"Would you like a cup of tea?" Mel asked. Vividly reminding Snape of the Hogwarts headmaster. Snape wanted to reject her completely and go to his room to continue reading but he felt it was necessary to speak to her to find out just where she stood in relation to Lord Voldemort and whether she truly supportive of the light. The way his son had suddenly come down with a mysterious headache had made him doubt Dumbledore's judgement of the woman so he wanted to know what her motives were.

"Sure," he responded. Mel poured out two cups of tea and left the room to get some milk. Quickly returning she poured milk into both cups and offered Snape a sachet of sugar. He took just one and slowly stirred it into his tea.

"So tell me, what exactly have you been teaching my son?" Snape asked.

Mel sighed, "Severus, I wondered when you would ask that. I have taught Harry some basic elemental magic, it is taught quite commonly by most magical families here. We have not got something as supportive as your Hogwarts here. I don't know why really. Maybe someone should start one." She stopped for a minute as if in deep thought, "anyway, I'm sure you know all about it."

"Yes…yes…" Lied Snape, he didn't like to show when he didn't know a subject.

"So he has learned that he is one with the earth and has learned to be able to work with plants and trees, to understand the landscape as a whole and today…today I started to teach him auras."

"Yes about these…auras…what did you do wrong that caused him a headache?" Snape asked.

"He is just…I don't know Severus, it seems like his mind is in a distant place. I had trouble getting through and sometimes this is the result. I did try to do what I could to heal him..but…if it were my guess I'd say that he was underneath some really powerful spell. But the headache should be gone by the morning. Penelope, my daughter, had that problem."

"I just hope you are right. So tell me more about what he knows about auras now," Snape said.

"Well you obviously know what they are, at your age you should know. All that I did was to help him see them easier, it will help him to be able to know who to trust in the future and…"

But Mel never finished that sentence as there was a knock at the door.

"MUM! Open up its Norman!" a voice called.

"Oh Norman sweet heart!" Mel said as she smiled and raced towards the door.

"Severus I'd like you to meet my son!" Mel said happily.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here with my mother?" Norman demanded.

"Norman! Behave in front of our guests!" Mel stated embarrassed as if she was scolding a toddler.

"I have come over for the last two nights thinking of having dinner with you mum and he has been here…him and his kid. Why is it that you have time to teach some strange kid about elemental magic but you won't teach Arabella?"

"Norman, Arabella isn't listening to me, Harry is a joy to teach everything sinks in like a sponge," Mel said, "now if you are quiet and patient we shall sit together and we can all discuss the matter further!"

"No Mum! Frank said that these people are here because they are under attack from the dark ones, that they are going to bring danger to the house, to you, and I won't stand for it! I want them both GONE!" he stated angrily.

"Listen to me young man!" Mel said getting up from her chair, "you do not tell me who can come and go from this house. If you don't stop acting like a petulant five year old I shall take you across my knee and don't you think for one minute that I can't do it!"

Severus' eyebrows raised and he said, "um…maybe I should leave you two to your family squabble and go to bed."

"No Severus," Mel said, "you stay, Norman, you may either apologise to our guest or you and I shall be revisiting memories from when you were fifteen!"

Mel stood up. Even though she was half her sons height and weight she held herself in such a manner that seemed to dominate the room and Snape felt glad that he was not the one expected to stare into the older woman's eyes.

"Mum, I can't, your safety is the most important thing to me and…"

Mel gave her son a smack across the bottom. Norman just stared at his mother and continued, "I'm not apologising!" Mel delivered three quick smacks in session to her son's bottom.

"I would suggest you change your mind on that matter young man!" Mel stated angrily.

Snape had to put his hand up to his mouth and cough a little to see the woman taking control of the situation so quickly.

"Mel, I think your son holds an important point," he said standing, "maybe Harry and I should leave."

"Maybe we should all talk about this tomorrow," Mel said leaving the room, "I'm going to go and lie down."

This left the two men in the room together.

"Paul told me that mum was going to watch over two strangers from England and that they wouldn't be here long…you've been here almost a week and I want you out! Our family has been neutral in the fight for many years and I shall not have that broken now!" Norman slammed his fist onto the table. "You shall leave in the morning." Norman's breath reeked of alcohol. Snape knew just what that could lead to in some men so remained silent. Norman walked out the front door slamming it behind it leaving Severus alone with his thoughts.

Snape decided to simply go to his room with a good book, Mel had plenty around, and just read until he felt like sleeping. After a while he lay down and allowed for sleep to take him.

"What happened last night Mel?" Harry asked at the breakfast table, "I heard a lot of yelling and then a loud noise!"

"Don't worry about it Harry, it's nothing that I couldn't handle, are you ready for your lessons today?"

"um…" Harry said as he started eating breakfast, "in a minute!"

"No Harry," Snape said walking towards the breakfast table and taking a seat where Mel usually sat, "finish your breakfast and then we are leaving."

He started to eat the breakfast in front of him.

"Um that's Mel's," Harry said.

"Never mind Harry I have more batter!" Mel said laughing and throwing a few more pancakes on the stove top. She was an amazing cook, one of those that you could watch throw the pancakes up into the air and change magically into different shapes.

"Show off," Snape said as he smiled, but he knew that given a chance he would be doing the same thing.

"You should have a walk with Harry," Mel said, "maybe he can show you the elemental magic he learned!"

Harry smiled as he started to wolf his breakfast down, "slow down son," Snape said placing a hand between his son's gaze and his plate. Harry slowed a little bit and smiled as Mel joined them at the table.

"Norman will probably be over this morning to apologise," she said, "it's not the first time he has done something like this. Sometimes the boy needs a serious attitude adjustment but that's for his wife Veronica to decide. Which reminds me I need to make a phone call, excuse me!" Mel stood up taking her breakfast with her and walked out of the room.

Snape looked at his plate again and sighed, "come on Harry! Let's go for that walk!" he said.

"Ok Dad!" Harry said…the name still seemed foreign on his tongue.

Harry led his father to the middle of the forest where he had been taught his elemental magic by Mel.

"I want to show you what I've learned!" Harry said. He knelt down beside a flower that was starting to wilt away. He placed his hand gently beside it and watched as the magic flew through him and into the flower. The flower started to stand up strong and flower petals started to grow slowly from the centre as if it was a new flower again. No longer aged. A truly magnificent sight.

"I'm earth," Harry said much to the surprise on Snapes face, "I can commune with the plants and trees…maybe even animals Mel says…one day…"

For the first time that morning Harry was feeling awake enough to be able to notice that it wasn't just the regular amount of tiredness which was causing the beautiful colours outside the objects…he found that when he thought about it he could easily see the colours of nature as if painted right in front of him by some fantastic artist.

"what's your element?" Harry said.

Snape didn't say anything, he simply didn't know how to utter words like "I don't know" without showing aggression so pretended he didn't hear Harry at all.

"What's your element?" he asked again.

Snape still didn't respond.

"Can you manipulate wind?" Harry asked.

"Don't be stupid son of course I can't!" Snape spat out.

"Mel can," Harry said, "I've seen her do it!"

"What do you think of this tree?" Harry asked walking over to the one that Mel had requested he hug. "Place your hand on it," Harry said, Snape thought what the heck he would let the boy have some fun. He felt a little bit of magic from it, but not much.

"Come by the river Dad!" Harry said rushing over towards it and putting his hand in as Mel had that day. "Can you do this?" Harry asked.

Snape had never done such a thing before, such interesting patterns his son had been making. He copied them and started to feel a feeling of strength coming through him. Harry was looking back in amazement as he saw different colours surrounding Snape's hands, vibrant green, yellow, purple and blue, beautiful intricate patterns of colour. Yet all Snape realised was his hand moving around in the water and how nice it felt.

"Dad, I think you're water," Harry said, "we should talk to Mel!"

Harry started to race up to the house.

Snape slowly followed his son.

"Mel! Mel!" Harry said happily, but Mel was inside talking with a woman.

"Veronica, this is Harry!" Mel said, "Pleasant to meet you!"

Veronica then stood up taking a bit of floo, "thanks Mum but I really should leave and take care of Norman," she said gently. Mel gave her a hug goodbye and watched as she left. Their monthly visit had been caught short but at least she'd had some time to be with the girl.

It was ironic that her son's wife would be the child that seemed to notice her the most when not one of her actually children tried to make contact all that often. Veronica felt it important for their children, Arabella, Yvette and Trevor.

"Why don't your read more of that book Harry, I want to talk to your father," Mel stated gently. Harry walked up the stairs and opened the pages to the book. He found himself lost within the pages and finished the book before there was a loud BANG!

Harry dropped his book and raced in the direction of the sound. The men which Snape had saved him from were at the door. Snape's wand was held up high as was Mel's.

"Get out of here son!" Snape yelled out but Harry ignored him…if he was going to go down he was going to go down fighting!

Norman and Veronica apparated into the middle of the scene as did six other wizards. "We got your distress signal mum!" Veronica stated….then she looked at the scene….little more was said as the wizards joined the fight. Snape noticing that Harry was not leaving the room rushed over to his son as a spell was sent in his direction. Apparating them both away to the airport.

Magically a ticket arrived in their hand. "Thank you," Snape stated. The ticket was to leave in ten minutes so they had to hurry. But luckily the people at the airport were quite happy to rush them through and they found themselves to be the last people on the plane as it took off.

"Oh and by the way," Snape said looking at his son, "Happy Birthday Harry."