***3 August 1986…11:22 a.m. ***

Lucy sat at the long staff table at Hogwarts with the rest of her new colleagues, desperately trying to give her full attention to Albus' talk of the budget for the upcoming term and the proposed direction of curriculum.

Albus sat at the head of the long teak conference table. On either side of him sat the Heads of Houses, Professors Minerva McGonagall and Pomona Sprout to his right and Professor's Filius Flitwick and Severus to the left. Being the most junior member of the staff, Lucy sat at the farthest right end of the table.

Severus looked down the table to her and gave her a genial nod in acknowledgement of the 'Thank You' note she had sent him for inviting her to Harry's sixth birthday party. She gave a wan smile in return. She was not in the best of humours today.

The fact that Hagrid, the one member of the Hogwarts' staff she actually knew, practically crushed her ribs when he saw Lucy earlier that day after he found out she was going to teach at Hogwarts', did not help matters. Hagrid had not been able to attend Harry's party and missed seeing Lucy there.

As a child, Lucy had only visited the occasional summer. Other than Uncle Albus and the odious Mr. Filch (He truly was odious, for he always smelled of moth balls and stale cat-urine. She was absolutely terrified of the man when she was a child.) Hagrid was the only staff member that resided at Hogwarts year long. Though Lucy knew them by their reputations, she had never actually met the other professor's of Hogwarts and she found them to be rather intimidating. She supposed it was because of their ages.

Lucy was glad her contribution to the day's meeting was over. The senior staff seemed duly impressed with her plans for Hogwarts History Program. The aging Muggle Studies professor, Professor Myers, was crying "Where have you been all my life," because Lucy thought it imperative that to truly understand the history of the wizarding world, students must be aware of the events in Muggle history that affected events in the wizarding world. At least she had made a decent first impression. That was one worry off her mind.

She was planning outings at both wizarding and muggle historic sites and museum trips as well. Reading about history on dry pages was one thing, but to reach out and touch it was a totally different experience. Lucy found it disgraceful that very few Hogwarts students had opted to sit their History N.E.W.T.s over the past decade. She was rather disapointed that she only had five N.E.W.T. students this year. She hoped to change that.

Lucy had made a concession though. When the subjects of the Goblin Rebellions or Hogwarts' History would inevitably arise, she would defer to the old ghost, Professor Binns. The spirit had seemed somewhat at a loss when he learned his services were no longer required and Lucy did take some pity on him, but even more importantly, she did not want to have to deal with a disgruntled ghost in the middle of her lectures.

Lucy schooled her face in a look of sincere interest at what Uncle Albus was saying, and tried not to think on the events of the last few days. It was hard to keep an involved appearance. Uncle Albus himself had a role to play in that. There was no mistaking, she loved Uncle Albus, but wizard had always dressed like Merlin on acid. Normally, she would comment to her Uncle Albus of his taste…or rather, lack of taste…in clothing, but it was not in her to do so today.

Through the pain of having to look upon Uncle Albus' fuchsia and gold robes and her bruised ribs, Lucy had come to question many of her decisions since coming to Britain. She hoped she wouldn't come to regret her decision to teach at Hogwarts as well.

Of one thing Lucy was certain...she would not be renewing her Hogwarts' contract the next year.

She wondered if her old university would offer her tenure back.

***30 July 1986***

"Pardon me?" Lucy wondered if she had heard Kenneth correctly.

"I said I forbid you to go!" he reiterated through his irritation.

She had.

At six foot three, Kenneth stood well over a foot taller than Lucy, but she wasn't about to let that intimidate her as she jabbed her finger into his chest and her other hand fixed on her hip. "Look here…The only person to ever forbid me to do anything was my daddy…and you ain't him, Mister, " she tended to slip into southern colloquialisms and a few very colourful idioms when she was really pissed off.

Kenneth usually found her quite adorable when her ire was up. But today she was bloody serious. Lucy seemed to be argumentative with him as of late. Kenneth was sure there was some guilty reason for it.

She was never this way when they were in the States, and he did not like this new side to his witch. Where was the proper, witty witch that had once only had eyes for him? He was not about to let his fiancé cavort with strange witches and wizards whilst out of his presence if he could help it.

That's why he had bought this out of the way cottage. He definitely was put out when he found out she signed a contract to teach at Hogwarts this year. He the very notion was an offence to him. Certainly she would not take on the ceremonial duties of a diplomat's wife until they were married, but why did she insist upon working in the meantime?

"I am soon to be your husband." Kenneth pointed out.

"And your point being?" she said in warning. Letting Kenneth know that he dare not go down the path he was foolishly about to take. ''I have no idea who pissed in your Wheaties, Kenneth…but I am tired of your attitude towards my colleagues and I'm tired of being cloistered away like a nun or having you stuck to my hip every time I need to go to market…next thing I know, you're going to insist on following me to the WC every time I have to take a piss!"

"Lucy, you're exaggerating." Kenneth said gently as he placed both hands on her shoulders. He smiled down at her as he inwardly wondered what the hell were 'Wheaties'. "I'm only trying to protect you, Darling."

She stepped back from his touch. Kenneth's eye's narrowed at her. She knew he was simply being patronising. "I don't see how attending a six year old boy's birthday party will be detrimental to my health and well being," Lucy said acidly.

"Because he will be there."

"He who? Severus?" They had already had a fight about her colleague before and it was getting old…fast. Kenneth did not approve of the first name familiarity, but then again, she was on a first name basis with most of the staff by now. "He's Harry's godfather. Of course he will be there. Most of the staff will be there… Why do you have a problem with the man? You don't even know him." Lucy said, irritated.

Kenneth attempted to reason, "He was a Death Eater."

He was a spy," Lucy countered. As a historian, she was fully aware of the Trail of Severus Snape and his role in Voldemort's War.

She was also aware of who Harry was before anyone had told her. She caught a quick glimpse of the infamous scar once the child finally mustered up the courage to look up from his godfather's shoulder and speak to her. A six year old child named Harry with a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. It didn't take a genius to figure that one out.

"I don't like the way he looks at you," Kenneth spat.

Lucy was trying to wrap her brain around her fiancé's logic, or rather, lack thereof. "Looks at me how…with both eyes?"

"I see the way he looks at you. I saw they way that shopkeeper was looking at you too. He called you 'darling.' It was indecent… and with me standing right there no less," he said almost accusingly.

Not only was this argument getting old, it was getting ridiculous.

"THAT'S IT!" Lucy literally put her foot down. "I don't know when you became so damned delusional, but it's obvious you have." She had a rushing noise in her head, she was so angry. "I don't care how other men look at me. I'm a grown witch Kenneth. Even if another man were trying to seduce me…I think I'm quite capable of resisting his manly swagger," she added sarcastically.

"But would you?"

Her blood froze.

*SMACK*

She struck him hard across the face. "How dare you!" she spat. "It is not that you don't trust him…you don't trust me. You actually think I did something to purposely to illicit these imaginary responses from men? Do you think I'm some sort of a…a…" she couldn't even finish the sentence.

Tears began to well in Lucy's eyes. Whether they were from anger or sadness, she did not know, but his lack of response spoke volumes.

"I don't want you working at that school with him there," he finally said as he rubbed the sting on his face. The words came out as an order. She could tell that he was tempted to strike back. But she was the niece of Albus Dumbledore, the most influential and powerful wizard in generations. If he so much as found a mark on Lucy, Kenneth knew there would be hell to pay.

"Then you, Mister…have a problem… I'm going to Pawpaw's," Lucy announced through her held back tears right before she Disapparated with no further preamble.

Kenneth looked at the spot his lovely Lucy had just been and his gut clinched with regret. He hated to make her cry, but he knew that women were childish creatures, incapable of resisting a man should he be persistent enough. Maybe if he hadn't come across so cross. Why couldn't she see he was only trying to protect her from herself? And he was sure that Snape character would try to get his hooks into Lucy. What red-blooded man wouldn't? Whaen Snape invited Lucy to the brat's birthday party, Kenneth knew what the wizard had on his mind.

Kenneth walked over to the mantle and picked up their engagement photo. It had only been a few months ago. They were both laughing as they gazed at one another. That had been such a happy day.

His lovely Lucy with a smile sunnier than her hair, and her dancing blue eyes.

Anger welled up inside him. She was heading to Hogwarts, and he was due back in Washington D.C. the next day and he had to leave soon if he was going to make the necessary Floo connections through Iceland and Greenland to get across the Atlantic.

She was there... he was there...and Kenneth was powerless to do anything about it.

He looked at the laughing photograph again. It was mocking him. He let his finger brush against Lucy's face one last time and hurled picture against the wall. As the frame shattered and the shards of glass rang out as the showered the floor.

He growled at himself. He knew he should have put up those damn Anti-Disapparation wards.

"Darlin'…It's going to turn out alright." Aberforth tried to console his inconsolable granddaughter.

Lucy was in one of the upper bedchambers at The Hog's Head Tavern, crying a jag into a pillow. She rose up and flung herself into her grandfather's waiting embrace. "I don't understand it Pawpaw," she sniffed. Her accent was heavier through her tears. "He's like a completely different man…I've never done…I mean I've never given him reason to think that I…"

She was crying because she wanted her Kenneth back. When had he changed and why? She had loved the man, or at least loved the man she thought he was. Now, she wondered if it was all a dream.

"I know child…I know," her Pawpaw said reassuringly as he stroked her hair and rocked her gently in his arms. It almost felt as if she were five again instead of twenty five.

Aberforth didn't show it to Lucy, but he was absolutely livid. That Musgrave son of a bitch had better hope he never finds his way in front of Aberforth's wand. He might only be a tavern keeper, but he was a fair and powerful hand at hexes. He had to be with the dodgy lot that costomed his establishment. How dare that fop accuse his granddaughter of being a wanton woman?

Lucy let herself get lost in the warm comfort of her Pawpaw's embrace. She was trying to recall if there were any signs of this obsessive possessiveness in Kenneth when they were still in the States. Kenneth was simply seeing things that just weren't there.

She had met him at the premier party for the publication of her latest monograph on the evolution of magic and the introduction of Illuminated Manuscripts. It had been just over a year ago.

Lucy would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't taken aback by his startlingly handsome looks and his aristocratic English accent. He had obviously read her book and had a decent, if novice, grasp on the subject.

Of course she accepted when he asked to escort her to the consulate picnic. I hindsight, he did seem as though attached to her by a Sticking Hex. At the time, she thought him merely attentive.

He was intelligent, witty, charming, and laughed easily. But even more important, he made her laugh. A man that could make her laugh…ahhh…that's where her heart would melt. Lucy had a… complex, sense of humour. Not many people could understand some of the situations she would find funny or ironic. Kenneth had picked up on that side of her and seemed to appreciate it.

Lucy was so thrilled to have met Kenneth; she couldn't wait to tell her best friend, Christopher. Chris had been her friend since she was twelve. He was a Squib. Lucy's younger brother, Allen, was also a Squib and she had met Chris at a Squib support group for families.

A new hurt filled Lucy, Chris was like a brother to her and she had always been able to pour her heart and soul out to him. She missed him terribly and knew she would never see him again. She wanted to talk to him now.

Six months previous, he and his partner had a sail boat accident in Charleston Harbor. Their bodies had washed up on a sandbar off Fort Sumter Island. It still didn't make sense to Lucy. Chris was a capable seaman and the day had been fine. How his sloop managed to capsize was still a mystery.

Kenneth had been very sympathetic for her loss, which was more reassuring than the man could know. Kenneth and Chris really hadn't approved very much of each other. The fact that Kenneth had been supportive during her ordeal only proved that his love for her took precedence over his dislike for Chris.

It wasn't too long after that when Kenneth had proposed. Of course now in hindsight, it had been foolish to accept only a few months after meeting him, but the man seemed so perfect, the circumstances made it difficult to refuse and she did not wish to suffer the 'what ifs' if she had.

Yes…it was obvious to Lucy now that Kenneth had seen her as merely a prize to be had. And once he had her, he did everything he could to make sure no one else would posses her.

Aberforth handed Lucy a handkerchief and she wiped her nose. As if he could understand her thoughts he said "Sometimes, you think you know a fellow."

***3 Aug 1986…3:36 p.m.***

"Daddy…can I go outside and fly on my broom?" It was too quiet in the classroom. Severus and Harry had moved back to Hogwarts two days before the boy's birthday and the only diversion the child had since was his birthday party. To the boy's credit, he was quietly reading and colouring at the desk as Severus prepared medicinal potions for the upcoming term.

"It is 'May I go outside,' Harry," Severus corrected. He noticed that Harry was shaking his right foot in an effort to expel his pent up six year old energy. He had to admit, the child had been exceedingly patient. Severus decided that rather than have a six year old dancing around like a Whirling Dervish tonight, he should let him go outside and play for a while.

Unfortunately, Severus did not have time to supervise Harry in his flying today. He was at a critical point with the burn salve and he could not leave it unattended. He supposed he should have let Harry remain at the Weasley's until tea time, but he did not want to stop in the middle of what he was doing to pick the boy before supper and he did not wish to impose on the Weasley's any more than he already had.

"Harry, why don't we ask Mitzy to take you to the courtyard and you can play with your new top?" Severus suggested. Dr. O'Conner...Lucy... had given Harry a marvellous magical whip-top for his birthday.

Though it wasn't his broom, Harry perked up at the suggestion. "Wicked!" he proclaimed as he hopped out of his chair. He had wanted to try out the toy Dr. O'Conner had given him, but Severus would not allow him to play with it in the confines of their quarters.

"Mitzy!" Severus called and a little floppy eared house elf wearing one of Hogwarts' traditional blue and silver tea towels appeared.

"Yes, Potion's Master, Sir?" The Headmaster had insisted that the house elves no longer address the staff as 'Master' or 'Mistress', only 'Sir' or 'Ma'am'.

Severus instructed the elf to retrieve Harry's toy, escort him to the courtyard and generally make sure the boy did not get lost and stayed out of mischief. He knew that Harry was perfectly capable of playing by himself in the garden at home, but Hogwarts was too large and there were parts of the castle that no child should wander into alone.

New toy in hand, Harry made a start to run out of the classroom.

"Harry. No running inside," Severus admonished.

Harry stooped in his tracks "Sorry, Daddy," the boy answered, not actually sounding apologetic, only annoyed that he was caught.

Severus raised his eyebrows in irritation. "Mind your cheek, Harry…and mind Mitzy… just remember to be back by five so you can wash before supper," Severus instructed.

"I will, Daddy," Harry smiled and scurried off with the house elf hopping along beside him.

Watching his godson go off to play, Severus grunted to himself because he knew the boy would probably be running by the time he ascended the stairs out of the dungeon.

Severus bent over his cauldron and grudgingly continued with his work. He was regretting not being able to attend Harry himself. Sometimes, felt he was doing a piss-poor job at being a godfather to Lily's son.

Why must I be stuck in the lab today? Severus' stance shot up as he realised what he was just thinking.

He actually wanted to be somewhere else other than his lab? It shook him how much his priorities had changed over the course of a year. Did he really want to go outside and watch Harry play?

Severus was astonished over how one needy little boy, could so thoroughly wheedle his way into Severus' life…and heart, in so little time.

Severus plunged back into his work with renewed vigour. He may be able to finish the burn salve in time to spend a few minutes out of doors with Harry. Perhaps he would take an afternoon off sometime soon and teach Harry how to fly that new broom of his.

Harry was having a grand time playing as Mitzy sat on the edge of a retainer wall watching him. The little boy was so full of energy even this non-participatory act was exhausting to the she-elf.

Harry thought the new toy was brilliant. After all, Dr. O'Conner had given it to him. Harry was sure from the first time he saw her that she was a nice lady, and he was right.

Dr. O'Conner had given him a magical whip-top. It was even better than the toy snitch Professor McGonagall gave him.

Tied to the long, primary blue wooden stick was a length of leather cord, this was the whip. Harry would wrap the cord around a red mushroom cap shaped top. He would then pull back and sling the whip. The top would fly off into the air and remain suspended as it spun, zipped, and spiralled forth a kaleidoscope of colour. Harry could then run about and catch the top.

Harry couldn't understand why his Muggle relatives hated magic so much. Surely, Dudley never had toys this wonderful.

It took Harry a couple of tries before he got the hang of slinging the top, but once he did, there was no stopping him.

Now that he had his new glasses, he could really see the tiny top. He had already caught it four times.

Harry was being very careful not to play close to the windows like Mitzy told him. So his little heart sank when his top disappeared into an open classroom window.

"Uh...Ohhh," Harry said to himself.

"Little Harry, Sir…," Mitzy squeaked. "I tolds you nots to play close to the windows."

"I wasn't!" Harry defended. "It flew in by itself!"

Harry counted the number of windows from the courtyard entrance to the open window in hope of finding the classroom his top flew into and ran back into the building.

Mitzy panicked as she cried out, "Little Harry Sir…You's godfather says no running insides!" and she ran off after him.

"I really don't see the purpose behind all of these maps?" a chill, ethereal voice queried.

"Of course I'm going to need maps in the classroom," Lucy said through her irritation at the interfering ghost. She was still sore from Hagrid's 'hug' and she was in no mood to deal Professor Binns' criticisms of her classroom changes now.

"This is a History class…There is no place for geography lessons here," the ghost chided.

Lucy had her back to the apparition, trying to decide where to levitate her giant world globe. "How are the children supposed to have a sense of history if they do not have a sense of place?" she countered.

Lucy was sure Binns was about to argue that he had been teaching for over three hundred years and knew better. She turned around to confront him when a colourful object zipped into her class room and through the old spirits head.

The look of offence on Binns' face was priceless, as the magical object seemed obsessed with him and kept zipping in and out of his translucent head.

Lucy couldn't help herself as she burst out laughing at the poor ghost's expense. The colourful lights that kept reflecting off his ectoplasmic form were quite pretty.

"Well…I never!" Binns bellowed as he disappeared through the classroom wall.

"Sorry, Professor!" Lucy called out to the wall through her hysterics. She figured at least she paid for that little piece of bad Karma with the pain shooting through her side, but it was worth it. It was the first time she laughed in days.

Lucy managed to gain her composure when she heard the patter of little feet out in the corridor.

She flicked her wand and stopped the whirling object and plucked it from mid-air.

Recognising the object, the feet in the hallway could only belong to one person.

"It's in here, Harry!" she beckoned.

Harry peaked into the only open door in the hallway and smiled. "Hi, Professor," he said sheepishly.

Pretty Dr. O'Conner stood there with a great smile on her face and her right arm around her middle, and holding something clutch in her fist. Her face was flushed like she had just been laughing.

"Come in, Harry," she said. "I found your top." She extended the hand she had wrapped around her waist and in it was the little red mushroom cap top.

Seeing from her demeanour that he wasn't in trouble Harry entered the room with a nervous Mitzy in tow. She took a chair at one of the back desks and settled herself in.

"I'm sorry Professor," Harry said, "I tried to keep it away from the windows."

"That's alright, Harry…no harm done," she assured him. "And please…call me Miss Lucy. In fact you are just in time…I could use some sound advice."

Harry suddenly felt very important. No grown up had ever asked him to call them by their name before. And nobody had ever asked him for advice before, except Daddy about a scratchy old beard. This sounded a lot more important than that.

"What can I do?" Harry said thoughtfully as he laid his whip and top on a nearby desktop.

"You can help me decide where to put my globe," she said.

Harry didn't know how he missed that thing. It was gigantic. Harry bet he could stand up inside it if it was hallow. It was also probably the neatest thing he had ever seen. It looked just like those pictures of earth his daddy said were taken from outer space. There were even clouds moving about.

"Wicked" Harry said under his breath. He could see Miss Lucy smile at him. Harry moved a little closer to get a better look. His eyes were practically as wide as the frames of his glasses.

"Yes it is Harry," Lucy was heartened by Harry's fascination with the globe. She walked over to the globe and knelt down next to Harry. "This is a very special, very magical globe, Harry."

Harry looked up at her in wonder, "Really?"

"Yes…really." Lucy replied. "With this globe, you can see the present and the past," she explained. "All I have to do is ask a place, date, and time and it will show exactly what was taking place on the Earth exactly then. Would you like to see?"

Speechless, Harry nodded his head. "Step back then," she took Harry's hand and stepped back from the globe.

"How about something simple," she said "Let's say…Hogwarts, right now," Lucy suggested.

"But we're at Hogwarts right now," Harry said dejectedly.

"Ahh…but Harry…you've never seen Hogwarts like this," she said mysteriously, "Watch." Lucy raised her wand and pointed it at the globe as she said, "Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…presently."

Harry held his breath as the globe slowly turned and stopped when Scotland was facing them. Slowly, the features on the globe vanished and the face of it turned as clear as glass. Inside, a three dimensional image was taking form. It was an overview of Hogwarts' castle and the surrounding environs.

"Wow…" Harry breathed. "Is that how birds look at the world?"

"I'd like to think so, " Lucy admitted. She couldn't help but to gaze at Harry in his wonder. It was moments like this that made her love teaching.

"What's Hagrid doing?" he said, suddenly excited now that he noticed that he could see people moving.

"It looks like he's out at the hippogriff paddock with Professor Kettleburn," Lucy said. "That's why he couldn't make it to your party Harry. There was a baby hippogriff born on your birthday…He said they named it Buckbea…"

"Harry, there you are," Severus Snape was looming in the classroom door way, arms folded, and feeling very put out. "I told you to be back by five."

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Harry said forlornly. He then launched into the story of how his top strayed into Miss Lucy's room and how she asked for help and the magic globe and 'everything.'

Severus looked as though he was out of breath as Harry finished and Lucy looked at him apologetically. "I do apologise, Severus. If I had known Harry's dinner curfew was coming up I would have escorted him to your quarters," she said "As it is…I don't even have my clock up, so Harry couldn't have known what time it was."

Harry looked up at Lucy gratefully.

"That is all well and good…," said Severus a little softer, "But what happened to Mitzy?"

"There she is." Harry pointed to a little desk in the corner, where a tired little house elf laid her head upon the desktop, blissfully asleep.

"MITZY!" bellowed Severus and everybody jumped at once. Severus observed how Lucy grimaced at the sudden movement.

The house elf was fully awake and woefully contrite. "I's sorry Potion's Master, Sir…Mitzy is a bad elf…Mitzy will punish herself…"

"Silence…You will not punish yourself, but we will discuss this matter with the Headmaster later," Severus said ominously. "Now back to the kitchen with you."

The little elf looked as if she would rather punish herself than speak with the Headmaster. But she swore not to punish herself and she popped away.

Severus noticed that Harry was leaning a little into Lucy's robes, not hiding, but definitely looking for protection. Lucy looked down at Harry with a slightly sad look in her eyes then looked accusingly at Severus.

Severus cursed his temper. Although he usually manages to keep it in check around Harry, he let it out when he thought Harry's safety could have been jeopardised. Even so, after an entire year away from his Muggle relatives Harry still cowered at loud voices. Severus still needed to learn to keep his tone in check.

"Harry…I am not angry with you," Severus said gently this time.

Harry answered softly, "I know…I was just afraid Mitzy would hurt herself…She didn't let me do anything bad. I was with Miss Lucy."

"I won't let her hurt herself," Severus assured him. "But she mustn't fall asleep in her duties like that if she does not wish to be presented with clothes…she will be wise to remember that…Now come Harry…it's time to get ready for supper," Severus said as he held out his hand for Harry. He idly wondered how Harry and Lucy managed to be on a first name basis.

"Thank you Miss Lucy for watching me," Harry said as he took Severus' hand.

"Oh…Wait Daddy…We can't go yet!" Harry announced suddenly, pulling so Severus would not leave.

Severus raised his eyebrows and Lucy asked, "Why, Harry, Whatever is the matter?"

"We haven't finished with your globe yet," Harry reminded.

Severus looked at Lucy curiously.

"Harry was going to tell me the best place to put my globe." Lucy explained. "Do you mind if he helps me with it tomorrow, Severus?"

Severus thought if she was willing, this would be a good idea. If Lucy could watch Harry in the morning, he could possibly finish his brewing in time to take Harry flying in the afternoon. "If you are agreeable to it…I don't have a problem with it…I could pick up Harry before lunch."

"Lovely," Lucy said.

"Harry, may I have a hug before you go?" she knelt down with her arms open.

Harry went over and gave Lucy a tight hug and she hitched, "Watch it there tiger," Lucy said breathlessly.

"Harry, sit down for a moment," Severus instructed. "Lucy, are you in pain?"

"It's just some bruised ribs," Lucy said casually. "Hagrid hadn't seen me in nearly five years and he was a bit over zealous with his greeting"

"If you do not mind…I'd like to check your ribs," Severus offered, "I assure you I have no ignoble intentions. My previous carrier has made me a rather fair hand at simple healing, and as the school matron is not yet here..."

"I would definitely sleep better if I wasn't so sore," she admitted.

Severus gestured to the spot in front of him and said, "Come… stand before me. " He kept himself between Lucy and Harry. Although the exam was fully clothed and he would only be touching Lucy's ribs…Severus thought there should be some sense of decorum maintained.

Lucy stood tall before Severus. Well... as tall as five foot one could stand.

Severus reached his hands out to feel her ribs and he stopped. "I'm going to gently squeeze you ribs to feel for any fractures. This may be…uncomfortable," he warned.

"I'm not made of glass," Lucy assured with a raise of her eyebrow.

Severus raised an eyebrow at her retort and gently placed his hands around Lucy's rib cage just under her breasts. He was close enough to her that he could smell a vague fragrance of citrus and lemongrass.

Lucy took a deep intake of breath as he touched her, but Severus wasn't sure if it was from the pain.

Try that he might to ignore it; he felt a tingle of electricity rush through his body as well.

Severus cleared his voice, "You know Hagrid?" he said nervously, looking for a distraction from the intimacy of the touch.

"Are you kidding…He's one of Pawpaw's best customers," Lucy laughed nervously.

"Paw…Paw?"

Harry watched the interaction between his daddy and Miss Lucy. His six year old sensibilities could not articulate it, but somehow he saw something…he didn't know what…but…something.

He looked as his daddy was doing something to see where Miss Lucy was hurt, and Harry listened as they talked to each other.

Harry liked how Daddy and Miss Lucy looked together. He liked how they talked together.

Harry started to develop a plan.