Severus found himself outside Lupin's door much faster than he was prepared for... rather disconcerting really as he had taken a side trip into his classroom to spend ten guilty minutes procrastinating while he looked through his stock cupboard and discarded a few out-of-date potions ingredients. He had not given the task his usual thorough attention because he knew he had to see Lupin, if only for Harry's sake.

As Severus locked the cupboard door and let himself out of the classroom, he amended his reason for making this visit -it was not for Harry's sake at all; he, Severus needed to appease his conscience. Lupin had foregone a liaison with Nymphadora Tonks earlier that day to help him search for Harry. Severus knew that Lupin had not just helped with the search to do him a favour though... no, Lupin cared for Harry and he had felt the same burning need to find the boy as he and Dumbledore had.

There was only so long a man could stand looking at the grain of the wood that the thick oaken door was made of. Severus took a deep breath and raised a fist to bang forcefully on the door that had already felt his wrath once that day. Despite the vigorous nature of this assault, and regardless of how the noise might sound to the inhabitant of the room beyond, it was not anger, but guilt and embarrassment that made this summons sound so aggressive.

The door was flung open and Severus found himself face to face with an irate-looking Lupin. At least the werewolf was fully clothed this time, Severus found himself thinking as he faced off with his old schoolyard adversary. Immediately this thought entered his mind, Severus felt a twinge of guilt; he could hear Harry admonishing him for labelling Lupin with the name of the creature he became-entirely against his will-for one day out of every twenty-eight. Harry's hatred of prejudice and injustice was very strong and Severus reluctantly found himself thinking about Lupin's plight in the same light that he knew Harry thought about it. The word 'sympathy' and the name 'Lupin' had never occupied the same space in Severus's mind before.

He knew that it should have, but Severus also knew that he was not, nor had he ever been, as altruistic as the amazing boy he had finally taken the time to get to know. Perhaps it was time to extend the same courtesy to this man whom he had always labelled ‘enemy'.

Upon seeing who his visitor was, Remus's annoyance immediately evaporated and concern took its place. "Severus? What's wrong? Is it Harry?"

Severus, despite his recent ruminations, immediately felt a tiny hitch of irritation. Of course the only reason he could possibly be here was because of Harry! But almost as quickly as it appeared, the irritation faded. Of course Lupin would think he was here because of Harry... he had never once initiated a visit with Lupin-either in the present or when the man had taught here three years ago-unless Harry was involved somehow or Dumbledore had ordered him to do so in order to deliver the Wolfsbane potion. Why would Lupin think that his former enemy would suddenly pay a social call?

These thoughts did not help Severus's resolve. He and his old enemy might have been more tolerant of each other of late-hell, they had even played chess together-but Severus had convinced himself that he had only been making the effort because he knew it would make Harry happy.

Severus pushed the confounding thoughts way, way, way to the back of his mind. "Harry, I hope, will be asleep," he said stiffly.

"Is he all right?"

Severus nodded curtly. "He is perfectly well. Did you imagine that I was going to beat him?"

Lupin's expression became wooden, his posture stiff. "The thought had not crossed my mind, Severus. You forget, I have seen the change in you. I have seen how much you care for Harry and how worried you become on his behalf."

Severus once again berated himself. Already he was on the back foot. He was not comfortable talking about how much he had changed in a little over one short month.  "May I come in?" he asked, his voice as stilted as Remus's posture. Without hesitation, Remus stepped aside and Severus entered the small sitting-room.

Severus stood stiffly in the centre of the room looking around at Lupin's meagre possessions. The man's dire circumstances over the last few years-except for the relatively few months he had been employed by Albus-had not been conducive to his acquiring much in the way of personal possessions. The beautiful chess set was probably the most expensive item he owned; it would have been the one thing he would not have been able to part with to help him eke out a reasonable existence between jobs. Then Umbridge's anti-werewolf legislation would have made it impossible for his old enemy to obtain any kind of employment after he, Severus, had managed to have him thrown unceremoniously out of Hogwarts.

The thought did not give him the pleasure it had once done; as hard as it was to admit, Severus knew that Remus had been an excellent Defence teacher. And it seemed that with the wizarding world once again finding itself at the mercy of the Dark Lord, the parents of most of the students had decided that they would rather trust a part-time monster to help their children learn to defend themselves than they would trust the powers-that-be to protect their children from the returned menace of He Who Must Not Be Named. Especially when those in power had tried to deny that anything was amiss for a whole year, and had also tried to label the two who had insisted from the beginning that the Dark Lord was back, as deranged.

Severus realised that any sane person would quickly realise that Lupin had been at the school for nine months, three years ago, and that no child had come to harm during that time.  The majority of parents of the children at Hogwarts had also been students here themselves under the headship of Albus Dumbledore, and they all knew that the powerful mage was devoted to his charges. They knew the headmaster would never have hired Lupin unless he was absolutely certain that he could be contained during the full moon, and that for the rest of the time, he was a thoroughly trustworthy and extremely capable wizard.

Of course, a fair proportion of said parents would have gone to school with Lupin and they would know that he had never caused any trouble during his time as a student; he had in fact been a prefect.  The one incident that had put a blot on this stellar record of safety had been kept well quiet. But Severus was now willing to accept the explanation that had been told him at the time of the incident by Lily, Dumbledore and even James Potter: that Remus had had nothing to do with the plot that had put his life in danger. And now of course, the Wolfsbane potion made the safety aspect of having a werewolf on staff much easier to control... if said werewolf remembered to take all of his monthly doses and was safely locked away before his transformation.

Severus knew that a letter had been sent home to all parents with children at the school outlining the safety precautions that would be implemented to contain the wolf during the full moon. There had been a few objections; it was to be expected, but the letters of support had far outnumbered the negative reactions. But the appointment was a done deal; it did not matter who or how many people complained... the Ministry had given up on interfering at Hogwarts.

"Can I offer you a drink, Severus?" asked Remus. The request was tinged with confusion; he could not understand why Severus was here. The man had never sought his company before unless using the excuse of collecting Harry after he had visited. He could then, on occasion, be persuaded to join Remus in a game of Muggle chess.

Severus was going to decline-he told himself that he just wanted to get this over and done with-but then he looked into the careworn face of the man he had spent hours with that day...first at Diagon Alley and then here in the castle, and he knew he could not just blurt out his apology and then turn tail and run.

Severus shook his head at his own procrastination. The truth would not be denied; he had had no trouble becoming indignant on Lupin's behalf when the goblins of Gringotts had looked at him as if he were a piece of filth. Had that simply been because Severus could not countenance goblins looking down on a wizard...a wizard who was a werewolf to be sure, but who was a wizard none-the-less?

Now, looking at Lupin, seeing the worry still clouding his eyes because he was not entirely sure why he, Severus, was here and unable to believe that it did not concern Harry, Severus knew that his outrage in Diagon Alley had not just been because goblins had looked down on a wizard, but because he would not countenance anyone insulting an...an-Severus refused to think the word 'friend'-an old acquaintance.

"Severus?" Lupin had walked across to a sideboard where a couple of bottles resided on a tray. Severus could see whisky and elf-made wine and his finely-tuned olfactory nerve detected whisky on Lupin's breath and in the air. Severus accepted a whisky.

 Remus poured a measure of amber liquid into a squat glass and handed it to his guest. He returned to the chair where a book was draped open across the arm. He picked up his own glass and took a swallow. Severus was still standing in the same spot he had been in since entering the room.

"You are always welcome, Severus," said Remus, "but I must confess surprise at seeing you this evening. I would have thought you would not wish to leave Harry alone after his day's adventure."

Severus's instinct was to tell Lupin that thinking was not his strong suit and therefore it would benefit everyone if he would desist from doing so in future, but the impulse passed quickly. He had come here because he knew that Harry had been appalled by his rudeness in summarily throwing Lupin and Albus out of his rooms earlier; Severus was finding it very difficult these days to see disappointment clouding those green eyes.

Severus took a quick, nervous swallow of his drink and then sat down in the chair opposite Lupin's. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his glass held loosely between the fingers of both hands, studying the firelight through the amber liquid. His lips were set in a tight line. He was still not being entirely honest with himself. Yes, Harry had been upset, but after he had settled down following Harry's revelations and had time to think, he had been ashamed of his own behaviour. Lupin had not deserved to be on the receiving end of his foul temper. Nor had Albus of course, but the old man knew Severus better than anyone, and Severus knew that he would not hold his ill-tempered behaviour against him.

Exactly why he was suddenly concerned about the wolf's good opinion, Severus had not quite worked out, but he thought it may have something to do with what Harry had seen in that blasted mirror; the ceasing of hostilities between the people that Harry cared for... the ones who were still alive anyway.

"Harry and I have discussed the day's happenings" said Severus in a carefully bland voice, "and... I have expressed my concerns about his unthinking actions."

"I am sure that disappearing like that was not deliberate," said Remus, frowning.

"Yes, I do realise that, Lupin but still, the boy has to learn to think before he acts. It is doubtful anything truly terrible would have happened, but the potential for disaster was there."

Remus rubbed his forehead, but he finally took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, I suppose it was. Still, I hope you didn't give Harry too hard a time."

Severus took another sip of his drink and forced a cutting rejoinder back behind his teeth. Instead, he said, "You can rest assured that he is perfectly happy... happier than he has been at any other time today." And then, taking the bull by the horns he added, "However, unlike Harry, I find myself unable to relax after the day's adventures. I thought a game of Muggle chess would be a suitable distraction from the excitement of our less than memorable adventures."

Remus stared at his visitor, his tawny eyes fixed shrewdly on Severus's black orbs. Those dark eyes were no longer endless, empty tunnels; they were lit from within by a surfeit of emotions... more emotions, Remus was sure, than Severus had ever had to contend with at any one time in his whole life. Hatred was no longer the dominant emotion... love had taken its place. Though Remus was sure that Severus would not admit that what he felt for Harry was love.

Remus could also guess at what Severus was clearly having trouble saying; he grinned inwardly, turning his head towards the fire so that Severus could not see his lips twitching. Remus was a much easier man to please than Severus Snape; he did not need to hear the words of apology. Severus turning up at his door without Harry as an excuse and so far away from the full moon was unprecedented. Perhaps, in the absence of James and Sirius-and how Remus wished they were both still here-there was a chance that he and Severus could learn to rub along tolerably well together. They had Harry as a common denominator and they were the same age... the youngest staff members at Hogwarts, in fact. If they had not shared a less than amicable history, they might have even been friends.

No, rubbing along was the best that Remus thought he could hope for... Severus Snape did not really do the friends thing.

"A game of chess sounds just the thing," said Remus easily. He produced his wand and directed it at the small table that was tucked away behind his chair. With a silent Accio, the table rose into the air and landed silently in the space between the two arm chairs.

The game was evenly matched and it took Remus a little more than two hours to finally capture Severus's queen. Severus acknowledged the win with a dip of his head. "Well played, he said. "Now, if my calculations are correct, we stand at two games apiece."

Remus chuckled as they both sat and lined up the pieces in their correct positions, ready for the next assault. "I do believe you are correct, Severus. Our battles are getting longer and more complicated. We are each becoming more attuned to each other's strategies."

"The games are certainly the most rewarding I have played for a very long time," conceded Severus as he walked to the door. Remus reached past him and opened the door.

"But you play with Albus, do you not?"

"As little as I can help it," said Severus dryly. "Masochism is not my cup of tea. Constant defeat becomes galling after a while."

Remus laughed. "Yes, it certainly would not do much for one's self-esteem."

Severus stepped through the door and stood with his back to Remus for a few seconds. Then he seemed to steel himself and he turned back. "Thank you for the distraction... and the drinks. I think sleep might now be within the realms of possibility."

Remus dipped his head. "Glad to have been of service. Anytime I can be of assistance, just let me know. There is not much I can do to thank you for the time you take every month to brew my potion. My chess set and I are at your disposal whenever the mood strikes."

"And you and Nymphadora do not have other plans," said Severus with a smirk.

Remus looked at his feet and rubbed his forehead. "Well, yes... that may be something that takes up some of my time."

Severus' smirk intensified before he turned to stride off down the corridor, his boots ringing on the flagstones.

"Severus." Severus turned back. "Did Harry tell you what he saw in the mirror?"

Severus did not answer immediately. Finally, he said, "Eventually, yes."

Remus raised his eyebrows in question but when Severus did not elaborate immediately, he asked, "Was it Sirius?"

Severus paused and then he said carefully, "Black featured, y-es."

Now Remus's brows drew together. "There was more?"

"Lupin, that cursed mirror shows the thing you desire the most. This is Harry we are talking about. Knowing him as you do, what do you think the mirror would show him?"

Remus stared at Severus for a full minute before comprehension lit up his scared visage. "It would have showed the people Harry cares about... all of them. It would have showed them getting on together."

"Ten points to Gryffindor," said Severus. He turned again to continue on his journey.

"Severus?"

Severus spun back. "For God's sake Lupin... I have had a quantity of alcohol and it is late. Is it your wish that I collapse on this very cold stone floor to sleep the night away?"

"I won't detain you any longer. I just wanted to say that I am willing to try." Remus nodded a final farewell and stepped back into his rooms, shutting the heavy door quietly and leaving Severus staring at its blank facade for many thoughtful seconds before he resumed the journey to his dungeon rooms.

&&&&

The last two weeks before term started again were the best that Harry had ever spent while not actually in school... Hogwarts, that is; his primary school years had just been an extension of his horrible life with the Dursleys.

Some of his other summer breaks had been brilliant of course: his first time at the Burrow, the World Cup, his time alone staying at the Leaky Cauldron. Even last summer when he had escaped to Grimmauld place had been hands-down better than life at the Dursleys.

At the time, each had been the epitome of brilliant, but now he knew what he had been missing out on. His first time at the Burrow had been his first experience of what a family was really like; and he had been a part of that family... Mr and Mrs Weasley had made sure of that. But Harry had known he wasn't really a part of their family; they were not his own.

The World Cup had been brilliant and exciting and it really had mattered at the time that he was there with the Weasleys and not his own family. They were the next best thing, weren't they? The best thing at the time, because he could not remember being a part of a loving family.

The Leaky Cauldron had been his first experience of being alone with no one to boss him around or organise every waking minute of his day. He had revelled in his virtual solitude, but at times he had been lonely. It would have been so good to share tales of his excursions at the end of every day with someone who cared.

And Grimmauld Place had been wonderful  because he had been there with the next best thing to family at the time... his godfather. All of his friends and his godfather being under the one roof had made the time seem the best he had ever known. He had family and friends who cared for him. But that time had been marred by the oppressive atmosphere of the house-Mrs Black screaming obscenities at anyone whenever she got the opportunity, and Kreacher skulking around like a malevolent pall-and by Sirius's palpable discontent.

But now, Harry had the best of all worlds. He had a father whom he could talk about his day to and take his homework to in order to be checked over. He could even spend time helping his father in the lab, and Harry was finding that he was enjoying potions more and more... as much as he thought he would have done back at the beginning of his first year. Now that he was working under the same conditions that the favoured Slytherins had always enjoyed, Harry was even finding that he was much more adept at brewing than he could have believed possible. He wanted to please Severus, and it turned out that he might have inherited just a little bit of Severus Snape's talent.

So, Harry had his father and he had regular visits from his friends, or else he went to the Burrow to spend the odd day, though he preferred to come home each evening while the whole ‘having a father' thing was still a novelty; Ron had assured him the novelty would wear off quick smart and just become a fact of life.

He had Remus and Hagrid to visit at the castle if he did not see Ron, Hermione and Ginny on any given day, and he had the opportunity to fly every day if he chose (Severus had given the Firebolt back to him, deeming that a punishment was unwarranted as his disappearance had been entirely unintentional).

Harry was flying over the Quidditch pitch two days before term was due to start when he saw one of the school carriages trundling up the long gravel driveway, pulled by a Thestral. Harry had not seen a Thestral since the night he and his five companions had flown to the Ministry and the sight of the black, skeletal creature gave Harry a sharp pang. He knew that if he had been unable to see these supposed harbingers of bad luck for the whole of last year, he would definitely be able to see them now. He had now witnessed the deaths of two people, and as he flew lazily towards the courtyard at the front of the castle, Harry wondered how many more deaths he would witness before the prophecy was fulfilled.

Pushing these depressing thoughts aside, Harry landed behind the carriage and dismounted. He wondered who this could possibly be as all of the staff had now arrived back at the school; Severus, Remus and Hagrid had been caught up in quite a few staff meetings over the last week as they, along with the other teachers preparing for the new school year.

Harry walked slowly towards the carriage, watching as the door swung open, pushed outwards by an arm draped by an emerald green velvet travelling cloak. A head topped by a velvet tasselled hat the same colour as the cloak   appeared, followed by a short body. The carriage tipped precariously to the side and the Thestral turned its head to look back as the shafts shifted in what must have been an uncomfortably lopsided way.

Until the figure straightened, Harry had only been able to see that it was very short, but even the folds of the voluminous cloak could no longer hide the fact that this man was the fattest person Harry had ever seen. Uncle Vernon had been no fairy, neither had the old Dudley, but compared to this specimen, they were fairies.

The man looked up at the impressive edifice in front of him before he turned to look around the grounds. A pair of pale gooseberry eyes fell upon Harry as the tiny feet completed a one-eighty degree turn. The eyes widened comically before they scanned Harry's face almost obsessively.

The man sported an enormous walrus moustache that rivalled his enormous girth for shock value...it put Uncle Vernon's and Dumbledore's to shame. Now that moustache quirked upwards as a huge smile blossomed beneath it. "Oho!" he exclaimed. "Surely this can only be the famous Harry Potter?"

Whilst speaking,  the man had moved forward on his ludicrously tiny feet (Harry wondered how they supported the whale-like bulk) and held his hand out. Harry automatically held his own hand out to be shaken enthusiastically by the stranger; the man's skin was smooth and unpleasantly moist.

"I knew you were a student here of course, Harry, but I never expected to meet you quite so soon. This must be my lucky day."

‘Err, hello," said Harry uncertainly, wondering when he was going to get his hand back.

"Just like your father-well, perhaps there are a little differences-your face is much finer. And of course, you have your..."

"I have my mother's eyes," supplied Harry before the stranger could utter the wearing words. Not that Harry minded having inherited his mother's eyes... he supposed they were nice eyes, but really, they weren't Lily's eyes, they were his.

"Lovely Lily," said the stranger sadly, staring disconcertingly into Harry's eyes. "She was an absolute treasure and quite my favourite student ever."

‘Oh," said Harry, "so you were a teacher here?" Harry finally managed to extricate his hand and he only just managed to resist the urge to rub it vigorously against his jeans' leg.

"Indeed I was. And now I am back at Dumbledore's behest."

Harry frowned. "So you're here to teach again?" This didn't make any sense to Harry; with Remus, there was a full contingent of teachers. Had Dumbledore introduced a new subject perhaps? Before Harry could ask, a voice sounded from the direction of the doors calling out a greeting. Harry and the stranger looked over to see a sprightly Dumbledore descending the steps.

"Horace!" called Dumbledore, smiling delightedly. "Welcome my friend, welcome!"

"Ah, Albus," said the man named Horace. He shook Albus's hand as the headmaster came abreast of the two of them.

"I hope your journey was pleasant," said Dumbledore.

"Well, it was certainly better than that hideous bus! Thank you for organising a special run for the train, Albus."

"Not a problem, Horace, not a problem. You are the one doing me a favour, after all." Dumbledore's eyes fell upon Harry who had stepped back a pace and was wondering if he should disappear to let the two old friends have some time together.

"I see you have already met Harry," said Dumbledore. "Harry, this is an old friend and colleague of mine, Horace Slughorn. He will be on staff for the coming year."

"I have already met this delightful young man, Albus," said Slughorn, beaming at Harry. "But tell me Albus, why is our young friend already here?" It was more than obvious that Horace was thrilled that Harry was already here.

Harry felt like he was standing in a spotlight and he did not like the feeling... he had never liked the feeling. None of the other teachers drew attention to his unwanted celebrity. 

"Well, Horace, young Harry has been our guest for the last few weeks. His family were unable to take responsibility for him this holiday, and after the events at the Ministry that have been widely reported by the Prophet-as I am sure you have seen-it was deemed safest for him to stay within the confines of the school where he can be protected by the capable witches and wizards who know him best and by the wards that protect those within the school environs."

These protective enchantments were even stronger now that the Dark Lord was back and active; Dumbledore had spent a long time with his staff and Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bill Weasley and Mad-Eye Moody adding extra protection and strengthening those that were already in play.

Hogwarts was now the most formidable fortress in magical Europe.

Harry sighed quietly and looked away from Horace Slughorn's intense scrutiny. Before the majority of the staff had returned to the school, Dumbledore had called Harry, Severus and Remus to his office. Professor McGonagall had already been there, looking a little grim. Harry had immediately felt nervous and when Dumbledore had ushered them all into comfortable chairs-Professor McGonagall had eschewed the squishy chairs and opted for a straight-backed wooden chair-and plied them with tea and scones, Harry's nervousness had increased exponentially to the lavishness of the afternoon tea.

It turned out that Harry's disquiet had been justified. He had been expecting something of the sort to be discussed at some stage but he had hoped that it would be ignored until the night before school started. But no! Harry had been one hundred percent happy for too long it seemed.

Dumbledore wished for them all to get their stories straight before the staff-those who were not in the know-returned. Harry's presence at the school had to be explained away and the story that Dumbledore had just told this new teacher was the story decided upon. No hint of Harry's near death at the hands of a fellow student could become common knowledge, and Harry and Severus's new relationship was definitely not something that could get out there.

To aid in the subterfuge, Harry ate his meals in the Great Hall with the staff-Dumbledore insisted on these community meals for the staff to get everyone back in school mode and for them to socialise with each other after a seven week break-and then he took himself off to Gryffindor Tower. From there, Harry used his brand new stash of Floo powder that Severus had given him in a small box that he was to keep hidden from all his dorm mates but Ron, and he would Floo back down to his new home to spend the night.

Harry hated it... he hated the lies and the acting. He had known he would, but he also knew that Severus's safety depended on his acting ability; he had to convince the staff-and when they came back, the students-that he and Severus still loathed each other.  He thought he had been convincing enough so far, because he often felt the sympathetic gazes of Professor Sprout or Madam Hooch on him after Severus had made some cutting remark or other to him in their presence.

Severus was, of course, well practised in the art of subterfuge and everyone just thought it was business as usual for their colleague and his regular punch bag. This was the part that Harry hated the most. Though he knew the nastiness was an act, Severus was so very good at it and Harry flinched every time those cold black eyes fell upon him. He had not seen anyone looking puzzled over any uncharacteristic behaviour when they regarded either himself or Severus; they mostly looked sympathetic and resigned to the nastiness of their colleague.

The first evening after Harry had Flooed back to the dungeon quarters, Severus had taken one look at his closed expression and without a word, he  had placed one of his large hands behind Harry's head and pulled him against his chest. Harry had stood with his forehead resting against Severus's robes while Severus carded his fingers through his son's hair.

It had been enough. Harry had been able to hold up his side of their double act from then on. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was all playacting and he did not have to worry that things were falling apart;  Severus was still happy in their new relationship and he was never going to withdraw his affection.

Dumbledore ushered Horace towards the castle and Harry lagged behind- that is until the stranger put a stubby-fingered hand against his back and forced him forward. "Well, my boy, you couldn't be in a safer place. Albus, here lured me back by convincing me that Hogwarts' increased security is second to none."

Harry made a non-committal noise.

"Yes, my boy... better safe than sorry, though I suppose it rankles that you are under the constant scrutiny of your teachers." He chuckled. "No chance of you getting up to any mischief here, hmm"

Harry could see that Dumbledore was smirking, even through the curtain of moustache and beard. He did not have to respond to Slughorn though because just then Slughorn boomed, "Severus, my boy!"

Harry looked up to see Severus appearing at the top of the stairs that led down to the dungeons. Severus froze in position when he saw them. He gave Harry the beady eye which Harry managed to return with interest, before he focused on Slughorn and produced a tight smile.

"Professor Slughorn," he said smoothly. "It is good to see you back at Hogwarts."

"Wonderful to see you again, Severus, just wonderful!" Slughorn turned to Harry, gesturing enthusiastically at Severus. "You are tremendously lucky to have Severus as your Potions professor, Harry. He is the best pupil I ever had the privilege to teach. Better even than your mother and she was quite amazing."

"Yes, sir," mumbled Harry. He really didn't know what to say to this enthusiasm when he was supposed to hate Professor Snape with a passion. Severus smirked, an action that was appropriate to both his dislike of Harry and being amused at the situation his son found himself in.

"Err-may I be excused?" Harry directed the question at Dumbledore. "I'd like to put my broom away."

"Of course, Harry. We shall see you at dinner."

"Yes, sir." Harry had taken two steps towards the marble staircase when Severus's voice halted him in his tracks.

"Have you forgotten our appointment, Potter?"

Harry turned and stared at his father, truly mystified. "Sir?"

"You have a half-finished potion that needs attending to. It has now been simmering for the appropriate number of hours."

"Now, now, Severus," said Slughorn genially. "Surely Harry does not have to brew on a beautiful day like today. And it is still officially the holidays."

"Mr Potter and the world in general fare better when he is occupied, Professor. Idle Gryffindors can be a hazard, I have found."

Harry bristled and his look of outrage was only partially feigned. His father really had to try harder to stop making disparaging remarks about Gryffindor.

"Oh, dear," said Slughorn. He turned to Harry. "It seems as if your free time is at an end for the day, my boy."

"It seems so," mumbled Harry in appropriately resentful tones. He moved past the three adults who were all looking amused, Severus smugly so.

‘I shall join you in a moment, Potter. Try not to blow anything up before I get there." Harry's shoulders stiffened before he disappeared down the stairs. As he didn't have a potion brewing, Harry assumed that Severus had been giving him a reason to descend to the dungeons without having to climb all the way to Gryffindor tower to use the Floo.

Severus arrived ten minutes after Harry had let himself into their rooms.

"Well, that was fun," said Harry, taking a sip from a bottle of Butterbeer.

Severus smirked as he removed his outer robe. "Slughorn is in no doubt of our mutual dislike."

"Why is he here?" asked Harry. There isn't a vacant teaching position. Is there?" He crossed the room to sit on the edge of Severus's desk, watching as his father took a fresh sheet of parchment from the top drawer.

"In fact there is." Harry looked startled at this piece of news. He began to mentally count off the teachers and the subjects that they taught. Every position was filled and he said so.

"Besides," he added, "he teaches Potions and you're the Potions teacher."

"Slughorn taught Potions, it is true... He taught it for a long time. But he is also an historian of no little talent. He has even written books on the subject of Goblin rebellions."

"B-but..." stammered Harry, "what about Professor Binns?"

"Not before time, Professor Binns has been, shall we say, put out to pasture."

Harry goggled and then he punched the air and whooped with delight. "Brilliant!" he cried, but then he immediately sobered a little. "But why? He's been here forever hasn't he? From the looks of his robes, they are at least a hundred years out of date."

"Binns was here before Dumbledore began to teach. He died in about 1936, I believe. That is why anything that occurred after that time is not on the curriculum."

"But why get rid of him now if he's been here that long?"

Severus sat back and put his intertwined hands on top of his head. "The reasons are many and varied, Harry, and they are not up for general discussion. That means you will not tell Ron, Hermione or Ginny. Is that understood?"

A few seconds passed and Severus raised an eyebrow. "If you do not think you can keep that promise, then I cannot tell you."

"Okay, I promise." Severus studied Harry's face; he obviously decided to trust him because he began to explain.

"The fail rate for a History of Magic has passed what can be considered acceptable..." Harry blushed at this news; he and Ron had been two of those failures this year; Severus had not been pleased. Before their OWL year, they had always managed to scrape a pass, if just barely. Harry did have an excuse for his failure, but he was convinced that he would have failed regardless of whether he had been able to finish the exam or not.

"Binns has always been very difficult to shift, but Albus, with the help of the Bloody Baron and with the unassailable fact to hand that less than fifty percent of students, at all levels, passed their final examinations, has finally managed the feat."

"But what will happen to him?" asked Harry worriedly and Severus looked at him with amusement.

"He is a ghost, Harry."

Harry's cheeks flamed. "I know that," he said indignantly, "but will he have to leave the castle?"

At this question, Severus looked a tad put out. "No," he answered, shortly, "he doesn't have to leave the castle- he doesn't even have to leave the staffroom. He will be the resident ghost."

"Why are you upset about that? As I said before, he's been there forever. Certainly since before you began teaching."

"Before, he left occasionally to go to class. Now, he will continually occupy his favourite chair.

"And that's a problem because?"

Severus leaned forward and flipped open the lid of the metal ink pot on his desk and picked up his quill. "Because it happens to be the best chair in the best position in the room'," grumbled Severus, dipping the quill tip into the ink. "Right next to the fire." Harry bit his lip to stop himself from grinning.

"And," added Severus in an aggrieved tone, "he snores."

Harry stared at him dumbfounded, and then, unable to help himself any longer, he burst into peals of laughter. "H...he snores!" he chortled.

Severus glared. "You try and relax after trying to teach a class of inept first year Gryffindors and Slytherins who are likely to accidently blow the school to kingdom-come because they are too busy giving their opposite number the evil eye, or a fifth year Gryffindor/Slytherin class who would prefer to kill each other with their wands rather than waste time brewing."

Harry was still chortling.

"Yes, very funny. Do you want to hear the rest of the reason Slughorn is here?"

Harry nodded. To help get his laughter under control he took a sip of his Butterbeer. But far from helping the situation, he inhaled a quantity of the beverage, causing him to choke and snort some liquid out of his nose. Severus looked disgusted but Harry was bent double coughing and spluttering and pinching his nose to try and stop the horrible burning sensation. He tried to blindly find the desk at his side to place his half empty bottle until finally Severus snatched it out of his grasp. A handkerchief took its place and Harry spent the next minute blowing his nose, wiping his watering eyes and chin, the front of his tee-shirt and finally his hands.

When he finally had himself under a modicum of control, Harry turned to see a blurry Severus calmly writing on his piece of parchment. Harry wiped his eyes again; his glasses were dangling by an earpiece from the fingers of his free hand.

"Have you entirely finished with your revolting display?" asked Severus fastidiously.

"Sorry," said Harry, his voice a little hoarse.

Severus glanced up. He held out his hand. "Give me your glasses."

Harry handed them over and Severus cleaned them magically. "Do try in future to confine your drink to either the bottle or your digestive tract."

"Good idea," wheezed Harry, putting his glasses back on and propping himself on the edge of the desk again. "So, getting back to the subject- why else is Slughorn here?" He cleared his throat once again; it now felt painfully raw.

"Are you fully recovered?" asked Severus exasperatedly. Harry nodded and Severus shook his head before he transfigured the soiled handkerchief which was still clasped in Harry's hand into a clean and dry one. Harry pushed up his glasses and swiped at his eyes again as they were still quite moist.

"As I have already said, Professor Slughorn is here to take over from Binns, but he is also here to help fill the staff shortage that will inevitably occur once a month while Lupin recovers from his transformation.

"Last time, as you will remember, there were quite a few class cancellations, especially for the younger students. History of Magic has the smallest number of classes a week...one for each class, so Albus has been able to work things so that I will take over most of Lupin's missed classes, and Minerva will take up the shortfall.

"Slughorn will take over my Potions classes while I am taking Defence."

Harry blinked. "Wow! Talk about complicated."

"Well, at least this time around we will not have to cancel classes. Lupin will recover more quickly now because of the improvements I have made to the Wolfsbane. Twenty-four hours should be enough each month, unless something untoward happens."

Harry looked upset as he contemplated what Remus had to face every month. He couldn't understand how the man remained so gentle and kind when he knew what was going to happen to him every month for the rest of his life. Severus studied Harry's bent head and watched as he flicked the edge of the desk with his thumb nail.

"Lupin is strong, Harry. He has been putting up with this for around thirty years..."

"Thirty-four," corrected Harry. He was only two when he was bitten." Severus stared at him. He had not known that. Lupin had been little more than a baby when he had been attacked. Somehow this knowledge affected Severus more than he would have thought possible. He had assumed Lupin had  been around seven or eight when he was bitten... he didn't really know why. That was bad enough... but two!

Severus cleared his throat. "Anyway, Lupin's lycanthropy aside, Albus had more than teaching in mind when he encouraged Slughorn to return to Hogwarts. He may not look capable of doing much more than eating and pontificating, but according to Albus, Slughorn is also a master duellist."

Harry blinked again. "Is he going to be starting a Duelling Club?" he asked excitedly.

"That is not necessarily on the cards. I do not think Slughorn will be putting his name down for any extra-curricular activities, apart from socialising." Harry frowned, but Severus did not allow him to interrupt again. "Albus particularly wanted Slughorn because the more protection he has within the school, the happier he will be."

"Oh!"

"Yes, oh! Albus's top priority is the protection of the students. Despite the greatly increased security, a few families have decided to keep their children at home"

"But why?" exclaimed Harry. "Surely Hogwarts has to be safer than any house, even with protective charms and everything."

Severus shrugged. "Parents want their children where they can see them and have some control over them. I imagine there have been quite a few arguments in many a magical household these holidays."

Harry shook his head. "As Ron would say... mental!"

Severus leaned back again and studied Harry's incredulous face. "It is not so very mental. I would have said the same thing two months ago, but now I can sympathise." Harry could feel his face heating up under the careful scrutiny.

"I am lucky... I get to keep my son with me, and neither his education, nor my livelihood, is going to be compromised." Harry didn't know what to say to that, so he just dipped his head to hide his flaming cheeks and forehead. He may not have known how to respond to Severus's admission, but he knew that he was very glad Severus had said it.

&&&&

The rest of the day passed in much the same way as the last ten had, except that Professor Slughorn insisted on talking to Harry at dinner, trying to quiz him about the happenings at the ministry  instead of allowing him to eat his meal in virtual silence before asking to be excused and disappearing up to Gryffindor tower.

Severus had ground his teeth together and sent death glares in Albus's direction so that the old man would intervene and allow Harry to escape. He saw Minerva doing the same thing and was grateful to her. Albus had not caught either Severus or Minerva's eye, but he had taken action none-the-less after a torturous ten minutes of Harry becoming steadily more discomposed. Harry had sent Dumbledore a grateful look before mumbling a general ‘goodnight' and almost running from the Great Hall.

Severus had waited the minimum length of time that would not bring him under suspicion, using the excuse of a potion that needed his attention to make his escape.

Back in their rooms, Severus heard the shower running and he poured himself a whisky while he waited for Harry to appear. When he did, Severus was surprised to see Harry was ready for bed, though it was only seven PM.

"Are you all right?" Severus asked softly.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" asked Harry throwing himself down in a chair sideways, his legs hooked over the arm. Severus saw that he had Lily's old Charms textbook.

"Slughorn was a little overbearing."

Harry shrugged. "I'll survive," he said in a would-be casual voice.

"I'll have a word with Albus..."

"No! He'll get sick of asking when he doesn't get any answers. And if he does keep chipping away, I'll tell him that I don't want to talk about it." He glanced over at Severus.  "I'm a big boy now. I'll have to learn to look after myself eventually. Might as well start now."

Severus nodded slowly. "That's a sensible attitude to take. But I am here if you need me Harry. Just remember that."

Harry nodded and opened his book. "I know you are, Dad."

Severus felt another seismic shift in the region of his heart. These days, he felt so much lighter... breathing was easier and his consciousness was so much clearer. He had a purpose now, a purpose beyond his own survival. Much more than spying and trying to bring down the dark side Severus now wanted to live more than anything else in the world.

And he would. He would live because he had to make sure that Harry survived. If his son had to be the one to defeat the monster, then he, Severus was going to be there every step of the way. They would do it together... with Dumbledore's help of course, but they would do it.

He would see his son grow up. He would see his son have a normal life... perhaps a wife and family. If he could be a father, then he could be a grandfather... one day... many years down the track of course.

Would he be Ginny Weasley's father-in-law one day?

"Dad..."

Father-in-law! Grandfather! What in the hell was wrong with him?

"Dad!" Severus started. Harry was standing beside his chair, shaking his arm. "Are you okay?"

Severus sat up straighter and cleared his throat. "Of course I am. Why?"

"You just looked a little spaced out for a minute."

Severus rolled his eyes. "How exactly does one look spaced out?"

"I'm not sure there's a handbook on the subject. But if there was, you would be example number one." Harry grinned at him.

"Brat!" Severus stood and placed his glass on the drinks table, pointing his wand at it to clean it. "Is there a reason you tried to get my attention other than to tell me that I looked spaced out?"

"Yeah... I just wanted to say ‘goodnight'. I'm having an early night as I'll be leaving early for the Burrow."

"Ah yes. And you will be staying the night and coming to school on the train tomorrow with your friends." Severus sighed and looked at Harry imploringly. "I wish you wouldn't, Harry."

"Dad, we talked about this. You've worked it out with Bill and Tonks. They'll be right in our carriage and there'll be other Aurors on the train."

Severus rubbed his forehead. "You'll have to forgive me, Harry. This father business is harder than it looks."I didn't realise there would be quite so much worrying."

"No, I don't suppose you did," smirked Harry. "I bet you thought it would be mostly getting angry."

"Perhaps I hoped. I at least have plenty of experience of that. Worrying about someone else isn't really my forte."

Harry looked down at his bare feet; his face was heating up again. He looked up and smiled. "You're a pretty fast learner. I think you're doing a great job."

Severus couldn't help himself. He reached out and cupped the back of Harry's head, pulling him in so that Harry's forehead rested against his chest. He sighed deeply. "I have excellent raw material to hone my skills on," he said roughly. Then amazing himself even more, he bent his head and kissed the top of the soft, raven hair.

To cover up the awkwardness he felt, and was sure Harry felt also, Severus pushed him away to arms length. "Now I believe you were off to bed."

Harry's eyes were bright as he nodded goodnight and headed for his room. Severus had turned away, but he spun around when Harry addressed him from his bedroom doorway.

"Dad..." Severus raised an eyebrow in query. "Do I have to sabotage your stock of Polyjuice Potion?"

Severus stood perfectly still, then he narrowed his eyes and tried to look menacing. It didn't work as well as it had once done. "Go to bed, brat!"

"Promise?" begged Harry.

Severus rolled his eyes and smiled. "I promise."