A:N/ Wow, sorry it's been so long. I've been in the process of moving and the stress that accompanies that has really put a dampener on any kind of creativity. However, I'm now settled and the muse came back to me.

A knock on the door woke Rose from her nap. Minerva tensed underneath her before gently trying to move. Rose smiled and stretched as she looked up at Minerva.

"How long was I asleep?" Rose asked, moving enough to allow Minerva to get off the bed.

"Ten minutes." Minerva replied as she left the bedroom and went to the door. Rose yawned and got herself comfortable, determined to go back to sleep. She sighed when Minerva popped her head into the bedroom. "Albus and Rolanda are here, darling." Rose groaned and reluctantly pushed herself off of her bed and walked into the front room, smiling at the visitors.

"Hey guys, whats up?" She asked, perching on the arm of the sofa, checking her watch for the time. It was almost 8pm and she was exhausted from the days events.

"I just wanted to check you were alright after what happened today." Rolanda spoke first. "It rattles me every time I take a dive or almost fall." She smiled at Rose, who returned it.

"I'm fine, thank you Ro." Minerva passed her a mug of tea. "Thanks sweetheart." Rose took a sip and raised an eyebrow at the mild taste of a potion. Minerva just smirked at knowing she was caught. It was a simple calming potion, one that Minerva knew her wife would need after this talk with Albus. "Absolutely no injuries, I'm just exhausted." Rolanda smiled.

"That'll be the comedown from the adrenaline." The hawk-eyed witch then sighed. "Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened today, I shouldn't have-" Rose held up a hand to stop her apology.

"Don't finish that sentence! I didn't get hurt, Harry just needs a good sleep and he'll be back to normal. Everything is okay." Rolanda nodded but didn't look convinced.

"Rolanda, you do realise that Rose would've got involved whether you had asked her to or not, don't you?" Minerva asked. "You know what she's like with that hero complex of hers." Minerva supressed a smile at the incredulous look from her wife. Rolanda chuckled and Rose saw that her wife was saying this to make Rolanda feel less guilty.

"As much as I hate to admit this, and believe me I really, really hate it... Min's right. As soon as I saw any danger, I would've been wading in whether I was sat in the stands or sat on a broom. Please don't blame yourself." Rolanda nodded once and then grinned at the McGonagall's.

"Thanks." She glanced sideways at Albus and then stood. "I'm gonna get going, see you tomorrow." She rushed out of the room, leaving a confused Rose and a wary Minerva behind her.

"And what can we help you with Albus?" Rose asked, taking a larger swig of her tea.

"I am here to chastise you for what you did today." Minerva gripped her own mug tighter in an attempt to hold her temper. Rose just waited silently for him to continue. "It sets a terrible example to the students, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes." Rose answered and Minerva's eyes snapped to her wife. She was not expecting that answer. "But I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Minerva smirked, that was more like Rose.

"I had control of the situation, it was I who stopped him hitting the ground." Rose was equal parts happy that he had saved Harry and furious that he was really telling her off for what she did.

"And it was you who allowed those monsters to be here, which caused him to fall in the first place!" Albus held up a calm hand and Rose knew that without the potion in her tea, she would've blown up by now.

"They are here to ensure our safety." Rose just raised a disbelieving eyebrow and said nothing. Minerva was impressed with her wife. "Personally, I am proud of your actions today Rose. Your courage and bravery are what make you who you are. As Headmaster, I have to urge you not to repeat such 'reckless behaviour'." Rose nodded slowly.

"I'll certainly try." She replied, her voice dripping sarcasm. She finished the rest of her tea in one gulp and vanished the mug whilst walking to the door. She held it open and gestured outside. "Good evening, Headmaster." She spoke sharply and Albus sighed before standing up and leaving with a goodbye. Rose closed the door behind him and rolled her eyes.

"The Ministry must've seen what happened today and want to do damage limitation." Minerva spoke, leading Rose back into the bedroom and into bed. "It wont do well for them if there's negative press about the dementors."

"It doesn't do well for anyone that there are even dementors around." Rose responded, sighing heavily before snuggling back into Minerva. "I'm tired."

"I know you are baby." Minerva felt Rose shake her head.

"No, I'm tired of politics. Of being on my guard all the time. Of feeling like I'm losing my family." Minerva frowned.

"What do you mean?" Minerva asked quickly, holding Rose tighter. They had never discussed this before.

"I feel like I'm losing the twins. That bond we had when we were living in Hogsmeade is fading-"

"Rose sweetheart, it's not!" Minerva soothed. "Incidental magic is quite common, and considering both of our tempers we've been very lucky this hasn't happened before." Rose sighed.

"You're right, I know you are." There was a 'but' hanging around her words, so Minerva remained silent until she carried on. "But I just want us all back together." Minerva kissed her wife's forehead.

"I know, so do I."

-PageBreak-

In some rare spare time, some weeks later, Rose was alone with Violet in the quarters. There was a quiet knock on the door and Rose slowly padded over. She suspected it was Pomona or Rolanda but was happily surprised to see Harry.

"Hey Rose." He greeted casually. She grinned and stepped aside to let him in.

"Are you alright?" She asked, gesturing for him to sit on the sofa next to Violet. He didn't answer immediately, he was smiling down at a happily gurgling Violet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks. That's actually why I'm here." He looked up at Rose.

"Oh?"

"I wanted to thank you for what happened with the dementors at the quidditch match." Rose opened her mouth to speak but Harry carried on. "I know I don't need to thank you, but I wanted to. You risked your life for me without thinking."

"I've had practice! I was always rushing to your father's aid when he fell off his broom." Harry's eyebrows raised in surprise and Rose chuckled. "Your mother would've hexed me if I didn't!" Harry smiled as Rose drifted off in the memory. Her eyes turned incredibly sad before settling on something more neutral. "So don't worry about it. How are you feeling now anyway?"

"I'm good. Professor Lupin taught me the patronus charm." Rose grinned. "My patronus is a stag." Rose nodded, Remus had told her of this but she hadn't brought it up with Harry and wouldn't until he was ready.

"Like your father." Harry gasped in surprise. Apparantly Remus hadn't told him this. "It's not unusual. You are very similar." She smiled at him.

"What's your patronus?" He asked and Rose was momentarily frozen at the sudden realisation she was having a casual conversation with her nephew.

"Panther. Well, panther cub. It matches my animagus, which is common, but I don't know why it's a cub. Minerva believes it's something to do with my 'inner immaturity'." Rose rolled her eyes but the smile made it clear she was joking. Harry chuckled and Violet's hair glowed purple, making Harry gasp. Rose picked her up and cuddled her close.

"That's amazing!" Rose smiled in agreement. "Does she do anything else?" Rose laughed at the question.

"At the moment, no. Her hair glows like that when she's happy. I imagine when she's older she'll experience accidental magic, if she's anything like her sister, and morph without meaning to. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Rose answered.

"Isobel had accidental magic?" Rose nodded and sighed, remembering the day and the devestated and apologetic mess her daughter became afterwards.

"I gave her a bit of a telling off for her attitude which only served to make her angrier. Before she even knew what was happening I was halfway across the corridor." Harry gasped in shock. "Don't worry, I'm fine. She's fine and still sorry! It happened just before that quidditch match actually."

"I suppose it's not really a surprise when she shares yours and Minerva's genetics." Harry stated and Rose urged him to continue. "Well, Professor Lupin told me a few things about you when you were younger, he said you were always impulsive and hot-headed, but in a good way!" He added on quickly. Rose smiled. "And while Minerva's not impulsive, she is passionate and probably as hot-headed as you." Rose laughed and nodded.

"When did you get so insightful?" Rose teased and Harry blushed and shrugged.

"I guess I got some things off my mother too." Rose blanched and nodded.

"Yeah. You did." She smiled sadly at him, a smile which he returned.

"Anyway, I best be going. See you later Rose. Bye Violet!" He said his goodbyes, gave both Rose and Violet a small hug and left.

"Your cousin really has matured an awful lot." Rose spoke softly.

"Hawwy!" Rose pointed at the door Harry had just left through and was smiling, oblivious to her mother's sudden surprise.

"Pardon?" Rose asked, hoping Violet would repeat herself.

"Hawwy Hawwy Hawwy!" Rose grinned widely.

"Yes that's right! That was Harry! You clever girl!" She stood quickly and almost rushed to find Minerva, but remembered she was teaching so instead decided to visit Hagrid. The walk was usually lovely, however with the dementors around it was cold so Rose didn't dawdle to enjoy the scenery. She knocked hard on the door and it was pulled open immediately.

"Rose! Hullo there!" Hagrid greeted loudly, moving aside and letting her in to the warm hut. "And you brought along little Violet, what an angel." Rose grinned. "Cup of tea?"

"Oh no thanks Hagrid, I won't be staying too late…" The reason why she wouldn't be staying late was obvious and Hagrid nodded solemnly.

"Nasty bit o' business them dementors."Hagrid spoke distractedly as he poured himself a huge mug of tea, Rose ambled over to a sleeping Fang and stroked him behind his ears. She looked up at movement outside along the edge of Hagrid's garden and the beginning of the forrest and gasped.

"Is that a Hippogriff?!" Rose readjusted Violet in her arms and avoided Fang's slobbery mouth.

"Oh yeah, tha's Buckbeak. Lovely creature despite wha' anybody might say. A lot more sociable than his brothers." Rose turned to look at Hagrid.

"Why? What might anybody say?" Hagrid sighed and shook his head, dropping into a chair. Rose sat opposite him.

"That Draco Malfoy deliberately provoked Buckbeak into 'attacking him'- He didn'!" Hagrid immediately reassured. "You know wha' hippogriff's are like. He didn' respect Buckbeak."

"Have you heard from Mr. Malfoy yet?" Hagrid shook his head.

"No, but I'm expectin' to soon enough." Rose nodded her agreement and looked out the window again, noticing with surprise how dark it had gotten already.

"Sorry it's been a short visit Hagrid, but I best be getting back to the castle before dark." Hagrid nodded and stood.

"Understood, do you want me to walk you back up?" Rose thought about it for a moment and then shook her head.

"No, but thank you for the offer." She extended her hand and squeezed his forearm before leaving and rushing back to the castle. She didn't slow down until she could see the doors to her quarters. She opened the door and called for Ivel who immediately popped in front of her. "Could you take Violet for me while I go to dinner?" He nodded and she was rushing back to the Great Hall, she spotted Minerva as she turned the corner and ran a little harder to catch up to her wife.

"Need I remind you not to run in these corridors?-" Minerva started as she turned around, not expecting to see her wife running towards her.

"Sorry professor." Rose quipped, smirking. Minerva swatted at her arm and continued to walk with Rose now beside her.

"Did you have a good day?" Rose shook her head and Minerva frowned. "No? Why? What happened?"

"Nothing. And that was the problem. It was so boring… And I missed you."

"I missed you too." Rose suddenly swooped in from the side and wrapped her arms around Minerva, who quickly scanned the corridor to make sure they were alone before giving her wife a cuddle back.

-Page Break-

Rose arrived back to Hogwarts with less than half an hour to go before the evening meal. She had taken Violet to Molly Weasley's and left her there for the night, after much nagging from the Weasley matriarch who had urged her to spend some 'adult time… Not like that' with Minerva.

As she entered the castle she saw the back of Dumbledore and a man in all back carrying the largest axe she had ever seen. How could Albus allow anyone to stroll around the castle with an axe like that?! She followed the two men discreetly all the way to Hagrid's hut and saw Buckbeak tied to the pumpkin patch, seemingly asleep. Hagrid rushed out to greet Albus and the unknown man with a worried look on his face.

"You don' need to do this-" Hagrid began, his booming voice waking Buckbeak. Rose turned at the hippogriff's movement and noticed Harry, Ron and Hermione rushing away into the forest. She quickly uttered a disillusionment charm and decided to follow them, already guessing who the man in black was and why he was there.

"Merlin they move fast." Rose wheezed, she had been running in the forest for around fifteen minutes and was lost. There was no sign of the trio anywhere and in the back of her mind it registered that Minerva was expecting her in the Great Hall for the evening meal. She could turn around and get back to the castle fairly easily but she shook her head at that idea. When had she ever 'turned back'? Her ears suddenly picked up the sound of a scream and she turned to where it was coming through, immediately running towards it. Eventually after fifteen minutes of sprinting she came to a clearing and the Whomping Willow came in to view, shaking and hitting out violently. She jumped to the side to dodge a thick branch and saw drag marks leading in to the bottom of the tree. She dodged another branch that sailed towards her by throwing herself into the roots of the tree and slid into what seemed like a tunnel. "Jesus." She whispered, fumbling for her wand and casting Lumos. She shot a ball of light down the tunnel and watched as it kept going before eventually disappearing. This tunnel had to be miles long but the ball of light had shown her that there was nothing lurking and it was just one, long tunnel. She ran down it, her feet stomping hard on the ground with each step. Eventually it began to rise so she slowed down, coming up to what appeared to be old wooden floor beams. She heard a commotion above and used her wand to blast the beams out of the way as she pushed her body up and into… The Shrieking Shack?!

"Rose!" Harry shouted from behind her and she turned quickly, immediately raising her wand at the man a few steps from Harry. "No!" Harry warned her but she wasn't listening. There stood Sirius Black.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione… Stand behind me."

"Rose, that isn't necessary." A calming voice reached her ears and she frowned in confusion, turning her head to see Remus come in from another room. He embraced Sirius and Rose's hand clenched harder around her wand. "Hello old friend." Remus greeted Sirius with a smile, which he returned.

"Traitor!" Rose shouted, readying her wand to fire a spell at the two men she once called her friends.

"Traitor? You want to see a traitor?" Sirius spoke and Rose blanched at the sound of his voice, it had not changed. Before she knew it, Sirius had his wand pointed at Ron and an incantation was leaving his lips. There was nothing Rose could do. A small, greyish lump jumped out of Ron's hands and in mid-air grew to the size of a human, landing on the floor with a thud. "Here's your traitor." Rose kept her wand trained on Sirius, Remus and the human lump on the floor. "Peter Pettigrew." Rose's eyes widened as the man on the floor pushed himself up and away from group.

"Now, now Sirius, please…" He began to whimper and Rose gasped, it really was Peter. Remus flicked his wand towards Peter and smirked as vines seemed to come out of the floor and wrap around his wrists and ankles.

"I think we all need to take a moment to discuss what has happened." Rose nodded dumbly, her wand flicking between the three men. "Rose please put away your wand." She shook her head at Remus' suggestion.

"It wasn't me. I didn't kill those people, it was Pettigrew." Sirius began talking quickly, sensing that he didn't have much time before Rose actually used her wand. "He tricked everyone into thinking it was me because I found out what he had done." Rose lowered her wand and looked at Sirius.

"What did he do?" She asked, her voice shaky.

"He was Lily and James' secret keeper. I asked them to change it from me because of… You know… You and me… They picked him," He shot a dirty look at the shaking man on the floor, "because he was so willing, so eager… He was working with He Who Must Not Be Named, he betrayed us all." Sirius took a daring step toward Rose, and when he saw that she didn't flinch or target him with her wand he took another until he was within reaching distance. He put his hands on her arms. "I'm so sorry." She turned to look at Remus, forgetting for a moment the three students stood watching them.

"Did you know?" Remus nodded. "And that's why you began teaching here, I imagine?" He nodded again. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"You wouldn't have believed me, Rose." He spoke in his usual calm voice. "I had to be sure that nothing blew this." Rose allowed herself to fall in to Sirius' embrace and then pushed herself away when she heard Pettigrew begin to talk.

"Please, Rose… Please don't kill me. Remus, Sirius… We were friends, we're old friends. We were like family." Rose raised her wand fast enough to shock him into silence.

"Stop talking." Her nostrils flared as her anger seemed to build up, then ebb away. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to take you to the Ministry," She stepped closer to him and lowered her voice so only he could hear her. "The dementors… They'll kill you." Remus removed the binds and him and Sirius lifted Peter to his feet by his arms and walked him out of the shack. It was then that Rose remembered Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Are you all ok?" She asked and two out of three nodded, Ron was as pale as a ghost with a greenish tinge.

"I think my leg is broken." He mumbled meekly, leaning heavily on his friends.

"Don't worry Ron, we'll take you to Madame Pomfrey now." Hermione reassured as they left the shack. As soon as the door closed behind them they knew something was wrong. Peter was gone, Sirius was holding a bent-double Remus and the area was oddly bright for a late hour. "Oh no… It's a full moon." Hermione gasped before a loud growl was heard and Remus was advancing towards them, only it wasn't Remus… It was a werewolf.

"Remus. Remus! It's us, it's me… It's Rose and these are you students, come on!" She tried, knowing it was in vain. Suddenly barking and growling diverted Remus' attention as Sirius, in his animagus form, jumped at his back. Rose turned and told the three to get back to the castle, which they began to do. A yelp got her attention and she saw Sirius laying on his side, Remus again advancing towards her. "Go!" She shouted at Harry, Ron and Hermione before turning into her own animagus form and jumping at Remus much in the way Sirius had, landing on his back and then on the dirt behind him, making him turn around and follow her. She nudged Sirius' prone body with her head and nipped at his legs until he stood back up on shaky paws. The two of them growled at Remus, goading him into following them both further into the woodlands around the shack and away from the trio trying to get to safety.

Rose and Sirius ran together, knowing that Remus was hot on their trail. It had been a long time since they had done this, the last time resulting in Sirius breaking his arm and Rose having to carry his animagi body on her back away from Remus. From nowhere, a howl was heard and Remus seemed to forget all about the two of them and took off through the woods towards the howl. Rose and Sirius kept running until they came to a clearing by a lake and returned to their human bodies, both of them gasping for breath. Rose dropped to her knees by the edge of the lake, taking handfuls of water and splashing them over her face, Sirius did the same until their hands met ice that was previously water. The two looked up at the same time and dread filled them when they were met with the sight of over one hundred dementors. The dread worsened when they heard footsteps and turned to see Harry and Hermione come into the clearing. Their sudden arrival got the demetors attention and the rattling of breath was deafening. Rose reached for her wand whilst pushing herself away from the lake and towards her nephew and his friend. Sirius was not so quick and a dementor was already looming over him. In a moment that seemed to last forever, she rushed over and cast her patronus at the dementor over Sirius whilst shouting at Harry and Hermione to leave. From behind her came strong and feeble attempts at patronus' but they were having little effect on the sheer amount of dementos by the lake. Rose felt helpless, a feeling exaggerated by the dementors as she tried to pull Sirius' body away, however exhaustion had already began to take over her body and just moment after she sent off her own patronus, she slumped over Sirius' body, their hands still clasped tightly together. In her last conscious moments, she saw an ethereal stag gallop across the lake and the dementors beginning to clear.

-Page Break-

Rose woke suddenly, scrambling and pushing herself up only to feel arms pushing her back down.

"Rose calm down you're safe now." A voice told her, a voice that she couldn't place yet knew she trusted. Then she closed her eyes and fell back into the blackness.

-Page Break-

The next time she woke was less frantic, she opened her eyes slowly, allowing them to adjust to the light. She was in the hospital wing alone, in her own room and could hear footsteps nearing. The footsteps belonged to Poppy, who smiled wide at her.

"Hello Rose." Rose smiled back, the smile turning into a grin and then tears came to her eyes. Poppy rushed over and Rose leapt out of her hospital bed, wrapping her arms around Poppy.

"I missed you." Rose spoke into Poppy's shoulder, smiling when the woman returned her hug.

"I missed you too, darling girl." Rose stepped back and wiped her tears, surprised to see Poppy doing the same. "I'm sorry-"

"Forgiven and forgotten, I'm sorry I held a stupid grudge for so long." Poppy smiled as Rose sat back on the hospital bed while Poppy checked her over.

"There's nothing like a near-death experience to shake things up." Poppy quipped and the events from the previous night flooded back to Rose.

"How's Harry? Hermione?!" Poppy placed her hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Both fine. Tired, a bit shaken, but ultimately fine. Harry's been waiting around since I discharged him to see you. Should I send him in?" Rose nodded and took a moment to utter a few spells to fix up her appearance. Suddenly small arms were wrapped around her waist.

"Rose, I'm so glad you're alright!" Rose held Harry to her, one hand around his back and the other in his hair. As she held her nephew, he filled her in on all that had happened. How Sirius had escaped on Buckbeak, the two of them now on the run from the Ministry. How he had thought his father had sent a patronus to save them, however it was a future version of himself travelling with the use of Hermione's time turner. Rose held him tighter at that. The last thing she had remembered was that patronus, and the sheer strength of it. They spoke for a while, until Poppy had told Harry it was late enough and he had to leave. After the boy had left, Poppy told Rose the same with a smile.

"Do you know where Minerva is?" Poppy paused for a moment and then shook her head.

"She hasn't been in." Rose nodded slowly, confused and worried, and said her goodbyes to Poppy before rushing to her quarters. It was around 10am on a Saturday so she knew Minerva wouldn't be teaching and would, more than likely, be grading papers in their quarters.

She smiled as she the heavy oak door shut behind her and walked towards her wife at the desk, taking the seat opposite.

"Hey." Rose offered and Minerva looked up briefly.

"Hello. Glad to see you up on your feet again." She answered bluntly before going back to her papers.

"I'm surprised you even knew I was off my feet… You didn't come to see me, did you?" Minerva shook her head.

"No, I didn't. Albus filled me in on what happened." Rose frowned.

"What's wrong?" Minerva snorted and shook her head.

"I don't know Rose. Maybe it's that, yet again, you went gallivanting off leaving me completely in the dark as to where you were. Maybe it's because you made me worry, maybe it's because you could've got yourself killed." Rose nodded.

"And every other time I've done that, you've been there. So what was different this time?" Minerva didn't answer her and continued staring intently at her desk. Until she suddenly looked up.

"Don't you dare!" She bellowed, pointing a finger at Rose, her eyes blazing.

"Well if you won't talk to me how do you expect me to find out what's bothering you?!"

"By not using occulemency!" Minerva stood, her chair toppling over with the force and her palms banging down on her desk. Rose concentrated again and was suddenly in her wife's mind. She saw snippets of her rushing around, then talking to Albus, Albus giving her his memories of what he saw. Minerva worriedly taking them and pushing her head into the font, reeling back out with horror. Then Minerva pushed her out of her mind. "Stop it!"

"What did you see?" Minerva stormed into the bedroom, ignoring Rose who was following her. "What did you see?!" Minerva turned so fast it made Rose stumble.

"You and Sirius Black, your body on top of his, your hand in his!" Rose blanched and Minerva sank on to the floor, defeated and deflated. "He was innocent of it all." Rose joined Minerva on the floor.

"And you think that changes how I feel for him, for you?" Minerva shrugged and refused to make eye contact with Rose. "It doesn't change anything. I was trying to drag him away and I passed out. I was pulling him by his hands, by his clothes, by anything I could grab. I couldn't leave him to die." The two women remained silent as the words sank in, Rose stood slowly, offering a hand to her wife who took it and allowed herself to be pulled up and into Rose's arms. "I love you. Always and only you." Minerva's hands gripped on to Rose's robes.

"I love you too, Gods so much."