Severus sat slumped in his chair, a glass of his favourite single malt dangling from his fingers at the end of the chair arm. His other elbow was bent and he absently rubbed his forehead whilst gazing into the low flames he had conjured, just so he had something other than the empty grate to stare at. He was tired and his eyelids had drooped considerably...the flames were nothing really, but a bright blur.

The glass still had an inch of golden liquid in the bottom of it, and though Severus had downed a first glass in two gulps, it had been nearly two hours ago. This measure of whisky was only missing two sips. He was quite, quite sober.

Unfortunately.

Why, he didn't know, because he had planned to make himself forget the night's happenings by the most expedient means. Somehow, it hadn't happened. Subconsciously, he had realised that becoming drunk was not the most sensible plan, especially when there was a chance that Harry might see him. After Harry's own recent bad experience with alcohol and the subsequent lengthy lecture on bad decisions and inherent dangers he had received, Severus knew it would be hypocritical of him to go down the same path.

Having a teenager living with him was going to be more than a little inconvenient at times...Severus enjoyed the odd tipple. Perhaps he should enlarge upon the previous lecture and talk to Harry about sensible drinking habits and the appropriate age to begin indulging. 

But right now, sensible drinking was not helping Severus forget the evening's debacle...the total fiasco that his plan had morphed into. When he and Harry had left, they had Flooed back to Dumbledore's office and then to here. Harry had maintained a stoic facade, but Severus knew that he had to be upset. He was pleased that Harry had, without consideration, left to come home with him, but in doing so, he had left his girlfriend and his two best friends behind.

Severus's eyes narrowed and he lowered his hand back to rest on the arm of the chair where he clenched his fist.  One of those friends had reacted to the night's revelations in exactly the way Severus had thought he would. Ronald Weasley needed a swift kick up the arse. Weasley was supposed to be Harry's best friend, and this was the second time that he had failed to be supportive when Harry was under extreme pressure.

Granger had backed her friend without hesitation, and Ginevra Weasley had seemed to know what was going on before the revelations had even been made. Obviously, she had put two and two together after Harry's outburst to Dumbledore ten days ago, and had kept her own council since. The girl definitely took after her father, rather than her volatile mother. And that could only be a good thing. One Molly Weasley in the world was almost one too many!

It had been awkward when they had arrived back home. Harry had tried to put a brave face on it, but Severus could see that he was upset and trying not to show it. Severus recalled their short conversation.

"Do you want to talk?"

Harry gave him a grim little smile and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. "Umm, thanks...err, Dad...but I'm...I'm really tired." He looked away, unable to maintain eye contact.

"I'm sorry, Harry..."

Harry shook his head. "It's not your fault. I should have listened to you. I should have accepted that it would be best to keep this quiet." He began stalking up and down, his hand rubbing the back of his neck agitatedly. "What if they broadcast it around?"

"They wouldn't do that. They won't hurt you because they care for you. And as you made it quite apparent that you are starting to accept me as more than your teacher, they will not hurt me either."

"Why did Mrs Weasley have to react like that?" asked Harry in a pained voice. "How could she even think..."

"She was in shock," said Severus, trying to be generous for Harry's sake. "She didn't give herself time to process things properly before she reacted. She will come around."

Harry shut his eyes and raised his face to the stone ceiling. "I don't know if I can forgive her for her insinuations," he croaked.

Severus shook his head and crossed to his son, putting his hand on his shoulder and squeezing. "Of course you will forgive her. Molly thinks of you as one of her sons and when it all boils down, the whole scene happened because she was frightened for you."

Harry looked at him and shook his head, but it was a very indecisive movement. "Harry, Molly has always cared for you...of course you will forgive her. I treated you like dirt from the moment I saw you, and you forgave me." Severus sighed and for some reason, he sounded and looked a little exasperated. "It's what you do, Harry...you forgive people."

Harry looked away. He was quiet for several minutes and Severus could see the wheels turning...he could see Harry's thoughts as if they were a Muggle film flashing across his young, unhappy face. Finally Harry had just looked at him and said he was going to bed.

"I'll see you in the morning," he added and without waiting to hear if Severus wanted to add anymore to their conversation other than a quiet goodnight, Harry had hurried to his room and shut the door.

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Severus rubbed his eyes and sighed. There was little point in sitting here any longer, going over the unsatisfactory end to Harry's sixteenth birthday. It had happened and it couldn't be undone. Molly Weasley had gone to a lot of effort to make Harry's birthday a memorable event. Well, she had certainly succeeded in her aim, but for all the wrong reasons.

Severus looked at the glass in his hand and its virtually untouched contents. He picked up his wand and banished the whisky before levitating the empty glass across to the drinks table where it joined its fellows. Severus pushed himself to his feet and took two steps towards his bedroom before he stopped, pondered for a moment and then turned to cross the room to Harry's bedroom.

The door opened silently and he peered into the bedroom, allowing the light from behind him to illuminate the bed and the figure in it. Harry's face was turned to the wall and his limbs were splayed messily, one arm thrown above his head. He was asleep, but from the evidence of the messy covers, Severus was sure that it hadn't been for long.

Severus stood and stared at his son for over five minutes. When Harry eventually turned onto his side and curled himself into a ball, Severus felt another seismic shift in the region of his chest. The easing of tension in his chest each time he felt this sensation was totally at odds with the tightness he felt in his throat. Staring at Harry Potter in the past had elicited some very different reactions...irritation and intense dislike being the two major ones. And though this easing in his chest felt much more pleasant than the previous black tension that had always dominated his body and his psyche, it was still difficult to get his head around

As Severus got himself ready for bed, he marvelled once again at just how much that positive paternity test had changed his attitude. He had fought it...he had tried to deny the changes, but ultimately, it had happened outside of his control. And along with the new fledgling affection that was rapidly developing for his newly discovered son, Severus openly admitted to himself that most of his earlier attitude towards Harry had been prejudice on his part, and not inherent disobedience and arrogance on Harry's part. He had not, however, exaggerated Harry's desire to rush into dangerous situations, or his sense of invincibility. And that was something they were going to have to address, because Severus had not gotten to this place of acceptance and affection for The Boy Who Lived, just so he could lose lose it all to one of Harry's foolish, dangerous whims.

Severus climbed into bed and extinguished the lights, and as he settled back and stared into the darkness, he wondered if he would ever be able to forgive himself for his transgressions against Harry as easily as Harry had forgiven him.

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When consciousness crept up on him the next morning, Harry lay with his eyes shut for several minutes, his mind in that limbo between sleep and full wakefulness. After a minute or so, he was alert enough to wonder why his eyes weren't being assaulted by the orange onslaught which always burned into his retinas through his closed eyelids when he was staying at the Burrow. Ron's room faced east and the morning sun turned his room into a fireball.

But not today. Maybe there was another mist.

And then Harry remembered and his eyes flew open, to be confronted by the windowless stone walls of his room in the dungeons at Hogwarts. The room was dimly lit, and Harry wondered how, when it had been dark when he went to sleep, and there was no natural light source down here.

His brow creased. He had never really thought about it before. There were candles and gas lamps down here; Severus lit them at night. But this light was not the artificial light of candles or lamps; this light was like early morning light, and Harry realised that the same light illuminated the whole of the dungeon chambers during the day. It seemed that his father had charmed the whole of his chambers to imitate the daylight outside in all of its phases. What he was seeing now was what the morning would be like if blocked out by a blind.

Harry sighed and stared at the far wall. The mystery of the charm that produced the daylight underground was intriguing, but now that he was fully awake, his thoughts strayed right back to the happenings of the previous night. He didn't want to dwell on what had happened as his birthday celebrations had drawn to a close. His birthday had not been the fantastic day everyone had tried to make it, even though it had started out so brilliantly. It had been such a novelty for Harry; he had never had a proper birthday before.

The well-wishes, the kisses and hugs from the females (especially Ginny), the gifts; he had loved all of it. The birthday dinner with so many of the people he cared for turning up to help him celebrate had been fun, though he had not appreciated it as much as he should have done because he had still been miserable about being on the outer with Ginny.

But Ginny had been there for him when it had counted; she had been there for him in the face of her mother's very obvious annoyance and displeasure. That fact alone had made the train wreck at the end of the day just barely tolerable...her acceptance and Hermione's. Harry refused to think about Ron, just as he refused to relive all of the horrible details.

His father had tried to do the right thing for him. Against every one of his instincts, he had decided to put Harry's wishes ahead of his own and it had blown up in their faces. He had tried to pretend that he wasn't too upset, but he knew that Severus Snape had seen through his pathetic façade. He had tried to get Harry to talk once they were back here, but all Harry had wanted to do was go to bed and try to forget everything that had happened.

But when his dad had said that he, Harry would forgive Mrs Weasley because that was what he did...he forgave people, it had been too much.

Snape had made him sound pretty pathetic, pretty soft, though Harry knew that had not been his intention. But he knew that his father had been right. He was pretty pathetic. He didn't want to be angry with Mrs Weasley. She had done so much for him over the last few years. She had made him a part of her family, and he really cared for her.

But he didn't know if he would be able to tolerate her not being able to tolerate his father. Harry didn't think he could stand the people in his life being at each other's throats all the time. If that was going to be the case, then he just had to distance himself from the adult Weasleys. He had had a gut full of the Dursleys being at his throat for most of his life, and varying numbers in the wizarding world being out for his hide at different times.

And of course, worst of all, Voldemort wanting him dead ever since he had heard a portion of a bloody prophecy many years ago, and had decided that ‘the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord', was Harry.

All I want is a peaceful life. Is that too much to ask for?

Harry sighed and threw back the covers so that he could sit on the side of the bed. He knew that peace was not in his future. But surely, until he was old enough to fulfil his destiny, asking for a bit of calm wasn't too much to ask for.

Surely it wasn't too much to expect the few people that he cared for to all get along together. After all, they were all on the same side, weren't they?"

Harry ran his hand over his stubble-rough jaw and then through his messy hair. It seemed that he probably looked as shitty as he felt. He forced himself upright, and as his muscles and joints protested as he moved towards the bathroom, he realised that his misery over yesterday's events was making him feel like he was a hundred years old; it was an effort to put one foot in front of the other. He definitely needed a long, hot shower to perk him up.

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Severus looked up from his perusal of the Prophet (which was, thankfully, devoid of murder and mayhem today) when he heard Harry's door open. He had been amazed when he heard the clanks and gurgles of the ancient pipes, indicating that Harry was showering. The noise had started twenty minutes ago, and as it was only now ten past eight, Harry was up far earlier than Severus would have expected, considering the restless night he was sure the boy had probably had, and the fact that it was still the holidays.

"Hi," said Harry as he slipped into his seat and reached for the jug of pumpkin juice.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Harry shrugged. "Not bad," He mumbled. Severus saw that Harry was reluctant to raise his eyes. Sighing impatiently, he rubbed his forehead with his index finger as he watched Harry take a piece of cold toast.

What would you like for breakfast?" asked Severus, but Harry just shrugged again.

"This is fine," he said, taking a bite of the unappetizing toast to which he had added a scrape of butter.

Severus bit back his irritation and rising, he went to the Floo and ordered breakfast for Harry. Within seconds, a bowl of steaming porridge and a plate of fresh toast appeared on the table.

"I told you this was fine," said Harry grumpily.

Severus had returned to his chair and was pouring two cups of tea. "It most patently is not fine," he bit out. "Eat your breakfast, Harry. It might put you in a better frame of mind." Severus glared as he placed a cup of tea in front of Harry, daring him to argue further.

Harry bit back his irritation. He didn't want to argue, and so, after adding sugar and milk, he began to eat the creamy cereal. He really wasn't hungry, but he had to admit that the food sliding down his throat and into his stomach was kind of comforting.

Satisfied that an argument was not going to eventuate, Severus relaxed by degrees, sitting sideways to the table and sipping his own drink. Harry now avoided talking by the simple expedient of keeping his mouth full. He knew he was being a total prat, giving his dad the silent treatment. But he was worried that last night would be brought up, and Harry definitely didn't want to go there.

But once he had finished eating, the Berlin Wall had to come down and Harry sat back and reluctantly looked across the table. "I'm sorry for being such a pain in the ar...err, for being such a pain. It's just that I didn't want to talk about last night."

Severus inclined his head a little. "Perfectly understandable, Harry. It wasn't high on my list of favourite breakfast topics, either."

Harry relaxed a little bit more and began the very grating [TEL1] habit of playing with the crumbs on his plate. Severus leaned forward and grasped the back of Harry's hand. He squeezed it slightly to make sure that Harry knew to desist, and with reddened cheeks, Harry dropped his hand onto his lap and slid down in his chair. "Sorry," he muttered.

"A most annoying habit, Harry, and one that I wish you would try to address." Harry nodded. Severus sat forward and leaned his elbows on the table and clasped his hands in front of his mouth. "I have no intention of reliving the happenings of last night, but I feel it necessary to say that if you wish to return to the Burrow today to be with your friends, I will not stand in your way."

Harry's eyes widened and he shook his head emphatically. "I don't!" he said quickly.

"I will not be upset, Harry. Your holidays thus far have been far from the time of rest and relaxation that they are supposed to be."

"I don't want to go back," said Harry a little more loudly.

Severus sighed and leaned forward a little more. "I know you will be welcome. It is me that Molly has a problem with..."

"And you think that will make me want to go back...the fact that my best friend and my girlfriend's mum has a problem with my father, but not with me?"

"Harry..."

Harry shot out of his chair. "I'm not going back. OK? If Ron and Ginny want to see me they can come here."

Severus raised his eyebrows.

"Can't they?" Harry asked a little desperately.

"And you think Molly Weasley will allow her children to come and visit you here, when I am here also?"

Harry sank back down into his chair. Plonking his elbows on the table, he dug the heels of his hands into his eyes under his glasses and let out a growl of frustration. "God, why does everything have to be so bloody complicated?"

Severus didn't know what to say to that, and he was more grateful than not when the Floo flared to life behind him, even though he knew whose annoyingly cheerful visage he would find there. Harry lowered his hands and adjusted his glasses while Severus stood and strode towards the fireplace. "A bit early for a call, isn't it, Albus?"

"Good morning, Severus. It is early-ish, I do agree, but you have some visitors, and I think it will be better to get things out of the way early, so that you and Harry can enjoy your day more. Could the two of you please come to my office?"

Severus straightened and looked down his angular nose. When he spoke, his voice was arctic and he lowered it considerably. "There is only one reason I can think of that you would seek our presence so early, today, old man, and if my assumption is correct, you can tell..."

Harry appeared at Severus side and he stopped talking abruptly. He knew the Weasleys were in Albus's office and after his speech about turning the other cheek to Harry, he wasn't going to launch into a diatribe and tell Albus exactly what he could do with Molly Weasley. He might be advocating forgiveness to Harry, but it would be a cold day in hell before he forgave the bitch.

Albus was greeting Harry. "I was just telling your father that you have some early morning visitors who are most anxious to see you both."

Harry knew immediately who it had to be, and he turned to stare at Severus. Those green eyes were questioning, but they were also pleading.

"You want to see them, I take it?" asked Severus.

Harry shrugged. "Only if you do," he said, trying for casual but hopeful was what came through most strongly. Severus sighed deeply and tried to hide his irritation. This was a perfect example of Harry's completely transparency, and the reason he needed to learn Occlumency so desperately. He turned back to Albus.

"We'll be there in a moment." Albus looked from Harry, back to Severus, nodded once and disappeared.

Harry stepped back to allow Severus to stride across to the coat stand and grab his outer robe. His face had fallen back into its usual cold mask, and Harry, whose spirits had soared at the news that the Weasley's were here, felt them plummet again when it became obvious that his father was far from delighted at the news. Surely they could only be here to apologise for Mrs Weasley's outburst last night; they would not have come to continue the nastiness, especially when Dumbledore was so obviously their ally.

"We don't have to go see them if you don't want to," said Harry quietly, as Severus did up his many buttons.

"It is perfectly obvious that you wish to reconcile, and that is as it should be," said Severus, his tone stilted.

"But I don't want to reconcile if you don't!"

"We spoke of this last night, and again, not ten minute ago. You need to..."

"I don't need to do anything. You're my father...they're my friends. Well, they were my friends. If you don't want to see them, then I'm not going to either," Harry said stubbornly.

Severus knew he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He was going to have to make an effort with the bloody woman, or Harry would ultimately be the one to suffer; he would be miserable if he went the rest of the holidays without contact with his friends. [TEL2] And Harry needed the people who cared for him. He knew that Molly loved Harry as much as she detested him, and so...

"Let us see what the formidable matriarch has to say for herself, today," said Severus, and after taking up a pinch of Floo powder, he ushered Harry into the fireplace ahead of himself and called out for Dumbledore's rooms.

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Severus steadied Harry before he allowed him to step out onto Dumbledore's hearth. As soon as Molly saw him, she shakily returned her tea cup to its saucer with a loud clink and jumped up from the chair she was sitting on. She took a nervous step forward before Severus straightened behind Harry and she stopped short, her pale face going even paler. Arthur stepped behind his wife and grasped her upper arms reassuringly.

Harry dragged his eyes away from the clearly upset woman and looked around. He drooped a little when he realised that Ginny, Ron and Hermione weren't there. Dumbledore was seated behind his desk looking more severe than Harry was used to seeing him and Professor McGonagall was standing beside him.

Arthur was the first to speak. "Severus, Harry, thank you for seeing us so early," he said. "Molly and I wished to see you both as soon as it was reasonable to do so. You left so quickly last night, we didn't get the chance to set things right."

Severus had moved across to the window. "I would have thought that my leaving when I did would have set things righter than anything else could have done, considering all that was said." Severus was staring down into the grounds and his voice was so cold, Harry was surprised that ice didn't form on the window panes.

"Severus..."

"Severus, please..." said Molly, pulling herself from Arthur's hold and taking several steps towards him. "This is all down to me. The horrible things that I said last night and your reaction are all down to me. Don't take this out on the rest of my family by keeping Harry away from them."

"Dad didn't..."

"Be quiet, Harry!" said Severus in a deadly voice, and Harry's lips clamped together. Severus turned slowly and crossed his arms. Because the light was behind him, his face was in shadow, but Harry didn't have to see the austere features to know just how angry Severus was.

"In case it escaped your notice last night, Harry was not coerced in any way to leave with me. He came of his own free will. And neither am I stopping him from having contact with you and your family. He is free to do so any time he wishes to. We have already spoken about this, this morning and I have encouraged him to visit..."

"Mrs Weasley," said Harry, his voice raised to cut Severus off. "I'm sorry, but I would be uncomfortable coming back to the Burrow knowing how you feel about my dad."

Molly bit her lip and her eyes filled with tears. She delved into her sleeve and pulled out a handkerchief, and after a cursory swipe at her wet eyes, she began to tug and fiddle with the square of fabric. "Oh, Harry dear...I am so sorry. This is all coming out wrong...I'm saying it wrong. I did not intend when I came here this morning to ask you to choose. I don't want you to choose. Of course you would choose your...your father if it came down to choices.

She looked towards Severus again and as if against her will, she took several more steps towards him. She took a deep breath and seemed to draw herself up taller. "What I came here to do Severus, was apologise to you. What I said last night...the way I acted, it was wholly unforgivable and totally unreasonable. I reacted without thought and all I can do is beg your forgiveness."

Severus wanted to tell her that her opinion of him was a matter of total indifference to him, that he would be happy never to speak to her again, but he could not do that. He had  developed a respect for Arthur and Bill Weasley, and though he wouldn't go as far as to describe them as friends, Severus was loathe to lose two of the few positive interactions that he had with members of the Order. Refusing to accept the peace-offering of their wife and mother was not going to do anything to ensure continued good-will between them. And then there was Harry...

Harry's eyes were pleading and Severus knew that if he rejected Molly's entreaty, Harry would accept his decision, but he would be totally miserable. Severus knew that no plea from him would make the stubborn child change his mind about visiting the Burrow.

"Severus?" Albus finally spoke, bringing Severus out of his short reverie. He transferred his hooded gaze from Albus to Molly. If her hanky had been a tissue it would have been shredded all over the floor. After a second, he inclined his head stiffly. "I accept your apology."

Molly lowered her eyes and put her hand over her mouth in an effort to stifle the sob of relief that tried to escape. As over-emotional as Molly always was-last night being the prime example-Severus was worried that she would launch herself at him, or at the very least grab his hand, but with a visible effort, and much to his relief, she hauled herself in. She just raised her head and smiled weakly at him.

"Thank you," she mouthed silently as Arthur came up behind her and put an arm around her shoulders. He put out his hand and after a second, Severus shook it.

"Thank you Severus," he said in a heartfelt voice, and Severus not only saw relief in the red-haired man's eyes pale blue eyes when he looked at him, he saw exasperation and hard won patience in them when he glanced sideways at his mouthy and opinionated wife.

A loud clap sounded and heads snapped around to Albus who had his hands together and was beaming at them all as if he had just bought off a major coup. "Excellent, children, now that you have decided that you can play nicely together, I suggest we have some tea to celebrate the ending of hostilities." And he twirled his wand over the teapot and milk jug that were already there and then another twiddle produced more cups, saucers and spoons.

"Really Albus," huffed Minerva, who had been totally silent up to now. "It is a deplorable habit that you have developed, speaking to grown adults as if they are minors."

"You are all children to me, Minerva," said Dumbledore happily, and he winked at Harry who was biting his lip in an effort to hold back the grin. "Even you, my love."

Albus took Minerva's hand and dragged her forward. "But you can be mother now, my dear, and pour the tea."

Minerva saw Harry's eyes widen at the foolish old man's endearment, and she sent a gimlet-eyed look at him that clearly said that if any other student found out that Albus Dumbledore called her ‘his love', then he would be in detention for the whole of the coming school year.

Harry believed her.

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Fifteen minutes later, an unusually subdued Molly Weasley put her cup down in its saucer. Albus, Minerva and Arthur had kept the conversational ball rolling, with Severus putting in the odd, reluctant comment. Molly and Harry had remained silent the whole time, but now Molly looked at Harry and Severus, who were sitting close together. She cleared her throat.

"Umm, Harry, if it's all right with Professor Sn...err, your father, would you like to come and spend the day at the Burrow?"

Harry's eyes shot straight to Severus. Severus had been expecting some such offer. He leaned forward and placed his cup and saucer back on the table. Then he sat back and crossed his legs, brushing an imaginary speck of lint off his robes. "Harry is quite at liberty to visit his friends, Molly. He does not need to ask my permission to do so. If, at any time I wish him to stay here for whatever reason, I will inform him."

"Oh, right." Molly transferred her gaze to Harry. "Harry, dear?"

Harry looked at Severus. "Are you sure you don't mind if I go?"

"We discussed this very subject this morning, I believe. I have absolutely no objection to you visiting your friends." Harry stared at him, a little taken aback by the indifference in his father's tone and when he continued to stare, Severus raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Is it such a difficult decision to make, Harry?" asked Molly softly. "I know you might still be a little put out with me, but Ron, Ginny and Hermione are anxious to see you."

"Umm, no," he said feebly, "Sorry...I just though my dad might have needed me for something today." He knew his excuse was ridiculous...what would his father need him for? To help clean up his rooms? Weed the garden? Help him make potions.? Yeah, right! It appears he didn't even need his company. He stiffened his spine and smiled at Mrs Weasley.

"Yeah, OK. I'll come back to the Burrow with you." He stood up and Molly looked a little taken aback at his abrupt action. "I don't need to get anything. Most of my stuff is there anyway."

"Oh, very well, dear." Molly kissed Arthur goodbye and bade Albus and Minerva a fleeting adieu before turning to Severus. "Thank you Severus, for seeing us today and for listening to me and accepting my apology." Severus inclined his head, just a little too abruptly and he saw Dumbledore's eyes narrow a little with disapproval. Molly and Harry had moved across to the Floo when Severus stood to address her again.

"Thank you for coming, Molly. It is not good for these things to fester." His knew his voice was stiff-it was impossible for him to radiate approval for the woman-but it was the best he could do to appease Albus, and counter the thin-lipped disapproval that Minerva was conveying. He could also see that his final words had lightened the look on Arthur's face.

Molly smiled at him more brightly. "Shall I send Harry back through at around sixish?"

Harry carefully avoided looking at him by reaching for the Floo powder and stepping into the fireplace. Severus knew that he had upset the boy somehow. He nodded in response to Molly's query. "Or he may wish to stay. Let me know."

Twin spots of colour had blossomed on Harry's cheeks and he glared at Severus. "Yeah," he said defiantly. "Yeah, I just might stay over, seeing as I'm not needed for anything here." And he threw down the powder and called out his destination.