T/W: mentions of miscarriage, infertility, abortion, mental illness, and drugs (kinda? Potions used as drugs is more accurate). There's also a kiss attempt involving a married woman and a man who isn't her husband.

First Wizarding War, Part 1

Gasps.

Whispers.

Grimaces.

Sneers.

Severus had expected them all upon entering Hagrid's hut, the Order of Phoenix current's meeting place. They were hard to swallow anyhow. At those moments, he thought about Skyrah and why he had to work alongside a group dominated by Gryffindors who had not been particularly nice to him. To his surprise, it was Potter, the one who defended him, saying that if Snape was there, Professor Dumbledore must have invited him. Severus didn't dare look at Potter; he was too close to Lily. What would Lily think of Severus? Surely, she wouldn't want him under the same roof as herself. Not after the way their friendship came to an end; not after their endless fights.

"I don't trust him," said Black, scowling at Severus.

"Dumbledore does. We should, too," insisted Potter.

Lupin and Pettigrew exchanged a look of confusion. Even Lily was surprised by his behavior. Maybe they wouldn't be so surprised if he'd told them that he'd apologized to Severus before their graduation. The shame of recognizing in front of his friends and girlfriend that he'd been in the wrong and that he hadn't been forgiven had been too much for Potter to handle. Yet, this, defending Severus, was something he felt like he had to do. For Severus, Skyrah, and the Order. He'd learnt Skyrah wasn't a bad person, and she'd always been smart. Perhaps she'd been right about Severus, or Dumbledore wouldn't have allowed him near the Order in the first place.

"Where's this coming from? Her?" asked Black, clearly meaning Skyrah. "Prongs, come on. You know that she was wrong to date him, to trust him. She only did because, for some inexplicable reason, she was infatuated with him. This is a mistake."

"What are you on about, Sirius?" asked Lily.

"Snivellus dated a girl in secret at Hogwarts. James must be excusing him for her."

"Shut up, mutt! You promised not to speak a word of it!"

Those were the first words the Order heard Severus utter. It didn't grant him a sense of acceptance amongst the audience. If anything, talking like that to someone well-seen like Black did him no favor.

"Snape's right. You made a promise."

Potter, again, had come to the rescue. Severus couldn't fathom why. A part of him would rather Potter remained quiet. He felt like he owed Potter for his help. It was a nasty feeling. Fortunately, Professor Dumbledore arrived just then, earning the limelight.

"I apologize for the delay. Please welcome our new member: Severus Snape," he said, standing beside Severus.

"Our new member?"

"Are you deaf, Black? Yes, I'm the new member. Why else would I willingly be here, in your presence, after graduating?"

"I understand your suspicions," continued Dumbledore. "Severus Snape is a Slytherin student who has been in contact with Death Eaters. It is for this reason we need him so badly. He has promised to infiltrate the Death Eaters and give us information to defeat them."

"He'll become a spy?" asked Frank Longbottom. He was one of the very few members that were looking at him with deep respect.

Before Professor Dumbledore could confirm that, Severus did something that surprised them all. He seized his wand and pointed it at Pettigrew, who had flushed, chubby cheeks and a sweaty forehead. He'd been rubbing his forearm subtly, yet not too subtly for Severus.

"She told me to watch out for you, you, rat! Show us your arm!"

At first, Pettigrew looked scared, almost guilty, but he recovered quickly.

Black laughed. "The nerve! To go as far as insinuating—"

"The dark mark burns. It burns for days, and it makes you sick with fever! Every time he summons you, it burns again."

"Are you incriminating me? If anything, we shouldn't trust a Slytherin like you, Snape," Pettigrew pointed out. "My arm itches. So what? Something must've bitten me."

The air was getting thick. Potter couldn't help but remember Skyrah's warning about Pettigrew. He couldn't help but notice Pettigrew kept his arm covered. A sense of dread was slowly creeping into his chest. He felt bad at once, having doubted his mate for a moment.

"It's okay," said Lupin, trying to appease them all. "Just roll up your sleeve. They'll see they are wrong and we'll continue with the meeting as if nothing but a misunderstanding had happened."

"He doesn't have to do anything," countered Black. "He's our friend, from our side. Snape isn't."

Snape took Pettigrew's arm brusquely and rolled his sleeve up.

Lily screamed.

Realizing he'd been caught, Pettigrew transfigured into his animagus form. Moody thwarted his escape attempt with a quick paralyzing spell. Still immobile, Pettigrew went back to his human form. Black was stunned. Lupin, hurt. Lily looked like the blood didn't get to her face despite Potter holding her. He'd rather Skyrah's suspicions had been dispelled. He'd just lost a friend. Moody disapparated with Pettigrew to bring him to the authorities and returned shortly after. It felt like an eternity to Severus nonetheless. He kept being glanced at, him being the topic of discussion amongst whispers. The members that had been wary of him were now less wary. Even when Dumbledore continued the meeting after assuring the Order that Severus had just proved to be essential, Severus wouldn't look at Lily. How he wished to have Skyrah beside him, close enough to reach for her hand or smell her shampoo.

"There is another incorporation: an ally, not a member," Dumbledore went on. "She has asked me to remain anonymous. The information she has given us is the key to making our enemy human so that we can defeat him, for, right now, he is immortal."

Severus didn't miss Potter's smile. It held a touch of pride.

"She did it," Potter murmured to himself.

Lily, baffled as she was, didn't inquire any further and simply kept listening to Dumbledore.

After the meeting was over, Severus would have eagerly left if it hadn't been for Lily calling his name. It was the first time she showed desire to talk to him ever since that awful day in their fifth year. She took him near the Forbidden Forest, a place they used to play tag during their first year or simply chat about the kind of witch and wizard they'd become after leaving Hogwarts. Potter was with her, holding her hand. Where else would he be? Severus thought to himself, bitterly. Not even after school was over did he get rid of his bully. If Lily didn't ask Potter to give them space, Severus wouldn't either for fear Lily'd disapprove.

"When I saw you there," she started, "I told myself not to trust the one who chose Mulciber over his best friend."

Severus was about to counter her. Upon her raised hand, though, he didn't dare speak. After all, a part of him longed to recuperate her. Skyrah would encourage him to listen to Lily and be patient.

"I want to believe in you. What I fail to understand is why you're becoming a spy. Everyone in the Order puts their life at risk, but none of us do it like you. It's… brave. Noble. Almost…"

"Gryffindor?" he finished in a mocking tone. "I'm still a Slytherin, Lily, whether you like it or not. As for the reason why I'm doing this, I can't tell."

"I don't get it. You used to reckon I was a mudblood, and now…"

Severus grimaced in pain. "Don't. Don't call yourself that. I tried to apologize. I did everything I could. You refused to listen, and I don't blame you. You were right. It didn't slip. I said it because I felt humiliated. I didn't want my best friend to see me like that, and the first thing that came to mind was that slur, but I didn't mean it. It was wrong and I'm deeply sorry. You were right about Mulciber and the rest, too. I didn't want to see it. I felt safe with them, safe from… your boyfriend and his friends." Severus glanced at Potter for a moment. "A part of me is glad that I got close to other Slytherins. Thanks to my connections with them, I'll be able to help this cause. To help you."

Lily stared at him. She needed time to take in his words.

"I'm speaking the truth, whether you believe me or not. Did you honestly think I'd view you as inferior to me? To anyone? My father was a muggle, Lily. If your blood is filthy, so is mine."

"Was?"

"…He's gone. Burnt alive, asphyxiated by the fire smoke."

Even Potter cringed.

"When?" inquired Lily, her green eyes wide. "You didn't tell me that he…"

Severus looked away for a moment. "Last year. You weren't talking to me. I don't wish to think of him right now, anyway."

She respected that. "So you'll truly spy on the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who?"

"I am, already, though I won't show you the mark. It's ugly."

"How can I believe you haven't tricked us?" Lily pointed out. "Maybe… Maybe You-Know-Who asked you to tell on Peter to gain our trust."

"I can't force you to have faith in me."

"I believe he's helping us for real."

Lily nodded at Potter, though baffled. Her boyfriend had never believed in Severus. Then again, it didn't feel right to question Potter in front of Severus about that. Besides, there was something that had been nagging at her since Black's comment.

"Will you tell me about the girl you dated? Was it Riddle?" At his silent confirmation, her world shattered. "Losing you to her was one of my worst nightmares, and you just–"

"You dating my bully wasn't much better," Severus interrupted.

Lily folded her arms across her chest as if building a shield. "Was it revenge that pushed you to date her?"

"No. I dated her because I had deep feelings for her. I still do. I always will. If you love Potter half as much as I love Skyrah, I can't be angry at you for..." The engagement was too hard to pronounce. Instead, he glanced at her engagement ring, one that obviously cost a fortune and which he wouldn't have been able to buy for Skyrah, not even after saving money for a year.

They stared at each other, the air tense.

"I don't doubt your love for Riddle. You were so in love with her back in our fourth year already… Which makes me doubt your loyalty to the Order."

"Tell Dumbledore, if you must. Skyrah didn't like my decision to become a spy but supported me. She was next to me when I told Dumbledore about my intentions, holding my hand."

"Manipulation. Even Professor Dumbledore–"

"You're the manipulated one! You!" exploded Severus, tired of hearing Skyrah's persona being attacked time after time. "You hate her so much that you're incapable of seeing her true self! She only wanted to push you away from her to keep you safe!"

"Safe from what? Why would she protect a muggle-born anyway?"

"Because she–" He ran a hand through his hair. He wouldn't tell her about Faith and Voldemort's identity. "She cares more than you think."

"She doesn't know how to care."

"You're wrong. She used to have a muggle-born friend, you know?" interrupted Potter.

"Dammit, Potter! Shut up!"

"I'm trying to help."

"Don't help me so much," Severus replied, voice dripping with sarcasm when he uttered the word 'help'.

"James, what are you talking about? She'd never befriend someone like me."

"She did once in that American school. She lost her. She can't make muggle-born friends."

"Potter," growled Severus. "Keep your mouth shut."

"Why would you even know about her life in America?" asked Lily, narrowing her eyes at Potter.

"She told me. I caught Snape and Riddle in the Prefect's bathroom."

Lily blushed, and Severus, too, aware she must have imagined what exactly they did in such a place. Potter probably used it the same way with Lily.

"We wanted to tell on her, but she… she revealed secrets, convinced us not to speak a word of it."

"Convinced? How? Let me guess: threats."

"Yes, threats, but her life wasn't nice, Lily. She's suffered. I've seen her cry more than once, break down. She glared at me quite often and would have hexed my ass if she could have. But she wasn't, isn't, the girl you think she is. I wouldn't tell you this if I didn't know it's the truth. When else have I defended Slytherins?"

"Quite a lot today," she reminded him with a small snort.

"Yes, today," he agreed softly. "Lils, I still don't like Snape, but he hasn't lied to you. He's on our side, and if not for him, who knows what Peter might have told He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Lily shook her head and put a hand on her forehead as if she had a headache. It was a lot to digest. She shivered at the memories that came flooding in just by thinking of Riddle.

"It's difficult to accept this. She told me so many nasty things, made me feel so… inadequate, inferior."

"Because you wanted to befriend her. The muggle-born that got close to her died. She didn't wish for that to happen to you... or anyone." Potter put a hand on Lily's arm. "In our last year at school, she'd alert me whenever she witnessed harassment against muggle-borns so that I could take care of it."

"By the mother of… What else will you disclose about Skyrah, Potter?" snapped Severus.

"I'm defending your ex! Why aren't you?"

"Skyrah hasn't asked us to defend her in front of Lily! She asked you to keep mum! You're incapable of doing that, always wanting to play the hero!"

Potter's lips drew a thin line.

Lily said, "Please don't take that tone. It reminds me of the times we…" argued, was the word left unsaid and which both Lily and Severus knew. Their constant fighting the older they grew brought bad memories. Severus tried to calm down by taking a big breath. Lily turned to Potter. "I knew that it couldn't be good to have Riddle as the Head Girl. You were forced to spend time together, and she found a way to manipulate you. It's what she does."

"She was decent for a Slytherin. Oh, she loved threatening me and my mates, and she'd have gone ahead with her threats if we'd gone against her, but she gave us the choice. Being the Head Boy, I saw her interacting with members of her House, too. She wasn't affectionate, but she always did her best to maintain a sentiment of belonging in Slytherin. I remember a very stressed-out girl of fourteen who came to me and Riddle, in tears, begging for help. She'd got pregnant and didn't know what to do. I was too shocked to do anything, but Riddle calmed the girl down with very rational words and gave her different options for her to consider, not advocating for one or the other but saying they were all equally valid. Riddle also taught her the anti-conception spell so that she could feel safe if she were to need it. She visited the girl after the abortion and kept in contact with Madam Pomfrey who would keep her up to date on her state. The girl was a Ravenclaw. Not a Slytherin. She helped students from other Houses."

Severus looked at Potter in shock. Skyrah hadn't told him that, probably to maintain the girl's privacy.

"For Merlin's sake! She's helped Gryffindors. I've seen her help Hufflepuffs, never making fun of them! How many Gryffindors have you heard insulting a Hufflepuff? Do you know how we would often finish our meetings? She'd drag me to the library and give me a piece of parchment that listed students who struggled with certain subjects and a book that she recommended that they read to improve. I'd be the one giving them all the books, the face, the one who got the credit, yet she was the one who'd had the idea and who'd take the time to ask our professors about the struggling students. She didn't care which House they belonged to. She only meant to help behind the scenes. As always. Always hidden. Always showing others what she wanted others to see."

Severus had known that. He would sometimes recommend Potions books under her request, for those struggling students. He'd do it with a groan, insisting that they had to be lazy dunderheads if they couldn't follow Slughorn's class, yet Skyrah would insist they deserved a little push and that getting good marks was important, so if she could help in this way, she would, with or without Severus's help. Of course, Severus would yield to her, even if with a scowl. It didn't last long on his face anyway, for Skyrah would kiss his cheek in gratitude. He could almost feel the press of her lips against his cheek if he focused enough.

"I feel like we're discussing two different people, two Riddles," said Lily.

"It's the same person. Who do you think the mysterious ally is? It's her, dammit! It's clear! Only someone close to You-Know-Who–"

"Will you shut the hell up already?" His wand was at Potter's neck.

"Don't pretend you don't know just how close to him she is. I discovered it."

"Discover what?" asked Lily.

"Her secret. A horrible one she carries like a burden, and the reason you don't believe her. She made sure someone who sees the best in people would hate her."

"You must have guessed. She didn't tell me you knew," mused Severus. "Why didn't she obliviate you?"

"She wasn't in the right state of mind. She was crying. It was the day after you proposed to her and she said no to you."

Severus cursed under his breath. Lily was paling, Potter's words having registered in her mind.

"I guess she could have obliviated me on our graduation day," continued Potter. "Perhaps she felt like she needed someone apart from you and Dumbledore who would advocate for her if the time came. I don't know what went through her mind. You're the Slytherin one, like her, and know how her brain works better than me." He paused. "She warned me, too. I chose to believe Peter, and now… I've learned to trust her, and she's always defended you. I was wrong to judge you two. I already asked for forgiveness. I don't know what else to do for you to believe me. I don't mean to hurt you or Riddle, not anymore. You've proved you aren't Death Eaters. I… I feel like we must be, not friends, but allies."

"I don't need to believe you, just like I don't need to forgive you for making my life a living hell. I merely need to be civil so that we can work together against our common enemy."

"James stopped treating you badly in our sixth year," intervened Lily, protective of Potter.

Severus gave a bittersweet laugh. "Yes, that's what Skyrah told me. You lied to your girlfriend, Potter."

"I stopped treating you badly in our seventh year."

Which confirmed Severus's statement. Potter had started dating Lily earlier on thanks to delusions and lies.

"Why did you lie to me?" she asked, her jaw tense.

"I knew you wouldn't be with me if I hurt Snape, even if you weren't friends anymore. I didn't want to lose you, Lily. I loved you. I love you."

"You don't lie to those you love. I shouldn't have found out from Severus's mouth. You've had plenty of opportunities to tell me."

Lily looked from her former best friend to her boyfriend, the two boys she'd been fondest of, always foes, now agreeing on Riddle. Both of them had disappointed her as well: Severus with the slur and James with his falsehoods. She sat down on a flat rock, finding it hard to stand, and rubbed her temples. With silence surrounding her for once, she could reflect on everything they'd said: Riddle secretly collaborating with James to help muggle-borns, Riddle wanting to help muggle-borns in the first place because she'd lost a friend, Riddle and Severus dating, Riddle supporting Severus's decision to spy for Dumbledore, something about Riddle becoming an Order's ally… James said Riddle loves Severus. If that were true…

"That's why she wanted us two to be friends," she said, looking at Severus. Everything was starting to make sense now that she was beginning to accept that Severus and Potter perhaps weren't wrong. "She wasn't pretending during the Final Quidditch Cup in our fifth year. She was worried about you, and she meant it when she apologized for slapping me. She said I was a bad friend to you the day you called me a…" She shook her head. Severus had to look away. It was painful to recall that day and the loss of a friend he'd suffered ever since. "She was right. I wasn't good to you. I should've listened to you, and I shouldn't have made that comment. I was so hurt I wanted to hurt you, too. It was wrong. Will you forgive me?"

"I forgave you a long time ago."

"You shouldn't have."

"You mean a lot to me, and I understand I hurt you very much."

Her expression softened. It was impossible not to recall the days spent in the muggle park as kids, or playing chess with him in the Great Hall. The sweet boy she'd befriended was still there. She'd missed him terribly. Would he accept her though, after all the fights? After the years they'd spent separated? After she'd chosen Potter and he'd chosen Riddle?

"Sev," she said, and it was enough to let go. The shock was so sharp it took him a moment to realize her arms were wrapped around him, her chin on his shoulder. Did that mean she'd forgiven him? A sense of awe came to him. If he'd expected Potter to mock him for his display of affection or the obvious tears gathering in his eyes, he was wrong. He wouldn't risk it now that Lily knew about his lies. Slowly, Severus hugged her back.

"Lily." A whispered cry. He nuzzled his cheek against her auburn hair.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too," he croaked, pulling away to dry his face.

She copied him and took his hands. "My best friend is a spy," she said, proudly.

Best friends.

Could it be? Had he recuperated Lily when he couldn't be with Skyrah? Why didn't fate allow him to be close to a best friend and his love at the same time? The last time she'd looked at him that way they'd been but children. She'd been impressed by his potion skills in Slughorn's class. Now her eyes sparkled even more.

Severus looked at their hands and took a step back, breaking free from her. "We can't be friends yet. I need to play my role well. A Death Eater isn't supposed to be friends with a muggle-born. Our contact must be limited to the Order meetings, do you understand?"

"But–"

"No buts. If I learn about Death Eaters getting near you, I'll warn you."

"How, if you won't get near me?"

Severus closed his eyes and concentrated on the thought of Skyrah, imagined her kissing his cheek, tracing his scars, and recalled the way he'd felt when he'd realized she returned his feelings. His patronus arrived even though he'd summoned it non-verbally. He knew because Potter let out a 'What the heck?', having assumed Severus wouldn't be able to conjure a corporeal patronus at all. Lily gasped. Severus opened his eyes. The crow was perching on his shoulder.

"He'll be my messenger."

"Sirius says no Death Eater can do that," mentioned Potter, eyeing the spirit guardian in wonder.

Lily grinned from ear to ear, her green eyes shining brightly. "And he's right. Sev isn't a Death Eater."

"I'm sorry I hurt you," he croaked, realizing at that moment just how much he'd yearned for Lily's approval of him. Maybe Skyrah had always known it. That was why she hadn't lost faith that one day Lily and Severus would make up. "It should have never slipped. I shouldn't have listened to my Housemates. I was wrong. I was so wrong to believe I had to gain their favor."

"Everything's forgiven," she said, smiling through her tears when his crow flew in circles around her, showing his appreciation. "We'll defeat You-Know-Who and then will be free to make up for the years we've lost. I want my best friend back."

"You'll have him." But even as he said that, he wondered if he'd be forced to break the promise. Wars were unpredictable.

"Sev," she said before leaving. "I'm sorry Riddle said no to the proposal. She's missing out on a good man. If you need to talk…"

"It isn't wise to spend time together," he reminded her. "But I appreciate your offer."

"All right. By the way, what was that about Riddle being close to You-Know-Who?" she asked them both.

Potter was about to speak when Severus cut in, "Our silence will protect her."

"But is she safe?"

"She won't be safe until this war is over."

Lily nodded resignedly and looked at Potter. Though she felt hopeful about the distant future now that she almost had Severus back, she dreaded the near future and the long talk she was to have with Potter regarding the lies throughout their relationship. He'd never seen Potter look so afraid.

It was September first, after the sorting ceremony feast in Ilvermorny, when Skyrah heard a deep voice that made her shiver in anticipation. She took her mirror from the nightstand. Her quarters, rather than full quarters for professors, consisted of a bathroom and a bedroom with the essentials. No kitchen. No studio or dining room. Being a student teacher meant she didn't have all the privileges. Skyrah was fine with it. It wasn't a shared bedroom, and it was protected by a password only she knew: Morrighan. A pair of glassy black eyes were awaiting her in the mirror as she sat on her bed to get comfortable. He was watching her in silence as if taking in the details of her face. His Adam's apple was bobbing in his throat. Oh, Merlin. He was holding back tears. She wasn't, she realized. Her tears ran freely. This was the date they would look forward to after a long summer apart, the date they would reunite.

"Missed me so much you had to use the mirror on my first day in Ilvermorny, didn't you?" she teased, but he remained serious. They'd been serious about keeping their contact at a minimal degree.

"Being far from you is an agony. I've missed you. Every day. Every second."

"Me too, Severus."

"Are you okay with staying in Ilvermorny despite what happened there?"

"It's hard, but I must do this. I think Faith would've wanted me to pursue my dreams and fight against the one that gave me the choice of killing her myself or watching him do it and torture her family."

"She'd be proud of you. I'm so proud of you."

Skyrah gave him a smile that held a tad of shyness.

"How was your first day?"

"Intense. They gave me some guidelines on what I am allowed and not allowed to do, my responsibilities, and my schedule for my History of Magic studies. I'll be a teaching assistant and apprentice in the mornings, and specializing in my subject in the afternoons and evenings. I can use the floo network to get to the college. The studies are supposed to last for three years. I'll probably have to study for exams and do my homework early in the morning or late at night."

"It sounds busy."

"It's a dream, actually. I only wish you could be with me… Have you started your apprenticeship?"

"Indeed. Sluggy wasn't wrong to guide me to Lestrange."

"I'm glad. Where are you staying? It looks like a bedroom."

"It's my childhood bedroom. I live with my mother now. She's… psychologically unwell. I'm trying to take care of her. I've talked to Madam Pomfrey. She and her husband have been helping my mother."

Skyrah sighed. "I'm sorry I can't be there to comfort you."

"Just looking at you makes me feel better… Has your father visited you this summer?"

"Yes. I gave the necessary information to Professor Dumbledore. If you work for the Order, you must know. I told him months ago."

"About the five horcruxes?"

"Yes."

"How did you convince your father to tell you the exact number?"

"Pretending to be the daughter he wants me to be, acting interested in the idea of immortality. It wasn't difficult to convince him. I killed at the age of twelve, Severus. I'm turning nineteen in November. What do you think I'm capable of doing now or in a few years?"

"You aren't a monster."

Skyrah grinned ruefully. She loved him for reminding her, though she wouldn't say.

"Be careful around him. He'll want you to prove to him that you are truly interested."

"I know," she assured him. "He set me a task as well: the creation of a flying spell."

"You and flying? Doesn't he know?" he teased her. She'd told Severus, a long time ago, that Flying hadn't precisely been her best subject, since it wasn't strictly academic. It didn't help that she wasn't a fan of heights.

"He wants his Death Eaters to fly without a broomstick. That'd give them a lot of advantage. I want to create two, in fact: one more effective than the other. The effective one for the Order and the deficient one for the Death Eaters. The problem is, I've only ever created a spell that wasn't truly impressive. This feels huge."

"You're intelligent. You can succeed. I'm willing to aid you, too," said Severus.

"And use this mirror frequently?" Skyrah shook her head. "I'll do it. When my theories are advanced, I'll show them to you. We can't work on it together." Skyrah bit her bottom lip. "I'm scared for you. I find it hard to sleep at night. I keep thinking about you and the war and the spying."

"I'll be careful. I have a very good reason to be so: a future with you… Unless distance has taught you I'm a bloody mess and you're better off alone?"

"Never, Severus. This bracelet," she said, moving her arm so that the mirror would show the image. "It makes me feel like you're with me somehow."

"Your notebook makes me feel the same. I've lost count of how many times I've read your message on its first page."

Skyrah gave him a tender smile. It was reassuring to know he felt her close to him in some way, too. Suddenly, she frowned. "It's 10 pm here, which means it's 3 am in… By Merlin's pants! Why are you calling me at this time?"

He shrugged. "It's safe this way."

"You need to go to sleep. Rest is important, especially when you're a spy."

"I'll sleep well now that I've talked to you." And just like that, Skyrah couldn't be angry with him. "Good night, my heart."

"Good night, Severus," she said, her heart pounding strongly after he called her that.

Skyrah left the mirror upside down on the nightstand, next to the photo of the Lunar Ball.

They didn't use the mirror again, knowing it was for the best, until the twenty-fifth of September. It was Severus the one to initiate the call at the same time as their last mirror meeting. Too late for him.

"My heart," he whispered upon seeing her face. His fingers almost touched the mirror, tracing the contour of her face. "Everything's ugly in this war, everything but you. You're beautiful."

Skyrah gave him a sad smile. "So are you. If we'd stayed together, today would have been an important date."

"It is important to me, no matter what. The day you agreed to date me, you made me the happiest boy in Scotland. I continue to feel grateful."

"I'm grateful, too, that you persisted."

"I may be more stubborn than you," he joked, though she barely gave him a smile. "Please don't be sad. I bring good news. I know where Hufflepuff's Cup is: Lestrange's vault in Gringotts." At her inquiring gaze, he elaborated, "I used a potion on her without Rosalind Lestrange noticing, one that put her to sleep, so that I could legilimence her without being caught." Two invasive, questionable methods of which he wasn't proud yet couldn't bring himself to feel guilty about. To his relief, Skyrah didn't bat an eye. She understood why he did the things he did. Neither questions nor judgments were made. She only listened. "I know the password, I know everything. I took hair from her comb and gave it all to the Order of the Phoenix. Alice Longbottom will impersonate her to have access to the Cup. She's a pure-blood. She knows how they act, their mannerisms."

"Does Rosalind know about the other horcruxes and their locations?"

"Unfortunately, no. She doesn't even know why the Dark Lord values the object."

Her shoulders stooped. For a moment, she'd allowed herself to dream about a great advantage over Voldemort. At least, they were progressing.

"Have you found out how they're destroyed?" he asked her.

"No, and Father hasn't visited me yet, so I haven't been able to extract that piece of information. I suspect he won't until Thanksgiving break. Those objects are most likely cursed. It's better if Longbottom doesn't touch the Cup. She shouldn't go alone."

"I'll go with her."

By the choking sound she made, that wasn't what she'd meant. She wasn't fond of the idea no matter that he argued that, being Rosalind Lestrange's apprentice, it wouldn't look suspicious to be seen in the bank together, perhaps to get some money for the purchase of expensive potion ingredients. He was in too much danger already. The problem was that they didn't have a safer alternative.

"I never meant for you to be trapped in his game," she said in a sad tone.

"My actions took me there."

"Only because I didn't tell you–"

"You were protecting us. Don't blame yourself."

Skyrah sighed, resigned. They'd had this conversation half a dozen times, of which never had she convinced him. He always reminded her that she'd done her best. "Be careful, Severus. Don't rush. Devise a good plan. The horcrux won't be moving from there. Bring more people in if possible. I hate to ask this out of you, but perhaps Potter could go with you."

"Pardon?"

"He's got an invisibility cloak."

"I don't trust him."

"Lupin, then."

Severus snorted. "Because he's much better."

"Who else would he lend his invisibility cloak to?"

Lily Potter.

Neither was willing to pull Lily into the plan, though. She'd be eager to help, but Severus wouldn't allow it.

"I'll see if I can convince Potter to lend the invisibility cloak to Frank Longbottom. He trusted me from the beginning, and it's his wife who'd be impersonating a Death Eater."

"I remember him being a bit clumsy," Skyrah mentioned, concerned. Frank would constantly lose his familiar and ask her, and everyone he stumbled upon, whether they'd seen his dear toad.

"I'll be the clumsy one if Potter is behind me, using the cloak he used to use at Hogwarts to pester me."

Skyrah hung her head and gave Severus a nod. "All right. Ask Longbottom. But don't play the hero. If you need to escape, don't think twice."

"You're talking to a Slytherin."

"With Gryffindor traits." She didn't mean it as an insult. It was clear when she added, "You're the bravest person I know. You're facing it all on your own, while I hide in another country."

"I'm glad you're far from the Dark Lord."

"I should be helping you."

"We'd be dead if you were here. You're helping the Order in the only way you can. It gives me serenity to know you're in America. I'd be a nerve-wracking mess if you were here. I wouldn't do my job well. I need you to stay exactly where you are."

He was making sense, so she was convinced, if only resigned about it.

"I've got news too: I advanced in the creation of a flying spell. Look." She positioned the mirror on her bed, supported by a cushion. After making sure the mirror caught the image of her entire body, she uttered a spell so lowly he didn't hear, and then she was floating.

His eyes widened, and he let out a laugh. "Skyrah, this is…"

"Horrible," she cut him off, sitting on the bed cross-legged.

She showed him the notes she'd taken through the mirror. She'd used dark magic theories to create the spell.

"This is what he'd approve of, what you had to do. You did superbly."

"It isn't good enough for me. I'm stuck. I don't know how to improve this. It tires my magical core."

"Even better. This is the spell you'll show your father. He'll be satisfied. I've seen your notes. I'll try to think of a way to improve the spell to teach the improved one to the Order."

Skyrah sighed and gave him a tired smile. "You should focus on getting the Cup."

He would focus on both.

The next day it was Saturday. After asking her mentor teacher about a good photography studio in the area, Skyrah ventured into the city and went to the recommended place, run by a squib woman in her fifties.

"White river monster spine," she whispered.

Her wand core. Uncommon in Britain, but not in America, where she'd got her wand. Wand cores were the codes that told the shop attendants they were dealing with magical beings. The squib behind the counter invited her in, saying her colleague was specialized in what she was looking for. Skyrah came through a charmed door that muggles wouldn't detect. The first thing she registered was the sound and light from the flash of a camera. The second, a friendly, male voice.

"Very well. Now for the last photograph, Mr. and Mrs. Ward, hold baby Ethel like this. Perfect. Let me adjust the angle…"

Another flash and the goblin family was done. The photographer told them the photographs taken would be made into an album and ready to pick in three days. The Wards thanked him and left the establishment through another door so that muggles wouldn't come across them. They must have used the same door to come in.

"Good morning, and sorry for the wait. How can I help…" The photographer trailed off the moment he turned around and caught sight of Skyrah.

Skyrah, too, was struck by the young man in front of her. He was holding the camera, his sleeves pulled up so that the expensive wristwatch and strong arms were visible. She wasn't paying attention to that but to his face: a refined nose, silky light brown curly hair, and eyes so pretty and bright that they could rival Mulciber's or Lily's. Surprisingly familiar, and yet she couldn't quite place him.

"Excuse me, do I know you?"

The photographer grinned at her, showing his perfect pearl-white teeth when he heard her British accent. "It can't be… Are you Skyrah Riddle?"

She got on alert. She still couldn't tell who this man was. "And you are….?"

"You probably don't remember me. We were twelve when we last saw each other."

From school, she realized. They must have been classmates. "How come you remember me?"

"We don't tend to forget our first crush."

"Oh…"

"Actually, my first crush was Cat Woman, but you're the first real girl that made me blush and feel a flutter in my stomach."

"...Cat Woman?"

"From DC Comics."

"I'm familiar with them, just not with this character in particular." Severus had told her about his collection once. He used to read them with Lily, Skyrah recalled. Anyway, the man before her either was very extroverted or had no sense of what a normal first conversation was like. And still, she wasn't uncomfortable. On the contrary. He was surrounded by an aura of benevolence that immediately put those near him at ease. She had the impression he was the sort of man incapable of killing a mosquito even if it kept biting him. Utterly harmless.

"Do you mind telling me what your House was? It might help me."

As soon as he revealed it, Pukwudgie, the healer and heart of the wizard, she had a flashback of a boy who would sometimes stare at her with flushed cheeks in class. Faith would get excited for Skyrah whenever that happened, saying the boy was cute.

"Daniel Keen," was the name Skyrah murmured. "Not the best of students in terms of academics, but a natural at flying and playing Quodpot." She realized she'd been talking out loud to herself when it was too late. "Sorry. That was rude of me. I didn't mean–"

"No, no. You're right. I struggled a lot at school. I get distracted very easily unless I'm working on something I adore, like photography. I found Quodpot more interesting than the transfiguration laws."

Skyrah held back a chuckle. "I see you succeeded despite the struggle. You must be proud."

"I am."

"What I fail to understand is why you're being kind to me. If you remember me that well, you mustn't have forgotten how I began to treat everyone when…"

"Your best friend died? We were children. No child should go through that. Your reaction wasn't the most adequate one, but you probably didn't know any better, and were angry, scared, and grieving. Who am I to judge you?"

"You're too forgiving."

"You say that as if it were a bad thing."

He was weird in a good way. If she didn't start talking business, she might get distracted, just like he would in Astronomy class, and keep chatting as if they were old friends. She cleared her throat and emptied a paper bag. She showed him the photograph taken with Severus during the Lunar Ball.

"Could you make me a frame for this picture? One that resembles my starry-night dress? I want the frame to look like the night sky."

Daniel inspected the composition of the photograph and gave a nod.

"Fantastic. Is it possible to add an inscription or drawing of some kind?"

"Like the date of this dance?"

"Like the illustration of two crows."

"Crows," he repeated as if he thought he'd heard wrong.

"Yes, crows, like this one." Skyrah summoned her patronus. It flew around her, as if trying to hug her, making her chuckle. Daniel was open-mouthed and quiet, his expression full of pure wonder. He lifted a hand as if aiming to touch it yet reluctant to scare the crow off. Noticing, the crow perched on his forearm.

"Amazing! I've never been able to invoke one of these… It's precious. May I take a photograph of it? It'll help me create the proper illustration."

Skyrah made a 'feel-free' gesture. Shortly after, the crow disappeared. "Please treat the photograph like a treasure. It is, to me."

"I wouldn't dare damage anything from a customer. Considering the amount of work I have…" He paused, calculating how long it'd take him. "A week. It'll be ready by then."

Skyrah thanked Daniel and began retreating her steps to leave the studio.

"Miss Riddle," he called, stopping her. "It was great to see you again."

"Likewise, Mister Keen."

In the next meeting through the two-way mirror, Severus told her about the plan to get the Cup. They had refined it and executed it. Severus had been hidden under Potter's cloak, and so had Frank. They'd both drunk invisibility potion just in case, too. Alice had played her role as Rosalind well enough to get them inside the vault. It had been challenging, with the rest of the possessions multiplying and the summoning spell being useless. Luckily, they got out without the goblins suspecting them. If only the Order knew how to destroy the Cup…

"Are there no books at Hogwarts about horcruxes? Where did my Father learn about them? He made the first one while being a student."

"We haven't found anything here," said Severus, dejected.

"He hasn't visited me yet, and I'm not sure if I can extract that information from him anyway. I'll research. I've got both Ilvermorny's library and my college's. It's a good thing I'm studying History. Perhaps there are some papers about a wizard or witch who attempted to create a horcrux and succeeded, and there is information which can be useful."

"You barely sleep. Isn't there anyone you trust and who can help you? You don't have to tell them anything, just get their help."

"My family's already trying to help me. I owl them frequently."

"Which isn't enough. Have you made an acquaintance? I know you wouldn't make a friend, but…"

"None whom I'd trust with this."

He pressed his lips into a line, unhappy. "I worry about you. Your family isn't in Ilvermorny or in college. You're basically on your own. I'm the only one you can vent to, and it's through a mirror and only rarely. I can't even hold you."

"I could say the same to you. Unless your relationship with your mother has improved and you haven't informed me about it, you're alone."

Severus shifted in his bed, getting more comfortable, and confessed, "I sometimes talk to Albus."

"Albus, now, is it?" A knowing grin had settled on her face.

"He calls me Severus, too," he said, a bit defensively. "He's been advocating for me whenever someone from the Order shows their distrust in me. I never expected that from him. He never took my side at school."

"He must've realized how wrong he used to be."

"I'm glad."

"Me too, Severus. Me too." If not for their ex-headmaster, Severus would be utterly alone and only surrounded by Death Eaters or those with connections to them.

Someone knocked. Severus was almost glad for the distraction. It'd give him a break from reading the distressing news depicted in the Daily Prophet. He thought it'd either be a lost muggle, Albus, or a Malfoy. No other wizards and witches knew of his home's location. Indeed, Narcissa was behind the door. He was about to let her in when he took in her appearance. Instead of the perfectly composed, elegant witch he'd come to know, there was someone crestfallen.

"Mother, do you mind?" he asked Eileen, who was reading in the living room.

"I'll be in the garden. You're keeping it pretty with those lilies and roses." Eileen took the book that Poppy had assured her would give her some tools to cope with her depression and granted Severus and his friend the privacy they needed.

Narcissa came in, and Severus nearly tripped when shutting the door. She'd fallen to her knees by his feet. Now he was half-scared, half-surprised. This wasn't the Narcissa that had always acted like something akin to a big sister when he'd gone to her for advice after upsetting Skyrah in their third year, or like the Narcissa that had taught him Occlumency, seen how Tobias treated him and the poverty he lived in, and still hadn't look disgusted. Only worried, the reason she'd always invited him to spend the holidays at Malfoy Manor.

He kneeled before her. "What is the matter?"

She cried and hugged him, and he had no choice but to hug her too.

"Is it your sister Andromeda? Bellatrix, perhaps?"

Another image came to his mind, that of Lucius doing to her what Tobias would do to Eileen. As quickly as the image had come, it vanished. Lucius loved his wife. He wouldn't hurt her like that.

Once the real reason was revealed, a pang of sorrow hit him. How could it not, when Narcissa told him she'd come out of Saint Mungo's yesterday, after losing her fourth baby? Severus hadn't even known the Malfoys had been trying to become parents, though he'd suspected it. Heirs and heiresses were most important to pure-blood families. A must, even.

"There's something wrong with the shape of my uterus. They say I'll never be a mother. Lucius, dear Lucius, doesn't blame me. He says he loves me, and it's true, but I also see how much he'd like to have a baby, not only to continue the line but to be a father. And I want to be a mother. I've wanted it for years."

"I'm deeply sorry, Narcissa. You and Lucius would be great parents. Forgive me if I'm intruding, but have you considered adoption in the case a biological child isn't possible?"

"Adoption is seen as a failure in the pure-blood world unless it's within the family because of a tragedy. If your nephew becomes an orphan and you adopt him, nobody will look down on you. If you adopt a child for any other reason, you can expect to be an outcast. What kind of life would we give to an adopted child?"

One full of love, but clearly, Narcissa and Lucius saw it differently, so Severus didn't utter a word and kept rubbing her back.

"There's a way you could help me," she said eventually, once she was composed enough. She sat on the floor, her dress skirt all over the place, and showed him a book he hadn't noticed she'd carried. After opening it to the page she demanded, he locked eyes with her.

"Narcissa, do you know what you're asking of me?"

"You aren't obliged to say yes. I'll still consider you my friend, a very good friend, if you refuse to run the risk. I'll go to Knockturn Alley if I must, but if I'm going to be pregnant, I'd rather it was thanks to your potion."

Severus studied the instructions of the potion, Narcissa still sniffling every now and then.

"The ingredients are expensive, not only illegal. I'm afraid I can't afford–"

A sack materialized beside him. Severus opened it with trembling hands. As expected, it was filled with money.

"Narcissa, this is more than what I need to get the ingredients."

"Your time is valuable. Your taking a risk like this is valuable. I'd pay more, but I know you wouldn't accept it because you're too proud and stubborn. I'd be forever in your debt."

"The potion can be addictive. After giving birth, you'll stop menstruating, and you'll spend the rest of your life longing for more children. Are you completely certain this is your desire?"

"Yes. My baby will be worth all that and more."

"What about Lucius?"

"He won't know. You won't tell him. He protected you from the pain when my cousin and his friends meant to hurt you. You'll be protecting him from his pain, too."

"If that's what you wish."

"It is." Narcissa occluded to get a hold of her emotions.

"You don't need to do that in front of me. You've seen inside my mind. You saw what my life was like, and you still stuck to my side. I will stick to yours no matter what."

So she dropped it. She still managed to stop crying, especially when Severus rocked her in his arms and told her she'd be a great mother.

"You're a loyal friend, Severus." She pulled away, feeling much better. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good. Lestrange had anticipated a year under her wing, but she believes my skills are exceptional and I can shorten the time to sit the exam and officially become a potioneer."

"It doesn't surprise me at all," said Narcissa with a smile, and he was surprised when she laid a kiss on his head. It was the kind of kiss he imagined she gave Bellatrix, sisterly. "What of the matters of the heart? There's this witch I can introduce you to–"

"No, thank you."

"I've been inside your mind, remember? You're a hopeless romantic inside. You've always longed to find love, and I want to help you. If you don't want me to match you with a witch, it can only mean… Oh, you're in love! Who is she?" she asked, suddenly acting like a schoolgirl. He much preferred this Narcissa to the one he'd opened the door to, uncomfortable as he was getting. It was clear she welcomed the change of subject. It was perfect to cheer her up.

"You're being delusional."

"Don't patronize me. Who's she?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me. Being in love is a wonderful feeling, so long as it's returned… Isn't yours returned?"

Severus didn't say.

"Is she the Potter girl? You were always better than her, Severus. If she's broken your heart–"

"Not Lily."

That shut her up for a while. She gave it some thought, worrying her lower lip. Then her lips twitched, giving her a mischievous look. "Did the mysterious witch go to school with you?"

He didn't speak.

"She did…" Suddenly, her face softened. There was no spark of playfulness in her eyes. "When we met, you developed a crush on me." He wasn't shocked to know she knew that. As a first-year student, he hadn't been subtle, precisely, and Narcissa took notice of details. "It was innocent, pure, and sweet. Has the crush returned? Is that the reason you aren't telling me the name? Because it's me? Because I'm married to your friend?"

Severus kept silent. Perhaps, letting Narcissa think that was better. She'd stop questioning him.

"Darling," she said, and Severus was surprised to hear such a term of endearment. "You're an incredible wizard. Your feelings aren't wrong. Being in love isn't wrong. But I'm very fond of you, and I'd hate to hurt you. I don't want to lose a friend. If it's me, you need to be truthful. Can we still be friends? You don't have to brew me the potion if it hurts too much. Don't feel obliged just because my body can't bear children without magic's help. I mean it. I'm a resourceful witch. I'll find a way to get what I want."

Severus was touched. Narcissa sometimes reminded him of Skyrah. Both were seen as icy, untouchable creatures, yet both hid warmth inside them, and a lot of love to give. Narcissa was friend-zoning him, but she wasn't being cruel about it.

"You're a good friend, Narcissa."

She smiled at him, relieved, and said, "We can't become an item, but there's one thing I can give you. Lucius respects you. I'm sure he wouldn't mind this."

"Mind what?"

He found out when she leaned down, their lips nearly brushing. He shoved her more strongly than intended. His brows drew together in a frown of puzzlement.

"What do you think you're doing?"

She rubbed her collarbone, the spot where he'd pushed her. "I'd figured that getting a kiss would help you move on. You wouldn't wonder what it feels like anymore. I was trying to help you," she said, eyes wide in shock from his reaction. Then, it clicked. "Oh, Merlin. It isn't me. You like someone else."

Fuck.

He shouldn't have shoved her. He should've played along, yet the idea of someone kissing him when he only wanted to kiss Skyrah made him sick in the stomach.

"How can she be anybody else? You've always been kind to me and never made me feel bad about my background." He made a gesture with his hands, signaling the muggle room they were in. "I fell for my friend's wife, and I don't want to come into your marriage. Kissing my friend's wife is wrong."

Narcissa smirked. "Severus, you aren't even looking me in the face. Will you stop lying to me, please? The only other girl from school you ever seemed worried about was Riddle."

Double fuck.