Elsbet hugs Snape tightly, and Malfoy embraces them both. Therion takes up his companion and slips silently out of the little room, leaving them to have some privacy. But they don't stay. Snape leads them out and glances at Malfoy as they pass by Therion, who's attempting to pull the great Encyclopedia from behind his counter where he'd stashed it in a rush. He tries to open the cabinet to put it back in its place, but he can't; he can't manage to rub the lock and speak the spell. He wants to ask them to stay, but the shop is barely comfortable for him to sleep in. He doesn't want to be left alone. He's so tired of being lonely.

As Snape and Malfoy reach the door, Elsbet stops and looks back at him. Snape wanted the decision to ultimately be hers; he was counting on her tender heart to sense his suffering, and he's not disappointed. "Therion," she says softly, extending her hand to him, "bring the book, then you don't have to come back for it in the morning." He looks at her as though he can't believe what he's heard, then turns his gaze to the two wizards behind her. "We've not had dinner yet, and neither has Severus, and there's plenty to eat from last night." Malfoy nods back to the door, and Therion waits long enough for Cambion to climb up on his shoulder. He joins them, holding the book closely to him, the feeling of belonging filling and soothing him. It's a balm for his wounded soul.

He spells the shop door locked and the shop secure, and Elsbet asks him why that's necessary. "Nodus has been out and about all day, since we heard about Loki and everyone began gathering. I don't trust him, not as far as I could kick him." Elsbet looks at Therion for a moment then says, "you know, he was out before then, he was out when I came to the shop this morning, and Roycroft was out too." The mention of Roycroft sours Snape's mood, but only for a moment; the rest of this night is going to be good, damnit. As they pass through the other shops on their approach to the row of Rowan trees that separate the businesses from the Districts, they see Roycroft sitting under one of the oldest of the trees.

He looks very tired. Tired and careworn...He rises as they draw near, but doesn't approach them. He waits patiently for them to get closer to him before he speaks. "Is he alright? I couldn't get in, so I stayed over at The Chocolate Cat. They did quite a lot of business tonight." Snape looks down at his little Familiar, who is watching everything with great interest. "He is fine, Sa'Bat," Snape says coolly, "your concern is...appreciated." Roycroft sighs and glances at Elsbet, Malfoy and Therion, then asks Snape if they can speak. Snape shrugs slightly and tells him, "of course." No one moves from where they stand, and Roycroft is clearly more than a touch irritated.

"Anything you have to say Sa'Bat, can be said safely before them," Snape says, but Roycroft glances uncomfortably at Elsbet, then back at Snape. She touches Snape's arm lightly and takes Loki from him, then leads Malfoy and Therion over to a pair of benches beneath a huge Hazel tree a fair distance away. The two wizards glare at each other, separated by a distance greater than the Divide between their Worlds. "You hate me," Roycroft says quietly, "and yet I am neither your enemy, nor your rival." Snape appraises him coldly. "So you say, but I know what you would do if you believed you could get away with it, and you would not hesitate." Roycroft frowns. "I have helped protect her--" Snape's eyes narrow, "yes, but not for me, and not out of the 'goodness of your heart', Sa'Bat. You've done it because you've hoped she'd show you a little gratitude. And that disgusts me."

Roycroft struggles very hard to keep his emotions in check; he has no desire to commit suicide by wand. But he can't hide the fact that he's deeply insulted. "I disgust you? What about this?" He gestures toward the three people patiently waiting for Snape. "You just assume she'll--" Snape's hand is at his sleeve and his wand is drawn before Roycroft is even aware he's moved, his voice is low and unwavering, and while there's no emotion in it, Roycroft can imagine how hot is his anger. "I make no such assumptions, Sa'Bat. Therion Bonecastle is five times the wizard you are, and ten times the man; if Elsbet reaches out to him that is her choice, not my direction and would be done out of compassion, not out of lust."

Snape takes a step forward, his black eyes locked on Roycroft's. "You assume you know what's going on, when you know absolutely nothing." Roycroft drops his gaze and chuckles. "It's ironic, really, that you begrudge me my feelings when I knew her first." A smile flickers across Snape's hard features, a cruel smile that gives Roycroft an odd, sinking feeling. "Really? Then where were you, Sa'Bat, when Wynter DeCrace was abusing her? Why didn't she turn to you for comfort when her best friend was murdered?" Roycroft says nothing in his own defense, he knows he's gone way out of line, if he says anything now he'll look even more foolish. Snape sleeves his wand and turns then, walking swiftly toward his people.

But Elsbet rises and meets him, places her hand on his chest as he comes to a stop, and asks in a soft voice, "what was that all about?" Snape tells her it was all nothing, his voice just as soft, but she gives him a knowing look that melts his heart. "You drew your wand...you never draw for nothing." He kisses her forehead and she nudges him gently, then looks passed him at Roycroft. "Did you have a real reason for stopping us, or did you just want to test the boundaries?" Elsbet's angry, rightfully so, and her anger is much different from Snape's, and much more difficult for him to deal with. "I'm...I'm sorry," he says flatly, then sighs and tells her that he wanted to warn them about Brother Nodus. "Something's not right," Roycroft says, "he's always been an arse, but we now have reason to believe he needs to be watched."

Elsbet frowns and shakes her head just a little. "I think that was much more important than your posturing, Roycroft, and you should know better." She looks at him a moment longer and sighs, her disappointment in him obvious. She turns and he tries to apologize again, but she turns back sharply. "Another thing," she says, "for the record, Roycroft, I met Sirius Black long before I met you, and Severus came into my life just shortly after Sirius did. So, you see, you haven't known me nearly as long as you think you have, and you'll never know me quite as well as you think you do." He nods silently, knowing he deserves her displeasure. "If you want to be my friend, Roycroft, respect me and my family."

Loki makes a soft, grating sound, as if to punctuate her words. She takes Snape's hand and leads him back to the wizards and raven so patiently waiting for them. "I need some tea," she says as they resume their walk, "and a lot of Tiramisu." The wizards laugh and she adds, "I need a couple of other things too, but they're best...discussed in private." She giggles impishly, turns to Malfoy and kisses him, then kisses Snape, gives Therion a playful nudge, and breaks into a run, holding Loki closely to her and laughing as she goes.