It's A One Time Thing It Just Happens A Lot.

Together

A/N: Thank you sooooo much to all of you who are reading this, leaving comments and hitting the star button. :) :)

And a huge thank you to Jennifer for making it readable. :)

It's another long one.  And although it may seem as if this is coming to an end... it's not.  :)

-------------------------------------------------------

He wouldn't fail this time. His plan would be flawlessly executed and with the desired result.

He'd make her pay this time, and if he were very careful, her last moments would be filled with more mental pain than she could ever imagine.

A smile curled his lips slightly. Oh, he'd give anything to see that look on her face, just before death called on her, just as she realised who had killed her.

"The usual, Mr Johnson?" came a voice from beside him, breaking him out of his thoughts. He felt a wave of anger go through him at the interruption. He schooled his thoughts and face before looking up at the waiter.

"That's the ticket, lad." He grinned up as the serving boy nodded, before moving away back to the bar to put the order in.

Dean spread his hands out on the table in front of him. They looked every inch what they were supposed to; hands of an eighty year old man.

His body was bent with age and his hair was grey and long. His face wrinkled and sagged, even his eyes were dimmed with age. There wasn't a single thing about his appearance that could give him away. He was here, in Hogsmeade, testing out his disguise.

He knew there were ministry agents there looking for him, even looking for someone who was a stranger.

They wouldn't be looking for one of Hogsmeade's own people. Old Man Johnson.

Dean had chosen carefully. Old Man Johnson was a semi-recluse, only coming here for a weekly meal. He'd done his homework well. He knew exactly how the old man acted, knew where he sat. And he kept to those things.

He hadn't even been given a second look after the bartender had jerked his thumb in his direction and told the ministry men who he was.

A hint of a smile curled his lips before he squashed it.

The real Old Man Johnson, now lay tied to his bed, under heavy spells as Dean used Polyjuice to project the correct image.

The old man would have to die. Dean couldn't use this body to get into Hogwarts and he couldn't chance 'Old Man Johnson' talking.

He shrugged his shoulders and waited for his tea, a slight shake in his shoulders and hands keeping up the pretence.

One for the cause couldn't be helped. Everyone was a means to an end in Dean's game.

---------------------------------------------

Snape watched him closely before stepping up to him and leaning over slightly. He spoke quietly, his voice dripping icy sarcasm.

"Is there a reason why you've just added the newts eyes before the toad skin, Longbottom? Or do you think that listening to instructions is of no importance?"

Neville jumped and blinked down at his cauldron, the potion bubbling merrily, a deep pink instead of the black it should be.

"Um..." Neville flushed dark red and shifted painfully on his feet.

"Sit down, Longbottom," Snape barked. "I have absolutely no idea why you even bother to try and catch up now."

Hermione Granger was seething; he knew it and it amused him no end.