“Lucius Malfoy, to what do I owe such a…illustrious visit?” Minerva asked, arching her eyebrows much like Severus did when he was trying to be condescending. Silently, she scolded herself for being so careless. But then, who expected an attack in her own office? Virtually impossible, but the key word there was virtually. People these days had no manners.

“Now, now, Professor McGonagall, no need to be so mocking. It doesn’t suit you,” replied Lucius, giving a smirk of his own. “Please close the door.”

“Not until I know your intentions are honourable,” said Minerva, defiantly. What was this man up to?

The two of them faced off, each as obstinate as the other. The silence was deafening, and Minerva wasn’t at all sure if she could win, especially since she didn’t have her wand. Once again, she cursed her recklessness. And she was sure she could prove Severus wrong too! Finally, Lucius broke, and his normal demeanour melted. “Please,” he whispered. “For this once…I beg of you.”

Malfoys do not beg…something’s the matter, a voice echoed in her head. Shocked, she complied. “What is the matter, Lucius?”   

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Remus shot forward. “What do you mean, no longer with us? He’s dead?”

Amelia Bones shook her head, and gravely said, “We don’t believe so, but the Dementors do. Only the cells that no longer have living occupants are abandoned. Had Mr. Black escaped, an alarm would have been sounded.”

Albus Dumbledore was confounded. Ah well, he had never been any good at chess anyways. It irked him though, to know that Fate was so fickle. Things should have gone the way they were meant to be. Hopefully, Lady Luck had been invited into the conference; else now would all been lost, all the hard work he had put in since the demise of Tom Riddle. Where could Sirius be? They needed him…to get into the other vault. Well, not onlythat reason, but, right now, it was the most important one. Albus looked up, only to see everyone staring at him strangely. He must have drifted off again. “I’m sorry, what were we discussing?”

Remus replied stiffly, “Madam Bones asked if we would like to explore Sirius’s cell.”

Madam Bones added, “Our Aurors didn’t find anything, but that perhaps isn’t the best indicator, since Mr. Black was not…popular, to say in the least. It was a miracle anyone reported at all. Regardless, Headmaster, perhaps you will be able to find something?”

Albus nodded. “Yes, that will be for the best. When will you have time…?”

Madam Bagnold quickly replied, “Why, as soon as possible! We want this behind us, don’t we, Amelia?”

Madam Bones winced, but had the grace to positively reply to that question. Albus, seeing this, enquired, “Will day after tomorrow do?”

She breathed a sigh of relief. Trust the old man to rescue her! “Yes, that should be fine, Headmaster. I’ll meet you in my office, say, 10 in the morning then?”

Albus’s eyes twinkled again. “We’ll be there. Thank you, Amelia.”

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Harry had finally fallen asleep. For the past five hours, he had been crying incessantly, probably due to a nightmare. The child was brilliant, without a doubt. He had instinctively known that the Dursleys had not been kind to him without reason. But it had come with a price: nightmares, night after night. Severus was quite exhausted now; but he would not let Harry give in. No, he would never…as long as his body still held breath. At this rate, though, he wasn’t sure how long he would last. Harry craved his attention, having noticed that Severus would never do anything to hurt him.  It was almost the same vice versa. Severus secretly loved the way Harry wanted to take after him, and adored the child for loving him unconditionally. Not that he showed that, of course…or did he? Maybe he was spoiling the child a little bit too much. But it would be all right for the next while, he reasoned, since Harry deserved coddling for what he had been through.

He made his way downstairs, fully ready to pour himself a stiff drink. Oh, God, how he needed it. He wasn’t used to sleeping only 3 hours a night. And he needed more time to himself, to think. Settling himself on his sofa with a beer in hand (yes, he liked Muggle drinks), he turned on the radio. Buggers. It didn’t work, probably since magic was so inherent in the building. He sighed. There went all his entertainment for the night. He really had to do something about that. Why couldn’t technology and magic coexist? He stood up, and went over to his desk, seeing if he had left his novel there. He hadn’t, but all of a sudden, it didn’t matter anymore. His eyes had been caught on the (Muggle) portrait of Lily.

He picked it up, forgetting the beer on his desk. He made his way back on to the sofa, and sat there for a very long time, lost in a time far long past.

“Sev, we can’t do this anymore,” Lily cried. “We’re too different. I thought…” Here, her voice caught.

“What did you think, Lily? That I’d break off my ties with the Dark Lo –”

“Don’t say that! He-he’s not your lord! He-he has no control over you!” she exclaimed, her voice threatening to break. “Why won’t you come back to us??”

“I’m sorry, Lily…but this is my calling. I have someone for the first time in my life who appreciates me for who I am. Can’t you be happy for me?” said Severus, not understanding.

“But can’t you see, Sev? I’m the one who loves you for who you are, I’m the one who appreciates you the most! Why do you think I agreed to be your fiancée?”

“You don’t understand!” Severus’s temper is reaching its peak, at the frustration that his love did not understand him. “Leave, Lily. Before I lose what control I have.”

Lily stepped back, fearful. What had happened to her Severus? They had only been apart for half a year…Finally, she told him, “Promise me, Sev, that you’ll consider all that I’ve said.”

Severus nodded half-heartedly. “Come back tomorrow. I’ll give you my answer then.”

She left, leaving Severus to ponder, though not over what she had said. Instead, he thought of her seeming betrayal. He couldn’t leave the Dark Lord, nor could he let go of his love for her. He poured himself a drink, and sat down at the table, turning on the radio. He let the music wash over him, the lyrics fitting his emotions.

“So you’re the one I’ve waited on,
The one I’ve been dreaming of.
Now that I know, it’s hard to let go.
I don’t want to lose your love…

But what can I do, I can’t make you stay here.
But if you should choose to go your own way,
Wherever you’re going, whenever you turn,
Remember this moment, remember these words:

I will, I will give up my life for you, if you want it,
Give you my heart, you already own it.
I’ll do anything, I’ll go anywhere, it’s true
I will, I will, I will…

I look in your eyes and I see our life
So full of happiness,
Do you see the same? Or just someone you’ll blame
For things that you might’ve missed…

I don’t want to weigh you down like an anchor
If that’s how you see me now, I would rather
Let you go free, just sail away
If that’s what you need, if that’s what it takes…”

Finally, as the song concluded, he resolutely decided that he would tell her that he was going to stay with the Dark Lord. If Lily wanted to go her own way, then so be it. He wouldn’t stop loving her, but it was time that he stood for his beliefs. And if she decided to stay by him, all the better. A part of him insisted that Lily would never leave him; she loved him too much for that. He would tell her that tomorrow. For now, He would drown away today’s sorrows, and hope for the best for tomorrow.

Tomorrow came far too quickly. Severus couldn’t help but flinch when Lily refused to see him ever again, and nearly crumbled when she took off her ring and gave it back to him. He stood coldly and resolutely, refusing to let her see how much her selfish decision had cost him. He closed the door, and didn’t even watch her break down on the porch. Nor did he see his worst enemy picking her up and escorting off his property. No, he was too busy thinking of himself, and only himself.

Severus shook. He knew now how foolish that decision was. How he regretted that day! The product of what came about was lying upstairs in a room upstairs. Oh, how much he had to atone for! Seeing his beer on the table, he picked it up, drinking away his sorrows, much like he had six years ago.