Thank you for reading BlueWater5 & Zeugma412!

PearlM21: Thank you so much – I blame my own personal experiences and headspace with depression, for that one LOL! I love delving into Severus' headspace in his chapters. I just really connect with that feeling of emptiness and hopeless longing for things you feel are impossible. You'll notice that he refers to his depression as 'the entity' because of how dark and deep his mind feels it is. Aww, I'm glad you like my dragon story! I've never written a children's story in my life! LOL!

Author's Note: Would love to hear your thoughts on how you think I am handling Severus in this fic so far. Admittingly, this one has been more challenging as I'm dealing with more of the time jumps and post-War problems that have surfaced/re-surfaced. Happy to hear any constructive criticism, or even blunt honesty, with how I'm writing Severus. Writing future Severus is difficult! LOL!

And also, YAY 2000 views and 35 reviews so far! You guys are amazing!

"I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hate so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain."

― James Baldwin

CHAPTER 10: Chances

March 3rd, 2002

[Harry Potter]

"She did what?!"

Harry and Ginny decided to pay a visit to Andromeda within her home when she told them about the impromptu visit from her estranged sister one evening. This was definitely unexpected to hear and considering how disdainful Narcissa was towards her own family for years, this had Harry casting some doubt upon her reappearance. Although Andromeda told them of their heated conversation, Harry really didn't know what to think. It's not as if he wished ill-will upon Narcissa – he wasn't that twisted – but for her to directly pay her sister a random visit, was indeed concerning.

Why now? After all this time, now she decided to see Andromeda.

But the conversation, as it appeared, did not bode well for either of them. Apparently, Narcissa broke down and left in a hurry. Harry had to admit how awkward the situation would have been, and he had to wonder what Teddy's reaction was. It was sad to think he wouldn't even know that Narcissa was essentially, his aunt. But that would have been far too much for the child to understand. There was simply far too much history there and Andromeda wanted to spare Teddy from the pain of being related to a family who once served Voldemort, and those responsible for the death of his parents. It was far beyond what a child's heart should ever comprehend.

"I-I know. I can't believe it even happened at all, " Andromeda responded, seemingly in shock herself.

Harry frowned, "What did she want, exactly?"

The woman shrugged, appearing conflicted, " Nothing, really. She just wanted to see me."

Ginny and Harry exchanged glances, before his wife turned back to Andromeda, "Surely that can't be it? Seems unlike her to just drop by for a causal visit."

Andromeda gave a light chuckle, "Yes, quite true. Honestly, she seemed rather confused even being there at all. She was quite clearly in two minds about it."

"So, what will you do now?" Harry asked curiously, as Teddy came up beside him and sneakily grabbed a hash brown off from his plate from their late brunch. Noticing the cheeky thief from the corner of his eye, Harry gave the kid a mischievous smirk and watched as Teddy bounded off, giggling away.

Andromeda took a sip from her mug of tea, "I have not the faintest idea. She can't expect me to end up on the doorstep of Malfoy Manor, begging to see her. I'd rather be obliviated."

"Do you think she'll end up here again?"

The woman scoffed, "I hope not. Either way, I'd prefer she owl me first before she decides to show up unannounced again, " Andromeda glanced quickly at Teddy, who had since scurried away with the hash brown and sat on the couch in the living room, reading a child's book. She lowered her voice, "Teddy saw her. He asked me who she was when she had left, and I couldn't even bring myself to tell him. I mean, should I have? Is it wrong of me to withhold that from him?"

"Ted doesn't even know her. He's far too young to understand how complicated it all is, " Ginny interjected, "What could you possibly say to him? I mean, she sided with the one responsible for the death of…" Ginny's voice trailed away and stopped herself from finishing, when she realised what she was saying.

Andromeda glanced sadly back into the depths of her mug, feeling a little uncomfortable, "…I-I know. It's not fair on the child. I have to keep him away from that. It's far better for him not to know her at all."

Harry nodded, "Whatever happens, Andy, we'll support you."

Andromeda appeared to emit a small sigh of relief, "Thank you. I just…I don't think I could ever truly forgive her. I just can't. It'll be an insult to my husband and daughters' memory. I can't do that to them. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but I just cannot put myself through that. It's still so very painful. She and Bella took so much from me."

Feeling slightly uneasy with the conversation, Ginny rose up from the kitchen table and began to collect all the cold, unfinished mugs. Withdrawing her wand, she cast a simple cleaning charm and allowed the soap-drenched brush to begin scrubbing themselves away. She leaned against the bench and turned back to the others, "Harry and I are making a stop at Diagon Alley shortly. Would you like us to take Teddy for the rest of the afternoon? It'll give you some time to yourself if you need."

The request seemed to deter Andromeda off guard, "Oh, well…"

There was a quick patter of feet across the wooden floor, when Teddy bounded towards them from the other room, "Yes, yes! Please, gramma?"

Harry stifled a grin, turning towards Andromeda, "We really don't mind. We were going to pay George and Angelina a visit at the shop while we were there."

Andromeda glanced at the child, who jumped excitedly on the spot. The face of the child full of glee slowly etched a smile upon her weary face. "Oh, alright."

"Yay!" Teddy yelled ecstatically, as the tips of his dusty-brown hair merged into a sea green.

The woman smirked, glancing back at the Potters, "Just be back by sundown."

Ginny turned to Teddy, "Alright, let's go get your shoes on!" Harry watched with a smile, as Ginny took the child by the hand and made their way towards Teddy's room.

Looking back at Andromeda, he noticed she seemed a little disheartened. Harry bit his lip, "Don't worry about Narcissa. You need to do what's best for yourself and Teddy."

Andromeda swallowed thickly, despite the slightly forced smile she displayed, "I know. It's not that – "

" – Is everything else okay?"

"Yes, everything else is alright, " Andromeda flashed a quick smile, "I'll manage."

Not entirely convinced, Harry returned the smile, "…Okay."

Once Ginny and Teddy emerged from the bedroom – Teddy now sporting an adorable pair of jeans, and a green and blue jumper, along with his favorite glowing dragonfly printed trainers – the three of them bid Andromeda farewell and began the short journey towards Diagon Alley. Apparating directly into the popular magical shopping district, the trio made their way towards the shopfront of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Diagon Alley was moderately busy for the day's trading and Harry noticed there were still several empty shopfronts. After the downfall of Voldemort and the end of the Second War, many traders were hesitant to re-open their businesses for fear of being ransacked and taken over by rogue enemies. Many of them abandoned their business and life investments, leaving the majority of Diagon Alley derelict and empty. But over the last few years, once the safety within the community was reinforced, many traders either moved back into their old shopfronts, or some managed to start anew elsewhere. With the rise of Fred and George's joke shop during the height of the War, it was a small hope for the community which encouraged them to begin trading once more.

Over time, Diagon Alley was soon back to being popular and busy, with many new shopfronts opening through the year. Given the fear of the Death Eaters, many shopfronts in Knockturn Alley were reinvigorated, and the shops selling dangerous and darker items were since inspected due to a Ministry overhaul under Kingsley's leadership. Some shops, such as Borgin and Burkes, were audited and cleared of anything potentially dangerous to the community. They were still allowed to sell, but their items required a certain clearance and permits to trade.

After Draco's affinity using the vanishing cabinet in sixth year leading up to the infiltration of Hogwarts and death of Albus Dumbledore, the Ministry was not taking any more chances.

For the most part, Diagon Alley was thriving. Ollivanders Wand Shop had been restored, with Garrick Ollivander once again at its helm, and additionally managed by the family. It took a while for Ollivander to resume trading, but it took some time for the elderly wizard to recover from his ordeal of being held captive at Malfoy Manor.

Before their destination to visit the Weasley's joke shop, Harry, Ginny, and Teddy treated themselves to ice-cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. The community was indeed shocked to discover Florean was abducted and killed by the Death Eaters before the end of the War. However, despite the tragic death, the families running the other shops in Diagon Alley volunteered their assistance to help the Fortescue family pick up the pieces and continue the business to honour the man's memory. It was warming to see the community pull together and rebuild, despite all the horrors.

With Teddy slowly devouring his melting chocolate ice-cream, the trio entered through the familiar doors of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to be greeted by George who was since assisting a teenage pair to some of the latest items along the shelves beside the counter. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Angelina busy behind the cashier desk helping another family.

Once George helped the young pair, he made his way to the trio wearing a very smart brown pinstriped suite, with a navy blue tie, "Well now, look who Mrs. Norris dragged in."

"Your bargaining skills are legendary, " Harry grinned, clutching Teddy's non-chocolate coated hand in the other.

"Items won't sell themselves! Did I tell you I have international buyers now? Apparently, the shop gained some traction in the Mediterranean recently."

Harry was taken aback as a grin lit up his face in pride for his friend, "That's great George! Maybe we can see the business pop up elsewhere soon."

"In due time, Harry, " George responded smoothly and soon turned to his sister, "Say Gin, mum is doing the Easter round this year at the Burrow. I don't think Bill is keen enough to do it again. I keep telling her we don't need to invite the entire wizarding community this time."

"Yeah, she mentioned it last time. We'll be there – " Ginny responded, before exchanging quick glances at Harry, " – If we don't, we'll probably never hear the end of it."

"Who's going?" Harry asked.

George adjusted his jacket, "Not entirely sure. She's just extending the invitation to everyone, really. Fleur's family are arriving down from France, and I think Charlie might finally get his arse back to England this time, if he's not gallivanting the European countryside having tea and biscuits with the dragons."

"About time he did, " Ginny said.

"Ron also mentioned Hermione's parents will be down, too. Looks like everyone will be there, " George continued, "I think she even invited McGonagall and Kingsley, if the Ministry isn't making him lose his marbles."

"Consider it an open invitation, then, " Ginny sighed, "Might as well permanently cast the giant tent outside."

Harry chuckled along but said nothing.

As happy as he was to see everyone together again, the thought of being back in the social spotlight had him undoubtedly nervous. Half the time any family gatherings had him wanting to curl up into a ball in the corner. He often tried to hide his anxiousness and he only hoped that people didn't notice it. But deep down, the thought scared him. They didn't understand that he was still fearing for their lives and sometimes, he would overthink to the point of convincing himself that Tom Riddle was still out there, scheming his return yet again. There were nights he dreamt of his return, and upon waking, questioning whether there was any more hidden Horcrux's they failed to find. Considering how Harry was the accidental Horcrux, he didn't let that thought slide so easily.

None of that would even pose as a surprise anymore.

Ginny did her best to comfort him, but deep down, Harry was still afraid. More than he ever had the courage to admit.

Harry always felt like he was stuck in a state of detachment. The only strong emotion that he seemed to feel these days was when he would awaken from a nightmare of his past, which usually left him rather distraught. Once that initial shock was dealt with, he could blissfully stare into the abyss, and seal away some of the emotions to the back of his mind. He found, with ease, that he could bury himself within his mind and no one else would suspect a thing. Sometimes Ginny would be able to detect it, but for the most part, he managed to keep much of his thoughts away from her. Sometimes it was just far too painful to speak such things aloud. He often mused that perhaps he finally learned proper Occlumency after all, but he knew he wasn't that gifted with it. Even now, still.

Is this how Severus dealt with it for all these years? Surely locking your emotions away like this was unhealthy. But given all the man had to endure and witness, it seemed like the only wise option to keep oneself alive another day. Harry had to wonder if the man felt anything at all when he was forced to watch or murder someone he cared about. It can't have been easy but breaking down then and there would have been his immediate death sentence. Harry, so it seemed, perhaps learned a thing or two and not in a good way.

Harry spent his days in constant emotional limbo – There was plenty he could feel, but he simply did not want to. He couldn't bear to. Some days he knew he should have been far happier than he felt, but it seemed he no longer had that control anymore. He felt strange most days. There was sadness there, but sometimes no tears to shed. Sure, he was happy on some days, but he felt like he should be, well…happier.

Some days he wondered if he was treating Ginny right. He hated the abysmal idea of appearing like an emotionless object before her, and he only hoped he didn't show coldness. It hurt to think if she ever noticed his moods as he did but feeling as if one's emotions were locked away momentarily, was terrifying to ponder. Crumbling into an emotional mess after one of his more severe nightmares, was undignifying and shameful enough.

He had to try and remain strong, for her. For Teddy. For everyone.

He contemplated telling Severus to see a Healer, but now he seemed it wise to see one himself.

But who would ever really understand? There was no way he could confide in a stranger in regard to his broken past. What could he possibly share? His fight with a Basilisk? Being hunted by a teacher in his first year? Targeted by Dementors? Thrown into a death tournament, only to face the greatest sorcerer alone in a graveyard? Watching peers die? Seeing loved ones ripped away from him? Taken…Tortured…Dying slowly in front of his eyes.

All those lives he could not save.

How on earth could a Healer possibly help him with this? It just wasn't possible. Not for Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived…Twice. The fabled Chosen One reduced now to a shell of something else entirely. He was damaged and it hurt to admit that.

He barely even felt much like himself these days.

While Harry was deep in thought again, George extended a hand towards Teddy, "Fancy a handshake, little man?"

Teddy nodded eagerly baring his tiny baby teeth in a grin, wiped a chocolate-coated hand on his trousers, and extended it back to George. Pushing away his deeper thoughts, Harry gave a smile and Ginny shook her head. George tried to hide his slight disgust, "I probably should have thought that one through."

Ginny smirked, "Jokes' on you. That one's from Fred."

Reaching over at one of the display tables, George grabbed a small glittering children's book and handed it to Teddy, "Gift's on me."

"Nice save, " Harry chuckled.

Teddy's eyes widened as he reached for the book, clearly forgetting a half-melted ice cream cone was still in one hand. The cone dropped to the floor and Teddy clutched the offered gift with an innocent delight. He looked up at George with a grin, highlighting the child's dimples on his cheeks, "Thank you!"

Reaching for her wand, Ginny casted a vanishing spell to remove the unfortunate remnants of the splattered treat, "George, he has so much stuff, we might need another toy box."

With a dismissing wave of his hand, George grinned, "Nah, he'll enjoy it."

"It better not be another one of those horrible scent emitting ones. Took us ages to get of the smell of earwig from our rug, " Ginny said, with distaste.

George laughed, "Oh no, nothing like that! I just hope you like glitter."

"I swear this is more for our torture, then it is for Teddy to enjoy, " Ginny eyed the book with a sigh, "You wait until you have a toddler running around."

"Those are a kid products – The non-vanishable ones in the older section are what you should be more worried about, " George smirked, "But this one is safe. Relax, sis."

"Thank you, George, " Harry said, rather gratefully.

The four of them spent some time chatting away, soon joined by Angelina Johnson at the counter who had been busy with the sales. It was nice to catch up with the two of them, whilst George talked about future prospects with the business. It was indeed a proud moment for all of them, knowing how well George continued the shop in honour of Fred. With Angelina and the rest of the family, they were able to help him find his enthusiasm and creativity again. Many of the new products were in honor of his twin, and they knew that Fred would have been so proud of him. Nowadays, the famous joke shop was thriving better than ever.

Eventually, the trio bid farewell and departed the shop, and back into the busy Alley. They spent the next few hours wandering aimlessly around, visiting Flourish and Blotts for Teddy, and Quality Quidditch Supplies for Harry and Teddy. Ginny herself purchased a new pair of training gloves made from the dragon hide of the Chinese fireball, and Harry took an interest in some of the new broomsticks available.

Once they were finished, they exited the shop and decided to make their way back to Godric's Hollow, when they stopped in their tracks.

"Hey, is that – " Ginny pointed to the other end of the Alley, to find a familiar cloaked figure hastily exiting the Apothecary struggling to hold a heavy crate and several bags filled with potion supplies.

It was unmistakably, Severus Snape.

But Harry watched as the man took great care to avoid eye contact with the locals and hid his face behind his unkept lengthy hair. He noticed some of the passers-by were casting filthy glances his way. Severus did manage to shoot back a venomous glare in return at a select few, knowing full well the man was one wrong word from a major hex. In a small victory, he was glad that Severus' hands were full before things took a turn for the worst.

It was clear to both of them that Severus did not want to be seen. And understandably so.

Feeling a twinge of guilt, the trio pushed through the moderate crowd and made their way to where Severus was trying to juggle his hefty supplies. In his attempt to sidestep past a family, the crate tipped, and a few bags of items fell to the floor. Severus swore under his breath.

Once Harry finally reached the man, he bent down to the cobblestone floor and picked up the fallen items, "Sir – "

Realising who it was, Severus' plastered sneer turned to a look of relief as he acknowledged Harry and Ginny with a stiff nod. And yet still, he glanced around him so anxiously, clearly desiring to be anywhere else but there.

"Sev'us!" Teddy clutched the book tightly within his grasp, with his owl plushie tucked tightly under his armpit. The child beamed as he looked up at the tall, looming presence over him.

Ignoring the child's call of his name, Severus turned to Harry, "I was just leaving."

"Yeah, I noticed. Can I help…?" Harry asked, watching as Severus fumbled with the additional bags looped awkwardly around his arms, still clutching the crate of goods tightly. It seemed as if he decided one large purchase would save him the time of returning anytime soon.

"No – " One of the bags had finally slipped from the man's grasp, falling to the floor. Severus growled in frustration and made no effort to hide it.

Picking up the other unfortunate bag that had fallen and hoping nothing was broken, he reached over to the other bags and retrieved them, lessening the awkward weight. Harry turned to Ginny, who looked worriedly beside him, "I'll just help Severus take these home. Don't wait for me."

Ginny nodded, "That's alright. I'll take Teddy back to Andromeda – "

Teddy's eyes widened, as he looked almost frantically up at Ginny, "Can I go with 'Awwy?"

"Erm…" Ginny hesitated and looked at Severus, whose expression turned rather bitter and irritated.

"Pleeeease?" Teddy pleaded, as he reached for Harry's free hand with both of his own and gave a small, desperate tug.

Harry looked back at Severus, worried about the man's reaction to such a request. It was indeed a gamble, "If Severus says yes…"

Severus appeared to scoff slightly at the request of the small child, furrowing his brow as he did so. Eventually, all of his usual thoughts appeared scattered, and he clearly did not want to waste any more time staying, "…Whatever. I desire to leave from here immediately."

Teddy jumped excitedly on the spot, tapping his shoes against the stone pavement as he did so.

Intrigued by the child's sudden enthusiasm, Harry nodded, "Okay Teddy, we'll go – " He turned to his wife, " - Ginny, we won't be long, okay? I'll see you back at home."

Brushing the child's hair from his face, Ginny made sure to clean the remnants of chocolate away from his mouth before she bid them farewell and wandered back into another store nearby. With the bags looped around Harry's arms, he carefully took a few of the smaller boxes piled high within the crate. He heard glass tinkering lightly as he did so.

"Gentle with those, " Severus spoke sternly, casting his eyes down to Teddy intermittently as if he were being followed by a stray feline. Or canine.

Oh, the irony.

With Severus' large haul, Harry grabbed hold of Teddy's hand tightly and Severus grabbed his forearm, when the three of them pulled aside to the alleyway and disapparated immediately away.

They reappeared by the lake from where Severus' cottage boundaries and well-placed wards had been activated. Harry let go of the child's hand, who bounded happily beside them, looking around in awe at the vast quiet countryside around them. Severus looked down at Teddy exasperatingly several times during their silent walk to his cottage but said nothing. Harry had only wished he knew what was running through the man's mind at that moment and he hoped he could tolerate Teddy for a short while. He was both scared yet interested to know.

When Teddy stayed over at the Potters, the child was closer to Harry than he was with Ginny. He still adored Ginny, but he felt far more connected to Harry and often never wanted to leave his side when he was around. Rarely would he ever deny a request, but he did his best to make sure the child was happy and comfortable. It felt strange to have an almost-four-year-old become so attached to him, but he loved him as his own and that didn't bother him in the slightest. Seeing Teddy smile was more than enough.

"Stay close, Teddy, " Harry reassured the excited child, who was far too eager to explore the new surroundings. Teddy was quite obviously awestruck with the new environment, the lake, and the surrounding flora meticulously managed by Severus himself. Harry had to marvel at the feat, too. He could never imagine Severus gardening of all things, but he suspected that came with the title of Potions expert for he prefers to harvest and manage some of his own greenery.

Once they arrived at the front door, Severus barely managed to retrieve his wand to allow access inside his home, fumbling a little awkwardly amongst the weight he was carrying. He glanced at Teddy sharply beside him who was curiously observing the Spreading Bellflowers in its vivid blue-violet hues within the small garden patch. Frowning, Severus turned to Harry, "Do keep the child's hands away from my gardens. Don't enforce me to child-proof it."

Quietly, Harry grabbed Teddy's hand again and followed Severus inside the still dark and unmanaged home. It appears that it was not tended to from the last time Harry was here, in fact, it looked slightly worse. And there was no mistaking the scent of old stale liquor wafting through, which caused Harry to discreetly wrinkle his nose. Following suit, Harry placed the bags on the kitchen counter and began to pull out the contents one by one. Each one contained an assortment of boxes, jars, vials, and smaller ornate containers filled with all kinds of potion's ingredients – from dried herbs to creature parts, liquids, and precious stones. There was some additional preparation equipment inside, such as a smaller mortar and pestle and peculiar slicing tools which Harry had never seen before.

At the corner of Harry's eye, he watched as Teddy curiously opened the man's fridge. Severus had since dropped off the crate to his potions lab, leaving Harry to lower his voice to a desperate whisper, "Teddy no, keep it closed." But he watched as Teddy wriggled his little button nose with a sour look on his face. Curiously, Harry placed down the vial he was holding and walked over. Not that there was barely anything inside, but the items that were contained, did not smell like something healthy to consume. They smelled rotten and ruined. The man spent whatever galleons he had on potions supplies but didn't bother to re-stock food for himself.

Something was seriously wrong here.

When Severus returned to the kitchen, Harry bit his lip, "Severus, your fridge is bare."

"Keep your nose out of it, then."

Ignoring the snappy remark, Harry sighed, "Can I get some shopping done for you? Or I could give you galleons - "

Severus glared warningly, "No, leave it."

Harry sighed, "Why not come over ours for dinner sometime this week? I'll speak with Ginny – "

" – Most unwise. Forget it."

Harry's shoulders sagged, defeated, "Unwise? I'm trying to be hospitable, here."

"Don't waste your efforts."

Harry frowned as he was about to protest that until he remembered that Teddy was still in the room. Harry turned to the child reassuringly, "Teddy, why don't you go and sit in the living room with the book Uncle George gave you? I'll be there soon, okay?" Teddy nodded without protest – thankfully - and happily wandered over to the adjacent living room in view, before he turned back to Severus, "…They are not wasted efforts, Severus. Why can't you just accept the fact that I want to help?"

"Because you have far better things to do with your time. Such as managing Moony junior."

Harry's face fell, feeling a little wounded by it, "Sir, you make it seem like I don't care. I do."

Severus looked irked and ignored that remark, turning his attention to the ingredients laid out before him in order to avoid answering. He studied the older man carefully for a moment – He was distracted. Scattered, almost dazed, and not quite present. Harry cautiously walked up beside him, "Sir…Were people giving you a tough time, today?"

Severus seemed to snarl distastefully, but did not dare meet Harry's eyes, "I'm not a child. I can handle myself."

That'll be a yes, then.

Harry bit his lip and turned back to help Severus unpack the rest, not courageous enough to fight him on that this time. Severus appeared extra irritated today and suddenly Harry felt like he added to the stress just by being present. These days, it was quite often a gamble.

Eventually Harry paused what he was doing, and tilted his head towards the man, "Would you…I was wondering if you'd like to come to the Burrow for Easter? Molly's hosting this year."

Severus's eyes averted from his task briefly and something behind the darker pair appeared to glaze over. Eventually, he pursed his lips, "Not a chance."

"Severus…"

"My answer will not change, no matter how many times you ask me!" Severus suddenly snapped, almost dropping the vial in his hand.

Harry hesitated at the sudden outburst, "Okay, fine."

The older man's expression faltered slightly, crinkling his brow until he sighed softly. Harry watched as Severus leaned forward against the table, seemingly overwhelmed. Something had obviously bothered him that day and if he could guess, someone was likely hostile towards him. He knew this still happened on occasion and there was nothing Harry could do to help ease the attacks. Harry had seen firsthand how nasty some people could be and had nothing better to do than to cast insults and further shame on a man who ultimately saved multiple lives. He had already witnessed that during Severus' trial four years ago, but despite that, there were still people who still wanted to kick him while he was down.

He hated seeing Severus still continue to deal with this.

In his attempt to tread carefully around the man, Harry briefly touched the man's shoulder to bring him out of his broken reverie, "…I'll make us a pot of tea."

Severus didn't respond and wandered slowly to the sitting room where Teddy was sprawled on the grey floor rug, emersed with his new book courtesy of George. Harry quickly prepared the teapot and let it boil for some time. This was a task Harry enjoyed as mundane as it was, as it reminded him of the nights he spent at Grimmauld Place talking with Severus by the fire during their hideaway. They were peaceful nights and some of the most special as each conversation had Severus reveal more about himself during Harry's burning questions after his revelations and history with his mother. He loved being able to share with him his deepest thoughts and Harry felt special to be likely the only one who really knew them. They bonded during those three months after Voldemort's downfall, and Harry will never forget how much his perception of Severus had changed during that short time. Every scent of peppermint, reminded Harry of those nights and endless discussions, bringing them closer together. It was a small comfort, and one he never really shared with anyone else other than his own friends who understood what it truly meant to him.

Once the task was done and the familiar scent of cool peppermint filled the rooms, he followed Severus into the sitting room. But Harry watched as the man paced the floor, unable to settle. Lowering the teapot and two mugs somewhat clumsily on the small rickety table with his poor attempt at a levitating charm, he leaned on the arm rest and observed the older man.

"Is there something else I can do?" Harry asked, a little feebly. He hated feeling absolutely useless.

Severus turned to look at Harry as if he had just disrupted a thought and shook his head, "No. There is nothing."

"Do you not want me here? I can leave if that will help."

Well, Harry had to ask. Just to be sure.

Suddenly Severus appeared to have held his breath. The man's darker eyes widened slightly, but still, he looked conflicted. Eventually he shook his head, "No, I am relieved to see you. I just – "

However, Harry did not need an answer. The lost and weary look on the man's face told him all he needed to know. The dark puffy circles under his eyes were prominent and his hair appeared unbrushed and unmanaged. His robes hung on him like curtains, and he knew he was not eating again – his lack of food items was alarming and told him all he needed to know. Not to mention the state of the man's home and it seemed he lacked even the motivation to clean it.

Harry knew he had to do something.

"If you are okay with it, can I come by again tomorrow? I'll help you prep your ingredients and sort them for you, " Harry offered, "Please?"

There was a pause and Severus' face appeared to relax slightly. But there was something about it that deeply worried Harry. There was a loneliness behind his forced composure – something empty and broken. Harry could sense it and he knew Severus was dealing with something incredibly heavy. It reminded him of seeing the man for the first time after the War had ended and found him hiding away in the Shrieking Shack. He remembered rather vividly how defeated the man was and that hurt Harry to even recall. But what hurt Harry the most, is that his own efforts appeared to fall on deaf ears. Nothing he could currently do would help ease his pain and constant struggles. All he could do was be here as much as he could and provide some kind of solace with the company.

Anything to help get his mind off things, and perhaps, that could benefit them both.

After a few brief moments passed, he nodded, "Perhaps then I'll be in a better frame of mind."

"You know you can always give me a list of things you need, and I'll get the next supplies, " Harry suggested, "It's honestly no problem for me."

Severus appeared to give a light, sarcastic snort, "So you can purchase red dragonfly wings instead of the doxy wings the first time you did?"

Harry's cheeks flushed, recalling the embarrassing blunder a few years prior, "…I was only trying to help, so you don't have to deal with anyone, you know…out there."

"I realize that - " Severus nodded, although he did appear grateful in his own subtle way, "Your timing was impeccable today. Any longer, and I may have hexed someone to oblivion."

Wincing at the idea, Harry ran his fingers through his messy hair, "Yeah, don't do that. It took too much stress just to keep you out of Azkaban. I don't exactly fancy on visiting you behind a charmed cell from now on."

Severus crossed his arms over his chest without a word in response to that, however Harry's eyes trailed down to the floor and to his horror, watched as Teddy gave a light tug on Severus' robes.

"Go away, child, " Severus hissed as if he were casting a rodent away.

Teddy had stood up on his feet and stared up at a towering Severus; a small, curious smile slowly began to etch across his innocent little face, soon erupting into a large toothy grin before he doubled over in giggles. This was not a sound that should be heard in Severus' vicinity, especially after the day the man had.

…Oh, no.

Severus and Harry's faces then turned equally white; Severus was dangerously silent, and Harry was in shock. The man gazed down suddenly with an intense stare, seemingly speechless to the child before him.

Trying to gauge Severus' reaction was difficult, so instead he gave a light snort in amusement trying to play it off as light-hearted as possible, "…Apparently, he finds you hilarious, sir."

But Severus was clearly not amused, as he stared down intensely at the mini-Lupin who seemed far too amused by his appearance, "What is it? What could possibly be so amusing?"

Teddy scrunched up his face and shook his head as he continued to giggle and that was unmistakably the face of someone who did something he shouldn't have. The child soon pointed at the hem of Severus' robes, when it became evident that several glittering stickers had fastened themselves so clearly to his black fabric. Some of the charmed stickers had begun to emit a small shower of glitter and the sickly-sweet scent of candy floss, soon creating a trail of it on the floor from whence Severus stood. Soon, much of the edges of Severus' black robes were glittering like the night sky. In horror, Severus looked down at the mess across his attire and a look of utter loathing was cast across his face, clearly unamused with this infant dilemma and not the added problem against the ones which already existed.

Harry clasped his hand over his amused grin, in his failed attempt to stifle his own response, "Oh, Teddy..."

Cheeky bugger…Oh, I am so dead.

But Teddy continued to laugh, infectious as it was, finding joy in what he had done and quite obviously oblivious to Severus' less than impressed reaction.

However, it wasn't Teddy's giggles which had Harry fascinated with – It was the agonising look of Severus' face. Despite Severus' cold scowl, something behind those dark eyes gleamed and he knew he was trying his hardest not to give in to the less-than-ideal predicament he found himself in. Instead, Severus clenched his jaw and simply stared coldly back down at Teddy, which did absolutely nothing for the child still giggling away.

Severus tried to be menacing, but Teddy was not having any of it. Very Remus of him.

"Okay Teddy, time for us to go, I think, " Harry winced at the horrid mess, withdrawing his wand, and doing a terrible job at vanishing what he could see. It was definitely glitter for days and he dreaded the task of having to remove the remnants from the child's clothes later.

Thanks for that, George.

"Leave it be, Harry. I'll dispose of it."

Harry lowered his head, apologetically, "Sorry, sir…"

Teddy waved at Severus with glitter-covered hands, "Bye Sev'us!" The child's triumphant grin was still evident on his face.

Severus, however, was quite obviously annoyed at the child but waved his hand dismissively as if he were trying to shoo away a fly.

Taking Teddy's hand and picking up the glitter-covered owl plushie on the floor, he gave Severus a small smile, "I'll see you tomorrow. Have the tea I made for you before it goes cold."

The man appeared to attempt to speak again but instead nodded his head rather wearily.

Harry departed moments later, looking forward to spending some proper time in his company tomorrow and hoping he'd be in a far better mood. The only thing he could do now was to be patient with him. He wanted Severus to have some trust in him still and help him to understand that he is not alone.

If only he could convince the both of them that everything was going to be okay.

Because sometimes, even Harry wasn't so sure.

Later that evening, Harry took Teddy home to Andromeda after failing at cleaning up the explosive mess on every item of clothing on the child. Once Andromeda was grateful to have the child back in her company, Harry curled up in bed beside Ginny later that night with her arms wrapped around his torso. He couldn't stop thinking about the day and Severus' unusual, scattered, almost silent behavior.

"So?" Ginny asked curiously.

Harry scrunched up his face in confusion, wondering in horror if he zoned out from her question.

"Severus, silly, " Ginny playfully poked at his chest, "What on earth happened when I left?"

"Oh, ugh, " Harry gave a small shrug, "He was having a difficult day."

Ginny appeared to scoff in amusement at the response, "Isn't he always?"

"No, not like that, " Harry sighed heavily, "People were giving him hell again, today."

Ginny frowned deeply, "I can't believe people are still acting like idiots. Why can't they just leave him alone? What's done is done – he can't change it, and neither can they."

"I know, it's just not fair on him, " Harry responded, "He is still in a bad state. His kitchen is bare. He's barely got any food in fridge and pantry, and I swear I smelled something rotten in there. He's not taking care of himself, and he won't let me help. I even invited him here for dinner sometime."

Ginny raised her head curiously, "…And?"

"Well, he refused of course. He just hates being a burden on people. It's like he just wants to disappear entirely and honestly Ginny, that scares me. He did that already, and I found him in a worse state after that."

"He can't keep living like that. Maybe we – or even mum - can cook him some things and you could deliver it to him. Surely, he'll appreciate that. Mum's been asking about him and I don't even know what to tell her."

Harry nodded, feeling a little more hopeful at the idea, "Just reminds me of when he was too sick to eat anything, and now he's just refusing. He'd rather spend the very little galleons he has on potions supplies, than food for himself."

"What on earth is he brewing?"

"I know he's working on a new project, " Harry hesitated briefly in thought, "But I think that's really the only thing keeping him from losing the plot entirely these days. He's determined to finish it, so at least it'll help him keep his mind off things."

"He's trying to focus his energy on something else. I really do feel bad for him."

"He's obviously not coping well, " Harry mumbled, gloomily. He paused for a moment, feeling his wife's breath upon his bare skin. He wasn't going to mention anything, but now he felt like he should. Pulling his wife closer to him, he gently cleared his throat, "Ginny, I never told you this before, but...When I found him in the Shrieking Shack after the battle at Hogwarts that morning, that was the most we really spoke on civil terms for years. When I saw that he was still grieving for my mum and stuck in guilt after everything that happened, he told me he had wanted to end his life…The night she had died, and the day I found him. I'm just...I'm very scared for him and I don't know what I'd do if anything happens. He just can't seem to move on from it all and I know he tried to. People keep abandoning him, giving him every reason to feel the way he does. The community isn't helping matters, either, and it's making things worse…I thought all of that was going to stop."

"You know him better than I and if you want, why not go and stay with him for a few days?" Ginny reaffirmed, "Hang out by the lake, like you used to. He could do with the company, much to his stubborn denial, and won't accept that with just anyone. Sometimes all you can really do is physically be there and help him get through this rough patch. You're lucky to be one of the few he can actually tolerate now."

"Until he doesn't."

"I don't suppose he's given you an answer about returning to Hogwarts?"

He winced and shook his head, "Nothing yet…I'm hesitant to ask him again, and he gets mad at me when I mention it. I'm going to visit him tomorrow. Just...What if I mess this up?"

Ginny shifted her position beside him, to look up into his worry-filled eyes, "No, you won't. He still cares for you, and I think he'll really appreciate the fact that you are there. He needs someone that is willing to be patient with him. You may be a stubborn arse too – don't deny that - but you won't give up on him and he needs to understand that."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle at the comparison and ran gentle circles on his wife's shoulder tenderly, "Yeah, you're right…I can't just do nothing. He's hurting so badly, and it worries me to see him like that still. He's blaming himself for everything and for not doing enough."

Ginny smiled weakly, as she looked up into Harry's concerned gaze again, "Much like you. Tell him that he doesn't have to trudge through this alone. Me and my family will be there for him, too, if he ever allows us to. We are all concerned for him. Even Ron, which is a bit of a turnaround even for him."

"Whatever would I do without you, Ginny?"

"Bugger all, frankly."