Filius hated walking into the dungeons; he could feel himself starting to sweat as he was met with a rush of warm moisture. He hoped that Severus was in his classroom; he hadn't been in his office. Filius has been holding onto the man's book for weeks and wanted it out of his hands before he lost it. His brother had always reminded him growing up that he neglected to return things he borrowed.

As he rounded the last turn of the staircase, Filius heard a jar smashing and suddenly Potter came running past him on the stairs. It was clear that Mr. Potter didn't notice Filius as he was squished into the wall by the young man. Unsure if he should turn around or face the situation head on, Filius channeled his inner Minerva, and, against his better judgment, went into the classroom.

Severus was standing in the corner of his classroom, broken jars scattered across the floor. The dark man was facing away from Filius, leaning on a shelf as if he would fall over if he took his hand away. "Severus?" Filius asked quietly.

"Go," Severus snapped, turning quickly to face him. Filius saw his face was red and he couldn't remember Severus ever looking so angry.

Gently, Filius placed the book on a desk and put his hands up. "I just came to return this book."

"I said go," Severus said again.

"I will. But, I'm going to ask if you're alright."

"Please leave," Severus said, his voice notably weaker. "Not today, Filius."

Filius pulled his wand out and cleaned up the glass from the floor, the jars reassembled. "Ah, but it seems today is the day you're in need."

"I need Albus to use his brilliant mind for once," Severus muttered, moving to sit at his desk. He held his head in his hands.

Filius took the opportunity to walk closer to him. "You have anything for headaches in here?" he asked, beginning to look through the shelves. He could tell Severus needed something soothing.

"Fourth shelf from the top," Severus muttered. Filius located the drought and handed it to Severus, taking a seat across from him. Severus took the vile and swallowed it in one sip. Filius was glad Severus wasn't stubborn enough to refuse the offer. "I'm not in the mood, Filius."

"I can see that. Perhaps you want to tell me what happened that led Potter to almost run me over in the stairwell?"

"I do not," Severus retorted. "I want you to leave."

Filius stood. "I'll just go fetch Minerva instead. She'll know what to do."

"Stop," Severus said. "Sit down. Don't you dare tell her anything."

"It's me or her," Filius said.

Severus sighed. "Potter saw a memory he shouldn't have."

Filius was surprised. "Was it about Minerva?"

"No," Severus said. "Those memories are…buried. Nobody will ever find those."

"I'm assuming they could bring much danger?"

"Yes," Severus admitted. "I…we shouldn't even be…whatever this is."

"Still won't label it after all these years?" Filius asked, amused by the man's awkwardness. He was the formidable Potions Professor, Head of Slytherin, yet he couldn't talk about a woman he'd been with for almost two decades without sounding like a fifth year.

"What am I supposed to say, Filius? My girlfriend. Don't be preposterous."

"What was the memory?'

"I said I didn't want to do this," he snapped, slamming his fist on the desk. He was growing hysterical.

"I won't push it," Filius finally said. They sat in silence for a few moments. "I was surprised, you know."

"What are you talking about now?"

"When Minerva said you were teaching Potter Occlumency." Severus smirked. "I know your skills, but I also know your hatred. I know how much you must carry with you about James. I only wish I'd done more."

Severus looked at him, and Filius felt uneasy as the black eyes burned into him. It was the first time in many years that Severus had intimidated him. "What did you say?"

Filius sighed, feeling his hands shake. He'd pushed down a lot of his guilt over the years. Perhaps that's why he'd tried so hard to befriend Severus. When Severus was a student, he'd never seen it, but afterwards, he'd been told about the relentless bullying Severus endured. He'd never understand why those who saw it, especially Dumbledore, had done nothing. Filius had felt guilty. He'd had the boys in class for years, yet it either never happened in his class or he'd been too preoccupied to notice. His friendship with Severus had, he realized in that moment, eased some of his own guilt. But, he'd never faced it head on. "Was that what the memory was?"

Severus nodded. "Fucking Ravenclaw," he muttered. "It never happened in your class."

"What?"

"You didn't allow anything to happen. None of it happened in Charms."

"I'm still sorry."

Severus nodded. "I accept." A look of relief washed over him. "But how did you know?"

"You know the staff talk. I eventually heard."

"I let Potter see what his father did.."

"He should know."

"I look weak," Severus protested. "He saw…"

"You don't look weak. Maybe Potter needed to see it."

Severus was silent. "I told him he cannot reveal it to anyone."

"He seemed scared enough that he will listen." Severus was silent again. Filius toyed with one of the books on his desk. "I should be going."

"Thank you." Filius looked back up at Severus whose face was paler than usual. "Please, not a word to Minerva about this."

"I promise."

"Do you need anything else?" Filius asked.

"A drink?" Severus smirked.

"I can take care of that," Filius smiled. "Do you have anything in here?"

Severus opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a bottle of whisky. "I do."

Filius summoned two glasses from across the room. "It's a Tuesday afternoon, and here we are."

Severus downed the whole glass in one sip. "Here we are."

As Severus finished off his third glass, Filius could see his shoulders begin to relax. The color slowly returned to his face. "I've never seen you drink this much in one sitting."

"It's becoming more of a habit these days," Severus replied, motioning to the drawer where he'd retrieved the alcohol from.

"I hope not a problem?"

"No. Just a habit. A drink a day to ease the stress."

"I can't pass judgment on that," Filius replied. "We seem to be needing more these days."

Silence fell between them again, but it was comfortable between them. Filius found that he was enjoying it. It had been long since he'd had a friend whom he was comfortable in silence with. He loved the girls, but they always wanted to talk. Severus rarely wanted to talk. He appreciated the company without the pressure. Filius felt himself beginning to doze off when Severus spoke again. "Do you plan on retiring, Filius?"

The question was unprompted. "What?"

"In the next few years. Do you plan to retire? To leave Hogwarts?"

"A peculiar question, Severus."

"Just answer it," he said impatiently.

Confused but not willing to work Severus up again, Filius said, "I do not. Are you implying I should?"

"No," Severus replied. "I'm trying to ensure you don't. Does Poppy plan to? Pomona?"

Shaking his head, Filius couldn't begin to understand what he was getting at. "No. I think we still have a lot of years in us."

"You do."

More silence. Filius wanted to press the issue, but decided not to. He let Severus take the lead. "Did you like James?"

"I had no opinion to be honest," Filius replied. "I neither worshiped him and his friends nor hated them. I will admit their ego annoyed me sometimes."

Severus nodded. "They strung me up on a tree," Severus said almost so quietly that Filius didn't catch it. "Everyone laughed. Everyone saw my underthings." Severus was staring into his drink as he spoke as if he'd forgotten Filius was there.

Filius almost spit out the whiskey. "What?"

"The valiant Potter gang," Severus snapped. "That's how they treated people they didn't like. His son is the same."

"We both know that isn't true," Filius said gently.

"He has his ego."

"I'll admit to that," Filius replied. "But I don't think he'd get as far without Ms. Granger."

"She's a know-it-all too."

"You don't have to like him. I understand." Filius could understand why, after all James did, that Severus would have a hard time getting along with his son. Filius didn't think the hatred was completely fair, as Harry was a different man, but he knew that trauma was hard to shake. He'd seen that when Remus had taught there for a year. It had clearly taken a number of Severus. Severus wasn't a man to show emotion so the emotions he showed were genuine. When Filius looked back at Severus, a single tear streamed down his cheek. "Are you alright?"

Severus looked at him again, his eyes intense but Filius didn't know with what emotion. "I'm tired."

"I know that's hard to admit."

"And I'm angry."

"That's fair."

Severus poured one more glass of whiskey. "Last one," he said. "I promise."

Filius smiled. Severus sounded like a child, and, in reality, he was still close in age to one. That man wasn't even forty, yet he'd seen a lifetime over things. "Do you have to keep teaching Harry? It seems to be doing you more harm."

"That's never much mattered to Albus."

"Surely he doesn't want you like this."

Severus laughed, but Filius could tell it was through gritted teeth. "I think he relishes this. He knew what he was doing when he asked me to teach him."

"Well, I think you should refuse."

Severus nodded, and for the first time in their conversation, Filius could see he was drunk. He was beginning to sound drunk. "I told Potter his lessons have ended. Fuck, Albus."

In reality, Filius didn't know much about what Dumbledore did outside of his school duties. He knew his duties extended to the war; they all knew. Filius wasn't part of the Order, so he wasn't privy to everything about Albus, the Order and those in it. Dumbledore had placed a limit on the staff from being part of the Order, insisting that Hogwarts needed people without the additional duties and risks of war. Minerva and Severus were enough of a liability. From what Filius heard from Severus and Minerva, Albus was less than what he appeared to be. This school term had begun to show that to the rest of the staff. Filius had only seen him three times the whole year. "I'm glad you put an end to it."

"This isn't your issue."

"No, but you're my friend. What are you doing the rest of the evening?"

Severus shoved at a large stack of parchments on his desk. "This."

"What about Minerva?"

"I'm sure she'll be by." The sound of heels clicking came from behind them when the woman they'd just been talking about entered the classroom. She seemed to notice the spare pieces of glass Filius had missed, but didn't say anything. "And there she is."

Minerva smiled at them. "Finally returning that book, Filius?"

"I've been much better at that," he said chuckling.

"Hey, Min." Severus said, his words slurred.

"You're drunk," Minerva said accusingly. "It's a Tuesday, Severus. It's barely 5. Isn't Potter supposed to be in here for his lesson?"

"Fuck Potter," Severus smirked. "The lessons are done. He doesn't need anything else."

"What is going on, Severus?"

"Ask your star pupil," he snapped.

Minerva's face reddened. "I came to see if you'd be joining me for tea this evening. I don't seem to care much if you do."

She turned to leave, but Filius jumped up and grabbed her hand. "Minerva, wait!" She stopped. "Potter saw a memory of Severus's."

Her face softened. "Of us?"

"James," Severus replied. Filius wasn't sure if Severus would be angry at him for telling Minerva, but she needed to know before the two had a fight.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Severus. Was it a bad one?"

He turned his head. "I told Filius I don't want to talk about this."

"We don't have to talk," Minerva said gently. "Not you and I."

Severus turned back around. "What?"

Minerva tightened her hand into a white fist. "I told Albus not to do this. That if Potter needed to learn that Albus was to do it. I told him something bad would happen."

"Did you think that was going to work, Min?"

"No," she said quietly. She sank down and sat on the edge of one of the desks. "I'll give you a pass on the whiskey," she said lightly, motioning to the glasses and bottle on Severus's desk.

"I appreciate your stamp of approval," Severus said, sounding a little more like himself. "I remember you doing something similar after your inspection."

"I suppose this year has changed our drinking habits," she said.

"I'm going to leave you two alone," Filius said.

"Another one before you go?" Severus asked.

Filius smiled. "I've had enough. Thanks for talking, Severus."

"I'll walk you back up," Minerva said. She followed Filius to the stairwell. "Thank you for telling me what happened," she said when Severus was out of earshot.

"I didn't want to see you two fight," he admitted.

"Me neither. Last thing we need." They stopped at the top of the stairs. Minerva leaned against the wall and looked down at him, her hat now crooked on her head. "How did you get it out of him?"

"I was almost run over by Potter on my way down," Filius said. "Then there were smashed jars everywhere. It took a lot of prying but he eventually caved."

"Were they both okay?"

"Nobody looked cut. Though, I didn't get a good look at Potter."

She took her hat off and sighed. "I told Albus not to have him do this. It wasn't a good idea for those two to be vulnerable together. Was Potter okay?"

"He looked scared from what I saw. But he knows how Severus is."

Minerva gave a half hearted laugh. "I love them both so dearly. But that love doesn't go any other direction. Thank you for helping, dear. Get some rest."

Filius kissed her hand and left her alone to look after Severus.