Aurelia and Severus had just pulled up in the driveway and were unloading the groceries when Remus came upstairs with Mia cradled in his arms. Severus walked in the front door holding a shopping bag with eggs and some cheese. He dropped the bag in horror when he caught sight of his small cousin, and eggs broke and splattered everywhere, but neither man noticed that fact.

"Dear sweet Merlin, Remus! What happened?" he cried, moving over to inspect the child, who was still unconscious, a livid red blister forming on one side of her face. Half of her hair had also been crisped away, as had part of her sleeve on the left side. Her arm and face were burned severely, and Severus ordered Remus to bring her into the den, where he transfigured the sofa into an emergency diagnostic table.

"A potions accident, Severus. I guess she tried to make something and . . .it exploded. I had just come home when it happened." Remus explained, setting the child down on the table. "One minute I was talking to Aria about the guardianship being finalized and the next there was a huge bang and smoke was pouring out of the windows."

Severus swore softly. "Where were Harry and Aria while this happened?"

"Outside, they looked like they had been flying, near as I could figure."

Before Severus could snap out a reply, Aurelia came rushing in. The normally cool and collected Squib was clearly dreading the worst, her eyes were bright with tears. "Severus! How bad is it? Will she be okay? Do I need to take her to a hospital?" She gasped when she saw her granddaughter's face. "Oh Lord, my poor baby!"

"Aunt Relia, I think I can mend the worst of this with magic," Severus soothed. "I have a Burn Salve made up and a Pain Reliever and I'll be running a diagnostic to determine if there's any other damage to her respiratory system. She will recover, Aunt Relia, I just need time to work on her. Please, call Mel and tell her . . ." he trailed off, cursing himself. " . . . .tell her I'm sorry, this never should have happened."

Aurelia touched him lightly on the shoulder. "Severus, don't worry about assigning blame, just fix my granddaughter. I'll deal with Mel, you worry about Mia."

"Thank you, Aunt Relia," said her nephew gratefully. He turned to Remus to ask for his assistance when Harry and Aria entered the room.

"How is she, Uncle Sev?" Aria asked, her amber eyes wide in her pale face. "Is she going to be all right?"

"Eventually, Aria."

"Dad, please . . .oh God . . .I should have watched her better . . .I know this is all my fault . . .I'm sorry . . ." Harry babbled, one look at Mia and he felt as if someone had cast the Cruciatus Curse on him all over again. There was a sharp pain in his chest and his stomach cramped and he felt as if he were going to throw up. He swallowed sharply and whispered, tears glistening in his eyes, "Please, sir . . .let me help you . . .I'm so sorry, I should have made her come with me . . ."

Severus jerked his head up at his son's voice and snapped, "Harry, I have no time for your excuses, if you're going to help me, stop babbling and do what I say. Get me two Class Five Pain Relievers and a large container of Burn Salve, plus some soft cloths and a basin of water."

Harry flinched at the sharp tone, but said, "Yes, sir," and muttered a quick Summoning charm.

Meanwhile, Severus cast a quick diagnostic upon the unconscious girl, making sure the explosion had not damaged her lungs and throat or any other part of her body.

There was some slight residue in her lungs of whatever potion she had been brewing, but Severus determined it was minimal and yet he wanted to take no chances. He ordered Harry to summon a Breathe Ease Elixir, and began administering that to Mia first, with a small medicine dropper.

In the kitchen, they could hear Aurelia speaking on the phone to Melody, Mia's mother, reassuring her that her daughter was still alive and would be fine in a day or two.

"Aria, why don't you go and help Aurelia with the groceries?" suggested Remus, figuring it would be better to give her something to do so she was kept busy, instead of hovering over Severus like a ghost.

"Okay, Uncle Remmy," she headed into the kitchen to put away the remainder of the groceries and see if Aurelia needed help with dinner. She felt terrible that Mia had gotten so badly hurt, she should have insisted they return earlier and that Harry bring Mia when they decided to play Quidditch over at Neil's. But then she had gotten caught up in her flying and Harry had told her they would be right back and Mia had wanted to stay behind and play with Rosie. Where was your brain, Aria Lenore? You ought to know better than to leave a little kid alone!

She put away the groceries woodenly, avoiding Aurelia's gaze.

Back in the den, Severus was now gently washing the burns on Mia's face and arm. The little girl whimpered, and Harry flinched, the guilt smothering him. He felt ill and wished it were him lying there instead of Mia. He silently handed Severus the container of salve at the Potion Master's unspoken glance. "Dad, will she . . .get better soon?"

Severus did not reply, he was too busy applying the thick cream to the little girl's face. It was a pale green and smelled like lavender and aloe, it began to be absorbed almost immediately into the child's burned skin. Severus made sure to coat Mia's arm and face generously before stopping and giving the child a draft of the Pain Reliever.

Harry hovered over them, tearing his nails to the quick, miserable and wondering when Severus was going to let him have it for behaving so irresponsibly. He had assured his father he would watch Mia until they returned from the store, she had been visiting her grandmother as usual on the weekend while Mel worked, she had since gotten a second job now that Devon was out of her life for good.

He recalled Mia's face, looking up at him hopefully while he bottled up the batch of potions, and her little voice asking, "When can I make a potion, Harry?"

Guilt twisted his insides and he hung his head. I should have made the potion with her like she wanted, I shouldn't have brushed her off like that. I could have played Quidditch later on. I should have listened to Aria and not left her alone. Merlin help me, why didn't I? This is all my fault!

"How is she doing, Sev?" asked Remus, returning from cleaning up the lab.

Severus looked up then, anxiety and guilt carving new lines in his face. "I've gotten her stabilized, Remus. There was no real damage to her lungs and trachea, thank God, but she'll need the Burn Salve and the Pain Reliever again when she wakes up, she'll be hurting quite a bit, burns are the worst."

"Will she have a scar?"

"No, the salve will heal the skin enough so it shouldn't scar, I got to her in time. Hopefully, she'll sleep another few hours, she also sustained a slight bump on the head, but I mended it with a spell." One hand gently stroked the child's head, wincing as his fingers encountered the stubble that was left of the little girl's once curly mop on one side. "I need to make up a Hair Growth Solution, remind me, Remus."

"Sure. I think Mel is on her way here, your aunt called her and told her what happened," the werewolf informed his friend.

The Potions Master sighed. "Melody is going to tear me into pieces for this. I never should have allowed Harry to watch her, thirteen-year-old's can't be trusted to look after children properly. I know better, damn it! I'm such an idiot! I don't know what the hell I was thinking."

"Sev, accidents happen-" Remus began, but before he could finish, Aria's voice rang out from the kitchen.

"Uncle Sev, you'd better come in here quick! Something's the matter with Rosie!"

Harry froze, then he ran into the kitchen, his heart pounding crazily in his chest.

He found Aria on the floor, holding the little beagle, who was gasping and wheezing for breath. Green flecked foam was dribbling from her nose and she was whining very softly.

"Rosie! What's wrong with you?" he cried, aghast, and he dropped to his knees to hug the beagle, struggling to keep from sobbing. First Mia, and now his dog.

"Harry, move!" ordered Severus, coming into the kitchen to examine the dog. "I need to see what's wrong with her, she may have inhaled some fumes from the explosion." He removed the dog from his son's arms and chanted a diagnostic.

"Damn!" he swore. "As I feared. Whatever she breathed into her lungs is harmful to dogs. Remus, bring me another vial of Breathe Ease, my medicine dropper, and some Tissue Repair Solution. Those fumes damaged her lungs . . .hopefully this will mend them . . ." he muttered, half to himself.

Remus Summoned what Severus needed, then shifted into his wolf form to better monitor the beagle's vital signs. He sniffed the little tricolor dog and whined softly.

"Dad, she's not going to die? You can save her, right?" Harry pleaded, hovering as close as he dared.

"Harry, get out of my light! I can't see with you hovering over me, blast it!" Severus growled, all of his attention now focused on the dog. " . . .two spoonfuls ought to be plenty . . .she's a small dog . . ." He gently tipped the beagle's head back and began to put a colorless potion down her throat.

Harry remained frozen for one more second, then abruptly turned and raced outside, unable to bear the awful weight of guilt any longer. It was like a mountain atop his shoulders, pressing down on him until he could barely stand.

"Harry? Harry, wait!" Aria called, starting to go after him.

"Leave me alone, Aria!" he yelled, half-sobbing. "Just . . .leave me alone!"

He ran through the backyard and on into a small grove of trees that bordered the property, tears of bitter remorse and regret coursing down his cheeks. If Rosie died it would be his fault. He was so upset that he didn't watch where he was going and smacked headfirst into a tree.

"Oww!" he yelped and fell on the ground, holding his head. It hurt but he welcomed the pain. It was no more than he deserved. He curled into a ball and sobbed, whispering over and over, "I'm sorry, Mia. I'm sorry, Rosie. I'm sorry . . .!"

Dad was right, he shouldn't have trusted me, I'm an irresponsible idiot . . .Mia's hurt because of me and now so's Rosie . . .If she dies, I'll never forgive myself . . .Never!

He had no idea how long he remained there, overwhelmed with guilt and remorse, wishing fervently that he could turn back time, hot tears soaking the ground, his cheek pressed against the cool earth. His father was justifiably furious with him and a small part of him wondered what punishment he was going to get for this latest escapade. Grounded for the summer? Beaten within an inch of his life? Whatever Severus chose to do to him, he would not protest, for he deserved every bit of it.

He lay still, unable to muster the will to get up and go back to the house and face the wrath of his father and cousin, who surely blamed him for this whole misbegotten mess. Then too, he was terrified that his dog had died from inhaling the potent fumes from the failed potion and he could not face that yet either. Utterly miserable, he lay there and cried, until a hand grasped his shoulder.

"Harry? Merlin's bloody staff, where the hell have you been? I've been looking all over for you."

Harry groaned and looked up into the dark eyes of his father. "Dad? Is . . .Rosie . . . is she . . .?" he stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"She'll live, son. She's sick, but she'll live," answered his father. "Now get up. We need to have a long discussion about your behavior, young man."

"Yes, sir." He murmured, guilt now intermingling with dread, as he accepted his father's hand and rose to his feet. He followed Severus back towards the house, dragging his feet a little.  Brilliant, Snape, just brilliant! You sure know how to start the summer off on the right foot. There goes your trip to New Orleans. But at least Rosie is all right. And Mia. I don't care what he does to me, that's all that matters.   

 Severus glanced back at Harry for an instant, and shook his head. Guilt was branded all over the boy like a dozen Dark Marks. Clearly, Harry was punishing himself over the incident quite sharply, and the Potions Master scowled and turned away. He looked like Severus felt and that was going to make it ten times more difficult to issue a punishment. Oh, Harry, what the hell am I going to do with you?