Light Of Mine

by SanctuaryAngel

SEQUEL to Whatever It Takes. Years have passed since the post-war events & everyone is focusing on building their renewed lives & families. But moving on is never easy. Fears are faced, truths are realized & ambitions are turned into reality. Slytherins are in deep despair. New Dark threats await. Harry & Severus face new difficulties & must learn to lean on each other once again.

29. The Path We Make

BlueWater5: Yeah, Harry is still a little sloppy! Hehe, he'll get the hang of it in time!

A5mia: I'm not even sure what to comment on here, as I adore your reviews so much! Glad you are enjoying the story as much as I enjoy reading your thoughts. Thank you! I am about 11 chapters written ahead, and I have to say…They are such a treat to write and their evolving friendship is incredibly special.

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Author's notes: TRIGGER WARNING of brief mentions of r*pe within Dawn's POV later this chapter. Nothing graphically descriptive, and nothing harming any of our known characters in that regard. Just mentions and implications.

Also, mention of miscarriage.

Things are about to get bumped up a notch! This was a huuuuge chapter, and I refused to split it up into two smaller chapters because I'm stubborn like that, although at least you get the time breaks in between with POVs. Alas, you get this monstrosity.

Last chapter published for the year, so consider this a Christmas treat.

Enjoy! See you in the new year! xx

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"Sometimes we don't really let go. We don't really move on. We just learn how to cope with the loss. We learn how to smile when sad. Learn how to laugh when broken and adapt. Survive. Live. We carry on and hope for the best. That's what we do."

– R.M. Drake

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CHAPTER 29: The Path We Make

December 27th, 2002

[Harry Potter]

Harry felt content.

A week's return home from Hogwarts had been what he needed to break away from the life of a Professor. Well, one still learning. Although those few months since the first day flew by incredibly fast, he was grateful for things running as smoothly as possible and he could give his mind a bit of a rest, especially given how unexpectedly grueling and emotionally tolling those Occlumency lessons were.

The lessons, although tough to endure, did provide results. He was able to recall more each time and didn't have to worry about blanking out when he tried to remember the faces of those that lost, and the terrible things that had happened in his past. The nightmares had since lessened – another blessing – and he felt now that he was learning to grieve for the lost more and more. Grieving was difficult when you could barely remember their faces, but now he could reminisce on the moments he shared with them and treasure them without the fear of forgetting them.

Ginny herself had commented on how much more relaxed Harry was and after telling her why, she had mumbled 'I told you so', knowing full well that Severus was the one to approach about it. But she was also relieved that Harry was no longer ignoring the seriousness of it and that he was actively trying to rectify it. Despite feeling as if it didn't make much of a difference at all, his progress did not go unnoticed.

Along with Harry's busy Hogwarts life, Ginny had opted to pull out from the Quidditch season to help take care of Teddy. Now with Andromeda gone, she felt she couldn't abandon him and found it imperative to spend as much time with the little Niffler as possible. When Harry arrived home, he noticed the bond between them had grown and that made him proud. He knew Teddy loved Ginny, but now Harry felt comfortable knowing the two will get along fine when he was away at Hogwarts throughout the year.

Even Ginny's cooking was getting better, and Harry had to no longer worry about things exploding within the kitchen given her usually disastrous attempts. Much to his amusement. All in good spirits, of course.

As the days rolled by, Christmas at the Burrow was its usual busy affair.

With all of the Weasleys back together – minus Percy, who insisted on not taking too much time off over the Christmas holidays – Harry was able to enjoy a surprisingly normal day. He still felt a bit anxious, but not as bad as the panic attack he experienced during Easter. Perhaps with his goal of sorting out his memory issues, he was able to further manage himself and pushed back the thoughts that had plagued his mind for so long. He hadn't dreamt of Voldemort for a few months so that at least was a welcome comfort.

Teddy had spent most of the day engaging with Luna and baby Victoire, altering his hair color throughout for their entertainment. To Harry's relief, he hadn't tried changing other features yet, and one he hoped wouldn't surface for another few manageable years yet. A child Metamorphagus was no joke.

But he also realised this was the first family gathering without Andromeda and so there was still a sense of sadness there for another person no longer in their lives. Teddy didn't fully understand it, even though at times he'd call out her name, expecting her to be there. According to Ginny, he hadn't fussed too much over it, sometimes crying when she'd reassure him that she was not far away. Ginny herself unfortunately never knew what to say, especially to a young child who lost the closest thing to a mother they had. Although Harry was almost tipped over the edge when Teddy decided to hand him a piece of chocolate and it took all of his strength not to break down. He pushed through the welling of tears that stung his eyes and tried his best not to allow his emotions to make a fool of himself again.

He did not want that to happen, especially with everyone else there.

Molly had baked a large fruit cake with vanilla icing, topped with an overload of glazed cherries, and owled over a fresh batch to Severus knowing that he declined to attend for yet another year. Harry had humorously received a follow-up letter from Severus telling him that he wasn't particularly impressed with the abundance of sweets that were delivered to him. The man wasn't a sweet tooth, but it was beyond the point now of informing Molly herself. So, this entire time she assumed Severus loved them when in actual fact, he wasn't much fond of anything sweet. It almost reminded Harry of Hagrid's infamous rock cakes, enough to break someone's teeth with.

Luna had made an appearance, finally introducing them to Rolf Scamander who had been traveling with her during the past year all through Europe. The pair of them were two peas in a pod, Rolf being almost as eccentric as she was.

Ron was extra protective over Hermione that day and yet Harry felt like something was off. Ron seemed far more withdrawn these days, of which Harry blamed on his line of work. Dark circles were more prominent under his eyes now, and he looked exhausted. He had since noticed a new scar on his hand, of which he refused to disclose. Instead, Ron forced a tightlipped smile at the dinner table, keeping Hermione close. Harry had only wished he knew Legilimency so he could find out what was really going on.

When the afternoon progressed, Hermione went for a walk with Luna and Ginny, leaving Harry and Ron in the sitting room away from the rest of the family.

"Ron, is everything alright?"

Ron thinned his lips, eventually giving a stiff nod, "…Yeah."

Harry couldn't help but glare at his friend, knowing full well he was lying, "You know I don't believe that. What's going on? Is there something I can do?"

His friends' face drooped, and sadness slowly enveloped him. Ron appeared slightly lost and seemingly unable to procure the right words. Eventually, he swallowed rising bitterness and looked around to ensure no one else could overhear. When he was confident that they had the moment to themselves, Ron lowered his voice. "We…Hermione…She's been struggling to conceive."

Harry blinked in disbelief. Out of all the news he had running through his mind, he wasn't expecting this. "I-I didn't know you two were already, well, planning."

He gave a lazy, defeated shrug, "Hermione and I have been trying for ages. Doesn't help that mum is excited for us about possibly starting a family. I know she means well, but this is difficult for us. Really difficult. Hermione would be an amazing mum, I just know it."

"Blimey, Ron…I didn't know."

"No one else does, " Ron looked absolutely heartbroken, and perhaps a touch of relief that he was able to share it with someone. It's been so long since Harry has seen his friend like this since he'd been so guarded for quite some time, "I-I don't want anyone else to know. Especially since Hermione seems to think it was because of the night Bellatrix tortured her at Malfoy Manor. The stress on her body – She still wakes up with night terrors, sometimes. She miscarried last year, after one of them. We didn't know she even was carrying at the time."

Harry's heart plummeted, "Oh, Ron…"

"I wanted to tell you for ages, but I just didn't know how, " Ron ran a shaky hand through his red hair, "I'm really struggling with this. You're my best mate. Just don't bring that up with her. She throws herself into her work, so she doesn't have to think about it."

Harry reached out to place a hand reassuringly on his best friend's shoulder, "It's safe with me."

"I know it will be, " Ron bit his lip, now beginning to look grim. This was indeed a worrying sight, "Look, mate – If something ever happened to me, I know you'll be there for her."

Harry was speechless, "Ron, why are you telling me this?"

"Just…If, okay?" Ron responded, firmly, "I just need to know that you are aware of it."

"I, yes, of course…But, what's going on?"

"It's just the job, you know?" Ron looked worried and didn't even try to hide it, "It's dangerous. I mean, I guess I know why so many Aurors don't have families. It's risky."

"Whatever happens, Ginny and I will be there for her…and you, " Harry said as if it wasn't even a question to answer. He would always be there for them no matter what happens.

"I know I never really have to ask, but…Thanks…" Ron gave a small, saddened smile. Upon the return of their wives, he observed as Ron re-joined Hermione by the Christmas tree and watched them embrace each other for the longest time.

That wasn't exactly uplifting news and Harry felt a little ignorant that he had no idea about it before. To think your best friend was hurting and he was too busy dealing with his own issues to notice. Nowhere in that messy mind of his did he ever think about the prospect of having their own kids. And the fact that Ron and Hermione had been trying, and lost a child, hurt Harry deeply. It just wasn't fair how after all that they'd been through, they were still in pain following the aftermath of the War. He wanted all of them to be happy and fulfilled. Instead, they were just getting by, dealing with health issues – both mentally and physically – and dealing with life after a dangerous War. The nightmares of what they endured still took hold of them each night.

But his friend had alarmed him during his last request, raising many a concern with what he may be dealing with at work. Were they working on a dangerous case? What could possibly be worse than what they all dealt with when Voldemort was still a problem? Something about the way his friend had told him, set him in a state of worry. It was foreboding and grim.

Whatever it was, he only hoped it was something that could be rectified and solved.

Once the day was over, he later discovered that Ginny had already known Hermione had miscarried, and Hermione was afraid to tell anyone else. The event shook her as it was so unexpected, and she mourned in private for so long. Although Harry wished he knew earlier, he was grateful that his wife was able to console her through that heartache. No one else knew about it, not even the rest of the other Weasleys.

It was such a terrible and difficult thing to face and he couldn't imagine ever having to endure that kind of pain.

It wasn't until several days later that Harry received a letter during a quick visit to his parents' graves. A small barn owl dropped the letter and flew off once again into the wintery afternoon, causing quite a panic during its urgency.

He peeled open the letter and couldn't believe what he had read.

With the recent news he had just received, he raced back home to the Potter cottage feeling anxious and no doubt conflicted. Harry burst through the front door almost out of breath and halted and did a double take when he realised Severus was present, "Oh, sir, I didn't know you were here…"

Severus was originally seated at the kitchen table and had since risen upon Harry's arrival, "I had a few extra ingredients that required to be used before they needed to be vanished, so I took the liberty of replenishing your personal storage."

"Oh, ah, thanks Severus, " Harry then looked at his wife who had just given the man a cup of tea, "…Ginny, we have a change of plans today."

Ginny had noticed Harry's almost jittery demeanor, "What happened?"

Harry did a strange, almost nervous, sideward glance at Severus before turning back to his wife, "Petunia's in hospital. Dudley, sort of…contacted me. He was freaking out a little in the letter and wanted me to see if I can help or something."

"And?" Ginny questioned, knowing full well she was expecting a proper answer.

Harry bit his lip with the conundrum he found himself in, "Well, I don't exactly want to see them."

"Then don't, " Ginny said, simply. If only it was as simple as she made it out to be.

"I just found it odd that Dudley ever wanted to contact me in the first place. He can't be that desperate. Not entirely sure how he got hold of a magical owl, anyway."

Ginny drew in a careful breath. Her hazel eyes were deep in concern, "Look, it's up to you. Only you can make this decision. If you feel uneasy, I can go with you and if things get bad, we can leave."

"Maybe…" Harry felt unsure. Intermittently he was stealing glances over to Severus who was observing their exchange rather interestingly.

Ginny blinked back firmly, adopting the same expression Molly would give, "Harry, you need to be certain. Alright?"

"Yeah, I suppose…But we have Teddy, and there is no way I'm bringing him with us – "

" - I'll keep an eye on him, " Severus gently interjected, upon watching the exchange for far longer than he deemed comfortable.

All eyes suddenly turned to Severus, with the strangest of silences, until Harry finally spoke, "…What?"

"I will not repeat myself, " Severus responded sharply.

"Err…" Harry was indeed shocked.

Severus's eyes darted from the couple, "I suspect it'll be a quick visit."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other. "Yes, but…You hate him."

Severus clicked his tongue, stealing a quick uncertain gaze at the child in question, who was busy playing with his puzzle pieces messily on the floor of the sitting room. He sighed heavily, almost irritated by the statement itself, "…I don't hate him."

"You find him annoying, " Harry said, not quite sure if this was a good idea.

"As I said, it'll be a quick visit. I'll deal with it, " Severus rolled his eyes when he realised the couple was still glaring at him in disbelief, "For goodness sake, I'm not going to string him up by his ankles and fasten him to the wall with a permanent sticking charm."

Ginny shot Harry an exasperated look, looking less unsure about the idea than Harry did, "Harry, we'll be quick. He's here now and we won't have time to drop him off at the Burrow, with some of his things."

"Okay, fine, " Acknowledging their dire situation, Harry turned to Severus with a pleading look, "Just…Please don't stress the kid out."

Severus was quite clearly not happy with his own suggestion, but he knew he couldn't back out now, "Just do not leave for longer than necessary. I will only be up to my eyeballs in puzzles. If I perish from boredom, I'll haunt you for it."

Harry snorted, watching as Teddy finally bounded in from the sitting room, with a toothy grin, "Sure, okay…Thanks, Severus, I mean – "

"Hurry up and go, before I change my mind. Take the exceedingly rare opportunity whilst I offered it, " Severus crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the couple with his sharpened gaze. His eyes darted from the small child bouncing excitedly at his feet and back to Harry and his wife.

Teddy will be safe, it's fine…Severus will be fine.

This was indeed an odd situation, but Harry did not have any other options, "Fine. Alright. Come on Ginny, let's just get this over with."

"And Teddy, please be good for Severus, okay?" Ginny called out before the pair of them raced out of the door and whispered to herself, "And for the love of Merlin, do not play with the toy quaffle. That thing gave Neville a concussion at Easter."

Leaving Severus nervously to babysit their Godson in their swift dash, Harry and Ginny left Godric's Hollow and reappeared at the side streets alongside one of the biggest Muggle hospitals in London. Ginny, clutching Harry's hand tightly, didn't often venture this far away from magical areas. Her inquisitive eyes darted from every Muggle thing she noticed, and he wasn't quite sure of what to make of her expression. Her brow knitted together, likely attempting to figure out how a single Muggle object could work without magic.

Very much like Arthur.

Entering the large hospital, they were able to locate Petunia Dursley's name and since made a beeline toward her room on the seventh floor. They passed busy corridors and patient-packed bays with the chaos of the medical staff racing around. Large machines were beeping, and bed alarms were ringing, with some horrendous coughing from one single room to the sound of someone snoring heavily in the other. A stench of something putrid briefly ticked his nostrils and he tried his best to navigate the wards as best as he could without wanting to hurl.

Finally venturing away from the busier part of the hospital, they turned down a quiet corridor and were able to find the room they were looking for. With bated breath, Harry entered the room with Ginny still clutching his hand tightly. His palms felt moist, and he realised he was feeling far more anxious than he did when he initially received the letter. The moment he entered, his aunt Petunia was seen laying in the hospital bed, with oxygen tubing connected with a mask upon her face, and further cords connected from her chest to a beeping screen beside her. Her face looked slightly ashen, and her exhausted features slackened with her wrinkles now more prominent.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed his wife curiously eyeing the Muggle equipment that was beeping within the single room they were in. Seated beside Petunia was Dudley, who looked all but relieved of their appearance. It had been several years since he had seen either of them and there were some noticeable differences. Petunia, although looking run-down, had placed her wispy hair into a messy bun which he noticed to be sporting grey strands. She wore a hospital gown which appeared to hang in curtains over her slender frame and she sat there huddled wearing a dull yellow cardigan over the top. Dudley had since shed further weight since he last bid farewell to them and now took on more muscular, burly features. His hair was a little longer, but swept to one side, wearing a pair of jeans and a smart-looking black buttoned shirt. Even his dress sense appeared to change.

Upon his entry, Petunia went chalk-white in the face. Her eyes widened in shock, staring at the young woman looped within Harry's arm. A redhead who bore some similar features to her own sister in their youth. Ginny gave a side-eyed glance to Harry, and he merely swallowed uncomfortably.

Harry gently and awkwardly cleared his throat, "Aunt Petunia."

"Harry? What on earth are you doing here? You were the last person I ever expected to see."

"Dudley found a way to contact me, " Harry said, giving Dudley an appreciative nod, before turning back to his Aunt, "What happened?"

Petunia's jaw tightened with tension, curling her lip. Initially, it seemed as if she was going to shake her head and tell the pair to get out, but to his surprise, she drew in a worried sigh, "Heart problems. I had a…a heart attack. "

Feeling slightly out of his depth, he took note of colored wire-like beams connected to her chest and hooked up to a screen, and turned back towards her, "I came as soon as I heard."

Petunia huffed annoyingly under her breath, eventually shooting a pointed look toward Ginny, "And who is she?"

Harry smiled proudly, despite Petunia's snarky remark, still clutching his wife's hand at his side, "This is my wife, Ginny. We got married a year ago."

He could almost sense the displeasure emanating from his Aunt. There was a strange mixture of confusion on her face, causing Harry's heart to race a little more. Perhaps this really was a bad idea. He felt like a stranger being here as if he had just accidentally intruded into the wrong room.

His Aunt appeared sour, "You made a mistake coming here. Wait until Vernon hears of this..."

"Mum, just listen to him, alright?" Dudley groaned and interjected. It was clear that he didn't want to hear it, either.

Harry bit his lip, "Look, I'm not staying long. Honestly, I wasn't going to come here. But...I didn't know if I'd ever see you again."

Petunia stared pointedly at Harry. Her lips thinned as her long face tensed. An uncomfortable pause flooded the room and Harry could feel Ginny's hold tighten against him. Now he just really wanted to leave.

"I want nothing more to do with...magic...ever again, " Petunia's lip curled, spitting those last few words out in the end, "Just spare me that at least."

Harry drew in a deep breath, willing self-control for that moment, "I am only here to see how you are. That's all. I want no more trouble."

Petunia looked at Dudley furiously, "I gave you no permission to inform him."

Dudley looked a little irked, and shrugged, clearly not adhering to a single word she said, "I think he deserved to know, mum. He is still family, after all. As much as you hate him."

"I – I don't – " Petunia looked ready to protest further, but instead closed her mouth. She took a moment to eye each other person within the room with a mix of malice and self-doubt. She continued to eye the door carefully as if Vernon could burst through at any moment and scold them all.

Ginny had since straightened out her posture and extended her hand to the sour woman, plastering a friendly, almost condescending smile upon her face. "Good to meet you."

Petunia, however, looked close to tears, staring at her hand in a mixture of emotions almost visually bubbling to the surface. She quickly eyed the door again and to Harry's great surprise, extended her hand to his wife. Her lips twitched but her expression remained cold and resentful, and she finally clasped Ginny's hand, "An unexpected surprise." She retracted her hand as quickly as they met as if Ginny's hands were filthy. But despite that, the returned gesture still took him by surprise. She looked at Harry, eyes narrowed exactly as he last remembered, "Go now, before Vernon returns."

"Thanks for stopping by, Harry, " Dudley looked relieved.

His aunt merely nodded, stuttering through her words, "I...yes..."

"I won't visit you again, " Harry said, taking the last amount of his willpower to say so.

"That is for the best, I - " Petunia eyed the door quickly again, before locking eyes with Harry again, " - Take care of yourself. Please."

Dudley shuffled his way to the door, "I'll walk you two out."

With a final nod at Petunia, he and Ginny followed his cousin out of the room and walked in silence until they reached outside of the hospital near the parking lot. With his hands in his pockets, Dudley turned grimly to face him, "Thanks for seeing her…I'm really sorry for all of that. I know you probably didn't expect much from her. She hasn't really been the same since you left."

Harry eyed him curiously, "How so?"

Dudley shrugged, "I dunno. She's been angrier, even taking it out on me sometimes and she never tells me why. Although I've caught her bawling sometimes, too. I'm glad you were able to get here without my dad seeing you. Mum, I can handle...him..."

"It's fine, Dudley. I know. It is what it is."

"I'll keep you updated. If you want?" Dudley questioned, "I, erm…found an owl. Injured. I wasn't going to do anything at first, but then I realised I could use it to contact you."

Dudley nursed an owl back to health? Blimey!

Shocked at that little piece of information, he nodded, relieved, "Yeah. Thanks, Dudley."

Dudley turned to his wife, with a lazy, awkward wave, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Jenny - "

" – Ginny," Ginny responded firmly.

"Right, Ginny. Sorry, " Dudley turned to Harry, "Anyways, I best go back to mum before she calls me on the phone another twenty times. Bye, Harry. And stay out of trouble."

Dudley flashed a small smirk and a thumbs-up, before making his way back into the busy hospital.

Ginny raised an eyebrow once he was out of earshot, "Well, that was...interesting?"

Harry exhaled deeply, "That's one word to describe it." He glanced up at the quickly darkening sky. The scarlet colors of the horizon had long since faded. "Let's go home, otherwise we'll find Teddy hanging on the washing line by his ankles."

Ginny chuckled, "...Poor Ted." She looked quickly at Harry, "...Are you going to be alright?"

Harry nodded, biting his lip, "Yeah. Yeah, I think so. It was better than I imagined it to be, and honestly, I wasn't hoping for much. Not that I want to ever admit it, but she and Dudley are the only blood relatives I have left."

Harry felt her hand rub the lower of his back, stealing a quick kiss from her before they departed, "I know. You did good, my love. I'm proud of you."

The pair of them took the quick journey home making it back in time for the sun to completely disappear over the horizon and the stars to glitter magnificently overhead. The evening grew frosty, and Harry wanted nothing more than to bake in front of the fireplace.

When Harry burst through the doors, he wandered through the house until he passed the sitting room. During the odd silence of his occupied abode, he was utterly speechless at what he found.

Sitting in the single sofa chair was Severus quietly etching away on a piece of parchment, the sound of the scratching was almost soothing amongst the crackling fireplace. Upon Harry's arrival, the man looked up and brought a single finger across his mouth to silence him as he entered. On the double sofa beside the man, was Teddy, fast asleep against the pillows that supported his head. Draped over him was Severus' black cloak and tucked beside the young boy was Teddy's plush owl.

Placing the quill and parchment down, Severus gingerly rose from the chair in his bid to leave as quietly as possible. The man himself, dare he say it, looked content and well-rested. He didn't appear as stressed as Harry imagined finding him as, in fact, Severus looked…was that smugness?

Harry was soon joined by Severus in the next room, with Ginny grinning in delight at the sight they had just witnessed.

"I was literally gone for forty minutes, " Harry whispered.

Severus' arms folded behind him, "An hour and twenty-three, to be precise. He fell asleep in boredom, so it seems."

Harry couldn't help but grin, "What did you lecture him with this time?"

"The properties of dragons blood in healing balms, combined with activated moonstone during the winter solstice."

Harry tried not to laugh and wake the child up, "Gee, no wonder he fell asleep."

Severus was seemingly unimpressed by that quip, "As it so happens, he wished to learn what a moonstone was. Ponder that irony. At least his questions were more academic and less cheek."

"Hey, mine were academic!"

"No, yours were typically crafted to piss me off, " Severus responded, bluntly.

Harry laughed, feeling safe enough to do so. There was a time when any hint of a smirk would grant him detention and docked points, so given this relief, it was nice not to have to worry about that anymore, "Thank you, Severus. Really, just…You didn't have to do this, but you did."

Harry could have sworn he saw spots of color appear on Severus' cheeks. The man continued to look bored, but behind those dark eyes of his, he noticed a warmth behind them, "I don't need your platitudes. I was already here, and it wasn't as if I had other events to attend. Hogwarts can surely survive a few hours without my misery."

Harry smiled, "I still think Teddy has a soft spot for you."

"Do not say that again, " Severus hissed, being extremely careful to keep his voice as low as possible.

"Considering you made the kid bawl his eyes one time, that's saying something. Besides, it's not a bad thing. He's a shy little kid who feels safe with you. And I'm glad."

"Did you really believe I'd intentionally hurt the child?"

Harry hesitated, "No, of course not. I mean, sometimes I can't tell if you're being serious or not."

"You're far too naïve."

Harry shrugged, "I did hate you for a while, and considering I wanted to kill you myself – "

"Did you really think that little of me?"

"How could I not?"

There was a deadly serious expression on Severus' face and Harry had to wonder if he was going to explode in anger given how unpredictable the man has since become. Instead, Severus flashed a coy smirk, "…Good. I suppose I played my part better than expected."

"And still as infuriating, " Harry said, hearing Ginny chuckle from another room.

"Can't expect too much to change."

Harry laughed, "No, I suppose not. Look, I really do appreciate you looking after Teddy while we were gone."

"Just don't expect this to be a habit, " Severus made a move towards the door.

Harry raised his hand to bid the man farewell, "See you in a couple of weeks."

Severus appeared to grumble under his breath and soon departed the Potter's home.

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January 1st , 2003

[Severus Snape]

Severus' first Christmas since his return to Hogwarts was an interesting and unexpected experience.

On multiple occasions over the years Harry had invited him to the Burrow to celebrate with them, but due to his own shame, refused to go. Not that he was much fond of Christmas anyway, but the idea of being with people who didn't want to kill him, brought him a strange sense of comfort.

To his great surprise, he ended up with some gifts left by his office door that morning. Assuming they were prank gifts, he wasn't particularly keen on opening them. But as it turned out, they were rather thoughtful ones from a mixture of a few Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, a single Gryffindor, and a group of his Slytherins. Some of them bought and some even handmade. Much to his absolute shock. Admittingly, he didn't expect anything at all. Some of the staff had also given him gifts, mostly obscure books that only Severus would ever read.

Severus was woken up by Filius charming the corridors to ear-grating Christmas jingles, which was not his preferred method of starting his morning. Begrudgingly, he made his appearance at lunch that afternoon, noticing some groups of students sitting there already and scattered around the Great Hall. He took note of Cyrus Hastwell, who was sitting with one other Slytherin, and observed that the child looked content and reassured. The only obvious reason was because the Campbell twins were home for Christmas, so he managed to get some reprieve.

He definitely knew what that felt like.

At the staff table, Gregory was conversing in conversation with Filius, and Minerva was sitting with Dawn at its center. Dawn had since looked up to notice he had made his appearance and flashed Severus a warm, welcoming smile, which appeared to deter him from his thoughts. Her face was as bright as the sun piercing through the color-stained windows, and not something he ever expected to cause his heart to skip a beat. Such an odd thing to occur, since no one had ever greeted him like that before in his entire life.

In his deterrent on Dawn's expression, Severus took a seat on Minerva's side and immediately reached for a small pot pie.

Minerva's hand brushed warmly against Severus' arm, "Happy Christmas, Severus."

"Please help me eat the plum pudding before I devour the entire lot, " Dawn said, with a slightly guilty look on her face.

Christmas over the holidays was mainly spent within his lab, in his meticulous experimentation with his potions project. He was getting close now. With each brew, there were fewer side effects to be had and for once in Severus' life, he was satisfied with it so far. He wanted it to work so desperately and did not want all his efforts with it to go to waste. If it were successful, it would become well sought after earning back some of the coins he spent investing in its development. Of course, it would also help regain some positive reputation as he had so much he still desired to fix.

He couldn't believe that people still had some kind of distrust of him and no matter what he tried to do, it never seemed adequate enough. One day he'd like to journey to Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley without a large portion of the magical community casting filthy, disdained glances his way. He just wanted to move on from it all and put that dark past of him far behind.

Bury it. Destroy it. He didn't want that to still linger.

Once New Year's finally rolled by after what seemed like an eventful year, he sat atop the Astronomy tower alone watching Rubeus set off celebratory fireworks on the grounds. Some of the staff had invited him to sit outside and watch with them, but he quickly declined. He wasn't that invested and all he could think about was the year he had and where he was now. Sometimes his mind would ponder back to his time spent making up with Harry after they had lost contact. There were some things that brought him some measure of joy, even if they were small things. But for the most part, life was still as mundane and lacking all sorts of drive and ambition for much else.

And yet he still felt like he was missing something. There was still an aching emptiness within him, and he had no idea how to fill that void. Potions weren't giving him the joy they usually did – granted his project had been a stressful one – and being back at Hogwarts had been bittersweet. Although more bitter than sweet.

But after pondering his last visit to the Potters, he realised that he didn't need to do big things to feel any measure of accomplishment. He had already come so far and dealing with Teddy the other day had come as a surprising success. The child had as much as comply with him for the short time he had hesitatingly volunteered to babysit, and for once, he didn't feel angry over it.

And that came as more of a surprise to him than it probably did when Harry arrived home. Severus was changing in ways he never thought was possible, but even still now, change scared him.

What more could he possibly do?

…Would it ever be enough?

The staff and students met again in the Great Hall for the first day of the year, with a few of the staff members still noticeably buzzed from their gathering over firewhiskey in the staff room. To Severus' amusement, Sybill was still as nonsensical with or without the added liquor to her system and Filius was speaking in riddles.

He couldn't help but chuckle under his breath at the absurdity of the situation he found himself in.

"I saw that little smile of yours, Severus, " Minerva broke through his thoughts, with that sarcastic tone saying I-told-you-so.

Severus took a sip of the tea within his grasp, "You saw nothing of the sort."

Minerva did not shy away from a friendly smile, "I knew you'd be alright resuming your post here. You still have a home at Hogwarts. Now, it is filled with better memories for you, is it not? As it should have been all those years ago."

Severus tapped lightly against his mug, "Easier said than done, Minerva."

"Oh, I know. But you're here and haven't abandoned us, so I commend you for that."

He blinked, "You presumed I'd just…jump ship again? I wouldn't do such a thing."

The older woman shook her head, "No, of course not. Perhaps I didn't word that effectively…You're a part of our family and we are all glad you chose to return and stay with us."

"I suppose I didn't want to admit it earlier, however, " Severus considered not saying a thing, but instead closed in eyes in defeat, "A part of me missed this. Missed…being around people that didn't want me dead."

Minerva acknowledged him in kind regard, "Well, locking yourself away for years wasn't going to help matters. What else did you expect to happen? You chose a line of work that allowed you to work from home and yet your time spent as a recluse became a little more than you hoped for."

"What else was I to do, Minerva?" Severus shrugged, helplessly, "I was inundated with wedding and birthday invitations every year…I couldn't bear to show myself, cleared by the Ministry, or not. I could barely tolerate Harry's wedding…I didn't belong there..."

"Oh, Severus. I know this is difficult. Harry wanted to keep reaching out to you. As did I. You had us worried for an exceedingly long time, " Minerva smiled sadly, "He respects you…Please don't brush him away again. Not after everything you both went through even after the War's end."

"Minerva – they all have lives and families now and they do not need my useless interference. I had to make an attempt to move on, " Severus tensed up.

"That of which did not bode well, clearly."

Severus grew silent for a moment, quickly realising how broken he still felt with himself, "Time heals most wounds; certainly not the ones I have."

Dawn was seated several seats down talking to Gregory and had since looked up several times between his fond exchange with Minerva. He could have sworn her brows crinkled together in deep concern, but he didn't stare long enough to truly notice. He didn't want to look. Sharing this conversation with Minerva over tea was more than enough for his heart to bear and he didn't need anyone else meddling. He only allowed his heart to open for a rare few.

Wounds.

Severus had far too many of them. Whether they were physical or emotional, it didn't matter. Each was as equally painful as they felt as fresh from whence they were made. But it felt like no matter how much he tried he still couldn't heal from them. And he had enough of feeling so rotten and sorry for himself. He needed to try something else. He needed to figure out a way to help himself on a better path, or at least a more fulfilling one. If he was going to truly make this moving-on business as seriously as he could, then he needed to delve back into things that were bothering him. Already his rapport with Teddy was – much to his dismay – a fixable one.

Teddy…That mangy beast, Remus…Wolfsbane…

Wolfsbane.

Severus swore under his breath. It wasn't the first time he had thought about it since Harry had asked, and each time, shot him down almost immediately. And he hated himself for it.

But he didn't want to brew this potion again. He didn't want to be responsible for another who refused to take their potion prior to their transformation. And as dread further encompassed him, he realised that either way, he'd have to deal with the younglings when they were set to begin at Hogwarts for the next school year.

Maybe this was another chance. Perhaps this time he could try and regain his reputation again.

Whatever that reputation may be.

A few days after New Year's – because the first day of the year, be damned – he left a note with Minerva upon his short departure and made the tedious journey to the Ministry. The last time he was here, was for his own trial four years ago. One that filled him with such dread and damnation for his Death Eater days and although it cleared him of all charges, it still left a scarred imprint within him. Baring his dark soul to strangers and allies was the worst thing he could have ever felt on that day, and even still now, the shame of it burned within his gaunt cheeks. Everything about the Ministry reminded him of that day and thus visiting again took much of his courage long since dormant.

After registering his wand as a visitor, he made the journey to the bottom floor where the Minister and his administration offices reside. Passing door by door, he reached the one emblazed with Hermione Granger.

With daring nerve, he rapt on the door several times before hearing 'Enter' on the other side. Once he pushed through the door, he saw the woman herself in a state of flustered panic given the rolls of parchment that were materialising on her desk at a heart-stopping rate.

"Paperwork is anyone's worst enemy, " Severus spoke silkily, hiding the amusement on his face.

Startled, Miss Granger looked up, almost dropping the blue quill within her hand, "P-professor – "

"Sir will do, Miss Granger."

"Right, sir…Of course…Uh, what brings you here?" She gestured to the empty chair on the other side of the table and he immediately sat down. She always appeared nervous when he was around.

He placed a palm-sized ivory ceramic vial on the desk, "I have come with a…proposition."

"Oh?" Hermione crinkles her eyebrow, interestingly glaring at the mysterious vial.

Severus lingered on the silence for a moment, in his feeble attempt to find the right words without sounding a little foolish and an insufferable hypocrite, "Harry and I had many a conversation. Those of which I immediately dismissed, but it so happens that the boy wonder suggested something that had me thinking."

Hermione grinned, "Harry and his daft ideas."

"Initially, I presumed that, too. However, what he said surprisingly made some sort of sense, the more I pondered it."

Hermione looked intrigued, as she raised her eyebrow, "And?"

"Well – " Severus sighed, knowing he was not going to like the words that will spill from his mouth, " – I would like to propose to offer my skills in brewing Wolfsbane for the werewolf community."

Hermione looked stunned, "Oh, well, sir…"

"He also mentioned that you were in the process of enabling further rights for said community. Is that correct?"

"Yes, but…No offense sir, but you hated Remus…"

Severus tensely clenched his jaw, "…I did. When he was alive. I also heavily detested him because he was close to mauling me…twice. Which is why I would like to volunteer to brew said potion to put an end to the uncontrollable nature of lycanthropy, so no-one else will face one as I did."

Hermione paused to ponder for a moment. It was obvious to the way she furrowed her brow, that she was in deep thought. His ex-student sat in the same place staring at him, which began to make him feel a little uncomfortable.

"Earth, to Miss Granger."

Hermione blinked back into the present and began to nod a little excessively, "Yes, of course. That would be wonderful…Brilliant, even…I can place your application in right away. This will help immensely! We have another brewer on board, Hector Percival, but he's not very reliable…"

A small smirk twitched at the corner of Severus' lips, knowing full well he could out-brew the pipsqueak. He has had previous run-ins with the man in the past, "He's useless."

Hermione smiled, "I'm really ecstatic to hear you want to help. But, and apologies for asking…Are you certain?"

Severus drew in a deep breath and nodded, "Yes, I am certain. I've had far too much time to think about it. It is a start, and I am confident my Wolfsbane brew can be of some assistance. Considering it will not be long until I'll be teaching such children."

"I will ensure that you are well-funded…"

Severus shook his head, "Enough to provide adequacy for the required ingredients, will be sufficient."

"Sir, you'll be able to make more than enough galleons."

"Galleons won't solve my problems…It matters not."

The young woman paused for a moment, "If you're worried, we will provide legal protection to enable you to brew without public sabotage. If you can work compliantly with the Ministry, it will provide you better protection – "

Severus quickly interjected with a flick of his wrist, eager to get this over and done with, "Just skip the pedantics and sign me up."

"Oh, alright…" Hermione couldn't help but smile lightly, "You're doing this for him, aren't you?"

Severus stared blankly at Hermione, feeling his cheeks grow hot again. He had only hoped it didn't show on the surface. Once again, he felt mad at himself.

"Sorry, sir, " Hermione shook her head to retract her statement, "I couldn't help but ask. He'll appreciate this, you know."

Severus merely gaped sharply at her, unable to help the bitterness emanating within him. This was not the situation he'd ever find himself in, but here he was requesting to brew Wolfsbane. For the Ministry.

Hermione smiled again, despite Severus as reluctant to do so, "And you don't want me to tell him?"

Severus narrowed his eyes warningly, "Say not a word."

"I understand, " Hermione placed down her quill, "I'll ensure to send an owl to you in a few days with the required batches and their deadlines. We have begun to register some of them, and the list is growing exponentially. It was slow going at first, but I think they are soon realising we can help them. You're doing a really great thing for them, sir."

Severus gave a light hmph under his breath, slowly rising to his feet. He hated the idea of working with the Ministry, but he knows it may be a step forward. Or his only step forward, at least.

But he wasn't really doing this for himself, as much as fixing his reputation was appealing. Or the wolflings, for that matter.

He was really doing it for Harry and only him.

His path to making amends was a complicated one, even if he didn't quite understand it himself.

---

January 3rd , 2003

[Dawn Rheingold]

Early that morning before the first rays of the sun, she was contacted by Rowan who requested her immediate assistance. With barely enough time to hastily send Minerva a quick letter of her absence, she raced out of the castle as quickly as her legs could take her.

Her heart stopped cold.

Things had been largely quiet on the Auror front in recent times. There hadn't been a death for a few months now and the quiet period between those cases was no doubt worrying.

Until now.

Dawn gathered that they were laying low but hearing no further word on their operations caused their investigation to run painfully slow and anxious amongst her colleagues. There were strange happenings around Britain, with odd kidnappings, and old paraphernalia associated with Voldemort's previous reign sparking natural concern. Obviously, there were still supporters out there, but usually, they did not kick up a fuss within the magical world. But it was still not quite enough to piece anything of value together. There were so many gaps between evidence, the victims, and their locations, that they seemed random. But she knew deep within her gut that it was not.

The constant sense of dread gripped her at every turn, causing her skin to ripple at the mere thought of what could possibly go wrong. But she knew. She knew the moment she received that letter that they were about to uncover something significant.

Receiving the coordinates of a new location, Dawn Apparated and reappeared alongside an old, crumbling, rickety wooden fence almost as tall as she was. The fence was bordering on a small cottage, which appeared derelict and abandoned from what her eye could see. The grass around the tiny property was overgrown and covered with a light dusting of snow, and there seemed to be no sign of life from anywhere within. The light of the horizon had finally pierced the overcast clouds, shrouding the area with a welcoming glow giving way to the new day.

Standing idly at the entrance to the old home, were the rest of her team. With her wand cautiously at her side, she approached the familiar faces being careful and alert upon these new surroundings.

Nodding her head in acknowledgment, she greeted her team, "Apologies for the late arrival."

Rowan lowered his head respectfully, "I am most pleased you were able to join us so quickly."

Indicating to the abode they found themselves at, Dawn nudged in its direction, "So, what exactly are we doing here?"

Her boss, also clutching his wand defensively, eyed each of them intermittently, "An owl carrying a letter was intercepted and killed over this region. No one knows why. After the recipient failed to receive it, a warning was sounded and the Auror office was alerted."

"Then why us?" Desmond huffed, still rather bleary-eyed from his rude wake-up call, "That should be up to another department."

Rowan turned to look at him, "This area has not been occupied for quite a number of years, thus, there should be no one out here. This was once a Muggle dwelling."

"Does the Muggle evacuation have anything to do with our world?" Raphael asked.

Rowan nodded grimly, earning a few wide eye glances his way, "Yes. Hence the concern."

"Right, " Ron said, "Do we know what the letter contained? Must have been important if it was shot down."

"It has not been found. At least, not by one of us, " Rowan shifted his weight to the other foot, as he continued to update the team, "This cottage was owned by a middle-aged couple, who ran an old brewery just up the road. The brewery was decommissioned when the owners suspiciously went missing, and no one wanted the business."

"So, what you're sayin', is that no one should be here?" Desmond tensed his jaw.

"Precisely."

Dawn raised her chin, "Five years ago? Has the brewery been scoured before?"

"That is our goal for today, " Rowan spoke firmly, "We are to investigate the area and report back to the office."

Ron looked alarmingly at Dawn, then back to Rowan, "Five years ago?"

She knew full well what Ronald implied. Voldemort was still in power five years ago. And a missing Muggle couple who simply vanished? A missing owl? A letter was intercepted – that was plausible. Oh yes, something didn't quite add up here.

Desmond adjusted his cloak, with his wand ready in hand, "Well, let's get on with it, then."

With a last pointed look, the team departed from the derelict home and weaved themselves along the tree line dotting the old dirt path leading up to the site of interest. Rowan took the lead and went ahead cautiously, careful not to make a single sound. His navy, tailcoat suit always amusingly reminded her of an orchestra conductor, and he wore it well. Ronald trailed just after him, sporting a short dark brown cloak, with sleeves tightened and raised slightly above his wrist. Her heart fell when she noticed the beginnings of scars scattered across the young man's arms resembling odd tentacle-like patterns, which further sparked her curiosity.

The old, decommissioned brewery was located along the Scottish border, hidden away by overgrown trees and land mill long since abandoned. It wasn't a large establishment, but the peculiar reports of strange activity in the area were enough to spark the interest of her division. The silence throughout her team was well-needed during their journey, as she considered that each of them shared the same worrying thoughts as she did.

As they approached the small steel doors at its entrance, Rowan quietly led them around the side covered over by slight overgrowth of trees, piles of light snow, and old rubbish plastered up against its rusted wall. It was painfully silent except for the squelching of snow beneath their boots, and Dawn was thankful she at least had enough time to retrieve her winter traveling cloak as she dashed from the school.

Rowan split them into two groups, one for each door located on the side of the abandoned factory. They avoided the main doors at all costs and focused on the smaller entrances as a safer access point. Dawn watched as Desmond, Ronald and Raphael took the door on the farthest side, with Dawn following Rowan into the one they were standing beside. As the other three disappeared behind the slightly rusted steel doors, she slid inside after Rowan.

"Ugh, stale beer, " Dawn wrinkled her nose in deep disgust as she walked in deeper beyond the door. A waft of something yeast and rotten filled her nostrils almost immediately.

Rowan gave a small chuckle under his breath, "It's not for everyone."

"The only time I'd ever drink beer if I was already drunk. Alas, the likelihood of that ever happening is extremely slim, " Dawn's wand arm fixed steadily in front of her, with the mutual agreement not to utilise Lumos just yet. The small factory was shrouded in shadows, but light enough to see. Dull light pierced through the broken windows including that of the skylight, which was more than enough for her. She moved in step with her superior, "Rowan, I am pleased you contacted me about this."

He shrugged, "It was a unique call, thus, I feel all hands-on deck would be sufficient here. After your close encounter, we are stronger together. We cannot take chances."

As the pair edged deeper into the derelict building, not much else could be heard except for the crunchy footsteps of leather boots over dirt, pebbles, and shattered glass. The windows were exposed enough to the elements, which also enabled the colder ones through. There was a thin layer of frost throughout the hallway they slowly walked through. The doors on either side were almost completely frozen over.

Some distant sounds of more broken glass could be heard somewhere else within the building, but Dawn figured that were the other three. She gave a cautionary glance to Rowan, who did not seem all that worried.

The coldness within the building was becoming close to uncomfortable. She knew it was a cold, frosty morning, and yet it felt like it was far icier than it should have been. She wasn't sure if Rowan felt the same, so she kept it to herself. The chilliness seeped into her bones, causing her skin to ripple. It was an odd sensation, but it only further hastened her worry.

As they walked deeper into the offices, she noticed a different smell. Gone was the old scent of beer, and now replaced with something metallic, and salty. Something like…

Blood.

"Rowan – " Dawn whispered concerningly.

"I know."

They both glanced grimly at each other, until suddenly the light from the windows sealed itself shut, casting the area into near darkness. Immediately the pair cast Lumos and plastered themselves against the wall for safety. She heard the boots of the others come to a grinding halt, as they appeared to have done the same thing they did.

The suffocating, silent pause was the worst thing of all, as all she could hear was her racing heartbeat thumping against her chest. Taking a breath seemed like a risk.

Slowly and carefully the pair continued down the corridor, ensuring their eyes swept over each door and surface they could find. As they drew closer to the end – presumably entering the factory side – she noticed glowing writing on the wall ahead in almost neon green light. Her eyes did not register through the darkness at first, but as the pair edged nearer to it, her heart stopped in her throat.

'Aeternus sanguis.'

Eternal blood.

Dawn felt ill.

The strange coldness that had gripped her before appeared to drown out all sense of security and replaced it with absolute dread and misery. The numbness she felt was not something she had ever succumbed to, but it wasn't the physical coldness that took hold. It felt like something else.

Suddenly, she heard shouts from within the factory, with multiple voices echoing off the old steel that just managed to keep the building upright. Desmond's voice roared over the sound of her heartbeat and then they realised with great dread that they were being attacked.

With wands held high, Dawn and Rowan bolted for the door ahead, speeding past the chilling writing on the wall, and dashed as far as their legs could carry them. She felt her shoes slide on something wet and sticky, hoping with everything she had, that it was not blood. Her insides twisted horribly when she realised the smell of blood and now mixed in with the scent of rotting flesh, and she fought the urge to hurl as best as she could.

With her focus on what she may have stepped on, she felt a quick clutch at her arm, pulling her back. The sounds of a fight strangely subsided and it was all but painfully quiet. No yells, no explosion…nothing.

Rowan's arm gripped tighter upon her with his gaze fixed upon something at the center of the large room they found themselves in, "Dawn – "

With a wary gaze, she cast her eyes downward in the flickering light of the room, clenching her jaw tightly at what she saw. A few scattered bodies littered the floor – two, or three – her eyes felt like they deceived her. Women – youthful –

They were dead. So very dead.

Pieces of their skin peeled away from their bones as if something had been gnawing at them. Their frozen gazes fixed with fear and hair twisted in knots at their side. Streaks of old blood covered the floor, as they lay in a circle of melted candles of odd shapes and sizes. In its center was an old, cracked Death Eater mask. Fighting the urge to throw up, she realised these women had been bleeding from their lower regions, as old, sticky blood indicated severe trauma. They had been tortured – used –

Dawn turned away, sickened by the sight of it.

Those…those poor woman…

The layout looked almost ritualistic. She wanted to look back and observe, but the horror of it was too much even for her to bear.

"One of those women was the Muggleborn who went missing at St. Mungo's, " Rowans whispered silky voice full of concern, gently breaking through her thoughts, "Something dark happened here."

She could only nod shakily, scared by what may escape her lips if she dared to speak.

The pair didn't dare linger there. They left the room as quickly as they could in pursuit of the others, leaving behind the poor victims now long lost. The corridors were cold and empty. Silence gripped them, when they realised, they could not hear the others. With wands raised at the ready, the pair went through another door, finally leading to the main factory. Old machinery lay rusted and unused, in lumps of metal scattered over the floor. A mix of old and fresh blood smeared across the concrete floor, painting a pattern of a clear struggle.

And yet, the dreaded coldness crept eerily across her pale skin.

"Psst!"

Dawn and Rowan whipped their heads around to find Desmond ducking down behind old rotten wooden shelving. A trickle of blood was seen just under his hairline, trailing down his temple, ending with a smear. The pair took several quick strides, joining their colleague as quietly as they could muster.

"Desmond, what happened?"

The older man clenched his jaw as if he was biting back the urge to hurl his usual string of profanities in anger. Instead, his husky, gravelly voice lowered to as much of a whisper as he could manage, "We were bloody attacked – a few of 'em in crimson robes – they hit us from behind." Desmond paused to gather his thoughts, "They hit Raph and dragged him away – Ron stupidly chased after them – "

Dawn looked unimpressed, "The bastards must have baited us here. They knew – the writing – "

Their superior nodded, "Yes, and they knew we couldn't reject the opportunity to take us out of the equation, and what better place to do it than somewhere derelict and isolated. "

"The Muggleborns – "

"That, I suspected was an accidental find."

Dawn felt tense and sickened, "We need to go after them. They have Raph and if Ron isn't careful, they'll claim him, too."

Rowan rose back onto his feet, with wand clutched tightly at his side, "Follow me. We must hurry."

Following suit, Dawn and Desmond trailed their superior and began to walk slowly through the main factory. Each piece of machinery acting as a barrier and shield to hide them away at every opportunity. They didn't know where the others were, who they were dealing with, or what they were even capable of. With what they had just seen in the other room, it could only get worse.

They soon heard a crackle of magic on the far side, followed by the efforted sounds of a duel.

The trio picked up the pace, urging themselves to reach the other two members before things went further downhill. But before they could proceed further than they'd hoped to, Rowan's arm outstretched to the both of them, almost causing them to plow straight into him.

"Halt! Look above!" Rowan warned, refusing to take his eyes away from what he had just noticed.

Dawn's eyes cast upwards, and her heart stopped cold. Soon advancing on them were a small group of Dementors, floating closer to them in their eerily menacing demeanor.

Dementors! Of course! That unnatural chill could only be caused by one thing -

"Those bloody things were meant to be flippin' locked up! Where the 'ell did they come from?!" Desmond spat, plastering himself against the wall in time for a jet of electric blue to soar past his head.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Rowan and Dawn yelled in unison, not wasting any more time. Two separate silvery strands poured out from their wands, at the same time Desmond fired back at their assailants. They needed to deter the dementors and fast, as they could become far more problematic than the enemy that lurks around them. Rowan's Patronus forged into the shape of a marital eagle, screeching as it soared up ahead with outstretched wings. Dawn's Patronus took the dignified form of a large white wolf, jumping through the air as if it were landing on invisible platforms.

Both Patronus' made a beeline to the Dementors above, hearing nothing but painful screeches reverberating off the factory steel from the dark, twisted creatures.

Desmond had since bolted towards the sounds of Ron fighting with some of their assailants in the next section of the factory, whilst alarmingly disappearing out of view. The Dementors overhead darted above them in manic forms, soon escaping through the broken windows and chased away by their Patronus'. Dementors, unfortunately, could not be killed. But they had no time to capture and detain them, so allowing them to escape made Dawn feel uneasy. She knew they'd have to be reported and hunted down again, but they had other problems.

Once the creatures floated out of sight, Rowan darted toward the direction Desmond had gone. But as soon as Dawn took a step forward, she immediately felt strong arms around her neck and was yanked towards the ground falling back upon someone else. Unfamiliar crimson robes twisted with her own in the scuffle and a small panic escaped her lips as she struggled against him. Big hands clamped over her mouth and hearing a wooden clank on the floor, she knew in horror that she had dropped her wand.

Her colleagues had since fled and here she was alone and pinned in a headlock by someone whose face she could not see.

"I warned you, Rheingold."

His voice was familiar.

It took a moment to process it, but she soon realised in a panic and jerked her head enough for his hand over her mouth to shift – "You…"

She felt his hot breath upon her ear and cheek. It smelled like rotting flesh, and it took every ounce of her willpower not to gag with the smell filling her nostrils. The man spoke in an eerie whisper, causing goosepimples across her skin. His hand brushed against some of the exposed flesh of her hand, immediately feeling immense filth with such a violating gesture, "You fall for every crumb, every morsel of evidence in hopes you have something. But I am always many steps ahead."

Dawn tried to struggle against his hold, but as her muscles slackened, however, his became more fortified, "You're kidnapping and slaughtering people! How can I ignore such a thing?"

"All part of the fun, Auror, " The man said, seething, and spitting her title with much disdain and venom, "This is all your doing."

Dawn frowned, still unable to get a glimpse of his face, "I don't even know who you are…What have I ever done to you?!"

"You took something from me. Something I can never replace, " The man breathed in her ear, and she could only contort her face in disgust with his breath. There was a slight tremble in his voice – a rising anger that she knew he tried so hard to contain. And that scared her more than she dared to admit.

"I don't know – "

" - Of course, you wouldn't, you filthy wrench!" The man snapped; his voice suddenly grew loud enough to make her flinch, "You, a noble, do-good Auror who is justified in every decision, every life detained and ended…Everything for the greater good, isn't it?"

Dawn breathed heavily, biting her tongue with all the words she wished to say. How can she de-escalate this? How can she mitigate the situation she found herself in? For a sickening thought, she honestly had no idea what she did to him. She had scoured through and taken part in so many cases since she joined the Auror Department over ten years ago. So many Dark Wizards captured, so many raids foiled…She didn't have any possible clue who this man could be. She led several teams over the years, but she never managed a case alone. There could have been a number of other people involved, and yet, this man sought her out. And only her.

With a deep breath, she finally spoke, "How – What can I do to help?"

She regretted those words with every fiber of her being, but she didn't have much choice. He was still holding her down and her wand was far out of her hopeless reach.

"Help?" The man gave a twisted, manic laugh. It sent further shivers down her spine and reactively, she shut her eyes as if it could block it all from her mind. At that moment, she felt like a child. A helpless, vulnerable child. Finally, the man's laughs died down, albeit a few cold chuckles in between his response, "Help, you say? Oh, Dawn, you humor me. You cannot help. No matter what you do, you cannot help. The damage you've done is irreversible. And for that, you need to be punished."

A breath caught in her throat - What was he going to do to her?

Her breathing grew shallower in her desperate bid to buy her more time, but instead raised her chin, trying to take back some control, "Why the dementors?"

"Alright, bitch, I'll bite, " The man suddenly grabbed her chin and dug his greyed, blood-caked chipped nails into her skin enough to pierce its surface, and planted a foul, disgusting kiss upon her reddened cheek. He laughed, "I wasn't planning to use dementors but, well…To avoid them taking us down we had to offer them something. Souls…They kept our prisoners in check. They became valuable. A beneficial compromise."

Dawn felt sick to her stomach, thinking back to the poor woman who was brutalised in the other room, subdued by such a dark entity that they could not escape, "Why do you need the Muggleborns? What do you hope to gain from them?"

"They were soft, young…" The man's laughter echoed within her ear and burned into her mind. She could not erase the sound of his heartless chuckle no matter how hard she tried. She could almost hear him salivating, "They got what they deserved."

Dawn was growing frustrated with him, twisting amongst her bottled fear, "I do not know what you want from me. I don't know what I ever did to you – "

"I cannot give away all of my secrets, now, can I?" His breath was absolutely putrid, and she could not take much more of it, "No, you are going to suffer and bleed. I didn't want to hurt you in this way, Dawn, but you need to be taught a very valuable lesson in not taking what isn't yours – "

A quickened shuffle of boots could be heard at the far side of the factory, which was a sound of relief Dawn never knew she wanted to hear. She heard a deep growl from the man who held her, knowing full well his interaction was about to be cut short. With a violent tug as if she was a ragdoll, he pulled her closer to him and quickly ran his filthy hands all over her breasts as if he felt hungry for her own flesh, "I'll always be watching you, Dawn Rheingold. And I'll always be ahead."

Suddenly he threw her to the ground and with a few flickers of his wand, she felt a sharp pain along her left flank feeling a strange warmth slowly coating her robes. She was blinded in pain for a few moments until she realised her attacker had disappeared. Shots fired over her head and with the familiar sounds of her teammates, they were attempting to capture him. But she heard the familiar sounds of Apparition and she sickeningly realised he had escaped.

Everything seemed to buzz around her and all she could think of was the encounter she had just been involved in. It didn't feel real. She felt dazed and confused. She felt dirty and disgusting. She was violated – not in the way those other poor women were, but his hands touched her the way he did them –

She shuddered. And she couldn't wipe the look of disgust on her face.

"Dawn – " Ron broke through her thoughts.

She finally blinked back some sort of sense and looked up to find the redhead crouching down beside her. Behind him was Desmond half-supporting an injured Raphael, who was still conscious but bleeding heavily. Rowan was running his wand over the scene for any further intruders, ensuring the area was safe enough for them.

She heard Ron call her name again and she finally snapped herself back into the present, "I – Yes…"

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Dawn gave a hesitant nod, "Yes, I think so. Everyone else?"

"Raph was badly hit. Desmond is about to take him to St. Mungo's, " Ron picked up Dawn's wand and handed it to her, "Rowan called for another team to scour the area and collect evidence. There are more rooms back there…More victims…"

Her heart dropped, "I suspected as much." She shakily managed to clamber to her feet, barely taking notice of the blood dripping at her side. Her adrenaline was still in overdrive, and she had far too much on her mind.

"We found several old Death Eater masks, one near what looked like an altar."

"The women – " Rowan continued, shuffling up beside them, " – That woman was confirmed to be the missing Muggleborn from St. Mungo's, along with the other two. One from the Ministry. She suffered severe perineal trauma as a result of…what they did…Dawn, please…Stay alert. Are you sure you're alright?"

Dawn could only nod as if she didn't just endure what she did.

She didn't remember much else from that time onwards. Rowan took her statement of her encounter and ordered her back to Hogwarts and allow the other team to take over for additional investigation. The property was far too large for their team to do it on their own and as much as Dawn's division was highly dangerous, she was relieved that they had some assistance.

Still, in a state of shock, she barely registered Apparating back to the school and stumbled her way to the grounds and into the castle immediately feeling safe with its walls. Her head felt heavy and muddled and she desperately wanted to soak in a hot bath and rid herself of the filth she endured. The stain of his saliva felt tainted to her cheek, touched by a disturbed individual who was practically drooling over her form.

Dawn barely made it to the entrance courtyard, when she caught Severus arriving from the other side, with a pocketful of freshly acquired potion ingredients. He stopped to take one look at her – his expression startled by her appearance. She didn't even know. She must have looked like a wreck, and after a dangerous escape, she looked like she had come out fresh from the War.

"You look dreadful."

Dawn gritted her teeth, not entirely sure if she should respond moodily or sarcastically. She was far too exhausted for conversation at this point, "I'd rather not talk about it."

Severus remained unmoving, eying her ever so carefully. There was something about his gaze, which deterred her, "You're injured."

"I'm fine - "

"You're bleeding through your robes. You are not fine. Allow me to escort you to the Hospital Wing at the very least, so the Healers can look at you, " Severus said, firmly. His voice hinted at concern and as she looked down, she saw a horrible large bloodstain through her robes and pooling down her leg. She swore inwardly at herself.

She was troubled by what she had just seen and yet every time Severus looked into her eyes, it bore into her soul. Almost like he…knew. He knew she had seen something haunting. His eyes lingered over her possible wounds, his forehead crinkled in his deep ponderings, and she knew he was calculating everything he was seeing. He was far more intelligent than she ever gave him credit for, but she knew deep down, he could not know. The less anyone knew about the details of this, the better. She could barely come to terms with it herself.

With a tired sigh of defeat, she nodded, allowing him to escort her safely.

Barely stumbling through the quiet corridors, she was grateful for Severus remaining by her side despite her earlier hesitance. They walked in silence and Severus was considerate enough to be patient with her when she paused to take a few breaths at every turn. Neither of them said a word, but she felt a measure of relief that he decided not to leave her to her own devices, as stubborn as she usually was. She wasn't sure if she could have made it to the Hospital Wing without him there.

Once they arrived and at the obviously disheveled state of her, the Healers got to work almost immediately. They quickly erected a partition for her privacy, assisting her to disrobe and treat her as they could. It was finally then that Dawn realised the wound she had. A jagged laceration formed deeply at her left waist, hip, and past her thigh. She could have sworn it was not that big, but then again, everything still felt a little hazy. Whether it was what she had just endured or the blood loss, she wasn't sure.

"Severus, may we require your assistance – " One of the Healers suddenly called out. She sounded alarmed.

Dawn was confused for a moment, but then it registered. She was shocked to find that Severus had not left at all, assuming he had since long returned to the dungeons.

Without missing a beat as though he was waiting on standby, Severus entered through the partition once she was appropriate and immediately confronted the nasty wound. Dawn felt slightly embarrassed to be seen by anyone in that state, half-naked, and bleeding out on the bed. A sheet was barely able to cover anything else. It was almost like he knew exactly what it was, although Dawn had never seen such a curse before in all of her active duty as an Auror. With gentle strokes of his wand, Severus passed his delicately over her wound, mumbling a string of incantations under his breath. Without the huff of anger and frustration in his usual tone, this time sounded different. Calmer, and softer. His voice was far silkier and gentle than she had ever heard before.

He was far too focused on his task, but she couldn't help but watch him work with all of her curiosity. The Healers were passing blood-replenishing potions, analgesics, and antibiotics which she downed bitterly, but her inquisitive eyes refused to avert from him. She had never been able to see him in this way before, without him knowing. His frown set in his focus and his lips pursed in all of his concentration. But during his task, he had noticed his eyes shifting away from the wound and to something else that caught his attention. Several times at this point he would glance up to meet hers but said nothing. Those orbs pierced her own, but she could not read him as he moved quickly and with such precision to tend her wound.

What did he see? She knew he saw something, and in a small panic, she soon realised what may have drawn his sight. The realisation gripped her chest, but she was in too much pain to sort out her own thoughts. Too much was running feverishly through her mind, in all of the chaos that was happening at that moment.

But his eyes. There was something about his eyes. There was a light there. A kinder one. It wasn't shrouded in its usual shadow and hollowness, but with resolve and purpose. He helped her without another word, as dedicated as he was during the War. He didn't need to be asked a second time and he knew what he needed to do.

He was here, healing her wounds. A stranger – they barely knew each other.

Gradually, the wounds began to stitch up. And yet Severus persevered, ensuring every exposed open skin was sealed and closed as neatly as possible like a Muggle surgeon in those shows her mother used to watch. The Healers darted around Severus, mopping up whatever blood had pooled from her. But her eyes felt heavy and from all the potions she had just consumed, she found herself eventually drifting off to sleep.

When she awoke, she was hit by a blast of light. The stained-glass window pooled the late afternoon light, and she winced almost immediately. Once her eyes adjusted, she realised she was still in the Hospital Wing, with partitions still raised around her. She could hear a faint conversation on the other side in all of her groggy state, but she was too drowsy to ascertain what was being said. Eventually, the partition opened again, with a Healer tending her wound to check on its progress, and proceeded to give her a strange lavender-hued potion she did not recognise. On and off she'd drift back off to sleep, allowing the potions to work. She found she still couldn't move without a jolt of pain at her side, leaving her slightly irate and grumpy for feeling so helpless.

Later that evening when she felt more alert and less lethargic, one of the House Elves popped by and delivered her dinner. The smell of roast beef and gravy made her ravenous, and the healing magic of the potions reinvigorated her hunger. She needed much replenishing of all of her energy.

It was quite a day she had and exhausting in every way.

She could hear voices once again on the other side close to the Matron's office, and since her partition was more open for her, she was able to notice her surroundings more. But her mind drifted back to the factory, and what her assailant said…what he did…

Dawn shivered at the mere thought. It was close. Far too close of an encounter.

She was staring off into space, mindlessly glaring at the portrait of a majestic bird, when she heard additional footsteps arriving from the doors of the Hospital Wing. Finally blinking herself back to the present, she turned to find Severus arriving once again. She watched as he stopped by a Healer and after a few quietly exchanged words, watched as he walked towards her.

Severus stood at the side of the bed, with arms neatly clasped in front of him. He peered down at her from his hooked nose, "You were exceedingly lucky today."

Placing down her fork and knife, she leaned back against the headrest, wincing a little as she did so, "What was I hit with?"

"It appeared to be a Severing Charm. This one is rather a new variation and one I've not seen for quite some time. The wounds increase in size gradually if not treated, " Severus said, grimly, "By the time you arrived here, you were almost gutted."

It was no wonder she hadn't noticed how bad it had gotten until she arrived at Hogwarts.

She nodded appreciatively, but she couldn't help the tremble that broke within her voice, "Thank you, Severus."

Severus eyed her carefully. His dark orbs darted from her own eyes, then away the moment she noticed. The longer the silence between them, the more Dawn more disturbed by what had happened and was reminded of what had shaken her. She was still incredibly shaken by what she saw, and she couldn't hide it as much as she tried. Tears burned in her eyes, but she tried desperately to keep them at bay. And she did, despite how much it hurt to do so.

Noticing her slightly faltering, Severus appeared slightly out of his depth. His lips parted as if to say something, but instead, slowly lowered himself into the empty seat beside her. After a brief pause, he finally raised his chin to speak, "How did this happen?"

"My duty, " She said, simply. She couldn't understand what other answer he wanted.

"The Healers found scratch marks embedded on your neck and chin, not consistent with your own. Peculiar bruises were found on your torso and chest, as per what the Healers discovered, " His voice was quiet, as if careful about this conversation to remain discreet. She was grateful for his effort to preserve her dignity.

She flinched. How…What does he know? He looked genuine. Sincere. Almost, dare she say it, bothered by the idea of what she may have seen that morning. But she couldn't dare disclose anything. What she witnessed, was far too dangerous for anyone to know. That is why the Minister himself swore on this new Auror unit to keep the secrecy as much under control as they possibly could.

"I'm an Auror, Severus…I've seen things…." Dawn's voice continued to tremble, but she remained fortified. She wasn't about to allow her emotions to get the better of her here. She was stronger than that.

"And I was a Death Eater."

Dawn's mouth closed, speechless, understanding the words he had just told. Of course. He also had to have seen things during his time. He knew the full implications of what these people were capable of, and her experiences were no match to what he had seen and endured. The idea repulsed her, and now she felt what she had seen was nothing compared to what he was forced to.

She hung her head, but her gaze lingered and softened upon their now-revealed mutual similarities. "Severus, I'm sorry, I didn't think – "

"Don't be daft. I do not require your apology, " Severus drew back slightly, "I know that look and you need not be required to explain it to me. Understood?"

Grateful for the understanding, she nodded shakily, "I appreciate that."

"However, " Severus said slowly, "Should you need any further advice, or consultation, I can wilfully oblige. The world still holds its dangers, with or without Riddle."

Dawn chuckled weakly under her breath, "Are you offering a listening ear?"

"Advice, if you so wish to seek it, " Severus retorted quickly.

She smiled, warmly, despite how ached her body felt, "As confidential as my current investigation may be, I will keep that offer in mind."

With a sure nod, Severus rose from his chair, seemingly deterred by her state. She had to squint enough through her drowsy haze and the dying of the day's light, but she could have sworn she saw spots of color on his cheeks.

"Rest, Dawn. I refuse to take over your Defence classes on your behalf."

She saw an ever-so-subtle smirk upon the man's lips before she watched him depart the Hospital Wing.

Despite the horrors she had witnessed earlier that morning, she was lucky.

Incredibly lucky.