Trouble

"Is it too early to open the wine?" Ron asked, peering into the fridge in Harry and Severus' kitchen.

"We've opened it earlier than now, certainly," Harry said with a grin as he glanced out of the patio doors and tried to see where the noises were coming from.

Benji and Megan were constructing a rope swing over the river under Draco's watchful eye, and Dan, Caleb and Teddy were over by the treehouse, Severus sitting at the table nearby and making sure they were never too far from his sight.

It was late July, and, as had become a tradition amongst the two families, they were using the nicest weekend they had had so far to have a little get-together to celebrate Harry's birthday, Caleb's birthday and Harry and Severus' wedding anniversary. There was very little fuss and people were welcome to come in and out of the estate all day, but now, as the day descended to a pleasantly cool early evening, it was just the two families left, along with Dan, who was staying for the summer.

"I can't believe they still have the energy," Ron said, following Harry's line of sight and glancing at the children outside. He liberated a bottle of wine from the fridge and levitated a couple of glasses from a nearby cupboard over to the breakfast bar, taking a seat opposite Harry. He filled both glasses and passed one along to the man, who accepted it with a smile, raising his glass to clink against Ron's before both men took a measured sip.

"Ooh I needed that," said Harry with a sigh. "They've run me ragged. Mind you," he said, taking another sip, "it's lovely now that Dan's so much older. He just takes of all them and has more energy than we ever will."

"I can't believe he'll be 15 this November, he'll be going into his 4th year at Hogwarts in a couple of months," Ron said with a fond smile.

"It's crazy isn't it?" said Harry, shaking his head. "I can remember when he was one-year-old, and now…Well, I'm still getting over the fact that Caleb's going to be 10 in a couple of days. He'll be going to Hogwarts next year! Where did my baby go?"

Ron smiled in understanding and said, "It's terrifying. I feel like we only just brought the twins home from the hospital. It goes so quickly."

"Oh Merlin, listen to us, we sound like a couple of old biddies."

"We are!" said Ron, and both men descended into giggles.

"Started on the wine early I see," said Dan with a grin as he stepped into the kitchen and headed over to the freezer.

"You should learn to respect your elders," Ron told him.

"Nah, there's no fun in that," Dan replied, turning around with a bag of peas in his hand.

"Unusual choice for a snack, love," Harry said with a smile.

Dan rolled his eyes and said, "For Caleb, he's banged his head again."

Harry groaned and said, "How this time?"

"In fairness, it was all the tree's fault. It had a particularly low-hanging branch and it didn't get it out of the way in time before Caleb ran smack bang into it. He's insisting he's fine of course, but I know him. Just because he bounces, doesn't mean he hasn't hurt himself."

"Oh Dan, you do take care of him."

"Well someone has to, he's a danger to himself."

"Come on," said Ron, "let's take Sev and Drake some wine out and relieve them of their duties."

"Can I have some?" asked Dan with a grin as they all moved back out into the gardens.

"I prefer to stay on your mother's good side thank you very much," said Harry as he approached the table Severus was seated at. He leant down and wrapped his arms around the man's chest and pressed a kiss to his cheek as Ron plonked the wine down and began pouring two more glasses.

"We've given in to alcohol again, I see," Severus said with a smirk as he turned his head slightly to meet Harry in a kiss.

"Long day," Harry murmured into his cheek, revelling in the feeling of being pressed up tightly against his husband.

"Caleb!" Dan called. "Come on up here and let me put this on your head!" Caleb shouted something back in argument and Dan returned, "Don't make me levitate you up here!"

Caleb relented and made his way over while Dan turned to the adults and said with a grin, "He doesn't know I'm not allowed to do magic during the holidays."

"You should have been in Slytherin," said Severus as Harry took a seat next to him and propped his feet up on his lap.

Caleb ran up, his face flushed and his dark hair clinging damply to his forehead. He never did anything by half-measures and although Benji was by far the more competitive of the two, Caleb went at everything a hundred miles an hour.

"You hurt yourself again, love?" Harry asked as Severus began to rub at his feet, both of them looking at their son with familiar fond amusement. Caleb was the most accident-prone child on the face of the planet, and it was only because there were usually at least four pairs of eyes watching him that he had yet to seriously injure himself.

"I'm fine!" Caleb replied, directing his comment to Dan who was still waiting with his bag of peas.

He grabbed Caleb gently and pulled him towards him, holding the back of his head with one hand while the other placed the bag against his forehead. "I'm sure you are but you don't want to go to bed with a massive goose egg on your head, do you?"

"It's cold!" Caleb protested, trying to wriggle away, but Dan held him in place.

"You'll live."

Harry and Severus exchanged an amused glance. Caleb idolised Dan and usually ended up doing exactly as the older boy said. He seemed to think that because he was older than Benji and the twins that he and Dan had more of an affiliation, and consequently he ended up spending more time with him than the others.

Harry was sure that a 14-year-old had better things to do than indulge a boy who was nearly 10, but Dan seemed to have infinite patience and had always shown Caleb nothing but kindness and friendship.

Draco walked up from the river and collapsed on the chair next to Ron, raking a hand through his blond hair and looking across at his husband. "Remind me again why we had children? Did we not like having a quiet life?"

Ron snorted and leant across to place a quick peck to Draco's lips. "We fancied a challenge," he said with a grin as Benji and Megan barrelled over, bickering as usual, Teddy trailing a little way behind them.

He was quiet, which for Teddy was almost unheard of. He bypassed Megan and Benji, who were tucking into the array of puddings on the patio table, and went straight for Ron, climbing onto his lap and tucking his head under the man's chin.

Teddy was the most demonstrative and affectionate of all the children; he was always climbing onto the adults' lap or asking for a cuddle, but to do so when there was food to be had or games to be played was out of character.

"Something wrong, Trouble?" Ron asked his son as the boy nestled in a little closer.

"Don't feel very well," Teddy mumbled.

"You're very hot," Ron said, feeling the heat from Teddy seep through to his chest and neck. "Have you got too much sun hm? Best stay in the shade for a bit. Meggie, can you go and get your brother a drink of water please?"

Megan glanced over at Teddy, and seeing that he didn't look particularly well, complied without argument and went trotting off to the kitchen to do as her father had asked.

"There," said Dan, removing the pack of peas from Caleb's head, "that should do it. Try not to knock any more sense out of your head eh? There'll be none left by the time you get to Hogwarts."

"What house do you think I'll be in?" Caleb asked as he chucked himself down in one of the recliners, Dan perching on the end.

"As long as you're not in Gryffindor and I don't have to put up with you, I don't really mind," Dan replied with a grin.

The evening continued pleasantly, Caleb and Dan using the water pistols that Fred and George had bought the twins a couple of years ago, starting a war against Benji and Megan, who were an unrivalled team and usually won every game they set out to play.

Teddy stayed snuggled on Ron's lap, dozing softly, and had to be carried back into the house when they all decided to go inside and sort out pots of tea and sandwiches for those who were still hungry. Caleb, being the bottomless pit that he was, was very vociferous about wanting an array of options, but Teddy, who could normally match Caleb in the appetite department, was quiet as he lay tucked up on the sofa.

"Honey, are you going to come and have something to eat?" Draco asked as he knelt down beside the sofa.

Teddy shook his head and burrowed a little deeper under the blanket Severus had wrapped around him. "Not hungry, feel sick," he mumbled, and Draco reached out and put a hand on his forehead.

"You're burning up love. Sev, have you got a basic fever potion, something to bring down his temperature?"

"Can't swallow," Teddy rasped, "my throat hurts."

"Sit up sweetheart, let me have a look at you."

Teddy complied with great effort, and Draco's look of concern grew as he watched his son's frail and tentative movements. He felt Teddy's glands then examined his throat, frowning when he saw flecks of yellow of patches on his tonsils.

"Are you aching love?" he asked, and Teddy nodded, his eyes heavy.

Draco looked up to Severus, who was standing beside him, and said, "I think we'd better take him to see Gin, she's on call at St Mungo's. I don't like the look of this."

"You think it's serious?" Severus asked in concern.

"I don't want to risk it. I'd treat him myself but…" Draco trailed off and looked back down at Teddy, who was falling asleep again.

"What's going on?" Ron asked as he and Harry came back into the living room bearing trays of sandwiches. "Teddy? What's the matter?"

"I think I should take him to the hospital," Draco said, standing up and taking Ron's hand. "I'm sure it's probably just a bit of a fever, but I want to get him checked out."

"I'll come with you," Ron said, looking down at his son in worry, unused to seeing him so subdued.

"No, no you stay here with Meg and I'll let you know what's going on when I've spoken to Gin. It'll be fine, I know it will, it's just the Healer in me going overboard," Draco said, but it was obvious that neither he nor Ron really believed his words.

He leant forward and pressed a kiss to Ron's lips, then bent down and scooped Teddy up. His delicate frame always belied his strength, and he carried Teddy effortlessly over to the fireplace, smiling at Severus, who was waiting with a pinch of floo powder.

He looked eyes with Ron, doing his best to give him an encouraging smile before clearly intoning "St Mungo's", the flames carrying him and Teddy away.

"He'll be fine," Harry said gently, laying a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Gin and Drake are both excellent Healers, he's in the best hands."

Ron nodded, though he looked no more convinced. "I'll just go and see what's holding the kids up," he said, his voice more muted than usual, "they were only meant to be washing up for dinner. Caleb's probably caused a tidal wave."

A week later and Teddy was still in hospital. Ginny, despite contravening hospital policy, had taken over his case and was the only Healer to finally make a diagnosis. Teddy had Scarlet Fever, and, in typical Teddy fashion, there were further complications.

The illness was usually relatively easy to treat, but it had interacted with Teddy's latent magic and had had a severe impact on him. His kidneys and immune system had been affected and he was struggling to get through each day without medical intervention.

Draco and Ron, who had both been given compassionate leave from work, were taking it in turns to stay with him while Megan stayed at the estate with Harry and Severus. Both families were in a state of perpetual worry and no one had had much sleep bar the odd cat-nap.

Harry finished a fire call with Ron, who was looking ashen-faced, and made his way upstairs to check on the children. Severus was at the hospital, offering support while Draco had come back to have a quick shower and to try and catch a few moments of sleep. As Harry neared the top of the stairs, he saw that the man hadn't managed it.

Draco was standing in the doorway to Benji's room, the door slightly ajar. He had his arms crossed and a tired, almost sad smile on his lips. As Harry approached, Draco pressed a finger to his lips and beckoned for him to come closer.

Harry moved to stand beside his friend and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, looking in to Benji's room. Benji was lying on his side, peering over the edge of his bed at Megan, who was lying bundled up in a duvet on the floor next to it. They were whispering back and forth together, their voices low and conspiratorial.

"It doesn't matter how often we put her in her own room, every time she drags her bedding in there and they spend the night talking," Draco whispered to Harry.

"They're inseparable," Harry replied with a smile. "Always have been."

"They're talking about Teddy," Draco said, moving away from the door slightly and leaning against the wall, the paleness of his face broken only by the dark circles underneath his eyes. "She's so worried about him. They fight like cat and dog but it doesn't change the fact that they adore one another. She won't know what to do if – "

"Hey," Harry said, moving over and wrapping the man up in a hug. "We're not thinking that way. There's no reason to suppose that he won't come through this."

Draco pulled back and took a deep breath as Harry rested his hands on his shoulders. "You're forgetting – I'm not just Teddy's father, I'm a Healer as well. I've seen all the charts, seen all the test results; he's desperately ill, Harry. If we bring him through this, he might never be well again."

"Then we'll face that when the time comes," Harry said gently. "His health might suffer, it's true, but it will be nothing that we can't cope with."

Draco sighed and rubbed at his face, making it look unnaturally flushed. "His heart might be weakened for the rest of his life, his immune system has taken one hell of a battering for someone so young, it could leave him susceptible to further infection, to further illness and – "

"I know Drake, I know," Harry said, moving one hand to rub gentle circles up and down Draco's arm. He didn't know what else to say to offer comfort. Everything Draco said was true and Harry knew that they were all terrified that Teddy wouldn't pull through this illness.

"Come on, I know you're not going to try and get some sleep. Let's go get you a coffee at least," he said, raising up to enable himself to wrap an arm around his friend's shoulders.

Draco let himself be led away towards the stairs, and as they descended Harry reached out to tap along the edge of Severus' mind. His husband was sitting in the chair next to Teddy's bed, watching as Ron stood by the darkened window, chewing away at his abused thumb.

Severus felt the pull along his senses and offered Harry the telepathic equivalent of a hug, sensing how worried the man was. He glanced down at his sleeping godson and reached out to smooth his copper-coloured hair. Teddy was only ever quiet when he was asleep, but Severus would have given anything to have the boy up and causing chaos.

He drew his attention back to Ron and saw that the man was staring out of the window, his normally vibrant eyes dull and unfocused. He felt so wretched for the man and wished he could do something to help relieve the stress and pain he was feeling.

He rose quietly from his seat and moved to stand behind the man, placing his hands on his shoulders before pulling him into a tight hug. He had never been tactile with anyone before he had fallen in love with Harry, but ever since his marriage to the man, these displays of affection seemed to come more and more easily to him.

With Ron, it had been that way for many years. He loved the man as he had never loved a friend before, and he felt a closeness to him that only Harry and their children could surpass. His connection to the redhead had surprised him all those years ago, and at first he had thought that it was only because Ron meant so much to Harry. As time went on, however, he knew it wasn't the case.

He loved Ron for his own qualities, on his own merit. He loved the man's tenacity, his loyalty, his fierce determination. He loved his quick mind and his gentle nature, and as he held him tightly to his chest, he wished he could take this hideous pain away from him.

"I'm so frightened, Sev," Ron whispered, his voice muffled by Severus' clothing.

"I know," Severus said as he stroked the man's hair soothingly. "But Teddy has more strength and forbearance than any of us could hope to possess. If anyone can come through this, he can."

Ron pulled back slightly, his eyes red-rimmed. He looked older than his 31 years and Severus wasn't sure how much more worry and uncertainty the man could take.

"I need to get out of this room for a few minutes, I feel like I'm suffocating," Ron said, giving Severus' forearms a squeeze and stepping out his embrace. "I'm going to hunt down some coffee, you want one?"

Severus nodded, and Ron clapped a large hand on his shoulder before shuffling out of the room, wrapping his arms around himself as he went. Severus sighed and moved to sit back down next to Teddy's bed.

"I always knew you'd be the one to give us sleepless nights," he said softly.

Soft blue eyes fluttered open and Teddy blinked up at him, looking dazed and groggy.

"Uncle Sev?" he said croakily, and Severus leant forward to let Teddy grab hold of his hand.

"How are you feeling, Trouble?" Severus asked, employing the nickname they all used.

"Tired, and everything hurts," Teddy replied, holding Severus' hand to his chest and cuddling it.

"Does it feel better at all?" Severus asked gently, using his free hand to brush Teddy's sweaty hair from his forehead.

"No," Teddy replied, holding Severus' hand tightly to himself. "They keep making me take yucky-tasting potions, but nothing helps. I still feel as bad as I did days ago."

"Your Auntie Gin's working very hard to find a solution, I'm sure she'll be able to make you better soon."

Teddy seemed to consider Severus' words, then rolled over onto his back, still gripping Severus' hand. He looked up at the ceiling for a few moments then turned his attention back to his godfather.

"I might not," he said eventually, and Severus felt as though someone had chucked a bucket of ice water over him.

"Teddy – " he began, but the boy interrupted him.

"It's true. Everyone's been very careful not to say it around me but I know it's true. I know that I might never get better, that I'll be ill or my life or…or even that my magic might be affected. I could be a squib."

"It wouldn't matter if you were," Severus said firmly, giving Teddy's clammy hand a squeeze. "We'd all love you just as much as we do now."

"But what if I don't get better? What if this is it now for the rest of my life?" Teddy asked, his eyes searching Severus' for an answer.

Severus was spared having to answer by Ginny popping her head around the door and saying, "Severus, could I have a quick word with you?" She smiled at her nephew and gave him a wink, saying, "Don't worry sweetie, I'll bring him right back."

Teddy gave her a weak smile and released Severus' hand, letting Severus rise to his feet. He paused in the doorway and said, "Your dad will be back in soon, just give us a shout if you need anything."

He followed Ginny out into the hallway, noting that she looked just as tired and frustrated as her brother. She was, however, an excellent Healer, and Severus noted the glint of steely resolve in her eyes and felt encouraged by it.

"I think I may have found a solution," she said, plucking a file from underneath her arm and opening it, taking out a sheaf of parchment and handing it to Severus.

He made a quick scan of it and looked back up to Ginny, who was watching him closely. "You want to extract the illness from Teddy's magic?" he asked, and she nodded slowly.

"If he were an adult I'd be looking to do it with a spell. Draco…before all this happened, he and a colleague were on the verge of perfecting one that could be used in the extraction of a curse from the patient's body. This is the same principle but, because of Teddy's age, I think it would be safer to use a potion. You're the only person alive I know who could brew it."

Severus felt the sudden weight of responsibility bearing down on him, but this was too important to let such a feeling get in the way. He looked down again at the paper Ginny had given him, his mind already taking over and running through the possibilities. "I'll need half a day or so to speak with a number of associates, and I'll need access to all of Draco's research so far."

Ginny nodded and said with an air of resolve, "Whatever you need."

Three days later and Severus was shut away in his state-of-the-art potions suite at the estate. He had spoken to several colleagues whose expertise he had found invaluable over the years and had immersed himself in Draco's research on extracting curses.

Draco himself had sat with Severus for the better part of a day going through it with him, explaining both the magic and the formula that he and his colleague had formulated. It was some of the most detailed and in-depth magic that Severus had ever come across, and he found himself stunned at Draco's genius.

Transmuting the science and magic behind the spell into a potion was the difficult bit, and Severus had had to call on every bit of intelligence he had gathered in his many years as a Potions Master. He was aware that time was of the essence and that the longer Teddy was left as he was, the greater the threat to both his health and his magic.

He was currently onto batch six of the trial potion and he was hoping it was going to bring him a step closer to finding the winning formula. He was working round the clock, and not since his days as a spy had felt such an urgency when it came to his work.

"Dad?" came a voice from the top of the stairs that led into the cellar. "Can I come down?"

All the children had had it hammered into them from an early age that they were never to enter the potions lab without express permission from Severus, and even when he was in it they were to check it was safe first.

"Yes love," he answered tiredly, and Caleb stomped heavily down the stairs and joined his father at the workbench.

"Pa sent me to ask if you wanted some dinner," he said, tucking himself under Severus' arm and peering carefully into the cauldron his father was bent over.

"Tell him no thanks, but I wouldn't mind a coffee."

Caleb nodded as though he had already guessed that to be the answer. "How's it going?"

Severus sighed and rubbed his eyes, trying to blink away their rawness. "I think I'm getting closer, it's just something of a slow process."

Caleb pulled one of the tall stools over and hopped up on it, looking at his father with an expression that was far too reminiscent of Harry.

"You'll do it, Dad, I know you will. You're the best Potions Master in the world, everyone says so!"

"Thank you sweetheart," Severus said, able to muster a smile for his son.

Caleb looked into the simmering cauldron for a few moments, swinging his legs back and forth gently. "We went to go and see Teddy in the hospital earlier," he said eventually. "It was…weird."

"How do you mean?" Severus asked softly.

Caleb shrugged, looking unhappy. "I've known Ted since he was born, I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen him quiet. He didn't look like Teddy, he looked…all wrong. Everything's wrong with him like this."

Caleb trailed off, but Severus knew his son well enough to know that there was more to come. He stayed quiet and waited for the boy to gather his thoughts together, watching the play of emotions over his guileless face.

"Uncle Ron and Uncle Drake are beside themselves, Megan's totally preoccupied so of course Ben spends his time trying to make her feel better and you and Pa are doing everything you can to make things better. It's more than that though…it's like…Teddy feels like…our glue."

"Our what?" Severus asked with a smile.

"You know," Caleb said, waving his hand as though that elucidated the point. "He sort of brings us all together. I don't know how to explain it."

Severus nodded, understanding what Caleb meant. Everyone adored Teddy and had done ever since he was born. Whatever was going on, he always seemed to be in the middle of anything that was going on and he was capable of tempting a smile from even the most curmudgeonly of people.

"No one's giving to give up, love. We're going to make Teddy better, I promise," he said, moving to wrap his son up in a hug. Caleb's thin arms came up to encircle his father's waist and he buried his nose in the man's robes.

"You always smell like potions," he said, and Severus smoothed the boy's black hair back and forth. "It's one of my earliest memories," Caleb whispered, "being cuddled by you and smelling all those unusual ingredients. It always made me feel…safe. I always knew it was you. Pa smells of grass…doesn't matter what time of year it is, he always smells of grass."

Severus smiled at Caleb's words, agreeing whole-heartedly. "Well," he said, placing a kiss to the top of Caleb's head, "you go and tell your grassy-smelling father that a coffee would be very welcome, and I'll be up in an hour or so when I can leave this to simmer."

"Yes Dad," Caleb said, gently extracting himself from Severus' arms. He hopped off the stool and gave his father one of the strange appraising looks that he employed every now and again, frowning slightly as he said, "You know, it seems to me that this potion mightn't be so very different from the potion you used to cure Auntie Hermione. That involved illness and magic, didn't it?"

Severus paused for a moment, letting Caleb's words sink in. "Caleb," he said softly, and Caleb tilted his head questioningly, "you're a genius."

"I've been telling everyone that for ages," Caleb said as though it was obvious, trotting off up the stairs and leaving his father to stare after him in wonder before giving himself a shake and searching for the papers pertaining to Hermione's cure.

"When will we know if it's worked?" Ron asked, looking at Severus hopefully.

"Within the next 24 hours," Severus answered, praying to deities he had never believed in that he had got it right. It wouldn't harm Teddy, of that much he was certain. There was no way he was going to let a potion get anywhere his godson that had any potential to do him any damage, but he wished he could say with certainty that it would be successful in curing him.

He, Ron, Draco and Harry were all waiting at the hospital while Remus and Hermione looked after the children. All the children apart from Megan, that was, who had insisted quite firmly upon being present at the hospital when the potion was administered.

"He's my brother," she had argued, "my twin brother. If anyone has a right to be there it's me, and I'd like to see any of you try and stop me."

If this was what she was like at only eight years old, they all struggled to imagine what on earth she would be like in ten years' time. It was only right that she was there, of course. As volatile as their relationship could sometimes be, Teddy and Megan adored one another underneath everything, and would have fought Voldemort himself (had he still been alive) on each other's behalf.

They were all in one of the family rooms, waiting for any news. Severus had given Teddy the potion an hour ago, his godson telling him with a smile that it tasted of peppermint, his favourite. Severus had of course admitted to no one that he had tailored it just so, knowing the boy's love of the flavour.

"It'll work, I know it will," Megan said quietly as she sat cuddled into Draco's side.

Draco placed a kiss to his daughter's forehead and pulled her a little closer. "Of course it will darling, there's no one on earth who can make potions like Uncle Severus."

Megan smiled across at Severus and said, "I wish you could have taught me at Hogwarts, as well as being my Head of House too."

"Planning on being in Slytherin are we, darling?" Ron asked.

"Of course," Megan said as though it were a foregone conclusion. "Someone has to carry on the Malfoy tradition. Teddy's so obviously a Gryffindor, it won't be him."

"And what about Caleb and Benji, honey?" Harry asked from his place on the sofa next to Severus. "Where will they end up."

"Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw," Megan replied assuredly.

"Hufflepuff?" Severus said, looking vaguely perturbed by the notion.

"Don't be a snob," Harry said with a prod to his ribs. "I think Meggie's right, Caleb is prime Hufflepuff material."

Megan nodded and sent Severus him a vaguely chastising look, as though disappointed that he had dared to question her assertion. "It'll be strange having Teddy in a different House to me," she continued, "but I hope he won't expect me to hold back when it comes to House points. I'll wipe the floor with him."

"That's my girl," said Draco with a laugh, running his elegant fingers through her silvery-blonde hair. "We have to keep these Gryffindors in check."

"Well you married one," she said with a sniff and all the adults laughed, Ron moving away from the door to sit on her other side, wrapping an arm around her and Draco, holding them tightly.

"So did your Uncle Severus," he told her, pointing towards Harry.

"Well," she said with an imperious shrug, "love is blind and all that."

They fell to good-natured bickering for a while, Draco and Severus ganging up on Ron and Harry as each pair slandered the other's House. Megan refereed, though it was hardly fair as she was very firmly on Draco and Severus' side, but all four men found themselves put in place by the young woman more than once.

Severus was about to list the many times that Slytherin had won the quidditch cup when the door opened and Ginny appeared. The look on her face gave everyone in the room more hope than they'd had in weeks.

"Would you all care to come and see the patient?" she asked with a smile. She held out her hand to Megan and the little girl bounced up from her seat, moving to take it and letting herself be led out of the room by her aunt.

They walked in silence down the corridor, all nervous, but Ginny's manner had instilled confidence in them all. They entered Teddy's room to find him sitting up in bed, a bowl full of ice cream propped up on his knees, shovelling a huge spoonful of the stuff into his mouth.

He grinned at them as they crowded around the bed and raised his spoon in a salute to Severus, saying, "Marvellous potion Uncle Sev, really is the dog's – "

"Yes! Thank you Theodore, illness is no excuse for bad language," Ron said, cutting off his son, though it was obvious his heart wasn't in the admonishment.

"How are you feeling?" Megan asked, climbing up to sit on the end of the bed opposite her brother.

"Brilliant!" Teddy said enthusiastically, his cheeks their usual ruddy colour rather than the ashen pallor they'd been previously. "Although this hospital ice cream is nothing like the stuff Gran has."

"Sorry," said Ginny with a smile, "hospital food will never win any prizes."

"No matter," said Teddy affably, "I'm sure I'll get all the food I want when I'm back home."

Ron and Draco, seeming to snap out of the trance they had been in at seeing their son so well, moved to sit either side of him on the bed, cuddling him between them, their sense of relief palpable.

"You can have whatever you want sweetheart," Draco said, his voice wavering slightly.

"Anything," Ron promised, soundly equally as affected.

"A fella could get used to this," Teddy said with a grin as he nestled in happily between his parents.

"You gave us such a scare," Ron whispered into the copper hair beneath his nose as he held his son close.

"I knew Uncle Sev would come to the rescue," Teddy said, smiling up at the man in question. "I'm his favourite, he wouldn't have let anything happen to me, would you, old man?"

"No Teddy," Severus said with a smile as he wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulders. "I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

AN: For my lovely friend Carrie, who I hope has had a better day than yesterday!

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, I do so love writing Teddy. Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought.