Thank you PadmeG and Zeugma412!

PearlM21: Can't wait for you all to see the threads woven together.

BlueWater5: Well, ashamed is extreme of a word, but she'd definitely close to it! She's seen some appalling things in her day.

A5mia: Fate has a strange way of uniting certain people. Teddy is definitely important in this story, and to teach lessons that need to be learned and accepted.


"I believe that people can change. That they are made up of what they do. People are not good. People are not bad. That we rise or fall to the moment. And I believe that even if people don't change, they should be given every opportunity. That benefit of the doubt and compassion and love is the best way to bring out the best in people. That remaining cold in a frozen world is no way to increase its warmth. That we will never beat the darkness by being in the darkness. And that promoting kindness, patience, compassion, and love, is the only way to bring out the light."

– Kalen Dion


CHAPTER 21: On Borrowed Light

June 25th, 2002

[Severus Snape]

For the first time in a long while, Severus managed to score himself a solid four hours of sleep that night. If it wasn't for Nagini hissing menacingly in his ear causing him to jolt awake again, he would have considered it a successful night's rest.

Of all the horrible things he had to witness during his time as a Death Eater, Nagini's presence invoked some of the worst of his fears. Every sound resembling that of the great cursed snake sent shivers down his spine and there was no way he could shake that fear. It seemed rather ridiculous when Severus would overthink it. It was such a silly, childish thing to fear, but that dismal creature was a reminder of the horrors of what should have been his last days. A snake, so simple, as it seemed.

But Nagini wasn't just a normal snake – she was a magical vessel. A living horcrux who bared a piece of Riddles' dark soul within. And of course, the paranoid sorcerer decided to magically fortify her with complicated curses and defences, of which nearly killed Severus himself.

Admittingly, the idea of taking back the mantle as Head of Slytherin was such a cruel coincidence, that he didn't know whether to laugh in the insanity of it all or get angry over it all over again.

And yet still, he condemned himself every day since he decided to accept the Hogwarts offer again. He couldn't believe he ever agreed to it.

Was it guilt again?

Oh, yes.

No matter how much he tried to push it all away, guilt would always be the thing that tore his innards to shreds. Guilt would always be his downfall and most of all his life was driven by it in some shape or form. He blamed others for many things, but the person he blamed for all his shortcomings was undoubtedly himself. Nothing more than that. His punishments, no matter how self-inflicted they were, were deserved in his eyes.

Yet somewhere in the dark crevices of his mind, was James Potter taunting him again. And all he could hear was his remark that 'he exists'. Severus' existence was painful. He knew it. They all did. But specifically, Severus understood that now more than ever, as much as he didn't want to admit it. He hated himself, and at times he wished he simply didn't exist. It would have been merciful for him, and everyone around him would have lived an easier life. For he knew he caused pain to so many, and it took him decades to finally realise and understand that when he never did before.

And that thought alone made him more miserable as the years went on, even after the war. The longer he spent alone with his own thoughts, the more rotten he felt.

So, what good would an unhappy, broken man do at Hogwarts? What good could he possibly provide for students under his care, and the colleagues he'd work with again? How shameful would his face be to be returning to the one place which caused him the most pain? Too many memories were held there, and most were not so forgiving.

It hurt.

Those thoughts and feelings were so overwhelming, that his anger would explode, and he'd destroy his belongings yet again. Too many times he cast Diffindo on his couch, or Bombarda on the unfortunate rickety cabinet in the corner, or used Incendio on the ghastly rug in the sitting room. Too many times would he consider purchasing another bottle of firewhiskey as the cravings at times, would prove too much. Suddenly the fiery liquor pulsing through his system seemed very inviting, but then all he could think about was being berated and condemned by Harry again.

And he knew the boy was right. Harry, now a young adult, was right.

Oh, how did times change so much, that he could no longer bear the harsh words of Lily's son he spent years protecting? What world was he living in? Sometimes he'd snarl at the idea of himself ever changing, but then his mind drifted to moments like those when he realised the things he'd once got angry over, were no longer something he ever did. And the things which never used to bother him now hurt his heart more than ever.

…Since when did I ever have a heart? …My father would be rolling in his grave…

But sometimes Severus feared this change and was worried as to where this would lead him. He didn't want to grow weak or feel vulnerable. He didn't want to let his guard down again or show his supposed goodness – he never truly believed in those things himself. He didn't know who he was now, or who he wanted to be. All he could remember was what he was, and the terrible things he did, and that alone was repulsing enough. The future was simply too much to think about when the present alone was suffocating.

The past had already done such significant damage.

On a whim, Severus had sent Harry a vague letter the week prior inviting him over to his home, asking for Teddy to accompany him. Perhaps drinking a glass of whiskey would have had the letter make more sense as he wrote it, but the thought of initiating such a request sober was almost laughable. He didn't really know why he did it, but something in the back of his mind never sat right with him after he blew up in anger that day when the child was present.

At first, he didn't think much of it, but the more he pondered, the more awful it truly felt. Suddenly he has reminded himself of his own father and that thought alone disgusted him. Because he knew what it felt like to be yelled at by an angry, violent drunkard. And for a strange moment, he understood Teddy's reaction to him. It was all too familiar.

Now he felt he wanted to make some sort of amends, but even that didn't feel good enough.

How could one person ever make something like that, right again? Especially to a young child who had no idea of the history between himself and his Godfather, and the history alone with Remus Lupin and his merry band of rule-breaking Gryffindor misfits.

Ironically enough, the night Severus planned to invite Harry and Teddy, was a full moon night. The mockery enough was enough to make him ill. He spent that day working on his potions, with more errors than victories, but despite that, he was still making some sort of progress. It wasn't where he hoped to be, but at least he was trying to refocus himself on his project again. He needed something to focus his mind on, otherwise, he'd crumble again.

But there was a rare ingredient that he needed which only flowers once a year under very specific circumstances. It was known to fail at times, so that night itself was already a gamble. He had many full moon nights of haunting experiences in regard to the rituals he had to undergo to eradicate his curse. But once he pondered what the collection entailed, he knew it might have been something Lupin junior would be inclined to witness being the curious child that he was.

Now he couldn't believe he'd ever considered entertaining a small child – But deep down, he wanted to make things right by Harry and Teddy meant a lot to him, so Severus figured he'd start there as much as the child annoyed him to no end. This time, he made sure to make certain fortifications to his home to ensure the child was safer and there were no magical mishaps. He had an opportunity to fix his mess and he was going to ensure that nothing terrible happened again. He wouldn't be able to bear it if it did. He may not like the child, but he didn't want to see him hurt. Especially if he had a hand in it.

"It's alright, Ted."

"But what if he gets mad again?"

"He won't – "

Severus heard familiar voices outside of his door, and he could help but catch the tail end of the conversation.

Don't you dare mess this up again, Severus.

Harry Potter arrived, much to his surprise, exactly at eleven o'clock. The night was warm, but there was a humid breeze that swept through his gardens in the peacefulness of the night. He loved living away from others and knowing the nearest neighbors were miles away, set his mind at ease. He knew he could work in peace, and not have to worry about curious Muggles or magical folk harassing him at every turn or trying to be disgustingly civil. Or hostile. His home by the lakeside was comforting to him and the idea of the wards keeping his property a secret except to a select few, was reassuring.

With a shuddered breath, Harry was invited inside with Teddy trailing almost shyly behind him.

"Good. You arrived in a timely manner, " Severus spoke sharply, leading the two inside of his home now lit up with several candles scattered throughout.

Harry gave a small chuckle, "I still don't know why you called me and Teddy over at this time." He watched as Harry leaned down to the child and ushered something in his ear with a comforting hand upon his little shoulder.

Severus watched as the child darted immediately towards the sofa and sat by the fire in the other room. Until he was out of earshot, Severus redirected his gaze to a concerned Harry, "A rarity of an opportunity arose, and it may be of interest for your dangerously curious Godson. And alternatively…I prefer not a repeat of the last time he was present."

The Gryffindor's eyes darted away almost shamefully, watching as he hung his head, "Yeah. I don't either, " Harry met Severus' gaze again, "You could just apologise to him."

Severus' lips thinned, feeling his shoulders tense, "You know I do not do verbal apologies. If I can preoccupy the child with something good he can remember, then that is all that matters."

Harry managed a small smile, "Severus, you don't need to do this. Really, I spoke with him."

"But I must, " Severus responded simply, before turning to the kitchen and withdrawing his wand by the counter.

Harry's brows crinkled in confusion as he watched Severus busy himself in the kitchen, "Sir, is everything okay?"

Severus flourished his wand at the counter and quietly assembled an assorted of sandwiches, before levitating them to the sitting room now ablaze by the newly lit fireplace. He said nothing as he worked and cast a few sideward glances towards the small child himself, who was sitting on the sofa watching him with those curious grey-blue eyes. It was slightly unnerving. Despite the child being a Metamorphagus, he still bared a resemblance to that of his father which appeared to bother Severus slightly. But he tried to ignore that fact and push that to the back of his mind.

He's just a child, Severus.

Severus finally turned back to Harry, barely managing a single glance, "For the time being."

There was another pause between the two and all that could be heard was the ticking wooden clock on the wall, and the taps of Severus' wand at the now boiling kettle. Harry leaned at the counter, who appeared deep in thought. The lines upon Harry's face were amusing as it was always prominent when Harry was about to say something when he pondered too deeply, "So, uh…Hermione works with the Wizengamot to approve and put forward new laws. She's been working on petitioning for more werewolf rights."

Severus was too busy at the counter, to give him any eye contact, "And?"

"Severus, they'll need a brewer for such a potion. I can't think of anyone else that can make this happen."

Severus curled his lip distastefully, still unable to look at Harry, and preoccupied his focus on the slowly boiling kettle in front of him, "I have no desire to do that again."

"Not even to consider it?"

"Again, I prefer not to waste my time with such a potion. Not after the near miss in your third year, when one such werewolf was irresponsible. As I mentioned before, I'd likely end up with a lawsuit if this is handled incorrectly – I have enough of a negative rapport with St. Mungo's. There are other brewers around Britain."

"I doubt as good as you, " There was a hint of desperation in the Gryffindor's voice, and Severus couldn't help but snarl soundlessly in retort. Despite that, Harry continued, "It won't go unnoticed."

"You fail to understand my personal predicament with such a request."

"I do understand. It's not a widely brewed potion because it's difficult to do so, right? " Harry sighed, "Look, I get you had a bad experience with Remus, Sirius, and my father when you were younger…But you have an opportunity to change this, now."

Severus snarled, "It's not that simple."

"Severus, they are all gone now. Sirius and Remus – they are both gone. They are dead."

Severus looked apprehensively at Harry; dark eyes boring into the emerald ones. He blinked heavily until he shook his head slowly knowing full well, he was about to disappoint him, "I cannot, and will not, put myself through it again. End of discussion on this matter."

Harry's shoulders slumped, and the look of utter defeat on the young man's face was enough to wound even Severus. He knew he simply couldn't. The potion he brewed every month for a man who briefly forgot what a savage beast he could become, was not something Severus could easily erase from his mind. He simply did not want to be liable for that. Memories of bounding through Hogwarts castle on the night of a full moon with a gobletful of the potion were enough to make him shudder. A potion Remus should have responsively consumed, or else endangering five lives – six if you include the blasted rat – and including his own.

Yet again.

"Okay, fine. Then don't, " Harry responded. There was something at the back of Harry's eyes which appeared to unnerve him and it was almost as if something behind it was blank. Severus did appreciate Harry toning down his usual attitude in order for no arguments to be had this time, but there was something in the way Harry responded that had him slightly curious. It was the same thing he noticed when he was invited over for dinner at the Potters' that night, and it was something he couldn't stop pondering since. And now, he was faced with the same odd experience again. A shiver rolled down his spine.

Surely, he's not using…Occlumency?

He failed to visualise behind those green eyes. Something he was often used to doing with ease, now seemed like such a monumental effort.

Severus ran his hand over his face rather tiredly and the lack of sleep from seeing both Nagini and the anticipation of his Hogwarts return was diminishing any shred of sanity left. He leaned against the table, and briefly closed his eyes. "I have enough complicated things to deal with. Brewing Wolfsbane is the last thing I'd add to my list."

"Okay, " Harry nodded and studied the man before him, but there was another pause before he responded, a little more quietly. "I won't bring it up again."

You better bloody not.

Severus curled his lip rather unpleasantly, allowing his hand to rest on his chin. He was silent for a moment. Sleep alluded him so much, that he did in fact feel like he had far too much whiskey again. A feeling he did not want to replicate, and ironically, his previous drinking problem helped him to get some decent rest. Now without the addictive qualities of the liquor, he was still stuck with the dilemma of his insomnia and very minimal ways to treat it unless he considered knocking himself out. Which didn't seem all that terrible of an idea.

Harry seemed to recognise the struggle, "…Nightmares again?"

Severus glanced quickly at Teddy in the other room, who was humming to himself as he was munching away at the sandwiches. Severus sighed rather exhaustedly, when eventually, he managed a small nod, "I dream of her...Nagini. I relive the night she mauled me senseless. I can't...Seeing her alive in my dreams...frightens me. I hear her...I feel her fangs imbed themselves again and again. Dreamless Sleep has little effect anymore."

Lowering his head, Harry bit his lip, "...I had a feeling it was something to do with her."

"And I'm supposed to return to Hogwarts as Head of Slytherin. Slytherin, of all things! What cruel irony!" Severus' face twisted, almost deranged. But his response was more of a harsh hiss, completely intended not to relay it to the child in the other room.

"You're worried."

"Of course, I'm worried. The thought of it all makes me ill."

Harry nodded periodically, taking in each and every word, "...What is really bothering you? About returning?"

Severus' heart stopped cold. Oh, there was so much. So much bothered him these days, and he felt his life was one big mess. He looked around him, motioning to the house with a lazy flick of his hand, "This life. My life. Whatever you would call this, anyway."

"Severus, you've been through some of the worse things anyone else had to go through. You can't expect it all not to linger. I know damn well of it, too. I get it."

"I would have expected nothing else. I'm a disappointment and a worthless lump of bones. How the hell can I provide assistance to you - and my Slytherins - if I cannot solve my own problems?"

Harry shook his head, but the emerald eyes glossed over with understanding. Severus knew that he understood, and admittingly, it was a small comfort, "You have a purpose, sir. You always have. You are neither of things - Far from it. We go to Hogwarts and deal with our worries together. We - I - need you there. Including your Slytherins. Let's change things for the better, yeah?"

"How can I possibly help them?"

"You may be the only one who can. I never thought I'd ever be one to feel sorry for them, but I do. I can't imagine how they must be feeling right now. We can't lose any more people, Severus, " Harry spoke gently, "Bulstrode's death caused a bit of a wake-up call, and I never liked her to begin with. If we are going to start creating a better future for us all, fixing what broke in the past is a step forward."

"That's a lot of past yet to fix, if it's even still fixable, " Severus' voice spoke with bitterness.

"I know. But we've done okay so far, haven't we? We're both still here…Regardless of how we are still trying to deal with things, personally. Let's keep fixing things."

"Yes, " Severus' eyes softened slightly, "We have. Considering."

Harry gave a slight nod, smiling a little as he did so, "Good. I just…can't do this without your help."

Severus snorted lightly, "We're a miserable pair, aren't we?"

"I won't disagree with that, " Harry responded amusingly, upon eyeing the clock sharply, "So, what is it you called me and Teddy for at this hour?"

"Patience, Potter."

There was something about being within Harry's company that opened up the inner workings of his soul. He never understood it at first but finally opening up with the boy he spent seven years protecting, was somehow cathartic. All those bottled-up emotions and memories he could not bear to share before. Severus still hated the fact that Harry knows the entire truth now, but at the same time, it was a measure of relief to know that he did not have to keep such a sacred secret locked up anymore. Facing those painful truths over the last several years has been some of the hardest hurdles to climb over, and still to this day, it was difficult to admit it at times. But over the years Severus understood the release he felt when he could finally tell someone. At first, trusting Harry with anything was almost a death sentence in the past. But now, without the looming threat over their lives, it was time he could begin to release all that was truly weighing down his injured soul.

These days he felt more comfortable in Harry's company as time went on and it felt like a breath of fresh air. The crippling paranoia with it before prevented him from truly being himself. Completely. Still, it was difficult to talk about such things that were still deeply painful for him. But he soon realised now that Harry, of all people in the world, was the last person to cast any sort of judgment on him. And with that understanding, there was a sliver of light within his darker days that perhaps, he wasn't truly alone after all.

It was a strange feeling – to have this type of connection with the Boy Who Lived. Through adversity, they found a common ground and learned to trust one another and recognise their personal difficulty to face them together. And it was a good feeling; a rush of what felt like a cool breeze on a warm day. A painful breath he always held and was afraid to let go. Now in some ways, he could slowly release those burdens and heartache that still weighed him down. Slowly and surely, he was able to recognise the void that needed to be filled.

There was a familial connection with Harry no doubt. But there was shameful jealousy within Severus that he had only wished to have what he had – a true family of his own.

What complete madness!

He still couldn't believe he ever saw James Potter in Harry. The time when he saw such similarities was so distant now, it was hard to fathom how he used to see it at all. Now that Harry was growing older, his features had changed. Whether he looked exactly like James before he died, neither of them would ever know. But the James within Severus' mind was so prominent, that young Harry was always appearing as a carbon copy of the one who made his school years miserable. However not only in looks but in actions. Reckless and sickeningly popular. A Quidditch star and a lazy student who didn't care for his education to strive for his best. A waste of potential talent if he had only just learned to pay attention in class without the cheek and pressing each one of Severus' moody buttons.

But now –

Harry was far from the child Severus remembered. As he grew older he was, thankfully, more like Lily than James in nature. And Severus had learned to see that during the time they spent together after the war for those three long months.

But things became far better than that. Harry was now neither of the two people that Severus remembered. In many ways, he was still like his parents, as all children are. But he was his own person, and it took Severus a lot of time and truth to finally realise that. And the time he spent hating him because of those similarities with James, made Severus feel somewhat ashamed of himself. All that time wasted in such an energy-devouring, hate. All that energy he spent resenting him, could have been used to work on being better. He allowed that ruthlessness and bitterness to warp who he was, and over the years, he had come to dislike that.

He had previously never once given Harry a second thought that maybe, just maybe, his heart aligned with Lily. But now he was always angry with himself for getting it wrong and making that harsh judgment too quickly, heavily clouding his perception of the boy. Now, he wished he has realised it earlier, and maybe, the boy with James' face and Lily's eyes would have hurt his memories and soul far less.

Second chances, right?

The clock drew nearer to midnight, and after the three of them had their fill of sandwiches and tea, Severus led the pair quietly to the sunroom in the back of the house. Moonlight flooded the multi-window room, casting a pale white glow upon each and every surface. In the middle was an old piano Severus managed to salvage and fix from the one which sat in tatters and thick layers of dust within the Shrieking Shack. The piano, once grey and covered with cobwebs, was almost appearing as new. Its ivory keys almost glowed with the moonlight and Severus cast a quick glance at the pair in time to notice their awe.

Sitting atop the piano, was a large plant with fluttering leaves beckoning to the single open window of the room. The light of the moon touched its tiny, diamond-shaped plum-colored leaves, as it continued to sway on its own. Atop of its stalks, were several closed buds that swayed with the rest of the plant almost as if it were fluttering gently within a breeze.

"Touch nothing, the both of you, " Severus spoke warningly, but mainly towards the curious little child.

"Uh, sir, what on earth is that?" Harry finally spoke, unable to peel his eyes off the plant. The pair of them watched as Teddy bounded up to the piano and looked intermittently between the mysterious plant and the larger version of his toy piano. Teddy's eager eyes grew wide, and a large smile plastered upon his innocent face.

"Apsis Oxypetalum, " Severus answered simply, "Or Blue Melody, as it is so called."

Harry looked confused, finally peeling his gaze away from the plant to look back at Severus, "I've never heard of it."

"It is a rare Nepalese orchid that flowers only once a year at the full moon. If the circumstances are right, those flowers will release spores. Highly valuable ingredient for certain restorative potions, " Severus explained as if he was back teaching a class.

Harry still looked confused, and Severus couldn't help but feel amused by that, "Then what's with the piano?"

Severus smirked under his lengthy curtains of dark hair, taking a seat on the edge of the stool of the piano. He shifted his sleeves up slightly on each arm and continued his explanation, "The orchid not only requires moonlight but the melody of a particular bird, almost rendered extinct. Over the last few decades, wizardfolk have attempted to replicate it, but its chances of success are more of a circumstantial hindrance rather than a rarity."

The Gryffindor blinked several times, taking in the new information, "Neville and Luna will have a field day with this."

Ignoring the mention of Longbottom and Lovegood, Severus handed both Harry and Teddy an empty glass jar, "If you can assist in the capture of these spores, I'd be most pleased. Otherwise, you'll have a rare opportunity to watch me make a fool of myself."

Harry gave a small chuckle, "Look, I'm sure Teddy would be delighted even hearing notes from a proper piano. But honestly, Severus, this sounds wonderful."

Ignoring the remark, Severus swiveled himself on the chair to face the keys and sharply eyed the other wooden clock within that room, ticking only a few minutes to midnight. Teddy, much to Severus' discomfort, stood right beside him, with the biggest look of utmost glee upon his face. At the corner of his eye, he could see the child bouncing on his toes, close to squealing in all of his curious delight. It was such a strange thing for Severus to experience, as Teddy was the first child of his age he interacted with besides Draco and frankly, he didn't know what to do. It was an energetic, interactive little human whom Severus had no idea how to interact with. But he knew the child was obsessed with the little color-emoting toy piano, which Severus reluctantly demonstrated to him several months ago. So, he used that idea for his current little project, which he hoped to ease the child's mind of the loss of Andromeda. Even for a short while.

As the clock chimed midnight, Severus flexed his calloused fingers by the keys, sensing Harry standing close by. Amongst the silence, he hit a single note causing Teddy to giggle in delight. He followed suit hitting several more notes and glancing sidewards at the easily amused child at his side. He watched as Teddy tugged at Harry's jumper with excitement until finally, Severus released a string of soft notes in gentle succession. Once the melody was complete, he began the string again, losing himself in his own melody. It took several minutes for Teddy's squeals of delight to die down and stared at Severus' keys purely mesmerized by the sound. Harry himself appeared at ease, losing himself within the sound, too.

But something extraordinary happened – The plant began to glow. Its plum-colored leaves were swaying to the melody as if it was now dancing. Its buds upon the top of the plant began to glow, and one by one, the buds opened to a vivid neon blue, fluttering away with the sway against the melody. The intense blue petals glowed so magnificently; Severus couldn't resist but look up at them. The petals were indeed a rare sight to behold. And eventually, once Severus repeated another lap of the melody, the plant began to shower tiny blue orbs, soon realising it was the spores it would emit. The magical spores were released from the petals, dancing around the room like glowing fireflies.

"Potter – " Severus reminded in a murmur, not wanting to disrupt the peacefulness of the melody in the dark of night.

Shaking his head back to the present, Harry took the jar and swept it across the air, capturing several of the spores as he did so. He turned to the beaming child, "Quickly Ted, let's catch them!"

Nodding eagerly, Teddy clutched his jar tightly, jumping around to catch the spores within his reach. Eventually, Harry picked the child up, allowing him to reach the higher ones. Severus continued playing the repeat of notes, hearing Teddy's laughter amongst it. Severus' face was focused, but hearing Teddy's laughs wasn't as much as a grate upon his nerves as originally predicted. Admittingly, he felt warm at his cheeks, allowing a small smile to play upon his lips.

And for a moment - a small moment – some of his worries melted away. He lost himself in the moment amongst the notes played, a giggling child and a happy-looking Harry Potter. A rare occasion where he felt a warmth within his chest, knowing that at least, he was able to invoke emotion in others other than fear and anger. He knew he was capable, but he just had to try harder.

Eventually, once the petals stopped emitting, Severus allowed himself to finish the set he was playing and folded his hands upon his lap as if he had just concluded a class. He eyed Harry and Teddy sharply, "Now, be careful with those jars. Secure the lid and place them down. Gently."

Harry took his own and Teddy's jar and secured it, placing it carefully upon the piano's surface. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face, "That was brilliant. Really brilliant!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The child bounced happily on his toes; his face still alight and flushed with joy.

Severus stood up from his seat, completely satisfied with the success of the rare flora when he felt something grasp his legs. He looked down to find the child had latched himself onto his leg, hugging him tightly. Severus winced uncomfortably, "Child, remove yourself at once."

The child shook his head, "Nuh, ugh!"

Harry chuckled, attempting to quickly usher the child away, "Teddy, let Severus go. I'm sure he got the message. Besides, it's very late and Ginny will be worried about us."

Eventually, Teddy unclasped himself from the uncomfortable Slytherin and grinned, "Bye, Sev'us!"

The child bounded out of the front door and Harry smiled warmly at Severus, "Thank you for the distraction tonight, sir. Seeing Teddy smiling and laughing these days is a rarity…I think you more than made it up to him."

Severus never thought a giggling child would invoke some rare emotion within him, too.

What on earth happened? Feelings?

…Absolutely disgusting.


August 11th, 2002

[Dawn Rheingold]

Dawn drew in a breath of fresh air, walking down through Bute Park along the River Taff with her mother. Each one held a café-style cup during a small outing on a day when Dawn was currently free from obligations.

It was finally the end of year holidays and although Dawn had been reconvening with both her team and Ronald separately, she took it upon herself to regather any sense of sanity so she could reapproach the evidence with a clearer head. When overworked, she tended to be incredibly grumpy and irate, and she needed to take a moment to step back a little.

On a wonderful summer day with barely a cloud in the sky, Dawn had opted to take her mother out for lunch and a catch-up, being far long overdue. Her father insisted they both go without him, as he was dealing with a new shipment of magical tomes with his bookshop which kept him occupied for the afternoon. So, Dawn and her mother Amber spent the afternoon on a beautiful Cardiff day.

Her Muggle mother was never keen on the idea of apparating, but eventually, she grew used to the idea as her daughter grew older and more responsible with magic. Dawn was always respectful around her mother and tried to avoid using magic around her out of habit, even avoiding apparating her mother all over Britain. Her mother wasn't much of a stranger to the magical world, but she did do her best to stay out of such affairs. At the height of both Wizarding Wars, Dawn did everything she could to keep both parents safe and well-protected.

But she still tried to keep her parents somewhat updated on the magical happenings, despite keeping some delicate information quite secret thanks to her specific line of work.

"Your brother asked about you the other day, " Her mother took a sip, as the pair walked slowly alongside the river. Cardiff Castle loomed magnificently in the distance.

"Did he, now?" Dawn shifted her navy Muggle blazer – she usually wore Muggle clothing when she was casually out and about, especially with her mother. She really didn't mind it of course, but she did miss the comfort of her robes. She shrugged, "Why didn't he send me a letter if he was so interested?"

"You know what he's like…Doesn't like to be a bother. He knows how difficult your job is."

Dawn couldn't help but chuckle lightly, "I'm not going to bite his head off. I miss the little rascal."

Her mother smiled, "He misses you, too, " She tilted her head towards her daughter, "He does have a point. Your job is difficult and dangerous. You work too hard for a job that endangers your life."

Dawn could sense the worry within her mother and hugged her cup her coffee to her chest, "As long as I can catch the darker wizards threatening the lives of others, then we can live safer."

"At the expense of your life?"

Dawn drew in a careful, deep breath, and glanced at her mother in firm resolve, "If I must, yes."

"Sweetheart, " Now her mother stopped in her tracks to face her, "There must be a point when you need to think of others close around you. You cannot be willing to risk your life so carelessly."

"You don't understand what these people are capable of, mother, " Dawn closed her eyes briefly, and all she could envision was the helpless Muggleborns who were attacked and murdered so viciously, "You know as well as I why I cannot let this go. What I've lost…"

Dawn felt her mother clasp her shoulder with a single hand, feeling her touch give hers a gentle, reassuring squeeze, "This life you lead is not any better, is it? This Auror business is unhealthy."

Dawn's eyes began to well with tears and she did everything within her power to subdue them. She straightened her head and looked at her mother with such longing, "I cannot let this go until I find him. I have to, mother. I can't sit idly by waiting until he hurts someone else. You know I am not one to wait around."

Her mother reached over to tuck a strand of wavy dark blonde hair away from her daughter's face, and Dawn could tell how heartbroken she was to see her so determined to deal with this situation. It wasn't fair to have her mother so worried for her life, but she knew the predicament Dawn was in. Ever since she lost her, she was never the same. And for years she searched for him – the one responsible – and yet all traces were lost. Every year Dawn would take on a new case in hopes to have one lead her to the man she wanted to be punished by her hand, but neither one would show her the way.

She was frustrated, and at times, it made her bitter. Knowing what he took from her and what life she could have had at this moment, hurt her deeply. Not a day goes by when she didn't think of her. Holding her. But there was an emptiness within her life that she couldn't fill and throwing herself into her work was the only way to keep herself afloat. Her job, as both an Auror and temporary Professor, kept her occupied and from doing anything too foolish.

The night everything went so horribly wrong, haunted her to no end. And ever since she has had a goal, she was determined to fulfill it no matter what the cost. Even if that cost was her life. It was more than she could offer for a life she could have had instead and the life that was taken from her.

Her mother gazed into Dawn's steel-blue eyes, "Your father is equally as worried. We all are."

Dawn clasped her mother's aged hand, holding it lovingly, "I know. But I must keep going. It's all I can do."

They spoke on this subject a little further and Dawn took it upon herself to walk her mother home in the last light of the day. She loved her mother deeply and as much as she constantly worried for her life, Dawn simply couldn't back down. Not from this. Not from the mission she would forever dedicate her life to. She knew he was out there somewhere. The man at the top of her hit list. The one whom she would proudly reign in and condemn to a torturous life behind Azkaban bars. Death would have been far too merciful of a fate, should she have her way.

Bidding her mother a good evening, she departed the family home, making a short detour at a park where she grew up playing with her younger brother Jasper. Oh, such a simple, carefree life. One where she didn't have to worry about politics, government conspiracies, and dark wizards controlling the likes of those high in power. She loved being an Auror, but it was indeed a very dark path.

The evening sun dipped low, as she perched herself amongst an old swing, swinging gently and almost soothingly. Memories of sitting in this very spot were fond ones and she knew her own family loved her so very much. She thought of the love she had for her brother, and her parents, and knowing that even their lives were at risk due to her career, was almost disheartening. But she couldn't stop. She couldn't drop everything and simply move on because she couldn't. She wanted justice to serve its purpose and put a dangerous man at the mercy of a fortified prison. She would gladly send a dementor after whatever dark soul he had, if that meant she would regain some sense of peace and resolve again.

Dawn drew in a deep breath, glancing at the gently streaming water at the river a few paces away. She watched as several ducks dipped their heads into the water looking for food, preening their feathers once they reached the riverbed.

But it was at that distraction, that she heard an unusual rustling from behind her, immediately causing her to draw her wand from her sleeve and jump off the swing, facing her mysterious assailant. She found herself facing a figure – a hooded figure. Their stature was tall and thin, with a slight build upon his shoulders. He towered over her, pointing his own wand threateningly toward her.

"Are you following me?" Dawn demanded, holding her wand steady in her grasp, "Drop your wand!"

"Or what?" The man's voice was deep and husky, reminding her of Desmond's scruffy tone, but not quite the same. It did not sound familiar, but the man's voice alone sent an unusual shiver down her spine.

She gritted her teeth and wasted no time, "Expell – "

Her disarm spell was immediately cut off by the speed of the man's command, when she was hit by a navy-colored spell, causing a gash across her arm. The force of the spell caused her to stumble, but once she regained composure, she fired off several small plumes of fire in quick succession. The man dodged all the attacks, maneuvering around them like it was nothing. The man skidded towards a tree and dived behind it, with Dawn doing the same thing. Her heart raced, searching around her for any possible witnesses. But with the sun now dipping low, the shadows cast overhead by the night sky and the trees around them appeared to work within their favor. She kept her eyes trained forward, narrowed in the hopes to gain a clearer view of the attacker beneath the hood. She felt warm blood drip down her arm, soaking her sleeve, but she did not want to peel her gaze away to check at the damage.

Remaining behind the tree, she lightly cleared her throat, "What do you want?!"

There was a short silence, and Dawn's heart raced further. Eventually, she was met with a husky reply, "You've been warned, Rheingold."

Dawn's heart skipped a beat, "How do you know my name?"

"It wasn't that difficult to gather."

She tried desperately to steady her breathing, "Are you behind the Muggleborn attacks?"

"Oh, we are many…" The responding voice droned on. The thought alone made her ill.

"Why are you doing this?"

There was a strange laugh echoing on the other side, "Unfinished business."

Dawn gritted her teeth, "Voldemort is gone. Finished. You have no power here!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

"Oh, the nerve of you!" The anger within her began to slowly bubble, "We'll find out who you are in time. And we will!"

Dawn sidestepped quickly out of the spot from behind the tree and cast a blasting curse toward him, but the spell whirled by his head as he moved out from her line of sight. The man shot a spell at the ground under her feet, and she felt it shift beneath her. But the minor hindrance only appeared to catapult her slightly forward, allowing her to move closer to the enemy. She sharply drew her wand diagonally, striking the man down where he stood.

But it wasn't enough.

"Relashio!"

The force of his spell caused her to stumble back, dropping her wand in the grass as it flew from her hand. Unable to get her bearings quick enough, she felt a huge force hit her across the face, sending her sprawling to the floor. She tasted blood on her lips, and the world around her began to spin from the force of the physical hit.

"What are you waiting for? End me, then!" Dawn spat in fury, wiping dripping blood with the back of her hand, eyes glaring with venom.

The hooded man shook his head, almost mockingly, "Oh, no, I won't do that. Consider this a message sent. To you and your Auror pawns."

"And I will send a message of my own, to you, or whoever you answer to, " Dawn gritted her teeth, "Your precious Dark Lord is no more and there will be cells in Azkaban ready for the likes of you."

"We'll see about that, " Dawn could see the gleam from the man's teeth, but she was still unable to glimpse any part of the man's face. With the man's wand thrust into her face, he uttered several words under his breath and suddenly, Dawn's mind grew fuzzy. Her brain was ringing as if vertigo had hit her at full force. When she tried to regain her bearings, she heard the sirens of police cars in the distance, seeing the faint lights of blue and red draw nearer. But the lights from the cars flashed in the distance, and it was then she realised the man had disapparated away. Scrambling for her own wand, which was thankfully still intact, she disapparated herself away in time to evade the Muggle police.

She found herself back in London, eventually finding the path to her superior personal residence. She pounded heavily on the door to the small abode, feeling relief when Rowan Locke answered the door with his wand held steady beside him.

"Dawn – " The man barely had time to register, when Dawn burst through his front door.

"They bloody know me, Rowan!" Dawn was breathless, soon remembering she was covered in blood.

"Calm yourself, Dawn. We need you level-headed, here, " Rowan observed her bloodied form, and steered her towards the kitchen table, forcing her to sit down, "What on earth happened?!"

"I was attacked, " Dawn said angrily, removing her blazer to reveal quite a nasty gash across her left shoulder. The adrenaline of the fight still ran through her body, so it took a long while for the pain to suddenly kick in.

"By whom?"

Dawn shrugged, wincing at the sudden shooting of pain as she did so, "They – he – was hooded. He cast a spell on me, and it seemed like obliviate, but I do not know what he erased…I can't recall…"

Rowan planted another chair in front of her and shifted a candle closer so he could observe the wound more closely, "Did this attacker share anything remotely useful?"

Scrunching her face, Dawn tried to remember, "Not, not particularly. It was a warning. As of what, I do not know. Our involvement, perhaps?"

Dawn watched as her superior traced her wound with his wand, slowly observing the gash slowly knitting together. There was an odd tingle and occasional sharpness as he performed the spell, and she gritted her teeth through most of that ordeal. As he did so, she retrieved a handkerchief from her pants pocket and held it to her still-bleeding lip. Her jaw grew sore and tender to the touch, and she knew she was going to be in a world of pain in the morning.

"I suspect they have been watching us, " Rowan responded quietly, focusing his sight on repairing the wound, "Their specialty appears to be that of illusion. Mind trickery. That, we know for certain. We also know that they don't seem to be operating alone, given our experience with the other man you caught. They are a faction."

Dawn nodded in agreement, "Then why the warning, and not just kill me outright?"

Rowan finally completed the healing spell and leaned back into his chair entwining his fingers together, "Your guess is as good as mine. They obviously do not want us interfering with their plans, and they know we are onto them. As for your evasion of death…you're valuable."

"Like a game of cat and mouse, " Dawn sighed, "Hence the elaborate illusion to deter us from their trail. Perhaps we got too close?"

"Plausible, " Her superior nodded, "Or, they could simply be enjoying watching the Aurors chase their tails aimlessly. Everything to them is a trick of perception."

"I suppose no word on this Felix fellow?"

"Sadly, not, " Rowan waved his wand over Dawn's bleeding lip, and it slowly began to heal, "The Ministry officials won't tell me anything. Even the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement doesn't know."

"Or he knows and won't inform the rest of us, " Dawn exclaimed, "What do we do, Rowan? We can't give this up."

"We won't. If this is as big of a growing movement as we assume this is, then we must do everything in our power to figure it out, " Rowan suggested, "Warning or not, we cannot have a repeat of the Death Eaters. And you and I both know that is what this feels like."

"Yes, I agree, " Dawn gave a heavy sigh, as she pulled herself back to her feet, "Thank you for the medical assistance, Rowan."

"Of course, Dawn, " Rowan also rose to his feet, "I am glad you escaped in mostly one piece. We can't afford to lose any of us."

"Please watch your backs. Give the others my warning, too, " Dawn added, giving her superior a tired smile in appreciation before she hastily departed his home in the dead of night.

She couldn't believe what had just happened.

It was an incredibly close call, but now things were getting rather serious.

She was lucky to escape with her life.


August 19th, 2002

[Harry Potter]

In recent weeks, Harry's poor memory recollection had really been bothering him more than usual. He knew he'd forget even the simplest of things at times, such as who he and Ron had chosen to use Polyjuice potion on within their second year, and the name of the knight Sir-something-or-rather, whose portrait hung in the Grand Staircase.

But the smallest things had been easily dismissible, but then he realised he was forgetting even significant things, too. Ginny had picked up on this more so than she usually did, and Harry even had difficulty remembering what happened down at the Clearwell Caves in all of its hectic madness. But Harry usually shrugged it off as no big deal and Ginny found herself quite obviously worried about it. Of course, Harry didn't really think much of it at the time. People forgot things quite often and given what he had been through for most of his life, he didn't expect to remember every single detail. And he didn't want to, anyway.

But as the days went on, he even had trouble remembering the faces of those who had died, much like Sirius and even Remus'. Even their voices died down in memory and that affected him quite significantly. He sometimes forgot some of the names of those within his Hogwarts year. At first, he blamed it on the elixir clouding his senses, but now he seemed to think something else was amiss. His emotions were all out of place and his mind appeared to be hazy most of the time, which irritated him far more than the gradual loss of his memories.

"Are you sure you're alright to go today?" Ginny broke into his thoughts, as he stared the front page of the Daily Prophet that morning.

"I'm fine, Ginny, " Harry responded, without taking his eyes off the newspaper. He could feel Ginny's gaze searing into his skin.

"Well, you spent most of the night tossing and turning and speaking Parsteltongue, of all things."

"And that's anything new?" Harry looked tiredly up at his wife, "Ever since I've stopped taking the elixir, I haven't really had a decent night's sleep."

"I've noticed."

Harry suddenly frowned at Ginny's attire in confusion, "Plans today?"

Ginny stared at Harry rather quizzically, as if he had gone mad, "We're meeting at mum's for lunch, remember? Bill, Fleur, and the baby will be there, plus Hermione and Ron were going to stop by."

Harry couldn't even remember, so instead, he simply nodded along, "Oh, right, yeah."

His wife paused for a moment, looking at Harry with her intense hazel eyes. Harry could sense the frustration within her, and he knew she was doing her best not to bring it up in conversation. They had many a discussion about this, but Harry had always dismissed her concerns because he didn't think it was as bad as she presumed. In all honesty, he didn't know what to make of all of it, and he didn't want his wife to worry when they had other pressing issues in their life to focus on.

Rounding up Teddy, the three of them arrived at the Burrow being the last to arrive of the bunch. Baby Victoire was already screaming her little lungs away, which frightened the Weasley's owls who decidedly flew off in frustration.

All the windows inside the Burrow were open, allowing a fresh breeze to waft through whilst they ate lunch together with the rest of the Weasley family. Molly had spent most of that morning preparing what she called a light lunch when in fact it resembled close to a Hogwarts welcome feast. Of course, everyone within the Burrow at that time had split up into several different conversations. It wasn't until over an hour when tea and sweets were served, did the conversations take a more serious turn.

Harry watched as Arthur turned to George, whispering away in response to something he had said, "There's been whispers in the Ministry. Someone went missing."

The room suddenly grew quiet, all except the cooing of baby Victoire in Bill's arms, and the wistful humming from Teddy.

"What do you know?" Ron asked his father, with an almost warning tone to his voice.

The Weasley patriarch shrugged, "I don't know a thing. It's all been a little hush. No one at work would tell me."

"I haven't heard a thing, " Hermione responded, diligently, "Who was it?" Percy furrowed his brow and took a sip from his goblet, remaining quiet leaving Hermione to shoot him a warned look, "Percy, what do you know?"

Harry peered over his own goblet and watched as Percy shrugged carelessly, "I don't know anything. This is the first I've heard of it, too."

"Three of you work in the Ministry, and no one has a clue?" Bill said, shifting Victoire over his other arm, "That can't be right."

Percy appeared to shoot him a look of irritation, "I work close to the Minister himself. If someone went missing, it wouldn't be one of us. That is, if they wanted to remain subtle about it."

"So, are we assuming this person got taken, then?" Harry questioned, "Maybe they got themself splinched and stuck somewhere or something. I dunno."

Ginny turned to Ron, "If anything, you lot should know more about this. What are the other Aurors saying?"

Ron clenched his jaw stiffly, "You do realise there are still Dark Wizards out there? People go missing all of the time. It's nothing unusual."

"People going missing shouldn't still be normal, Ronald, " Molly said, looking worried. Her hands were shaking upon her hold of the mug of tea she secured tightly within her hands.

"All I'm saying is that I don't l know who in the Ministry went missing. Or why, " Ron straightened up in his chair, once he realised all eyes were focused on him, "There are many divisions of Aurors within Britain and Europe. My division catch Dark Wizards, not hunt around for missing people."

Harry was observing Ron throughout the entire conversation – Something about his friend was indeed odd. He seemed rather insistent to close the conversation, but throughout the exchange between his family, he shifted several times within his seat appearing anxious. Ron was usually very good at remaining calm, and more so as the years went on. Ever since Ron was accepted as an Auror, his behavior and attitude became more stoic and hard-hearted as the years went on. Of course, that kind of attitude comes with the job description, but Harry could not help but feel Ron was holding something back. Almost as if he knew more than what he was divulging to them.

Ginny was right – If any of them should know more about what was happening, Ron was their best bet. And it had Harry pondering the afternoon Ron had visited the Potter home and how resistant he was to discuss anything about his work.

That thought alone caused Harry's heart to race, and his chest feeling incredibly heavy. Something about the conversation was causing him some distress and at first, he couldn't figure out why. The more he overthought the whole scenario, the more he realised it was the possibility of Dark Wizards still out there and he had enough of them targeting him specifically within his life already. Knowing Britain wasn't completed safe and eradicated from them made his stomach do backflips.

Feeling his skin grow hot, Harry turned to Ginny and whispered, "…I think it's time we went home."

It took Ginny a few moments to register the request until realisation hit her. She reached under the table for Harry's hand and squeezed – this was the usual routine when Harry's anxiety chose to rear its ugly head as his heart continued to race.

Something about that conversation made him feel absolutely sick to his stomach.