An hour later Freddie was back in her Animagus form and hanging around the Hogwarts gate, hoping and praying that at any moment Snape would appear outside the gates unharmed. Ziggy had long since settled down on a soft patch of moss and was sleeping peacefully. Freddie knew it had to be around 2 in the morning, if not later. She had been awake since 5 o'clock the previous morning, but she couldn't even think of resting. The more time that passed the more certain she was that something had gone wrong.

How will I even know if something happens to him? She fretted silently, pacing back and forth on her four paws, her tail swishing anxiously. It's not like the Dark Lord is going to take out an ad in the Prophet saying that he killed Severus Snape. And his body – what will happen to his body? I won't even get to bury him! God, I don't want to have to bury him! How am I going to survive this? I can't do this, I can't-

"I thought I might find you out here, Miss Gray," said a pleasant voice. Freddie yowled and puffed up as she spun to face Albus Dumbledore. She'd been so distracted she hadn't even heard him approach. She immediately transformed back into herself.

"Headmaster," she gasped, landing just a little unsteadily on her feet. "Have you heard- is he-"

"I'm afraid I have not heard anything from Severus. Not yet," he said with a somewhat sad smile. "But I did not expect him to return quickly."

"It's been hours, sir," she said anxiously. "Are you sure- I mean, how would we know if...if things went badly?"

"You are friends with Lucius Malfoy, are you not?"

"Not exactly," she muttered, thinking of the blonde-haired Death Eater who was Snape's friend. She'd known Malfoy since she was a child and he'd always seemed creepy to her. He had a way of making her uncomfortable, of leering at her like he was imagining doing vile things to her that she didn't even want to imagine.

"Am I correct in assuming that Mr Malfoy is one of the few people who know that you and Severus are living together?"

"Oh, um, yes sir," Freddie said, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "We've had dinner with Lucius and his family a number of times. I think he may be Severus' only friend...though for the life of me, sir, I can't imagine why."

Dumbledore smiled slightly but didn't comment on that.

"I think it's safe to assume that, if something were to happen to Severus, Lucius Malfoy would see to it that you were informed," he said softly. "But I do not think we have to worry about that quite yet, Miss Gray. We just need to give Severus a little more time."

The headmaster looked towards the gates with a somewhat wistful expression and Freddie noticed just how weary and sad he looked all of a sudden.

"Forgive me for saying so, sir, but you look tired," she commented quietly. "Maybe you should try to get some sleep? I can make sure Severus wakes you as soon as he returns."

"No Miss Gray, I'm afraid sleep is not in the cards for me tonight... It's never easy losing a student," he said with a soft sigh. "But it is especially difficult losing one so young to Lord Voldemort."

Freddie couldn't help but flinch. She'd never heard anyone use the Dark Lord's name so freely...but of course if anyone could it would be Dumbledore.

"And I am afraid that Cedric Diggory won't be the last," he continued sadly. "It is almost certain, now that Voldemort has returned to full power."

"Yes sir," she said remorsefully, but she was not thinking of Diggory. She was thinking of Daniel, who had been killed by the Dark Lord almost six years ago. The Dark Lord hadn't even had his full power then and he'd killed Daniel so effortlessly and hidden his body in the Dark Forest where not even the centaurs could find him.

"I know that Severus cares for you very deeply," Dumbledore said, startling out of her thoughts of Daniel. She felt her cheeks growing warm again but she willed the blush away. It was second nature to keep her thoughts guarded with Occlumency, even from Dumbledore – especially from Dumbledore, when it came to her relationship with Snape. She nodded slightly but said nothing, waiting to see what the headmaster had to say. He was smiling slightly and some of the old warmth had come back into his blue eyes. "He cares for you and he trusts you – neither of which is something he does very easily, as I'm sure you know."

"Yes sir."

"How long have you known that he was a spy?"

Freddie glanced around quickly, worried that someone might be listening. She didn't like the idea of talking about Snape's role as a spy, not here where anyone could be listening.

"If it weren't safe to discuss it here, I would not have brought it up," Dumbledore assured her. "But I'm pleased to know you are so protective of him."

"Yes sir. He swore me to secrecy. I know that telling anyone could put him at risk, it could get him killed. He made me promise not to tell anyone and I haven't. Not even Ada," she said, glancing towards the Beauxbatons carriage where she knew her friend was sleeping. "No one can know."

"How long have you known?" he asked patiently.

"...A little over four years," she admitted. "Since...since my Potions Championship. Right before that actually."

She was worried that Dumbledore would figure out that their relationship had started before she graduated and that he would disapprove. Instead he looked almost pleased.

"How much do you know?"

"Sir?" she asked, confused by the question.

"What do you know about the circumstances under which he agreed to work for me," he said, choosing his words carefully and Freddie immediately knew why.

"Oh. Everything, sir. At least, I am pretty sure Severus has told me everything. About Lily-" She fought the urge to flinch again because she did not want to be talking about Lily Potter to Dumbledore. The man who was supposed to keep her safe, but he hadn't. Freddie knew Snape didn't blame Dumbledore, he kept them safe for as long as he could, but a part of her still felt like it was Dumbledore's fault. And it was Dumbledore's fault Snape was gone now, right back into the Dark Lord's inner circle. She blocked these thoughts off easily and continued her sentence without missing a beat. "-and his promise to protect her son, protect Potter."

"Good," he said, looking pleased again. "It is good that you know. No one else knows, not the reasons behind why he does what he does. Only the three of us know that it was done out of love."

Freddie was uncomfortable again. She really didn't like talking about Snape's personal feelings with Dumbledore, but it wasn't as if she could just walk away.

"Has Severus told you about the Order of the Phoenix?" the headmaster asked, looking down at her with a curious expression.

"Yes sir. A bit anyway. They're a secret society you formed to fight the Dark Lord during the last war," she said. "And, after last night, you're rounding up as many of the old members as you can."

"Exactly right," he said with a nod. "But we can't fight Him alone. There aren't enough of the original Order left, sadly. So Miss Gray...would you be interested in joining the Order of the Phoenix?"