In Need

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A/N - Thanks for the reviews - I love hearing from you! Thanks also to everyone following the story - all of you keep me psyched up to keep going with it.

I apologize again for taking awhile between updates - I promise thaey wey will keep coming, have just been busier than usual these days.


My best wishes to all of you,

Rapunzel

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Out of the Bag

A stunned Severus Snape vaguely heard the Waters\' come out to greet Albus Dumbledore, who had just arrived at their home. “Alison, John - Happy Christmas! It is good to see you. I trust that you have been well since the last time we met? I see that you are already acquainted with my potions master. How have you found h



The Waters’ laughed and, talking to Dumbledore, swept through the house to begin dinner. Wondering what to make of all of this, Severus took Megan’s arm without a word and allowed himself to be guided into the dining room.
Dum Dumbledore pulled a small picnic hamper from his robes, sat it down on the sideboard, and tapped it with his wand. It rapidly expanded, and Mrs. Waters came over to help him. “The house elves have, as usual, outdone themselves,” said Dumbledore, opening the lid and taking out several covered platters of food.


When they finished putting everything on the table and everyone was seated in their places, Dumbledore removed the gleaming silver covers from the trays with a brief flick of his wand and the feast was revealed. As they had a toast and began the meal, Megan looked at Severus to check his reaction to the news she had revealed to him today. She knew how much he cared for Dumbledore, and at the same time, she felt a small bit of worry that he would be angry that she had kept it secret until now.


Severus looked at her quietly for a moment, his brow drawn. He finally asked, “You are a Dumbledore?”


Relieved to finally get a reaction from him, she answered, “Yes, but my family name is Medgrae. My whole name is Megan Dumbledore Medgrae Waters. My mother was a Dumbledore, and my father’s family was as well, a couple of generations ago.”


“A Medgrae!” Severus’ black eyes gave an unchecked flicker of surprise. “That is an old name that I have not heard in a long time.”


“It hasn’t been used in awhile. I’m the only one left.”


“Why haven’t you told me before now?” he asked, sounding curious rather than accusatory.


“You are the only person outside the four of us to ever know it - I feel close enough to you to share it, and I figured that this would be the best time and place to do it, since he comes here every year too. I figured it would be more pleasant this way than just throwing it out there at Hogwarts.”


“And it has needed to remain a secret for security?”


“Mostly, yes. People know that we are close, but not knowing the full connection will give us a certain sleight-of-hand advantage when we are planning for battle. Plus I wanted to be able to establish myself and not ride on the coattails of a powerful relative. I’ve done alright at Hogwarts so far, but it’s because of my own work, not because I’m Dumbledore’s niece. Are you okay about it?”


He took her hand and nodded. Satisfied, she tucked into her meal, leaving him with his thoughts as she chatted with the others.


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As the meal wound down, Dumbledore gave Megan a serious look. “My dear, this has been a lovely day for you so far, but I’m afraid that it might be wise for you to change your plans. I know that you and Severus were going to stay here tonight, but your absence,” he said, furrowing his brow, “has been noticed. In particular, it has been noticed that you are missing together. If you were to both attend the Yule Ball this evening, I believe that the situation would be remedied.”


He looked at her pointedly, and she knew that he meant that some of the Slytherins had been talking. Severus was listening to them intently, also perceiving the problem.


Shit. She hadn’t thought about that.


Megan’s stomach clenched instantly in anxiety and fearful dread for her family’s safety. Even though Dumbledore only meant that a couple of kids were wondering what was going on, her mind raced through the potential outcomes of them mentioning it to their parents who could in turn come looking for Severus to reveas ses secret. And he was here with her parents.


It would take a lot for foes to break through the protective wards around the place, and with three powerful wizards inside to protect them she was sure that a skirmish could be managed, but she didn’t even want the death eaters to begin to try to find them or to even have any idea where to look. Naturally, anyone who believed that Severus was a heartless cad who was holding her under an imperius curse for his own gratification would find it odd and potentially suspicious that he would accompany her somewhere on a Christmas treat.


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“Kelly, come help me get the coffee ready,” said Alison Waters.


Her own old anxiety had started to creep back in. She resented having such a good time together ended early, and it also hurt her feelings that Kelly had so readily agreed to Dumbledore’s advice. Christmas was one of their favorite holidays together as a family, and it felt good to have Kelly back home and to become better acquainted with Severus. Alison Waters knew that Kelly was an adult and had her own life, and she was genuinely proud of her, but the importance of family time was something that she and John had always emphasized. While there was no way that she could fully understand the wizarding life, she had always done her best to understand what she could about the information that Dumbledore gave them, even before she and John had become Kelly’s guardians. It was just such a rare treat to see Kelly these days that she had a hard time with having to let her go early.


As the kitchen door closed behind them and Kelly picked up the scoop to measure out the coffee, Mrs. Waters turned to her and asked, “Are you really going to go back today? Honey, we hardly get to see you anymore, and you only just got here yesterday!”


“Mom, I\'m really sorry - you know that we were planning to stay until tomorrow night, but Albus thinks that for all our security it would be better if Severus and I return today. We got away with missing dinner, but he says that it was noticed by certain people… If we don\'t show up at the Yule ball tonight, people will start to wonder where we are, and I will not risk your safety by having anyone try to search.”


“What are you talking aboutlly?lly? You know how well-protected Albus made this place. And who cares where or how you two spend your free time? It’s Christmas, for goodness sake!”


“Of course it’s safe here, Mom, but to help keep it that way, we need to keep the wrong people from sniffing around. I\'ve told you already about who Severus is and who he needs to convince of his loyalty - they go to *any* lengths to keep tabs on their people.”


Mrs. Waters was angry and hurt. “Kelly, I know how important your work at Hogwarts is, but you can\'t just leave the rest of us behind! We are your family and I think we deserve more of your time than this, and so do your friends. Have you even looked through your message book? Did you see how many times Kia and Emily have called for you? Jen was getting so worried that she actually made a trip here, to the DC flat, and even to Grandma\'s in New York to find you - she didn’t believe it until she saw for herself that you weren’t just avoiding her. Everyone wants to know why you\'ve dropped off the face of the earth, and we\'re running out of excuses!”


Megan’s stomach twisted tighter into a painful knot, and she felt her throat getting tight. She felt awful about making them feel bad and about having to miss out on a holiday that she had been enjoying very much, but she didn’t know how to make her mom understand without going into more detail than she was willing to give.


Her hands shaking, Megan laid down the coffee scoop. “Mom! Do you have any idea what I\'m doing there? This isn\'t some game that I\'m playing - I *can\'t* put any of you in harm\'s way! I promise that after all of this is over, I\'ll be able to spend time with you and catch up with all of them.”


“Baby, I *know* what you have to do,\" said Mrs. Waters, her voice choking, \"why do you think it upsets me so when we get to see so little of you? At least you are faithful about calling and owling us. If you really can\'t risk a visit with them, couldn\'t you at least phone or write your friends? You\'ve found places away from Hogwarts to call *us*, and I\'m sure you remember how to send a letter through the post. We’ve taught you better than this.”


“Mom, please - I...,” Megan said, her voice cracking. She closed her eyes and was unable to continue for a moment. What felt the worst about it for her was that her mother seemed unable to see the whole picture and give her the benefit of the doubt - she seemed to think that Megan was quite eager to leave them. Megan didn\'t want everyone to see her upset, so she focused and tried to collect herself.


Everyg heg her mom said struck her painfully in the heart, and it was exacerbated by the fact that she was unable to make her point understood. Her friends did seem a lifetime away and she did miss them. It made her feel awful to know that they felt discarded by her, but there really wasn\'t much she could do about it. All she needed was for one wrong person to see her with any of them, and that friend could end up as the ‘entertainment’ at asequsequent death eaters’ gathering. Calling them or writing them wouldn’t be much better - not only were such things easily traced, but calls and letters would raise more questions than they would be able to answer.


There was a lot about her old life that she longed for, but that autumn night out with Bill and the kids when Severus had come to her rescue, had been a harsh (albeit thankfully benign) wakeup call to her that things were different now. It marked the beginning of her departure from most of her muggle ties.


Voldemort and his helpers had tortured and killed her parents when she had been too young and weak to do anything about it, and it had grown over the years into an almost fanatic determination to do whatever she could to keep the people that she loved safe. She wasn\'t sure if she could survive another loss like that.


She had been looking forward to this holiday with her family more than she could express to them. After all - like Dumbledore had said to the Order - who knew when the next time for celebration would even be? Severus hadn\'t yet begun work on the co-apparation spell they would need to find and attack Voldemort, and in the meantime, there were a million things to prepare for battle.


And, she found it much easier to think aboue wae war and strategy if she detached herself from it. Thinking about it as one more challenge to master, one more goal to push herself toward - that made it something that she could think about productively. If she started to allow herself to think about what could happen to everyone dear to her - well, that just bogged everything down, so it was rare that she let herself even acknowledge those thoughts while she was working.


Megan hated to ever let it show when she was upset - she felt like she needed to be positive for everyone, even when she didn’t feel particularly positive at all. A distant and little-acknowledged part of herself recognized a vague sort of longing to be able to unburden with someone - but anyone around whom she felt comfortable enough to let go was also someone that she would want to protect from any additional worries. It ended up that she usually followed her uncle’s lead and kept it all to herself.


Her lips trembling and her voice thick with the effort of not crying, Megan whispered hastily, “I\'ll be back in a little while - just tell them I was getting antsy and went out for some air.”


Leaving no time for a reply, Megan disapparated with a sharp crack.


Still feeling disappointed and now also feeling badly about how her exchange with Kelly had gone, Alisateraters brought out a tray with the coffee and a trifle on it. She regretted arguing during what little they had left of the afternoon, but her heart had felt too full to let it go. She hoped that Kelly would come back in soon and that they would be able to settle it and enjoy the rest of their time together.


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When the ladies went to the kitchen, the men went into the side parlor and sat down. John Waters poured drinks for them, and Severus and Dumbledore sat looking at each other. Dumbledore, in his infuriatingly patient way, was waiting for Severus to speak because it looked like he had something on his mind.


That was completely true. Severus was well-practiced in thinking things through before reacting, and with something like this, he was going to be especially careful with how he handled it.


On the one hand, Severus was aware that he couldn’t have picked a better choice than Dumbledore to be Megan’s uncle. Severus knew him, cared for him, and he had been the only consistently positive presence throughout most of Severus\' life. He had demonstrated true unconditional regard for Severus and had persistently advocated for him when others doubted his intentions.


But therein also lay his difficulty. Dumbledore held such an elevated place in Severus\' esteem and regard, that it would be a lot to live up to - by anyone’s standards, actually - to be a part of his family. Severus would be one more thing for Dumbledore to be concerned with and extend his protection around… but then again, he supposed that he already did.


And then there was Megan - knowing her in this new light made him see much that had, intentionally or otherwise, escaped his notice. He chided himself for getting so caught up in the way she made him feel that it led him to seeing her through rose-colored glasses. With the revelation that Dumbledore was her relative, and with what he already knew about her growing role in the resistance, Severus guessed that there was a lot more to Megan than met the eye.


As he took a long sip of his drink Severus shook his head and mused inwardly at the absurdity of the situation - Megan’s tall frame, blue eyes, formidable magic, and diplomatic style of rapport hadn’t tipped him off to her identity, even all the times he’d seen the two of them side by side. ‘Well,’ he thought, ‘age her eighty or ninety years, turn her hair white and stick a beard on her, then maybe it would have eventually come to me.’


No, he decided he really couldn’t blame himself for not seeing it. Knowing Dumbledore, their names would be magically protected and could only be known to those who they voluntarily told. Even beyond that, for all the similarities they shared, Megan’s privileged youth, particular life circumstances, and individual personality had made her a distinctive character with her own identity apart from Dumbledore.


Adopting his usual tone, Severus finally spoke. “You certainly look pleased with yourself. Quite the little treat of a secret you’ve been sitting on this whole time, you exasperating old man,” he said, looking through narrowed eyes at Dumbledore.


John Waters looked on in amazement at the change in demeanor that had come over Severus, and was shocked that someone would actually speak to Albus Dumbledore like thaDumbDumbledore smiled, pleased to see Severus acting like himself, and helped himself to a chocolate from a dish on a side table. “It has been most amusing indeed, Severus, to witness your infatuation. I, of course, had no idea you would take to her like that.”


Severus snorted and rolled his eyes. “You might as well be surprised at a Weasley for having red hair. You need to have a less fetching niece if you are worried about her turning heads - I’m only human, after all.” He paused briefly and then continued, “As long as I’m already in on the family secret then, do you raise any objections to my proposing to her?”


Dumbledore looked warmly at him and said, “I have seen how happy she is with you. I couldn’t think of a better partner for her.”


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Severus and Dumbledore looked up sharply when they heard the apparation, and Severus raised an eyebrow when Mrs. Waters entered the room without Megan.


“Where did Megan go?” asked Dumbledore.


Before she even answered, Severus could see right through the neutral expression with which Alison Waters tried to mask her face. With a minimum of discreet probing, he saw that she and Megan had argued, and he read the mingled frustration and regret on the woman’s face.


Without a word, he got up and went outside, pausing only a second to put on his cloak and pick up a jacket for Megan. He looked up and down the beach and didn’t see her there, so he walked over to the stable. The horses all looked curiously at him as he entered, but he didn’t see Megan. He was turning to leave when he heard sound coming from a side room. Quietly opening the door, he saw Megan sitting on a varnished wooden bench in a small tack room. Her face was covered and she was inhaling shakily, settling down from crying.


As she felt a warm jacket being gently laid around her shoulders, she peeked through her fingers and saw Severus standing there. Taking a shaky breath, she said, “Please go back inside Severus. I just need a minute to calm down. It’s really nothing.”


“I don’t think so, love - you have been there too many times for me to expect me to turn away. Why are you upset? I thought that you were enjoying your visit.”


He sat down on the bench and straddled it, and turned her around so she was straddling it too, facing him. He slid her to him, pulling her close in a protective embrace. As he flicked his mind gently over her normally guarded feelings, he was taken aback by their intensity and felt shame for not sensing them before, and wonderment at her for being able to block such things from him.


“Megan…,” he said soothingly in his deep velvety voice. Her face was pressed up against his shoulder, but he took her chin in his hand and gently pulled her back so she was facing him. His face was concerned and his deep black eyes looked at her in appeal. “These times are going to be difficult - we both know that. You believe that I have too much to deal with sometimes, but I want you to understand that there is always room for you, no matter what I must bear.”


He was quite amazed to hear those words coming from his mouth. He hoped that none of the lingering insecurity showed through in his voice - what if she threw it back in his face? What if, among all of these feelings of burden and duty she was carrying, he was the subject or cause of any of them? He was not exactly a model of compassion or sensitivity - he only hoped he would know what to do for her if she actually accepted his help.


Little did he know that the fact that he simply cared about it enough to ask was enough for now. Sensing his true presence there with her, Megan felt a wave of strength come over her that was a new kind from anything she had ever experienced before. She was strong and she knew it - she had worked hard for most of her life to become so. What had never occurred to her before, though, was the potential buttressing of her strength that was available outside herself. True, she had many people that she loved and who supported her in many ways, but Severus was the first to not only express his love for her but also to see through her defenses and offer something helpful and not just assume that she didn\'t need it.


Amazed at the relief she found in just a few words from him, she wiped her face on her sleeve and looked tenderly at him. “Thank you.”


There would be no better time than this, and even if there was, he couldn’t bear to wait any longer. His heart feeling like it might fly out of his chest, he said, “Marry me, Megan.”


Taken aback, her eyes widened and she said, “What?”


“Please,” he continued, “any eloquent thing I might have prepared to say in thinking of asking you this has flown completely out of my mind, but it does not matter. All I know is that I love you like I can love no other, and I want no one . Y. You hold my heart and my esteem and I wish for my life to be joined with yours.”


Looking at him in astonishment for a moment, Megan finally found her voice. “Yes, I will. I would love to marry you.”


He pulled her close and kissed her, running his fingers down her cheeks. They looked at each other with a sort of wonderment, letting what had just happened sink in. He looked up, remembering something, and took a ring out of his pocket.


“Have you been among the muggles long enough to accept such a token?” he asked.


She gasped in happy surprise, and he felt a visceral tug of pleasure in response. It was gorgeous - a wide platinum filigree band held a large brilliantly faceted diamond that sparkled even in the dim light of the tack room. As he put it on her finger, she mused aloud, “I didn’t know you could even do that with platinum. Look how delicate it is!”


Smiling slightly, Severus replied, “Dwarves are experaftsaftsmen in working with metal. Even though it is bowing to muggle tradition to give this to you, I wanted my lady to have a ring from the magical world to symbolize our intention.”


Beaming, she kissed him tenderly, and it quickly turned into a more passionate kiss that twined through their hearts. “I can’t believe this is really happening,” she finally said, as they broke away from the kiss. “I love you so much.”


“I love you too, Megan,” he said, looking at her seriously. “I never imagined that I would know someone this well or care about them so much. I will do whatever I can to make you happy.”


After another embrace, he stood up and held out his hand to her. “We should return now. Your mother feels badly about your exchange and is waiting for you to come back.”


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As they came back into the house, Alison Waters was relieved to see Megan and hugged her. “I’m sorry - we just miss you is all.”


“I know, Mom,” Megan said into her mom’s hair. “I’m sorry too. You know that as soon as all of this is over, everything will be back to normal. Now come with us - we have something to tell you.”


They all went into the parlor where John Waters and Dumbledore were. “We have news,” saidan, an, grinning, a blush creeping up her neck and cheeks. “We’re getting married!”


Everyone started talking happily at once, and Severus braced himself. He did not look forward to having to face this sort of chipper discussion as others learned the news, but doubted that he would have much choice in the matter. He patiently received hugs from the Waters’ and waited as they vented their excitement. It was not his style by any means, but at least they really were glad about him being with Megan instead of cringing in horror at the somber figure she had chosen as her life companion.


The rest of the afternoon sped by, and all too soon it was time for the three to return to Hogwarts. Even for a short visit, it had, overall, been wonderful, and as she took one last look around her before disapparating, Megan felt recharged and ready to return to her Hogwarts life. For as much as she generally liked being back in the magical world, this was home to her too, and the abundance of love she had always received here was a valuable reminder of the strength of goodness and hope.


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The Yule Ball was already in full swing when Severus arrived that night. He winced at the cacophony poorly disguised as dance music that screeched and wailed from the band, and grimaced when he realized that he had forgotten to bring along a headache remedy. The rest of Hogwarts seemed to enjoy the so-called music, though, and he found himself to be one of the few people in the school taking a seat at a table along the wall. The Weird Sisters were still the popular choice after all these years, and he rolled his eyes as he watched the students and faculty dance to the racket.


He caught a glimpse of Megan in the fray and automatically suppressed a smile that threatened to appear. He remembered watching her from the sidelines at the Halloween Ball just sho short months ago, feeling intermingled twinges of desire, intrigue, and annoyance as he watched her happily dance with the rest. Now, she looked much the same as she did then, but he mused at the difference in his own perspective. He liked watching her, seeing how people were drawn to her, and knowing that at the end of the day she was going to come home to him.


Megan had just twirled away from Professor McGonagall and was now in a circle of seventh year girls who were copying her moves and laughing at sof thf the crazier ones she was trying to get them to do. After only four months, she was already a favorite among the students, and Severus knew that she genuinely cared about them in return. She swirled over to Hermione Granger and twirled her around. Laughing, Hermione danced along with her, but the girl’s lack of coordination made her stumble a little, and she grabbed Megan’s hand to steady herself - and then she felt the ring there.


With a startled look on her face that she quickly covered up, Severus watched Hermione sneak a look down at Megan’s hand and then glance wonderingly back at her face. Not surprisingly, as soon as Megan moved on to dance with Hagrid, nimbly avoiding his humongous feet, Hermione made a beeline for her group of friends. Their heads bent toward each other in discussion, they all looked up and searched for him. He mheirheir stares with narrowed eyes, and they quickly looked away again and bent together once more in consultation, trying to appear nonchalant.


Severus looked back to where Hagrid was, but he was now off to the side getting a refreshment. He scanned the floor and looked for Megan’s head above the crowd. He didn’t know where she had gone until she snuck up behind him and covered his eyes.


“Guess who,” she whispered in hir.
r.


“As if there is anyone else here who would even dare to try such a thing,” he growled, taking her hands and steering her to the chair next to his.


“I wish we didn’t have to stay here. I can think of a lot of ways I would rather spend the evening of my engagement than as a make-out monitor.”


He gave her a penetrating glance, and she felt herself shiver in response. His dark hair had fallen across his cheek, and she longed to kiss him. The final hours of the dance dragged by, and after Severus checked in with his prefects and did Slytherin rounds, they were finally able to close the door behind them.


They moved together intensely and deliberately that night, experiencing each other as if it was their first time together. As Severus moved in Megan, their eyes locked - their communication was beyond words now, their touches instinctual. When Megan finally lay shivering, sated, and exhausted beneath him, Severus gently scooped her into his arms and pulled her close against him a lay lay on his side. He tenderly pulled a blanket around them and brushed her hair away from her face. He watched her eyes slowly close as she fell asleep, looked at her breath rise and fall evenly, and saw her eyelashes flutter lightly on her cheeks as her eyes moved to watch her dreams.


Who would have thought that a heart as hard as his could have gotten such a soft spot upon it? Somewhere in the middle of his musing, he fell asleep too.

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A/N - Just to clarify the whole Dumbledore being in 2 places at once for Christmas - since Connecticut is 5 hours behind England time, and since wizards can zip around pretty fast with portkeys, I\'m playing the angle that he could have Christmas Dinner #1 at Hogwarts and then just go to the other place where it would still be morning. (Don\'t you wish international travel could really be like that?????)

A/N - Props to my old dear favorite \"Lord of the Rings\" for the idea of making dwarves skilled metal workers.

Also, the part where it says that Megan is strong and she worked hard to become so sounds an awful lot like something Westley says in the \"Princess Bride,\" so I\'ll give credit to that too.

Maggie - Thanks!!! :-D I\'m so tickled that you were surprised. Thank you so much for your kind words - they are truly appreciated!

CoffeeBuzz - Always good to hear from you! :-)

Kath - You raise an excellent point! It\'s actually something I have thought a lot about myself when developing the char., and she\'s actually been made that way deliberately. The examples that you give are good ones - think too about Dumbledore - he doesn\'t really seem to have any flaws at first glance, and I wanted the Megan character to be a sort of youthful and feminine imitation of him. Also, I wanted poor hated Sev to get the \"good\" girl - I have seen a lot of really great fanfics bring him together with a partner for various reasons - his greater powers help protect her, his finances help her, his life experience enchants her, they have a history together, etc. Also, have seen him getting compared to Lucius Malfoy who gets everything he wants and has a beautiful but cold wife. These make for fascinating stories, and I wanted to see if I could pull off the angle of her needing nothing at all from him and simply liking him for who he is. And I liked the twist of him seemingly having to put a woman like that under a spell to get her to spend time with him and the fellow death eaters thinking so lowly of him that they buy it. I threw in a couple of hobbies that I happen to enjoy to give her some depth and to also serve as plot vehicles. Having said all tthouthough, I don\'t think that there is really any such thing as a flawless character - with someone who is basically well-adjusted and easy going, you have to look deeper to find the cracks, but there are always some there. If Dumbledore has any flaw, it\'s trying to take on every burden by himself, and I think that it has been the same for her too, hinted at in the ogueogue & some other places where her bravery becomes bravado. (Always a signal to something they\'re trying to hold too tightlen sen someone starts to seem \"too perfect.\") At any rate, though, I hope that she doesn\'t come off as too saccharin, and I appreciate the heads-up to keep my writing accountable. Thanks for following the story - hope you like where it goes. :-)