~Chapter 41~

August 3, 2009~

Luna sighed in exasperation, taking out her wand and vanishing the mud from her ivory silk wedding dress. Leaning down carefully, she looked at the light blue silk dress that her daughter was wearing, shaking her head. It was splotched all over with green algae and mud, dripping on the grass as Elizabeth shivered, more from the fear of her mother than being completely soaked. Luna frowned at her daughter and shook her head, biting her lip in concentration as she took out her wand.

This is awful, she thought, examining the stains. I'll never be able to get this clean in time to get back to the reception. What a mess!

"Honestly, Elizabeth!" She sighed in exasperation, using her wand to clean it as best she could. "I think you've ruined it."

"It was Marcus' fault, Mummy!" Elizabeth sobbed, trembling from anger. "He put a frog down my dress! It was really slimy and icky!"

"That doesn't mean you should push him into the lake, sweetheart." Her mother said gently, picking some kind of green aquatic plant out of her daughter's wet hair. She began quietly chanting a cleaning charm as she moved her wand.

"He's mean! I don't like him!"

"He nearly drowned, Elizabeth." Luna explained patiently. "If it hadn't been for the giant squid putting him back on dry land, he could have died. He can't swim yet, darling."

A rustling in the bushes near the lake drew her attention. Looking up, she saw John coming back, his dress robes shed, wearing only his white shirt and dress pants with his sleeves rolled up just past his forearms. His clothes were smeared with muck, dripping wet, and he was barefoot as he limped toward them, favoring his left leg as he usually did.

"Where's your cane?" Luna asked, a worried frown on her face. "And what on earth happened to your shoes?"

"In the lake somewhere, I guess." He shrugged. "I didn't have time to take them off when I dived in after Marcus."

Leaning against a tree, he brushed some of the muck off his pants, looking down at his sniffling daughter with an expression that was a mix of something between irritation and amusement.

"Is Marcus going to be alright?" Luna asked anxiously.

"Yes, he's fine." John said, rubbing his eyes, the sunlight flashing on his platinum wedding band. "Just scared half to death. I'm sure he thought he was going to die. He probably didn't even know about the giant squid in the lake. All he knew was that something huge grabbed him when he went under and tossed him up on the bank."

Leaning down to kiss her, he looked carefully at her, concern in his hazel eyes.

"Are you okay?" John asked, gently touching her swollen abdomen through her wedding dress.

"We're fine." Luna smiled, catching his hand and squeezing it affectionately. Hearing movement in the brush, they turned in the direction of the sound to see Severus coming toward them.

"Is Elizabeth alright?" Severus asked as he walked toward them, his dress robes now smeared likewise with mud from the lake. He carried John's cane in his left hand, as he used his wand to vanish the muck from his robes.

"Oh, Professor Snape, I'm so sorry!" Luna said, blushing with embarrassment. "Elizabeth is fine, just wet and dirty. I'm just worried about Marcus! Is he alright?"

"He's fine, though he had a good scare." Snape said, smirking as he handed John his cane. "His mother caught him in the act, though it was too late to prevent the punishment that your daughter so swiftly dealt him."

"The act?" Luna said blankly, and then realization dawned on her. "Oh, you mean the frog?"

Turning back to Elizabeth, she frowned.

"Pushing him in the lake," She scolded her daughter, "where he nearly drowns, that seems a bit severe."

"Well, I daresay he won't do it again." Severus said gently, smiling at Elizabeth. "Don't be too harsh with her; she's only four years old. Here, allow me to help clean her up."

Chanting a charm, he moved his wand over Elizabeth's dress, the stains and muck vanishing.

"Thank you so much, Professor Snape." Luna said, smiling gratefully. "I was using the vanishing charm, but it just wasn't effective enough."

"I'll teach you this one." Severus said, eyeing some stains on his own sleeve. "Looks like I missed a few spots. Let me clean those up and take care of John; we need to return to the reception soon."

After a bit more cleaning, they headed back to the huge tent the Weasley family had loaned them to set up for the reception. Ana met them halfway, carrying a clean dress for Elizabeth.

"Have we missed anything?" Luna asked nervously.

"No, nothing." Ana replied, quickly conjuring a shelter so she could change Elizabeth's dress. "Let me check your dress over, Luna."

"It's fine, Professor Snape cleaned it up."

"He might have missed a spot; after all, he is a man, and they do miss details sometimes."

The older witch carefully examined Luna's wedding gown, tut-tutting under her breath as she pulled out her wand to clean some almost unnoticeable spots.

"Nina's should be here soon; Ian was getting restless." Ana said, looking up at her. "I think he might be getting hungry."

"Oh, no…" Luna sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"Don't fret." Ana said, conjuring a comfortable armchair for her and waving her toward it. "We have a notice-me-not charm on the shelter, so you can go ahead and nurse him if you wish. I'll take Elizabeth with me, once Nina gets here with Ian."

"But what if they get into a fight again? Elizabeth and Marcus?"

"I don't see that happening." Ana chuckled. "Severus has Marcus on a tight leash right now, and I don't think he's very interested in picking on your daughter now."

oOo

August 10, 2009~

"Well, Marcus? I'm waiting." Ana Romanov-Snape said sternly, crossing her legs at the knee and leaning back, her arms crossed as she watched her son.

Marcus Snape squirmed uncomfortably under the piercing gray eyes of his mother as she sat across from him on the couch, with Mrs. Worthington next to her. Elizabeth peeked from behind her mother at him, her bright blue eyes darkening with suspicion as she glared at him from behind her unruly copper-colored hair.

He sighed heavily, fighting the temptation to roll his eyes, knowing his mother would no doubt box his ears good if he dared.

"Marcus?" Ana said, glaring at him and raising an eyebrow.

Here goes nothing, he thought glumly, avoiding looking at Elizabeth. Whatever I say will be the wrong thing, as far as they're concerned.

He closed his eyes, composing his words as best he could in his mind, and then leaned over a bit so he could address Elizabeth directly.

"Miss Worthington," He said, concentrating on the words his mother had demanded that he use, "I wish to apologize for my terrible behavior toward you on your parents' wedding day. My behavior was in exs-, um, excrusa-"

"In-ex-cus-able." His mother prompted softly.

Marcus gritted his teeth for a moment.

"My behavior was inexcusable." Marcus sighed. "I…I am sorry that I put the frog down your dress. I ruined the day for everyone, and I'm sorry."

He waited for a response, blushing and squirming a bit more under the combined gaze of the three witches-well, two witches and one future witch.

She'll probably hex me as soon as she can hold a wand, he thought glumly, his eyes downcast. She hates me now. Everybody is angry with me now. Even Dad is mad at me, and he's hardly ever angry at me. Only Uncle John seems to still like me-

"It's okay."

Startled, he glanced up to see Elizabeth looking at him with a slightly softer expression on her face.

"I forgive you." She said shyly, so softly that Marcus could barely hear her. "I was wrong to push you in the lake. I'm sorry I did that."

He sat there on the hard wooden chair, fidgeting under the gaze of those bright blue eyes, struggling to think of what he should say next. He felt as if his brain were stuffed with cotton, it was so difficult to think. Dimly he became aware of Mrs. Worthington saying something to him, and then his mother snapping her fingers in front of his face-oh, how he hated it when she did that!

"What?" He said, blinking in surprise.

"I think this is really enough punishment, Ana." Luna said gently, with an indulgent smile at Marcus. Elizabeth's blue eyes peered over her shoulder at him.

"If you think so." Ana huffed, still glaring at her son. "Marcus, I hope you've learned a lesson from this."

"Well, it all worked out alright. Nobody got hurt, and I think he's learned his lesson."

"I'm glad you didn't die." Elizabeth said shyly, venturing out from behind her mum. "Do you want to see my toys?"

Marcus nodded, still unsure if this was really happening.

Elizabeth reached over, taking his hand, leading him to her room.

Ana watched them go, her face reflecting her uneasiness with the situation.

"Are you sure they'll behave themselves?" She asked the younger witch.

"They'll be fine, Ana." Luna said, rising from the couch. "Really they will. How about some tea? I'll go put the kettle on."

With a glance toward Elizabeth's room, Ana reluctantly followed Luna into the kitchen, pulling out a chair at the table and sitting down with a sigh. Luna busied herself with the tea kettle, putting it on the stove and accioing the tea container from the shelf with a subtle wave of her hand. Deftly, she set out cups, sugar, and a small pitcher of cream on the tea tray, humming softly under her breath as she worked.

"So, how was Bermuda?" Ana asked, leaning back in her chair with a sigh. "Did you and John enjoy your honeymoon, even with the delay leaving?"

"A bit hot, actually." Luna smiled, leaning against the counter as she waited for the kettle to boil. "But it was still lovely. We stayed at the beach where we met."

"How romantic." Ana sighed. "Can I help with anything? Make some sandwiches?"

"Already have those made." Luna smiled, putting some cups and saucers on the tray. "You could get them from the fridge, if you wish. Top shelf, covered with some plastic wrap. Oh, and take the stasis charm off, too."

"Alright." Ana got up, opening the fridge and getting the tray of sandwiches. "They look delicious."

"I do hope there's enough." Luna smiled, pouring tea in their cups, as well as two smaller ones. The latter she set on a small tray, along with a few sandwiches and cookies.

"I'll be back in a moment." She said to Ana. "Elizabeth likes to have tea in her room, and I'm sure she'll be happy to entertain Marcus. You know, she loves it when you and the children come to visit."

"I do hope Marcus doesn't make any more trouble." Ana frowned, turning her head and listening intently.

"You can't worry about that." Luna said, picking up the small tray and heading to Elizabeth's room. "We have to let them sort it out. It'll be fine, trust me."

After a moment, she returned, and set the tray on the table, beckoning to Ana with one finger. Puzzled, she quietly followed Luna down the short hallway. Luna turned, holding one finger up to her lips to command silence, and then pointed into the room.

Marcus was sitting on the floor leaning against the bed, Elizabeth sitting virtually in his lap as he read to her, her head resting on his shoulder as she listened intently.

They quietly returned to the kitchen, Luna picking the tray up that she had prepared for the children. Ana sat back down, picking up her cup and taking a sip of tea.

"Still think they'll fight?" The younger woman asked, smiling at her.

"No." Ana said, frowning. "So long as Marcus behaves himself. I just don't understand why he acts out so when she's around."

"Isn't it obvious?" Luna smirked. "He likes her. He wants her attention. Haven't you noticed how he watches her?"

"Preposterous."

"Not really. If you watch them together, he acts out more when Elizabeth isn't paying him any attention. It's worse when Nina's around, because Elizabeth likes to play with her more than Marcus. He gets jealous when he doesn't have her attention."

"They are children, Luna." Ana scoffed, cutting her eyes at the younger witch. "They don't think like that."

"Then don't worry so much about it, Mum." Luna grinned, walking down the hall with the tea tray. "They're fine."

oOo

August 28, 2010~

"Where is she?" Severus said as he came into their sitting room.

"She's in her room." Ana said, glancing up from the essays she was grading when Severus came in. "She didn't want to talk to me about it."

"I figured as much." He sighed, setting his briefcase down beside his armchair in the sitting room. He leaned down to kiss her on her cheek. "I take it the sorting didn't suit her?"

"No, and she was rather upset." She sighed. "Go and see if you can get her sorted out before dinner, alright?"

He nodded, heading toward the bedrooms.

"Nina?" Severus said, knocking on his oldest daughter's bedroom door.

"Go away." Nina responded, her voice punctuated with sniffles.

"Sweetheart, it isn't the end of the world." He said gently. "Can I come in to talk to you?"

"I suppose so." She sighed. "I'll get the door."

"Alohomora." Severus said, opening the door after it unlocked. "No need, dear."

Walking over to her bed, he sat down next to his eleven year old daughter, putting his arm around her.

"Your Mum tells me you're upset about the sorting." He said softly, giving her a gentle hug. "I can understand why you might be."

"Daddy, you were Slytherin head of house for years!" She sobbed, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. "How could the hat be so wrong? I even asked it to put me in Slytherin, and it told me 'that would not do!' How could it do such a thing, after I told it where I wanted to be?"

"Well, the Sorting Hat does have a mind of its own, dear." Severus sighed, gathering her into his arm as she sobbed freely into his black robed chest. "If it put you in Ravenclaw, it must have a very good reason for it, especially if you asked it to put you in Slytherin. It does take your wishes into account, but it has never been wrong, as far as I know."

"But I wanted you to be proud of me, Daddy." Nina sniffled. "I wanted to be in Slytherin, too."

"I'll always be proud of you, Nina." He smiled affectionately at her as he hugged her. "No matter what house you're in, because you're my daughter, my first born child, and I dearly love you. Now, let's go get some dinner."

Nina hugged her father back, wiping at her reddened eyes, and nodded.

oOo

February 3, 2011~

"Oh, how precious." Headmistress McGonagall said softly, looking down into the crib. "The blonde is quite alert, isn't she? Look at those blue eyes! What are their names?"

"The blonde is Aneira Ginerva," John whispered back, tucking the blanket around her a bit better. "The one with the reddish hair is Caronwyn…Caronwyn Minerva."

"I…I really don't know what to say." Minerva said, blushing.

"Well, you've been very much a part of our lives, all of us, Headmistress."

A rustling in the bed nearby reminded them that they were not alone.

"I'm not asleep, you two." Luna yawned wearily, looking over at them. "Not that I exactly feel like going dancing right now."

"Of course not, dear." Minerva chuckled, patting her gently on the arm. "You've done a full day's work, haven't you?"

"Oh, to be sure." Luna nodded, glancing over at John and giving him a dreamy smirk. "Let's not do this again real soon, hm?"

"Indeed. This is the kind of surprise I'd rather not have again."

The door swung open and Ana came in, still brushing floo ash off her traveling robes, Severus close behind her.

"Sorry it took us so long, we were in Brno when we got the owl." Ana said, walking over to the crib to join Minerva. "Oh, Merlin, they are so adorable…she has Luna's eyes, doesn't she…and…oh, my, the other, she going to have some very red hair, isn't she."

Turning to the bed, she walked over and took Luna's hand.

"How are you faring, dear? I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you-"

"It's alright, Ana." Luna said softly. "We didn't think my labor would start before you left. I'm sorry, but the potions Poppy gave me are making me sleepy."

"Oh, don't fret, dear." Ana smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair from Luna's eyes. "You have every reason to be sleepy; you've done a lot of work tonight."

Luna smiled sleepily, giving John's hand an affectionate squeeze.

oOo

August 27, 2012~

"A chip off the old block, I'd say…but very smart, a double dose from Dad and Mum…rather fearful of magical creatures, but all the same…Slytherin!"

Marcus smirked as he took off the sorting hat, handing it to his mother as she waited on the next student. Giving her a smile, he walked toward the Slytherin table, his new fellow housemates eyeing him with a mixture of interest, approval, and disdain.

Following the sorting, the feast began, the house elves scurrying in with platters heaped high with food. After things has settled down somewhat, Severus leaned over toward Ana, putting his lips close to her ear and casting silenceo on both of them.

"You're upset." He said softly.

"I'm not." She hissed back, the minute twitch in her lips betraying her.

"Nonsense. I could see the change in you when the Sorting Hat made its decision. You looked as if you were being forced to feed him to the wolves."

She said nothing, only a slight trembling of her chin giving her inner turmoil away.

"You know as well as I, with his 'Uncle' John being Head of Slytherin house, nothing will happen to him. John dotes on that boy."

"Did you see how they looked at him?" Ana said, turning to look at him. "Comparing them to wolves is a bit too accurate for my comfort."

"Trust me," Severus said calmly, taking her hand. "That's how Slytherins look at every new member of their house. My portrait still hangs in their common room as a past Head of House; they know my reputation quite well. They might test Marcus, but they would not dare harm him."

oOo

March 5, 2013~

"This is foolishness."

"Give it a chance, Pansy." Neville said, carefully matching his pace to hers. She held onto his arm as she made her way along the path to the headmaster's office at the Earlton Children's Home. A huge lawn, neatly manicured, provided several children ample room to play between classes, and several were evidently out doing just that, their laughter and shouts ebbing and flowing on the beautiful spring day.

"I need to rest, dear." She sighed, tugging him toward a bench in the garden. "Just a moment, just need to catch my breath."

He carefully helped her over to the bench, gently helping her lower herself to sit down. Pansy took out a hanky and dabbed at her brow as she struggled to recover. Neville knelt in front of her and gently rubbed the cramping muscles in her legs.

"I'm so tired of being so weak, Neville." She said, putting the hanky away. "You shouldn't have to half-carry me everywhere. I need to do for myself."

"I don't mind, darling." He said, sitting down next to her and putting his arm around her.

Down the hill from where they sat on the bench, several children, all residents of the orphanage, were laughing, playing some sort of game. Neville smiled at Pansy.

"We'll find a deserving child who needs parents, dear. We just need to keep looking."

"I'm not so sure, Neville." She sighed, looking around the garden. "Maybe we should see another Healer, or a specialist. There must be something wrong with me-"

Abruptly she stiffened, and then fumbled for her crutches, swearing a rather profane oath under her breath as she struggled to stand.

"Pansy, what's the matter?" Neville asked, helping her up. She shrugged his hand off her arm, striking off across the grass to the group of children, Neville trailing behind her.

As she approached the group of children, Pansy's face clouded over with anger.

"You there! Stop it!" She shouted, her voice amplified by a quickly cast sonorous charm. "You lot stop that this instant! I mean it! Leave her alone now!"

The children scattered, some fleeing all the way to the orphanage building, a few straggling behind. Pansy muttered a few more swear words under her breath as she laboriously made her way down the hill to the one child who had remained behind.

She was cowering on the ground, covering her head with her arms, trembling. When she reached her, Pansy knelt next to her, wincing at the pain in her legs as she carefully lowered herself to the grass.

"It's alright, dear." She said, picking up the child's teddy, brushing dirt and grass off of it before offering it to her. The little girl cautiously looked up at Pansy, her green eyes warily appraising her rescuer. Hesitantly, she accepted the teddy bear.

"Are you a new teacher?" The girl asked shyly in a faint whisper, looking up at her.

Pansy shook her head.

"My husband and I," She said, nodding toward Neville, who smiled nervously, "are here to see if we can find a child to adopt…since it seems that we can't have any for some reason. Why were those other children picking on you?"

Tears began to well up in the little girl's eyes.

"My mommy was a Muggle." She whispered miserably, her freckled cheeks coloring. "They said I'm a squib. I can't do magic. They say that nobody would want me."

Pansy sat on the ground next to her, her mouth agape in horror, her eyes wide.

Carefully, wincing slightly as she did, the little auburn haired girl got up, clutching her teddy tightly.

"Thank you for rescuing me." She said, giving Pansy a shy grin, which quickly faded. "But it doesn't matter. They'll be back after me soon enough. They always are."

Pansy watched as she walked away, heading toward a dormitory.

"Wait!" She shouted, struggling to get up as Neville helped her to stand. "Wait, come back!"

The girl stopped, turning to her with a frown.

"I want to adopt you." Pansy said breathlessly, struggling toward the girl on her crutches.

"You just feel sorry for me." The girl said softly, looking at her feet.

"No, that's not it." Pansy said, finally reaching her. "I don't like those kids picking on you. I want to adopt you. You need a family, whether you can do magic or not. What is your name?"

"Sophie. Sophie Maynard." The little girl said shyly, and then frowned, looking at Pansy's crutches. "What's wrong with your legs?"

"I had an accident. I was paralyzed, but I got better."

"What does 'paralyzed' mean?"

"It means that the nerves that controlled my body didn't work. It took a long time to heal."

"They used magic to heal it, didn't they?" Sophie said softly, a sad look in her eyes. "They couldn't heal my mummy and daddy. They died anyway."

"How old are you, sweetheart?" Neville asked gently, kneeling on the grass so he was more at her level.

"Six." The tiny little girl whispered, so softly that both of them barely heard her as she mumbled it from behind her teddy, shrinking back from him.

"Sophie, this is my husband, Neville." Pansy said, putting her hand on his arm. "He's very big and strong, but he's really as gentle as a teddy bear."

Sophie's eyes were still wide and uncertain as she looked up at Neville, her lips pursed in doubt.

oOo

"Ah, Mr. & Mrs. Longbottom!" Headmaster William Hemsley said, rising from his desk to greet them as the secretary ushered them into his office. He was a short energetic man, who quickly rounded his desk to help Pansy to a comfortable seat on the couch that took up half his office space, it seemed.

"Well, now," Hensley went on as he took his seat. "Would you care for tea? Jenny, please, tea for the four of us, you too, dear. Now Mrs. Longbottom, I have several folders here for you and your husband to look through, good candidates all-"

"I want Sophie Maynard." Pansy said quietly, drawing a surprised look from both Neville and Headmaster Hensley.

"Um, yes…I don't think I have her file here-"

"It doesn't matter. I've met her on the grounds, and I can't leave without her."

Hensley looked over at Jenny, who had just walked back in with the tea service, a tray of tea sandwiches and biscuits floating along behind her.

"Um…Jenny, would you please pull Sophie Maynard's files?" Hensley said, with a nervous glance at Pansy. "Thank you, dear."

"Headmaster, is there something we need to know about her?" Neville asked quietly.

"Well…I hate to break it to you like this, but…" The Headmaster swallowed, and then pressed onward. "Sophie…her father was half-blood and her mother a Muggle. I fear she's a…a squib. Not a bit of magic in her-"

"She told us that." Pansy said, anger beginning to creep into her voice, to the point that Neville carefully put a restraining hand on hers. She intertwined her fingers with his, breaking off her glaring at Hensley for just a moment to give her husband a smile.

"Headmaster," She began, composing herself, "I know that she's a squib. She just told us so herself. My question for you is, how does she know that she is? Did someone here tell her? And just what are you doing, testing children younger than age eight for magical ability? And a Muggle child at that?"

"Pansy." Neville said softly, squeezing her hand gently. "Ease up a bit, darling. At least until I get feeling back in my hand."

With a start, she realized she'd been gripping Neville's fingers so tightly they had begun to turn white. With a blush, Pansy released his hand, murmuring a quiet apology to him as the secretary bustled back into the room.

Accepting the file with a murmured word of thanks, the Headmaster began leafing through it.

"Now, for your information, Mrs. Longbottom," Hensley said, thumbing through the many sheets of paper in the folder, "We do not test for magical ability before age eight, as is required by Wizarding Law. Sophie, however, was a most unusual case."

"How so, Headmaster?" Pansy asked, accepting a cup of tea from Jenny.

"Ah, here it is." Hensley said triumphantly. "The Muggle accident report. You don't have to read the whole of it, just the last few lines of the investigating officer's summary."

Hesitantly, Pansy accepted the papers, flipping through the few pages until she reached the summary.

…divers assisted Holmes & Son wrecker service with recovery of the vehicle. This officer was present when the doors of the vehicle were opened. Through some means unknown, the 1-2 year old female child in the car seat was uninjured and completely dry, despite the interior of the car being filled with water. No plausible explanation is possible at this time…

Pansy looked up to find Hensley watching her and Neville closely.

"But that's not possible! How…" She stammered.

"How, indeed." The Headmaster said quietly, sipping his tea. "Now do you understand why her file is so thick? As well as why I tested her not once, but several times for magical ability?"

Pansy shook her head, as if to clear it.

"You suspected that she has magical ability, didn't you?" Neville asked, leaning forward, his tea forgotten. "I take it you did the standard Mershon-Barker standardized test?"

"I did." Hensley nodded gravely. "Several times, in fact. Also the Baker Simulation. No result. If it wouldn't have been for the Muggle accident report, I would have written her off as a squib. It's most perplexing."

"Indeed." Neville said, taking a sip of tea. "She doesn't know any of this, does she?"

"No. I thought it best to pretend that the tests meant nothing, but somehow, the other children got wind of it-"

"The other children." Patsy said quietly, with a dangerous edge in her voice. "We saw how the other children treat her. That's part of why we want her."

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Hensley said, holding a hand up to calm her. "We can't be everywhere, protecting them against everything."

"Neither can I," Pansy snapped, "but at least she won't be bullied in my home. I promised her that she could come home with us, and I intend to keep my promise to her!"

"Dear, please, calm down." Neville said gently, taking her hand.

"Neville, I want her." Pansy said urgently, turning to him. "I'd take her home right now if they'd let us!"

Hensley looked at her for a long moment, pursing his lips, and then turned to his secretary with a sigh of resignation.

"Jenny, would you please fetch Miss Sophie Maynard to my office?" He said, rubbing his temples with a frustrated sigh. His assistant left the room.

"You know, Mrs. Longbottom," Hensley sighed, "She has a rather difficult road ahead of her. She may have magic, she may not…and when it might manifest, in usable form, it's hard to predict."

"All the same, Headmaster," Pansy said quietly, carefully gripping Neville's hand once more with her own, "We'll still love her and give her everything she needs. Whether she can do magic or not."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 42~

August 27, 2015~

"Ravenclaw!" crowed the Sorting hat proudly, drawing a big grin from the auburn-haired girl wearing it. Professor Romanov-Snape smiled, taking the hat and giving the student an affectionate pat on her shoulder.

"Good luck, Elizabeth." She whispered to the girl as she got up to join her new housemates, holding the hat for the next student.

"Thank you, Professor." Elizabeth Worthington said softly, giving Ana a big smile, and then walking toward the Ravenclaw table.

She paused only to wave at her mother, who was sitting at the staff table next to her dad. Luna waved back, and John nodded in approval. As she reached the Ravenclaw table, Nina Snape rose to greet her, smiling and embracing her.

"We're going to have so much fun together, Elizabeth!" Nina said, leading her to an empty seat. "I'll help you with your studies, especially with potions…"

Marcus Snape sullenly stared at the table, surrounded by his Slytherin housemates. Tad Wiggins elbowed him, grinning.

"'ow about that, Marcus?" He sneered, "Ravenclaw's got them another ginger! Reckon the drapes match the curtains?"

As the bigger boy turned to his housemate, laughing at his own joke, Marcus knocked him out of his chair.

oOo

"I'm very sorry, Headmistress."

"You should be!" Ana said angrily, her gray eyes flashing as she loomed over her son in his chair. "Of all the-starting a brawl during the sorting ceremony!"

"Easy, Ana." Minerva said calmly, sitting behind her desk. "I'm sure Marcus had good reason for punching Mr. Wiggins, didn't you, lad?"

Marcus eyed the Headmistress nervously, holding the icepack on his left eye.

"Well?" His mother said, standing over him with her hands on her hips, paying no mind to her husband putting a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Out with it, then? What possessed you to hit another member of your house, out of the blue like that?"

Marcus said nothing, shifting his gaze to the floor.

"Severus! Tell him to answer the headmistress." Ana said, cheeks flushed with anger, her fists clenched as she glared over at her husband.

Snape leaned against the mantel, lips pursed as he watched their son. Marcus glanced at him warily, and then looked down at the floor again, examining the intricate pattern in the Persian rug there.

"Enough, Ana." Minerva said quietly, holding up one hand. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Marcus alone. I think he might be more forthcoming if he could speak to me privately. Do you trust me to handle this, Professor?"

Ana's mouth worked for a moment, then after a brief hesitation, she nodded.

"We trust your judgment in this matter, Headmistress." She said, though somewhat reluctantly. Severus, nodded to Minerva, and then ushered his wife out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Minerva waited until the door closed, and their footsteps faded down the stairwell, and then leaned forward, fixing Marcus with her sharp gaze.

"Well?" She asked, watching him closely. "I know you have a good reason for what you did, Marcus. I know you well enough that I doubt it was an accident. Why did you hit Wiggins?"

"Because…because of what he said, Headmistress."

"Did he say something that offended you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"What was it, lad?"

"I…I can't really say, ma'am." Marcus said, squirming a bit in his chair. "It was…very rude."

"Was it about you?"

"Um…uh, no, Headmistress."

"Someone else, then."

"Yes, ma'am."

Minerva sighed deeply, pursing her lips.

"You know, I should just give you detention, with Filch. But I know you, and I have a feeling that Wiggins deserved that punch in the nose. Who did he say something about that offended you?"

"Um…I…someone I care for, ma'am. That's all I can really tell you. It was…not something you would say about a lady."

"I see. Was it your mum? Or someone else…" Minerva frowned thoughtfully. "A girl you're sweet on, perhaps?"

Marcus blushed, looking at his shoes.

Minerva smiled.

"Go on, then, lad." She said gently. "Do try to stay out of trouble from now on. For appearances' sake, you have 3 evenings detention with your mum, but that shouldn't be too bad for you."

Marcus looked up, a glum expression on his face.

"You don't know my Mum that well, Headmistress." He said.

"How about your Head of House?" Minerva asked, barely able to suppress a smirk. "Professor Worthington won't be too bad, will he?"

"No, ma'am. I'd much prefer spending detention with him than my Mum."

oOo

October 11, 2017~

"Marcus." Elizabeth Worthington sighed, hefting her armload of books and blowing an errant curl of auburn hair out of her face as she looked up at him. "I'm surprised to see you without your loyal groupies."

"Elizabeth." Marcus Snape smirked, leaning on the wall, his arm blocking her path. He towered over her by nearly a foot, being nearly as tall as her father, who was 6' 3".

"May I pass?" She sighed, gritting her teeth. Because her arms were full, getting to her wand to hex him was out of the question. Classes had just let out for the day a few minutes ago, and the hallways were clogged with students rushing to do other things than schoolwork, for it was finally the weekend.

"I wanted to talk to you, if you don't mind."

She glared up at him with her blue eyes, peering up at him through unruly ringlets of auburn hair.

"You have such marvelous timing, Marcus." She hissed, fighting the temptation to kick him in the shin, as she had so many times through the years. "I need to take these books back to the library before it closes, otherwise I'll have to pay a fine for them being late. You know how strict Madam Pince is."

"Then let me take them back for you." He said with a smirk. "Grandmother won't charge me a fine."

"How would that work, you dummy?" She snapped, shifting the stack of books to ease the weight on her arms. "I checked them out!"

"Tell you what, Lizzie." He smirked, "I'll help you carry the books, and we can talk on the way."

"As if I'd ever be seen with you!" She snapped angrily, pushing her way past him.

Marcus deftly took half of the books from the top of her stack as she passed, falling into step with her.

"Hey!" Elizabeth sputtered in protest, her cheeks coloring.

"Don't blow a gasket, Lizzie." Marcus said as she tried to keep pace with him, a troublesome problem given her shorter legs. "I'm just helping you take these back."

"Don't call me Lizzie." She hissed, her eyes glaring daggers up at him. "You know how much I hate that."

"So what would you rather I call you?" He said, grinning at her. "Elizabeth is quite a mouthful. How about Beth? Betsy? Betty?"

"Miss Worthington." She said coldly, walking briskly to keep up with him. "You may not use my first name. We aren't that close."

They moved to one side of the crowded hallway as a crowd of first-years came by, rudely forcing them against the stone wall.

"Elizabeth, we've grown up together." Marcus smirked. "I've even seen you naked-"

Elizabeth felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment; made all the worse by a couple of the first-year girls giggling when they overheard Marcus' statement.

"Marcus Snape, you jerk!" She shouted furiously, hitting him with her stack of books, and then picking up the heaviest one to hit him again. "How dare you?! That was years ago, and we were children!"

Laughing, he easily dodged her blows, snagging the book away from her like the experienced Quiddich seeker he was, tucking it under one arm as he held her off with the other. Sputtering in rage, Elizabeth futilely tried to hit him with her fists, only succeeding in making him laugh harder. Adding to her distress was the failure of one of her hair clips, as well as several of the first-years who had stopped and stayed to watch the spectacle. At least, they watched until they abruptly scattered, fleeing down the hallway.

"Marcus Remus Gregori Snape!" Snapped a voice from down the hallway, freezing them both in their tracks. Marcus turned quite pale, slowly and carefully handing Elizabeth the book back.

Professor Romanov-Snape was walking rapidly toward them, fire flashing in her gray eyes as she swooped down on her son like a hawk.

"What is going on here?" She snapped, glaring daggers at her son.

"Mum…I…I was just helping Elizabeth carry these books to the library, and she hit me-"

"What else, Marcus?" Ana said skeptically, crossing her arms as she glared up at him. "I know Elizabeth well enough that I know she wouldn't hit you without a good reason."

"I…I made her mad." Marcus sighed. "I was just teasing her, Mum."

"Elizabeth, I apologize for my son's behavior." Ana sighed, turning to her. "Is that the truth of what happened?"

"Yes, Professor Romanov-Snape." Elizabeth nodded, struggling to tuck her hair back in place and fasten her hair clip. "It just got out of hand. He didn't mean anything by it, really."

Ana pursed her lips skeptically, considering what Elizabeth had just told her, and then looked at Marcus.

"Marcus?"

"Mum, I-"

"What does a gentleman do in a situation like this?" Ana said sharply, her eyes narrowing, making it clear she would not be trifled with. Stepping over to Elizabeth, she helped fix her hair, drawing a smile of gratitude from the girl.

"I…" Marcus sighed, and then turned to Elizabeth. "I'm sorry I was rude to you and that I teased you, Miss Worthington. I hope you will accept my heartfelt apology."

"I accept your apology, Mr. Snape." Elizabeth said formally. "Will you still help me take these books to the library, Sir?"

"It would be my pleasure to help you, Miss Worthington."

"Much better." Ana said, turning to walk away. As she passed Marcus, she patted his arm.

"I'm watching you." She said softly, pointing upward with a gloved finger. "Mind your manners."

As she walked off, Elizabeth, puzzled, looked up. Ivan, the Potions Professor's owl, was preening himself casually, his amber eyes watching them as they stood below his perch. She looked back at Marcus, who was picking up the books, a glum expression on his face.

"Sometimes I hate that bloody owl." He muttered.

"I'm sorry you got in trouble, Marcus." She said softly.

"Don't worry about it; it's not your fault." He sighed. "I have to behave myself; with that owl of hers around I don't dare take a step out of line. She knows everything."

As he stood up to walk toward the library, she gave him a sympathetic look, and then fell in behind him.

Silently, Marcus and Elizabeth walked down the hallway, Ivan gliding along above them. She smirked a bit, as Marcus had picked up most of the books, leaving her only a couple to carry.

"Thanks for not telling Mum what I said." Marcus said quietly, when they were nearly to the library. "She would have boxed my ears good otherwise."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have said what you did, then." Elizabeth replied lightly. "You tend not to think before you speak, Marcus. It gets you in trouble."

"I never know what to say to you, Elizabeth." He frowned, stopping near the library door. "It always comes out wrong. It's like I got off on the wrong foot with you from the first day we met, and I never can make it right."

"What are you talking about, Marcus?" She said, puzzled.

"I…um," He said blushing deeply, "the Christmas ball is coming up in a few months. Do you want to go with me?"

Elizabeth stood there looking up at him, feeling a bit lightheaded. Blinking, she reminded herself to breathe.

"I…let me think about it, Marcus." She said, stalling for time. "I…I haven't been asked by anyone yet, and I hadn't even thought about going…I don't even have a dress for it -"

"It's okay." He sighed, discouragement written all over his face. "Look, I'll just take these books in and put them on the librarian's desk for you. You don't need me to help you get them checked in."

Oh, Marcus, she thought, I want to go with you, but I never thought you wanted me to go with you…

Silently, they walked into the library. Marcus walked directly up to the librarian's desk, ringing the call bell several times.

"Just a minute, I'm coming-"

With a smirk at Elizabeth, he rang it three more times.

"Oh, for Merlin's sakes! When I get out there, I'm going to-"

Madam Pince came out of her office, her face lighting up when she saw them.

"Marcus, you scamp, I should have known that was you wearing my bell out." She sighed, patting her hair back into place. "Elizabeth, how are you, dear?"

"Fine, Madame Pince. I'm sorry I was so tardy returning these-"

"Oh, don't worry." The librarian said, scowling at Marcus as she checked the books in. "I know you well enough I think I can let it go this time. You take care of my books, unlike some students."

"Thank you, Madam Pince."

"You're welcome, dear. Now, go on, so I can close the library in time to go to dinner, and take that scamp with you."

Elizabeth was glad to see that the hallway was virtually deserted when they walked out, Marcus closing the massive door of the library behind them. She stopped him before he walked off by putting her hand on his arm.

"Marcus, I'll go with you." She said softly. "I just need to make sure it's okay with my parents first."

"Alright." He smiled shyly. "I didn't want to go with anyone else, you know."

oOo

June 11, 2018~

"What are you so glum about?" Fiona asked Marcus, who was sitting by the lake, watching the sunlight lap at the water.

"Leave me alone, Fi." He sighed irritably.

Slipping off her shoes, she slipped her feet into the water, giggling a bit when the giant squid brushed her feet with a curious tentacle.

"Just go away, sis." Marcus scowled, lying back in the grass and closing his eyes. "I don't want to talk right now."

"You miss her, don't you?"

"Who?"

"You know who, don't play dumb." She smirked. "Your girlfriend. The girl who went on holiday for the summer in Italy. Elizabeth."

"Go away, Fi." He said irritably, rolling over on his tummy, turning his head away from his tormentor.

Fiona sighed, turning back to the lake and wiggling her toes in the water. The squid brushed her feet again, causing her to giggle again.

"I should go swimming; Squidric is in a playful mood today." She said, smiling as she stroked the huge tentacle with her toes.

"Squidric?" Marcus frowned, sitting up in alarm. "You mean that monster? Where?"

"Calm down, Marcus. He won't hurt you."

"I'm not going near that water." He replied, laying back down on the grass.

With a sigh, she pulled her feet out of the water, picking up her shoes and walking over to her brother. Fiona deliberately stood where her shadow would fall across his face, knowing full well it would annoy him.

"I know you're there, Fi." He sighed, rolling back over on his tummy. "I still don't want to talk."

"I know that, Marcus." She said, sitting down in the grass next to him. "You want to see Elizabeth."

Closing his eyes, he steadfastly ignored her.

"What if I told you there was a way for you to see her?" She said, lightly tickling his ear with a blade of grass. "Mum and Dad won't be home for a week. They'd never know."

"Cut it out, Fi!" He snapped, rolling onto his back to swat her hand away. "There isn't any way. I don't even know where they went in Italy, so it's not like I can go there. I can't apparate that far, anyway, and Mum and Dad would be furious if I went."

Leaning down close to his ear, she smirked.

"I know exactly where she is." Fiona purred, drawing back when he turned his head to look at her, an incredulous expression on his face.

"How would you know?" Marcus scoffed, frowning. "I don't even think Dad knows, and he knows everything."

"Oh he does, as does Mum." She smirked, laying back in the grass next to him and shading her eyes. "You don't think the Worthingtons would leave home without letting them know where, do you?"

Perhaps I should have put on some sunscreen, she sighed inwardly. I'm sure to have sunburn…but this is going to be so worth it.

"So, miss smarty-pants, where is she at?" He sighed, sitting up and glaring at her.

"Manarola."

"Where the heck is that?" Marcus asked, confused.

"It's a little town on the western coast of Italy, between Corniglia and Riomaggiore, just north of La Spezia."

"How do you know?"

"Elizabeth told me before she left." Fiona smirked, reaching into her pocket, her hand closing around a small object.

"So, why are you telling me this?" Marcus scowled. "Just rubbing salt in the wound?"

"No, though it is tempting." She sighed. "You should be nicer to me. I'm telling you this because she asked me to, though I have no idea why. She asked me to give you this."

With that, she took her hand out of her pocket, holding it out with her hand closed.

"What's this, then?" He said, eyeing her hand warily.

"I can't say." Fiona sighed. "But Elizabeth asked me to give it to you, when you'd come to your senses. Or have you not?"

"Fine." He snapped, holding his hand out. "But it better not be a trick."

She dropped the seashell she was holding lightly into his hand. For a moment, he stared at it blankly.

"A seashell?" He finally said, frowning. "What the heck, Fi?"

Deftly, she reached up and touched the shell with her wand.

"Portus." She smirked, as Marcus vanished in a swirl of smoke.

Getting up, she walked to the castle, humming quietly to herself in satisfaction. Walking inside and turning toward the dungeons, she was nearly skipping along the hallway, looking forward to afternoon tea and a good book.

"Fiona."

The girl stopped in her tracks, an icy chill running down her spine as her Grandmother materialized from the shadows, quietly walking up behind her.

"What are you up to?" Madam Pince said in a dangerously soft voice. "And just where is your brother off to?"

"Um, I…" Fiona stammered nervously.

"Where did you send him, anyway?"

"Elizabeth gave me a seashell, and asked me to give it-"

"Fiona, do not insult my intelligence by lying to me." Madam Pince sighed. "I know what books you checked out, and it wasn't difficult to figure out that you were fooling around with making a portkey. I was watching from the Astronomy tower, and saw everything. I hope for your sake that it worked correctly, and that we can get Marcus back here before your parents get home from the Potions Society Conference in Beijing."

"But Nana-"

"Don't you 'Nana' me, young lady." Her grandmother snapped. "You'd better hope he's alright. I've had about enough of your pranks, Fiona."

oOo

He stood on the street corner, blinking in the summer sun, as people walked by him, some glancing at him out of curiosity.

Merlin's beard, he thought furiously to himself, looking around in a panic. Gods only know where I'm at now. Just wait till I get my hands on Fi. I'll-

"Pardon me, young man." An older wizard said, tapping him on the arm. "You seem somewhat lost. Could I help you?"

"Um, yes, Sir." Marcus said, looking around him for anything familiar. "Can you tell me where I'm at?"

"Oh, of course!" The wizard laughed. "You are in Manarola, standing next to the Via Renato Birolli."

By Merlin, Fiona did it, Marcus thought, his jaw slack in shock. She sent me to Manarola. My sister made a working portkey, and she's only a second year…

"Are you alright, young man?"

"What? Uh, yes, Sir." He said, faking a smile. "First time using a Portkey, Sir."

"Ah, I see!" The wizard laughed. "Well, was there supposed to be someone meeting you here?"

"Well, no…actually." Marcus said, struggling to think of what to do next, putting his hands in his robe pockets nervously. He frowned, pulling his left hand out and unfolding a bit of parchment.

You'll find the Worthingtons at Affittacamere San Giorgio, Riomaggiore Via Discovolo 280, Manarola, Riomaggiore. Love, Fi.

Marcus read it several times, not sure if his eyes were fooling him.

She must have slipped this in my pocket before she activated the portkey, he realized, staring at the parchment.

Looking at it numbly, he held it out to the old wizard, who squinted at it, then fished out a set of reading glasses to examine it.

"Hm…yes, I think I know right where this is." He mumbled, handing the slip back to Marcus. "Take my arm, I'll take you there. Are you comfortable with side-along apparition?"

"Um, yes, Sir. I've done it with my Dad and Mum many times."

"You don't get sick, do you?"

"Never, sir." He grinned. "I'm a Seeker on my house Quiddich team."

"Ah, excellent. I was a Beater, myself, a long time ago." The wizard chuckled, holding his arm out. "Edwin Muldoon, at your service. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Sir." Marcus said, taking the man's arm firmly.

With a pop, they vanished.

They reappeared in a narrow street, in front of an old, brightly painted building. A plaque on the front read: Affittacamere San Giorgio. Marcus stared up at it nervously, unsure what to do next.

I don't even have any money with me, he realized. Not even a knut. I could be in big trouble here.

"You don't know what to do next, do you?" Muldoon said, smiling kindly. "Who are you looking for again, young man?"

"Um, you don't happen to know where the Worthington family might be staying, would you?"

Muldoon laughed.

"Who doesn't in this sleepy little town, young man?" He replied. "They rented the top two floors, as big as their family is. Mr. Worthington, his wife, and the four children, along with Mr. Lovegood. Those twin girls, they are precious. Non-identical twins, how about that?"

"Um, yes, Sir." Marcus said, eyeing the hotel. "I'm…well, I was…sort of seeing the oldest daughter. She and I…"

"Oh, my…young love." Muldoon sighed, and then smiled. "Well, you'll probably need to go in, and find the manager's apartment to find them, but then again, you could just go up to the top floors and start knocking on doors-"

"Marcus? What on earth are you doing here?"

The two men turned to see Elizabeth Worthington, her family behind her, walking up to the hotel. She was still wet from swimming at the beach, a towel wrapped around her as she stared open-mouthed at him, her eyes wide with surprise.

John was carrying Aneira, who was fast asleep, while Luna herded six-year old Ian along as she talked to her father, who was carrying Caronwyn. Looking up when Elizabeth stopped in front of them, Luna spotted Marcus.

"Marcus! Did your family come down to visit your Grandfather?" Luna asked, smiling at him.

"Um, no…Ma'am." He said, beginning to feel rather nauseous. "Mum and Dad…they're in Beijing, at a Potions Society convention."

I am so screwed when Mum finds out, he sighed inwardly. Thanks a bunch for all the help, Fi. I'm going to be grounded for life.

"Darling, I'm going to go on up and put the twins to bed." John said softly, winking at Marcus as he passed by. "Are you coming?"

"In a moment, dear." Luna said, patting Ian on his shoulder. "Sweetie, would you go with Grandpa and Daddy? I need to talk to Elizabeth and Marcus for a moment."

"Aw, Mum-" Ian pouted.

"No, go with them, sweetheart. I'll be up in a moment."

"Come on, Ian." Xenophilus smiled, "Let your Mum sort things out here."

When they had gone into the hotel, Luna turned to Elizabeth, her eyebrow raised.

"Well?" She said sternly. "I'm eager to hear your explanation for this, young lady. I'm sure it will be quite interesting."

"Mum, I'm just as surprised as you!" Elizabeth blushed. "He just turned up, out of nowhere!"

"Well, not exactly out of nowhere." Muldoon interjected politely. "Begging your pardon, Ma'am. I'm Edwin Muldoon, a retired wizard who lives here in town. I found this lad wandering the sidewalk up on the Via Renato Birolli, and he had a slip of parchment with this hotel's address on it, so I brought him here, thinking he had friends here."

"Thank you, Mr. Muldoon." Luna said, smiling. "This is my oldest daughter, Elizabeth, and her sometime boyfriend, Marcus Snape. I'm sure I'll find out just what is going on very soon here."

"It wasn't my fault, Mrs. Worthington!" Marcus blurted out. "I was tricked! Fiona gave me a seashell, and it turned out to be a portkey, and I found myself here, and-"

"Marcus," Luna sighed, putting her finger to his lips. "Marcus, slow down. Remember to breathe before you pass out, dear."

"Please, Mrs. Worthington, don't tell my folks." He begged. "Mum will kill me. She stays angry with me half the time as it is-"

"Marcus, because I know how Fiona is, I'm inclined to believe you." Luna smirked. "You don't have any money or spare clothes, do you?"

"No, Ma'am." Marcus admitted glumly, his eyes downcast.

"Well, how long are your parents going to be in Beijing?"

"I think they come back Monday next week."

"So we have five days, then." Luna observed. "Well, until we figure out how to get you back to Hogwarts, you can at least sleep on the couch in the sitting room."

"Mum!" Elizabeth gasped, shocked. "He said-"

"I don't care what he said to you last week at school, Elizabeth." Luna sighed. "He's the son of some dear friends, and I won't turn him out in the street. He's going to stay with us."

"And you two will be civil to each other." She said bluntly, glaring at both of them. "Or I'll pack you both back off to Hogwarts. I fully intend to enjoy my holiday."

With that, Luna walked off to the hotel. Elizabeth shot Marcus a cold look, and then with an irritated huff, she trudged along behind her mother, wrapping her towel more tightly around herself. After a moment, Marcus followed, feeling as if he were being led to the gallows.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 43~

Later that evening~

"Hey, Ana!" Luna said cheerfully as she knelt in front of the floo, peering into the green flames. "How's Beijing?"

"Kind of warm and humid." Ana's ghostly green face smiled. "Leave it to the Potions Society to hold a convention here in the summertime. The humidity is just awful. Thank Merlin; our hotel and the convention center have air conditioning. Otherwise, it's cooling and drying charms, all the time."

"I was calling to ask about something. Do you and Severus mind if Marcus comes to the beach with us in Manarola? We have plenty of room here."

Ana frowned for a moment, then smiled, shaking her head.

"I don't see why not." Turning away from the floo, she spoke to Severus, who was out of view. "Dear, do you see any problem with Marcus spending some time at the beach with Elizabeth and her family? It would make things easier for Mother, having him out from underfoot…and he and Fiona won't be fussing all the time."

"He says that's fine." Ana said after hearing Severus' response. "I take it that you or John will just apparate up to Hogwarts to get him?"

"Won't be necessary." Luna smiled, pulling a reluctant Marcus over where his mother could see him. "He's already here. See?"

"Mum, I can explain everything-" Marcus sputtered, turning rather red as he struggled without success against Luna's grip.

For a moment, Ana Romanov-Snape went as pale as a green-tinged floo image could.

"Stand aside, I'm coming through." She snapped, waving them out of the way.

"Oh, Merlin-" Marcus groaned, sitting on the couch in the sitting room, dropping his head into his hands.

"Now, just let me handle this, Marcus." Luna said, patting him on the shoulder. "It's not your fault, remember?"

At that moment, Ana stepped out of the fireplace, brushing the fine ash typical of floo travel off her scarlet robes.

"Young man, you'd better have a very good explanation-"

"Ana, please don't be angry with him." Luna said, holding her hands up as she stepped between them. "If you're going to be angry, I suggest that you talk to your youngest daughter. Evidently, she fancies herself quite the matchmaker."

"What?" Ana said, stunned. "Marcus, what has Fiona done now?

"She tricked me, Mum." Marcus said, nervously eyeing his mother. "She made a portkey to send me here. She found out where the Worthingtons went on holiday and sent me here."

Ana stood there, fuming, for nearly a full minute, looking first at Marcus, then at Luna, then at Elizabeth, who was hiding behind her mum.

Then she sighed, rubbing her eyes in irritation with a sigh, and then chuckled wearily.

"That girl…" She said, waving a hand in the general direction of Hogwarts, "…I swear by Merlin, she'll be the death of me. You could have ended up anywhere with a portkey made by a second-year!"

Reaching into the pocket of her robes, Ana pulled out a tiny change purse, using her wand to expand it. She pulled out a smaller bag, pressing it into Marcus' hands.

"There's 50 Galleons in there." She said as he took it, grabbing him and hugging him fiercely. "I'm just relieved that you're okay. It could have been much worse, I suppose. You could have been splinched."

She looked over at Luna, shrinking her purse and putting it back in her pocket.

"I don't think he would spend that much, but if he does happen to run out-"

"Oh, no need to worry, Ana." Luna laughed. "We'll take care of him; I doubt he'll need that much. We'll take him shopping tomorrow morning, get what he needs."

"Well, then." Ana said, giving Marcus a sharp look. "I expect some change back when you get home, young man. And you'd better behave yourself."

"Yes, Mum." Marcus nodded. "I will, I promise. I'm sorry about this."

"Don't worry about it; it's not your fault." His mother smiled. "You just need to be more cautious. Your sister, on the other hand…just wait till I see her."

With that, she gave Luna a hug, and then smiled at Elizabeth.

"See you later, then. Thanks for taking care of him for us, Luna."

"You're quite welcome, Professor."

With that, Ana tossed some floo powder into the fireplace, stepped into the floo and was gone.

Luna sighed, and then walked over to the armchair, sitting down with her feet tucked underneath her.

"Elizabeth." She said, pointing to the couch where Marcus sat. "Sit down."

"Mum, I don't-"

"Sit!" Luna snapped, blue eyes flashing. "Now."

Meekly, her daughter went to the couch and sat.

"Now, just so we understand the rules around here." Luna said quietly, "Marcus, you are seventeen years old, correct?"

"Yes, Ma'am." He replied, squirming uneasily on the couch.

"Elizabeth, you turned fourteen in May, right?"

Elizabeth nodded nervously.

"Just checking." Luna said, looking hard at both of them. "Had to make sure you two weren't around age seven or something. What happened between you? It seems like it was just yesterday that you were taking her to the Christmas Ball, and now, you hardly speak. You're behaving like children, and I want to know why."

Marcus leaned forward on the couch, clearing his throat slightly.

"Um…Mrs. Worthington, I…" He began, blushing. "I said something stupid to Elizabeth. She told me so, and I got angry about it. We argued…and it was all because I wouldn't admit I was wrong."

"Elizabeth, I'm sorry." He said, turning toward her. "I was stupid to say what I did, and doubly stupid for getting angry about you calling me on it. I'm really sorry."

Elizabeth looked down at her hands, and sighed.

"I forgive you, Marcus." She said softly. "You need to think before you speak, though. What you said was hurtful."

"I won't ask what it was." Luna said dryly. "That's between you two. I trust you can get this sorted out before bedtime, right?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Marcus nodded, joined in the nod by Elizabeth.

"You'll be sleeping on the couch out here, Marcus. It's pretty comfortable; I've taken a few naps on it already. Of course, we'll probably need to lengthen it a bit to accommodate your height."

"Yes, Ma'am." He nodded.

"Of course, Elizabeth's door will be warded at night." Luna said, getting up. "You, young lady, will be in bed by eleven. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mum." Elizabeth sighed.

"Marcus, there's extra blankets in the hall closet." Luna said as she headed to the kitchen. "I'll get you a pillow when it gets closer to bedtime."

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you."

oOo

For a long time, they just sat there on the couch, listening to Ian and her parents talk in the kitchen as they prepared dinner. Hesitantly, Marcus looked over at her.

"I am sorry about what I said, Elizabeth." He said shyly.

"I forgive you, Marcus." She replied, sighing deeply. "I just don't understand why you have to be so stubborn sometimes. It's okay to make mistakes; it's foolish not to correct them."

"That sounds like something your Mum would say."

"It is." She nodded, and then turned toward him on the couch. "You just need to think more, before you speak. You're so impulsive…and it makes me worry."

"For example?"

"When you're playing Quiddich." Elizabeth said, nervously toying with the tassels on a throw pillow. "Sometimes I just can't watch. You take such chances on your broom-"

"I know what I'm doing, Elizabeth."

"I know, but all it takes is a Beater missing a bludger, just once-"

"I know." He sighed. "I just get so focused on the game. I'm sorry that it worries you. I'll be more careful, okay?"

She nodded, biting her lip and hugging the pillow to her chest.

Cautiously, he held out his arm along the couch, unsure of how she might respond. She looked at it for a moment, chewing on her lower lip, then put aside the throw pillow and scooted over to sit next to him. With a sigh of contentment, she snuggled up to him, laying her head on his chest.

"Um…your Dad won't get mad if he happens to come in, will he?" Marcus asked uneasily, eyeing the doorway to the kitchen.

"No. Mom's already talked to him about us." She whispered, idly toying with a button on his shirt. "So long as someone doesn't walk in on us in mid-snog, there won't be a problem. The worst that will happen is that he and Grandpa will tease us about it."

"So, what's all this business with my little sister playing matchmaker, anyway?" He asked.

"No idea." Elizabeth shrugged. "She talks to me every once in a while at school, and she's been very friendly since we started dating. After we went to the Christmas Ball, she's hung out with me after classes most every day."

"That's how she does things." Marcus sighed. "Fiona makes friends with you, worms her way into your confidence, and then starts pulling strings. Mum's probably going to ground her for a month for this, maybe longer. I haven't seen Mum that mad for a long time."

"She didn't seem that angry." Elizabeth said, a puzzled look on her face.

"It's subtle with her." He said, hugging her gently to him. "I'll teach you how to spot the signs. You noticed that she was really angry with me, and then she wasn't? And then, she was all smiles, and then she said that bit about 'wait till I see her'?"

"Yes…"

"Fiona's in for it, I guarantee it. When Mum goes quiet like that, your fate is sealed. Unless Dad intervenes, which he very well might. Fi gets away with a lot of stuff because she's so crafty. Dad admires that."

"Well, she did get sorted into Slytherin." She said softly.

"She did." He agreed. "That reminds me, wasn't your mum in Ravenclaw?"

"She was. But Daddy was in Slytherin."

"Funny coincidence." Marcus smirked, his dark eyes twinkling.

Elizabeth blushed deeply, swatting him on the chest with one hand.

"Don't you get too full of yourself, Marcus Snape." She huffed, drawing away from him. "You still have a ways to go to be in my good graces again."

"At least you're speaking to me again." He sighed, smiling at her. "I'll take that."

oOo

"First things first, young lady." Madam Pince said crisply, holding her hand out. "Your wand. Hand it over, now."

"But, Nana!" Fiona protested weakly, timidly looking up at her grandmother through a curtain of jet black hair.

"Don't you 'Nana' me." The older woman thundered, causing Fiona's cat, Niffle, to scamper away to hide under the couch. "Hand it over. I have a feeling your mum will ground you for this, as well she should. What you did was extremely reckless."

With a sigh of resignation, the young witch reached into her pocket and withdrew her wand, putting it in her grandmother's hand. Madam Pince slipped it into the pocket of her dress and crossed her arms, glaring down at her youngest granddaughter.

"Now, what you have done is very serious." She sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised to see an Auror around here soon, as they would have noticed the activation of an unregistered portkey in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"But I'm a student here at Hogwarts!" Fiona protested. "I'm allowed to do magic while I'm here!"

"That is true, dear. But what you are NOT allowed to do is make an unregistered portkey, nor are you allowed to use it, and most important of all, you are absolutely NOT allowed to use it to transport another person against their will! Fiona, what you did is called kidnapping!"

"But-"

"No arguing, Fiona." Madam Pince snapped. "What you did was reckless, dangerous, and it could have seriously harmed or killed Marcus! What on earth were you thinking? That it might make a fine practical joke on him?"

"He missed Elizabeth." Fiona whispered miserably, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I thought he would like to see her. I tried it out myself; I knew the portkey worked correctly. I knew it was safe. I love Marcus, I would never put my brother in danger!"

"You did what?!" Madam Pince said, horrified. "Oh, dear Merlin…"

Ominously, the flames in the fireplace turned green, and Ana Romanov-Snape stepped into the sitting room, brushing fine ash from her robes with her black-gloved hands. Fiona backed up a step, turning quite pale, trembling visibly as her mother walked toward her.

"Fiona." Ana purred, a wicked smile on her face as she towered over her petite daughter. "We need to talk, darling."

oOo

She sat nervously on her bed, having finished her tale, as her mother leaned against the mantel of the fireplace in her bedroom with her arms crossed. Right now, Fiona would much prefer that her Mum just get on with the tongue-lashing that was brewing; she knew from experience that the longer she waited the worse things usually were for her. Instead, her mother just rubbed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"I can't believe you've done this, Fiona, not once, but several times." Ana finally said, shaking her head in disbelief. She looked over at Madam Pince, who was standing in the open doorway. "No sign of Aurors, no floo calls? Not even a floo call, or an owl?"

"Nothing." Her mother-in-law said, shaking her head. "Not a peep."

"I can't believe they didn't notice it." Ana frowned. "But for now, the less said the better. I'd better floo John Worthington, see if he can quietly find out anything. I know he still has his contacts within the Ministry."

Fiona relaxed just a tiny bit, letting out a quiet sigh.

"And as for you, young lady!" Her mother snapped, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. "You may as well get very comfortable here in your room, because you are grounded, at least until your father and I get home from Beijing."

"Mum, I didn't-"

"Fiona, darling." Ana said gently, taking her daughter by the shoulders, looking into gray eyes that were so much like her own. "Sweetheart, what were you thinking? What you did was very dangerous. Please, please, promise me that you'll never do anything like this again. It wasn't funny and Marcus could have been badly hurt."

"I'm sorry, Mum." Fiona sobbed, her chin trembling. "I just wanted Marcus to be happy again, and he and Elizabeth haven't been speaking and that isn't right-"

Ana smiled gently and sighed.

"Sweetheart," she said, "I know you think they should be together, but you need to leave it to them. No more interfering with things, no matter how much you think they need to be together, understood?"

Fiona nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Taking her wand out, Ana traced a pattern on the door that glowed briefly, and then vanished. Walking to the two windows in the room, the repeated the pattern, warding the opening against any escape. Fiona sighed in resignation, sitting back down on her bed, the very picture of dejection.

"You can have the house elves bring you whatever you need," Her mother said crisply, "and since you have your own private bathroom, most all of your needs are taken care of. You, young lady, are grounded, at least until your father and I get back."

"Can't I at least have my wand back?" Fiona begged weakly.

"No. I'm still not very happy with you, and taking your wand seems to be the only way to get my point across to you, dear. So hand it over, now."

Fiona turned deathly pale, her mouth opening to protest, and then snapping shut as she thought better of it. Her cheeks colored as she began to tremble anew.

"I…I already gave it to Nana." She said nervously, looking over at her grandmother, who was standing by the door. "She has it in her pocket."

"Really?" Ana scoffed, holding her hand out toward Fiona. "Accio wand."

With a smirk, she deftly caught the wand that leaped to her hand from Fiona's sleeve. Turning to her mother-in-law, Ana held up the wand for her to see.

"Oldest trick in the book, and I fell for it." Madam Pince sighed in disgust, pulling out the wand that Fiona had surrendered to her and examining it closely. "I didn't even consider that she might give me a fake."

"Next time, just check for a residual magic signature after taking it." Ana said, slipping Fiona's real wand into her robe pocket. "I deal with this kind of thing all the time in Potions classes."

Slipping Fiona's wand into her pocket, Ana walked over to her.

"Might as well give me that one, too." She said, taking the fake wand from Madam Pince. As she did, she frowned, looking closely at the wand, and then turned back to Fiona, eyebrows raised.

"Well, well…" Ana said, looking at her daughter hard after examining the wand. "This…is not a fake. Now I know what you've been spending your allowance on lately. What kind of story did it take to get Ollivander to sell you a duplicate of your wand?"

"Mum, I-"

"Be quiet!" Ana hissed dangerously, glaring down at her. "Now, I have had enough of this! Tell me, young lady, have I ever deceived you?"

"No."

"How about your father? He's a trained occlumens, and he is very good at it. He deceived everyone, even the Dark Lord himself! Does he ever lie to you?"

"No…" Fiona whispered miserably, her voice nearly inaudible in the face of her mother's wrath.

"So, just what gave you the impression that it's alright to deceive your own family, to pull pranks on them?" Ana fumed. "Whatever led you to believe that kidnapping your own brother with a portkey would be acceptable behavior?"

"Mum, I…I don't know." Fiona blurted. "I just thought I could-"

"Fiona, darling, you weren't thinking." Ana sighed. "Like your brother, you acted impulsively. But he's only reckless with himself, while you're reckless with other people. Your motives may have been pure, but you could be in a lot of trouble with the Ministry for this. Your father and I will be back by Monday morning, and we'll deal with this then. IF nobody at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has noticed, that is."

Gathering her youngest child up in her arms, Ana gave her a hug, sighing as she did so.

"Please stay out of trouble, Fiona." She murmured softly, brushing her daughter's fine black hair back from her face so she could look her in the eye. "Behave yourself, at least until your father and I get home. Maybe we'll get lucky and no one at the Ministry noticed."

"I'll be good, I promise, Mum." Fiona said softly, sniffing back tears.

"I love you, you little troublemaker." Ana said fondly, hugging her youngest daughter tightly. "See to it that you behave yourself, at least until we get home."

oOo

"She's too young for this."

"Don't be such a grump."

John leaned on the rail of the balcony, watching Marcus and Elizabeth in the garden behind the hotel. They were sitting close together on the bench of a glider swing, heads nearly touching.

"He's kissing her." He grumbled.

"For Merlin's sake, John!" Luna sighed, marking her place and putting her book down on the bed. "Will you come to bed and stop spying on her? Let them be in love, for Merlin's sake!"

"She's too young."

"So was I, but I didn't let that stop me."

"You were twenty years old, well of age."

"I'm talking about when I first met you." She chuckled, and then turned more serious. "Marcus is only three years older than Elizabeth, John. It's not like he's too old for her."

"They're both too young, then." He grumbled. "They have no idea what they're getting into."

Luna flipped the covers back on his side of the bed, her blue eyes glaring at him.

"Come to bed. Now." She said firmly, patting the mattress next to her.

With a sigh, he limped over to the bed, sitting down on the edge with a groan and kicking off his slippers. For a moment, he just sat there on the edge.

"Come on, lie down, grumpy." Luna said gently, running her hand up his back. "I'll rub your leg for you. Did you take your pain potions?"

He nodded, and lay down next to her. She sat up, scooting close to him, and began to knead the knotted muscles in his thigh. Her strong, slender fingers sought out and unwound the cramping muscle fibers, and he sighed with relief.

"Marcus is a good boy." She said, frowning when she encountered a lump of what felt like scar tissue near his knee. "You've said so yourself."

"He's a young man, with all the urges a young man has."

"And she's a young girl, with all of the urges a young girl has. John, we raised her, we need to trust her judgment. He's been with us three nights, and he's behaved himself like a perfect gentleman."

"She's my daughter."

"She's my daughter, too." Luna said quietly, leaning down to kiss him. "Now, stop fretting so much. Marcus is nearly as scared of you as he is of his mother, and Elizabeth has a good head on her shoulders. Everything will be fine."

She lay down next to him in the bed after dousing the lights.

"What else is on your mind?" John said softly.

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that." He chuckled. "Did you think I didn't notice?"

"It's probably just some deep scar tissue."

"Probably."

"You'll go see a healer about it when we get home, right?" Luna asked, trying to hide her uneasiness.

"Just as soon as we get home." He replied. "Well, as soon as I can get an appointment."

She slid her hand over and entwined her fingers with his, squeezing his hand affectionately.

"I just don't want to lose you now." She said softly. "I fought too hard to have you."

oOo

"I had no idea I worried you that much."

"I just…I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you…"

Elizabeth just sat there silently, tears shining in her eyes, her chin trembling.

"I…I'm so sorry, Elizabeth." Marcus said hesitantly, looking at the ground, then back over at her.

"When you came off your broom and nearly hit the ground in that game with Durmstang, I thought my heart would stop." She whispered. "Don't misunderstand me; I know that you love to play Quiddich. It's just that…you scare me. I just want you to play more carefully. If you hadn't tried that Gonzales reverse so close to the ground, it might have never happened. It was reckless."

He sat there next to her on the swing, deep in his thoughts, worrying the knuckle of one thumb with his free hand.

It was the cross-wind that tipped me off-balance, he thought, shivering as he remembered how close it had been, the feeling of weightlessness before catching himself with one hand on his broom as the crowd looked on in horror, his boot nearly torn off by the impact with the ground. A week spent in the hospital wing, then crutches for nearly a month while his torn muscles healed.

"I know I've said this before," Marcus said softly, "but I never really understood how you felt. I…I'm sorry I scared you that time, Elizabeth. I didn't know."

"Marcus?"

He looked up at her, surprised as she took his face in her hands gently, her blue eyes huge and luminous in the moonlight.

"You can call me Lizzie, but only when we're alone." She whispered. "Call me that in public, and I'll box your ears good, you hear me?"

Then she kissed him, and he forgot about the threat.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 44~

June 21, 2018~

"Still nothing?" Ana asked anxiously as she took their coats and hung them up on the coat rack.

"No, not a peep." John Worthington said, nodding to Severus and Madam Pince as he ushered Marcus into the Snape sitting room. "As far as my contacts in the Ministry know, there has been no mention in official paperwork of a magical anomaly corresponding to an unregistered portkey in the area of Hogwarts."

"Nothing 'official'. Ana said as she took a seat on the couch, looking over at her husband, then back at John. "That worries me."

"Ana, no news is good news." Snape said, resting his hand on her shoulder. She reached up to hold his hand, frowning uneasily.

"Exactly, Severus." John nodded, propping his foot up with a sigh after Marcus slid the ottoman over in front of his chair. "Thank you, Marcus. Ana, I honestly don't think anyone noticed it. There's enough magical activity, even during the summer break, that it was easy to miss it. Trust me; the Ministry doesn't monitor Hogwarts that closely."

Ana looked over at her husband, then sighed.

"I suppose I'll have to accept your assurances about it, since you know the Ministry better than I." She said, looking back over at John. "I do hope this didn't ruin the holiday for your family."

"No, not at all." John smiled. "We enjoyed having Marcus with us, once everything was worked out."

"Did my son behave himself?" Ana said, looking at Marcus sharply.

"Like any proper gentleman." John said with a smile. "He was no problem at all. In fact, I think he and Elizabeth have properly made up."

"I was wondering if that red in his face was just sunburn." Severus smirked. "He's certainly taking good care of you, John. Must be wanting to stay in your good graces for some reason."

"Dad!" Marcus protested weakly, his blush deepening.

"Excuse me for just a moment, gentlemen." Ana said, rising from her seat and walking down the hallway that led to the bedrooms. After a short time, she returned, a meek Fiona in tow.

"I believe you have something to say to your brother, Fiona." Ana said, crossing her arms and glaring down at her.

Cautiously, the petite girl walked over to where her brother stood next to John Worthington, her hands nervously knotted in the front of her robes, her eyes on the floor. She trembled as she stood before him.

"I…I'm sorry for what I did, Marcus." She said, in a nearly inaudible voice, eyes on the floor as tears began to slide down her cheeks. "I…I was careless and didn't think. I'm glad that you didn't get hurt-"

Marcus sighed, and then gathered his petite sister in his arms, hugging her gently. She buried her face in his robes and cried, clinging to him tightly.

"Aw, Fi…shh…it's alright now." He said softly, "It all turned out alright. "Come on, I brought you something from the beach. You'll love it."

Fiona followed Marcus as he carried his bags to his room. John waited until they had gone in, and then turned to Severus, raising an eyebrow.

"So, this is the second-year who managed to make a working portkey?" John said. "Quite impressive."

"Impressive, yes." Ana huffed. "Also highly illegal, mind you."

"Don't be so harsh on her, dear." Severus said.

"You and John, peas in a pod." Ana snapped irritably. "I should have known that you two would take up for her."

"Ana," Severus sighed, moving to the liquor cabinet and retrieving glasses and a bottle of firewhiskey. "So long as she doesn't get in trouble with the Aurors for this, I wouldn't worry too much about it. John, would you care for a drink?"

"I'll sit down and visit, Severus, but I'll pass on the drink."

Snape poured himself a glass, and then sat down on the couch next to Ana, who promptly kicked off her slippers and put her feet in his lap. John sat down in Severus' favorite chair, glad that he'd been offered it.

"Are you still having problems with your leg?" Severus asked, taking a sip of firewhiskey, trying to ignore Ana's toes wiggling against his arm.

"Some." John nodded, leaning back in the chair and shifting his bad leg on the ottoman with a grimace of pain. "Luna found a lump in my leg, just above the knee. I'll be making an appointment to have Healer Jenkins look at it tomorrow."

"I do hope it's nothing serious." Ana said, frowning. "Do you need any help from us? Do we need to watch the children for you?"

"Well, we've already hired your oldest daughter to babysit the little ones, and Madame Pince will be there to help. So in a way, you're already helping us."

"Well, don't hesitate to floo us if you need us." Severus said, frowning. "I think-oh, alright, already!"

With a sigh, Severus set his glass down and began to rub his wife's feet.

"Are you satisfied now?" He said, glancing at her. Ana smirked at him.

"She has you perfectly trained, Severus." John laughed.

"She's very pushy." Severus nodded.

oOo

November 5, 2018~

"I'm sorry, John." Healer Rupert Jenkins said softly as he sat by the bed.

Luna was standing on the other side of the bed, tears brimming in her eyes as she bit her lip to keep them at bay. All she could do was hold her husband's hand, not willing to trust herself to speak after the awful news they'd just received.

Amputation, just above the knee. The healer's words echoed through her mind. She felt nauseous, reaching down to the bed rail to hold herself upright.

Amputation. Luna forced herself to breathe slowly and calmly, closing her eyes for a moment as she fought to calm herself down. The word still lingered, feeling like an icy hand clutching her heart.

For a long moment, John just lay there in the bed, propped up on some pillows as he stared woodenly at his useless left leg. Finally, he spoke.

"How soon can you take it off?" He said, his voice cracking a bit at the end, forcing himself to clear his throat. "I…I guess the sooner we do it, the sooner I can get back to my life."

"Well, you're in no danger at this point," Jenkins sighed, "but the muscles are continuing to deteriorate. The original injuries, as well as the continued deterioration, are preventing proper oxygenation of the tissues. I'm afraid we won't be able to save your knee…it…it's too far gone. We can take it off any time you're ready."

"Could we have a few minutes alone, please?" John said to the healer, who nodded and left the room.

He looked over at her, fear in his hazel eyes.

"John, you know I love you." Luna blurted out, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I know." He said softly.

"I'll always love you. No matter what happens."

"Even if I only have one leg?" He said, smiling gently.

"Even then, darling." She said, her voice cracking a bit. "Always."

oOo

April 10, 2020~

"I…I just can't do this, Marcus."

"Why?"

"I wouldn't stand in the way of what you want to do." Elizabeth said, blocking the door with her shoulder. "But I can't go on seeing you, not with you working as an Auror. I don't think I could bear it if something were to happen to you-"

"You're worried that something might happen to me? Elizabeth, what happened to your dad was just a fluke, not likely to ever happen again-"

Her eyes darkened, and she moved to shut the door, glaring up at him when he blocked it with his hand. With a subtle movement of her hand, she warded the entryway with a repulsion charm, her chin lifting in stubborn defiance of her estranged boyfriend. Marcus yanked his hand out of the opening with a hiss of pain, then, gritting his teeth, jammed it right back where it was to keep her from shutting the door, ignoring the stinging pain of the charm. Black eyes pleaded with bright blue ones, begging for reconsideration.

"Lizzie, please-"

"Don't." She said, holding up one hand, looking away from him. "It's over, Marcus. It was good while it lasted, but you have your life to lead, and I'm stepping aside. I can't handle it."

With that, she pushed his hand away and shut the door, snapping the deadbolt into place. He continued to knock on the door, begging, pleading with her. After hours in the rain, pounding on the door until his hands bled, Marcus finally gave up. Shoulders slumping in dejection, he slowly walked away, pausing only a few times to look behind him at her door.

Finally, with a sigh of exasperation, he walked away. When he reached the apparition point, he looked back one last time, hoping she'd changed her mind. After taking a deep breath, he vanished, apparating away.

On the other side of the door, Elizabeth slid down to sit on the floor and wept quietly, holding her face in her hands.

oOo

January 12, 2021~

"It's pretty bruised up." Luna scolded her husband. "You need to rest it throughout the day, like Healer Jenkins said to. I don't know why you're so stubborn about things like this."

"I have responsibilities." John replied calmly as he leaned back on the couch in their sitting room. "I have to teach six classes a day, supervise the fine students of Slytherin house, and also help Minerva with her administrative duties. There's not much time to sit down and rest."

"She's grooming you, you know."

"I don't want the job." John sighed, wincing when her hands touched a tender spot on his stump. "She can find someone else."

"You would be a wonderful Headmaster." Luna continued, pressing her case. "You're fair, you're respected by all the students, you-"

"Careful, dear. You're starting to sound like Severus and Ana. She should consider being Headmistress, I know that Minerva's discussed it with her."

"She'll never do it, and you know it."

"She's ideal for the position, much better qualified than I am."

"But she's married to Severus Snape, and will not do anything that might bring more attention to him. You know how protective she is of him. If she were to become Headmistress, the Snape haters would be out in force, and she'd have to deal with them."

"Like a she-bear defending her cubs."

"Exactly." She sighed, wiping the excess ointment off her hands. "Hand me the compression stocking, please."

"I can do this myself, you know."

"I want to help you. Besides, Elizabeth is taking care of breakfast for the twins, and Ian's already off to school."

"I'm worried about her." He sighed, frowning.

"I am, too. She hasn't been the same since she broke up with Marcus. I was talking to Ana just the other day, and it seems he's been sent to Estonia, then on to Latvia to work a case. She puts up a brave front, but I can tell as a mother, she's worried sick about him."

"Harry will take good care of him." John said, wincing as she rolled the compression stocking onto his stump. "He should be able to; I trained him, remember?"

"Did I hurt you?"

"No." He lied. She frowned at him, her blue eyes darkening with concern.

"Liar." She said, looking up at him from where she knelt on the floor.

"Time to put on the anchor, I guess." He said, trying to lighten the mood. Stretching out his hand, he accio'ed his prosthetic leg from where it stood in the corner, catching it easily.

"It's better than you dying of septic poisoning." Luna said softly, though there was an edge to her voice.

"I'm just making a joke." He said, fitting the leg to his stump and buckling it on. "But that's not what's upsetting you. We already hashed all that out six months ago."

She sat on the floor before him, toying with the flannel that she'd used to clean the ointment off her hands, saying nothing.

"Come on; tell me what's eating at you, love."

"It's Elizabeth." Luna sighed, slowly twisting the flannel into a rope. "She's worrying me with this…this behavior. She just mopes around, just going through the motions of daily life. She goes to her job, comes by in the evenings for supper, and goes back to her flat. You ask her what's wrong, she just smiles, and laughs, says she's fine, that there's nothing wrong. But…I know our daughter…the spark is gone from her eyes. She's just going through the motions, acting like everything is fine, but it's taking a terrible toll on her."

John nodded gravely.

"Should I talk to her?" He asked, tightening the straps on his leg. "Or do you think…perhaps it's my leg that's got her thinking this way?"

"Might be." Luna shrugged, neatly folding up the flannel. "I think it upset her more than she let on when they had to take your leg off. While you were under anesthesia, she was really agitated, as if she was afraid you might not waken."

"You know you're just going to wash that." He teased her, leaning over to stroke her cheek.

"I know." She smiled wanly up at him. "It's just something to do with my hands. Anyway, I just feel so helpless. I want to help her, to reach out to Marcus and shake some sense into him, but I don't feel that I should interfere."

Leaning down to her, he kissed her.

"Stop worrying so much, dear." He said, stroking her cheek. "It will all work out, somehow."

oOo

March 23, 2023~

"Hello, Elizabeth."

She turned from the rack of robes to see Professor Romanov-Snape approaching, the proprietress of the store giving Ana a nervous glance.

"Um…hello, Professor." Elizabeth said, fighting to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

"Lovely weather, isn't it?" Ana said, examining the weave of one of the robes. "It's as if spring has arrived early in Hogsmeade."

"Um…yes, ma'am."

"My dear girl, we have a mutual foe, so to speak." Ana said quietly. "No need to be nervous around me. Neither of us likes Marcus working as an Auror."

"It's not my business, Professor." The younger woman blushed. "He's free to do as he pleases. I have no claim on him."

"Nonsense, Elizabeth." Ana replied, taking her by the arm and leading her outside. Unwillingly, Elizabeth found herself marched down the street and into the Three Broomsticks, where she was led to a table in the back.

"Sit down, young lady." Professor Romanov-Snape said crisply, pointing to a chair with a black leather gloved finger. Elizabeth sat down immediately, trembling slightly. She'd never had to face the formidable potions professor completely by herself before. As if by magic, Madam Rosemerta appeared with two butterbeers, setting them on the table before them just as Professor Romanov-Snape took her seat.

"Professor, I'm not much for drinking-"

"You will today." Ana sighed, taking a sip of her butterbeer. "I'm not in a mood to drink alone. Besides, that will hardly affect you, and you're well of age."

Elizabeth obediently took a sip of her butterbeer, very aware of the older woman watching her.

"My son," Ana said softly, leaning toward her, "was not meant to be an Auror. He is just doing this to spite me, because I disapproved of it. Because he chose this path, he has caused you and I a great deal of pain."

"Did my father put you up to this?" Elizabeth said, trying to show some measure of defiance despite her fear of the woman across the table from her. Her confidence seemed to drain away when Professor Romanov-Snape only smiled thinly, her grey eyes narrowing slightly.

"No. Has John spoken to you about it?" Ana asked, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.

Elizabeth shook her head, and then picked up her butterbeer with a trembling hand to take another drink.

"Elizabeth, I'm not your enemy." Ana said gently, giving her a warm smile. "You have nothing to fear from me. Our cause is the same; we both want Marcus to come home, to stop chasing after hooligans who misuse magic."

"But…it's what he always wanted to do-"

"No, he did it to spite me." Ana sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I was always too harsh with him, too demanding, and he rebelled against me. I wanted him to continue his studies, to become a potions master like his father…and my dreams for him backfired on me."

Ana drew a deep breath, considering whether she should continue, pursing her lips. Finally, she went on.

"Elizabeth, he's miserable. He flooed me from Onguryona just last weekend, and I can tell that he's unhappy. He asked about you, you know."

"He did?"

"Yes." Ana said, watching her carefully. "I know you two had a fight before he left for his assignment in Kiev. I don't need you to tell me what it was over, as I think I can guess."

Elizabeth said nothing.

"You broke up with him because you're afraid he's going to get hurt, just like your father was. Yet at the same time, you feel that you have no right to forbid him to follow his dream. Am I correct?"

Biting her lip, Elizabeth nodded.

"Have you owled him?" Ana asked gently.

"No." Elizabeth said, her voice barely audible.

"Send him an owl. Tonight."

"But what should I say?"

"Nothing much. Just ask him how things are going, ask about the weather. Open a dialogue with him."

"And how is that supposed to help?"

"It's planting a seed, my dear. He will realize that he misses you…and that you miss him."

"I…I can't do that, Professor." Elizabeth sputtered, blushing deeply.

"Don't be a fool, girl. You miss him, and everyone around you can tell. What's worse, everyone around you is walking on eggshells, afraid to say anything out of line to you. We all know you're miserable, and that you miss Marcus terribly. At the same time, you are the only person who can fix this."

"He hasn't owled me."

"True, he hasn't." Ana said, taking another sip of her butterbeer. "All the same, I know my son, and he's missing you terribly. Badly enough that he's talking about resigning."

"Resigning?" Elizabeth gasped, her blue eyes widening. "I thought being an Auror was all he'd ever wanted to do!"

"His father and I visited him Budapest last weekend. The only subject that we discussed over lunch that he seemed to take any interest in was when I mentioned your being accepted to graduate school."

Elizabeth dropped her eyes, avoiding the Professor level gaze.

"Dear girl, please." Ana said softly. "Owl him. What harm could it do? Just ask him how he is, how he's doing. Show him that you care. Because I know you do."

She hesitated for a moment, and then nodded her head. Looking over at the Professor, her blue eyes moist with tears, Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from crying.

"You're right, Professor." She whispered in an unsteady voice. "I do miss him."

Ana reached over with a black gloved hand, taking her hand in an affectionate clasp.

"I know that, dear. The butterbeers are on me." Ana smiled. "I think there's a post office right around the corner, you can owl him now if you like. I think we're finished here."

oOo

Dear Marcus,

I hope this letter finds you doing well. I spoke to your mother today; she mentioned that she and your father visited you in Budapest over the weekend.

Where do I begin…?

First, I'm sorry. I needed to say that, Marcus, after the way we parted. I was completely unfair to you, and I apologize for that.

I needed some space, some time away from you. I won't deny that your chosen profession worries me greatly. But I when I shut you out of my cottage, I was being selfish. I allowed my own fears to overrule my good sense.

It's true that my father's loss of his leg, coupled with the suffering he went through from before I was born, influenced my actions greatly. I had a first row seat to witness the awful pain he experienced, even though he and Mum tried to prevent me seeing it. I couldn't help but hear him when he cried out in terror in his sleep, or his weeping afterwards as Mum hushed him.

I can't say that I'm ready to begin anew, but I'm not opposed to it. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for being a nagging worry-wart, fearful of everything. I care about you deeply…I miss you.

Elizabeth

He re-read the letter, pausing only to fetch the owl that had brought it a treat after it pecked him, annoyed that he had overlooked custom.

I miss you.

Marcus sighed, carefully folding the letter and placing it on his nightstand next to his wand. He lay back on his lumpy mattress in the hotel room and closed his eyes, listening to the rain beat against the window panes.

With a sigh, he picked up another letter from the nightstand, unfolded it, and re-read it.

Marcus,

Please don't mention any of this to your mother; she doesn't need anything else to worry about. I fell yesterday getting out of the bloody tub. Now, before you get all worried, I'm fine. It's just that I broke my damned hip, it seems. As much as I hate to admit it, I need some help, and you're the only person I trust to be discreet about it. I dare not hire a private nurse or a housekeeper, but if you could help me for a few weeks-we could say you were just visiting me. Your Mum doesn't need to know.

Owl me back as soon as you can.

Love,

Grandpa M.

He folded up the letter, tapping it on his chin thoughtfully.

I do have enough vacation time to do it easily, he mused. Grandpa must be in quite a spot, that he's even asking for help. I can certainly understand why he wouldn't want Mum to know.

Picking up his pen, he wrote:

Grandpa,

I'd love to come down for a visit, if you don't mind. Is this weekend too soon? I know that doesn't give you much time to get ready, but it's as soon as I can get there, and I really need to use this vacation time before I lose it. I promise I won't be a bother, and you can kick me out when you get tired of my eating your food.

Love, Marcus

Sealing it with a bit of wax, he tied the letter to the leg of the owl, and opened the window to see it off. With a twinge of guilt, he eyed the other letter on his nightstand, absent-mindedly scratching his arm along the edge of the plaster cast that covered it from the elbow to the wrist.

It's been four years that I've been an Auror, he thought, sitting down heavily on the bed, running a hand over his face wearily. Three years since you broke up with me. I haven't heard a thing from you, until now.

I need to think about this, before I answer…for now, I need to sleep. I need my strength to apparate to Manarola, to Grandpa's villa, in the morning.

He picked up the letter from Elizabeth and slid it between his vest and his shirt, next to his heart. With a sigh, he lay back on the mattress and closed his eyes.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 45~

April 2, 2023

Dear Elizabeth,

It was good to hear from you. I'm presently in Kiev, but tomorrow I travel to Belgorod and next week, to Vienna. My caseload is a bit lighter lately, but the Ministry seems determined to get their money's worth out of me.

Marcus paused for a long moment, holding his quill off to the side so as to not drip ink on the parchment. He'd already crumpled three pages up and burned them with incendio, frustrated with his efforts to write a simple letter. Everything he wrote seemed either too sentimental or too aloof, and he was acutely aware of how important the letter could be. Rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn, he picked up his cup of strong black coffee and took a sip.

There's no need to apologize to me for the events at your cottage. I was foolish, rude, and overbearing. I stubbornly clung to my chosen path, ignoring your distress that was a direct result of my choices. I've had time to reconsider some things. For now, I can't say much, just that I'm thinking about making some major changes. I have some things to attend to that will keep me busy for a while, but I will respond to your owls more promptly from now on. Once I'm settled in Italy, perhaps we can meet up.

I miss you, too.

Marcus

With a sigh, he rolled up the letter and sealed it, affixing it to the owl's leg before opening the window for it to fly away.

I probably should have written more, but it's best this way, he thought as he picked up his quill and got a fresh parchment. Hell, I don't even know if she wants to get back together…and I sure don't want her to know that I got hurt.

Picking up another piece of parchment, he dipped his quill in his inkwell and began to write again.

Dear Grandpa,

I'm almost finished with my work in Kiev, and then it's on to Belgorod and after that, Vienna. Most of it is just busywork while I'm on sick leave, cleaning up details on cases yet to be prosecuted before my resignation becomes effective. I have been studying the materials and books you sent, they have been very helpful with understanding the spells needed to make the prostheses work correctly.

How are you doing with your new hip? I hope you are healing up quickly and having no problems with it. Hopefully Mum didn't worry you too much when she visited last week. No, I don't think she suspects anything about our 'arrangement'.

I look forward to seeing you again in three weeks, and beginning my studies in earnest with you. Oh, and no need to mention any of this to Mum and Dad for a while. I know they would be delighted to hear of my decision, but I feel it is best to master my new trade first.

Love,

Marcus

oOo

He was reading in the sitting room, having picked up his book shortly after the floo call with Marcus had ended. At least, he was trying to; Ana was sitting at the other end of the couch slowly coiling a stray lock of her hair around her finger as she studied the flames in the fireplace. After years of marriage, he could read her emotions as clearly as the book he held in his hands; something was agitating her, and it was probably Marcus.

Severus sighed, marking his place and setting Holmes' Detailed Studies of the Plants of Central Asia aside on the table.

"Come on, out with it." He said. "What's bothering you?"

"What?" She said, startled out of her contemplations.

"Something's bothering you. Was it the floo call?"

Ana pursed her lips in a frown, and then nodded.

"I doubt he was calling us from Berlin." She said, frowning more when Severus smirked at her.

"Since when has he ever told us where he really was after he started working for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?" He sighed, taking his hand and entwining it with hers. "You know that he can't really tell us where he is. Without a doubt, the call was probably routed through several proxy floos to obscure where the call came from."

"I know that." Ana said irritably. "It's just…there was just something odd about the room he was in. I can't put my finger on it, but something didn't look right. It's going to make me go mad if I don't figure it out."

"You worry too much, dear."

"I have cause to worry about that boy."

"Ana, he's twenty-five years old." Severus said gently. "Hardly a boy."

Glancing at him, she bit her lip and looked away, embarrassed that the tears came to her eyes so freely. For a long while, they sat on the couch in silence.

"Have you spoken with Elizabeth lately?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Last week."

"And?"

"Well, he wrote back to her." She sighed, tracing the back of his hand with her thumb. "She's a bit put out with him. He hardly wrote much at all, no more than a page."

"That's to be expected, isn't it? The work he's doing, he can't share much of it with her. At least they're talking again; take comfort in that."

"I suppose." Ana said, frowning. "I just wish he'd quit the Ministry. I wish he'd never taken that job."

oOo

March 2, 2025~

Dear Elizabeth,

Thank you for the sweater; it is just the thing when the cool breezes come off the sea in the evenings. I enjoyed our visit, even if it was cut short by Grandpa's patronus. I suppose that I can no longer put off telling you the truth now.

These past two years, I haven't been working as an Auror. I've been apprenticing to Grandpa in his shop, learning the craft of making prosthetic limbs. I'm sorry that I haven't been completely honest with you, but I wanted to make sure that I could successfully complete my apprenticeship and make a living first.

I'm sorry that I had to deceive you-

Crumpling the parchment, she muttered a string of most eloquent swear words. Elizabeth went to her bedroom in the tiny cottage that she lived in, and began to accio items rapidly from her dresser and her closet. She packed a travel bag in minutes with a few artful waves of her hand, all the time mumbling under her breath. Within the hour, she had locked the door of her cottage and warded it. Picking up her bag, she made her way to the apparition point.

oOo

"Did you read the entire letter?"

"No! I packed and came down here straight away."

"Perhaps you should, before you get angry without good cause."

"You lied to me, Marcus!" She hissed, leaning forward in her chair, glaring up at him. "Again!"

"Elizabeth, I've lied to myself for years." He said, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I never really wanted to be an Auror, but your dad was an Auror, and I grew up looking up to him. I wanted to be like him."

She crossed her arms in a huff, leaning back in her chair to glare out the window, frowning at the rain beating on the panes. A shiver went through her, her teeth chattering slightly despite the blanket Marcus had wrapped around her. She brushed a stray curl from her face, tucking the damp auburn hair behind her ear.

"How's your ankle?" He asked gently, waving his wand to cast a warming charm on the blanket.

"It hurts." She replied crossly, pulling the blanket tighter around herself.

"Will you let me take a look at it? Please?"

After a moment of hesitation, she nodded.

Marcus knelt in front of her and carefully slipped her shoe off, pausing only when Elizabeth sucked in a breath with a hiss of pain. She bit her lip to keep from crying out while he gently felt around her ankle with his long, slender fingers.

"How did you do this?" He asked, half to himself.

"When I apparated here, I misjudged my landing, and I stumbled on the steps." She said, blushing angrily. "They're rather hazardous at night."

"I apologize for that. I've been rather busy lately, and neither Grandpa nor I go out of the house much. Since he had his hip replaced, I've had to help him with everything. Those back steps are on my list of things I need to do around here."

She sat silently in the chair, watching him as he carefully examined her swollen ankle. Taking out his wand, he began to chant under his breath in Latin, weaving an intricate pattern of charms around the injury that damped the pain and reduced the swelling.

"I'm still angry with you." She said.

"I know, Elizabeth." He sighed, putting away his wand and rubbing his eyes.

"You look tired." She said, reaching down to touch his hair, her voice softer now.

Marcus nodded wearily.

"I'm glad that you came, even though you hurt your ankle." He said, getting up from the floor.

"So you didn't tell me what you were doing because you were afraid you'd fail? Honestly, Marcus, how could you think I would feel like that?"

"Something like that. I…I really didn't know for sure what I was getting into, apprenticing with Grandpa. He's a rather harsh taskmaster in the shop, and that was a rude surprise. He demands perfection-"

"I thought I heard voices down here." Sir Petto said cheerfully, hobbling into the kitchen with his cane. "Hello, Elizabeth! Merlin's sakes, you're soaking wet! Are you alright, dear?"

"Fine, sir." She smiled, tucking her injured ankle under her chair to hide it. "Wasn't prepared for the rain when I arrived. How are you? Marcus tells me you had to have your hip replaced."

"Bah, he can't keep a secret long, can he?" The older man chuckled. "The worst part of the whole ordeal was when his mum found out. I thought I was going to have to ask poor old Severus to drag her out of the house. Lucky for me that Marcus was available to play nursemaid to an old man for a while."

Marcus busied himself with putting the kettle on, lighting the burner with a match and vanishing it with a practiced wave of his hand.

"Would you like to take tea out here with us, Grandpa?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in a manner that put Elizabeth to mind of his father. She quickly covered her mouth so he wouldn't see her smirking at him.

"Well, if I'm not interrupting anything-"

"You're not." Marcus sighed, giving in. "The tea will be ready shortly."

Moving gracefully around the kitchen, he accio'd various things; sugar, cream, biscuits, and sandwich makings.

"So, how long will you be able to visit us, dear?" Sir Petto asked, winking at her as he sat down at the kitchen table, leaning his cane against the wall. "I daresay I could let my apprentice have a little time off to show you around town, so long as he doesn't neglect his work too much."

Elizabeth choked back a giggle as Marcus turned toward the table, carrying a tray with the tea service. Placing it on the table, he silently poured for them, his jaw set in a rigidly neutral expression. He sat down in the chair between her and his grandfather, not looking at her at all.

He's quite good at his Occulmency, she thought, carefully picking up an egg salad sandwich and taking a small bite. He's not fooling me. He's furious that we were interrupted.

She swallowed, and then took a sip of tea, formulating what she was going to say.

"I really don't have a set time to go back, sir." She said to Sir Petto, dabbing delicately at her lip with a napkin. "I could probably help a bit around the house for at least a few weeks, that way you and Marcus can concentrate on what he needs to learn in the shop."

"But what about your job, dear?" Sir Petto asked, glancing at Marcus. "You work in Arithmancy for the Dunning Institute, correct?"

"Yes, sir, I do." Elizabeth said, taking another sip of her tea. "However, the nature of my work is that they send me formulas to work on by owl, and I can work nearly anywhere I have a decent table and chalkboard. Usually, I just stay at my cottage in Coldingham and do my work there."

"Well, I'm sure that Marcus can find you a chalkboard around this place somewhere, my dear. Merlin knows, I have just about everything else."

Marcus remained quiet, though his expression had changed somewhat and his ears had turned a bit red. The neutral mask was slipping at the edges, despite his best efforts to keep calm and ignore the small bare foot that was slowly caressing his ankle. He chanced a glance at Elizabeth, who merely smirked innocently and took another sip of tea.

oOo

"Knut for your thoughts." She whispered, her breath tickling his ear.

They were lying in bed together; Elizabeth spooned up against Marcus' back. He sighed.

"I suppose I'm thinking that I really need to get up. It's nearly 7 a.m."

"You're no fun." She said, hugging him. "I already talked to your grandfather."

"You did? He's up?"

"Yes, of course he's up." Elizabeth smirked. "He said, and I quote, 'let Marcus sleep in a bit.' Of course, that was after I fixed him a big breakfast."

"Is there anything left?"

She pinched him, hard.

"Ouch!" He yelped, swatting her hand away as he rolled over to face her. "What was that for?"

"Just seeing how fat you were getting. You should be ashamed of yourself, eating all of your grandfather's food."

"You should see what he makes me do." Marcus scowled. "I had to clean up the attic last month. It took me three weeks to do it, with magic. It was awful."

"Stop making that awful face." She said, running her fingers along a fairly fresh scar on his chest.

"It's from Srednekolynsk." He sighed, running his fingers down her bare back, feeling her shiver under his touch.

"What?"

"Srendkolynsk. It's in Siberia somewhere, on the banks of the Kolyma river. It's where I got that scar."

Now she was trembling again, though he suspected it wasn't his touch. Looking down at her, he could see tears in her eyes as she bit her lip.

"Now, stop that, Lizzie." He said gently, gathering her to him in a hug, kissing her on the forehead.

"I didn't know-"

"No, you didn't." He sighed, hugging her closer. "It was probably best that you didn't. But that's over now, and we're together."

"Thank Merlin." She sniffled, "I've missed you so much."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo