It was only seven-thirty, but Molly looked up from her preparations of Arthur’s breakfast when she heard the roar of the Floo.

Who on Earth?

She bustled towards the door to the living room, but she heard Arthur’s voice before she got there, and then Albus answering him. When she did reach the doorway, it was to see Albus and Arthur speaking in low tones, and Severus stepping out of the fireplace.

“How is Harry this morning?” she heard Albus ask.

“He’s much, much better.” It was Molly who answered. “He woke up very early this morning and appears to be back to normal. He’s still asleep now, though. So is Erin, finally… I peeked in before coming downstairs.”

Severus’s brows drew together.

“She had a lot on her mind last night,” continued Molly. “What, with one thing and another.” She could see that Severus was looking rather weary and she also noticed a slight discolouration around his right eye, even in the dim morning light in the living room. It seemed that Erin’s worries for Severus had not been baseless; she had a horrible feeling that the poor man had suffered at the hands of He Who Must Not Be Named, last night.

And suddenly Molly felt a terrible foreboding. Both Severus and Dumbledore looked exceedingly downcast; even though Albus smiled a greeting at her, he looked unusually sombre.

“Ah, Molly, that is good news.” Dumbledore said. “A resilient young man is our Mr Potter. I am sorry to appear so early on your hearthrug, but Severus and I have important matters to discuss and we would like to speak to you before the children arise.”

And then, out of the blue, Dumbledore asked, “Has your newspaper arrived yet?”

Molly looked totally bewildered, but she answered in the affirmative, “Err, yes. It came about fifteen minutes ago.” She gestured towards the kitchen. She led the way and Albus swooped upon the Daily Prophet where it was lying beside Arthur’s place setting.

“Perhaps you would be so kind as to summon Bill for us, Molly,” said Dumbledore, unrolling the newspaper. “I think he should hear this. But please don’t allow any of the children down.”

“What has happened?” asked Molly, her face paling.

Arthur put a reassuring arm around Molly’s shoulders and kissed her on the head. “Just get Bill, Molly love. Then Albus will explain all.” He picked up the industrial-sized teapot and carried it to the stove, filling it with boiling water. Molly looked from one serious face to the other, but then she put the tea-towel she was clutching over the back of a chair and hurried past Severus who stepped aside for her to pass him.

“I’m going to check on Potter,” said Severus and without waiting for a response, he strode after Molly. Arthur brought the teapot to the table and set it on a mat. He began to twirl the pot to settle the leaves.

“I would say that Severus did not fare particularly well at the hands of He Who Must Not Be Named, last night,” he said, but when there was no answer from Dumbledore, he looked up from his task. “Albus?”

Albus was reading the paper and Arthur was shocked to see the old face set in lines of intense fury. Arthur let go of the teapot and straightened his thin frame, foreboding creeping over him as it had done Molly minutes before.

“What is it Albus? I know you didn’t come here just to read my copy of the Prophet. What is it that you were expecting to find?”

Albus didn’t answer. He just held out the paper and with some trepidation, Arthur took it. One glance and his face paled, then he steeled himself and sinking into a chair, he read the story underneath the banner headline: SAVE THE MUGGLES, HARRY! and then the smaller headline: WILL BOY WHO LIVED SACRIFICE SELF FOR 16 TEENS?

8888

On the landing, Severus put his hand on the doorknob, only to have it wrenched from his grip when the door was pulled open. A tousle-haired, dishevelled Erin, eyes three-quarters closed, crashed straight into Severus. The shock of the impact had her eyes flying open, and she only had time to register the tall, dark man with the pale face before he swooped and her lips were no longer her own.

Severus couldn’t help himself. At one stage last night, he had thought he might never see Erin again, and this assault on her mouth was as much profound relief as it was a reaffirmation of how much she had come to mean to him over the last nine days. How could he have become so dependent on her in such a short space of time?

Erin didn’t even start in surprise. In the infinitesimal time before Severus swooped, she had recognised him; but quite apart from that, she would have known his smell and the taste and feel of him anywhere. With a little sob, she raised her arms and wrapped them tightly around Severus’s neck, melting against his tall, slender frame and revelling in his dominance over her mouth.

Severus shuffled to the side of the open doorway so that he could press Erin against the wall…he needed to be closer to her; he needed to feel her against him from knees to lips because who knew when he would feel her pressed close to him again. The wall acted as a counter-force and Erin moaned into his mouth and revelled in the fact that she was totally and wonderfully encircled by black. Severus’s fragrant, newly-washed black hair swung around her face as he continued to plunder her mouth; his voluminous black robes practically enveloped her.

Severus nearly went insane as the feel of the outline of Erin’s body impinged upon his consciousness. The small landing they were standing upon was not the place to allow his body to over-rule his head. Nor was it the time. With a groan of pure frustration, instead of grinding his pelvis into hers as he wanted to do so desperately, he eased back to allow a sliver of daylight between their bodies. He should have let her go entirely, but found he couldn’t forego the comfort of at least kissing her…allowing her to see how much she meant to him. He raised his hands and framed Erin’s face with his long fingers. He released her mouth to pepper desperate kisses across her face…her forehead, her closed eyelids, her cheeks and the defined line of her jaw.

Erin moaned her appreciation of all this attention. When Severus decided to make a meal of her throat, she lifted her chin as far as the wall behind her head would allow, to give him easier access. She fisted her hands into the shoulders of Severus’s robes and suddenly, the fact that he was there, that he was alive and well and making her knees go weak struck her anew. A little sob escaped her throat and tears squeezed from between her closed eyelids.

It took a few seconds, but Severus finally realised that ecstasy seemed to have turned to distress for Erin. He lifted his head, a frown marring his forehead. Erin, embarrassed, raised a shaky hand to her face to hide her tears, but Severus pulled it away gently. He kissed her wet eyelids and cheeks. But when her tears continued unabated, he desisted and looked at her with concern. She tried to lower her head to hide her face, but Severus prevented her doing it by placing his fingers under her chin. He brushed at the wetness on her cheeks with the fingers of his other hand, before raising it further and threading his fingers into a thick lock of hair that had fallen over her forehead and pushing it back gently.

Finally, with a shuddering breath, Erin quieted. She opened her still-swimming eyes and looked into Severus’s face; a face whose expression held such a wealth of worry and gentleness, it was almost impossible for her to even picture the nasty, sour expression that she had first seen upon it. His face, in all its moods had become so very dear to her in such a short space of time.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a croaky whisper. She brushed her fingers over his lips to wipe her own tears away. “I didn’t mean to get you all wet.”

“I didn’t know that I was so very bad at kissing,” said Severus, a slight smile quirking one corner of his mouth upwards.

He managed to make Erin smile for real, even though it was a wobbly excuse for one. She swatted his shoulder. “You know very well that you kiss perfectly adequately, Professor Snape.”

Severus raised his eyebrow. “Perfectly adequately? High praise indeed!’

Erin’s smile disappeared and she leaned her forehead against his black-robed chest. “I was so frightened, Sev.” she whispered. “I’ve seen what that man—or animal, or creature…whatever he is—is capable of. I've seen what he can do to Harry when he isn’t even near him. I know what he ordered done to Privet Drive!”

Severus wrapped his arms tightly around Erin, marvelling again at the fact that someone other than Dumbledore was so worried about his welfare. He could feel his heart swell; the slight tremor he could feel assaulting Erin’s muscles, the huskiness of her voice and the overflowing tears were added proof of just how much emotion Erin had wrapped up in him. This, added to the passion that he knew he could evoke, made Severus’s hopes soar into the stratosphere. She had said it, but added proof of the strength of her feelings for him made him feel renewed, and, dare he even think it, totally, blissfully happy. It had been so long since Severus had actually felt happy, the lightness of spirit and mind that feeling produced was totally foreign to him…but oh, so very welcome.

He didn’t tell her that he himself had been worried that he might never see her again…he did not want to add to her distress.

“I have been doing this for a very long time, Erin. You don…”

Erin pushed her clenched fists against Severus’s chest, forcing him back a step as she looked up at him with a fierce look on her face. “Don’t tell me that I don’t need to worry.” She reached up and gently touched the ill-disguised shadow around his eye. “And don’t tell me that you got this by walking into a door. You’re not that clumsy, Severus. And I know how good you lot are at healing, so I’m sure that you had other injuries to show for your night’s work. Did he use that horrible curse on you that that Selwyn man had been subjected to?”

Severus put his own head back and took a deep breath. “Erin…”

“Tell me!”

“I am perfectly…”

“Tell me, Severus!”

Erin could see all too clearly that Severus wasn’t going to easily talk about his experiences with the man they called the Dark Lord. But if she was going to be a part of his life—and until she could get him to stop this mad game that he played—then she was going to make him talk about it. She opened her mouth to again exhort him to talk, but Severus broke in.

“Not here.” He indicated the landing. “They’re waiting downstairs. There are…things to discuss. I promise to talk to you when we’re alone without any worry of being interrupted.”

Erin eyed him warily. “I won’t forget,” she said warningly.

Severus kissed her on the forehead. “I know you won’t. Redheads are very determined.”

Erin raised her eyebrows. “Really? And you know this because…”

Severus could have kicked himself. He most definitely did not want to go there. “It is the general perception, is it not? Now…” Severus kissed her again…this time a lingering one on her swollen and tender lips, before he stepped aside and entered the open door to approach the occupied bed. “How is Potter?”

Erin rubbed the last of the tears from her cheeks and followed him. She lowered her voice so as not to wake the sleeping boy. “Harry awoke independently at about one-thirty this morning, perfectly rational. He’s been easily rousable since then. He has, however, been preoccupied and worried.”

Severus frowned as he gazed at the messy brown hair which was all he could see of the top of Aidan’s head. He too spoke in lowered tones. “Preoccupied and worried about what? He hasn’t recalled…”

“No…” said Erin before Severus could elucidate, just in case Harry was roused by their voices. “He quickly realised that you had been summoned…his scar was still prickling. He was, not to put too fine a point on it, very worried.”

Severus looked slightly alarmed. Had the boy perhaps had more visions, such as those he had had the night Arthur had been attacked by Nagini? No, of course he hadn’t. Severus knew that if Harry had any knowledge of the Dark Lord’s diabolical plan, then he would not be sleeping so peacefully now.

“How long ago did you awaken him last?”

“I’ve let him sleep since five-thirty. He seems perfectly fine now.”

Severus watched the gentle rise and fall of the covers for several seconds, pleased to see that Harry’s breathing was no longer rapid and shallow, but deep and even. Satisfied, he took Erin’s arm and led her back onto the landing. “Come, they will be waiting.”

Erin pulled her arm out of Severus’s grip. “I can’t go down there looking like this.” She indicated her dishevelled appearance. “I need to go to the bathroom and freshen up.”

Severus sighed and pulled out his wand. With a flourish, he moved it in the air in front of Erin. She felt a waft of fresh air and when she looked down, she saw that her jeans and top were now wrinkle-free. She caught another movement of that amazing stick in her side vision and she felt another breeze riffling across her tear-sticky face and through her hair. Her face now felt clean and dry and an explorative touch of her hand told her that her hair no longer looked like a birch broom in a fit.

She smiled saucily and reached up to kiss Severus on the lips. He was looking smugly pleased with himself. “Thank you oh, powerful one. You have done well.” She moved her mouth to his ear and whispered, “But as clever as you are, I still need to go to the loo. There’s nothing you can do about that!”

Severus smirked down at her. “Actually…”

Erin put her hands over her ears and hurried down the stairs. “I don’t want to know!” she said and the sound of Severus’s chuckle followed her into the bathroom on the lower landing.

8888

When Severus entered the kitchen again, he was not particularly pleased to see that the round-table conference would not just consist of the adult Weasleys, himself, Albus and Erin. Lupin, Moody, Kingsley and Nymphadora were all sitting around the table and partaking of tea and toast. The open expression that had remained on his face after he had left Erin, now disappeared to be replaced with his habitual scowl.

Moody looked up and saw Severus, his own scowl rivalling the younger mans, but Kingsley, Remus and Tonks all smiled with varying degrees of welcome…Lupin seemed pleased to see him (Merlin knew why), as did Kingsley, and Tonks grinned in her habitually cheeky fashion. Severus had always wanted to slap that cheeky little smirk off the Metamorphagus’ face when she was his student, but that not being an option, he had given her more detentions than anyone in Hufflepuff had ever received…before, during or since her tenure at the school.

Bill Weasley nodded to Severus from his position near the stove. He held up an empty cup and Severus nodded in response to Bill’s raised eyebrow enquiry as to whether he wanted tea.

“So, Snape,” barked Moody nastily, “One hell of a party you and your cohorts in crime had last night.”

“Alastor!” said Dumbledore in a tight voice and the battle-scarred Auror looked at his friend and for once, he backed off from his usual needling of Severus. “I refuse to be referee to the pair of you taking chunks out of each others’ hides this morning. We have more important issues to address than your inability to play together in the sandpit.”

Fierce blue eyes moved between the two protagonists. Severus remained silent as he took the cup of tea from Bill but he seethed inwardly. How dare the bloody old coot speak to him as if he was a child. So, he just had to be a well-behaved little boy and put up with bloody Moody’s gruff insinuations, and not retaliate?

Here he was, risking life and limb every time he went anywhere near the Dark Lord, but Moody still preferred to think that he was a fully paid up member of the Death Eater Club. He would never be convinced otherwise until Severus died in the line of duty for Albus and the Order, and then he would probably say that Severus had somehow stuffed up. Severus would rather be locked in the Shrieking Shack for a month with Lupin than spend any time in the company of the Ministry’s most famous ex-Auror.

God, how he hated the bloody old shit!

Everyone else in the room was concentrating on their own beverage, obviously taken aback by Dumbledore’s unusual severity. It was rarely that he spoke to any of them with such a bite in his voice and it was clear that he would not tolerate any behaviour that might distract them from the seriousness of the current situation.

Severus chose to remain standing with Bill. Dumbledore picked up the paper and leaned across to pass it to his spy. “I take it that Harry is more or less recovered from his unfortunate head injury?” he asked.

“He appears to be sleeping normally, and from all that I have been told of his behaviour, the signs are positive, that he is back to normal.” Severus’s voice was stiff. Dumbledore sighed deeply, looking relieved.

Severus put his cup down on the bench and opened the paper. His face tightened when he glanced down at the outsized, malignant headline. The room was silent as he quickly scanned the text. With a disgusted movement, he threw the paper back on the table and swiped his cup up again. If it had not been half empty, liquid would have slopped over his hand. Dumbledore sighed again and turned the paper over so that the front page rested face down and none of them had to look at it.

“Will Erin be joining us, Severus?” he asked in a weary voice. But Severus didn’t have the opportunity to answer before Moody’s insulting growl rent the air again.

“You feel that is wise, Albus?”

Severus bristled and his hand tightened around his cup. He did not get the chance to respond before Albus answered Moody, reverting to his earlier irate tone. “Yes, Alastor, I do. Erin will be of inestimable assistance in keeping Harry unaware of the things that he does not need to become cognizant of. And then there is the distinct possibility that we could end up working at cross-purposes to each other if she is the only adult likely to be around Harry who does not know what is going on.”

“So stick that where the sun don’t shine, Moody!” thought Severus with malicious childishness.

“Erin, dear…come in,” said Molly suddenly, her voice a little louder than it would have been if she had not been trying to cover up the male aggression that tainted the atmosphere.

Severus’s head snapped around towards the doorway where Erin was standing uncertainly, looking more than a little discomposed to be confronted by the largest crowd of magical people she had so far come in contact with. Severus straightened away from the bench, as did Bill. Dumbledore stood, smiling brightly in an attempt to ease Erin’s discomfort at being the cynosure of all eyes; her face reddened even further when Arthur, Kingsley and Remus followed Dumbledore’s gallant example. Moody was the only male in the room still seated and Severus took that for the insult that it was; Moody’s opinion of allowinga Muggle to be included in their discussion did not sit well with him at all. Severus was also sure that the grizzled old Auror was irritated with himself because his oft heard mantra of constant vigilance had gone by the wayside in his desire to be disagreeable, and he had failed to register Erin’s arrival with that foul eye.

Severus smirked inwardly. The battle scarred warrior wasn’t perfect, then?

Tonks had pulled out a chair for Erin, and after nodding a self-conscious welcome to the assembled crowd, Erin returned the younger woman’s smile of greeting as she sat down. She resolutely didn’t look at Severus; she didn’t want to give Mr Moody any more reasons—apart from her being a Muggle who had no right to be involved in wizard’s business—to vent his spleen. She knew she shouldn’t take his sentiments personally, but it wasn’t easy to get past his attitude. Erin was sure that the man wasn’t prejudiced against Muggles per se—his attitude when she had first met him was evidence of that—it was just that he couldn’t conceive of anything useful that she might have to offer.

While Molly bustled around preparing more tea and toast, Dumbledore spoke, his voice returned to its earlier gravity. “I would like to get this discussion over before the children put in an appearance.” He looked at Erin over the top of his spectacles and pushed the paper towards her. “You will need to read this, my dear. I am afraid that it is not pleasant, but you will see what we are up against.

Tonks put her hand on the paper and pushed it the last few inches to where Erin could reach it. Erin picked it up warily, aware that the tension in the room had increased. Molly was very pale and everyone, Severus included, looked remarkably sombre; most were looking anywhere but at Erin…the exceptions were Professor Dumbledore, Moody and Severus. Dumbledore looked resigned, Severus concerned, but Moody still looked disapproving.

Erin turned the paper over and looked down. The mile high headline made her hands tighten around the edges, scrunching up the pages, and as she quickly read the accompanying story, the colour slowly drained from her face. When she had finished, her head snapped up and her haunted eyes locked with Severus’. The black eyes that were often so cold, their twin glares seemed to seer where they touched, were now radiating comfort and reassurance for her alone. The look said that he was not going to let anything happen to Harry if there was anything at all he could do about it.

Erin believed that Severus would do everything in his power to keep Harry safe; he would do it for her. But Erin was sure that Severus would also protect Harry because he didn’t want anything to happen to him; it was second nature for Severus to protect Harry and that habit had, of late, overridden his negative feelings for the young wizard.

“We have a twofold task ahead of us, Erin,” Albus was saying. Erin pulled her gaze away from Severus and focused on the powerful old wizard, who, at the moment looked nothing more than a very tired old man. “We…” he indicated the members of the Order of the Phoenix, “…will be doing everything we can to try and find out where Voldemort is keeping the unfortunate boys he already has captive, hidden, and trying to work out who else he has targeted before they are taken.”

Erin nodded and she felt terrible regret for the poor, nameless and faceless boys who were the hapless pawns of this sick game. But at the moment, her concern was most evident for the boy that she knew and cared for. “How are you going to keep this from Harry?” she asked worriedly. “He’s already feeling guilty about his family and the people who were killed in Privet Drive and when the bridge collapsed.”

“Precisely, my dear. This is where you come in. Harry has become very fond of you since you were both taken from Privet Drive—as I am sure you have of him—so I am relying upon you to keep his mind off what Voldemort may be up to. We will destroy this newspaper of course, and no one will speak of this evil plan within Harry’s hearing, because he will, without question, refuse to sit around and allow these boys to be captured and killed in his place. And as it will be quite out of the question for him to hand himself over if he finds out, we will have to keep him a virtual prisoner.

“You have seen what Harry’s state of mind is…he does not need this added stress and guilt.”

Erin sighed deeply, but she nodded her acquiescence. “Of course I’ll do anything to help protect Harry. But why is this Voldemort character so determined to kill him? Why did he attack him at a year old and kill his parents? How could a child pose any threat to such a powerful wizard?” Erin looked at Severus and saw that he was surprised that Erin knew as much as she did. She was a little peeved that Severus had never felt the need to tell her that Voldemort had tried to kill Harry when he was only a baby.

Erin noticed that practically the whole party got pained expressions upon their faces whenever the name ‘Voldemort’ was mentioned. Dumbledore, who said the name with impunity, did not, nor did Moody, nor Severus. However, Erin realised that though Severus did not cringe at the sound of the name, unlike Dumbledore, she had never heard him say ‘Voldemort’; he always referred to him as the ‘Dark Lord’. What was it about this creature that had even these strong, sensible people cringing at the sound of his name, or else refusing to say it at all?

“That is a very long story and one that we do not have time to get into now,” said Dumbledore. Erin felt irritated. She had lost count of the number of times that she had been told to put her curiosity on hold. Dumbledore correctly interpreted her mutinous expression and he sighed.

“Your questions are certainly relevant, Erin, but the gravity of the current situation means that we cannot waste any time on non-essentials. You will be filled in though, never fear.”

Erin knew that if she wanted answers, then she was going to have to keep on haunting, but she did recognise the gravity of the current situation, and so she desisted asking any more questions at this time.

Over the fifteen minutes, Erin and Molly sat and listened to the conversation that went on around them. Their job was to try to protect Harry…while they were here at the Burrow, Molly would be involved in attempting to keep Harry (and the other teens) oblivious of what was going on in the outside world.

Erin was not happy when she realised that Severus was going to be the vital link in the Order’s plans to try and gather information. Time was of the essence…for all they knew, the second boy could already have been abducted, and Severus had not been told whether the boys were being subjected to torture while the thirty-first of July—their birthday, as well as Harry’s—crept up on them. Severus was, of course, the one who would try to pry information out of Voldemort’s followers, and as even he did not know who was in on the plan, it seemed an impossible, not to mention, highly dangerous task. If Voldemort discovered that he was asking questions about a subject that they had been told to keep mum about, his true allegiance would come to light.

Erin had worked out long ago that this evil man took action and asked questions later. Severus had already intimated that his other boss had suspicions about the presence of a traitor in their midst. Listening to the terse conversation going on around her, it suddenly struck home with force that their really was a war going on in the wizarding world and that Dumbledore and his little band of soldiers were the equivalent of the French Underground during the second world war.

Things became a little heated…Moody niggled at Severus, and Erin was amazed that Severus didn’t pull out his wand and curse the malicious old man. Moody kept on insinuating that Severus couldn’t be trusted, that someone needed to be on Severus’s tail to make sure that he was actually going to do what he said he was going to do.

Erin noticed that no one really took any notice of Moody’s innuendo…it seemed that they were all so used to hearing his paranoid accusations against Severus, it was just so much background noise. Even Severus didn’t bite, but Erin could see that his jaw was tight, as if his teeth were clamped together in an effort not to retaliate verbally.

Erin was getting angrier and angrier on Severus’s behalf. Moody had risen with the teapot in hand and stumped across the kitchen to the stove. He deliberately knocked against Severus’s arm as he walked past. Severus glared into the mangled face and Moody smirked at him.

“Apologies Snape,” he drawled nastily as he put the teapot down and took out his wand to banish the sodden tealeaves. “I forgot you were here…on the sidelines, taking up valuable space but not contributing much in the way of valuable information.”

“Alastor!”

But before Dumbledore could admonish further, Moody had spun towards the doorway into the living room, his wand raised and a hex falling from his lips as soon as he saw the movement out of his magical eye.

Stupef…

“NO!” Severus knocked Moody’s arm down, but all he managed to do was deflect the jet of red light into the doorjamb where it dislodged a chunk of painted wood. The young boy standing in the doorway cried out in pain and bent over, clutching his face.

“You bloody fool!” Severus pushed roughly past Moody as Erin and everyone else at the table jumped to their feet. Erin rushed after Severus, who was guiding the boy into a chair and pulling his hands down from his face to reveal a nasty gash right in the corner of his right eye. Blood was flowing freely down Aidan’s cheek.

Severus’s lips went white with fury. As he drew out his wand to repair the damage, he glared over at Moody whose wand arm was still being held down at his side by Bill.

“Alastor, you knew that there were children in the house,” said Dumbledore angrily.

“I saw a perfect stranger!” said Moody defensively, wresting his arm from Bill’s grip.

“A stranger, but a child!” shrieked Molly.

“That is Harry,” said Dumbledore heavily, and he sighed wearily. “He is under the influence of Polyjuice potion and Severus has not had time to give him the antidote.”

Moody had the good grace to grow a little pale himself. “Potter?”

“You knew he was here, Mad-Eye!” inserted Bill, angrily. “Along with my little brother and sister. You didn’t even stop to see who it was. Whoever it was though, had to have been in the house, right? You know what the wards are like around here. No Death Eater would have been able to get through without one hell of a noise.”

“I saw a stranger!” said Moody gruffly

“You saw a movement at the bloody door and you fired first with the intention of asking questions later!”

“It was a Stunning Spell, Weasley…not the Killing Curse!” bawled Moody, defensively.

“Thank God for small mercies.”

“That will do, Bill,” said Arthur, putting a hand on his son’s arm. “Mad-Eye knows he’s made a mistake. Harry appears to be fine, thank Merlin.”

They looked towards the huddle of people surrounding the chair Severus had thrust Harry into. Bill and Arthur moved forward and after a second, Moody stumped after them. Severus had just lowered his wand and all that could now be seen on Aidan’s face was a thin pink line that would disappear entirely in time.

Severus was rising to his feet and shaking his head. “I have never had the misfortune to know a more accident-prone individual in my life, Potter,” he said, but his tone was more exasperated than condemnatory.

“Severus!” said Erin and Molly together.

Harry suddenly realised that he was surrounded by a veritable Quidditch World Cup crowd and he sank down into the depths of the chair, his face burning. “Yeah…well, this wasn’t exactly an accident, was it?” he mumbled, catching sight of Moody at the back of the crowd, from between Molly and Remus.

Everyone turned to glare at Moody. The ex-Auror’s mangled face went a blotchy red and he shuffled his mismatched legs. “I’m sorry, Potter,” he said gruffly. “I…I let vigilance override due care. I didn’t look before I started firing off hexes. I let my personal grievances…” here, Moody rested his muddy-coloured, normal eye on Severus, “…upset my judgement.”

“Well,” said Harry, “maybe you might have stopped yourself if you hadn’t seen a perfect stranger.” He turned to Severus. “I know it isn’t any kind of improvement, but do you think I could maybe start looking like myself again, now that we’ve reached our destination?”

Severus nodded. He stepped back and grasped Erin’s arm above her elbow, pulling her with him. “Would you get my bag from the bedroom?”

Erin nodded and moved towards the stairs. She smiled at Ginny and Ron who had just entered the living room. Ron continued on into the room but Erin grasped Ginny’s arm, much like Severus had just done to her. “He’s OK, Ginny. He’s totally lucid again.”

Ginny gestured towards the dispersing crowd; Molly was chivvying Harry into the kitchen and Ron was following his friend, his hands thrust into the pockets of his tan cords. “Why is everyone here?” Ginny asked, slightly bewildered by the large crowd in her home at such an early hour.

“Umm…Professor Dumbledore needed to talk to the Order.”

Ginny’s eyes widened. “You know about the Order?”

“Not much,” prevaricated Erin. “Now, go and let your mum feed you. I think that’s when she’s happiest.”

Ginny smiled. “If I ate everything mum wanted me to, I’d be the size of Hogwarts.”

Erin doubted very much that Ginny Weasley would ever be anything but very petite, despite her mother’s best efforts. She hurried up the stairs to get Severus’s never-ending bag.

When Erin returned, she heard Tonks and Kingsley making their farewells to Dumbledore; they were both on duty for the Ministry. She couldn’t see Moody, so she presumed that he had already left. She had passed Arthur on the stairs; he was going to finish getting ready for work.

Erin handed Severus his bag; he was standing with Remus and Bill, who were talking in low tones. With a tight smile, Severus took the bag, opened it and pointed his wand into the opening, summoning the potion.

“Has the newspaper been banished or whatever it is you wizards do to get rid of things?” Erin asked Remus in an undertone.

Remus smiled. “It was gone when we came back into the kitchen,” he said reassuringly. “Albus rarely overlooks anything. He would have banished it immediately Mad-Eye pointed his wand, even before he was fully aware of what Mad-Eye was reacting to.” They watched as Harry drank the potion and over the next thirty seconds, turned back into himself. Ron clapped him on the back and said, “Welcome back mate. No offence, but I’m glad my best mate is no longer twelve years old.”

Harry grinned. “Tell me about it. The only good part about being Aidan was that I had twenty-twenty vision.” He took the glasses that Severus was holding out for him and put them on.

Remus sighed. “He is the living image of his father,” he said, half to himself.

“Really?” said Erin. “You knew his father?”

“We were best friends.” There was a wealth of sadness in Remus’ voice and Erin squeezed his arm sympathetically. Severus looked across at them at that moment and his face hardened.

“That’s why you care for Harry so much,” she said.

“I was one of his honorary uncles. And I didn’t see him again until three years ago, when I taught at Hogwarts for a year.” Remus sounded bitter.

“How did you lose contact?”

Remus looked down at Erin and smiled. “It’s a long…”

“I know…it’s a long story. There are more long stories that no one is willing to tell me than I can poke a stick at,” said Erin unable to hide the peevishness in her tone.

Remus grinned at her. “Sorry,” he said in his husky voice. “One day, I promise I will tell you.”

“Why not tell her now, Lupin?” suggested Severus, coming to stand before them. Remus’ smile did not disappear all together, but it did slip a little.

“My story is pretty boring, Severus,” he said. “And we have far more important things to concentrate on at the moment.”

“It will only take seconds to say the words, Lupin,” said Severus, a clear challenge in his voice. Erin could clearly hear the aggression in Severus’s tone and when Remus’ smile disappeared, her irritation with the pair of them broke over her. She grabbed a fistful of each of one of their sleeves and dragged them both into the living room. Both men were so surprised, they moved passively.

When they were well away from any prying ears, Erin released her grip on both men and faced them, her hands on her hips and her face set and angry. “I haven’t seen that much of Remus since I entered this world, but what I have seen proves to me that he is a good man. And you Severus, are a good man, but it has not escaped my notice that few people belong to the Severus Snape fan club.

“It has also not escaped my notice that of all the people I have met so far, you Severus, are the only one who seems to have a grudge against Remus. So, before you fall all over yourself trying to give me clues as to why you are perfectly justified in sniping at your fellow Order member all the time, I will save you the effort. I know that Remus is a werewolf.”

Severus’s brows drew together and Remus went white with shock. “You know?” he croaked.

“Yes, Remus, I know. I heard a Death Eater talking to Severus when we were in Diagon Alley and he spoke of a werewolf protecting ‘the girl’.”

“You heard that?” said Severus, darkly.

“Yes. And all I can say is, ‘so what’? Two weeks ago, I didn’t believe in witches and wizards, hags and goblins, nor any of the other strange phenomena I have encountered in this world. A werewolf is just one more of those fairytale creatures that I have found out are true.”

“And as I know that the fairytale werewolves are pretty close to the mark, then you know why I dislike Lupin,” Severus bit out.

“No, Severus…that is a reason to dislike werewolves during the full moon. But you know Remus…you know that he is a good man. I know that you know! He saved my life, after all.”

Severus’s face set in mutinous lines. “You have no idea what you are talking about.” Erin thought that was a pretty feeble comeback, but before she could challenge his assertion, the Floo flared bright green. All three of them turned towards the fireplace and Erin gasped when she saw the face of a young woman sitting amidst the magical green flames.

“Hermione!” Remus gratefully broke away from the threesome huddle and moved towards the fireplace. Molly entered the room, having heard the roar of the Floo again, and Arthur reappeared from upstairs.

“Hermione dear, why are you calling so early?” asked Molly moving closer to the fireplace.

“Professor Lupin, Mrs Weasley…err, good morning.”

Remus looked at Hermione closely and noticed even through the curtain of green, the distressed look on her face and the evidence of recent tears.

“Hermione, what is it?” asked Remus. “What’s wrong.”

Hermione bit her lip. “I was wondering if you know where Harry is? I’ve been on holiday with my parents, but we got home last night. I…I’ve been getting the Prophet and have seen all the horrible things that have been happening. And today…today…”

Albus, who had entered the room, shutting the door behind him, spoke. “Do not say another word, Miss Granger. Would you please go and inform your parents to expect a visitor through the Floo, momentarily.”

“Y…yes, sir,” said Hermione, totally shell-shocked at seeing her headmaster at the Burrow and too bemused to do anything but what she was told. Her head disappeared forthwith.

“A complication I had not factored in,” said Albus, turning to the others. “She will have to be told, of course, now that she has seen the paper. Molly, Arthur…will it stretch your hospitality too far to have another guest?”

“Not at all, Albus,” answered Molly. “Hermione is always welcome here. We’ll manage.”

Dumbledore nodded and turned to Remus. “Would you go through, Remus, and ask the Grangers if Hermione can come and stay? She is better off here with her friends than alone and wondering what is going on. I know you can be diplomatic. Explain to her. Make sure she understands that Harry, Ron and Ginny are not to know what was in that Prophet. Her address is: Sixteen, Burgess Terrace, Oxford.”

Remus nodded and taking some Floo powder from the container on the mantel, he stepped into the fireplace and disappeared. Dumbledore turned to Arthur.

“This has made me realise that our plan is full of holes. Arthur, can you please stop off and see the twins on your way to work. They will have seen the paper, and I am sure, in their concern for Harry, they will also be dropping in to check out the situation. Is there any chance that Percy…”

“None!” said Arthur, succinctly. “You do not need to worry that Percy will try to contact us in any way.” He put his arm around Molly’s shoulders and squeezed reassuringly. He kissed her on the temple, knowing how upset she would be to hear their third son’s name mentioned. “I’ll write to Charlie when I get to work. He gets the Prophet over there. I’ll make sure he understands not to send any letters referring to the subject.”

After Arthur had disappeared, Albus turned to Molly, Severus and Erin, who was still looking shocked at having seen a disembodied head in the fireplace. Somehow, that was much more shocking than seeing a person step into or out of those magical flames. “I must get back to Hogwarts. Rufus Scrimgeour and his minions are still there and I cannot leave Minerva any longer to try to keep them occupied while I am absent. Today’s headlines will have sent them into even more of a frenzy and I have no doubt they will be threatening me with all sorts of dire consequences if I do not tell them where Harry is.”

“But won’t they think of here, Albus? After all, it is no secret that Harry and Ron are best friends and that Harry has stayed here before.”

“Oh, they have already thought of it Molly. I have assured them that Harry is not here, and there is no way that they can get here to check it out themselves. For the time being, we do not have to worry, unless Rufus really starts throwing his weight around.”

Albus turned to Severus. “You will start today?”

Severus nodded.

Albus took Molly’s hand and bowed over it. “Thank you for allowing me to turn your house into a circus, Molly. You have been most gracious.” Then he too, disappeared in a flash of green fire.

Erin looked at Severus, her eyebrows raised. “Start what?”

“Interrogating fellow Death Eaters.”