"I don't understand, Sev," I shook my head before looking up at him, my neck twinging in pain. Severus and I were strolling around the castle, kind of like we used to when we were students. Memories of those days flooded my mind, and I yearned to return.

"What isn't to understand?" Severus said softly. His dark hair hid his face as he watched students milling around during their lunch.

"Well, I don't see any progress whatsoever," my gaze left his head and drifted over the lake. "How is anything we're doing helping Harry?"

"Well," Severus started slowly, "I know what I'm doing, and you're keeping the location of the Diadem hidden until the right time,"

I raised an eyebrow and mocked him with a laugh. Severus' lip twisted into a slight sneer. Then, his face fell. He stopped walking, so I did too.

I followed his gaze and watched as a man appeared to be walking towards us, his dark cloak billowing out behind him. He was walking with a slight limp. As he got closer, the wind blew his dark blonde hair, which hung below his shoulders and revealed a huge scar that ran from his chin, up his cheek, and ended above his eye.

As he spotted Severus and me, his mouth twisted into an evil grin and my heart skipped a beat as I looked upon my father's younger brother, Maverick.

Uncle Maverick was around 10 years older than me, but as a Megera, we looked the same age. His pale skin was flawless, and the ugly scar across his face somehow only enhanced his good looks. He threw his arms around me in an embrace, and I stood rigid in his arms as his grip got tighter around me.

As he let me go, he took a step back and turned to Severus.

"Severus Snape, it's so good to see you!" he exclaimed with joy that didn't reach his eyes.

Severus looked him up and down. "I thought you were dead," he said flatly.

My uncle's forced laughter rang out in a poor attempt at humour.

Severus glanced at me, and I rolled my eyes before he flicked his gaze back at my uncle.

"That's what I like about you, Severus-" my uncle said, raising his eyebrows. He then clapped Severus on the shoulder so hard he stumbled forward. "- You were always so funny!" His laughter faded, and he fixed Severus with a stern, intense gaze.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, genuinely curious. I knew my uncle was a dangerous man (a criminal in fact, and for the majority of my life he had been in and out of Azkaban) but he wasn't a Death Eater, so I knew he wasn't sent here by Voldemort. His head immediately snapped to me, his smile returning.

"My sweet, suspicious Meg," he said, his eyes searching my face, "Can't your old uncle visit his family?"

"Your family isn't here—" I started, tossing my head so that my hair got out of my face.

"I love what you've done with your hair, by the way," he said, interrupting me. He tugged a strand of my now white hair and let it fall from his fingers and fall back onto my face. He stared into my eyes, a grin still painted on his face. I frowned, feeling my cheeks flush as I brushed my hair behind my ear, hating it for changing colour.

"You look so much like my mother when you frown," he said. His grin widened as I swallowed, remembering my poor grandmother's last moments. "God, I miss her," he said in a fake sorrowful voice and shook his head.

"What are you doing here?" Severus' voice was now sharp.

"I don't think that's any of your business," Uncle Maverick said, not taking his eyes off me and the grin sliding off his face.

"Well, unfortunately, it is, since I am the Headmaster of this school," Severus said coldly.

My uncle's hazel eyes flicked to Severus' left arm, and he turned his head side to side, stretching his neck.

"Where is my big brother?" he asked casually.

"You didn't answer my question," Severus said quietly.

My uncle cocked an eyebrow and looked at Severus' as though he was looking at something disgusting and, sensing my uncle's tempestuous change in mood, inconspicuously pulled my wand from my sleeve.

"I don't like your tone," he said dangerously as Severus drew himself to his full height.

"Maverick," my father's voice came from behind me, and I felt a slight relief wash over me. Not that I didn't think Severus could hold his own, but I was in no way, shape, or form to help in a duel.

"Brother!" My uncle spun around as my father appeared at my side.

I glanced at my father. His face said more than words could. He did not look happy to see his younger brother, in fact a look of pure loathing crept onto his face as he looked his brother up and down.

"What are you doing here?" my father said coolly.

The evil grin slid back onto my uncle's face as he stepped closer to my father. Although tall himself, my father was taller, but he did not flinch at the dominant aura my father gave off.

"Is this how you greet me after all this-" my uncle started.

"What—" my father cut across him loudly, "—are you doing here?"

"Father sent me," he said, with a slight annoyance flashing in his eyes at being interrupted.

"Why?" my father asked.

"Well, I think since you got our mother killed-," my uncle said without the slightest hint of grief, "- I guess he feels you need my help." There was a deafening silence and I could tell my father was becoming more enraged. My uncle's eyes flicked to me, and I determinedly stared back at him.

"My favourite niece was on her way to show me inside," he said, turning back to my father, who raised his eyebrows.

"Was she?" he muttered as he turned his head to glance at me and then at Severus. Before I even knew what was happening, my father had suddenly pulled his wand from his robes and grabbed my uncle around the neck.

"Tell me what you're really doing here," he breathed in my uncle's face and jabbed his wand into his cheek as a couple of shocked students who were sitting nearby got up and hurried away.

My uncle chuckled as he grabbed my father's wrist and attempted to pull him off.

"Max," Severus cried, stepping forward, but I shook my head at him.

"What's wrong, Maxy?" my uncle spluttered. "You think I'm going to steal your glory?"

"Enough!" Severus flicked his wand at my father, and his hands flew off my uncle. My father spun around, glaring at Severus. "This isn't how we do things, Max."

As my uncle doubled over coughing, my father continued to glare at Severus, who stared back at him, and I had to admire his courage. No one who stood up to my father ever fared well.

My father's jaw was ticking as he fought his temper. Almost at once, Severus and my father grasped their forearms. It seemed their dark marks burned.

My uncle, who had now straightened up, snickered darkly as he watched them both exchange looks.

My father turned to his brother, "I'll deal with you later," and without waiting for a reply he stormed off towards the boundary of Hogwarts.

I turned to Severus, who was watching me with the faintest look of trepidation in his dark eyes.

"I'll speak to you this evening." He said as he stepped past me, walking in the same direction as my father.

"Well, I'd say Maxy was pleased to see me," my uncle said as he folded his arms across his chest, watching Severus walking into the distance.

I made a noncommittal noise, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him looking at me. I watched as Severus disappeared from view, and I turned to him.

"Why are you here?" I asked sharply, my temper rising as I suddenly felt quite vulnerable.

"Whoa, don't you try to strangle me too," my uncle chuckled as he slung his arm around my shoulders and I heard the bell symbolising the end of the lunch break. "You'll find out why I'm here soon enough, my sweet."

"Well, that's ominous," I muttered as he manoeuvred me so that we faced the castle.

He sighed dramatically as we walked to the entrance hall. Students parted, giving us anxious looks. "I told Maxy that I was sent here - wasn't my decision," he paused and looked down at me. "Don't get me wrong," he said lightly. "It's great to see my favourite niece again. Honestly, how many years has it been now?" He kept talking, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I stopped listening to him as my mind wandered vaguely to what Voldemort wanted with my father and Sev.