Two lone figures trudged through the thick layer of snow that covered the Quidditch pitch. Both, clinging to school brooms, the shortest of them, grinning excitedly as this was her first flying lesson on that bright January afternoon.

"Alright, try to stay steady, don't let your hands shake, brooms know when you're scared."

"Like horses?"

"I guess, I've never ridden one. Now slowly raise the broom. Gradually, tighten your hands around the handle firmly, careful not to slide off, Severus will kill me if you get hurt."

"You would probably be the one to kill me first, you know, if I get hurt and bleed". —Laurel said as she hovered, her legs trembling in the gentle breeze, scared to fly higher.

"Oh, why do you judge me so rashly?!" — Remus replied with a sly laugh, while he hovered next to her. — "I think that spending so much time in the dungeons is not good for you. Everyday more and more Slytherin, I would say".

Laurel tutted and planted her feet on the snow, adjusting her robes and ponytail.

"What an obsession to always sort out people by their houses. Would you stop talking to me if I really were a Slytherin?"

"Of course not". — Remus answered, also landing next to her. — "But you must accept that it is the house with the most adepts to the dark arts. Severus included".

Laurel nodded slightly, her body leaning against the broom, her thoughtful face pressed against the handle.

"Why do you and Severus hate each other?"

"I don't hate him. I neither like nor dislike Severus. Actually, I have a lot to be thankful for. Remember how I told you I was a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for a year? Well, he took it upon himself to keep me healthy with the Wolfsbane potion every month. You know how difficult it is to prepare it." — He cleared his throat. — "I guess everything that happened while we were students has left a terrible bitterness in him, which I think will be irreparable".

"Would you like to tell me?"

Lupin raised his head, looking at her in surprise.

"I thought Severus wasted no time telling you how obnoxious and arrogant we were".

"You judge him too rashly!"— She said with a mischievous grin, repeating the same words that he had told her before. — "No, he's not very forthcoming when it comes to his years at Hogwarts".

He seemed to pale a little, he craned his neck, clearing his throat again.

"You really like Severus, don't you?"

Laurel blushed, but she didn't take her eyes off Remus who was looking at her intently, his eyes full of curiosity.

"I know he can be harsh but..."

"But you see something in him no one else can". — Remus finished her sentence. — "You know, you really remind me of Lily, she also had a way of seeing the beauty in others even when they couldn't see it in themselves".

"Lily?" — Laurel felt a shiver run through her body at the name.

"Yes, a beautiful redhead from Gryffindor, she was brilliant, his only friend at Hogwarts that I can remember. They were inseparable, Lily and Severus, until that day during our OWLs."

"What happened?" — She asked, remembering that Severus told her that he had insulted her friend in a horrible way, without explaining in detail the reasons for it.

"It is a long story". — He said, crestfallen. — "Something I'm not proud of. Perhaps Severus doesn't want you to know. Maybe he'll take it the wrong way if I tell you".

"Was it that bad?"

"If something like that had happened to me... well, I wouldn't want to be reminded of it again".

"Was Lily much more than just a friend?" — That question escaped from her chest, embarrassed, she tried to remedy it in some way. — "I mean, if you say they were so inseparable..."

"Lily? Oh no, of course not." — Remus shook his head and threw an apprehensive glare at the woman. It was becoming clearer for him the type of relationship the Akardos had with the embittered professor. — "Severus fancied her, that was obvious and that was why James wasn't too amused that she was so close to him. He was trying to convince himself that she was just his friend because she felt pity for him, being the runt of Slytherin house, disliked by his own peers for being half-blood and poor... And that is why I think they decided to lash out on him that day..."

"They?"

"Us." — Remus looked down at the ground, craning his neck again. — "The Marauders".

≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪

"And I think Severus tried to apologize to her on several occasions. It was the talk of the girls, you know, the Slytherin boy begging outside Gryffindor dorms for several nights. Lily never spoke to him again".

Remus finished his story and turned his eyes to the woman who hadn't taken her eyes off the floor for a long time. They had taken refuge from the cold in the inner stands of the Quidditch pitch, the thrill of her first flying broom ride totally forgotten.

"Look, we were teenagers, Sirius and James would spend half the day playing pranks and the other half on detention for all the mischief they got into". — Remus spoke quickly, trying to get some reaction from Laurel.

"You were the prefect, Remus". — She said quietly, turning her glassy eyes on him. — "You allowed them to expose him naked in front of the whole school. My God, that's inexcusable. If it had been a girl..."

"They would never have done that to a girl!" — He replied, turning red, his voice stumbling into an embarrassed splutter. — "In a way, James felt that Severus needed to be humiliated for calling Lily a filthy Mudblood... Severus didn't miss an opportunity to use hexes against us either... He ended up joining the Death Eaters in the end, so it was clear that he really did believe in blood supremacy... He is a Death Eater, Laurel, and no one ever stops being a Death Eater..."

"He became a Death Eater because he had no one else to turn to!" — Laurel cut him off, crossing her arms. — "He only gained the acceptance of the other Slytherins for his knowledge of the dark arts, for his magical ability. He was an important pawn to recruit!"

"Maybe if he hadn't been so into the dark arts and had such a shitty character, he would have been able to relate with other people!"

"You have no idea what he had to endure during his childhood! What he had to face!"

"Don't look for pretences, Laurel". — Remus's voice trailed off for a moment. — "I am a werewolf, since I was five years old, I had to live isolated, without friends, knowing that I would be discriminated against for the rest of my days, knowing that every month I would become a monster. I could have joined Greyback, I could have found my place among my peers, helping Voldemort during the First Wizarding War, but I didn't, because I know it's wrong, because I couldn't sacrifice my morals for my longing to be accepted".

"He repented". — Laurel whispered in an attempt to convince herself. —"I trust him. I trust him more than anyone else."

"Lily trusted him too". — Remus said in a warning tone. — "I would be careful if I were you, I don't want you to get hurt, Laurel. A Death Eater and an Akardos... it's a reproachable liaison".

"You told me you didn't hate him, yet you talk like you do".

Remus took a deep breath, trying not to let his words reflect his disapproval of the blind way Laurel insisted on siding with Snape.

"You have asked me a question and I have answered you honestly, even exposing my stupidity as a schoolboy. Has he done the same? Has he been completely honest with you?"

Laurel cracked her knuckles as she moved uncomfortably in her seat. She felt that something in her chest had deflated, a small prickle of doubt settled in her heart.

"He... he has kept a lot of information from me. He says that he does it to protect me."

"Protect you from the truth?" — Remus snorted in exasperation, the wolf inside him suddenly awoke, pushing him to get closer to the woman, to squeeze her in his arms; but he held back. He contented himself with letting out his outrage as it was obvious that Laurel had indeed put all her esteem and trust in a man like Severus.

"It is really a leap of faith to trust him. I cannot be absolutely sure of his allegiance. No one is. We all trust him because Dumbledore trusts him. What I can only be sure about is that he still must do Voldemort's bidding, that he is a cold, sarcastic and manipulative man. You don't deserve that. He is dangerous, Laurel. Hear my words, you better be careful".

Laurel hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath for a long time. She didn't want to listen to Remus. Feeling a little dizzy, she slowly stood up.

"I think I should go back to the castle; I don't feel very well. Thanks for being honest with me, and for the lessons".

"Don't be mad at me..."

"I'm not". — She smiled weakly at him. — "It's good to know that I can consider you my friend, Remus. There are not many wizards who wish me well".

"But you couldn't fly three feet above the Quidditch pitch!" — He insisted, also standing up. "Why don't we try it again? We could go to Hogsmeade, to the Three Broomsticks. Have you tried butterbeer? It is really fantastic".

Laurel shook her head.

"It is not safe for me to leave Hogwarts grounds".

"Severus told you that, didn't he?" — Remus's face darkened, his inner wolf baring his teeth aggressively. — "He is controlling you too much, can't you see it?"

"Stop it!" — She turned on him suddenly, her ponytail whipping in the air, her fists clenched, and her brow furrowed. — "Quit bashing Severus so much. I'm not stupid, Remus, I can make my own judgements. And no, it wasn't him. It was Dumbledore who advised that I shouldn't be going out."

"I am sorry". — He stammered in response, his face blushing. — "I thought..."

"It doesn't matter". — She interrupted him. — "We can continue with the practice another day. I am really..." — She could not finish her sentence, what she was about to say? Tired? Sad? Emotionally drained?

"No Please. I didn't want to make you upset". — He said stubbornly. — "I'll take you for a quick ride on the broom, you'll like to fly, you'll see".

"I've flown before". — Laurel said with an inadvertent smile drawing on her face, remembering Severus' warm embrace, counteracting the icy wind against her body.

"Yes, you came to Hogwarts in a Thestral, didn't you? — Remus smiled too, mistaking the expression on the woman's face for sudden enthusiasm. — "Well, the broomstick will be much more comfortable. At least you'll be able to see it".

Laurel turned her eyes to him curiously:

"Can you see Thestrals, Remus?"

"Oh yeah. Yes, I can". — And noticing how her eyes widened in shock, he added:

"My mother, Hope Lupin. She passed away a few years ago".

"Your mother had a beautiful name." — She said, taking his hand. — "I'm so sorry, Remus".

"It's all right, don't worry". — He answered. — "My mother was a muggle, she taught me a lot about her world, she told me about airplanes, those monstrosities muggles use to fly".

" I've never flown on one". — She laughed. — "But I assure you that they must be more comfortable than going on a Thestral".

Remus laughed too and looking at his wristwatch he said:

"The students should be here soon. The Hogwarts Express must be at Hogsmeade Station by now. From there they are taken to the school in carriages drawn by Thestrals. If we hurry, we'll get there in time to pet a few".

Laurel agreed with a smile and they both walked outside to the Quidditch pitch.

"Ready?"

"Ready".

Laurel was sitting behind him on the broom. Holding on to his waist, she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, preparing to feel the sudden icy blizzard on her face and the nagging empty feeling in her stomach, but to her surprise, Remus ascended very slowly, surrounding the Quidditch pitch in a wide circle.

"What do you think?" — He asked, turning his face to hers.

"Quite pleasant." — Laurel replied smiling back at him. — "Although I thought we would go faster".

"Oh, I could go a lot faster if I could, but school brooms are trash. This has been in use since I was in second year, if I remember correctly. Some broomsticks can reach speeds of 300 miles per hour. They are broomsticks for playing Quidditch".

"They must be very expensive, I reckon".

"Several hundred Galleons. Do you know what Galleons are?"

"Severus explained it to me. Although I find it a bit cumbersome, having to carry such heavy doubloons. We muggles have the advantage in that".

Remus guffawed and rose suddenly, causing Laurel to gasp in surprise and press herself against him. He flew over the Forbidden Forest and the towers of Hogwarts, also pointing to Hogsmeade in the distance.

"The carriages are already on their way." — He said as he began to descend towards the esplanade in front of the huge entrance courtyard.

When they landed, the bustle of students heading toward the Great Hall left Laurel totally stunned. She had become so accustomed to the silence and sedentary lifestyle of her prison during the last few months that this horde of vitality and hubbub hit her spirit, leaving her at the same time exhausted but happy.

"Come, Laurel". — Remus took her by the hand and led her to where some of the carriages were, already empty of students.

"They're here?" — She asked with a nervous laugh.

"Right here". — Guiding the woman's hand, he rested it on the beast's mane which shook its head slightly.

Laurel took a step back in alarm, but immediately went back to stroking the animal's soft mane. Severus had shown her pictures of the Thestrals, but at the time she didn't think they did them justice, the illustrations couldn't show the silky softness of their coat, which was so lustrous and smooth that it was a miracle that she was able to hold on to it without slipping.

"Hey, it's Lupin!"

A voice rang out over the hubbub and two figures, dressed in uniform and Gryffindor crests ran towards them.

"Hello Harry, Ron".

"What are you doing here, Remus?" — Harry asked raising an eyebrow but was interrupted by Ron:

"We were really hoping you'd go to The Burrow for Christmas. You have missed seeing the minister himself".

"Yes, Ron, your father has told me". — Remus nodded and then turned to Harry. —"So, the Ministry is looking to recruit you, you of course refused".}

"I have made it clear to the minister that I am loyal to Dumbledore through and through".

"Scrimgeour will not be happy to lose the support of 'The Chosen One'". — Remus sighed. "You better be careful, Harry".

"I'll watch his back as always, don't worry!" — Ron exclaimed as he ripped open the wrapper of his last chocolate frog and took a bite. — "But you still haven't told us what you're doing here".

"Have you come to replace a teacher? Has the Defence Against the Dark Arts position been vacant again?"

Hearing Harry's words, Ron turned an expectant look on Remus.

"Have we finally got rid of Snape? Has the greasy bat been kicked out at last?"

"Ron, that's no way to talk about a professor". — Remus cleared his throat, glancing sideways at Laurel.

"Come on, no one likes Snape, plus he's been skipping class for the last few months. Not that I miss him anyway, but maybe Dumbledore has finally come to his senses and has sacked him."

"Or maybe he was sent to Azkaban, to keep Lucius Malfoy company". — Harry smiled.

"Perhaps a cauldron has exploded in his ugly face." — Ron replied laughing. — "With any luck he will have to stay at St. Mungo's for the rest of his days".

"That's enough. I am not here to replace anyone. I'm here at Dumbledore's command. Order business. And no, Professor Snape has not been fired, nor has he been sent to Azkaban or St. Mungo's". — Remus said out loud, then craned his neck like he always did when he felt uneasy. — "I want to introduce you to Miss Noel, she...she is Professor Snape's assistant. Laurel, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley."

Both boys noticed the woman for the first time. Ron's ears turned red, and he blushed so red that his freckles almost disappeared. Laurel smiled at them and greeted them both with a handshake.

"I haven't heard a thing, don't worry". — She said, winking at the redhead.

"What does Snape need an assistant for?" — Harry asked, not caring to be rude. He was fed up with the trust that Dumbledore and the members of the Order had in Snape, especially when he was sure that his teacher was still loyal to Voldemort and was offering to help Draco Malfoy complete a mission.

"Professor Snape, Harry". — Remus corrected him. — "He has had a lot of workload lately, so the headmaster has decided..."

Laurel stopped listening to what Lupin was saying to Harry, as she noticed the figure of a young man with platinum blonde hair standing out against the tide of black robes of the students walking towards the entrance courtyard.

Draco Malfoy stopped in his tracks at the sight of the Akardos. He wasn't surprised to see her at Hogwarts, no. His mother had already informed him that Snape had decided to continue his research in the castle. What baffled him was to see how much she had changed since the last time he saw her: the fearful expression on her face was completely erased, her straight posture denoted an optimistic, happy disposition. She almost seemed like another person.

Draco was startled to realize that the woman was looking back at him, greeting him with a brief wave of her hand. He just nodded in acknowledgment and immediately turned to his fellow Slytherins, who were crowding the entrance to the Great Hall, around Filch, who was taking roll and allowing the students to enter.

Harry noticed that exchange immediately.

"Do you know him?"

"Professor Snape gave him remedial lessons over Christmas". — Laurel lied so quickly that she surprised herself. Maybe Remus was right, maybe spending so much time with Severus really had made her more cunning, more Slytherin.

"I think you guys better go inside; you won't want to miss dinner". — Lupin said, noticing the suspicious look in Harry. — "See you soon".

"'The chosen one'? Why do they call a sixteen-year-old boy the chosen one?" — She asked watching Ron and Harry walk away.

"It's Harry Potter". — Lupin answered and was surprised to see that Laurel didn't understand. — "Harry Potter! Has Severus not explained to you...?"

"That name rings a bell." — She said narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. — "Where did I hear it?"

"For Merlin's beard! Severus has kept a blindfold over your eyes!" — His inner wolf awoke again, growling aggressively. — "That boy, he is the only human to have survived a killing curse. Lord Voldemort wanted to kill him when he was just a baby. He managed to murder his parents, but for some reason, when he cast the curse on Harry, it rebounded making Voldemort disappear for many years. That boy is said to be the only one who can defeat him once and for all. That boy is the son of James Potter and Lily Evans, Laurel".

Laurel looked at Remus with wide eyes, clutching her robes with trembling hands. She was shocked.

"Lily and James Potter...?"

"Laurel, the least Snape can do is explain to you all the facts and motives of this war. It's dangerous for you to get involved if you don't know what exactly is going on. You should come with me; I can explain everything to you..."

"No". — She whispered, taking a step back, away from him. — "I cannot leave the castle. I must... I must find Sev. Bye, Remus".

"Did you call him Sev?" — He whispered, but Laurel couldn't hear him, she had already turned her back, walking quickly towards the entrance courtyard, now empty of students.

The figure of a tall, thin man in flowing robes had suddenly appeared on the stone steps leading up to the Great Hall. Lupin looked on hopeful, waiting to hear Laurel's protests, waiting to see her outrage at Snape, but none of this happened.

Remus could see the man whispering in her ear and handing her, an old potions book. Laurel thanked him with a sweet smile and moved closer to him, brushing off a few dust particles from his coat with her hand. And then Severus smiled back at her.

The wolf inside him struggled desperately to get out, growling in rage, gnashing its fangs. Remus looked down at his feet immediately, trying to control himself, taking a deep breath. He looked up again and saw the two of them walking into the castle side by side. That image was identical to the one he had seen so many times during his student years: Lily and Severus, studying, sharing notes, laughing together. But this time it wasn't Lily, Lily was gone forever. It was Laurel. Laurel and Severus.

≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪

"And she called him Sev. Can you believe it? She follows him everywhere he goes, like a pet on a leash".

"Yeah? Well, I think it is the other way around, he's the one with a leash around his neck". — Tonks cut him short. — "Why you care so much about their relationship? Let them be, is none of your business".

"He is using her Dora..."

"Aren't you using her as well? Aren't you using her blood to create your cure? Just have your meal please, it is getting cold".

Lupin looked down at his plate and realized that he hadn't had a bite since he sat down at the inn table. He had spent the last hour ranting against Laurel and Snape's relationship. Embarrassed, he apologized:

"Forgive me. I didn't realise..."

"That you were making a fool of yourself? Well, you already found out". — She said cutting her steak with more force than she should. — "I know it's her smell, but don't get carried away".

Remus took her hand and kissed it, smiling sheepishly.

"I love you, Nymphadora".

"Don't call me that, Moony!" — She exclaimed, laughing.