A/N Friday again lovely people, hope you are all safe and well x

Lorna Pengilly was well versed in the often-unpredictable behavior of children of all ages; it was only natural after having been a teacher for the past 40 years. It came as no surprise that in the early hours of the morning some of the children were a little grumpy and slow to get started, having been dragged from their warm beds before the sun had even poked its head over the horizon.

What did come as a shock was how quiet and withdrawn Harry had been, far removed from his normally cheerful and happy demeanor, he certainly didn't slack off in his duty to the children or to her, but the conversation they would have normally partaken in was lacking and Harry seemed more content to keep to himself.

Lorna had known Harry a long time, well before he'd come to work at the school and in her classroom. The Flamel's or namely Perry had sought Lorna out as a tutor for Harry after she and her husband Nick had fostered the lad, his education had been sketchy and fractured, so asked Lorna to tutor him, making the transition into school that much smoother.

He had surpassed every expectation she'd had for him, the boy was bright, witty and very intelligent, but what struck Lorna the most was his aptitude for helping others, his heart as big as the earth. She knew the basics of his situation from Perry and Nick, but the rough life he'd endured from losing his parents, to living with uncaring relatives, then surviving on the streets, certainly hadn't stopped him from reaching his goals.

Through a work program at the high school Harry attended, he came to the school wirer Lorna worked and helped her in the classroom two days a week, the children warmed to him immediately and he to them.

The older woman was over the moon, when he accepted the teaching assistants job shortly after leaving school. He had the makings of a fine teacher, but despite encouragement from Lorna and some of the other staff, Harry was more than happy to leave that to the others and simply help the kids out.

The children were finally settled onto the bus, and Lorna had finished helping the driver store the bags in the cargo hold underneath the bus. Harry had gone aboard and made sure all the children were in their seats and had seat belts on. He would also call out the roll, making sure that all the students were present and no one had been left behind. There were 16 children going on this trip to London, along with Lorna, Harry and another assistant Ellie, who worked at the school.

'That everyone?' Ellie asked as she did a final headcount, even though Harry had called the roll, there was always one child who would be dillydallying and forgot to answer when their name had been called and marked absent, only to find during the head count that they were indeed present.

'Yep it seems to be' Harry answered in a dull tone, that struck Ellie as odd, he was normally so happy, especially when going on school camp. 'Everyone answered today which is a nice change of pace' he added smiling slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

'You ok?' Ellie asked as she clicked in a child's seat belt.

'Yeah, just not quite awake yet' Harry replied

Ellie knew that to be a falsehood of sorts, Harry was always up early surfing before he came to school most mornings and was in a far better mood than his current one. She would ask him on the way to London, see of she couldn't drag the problem out of him, that or Mrs. P would get it out of him, she had a knack for that, Ellie mused.

When Harry had been in hospital having his appendix out after it burst while at school. Ellie had filled in for him in Mrs. Ps classroom. At the time she was having a few personal problems, her boyfriend had left without a word, only to find out he was married with two kids, when his wife turned up at her door and started screaming at her.

Ellie was mortified, he had told her his wife had died from cancer a few years earlier and Ellie was the first person who had made him feel alive again after such a traumatic loss. His wife shockingly enough wasn't surprised at the deceit and confided in Ellie that her marriage to him had been on the rocks for years, she just couldn't bring herself to leave him and ask for a divorce, for fear of him taking the kids to spite her.

At school the next week Ellie was trying to deal with the fallout of her relationship ending and the revelations her former boyfriends wife had indulged her in. Lorna coaxed it out of her despite telling the older woman she was fine, saying that the cad leaving her was the best thing that could've happened and if his wife had any sense she would run for the hills as well.

A month later Ellie received a letter in the mail from the woman, thanking her for giving her the courage to divorce the scumbag and take the kids to another part of England. Every cloud has a silver lining she'd thought at the time, some good came out of it at least.

Harry settled into a seat near the front of the bus, while Ellie took the back, Lorna got on and came and sat in the spare seat beside Harry, giving him a warm smile.

'How you going today love?' she asked

'Not bad, how about you?' Harry replied

'Fit as a fiddle like always' Lorna chuckled 'How was the barbecue yesterday?'

'Good, I didn't stay for the whole thing, got crook, but Perry rang and told me it was a great success and Nick was in his element' Harry answered

'Feeling better now?' Lorna asked, thinking this may have been the reason for his somber mood.

'Much' Harry smiled 'went to bed early'

The conversation was halted as the driver climbed aboard the bus and spoke briefly to Lorna, once she'd given him the ok, the driver took his place behind the wheel and Harry heard the rumbling of the bus' engine as it roared to life. The kids gave a squeal of excitement as it pulled away from the front of the school and out onto the main road. He smiled to himself, the kids always got so excited when they were leaving for camp, and it was like all the fears about being away from home just went out the window.

'Oh I meant to ask you, did Severus turn up to the barbecue yesterday, Nick was quite looking forward to him coming back to teach at the University' Lorna said casually

Harry swallowed thickly before he answered 'Yes he did, do you know him?'

'I've known young Severus since he was a lad, knew his mother and father too' Lorna said a note of disdain in her voice 'made a life for himself that one, didn't let anything or anyone get in the way'

'Nick seems quite fond of him' Harry said evenly 'he said something about being his mentor back in the day?'

'I believe he was yes' Lorna answered 'very intelligent young man was Severus, always eager to learn soaked up knowledge like a sponge'

'I see, Nick would have taken that and run with it' Harry said

'Indeed he would, although there was a time that Nick, Perry and I were quite concerned about Severus' she said thoughtfully 'it was just before he went to Greece, must have been 20 if he was a day, anyhow I used to do my weekly shopping at one of the markets, not far from the University on Wednesday nights and on Thursday nights I played bingo in the local hall not far from there. It was raining buckets this night and Severus was standing just near the entrance to the alleyway, looking in as if he was waiting for someone to come out. I asked him about it and he said it was nothing, but the funny thing was I saw him there the next night and the same nights a week later. I spoke to Nick and Perry about it, they said he might have been meeting someone and was embarrassed to tell me. He was gay you see and very shy about it'

Harry's heart hammered in his chest and he felt sick to his stomach, a cold sweat broke out across his forehead and he fought the urge to dive up form his seat and lock himself away in the small bathroom at the back of the bus. His mind was a mass of mixed up thoughts, but one thing sounded loud and clear in his mind, what if it had been Lorna that came across him and Duke in that alleyway?

What if she had witnessed Harry propositioning Severus offering himself to the man in aid of getting money or something to eat? It didn't bear thinking about, it was too terrifying to consider just how close he'd come to the woman he thought of as family finding out what a disgrace he had been 14 years ago.

For the remainder of the trip, Harry stayed silent, thankfully Lorna had to go and attend to a student who had become upset about being away from home, and spent a considerable amount of time consoling the child. It gave him time to gather his thoughts and calm himself down, he would be no use to anyone if he were all riled up over something that was fast becoming out of his control.

Severus looked around the office that was now his and let out a long sigh, he had a monumental task ahead of him, whoever had occupied this space before him had been one of the most slovenly people to walk the face of the earth. Every corner was piled high with books and papers, newspapers, folders and somewhere he was sure an old typewriter was buried underneath dust cloths. He was about to go in search of some cleaning products and a pair of gloves, when a knock sounded at the door and diverted his attention away from the mess.

'Settling in ok?' Nick Flamel asked a wide grin on his face

'Really haven't had time' Severus said waving his arm at the state of the room

Nick sucked in a breath and shook his head 'I am terribly sorry about this Severus, it should have been tided before you arrived, I will see that someone comes in here and has it ready by end of the day. In the meantime you can use my office, I am only here for one lecture so won't be in there'

That's very kind of you' Severus said gratefully 'if you're sure I won't be putting you out or anything?'

'Not at all, it's the least I can do, come with me and I will show you where it is, I have some time before the class begins' Nick said, walking from the room.

Severus picked up his briefcase and satchel and followed Nick from the room, happy to close the door to the avalanche inside. Falling in to step beside his old mentor they walked in companionable silence down a long corridor and down a flight of stairs. Nick took a set of keys from his pocket and opened the third door along another carpeted hallway and switched on a light.

The surfaces sparkled and Severus could actually see the floor and the tops of the desks that adorned one of the far walls. Nick showed him to a mahogany desk, with a high backed office chair and stood back to allow Severus to put down his briefcase and satchel.

A nameplate with Nicks name sat at the front of the desk, to his left were framed photographs of Perry and Harry, there was also one of the three of them with the little blonde haired girl he'd seen at the barbecue the day before.

On the right was a tin with various pens and pencils, a stapler and a hole punch sat neatly on the edge. Either side of his legs was two drawers and behind him was a large metal filing cabinet.

'Don't mind all my photos' Nick said looking at them fondly 'you can put them in the drawer if you like'

'No' Severus said a little too quickly 'They're fine there'

'Well look I have to get going, I will speak to the cleaning crew about your office and see that's it's dealt with straight away, if by some chance it isn't finished by the end of the day you are more than welcome to keep using this until it is. I won't be back in here for another fortnight after today so it's all yours'

'Thank you' Severus smiled 'I will see you later on?'

'Certainly' Nick said and with a wave left the office, shutting the door behind him and leaving Severus alone. He unpacked his satchel and sat his laptop on the desk and a portable hard drive along side it. He looked again at the photo of Harry and found himself getting lost in the depth of those bottle green eyes.

The young man hadn't been far from his mind since their chance meeting yesterday, however brief, he had resisted the urge to ask Nick how he was this morning, not wanting to give himself away. Pushing thoughts of attractive young men from his mind, Severus prepared his notes for his first class as Professor Severus Prince.

Shrieks of delight could be heard all around the small park, as 16 children raced from one piece of equipment to anther, chatting animatedly as they went. Several games of tag had broken out amongst their explorations and it seemed that a wooden ship complete with wheel and all, was a safe haven for those wanting to evade being tagged.

They had arrived in London a little over half hour before stopping at a park to allow the children to stretch their legs and run off the pent up energy from the bus ride. Harry was grateful to be off the bus and in the fresh air, it had begun to feel quite claustrophobic after his brief chat with Mrs. P at least now he could focus his attention on the children and not on what to say to his friend next.

Lorna and Ellie organised a morning snack for the students, while Harry kept on an eye on them at play, a large esky had been packed with pieces of fruit, some juice and water. After the park they were heading to the accommodation that had been booked for them, before heading out to the Natural History Museum that afternoon.

Harry smiled now in-spite of how he was feeling, during the remainder of the trip he had reconciled with himself that he was worrying over nothing, making a mountain out of a mole hill. Severus would not have recognised him at the barbecue nor would he have discerned that Harry was the same person he had come across all those years ago.

He had changed considerably in that time and was no longer the malnourished waif he'd been back then, and he couldn't have possibly known that he was the same person Nick and Perry had fostered. So in conclusion his secret was perfectly safe and there was absolutely nothing to worry about, it wasn't like he would be seeing the man on a regular basis, for the foreseeable future he had nothing to fear.

'Mr. Harry I didn't get tagged once' a little boy said proudly as he plonked down next to Harry on the grass and took a bite from a slice of apple.

'That's very good Oscar' Harry smiled 'Did you tag anyone?'

'Yep, I tagged Blake and Mary' he chortled

'Very good' Harry nodded 'don't forget to have a drink'

The little boy would often become distracted and forget to eat what was in his hand or have a drink, then more often than not would abandon his snack and run off to do something else. So Lorna had suggested that one of them sit with Oscar during eating times to ensure that he ate and drank before running off to play.

Harry had to admit he had a soft spot for little Oscar, the boy was always so bright and bubbly eager to know all that went on in the world, every morning without fail he would come in and launch a barrage of questions at him or Lorna usually as a result of something he had read the evening before. He gaze fell on a little girl sitting adjacent from him and his heart clenched slightly.

Up until 3 months ago she had been a happy, vibrant little girl, now she was quiet, withdrawn and anxious. Her house had been broken into and her Mother had been seriously injured, she was terrified of the dark, hated being on her own and rarely wanted to leave her Mothers side.

Harry couldn't understand why she'd even come on this camp; it certainly wasn't something she would have been happy to do. Lorna agreed and although she had spoken extensively to the Headmaster of the school who was a kind and fair man, they couldn't force her to stay at home; her Mother had insisted it would be good for her to spend a night or so away, get her back to a sense of normalcy.

Lorna had remarked that her Mother wasn't coping with the break in and probably couldn't handle her daughters anxiety as well as her own. So between them they tried to make the little girls life as painless as possible.

Lorna repacked the esky and instructed the children to form two lines, ready to board the bus and make their way to the accommodation. There were a few grumbles and complaints about wanting to stay longer and go back and play on the equipment, but most were short lived as they knew not to cross Mrs. P once she'd given an instruction.

Back on the bus, they set off for the dormitory style accommodation, that had been organised for the trip, the company often rented out the rooms to schools and community groups who visited the city. There were an even number of girls and boys in the class so Harry would take the boys and Ellie would take the girls, with Lorna floating between the two.

At the school stay, Lorna wrangled the kids while Harry and Ellie went to the rooms and put names on each of the beds, both knew who to keep separated and who to put near whom. By the time Lorna escorted the children upstairs, the beds were labeled and the children were given time to their luggage in the cupboards provided, visit the bathroom and then head back down to a large hall where they would have some lunch before heading out for the afternoon.

'This is what I'm talking about' Ellie breathed as they entered the museum, in a room to the left was the Dinosaur exhibition, and Ellie was a fan of anything prehistoric, especially dinosaurs. Harry shouldn't have been surprised, with 5 brothers it was bound to rub off on her.

The boys and some of the girls shared Ellie's passion and enthusiasm for the extinct creatures and were chomping at the bit to get in there and explore. Oscar was a walking encyclopedia when it came to history of any kind, and Ellie were having a spirited conversation about a Stegosaurus they could see from their spot in the foyer.

With two small hands grasped in his own, Harry followed Mrs. P and Ellie into the Dinosaur exhibit; he could see the excitement on his friends face and laughed. 'Who's more excited you or the kids?' he asked chuckling

'Me by a mile' Ellie announced 'Oscar is coming a close second'

'That I can believe' Harry shook his head