Disclaimer: Can't lay claim to this world…if only I could my financial worry would be over…oh well, it is fun to play.

A/N: I would like to thank you all for the continued support. I cannot believe how many reviews and favorites this story has been getting. You are all going to make me blush. It has gotten to the point where the girls at work are asking me who I'm seeing because I open my email and start to blush and say 'awwww, that's sooooo sweet…' No, there is no big handsome manly man in my life at the moment (a girl can dream though – or play around with her Severus) but I do get some of the most amazing reviews from you all. You have no idea what it means to me. You are wonderful!

Again, my sincere thanks to the lovely xxxkimmixxx who has been a wonderful help to me as my beta for this tale of mine. Thank you for the help with my grammar, atrocious spelling, and Americanisms (I have been working to rid myself of them, and have to keep myself from saying things like 'oh bloody buggering hell' at work when someone drives me up the wall, and as an American I am sure I am completely screwing that up anyways ) So thank you.

I do hope that you find this chapter to your satisfaction my lovelies. We can see what Severus, Harry and Kingsley were talking about, and get a little glimpse into the past of one Severus Snape.

Enjoy.

~ fresh new lily ~

Severus had hoped that Hermione would begin to feel more relaxed amongst her friends but it was obvious that the atmosphere at the Burrow was seemingly too much for her to bare. He had watched her forced smiles all through the meal.

Severus wondered if anyone else could tell that her smiled were strained and almost seemed to cause her pain. She had grown so adept at internalizing everything that she fooled almost everyone it seemed.

He could see the boy wonder nervously pushing food around his plate while he pathetically attempted to sneak covert glances at Hermione. Severus had to wonder how he moved up the proverbial ladder in the Auror's office. It was obvious that he was growing increasingly concerned about Hermione. Between the trouble headed her way over the wand she had been using and having a drug addict and a pregnant psychopath out to get her, Hermione's life was looking decidedly bleak.

Severus couldn't help but wonder if Harry's mission could have been successful had he not gone out gallivanting about, and wasting time gambling when he should have been tending his tracking potion and formulating a working plan to apprehend Ron and Verity. Instead he had gone out to play and had inadvertently blown his chance at surprising them and taking them down when he managed to let them get the drop on him instead. Frankly he was lucky Draco had been there or he may not have made it home.

Now he was looking at Hermione like she was some terrible monster, or one of Lovegood's creatures he couldn't understand. If he was going to continue to blatantly stare at her throughout the meal the least he could do was attempt a bit of subtlety; of course he was hopelessly Gryffindor, and Gryffindors knew nothing of subtlety. Severus could practically see the thoughts running through the boys head as he studied his childhood friend, wondering if he could have stopped the changes time had wrought in her.

Kingsley too, noticed the worrying glances and managed to catch Severus' eye with his own and convey that they should perhaps all speak. At least, that was what Severus interpreted in the glance, and if it was not what Kingsley had intended he would see to it that they all spoke regardless.

With most people finishing their meals and beginning to move about more Severus saw his opportunity. Severus lay a hand firmly on Hermione's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before whispering in her ear, "Hermione, I need to speak with Kingsley and Potter about some developments. I shan't be too long, go on and try to enjoy yourself."

Hermione let out a huff of air, Severus knew it wasn't likely she would enjoy herself that day. Being back at the Burrow had seemed to have a rather negative effect on her mood. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss to the top of her head. "Just a little longer then we can make our excuses and be off. I have no real desire to stay here any longer than is absolutely necessary. I may be pleased to see my old friend so jovial, and surprisingly find his partner less aggravating than one may have thought, but I do not wish to spend the rest of my day ensconced with Weasley's. Besides, I must attend the Wolfsbane, and I thought you might accompany me to the shop," he told her, noticing the way her face lit up at the prospect of going with him that night while he worked.

Hermione smiled softly up at him, appreciating more than she could express the offer he had made, and the distraction it would provide. "Thank you Severus, I would like that," she whispered. "Go on, I'm sure I can manage on my own a short while. I know you have things to talk about, and honestly, I'm not sure I want to know what just now," she informed him honestly. She knew that Harry had been less than successful in his little mission, and she wasn't keen to find out whatever he had learned. She wished it would all just go away.

Severus nodded his head briefly before rising from his seat, noticing that Kingsley had already extricated himself from the side of his young lover. He made his way around the table and bent down to whisper harshly in Harry's ear. "A word Potter, Kingsley and I have much to discuss with you."

Harry just nodded in understanding before Severus quickly strode away, making his way to Kingsley's side across the lawn.

Kingsley made to speak but was cut off as Severus quickly whipped out his wand casting a 'Muffliato' over the area. "No need for anyone else to be privy to this conversation Kingsley," he told the other man seriously, as stowed his wand in its holster.

Kingsley inclined his head a fraction acknowledging the seriousness of the situation. "Of course, Severus. Did you learn much from Harry? I'm afraid he did little to make this situation any better with his excursion. I hope he has something useful we can go off of. This all hits the Prophet in the morning, they've word of a warrant for Ronald's arrest and they are running with it. I can only hope that Harry at least has something to go on before the Ministry is forced to comment. It is truly a mess Severus, all of this happening under our noses. Even my influence will not keep them from speculating about Hermione, and when her association with you becomes known, as it is bound to do, it will only serve to further their theories on the situation, and not in any way that is favorable to the Ministry or Hermione. And let's face it old friend, little they have ever written about you has been very favorable. Not that you ever bother to court their favor," Kingsley explained to him, taking the opportunity to poke a little bit of fun at his friend who had never managed to play very nicely with the press.

Severus quirked an eyebrow at Kingsley. "Indeed. I see no reason to debase myself for such Lilliputian minds as those employed by the Prophet. I had hoped, however, to keep them away from all of this a while longer," he said, exhaling a ragged breath as he stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Hermione is still suffering more than she wishes to let on. I fear she will not handle more emotional upheavals very well. This needs to be dealt with quickly, and quietly, and I do not just mean the press. How is she meant to put her life back together if she is constantly worried that Dolohov's daughter will seek her retribution? I would take care of this myself if I thought I could leave her without her suffering needlessly. I fully expect the next attempt to bring them to justice will not be so thoroughly bungled by dunderheaded fools parading about," he explained, his words cold and harsh, a warning implicitly implied. "Is that understood, Potter?" he asked, quickly whipping around to face the dunderheaded Auror in question as he approached the older men.

Harry narrowed his eyes. He was blaming himself plenty on his own, being treated like a fourth year was hardly helping things. "Crystal, Sir. I shouldn't have gone alone, but Ron was my partner. I thought I could handle him, I know how his mind works, or so I thought," he tried to explain before being quickly cut off as Severus took several quick steps until he was breathing down Harry's neck.

Severus' eyes flashed angrily as he stared down his nose at the boy. "You obviously have no idea how his brain works, if he even has one. I have never myself seen proof of one residing in his overly enlarged head. He is not your childhood friend or your partner. The sooner you get that fact in through your head the better," he seethed. "Mr. Weasley is a weak, drug addicted pawn who is now very much a threat. It is time you realized that," he spat.

Kingsley tried to step between the two men, but Severus held firm. "Severus," he warned calmly "Harry knows this isn't some game. Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to help Hermione right now. We need to discuss all we know and formulate a plan; not waste our time sitting around pointing out each other's faults."

Once Severus stepped back and managed to calm himself Kingsley worked to take control of the situation. "Bring me up to speed will you Harry so that we can decide on the best course of action based on what we now know. We need to formulate an actual plan and put together a solid team," Kingsley explained.

Harry stood a little straighter and addressed Kingsley. "The main threat we are facing currently is Verity Cane, daughter of the deceased Antonin Dolohov. She was very devoted, disgustingly in fact and perhaps harbored romantic fantasies about him which I won't get into now, it doesn't affect the situation, and frankly it gives me the creeps to think about. Dolohov's own obsession with Hermione and subsequent death by her wand caused the woman to snap and begin plotting means of revenge. She is, by all accounts, insane but not at all stupid. She methodically planned a multi-faceted scheme to bring Hermione to a painful end," he began giving the basic background information so Kingsley was fully aware of the situation. Severus had to fight not to tell him to just get on with it.

"We know she had been gathering information for years about Hermione, the Weasleys, and various other Order members, using her job at the joke shop to get close to everyone. After the war she began brewing and distributing illegal drugs with the help of a childhood friend, a Muggle girl we are working on tracking down, and Percy Weasley. It is these drugs that she hooked Ron on, slowly lacing them with Muggle steroids we believe in the hopes of causing sexual rages," he looked to Severus as he spoke of the potions, knowing that if anyone could understand the full implications he could.

"She must not have appreciated all that aggravation and rage when she was the only one around for him to aim it at. From what I could see when we met in Vegas, he's in serious withdrawal and I know that she took plenty of the drugs with her, what was left behind in her flat was little more than traces," Harry stopped and took a deep breath, not anxious to really talk about what he viewed as the worst of it. A glare from Severus told him in no uncertain terms to get well on with it. "And we now know her to be pregnant. Her magical strength is incredible right now, and she is no stranger to dark hexes," he absently rubbed his leg where her slicing hex had hit, keeping him in the hospital for so long.

Severus listened intently to Harry's debrief on the situation, even though it was mostly information he already had. He knew it would be best if Kingsley was also on the same page so that he could help to orchestrate the end of Ronald Weasley and Verity Cane. It was a lot to ask of the Minister for Magic, considering everything else that he had to oversee, but it was obvious that Harry was not going to be able to handle it alone, and Severus had to ensure that Hermione was safe and managing to find her center again. He wished that he could be out there bringing down the two that had caused so much devastation in Hermione's life. Instead he would stay by Hermione's side while working hard to ensure that when they were taken down, they would have no chance to bring the ruination of anyone else's life.

Severus continued to silently listen as the boy went over the details of his and Draco's duel with Verity and Ron outside a Las Vegas casino. All the while he was going over the possibilities the Eradico Draught could bring. He would have to speak with Kingsley about it when Harry was not around; he was not yet ready for more people to be made aware of the Potion and its proposed use, nor was he permitted to by the Ministry. He could see why the potion was outlawed and nearly all records of how to create it were so obscured that it would be nearly impossible, even for someone with his skill level to brew; for even at that moment, as Harry bemoaned his defeat, Severus was thinking how satisfying it would be to tip a cool vial of the Eradico Drought down the red-headed menace's throat and make sure that he could never again use his magic as a means to bend someone to his will or force them painfully against their own.

Suddenly Kingsley's deep voice cut through Severus' thought pattern. "As for a team, Harry, I think that you should take Dawlish and Mickey with you. Dawlish has the experience that you lack; he will make sure that things are run properly and that your emotions do not get the better of you. This needs to be handled more carefully. The American's are not likely to be pleased if they have to Obliviate another hoard of Muggles because you decide to duel in the middle of a crowded casino. Those mistakes cannot be repeated," Kingsley was firm and left no room for argument on Harry's part. It was easy to see why he was so effective as a leader. "Mickey hasn't stopped asking questions about Hermione either, and he isn't the only one," he looked to Severus, letting him know that he had questions about it all as well, but was giving Hermione time to heal first. "Hopefully having him occupied will give us time to sort through the other matter before he pursues it further. Hopefully having the three of you on this should be sufficient to both ends; wouldn't you agree Severus?" Kingsley asked, quirking a questioning eyebrow at his friend, knowing he didn't trust Harry to handle either situation. Harry would still have to do a lot to prove himself to Severus.

Severus merely smirked, "Do I look like a bloody Auror to you Kingsley? If this genius here," he sneered the word genius as he indicated Harry, "can't be trusted to come up with an actual workable solution to the problem of Miss Cane and Mr. Weasley, then perhaps you should not have him in your employ, Minister. Those details I shall leave to you, I will see to Hermione's continued safety and wellbeing. Just see to it that they can meet justice. Perhaps, they would prove a suitable pair for your proposal Kingsley?" he suggested, letting Kingsley know that he was at the very least considering taking the order from the Ministry, and knowing it would gall Harry to not be aware of that facet of the conversation. "As for the other issue, perhaps we can speak about that at a later date?"

Kingsley nodded; he could tell that Severus knew something about Hermione's use of the Cruciatis curse. He wouldn't press the matter just then, not at the Burrow with too many possibilities of someone coming over and overhearing, and not with Hermione wandering around somewhere. He did hope that they could at the very least find a minute to talk more about the Eradico Draught so that he could gauge Severus' willingness to be of use. He was hopeful though, knowing that with the idea of using the dreadful potion on those who had harmed Hermione, Severus was much more likely to agree to brew the Eradico Draught for the Ministry. "That's settled then. Harry, I want you to get Dawlish and Mickey and get back to the States, this thing gets run right. See if you can't track the magical signatures. Hopefully we don't have to worry about them having travelled too far. Like it or not they are going to have to stay close to a magical community if Verity expects to be able to receive care, she can't very well go see a Muggle doctor. She knows how to blend in well as a Muggle though, even if Ronald does not. He might just learn if he has to. At least this way Mickey is out of the way until we get this straightened out and not causing more problems asking questions that no one wants answered. I'm stepping in on this Harry, I don't care whose toes I step on. All of us failed Hermione; that includes me. She had dinner with us every week for well over a year, and not once did I put it together," he admitted somberly.

Severus regarded his friend, "I am grateful to know that she will have you on her side in this Kingsley, the department lost a good leader, but perhaps the Country needed one more. Don't blame yourself. Hermione will be pleased to know that you are involved," he told him, completely ignoring the put out look on Harry's face.

"Thank you Severus, that means a lot, coming from you. We will get them," he promised his friend. "Harry, perhaps you should spend some time with your family. You will need to be leaving in the morning again, and you only just got back," he addressed Harry, not wanting to waste more time.

The men wrapped up their conversation and Severus looked around for Hermione and was distressed to note that he couldn't see her. He was already so worried about her. There was so much to talk to her about, not that it was particularly something he was ready to talk to her about. He had no idea how to ask her if she had been using the Cruciatis on herself. He could understand, more than anyone else ever could, but it wouldn't make it any easier to talk to her. It was perhaps something akin to serendipitous that Hermione ended up with the one person that could truly empathize with what she had been going through. Or at least it would be if Severus put any sort of stock in serendipity or fate. He was at least hopeful that Hermione, who he was sure did put stock in such things, would feel she could be honest with him about it, especially if he was honest with her about what had been a very dark time in his own life.

He did not like to dredge up his past, and while he had spoken to Hermione, if was only briefly and in rather vague and general terms. He usually preferred to live his life in the present. For decades he was fighting for his past, and only in the past few years had he been allowed to even hope for a future, let alone fight for one. Now he would see to it that Hermione could look to her own future; a future free of the demons that had haunted her past. If that meant he needed to drag up some of his own demons to help her battle hers, then that is what he would do.

As he slowly walked the perimeter of the Burrow, trying not to draw attention to himself as he sought Hermione, he allowed his mind to drift to a place long past in his life that he hadn't thought of in many years.

Severus looked around the sparsely decorated dungeon quarters he had been assigned by the Headmaster. Everything seemed darker without her light. The navy duvet on the bed seemed to have greyed and frayed overnight and the stone floors seemed to have been drained of their earthen tones. Nothing would ever be the same. Fireworks were going off all over outside, other professors were adding to the colorful explosions that had been being set off in Hogsmeade and no doubt in London and all over the Wizarding World. He could see the echoes of the fireworks lighting the walls through his enchanted windows, but to him it all flashed green and red. Green the color of her eyes and of the curse that took the light from them. And red the color of her blood where she had hit her head when she fell, the same red of the scar on the boy. The boy, he couldn't even think of the boy.

Green and red, red and green; until the color drained away from his vision as it had from her skin, leaving a putrid grey; everything was grey. He couldn't recall how he came to be heaped on the floor at the foot of his bed, but when he lifted his head he could see his lank, sweat soaked hair clinging to his sallow face reflected in the mirror adorning his wardrobe.

He hated that mirror. It was a large point of contention that the old man had refused to remove whatever charms kept it permanently in place. Severus had thankfully been able to silence the blasted thing. He had quickly grown tired of hearing how dreary his appearance was and how greasy his hair was getting. He brewed potions for a living, of course his hair was grease slicked. Besides, he hardly cared to court the attentions of his dunderheaded students.

He had no need for a degrading, insulting mirror; not when his own opinion of himself was much worse than anything the charmed glass could throw at him. As he stared at his reflection he truly hated the pathetic broken man staring back at him. Never before had he hated anyone as he now hated himself. He caused her death, his Lily, his only friend, even if she had hated him by the end. Now he was bound by his own guilt and Albus' vow to protect her son. Potter's son.

He was so pathetic.

Slowly he pushed himself up on shaky legs and took a few steps towards the mirror and sneered at his own reflection. He disgusted himself.

"Worthless," he hissed angrily.

When his vision caught on the length of ebony held tightly in his grasp he sneered coldly. He couldn't be sure what made him do it; it was a pain he had learned to fear but suddenly it seemed like a pain he would welcome. It was a pain he was certain he had earned.

He lifted his wand and pointed it steadily at his reflection. He poured every ounce of hatred he felt towards himself and his two Masters into the curse as it rolled off his tongue.

"Crucio," the sickly brown light streaked the short distance to the mirror in front of him where it bounced straight back and hit him dead center in his chest dropping him to the ground. As he writhed on the cold stone floor, every nerve ending torn between fire and ice causing him to twist and spasm uncontrollably, the only thought he could process was how much he deserved the pain.

That had been the first time he had turned his wand on himself. It hadn't been the last. He could easily see how it might have happened similarly for Hermione, having grown to hate the woman she had become. He hoped that she no longer hated her reflection so completely.

Severus walked around the yard and couldn't see Hermione anywhere. Noticing that Draco and Molly were also missing he figured she may have ventured inside to help Molly get pudding, or perhaps she had excused herself to express some milk. He made his way back inside to see if he could find her there. It took much of his control to keep from snickering when he found his godson in the kitchen with Molly chatting and laughing as the elder woman did her best to convince him that he needed to put some meat on his bones if he was going to catch himself a worthy young man for his own. From the doorway Severus could hear her making a list of requirements he should be looking for in a potential partner. She was rattling off attributes that she thought would make for a pleasing match, telling him that his main problem was that he was far too concerned with things of beauty and not thinking enough about what would make him happy down the line once beauty had faded and been ravaged by time. Draco of course just scoffed and insisted that a Malfoy was always beautiful and that he could certainly find someone who, while maybe not equally as beautiful as he was, would at least be lovely to look at; and wizards did age so terribly well. Molly continued to try and convince him that there were more important things than the way a wizard looked.

Severus cleared his throat to announce his presence. "Sorry to interrupt," he smirked at the embarrassment evident on Draco's face at having been caught talking to Molly so animatedly about his love life, or lack thereof. "I was hoping that you might know where Hermione has disappeared to. I cannot seem to locate her," he inquired, hoping that they could point him in the right direction.

Draco shrugged and shook his head. "I haven't seen her in a while. She was walking towards the back of the yard last I saw her," he told him.

"Have you checked with George dear? He probably knows where she is. You know how those two are, just like real siblings those two," Molly piped in.

If she wasn't out in the yard anymore, and obviously wasn't in the house, Severus was fairly certain where she had disappeared to. He wasn't sure why he hadn't thought of it sooner. "Thank you, I think I know where to find her," he inclined his head to the two as they quickly went back to discussing Draco's options.

Severus didn't have to look long. It took him very little time to make his way to the small cemetery. He found her asleep, her arm outstretched to the small gravestone, her cheeks red and stained by her tears and the Muggle makeup she had put on her eyes to hide signs of her exhaustion. The sight was nearly enough to break him.

He fervently wished he could give her what she so desperately wanted. He knew that even if it was possible another child would never replace the one she had lost. It angered him more than he could express that the bloody bastard who had caused her to lose her child had another one on the way. It wasn't fair that those horrible people would get to bring new life into the world when someone as good as Hermione had lost so much. It was perhaps a small consolation that they wouldn't be free long enough to enjoy parenthood. He wondered what would happen to the child if Harry and his team were successful in bringing the duo down.

It wasn't currently his main concern however. At that moment he was much more worried about the exhausted young witch who was sleeping on the flower covered earth, grasping desperately for what she could never hope to hold. Without much thought on the matter he cast a simple barrier charm so he would be able to kneel beside her sleeping form without crushing the delicate flowers into his trousers. He filed the little flowers away in the back of his mind for later perusal, wanting to have a closer look at them since he could not readily identify their petals. For now though his focus was on Hermione. "Hermione, darling," he spoke right next to her head, his voice low and smooth, as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear causing her eyes to flutter, her long eyelashes dancing on the tops of her tear stained cheeks. "Wake up, Hermione," he tried again, slightly louder that time.

Hermione slowly blinked awake, groaning as her body protested the uncomfortable twist in her spine and the unyielding ground she chose to sprawl out on in her distress. She was so spent, emotionally, physically, and magically if she was honest with anyone; especially herself. When she finally awoke enough to realize where she was and that someone was there with her she tilted her head ever so slightly to better look at Severus. "Sev'rus," she muttered sleepily. "How long've I been here? Back hurts," she complained as she extended her arm out to him so he could help her get back up to her feet.

Severus smiled and shook his head at the expression on Hermione's face. It shouldn't have been funny, or cute, nor should Severus Snape think of anything as particularly cute, it wasn't right somehow, and he knew that, but nothing was the same when it came to the witch who had wormed her way solidly into his life and his heart. When she looked up at him with sad puppy dog eyes and a petulant pout on her lips he couldn't help but smile. He took hold of her hand and helped her get up to her knees and then he pushed up and stood, taking her with him while he tried to ignore the persistent creak in his left knee. "Come on," he said as he pulled her closer to him to keep her from stumbling as they stood. "I'm not sure how long you've been out here, but it couldn't have been too long really, it was just over an hour ago that we finished eating and I left you to go talk to Kingsley and Potter. I do think that you need rest, and this is not the most comfortable place to get it. Although," he amended, "I can see why you would choose it. I still wish I could give you back so much that you've lost Hermione," he told her, pulling her closer and placing a light kiss on her forehead.

Hermione practically melted into his embrace, needing the comfort she found in his arms, that feeling of home that she got whenever he was there. "I know. There is nothing more you could do, honestly," she reassured him as she sniffled into his shoulder.

As if to prove her wrong Severus flicked his wand gently and the grime that was tears and makeup was whisked clean from her face. "That's a start, but I intend to do more. I would appreciate your help with the Wolfsbane tonight however, if you are feeling up to it, and then tomorrow I think I begin to help you," he proclaimed proudly.

"What's tomorrow?" she asked him hopefully, stepping back to look up into his eyes. She loved those eyes. It was so difficult for her to understand how she had failed to notice the depth or color of those eyes after six years as his student, but now she could easily see and every time she looked into them it was like she was looking into the midnight sky.

Severus smirked. "Tomorrow, we begin preparing for your N.E.W.T.S. in earnest. I have taken it upon myself to designate you a workspace in the lab at the shop and you can come with me while I work so that you can tackle your revision. I am certain that you will find my personal library to be an asset to you, especially when combined with your own. You are more than welcome to look over some of my old notes that I have held onto from my own tenure as a Hogwarts student, and I am of course more than willing to help where ever I am able," he informed her, delighting in the look of joy spreading over her face, bringing color back to her pale cheeks. "If you however find it necessary to attempt a N.E.W.T in Divination or Astronomy you will need to find assistance elsewhere, I never could be bothered with either. Both are subjects for dreamers and Divination is complete codswallop. I am however quite adept with Potions and Arithmancy respectively, and can hold my own in Runes and Charms, though if you want help charming a knitting needle I suggest asking Molly for pointers," he told her.

Hermione was practically beaming. "Thank you. You don't know what it means to me. I know that they're just tests but after all this time I still really, really want to prove I've earned my moniker," she admitted, knowing she wouldn't have to tell him which moniker she was talking about.

Severus was pleased with her enthusiasm for his plan, it would help her to revise with someone to bounce her thoughts off of if she so chose, but it would also allow him to keep her in his sights where he knew she was safe. He hated leaving her home by herself, no matter how sure he was that no one could break through the wards he woven so carefully around the property. "I am glad you find my plan to your satisfaction Hermione. I suggest we work on Defense elsewhere of course, although I dare say you could write 'defeated The Dark Lord' on your parchment and be done with it," he told her, only half joking. It was a stretch of any imagination to think that Hermione Granger, Princess of Gryffindor, Hero of the Wizarding World, best friend of The-Boy-Who-Lived-Twice, would receive absolutely no favoritism from the Ministry officials who would be overseeing the exams.

Hermione assured him that his plan was very much to her liking, and that while she knew she was still likely to be judged to some degree on her name alone, she would very much like to believe she could earn her scores all on her own merit. In agreement over the plan the two made their way back towards the Burrow, talking quietly as they walked through the field. Severus worked to deflect as much as he could when she asked what he discussed with Harry and Kingsley, not wanting to burden her with much more at this stage. By the time they made it back to say their goodbyes the sun was setting in the west over the hills. Together they said their goodbyes, assured George and Kingsley that another lunch date was in order soon, and apparated to Diagon Alley so that they could attend the Wolfsbane before heading home.

A/N: So I do hope that you enjoyed the latest installment. More is on the way. The next chapter should help to catch us up with Ron and Verity and see how they are getting along…or not getting along as it were. A big Prophet article is in the works as well, so that should be fun. Someone might just have to do something to get the vultures away from Hermione. I wonder who might just be willing to make bigger headlines to keep Hermione out of the Headlines. (any guesses?)

Well that is it for this time. Reviews, as always are a little jolt of caffeine, both loved and appreciated like you couldn't believe (I have had to give up my beloved coffee – it kills me)

Love you all.

~ fresh new lily ~