Three weeks had passed by with two more Pureblood women kidnapped, Alice Longbottom and Andromeda Tonks. The Aurors had lost people in both kidnappings according to the Prophet. However, the bloodiest kidnapping was Alice Longbottom's by far. The attackers had Apparated directly into St. Mungo's and had fired curse after curse at the healers and innocent victims as they made their way up to the late Auror's hospital room. The three Aurors tasked with protecting her hadn't stood a chance against the ten attackers.

The kidnappings had put everyone on edge, Snape most especially. He hadn't left Aurora's side at the hospital wing and stated that she would stay with him when Pomfrey attempted to bring up that discussion. Snape was grateful that Aurora accepted with little resistance. He couldn't handle her being far from him right now. It was a stupid irrational fear that he unfortunately had difficulty controlling.

So far, their living together was not that different from living apart. She stayed in the guest room mostly, keeping out of sight. He'd of course check on her occasionally, but he let her have her space. After all, it wasn't like they were jumping in each other's bed, holding hands, or doing any of the normal dating rituals yet. He had admitted his feelings. That was good enough for now.

Groaning loudly, Snape stalked into his rooms, leaving a trail of red slime behind him. He caught the gasp instantly from the island and frowned when his eyes met his son's. Of course it'd be Harry. It was too early for Aurora to be awake. He groaned again, grimacing as the smell started to overpower him once more. He needed a shower. Badly.

"Don't even ask, Harry. Just stay there," Snape instructed as he continued through the room. He shook his head. He was covered from head to toe with the red slime that was previously a potion—if one could even call it that. Every part of his robes was covered. He truly hated teaching first-years.

Once he arrived in his bedroom, he caught his reflection in the mirror and winced. He carefully started to remove his billowy teaching robes, allowing them to drop to the floor. His fingers moved gracefully down the buttons of his heavy frockcoat, shedding that a moment later before adding his white button down shirt to the pile. Undoing his trousers, he slowly headed towards the calling shower with his head still down as he kicked the garment off. He moved to do the same to his boxers only to stop when he heard a soft noise.

"Oh, by all means, please don't stop on my account," Aurora said with a laugh as she stood in the doorway of the bathroom wearing a white fluffy bath towel.

Snape stared at her for several minutes, his thumbs still inside the waistband of his boxers. He knew he had to look ridiculous, but what the hell? Why hadn't he noticed Aurora was there?

"What happened to you anyway? You look like a Troll vomited strawberries on you."

"Potions accident," he answered flatly. Why did his brain refuse to work right now? Maybe because she was only in a towel he thought darkly.

"Is the stuff toxic at all?" The familiar concern for him had seeped into her voice.

"No." He watched her nod slowly before she turned around and retrieved her clothes.

"I'll just get dressed in my room then." She flashed a warm smile as she walked past him, disappearing behind the door a moment later.

Snape swallowed slowly. Soon after she left, he headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. His forehead rested against the cool door for a moment. Three weeks they had been cohabitating, and that hadn't occurred before. It was just his luck that it'd happen today. Things could not get any worse.

When he was positive that he'd not be interrupted, he stripped down fully and stepped into the shower. He waved his hand towards the taps, turning the water on. He closed his eyes as the warmth enveloped him. He quickly set to washing his hair and body. He frowned when he reached for his shampoo, finding Aurora's in its place instead. He looked around and didn't see his shampoo anywhere.

"Blasted woman," he grumbled. She had moved it on him. His eyes then darted to her bottle. His frown deepened as he stared at it. If he didn't wash his hair, he'd deal with wretched greasiness the rest of the day. And he truthfully didn't feel like searching all the while for his own, so it only left hers. He grabbed her bottle, sniffing it and smelling the rich berries surround him. He returned it and sighed. No way in hell was he going to deal with insolent brats today asking why he smelled like her.

He tensed when he caught the bathroom door opening. His eyes darted to the privacy screen, watching the shadow enter the room. He shook his head when he noticed the curves.

"Perhaps it's escaped your notice, Aurora, but I am—"

"I know. I know. I just remembered that I forgot to put your stuff back. You stripping sort of made me forget that."

He quickly glanced up at the ceiling, reciting the instructions on how to brew Wolfsbane in his head. She was going to get hexed one of these days.

"It's fine, Aurora."

"Really?" She laughed. "I didn't think we were at that stage yet, Severus."

His brows furrowed. "I'm not following."

"The sharing showers stage. It's what everyone will think if we start smelling like one another. Plus, you need your shampoo anyway."

"I beg your pardon?" He glared at her through the screen. If she was making a hair joke—

"Circe, you get rather defensive quickly. I was merely trying to tell you that you need it in order to continue to smell as wonderfully as you do. Nothing bad." She laughed softly, likely shaking her head. "Here. Your body wash and shampoo." She held the items close to the edge of the screen. She said nothing when he silently grabbed them from her. "I've taken the liberty to leave out some clothes for you. New ones I mean. They're on the table by the sink. The elves already cleaned up the mess, too."

"I didn't realize we were at that stage, Aurora," he stated, returning her earlier remark with a hidden smile playing at his lips.

"Who knows? I might get a ring from you by the end of the day. Wouldn't that be a kicker?" she joked before she left the room.

Snape only snorted, though. If it had been any other witch, he might have shouted at her to leave, feeling horribly vulnerable as he was stuck behind a privacy screen. But there was something about that witch. He couldn't deny it. He quickly finished his shower then, using his shampoo and body wash she brought him before stepping out and drying off.

He threw on a pair of clean boxers, sweatpants, and a loose black shirt. He walked barefoot out of the bathroom, fingering his raven locks as he headed through his bedroom. With just Harry and Aurora around, there was no need to get dressed up. It wasn't like Snape had any more classes for the day. His classroom was covered in the damn slime. Honestly, what the hell had the Weasley girl been thinking, throwing a chopped up liver into her cauldron instead of the required ground up horn?

"Hey, Dad," Harry said softly, glancing up from the same spot he had been sitting at before. He seemed to be working on an essay of some kind, but it wasn't clear which subject.

"You can 'hey, Dad' him later, Harry. That essay is due in an hour," Aurora said, rolling her eyes as she sat on the sofa wearing a simple black skirt and white blouse. A book was in her hand.

"Yes, Mum." Harry rolled his eyes before he sighed and returned to writing his essay.

Snape shook his head, grabbing for the kettle to pour himself a cup of tea. It was strange, yet oddly relaxing to hear Harry and Aurora. They sounded as if she had always lived there with them. He slowly headed to his chair across from her and sat down. His eyes narrowed when he caught Aurora staring at him a moment later.

"What?"

"Nothing," she replied with a shrug, glancing down at her book again. Just that you're smiling more, she thought.

"I am not," Snape bristled.

"Hmm? You're not what?" She glanced at him in confusion.

"I'm not smiling more."

She rolled her eyes. "One of these days, that gift of yours is going to bite you in the arse." She then glanced at him and held his eyes for a moment, so he'd see exactly what she was thinking.

Snape instantly shifted in his seat at what he saw in her mind then. She had done that on purpose. The minx. While they hadn't moved past the declaration stage yet in their budding relationship, that didn't mean that they weren't flirting like hell with one another.

"I believe that'd be grounds for sexual harassment, Sinistra."

"No, but I believe this would be." Another lascivious thought was sent his way, causing him to swallow harshly this time. She only laughed and returned her attention to her book.

"Ew. Should I leave so you two are alone?" Harry asked, glancing from the island.

"Oh, just work on your Charms essay," Aurora replied, shaking her head with a smile. She tossed her book aside before she stood and headed to the fireplace.

Snape watched her, frowning when with the poker she poked the fire a couple of times. He hadn't thought it was too cold in the rooms this morning. He supposed, though, for her it'd be freezing. She wasn't one for the cold he had noticed. When the flames suddenly roared with life, he leaned forward and yanked Aurora back just as a bloodied body was deposited onto the floor.

"What the hell?"

Snape threw his hand towards his fireplace, closing the Floo instantly. His wards crackled as they were reenacted. His eyes narrowed at the hint of blond.

"Is that Lucius?"

"So it would seem," Snape stated, watching the bloodied person roll over with a low groan.

"I'll get Madam Pomfrey," Harry chimed, hopping off his stool.

"No. Don't," Snape instructed. "Stay there, Harry."

"Severus, he's hurt."

"So I see, Aurora." Snape frowned. "He'd only have come here if—" He stood up, bending down next to the man. "Lucius, can you hear me?" The man groaned before coughing harshly. "What happened?" The man groaned again, taking raspy breaths. "Show me then." Snape quickly found himself in the older Slytherin's mind.

Flashes of grizzly images flickered in Snape's mind. House elves murdered and strewn about the manor. He heard Lucius calling for Narcissa several times then, Lucius's voice echoing as a result of the Legilimency shared connection. Three bright jets of lights then whizzed past—curses. Lucius chased three men, one of them carrying Narcissa before all three disappeared.

"They . . . they took her, Severus," Lucius rasped. "They took . . . my wife."

~FKTF~

Several hours later, Snape frowned as he stood rigid in Pomfrey's office. He glanced at the matron, noticing her grim look as she sat at her desk looking at her notes.

"Poppy, who's left?" Aurora asked, repeating her question once more.

"According to my records," Pomfrey sighed "the only pureblood witch in that age range is you, Aurora. There may be others from other countries who didn't attend Hogwarts, but you're the only one left who attended Hogwarts."

"Are you including Severus's mother? In your calculations, I mean?"

"No. Frankly, we just don't know what happened to Eileen."

"So then we're leaving older pureblood women alone? They could be taking them too, and we'd not know it because some idiots like you think it's only thirty- to forty-year-old women being taken."

Snape grimaced inwardly, but remained quiet. He could understand Aurora's harshness. She was struggling with her emotions. She had always taken things too close to her heart. He caught a stray dark thought of hers then and stepped forward, grabbing her wrist before pulling her into his arms. He watched Pomfrey's eyes widen slightly prior to the matron nodding her thanks slowly.

"There could be others. It can't just be me left. I'm not . . . She's wrong. They all are."

"Aurora," Snape spoke softly, holding her. Her chaotic emotions were frankly dizzying to feel. He frequently had to pull himself back when he unintentionally found himself in her mind again. It was unsafe to use Legilimency in these situations. But he couldn't help himself. "You're safe, Aurora."

"What the hell are they even doing with all of us? What do they want? It doesn't make sense." She trembled slightly against him. "Why don't we have any answers? Why is it just more stupid damn questions? They've been doing this for months now. And we have nothing."

Snape watched Pomfrey quietly leave, closing the door behind her. He frowned. He really wasn't good with this sort of thing.

"Why aren't they including your mother? Even Kingsley stated she could have been the first, so then this has been going on for years and no one noticed."

"We don't know if she was taken, Aurora."

"You said it yourself that the same damn thing they injected into me was something you witnessed happen to your mother."

"It could merely be a coincidence."

"There are no such things as coincidences!" she yelled back, tensing in his arms.

"Calm yourself. You're safe." He was at a loss of what to do for her.

"Calm myself?!" she snapped. "How would you like it if people hunted you down like an animal and no one had any goddamn idea why, Severus? Damn it all to hell!" She pulled back from him, pacing in the room. "Are they going to come blazing in here and murder innocent children just to get me? Is that what's next?" Her whole body radiated the anger and torment of her soul. "Answer me, Severus!" She scoffed when he remained silent. "You know what? Hell, if that's the case, maybe I should just leave and let them take me. That way no one dies because of me!" She kicked Pomfrey's desk then before collapsing into a chair, leaning forward as she covered her face with her hands.

"If you'd like, I could perhaps scrounge up a few Nifflers for you to hex as well." He watched her head snap up instantly as she stared at him for a few moments. She opened her mouth to say something before a faint smile spread across her face, the anger and fear disappearing from her.

"You smart arse."

He shrugged. "Some say smart arse. I say Slytherin genius."

"You've been taking too much Swelling Solution again there, Severus, because your head is getting a little too big for you," she replied with a soft laugh.

"You're just jealous of my supreme intellect." He felt himself relax more as she laughed loudly. "It'll be all right, Aurora. I won't let them take you."

"Severus—"

"Trust me as you've done so far. I won't let them take you. I promise." He sighed silently before he knelt down in front of her, grabbing her hands and holding them in his own. He gave her a gentle reassuring squeeze. "You're safe, Aurora. I'll protect you and make sure they never take you. Promise."

~FKTF~

The following week, Harry found himself outside for another Quidditch practice in the pouring rain. Oliver Wood, Gryffindor's Quidditch captain, had been making the team practice regularly in efforts to achieve the goal of winning the cup. They had been close to winning it the prior year. Had Harry not been attacked and forced to sit out the rest of the season that was.

Harry mounted his Nimbus and took off to the skies. He did his warm-ups, flying figure eights around the stadium many times at varying speeds before he tried a couple of difficult flying maneuvers. He did downward spirals that were sure to give his father a heart attack if the man was watching. He did end over ends. Only a few of those, though, because he nearly met his breakfast again on the last one.

"Ready, Potter?" Wood yelled up from the ground to him.

Harry glanced down before he dove down beside his captain. He nodded once, watching the glittering ball in Wood's hand sprout wings before the Snitch took off. Harry shot off after it within seconds. He dodged the Quaffle that Fred and George hit back and forth in order to simulate the real match being played. He dove down underneath Angelina as she streaked past him. All the while, Harry kept complete focus on the Snitch. He jetted right then left then up and then down before he snatched the Snitch with a large grin. He glided down to Wood, holding the Snitch in his hand.

"Two minutes," Oliver stated with a frown.

"Yeah. A good five minutes faster than Draco," Harry replied, still grinning widely.

"Not good enough, Potter. I need it done in a minute flat." Oliver shook his head. "Otherwise, we're dead in the water for the cup this year." He then gave Harry a hard look. "We're going to do this again until you can do it in a minute. Understood? I'm not going to lose to them again. Do it again," Oliver ordered, shooing Harry back up into the air.

For the next four hours, Harry attempted to do as Oliver ordered. He flew as fast as he could, as skilled as he was. But the closest he got to Oliver's minute was a minute and five seconds. They kept at it until Oliver finally threw his clipboard down and stormed away. Harry touched back down onto the ground then, panting and sore as if he had been weeding the Dursleys' lawn again nonstop. They'd win.

Harry slowly walked up to the castle then. Every muscle in his body hurt. He frowned, thinking about asking his dad for a potion. But if he did that, then he'd have to answer to why he was sore. And he knew his dad wouldn't go for "Oliver's overworking us to beat your team." So, Harry pressed his lips tightly together, deciding he'd not tell his dad.

His father had enough to worry about anyway, what with Harry's mum and Malfoy's dad. The young boy was still trying to figure out how his mum hadn't hexed Malfoy's dad the other day when the arrogant blond made an off-color remark about her. He knew she had heard it. Harry had seen her fist clench before she left the room.

"Potter!"

Harry frowned when he heard the familiar voice. He slowed but didn't stop completely. Visiting his dad's rooms every now and then, Harry was beginning to understand where the other young boy got his arrogance from now.

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"To talk to you," Draco replied quietly, quickly walking beside him.

"So talk," Harry said flatly, continuing towards Gryffindor Tower. If Draco started asking him to deliver a message to his father or tell him what the adults had been talking about in Harry's dad's rooms, he was going to hex the Slytherin. He wasn't a bloody owl or eavesdropper.

"Did she say anything to you yet?"

That question stopped Harry instantly. He turned towards Draco, frowning.

"Did who say anything?"

Draco's gray eyes darted about the empty corridor as if to see if anyone was around before he leaned in towards Harry. "Granger. Did she say anything to you yet, Potter?"

"About what?" Harry's eyes narrowed. What in the world was going on?

"About the note this morning."

Harry stared at the Slytherin for a few minutes before he thought back to breakfast. He remembered Hermione receiving two messages. One was from her parents and the other was . . .

"YOU!?" Harry yelled, his mouth dropping. He caught Draco's flinch instantly. "You're the one who's sending her the poems? The flowers? The necklace on her birthday even?"

"What if I am, Potter?" Draco growled. "You going to tell? As if anyone would believe you." Draco clearly was agitated now. He scoffed, feigning his arrogance.

"Why?" Harry asked—the shock vanishing and being replaced with idle curiosity.

"Just answer my question, Potter. Did she say anything about it?"

Harry frowned before he shrugged. "No. She just got a little smile on her face and tucked it away." He noticed the slight tug at Draco's lips. "What?"

"So, she liked it then?" Draco gave a self-satisfied laugh. "Good. That's all, Potter. You tell anyone about this. I'll make sure you live to regret it, understood?"

Harry glared at him instantly. "Are you kidding me, Malfoy?" He shook his head before he walked away from the Slytherin. Honestly. Malfoy sending Hermione a necklace? What was the world coming to? Next thing he'd know—

"POTTER!" a shout suddenly filled the corridor.

The twelve-year-old stopped instantly, gulping. What had he done wrong now? He turned, watching Filch—who looked one stop short from sicking up—limp towards him with a murderous look.

"I've had enough of it. All you students, always the same. Filth and muck and mess. And who has to clean it up? Me! Well, I'll make an example of you, I will. March." Filch pointed towards his office, which Harry sighed and headed towards.

Standing in front of Filch's office, Harry waited with his head down. If he received another detention this week, his dad was going to ground him for life. He watched Filch search for a form, his eyes darting onto the man's desk and stopping when he found a purple envelope with silver lettering.

"Excuse me, sir." Harry swallowed when Filch glanced at him. "What's Kwikspell?"

Filch turned bright red with a slight tic before he pointed towards the door. "Out. Get out now!" Filch rasped with a horrified look on his face.

Harry didn't need to be told twice. He ran like hell out of there.

~FKTF~

Biting his lip nervously, Harry watched his dad break the seal on the envelope a few days before Halloween. He glanced towards his mum who gave him a soft smile and then back at his dad. His whole body hummed with nervous energy as he waited impatiently. He felt like asking 'What does is say?' repeatedly like a little kid until his dad answered, but Harry kept quiet. His dad pulled out the folded-up letter before he handed it to the young boy.

"On behalf of the European Potions Council," Harry read, his voice rising with glee, "we hereby formally congratulate you, Severus Tobias Snape, on being one of the four nominated for the Potions Master of the Year award. We will award this prize on October 31, 1992 at the Rose Garden in London, England at 7:00 sharp. You are invited to bring one guest of your choosing. Dress appropriately." Harry jumped up and cheered instantly, clutching the engraved invitation in his hand. "You got it, Dad! You got it! You're nominated."

"Yes, Harry, I believe I heard that," his dad replied flatly.

"I do believe your son is quite excited, Severus," Lucius drawled from the sofa with a raised eyebrow as he watched Harry continue jumping for joy.

"So it would seem."

Harry realized quickly he was the only one happy and stopped instantly. He frowned, glancing from his mum to Lucius to his dad.

"What's wrong? Why am I the only one happy about this, Dad?"

His dad shook his head. "I am happy, son. We just have bigger things on our minds right now."

"Oh, please." Harry's mum said with a laugh. "I'm fine, Severus. I've got two former Death Eaters protecting me. Enjoy it. It's a big deal being nominated for something like this." She smiled as she stood up from the sofa. "In fact, I'll get the bottle of celebratory wine."

"I can have some, too, right? I mean, please?" Harry asked quietly, bouncing as he waited.

"Fine," Harry's dad sighed before he chuckled when Harry cheered. "But just a sip."

Harry was going to London with his dad. He couldn't wait.