"You can't honestly be considering this, Severus," Lupin repeated for what seemed to be the hundredth time as they continued to walk towards the front gates of Hogwarts.

"I'm sorry," he replied mockingly as he turned towards the other man, refusing to stop. "When exactly did we become such close friends that you can speak to me as such?" When Lupin said nothing, Severus scoffed. "That's right. We're not. Nor will we ever be friends."

"If you do this—"

Severus's eyes flashed dangerously, stopping in mid-step to glare. "Is that a threat?"

"No, but you need to think rationally—"

"I am thinking rationally, Lupin," he replied through grit teeth before he continued walking.

"Going to see—"

A harsh crack, however, stopped the words on Lupin's lips. Severus had Disapparated as soon as he had reached the other side of the gates, ending all conversation between the two instantly.

Meanwhile, Harry sat in the chair next to Aurora's bedside once more. He should've been in bed, but he just couldn't with her lying here like this again. He would not lose her again. So, with his dad away, Harry decided to keep watch and protect her.

"It's not fair," the young man mumbled as he leaned forward to hold her hand. "You don't deserve this, Mum. Any of it. You've loved me more than Lily ever did, and now that we've gotten closer—it's not fair."

At the sound of a nearby door opening, Harry glanced towards it and saw Healer McCoy walk into the hospital wing. For half a second, the young man contemplated returning to the Gryffindor common room, but ultimately decided against it. So what if McCoy told his dad? Someone needed to stand guard over her.

"Good evening, Mister Potter," the healer said softly as he approached.

Harry nodded at him before he turned back to his mum.

"Your father's not here tonight?"

Shrugging, Harry shook his head. "He's probably brewing or something."

"Ah." McCoy then glanced at Aurora. "Has she regained consciousness?"

"No. Pomfrey said it might be a bit, though." Harry frowned as he thought for a moment. Shouldn't McCoy have known that? He looked back at the healer.

"All right, lad. You caught me," McCoy said with a quiet laugh. "I'm checking up on you."

"On me? Why? I'm fine."

"Oh?" McCoy crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Then you're not worried about her?"

"Well, yeah, but . . ." His voice trailed off. Wasn't it normal to be worried in these situations?

"But?"

"You're my mum's healer."

"Primarily, yes, but you and Severus are in my care as well, Harry."

"We are?" Harry's eyes narrowed. "Why? We're fine. I mean, we're worried, sure, but that's normal. We nearly lost her last year."

"Exactly. You nearly lost her, a woman whom—and forgive me for making assumptions here—you consider your mother. Severus nearly lost another woman he cared for to the same man he lost his first to. Forgive me, but that does usually bring about some emotional trauma that one should deal with."

"We are, though," Harry argued. "We talk about things."

"You discuss then how afraid you were to lose her. That you feel now as if you can't let her out of your sight for even a moment, lest someone takes her from you both again?"

"Well, no."

"You've spoken with your father about how you've discovered that you can't concentrate on your schoolwork recently?"

Harry shrugged slightly. "Sort of. I mean, I told him that I didn't finish some essays."

McCoy nodded in return. "And how did your father take that news?"

"He was disappointed, I guess."

"That's it? Just disappointed?"

"Yeah." Harr was starting to get tired of the man's questions.

"And that didn't seem at all odd to you? Your father's behavior, I mean?"

"Well, I was sort of having a panic attack, sir, so it's not like I really stopped to think about it," Harry snottily revealed.

"I see." McCoy paused and stroked his chin for a moment. "Do you typically have a panic attack after your father expresses any sort of disappointment in you?"

Harry pulled back his hand that had been holding his mum's instantly and pointed a finger at the healer. "Wait. That's not—You're twisting my words. That's not what I said."

"Perhaps not with words, but I assure you that you're saying it, young man."

"What does that matter anyway?"

"It matters because it shows that we have bigger issues than just Aurora we need to discuss." McCoy then sighed quietly. "Frankly, it's my fault. I've let all three of you get off easy in our sessions. There's a plethora of issues to discuss, and yet you three always manage to avoid all of them. Though, I should have anticipated that in hindsight."

"Mum's right. All you lot do is twist words to make it all about you."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. It is. You come waltzing in here and automatically think there's something wrong with us because we're not acting normally in your mind. Well, maybe it's you who isn't acting right. You ever think of that, Healer?"

"Many times," McCoy replied unexpectedly, catching Harry off guard. "However, even you have to admit, Harry, that I've not pushed any of the issues with you three as much as I should have."

"Well, why do you have to push things anyway?"

"If I don't, then you'll never move on from your trauma. All three of you will be stuck in your pain, treading as you've been doing for practically all your lives."

"We don't need you. I don't need you," he emphasized. "All I need is Mum to get better, and then everything is going to go back to normal."

"Is that what you truly believe, Harry?"

"Yes."

"I see."

Harry clenched his teeth and glared. It was getting extremely annoying the number of times people would say 'I see' when they truly didn't have a clue.

"May I be perfectly blunt with you, Mister Potter?"

"No, but you'll do it anyway so what does it matter?"

McCoy inclined his head before he spoke. "Even if Aurora was perfectly healthy again, not experiencing any of the symptoms she has been, everything would still not be the happily ever after you're wanting. Your fears of losing your loved ones will still be there, Harry, just underneath the surface. They don't just disappear overnight. They adapt instead and wait."

"Voldemort can't hurt them anymore. Hurt anyone I love anymore. He lost. Just like whatever is affecting Mum will."

"But don't you see? There will always be something out there, Harry. Something trying to ruin your happiness. Now, you can keep ignoring it like you've been doing so far, but that only will work so long. After a while, you'll run into something where you can't ignore it, brush it aside and dismiss it."

"You don't know that."

"Forgive me, Mister Potter, but I am a vampire. Experience is our strong suit."

"Well, you're wrong," Harry replied stubbornly.

"Take your father for example then, if you don't believe me."

"What about him?"

"He brushed off the pain he felt after your biological mother's death. Ignored and let it fester inside him for twelve years."

"So? He's fine now because of Mum."

"Is he?" McCoy challenged.

"Of course he is. As long as she's with him, he's fine."

"And therein lies my point. As long as she's with him." McCoy sighed. "Don't you find it odd that for twelve years your father never became close with anyone else?"

"No." Harry wasn't liking where the healer was taking this line of questions.

"No? Not even the fact that he kept everyone he knew at a considerable distance? Cold to others, one might say?"

"He only did that because he felt guilty for Lily's death and didn't want to hurt anyone else," Harry blurt out. His hand instantly clasped around his mouth in horror the moment he heard his words.

"Guilt, exactly, Harry. Guilt has been by your father's side for decades. Guilt he's never dealt with because something else always came along to distract him from it. But I would imagine deep down on restless nights he would feel it suffocate him in the darkness."

"You think you have us all figured out, don't you?"

"It's not as simple as you think I'm saying it is."

"Yes, it is. Dad's guilt. I'm abandonment. Mum's . . ." Harry stopped, finding that he didn't know what hers was.

"We'll go with stubbornness for now," McCoy offered with a slight smile.

"But we're not just labels, though."

"You're not. I agree. Like an onion, your layers must be peeled back carefully. However, we haven't even started to peel back any of your onions."

"Mum's been opening up more."

"She has, but you and Severus have not. Our sessions are not solely for Aurora, Harry. I'm here for all three of you. And as I've said before, you're a family, and families heal best together." McCoy then shrugged. "Just give it some thought, will you? Please?" When Harry inclined his head a moment later, McCoy gave him a faint smile and left once more.