"Here it is Tobias, I have found it. It was always where it was supposed to be".

She swallowed hard and buried her face in her hands.

Severus had kept that photograph close to him after all those years.

The love he felt for Lily was latent. Laurel knew it. She had to remind herself that she could probably never hold as important a place in Severus' heart as Lily's, but she would be content with at least one little nook where her deep love could creep into. She would wait for him. She was patient and naive enough to love without guarantees.

A feeling of unreality descended upon her as she stared at the two children in the photograph.

"He has his mother's eyes."

The emerald gaze of the little girl, the almond-shaped eyes. They were the same as Harry's. The boy was right. He was indeed a special case for Severus.

"Is that why you hate him so much? Is he the reminder of what could have been, but never was?"

The question that had started to haunt her head for a while now appeared again: Why was it so hard for Severus to get over Lily after so many years?

Laurel leaned back in the chair and closed her weary eyes, remembering the story Remus had told her: The cause of their broken friendship. Severus had started hanging out with bad influences, even calling her best friend a Mudblood in a moment of desperation, ending with the girl's patience. Lily ended up falling for James, the handsome, wealthy and popular boy who bullied Severus since their first year. Laurel could understand the sorrow the young Slytherin would have felt at losing the girl he had loved the most, trusted the most. She could understand the resentment towards James Potter, the bitter reality of being left aside for someone "better". Laurel could comprehend all that, but she felt there was something missing. A piece of the puzzle she was unable to find. Why did the memory of Lily keep tormenting him? Why was he unable to let go of it and move on? Why was he feeling so much sorrow?

A sudden knock made her sit up straight. She quickly put the photograph back in the drawer and glanced towards the door, eager to see Severus' figure through the doorway, but the door remained closed.

A second rapping rushed her to open it, wondering who could be at that hour.

"Miss Noel".

It was Filch, but he wasn't alone. His pasty face was smirking as he grabbed Draco Malfoy by his shirt collar. The boy who was trying to free himself from the caretaker's hands stopped fidgeting and glared at the woman.

"He is not here. Let me go at once!" — He hissed at Filch.

The caretaker who seemed disillusioned not to find Snape kept his grasp on the Slytherin.

"Just because he isn't here doesn't mean I can't give you detention!" — He screeched.

"May I know what's going on, Mr. Filch?" — Laurel asked firmly.

"I've caught this one outside his bed, lurking near the potions classroom. As you well know, it is forbidden to wander around the school after curfew"— Filch said, as he shook Draco by his collar.

"That is not necessary, Mr. Filch". — Laurel said, resting a hand on Draco's shoulder and pulling him away from the man. — "I believe I have heard Professor Snape, as head of Slytherin, assign some extra work to Mr. Malfoy in order to improve his grades in Potions. Probably the boy was just trying to put into practice the advice he received from Professor Snape. Isn't it so, Draco?"

Draco stared at the woman. His bright grey eyes twitched for a second, but he immediately answered in a soft, sweet tone:

"That is right, Miss Noel. I am quite worried about my performance in Potions, Professor Slughorn is not happy at all with me..."

"There you have it". — Laurel smiled at Filch, who drilled her with a murderous expression on his face.

"That doesn't mean he does not deserve detention. The headmaster has made it clear that prowling at night without permission was forbidden".

"Professor Snape gave permission". — Laurel said hastily, clutching Draco by his shoulders, taking him away from Filch' s hands. — "He will be back soon, Mr. Filch and he will deal with the situation. Meanwhile, Draco will remain in this office. Thank you so much for informing me".

Laurel led Draco into the office and closed the door in the caretaker's face. She sighed in relief, directing her gaze towards the boy who had recovered her annoyed countenance.

"There was no need to push me into this office. You could have told him to let me return to my common room".

Laurel straightened up and walked over to Draco.

"Tell me, would you have gone back to your common room if I just let you go?"

Draco's pale face tinted a faint red, his eyes narrowing when he stared back at her.

"Who do you think you are?! Not even Snape..."

"I am not Professor Snape, Draco". — Laurel crossed her arms in front of her chest. — "He has been quite patient with you. I know he has tried to call you in, but you refuse to come to the office".

"It is none of your business, Miss Noel" —He called her with sick disgust. — "You may have the fake illusion you are worth something inside Hogwarts, but you are nothing to me. I don't have to answer any of your questions".

"You don't need to tell me anything, but you can talk with Snape, he just wants..."

"The best for me?" — Draco laughed coldly.

"Just tell me, did you have anything to do with the attack on Katie Bell?".

"I didn't. I have told that a hundred times. I. DID. NOT".

"Well, there are people suspicious of you".

"Who? Potter?" — Draco spat, rolling his eyes. — "That is not new... but he can't prove anything. No one can".

Laurel fidgeted with her fingers, unsure how to proceed next. She leaned on the desk, taking a deep breath.

"Can you please tell me what you were doing around the Potions classroom?"

"It is none of your business". — Draco took a step back, his cheeks sinking into an apprehensive frown.

"Were you trying to take something out of the stores? What were you looking for, Draco?"

There was no answer.

"Did you manage to take it? Do you have it with you?" — Laurel ventured to say, hoping she could get some information out of the boy as she took a step towards him.

Draco walked away, shoving his hands into his pockets. A mocking smile on his thin lips:

"So what if I do? Are you going to search me? Not even Filch dared to do that. That squib knows his place".

"His place?" — Laurel repeated sarcastically. — "Apparently we're all below you, Draco, that's what you think, but all we do is worry about you".

"Why you care? You are a despicable soulless one. You don't even deserve to set foot in this school! You are only alive 'cause Snape got a weird-ass fascination with you and the Dark Lord allows it 'cause he wants his lap dog to be content! It won't last long. If I were you, I'd take that little chance of freedom you have and run away".

"Is that what you would want to do if you had the chance? Run away?"

"I am a pure-blood wizard. I am a Malfoy! And a Malfoy never runs away".

"It's okay". — Laurel sighed and dropped into one of the chairs she'd occupied earlier with Harry. — "It's okay. We'll stay here until Snape shows up. He will be glad to have a chance to talk to you."

"I want to leave".

"I'm afraid I can't let you out. Filch must still be around and I won't save your skin this time".

"I liked you before. You've gotten pretty cocky since Snape brought you here".

"People tend to stand up on their own two feet when no one threatens their life every two seconds, Draco." — She said tongue in cheek. — "As rude as it may sound, I don't miss the Manor. Not a little bit".

"It used to be better". — Draco whispered to himself. He had moved to the marble table and was looking at the lab instruments.

"When?" — Laurel asked with a low tone, watching how the boy lifted a shiny phial and examined it against the light.

"Before He came".

"When it was just you and your mother?"

"And my father. She misses him so much".

"I owe your mother a lot, Draco. She saved my life". — Laurel went to stand up next to him. — "You don't deserve to go through this".

"What can you do? You are nobody".

"Snape can help you. You should just tell him what the Dark Lord has tasked you with".

"What are you babbling about? Snape knows perfectly well what I was ordered to do".

"What?" He... he doesn't... otherwise why would he ask me to find out your plan? We just want to protect you".

"Protect me!" — The young man cackled sarcastically. — "The last thing Snape is trying to do is protect me, and you're just a fool to buy into his story. Snape knows exactly what mission I must carry out. The only thing that interests him is to know how I will achieve it. He wants to intercede because what he wants the most is to exalt himself before the Dark Lord".

"He... he knows?" — Laurel was dumbfounded.

"The lab rat should never trust the scientist, Miss Noel". — He said disdainfully. — "He knows, and if you don't believe me, why don't you ask him?"

"He has never said..."

"Oh! You really trust him?!" — The smirk widened. — "You believe everything that comes out of that viper's mouth? You really don't have an ounce of common sense, do you?"

"Why would he lie...?"

"To use you! To manipulate you! You thought what? That you were dealing with an honest man? A good man?"

Draco frowned; his expression darkened. He walked slowly to the chair and let all the weight of his body fall on it.

"We are Death Eaters. There is only one way for us". — There was no mockery in his tone. He merely sounded tired, and there was a horror in his voice at what he had allowed himself to become.

He stared at her, waiting she would say something that made sense. The entire office, himself included, seemed to have turned to stone. He felt numb. The tiny bottle of poison weighed tons in his pocket. Time did not pass. The air had gone solid.

"You still have a choice, Draco. You can go to Dumbledore..."

"Listen to me well, soulless one". — He interrupted her. — "I have no choice. My life and my family are at risk. But you..."

Draco rubbed his face with his hands, clearing his throat he continued:

"The nearest city is Inverness. It is a two-day hike. If you head south, following the lake line you may reach a muggle settlement. They can help you there. You leave while Snape is in class. He won't realise you are gone until lunch time, maybe 'till later if you are lucky".

"How do you...?" — Then she understood. Was he really trying to help her escape? Had he really taken the time to find out muggle ways to flee Hogwarts? — "I... I can't.

"Why not?"

Draco slumped his shoulders and sighed at the sudden gleam in the woman's eyes.

"Please, don't tell me you have actually fallen in love with him".

Laurel didn't answer him, but the flush on her cheeks and the way she averted her gaze by suddenly pinning it to the floor was enough to confirm his suspicion. Draco would never cross a word with that woman again, he couldn't trust her knowing that she was just a pet, a puppet that would obey any order from Snape.

He stood up, ready to leave without another word. The poison bottle in his pocket tinkled slightly, but the young man did not bother to hide it.

"Draco. Please..." — Laurel muttered. — "Don't do anything you may regret later; you are not like them. You are a good man".

"You are the least suitable person to judge that".

And turning his back, he left the office.