“Severus, I understand that you’re upset, but you really must calm down, my boy.” The Headmaster lounged back into the plush cushions of the only comfortable chair in the study. Severus sat on the edge of the sofa with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

“Albus, this cannot be true. I never had, well you know, relations with Lily Potter!” Severus was clearly uncomfortable talking about the delicate subject with Albus, his mentor, employer and friend.

“You would be the one to know, Severus. Now, what do we do?”

“I’m not sure. The potion I had Potter and Draco make was a very elementary potion; fun and games and all that. There is a more complicated version of the potion I could make that would show the exact relationship between the two people, not just that there is a relation.”

“Do you feel that yesterday’s potion is not sufficient? Could it have been flawed?”

“Not flawed, exactly. I mean, I did make it, after all. Yet, perhaps ‘not sufficient’ is the right way to put it. Perhaps Potter and I just have similar genes, or there is some relation several generations back. There are several possibilities, when I start to think about it that could have made the potion turn clear.” Severus was now pacing back and forth in front of Albus, his thoughts going in a million different directions. He hoped he didn’t sound like he was simply in denial over the whole situation.

“And this other potion?” Albus asked, leaning forward.

“The other potion could not be refuted. It would even stand up in a court of law. In fact, it is sometimes used to prove paternity in inheritance disputes and such.”

“Well, then make this other potion, Severus, and then we’ll take it from there.” Albus stood as if he were getting ready to leave.

“Yes, I’ll do that. The down side, of course, is that it takes about three weeks to make. That’s a long three weeks when it means not knowing whether or not I’m related to that conceded, arrogant, boy.”

“Now, Severus, it was my understanding that you were all getting along? Yes?”

“It depends on what exactly you mean by ‘getting along.’ I haven’t killed them yet, although I have thought of several ways to accomplish the feat.” Severus walked out and headed towards the kitchen. He knew the Headmaster would follow.

“Tea, Albus?” Severus began pouring himself some of the earl grey that he preferred.

“No thank you, no thank you. I really must be on my way. The Board of Governor’s meeting is tonight and I want to be sufficiently prepared.” Albus walked to the floo ready to depart.

“Yes, let me know what they decide as soon as you can. Hopefully the decision is in our favor and I can return to teaching dunderheads for the rest of my life.” Severus was sitting at the table sipping his tea, not really making eye contact with the Headmaster.

“Severus, you know what happened is not your fault,” Albus responded softly. “I have every confidence that they will see it that way, as well. However, we need to get Harry and young Mr. Malfoy reinstated into school, as well. Otherwise, I must insist you stay here to supervise them.”

“What?” Severus sprang to his feet, a deep scrawl on his face. “If I’m allowed to go back to teaching, then someone else can babysit. What about Molly Weasley? She would just love the opportunity to come here and coddle Potter. In fact, she loves coddling so much, I’m positive she would even bestow some of it on Draco!”

“Severus, if, and it’s just an if, Harry and Draco are not allowed back into school, I feel that you would be the best choice to stay here. You could continue to instruct them in their subjects and you would all three be safe. Even if the governors decide that all three of you are innocent of any wrong doing, it still may not be safe to return. The real culprits of this crime must be caught before I am willing to let Harry, and yes, even you and Draco to return to school. That is my final word on the matter, Severus.”

Severus did not reply. What was the point? Severus sat back down and picked up his tea and took a tentative sip. “You will come get us if the Governors decide to hear our side?”

“Of course, Severus. Now, I must be going. Take care my boy.” Albus turned then and grabbed some floo powder and was gone.

*********************************

Harry was nervous the next morning and waited upstairs for quite some time before going down for breakfast. He knew he couldn’t avoid Professor Snape and that in doing so he would only delay the inevitable. He had heard Professor Dumbledore’s voice earlier and decided not to interrupt whatever was being discussed. Instead, he took a long shower and smiled with glee when Malfoy banged on the door for him to hurry up. Malfoy could just use the smaller, dirtier bathroom down the hall if he was in such a big hurry, Harry thought to himself.

Harry’s mood was much improved since the previous night. He just knew, without a doubt, that something was wrong with that potion. There was no way in Hades that he was related to his professor. Even if it turned out he was, it just had to be some distant relationship, like a third cousin of his mother’s aunt or some other long, far off lineage. Granted, the potion was supposed to indicate a more direct relationship, but one never knew.

Finishing his shower and quickly dressing, Harry made his way down to the kitchen. When he walked in, it was to find Professor Snape sitting at the table drinking tea.

Not saying anything, Harry went over to the counter and began making some toast. It seemed, that lately, toast and jam was about all his nervous stomach could take. Until he was back at Hogwarts there would be no more elaborate meals for him.

Taking his seat at the table, Harry began nibbling on his toast.

“Is that all you’re going to eat, Potter? No wonder you’re so scrawny.” Severus picked up the mornings’ edition of the Daily Prophet and began to scan the front page.

“I like toast,” was Harry’s only response. After a few seconds to chew his food Harry couldn’t take the suspense any longer. “Did you tell Professor Dumbledore about the potion?”

“Yes.” Severus continued to read, briskly turning to the next page of the Prophet.

“What did he say?”

“Not much.” Severus tuned to the next page in the Prophet and Harry began to seriously consider that the other man wasn’t really reading it.

“Sir? You told him, so he had to have something to say about it, some idea of what it means.” Harry was getting quite frustrated with his professor. It wasn’t like the results of the previous nights potion had nothing to do with him. He had a right to know what the next step was going to be.

“Potter, if you must know, I am going to make another potion. I will…” Before Severus could finish talking Harry interrupted.

“But we made that potion already. Twice! What good is it to make it again?” Harry threw down his half eaten piece of toast and sat back in his chair with his arms across his chest.

“If you would shut up and let me finish talking you would already know that I am making a different potion, one that is more refined and accurate then the potion that you and Draco made.” Severus tuned another page of the Prophet.

“Oh.” Harry picked up his toast and took another bite. “When will you make this other potion?”

“I will begin on it immediately after I discuss something else with you and Draco. Where is that boy?” Severus looked up from the Prophet and towards the kitchen door.

“He’s taking a shower.” Harry took another bite of toast and then went to get a glass of juice. “He refused to use the smaller bathroom, so he had to wait until I was done.” Harry sat back down with his juice and looked at his professor.

“And I suppose you took a considerably long time in the shower, doing Merlin knows what, just to irritate Draco?” Severus looked back down at the Prophet but did not read any of it.

Harry blushed at the implication that he was doing ‘Merlin knows what’ in the shower and started to eat his second piece of toast.

Severus signed, irritated that it was almost nine-thirty and Draco had not yet made an appearance.

“So, um..what do you need to discuss with me and Malfoy? We haven’t hexed each other in a few days. We took your advice and that’s helped a lot,” Harry said as he wiped his hands on his jeans, which earned him a disgusted look from his professor.

“What advice would that be, exactly?”

“Well, you said that we should just simply ignore each other, pretend that the other doesn’t exist. Well, under normal circumstances that wouldn’t work, it’s just too tempting to hex each other. But when you said that part about if we don’t straighten up you would do something nasty to us in our sleep, or slip some horrid potion into our food, well we knew you weren’t joking. It was enough for us to reconsider our actions. So, now it’s just dirty looks and an occasional name calling.” Harry took his glass to the sink and rinsed it out.

Severus sighed again and mentally cursed Albus for forcing two teenage boys on him. Bloody Hell, he hated children.

The next several minutes passed in silence. Severus continued reading the Prophet and Harry, having finished his toast, sat, leaning back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. Soon the silence was interrupted by Draco’s arrival.

“What’s for breakfast?” Draco gracefully took a seat in the chair next to Severus.

“We ate it all.” Harry brought his eyes from the ceiling to Draco’s face.

“Draco, you can fix yourself something to eat. Potter had toast, if that appeals there’s some on the counter. Otherwise, start digging through cabinets and such.”

“You know, I keep hoping to arrive to a nice hot breakfast and I am always let down. Don’t you know how to cook, Potter? You know, speaking of cooking, there was a rumor going around school that your late relatives made you cook and clean like a house-elf!” Draco’s enormous smile was smug as he looked at Harry.

“Draco! That’s enough. Get your toast and get back to the table. We have some things to discuss.” Severus folded up the Prophet, tossed it aside and refilled his tea.

“Toast it is.” Draco went to the counter and quickly came back with a few slices of toast and a few jars of jam.

Harry sat staring at his hands folded on the table. The death of Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley was still to surreal to believe. The second week of his sixth year at school he had received word that there was an attack on his relatives and that they had not survived. There wasn’t even a funeral as there wasn’t really anything left of his relatives.

Harry had not asked for details and had been somewhat disappointed to learn that he wasn’t overly distraught about the matter. He knew he should be upset, but having their deaths come a few months after the death of his godfather…well, Harry was just numb at this point. Part of him was overly joyed to know that he would never have to go back to Privet Drive and another part of him knew that it was sick, twisted and demented to feel any joy at all.

His sixth year at Hogwarts was not going well to say the least.

“So, what did you need to talk to me about?” Draco took a dainty, polite bite of his breakfast.

“We all need to talk. The Headmaster is attending the Hogwarts Board of Governor’s meeting tonight. He will endeavor to explain to them what actually transpired, or more likely what did not transpire the night that McLaggen died.”

“Stupid Cormac McLaggen, had to go and off himself. That’s my theory. Nobody killed him, well, except him! Didn’t make the Quidditch team last year, so had to go all depressed and shit! Weak.” Draco took a sip of tea while keeping one eye on Harry’s reaction to his statement.

“Listen, Cormac wasn’t weak. He was the opposite of that. Self-confident…”

“Overly so and let’s not forget a little cockiness and stupidity and yes, you’ve describe him perfectly, Potter,” Draco said with a sneer.

“I didn’t just describe him, you did! And you have it all wrong!” Harry was on his feet now, fists clenched at his sides.

“Both of you sit down and be silent! I will do most of the talking here. Neither one of you are to say anything unless I ask you a direct question. Is that understood?” Severus was beginning to think this was all a lost cause and that he would not only permanently lose his job but also his sanity if he had to stay in the same place as Draco and Harry much longer.

“The Aurors investigated Mr. McLaggen’s death and ruled it suicide, but that was only because the people most suspected of killing him are the three of us. This should lead the two of you to the obvious conclusion that the Aurors involved in Mr. McLaggen’s case were members of the Order. I, like Potter, do not think Mr. McLaggen committed suicide. It was not in his nature to do so.” Severus rubbed the bridge of his nose trying to pull his thoughts together.

“Sir, we already know all of this, so…” Draco didn’t get far with what he wanted to say before Severus cut in.

“I am summarizing the situation for the slow witted among us.” Severus looked pointedly at Draco and then turned his eyes to Harry.

“Hey, don’t look at me. He’s apparently the one that needs a recap. Why don’t you shut up, Malfoy, so we can finish this discussion and I can go find something else to waste my time on!” Harry was starting to get really tired of Draco’s constant presence in his life and he knew that it was only a matter of time before he totally lost control.

“As I was saying, Mr. McLaggen was killed and we didn’t kill him. Potter, what are your thoughts on this entire situation?” Severus waited patiently for an answer as Harry thought it over. Harry could be wrong, but he thought his professor looked sort of amused as he waited for him to answer. Yes, Professor Snape probably thought that whatever Harry had to say about the situation could only be amusing.

“Well, we know we didn’t do it, right? I mean, we were all together that night. We came upon his body and tried to help him. Then other people came in and saw us with McLaggen’s body and well, they drew conclusions that weren’t right. Those people ran their mouths off and the next thing you know the Governors of the school think we’re a menace to society or something.” Harry looked at his professor and then Draco. He wasn’t sure, but he could swear he saw amusement in Draco’s facial expression as well.

“Potter,” Severus slowly began, “what you’re leaving out is some very important bits of information. One, when we were discovered with McLaggen’s body, I was pouring a potion down his throat and you were holding his mouth open. That looks horrendously bad. Two, Draco had his wand pointed at McLaggen. We know he was doing this in case the potion I gave him made him seizure which it is known to do. Draco would have been ready to put Mr. McLaggen into a binding hex, whichever variation of the hex he chose.”

“We’ve been over this before. We know what it looked like and it looked bad. But couldn’t the Aurors have just seen what potion you were using and seen we were trying to help!” Harry couldn’t believe that his school career and life could be over based on an almost comical misunderstanding of events.

“Yes, well that would be the logical thing to do, however, the potion I gave McLaggen could have just as easily killed him as saved him. Which conclusion do you think would be drawn?”

“Alright, so it looked really bad all around,” Draco said with a little rise to his voice. “And since the Aurors that investigated are in Dumbledore’s pocket we got off the hook with the authorities. Yet, enough students saw what they saw, bitched to their parents, who in turned bitched to the Board of Governors, we’re now looking at expulsion.” Draco stood and began to pace the room, thinking before he continued. “Why would the board be so interested in listening to a bunch of whiny, sniffling students and parents? I’ll tell you why! Do you want to hear my thoughts on the situation, Severus?” Draco stopped pacing then and turned to face his professor.

Severus’ only response was a slight nod of his head.

“Okay, here it goes. My father is in Azkaban, so feeling some embarrassment for finally having to admit that they once had a Death Eater on the Board of Governors they’ve decide to do away with me. You know, the whole ‘we see the error of our ways’ so let’s show everyone that we were wrong and get rid of the Death Eater scumbag’s only son. Now, you Severus, they have never liked. The Board of Governors has probably always questioned your true loyalties and takes this as a great opportunity to get rid of you. And as for you, Potter, the savior of the wizarding world, the boy-who-lived, the Quidditch star…”

“That’s enough descriptors for Potter, Draco,” Severus interjected.

“Yeah, okay, anyway, there are certain Governors on that board who are in the Minister’s pocket just as much as some of those Auror’s are in Dumbledore’s. The idea of getting Potter out from under the influence of Dumbledore and out from behind the safety of Hogwarts walls is just too tempting. Potter’s relatives are dead, he isn’t allowed to go back to Hogwarts, well where does that leave him? In the sole custody of the Ministry of Magic and right where the minister wants him, that’s where. So, that’s what I think is going on. It’s all a setup and we’re running through the maze like little lab rats, right to where they want us!”

“How much thought have you put into this, Malfoy?” Harry was stunned by all the insight that Draco seemed to have on the situation.

“Well, we’ve been over and over it a hundred times since that night, haven’t we? I’m sure everything I just mentioned has already been discussed between Professor Snape and the Headmaster. Right?” Draco turned to Severus waiting for a response.

“It is true that we have been through all of the details from that night and that the Headmaster and I have talked over all of the possible reasons the board might not vote in our favor. What we need to do now is have an understanding between the three of us.”

“Understanding?” Harry didn’t like the sound of that. “I don’t want to lie about anything that happened that night. It would just come back to bite us in the arse later on.”

“I am not suggesting we lie. In fact, what I’m suggesting is the complete opposite. If the Board of Governors calls for our testimony this evening, I want both of you to tell the absolute truth. I don’t want to fabricate a story or make-up any half truths. We would just get tripped up in the telling. I want you to tell the truth about everything, even the events that led up to the three of us being together that night. It is common knowledge that the two of you hate each other and that Potter are I are not on the best of terms. Someone on the Board will most likely want to know how, together, we came upon McLaggen. Do you understand everything I’m saying to you?” Severus looked at Harry first.

“Yes,” Harry responded as he sighed and put his head on the table.

“Draco?” Severus turned in his chair to face Draco who was leaning against the kitchen counter.

“Yes, I understand. No lies.”

“Now, Draco, if you would excuse Potter and I, we have something we need to discuss in private.” Severus turned back to the table where Harry was still sitting with his head down on the table.

“Fine.” Draco grabbed up a cup of tea on his way out.

Severus stood from his chair and took his teacup and saucer to the counter. “Potter, I will be starting that potion I mentioned right away. Unlike the other potion, which only called for two drops of fresh blood, this potion requires a considerable about of blood. This potion also doesn’t require fresh, so I should be able to take all that I need now and not bother you with it again. When you’re done in here join me.” Severus walked out of the kitchen, his robes swirling around him.

Great, Harry thought to himself, how much blood would be required? A few drops, he was fine with, but a considerable amount might be a problem. Since the Triwizard Tournament, his fourth year, Harry had a little problem with large amounts of blood. Having someone cut open your arm and using the blood to resurrect a monster was very traumatizing to say the least. Best to get it over with now, was Harry’s thought. He slowly rose from his chair and took a moment to be thankful that he wasn’t about to do this on an empty stomach.