they were finished. He moved to cast a Stunning Hex upon Sirius, and then James and Remus jumped in and deflected the spell, bouncing it back.

Winthrop stumbled backwards to avoid his own spell and landed hard on his bum, yelping because some of the boils there had burst.

More laughter followed and the wannabe Death Eater climbed to his feet, still confused and angry and hurting. "Just wait! I'll get you, Potter! Nobody makes fun of me!"

"No? Looks like you're doing a pretty good job of it, you blinking boil buster!"

The others roared with laughter.

Winthrop charged at James, screaming some hex and James blocked it deftly.

Meanwhile, Cord battled Sirius and Regulus managed to slam Sickles back against the wall and knock out a few teeth.

Before long, everyone watching was chanting, "Fight! Fight!"

The Marauders used both magic and fists to defend themselves and the three were no match for them, sick as they were from Reg's potion.

Regulus quickly cast an Incarcerus spell upon Sickles after he had disarmed him and stood over him with his wand leveled at his face.

"Twitch or call for help and I swear I'll exchange your head and your arse."

Sickles looked cowed, his face dripping blood and flashing gold and red boils.

People were still screaming and cheering when the doors to the Great Hall burst open and Dumbledore strode in.

He was not looking very happy, and there was no twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Silence!" he thundered, and the room stilled.

Behind him came Eileen and Dickon.

"What is going on here?"

"Professor, they started it!" whined Winthrop, pointing at James and Regulus. "They cast some kind of hex on us that made us puke and change colors and stuff."

Dumbledore looked at them. "Is that true, gentlemen?"

Regulus frowned. "Sir, I have no idea what he's talking about. He and his friends got sick all over and then started to break out in some kind of odd boils. Then Sickles attacked me and I defended myself. My brother came to defend me and his friends came to help."

"We know you were behind this, Black! You and your Marauder friends!" blustered Winthrop.

"You can't prove it, Winthrop. We were minding our own business." Sirius answered smoothly.

"But we can prove that Sickles and his friends were the ones who attacked Severus, sir," Regulus stated. "If you look at the back of their necks and shoulders, you'll see the marks of cat's claws."

At that, Eileen looked like she was about to erupt. She stalked over to Sickles and leaned down and said, very softly, "Did you attack Severus, boy?"

Sickles glared up at her insolently. "Who wants to know, bitch?"

Eileen's glare went from merely fiery to volcanic. She drew her hand back and everyone heard the crack! of her hand smacking the boy's face. Sickles yelped, and she grasped him by the collar and hissed, "Now, I don't normally raise a hand to children, but you are old enough to know better and to speak respectfully to your elders, young man. Had my son addressed me in that fashion, I would have slapped him too. You have five seconds to give me an answer to my question, boy. And do not attempt to lie. I will know."

Sickles shivered, gulping loudly. "I . . .I apologize, madam. W-who are you?"

Eileen drew herself up. "I am Eileen Prince, formerly Snape. Well?"

Sickles went fishbelly white. "You're . . .you're his mother?"

"I am. Did you hurt my son?" Eileen asked in that same icy implacable tone.

Sickles broke then. "I . . .I didn't mean to . . .it wasn't my idea! It was Winthrop's!" he wailed. "Please . . .please don't kill me . . ."

Eileen trembled as she fought to control herself. Dickon, sensing she was near to shattering, came forward and drew her aside. "Calm, Eileen. Let me handle this, and the Headmaster." He strode back to where Sickles was blubbering and said sternly, "Anton Sickles, you and your friends are cowards to attack a fellow student one on three and for no other reason than that he was friends with someone from another House."

"Indeed." Dumbledore said." And because all of you are of age, you are now subject to the full penalties of wizarding law."

"What does that mean, sir?" whimpered Cord.

Eileen spun around. "It means that you are going to be sued by me for assault upon my son and for using forbidden curses against a minor. Tell your parents to expect a call from my solicitor within the week. As it is, you are lucky I do not challenge you to a formal duel, but I wish to spare your families the expense of a funeral."

Winthrop looked like he was about to laugh but he shut when Eileen level a glare at him. Clearly this was not a witch to be messed with.

"Do you doubt me?" she asked quietly. Then she withdrew a medallion from beneath her robes. "Do you know what this medallion means?"

Winthrop stared at it. It was solid silver bearing a crossed sword and staff upon it and the Latin saying Semper Valora. "That you're a . . .War Mage."

"Yes. Still think you can out duel me, young man?"

He shook his head. "No."

"I thought not." She looked at Dumbledore. "Albus, these are your students, deal with them as you will."

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "You will all come with me and I shall be Floo-calling your parents. You are suspended from Hogwarts and shall be placed under house arrest in your dorm pending your trial. What you have done is shameful and shall not be tolerated. We do not support Voldemort here nor will we ever. From this moment on, any who seek to harm a fellow classmate, for whatever reason shall face the harshest punishments I can give out, including expulsion. What happened to Severus Snape shall not be repeated."

He made a beckoning motion and the three boys rose to their feet. The ropes binding Sickles fell away and the boys marched to stand behind him and then they left the room, followed by Eileen and Dickon.

The room exploded in whispers as they departed and Sirius gave Regulus a high five and mussed his hair. "Looks like you're a Marauder now, little brother. An unofficial one."

Regulus groaned. "Merlin save me!"

* * * * * *

Severus had fallen asleep soon after telling James about the deception they were to create and when he woke he found Lily and Eileen sitting beside him. "Hello," he said, his voice hoarse.

Eileen reached out and smoothed his hair back from his forehead. "How are you feeling, son?"

"A little better. I'm thirsty."

Lily handed him a tall glass of ice water with a straw. "We brought you some dinner, if you think you can eat a bit," she said.

He took the water and sipped it slowly. "Thanks." He took her hand and held it, suppressing a pang of sorrow. This might be the last time he could hold her hand in public.

Eileen set a tray of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich in front of him. Severus looked at it, smirked, and said lightly, "Where's the goldfish, Mum?"

Eileen's eyebrow rose. "You are too much." She waved her wand and goldfish crackers appeared next to the bowl of soup.

Severus sprinkled them in the tomato soup and spooned some up and ate it. Growing up he had always loved eating the crispy goldfish with tomato soup, it was his favorite.

Lily smiled, for she had been the one to introduce him to the wonders of goldfish crackers and tomato soup. "You still love them, huh?"

"Yes. And so do you."

She nodded. "Sev, guess what? We caught the ones who hurt you. Dumbledore has them under house arrest and they're going to go before a judge and be sued for aggravated assault."

"They are?"

"Yes, Sev. I'm pressing charges." Eileen told him firmly.

"But, Mum, we can't afford it."

"Yes we can. My solicitor is willing to do it pro bono. So you can rest assured that they will be persecuted and if we win, they shall be going to Azkaban."

Severus lay back against his pillows. "That's good," he murmured, nibbling his grilled cheese. If only that would solve all his problems. But he knew it changed nothing of his decision to break up with Lily. They still had to go through with the charade, because those three weren't the only Death Eaters around and sooner or later he would be looked upon with suspicion if he did not give Lily up. He only wished it didn't feel as if he were amputating his arm without anesthetic.

He finished his sandwich and his soup, and then he shared his goldfish with Lily and Eileen, who also had a fondness for them. All was quiet in the Hospital Wing and Severus cherished the simple moment together with the two most influential witches in his life. All too soon, he knew, his life would change once again, and not for the better.

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, it's been a busy holiday season and I've been collaborating on a new novel with RaeKelly called The Apothecary Knows Best, a totally AU fic where James is alive, divorced from Lily, who is happily married to Severus and raising Harry and two other children while running an apothecary with Severus in Diagon Alley. Then I've started a new Animagus fic called Moon Fire featuring Severus and Harry set in the summer before OOTP. Both are posted here, so please read them if you wish.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. How did you like Eileen here? And the Marauders? And what did you think about the last scene with Sev & Lily? I love goldfish crackers especially with tomato soup.