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When they re-entered the kitchen, Zelda was greeted by the sound of glass shattering in her living room. She looked questioningly at Severus - who seemed exhausted, though more at peace than she had seen him before. He smiled faintly and said, "See for yourself, my girl."

Zelda's eyes grew wide in wonder, as they walked to the living room. Severus had forgotten to mention that the room had been magically enlarged, and as they entered, Hermione was repairing the TV screen - which had been shattered by a spell. Zelda's laughter made them aware that they were no longer alone, and they all turned around, looking so guilty that Zelda could only laugh harder.

"We're fixing everything!" Ron explained hurriedly - which made Zelda collapse on the couch, laughing so hard now that she could not stand upright.

"I know why Muggles shouldn't know about magic," she gasped as soon as she could properly speak. "You must think we'll all freak out if things get broken!"

"Actually, Zelda, Ron's dad once demolished half of the Dursley's living room, when he tried to use Floo Powder in the blocked off fireplace." Harry said with a grin. "If they hated magic before... well, they never forgot that day. Fred and George gave Dudley the Ton-Tongue Toffee that day too!" He laughed, and Ron joined in, proud of his family's ability to offend Harry's family.

"Goddess, Sev, so many questions, so little time." Zelda said, her eyes sparkling with delight. She held out her hand to him and drew him down to sit on the couch next to her. "This is so wonderful! And so dreadful," she said. "I can't imagine what Hogwarts must be like with hundreds of kids, all able to do magic, concentrated in one location. How do staff members keep from having a nervous breakdown? Don't students maim each other? Why haven't they destroyed the entire place?"

After the shattering experience of exposing his guilt to Zelda and Potter, Severus still felt he was almost able to be normal, in the face of what he realized was Zelda's carefully crafted absurdity. The rush of appreciation he felt for her gave him strength. Calmly he said, "The Hogwarts Infirmary is a frequent destination for the students. The castle, on the other hand, has withstood a thousand years of abuse from students and is fine."

"Zelda," Hermione asked suddenly, "What do you do for a living?"

A guilty smile appeared on her face, and she said, "I hoped no one would think to ask," she said ironically. "I'm a sixth grade teacher." Her mouth twitched as she waited for their response.

Hermione nodded to herself, as though she had expected this answer. Harry and Ron stared at each other, completely surprised. They obviously had not associated Professor Snape's girlfriend with any teacher they had ever experienced. Severus... When she finally looked guiltily at him, his black eyes were gleaming with amusement.

"I am sure you are a better teacher than I am," he said ironically. Remembering something, he added, "Shall we really discuss educational theory, dear girl? I have no doubt that you would know far more of it than I do."

Zelda laughed, remembering that she had mentioned educational theory to him. She said "You don't need theory when you have a wand. I imagine you have no trouble with classroom management, dear boy."

Severus now smiled, his dark despair lightening in the face of that absurd statement. "It is not that simple, Zelda," he said.

"Nothing ever is that easy, is it?" she responded lightly, kissing his cheek. "And do you have more than your share of idiots for colleagues? Eternally boring staff meetings? Frequent communications from parents concerned that you don't appreciate the innate superiority of their 'special' child? Or is Hogwarts like a little piece of education heaven?"

"I have experienced all of those, dear girl, but I must say that Hogwarts is... quite wonderful." As he spoke, Severus felt a deep pang, wishing he could return, wishing once again to undo that horrible moment in the Astronomy Tower.

Harry was watching Snape, and he was learning to be better able to read his subtle changes of expression. He saw the wizard's sadness and he was moved to help Zelda distract him from that mood. "This explains something to me, Zelda," Harry said to her shrewdly. "Like why you remind me of Professor McGonagall."

All eyes turned to him. Ron and Hermione were startled. Zelda looked curious, but Snape only chuckled, and said, "There is a slight resemblance, Potter."

Zelda tossed her head a bit irritably and said, "Never mind that now, since I don't imagine it's the least bit complimentary." She continued in a mock-pouting voice, "Severus, you promised to attack these children for my amusement and you haven't done anything about it. I'm starting to be very disappointed."

Severus rose, feeling now that perhaps he could rejoin the living - as long as he could have her with him. Rising to his feet, he pulled out his wand, saying; "Anything to amuse you. I will even warn them, this time. Five seconds... and go!"

Severus cast spells at each of them in turn, so rapidly that his wand was a blur. All of them had mastered the Shield Charm, he noted approvingly. He changed up, randomly firing Jinxes. Harry was the first to go down to another Tickling Charm, and then a Leg-Locker Curse hit Hermione. Ron was the last one standing, but when he realized it, he became distracted enough to be hit by a Jelly-Legs Jinx. Severus stopped immediately, said "Finite Incantatem," allowing the three a moment to recover. All of them looked toward Zelda to see her reaction.

Zelda sat motionless, eyes wide with shock. A few seconds later she remembered to pull her mouth closed and looked from one to the other of them, looking last at Severus. A gradual smile spread across her face, and she shook her head slowly, refusing to say anything.

"Well?" Severus said.

"Perhaps you should go on about your business. I'm not qualified to evaluate this activity," Zelda said, her mouth twitching with suppressed laughter. "Will it bother you if I sit here quietly and try to overcome my sudden case of 'magic-envy'?"

Severus sat down again next to her, ignoring the others, and said, "Magic-envy?"

"Okay, well, I do have some questions." she said, pausing before she continued. "I imagine what you just did isn't as easy as you made it look... Right?"

"That is right..." Severus responded, wondering where she was headed with this train of thought.

She turned to lie down with her hands behind her head, putting her legs across his lap. He put his hands on her knees and waited.

"What were those spells?" Zelda asked.

"Potter succumbed to Rictusempra, a Tickling Charm," Severus said.

"I had the Leg-Locker Curse," Hermione said, eager to see what Zelda thought of the spells. "And Ron got the Jelly-Legs Jinx."

"So each of these spell incapacitates, but does no lasting harm." Zelda mused thoughtfully. "I imagine there are huge numbers of spells, and people sit around inventing new ones just for fun."

"Essentially true," Severus replied evenly.

"Then there are the really horrid ones, Unforgivable Curses. I imagine that there are ones worse than the Jelly-Legs Jinx and all that," Zelda mused, her voice sounding dreamy.

Hermione, Ron and Harry all came and sat in front of the couch listening curiously. Even Hermione had not given serious thought to what a newly enlightened Muggle's perspective on magic might be.

"Potions too..." Zelda continued, vaguely. "I haven't given much thought to this, since I never knew it could be real... I suppose there are good and useful ones, and really horrid ones..."

Witch and wizards all looked intently at Zelda, wondering where all this talk would lead. She lay still, staring abstractedly at the ceiling

She smiled, looking carefree, sat up and said, "Okay! I'm fine now. Carry on, my dear magical people; get back to your business. Hex away!"

"Not yet," Severus answered for all of them. "You must tell us what you think."

"Must?" she replied, looking quizzically at them.

"Zelda!" Harry said. "Please tell us what you were thinking about."

Zelda shrugged and said, "Really? Okay then... better you all than me!"

They all stared. Hermione said disbelievingly "Can you really say you wouldn't love to be able to do magic, Zelda?"

Zelda tried bravely to suppress her amusement. She looked at Severus mischievously, and he responded by taking her hand and kissing it.

Harry cleared his throat loudly, and she turned around and said to him; "What I thought was my better than average mother radar, turns out to be a magical thing I can do, hasn't it?" She mused, "It does come in handy, but I frankly wouldn't want the responsibility of doing all that wand stuff."

Severus smiled at her, and Zelda could see that he was the only one who really understood what she had meant by her words.

"You're too smart for your own good, Sev," she said, leaning her head against his shoulder and smiling at the others.

"My dear young people, do you use this amazing talent wisely?" she asked seriously. "Have you ever seriously harmed anyone, or been harmed because of a decision that you made with your magic?" Zelda looked intently at them, and even Ron now saw the resemblance to McGonagall in her penetrating gaze.

"I suppose I might change my mind, upon giving it more thought," she explained, "but the reason I'm not consumed with jealousy of the amazing things you can do, is the same reason I've chosen not to own a gun. Both may be useful, cool and fun too... but I'd hate to risk doing irreparable harm to someone." She finished, giving the others time for what she had said to fully sink in.

Her words did make them think, as she had hoped, and there were no more questions. They all sat quietly, feeling self-conscious as they remembered many times when they had used magic without really thinking of the consequences.

"If there's not required coursework on "Magical Ethics" at Hogwarts, perhaps one of you should suggest it," Zelda said ironically to Severus.

"We are essentially at war, Zelda," Severus pointed out. "All of this is necessary."

Zelda looked at the teenagers, and then looked sadly at him. "I do realize that, Sev," she said, "Given your circumstances, I guess I'd pick up a wand and do what I could, in your place. But to me it isn't something done lightly. I think I'm probably a self-indulgent coward, willing to let someone else do the dirty work to keep me safe." She reclined back again and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling.

Severus shook his head, looking cynically at Zelda. "Do not be ridiculous, my girl. You are no coward." He said, "However, we do not have time to debate absurdities."

"Potter, are you still determined to return to Hogwarts tonight?" he asked, turning from Zelda to Harry. "I will defer to you, if you believe it is advisable to do this. But we should do it soon."

"We need to go," said Harry. "But we'll come back here, and I think Hermione and Ron should stay behind with Zelda, until we get back."

"Harry, no!" Hermione said. "You need us. We have to go along."

"We'll only be gone a short time, but we can't all go." Harry said. "I've given this some thought and I need to go back - with Professor Snape."

"If you are certain, Potter..." Severus said, well aware that none of them really trusted him.

"I'm certain, Sir." Harry said firmly.

"Then study the map and see who is stirring," Severus instructed, "and where we will find Minerva McGonagall. I will change clothes and we will leave in ten minutes." He gently moved Zelda's legs from his lap, and left the room.

Harry brought out the Marauder's Map. Tapping it, he said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

The lines of the map revealed themselves, and they all studied it.

"It's really empty, I can't see anyone," Ron said, startled.

"The ghosts are still there, and the Heads of Houses." Harry said. "I hope we don't meet Peeves."

"Does Professor Snape know he's been replaced as Head of Slytherin?" Hermione asked Harry, who shrugged.

"I think he knows it's unavoidable, Hermione, but I think he hates it too." Zelda said. She had some idea how painful the situation must be to Severus, but she also knew he would not complain about what could not be changed.

"Hermione, will you and Ron stay while they're gone?" Zelda asked, striving to keep her voice level, but not quite succeeding. "I'd appreciate the company."

Hermione and Ron looked at each other. They did not understand why Harry suddenly seemed to have complete confidence in Snape, even to the point of showing him how the Marauder's Map worked. But it seemed inevitable that Harry would go alone.

Severus entered the room again. He was dressed in the completely black clothes they had bought the day before and their eyes flew to Zelda to see her reaction to the partial return of the Snape persona. He looked far more familiar to his former students, and when he put on the leather jacket that Zelda had found for him, he looked dangerous.

Zelda eyed him appraisingly and met his enquiring gaze. "You know, I actually think the Hawaiian shirt looked good on you, dear boy," she said. "But you seem much more comfortable now, and I think you look adorable."

Ron and Harry were obviously trying not to laugh, since 'adorable' was the last word they would have applied to Professor Snape, but Severus curled his lip... resignedly.

"You are disastrous for my reputation, Zelda," he quipped. "We will return very soon, if all goes well."

"I know," said Zelda. "Is there anything useful we can do here while you are gone?"

"Miss Granger," Severus said, "do you know how to place wards around this house? If you do, please do so, leaving us a place to Apparate to and from safely." He added, "Also, when we return, I will make this house Unplottable."

He held out his hand to Zelda, and they followed Harry out to the back yard, arms around each other.

"Zelda..." Severus began.

"Shhhh. Do you hear that sound?" Zelda asked gently.

Severus looked at her, eyebrow raised.

"That would be me, grinding my teeth together to keep stupidly obvious words like 'be careful' from escaping me," she said, her mouth twitching.

Severus turned and hugged her. "It is remarkable to know you care whether I survive, my girl. I will come back soon."

Zelda stood on tiptoe to kiss him, then with an effort let go of him, maintaining eye contact. "I love you, Sev," she said in his mind. "See you soon." She stepped back and stood between Hermione and Ron.

"Side-Along Apparition, Potter. I don't wish to be melded with you upon arriving in Hogsmeade." Severus said briskly, as he and Harry stepped into the most secluded part of the back garden.

He took one more look around Zelda's yard, and then pointed to a spot, saying, "A Growth Charm on those two shrubs is advisable," before joining Harry, who was waiting for him.

"Now, like this, Potter," Severus said, holding out his hand. They clasped forearms firmly and a moment later, the two wizards vanished with a pop.