I'm very sorry for the long delay-I hope it's worth the wait.

---

Saturday morning, Severus heard a knock on his chamber door. Not one accustomed to many visitors, Severus opened the door himself.

"Hello," said Minerva McGonagall, smiling and walking past her nephew into the room without waiting for an invitation.

"Hello," said Severus, addressing the empty hallway before closing the door and turning to face Minerva. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Minerva didn't seem to be listening, she was moving around the room as if looking for something.

"Where is she?" Minerva asked at last.

"Who?" asked Severus, bemused.

"Your cat, Salmon."

"Oh, her. I haven't seen her lately; she's probably off exploring the castle. Stupid name for a cat, by the way."

Minerva frowned. "Well I didn't hear you offer any better suggestions, besides, it was the only thing I could get her to eat."

Severus moved back to his desk where he had been reading the latest edition of Potion Journal Monthly. He was trying to finish it soon so that he could loan it to Estelle; she had cancelled her subscription to the French version when she transferred to Hogwarts.

"Tell me Minerva," he said softly, as she took a seat in a chair in front of his desk. "Did you come down here just to see the cat?"

"Why else would I bother to visit these chambers? You don't really think I would make the trip to see you?"

"Haha. What do you want?"

Minerva took a deep breath and pursed her lips.

"I came to discuss Christmas."

"Christmas? It's not even November yet. What could there possibly be to discuss?"

"Well, I was thinking that perhaps you and I could leave Hogwarts over break, meet Jizania and her gang and celebrate Christmas together," she added nonchalantly, "as a family."

"A family," Severus repeated, eyeing his aunt as if she might have lost her grip on reality. "And that would be a good idea because? In case you haven't realized this, Minerva, we are not, nor have we ever been, a family."

Minerva closed her eyes and nodded in agreement as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"That's why I think we should all be together for the holidays. It may well be the last chance we have to try and become a family."

With her last words, she looked him straight in the eye and let the full meaning of her words sink in before she continued in a firm, but quiet voice.

"Nothing is certain anymore, Severus. It is quite possible that one or both of us may not make it out of this war alive."

There were many things Severus begrudgingly admired about his aunt; her temper, magical ability, social standing and the respect she received from her students, but it was her direct manner and her ability to face even the most brutal truth that Severus respected most about Minerva McGonagall.

"I want Vlad, Nikki and Joseph to know that we love them and that there were at least two members of their mother's family that didn't reject them."

Minerva's eyes flashed as she said this, as they did any time she made reference to her sister or brother-in-law.

Severus leaned back in his chair and thought a moment. He wondered if Jizania would be willing to do this. He was certain that there would be plenty of security at Hogwarts and that he and Minerva would not be missed.

"What about the Headmaster?" he asked.

"Albus has given his consent for us to go; he agrees that it might be beneficial-"

"What about you, are you willing to leave Albus over the holidays? You yourself said it might be our last."

"Why Severus, I didn't know you cared so much about my relationship with Albus," Minerva said in a teasing voice that failed to disguise the sadness in her green eyes. "We both know that any day could be our last, but he also knows how important it is for me to be with my, for lack of a better word, family."

"I suppose it would be all right," Severus said musingly. "but I'll have to think about it."

He really wasn't certain that he could handle so much time with his "family"; there were so many painful memories that resurfaced whenever he was with Jizania and her family. His guilt made it difficult and although he loved Nikki and his two nephews, he wasn't sure that his influence on them was incredibly positive.

Minerva seemed to know what he was thinking.

"Severus, we all made mistakes and we all hurt one another. You, Jizania and myself each hold an equal share of blame for the way our family has turned out, but please, Severus, this may be our last chance to forgive one another."

That evening found Severus in the office of Estelle DeGaulle. The two were grading essays, Estelle her fifth years and Severus his third years. Conversation came easily to them but Severus was still a bit wary; he wasn't used to spending time with a friend.

They had just been discussing the Headmaster's plans for the Halloween feast when Severus was reminded of his earlier conversation with Minerva.

"Estelle, what are your plans for Christmas? Are you staying at Hogwarts?"

"Oh, no," she answered, twirling one of the curls atop her head around her finger as she spoke and added a comment to the paper she was grading. "My brothers and I are going home to visit my parents over the holidays, we do it every year, family tradition and all."

Severus winced at her choice of words.

"Gaston and Pierre are so much fun around the holidays," she continued, oblivious to his reaction, "they act just like children, especially when it snows."

She giggled and Severus couldn't help but think that the childish act was far more charming than the feminine airs she put on in public.

"Do you have any siblings?" she asked suddenly, throwing Severus off guard with the innocent curiosity in her eyes.

"I-" he hated to lie to her, but trust was a luxury a double agent like himself couldn't afford to indulge in. "Actually, I'm the last of the Snapes. We're a dwindling, dying breed."

Not a lie, Jizania and her children were Wolfs-Severus was indeed the last of the Snape family.

Estelle studied his face thoughtfully.

"How sad," she said finally. Glancing down at the parchment before her she threw her quill down in disgust.

"I swear, if I have to read one more essay on how to disarm one's opponent! Good or bad, they're all the same!"

"Care to trade?" offered Severus, gesturing to the pile of papers in front of him.

"Really?"

"Sure, I need a change myself. Besides, what are friends for?"

After he spoke, Severus realized how strange it felt to use the word 'friend'. Almost as strange as 'family'. If it was possible for him to have a friend, he thought, could it also be possible for him to have a family? Was it too late for him and Jizania to forgive one another and try to move away from the past?

"This may sound a bit strange," he spoke at last, causing Estelle to look up from her work, "but I believe you may be the only friend I've had in a long time."

Or ever, he thought to himself. Lucius Malfoy and the other Death Eaters couldn't really be considered friends as he was betraying them. He certainly hadn't had any friends as a student and although he now enjoyed spending time with Minerva he didn't think she qualified as friend being quite a bit older as well as his aunt.

Surely Estelle, who shared many of his interests and was just as private a person as he, could be considered a friend.

Estelle gave him a wry smile.

"We really are two of a kind, you know?" she shook her head. "You don't know how difficult it is for a beautiful rich girl to make friends."

Severus looked at her for a moment before breaking into a grin.

"Probably just as difficult as it is for an ugly, foul tempered rich guy."

She laughed one of her real laughs.

"Probably."

Severus was leaving Estelle's rooms headed towards his own when he nearly ran into Minerva as he rounded a corner.

"There you are!" she said grabbing his arm as she regained her balance.

"I've decided on the Christmas plans," he told her, "I'll go."

"What?" for a moment she looked at him blankly, then remembered. "Oh yes, wonderful. But that's not why I was looking for you. Albus has just received word of a breakout from Azkaban. They're not sure of the exact number missing, but Lucius Malfoy is among them."

Severus swore aloud and was instantly berated for his language by the fierce looking nun in the painting behind him.

"Oh, shut up Sister Martha," he muttered, earning another indignant remark from the nun.

"Severus do you have any idea what You-know-who might be planning with Lucius?" Minerva asked earnestly.

"No, dammit!" he hissed. "That's just it, he won't confide in me and I'm more than a little worried about this whole thing."

A week later, Severus still had no idea what could have prompted the Dark Lord to release Lucius Malfoy from Azkaban. The total number of escaped death eaters from Azkaban was three, Lucius being the most well known among the public.

Severus had not yet been summoned to Voldemort's presence and was wary of going unasked. He had resigned himself to waiting for the Dark Lord's call and in the meanwhile, was quite busy with matters at the school.

The Headmaster had finally decided to hold parents' night at Hogwarts, an occasion for concerned mothers and fathers to visit their children and be reassured by the professors that the castle was safe from any malignant forces.

Saturday evening the parents began to arrive, quickly filling up the Great Hall. Severus noted with some amusement that none of the Slytherin parents had bothered to come, clearly they felt their children had nothing to fear.

"I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave," he commented to Minerva, offering her a smirk.

She glared at him.

"It's not cowardice to fear for the safety of you child, Severus," she told him. Glancing around the room again, she groaned. "That bloody Finnigan woman! How many times to I have to tell her that Seamus is quite safe in this castle…"

Minerva was still muttering as she marched off to meet the agitated mother. As she left, Severus felt a gentle pressure on his arm.

"Hello, Professor."

Startled by the familiar voice, Severus turned to face the woman behind him.

"Good evening, Mrs. Malfoy," he said, inclining his head as he spoke.

Narcissa Malfoy was a tall woman, and so slim she appeared frail. Her blonde hair was similar to her husband's in its silvery blonde color. She looked remarkably well considering the strain Severus knew she must be under with her husband's allegiance now publicly known.

"Mrs. Malfoy, I must assure you that Draco is quite safe from any danger within these walls."

A hint of amusement flicked across Narcissa's pale gray eyes as she replied.

"I know." Her voice grew softer as she continued. "He is safe now that Lucius is back in the Dark Lord's good graces."

Severus glanced around the room as she spoke. No one seemed to be paying them any special attention.

"I was pleased to hear of that."

Narcissa smiled at him then.

"I wanted to come earlier, but I knew this evening would be the least suspicious time for me to appear at the school," she told him, "you have always been such a good friend to Lucius, and to me. But now you have helped protect Draco from the Dark Lord's displeasure. Thank you, Severus."

Severus looked at her blankly. "Forgive me for not understanding you, Narcissa. Why are you thanking me? What did I do to help Lucius?"

Narcissa continued to smile at him softly.

"I don't know, but whatever it is you did saved my family."

When he was still staring at her in confusion she continued.

"I saw Lucius briefly before he went into hiding," she told him, "and before he left he told be that the Dark Lord had forgiven him and he was now free, thanks to Severus Snape."