Prologue




It was a quite peaceful summer, in spite of the past events of the last school year. Lord Voldemort's body and powers had recently been restored, and Death Eater attacks were increasing in frequency. No one was safe, neither Muggles nor wizards. Hogwarts was void of its usual noisy population of students, who were spending time with their families at home. Likewise, most staff members also decided to spend some time at home, though a few remained. In fact, the caretaker and his cat, actually lived at Hogwarts all year. Summer was Filch's favourite season, as the students were gone, enabling him to enjoy the peaceful silence of the empty corridors. His days were disturbed only by Peeves' occasional pranks. That poltergeist became more annoying than usual due to boredom, and the lack of his favourite victims, students.




There were six teachers in all who had chosen to dwell at Hogwarts for the duration of the summer, in order to reorganise Hogwarts' defences against enemy attacks, including Severus Snape, who felt it was the best alternative to the gloomy, lonely, almost empty Snape Hall. There was no one there waiting for him, unless one counted the faithful family house-elves. Hagrid left Hogwarts for a couple of weeks to spend some time with his beloved Madame Maxime, enjoying France's beauty, and trying to borrow from her a couple of the Beauxbatons' giant Abraxan flying horses for next term's Care of Magical Creatures classes. He was sure that both Dumbledore and Hermione would be pleased to see some harmless-no-student-eating-creatures for a change.




The Order of the Phoenix had temporarily moved its headquarters from Number 12 Grimmauld Place to Hogwarts itself, as nobody had the heart to enter Blacks' House after Sirius untimely death. Meetings were held almost every weekend. Some members were used to spending several days there too, as there were lots of empty rooms at hand, and the house-elves' cooking was simply delicious. However, the following week the rest of the staff members would be returning to start preparing their lessons for the coming school year, and once they were back, the castle would no longer be a safe place for the Order, and it would have to move back to Grimmauld Place or find another unplotable place to use.




It was nearly mid-August when the last meeting took place. That night, nearly all the Order members were present. Unfortunately for Harry Potter and his friends, Mrs Weasley had once again forbidden them to join. Harry was spending his last summer days at the Burrow with the Weasleys, doing his homework for the start of his sixth year. It was true that Lord Voldemort was now stronger, but school was still one of Harry's main preoccupations. Until Voldemort came out of hiding, there was nothing else for Harry to apply his mind to but homework. Meanwhile at Hogwarts, an Order meeting was about to begin. Dumbledore got to his feet and gravely informed his friends and colleagues of the situation so far.




"Voldemort is still in hiding somewhere, whether in Britain or elsewhere, we do not know for certain," Dumbledore spoke slowly, catching the attention of the Order members gathered at the High Table in the Great Hall, "all we can do is keep vigil for any sign useful to track down Voldemort and his followers. Alas, there have been a few more attacks, and we've always arrived too late to do anything useful."




He lowered his eyes to the floor, feeling the weight of his helplessness deep inside his old heart. A glint of rage flashed across his blue eyes. He could not stand his own incapacity to stop that cursed, bloody, mad wizard. It was no use at all to keep dwelling on what had not been done. it was time to gather all their strengths, and fight to prevent new attacks.




"Severus..." Dumbledore suddenly said to the Potions Master.




"Yes, Headmaster?" Snape said, annoyed at being snapped out of his own stream of thoughts.




"I'm afraid a very hard time is waiting for you. We still need you as a spy, as well as a potions brewer."




"I'm ready to do whatever you tell me," Snape said sternly, trying to suppress a cold shiver running along his spine at the thought of the danger of his double role. He was not afraid of it. He would have given his life as long as it helped to kill Voldemort once and for all. All the same, the prospect of facing the Dark Lord again made him feel sick.




"I need you to prepare an adequate supply of Wolfsbane Potion for Remus. We're all equally valuable to our cause, and he needs to be always prepared for action," Dumbledore said, in a serious voice.




"It will be done, headmaster. I am going to replenish our storage supplies as soon as possible," Snape assured him, glaring maliciously at the werewolf.




"Before this meeting ends," Dumbledore added, "I have to inform you that Professor Flitwick will be temporarily leaving his position at Hogwarts this year. He will join a group of researchers, working to create more powerful wards to protect the castle. They will also be studying the Unforgivable Curses, in hopes of finding a way to block them."




"But who will teach Charms, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked, concerned.




"We'll interview the candidates together, Minerva," Professor Flitwick suggested with a kind smile, trying to calm down the anxious Deputy Headmistress. The meeting was adjourned, and the members of the Order retired for a good night's sleep.

Chapter 1 - The Job Interview



The new school year was about to start in a week's time. The faculty was ready to begin, and there was only one thing left to do - find a substitute Charms teacher. To tell the truth, Dumbledore had already made up his mind, but he wanted to make people believe there were some candidates to submit for the usual preliminary job interview, which was to take place in the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade. Its barkeeper was Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus's odd brother. The place was a little shabby if compared with the smart Three Broomsticks Pub, but it had a secret, warded room upstairs that was an ideal place for a discreet conversation.



The Headmaster, and Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were the first to arrive. "Hello, Albus! Minerva, Filius!" Aberforth greeted them. "What can I bring you, my friends?" he asked, while they found seats at a table in the middle of the warded room.



"A cold lemon tea, a small Gillywater, and a soda with cherry syrup and ice and umbrella, please," Albus ordered, "and we're waiting for two guests," he added. Minerva was rather unnerved by the wait. She was also upset with Albus because he had chosen a candidate without anyone's advice and even worse, without consulting her.



"Well, Albus?" she asked, raising a questioning brow. "You've only told us that she was a former student and the daughter of two of Moody's best friends. Don't you think you should have given us a little bit more information?"



"You're perfectly right, Minerva," Albus said with a kind smile, "I'm sorry to have kept things secret from all of you, but I've had my reasons for doing so. Her name is Alexandra Falconbridge and she was a Ravenclaw."



"Falconbridge you said? Not Duncan and Miranda Falconbridge's daughter?" Minerva asked astonished.



"Yes, she is. Do you remember her?"



"I do, indeed!" Professor Flitwick shouted with excitement, "Yes, I remember her. She was of the students you remember for actually being good at being students ... quiet tempered, and kind. Of course I would remember Alexandra."



"Oh, yes! She was something like a Hermione Granger, but much less obsessed with books and exams," Minerva added. "I wonder what she did after graduation. She passed all her N.E.W.T.s with good marks."



"She's an Auror. Actually, she's working as an instructor for junior recruits in a summer-training camp."



"And I suppose that's why you chose the day of Severus' visit to Diagon Alley for today's meeting?" Professor McGonagall conjectured, glaring suspiciously at the headmaster.



"Yes and no, Minerva, " Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement.



"You might not remember this, but her parents were murdered by a group of unidentified Death Eaters in front of her very eyes when she was only six, and she was raised by her grandparents. Therefore, if she learns that Severus is still one of them, in spite of the fact that he's now fighting for our cause as a double agent, she would never be able to trust him. It would be to our advantage if we could persuade them to work together, however. The truth is, the less Severus and Alexandra know of each other's past the better."



"Sorry, Albus. Why should they ever work together?" Minerva asked suspiciously. She knew him well enough to recognize when he had some odd plan going on his head.



"Severus and Alexandra are both gifted and brilliant wizards. I feel that, together, they could organise the Order of the Phoenix's front against Voldemort more efficiently," he mildly justified his plan.



"We'll see ..." she doubtfully said and she returned her attention to her glass.



***



A few minutes later, the door of the warded room opened with a loud creak, and Moody and a pretty young woman entered.



"Good morning, everyone, " Moody greeted them. The woman with him smiled, recognizing at once her former professors.



"Hello, Moody! Welcome, Alexandra. Please, take a seat," Albus said, pointing at two empty chairs.



"It's a pleasure to see you again, Headmaster," she said.



"It's Albus, my dear. You are a faculty now," he warmly corrected her.



"You've hardly changed since your school days," Minerva observed, shaking hands.



"Neither have you, Professor," she replied.



"You're looking well, my dear," tiny Professor Flitwick said merrily.



"Hello, Professor! I couldn't believe it when Alastor told me I was coming back to Hogwarts. It's an honour for me to have been chosen to take your post!" she said, holding both her old Head of House's hands in hers, and blushing lightly.



Alexandra was a young woman in her thirties, tall and slim. She had cerulean eyes, and wavy, dark, chestnut waist-length hair, gathered in a long pony tail. A tiny mole graced her right cheek near the corner of her mouth. She was wearing a summer robe of turquoise linen, with a matching pointed hat, and a pair of soft hide boots on her feet. She'd hardly changed at all since school, just filled out a bit in all the right places.



Moody and Alexandra ordered some drinks as well, as they began discussing what had brought them to the meeting. Dumbledore was the first to speak.



"As you already know, Alexandra, you've been chosen to fill in for Professor Flitwick while he's away conducting important research. I hope that after training junior Aurors it will not be a hard task to teach a handful of adolescents?" he said playfully.



"Not at all!" she said amused.



"You may come to the castle as soon as your summer camp is over. School starts on the first of September, and you'll have your own rooms next to your office. I have only one request to make of you. No one else except the five of us in this room are to know that you are an Auror. Is that clear? "



"Yes, Albus," she answered, without asking Dumbledore the reason for all the secrecy. She felt a little embarrassed addressing the Headmaster's first name.



"If you have any problems you may rely on Minerva and I, and Alastor as well. You'll be glad to know he has kindly accepted to stay with us as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Is there anything you wish to ask ?"



"I have only a small favour to ask you. I'm used to riding early in the morning. Would it be too much of a hassle if I were to bring my horse along with me?" she inquired timidly.



"Your horse will be welcome as well. I'll inform Hagrid about our new guest so that he can prepare a shelter for it on the grounds. He will be pleased to have another animal around to care for," Dumbledore reassured her.



"Now that everything is settled, I'll show you the first term class schedule I have prepared for you," Flitwick kindly said, handing her a sheet of parchment.



"Oh, thank you, Professor. It will be of great help! I'll have a look at it before I come to Hogwarts. It's been very kind of you," she said, folding the sheet and placing it in her pocket. "I'm sorry, but I must go now. I'll send you my falcon to inform you of my arrival," she promised as she rose to leave.



"I beg your pardon. Did you say a falcon?" Minerva asked astonished, as wizards usually used owls.



"Yes, a falcon. They are very quick, a little stubborn, but very faithful. Grandfather likes breeding them for use as couriers," she explained proudly.



"See you soon, then," Albus said, ushering Alexandra to the door.

Chapter 2 – The New Teacher

It was the 1st of September, hundreds of students were scattered all along Platform 9 ¾ of King’s Cross Station where the Hogwarts Express was waiting to take its excited passengers to Hogwarts castle. The entire Weasley family was gathered around Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, saying goodbyes and making last minute recommendations to stay out of trouble.

“Oh Ginny! It seemed yesterday you first took the train with your brothers and this year you are going to take your O.W.L.s,� Mrs. Weasley whimpered, almost on the verge of tears.

“Don't worry mum, I'll do fine. I'm not a little girl anymore,� Ginny said, a little bit embarassed by her mother’s fussing.

“I know it dear, but you kids grow up so fast!� she sighed, whipping an eye with the corner of a tattered handkerchief.

At eleven o'clock the train slowly began moving, leaving behind London and the Muggle world. Harry and his friends took seat in an empty compartment, later joined by their fellow Gryffindor, Neville Longbottom. The trip was pleasant and carefree for our friends, they spent hours chatting, sleeping, playing wizarding chess and someone reading a book. That someone was obviously Hermione Granger. At a certain point, their happy trip was disturbed by someone opening their compartment door. It was a pale, blond, irritating Draco Malfoy accompanied by his faithful sidekicks Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Now that his father was finally out of Azkaban and his reputation cleared by a generous donation of his beloved wife, Narcissa Black Malfoy, Draco was his usual haughty, unbearable self again.

“Hello, Potter!� spat the blond snobbish Slytherin.

“What do you want, Malfoy?� Ron shouted defensively, ready to throw himself at the hateful boy as soon as something unpleasant came out of his mouth, expecially something against his dear friend Hermione.

“Manners Weasel! What’s wrong with someone wanting to greet his school-fellows?� said Draco with a false innocent expression on his face.

“Anything having something to do with you is wrong, Malfoy!� Harry said, staring defiantly at the other boy. Draco Malfoy was not the slightest impressed by their behaviour as that was the typical Gryffindor vs. Slytherin attitude. He lifted an annoyed eyebrow but did not moved from the doorway.

“By the way, did anybody hear the rumours about Professor Flitwick? He’s leaving Hogwarts and we'll have a new teacher this year, but nobody knows who’s going to be. Father says it’s a former student. I hope it was a Slytherin!� After saying that, he went back to his own compartment, satisfied to have been the first to tell everybody the news. At least his presence did not pass unnoticed.

“Did you hear what he said?� said an alarmed Hermione Granger. “I have already finished my essay for Flitwick. What if we haven’t the time to hand it in to him before he leaves?�

“Come on, Hermione! Don't worry, they’ll have found a substitute by now,� Ron said laughing.

“You two don't get the point!� whispered Harry, gently elbowing Ron in the ribs to calm him down. “Why is he leaving? He is a member of the Order and we didn't hear anything about it from Dumbledore, Remus, Ron's father or anybody else!� he anxiously said.

“Don't you all panic! Maybe he’s simply going to retire. He is quite old, you know!� Ginny wisely said putting an end to the matter. The train was getting nearer and nearer to Hogsmeade Station. All students changed into their school uniforms, put back their belongings in their bags and prepare to get off the train.

***

Students arrived to the castle at night; and the majestic building all aglow. It was a very amazing sight, expecially for first years who reached it on boats across the still surface of the lake. They passed the great oak doors which led into the Entrance Hall, and moved into the Great Hall. They took seat at their own house tables, and assisted to the Sorting ceremony, before the beginning of the Start of Term Feast. Dumbledore stood up for his annual speech.

“Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts!� he cheerfully greeted them. “Another year is about to begin and I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. I have an important announcement for you,� he went on, “this year, our dear Professor Flitwick will temporary leave his teaching post for some important researches he's been working on. A substitute teacher has been appointed and will soon join us,� he said arising a cloud of muttering among the amazed crowd. He then gave his usual information about the Forbidden Forest, Filch's long list of forbidden items and some other school rules. He clapped his hands once and food filled the golden plates.

“Tuck in!� he shouted and the feast began.

Students sat eating, chatting merrily about their summer holidays and making comments on the news. At the High Table the faculty was chatting too, occasionally throwing a glance to the noisy crowd of students below. Professor Flitwick was still there, sat between Professors Snape and McGonagall. He wasn't going to leave before the new teacher and new Head of the Ravenclaw arrived. The pleasant meal was suddenly interrupted by a silver shape coming in through one of the side windows. It began whirling around the hall, over the heads of the puzzled students, someone even gasped in fear. Then the shadow revealed itself to be a small silver falcon and the gasps were soon replaced by exclamations of amazement. The falcon made two more circles, then focused its golden eyes on the silver white figure of Dumbledore sitting in the middle of the High Table. It gave a shriek and threw itself in a fast, arrow-like dive towards him. It landed just in front of the Headmaster's dish, stared at him scrutinizingly, not knowing whether to trust him or not. An amused Dumbledore stared back at it over his half-moon spectacles.

“I believe your mistress gave you something for me,� he whispered to the bird.

At last, the falcon seemed to have made up his mind that the old man was all right and stretched out his left leg for him to take the message. As Professor Falconbridge herself had told him during their first meeting, falcons were very faithful and quick, but sometimes they tended to be too possessive towards the message they carried and they were even ready to risk their own life to protect it against strangers. Dumbledore silently read the message while the falcon helped himself to Dumbledore’s goblet and some meat he had left in his plate.

Many faces looked amazed at the whole scene. Nobody had ever seen owls behave like that and they wondered why the headmaster let the impertinent bird do so. As soon as he finished reading, the falcon took off with a screech, heading toward the window he had come through to fly across the starry night sky and back to its mistress. Before the Feast was over, Dumbledore stood up to announce that the new Charms teacher was due to arrive the following morning, just after breakfast. The hall slowly emptied as prefects led the new students to their respective dormitories and the faculty moved to the staff room to indulge into some after dinner chatting and a glass of firewiskey or brandy.

***

At nine o'clock the whole school was having breakfast in the Great Hall, while the sun warmly shone outside. There was great excitement among students and faculty for the newcomer’s arrival. Teachers were particularly excited as bets had been made the previous night on the new member’s gender. The bets seemed to favour a wizard over a witch. Obviously, those who had taken part in the job interview abstained from betting, everyone except Mad-Eye Moody, who was irresistibly attracted by the chance of an easy win. However, the others did not know he already knew that person.

Meanwhile, on top of a hill just outside Hogsmeade village, stood Alexandra Falconbridge mounting her gorgeous black Arab horse, Nabil. She wore a turquoise riding dress, black leather boots and a crimson travel cloak with the hood raised upon her head. Two wooden trunks, reduced to the size and weight of two small boxes, were tightly bound to the sides of the saddle. Silhouetted on the bright horizon, high on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts castle. Her heart filled with great joy at that sight. She still remembered the beautiful years spent there, all the amazing things she had learned and the many friends she had met.

The horse carefully trotted down the smooth sides of the hill, its hooves thundering on the ground, echoed by her heart beats. In no time she reached the towering ground gates. Dumbledore and the four Heads of Houses were waiting for her by the Entrance doors, surrounded by a small crowd of curious students and staff members. They were all surprised by the sight of that hooded riding figure, someone was also a bit worried when the black horse stopped just before the stone front steps.

“Welcome to Hogwarts, Professor Falconbridge !� Dumbledore cheerfully greeted her, impressed and amused by such a flamboyant entrance.

“Good morning to you all!� said the figure lowering her hood, reveling a young witch with shining, dark, chestnut hair gathered in a long plait and two cerulean eyes.

The crowd stood watching her intrigued, and charmed by the serenity and kindness of her face. Many were taken aback by the nobility with which she sat on the saddle like an ancient Amazon. She was going to be the youngest teacher working at Hogwarts at the moment, and Professor McGonagall could not help wondering how the school would react to this stranger. In the middle of the excited crowd stood out the impassible figure of gloomy Professor Snape, who stared at her with a mixture of annoyance and suspicion, as it was part of his nature to mistrust strangers. Well, he had not much appreciated her spectacular entrance. He snobbishly thought she probably liked to show off.

“Let's hope she's not a silly goose too!� he thought, rolling his eyes to the sky. He could not stand all that fussing-about a new teacher. He was probably afraid of meeting another Gilderoy Lockhart. Hagrid moved forward to hold the reins while she gracefully dismounted.

“It's really beautiful, what's its name?� he said beaming lovingly at the beast. It seemed he did not love only dangerous, human-killing-eating creatures, after all.

“His name is Nabil, he's a pureblood Arab. He was a gift from my grandfather's friend Hassan Mustafa for my twenty-fifth birthday. He will give you no trouble, he only needs some food and fresh water. He’s a very independent horse. Only never let anyone come too close to him, he doesn’t like strangers.�

Then she moved in front of the horse’s head, she took it with an hand, caressing his forehead with the other. She sweetly told him to follow Hagrid, staring at him straight in his eyes. To the great astonishment of the onlookers, the horse seemed to nod and followed Hagrid to his hut like he was a mild puppy.

“Oh, that was so amazing! What spell did you use?� shouted a very excited Professor Flitwick.

“Oh, a very powerful one ... it's called tenderness,� she answered with a sweet smile. Then they all went into the castle.

Chapter 3 - The Staff Room Affair

There were no Charms classes on the first day, so Professor Flitwick showed the new teacher how Hogwarts had changed after her graduation and he informed her about her duties as Head of Ravenclaw House. He showed her the staff room on the ground floor, the kitchens where an army of overly excited house-elves tried to charge them with every sweets they could carry, ending with a tour of the dungeons. They were passing by the hidden entrance to the Slytherin common room when she came to an alt in front of an heavy, ebony door halfway down the cold passageway.

“What's in here?� she inquired pointing at it.

“Oh, that's Professor Snape's office, the Potion Master. I would never disturb him if I were you, unless in case of real necessity. He's not particularly ... ehm ... friendly, and he's in a bad mood most of the times,� he lowly whispered fearing to be heard.

“He must be that tall man dressed in black I saw the day I arrived. I just wonder why he kept staring at me in that way. Those pearcing, black eyes have no human warmth inside. They are so cold and empty ... They remind me of two dark tunnels,� she thought while she followed Flitwick upstairs.

He took her to see his private quarters which were now going to become hers. His stuff was already packed by the door waiting to be taken away. With a wave of his wand, he summoned the few things still left around the room and put them into a bag. There were only two large rooms: a bedroom, a comfortable sitting-room with a big stone fireplace connected to the floo-network, and a private loo with shower.

“I'm afraid two rooms are not enough for you, but we could see if it’s possible to change it with a bigger lodging, if you like,� Flitwick kindly proposed.

“Oh, no! I love it, this place it's just perfect. I'll comfortably settle down in here,� she enthusiastically said and approched the window to have a look outside. She really loved that place, it felt like a comfortable burrow to her. She especially enjoyed the sight on the lake and the protruding bay window, with its internal window-sill, large enough for one to comfortably crouch on to read or watch outside.

She spent the rest of the day furnishing her new rooms with few essential things. In her bedroom, she put a small wardrobe, a long mirror in a corner, a chest of drawers, a bedside table with her parents' picture on it and one of her wood trunks at the feet of her big four-poster, which had night blue velvet hangings and matching satin sheets. In the sitting room, she put a small desk in a corner near the window, a long bookshelf along a side wall, and a large sofa in front of the fireplace with a red carpet at its feet. Her office was exactly next door, on the seventh floor too, right at the feet of the West Tower. It was a square room, with a slim ogive window, bookshelves all along the side walls, a desk with a tall, leather arm-chair behind it and two King Louis arm-chairs in front of it. She had also placed a perch for her falcon, Silver Arrow, to rest on days of bad weather.

***

She woke up early in the morning to have a ride on Nabil, her horse, then she went back to her bedroom to put away her riding dress and change in her black teaching robes, a crimson hooded cloak with a matching pointed hat, and a pair of black leather boots. She put on some make-up on her cheeks and lips, just a delicate shade of colour to avoid looking ghostly pale. She had decided to wear her beautiful, long hair in a plait and losen it only before going to bed or whenever she was not on duty. She found that hair style gave her a nice image of decorum, as Professor McGonagall always said it was absolutely expected from a teacher. That was probably the reason why she had always seen the old witch’s hair in that tight bun, but Alexandra thought she was still too young to wear hers like that.

Her lessons were a success since the beginning. Students liked her way of teaching. She always had a kind smile on her face, but they were soon to learn that her kindness meant no weakness. She was able of an iron fist when needed. They had a first taste of her discipline when, during a joint Gryffindor/Slytherin sixth year lesson, an audacious Slytherin boy tried to curse her while she had her back to the class to write on the blackboard. As soon as the spell left the student's lips she performed a Shielding Spell which made the curse bounce back to its owner.

“I suggest you to pay a visit to Madam Pomfrey, Mr Zabini,� she said facing the boy with a satisfied and amused smirk.

From that day on, her reputation of being not-one-to-cross spread throughout the school, earning her everyone's respect, even Slytherin's. Dumbledore laughed heartily when the news of the little incident reached him.

“She really knows how to handle exuberant students. I really made a good choice!� he commented smiling to himself.

However, the worst incident with a student happened the morning she cought Draco Malfoy calling Hermione Granger ‘A filthy Mudblood’.

“Fifty points from Slytherin!� roared her angry voice in the crowded corridor, “We don't tollerate this kind of language here at Hogwarts,� she said approaching the flabbergasted, blond boy.

That same evening, she was having a cup of tea with her fellow teachers in the staff room when an infuriated Professor Snape stormed in, his black robes billowing behind him.

“How dare you take fifty points from my house for such a stupid reason?� he hissed bending down, a hand on each arm of her arm-chair, so that their faces were a foot apart.

Points were usually appointed and taken away without farther explanations, but we could easily consider that aggressive behaviour as Snape’s personal idea of establishing a hierarchy between senior and junior faculty. A still silence fell on the room as the other teachers were keeping their breath in shock. Nobody dared speak. Moody instinctively moved his hand to the handle of his wand, just in case! They were all really worried about the young witch. To face Snape in that mood was like being in front of a starving werewolf. After a minute of astonishment, she calmly put down her cup on the nearby tea-table.

“I think that respect for other people is very important!� she slowly said, defiantly staring back at the man without even blinking.

They all thought he was going to blast her into pieces any moment, when it happened the unpredictable. To anybody’s great astonishment, Snape was the first to lower his eyes, and he left the room without utteringing a single word.

“I thought he was going to kill you,� said Moody taking his breath again.

“For such a proof of self-control you'd deserve to be made honorary Gryffindor!� McGonagall sighed relieved.

Alexandra started to laugh merrily, soon followed by the others. It was now clear that Snape's behaviour hid his very personal attempt to try her worth. As weird as it could seem, that was going to be the beginning of their friendship.

Chapter 4 – The Starting of Patrolling

That morning breakfast was a very silent one, since none of the witnesses of the ‘staff room affair’ dared make any comment or say a word to the stoic figures coldly sitting side by side. One could have thought Professor Falconbridge would have swapped her ‘assigned’ seat with anybody else's, but she was too proud to give Professor Snape the satisfaction of such a sign of weakness, so she preferred to show her superiority by simply ignoring his very presence. That afternoon classes ended early and students and teachers took advantage of the good weather to enjoy a stroll before dinner. Professor Falconbridge was walking alone in the deserted cloister, thinking about the events of the previous night.

“There should be something wrong with that man,� she thought while walking with her arms folded on her chest, “First, Alastor warns me to stay away from him but refuses to give me any explanation. Then Professor Flitwick, a man so kind that it seems could have no enemy in the world, he shows signs of uneasiness simply mentioning him in the corridors. And let’s not forget his unjustified outburst in the staff room!� she recalled the little bits of information she had on Professor Snape, feeling a certain disconfort in doing so.

“Well, at least I’m not going to meet him before dinner!� she lowly whispered to herself and that thought relaxed her a little. No sooner those words escaped her mind, she felt a pang in her stomach at the sound of a cold, deep, male voice coming from behind her back.

“Professor Falconbridge?� Snape called swiftly approaching her, his robes streaming behind him like a flag. She froze on the spot.

“Oh, no. Not again!� she thought in frustration, biting her lower lip. No matter what he was going to say or do she was not going to let him intimidate her, she was an Auror after all.

“Yes, Professor Snape?� she said slowly turning herself to face him, trying to keep her voice steady. After the previous night, she did not expect anything good coming from that man. In the case of that particular man, a feeling like that was more than justified. She had seen him in one of his scariest performances after all!

“May I have a word with you?� he asked with a certain restrain and evident annoyance. He had really enjoyed that morning mutual indifference, but Dumbledore had later summoned him in his office. The Headmaster had lectured him for being so rude with her.

“She’s new here. Couldn’t you wait that she settled down a little before giving her your usual kind welcome? And it’s not a DADA teacher this time!� Dumbledore had told him reproachfully, exasperated by his tactless Potion Master’s behaviour. After that he had extorted from him the promise to apologize to her before that night staff meeting. She was really surprised by his sudden desire of talking with her after he had ignored her all morning. But she had her guards up and was not afraid to face him again, moreover he now looked calmer.

“Of course Professor. Would you mind if we keep walking?� she politely proposed in a calm, casual voice. Maybe walking would have helped losening the tension between them. He curtly nodded and they continued pacing around the square cloister together, both staring straight before them or to the floor to avoid the other’s stare.

“I hope I haven’t scared you with my outburst of yesterday evening?� he sneered.

“Scared, me? Oh, not at all sir. I need much more than a man’s basilisk stare to be scared!� she triumphantly said.

“I see ... for your information, I just wasn’t in a good mood when the news reached me,� Snape lazily justified himself, surprised but also intrigued by her defiant attitude.

“How strange! I’d thought you were such a sunny person!� She teased him. She knew she was sailing on dangerous waters, but she could not resist the tempation to see how he was going to react to irony. He gave her a suspicious sideways look, taken aback by her shameless attempt at a joke.

“I rely on the fact that there won’t be other unpleasant events of these kind concerning you and my House,� he coldly whispered.

“And I rely on the fact that your students would behave properly, and show more respect towards their Muggle-born mates,� was her pointed remark.

“Well, I believe that a mildly offensive word isn’t worth a loss of fifty house points. Is it Professor Falconbridge?� he said giving her a cold and calculating stare.

“Mildly offensive you say? Then I should question my ability of judgement. By the look on Miss Granger’s face, I was under the impression she didn’t feel much - how can I say it? - fulfiled by Mr Malfoy’s careful observation on her family’s heritage,� she icily hissed.

“Draco Malfoy comes from a pureblood aristocratic family, words like that are learnt as quickly as ‘Mother’ and ‘Father’. You’d better get used to it,� he coldly snarled.

“And I presume that’s reason enough to justify such an open show of disrespect!� she protested.

“Don’t say things I never said. I’m just suggesting that you may have - ah - over-reacted to the whole situation?� he said with as much kindness as he could master. She understood the effort he was doing to restain himself and she was pleased to see he could be reasonable when he wanted.

“Well, maybe fifty points were really too much. But I assure you that my only intention was to teach our Mr Malfoy a lesson. I probably lost control on my emotions. You know, it’s a thing that often happens to us teachers too,� she smirked allusively.

“Last time someone's wanted to teach Malfoy a lesson he had been turned into a white ferret. So, let’s say we both over-reacted to the whole matter,� he admitted, and his eyes glinted amused at the memory of Moody’s punishment on poor Draco two years before.

“You wouldn't be, by any chance, apologizing to me, Professor, would you?� she teased him.

“Certainly not!� he coldly snapped back.

“Oh, well. Let’s forget about it,� she said smiling. She had read his apology between the lines but she was under the impression that, like any Slythering of respect, he was too proud to openly admit it. “I beg your pardon, but I have to go to my office before going to the Great Hall for dinner. See you later then!� she excused herself before marching back inside the castle.

Snape stood there, silently watching her leave. She had been quite a revelation for him. After the way he had treated her, he would have bet one hundred Galleons that she would have made up any excuse to run away from him. She had given a great proof of self-control the previous night when she had calmy faced him without screaming or running away for cover. “A peculiar combination that Falconbridge. Beauty and cleverness with the addition of self-composure ... really rare indeed,� he mused and a smile escaped his lips as he stared at her elegant figure with rising interest. Then he turned on his heels and marched in the opposite way.

Meanwhile, Madam Hooch had witnessed their conversation from her office window which happened to be exactly above the cloister. She was simply flubbergasted! She could not say whether it was more astonishing to see Snape apologizing or Snape smiling! But Hooch was really too nosy to let herself slip such a ludicrous chance of gossip. Therefore, she run straight away to tell the whole faculty what she had just seen, a rumor which later reached Alexandra too.

***

That little chat in the cloister healed the contrast between Professors Snape and Falconbridge. When they both took seat at the High Table for dinner, it was evident that the previous tension between them was finally over. They still limited their conversation at the rudiments of politeness at the table and the few occasional ‘Could you pass me the saltcellar, please?’ or ‘Have you finished with that plate?’

That night, the faculty met to discuss about night patrollings. They were all sat around a long rectangular black table in the middle of the room. Dumbledore explained, mainly for Professor Falconbridge's sake, that all teachers were to be divided in groups of four. A couple was to patrol the interior of the castle from the owlery to the dungeons while the other was to control the grounds from the entrance gates to the lake and the Quidditch stadium.

“I think I must slightly modify our usual turns schedule,� said Dumbledore to the gathered staff, “Severus, you are used do yours alone. But I think it would be better if you do it in someone else's company,� he said looking at the Potion Master.

“And who would have the - ah - pleasure to be my partner?� Snape sarcastically inquired. He well knew that no one would be willing to spend those two hours with him. Kind Professor Flitwick had once volunteered, and it had been very funny to see the tiny old man almost running behind him to follow his long stride. McGonagall cared enough for him to give it a go, but then she realized she was really too old to match his marching speed. Dumbledore's decision interrupted the tension running inside the room. After a few seconds of pondering, he spoke.

“Your partner will be Professor Falconbridge. She's new and need a man of your experience to teach her the job. As you two share the same energic stride, that will solve your two previous partners’ problem,� he concluded, his eyes blinking with amusement. It was a very weak excuse, but it had been the best thing he had found to match them without revealing his true intentions.

“Do you both agree?� he asked staring hopefully at the said teachers.

“If you find it a good matching, I have nothing to object,� Snape diplomatically said.

“I am at your will, Albus� Alexandra kindly agreed. Dumbledore had been greatly relieved at the news of the restored peace between the two, they made part of his own secret, special plan.

***

Tuesday night was going to be the first Snape/Falconbridge's patrolling. They had to meet at ten o'clock in the Entrance Hall. She was descending the last few steps of the great staircase when he emerged from the dungeons.

“Good evening,� Snape politely greeted her. She felt a pang in her stomach when she heard the sound of his smooth silky voice. It was a strange pang, different from the one she had felt in the cloister. She really could not explain why his voice had provoked such a reaction in her. Maybe it was the fact of being alone with him in the dark deserted hall.

“Good evening, Professor Snape,� she readily said as soon as she saw him.

“Let's use first names from now on, and call me Severus,� he quickly said. He did not like to be in fist-name terms with people, actually very few were allowed to do so, but a whole year of patrolling together made it necessary. Dumbledore himself have been so kind to suggest him to do so to put her more at ease.

“We'll go straight to the owlery through a secret passage behind this suit of armour. I inform you that I am not the chatting kind,� he warned her with a hint of annoyance in his tone.

“So am I. Silence and solitude are no strangers to me, I am only child and an orphan,� she sadly whispered the last words.

“I'm sorry,� he casually muttered. If only he could have known the puculiar circustances in which she lost her parents, he would have felt sincerely sorry for her, as Death Eaters were a painful mark in his past and present life too.

That night patrolling was uneventful, they caught no students out at night. They parted once back in the Entrance Hall. They had spent most of the time without talking at all, but he had showed her lots of interesting parts of the castle she did not knew. The patrolling experiment was successful, they still did not talk much, but at least they seemed to tollerate each other's company. She started soon to get used to the company of that sphinx-like black cloaked man. He was not that hard to handle, as long as you followed his rules. His imposing figure felt quite reassuring to be near in the deep darkness of the empty corridors. She was not willing to admit it to anyone, but she was still deadly scared of the dark, expecially if she had to face it alone.

Chapter 5 - First Steps

It was Saturday and the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, it was quite cold outside, but a shy sun kept shining through the floating white clouds. Students went to the village or enjoyed some open air activities. Alexandra joined Albus, Minerva, Hagrid and Alastor in a pleasant walk to Hogsmeade where they had something to drink at The Three Broomstick Pub. Then, the two witches made a tour of the amazing little shops. Alexandra especially enjoyed her visit to Honeydukes, where she bought herself a good supply of chocolate and candies. They returned to the castle late in the afternoon to take some rest, and get ready to go in the Great Hall for dinner. There was nothing better than a whole free day to take away stress of classes and cheer people up. It was almost at the end of the meal, that Professor Falconbridge first took notice of the empty chair beside her.

“Do you know where Severus has gone?� she asked Minerva, but she had no idea. They had last seen him that morning at breakfast, so she asked Albus.

“When I invited him to come with us to the pub, he told me he had to brew some important healing potions for Poppy's storage. I'm afraid he might be still working in his office. When he has his mind set on something, he's too stubborn to refuse even to eat or sleep until it's accomplished,� he said with twinkling eyes.

“Alexandra, would you please be so kind to go have a look, and try to convince him to take at least some sandwiches?� he requested of the young witch.

“It would be easier if you ask her to go scraching a dragon behind the ears!� Minerva sneered.

“An impossible challenge? I like it!� Alexandra exclaimed, smiling amused. She stood up, summoned a tray with some sandwiches and a goblet of icy pumpkin juice to bring him. She crossed the Entrance Hall, and went down the narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons and to Severus’s office. She knocked on the door balancing the tray on her left arm.

“Who's there?� sounded a deep voice from within.

“It's me, Alexandra,� she timidly answered. She opened the door when he allowed her to come in.

It was a cold dark room. The shadowy walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all kinds of weird things. The fireplace was dark and empty. He was bent over a big black cauldron in the middle of the room, stirring the bubbling substance in it. He was wearing a pair of black trousers, and a white linen shirt with the collar unbottoned. He was ghostly pale with tiredness, and his hair was completely wet and plastered to his face, for the vapours streaming from the concoction. She was beginning to wonder whether that could be the reason why his hair used to look so greasy. He was probably always brewing something or another, and had no time to wash it properly.

“Dumbledore was worried about you, so he sent me to bring you some food,� she said laying down the tray on a small empty desk.

“I have no time to waste in such unimportant things. This potion needs to be stirred continously, and I'm not going to spoil it now that it's almost ready,� he said in a bitter, annoyed voice. He was really that stubborn then, but he did not know she was worse than him.

“If there’s no chance I can make you stop, I'll stir it while you eat!� she said forcing the handle of the ladle out of his hands.

“I don't need your help!� he spat irritated.

“You really need some rest, if you don't want to drop dead. You look like the shadow of yourself. Don't worry I was pretty good at Potions. Clockwise or counter-clockwise?� she asked with a resolute tone, which allowed no further objections.

“Clockwise,� he instructed her with a resigned sigh. He went to sit behind his desk and began eating, never taking his eyes away from her. When he had finished the food and the juice, he stood up and walked back to the cauldron.

“As you've been so kind to give me a hand, I'm going to take advantage of it to close my eyes for five minutes on that couch over there. The potion will be ready when it turns a translucent blue. By the way, I must suggest you to stir it in this way, as it's less tiring and more efficacious.�

As he was saying this, he moved behind her. He encircled her body within his long arms, putting his hands on hers. Her body suddenly stiffened at the touch of his body against hers. His shirt was so thin and wet, that it revealed every single muscle of his his strong arms and wide chest. She blushed furiously, while she nodded in agreement. Then, he moved to the leather couch to lay on it with his arms folded on his chest, resting his head against its back. He smirked satisfied with himself for the success of his attempt to embarass the nosy witch.

“Serves you well, for trying to command me like a puppet!� he thought, throwing a last glance at her. As soon as he closed his eyes, he fell in a deep exausted sleep, and gently began snoring. Meanwhile, she angrily glared at him trying to calm herself down.

“How dare he take such liberties with me? I'm sure he did it on purpose!� she thought scandalized, while still stirring.

In an hour’s time, the potion turned to a beautiful translucent indigo hue. There was nothing else left to do, untill it cooled enough to be bottled. Her duty was over, so she moved towards the couch, to tell him it was ready. He was sleeping so peacefully, that she had not the heart to wake him up. A cold shiver run through her spine, when she realized how chilling were the dungeons at night, so she had a look around the room for something suitable to cover the sleeping beauty. She would have felt terribly guilty, if she left him to freeze himself in that unhealthy place. She lit the fireplace with a snap of her fingers, then she found a thick, black travel cloak hanging from a wall, and she carefully wrapped it around the man before leaving the room.

***

When he woke up in the morning, he felt a little disoriented to find himself in his office instead of his bed. He saw the cloak that covered him, and realized he had certainly fallen asleep on the couch. He painfully got up to have his morning toilet and put on some clean clothes, before going to have some breakfast upstairs. His body ached all over. It had been a very bad idea to lay on that couch in the first place. He made a grimace of pain as he took seat at the High Table with the others.

“Good morning Severus. Did you sleep well?� Alexandra mockingly greeted him.

“Why didn't you wake me up?� he snarled with annoyance.

“You were so sound asleep, that it would have been a crime to disturb you,� she giggled.

“So, it's you I should thank for the pain each movement gives me!� he hissed through clenched teeth.

That morning Potions classes were quiter than usual, as he spent them sitting behind his desk, giving up every attempt to go pacing among the students, as he was used to. The pain obviously increased his bad mood, so he kept bullying the students from his chair. When he reached the faculty in the staff room for their afternoon tea-break, he was still in a very bad mood.

“Do you feel any better now, Severus?� Alexandra asked him, while he was taking seat in a low chair close to the table where the tea-tray laid.

“My neck is still killing me!� he complained, trying to lessen the pain rubbing it with a hand.

“Let me see if I can help you,� she said, stepping behind his chair.

“No, thanks. I think you already did enough!� Snape protested.

“I see ... the muscles are all tensed. Unbotton the collar of your shirt and the first bottons of the jacket,� she instructed him ignoring his words, checking his neck with her delicate fingers.

“What ?� he shouted indignated.

“How else am I suppose to reach your neck to massage it? Come on! It will alleviate the pain,� she exclaimed exasperated.

“I don't need any ... ouch!� he shouted as a fit of pain cut his words. He had made a bad move to free his neck from her grip.

“You see!� she pointed out with maternal tones of scolding a naughty child refusing to follow her advice. Before that evident proof of the necessity of that massage, and having enough of that pain, he resigned himself to let her do whatever she wanted, as long as it could help stop the pain.

She began massaging his aching neck, lightly at the beggining, stronger as soon as the tension loosened. He could not say whether it was more pleasant the massage itself or the gentle touch of her warm fingers on his skin. When the tension finally disappeared, he closed his eyes and his head fell backwards agaist her soft belly. A moan of pleasure escaped his mouth against his will. As soon as he realized what he had just done, he opened wide his eyes in horror, blushing ashamed of himself. Alexandra was giggling and, even worse, she was not the only one in the room doing so.

He tried to take back some control of himself. He stood up, and stormed out of the room with the weak excuse to have lots of marking to do. He hated himself for having allowed her to humiliate him in front of his fellow-teachers. His neck was all right now, but at what price! In the staff room, Alexandra laughed triumphantly. She had had her revenge on him for the previous night. Though, she did not mean to, when she first offered him her help.

“I know I'm going to pay for this,� she muttered, staring at the closed door he had disappeared through, causing the whole room to burst out laughing.

Chapter 6 - A Midnight Meeting

Hogwarts' students were harder to keep under control, their excitement run high before the Halloween feast. The Great Hall had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange steamers swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling, like brilliant watersnakes. Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for the entertainment. Snape was still upset with Professor Falconbridge, and he has been refusing to speak to her during the whole feast. At a certain point, during that night patrolling, she could not stand his silence anymore, so she made the first move.

“Severus! I know I may have embarassed you, but please forgive me,� she said gripping at his arm.

“Never take such liberties with me again, above all in public!� he coldly spat, uncerimoniously freeing himself from her grip.

“I didn't mean to offend you. I only wanted to be of help,� she protested.

“Then, never try to help me again!� he hissed. He was trying to make her feel as bad as he had that afternoon. He just wanted to hurt her feelings.

“How on earth was I suppose to know you would have enjoyed it so much!� she sarcasticly said, emphasizing the last two words.

“What do you mean?� he said freezing on the spot.

“Well, it was not me to moan like that!� she said continuing to walk. He carefully considered her words, and realized she had a point so he gave up arguing.

“Ok, let's forget about it! Only avoid doing something like that again,� he lowly said, speeding up his pace to reach her. Peace was back again. At the moment of parting for the night, she suddenly called him back.

“Severus, would you like to go riding with me tomorrow before breakfast?� she kindly invited him. He was a little taken aback by that weird proposal.

“I don’t ride,� he coldly said.

“I will teach you, it's easy! Some open air activity will do you a great good! ... Oh, come on! No one will see us!� she said, staring hopefully into his eyes.

“Ok, then. Let's try!� he sighed, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. He could not deny her a chance to restore the feble balance between them. To say the truth, he was quite fascinated by her horse.

“We'll have great fun! Meet me here at seven o'clock,� she shouted excited, almost jumping on the spot like a small child. Then they parted, and she happily trotted to her room.

***

That morning, she woke up in a very good mood. She put on her riding dress and an hooded heavy cloak. When she reached the Entrance Hall, he was already there waiting for her. He had no riding clothes, so he was wearing a pair of the most confortable trousers he had, a warm jumper, leather boots and an hooded travel cloak. Everything black, as usual. They crossed the grounds and reached Nabil's shelter behind Hagrid's hut. The half-giant was still soundly asleep, as a roar of loud snoring clearly proved. She showed him how to equip a horse. She kept caressing Nabil to calm it down, because he was suspiciously staring at Severus. That horse was used to mistrust strangers, untill his mistress showed him there was nothing to worry about. They all silently stepped away from the hut, not wanting to wake up its inhabitant.

“First you'll mount alone, and I'll lead the horse by the bridles on foot. We'll start at a slow pace, so that you can get used to the horse’s movements,� she explained to a very doubtful Snape, who looked at her with a raised questioning brow. She helped him to mount, then moved in front of the horse.

“When you're ready, we can go. As soon as you find your balance, I'll mount and we'll have a ride together. I won’t leave you do it by yourself, until I'm sure you're ready and don't risk falling off the saddle,� she tried to reassure him. Actually, he was not listening to a single word she was saying. He was too busy trying not to fall. He soon began to feel quite at ease, and his body naturally followed the horse’s rhythm. Then she stopped the horse.

“If you're ready, here I come. Leave me some room on the saddle, right in front of you!� she instructed him. He nodded, and carefully shifted a little backwards over the smooth surface of his leather seat. She mounted with great agility, landing in front of him.

“Wrap your arms around my waist and hold tight. Here we go!� she shouted before spurring Nabil on to move.

The fresh wind caressed their cheeks, as they rode along the lake shores. A new emotion overtook him ... He was amusing himself like never before, or at least he had not been feeling like that for a very, very long time. Riding gave him a blissful sensation of freedom, and the warmth of the woman's body against his own was very pleasant too. Their ride lasted only an hour and half, but it had felt like eternity to them. They reached the castle just in time to change clothes and go have some breakfast.

“What have you done, Severus?� asked Professor McGonagall, bending forward to have a better look at him.

“I beg your pardon?� he said a little confused.

“Your cheeks are rosy, you look quite relaxed and ... healthier,� she observed arching a brow.

“Well... I did some open-air activity,� he vaguely answered, before returning to his cup of coffee.

“Whatever you did, it did you a great good! You have always worried me with your batlike habits,� the older witch said. At those words, Alexandra choked halfway through a gulp of tea.

Morning rides soon became a daily routine for Severus and Alexandra. He was a quick learner, so his riding skills improved in very short time. She often let him hold the reins, but he did not mount alone yet. In fact, when it was his turn to steer, she always sat behind him with her arms around his waist, ready to take the reins if he lost control of the horse. She suspected he was now ready to ride by himself on his own horse. But each time she suggested they found him one, he pretended he still felt unsure about his riding abilities, insisting he needed some more practice together. She was pretty sure it was all an excuse he had made up to keep riding at close contact with her. Actually, she really did not mind that too. She loved sharing her riding passion with him. To be honest, she was beginning to find him rather fetching! Maybe it was his evil-guy-charm.

A tender friendship was slowly growing between them. They had also got into the habit of spending some extra time together, after their patrolling was over. They liked talking, having a drink or two, playing chess or card. They actually spent any free time together, so that one could hardly see the one without the other. Albus was simply delighted with the whole matter. They were so weird a couple, that nobody believed any relationship could ever exist between them, so they did not have to be bothered by any malicious rumor about them. Slytherins were known to be very selective, and hardly mixed up with anyone belonging to the other houses. By the way, being Ravenclaw the house of the witty, she could be considered a suitable exception.

***

The usual serenity of their night patrolling was destined to be threatened by a strange meeting they had on a stormy november night. It was almost midnight, they had now reached the famous ‘forbidden corridor’ on the third floor. It was exactly the same abandoned, third floor corridor where Harry and his friends met Fluffy on their way to the Philosopher's Stone. Severus and Alexandra had were the middle of the long corridor, when they heard the door of an old broomstick cupboard rattle violently. They immediately thought there was someone hiding there, a student or maybe Peeves had locked Mrs Norris in it again. Everybody knew the poltergeist liked throwing the skeletal cat inside the suits of armor. They cautiously approached the cupboard, wands at ready.

“Whoever you are, come out of that cupboard!� Snape sternly ordered. The doors stayed still for two seconds, then rattled again. “Show yourself! It's Professor Severus Snape that commands it!� roared his voice. The rattle ceased, and the doors suddenly opened wide, showing its dark but empty inside. They both froze at the sight of the shape of an old man emerging from its depths.

The man straightened his back, and silently moved forwards, staring at Snape with his fierce grey eyes. The man was very tall and slim, he had long grey hair, a hooked nose and was dressed in a faded shade of purple. Alexandra was clueless about who or what he was. She turned to her friend for some hint, but he was stricken with shock. His whole body shivered as he slowly stepped backwards, until his back was against the wall. She was flubbergasted to see the horror painted on his face. She could not really understand his weird behaviour. Who could possibly be that man to scare the impassible Professor Snape out of his wit?

“F-Father?� he asked with a trembling voice, “N-no! It can be you! Y-you are dead!� he stuttered in a fit of panic. She suddenly realized that could not be a real man.

“Severus, it's only a boggart! Think about funny things and strike it with a Riddikulus Spell!� she instructed him.

“I can't!� he said covering his eyes with his hands, and he slowly collapsed to the floor. He was in great distress, he hated himself for being so cowardly weak in front of her. He wanted to kill himself for being able to face the Dark Lord, and then fall into pieces before a stupid boggart. Even that good-to-nothing of Longbotton was able to defeat one. Alexandra readily took control of the situation, attracting the boggart's attention on her.

“Hey you! Mr. Snape!� she called at it.

The boggart turned his head towards his new victim, and instantly turned itself in the hooded, masked shape of a Death Eater. Severus was there on the floor, looking clueless at the boggart. Boggarts used to take the shape of one's deepest fears, childish things in most of the cases. But he could not really guess why her boggart was a Death Eater. Not that anyone one was not afraid of them! Alexandra held her breath for a moment at the sight of that new shape, then concentrated and struck it with a loud “Riddikulus!� The Death Eater-boggart suddenly was dressed in a sexy bunny-girl costume, complete with high heals, net stockings, fluffy tail and long bunny ears. She laughed sonorously, satisfied for her winning. She was even happier for resqueing Severus from a difficult situation. It did not really need to be a genius to understand, that old Mr Snape certainly hid terrible memories behind him. She silently kneeled down in front of him and gently took his hands in hers.

“Come on! We have still lots of pleaces to check before our turn is over,� she exorted him with a sweet smile on her lips. He let her help him back to his feet, staring at her speechless. He helplessly searched for a trace of pity, blame or commiseration in her stare, but there was none. What he saw was only a comforting tenderness, and a distant hint of sadness. They continued their patrolling in complete silence. Before they parted for the night, he tried to make an attempt of explanation.

“Alexandra, I...� he began to say. But she cut his words pressing her fore finger on his lips.

“Shussssh! I'm not going to ask you anything, as long as you do the same. One day we'll talk about it, but not now. Nobody will know about what happened tonight.�

He weakly nodded his agreement. He really was not in the mood to tell one of his most painful secrets to anyone too. For the first time in many weeks, they did not spend some extra time together, and headed straight each to his own rooms.

He had now changed in his grey night shirt, and was lying back in his four-posters with emerald green velvet hangings, staring at the canopy above him. He could not fall asleep, because his mind was crossed by millions of questions and suppositions. Then, he left his bed and went to open the nearby window, thinking that some fresh air could help him to clear his mind. He looked down outside the calm shining surface of the lake, which reflected the pale light of a beautiful full moon. Then his attention was caught by a pale shadow behind a window on the seventh floor, right at the feet of the West Tower.

He recognized the outline of a young woman with long hair, of which a thick lock rested languidly on one shoulder. She was sitting on the window-sill, illuminated by the silvery moonlight. At first, he had thought it was the Grey Lady, the Ravenclaw House Ghost. But, at a better look, he recognised her to be none but Professor Falconbridge. He had never notice his bedroom window was in the wall just opposite hers. When Professor Flitwick occupied those rooms, he obviously could not have cared less. He stood there looking through the window for about ten minutes, almost hipnotized by that sight, and he did not even notice the chilling night air that struck him to the bone.

She sat there, motionless, staring at the starry sky with an expression of deep melancholy on her face, her sweet smile disappeared. Obviously, he could not know she had just finished crying her eyes out, clutching her parent’s picture on her heart. Her sadness was like a dagger in his heart, because he felt it was all his fault. He only knew how to hurt, but not how to heal. If he had not lost his mind like that, she would not have had to face that hateful boggart on her own. It had certainly revived some of her worst memories, considering her actual state of distress.

“But why has she decided to go through all this to help me?� he muttered to himself. He then thoughtlessly touched his lips with a hand, right in the place were her soft finger had previously rested for a short instant. He violently shook his head, like wanting to chase away the weird, romantic thoughts that crossed his mind.

“Don't illuse yourself, Severus!� he bitterly admonished himself, “Love has no place in your miserable life. Your soul is doomed for all the evil things you did!� he spat, thoughlessly clutching his left forearm with his right hand, exactly in the spot where the Dark Mark was burnt in his skin.

“Who the hell would ever be so insane to love an ugly greasy git like you?� he snarled to himself.

“Oh, Merlin! She's so beautiful ... How on earth is it possible I've never noticed it before? Damn it! Was I blind or what?� he shouted, closed the window, and finally went to bed. He laid on his back, sighed heavily then rolled on one side, but could not fall asleep. He then reached out inside his bed-side cabinet and took a vial of potion, drank it, and finally fell asleep.

Chapter 7 - The Yule Ball

Neither of the two teachers ever spoke again about the boggart accident. They had silently agreed that it was wiser to go on as if nothing had happened at all. It was no good to indulge in those painful memories. Moreover, Snape was too ashamed of himself for showing his own weakness in front of her. Alexandra was soon back in her usual good mood while Severus ... well, not that one could ever describe his as a ‘good mood’ at all! ... He simply kept his thoughts to himself, not wanting to hurt his friend's feelings. By the way, a deep curiosity about her past began worming into his brain.

The first two weeks of December, students were busy studing for their mid-term exams, before the beginning of Christmas holidays. In those days, one could find any single corner of the Library packed with some hysterical student, fully immersed in a maddening revision. The most funny thing one could be lucky to witness was the amusing scene of students spying on each teacher who happened to come into the library, in hopes of finding out some useful hint on the possible topics of the tests. They followed the unaware professors, taking notes about the books they picked up. Once, a student dared follow Snape into the restricted section. He was so infuriated by that insolent behaviour, that he threw a nearby exstinguished candle at the poor boy, who stormed out of the Library as quick as a hunted hare.

To the students’s great delight, Dumbledore announced that a more intimate version of the Yule Ball was going to take place on Christmas Night. This time, however, there were going to be no foreign students. All seven years were allowed to go , without the old restriction to students from the fourth to the seventh year. The Great Hall was going to be as richly decorated as two years before, and Madame Rosmerta had already received an order for hundreds of butterbeers and others drinks for the party. Dumbledore had also invited The Weird Sisters to play for that night’s entertainment.

“Do you think it's a good idea to organize a ball for the time being?� Professor McGonagall had once doubtfully asked the headmaster.

“My dear Minerva, these kids’ future is so uncertain, that I'm afraid not many other possibilities of entertainment are waiting them along the way. I think we must allow them some fun as long as we can,� he wisely stated.

Albus had his personal fun, imposing an extra rule to the ball: each Head of House would be dressed in his/hers own House's colours. He thought the expression on Snape's face at this news was priceless. He had always worn black throughout his teaching career, with the only exception of the Slytherin vs Gryffindor final match during Harry's third year, when he attended the match wearing the Slytherin colours. This meant new party dresses for the four teachers, therefore, a trip to Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions in Diagon Alley was made essential.

A week before Christmas, Professor McGonagall made a list of the kids staying at Hogwarts over the holidays. They were more than usual, as nearly the whole school would not have missed the Yule Ball for any reason on earth. Once the exams were over, there was nothing else left to do before the Feast. Professors McGonagall and Falconbridge were busy decorating the castle. The Great Hall looked spectacular. No fewer than twelve towering Christmas Trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, others glittering with hundreds of candles and golden bubbles trailing over the branches of the trees. There were live fairies too, and mysterious lights shining in the suits of armour enchanted to sing carols. Snow fell warm and dry from the enchanted ceiling, and the walls were covered with silver frost, garlands of mistletoe and ivy hung all around the walls. Some mistletoe was hung from an achway in the staff room too, so that the bystanders could exchange the traditional auspicious kiss beneath it.

***

When everything was ready, McGonagall sent an owl to Madame Malkin to announce their visit and anticipate the special requirement for their party dresses. Two days before Christmas, the four teachers took the Hogwarts Express at the Hogsmeade station to reach London, and then Apparate straight in Diagon Alley to buy their clothes, and some Christmas presents too. They had a compartment for themselves as the train was almost empty. They spent the long trip chatting, playing cards and having a nap. At a certain point, Professors Falconbridge and Sprout began singing merry travelling songs to dispel boredom while McGonagall kept the time clapping her hands. She was too shy to sing, so she told them she had a cold. Snape spent the whole trip, pretending to be reading a ‘very’ interesting book he had with him, an excuse to avoid being involved in the singing. Not that he could not sing! He had a beautiful, warm, baritonal voice but he would rather die, than sing in front of people.

They reached London late in the evening and spent the night at the Leaky Cauldron. They had a light dinner and then went early to bed, very tired after the long train trip. They agreed to go to Madam Malkin's one at the time, while the others bought their presents. The first to go was Snape. He really did not like the idea of waiting for three witches trying on hundreds of dresses before chosing one. He was greeted by Madam Malkin herself. She lead him to the male section of her shop, where she had yet prepared an assortment of smart suits of different shades of green. He chose a dark wood green suit with delicate silver embroiderings, a white silk shirt and black shoes.

“May I suggest you to add a white silk ascot around your neck, perhaps with an emerald button brooch?� she proposed showing him the article.

He tried it on with the dress, and was very satisfied with the overall effect. He looked a true gentleman, like the nobleman he was. In fact, he was the last Lord Snape of Snapeville, a thing he never told anybody, because he did not give a damn for titles. He then used his free time for his shopping. He bought an Astronomy book for Albus, Latest Improvements in the Art of Transfiguration for Minerva, and an eagle bronze pendant, with saphires for eyes and all over the wings and tail feathers, hanging from a short chain for Alexandra. Then, he went to Knockturn Alley in search of some interesting potion ingredients for his private store. To his great annoyance, he had to buy a present for his old friend Lucius Malfoy too. No doubt, Malfoy was going to send him one, and he was obliged by circumstances to return his kindness.

Alexandra was the second to go. She had bought most of her presents: a pair of thick blue socks with stars and moons for Dumbledore, as she had heard rumors about his passion for socks. She chose a golden brooch the shape of a rampant lion, with a ruby for eye for Minerva; a new sneakoscope for Moody who had completely worn out his last one, a mobile with flying dragons of different races for Hagrid, and a pair of round white gold cuff-links with snakes, wound in a spiral with an emerald for eye for Severus. As soon as she entered Madam Malkin's, she asked the witch about the cuffs of Severus' shirt.

“Five buttons as usual, why?� the owner asked her curiously.

“Well, I've just bought him a beautiful pair of cuff-links to wear at the party. I was wondering if you could change his cuffs, so that I can give them to him as an early present,� she hopefully explained.

“I'm afraid he will get upset, if he receives something different from what he chose,� said the shopper with concern. Snape was one of her wealthier customers, and he always chose everything of the highest quality and finest fabrics.

“Don't worry! Send it on the 24th in the morning, so he'll have no time to change it. Then I will come out with the approriate present!� she merrily said, with a smile that said please-don't-tell-me-no. Trick organized, she began to look for her own evening gown. She chose a wonderful night blue velvet dress, with bronze embroiderings on the front of the bodice and all around the edge of the skirt. It was sleeveless, with a wide neckline that softly covered her shoulders showing the base of her long neck. The dress was completed by a pair of long silk blue gloves, and velvet shoes matching the dress.

Professors McGonagal and Sprout met just outside the shop, so they went in together. Minerva chose hers at once, a red and gold tartan evening gown with a matching hat, which hid her head perfectly. On an occasion like the Yule Ball, female teachers were allowed to losen their hairs. But Minerva had never accepted to do so, she actually was used to keeping her hair up even in bed. The hardest dress to choose was Professor Sprout's one. The poor little, fat witch was not helped at all by her unlucky set of colours. In fact, with a body like hers, every black and yellow dress made her look like a fluffy Queen-bee. Both Minerva and Madam Malkin had an hard time trying to convince the poor tasteless witch, that a dress with yellow fur along the neck-line, black bodice and a skirt with alternating black and yellow flounces was absolutely out of the question. They realized they could only find her a suitable dress, avoiding curve lines as much as possible. Madam Malkin did very good sales that day, as the four party dresses were made with high quality, and therefore expensive, materials. She also gave to the four teacher four matching velvet cloaks, with each house's crest embroidered on it, as her personal Christmas present to thank them for their faithful choice of her shop.

***

The longly expected day finally arrived among everyone's great excitement. The usual midday meal was lighter than usual, because of the gorgeous Christmas Feast taking place at eight o'clock that evening. Madam Malkin's robes arrived that same morning. As a matter-of-fact, Severus was rather unnerved to discover the little change in his cuffs. Fortunatly, Alexandra intercepted him on his way to the Owlery, where he was heading to send an owl of complaint to the shop owner. She calmed him down explaining that it was all her fault.

“Open my Christmas present and you'll understand!� she said handing him a small package wrapped in golden paper.

“Oh! I see,� he said amazed by the wonderful pair of cuff-links. “Thank you! They're really beautiful. I'll wear them tonight,� he said tracing the engraved surface of the jewels with a long finger. “Very Slytherin, I'd dare say! I have an early present for you too. Come to my office before going to the afternoon staff meeting,� he told her, and he went back downstairs.

Five minutes before the meeting, she went down in the dungeons to Snape's office. She knocked on the door, he opened it and let her in. She took a seat on a comfortable black leather arm-chair, while he took her present from his desk drawer, and gave it to her.

“Oh Severus! It's wonderful!� she shouted, holding the eagle pendant on her palm, staring at it with her eyes opened wide.

“I want to try it on, help me,� she said jumping out of her seat. She moved in front of him, turned her back, and pushed aside her long braid to allow him to hoock the chain behind her neck. She stood there breathlessly admiring the shining jewel resting on her chest.

“It matches the colour of your eyes,� he lowly whispered, thinking the expression on her face in that moment was simply priceless.

“Sorry, Severus. What did you said?� she casually asked. He had spoken so low that she could not catch a single word.

“I was saying, it’s time to go,� he lied.

“Thank you Severus!� she said, sweetly kissing him on the cheek. He lightly blushed at the touch of those soft cherry lips on his skin. It had been a very long time since a woman had kissed him. Usually, witches were less warm-hearted with him. She wanted to show her new jewel to the party, so she momentarily put it back in its box. They entered the staff room together, unintentionally stopping underneath the hanging mistletoe.

“Welcome, my friends!� a very cheerful Dumbledore greeted them. “Why don't you take advantage of that mistletoe above you to wish you a merry Christmas?� he suggested, as they both looked up.

“Don't you want to make me your wishes?� Alexandra teased him, offering her cheeck to him. A malicious smirk curled his lips, as it crossed his mind the opportunity to take his revenge on her, doing something embarassing in front of the whole staff. He still had not forgiven her for the little ‘massage incident’.

“Of course!� he said with a malicious smirk on his lips.

He suddenly wrapped an arm behind her back, pushing her down in a deep casqué, pressing his lips on hers. He had moved so fast, that she had no time to stop him or find a way of escaping his grip. She was completely shocked. She stared reproachfully in his black, highly amused eyes, gripping strongly to his arms to avoid loosing her precarious balance. When he finally brought her back in a standing position, she was flabbergasted, and her eyes and mouth were open wide with indignation.

“This is going to be a veeeeery merry Christmas!� said Moody laghing like a mad. The whole room bursted in loud roars of laughter, and Snape and Alexandra joined them too. She felt a little ashamed, but nonetheless amused.

“Do something like that in front of the students, and I'll have your head on a silver tray,� she unconvincingly threatened him.

***

Everyone at Hogwarts was spending the few hours before the party chatting merrily about the coming event, trying on their dresses, and thinking about every possible expedient to improve their look. This party was very important for both male and female students, because dating were an excellent means of socialization.

Let's have a look at some of the couples... First of all, there was our dear Harry Potter with a pretty Ginny Weasley. Actually Ginny wanted to go with Seamus Finnigan. They had been secretly dating each other for months, but Ron was so madly jealous of his little sister, that Harry was her only choice. Harry was well aware of the situation, and did not mind at all to help Ginny come out of that difficult situation. Moreover, he thought that Ginny had become a beautiful girl, so he was happy to have her for partner. She was like a sister to him after all the time spent at the Burrow together, but that did not mean he was so blind to fail to notice her improved beauty.

Then came Hermione and Ron. He had finally found the courage to ask her out, and he was now out of his skin with joy thinking about the party. He obviously looked forward to holding her close to him in a slow dance. He had also taken some dancing lessons to avoid making a fool of himself. To anyone's surprise, our shy Neville Longbottom had managed to date a Hufflepuff girl, and one of the prettiest we should add. As for the other two fellow Gryffindors, Seamus Finnigan had to invite Parvati Patil, while Dean Thomas went with Lavander Brown. Draco Malfoy was partner with Pansy Parkinson again. He had become taller and quite handsome over the summer holidays, so he could have asked any girl he liked. The problem was, that Pansy seemed to have declared him her own property, and she had threatened every girl she saw trying to approach Draco on his own.

That night the castle was all aglow, like a giant chandelier. A merry music was spreading all around the building, and one could see happy faces everywhere. Coling Creevey, the fifth year Gryffindor with a passion for photography, had been charged by Dumbledore to be the official photo-reporter of the event. He had to take lots of wizarding pictures of the party, and the best ones were meant to be put in a commemoratory album. Obviously, he was going to take this duty at heart, it was his greatest opportunity to take lots of pictures of everybody without being chased away. It had been Professor Falconbridge to suggest him to Dumbledore. She had been positively impressed by his skills, when the boy showed her the pics he had taken of her falcon, and some of herself with the bird too.

***

It was time for Alexandra to get ready for the party. She felt as happy as a little girl. She was happy for the delicious dinner they were going to eat, happy for her wonderful new dress, happy for the beautiful jewel Severus gave her that afternoon. She looked forward for the evening entertaiment, because she liked The Weird Sisters very much. There were going to be great music and dances. Oh, yes! She loved to dance. She was above all very curious to see how the other teachers were dressed. She particularly was anxious to see how Severus looked dressed in green and silver. She also found herself wondering about the possibility that Severus could ask her to dance.

“Oh, no! That's not likely to happen. It will be a miracle if he doesn't run away just after the dessert is served,� she said giggling at the strangeness of the image of Severus dancing a slow, romantic waltz with her.

Meanwhile in the dungeons ... Severus was having a shower and an abundant shampoo, using a strong cleaning potion of his own creation, which really was a holy hand for his poor neglected hair. He put on his bathrobe, and headed back to his bedroom to look for some clean underwear in his drawer. His party suit laid across his bed. He paused a second before it.

“Well, at least it's not purple,� he said looking doubtfully at the wood green fabric.

Upstairs, Alexandra put on her gown, and moved in front the long mirror in her bedroom.

“Maybe this neckline is too wide or the bodice is too tight,� she critically judged her reflection. She was wrong, and she well knew the dress fit her perfectly, gently exalting her curves. She smoothed the fabric of the skirt, then she spun once on herself. She was simply delighted by the swishing sound of her skirt, and the perfect round it made. She loosened her plait, trying to find the way her hair looked the better. Up or down? Absolutely down. She brushed her long, dark chestnut waves and pinned up two side flocks with two small rose-shaped bronze clasps. She put on some make-up, carefully chosing the shades which best exalted the colour of her eyes. She put on her beautiful eagle pendent, and a pair of matching earrings. She put on the gloves, shoes, and her new cloak, a little touch of a delicate perfume and she was ready. She had done her best to show her beauty at its top, she wanted to dazzle, to look like a princess.

Severus was standing before the mirror, fully dressed. He wrapped the white ascot around his neck, then fixed it with its emerald button brooch. He had a final look at his reflection.

“Not bad!� he exclaimed satisfied with it. “If only my hair wasn't such a mess!� he complained taking a silken, raven flock between two fingers.

That cleaning potion did a true miracle, but he was not satisfied by his usual hair-style with the long flocks framing his face. He tried to comb it backwards but he was still not satisfied.

“What if ... ?� he mused, searching inside a little drawer where he found a black silken ribbon. He tied up his hair with it in a low aristocratic pigtail.

“That's it!� he said beaming at that new look. Sometimes, he had seen Lucius Malfoy wear his long silver blond mane in that fashion, and he had always found it too snobbish for himself. But he had to admit, that it was a great improvement to his look. He put on his beautiful cuff-links and the green velvet cloak. He had done his best to look as much charming as he could, and he now looked like a true prince. We have no doubt about women's vanity on such special occasions, but it was really weird to see our dear Snivellus, paying so much attention to his usually unkept appearence. Was he trying to draw someone's attention on him? Most of all, whoever could he be interested in at that party?

***

Students were already sitting in the Great Hall, whose four long tables an benches had been replaced for the occasion by groups of small round tables and more comfortable chairs. The peculiar disposition of the tables left a wide aisle in the middle of the long room. It had all been one of Dumbledore's odd ideas. He had reserved for the faculty and himself the privilege to parade in front of the students, walking the whole length of the room to the High Table at the end of it. What a show off he was!

When Snape emerged from the dungeons, he found Albus, Minerva and nearly all the other teachers gathered in the Entrance Hall. Only Alexandra was still missing. It was not her fault, she certainly did not want to be late to make a spectacular entrance. One should keep in mind that, apart from Professor Trelawney who lived in the North Tower, she was the teacher whose rooms were situated the fartest from the ground floor.

“Good evening, Severus,� Dumbledore greeted him.

“Good evening to you too, Headmaster, Minerva,� he said approaching them.

“Oh, Severus! You’re really handsome tonight!� said Minerva amazed.

“So are you, Minerva. Alas, I wish I was older!� he galantly said, while bowing to kiss her hand. She giggled amused by his sense of humour. He soon felt everyone's eyes fixed on him, and was beginning to regret not having remained faithful to his usual gloomy look. If his fellow teachers had reacted like that, it was nothing compared to what awaited him in a hall full of students. He dearly hoped for something to happen that could avert anyone's attention away from him.

An answer to his payers came, when Alexandra finally appeared at the top of the marble staircase. Everyone's head turned at once to look at her, while she carefully went down, holding her long skirt up to avoid stumbling on its hem. Severus’s mouth drop open in amazement, and he needed to be elbowed in the ribs by Moody to come out of his stupor. The most excited of all was probably Colin Creevey, who had already taken a picture of each teacher, and was now shooting like a mad to the beautiful witch.

“I'm sorry to be late,� she said slightly panting, blushing embarassed by all those eyes on her.

“My friends, as we are all present, we can now go in,� Dumbledore said to the gathered faculty. “Gentlemen, would you please be so kind to escort these lovely ladies inside?� he shouted offering his right arm to Minerva. Following Albus’s example, the teachers devided into couples. Severus readily offered his arm to Alexandra, a little afraid of being preceded by someone else, while Moody took Professor Sprout's arm.

“You are really handsome tonight,� Alexandra whispered to her escort.

“And you're simply bewitching,� he said with an happy smile on his lips, resting his left hand on her gloved one.

Dumbledore opened the big doors of the Great Hall with a swish of his wand. They entered the room two at a time. Albus and Minerva were in the lead, immediately followed by Severus and Alexandra, Moody and Sprout, then the others. The students looked with wide-open eyes at the parade of their teachers in their smartest clothes. A couple in particular aroused everybody's admiration. Many found Professor Falconbridge beautiful, but no one could imagine she could ever look as wonderful as she was that night. But their Potion Master was a true revelation.

“Is that really Snape?� exclaimed a very surprised Ron Weasley.

“Yes! And he looks even ... handsome!� said Hermione flubbergasted.

“I've always thought he was charming,� commented an enchanted Ginny Weasley, causing those around her to look at her like she had suddenly sprout two heads.

Dumbledore stood up to make a speech, wishing them a Merry Christmas, then the Feast began. The food was simply delicious, the house elves had really overdone themselves. As soon as the meal was over, all tables disappeared, while plenty of arm-chairs and couches appeared all along the walls, leaving room in the middle of the hall to be used as a dancefloor. Settled in a corner were The Weird Sisters, who began playing some soft music to give time to their audience to digest a little their lavish meal, before lanching themselves to dance.

“We are going to open tonight dances with a traditional Scottish folk dance, The Happy Highlander� announced Myron Wagtail, the lead singer of the popular wizarding band.

It was a merry song, which required a specific but simple dance, known by many Scots since childhood. It was very funny to dance and, moreover, so easy that even Moody could do it in spite of his wooden leg. As students were too shy to open the dance, Moody stood up, and headed towards where Alexandra sat next to Severus.

“Let's go to dance, my bonnie lass!� he said offering his hand to her.

She was very pleased by his invitation. It had been him to teach her that dance, when she was a small child. She stood up, took off her gloves and cloak, then took his hand and followed him to the center of the dancefloor. A group of Scottish students followed their example, and joined them as the music began. Severus was a little angry with Moody for having taken away his company, but he changed his mind as soon as he saw her dance. She moved with the grace and lightness of a fairy, her face beaming with joy. He never took his eyes off her, until she came back to sit again next to him.

“You dance very well,� he observed.

“Thank you, but it was really a long time since I've last danced this one,� she said moving her long hair behind her shoulders, for dancing had heated her up. By doing this, she revealed her long smooth neck to his sight. He found himself longly fixing his eyes on it, fighting back a sudden desire to kiss it that was driving him mad.

When the band began playing slow dances, the dancefloor filled with lots of cheerful students holding their partners, then they played a waltz and some of the teachers joined them too. Albus invited Minerva, while Moody asked a blushing Professor Sprout. Severus was greatly tempted to ask Alexandra for that waltz, but he still was not able to make up his mind. He had pretended he could not dance to decline Professor Sinistra's kind invitation. While he was playing this I-would-like-to-but-I-can't mental torture, someone else took advantage of the situation. A very bold Draco Malfoy invited her to dance, and she courteously accepted.

“How dares that little prat invite her? It should have been me!� Snape angrily thought, glaring at the boy with lothing. Malfoy felt very smug to be dancing with one of the most beautiful witch of the party. He really loved to show off. Then, he froze at the sudden weight of an heavy hand on his shoulder. He slowly turned his head to see a towering Snape, looking dangerously at him with his black, deadly eyes.

“I have reason to think, that our dear Miss Parkinson is looking for her partner,� he coldly whispered with a threatening voice, which seemed to say “Disappear at once from my sight!� Draco noisily gulped, nodded, then ran away like an hunted hare.

“May I have the pleasure?� he gallantly offered his hand to Alexandra.

“I was afraid you'd never asked me,� she warmly answered.

They bowed at each other, then she took an edge of her skirt in her hand, and they began drifting around the crowded dance floor. They waltzed with a grace and elegance to make envy to the Asburgic Court. They danced so well, that slowly the other dancers moved aside, leaving the whole dancefloor to them. They did not noticed anything was happening around them. Their eyes were locked into each other, and a merry smile beamed from their faces. It was maybe the first time that anyone had seen Snape smile like that. It greatly sweetened his features, and even made him look younger. His eyes were no longer cold, but full of warmth. Then the music ended, and they looked around the room to find themselves alone in the middle of the immense room. Even worse, they were really thunderstruck when a thunderous applause suddenly exploded from the surrounding crowd. They blushed furiously, lowered their eyes to the floor, and went back to their seats. When the clock struck midnight the party ended, and everybody left the room to go to bed. Severus and Alexandra were among the last ones to leave. They parted in the Entrance Hall.

“Good night Severus, it has been a pleasure dancing with you,� she said holding out her hand to him.

“The pleasure was all mine,� he bowed to galantly kiss her hand. Then they headed to their respective rooms. He was about to go down into the dungeons, when he heard a running Potter calling him.

“Professor Snape!� shouted the boy panting.

“What's the matter now, Potter?� he said with annoyance.

“Professor Falconbridge forgot her gloves in the Great Hall, sir,� he said handing them to him.

“Thank you, Potter. I'll give them back to her, myself,� he said with a smirk and a friendly slap on the boy's back, before heading up the staircases to the seventh floor almost running. He could have even kissed the boy for giving him such a great excuse to see her again. Alexandra was still fully dressed, she had only taken away her cloak, jewels and the small clasps in her hair, when she heard someone knocking on her door.

“Who's there?� she asked.

“It's me, Severus,� his deep male voice sounded through the thick wooden door. She went to open, feeling an excited flutter in her stomach for the pleasant surprise.

“You've forgotten your gloves downstairs,� he said handing them to her.

“Oh, thank you! It's been very kind of you. Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?� she kindly invited him in. He gladly accepted, even if he never drunk tea at so late a time. He would probably have had a sleepless night, but he could not care less. They sat on the sofa in front of the lighted fireplace, sipping their tea.

“We've offered them a wonderful dancing performance,� she giggled.

“I'm afraid Mr Creevey took hundreds of photos of the two of us,� he said chuckling. She stood up to put their empty cups on her desk, then moved to the window to look at the beautiful starry sky.

“I leave the day after tomorrow, I promised my grandparents to spend the rest of the holidays with them,� she sadly whispered, without turning her back to face him. She missed them very much, but at the same time, she was sorry to leave Hogwarts, to leave him alone. Her words came so sudden that he remained speechless for some minutes. The news had been like a knife to his heart, he was so used to have her around, that he could not imagine life at Hogwarts without her, even for such a short time. He stood up and headed to the door.

“I must go. See you tomorrow at breakfast, I hope,� he said looking to the floor to avoid her gaze.

“Wait!� she ordered him, then she ran toward him throwing her arms to his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight, enjoying the blissful sensation of that warm embrace. It was not easy to say the nature of what they were feeling in that moment, whether it was love or only friendship. The one thing they were sure of was that they dearly cared for each other.

“I will miss you so much,� she said almost on the verge of tears.

“So will I,� he answered in a whisper. She then saw him off.

“We still have a whole day to spend together,� she told him. He silently nodded, and dissapeared in the darkness of the long empty corridor.

Chapter 8 - It's Our Christmas

That morning Alexandra woke up early and feeling full of energy. She stretched in her bed, kicked away the blankets, and she jumped out of bed. She put on her dressing gown and smiled at the sight of her Christmas presents at the feet of her bed. She received a beautifully illustrated book about birds of prey from his grandfather, and a bracelet with zapphires from her grandmother. Her best friends sent her a silk dressing gown they bought her during their last trip to Japan. She received presents from some fellow teachers too: a pretty wood jewel box from Dumbledore, a warm tartan scarf from Mc Gonagall, and a huge homemade rock cake which had the vague shape of a bird from Hagrid. The kind half giant was probably trying to reproduce her falcon. Moody gave her a strange device, which was supposed to detect dark wizards’ presence, but she really could not figure out how it was supposed to be used. But the present she loved the most was lying on her bedside table, Severus’ eagle pendant. She looked through her window, and saw the dungeons were still in complete darkness.

“Well, then. I'll go down and wake him up, wishing him a Happy Christmas,� she merrily said, and headed straight to her fireplace to floo herself to his rooms, without even bothering to get dressed.

She emerged in the complete darkness of his sitting room. She lit the room with a swish of her wand and found the door to his bedroom. She went in without even knocking. She snapped her fingers, causing the candles and lanterns in the room to light up, showing a beatiful big room. She was amazed by the luxury of his bedroom. The walls were covered with mahogany pannels, with the Slytherin crest carved here and there. There was some oriental carpet on the floor, and in the middle of the room stood a majestic four-poster with emerald green, velvet hangings. The room was a little gloomy because of its ebony furnitures, but it really reflected its owner’s tastes.

“Wake up, Severus. It's Christmas day!� she shouted, opening brusquely the curtains of his four-poster.

“Who cares ? Let me sleep!� protested a muffled voice from a bundle of sheets and blankets.

“Oh come on, Severus! It's Christmas, it's our Christmas! You promised me we’d spend the whole day together, do you remember?� she said jumping on the bed to tear away the sheets from his face.

“Ok, ok. I'm awake,� he said coming to sit with his back resting against the head of his bed. He run his fingers though his hair to push them away from his face, and rubbed his eyes with his fingertips.

“Look! You've got presents. Don't you want to open them?� she said, pointing to three packages laying on the floor.

“I don't care. Help yourself, if you want,� he idly answered.

“If you insist,� she said, and jumped down to gather them, then she returned to the bed. She settled herself close to him so that he could have a clear look on her opening.

“The biggest one first!� she happily stated. She loved unpacking presents, and she did not seem to care much that they were not for her.

“The first one is from Minerva. It's a book about the Celtic druids’ ancient potions.� She inspected the cover and showed it to him.

“That sounds interesting,� he said, smiling indulgently at her childish enthusiasm. She then opened the second one.

“This one is from Albus. It's a bottle of firewisky and of good quality too,� she pointed out, reading its label.

“Fortunately, Albus has good taste with bottles,� he commented. Then, she opened the last and smallest one.

“There’s a note with it... there, read it,� she handed it to him.

It was from Lucius Malfoy, it read “Remember where you belong�. His smile faded and his face tensed, while he watched her open the small package.

“It's a ring, shaped like a serpent with an emerald for eye. Who sends it?� she curiously inquired.

“Just an old school friend of mine, a fellow Slytherin of course,� he said, greatly relieved it was not something compromising.

“Obviously. It's rather pretty,� she said slipping it on her ring finger.

“You can keep it, if you want,� he carelessly said.

“Sorry, but I can't. What would my students think, if they see their Head of House wearing such a clear sign of fraternization with the enemy!� she teased him. He rolled his eyes to her weak attempt at a joke.

“Bit rich coming from you ... What would they say if they see you here in my bed?� he sneered.

“As I happen to be on the cover and not underneath, I don't think to be doing anything unbecoming,� she said faking to be scandalized by his malicious question.

“Then get off of my bed, and let me get dressed, or I will drag you under the covers, and put you in a compromising position,� he sneered. She jumped off the bed giggling, before he could try to catch her.

“See you at breakfast,� she told him above her shoulder, and run out of the room. Snape stood a few minutes staring at the door she had just exited from, with a small smile arching his thin lips.

“If a few months ago, someone told me this was going to happen to me, I would have called him a fool and laughed my head off in his face!� he mused, then he get off his bed.

***

It was a beautiful sunny day, a true rarity in the month of December. A thick layer of snow covered the countryside and the surface of the lake was frozen. Many students were now leaving the castle to spend the rest of their holidays with their families. Harry and his friends, instead, they were going to stay there. Harry was used to spend his winter holidays at school, but Hermione had no choice because her parents were skiing in the mountains, and she hated that sport. Ron and Ginny could not go back to the Burrow too, because the Weasleys were all in Romania, paying a visit to Charlie.

“Alexandra, dear. Would you like to come home with me this afternoon?� Moody asked her during breakfast.

“I’m sorry, Alastor. But I'm going to spend the whole day with Severus. I'll go back home tomorrow morning,� she kindly refused his invitation.

“I see ... ,� Moody darkly muttered, throwing a malevolent look at Snape, who was silently drinking his coffee.

“What would you like to do today?� Snape asked, as they left the Great Hall.

“What about a sleigh ride in the country?� she proposed.

“Good idea. I’ll ask Hagrid to lend us his sleigh,� said Snape looking around for the half giant.

They bound her horse to the big sleigh and took seat in it, covering their legs with a warm tartan blanket. Then, they left the castle grounds passing through its towering gates. How beautiful it was to ride on the lonely country roads and wood paths. They were happy, they were carefree, they were alone ... only a woman and a man. A chilly wind blew on their faces in the sunlight. The only sound they could hear was that of the sleigh sliding on the smooth ground, and the muffled stumping of the horse’s hooves on the snow. They had lunch at the castle. Their fellow staff members were astonished to see Snape in such a good mood. He looked more relaxed, and they even heard him laugh at some of Dumbledore's jokes, and Alexandra was simply beaming. For some weird reason, any improvement in Snape's mood seemed to give on Moody's nerves.

In the afternoon, Severus and Alexandra had a walk to Hogsmeade, and stopped at the Three Broomsticks Pub for a drink. inside, they saw Hagrid sitting with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Alexandra would not have minded joining them, but Severus nodded her to follow him to a quieter private room, at the back of the pub. Harry was relieved at seeing Snape going away, he still hated him for his attitude during the events concerning Sirius' death.

“Blimey! I really can't understand why, a lovely woman like Professor Falconbridge, can be friend of a man like Snape?� Ron exclaimed disgusted.

“Snape's not that bad, when ye get to know ‘im bette’, Ron,� Hagrid said, before taking another gulp from his huge tankard.

“Maybe he has some qualities we don't know about,� suggested Ginny, causing Harry to scowl at her.

“I think he fancies her,� Hermione giggled.

“Ye bette' not mix up in adults’s matters, Hermione,� Hagrid mildly admonished her, but deep inside he agreed with her.

On their way back from Hogsmeade, Alexandra insisted on having a stroll along the lake shores. It was a well reknown place among couples for a romantic walk, but being it now deserted, Snape had nothing to object. At a certain point, Alexandra remained behind, saying she had to tie up the strings of her shoe. Severus took advantage of the pause to walk a few steps towards the lake and have a look at its frozen surface.

“Severus!� she called him. As soon as he turned his head, he was struck by a snow ball straight in the face. The strings were all an excuse she had made up for taking him off guard.

“You naughty little girl!� he muttered drying his face on his sleeve. Then, he bent down to take a handful of snow and made a ball with it.

“Oh, don't you dare?� she said giggling, and she took some steps away from him. He threw it, striking her on a shoulder. He was a gentleman and he obviously could not aim at her face. She fired back, aiming at his head again.

“Catch me if you can!� she challanged him, and run away. She dived once right then once left, but he soon caught her around her waist. She tried to free herself from his grip . By doing so, she caused them both to loose balance. They fell on the soft snow, laughing. Their laughters were cut off when Severus found himself on top of her, their faces inches apart. They stared at each other for a few seconds, hypnotized, then he slowly moved away helping her to her feet.

“We'd better go back to the castle, it’s almost dinner time, and I still have to pack my things for the trip,� she said embarassed, staring at her feet. That sudden reminder of her departure was like an icy shower for Severus, which made his good mood fade away. He nodded and they silently made their way back.

***

Those days without her were for Severus harder than he could have ever imagined. How was it possible he could miss her so much? He had not even missed his beloved mother like that, and she had been the only person who had ever loved him. Was he falling in love with that witch? No, he refused to even take it into consideration. He was so ashamed of his past, that he believed he had lost any right to love and be loved. How could he ever be able to love somebody, if he hated himself so much? But still, there was a frail hope hidden deep in his lonely heart.

He was back to his old bad mood. He began spending whole days alone, locked in his office with the mild excuse of some important research. He madly read, over and over, the potions book Minerva gave him for Christmas. He was always glad to see her falcon fly across the Great Hall to bring him her nearly, daily letter. The bird had finally got used to Severus, and had given up trying to peck his fingers off. It now even let him stroke its feathers, while he read its mistress letters.

At night, his mood got worse and it was harder for him to stand the loneliness. Sometimes, he payed a late visit to Hagrid's hut to have a drink with him. He had been knowing Hagrid for a long time. They were not exactly good friends, but he had enjoyed his company at the pub many times. Hagrid was just the jolly good fellow one needed to cheer up a lonely night. If it was not for Hagrid's unvoluntary, abysmal lack of discretion, they probably could have been good friends too. Alexandra was his friend because she was trustworthy, and could keep a secret, while Hagrid had the bad habit to let private things slip, even when he was asked to keep something secret.

School was soon back to its routine, but people still talked about the unforgettable Yule Ball. To say the truth, the amount of students’ crushes for teachers had allarmingly increased, after they saw Professors Snape and Falconbridge at their best. Yes, weird as it is, Snape had now his own fanclub! Even if he was back to his evil, unkept self, he still found too many girls following his Potions classes with too much interest for his tastes. He was in Dumbledore's office when a very shy Colin Creevey came in, carring a big parcel.

“Oh, Colin! Please, come forward,� Dumbledore kindly beckoned the mousy boy towards his desk. Colin was very excited to be in the Headmaster's office, but Snape's presence there greatly dampped his enthusiasm. Snape was well aware of his influence on students, and amused himself giving the boy one of his most terrifying looks.

“I-I have b-brought you t-the pics of the B-Ball, sir,� stuttered the boy, trembling from head over heels, deadly afraid of Snape.

“Thank you, Colin. I'm sure you did a good job.You can go now,� Dumbledore kindly dismissed the boy. Colin did not wait to be told twice, and almost run down the gargoyle staircase.

“Did you really had to scare that poor boy like that?� Albus lectured Snape.

“No, but it was funny,� Snape smirked.

“You're incorrigible, Severus,� Albus said staring at him over his half-moon spectacles. They selected the pictures for the album together.

“I have to admit it, the boy has got a true talent for photography,� Snape observed, impressed by their quality.

“Why don't you take some picture for yourself ? There are enough of them to fill ten albums, at least,� Dumbledore suggested.

“Let's see... Maybe one of myself, I don't have a decent one,� Snape lazily said, holding a full body picture of himself. He was rather tempted to take one with Alexandra too. But how was he going to justify the thing, without putting some weird idea in the old wizard's head?

“Take this one too,� Albus said handing him a wizarding picture of a dancing couple. It had been taken while Alexandra and Severus were waltzing alone on the dancefloor, eyes in eyes, smiling to each other. It was moving, and it was beautiful. Snape blushed a little at its sight. He had not even noticed when the boy took it.

“If you insist ...� he casually said, trying to sound detached.

***

The relationship between the two teachers had not yet moved a single step forwards. They still considered themselves as good friends. However, it was not that hard to see one of the two throw a furtive look at the other, and then suddenly look away before the other could notice. Really a weird way to behave for two friends, and someone else did notice it too. Dumbledore had once called Snape in his office without any apparent reason.

“You wanted to have a word with me, Headmaster?� he asked emerging from the gargoyle staircase.

“Yes, Severus. Please have a seat,� the older man invited him, with a serious expression on his face.

“You know I love you like a son, and it's like a father that I want to speak to you,� he solemnly said.

“What's now, Albus?� Snape muttered with annoyance.

“I'm worried about your happiness, my boy,�

“My happiness?� Snape arched an astonished brow.

“I'm afraid, there's a secret that could damage your chances to be happy,� Albus whispered mysteriously.

“What secret? Please, speak clearly!� the younger wizard pressed on.

“Before I can tell you, I need you to answer sincerely to a question. What are your feelings for Alexandra?� Albus inquired.

“She's a good friend,� Snape diplomatically replied.

“Do you care for her?�

“Yes,� he curtly answered, wondering what was passing through the older man's mind.

“And do you love her?�

“No! Well ... I don't know,� Severus muttered starting to panic, for he did not know what he truly felt for her.

“I don’t mean to intrude in your private life, my son,� Albus fatherly explained pacing the room, “but there’s an important thing you should know about Alexandra. Her parents were murdered by a group of unidentified Death Eaters before her own eyes, when she was only a small child.�

Severus froze at this revelation, and suddenly realized why the boggart had turned into one of them, when she faced it that terrible night.

“It's up to you to tell her about your delicate position or not. But beware that, if it ever comes out, you could loose her forever,� Albus sadly admonished him, resting his old hand on Severus' shoulder.

Severus felt his heart go into pieces, as the Headmaster's words echoed in his head. That little hope that the seed of a growing love had put in his heart, suddenly died under the weight of that unveiled secret. What was the right choise? Tell her or keep the secret? He did not know if he loved her or not, but he knew she was very important for him, and did not want to lose her.

“No! I won't tell her. She wouldn't understand! On the other hand, how the hell will she ever found out?� he though, trying to find some peace of mind. In that moment of confusion, he obviously seemed to have forgotten about the Dark Mark burnt on his left arm.

Chapter 9 - Pureblood Rules

Dumbledore's words had destroyed Snape’s yet feeble hopes of love. But he was still determined to treasure every single moment spent with her. He had kept his true identity hidden from so many people for so long, that he was sure he could easily hide it from her too. It was not like he went around wearing a T-shirt with the words Death Eater is cool on it. The only thing that mattered to him, it was that she cared for him too. Certainly, that really was not enough to judge if her feelings could ever go beyond friendship at all. He only had to keep the Dark Mark well hidden from her sight, as long as he could.

Luckily, there were very few people at shool who knew about his secret, and they all had no reason whatsoever to reveal it to her. The only one he seriously worried about was Moody. He was a very weird, paranoid man, an Auror and, above all, an old friend of her parents’. Snape suspected that, if it was not for Dumbledore’s trust in him, Moody would have sent him to Azkaban ages ago, Order of the Phoenix or not. Probably, Moody had already tried to warn her to stay away from him.

There was a dark thought that had been worming in Snape's mind for a long time. How was it possible that so many months had passed without any trace of the Death Eaters activities? He had not been recently summoned, and he was certain about that. In those days, he had checked the Mark every now and then, in the secrecy of his bedroom. He did not need to do so because, as soon as Voldemort called him, the Mark would have become more visible accompanied by a light itch, gradually turning in a burning, the more time passed before he answered to it.

All that calm was not a good sign at all. The enemy was surely gathering new followers all around the world, and Voldemort's powers were growing even stronger. Now that he thought about it, he was convinced that, what Malfoy sent him for Christmas was neither a coincidence nor a Slytherin way to remember old bygone times. No, he felt that serpent ring could only mean Remember where your loyalty lies! Who you belong to! Who's your only Master!’ He felt his blood freeze in his veins at the thought that something evil was about to happen, something terrible, something big that could change their lives forever. Maybe they were preparing for the final attack, and their lives were going to change either for bad or good. People will die, many innocent victims, untill they find a way to prevent it. But how?
***

The sign of the beginning of greater things was bound to a strange event, that under other conditions would have been considered only a thing of a very bad taste. One night, Professors Snape and Falconbridge were doing their usual patrolling of the castle. It was not very late, and some student was surely still awake, and it would have been easier to catch him breaking curfew. For the first time in all their patrolling, they finally had the luck to catch someone out. In a dark niche in the second floor corridor, they saw the shadows of a boy and a girl. He was a Ravenclaw and she was an Hufflepuff, and they were tenderly hugging and kissing. They were very nice to see. They reminded of some modern version of Romeo and Jiuliet, with the only difference that their houses were enemies only on the Quidditch pitch. As soon as Snape saw the snogging couple, he was ready to glide behind them, and scare them out of their wits with his deadly voice. He was about to move in their direction with a sneer of triumph, when he felt like restained by someone gripping to his arm.

“What's the matter with you?� he whispered under his breath, surprised by his collegue’s strange behaviour.

“I know it's our job to make them respect curfew, but can't we just give them five more minutes? Oh, please, Severus! They are so cute! We'll be back here in five minutes, and if they're still here we'll deduce at least twenty points each,� Professor Falconbridge pleaded with him.

He did not understand why she was acting like that. But all the same, he was not able to deny her anything when she looked at him with that lovely childish expression on her face. So they passed by the couple, pretending they did not see them. The two lovers saw their professors, and kept their breath untill they were far enough. Then, they wisely decided to find a safer place.

“I really don't understand why you asked me to do such a silly thing,� he complained looking sideways at her, while patrolling the first floor corridor.

“They reminded me of what it felt like to secretly meet your sweetheart after curfew in a dark corridor, and share the thrill of that forbidden kiss,� she sighed with dreaming eyes.

“I didn't know you were so romantic,� he arched an eyebrow in astonishment. Their dissertation on school time’s romance was brusquely interrupted by a sudden loud scream of fear.

“What was that?� she gasped looking around allarmed.

“It was a girl, it came from downstairs, the Hufflepuff dormitory!� he said looking at the floor, beneath which stood the corridor leading to the said dorms.

They immediately headed downstrairs at a breakneck run, wands at ready, their feet thundering on the stone floor, and their cloaks billowing behind them like two crimson and black clouds. When they reached the place, they found a little first year girl lying senseless on the floor. Not far from her lay the tiny corpse of a kitten. The poor creature had been reapped, and its blood had been used to write something on the wall. Professor Falconbridge kneeled down beside the girl, trying to wake her up, while Snape moved closer to the wall to read the bloody writing on it. It read Pureblood Rules! Meanwhile, other Hufflepuff students came out of their dormitory, attracted by the girl's scream, and some of the girls cried too in horror.

“Someone go get Professor Sprout!� Snape ordered to the petrified group.

“I'm going to call the Headmaster, stay with them,� he instructed Professor Falconbridge, before heading towards Dumbledore's tower. Professor Sprout reached the crime's scene, and was about to faint herself. She could not stand the sight of blood, but it was not time to be weak. She forced herself to find the strenght to face the situation, and try to calm down her shocked students. Dumbledore and Snape appeared from around the corner, followed by Professor McGonagall and Moody. The Headmaster closely examined the corpse, then concluded that someone had killed it by using a Severing Charm.

“Professor Sprout, take your students back to their common room,� he ordered to the fat witch, “Professor Snape, please take the girl to the Hospital wing. Professor Falconbridge go with him,� he sternly instructed them.

“All four Heads of Houses must gather each of their students in their common room, immediately. Subject anyone's wand to the Prior Incantato Spell, then come to my office to make your report.�

The fainted girl was very small for her age, so Snape preferred to carry her in his own arms to the Hospital wing, instead of conjuring a stretcher. Albus had been very wise to tell Alexandra to go with him. Imagine for a moment if the poor girl woke up to find herself in the arms of the most feared professor of the whole school ... She would probably faint again. Professor Falconbridge found the way he was carring the girl was almost fatherly. She was pretty sure that, in spite on what people thought about him, he really cared about his students. He only had his own strange way to show it.

***

Following the Headmaster's orders the four teachers gathered their students in their common room, seventy students each. Severus was very nervous. It was not like he believed his students were evil, but he well knew their family background. He had the terrible foreboding that the culprit was among his little snakes. He perfectly knew the ideas their parents had filled his students’ minds with, because they were the same he had been fed to. Many of them had, in fact, Death Eaters parents or relatives in their old, aristocratic, pureblood families.

Professor McGonagal called her Gryffindors in the common room, although she doubted any of them could be able of doing such horrible things. She checked all their wands, and heaved a sigh of relief when she found out it was not one of hers. She wished them goodnight, and went to meet Dumbledore. Professor Sprout was worried about the health of the fainted girl, and wanted to end it quickly so that she could visit her in the Hospital wing. She had no doubt on the absurdity of looking for the culprit in her house. Hufflepuffs’ loyalty was legendary, and that was also the house with the greatest number of Muggleborn in the whole school. However, an order was an order so she checked her students’ wands. No culprit, obviously.

Professor Falconbridge was in the Ravenclaw common room, surrounded by her students. She looked at the faces surrounding her. They did not looked able to do anything of that sort. By the way, she had to admit it was always her first year with them, so she did not know them at all. She checked all their wands and they were all innocent. She did not know what her collegues had found out, but her sixth sense made her worry about the Slytherins.

Professor Snape stood in the middle of the Slytherin common room, with a gloomy expression of foreboding on his face. It was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborated carved mantelpiece ahead of him, and several Slytherin emblems were carved in the back of the chairs. His cold eyes bored inquisitorily into those of the sleepy students around him. Then, with an heavy heart, he began calling them one by one. He felt a shiver run along his spine as Draco Malfoy came forwards, but he was innocent. He had now reached the letter P.

“Parkinson, Pansy!� he called out. The girl stepped in front of him keeping her eyes down, not daring to look in the threatening man's eyes.

“Prior Incantato,� sounded his stern voice. His eyes opened wide in shock when the wand revealed to have last cast a Severing Charm.

“You? I can't believe it!� he said looking at her with deep disappointment. She was one of his best students. There was no need to go on, but all the same he wanted to check the other wands as well. He hopped to find another Severing Charm somewhere, an accomplice perhaps or the true culprit. But there were no other spells of that kind.

“Miss Parkinson, follow me to the Headmaster’s office. Back to your dormitories, all of you!� Snape ordered in his most dangerous voice, then they both left the room.

***

Dumbledore, Moody, Filch and the other three teachers were already there. Although Snape was not there, there were very few doubts he was alone. He appeared from the gargoyle staircase, followed by the girl. His face showed a mixture of different emotions that went from disappointment, shame, rage to fury.

“It was Parkinson, Headmaster,� he coldly said, violently pushing the girl forward. He stood behind, half in shadow, staring at the floor. The girl had betrayed his trust, throwing shame on their house.

“Explain us the reason of your action,� Dumbledore calmly said to the girl, but she shook her head refusing to speak.

“You know you can be expelled for this?� he said keeping his voice low. The girl nodded but kept silent.

“Speak then!� Snape barked infuriated, loosing control.

“As you refuse to speak, 150 points will be taken from Slytherin, and you'll serve detention untill you decide to confess,� was Dumbledore's verdict.

“Professor Snape, as Head of her House, I think it's up to you the choice of her detention,� he said calmly. Snape had now managed to suppress his fury a little.

“We could try to force the truth out of her with some Veritaserum, I have some here with me,� Snape proposed, taking an ampoulle out of an inside pocket of his robe. The girl opened her eyes wide at the sight of the potion. She knew it would have made her say anything that crossed her mind, even embarassing things. It was better for her to confess willingly. Snape had one more weapon in his arsenal, Occlumency, but he did not want to use it in public. Screwing up all her courage, Pansy began telling her story between a stream of tears and sobs of regret. Draco Malfoy told her to give him a special love proof to show she was worth him, and deserving of being in Slytherin. He had told her the plan to follow in each detail, she even knew the name of the poor kitten. When she ended her story, she dropped to her knees crying in dispair.

“Please, don't tell Draco I told you,� she prayed them.

“Stand up!� Professor Snape commanded, gripping the girl by an arm, “I sincerely advise you to look for love somewhere else. If it's true that like son like father, he really has no idea what love may be,� he bitterly told her. “As for you detention, you'll begin by spending tonight alone, locked in dungeon 17.�

“Mr Filch, please take Miss Parkinson to her new accomodation,� he spat to the caretaker.

“No, please! I regret what I did! I'm sorry for betraying your trust!� cried the girl, gripping helplessly to his cloak as if her very life depended on that. But he looked away without saying a word, letting Filch take her away.

“You need an iron fist with these pesky little snakes,� commented Moody.

“You'd better mind your own business, you old fool,� Snape angrily hissed, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. His eyes were so full of fury, that one could have thought he was about to kill the man with his own bare hands. The other teachers were all silent. They reproachfully stared at Moody, indignated by his tactless behaviour. Anyone who had an ounce of sensibility could have realized what a hard blow the whole matter had been for Snape.

“I'll have a word with Mr Malfoy tomorrow, Headmaster,� he coldly said, then turned on his heels and walked off.

“Alastor, you should feel ashamed of yourself. As weird as you may find it, Severus cares a lot for his students, and they for him,� Albus shouted, looking at Moody with disgust. In that moment, no one hated Moody more than Severus and Alexandra. She had always cared for the old Auror, because he was her parents’ best friend, and he had been very close to her and her family after their death. But nothing on earth could have justified such a lack of sensibility towards a suffering man.

***

Alexandra was so sorry for him, that she decided to go down into the dungeons for a visit, even if it was very late. She had seen from her window that he was still awake, so she knocked on his office door without hesitation. He opened the door with a wave of his hand, without leaving the armchair he was sitting in. He had a glass of wiskey in his hands and was bent with his elbows resting on his knees, his hair falling like a curtain on his face. He was a very pitiful sight in that deep state of frustration, all his coldness gone.

“Drinking is no help!� she said kneeling down in front of him to take the glass away from his hands. But he was not drunk.

“It was not your fault and you know it,� she said soothingly, gently moving his long raven flocks away from his face with her hand.

“I had to prevent such things to happen in the first place,� he said with a toneless voice, his eyes staring blankly to the ground.

“I know it was an horrible thing to do. But it was a school prank, after all,� she said trying to comfort him.

“It wasn't anything that childish at all. Did you read what she wrote on the wall? Did you understand what those words imply?� he hissed with his eyes full of anger.

“I know there are people obsessed by this idea of the superiority of Pureblood wizarding families. It's only an excuse to justify their prejudices against Muggle-born wizards. I think that power has nothing to do with blood, or else how could you explain the existance of squibs?� she wisely said.

“I agree with you, but for these people their aristocratic blood is more important than their own lives. Do you know what you absolutely need to be sorted in the Slytherin House? You must be pureblood! Now, do you understand that something of that kind can't be undervalued when coming from children whose minds have been filled with those ideas, since they still were in their craddle? Although I'm not a Muggle-lover like Albus, I'm not as blind as many other purebloods. Usually Slytherins are cleaver enough to avoid being caught, and every time those cunning kids create some trouble I always have to solve the situation alone,� he told her concluding his long monologue with a sad note. He had taken the whole thing as a personal failure, who could have mined Dumbledore's trust in him.

“You are not alone now,� she whispered, tenderly caressing his cheeck with her soft hand. He took her hand in his, and softly kissed her palm.

“I know I can count on you,� he said grateful, staring at her straight in the depths of her gentle eyes. She then stood up, a little embarassed by the intensity of his stare.

“Do you need something? A cup of tea, perhaps?� she kindly asked.

Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her waist and she nearly lost her balance. He pressed his face on her soft belly, just like an helpless child looking for some consolation for a recent nightmare. It was an odd behaviour, very unsnapish. But, when he was with her, he felt free to give way to his emotions without feeling any shame.

“Please, don't go! Stay with me. Don't leave me alone, hold me,� he helplessly pleaded. He would have liked to say love me!, but life had always denied him the things he desired the most, so why should he hope to have her love. Her friendship was the best thing had happened to him in his whole miserable life, and he was not going to spoil it all, by surrendering to some foolish sentimentalism.

“Come on! Don't be silly. I'm going nowhere. Go wash your face with some cold water. It will help, believe me. I'll be waiting for you on the sofa,� she reassured him, going to take a seat, while he finally disappeared in the loo.

Her eyes followed him while she mused on the internal storm of emotions and bad memories, that his mask of coldness should daily keep hidden. It was clear he had had a hard life and things were still so for him. She deeply admired his strong and resolute temperament, he always showed a great strength even in his moments of weakness. She had met strong men that in a similar state of mind would have cried like babies, but not him. He seemed to have forgotten how to cry. He came out of the loo, his face rosier for the impact with the chilling water, and went to join her on the sofa.

“Thank you for coming, you presence always helps me better than any Healing potion or Cheering Charm,� he said putting his big hand on her delicate one. She smiled and put her other hand on his. He turned his hand and twined his slender fingers through hers.

“Then I will always be by your side,� she softly whispered.

They stood there for a while, staring at the flames dancing in the fireplace, their hands entwined, silent. For there's no need of words when you are with a friend. Sometimes you say it best when you say nothing at all. Before they took notice of the passing of time, the old grandfather clock in his office struck midnight.

“It's midnight yet?� she shouted in surprise, “I'm sorry, Severus. But I really must go now! I need to take some rest. I can't go to my classes looking like a zombie,� she excused herself, and stood up ready to leave.

“I'm sorry I kept you here for so long, you must be tired,� he said staring at the clock on the wall, “I should have some floo-powder, you can use it to go straight to your room,� he said stepping to the mantelpiece to check the pot in which he was used to keep some.

“Oh thank you, Severus. I'm really too tired to walk up to the seventh floor. I think I may fall asleep along the way,� she yawned.

She stepped to the fireplace, took a handful of the glittering powder, gave him a peck on the cheek and disappered in a flash of green flames. He was glad she had not hugged him, or else he really doubted he would have let her go so easily. Her visit had been a true blessing, it had relaxed a little his tensed nerves and he could now try to have some sleep too. He was going to have a Slytherin/Gryffindor joint class in the morning, neither a really good way to begin one's day nor a good reason to wake up in the first place.

Chapter 10 - Friends

The lack of a proper night’s sleep showed clearly on the faces of our two friends. Alexandra easily hid the bags under her eyes with some extra make-up, but he obviously could not do the same. Like sleepiness was not enough, he had woken up with a terrible headache, which tortured him with piercing stitches. His Slytherin/Gryffindor double Potions was no help at all. He always had to be extremely vigilant to keep this particular troublesome group under control. He kept prowling through the fumes, making waspish remarks, as usual. He massaged his temples every now and then, but it was useless. What worried him the most, it was that he had to stop Malfoy after class with an excuse, to find out if there was something to worry about, behind the special request the boy had required from Miss Parkinson. He would probably need to use Legilimency, followed by a Memory Charm to cover the whole matter. Actually, he was not in the best conditions to cast any spell at all.

“Miss Granger, go to Madam Pomfrey and bring me a strong Healing Potion for headaches, please,� he requested to the cleaver student, who had already successfully accomplished the task assigned. This way, she would not be able of helping her fellow Gryffindors. She went out of the class, looking at her teacher in astonishment.

“I should have gone deaf. I thought I heard him say please,� she muttered to herself on her way to the hospital wing.

“It should be hurting him like mad, if he sent me out before class was over,� she wisely concluded.

As soon as he took the potion, it began working its healing, and he immediately felt a new man. Double Potions was finally at the end, and it was time to make his move.

“Malfoy, could you stay after class. I need a word with you about your latest essay,� he told to the blond boy, while students were gathering their books to leave the room.

“You two can wait for him in the Entrance Hall, it won’t take us long,� he said to Malfoy’s sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle, who were both so dull to not understand it was going to be a private conversation.

“What did you want to tell me, Sir?� Malfoy said, once his minions had closed the door behind them.

“I wanted to talk with you about the incident you put Miss Parkinson in, last night,� he snarled going straight to the point. He did not need to play with words because, after the memory charm, the boy would remember nothing about it.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!� said the boy, faking innocence.

“You perfectly know what I mean,� Snape hissed icily, with rising fury in his cold eyes.

“I told you. I don’t ...� Draco had not the time to finish his sentence, that Snape had his wand pointed at him.

“Legilimens!� Snape shouted.

The spell struck the boy, sending him to his knees on the cold floor of the Potions classroom. The Potion Master had easily access to the boy’s mind, without meeting any resistance to his intrusion. He wandered about in the boy’s past and recent memories. He also saw some boy-thoughts about many of the school girls. He was very surprised to see one of those thoughts concerning Hermione Granger too. He believed the boy hated her as much as she did, but maybe apparences deceive.

He finally found what he was looking for. He saw Draco lying on the carpet in front of his dormitory fireplace, having a nice little father and son chat. In the middle of the green flames stood, in fact, the hateful face of none but Lucius Malfoy himself.

“I have an important mission for you, my son,� Lucius smirked.

“Yes, father?� the boy said excited.

“Our Lord longs taking control over Hogwarts. It’s too much a precious opportunity for new recruitments to let it in Dumbledore’s incompetent hands,� Lucios snarled. At these words Snape’s face twisted with disgust, as the memory of the night of his own recruitment came back to his mind.

“What can I do to help you?� Draco said, eager to exploit that good chance to prove his worth to his father.

“We need to shake a little that old fool of Dumbledore from his sense of almightiness over the school. Let’s rise in him the suspect that the Death Eaters may have found a way to sneak in the school, with someone’s help from within. Let’s show him that our ideals are shared right under his nose,� said Lucius with a malevolent glint in his icy grey eyes.

“Maybe we can use a writing on the wall and, a mudblood involved. The whole faculty nearly went nuts when the Chamber of Secrets was opened,� Draco suggested.

“Why not? A warning! Let me see... Pureblood Rules! Yes, it’s enough childish to look like the handiwork of a student. It will throw them into enough confusion to double the effects of the real Death Eaters’ attack,� said Lucius very satisfied with his son’s cunning.

“I want a clean work, Draco. Which means: let someone else do it for you,� he diabolicly sneered, “let me see ... We need someone unsuspectable, weak and easy to manipulate. A girl perhaps, that silly Weasley girl did a good job last time.�

“Let’s use Pansy!� Draco readily proposed, with a sadic expression on his face. “ She has a crush for me, I’m sure she would do anything I ask her to. Moreover, she’s a Slytherin and she’ll keep her mouth shut.�

“Enough!� roared Snape’s angry voice. He was really revolted by the way Draco had played with the poor girl’s feelings. But what else can one expect from a Malfoy? Like father like son! The minute the incantation was broken, the boy abruptely fell on the floor. He was about to ask his teacher what had he done to him, when readily Snape struck him with the Memory Charm.

“Obliviate!� Snape shouted, and the boy lay senseless on the cold stone floor.

The Potion Master raised the boy from the floor, and sat him in a chair, waiting for him to come back to his senses. When Draco woke up, he was very confused. He gave a look around the empty room, then looked at his teacher standing before him with his arms folded on his chest.

“Sorry, sir. What were you saying?� Draco said, completely unaware of their previous conversation.

“I was saying that your latest Potions essay was the best of your year. I appoint twenty points to Slytherin for your good work,� Snape lied, and a triumphant smile flickered across his gaunt face.

His two spells had both worked outstandingly. Malfoy did not remember a single thing, and was now peacefully going to have dinner with a broad self-satisfied smile on his face, for the easily earned house points. Things stood exactly how Snape had thought. There was something hidden behind those bloody words on the wall, and that was right what he had most feared. A new Death Eaters’ attack then, and what was worst, it was directed against a school full of helpless students. He was really surprised him that Lucius Malfoy had not informed him about this plan, as he did when the Chamber of Secrets was opened.

“Strange, very strange. Is him suspecting something? I’d better keep and eye on him,� he muttered to himself. He had to tell it straight away to Dumbledore. They had to get ready to face the worst, and fight them back before they could go inside the castle. He also had to mentally prepare himself to be soon summoned by the Dark Lord, before this all happened. After dinner was over, Snape met with Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Moody in the Headmaster’s office.

“I knew Malfoy was behind it!� Moody shouted as soon as Snape ended his report.

“I was sure that Miss Parkinson couldn’t have done it on her own initiative,� said Minerva through pursed lips.

“We need to reinforce Hogwarts defences, and get ready to face the enemy. I�ll send an owl to Professor Flitwick to see if they’ve achieved any useful result in their researches,� said Albus.

“Do you think it’s wise to use a school owl? It could be easily intercepted,� said a worried Minerva.

“Let’s use the falcon, then. It’s safer,� Snape suggested.

“You’re both right, and I agree with you that using Alexandra’s falcon will be less risky. I’ll ask her to lend it to me tomorrow at breakfast,� Albus concluded.

Things settled, Snape excused himself and left the meeting, because Parkinson was waiting for him in his office. She was going to spend that night’s detention with him. At ten o’clock Pansy arrived to Snape’s office to receive the orders for her punishment.

“You’ll make an inventory of the school ingredients storage. Line the jars in alphabetic order. Come to me if you find one with a missing label, or you don’t understand my handwriting,� Snape said with his usual coldness.

The girl silently went to the storage door, still unable to look at him in the face. She felt really ashamed for the stupid thing she had done. In those days she began avoiding Malfoy, she decided she would never let him make a fool of herself again. Obviously, Draco could not care less to have lost one of his many admirers. Pansy had already completed the ‘B’ section, when she timidly appeared on the doorway of Snape’s office.

“What’s the matter, Miss Parkinson?� Snape asked raising his eyes from the book he was reading.

“Professor... I wanted to tell you I’m sorry. I did a very bad thing. I’ve been a fool to trust that shameless traitor. But what’s worst, I have disappointed you,� the girl whined with a tremblilng voice. Then she finally found the courage to look at him in the face. Her lower lip began to tremble and her eyes filled with tears.

“Forgive me Professor, please!� she said clutching her hands to her robes. There was no doubt she had learnt her lesson. Snape’s heart gave him a pang at the sight of the girl in tears. Her words clearly showed how much she cared for his esteem. He put down his book and stood up, he crossed the room till he stopped right in front of her.

“Come here!� he said opening his arms with a fatherly warm smile on his thin lips. The girl threw herself at him, nestling her face on his wide chest, crying profusely.

“Never more!� repeated the girl over and over, while he held her with one arm and caressed her head with his hand.

“I know it, my girl. Come on, now. Stop crying! Let’s finish this work together. I don’t think you need any more detentions. I suggest you to use your next Hogsmeade week-end to find a new kitten for that Hufflepuff girl. It will help to restore a balance between the houses.�

Pansy nodded and they went back into the storage together.

***

Dumbledore’s message safely reached Professor Flitwick, and the falcon was soon back. Albus gathered the Faculty in the Staff Room to inform them about the news. He had already told them the secret hidden behind the writing on the wall, keeping Malfoy’s name out of the matter. Suspicions, however, ran to Slytherin House, as it was no secret that many of them were closely involved with the Death Eaters.

“Professor Flitwick informed me his team of researchers has found some interesting solutions that could be fit for our situation. However, they still couldn’t find anything useful to contrast the Unforgivables,� he informed the teachers, “but I have two good news as well. First, they have created a new arithmantic incantation, which generates a ward much stronger than the one actually in use. Secondly, they invented a system of warning able to detect a Death Eater’s presence in a wide rage around the castle grounds. They’ll send one of their experts this week-end to help us installing the new devices,� Dumbledore explained.

“Alexandra, you’ll be pleased to know, that the wizard they’re sending is an old acquaintance of yours,� Albus told her with a merry twinkle in his blue eyes.

“Who?� she wondered excited.

“Your friend Dominique Kalkulos, and he’s bringing his wife Sabrina with him.� Alexandra was out of her skin with joy.

“Oh, but that’s wonderful! I haven’t been seeing them for a long time,� she said with a broad smile on her lips. Mrs Sabrina Kalkulos was, in fact, none but Alexandra’s best friend. They had met at Hogwarts, fellow Ravenclaws, and they’d never parted until Sabrina met her husband Dominique and they lately left the country, because he had been appointed lecturer in a foreign wizarding University, and she had found a job as ordinary Transfiguration teacher there too.

Alexandra and Sabrina loved each other like sisters, and that great chance to meet her again was for Alexandra like Christmas had come twice that year. Obviously they already knew she was teaching there, she had wrote it down in one of her long letters.

“A whole weekend together!�Alexandra thought and she could not wait they were there. She perfectly knew they were probably on their way towards Britain, but it seemed to her like eternity. The only person who was not pleased by their visit was Severus. He was certain their coming would focus her whole attention on them, surely leaving him aside. He knew it was unfair, but he could not help being jealous of her friends. Now that he had found someone who really cared for him, he seemed to easily fall into a desertion syndrom, like a puppy left on its own. He now found her enthusiasm almost irritating, because it had nothing to do with him.

It was a beautiful sunny morning when the guests arrived to the castle. The sunlight could hardly match the beaming smile on Alexandra’s face. They were to arrive after breakfast and a welcoming commitee of the faculty and some curious student was waiting for them on the entrance staircase. As soon as their carriage appeared at the grounds’ gate, Alexandra’s heart began to palpitate. When its passengers came out, she lose control over her enthusiasm. She run towards the couple holding her skirt in her hands to avoid stumbling, all seriousness thrown to the wind.

Dominique was a tall slim man, with a pair of round glasses which gave him a wise look. He wore a blue robe with a matching low hat, one like the ones Dumbledore used to wears on great occasions. Sabrina was three years older than Alexandra, nearly as tall as she was. She had shoulder length black hair, brown eyes and a cute little mole on her chin, which gave her face a pretty childish expression. She liked to wear dresses made with oriental fabrics. That morning, she wore a beautiful golden indian sari-like dress with a black pointed hat. Severus snorted and rolled his eyes at the sight of the two young women embracing each other, giggling like two small children going to the fairground.

That was only the beginning of that wonderful week-end together. Dominique was busy all day explaining to Dumbledore the details of their new defensive plan, while the Headmaster showed him the castle and the grounds from top to bottom. Therefore, Alexandra and Sabrina had a whole day for themselves. They had lots of strolls in the grounds, and to Hogsmeade and back, talked about thousands of things which happened in their lives since they parted. Sabrina told her that her mother still lived in a nice cottage not far from Alexandra’s grandparents. She was something like a Mrs Weasley without red hair, and with only one child. Alexandra told her about her experience among the Aurors, her life as a Charm teacher at Hogwarts, and her friendship with Severus.

“Is he that tall man in black I’ve seen standing next to Dumbledore?� Sabrina asked curiously, “He looks a bit ... cold. And it seemed to me, that he was watching us in a way not really ... friendly,� Sabrina commented a little perplexed.

“Oh, never mind him. I think he’s a little jealous of the time I’m spending with you. You know, apart from the patrolling, we’re used to spend our free time together. He doesn’t have many friends, so I guess he’s just feeling a little lonely,� Alexandra explained with an amused smile.

“I can assure you that his coldness is mostly a mask he wears in public. He’s very kind with me and I know he cares for the students, and his Slytherins respect him,� Alexandra said feeling obliged to contradict appearences. It looked like she was trying to justify the fact she cared so much for such a gloomy man.

“By the way, he’s a brilliant wizard and a wonderful potions maker. He’s an interesting talker and has a ready mind. But most of all, I feel really at ease with him. He gives me a great sense of protection,� she said, blushing a little for her passionate defence of her friend.

“Are you sure you’re not falling in love with him?� Sabrina asked her, a question which had crossed Alexandra’s mind many times too.

“What? No, I told you! We’re just good friends. What gives you such a weird idea?� Alexandra tried desperately to divert her friend’s suspicions.

“Oh, nothing ... I was just wondering ...� Sabrina vaguely said, “I know you’ve always had a weak spot for these gothic, gloomy kind of men. The evil guy charm, you know,� she alluded, looking maliciously at her friend, who was now looking around the room to avoid her friend’s inquisitory gaze. “Believe me! I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and I wouldn’t call it so friendly,� she said avoiding useless puns.

“You must be mistaken,� Alexandra shortly said.

“Maybe... but maybe not,� Sabrina muttered prophetically, giving an end to their embarassing conversation.

Dinner time came like a blessing for Alexandra, as it would have kept her friend’s attention focused on something else. She knew well Sabrina was not the nosy kind, and her questions came out from her affection for her. She had always considered her like a wise elder sister, and she had to admit that her hints were not so absurd after all. The problem was that she had never deeply analized the nature of her feelings for Severus, and she was not able to say if she considered him only a friend or something more. She only knew how good it felt to be with him, and how much she missed him when they were apart. He had never showed her his feelings, for what she could remember. Not that it was easy for Severus Snape to openly show any intimate emotion at all!

When she finally went to bed that night, she found it a little difficult to fall asleep as Sabrina’s words kept echoing in her ears. Somebody once said: The distance between love and friendship is a kiss. She was sure they had not crossed that limit yet, and wondered if hugs counted too. Maybe she should pay more attention to his behaviour with her, above all when they were alone. But it was easier to say than to do it, when two were so close friends, misunderstandings were a common risk. She really did not want to hear again a man tell her ‘I love you like a sister’, it was so frustrating. To say the truth, she enjoyed his company so much that being friends was just enough for her.

***

On Sunday morning, Dumbledore and Mr Kalkulos finished their careful examination of the defensive plan in each detail, and they were now ready to get to work. The new incantation was an easy task, since Dumbledore or Mr Kalkulos himself were able to perform it. The second part of the plan was the hardest. They had to use of a special device which apparently looked like a common weatherowl, but it had nothing to do with winds. In fact, it was able to reveal the presence of a Death Eater within the range of many miles. They were going to be installed on the many towers and spires all over the castle roofs. The only problem was that they first needed to be exposed to a Death Eater, to be calibrated to the dark magic emanating from their mark.

“I have the solution to our problem, but I should ask you to swear you’re going to keep the secret,� Albus told Dominique very seriously.

“You have my word!� the younger wizard earnestly said. He was an honest and loyal man, so there was no doubt he was going to keep his word.

“It is very important that no one else knows how we’ll put the weatherowls in direct contact with one of those we call our enemies. I must ask you to keep the secret with your wife too. You’ll understand my reasons later,� Albus said and Dominique nodded his agreement. Dumbledore approached the fireplace in his study and threw a handful of floo-powder in the flames.

“Severus, I need you in my office,� he said to the flames. Seconds later the tall figure of a man, fully dressed in black, stepped out of the flames.

“This is Professor Severus Snape, our Potion Master,� Albus introduced him to his guest. The two men shortly shook hands. Dominique was clueless, what use was a Potion Master for their project?

“Professor Snape here was a Death Eater, but he now works for our cause as a double agent. I think there’s no need to tell you that I deeply trust him,� Albus said to clear off the expression of allarm on the younger wizard’s face.

“He will kindly show you his Dark Mark, so that you can do the proper incantation on the devices. It would be wiser to enable the weatherowls to recognize Professor Snape’s magical aura, or they’ll keep indicating his presence here at Hogwarts.�

Professor Snape unwillingly unbottoned the cuff of his left sleeve, showing to Mr Kalkulos the faded lines of the mark on his forearm. The image of the skull with the serpent protruding from its mouth was hardly visible in normal conditions, it would turn black only when Voldemort called him. To calibrate the weatherowls they needed to lay the point of each arrow right on the Dark Mark itself, an operation that took quite long. That was a thing that Snape did not enjoyed at all, but he well knew it was really necessary.

Dominique still could not understand why he should not tell his dear wife anything about Snape. He had never hidden anything from her before, and they blindly trusted each other. But as soon as she told him about Alexandra’s friendship with Snape, he suddenly realized why Dumbledore insisted so much on secrecy. Alexandra probably did not know anything about it, and it was not up to him to tell her. Dumbledore summoned the faculty in the staff room to inform them the new devices had been set to work, then they all moved to the Great Hall to have dinner, and later they said good-bye to their leaving guests. Alexandra was very sad they had to go away so soon, but she was grateful for that unexpected chance to see them again.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do ... and keep me informed,� Sabrina winked to her friend.

“Stop it!� Alexandra said blushing, guessing what her friend was alluding to or rather whom. They hugged and tears flowed between good-byes and I-will-miss-yous.

“Take care of yourself,� Dominique told her, brotherly embracing her. Then the carriage left and Alexandra stood there, at the bottom of the entrance staircase, staring at it, till it became a small point at the horizon to disappeare in the night mist. Everybody was back in the castle, only Professor McGonagall stayed behind, waiting for the younger witch. Minerva came closer to her and put an hand on her shoulder.

“Come in, my dear. It’s getting cold here outside,� she gently whispered. Alexandra whipped her tears in her handkerchief, and they finally went in together, then headed to the long staircases leading to their lodgings.
***

Alexandra was in her room. It was still early and she was not sleepy, though a little tired. She moved to the window and saw everything very still outside. She then looked down towards the Slytherin wing. There was still light shining in Severus’s rooms.

“He’s awake, maybe I should pay him a visit. He’ll be infuriated with me for leaving him alone the whole week-end. I must go to apologize, or else he’s able to sulk for days,� she said to herself, feeling a little guilty. She stepped into the fireplace, threw a handful of floo-powder and shouted “Severus’s rooms�, a blaze of green flames surrounded her body and she was gone. There he was, sat in his armchair, legs crossed, reading a huge tome on potions. He noticed her arrival and raised his eyes from his book.

“Well, well, well. What a nice surprise! Have you finally remembered of your poor gloomy friend Severus?� he hissed with bitter irony.

“Oh, Severus. Please, don’t be so upset. I’m really sorry for having left you alone,� she said, a little hurt by his hostility.

“You could keep ignoring me, I was getting used to be alone again,� he bitterly stressed on the last word.

“Don’t you think you’re overreacting? I told you I’m sorry. I’m here to apologize not to be accused of abandonment,� she protested, a bit irritated by his childish behaviour. It had been only two days after all, not a month! She would have liked to make him join them, but he was absolutely not a sociable man. She perfectly knew an iron fist was useless when he decided to be so stubborn. Better trying with the good ways, instead. She then moved behind his armchair and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Come on, Severus! You know I haven’t been seeing them for years. I’ve spent more time with you here at Hogwarts than with them in ages,� she sweetly whispered to smooth his temper.

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous!� she teased him.

“Definitely not! It’s more that ... I missed you,� he finally admitted.

“You, silly boy!� she giggled amused, and pecked him on the cheek. That man was developping an allarming fondness for her, if he could not spend two days on his own without missing her.

“What are you reading?� she inquired looking curiously at the open page before him.

“Ancient Potions of the Celtic Druids of Ireland,� he said in such a casual voice, that one could think he was just reading the Daily Prophet.

“Oh, yes. The book Minerva gave you for Christmas,� she shouted, recognizing its cover.

“Do you only read potions books?� she wondered.

“No, have a look at my bookshelf if you like,� he muttered before going back to his reading. She stepped to the long bookshelf running along the wall. There were hundreds of books, all lined in perfect order. She was a little shocked when she realized that they were divided into sections according to their subject, and in alphabetic order. That man was a true maniac of order! There were many scientific texts about Potions, Herbology, Chemistry and also Pharmacology. The majority of them probably belonged to the years of his Mastership. The smaller section was dedicated to literature, both wizarding and Muggle.

“I see you have books of Muggle science too,� she observed a little surprised.

“I personally think wizards should have a thorough understanding of the non-magical scientific community, without being so blind to refuse Muggle theories without even taking them into consideration. I believe it’s important to always see both sides of things,� he commented in a toneless voice. She was pleased to found out they shared the same liking in Muggle literature. He had books of many of her favourite writers such as William Shakespeare, Robert Burns, William Wordsworth, Oscar Wilde and E.A. Poe.

“Would you please read me something?� she asked him.

“What? Why don’t you do it yourself?� he said surprised by her weird request.

“I have always loved listening to people reading, and you happen to have a perfect voice for that,� she hopefully praised him.

“All right, then. What would you like me to read?� he said putting aside his book.

“Let’s see ... Poe’s Tales of Terror. Let’s begin with The Black Cat, I adore it,� she said going to take seat on the sofa. He followed her, opened the book and cleared his throat, while she wrapped her arms around his left one like a small child preparing to listen to her favourite fairy tale. He began reading in his best smooth, velvety, warm voice while she left herself lead away by the stream of words. She found his voice was very sensual. He had just finished the first story and was about to begin the next one, when she began to give signs of uneasiness.

“What’s the matter with you? Are you sleepy? We can continue another day if you want?� he kindly proposed.

“My back is aching. I have been so busy today that I haven’t had a moment to take some rest. But I’m not sleepy, please go on reading,� she unconvincingly exorted him.

“Maybe we could move to my bedroom. You can lie on my bed while I continue reading sat in the nearby armchair,� he suggested. He knew too well what it meant to have an aching back.

“Good idea, let’s go,� she agreed, and they moved into the next room.

He snapped his fingers, and the candles and lanterns in the room lit up. He also used an Incendio Spell on the fireplace to warm up the usually chilling room. Approaching his bed, her attention was caught by the picture of a woman standing on his bedside-cabinet. When she had come there on Christmas day, she probably had been too much excited to notice that elegant frame. A misterious woman in Severus life? She really could not refrain her curiousity before that.

“Who is she?� she asked, taking the frame in her hand to have a better look. It was a beautiful young woman, with long black raven hair and languid black eyes, richly dressed, with a sweet smile but a shade of melancholy in her eyes as well.

“It was my mother. She died when I was eleven, shortly after I began Hogwarts,� he sadly whispered.

“She was beautiful. Now I see where your charm comes from! What was her name?� she inquired.

“Elizabeth. She was so tender ... she loved music and fine arts. She tought me to dance and play the piano,� he said taking the picture from her hands.

“Oh, you can play?� she exclaimed amazed.

“Yes, but I gave up playing after her death,� he curtly said putting it back in its place.

Severus then paused a few seconds staring at it. He had never noticed before, but Alexandra somehow reminded him of his mother. The same sweetness, the same grace, the same love for dancing. Maybe that was the reason why they became friends so easily. She took off her shoes and climbed on his huge comfortable bed, on which there was room enough for two people. He took out his wand to moved an armchair closer to the bed, but she interrupted him.

“Severus, there’s no need to move it. There’s room enough for two here. You can lie down by my side,� she said not wanting to disturb him any farter. He went to the other side of the bed, took off his shoes and cloak and streatched himself next to her. At his big surprise and equal pleasure, she grabbed his arm and passed it around her back and snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“This way you’ll keep me warm while you read. Do you mind?� she innocently asked to her confused friend, who slowly shook his head.

He enjoyed very much that second reading. He was sure there could not be anything more pleasant on earth than lie down close to her. After a while that he was reading, his attention was averted from the book by the sound of her deep breath. She had fallen asleep without realizing it. He decided it was useless to go on reading, and thought well to follow her example. He put the book away trying to move the less he could. He was afraid of waking her up because, then, she would probably have gone away to spend the rest of the night in her own bed. With a swish of his wand he pulled a cover over both of them, gave a last look at her and closed his eyes, falling asleep at once.

She was the first to wake, it was sunrise and a feeble ray of light came in from the window, illuminating only a small portion of the room but not the bed. She had a look at the man peacefully sleeping by her side. He had been careful to let her sleep all night through without waking her up. She was fascinated by his pale face. It looked even paler in the dim light of the new born sun. She followed every line of his long face with her eyes. He was so handsome in his sleep. A pair of nasty thoughts also crossed her mind when her gaze came to rest on the many bottons of the collar of his shirt and jacket. She was greatly tempted to unbotton them, and explore with her fingers that new land of flesh he kept so well hidden from view.

She resisted hard to the temptation, blaming herself for allowing such embarassing thoughts to come in her mind. Certainly, the manly scent of white musk and sandal wood spreading from his warm body was no help. It was better for her to leave the room at once, before she could do something she would regret later. She slowly shifted out from under the cover and out of bed, but he did not wake up. She took her shoes in her hands and was about to leave the room, when she suddenly went back to the bed. There was one thing she had forgotten to do that she would have dearly regretted. She bent over the sleeping man’s face and softly kissed him on the lips. It was a kiss as light as the wings of a butterfly, enough to feel the warmth and taste of his thin lips, but not as much to wake him up. Then she left.

When he woke up later in the morning, he put a hand on the spot where she was supposed to be. He was very disappointed to find it empty, all was left of her was the warmth of her body and her delicate perfume on his pillow. She was gone and it was useless to look for her around the empty room. He then thoughtlessly brought his fingers to his lips, feeling the light sensation of a previous pressure on them, something like a kiss. He paused, then energically shook off that weird idea. “No, I must have been dreaming!� he said to himself and got out of bed.

Chapter 11 - A Stolen Kiss

Now that Hogwarts’s defences had been reinforced, they could all sleep more peacefully. The days passed one by one quite uneventful, following their daily routine. One of those ordinary days, Professors Snape and Falconbridge were spending their after-lunch break having a pleasant walk in the cloister, chatting.

“How is your afternoon today, Alexandra?� he casually asked her.

“Oh, nothing of special. Just a class at one o’clock, and then I have the whole afternoon free. And yours?� she said smiling to him.

“I have no more classes for today, but I’ll have to spend my whole afternoon shut up in my office. I have hundreds of essays to mark before tomorrow ... I give you a good advice for your teaching career: never use homework as a punishment, it will turn against yourself in the end!� he said with an evident hint of frustration in his voice. She was sorry for him, and wanted to find something to cheer him up.

“Listen, Severus ... I could help you with the marking if you like? I have finished mine yesterday and have nothing else to do.� Her proposal took him by surprised.

“I can’t imagine a more boring way to waste one’s free time. Are you sure you really want to do it?� he asked, arching a dubious eyebrow to her.

“Yes, I am. By the way, with you stuck in there all the time, my afternoon would probably be as boring as yours,� she whispered in a flirting tone. He smirked amused to the idea that someone might find his company pleasant.

“Well, then. See you in my office at four o’clock,� he muttered and they went back indoors.

For the first time in his whole teaching career, Snape looked forward to begin his marking. When the clock in his office struck four, she gently knocked on his office door. He let her in, and gestured her toward his working desk and to the chair he had set for her, opposite his own.

“I’ve divided the rolls in two groups, you take the first and second years and I take the rest,� he instructed pushing the smaller group to her side of the desk, “if there’s something you don’t remember you can ask it to me, or look it up in those text books over there,� he said in his usual cold voice.

Although they did not talk much while working, Snape found her presence there very pleasant. She easily ran through an essay after the other, but he was finding it a little hard to concentrate on his own work. In fact, he kept raising his eyes from the sheet in front of him to longly rest his gaze on her busy face, the smooth line of her wrist and her soft hand gently holding her quill. His gaze should have been more piercing than he had meant it to be because, at a certain point, she suddenly raised her gaze surprised to find those two black abysses fixed on her.

“Am I doing something wrong?� she asked, a little embarassed by the intensity of his gaze.

“No, sorry. Go on,� he quickly said, startled by the sudden realization of what he had been doing for the last few minutes. He then forced his attention back to his work, trying to avoid falling in a similar foolish attitude again. They finished marking just in time to have dinner in the Great Hall.

***

St. Valentine’s Day came, and the school enjoyed its romantic atmosphere with lighter hearts as the enemy had not given sign of himself yet. That year, it was not going to be a frivolous celebration like at Gilderoy Lockhart’s times. No lurid pink flowers on the walls, nor heart shapped confetti raining fron the enchanted ceiling. This time, there were only little chocolate candy hearts wrapped in silver paper at each seat, a kind thought of the house-elves. Professor Sprout had charmed the rose bushes in the grounds to bloom out of season. Professor Falconbridge, as Charm teacher, bewitched the ceiling so that a rain of red roses petals slowly fell from it, but they disappered before they reached the tables, spreading a delicate scent all around the room. A beautiful illusion and a very clean one too, I would dare say!

Just after breakfast, hundreds of owls came rushing into the Great Hall, delivering Valentines and chocolate candy hearts to students and teachers. Harry received less valentines then the previous years. Maybe his The-Boy-Who-Lived’s charm had slightly lost its effect now that he was not their “new celebrity� anymore. Ron and Hermione were both hiding an heart shaped card under their school robes, but they were too shy to swap them. Maybe later in the common room they would have found the courage. Gryffindors were known to be brave, but maybe not that brave whenever love was concerned.

There had been some nice surprise at the High Table. A very embarassed Professor McGonagall received an anonymous card which read “You really TURN ME on!�, but she few doubts about the identity of the sender after she found a piece of sherbet lemon inside the envelope. Beautiful Professor Falconbridge received many cards from her students admirers and, even more surprising, Snape received some too. He was absolutely flabbergasted when he saw five owls landind in front of him, each with a card in its beak. He had completely forgotten the after-effects of the Yule Ball on his quotations among Hogwarts’s female population.

That afternoon lessons were harder than ever, as students’ minds were set on anything else but what their teachers were saying. Professor McGonagall glared at her students with pursed lips every time they transfigured something having the even vaguest shape of a heart. Like the lion on the Gryffindor crest, she felt like she was going to bite off some student’s head before class was over. Things were not easier in Charms, where Professor Falconbridge was asked for the zillionth time to teach them some love charm.

“This is the last time I tell you ... I absolutely forbid you to use a love charm on human beings. You cannot play with people’s feelings!� she said exasperated, “By the way, would you be satisfied to have a sweetheart, knowing that his or her love is only the affect of a stupid incantation?� she spat angrily, her hands resting on her hips.

“But how do you know if he really loves you?� asked an Hufflepuff girl.

“My dear ... Love has a magic of its own, that has nothing to do with real magic. If you want to know if he really loves you, the answer is in his kiss,� she patiently explained with a kind smile.

Things were a little better down at Potions, as nobody dared ask Professor Snape how to brew a love potion. They were not so stupid or so suicide inclined to him a love potion, and then end up force-fed with poison by their teacher. An unusual thing happened when class was dismissed. Snape was bent on his desk gathering the essays the kids had just handed in, students were slowly emptying the chilly dungeon, when he looked up and saw that Vincent Crabbe was still there.

“What’s the problem this time, Mr. Crabbe?� Snape said with annoyance.

“Hu ... Professor ... I wanted to ask you something?� Crabbe began timidly.

“Tell me, what is the question of the century?� Snape sneered with sarcasm, while he abondoned himself back in his chair.

“How do you know when ... hu ... you’re in love?� the boy said blushing.

“Well, I’m not the most qualified person to give advises on love matters, as I’m 38 and still single. All the same, I’ll try� Snape said with a smirk and an arched brow.

“Do you find yourself unconsciously staring at her without reason?�
“Yes�
“Do you always think about her?�
“Yes�
“Do you think she’s the most beautiful woman on earth?�
“Yes�
“Is it your only wish to hold her and kiss her?�
“Yes,� the boy automatically answered for the fourth time.

“Well, then you’re in love. Now you can go and ... good luck,� he whispered, amused by the funny happy expression on the puffy boy’s face.

Classes ended earlier to give anyone the chance to enjoy the pleasant day, and possibly run to Hogsmeade to buy last-minute presents to give one’s sweetheart before that night party. Professor Snape, having nothing at all to celebrate, spent his free time in the Forbidden Forest looking for some fresh potion ingredients. Walking along its winding paths by day was rather safe, because the many dark and dangerous creatures living in there were all asleep, so the scariest creature going around was none but a certain black-cloaked wizard we all well know. Snape was bent gathering some wild magical herbs among the roots of an old tree, when his eyes were caught by a beautiful flower he had not noticed at first sight. It was a wonderful wild, scarlet rose, sprout in the thick undergrowth. A ray of light fell on it, glorifying the bloody hue of its velvety petals.

Snape carefully put by the herbs he had in his hand, and stepped towards the flower to have a better look at it. He kneeled down and caressed the petals with his finger-tips. A sweet perfume rose to his nostrils, and he closed his eyes enjoying it. As soon as his eyes opened, he felt overwhelmed by the desire to pick that rose and give it to Alexandra. He was sure she would have loved it, but there was a problem: how could he possibly give it to her on a day like that? It was something too romantic for a man like him, and to be done on a that day! Not that he was not sensible enough, but he was trying hard to hide his feelings for her from anyone, even from himself. He suddenly heard the soft flapping of a pair of wings, his eyes shot up to see her falcon nicely perched on a branch, right above his head. He thought that was the answer to his unspoken questions, and a smile curled his lips.

“Silver, please come here!� he gently called the bird, who instantly flew down to land on his out stretched arm, “Take this rose to your mistress and I will give you a nice fat rat,� he instructed it while stroking its feathers. The clever bird gave a short shriek, and dutifully offered him his paw for him to tie the rose to it. Then the bird took off through the tall trees, and Snape followed it with his eyes. In an instant, the falcon reached its mistress in her office. She was peacefully reading a poems book in her armchair, close to the open window.

“Do you have something for me, dear?� she tenderly asked to the falcon, as it landed on its perch. She was greatly amazed when she took the flower he was carrying. She caressed its petals with her finger-tips and smelled its delicate scent, with her eyes closed.
“Who sends it?� she inquired, but Silver had quickly flew back outside.
“Who on earth could it be?� she wondered. She knew she had no lover at the moment.
“Could it be ...?� she exclaimed in surprise as her thoughts went to her friend Severus, “No, it can’t be him. Why should he ever do a thing like this on Valentine’s day?� she muttered to herself, amused by the strangeness of that idea, and summoned a vase to put it on her desk.

***

Hogwarts enjoyed a peaceful feast. The food was delicious, as always, with the small addition of some heart-shaped cakes. After dinner, the long house tables were moved against the walls, leaving room for the students to dance on the notes of the most beautiful wizarding and Muggle romantic music. Teachers sat at the High Table, chatting and sipping a glass or two of red wine. They did not joined the students on the dance floor, though Dumbledore had, more than once, proposed Professor McGonagall to have a nice cheeck-to-cheeck, slow dance with him. Professor Snape, in spite of himself, was still sitting at his place next to Professor Falconbridge. He would have greatly preferred to run immediately to his beloved dangeons, as soon as dinner was over, but Dumbledore had practically obliged him to stay over to “socialize� a little.

Actually, he was doing nothing but sip his now third glass of wine, staring with disgust at the happy students holding hands or doing other sloppy things. He soon got bored, and tried to find something to entertain himself. He then chose to concentrate on the words of those disgusting romantic songs playing on and on. After a couple of minutes, to his great surprise, he realized that those songs were not that bad at all. He silently sat there listening, absent-mindedly tracing his mouth with a long, thin finger as he was used to do when in deep contemplation.

It was incredible how many of those songs described exactly what he felt for Alexandra. In a certain way, he deeply envied those who could easily open their hearts, and declare their feelings to the world. After so many years of conceling every single emotion, he found it disgustingly hard to show any intimate feeling apart from the evil ones. He could only silently sat there and swallow a fourth glass of wine at one gulp, blessing the dullness it gave him. To Snape’s great relief, the party soon came to an end. He stood up too quickly, and had to grab his hands to the edge of the table to avoid losing his balance. He was not drunk, he could stand alcohol even more than Hagrid could, but all that wine had slightly affected his senses. Alexandra noticed his unsteady movement and approached him.

“Are you all right?� she genly asked resting her hand on his arm, “I’m afraid you may have drunk too much, let me take you to the dungeons,� she kindly proposed.

“I can perfectly manage it by myself,� he snarled, but another swaying movement betrayed him. She ignored his protests, and lead him downstairs to his private quarters. He resigned himself to accept her help, comforted by the thought that students were already gone, and no one would have seen him in that moment of weakness. He deeply hated to be weak!

Once they reached his rooms, a malicious thought crossed Snape’s mind as they went in, closing the door behind them. He felt a little dull, but his mind was still perfectly clear but to her eyes he was actually drunk. He quickly thought that, if that night he said or did anything that could bother her, the morning after he could just pretend that he could not remember anything happened the previous night. She looked so beautiful with her pretty green velvet dress, rearly irresistable. It was a golden chance he could not absolutely waste. A nasty smirk lifted a corner of his lips.

“Here you are, safe at home. Really, Severus. Do you think getting drunk is a good way to celebrate Valentine’s day?� she mildly scolded him. Those were the words he was waiting for!

“You’re perfectly right ... I know a better way to do it,� he said and, before she could even blink, he had his arms around her waist and shoulders, and his mouth pressed on hers.

At first, she struggled a little to escape his hold. But as soon as his lips began to caress hers she gave up any protest, surrending to that wonderful sensation. He was holding her tight enough to prevent her escape, but not that much to hurt her. Her eyes were wide-open with shock while his were languidly shut, not open like when he made fun of her in the staff room on Christmas Eve. He was putting his whole heart and soul in that kiss. If he had never been able to tell it with words, he was now making his feelings very clear.

“He’s drunk and wont remember anything tomorrow ... so what can I loose?� she desperately thought, noticing the unmistakable rosiness the wine had given to his usually pale cheecks.

Once her initial surprise was over, she could not help but kiss him back, her heart beating madly. Her hand moved up to tangle her fingers in his long raven locks, a thing she had longed to do from the first time her eyes had rested on that black curtain. His gentle lips brushed softly on hers, almost teasing them, but now hers were answering to their call. The kiss was so intense that it sent tingles all the way to her toes. Then his lips increased their pressure, and began to taste her in a deeper kiss. She felt his hold around her losen slightly. It seemed like he was letting her decide if she wanted to push him away, before the kiss became more passionate, more intimate. She understood his signal, but she really had not had enough of his lips, she wanted more. She then pressed her body against his, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He was delighted by her ready answer to his kiss, and wrapped his arms around her in a tight warm embrace, plunging an hand through her chestnut waves. She felt like she was going to melt in his arms. She slightly parted her lips to invite him to deepen the kiss, allowing him to smoothly slid his tongue into her mouth, exploring it, tasting it, almost memorizing it, engaging her tongue in a slow dance with his own. Their hearts were beating madly, and their passionate kiss sent shivers all through their bodies. They were so lost in their passion that the whole school could have rushed in and they would not have even noticed. Then their mouths parted, leaving them panting because of the long breathtaking kiss. They stood there staring at each other, both unable to speak. He reluctantly losened his hold and she slowly took a step backward towards the door.

“I ...� he began to speak.

“I must go!� she curtly said, before storming out of the room slamming the door behind her in her hurry.

She had been suddenly scared by the point things had gone. She was afraid they had gone too far, and now their friendship was spoiled forever. She felt ashamed to have taken advantage of a drunken man, or that is what she thought. The image of what had happened a few minutes before kept playing on and on in her mind, as she went up the long straircase leading to her rooms. Was he really drunk or was he just pretending? This was a question she kept repeating to herself, but she was too confused to find the right answer. She had kissed other men, sometimes only on the basis of physical attraction. But she had never felt such an overwhelming passion in a kiss before. There was no doubt he was a superb kisser, but could it all have been only a matter of physical attraction. She knew that one of Severus’s greatest skill was to hide his emotions to the external world, but could he ever be so good as to fake feelings too? She was clueless, the only thing she could do was wait, and see him the following day paying more attention to his behaviour.

Meanwhile in the dungeon, Severus was beyond himself with joy for his first kiss to the woman he loved so much. Her response to his kiss had been much better than he had ever dared hope, but he was greatly confused by her weird reaction before leaving. She looked scared, had it all been too much for her? He knew he had taken her by surprise, maybe he got himself carried away and frightened her with the overwhelming intensity of his feelings for her.

“Will she still want to be my friend after what happened tonight?� he anxiously asked himself. “A kiss could mean nothing and anything at the same time, and she could have simply enjoyed the feel of it. Maybe that was why she looked so scared afterwards,� he kept repeating to himself, trying to calm himself down a little.

“The only thing I can do is just pretend I was dead drunk, and fake the biggest day after amnesia in mankind history!� he smirked, founding it the perfect solution to the whole matter. When he went to bed he had finally mastered some control back. The only thing he was sure of was that, if he was going to die a minute after and go to hell, he would not have had any regret, because he already had had a taste of what paradise felt like. With that happy thought and the memory of the blissful sensation of her warm body against his own, and the delicious taste of her soft lips on his, he closed his eyes and peacefully fell asleep with a broad smile on his lips.

When they met the morning after for their usual ride, they both behaved as nothing had happened. At a certain point, while their horses walked side by side, she timidly asked him if he felt well after the drunkness of the previous night. He pretended to have a terrible day after headache, and to be unable to remember anything happened after dinner was over, right as it was expected in similar situations.

“Tell me, Alexandra. Did I say or do anything ... wrong while I was drunk?� he a calculated detached coldness. She blushed a little and fixed her eyes right before her, to better hide her shame.

“No, nothing,� she lied, and suddenly spurred Nabil on to gallop to avoid further questions. He was greatly relieved by her denial, because it meant that things were still all right between them. He looked at her for a moment with an amused smirk, then followed her. He was positive that they were not going to mention the event again, and it was probably the best thing to do.

Chapter 12 - Truth Can Hurt

The cold month of February was nearly to its end, when one day Severus Snape abruptly woke up at sunrise, startled by a sudden itch to his left forearm. In the darkness of his bedroom, he reach out for his wand on his bedside table. He shouted “Lumos,� his voice shaking a little. He hesitated a few seconds, then he screwed up his courage and lifted the left sleeve of his grey night-shirt to check his Dark Mark, founding confirmation to his fears. The itch he was feeling was only a first warning that Voldemort would summon him that night. He felt slightly reassured by the fact that it was not an immediate calling, in which case the mark would have turned instantly black and burnt painfully.

Snape was more nervous than many other times he had been called, even worse than the night Cedric Diggory died and Voldemort finally had his body back. It had all happened so suddenly and after a very long time of silence, and there was no doubt that something big was moving. He gave a sigh of frustration thinking that his life had just began to be quite bearable. He seemed to hate students less than usual. He had discovered the pleasures of riding, but most of all he had finally found a good friend. He could still count Albus and Minerva among his closest friends, Dumbledore being nearly a father to him. But Alexandra’s friendship was special.

He still could not explain, even to himself, the reason that first pushed him closer to her. Trusting her had strangely been so easy for such a reserved man like him. He had always been used to mistrust strangers. It was weird the way he felt at ease in her company, he felt he could safely hold his wards down and relax. He could even recall some occasions in which he had laughed with her and smiled sincerely, things that he had long before forgotten. And now that damned mark threatened to sweep away his feeble hopes for happiness. He could not sleep anymore, he was too agitated to do it, so he got up and began his morning toilet.

He wondered if a warm bath would do him any good, but he soon realised it would have been absolutely useless, unless he decided to drown himself in it, a thing that he found very alluring at the moment. No, there was no time for such stupid, cowardly thoughts. He still had a role to play in that war, and he could not leave Dumbedore to face it alone, not after all the things he had done for him. He had plenty of time and so few things to do before his school day began. He tried to occupy his mind indulging in a careful toilet from head to toes, he even washed and combed his long black hair.

Once fully clothed he desperately looked around to find something to keep his mind busy, anything. He tried to remake his bed Muggle style, but his movements were so quick that he soon found himself to the starting point again. He left his bedroom and went into his office, maybe some extra work would do him good. He took seat in his chair behind his working desk, searching its surface for some unfinished work but he found none. In front of him were only a few blank sheets of parchment and his ink pot and quill. He took his quill in his slightly trembling hand, uncertain about what on earth he could write on those blank sheets. His present state of agitation was driving him mad, he was losing control on his nerves.

“What the hell it’s happening to me, it’s not the first time he calls me?� he angrily spat to himself, his hands in his hair. Then he suddenly realised it. He had never been scared of death nor of the Dark Lord himself, because he had never had anything to loose but his own useless life. But now... no, now he felt it was different. He had something to fight for, something precious to protect. All his hopes had a name ... Alexandra. He was ready to give his life, if it was of any use to defeat Voldemort. But more than that, he would be willing to die if that served to save her.

Suddenly, he knew the perfect use for that paper and ink. He began writing a letter to Alexandra, where he shamelessly confessed his love to her. He signed and sealed it with some wax from a burning candle, then he carefully wrote on the back “To be opened when I’m dead, signed Severus Snape, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Potion Master.� He believed it was not brave to leave such a delicate matter to a letter, he should have preferred to be able to declare his love straight to her, once everything was over. But if something went wrong and he died in the final war, he wanted her to know the truth about his life and all the rest. He also wrote a second letter containing his last will, in which he left all his money to charity institutions, his many books to Hogwarts’s school Library. He also wrote a letter of introduction to obtain a scholarship for a prestigious Mastership in Potions to Hermione Granger, in case she decided to exploit her natural talent with potions. Once he finished with this second one, he put them in a side drawer of his working desk, so that it could be easier to find them if needed.

Opening the drawer, he had came across the Yule Ball picture. He gave it a quick melancholic look then covered it with the two letters, and closed it. He stood up and mechanically went to the Great Hall for breakfast, though he did not feel hungry. When he entered the room, Dumbledore and the others were already there. The old wizard cheerfully wished him good morning, but his smile faded away as soon as he saw the worried look on the younger wizard’s face. Snape approached Dumbledore and bent down to whisper the news in his ear.

“I see,� Dumbledore whispered with concern, “meet me in my office this afternoon,� he added before Snape silently took his usual seat at the table. Alexandra noticed his strange behaviour and was about to ask him if something was wrong, but fortunately Professor McGonagall prevented her doing so by attracting the younger witch’s attention on something else.

***

It was Saturday and many students were outside the castle, enjoying their free time. The school was almost empty and very quite, the perfect place for a meeting of the Order. Only a small group of its members were present, gathered in the staff room. Mad-eye Moody had insisted on letting Professor Falconbridge join them.

“She’s not one of the Order,� Dumbledore had objected.

“I know, but don’t forget that before being a teacher she’s an Auror. She has the right to know what’s going on!� Moody insisted. Dumbledore’s weak attempt to leave her out of the meeting hid his concern to keep Snape’s true identity secret to her. But he could not find a valid excuse against Alastor’s insistence. His sense of foreboding told him that something should have gone wrong that afternoon.

Snape had suddenly gone ghostly white when, opening the Staff room door, he saw Alexandra there. He knew she was not in the Order, and wondered about the reason of her presence. Well, that was what the other members were asking themselves too. In fact, Moody was the only Auror present at the meeting, the others being too busy running deep investigations after Dumbledore’s warning of a coming Death Eaters’ meeting. McGonagall noticed at once that Moody’s face had twisted into a malicious grin at Snape’s reaction, and she was now sure that Alastor had planned it since the beginning. She perfectly remembered Moody complaining about the friendship growing between them. As a good friend of Alexandra’s dead parents he seemed to consider himself as her guardian.

Professor Falconbridge stood there in a corner, between Moody and McGonagall, a little embarrassed by the looks she was receiving from all those strangers in the room. She was very surprised to see a young wizard wearing extremely shabby robes, with light brown hair flecked with grey, approach Snape with his hand out ready for a shake.

“Hello, Severus,� Lupin cheerfully greeted his old schoolmate.

“Good Afternoon, Lupin,� Snape curtly said shaking the man’s hand, forcing himself to be civil with him because he was in front of Order of the Phoenix members.

To say the truth, there had never been anything particularly unpleasant between the two of them, if one did not count the little werewolf incident during their sixth year. Lupin was a kind man, and had always treated Snape respectfully. Nevertheless, to Snape’s eyes he was still one of the Marauders, and his mere presence was enough to make his blood boil over. After about twenty years, he still could not forgive them for having made a hell of his school years. As soon as the Headmaster walked in, the room fell silent and the meeting began.

“Welcome to Hogwarts. I pray you excuse me for the short fore warning, but things have happened very quickly,� Dumbledore said to the group scattered all around the room. The elder members had taken seat in the various mismatched chairs all around the room, while the youngsters lent against the walls.
“I’ve been informed that a Death Eaters’ meeting will take place tonight, probably after midnight. Alas we have no means to know where,� he stated, trying hard to avoid direct references to his source of information. Although everyone knew who he was referring to, Moody could not resist the ludicrous chance to put Snape in a difficult situation.

“Couldn’t our informer tell us where he’s going to?� Moody said putting a sarcastic stress on the word, looking sideways at Snape.

“You perfectly know he can’t, because he doesn’t know it himself,� Dumbledore said, boring his eyes into Moody’s, a look that seemed to tell I-know-what-you-are-up-to-so-stop-it-at-once. Snape was very pale, and the muscles of his body and face were tensed in the effort to keep control over himself. He had figured Moody’s intentions out, and there was no way he was going to fall for it. Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued.

“I’ll inform you about all the details of the meeting as soon as I know them. In the meantime, I think we should keep a closer eye on Harry Potter, as he is their main target,� the headmaster went on.

“It won’t be that easy to keep a sixteen year old adolescent out of trouble,� Lupin said with a small good-natured smile. The mention of Harry’s name was enough to push Snape out of his silence.

“Potter does have a knack for going looking for trouble,� he coldly sneered, “like father, like son and godfather too I’d dare say,� he could not refrain himself from adding. Snape had always been unnerved by Lupin’s perpetual goodness. That mention of Potter’s name seemed to him the perfect chance to try to wash away that irritating smile from Lupin’s face.

At other times, Lupin would have just ignored Snape’s usual scathing remarks against James or Sirius. He had got used to the usual rivalry between Snape and his two best friends. But now things were different. The wound left by Sirius’s death was still bleeding in Lupin’s heart, and Snape’s gratuitous insulting of the memory of Remus’ only real friends, evoked in him a indignated rage. He took a step towards Snape, infuriated by his snide comment.

“How do James and Sirius come into any of this?� Lupin spat, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

“I was only suggesting that Black would have been more useful to our cause, if he hadn’t gotten himself killed,� Snape whispered challengingly, fixing his eyes on Lupin. Snape found Lupin’s unexpected change of attitude really intriguing. He seemed to have finally broken that aura of peacefulness, which seemed to perpetually surround the kind werewolf. It was all too ludicrous for Snape to restrain himself. No, he wanted to push Lupin to the limit. He was curious to see how far he was going to get.

“And I suppose you were the only one doing something useful. Weren’t you Snivellus?� Lupin hissed, his face only a foot from Snape’s.

“The best thing Black ever did was let us use his house as headquarters, and keep himself out of anyone’s way,� Snape whispered venomously.

“And you, the great redeemed,� Lupin sneered putting the deepest disbelief in each word, “you were left alone risking your, oh too valuable, neck for us!� Lupin spat barring his teeth.

“Not that we could count much on you. How helpful could a tamed werewolf be?� came Snape’s cold reply.

“My condition is none of your business!� Lupin barked, “it was hard, but I played my part like anyone else and you know it!�

“But it’s me who has to lie straight in the Dark Lord’s face,� Snape hissed, oblivious for a moment of Alexandra’s presence in the room. Snape had just lost his control over the situation, and he was unwittingly offering Lupin a perfect weapon for his revenge.

“Dark Lord, eh? You don’t even have the guts to say his name, or are you hiding something else?� Lupin said with a malicious grin that didn’t fit his usually, kind face.

“What do you mean?� Snape hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Their conversation seemed to have taken a nasty turn, and Snape was becoming aware of it pretty fast.

“Only Death Eaters call him by that name!� Lupin insinuated, “Dumbledore, honestly, how can you be so sure he didn’t switch side again?� Lupin asked sceptically.

“Shut up, you beast!� Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite wild, “Don’t talk about things you don’t understand!� he spat grabbing the front of Lupin’s robes in his fists. His nerves had reached the breaking point now that Dumbledore’s trust in him was questioned.

“Enough you two!� Dumbledore roared to put a stop to the two young wizards’ quarrel, “We all play our part and nobody can deny it. As for my trust in Snape, it’s as strong as ever. I would trust him with my own life,� Dumbledore stated, certain to have put an end the whole matter, but he was wrong.

“He’s a Death Eater?� came the shaking voice of Professor Falconbridge, who was now staring at Snape with wide-open eyes, and a mixture of horror and fright. She had observed the scene in complete silence, but the mention of the thing she worst feared loosened her tongue. Snape suddenly realised with horror the bad turn the events had taken, but he was too shocked to find something good to tell her.

“What? You didn’t know? I thought you were good friends!� Moody said derisively.

“You can’t believe it?� Lupin asked her with a widening nasty smile, “Why don’t you show her your master’s little touch of body art, Snivellus?� he said gripping Snape’s left arm with an hand, ripping his sleeve with the other, exposing the almost black Dark Mark burnt on his skin.

“Let me go!� Snape howled, and freed himself from Lupin’s grip.

“Enough!� Dumbledore’s infuriated voice resounded again. Snape turned to look at Alexandra.

“I can explain you everything,� he said panic-stricken. But Alexandra had taken a few steps away from him, as if he was a dangerous beast about to attack.

“Excuse me, Headmaster,� she said lowering her face to the floor, before storming out of the room. Snape took a menacing step towards Lupin, like he was going to attack him, but the slamming of the door stopped him. His eyes darted from Dumbledore to the door and, without saying a word, he rushed out of the staff room to run after her.

In that moment Harry Potter was coming from his dormitory where he had returned to collect his cloak. At the sight of his two teachers, he instinctively hid behind a suit of armour.

“Alexandra... please wait. Let me explain,� Snape was begging her. Then he finally reached her on a landing, not far from where Harry was hiding, and seized her by the wrist.

“Don’t touch me!� she shouted, and slapped him hard in the face, so violently to make Snape’s head turn. A river of tears was streaming from her eyes, “Never speak to me again. How could you ... I trusted you!� she hissed to him, her voice sounding deeply hurt.

Snape let go his hold on her, and she left for her rooms. He stood there frozen on the spot, speechless. Although she had slapped him really hard, it did not hurt as much as the look of disgust and fear he had seen in her eyes, those same eyes which many times had looked at him with friendship and tenderness. Harry was astonished to see Snape shaking with grief and remorse, his fists clenched, the nails digging deep into his palms. Then his stare fell on the torn sleeve from which the Mark was almost visible beneath the white fabric of the man’s shirt, and he suddenly understood. She might have discovered Snape’s true identity, and in the worst way judging from her reaction.

Snape lowered his eyes to the floor, and slowly began to go down the stairs, back to the Entrance Hall. He had his hand on the door handle of the staff room, but then he suddenly changed his mind and turned on his heels, heading to the dungeon instead. He was too shaken to go back in there, moreover, the very sight of Lupin and Moody should have been enough to arise in him a murderous instinct. Harry waited for Snape to disappear, then he went back outside to join Ron and Hermione who were waiting for him. He told them what he had just seen. Much as they detested Snape, they could not help feeling a bit sorry for him. One did not need a genius to understand that Harry had witnessed something more than a simple row between two fellow teachers that day.

***

The meeting in the staff room continued even without Snape. His prolonged absence was a clear evidence that he was not going to come back at all. When people began leaving the room, Dumbledore asked Moody and Lupin to stay over.

“I’m really disgusted by your disgraceful behaviour,� Dumbledore shouted with an expression of the utmost fury on his face.

“Honestly, Alastor. Why did you have to destroy the only good thing in Snape’s life?� McGonagall said through pursed thin lips. Lupin had seen Professor McGonagall angry on several occasions, but either he had forgotten just how thin her mouth could go, or he had never seen her this angry before.

“I did it for Alexandra’s own good. Do you think I haven’t noticed him flying about her like an overgrown bat? No, friendship is not enough for him. He wants more!� Moody roared, obviously not regretting anything he had said.

“We have all the right to love, Alastor. Even Snape.� Dumbledore sternly stated.

“Then he may go find him some loony hag worth him!� Moody said before storming out of the room.

“Severus in love? That’s really funny,� Lupin said astonished.

“I know he has made that comment on James and Sirius just to provoke me, but I swear I wouldn’t have taken out that story of the Mark, if I knew that witch was his lover,� he sincerely told to Dumbledore, feeling really ashamed about the whole matter.

“I believe you, Remus. You’re not the kind to play with other people’s feelings,� Dumbledore calmly said, “Severus and Alexandra are really close friends. The problem is that Severus has fallen in love with her, but he still hasn’t found the courage to declare his feelings to her. He had been hiding his involvement with Voldemort from her, because her parents were killed by a group of Death Eaters when she was only six. Now you understand why they were both so distraught? I’ve suggested him to tell her the truth before they could come out on their own, but you perfectly know how stubborn our Severus may be,� he said with a painful sad note in his voice.

“What does she feel for him?� Lupin inquired.

“Albus and I have good reasons to think she may share his feelings, but now...� McGonagall muttered gloomily.

“Oh, Albus. I’m so sorry! I’ll go apologise to him before he leaves,� Lupin said, feeling even guiltier.

“I know your intentions are good, but I must suggest you to stay well away from him for a while. You know, he’s not one who can easily forgive and forget. He needs to be left alone to have time to clear his mind, and get ready to face his difficult task,� Dumbledore said while pacing the room, pausing to look at the cloudy sky outside through one of the long windows.

***

During that night feast, there was great silence at the High Table and two empty chairs stood by McGonagall’s side. Nobody had seen the two missing teachers all day, they probably were still locked in their own rooms. Dumbledore was greatly worried about Snape. It had been a very hard blow for him, and he had never seen him so distressed before. As soon as the meal was over, the headmaster went down to the dark, cold dungeons to check on Severus. He made a first stop at the Potion Master’s office, but he was not there, so he added to his private quarters. The door was strangely open, like his coming had been expected, but the sitting room was empty as well.

“Severus, are you here?� Dumbledore asked, gently knocking on the bedroom door.

“Yes. Come in,� whispered a low voice from within.

The room was completely dark, the only light coming from the narrow window by the bed. Dumbledore clapped his hands once and the candles in the room suddenly lit up, revealing a most pitiful sight. Snape was curled up on the stone floor, in the darkest corner of the room. What astonished Dumbledore the most was seeing copious silent tears streaming down the young man’s cheeks. Snape had not been crying for ages, probably the last time being when his dear mother died.

Since Snape had left the meeting that afternoon, images of all those happy moments spent with Alexandra kept showing before his eyes, like a faded movie. In particular, the memory of their kiss on Saint Valentine’s night was just unbearable. He had considered it as his happiest memory, the one which made his heart skip a beat every time he remembered it, but now it had turned in an awful nightmare that hurt him like a dagger straight in his heart. His grief was so great and his anguish so deep, that he could not help crying, his chest heaving with emotion. Dumbledore waved his wand and an armchair appeared out of thin air, just in front of the spot were Snape stood.

“I’m sorry there’s nothing I could say to heal your pain, my boy. I won’t justify Moody and Lupin’s reproachful behaviour, but they have done what you should have done a long time ago. I’ve warned you that your status of Death Eater could ruin your relationship with her, once it came out,� he gravely sighed, but not a hint of blame was hidden in his voice.

“I know I should have told her the truth, but I was so scared ... scared to lose her,� Snape whispered, his eyes staring blankly to the floor.

“The truth,� Dumbledore muttered, “is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.�

“And I’ve been too cautious in hiding it from her, and now I’ve lost that special thing there was between her and me forever,� Severus bitterly said.

“It may now seems to you impossible, but I think there’s still hope for you two. Just give her time, Severus,� Albus fatherly said, putting a comforting hand on the man’s shoulder. Severus sighed heavily, then tears of dispear began to flow as he spoke again.

“Albus, Just look at me! Here I am, alone again when I need her more than ever,� he said boring his glittering eyes in the old wizard’s ones, full of self-hatred, “She is all I ever had. If only I could explain the way she makes me feel inside. Each time I look into her eyes, I see the man I want to be. She understands me, because she’s my friend or I should say she was. She cared for me and has always been there for me. She was the best thing in my life ... and now she hates me!� his voice and body were shaking with regret. Dumbledore listened silently, letting Severus give vent to the storm of emotions overwhelming his heart.

“Why haven’t you told her?� he finally said, looking at him straight in his black bright eyes.

“Tell her what?� Snape said a little startled to hear the man’s voice after his long silence.

“That you love her so much, what else?� he said with amused twinkling eyes at Snape’s moment of confusion.

“That’s really funny!� Severus sneered, “I’m not afraid of lying straight in the Dark Lord’s face, but I’m too scared to openly declare my feelings!�

“Call him Voldemort, Severus. Always use the proper name for things. You won’t really be able to defeat him as long as you’re not able to say his name!� Dumbledore sternly admonished him, “Alas, time’s running fast. I’m sorry to remind you that in a few hours you’ll have to leave, you need to get ready. Be strong, my son,� he calmly said. Snape finally stood up and followed the Headmaster into his sitting room.

“Thank you, Albus. I really needed someone to talk to,� he whispered with a weak smile.

“Tell me, Severus. Is there anything I can do for you before you leave?� Dumbledore calmly said.

“My only desire is to see her one last time before I leave, but I couldn’t stand to see that look of scorn in her eyes again,� he sadly whispered.

“Don’t worry, I have the solution for this problem. At eleven o’clock sharp, go visit Minerva and she will tell you what to do. Where a broken heart is concerned, nobody can deal with it like a witch does,� Dumbledore encouragingly pat him on the shoulder, his eyes twinkling.

***

Snape was completely clueless about what odd idea could have come out of the headmaster’s mind, but he knew he could trust him. He still had some time left before going up to Minerva’s private quarters, which happened to be on the seventh floor, near the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. He needed to clear his mind from all his worries, in order to be able to use Occlumency. It was really hard, because he felt a strange bad sensation about that night Death Eaters’ meeting. He felt like he could never come back ... alive. This dark thought gave him the idea to prepare an amulet for Alexandra to protect her in his absence. He did not know how he was going to convince her to wear it, but he though Albus would have probably found a way. He only had to go in his office and brew the catalizing potion, and find a suitable amulet to use, obviously.

He was a true perfectionist whenever he had to cast an incantation, and there was no doubt he was going to use the most powerful he knew, better if it was one belonging to the ancient magical tradition. But what should he use as amulet? He was not very fond of jewellery, so he did not possess anything suitable. Then he suddenly found the perfect thing, it had been there with him all the time. He was going to use his own amulet, just the one his mother gave him before her death. He always wore it around his neck, night and day, never taking it away.

He was sure it would not have offended his mother’s memory, if he used it to protect the woman he loved, just like she had first done to protect him. It was a pendant hanging from a thin golden chain. It had the shape of a small dragon with spread wings, carved in a real dragon fang. It was very pretty, so she would certainly have liked to wear it. He quickly brewed the catalizing potion, and dipped the amulet in it. He then took a sharp ceremonial knife and used it to trace a small cut in his left wrist to let some drops of his own blood fall in the concotion.

“AMATUM, AMANTEM, EGO TE PROTEGO,� he casted the ancient incantation on it, moving his wand in wide circles. The potion began shining of a blue light, once it was ready. Although it required the use of the protector’s blood, that old incantation did not fell under in the category of dark magic. At eleven o’clock, Snape left the dungeons and headed to Professor McGonagall’s private quarters. He knocked twice on the old witch’s door and she came to open it.

“Oh, Severus. Come in, dear,� she warmly greeted him.

“Evening, Minerva. Forgive me for this late visit, but Albus told me to come here,� he politely apologised to her.

“Don’t worry, I know it. I just come from visiting Alexandra, and now I’m going back to bring her a cup of herb-tea,� she said pouring some hot water from her kettle in a cup.

“How is she?� he asked worried.

“A little better now, but it had been an hard blow for her too,� she said kindly, “Now, stay here and wait for me,� she instructed him and left the room. He sat on a chair, and waited for about ten minutes her return.

“Here I am, Severus,� she called opening the door, “All right, she’s sleeping in her bedroom. She’s under a Sleeping Charm, so she won’t wake up while you’re there with her. The effect will last only an hour and half. You can touch her, speak to her, but she won’t wake up nor hear what you say,� she told him with an encouraging smile.

“Thank you, Minerva. I owe you one,� he gratefully whispered and left the room.

Alexandra’s door was open, he went in and found her asleep on her bed. He silently approached her, his heart beating madly. He sat down on the bed, close to her. Her face was tear stained and he wiped them away, caressing her cheeks with his hand.

“I’m sorry, my love. It’s all my fault, but I promise you I will never make you cry again,� he gently whispered to her. He bent down to kiss her, first on her forehead, then on her eyes, last on her soft cherry lips. He decided to spend the short time he had, lying down beside her, watching her sleep, memorising every single line of her face, taking in her scent, holding her in his strong arms right on his heart. Time seemed to run faster that night, and he finally had to go. Before leaving her room, he took out the amulet from his pocket and bound it to a column of her four-posters, then he left giving her a last kiss on the lips.

He made a quick stop in his room to put on his long, hooded, black cloak and take his Death Eater’s mask, then another in his office to leave some dangerous memory in Dumbledore’s Pensieve. He was a superb Occlumens, but prudence was never enough whenever Voldemort’s Legilimency was involved. He needed to get rid of some important information concerning the Order, Dumbledore, and any connection between Alexandra and himself which was another means to protect her. He silently crossed the Entrance Hall and the grounds, till he was right outside Hogwarts’s gates. He then uncovered his left forearm, put his right hand on the black Dark Mark and shouted “Morsmordre!� and he disappareted to take his place in the inner circle at that night’s meeting, right next to Lucius Malfoy.

When Alexandra woke up the next morning, she felt quite relaxed, but her heart felt heavy at the thought of seeing him down in the Great Hall, sat right next to her. Then her eyes were attracted by something hanging around a column of her four-posters. She was shocked by the sudden realisation that someone had been there, while she was asleep. She took it and decided to bring it down to ask if someone recognised it. She was very surprised to find Snape’s seat empty. She wanted to ask someone where he was, but she did not want to show she cared.

“Minerva, look. I’ve found this amulet in my room, is it yours?� she asked showing it to her senior colleague.

“No, dear,� she casually said without even looking at it.

“Then, someone must have managed to get in my room tonight,� she said with apprehension.

“Let me have a closer look, please,� Minerva said taking it in her had. She showed it to Dumbledore, and they exchanged a knowing, worried look. They both knew who that object belonged to, and understood why Alexandra had found it in her room.

“I can assure you there’s nothing to worry about it. On the contrary, this amulet has been charged with a powerful protective charm. I suggest you to wear it everywhere you go,� Dumbledore reassured her and she obediently hooked it around her neck.

Chapter 13 - Between Life and Death

Three days had passed since Professor Snape had left Hogwarts, and still there was no sign of him. In the meantime, Madam Pomfrey was taking his place at Potions as all students were studying healing potions of different levels of complexity. Although Professor Falconbridge was still deeply upset with Snape, she could not help but miss him. No matter how hard she was trying to deny it, nobody could completely change one's feeling for a person in a twinkling of an eye. She once heard Dumbledore tell Professor McGonagall that Snape's prolonged absence was very strange, because he was not used to leave without giving the news of him for so long. Those meeting usually lasted a couple of hours or so, and Dumbledore was beginning to worry that something terrible could have happened to him. Those news were starting to make her really anxious as well.

The moon was shining brightly that night. It was dark outside, when the castle inhabitants began to head to the Great Hall for dinner. Professor Falconbridge was still in her room, changing clothes before going down to join her colleagues at the High Table. She was about to leave when, passing by her window, her attention was attracted by the worst scene she had ever clapped eyes upon. At the margin of the Forbidden Forest, two hooded, black figures with their faces hidden behind a mask were carrying a third man, dressed in black too. They stopped at the limit of the thick vegetation, and left the senseless body of the third man on the ground before dissapearing into the pitch darkness of the forest, without even checking if he was alive or not.

The man lay there still as a stone, he looked dead. When a passing cloud finally moved away from the pale surface of the moon, its rays fell on the man's face revealing his identity. It was Snape, and from what she could see, he was mortally wounded. She felt her heart explode in her chest. She would have wanted to scream, but she could not make a sound. There was no time to waste, she had to warn Dumbledore. She ran out of her room and headed straight to the Great Hall, her heart beating so fast it hurt. She was hopping against hope that he was still alive. The doors at the end of the room were closed, and the whole school was about to begin eating, when they suddenly bursted open and Professor Falconbridge came in, running like a mad.

“Albus ... Albus ... Death Eaters ... in the forest ... Severus ... dead!� she managed to shout, panting heavily. She stopped breathless in front of the Headmaster, leaning against the table for support. Dumbledore shot up from his chair.

“Nobody leaves the castle. Prefects, I rely on you to keep the situation under control. Teachers, follow me outside,� he instructed the stunned crowd. Professor Falconbridge was not able to move a step farther. Her body was shaking, and her legs seemed to refuse to support her anymore.

“Alexandra, you better stay here. Minerva, please, stay with her. We'll be back as soon as possible,� he gently addressed to the two women.

When Dumbledore and the other teachers reached the limit of the forest, there was no trace of the Death Eaters’ presence, they were gone. Snape lay there senseless, but still alive. His clothes were torn, and there were mud and blood stains all over his body and clothes. Some fresh blood was streaming down from his forehead, across his deadly pale face. Dumbledore dearly feared he was going to die, if they did not take him immediately to the hospital wing. He conjured a stretcher out of thin air, and levitated him on it. Four staff members carefully carried the stretcher walking as fast as they could. In a minute they reached the castle.

In the Great Hall, the prefects were having big troubles in restoring calm. They had formed a line in front of the large doors at the end of the hall, trying to prevent other students leaving the room. Professors McGonagall and Falconbridge stood in the doorway, holding onto each other for support, waiting for Dumbledore to come back. A gasp of horror escaped their mouths as soon as they saw the stretcher carrying Snape, and Alexandra nearly fainted.

“Professor Snape!� Pansy Parkinson shouted crying, struggling desperately to free herself from the prefects’ hold to run to him. Madam Pomfrey clapped a hand to her mouth as soon as she saw his senseless body. She quickly regained control over herself, and readily led the porters up to the Hospital wing, followed by Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Falconbridge. The other teachers returned to the Great Hall with the rest of the school, the big doors were closed, and everybody went back to their seats at their house tables. The room was full of murmurs about that night accident. Some people were crying or sobbing with shock. Snape was the most detested teacher at Hogwarts, but surely nobody wanted him dead. The most shaken of all were the Slytherins, obviously. Pansy Parkinson was simply inconsolable, while Draco Malfoy was bubbling some nonsense about poorbloods being untouchable.

***

Up in the hospital wing, the porters carefully lay Snape on a bed and left the room. Madam Pomfrey moved to the bed to start examining him. His clothes were so sticky with blood and mud that they had to be torn into pieces to be removed fully removed from his body.

“Alexandra, do you know where his rooms are?� Pomfrey kindly asked her.

“Yes,�’ she replied in a strangled whisper, her throat held by a tight not of anguish.

‘Then, could you please be so kind to go there, and bring him some clean clothes? His night-shirt and some underwear too, please,� She nodded and reluctantly left.

Professor McGonagall anxiously waited outside the curtain drawn around Snape's bed, while Madame Pomfrey undressed him with Dumbledore’s help. They had just finished taking his upper clothes, when he suddenly woke up. His eyes darted around the room, trying to identify the place where he was. His eyes opened wide, when he saw Dumbledore's gentle face bent over him.

“Albus! ... Albus ... he knows!� he stammered in panic.

“Severus, please calm down! It’s all right, you're safe now,� Dumbledore tried to reassure him.

“Albus, I ...� Snape tried to go on, but his words were cut in mid-sentence by a violent cough, which made him spit blood. Once it subsided, he stared at Dumbledore with imploring eyes.

“Then allow me to read your mind,� Dumbledore gravely said. Snape weakly nodded, took a deep breath, and bored his eyes into those of the old wizard, giving him free access to the deaphts of his mind.

Like in an old black and white Muggle movie, Dumbledore saw the memories of Snape's past three days among the Death Eaters. First of all, he saw the meeting of the inner circle with Voldemort himself. It was nearly impossible to identify who those people were. The rest of the night and the whole day after, Snape had been brewing an highly complicated potion for Voldemort. He had been working hard, barely eating or sleeping. Most of its ingredients looked very mysterious and probably were mostly forbidden as well. In another scene, Dumbledore saw Snape hastily write some names on a piece of paper, to later hid it in an inside pocket of his coat. Then he saw the beginning of Snape's end among the Death Eaters. A door bursted open, and an unmasked Lucius Malfoy came in, followed by his minions.

“Traitor!� he called Snape, while the other Death Eaters grabbed him and brought him in front of the Dark Lord. Malfoy said that Snape had been acting strangely, and suspected him to be a spy of the enemy. Voldemort tried his Legilimency against him, but he crushed against Snape's powerful Occlumency.

“Let's see if you'll be more willing to confess under torture,� Voldemort's cold voice hissed.

Snape was dragged in a dark, moist dungeon, and they put his wrists in a pair of handcuffs hanging by a chain from the ceiling. Down there, he was stricken by the most painful curses, and someone did not disdain the use of pure, bare-handed brutality. Worst of all, they had used the Cruciatus Curse over and over, almost to death. All the while, Snape had kept his mouth shout, never saying a single word, not a single cry coming out of his lips. But under the exhausting effects of Cruciatus, he finally had no strength left to resist Voldemort's final Legilimency. The Dark Lord had found out about Snape's double role as spy, but he could not find anything else about Dumbledore, the Order of the Phoenix or its members. There was no way he would know those secrets from him, because Snape had wisely left them all in the Pensieve. When Voldemort freed him from his spell, Snape fainted.

“Someone leaves this filthy worm right under Dumbledore's nose. Let him know that his silly game is over,� the Dark Lord hissed venomously.

“The bastard is completely useless now, and he won’t live long anyway,� he added, and bursted in a sonorous mirthless laugh, a laugh to chill the bone-marrow, a laugh of breath-taking, ice-cold venom. Two hooded man, Mr Crabbe and Goyle senior, came forward and took Snape’s senseless body away. Dumbledore had the time to see the end of that last memory, before Snape rolled his eyes to the ceiling and lost consciousness again, his head dropping to one side. The effort to let Dumbledore read his mind had been too much for him. It had consumed his last drops of strength. For a second, Dumbledore was scared out of his wit, he feared Severus might be dead.

“Severus! Severus please answer me, my son!� he pleaded, but he did not wake up.

“Calm down, Albus,� Pomfrey said as she examined him carefully. “He's still alive, but only just. I'm afraid it was too much to bear in his conditions. He's got into a coma now,� she said brushing away a sudden tear. She had been knowing him since he was a student, and had too many times healed the marks left by his father's abuses. At these words Dumbledore covered his face with his hands.

“Poor boy, I could have killed you,� he sobbed.

“Albus, please. Don't blame yourself. You only did what you had to. We needed to know. It was not you, but those bloody bastard who nearly killed him,� Professor McGonagall tried to comfort him, but her eyes were full of silent tears too.

“I'll contact St Mungos Hospital straight away, they will know the best thing to do. Certainly we cannot move him from here,� Madam Pomfrey readily said. “Albus, you should come with me and describe them what they have done to him,� Dumbledore nodded and followed her to her office.

McGonagall sat on a chair by Severus’s bed, holding his hand in hers, while she motherly caressed his head and face with the other. The image of St Mungos’s Head Mediwizard appeared in the middle of the green flames of Pomfrey's office fireplace. The face turned very gloomy, when it heard the details of Dumbledore's account. Things were more complicated than they had thought. Snape's body had been hit too many spells and curses, and now it had accumulated too much magical power inside of him. Another single drop of magic could be enough to kill him. The only thing to do was to wait for all that magic to flow out of his body, and then he could be mostly healed without magic.

***

Meanwhile, Alexandra was in Snape's private quarters in the dungeons. His rooms looked gloomier than usual ... so empty, so silent. She opened his bedroom door, and felt her heart heavy with so many contrasting emotions. She was trying hard to deny her true feelings, in hope that her resentment for him could prevail, but it was impossible. After seeing him that night, her world seemed to have turned upside-down. No point denying it. It really did not mattered if he was a Death Eater or not, she still cared for him, she still ... loved him.

“A Death Eater and a werewolf ... I heard Dumbledore was an odd man, but I couldn't imagine how peculiar he could be in choosing his allies,� she thought astonished. She looked for the things Pomfrey had asked her. She had easily found a pair of smooth night dresses in an upper drawer. In a certain way, she felt like she was intruding in something forbidden, as she rummaged in his drawers among his neatly folded underwear. She felt a little ashamed as well when she picked up a pair of his silken boxers, and curiously stretched them to see their size. She then moved to his bed, to see if there was something on his night-table he could need. There was only his mother's picture standing on it. She took it in her hand, and stared longly at the beautiful woman in it. She reminded her of Severus in many things, not only the obvious hair and eyes colour. It was more something about the nobility of her standing, the shadow of melancholy and sorrow she could read in both their eyes.

“I think he would like to have it with him,� she concluded with an half smile, and took it away with her. She went back to the Hospital wing on the third floor, where it had recently moved. She came in at the same time Pomfrey and Dumbledore came out of her office, and they strode together back to the private ward where Snape lay.

“What did they say?� McGonagall asked shooting up from his chair.

“The situation is very serious. We can't use magic to cure him, because his body has too much of it stored inside. We first have to force the surplus to flow out of him� explained Pomfrey.

“And how are you going to do it?� Alexandra inquired.

“I'll use some special stones which will suck the excess of magic out of him. But it needs to be very careful not to leave them there for too long, or he may eventually be deprived of his own magical power,� the school nurse said with concern.

“And what are you going to do for his other injuries?� McGonagall asked.

“I'll have to fix them the Muggle-way, and leave them heal on their own. But the mediwizard said I can administer him a diluted solution of fresh phoenix tears through vein. That will speed up the whole healing process, without farther damage,� she encouragingly said, but then the tone of her voice changed, “all the same ...� she went on, “if the stones and the phoenix tears won't be quick enough ... there's the risk he may not pass the night,� she stated in a strangled voice. McGonagall clutched her chest, and Alexandra clapped a hand over her mouth while a silent river of tears crossed her face. Dumbledore’s face was unreadable.

“I'll go fetch Fawkes,� he curtly said and stormed out of the room.

Later that night, the Headmaster gathered the whole school in the Great Hall to make a speech. “Tonight, as you have seen, Professor Snape has been victim of a Death Eaters’ attack. His life is now in great danger, and there is even the risk he may not pass the night. I only have one thing to ask you ... those of you who have faith, any faith, please just pray for him. All we can do is wait and hope,� He finished his speech and left the room, followed by a weeping McGonagall. The room fell immediately in a sea of whispers. Everybody was shocked to see the Headmaster in such a deep state of distress.

“I thought Death Eaters attacked only Muggles?� somebody said.

“What on earth has Snape to do with those bastards?� someone else said.

“How is it possible? He's one of the inner circle?� ran a very low whisper along the Slytherin table. Professor Falconbridge was still in the Hospital Wing, sitting by Snape’s bed. Madam Pomfrey never allowed anyone to watch over one of her patients, but she had made an exception for her. She did not had the heart to send her away, when she had begged her with imploring eyes, and let her spend the night there.

Chapter 14 - Could You Ever Forgive Me?

Snape had survived that first night, but he was still comatose. The magical stones placed around his body had worked very well, and he was now almost free from that excess of magical energy. The phoenix tears had run through his vein, drop by drop, and they seemed to have worked as well. That ghostly pallor had gradually disappeared from his sallow face, which was now regaining colour. He had lost a good quantity of blood, but there were now greater hopes for him to recover. All was left to do it was to wait for him to wake up. Madam Pomfrey came in, holding a tray with some breakfast for Professor Falconbridge to eat. She had been spending the whole night by Snape’s bed.

“Here, dear. Eat something, then take some rest,� the nurse kindly said.

“I’m not hungry and I don’t want to sleep. Please, just leave me here,� Alexandra said, pushing the tray away from her.

“Oh, no my girl. I can’t allow this nonsense. There’s nothing you can do for him. What good do you think it is for him if you fall ill too?� Pomfrey tried to bully her, but her voice was still gentle.

“I know,� Alexandra whispered, her face fixed on Severus’s motionless form.

“Don’t worry. I’ll have you called if he wakes up. If you have enough rest, I promise I’ll let you watch over him tonight too,� Pomfrey said putting her hands on the younger witch’s shoulders. Alexandra gave her a weak smile and finally stood up.

“Thank you, Poppy,� she said before leaving.

That afternoon, Dumbledore summoned Professor Falconbridge to his office. She paused in front of the stone gargoyle, trying to remember the password. She kicked the stone floor hard with her heel in frustration, then she finally remembered those pesky two words. She had never been good at remembering passwords.

“Sugar Quill,� she shouted triumphantly. The statue spread to life, stepped aside and a spiral staircase appeared.

“Did you want to see me, headmaster?� she said approaching him at his working desk.

“Yes, my dear. Please, take a seat,� he kindly gestured her towards an arm-chair, just opposite his own. “There something important I want to discuss with you. Have a look at this,� he said handing her a small piece of paper, stained with what looked like dried blood. There were four names written on it : Wilkes, Travers, Rosier and Rookwood.

“What is this, Albus? Who are these people?� she asked a little confused.

“I’ve found it in an inside pocket of Severus’s coat. He has found out the names of your parents’ murderers.� She looked at him in shock, her eyes and mouth wide-open. After so many years, she could finally give a name to her vengeance. She was also struck by the sudden realisation that Snape’s search for them could have been the cause of his unmasking. He had done all that for her, in spite of the way she had treated him.

“Is there anything you want to ask me, before you go?� he said staring at her over his half moon spectacles.

“Just one ... Why Severus didn’t trust me enough to tell me he was a Death Eater?� That was a question that kept repeating itself in her mind, and she couldn’t stand to left it unanswered anymore.

“My dear, I can assure you that it wasn’t a matter of trust at all. Tell me, do you think this is something easy to confess to anyone? He cares very much for you, and wanted to protect you from this dark side of his life, something he deeply hates himself .� Dumbledore’s answer was pretty obvious, but all the same, she felt satisfied with it. She was about to exit the headmaster’s office when he called her back. “Remember... whom we love best, to them we can say least,� he critically stated with twinkling eyes.

***

It was on the third day of his coma, that Snape finally woke up. It was early in the morning, and the dim light of a rising new day came through the long, narrow windows of the private ward of the Hospital Wing. He slowly opened his eyes, and looked around him recognising at once the familiar surroundings. He instinctly brought a hand to his chest, and was surprised to find his amulet resting there. He knew he had left it to Alexandra, so there was only one possible explanation. Then, he noticed a warm weight, resting on his tummy. He looked down to found a sleeping Alexandra. Her head rested on her harm, while her right hand lay on his chest. He was so happy to see her. It seemed that she did not hate him after all, or else she would not have watched over him all night long. Well, at least before she fell asleep. He smiled, and hesitatingly put his hand over hers. He did not want to wake her up, but he could not either resist the wish to touch her. In those long, dark days, he had believed to have lost her forever. The thought that he might never see her again, had hurt him more than any torture those bloody criminals used on him. She woke up, and blinked twice before her eyes opened wide. She was simply delighted to see him awake and smiling down at her.

“Oh, Severus! I was so scared you wouldn’t wake up anymore,� she said straightening herself up. Her eyes turned bright. She was so happy, that she could have cried of joy.

“Could you ever forgive me?� he softly whispered.

“Of course. What are friends for?� she said giving him a warm smile.

“Thank you,� he said looking at her with eyes full of gratitude. He had not lost her, and that knowledge gave him the strength to face the world again, unafraid of facing the Dark Lord himself. Soon after, Madam Pomfrey came in for her usual morning inspection of her patients. She was so relieved to see him awake.

“Oh, dear boy. You gave us all such a fright!� she sighed clutching her chest for the emotion.

“Let me examine you ... Alexandra, could you please go to give the good news to Albus and Minerva?� Professor Falconbridge nodded, and left the room light-hearted. She came back a minute later with Dumbledore and McGonagall, still in their night dresses, and beaming with joy.

“I’ve magically healed most of his injuries, now that I can do it again. There seems to be no damage to the nervous system, thanks to his good endurance to the Cruciatus. We’ll speed up his recovery with some strong healing potion, but I’m afraid his body will still ache painfully for many days,� was Madam Pomfrey’s accurate diagnosis, “You’re in for a rough time, my boy!� she told him.

He knew that oh too well. He had experienced the after effects of the Cruciatus many times, since he was still a little child. In fact, his loving father used to strike him with that just to ... “make him stronger� he used to say. That had been his very personal way to prepare his son for the future he had planned for him, a future at Voldemort’s side. He had always been so pale and skinny when his father was alive. Madam Pomfrey still recalled the shameful signs of Mr Snape’s educational methods, because she was the one to heal them each time young Severus came back to school from home. She had more than once reported her suspicions about Mr Snape’s abuses to Dumbledore, who had always said his hands were bound by that man’s powerful friends at the Ministry. Moreover, Severus was too scared of his father’s revenge to say anything against him. That was why a boggart would still turn into Mortimer Snape, if facing a now fully grown Severus.

***

Now that Snape was on his way to recovery, Madam Pomfrey finally allowed a highly worried Pansy Parkinson to pay him a visit. She timidly came in, clutching a box of chocolate frogs to her chest. He was lying in his bed, still unable to sit up. As soon as she saw him, her eyes filled with tears.

“Professor Snape!� she shouted and ran to his bed, ignoring the box she had let fall to the floor. She threw her head on his chest, crying like a fountain.

“Oh, Professor ... I was so scared... You looked dead,� she sobbed.

“Come on, stop it. I’ve not just come out from a coma to be drowned by a silly girl’s tears,� he sneered with a weak chuckle, while he slowly caressed her head with his hand. There was no doubt he was feeling better as he could manage a little, though affectionate, sarcasm at a student’s expenses. During one of Dumbledore’s visits, they talked about the events that had almost killed Snape.

“I’m sorry Albus,� he gravely said, “I’ve spoiled it all.�

“Don’t blame yourself, Severus. You’ve done everything you could. We knew it was going to end in a way or another,� Dumbledore kindly said.

“If only I had been more careful, Malfoy wouldn’t have been able to turn me in. I’m useless now,� Snape snarled, full of self-hatred.

“Not at all, my boy! The Order still needs your help. We already know their plans, we don’t need spying anymore.� “You’re a brilliant, gifted, powerful wizard, Severus. Never forget it. I trust you and I need you by my side, now more than ever,� he fatherly told him.

“You know I’ll always be there,� Snape softly whispered.

“Voldemort is now waiting for the spring equinox to have is full powers back. This leaves us some time to prepare to face him once and for all. Now rest as much as you can, there’s a second war before us.� He stood up to leave, but before he did it, he had a last question to ask him. “Tell me, boy. What was the use of the potion I saw you brew in your memory?� At that question a smile curled Snape’s lips.

“It was the potion he’s suppose to drink at the rising of the moon on the spring equinox. It should catalyze a great magical power inside his body,� then his smile turned into a nasty smirk. “What he doesn’t know is that it won’t work, because I faked it. As soon as he drinks it, not only he won’t gain any new power, but he’ll lose the small magic he already possess.� Snape had clearly concluded his collaboration with the Death Eaters in true Slytherin style.

“We’re lucky they didn’t found it out, or they would have killed you,� said Dumbledore with a contemptuous smile.

“It’s only a matter of time, Albus, only a matter of time...� Snape gravely said, watching the headmaster leave the room.

In the following days, Snape’s health quickly improved, and he was starting to get bored of all that forced rest. He was a dynamic person, and obviously could not stand being kept inactive for so long. But Madam Pomfrey insisted he had to stay in his bed. He was not in the conditions to go back to teaching yet, but he managed to obtain the students’ papers for marking. Professor Falconbridge went often to visit him, and to bring him some of his books, so that he could entertain himself with his favourite activity, reading. Of course she was not the only one paying him a visit. In fact, Dumbledore and McGonagall were regular visitors too, and so were Pansy Parkinson, Draco Malfoy and various groups of Slytherins. Even the Bloody Baron was spotted a few times, gliding through the Hospital Wing’s walls.

***

A particularly boring day like the others, Snapes received an unexpected visitor. The door of the private guard slowly opened to reveal the shabby figure of none but Remus Lupin. Snape, obviously, was not pleased to see him.

“What do you want Lupin?� Snape spat with evident annoyance, observing him with glittering eyes.

“I’ve come to see how you’re feeling today,� Lupin kindly said, not slightly impressed by his unfriendly welcome. He knew he deserved it after the way he had behaved at the last meeting of the Order.

“I was feeling much better before you came in,� Snape hissed venomously.

“Look, Severus. I know you have every reason to be upset with me, but I’m here only to apologise. My behaviour at the meeting was unjustifiable,� Lupin humbly admitted. Snape was very surprised. He did not expected to see him apologizing to him, not after he had called him beast in front of everybody.

“I didn’t know anything about you and Professor Falconbridge, or else I swear I would have never said anything that could ruin things between you.� Now Snape’s surprise turned into suspicion.

“Wait a minute! How do you know it? Nobody is supposed to know anything except ... Dumbledore!� he shouted, shocked by the realisation that Albus had told Lupin one of his most private secrets. “Shit! Doesn’t that old fool ever mind his own business, instead of messing around with other people’s lives?� he swore indignant. If there was something he valued above everything it was privacy, especially his own.

“Don’t worry, there were only Minerva, Moody and me when Dumbledore lectured us after the meeting,� Lupin tried to reassure him.

“Oh yes, Moody!� he snorted, “He’s only waiting for a chance to lock me into Azkaban for good! He’s trying to keep her far from me. He believes he has the right to chose her friends for her,� Snape angrily spat. His long stay in bed seemed to have loosened his tongue a lot. He probably was too infuriated to realise that Lupin was still sitting in front of him, patiently listening to his outburst.

“I know, friends are important. It’s so painful to be alone...� Lupin sadly whispered. Snape stared at him thoughtfully. For the first time, he realised how lonely should have been Lupin’s life since he became a werewolf. Always alone, mistrusted by everyone, mistreated, refused. Actually Lupin had had two real friends, but now that they were both dead, he was just as lonely as Snape was before he met Alexandra. For a moment a weird idea crossed Snape’s mind ... maybe, if it had not been for Potter and Black, or the usual rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor ... maybe they could have been friends. After all, Lupin had always been rather decent with him.

Lupin was beginning to feel a little ill-at-ease in front of Snape’s prolonged silence. He assumed the fact that Snape had stopped saying unkind things against him, to be his own way of accepting his apologies. He stood up ready to leave, better not make it a long visit.

“I hope to see you back with us soon. If there’s anything I can do to - ah - fix things between you and Alexandra ...� he timidly started, but his words were cut by Snape’s curt words

“No need. We’re good friends again,� Snape said before going back to his reading, while Lupin silently headed to the door.

“Good bye ... Remus,� whispered Snape, without lifting his eyes from his book. Lupin smiled.

“See you soon, Severus,� he said over his shoulder. Seemed like time had come to push aside old grudges, and prepare to fight together their common enemy in the coming war.

***

After a whole week of convalescence, Snape really could not stand staying in bed anymore. Now the many healing potions he had to gulp down every day had greatly improved his conditions, he was allowed to try to sit up and move the first steps. The ache in his body was much more bearable yet. All the same, he still had to move very carefully, avoiding any abrupt movement. It was rather painful to stand up or sit in a chair, going up and down a staircase, and he had to walk very slowly. Madam Pomfrey had tried to persuade him to use a walking stick, but he was too proud and stubborn to do it.
One day he felt good enough to have his dinner in the Great Hall with the rest of the school. Poppy’s attempts to dissuade him were useless, now that he had made up his mind to go. She helped him to get dressed, but he had to chose over a typical wizard black robe instead of his usual gothic outfit. His skin was still too sensible where his wounds stood, and his aching body needed wide clothes that would not tighten around his body when he moved. Students and staff were already sat in the Great Hall, when Snape began his slow walk downstairs with Madam Pomfrey by his side for support. That slow gait was greatly frustrating for him, so used to striding around the castle at a marching speed.

They chose to go in through the antechamber, and then the door which opened right behind the High Table. It was the shortest way, but also the most discreet entrance to the hall. He really did not want everybody’s eyes on him, as he slowly trudged to his seat. Pomfrey opened the door and held it for him. Dumbledore and McGonagall took notice of his entrance at once, and stood up to welcome him. After their example, all the staff members stood up as well. The room suddenly fell silent. Snape was very stunned and a little embarrassed by that unwanted effect. He had deceived himself that his presence would have passed unnoticed, as usual.

“Welcome back, Professor Snape!� Dumbledore cheerfully greeted him. To make things worst, he offered Snape to seat in his own high backed chair.

“Come here, my boy. You need to seat in a comfortable chair,� he insisted. Snape blushed, and tried to politely turn down the headmaster’s invitation. He finally surrendered to Dumbledore’s prolonged insistence, and accepted his invitation. Everything, as long as it would quickly end that embarrassing situation. Alas, sitting down was not an easy task. While Snape was slowly lowering himself on the seat, a stitch of pain ran through his whole body. A gasp escaped his mouth and his face contracted in a grimace of agony, as his bottom hit on the seat.

Snape was released by that embarrassing silence, when a storm of cheering and stamping suddenly broke out from the Slytherin table. It was immediately followed by the rest of the students, who joined in with a roaring applause. Snape was simply speechless in front of such an unexpected ovation. He was sure that students would not have been pleased at all by his return. He was absolutely unprepared for that touching demonstration of care. Unable to speak, he managed to thank them with a little, but sincere smile.

Chapter 15 - Goodbye to Hogwarts

Though terrible events may sometimes disturb the otherwise peaceful life of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it was still a school and as such it was everybody's concern to keep the students’ minds set on their lessons, homework and exams. Snape, now fully recovered, was back to teaching Potions down in the cold dungeons. He was so relieved to return to the noise and bustle of the school routine. Everything looked the same, but he had a feeling that something had changed in the students’ attitude towards him. They still seemed to be quite scared of him, but it looked like they sort of showed him a little more respect. Very few people were known to have survived the Cruciatus without dying or going mad, and Snape had given proof of being a strong and powerful wizard, therefore worthy of everybody’s esteem.

Dumbledore asked Lupin to remain at the castle and work as a messenger for the Order. Other Order’s meetings secretly took place to discuss the precious information discovered by Snape. Harry Potter was finally allowed to join in, and so were Ron and Hermione. At the beginning, everybody wanted to keep Harry's friends out of it, but Dumbledore convinced them that after what they had been through the previous year - Grimmauld Place and the Battle in the Department of Mysteries - they both had the right to be there.

At the beginning of March, one of the most important meeting of the Order of the Phoenix took place in the deserted Great Hall, just after midnight, when the rest of the school was innocently sleeping in their beds. This time, every Order member was present. There was: Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge, Albus Dumbledore and his brother Aberforth, Arabella Doreen Figgs, Mundungus Fletcher, Rubeus Hagrid, Hestia Jones, Remus Lupin, Minerva McGonagall accompanied by her three young Gryffindors, Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Severus Snape with the newly appointed member Alexandra Falconbridge, Nymphadora Tonks, Emmeline Vance, Arthur and Molly Weasley with their elder sons Bill and Charlie.

That meeting went on smoothly and peacefully, as anybody was well aware of the seriousness of the thing. Moody had been faithful to his promise to Dumbledore to keep his mouth shout, unless he had something useful for the Order to say. He chose to place himself as far away as he could from Snape. The relationship between Lupin and Snape had greatly improved since Remus had been to visit him in the Hospital Wing. Snape had been more than civil with him, almost friendly, of course as much friendly as Snape could be. At first, Moody had been very upset to find out about the restored friendship between his beloved Alexandra and the hateful Snape. But he had realised how much Alexandra had been looking distraught for their separation, so he had given up his open hostilities toward him for her sake. He could not fail to notice how happy she now looked, back by Snape's side. Very important decisions were taken that night, and it was obvious that Hogwarts was the enemy's main target.

“I'm afraid we'll have to prepare ourselves to face a possible siege of the castle,� Dumbledore gravely began his speech, “Everything should be set before the beginning of the Easter Holidays. Until then, the school will go on with its usual activities as nothing is going to happen. Last thing we need is Voldemort realising how much we know about his plans.� Everybody in the room felt a shiver down their spines at the mention of You-Know-Who's name. Old habits are hard to die!

“What are we going to do when the students come back?� a worried Molly Weasley asked.

“They won't come back,� Dumbledore gravely stated, to anybody's astonishment.

“Hogwarts can't be closed!� Harry shouted in panic, followed by other people's protests. Dumbledore raised his arms to restore silence.

“Students will be given the opportunity to choose whether they want to go back home or stay here at Hogwarts. Muggle families will be informed about the gravity of the situation, and the Muggle-borns would be exhorted to stay. This may be the only safe place for them.� Everybody agreed with him. There was no way Muggles could protect their children from a merciless enemy like Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

“Once students leave the castle, it will become the headquarters of the resistance,� Dumbledore went on.

“What is the Ministry of Magic going to do about the matter?� asked an old wizard.

“Minister Fudge has granted to send a special squad of Aurors and unspeakables to guard on the castle. This brings the question to a certain map of my acquaintance, that may be very helpful in discovering any potential weakness of the castle.� At these words, Harry stepped forward and handed him the Mauraders’ Map. Lupin had been very wise in suggesting the boy to bring it along with him to the meeting.

“Thank you, Harry. It will come very useful indeed,� Dumbledore said examining it carefully.

“Headmaster?� Snape said approaching him.

“Yes, Severus?�

“We know that the - eh - authors of this map were all Gryffindors. I have good reason to think that, as such, they may not have had access to a full knowledge of the dungeons, as they had of the rest of the castle. Maybe we should see to update it with some more details on that part?� Snape suggested, throwing a knowing look towards Lupin. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. He was very pleased to read in Snape’s words a clear hint to a friendly collaboration between the two. Moreover, it had been a very wise idea, as there possibly might be hidden, secret passages the enemy could exploit on his behalf. One should not forget that Voldemort had one of the Mauraders by his side.

“I’m sure you probably know the place better than anyone else, apart from the Bloody Baron perhaps. May I ask you to help us with the map? Maybe you could work together with Remus, as he has some experience with this sort of things,� Dumbledore proposed and Snape nodded.

“It will be a pleasure,� Lupin said. That last detail set, the meeting ended and everybody left with his mind set on the defensive strategy.

***

It was very hard to concentrate on anything else after such important decisions, and those who found it harder were obviously the kids. Harry, Ron and Hermione had been told to keep the whole matter secret and were exhorted to avoid talking about it, unless they were sure they were safe from possible eavesdroppers. What was worse was: how were they supposed to concentrate on studying with a coming war? Even Hermione was finding it murderously hard to simply do her homework, imagine poor Harry and Ron! In spite of his personal dislike of Snape, Harry was rather pleased that Remus and him had become friends. With Sirius dead, Remus had felt as lonely as never before in his whole life. The world outside was not kind with werewolves like him. He had always been refused by anybody because of what he was, no wonder he ended up being friend with a man who had been equally refused for who he was.

Their experience of loneliness and rejection had been a good base to build up their friendship. It was now very easy to see the two of them chatting or walking together, and Alexandra was always pleased to join them. She thought Lupin was a very nice person, and she was very happy that Severus had finally put an end to his childish old grudge against the mauraders ... Well, at least where Lupin was concerned. He still hated the slimy bastard of Pettigrew more than ever. On his behalf, Lupin had never really disliked Snape, neither in his school days. On the contrary, he admired his skills and his natural talent with potions. He had always disapproved the way James and Sirius bullied him. All the same, he had never said anything about it, because he was too scared to lose his only friends.

At first, Lupin had been considering his friends’ behaviour as just a manifestation of the millenary antagonism between Gryffindor and Slytherin. But when it turned into the deadly prank Sirius had played on Snape, it was a completely different matter. Sirius had defied Severus to go into the Shrieking Shake calling him a coward. Severus, who had always been very proud and brave, fell right in the trap that could have resulted in his terrible death. He obviously could not have imagined he was going to face Remus in his werewolf form. Remus enjoyed Alexandra's company too, she was beautiful and very kind. He immediately noticed the positive effect she had on Snape, he looked more relaxed every time she was around him. Although it was a weird matching, Remus agreed with Albus and Minerva in saying that the two made a beautiful couple. The only thing he could not understand was why Snape still hesitated to declare his feelings to her. He thought it was pretty obvious she wanted him as well, but who can tell how the heart really works?

During the last Hogsmeade week-end before the holidays, Snape and Lupin spent their free time searching the dungeons together. They carefully checked it room after room, stone by stone, using various revealing charms all around the place. The ghosts gave them a hand too. Just as they suspected, there were two hidden passages no one knew about: one led to the underground harbour where docked the boats carrying the first year students; the other one was hidden behind a statue of Salazar Slytherin, standing in a dead end corridor. It could be opened by touching a snake engraved on Salazar's chest, and it led straight in the middle of the Forbidden Forest.

The beginning of the Easter holiday came closer and closer, and it was time for Dumbledore to inform the students about the delicate situation. One stormy evening, just after the dessert was served, Dumbledore stood up and called for silence to make his important speech.

“Two years have passed since I told you that Voldemort was back. I'm afraid his powers may have grown up immensely lately. I don't see any reason to hide you that a new war is about to begin.� A breathtaking silence fell on the crowded room as people were too shocked to say anything.

“Therefore ... your families have been informed about the situation, and they will decide whether they prefer to have you back home, or here at Hogwarts. Please, inform your Head of House as soon as your parents have taken this difficult decision. I feel the need to warn the Muggle-born students to take their decision very carefully, and consider that Hogwarts may be the only safe place for them.� From his seat at the Gryffindor table, Harry could clearly see Malfoy and his cronies sniggering maliciously at Dumbledore's last sentence. Silence was then immediately replaced by a cloud of anxious murmuring, spreading through the room. His words had come like an icy shower. It was clear that, with a coming war, not only they were not going to return after the Easter holidays, but there could not even be a Hogwarts to go back at all. One thing was sure, many people were going to die.

***

The week before the beginning of the holidays, there was a continuous rushing in and out of owls carrying their important burden, a real rain of letters and feathers. One day, one of these deliveries caused an unusual commotion at the Slytherin table. A big eagle owl landed in front of Pansy Parkinson, and she took the letter from the leg of her family owl. She opened it and recognised at once her father's handwriting. She carefully read each line, her eyes getting brighter the more she read on. As soon as she had finished reading, she bursted into tears and run out of the Great Hall howling loudly. At the Head Table, Snape took notice of the strange event and suddenly stood up quite bewildered. He strode down to the Slytherin table.

“What happened to Parkinson?� he urgently asked to his students.

“Don't know, she just got mail from home,� idly answered a girl. He knew she had recently become a sort of renegade among her fellow Slytherins. There was a main rule in that house: you could be with Malfoy or against him, and she had turned her back to him after that infamous incident with the Hufflepuff girl. But the news of her bad reaction to a letter from home arose in him a strange sense of suspicion. He hurried out of the hall in pursuit of his student. Following some people's indications, he finally found her by the lake. She was sitting there, clutching her knees to her chest while crying profusely.

“Miss Parkinson?� he tentatively said, but she did not seem to have noticed his arrival. “Pansy?� he then whispered in a softer tone. She finally realised he was there, and lifted her tear stained face to look at him.

“Oh, it's you Professor! Sorry, sir. I didn't hear you coming,� she said, her voice shaking among great sobs. He then lowered himself to sit next to her.

“I heard you received a letter from home, is there any problem?� he kindly asked her.

Unable to speak, she took the letter out of her pocket and handed it to him. He read it with furrowed eyebrows, and his mouth slightly opened in disbelief when he reached the final lines. Her father wrote her that her hostile attitude towards the Malfoy family, and the support displayed for the traitor Snape, had mined his own position within Voldemort's inner circle. The only way he had of giving proof of his loyalty to the Dark Lord was to disown her. He told her she was a shame for her family, and that she could well remain there under Dumbledore's foolish protection. Not a single warm word from her family, and what was worst he was one of the causes of it all. He looked down at the girl and felt a digger stab his heart at the look of despair he saw in her eyes. He felt so guilty, but the girl did not seem to accuse him of her misfortunes. On the contrary, she wrapped her arms around his chest and cried her eyes out, pressing her face on his heart. He put his arms around her, hopping to find something to say to comfort her.

“Don't worry. You'll be safe at Hogwarts, and I swear I'll take care of you,� he told her soothingly. He waited a few minutes, to give the girl time to give vent to her feelings, then he spoke again.

“We better go back to the castle. It's rather cold here outside.� She nodded and they took their way back, the girl still clutched to his side and his arm around her shoulders. He could feel the girl's need of human warmth and, in that moment, he seemed the only one able to give her some. They reached the Entrance Hall when most of the students had already left for their morning classes. They paused in front of the stairs leading down into the dungeons.

“Your first class should be double Potions, isn't it? Given to the situation, you're excused from my class. Now go back to your dormitory and have some rest,� he kindly told her while giving a single stroke to the girl's head. She detached from his side, whispered a grateful “Thank you, sir,� and went down the stairs. Snape turned his head to find Dumbledore by the door to the Great Hall, his eyes were twinkling, positively impressed by the Potion Master's fatherly attitude towards the girl.

“Headmaster! I didn't realise you were there,� he said surprised.

“Or else you wouldn't have shown your true colours to our dear Miss Parkinson,� he pointed out, without bothering to hide his complacency. Snape suppressed his embarrassment to the old wizard's words, and approached him with a serious expression on his face.

“Headmaster, may I have a quick word with you before going to class?� he coldly said. The hardness on the younger man’s face told Dumbledore the situation was more serious than he had first thought. His eyes lose at once their amusement, and he beckoned the younger wizard to follow him to his office.

***

Dumbledore's letters to the students’ parents probably made more damage than good, and a very small group had agreed to stay. But he really had no idea how few they were, until he summoned the four Heads of House in his office.

“Thank you for coming, my friends,� he greeted them.

“Tell me, who's staying?� he asked taking seat in his chair behind his desk, while the four teachers took seat in the chairs and arm-chairs Dumbledore had conjured for them. Professor McGonagall was the first to speak.

“The students from my house are: Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter, Dean Thomas, Ronald and Ginny Weasley. I obviously suggested to the Creevey brothers to stay, but their parents wrote me they are a very close family, and they want to stay together no matter what,� she gravely said.

“What? Longbottom is staying? But he's pureblood!� Snape shouted astonished, and a little annoyed as well.

“I know it, Severus,� Professor McGonagall patiently said, “but he comes from a family of Aurors, and they think he would be safer here with us. Moreover, they boy has expressed the wish to stay,� she added. Obviously, Snape was not pleased to hear such news, but all the same he decided to hold his tongue. Then was Professor Sprout’s turn.

“Well, although I have many Muggle-borns in my house, there are only four people staying: Hannah Abbot, Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Ernie Mac Millan,� she gloomily said, and there was a great concern showing on her face. Then Professor Falconbridge spoke.

“I have only five names on my list: Terry Boot, Cho Chang, Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein and Luna Lovegood,� she said, looking as much worried as the others. The last to speak was Snape.

“As a probable consequence of my - ah - reputation, I have only one student staying: Pansy Parkinson,� he said in his usual cold voice. Even if it was not common knowledge his being an ex-Death Eater, the enemy’s attack on him that nearly costed him his life had put him in a peculiar situation. Everybody knew how Slytherin House had always been closely related with Voldemort's supporters, so it was not a surprise that its students would not be willingly left there with Snape.

“My goodness! So few!� exclaimed Dumbledore in disbelief. “I hope they won't regret it,� he said mournfully. How could he blame them? It was so evident that Voldemort's main target was Hogwarts itself. “Meet me tomorrow in the Entrance Hall, where we’ll welcome the parents coming to take their children. It's all for now, you can go,� he dismissed the four teachers, who stood up and left the Headmaster's office in complete silence.

The students left just after breakfast, and it was not a happy sight at all. Dumbledore and the four Heads stood there, saying goodbyes and looking deeply worried. Even Snape let escape some of his anxiety behind his usual cold teaching mask. His greatest fear was to be forced to face his beloved little snakes on the battlefield, as potential new Death Eaters’ recruits. The sixteen students staying had gathered in the Entrance Hall too to say goodbye to their friends, and tears filled many eyes at the thought that that could likely be a farewell. Poor, overly sensitive Hagrid did not have the heart to watch them go, and preferred to see the procession of carriages from a window of his hut, crying his eyes out.

Nearly all of the parents of the Slytherins turned their back on Snape with malevolent side looks, leaving without approaching him for a quick handshake. Only one did it, and he was the most unexpected one. Lucius Malfoy came in, with his usual air of superiority plastered to his hateful face. He saw Draco shaking hands with his Potion Master and crossed the hall to join them at the bottom of the marble staircase.

“Severus! What a pleasure to see you - ah – alive,� he said offering his hand to Snape. Obviously he was not surprised to see him there, safe and sound. His son had already informed him about his teacher’s recovery. “I assure you it's not mutual,� Snape whispered with his mastered coldness, neither shaking that hand nor stopping boring his black eyes in Lucius’s icy ones. He gave him a screwed and calculating look.

“Dear, dear. How rude! Is this the way of greeting an old friend?�Lucius sneered .

“I thought that friends weren't supposed to stab you in the back,� Snape hissed. In the meantime, Draco's confused eyes darted from his father to his teacher. It seemed that Lucius had forgotten to inform his son about the new turn in their friendship.

“See you then, Snape,� Lucius smirked, steering his son to the door.

“See you in Hell, Malfoy!� Snape bitterly thought.

“Malfoy, wait a minute! You're forgetting something,� he called him back. He searched for something in the pocket of his robe, and threw it to Malfoy who grabbed it in his fist. Lucius opened his hand to see the serpent ring he had given Snape for Christmas. Mr Malfoy said nothing. His face was suddenly mask-like. “I think you'd better keep it, I don't know what to do with it,� Snape smirked, satisfied by the sight of a speechless Lucius. He gave him a look that seemed to clearly state he did not need a stupid ring to tell him where his loyalties lay. Lucius pocketed the ring, turned on his heels and stormed out of the door.

“Come, Draco!� he ordered to his son who was standing stunned, still looking to his teacher and Head of House.

Chapter 16 - The Enemy Approaches

The Castle looked sinisterly empty, so deprived of its usual boisterous population. Easter holidays usually passed rather unnoticed as most of the students remained at school, reviewing for their coming exams. But not this time, there were going to be no exams to worry about. And for the first time in Hogwarts’s history, everybody wished there were lots of tests in front of them and not a war between Good and Evil. After the students left, Dumbledore summoned the remaining students, staff members and ghosts in the Great Hall. They instinctively took seat at their usual places, and their small number was a very pitiful sight, which made everyone’s heart sink. For the first time the Headmaster did not stand up for his speech, he cleared his throat and began to speak from his seat.

“First of all, I want to thank you for your decision to stay. We are very few and we must stick together as a family would do. Therefore, I invite you to push aside any house rivalry. It seems to me obvious that we don’t need these long house tables anymore, please stand up and come to join us at the High Table.� At these words the students exchanged astonished looks, then they shyly stood up and moved to the empty chairs Dumbledore had conjured out of thin air for them. They all tried to take a seat as far as they could from Snape, as his piercing black eyes were still hard to stand. Certainly Pansy had no problem to find a chair just in front of his beloved Head of House, but she was very surprised when she saw Hermione Granger and Cho Chang take a seat on either sides of her, both giving her a friendly smile. Dumbledore gave the girls a warm smile and went on.

“We will be soon joined by the Ministry Aurors and Unspeakables, who will take residence here at Hogwarts. It seems also useless to go on using four different dormitories, so you will be gathered in a single one. You’ll be arranged in four groups of four, leaving your old rooms to our coming guests,� he calmly explained. By the look on the kids’ faces, he could tell they were trying to imagine who they had to share their room with. Obviously, the division between boys and girls was going to be maintained.

“Sorry Professor Dumbledore, sir,� said Harry awkwardly, “In which dormitory are we going to move?� he said deeply hopping it was the Gryffindors’.

“Oh Yes, Harry. It is the Slytherin’s one, as his location under the lake makes it the safest place,� Dumbledore stated.

“What?� Ron whispered scandalised, “They’re mental if they think I’ll sleep in the same bed used by a slimy Slytherin!� he protested in Hermione’s ear, who answered with an uncerimonious nudge in his ribs. But Dumbledore had still something else to say.

“You well know that your normal classes will not take place. I’ve arranged with four of your teachers to give you special lessons in their subjects, about things that could be useful once the war begins. The other teachers asked me to go back to their families, so you’ll have classes with Professors McGonagall, Moody, Snape and Falconbridge. You’re strictly forbidden to leave the castle at any time. You’ll enjoy some fresh air in the interior cloister, at the presence of some teacher or Auror, and we’ll have our meals together in the Great Hall as usual.�

“Professor Dumbledore, sir?� Ron Weasley chimed in, “If the grounds are out of bound too, and we have no Care of Magical Creatures classes, we can’t go visit Hagrid, can we sir?� asked Ron with raised eyebrows. Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled above his half-moon spectacles.

“You’re perfectly right, Ron. You’re not allowed to go in the grounds. But I assure you you don’t really need to, because our dear Hagrid will be staying here in the castle with us.� Harry, Ron and Hermione took a deep sigh of relief at that news.

It took them all a little while to adjust themselves to the new situation, but they soon began to enjoy each other’s company. For instance, the old wall between Gryffindor and Slytherin had fallen down and Hermione and Pansy had become good friends, so the trio soon became a quartet. McGoangall was very proud of her students, and Snape seemed greatly relieved too. He had been rather worried by the state of isolation in which her house mates had put Pansy, after her breaking up with Malfoy. Their strolls in the cloister were a deeply enjoyed moment, a part from being their only chance of a bit of fresh air. They were never left alone and a couple or two of adults were used to stay with them, wands at ready and ears tensed for any suspicious noise.

Their special lessons resulted to be more interesting then they had thought. Professor Moody thought them a lot of curses and counter curses which, although not lethal, were powerful enough to knock an enemy down and give you time to escape. Professor McGonagall showed them various way to transfigure any object in a possible weapon or means of concealment, but did not surrender to the students requests to pass to human transfiguration. That was an highly advanced level which could easily go wrong. Professor Falconbridge made them work hard on defensive and blocking spells, allowing them lots of practice in a smaller version of the Duelling Club. Professor Snape insisted on Healing Potions and Antidotes. He wanted them all well prepared on mediwizardry, so that they could be able to help Madam Pomfrey to heal the wounded warriors. He was trying hard to restrain himself from being his usual mean-bastard-teaching self. He did not want to burden them with farther tension,and he had to admit the new method was proving efficacious, if even Neville Longbottom was showing a slight improvement in his normally abysmal performances.

***

It was right during one of that open-air strolls that the anti-Death Eaters’ devices, installed by Mr Kalkulos all over the castle and grounds, began to sound the alarm. Mad-Eye Moody came limping to the cloister, a very anxious expression on his badly scarred face.

“Everybody back in! The castle is under siege!� he shouted. Some of the students screamed in fright.

“No panic!� shouted the Aurors.

“Hurry up! In the Great Hall, quick!� shouted their teachers, while shepherding them to the safety of the thick stone walls. Dumbledore and the others were already there, and he felt a great relief at seeing them. They all gathered around the High Table, and a great silence fell as they waited to know what was going on. Moody had taken his Foeglass off of his office wall, and it now laid on the table in front of the Headmaster’s seat.

“The wards set on Hogwarts just revealed the enemy is approaching. Fortunately, they still are far enough to give us time to be ready to fight them.� Everybody could easily see a great number of human shapes moving about in the foaglass but still out of focus, which meant they were not close enough, or else they would have been clearly visible in it. In that precise moment, a side door suddenly opened and Professor Trelawney glided in, causing everyone to turn in her direction with their wands out.

“Oh, sorry. Did I scare you?� she said in her usual misty voice. “I’m afraid I may have taken you by surprise. I easily forget how few people have the gift of the Second Sight,� she said smiling with satisfaction, a thing that caused Hermione to scowl and Professor McGonagall to glare at her colleague icily. Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued to speak.

“As I was saying ... before we can set up a defensive strategy we need to know something more about the enemy’s position and plans.� At those words Professor Trelawney seemed to be come back to earth and realised the nature of the meeting.

“Don’t worry, Albus. I have here the solution to the problem,� she shouted exited, approaching the table and causing many people to look at her with surprise and suspicion. She took out a brightly polished crystal ball from under her voluminous shawl.

“I’ll ask the powerful spirits of the powerful deads to show me the exact location of the enemy�she theatrically announced. Before somebody could say anything, she had placed the misty sphere on the table caressing it with her heavily jewelled fingers, but nothing happened. Feeling everybody’s eyes on her she began to feel ill at ease.

“Ehm ... I’m sorry. But my Inner Eye seems a little - ehm - clouded today,� she awkwardly muttered, trying to conceal her failure. Even a weirdo like her knew there was too much at stake to risk a false prediction.

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake!� roared Snape unnerved, while marching towards the Divination teacher. “Give it here!� he spat, uncerimoniously snatching the globe out of the witch’s hands. He held it with both hands, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The ball suddenly glowed of a bluish pale light, Snape opened his eyes and fixed them on the sphere. His stare suddenly became unfocused, and he began to speak in a slow calm voice.

“The enemy is taking possession of the Quidditch pitch, and camp tents are being raised all around it and by the margins of the Forbidden Forest,� he stated. Then, he vigorously shook his head like he wanted to wake himself out of a kind of trance.

“Oh, very good dear boy! You’ve always been my best student,� Professor Trelawney merrily applauded him. Snape blushed deeply with embarrassment at being the centre of anybody’s attention.

“Next time, give it a second thought before showing off,� he mentally kicked himself. Hermione looked at him with a mixture of astonishment and admiration.

“So crystal gazing is not a lot of rubbish after all, if a serious wizard like Snape can do an accurate prediction like that,� she mused.

“Thank you, Severus,� Dumbledore said beaming, while Snape walked back to his place keeping his gaze to the floor.

“Very well. We now know where they are. But how are we going to found out what their plans are?� asked Moody, “What are we going to use this time? Tarocs? Tea leaves?� he added with a sarcastic glance to Trelawney.

“We need some spying!� an member of the Order said.

“I know, but it would be extremely risky. Voldemort is a powerful Legilimens, few people would be able to resist him,� Dumbledore commented gravely.

“I’ll do it!� suddenly shouted Snape.

“Severus, don’t. Not after what they did to you,� Minerva pleaded with him.

“Albus, you know I’m the only one who can do it. I’ve done it so many times before, and I’m a skilled Occlumens too!� Snape said ignoring McGonagall’s protest. Dumbledore had reluctantly to admit that was their only chance.

“But you can’t do it on your own,� whispered a worried Professor Falconbridge.

“I can follow him under my Invisibility Cloak,� Harry bravely proposed.

“No way! I’m not going to risk my neck looking after an insufferable nosy kid like you!�Snape spat venomously . Harry was about to retaliate that he did not need being looked after, when his words were cut off by Lupin.

“Harry, could you please lend me your cloak? I’ve used it so many times with your father, that I think I could easily go with Professor Snape without being caught,� he said with a gentle smile. Snape nodded approvingly, and so did Dumbledore and the others.

“Good, boys. You’ll do it as soon as darkness falls. I suggest you to use a hidden passage to get out of the castle. Now students, please go back to your dormitory.�

***

The moon was high in the sky when they were having a light dinner in the Great Hall. When it was over, Dumbledore told Snape and Lupin to get ready. Lupin stood up and threw the Invisibility Cloak around his shoulders, while Snape took off his coat and put his Death Eater attire on his trousers and shirt being careful to roll up his shirt sleeves, just in case he had to show his Dark Mark to someone. Alexandra could not suppress a shiver at the sight of Snape’s creepy look, but her eyes were full of worry.

“Be careful!� Dumbledore fatherly told them. They left the Hall and headed for the secret passage leading in the forest. They both pulled their hoods on and Snape hid his face behind his mask. Fortunately, Lupin managed to avoid any contact with things or people, and they went near enough to kidnap an inner circle Death Eater, and use Legilimency on him, followed by a Memory Charm who left him a little dazzled but completely unaware of what had passed a few seconds before. The whole thing proved to be less risky than they had thought, as Voldemort was not there yet. His supporters were too excited and busy with the camping to notice their intrusion. They quickly headed back to the castle through the same passage in the forest, and reached Dumbledore in the Slytherin common room to give their report. That room had become their temporary headquarters, because it also gave them the chance to keep a close look on the students too.

“Thanks to Heavens you’re back. What did you found out?� the headmaster asked them, motioning them to a couch by the fireplace.

“They’ve planned a three parts attack, taking place by night. They didn’t managed to persuade the giants to join them, but they should have some other secret weapon�, carefully explained Snape.

“In the first attack, they’re going to use the Dementors and their junior recruits,� he said with a certain scorn. “Those bastards were going to sacrifice unprepared boys and girls, saving their skins as long as they could� he bitterly thought.

“I’m sorry, but the man we took these information from didn’t know who’s going to be involved in the second attack. I’d dare say they’ll use the surviving junior Death Eaters and the older members of the lower ranks.�

“The Dark Lord and the inner circle will only join in for the final attack,�Lupin concluded their report.

“Well done boys, we know enough to face them well prepared, and with the reinforcements we’re waiting from the Ministry, we have good chances to outnumber them.� And with these words Dumbledore sent them to their well earned rest.

Chapter 17 - Young Lives Thrown to the Winds

There was great tension within the castle walls, but the students knew they were surrounded by the best wizards fighting on Dumbledore's side. Harry was well aware they were all doing their best to protect him because, if the prophecy was right, he was going to play a key role in Voldemort's final defeat. In spite of this, he was beginning to suffer for all that lack of action, and he wanted badly to really use the advanced magic they were studying.

“Harry, keep yourself out of trouble!� people kept telling him, a thing that sometimes gave him a kind of strong sense of claustrophobia.

“I don't go looking for trouble, trouble usually finds me,� he shouted every time that happened. Finally, a chance of taking part in some action arrived when Dumbledore was exposing the strategy plan to follow for the first attack.

“Gather all the Aurors and Unspeakables able to conjure a Patronus,� he was saying to Kingsley Shacklebolt. Their number was bound to be very small, as many powerful wizards had problems with that highly complicated charm.

“Professor Dumbledore, please. Let me fight the Dementors. You know I've mastered my Patronus,� Harry pleaded with Dumbledore who, in spite of his concern for the boy, could not refuse him to join the fighters.

“I'd rather know you're safely in the castle, but we don't know how many of those monsters will be there, and we need every single wizard able to face them. But swear to me, Harry, that you'll only deal with the Dementors and leave the Death Eaters to the others,� he sternly said. Harry nodded, then Lupin stepped by his side.

“I'll take care of him,� he said to reassure Dumbledore.

It may sound absurd, but Snape was more worried about that first attack then the final one. He had the terrible feeling that there could be some of his former students, among the young recruits. What was he expected to do if, during the fight, one of them asked him to be spared? Another thing that greatly annoyed him was the fact that Potter was able to do the Patronus Charm, while he had never succeeded in his useless attempts. He knew he had to concentrate hard on a very strong, happy memory, but maybe it was that the source of his problem. His life had been so miserable, that he could hardly think about anything one could define as “happy�. His only good memories went back to the days of his childhood, when his beloved mother was still alive. But the grief her death had left inside his heart, and the passing of time had lately made them useless. Snape's tension should have been clearly visible on his face if, at the end of the meeting, Mad-Eye Moody approached him with a malicious grin on his face.

“Well, Snape. How do you feel about meeting your old friends again?� Moody said to provoke him, attracting everybody's attention on Snape. Snape chose to ignore him, and kept walking towards the tea-table the house-elves had set for them in a corner of the room.

“You probably have plenty of nice stuff to use for your Patronus, don't you? Just thinking about the old bygone times with the Death Eaters... in the Inner Cirle...� Moody continued, without even trying to be a little more diplomatic. Hearing those allusive words, Snape froze on the spot and span on his heels to face the ex-Auror. Severus was furious for the man's tauting, but he managed to keep control. He was clenching his jaw, because he had no intention to fall for Moody's insinuations again. His eyes glittered dangerously, and his hands were closed into fists so tight that his knuckles were going white.
“Alastor, leave him alone!� Alexandra shouted, hopping to settle the matter quickly. At her reaction, Moody had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. Snape was now giving him a calculating look. Loosening the tension in his body, he began taking slow, nearly defiant steps towards the older man.

“Who do you think you are to dare judge me?� Snape slowly whispered, “You don't know anything about me, about my life, and you still think you have the right to talk me like that?� he went on, his face twisting in disgust. Moody was now staring at him astonished by the calm coldness the young man was putting in every word, every movement.

“Do you think you know everything about my happy memories?� Snape asked in a lower whisper, “I hardly think so, allow me to enlighten you,� he hissed, only a foot apart from the other man. Snape brought a hand to his face and put two fingers on his forehead, then did the same to Moody with his other hand.

“Memoriam Video� he said. Moody's eyes opened wide, like the man was horrified by the stream of images from his past and present life Snape was showing him. When Snape released him from the spell, Moody's legs went weak like they were made of jelly, and he went down on his knees.

“Now, if you excuse me...� Snape politely sneered with a satisfied smirk on his face, then he left.

Everybody was astonished to see Moody standing there on the floor, speechless, his mouth slightly open. He looked like somebody had just stunned him, and people were starting to wonder what Snape could have ever shown him. Then Moody broke the silence.

“I couldn't have known!� he muttered, slowly shaking his head. Lupin woke him out of his stupor, offering Moody his hand to help him to his feet. He excused himself and walked off the room. From that day on Moody was never going to insult Snape again, now he finally knew things that only Dumbledore and Snape himself knew.

***

On a day like many others, a sentry standing guard on one of the highest towers gave the alarm. He had spotted a group of hooded figures approaching the castle from the margins of the forest. They could have been forty in all, between Dementors and junior Death Eaters. The huge oak doors of Hogwarts burst open, and the resistance army spread through the darkening grounds. Dumbledore and McGonagall had chosen to stay in with the students, and they were anxiously watching the fight through a magical mirror. On the battle field, they could easily see Harry, Lupin, Moody, Snape and Falconbridge dodging spells and firing back at the enemies. But the most impressive sight was the counter-attack against the Dementors. The scary creatures were advancing over them like a flood, frightening some of the less confident junior Death Eaters too. Snape's eyes widened at their sight, and had to master all his courage not to panic.

“Think Severus, think about something happy!� he mentally kept repeating to himself. His mind was racing, but he could not find anything fit. It was common knowledge that human beings, whenever approached by a Dementor, they were forced to relive their most fearful memories. Snape was finding it damnly hard to concentrate as he kept hearing his mother's voice.

“Mortimer, please stop it! ... He's only a child, he's still too young! ... He's your son!� he heard his mother pleading with his father while he used the Cruciatus on him.

“Maybe I should step behind and leave the others do the job,� he thought for a moment, but it was so frustrating admitting his weakness. He threw a look around him and saw many wands ready, and concentrated faces. Among them he saw Alexandra and then, he realized. He concentrated with all his might, and searched his mind for some happy memory of the time he had spent with her. He thought about the Yule Ball but that was not strong enough. Then, he suddenly remembered the night he had kissed her. That was perfect. He had never felt happier in his whole life!

His voice joined the others, and the words “Expecto Patronum� echoed throughout the grounds like a thunder, while the shining shapes of their patronuses charged against the Dementors. And there it was Harry's stag, Lupin's wolf, Moody's tiger, Alexandra's eagle and a magnificent dragon coming straight from Snape's wand. The Dementors gave unearthly shrieks and glided away in the night while those of them, who had been closer, were completely engulfed by the misty cloud of the patronuses and were utterly destroyed by their immense power. Some of the fighters had some minor injuries, but the greater losses were on Voldemort' side. The first battle had been won, and Dumbledore's army returned to the castle. They were greeted in the Great Hall by Dumbledore, the beaming sixteen students, and the rest of their allies. Madam Pomfrey marched forward holding a large tray of chocolate, forcing them all to take some, and checking on the injured ones. Ron and Hermione ran to meet Harry.

“Harry, are you ok?� Hermione asked.

“Yeah. Just cast my patronus and Lupin kept me out of the way,� he bitterly answered, disappointed for his marginal role in the whole matter.

“Blimey, Harry. That was great! We've been watching it in a magical mirror,� Ron said excited.

Dumbledore took a step to where Snape was standing, biting idly at a piece of dark chocolate, staring to the floor deep in thought.

“Congratulations, Severus! You've finally conjured your first patronus,� the headmaster said beaming at the younger wizard. Snape was startled by that voice, he had not heard him coming.

“Yes,� he said in a flat voice, and went back to his musing.

“Is there something that bothers you, Severus?� Dumbledore kindly asked in a soft voice.

“Why, yes,� Snape answered uncertain, “I know the shape a patronus takes is unique to the wizard who conjures it, and that it has nothing to do with the happy memory one is concentrating on. The thing I really don't understand is why my patronus had the shape of a dragon with spread wings? I'd expected it to be a snake,� he said staring expectantly at the wise old man.

“It's simple and complicated at the same time, my dear boy,� Dumbledore stated, beckoning him to follow him in his pacing along the crowded hall. “Tell me, Severus. Do you think the dead we have loved ever truly leave us? Do you think that we don't recall them more clearly whenever we are in times of great trouble? Your mother is alive in you, Severus, and shows herself most plainly when you need her. How else could you produce that particular patronus?� he said his eyes twinkling.

“You mean ...� Snape began, and then paused. He unbuttoned the collar of his shirt, and took out the chain to which hang the dragon shaped amulet her mother left him when she died. He stared at it for a few seconds, than put it back in its place, right on his heart. “If this has all to do with my mother, why have I never been able to do it before?� he asked greatly confused.

“Perhaps, it's because you didn't had some happy memory you may have recently acquired. Can I hope to hear you tell me about them, someday?� Albus inquired with evident amusement dancing in his kind blue eyes.

“No way!� Snape snapped, unnerved by the man's insufferable nosiness in other people's businesses.

***

An hour after the first attack, a group of Aurors had gone out in the grounds to check the number of the victims. They came back and headed to the headmaster's office to make him their report.

“Nobody of our number has died, Albus,� Shaklebolt informed him, “however, we've found the corpses of four young Death Eaters. I'm sorry to tell you they were former students of yours.�

“I see ...� muttered Dumbledore, his face looking very sad and somewhat older, “I don't think they'll come to take them. Bring them inside, and lie them in one of the dungeons. Be sure that none of the students and staff see them before I do. I will owl to their families to ask them about their dispositions for the burial,� Dumbledore said with anger flashing in his eyes.

Students and staff members were scattered around the Slytherin common room for a little evening chat before going to bed, so nobody noticed the movement of the Aurors crossing the outside corridor, carrying the bodies of the four boys. Dumbledore was walking silently his mournful way across the chilly dungeons, and he could hear the carefree voices of his students echoing in the distance. The room where they put them had used to be a Potion class, when Professor Dippet was headmaster. The Aurors had put a group of desks together on which they had laid the lifeless bodies. Dumbledore moved closer to identify them. He was not very surprised, as he had longly suspected those four were going to turn to the Dark side, following their fathers’ example. They had just graduated, they were still so young!

Reluctantly, he made his way to the Slytherin common room to tell everybody the sad news. He had to tell his students they had just killed four of their old school mates, tell the staff that four of their former students had used things they taught them for doing evil, tell Severus Snape that four old members of his own house were dead! He appeared in the doorway to the common room, his face looking deadly serious.

“Albus, what's wrong?� McGonagall said alarmed by the expression on his face. Everybody fell silent at once. Snape was standing in a corner, leaning against a wall while sipping a cup of tea. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the look on the old man's face. His sense of foreboding was telling him his worst fears were likely to have come true. Dumbledore took a deep breath, and prepared himself to give them the terrible news.

“The Aurors just gave their report about the results of tonight's battle. There are neither serious injuries nor any death among our number. But I just had to identify the bodies of four young Death Eaters, and I'm sorry to tell you they were former Hogwarts students,� he said lowering his eyes to the floor. His blue eyes were full of a fire Harry had never seen before.

“Who, Albus? Who were they?� McGonagall asked, clutching a hand to her chest.

“Miles Bletchley, Marcus Flint, Richard Montague and Adrian Pucey,� he mournfully listed them. Hearing those names, Snape's face was suddenly drained of all colour. His eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped, and his hands began to shake so violently that the cup he was holding fell shattering to the floor. If Snape had not been so strong, he would have certainly fainted. At the same time Pansy Parkinson burst into tears and Hermione hurried to comfort her. The young Slythering had grown up with those boys, after all.

“Severus!� Professor Falconbridge shouted worried, and reached out to catch his trembling hands into hers. “Come, sit down,� she said steering him to a nearby arm-chair, where he sat almost unconscious of what he was doing. Everyone was silently staring at him. He was always so cold and detached that no one expected such a strong reaction from him. Mrs Weasley had never liked him much, but seeing him in that state it was a call to her motherly instinct. She stood up and brought him another cup of tea.

“Here, dear. Take some more tea. There you are... good,� she was saying in a soothingly way, just like she was used to talk to her children. Snape stood there silent, blankly staring at her, letting her wrap his hands around the cup. He mechanically gave her a small nod of thanks, and took a sip of the warm comforting liquid. It was a pitiful sight to see him so out of character. The true Snape would never have left anybody bossing him like he was a helpless little child. It was clear the blow had been harder than they thought.

“I'm sorry, my son. I know I've given you a great shock. But I'm afraid you'll have to follow me there as soon as you feel better,� Dumbledore said. He wished he could spare him to see them, but as their former Head of House he was obliged by the Ministry laws to give his identification too. It was a great effort for him but finally Snape spoke.

“Where are they?� he said in a slightly trembling voice.

“In dungeon 19. Take your time, boy. We're not in a hurry,� Dumbledore said in a soft voice. It took Snape about half an hour to fully recover from the shock.

“Albus, I'm ready,� he said standing up.

“Well, boy. Let's go,� Dumbledore said preceding him out of the common room. Their footsteps echoed in the long, dark, empty corridor leading to dungeon 19. Once inside, Snape swallowed hard and mustered to keep his emotions at bay. His throat felt dry and tight. There was no doubt they were his former students. He curtly nodded his recognition, while pacing around the tables and pausing in front of each boy.

“Albus, could you leave me here alone for a while?� he whispered.

“Of course, my dear. Let me know if you need anything ... if you need company,� Dumbledore said resting his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

“Don't worry, I'll be fine,� Snape said. He silently watched the headmaster leave the room and close the door behind him.

The room was cold and dimly lit by blazing torches hanging from the walls. He began to pace the room again, looking at the boys, at those familiar faces who seemed to be only peacefully asleep. Some people say one should never see the dead, but remember them as they were in life, or one would only remember how they looked in death. But Severus Snape felt the need to look at them, just to realize they were really gone forever. Memories of the school days spent together kept flashing in his mind as he paused in front of each one. He could still hear the echo of their voices.

“Professor, I'm trying hard but my potion keeps going wrong. Can you help me?� came the frustrated voice of Miles Bletchley.

“Hello, sir. Malfoy just told me a good joke on Potter. Do you want to hear it?� said the arrogant voice of Marcus Flint.

“Professor Snape, sir. The Weasley twins shut me again in that damn vanishing cupboard. Could you do something to stop them, please?� a petulant Richard Montague whined.

“Sir, tomorrow there's the Quidditch final match, Slytherin vs Gryffindor. Could you make us the honor to sit in the stands with the rest of our supporters?� echoed the excited voice of Adrian Pucey.

***

Snape was sat in a chair against a wall, bent down and holding his head in his hands, when the door slowly opened and Professor Falconbridge came in.

“Sorry, Severus. I didn't mean to disturb you. It's a long time since you left the common room, and I was starting to worry about you,� she said in a low voice, but he remained still, absorbed in his grief. She gave a look around the room. She could not know those boys, because they had all graduated before she came to Hogwarts. However, she could not help feeling sorry to see four young lives blown to the wind like that. She moved in front of the hunched shape of Snape and put an hesitant hand on his shoulder.

“Severus, I know you're suffering. But don't keep it all inside yourself, it's no good. Don't be afraid of showing your emotions, it won't make you look weak ... only human,� she sweetly whispered. Her tender words of consolation seemed to take away the stopper to the bottle of his emotions. He slowly lifted his face to her, his eyes bright with forming tears. He suddenly threw his arms around her waist, pressing his face against her soft belly, and burst into tears.

“Cry Severus, don't feel ashamed. You'll feel much better,� she said soothingly, stroking his head. Once again, she was there when he most needed her.

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room Remus Lupin called Harry aside to a more private corner. “Yes, Remus?� Harry asked, a little perplexed by the seriousness of Lupin’s expression.

“Listen, Harry. I want to talk with you about Snape,� he calmly said, “I know you don’t like him and I know that he has never done anything to make you change your opinion, but believe me when I say you can trust him,� Lupin said.

“He hates me! He hated my father and Sirius too! You want me to like him just because he’s your friend now!� Harry defiantly said.

“I’m not a fool, Harry, and you know I can choose well my friends. Don't forget that Sirius and your father were my best ones,� Lupin said reproachfully, “Listen, Snape has been working hard to make up for his mistakes. He’s not your enemy, he’s fighting on our same side. This is not only our war, it’s his war too,� Lupin explained in a softer voice. Harry refused to listen to his words, and he stubbornly kept watching to the floor.

“When I’ve learned to know him better, I discovered there was another man hiding behind the mask of the public Snape you well know. Life’s been hard on him, and he couldn’t count on any real friend as you can do.� The mention of his friends seemed to move something inside of Harry, arising new doubts.

“I know it’s hard for you to believe me, but mark my word when I say you can truly know somebody only in times of trouble. Therefore, I want you to take your invisibility cloak and go see him. He’s in dungeon 19.� Lupin’s words took Harry by surprise.

“But there are four corpses there!� Harry protested astonished.

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid? You have nothing to fear from the dead, it’s of the living you should beware,� Lupin wisely said.

“But he’s not alone. I’ve seen Professor Falconbridge heading in that direction,� Harry said.

“I know, and I assure you there isn’t a better moment than this. He’s always his true self whenever she’s around him,� Lupin said with a curious smile, that made Harry wonder if Remus’s words implied something more.

Harry finally made up his mind and followed Lupin’s advice. He put on his invisibility cloak and carefully made his way through the gloomy dungeons. When he reached room 19, he found the door slightly ajar. He had a peep inside the room through the opening, careful not to make a sound. He saw Snape sat in a chair crying desperately. He had his arms around Professor Falconbridge’s waist, his face pressed against her belly. She was silently stroking his head, letting him give vent to his grief. Harry was flabbergasted by that sight. He had never imagined Snape could care for his students so much, and he suddenly realized how hard the blow had been for the man.

Snape the ugly greasy git, the cold bastard, the merciless professor could not be the same man Harry was seeing crying his heart out. Lupin was true then, there was more than met the eyes with Snape. Behind that mask of coldness was hidden a man with feelings, with strong emotions. It was a man with a heart that could love, a heart that could cry, a heart that could bleed. With this new knowledge of Snape’s other face of the coin, Harry thoughtfully made his way back to the common room. He had made up his mind to give Snape another chance.

Chapter 18 - It Was My Fault

The day after the sad event of the four boys' death, their families sent word to the headmaster. The bodies were to be put inside coffins and be brought at midday to Hogwarts gates, where their parents would have come to fetch them. At noon sharp four white coffins, wrapped in Slytherin banners, floated out of the castle oak doors and across the ground, escorted by Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Moody, Falconbridge and Snape. Yes, they were white! Because, even if they were Death Eaters, they were still innocent victims of Voldemort's thirst for Power. Snape's eyes were still badly bloodshot for his crying, but they were also full of loathing against the boys' families, the Death Eaters, the Dark Lord and himself. He deeply regretted he had not done anything to stop them joining the dark side in the first place. Fortunately, the enemy had the good sense to give them a truce, to dispose of their young companions with honor.

Alas, the truce was not destined to last long. As soon as the day faded, the enemy front was ready to launch their second attack. As the Order had guessed, they faced the remaining young recruits and the lower ranks. This time the fight was more bloody than the previous one and Harry Potter had been obliged to stay in the castle. It had been a very wise choice, as the Order suffered many bad injuries and some deaths too. The forces of Good prevailed again, but it was not yet over and the enemy had still a small surprise for them. The students and Order members were gathered in the Great Hall and Dumbledore was escorting the wounded ones to the Hospital Wing, when suddenly hundreds of human shapes projected themselves behind the window panes. Moody's magical eye immediately darted in their direction.

“What the hell ...� he was saying, but his words were cut off by the sight of hundreds of pairs of bat-like wings sprouting out of the figures’ backs.

“Vampires!� Professor McGonagall shouted, and the creatures broke the window panes and stormed in. Professor Snape ran in the middle of the room shouting, “Cover your eyes!� Though a little doubtful, everybody followed his command. “LUMOS SOLEM,� he shouted at the top of his lungs , shielding his own eyes with his arm. A blinding ray of light burst out of Snape's wand tip illuminating the whole room. The vampires were caught in the light and began to shriek in pain, they caught fire and turned to ashes.

“Hurry up! Back in the dungeons!� Moody and McGonagall shouted shepherding the students out in the Entrance Hall. Snape and the other wizards hastily sealed the doors leading in and out of the Great Hall, isolating the room, and joined the others downstairs. When Snape reached the common room he asked if anybody was injured. There was only one, Neville Longbottom. He had not been fast enough to close his eyes when the powerful magical light irradiated in the room. He was crying because his eyes burned like hell, and when he tried to open them he could only see white.

“I'm blind! I'm blind!� he was crying in anguish. Snape marched angrily towards him.

“Shut up idiot, you're not blind! Didn't you hear me ordered to cover your eyes?� he spat, his face inches away from the boy's one. Neville fell silent at once, too scared to emit a single sound more, as he felt Snape's furious breath against his skin. “Give the boy a sleeping potion, I'll be back in a second,� he said to Madam Pomfrey and stormed out of the room.

When he came back, he was carrying a bottle with a yellowish fluid in it. Neville had been led in one of the boys’ rooms, surrounded by his worried Gryffindor mates. He was now peacefully asleep in his bed, though his eyes were puffy and inflamed. Snape's tall figure appeared in the doorway of the boys' room. He was slightly panting, because he had just run to his office to fetch the potion.

“Everybody get out of the way!� he rudely ordered to the Gryffindors with his usual authoritarian voice, which allowed no further discussions. The school matron had diligently left him an empty basin and some clean cloth on the night-table. Snape poured the yellowish potion in the basin. He unbutton his coat and, rolled up his sleeves, set himself to work.

“Poppy, how long will he be asleep?� he coldly asked her.

“About eight hours ... Severus, do you think the poor boy actually risks to go blind?� she asked him anxiously.

“Yes. I'm afraid he can, if this potion isn't efficacious,� he gravely stated. He carried a chair close to the bed and sat down.

“You can go, Poppy. Your services are required elsewhere. I'll call for you if I need you,� he curtly dismissed her. Madam Pomfrey did not felt offended by the man's rude manners, she was too well used to them. Merlin knows how many times she had to deal with him when he was a boy. Once it was a fight with James Potter and his Gryffindor gang, once it was some secret Slytherin test of valour, and once ... once it was some mysterious injury he came back with from his holidays at home.

“Please, try to save the boy's sight,� she gently whispered, resting a hand on the man's shoulder before leaving. The only way he had to make up for the damage left by his spell was to constantly wash the boy's eyes with the potion, until the swelling and redness disappeared completely. But as long as the cure was effective, he needed to repeat the process without ever stopping for a time longer than the few seconds needed to soak the cloth in the basin. After a couple of hours McGonagall came in to check the situation.

“May I do something for you, Severus?� she kindly asked.

“No. Thanks,� was his curt reply.

The other boys sharing Neville's room had to spend that night in the common room in their sleeping bags, for Snape had clearly said he wanted to be left alone with Neville. After six hours of Snape's hard work, Dumbledore went to pay him a visit.

“Severus, I know you're taking good care of our Mr Longbottom, but wouldn't it be better if someone takes your place for a while. You need rest my boy, it has been a very hard night for you too,� he softly told him.

“No. The boy was a fool to disobey, but his condition is all my fault anyway, and I cannot risk him to go blind because I didn't thought through what I was doing,� Snape said with a bitter note of self-blame.

“You have saved many lives tonight, Severus. Don't forget it. Just promise me you'll have some sleep when you have finished with the boy,� Dumbledore said, and his last words sounded more like an order than anything else. Around eight in the morning everybody was having a early cup of tea in the Slytherin common room, the students there were still soundly asleep.

“Alexandra, could you please be so kind to go check on Severus? Try to force him to sleep if you can,� Dumbledore softly whispered to Professor Falconbridge. She really was their last resource if they wanted to make Snape see reason. She seemed to be one of the few to have any influence on him. When she entered the room, she found him there by the bed, just like Minerva and Albus had found him hours before.

“Good morning, Severus,� she greeted him.

“Morning,� he said trying hard to suppress a yawn.

“Don't tell me you've been there all night?� she said astonished by the evident tiredness showing on his face.

“Yes, but I've nearly finished. Just a couple of times more, and there will be nothing else to do until he wakes up. Then, we'll see if he's recovered,� he said flatly, fighting to keep his eyes open.

“Oh, come on. Let me finish with it. You're dead asleep,� she impatiently said bossing him to stand up, and leave her do the job. He was too tired to protest, and mildly obeyed her order to lay down on one of the beds. No sooner he put his head on the pillow, he fell in a deep, exhausted sleep. Half an hour later, Neville woke up. He was not well aware of where he was, but he was immensely happy that his eyes could see again. The potion and Snape's prolonged cares had worked their healing. Neville blinked a few times, then saw the kind face of Professor Falconbridge smiling at him with evident relief.

“How are you, dear?� she kindly asked him.

“Very good, thanks. My eyes are well again,� the boy happily answered, then his eyes fell on the sleeping form of Professor Snape on the bed in front of his own. Professor Falconbridge smiled indulgently at the funny expression of alarm on the round boy's face.

“You should thank Professor Snape. It was him who took care of you. He has spent the whole night here by your bed, nursing your eyes without leaving you alone for a second or letting anyone else take his place,� Professor Falconbridge whispered. Neville looked at his sleeping Potion Master again, but there was gratefulness in his eyes now. A minute later, they heard a gentle knock on the door. Professor Falconbridge stood up, and opened the door to let madam Pomfrey and the other five Gryffindors in. She made them sign to be quite and pointed in Snape's direction.

“What? He's still here?� Madam Pomfrey said surprised.

“Sorry, Madam Pomfrey. What do you mean with still here?� Hermione Granger curiously inquired.

“Snape has spent the whole night looking after me,� Neville suddenly said, his voice startling the newcomers who had not noticed he was awake.

“Hi, Neville. How are you?� Ginny greeted him.

“I’m all right, I can see again,� he happily answered. While the others were all fussing over Neville, Professor Falconbridge silently moved toward her sleeping friend. Snape was soundly asleep, lying on his side, his sleeves still rolled up. A stray lock of his long, black hair had fallen on his face during his sleep. She could not resist the urge to move it back in place with her hand.

“Professor Falconbridge, do you know if has taken his sleeping potion?� Madam Pomfrey asked from across the room. Professor Falconbridge straighten up, blushing a little. She was sure the old witch had caught sight of her tender gesture towards the sleeping man.

“I don't think so. He was so exhausted that it was a miracle he made it for the bed without falling asleep along the way,� she replied.

“In that case, I'm afraid he won't sleep long,� the matron affirmed knowingly.
“Why ?� Alexandra asked confused.

“Nightmares, my dear. He cannot even have a long nap, without being awoken by one of them. Therefore, he takes a strong sleeping potion every night to rest long enough,� Madam Pomfrey explained.

As soon as Pomfrey finished saying that, he began stirring in his sleep. By the way his face twisted, it was clear he was having a nightmare. Alexandra was wondering about what could disturb him so much, when her eyes fell on his bare left forearm, and on the Dark Mark shining on it like some weird red tattoo. She suddenly realized what it was, and tentatively touched his left hand. Still sleeping, he suddenly grabbed her hand, and slowly twined his fingers through hers, stopping stirring at once.

“That seemed to work good enough!� Pomfrey smirked with evident amusement. Professor Falconbridge blushed furiously, as she realized her students were grinning at her too. That was absolutely a reaction she could not have expected at all. “I wonder if you're really asleep. You'd better not be pretending, just to make fun of me!� she angrily thought staring at Snape.

“Mr Longbottom, get out of bed and come have some breakfast,� Pomfrey instructed the boy, while steering the others to the door. When Neville exited the room too, Madam Pomfrey stopped in the doorway.

“Wait till he loosens his grip, then you can leave,� Poppy whispered with a kind smile.

Lost for words, Alexandra smiled back and nodded. She then stared at the sleeping man, and was glad to see he had relaxed again. Her hand still firmly in his grip, she took her wand out and summoned a chair. She sat for a while by his bed, waiting for him to let go of her hand. But for some strange reason, she was not so sure she wanted him to do it soon. She was enjoying that chance to observe him so closely, to take in every line of his face. She has always liked men with strong features. She was strangely intrigued by that mark on his forearm, and wondered about the terrible facts of that man's life. She hopped, one day, he would trust her enough to tell her about his past. Then, his hand slowly set her free. She stood up and left the room, but not before giving a soft caress to Severus’s cheek.

When Snape finally woke up, it was lunch time yet. He got up to find himself in an empty room. He unrolled his sleeves, and put on his coat, then left the room. He reached the common room but it was empty as well, he then checked the old clock on the wall.

“Bloody Hell!� he swore, “Why didn't somebody wake me up?� he protested, realizing how much he had slept. The windows of the Great Hall had been repaired and warded, so he headed there to find everybody safely enjoying their lunch.

“Good morning, Severus,� Dumbledore cheerfully greeted him.

“Good afternoon, you mean,� Snape snorted, “someone could have bothered to wake me up!� he snarled.

“Oh, you were so peacefully asleep, that it seemed a crime to disturb you,� Madam Pomfrey said with a smug expression on her face. Her words caused giggles and sniggers from the students and everyone else, except Professor Falconbridge, who blushed and pretended to be very interested in her food. At that reaction, Snape's brows darted up in astonishment.

“Is there something I should know?� he whispered to Alexandra, while taking seat beside her.
“Well, you sort of ... grabbed my hand in your sleep, and the Gryffindors saw it,� she said in a clearly irritated voice.

“I did what?� he exclaimed astonished. “Damned Gryffindors, they obviously couldn't keep it for themselves,� he angrily thought glaring through narrowed eyes around the table at the many amused expressions on everyone's faces.

“Don't tell me you're now upset with me for something I'm not even responsible for? You know I was sleeping,� he incredulously questioned her.

“Are you sure you weren't faking?� she hissed at him.

“What do you mean? I was exhausted!� he snapped back in disbelief.

“Ok, ok. Forget about it,� she dismissively said. They finished their meal in complete silence. When they were about to leave the room, Neville timidly approached Snape.

“Sir... ehm ... excuse me,� he stuttered reaching the man's side. Snape came to an alt and turned to face the boy, staring at him with his intense black eyes.

“I see your eyes have perfectly recovered, Mr Longbottom,� he said in his usual cold voice.

“Yes, sir. I wanted to thank you, sir. Without your help, I would probably be blind now,� Neville quickly said in one breath. A corner of Snape's mouth slightly curled in a small grin, he was amused to see how the boy was trying hard to speak to him without trembling like a leaf, as he always used to do in class.

“I'm glad to hear it. I hope this little ... incident may have thought you a good lesson on obedience, Mr Longbottom,� he sarcastically sneered. The boy curtly nodded, and ran away to join his friends. If Neville had not been in such a hurry to run away from his teacher, he would have seen Snape's grin widened in a relieved smile.

Chapter 19 - The Students' Escape

The second enemy attack had evident repercussions on both sides, granting Dumbledore and his supporters at least one day of rest. That afternoon, an Order meeting was called to discuss the situation so far. The main members of the resistance met in Dumbledore's office while the others went on with their duties of patrolling of the castle and its surroundings. The students were gathered in the dungeons in their common room, with the only company of Madam Pomfrey and the House ghosts. The fist time the kids had shared the room with the Bloody Baron they were pretty frightened, all except Pansy of course. But they soon had realized he could be a pleasant company as much as the other three. After a while, they even tried to make him tell them why he was covered with blood, but he stubbornly refused to reveal his secret.

"I like to keep an air of mystery around my person, if you don't mind," he snobbishly answered.

The meeting took place at five o'clock in the afternoon, as Dumbledore claimed the best decisions were taken in front of a streaming cup of tea. Harry, Hermione and Ron were easily allowed to join in too, a thing that gave Harry the weird sensation that nothing of great importance was going to be said. The group inside the round office was, in fact, quite smaller than usual. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, the others had taken seat in the various chairs and armchairs scattered all around the room, while a tray laden with a big teapot, cups, cookies and cakes kept floating around the room for everybody to help themselves.

"Our forces have egregiously faced two attacks yet," Dumbledore said to his audience who nodded their agreement, "but last night incident gives me reason to question the safety of this castle," he went on, looking very concerned.

"But we've been able to defeat the vampires too?" Mundungus Fletcher said cheerfully. Snape gave him an indignant look. Dung seemed to have forgotten that, if it wasn't for Snape's quick reflexes, many of them would have been drained of their blood instead of being there enjoying a cup of tea. Dumbledore took notice of the young man's mood, and decided to give him the credit he deserved.

"I know it, Dung. But don't forget that if it wasn't for Severus's spell we wouldn't have been that lucky," he softly admonished him, "all the same, I believe it would be better if the Aurors escort the kids to a safer, unplotable place." At these words Harry gave a look around himself in alarm, he didn't want to leave Hogwarts, it still felt like home to him.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir?" Harry timidly said.

"Yes, Harry?" Dumbledore said, staring at the boy with interest.

"When you said you want us to leave Hogwarts, do you mean my friends and me as well?" he asked, praying deep inside of him for a no.

"No, my boy. You three, as Order members, will stay here," Dumbledore reassured him.

"When do you think they should leave?" Moody asked.

"Tonight, and two of us will escort them to Hogsmeade Station, where a squad of Aurors will take them to their destination. Then these two person will reach the lake, and cross it back to the castle. Any volunteer?" he asked looking around the room. They all agreed about the necessity of that action, but it was going to be quite dangerous with all those Death Eaters camped out there.

"I will go," suddenly sounded Snape's resolute voice.

"So will I," followed Professor Falconbridge's steady voice. Snape looked at her with a mixture of surprise and anxiety, his head shaking slowly.

"Are you sure, dear? It can be dangerous,you know," McGonagall asked a little perplexed. "Now that Severus had been discovered, he would be an inviting target for the enemy ... and Alexandra, though an Auror, she is still so young. But I'm more than certain Severus won't let anything happen to her," she worriedly mused. Dumbledore seemed to be thinking on the same line as McGonagall and eventually accepted the volunteers.

"Well, then. You'll leave the castle as soon as darkness falls. Be careful, and don't forget to put a Concealing Charm on yourselves and the boat," Dumbledore said, they both nodded, then the meeting was dismissed. McGonagall took Harry and his friends back to the dungeons, where she was to give the important news to the other students.

"You can't send me away, my whole family is here!" Ginny shouted panic stricken.

"We only want to be sure you're safe, darling," Mrs Weasley said soothingly, trying to calm her down.

"Oh please, mummy. Don't let them take me away. I want to stay with you and dad, and my brothers," Ginny pleaded with her mother crying her eyes out.

"Oh, Minerva. Couldn't we just let her stay?" Mrs Weasley inquired, her chest heaving to see her daughter in distress.

"I'll speak with Albus and we'll see what we can do. Don't worry Molly," McGonagall told her with a kind smile. Then she ordered to the leaving students to pack their things, and she left the room.

***

They had an early dinner, and their mood had never been that low. An oppressive silence filled the room, for nobody was in the mood for chatting. People kept checking the bewitched ceiling of the Great Hall to see when it turned dark. At around 9 o'clock it had turned a dark blue, and it was cloudy enough to hide the silver light of the moon, allowing them a good advantage on the enemy. Dumbledore looked up, then turned his eyes to the two teachers. Snape nodded and stood up and Falconbridge followed suit.

"Students, it's time to leave! Go fetch your things," Dumbledore ordered them. After a very sad farewell full of tears, hugs and promises, the two teachers led them out of the common room and down a long corridor heading deep underneath the lake. They turned left and reached a dead end where stood a statue of Salazar Slytherin, in the middle of the thick stone wall. Snape moved closer to it and pressed his finger-tips on the snake engraved on Salazar's chest. The statue opened up like an iron maiden, revealing a dark, narrow passageway. He took his wand out, performed a Lumos Spell and went first into the tunnel.

"Now, light up your wands and keep your eyes and ears wide-open," Professor Falconbridge instructed her students, who nodded and followed Snape.

She went in too, positioning herself at the end of the small row. As soon as they were all in, the statue closed itself again with a stony thump. They reached the end of the tunnel after ten minutes of walking through a winding underground tunnel. Snape made them sign to wait, and he emerged out in the open air to check if the coast was clear. That was the secret passage leading in the Forbidden Forest. There seemed to be not a soul around so Snape call them out, instructing them to keep quiet and stay close together. They had just reached the margin of the forest and were half a mile from the station where the Aurors where waiting for them, when Snape saw three hooded figures coming their way. Snape froze on the spot, recognizing them at once as Death Eaters. He turned on his heels and made the students sign to hide behind the nearby bushes and trees. In doing so, someone stepped on a dry branch, which cracked loudly arising the three men's attention.

"There must be someone sneaking around!" one of the Death Eaters said, and they began to move exactly in their direction. They were all fear-stricken, no one dared even breath. Then Professor Falconbridge had a sudden idea. She began to mew, and in a very convincing way too. Snape gave her a look that seemed to shout what-the-hell-you-did-that-for? But he was greatly relieved when he heard one of the hooded man tell the others it was just a stray cat, so they walked on.

"Lovely, witty Ravenclaw!" Snape thought, looking at the witch with gratitude. Unfortunately, the three men were heading exactly in the same direction as they were. How were they going to reach the station with those three on their way? There was only one possible solution. Snape moved closer to Falconbridge.

"Listen, I'll try to have those three follow me into the forest while you take the kids to the station," he resolutely whispered in her hear.

"No, Severus! It's too risky!" she pleaded with him.

"It's our only chance. Don't worry, I'll be fine," he whispered, his hands grasping on the woman's shoulders. He then stood up, took out his wand and deposited his cloak on the ground, because it could have been just an impediment. He walked in the middle of the street, and assuming his usual, noble pose he attracted the three men's attention.

"Having a nice stroll there?" he said in a loud arrogant voice. The three Death Eaters whipped around to face him.

"Look, it's Snape!" shouted the first man.

"That bloody traitor is still alive!" said the second.

"Let's take him alive, the Dark Lord will reward us for this," said the third, and they took off to a run after Snape. Snape ran as fast as he could, deep in the very heart of the Forbidden Forest, the last place anyone in their right minds would go. Before he could even realize, he had led them straight in the den of the giant spider Aragog and his huge family.

"A present for you!" he shouted to Aragog, before taking his way back to Hogwarts.

Meanwhile, Professor Falconbridge had safely led the students to the station. She then put a Concealing Charm on herself and headed to the lake. Once there, she used the same charm on one of the boats harbored there, and sailed back to the castle. Her heart was beating painfully in her chest. She was dead worried about Severus, and not knowing what was going on in the forest was driving her crazy with anxiety. She arrived to the castle and began climbing the steps leading to the Entrance Hall. When she came into Dumbledore's office where they were all gathered she looks as pale as a ghost.

"Come have a seat, dear," McGonagall beckoned her, making her room on the couch beside her.

"Did anything go wrong? Where is Severus?" Dumbledore asked all armed by the witch's evident state of agitation. She told them everything about their encounter with the Death Eaters and how Snape had succeeded in luring them away from the students, at great personal risk.

"What a fool! They could have blasted him on the spot, and then comfortably kill you all," Moody derisively sneered.

"Severus is not a fool! He did a very brave thing, and don't you dare say that thing again!" Alexandra shrieked abruptly standing up, her voice trembling with rage, eyes filling with tears. She crumbled back in her seat hiding her face in her hands, "What if they've killed him?" she asked between sobs.

"Don't do that, dear. Severus knows perfectly how to defend himself. Trust me, he'll be fine" McGonagall tried to reassure her.

They all left Dumbledore office and headed to the Great Hall for an evening cup of tea. They were peacefully sat around the High Table, when a side door slowly opened. They all instinctively took their wands out, tensed against a possible intruder. The castle doors were charmed to let in only Order Members but, all the same, the state of alarm was constant. A man came in, and they were greatly relieved to see it was Snape. He was a true mess, his clothes were stained with mud and were thorn in some places. His face and hands were scratched and some leaf and twig sticked out of his ruffled hair.

"Hello, Severus. You're a true mess, did you know that?" Lupin cheerfully said approaching him.

"You try to run through the thick of the Forbidden Forest unscratched if you can!" was Snape's sarcastic answer.

"Severus!" Alexandra shouted, and she ran towards him. She flung her arms around his neck in a nearly strangling embrace, breaking down completely.

"Alexandra ... please ... calm down," he muttered trying to free himself from her grip.

"Oh, Severus. I was so scared!" she sobbed on his shoulder.

"I'm ok ... come on ... I cannot breath!" he muttered blushing furiously. She seemed to have forgotten the whole Order was watching them, all bearing unnerving grins on their faces.

"Welcome back, my boy," Dumbledore warmly said. The Headmaster's voice seemed to convince Alexandra it was time to release Severus. But when her hands slid on his back, she touched something wet and she heard Severus catch his breath. She then looked at her hands and they were covered in fresh blood.

"Oh my goodness, Severus you're bleeding!" she shouted with eyes wide opened with shock.

"Let me have a look," Madam Pomfrey readily said approaching.

"It's nothing serious Poppy, probably a Diffindo from afar," he casually said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Not far enough, I suppose. The wound is quite deep, I need to clean it before healing it. Come on, take away your upper clothes!" she bossingly ordered.

"What? I'm not going to undress here, not in front of the students at least!" Snape snarled scandalized.

"Oh, come on. I don't think these kids will be traumatized by the sight of an half naked man," the nurse said rolling her eyes to the ceiling.

Snape hesitated a moment but the cut was burning like hell. He realized the wound was in a place too hard for him to reach. He resigned himself to shamefully start removing his clothes, remaining bare chested while Madam Pomfrey set to work. She dutifully cleaned his back, checking the wound for any possible debris that could infect it, then she took out her wand and closed it causing the bleeding to stop at once. The dressing of Snape's wound was curiously scrutinized by some pairs of eyes. Among them, the most attentive were the students, especially the girls. When somebody was used to go around so overly dressed like Snape, it was just natural for people to wonder how he may look underneath. But the thing that mostly caught their attention was a Slytherin tattooed on his left shoulder.

"Hey, Severus. When did you get that tattoo done?" Lupin said admiring it.

"Just after graduation," Snape quickly said.

"Wow, Professor. It's really cool. Did it hurt?" asked an overly interested Ron, statement which earned him a reproachful stare from his mother.

"Definitely yes, Mr Weasley," Snape spat with annoyance. He was highly irritated to see how people kept sneaking a look at his Dark Mark, and was more than eager to put on the new shirt an house-elf had diligently brought him.

"What was of those men?" Shacklebolt inquired. A smirk formed on Snape's lips and the mention of his former pursuers.

"I left them in the Forest, and in a very good company indeed. They're probably enjoying a little private party with a group of spiders as big as carter horses. They have kindly agreed to take care of them on my behalf," he whispered with gleaming eyes, "and talking about spiders- eh - Hagrid, your old friend Aragog sends you his greetings," he smirked to the Game keeper. Hagrid beamed, glad that his ex-pet still cared about him.

"What does it mean your old friend Aragog? Hagrid, don't tell me that monster is still around?" Professor McGonagall shouted reproachfully.

"Would you join us for a cup of tea?" Dumbledore kindly invited Snape, trying to change the subject of the conversation.

"No, thank you Headmaster. The only thing I want now is a nice shower and then straight to bed. It's been a tough night," Snape politely excused himself before heading for his private quarters.

***

That night, Professor Falconbridge had a terrible nightmare. She dreamed about black hooded figures chasing her down a deserted country road. When she took a path on the left and looked over her shoulder to her pursuers, she realized they had gone the other way. She she heard voices and unwisely went back. Hiding behind a tree, she gave a look at the three men, only to see that there were four now. The fourth man was Snape and her pursuers were going after him now. She was scared of them but, all the same, she could not let them outnumber him without doing something to help him. She ran after them, taking care to keep herself in the shadows of the wood by the road. The men came to a clearing and surrounded Snape on all sides, he was trapped. She had to do something, anything, and very quickly. She took out her wand and pointed it to one of the men, she opened her mouth to curse him, but no sound came out. Snape took his wand out, but one of the others was quicker and struck him with an Avada Kedavra, and he fell to the ground.

Alexandra brusquely woke up, sitting straight up in bed, panting, her heart beating madly. She gave a look around the room and realized it was just a dream, but that was not enough to lighten the heavy oppression she was feeling on her chest. She knew she was being silly, but she felt overcome by the need to see him, to check he was well. She jumped off her bed and, not bothering to put a shawl on her night-gown, she left the room and headed for the nearest fireplace. She grabbed a handful of floo-powder from a pot on the mantelpiece and threw it in the flames. She stepped in the middle of the green flames.

"Severus's Chambers," she shouted, and she was gone. She came out of his sitting room fireplace and walked to the door leading to his bedroom. She hesitated a second with her hand resting on the door knot, then went in.

"Severus?" she softly whispered. At the sound of intruders Snape leaped up on his bed with his wand pointed towards the source of the noise. He was wearing a nice, black, silk pyjamas slightly opened on his chest.

"Who's there?" he shouted menacingly.

"Put that thing down, it's only me... Alexandra," she shouted, a little astonished by the man's incredible reflexes. He turned on the candles in his room with a wave of his wand, and came down from his bed. He stopped in front of her, folding his arms on his chest.

"Do you realize I could have cursed you by mistake?" he said giving her one of his best cold glittering stare. The look of horror on the woman's face at the sudden realization of potential the dangerousness of her action, seemed to soften him a little.

"May I know to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit in my bedroom, in the middle of the night, wearing only that lovely night-gown of yours?" he sneered with a false note of annoyance and a raised eyebrow. Actually, he was rather enjoying the sight. If she had been feeling silly a moment before, she now felt really stupid. Still ashamed of her behavior, she told him about her nightmare and the reason she had fled to his rooms.

"This evening events probably have affected you so much, that your brain has freely elaborated them in your sleep," he unnecessarily explained to her, like she was some dunderhead first-year.

"I know it!" she snapped back indignant by his know-it-all attitude.

"I'm just so scared by all this situation we're living in. I cannot stand to think some of us may die. I'm scared I may loose you," she whispered in a slightly trembling voice, lowering her gaze to the floor. He then wrapped his arms around her in a warm, comforting embrace.

"Don't worry, I will always be there to protect you. Be it the last thing I do," he softly whispered. She raised her face and looked at him straight in his eyes. She was taken aback by the determination she could read in those black tunnels. She realized he really meant every single word he had said.

"You know, tomorrow it's very likely to be the day of the last attack. This could be our last night at Hogwarts, you'd better not spoil it with such bad thoughts," he softly whispered.

His eyes suddenly filled with a strange, bittersweet sadness. Alexandra felt a storm of mixed emotion swirl inside her. She felt hypnotized by those black ponds of velvet and his strong arms around her body felt so good. The comforting warmth of his body, that she could feel through the thin fabric of their night clothes, made her feel like she was going to melt on the spot. Their hearts were beating really fast. They both had noticed it, but none wanted to make the first move. Severus really did not want that moment to end too soon. To hold her in his arms was enough for him, and he did not dare do anything awkward that could make her push him away. She was the first to break that embarrassing silence.

"You're perfectly right. Let's forget about the sad things and think about the happy ones," she softly said. Her hands came to rest on his chest, where his slightly open pyjamas showed his shining amulet hanging onto his heart.

"It's really beautiful," she said caressing the pendant with her fingertips. He removed it from his neck to hook it around hers, before wrapping his arms around her waist again.

"Oh, no Severus. Keep it, it was meant to protect you," she said trying to have him take it back.

"The night I first gave it to you, I cast a spell on it to share its protective power with you," he whispered. She stared at him speechless.

"I want you to wear it, it will protect you," he insisted.

"But why are you giving it to me?" she asked a little confused.

"I need to know you're safe ... because I couldn't stand it if something happens to you," he tenderly whispered while lightly running a finger on her cheek.

She then slightly pushed him away. For a split second he thought that meant she was going to leave, and his lips parted to tell her good-bye. But before he could make a sound, her hands suddenly moved up to cup his face. He gave her a look of surprise to which she answered with a sweet smile. Then, she slowly pulled his face down to hers, she closed her eyes and sealed their lips with a kiss. Severus felt like he could explode with joy. Her soft lips felt so good on his own. She was kissing him passionately, one of her hands was running its fingers through his hair while the other was gently caressing his bare chest. He was kissing her back with matching passion, his tongue exploring her mouth, tasting it, memorizing it. He was not afraid of making his feelings clear, because now he did not have to pretend he was drunk like on Saint Valentine's night. His left arm was pulling her closer while his right hand was buried in the sea of her soft chestnut waves. They finally broke their kiss, panting.

"Severus," she breathlessly said. How was it that he had thought his name to be ugly? From her lips it sounded as light as air, delicate as a summer's night breeze.

"I think I should leave now," she said with a small smile. He nodded and loosened his embrace.

"I see you to the door," he said leading her out of his bedroom.

"I've come by floo," she said when they reached his sitting room.

"Well, then. There should be some in that pot on the mantelpiece," he muttered, "I hope you won't have other nightmares about other Order members," he smirked.

"Don't worry, I don't have the habit to rush in in people's bedrooms in the middle of the night," she sneered back. She lightened up the fireplace and threw an handful of floo-powder in it.

"Don't worry, everything will be all right," he reassured her with a sweet smile.

"Severus! Please promise me that, when this will be all over, you'll tell me everything about you," she asked looking at him hopefully. He was a little taken aback by her unexpected request, but he nodded his agreement.

"You have my word. I'll tell you everything, everything!" he whispered before she stepped into the flames, and shouted her destination. He stood there staring thoughtfully in the now empty flames for a minute. He now knew he was not indifferent to her, but could that mean she loved him? Or had things been pushed to that point by the mere sense of uncertainty of their future? He did not know. He only knew that night he had come really close to declare his love to her, but he refrained himself because that was not the right time for talking about love with the final fight approaching.

Chapter 20 - The Time Has Come

Finally the long feared 21st of March came, and the night of the spring equinox drew near. That night Lord Voldemort would have performed the rite which was going to charge his body with the great, magical energy that gathered on that special day of the year. Just like spring was a moment of rebirth, that rite was meant to give new life to Voldemort's magical powers. Of course, the Dark Lord was not aware of the little parting present Severus Snape had left him, or else he would have killed the betrayer. On the contrary, the Order of the Phoenix knew everything that was going to happen that night. They were all getting ready to face what could be easily called the Final Fight. For the occasion, Mr Ollivander came to check everyone's wand working conditions. He wanted to have a look at Moody's one too, but the old Auror kept shouting things about “attempts at sabotage� and “conspiracy against him�.When Mr Ollivander examined Snape's wand and then Falconbridge's one, his face wore a weird grin.

“Curious, very curious,� he muttered, carefully checking both wands again.

“What is curious?� Professor Falconbridge innocently asked. Mr Ollivander put them back on the small table in front of him, and looked at the witch with interest.

“I was really surprised when Mr Potter here bought the twin of the wand which gave him his scar, you know, twin wands are very rare. Never would have I dared dream to come across another pair, these two indeed. Two wands made of different woods, ebony and rosewood, but sharing the same core of the very same magical creature, dragon heart strings,� he dutifully explained.

“It's very interesting that their owners are a wizard and a witch. Perhaps, we could even speak of twin souls...� he suggested, his eyes twinkling with malice.

“What a nice coincidence!� Dumbledore exclaimed cheerfully, which caused Snape to give the man a murderous look. He clearly felt something embarrassing was coming. “Professors Snape and Falconbridge are, in fact, very good friends,� he said putting definitely too much stress on the last words.

“Are you sure you're not hiding us something?� Lupin chimed in, wearing an annoying amused grin.

“NO!� shouted the two friends at unison, Professor Falconbridge blushing madly and Snape looking like he could have killed both Lupin and Ollivander for their insufferable nosiness. Moody scowled at the unwelcome suggestion, while the others chuckled and giggled amused. If only they knew about the passionate kiss those friends had shared just the night before... But that happy note was not due to last long. Infant, right in the middle of that night's dinner, Harry clapped a hand to his forehead and Snape gripped at his left forearm simultaneously.

“Albus, it's a general summoning ... and it seems rather urgent too,� Snape hissed through gritted teeth. His Dark Mark had suddenly turned pure black, and it was burning like hell.

“What a nice anti-You-Know-Who alarm you two make!� Moody sneered. Snape and Harry scowled at each other, they obviously agreed it was not a laughing matter at all. Meanwhile, Voldemort Apparated in the middle of the Quidditch pitch, a thing that would not have been possible if the Death Eaters had not succeeded in freeing a small portion of it, from the many wards protecting the grounds from apparition. There were about thirteen of his faithful followers waiting for him, as only the inner circle were allowed to approach him. A second later, someone looking like a witch threw herself at her Master's feet, kissing the hem of his robes.

“Welcome back, Master. The moment of your triumph has finally come,� she shrieked fanatically.

“Rise Bellatrix, my most faithful servant,� Voldemort commanded, “I'm disappointed to see so few of you here. There are still three empty places among you,� he said pacing around the circle formed by his Death Eaters. “The first is were there should be my ever most faithful servant, but that fool of Fudge had him kissed by a Dementor to save his pathetic reputation,� he hissed sorting him out with a long, skeletal, white finger. He was referring to Barthy Crouch Jr and his sentence to something worst than death itself, in most wizards' opinion.

“The second, he's so scared of my revenge that he has never come back to me. He would be dead now, if you hadn't been so incompetent not to find him yet,� he said rising his angry voice.

“We've tried, my Lord. We've used our spies all around the world, but he seems to have somehow disappeared. Maybe he has used a Fidelius Charm, my Lord ?� said a cold, drawling, male voice.

“I have enough of your useless excuses, Malfoy. If he had really used a Fidelius, you should have find his Secret Keeper at least,� he said boring his red slits on the hooded man. As much as everybody knew, Igor Karkaroff and his family were nowhere to be seen.

“The third, was probably the most talented among you. But he's a traitor, and I've only realized what a great mistake was to keep him alive. However, he has served me well before leaving. His natural gift with potion will allow me to rise to my Glory,� he said with a certain satisfaction.

“I usually don't tolerate failure, or worse betrayal. But in his particular case, I may even consider to offer him a second chance,� he mused. It was evident he had always valued Snape for his skills over the rest of his followers, if he even considered the chance to let him go back to him alive. Snape was a powerful wizard, and it would have been very wise to keep him to one's side. When midnight struck, Peter Pettigrew threw himself at Voldemort's feet.

“Everything's ready, my Master. We can proceed with the rite,� he squeaked in his oily voice.

“Well, let's begin,� he ordered, his snake-like face stretching in an ugly satisfied smile. Another Death Eater drew a circle with blood on the wet grassy ground and lighted candles all around it, while Wormtail brought the bottle containing the portentous liquid, or so they thought. Voldemort stepped in the middle of the circle rising his eyes to the sky. He took the goblet from his servant's hands and lifted it to the sky.

The Dark Lord performed the ritual in some funny ancient language, and a ray of blue light engulfed him. He drank the potion while beams of magical power began to flow up and down, from his body to the sky above and back. If everything had gone as it was meant to be, then Voldemort would possess endless powers, perhaps even greater than Dumbledore's ones. But fortunately, Snape's little sabotage did the trick, and Voldemort found himself with almost half his powers without even realizing it. Dumbledore had witnessed the whole scene from an enchanted mirror in his office, and when the blue ray disappeared he spoke to the main representatives of the Order present in the room.

“The time has come, let's get ready for the last fight of what will be remembered as The Second War,� he solemnly told them.

Out on the pitch Voldemort, strong of his presumed, increased powers felt ready to finally face his two greatest enemies.

“With my new magical powers, that fool of Dumbledore stands no chance. He will be as easy to defeat as those worthless Muggles he loves so much. This time, that damned boy will have no escape. I'll reap him, I'll tear him, I'll kill him,� Voldemort stated with a triumphant mirthless laugh. He then walked out of the Quidditch pitch, followed by his inner circle.

“Come, come to me my faithful servants!� he called to his Death Eaters scattered all around the place. To make his call more readily answered, he activated all the Dark Marks making them burn like never before. He didn't even bothered to exclude Snape's one.

“Serves him well as a reminder of the pain that awaits those who oppose me, maybe this could even make him come back to me,� he nastily thought as he made his general summoning. Meanwhile in the castle, Dumbledore was standing in front of his army giving a speech in the Great Hall.

“The time has finally come. Today we're going to fight not only to protect Hogwarts, but to protect mankind itself,� Dumbledore solemnly told to the crowd of Aurors, Unspeakables and Order of the Phoenix members.

“Voldemort claims to fight for the supremacy of the pureblood wizarding race, but we well know that he and his followers won't stop before anyone they find on their way to power, no matter what his ancestry is,� he said, speaking very slowly and clearly, so that none of them could miss a word.

“My friends, I only have one more thing to ask you. When you'll be on the battlefield, fight with all your strengths for all that's worth living for: Peace, Freedom, Love and Friendship,� he addressed to his silent audience. That was probably the most serious speech he had ever gave since he became Headmaster of Hogwarts, but the resolute expressions on the many faces assembled around him gave him a new energy.

“This time, we won't wait for them in the safety of this glorious building. We'll go outside and face them openly. We'll take them by surprise,� he explained his strategy, “In the name of Merlin the Great, are you ready to fight and die for the future of mankind?� he shouted pointing his wand to the heavens.

“Yes!� the fighters answered in unison rising their wands to the sky above.

Dumbledore marched down from the platform on which stood the High Table, and lead his army out of the Great Hall. For the first time, only Madam Pomfrey and the house-elves were going to remain inside the castle to look after the wounded. Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the Weasley kids joined the flood of people streaming out of the Hall. In the Entrance Hall, they saw many people stop in front of a statue of Merlin standing by the entrance door, and then go out to join Dumbledore and the others at the feet of the entrance staircase.

“What are they doing?� Hermione asked Lupin pointing at the statue.

“They're doing homage to him,� Remus readily explained, “but if you see them go down on their knees and bow their heads, that means they're making the oath to give their lives fighting. In that case they do this to yield their souls to him,� he gravely added describing them what Snape was doing in that same moment. Remus then headed to the statue as well, and he too knelt down in front of it, then he joined Snape and Alexandra by the door, and they went out together.

Dumbledore's companions spread on the castle grounds like a wide human river, running towards the enemy like wanting to drown him in its flood. Voldemort gathered his own army at the feet of the Quidditch stadium, a crowd of black hooded figures that hardly matched Dumbledore's forces. Apart from a small group of fanatics who really believed in the superiority of the poorblooded race, many of Voldemort’s supporters were there only to satisfy their thirst for blood and power. It would not have been a great surprise if, in the end, they had turned their backs to Voldemort if they ever found out he was half-blood, or in front of his possible defeat. They really had nothing worth fighting for, and would prefer to save their own necks than go down with him.

***

The element of surprise was a good weapon for the forces of Good, as Voldemort did not expect to see so many people charging against him.

“Form ranks!� he shouted to the Death Eaters who hurried to take position.

The young ones in the very front, the elder members behind them, while the others formed a human barrier to protect Voldemort. He wanted them to get rid of the others and leave Dumbledore and Harry Potter for himself. On the other front Snape, Lupin and Falconbridge fought like devils, side by side, striking curses and spells right and left. Harry, Hermione and Ron proceeded fighting the enemy together like they were a single person. Professor McGonagall gave proof of her worth as a fighter, showing that clearly experience meant competence. Moody was overly excited to find himself back in his element, the battlefield. But, in the end, his wooden leg revealed itself a huge impediment, an unsteady movement and he fell becoming an easy target for a bad, though not fatal, curse from a Death Eater he was close to defeat a minute before.

Just when things were going for the worst for our friends, they received an unexpected help from some unexpected allies. At a certain point, the ground trembled and the trees of the Forbidden Forest shook violently. From the middle of their shadows emerged the mountain like shape of Grawp, Hagrid's giant little brother, followed by a group of fifty centaurs. The half-humans had finally realized that was their war too, or so they said was written in the stars. Dumbledore's companions were soon grateful for their coming as the fight went on, and they easily outnumbered the enemy. Another helping hand came from the sky. Suddenly a cloud of birds dived down towards the black figures of the Death Eaters, pecking and scratching them with their talons. Fawkes, Hedwig and Silver Arrow were in their lead.

***

After hours of violent battle, the fighters still able to hold their wands had been reduced to a very small group. Some had died, but many were seriously injured. Dumbledore's fellows were about twelve, among them were Lupin, Snape, McGonagall, Falconbridge, Harry Potter and Dumbledore himself. On the other side, Voldemort was now surrounded only by his most faithful servants among which stood the Lestranges, Lucius Malfoy, Nott and Avery. Peter Pettigrew had been killed little before by Remus Lupin, who finally had his chance to avenge his friends James and Lily Potter. One thing was to kill a wandless Peter in the Shieking Shake, another was to fairly face him on the battlefield, a thing that James would have certainly approved.

“We meet again, Dumbledore,� Voldemort hissed.

“And it's going to be the last time,� Dumbledore calmly added, though a fire was blazing in his blue eyes.

“Snape! You're still alive, I see,� Voldemort whispered boring his deadly, red eyes on him. “I think you've had time to think things over, and decide where your true loyalties lie,� he sneered, “you were one of my best followers, I expected great things from you. You're still in time to come back to me, I'm giving you a second chance,� he coldly whispered. Snape was staring stonily at Voldemort straight in his red cruel eyes.

“My loyalty is, and will always be ... with Albus Dumbledore,� he shouted defiantly.

“How touching... Dumbledore seems to have redeemed you, indeed,� Voldemort smirked.

“Don't be a fool!� he snarled, “You’d better save your own life and rejoin me ... or you'll meet the same end as those who dared oppose me ... They died begging me for mercy ...�

“I was a fool to join you in the first place, I won't make that same mistake twice,� Snape venomously whispered. Anger was coursing through him, and it was an effort to keep his voice steady. He knew he was playing with his own life, but he wanted to tell him he was not his puppet anymore. Dumbledore had given him the only second chance he had ever dreamed of, the one which had opened a gleam of hope in his miserable life, and nothing on earth could have made him change his mind.

“Voldemort, surrender yourself. You can't win,� Dumbledore shouted.

“I don't see why, I'm still alive,� he sneered.

“Not for long,� shouted Harry Potter, pointing his wand at the Dark Lord.

“Avada Kedavra!� he shouted, but nothing happened. Voldemort smirked amused.

“Stupid boy! I've already told you, you need to mean it if you want an Unforgivable to work. You cannot kill me,� he derisively said. Harry was about to strike another curse, when he was suddenly knocked down by a well aimed curse from Malfoy.

“Is that all you can do, Saint Potter?� Malfoy drawled derisively.

“Shut up your filthy mouth Lucius!� Snape spat and struck him with a Stunning Spell. For some strange reason, Voldemort seemed to have enjoyed Snape's reaction.

“Snape, what are you waiting for? Finish him off!� he tried to instigate his ex-Death Eater, his eyes gleaming wickedly.

“No, I'm not a bloody killer!� Snape hissed angrily.

“But you have been one, and so was your father before you. It's in your blood, you can't deny it. Surrender to the evil inside you!� he whispered seductively.

“I'd rather die, than follow my father's steps!� Snape shouted defiantly.

“How dare you disobey our Lord's orders!� Rodolphus Lestrange shouted, and he pointed his wand at Snape. There was a blast, Snape was lifted off his feet, and slammed sideways into a nearby tree trunk, a trickle of blood oozing from his temple. He had been knocked out. Then Lupin struck Lestrange, who fell unconscious to the ground.

“Severus!� Alexandra screamed in shock.

“Who are you? I don't think we've met before,� Voldemort inquired, looking at Alexandra with evident interest.

“No, you don't know me. But you knew my parents, Duncan and Miranda Falconbridge!� she said glaring at him with glittering eyes.

“Falconbridge you said. Yes... the Aurors. They thought they could oppose me, they were wrong,� he whispered with that satisfaction he proved each time he remembered his victims.

“You'll pay for their death, and for all the innocent victims you and your bloody followers have killed,� she said pointing her wand at him.

“You foolish woman! You can't kill me for I'm immortal. I have powers you can't even imagine,� Voldemort smirked derisively, “neither the Potter boy nor Dumbledore can stand a chance against me,� he said and gave another mirthless laugh.

“We'll see!� she said defiantly. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard. She thought about her parents, about all the friends who've died by the hand of the enemy, and she thought about the persons she loved most ... she thought about Severus. Love gave her the power to gather all the magic within her, and she let it burst out in a single, deadly curse, together with twenty years of grief for her parents' early loss.

“AVADA KEDAVRAAAAA!� she roared. A blinding jet of green light burst out of the tip of her wand, engulfing Voldemort in it. His smirk disappeared, soon replaced by an expression of complete astonishment. He did not make a sound, and fell down to the ground ... dead! The effort had been too much for her, and she too fell to the ground, swooning.

“Master! Master!� Bellatrix Lestrange shrieked in shock, her hands in her hair. Her shrill voice woke Snape up. He blinked, and looked around him disoriented. A trickle of blood was still oozing from under his hair. His eyes darted from Dumbledore's astonished face to a motionless Harry Potter lying on the ground, from Voldemort's dead body to Bellatrix's mad expression, then at Alexandra's still form.

“You bitch! You killed my Master ... and I will kill you!� a completely insane Bellatrix shouted at the unconscious Alexandra. In her actual conditions, any spell Bellatrix could use would have been enough to kill Alexandra, and Severus knew that. He unsteadily raised himself to his feet. Bellatrix's wand was now pointing straight at Alexandra.

“No! Bella, no!� he shouted as the mad witch opened her mouth to cast the killing curse.

He sprinted forward and threw himself on Alexandra to protect her from the curse, in an unbreakable embrace, shielding her with his own body. Snape was well aware it was desperate but, as long as it existed a single chance to save Alexandra's life, he was ready to give his own life for her. He had promised to protect her, even if it was the last thing he did. It was going to be his last gift to her, the proof of his endless love for her. He did not know if it would have worked, but he really did not care. Her life was the only thing that mattered to him, because he loved her more than words could tell, more than his own life.

“Avada Kedavra!� Bellatrix shouted, who did not see Snape coming or probably did not care. Professor McGonagall gasped.

“Severus, no!� Dumbledore shouted in despair.

Severus had just the time to quickly whispered the words “Amatus, Amandus, Ego Te Protego� under his breath, before the curse struck him. The incantation charged the amulet hanging around Alexandra's neck which, newly activated by Severus’s fresh blood oozing from the wound in his head, created an invisible protective barrier around them. Everybody saw Snape close his eyes, then fall to the ground next to his love. They both looked dead, and there was nothing left anybody could do for them.

Chapter 21 - The Best Student
Once the general astonishment was over, a deadly, final battle burst out around the still bodies of the two fallen lovers. The Death Eaters were all defeated, some were killed in the fight, while the rest were bound and taken to Azkaban by a new group of Ministry Aurors, whom had just arrived on the battlefield. The captives were going to be imprisoned till the day of their trial in front of the whole Wizengamot. When the war was finally over Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey and a group of mediwizards were walking among the many bodies scattered on the grounds, conjuring stretchers to carry the wounded to the castle. When they reached the spot where Severus and Alexandra lay, Dumbledore knelt down next to them uncertainly; he checked Severus's pulse.

"Poppy, Poppy! Come here, quick!" he loudly called for the school matron. She knelt down too and examined them.

"I can't believe it! It's impossible! Albus, they're still alive!" she shouted astonished.

"I know, Poppy. This is beyond my comprehension too but, as you can see, they've both survived the killing curse. It's not the first time someone did it, and our dear Mr Potter is proof enough that it is an actual possibility," Dumbledore pointed out, though he still could not explain it himself.

"Yes, Albus. They're alive, but only just. The effort to resist the curse almost killed them," she gravely said.

"We've got to be quick, then. Let's take them to the castle before it's too late!" he said standing up. He conjured two stretchers and levitated the two bodies up to the Hospital Wing.

***

A glorious sunrise welcomed the new day, a day in which the world was finally free from the menace of the Dark Lord and his faithful followers. Hogwarts now looked like a huge Hospital Wing because of all the wounded fighters lying in the many beds scattered all around the place. The most serious cases had been immediately sent to St Mungus Hospital, but not all of them. Severus and Alexandra's conditions were so precarious that moving them could have been fatal. Down in the dungeons things were even worse, because it was there that the house-elves were taking care of the dead: washing, dressing, and putting them in their coffins, preparing them to be sent back to their families for an honourable funeral as heroes of The Second War.

Harry was lying in a bed with bandages around his head. He had beaten it against a stone when Lucius Malfoy had stricken him with his curse, but his general conditions were good. Ron was in the bed next to him with a broken arm, but feeling all right. Hermione sat in a chair between the two beds, with just some burns on her left arm but feeling immensely happy her friends were still alive. On the other side of the room, stood two more beds. One was empty though it had been previously occupied by Lupin, who had now left the castle feeling the full moon approaching. In the other bed stood Snape's, still unconscious.

"Do you think he's still alive?" Ron asked throwing a curious look at him.

"Dunno, he hasn't woken up yet?" Harry muttered a little perplexed.

"No wonder he hasn't. Didn't you hear what he did tonight?" Hermione said with a knowing look on her scratched face.

"No, Hermione. We've been too busy trying to save our own skins out there," Ron whined.

"Honestly, Ron. You've just got a broken arm. If it wasn't that Madam Pomfrey is too busy with too many patients, she would have fixed it in no time," Hermione sighed rolling her eyes.

"Come on, Hermione, tell us!" Harry said excited.

"Professor McGonagall just told me he has thrown himself to shield Professor Falconbridge from the killing curse, and they both have miraculously survived to it," she said in the same tone she used in class, answering to her teachers' questions.

"How is it possible? My mother did the same to save me, but she died!" Harry muttered astonished.

"I told you, nobody knows how," Hermione whispered.

Later that afternoon, Snape began to stir as he comes back to his senses. His eyes shot open, and he brusquely sat up shouting "Voldemort!" and looking around the room alarmed, startling the three kids in the room, who gasped in shock. He then slowly lay back down, too weak to support himself. Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey heard his scream, and rushed in the room.

"Calm yourself, dear boy, you are a little behind the times," Dumbledore said.

"Where is Voldemort?" Snape asked gripping at the sleeve of the old man's robes.

"I see you can finally say his name, good. Voldemort is dead, my son," he softly told him.

"Dead! He's dead!" Snape repeated, disbelieving his own ears. Then he burst into a light-hearted laugh, while tears of joy came streaming down his cheeks. It was finally all over! Harry was looking at his professor grinning. He perfectly knew how happy Snape was feeling in that moment, because that was exactly the way he felt himself. Snape abruptly stopped laughing, when something very important suddenly came to his mind.

"Where is Alexandra?" he anxiously asked.

"Severus, relax," Pomfrey tried to sedate him.

"Alexandra is alive, but she hasn't woken up yet," Dumbledore softly said.

"Where is she? Is she all right? I want to see her!" he shouted, and tried to get off his bed but Dumbledore forced him to lie down again.

"You cannot see her now. You're still too weak to stand," Pomfrey said bossing-ly, "now stay still and let me examine you," she ordered him before pulling the curtains around his bed.

"Headmaster, how do you think is it possible that Alexandra and I survived the killing curse?" Severus inquired astonished.

"I cannot say anything for certain right now, although, I believe there may be only one possible explanation, my boy. Love saved you both," Dumbledore said with a kind smile.

"What do you mean?'" Snape asked arching a dubious brow.

"Love is a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature," Dumbledore explained, "tell me, Severus. When the curse struck you, were you wearing your mother's amulet?"

"No, it was around Alexandra's neck," Snape said, still uncertain of where the old man's theory would lead them.

"And you performed the Amatus incantation to share its protective power with her, if I'm correct," Dumbledore stated.

"Yes, but it couldn't be that powerful to shield us from an Unforgivable!" Snape pointed out.

"Not in normal conditions, indeed. Though I have good reason to think that a very powerful combination of elements took place a second before the curse actually struck you," He said with a strange twinkle in his blue eyes.

"I still don't follow you, headmaster," Snape said confused.

"Let's consider a few facts together ... The amulet was charmed to protect Alexandra and yourself. The Amatus incantation is activated by the protector's blood, and you were also bleeding when you threw yourself to shield her from Lestrange's curse. But the thing that really brought the amulet to its highest power was the love you two share, and the fact that you were ready to sacrifice your life to save hers," Dumbledore concluded with a knowing look to the younger wizard. Snape's eyes opened wide as comprehension finally dawned on him. The killing curse seemed amazingly to have left no great damages to Snape's body. By the way, during her examination, Madam Pomfrey noticed something weird.

"Headmaster, could you please come have a look at something?" she beckoned Dumbledore, who had left for a moment Snape's side and had approached Harry's bed for a little chat. She showed him the mark on Snape's forearm ... and it was black!

"Black? Why is it still black? He's dead, isn't it?" Snape angrily spat, staring at his arm with wide-open eyes.

"He's certainly dead, that's out of question," Dumbledore reassured him, "do you remember what Voldemort used to do it? A Protean Charm, perhaps?" he tentatively asked.

"I don't know, the only thing I remember is that it burned like hell, and that I bled," Snape bitterly snarled.

"Hmm, another mystery to solve..." Dumbledore mused. He was, in fact, going to summon the Wizengamot to discuss the events concerning that final battle. Specially, they were going to try to find the reason why Alexandra had been able to defeat Voldemort, contradicting the prophecy that saw Harry Potter as the saviour of the wizarding world.

"Wait a minute, I want to check on something," Dumbledore told the nurse and he opened the curtain around Snape's bed.

"Harry, does your scar hurts any more?" Dumbledore gently asked to Harry.

"No, sir. Not that I remember," Harry said looking at the old man a little perplexed.

"Madam Pomfrey, could you please take away Harry's bandages?" he kindly asked, and the nurse readily obeyed. To anyone's astonishment, Harry's scar ...was gone, disappeared!

"How is that possible? You once told me that scars left by a curse never go away!" Harry pointed out. He had always taken for granted everything Dumbledore had ever told him.

"There seems to be exceptions, Harry, in very few cases they actually do. On occasions like this, this kind of scars may disappear once the wizards who produced it dies," Dumbledore stated.

"Then why the hell my Dark Mark is still here and black again?" Snape angrily snarled.

"The nature of your two scars is different, Severus. If Voldemort have really used a Protean Charm on you, its mark has simply taken the look it had the last time it has been activated. Therefore, It's still black, because Voldemort have not had the time to do the counter-charm before dying. It's only a theory, but we'll know better when we check someone else's mark," he calmly explained.

"Great! To think that all I wanted was to forget that bloody bastard now that he was dead!" Snape spat, and rolled on his side giving his back to them,

"Moody was right ... there are spots that never come off!" Snape sadly whispered, staring blankly at the wall in front of him, to avoid seeing their compassionate stare. If there was something that Snape really could not stand that was pity, especially when it was directed to him.

***

That night Snape was having problems falling asleep. Madam Pomfrey had denied him his usual dose of sleeping potion, because she thought it was not advisable to administrate to a person who had been unconscious for so long. He gave a look around the room, and saw that Harry and Ron were peacefully asleep in their beds while Hermione was having a nap on her chair, which she had wisely transfigured into a comfortable armchair. Madam Pomfrey had given her permission to stay for the night, although she disapproved the idea of a girl sleeping in the same room with two boys and a man. Actually, Snape did not mind much sharing his room with them. Snape had been surprised to find their cheerfulness almost contagious, but he was too upset about his dark mark to enjoy it. "At least, these kids aren't as noisy as the Slytherins," he thought with a smirk, but that thought made him sad. He missed his students, and wondered what was of them, hoping they were all safe and sound. He was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, thinking about the many things that happened during that school year, when he suddenly heard the noise of steps coming his way. It was Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey. He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, trying to catch some bit of their conversation.

"What do they say?" Albus asked hopefully.

"At St Mungus say they've run out of that powerful Reviving potion we needed," Poppy gravely whispered.

"Good heavens, that was the only chance we had to save Professor Falconbridge!" Albus said anxiously.

"I know, headmaster, I know. If only Severus wasn't so weak ... he should have been able to brew some," she said tearfully.

"We can't pretend a thing like this in his present conditions. The effort could be too much for me. He's not even able to stand" Dumbledore sighed.

Snape's eyes opened wide at that awful news. Her life was still in danger, and he was the only one who could brew that highly complicated potion. Unfortunately, it was him who prepared some of the most efficacious potions used by St Mungus's mediwizards. "I've risked my own life to save her, how can I now leave her die without doing something to save her?" he bitterly thought in frustration, "I have all the ingredients needed in my office, if only I could reach it ... but I feel so disgustingly weak and I even doubted I have enough magical power left in me to perform the incantation," he kept mentally torturing himself. "What can I do?" he was asking himself, when he suddenly found the answer to all his questions. It had always been there under his nose ... Hermione Granger. He pushed aside the covers of his bed and swung his legs over the side, and tested them. They seemed to hold him. He tried a few unsteady steps towards a nearby chair where stood his dressing gown. He reached out for it and put it on his pyjamas. His head was giddy, but he mastered to walk up to where Hermione was sleeping in her armchair.

"Granger," he whispered softly, shaking the girl awake.

"Professor Snape! What..." she whispered, opening her eyes and staring astonished at him.

"Granger, I need your help," he sternly cut her off. He quickly explained his plan to her, and then stared at her hopefully.

"But Professor, I have not the knowledge to..." she began to complain, but he cut her off in mid sentence again.

"Listen to me well, because I'm not going to repeat it again," he said impatiently, "you are the best student I've ever had. How many second years do you think are able to brew a flawless Polijuice potion? Very few, apart you and myself." She blushed a little at that unexpected praise from him. "You are the only one who can help me. Professor Falconbridge's life depends on this very potion. If she doesn't drink some soon ... she'll die," he whispered in a softer, nearly imploring voice. She could clearly read his despair in those usually cold, detached eyes.

"All right, Professor. I'm ready. Let's go!" she said with concern. He nodded, and they slowly made their way out of the room.

Snape walked very slowly, and he soon had to lean on Hermione for support. They made all the way down to his office unseen. He was so weak, that he had to sit down in an armchair as soon as they went in. She dutifully gathered all the ingredients he told her, she levitated his big, black cauldron in the middle of the room and lighted a fire beneath it. It was a really complicated potion, but his instructions were so precise that she had no problem whatsoever in following them. She did all the manual work, leaving him rest on his armchair long enough to gather his strengths for the moment he had to perform the incantation. When everything was ready, he slowly stood up and approached the streaming cauldron. She stepped aside to leave him room in front of it. He took out his wand, stretched out his arms over the mouth of the cauldron; he closed his eyes and concentrated hard. He then uttered the incantation in a language Hermione did not recognised, which he later told her was Gaelic. The effort of that performance was probably too much for him and caused him to take a few faltering steps backwards. Hermione readily run to him.

"Are you all right, Professor?" she asked a little worried.

"Yes, thank you. I'm just ... tired" he said panting slightly. She led him back to the armchair, and helped him to sit down. "Stir it seven times counter-clockwise, in wide circles," he weakly said. She nodded and set herself back to work.

"Done! What's next?" she promptly asked.

"Nothing, we just wait till it cools. Take some rest, you deserve it," he kindly whispered. She took seat in an armchair opposite his. Her eyes wandered around the room with interest, she did not notice he was staring at her with a small smile on his lips.

"Tell me, Hermione. What would you like to do after Hogwarts?" he inquired with gleaming eyes. She was startled to hear him use her first name. Usually Dumbledore and Hagrid were the only teachers doing so.

"I don't know sir. There are many things that sound rather interesting to me," she politely answered.

"Have you ever considered the possibility of a Master-ship in Potions?" he smirked.

"Well, yes. Though I know they require an O in all one's N.E.W.T.s, and that they also want a letter of introduction to accept someone," she said a little dispirited.

"Well, I have no doubt about you reaching that result in your N.E.W.T.s. I don't know about my colleagues, but you can count on mine. And for the Master ship - ah- I've already written a letter for you, in case you decide to follow my steps. You've a natural talent with potions," he said staring at the cooling cauldron with a satisfied expression.

"Oh! Thank you, sir. I'll - ehm - take it into consideration," she awkwardly answered, blushing furiously.

"Forgive me, if sometimes I've called you an insufferable know-it-all. I was one myself, and I couldn't stand to see another student spoiling her youth on books. Anyway, you're luckier than me, because you have two faithful friends by your side. I was alone...," he concluded with a sad note.

"But sir, you have friends now! Professor Falconbridge and Remus Lupin too, don't you?" she tried to cheer him up.

"Yes, I do," he admitted with a small, sad, smile. The very thought of Alexandra still unconscious in her bed, was for him more like having a heavy stone on his chest right then. And the possibility that the potion, in spite of all their efforts, may not work was killing his very slowly.

"It should be cool by now. Let's check it," he said, and slowly stood up. He took a bottle and filled it with the newly brewed potion. "Take this up to Madam Pomfrey. I'll fill a few others, and send the rest to St Mungus. Please be quick, and let's hope it works," he sighed, "thank you Hermione, you don't know how much this means to me" he warmly told her. She gave him a broad smile and run upstairs.

"Professor Snape must really care for Professor Falconbridge. I doubt he would risk just as much for anybody else. How strange... he should feel really bad if has told me all those things. It all sounded like a dying man's last will, like the words of someone that has nothing left to loose," Hermione mused along her way to the Hospital Wing. She had never seen her teacher in such a strange mood, so talkative, so ... kind.

When Snape was finished with the rest of the potion, he headed to his fireplace to floo himself up to the Hospital Wing. He came out in Madam Pomfrey's office.

"Severus! Where the hell have you been? We were all so worried about you, and in your conditions!" Pomfrey shouted reproachfully.

"Save your lectures for later. Granger is coming here with a bottle of the Reviving potion you wanted," he snarled. A few seconds later, Hermione came rushing in into the nurse's office.

"We've got the potion. We can now heal Professor Falconbridge," she gladly panted.

"Where did you find it?" Pomfrey asked surprised.

"We brew it together. Now, let's stop wasting precious time and give it to Alexandra!" Snape nervously spat.

The matron hurried out of her office, and headed straight to Alexandra's room where Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were sitting on each side of her bed. They gave an astonished look at the newcomers, but a broad smile beamed on their faces at the sight of the bottle in Pomfrey's hand. Harry and Ron woke up at the noise of footsteps and, not seeing Hermione there, they run out of their room to go join the others. Dumbledore supported the unconscious Alexandra up, while Pomfrey forced the potion between her lips. They waited in silence staring at her with great apprehension. Severus and Hermione stood side by side, sharing the burden of the responsibility for its outcome. Fortunately, the potion seemed to work his healing at once, and Alexandra began to slowly wake up. When she opened her eyes she found herself surrounded by a group of the happiest faces she had ever seen. Dumbledore was hugging McGonagall; Pomfrey had tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, Harry and Ron were both jumping up and down excited. But the strangest sight she saw was Severus hugging Hermione, repeating the words "We did it!" on and on. He even gave the girl a grateful kiss on her forehead. Then Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat and tried to restore silence.

"Everybody out, she needs to rest," she said shepherding everybody towards the door, "No, Severus. You can stay, dear," she warmly told him. He was beside himself with joy. He took seat in a chair close to her bed. She looked at him a little confused.

"What happens? Why are you all so happy?" she asked him astonished. Then, he told her everything had happened right after she had struck the killing curse at Voldemort.

"And you risked your life to save me? But how did you know it would have worked?" she asked astonished.

"I didn't know! But I had to try," he whispered staring her straight in her eyes.

"There was a one in a million chance, and you still wanted to sacrifice yourself ... for me" she softly whispered, staring at him through bright eyes.

"I couldn't stand the thought of loosing you," he warmly said, taking her hands in his. Worm tears came streaming down her cheeks. She threw her arms around his neck; he wrapped his around her and held her tight in a long, warm embrace.