Bound in Leather

finally! an update. can you believe it? neither can i, really.its taken a while, but here we are. let me say that nothing in this is really mine, except for alasdair and aletha and a few other things. everything else belongs to j.k. rowling and i owe her for the genius of her world. i'm really enjoying playing here. but i'm not making the kind of money she is. in fact, i'm not making any money at all.

sorry, no smut here, either. hope you weren't expecting any.

as always, if you like... please feel free to leave me a review. i do so like to hear from you all.

Chapter Twenty Three: Hogwarts
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The house was silent when Remus walked in. He didn't like the idea that Severus' home was so quiet, given that there were two women living on the premisis. He recalled his days as a staff member at Hogwarts. The women there had constantly been gossiping when they hadn't been discussing classes, the latest in Witch wear, and what color undershorts Dumbledore was wearing that particular day. In his experience, when women were around, there was always some kind of noise to fill the background. And there was no noise in the background.

After a cursory glance around the main level rooms, he took the stairs and went up to the second floor. The bedrooms were on that floor and, if either of the women were there, it was likely they'd be in one of the bedrooms.

'Alasdair? Aletha?' Remus called out, already moving up the hall toward the room the women had
been given when he and Severus had brought them both to his home.

'Remus?' his name was said on a soft sob, which worried him further. It was Aletha and he could hear the sorrow in her voice, the tears. He hadn't heard her cry in some time. The fact that she was doing so now put him on edge. He quickened his pace and followed the sound of sobbing. He found her sitting on the floor in her room, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. He knelt down in front of her, reaching out to put his hands on her shoulders.

'What happened, love? Why are you crying?' he asked her gently. By studying her, he could see she'd been crying for some time. Her eyes were swollen and red, as was her nose. Something had upset her deeply.

'Al's gone,' she whispered, two large tear drops slipping down over her cheeks. He frowned, then unwound her arms from around her legs and took her hands in his. With a great deal of ease and tenderness, he pulled her to her feet and moved them over to the love seat, then settled them down on it. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her to him tightly.

'What do you mean, Al's gone?' he gently urged her back so he could look her in the eyes. He could tell by the look in them that this was the worst thing that had ever happened to her, and he knew she'd been through some terrible things.

'She left. I went in to see if she was hungry and she was gone. I searched the house. She's not here. She left,' Aletha told him on a hiccuping sob.

'Are you sure? Maybe she's gone for a walk or she's gone shopping,' he suggested helpfully.

'She took her clothes,' Aletha broke into a fresh round of tears, her voice choked up.

'Maybe she's gone to join Severus on tour,' he supplied. Aletha shook her head, then buried her face in his shoulder.

'She took all of her clothes,' she repeated, putting quite a bit of emphasis on the word all. 'Her room is a shambles. She's gone.' A fresh round of tears stopped any further speech. He watched as the woman he loved buried her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. His heart twisted in pain for her. He had to do something to ease her sorrow.

'Calm down, love. I'll go check and see if I can't figure out what's happened to her. You stay here, alright?' he peered into her eyes, having pried her hands away from her face. She nodded and he could see the hope spring to life in those blue pools that were her eyes. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her, then bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She gave him a watery smile, obviously grateful for his presence and his offer of help.

Remus stood and moved across the room, gave her one last look, then stepped out the door. He hurried up the hall and turned into the suite that Severus had put Al in.He could tell just by looking that Aletha was right. Alasdair had left. The drawers were pulled out and left hanging open. The door to the wardrobe hung wide open, as well. The bed was a mess and he could smell the unmistakable scent of shed tears clinging to the air. He made a cursory check of the room, looking in all the drawers, under the bed and in the wardrobe. Everything was gone. Alasdair had gone. Severus was going to go ballistic when he found out. He'd want to know why. Remus would need to know why.

He knew of a way to find out.

Remus left the room and hurried back to Aletha, this time pulling her up into his arms to hug her to him. His actions brought forth a fresh round of tears and she clung to him. 'Why did she go? What happened? Did Severus do or say something?' she asked, crying into his chest again.

'Love, I sincerely doubt that Severus would drive Alasdair away. Whether he realizes it or not, I do believe the snarky git has fallen in love with her. This isn't his doing. But I know a way we can find out what did happen,' he told her. Aletha pulled back and looked at him.

'How?' she was obviously puzzled.

'Do you trust me?' he looked down at her, doubt in his eyes. She nodded in response. He knew she'd accepted the idea that he was magical easily enough. But, until now, she'd never seen any thing to prove what he'd told her. This would be a trial for her, as most people who weren't familiar with the magical world had problems with House Elves when they saw them for the first time. He sighed and stepped back from her, then lifted his hands and clapped. 'Mipsy!'

With a small pop, the House Elf simply appeared in the room. Aletha jumped, turned wide eyes on the little being, and promptly inched closer to Remus. The Elf's large green eyes blinked up at him as she waited for her instructions. Remus offered her a smile. 'Sir called for Mipsy?' she asked.

'Yes, I did. Do you know what happened to Miss Alasdair?' he asked point blank. The Elf nodded her big head and suddenly looked forlorn.

'Yes, Mipsy knows what happened to Miss Alasdair. That nasty man came and he be's driving her away,' she told them. Aletha relaxed, staring down at the small being with curiosity now.

'Which nasty man? Who was here?' Remus questioned, concerned that Alasdair was in danger now.

'Master Malfoy was being here. He told Missy all sorts of lies about the Professor, Sir,' she said. Remus muttered a curse under his breath.

'Lucius Malfoy?' he pinned his gaze on her. She nodded, a frown pulling the corners of her lips down. 'Lucius Malfoy came and told her all sorts of lies about Severus? What kind of lies?'

'Him be's telling her that Master Snape is an evil Wizard. That Master Snape doesn't love her and that Master Snape is only using her. Him is telling her that Master Snape is glad that the baby be's gone. Him is telling her all kinds of horrible things,' Mipsy answered, anger plain to see on her face and easy to hear in her voice. Remus growled softly in the back of his throat.

'That bastard! Someone should have killed him a long time ago,' the words came out vehemently, spoken to no one in particular. Remus turned his gaze back on the Elf. 'How long ago did Alasdair leave, Mipsy?'

'She's being gone for half an hour to an hour. She's being packed her things and going,' the Elf told him with a sad look on her face. It was obvious that, though Alasdair had never known the Elves, they'd known her and had liked her a great deal.

'Did she walk or take a car?'

'Missy be's walking,' Mipsy confirmed. Remus smiled at the Elf.

'Thank you, Mipsy. That's all I need. I'll see to it that Severus gives you a treat for helping,' he told the little being by way of dismissal. She smiled broadly, then popped out of the room. He turned to Aletha and put his hands on her shoulders. 'She's on foot. Which means she won't have gotten far. I'll go find her. I'll bring her back. I promise.'

Aletha smiled at him, then hugged him close to her. She knew he'd find her girl and bring her home. He could feel the confidence she had in his ability to fill his promise in her arms as they held him tight. He didn't plan on lying to her. Not about anything and certainly not about this. With a smile, he set her back from him, then turned and hurried from the room.

~*~*~*~*~

Al sat down on a tree stump and buried her hands in her face. She was weary, cold and hungry. And she was lost. She'd thought she could find her way to the main road, but the trees seemed to go on for miles. She'd been walking for what felt to her like hours and her feet were tired. It was getting dark out. And she was lost. The sadness that she'd held at bay while searching for her way out of the damned forest returned with a vengence and she found herself quietly sobbing into her hands. All of her hopes and dreams had been shattered in the matter of a few scant moments. She hated Lucius Malfoy for being right. She hated Severus for being wrong. And she hated herself for loving a terrible man.

She didn't know where she was going to go or what she was going to do. She had no money and no identification. There was no way she could get out of the country through legal channels. The moment they found out she was in England illegally, she'd be thrown into jail and left to rot. Her mother wouldn't know where she was and she'd worry. Severus wouldn't care where she was and so no one would look for her. Her mother was in the same boat as she was and wouldn't be able to search without bringing trouble down upon her own brow.

The thought that she should go back assaulted her, teasing her with the warmth and security of Severus' large home. She would be safe there, with her mother. There'd be a roof over her head and food for her to eat. And there'd be a man who would return and throw her aside like the previous day's garbage. She couldn't live with that. She couldn't allow him to destroy her. She had to go on. Before he really broke her heart.

Al struggled to her feet and picked her bag up. She didn't want to go on. She didn't think she'd ever find her way out of the forest. The trees were dense and thick, as if they were the guardians of the property. It felt as if they were purposely trying to keep her from finding her way out of them. Al had taken a total of two more steps when she heard a twig snap. Panic hit her square in the belly like a fist. Some wild animal had come to eat her. She thought about running, but knew from watching nature shows that most animals would chase her because they thought she was prey. She was stuck and didn't know what to do.

'Alasdair? Are you here?' the voice called and she nearly sagged in relief. Remus soon stepped out of the bushes, concern etched into his face. She offered him a faint smile before breaking out in tears. He was there in a heartbeat, his arms around her to hug her to him tenderly. 'What in the name of Merlin are you doing? The forest is no place for you to be.'

'I just had to go. Severus doesn't love me and I... I... I love him so much and...' she wailed, then started to cry hard. He said nothing, merely patted her back and let her release some of her pent up grief. As he did so, many uncharitable thoughts about Lucius Malfoy circled his head. By rights, Malfoy should have stayed in Azkaban. But, after finishing his schooling, Draco had taken control of the Malfoy family's properties and businesses. Including all that went along with that. The young man had had so much money at his disposal that it hadn't been any kind of hardship to simply bribe his father's release from prison.

Of course, there had been some conditions to his release. Draco was the only Malfoy allowed to maintain control of the estate. Lucius was provided with an allowance, but could not hold property. And he was not permitted to live at Malfoy Manor. Instead, he had apartments in Muggle London that had been secured for him. It wasn't far from the Ministry of Magic and there by perfect for surprise inspection visits by Aurors to ensure that their provisions were being abided by. Even Draco was forced to accept that same rule and would occasionally be paid a friendly, or not so friendly, visit by Aurors.

Narcissa had been publicly humiliated and had, before Lucius was freed, moved all of her possession to a small Italian villa where she lived without the stigma of her husband's foul deeds and enjoyed the company of a young Italian Wizard with a reputable family name and a large pocket book. Seeing as Draco was the only occupant of the large manor house, it was rumored he gave wild parties that were supposed to last for days on end. There were several reports that even Harry Potter had attended one. It was also reported that Aurors had been forced to break up the duel that started over a young woman found in a compromising position. In Remus' opinion, the world had been turned on its head and was in need of a swift kick up the backside.

He was also of the opinion that Lucius Malfoy should be boiled in oil, drawn and quartered, hexed and then poisoned so that he died a violent death. And now, the man deserved to be beaten for lying to Alasdair and upsetting her so.

Finally, her fit of hysterics died down and she sagged against him tiredly. He took her bag from her and turned her back in the direction of the house, one arm still wrapped loosely around her shoulder. 'Come along, my dear. The house is much safer than the forest. And, unless my nose is mistaken, it smells of rain. We can't have you stuck out here in the rain. Its cold and miserable. You'd catch your death.'

'No, Remus,' Al shook her head and tried to pull away from him. ' I can't go back. Its too hard. He...'

Remus hugged her close with his one arm and planted a gentle kiss on the top of her head. 'Sweetheart, I'm not going to leave you here. Your mother would have my johnson so fast, I wouldn't have time to think. I rather like my johnson where it is. So, back to the house with you.'

She opened her mouth again, but Remus gave Al no room to argue. He kept his arm about her shoulder and steered her toward the house. When she tried slipping out from under it or when she lagged behind, he kept hold of her and propelled her forward. He refused to leave her to her own devices because he knew that she'd slip away if he did. And her mother deserved better than Alasdair running away like a small child.

By the time they reached the house, the dark clouds had rolled in and covered the sky with foreboding. The moment Remus had Al inside the house, a deep boom of thunder rocked the large building. It was followed by a bright flash of lightning, then the heavens broke open and rain poured down. It promised to be a violent storm and Remus was glad to have made it back to the house before anything happened to Alasdair. She didn't need to be lost in the forest in this weather. Severus had, long ago, put strong wards and hexes on the property to protect it from intruders. It was likely that the forest wouldn't know Alasdair from friend or foe. That would have been disastrous and Remus would have never forgiven himself.

Silently, he escorted Alasdair into the living room. Aletha was awaiting them there and she hurried over to wrap her arms around her daughter. Al sagged into her mother's embrace, breaking once more into sobs and tears. Remus stepped back, giving the two women time to themselves. It was obvious that this was an occasion where Alasdair needed her mother more than anyone else. Remus would only be in the way. Instead, he moved across the room to the other side to stare silently out the window.

Time passed slowly, filled with the silent and soft sobbing Alasdair was doing. Finally, the sound died down and left a sort of deep sorrow hanging in the air. When Remus turned, it was to find Aletha steering Alasdair down onto a couch where it was obvious the two of them would sit and talk. Staring at them, he felt that there was something more that needed to be done. Whatever Lucius had said to Alasdair, it had obviously been very detrimental to her already fragile state of mind.

According to Mipsy, Malfoy had told Alasdair that Severus was a dark Wizard and that he didn't love her. There was no telling what other lies Malfoy had told her. If Alasdair had her way, she'd leave and never return. Severus would come home and suddenly find that infamous temper of his. Someone would suffer because he was suffering. There was only one way to avoid such an event, as far as Remus was concerned. He needed to bring in help. There was only one thing to do.

Remus left the room, hurrying into a small library off the main hall that was rarely used. The books were covered in dust and positively ancient. If he'd had time, Remus would have stopped to look them over. But he had things that needed to be taken care of and was in a hurry. Moving over to the fireplace that took up a third of the wall behind the desk, he found a small clay pot resting on the mantel. It was a simple affair and not very eye catching, which was why Remus knew it contained precisely what he needed. Floo powder.

He lifted the lid and scooped up a small amount of the greenish powder, then tossed it into the fire place and made his floo call.

~*~*~*~*~

Alasdair stared up at the floating gizmos with a stunned expression on her face. Never before had she seen anything so.... amazing in all of her life. She was sitting in a chair before the low burning fire, safely ensconced in the office of the man she'd met once before. Albus Dumbledore reminded her of everyone's favorite grandfather. A little odd, but a whole lot of fun. So much had happened in only a few short moments and her head was still reeling. She'd only just broken away from her mother when Remus entered the room with the older man in tow.

He'd been dressed in pale mauve garments that she still swore looked like an old fashioned night shirt and matching robe. There'd been a sad kind of smile on his face, similar to the one that Remus wore. 'Tell her, Albus. Malfoy filled her head with all kinds of lies. She's going to walk off and leave him if you don't set things right,' Remus had insisted almost zealously. Al had glanced from him to the other man, wondering just what he wanted the older man to tell her.

Instead, Albus shook his head slowly and moved to where Alasdair stood. 'She's coming with me, Remus. Until things can be settled, she needs to stay someplace where she isn't constantly reminded of what's happened. I'm going to take her to Hogwarts. I'll chat with her there and offer her a room so that she can get her head on straight.'

Al had been a touch miffed that they both spoke like she wasn't in the room. But she kept her tongue, her eyes searching out her mother's. While there'd seemed to be a lingering sadness in Aletha's eyes, she'd nodded and given a small smile. It had been her way of telling her daughter that she thought it a good idea and that it was fine to go. That she would be fine alone with Remus. Before Al could say anything on her behalf, Remus was exploding in one of the few, rare examples of anger that either woman had ever seen.

'You can't be bloody serious?! This is the one. This is his chance and you're taking it away! She has to stay here so that he can....' Remus had snarled, but fell to silence when Albus held a single, wrinkled hand up.

'This place has too many memories for her. She needs to be some place neutral where she can think. Where she can decide what it is that she wants. Where she can continue to heal,' he'd stated in a quiet tone that had held all the authority of the world in it. Al had watched as Remus had physically calmed, his face going slack a moment before a slight smile came to his lips. He'd studied the two of them standing there silently a moment, then had nodded and the look that Al had come to know as one that was purely Remus had taken control of his face. A sly look that had meant he was scheming.

'Perhaps you have valid point, Albus. There are a few memories here that she's likely going to want to forget. Hogwarts is an excellent place for that to happen,' he'd nodded and moved to Aletha's side. The older man had smiled and drawn a long piece of finely crafted wood from his sleeve.It had flicked past her and toward the door. Al hadn't heard him say a word but in only a moment, her bag had come floating into the room. Albus had then wrapped his free hand around her arm and smiled down at her in a most grandfatherly fashion.

'Shall we go, my dear?' he'd asked her, then had spoken without waiting for an answer. 'Hogwarts.'

One moment, she'd been standing in Severus' living room. The next, she'd found herself standing outside of a great big castle. A black carriage, without horses, had been waiting for them at the gates. They'd remained silent on the ride up, too many thoughts whirling through Al's head to allow for words or questions. Silently, Albus had led her into the ancient castle. Which brought her to where she was presently. Sitting in a large office before a fire, wondering if she'd suddenly lost her mind.

'Welcome to Hogwarts, my dear. Normally, Muggles can't see the castle,' Albus said, settling down before her in a large, wing back chair. There was a smile on his face and a twinkling in his eyes. She stared at him blankly. 'But I've made an exception in this case and cast a spell that will allow you to see it. I've brought you here to explain what I can.'

'Muggles?' It was the first word out of her mouth. Her curiosity was positively through the roof at the moment and it was the only thing she could grasp right off the bat.

'Muggle is a term used by magical folk to describe someone who can't use magic. You're a Muggle,' he told her patiently. Al was still absorbing what it meant when there was a pop near her ear and the strangest looking creature she'd ever seen suddenly appeared in the room. 'A tray of tea and some sandwiches please, Dobby.'

'Of course, Headmaster Albus. Dobby is most happy to bring a tray of tea and sandwiches,' the creature said, then was gone with another pop. Before Al could make her brain wrap around what she'd just seen, Dobby was back with the requested items. He settled the tray on a low table near Albus' chair, then turned curious eyes on Al. With a smile, he was gone again.

'What?' Al choked out, then halted as a cup of tea and a plate with a sandwich on it floated to her. She took them absently and simply stared, waiting for the man sitting across from her to speak. She felt that it was best for her to remain quiet, otherwise she'd likely go stark raving mad and not be able to stop babbling.

'You'll recall that I told you I was Headmaster at an exclusive school. This is it. Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. I was once a teacher here. So was Severus. He was also a student here many years ago. And I've brought you here to tell you his life story. Or, at least, the part I've had to play in it,' he smiled at her again and sipped his tea. He motioned to her cup with one hand. 'Try some. Its very relaxing. a lovely chamomile with a hint of raspberry to it.'

Al took a sip of her tea and remained silent, merely nodding her head in response to his statement.

'Severus was a bright student and a brilliant Potions Master. He's still one of the best Potions Masters in the Wizarding world. Few can compare to his precise nature and his exacting talents. As a student here, he was very solitary and many of his fellow students thought him to be arrogant and stand-offish. Perhaps he was, but he had his reasons as to why he kept to himself. Few tried to pry into those reasons. One of the few people who he seemed to get along with was Lucius Malfoy.'

'The blonde who came to visit me at Severus' house?' Al asked, finally able to begin processing the information that was being thrown at her. The initial shock was wearing off and she was starting to think again. Albus nodded.

'Lucius was everything that Severus wouldn't and likely never could be. Terribly handsome. Wealthy. Popular with the girls. Charismactic. And yet, the two of them were fairly good friends. Lucius is the older of the two and he managed to persuade Severus into making choices that our favorite Potions Master came to regret in time,' Albus sat back in his chair, a far away look in his eyes that told Alasdair that he was lost in memory.

Absently, Alasdair lifted half of the sandwich and nibbled at it.

'Not so long ago, there was a very bad, very dark Wizard that threatened our world. Much like your Hitler did during the war in the forties. Lord Voldemort gathered followers and, in essence, brainwashed them. Severus was one of these followers. Lucius convinced him that the Dark Lord was going to change the face of magic for one and all. He wanted to rid our kind of those he called 'mudbloods'. People who were of magical and non-magical parents. It took many years and one young boy to destroy one of the strongest magical users of our time. But that is a story for another time,' he told her with an indulgent smile.

'Severus is a bad person, then?' Al asked, her hesitancy and confusion plain to hear in her voice. Albus shook his head and sighed.

'He was a follower of Lord Voldemort's for a time. But he came back to me and the Light and helped in our fight against Voldemort and his followers. His Death Eaters. Severus continued playing the role of loyal Death Eater and spied for me. For the forces of good. At great personal risk to himself, I must add. Without his help, I can honestly say that we might not have prevailed,' Albus informed her, lifting his cup to take another drink of his tea.

'When the war was over, there was no recognition for Severus. No parties thrown in his honor. He never spoke of wanting them, but I know he was bothered by the lack of appreciation. He'd done more work to bring down Voldemort than any one person who fought and he was completely forgotten. In fact, most people only remembered that he'd been publicly accused of being a Death Eater. So, once again, he was shunned and ignored. And this is what drove him to seek out fame and fortune.'

'That makes sense, I suppose,' Al nodded. She thought she could understand why he would seek out such a lifestyle when he'd been ignored and forgotten all his life. On stage, people loved and adored him. And she thought that she could see how he'd be happy with that for a short time. But, being the intelligent man he was, he'd soon seen that it was all a lie and that he'd only traded one hell for another. Which had brought him to her. A thought struck her. 'So, when he came to me the first time, it was because he was living the lifestyle. But, when he came back, it was because he wanted to.'

'Exactly,' Albus nodded, smiling at her. He was glad to see that she was as intelligent as he had hoped she was.

'So Remus was right? That Malfoy person lied to me?' she asked him, her eyes filled with both fear and hope.

'Yes and no,' Albus sighed and glanced to the large window, set high in the wall behind them. Al turned to look, too, and saw that a heavy snow was drifting down outside the pane. The heavy storm that they'd left in was no where to be seen and, with the warmth of the low fire in the hearth, Al felt content and safe. Even if she missed her mother and the smells of the house that she'd come to look upon as home. Mostly, she missed the smell of Severus' hair clinging to her pillows. She sighed and glanced down at her cup.

'Severus did do many terrible things in his youth. Many in our world still look upon him as a dark Wizard,' Albus explained gently, watching the emotions flow across her face like waves riding up onto the beach, crashing against each other as they chased themselves back out into the sea. 'That, however, doesn't mean that Severus is a bad person. Quite the opposite is true. He may not think so, but I know so. That boy has a deep sense of honor that is hard to find among even men of my age. He is intelligent and has always known what it is he wants, if only in the darkest recesses of his soul. He just doesn't know, with the rational and most used side of himself, what he wants. Yet.'

Al looked up at him and he caught the glimmer of tears in her eyes. She was trying hard not to give into them and cry before him. Albus realized that things were still too knew and painful for her, that she was going to need longer to heal before she would be ready. He sighed again and set his tea down on the table near his elbow. 'Alasdair, I believe you need time to further heal. I don't think that you're completely over things that have happened. I should like to put forth an offer. Please give it thought before giving me an answer.'

'Alright,' she nodded, wondering why he suddenly seemed so serious. He'd been serious before while they'd been talking about Severus, but this was different. She settled her hands in her lap, the cup of tea cradled between them for the warmth as much as anything else, and waited for him to continue.

'Things at the moment would seem to be very much in the air. I know that you're confused as to your place in the grand scheme of Severus' life, especially now that you know who and what he truly is. I can't speak for Severus, as I don't know what's in his heart. But I know that if you run from him, it will only add fuel to the fire of his solitude and loneliness. I'm sure he has feelings for you, but he needs time to find them on his own,' Albus explained to her with a faintly weary look on his face.

'That's kind of you to say, but I don't know that its true,' she replied softly.

'You don't know that it isn't true. All I'm asking is that you give Severus an opportunity to find out for himself how he feels about you and himself. Don't run away from him now. Not when I believe he needs you so very much,' Albus told her. Al shook her head, obviously ready to argue with him. Albus lifted a hand to forestall her words. 'You once told me I needed a secretary to help organize my time. I'd like to offer the position to you. You would have free room and board here within the school and you would have a sense of purpose again. I'm quite certain, given the work you did previous to this, that you feel as if you're useless at the moment. I'd like very much to change that.'

Al blinked at the sudden change of topic. Why would he want her to stick around? He'd told he that she was a non-magical person and it was obcious to her as she cast her gaze around the room that this place was spilling over with magic. 'But you said people like me can't normally see this castle. Why would you offer me a job that would keep me here when I obviously don't belong?'

She fell silent before adding that it was just as obvious she didn't belong in Severus' life for that exact same reason. Instead, she lifted her cup and sipped at the cooling liquid. For a moment, she gave consideration to telling him no. But she had no place to go. She didn't think, at the present time, she could go back to Severus' house. No matter how much she missed it. It reminded her to too much that had happened. If she turned down his offer, she would have nothing at all. No money, no shelter, no food.

'The castle is hidden from prying eyes who would never understand. You already know about our world and, to remove so much of your memory would be a disservice to you. I believe that you would enjoy being here with us,' he said softly. Coaxingly. 'If nothing else, stay and enjoy the Christmas season with us. There truly isn't any place in the world quite like Hogwarts around the holidays.'

'That's very kind of you, Albus,' she told him. He offered her a bright smile, able to see the thoughts in her head by the emotions that passed over her face. After several long moments of silence, she nodded her head. 'Alright. You've convinced me. I'll stay and give your proposition a try. I think I can be a secretary. I hope you don't expect me to dress in business clothes, as I have none.'

'Not to worry, dear. I'd be more than happy to supply some appropriate clothing, if you wish,' he chuckled. 'Though I don't really care. I only want someone to help me keep myself organized.'

'Then maybe you should hire someone else,' she grinned at him.

end chapter twenty three.
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as always, thanks go to my usual bunch of supporters. they really do keep me going. a special thanks to my bud, Cat, for her input. love you guys bunches. big hugs and all. you know who you are.

i know that this chapter is really off the end, but then the whole fic is completely AU, so i suppose i can do some funky things. at least i've got an explanation as to the why of it.

if you like this, please let me know. reviews are really appreciated. more appreciated is the time you take to read this. i hope you enjoy my efforts and can, if only for a time, get lost in my world.

and finally...

to west dean: thank you so much for reading this. i honestly try not to do the expected, though i suspect that this chapter will have some expected things in it. hopefully you'll like it anyway.

to dragon34: yes, Lucius was a bit of an assin that chapter, wasn't he? i'm sure Severus will find Al amd i'm sure he'll make Lucius pay for being such a shit to her. the fact that you were feeling so many emotions during that tells me that i must have done something right when i wrote it. thank you for that. there are times when i wonder.

to Angie: i'm glad you like the story. i'm sure that things will all get sorted out soon enough. Severus just needs to figure out what he feels and all. and i'm sure Lucius will get his when the time is right.

to Yabo: late is fine. i'm just glad you like this and could find it again. if you like, i can email you and let you know when i've updated.

to Anon: i couldn't help the Elvi bit. thanks. i kind of liked it myself.

to Star: glad to see you back and glad you like it. hope you like this chapter, too.