19- Lady Stardust

"So this is Carnaby Street," Raven said as they turned around the corner, and she spread her arms wide to make him acknowledge the wonders of her world.

Severus looked around, apparently not impressed at all. "It's a street with shops."

"Sev, you have no idea what a street with shops means to a girl."

"I'm certain there will be many streets with even more shops in Las Vegas," he said waspishly, slightly annoyed by her cheerful mood.

"Yeah, perhaps. But I prefer London fashion over American plastic fantastic glitter-" Raven stopped dead in her tracks, whirling around to give him an incredulous stare as she suddenly came to realize what was bothering him. "Oh dear!" She exclaimed. "Tell me you're not that sullen and taciturn all day because my parents have decided to move to Las Vegas! Didn't you listen to what my father said? It's up to me if I go with them. And I won't."

"You won't?"

"I won't," she said firmly as she took his hand. He was obviously dumbstruck but he looked quite cute with his deep dark eyes searching her face for any trace of jest- as if she'd made fun of anything that important. "Sev, in a few months I'll be of age. I want to finish my education at Hogwarts and then start Auror training. I want to... no, I actually don't want to fight the Dark Lord and his followers- at least not like these Gryffindor dunderheads who can't wait to jump headlong into danger. But I want to do something. I know, I can't change the world but I cannot sit back and watch wizarding Britain heading for disaster either. I cannot give up on wizarding society."

He was quiet for a long time, contemplating her words while a part of him jubilated- it was a part he rather hid. She wouldn't leave.

"What about your parents?" Severus reasoned then. "I cannot imagine they approve to your choice."

"No, probably not," she admitted with a shrug. It wasn't a casual gesture though. All of a sudden she was feeling a tad insecure and helpless. "You know, deep down in their hearts I will always be their little girl they want to protect. On the other hand they know I've got to go my own way, therefore they will accept my decision. I reckon they already guess what I'm gonna tell them when the time comes to say goodbye."

She had to bite her lips and will back her tears. It sounded so easy but she knew it wouldn't be, because saying goodbye to loved ones was never easy and she already missed her parents terribly, imagining that soon there would be an ocean between her and them. Surreptitiously, she wiped away a stupid tear dangling at her lashes before smiling sheepishly at Severus. Merlin alone knew how much she would miss him if she were to go to Las Vegas with her parents. They would be safe there- but her bad conscience of having left him all alone and vulnerable to the fake promises of a despotic ruler would probably kill her.

So she would stay. She didn't want to lose her best friend, the boy she loved.

"By the way, don't be embarrassed when Dad asks you to keep an eye on his little girl. He likes you a lot and he thinks a great deal of you, but you don't have to take it all too literally. I can take care of myself very well-" Raven forced herself to smile, feigning gaiety. "And now, let's go shopping."

She would not leave! She would not turn her back on him and leave him, like Lily had done. For a short moment, Severus was in an almost ecstatic mood until he realized that he'd given in to her whims just because he had feared to lose his best friend. His only real friend.

Now he had to deal with the consequences.

He had agreed to go shopping with her, and he had agreed to accompany her to a Muggle New Year's party.

Lucius Malfoy would be scandalized if he could see him now.

Severus Snape was standing in the changing cubicle of a small shop, trying on a pair of jeans that Raven had stuffed into his arms, and although he didn't mind new clothes, he would have preferred Madam Malkin's for that. But he had agreed to accompany her to a Muggle party.

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he groaned.

"Lestrange, that's absurd!"

"Come out and let me see," she instructed him mercilessly.

If only he had never agreed to this madness... albeit the jeans were not offending in colour (they were black, after all) it was nevertheless much too tight, and therefore he hesitated before presenting himself to her.

"Wow!" He heard someone gasp. It was the sales girl and apparently she was not grossed out by his sight. Quite the contrary, actually. "Your legs are adorable. Just like Sid's or Johnny's..."

"I beg your pardon?" His eyebrows shot up in a quizzical way, trying to figure out what the hell the girl was saying for she couldn't possibly mean that his legs were attractive. They were so long and skinny they looked like stilts in those damned, impossibly tight jeans.

Nevertheless, the sales girl circled him with appreciative eyes, which caused him to move in a counter circle to avoid her staring boldly at his behind. He scowled and wished he could simply hex her. Unfortunately, it wasn't wise to take out his wand and point it at an innocent sales girl who knew nothing about magic, and besides, that would mean a serious breach of the International Statute of Secrecy.

But before he could say or do anything, Raven was already by his side. She was acting very subtly, so subtle actually, that even he didn't quite get what was going on now since Raven had merely placed a hand on his shoulder and the sales girl was slowly retreating.

"What was all that about?" Severus asked half an hour later when they left the shop; he was carrying a bag. Raven had persuaded him to buy the jeans and a plain black shirt, and he had given in since she decidedly knew more about fashion.

"Isn't it obvious? Peggy fancies you."

"Peggy?"

"The sales girl- she thinks you've got rock-star-legs."

"Rock. Star. Legs?"

"Indeed." For a boy as bright as he usually was, he seemed to be quite slow on the uptake today. "You know, we chatted for a while, Peggy and I, while you changed. I agreed with her." Raven left out the part of Peggy thinking that she was Sev's girlfriend because that was exactly what she had meant to indicate when she had placed her hand on his shoulder. The sales girl had shot her an apologetic glance, and after that they had gotten on quite well.

Peggy had told her about some new clubs she just had to visit and also about a new music scene that had spiked her interest.

Meanwhile, Severus was still a tad dazzled about the fact that a girl, any girl, could fancy him.

"Rock-star-legs?" He asked again, sounding even more incredulous after contemplating that phrase for a couple of minutes.

"Aye," said Raven, "long and skinny." Adorable indeed, she added in thoughts.

"But who in one's right mind would fancy that?"

Oh dear, he 's really a bit dense today... Today? No, she realized, when it comes to his appearance he's a total idiot...

"Well, girls with style do. Because girls with style would always chose the Thin White Duke over a brawny sports crack, because girls with style treasure intellect more than muscles, and they'd rather be Lady Stardust than just any pretty trophy wife."

Involuntarily, his thoughts drifted to Lily... and Potter .

Raven's eyes narrowed; she had noticed the slight change in his expression and immediately figured out who it was he was thinking about now.

"I'm talking about style, Sev, not about Lily Evans... I mean, honestly, she likes the Bee Gees! They sound like eunuchs, singing eunuchs- and that says a lot about her. I guess she'd be glad to be a trophy wife."

"Don't say that!" It was the worst thing he could imagine- his precious Lily and bloody James Potter. Everybody knew that the Gryffindor Quidditch champ fancied Lily...

"Why? It's true," Raven interrupted his thoughts, a sharp edge in her voice. "You believe you have to become rich and famous, so that St Lily will finally look at you with different eyes, that she will finally come to love you- but don't you see that she will never love you for yourself, for what you are, with all your flaws and rough edges? She would only be your trophy wife. And honestly, if Lily cannot love you without you having to become someone of importance, then she isn't worthy of your affection at all."

Severus opened his mouth to say something, but then he realized that he didn't really know what to say. Deep in his heart he knew she was right, although he was loathe to admit it. Instead, he kept on clutching at that peculiar straw that Lily would come to love him one day...

Perhaps he had to hold onto that because without hope life would be very dull.

The party was in a club in London, a live band was playing. The musicians weren't much older than Severus and Raven, some pallid, scrawny kids. Well, but musicians was probably not the correct term since it wasn't exactly music what they played. It was more like... noise. The raw beat of drums, the dissonant strumming of a guitar, a voice that was rather shouting than singing. And as he watched the Muggles jumping up and down, Severus realized that he wouldn't need any of the neat dance steps Lucius Malfoy had taught him last summer. They were definitely not required here. No, not at all.

Lucius Malfoy would be scandalized if he could see him in this Muggle club. He would be scandalized to see that their writhing bodies weren't caused by a Cruciatus Curse but by that noise they called music.

It clearly differed from what Raven was usually listening to. The lyrics were different, less poetic. They didn't feature the starman, rabbit fighters, spiders from Mars or a metal guru... but as the raw sound kept on penetrating his ears, it became more and more the soundtrack of life at Spinner's End. All of a sudden he could see broken street lamps, paint peeling off a wall; he smelled cold cabbage, the air of desolation, and heard the shouting of his father, all set to music. And in this cacophony of noise he saw the dung of Spinner's End hurled straight into the faces of those who usually sneered at him- Potter, Black, his dumb fellow house mates, even Lucius Malfoy...

Somehow, that thought was strangely... refreshing.

On the other hand, the thought of Malfoy caused him a sudden feeling of unease. Lucius would never understand, and there was no way to reason with him. Just like any other pure-blood, he was utterly clueless of the Muggle world... and he was stupid enough to think himself superior to Muggles. He thought that magic was a mighty weapon- which it was- but then again he had never seen the horrible, horrible devastation caused by Muggle weapons of mass destruction; he had never seen pictures of Hiroshima or Nagasaki...

Raven handed him a drink, startling him out of his thoughts. She was smiling at him, apparently happy that he had agreed to accompany her to this event. Well, and that's why Severus had agreed to come in the first place. He'd wanted to do her a favour, knowing she would have stayed at home with him if he had asked her to. But although the music was still an affront to his ears, he was nevertheless glad he had joined her.

He noticed now that Raven was certainly a more popular girl in the Muggle music scene than she had ever been at Hogwarts, where she mostly kept to herself. Here, however, she seemed to know a lot of people who came over to say hello or just pat her shoulder, and when the band finally stopped playing, she introduced him to her friends.

Severus had already met a few of them last summer, like that bloke who was the owner of her favourite record shop; Jeffrey was his name. But there were others, and surprisingly, most of them were actually quite nice. At least they didn't sneer at him.

Some of the boys were swarming around Lestrange like moths drawn to a light, giving her flirtatious looks... he was suddenly wondering why she had never mentioned a boyfriend. But despite her obvious popularity she seemed to be content to spend most of her time with him, and in the end he had to admit that it could have been worse. He was almost enjoying himself.

At midnight, they went outside to watch the fireworks and celebrated the birth of a new year. They would become of age this year; they would learn how to Apparate and hopefully get their licence; they would enter their last year at Hogwarts this summer.

For a moment, Severus thought that this new year held many promises. Then he remembered that the future might not look all too rosy, but he didn't voice his worries until he was on his way home with Raven.

In the early hours of January first, 1977, as the new year was dawning just as grey and cloudy as the old one had ended and the streets were all cold and empty, they dropped out of the bus to walk the short distance to the house of the Lestranges. Raven had linked arms with Severus, huddling against him because of the light rainfall that had suddenly started.

"What if I'm already in too deep?"

She understood immediately what he was about and glanced at him with furrowed brows. "Hm, are you?"

Severus shrugged, nibbling at his lower lip without slowing down his pace. He, too, wanted to get out of the rain.

"Well, how deep are you in? Have you- for example- signed any sort of contract yet?"

He almost wanted to laugh out loud because of that absurd question- as if the Dark Lord would hand out contracts for his followers to sign! But Severus didn't laugh. It wasn't funny and besides, she had every right to ask. After all, he had started this topic; he had started sharing his worries with her... perhaps he shouldn't have drunken a second glass of punch since he was feeling slightly dizzy. And now he was having a much too loose tongue.

"Lucius wants to introduce me to the Dark Lord when I come of age."

"Oh bugger!" Raven stopped dead in her tracks and since she was still holding on to his arm, Severus was forced to stop, too. "But your birthday is only a couple of days away!" She exclaimed.

"Believe me, I am positively aware of that."

"Hm," she gave his arm a reassuring squeeze, "well then, I guess we have to find a way to get you out of this unfortunate dilemma rather sooner than later"

Now that was typically Lestrange- always looking on the bright side. If only he could share her confidence. But perhaps she was just too drunk to realize how grave the situation really was

Then she smiled at him.

"But you'll be spending your birthday with us, and in the evening we'll be leaving for Hogwarts again, and I doubt Dumbledore will let you go to meet Malfoy the first weeks into term- so that means we've got time until the next Hogsmeade weekend, which is around Valentine's Day."

"True," he allowed hesitantly.

"Well, and by then we've come up with a good strategy."

Severus arched a quizzical brow at her.

"For instance," Raven continued as she dragged him along, "why not make Lord V believe you really want to join him- after you've finished your education at Hogwarts. After you've finished your apprenticeship with a renowned Potions Master. You could say it's only in his best interest to finally get a fully trained and accomplished potioneer instead of a mere school boy, because you would be so much more useful for him."

Although she was clearly thinking like a true Slytherin now, trading purposes against advantages, he didn't believe that that was the way the Dark Lord ticked. Severus had seen him once and he knew that he would neither take 'no' nor 'perhaps one day' for an answer when he wanted something... or someone...

"You're insane!The Dark Lord is an exceptionally trained Legilimens; he will know when I'm lying."

"Yeah, but you happen to be a great Occlumens. You don't only manage to block mental attacks and fool those who wish to take even the slightest glimpse at your innermost thoughts- no, you've got the rare gift to make your mind a labyrinth of truths and well-disguised lies."

Meanwhile they had reached her home and she was fumbling for her key.

"You want me to fool the Dark Lord?"

"I guess that sums it up pretty nicely, only that you have to want it, too." Raven opened the door to let him in. "You're not doing it for me, Sev. It's your life. I just want you to be happy and I'll be always there for you if you need me."

He hung up the old leather jacket Chris had given him to complete his outfit for tonight.

'You can keep it if you like,' Chris had said, 'blame it on Nigella's good cooking but I grew out of it,' and he had patted his belly which really wasn't fat at all. 'It would be a shame if I had to give it to charity...'

Severus had accepted the jacket because the Lestranges seemed to have a knack for not making him feel like a charity case whenever they endowed him with something.

"Raven," he whispered almost gently, a hint of desperation in his voice, "you don't know the Dark Lord..."

"True," she admitted. They went upstairs to her room. Although both of them were tired, they felt the need to carry on this discussion- it couldn't wait until they've had a good night's rest. Raven lit her lava lamps, the battery of many-coloured bubbles rising and falling like the tide, the never ending circle of ups and downs. Then she glanced at him. "But what do you know about him, Sev?

He gave her an incredulous glance.

"I mean, what do you really know about him? Except for his propaganda, that is. But where did he come from? What's his real name? You know, I refuse to believe that someone is born Lord Voldemort or the Dark Lord... "

Severus couldn't oppress a slight smirk curling up his lips. Clever girl. Although he had never wondered about these questions, he considered them worth asking because if he was to dare the impossible and fool the Dark Lord (even if only for a short time) he needed to know all about him. He liked the way she often managed to steer his thoughts in the right direction. Unfortunately, though, he knew no answer to her questions.

"It cannot be," Raven continued musing aloud, "that someone appears from out of nowhere, without a background. Every tyrant has a history, a family, a weak spot... a turning point. What is his? When did he embrace the dark? Did he attend Hogwarts as a child?"

Severus shrugged. He knew he sounded feeble when he said, "I have no idea," and he didn't like that at all- but fact was that no one had ever addressed these matters before. His house mates were glad to crown Lord Voldemort as the figurehead of blood supremacy since he was supporting their ideals.

Then he remembered what Malfoy had told him once. "They say he's the heir of Salazar Slytherin."

"Now that's a starting point." Mentally, Raven was already busy with research. She would begin with the family history of Salazar Slytherin to find out more about his heir, but although she had access to many books about Slytherin, being a member of his house, she knew it wouldn't be that easy, given that all the old pure-blood families were interrelated. Nevertheless, there would be some hint and then she could check the old yearbooks in the library...

Severus was less optimistic.

Nigella was not very happy with the kids' decision to visit Diagon Alley in order to buy some school supplies. The commercial centre of wizarding Britain was no longer a safe place where one could take a leisurely stroll or go window shopping. Since the Death Eaters were spreading fear and terror, the atmosphere was strained. Wizards and witches were now avoiding the once so buzzing commercial area, and if they couldn't avoid it, they hurried to get their shopping done, huddled up in their robes as if the folds of fabric could protect them from the dangers that may be lurking behind the next corner.

No, Nigella was not happy to let them go, but the kids needed their supplies and they couldn't get them anywhere else, at least not in Muggle London.

For a short moment, Nigella wished she could go instead of Raven and Severus, although she knew that that was an absurd idea. Defence against the Dark Arts had never been her strongest subject while she was at Hogwarts, so the kids were probably much better trained and more skilled than she was, especially due to that teacher of theirs- Professor Steel, the American Auror who was still giving them private lessons. Meanwhile, they had learned to Accio their wands by using wandless magic.

Nevertheless, she was worried. Not only about her darling daughter but about the boy as well, given that she had grown very fond of Severus. Admittedly, he was a bit shy or insecure sometimes, and he liked to cover it with grumpiness, apparently not aware of what a gem of a boy he truly was. Unaware of his talents, his bright mind and the goodness of his heart. That was something Nigella could easily see, even if others failed to do so...

"Be careful and please keep your hands to your wands all the time," she instructed the youngsters once again while biding them farewell at the front door.

Raven groaned, "Mum, we're not toddlers anymore."

"I know, my dear, but one cannot be careful enough and in the end you're better safe than sorry. Are you sure you really have to go to Diagon Alley?"

"Mum!"

They had talked about it before, many times actually, and although Raven understood her mother's worries, she nevertheless wouldn't miss the chance to rummage for books at Flourish and Blotts. And besides, Sev was keen to visit the apothecary in order to spend his last money on some rare potion ingredients.

"We'll be careful, all right?"

Nigella heaved a sigh. There was no use fretting, they weren't small children anymore. Soon, they'd be of age and go their very own ways.

My, she's grown so much, Nigella thought with a pang of motherly nostalgia as she watched the retreating form of her little darling daughter who had almost over night become a fully fledged young witch.

They took the bus to the nearest underground station and from there the Northern Line to Leicester Square. Now it was only a short walk down Charing Cross Road and they were standing in front of the Leaky Cauldron, but only wizards and witches could see its entrance door whereas Muggle eyes seemed to miss the grubby-looking pub, situated between a book shop and a record shop.

Raven stole a quick glance at the display of the record shop, although she knew it didn't sell the kind of music she liked (but she just couldn't help it!) before she entered the Leaky Cauldron to find it unusually empty. Usually, it was a buzzing with patrons and the noise level would be quite high, but today only a hag and a warlock were sitting in the pub, drinking Firewhiskey. The warlock looked up with bloodshot eyes, glancing suspiciously at the two youngsters before he deemed them insignificant and poured himself another drink.

"Let's not dally," Severus hissed. He didn't trust drunkards, and he felt obliged to protect Raven if necessary. That, he owed her parents.

Raven followed him through the bar and out to the backyard of the Leaky Cauldron where the gateway to Diagon Alley was.

"Dear Merlin," she gasped as she was taking in the atmosphere of fear and terror that had spread its ugly cloak over the scene in front of her. What once had been a crowded shopping street, brimming with social activities, had turned into a desert of boarded up shop windows and many abandoned shops, where no one would like to linger if not absolutely necessary. The few people still visiting Diagon Alley tried to hurry as unobtrusively as possible from one place to the next, keeping their heads low.

In this air of desolation, street hawkers were trying to make profit by selling protective charms and amulets. Severus sneered at them, keeping them at a distance with his glare.

"One would think wizards and witches perfectly capable of protecting themselves without such crap not worthy the material it's made of."

"Oh, and I almost wanted to buy you a jingling trinket against werewolves," Raven jested, but now Severus was glaring at her.

"That's not funny!" He was still having nightmares about that incident last year, though he would never admit it.

"I know," she gave his arm a reassuring squeeze as she dragged him towards Flourish and Blotts. "but sometimes it's better to make fun of things that are otherwise too tragic to handle." Especially when coerced to hush them up by a headmaster who only had the best interest of his students in mind- if those students were Gryffindors…

Inside the bookshop, the atmosphere was more relaxed- mainly due to the pair of hit wizards that were guarding the entrance. Raven and Severus took their time to rummage through the large bookshelves, looking for interesting lecture. But if she had hoped to find sort of a biography of Lord Voldemort, she got sorely disappointed.

Then, all of a sudden, she smirked as she recalled a scene in the Slytherin common room, including a boy flickering reverently through his collection of newspaper clippings. She resolved to have a little chat with Regulus Black when she was back at Hogwarts.

After Flourish and Blotts, Severus and Raven went to the apothecary. The many jars, vials and pots full of potion ingredients made his eyes lit up as they inspired him to create something wonderful, spectacular and new. Of course, just like the books they bought, the ingredients he was about to purchase weren't anything he specifically needed for the next term... but he wanted them for private research.

The bell at the door rang to announce the arrival of another customer. It was a tall wizard with bushy eyebrows that gave him the expression of an annoyed owl. With swift strides he crossed the crammed room to place his order on the counter. The apothecary bowed at him and hurried to collect the required ingredients, when the apparently well-esteemed customer suddenly turned around to stare at Severus.

"Severus Snape?"

Severus looked up and immediately recognized Professor Tiberius O'Flaherty, head of St Mungo's potions research team. The renowned potions master flashed him a bright smile and crossed the distance between them to shake his hand.

"Well met, young man! I'm reminiscing about your outstanding result in the Potions OWL last year- say, do you still happen to be interested in a career in potions research?"

"Er," Severus was taken by surprise, "yes indeed..."

"Splendid! I just had to dismiss another imbecile the Ministry sent me as an apprentice, but I swear the bloke couldn't tell the bottom of a cauldron from the top! You however, you managed to impress me because you don't just strictly follow the instructions given by a dated textbook- you have verve and imagination to create! I could use someone like you in my team, Mr Snape. Do you already have plans for this summer?"

Could it truly be that Professor O'Flaherty, the expert in international potions research, was offering him a job? This must be a jest! Severusthought, because things too good to be true didn't usually happen to him, and so he was surreptitiously looking around to see if perhaps Potter was lurking behind a corner, making fun of him by holding the chance of his lifetime in front of his eyes, only to take it away as soon as he grabbed for it.

Strangely, that didn't happen. O'Flaherty didn't dissolve into thin air to make room for a Potter-in-the-box laughing maliciously at his failure. The professor was real; his offer was real and it was still standing. All he had to do was to accept it.

Then he arched a quizzical brow at the potions master, recalling what he had said and knowing there just had to be a flaw. "This summer?"

"I know you're not sitting your NEWTS until next year, so call it a traineeship before the actual apprenticeship starts. I don't usually take trainees but I want to see more of you, and if you prove yourself as promising as I expect, there will only be advantages for both of us."

"Wow, isn't that cool, Sev?" Raven blurted out.

O'Flaherty shot her a brief glance. "You're Nigella's little girl, aren't you? Well, give my best regards to your dear mother."

With that, Raven was dismissed. Professor O'Flaherty turned to focus on Severus again, and soon after the two wizards were indulged in a vivid discussion about the properties of lacewing flies or if it was preferable to use their eggs. They had clearly forgotten Raven, who was feeling kind of superfluous since she couldn't join in.

Although she liked potions and appreciated the subtle art of brewing, she wasn't a potions geek. But it made her happy to see how Severus' eyes were sparkling when talking to a like-minded person, and Professor O'Flaherty was decidedly enthused of his future apprentice.

All of a sudden there was a loud whistling crescendo that reminded of a nightingale, and O'Flaherty produced a watch from the breast pocket of his robes.

"Time flies when you're having fun," he sighed. "I have to go back to St Mungo's. But you," O'Flaherty pointed at Severus' chest, "you will keep that very interesting approach of yours in mind. Owl me a bottle of that concoction when you're done with it. I'll see to it that Horace offers you unlimited use to one of his private labs so you won't have to brew in a haunted bathroom."

"Thank you, sir," Severus said although he wasn't certain if it really was a good idea to bother Slughorn, since Slughorn was still holding some sort of a silent grudge against him, given that because of him, none of his favourite students had received an 'O' in last year's Potions OWLs.

O'Flaherty patted his shoulder in a reassuring gesture, as though he knew what was bothering him. Before he left in a hurry, he told the apothecary to chalk all the ingredients Severus needed up to his personal account, and then he was gone.

Severus could hardly believe what had just happened, but Raven was less reserved when it came to enthusiasm. Clearly much too overjoyed, she hugged him.

"Isn't that great!" She exclaimed. "Haven't I always told you that you'd make a career in potions research one day?"

"When did you declare Divination your favourite subject without ever taking it?"

Laughing as cheerfully as if he'd just cracked the funniest joke, she elbowed him. "Come on, Sev, don't be such a Grinch! This is the big fat chance you've been waiting for and... and... " she fell silent for a moment, nibbling at her lips.

Perhaps Lily would like just that, a spiteful demon was whispering inside her head.

So be it, she replied stubbornly. It doesn't matter because Lily will never love him like I do.

Ignoring the demon inside her head, Raven smiled at Severus. No matter what, I want him to be happy, was her mantra.

Thanks to my lovely betas, hypnotic ink and Alabaster Princess.

Special thanks goes to Alex for some very perceptive and insightful reviews. Unfortunately, you haven't signed in because I would have loved to reply. We might beg to differ on some points although the things you've brought up do surely require a more thorough discussion than I am willing to give here, in my author's notes. Please leave an email address next time you review so I can get back to you.

One more thing- this story is AU, meaning I won't stick to canon.

That said, I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter. Please review.