A soft knocking woke Severus after only a couple of hours of sleep, and he yawned as he pulled himself from the chair and answered the door. It was Willow, who frowned at Severus, then peered past him into the room, frowning at Autumn. She took his hand and pulled him into the hall, shutting the door softly.

"You don't have the sense of a rock, do you?" she asked softly. "Why aren't you in bed with her?"

Severus sighed. "I'm not having this conversation," he replied stiffly, and took a step back from the red-haired half-witch in front of him. She caught his arm, though, and pulled him into a warm, gentle hug.

"I was so relieved to hear that you were all right," she whispered. "Autumn does know, doesn't she?"

Severus shook his head. "I didn't want to wake her."

Willow sighed. "You really are an idiot, you know that? Don't you think she would have slept a hundred times better knowing that you were safe?"

Severus snorted softly. "I think you're exaggerating."

"I'm not. Anyway, go down to breakfast. I came up to tell the two of you that it's ready." And Willow disappeared into the bedroom, leaving Severus standing in the hall, debating the wisdom of going down for breakfast. He wasn't at all sure he wanted to spend another minute in this house.

After a moment of deliberation, he reached the conclusion that he would go down to the kitchen, as he would need to be in that room, whether he ate or Flooed back to his own office. He steeled himself for the looks of reproach he expected when he entered the kitchen, but, as he opened the door, he found no such thing. In fact, everyone ignored him, for all intents and purposes. He hesitated just inside the door, still trying to decide whether to stay or leave. Eventually, leaving won out, and he walked past the table, pointedly pretending that there was no one else in the kitchen. He didn't make it halfway to the fireplace, though, before Molly intercepted him.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked, her hands on her hips.

"Back to Hogwarts," he replied.

"No you aren't. Sit." She pointed at the table, and he considered protesting, but before he could open his mouth, she had her hand on his arm, pulling him to the table. "I said sit," she repeated. "Everyone is eating breakfast, at the table, and I don't really care who does or does not want to be here."

For the first time, Severus looked at the others at the table. None of them looked particularly pleased, in all honesty. Hermione was studiously ignoring Harry, who was looking everywhere except at Ginny, who had her eyes trained on her empty plate. Remus was reading something, or at least making a pretense; his eyes were not moving. Bill was scowling. Ron was sitting with his head in his hands, his eyes closed. Fred and George were conspicuously quiet. Arthur was the only one who didn't seem to be going to great lengths to avoid looking at anyone else.

Severus sank into his chair, frowning at the table, and then finally looking at Arthur. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I think," Arthur said affably, "that it has been a long, stressful night for everyone and tempers are running just a little on the high side, and I think that several people have said a number of things they didn't mean in the last twelve hours."

"Oh." And forcing everyone to the table is a good idea because…? He was perplexed, but momentarily fell into the same silence as everyone else. Severus, however, did not make any effort to avoid looking at anyone. In fact, one might have said he was staring at Remus, and Remus noticed whether he acknowledged it or not.

Finally, after several minutes, Remus put down his book and stared back at Severus. "What?" he asked pointedly. "Do you have something to say?"

For a moment, Severus considered his options, then swallowed his pride. "Yes," he said simply. "May I have a word?"

"Have as many as you like."

Severus flinched inwardly. "Privately?"

"Whatever you have to say you can say here. I'm bloody tired of taking your shit."

Briefly, Severus' temper flared, but he took a deep breath, determined not to contribute any more to the problem. "I deserve that," he admitted, ignoring the looks he was beginning to get from the children. "For what it's worth, I apologize. I shouldn't have said…"

"No, you shouldn't have," Remus agreed. "But I don't give a rat's ass that you said it."

Frowning, Severus shook his head. "I don't understand. Then why…"

"Those were not words born of anger. Spoken in anger, perhaps, but…"

Severus scrubbed a hand over his face. "Can we please discuss this in private?"

"No."

With another glance at the children, Severus took a deep breath, steeling himself. "What do you want me to say, Remus? I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."

"Tell him you didn't mean it," Ginny piped up suddenly, and Severus shot a glare at her. She shrugged. "Whatever it was, it helps if he knows you didn't mean it."

"He did mean it," Remus replied shortly.

Ginny's eyes widened slightly, and she looked at Severus, and he nodded.

"I did mean it," he conceded, then looked at Remus again. "But I've had a few hours to think it over, and I don't mean it anymore. And… you were right."

"Good tactic," Hermione nodded her approval. "Always good to tell someone they were right."

This time it was Remus who turned a glare to the end of the table, but Severus noted that Hermione wasn't even looking at them. She was looking at Harry. Harry was studying his fork as though it were an innovative new discovery.

"Remus…?" Lupin looked at Severus again. "You know I'm not good at this. But my intentions…"

Remus snorted. "You can start with telling me why I should bother. You've done nothing but snap at me for the last two weeks, and I'm tired of it."

For a long minute, Severus was quiet. He considered pleading one more time that they have this conversation somewhere else, as he did not want to be discussing it in front of the entire assembled Weasley clan. On the other hand, though, he wanted to mend the tenuous friendship he'd developed in the past two weeks. He wanted that back. So I suppose it's a contest of which you want more—your pride, or the friendship.

"You probably shouldn't," Severus said finally. "I'm not the world's most likely candidate for a trusted friend." He took a deep breath. "I'm not asking anything of you. I'm offering, and hoping you'll accept."

"See?" Ginny said pointedly, and Severus and Remus both snapped their heads to peer at the end of the table, but this time, none of the children were looking in their direction. Ginny and Hermione were glaring rather pointedly at Harry and Ron.

Severus caught Remus' eye, and lifted an eyebrow. "What are they on about?"

"No idea."

"Hm." He turned his attention back to Remus, and, after a moment's awkward silence, extended a hand across the table. "Please?" He sat there with his hand extended for a long moment, and Remus simply stared at him. Slowly, though, he took the offered hand, much to Severus' relief.

Severus offered a weak smile, then turned to Bill, who was still pointedly ignoring everyone in the room. For a moment, he considered trying to make amends with the eldest Weasley boy, but after that moment's thought, decided against it. He didn't think he had the energy for miracles just yet.

The door opened again, and all heads swiveled towards the entrance. It was Willow. Willow with no Autumn.

"Where…?" Hermione began, but Willow shook her head.

"She won't come down. She won't listen to me. She said she doesn't want to eat and…"

"Like bloody hell she's staying up there," Severus muttered, pushing back from the table. "If I can endure this, she can too." Had he hesitated for a minute before stalking out of the kitchen, he might have heard Willow hiss a warning at him.

"Don't do anything foolish! She doesn't even know you're still alive!"

Bolting up the stairs, Severus did pause to knock before he barged into the bedroom, but just barely. He did not wait for an answer before pushing the door open and stalking inside.

Autumn was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard, her knees drawn the her chest, a pillow clutched to her breasts, staring out the window. She did not look at him when he walked in, did not move. Did not offer any indication that she knew anyone had entered the room, except a whispered, "Go away. I don't want breakfast, and I don't want to talk to anyone."

Severus paused, leaning against the wardrobe watching her for a moment, not sure what to say. After a moment, though, he stepped inside, and sank onto the bed.

"I said go away," she repeated, still not looking at him, and his heart ached for her. His heart ached, and his mind wondered—is this how I've been acting? Pushing away people who want to help, not even looking at them, not even acknowledging them. Yes, that was very similar to the way he reacted to others.

"And if I don't want to?" he asked softly, sliding a hand onto her shoulder.

She started, and he could see her looking at his hand, and slowly she turned her head, as though afraid of what she might see. Her eyes widened as they landed on him, though, and she gasped. "Severus!" she whispered, and his next coherent realization was that he was lying on his back, Autumn on top of him, her arms wrapped tightly around him as her lips covered his.

"I thought… and you were… and Remus… and they said… and Willow…" she wasn't making a bit of sense, and he suspected that it was only half because her words were coming punctuated with kisses.

"Shhh," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her, trying to trap her against him. "It's all right. Everything is all right. Calm down, everything is all right…"

She burrowed her head against his shoulder, and he held her close, as tightly as he could, shifting beneath her to a more comfortable position; he'd not been prepared for the assault of her flying into his lap. She was crying. It was a strange realization, and an awkward one, and he lifted a hand to caress her hair, whispering soothingly into her ear. "It's all right," he repeated. "Everything is all right."

"I thought you were dead," she gasped, sobs beginning to shake her, and he struggled into a reclined position, leaning against the headboard, still holding her.

"I know," he whispered. "I'm sorry. Shhh." He rocked her gently in his arms, and she wrapped her arms more tightly around him, moving ever closer, her knee coming into contact with the sore rib he had. He ignored the sharp pain, though, and continued to rock her. "Shhh…"

After what seemed an eternity, she looked up, her face tear-streaked, her eyes bright red and shimmering still behind the tears. "What…?" she began, then, "How?"

"Later," he murmured, still holding her. "I'll tell you everything later."

Her head found his shoulder again, and he leaned back against the headboard, cradling her against him. She clung to him, and he stroked her hair softly, letting his fingers slide through the short locks, only vaguely aware when she began to calm. Finally, she was leaning against him, no longer shaking, no longer crying, and he was leaning his face against the top of her head, just holding her. Holding her for no reason in the world other than the fact that he wanted to hold her.

"We should probably go downstairs," he murmured regretfully into her hair. "They'll wonder what's keeping us."

Autumn nodded against him, and, slowly as though she regretted having to move, she shifted herself off of him and stood. As she stood, she kept her eyes on him, as though afraid he was going to disappear again if she so much as blinked. Once he was free of her, he stood as well, and then reached for her hand, and she smiled as their fingers twined together.

He led her downstairs, and into the kitchen again, where the others were already eating. He pulled her chair for her, and, after she was seated, sat beside her, making an effort to ignore the looks he was receiving from the others at the table. He didn't even want to think about what those looks meant, but they were disapproving after a fashion. Autumn, at least, seemed blissfully unaware.

Finally, from the far end of the table, Willow spoke up. Of course it would be Willow, who never kept her mouth shut. "You really don't have the sense of a rock," she echoed her accusation from earlier. "Before it was because you didn't want to wake her. What's your excuse now?"

Even though no one else at the table could have possibly known what she was talking about, Severus felt his face darkening. "My reasons, and my excuses, are my own," he replied sharply.

Willow just shook her head and he could almost feel her rolling her eyes. "It's almost enough to make a girl wonder why anyone would put up with you," she commented.

Autumn looked across the table at Remus. "Did I miss something?" she asked, and Remus shrugged.

"If you did, I missed it too."

"Hrm, well, so long as we've all missed it, then I guess it's all right."

Severus took a profound interest in his bowl of oatmeal, keeping his mouth determinedly shut. Would that he could have said the same for Willow.

"I was merely pointing out to Severus that if he had any decency at all he would be upstairs shagging Autumn senseless instead of…"

"Willow!" Molly interrupted indignantly, and Harry and Ron both burst into laughter. Remus took a sudden interest in his oatmeal as well, and Hermione clamped a hand over her mouth. Bill scrubbed a hand over his face. George and Fred both perked up suddenly, and were grinning. Autumn, for her part, was as red-faced as Severus felt he should be, and would have been if he were more prone to flushing.

"What?" Willow asked, sounding genuinely surprised at the reactions.

"Can't you find a more appropriate conversation topic for the breakfast table?" Molly asked, sounding scandalized.

"And what's more appropriate than love?" she asked. "Really, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Shut it, Willow," Autumn threatened in a low, warning tone.

"But…"

"Willow!" This time it was Severus, and he found himself seriously considering a silencing spell on her if she didn't heed their advice soon.

Willow just shook her head and sighed. "You people are all so odd," she commented, breaking a muffin in half. The rest of the meal passed without mishap, and without anything worthy of note until, just as Molly was clearing away the dishes, a comment from the children's conversation slithered towards the other end of the table, lingering in the air.

"Hasn't this gone on long enough, Harry?" Hermione was asking. "When are you going to get over it?"

"He's the one who's always been an asshole to me, Hermione. Since the very first day in Potions, and he's had it out for me ever since, and all I ever did was have the nerve to look like my dad. If you want to talk to someone about changing, talk to him..." Harry trailed off, as though suddenly realizing how loudly he'd spoken. He closed his eyes and muttered something much less audible under his breath.

For a moment, silence reigned in the kitchen, and there was a palpable tension as everyone seemed to be waiting, collectively, for a war to begin at the breakfast table. After a pause, Severus folded his napkin and placed it aside, then pushed away from the table. "If you all will excuse me," he said, addressing the lot of them, and ignoring the way Autumn squeezed his hand. "Mr. Potter, I'd like a word with you in the drawing room."

Harry sighed, and with a tortured look at Ron, stood and walked stiffly from the kitchen, across the hall into the drawing room. Severus followed him and shut the door firmly, leaning against it for a moment, studying Harry quietly.

"Sir, I—" Harry began, but Severus held up a hand.

"Silence, Potter. Do not speak." Folding his arms, Severus circled the Gryffindor slowly, and then came to a halt in front of him again. "Sit," he commanded, pointing at the sofa. Harry sat on one end. After a moment, Severus joined him on the other end. "You asked me last week about my childhood," he said softly, ignoring the way Harry's eyes widened suddenly. "Do you still wish to know?"

Harry nodded slowly.

"Then what I am about to tell you will remain in the strictest confidence, yes?"

"Yes, sir," Harry replied, staring at him as though he were a foreign being. And perhaps he was. God alone knew what was prompting him to be talking to Harry now, but whatever it was, it gave him the strength to begin the story, one which, hopefully, would open a door to a little less hostility between them. And that was all Severus was interested in—a little less hostility. He did not want to be a surrogate father, or a friend, or a mentor, or even a 'trusted adult'. He simply wanted a cease in their animosity.

"Very well," he said softly. "I grew up in a flat in Muggle London, an unexpected, unwanted, unpleasant surprise to parents who were barely older than you…"