Chapter 21

"Here," Severus said as he pressed a glass of brandy into Harry's hands.

"Thanks," Harry said, accepting it with a wan smile. "It still feels so unreal," he murmured, his face pale.

They were back home, having left Hogwarts as soon as the news about Andromeda had reached them. Teddy had been taken to the Burrow when Andromeda had been rushed to St Mungo's, and they had gone to pick him up the second they returned.

He was now fast asleep upstairs in his bedroom, unaware that he had lost his grandmother, that life as he knew it was about to change. Andromeda had had a heart condition, one that she hadn't told anyone about. Severus had known something wasn't right with the woman's health and while her passing was a shock, he couldn't exactly say it was a surprise.

He wondered why she hadn't told anyone, why she had never told Harry that her death was a possibility. It was easy to bury your head in the sand, he supposed. Perhaps she had hoped that if she didn't confide in anyone that the worst would never come to pass.

"I don't know how to process this," Harry said quietly, looking down into his glass. "How do you explain to a 3-year-old that he'll never see his grandmother again?"

"We'll tell him together tomorrow," Severus said, just as daunted by the prospect as Harry. He felt as though he himself was only just coming to terms with death and its consequences, he had no idea how to explain that to a child.

"Everything's about to change for him," Harry said with an unhappy sigh. "Maybe…maybe he won't want to live with us."

"You know that's unlikely," Severus said gently. "He loves it here, it's been his second home for a while now."

"Maybe I'm the one that needs convincing," Harry said, the lines of his face taut with worry. "He's…he's ours now. This is it, we're it. We're responsible for him, we're his parents. I…I don't know if I'm ready."

"It's natural to feel that way," Severus said, reaching out and taking hold of Harry's hand, "but neither of us has the luxury of second-guessing ourselves. As you say, we're responsible for Teddy now and we have to be there for him. You're ready, you know you are."

Harry shook his head tiredly, his eyes red-rimmed. "Can I really be his father? Am I going to be good enough for him?"

"Of course you are," Severus said, moving closer and wrapping his arm around the man. "He adores you. You're not in this alone, we'll do it together."

Harry let out a long, slow breath and put his head in his hands. "In the space of 24 hours we've suddenly become parents. It's…too much to take in. I don't know what I'm doing…I don't know how to do this."

"We'll figure it out together," Severus said, trying to soothe Harry's fractious nerves. He knew Harry loved Teddy, he knew that he'd be able to give the little boy everything that he needed, but he knew where Harry's insecurities came from. He himself was hardly convinced that he'd be a good father, but he loved Teddy enough to try.

"I know where all this is coming from, Harry," he said carefully. "I feel the same way. Neither of us had good childhoods, neither of us had good examples of parents, but that doesn't mean we can't be good parents ourselves. We were only just talking about having children. Have you changed your mind?"

"No, of course not," Harry said, raising his head, his eyes watery. "It's just…I thought we'd have a little more time. I want a family, more than anything in the world, but I'm only 20-years-old. I thought I'd have more time to figure out who I am before I became a dad."

Severus held Harry close and rested his chin on the black mop of hair. "I wish you'd been given more autonomy over your own life," he said softly, feeling Harry relax a little in his arms. "Now though, this is about Teddy. You have everything you need to be a good father to him and although this isn't the way we would have chosen to do things, we're a family now. We have to put our own feelings aside and focus on Teddy."

He felt Harry nod against his chest and he placed a kiss to the man's head. "It'll be alright, I promise."

Neither of them got much sleep that night. Severus held Harry through the night, but both of them only managed to snatch fragments of sleep. Severus lay awake staring up at the ceiling, feeling the comforting weight of Harry's body resting on his chest.

He had the same reservations that Harry did and they were troubling him more than he cared to admit. His own childhood had been wretched and he had proved time and time again that he could make children hate him. This was different though. He could honestly say that he loved Teddy, and he knew the little boy held him in high regard.

It was also true that he wanted a family with Harry, but, like Harry, he had thought they would have a little more time together as a couple before that came to pass. He could still picture that little girl with dark hair and bright green eyes, only now she would be joined by a sandy-haired brother. It was a terrifying prospect and a nasty voice in the back of his mind told him that he would never be able to measure up.

Children had never been part of his vision for the future. Indeed, he hadn't ever planned to live past 40. Now here he was, poised to marry Harry Potter in five months' time with a 3-year-old child that was theirs permanently. He was apprehensive and worried, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to do his best to do right by Teddy.

They both woke the following morning barely rested, still preoccupied with the strange turn their life together had taken. Severus dealt with Teddy while Harry set about making a mountain of pancakes, his was of easing the way for what they had to tell the little boy.

After Teddy had eaten his bodyweight in pancakes, all slathered with so much syrup that the very thought of it make Severus' teeth ache, they moved into the living room and sat Teddy down on the sofa. They had agreed that Harry would do the lion's share of the explaining, but that Severus would be on hand if he found it all too difficult.

"Teddy," Harry began, and Severus could hear the slight hitch in the man's breathing. "There's something that we have to tell you." He paused and took a deep breath while Teddy looked up him, his intelligent eyes focused. "Nana…Nana had a poorly heart. She went to the hospital and the doctors did everything they could to help her…but they weren't able to."

Teddy frowned up at him and Harry reached for Severus' hand, holding it tightly in his lap. "Nana won't be coming back, sweetheart. Uncle Severus and I are going to look after you from now on."

"I'll live here, with you?" Teddy asked, clearly confused.

"That's right, love," Harry said with a nod. "You know that Nana loved you more than anything else in the world, but she just couldn't stay with us anymore."

Harry reached over and picked Teddy up, settling him gently between himself and Severus. "I know you're going to miss her so much, and so will I, but Uncle Severus and I promise that we will always be here to look after you."

Severus placed his arm around Harry's shoulders, wrapping him and Teddy up in a warm embrace. The little boy looked from Harry to him, his expression serious and thoughtful.

"I won't see Nana again?" he asked.

"No sweetheart, I'm sorry," Harry said, a catch in his voice. "But you have to know how much she loved you and how much we love you too."

Teddy looked down at his knees for a moment, frowning. Many things were obviously going through his little mind and Severus couldn't begin to fathom what the little boy was thinking.

"Can I go and play outside?" he asked eventually.

Harry blinked a couple of times, clearly nonplussed. "Um…yes of course you can. Stay away from the stream, one of us will be out in a minute."

Teddy looked at them both for a moment then hopped off the sofa and headed outside. Harry watched him go, then turned back to Severus with a frown.

"Is he ok? He…didn't seem all that bothered," Harry said, perturbed.

"He's probably in shock. Children…children have a different way of processing loss than we do. He most likely won't understand properly until he realises that Andromeda is gone forever."

Harry nodded. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to make this better for him."

"We'll just do what we always do when we have him," Severus said, pulling Harry close. "We have to keep things as normal as we can for him. We'll take him to the playschool in Hogsmeade tomorrow, just like Andromeda would have done. He needs his routine now."

Harry sighed and nestled into Severus' hold. "I hate this. I hate that his world's just turned upside down."

"I know," Severus said softly, resting his chin gently on Harry's head. "We'll get through it. It'll just take time."

For the next two weeks they did as Severus suggested and tried to keep things as normal as possibly for Teddy. He went to his playgroup three times a week, just as he would have done if he'd been with Andromeda, his bedtime was kept the same and he still negotiated bathing terms.

Severus and Harry took turns putting him to bed, reading him a chapter from Grimm's Fairytales each time. He seemed to be sleeping soundly and hadn't caused any fusses. It seemed like all the other times they had had him in the past.

It wasn't until one night, the week before Harry's birthday, that Severus realised things weren't quite as they seemed. He awoke in the small hours of the morning, a particularly bizarre dream involving Dumbledore and a carousel having woken him up. He lay blinking up at the ceiling for a moment or two, trying to clear his thoughts enough to return to sleep when he heard a faint noise coming from across the hallway.

He listened more carefully and realised that it sounded like Teddy crying. He carefully eased himself out from underneath Harry's sleeping form and made his way out of bed and across the hall. He paused outside Teddy's door, looking around the doorframe to see the little boy sitting up in bed, his legs pulled up to his chest, crying gently into his knees.

Severus felt his heart tighten. He didn't know whether Andromeda's loss had only just hit Teddy or if the boy had been being stoic about it up until now, but it was clear that his grief had overtaken him. Severus entered the room quietly and sat on the bed, scooping Teddy up into his arms and holding him tightly.

"Ssh," he soothed gently as Teddy sobbed against his chest. "It's alright."

He had had little enough experience in comforting children, and he had never faced the grief of such a young child in the face of such loss. He didn't know what to say or do for the best, but he knew that he would have given anything to stop the painful sounds of Teddy's heart-breaking crying.

"I miss her," Teddy said, his voice muffled by Severus' pyjama shirt.

"I know you do," Severus said softly. "You always will, but you can see her any time you want to."

"What do you mean?" Teddy asked, pulling back slightly to look up at Severus with tear-filled eyes.

Severus paused for a moment, considering his words. The last thing he wanted was to confuse or upset Teddy further. "All you have to do his close your eyes. Think about what Nana looked like, what she sounded like. Think about the smell of her perfume and the jewellery she wore. Now imagine she's talking to you, what would she say?"

Teddy sniffed and closed his eyes. Severus waited for him to bring Andromeda to mind and eventually the little boy said, "She'd say that she loves me. She'd tell me to be good, she'd tell me stories."

"That's good," Severus said encouragingly. "You see, anytime you miss her, you just have to close your eyes and think about her. She'll always be with you."

"But I'll never see her again, not properly," Teddy said with a plaintive little sniff.

"I promise that we'll make sure you never forget her. We'll keep her memory alive," Severus said gently as Teddy buried himself back into his hold. "Do you want to come and sleep in with us for the rest of the night?"

Teddy nodded against his chest and Severus picked him up, carrying him into his and Harry's bedroom. Harry stirred as the bed dipped and blinked his eyes open sleepily. He smiled up them and scooted along a bit to make room.

"Can't sleep, sweetheart?" he asked as Teddy snuggled up to him.

"Miss Nana," Teddy said, and Harry met Severus' eyes as Severus climbed into bed.

He wrapped Teddy and Harry up in his arms and all three of them settled comfortably together. Teddy was already asleep, his thumb wedged in his mouth while he cuddled up to the warmth and safety of Harry and Severus' bodies.

"Love you," Harry murmured, laying his head on Severus' shoulder, unable to stay awake any longer.

"Love you too," Severus whispered back, pressing a kiss to Harry's head. He knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again so easily, but he was content enough to lie back against the pillows with Harry and Teddy snuggled against him.

This was never how he thought his life would turn out. He had lain awake so many nights in his cell in Azkaban, praying for release. He had been so broken, so devoid of hope that he had never dared to consider a future beyond the four walls of his cell.

He had believed himself so damaged that he would never be able to live a full life again, that perhaps he had never known what it was to live a full live in the first place. Perhaps he had always been a damaged human but being robbed of his humanity simply brought it more sharply to the surface.

Surely a man such as him with the stains that blighted his past would never be able to find happiness? Yet here he was. Of course, never in his wildest dreams would he have said that happiness would come in the form of the previous bane of his existence and a 3-year-old child, but then who on earth would have guessed that?

He listened to Harry's soft breathing and to Teddy's gentle snuffling, allowing a small smile to settle on his lips. He knew that there would be tough times ahead and that Teddy would need help processing his grief, but this was his family now and he was prepared to do whatever was needed.

Harry's birthday was a clear and sunny day. Molly and Arthur threw him a party at the Burrow and Harry's nearest and dearest were in attendance. He and Severus had thought long and hard about whether it was appropriate to have a celebration in the wake of Andromeda's loss, but they had agreed to carry on as normal for Teddy's sake.

Teddy loved being surrounded by the whole family and seeing him interact with them all convinced Harry and Severus that they had made the right decision. He had been subdued since the night Severus had found him crying and he and Harry had done their best to try and cheer him up.

As Teddy played with Victoire, let himself be entertained by Charlie, Ron and Draco, and indulged in treats made by Molly, Severus saw the little boy brighten. It was difficult to know what to do for the best in such a circumstance; grief was a hard thing at the best of times, let alone when it was being felt by such a young child.

All Severus and Harry were sure of was that they needed to give Teddy as much love and affection as possible, giving him support where it was needed. He had slept in their bed every night for a week, curled up between them sleeping soundly. It wasn't an arrangement that could go on indefinitely, but it could provide comfort for Teddy for a little while.

"I can't believe in a little over four months you and Harry are going to be married," said George as he sat beside Severus at one of the little garden tables littered about the place. "I'm already working on my speech," he added with a grin.

"Do you really think I'll let you deliver anything that I haven't pre-approved?" Severus said, eyeing the man over his glass of wine.

"Spoilsport."

There was still an underlying hint of sadness about George, an aura that hung to him like a cloak, but he had established a routine for himself that had improved his health. He was sleeping better and exercising more, and Severus knew that the man was trying to open up more to his family. No one knew better than George that he would never really be whole again, but he was trying to find a way to live with that.

"Ah would you look at that, Nev with that absolute stunner!" George said as he watched Neville join Harry and Hermione, his arm gently resting around Haizea's waist.

Severus wasn't sure he would have referred to Haizea as a 'stunner', but her health had improved greatly and she had benefitted from working with potions again. Severus enjoyed working with her. She was competent and able to manage herself effectively, and she had a sharp mind that picked things up quickly.

She and Neville had been on several dates and things seemed to be going well between them. Severus was glad for them. He found himself growing ever fonder of Neville, as bizarre as the notion was, and the man was well-matched to Haizea's quiet and sensitive nature.

She had no family left, and the few friends she had once had had deserted her during her incarceration. It had been good for her to spend time with people again, and Molly had taken it upon herself to take her under her wing.

It always amazed Severus that with six of her own children to look after Molly could show such remarkable capacity to love other people's. He knew that but for her Harry would never know what a mother's love could be like and that the man would be forever grateful for that. Molly had been kind and patient with Haizea, careful not to be overbearing, and had welcomed her into the Weasley fold with open arms.

"They look good together, don't they?" George said with a smile, propping his feet up on the table.

"They're well-suited," Severus agreed. "It's a good match."

"One that you set up." George grinned at him and Severus rolled his eyes, doing his best to ignore the man as he continued, "You could always have a side-line in match-making, you know, if you get bored with Potions."

"You're beginning to witter," Severus drawled. "I shan't let you be my best man if this is the sort of mental prowess you possess."

"Oh I love it when you try to sound like your old self. It's hilarious."

Severus glared at him, which only served to widen George's grin. He supposed he couldn't argue. He could barely remember his 'old self', that man seemed another world away and he couldn't deny that he was glad of it. That man was a damaged soul, unhappy, bitter and twisted. He had no desire to resurrect the spectre that belonged in the past.

"I have a proposition to run past you, if you'd care to hear it," George said, stretching his arms above his head and making himself more comfortable.

"Hearing you say that makes my blood run cold," Severus said with a raised eyebrow.

George laughed and said, "In most cases it should, but this is a good one, I promise."

"Go on then," Severus said, sipping his wine and enjoying the feel of the sun against his skin.

"When you sell Spinner's End, how would you like to use a fraction of the money to buy into Wheezes?" George asked, folding his hands in his lap, suddenly appearing very business-like.

"You want me to invest in the business?" Severus asked.

"I know you have your hands full with brewing for the Ministry and for Maggie, so it can be a silent partnership if you like, just like Harry. I need fresh capital to develop new ideas I have in the pipeline, ideas that I hope you'll help with," George added with a smile. "The investment will provide you with a stipend if you so choose, or I can give you a lump sum after each AGM, depending on capital appreciation."

Severus paused, considering the offer. His new salary from the Ministry was more than enough to make life very comfortable, but to have a little something extra wouldn't go amiss. Now that he knew he had a future worth planning for, he wanted to ensure that it was as good as it could be. He wanted to be able to provide for Teddy and anyone else who might come along, and Wheezes was as good an investment as he could think of.

"Very well," he said with a nod. "Let me see what I'm left with when the sale of the house goes through and we can see where we stand."

"Sounds good. Now, I think I might go and take Teddy up for a broom ride," he said, getting to his feet and clapping Severus on the shoulder before heading off down the garden.

Severus watched with a smile as George ran to where Teddy was sitting with Ron and Draco, swooping down and hauling the little boy onto his shoulders. Teddy giggled and grabbed clumps of George's red hair as though they were reins while they skipped off to the broom shed.

His glass empty, Severus went inside to seek a refill. He was considering his options when he felt a pair of arms slide around his waist. He felt Harry lean in and nuzzle the base of his neck and he leant back into the caress.

"Hard to catch a moment alone here," Harry whispered and Severus turned around, pulling Harry close to him.

"And how's the birthday boy enjoying his party?" Severus asked.

"Very well, thank you. I'm just lamenting the fact that I haven't managed to get a birthday shag yet," Harry said with a grin. "Not that there's been much of that going on at all for the last couple of weeks with a 3-year-old sharing our bed."

"It won't last forever," Severus said, running a hand up and down Harry's back, feeling the delicious quiver of muscle beneath his palm. "Teddy just needs a little extra comfort for now. Our sex life won't suffer terminally."

Harry pouted a little and looked up at Severus, saying, "I still miss you though."

"I know," Severus murmured, lowering his lips to meet Harry's. It had indeed been a struggle not to have been able to indulge themselves, but soon they would be able to find a way to accommodate their needs with Teddy in the house.

It wasn't new to them, as they were used to Teddy staying with them, but they were also used to having the house to themselves when Teddy had returned home. It wasn't an insurmountable issue, but it did mean that they couldn't be as spontaneous or as uninhibited as they were used to.

They had toyed with the idea of asking Molly to have him for the night, but he had suffered enough turmoil over the past few weeks. The last thing they wanted was for Teddy to feel unwanted, as though he was being passed from pillar to post like nothing more than an inconvenience.

Harry's arms wound around Severus' neck as the kiss deepened and Severus found himself lost in the man once again. He couldn't believe there had once been a time when he hadn't loved Harry, when he hadn't seen the depth and complexity of the man's character.

"Put him down, there are children present," came Ron's voice as he entered the kitchen.

Severus, in no hurry, broke the kiss languidly. "Problem, Mr Weasley?" he said, pulling Harry against his chest and looking at Ron over the top of Harry's head.

"Just can't cope with sickening displays of affection," Ron said with a grin.

"You indulge in enough yourself," Harry replied, and, as though to prove a point, Draco tucked himself into Ron's side and placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

"We were wondering if you'd let us take Teddy for the night," the blond said, looking across at them both. "Ron mentioned something about building a fort earlier and Teddy hasn't been able to get it out his head. He asked if he could come and stay with us. He wants to come and see the horses in the field opposite too."

Severus and Harry exchanged a look, Harry saying, "If he wants to go then sure. You don't mind?"

"Of course not," said Ron, turning his head as Teddy came tumbling into the kitchen, George close behind. "You still want to come and stay with us, Tedster?"

"Can I?" Teddy asked Harry and Severus as George hoisted him back up onto his shoulders.

"If you want to go, sweetheart," Harry said, but Severus could tell that he wasn't sure about letting him go.

"Uncle Ron said we could build a fort and sleep in it. He said we could ride horses too."

"I said we could see the horses," Ron said with a laugh, "not that we could ride them."

Teddy paused for a moment, considering his position, then said, "We'll see."

Severus and Harry both laughed, used to Teddy's negotiating skills. "We'll miss you," Harry said, and Severus knew he meant it. It would be strange to be without Teddy, even for a night, and replacement parents though they may be, Teddy really felt like theirs.

"You'll be good for Uncle Ron and Uncle Draco, won't you?" Severus asked.

Teddy nodded and said, "And Uncle George, he's coming too."

George grinned, looking younger and more unburdened than he had done in a long time. "I figure me and Ted can double-team these two, keep them on their toes. Besides, I love building forts."

The party went on until early evening. Teddy had a nap mid-afternoon in preparation for his evening at Ron and Draco's and woke with renewed vigour. Severus and Harry spent time with Hermione and Blaise, who, it seemed, were working their way towards a relationship that surpassed their professional one.

The attraction between them was very obvious, though both were reticent when it came to such matters. George had whispered in Severus' ear that they could benefit from his match-making abilities, a remark that had earnt the man a withering glare.

Maggie turned up around 4 o'clock, and Severus noted the look in George's eye when she arrived. For all that the man had said there was no chance of romantic involvement for him, Severus hadn't missed the way George's eyes followed Maggie wherever she went. He couldn't blame him, Maggie was striking. She had long black hair that flowed down her back and clear blue eyes that never missed a thing.

Severus had liked Maggie from the first time he met her. She was sharp, intelligent and witty, not to mention an incredibly skilled Healer. She was fiery and passionate and Severus could only imagine that to be on the wrong end of her temper would be a frightening thing indeed. She and George enjoyed sniping at one another and often indulged in games of one-upmanship where insults were concerned.

Severus couldn't imagine either person to be given to sentimentality or romance. Maggie and George, despite their outward personas, were both practical, hard-working and all-too aware of the trappings of life. Their intelligence and ingenuity were their strengths and Severus knew that they would challenge one another whilst providing a level of support that others couldn't. Perhaps he should turn his hand to match-making after all. There was a horrifying thought.

After all the birthday presents were opened and the cake was cut, Severus and Harry finally decided to venture home. Harry was reluctant to leave Teddy, but the little boy had his heart set on going with Ron and Draco.

"He'll be fine," Severus said soothingly as Harry stood in the living room, looking balefully at the fireplace as though expecting Ron to bring Teddy back at any moment.

"We've only had him with us a few weeks and already we're palming him off on other people," Harry said with a sigh.

"It's not like that and you know it. He asked to go, he wanted to spend the night with them," Severus reasoned.

"We used to be the place he came to for fun and to stay away from home. Now we're the boring parents and he goes to other people's homes to get away from us," Harry said, dropping down onto the sofa with a grunt.

"I think you're being a tad dramatic, love," Severus said, rolling his eyes and heading into the kitchen to put the kettle on. "Wait until he's a teenager and then he really does want to get away from us."

"That's not funny," Harry replied sulkily, joining him in the kitchen, leaning against the table with his arms folded. "I just…I just want him to be happy here."

"You know he is," Severus replied, unable to stop himself from thinking that Harry looked like an adorably cross puppy as he stood in front of him. "This is a difficult time for him, and while it's important that we don't give him everything he wants, it's perfectly reasonable to let him go and stay with other members of the family if he wants to."

"Family," Harry said with a little sigh. "That's what we all are, isn't it? I was thinking about it sitting in the garden today, watching everyone. Hearing Teddy call people 'Uncle' and 'Auntie', the sense of belonging I feel whenever I'm with all the Weasleys, the way they all love you…it makes me happy. I want that for Teddy."

"That's what he'll have," Severus said, placing his hands on Harry's waist. "We'll make sure of it. He'll have everything we never had and more. He's surrounded by people who love him. That's the important thing."

Harry nodded with a smile and Severus turned his attention back to the kettle as it started to whistle. He began ordering the tea things, hearing Harry rustle through the papers on the kitchen table.

"Ooh, a birthday card I must have missed," he heard Harry say.

Severus filled the teapot and gave the leaves a good stir before replacing the lid and letting it stew. "Who's it from?" he asked, turning back to face Harry, who was frowning down at the letter in his hand.

"Oh…um no one," he said, scrunching it up in his fist. "Just…junk mail."

Severus' eyes narrowed, able to discern a lie when he saw one. "Harry, what is it?"

"Nothing, just junk like I said."

He went to throw the letter in the bin, but Severus summoned it with a quick flick of his wand, Harry spinning around to face him. "Severus, it's nothing," Harry insisted, but the slight hitch in his voice told otherwise.

Severus unfolded the scrunched paper, hearing Harry give a resigned sigh as he did so. The colour of the writing caught his attention first – blood red and thick, sticky ink. The words were scratchy, poorly-formed but with a hideous impact. 'Happy Birthday to the traitor who sides with murderers. Hopefully you had a good day, it'll be the last birthday you get to celebrate.'

He looked back up at Harry, who looked as though he was bracing himself for a fight. "I thought these had stopped coming," he said, feeling his pulse hum uncomfortably.

"It's just nonsense," Harry said, shaking his head dismissively.

"Harry, a threat to your life isn't nonsense."

"People are upset and angry, people who don't understand the situation, who lost loved ones during the war. It's horrible, yes but I don't believe there's anything behind it."

"You can't take that risk. Harry, this isn't just about you anymore, we have Teddy to think of," Severus argued, feeling as though the paper in his hand was burning him.

"They're not going to hurt him."

"You don't know that! You don't know what these sorts of people are capable of, what they're planning. You have to start taking this seriously."

"I am taking it seriously," Harry countered, his cheeks flushing, "but when you've got hundreds of these bloody things you have to learn to ignore them or they'll drive you crazy! When I first spoke out for you and started campaigning for your release I was getting twenty of these a day. If I'd have paid attention to every single one of them then I'd have ended up in the loony bin!"

"All it takes is one, Harry," Severus said, waving the balled up paper in his hand. "One person with enough of a cause, enough of a reason. You can't be this selfish anymore. I can't always look after you!"

Harry's face hardened and Severus knew he had said the wrong thing. "That's what you think? That I'm still a responsibility that's been foisted on you?"

"Harry, you know that's not what I – "

"No, that's what you said," Harry rebutted angrily. "This may come as news to you, Severus but I don't need you to look after me. I managed to keep myself alive all the time you were locked away and I'm damn sure I'll manage just fine now."

He headed for the door and stopped to say over his shoulder, "Don't you ever call me selfish again," before he stormed out. Severus heard him stomp up the stairs, shortly followed by the loud slam of the bedroom door.

Severus let out a heavy sigh, incinerating the paper in his hands with a vicious flick of his wand. It seemed as though he would be spending the night in his old bedroom.

AN: Well, this one was an interesting one to write. I've never had the sad duty of explaining death or loss to a child, so it was difficult to find the right tone and try to surmise what was appropriate in the situation. I hope you all feel that I did it justice.

Big thanks to my beta, Tanja, who I'm learning so much from and who continues to help make me a better writer.