Dierna nodded silently. “I know… it just doesn’t make it hurt any less.”
Severus understood. He’d said goodbye to more friends, colleagues, and even enemies than he cared to count. Eric had been all three at one point or another during their time of acquaintance. “It’s ready,” he gave the amor amorum one final stir.
“When do we try it out?”
Severus sighed, “soon, very soon.” He looked up at his daughter and then back down at the shimmering gold potion, “if it works, Voldemort will know immediately.”
“And he’ll attack,” Dierna said softly. “And if it doesn’t work?”
“Then we have much work to do.” He carefully bottled the potion before it could cool completely. “The funeral is tomorrow morning. It should take Voldemort at least one full day to muster his forces. We’ll try tonight.”
“Are you including me?” Dierna asked, a bit shocked.
Severus smiled sadly, “This will take more than one person.”
“And with Eric gone…”
“I would have had you assist me anyways. You have earned it.”
Before Dierna could respond to that Olivia peered around the door, “can I come in?” She had been banished from the lab area ever since they had started on the Amor Amorum.
Severus gave his assent and the little girl quickly scrambled up on a stool between him and Dierna.
“Where have you been all day?” Severus inquired of his youngest.
“I went outside… I didn’t go down by the lake,” she quickly added.
“I’d better not catch you going down there again,” Severus said sternly.
Olivia leaned against Dierna, “why don’t you like my friends from the lake? Is it because they’re not human?”
Severus mentally counted to ten, “we have been over this before Olivia. It is because they could harm you. Many non-humans are friendly, despite the fact that they are often looked down on.”
“Is that why the students don’t like Professor Aagensen, because she’s not human?”
“Is she really not human?” Dierna asked in surprise.
Severus nodded, “how did you know that?” he asked Olivia.
Olivia just shrugged, “I don’t know. Professor MacLeod isn’t human either, is she?”
Severus crossed his arms over his chest as he looked down at his daughter, “did you come to this conclusion on your own.” He clarified when she only looked back up at him in confusion, “did someone tell you that she was not human or did you figure it out by yourself.”
“I figured it out.”
“How?”
She shrugged, “I don’t know… I guess I just knew…”
Dierna’s eyes grew wide and then narrowed, “is that why Professor Aagensen wasn’t allowed to attend Durmstrang?”
Severus nodded.
“We thought she might be a spy for Voldemort.”
“She has more reasons to hate Voldemort than most. He tried to wipe out her people the first time around. She comes from an Elven race in Scandinavia. They refused to help Voldemort when he…” he glanced down at Olivia who was listening intently, “… requested… their assistance.”
They worked in silence for the next few minutes.
“I had a visitor a few days ago,” Severus finally said, he’d been dreading this conversation, “Mr. MacNeill decided to grace me with his presence.”
Dierna looked down, she had a feeling this was coming.
“Olivia, I think its time you went to bed,” Severus waited to continue the conversation until his youngest was gone, “she’s far too observant… As I was saying, Mr. MacNeill was here.”
“And?”
Severus snorted, “please don’t pretend that you don’t know why he was here.”
“I was inquiring as to the outcome.”
Severus turned to face his daughter, “I gave my consent. I would say that there is a fair chance you will be getting an engagement ring for graduation.”
Dierna smiled, “How hard of a time did you give him?”
“As much as is my right. You can’t expect me to give my daughter away without some sort of fight.”
“That was almost touching,” Dierna bit her lip. “Did you really give your consent?”
“Yes. I do have one condition though.”
“I had a feeling you did. Otherwise it would be far too easy.”
Severus also smiled. This verbal sparring was exactly what he needed as a distraction at the moment. “Make it a long engagement. I have told you before, you have far too much potential to just be a wife. I’d like you to be well into your apprenticeship, if not out of it, before you get married.”
“Stefan and I have actually talked about that,” Dierna admitted, “he knows that I’m in no rush for a wedding or children, if we ever have any. It’s nice knowing that he’ll wait until I’m ready.”
“Then why get engaged now?”
“Because I think I need it,” Dierna searched for the words to explain herself, “I want to know that he’s there for me, whenever I need him.” She smiled, “I also think he wants to have a good way of keeping an eye on me while I’m in Rome. The guys I met there have been corresponding a little too regularly for his taste.” She paused, “besides, I love him… I’m in love with him. Are you satisfied that this isn’t just because of the war?”
Severus frowned, but was secretly rather pleased. “I think its time for a visit to Potter.” He picked up the vial of Amor Amorum.
They made the walk up out of the dungeons and to Harry’s office in silence. It was a tense silence. After everything that had happened, this could be the key to Voldemort’s defeat. Or it could be just another dead end. The prospect of the final battle was daunting. The threat of failure was crushing.
Harry answered the knock on his office door. “Let’s just get this over with. I don’t want to have to wait any longer than necessary.”
Severus nodded in silence. He directed Potter into his desk chair. “Hold onto his left arm,” he ordered Dierna. At Potter’s questioning look he added, “this may hurt.”
All it would take was a few seconds to know for certain either way. He pulled the stopper out of the bottle and ordered Potter to lean back. A slight tilt of the hand…
Harry screamed in pain. He fought the grip that the potions master and daughter had on him as he thrashed in his chair. It was like the cruciatus a hundred times over. The pain was so intense that he couldn’t even begin to concentrate on the other sensations overwhelming him.
And then it stopped.
“Well?” Severus asked, once Potter slumped in his chair, breathing heavily. He handed him a handkerchief for the sweat that beaded his forehead.
“I think… I think it worked… I feel… alone… in my head again.”
Dierna was rather pale, “did you know that the reaction would be that bad?” she asked.
“I had a few theories,” Severus neatly avoided the question. “Look at this,” he indicated Harry’s scar.
Dierna examined it for a minute, “it’s faded… it’ still there but it’s much fainter now.”
“That is because the horcrux is gone,” Severus confirmed.
"What now?" Harry asked. He placed his hand over his scar, as though to confirm that it was still there.
Severus methodically resealed the vial of amor amorum, "we wait and prepare. Voldemort will attack soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a small group that gathered for Eric's funeral the next morning. Zach was there with Eva by his side. Although he had never harbored any truly familial thoughts toward the old man he regreted his death. Nearly all of the professors were in attendance. Nearly the only students present were the Potter and Snape children.
Ophelia and Nimue huddled together in the morning sunlight. It was far too pleasant a day for a funeral. Olivia sat in the grass at Severus' feet, Lady Jane held tightly to prevent her from chasing the butterflies. No one had been able to dissuade her from bringing the cat along.
Minerva had consented to presiding over the funeral. It just wasn't safe to bring anyone else into the school. They couldn't risk granting access to a traitor.
Morgan had persuaded Severus to let her out of their rooms for the first time. The persuading had nearly exhausted her to the point where she wouldn't have been able to attend. However, she now sat beside Poppy, trying to give the older woman at least some sense of comfort.
Draco grabbed Severus' arm at the moment the casket was lowered into the ground, right next to the tomb of Albus Dumbledore, "look at the trees."
Severus looked. The woods were completely silent and still. There was no sign of any life. No birds, no squirrels, no dragons, and no dragon handlers. "He couldn't have mobilized this soon..."
"Unless he knew that we could destroy the horcrux and was only waiting on us to attack. He started preparing before we did," Draco's voice was grim.
"We need to get everyone inside," Severus directed as he rose from his seat.
“It’s too late, I think they’re already here.” Draco gestured towards the tree line. One lone figure was running towards them.
It took a few seconds for them to realize that it was Alberto. His robes hung on his frame in tatters. Yet the woods were still as silent as they had been.
A flash of lightening suddenly flickered across the sky.
“They’ve killed the dragons!” Alberto wheezed as soon as he was close enough, “the rest of the handlers are dead.”
Everyone was on their feet and on their way back to the school. They didn’t stand a chance out in the open, and the students were all but alone in the school.
“Where’s Olivia?!” Morgan spun around, searching frantically for her youngest.
Severus quickly scanned the grounds. He saw a hint of movement down by the lake. That damnable cat had probably gotten away and she had chased it. “Take your mother down to our quarters and then go straight to Gryffindor Tower,” he instructed Dierna and Serena. He silently thanked whatever gods were listening that Kamen had shown up today. He grabbed his son’s arm, “make sure Nimue gets back to Gryffindor Tower safely and stay there. I’ll feel better knowing that there’s a trained fighter on hand.”
Kamen nodded and pushed Nimue and Ophelia ahead of him.
Severus set out for the lake. He hoped above all else that the forest was the only point of entry that Voldemort’s forces had found. If they were coming in by the lake as well… Olivia could be lost and he could be walking straight into a trap.
Severus sprinted towards the lake while everyone else went back to the castle as quickly as they could. Olivia was definitely down there, and she wasn’t alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Do we follow Snape or do we follow everyone else back to the school?” Draco asked.
Harry slowed beside him, “I don’t know.”
Draco gave Harry a shove in the direction of the castle, “you have a family, make sure they’re safe.”
“Be careful,” Harry shouted over his shoulder.
“Dammit, I wish I hadn’t started liking him,” Draco said to himself as he headed back towards the lake. “I’ll actually miss him if Voldemort does him in this time.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Severus skidded to a halt as he reached the edge of the lake, his wand held at ready.
“I can’t find Lady Jane,” Olivia wailed.
Severus looked from his daughter to her companions. They weren’t human, but neither were they the lasas that he was expecting.
“Don’t you remember me Severus?” The lady asked. She tossed her heavy black hair over her shoulder.
There was something vaguely familiar about her, but he couldn’t quite place it. The gleaming sunlight made her hair seem almost blue, it was so dark. And her skin, though richly tanned, had the faintest blue sheen. “Meara, I wouldn’t have thought that I would recognize you after 20 years.”
She beamed up at him. “I’ve never quite forgiven you for taking Morgan away from me, she was my favorite playmate.”
“As lovely as it is to see you, we must go. Olivia, come here!”
“I can’t go without Lady Jane!”
“We’ve been watching here ever since Voldemort returned to power. Let us take the child for now, she will be safe with us. Besides, I have a debt to repay. Your wife saved my life once, let us take the child for now. We will return her once the danger is over.”
Severus hesitated.
“If you win the battle, we shall return her immediately,” Meara continued quietly, while Narmer and Olivia continued to search among the tall grass for the lost kitten, “If Voldemort should prevail, we will take her someplace safe.”
“Greece, take her to the temple of the mother goddess, the high priestess will take her.”
Meara nodded, “it shall be done. Olivia, come, the kitten will be fine. Animals know when to hide and when to come back out. Besides, she wouldn’t like traveling with us.”
Severus pulled Olivia to him for a moment, “listen to Meara, she will look out for you.”
“Are you coming back for me?”
“You shall be safe, and that is all that matters,” he didn’t dare promise her that he would come back. He couldn’t guarantee it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morgan paced her and Severus’ quarters with the last of her remaining strength. Dierna and Serena hadn’t lingered. They likely had little time to make it back up to their tower safely.
The door bust open. She locked eyes with Severus. In three strides he had crossed the room and had her in his arms. His kiss was fierce and brief, “I’m putting you somewhere safe.” He took her arm, mindful of how weak she still was, but rushing her as much as possible.
They halted in front of an unmarked section of the grey wall. A quietly spoken word and the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room was open.
Morgan and the Slytherins stared at each other in silent shock.
“Mr. McKean!”
The Head Boy separated himself from the gawking group and scurried to his housemaster’s side. “Any students who wish to defend the school may do so, as long as they are fourth year or higher. Any who wish to remain behind will not be ridiculed or derided in any way. It is their decision to make. Organize them.”
The rest of the students surged forth, demanding to know what was happening. “The next person to speak out of line…!!!” he didn’t have to finish the treat for silence to reign. “Miss Parkinson!” Kay stepped forward, “I am leaving Madam Snape and the younger years in your care. I trust you know what to do.”
“But sir, the battle, you’ll need all the fighters…”
He put a hand on her shoulder, “Kay, I need you to look after the younger years. Many will panic. And if someone, particularly a former Slytherin should find their way into the Common Room I know that you will do what is necessary.”
She nearly sobbed, her housemaster had never called her by her given name before. She couldn’t remember him ever using a Slytherin’s given name, ever. The seriousness of the situation sank in. “I’ll do my best sir.”
“That is all I have ever asked of you.”
He looked up. Every Slytherin in the fourth year and up was gathered behind Mark McKean. “This will be harder for you than many of the other students. A greater percentage of your housemates have defected to Voldemort’s side. A greater number of you have families associated with the Death Eaters. I will not ask you to…”
“Sir,” Mark interrupted. “They’re not our families anymore, they’re not our housemates any more. They’re Death Eaters.”
“Well put Mr. McKean.”
As the rest of the older students and Snape left Kay cautiously approached her housemaster’s wife. “Madam Snape, this way.” In short order Kay had all the younger years and the Gryffindor professor safely encamped in Salazar’s private rooms.
Brandon plopped down at Morgan’s feet as the uncomfortable silence continued. Kay opened her mouth to speak several times, but changed her mind.
Morgan, who had been put in the most comfortable chair, looked at the small number of students clustered around her. A few of the third years she had in class, as well as Kay Parkinson, but she didn’t know any of the other students personally except for Brandon Potter. She held eyes with Kay for a moment, who only shrugged in return. “Shall I tell you about the time, I think it was in my fourth year, that Professor Snape caught me trying to break into his store room at 2 in the morning?”
Kay smiled and a couple of the younger years tried to hide their giggles.
Morgan stifled a sigh. The following hours would be very long, and they’d need something to keep their minds off of the fates of those fighting above them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
