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Severus Snape was Apparating to a place he'd visited only once before. He had not slept, and would not rest until he had reported to Minerva and was safe. He found himself standing alone in a sunlit clearing he had visited with Zelda's friend, Michael. He approached the small house cautiously, but was not challenged by anyone. His black eyes moved around the clearing repeatedly, alert for signs of danger.

He opened the door soundlessly and discovered his beloved seated at a small table with her head in her hands. He thrust the hood of his cloak back off his head and stepped into the kitchen. "Zelda," he breathed.

She was on her feet, facing him instantly. Without a word she came to him and they smiled into each other's eyes as he wrapped his arms around her. Zelda could feel the weariness in his taut muscles. The lines on his face were deep and harsh. But his eyes gleamed as he pulled her inside his black cloak and they kissed each other. "Severus," she murmured against his mouth.

"What is it?" he whispered, pressing his lips to hers again.

She wanted to stay there, but dragged her mind back to reality. She pressed her hand against his cheek and said, "You need to rest, dear boy. Minerva's here, go tell her what she needs to know, so I can take care of you."

Severus felt he had come home to her. He could not stop a smile from appearing on his thin lips, and after his time with the Death Eaters, smiling felt very strange. He squeezed her once more and said, "I smell coffee, my girl. It is precisely what I need."

Zelda realized that the coffee was ready, so she prepared to pick up the tray, only to see it Levitated out of her grasp. She turned to Severus, chuckling.

"Through that door?" he asked, and when she nodded he followed her, with the tray floating smoothly before him.

Everyone turned as they entered the room, and the energy in the room changed in response to Zelda's glowing smile and the sight of Severus. The tray settled gently on the coffee table as Michael rose and offered his hand to the black-garbed wizard.

"Severus," he said warmly. "Come in and sit down, man."

"Thank you, Michael," replied Severus, with a hint of a smile. "You look well."

"You look like you need to sleep for two days straight," Michael said frankly. "But business before pleasure, and Minerva's waiting."

Minerva watched them speaking to each other, and it seemed that Severus was remarkably relaxed with Zelda's friend. Her confidence in Severus increased as she saw his ability to adapt to such unusual circumstances. She conjured a loveseat and said, "Please sit down, Severus. I'm relieved to see you looking so well."

Severus sank down; his body craved rest. When Zelda sat beside him, he made no move except to press his thigh against hers, causing her to sigh gently. He accepted a cup of coffee from Molly, who smiled warmly at him. He tasted it, and then quickly drank more. The hot, fragrant brew, the warm cup in his hand, Zelda by his side, it was so pleasing he could hardly grasp it. "Thank you, Minerva, and all of you." He drank slowly, allowing the warmth to flood his body. He felt as though he were among friends, an almost unprecedented sensation for him.

"There is time to prepare," he began. "As we thought, Hogwarts is a target, but he plans to attack Hogwarts and the Ministry at the same time, so he has divided his forces." He sipped his coffee slowly. "There are many things he has not told me, and even now it may be a ruse to expose spies. But if it is real, there are significant flaws in the plan."

"What flaws?" Minerva asked intently. She was trying to imagine how they could repel two attacks without the Ministry becoming part of their defense.

"First, his chosen commanders," Severus said. "I am chosen to plan and execute the attack on Hogwarts, and Bellatrix Lestrange to attack the Ministry. He is doubtful of me and he knows that she is a poor choice. With his most competent followers in Azkaban, he will be forced to oversee her closely, leaving him less time to watch me."

"Does this mean he trusts you?" Zelda asked skeptically.

"Not at all," he replied. "One of my three assistants is Peter Pettigrew, whose job it is to irritate me beyond reason and to report my every move to the Dark Lord."

"He's not spying on you now, is he?" asked Molly. "What did you do with him?"

"I assigned Pettigrew to brew an immense quantity of Polyjuice Potion, and suggested that the group attacking the Ministry might wish to avail themselves of it also," Severus said mildly. "He must collect vast amounts of ingredients, and since it takes approximately a month to brew, he will be tied fairly closely to the cauldrons in the cellar of Riddle House."

Minerva was quite impressed with his ability to think on his feet. One false step and he would be lost, but he was indeed brilliant at directing the game. "We should play chess together, Severus," she said appraisingly. "You'd give me an amusing game, I believe."

"I am flattered that you think so," he murmured.

"In the meantime, how are we to defend Hogwarts from intruders if they are perfectly disguised as teachers?" she asked irritably. "Really, Severus, you could have been a bit less brilliantly helpful to the other side."

"Depending on who your defenders are, they must be capable of Legilimency," he replied. "When Barty Crouch was disguised as Moody, he did not allow anyone to look into his eyes... er, eye. But I did catch a brief glimpse, and knew something was amiss. If I had known Moody better, I believe I would have known it was an imposter."

"Then we must learn immediately," Molly said firmly, "and decide who can be trusted to defend Hogwarts, and what they should be privy to." Her face fell as she continued, "Will we warn the Ministry?" She looked earnestly at Severus.

"Not yet," he replied. He was aware that her husband and son were employed there, as well as many others that she knew. "We will not let it go forward without warning, Molly, but the Dark Lord must believe we are unprepared for as long as possible. We shall find a way to warn them in time."

"Molly, if the Ministry is aware that Severus has returned, they'll try to capture him. That must not happen," said Minerva.

"All right," Molly said. The game was complicated, and it would be difficult to defer to the strategy experts, but what she was learning of Minerva and Severus helped her to see that no area would be neglected. "We must consider who will be privy to this information," she said thoughtfully. "Should Hagrid know about it?"

"I believe so," Minerva replied. "He's a canny fellow, who knows the ways of the Forbidden Forest and the creatures that reside there."

Molly noticed Severus rubbing his temples wearily. "Severus, you need sleep," she said. "How long can you stay here?"

"I must supervise my so-called 'assistant's' progress at potion making, about two days from now. I am weary of finding bolt-holes around Riddle House, so I hope to stay here." He turned to smile at Zelda. "If it is safe, of course."

"We'll go now and return to see you tomorrow," Minerva said. "You've given me much to think on, Severus, and again, I thank you."

Minerva and Molly rose and headed for the door, looking surprised when Michael followed them.

"They need to be alone, and he won't rest until he's said everything to Zelda," he said knowingly. "I think I'll get more food, since it sounds like Zelda will have a full house here for a while."

"Will you be staying here?" Minerva asked.

"I work in a hospital, so unlike Zelda, I don't have summers off," he said. "I'll be around as often as I can, though. Zelda likes to be alone, but someone should keep an eye on her." He smiled mischievously. "Go take care of your magical school, /Minerva/. I'll keep an eye on things here."

"Thank you, /Michael/," she replied graciously.

Molly laughed at their interaction, amused at the stern Headmistress's slight discomfiture. "I hope to see you soon, Michael," she said. "Thank you."

He nodded in a friendly way, and they Apparated off to Hogwarts. A hand touched his arm, making him jump, but it was only Zelda.

"What's your plan?" she asked. "Sev's sound asleep, right where he sat down. I don't think he slept for one minute since he left me and I don't want to figure how many hours that's been."

"I'm heading off to stock up on supplies, since your solitary time here sounds more like it'll be a non-stop party," he said with a smirk. "Seriously, get back to your man, Zel. He's tough and he's smart, but he looks wiped out, and a little TLC is just what he needs. Unless you want me to..."

"Shut up, Michael!" she giggled. "I've really missed saying that. I'll see you later."

Michael climbed into the small jeep he was driving and sped away, leaving Zelda alone in the sunshine. She breathed deeply for a moment, savoring the tranquility, then went back in to Severus.

He was still seated with his head leaning back, snoring. He looked ridiculous, and she smiled contentedly. Only in his presence could she bear to acknowledge how much she loved him. She surveyed him for a moment, and then murmured, "Severus, please wake up."

He sprang to attention, his black eyes alert to danger, but he realized that he was safe, so he relaxed again. The contrast between Riddle House and this place where he felt safe energized him. "Come here, my girl," he said, holding out his hand to her.

She took his hand and replied, "Go to bed, please. You should be comfortable, for a change." She tugged, pulling him to his feet, and led him to the bedroom. Then she busied herself opening the bed and closing the curtains against the sun.

Severus tossed off his cloak and jacket. He was eager to touch her and hold her. "I do not intend to sleep alone," he purred in a low voice. "You're overdressed, my Zelda, and I dislike that."

"Are you sure you won't rest better if I leave you alone?' she said, even as she began to unfasten her robes.

"You are an impudent wench, my girl. Now strip yourself and have done with this banter," he snapped, glaring at her.

She sat down on the bed and folded her arms with a defiant sneer. "If I refuse?" she asked happily.

He removed his shirt, unzipped his pants, and then pushed her onto her back and straddled her. Nose to nose he said, "Ah, then I shall have to... apologize and ask you again very politely, I suppose."

"I adore you, Sev," she said, putting her hands on his bare shoulders and massaging his tense muscles. "Stop wasting time and Vanish it all." She kissed his nose and gazed hopefully at him.

He Vanished their clothing without his wand, he noted in some surprise, realizing that this time he could bring everything back. A surge of curiosity at this improved ability to control his wandless magic flashed through him, but was lost in his need to kiss and touch and taste Zelda.

"My absurd angel, I love you," he whispered, kissing her eagerly. Their lovemaking was intense and tender, and afterward Severus slept deeply with his face nestled in her soft hair. When he awoke it was evening, the room was becoming darker and Zelda was trying to disengage herself from his arms. He tightened his grip and looked questioningly at her.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," she said, tenderly stroking his black hair back from his face. "You need to rest."

"I will gladly rest," he said, "in good time, but I smell something wonderful and I'm famished." He sat up and looked for his clothing in puzzlement, noticing that she was also naked. He cocked an eyebrow at her and she giggled.

"You Vanished all of it, remember?" she said. "I hope you can bring it back, or else you'll give Michael a thrill he won't soon forget."

"It might be worth it to have you so accessible," he murmured, reaching out to cup her breast. He was delighted when she blushed. In some ways his beloved was outspoken and completely wanton, but in others she was as great a prude as he was. It delighted him to make her as embarrassed as a young girl.

Zelda studied his thin, muscular body. The contrast between that pale skin and the black hair on his body fascinated her as always. She reached a tentative finger out and began tracing the pattern of hairs on his chest. "If you're really hungry, I suggest you bring back our clothes before I get totally, selfishly distracted," she said.

He remembered then that he had Vanished everything without his wand. He concentrated deeply, trying to reverse the spell, and suddenly Zelda was dressed again, as was he. He needed only to resume his shirt, which he did, smiling bemusedly.

"No wand?" Zelda asked. "I didn't know you could do that."

"Neither did I, although Dumbledore was able to do many things without his wand," Severus replied. "My ability to do wandless magic was fairly limited, but seems to be improving now.

"Impressive," she said. "So you're sexy and talented. I'm a lucky woman. And a hungry one, so let's see what Michael's been up to."

She opened the door and delicious aromas overcame their senses. Michael entered carrying a platter of barbecued chicken, and smiled when he saw them.

"Hungry?" he queried.

"Oh, yummy. Gimme, Michael!" Zelda groaned. "That smells incredible, babe."

"Two minutes, Zel, and I imagine Severus needs it more than you do, so, gentlemen first," he said firmly.

"Let me help you then," she said kindly. "What do you need me to do?"

"There's potato salad in the fridge, and all kinds of other good things. You could take all of it out... Hey!" he snarled, as she snatched a chicken leg off the platter and sank her teeth into it, grinning in an annoying manner.

"Wonderful," she murmured. "Try some, Sev," she offered magnanimously, and Severus finished it in seconds.

"You are a brat," he said sternly. "I shall have to teach you better manners, my girl." His black eyes gleamed smugly.

"I did share with you," she said reproachfully, hustling the food onto the table as she pouted. She set the table so quickly it seemed almost magical, and pulled out a chair with a flourish. "Gentlemen first. After you, Sir," she said grandly to Severus, and after he was seated she did the same for Michael.

"Good Lord, Zel," Michael said, chuckling and rolling his eyes.

Her eyebrow arched skyward, but she smiled gently and simply said, "Chicken, Sir?" holding the platter out to Severus.

Severus laughed out loud, a rare enough event that it brought a smile to Zelda's face. He put his hand up behind her head and pulled her face close to his and kissed her. "Thank you, my girl," he chuckled. "You have made your point, now sit down and eat."

Michael watched them in amusement. He had never seen Zelda so happy, and Severus looked ten years younger than the hagridden wizard who had arrived a few hours ago. "God, I'm a sucker for a love story," he sighed annoyingly.

Zelda sat down at the table and shoveled a huge portion of potato salad onto her plate. "Glad to oblige with one, buddy," she said briskly. "Sev, Michael's potato salad is outstanding, try some."

"If there's any left after Zelda's had hers," Michael muttered darkly.

Severus took a similarly large portion. "It smells wonderful," he said, beginning to eat ravenously. Nothing had ever tasted better than this meal, coming after a day's fast and a refreshing bout of lovemaking. Since entering Zelda's world it seemed to him that everything was more vivid. He did not simply love Zelda, he had learned to love his own existence, he thought. Life could be rich and good, if somehow he could survive this war to actually live it.

"Mmm... Michael, that was fantastic," Zelda groaned contentedly. "I don't think I'll need to eat again for two days. Um, is there dessert?"

Michael laughed. "Maybe, but I think you'll have to wash the dishes to prove that you're worthy."

She curled her lip. "I'm glad you're gay, you know. You'd make some woman a perfectly dreadful husband. I grow faint at the thought of Lily marrying a fascist like you."

"It's as if Ma Nature knew, isn't it?" he snickered. "As for Lily, she's so smart and gorgeous she'll have her choice of groveling, submissive guys. No fascists allowed."

"If you say it, it must be true, Michael," she said, laughing. "Now, why don't you two manly men go sit and scratch yourselves, while I do the dishes and make coffee. I wonder if there's a delicious dessert here, hiding from me." She began to collect the dishes and carry them to the sink.

Severus had watched the banter between the two in amusement. They were clever, funny and very fond of each other. He realized that he too was grateful that Michael was gay, or he might have arrived on the scene to find his soul mate comfortably married to her dear friend. But fortunately, he thought smugly, that was all right.

"I do not need to, er, scratch myself right now, Zelda," he said, "and I will help with the dishes. Make your coffee now and join us, please." He rose from the table and pinched her backside smartly, making her giggle, before leading Michael out into the cool evening.