Thank you all for the reviews! As per your requests (and cause I really wanted it to be there too) a little father/son time! Sorry it took so long, writers block…

Chapter Fourteen

Lunch time came and went without Harry appearing. While Severus and Cassi were sure Harry had said he'd be home in time for lunch they weren't yet so used to dealing with him that they realized he almost never was late. However, despite telling themselves that he probably always did things like this they were growing more and more worried as time passed.

It wasn't until Kia served dinner that they realized that Harry was in fact home when a day of worry had Severus turn to the elves, "Kia, please alert us the second Alex arrives home."

"But Master Snape sir, Master Alex is home sir. He is upstairs."

A few questions and Cassi and Severus discovered that Harry had in fact been home since before lunch, was in bed 'asleep' with his eyes open, and hadn't responded when lunch and then dinner were announced. With an understanding look between them, Cassi and Severus realized Harry had slipped into the depression he had warned them about. It was time to begin the game with Draco.

"Kia, please serve Alex some soup. Leave it on his desk but alert him to its presence. I doubt he'll eat it but leave it there for a while incase he does decide to eat it. At each meal for the next few days make something simple and send it up to him please."

A polite "Yes Master Snape" was followed by a House Elf pop of transportation and Kia was gone.

"Why is Alex having simple meals served in his room for the next few days?" Harry was right, Draco was interested.

"He does this sometimes. When emotional things happen he doesn't respond at the time but then later he slips into a kind of depression for a few days. He'll be fine. In a few days he'll get up and go binge for a few days, indulging in all his favorite vices I'd like to pretend didn't exist and then he'll be his usual self."

Acting like it was normal was obviously the right ploy because Draco let it drop. Over the next few days there was a slight tension hanging in the house at all times, blanketing its occupants while they waited each day for word from one of the House Elves that Harry had at least eaten something.

It was three days before they saw Harry again. One afternoon he came bounding down the stairs dressed in leather pants and a dark green mesh wife beater. He proceeded to eat the meal he had requested the elves make him while standing up, talking a mile a minute about the band he and the others had seen the night before he had slipped into his depression, bopping along to music only he could hear. When he was finished he kissed Tainen on the head and yelled bye as he danced out the door. Step 2 had obviously begun.

The adults and teen sitting around the room exchanged a look; that whirlwind that had just blown through was the same lump that hadn't moved all week?

It was four days before anybody in that household saw Harry again. The afternoon before Kia had popped in during a family game of wizard chess to announce that Alex was home and had headed upstairs to bed, so it was no surprise when Harry appeared at breakfast the next morning. Conversation was stilted as they all attempted to pretend that Harry's behavior was perfectly normal, and that they didn't want to ask for a step by step of his last several days in order to know him, know what he had done. But that was never going to happen.

"You know, I really should go and reply to the pile of letters that have built up on my desk over the last few days." Breakfast was ending as Harry seemed to throw that little non-sequeta out there, and oh gods, was the teen pouting? "Anyway, I really don't wanna… care for a game of wizard's chess old man? It's a guaranteed victory, I suck at chess."

It was the first time Harry had ever offered to spend time with Severus when it wasn't about business. He had decided it was time to throw the man a bone, even if he kinda, really didn't wanna. Severus jumped at the chance, and a quick look between Cassi and Sev ensured that Cassi distracted the other two children from wanting to watch the chess game.

"That's sounds great, and I'm sure you're not that bad! Shall we adjourn to the lounge room?"

It didn't take Sev long to realize that Harry was indeed that bad. The second game ended in much the same manner as the first and not even 20 minutes had passed since they had sat down to play.

They were setting up for the third game when Harry finally spoke. "So, tell me a story, father mine."

"What type of story would you like?"

"Well, what's say we skip the ancestral history lesson, which one of these days you are going to have to give me, medical history would at least be helpful, but not today. Today let's go for something a little lighter. You knew my mother since you were 11, there must be something you can tell me."

"Of course. Is there a particular something you're interested in?"

"No, just something new. Let me tell you what I know about my mother and then you can tell me something new, okay? She had green eyes, was head girl, was very nice, a fairly major player in the first war, has an older sister, her parents were supportive of her magic, good at charms, Cassi mentioned that, like me, she needed a cup of coffee to start the day, and she willing gave her life in order to save mine- anything new would be nice."

Severus felt his heartbreak that this was all his son knew about the fantastic, beautiful, intelligent women that was his mother, but he was getting used to the sensation this summer. It was time the teen knew more about Lily, and Severus could give him that. And as a bonus, the teen was actually reaching out to him for the first time.

"How about I tell you why your mother and I served a weeks worth of detention at the beginning of our fourth year?"

By the smirk on Severus' face Harry could already tell that this story was going to be good. A simple inclination of the head had Severus beginning the tale.

"I'm pretty sure you know all about the Marauders, and their history of pranking the school, especially the Slytherins? Well, your mother and I had decided on the train ride home at the end of our third year that someone needed to give them a taste of their own medicine. By correspondence over the summer we came up with the plan…"

By this point Severus could tell he had his son's complete attention. He knew he had chosen well, a story about a mischievous deed was something that would appeal to the prankster he knew resided inside the Gryffindor, and the fact that it also included James, who Severus knew Harry considered the father of his heart if not his blood, was another bonus. It was also very light hearted, one of the few stories were he a James were acting 'all in good fun', instead of having the usual undercurrent of hatred.

"As you know your mother excelled at charms, and I was quite good at potions. It was also my job to do the transfiguration work required. At the start of each year the Marauders started the feast be sharing a toast, they always did it. They drank to a new year of pranks. We felt that it was only right then that those drinks be doctored."

"Over the summer I had brewed a potion which caused the person to have an extremely high pitched voice, your mother slipped it into the Marauders drinks at the Welcoming feast. I remember trying to covertly watch them, waiting to see them do their traditional toast, and trying to avoiding looking at your mother because I knew I would burst out laughing if I did. When we saw them drink we both cast our spells. I transfigured their robes into these flowing white angel looking robes. At the same time your mother cast a weightless charm, which made them float, and another charm that caused them to sing every time they tried to speak."

"Needless to say they caused quite the spectacle when they started floating around the room in cherubic robes, singing about not having any clue what was going on in these high pitched voices. It was definitely worth the week worth of detention we got when we got caught."

Harry couldn't help laughing at the images this helped conjure. Oh, they would have just looked like little angels, he was sure, and yes, he even thought in sarcasm.

Severus continued on with another story, this time telling Harry about Lily's near hysteria leading up to the OWLs. The morning continued in much the same vein, with story after story, and for the first time ever Harry felt like he truly knew his mother. And if he was honest with himself, it didn't suck that he was also getting to know his 'father' by default as he was in all the stories with Lily as her best friend.

Lunch time almost came too soon, though Harry would never admit that, even under the worst torture he could imaging- quantity time with reporters. Packing up the chessboard they headed outside to join the others for a picnic lunch down by the lake.

What happened next Harry hadn't seen coming, and he really rather wished he had. Maybe if he had have spent the morning reading his backlogged mail like he should have, maybe it wouldn't have happened. But hindsight is 20/20, and there was nothing he could do about it when Bill Weasley was shown outside to where the family was having lunch. They had been so distracted messing about that they didn't even hear him coming, the first sign of another person joining them was the clearing of a throat followed by a simple "Alex"

"Bill, hey, what on earth are you doing here?" Harry really hoped the tension in his voice wasn't obvious, and the tight smile didn't look as fake as it felt. "Not that I'm not thrilled to see you! Umm, introductions, I don't suppose you know everybody. This is Severus Snape, umm you know, umm my father" please don't let me choke on that word "umm, his wife Cassi and my little brother Tainen. And this is Draco Malfoy, Daddy Dearest's Godson." He really hated his tendency to babble when surprised somedays, oh it was good babble that never betrayed too much info but it was still babble.

"A pleasure to meet you Bill. We were just having lunch, care to join us? It wouldn't take but a moment for the Elves to bring you a setting," Cassi, ever the gracious host, invited.

"No thank-you. I just need a second of Alex's time. I've been waiting for a reply to an invitation I sent a few days ago but I'm afraid I really need that answer by tonight, and I also thought coming in person would allow me to reiterate the importance of it."

"Sorry Bill. I was a little out of it for few days. I was going to go through my mail this afternoon. Did you wish to discuss this in private, or will here do?" He trusted Bill not to mention anything he ought not to.

"I had heard; I'm glad you're feeling better. Normally it wouldn't matter but tonight is a matter of rather great importance. And either is fine."

"Then shoot!" Bill would never get used to the muggle sayings Harry insisted on using, even if he had learned to interpret their meaning.

"This evening there is a family dinner at my parents house. I have a rather important announcement that I wanted the entire family there to hear. Look, Alex, I have no idea what it is you and Charlie define whatever it is you have as, because I know you are what they had in mind when they created the term commitment phoebe, but whatever it is, it's been gong on for like 2 years. I would appreciate your presence. Besides Mum wants to see you, she was worried when she heard you had been unwell again."

Damn, Harry was choking. He really rather wished he had opted for private now. At least Bill knew better then to mention his friendship with Bill's youngest brothers, which would have been too hard to explain. But maybe it would have been less terrifying. He knew the Weasley considered his family, he returned that feeling 110, but he preferred it when he was family because he was Ron's best friend, not because he was whatever he was with Charlie.

"Of course Bill, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Umm, how about if I get there around 5-ish, that way your mother can hover before dinner?" Harry appreciated that no one commented on the way he had paled, or the fact that his voice came out strangled, or the slightly ragged way he was currently breathing now.

"Great, see you tonight." And he was gone, headed back toward the house so he could leave the apparation wards.

It was Draco who asked what they had all been wondering, "So, what do you define whatever you and Charlie have as?" Someone rally needed to slap that smirk off his face in Harry's opinion. And the fact that he could tell Draco meant it as good-natured ribbing, and the fact that Harry felt the same, just added to the turmoil of his brain.

"Nothing, nothing. We're friends. Okay, so we fall into bed together sometimes, but that's it. And since when are Charlie and I a Charlie and I? As us? A we? Are they crazed? We're friends. It doesn't mean anything. It's totally casual…"

The rant continued as the others looked on in amusement, Draco barely managing not to laugh. Cassi holding in her triumphant look, she bet she knew who got him those concert tickets for his birthday. Severus torn between amusement at his son's panic over being thought to be in a relationship, concern over the fucked nature that was blind panic over such a simple thing, and wanting to demand every detail about the second eldest Weasley, and yell over the age difference. Harry decided retreat was the best policy.

"Well, I better head inside and answer my mail before anyone else shows up looking for me. Oh, and I guess I won't be here for dinner tonight." And before he left tonight, he had some thinking to do.

Please R&R!