Hand and Heart

[AngelQueen]

*snorts with laughter* Oh, that was great! Mummy Minerva and Daddy Albus start making out in their hospital bed and it's not something Diana and Sev really want to see... *giggles* That was adorable! ;D

Minerva was an Unspeakable? *is curious* Interesting...

I rather liked the whole silent argument. It really does demonstrate just how much those two really do love one another. *smiles slightly* They'll be alright...

Wonderful chapter, Aurinko! Excellent job!

AQ

[Sola]

awwww...that was sooo cute!

The family trivia between the four was absolutely adorable.
The arguement was also kind of ute...how albus whants to keep his family save...

Anyway....great job...hope for news soon...

Sola

[Aurinko]

Chapter Thirteen: Twenty Minutes

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Diana managed to slip out into the hallway and close the door before she began to shake. She crossed her arms in an attempt to control her trembling and leaned back against the door weakly, biting her lower lip.

“What’s wrong now?” Severus asked, the hint of irritation in his voice masking his genuine confusion and concern. When she continued to shiver uncontrollably and failed to reply, he sighed and raised his arms slightly to her in silent invitation. Diana once again buried her face in his chest, immensely comforted by his solidity.

“What is it?” he repeated, more gently.

“It’s just…it’s too much,” Diana choked, clinging to him like a limpet as she trembled violently from head to toe.

“Hush,” Severus said, patting her back awkwardly. “They’re fine.”

“I know,” she replied tearfully, her words muffled slightly by the folds of his robes. “It’s just that—it could have—what if—”

“Don’t do that, Diana,” he told her sharply. “You’ll drive yourself madder than you already are.”

She drew in a shuddering breath and looked up to glare at him. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I know,” Severus replied modestly, his lips contorted oddly as he hid a smirk.

Diana’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “I just—Severus…”

He sighed deeply. “I know,” he said. “They’re fine. Remember that.”

She nodded mutely, her trembling decreasing slowly. At long last she took a deep breath and stepped away, straightening. “Thank you for understanding,” she said softly. “I’m sorry—I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

He shook his head as if to dismiss her apology, and then smirked at her. “You’re just like your mother.”

“I’ll take that as compliment,” Diana replied airily, flashing him a small smile. “Shall we see to the others now?”

Severus grimaced, but followed her down the hallway back to the room.

Mrs. Weasley, Diana noted with warmth, rose the moment they entered the room. “How are they?” the red-headed woman asked anxiously.

Diana smiled. “They’ll be fine. They’re tired, of course, but they’ll be all right. They were well enough to tease Severus,” she added mischievously, glancing over at the man in question.

He glared at her, crossed his arms, and refused to comment.

Oh, Severus. You’re impossible.

No response. The man was impossible.

“That’s good news,” Mrs. Weasley said happily. Behind her, Mr. Weasley smiled in relief; Mr. Lupin relaxed slightly. “Can we see them?”

Diana’s eyes widened and she hesitated. “They’ve just gone to bed,” Severus interrupted smoothly. “Perhaps tomorrow, Molly.” Mrs. Weasley nodded and turned back to speak with her husband. Diana shot Severus a grateful look.

Nice save.

Save? It was the truth. Your parents were going to bed. The gleam in his dark eyes left no doubt as to what he was insinuating.

Severus! My mother’s hurt, you git! Diana exclaimed, blue eyes wide in outrage.

Well, would you care to explain why we left so soon? he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Diana closed her mouth abruptly and shot him an evil look. Oh, just shut up, Severus!

His shoulders shook slightly and Diana’s glare intensified.

Suddenly, the door banged opened from behind them. Startled back into the present, Diana and Severus turned to watch as strange young woman in blue Auror robes strode in. “So what’s going—what’re you doing here?” she asked, breaking off to stare at Diana suspiciously.

Diana went cold. How did Severus do this every day? “I came to see if the professors were all right,” she replied honestly. Diana did not miss the interested looks coming from the Weasleys and Lupin.

The Auror’s eyes narrowed. “And you are?” the young woman demanded rudely.

“Diana Rowe,” Diana replied congenially, offering the Auror her hand and pausing in obvious anticipation.

“Nymphadora Tonks,” the young woman ground out, shaking Diana’s hand as briefly as propriety allowed. Diana relaxed fractionally. Black’s cousin, the Metamorphmagus. The one who breaks everything, she thought with a hint of a smile.

Tonks glanced over at Lupin, leaning against the back wall. “Who is she?”

Lupin shrugged. “I’ve no idea,” he admitted truthfully, making Diana smile. Tonks bristled visibly, and with a start, Diana looked over at Severus questioningly.

I don’t know and I don’t care, he snapped in response to her inquiry, mouth twisted in distaste. Merlin knows that they’re both stupid enough to suit each other wonderfully.

Diana chuckled softly under her breath, hiding a smile. Well, there’s only one way to find out for sure…

As expected, Severus rose to the bait. Don’t you dare, Diana! Lupin’s a— Severus broke off with an audible growl and Diana was forced to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Even stupid Metamorphmagi make useful spies. It won’t help the Order if you turn her into a squirrel.

You always ruin my fun, Severus, Diana said petulantly, inwardly grateful for the familiar distraction his pointed banter provided.

Well, if you’d stop acting like a little girl and more like the adult I don’t think you ever grew into—

Oh, shut up, Severus. You—

“So,” Lupin interrupted from behind them, “are you going to explain to us who you are and why you’re here? I didn’t know that Albus and Minerva had any living family, other than his brother.”

Diana paused. She had not been given permission, and her parents had enough to worry about at the moment. She turned around. “They don’t. I lied,” she said shortly. Severus let out a short bark of laughter; the others frowned at them. “I’m the daughter of Minerva’s oldest friend,” Diana began. That’s technically true, she thought. None of Mum’s friends are older than Dad. “She died when I was quite young, so Minerva raised me. She’s the closest thing that I have to a mother.”

“What was her name?” Lupin asked quietly.

“Serena Rowe,” Diana replied, allowing a hint of regret to creep into her voice. She barely remembered the woman who had agreed to play her “mother,” but her mother and other aunts always spoke of the mysterious Serena fondly.

Diana was very, very lucky. None of the Order members present had known Serena personally, but Molly Weasley had often heard her mother speak fondly of her old friend. “Serena Rowe…that’s right. She was a Slytherin, wasn’t she?”

“Yes,” Diana replied, smiling.

“What house were you in?” Lupin asked curiously.

Severus snorted. “Gryffindor, of course,” he spat, answering the question for her. “She’d never make a Slytherin.”

Oh, really? Diana drawled in a manner fairly reminiscent of Severus, raising an eyebrow at him. What about that time when I made you think that you’d—

Diana! Severus exclaimed, dark eyes tinged with alarm.

Never say never, she replied, smirking. Diana turned back to the rest of the Order, blanching when she realized that they had all watched their little exchange with interest. Uh oh…

[Aurinko]

“How are you two related?” Mrs. Weasley asked strangely.

Diana frowned at her, puzzled. “We’re not.”

“So you lied about being related, too?” Mrs. Weasley said disapprovingly, still with an odd note in her voice that Diana did not understand.

“Well, yes and no. I mean, we’re not related, but Severus is family, of course,” Diana replied easily, missing Severus’s frantic gestures of negation. She turned to him with a smile, recalling his reaction to her mother’s words, and frowned at the stark horror on his face. Severus was staring at the others behind her, however, and did not meet her eyes. Puzzled, Diana turned back to the Order.

As if electrocuted by her gaze, Mrs. Weasley blinked and stared at the two of them incredulously. Behind her, Lupin, Tonks, and Mr. Weasley were gaping at them. “What is it?” Diana asked, genuinely confused.

“Why didn’t you just tell us that you two were married?”

Now it was Diana’s turn to choke. “What?”

“You’re not married?”

“No!” they shouted simultaneously, startling each other.

Black eyes met blue. Would being married to me be that terrible?

No, of course not—I didn’t mean it that way, I just…

“Why would you think that?” Diana asked Mrs. Weasley abruptly.

The red-haired woman looked between the two of them slowly, shook her head, and then turned back to Diana. “You said that Severus was family. We had some time to discuss this after you had left. You two seemed so close that it just seemed—”

“We’re not married!” Diana stated heatedly. Mrs. Weasley simply observed her evenly, and Diana resisted the urge to growl. Throwing her hands up in frustration, she turned back to Severus. It’s not that I don’t love you, Severus, but honestly! Don’t people believe that a man and a woman can be platonic friends anymore?

Obviously not, Severus replied dryly, smirking at her.

Damn Slytherin, Diana thought grouchily. She nearly growled at him when his smirk widened. Stop reading my mind!

It’s not my fault that you’re too emotional to shield properly, he retorted.

Severus Salazar Snape, stay out of my—

“I apologize for the mistake,” Mrs. Weasley said.

Reigning in her anger as she turned to face her, Diana shook her head and smiled slightly. “At least you thought I was his wife—the last time we ran into Severus’s friends, they thought I was his whore,” she said lightly, ignoring the horrified look that came across Mrs. Weasley’s face; whether from the woman’s knowledge of Severus’s “friends” or the thought, Diana did not know.

These are not my friends, Severus growled at her.

Those weren’t your friends, either, she reminded him pointedly. Seeing him recoil sharply, she paused. Granted, she had enjoyed winning the point back, but from Severus a reaction like that always meant…

“Not now,” Severus said firmly, whispering into her ear and startling Diana. Looking at Lupin, he announced in a louder voice, “If you want to get Potter, he’s at Headquarters.”

“Potter—Harry?” Lupin questioned quickly, amber eyes narrowing.

“He had to be kept out of the way,” Severus replied disdainfully. “If you have any questions, you can address them to Miss Granger when you get there.”

“Hermione?” Mr. Weasley said, puzzled.

“Ronald should be there as well.” Now it was the Weasleys’ turn to frown at him. “Well, what are you all waiting for?” he asked pointedly.

“We’re going to talk about this later, Severus. In great detail,” Lupin promised, his anger and frustration clear.

“Looking forward to it,” Severus answered challengingly.

Unable to reprimand him mentally while he was glaring at Lupin and unwilling to do so aloud, Diana held her tongue.

“As will we,” Mr. Weasley said disapprovingly. “They are secure?”

“Yes.” For a brief moment, Diana wondered if Severus had been insulted by the question. She knew better than that.

“You’re staying here?”

“Yes,” Diana replied clearly. Severus shrugged.

“We’ll see you tomorrow then,” Mrs. Weasley said. “Diana, dear, it was nice to meet you. Until tomorrow, Severus.”

They nodded at the others as they exited the room, Tonks last of all. The young woman shot a skeptical look at them as she left, but said nothing. Then, thankfully, they were alone.

A few flicks of her wand transfigured the wooden chairs into more comfortable chintz armchairs. Ignoring Severus’s scornful snort, Diana fell into one of the chairs with a small sigh, instantly comforted by the familiar squishiness. Severus seated himself uneasily in the chair opposite hers, and Diana was suddenly struck by the thought that perhaps her father’s favorite furniture evoked other memories for him.

It was too late for second thoughts. She cast a few more spells at the door, noting with mild alarm that Severus continued to stare at an invisible spot on the wall.

“Severus?” Diana inquired softly. “Are you going to tell me?”

For a long minute he remained completely silent, and she feared that he might shut her out entirely. She was about to apologize when he spoke suddenly, and from darkness.

“I killed Lucius to save Minerva.”

She knew instantly that he did not consider it a fair trade. Oh Merlin, this is worse than I’d thought.

---

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed on the board! ;D

My beta (my thanks to Flying Auk, who's great!) says I'm making this more of a Severus fic rather than an AD/MM fic, so I'll try to get back to that. Sorry about the Severus thing. I just really like Snape, and find his story in this equally fascinating. Next chapter will be AD/MM. Lucius fallout will have to wait.

[AngelQueen]

*chokes with laughter* The banter between Diana and Severus was hilarious!! ;D Those two act like brother and sister so much it's scary! *grins* Or a married couple would be another good description... *giggles*

Ah, so Severus' grief over Lucius seems to be making its way to the fore at last...

Wonderful post, Aurinko!

AQ

[DumbledoresKitten]

Ah! So was if there's more Sev-Di banter than AD/MM. The banter must be just as much fun for you to write as it is for the rest of us to read. I'm still laughing, and i read that early this morning (okay yesterday morning at this point! lol)

I'm loving this story and all the elements and sub-plot you're bring into it. Though looking forward to more ad/mm in future chapters.
cat

[Jaya]

I really enjoyed the banter as well! A well written argument is always nice to read. Can't wait to read the next chapter!

Jaya ;D

[Sola]

Again another amazing chapter!
I like the Sev/Di part more and more.
Legelimens rocks!

Anyway...great job.

Sola

[Aurinko]

Just realized that I'm far behind in updating here. Sorry!

Chapter Fourteen: Recurring Nightmares

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Something pricked him in his sleep: a sharp, cold feeling that woke him abruptly and left an unpleasant feeling in his gut. Albus’s blue eyes opened slowly, a slight frown upon his face. Dismissing his unease as some kind of post-traumatic anxiety, he attempted to return to sleep but abandoned all attempts when he caught the rasping intake of breath from the woman beside him.

Concerned, Albus rolled over to look at Minerva and felt his heart drop: though her eyes were tightly closed, she was clearly terrified. Her body was tense and unnaturally still, her left hand clenched into a fist pressed into her chest.

“Minerva?” Albus asked gently. The woman shuddered slightly but gave him no sign of recognition. Now greatly alarmed and quite worried about his wife, Albus tried again, reaching out a hesitant hand towards her shoulder. “Minerva?”

She started at his touch, flinching away like a wild thing, her eyes flying open as she stared at him in terror. Albus quickly suppressed his flash of hurt at her reaction with his worry. “Minerva? It’s me, Albus. You’re safe,” he tried again, making sure to keep his voice reassuring and even.

She shuddered violently and continued staring at him wide-eyed. Her obvious fear of him stabbed Albus in a way nothing else had; neither Tom’s cruel words nor Minerva’s anguished face at his arrival had hurt quite like this. For a brief moment he felt a surge of pure, unadulterated hatred for the monster that had reduced his Minerva to this.

She flinched visibly at the anger in his face. “You’re not real,” she said shakily, trying to shift as far away from him as possible. “You’re not real…”

“Min—” Albus began hesitantly, unsure of how to proceed.

“No! You’re not him! Leave me alone!” Minerva cried, shaking violently now. “I won’t tell you anything!”

Albus’s heart constricted painfully. “I know,” he said quietly, the pain in his voice stopping Minerva short. Her head snapped up and she looked at him incredulously. For a brief second, a flash of recognition shone in her eyes, only to be quickly extinguished.

“No…” she whimpered, cringing away from him and further into herself. “No more.”

Albus grasped then, in full, exactly how Tom had attempted to extract information from Minerva after the traditional methods had failed. Since he had been unable to get anything out of her as himself, he had tried to do it as Albus—and probably everyone Minerva had ever known. Albus was nauseated by the thought of what had been done to Minerva by someone in his form. She had never been particularly good at shielding out projections, and though he knew that Tom had never broken her mind, the continual strain of keeping her shields up for seven days straight, probably without much food or water, and with all the injuries that the mediwitch had catalogued…

“Merlin, I’m so sorry, Minerva,” he whispered, closing his eyes and turning away in momentary defeat. He had failed her magnificently. No one but the great Albus Dumbledore could have—

Albus’s eyes flew open at the familiar, feather-light touch that flitted across his cheek. “Minerva?”

“A—Albus?” she asked hesitantly, observing him with a mixture of fear and hope that would have been comical had he not been so close to tears.

“Minerva.” Unwilling to allow Tom another moment’s victory, Albus simply enveloped her in his arms, careful of her injuries, and opened his heart to her. She stiffened at his touch and nearly cried out, but he would not allow her to leave. This was harder and far less clear than using Legilimency, more feelings than words, but it was the only form of communication that could never be falsified. It was how they had always communicated, long before they used the parlor tricks he had taught her, before they fully knew what they were doing. It was a level far beyond that of the mind, for just as their magics were connected, so were their hearts. Minerva It’s me I love you I’m sorry I should’ve come for you Never should have let you stay Love you so much Please Sorry Love you…

Albus could feel her struggle with his onslaught and sent her one last truth, so simple that it could never be garbled, yet so absolute that in telling her, he gave her all that he was in that instant. I. Love. You.

She froze and looked up to meet his eyes. Emerald and sapphire sparkled and shone as she allowed him past her shields. I love you, Minerva. Forever and always.

Albus. There was no doubt in her tone, only relief and affection. Minerva finally collapsed, spent and weeping softly, against his welcoming arms.

When she had quieted, Albus asked her gently. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She tensed in his arms, relaxing again as he traced soothing circles on her back as he had done for Diana as a baby. “No, but you need to hear it and I need to tell it.” The trace of her usual humor reassured him slightly, but he knew that he would hate whatever she said next. She expressed her desire to him, and with a wave of his hand Albus rearranged the pillows behind her and propped her up against them, drawing back a little to observe her properly.

“You found out how I was taken,” she asserted. Albus nodded: he had gotten the name of every person in the square that day, copies of all twenty-eight testimonials and the Auror’s report through quasi-legal channels, and had grilled the poor Order members until they began actively avoiding him. “I was thrown into a cell in the basement of a manor—a different one from the one you found me in. They took me to see You-Know—Voldemort the next morning.” Minerva trembled a little as she said the monster’s chosen name; Albus took her hand encouragingly. “I can’t—will you watch it?” she asked him quietly.

Albus nodded despite his misgivings. If she had lived it, he could watch it. Just remember that she’s here now. She’s safe.

flashback

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She was roughly hooded and then taken away by portkey. Her feet had barely touched the ground when the bag was ripped from her head and she stumbled forward—straight towards the smiling monster seated before her. “Ah, Minerva, it’s good to see you again.”

Minerva looked over at the…creature before her and silenced the urge to shiver. “I wish I could say the same for you, Tom.” She would call him Tom because she had known him as such—and because he hated it—but he no longer bore any resemblance to the boy she had known. He was no longer even remotely human.

Voldemort laughed harshly. “Are you afraid of me, Minerva?”

“No,” she replied steadily, meeting his red eyes with only the slightest hesitation.

Voldemort smiled evilly. “You lie.”

Minerva’s green eyes flashed in anger and alarm and she slammed her mental shields down forcefully. Voldemort winced as he was thrown bodily from her mind hard enough to toss him back against his seat with a thump. Two of his followers rushed forward thoughtlessly, but he drove them back with a wave of his hand. He frowned angrily at Minerva, who was enjoying a brief moment of victory.

“So he’s taught you Occulmency, has he?” Voldemort whispered softly. Then he began to smile, and Minerva’s heart dropped into her stomach. “Well then, let’s see if the old man’s as bad a teacher now as he was fifty years ago…” Voldemort descended the dais swiftly and grabbed Minerva’s chin roughly, forcing her to face him.

She met his rage-red eyes and screamed—

end flashback

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Albus was brought out of Minerva’s memory abruptly, echoes of her agony still ringing in his mind.

“I told him nothing,” she said softly, the tremors in her voice and body so slight that Albus inferred them there.

“I know,” he replied, pained. “I know.” What could he say? Albus stared at his hands. His clean, unmarked, unbroken hands. Seven days…

“I want to teach Harry,” she said suddenly.

“All right.” He did not look up. What did it matter anymore? Harry could not betray their secret now—it had already been done. And Minerva had paid the price for it. They will pay for this, he thought vengefully, filled with an anger that had been unfamiliar before her kidnapping. They will pay dearly for this.

“The manor you mentioned—the first one—whose was it?” Albus asked Minerva carefully.

“I think that it was Malfoy’s,” she admitted. Minerva did not miss the flash of fury that darted across Albus’s features. “I can’t tell you for certain,” she added quickly. “He was careful never to allow me to see him without a mask.”

“You knew his scent, though.” It was not a question.

“Yes.”

“I’ll—” Albus stopped abruptly as another thought occurred to him.

He had not hid his satisfaction well enough. “What did you do to him?” Minerva asked warily, her lips thinning.

“I did nothing to Malfoy.”

Minerva continued watching him expectantly.

Albus sighed. “Severus beat me to it.”

She gasped. “What?”

“Severus killed Malfoy in the gardens while we were escaping.”

Minerva’s tear-filled green eyes told of a tragedy. Albus wondered at her reaction to the death of one of Voldemort’s Inner Circle, but all the pieces fell into place with her next words. “Oh, Severus…”

Albus’s eyes widened in realization. Severus…

[Aurinko]

Chapter Fifteen: Losing Lucius

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Diana looked nervously over at Severus’s hunched form, her heart aching for him. He was staring at a point just over her shoulder, the angular planes of his face creating a look so severe that it was almost caricatured in quality. The twisted combination of grief, self-condemnation and disgust she saw playing across his features instantly squelched the tiny flare of vicious joy that had leapt up when the realization struck that Lucius Malfoy—that cunning, smiling devil of a man who represented the highest class of the cesspools of humanity—was finally dead.

To take that look off his face, however, Diana would have done anything—even brought back the pernicious bastard who had plagued her father…and who had been Severus’s best friend since he was seven. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked quietly, already knowing his answer.

“No.” His reply was quick, curt, and quite sharp. Defensive, she characterized it immediately, shoving down the hurt caused by his automatic, though expected, rejection. His frown—and hers—deepened.

“Severus…” Diana hesitated and bit her lip, unsure as to how to approach him. Lucius had been his best friend—albeit an evil best friend—and Severus had always cared deeply for the few people he let into his life. The rest of the world could hang, but Severus would have hung the world to save his friends—even if he would never admit it.

“What happened?” she inquired softly, resisting the urge to reach out and wrap her arms around him.

The quick flash of irritation that darted across his face was matched by a sudden tension in his shoulders, and the general air of recalcitrance that perpetually surrounded him doubled in intensity. Severus opened his mouth, then closed it abruptly, leaned back, and took a deep breath. The quickened step of her heartbeat was the only indication of her anxiety as Diana waited with uncharacteristic patience, knowing that pushing him further would only push him away.

It was a full minute before he spoke. “We were in the lower garden,” he said dully. “The Dark Lord must have erected a special ward for Fawkes—the fireball was unable to materialize. We had to fight our way out of the mansion. We were almost out when…” he trailed off momentarily, the slight twitch in his right hand—his wand hand—the only indication of his thoughts.

“When Lucius came?” Diana prompted neutrally, struggling to control her revulsion. A monster like Malfoy did not deserve a first name or friends like Severus, who obviously believed that there had been more to the man than cold ambition.

Severus nodded wordlessly, too absorbed in the memory to notice her internal division. “I didn’t—I didn’t know who it was at the time.” He paused momentarily, his face tightening as he looked up at her. “I never gave him a chance.” The slight change in his tone told her everything.

Diana’s eyes widened fractionally; here was the root of Severus’s internal anguish. “You knew him, Severus. The good more than the bad. He never would have joined us,” she said softly, reaching out to clasp one of hands gently.

“I should have given him the chance,” he said flatly, pulling his hand away.

She shook her head in disbelief, drawing her rejected hand back and cradling it in her lap like a wounded bird. “Severus—”

“No,” he interjected sharply. “Don’t.”

Diana sighed inwardly. She knew that it was Lucius who had drawn Severus into “the fold,” Lucius who had helped him rise through its ranks, and Lucius whose cold-hearted cruelty and fanaticism had eventually driven Severus out of it and back to Hogwarts. Now it was Lucius he had killed to save her mother, the woman who had taken him in when he returned to Hogwarts, Lucius whom Severus had wanted…maybe even needed to save…for despite his other faults, Lucius had been a good friend to Severus.

Diana paused, recalling one night in particular. The memory had been engraved in her mind, her one proof that the friend Severus remembered was not a figment of his imagination.

She had come home to spend the holidays with her parents but was unable to shake a strange sense of unease as she neared Hogwarts. Her first warning came when Hagrid, and not her parents, met her at the gate. After twenty minutes of searching the castle, she finally found her mother in Severus’s rooms, staring blankly into the fireplace. He had been called two days ago and still had not returned. They had spent the night pacing the grounds as if possessed, only to be driven in by a combination of pouring rain and direct orders from a responsible Headmaster just before midnight.

They were thus still awake when the booming knock on the front doors sounded, sending all three of them tumbling at full speed down the stairs, wands out. Her father quickly established order by pulling her mother aside and placing her out of sight with a few whispered words of caution. Diana took care of her own problem with a quick invisibility spell—combined with the invisibility cloak she had been wearing all day, even Alastor Moody would not have been able to see her.

So it was that Diana was standing behind her father when he opened the door. It was only her parents’ rigorous training that kept her from dropping her wand in shock at the sight before her.

A disheveled, dripping wet, and utterly expressionless Lucius Malfoy stood on the doorstep, an unconscious Severus Snape slung over his shoulder. Both were dressed in solid black and appeared sickly pale in the torchlight.

All Malfoy had done was shove Severus roughly towards her father, who had caught him automatically. Diana had considered it the worst act of friendship she had ever witnessed. She had not understood it at the time, and had been consumed with fury as she rushed to Severus’s side. He was alive but gravely wounded. By the time they had looked up, Malfoy was already halfway down the stairs.

“Mr. Malfoy!” her father shouted at the retreating figure, his words muffled by the downpour.

The tall blonde turned around slowly, and Diana shuddered at force of his imperious gaze. “Take care of him,” Malfoy ordered softly, his words sliding under and around the rain to reach them clearly.

“What about yo—” her father broke off abruptly as Severus groaned between them. By the time they looked up this time, Malfoy had disappeared into the dark.

Severus had survived the night and answered Voldemort’s call again two weeks later in passable health. It was his comment, cool and calm in the midst of her outburst about Malfoy’s callous behavior that had made Diana think, truly think, about their relationship. Two years later, she recalled his words exactly.

“That was possibly the greatest declaration of love that Lucius has ever given to anyone.”

Diana had weaseled the full story out of her father. Malfoy had asked Voldemort—in the usual incomprehensible Slytherin way of strategic advantages and favors—for leniency on Severus’s behalf. The Dark Lord had granted the request—by sharing Severus’s “punishment” with his friend. Furthermore, in bringing Severus back to Hogwarts, Malfoy had risked both their lives and his reputation.

It left Diana flummoxed. Malfoy had saved Severus’s life a number of times; Diana had lost count of how many times Severus had returned the favor. She did know, however, that no matter what the score was between them, Severus had planned on saving his “last” favor for getting Lucius out of Azkaban after the war was over.

That would never happen now, and only Severus would mourn the potential the world had lost. Diana swallowed. “Severus, I…I’m sorry.” The words were insufficient to deal with the depth and complexity of the emotions rolling off the man before her, playing themselves across the harsh edges of his face and echoing in the dark pools of his eyes.

Severus blinked and observed her levelly, his face suddenly expressionless. “For what?”

Diana’s blue eyes teared. “For…for your loss. For you. For everything,” she choked out, her vision blurring at the edges as she felt the echoes of his agony cascade over her in pounding waves. Exhaustion and mutual comfort in the presence of a friend was lowering their mental barriers.

“Useless platitudes are unnecessary, Diana,” Severus replied sharply. His hands however—his one consistent tell—were clenched tightly in his lap, white-knuckled and bloodless.

Frustrated, Diana searched for the words, for the language that would allow him to accept her sympathy and understanding—and could find none. “I…I’m so sorry, Severus,” she repeated, “I know you loved him.” Diana’s breath froze as she realized what she had said, her exhaustion having overwhelmed the locks on her tongue.

At her words, Severus’s entire body stiffened and within moments his eyes could have given diamonds a lesson in hardness. Black ice glimmered briefly, a shadowed light from a blackened soul, and then vanished into nothingness. Diana flinched as he slammed down his mental barriers, roughly severing their tentative connection. She sat there staring at him, stunned by the force of his reaction and waited for the sky to fall.

[Aurinko]

Chapter Sixteen: Love, Hate, and War

[/center]

“I hated Lucius Malfoy,” Severus said icily, his words cutting and precise. His back was straight, his posture rigid and unyielding. The harshness of his profile stood in stark contrast to the squishy comfort of the armchair behind it.

Severus’s black eyes were narrowed and hard, and Diana shivered slightly as his glare sliced through her, burning with a chill fury that left her feeling as though as ghost had just passed through.

Diana took a deep breath and steeled herself, then deliberately lowered her mental barriers as she met his eyes in an attempt to reach out to him. She felt a strong pulse of something from him; twisted and confused, yes, but undeniably powerful. It lasted only a moment, however, and a sudden flash of recognition and irritation was her only warning before Severus severed their connection, instantly cementing his mental defenses until they were adamantine. He glared at her again, and this time all she could sense from him was a mental wall a mile high and twice as thick, and smooth as ice.

“You loved him as well,” Diana said simply, meeting his glare unerringly, now certain in what she had only guessed at earlier.

“No,” Severus snapped, clenching his jaw painfully.

“No?” she questioned, looking at him sharply. Her blue eyes were probing, willing him to accept the truth.

His mouth twisted bitterly. “You cannot hate what you love, nor can you love what you hate.”

“Love and hate are but two sides of the same coin,” Diana pointed out, straightening slightly as their verbal sparring brought her back to more familiar ground.

“Regardless of its potential to express both, a coin can show only one face. The two are mutually exclusive,” he responded quickly, his words chasing hers, a small flare of satisfaction showing as he sealed his argument.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Diana’s mouth. It is an odd relationship indeed, she mused, when both of us feel more comfortable arguing than talking. Shaking off the thought, she considered the man before her and then grinned. “You, Severus, have always defied the rules. With you, the bloody coin would just land on its side, being neither one nor the other, but a rare combination of both.” She looked over at him smugly.

Her grin faded at the utter disbelief in his expression. “Dammit, Diana!” Severus roared, leaping out of his chair and startling them both. “Lucius was a vicious, back-stabbing bastard,” he growled, his right hand clenched into a fist again. Diana stared at him wide-eyed as he prowled three steps forward and three steps back before sliding back into the chair. His wince as he did so was little more than a flutter of his eyelids, but Diana caught it anyway.

“He was your friend,” she said quietly, scarcely believing that she was defending Malfoy to Severus. When had they switched roles?

“He would have killed me!” Two pairs of startled eyes met. Apparently she was not the only one suffering from sleep deprivation.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Severus muttered, waving his hand as though to brush away an irritating insect. “Never mind.”

“Tell me,” Diana demanded softly, reaching out again to place her hand on his knee. Their eyes locked for a long moment in a silent struggle; Severus looked away first, grinding out what Diana thought was “blasted Dumbledores.”

“I would think that you would be used to us by now, Severus,” she teased him lightly. Usually his aggrieved expression would have incited laughter on her part—but not today. Today, a shadow of a smile was all she could muster, tinged with sorrow and tainted with regret. “You live with Mum and Dad, after all, and you know that they’d never let you get away without dealing with something like this. You can talk to them later or you can talk to me now—it’s your choice,” she finished smoothly, her easy tone underlying the clear threat.

Black eyes narrowed as Diana leaned back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap, secure in the truth. “What is it about you Dumbledores that you need to ‘talk’ everything out?” Severus sneered. “The three of you could start your own interrogation squad with all your damned obsessions about feelings.”

“Your feelings are very important to us, Severus,” Diana deadpanned.

He stared at her blankly for a moment and then let out a strangled bark of laughter. Diana ensured that her expression gave nothing away—it was a look she had learned from her father. The words were true, after all, and judging by the surprise and subsequent surrender on Severus’s face, she had won the round.

A series of emotions played across his face in quick succession after that, too fast and too muddled for Diana to make any sense of them, but she could feel his shields lowering as the ice thinned and melted away. When all she sensed from him was a roiling cauldron of confusion, however, she abandoned all attempts to read him. Her words had led them here; it was time for his.

Severus? she asked hesitantly, and waited.

When the words from him finally came, they were delivered in a flat monotone as he stared at his hands, the long, spindly fingers lying in limp capitulation in his lap.

[Aurinko]

“If we had dueled, Lucius would have killed me,” Severus admitted with a slight shrug. “He’s always been—he always was the better duelist.”

“But—”

“—I betrayed him,” Severus cut in sharply. Diana did not miss the subtext, traces of the thought echoing around in her mind: I betrayed him, and he had the right to kill me for that betrayal. She had a sudden, frightening vision of how that particular duel would have gone. If her father had not intervened, Malfoy would have killed Severus—and Severus would have allowed it, mistakenly believing that he deserved death.

“No,” Diana said forcefully, shaking slightly with the force of her denial. Severus blinked at her, the urgency in her tone and the paleness of her face startling him. “No, Severus.” No! [/b]

“Diana?” he asked cautiously, brow furrowed in puzzlement.

“He betrayed your friendship when he asked you to join Voldemort,” she hissed angrily, her eyes snapping blue fire. How could you believe that you were the one to betray him? How could you possibly imagine that he deserved better than you?

Her heart breaking as the fire of her anger dimmed, she looked into his eyes with a soul-deep sigh. Damn it, Severus Snape, but you deserve better than this.

Severus shook his head, but she was not about to let him object yet.

“He asked you to join the Death Eaters because Voldemort needed a Potions Master and he wanted the credit for recruiting you, not because he was worried for your safety. If he had truly been your friend, he would have told you to get as far away from here as possible,” she declared, her eyes darkening in sorrow as she recalled the last time she had tried to persuade him to leave.

It was a few days before the students left Hogwarts for Christmas. As always, Diana had returned to celebrate the holidays with her parents. In what she later recognized as momentary insanity, she had agreed to help Severus restock the student supply cabinets. As usual, they were arguing.

“If you hate it here so much, then why don’t you just leave?” she snapped finally, slamming down the jar of feverfew in her hand with a clang. He had been griping about the latest batch of Gryffindors for the last half an hour, and like her mother, Diana could only take so many insults about her house before some retaliation was in order. The poor children were probably terrified of the man, and yet he acted as though they were nothing more than a herd of raging hippogriffs out to destroy his classroom, undermine his authority, and mock his noble art.

Severus froze instantly, his hand halting inches before a half-empty jar of belladonna. “I can’t,” he said in a low voice, reaching up to take down the jar, popping open the lid with practiced ease.

“Why not?” Diana demanded stubbornly, pausing in her work to glare at his profile challengingly.

“I can’t,” he answered stiffly, stuffing the jar with a handful of belladonna before returning it to the shelf and pulling the next one down. He refused to turn and face her.

“Why?” she repeated, her voice growing louder. Diana gave up all pretense of work as she turned towards him and crossed her arms angrily.

“The Dark Lord just doesn’t release people from his service and wish them well on their next endeavor, Diana,” he replied sarcastically, finishing up the last jar and turning to face her at last.

“Who said you’d be asking him?” she retorted smartly. “Just…leave.”

“And go where?” he asked in disbelief.

Diana paused. “You could always come to France with me,” she offered quietly. “They would never find you.”

Severus, too, hesitated. “I…appreciate your offer, Diana,” he replied, his voice equally soft, “but I have an obligation to your father. He needs me.”

“He would rather have you alive at the end of this war,” she said flatly, frowning.

“This war may not end the way you want if I don’t stay here,” he said sharply, the harsh expression on his face making her wince.

“Severus, you don’t have to—surely there must be another way—” Diana began hesitantly, reaching out towards him.

“No,” he interrupted flatly, and the look in his black eyes was cold. Diana dropped her hand back to her side. “There is no other way. I will remain here,” he said harshly. Diana closed her eyes briefly and turned away.

“There is no other way,” Severus repeated softly, a moment later. He shook himself a little, straightened, and then said abruptly, “Well, are you going to help me fill these jars or not? That blasted Longbottom boy wasted three whole jars of that feverfew you’re supposed to be replacing.”

Diana had turned back to the table without another word. She had not brought up the subject again.

“This is a war,” Severus said bluntly, starling her out of her reverie. “We all do what we must.”

Diana shook her head angrily. “That doesn’t excuse him.”

“Or me.”

Diana shook her head again. “You’re different,” she replied instantly.

“How?” he asked immediately, raising an eyebrow.

Her mouth opened slightly. “I…it’s…because…because you’re good, ” she stammered finally, frustrated by her inability to explain how fundamentally different Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy were. Why couldn’t he see?

Severus laughed outright. Diana glared at him, her cheeks slightly pink, and resisted the urge to rip down the remnants of his mental shields and make him see the truth. “You should visit more often, Diana. Every time you go away, your debating skills decrease exponentially. That’s the most pathetic attempt at an explanation that I’ve ever heard, and given the number of Gryffindors that I am forced to interact with on—”

“Shut up, Severus,” she snapped, glaring at him.

His eyes regained some of their usual wicked sparkle as he laughed at her again, and Diana sighed inwardly. “I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself,” he said mockingly, waving his hand as if bestowing a grant.

“Why, thank you,” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him. Git, she sent with a glare. He smirked at her. Diana wanted to slap him. Taking a deep breath, she marshaled her thoughts.

“I don’t know if you could have killed him,” she said abruptly. Severus’s head snapped around and he stared at her as if struck.

“What?”

Diana let go, looked up, and met his eyes. You loved him—your friend, your Lucius. No matter what he did, no matter who he killed, no matter who he betrayed—even you—you still loved him. You would not have fought him. This…his death…it was an accident.

Avada Kedarva is not an accident. His mind’s voice was razor sharp, brittle and bitter.

You didn’t know it was him. If you had, you would have found another way.

Severus gave no response.

He would have fought you, Severus. She left the outcome unspoken between them.

No! His response was automatic, heartfelt, and instantly bitter. She felt the walls go up between them immediately.

“You said it yourself,” Diana reminded Severus gently.

There was silence in the room.

“You’re good,” she said slowly, willing him to look at her. “Everything you’ve done—everything you’re doing—all the betraying, blackmailing, the spying, the killing—you’re doing it for good. For other people—even Lucius. For the students. The Wizengamot. For the whole of the wizarding world—and for the Muggles, too, even if they don’t know it.”

“I do nothing for the bloody fools,” he replied roughly.

Diana shrugged. Regardless of your reasoning, Severus, you still end up trying to save the world. She had tried to explain once before, but his Slytherin mind refused to grasp even the most basic concepts of Gryffindor ideals with anything but derision. “Very well, then. What do you stay for?”

Severus froze again. “Debt.”

She simply stared at him, waiting.

“Duty,” he admitted.

She said nothing.

“Honor,” he answered finally, with a sigh.

“Then that is what separates you from him,” she replied honestly.

Severus raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?” he asked incredulously.

Diana looked at him with a small, sad smile. “What else is there?” Oh, Severus, if only you could see it…

She could see him thinking, turning the thought over and over in his mind in an infinite circle, his brow furrowed and his eyes distant. And she caught his last thought, clear and strong, tinged with grief alone.

What else is there, indeed?

Oh, Severus…

[JKMcGonagall]

Honor. Yes, that is what seperates Severus and Lucius. The emotions you show in this story between Diana and Severus, and Severus and Lucius, are very powerful. The banter you have created between Diana and Severus is wonderful. I am enjoying it very much.

I was so excited to see that you had updated. I have been checking on this story everyday. It is one of my favorites.

Now, as much as I love/hate Severus and love Diana (who is truly her parent's daughter), when are we going to get back to Albus and Minerva, hmmmmm? I have a feeling that the death of Lucius may damage Sev's relationship with them. Is he going to blame them and become cold and distant toward them. I really hope not because I like the relationship you have created among the three of them. You have given Sev some Gryffindor qualities while keeping him totally Slytherin. And, I like the parental feelings that Albus and Minerva have for him. I keep remembering Min's line at the end of Ch. 14 where she says "Oh Severus..." You just know she understands how he is feeling already. I have always felt that deep down (despite the sniping that they do) there is a friendship between those two.

I am looking forward to an update soon, please.

Kay

[Alesia]

Already reviewed on ff.net, but just wanted to pause to say how much I enjoy this story.

[Mellypoo622]

I'm really enjoying this story! I love Diana's character as well as Diana and Severus's relationship! It's good to see a new side of the potions master!!!

[Aurinko]

Chapter Seventeen: Silver Birds

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When Albus awoke for the second time in half an hour to find Minerva staring fixedly at the ceiling he relinquished all hopes of a decent night’s sleep and rolled on his side to face her. “Minerva?” he asked softly.

His wife turned her face away. “Go back to sleep Albus,” she whispered. The faint quiver in her voice betrayed her.

“Only if you tell me what’s bothering you,” he replied quietly.

A half-choked sob was his only answer. Albus reached out to touch her shoulder gently, and then raised himself up to plant a small kiss just below Minerva’s ear. Her eyes were glued shut and a slow tear tricked down her cheek. Albus kissed that away and continued to place small kisses around her face until her body relaxed and her eyes opened.

He brushed a stray lock of dark hair away from her face; tear-filled emerald eyes followed his every move. She gave him a watery smile; his in return was gentle. “Tell me what’s wrong. Tell me what I can do.”

The shadows that clouded her eyes at his words fled at his touch, and his Minerva returned his gaze, battered but never beaten. “Nightmares,” she said shortly, the tightly-controlled fear he sensed running around her mind underscoring her brave words. Albus offered a light kiss in thanks for her gift, brow furrowed as he thought furiously.

She already had too many potions in her body to take even Dreamless Sleep, lest it upset their magical balance, but he was a master Legilimens. He could manipulate her dreams if he wished, but he shied away from the thought of entering her mind again so soon, even if only to protect her from herself. Half-a-dozen scenarios danced though his mind in moments, each more fantastical than the next until he finally seized on one so simple he was surprised it had not occurred to him earlier. Real…it had to be real. He concentrated for a moment, and then waved his hand. A bright silver bird shot out from his fingertips and through the wall, disappearing from sight.

“A messenger?” Minerva asked weakly.

Albus nodded. “Rest, love.” He could see the questions in her eyes, but her exhaustion eventually won out and she slumped against his side, eyes half-closed as she clung to him. Albus closed his eyes.

A few minutes later, the door to their room opened quietly and Diana and Severus entered both looking haggard. At his side, Minerva stirred.

“Are you all right?” Albus asked Severus gently. I am truly sorry for your loss, my boy.

There was a deep silence in the room for a long minute.

“I will be,” the younger man replied finally. Severus’s dark eyes met Albus’s blue ones, and the elder man breathed a sigh of relief and renewal. I know.

“Severus,” Minerva called softly, pushing herself up to see him better with a great effort. “Are you—I mean—I…”

He offered her a small but genuine smile. “I’ll be fine Minerva.” She relaxed visibly at his words but did not move. Severus looked down at her with a hint of his old mischief in his eyes. “Now if you would please stop being such a bloody Gryffindor and returned to worrying about your own recovery, we might all get some sleep around here.”

They watched as Minerva batted around his words for a moment, and then shot Severus a half-hearted glare. “Slytherin.”

“Gryffindor,” he returned almost fondly. “Really Minerva, you ought to rest more. You’re hardly much of an opponent when you don’t sleep, and the Slytherin-Gryffindor match is next week. I want you fully awake to watch your precious cubs lose.”

The glare that she leveled at him this time was full force. “Five galleons my cubs crush your snakes.”

“Done,” Severus replied immediately, “so long as you’re well enough to attend the match or I win by default.” She glared at him again, and this time, Albus joined her. Severus sighed and looked directly at Minerva. Her green eyes widened, teared slightly, and then she nodded and allowed herself to slide back onto the bed. She did not attempt to sleep but remained relaxed against his side.

Diana appeared thoroughly impressed and deeply touched. Severus turned to Albus. Overly-sentimental Gryffindors, he grumbled. You don’t pay me enough for this.

Thank you, Albus replied sincerely. Severus gave him a tiny nod and then retreated into the shadows.

“Diana,” Albus whispered. His daughter stepped forward, a slight frown on her face.

“Is everything all right?” she asked worriedly. “Mum?”

“I’m fine,” Minerva said reassuringly. Albus was both startled and unsurprised by the sudden strength in her voice, though she did not move from his side.

“Dad?” her daughter asked suspiciously, turning to him.

The men laughed. The women glared at them.

“Severus, do you have some of your Dreamless Sleep?” Albus inquired abruptly. Severus looked startled, but quickly Summoned a bottle and offered it to him. “No, just keep it,” Albus said, handing the vial back to him.

Albus found himself the subject of more suspicious scrutiny. What sort of scheming are you up to this time, old man?

“I’d like for you both to stay here tonight, if you don’t mind.” Two pairs of startled eyes flew to him.

The Dreamless Sleep is for me, isn’t it?

Yes. Severus had always possessed an extraordinarily quick mind.

No!

A faint smile graced Albus’s lips. And an extraordinarily quick temper to match, he noted wryly. Diana and I are more than capable of handling anything that makes it past those wards, he told Severus. You need the rest.

Albus—

Consider it an order, if it will make you feel better, Albus told the younger man kindly.

With a growl and a muttered oath, Severus turned away. Albus watched in amusement as the man cast another set of wards around the room, conjured a bed by the doorway, and sat down sulkily. Diana watched the proceedings with confusion and then a matching amusement. Minerva, too, seemed to be hiding a smile.

“Have my actions met with your satisfaction, Headmaster?” Snape growled.

“Perfectly, Severus,” Albus replied blandly. “My entire family is sleeping the same room for the first time.” His victorious smile stayed in his heart as Severus caught his breath and blinked rapidly. His wife and daughter were smiling broadly, and rather than face three beaming Dumbledores, Severus simply downed the potion in one gulp and lay down in bed. Moments later he was asleep.

“Dad,” Diana reprimanded him lightly. “That wasn’t very nice.”

“But ultimately necessary. He would not have slept otherwise.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “You should have been a Slytherin.”

“I’m sure when he’s done being angry with me, Severus will appreciate it too,” Albus replied easily. Diana.

Yes, Dad? He could sense her puzzlement.

I said that I’d like both of you to sleep here tonight. Would you mind?

No, of course not. Diana took out her wand and prepared to make herself another bed.

“No, not that way,” he interrupted. Diana turned to him, puzzled. Your mother’s been having nightmares. Would you mind sleeping here, where she can see you? he asked, gesturing towards Minerva’s right side.

But— Some measure of his own anxiety must have crept past his shields, for Diana’s expression abruptly hardened. What did he do to Mum? You’ve never been this worried about her before…she’s never had nightmares you couldn’t chase away…

Diana, please—

No! Diana’s blue eyes burned in a way Albus was used to seeing in green. I want to know. I need to know. Tell me.

Albus sighed. He used a projection of me to interrogate her, Diana. Her gasp, both mental and physical, shattered the silence of the room. I need you here because he never knew about you. She can’t have any Dreamless Sleep—there are too many potions in her system right now—and I won’t violate her mind again if there’s another option.

Diana swallowed silently. Albus observed his daughter quietly as she processed the information. He could still hear her thoughts, faint and tinged with a raging fury he had not known his daughter had the capability to possess. I’ll…I’ll kill him for this. That bastard…I’ll…I’ll…

“Diana!” Albus said sharply. His daughter snapped her head around, her tear-filled, angry eyes meeting his. Your mother needs her rest. Are you going to help her or not?

Diana inhaled sharply, held her breath for a moment, and then released it slowly. Albus could feel her anger slipping away. Yes, Father. She turned away before he could respond and raised her wand. A few flicks, a twist, and a snap of her wand later and there were only two beds in the room—one for Severus, and an unusually large one against the wall. Diana transfigured her robes into pajamas and slipped into bed on the other side of Minerva.

“Diana? Are you all right?” Minerva asked softly.

Their daughter smiled at her mother warmly and snuggled as close as she dared. “I am now,” she said honestly. “Go back to sleep Mum. We’ll be right here,” she said, glancing over at Albus and Severus asleep across the doorway.

Minerva looked up at her, then at Albus, then over towards Severus and smiled.

Albus took her left hand. Diana took her right.

Then, together, they slept.

Tomorrow would come.

They would face the dawn together.

finis

A/N: Many thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, both here and on FF.net. I really appreciate the support.

This story is dedicated to my beta, Flying Auk, who proved to me that a good beta is worth his or her weight in gold. Unquestionably.

[Jaya]

This was a wonderful ending...

Jaya

[Mellypoo622]

Incredible story! I loved it! Great job!

[angeldust]

trust me to finally catch up with this story when it ends This story was so wonderful there were times where i was biting my nails or nearly in tears and others where i was giggling my head off this was so so brilliant and the ending was perfect ;D

[Alesia]

This is one of the first ADMM fics I ever found. I love the way you ended this. It was incredibly touching.

[Jessabelle]

Wow! Excellent story. You captured all the character's emotions perfectly. Diana was truly a perfect mix of both Albus and Minerva and you wrote Severus' thoughts and feeings amazingly well. I really enjoyed reading this.
- Jess

[zoeteproet]

Great story! Although it is really scary to think about the things Voldemort did to Minerva.
I've read this story in one time and their was one sentence in one off the first chapters that, I think, is really beautiful:
And so they sat together, the Headmaster and his Deputy, as comfort, strength, and a deep calm flowed between them on a level far deeper than words.
Thanx for this story
Love,
Sarah xx

[Mandy McGonagall-Dumbledore]

Wonderful story!! Love it!!