A/N: Hi, HG/SS shippers. I've been truly wowed and humbled by all your feedback on the last chapter. The writing for Chapter 48 came from the heart and I'm so glad (and quite relieved!) that it read as such. I can only hope that events in this story will continue to move you, perhaps not in the same tone or manner as the last, but still on some level or another.

This chapter contains two more important revelations. I will, again, reserve my notes for the end. I hope you enjoy it! Your feedback is encouraging and instructive, as always. Many thanks to my wonderful beta reader, Brittny.

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter is copyrighted to and belongs to JK Rowling. I own none of her associated characters. New characters belong to me.


Chapter 49: For the Care of Posterity

Surina made her way towards the Infirmary to visit her father, who seemed to be making very little progress in the weeks he had been incapacitated and unable to teach, move, or do much of anything. The conversation they had had the other day was still heavily engraved in the back of her mind, preventing her from concentrating on her studies. Friendly banter between friends had also taken a backseat to the emotional turmoil she now found herself in. It was too tedious for the second year to take part in their gay chatter anymore. It felt pointless, insignificant even. Her father was dying, and there was nothing she could do.

How the hell did Lily keep this to herself? Surina reflected sadly as she reached the top of the stairs.

She sighed with a deep frown, hanging back beyond the open doorway to collect her thoughts. Light from the mid-afternoon sun shone through the glass windows, filling up the Hospital Wing with a warm, relaxing radiance. It trickled into the entrance, where Surina hung back in the shadows.

She was anxious to pay Severus a visit as had become her and her sisters' daily routines between classes, but the realities about his condition wore heavily on her heart. Sometimes it was simply too depressing to look at him without getting emotional, something she hated lacking proper control over.

It was equally difficult to talk candidly about everyday events, such as her Transfiguration assignments or the latest accusations in The Daily Prophet. Severus's hearing, in which she and her sisters had been called to testify, had not been rescheduled yet, and Surina was growing more agitated by the day, knowing that the hearing was still looming somewhere off in the distant future, inevitable and unavoidable. It could not be put off forever, no matter how ill the professor was.

Surina mustered the composure she needed to face her father, hoping she would not get too upset today, and turned the corner to enter the room. Then her legs froze. Two familiar blondes were situated at Severus's bedside, one of whom she had been worried sick about for weeks. The older of the two was seated in a chair normally occupied by her mother, but Hermione was still present, sitting next to Severus on the bed with one hand dangling behind his pillow, the other intertwined with his. Her parents were listening intently to the man speaking, but the younger had his head hung low and seemed to be refusing to meet her father and mother's abrasive stares.

"Scorpius!" Surina gasped, not waiting for her voice to register a response.

As Scorpius started to turn around, he was met with a pair of arms that hurled themselves around his neck, causing him to stumble sideways. Scorpius instantly blushed at the dramatic embrace he had just received from the handsome girl.

"Hey, Surina," he offered quietly.

Surina whipped her head back to examine her friend, her black eyes wide and amazed. Scorpius had not returned since term resumed, and her face showed her astonishment at seeing him well and unharmed.

"Where have you been?" she breathed excitedly, ignoring everyone else.

"I've been at home, erm, kind of hanging low for a while. I needed some time."

"Of course," Surina assured him, still gaping, for she could hardly believe her eyes. "How did you..."

Scorpius gave her a meek smile and leaned forward. "Ramsey."

Surina crinkled her nose. "Who?"

"Oh, um, Ramsey Rookwood. One of the Death Eaters. He helped Hailey get to your dad and stunned Mulciber so you and Lily could get away. He grabbed me right after you left and Disapparated us to my parents' house."

Surina had no clue who Scorpius was talking about, but she did not care. She brought her arms around the shorter first year again, embracing him less roughly than before.

"I'm so glad you're all right. I was so worried, Scorpius. When we got to Hogwarts and you weren't with us..."

"It's all right, Surina. I got out of there; that's all that matters."

Surina raised an eyebrow as she drew back again, this time her expression very sour. She suddenly reached out and smacked him hard on the shoulder with one of her thick textbooks. Scorpius tumbled back in shock.

"No note or any word from you for over two weeks!" She smacked him again and Scorpius threw up his arms to shield himself from her blows, stunned. "Have you any idea what I've been through? YOU - SELFISH - TWIT!"

"I'm sorry! Ack! STOP! Have you gone mental, Surina?"

"All right, all right," Draco chuckled, watching his son getting physically reprimanded with amusement. "That's enough, you two."

"Humph!"

Surina refrained but wrapped her arms around her book, clutching it to her chest with her mouth contorted into a most disagreeable scowl. Hermione stifled a laugh and reproached her daughter silently with her eyes.

Scorpius grunted and adjusted his robes, feeling slightly mortified. He darted his attention to the floor again as he had earlier. He understood why his father had brought him here, but it did not lessen his already wounded pride at being forced to apologize to the intimidating Potions Master and his wife. Their tough stares were hardly encouraging, and there was a particularly dangerous gleam in the professor's dark eyes that told him he was not quite forgiven; or perhaps he was misinterpreting that.

As Draco took a seat again next to Severus, Hermione spoke up to her daughter from her comfortable repose next to Severus, "Uncle Draco and Scorpius were just visiting. It appears that Scorpius was under a lot of pressure to hex your sister and spy on you girls..."

Surina's frown softened a bit as she glanced sideways at him. "Your grandfather?"

Scorpius did not meet her questioning stare; he simply nodded and kept his head down.

"And the Mudblood remark? Did you not mean that as well?" Surina could not help sounding perturbed.

"I... Erm, well..."

"Apologize, Scorpius," Draco commanded, his voice stern but not too harsh.

Scorpius reluctantly met Hermione and Severus's faces for a split second and grumbled, "I'm sorry."

"I accept your apology, Scorpius," Severus replied in an unemotional tone, "but it is not I that you owe it to. Hailey's the one who deserves to hear it, and she should hear it directly from you."

Scorpius did not dare protest, only sniffed and glanced sidelong at his father, who, to his disappointment, was in agreement with the professor. Draco redirected his attention and shook his head in disgust.

"I should have known," he mumbled bitterly. "I should have known my father was up to something. All these years, right under my nose!"

"Stop it, Draco," Severus growled.

His voice had not carried the bite it usually bore for some time and was, at present, still quite hoarse. Surina was almost accustomed to the rougher pitch, but it still pained her to hear such strain in his efforts to speak.

"You and Lucius haven't exactly been close. I don't see how you could have known. I, myself, would never have thought him capable of what he's done. My knack for fortitude and ability to read the minds of others has failed me greatly."

"Severus..." Hermione whispered, bending close to his face.

Severus, however, turned away from her. He shifted his weight a bit and laid his head back against his pillows, sighing deeply. His trying, depleted frown told her everything, and she rubbed his hand affectionately.

"I never thought he would do something like this," Draco mumbled, ignoring his godfather's words. "Never."

The man's voice broke and he could feel Severus's intense eyes staring at him, as if right through his exterior. When Draco exchanged glances with him, he was taken aback again—just as he had when he first arrived at the Infirmary—by how worn out Severus looked. It startled him more than he wanted to acknowledge, and he wondered in that moment if Severus comprehended just how highly Draco regarded him, how much the wizard's presence in his life had meant to him all these years.

"He's broken, Draco. The war did more damage to your father than you or I ever knew."

"Doesn't matter!" Draco sniped, his light eyebrows coming together. "He poisoned people, Severus! He took innocent lives! He took you and your family hostage, for Merlin's sake! He even helped those Death Eaters sneak out of Azkaban! And he's pinning it all on you! There's no excuse for that! NONE!"

Hermione had never felt more sympathy for Draco than now. The actions of Draco's father had left a permanent mark on him—that much was certain—and had damaged the Slytherin's soul more than anyone realized. It heartened her that Draco, for one, believed her and Severus's version of things, but the fact that it was his father who was the real culprit made her want to reach out and comfort him. Draco, however, much like her husband, loathed sympathy and public charades of such consolation, so she hung back and continued to gently squeeze Severus's hand.

"There's no excuse, Draco," said Severus, much quieter than before, "but perhaps you could talk to him?"

Both Draco and Scorpius looked horrified by such a suggestion. "What? No, Severus! I - I couldn't. What he did to you, to your family... NO! He's dead to me. I never want to speak to him again!"

"You shouldn't give up on him, Draco," Hermione tried to encourage; however, she understood Draco's spiteful sentiments wholeheartedly. She could not deny herself that, if presented with the opportunity, she would love to rip Lucius Malfoy to shreds.

"Lucius is beyond any of us," Severus grumbled with a slight wince. He turned his gaze to his striking lookalike standing at the end of his bed and continued, "But family is family, Draco. He is your father."

"Not anymore," Draco hissed with a certain determination that told Hermione it would be futile to argue. Severus seemed to sense the same. "I can't stop him from what he's telling the Ministry and The Daily Prophet, Severus, but I can promise you that I won't stand on the sidelines and do nothing. I did that before. I'll never do it again."

Severus let out a cracked snarl and leaned into Hermione's shoulder. "Don't waste your time, Draco. Let Lucius and the others say what they will. It's useless to convince the public what they have already decided about me and who I am."

"Severus," Hermione started, appalled by his resignation, but Draco interrupted.

"No, Severus, I won't sit by and say nothing. I made that mistake before, and it's one I'll regret for the rest of my life. I want to make a statement on behalf of my family and my mother at the very least, but that no longer includes my father. I stopped tolerating his so-called entitlement long ago."

"I'm proud of you for that, Draco, but don't lash out on my account. It's a folly."

"No, it isn't, Severus!" Draco implored, his eyes expanding. "Don't you want to fight back? What about your children? And Hermione?"

Hermione could feel the constriction around her fingers as Severus clasped her hand tighter than ever. She wanted to interject, but Severus was faster, and, to her disappointment, his temper and excitement were back in full force.

"I can't fight back, Draco! What the hell do you expect me to do? You have absolutely no idea what I want for my family!"

"You can fight back, Severus," Draco urged him, his tone calmer than before. "Your family and friends are behind you. You have our support—"

"Support? Support? What good will your insignificant, emotionally trivial sentiments do for me when I'm sent to Azkaban and can no longer provide for my family?"

Hermione jerked forward and tried to ease Severus back onto his pillows. "Severus, don't—"

Draco interjected with an equally intense response, "You won't be sent to Azkaban! For Merlin's sake, Severus, have a little faith! If not for yourself, then for your family's sake—"

Severus rounded on him with a ferocious glare that brought Draco's lips together. Scorpius stepped back, truly frightened.

"Faith?" Severus let out a sarcastic, foul cackle that upset Hermione's ears. His breathing intensified as he tried to straighten up and lean closer to Draco; however, he was too frail and easily collapsed back onto his pillows. "How dare you! I won't pretend to save face or live on false hopes as you and your family have done all these years, you insolent—"

"Severus, stop this!" Hermione implored him, but to no avail.

"You want to make a statement to The Daily Prophet? Be my guest! You want to parade the streets for me like an idiot, I won't stop you! If you wish to waste your precious energy on me, then you're a bigger fool than I ever took you for!"

"Severus," Draco replied, surprisingly unruffled and patient, "I know you don't mean this... I know you aren't well, but don't push us away. That's a mistake. I promise you, we're all here to help—"

"Your promises are empty words, Draco! My fate has already been decided for me, thanks, more or less, to your goddamn father! I wish you would all just leave me be! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Surina startled where she stood but was incapable of moving. All she could do was stare wide-eyed at Severus, who suddenly clutched his face with both hands and buried his grievances behind them, his black curtain of hair falling around to additionally cover his misery. He fought to catch his breath, to regain his composure, but had grown far too agitated too quickly.

"Severus, relax," Hermione pressed him with her arms securely latched around his heaving shoulders. "Calm down. Don't get yourself so worked up." She tried to pull his hands away from his face, but he would not allow it.

"No!" he rasped, his teeth peering through between his palms. "Enough! GO AWAY!"

Hermione's mouth dropped, completely taken aback by his behavior. Draco was frozen in his chair for a moment but then quietly rose. He took Scorpius by the shoulder, his expression more than a little glum. He tried not to be sore at his godfather for his outburst, fully aware that the poor man's words were not a personal offense against him. Severus's blatant woefulness was an extremely private reaction—one that Draco knew the professor had not meant to share with him—and he was mortified.

"Draco," said Hermione softly, eying him over with kindness, "you don't have to leave..."

"No, it's all right. We should let him rest."

"It's fine, really. It— He doesn't— It's been a very stressful few weeks for all of us..."

"I understand, Hermione. It's all right, honestly. Severus doesn't need any of this. I - I didn't mean to cause him any strain—"

"I'll have you know that I'm still here and can hear you both!" Severus growled loudly, causing them to flinch. "I'm not deaf!"

He finally tore his hands away from his face. His hooked nose was scrunched up angrily and his lips were curled into a long, unhappy grimace. He glared up at Draco, the black pools of his eyes swirling with a mixture of aggravation and hopelessness.

Draco bowed his head, out of respect rather than politeness. "We'll leave you alone, Severus," he responded gently. "Feel better soon."

As the Malfoys turned to go, leaving Severus, Hermione, and Surina to stare after them in silence, two other figures entered the Hospital Wing, moving hurriedly and with a strange sort of excitement in their step. Draco and Scorpius halted in their tracks, taken aback by the unexpected presence of Harry Potter and Headmistress McGonagall.

"Severus! Hermione!" McGonagall gasped, stopping at the edge of the bed. Harry was right on her heel but exchanged the briefest nod of acknowledgement with Draco, his one-time enemy.

"What is it, Professor?" Hermione tentatively inquired, half-afraid of what news she brought.

There was a look of the utmost concern in the harsh wrinkles that lined her face. Surina, too, darted her attention between her famous uncle and the Headmistress, not sure what was going on.

"Mr. Potter and I just came from the meeting with the Board of Governors. They tried to move it up an hour, just to throw us off. It's a good thing we left with plenty of time to spare. Those good-for-nothing hounds!"

"Meeting?" Surina piped up, her tone apprehensive.

"About your father's position," Harry explained patiently. "With everything that's happened and all the absurdities being written in The Daily Prophet since your kidnapping, they called for an urgent meeting about whether or not to keep your father on as a professor of this school."

"What?" Surina breathed excitedly. She turned to her parents with a glare of offense. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it wasn't warranted," Severus grumbled before Hermione could offer something kinder.

Draco, too, was surprised. "Why wasn't I informed about this meeting? I'm on the school board! I should have known!" He paused as McGonagall and Harry watched him with raised eyebrows. "The bastard!" he snarled, wrinkling his brow at a dawning realization.

"Draco—" Severus started.

"My father called for the meeting, didn't he? Didn't he?"

"Erm, yes," Harry answered, "I'm afraid he did..."

McGonagall pressed on, ignoring Draco's personal outburst. "They reached a decision fairly quickly..."

"And?" Draco urged.

Hermione, however, hung back. She caught the slight hesitation in McGonagall's voice, in her stance—the way her hands came together and fidgeted with her wand—and Harry's jaw was set so tight she thought him on the verge of having an outburst of his own. He was staring at her and Severus, his expression wrought with frustration. Hermione already knew the verdict before it came from her best friend's mouth.

"They've chosen to sack you, Severus," he managed through a bitter whisper. Severus only stared on at the grown man he had once protected, his obsidian eyes hollow and lifeless. "We - We tried; we went at them with everything we had, with all the evidence we've gathered at the Aurors Office about the poisons and how they don't trace back to you, with the girls' and Hermione's testimony of what happened, with all the good work you've done for this school... They wouldn't believe a word of it. They shot down anything and everything we had."

"They fired him?" Surina gasped, unable to grasp the reality of what she was hearing.

The youth's face flushed red, despite her desire to keep her emotions level. She did not notice the look of empathy Scorpius was bestowing upon her at that moment. Instead, she turned to her father and walked over to where he and Hermione were, taking a seat on the bed next to them.

"They think he's responsible then?" Hermione responded, fury seeping into her voice. "The poisons? The Quidditch match? Running away? They're really that naive and stupid?"

They were all more definitive statements than questions and caused everyone to react in their own way, but no one answered her right away. Hermione peered down at her mute husband, who was staring off into the distance without blinking.

"This isn't over," Harry declared, breaking the uncomfortable quietude, although his words came out weaker than he would have liked. "Severus's hearing will put things right! We need more evidence, that's all."

"More evidence?" Hermione exclaimed.

McGonagall stepped forward and stood up straighter, her hands clasped together rather assertively. "Severus, I want you to stay here. They may have fired you for the time being, but they cannot banish you from the school grounds. That decision is mine to make, and I certainly won't allow it. Mr. Potter and I will put our heads together and think of something."

"Certainly, Professor," Harry agreed with a respectful nod.

Draco stepped toward them. "I'd like to help. I should have some kind of say with the school board. I'll work on them; try to get them to see reason. My father's held enough power over that committee for far too long."

It surprised Harry more than anyone else to hear Draco's resolve, and he was not about to object. He gave a curt bow to bestow his appreciation, a small token that did not go unnoticed by Draco.

"Thank you, Draco," said McGonagall.

The Headmistress turned to Severus and Hermione with an expression of pity. She seemed to want to say something else—perhaps words of comfort—but thought better of it and scurried out of the room. Draco and Scorpius quietly took their leave at last, but Harry lingered.

"I'd like a moment alone... With Potter," Severus stated quietly.

Surina did not hesitate and exited the room, a look of sheer confusion etched on her brow as she went, but Harry and Hermione eyed Severus curiously. Hermione seemed reluctant to leave his side, especially in light of the terrible news they had just received.

"Are you sure I can't stay?"

"No." His response was sharp and decided—one that, at first, injured Hermione to hear—but then he stared up into her face apologetically; it was subtle, but a much softer regard that Hermione recognized. "Just a few minutes?"

Hermione smiled and squeezed his pale hand again before finally releasing it. "Very well," she whispered and left the room without another word to either of them.

Once she was gone, Severus motioned Harry to a seat previously occupied by Draco. "Have a seat, Potter."

Harry had no idea what the Potions Master wanted but complied with his simple request. The man's voice may have been weaker than it used to be, but it still held an authoritative influence over him, even now, he mused to himself as he took a seat at his bedside.

"What is it, sir?"

"I've put off this conversation. It's one I've wanted to have with you for some time... Years, in fact."

"Years?" Harry raised an eyebrow, his intrigue increasing tenfold.

"Yes." Severus shifted about to get more comfortable, and his small grunts of pain made Harry startle. He started to rise to help him in some way, but Severus waved his hand dismissively. "Don't. I'm fine."

"Of course you are," Harry muttered sarcastically despite himself, sounding very much like the 'defiant brat' Severus thought him to be as a student.

Severus let out a low hiss of disapproval. A mutual respect may have existed between the two men now, but the infamous Boy Who Lived still got under his former instructor's skin, usually at the most inconvenient of times. Such as this moment.

"I'm sorry, Severus," Harry offered more gently, noticing how difficult the wizard was finding it to try and get comfortable. "What did you want to talk to me about? Is there something I can do for you?"

Severus finally lay still against his pillow and let out a prolonged sigh. Harry noted the gravitational sadness in his eyes that was more pronounced than earlier. Without even really considering the consequences, Harry reached out to take his hand. At first, Severus jerked at the unanticipated contact. When he met Harry's kindhearted gaze, however, he drew back with relief and, to his own surprise, did nothing.

Harry remembered a similar situation once before, after the Battle of Hogwarts, during a very different, yet equally serious conversation, in an unfortunately familiar setting as this. The images from that day came flooding back to him, but he willed himself to stay focused on the sick man who clearly needed his help.

"Yes, Potter, there's something you can do for me," Severus breathed heavily. "Something I would very much appreciate. I wanted to speak to you about Hermione and the girls."

"Oh?" Harry paused, surveying the dark wizard with interest. "What about them?"

Severus appeared visibly uneasy. There was a deep crease between his eyebrows as he stared into Harry's face, his resolve both serious and reserved.

"Your friendship has always meant a great deal to Hermione. You mean a lot to her; you're one of her closest friends."

This isn't fresh information, Harry thought to himself, a reflection which he could have sworn Severus understood, judging by the testy scowl that formed on his face.

"I have no doubt that you'll continue to be good to her and... Look after her."

"Um, well, yes, of course I will; but Severus, what does this have to do with—"

"My girls will need a father figure in their life, Potter. They'll need someone who's already close to them; someone who will continue to be there—a constant presence. They have their mother, but they also need a... A male role model."

Severus's voice wandered at the tail end of his last sentence. He wove his lips tightly together and forced himself to keep his attention on the student he had once so despised. He hardly believed that he was now asking this individual to watch over his children, and yet, he had to admit, it had never felt more right.

Harry inched forward in his chair, his green eyes intense and brewing with a newfound anxiety. "Severus..." he started, turning his head slightly, not at all ready for what the ill man was hinting at.

"I'd like you to promise me that you'll take care of my family, Potter. I know you care about them like they're your own and I... I thank you for that. I know I haven't always shown you much appreciation for your obvious care and regard for my daughters. You mean a great deal to them, too; you and Ginny. I know it means a lot to Hermione as well."

"Severus, please, this isn't necessary. You're going to be—"

"I won't be around much longer, Potter." The finality of his statement made Harry's mouth go dry. "And if I'm sent to Azkaban, as I'm predicting will be the case, I... I won't last long there. I'm sure of it and— Wipe that pathetic look off your face, Potter! I don't need your pity, so spare me!"

Harry abruptly frowned and narrowed his eyes. He was most aggrieved when Severus swiftly removed his hand from his grasp. He sighed and stared the Potions Master down, his frustration reaching a near dire level.

"I'm not pitying you, sir. Rather, I'm disappointed in you. Very disappointed."

"What makes you think I care about your disappointment?" Severus spat, a fire illuminating his cheeks. "No, Potter, you're the least of my worries, so relieve me of your emotional gripes! I don't need them!"

"They're not gripes!" Harry shot back, reaching out and seizing Severus's arm, an act that shocked and almost appalled Severus. He reared back against his pillows, but Harry did not care. "They're genuine concerns. For you! You're just giving up, aren't you?"

"What? No, I'm not! Augustus has told Hermione and me what to expect, Potter. I'm not going to keep up the pretense that all is well—"

"It's more than that, Severus! I'm talking about your hearing, your legacy with this school, your character! You're just going to let them take that from you? Won't you at least go down fighting for what is right?"

"Potter—"

"If you had heard the atrocities of what the Board of Governors were saying about you today, Severus, the lies, the misinformation... I don't think you would have stood for it! You need to fight this. You can't just give up and let those that would bring you down determine how you'll be remembered!"

"Potter, you can't always convince others of what they don't want to hear. People are judged every day. My 'character,' as you say, has been questioned as long as I can remember. Such is life!"

Harry's frown deepened. "That's a pretty sour attitude, sir. I would have thought by now that—"

"What?" Severus snarled, his breathing quickening again. "That I've changed? That I've turned into some happy-go-lucky, dimwitted imbecile with his head in his arse? Some pathetic lout who can't stomach bad news or stare the cruel realities of life in the face?"

"Severus, really! Haven't the past twenty years brought anything worthwhile to you? Anything whole and good and worth fighting for?"

Severus stumbled with what to say, taken aback by Harry's boldness, but also by his questions. "I..."

"Don't do this to your family."

Severus's eyes gleamed angrily at what he deemed to be the worst of insults. "I'm not doing anything to them, Potter! How dare—"

"Precisely!" Harry exclaimed, clutching his arm tighter. "You're giving up! And by giving up on yourself, you're giving up on them, too. They deserve better than that, Severus. They shouldn't be left to pick up the pieces, to continue to defend your honor after you've gone; wouldn't you agree? You need to ensure that for them! And you know it!"

Severus surveyed Harry for a long moment, griping internally over how to come back at him, but it was no use. The blasted Chosen One had a point. He fell back onto his pillows in defeat and turned away from Harry, giving him the silent treatment.

A wicked smile formed on Harry's face at knowing he had won the battle of words over the professor, but he was glad Severus was not looking. It would only infuriate the poor man. Harry could not deny his small, rare moment of triumph though, even if it were for himself alone, but that victory was short lived.

Severus winced and strained his head, closing his eyes against the pangs in his limbs. Harry reacted and placed his free hand on Severus's shoulder. He suspected that Severus did not want to be touched, but he was in no condition to tell Harry to back off, so Harry held on, hoping it brought some level of comfort to Severus's inflictions.

He startled Harry when he suddenly rasped, his head still turned away from him, "I have tried, Potter..."

A lump formed in Harry's throat at how frail and sad Severus's reply was. "Then just try a little harder, Severus," he urged, sounding much softer and more patient than before.

Once he caught his breath, Severus turned to Harry again, more tired and less aggravated. There was an urgency he now wore; a desperate need to be reassured of what pressed his mind most.

"Will you just promise me that you'll look after them? Will you?"

The profoundness of Severus's request caught Harry off guard. Harry could not recall the last time he had felt so helpless. He detested seeing his former instructor so feeble and emotionally vulnerable. It was highly unlike the powerful, proud man he had long known. For whatever reason, it made Harry exceedingly angry to see him now drained and haggard.

Harry swallowed his emotions, burying them somewhere deep inside, and spoke as steadily as he could, "I will, sir. You have my word. And I won't be the only one, I can promise you that. Your friends, your family... We'll all take very good care of them. They'll be all right, Severus."

"Yes... I know..."

Severus closed his eyes, overtaken by the will to sleep, and almost forgot that Harry was there for a few quiet moments. Harry continued to clasp his shoulder, regarding him thoughtfully. It was the only way Harry knew how to communicate to the misunderstood wizard that he still had company and was not alone.

"Severus?" he pressed gently.

Severus kept his eyes shut but muttered a sluggishly, "What, Potter?"

"I - I'm sorry for what you're going through; for everything you've endured... You're the last person in this world who warranted the injustices that have been done to you. I wish... I wish there was more I could do on your behalf."

"You've already done a great deal for me, Potter," Severus mumbled, though, to Harry, he sounded remarkably sincere. Perhaps that was only on account of his exhaustion, but Harry's intuition told him that there was more to Severus's meaning than was implied.

"I'm very glad 'Mione brought you happiness, Severus. I'm also grateful for how good you've been to her over the years. I've never seen her happier than when she's with you. It - It means a lot to me that you've taken care of her. I hope, somehow, that you can find peace and solace before..."

Harry had barely finished his sentence when Severus's weary eyes reopened and locked themselves on him. They scanned the green orbs that bore back into his own, the round glasses, the legendary scar on his forehead that was visible just beneath the surface—a mark only those closest to him could see. Somehow, it was visible to Severus, though he was not sure why or how he had managed to spot it all these years. He would have contemplated it if he were not too tired to think anymore.

Before much needed sleep overtook his consciousness, Severus offered Harry an honorable nod of his head. It was not much, but it was a sincere gesture the man did not bestow often, and one that took his one-time student by surprise.

"Thank you," he replied softly before adding, with a genuine regard that was hardly recognizable, "Harry..."

Harry could only stare down at him silently, touched by such simple words as those just uttered. Severus had addressed him by his first name only a handful of times before. It was admittedly like hearing it for the first time, and it heartened Harry greatly.

Harry bowed his head in return; it seemed the only gesture he was capable of at that moment, but it did not matter, for Severus's eyelids grew heavy. He closed his eyes again and drifted off to sleep at last, leaving the Chosen One to watch over him in quiet reflection.


A/N #2: So Scorpius made it, and did we remember Ramsey Rookwood? He was hesitant to hurt the Snapes (despite what he almost did to Lily) or take part once the fighting broke out between the family and the Death Eaters.

I will be curious to find out who you thought the "shadow figure" was. I know a few readers mentioned in previous chapters that they believed Ron was somehow involved in everything going on. Poor chap. He isn't out of the picture yet, but he wasn't the wizard who saved the day. It was Ramsey, the young recruit, and we haven't seen the last of him either...

What about Severus's hearing? The Death Eaters still on the loose? Lily? Still more to come, I promise!

Please review!