Severus supposed he had better go down to the Slytherin common room and see how his newest House member was settling in. He knew Mandy Jones, a fifth year prefect, would make sure Aria had everything she needed as far as a schedule and a map of the castle and tell her some general things about classes, homework and professors, and he hoped Remus had spoken to his niece as well, so she wouldn't feel so much like a fish out of water.

Severus always made it a point to speak with his new members one on one, to try and get to know them better before having them in class, lay down the Slytherin House Rules to them, and make certain they knew he was available to speak with if they were having problems with a subject or their peers. Since Slytherins, by and large, had an unearned reputation for being a House of Darkness, some of their younger members were often picked on by the other Houses, and while Severus knew better than to try and fight their battles for them, he could and did offer advice on how to handle bullies or once in a great while a shoulder to cry on.

Most of the students in his House respected him a great deal and were grateful that he paid attention to them, giving them both discipline and praise when they needed it. Many of them came from homes where their parents were neglectful or overbearing or downright abusive, and Severus sought to give them a consistent and confident Head of House, one whom they could trust and look up to. Several of them came to regard him as a surrogate parent or older sibling, which had at first made him uncomfortable, but now he took it in stride. However, he also encouraged his House members to stick together and help one another, "Often you will have no one else to rely on save another Slytherin, so out in public, present a united front as much as possible."

Of course, there were always exceptions, but on the whole, most of his House tended to follow that rule. The Slytherins possessed a fiercely competitive drive to succeed, which other teachers often viewed as being arrogant or willing to win at any cost, when in actuality he had taught them to see the weaknesses in a competitor and exploit them, as he did when he spied upon the Death Eaters. No knowledge is ever wasted was a maxim of his, and it was one the Slytherins took to heart. They soon learned to take what they learned and then use it to their advantage, as he had so long ago, for he favored practical application of magic over theory.

He supposed young Miss Lupin must have possessed a great deal of those qualities, else the Hat would not have placed her in the House of Serpents. What did surprise him was that Remus had never before mentioned his niece to his best friend, he wondered why, and intended to ask the other man next time he saw him.

Just then, his fireplace flared green and Lupin stuck his head through. "Severus? May I drop in?"

Severus concealed his shock at the other's unexpected appearance well, only tilting his head and smiling slightly. "Speak of the devil, Moony! I was just thinking about you and your niece. Come on in." He waved a hand, removing the charm that prevented unauthorized visitors from Flooing into his quarters. It was a precaution he'd begun long before, when he'd first took up the mantle of secret agent, and he saw no reason not to continue it. Better safe than sorry was another maxim of his.

Remus came through a moment later, brushing a light coating of ash off his gray trousers and casual long-sleeved maroon top. Like his fellow professor, he dressed comfortably in the privacy of his own rooms, happy to shed the heavy teaching robes after a long day of instruction. "Sorry, I would've come sooner, but Albus wanted to ask me something about Aria."

Severus was seated in his recliner, minus his formal robes as well, he was wearing a pair of soft black flannels and a long-sleeved gray shirt with the slogan How Do You Brew the Perfect Potion? Practice Makes Perfect. It had been a gift from one of his Advanced Potions students a year ago and he wore it often. Few outside his House ever knew Severus preferred casual Muggle attire to wizard wear when he was relaxing, Muggles knew how to relax and their loungewear reflected that.

"So do I, Moony," Severus began, waving the other over to a seat on the sofa. "Tea? Biscuits?" He indicated the silver teapot and the tray of shortbread.

"No thanks, Sev, I'm still stuffed from dinner," Remus declined, taking a seat.

"How is it that you never mentioned the fact that you had a niece to me, Remus?"

The other sighed. "It's a long story, Sev. Her father, Rene, was much older than I when I was born, he was fourteen, and by the time I was five he was already traveling the globe looking for fantastic beasts to photograph and research. Once I was bitten, I became a . . .curiosity to him, and he tried to document me, much like you would a zoo specimen. It made my parents furious, and me as well, and they asked him not to visit anymore unless he could treat me like a little kid and a brother. So I hardly ever saw him, except occasionally for Christmas, and when I did it was. . .awkward."

Severus nodded in understanding, and poured himself a cup of Earl Grey.

"He saw my maternal grandmother, Lara LaBeaux, who lived in Louisiana, far more than he did the rest of us, and once he married Alessandra West, who was a Muggleborn witch with money to burn, her father was head of a major New Orleans shipping company, they traveled mostly in South and Central America, studying all the dangerous and odd magical species in the rain forest. By the time Aria was born, I'd finished school, and they were still traipsing about. They used to leave her with Gran when she was little and that was how I came to meet her, since I used to spend a few weeks each summer in New Orleans."

"I remember that. You always used to go there right at the beginning of June."

"Yes, and the last time I saw Aria she was seven and still believed in Santa Claus and my grandmother was still alive. Once she died, though, Rene took her with him and then I only got the occasional card or whatnot around my birthday and Christmas from them. After my parents passed, I saw them only infrequently, like once a year. Then Alessa suffered a bad attack by a manticore and was nearly killed, the poison from the stinger damaged her brain, and Rene had to put her in an institution. Aria was nine then, I believe. Once I'd heard, I told him point blank to retire and quit risking his neck and that of his child. He laughed and told me to worry about my own hide, he'd been taking care of himself for years."

"How did he die, Moony?"

Remus winced. "He and Aria were camped beside the lair of a chimera, Rene was studying it for a big project for some Magical Creatures journal. He got too close or something to the lair, the female had kits and went insane, attacked my brother and killed him." Remus shuddered. "Then she dragged him off to her lair and well, you know what chimeras do after that, Sev."

Severus stared at Remus in revulsion and horror. "Oh dear sweet Merlin, Remus! You don't mean she-ate him?"

"Well, yes. And Aria, poor kid, witnessed it all. She apparently tried to fight it off in her cougar form, but a chimera is more than a match for a shape-slipper, and it knocked her out long enough to kill Renee. But the first I knew of any of this was two weeks ago, when Rene's attorney contacted me and told me that my brother had named me Aria's guardian if anything should happen to him."

"Hold it." Severus held up a hand. "The girl's a shape-slipper, you said? As in a natural Animagus, able to change into more than one animal form at will?"

"Yes. It's a rare gift, I know, and God only knows where she inherited it, but there it is. She can become a cougar and a golden hawk, her ability manifested itself shortly before her eleventh birthday."

"Who trained her in her gift?" Severus queried, for he knew as well as her uncle that natural shapeshifter or not, such a talent required a teacher experienced in that sort of magical discipline, to help his student survive the first few changes with her mind intact. "Your brother?"

"No, Rene didn't have the ability. He sent her to a shaman named Joachim Velasquez, apparently shape-slippers aren't as rare in Peru and it was he who taught her how to control her gift. He was also her main teacher in magic as well, my brother barely had the patience to teach a kid how to tie her shoelaces." There was a disparaging note in Remus's voice as he said that last, but it was belied by the sudden flash of sadness in his eyes. "I never approved much of his lifestyle, Sev, but when all was said and done, he was still my brother and he didn't deserve to die . . .like that. He was still young, damn it!"

The other lowered his head for a moment, stubbornly battling his grief, refusing to fall apart, even if it was only his best friend there.

Severus remained silent, understanding the other's struggle and respecting Remus's desire to maintain his composure. It always hurt to lose a family member, as the Potions Master knew well, but the worst ones were the unexpected losses, when death sprang and caught you unaware, giving you no time to soften the blow.

At length, the werewolf raised his head and heaved a sigh. "Sorry. Every time I think I've gotten resigned to the fact that he's gone, something reminds me of him and it's like it was yesterday I learned the news. We weren't even all that close, and yet . . .I still see him in my mind's eye, wearing that infernal devil-may-care grin and carrying his camera and notebook."

"You shouldn't expect yourself to get over his death in a few weeks or even a month, Moony," Severus said gently. "He was your brother, give yourself time to mourn him. What about Aria? How is she taking it?"

"Better than I expected, Sev. Oh, she has nightmares still, but she's not as traumatized as I'd have expected. She refused counseling when I suggested it, said the last thing she wanted was somebody poking inside her head. She's an independent little thing, guess that comes from growing up with Rene, he never had much patience for small children."

"Not having a mother there might also have something to do with it," surmised Severus, knowing all too well what it was like to grow up too fast. "It's difficult for a girl her age to grow up without a mother's influence. She might think that she needs to act older than her age and now with her father gone as well . . .I'll watch her carefully Remus, and make sure she knows I'm available if she wants to discuss anything with me. She's probably in shock still, so I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she falls apart one night." Severus paused, finished off his tea, then continued. "If that happens, do you want me to call you, or should I handle it myself?"

Remus considered for several moments. "I want her to trust me, Sev. I want to be there for her, like I ought to have been all those years ago. But I don't want her to think I'm crowding her either. If she does confide in you, or you manage to get her to talk about what happened, that's all to the good, and at least she'll have one adult to trust. But if that happens and she asks for me, I'll come. I told her that when she first came to live with me, but maybe she still feels too awkward around her werewolf uncle to discuss her father's death."

Severus frowned, the prejudice of werewolves was always a touchy subject and he tended to grow defensive when he heard people maligning them as vicious beasts who ought to be destroyed without mercy. "Has she displayed any prejudice towards you, Remus?"

"No. She knows what I am, and she seems to accept it. I don't think she's afraid of me, thank God. But we're still getting to know each other, Sev, and I'm nervous as all get out at having to be a father to a thirteen-year-old girl. What if I make a total ass out of myself?" Remus ran a hand through his hair agitatedly.

"Moony, I asked myself the same thing before Harry was born and again after I regained my memories six months ago. And I'll tell you right now that there's no instruction manual for being a parent, it's all guesswork and instinct, and you'll end up making mistakes every day probably. God knows, I do. Just when I think I've got Harry figured out, he throws something new at me and I have to stop and think, what should I do, how do I react? But one thing I will tell you, take it one day at a time and then sit back and reflect on what worked. Or what didn't work. Aunt Relia told me that parenting was a lot like making a jigsaw puzzle, sometimes you have to play around with the pieces before they fit together." He smiled reminiscently. "She's a wise woman, my aunt, and she's not even a witch. She told me that there will be times when Harry and I will fight like cats and dogs, no matter what, and other times when we'll get along beautifully, but all of that's part and parcel of being a family, and I should just take it a day at a time."

"That sounds like good advice to me, Sev. Thanks. And thank Relia too, she reminds me a lot of my gran Lara." Remus seemed a bit easier now, and he quickly changed the subject to the scene in the hall following Aria's Sorting. "What do you think about the old man's apology tonight? I was rather surprised myself."

"I wasn't. He apologized to me because Harry badgered him into it," Severus said softly. "He sounded sincere, and I think he probably was, but I don't trust him fully, Remus, and I doubt if I ever will. He manipulates us for his own agenda, and I refuse to let him get his hooks into Harry the way he did me. Bad enough he managed to make my son think he had to fulfill the bloody prophecy, I won't let him control Harry's life any more than absolutely necessary. I'm going to try my damndest to give my son a normal childhood, Chosen One or not, and I'm also going to make sure Harry has the skills he needs to face Riddle and come out of it alive. Because I won't lose my son the way I lost Lily, nor will I allow him to lose me either."

"You intend to face Voldemort together, don't you?" Remus whispered, awe crossing his features.

"Yes. Two together are always stronger than one alone, no matter what all the tales say. If Harry ever does go up against that bastard again, he won't be doing it alone. I'll be right beside him, giving the bloody monster hell for killing my wife and all the other innocents he's murdered. I swear it on my immortal soul."

"Then you think there's a chance he might return, Sev?"

"There's always a chance, Moony. Riddle was obsessed with death, he feared it more than any man alive I know. He would have made pacts with whatever Powers that are out there to cheat death as long as possible. He thought he deserved to live forever, and I think he'd do whatever it took to make himself immortal."

"But that's impossible! Even with magic, Sev, no wizard can be truly immortal."

"You and I know that, but Riddle refuses to accept that fact. So he searched for a way out, and I don't know if he ever found one. I believe he might have and that he didn't die a true death after his magic rebounded on him. If that's the case, then we have to be prepared for his eventual return."

Remus went pale. "Merlin save us, Sev! But if he does return, he'll be even stronger than before, right? So how do we fight him?"

"The same way we did before. By giving it our best shot. The Old Meddler thinks he holds the answer in my son, but I refuse to believe one boy is the only key to defeating him. This will take all of us, together, and in the end he may die by Harry's hand, but we all will play a part. I won't let Dumbledore place the entire burden on a child, no matter how strong in magic he is. I won't let him make Harry into some bloody sacrifice like some storybook hero." Severus said angrily. "We're to blame in part for Voldemort's rise to power, we turned a blind eye to him, and we allowed him to go unchecked too long. This time will be different, Remus. Forewarned is forearmed."

The werewolf sighed. "I wish he had the Goddamn decency to just stay dead. Hell can keep him for all I care."

"I agree, but maybe hell doesn't want him," said the Potions Master wryly.

"Can't blame them. Well, guess I'd better be heading off to bed. I've got class in the morning and so do you." He rose and made his way back to the fireplace, Floo powder in hand.

"Good night,Moony," said his friend. He would be going to bed also, as soon as he checked on his newest student. He would have a short chat with her tomorrow morning, he resolved, before she went to breakfast perhaps.

• * * * * * *

Aria awoke at her usual time, a quarter to six in the morning. She was accustomed to rising early, for her previous teacher in magic insisted on waking her early so she could run before her lessons. Yawning, she quickly dressed in her usual workout clothes, sweats and a rather large green T-shirt with the words Save the Rain Forest on it, and her sneakers. She quickly bound her light-brown hair on top of her head and slipped out of the Slytherin dorm. Her Housemates were still getting their beauty sleep and didn't even notice her leave.

She had become so used to running for five miles every morning that it didn't even occur to her to skip it this once, her first morning in a new place and school. Master Velasquez had insisted on his shapeshifter student being in good physical condition, it aided her when she changed forms. Though Aria was a natural shifter, there was still a strain on her body when she changed forms, and being in good shape reduced the stress and enabled her to change quicker and suffer less fatigue when she shifted from animal to human.

Unknown to her, Severus had a silent alarm set up to catch any of his students leaving the dormitory before curfew had been lifted (which was at six AM). The alarm roused him from a pleasant dream, and he was not in the best of moods when he woke, threw on some clothes and his robes quickly and went to check out the dormitory to determine who of his snakes had decided to sneak out early.

But the only bed he found empty was Aria's. Frowning, he tried to determine where she might have gone, but after checking the bathroom and the Great Hall, he decided to use a Four Points spell and so shorten his search. "Point me Aria Lupin," he whispered, and the spell indicated the girl was not in the castle, but outside it.

Severus quickly exited the castle and followed the spell down the path past the greenhouse. There he halted, peering about for any sign of his missing student. But he didn't see her. Perhaps she shifted shapes, Sev, he thought. A shape-slipper probably feels comfortable in her animal forms as well as her true one. He scanned the sky for any sign of a hawk flying, but the sky was empty. And he didn't see any pawprints of a cougar either.

Where in Merlin's name was the girl? Most teenagers hated getting up early, he practically had to drag his son out of bed by his ear some mornings. Voluntary early risers were few and far between, even in his House. Figured Aria Lupin would not be typical in this regard either, he thought with a sigh of exasperation. Well, he knew she wasn't in danger so long as she remained on school grounds.

He settled against the smooth trunk of a beech to wait.

• * * * * *

Twenty minutes later he spotted a slender figure running with the easy elastic stride of a panther along the path that wound around Hagrid's hut and past the greenhouse and the lake. Severus raised an eyebrow, for the only running most Hogwarts students did was running to the table for meals or to class when they were late. Oh, the Quidditch players ran sometimes during practice, but that was all. Aria Lupin was a different case altogether.

A faint smile played about the elder wizard's face. He liked the discipline the girl showed at making herself get up early and run without an adult urging her. It was more than most students demonstrated at that age. Perhaps the young girl would be a credit to the House of Serpents even beyond his expectations.

Aria tossed her head, flicking the sweat out of her eyes and wishing she'd thought to put on a headband this morning. She usually never ran without one, since the humidity in the South American climate where she'd mostly grown up made you sweat in moments, never mind during intense exercise. But she hadn't felt like digging through her trunk at that hour and so she'd left without one, a fact she regretted now. At the beginning, she'd been pleasantly cool running about the large lawn and the lake, but now at the end of her circuit she was beginning to feel a little tired and sweat was dripping into her eyes.

She wondered if anyone else in the castle was awake. Her shaman master would have called her new Housemates a bunch of lazy things, to sleep away the morning that way. He was usually up before the sun and Aria sometimes doubted if the man slept like a normal person. He too was a shape-slipper, his alternate forms that of a jaguar and an Amazon green parrot. No surprise there, since he was a native of Peru, and shape-slippers tended to adopt the animal personas of their earliest influences.

Aria, whose earliest memories were of the bayous and colorful streets of Louisiana, had assimilated the shapes of hawk and mountain cat, or cougar. She could have as easily become an alligator or a water moccasin or even a turtle. She had once become a snake, but found the form too difficult to hold and so stuck to those forms she was most familiar with, the soaring majestic hawk and the sleek silent cougar.

Her bright amber eyes sought the top of the hill, where the castle rested, and to her surprise, she saw a lone black figure standing beside the path. Huh. Guess I'm not the only one who likes to get up early after all.

As she drew closer, she saw that the tall figure was that of her Head of House, Professor Snape. She gulped softly, wondering if she was in trouble for leaving her dorm without permission. Still, her prefect hadn't said she couldn't get up early and run, only that curfew had to be observed at ten at night.

She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing his face. He didn't seem angry, merely a bit surprised. He was watching her calmly as jogged up the path toward him, his arms folded casually in the sleeves of his black robes. She prided herself on being able to read people's body posture as well as facial expressions, it was a skill she'd picked up from being a shape-slipper, where her animal form relied on scent and body language more than vocalizations. He was a little irritated, but not much, she could tell by his posture, it was more relaxed than stiff, if he were angry he would be holding himself more erect, so as to intimidate better.

She drew up to him, halting just before her teacher, breathing a bit harshly, but the run had not tired her much, the terrain here was much gentler than the rocky slopes of Peru. "Good morning, Professor." She greeted, smiling quietly at him. For some reason she felt her heart quicken when she looked at him, despite the fact that he was old enough to be her father. Then again, maybe it was simply because he looked like his son, whom she found extremely attractive. Now there's one guy I wouldn't mind getting better acquainted with. Better than that stuck-up Draco Malfoy, any rate! Wonder what House he's in?

"Good morning, Miss Lupin," Severus replied, eyeing her a bit critically. "I was not aware you engaged in such activity this early in the morning. Most of your Housemates are still dreaming."

"I'm used to getting up early, sir," Aria explained. "My old teacher, Master Velasquez, insisted upon it. He used to make me run six miles before breakfast every morning, I only ran five today. Why? Is that against the rules or something?"

Severus shook his head. "No, but as I said before, it's rare to find a student who favors exercise more than sleep these days. In fact, I can think of several students who might benefit from your example, Miss Lupin." Namely Longbottom, Crabbe, and Goyle, the Potions Master thought.

"Then you don't have some kind of Phys Ed program here, Professor Snape?"

"No, though perhaps we should. A little exercise never hurt anyone. Hogwarts is mainly an academic institution, though we do play Quidditch. Do you like sports, Miss Lupin?"

She shrugged. "Well . . .I've never really played on a team or anything. My dad and I moved around too much for me to go to normal school, so he used to tutor me, or get Master Velasquez to. I know about Quidditch, of course, but I've never played it. Flying on a broom's so awkward compared to . . ." she halted suddenly, a flicker of uneasiness crossing her face. "Uh . . .did my Uncle Remmy tell you about me, sir? That I'm a shifter?"

Severus fought to keep from smiling at the way she referred to Remus. Uncle Remmy indeed! Ha! Now at last I have an excuse to use his nickname and he can't say a thing! Remus always said he hated that name, but he allowed his niece to use it. "Yes, he said you were a shape-slipper, Aria. You were saying that flying a broom was awkward because . . .?"

"Because I can fly ten times better in my hawk form," she answered softly. "On a broom I'm all thumbs, but when I'm a hawk, it's like I'm the wind, sir. If that makes any sense."

"It does, Miss Lupin. And your other form is a cougar, am I right?"

"Yes, sir. And please, call me Aria."

A smile tugged at the corners of Severus's mouth in spite of himself. "I shall, but only when we are alone. In company, it would not be proper for me to address a student by her first name. Even a relative of an old friend."

Aria tilted her head and said, "Uncle Remmy said you two used to be in school together. That you were his best friend, and you helped him by making the Wolfsbane Potion."

"That's true. We were schoolmates and he still is my best friend. I created the Wolfsbane Potion to help him control his werewolf nature along with my late wife, Lily," Severus told her, suppressing a wince as he spoke Lily's name. "He deserved better than to become a monster every full moon."

Aria nodded. "I know. He told me the Wolfsbane makes him safe for awhile. Just as if he were a shifter and not a were."

"It does. With the potion he can change into a full wolf and sleep the full moon through," Severus explained. "But still, he's not a tame animal, Aria, and you should never underestimate him."

"I never would, sir. No one knows more about being wild than I do, Professor Snape. I'm not exactly tame either when I shift, though I keep my own mind."

Severus arched an eyebrow. "How are you fitting in otherwise? Have you told anyone else about your ability?"

Aria glanced away. "No. Not yet. Sometimes . . .when girls learn what I am. . .they act funny around me, like they're afraid or something. Afraid I'll lose it and-and bite them or something stupid like that. Uncle Remmy said I don't have to tell kids about my shifting unless I want to."

"Yes, and I won't force you, child. You have the right to your own privacy. But while your ability is unusual, Aria, I don't think students here will fear it as much as you think."

She looked skeptical. "Last time I told a girl what I was, she looked at me as if I was a beast and ran away, said she didn't hang out with furries," the girl scowled. "That's slang for a shifter, in case you didn't know. If you can name me one student who won't react like that, I'd be surprised."

Severus considered for about half a second, reflecting that Aria's problem was similar to Remus's-people were afraid of her and what she might do in her other shapes. "I know of one person. My son Harry. He would never treat you so disrespectfully. He's also your Uncle Remus's godson. Only Harry calls him Moony."

"Moony!" she exclaimed, then laughed. "What a great name. Did he make it up himself?"

"No, Remus had the name from his school days, it seemed to fit, all things considered." Severus cleared his throat. Then he said, very softly, "I was the one who gave him that name, as a matter of fact. I called him Moony and he called me Sev. My son thinks of him as a sort of uncle as well as his Defense teacher. If you wish, you may do the same. Call me Uncle Severus, or Sev when we are alone, the way we are now. Otherwise continue to address me the way you would any other teacher."

"I understand, sir," she reassured him. "And thank you very much."

"You're welcome, Aria." He beckoned her after him. "Walk with me back to the castle." She did so, walking swiftly to keep up with his long strides. He slowed a bit, allowing her to proceed at a more normal pace. "I trust your prefect gave you a map of the castle and your schedule last night. Keep it on you until you learn the castle, it can be tricky, which is why I've asked Mandy to chaperone you if you need it. Did Remus happen to mention the reason we're all on alert?"

"Yes, Uncle Sev. He said a criminal named Sirius Black was at large, the only one to ever escape the dementors that way."

"That's correct, and he's been spotted nearby, which is why I'm going to insist you not go anywhere alone. Black is an Animagus too, a large black dog."

Aria looked faintly contemptuous. "I could take a dog, sir. No sweat."

"No doubt, but that is not why you're here, child. Most of us know how to fight our own battles. And public dueling and brawling is forbidden here, and if you engage in such things, you'll end up in detention."

"And if that happens, Uncle Remmy will not be happy," said the younger Lupin. "He told me if I get detention with another professor I'll have detention with him too."

"Ah, that is just what I told my son yesterday." Severus said, concealing a smirk. Looks like Moony took a leaf from my book after all.

"What House is Harry in, Uncle Sev?"

"Gryffindor, like your uncle was and his mother."

"Oh." Aria's face fell. "They're our rivals, aren't they?"

"Yes, for the House Cup and in Quidditch, but otherwise it's not forbidden for you to associate with them, child. You may make friends where and how you please, they do not necessarily have to be Slytherins." Severus reassured her.

She brightened at that. Perhaps it wouldn't be so strange then, if she made friends with Harry Snape, despite being in the House of Serpents. In nature, snakes and lions were enemies, but that didn't mean it had to hold true here, Aria reminded herself. "That's good to know."

They had almost reached the castle proper and Severus paused to ask her a few more questions, trying to determine how advanced she was magically, and then he said, "I tell all of my new House members this, child, so pay attention. Slytherins stick together, for the most part, but some of them have nasty tempers and if one of your own is harassing you, come to me and I shall deal with it. If you're having trouble with an assignment, come to me and I shall help you. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask me, Aria. I'm available , any time of the day or night if you need to talk."

"Thank you, sir."

"No need to thank me, Aria. That's part of my job," Severus said briskly. "Now, best you get back and grab a shower before your Housemates use all the hot water and change into more appropriate clothing. I'll see you in class."

"Yes sir." She waved and began to jog, and the last Severus saw of her before she entered his classroom was the flick of her golden brown hair, tumbling free of her hastily constructed knot to fall about her shoulders in a wild riot of curls.