"Take a drink, go on," Severus pressed the glass of cool water in Harry's shaking hand. "It will help."

Harry looked up at his father. "Not shooting lasers into my brain would help a whole heck of a lot more," the boy sniped.

"Hm." The man raised an eyebrow. "Occlumency is a useful form of protection against powers that the Dark Lord has at his command."

"Voldemort," Harry said, sipping the water. "You promised."

Severus rolled his dark eyes to the ceiling, but relented. "It is useful against powers that Voldemort possesses. Happy?" he asked with a shake of his head.

The boy tried a cheeky grin, but could not quite pull it off in his weakened state. "Yes."

"Come on, lets get you to bed."

"Aww! But I'm not tired," Harry grumbled, even as his eyelids refused to stay up.

His father gently guided him to his bedroom. "That is a blatant lie."

"Not... blatant," Harry argued pointlessly around a wide yawn. "Just... little." He yawned again. "Okay, maybe bed isn't such a bad idea."

"Indeed."

Father and son walked through their dungeon quarters, both ignoring the futility of their 'remedial potions'.