Thank you so much DarkInfinity2020!

BlueWater5: Thank you =) kind of comes with depression territory, really. You never know when you'll get a good day, or a bad day. Also, the passing of time in this story is also a bit of an indicator as well.

A5mia: Thank you so much for the in-depth review/s! WOW! I'm really enjoying seeing you delve into these characters and their actions and figuring out parts of the story. Especially in terms with the relationship between Severus and Dawn, and their perspectives. Severus is definitely going through a bit of an internal rollercoaster, as he is. Like canon, his emotions are often rather extreme but also unmanaged. I am so excited for you to know more about Dawn and Cyrus!

Authors Note: Just a weee little bit of adult content (not explicit) in the second part to this chapter =)

"Some days the darkness will overwhelm you. You will feel like you have not grown. You will feel buried deep within dry soil. Unsprouted, unloved and unfinished, not emerging in all of the glorious ways you had imagined and hoped for. Regressing, repressing, and lacking in light, and as uncertain as life tends to be, we can be certain of this. The sun will come out but so will the rain, shining and pouring, and just because you are still a work in progress, doesn't mean that you aren't already complete."

– Ullie-kaye

CHAPTER 31: White Flags

February 2nd , 2003

[Severus Snape]

Severus felt such a strangeness within him.

Given the events of the last few days, the hours felt blurred together as he tried his best to clamber out of the haze of confusion he was encumbered with. He managed to resume classes and his planned detention with a few insulant Ravenclaws, however, everyone else remained silent around him. Not even Peeves would dare pull pranks around him, and some of the staff felt it best not to further prod the bull. One Slytherin Third year decided to annoyingly pester him with questions after a class on anti-nausea potions when he fired off at him and deducted ten points.

Of course, his headaches would come and go in waves, further fuelling his scattered behavior toward any unfortunate person – student or staff – who crossed his path at the worst of times.

At times his anxiety would become so bad that he couldn't function – much like what had happened those days ago halfway through teaching a class – but for the most part, he usually had it well under control.

But he didn't know what had happened this time.

Severus remembered going through the ingredients of the burn salve carefully from the board, then the next thing he knew his heart began to suddenly race and he felt like he was drowning in his own sweat. Everything spun around him, and he barely remembered yelling at the class to leave. It almost felt like an out-of-body experience, not feeling like he had any control over his body or his mind. His panic got the better of him this time, and for once, he felt scared of it. The loss of control.

But as those days melted within his scattered mind, he vaguely remembered seeing her. Dawn. Was she even there? Someone was, but he struggled to recall.

Those eyes. Yes…those eyes. Those blue, intriguing eyes appeared to render him speechless each and every time they blinked hopelessly at him. Oh, yes, she was there.

But why? No one ever bothered.

For once, he wasn't thinking about Lily when he looked into those blue eyes. They were not the green ones he was accustomed to seeing for so many years. Those haunting green ones seemed to cause him both love and pain.

But Dawn didn't leave him. And yet Lily did.

Severus didn't know what to make of that. On one hand, he felt pathetic of himself to know that no one should give a damn and allow him to be miserable on his own. He was less of a burden in that way. Yet on the other hand, something within her presence seemed to strangely remind him of the company he knew he didn't deserve in the state he was in. The company during his panic was…welcoming.

Welcoming? When is anyone's company, besides Harry, welcoming?

As much as he tried to convince himself of how utterly ridiculous that sounded coming from him, deep down, he found an odd sense of comfort in that. Perhaps it was being alone for far too long after the War, that having no one around was his usual norm. To have someone else there not willing to give up on him, gave him a rare sense of hope. It was such a strange, foreign feeling. Amidst the random bout of panic that gripped him, she was the first to arrive. She calmed him. He didn't know how she did it, but it seemed to help.

A voice he didn't know he needed to hear, just to keep him grounded and present, and fighting another day.

Severus had been thinking a lot about the events over those few days, almost unable to focus on the class of fifth-year Slytherins and Hufflepuffs he was currently teaching. Throughout the entirety of the class, he noticed neither of them cracked any wise jokes or purposely ticked him off. The peace of the class was strangely cathartic. Although his Slytherins were noticeably a little more glum than usual. As he was wandering around the class and observing their brewing, he took notice of a few Hufflepuffs keeping their distance away from the Slytherins. One even relocated to the other side making the excuse of wanting to sit closer to the ingredients she needed.

He took one glance at Mr. Hastwell, who had been observing the exchange as well. Severus met his gaze, who only bit his lip in defeat. When the lesson ended, Severus commanded Mr. Hastwell to stay behind. Once the last of the students exited the classroom, the child approached him at his desk.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Mr. Hastwell slung his book bag over his shoulder.

Severus was tempted to use Legilimency just to cut to the chase, but he knew better than to invade a young mind without consent. Instead, he leaned forward on the table, with his fingers interloped together, "Any news you wish to report to me? The Hufflepuffs were acting especially odd in today's class. What do you know?"

The dark-haired boy clenched his jaw, soon, lowering the bag to the floor. The boy straightened his shoulders, "We've heard about the happenings around Britain…The Muggleborn killings."

Severus frowned, "And? You're not a Muggleborn."

"It doesn't matter, " Mr. Hastwell looked away.

"It most certainly does. Spill it, " Severus said, firmly.

The boy gave a heavy sigh, "They think we were involved."

"Who is we? You must be more specific, Mr. Hastwell."

"The other Houses…They think we know about the Muggleborn deaths, or that we were involved. I don't know of any such thing. I even noticed Madam Hooch looking at a group of Slytherins strangely at the evening feast, yesterday. She always looks angry at us - " The boy's shoulders slumped. He was evidently rather bothered by this. As a Slytherin, Severus knew that if one of their own was accused of something, so was the rest of the House. That was the reputation the Slytherins were so harshly condemned for, for decades. Centuries, even.

"What?" But Severus felt an anger bubble up within him, "I may have to have a word with Hooch. That is unacceptable."

"It's neither of us, I swear, sir – " Mr. Hastwell said quickly. Severus believed him.

"I know, " Severus paused to coat his dry lips, "Keep me informed if anything else of such arises. We have nothing concrete in regard to these rumors. The Daily Prophet hasn't spilled any such news, so we can keep this between us."

Mr. Hastwell looked disheartened, "I don't like the idea of spying on my own House, sir."

"Don't be daft, you're not spying. All I ask is that you inform me of any new happenings in or around Slytherin, " Severus rose from his desk and leaned on its edge, "They freeze in my vicinity. I need someone I can trust to tell me what I need to know in order to take appropriate action."

"I don't know if I'm the right person for this."

"You've been a tremendous help already, " Severus spoke, appreciatively, "No other student has expressed interest in ceasing the madness brewing within the House since the end of the War. You feel unsafe on your own, and that remains a deep concern of mine. I cannot assist if I am not privy to the happenings within it."

The young boy nodded, knowing full well he wanted to fix this, too, "I'll try, sir. I want to help."

Severus' lips twitched at their corners, "Hence why I asked you. Now go to your next class."

With a mumbling of a 'thank you' from the child, he watched as the young Slytherin picked up his book bag and quickly dashed out of the door. When he left his sight, his smirk washed away and was replaced by a foul expression of deep loathing.

Oh, he was livid.

How dare another member of staff look upon the Slytherins like the dirt beneath their shoes. How dare they judge those young Slytherins for the mistakes of a select few. No way in hell was Severus going to allow this to happen.

Severus finished packing up the classroom and stormed off in a mad flurry of his robes to find Rolanda. It took a while for him to find the elusive witch, never being in the same spot for longer than necessary. So instead, he waited until she finished the First Year Flying class and waited patiently for her in the entrance courtyard. The First Years filed in rather sheepishly, with Rolanda herding them from behind.

"A word, Rolanda."

The woman was clearly impatient, "That will have to wait – "

"This cannot, " Severus sneered, not holding back upon his quite obvious anger. He didn't care – he needed to address this issue and will not rest until it was. He had far too much on his mind already to take this lightly.

The woman folded her arms over her chest, her eyes ablaze with conviction, "Alright, what is it?"

Severus raised his chin as if he was about to scold a student with the most venomous tone he could muster, "My Slytherins will be treated with respect while they are in your vicinity, is that clear?"

Rolanda crumpled her brow, "What on earth are you talking about?"

"You know very well what I'm talking about!" Severus' baritone voice began to rise, "How dare you stare at them in contempt as if they are not worthy to be a part of this school. How dare you stare at them with such filth."

The color appeared to drain from the woman's face as if she had been caught red-handed. Well, in a way she did, "Severus, I do not know what you are talking about – "

"Oh, yes, you do. Your disdain for them is clear as day. Don't deny it!"

The woman's face suddenly twisted in anger, "Manage your House, Severus! Their fate rests with you, and the way I see it, you will be dragging them down with you."

Severus blinked, deterrently, "I beg your pardon?!"

At the corner of his eye, he noticed a few students began to gather with the curiosity that would get them into trouble.

Ignoring the newly forming crowd, Rolanda took a few steps closer to him, "Your precious stint as Headmaster twisted their already tainted ideals. You allowed them to run rampant, and we had to pick up the pieces of them when you left! It was because of you that they remained rooted to the Dark Arts, threatening the lives of every other person in this school. Have you no shame?"

"No shame?!" Severus' lips quivered in madness, "You think I enjoyed it? Do you think I enjoyed watching students tortured under my watch? I stared at the face of a tyrant every day in order to keep them as safe as possible! I could only do what I could to retain my mission. If you so have problems with it, take it up with Albus!"

The woman mocked him with an almost greedy grin – oh, the nerve of her! "The downfall of Slytherin rests on your conscious. So do not direct your anger at me!"

Some of the students gasped and turned to their peers in a flurry of shocked whispers. Some were even looking around for another Professor to come in between them.

Severus' fists bawled at his sides, feeling them slowly grow clammy with sweat, "Cease your accusations and your judgment upon them at once. Refrain from meddling with things you could never understand!" He was losing his mind again and he was so angry, he was seconds away from hexing her mouth shut. In order to prevent himself from doing so, Severus sharply turned to walk away, knowing full well he was about to explode. He could no longer tolerate that wretched woman.

"Yes, walk away. It's what you do best, isn't it?" Rolanda said, coldly, "You're a danger to us all."

That was the last straw. And something snapped within him.

He flipped to face her, eyes widened in a fit of seething anger, "GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! How dare you, witch!"

Rolanda opened her mouth to respond, but instead, another voice harshly broke in between them.

"That's enough, you two!" Minerva roared from the suitcase, earning a deathly silence from those in the vicinity. Her aged face was utterly deranged; irritated beyond measure. Severus had not seen her this angry since the night they kidnapped Amycus Carrow to interrogate him, and in a way, the image of her current fury scared him to see. "Both of you, in my office, now! No further discussions until we get there!"

Severus couldn't even look at Rolanda, as he marched after Minerva with the same anger that was still bubbling at his own surface. The students' eyes followed the three of them, still aghast over the situation and how it was escalating. Severus didn't care for how they looked at him – any further word from them, and he wouldn't hesitate to deduct any points from them even for merely breathing in his general direction.

The silent journey to the Headmistress' office ended the moment the door closed loudly behind them.

"What in Merlin's name do you think you are doing? Unprofessional! Appalling!" Minerva angrily threw her hands up in the air.

Rolanda, once again, folded her arms over her chest, nudging in Severus' direction, "He approached me and started berating me in front of my own students!"

Minerva focused her livid attention on Severus, "Is this true?"

His lips pinched into a sneer, still furious over the woman more than willing to throw him to the wolves. He pointed an accusatory finger at the woman, "I will not tolerate staff treating my Slytherins with such disdain! That is appalling, Minerva! They are already in a troubled place, and they need no further unsupportive staff. They have suffered enough!"

Rolanda fired an angry look back toward him, "You have plenty to blame! You are not so innocent in all of this!"

"When my own students notice their own Professors treating them like lost causes, what else am I to think?! You fire at them based on mere rumors! Pathetic, Rolanda!"

Minerva put a hand up to silence them, "Enough, you two!" She pinched the bridge of her nose, in an attempt to rectify this as best as she could, "Whatever your issues are, you need to deal with this privately and not in the view of the entire school. That is completely unacceptable behavior and I do not want to see this happen again. Am I making myself blatantly clear?"

There was a tense hesitance between Severus and Rolanda, but they peeled their venomous gazes away from each other and nodded reluctantly.

"Now, leave and resume your classes. Do not breathe a word of this."

Severus shot Rolanda a filthy glare before he growled under his breath and left the office.

No one condemns his Slytherins and gets away with it. Any attack on a Slytherin was an attack on him.

And Severus will not stand for that as long as he was there defending them.

February 8th , 2003

[Harry Potter]

The infamous standoff between Severus and Rolanda rippled through the school as quickly as Fiendfyre. And it was not a private conversation – it was heard and witnessed by many students in between classes, hearing such a horrendous argument between two Professors. Severus and Rolanda purposely sat on opposite sides of the staff table during meals and stared at each other as if a mere look could kill one where they sat. Harry fell silent when he noticed Severus' knuckles grow white beside him as he clutched his knife and fork. But really, this was a serious issue.

Eventually, Harry was able to find a moment to approach Severus about this to confirm what exactly had happened. Severus, still obviously furious about the ordeal, informed Harry about the Slytherins being blamed for the Muggleborn deaths. Harry had heard of this rumor and yet he had no idea what the Slytherins had to do with it. But given the nature of the argument between two of his colleagues, this was not an issue to take lightly.

The Muggleborn rumor had been an odd one to come across, and something in the pit of Harry's stomach made him feel very uneasy about the idea of it. Dawn herself was still dismissive over what had happened over the holidays, and in recent days, she spent most of her free time within her private quarters. Although Harry was sharing half of the homework load with her, he knew she was spending extra time on this case.

But finding out if the murders were true, seemed like too much of a daunting task. Severus obviously knew nothing about it only except for the rumor flying about. Harry could only wonder if Ron and Dawn knew more than either of them could guess, and the more secretive those two were, the more the rumors felt true.

Once the weekend finally arrived, he gained Minerva's permission to travel home for the weekend. At least it gave him some time away to clear his head over recent events, and not being able to delve back into Occlumency lessons due to Severus' state, seemed to put him further on edge. He himself was growing more irate with his patched mind and the desperation he sought to clear it. But he needed Severus' help for that and given his own issues, it was not something high on their list of priorities.

When Harry arrived back at Godric's Hollow late on Friday night, he entered his home to find Ron who looked like a complete wreck. Ginny looked worried beyond measure and warily looked up upon his arrival.

After taking a seat beside his wife, he turned gravely to his best friend, "Ron, we need to talk."

"About?"

"Some idiot at Hogwarts spread a rumor about the deaths of some Muggleborns. Is this true?"

His best friend hesitated, "What? Nah, it's not. Where the hell did that even come from?"

"I dunno, that's why I asked you. Dawn doesn't seem to know a thing, and Severus tried asking her as well. He agrees something is happening, " Harry explained, eager for answers. If anyone can provide any, it would be Ron.

Ginny looked intently at Ron, narrowing her eyes, "You do know something, don't you?"

"No, Ginny, I don't, " Ron was becoming defensive now, and it was obvious at this point he knew far more than he was letting on.

"Oh, come on, " Ginny said, "Something is going on."

Ron's eyes shifted from the both of them, soon casting them downwards to stare at his hands tightly clutching his wand, "The rumors are true. Well, in a way. It's so much more complicated than that. But I swore I was not to tell anyone."

"If Muggleborns are getting taken and killed, then why is this being kept a secret?" Harry pressed further.

"Because if anyone out there knows, we could have a public uprising on our hands, " Ron blurted out, with a painful whine in his voice, "The Minister himself forbade us to tell anyone."

Ginny was silent for a moment, fiddling with the wedding ring on her finger, "Does Hermione know about this?"

"She's suspecting things, but I can't tell her what I know. This is serious, " Ron's eyes drooped with worry, "How the hell should I tell her that people out there are targeting Muggleborns?"

"I thought we were done with all of this, " Ginny said, "There's more isn't there?"

Ron clenched his jaw, "I can't say any more. I'm sorry. We barely even know what's going on, ourselves."

"No wonder Dawn has been looking stressed, " Harry looked hopelessly at Ron, "What can we do?"

"Nothing. There's nothing anyone can do. It's up to us, and if we don't keep this under control, we're going to end up with more problems, " His best friend's eyes darted from either of the pair, and it was evident upon his face how troubled and conflicted he was with the situation he faced.

A part of Harry was relieved he wasn't an Auror in the middle of whatever issue this was, but another part was drenched in worry. At what point do they start acting, or making plans to defend themselves? Whatever was happening out there had reached the school, and soon enough the entirety of Britain will know. And at what point would this get worse?

It all just seemed far too familiar to all of them.

After Ron had left, and they shared dinner together with Teddy devouring everything on his plate, they took themselves to bed, mulling over what Ron had said.

Ginny had rolled on her side, leaning into Harry with her arm around his bare torso, "What are you thinking, Harry?"

"What aren't I thinking?" He allowed his fingers to gently entwine through her red locks, "It all just feels familiar, doesn't it? Like it's happening again."

"Yeah, I think so, too. I hate the idea of Ron out there chasing whoever is doing this. If mum knew, she'd have an absolute fit."

"I suppose I get why Ron needs to keep this a secret, " Harry signed, "Could you imagine if everyone knew? They'd lose their minds."

"Well, it's nothing to take lightly. It's serious stuff, " Ginny's hands delicately ran over his chest in circles, with goose pimples rippling through his body, "Ron and Hermione are in talks about their wedding. That's why he was over before."

Harry perked up, "About bloody time he did."

"He's scared, Harry, " Ginny's voice lowered shakily, which was rare for her to display, "Not of marrying her, of course, but his job. It's just so dangerous. Mum is right to worry about him, because I am, too."

Harry's arms pulled her in tighter, and he leaned in to kiss his wife on her forehead, welcomingly breathing in the subtle flowery scent of her hair, "I'm also worried for him. I really hope he keeps us updated - " He kissed Ginny again, feeling immense bliss with her being back in his arms again, "Minerva says you and Teddy are welcome to stay in the castle on the weekends. My quarters can accommodate you two."

"Hmmm, " Ginny wriggled her nose curiously, "I'd love that idea. And I'm sure Teddy would be thrilled to see the castle. Now that he's old enough to remember it."

Harry smiled at his wife, elated by her body over his own. His fingers began to draw circles around her shoulder, brushing over the strap of her top earning a small hum of approval. Harry's heart warmed for her when he soon realised how much love for her, he had, "I'm so lucky to have you, Ginny."

Her hand worked its way to his cheek, and she leaned over to join her eager lips with his own, "Merlin, I miss having you here with me every night."

Harry's kiss melted back within hers, ending with a devious smirk, "Then I guess we'll have to make up for it when we do."

His wife's face lit up in an aroused curiosity, running her tongue over his own, "Really, now?"

Earning his wife's interest, Harry's free hand worked its way slowly towards her torso, gently lifting up her top, and began to fondle her breast. Ginny's body shifted from the contact of his hand, earning a satisfied moan. The sounds she was making were enough to arouse every nerve in his body.

"Wait, Teddy is in the other room – "

Harry's skin tingled upon her touch, and her own fingers playfully worked its way down toward the bulge within his underwear. She chuckled upon his recoil from the fingers now running over between his thighs, "He's a snorer."

He pulled her into a deeper kiss, soon pulling her body directly over him. He felt himself throb beneath her underwear, as she straddled over his hips, teasing every part of him that wanted to release. He leaned close to whisper in her ear, "If you stay with me on weekends, we won't need to travel far." He felt her rubbing up against him, teasing him into submission until he felt a jolt of excitement, "Gin – !"

Ginny's kisses passionately deepened with his, stealing pecks between breathless words, "I think I might just take you up on your offer, Harry James Potter."

She slowly removed her shirt and Harry's heart leaped from his chest at the naked body sitting over him. He was absolutely enamored with her and missed her touch every day he was away.

Making up for lost time, appeared to be the new plan of the night.

February 15th , 2003

[Dawn Rheingold]

Severus Snape was hurt; there was no denying that. He had an obvious aching desire to reach out to someone but had all but one person in his life to do so.

The thought of that loneliness devastated her.

She was lost in those deserted eyes, like endless black orbs drowning everyone who dared look within them. She noticed the way his left hand tremored at its sleeve in the Great Hall, barely noticeable. She'd seen that before with children who had suffered in traumatic events and grew to be guarded, anxious and withdrawn. Severus reminded her of one of them. The castaway glances, the fidgeting, the quick, almost manic behavior. Sometimes even the dissociative state; dazed, and no longer present.

And yet, somehow, she remained drawn to him.

But how could a man such as Severus allow someone like her to lend their assistance? He was in pain, and she couldn't ignore it. No, she couldn't. No one should. The seclusion she could sense was almost unbearable.

She could see him straighten his shoulders and raise his chin upon entering the room. His hands were behind his back authoritatively, and yet that is not what she observed within. No, it was a facade. His body's defense, guarding his emotions so fiercely. Such a secretive man, but astute. Scattered, but persevering. Oh, that mind of his. She wanted to know everything he held dear. A mind screaming to be heard. To be seen. To be validated. To be wanted.

She saw the way he'd glare at students in the Great Hall, silently wishing they'd ceased their rowdiness. Their carefree laughter struck a bitter note, but she watched as he cast his eyes downward back to his uneaten meal. Some of the other staff would try and talk to him, but he would keep the conversation short, shutting them down. He didn't like the casual pleasantries of the job – that was clear. He wanted to be alone, unbothered. But she knew, it was more if a choice to protect that heart of his. To him, that was the only way to avoid getting hurt. The way he willingly only ever interacted with Harry was something that caught her immediate attention. And yet no one else desired to reach out as much as she wished to. She tried. She always did. As a colleague...even perhaps as a friend if he would ever allow it.

He needed a friend. Or anyone willing to remain patient and careful with him. And her heart told her she was more than willing to be that person. She could only try. The rest was up to him.

The showdown between Rolanda and Severus did not go unnoticed, but she sensed a disturbance within the man that further pulled her in his direction. The anger her had simmering there culminated overtime as with the injustice of the Slytherins and how and what he had endured and experienced during his own time with the Death Eaters. Only he would know what that felt like, and anyone else – like Rolanda – looking into it, would be completely oblivious.

Rolanda's words were uncalled for, and yes, Severus' anger got the better of him.

But there had to be so much more to this.

After the novelty of Valentine's Day wore off and any shaded remnant of pink erased from the grounds, she made the journey back down to the potions' classrooms in the dungeons. The Headmistress had informed her to assist Severus in brewing potions for the Hospital Wing, as for a curious reason, the man was running oddly behind. Severus, being very particular and punctual, was never usually slackened in regard to a task like this.

Dawn rounded the corridor and knocked on the slightly opened door which remained ajar before she let herself in. The man's face bore deeply into the gently slushing liquid in the cauldron, with frown lines deep enough to part oceans.

"Think any deeper, and you'll get more wrinkles."

The man himself had just added something rather gloopy to a scarlet mixture simmering in front of him before she turned his head to face her. His impassive gaze soon melted into a scowl. "If you've come here to berate me about what happened, you best be prepared."

Dawn stopped at the workbench, watching the man meticulously measure a dropper filled with a bright green liquid. "No, not at all. Minerva sent me down to assist with restocking the Hospital Wing supply – "

"I never requested assistance."

"You never do, " Dawn rolled up her sleeve, ready to jump into help. Severus gave her an odd sideward glance, not preparing for her willingness. "Right, assign me a task."

"I do not require help."

Severus had moved to a different dish, using the dropper of green liquid to add a strange, gel-like lump of purple tendrils. Once the liquid was added, the strange plant wriggled within the dish, almost resembling a squid out of water.

"Is that Mongolian watermoss?" Dawn's intrigue heightened, "Used for removing skin pustules when made into a salve. And can make for a very nice air purifier, when steamed."

With a quite visible shock, Severus paused halfway through his task, raising an eyebrow at the sudden bout of information. If she could guess, he sounded a little pleased, "You know your herbs."

Dawn laughed, "Well I couldn't pass with a mere acceptable in potions during Auror training, now, could I?"

"It's rare for one such Auror to retain such knowledge, " Severus added the watermoss to the cauldron, sighing in defeat, then pointed to the slivers of unicorn horn on Dawn's side, "Grind those finely."

"Says who? Besides an old classmate who couldn't tell the difference between a murtlap tendril or a salamanders tongue, I think we are more than equipped with enough to get us by on the field, " Dawn dragged a mortar and pestle in front of her, and began to add the horns, grinding them as instructed, "I think you'd make a great addition to the Auror academy teaching the potions module, you know."

Severus hummed thoughtfully under his breath, "I've never considered it."

"I really think you should. I used to teach the charms module, particularly in tracking and concealment, " Dawn explained, between the sound of the grindings within the mortar, "You don't have to be an Auror to teach it, you just have to be exceptional at it."

"Once Horace resigns, we will be down a Professor. I can't just...leave. When you've done the same blasted thing for years, the idea of delving into new territory is not something I'd ever feel comfortable with."

"Well, I'm sure Minerva will look into a replacement. You're not bound to Hogwarts forever, Merlin forbid, "Dawn gave a small chuckle at the idea of staying at the school forever and even she considered that to be excessive, "Besides, I'm just giving you options and I can get you in there very easily if you are so interested. You just need to figure out where you want to be, and what you want to be doing."

Severus recoiled, almost as if he had eaten something sour, "Options? What a foreign concept. No one has ever given me options such as what you have just presented."

Dawn's eyes flickered in surprise, not sure whether he was sarcastic or deadly serious about it, "Seriously? There is always a choice. Sometimes you need someone else to help you see them. You're highly skilled in potions, Severus. More than skilled - St Mungo's chose to treat you horridly, last I heard, so seek other avenues. Hogwarts can be your fallout plan if everything goes to hell in a handbasket. Again."

Severus grimaced, "If I wanted my future predicted, I'd go to a crystal ball gazing old coot and I'd fancy not enduring the world of another prophecy, I'll have you know."

Dawn laughed, "Well if you don't do it, I bloody will. I've noticed that with you...You've never really looked beyond the day, haven't you?"

The man added a pinch of powdered unicorn horn once Dawn was done and added it to the cauldron where it emitted a small puff of silvery smoke. He tapped his wand against the pewter cauldron, and the ladle began to stir itself. Severus leaned on the edge of the workbench, succumbing to the company he found himself with, "With the life I had to live previously? ...It was never a possibility. I barely ever knew if I'd survive the day, so months in advance for my survival was least of all optimistic."

Watching how disheartened he was at that fact, Dawn's shoulders slumped, "I'm sorry, Severus. I don't mean to be insensitive about it. Only you know how immensely difficult your mission was. I just wish we all understood it far earlier. To think I was once one of the people tasked to reign you in as a fugitive...what daft times we live in."

"Indeed."

Her eyes drifted downward, soon noticing that Severus' sleeves were rolled up – the right lifted higher than the left. The left one she knew was concealing the now faded Dark Mark. By the way he had rolled up those sleeves, she could tell it still bothered him. But something else had caught her eye. Along the bottom of the Mark, she noticed thin, faint lines scattered erratically from her skewed view. Like scarring, from what she noticed, was only evident on the small section of the snake she could see.

What on earth?

Suddenly he shifted his arm and began to roll his sleeve down further, catching her imposing curiosity on the marks that etched across his skin. She recoiled in slight embarrassment, mentally kicking herself for making it so obvious.

When Severus redirected her attention to the empty vials, she assisted in bottling them up as he filled each one. During their small period of silence, the quiet felt a little too much for her. She hated being left with her own thoughts. As she was carefully filling the vials with the provided dropper, she began talking again.

"When I first worked as an Auror at the end of the First War, I worked with a lot of children in broken homes. I was often tasked to collect the ones neglected or abused, " Her voice was soft, yet clear. A sadness touched through the words she spoke, which even still to this day, felt heavy on her chest, "I stayed with them until they were placed in more loving homes. It doesn't happen much in our magical world, but it's far more common in the Muggle one. I once considered becoming a counselor, you know...but my heart wouldn't be able to handle all of that hurt."

Severus' lips twitched, watching her intently, "You'd be very valuable, if not already."

Dawn smiled at the sentiment, more aghast it was from the man himself, "I was then promoted to Dark Wizard catching in the height of war before the Ministry turned. They were insistent on that, and throughout that change, many children were not prioritized to be saved. It made them easy prey for the Death Eater ranks, as I'm sure you already know."

"In more ways than one."

"I did what I could for the little ones, but it never felt enough - " Dawn paused with a painful sigh. All she could remember were the cries of deep relief of the children she was able to rescue when they realised, they were being taken to safety. Their pain was her pain, and she never wanted to see a child feel the misery that they did. But the children she had seen rescued from such squalor and neglect, compelled her to want to rescue every single child she could. She wanted to keep them all and protect those little lives. She wanted to see them looked after, protected, and happy.

To her surprise, Severus had since stopped his task to listen. Usually, he would resume his task as he did so, but this time all of his attention was focused on her and what she was saying. His eyes widened in both intrigue and an ounce of longing behind them.

And she knew…She knew Severus' childhood could not be saved, and that was evident in the way he carried himself, and his withdrawn, wounded demeanor. It may not have been so obvious to someone else, but it was to her.

Dawn cleared her throat a little, feeling her eyes prickle with tears, "You know, I realised something recently. It took me a while to realise how familiar your name was."

"My name is no longer secret to my opposition to Riddle."

"No, no. I don't mean it in that way. I realised I was a few years below you at Hogwarts, " She briefly stopped to notice Severus' eyes suddenly widened, "I have vague memories of hearing a Potter boast about having one-up on a Slytherin…Then I realised it was you they were targeting."

Severus blinked hard, aghast at the idea of someone ever knowing something so troubling so long ago. Something that still hurt him to this day. His cheeks tinged pink in embarrassment and he sharply looked away, "I need not the bitter reminder."

"I heard what they did to you by the lake. I mean, everyone did eventually, " Dawn's voice trailed to a soft murmur, "That was vile of him. Made me ashamed to be a Gryffindor."

Severus' eyes closed in deep shame when he chose not to respond. Almost as if he didn't want to gaze upon the eyes that had known more than he ever desired.

"Severus - " Dawn spoke with a soft, gentle tone, gradually soothing Severus' obvious panic, " - I just want you to know, had I been there I would have intervened. I would have done something and hexed him myself. I don't take those things lightly."

"I wish someone did before it went too far. Lily didn't care...She walked away - " The realisation hit him so fiercely, that it took so much effort to ensure his voice did not tremble with each word. His dark eyes widened with what he had just spilled from his lips, and those same pain-filled eyes met her compassionate blue ones.

"Now you have people who do."