Albus had tried to let it lay, tried to give Severus and Harry their space once the truth had come out, but he'd seen how that had worked out, with Harry on the top of the North Tower, and Severus stressed out beyond all reason. No, it was definitely time to pay them a visit, and hope that his reasons weren't overtly apparent.

The best way was unannounced, so that Severus did not have time to prepare or to coach Harry on what he was allowed or not allowed to say or indicate. Albus shook his head as he walked slowly up the drive to the small house in the countryside of Letham. It was beautiful country, and he had always admired the place where Severus had chosen to settle when he had been able to afford to buy a home.

Minerva and Poppy had been worried as well, and had asked him to check up on Harry throughout the summer, but he had refused, waiting for any communication at all. When he had received the copy of young Mr. Weasley's letter he had of course taken the appropriate actions, removing the boy from the position of Prefect, and handing it instead to Neville Longbottom, who was surprised to say the least. Also, for the first time in centuries, summer detentions were sent out through the mail and sixteen students had spent five days at the castle helping Filch clean as detention, not to mention that Gryffindor house would be starting out in the negative as far as house points were concerned, a move he hoped would draw them together as a house when they had clearly moved so far apart.

‘Will you take him from there if he's being mistreated?' Minerva had asked that morning before he'd departed, and Albus had given her a nod in the affirmative. ‘Of course dear lady, I would be remiss if I did not care for the welfare of the child.'

Saying and doing were two things entirely different in nature however, as he reminded himself as he neared the front door. Severus might give up a fight to save his pride if nothing else, and there was nothing Albus could do except get Harry to testify in front of the Wizengamot to remove him from the home.

With grave expectations, Albus lifted the knocker and let it fall three times. He waited patiently, heard an ominous thump somewhere from inside the house, and then the door swung open to reveal Severus.

"Severus, my boy, may I come in?"

Severus moved aside and the elderly headmaster entered, eyeing the ever clean state that the house always seemed to be in whenever he had visited in the past.

"This way," Severus said, setting a book down on a narrow hallway table that he had been holding in his hand. He motioned for the Headmaster to follow him into the living room, and offered him a seat on the couch. They both sat down in the quiet room, and Severus tried not to grit his teeth because he knew exactly why the man was there: to check up on him and see if Harry was still alive.

"I trust Harry is recovered from the influenza?"

Severus nodded. "With surprising speed," he said, knowing that sometimes it could take months, but Harry had gotten over it fully in three weeks.

"I am glad to hear it."

Albus cleared his throat after a long silence, and Severus narrowed his eyes and failed from refraining a smile. Let him squirm, he thought bitterly. I'm capable and you can't wait to ask to speak to Harry alone, to try to convince him to leave with you.

Just then there were several loud thuds, followed by hysterical laughter and more thuds.

It was Severus' turn to clear his throat then as he shouted up the stairs, "Not in the house!"

Albus looked concerned as they heard more thuds, but then they heard a door open in the distance, followed by a herd of stampeding elephants, laughing all the way as they stormed down the stairs, past the living room, and out the front door onto the lawn.

"Was that Mr. Malfoy?" Albus asked as they heard more laughter coming from outside.

Severus nodded and motioned for the Headmaster to follow him out of the room and up the stairs. "You can see them better from upstairs."

He lead the aging wizard into Harry's room, where he was pleased to find it hadn't been torn apart by the rough housing, and pointed out the window facing the thicket of trees across the field.

Through the open window they could hear the boys laughing as they tumbled over each other several times, picking themselves up and continuing on to the woods. It took some straining of their ears, but they were also able to hear laughter and splashing of water.

"I had not realized they had become such close friends," Albus commented as he looked around the room and spied the new furniture, various posters, and multitude of things that were in shades of Gryffindor colors.

There were also newer looking jeans and shirts draped over the edge of the desk, laying on the floor in one place, and haphazardly thrown over the back of the overstuffed red chair.

"Draco slept over last night," Severus said to clarify the mess.

Albus nodded and continued to look at the room, until he spied a curious little creature napping on the pillow on the bed.

"Is that a dragon Severus?" It was patched red and gold and he could not recall seeing such an animal in his lifetime.

"A changeling," he corrected. "From Norway. It was Harry's birthday present."

"My word, a very exotic gift indeed."

Arms crossed, Severus felt particularly smug all of a sudden that the man had apparently found nothing wrong with his care of Harry up to this point. They heard more laughter from the woods off in the distance.

"This is the reason why we're here Severus," Albus said. "It's for them. We work so hard to make this world a better place, and often forget that they are the reason."

Severus nodded. "As I have come to realize."

Feeling slightly ashamed of himself for thinking so terribly of Severus and his ability to adapt and change, Albus left the house that afternoon, determined not to chance assumptions so lightly again. He had come intending to take the boy from a good home, and left determined not to.