Author's Note: I just wanted to take a moment to thank all my readers and reviewers! Your reviews mean so much to me. I'm just overwhelmed by how many reviews this story has gotten in such a short period of time! It's intriguing to read reviews that give more insight about where they think this story is headed, but I guess you'll just have to wait and see, huh?

Also, I'd like to point out that in the Wizarding world, there doesn't seem to be very good treatment available for people who are mentally ill. Look at Neville's parents, for example. The Dumbledore family kept their youngest, Ariana, at home because they feared her simply being locked up at St. Mungo's. Harry is badly mistreated while growing up, and yet, there is nothing done on the part of the Wizarding world. Anyway, I think you get the idea, so that said, Severus isn't going to be taking his mother to St. Mungo's in hopes of getting help.

Chapter Eight

The next morning, Severus awoke early, hoping to start breakfast. He went down to the kitchen, finding Eileen nowhere in sight. She was most likely still sleeping, then.

He had never really taken care of another human being before, and as he set about preparing breakfast, he felt like the parent. He wondered again what could have been in his other life had he bothered to help his mother, but as Severus set the table, he knew he couldn't have expected his former sixteen-year-old self to act in the same manner as he was now. He was an adult wizard in his mind, and to him, that changed everything.

He looked out the window facing the street for signs of his father, but didn't see the man. Either Tobias was sleeping on a park bench somewhere or had gone to the home of one of his mates. Withdrawing from the window, Severus decided he wouldn't waste another minute thinking about the awful man. The only thing that mattered regarding Tobias was that he was kept away.

When the clock struck eight, Severus decided it was time to get his mother. He rapped on the door to her bedroom, and when no reply came, he gingerly turned the handle. Eileen was awake, sitting up in bed, staring straight ahead.

"Good morning, Mum," he greeted her, trying to start conversation.

Eileen didn't respond. Severus walked to the bedside and reached for her hand. She withdrew it and released a small whimper. She recoiled from her son yet again when he tried to go for her arm.

"Where's Tobias?" she asked.

Oh, great, Severus thought sardonically. He tried to keep his patience when dealing with her. After all, he couldn't blame his mother for the way she was acting.

Choosing not to answer that loaded question, Severus stated levelly, "Breakfast is waiting for you, Mum. Come downstairs and eat."

Eileen stared at Severus for a couple of minutes like he had just spoken a foreign language, but understanding finally registered in her eyes, and she relented, allowing herself to be issued out the room and to the kitchen.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Severus figured it best not to mention Tobias, for he feared what reaction it might cause in his mother. After she had finished eating, he suggested she take a bath. She had managed that fine on her own numerous times in the past, so he wasn't going to help her if he didn't have to. He knew it was ridiculous, but a part of him was embarrassed at the thought of seeing his mother naked, even if it was out of necessity.

When Eileen left to have her bath, Severus cleaned up, wondering how he could possibly return to Hogwarts knowing his mother would be alone. He knew the Wizarding world was severely lacking in terms of healthcare compared to the Muggle world. If he took her to St. Mungo's, she would be committed and probably have to spend the rest of her life there. Her quality of life would suffer. She would be nothing more than a prisoner, and Severus wasn't about to do that to her. She deserved better.

He sighed. He was sixteen! What could he possibly do? What authority did he have? Even if he took her to a Muggle institution to get help, he would have no say. Even his drunken father would probably have more rights. He was Eileen's husband, after all.

Severus shook his head. His only hope was to improve his mother's condition in the next month and hope for the best. He wondered if explaining the circumstances to Dumbledore would do any good. Could he at least return home on the weekends to check on her once school started? He would figure out something, but for now, he would do what he could.

Later that day, Severus grew restless. It was another beautiful day outside, and he had spent it inside, concerning himself over his mother. It hadn't even been one day, and he was already growing weary of the task of caring for her. He felt guilty just leaving her there and going out, but as he observed her, he realized she wasn't incapable of functioning on her own. Was he being overbearing?

Eileen was in the sitting room reading a book near the fireplace when Severus entered.

"Will you be okay, Mum, if I go visit Lily for a little while?"

Eileen looked up from the book and, surprisingly, gave her son a smile. "Of course, Severus," she said pleasantly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

That smile was an odd spectacle. It both warmed his heart, for he hadn't seen her smile like that in years, and unnerved him, for he wondered if she was in her right mind.

"You're sure?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

The smile was gone, but she had the wherewithal to look sensible. "Yes, Severus," Eileen said pointedly, much in the same tone Severus often used when his patience was dwindling.

Severus nodded and smirked to himself. That certainly sounded more like the mother he used to know.

He left Spinner's End and went to "their spot" near the playground. Lily wasn't there, but that was fine. Severus was glad to just be outside. He idly watched children play on the swings and slides and whatnot, recalling when Lily and he were young enough to do those things. The saying that those memories felt like they were from another lifetime was more than true for Severus. Memories of his childhood felt incredibly distant.

After some time, Lily joined him.

"I was here earlier," she said, "but didn't see you. I began to wonder if you'd show."

Severus shrugged and made a noncommittal noise. "I would have come if I could," he said.

"Oh?"

"It's..." Severus trailed off, knowing he needed to tell Lily the truth about last night, but feeling ashamed of his broken family, "...my family." The leaf he had been twirling in his fingers moments ago was now being ripped apart brutally by his deft hands. "You know they always fought. You know about my father's problem," he sneered.

Lily simply nodded, giving him the chance to continue.

"I'd finally had enough, I guess. He's gone now, Lily. I kicked him out of the house... literally."

Lily understood his meaning. "Sev, you- you used magic?"

"Yes," he sighed impatiently. "What was I supposed to do, Lily?"

"I guess you're right, but you're sure you won't get in trouble?"

"Remember, my mum is a witch. It's different than your house."

"Right," she murmured.

"The point is... my mother isn't right anymore. I was trying to help her all day. I don't think she can be left alone for long... or that she should be, at any rate," Severus explained, purposefully keeping his voice even. He didn't want to let his emotions invade.

"Oh, Sev," Lily said in a choked voice. "That's awful. I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be," he said, a little too harshly. When he saw the hurt look on her face, he softened some. "I mean, it's not your fault. What do you have to be sorry for?"

"I meant I was sorry for the whole situation... that you and your mum have to go through it, is all," Lily replied sincerely. "Sev, you deserve better; you both do."

He shrugged. "It's not a matter of deserving anything, Lily. I don't think life works that way."

"No," she sighed sadly, "I suppose you're right."

Severus heard the defeated tone in her words and felt badly for bringing her down. She was the sunshine in his dark world, and he didn't want to burn her out. He tentatively reached for her hand with his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm not always right," he said softly as their eyes met.