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"I've made hot chocolate."

"Thank you, Albus," Minerva said wearily. She looked up at the Headmaster who sat on the edge of his desk, watching her thoroughly.

"I'm glad you finally came to me," he started his speech, which would inevitably become a fully-fledged lecture. She felt like a child, thinking like this. "Although I would have preferred to know about this earlier. And - "

"I know!" She sighed. "I'm so sorry Albus. It was all a big mistake anyway."

He raised a heavy eyebrow. "What would that 'all' be then?"

"I should have never got myself involved with Severus' business in the first place. It was a stupid and immature thing to do."

"Immature?"

"He just seemed so ... it just seemed a rational choice at that time."

"Rational?"

"Please, would you stop that."

"Those are just not the words I would have chosen."

"It's just - it's all my fault. I mean, I wasn't really helping, was I? I put Severus and myself in danger, and the whole school. Just imagine - if a real Death Eater had shown up one night ... "

"I fear that's true, Minerva. But don't you think there is more to it then - "

She sat up straight, cutting him short. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Me? What should I do? Take points from your houses?"

"That's not what I meant. You could tell me not to ... "

"What?"

"I don't know." She slouched back into her armchair. Now she felt ... old.

Albus took the half-finished cup out of her hands. "Why don't you try and get some sleep? I'll have you informed when he comes back."

"If he comes back."

"When he comes back, Minerva. I'm sorry that I can't be of any more help right now, for both of you. But you shouldn't underestimate Severus' ability to ... adapt."

"Oh, Albus. I don't know what to do with all this. Can't you just give me some simple advice for once? I'm immensely tired of looking for all the answers on my own."

"Ah!" He made a meaningful pause, giving her one of his now-we're-getting-to-the-point smiles.

"I think I know perfectly well what you mean, Minerva. And if you insist I will try and make it sound like a simple advice. For some people, sorting things out on their own can be an awfully heavy burden to bear, don't you think? So try to look behind what you just said, and you won't need me to tell you what to do."

***

"MORS REGIS!"

He shouted out the password and entered the inner sanctuary of Voldemort's headquarters. The doors to Voldemort's office - if it could be called that - were closed, so Severus waited to be summoned in. His brain was still frantically flooding him with all kinds of silly excuses and far-fetched stories of how he was delayed or magically misdirected, caught by some aurors or ... Blast! Each new idea sounded as stupid and unbelievable as the last one.

In fact he couldn't think of any plausible explanation for his failure to deliver the letter at all. After he'd left the Forbidden Forest he'd arrived over an hour late for his appointment and his contact hadn't cared to wait, which wasn't really surprising. So he'd brought the letter back, and Voldemort wanted to see him at once. Again - no surprise. What had been strange, come to think of it, was the way the other Death Eaters had been acting around him after his arrival. They'd seemed to be ... relieved somehow to see him, which clearly wasn't what he had expected. He pushed away that thought for now, but not too far - perhaps he would have to remember it later - and tried to focus on his alibi again. There had to be something he could come up with.

Suddenly he heard movement and voices outside the hidden entrance and felt sweat running down his back. Several thoughts rushed through his head - that it was all his fault, that he'd hurt her, that he'd been so darn stupid as to let someone interfere with his concerns in the first place, that he hadn't spoken to Albus about who should replace him as head of house - when the door swung open and Lucius Malfoy approached, and failed to kill him on the spot.

"Severus!" He put one arm around his shoulder. So it would be gloating first.

"Lucius."

"Oh please, don't give me that 'Lucius' voice. You made it! And as I see without losing the letter and without even a bloody nose. Good. I knew you would manage to shake them off."

Severus was paralyzed. He tried to get his mind around what exactly all this meant, and resisted the urge to blurt out questions like 'I've made what?' or 'Who did I manage to shake off?' or 'What are you talking about anyway?' and instead said simply nothing.

"You look a bit shaken, though," Lucius went on, seemingly not distracted in the slightest by his friend's lack of response.

And then Severus' thoughts became perfectly clear - perhaps for the first time today. Something had happened while he'd been out in the woods. Something unexpected. Something Lucius and the others, and hopefully Voldemort too, would have wanted him to escape from ... with the letter. He forced a smirk on his face.

"Oh, come on." Lucius' grey eyes were sparkling with curiosity. "There were more than a dozen aurors waiting for you!"

Severus shook Lucius' arm off. It just felt better to be able to move.

"I ... saw them before they saw me, I guess," he managed, even in his usual sneering voice.

"So, you were just lucky?"

"They were."

Lucius laughed out loud, obviously pleased with Severus' improvising. "That's what I wanted to hear. But we really have a situation here, you know. And that isn't funny at all."

Severus gave him an approvingly stern look and Lucius kept going.

"Someone was passing information to the Ministry, hence the ambush. They knew everything! Can you believe that?" He sighed exasperatedly. "They managed to catch our Ministry informant - he's starting to rot in Azkaban right now. And His Lordship ... let's say he's not taking it well. I mean, we both know that someone has been spying on us for some time now, but this was a highly classified information we're talking about. Only a few people knew of this before he gave you the assignment to deliver the letter. And almost the second you Apparated - the meeting point was attacked."

Severus stood frozen on the spot and tried to sort out what he thought he'd just heard but couldn't believe. While he'd been trying to pass on informations to Dumbledore there had been - what? Another spy? Who? Why? And how had this spy gained access to informations he hadn't been able to get? That was just ... not possible!

Lucius cocked his head. "Ah, I see you are thinking. Do you have any idea who did it? It could be Nott, I think. He's strange."

But before Severus could even think of an answer to that question, the doors to Voldemort's room opened soundlessly. He instantly started walking and Lucius accompanied him in.

The room was cold and almost dark and Voldemort's high-pitched voice seemed to come from every direction at once.

"I take it that Lucius has informed you?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Did you bring my letter back?"

"Yes."

"Tell me."

"I Apparated to different locations to cover up my trail. I waited for some time before I made the last jumps, to make sure I wasn't being followed."

"And were you followed?"

"No."

"Very well then. Lucius, anything yet?"

"I'm sorry, my Lord. Crabbe is trying to sort it all out, but it's all a bit roughed up in the Ministry tonight, and with no contact person left there - "

"Spare me the details. You can go. Severus ... stay behind."

Lucius frowned but didn't say anything. He turned to go and the doors shut behind him.

"My Lord?"

"Is there anything you want to tell me, Severus?"

There really wasn't, but perhaps confessing a part of what had actually happened would make the whole story more convincing. And if Voldemort should decide to check on the different locations he so unspecifically mentioned ...

"I ... Apparated to Hogsmeade. I know that was a mistake. I shouldn't have chosen that place."

"Yes. Indeed."

Voldemort paused and Severus' heart was beating so fast it hurt. He resisted the urge to add any more excuses. He really didn't want to sound desperate.

"Are you sure that no-one followed your traces back here, at least?"

"Yes."

Another long moment of silence and Severus dreaded Voldemort's next question.

"I want to hear your opinion. Who do you think is betraying me?"

He knew it. Voldemort was suspecting him. About time. He thought shortly about throwing in some names to divert suspicion from himself. But that would make him suspicious right away, wouldn't it?

"It sure isn't Nott," he sneered. "He couldn't even lie to someone who's blind and deaf without being detected."

"What about Lucius?"

Severus almost choked. "No!" he shouted, and then bit his tongue, stupefied by his instinctive reaction.

"Are you sure? It has to be someone close to me."

Severus thought about diversion again. He was tempted. Lucius wasn't his friend. Not anymore. Not a real friend ... But that wasn't the point, was it?

"Yes, I'm sure. There's no-one who's more loyal to you than Lucius." And then he realised. "But you know that, don't you? Why did you ask me that?"

Voldemort got up from his seat and started moving towards him, but stopped before Severus could get more than a glimpse of his face. "I was curious about your reaction, that's all. You can go now."

Severus walked out of the room and hoped that Voldemort hadn't seen him go very pale. Lucius was waiting for him outside but Severus left him standing and didn't stop walking until he was out of the building and able to Apparate.

***

He had been standing in front of her door for several minutes now.

Dumbledore had done his speech on him but he could barely remember the details. He knew he'd forgotten to make his request about expelling Granger, but that hadn't been really important at the point. Of course he'd told the Headmaster about the other spy. He clearly remembered Dumbledore's puzzled face which spoke for itself. As soon as Dumbledore had mentioned McGonagall, though, Severus had determinedly put an end to the conversation. He didn't want Dumbledore to know how he felt about this whole affair. Partly because he didn't know himself, partly because he was angry about how oblivious he'd been to the danger he'd put everyone into by trying for once not to be alone in this. Dumbledore, as if he ever would, hadn't given him any direct orders, but Severus had decided to tell McGonagall that they wouldn't have any more meetings in the future.

He knocked, and the door was flung open before he could take his hand down. The expression on McGonagall's face was rigid.

Severus matched her look. "I just wanted to make sure you're not ... that you are well."

"I am."

"Good."

Seconds passed and the silence became uncomfortable while she just stood in the doorway.

"Can I come in?" he said, immediately regretting it. This wasn't what he had planned to say. He'd wanted to make this short and simple.

"It's late."

"Yes. I'm sorry. I better go then. Good - "

She left him standing in mid-sentence and walked back into her room, leaving the door open. "I made some coffee," she said, not turning her head.

Severus could see her retreating into another room and heard a whistling sound in the background.

"I thought you wanted to come in?" she snapped from inside. "Don't make such a fuss now! You're letting in all the cold."

He sighed. "I'll take my coffee black, then," he called, still standing on her doorstep.

She perked her head out of the kitchen. "Do you? I always suspected you to secretly be the lots-of-sugar type." She gave him a challenging look and he returned it.

"You know, Minerva, sometimes things are just exactly what they seem to be."

***

Wait - meanwhile, in the Gryffindor common room:

"Did you get it?"

"No. I was chased by some creature that tried to kill me."

"WHAT?"

"It was horrible! Next time you go, Ron."

"But I can't change into a fox."

"And I couldn't change back to human. I'll never do that again before my training is finished. It totally freaked me out. I almost bit - "

"What happened?"

"I can't tell you."

"What? Why?"

"Dumbledore has sworn me to silence."

"What's he got to do with it? And why the secrecy?"

"That's what I can't tell you, aren't you listening to me? He and McGonagall gave me detention for the rest of term. And not to mention the points they've taken. I'm never going to be Head Girl now."

"Oh, Hermione! That's not our worst problem. If you didn't get the ingredients we can't make the potion."

"You don't say."

"So?"

"Let me think! Perhaps ... we could ask Snape."

"Err ... come again?"

"No. Just trust me. I may not become Head Girl any time soon, but at least I'm well informed."

"..."

End notes:

I know I left more than one question unanswered, don't sue me. :-) Sometimes things start and then you can't stop them. But I think I will continue this, so there might be a chance that the plot will develop further.