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Chapter 3 A Start

Keeping the students lined up two-by-two was much simpler than expected. The children from each grade were stunned into silence. The new Head of Slytherin was a little surprised to say the least. She yearned for their mindless chitchat and incessant banter.

Soundless, she lead them through a series of once abandoned corridors and scarcely used hallways to avoid the dangerous creatures protecting the school. The Deatheaters and corrupted Ministry had them placed there to ensure that the students didn't get into any mischief while the Dark Lord's plan to take control of the school was put into action. No one knew of the plan except the Headmaster. The staff had their doubts but their questions ended there. They thought the Ministry had taken over.

Word spread quickly of Rufus Scrimgeour's murder and the news of a new Minister for Magic being elected so rapidly wasn't a shock to anyone, considering how dangerous times were as of late. How could anyone guess that the new Minister was a follower of the darkest wizard of their time.

Severus thought back to the vow he made to Narcissa Malfoy the previous year, just before the start of the school year. Had Eliza known about it? Is that why she had let Miss Knightley visit Draco in the infirmary after hours? Or how she had giving Potter a rather harsh punishment for using the curse he found in the old Potions book? She must have known.

Speaking of Miss Knightley....

Severus stopped pacing his office and turned to one of the more unusual portraits on the wall behind his desk.

A stern looking woman with long blonde hair and slate grey eyes smiled kindly at him and awaited his orders. "Good evening, Headmaster." She said sweetly. Her intimidating appearance was a stark contrast to her personality. The man thought of his wife, she was so similar to the woman painted in the portrait before him.

"Yes, good evening." He said roughly, remembering the task at hand. "My godson is safe at the school, I can attest to that, however, I must ask you to check at Malfoy Manor if Miss Knightley is faring well on her own."

The woman nodded and left, heading to her other portrait in Malfoy Manor. The woman Snape had just spoken to was Lyra Malfoy, Lucius' great-aunt. She had been headmistress at Hogwarts for only 5 years before she died of Dragon Pox. She had died very young, only 34.

Eliza was only a few years her senior... What if something happened to her?

She shouldn't have come back. Not now.

***

Eliza sighed. She took attendance of all her students in the Slytherin Common Room and left them to their own devices as she headed to the staff room to collect the attendance of the other houses from their respective professors.

The younger woman poured steaming tea into her small cup as she waited for the other staff members. An involuntary smile lit up her face when they all entered the room. Minerva, Pomona and Filius handed Severus' wife rolls of parchment with their students' attendance record.

The Head of Gryffindor sighed heavily. "I'm afraid Gryffindor House is short of a few students."

Eliza nodded knowingly. "Many parents have refused to send their children back to school because of all the nonsense at the Ministry."

Filius chuckled. "Same for Ravenclaw. I assume it's also the verdict with Hufflepuff."

The woman in black frowned. Only two were missing from Slytherin. Two second years.

Disregarding the odd statistic, she unrolled the Gryffindor parchment and brought her cup to her lips as she read.

Much of the tea was expelled from her mouth when she saw that in the seventh year group Granger, Potter AND Weasley were missing. This was no coincidence. The other teachers were concerned. The new Muggle Studies teacher eyed her warily.

"Excuse me." The Potions Mistress mumbled before running down the hall to Severus, clutching the attendance to her chest like a lifeline.

***

Severus had just finished his conversation with another painting when Eliza burst into the room, breathing heavily. She had rolls of parchment in her hands and she collapsed into the chair in front of his desk.

"What is it?" He asked, worry filling his tone. The sound made her heart flutter.

She shook her head. "Nothing, really. It's just that, the Gryffindor Trio are missing. They never arrived."

Snape's eyes widened and he turned to the portrait of his predecessor. "I told you so." Said the painting.

The curly haired witch frowned. He already knew? What else was he hiding?

"Well, it appears that they have decided to follow through with Dumbledore's quest. He won't tell me anything." He growled at the painting behind him, before turning back to his wife. She was still breathing deeply, her face flushed. She was so beautiful. "He merely said that they have an important mission. I only know one small detail of the thing and I am only to reveal it when Potter returns to the school."

The new Head of Slytherin nodded and put the rolls of parchment on his desk. "Attendance is accounted for. These are the students we are expecting this term. Rather than the one thousand we usually have, we are down to 825. That means less funding from the Ministry."

The man shrugged. "Doesn't really matter anymore does it?"

His wife nodded again. The Ministry was so corrupt anyway; it really didn't matter at all. The school was more than capable enough of running without the added funding for at least a few years.

The blonde woman returned to her portrait.

"Severus," She said, grabbing his attention. He turned to her. "Juliet is safe. She's out dress shopping with Narcissa. She and young mister Malfoy are to be married this winter."

Eliza's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Married?" she asked. "But they're only children!"

The former professor looked at Mrs. Snape with a look in her painted eyes. "War pushes people to do crazy things. It was Draco's idea. He wants her to have a home if anything were to happen to him. He wants to prove his love."

Tears formed at the corners of Eliza's eyes. So much heartache already and the war had barely begun.

"Thank you." Said Snape. The woman smiled and returned to her original form, going immobile for a few hours.

He approached the woman sitting before him. He stood behind her and trailed kisses all the way up her neck, to her back of her ear. He felt the shivers go up her spine and a soft sigh escaped her pale pink lips. She turned her head and pressed her lips to his ardently. Three months without any kind of human contact had done quite a number on her.

Eliza stood and placed a hand on his jaw. With the other, the twined her fingers through his overgrown hair. She pulled him closer and he complied. His arms wrapped around her small frame and held her to him, bodies flush.

Suddenly, the woman gasped and pulled away. Worried, Severus instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close.

Eliza leaned into his chest and breathed in the scent of him.

Before he could ask what was the matter, she spoke.

"You held me like this once before." She said. "We shared a kiss that passionate last year. We had an encounter with Lucius Malfoy and the Dark Lord cursed me through the Mark. You healed me and held me. Then, you kissed me and I fell asleep in your arms."

It wasn't much, but it was a memory. One he hadn't told her about. When he had tried to reverse the curse, he had been faced with the same predicament that she had.

She'd only remember when she met the true Severus.

It was a start.