I woke up the next morning, still exhausted, but excited for what the night might bring. I wondered what he would have planned. In the past, he had proven what a gifted man he was in the art of surprise. I spent too much time laying in bed thinking of the possibilities for the night. My mind was buzzing with locations, activities, and intimate imaginings. I looked at the clock on my bedside table and with a shock of panic, realised that I only had a few moments before classes started and breakfast ended. I threw back my covers and quickly dressed for the day. I took a quick glance in the mirror, which was a mistake because my hair was a mess and I didn't have time to fix it. I could have been blissfully unaware of the frizzed out lion's mane on top of my head.

I rushed into the dining hall. I noticed when Severus' eyes flicked to me as he watched me approach the staff table. His face held onto the unimpressed look that his features readily displayed. A blush sprang to my cheeks as I felt his gaze heat up my blood. I poured myself a healthy cup of coffee and was able to secure three croissants and an apple before the tables cleared of food and the remaining occupants of the Great Hall began to funnel out.

I shoved the apple in my pocket and wrapped the croissants in a napkin. I grabbed my mug of coffee before heading back to the Hospital Wing. I was able to eat half a croissant before my first patient arrived.

He staggered into the room with a profusely bleeding wound above his brow. I dropped my breakfast and rushed to him, placing my hands gently on his shoulders and directing him to sit on one of the beds. I rushed to get my trolly of supplies. The blood from his wound dripped, collecting in a thick mess on the collar of his shirt. I put some gloves on and quickly dipped a cloth into water with a bit of dittany added, it helped to clean the wound and the dittany helped speed up healing. I wasn't sure how severe the injury was but the amount of blood startled me. We were in a school and it was class time, injuries like this shouldn't exist here.

"What happened?" I asked, daubing the cloth gently over the wound.

"Nothing." the student said rather defiantly.

I looked at his face, there was something oddly familiar about it. "Incredible. I've never seen an injury this bad from nothing." His eyes flicked to my face. "I've been at St. Mungo's for years and only seen injuries that have come from somewhere, yours is the first I've seen to come from nowhere."

There was a moment of silence as I continued cleaning the blood from his face. "You work at St. Mungo's?" I nodded my head and dipped the cloth back into the solution. Another moment of silence. "My parents are at St. Mungo's." He whispered. "In the Janus Thickey Ward."

I thought I had recognized him, I remembered his face being rounder and he was quite a bit taller now, but had he been standing next to an old woman with a vulture on her hat, I'd have recognised him immediately. I smiled at him, I thought about how Severus had told me he had been a source of entertainment.

"It was Amycus Carrow." Neville said. "I refused to practise an unforgivable curse on a classmate. He did this." He gestured to his head.

I inhaled deeply. I don't think I would ever be unaffected hearing about injuries caused purposefully by professors. "Can I tell you a secret?" I asked. Neville nodded his head but stitched his eyebrows together in confusion drawing from him a wince of pain. "I don't like Amycus, I think he is a terrible man who shouldn't be allowed in a school. It's also my medical advice that an injury such as this will require you to rest until," I checked my watch. "The precise moment your Dark Arts course is set to be over." I looked over my work, his wound was healing and the blood was wiped away. I bandaged him up and with a wave of my wand, cleaned the blood off of his shirt collar. "More or less good as new." I said with a smile. He eyed me with suspicion. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. It's just, when I heard they were trying to get rid of Madam Pomfrey I thought it was so they could replace her with, well, not someone like you."

"I've heard that suspicion from someone else as well." I acknowledged. "I could try to be a bit meaner if that would please the people."

He shook his head with a slight smile. "No, that's alright."

I walked in the direction of the desk and noticed the jars of candy on a corner shelf. "Do you want anything?" I asked, making a beeline for the candy. "Jelly Slugs, Cockroach Clusters, Bertie Bott's? A croissant?" He shook his head. "Let me know if you need anything."

I finished my croissant and coffee before Neville left to go to his second class. I think at one point he fell asleep. I went to clean up the supplies I had used on the trolley and his eyes were closed and his breathing was deep. I was afraid to move the trolley for fear of waking him, so I left it there.

After he left, my morning smeared into the afternoon with a steady stream of patients. The ones that made me angriest were the first years with injuries inflicted by the Carrows. They seemed so small and there was nothing they could have done to deserve such treatments. I wanted to make the Carrows cry the way they made those first years cry.

By lunch time, I decided I desperately needed a walk to calm down. I grabbed my apple from breakfast and walked out onto the chilly grounds. The wind whipped through my hair and the cold nipped at my cheeks. I took long, deep breaths of the clean Scottish air. I walked down to the lake where I watched the wind whip ripples on the surface of the water. I remember everything being so vibrant when I was a student, but now, it looked as if the colours had been sucked from my surroundings leaving behind varying hues of grey. I finished my apple and threw the core into the water. I watched it bob up and down on the rippling waves before something pulled it under. I stood, unmoving, blankly staring at the churning water.

A strong gust of wind blew over the lake, threatening to push me over. By now, the tip of my nose was numb and my fingertips were red with cold. I took one last look at the roiling lake and turned back to go inside the school. The deep chill I was feeling was enough to distract me from the heated hatred I felt for the Carrows and I returned to the Hospital Wing calmer than I had left it. I was under no false impressions that I would remain that way over the course of the afternoon.

Until dinner I was busy with a steady stream of students with Slytherin and Carrow induced injuries. By the end of class time I was a tense, exhausted mess. The second half of the day had melted in on itself and was a blur of students. I made my way, trancelike, into the dining hall. Almost half of the time I sat at dinner was spent staring absentmindedly at a platter of roast chicken legs as I automatically took bites of whatever food I had placed on my plate. I realised as I was walking back to the Hospital Wing that I had no idea what I had had for dinner.

I sat behind my desk waiting for any after class injuries that might happen. Unlike the night before, there were a few to come in. One Ravenclaw girl had come in after she was hit with a pretty nasty pimple jinx from a Slytherin boy. She had been pretty well withstanding on his attempt to use the Cruciatus Curse so he had resorted to using Furnunculus to hurt her another way. This was by far one of my least favourite jinxes to deal with, it was time consuming and messy to treat. After she left to go hide her face until morning I cleaned up the supplies I had used and returned to my desk.

I was hovering over a book, blinking my eyes rapidly in an attempt to keep them focused on the words when all they wanted to do was close. I had been on the same page for half an hour, the reading was a failure but I was staying awake. I became aware of the sound of voices in the hall.

"...I swear it has to be him." a female voice said urgently. "I know he's not working alone either."

"Alecto." A voice I would recognise anywhere spoke. "I've had enough of your theories. How can Longbottom be doing any of these things? He's hardly a mastermind. Who is it you suspect is helping him?"

"Lovegood and Weasley." Alecto said. "The three of them are up to something."

"Don't other students refer to Lovegood as Loony?" Severus asked. "Weasley is possible but she wouldn't be able to do everything on her own."

"That's why Lovegood and Longbottom–" Alecto tried to continue.

"Are useless!" Severus snapped before she finished her thought. "If Weasley is supposed to be able to accomplish anything, she'd need competent accomplices. Not Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum."

"Shall I give Weasley detention?" She asked as they reached my doorway and I could see the two of them. "Since we both agree?"

"I agreed to nothing," he spat. "I merely said that of your three suspicions that only one of them had any plausibility. Now, leave me alone until you have something intelligent to say. I have actual business to attend to. Miss Winston." He spat out my name as if it pained him to say it. "We need to have a word. My office, now." He was being so demanding that I didn't realise I had stood up until I was halfway to him. Alecto was still standing by his side looking at me like a child waiting for the satisfaction of watching someone else be punished.

I wondered what she knew. "Is something wrong?" Had Neville told everyone what I said about Amycus? Was Severus going to be forced to sack me? Was he actually angry with me? His face was a convincing mixture of anger, disgust, and annoyance.

"My office." He repeated authoritatively, turning on his heel. Alecto gave me a smug grin as I passed. She stuck out her foot enough to make me trip. If her smug grin didn't make me want to ring her neck, then this action certainly did. I turned to glare at her and was met with a rather rude hand gesture.

We continued our journey in silence, he turned to glance at me once we were out of Alecto's view. He stopped abruptly. "You're going to need warmer clothes than that."

I looked down at the robes I was wearing. "Is your office cold?" I asked not understanding what was wrong with what I had on.

He stared at me, his brow furrowed. "What?" he asked.

"What?" I asked.

"You are going to freeze if that's all you wear."

"To your office?"

A smile broke his face and he shook his head. "Have you forgotten? I'm taking you somewhere better tonight."

Recollection hit me. "The meeting."

He nodded his head. "Let's go back." We both turned back to the Hospital Wing. Alecto had gone and we were alone. He followed me to my room. I picked up my coat and a pair of gloves. "Do you have a scarf and a hat?"

I dug through my bag and pulled out a scarf my mother had knitted for me and a hat that I'd had so long I wasn't sure if it had been purchased or just came into existence one day. I wrapped the scarf around my neck and carried the rest of the items as we returned to our original journey to his office. "I can only assume that 'somewhere better' is your office and it is having some sort of temperature control problem."

"We're apparating from the office and our destination is very cold," said Severus. "Wormwood." The gargoyle jumped out of the way and Severus and I continued up to the Headmaster's office. He kept many of the instruments that had been there when Dumbledore was in charge but he also had a station set up for potion brewing. "I have another station behind a false wall. For things I don't want anyone to know I'm working on."

I looked around seeing if I could guess where but there were no obvious signs. I looked over to him and he was putting a knit hat on his head. I followed his example and began putting my winter clothing on as well. "I was hoping this date would involve less clothes, not more."

Severus' cheeks flared red. "It may start with more clothes but who knows where it will end."

His flirtations were unexpected and sent desire flooding into my veins. The smallest things involving him set the fire blazing low in my belly. I made my way over to him where he was pulling on a pair of gloves. I used my own gloved hands to grab his coat lapels and pulled his mouth to meet mine. He was rigid with surprise but I soon felt his body melt to mine and his hand found the small of my back. His body pressed firmly against mine.

Suddenly, I was overcome with the feeling of being squeezed through a tube. My feet hit hard ground and I felt my knees buckle. Severus still had a tight hold on me and our lips had yet to part. I wrapped my arms around his neck and his hands slid down my back.

I became aware of the frigid air that was now around us. I opened my eyes and was struck by the vivid hues in the heavens. Vibrant green and blue ribbons danced with each other above our heads. Surges of purple cut through and disappeared. Pink intertwined for a moment before vanishing, leaving me to wonder if it had actually been there. I gasped in surprise.

"What do you think?" his low, sensual voice shattered the silence.

"Northern Lights?" I asked. "Where are we?"

"Vik Iceland." said Severus. "The town is down the mountain."

I wrapped my arms tightly around Severus' waist, looking up at the ever-changing sky. "It's beautiful."

"Shall we?" he asked, leading me to a flat area covered in long dried grasses. He let go of me and began sitting on the ground. He gestured for me to join him before laying flat on his back staring up at the sky.

The ground was cold and hard. A frozen wind whipped all around us. I stared up at the cascading colours and the coldness fell away. Vibrant hues swirled, coming in and slipping out of existence in seconds.

"Do you feel dizzy?" he asked, breaking the silence

The question was familiar, a corner of my mouth lifted as I remembered asking him the same question in a very similar position. "Yes." I whispered.

"Do you feel impossibly small?" he asked.

I wondered how many times he had replayed these questions and their answers over the years. "Extremely." I said

"Isn't it wonderful?" he asked. I turned my head to look at Severus. He didn't say anything more but the corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk.

"Very." I whispered.

His hand reached out and touched mine. It wasn't a timid almost touch that left me wondering if he had meant to, like it had been last time. He threaded his fingers with mine, his palm resting on the back of my hand. I could feel the heat of him even through both of our gloves. The dancing lights started to make me actually feel dizzy, I sat up in an attempt to stop the spinning. We weren't far from the edge of the mountain overlooking the small town and also, I just noticed, the ocean.

I stood up and walked closer to the edge taking in the small golden lights glowing from the tiny windows in the town below. I could make out a church reaching higher than any of the other buildings. It was a quaint, picturesque, village and under the glow of the northern lights it looked like a piece of art. I turned my attention to the ocean, waves churning and crashing to shore, the colours of the sky were reflected in the ripples.

Strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist from behind. I felt his lips press against the back of my head, making me smile. "What do you think?" he whispered, sending shivers through me.

"It's perfect." I turned around in his grasp to look up into his face. He was calm and at ease. He looked down at me, his smile was soft and his gaze was loving. I raised myself on tippy-toes and pressed my mouth to his. His kiss was sweet, reminding me of the apples I'd always seen him snacking on. I lifted my hands and laced my gloved fingers through his hair. His arms tightened around me, my body responded with a quiver and I pressed my body harder against his. The wind swirled around us, fluttering my scarf and tousling my hair.

"Perfect," he echoed against my mouth. His lips parted mine as the kiss deepened. His hands left my waist, I could feel him fidgeting but his lips stayed in congress with my own. His bare hand caressed my cheek and slid into my hair. His other hand began loosening my scarf. His mouth trailed from my lips down to my newly exposed throat. His lips lightly, almost as if he were teasing me, brushed against the thin, delicate skin there. A gasp escaped me as the ecstasy built. I became aware that he was unbuttoning my coat.

He pulled apart the last button, opening my coat, pushing my robes out of the way and ran his hands over the soft fabric of the dress I wore under them. My body trembled under his touch, while his hand slid from my hip up to my breast. His mouth covered mine as a moan burst through. My heart pounded rapidly against his palm as he held his hand to my chest. I could no longer feel the cold, the feel of his hands on my body had consumed my senses. He unfastened the top button of my dress and kissed the skin revealed. I threw my head back, pleasure making me dizzy, the swirling lights above my head adding to the feeling. He had undone a few more buttons, the tops of my breasts were exposed, his lips softly grazing the skin, his fingers working on another button. I hastily removed my own gloves before pulling him up by the front of his coat. I peered up into his face, the look in his eyes sent a ripple through my insides.

"Ruby," he whispered, his heated gaze resting on me. My name on his tongue was like the sweetest poetry. I crushed his mouth under mine before he could utter another word. My fingers worked quickly on the buttons of his coat. My hands were rewarded with the warmth of his body once I finally got it open. I ran my hands over the smooth fabric of his tunic, feeling his muscles shift through the material. He had made quick work of my dress and I was now exposed down to my waist. His hands dipped under the fabric, his chilled hands were a welcome sensation to my overheated body. He dipped me down, as if we were dancing. The unexpected motion made me giggle in surprise. A smile flooded from his mouth into his eyes. I was, at that moment, struck by how beautiful he was. I lifted my hands, cupping his face, he slowly lowered his lips to mine, keeping me suspended in the air. As we kissed, we descended gently to the ground, his hands caressing my exposed skin.

Our kissing had slowed from a starved frenzy to a contented placidity. Our mouths ran over one another, our breathing had calmed. I continued unbuttoning his tunic, waiting for when he would tell me to stop and give a disappointing reason as to why we couldn't continue. I reached the last button and his shirt opened. We were both draped in clothing and yet exposed. He lifted his body over mine, holding himself up on his arms suspended over me. His lips came gently down on mine, my legs wrapped around his hips and my arms wrapped around his bare torso under his layers of clothing. He pulled back up, sitting back on his knees, my legs still splayed about his hips. I lifted myself on my elbows to maintain my sight of him. This was it, the 'we can't' was coming. I could feel the disappointment shift my face and a sigh left my body. His eyes scanned my face, my throat, the cleavage spilling from my bra as I caught my breath, and back to my face. In one swift movement, he placed his hands on the outsides of my thighs, pushing the thin fabric of my dress up past my hips. Excitement erupted in my stomach and below. His hands began undoing his belt.

A deep, guttural moan burst forth from my mouth as I felt him enter me. His mouth found mine as he gently moved. I pressed my hands to his chest, the ecstasy already building in me from the anticipation. Our bodies moved together, our lips syncing their movements. He slid his mouth from mine to my throat, his breaths heavy and jagged against my skin. I pressed my fingers into his back as the wind swept over us, gusts echoing the surges of pleasure running through my body. His hand moved the cup of my bra, exposing my breast. His mouth moved there, dotting kisses over the sensitive skin before gently brushing over my nipple. His touch sent me over the edge, I could feel myself losing control to the rapture. I held onto him tightly to keep myself from spilling everywhere. The vibrant colours streamed across the sky, the entire moment felt surreal as I tipped over the precipice of climax.

"Oh, Severus." I gasped, clutching my body to his. I could feel his muscles go rigid under my fingertips. He let go of a moan as he pressed his lips eagerly on top of mine, his grip on my waist tightened. He moved, burying his face in the crook of my neck, his lips brushing my skin, his breath hot against me. His thrusts slowed and I felt his body push against mine, his back continued to rise and fall under my hands with deep, slow breaths. His muscles relaxed before he leaned back. I watched him fasten his belt with shaking hands. He removed his coat, draping it over me as he lay next to me. He adjusted me so that my head rested on his shoulder as we both looked up at the sky. He kissed my forehead and held me close, his body heat radiating into my flesh as the wind continued to howl. His tunic lay open, unbuttoned. I ran my fingers absentmindedly over the hair on his chest and stomach. I could feel him watching me and my cheeks blushed. He smelled of books, potions, and sweat mingling with the cold Icelandic air. I pulled his shirt closed and wrapped my arm around him, taking in every sight, sound, smell that I could to perfectly preserve this memory in my mind.

"You're shivering." said Severus, as he hoisted himself up on an elbow. We had been surveying the sky for a while, the wind and the cold had been biting at me but I didn't want the moment to end. "We should go." He began to sit up, forcing me to do the same. His coat slid down into my lap as I changed positions.

I grabbed his wrist to stop him from standing. He turned his head to look at me, his eyes sending a flurry of butterflies through my stomach. "No, I want to stay. I'm not cold." Another gust blew through, causing my teeth to chatter. I cursed my body that had just let me experience such wonderful pleasure for betraying me.

He watched me as I fought to maintain any appearance that I wasn't lying. A smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. "Alright, button up and I'll start a fire." He stood and with a motion of his wand, secured the buttons on his tunic that took me so long to undo. He walked over to a flat area nearby and conjured a crackling fire.

I was still in the middle of fastening my dress when I became aware that he was staring at me. I looked up, the illumination of the fire flickering light and shadows over his features. "What?" I asked, smiling in embarrassment.

"I could teach you a charm to do that faster." He offered, pausing to watch me. "I could teach you another charm to undo that faster." A devilish smirk pulled at his lips.

The butterflies in my stomach surged and hot blood pooled in my cheeks. "What is it with everyone using their wands for everything?" I asked. "Doesn't anyone enjoy tactile pleasures?"

"Oh, I enjoy tactile pleasures." He said, his voice seductively low. "But, it's cold and you're half naked." He flicked his wrist and my dress buttons snapped together. He walked over to me, offering his hand. He lifted me easily to my feet. I held his coat in my hands, holding it out to him. Instead of taking it he busied his fingers buttoning my own coat around me. "Tactile pleasures," he whispered with a smile. I was dumbfounded how he was able to make my blood race while he was putting more clothing on me. Once he fastened the last button, he lifted his hand, cradling my chin with his index finger using his thumb to gently pull my lower lip. He brought my chin up and pressed his lips softly down on mine. I wanted him like this everyday, forever. He pulled his coat from my grasp and pulled it on before taking my hand and leading me back to the fire.

The radiating heat was welcoming. Severus sat, pulling my hand down with him so that I fell into his lap. The movement was sudden and startled a small shriek from me. He laughed lightly at my noise before pulling me closer into him. His hand cupped my jaw, turning my head towards him. He stared down at me, his eyes, soft and loving, contrasted to the reflected flames dancing in them. His lips pressed gently against mine again, his mouth parting mine to deepen the kiss. I could feel the heat from the fire warming me, as well as the heat created by my body in response to Severus' actions. "I love you." he whispered as he pulled back from the kiss.

I leaned my head on his chest and he took my hand, running his fingers through mine and gripping tightly. We sat, locked in this embrace, near the fire until the Northern Lights disappeared.

We apparated back into the Headmaster's office, I stood there, wrapped tightly in Severus' arms, pressed securely against his body. I loosened my grip on him when I felt the solid floor under my feet, allowing him to take a step back. He looked down at me, his eyes soft and dazy. He leaned down and met my lips. I melted into him despite the fact that he had spent the last hour or two kissing. I could not imagine becoming bored with this, or any other activity, that involved Severus Snape.

I opened my eyes lazily and was met with the gaze of a wizard with a long, grey beard. My heart leapt in my throat and I pushed back from Severus, covering my mouth with my hand. "The portraits!" I gasped through my fingers.

Severus turned quickly around. The wizard in the portrait met him with a sly glance. "Don't worry about them." Severus said, turning back to me, his cheeks a bit redder than they had been.

"Severus," the portrait teased, "You scallywag!"

"Enough you!" Severus ordered over his shoulder. "They're all sworn to secrecy. Anything that happens in this office, they are forbidden to speak about. They are my secret keepers. Normally, those secrets are connected to official business but it does also include my personal…activities, as well."

I glanced around the room, taking in the numerous pairs of eyes from former headmasters and headmistresses. Some of them had the decency to pretend they were sleeping. I could feel my cheeks burning from embarrassment. "That's all very…" I trailed off as I made eye contact with a clever-looking wizard with a dark, pointed beard and thin eyebrows, who was giving me a very judgmental sideways glance. "I should go."

"You don't have to." Severus said, taking my hand gently and kissing my fingers.

I could feel my knees buckle at his touch. I would like to stay. The shrewd looking man in the portrait scowled. "No, I have to go. I left the hospital wing a mess."

His face fell but he nodded his head. He stepped forward, wrapping his arm around my waist. The feel of his body against mine kindled the flames of desire in my belly. He pressed his lips softly to my cheek. "Goodnight, Ruby."

I loved the way my name sounded on his lips. I loved anything to do with his lips. I loved anything to do with him. I reached out my hand for his, I gave it a gentle squeeze and let our fingers linger together before I turned to leave. I stopped at the door and looked back at him standing next to his desk, his eyes focused on me. "Goodnight, Severus."

I was already beginning to miss him by the time I reached the bottom of the stairs leading up to his office. I scanned the empty halls before deciding which way I would head back to the Hospital Wing. It was nice to be able to walk through the empty, darkened halls without having to worry about being caught. The school was quiet and the halls were familiar enough that I could allow my mind to wander and replay my favourite bits of the night. The feel of his lips pressed to mine, the electricity that surged through my body when he put his hands on me, the euphoric pleasure he brought me to, the calm serenity by the fire.

I was ripped from my reminiscing by a pale face emerging from the shadows. Alecto Carrow walked into my path, blocking it. "What's this?" She asked in a mockingly sweet tone. "A lost little lamb?" Her sudden appearance startled me. She was intimidating, the sallow skin around her eyes giving her an even more ominous air in the darkness of the halls. Her stubby fingers were wrapped tightly around her wand which was pointed at me.

"No, I'm not lost." I said, fidgeting nervously with my fingers. "Just on my way back to the Hospital Wing."

"Dressed rather…warmly, for a little walk, aren't we?" she said, using her wand to point out my outdoor attire.

"I…started out on the grounds," I lied. "For a little fresh air. The Hospital Wing can get a little stuffy."

"Outside?" she questioned, a suspicious look crossing her features.

"It's chilly and I wasn't sure how long I would be out there." I said, pulling the hat from my head.

"You weren't sure how long you would be out there because you had a certain task to accomplish?" she squinted her eyes at me in an accusatory manner.

"What?" I asked, not following her train of thought. "No, I was going for a walk."

"You were up to no good!" she shouted. "Come with me."

"No," I objected. "I'm not going anywhere with you, I've done nothing wrong and I'm going back to the Hospital Wing."

"Crucio!" Alecto shouted. I was overcome with the most intense, horrible, all consuming pain I had ever felt. I couldn't think, couldn't react, couldn't breathe, I lost all sense; the only thing I knew was this suffering. Stabbing, intense, merciless, all encompassing torture. I couldn't remember anything before this feeling, had I always been like this, would it always be like this? The pain disappeared as quickly as it had come. My senses came rushing back. I found that I was on the floor on my hands and knees, I didn't remember falling, but I didn't remember anything except for the anguish that I never wanted to feel again. I looked up to find Alecto staring down at me with a pleased expression on her face. "Ready to follow directions?"

I replied with a nod and lifted myself off the floor.

Alecto gestured with her wand for me to walk in front of her. "Headmaster's office." I mechanically did as I was told. My whole body was shaking, I felt unsteady, uneasy, as though all of my bones and muscles had turned to jelly. "Crucio!"

I fell to the floor again, overcome with pain, this time it was short lived. "I'm doing what you say!" I shouted in objection.

"You're walking too slow," she said cooly, her mouth pulled into a sadistic smile. "Walk faster."

I hoisted myself up, I felt drained and it took everything not to burst into tears, but I refused to allow her the satisfaction of thinking she had broken me. I walked faster up the hall.

"Crucio!" I was able to maintain my standing position as I doubled over in pain. "You're walking too fast." Alecto looked completely satisfied with herself.

Finally we reached the bottom of the stairs to the headmaster's office. I felt relief knowing that Severus was on the other side of that door and that he would protect me from what this woman thought she had planned for me. I watched as she knocked on the door.

"Who is disturbing me at this hour?" His voice was annoyed and cold. "Come in!"

The door opened and Alecto pushed me inside. She put her foot out in front of mine as she did so, causing me to tumble inside of his office, landing on my knees and catching myself on my hands. There was a fracture in his mask of disdain, it was only there for a fraction of a second, but I noticed it. His eyes snapped to Alecto, her face projecting her pride.

"What is this?" he demanded.

"I solved our little problem." Alecto said, her voice light with happiness.

"What problem would that be?" His eyes flicked back to me, still sitting on the ground, I was too drained to bring myself to stand again.

"She's been writing those Dumbledore's Army messages on the outside of the school at night." she stated proudly. "She confessed just moments ago."

His eyes moved from me back to her. There was a flickering anger, I had never seen his eyes full of such rage. His face remained calm with a tad of annoyance. "What do you mean 'confessed'?" he demanded.

"She had admitted to being out on the grounds, just now." she said. "She says she was just going for a walk, but I'm smarter than that."

The muscles in his jaw clenched. He was holding himself back. "Smarter than that?" Severus said, his voice straining to retain a sound of indifference. "She is the one who has been spreading Dumbledore's Army? The school healer?"

Alecto nodded her head confidently.

"Can we maybe think of a reason why that might not be the right answer?" Severus asked through his teeth. Alecto stood frozen, unsure of why her discovery was not being met with praise. "That the healer that has been with us, FOR TWO DAYS, might not be the culprit? Any reason at all?"

Alecto looked down at me. "But she…"

"She said she was going for a walk." Severus spat. "How can you be so utterly, bewilderingly stupid? You have bothered me at an unreasonably late hour and wasted my time. Perhaps someone with a more sufficient intellect should worry about Dumbledore's Army. It seems that when it comes to brainpower and common sense you are being outwitted by a GROUP OF CHILDREN! GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!"

Alecto's face retreated into a look of shock and fear. She looked down at me, pursing her lips in anger before stepping back out from the office. Severus slammed the door with his wand as soon as she had stepped over the threshold.

He was to me at a speed that suggested he had flown, dropping to his own knees beside me, cupping my face gently in his hands. "Ruby." his voice was strained and not above a whisper. "What happened?"

I crumpled in his grasp, letting my body collapse and give into the exhaustion I felt. He caught me up in his arms, embracing me gently against his chest. Tears of vexation flowed from my eyes. I clutched onto Severus, my fingers clawing at the fabric of his robes, desperately trying to find a feeling of safety. He adjusted his position, holding me closer and tighter. He began making shushing sounds, as though trying to sooth a small child. "Everything is alright." he whispered into my hair as his hand cradled my head on his shoulder. There was a brief pause before his voice returned, thick with outrage. "Did she hurt you?"

The memory of the excruciating pain returned to me. The totality of the surging agony that had coursed through my body, flooded all of my senses, and made me completely vulnerable. I nodded my head against him. I could feel his body tense.

"What did she do?" His voice was soft but the tone was hard and unforgiving.

I took a moment to calm my nerves, I was a shaking, unsteady mess. I allowed myself to feel Severus' body against mine, strong and comforting. I breathed in his scent of books and potions, each inhalation washed over me like a wave of calm. Breathe in Severus, breathe out tension. I relaxed in his arms as he continued to hold me tight, slightly rocking me. I took a shaking breath and said, "Cruciatus Curse."

I felt him take in a sharp breath and his grip tightened on me. "You have to go," he said. "I'm so sorry I put you in this position. You have to leave."

"No." I objected.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Severus. "I'll bring back Poppy. I'll figure out something. She was insistent that she could handle everything before I forced her out. Maybe she'll be alright."

"Absolutely not." I said.

"Ruby." Severus said, incredulous. "I put you in a situation that resulted in intense pain. I can't have you stay."

"I want to stay." I demanded.

"Are you crazy?" he whispered. "People go mad from that curse. If that were to happen to you because of a situation I put you in…I could never live with myself."

"And if I leave then she gets to believe that she won." I argued.

I felt him sigh in my grasp. "Won? What are you...oh." he said with a tone of understanding. "I get it. You're being difficult."

My lips curled into a smile against his shoulder. "Aren't I always?"

His grip tightened on me and his lips pressed against my head. "Alright, but if anything else happens, you're gone. No objections, understood?"

I nodded my head and allowed myself to sink into the comfortable feeling of being held against Severus Snape as he cradled me on the floor of his office.