Thank you PadmeG and Zeugma412!

A5mia: Thank you so much for this review – I admit, it made me smile all day! Severus definitely has a lot he still needs to face and come to terms with and doesn't know a positive thing until he's dragged himself into the depths. Severus is, well…a very extreme man. Even now, his attitude sometimes makes me want to slap him myself. He just doesn't know what to do with this life, and all that time in recluse, made him overthink many things. There is always that paranoia with the general public, and everyone he's ever worked with. He's cautious and doesn't have the focus to deal with everyone else. He just needs to learn to see the silver lining and accept the support that is there.

PearlM21: Yeah, Severus has missed out on a lot. Everyone around him is moving ahead with their lives and Severus is struggling with it.

BlueWater5: He has left behind many of his old duties, and yet he still feels the weight of everything on his shoulders. He is carrying things that he shouldn't have to carry.

Authors note: You guys are amazing! I really do appreciate all of your reviews, thoughts, predictions, and overall optimism with this sequel. As we hit chapter 20, I figured I'd write a teeny tiny interlude to the next part of the story – every plot within this story is connected, whether they are the main ones, or the sub-plots. Everything has its place, along with the nuggets of spoilers I've littered throughout the chapters so far =) I also really appreciate your patience in this slow-burn – certain things needed to happen before the story moves forward, and like the first one, I really do want to focus on character growth here and their evolutions through this story. I know this sequel has a different 'feel' than the first one, but I am thankful you guys have stuck around up until now! I was very nervous when I initially posted the first chapter, but I am overjoyed with your investment and that means so much to me. Keeping both Harry and Severus somewhat still in-character, whilst also factoring in certain growths/realisations/healing, especially when this is all four years later, can be very challenging. So, I truly hope you enjoy my interpretation of these characters as we see them grow, challenge themselves, then eventually thrive. There is so much good stuff to get through, and I cannot wait to share it all with you.

"I think sometimes people just need to see your pain to know it's okay to feel theirs."

– Samantha King

CHAPTER 20: Past Imperfect

May 22nd, 2002

[Harry Potter]

"Teddy – " Harry grumbled half-asleep, turning within the bed to find large, blue-grey eyes blinking back at him, " – It's one in the morning…"

"I-I can't sleep, " Teddy croaked.

There was a shuffle in the other side of the bed, where Ginny blearily opened her eyes from almost completely underneath the blankets, "What is it, Ted?"

"I want gramma – " The child spoke, tearfully.

Harry brushed the child's hair back with his hand, "Teddy, I know. But she's not here."

"Please, can we see her?"

"I know you miss her, but…we can't…I'm sorry…I would bring her back if I could – " Harry's statement was cut short, when Teddy buried his head against Harry's chest, in choking, snotty sobs. Harry wrapped his arms around the child, not knowing what else to do.

It has been just over a month since Andromeda's passing, and it had already been such a difficult period of time for Harry and Ginny. Not only was her death so sudden and unfair, but dealing with her absence where Teddy was concerned, was not what Harry ever anticipated to manage. Consoling a child who does not fully grasp the concept of death and what that meant, was incredibly difficult. Not only that, but Teddy also spent the weeks following her passing crying hysterically in the middle of the night. His wailings of terror at the idea that Harry or even Ginny may one day die too, was heartbreaking for him.

Harry tried to stay in the child's room at times and tell or read him stories to help him fall asleep, but Teddy soon became very attached and didn't often want Harry out of his sight. Nights such as this one was now common, where Teddy would sneak into their room to sleep beside his Godparents.

On one night, Teddy was seen performing his first act of accidental magic, by levitating – or tossing, rather – his owl plushie across the room when his wailing cries were so loud, that Godric the owl got frustrated and flew off for the entire day. First magic performed by a young wizard was meant to be a momentous occasion, instead Harry wished it was under more joyous circumstances.

There were days the child appeared to lose his appetite, even refusing his favourite chocolate crème biscuits Molly would bake for him sometimes. Teddy was miserable and Harry blamed himself for it, even though the entire situation was not his fault. Deep down, however, he felt like he was failing as a Godfather.

Harry decided to leave Teddy home from day care that day – something Harry had been doing often since Andromeda's passing. Sometimes he'd debate with Ginny about this, as she seemed to think the interaction with the other kids would be good for him and help take his young mind of such troubles. Harry had been corresponding with his minders in regard to the situation and they were thankfully understandable. Not unusual for these last few years considering many other young children lost a parent in the Second War, with some parents losing children as well.

With Teddy silently playing with his puzzles at his feet that morning, Harry sat at his desk and trudged through the last of his paperwork to the Board of Education, at the Department in the Ministry. He had since been working on the last of his assignments and thesis, in preparation for his first teaching year.

Once that was complete, he folded them neatly back into his pile since Godric had a busy day of deliveries ahead. Yawning, he pulled another blank piece of parchment and began to scribble.

Severus,

Just letting you know that we are out of Billywig stings – I don't suppose you could spare us a few? I'll send you a few galleons to compensate. Ginny and I have been alternating with the Wide-eye Potion, but I'm due to brew more since we ran out this morning. Teddy doesn't want to leave the house today, and Ginny is at a meeting.

Teddy is still keeping us awake. He's been poorly since the loss of Andromeda.

…Sorry.

Regards, Harry P.

(P.S. Don't worry, I won't be overdoing this one)

"Severus is going to be completely done with me well before September…" Harry mumbled to himself, folding the parchments, and sending Godric on his way.

Ginny had since left that morning with a meeting with her Quidditch team in preparation for the upcoming league. She had since been hesitant as she felt somewhat obliged to stay with Teddy, but Harry insisted she go so she didn't miss out. There was no way he wanted her to sacrifice her career and promised her that they'd be able to work something out. Either way, Ginny was due to arrive home soon, and once Harry was finished at his desk, he slumped to the floor, helping Teddy with the rest of his puzzle.

Again, Teddy barely said anything as the child often spent some of his days usually silent. It was difficult to re-engage with him again, and the child was even neglecting his owl toy, and his little piano. With Harry's failed attempt at hitting a few notes, the child just was no longer amused and lost interest in his usual hobbies rather quickly. This thought deeply saddened him, understanding the emptiness and the apathy he felt.

As the day continued, Ginny arrived with Hermione and Ron in tow, much to his surprise. Seeing his own friends was indeed a sight for his sore, weary eyes.

" – I swear, if Wilfred comments on my excessive paperwork one more time – " Hermione vented, as she trailed behind Ginny and Ron, entering the Potter household.

Harry stood up, grinning upon their appearance, "Another riveting day at the office?"

Hermione, still seriously deep in that conversation, merely frowned a little darkly, "It would be if one of my colleagues wasn't bursting into my office every morning complaining why I had multiple things for him to sign because he's lazy and - " She stopped herself, and drew in a deep breath, finally composing herself, "I'm sorry…How are you, Harry?"

He glanced quickly at Teddy, who was now curled up on the couch napping, tucked in with his favourite blanket, "As good as we can be for the moment."

"Still waking you two up?" Ron said, taking a seat at the kitchen table with everyone else.

"Yeah, he is, " Ginny interjected, "We're not sure what else to do for him."

Hermione looked sympathetically between the two, "Time, I'm afraid. It's only barely been a month."

"I know, " Harry nodded, "He's been crying at night still and he sometimes just doesn't have an appetite."

With a flick of her wand, Ginny constructed a set of sandwiches at the kitchen table. Ingredients floated from the counter, reassembling themselves as they spoke, "I asked mum, and she told us to be a little more patient. Children grieve differently than us. I mean, he barely understands what happened…Poor kid."

"Neither does the rest of us, really. What happened to her was bloody horrible, " Ron bit his lip, as he tapped on the table. His face was serious and stern. Since becoming an Auror, he had since developed a hardened demeanor and approached situations with a far harsher view than before. Of course, since the defeat of Voldemort, he had since been rounding up rogue Dark wizards whilst Harry decided to break away from all of that. Much to his own relief.

With Teddy, that was the last thing he wished to be doing. And after all of this, he was proud of Ron for pursuing something Harry had once considered. Now looking back at his own past desire to become an Auror, he was relieved at his change in ambition. The Auror life would not have boded well for Harry, and his desire to have a mundane life overrules that constant adrenaline and danger. No, he had a responsibility as a Godfather to Teddy now, and he wanted to do everything within his power to preserve that.

Hermione took a sip of her coffee and drew in a deep, nervous breath, "Well I suppose now is a good time to share some better news. After much work alongside Kingsley, I am pleased to inform that the Lycanthropy Protection Act will be put forth later this year."

Harry's heart skipped a beat as his face lit up, "Hermione…That's wonderful news! I didn't know you were even working on it."

"Well, I didn't want to make too many early promises, " Hermione shrugged lightly, "It has taken me some time to get it all together. It's all very tedious and I've ensured that there are no loopholes. Undoing Umbridges' laws have been a logistical nightmare."

"Life saver, this one, " Ron smiled lovingly at her, quite evidently proud, "Umbridges' laws were apparently so complicated, that some of the Council refused to reverse some of them, according to dad."

Hermione nodded in agreement, "She made it difficult to revoke, but finally, it's safe to say that it is all well and truly mended, and her legislative damage reversed. Finally."

"That's a relief, " Ginny said, "So what will the Act cover?"

"The Protection Act prevents any discrimination in the fields of education, medicine, and employment; however, they must register so that the Ministry can provide the appropriate Wolfsbane to assist in symptom management, " Hermione explained smoothly, "We can't assist them if they do not elect to register, and we can provide them with better protection if they do. The Act also protects them from being expelled or rejected due to discrimination directly, that is, given they take the symptom management to provide a safer environment for them and those not inflicted."

"Prepare for an influx of werewolf children at Hogwarts in the near future, then, " Ron joked.

"I have no doubt you've thought it all through, " Harry said, feeling hopeful about the future of those who were attacked during the First and Second War. The werewolves on Voldemort' side were vicious and ruthless and no doubt many innocent people were turned, if not killed during his last reign. Perhaps now, even they may get a second chance and something that Remus had always wished for during his own time.

"Legislation is complicated, " Hermione grimaced, "Hence why it has taken us so long to put it all together. Consider this an early birthday gift, Harry."

"I really appreciate you doing this, Hermione, " Harry gave a small, sad smile, "If only Remus was alive to see it all happen."

"This is in honour of him, " Hermione returned the smile, "Teddy will be very proud of his dad once he's old enough to understand."

Harry smiled at the sentiment, but deep down, he wished Remus was here to see it all. To watch his son grow and be with him. It was unfair that both he and Tonks lost their lives and barely spent any time with their son before they died. Unlike Harry, Teddy didn't spend a year with them and loving them as his parents. He had to wonder how Remus would react to this new legislation initiated by Hermione. He would no doubt be utterly gobsmacked by it, and perhaps would have reapplied for his job back at Hogwarts when his life would become so much safer and accepting as someone who spent most of their life as a werewolf and suffering for it.

Now was the best time for change, now that people had begun to heal after the War. Those who were secluded – like the werewolves – now had a chance at a better and more accepting life. Families of those afflicted will be able to provide for them, and then it just left society to grow accustomed to this change. It would take years, still, but this was already on a hopeful road.

Feeling heavy in the chest in silent longing, eventually, Ron and Hermione left their company after divulging a little more of their own lives, as mundane as that now seemed for all of them. Harry would never have imagined for their lives to end up as it did, but every year he was blessed with life, and he found joy where he couldn't before. Ron was silent upon his work and refused to answer anything in regard to it. He knew the job was quite obviously stressful and messy, but he couldn't help but wonder how he was coping with it. Harry never got his answer and with Ron's arm tenderly and protectively around Hermione, his friends-now-family left their home.

Within the late hours of the evening, Godric arrived with a small parcel and an attached letter. Opening the parcel, he let out a little chuckle, where he found two small vials of light aqua-hued Wide-eye potions wrapped in a protective magical casing.

Harry,

Use it sparingly and wisely, for the love of Merlin.

Don't make me confiscate it.

Severus S.

"Thanks, sir, " Harry said quietly to himself, feeling both guilty and relieved that he didn't have to attempt to brew the potion in the insomnia-induced state he was in. Without the elixir to calm himself, the idea of the possibility of accidentally melting his face off was not what he wanted to have happen in those following days. Teddy was traumatised by things enough as it was these days, and he did not want to add to it but doing something absolutely reckless.

Harry's thoughts were suddenly distracted by a strange squelch-sounding explosion in the kitchen, followed by uncontrollable giggles from Teddy.

"Bollocks!" He heard Ginny yell in exasperation.

Harry raced into the kitchen to find the pots and pans in a melted heap all over the kitchen counter and dripping disgustingly on floor. Ginny winced, as a small glob of its remnants dripped down the side of her face, "I messed up the cleaning spell again. Oops."

Hearing Teddy laugh was rather cathartic, even despite how the child had been feeling.

Never a dull moment within the Potter home, at least.

June 11th, 2002

[Dawn Rheingold]

A light curtain of rain sprinkled against her stained-glass windowpane, as she sat in her office sorting out and revising the lessons for the following day. She had sent word to Ronald in hopes to meet with him privately and discuss the matter of Felix – their peculiar suspect. Something that had been inhabiting her mind since.

Since the man's capture, Dawn had been struggling to make sense of the case of the disappearing tattoo, even going as far as to scour old tomes for any indication or similarities. Dawn had even borrowed Minerva's Pensieve in her bid to revisit the memory, but as it was when she tried to recall, the tattoo was hazy and distorted. Her memory of it was already poor and the memory she pulled from her mind was evidence of that.

This left her incredibly irritated. The level of clearance keeping Felix out of the public eye was almost excruciating, which meant she was not allowed close to him except for a select few. Neither of the people within her team qualified and not even that of her superior. And she knew Rowan tried everything within his power to make it so but was unsuccessful. Not that either of them would have seen it – the mark disappeared the moment Dawn so much as glimpsed a small portion. Therefore, attempting to see it again was useless.

Was it some sort of capture mechanism? That if for a chance one of them was detained, the Mark would disappear, eliminating all trace of them. She had to wonder if that had something to do with the way the Muggleborn murders were concealed. Some type of illusion charm to confuse an onlooker and distort their perception.

Illusion. Everything was an illusion, and she didn't know what to think.

Bold move, Felix.

It drove Dawn mad pondering it, and it left her highly frustrated that she could not decipher it if anything. There were more people behind this, and one of those people was skilled with concealment. Aurors were, yes, but not to this extent.

No. This was someone else.

As the time of her meeting with Ronald drew near, she departed her office almost at eight thirty as the sun slowly began to set. The sky was painted a rather dazzling array of amber and purple, once the daylight merged with night. The clouds hung in greyed whisps upon the horizon, floating aimlessly over the Great Lake. Dawn and dusk were peaceful times of the day and she felt like it was the sky's collective sigh on the departure of a long day. Much like she was feeling.

She picked up her ivory wand from the table and locked up her office and classroom with a sigil-painted charm on both doors, so no wayward student decided to sneak in without her permission. She heard Peeves laughing in the distance, probably placing glue traps on the floors again a few corridors away. She had lost count of the times she was called to unstick a few students from the floors and even the walls, one year. He was an absolute pest, but he knew better than to mess with an Auror as she had the means to silence him.

Dawn had some time to kill, knowing she wasn't meant to meet Ronald for another hour. Instead, she decided to patrol some of the corridors, passing Filius patrolling at curfew and humming quite impressive tunes as he did so. Once Dawn rounded the lower floors and emerged from the staircase leading to the greenhouses, she almost bumped into Cyrus Hastwell, a fifth year Slytherin. The disheveled olive-skinned boy appeared to be in a hurry, and immediately averted his gaze once he realised he was discovered.

"Oh, uh, sorry Professor, " Mr. Hastwell had halted and quickly gathered his robes tightly against him. He turned his head away allowing the shadows to cast over his face.

"Mr. Hastwell, it's after curfew. You should not be wandering around at this time at night, " Dawn questioned sternly. Her eyes darted around the boy's rather skittish demeanor, "Five points from Slytherin. You are very far from your common room, so what on earth are you doing here?"

"N-nothing, miss – " Cyrus bit his lip.

Dawn was definitely unamused, "Right. So, you just so happened to just end up having a late evening stroll? By yourself?"

Hastwell looked up at Dawn and immediately she noticed how glossed over the child's eyes were. His hazel orbs were welled with tears, and as Dawn raised her Lumos-lit wand to observe more closely, she noticed a trickle of blood oozing from a small cut on the boy's lip. Her eyes scanned the rest of him, immediately noticing how unusual he was holding his left arm close to his body, almost as if it was injured. As she slowly moved her wand around him, she noticed more and more things which left her in an incredible, sickening unease. She found bruises over him from what little skin she could see, and some light splattering of fresh blood upon his slightly torn robes.

Dawn frowned, aghast at what she was seeing, "Who did this to you?" She tried to outstretch her arm to observe his possibly broken one, but the child vehemently shook his head and pulled back, unable to answer. Straightening herself up realising she was tensing her shoulders, she slowly lowered her wand, "Mr. Hastwell, go immediately to the Hospital Wing and see Madam O'Halloran right away."

"I-I'm fine, Professor."

"No, you are not. If I don't find you there within the hour, I will drag you there myself."

"Honestly, I'm fine. It's not that bad, " Hastwell stammered, but quite obviously struggled to meet her concerned gaze.

"Hastwell – Cyrus – This is serious, " Dawn whispered, "I will be required to inform your Head of House about this."

"No, please don't, " Hastwell pleaded as his eyes widened, shaking his head, "I don't want him to know. Or anyone else. Please, I-I just want to go to bed."

After a very long pause, Dawn made her decision, "Follow me."

Despite the long, silent walk, Dawn led the battered child back to her office and pulled out a small black jar with a cork-like lid on a side drawer of her desk. She turned to him and handed him the jar, peering down sharply at him, "This is a mild bruise salve. Use this twice a day, where necessary. Light coat only. Keep this with you at all times."

The child appeared grateful, but still hung his head almost shamefully, "…T-thank you, Professor."

Dawn's stern gaze soon softened, releasing a small breath as she did so, "Next time, you must inform a Professor, or the Headmistress directly. Or even a school Healer."

Hastwell shrugged, with a look of distaste, "What's the point? Nothing will be done about it. The Campbell' parents work in the Ministry. When they see me, they don't hesitate to hurt – Look, I just want to go to bed. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

But Dawn was not satisfied enough to end the conversation, "Why not try and talk to Professor Slughorn about this?"

Nervously, Cyrus shrugged and looked to the floor, "I've tried many times. He didn't seem helpful, or interested, really. I think he just didn't know what to do. He doesn't understand."

Dawn leaned back upon her desk, allowing her professionalism to drop slightly, falling back into a more casual demeanour, "Then help us try to, Cyrus. We want to help you, but you must allow us to do so."

"They'll just keep attacking me no matter where I go, or what I do."

"You have to stand up for yourself, " Dawn exclaimed, feeling an odd anger rise within her at the injustice of it all.

Despite the quite obvious pain, Hastwell raised his broken arm slightly and frowned angrily at the statement, "Do you think I enjoy being beat up several times a week? This is what I get for standing up for myself!"

"That is not what I'm implying at all, " Dawn sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She stared at the bruised and battered boy before her, pondering deeply upon a lengthy pause, "…Do you know the shield charm?"

The boy shook his head, "No, I don't."

"Good. I'm giving you detention here in my office, tomorrow night at eight. I will be teaching it to you. No exceptions."

"But Professor – " The child pleaded again.

"I will teach you the charm so you can better protect yourself. At least allow me to give you the tools to do so effectively until we can formulate alternative options. I do not want to see you further harmed by them. Understood?"

With a slight look of uncertainty, the child nodded, "Okay."

Satisfied Dawn nodded, "You're a good kid, Cyrus. There are people willing to support you and you must allow us to. Alright? Now go to the Infirmary so they can mend your arm and I'll see you tomorrow. Do not be late."

"Th-thank you, Professor."

Dawn watched as the child departed her office and she remained leaning up against her desk in deep thought. She truly felt sorry for the kid, and she had only wished she would take the twins by the scruff of their robes and throw them out of the Hogwarts front doors herself. Of course, that would be highly unprofessional of her and she'd certainly lose her job. She absolutely hated when students picked on the more vulnerable and given the Gryffindor's affinity to choose a Slytherin victim who they perceived as beneath them, made her absolutely sick to her stomach. Since the War's end, a portion of the Gryffindors were taking advantage of the now-vulnerable Slytherins, which tore her heart and soul to shreds.

It almost made her ashamed to be a Gryffindor.

It was always a new thing and Cyrus Hastwell took the brunt of it every time. How many more times was he going to show up injured? And she couldn't help but feel angry towards Horace – if one of her Gryffindors were ending up injured every time, she would have raised that on her highest concern. She shouldn't have to do his job. And there were only so many times she would send the twins into detention – it did absolutely nothing to hinder their terrible attitudes, and in fact, they seemed to get joy upon adding them to their sickening tally. Dawn wanted them expelled, but Hastwell was right – their parents worked for the Ministry, and it would take only a few words to have Dawn fired and her Auror license revoked because of words of two precious siblings born with silver spoon in their mouths. Minerva expressed the same concerns, but her job was also threatened in the same regard, leaving the Headmistress unable to do a damn thing against it.

Still furious over the encounter, she realised she was late and made her hasty dash off the school grounds and apparated to Hogsmeade where she was to meet with Ronald by the quiet train station. Hogwarts castle lit up in the distance against the now dark, starry night sky.

Pulling up her plum collar amidst the cooler breeze, she found Ron with his hands in his pockets on the far end waiting for her. Dawn dipped her head apologetically, "Apologies for the wait. I had a situation to deal with."

Ron tilted his head, "Alright?"

She nodded, "Yes, all sorted. Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. Now let's keep relatively this short…Found anything remotely useful?"

Ron shook his head, "This Felix bloke is a bit of a mystery. I haven't been able to find any familial records of him anywhere and Desmond tried, too. It has me thinking that maybe he gave us a fake name to throw us off."

Dawn grumbled under her breath, "Not exactly the news I wanted to hear."

"No word on the other idiots he was with, either. They've stayed silent so far, " Ron continued, "The Ministry is keeping quiet on this bloke, though. Dad even tried to ask me about it since he heard someone got caught, but I couldn't bloody tell him anything, now could I?"

"Well, there is not much to tell. A mysterious group of people are hunting Muggleborns and casting an illusion charm to throw us off their tail. We don't know who they are, or their motives, although it does appear obvious…Meanwhile, I have an odd mark to find which could very well lead us to this group, and I know for a fact that it did not resemble any part of the Dark Mark."

"You can't be certain of that, though."

"I realise the unreliability of this, " Dawn bit her lip, "But it does raise many questions, and if they are working similarly to the Death Eaters…We just have to tread carefully. The last thing we want is a public circus."

"Yeah, well, I don't like having to keep this from my fiancé. She's got enough to worry about, and without the idea of being hunted as a Muggleborn again, preferably. You don't suppose she could be targeted, do you?"

Dawn paused for a moment, looking upon Ron's worried gaze, "I do not know, I'm afraid. A Muggleborn working close to the Minister may not realistically bode well in their favour. Any Muggleborn working within our government does place a rather uncomfortable target on their backs, however."

Ron gave a frustrated sigh, "Raph mentioned the few Muggleborns we found dead, all were in higher fields of work. One was a senior Healer at St. Mungo's, and the other worked as an international liaison at Gringotts bank. What do you make of that?"

"My suspicions confirmed. Perhaps find out if we can find other Muggleborns who may be targeted. Surely these attacks are not random, " Dawn felt ill to her stomach, "We both have to remain cautious, here. And even slightly ignorant. We can't allow these people to realise we are onto them."

Ron huffed under his breath, "They'll figure it out. They are not that stupid."

"I know. So, for now, we tread carefully. I was unable to pry further once our mysterious Felix ended up in detainment. But something is definitely not right."

"Someone is keeping it quiet, that's for sure. So, any luck on this weird mark you found?"

Dawn shook her head, "Nothing at all. I was unable to view it in its entirety before it vanished and even my memories in the Pensieve couldn't confirm it. Assuming the others have the same brand, then we can assume it works similarly to the Dark Mark."

"Hell of an assumption."

"Got any better ideas, Ronald?"

"No, I don't. But I have to keep sorting this out with the others, " Ron paused for a moment to study the woman, upon his expression now turned more serious, "Why do you still want to keep this from them?"

She drew in a deep breath, pausing in thought. It was a good question, and it was something she had been trying to reaffirm with herself since the murders began. But there was something in the back of her mind insisting she keeps things hush for time being. Eventually, she lowered her voice, "It's not that I do not trust them, but it's more of a matter of not having all your eggs in one basket. If this mark business proves useful, then we have an advantage. You can't expect us to approach Rowan with something that does not prove any certainty. My memories alone cannot even confirm it, so he'll presume it to be utter nonsense unless verified. Which is what we are also trained to do."

"What a mess."

"Indeed, it is, " Dawn said, softly, "Just…be careful, alright? Seriously, Ronald. This could get worse before it gets better."

Ron nodded silently, before bidding Dawn farewell and departed. Dawn stood at the quiet station staring up at the looming silhouette of the castle in the distance.

So many things just did not add up, and she was running far too blindly. However, they did come to somewhat of a mutual conclusion –

Muggleborns were being targeted again and someone was determined to take them out of the equation. Muggleborns working in important sectors and driven by their ambition to change the wizarding world for the better. Innovators who could do so much good and yet someone did not favour that in any capacity. Someone who still adopted such horrendous prejudices and discrimination…

…It was Voldemort's agenda all over again.

June 16th, 2002

[Harry Potter]

"Teddy, where are your trousers?"

"On my bed."

"Why are they on your bed?"

"Puffy didn't like it."

Harry continued to pick up some of the toys strewn across the floor and placed them back into the toybox as he spoke, "Go find another pair to wear. It's freezing in here, and I don't want you getting sick…And tell Puffy to stop chewing on them, or I'll use him as a quaffle."

Teddy giggled, as he was found buried in his clothes drawer. Mounds of clothes were piling on the floor beside him, as the child was trying to decide. The Pygmy ball of purple fluff bounced happily around him as he did so.

Ginny soon walked into Teddy's bedroom amused by all the commotion, "Someone say quaffle?"

"Teddy's pygmy puff is being an absolute menace. I've cast the repair charm on Ted's trousers so many times, it's no longer working. I just keep finding threads."

"Well, while I'm out I'll go buy him a new pair or two, " Ginny reached down to help pack up some of the toys.

"Are you sure you're up to taking him today?" Harry, yet again, was worried. Of course, he trusted his wife, but he knew Teddy had been rather clingy to Harry in recent weeks and knew that sometimes it was so debilitating, that leaving the house was a risk.

"We'll be fine, Harry. Stop fussing. He's getting better at leaving the house without bawling now, " Ginny lowered her voice upon the last remark.

Harry smiled in relief, "Thanks, Ginny."

Ginny threw on a light jumper over the top of her shirt, "I think Ron mentioned he'd drop by afterward. Something about needing to borrow your broomstick repair kit."

"I thought we bought one for him last Christmas?"

"Victoire spewed all over it the other day, apparently."

Harry grimaced at the image, "Wonderful."

Ginny smirked cheekily, "I'm sure Ron thought so, too. At least we know what to buy him again next Christmas. Right, I'm off, " She turned to the child who was now awkwardly planting his wriggling feet inside his shoes, "Teddy, are you ready?"

"I'm ready!" Teddy jumped on the spot, and almost bounded out of the room until Ginny spun around.

"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" Ginny held up Teddy's owl plushie.

Teddy scrunched up his face and shook his head, "He can look after Puffy today."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "You've never been without him before."

The child shrugged and proceeded to run out of the room and to the front door waiting patiently. Harry and Ginny exchanged a concerned glance, eventually kissing each other tenderly goodbye as they departed for the day.

Suddenly, Harry was consumed in silence. It was almost a strange feeling hearing nothing except his own thoughts. He didn't mind the solitude at times, but admittingly, he could only really bear it for a short time before going mad at the loneliness. And the silence alone made him truly happy to have Ginny and Teddy around to keep his mind occupied and content. Their absence helped him to understand the gravity of their presence in his life. Too much time alone to listen to his own thoughts was never a good decision to make.

After accidentally napping on the couch halfway through reading the latest Quidditch handbook further into the grey afternoon, he was awoken by several quick knocks upon the door. He moved to open it to find Ron appearing almost haggard and worn.

"Don't even bloody ask, " Ron huffed, removing his cloak, and hanging it up by the door once he stepped inside.

Amused, Harry led Ron to the living room still littered with toys and puzzles, and watched as his friend kicked off his boots and collapsed on the couch, "You look like you've been awake for three days straight."

Ron ran a hand through his messy hair, "It's been a long week."

"I've never really heard you talk about it."

"There's nothing to share, " Ron quickly shrugged, "Hunting Dark Wizards. Nothing new."

Harry leaned back on the couch and observed his best friend closely, "I dunno, you just seem a bit…stressed out."

"As I said, it's nothing new, " Ron's expression hardened, and Harry noticed how tensed he looked, "It's dangerous. It's tiresome. Sure, it's rewarding I suppose…but I'm determined to help clean up the vermin still lurking out there."

"You need a break, " Harry suggested, taking note of his friend's obvious exhaustion upon his slightly gaunt features. He could tell he seemed scattered as if his mind trailed elsewhere. Ron's usually steady gaze seemed miles away.

"I just need to move out of the Burrow. Mum and dad are driving me bonkers, " Ron said rather bitterly, "Mum's getting far too antsy about all her kids moving out, now. Did I mention George found a place with Angie?"

"Already?"

"Yeah. I mean, mind you, I think it's about time. George has been trying to help mum around the house, but she's been guilt-tripping him, so he stays, " Ron gave a small, somewhat awkward chuckle, "Once he leaves, guess who'll be next?"

"She's just worried about you and the job you're in, " Harry attempted to help his friend see the silver lining, but something about Ron's slight bitterness appeared to bother him, "Why not take Kreacher for a bit? He's bored senseless at Grimmauld. If he cleans those stairs one more time, they are going to collapse like a pack of cards."

Ron pulled a strange face, "What am I supposed to bloody do with a house elf? I don't think mum would be very keen on him invading her kitchen. You know she's very territorial with it."

"He doesn't really like to be at Hogwarts much, though."

"Not my problem. He's an old senile elf and probably hates being around the younger ones."

Harry was amused with the idea, "Why do I get the feeling he'd be the new Christmas scrooge?"

"Apart from Snape? Two peas in a pod, " Ron tilted his head, "Why don't you send Kreacher to him?"

Harry shook his head vehemently, "Severus hates that house elf."

Ron scoffed, "Well, I'd be cranky too if I had an old house elf prevent me from leaving."

"I did that for his own good, " Harry chuckled, remembering the orders he gave the house elf when Severus was confined to Grimmauld Place during his illness. He knew Severus hated it, but it was for his own health and safety that the sick man didn't run off into danger, as incredibly stubborn and bull-headed as he was. Pushing those memories far behind, Harry continued, "What about you? Any luck finding a place?"

Ron shrugged, "Nah, not really. I found a few near Edinburgh, but Hermione wants something a little closer to her parents."

"You'll find something. Took me and Ginny ages to settle on a place, " Harry tried to reassure but felt a little disheartened by how stressed Ron appeared to be.

"Yeah, but at least you had already decided on a town to settle in before you tied the knot, " Ron looked slightly glum and Harry couldn't help but sense his hopelessness, "…I'm doing a piss-poor job at this, Harry."

Harry frowned, confused, "Piss-poor job of what?"

"Being Hermione's partner, " Ron sighed, as he played with the silver engagement band on his finger as he spoke, "I want to do right by her, you know?"

There was a pause between them, and Harry couldn't help but wonder, "Are you guys…happy?"

Ron glared at Harry as if he were mad, "Of course we are, Harry. I'm mad about her and I don't know what I'd do without her. It's just…I want us to, you know…find a place, get married, start a family…I mean, I do, I suppose. Hermione is too busy at the Ministry to even think of anything resembling a family. But I love her. And I know she loves me, too. It's just tough these days. Maybe I'm moving things too fast."

"There's no rush, Ron, " Harry tried his best to comfort his best friend, but he wasn't sure if he was going about it the right way. Despite that, he understood what Ron meant which had Harry questioning his own relationship as if he was even a good enough partner for Ginny. He assumed every couple had these thoughts, and in a post-war world where normal is never what you'd expect it to be, tough times are most definitely a test of bonds of friendship and family. Harry lowered his head, "Every couple does things in their own time. I guess people aren't rushing into having kids now, as opposed to when the War was happening. Now with Teddy, I don't even know if Ginny and I will have kids of our own anytime soon. Even with him, I don't even feel ready to be a dad. I'd be bloody useless."

Ron gave a small chuckle, "Oh, rubbish."

"As long as you and Hermione are still there for each other, then everything else will just…happen. You figure it out together, " Harry gave his friend a small smile, "I mean, me and Ginny are just going with it and working it out as we go."

"I hope so, " Ron still looked worried, "I just can't help but think of these things, you know?"

"I understand, " Harry nodded, "Besides, me and Ginny are always here for the both of you if you need us. I know it's tough seeing each other these days, but…You have us."

Ron looked a little more relieved, but he could not help but feel something truly bothering him. There was a slight hesitation when he eventually nodded, "Yeah, thanks."

His friend ended up sidestepping the remainder of the conversation clearly feeling uncomfortable and told Harry of the little incident with Victoire. As Ginny had mentioned, Ron was holding his baby niece when she decided to spill her recent feed all over the repair kit for his broomstick. As disgusted as Harry was at the thought, he handed over his own to Ron for him to use.

Harry and Ginny had already met the baby several days prior, and he noticed his own wife appearing rather smitten. He couldn't help but envision his own child one day, but the thought alone was strange – children? He was barely ready for Teddy. Babies would be far too much for that point in time, but he gathered one day they might be ready to expand their family. For now, Harry had a few too many obligations than to think of such things, but the image alone of Ginny holding Victoire was a beautiful sight to see.

After their conversation, Ron picked up his cloak and departed as soon as Ginny arrived home with Teddy. Harry wasn't sure whether he felt comfortable relaying his concerns of Ron to Ginny, so he kept that to himself. In all honesty, he didn't know what to make of his best friend. Ron was quite obviously bothered with something, and he knew it wasn't just about the Burrow, or Hermione, or everyone moving away. No, there was something more to it that Ron was not telling him. A part of him wanted to tell Ginny, but the other part of him didn't want to mention anything for fear of himself looking too stupid assuming things.

But he was worried for Ron. His friend had a dangerous line of work and the fact that he barely mentions anything about it, disturbed even Harry. Maybe Ron was withholding it as Harry gave up that desire years ago. But regardless of Harry's new career pursuits, he still wanted to know the happenings around the wizarding world. Especially when danger still lurked around. Harry was ready to defend if needed but being left in the dark about it all had him slightly anxious. He had been in that position far too many times before.

Instead, he held back from sharing his concerns with his wife. She had enough to worry about Harry's state of mind, and having her own brother to also worry about, was not the kind of issue he wanted to raise with her.

Before the last light of the day, Severus' owl Onyx fluttered silently through the window and dropped a neatly written envelope at on Harry's desk. The owl snapped at Harry as he tried to pet it and squawked angrily at Godric who was nowhere near him, as it took flight and departed immediately. Amused by the owl who was almost the embodiment of Severus himself, he peeled open the letter and began to read:

Harry,

Meet me at mine on June 25th, 11pm. Specifically, this date and time. No discussion.

…Bring Lupin junior.

Severus S.

It took Harry several more re-reads to comprehend the letter, as simple as it was. It wasn't so much the invitation, but rather the mention of having Teddy accompany him. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. After the heated incident involving Teddy many weeks ago, he wasn't sure bringing him back was a good idea. Despite the conversation he already had with his Godchild, he wasn't sure how Teddy himself would handle it given how distraught and upset he was at the last visit. But regardless of what had happened, it was still an odd request for him to even suggest Teddy. He knew Severus didn't like Teddy, for multiple reasons. But the fact was, Severus wanted Harry to bring him along, and admittingly, this had him curious.

What on earth could be so important that he was asked to bring his Godson to Severus' house?

The man was always full of surprises, but he hoped for all their sakes, this was a good one.