"He saved you from a dog that was attacking you?" Severus repeated in disbelief the next day. Now that his father was awake, Harry insisted on coming to see him every day, and Severus had arranged to have him picked up and brought home by either Albus, Matthew, or Amy, the young Apprentice who still assisted him sometimes.

Harry nodded. "Well, first my magic made a shield and then Grandpa made the dog run away by turning the hose on it. I was really scared, Dad, but Grandpa was great! And then he went over to Mr. Skinner's house and yelled at him for letting Butch get loose and almost eating me. And he didn't even mind that I used magic, Dad."

"Now that really is amazing." Severus conceded. He wasn't surprised that his father had protected Harry from the dog. Tobias would never hesitate to protect his family from an outside threat. But his family had always needed protection from him, Sev thought with a flash of bitterness. Still, he had to admit that Harry's account of Tobias' acceptance of his grandson's use of magic relieved him immensely, for that had been one of the things that his father had been adamant about his son not using when he was at home. Perhaps he was indeed changing, as Dumbledore and Matthew had been telling him ever since he'd woken up.

Even so, Severus was not yet ready to see or speak with his father. He could not get his mind set on this new Tobias, there was too much emotional baggage left from his childhood to deal with. The old Tobias had been his nemesis as a child, the hard bitter alcoholic who had nothing good to say about his son ever and who resented him for having magic or feared him, Severus was never sure which. His mother had always said that drinking turned Tobias into a stranger, someone who was not at all like the man she had fell in love with and chosen to marry. But Severus had never known the man as anything else.

Right now, he wasn't ready to face the older Snape, he was still injured and vulnerable. A part of him was wary of showing weakness in front of the man who had tolerated none all during his childhood, and so he continued to reject all attempts at reconciliation made by Albus and Matthew.

He allowed Harry to stay with Tobias because he saw no reason to yank the child out of familiar surroundings, Harry had enough upheaval in his life to deal with without adding more. He was monitoring the boy carefully, but Harry showed no signs that Tobias was hurting him and because he seemed happy, Sev was content for now to let him remain at Spinner's End.

There were six more days before he was released from the hospital, and then Harry could come home with him to their town house in the wizarding side of London and their lives would be back to normal. Dumbledore had told him they had mended all the damage done to the house by the Death Eaters, so Severus need not worry about coming home to a shambles. Severus was very grateful for his mentor's thoughtfulness.

Now all the Master Healer had to do was to concentrate on getting better. He picked up the rubber ball Matthew had left for him and began to squeeze it while Harry chattered away about going to the park and playing with a boy named Bobby Middleton. 

The next five days passed in a whirlwind, or so it seemed to Harry, who was marking off the days his father had left eagerly. Severus was growing stronger every day, thanks to his iron constitution and Matthew's regimen of potions and exercise. He could now walk around and left his room for short periods of time to go into his office and begin tackling all of the paperwork that had mounted up while he was in a coma for three months.

In that he was assisted by Lana, one of the hospital secretaries and Amy, who had attached herself to him as his unofficial resident medical student, much to Matthew's dismay. His partner grumbled about Sev always getting all the hot interns, but the truth was Severus noticed Amy less for her looks and more for her keen mind and analytical abilities. She was twenty to his twenty-six, but he wasn't about to start going out with her, he enjoyed her company but she was no Lily. He had loved his late wife with everything he had, and a part of him always would.

He treasured her son because of it, though he had quickly grown to love Harry for his own sake and not just because he was Lily's offspring. It was not hard at all to love the child, who was bright and sweet-natured and generous, though he could also be stubborn and mischievous when the mood struck him. Hell, he'd even won over Tobias, the grouchy curmudgeon, and that was something Severus had never managed to do, despite being the man's flesh and blood.

While Severus was mending, Tobias and Harry were finding their newfound relationship a thing of wonder and beauty. Tobias had never really spent time with a child, teaching and participating in that child's daily life. With Severus, he had spent much of his time either drunk, or working, or both, and what free time he did have he'd selfishly spent with his mates from the tavern and not his family. Small wonder that the boy had bonded more with Eileen than with him, who was usually criticizing or punishing the young boy for everything.

He wished sometimes, looking at Harry, that he could go back in time and relive Severus's childhood, erase the mistakes of the past and start anew. But even magic could not do that, and Tobias had to deal with the choices he had made, past and present. He could not erase the past, but perhaps he could smooth over the scars, that is, if Severus would meet him halfway and cooperate.

In the meantime, he had his grandson, who was proving to be both a delight and a headache at the same time. Harry seemed to be possessed of boundless energy, he went from dawn till dusk, playing, reading, watching and assisting Tobias with chores and odd jobs. Tobias soon grew to like having company while doing the same old boring tasks, like sweeping or washing dishes, despite Harry's ability to talk nonstop about anything and everything that came into his head.

He even enjoyed putting the child to bed and reading to him, something that he would've never in a million years thought he would have enjoyed doing before. Harry now would sit on his lap while Tobias read and that simple gesture roused feelings of protectiveness and tenderness in the older man that he had never known before. Or if he had, he had never admitted it. With Harry it was almost as if he had been given a second chance at fatherhood, and he was determined not to waste it this time around.

He would prove to Severus that he could be a responsible and caring grandparent and perhaps that would be enough to convince his stubborn son to give his father another chance and they could be a family once more.

Little did he know that fate and chance would combine to conspire against him, dashing all of his hopes on Friday night, the night before Severus was to be released from the hospital.

The day had started out ordinary enough, though for some reason Harry was tired and cranky, and his whining and pouting got on Tobias's nerves until he couldn't take it and sent the child to his room for an hour. "Go take a nap or draw or whatever, but I don't want to see your face until you can quit being such a grouchy little brat."

Whereupon Harry had muttered that he'd picked up that attitude from Tobias, which was probably true, but Tobias wasn't about to let the boy get away with that kind of talk and gave him two smacks for his cheeky tongue and then sent him upstairs.

Harry sulked and pouted and cried a bit before finally falling asleep. When he woke from his nap he felt better, and went down and apologized to Tobias, who gave him a brief hug and warned him to watch his mouth next time, then sent him out to play until supper.

It was then Tobias received a phone call from Mike Breton and some of his old tavern mates, inviting him to play poker at a local pub he used to frequent. Once upon a time, Tobias had been an avid poker player, but he hadn't played a hand since coming out of the clinic. He considered his old pal's offer, then thought perhaps it would do him good to get out, he deserved a break after three straight months of minding a hyper six-year-old.

What harm could there be in a game of poker with old friends, even if it was at a bar? No one would force him to drink if he didn't want to, and he could enjoy himself for once. So he told Breton yes and called Callie, who would babysit Harry upon request, and everything was settled.

The poker game began at 8:30 and would probably be over at 11, so Tobias figured he'd be home by 11:30, midnight at the latest. Plenty of time to get a good night's rest and be awake to make sure Harry looked presentable for when Severus arrived in the late morning to pick up his son. Tobias hoped the meeting between himself and Severus would go well, unlike the last time they had seen each other. Things were different then, Tobias reminded himself. I was still drinking, I was upset over Eileen's death, but didn't know how the hell to express it as anything except disapproval and sarcasm, and I said things I didn't mean, as usual. I can't blame Sev for getting riled or for decking me one. But now, things are different, and perhaps we can at least have a civil conversation, like two adults.

* * * * * *

Harry played several games of checkers and gin rummy with Callie before they decided to watch TV. They watched Beethoven and Bambi on the Disney Channel until it was nine o'clock (Callie didn't adhere to Tobias's schedule for bedtime) and then Harry took a bath and went to bed. Callie read him two stories before he finally closed his eyes and the girl could go downstairs and curl up on the sofa with a book and a glass of soda until Tobias came home.

Meanwhile, at the bar, Tobias had met with four of his old drinking buddies. He waited until they had finished the first round before moving over to an unoccupied table and setting up the cards for the game. Tobias was the dealer first, and then it rotated clockwise around the table. Before long the game was in full swing, with bets being made, won, and lost on the turn of a card.

Tobias was doing quite well, despite not having played a decent hand of poker in quite sometime. He had already made several pounds and was having a great time, even though he was not drinking like his mates were. He had missed the company of adults these past months and it was a relief to have a conversation without having to watch what and how he said something, for fear his grandson would repeat it. As it was, he knew he didn't watch his language as much as he should around Harry, though he was doing his best to correct that.

As the night wore on, the pot became bigger, and his friends became more inebriated, and riskier. Tobias watched and waited his chance, and finally he scored big with a royal flush and swept the entire contents of the pot into his wallet. It was 152 pounds, quite a nice sum for only two hours of play. His buddies grumbled and moaned over their ill luck, complaining that Tobias had witched the cards.

Tobias just rolled his eyes, if only they knew that his son and grandson were the real McCoy and could actually do magic! It was then that Tim Murdoch said they should all raise a glass to celebrate the recovery of Tobias's son, who had just recently awoken from a three month coma.

"I'll drink to that!"

"Me too!"

"Right-o!"

Tim shoved a pint of dark ale over to Tobias. "C'mon, Toby, even you can drink a toast."

Tobias shook his head. "No, Tim. I really shouldn't." He could smell the deep brown tang of the ale and suddenly his long dormant craving for beer awoke and began shrieking and begging like a two-year-old throwing a temper tantrum.

"It's for your son," the other persuaded. "Surely you can drink to his health, Snape."

"Yeah, what kind of father are you?"

Tobias winced, for he knew quite well he had been the worst kind of father. He stared at the pint of ale longingly. Maybe . . .but what if he couldn't stop after one drink? He hesitated, but was urged on by his mates, and he seized the mug and lifted it. "Here's to Sev, who beat all the odds. A son any father could be proud of!" Then he took one quick gulp and set the mug down.

"Here! Here!" And all of them drank.

"Now let's play another round and see if we can't win back the money, Snape!" cried Jack Burton, a skinny red-headed man who worked in a grocery store.

"Yeah, let's see if Lady Luck's deserted him yet."

So they played another hand, but Tobias's streak of luck had not faded and he won that hand as well. He decided to quit while he was ahead and declined another hand. But it was close and hot in the pub and Tobias was thirsty. Before he realized quite what he was doing, he had drank the rest of the pint.

Then he was about to signal the waiter to bring him a soda, but Murdoch got there first and ordered a round for everyone.

Before he knew it, Tobias's one drink had become two, then three, then four. By then his companions were quite drunk and he was well on his way to joining them. His resolve had been drowned in the dark amber ale, and the next thing he knew, he was looking at nine empty mugs in front of him.

He felt a slight buzz, but was not yet slurring his speech or unable to walk. It would take more than nine pints to do that, Tobias could hold his liquor, and in his heyday could drink all of his buddies under the table. Still, he knew he'd better quit now, while he could still see straight.

He paid his portion of the tab and then bid his friends goodbye and walked out of the pub. Luckily it wasn't far from his house, about a good fifteen minute walk, so he hadn't need to bring his pick up truck.

He began to walk towards Spinner's End, his gait only slightly off, but the average passerby would have never been able to tell he was drunk just by looking at him.

The night air cleared some of the alcoholic haze from his brain, enough so that when he arrived home, Callie was not even aware that her employer was three sheets to the wind. He paid the girl handsomely, including a very generous tip, laughing slightly at Callie's shocked look. "I had a good night at the tables, girl. Did Harry behave for you?"

"Oh yes, Mr. Snape. He was good as gold. He's sleeping now. Thanks so much! I can use this when we go on holiday next week." Callie beamed at him.

"You're welcome, Callie. Tell your dad I said hi," Tobias chuckled, then waited until she had phoned her father to pick her up.

Five minutes later, Carl was honking the horn and Callie waved goodbye and left. "Bye, Mr. Snape! I'll babysit Harry any time!"

Tobias locked up, then made his way up to bed, hoping he could sleep it off before his son arrived the next morning. He just managed to kick off his shoes and pull off his shirt before he collapsed on his bed in a drunken stupor.

* * * * * *

Harry awoke at the crack of dawn the next morning, too excited to sleep much past the sunrise. Today his daddy was coming home and they could return to Aspen Avenue. Harry was so excited he could barely sit still, and he quickly ran about his bedroom, putting all of his things into his trunk except the clothes he wanted to wear and Inky. Tobias had taken him to the bookshop that week and purchased several new books for him. Those Harry put in his satchel, with his other favorites.

That done, he quickly dressed and went downstairs, expecting to find Tobias already up and making coffee. But the kitchen was dark. Puzzled, Harry flicked on the lights and called softly, "Grandpa?"

There was no answer from the den, so Harry knew Tobias was not sitting on the couch reading the paper, the way he sometimes did. Sighing, Harry opened the fridge and got himself a glass of chocolate milk. He looked longingly at the eggs and bacon on the shelf, wishing he were old enough to use the stove and make himself scrambled eggs and bacon. But the last time he'd tried to put bacon in a pan on the stove by himself, Tobias had grabbed him by the arm and told him next time Harry touched the stove without adult supervision, he'd get his bottom blistered.

So Harry sighed and shut the fridge, not wanting to risk a spanking on his last day here. He slowly drank his milk, wondering why Tobias had chosen to sleep late on this day of all days. Normally the older Snape was an early riser and had already completed ten chores before Harry had opened his eyes.

The six-year-old chewed his lower lip nervously. Perhaps Tobias was sick? Could that be why he hadn't woken up early? It was hard for Harry to imagine his tough no-nonsense grandfather sick, but he supposed it could happen. Tobias was not immune to disease. Maybe he needs me, but is too sick to get out of bed, Harry thought worriedly. Once I was sick that way, my tummy hurt really bad and I threw up all over my bed before I could run to the loo. And Daddy didn't even yell at me, he just cleaned it up with magic and gave me a pink potion so I'd feel better. He could remember crying as much from embarrassment as from being sick, and Severus had hugged him and told him it was all right, he couldn't help it, and had given him a bath after.

Harry considered whether or not to go and check on Tobias. He'd never really gone into the older man's bedroom to wake him up, the way he sometimes did Severus, on holidays like Christmas or Easter. Still, he'd feel really bad if Tobias was sick and he hadn't gone to see what was the matter. So he went back upstairs and knocked softly at the bedroom door.

There was no answer.

Cautiously, he opened the door and peered inside.

The bedroom was dark, the only illumination came from a nightlight on the wall and the partially open blind on the window. Harry tiptoed into the room and saw Tobias sprawled on the bed, snoring slightly. Harry walked over and peered down at the sleeping man, whose face was twisted into a slight grimace of pain.

"Grandpa? Are you sick?"

Tobias muttered something.

Harry leaned over and shook Tobias's shoulder slightly. His grandfather smelled oddly of tobacco and some other scent he could not name. "Grandpa, it's time to get up. Wake up, Grandpa!"

Tobias's dark blue eyes popped open at Harry's announcement, the child's voice was like a steam whistle in his ears, which were ultra sensitive from his hangover. He reacted with the speed of a striking adder, his reflexes honed from years of lashing out at the nearest object when awakened suddenly from a drunken sleep.

"Goddammit, Severus! Leave me the bloody hell alone!" he snarled, only half-awake, his sozzled brain thinking he beheld young Severus instead of his grandson.

The palm of his hand darted out, catching the startled Harry on the cheek and knocking the little boy backwards.

Harry stumbled and fell, one hand going to his cheek, which was hurting something awful. "Owww!" he howled. "You didn't have to hit me, Grandpa!"

"Get out, brat!" the inebriated Tobias growled, then passed out again.

Harry hadn't heard that tone in over a month from his grandfather, and it shocked and upset him. He began to cry, muffling his sobs with his hand, then he raced out of the door quickly, afraid Tobias would hear and spank him for being a crybaby. He couldn't believe his grandfather had hit him across the face just for waking him up, and the hurt and betrayal cut him deeply.

He threw himself on his bed, grabbed Inky, and sobbed heartbrokenly. He didn't know what he had done, but now it seemed as if his grandfather hated him, and he could not bear it. "I wanna go home, Inky!" he wailed, clutching the toy close. "I want Daddy to come and take me home now!"

Tears poured unrestrained down his cheeks as he turned his face into the pillow and cried and cried.

* * * * * *

Tobias awoke a scant half-an-hour later feeling as if a herd of horses had trampled him. His mouth tasted furry and his head throbbed, though the pain was more tolerable now than it had been when Harry had woken him before. He rubbed his eyes and groaned, wondering what time it was.

He sat up cautiously, all too aware of what would happen if he attempted any sudden movements. Right then his stomach was content to stay where it was, but if he tried to jerk up from the bed too quickly . . .

His eyes sought his alarm clock and saw to his dismay that it was 10:30 AM. He swore softly, he hadn't meant to sleep away the whole morning. Severus would be here in an hour and a half and he wasn't even showered or shaved.

He padded into the adjoining master bath, wincing as the light hit his rather sensitive eyes. It was only after he'd been standing under the hot shower for five minutes that his hazy brain recalled being woken up earlier by a child screaming in his ear-a child whom he had thought was Severus. Of course it wasn't Sev, don't be ridiculous, Toby! You were half-asleep and hung over, so it's only natural you'd mistake Harry for Sev when he was that age, the kid looks a lot like him, even though he's not blood. He recalled the little voice calling him and then he cringed in horror. Oh my God! I-I backhanded him across the face. I didn't mean to, not really. But he had been hung over and had quickly fallen back into his old patterns when he'd been awakened, where his first reaction to any kind of noise or movement was a snarl and a smack.

He quickly finished his shower, shame, guilt, and remorse jockeying for position in his heart as he remembered his grandson crying. He cursed himself for an irresponsible fool over and over, wishing he had never agreed to go to the poker game and especially never agreed to drink that toast. He had known better, but he was weak and couldn't resist the lure of the alcohol. And now his grandson, like Sev so long ago, reaped the whirlwind.

Tobias felt like banging his head into the wall. Maybe then he could knock some sense into it.

He made his way down the hall to Harry's room, finding the little boy huddled in the middle of his bed, tears still streaking his cheeks, for he'd cried himself to sleep. Tobias approached the child on cat's feet, then knelt and reached out to stroke the little boy's hair. Oh, Harry. I'm so damn sorry.

It was then he saw the slowly darkening bruise on the boy's cheek.

"Oh Christ," he murmured, feeling ill. "What have I done? Severus is going to kill me."

* * * * * *

Harry woke to something cold on his hurt cheek. But when he opened his eyes all he saw at first was the pillow. He reached up a hand to feel what was numbing his cheek and encountered a cool rag and a hand. "Daddy?"

"No, imp. It's me," came his grandfather's voice, low and filled with remorse.

Harry stiffened. "W-what are you doing, sir?"

"Fixing up your face as best I can. The ice'll help with the bruise." Tobias said awkwardly. "Please lie still, Harry."

Harry obeyed, then asked a moment later, "Are you still mad at me, Grandpa? I'm sorry I woke you."

The little boy's heartfelt apology only made Tobias feel worse. "That's okay. You don't . . .you don't have to be sorry for anything, Harry. I'm the one who's sorry. I. . .I didn't mean to hit you, but I was . . .not feeling too good . . .and I just . . .aw, hell, kid, I'm sorry, this never should've happened."

You just had to go and drink that pint, didn't you, Toby? His conscience was scolding him and once more sounding remarkably like Eileen used to when he stumbled home drunk after promising her he'd lay off the bottle for good. You just couldn't resist and now look what the hell happened. You stupid, good-for-nothing arsehole!

While he flogged himself mentally, he kept holding the ice against Harry's cheek and tentatively he began to rub the child's back. Gradually he felt the little boy relax as he repeated the soothing motion over and over.

"You called me Severus," Harry told him abruptly.

"What?"

"When you yelled at me to leave you alone before you slapped me. You called me Severus."

"Oh. That. Guess I was dreaming. You look sort of like him at that age, you know. How's your face feel?"

"Cold," Harry admitted.

"Does it hurt?"

"No, least not any more."

Tobias awkwardly apologized once again and this time Harry said quietly, "I know you didn't really mean it, Grandpa, so I forgive you."

Harry's generosity was like a balm to the guilt ridden Tobias, and he suddenly lifted his grandson into his arms and held him close. "Thank you, Harry," Tobias whispered, and he prayed his son would be as understanding.

* * * * * *

Severus was so glad to be out of the hospital and able to cast spells and walk without assistance that he almost considered dancing a jig in the hallway. He couldn't wait to see Harry again and the only thing that marred his perfect joy was the fact that he would have to speak with Tobias, whom he hadn't seen in eight years and who was probably still holding a grudge from that punch on the jaw after Eileen's funeral.

He hoped his father would not start on him and he could just nod politely, say thank you for taking care of Harry and leave. It was safer that way, for he doubted if Tobias wanted a bloodbath in his living room. Severus had discovered long ago that he and his father both possessed a flashfire temper and if it ignited at the same time . . .the house would be lucky to be standing afterwards.

Merlin's blessed staff, guess I just better get this over with, the Master Healer sighed and then he Apparated himself to the front porch of Spinner's End. He buzzed the front door and braced himself. In another minute, the door was opened and Harry came rushing into his arms.

"You're finally here, Daddy!"

"Yes, I'm here, scamp," laughed his father, squeezing him tightly. "We'll leave as soon as you've packed."

"I'm already packed," Harry declared proudly. "All my stuff's in there," He turned his head and pointed to the open garage.

It was then that Severus caught sight of the huge bruise. "Good flaming Christ! Where the hell did you get that?"

"Umm . . ."Harry debated, not wanting to tell Sev that it was his father who had accidentally hit him. But Severus was looking at him with what Harry called his truthteller's stare and Harry swallowed sharply and answered, "Grandpa did it, Dad. But he was real nice too when he got some ice for me."

Severus was unimpressed. "I knew it!" he was muttering to himself. "I just knew it was too good to be true!" He gently tilted his son's face up to examine the fist sized black and blue mark on Harry's pale face. "Son-of-a-bitch! Nothing ever changes, does it? I was an idiot to believe Dumbledore, he doesn't know Tobias like I do. Harry, when did this happen?"

"Uh, this morning. But it was an accident, Dad. Grandpa was asleep and I woke him up and he didn't mean to hit me, really." Harry said earnestly, not liking the look in his father's eye. "He thought I was you."

"Typical. He always was ready to give me the back of his hand," sneered Severus. "Don't make excuses for him, Harry. He doesn't deserve it. He did to you what he used to do to me all those years ago, the very thing I'd been hoping to avoid, damn it all to hell. I swore that never again would I permit him to hurt me or mine and look what's happened to you."

"Dad, please! Grandpa didn't mean to hit me. He said he was sorry."

Severus scowled. "Don't cover for him, Harry. I spent ten years doing that and all it ever got me was a sore backside. But not this time. This time I'm going to do what I should've done a week ago, which is take you the hell out of here." Severus's eyes were like chips of obsidian. "After I give Mr. Tobias bloody Snape a piece of my mind." He set Harry down and turned him towards the stairs. "Harry, go upstairs and don't come down until I say so."

Harry glanced up at his parent uneasily. "Why, Daddy? Are you gonna have a fight with Grandpa?"

Yes, and it's about time too! Severus longed to say, but he restrained himself and replied only, "No, we're going to have a long talk about what just happened and why it won't be happening ever again. Now go on, scoot!" And he gave his son a firm pat on the bottom to send him on his way.

Harry hesitated on the third step. "Do I have to? I don't wanna, Daddy."

"March, young man," Severus ordered. "Right now, unless you want to spend the first twenty minutes after we get home with your nose in the corner."

Harry went, knowing that it was no idle threat. Severus never threatened, he only promised, like Tobias.

Severus stalked into the kitchen, knowing that was where he would find Tobias, who was sitting at the table smoking cigarette after cigarette. "How dare you lay a finger on my son, you miserable bastard?"

"Severus, it's not what it seems like," Tobias began, not bothering to get to his feet. "I didn't mean to hit him."

"No, you meant to hit me instead!" mocked his son. "Big improvement there."

"Severus, listen-"

"No, you listen, old man!" the Potions Master exploded. "There's nothing you could say to me that will excuse what you did. Nothing! You were drunk again, weren't you? And Harry just happened to annoy you and you reacted the way you always do-you hit first and ask questions later. It's always the same, nothing ever changes. Don't know how you fooled Albus though, he's usually pretty sharp. He said you'd gone sober and were taking great care of Harry. Ha! If that's a sample of your "great care", I'd hate to see what Harry would look like if you neglected him." Severus was so angry he was practically foaming at the mouth like Butch the Doberman. "But I swore long ago that never again would I permit a child to be put through the terror and pain I went through. NEVER AGAIN, d'you hear me?"

Tobias winced. "I've never hit him that hard before, Sev, it was a mistake."

"A mistake?" sneered his son. "Yes it was and it was the worst one you'll ever make. Or rather it's the one you keep repeating over and over, because I guess it'll never make a damn bit of difference. You're still the same bloody drunken bounder you always were, whose answer to everything a little kid does is a good whack or a whipping with a belt, right?"

"It used to be," Tobias admitted heavily. "I . . .I was wrong to treat you that way, son. But I didn't know any different."

"Enough excuses! It's too damn late for them! It's too damn late for you to come along and beg my pardon for what you've done."

"Severus . . ."

"No! I don't want to hear it. D'you know I amended my will so in case of an emergency, Harry wouldn't be forced to live with you? Want to know why? Because I didn't trust you. And I was right. You might have hoodwinked everybody else, Dad, but not me."

Severus's eyes were hard as flint as he said in a soft deadly tone, "Well, I've had it! No son of mine is going to go to school praying nobody asks him what happened and he has to lie to keep up appearances. Never again!"

"You don't understand, dammit!" Tobias began angrily, trying to get a word in edgewise.

"You know what, Dad?" snarled his son, gritting his teeth. "I don't care! I put up with your drinking and your bloody fists and temper all of my life and it's enough. I'll be damned if I'm going to let my son go through what I did. Hope you said your goodbyes because this is the last time either of us will darken your doorstep-that I can promise you!"

"Severus, wait. All I want-" Tobias reached out a hand to touch his son gently on the shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Severus cried, jerking away.

Tobias withdrew his hand quickly, looking like he'd just been slapped.

Severus looked like he was about to spit nails. Tobias was so lucky he had some qualms about hexing Muggles, otherwise bits and pieces of his father would be scattered to the four winds. "There is only one reason why you're not in pieces all over this floor, sir!" sneered Severus, sarcasm dripping from that single word like venom. "And it has nothing to do with the fact that you're my relation or that I'm a physician. It's because my mother taught me better! Someday you ought to thank her, if you see her before you go to hell."

Afraid that his control would evaporate the longer he remained in Tobias's presence, Severus spun on his heel and went upstairs to make sure Harry was packed.

"Let's go, Harry. You've spent enough time in this hellhole." He pointed his wand at Harry's trunk and shrank it. Then he put it inside his pocket. "Do you have everything? Make sure because we're not coming back here for a long time, if ever."

"But aren't I going to say goodbye to Grandpa?"

Severus shook his head. "No. I did it for you." He held out his arms and Harry jumped into them. Then he Apparated away with Harry nestled close, leaving a stricken Tobias staring after them.

Tobias slowly walked into the room that used to belong to both his children, younger and older, and sat down on the bed. He could not believe how things had fallen apart in the space of a few hours. And once again, it was all his fault. Now the gap between him and Severus was wider than ever and he didn't think he could bridge it. And Harry, the grandson who had managed to win his heart in spite of everything, was now gone as well. All of his hopes were destroyed beyond redemption, he thought bitterly, leaving nothing left but the ashes of what could have been.

Then Tobias did something he had not done in over twenty years.

He put his head in his hands and cried.