"Severus, it is only because I trust your judgement that I am allowing this". - Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, his hands clasped, resting on a gleaming silvery cloth. – "I will not ask any questions, as you have requested; I am just expecting the Invisibility Cloak to be returned to its owner as soon as possible".

"So it shall be, headmaster".

He grabbed the cloak, folding it carefully and bowed to Dumbledore.

"Thank you".

"Be careful. Whatever you are planning to do, just be careful".

≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪

"Are you sure it will work?" - Laurel asked, her face marvelling at the cloak she held in her hands, more than fabric, it seemed to be made of liquid silver.

"We won't know if you don't try it on". - Severus said, taking the cloak and covering the woman's body from head to toe. A satisfied gesture appearing on him immediately. – "Look in the mirror".

Laurel turned to the mirror in the room, but it took a while for her brain to understand that there was no reflection staring back at her. She squinted her eyes in disbelief, thinking there may be something wrong with her vision.

"This is unbelievable!" – She said as she removed the cloak from her head, shocked to see it floating in mid-air, no body to support it. She turned to look at the wizard. – "How?"

"A Cloak of Invisibility". – He said, approaching her. - "They are quite rare, but this one is very special. It caught the attention of one of the brightest minds of our times, he has examined it and concluded that it is unique. I thought it may work on you. I was right".

"So? The Dark Lord has given it to you?" – She asked pulling it off and raising an eyebrow curiously.

"No." – He said with a smirk. - "The other brightest mind of our time."

"Dumbledore? Does he know...?"

"Don't ask any questions, Laurel. Please".

She closed her mouth and nodded. Her curiosity was not as strong as her desire to see her family. What difference would it make if Dumbledore knew of her existence? At that moment she cared little for him. Severus was keeping his word and that was all that matters to her now.

Outside everything was dark, it was still a couple of hours before dawn, but they were already prepared to execute the carefully prepared plan. Severus would leave the manor as he always did every early morning, but this time he would be accompanied by the Akardos, glued to him like a shadow, hidden under the invisibility cloak. That night, Pettigrew oversaw the guard at the foyer, and he expected to find him dozing in his post as usual. After passing through the gates, they had to walk a long way until they were well hidden among the hills, and from there, they would fly north to Hackleton.

She was already wearing the Muggle garbs Severus had provided: black trousers, a thick sweater, a long winter coat, scarf, gloves, and a wool hat. He had cast a spell on them to provide her with extra warmth since the height and the frozen wind they will fly against will surely make her ill.

"I will be with you every step of the way. Be brave". - Severus whispered as he slung his satchel over the shoulder and made sure with a last glance that the cloak covered the woman's body completely.

Laurel's nerves were on edge as she set foot outside the suite in which she had been locked up for the past four months. The long corridor was completely alien to her and remembering that she had been taken to the chambers in a state of total shock, the ghost of the terrible pain left by Bellatrix's lashing pierced her back. She took a deep breath and followed Severus as silently as possible as he walked to the wide staircase at the end of the corridor. Every little shadow that crossed their path resembled Bellatrix, Greyback or the hooded figure of the Dark Lord.

The journey to the entrance hall took only a few minutes that felt like centuries to Laurel, until relieved, she heard Pettigrew's faint snoring, breaking the silence in the sleeping manor. Severus opened the doors slowly, without making a sound and with a movement of the head, he motioned for Laurel to step out first. The harsh cold of winter made her shiver from head to toe, but to Laurel, that first breath of icy air seemed to have made her wake up from a dream. The long months of confinement disappeared from her mind, and she could only smile. She smiled ecstatically up at the dark sky, at the manicured yew hedge, at Severus, who was now walking slowly down the wide driveway where she knew, at the end of it, the immense wrought iron gate was still waiting. Laurel hurried her steps until she reached him and together, they went through.

She was so glad she didn't realize how long they had spent walking the narrow lane that meandered through the hills, surrounding farms and huge crops fields. Malfoy Manor had long since disappeared. They went through woods until Severus stopped in a deserted clearing. The dawn lights were still hidden by the heavy clouds and only the sound of dry leaves whispering in the wind could be heard.

"You can take off the cloak now, Laurel." - He said as he waved his wand, transforming his long, black robes into a smart grey outfit, a long black trench coat and a dark green scarf.

"Dress to impress, Dr. Snape?" – She smiled at him with a twinkle in her eyes. Perhaps it was due to the sudden feeling of freedom that everything around her looked more radiant, but she couldn't stop thinking that Severus seemed to have put an effort into choosing that outfit.

"I hope it's fine". - He said, blushing and adjusting the scarf around his neck.

"Better than fine." - She answered. - "You look quite handsome".

Severus cleared his throat, a small smirk showing on his flushed face.

"Ready?" - He asked approaching her.

"No". - She answered, gripping the invisibility cloak with her hands. - "My mother will die of shock when she sees me. Fern will surely kill me".

"No, they will not." -He said taking the cloak and putting it inside his satchel. - "They will be happy to see you, just remember the story we have planned, okay?"

Laurel nodded nervously. Severus adjusted her wool hat, making sure it protected her ears, then tucked the scarf as best he could, covering her nose and mouth. She looked at him with great affection, the ardour that she felt in her chest was enough to counteract the cold winter.

"We should go now, Laurel".

The wizard lifted her in his arms, and she closed her eyes at the sudden, shuddering weightlessness. The sharp gust of wind against her body drowned out that "I love you" that she was about to tell him. She settled for repeating those words in her mind, her face buried in his neck, breathing in his scent of cologne and dried herbs.

"I love you, Severus".

The sun was beginning to appear on the horizon, dyeing the clouds in shades of pink and gold. Below, the world was slowly waking up and the lights of the cities were still lighting the sombre land as if they pretended to be a starry night. A lone plane crossed overhead, leaving a bright contrail behind it.

"Laurel, open your eyes." - He whispered in her ear. – "You will like it".

She turned her head, scared to open them, but seeing that spectacle of light and colour, she felt that she was inside a dream. "Heaven must look like this." - She thought.

"Northampton is there." - Severus said looking at a distant group of lights. - "We are very close".

They descended slowly until they reached an abandoned playground, where Laurel remembered playing when she was little, from there she was able to quickly guide herself, her house was three blocks away, on the outskirts of town. Her heart was pounding, she had a lump in her throat and her eyes watered as she took the first step towards her home. She began to walk briskly, Severus nipping on her heels until they stopped in front of a small one-story house, a bit out of the way, surrounded by vacant lots and painted a pastel yellow that was in urgent need of another coat of paint. The lights were off, and the curtains were drawn. Her family must still be sleeping.

Laurel stopped at the rusted gate that led to the neglected front yard. Her nerves had left her paralyzed, her red eyes turned to Severus.

"Calm down, take a deep breath." - He said, taking her by the hand - "You don't want your mother to see you like that. Control your emotions".

"I cannot do it",

"Yes, you can. Clear your mind, leave it blank, empty of any thoughts".

Laurel stifled a sob and tried to breathe more calmly.

"If they see you like that, they'll blame me, Laurel." - He said, handing her his handkerchief.

"You are right." - She answered, wiping her tears and nose. - "Leave my mind blank, I'll do that..."

Severus opened the gate for her, and they both walked to the grey wooden door. Laurel rang the bell, but there was no answer, after a second try, she knocked on the door, first gently, then more forcefully. Soon they heard an angry voice from inside, accompanied by the cry of a baby.

"I can't believe it! At this hour in the morning! How dare they come to disturb a decent house!? I barely managed to get David to fall asleep for a couple of hours! - A young girl with a small baby in her arms slammed the door open - "We have already said that we will pay next month, I have signed the promissory note..."

The young woman, dressed in a pink nightgown, her short hair tousled, paled, her eyes and mouth burst open when she finally realized that it was not the municipality agents who were knocking. She hugged the little boy tighter, scared to drop him out of shock. Her grey eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was her sister; her older sister was alive.

"Lau ... Laurel?" - Fern didn't know if what was stuck in her throat was crying or laughing, maybe it was both. - "Laurel, tell me I'm not seeing visions, tell me you're not a ghost."

"I am not a ghost, Fern." - Laurel answered, stifling her own crying, avoiding showing her own emotion. - "I missed you a lot".

Both sisters embraced. Fern crying on her shoulder, holding little David with one arm.

"Where the hell were you ?!" - She yelled at her. - "Mum almost died, you idiot! I almost died too. When we found out about the club ... Rebecca said you were with them... gone missing for months ... I hate you; I hate you... "

"I'm going to explain everything, Fern, I swear. It was all a misunderstanding"

"Misunderstanding?" - Fern answered, separating from her and looking furious. - "Misunderstanding? Are you going to tell me that mother had to spend the night in a hospital for a misunderstanding? That we had to mourn your death for months because of a misunderstanding? Fuck you, Laurel!"

"What happened to mum?" - She asked, worried.

"She fainted when they gave her the news, when she fell, she hit her head and they had to put stitches, all because of your little misunderstanding."

"Sorry, forgive me Fern, seriously ... I had no idea ..."

"And who the hell is this one?" - She asked when noticing the presence of Severus, who was watching the scene with a brooding face from the doorway.

"He's ... He's Doctor Severus Snape ... My new employer."

Severus stepped into the tiny hall, and reached out a hand to Fern, who looked him up and down suspiciously.

"What kind of name is that?" - She asked as she shook the tip of his fingers quickly and released him immediately.

"It is foreign". - Severus answered, his black eyes fixed on the girl.

He was able to penetrate her thoughts immediately: vague childhood memories with Laurel, excessive pride, teenage rebellion, jealousy, labour pains, aversion and suspicion when she saw him. She was definitely not an Akardos.

"From where, exactly, Mr. Snape?"

"Dr. Snape". – Corrected Laurel, who leaned over David and caressed his head, calming the crying.

"Don't touch him! Wash your hands first". - She snapped, pulling him away from Laurel and then addressing Severus. - "And you, close the door. We cannot afford to pay extra for heating".

Turning her back on them, she headed towards the end of the corridor, where two small rooms were located. Laurel and Severus looked at each other, after removing their winter garments, she took his hand and led him to the kitchen. Everything was the same as she had left it three years earlier before moving to London, except for the pile of dirty baby bottles, the old kitchen was spotless. Laurel started to make tea, while Severus sat uncomfortably in one of the chairs at the small wooden table. He rose to his feet, instantly hearing the approaching voices.

"Fern, please, it must have been a dream."

"It is not a dream mum. Laurel is here".

"Mum ... mother." - Laurel called, putting the tea bags aside and running into the hall.

"My God, we're both dreaming, Fern. We are hallucinating! Do you think old Dirk has put something on the cake he offered us?"

"Mother!" - Laurel said laughing, a few tears brightening her eyes. She threw herself at her, hugging her tightly. - "Dirk stopped smuggling a long time ago, you're not hallucinating."

"Thank heaven, Laurel!" - Her mother shouted, hugging her and kissing her face. - "You are alive, I knew it, I prayed every night for a miracle. I think I prayed to a whole pantheon of gods for you, pumpkin."

"One of them must have listened to you, mum." - Laurel laughed, kissing her. - "I'm home, I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble."

"To hell with troubles, you are here, troubles no longer exist." - Her mother answered, hugging her around the waist and entering the kitchen with her - "And who is this elegant gentleman?"

Laurel cleared her throat, smiling at Severus, who immediately scanned the woman's mind: the hubbub of chickens on the farm where she had grown up, an iron kindness, the streets of London awash with hope and psychedelic drugs, the shadow of a man in the deepest crevices of her mind.

"May I present to you Doctor Severus Snape, mum. Dr. Snape, my mother, Hazel Noel."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Noel".

Severus stepped forward, stretching his arm towards the premature grey-haired woman. She had the same eyes as Fern, and the same childish face as Laurel. The woman ignored his hand and hugged him tightly, patting him on the back a few times.

"Welcome dr. Snail, it is a pleasure to have you join us on this wonderful day. Please take a seat. The tea is already on the way".

Laurel smiled, winking at Severus, who sat back flustered.

"It's Snape, Mum. Not, Snail".

Hazel had sat next to the wizard, wiping silent tears with her gnarled hands, Severus did not take his eyes off Laurel and Fern was standing, cradling the child in her arms who had fallen asleep again and watching Severus the same way a hawk watches its prey.

"You better make enough tea." - Fern said to his sister. - "You have many explanations to give."

"I can ... I can clarify that I am partly to blame for all this." - Severus' silky voice caught the attention of the three women. - "I offered a job to Miss Noel in my research centre, I insisted that she start her internship immediately. The flight to Switzerland left that very same night, the same night of the terrible incident. We did not find out about the tragedy until yesterday when we returned to England".

"Switzerland?!" - Both women exclaimed in unison.

"Have you been to Switzerland all this time ?!" - Fern asked.

"Yes". - Laurel answered, biting her lips, trying to sound sincere. - "I left the club long before the fire. I didn't have time to tell Rebecca or Edward. "

"And in four months you didn't have time to phone home?! A letter, a telegram, anything?!"

"Our centre is very strict regarding our confidentiality policy."- Severus replied, taking a sip from the cup of tea that Laurel had served him. - "Our laboratory is the most advanced when it comes to biomedical engineering, the competition is fierce, you must understand that, during her internship, Ms. Noel was not allowed to have any external contact."

"Laurel ... in Switzerland ... working for a company that does god-knows-what." Fern snorted indignantly. - "Do you think I was born yesterday? You are not even Swiss! Ich glaube dir nicht".

Laurel dropped her head back, rolling her eyes, irritated with her sister's behaviour. She always loved to get attention, always wanting to have the last word in everything.

"Excusez moi, mademoiselle. Notre société est située à Genève." - Severus replied in perfect French, smiling disdainfully - "Excuse me for not answering you in German, but it's a bit rusty. I think... yes, I have the document here that proves the dates on which Laurel joined the company and the plane tickets".

Severus took out a few first-year essays on Cornish pixies from his satchel and handed them to Fern, who examined them carefully. Finally, she bluntly returned them.

"All right, Dr. Snape, I think everything is in order."

Laurel almost choked on the tea, unable to help but laugh.

"Although I still do not understand what skills my sister could offer." - She continued saying looking at her suspiciously.

"Manners, Fern. If Dr. Snape has decided to offer Laurel a position, he must have his reasons." – Said Hazel and then turned to Severus, with a knowing smile - "My pumpkin, she has always been a good girl, not so bright, not so talented, but she works hard and always does the best she can. I am sure that she has been a good employee for your firm".

"Of course,". - Severus replied looking at Laurel with longing eyes. - "Her assistance has been invaluable to me."

Laurel looked back at him, and he nodded. That was the agreed signal, they were not Akardos.

"Mom, I won't be able to stay long, we have to leave tonight. Dr. Snape has a very tight schedule and we've only come to let you know that I'm fine, safe and sound." - Laurel felt how sadness began to blur her vision, but she tried to control herself, tried not to feel any emotion.

"You're kidding. Have you come for only a day?! " - Fern was beside herself.

"And we have also come because the company has developed a new product, a new medicine that can cure you completely." - Laurel continued, ignoring her sister.

Gracefully, Severus placed on the table a small glass bottle with a purple liquid bubbling inside. The two Muggles looked at it in wonder, and Fern quickly took it, holding it close to her eyes.

"There is no label, there are no components ..."

"It's totally new, Fern."

"Are you going to experiment with my mother?"

"I assure you that there will be no adverse effects. It will work. I guarantee it." - Said Severus and turning to Hazel, he whispered - "Just five drops and you won't have to bear the pain anymore."

Hazel stared at him, his sallow face and black eyes radiating confidence, authority. She was sure that she could trust him. She nodded, pushing the cup of tea towards Severus, who opened the bottle and dropped five drops of the potion into it.

"Mum, don't."

"Five drops is better than those thousand pills I have to take every day, Fern." - She replied while drinking all the tea at once.

A slight bubbling sound was heard as the potion reached her stomach and then it increased gradually. Their eyes were all fixed on Hazel, her lips twisted at the sensation of effervescence that ran through every bone in her body. Her hands began to straighten, and the constant pain was replaced by a pleasant tingling in her joints.

"Mum, how are you feeling?" - Laurel asked.

"It's a miracle". - She answered while she opened and closed her hands, astonished. - "A true miracle. Are you sure I'm not dreaming?"