Themes of Rape and Sexual Assault so if this triggers you do not read!

Violence and occasional swearing also.

A/N Hey I updated this chapter, sorry for any inconvenience.

The lane was bordered on the left by wild, low-growing brambles, on the right by a high, neatly manicured hedge, and branches of overhanging trees broke the moonlight. There was a wide driveway that led off the lane, the high hedge curved, running off into the distance beyond the pair of impressive wrought-iron gates barring the way.

'Why am I back here?' I panicked observing my surroundings 'Why am I back here!?'

'Alright, girly.'

That same callous voice thrummed through my ears, and I turned to face my foe.

A flicker of a smile crossed his face, a fang showing beneath his lip.

'The Dark Lord offered you to me, remember?' this time he grinned 'No use in resisting.' he brandished his wand.

'Morris!' I turned my back on the werewolf, Snape was beckoning me in through the gates and on instinct, I ran towards him, for many times he had been a reliant source of safety for me.

'Professor?' I asked, turning on the spot as I found myself in my old bedroom 'Where'd you go!?'

'Your professor ain't here to save you now.' Greyback retorted 'Now, either be a good little girl and undress for me, or you know what'll happen, don't you?' he said, aiming his wand at me 'You don't want to die, do you?'

Somehow, I managed to muster up all the courage I could, despite my body shaking terribly.

'I'd rather die.'

Greyback looked disappointed, but shrugged

'Well, alright then, have it your way.' He rose his wand but my eyes remained upon his grotesque face 'You'll be a nice snack for me to chew on.'

'Mara?'

'Mara!'

I jumped, and above me I saw a familiar bearded face looking down at me with concern.

'You were whimpering and wiggling.' said Merton 'You alright?'

My chest felt heavy, remembering Greyback's taunting and the flash of green light in my head.

'He'll kill me.' I breathed 'He's going to kill me.'

Merton looked alarmed

'What? No one's going to kill you!' he exclaimed 'You're safe, in the cottage, in bed with me, see?' My eyes darted around, and after drinking the room in, my heavy chest lightened it's breathing, and my body sank back into the mattress.

'Oh, of course,' my hand went to my head 'stupid of me.'

'Not at all,' said Merton, his hand stroking my hair 'You have every right to be fearful after what that monster did to you, of course you're going to have nightmares about it.'

I nodded 'But it was strange...I was back in the Malfoy's Manor..'

'Well, you didn't have the best of times there from what I'm aware of.' frowned Merton 'I'm sure you have bad memories of that place too.'

My lips pursed as I nodded 'Of course. How is Artemas?'

Merton turned his back to me and leant over the side 'Sleeping like a baby.'

'Good, I'm glad my stupid noises didn't wake him.'

Merton looked back at me and frowned

'Mara...is there any way I can dissuade you from going back to Hogwarts?'

I shot Merton a disdainful look 'How many times do I have to say? I'm going back, Snape's already agreed to let me in as a late student, he's already confirmed to the ministry my blood status, what would have been the point of all his work on my behalf if I don't go?' I rose up into a seated position 'I'm going back to finish my education, and become a Healer, so I can support us and the baby.'

'I can support us, Mara,' Merton argued 'My job as a musician is very sustainable!'

'I know, but, I can't let you be the sole provider, it isn't fair! And besides, I've made up my mind, you can't change it.'

Merton sighed 'Alright, you win, Mara.'

'Thank you.' I replied, Merton watching as I rose to my feet

'Well, I'm going to grab a shower and change, you should take Artie downstairs.'

'Alright.' Merton replied and I exited the room.

'Now, you'll both stay safe, wont' you?' Maureen asked, her eyes glistening with tears as Merton and I stood at the door, saying our goodbyes.

'We'll be alright,' I replied, hugging my aunty tight 'And please don't worry about Oscar too much, I'm sure he's protecting himself very well out there, he was an Auror after all.' I said with a comforting hand on Maureen's shoulder.

'I should have gone with him,' Maureen wept 'protect him myself.'

'He's well trained, Maureen,' I reassured 'He'll have no problem against those bastards.'

Maureen nodded, wiping her nose with a tissue.

'Be safe.' she said

'Yeah, be safe' said Harold, who was holding the baby.

'Come on, we'd better get going.' said Merton, who took my hand and walked with me to the alley between both houses, where we disapparated on the spot.

The horribly familiar feeling of being sucked through a tight space encased me and all went dark, but in a blink of an eye we were in Hogsmeade.

Glancing around, I noticed an immediate difference, several shops were boarded up, and others were dedicated to the Dark Arts.

I squeezed Merton's hand tighter, who squeezed right back.

'Come on.' he beckoned, and walked close with me along the path to the castle.

'You really sure Oscar will be alright?' asked Merton 'I mean, he is muggle born.'

'I'm certain of his abilities,' I replied 'I have faith that he'll survive. He has to.'

Merton looked uncertain.

'Mara, we could turn back now,' he said abruptly 'go into hiding ourselves.'

'For the last time, no!' I barked 'I won't go on the run! How could you even think of leaving Artemas alone!'

'But he'll be with Harold and Maureen!' argued Merton 'He'll be perfectly safe! You won't be, not at Hogwarts, not with Snape taking over as Headmaster! For gods sake, Mara, he hired Death Eaters as teachers, Defence Against the Dark Arts is just 'Dark Arts' and Muggle Studies is mandatory, heaven knows why!' he bellowed 'And I bet they aren't the only Death Eaters at Hogwarts!'

'I know how to deal with Death Eaters, alright?' I snapped 'I lived with them for years, remember!'

'Yeah, but these people aren't the Malfoys,' Merton said darkly 'they won't have any mercy on you.'

'Well, what do you know?' I sneered 'You've had a real cushy life even before you became a musician, you don't really know how these fuckers work, do you?'

Merton glared

'I didn't have to agree to say Artie was my son,' growled Merton 'I didn't have to agree to any of this!'

'THEN GO,' I bellowed, my eyes stinging 'If we're both such burdens GO and NEVER look back!'

'What...no...' Merton stumbled 'No, Mara-I'm sorry, I didn't mean that..'

'Course you did, it's been at the back of your mind ever since you agreed to take Artie on as your son, think I didn't see it in your eyes?'

'Mara...'

The clearing of a throat pulled our attention, and Professor McGonagall was standing at the open gates.

'Sorry, Professor.' I mumbled, embarrassment engulfing me under her stare

'Mara' said Merton, who lowered to kiss me but I pulled away, crossed my arms and turned my back to him, not looking back to see his reaction, a moment later a loud crack sounded, Merton had gone.

'This way, Miss Morris.' said McGonagall, leading me through the gates which sealed themselves shut behind us.

'It's good to see you, Morris,' said McGonagall as we walked the path to the castle, pulling my trunk behind me 'am I to assume that I won't get any straight answers from you as to why you suddenly vanished last year?'

I pursed my lips, feeling bad for lying.

'Dumbledore didn't mention a thing to me, of course,' said McGonagall 'that I suppose is between you and him.'

'I'm sorry about what happened,' I said, trying to change the subject 'I read in the paper that Dumbledore...'

'Yes,' said McGonagall stiffly 'we were all shocked and appalled.'

'I read it was Potter who did it.'

McGonagall paused and turned to me

'The Daily Prophet lied,' she said sternly, looking visibly pissed off 'the real culprit was Professor Snape.'

My eyes widened and jaw dropped

'What?' my fingers shook around the handle of my trunk 'That can't be..'

'That is the truth, Miss Morris,' said McGonagall 'Now, come, the Headmaster would like to see you in private before you turn in for the night.'

I had always had mixed feelings about Snape.

Since Voldemort's return I had been seeing him at meetings in the manor, but I didn't think him a killer; so Snape was playing both sides the whole time, plotting Dumbledore's down fall? Part of me wanted to think he was relaying information to the old Headmaster in secret.

Was I so blind?

McGonagall pressed a hand on my shoulder with a weak smile before I entered the stone gargoyle and allowed the stairs to carry me up, and up to the top office, where I knocked thrice upon the door.

'Enter.' Snape's cold voice called from beyond the room, and my fingers shook around the handle I grasped.

I breathed out slowly and walked through the door, and there was an uncomfortable lasting silence that filled the air between us.

'So,' he said finally 'you return.'

'Yes, Headmaster, to finish my education.'

'I see.' he nodded once to the chair, and I sat down upon instruction 'This brings forth the question as to why you return after leaving so abruptly last year.'

My hands entwined around each other and I bit my lip.

'I left to get married.'

No flicker of emotion crossed Snape's face, though he did cock an eyebrow.

'You abandoned the rest of your education to marry a man you only just met?'

'Yes,' I replied 'we figured now or never, you know, since things were starting to get real bad with the politics, we thought we might not ever get the chance to,' I said, hoping to god Snape believed the lie 'we had a private ceremony, didn't want any paparazzi involved.'

Snape's eyes narrowed 'Then where, might I ask, is your wedding ring?'

'Oh, I left that at home,' I said, waving an airy hand 'didn't want it to be nicked or anything.'

'You do not trust your fellow dorm mates?' asked Snape with a hint of suspicion to his tone

'Not particularly.' I shrugged, and Snape scowled

'Say I believe you,' said Snape 'tell me, do you know of Oscar Loughty's location?'

'Oscar, no, he didn't even turn up at the wedding.' I replied, frowning

'Then what about Harry Potter?' said Snape 'I never got the impression you were particularly close, however,' he paused, and it made me even more nervous 'you were in Dumbledore's Army, do you still affiliate yourself with Potter and other members?'

'No,' my head shook 'I've seen the error of my ways, Headmaster, I promise to be a better Slytherin.'

Snape scowled, perhaps not liking the sweetness to my tone, and I kept my eyes on a rather fancy looking sword sat in a glass display case as Snape stared at me intensely.

'Very well,' he said after minutes of silence 'you may go to your common room, be sure not to loiter.'

'Yes, Headmaster,' I rose to my feet 'goodnight.'

Snape nodded curtly as I turned, and I walked as carefully as possible to the exit, making sure not to show any sign of nervousness on my way out.