In a decidedly happy but slightly confused mood Nimue went out to the grounds after finishing her work in Professor Snape's office. These days she had no longer any desire to send Marcus in his hawk form off to London so relied upon one of the school owls to transport Snape's supply requests to the MoM.

She also had the owl carry a note to her Father asking about Marvo. It was only a day since he had been taken by the WiBs but she could hope couldn't she? Only one day since he'd gone. Kat was still being 'interviewed' though perhaps that was over since they had come for Andy.

She wasn't particularly surprised when Marcus Falconer approached her and undertook to enquire after her health. She decided for some honesty. "Marcus, it's my emotions that are playing me up. I met our new DADA teacher today, Anders Grimalkin. Professor Snape seems to really dislike him and there is something vulnerable ....."

Marcus interrupted her rather abruptly: "Nimue, I caution you to have as little to do with Anders Grimalkin as possible. Not only is it unsuitable for a friendship between you, he is not a stable influence and Lord Hawkwood would hardly approve....."

She held up her hand to prevent him saying any more. "I wasn't even suggesting anything that would be 'inappropriate', surely you know me well enough by now."

"I know what blood flows in your veins Nimue and no wizard is completely save from that spell. No wizard!"

This made her angry as the implication was she, as her namesake was an enchantress. "Do you really believe that - that I would or have attempted to bewitch any wizard? Is that why you watch me so closely? You know that is just a myth. My ancestoress did not ......"

She was as close to losing her temper with Marcus as she had been on the night she had learned of the arranged marriage. "Is that why my Father has forced me into this betrothal with Marv ... Malcolm to make me 'safe' from coming of age and possibly having any sort of say in whom I love. What better mate for an enchantress than an Auror? Is that it then - I am dangerous?"

Marcus wasn't about to answer such a direct question about the betrothal but his silence spoke volumes to Nimue about how he felt about her blood. "OK, Marcus please do continue to protect me from myself. Have you anything to say about Achel? I mean is he in danger as well from my baleful blood because he seems pretty immune to it or maybe he is just into 'blondes'? Or does one have to be of a certain 'age' to fall under this spell you seem to think I am capable of casting over 'any wizard'? For example, are you immune? Is Professor Snape? Or should I be planning to spend the rest of my life in a nunnery!?"

She was angry and also very upset at the way this meeting had gone. Rather than wait for answers to what were probably rhetorical questions given Marcus' stated opinion, she turned on her heels and headed back to the Owlery to write to her Father before Marcus had a chance to.

***********

To Lord Emrys Hawkwood
Private and Confidential

Dearest Father,

You and Mother and the Wards have placed Malcolm and I in the worst position possible. You say we are `meant to be together' – who has decided this? I understand in holding the Office that you do that you are keen to see the bloodline continue and Malcolm certainly brings to the union a magical ability comparable, if not greater, than my own. His own training and experience makes him suitable but we do not feel for each other in the way you and Mother do or as the Wards do, which was also a love match. Surely you can see that although duty and honour to our families holds us to the betrothal that our hearts and minds are still too young to have such a contract placed upon them?

Surely if we are meant to be together then we would find that out ourselves in the natural course of time?

That Marvo has attracted the attention of another girl – Kathryn Black - whom you met briefly at the beginning of the week and that my own emotional life is far from clear must provide some hint that we are hardly embracing this concept. I have no doubt that Marcus Falconer will be reporting our argument of this afternoon to you or at least his version of it.

I am sure that my behaviour towards all wizards is above reproach but I understand that this is not enough that it is precisely because I am no scheming minx seeking to ensnare an admirer wherein lies the greatest danger to the unwary wizard. Heavens! Perhaps a warning should be tattooed unto my forehead! As for Marcus, he remains the perfect guardian as his own heart is so convinced that underneath this meek exterior lies the dark soul of `La belle Dame sans Merci' eager to entrap him forever in a Tower of Air.

Am I to have no life at all? No love? At this point in my life it seems not! You of all people should know that although I would not give my heart lightly to another I do have a will of my own and a determination to follow my heart. Would you make me betray my heart or my duty for it seems before too long I may have to choose.

I love you Father and honour you and your Office to the highest degree but this is a choice that no father should be able to make for his child. You know that any mate I choose will have to live up to the very highest standard – that of you. Few wizards would dare court the daughter of the presiding Merlin of his day for sheer fear of the nature of the Office. In your infinite wisdom can you not trust more in the Fates and less in politics?

I am deeply fond of Malcolm as a brother and friend. Give us time without this dreadful burden to discover other aspects of each other. That is all I ask. Should not history teach us that there is more wisdom in allowing love to follow its own course than to seek to determine its course? Your response to this plea may be to say that you accept that in such matters of love my heart is free to explore so long as I save all else for the marriage. If this is so then you have forgotten what it is to be my age when the prospect of a single kiss holds in it more magic and promise than the intimacy of a marriage bed.

Father, I beg you release us from the betrothal or at least allow us some power of veto should it prove too terrible a burden that would bind us to a life of misery and torment or constant betrayal if our hearts truly lie elsewhere.

Your daughter in spirit and flesh

Nimue

*******************

The argument with Marcus followed by the emotion she had poured into the letter to her father had left Nimue feeling rather drained. She exited the owlery wondering what response the letter might get from Emrys Hawkwood. She supposed she should meet up with some of the other students and start thinking about food or what to do for the evening.

Tomorrow they had DADA class first thing so she had plenty of time to think about the reactions of both Professor Snape and Marcus to the young Professor before seeing him again. She walked through the grounds.

Anders, shaking from a combination of the nightmare and the coughing fit, watched Snape walk away without so much as a word. He glowered after the Potions Master angrily.

He needed another cigarette. His nerves were shot to pieces after that little to-do inside his office. His time spent in...That Place...had left him with an irrational fear of locked rooms and enclosed spaces. He pulled the door of his office until it was slightly ajar, not closed, and walked a little unsteadily down the corridor and out into the grounds through a side door.

He leaned up against the wall and sank down to his heels, where he crouched for a while, his head dropped to his chest, trying to calm himself down. He was becoming more and more like his deceased mother, a very highly-strung Swedish lady. That thought made him smile, a little sadly. Better that he end up like her than like that miserable, unpleasant piece of Muggleness that had been his father, the man with the biggest chip in the entire world on his shoulder. Daffyd Grimalkin had been mad at the world and Anders had been his target for the release of that anger. It had come as something of a relief to the boy when he'd learned of his wizarding capability and gone to Hogwarts, away from his father.

A little calmer now, he sat down on the ground, still leaning against the wall and lit up a cigarette, which he reduced to a smouldering pile of ash very quickly before lighting a second and taking his time with this one. The shakes gradually dwindled and he felt almost serene.

He closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the feel of the fresh air on his face. He'd try not to worry about Snape. If he started to do that, he'd end up losing his temper...and he had a deep-down suspicion that losing his temper was precisely what Snape was waiting for. Just like when he'd been a student. No. If Severus Snape was after a battle of wills, then Anders would give him one.

Suddenly he feels a soft figure, climbing to his shoulder and he hears a soft purring in his ear. As he looks he sees a beautiful Siamese cat . A little further away he sees a teenage witch, who's reading a book. She's also sitting on the floor totally absorbed in her reading.

Anders, always something of a cat lover, reached across and scratched the cat on the head. "Hello, Puss," he said, softly as it arched against his outstretched hand. He glanced across at the girl and smiled. "Beautiful cat," he said, grinding out what was left of his cigarette, but staying sitting on the ground.

Startled, Alpha looks up. She sees the new Professor, blushes and she says with her strange accent:" Sorry about Miss Eezy, she sometimes doez sometings by herself. If you find her annoying, just send her away. She lizzens to people, at least sometimes that is..." It looks like the cat is flirting with the Professor. Alpha has never seen her act like that before. She's almost embarrassed by the way Miss Eezy "flirts" with him and she blushes again.

Anders smiled. "She's lovely. I had a cat...once." He sighed to himself and seemed to lose himself in his memories. He drew his knees into his chest and gazed out into the middle distance.

Suddenly, he started. "Um...would you excuse me?" he said to the girl, apologetically. "There's someone I...uh...need to talk to..." He got to his feet and brushed down his robes.

Looking across the grounds, his vision fixed on a single figure strolling slowly in their general direction. The girl, Nimue. He hadn't really thanked her properly, having been so intimidated by Snape, and something was telling him he should do so lest she think poorly of him.

But he seemed to have gone incredibly shy. Determined, for a change, he nodded to the girl, scratched the cat behind the ears again and strode towards Nimue.

The cat immediately went back to Alpha, climbing on her shoulder and she started to purr in her ear. Alpha, stroking the cat, looking puzzled as the Professor walked away. You can hear her say: "Good work, Miss Eezy, well done" Then she starts reading again, while the cat sits on her shoulder, looking very proud.

"Oh hello again Professor" said Nimue as Anders came up to her. She had mixed feelings about seeing Anders again so soon. However, she did notice that she suddenly felt slightly awkward as if she both wanted to talk to him and not want to talk to him at the same time. This was a bad sign!

Anders smiled, a little lopsidedly. "I...um...just wanted to thank you...y'know. All your help earlier. Yes. Thanks."

Morticia, having just left her class, walks up to Nimue. She doesn't notice Anders at first. "Nimue! Hi! Have you heard anything about Marvo-" She stops as she realises they're not alone. "Oh. Hello. Professor Grimalkin, I suppose? I'm sorry, I didn't want to disturb... See you later, Nim!"

"Later Tish" said Nimue feeling all embarrassed.

As Morticia left, Anders was a little perturbed to notice that his palms seemed to be unnaturally sweaty, and he hid them behind his back. He gave her an embarrassed grin. "Yeah. Um. Professor Snape and I...well, we never really...got on, I s'pose you could say." Now THERE was an understatement. "I was a bit Taken aback when he suddenly appeared like that..." And now he was making lame excuses. Oh, please, ground, open up and swallow me. Now. Please? "I'll just...yes. Leave now. Um. Bye, then?"

"Oh no, don't go..." said Nimue also feeling rather that this was a stupid thing to say to a Professor. "I completely understand about Snape. He has that effect on people all the time and that was a pretty mean thing I said about signing in blood. I'm lucky he didn't say anything after you left or lecture me about inviting strange ..I mean well you know."

She didn't know she felt very stupid - "I guess we should both go and be somewhere else..."

"Yeah...somewhere else..." he said, looking straight into her eyes for the first time since he had started speaking to her. What he saw there troubled him and his heart contracted suddenly. All of a sudden, being 'somewhere else' was an extremely good idea. He could feel that he was skirting around the precipice of a very big, very dangerous chasm...and that if he fell in...the consequences could be dire indeed.

"Um...I'll see in my DADA class then," he said, very shyly. He paused for a few seconds, then turned and walked away from her, his face pink with some weird emotion he did not understand.

There it was - that fatal moment when he looked into her eyes. She wished he hadn't done that because she was pretty certain that despite all her fine words to Marcus and her father that he saw something there that she was desperately trying to hide from herself and now he couldn't wait to get away from her.

As he walked away, she felt awful...her heart doing horrid things in her chest. Hadn't she just been through all this with Marcus last term? No, this was different. Marcus was like a blank slate upon which she could project her schoolgirl fantasies. He was safe. Anders Grimalkin wasn't. Still, she felt so stupid ...so very young and stupid. Was there nothing she could do right when it came to her emotions? She hadn't felt like this when Randal Fudge had kissed her hand and he was her age.

Maybe there was something to the name she bore after all and it made her attractive to...no...no... made her attracted to the older, more experienced wizard. She waited until Anders had disappeared and then rushed off in the direction Morticia had taken in hopes of catching her up and getting back to some sort of normality.

While Anders was walking away from Nimue, Asriel walked up to him. His dark brown eyes meeting his. "Hi Grimalkin," he said. "I have some questions for you."

Anders, who was somewhat lost in a world of his own, came to a halt and met the boy's gaze. Something rigid leapt into his spine. "That's PROFESSOR Grimalkin to you," he said, a little coldly. "And how can I help you?"

"Don't give me that crap," said Asriel. "You know who I am, and you know what I want." His eyes blazed as he looked at Anders. "And I always get what I want."

Anders, who was already on the cusp of full blown irritability following his run-in with Snape, his interrupted nap and...whatever it was that had just happened with Nimue, took a step closer to the boy. "I said," he repeated in a soft, yet razor-edged voice, "that I have no idea what you are talking about. Do we understand each other?"

With that, the young wizard began to stalk away. "I have work to do," he threw over his shoulder. "Good day." He was feeling decidedly annoyed with the attitude that he'd been struck with by this student. He would have expected it from a Slytherin...but a Gryffindor? No.

Asriel watched as Professor Grimalkin turned around, and walked completely out of sight. He needed to talk to someone. He touched the pendant on his neck, and slowly walked in the other direction.

*********

Madison hurried down the hallway, heading for the Common Room to meet her friends. Distracted by the books she was holding (and trying not to drop), she tripped and stumbled a bit, dropping her books and nearly running into a boy she had never seen before.

"I'm sorry..." she apologised, stooping down to pickup her library books. "I'm really sorry about that..." She stood up again, clutching the books to her chest so that she wouldn't drop them again. "I'm Madison...Are you new here?"

Asriel looked at Madison. He was confused. He knew this girl from somewhere. He just couldn't... He got a headache. "I am Asriel."

"Hi, Asriel....so, what house are you in? I'm in Gryffindor..." Madison got the feeling that there was something...different, weird even, about this Asriel. *Don't be paranoid,* she thought to herself. *He's just another guy...nothing weird there...* "Hey, are you alright?" she asked, noticing his confusion.

The boy grabbed her arm. His eyes bulged out of his head as pure terror poured out of his face. He looked as if he were having a heart attack. He screamed, "Madison! Help me! It's An..."

And then suddenly he stopped. He stoop upright letting go of her hand. He blinked a few times looking very confused.

"Forgive me," he said calmly while stroking his amulet.

Madison dropped her books and, eyes wide, took a step back. "What...who are you?" She knew she had to get help, but her legs didn't seem to be getting the signal. She could only stand there and stare.

He looked at her. She looked at him. Their eyes met. For how long? Neither of them could tell. He remembered her. Somewhere. She knew...people. Friends. Of his! Winifred, Niki, Randal, Arcadia, Yvette, Peesemould, Morticia, Nimue, Kat, Marvo! All of these vivid memories rushing back to him faster than he could think. He didn't want to think. Not anymore. Not of his father. Once in Azkaban. Voldemort's servant. No. Too much for him to handle. Too much.

So...He ran. Ran faster than he ever did in his life, clutching his fists with bullets of sweat falling down his face. "You can't beat me! Never! You're not even real!" he yelled.

It was like an inner battle of souls between the two people in one body. Andy trying to walk, Asriel wanting to run. It looks as if he has a twisted ankle, but it's really Andy fighting, struggling to keep his life. "Yes.....I......AM!" he screamed half shouting, half crying.

All of a sudden he tripped and fell to the floor, breathless and motionless.

Madison recognised something in his eyes...something familiar. She tried to think of what it was...but she couldn't put her finger on it. All of a sudden, he turned and ran, yelling something she could barely make out.

Without thinking, Madison raced after him, completely forgetting about her scattered books and fallen bookbag. Hearing his screams, she became even more confused. *He's arguing with...himself?* She realised with a start what that could mean, and remembered her own experience. *Two people in one body...No...That can't be happening again...Can it?* He seemed to be stumbling along, and she caught up with him just as he tripped and fell. She knelt down beside him, worried.

"Help...!" Madison looked around. *Great...I'm on my own...* Not knowing what to do, she reached out and shook him gently. "Hey, are you-" Madison stopped her sentence short, noticing the amulet. She stared at it a moment, then, curious, reached out and touched it.

Madison's finger is shocked because of touching the pendant. Almost electrocuted, but not as badly. Doesn't hurt that much, but it makes you not want to touch it again.

But even still, the boy lay there without moving or making a sound.

*******************

In the library study area Yvette sighed and wondered when the next class would be starting. She didn't like Snape much, but Alchemy amazed her, and she'd been so happy to sign up for the class. But now it was cancelled! Sure, this was the perfect time to start her essay on 'The Life of Harry McDoodle,' but she just wasn't inspired.

Frowning, she chewed on the end of her feather quill and sputtered afterwards. Too bad she hadn't bought those pens from Honeydukes, the ones that were made out of sugar. Every second was like a minute, every minute an hour. She just wanted to GO...

Pepper sat in a chair rocking back in forth, waiting for her to fall back and cause a big scene. She took out her sugar pens that she had just purchased from Honeydukes. She begin nibbling on it as she stared at the girl in front of her. "Hey you look hungry, want one" Pepper said taking out another one.

"Thanks." Yvette grinned, putting on a pathetic grateful expression. "Did you start the essay yet? My mind's blank and I can hear my grade plummeting."

"No problem. . .names Pepper" she said as she paused and looked down at her paper. "My paper is as blank, as yours. . .BUT, during the night, I always get ideas, then just skip breakfast, and do it, BUT. . .this one is a little more harder to think of, so what did you come up with so far" Pepper asked.

"I'm Yvette." She looked down at her paper, and the solitary sentence emblazoned across it. "The book said he was famous for breeding dragons. But itsn't that illegal?"

"Yeah. . .well I guess in some cases, that could be consider that illegal. . .when is this report due" Pepper asked as she took Ever-Lasting Bubble Gum from her pocket. She begin chew constantly. She begin blowing a BIG bubble, until it popped all over her face. "Want some" she asked handing her a piece. "I eat when I'm thinking, so what house and what year are you" Pepper asked.

Yvette giggled as the bubble popped. "It's due Friday, I think." She scribbled on the page. "I'm in Gryffindor, third year! How about you?"

"I'm a Gryffindor, 3rd year, too" Pepper said catching her balance after almost falling of the chair. "It's due Friday. . .I have plenty of time. . ." Pepper said closing her book. "It's almost dinner time, and I'm kinda hungry, we can discuss this over dinner" Pepper said getting up.

*************

Although Nimue had left Anders and headed off to try to find some solace by meeting up with Morticia to discuss the Marvo situation the next person she ran into was Marcus Falconer.

Marcus had not yet sent in any report to her father, whether he would or not remained to be seen. Although his loyalty was to Lord Emrys, he did feel as though he was an older brother figure to Nimue and that she was just acting her age. He wasn't at all pleased that she'd thought Anders Grimalkin was 'vulnerable' - that translated in his language to 'trouble' - trouble with a capital 'T' where Nimue was concerned.

He thought it likely she would somehow wish to adopt the awkward young Professor as a project to help as though he was a wounded animal or something. To Marcus' mind - he had been at Hogwarts himself a couple of years behind Anders - Anders was not 'wounded' so much as a danger to himself and to his charge.

He knew Dumbledore must have his reasons for employing the man but it was beyond him as to what those reasons might be. He had offered his own services to fill the vacant DADA position now that his identity as Nimue's protector was revealed but had been politely turned down.

"Nimue, I apologise for being so harsh with you earlier. May I speak with you about Anders Grimalkin?"

Marcus was the last person she wanted to see at the moment but there he was and wanting to talk about Professor Grimalkin. She felt herself blush but luckily the light was too low where they found themselves for him to notice (she hoped). "I thought you'd made your self pretty plain when we last met. I am to have as little to do with Professor Grimalkin as possible. I don't see that as a problem - was there anything else?"

The tone of her voice was cool, even icy though underneath her mind was recalling that she suspected she had allowed herself to cross over into 'inappropriate' feelings for the young professor, she felt certain that the Professor had recognised this and already placed necessary distance between them to counter this foolish girlish behaviour of hers. Of course, she wasn't about to blab to Marcus, the hotline to Daddy's ear.

Marcus was not surprised by the tone in her voice. It was her defence whenever she was upset to retreat into that ice maiden demeanour and he was used to it by now. He didn't think she realised just how, even at 14, she could command both respect and deep affection from him without his needing to act towards her like the schoolboy he had only recently been.

In his eyes she was his lady and he, the young knight sworn to protect both her life and her honour. He had already proved himself willing to die for her.

"Nimue, I respect you too much to not want you to understand why I caution you so. Anders Grimalkin is a time bomb. Even if you don't want to hear me say it, will you at least listen to Professor Snape? I am sure if I requested it of him he would explain to you his own reasons for concern."

The last thing she wanted was a lecture by Professor Snape on the matter of Professor Grimalkin. She thought herself lucky enough that the Potions Master had let the matter drop when she was in the dungeon office earlier. She had no desire for Snape to be privy to Marcus' 'concerns' even if she was naturally curious to find out more about Anders' background.

However, she had already resolved to keep her future behaviour towards Anders completely and utterly 'correct' as befitted their mutual stations as teacher and pupil and avoid any possible situations which might encourage those ridiculous feelings still churning about in the general region of her heart.

So she said to Marcus: "I appreciate what you are saying but I assure you there is no need to involve Professor Snape in this matter. While I am sure your intentions are to protect me, I also assure you again that there is no reason that you need to caution me about Professor Grimalkin. I was being a little ... silly earlier on. I apologise for that and I am back to my usual self. I think it was just you know a 'mood' - my 'time of the moon' or something."

She trusted this talk of 'mood' might remind Marcus that at 14 she was somewhat likely to be experiencing such and trusted that like most of the male sex he would shy away from any mention of 'women's matters'. "Look here we are back at the Castle. We should say goodbye now as I have homework and to get ready for supper."

She took this for granted and cut off their conversation with a cheery smile and wave which was part good acting and headed off down the Hall as quickly as she could.

Around the corner from where Marcus had addressed Nimue, someone else was battling with his emotions - but for very different reasons. There was *something* about that boy he had just seen that had sparked off a memory of some description, and that memory had put him back in...That Place. The One thing that he was *striving* to forget had been delivered back to his memory with a particularly sickening 'thud'.

Rounding a corner, Anders stopped walking and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily and trying to fight off the memories that were clamouring for attention. Vague, fleeting images. Sensations, more than memories, really. The overwhelming feeling of desperation, of the knowledge that he would die in That Place, that nobody would mourn his passing - that he would be just another one of the unmarked graves that the Dementors glided over in their patrol around the island.

Even then, he'd realised that his mind was not entirely his own. It was almost like...carrying around a passenger. That was how it felt sometimes. But he knew the price he was paying for a second's stupidity. He had only been amazed that the Dementors hadn't discovered it - and they had tried, oh, yes, they had tried.

And the feelings of relief that had been tempered once the conditions of his parole had been spelled out. His fingers closed around the amulet he wore around his neck. It was still crystal clear. And, Anders hoped fervently, that was the way it would stay. He drew a shuddering breath. He'd sworn to try to forget it all. But you didn't forget Azkaban. There. He'd said it. Azkaban.

Anders held his head high and continued walking back towards the school. But inside, he was screaming.