"Sev, where did we put that tea for colicky babies?" called Healer Matthew Morgan from the dispensary, which was right next to Severus's office.

Healer Snape glanced up from a patient's chart he was re-reading and answered his partner, "Third shelf, under the C's for Chamomile-lavender tea, in a round beaker with a graduated pouring spout."

"Thanks, now maybe the Felton's baby will quit howling and go to sleep after a dose of this." Matthew replied, and rummaged about the shelves until he located the tea, right where Severus had said it would be. The young Healer blessed his partner's insistence on labeling and alphabetical order and neatness in the dispensary, otherwise they'd never find anything, and have to rely on Summoning Charms, the way the doctors in the practice Matthew had interned with had done.

He picked up the beaker with the tea, it was spelled with a preserving charm to keep the tea at peak freshness, and exited the dispensary, which sealed itself with a locking charm and an alarm. No one could enter it unless they knew the password to disable the alarm, and the only ones who did were him and Severus. That was for the safety of their patients and their staff of medi-witches, since many of the healing potions in there could be dangerous if mis-dosed or addictive if taken too frequently. Only the two Healers knew the proper dosages for every medicine, though the med-witches knew all of the more common ones, and any of the others that were prescribed had to be dispensed by either Matthew or Severus.

Matthew paused beside his partner's half-open office door, reading the label stuck to the beaker, which detailed dosages and potency level. "Sev, are you sure you're a real doctor? ‘Cause you've got the neatest handwriting of any physician I've ever known. You can actually read this."

Severus looked up at the sandy-haired young man and gave him a wry smirk. "Wouldn't be much point of labeling something unless you could read it, huh, Morgan?"

"Yeah, but you even have a neat signature, Snape. You're destroying our rep as the most illegible of professionals," Matthew teased.

"So? Blame it on my mother, she insisted I learn how to write neatly and clearly," Severus said. Then he went back to writing comments on his current patient's chart.

"So did mine, only it didn't take," Matthew murmured, then he departed with the tea to give it to his patient, three month old Drew Felton, who was currently screaming his head off in Exam Room 3.

Severus wiped his hands off on a damp cloth which was soaked in a solution called Ink Gone, he had developed it to remove the ink that inevitably stained a wizard's hands, before he stretched and brushed the specks of dust off his white robe. Then he took a quick sip of the lemon water he always kept in a glass on his desk when he worked on paperwork, and sent the finished chart back into the file cabinet with a swish of his wand.

One down, and seventy-five more to go, Snape. He felt like burying his head in his hands and going to sleep. But he didn't, of course. This was the price you paid for having a thriving medical practice at twenty-one. And today was Thursday, the day when he only had a half-day of seeing patients, and he could then concentrate on updating all their charts for the rest of the day. He was halfway through the original stack, which had been double the number that were still on the desk.

Massaging his hand and flexing the fingers, the Master Healer sat down again and resolutely picked up another chart. When he examined a patient, he generally wrote his findings and diagnosis down in a kind of shorthand, but the actual chart needed proper documentation, which was what Severus was doing now. That way, if he needed to refer a patient to another physician, the other Healer could glance at the chart and not be utterly confused by Sev's shorthand.

He continued working for the next two hours, until his stomach was grumbling that coffee and a bagel were not enough to live off of until supper, and he decided to take a break for lunch.

He removed his white robe with the distinctive Master Healer caduces and cauldron and hung it over the back of his chair. Wearing the white robe in public was tantamount to flashing a sign saying Free Medical Consult Here, and all Sev wanted to do was to have a quiet lunch at Mick's, the small café a block from his office, and then finish up his charts and go home to relax.

So he left the robe upon the chair and walked the block to the café in his street clothes, a pair of black slacks and a collared longsleeved gray shirt, and sensible leather loafers. He enjoyed the fresh air and the exercise, lately he felt he wasn't getting enough of it with all the paperwork he had to do.

By the time he reached Mick's he was ravenous, and the smells from the little establishment were driving him insane. When he entered, there was a rather long line, as usual, for Mick's had wonderful soups and sandwiches, but Mick spotted him and waved him over, he knew Severus rarely took time off to eat, and they were patients of his besides.

"Hiya, Sev. The usual?"

Severus nodded. "Yes, you know what I like by now, Mick. How are your children doing?"

"Fine, my youngest, Melina, starts school in the fall, so you'll be seeing her for her checkup. She's five. My other two boys are off at Hogwarts, third and second years," he said proudly, then turned to call back to the cook, who was also his wife, "Mabel, a hot pastrami on rye with mustard and a cup of French onion."

"Coming right up, luv!" his wife yelled back. "Is that for Healer Sev?"

"It sure is, doll," laughed Mick. "Sev, have a seat, if you can find one, and we'll bring it out to you."

Severus turned to see where a table was empty, the place was filled with wizards and witches on lunch breaks from their work and some mothers with small children. He picked his way over to a recently vacated table, near a window, when he heard a voice cry from behind him, "Merlin, Healer Snape, is that you? I didn't know you ate here too."

He bit back a groan and the urge to comment sarcastically, "Why yes, I do eat here, because I can't live off the air." It never ceased to amaze him at the way his patients regarded him as something other than human simply because he was a physician. They all seemed to think he lived at his office, subsisted on Nutrient Potions, and his outfit of choice was a white physician's robe. One patient he had encountered in Diagon Alley declared that she nearly didn't recognize him in regular clothes, and acted surprised that he was actually wearing them. He turned around to see who had called him, and saw one of his younger patients, Tommy Ash, whom he'd patched up on more than one occasion after a Quidditch match.

"Hello, Tom. How's the shoulder?" That had been the latest injury Severus had healed on him, a torn rotator cuff.

"Hi, Healer Snape. The shoulder's great. My coach says I'll be able to play Chaser again on the match this Saturday," the ten-year-old gushed, leaving a handful of Knuts on the table for a tip. "I did all those exercises you told me, and they hurt like blazes, but I can grab the Quaffle just as good now as I used to, so I guess they were worth it."

Severus nodded. "Yes, physical therapy is never pleasant, I'm afraid, but that numbing salve I prescribed should have helped."

"I used it all, Healer, and thanks for that too!" His head swivelled around as he heard his name being called. "Gotta run, my mum's calling. Maybe I'll see you at the match on Saturday, it's at 6." Then he turned to go, waving at Severus, who bid him goodbye and told him to watch his flying.

Severus sat down at the table he had originally picked. Tom always asked him to come see a Quidditch match, though Severus never had time, and he disliked the sport, since too many players got hurt playing it. No sooner had he sat down than his food appeared upon the table, and he fell upon it like a ravenous wolf.

Once he had finished an excellent lunch, and had paid for it, including a generous tip, he headed back to his office. Just as he was about to enter, the magic mirror he always carried in a pocket began to hum loudly. He withdrew it from his pocket.

"Healer Snape here."

The mirror flickered and Vi's face appeared in it. "Hello, Sev. Hope I'm not interrupting you in the middle of your patients."

"No, I had just stepped out for lunch, Vi. What's the matter? Is someone sick? Harry? Or Lily?"

"No, everyone's healthy here. Except . . .I want Lily to go out more. It's been four months since James has passed and all she's done is mope about here. It's not good for her, Sev, she's turning herself into a brooding crotchety old lady and she's not even thirty yet. She's started to become very crabby, she spends half her time reading these books by some guy named Lockhart, apparently he has a whole series of books that say you can contact somebody from beyond the grave and all she's done for three months is read them and try out the spells in them. I think it's utter nonsense, and a waste of time and money, but there's no sense in talking to her. You know how stubborn she can be, Sev."

"Yes, I know," Severus said, entering the office by the physician's entrance, which was hidden from the main entrance by a tall potted fir tree and a Concealment Charm. "Vi, is the name of the author Gilderoy Lockhart, by any chance?" asked the Healer with a barely disguised sneer.

"Why, yes, it is. You've heard of him, then?"

"Heard of him, you could say that. I treated him at St. Mungos for a psychiatric disorder-he has delusions of grandeur, thinks he's a prophet, or Merlin reborn, he's a pathological liar and a fraud, Vi. The man's been in Azkaban twice for running a scam on grieving widows and orphans using the same tactics he wrote in his so-called "instruction manual". I can't believe Lily would fall for that slick conman's patter."

"Well, I'm afraid she has, and nothing Hal or I say makes a bit of difference." Vi sighed. "There are times I wish she were ten again, so I could take all those stupid books away from her and burn them in the incinerator. But that's not an option any longer, so I figured if anyone could talk some sense into her, it would be you, Sev. You were always the logical one of her friends and the only one who could outstubborn her."

Severus smiled. "I guess I'll take that as a compliment, Vi."

"You do that, hon. It was meant as one," Mrs. Evans chuckled. Then she added, "I won't keep you too much longer, I know you must be busy. Perhaps you might drop by this evening, if you aren't exhausted, and maybe you could take her out to dinner? She could use a change of scenery, and someone else to talk with besides us old folks and Harry, y'know?"

"I was planning on visiting this weekend anyway, Vi. I'll see how I feel after my office hours, all right? If I can't come tonight, I'll be there tomorrow night, and I'll see if I can convince Lily to quit reading Lockhart's trash." Severus snorted. "He claims all his sources are accurate, but over half of them are fake and his books are more fiction than fact. Well, I need to get back to my paperwork before it breeds all over my desk, Vi. Goodbye."

"Bye, Sev. Hope to see you soon!" she blew him a kiss before the mirror connection went dark.

Sighing, Severus tucked the mirror back in his pocket and made his way back to his office to finish up his charts. Oh, Lily, what were you thinking, getting snared in Lockhart's web? The man lives to cheat people out of money and he does it with a brilliant smile and a honeyed tongue. He's a born con artist, or I'm no Master Healer.

Then he settled down to his paperwork, resolved to finish it all so he didn't have to do anymore of it tomorrow. And hopefully he wouldn't be so tired that he couldn't go and see Lily and set her straight about Lockhart and take her out to dinner. She wasn't the only one who never went out in four months, the Healer thought wearily.

* * * * * *

He managed to finish his paperwork and though he was feeling quite tired, Severus decided to go over to visit Lily anyway. The sooner he spoke with her about that fraud Lockhart, the sooner she could put away such foolish notions and work on letting James rest in peace, as he undoubtedly was doing. Severus had been raised Roman catholic by Eileen, and firmly believed in life after death and the Second Coming, but he flatly refused to subscribe to Lockhart's false assertion that you could contact the dead through half-baked spells using thread, candles, and wishes. It was ridiculous.

Severus went home to his apartment and took a quick shower, changed, and then Apparated to the Evans' home on Spinner's End. He had just lifted his hand to knock when he heard the sound of a woman's voice raised in anger and a child's high-pitched whine.

"I said no, Harry, you've hardly touched your dinner, now stop it!" Lily reprimanded.

"Mummy! Want ice cream!" wailed Harry.

"No, young man. First dinner, then dessert." Lily ordered.

That statement was followed by a wail, then a yelp from Lily. "Ow! Harry James Severus, you do NOT bite me!"

A second later there came the sound of a hand smacking a certain naughty toddler's behind, followed by Harry crying.

Severus knocked sharply, and Vi came to the door and opened it. "Hi, Sev. I'm so glad you could make it. I'm afraid my grandson is having one of his moods today, he's cranky and giving Lily a hard time about supper tonight."

"Hello, Vi." Severus greeted, hugging the other woman. "So I could hear. Perhaps I could help?"

"Be my guest, Sev. I try not to interfere too much when Lily disciplines him, since he's her son and that's her job, but I hate to see him cry."

Severus followed the sound of a child sobbing into the kitchen, where Lily had placed her son in time out for five minutes on a small stool facing a corner near the fridge. She was standing behind the child, scowling angrily while Harry bawled and squirmed, trying to get off the stool.

"Harry, stay still! You know my rule for time out, little boy."

"No-o-o-! No want to! Harry get OFF!" He made as if to get off the hated stool, but Lily reached out and grabbed him firmly.

"This is what happens to bad little boys who bite their mothers."

"Looks like somebody's in trouble, from the sound of it," Severus remarked as he entered the kitchen.

"Sev!" Lily spun around to greet her best friend, and Harry quickly took advantage of his mother's distraction to try and make a break for it, scrambling off the stool and running for the kitchen entrance.

"Harry, get back here! You're not finished with time out!" Lily cried, and made an attempt to stop Harry, but the little boy was very quick and slipped by her.

Only to run smack into Severus, who had moved to block the kitchen entrance.

Harry gasped, then looked up at the Healer, who wore a stern frown instead of the smile he normally wore when he saw the dark-haired imp, and cried, "Sevvy, move! Harry go OUT!"

"I don't think so, mister." Severus said, and he reached down to pick up the little boy. "Looks like someone's being a bad little boy and not listening to his mother."

Harry's face turned beet red and he threw himself on the ground before Severus could lift him, kicking and screaming, "HARRY NOT BAD! SEVVY BAD! LET HARRY GO OUT! NOW!"

Severus just stood there, looking at Lily, who was fast reaching the end of her patience with her son.

"Harry, stop it this instant, or else so help me, I'll spank you." She shook her head. "I just don't know what gets into him lately. He's been behaving like a spoiled brat all day, Sev."

Harry continued to shriek and kick, furious that he couldn't escape.

"Perhaps he needs a nap," suggested Severus. "And he's testing you as well, Lil." He knelt down next to the howling toddler and said, in a quiet but stern tone, "Harry Potter, look at me."

Harry lifted his face from the floor, it was red and streaked with tears, and stared up at the man who usually gave him sweets and read to him, but who was now looking very disappointed and angry, and whimpered, "Sevvy mad?"

"I am, young man. Why are you throwing tantrums and not listening to your mother?"

"‘Cause!" the little boy said, with a defiant sniff.

"That's not a good enough answer. I think you need a nap, wouldn't you say, Lily?" He looked over at Lily, who nodded firmly.

"After he goes back in time out, Sev. He had two more minutes before he tried to pull this tantrum."

At those dreaded words, Harry screeched, "NO! NO! NO TIME OUT!"

Then he threw himself on the floor again, kicking and pounding the linoleum with his little hands balled into fists, in a tantrum worthy of Attila the Hun.

Severus promptly scooped the angry child up, ignoring the kid's attempts to wriggle free, and marched him back over to the stool and set him on it. Harry immediately fought to escape, but Severus merely put both hands on the boy's shoulders and held him firmly in place.

"Harry James Severus Potter, be still!" ordered the Master Healer in a tone that his father used to use on him, low and dangerous.

Harry, who had been kicking and squirming, froze. He had never heard that particular tone from any adult before, and it startled and scared him a little. Something warned him not to test the Master Healer when he used that tone, and he cried and whimpered, but he did not try and get up again.

"Mean, Sevvy! Go ‘way!"

"Are you going to stay put, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes," came the soft whimper.

Severus removed his hands and stepped back, though he was ready to catch Harry if he tried to get off the stool again. Lily came up to stand beside him.

"Harry, why are you in time out?" she asked.

There was a muted sniff from the corner. Then her son answered, "Cause I was bad."

"What did you do?" Lily demanded, wanting her child to understand why he was being punished.

"I bited you, Mummy."

"You did, and that was very bad, you hurt me, and I am very disappointed in you. That's why you got a smack and time out, because you were very naughty. You don't bite, Harry. Only animals bite, not little boys. Teeth are for eating, not biting, do you understand?"

"Yes," came a very subdued answer.

"Okay, you can get up, your two minutes is up." Lily told him, and he bolted up from the stool like it was on fire.

Tears streaked his little face and he threw himself at Lily. "Sorry, Mummy! Harry sorry!"

Lily picked him up and held him. "Yes, and so you should be. But I forgive you for biting me. Now hush, sweetie, hush." She rocked him until he had stopped crying. "I love you, Harry," she whispered.

"Harry loves Mummy." He murmured. Then he lifted his face from his mother's shoulder and looked at Severus. "Sevvy mean!"

Severus bit his lip to keep from laughing at the child's indignant expression. "Why? Because I put you in time out?"

"Uh huh. No want go there, Sevvy," said Harry, sticking his lower lip out in a pout.

"But you were bad and that's what happens when you're bad, right?"

Harry nodded reluctantly. Yes, that was what happened when he was bad. He was surprised that Severus knew that, however. Severus had never punished him before this.

"Well, I put you there because you were being naughty, Harry."

"Don' like it there!"

"It wouldn't be much of a punishment if you liked it, scamp." Severus pointed out.

The little boy turned his head away then, unwilling to admit that Severus was right, instead muttering, "Sevvy bad! Mean! Go ‘way!"

"Oh, Harry!" sighed Lily. "You are a little devil sometimes. And now you're going to sleep. You missed your nap today and now you're cranky and overtired. Excuse me, Sev. I need to put him down for the night." She headed for the bedroom she shared with Harry, ignoring his faint protests.

Lily was back in ten minutes, having tucked Harry in his crib and sung him to sleep. She rubbed her eyes and smiled at her oldest friend. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Sev. Lately all he does is throw tantrums, the little brat."

"Lily, that's normal. Don't apologize, all children throw fits like that sometimes. I'm not shocked, Harry's a normal toddler, he supposed to misbehave and get in trouble. I see it all the time in my office, at least one child I examine a day pitches a tantrum, either with me or one of my medi-witches or their parent."

Lily shuddered. "Oh, Merlin help me! I can just see Harry doing that and then I'd probably die of embarrassment."

"No, you wouldn't. You're stronger than that, Lil." Severus disagreed. "This is a stage, he'll grow out of it, so long as you deal with it the right way."

"How?"

"With patience and firmness. Just the way you did tonight. Most children throw tantrums for attention, but if they see it doesn't get results, they'll stop. Eventually."

"That's what Mum said." She gazed at the Master Healer curiously. "How do you know that?"

Severus shrugged. "I read a lot. I subscribe to a magazine called Magical Children Today, it's a parenting magazine. I keep a copy in my office waiting room and one day I was bored waiting for some test results to come in from the hospital lab, and I read it. It has all kinds of tips on dealing with misbehaving children."

"Maybe I ought to subscribe to it, because I need all the help I can get now that James is . . .gone," Lily admitted, and brushed a tear from her eye irritably. "Although I don't know how much help he'd have been in the discipline department. He used to let Harry sprinkle powder all over the changing table while James was putting a nappy on him. And when I yelled at him, all he said was, "It looked like he was having fun, and I couldn't bear to tell him no."

"That sounds like James, all right. But if he'd had to, I'd wager he could've disciplined Harry. James wouldn't have liked it, but I think he would've done it, if he had to."

"Maybe. But I'd have been the bad one, most times," Lily said, laughing a little. "Looks like you're persona non grata with my scamp right now, Sev."

"It would seem so," said the Master Healer with a rueful smile. "Hopefully he'll have forgiven me after he wakes up."

"He will. Harry doesn't hold grudges, Sev." Lily reassured him. "He's like his father, that way. Would you like something to drink?"

"Yes, tea if you have it, please," he replied, going to sit down at the table. He was pondering how best to go about bringing up the subject of Lockhart and his phony promises when he caught sight of the book on the table, next to a half-eaten little plate of food.

It bore a glossy blue cover with a smiling blond-haired wizard on it, dressed in mystical robes and surrounded by clouds. Gilderoy was quite handsome, one reason why women tended to fall for his blandishments, Severus thought derisively. The title of the book was From Mystic to Medium-My Journey into the Realm Beyond. Snape rolled his eyes. Lord have mercy! The farthest he's ever traveled is Azkaban, and even they didn't want him there! If he's a genuine medium, I'll crucify myself.

He flipped through the book, sneering at all the parlor tricks Lockhart recommended, such as a dark room, candles, a piece of the deceased's clothing or a picture, etc. Just the kind of things unscrupulous wizards and witches had used to trick Muggles way back when, and some still did now. Severus pushed the book away in distaste, then said, "Who on earth is reading this, Lily?"

"I am, Sev. Why?" asked Lily, coming over with two steaming cups of tea. She quickly vanished the remains of Harry's dinner with her wand.

"Because it's absolute rot. Surely you don't believe in all that stuff he tells you, Lil? The man's a pathological liar and a fraud."

"Severus, how can you say that?" Lily objected. "He's an accredited medium, he's got the sources to prove it."

"Really? Where?" Severus picked up the book and flipped to the end. "All of these sources are fake, Lily. They don't exist. There's never been a College of Mediums in Yorkshire. And his number one contact, Madam Esmerelda, has been dead for ten years."

"You can't be serious!"

"I am. Lily, I treated Lockhart for delusions and depression a year ago at St. Mungos, before he was arrested on charges of fraud and impersonating deceased people for money. He spent six months in Azkaban, Lil. You can't take anything he says as the truth."

"Severus, he says the charges were trumped up, by people that hated him or were jealous of his success. Sev, I've tried a few of the spells in the book," Lily began.

"Did they work? No."

"Well, not at first. But professor Lockhart said that might be the case, so I just keep trying. Once I could swear I felt James's hand on my shoulder."

"Lily, you want to bring James back so badly that you're grasping at straws."

"I'm not an idiot, Severus Snape!" she flared, her temper sparking. "Just because you, with your logical Slytherin analytical mind don't believe in contacting the Other Side-"

"I believe in life after death, Lily!" snapped Severus, angry that she didn't believe him. "I just don't believe in bloody Gilderoy Lockhart! He's a scam artist, damn it, out to rip you off and play on your desperate need to contact the one you lost just one more time. His kind are a dime a dozen, Lil, now why won't you see that?"

"Why don't you mind your own business, Severus? There's no harm in me doing the rituals and speaking with James's spirit."

"And have you spoken to him yet, Lily?" Severus demanded sharply. "Since you started doing the ‘rituals'," his lip curled derisively. "Has James come to you even once?"

"No, but . . . it takes practice to contact a spirit . . ."

"Practice, ha! Lily, you know how to cast spells, you're not some green first year, by Merlin's blessed staff! Either you did the ritual right and it works, or it's flawed and there's no way it'll ever work. And seeing as it's Lockhart, I know the ritual is flawed, because he is a second-rate conjurer whose only talent is taking advantage of grieving people like you. He's a scumbag bastard, Lil, and he's playing you and everyone else who bought this piece of garbage for fools."

"You're wrong! I will contact James, you're just saying that because you don't want me to speak with him."

"Lily, don't be ridiculous. If there really was a way you could speak to James, a legitimate way, I'd be helping you do it. But there isn't. James is gone, Lily. Gone to heaven with the angels, and probably driving them crazy up there." Severus said, his tone gentling. "You've got to let him go, Lil."

"No," she shook her head frantically. "I can't! I can't do that!"

"Why not, for the love of Merlin?"

"Because . . .then what will I have left?" she whispered brokenly.

He reached out and grasped her hands across the tabletop. "You have Harry, Lily. He's your legacy and James's. And your parents. And me. You'll always have me, Lily." He stared earnestly into her emerald eyes, which were filled with tears, trying his hardest to convey all the sincerity and love inside of him.

She put her other hand to her mouth, sniffling. "Merlin, but I don't deserve you, Sev."

"Never say that, Lily Ann Potter!" he rebuked sharply. "You do deserve me, dammit! Matter of fact, you deserve a hell of a lot better than me." He sighed. "Now would you please trust me and get rid of that damn book? I would never lie to you, don't you know that?"

There was a hurt tone in his voice that she had never heard before, and it only served to make her feel more wretched and she began to sob. "I do trust you, Sev. I do, but I just wanted . . .to say goodbye . . .I never got to say goodbye . . ."

"Ah, damn it!" Severus swore, cursing Lockhart to the deepest circle of hell. "I know, flower. I know. Come here. Don't cry, please." He gently pulled her into his arms and held her on his lap. "You know I can't stand it when you cry," he whispered into her ear, as he ran his fingers through her lush fiery hair over and over. "You know, angels are everywhere, and they carry the words of mortals to God and to spirits up in heaven, Lil. So I'm sure that James heard you wish him goodbye, even if he can't come down and tell you that. You don't need a fake medium and a phony ritual to send a message, little flower. Just whisper it in your heart and James will hear."

"B-but h-how w-will I know?"

"You'll know. Like I knew when I told my mother thank you the day I graduated medical school. Because she was the one who convinced me to be a Healer rather than an Auror. And it was the best decision I ever made. I wished like hell she was there to see it, but she wasn't, and so I thanked her instead and said I wished she were here. And afterwards I felt . . .at peace and I knew that somehow she had heard me." He continued to run his hands through her hair.

It was something he had always wanted to do, he loved playing with a woman's hair, it was, for him, very sensual and arousing. He exhaled and withdrew his fingers reluctantly from the fiery strands, moving his hand over her back and rubbing gently, the way he used to do to Harry to calm him down after giving him a needle.

Lily found the motion of his hand against her back very soothing and she soon stopped crying and sat up. Severus handed her a handkerchief before she could wipe her nose on her sleeve. "Merlin, but I'm such an idiot! I don't know what's wrong with me lately, Sev. I can't seem to think straight."

"You're still grieving, Lil. And Lockhart's a master manipulator, so don't feel too bad over buying into his little scam, I'm sure plenty of others have. I'm sorry I snapped at you, but I couldn't let you go on believing a lie. It was doing you more harm than good."

"You must think I'm a real basket case, huh? And here I was Head Girl alongside you as Head Boy. Professor Flitwick would disown me from Ravenclaw if he knew how stupid I've been."

"He would not. He'd go and challenge that conniver Lockhart to a duel and kick his smarmy arse all the way to Cornwall." Severus said, smiling.

"You're right," Lily said after a moment. "He would do that. He never suffered deceit or fools lightly. Are you certain Lockhart's a fraud, Sev?"

"Yes. I'll swear Healer's Oath if you want, but I'm not mistaken. Lockhart's as phony as a silver Knut." Severus insisted.

"Well, when you put it that way . . ." She leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his mouth.

He blinked. "What was that for?"

"For always being there for me. And for saving me from myself. I really don't know what I'd do without you, Sev."

"Let's hope you never need to find out," he said sincerely, and returned her kiss with one of his own. "Are you hungry, Lil?"

She nodded. "Starving. Why?"

"Because I know of this new steakhouse that just opened up near Diagon Alley called Lazy Joe's. What do you say we go out to eat? Just you and I? Your mother tells me you haven't been out of the house since you moved in."

"She's exaggerating, Sev. I've been out of the house. To shop and play with Harry in the backyard."

"But not alone, just for fun, right?"

"Umm . . .no. I just didn't feel up to it."

"How about now?"

She considered. "Yes. I don't mind going out with you in public, Sev. Because when I'm with you the newshounds and old biddies keep their distance."

"Oh? Am I your guard dog then, madam?" he said, pretending to be insulted. "Maybe you ought to call Sirius."

"No, Sirius can't do your Snape glare, Severus," Lily teased. "He's much too friendly. People all ask to pet him."

Severus laughed, because what Lily said was true. Sirius in his Animagus form was a big black mutt and he acted like an overgrown puppy. "Too right. So, do we have a date, Mrs. Potter?"

"We do, Mr. Snape. Just let me wash my face and put on something decent and then we can go. Oh, and let my mum know so she can watch Harry. I hope this restaurant has decent food."

"It does. Matthew went there and raved about it to me," Severus told her, smiling.

"Oh, good. Matthew knows decent food, he's from New York originally." Lily said, then she slipped off the Healer's lap and tiptoed into her bedroom to put on something that wasn't old and worn and wash away the traces of tears and anguish on her face. For once she was going to take her mother's advice and stop hiding herself away and go out and enjoy herself. James would have been proud, he wouldn't have wanted her to stop living simply because he was gone, she told herself firmly.

She bowed her head and thought fervently, Goodbye, James. I never got to say it, but I'm saying it now. And I hope some angel is listening, and tells you this. I loved you, wild man. You were like lightning in a bottle and I knew I couldn't hold you forever, but we had a great time, didn't we? But now . . .now it's time to say goodbye. I'll miss you, babe. Hope you don't scandalize the angels too much, Potter.

She took a deep breath afterwards and went into the bathroom across the hall to wash her face. As Severus said, she did feel better, more at peace with herself, and ready to go out into the world again. But she was extremely grateful she would be accompanied by Severus Snape, who had been her protector since they were small. James had been the one she could have fun with, but he never inspired the feeling of safety that Sev did, which was odd since Severus was a Healer and James an Auror. But there it was. Lily wasn't about to question it, she already felt cast adrift, and Severus was the anchor that held her fast.

Smiling a little, she went back into her room to dress, humming a tune called "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" she had heard on the radio the other day while driving to the supermarket.