After that immensely emotional and cathartic experience, though necessary, Severus resorted to giving both Tobias and himself a Calming Draught. Once he had drank it, the Master Healer felt extremely sleepy and told Tobias he needed to go home, he had some things to do before Harry arrived home from school. "I'll call and let you know when we're going to visit," he said softly. "The number's the same still?"

Tobias nodded. "You still remember it?"

Severus arched an eyebrow. "Of course. You might want to take a rest, Dad. The Calming Draught often makes you tired." Then he Apparated, leaving his father alone to either sleep or mull things over, whichever came first, though Severus was betting on the nap.

His eyes were shutting in spite of himself, and he quickly entered the house, kicked off his shoes, and headed straight for the couch. He just had time to note that it was ten after twelve and to set an alarm to wake him up by two so he could pick up Harry before falling onto the couch and into a deep peaceful slumber.

Harry was ecstatic when Severus told him the good news, that he could see his grandfather again, probably this weekend, as long as Tobias didn't have anything planned. Severus knew quite well he probably didn't, or if he did, he would happily rearrange his schedule. He then told Harry to quit bouncing up and down, settle down, and take out his homework.

The six-year-old made a face at him. "Aww, do I have to do it now, Dad? I wanted to watch TV."

"Harry, it's best if you do your homework now, that way you can do as you please later." Severus reminded him, with just a hint of sternness.

Harry pouted, he'd just got done with school, the last thing he wanted was to have to sit through more boring assignments. Still, he knew his dad wouldn't let him do anything fun until he completed his homework, Severus seemed to love homework, and was a stickler for making sure Harry completed it. The few times Harry had been unwise enough to argue about it, he'd ended up with no TV for the afternoon and a fifteen-minute time-out.

So he dragged out his workbooks, pencils, and homework folder with a huge sigh and began his spelling. Five minutes later, he paused and said, "Can I have a snack, Dad? M' starving."

"Yes. Work on that page while I get it." Severus ordered, and set about making apple slices with peanut butter served with a glass of ice-cold milk. He didn't dare serve Harry anything too sweet, otherwise the youngster would be off the wall, and unable to concentrate on his assignments.

Harry looked up when his father set the plate down, concealing another sigh, he'd been hoping for a cupcake or a donut. Then he decided that apples and peanut butter didn't look so bad, and ate a slice while scribbling down the words colour, moon, and bright ten times.

After Harry was done with his homework, Severus checked it, making sure it was legible and correct. That was something Eileen used to do with him when she had been home, and in that way he was kept informed of what his son was learning and if he were having trouble with a subject. "Okay, scamp, you can go and get changed and watch TV."

Harry jumped to his feet, nearly knocking over his chair in his haste to leave the kitchen table.

Severus just rolled his eyes as his son stampeded down the hallway to his room. Kids! He tucked the books and folder away in Harry's backpack, ready for tomorrow morning.

Five minutes later, Harry stuck his head around the doorway of his room and yelled, "Hey, Dad! Can I go over Ron's instead? His mum's home today and she said it'd be okay. I wanna play Quidditch with him and the twins."

Severus considered. "Yes, but first let me firecall Molly and make certain she wishes to have an extra guest." With four of her seven children still at home, the last thing Severus wanted was to add another child to Molly's noisy brood, the witch already had enough to do minding her own.

But Molly reassured him that it was fine. "We love having Harry here, Severus. He's such a good influence on my harum-scarum rascals."

"He is?"

"Oh, yes. He says please and thank you and remembers to use his napkin and doesn't burp at the table. He has very good manners for his age, Sev. You taught him well."

"Thank you," he replied, glad to hear that at least Harry remembered his manners away from home. It was too bad he often forgot them when he was eating at his own house.

They Flooed over to the Weasley residence, nicknamed the Burrow, and Severus told Harry he would be back to pick him up in time for supper. "I've a few things to go over back in my office, but I should be back before suppertime."

"Oh, Sev, you needn't rush," Molly put in. "Let Harry stay for supper, what's one more around here?"

"I wouldn't want to put you through any trouble, Molly," began the Master Healer.

"What trouble, Sev? Harry's like one of my own, practically. Now you go and take care of your patients and let me worry about what in Merlin's name I'm going to make for supper, all right?"

"Thank you, Molly," Severus said, then turned to Harry. "What do you say, Harry?"

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley, for having me stay for supper."

"You're so very welcome, luv." Molly patted him on the cheek, chuckling when he ducked away. "Go on, run and find Ron, he's probably outside with his brothers, helping to de-gnome the garden."

Harry scampered away, calling, "Ron! My dad says I can stay for supper!"

"What time shall I come and pick Harry up?"

"Oh, not much after seven, we ought to be finished by then." Molly said, then shooed him back into the fireplace. She had been in school with his mother, though younger than Eileen, and sometimes she tended to treat Sev like a younger brother.

* * * * * *

But when Severus arrived promptly at five after seven to collect his son, he found trouble brewing at the Burrow. No sooner had he stepped from the fireplace and brushed the soot off his pants then Harry came racing up to him, his hair sticking up every which way, green eyes bright with concern. "Dad! Dad! You gotta come help Ron! We were gonna call you, ‘cause we were playing Quidditch and Ron fell off his broom and he . . .uh . . .we think he broke his arm!"

"Calm down, Harry," Severus repeated, summoning his doctor's kit with a snap of his fingers. "Where is Ron now?"

"With his mum in the back room, he says his arm hurts real bad, Dad."

"Yes, I imagine it would." Severus followed Harry through the kitchen into what was used as a guest room on occasion.

Ron was sitting on the bed, white-faced and crying, cradling his left arm in his lap. Molly was sitting next to him, patting his back with one hand and trying to get him to take a pain reliever, but the six-year-old was refusing.

"But Ronnie, sweetheart, it'll make you feel better," Molly coaxed.

"No! I don't want it, Mum!" He clamped his mouth shut stubbornly and turned his head away.

"If you won't take it for your mother, Ron, will you take it for me?" Severus queried, walking quickly into the room and kneeling before the injured boy.

"Healer Sev!" Ron cried, sniffling. "You came. Harry said you would."

"Oh, thank Merlin! I've told those boys to watch their flying a million times, but do they listen?" Molly said exasperatedly. "No, and then this one gets knocked into a tree by a Bludger!"

"Accidents happen, Molly." Severus replied calmly, scanning the little red-headed boy with a quick diagnostic. "Well, Ron, you've broken two bones in your arm, one's a fracture by your wrist and the other's right here," Severus pointed his wand at Ron's elbow. "And you've also sustained a few scrapes and bruises as well."

"Uh-huh. My bum hurts too," Ron admitted softly.

"Yes, you've bruised your tailbone," Severus replied matter-of-factly. "But we'll fix that later. Right now I need you to take some potions for me, starting with the one your mum has in her hand. Is that a Class Five, Molly?"

"It is, Sev," she answered, handing it to him. "You brewed it for us."

"Right. Here you are, Ron. Drink that all for me, child."

Ron made a face. "Do I have to, Healer Sev? It tastes nasty!"

"Only for a minute and then I'll give you some butterbeer to wash the taste away. It'll help you stop hurting, lad. Take one swallow," Sev urged, placing the rim of the vial against the reluctant child's mouth.

Ron obeyed, swallowing and grimacing. "That's right, now another. Good! One more." Severus gradually coaxed the pain reliever down the child's throat, then allowed him to take small sips of butterbeer. "How's that? Better now?"

"Yeah, I can't feel any pain at all."

Severus nodded, then removed several other potions from his kit. "I'm going to set the arm first before I give him the Bone-Knit Elixir, Molly, and the Anti-Inflammatory Draft." He turned back to Ron, who was looking frightened. "Now then, Ron, I need to take your arm and pull it straight. You shouldn't feel anything, but if you want, you can hold your mum's hand while I do this, all right?"

Ron nodded. He gripped Molly's hand tightly. "Y-you're not gonna give me a needle, are you, Healer Sev?"

"No, no needles today, Ron," Severus answered, gently taking the child's arm and feeling along it expertly. Harry watched intently as his dad rotated Ron's arm and then pulled it straight with a quick firm motion.

Ron shivered, but didn't cry out and then Severus tapped his wand to Ron's arm and said, "Immobilius locari," freezing the arm so the boy could not move it. "All right, and now I'm going to have you swallow another rather nasty potion, Ron. This is a Bone-Knit Elixir, and it's going to mend the broken bones in your arm."

He gave Ron a small squat vial to drink and then another red potion as well. Once he had ingested them, Severus removed the bind on his arm and conjured a sling for it instead. "This will have healed in a few hours, but you're to keep the arm in the sling for three days to give the swelling time to go down and the bone to knit fast."

"Does it hurt, Ron?" Harry wanted to know.

"Nope. It feels great now. Thanks, Healer Sev." Ron smiled shyly at the tall Healer.

"You're welcome, lad." Severus reached into his medical kit and pulled out a chocolate frog, he always carried a few around with him, for rewards after treating children. "Here, since you were a model patient and didn't bite me."

Ron opened the chocolate frog eagerly, pulling out the card and exclaiming, "Wicked, Mum! I got Sirius Black!" Then he looked at Harry and offered him half of the chocolate.

Once the chocolate had been eaten, Severus removed one last item from his kit and said, "Now that we've taken care of your arm, mister, next we'll fix all those bruises you picked up." He uncapped the container of bruise balm and gently applied it to all the bruises Ron had gotten, even the one on his bottom.

Ron whimpered a bit when Sev did that, since the bruise was very painful, but Severus numbed it with his wand and told Molly to give the little boy a hot bath before bedtime with some special bath salts he handed her, saying the bruise should go away within a day or two. "And if anything else should happen, he complains of pain anywhere else, just let me know, but he should be his old self in three days."

"Severus, I don't know how I can ever repay you," Molly began, hugging her son.

"You already have, by watching Harry," Severus said firmly, refusing her attempts to pay him for his services, knowing they couldn't afford it. "We should be going, Harry has school tomorrow. If you need me, you know how to reach me."

The two bid goodbye to the Weasleys and left the Burrow to return to their small home on Aspen Avenue, weary yet happy as well. And now Harry had something else to share with his grandfather when he visited over the weekend.

* * * * * *

That first weekend proved slightly awkward for the two adults, who were reminded of the shared memories every time they looked at one another, but having Harry there helped ease their discomfort until finally it went away altogether. The first day they spent with Tobias, he showed Harry how to choose the right kind and color of wood to carve the panther charm, and also how to use the small knives and sandpaper on a practice piece of wood first.

"You should always have a piece of wood to practice with first, Harry," Tobias instructed, patiently showing his grandson how to hold the carving knife. "That way if you make a mistake, no big deal, you throw it out and get a new piece."

Severus sat slightly away from the pair in the woodshop, listening and observing. He was amazed that Tobias possessed the patience necessary to teach a young child, but the ex-sergeant showed no annoyance when Harry asked him to repeat something or needed to be shown how to hold the sandpaper again. Clearly, his father was tapping uncharted depths with Harry, and Severus was happy that Harry would know a different Tobias than Severus had growing up.

While Harry practiced on the scrap wood, he chattered away to his grandfather, telling him all about his visit to the Weasleys and Ron falling off his broom and breaking his arm. "But Dad fixed it good as new, and Ron says it didn't even hurt. Dad's the best Healer in St. Mungos."

"That's a matter of opinion, Harry," laughed Severus.

"Well, I think so," his son insisted.

"I'd have to agree," Tobias added.

Severus raised an eyebrow at that. Tobias rarely gave out compliments, and almost never had Severus gotten one. "How would you know, Dad? You've never required my services before."

"And hopefully I won't, but if I ever did, I'd trust you over any other doctor I could name," said the older Snape sincerely.

Severus felt a warm glow deep inside of him at those words, words which he knew the old Tobias would have never uttered. "Thank you."

Tobis favored him with a rare half-smile, then turned back to showing his too-eager grandson how to carve an ear from the block of pine.

On Sunday, Tobias had Harry begin tracing the outline of the panther charm on the block of wood he'd chosen, and then he did the preliminary carving, which meant that he carved most of the figurine, leaving Harry just enough extra wood to get a few quick strokes in with the knife and it was finished. Tobias carved the details, like the eyes, nose, mouth, and whiskers. He even added fur, then had Harry sand the finished charm smooth, before boring a hole in the panther's neck and stringing it on a leather cord.

"There you go, Harry," he handed the finished charm to his grandson, who then ran over to show it off to Severus.

"Look, Dad! Isn't this the coolest charm ever? And I helped make it."

Severus examined the intricately carved panther and said, "You did a great job, Harry. But how would you like to have it be even more special?"

"How?"

"I could put a protection spell on it, if you'd like." Severus offered.

Harry nodded and Severus took out his wand and intoned a protection spell, which settled over the wooden carving in a soft glowing light. Once it had been absorbed into the charm, Severus gently placed it about his son's neck and told him to go inside and wash up for lunch.

Harry obeyed, he couldn't wait to show Blaise and Ron his lucky panther pendant, which he'd helped his grandpa carve.

When he mentioned that over lunch, Severus smiled and said to his father, "Better watch out, or before you know it, Harry will have you on commission to make pendants for all of his school friends."

Tobias shrugged. "There are worse things to be doing." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I haven't been fishing in over ten years, what do you say to a fishing trip?"

"When?" asked Harry. He'd never been fishing at all.

"It would have to be sometime after September," said Severus decisively. "I'm much too busy to take time off from my practice until at least the end of October."

Harry's little face fell. "But that's so long, Dad. Why can't you tell your patients to go find another doctor?"

Tobias bit the inside of his cheek hard.

"Why, Harry, would you want to deny my patients the best medical care at St Mungos?" queried Severus, also amused at his son's impassioned declaration.

"Well, no, but . . .you're always so busy," the child muttered grumpily.

"The good ones usually are, lad," said his grandfather, tousling Harry's black hair affectionately. "Besides, you know the Snape house rule-work before play. October‘ll be here before you know it, and in the meantime, you can practice learning how to tie on weights and flies and bait a hook, okay?"

Harry shook his head yes, figuring that would at least pass the time until October whatever arrived. He fingered his lucky panther charm and smiled, then picked up his peanut butter sandwich and took a large bite out of it. He was happy that he could finally visit his grandpa again and that his dad and grandpa had mended whatever had been wrong between them now.

Severus was a bit skeptical about the fishing expedition, the last one he'd gone on with Tobias when he was eleven had nearly ended in disaster, with Tobias getting drunk, falling overboard, and having to be rescued by Severus.

Hopefully, history would not repeat itself any more, and the fishing trip would prove to be a good experience for all concerned.

* * * * * *

"Dad! Dad! C'mon, Dad, get up!" Harry cried, practically jumping up and down on Severus's stomach.

The Master Healer opened one eye and scowled warningly at his son. "Harry, what did I tell you the last time you woke me?"

"Umm . . .that you'd turn me into a toad if I woke you before five AM anymore. But it's not five, Dad, it's six! And today's the day we get to go fishing up near Hogwarts with Grandpa, remember?"

"How could I forget? You've only reminded me every five minutes yesterday." Severus groaned. "Listen, scamp. I need to get a bit more rest here, since I was on call last night, so you need to go back to bed. Or read quietly in your room if you can't sleep."

"Can I stay in here and read?" asked the little boy, for he didn't want to be alone in his room, it was boring.

"Yes, you may stay in here, so long as you don't jump all over the bed or be loud and obnoxious." Then Severus turned over and drew the covers over his head.

"But, Dad, when are you going to get up?" Harry pestered, afraid his father would oversleep and miss the fishing trip.

"When I'm damn good and ready!" he snapped. Then he added more gently at his child's hurt expression, "I won't miss it, Harry, but I need to get more than three and a half hours of sleep in order to catch any fish. So please, for the love of Merlin, let me go to sleep!"

"Sure, Dad," Harry agreed, then hopped off the bed and ran to get his new book to read.

He curled up in the big queen-sized bed next to his sleeping father and began to read the story of The Velveteen Rabbit, which Tobias had found in the attic in a box of old books that Severus once owned.

Harry had just gotten to the part of the story where the Skin Horse in the nursery explains what it means to be real to the Rabbit when his eyes started to shut in spite of himself. He stuck a scrap of parchment inside the book to mark his place, then snuggled under the covers next to Severus for a quick snooze.

* * * * * *

Four hours later, Sev had Apparated Harry, Tobias, and all of their fishing gear plus a cooler with food and drinks to a small lake very close to the border of Hogwarts. They had stopped briefly at the school to say hello to Dumbledore and Minerva, who hadn't see Harry since the summer, and was amazed at how he'd grown.

"He's shooting up like a weed, Severus."

"Yes, well he's finally eating more nutritious things other than peanut butter and jam or noodles with butter," Severus told her. "His appetite's much better now than it used to be. Remember how he used to pick at his food?"

"And play with it," Minerva chuckled. "Once you ended up wearing half of his dinner, if I remember correctly."

Severus nodded, one corner of his mouth twitching up into a smile. "You do. That was the time when all he wanted to do was throw spinach and mashed potatoes at me."

Harry giggled. "I did?"

"Yes, scamp and it wasn't funny."

"I think it is," Harry said, snickering. Then he sobered when Tobias flashed him one of his Looks.

Though Tobias had promised Severus he would abide by the terms of their agreement, Harry didn't know that his grandfather wasn't allowed to discipline him, and so he behaved upon catching the warning glare. He didn't want to get put in time-out or spanked before the fishing trip even began.

But at last they were ready and Severus Apparated them over to the crystal clear lake where Tobias had said were some great looking rainbow trout and chubbs. He had been there earlier in the week, courtesy of Albus. The lake was overlooked by a gorgeous stand of willows and an aspen grove, it was still and serene and peaceful, an excellent spot to fish.

Unless you were a hyper excitable kid on your first fishing trip ever.

Tobias had set the cooler a ways back from where they would stand to cast, and placed the tackle box on top of it. The small pail with the nightcrawlers and meal worm jar was on the ground next to the red cooler. Harry was wearing a red windbreaker, jeans, trainers and a long-sleeved gold shirt-Gryffindor colors, Minerva had remarked, raising an eyebrow-but Severus merely shrugged and said that was what Harry had chosen to wear today. He was like a dervish, here, there, and everywhere. He was unable to remain still and wanted to bait his hook immediately, nearly upsetting the pail of nightcrawlers in his impatience.

"Harry, watch what you're doing!" Tobias scolded, just catching the pail in time. "Lord, kid, you're like a bull in a china shop."

"Sorry, Grandpa. But can we put the worm on the hook now? Please?" Harry waved his pole about eagerly, nearly hitting the kneeling Tobias in the eye.

"Harry! Settle down, you almost caught your grandfather with that hook," scolded Severus, moving over to pick up his son and move him out of range. He set the child down on a large flat rock and knelt in front of him, his face serious and set. "Harry James Severus, this is the last time I'm going to tell you to stop jumping about like a grasshopper and swinging that pole all over. That hook is dangerous, young man, and I'd rather not spend our fishing trip trying to extract it from your eye or hand or one of our faces, clear?"

"Yes sir," the little boy hung his head. "I'll be careful. Promise, Dad. Am I in trouble?"

"You will be , mister, unless you sit here and don't move until your grandfather or I tell you. I know you're excited, but you need to control yourself and stop getting in the way, son. Your grandfather knows what he's doing, and he'll tell you when it's time to bait the hook and cast. Now you need to practice waiting."

"I hate waiting. Waiting's boring!" sulked Harry.

"Would you prefer twenty minutes in time-out and an early bedtime?"

"No sir. I'll be good." Harry bit his lip and stroked his necklace, he'd left Inky at home for once, not wanting to lose the panther by the lake.

"That's my boy," Severus ruffled his son's hair, then went to attach weights and flies on his pole.

"Kid's as bad as you were at that age, " Tobias remarked, securing a pretty orange and yellow lure to his line.

"He's worse," Severus disagreed. He reached into the container of meal worms and impaled one on his hook. "Where did you say you saw the biggest trout, Dad?"

"Think you're clever, do you, Sev?" his father snorted. "As if I'd be stupid enough to tell you the best spot to fish here. Figure it out yourself, Master Healer."

"All right, I will. Why don't we have a little contest? Winner with the biggest or the most fish doesn't cook dinner tonight. Deal?" he held out his hand.

"You're on, doctor," Tobias smirked and slapped Severus's palm. "Hope you know a good recipe for trout, Severus."

"You ought to be thinking up one yourself, Dad. Last time, if I remember correctly, I caught more fish than you."

"Only cause I was drunk!" Tobias blustered. "I'm not now."

"Does that make a difference?" teased his son, his dark eyes glittering with good humor.

"You bet your magical arse it does, Sev. Just watch me." Tobias baited his own hook with a nightcrawler.

"Can I get up now?" whined Harry, squirming on the rock. "I've been waiting forever."

"Hang on a minute, rascal," Tobias called, picking up the can of worms and a feather lure. "Let me get you set up." he moved over to tie and bait Harry's hook, while Severus moved around the lake, searching for a perfect spot to cast.

Tobias had unofficially volunteered to coach Harry, since he enjoyed watching his grandson learn new things. Harry was bright and eager and quick to learn, like a rambunctious Labrador puppy, Tobias thought fondly.

"Okay, Harry. Let's go over here, by this stretch of the lake," Tobias led Harry to the lake, in a spot where there were no trees for the youngster to get his line tangled in, then showed his grandson how to cast the line out into the water. "Now, once it's cast, you've got to leave it in and be still. Otherwise you'll scare the fish."

"How, Grandpa? The fish are in the water, so how can they see me?"

"They can see your line moving about, and sudden movement scares them, ‘cause they don't want to be eaten. So, you've got to be quiet and not move."

"Okay. I can do it." Harry said, then cast his line out.

It settled some twenty feet into the middle of the lake.

"Good! Now you sit here and wait. Remember, if you feel a tug on your line, don't get all nuts, that's a fish taking a nibble. If you feel a sharp tug, call me, and I'll help you reel him in. Okay?"

"Yup." Harry was gripping his pole tightly, his green eyes focused upon the water.

Tobias moved about ten feet away and cast his own line. Severus was down the lake from them, fishing serenely. Ten minutes after they'd cast their lines, Harry felt something nibble on his. But he waited and then after a minute, he felt the fish bite down hard on the worm and the lure.

"Uh, Grandpa, I think I got one," he called softly.

"Hold on, Harry. I think I do too." Tobias played out his line, then brought it in close. The fish on his line wriggled and fought, but Tobias was an excellent fisherman and he soon reeled in the first catch of the day.

Or at least he thought it was the first, until he saw Severus holding up a mesh bag with a cold spell cast on it. Inside was a large rainbow trout, and his son smirked at him.

"Damn!" Tobias muttered, then reeled his in and went to assist his grandson.

With Tobias's help, Harry soon reeled in a large rainbow. "I got one! I got one!" he shrieked delightedly, stroking the fish.

"We all did. Let's go give this to Severus to keep in that bag so it doesn't spoil."

They placed the fish in the spelled bag, though soon those three were joined by two more, caught by Severus and Tobias.

Harry pouted, until he felt another tug on his line, and this time the pole was nearly ripped out of his hand. "Help!" he cried, hanging on to the pole with both hands.

"What the hell?" Tobias ran over, grabbed the kid's pole and began to wrestle the huge trout on the other end.

The fish fought and jumped, but it couldn't get away, it had the hook sunk deep in its mouth and eventually Tobias had played it until it was exhausted, then together he and Harry reeled it in.

The six-year-old's eyes were as big as saucers as he stared at the eight pound trout. "Bloody hell, Grandpa! Look at him!"

"Yeah he's a big one," Tobias said, grinning proudly. Then he shot his grandson a Look. "Watch your mouth, young man, before I ask Sev where he keeps a bar of soap."

Harry gulped, looking alarmed. "Sorry, I forgot."

"Okay, I'll let it go. This time. Come on, let's go show your dad what we caught. Looks like I won't be cooking tonight."

"Why?"

"Because your dad and I made a little wager, kid. Whoever caught the biggest fish doesn't have to cook."

"Oh" Then Harry said slyly. "But you didn't really, Grandpa. He was on my pole, so I caught him. You only helped."

Tobias gaped at him. "What are you, a damn lawyer?"

"Nope. But I'm right."

"You're a conniving little brat, is what you are," the older man laughed, and gave the boy a pretend swat.

Harry danced away, laughing, and ran down the lakeshore, calling for Severus to see the gigantic fish he caught.

Severus was very impressed and soon the huge trout was resting inside the spelled bag along with its relatives.

Tobias and Severus looked at one another.

"I don't believe this," Severus began, staring at the huge trout.

"Me either. We just got our backsides whipped royally by a six-year-old," Tobias groaned.

"Beginner's luck," Severus huffed.

"No, it's not, Dad." Harry smirked, grinning from ear to ear. He held up his lucky panther. "My panther charm brought me luck. And now you can both cook me dinner."

"Cheeky brat," Severus mock-growled.

"What d'you say we throw him in the lake?" Tobias teased.

"Now there's an idea," Severus agreed, playing along.

"No way!" cried Harry. "Besides, you'd have to catch me first and you're two old slowpokes."

"Severus, this brat of yours needs a lesson in manners."

"Teach him one for me, Dad. I've got a fish biting."

"My pleasure. C'mere, you little rascal!"

Harry turned and ran, his little legs were wiry and quick, but he was no match for Tobias, who had much longer legs and could run like a deer.

"Gotcha!" shouted Tobias, and he scooped the wriggling Harry into his arms and tossed him over his shoulder. Then he walked back to where Severus was fishing and dangled his squirming giggling grandson upside down. "Sev, I got me a minnow here that needs his hide tanned."

"Oh?" the Master Healer stuck his pole into the ground and came towards the pair, pretending to scowl ferociously.

"No! No! Lemme go!"

"Do you know what happens to naughty little boys?" demanded Severus.

"He started it!" Harry cried, wriggling frantically to no avail. "He tried to steal my fish!"

"If it weren't for me, you'd never have caught that fish, buster!"

"Would so! Put me down!"

"Nope, not yet. Well, Sev? What should we do to this disrespectful brat, hmm?"

"I think we should . . .tickle him to death!" cried the Potions Master and he attacked Harry with his very deft very quick fingers, tickling him all over.

Harry shrieked and squirmed, much like a fish on a hook, but Tobias held him firmly, and he was helpless to avoid his father's hands, which sought out all his most ticklish places, and tickled him until he begged for mercy.

"Okay! Okay! Stop!"

"You going to behave, young man?"

"Yes! Yes! Now please put me down! Before I pee my pants."

"All right, minnow. You've been disciplined enough," Tobias allowed, hiding a grin. Then he turned Harry right side up and set him on the ground.

"Uh, Dad? I really do have to go pee."

Severus sighed. "Go inbetween those two trees there, Harry," He indicated a stand of aspens some ten feet beyond the lakeshore.

Harry ran, emerging a few minutes later, and announced, "I'm hungry. Can we have lunch now?"

So they all settled down and had sandwiches and iced tea for lunch. The two men ate leisurely, content to bask in the fall air and sunshine, for it was a glorious day. Tobias took a nap while Severus walked about, gathering a few specimens for his potions lab from the local flora. Harry watched, nibbling on the raisin scone they'd brought, and absently rubbing his thighs and backside, which itched for some reason.

Fifteen minutes later, Severus returned from his herb gathering to find his son scratching frantically. "Harry, what in Merlin's name?"

"I'm itchy, Dad," he whined. "I can't stop scratching."

"Hold still," Severus ordered. Harry obeyed, or tried to. Severus gently removed his son's jeans and underwear, and saw the tell tale red rash of poison ivy. "Oh, Merlin! Harry, where did you go before, when I told you to relieve yourself?"

"Inbetween the trees, like you said. But I didn't want anyone t' see, so then I went behind the bush with the vines."

"The bush with the vines was poison ivy, son," Severus shook his head. Though normally poison ivy was not native to the British Isles, there had been a wizard botanist a few years back who had imported some species of plants native to the Americas over here and tried to experiment with them.  Clearly, the results of said experimentation were still around, since the wizard had lived right around this area.

And of course, Harry, with his penchant for trouble, had found the only wild specimen of poison ivy. Typical, only his son could manage to get poison ivy on a fishing trip.

"Poison ivy!" Harry wailed. "Am I gonna die now?"

"No, no, of course not!" Severus said, trying very hard not to laugh. "It'll only make you have a rash, Harry, it won't kill you."

"You sure?" Harry wondered if he were going to just keel over.

"Positive. It's called poison ivy because the leaves secrete a sap that makes people get a rash, and so it's poisonous to our skin."

Harry went to scratch, and Sev batted his hand away. "Stop! If you scratch, it'll spread."

"But it's really itchy!" The poor kid was twisting and wriggling, for his father was holding his hands so he couldn't reach back and scratch the red spots. "Dad! Make it stop!"

"Oh, Harry. Give me a minute and I'll summon my Rash Away Salve." Severus concentrated and the salve appeared in his hand. Then he gently smoothed the salve all over his son's bottom, making sure the rash was covered. Harry sighed in relief as the prickly maddening itch disappeared. "There. Better, scamp?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome," Severus chuckled, fixing his son's clothing. "Next time don't go near any bushes with vines."

"Okay. I'm gonna take a nap like Grandpa." Harry told him.

"An excellent idea, Mr. Potter. I'm going to also."

Then father and son settled down in the soft grass next to their elder relation and drowsed away the afternoon, waking only when their stomachs reminded them it was time for dinner.

And then Severus and Tobias cooked, making an excellent fried trout with watercress, wild onions, parsley, and mushrooms, which Severus had gathered along with his herbs. Harry devoured every bit of it, then proclaimed it was the best dinner ever, because he had caught it.

Tobias eyed his grandson fondly. "Minnow, are you asking for another tickle torture session?"

Harry shook his head rapidly. "No, Grandpa! But . . .umm . . I do have a question."

"What's that?"

"What's for dessert?"

"Ah, now there's a true Snape!" Tobias chuckled heartily, and then was echoed by Severus.

Harry glanced from one to the other. "What? What's so funny?"

"You, scamp. Because anyone who knows me knows I love sweets, though I don't like to advertise the fact too much." Severus said. "I get that from your grandfather, oddly enough."

"Yeah, I'm the king of junk food," Tobias admitted.

"Me too!" Harry sang, eliciting another round of laughter from the two adult Snapes. "Y'know what, Dad? This is the best fishing trip I've ever been on."

"It's the only fishing trip you've ever been on, Harry."

"That's why it's the best," the little boy insisted, giving both his relatives a brilliant smile, before tagging along behind Severus to help wash the dishes off in the lake before going back home.