A/N: Do not own. Sorry this took so long. Between emergency surgery and everything else going on, I haven't been able to write. Hopefully it will be faster next time.

-x-

He rolled his eyes at his sister, picking up his own hot dog and taking a big bite of it. It wasn't his fault that he had been right and it was hot dogs for lunch. Nor was it his fault that Karrie hated hot dogs. He loved them, it was one of his favourite foods. Pretty much everyone liked hot dogs. Teddy had even put down his new dragon book to eat them.

Karrie sighed, shaking her head as she watched the children around her demolish the disgusting meat-filled things called hot dogs. Her brother was already on his second and he wasn't the only one. She wasn't eating them, she didn't care if her counselors made her drink one of those nasty potions either. She drew the line at hot dogs. Plus there was a lot of magic in here, there always was when all of the camp was together. What was worst, she couldn't even escape as her leg was still bound in a cast and was currently propped up on the bench.

Rani raised an eyebrow at the three preteens, frowning at the black-haired boy. "Harry, how many hot dogs have you had?" She inquired, setting the large garden salad that the counselors had been eating in front of the young girl. She had observed Karrie often enough to realize the child wasn't fond of meat. Occasionally, Kate could convince her to try something, but rarely. Besides, Kate was taking a break, so she was in charge of their group during lunch. Thankfully, Charlie and Phil were also there, so she had three sets of eyes instead of one. It helped that the younger two groups spent a lot of time together. It also helped that Lila was with Alexis and Jake today.

"Only three!" He protested, ignoring the look Karrie gave him. Sure, he was on his fourth hot dog but he was really hungry and they were really good. At least his sister was eating, even if it was nasty green stuff.

"Okay, so let's call that the last one, alright? No more hot dogs, you don't want to get sick." Rani replied quietly. She really did not want to clean up throw up today, or ever preferably, but she was in the wrong profession for that. She waited for his nod, and for Karrie to start eating, before heading back to her seat.

She rolled her eyes at her brother, shaking her head. "She said no more, Harry." She was going to remind him of this when he complained that his stomach hurt later. She wasn't even sure he had ever ate that much before.

He shrugged, shoving a fifth hot dog into his mouth. They tasted so good, even if he wasn't really hungry any more. But he wasn't his fat oaf of a cousin, so this was going to be his last. Besides, he wasn't a kid. He knew when he had ate enough, so it didn't matter what Rani had said. Still, he was going to call it quits. He didn't think his stomach could hold much more, anyway.

-x-

She grimaced, digging through the bag Remus had packed for them. She honestly wouldn't have thought about bringing along half of the items he had packed. But they couldn't do magic here and Lila was now screaming with her hands over her ears; she needed to find those damned headphones. Jake was doing his best to calm her and the headphones would help greatly with that. Her fingers finally located them, quickly passing the pink bulky headphones to Jake. While it didn't bother her that the parents in the lobby were staring at them, she did want to calm the child. Because they were finally here for her autism testing and she wasn't quite sure how they were getting back to the school. Lila had a fit when they side-along apparated, apparently the sensations bothered the child. She also didn't know how long Lila would put up with being here. Given their situation, the doctor had agreed to evaluate her and help them form a workable plan that they could put in place immediately and that would work for the school year.

He settled the child back on his lap, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her there. He knew that noise bothered the child; he also knew that they were in a brand new place and that would be scary for her. He hadn't wanted to leave his boys for an entire day but he was well aware it would take two of them to get Lila through this. Besides, he knew what the older healers were discussing about the little girl. She needed a one on one, someone who could care for her and help her throughout the day. He had this feeling it would be him and he was perfectly okay with that. "Is one of her dolls in that bag?" He hoped so because it wasn't like he could conjure one here and she needed something to distract her.

What wasn't in this damn bag? It seemed like Remus had packed something for every possible scenario and a few very unlikely ones. She found a doll, offering it to the girl. "Look who I found, Lila." She said, smiling at the little girl when she reached for the doll.

"Lila?"

She grunted, running her fingers over Lani's dress, resting her head on Jake's shoulder when he stood. She had quickly taught him not to set her down if he could help it, so he had learned to stand and rearrange her at the same time. She wasn't quite sure where they were but she knew she didn't like it. It was too big and too bright and too loud. She tugged on her headphones to make them cover her ears better before turning her eyes to Alexis, who was speaking to a strange man with a clipboard.

"Thank you for seeing us on such short notice, Dr. Harris." It had been hard to find a mundane doctor who knew about magic and was an expert in autism. While she didn't know this doctor, Henry and Eric knew his brother. Eric had even paid him a visit to see if he could handle a magical child like Lila. He had Eric's vote, so she was willing to try. Because she was getting desperate. She had less than three weeks to get everything sorted for the upcoming school year

He ushered them into his office, shutting the door behind the young man carrying the child. If he had not read her file, he wouldn't believe she was about to turn eleven. He had been angry after reading through her files. The information from her primary schools, the little that there was, showed that the girl had pretty much always been nonspeaking but for some reason, no one seemed to notice that huge red flag. Nor the abuse she had suffered. " Hey Lila? My name is Joseph. Can you hear me?" He asked, crouching so that he was on her level. He had tried to engage with her in the lobby, but she had ignored him and he could easily tell that she was overwhelmed. Even in the quiet of his office, he wouldn't take her headphones away. She had them for a reason, after all.

She was very tempted to hit him with her doll. She could hear him a bit but she was also aware it was a lot quieter in here. She wasn't getting rid of her headphones, she liked them. They made her feel safe. She also wasn't going to look at him. Both Alexis and Jake had been talking to her about this visit for days. Even Aria and Der had mentioned it. But she didn't want to be here! It didn't matter that she couldn't talk. She still had a voice! She didn't understand why they even needed this test. "UUUHHHH!"

"I know you're frustrated. How about we play for awhile, alright?" This time he didn't just speak the words, he signed them, leaning back slightly so she wouldn't feel overcrowded. He wanted her to understand that he could hear her, in whatever way she chose to speak.

This doctor was way too close to hitting range for his comfort, but he didn't pull Lila back. He just kept a tight arm around her waist. He was well aware that the older man knew what he was doing and was an expert at what he did. But he was an expert in Lila, which meant he knew when she was close to hitting. He was hoping she would settle down soon. It was going to be a long day.

-x-

This was total chaos. And while he could manage the boys, he did know that they had a greater respect for Jake. It was easier when he had help, but Jake was in Manchester. "Boys! Enough! Or we will not be playing football today." He called, meeting eleven sets of eyes. It only took a moment for them to realize he wasn't joking and the fighting and arguing to die off.

"Can we play now, then?" Daniel called, glaring at the older man. He wished Jake was here. Jake was fair and calm; what's more, he actually cared about them. He wasn't sure that Henry even gave a shit about them.

Masks up, then. What had been an attempt to straighten the camp lounge had turned into a disaster of flying pillows and thrown toys. He knew these boys were testing him and that was alright. He was quite pleased to see them working together to get on his nerves, if nothing else. "As soon as this place doesn't look like a war zone, yes. And from what I heard, the girls want to play you."

"They don't stand a chance against us."

"Don't underestimate them, Marko. Have you seen them play? Some of them are really good." Robert stated clearly, shaking his head as he refilled a bin of toys. Some of the youngest children didn't quite understand picking up after themselves. His sister was not one of those. But then again, not everyone had had their set of parents. He wasn't sure what was worse, how his parents were or how little Ben was treated.

"Besides, you suck at football." Pete called out, rolling his eyes at the younger teenager.

Henry shook his head, letting his eyes drifted from boy to boy before frowning. He was missing two. Isaac was missing, which wasn't surprising. But what worried him was that Milo was missing. It bothered him even more when Marko didn't respond to Pete, instead his eyes kept going around the room, looking for something. So Marko didn't know where his brother was either, then. He had noticed Milo was quieter than normal but he hadn't thought anything about it. The child hadn't been throwing off any signs of distress or anger, or anything that he normally looked out for. Hopefully the child would just show back up, perhaps he needed a break. But if he wasn't back soon, he'd send a message out, to see if they could find him at least.

-x-

"These are the History books." Remus called, glancing at the list inside the box to make sure it was all there. All forty-eight books were there, he just had to sort them onto their tables now. Alexis had decided, and all of the staff had agreed, that instead of taking fifty-three children to Diagon Alley, they would owl order all of the books, robes, and supplies. They would only have to take the first years to get their wands. So with the help of Eric and Filius, he was turning this unused room into a school supply shop.

He frowned, flipping through the Latin II book for a moment. "This isn't the right set." He remarked, catching Filius' eye. Which meant he had to send it back yet again and that there would be a frustrated and overwhelmed Headmistress to inform. That was why they were setting this up, she had too much else left to do and finally, finally, she was learning to delegate. He glanced at Filius when the older man didn't respond and raised an eyebrow. Something was off. "What's wrong, Filius?"

He sighed, looking toward the youngest man before back to Eric. He didn't think Remus would repeat this but he wasn't sure he wanted to take that chance. After all, he wasn't planning to tell Alexis or Severus until he was certain he couldn't find a way around it. But it had suddenly become clear why Eric and Tim never adopted Alexis, even though he knew both men had wanted to. He had thought it had been because the young woman was underage and they would have to fight for custody. He never imagined this.

Eric tilted his head, glancing at his son for a moment before suddenly understanding. "Remus, you are not to repeat a word you hear in this room, not even to your partner. Understood?" He ordered briskly, meeting his eldest eyes for a long moment.

He blinked, brown eyes meeting darker ones. While that wasn't an unusual order, he wasn't quite sure what would require such strictness in Eric's voice. He could only think of a handful of times he had heard that tone, so he knew better than to disobey. He just didn't understand what was that important. "Yes sir."

The smaller man met Eric's eyes for a long moment before nodding. He had a feeling Eric already knew what he was going to say. "I cannot adopt Alexis."

What?! The younger woman would be devastated. She was an adult, Filius should easily be able to adopt her. What difference was there between adopting Severus and adopting Alexis? It should be the same process. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped, catching the look his father gave him. Perhaps it was best if he stayed silent in this conversation, at least until he knew what was going on.

"I never told Tim why exactly we couldn't adopt Alexis, I feared what he might do. But over the years, I have still researched it. While I have found little to break the curse, perhaps together we can find a way around it." Eric responded finally, watching the half-goblin. He actually wondered if there was goblin magic that could help, if there was another avenue to go down.

The moment he found the curse, he had started digging through all of his books and had come up with little. He was very close to accessing the library in the heart of the Goblin nation. "The kind of monster who puts a blood curse on a child should be killed." He ignored the gasp from the youngest head of their family, returning to sending Charms books onto the appropriate year-level tables. That monster had made it almost impossible to legally or magically adopted Alexis. He wished now that he hadn't been so hasty to tell his two children that he was planning to adopt them. He couldn't adopted Severus and not Alexis, after all. But there had to be a way around the curse, without killing that man. Hell, he would duel him if he had to, but he rather not put his children through that.

"I take it adopting Alexis would kill her. You never told her, Eric?" Remus said quietly, looking between the two men, his own stack of books forgotten. He had a few books on blood curses and how to break them, so he knew the curse they were speaking of. But he also knew blood curses, which were just as powerful as blood-bonding or blood-magic. There was a reason all wizarding children were taught to be wary of anyone who asked for even a drop of their blood. "That's the scar on her right forearm, isn't it?" He only knew about it because of a nightmare she had had, last winter break. He had invited her to come stay with him and Severus during the break, away from the school, away from the war. One night, after a horrendous nightmare, Severus had bullied her into their bed. She had finally given in and when she felt safe enough, she showed them the scar. While his partner had seen it before, he had not. He hadn't equated it with blood-magic until now. The scar on Harry's head was caused by his mother's blood-magic, and a curse, which she used to protect him. Alexis' scar was caused by blood magic designed to harm her.

"Yes, it is. And no, I never told her. How could I tell an angry eighteen year old that the only reason I wasn't trying to adopt her was to protect her? She was too young and too stubborn to understand. I also did not want to put that burden on her shoulders. I would have told you Filius, but I was hoping her bond to Hogwarts would negate the curse. Clearly, it did not." The dark-skinned man answered finally, shaking his head.

Filius tilted his head, eyeing the elf that had silently popped into the room with another set of boxes. He knew she had been listening and he was curious if that glint in her eyes meant something more. Perhaps he would go chat with the elves before he talked to his goblin relatives, there might be a bit of elven magic that could help. "This stays between the three of us. Alexis will be told when we find an answer. I'd rather her not do something rash or reckless if it can be helped." He stated finally, catching the other two men's eyes. At their nods, he sighed, moving to open another box of school books. He hated not being able to fix this, but if nothing else, they were all magic-bound.
-x-

"Pass it!"

"Pass the ball Nikolaas!"

"Get it Jasmine!"

"Go Jazz, go!"

Mary paced her side of the field, eyes glued on her girls. While the boys and girls didn't get to play each other often, she loved it when they did. Her girls played football just as much as the boys and some of them, like Jasmine and Hannah, practiced even more than the boys. Hannah hated Quidditch but football and rugby? Those were the things she could use as incentives. "Shoot Hannah! Stop taunting them and shoot the ball!" She called, glancing toward Henry's side of the field. The older man was not as competitive as her and Jake; he also didn't seem to get the game as easily, but if she remembered correctly, he was wizard-born. Well, she could easily coach both teams if she had too. She was just happy she didn't have to coach and referee. Paul always offered to referee. "Good block Michael!"

Henry blinked, frowning slightly. He was completely lost, he had no idea how to coach football. He was also still missing a teenager, but he couldn't leave the rest of his boys to go look for one. Tim and Severus were keeping an eye out for him, hopefully Milo had just wondered off. "Good kick, Ben!" He called. It had been a good kick, the boy had gotten the ball almost to the other goal, he wasn't quite sure why Paul had blown his whistle.

"Not a good kick. It has to touch the ground or be touched by a player before it crosses that line." Isaac remarked from his place on the bench. They were playing ten on ten since there were two different groups of almost equal size. And while he was no longer in a cast, his leg was still sore. He'd rather read than play but since Jake wasn't there, he was focusing on what the other boys were doing. They needed an actual coach, someone who knew what they were doing. He glanced toward Mary, who was subbing in Lexie and Claire. Henry needed to make a sub. He didn't have to look at Robert to tell that the other boy was chomping at the bit to get into the game. "Robert, go in for Daniel." He stated firmly, turning his eyes back to find Daniel on the field. "Dan! Come out!"

He raised an eyebrow, turning his eyes away from the game and to the dark-skinned teenager. It was clear Isaac knew more about the game than he did. It was also clear that the other boys trusted his decisions, as Robert took the field and Daniel slumped down onto the bench. He hadn't even noticed the boy flagging, but clearly he had been. "Drink some water Daniel." He stated calmly before sitting on the bench beside Isaac. "Why don't you coach for a while, Isaac? I could use a break." He added, catching the teenager's eyes. The teenager who was so silent, who so rarely spoke, who was staring at him like he was going to hurt him. He wasn't and he knew the child would realize that eventually. He was hoping that phrasing it the way he had, that the child would think he was doing him a favour. And Isaac really was doing him a favour. After all, he wasn't even sure what the positions were called, much less the rules of the game.

He hesitated for a moment longer before nodding. He quickly moved to walk up and down his side of the field. "Marko! Switch places with Elijah! Ben! Take midfield!"

She smiled, shaking her head. That was a good decision on Henry's part. The boys listened to Isaac, usually, and the boy knew the sport well. "Good save, Rose!" For a girl who didn't play sports, she was an excellent goalie.

"Get it Elijah! Come on! She's playing you!" He yelled before suddenly frowning. "Pete! Defend the goalie!"

He blew his whistle, raising an eyebrow at the teen boy in front of him. "I believe he said defend, not purposely kick Lexie in the back of her knee." He scolded, gently examining the teenager's leg before standing and offering her a hand up. "Let's get you to the bench." She was going to need an ice pack at least. Both Mary and him had brought their quick medical kits with them, in case someone got hurt. He just hadn't expected one of the teens to purposely hurt another.

Henry beckoned to Pete, shaking his head. "You're sitting out of the rest of this half. We don't play like that." He scolded.

"How the fuck would you know? It's not like you even care enough to learn our game." He snapped, glaring at the older man. He had done exactly what Isaac had said. He had defended the goalie.

He took a deep breath, meeting angry eyes until the sixteen year old looked away. Was this 'Test Henry' day? He knew the boys were bound to push, and many of them had pushed them to see what they would do. But it seemed without Jake, the boys didn't think he would discipline them. Or that he cared enough to do so. "I am trying to learn, Pete. I do know, however, that is bad sportsmanship. You attacked her from behind. Now you can either sit here for the rest of this half or sit here for the rest of the game. It's your choice."

He grunted, dropping down on the bench. "Fine." He would sit out this half if he had to. There couldn't be that much time left anyway.

"I can go back in. Please, Mary. I'm okay."

"Your knee is starting to swell. Why don't you rest for the rest of this half and we will see how you feel the second half." She stated calmly, helping the teenager maneuver so that she could secure the ice to her knee. She was just glad that none of these kids had cleats, they all played in worn-out sneakers. Perhaps she could see if they could get cleats and gear. She might even be able to convince Alexis to allow mundane sports to be played at Hogwarts as actual sports. After all, not everyone could play quidditch nor did everyone like the sport.

-x-

"Milo?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow at the young teenager. The terror visible in his eyes made her stop in her tracks. She knew he had disappeared from his group but she hadn't expected to find him in the upper level runes lab where she had left something earlier. He was a rising fourth year, he wouldn't be in this lab for at least another year and that terror in his eyes spoke volumes. He had come in here to feel safe. She just wasn't sure why.

He backed up toward a wall, staring at Kate. He didn't think she would hurt him, she worked with the younger kids, after all, and she was really good at it, but he didn't know for sure. Better safe than sorry. Even though he was scared and exhausted, he couldn't tell her that. He had come in here to calm himself down, the magic in the runes always help him calm down. He couldn't talk about it, it was forbidden. Besides, the only person who would understand was Luna and she wasn't at the castle today. Neither was the headmistress. He always felt safer when Alexis was around.

She moved slowly, rearranging her position so she wasn't blocking him in. As much as she needed to let his counselors know she found him, she was more focused on the clearly upset teenager. He wasn't much older than some of her little ones and he certainly wasn't much bigger than they were. "Can you tell me what's going on?" She asked quietly, tilting her head slightly. From the tracks on his cheeks, he had been crying.

"Nothing."

"You are upset, Milo. It isn't nothing if it is bothering you." She was also well aware that he might not want to tell her. She wasn't one of his regular counselors, even if all of them did try to get to know every child.

She wouldn't understand, how could she? And it was forbidden. He wasn't allowed to talk about it. But hadn't Alexis told him that he didn't have to follow his parents rules anymore? Even if that was true, even if they did go live with their grandfather, he still couldn't tell. She would tell Alexis what a freak he was and then Alexis would tell their grandfather and then he wouldn't want either of them and then-

"Breathe, Milo. Take a deep breath. That's it. Slow deep breaths. You are safe here. You are safe, Milo." She instructed calmly, crouching in front of the young teen. He wasn't as little as her little ones, but little enough that she was still a good head taller than him. The pure panic and terror on his face was both heart breaking and concerning. Perhaps she should call for help after all.

He took another shaky deep breath, forcing himself to try to calm down. "I-I can't." He whispered, wrapping his arms around himself tightly. He still clutched a rune stone in one hand, it helped ground him. He couldn't tell her. He couldn't tell anyone!

"What can't you do?" She asked softly.

He bit his lip, shaking his head. Even if he told her, she'd never understand. She wasn't a freak like him. His brother and Luna were the only ones who knew. Even though Luna kept telling him there were ways to help, it had always been forbidden. But none of the adults seemed to think Luna was a freak. Maybe...he didn't even know anymore!
"UGGH!"

That scream of frustration was so heartbreaking, it sounded much closer to those of her little ones than the frustrations normally released by the older teenagers. "It's alright, Milo. You are safe here. No one will hurt you here. You are safe. Deep breaths." She repeated. "I know you are upset and I know it can be really hard to talk about it."

"Not allowed!"

"You're not allowed to talk about it?" She sighed when he nodded, shaking her head. She knew Alexis had told all of the children that whatever rules their parents had did not exist here, that they were allowed to talk about the things done to them. "They can't hurt you here. Their rules do not apply here. You are safe, Hogwarts is a safe space. Remember?"

He hesitated, biting the inside of his cheek hard. She would think he was a freak. "You wouldn't understand!"

"I might. Try me."

"You aren't a freak! You wouldn't understand!"

She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Hadn't she said similar words recently? Hadn't she been on the other side of this exact situation a week or so ago? She wished for a brief moment that Alexis was here, she was good at this after all. And she couldn't be Alexis, but perhaps she could connect with him as she did with her young girls. "I think I might. I was called a freak for a very long time because of something I can do, something I didn't choose to be. You're right, Milo. I am not a freak and neither are you." She responded quietly, meeting wide eyes when they flew to hers.

But she wasn't a freak! She didn't see the things he did. But Luna did and he didn't think she was a freak. He had been told for as long as he could remember that this ability he had made him a freak, that that was why his parents beat them. It was his fault his brother got hurt. "You don't See. I've always been the freak. Always."

That would explain why he looked exhausted. Children tended to See through dreams, so he was probably avoiding sleep as best as he could. That or the things he saw gave him nightmares, like little Luna. She knew that Luna was having lessons with Trelawney and that had helped her have better control. "You weren't allowed to take divination, were you?" While Luna's gift had been so out of control Trelawney had sensed it when the child was a first year, she had a feeling control had been beaten into Milo, just as it had been her.

"No. I can't take Divination, Marko can't take Magical Creatures. It's a rule. I'm a freak and I taint Marko." He grimaced, looking away from her. But she wasn't looking at him with disgust or pity, just understanding.

"You aren't a freak and you didn't taint your brother. You have a gift, Milo. A gift that needs training and control, but it is still a gift. Your parents are the ones who were wrong here. Your magic is different, not bad. Just like my magic, like Alexis', like Luna's. They used your magic as an excuse to hurt you, to make you blame yourself. It wasn't your fault." She hesitated for a moment before gently touching the child's clenched hand. She had a feeling she knew which rune stone he was holding to feel safe. It was one that made her feel safe as well.

He bit his lip for a moment, before slipping his hand into hers. He let the rune of protection rest between their palms before glancing up at her. "That's your bracelet on the table, isn't it? The one with the runes for the elements?" He questioned carefully, flinching back for a moment before relaxing at the soft hand taking his other hand.

She shouldn't have moved so fast but at least he was a little less tense, now that she held both of his hands within hers. She had a feeling that the gesture made him feel safe; it probably helped ground him as well. She knew she had seen it used with Luna, to keep the little seer grounded. Two little seers now. Two seers, an elemental little boy, a young teen with emphatic magic, and a teenage girl who, as Alexis put it, was a leech. She had a feeling that there were more children with different magical abilities at the school that they hadn't realized yet, gods only know there were dozens at Beauboxtons. "It is. I have elemental magic. Alexis made it for me as a symbol of who I am." She answered quietly, smiling at him.

"We are safe here, aren't we?"

"You are. We won't let anyone hurt you like that again." Even if they could get through Alexis, those bastards would have an entire counseling staff to deal with.

"Even Alexis?"

"What?" That wasn't what she expected.

He bit his lip again, tightening his grip on her hands for a moment. The feeling of them helped, it helped him focus. He couldn't fully see it, so he knew it wasn't certain, but he also knew that Alexis had a shadow and he didn't like it. Neither did Luna. "Is Alexis safe here?"

"Of course she is. She has the magic of Hogwarts running through her, it protects her. Is there a reason you are worried about Alexis?" She asked gently, raising an eyebrow when he shrugged.

He didn't want to tell her something that he couldn't even fully see but he was worried. "She protects us but someone has to protect her too. Will you protect her?" He answered finally, tilting his head slightly. She was giving him the look Marko gave him, when he was dodging questions to avoid being wrong. After all, even this conversation could effect the future, which was always changing based on everyday decisions and actions made by ordinary people.

"Of course I will, Milo." She remarked after a moment of silence. She blinked, feeling the stone between their hands warm up. She released his hand, opening hers so that they could both see the now glowing rune of protection. That was interesting but she wasn't quite sure what it meant. She also had a feeling that the child wouldn't tell her anything else, she wasn't even sure he could. But she did know she would tell Alexis that he could See, so they could get him proper training. "Let's get you back to your group, alright?" She felt one of his hands slip into hers at his nod. She was perfectly fine with holding his hand if it comforted him; she knew many of the children had very little physical affection and they craved it now. He did leave her with a lot to think about though. After she got him back to Henry, of course.

-x-

His instincts were right with this one, after thirty minutes of entering all of the data he had an official diagnosis. He knew neither of her caretakers would be surprised that they had been right. Little Lila had autism and while she was non-speaking, she was very verbal. And extremely literal. When he had asked her to tell him a story using only the pictures in a book, she had told a very literal, very exact story without much creative narrative. While her caretakers had taken her to lunch, he had drawn up a very basic plan for the child, with the hope that the young headmistress could help him add to it. He didn't know much about magic schools, after all, but from what his brother told him. he did know that dyslexia and ADHD were as common there as they were at mundane schools, while autism was much rarer. He wasn't quite sure they would have all of the resources they needed but he was determined to help them. That little girl deserved that much, after the lack of help she had received in primary school.

Alexis knocked on Dr. Harris' office door, glancing at the sleepy preteen with a sigh. They had taken her to McDonald's and it had not gone well. Lunch itself had been fine. It was after lunch when a tired and overwhelmed Lila had a minor meltdown when they went to the small indoor playground. The noise and the amount of little children running around screaming hadn't helped. Nor had the brat that ripped off Lila's headphones. She had come close to hexing a few mothers as well at their non-subtle remarks about her ward.

He waved them into his office, gesturing toward the couch. "Why don't you put her down over there? She can sleep while we talk." He knew the little girl was probably exhausted.

Jake hesitated for a moment before gently easing her onto the couch. It took a minute to get her to let go but she quickly drifted back to sleep. He sat down beside Alexis, taking the notebook she offered him. They both had one. His would be for the day to day care of Lila and he would carry it with him at all times. Hers was for the school's records and the medical wing. He was also aware that she tended to write in German, so his would also be the easiest to understand. He didn't question her on it, he knew she reverted to her mother tongue when she was stressed and needed something done quickly.

"I'm sure this won't come as a surprise. Lila does have autism. Where she fits on the spectrum, exactly, is a bit more complicated. While she is non-speaking, she is verbal. She can express some of her needs and wants through signing but she does show some difficulties communicating efficiently. Her tendency to hit comes from that. If she was going to a public school, I would suggest a speech therapist. Even if she never speaks, a speech therapist can help her find ways to communicate more efficiently, so that she doesn't feel as frustrated. If she had the access to techniques to help her find the words she needs, she wouldn't be as likely to hit and she would be able to fit in with her peers better. Is there the equivalent of that in the magical community?" He stated quietly, glancing at the sleeping child before turning toward her two caretakers. He wasn't sure the child could make the trip here every week for speech therapy and he wasn't sure if a mundane therapist would be able to handle her without knowledge of the magical world.

She thought about it for a moment before nodding. When she had reached out to the Deaf school, the first thing they offered was a speech therapist, someone who could turn vocalizations to words. Their headmaster had told her that every child at their school when through speech therapy, if for nothing else than to teach them to read lips. Some of them never spoke but some learned to speak, even if it didn't always sound natural to hearing individuals. If she remembered correctly, the therapists they had had to go through both mundane and magical healer training. "The Deaf school has a speech therapist, I'm sure I can work something out with them. Is there a way to get them a copy of your speech prognosis? I'm not sure Lila will put up with another set of evaluations." She responded, tilting her head. Now that she thought of it, their therapist might understand autism better than other magicals, since they had to go through mundane training as well. That would be a plus.

He nodded, glancing down at his notes again. "Her social skills are limited, partly because of her ability to communicate. But she does understand what a friend is, she can identify some emotions, she can even recognized some emotions in others if they are extreme or pronounced. With intervention now, she should grow in this. She will need the help of an aide, especially with her limited self-care skills. If she has someone who can explain interactions to her in a way she can understand, her social skills will get a lot better. We also have a type of therapy that can help with this." He knew CBT could help the little girl greatly; he figured if they taught it to her aide, she might not even need to come to the office. Or there were therapists in the magical community who could be taught that type of therapy.

"Cognitive Behavior Therapy, right?" She inquired, fighting back a chuckle at his expression. "We have the equivalent in the magical world. Hogwarts even has a teacher trained in both the mundane and magical versions of it, as well as of our few counselors. We were planning on starting it with Lila as soon as possible, but we were also trying to get her through trauma therapy first." She explained quietly, making a quick note in her book. "Here is the plan I had drawn up for her schedule, including classes and mind healing. Let's see if we can add both plans together and make this easier." She was thankful he had given them a whole day of his time, because she was well aware that creating a plan that would work well would take a while.
-x-

He wasn't quite sure how he had ended up here, to be honest. After suddenly realizing that he was on the balcony of one of the towers and a second year was trying to get his attention, he knew he couldn't keep doing this. Severus wasn't stupid, he knew what was happening. It did feel like his feet had automatically brought him here, though, after he had made the decision to get help. He did fuss at Nora, as his little Slytherin shouldn't have been out on that tower either, before sending her back toward the camp. While thinking about what he needed to do, his feet had carried him to the medical wing. To Eric's office. If he had the courage to knock, to seek the help he was starting to realize he needed. But he didn't want to put anything else onto Alexis' shoulders right now. She needed his help and if she knew, she would be worrying about him. She didn't need that now. School would start back in just a few weeks and they weren't ready, there was so much left to do. He could handle this for a bit longer, right?

"He doesn't bite." Lucas remarked quietly, shaking his head. He felt like he had said that a lot lately. The younger counselors, and professors in Severus' case, always seemed so reluctant to seek out Eric. The deputy headmaster didn't seem to be getting enough sleep any more that the headmistress was. Was sleep-deprivation part of the job description now?

He jumped, glancing at the older healer for a moment. His senses must be off, he hadn't even noticed that Lucas was there. "I know, I just..I'm sure he's busy." He responded finally, shaking his head. It bothered him that he was so distracted he didn't sense the healer.

"He once told me that he is never too busy if someone needs something, even if it is just a listening ear." He shrugged, raising an eyebrow at the dark-haired man. "I'm sure he would rather talk to you now than wait and see what happens." He added quietly, forcing back a sigh. He had seen the emotion in Severus' eyes before on some of his patients and, at one point, in the mirror. He associated it with severe trauma and knowing some of what the other man had done during the war, he could even guess the cause. He wasn't a mind-healer but he had seen enough of it to be able to diagnosis it.

He could just busy himself by taking on more work, there was plenty left to be done after all. But if he waited, he might accidentally harm one of the children, one of his children. He had been through this before, he knew it would get worse the longer he waited. He couldn't control it and that scared him. He glanced at Lucas for a long moment before finally knocking softly on the door.

"Come in."

He hesitated, taking a deep breath before slowly opening the door. If he hadn't know that Lucas would tell Eric he had come by, he would have just left. Handled it for a little longer. He stepped into the office, meeting Eric's eyes for a moment.

"Severus, come in. Sit." He studied the younger man for a moment before frowning. Something was wrong. Usually if Severus needed his help with something, he floo'd. He could also see the pain in his eyes. He could make his guesses as to why the young potion's master was there but he'd rather hear it from him first. "Everything alright?"

He hesitated before shaking his head. "No. I'm having...difficulties and I believe I need your help before someone gets hurt." And that was the truth. He would have sought out Tim but he also knew how busy the other man was with the students and Alexis. Eric was also busy, they were all busy, but he knew the dark-skinned man was his best hope with this.

"Has something changed?" The fear in the younger man's voice told him it had. It had been two weeks since his son had woken him to help with Severus' PTSD. At least if it was as bad as he feared, Severus was seeking help now instead of waiting.

Had something changed? He wasn't sure to be honest. He knew it was getting worse, he knew he had pointed his wand at a child today. He knew he kept coming out of it and finding himself places he shouldn't be. A few days ago he had even made his way outside the wards and apparated somewhere while in the midst of a flashback. He was so stuck in them it was like- "It is almost as if I am reliving some of my worst memories. I don't know what is causing it. It...I get stuck, Eric. It is becoming harder and harder to come out of it." He responded finally, glancing up at the older man. He had no control over this, over when or where or how it happened, and that terrified him.

That told him more than it didn't. It did make him wonder if Severus was using the PTSD potions to come out of it, if they were helping at all. "Are you taking the potions?" Unless he had brewed some more, the medical wing had all of his stock.

He did hesitated then before sighing softly. The older man couldn't help him if he didn't know. "By the time I'm lucid enough to remember them, they would have no effect. Lucius did force me to drink one the night...the night I managed to apparate to his house from Hogsmeade. I don't even know how I got to Hogsmeade, much less his house. The potion helped a little, but it didn't break me out of it. It didn't prevent future incidents. The one I drank this morning didn't prevent me from ending up on top of one of the towers nor from...it didn't help." It had scared Remus when he had managed to get to the Malfoy's, Narcissa had floo'd him not long after he had arrived. It had scared Lucius too. He felt so out of control. This couldn't keep happening, someone would get hurt.

He apparated while in that state? They were lucky he hadn't ended up somewhere dangerous instead of the Malfoys or splinched himself. The fact that it was getting worse a lot faster than normal, bothered him. He had a feeling that the amount of stress on Severus, as the deputy Headmaster and the Potions Master, was part of the cause. The lack of sleep probably wasn't helping either. There were a couple of options that could help but he also knew there was something he might need to do that Severus wouldn't like. "Do you feel like you could become a danger to yourself or others?" He questioned carefully, meeting dark eyes until the young man looked away.

He knew what his answer would mean but this time, this time he wouldn't lie. The last time he had been asked that question, when his PTSD had been at its peak, he had lied and he had hurt both himself and Remus. But they had two children now, he had more responsibilities now, he had to still be able to work. "I need to be able to do my job." He answered finally, shaking his head. Remus had set an alarm on all the doors and floo in their quarters so he couldn't leave at night without Remus noticing. It also helped keep track of the children at night, which was a plus.

"I will make sure you will still be able to do what needs to be done. Gods only know, Alexis can't do it all alone." He responded quietly, tilting his head slightly. He would make sure the young Deputy could still do what he needed to do. He knew this would be hard on the younger man, but he honestly felt it was necessary at this point. If he was apparating places unaware and he was having trouble coming out of them, this would keep him safe at least.

He hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Yes, I do. I...pulled my wand on a child today. She startled me." He answered, looking away from the older man.

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Hopefully it was a child who would understand, they didn't need any of the camp children to be any more afraid of adults than they already were. It did make him more sure of the path he was about to take. If Severus had hurt the child, the man would never had forgiven himself. " I'm sure you are already aware of this but I'm going to need your wand." He stated calmly, raising an eyebrow at the glare he received. This was always the hardest part; though he had a feeling that the other man would be getting back his wand sooner than later. He had actively sought him out and he was aware of how dangerous he could become in that state, after all.

He glared at the older man for a long before finally unsheathing his wand. He hesitated, keeping a tight grip on it. Surrendering his wand made him feel awful. He was terrified that he would hurt someone if he kept having these flashbacks but having his wand helped ground him sometimes. It was a piece of himself. Last time this happened, he hadn't surrendered his wand and Remus had gotten hurt. They were raising two young teenagers now, he couldn't afford to be so stubborn this time.

Eric gave the younger man a small smile, gently taking the offered wand and placing it into a desk drawer before locking it. He would move it somewhere safer later; it would be alright in his desk for now. "I know that was hard, Severus. Thank you for trusting me."

Now the question was would Eric try to bind his wandless magic? Because he would fight that. He needed it to brew and to work, he had to still be able to do his duties. He didn't want to tell Alexis, she didn't need anything else to worry about. As long as he had his magic, he wouldn't have to.

He saw the flash of fear in the young man's eyes and while he knew his next statement wouldn't make him happy, it was the best he could do to meet him in the middle here. "I will not bind your magic. However, I do believe the wisest action would be to block it at night for right now."

"No."

"Just during the night, son. I believe it is necessary, at least until we get you to a better state of being." He replied calmly, ignoring the look the younger man was giving him. He wouldn't bend on this.

"Remus has charms set already. It isn't necessary!"

He had wondered when the young man would start fighting him. "It is necessary. I am not worried about you leaving your quarters. I am concerned that you might hurt yourself or someone else, as it seems to get worse at night. This is not up for discussion." He stated firmly.

It wasn't necessary! He would never hurt his children...intentionally. He never thought he would hurt Remus either and he had done that in the past. He didn't like the feeling of not having access to his magic, it made him feel awful inside. Empty. As much as he knew he could keep arguing, he had known Eric long enough to know that if the dark-skinned man thought it was necessary he wouldn't give in. "Fine." He huffed finally, staring out the window. He stared at the tops of trees for a moment before blinking rapidly. He knew he couldn't possibly be seeing what he was seeing. It couldn't be here, could it? It had been destroyed. He had been there. It couldn't be real. But what if it was real?

"Severus, son, take a deep breath in. And release it. In. Release. You are not where ever you think you are. Deep breath." He knew that look well. He had glanced out the window at the younger man's sudden stillness and there was nothing there besides a view of the grounds and forest.

He blinked, forcing himself to turn his eyes to Eric as he took deep, meditative breaths. "Sorry, I zoned out there for a minute."

That wasn't what he called zoned out. "What did you see?"

"Nothing."

"I cannot help you son, if you don't talk about it. You know you are going to have to talk about all of it. Why not now?"

He sighed, shaking his head. It was usually much harder to come out of them, although he wasn't sure if that had been a true flashback or his eyes playing tricks on him. "I saw a tower that shouldn't exist here, a tower that was destroyed. It wasn't a flashback." He answered finally, meeting brown eyes.

This wasn't uncommon in patients with PTSD. It was a brief moment when similarities make things appear that weren't there. As stuck as he got inside his memories, inside these moments, he wasn't surprised. Severus was right; he was literally reliving some of his worst memories. He also knew that was probably all he would get from him today, at least about that. They had a long road ahead and it would get easier the further they went. "Sounds close to one. Thank you for telling me. Is there anything about that tower that you want to talk about today?" He waited for the negative response before finding his calendar. "Alright, let's see if we can set up a therapy schedule for you." Not that he wouldn't be talking to one of them after every flashback, but he knew that it was going to take more than that this time. He would have to see if he could find Severus a healer outside of \the family after school started back This wouldn't be an easy journey but he had faith in the young potions master.
-x-