The next morning Severus noticed Harry's face seemed to be back to its normal color almost, but he did not waken the boy as he maneuvered out of the bed and went to shower. It was in the shower that Severus had time to think, and that was not something he ever relished doing.

It was when times were quiet when he had time to reflect back on things he would rather forget. As Severus let the hot water pound against his back he thought back to the screams of the muggles, and how he had also killed. He was not happy about having to do it, but the alternative would have been a very slow and painful death at the hands of the Dark Lord.

Severus turned the shower off and stepped out. He always felt shaky after being cursed by the Dark Lord. Perhaps, he thought the Dark Lord had missed, perhaps his strength was waning, but Severus did not think so. Wrapping the towel around him Severus went into the room to get dressed and peered down at the bed where Harry had been sleeping.

Harry wasn't there any longer and Severus hoped he had not woken the boy, but the headache that was forming in his temples made him sit on the bed. It was not a regular headache born from a night of being cursed but one of trying to solve something that was still an enigma to him. He felt the need to check on Harry, but his son's hushed voice talking to Remus behind the door satisfied Severus that Harry would be all right for a few more minutes.

Severus put on his clothes and then sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing his temples as he did. He knew he would have to inform Dumbledore about his suspicions. Severus did not for one minute think that Voldemort had lost his touch, but then again he couldn't explain why he felt fine after being cursed by him. Shaking his head he got up and opened the door to go and check on Harry.

"Severus, so good to see you up and about. How are you feeling?" Remus asked.

Severus sent the man a look that clearly stated he was in no mood to talk about it in front of Harry and Remus got the point right away.

"How about a bit of breakfast then?"

Severus stared at Remus unsure of why he was still there and voiced his opinion before he thought about it.

"Why it is you are still here Lupin? Unless of course you enjoy my company, and I highly doubt that? Don't you have to go away to the shack this weekend?"

Remus' eyes said what he couldn't. "I was just making sure Harry was fine before I left, nothing more." he said making his way to towards the door.

Severus looked over to Harry who was staring at him, a look of confusion and a bit of sadness on his face.

"Harry how are you this morning, feeling better I assume?"

Harry nodded his head that he was and carefully placed his still shaking hands behind his back. He didn't want his father to see his hands.

"Harry come and eat your breakfast before it gets cold. Lupin I am sure I will be seeing you next week sometime," Severus said, Remus understanding this took it as his cue to leave.

Remus told Harry good-bye and then closed the door quietly behind him. Harry waited till he heard the familiar sound of Remus apparating away before getting up from the floor and walking over to the table to sit down. He reached for a plate and saw his hands shaking slightly and hoped his father hadn't. He quickly placed a couple of eggs and a piece of bacon on his plate and started to eat, but the taste of the food made the nausea come rushing back.

Severus saw Harry's hands shaking, but thought maybe he had frightened the boy with is harsh words earlier. Making a mental note to try and be more patient Severus picked up the Daily Prophet to read it, but the headlines of the muggle slayings on the front page made him drop it as if it were a snake. He didn't want to think about what he had done last night, the images still haunted him.

Harry was forcing himself to eat the eggs but after the third bite his stomach started churning. Hoping he could stave off the inevitable he grabbed his glass of milk, but his hands were shaking so badly that he dropped the glass, sending milk all over the table and Severus.

"Harry!" Severus yelled, jumping up from the table and pulling his wand out to clean up the mess.

Harry jumped at the sound of his father's voice, backing up in his chair, as Lucy popped into the room with a fresh glass of milk for Harry. Harry went to stand, but his father halted his steps.

"You have not eaten a thing. Get back here and eat something or you will become sick again. I don't know what you were suffering from last night, but I do not wish a relapse."

Harry sat back down, trying to fight off the tears, but one fell onto the table. Harry wiped it quickly from his face, and picked up the milk again, his hand shaking slightly. He felt sick to his stomach, his muscles ached still even after the potion Remus had given him before his father had gotten home. He took a sip from the milk and knew instantly that it had been a mistake, his stomach churned and revolted against him, and before he could get up and run for the bathroom the milk came back up.

Severus cringed, and then cleaned the mess up. "Harry, go back to bed. I will be in with a calming draught for your stomach in a few moments."

Harry shuffled off to his room, and climbed back into the bed, kicking off his slippers as he did. He wanted to tell his father what he had done, but then he would have been hurt and then Harry would have to go live in an orphanage. Harry could not wrap his seven year old mind around the complexity of what he had done, all he knew was his father was safe.

Severus walked into the room just as Harry made it back to the door.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"Umm ... I feel a lot better really," Harry stammered out.

"Regardless of how you think you feel, you just threw up all over my breakfast, that I would say is a sure sign that you are not feeling as well as you would have me believe."

Harry looked as if he were going to protest, but halted when Severus pointed to the bed. Once Harry was in it again Severus pulled up the covers and felt his head.

"You have a slight fever no doubt from just now emptying your stomach. I would love to sit at home today but I have to go and speak to Dumbledore. Should you require anything ask Lucy, and if anything goes wrong firecall me at the Headmaster's office."

Harry waited till his father closed the door and then buried his face in the pillow and cried. He wasn't crying because Severus was leaving, he was crying from the continuous ache that wouldn't seem to go away. Not long after Harry was exhausted, and into an exhausted sleep he fell.

Severus spent three hours talking to Dumbledore and telling him of all the things that had happened. When he had gotten to the part of how he had to kill the muggle he wept.

Severus told Dumbledore how he had miraculously recovered from the Dark Lord's curse only moments after he had let up on it. Dumbledore had no explanation for it either. Both pondered if he was in fact losing strength but neither could be certain as of yet. Severus stood up and turned to Albus.

"I am tired Albus, and Harry was not feeling well earlier. I am going home to check on him and then fall into my bed and try to sleep for three days."

The sound of Severus apparating outside sent Lucy to the door.

"Master Severus sir, Master Harry was calling for you earlier but when I went in to check on him he was asleep."

Severus walked past the house elf and went straight to Harry's room. When he got to the bed, he glanced down at Harry who was curled into a ball, his face buried in the pillow. Severus wondered how all thoughts of everything else could fly out the window as soon as he laid eyes on him. When his whole world was crumbling around him, the one thing that kept him going was the little boy asleep in the bed. Placing a kiss upon his brow Severus turned and walked out, leaving the door ajar in case Harry awoke again.

Harry tossed and turned, the images of the people dying, screaming, as they ran only to fall dead seconds later. He saw their bloody faces, eyes clawed out by their own hands in their delusions. He wanted to run away, to turn away and not see them anymore and then the most horrifying image of all came into view.

Harry had always been frightened of the man with red eyes. Something told him that this man wanted to hurt him, and Harry shivered underneath his blankets. Soon the image became more real with various men in dark robes sending sparks from their wands, and then the muggles falling down, some burned, some grotesquely mangled. It was then that Harry saw his father kneeling before the man with red eyes. He called out to him to run away not realizing that it was all apart of his dream.

Harry watched as his father writhed in pain from the curse, screaming at the end, but the man did not stop. Over and over he cast the spell until his father made no sound at all, biting his tongue until he tasted blood. This is when Harry awoke from his dream, panting, head soaked in sweat, and muscles aching. He slipped his feet over the side of the bed, and tiptoed quietly out of the room.

When Harry got to his father's room he was grateful that the door had been left open enough for him to slip through. He only made it halfway across the room before he stopped. Harry realized that if he woke his father up and told him he had a bad dream that his father would possibly send him back to his room, tuck him in again, and then leave him there alone. Harry didn't want to be alone right now he was scared. Venturing closer to the bed, Harry could see his father hadn't even heard him come in. He wanted to crawl into the bed and go back to sleep, but his father's earlier mood made him rethink that idea. Harry didn't want to make him angry, but his childlike mind could not fathom going back to his room at this point. Harry decided he would just lay down on the floor. The covers from the bed hung down about six inches past the floor, and Harry curled up inside them as best he could.

When morning came Severus did not notice. It was well past ten when Severus rolled over and decided he had spent enough time in bed. He knew that Harry had been ill the day before and he wanted to check on him. As he laid in the bed he listened for Harry's laugh or for Lucy in the kitchen, but all he heard was silence. Slipping his feet over the bed, Severus went to stand and that is when he noticed there was something underneath his feet. Grabbing his wand from underneath his pillow, Severus aimed it at the floor and pulled the covers onto the bed. When he did Harry started to shiver even more.

"Harry?" Severus called softly. When he got no reply back he knelt down next to the boy and placed his hand on his forehead, and found it was not hot with fever but cold to the touch.

"Harry!" Severus yelled, bringing Lucy running into the room to see what her Master wished.

Severus picked up Harry and he opened his eyes.

"Dad?" he said, his voice sounding groggy. "I'm cold Dad."

Severus forgot all about Lucy standing in the doorway and pulled back his covers on the bed. After laying Harry down he pulled the covers up to his chin and that was when Harry started to shiver. Lucy came into the room with an extra blanket and Severus placed a warming charm on it and wrapped it around Harry, tucking it in underneath him.

"Why in Merlin's name were you asleep on my floor?" he asked, thinking Harry was still half asleep, and not really expecting an answer.

"Had a bad dream, didn't want to wake you up," Harry mumbled before rolling into a ball, tugging the covers around him.

Severus shook his head. Had he been that unapproachable yesterday? He had planned on brewing a potion all day but now that would have to wait. He sat back down on the end of the bed until he was sure Harry was once again asleep, and then left to get a bite of lunch. He was sure that Harry was not sick, but after spending the night on the cold floor there was no telling what kind of shape he would be in once he woke up. After eating a sandwich , Severus returned to his room. Harry seemed to have the right idea, and after all his plans had been to sleep all day. Severus kicked his own slippers off and laid down on the bed next to Harry. Soon both were asleep, neither of them having any dreams.

A/N:  Chp. 28 (One Accident After Another)