Harry remained standing just inside the door, observing Severus treating Theo. He was worried about the other boy, fearing it was somehow his fault that the other had become hurt, since they had done a lot of walking and running that afternoon. He was also curious about the other's foot and Snape's method of treatment. As well as a bit envious of Theo, who had a decent male role model to look up to. Lucy and Lily were watching from across the room, in the kitchen entrance.

Severus gently removed both the brace and the shoe over Theo's foot. He then slipped off the sock covering it as well. The boy whimpered a little as Severus began pressing firmly on his swollen instep and ankle. "Hmmm . . . seems as though you've pulled a few tendons along here and here . . . that's why there's heat and swelling . . ." He gently manipulated the foot, which was crooked, with the toes pointing to the left, and had a sort of square shape to it, and very little arch.

Theo hissed. "Ow, Severus!"

"My apologies, child. But I need to see how badly this muscle is strained." The Mind Healer murmured. "I can do it best by feeling it, a spell would only tell me that it was stressed, not specifics." He waved his wand and a vial of a clear liquid floated into his hand. "Here, Theodore. Take this Pain Reliever."

Theo made a face. "Blech! Do I have to?"

"Do you like being in pain?" the other retorted.

"No . . . but it tastes gross!"

"Theodore, take thy medicine like Healer Severus tells thee, lad." Lucy spoke up then.

"Yes, Ma." Theo uncorked the vial and swallowed, making a terrible face after.

Lucy brought him a glass of pumpkin juice and he drank it down gratefully. She remained next to him, gently stroking his hair. "Does tha feel sommat better, son?"

"A little bit," her son answered, laying his head back against the arm of the sofa.

"Lucy, I'm going to need to soak this foot in a bucket of ice water to bring down the swelling, then place some Anti-Inflammatory crystals in a warm water bath to relax those muscles. After that I shall massage the muscles to loosen them further. A foot wrap should take care of the rest, easing the pressure when he walks about. Although, I will prescribe a day of rest and elevation tomorrow."

"Aww . . . Severus! I'm fine, I don't need to stay in bed!" Theo cried, for he hated being stuck in bed, especially now that he'd found a friend to play with.

Lucy tapped her recalcitrant son on the head. "Quit thy grousing now, my boy. What the Healer says goes, eh?"

Then she hurried away into the kitchen to bring what Severus had requested. Lily followed, trying to assist her.

Harry started to turn away, reassured that his friend would be all right.

Severus caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. "Harry, why are you lurking in the doorway? Come over here if you wish to speak to Theodore. He could use a distraction, since some of what I must do will be uncomfortable."

"What about my writing exercises, sir?"

"You may do them later. Or perhaps tomorrow, as young master Nott will be laid up with his injury." Severus said, beckoning Harry over.

Harry obeyed, coming to sit beside his friend on the chaise next to Theo's head. "Hey, Theo. I'm sorry I made you overstress your foot."

Theo turned slightly, so he was looking at Harry. "Nae, Harry, 'tis not your fault," he said, his accent becoming more Yorkshire, as it did when he was stressed. "This dumb foot of mine . . . it's allus going out on me." He gave an exasperated sigh. Then he glared at the offending appendage.

Harry glanced at it curiously, but then looked away, not wanting to embarrass his new friend by staring at it. "I hope you'll feel better by tomorrow."

Theo nodded. "Me too. I hate being stuck inside doing nothing but resting."

Lucy returned with the bucket of icy water and Severus urged Theo to put his foot in it.

The boy obeyed, grimacing at the coldness, but it quickly dulled the throbbing pain.

Harry looked over at Severus, who was resting a hand lightly on Theo's shoulder, and asked, "How come you don't just use magic to heal him?"

Severus coughed slightly before answering. "Because not every injury responds well to magic, and Theodore's condition is something he was born with. I used much magic on his foot initially, as a baby, when his bones and cartilage was more malleable, but eventually there comes a point when magic cannot help, and Theo has almost reached that threshold. I wish to limit the magic use as much as possible, so I use other methods to relax the muscles, which work just as well as a spell."

"Oh. Then magic can't heal everything?" was Harry's next question.

"No. Generally, magic can heal what has been injured by a spell—whether it be an accident or a curse, and what magic has done, it can also undo, by finding the right countercharm or potion to reverse it. It can heal injuries created by fire or sharp objects, general trauma, like bruises, scrapes, lacerations, even mend failing organs and broken bones. But it cannot regenerate limbs or re-grow eyes. Many diseases can be prevented or cured with potions and certain combinations of spells, but not all. A wizard's immune system is hardier than a Muggle's, we get fewer colds and flus, though there are some viruses that attack our magic and immune systems alone, like dragon pox and so forth. Since we age slower, we are less susceptible to diseases like cancer and Alzheimers, though there have been cases of both in families from time to time. But that is rare. But like anyone else, we can be born with genetic defects and physical defects, and those are much harder to treat."

"Is that why you can't just heal Theo's foot?"

"Yes. Like anything else, healing magic has limits. In order for me to attempt to straighten Theodore's foot, I would have to go and rearrange his cell structure and DNA at the molecular level, break it down and re-code it. Then I would have to restructure his entire foot, muscles, tendons, bones. It would take a tremendous amount of power and utter concentration and one molecule made wrong would kill him. It's almost impossible and I would never attempt it. Sometimes you simply have to accept what life throws at you and work with it. Adversity makes you stronger, and teaches you how to overcome disabilities you never thought you could. Millions of people live with disabilities like Theo every day, and they don't let it stop them from living life to the fullest. Right, Mr. Nott?"

Theo nodded, heaving a sigh and wriggling his foot about slightly in the icy water. "My foot is loads better now than it was a year or two ago. Ma can tell you that. Mayhap someday it'll be almost like normal. But if not, well, nobody ever died of a crooked foot and it won't bother me much as a newspaper reporter."

"You want to be a reporter?" Harry raised his eyebrows.

Theo grinned. "I like writing stories and finding out things."

"Especially things he shouldn't." Severus waved a chiding finger at the boy. "He's a born snoop. Always trying to ferret information from me."

"Hey! I canna help it if you have interesting patients and are so mysterious about what goes on when you're away in London, Severus. Nothing interesting ever happens here."

"You should be glad of that," Severus said. "All right. Now it's time to soak in the warm water. Did you add the crystals, Lucy?"

"Yes, Master Severus," she said respectfully, and removed the bucket of freezing water and exchanged it for a bucket of semi-hot water with Anti-Inflammatory crystals in it.

Theo placed his foot in it, wincing at the sudden heat. "Ow! Severus, it's too hot."

Severus tested the water with a finger. "No, it's the right temperature. It'll feel uncomfortable at first until you adjust. Keep it in there." He gave the child a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Relax and take deep breaths. You ought to feel better soon. Why don't you tell Harry about Quidditch?"

Theo eagerly began to tell Harry about the most popular sport in the wizarding world. It would keep his mind off how much his foot felt like a boiled lobster.

"Can you play it?" asked Harry.

Theo shook his head. "No. I don't have enough magic to fly a broom, remember? But I'd bet you could."

"Oh. That's too bad. But I don't know how to fly a broom."

"Severus can teach you." Theo said. "Or your mum, they learned how to fly at Hogwarts. Mine too," he added. He looked wistful. "I've only been up on a broom when I was smaller, Severus flew one with me."

Catching the longing in the boy's tone, Severus asked, "Would you like to do that again, Theodore?"

"I . . .I really don't want to be a bother."

"It would not be. I shall be off again in a few days, perhaps then I shall show Harry how to fly my old Comet 360 and you may fly with us."

"Really? That would be wicked, Severus!" Theo's eyes shone with eagerness and gratitude.

By then twenty minutes had gone by, and Severus was ready to begin the last stage of his treatment. He directed Theo to remove his foot from the water and lay it across his lap.

Harry glanced over at Lily and asked, "Would that be all right, Mum?"

"Of course, Harry. Your father was fly-crazy at your age and I see no reason why you can't learn also." Lily smiled at him.

"How about you, Mum? You can fly too."

Lily chuckled. "It's been many years since I flew, Harry. But I think I can still remember how. I can join you if you'd like."

"Sure, Mum!"

Just then Theo whimpered sharply. "Severus . . . not so hard! Oww!"

The tall wizard looked up from his massage. "Your muscles are still kinked and twisted, it will take a few minutes for me to work on them. Like those exercises I used to do on your foot when you were small, this will hurt at first. Try and focus on something else. I apologize, but this has to be done." He continued rotating and kneading the boy's foot, his fingers flexing and rubbing in a firm circular motion.

Theo gritted his teeth and fought to keep from trying to pull away. He had endured such pain before, when he was younger and Severus made him do strengthening exercises every day to keep his foot from stiffening. Back then he used to cry when Severus did the exercises, but he was older now and better able to endure the sharp crackling pain.

Harry noticed and continued to ask Theo questions about Quidditch, trying to keep the other's mind off the pain, but also because he found the sport rather fascinating. He hoped that someday he could see a real match. He then asked Theo about making potions—if it were hard and how you had to harvest certain ingredients. "Do you actually use stuff like eyes of newt and legs of toads?"

Theo grimaced, breathing sharply, before he said, "I've never heard of a potion using those. We sometimes use newt skin and there are some drafts that call for a toad's liver, but not a leg. What sort of potion was that?"

"Uh . . .I don't know. It's a standard thing if you read Muggle fairytales. Usually an evil witch is brewing it."

"Oh. No wonder it doesn't make sense. I . . . can show you some standard drafts in my . . .ow . . .potions book tomorrow . . ."

Severus massaged firmly until there came an odd crackling noise, then Theo gasped in relief. "There! I finally managed to knead that knot out," declared the wizard in satisfaction. "How does that feel now, Theo?"

"Better, sir!"

"Good. Now relax. Another five minutes and I will wrap it."

Once the foot was wrapped, Severus used his magic to create a kind of soft cast to cushion the foot so Theo could walk on it. They then had some hot cocoa and sugar biscuits before the boys were sent to bed.

Harry lay awake for a bit before he finally drifted off to sleep, Lily slipped in a moment afterwards and gently tucked the covers about him and kissed him on the scar. "Good night, Harry. Sweet dreams, my son."

Then she withdrew, almost running into Severus down the hall. "Oh! Sev! I was just . . .saying good night to Harry." She quickly swiped at her eyes.

He pretended not to notice. "Is he still awake?"

"No, but I just . . .I missed doing that to him growing up, so I wanted—"

"I understand, Lily. Good night."

"Night, Sev. Pleasant dreams."

"To you also." Then he turned and glided down the hall, silent as a shadow from the grave.

Lily yawned and sought her own bed, limping slightly on her leg. It was a bit stiff and sore and watching the way Severus had competently massaged Theo's foot made her wish she had thought to ask him to massage her leg. Then she flushed slightly. He was tired, it had been a long day, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to allow him such intimacy just yet. Not that he would ever take advantage of her, if anything she supposed he would be coolly professional, but still . . . the mere thought of his hands running up and down her leg conjured an odd heat deep within her. No, she wouldn't go there. She had to think about her son. Harry needed clothes and other things, they would need to go shopping in the village soon.

She wondered what had happened to her wand, and made a mental note to ask Severus tomorrow about it. She crawled into bed and snuggled into the covers. She fell asleep thinking about getting Harry some new trainers, but in her dreams she was being held by a tall dark-haired wizard whose fingers ignited a fire in her flesh that no amount of cold showers could put out.

Page~*~*~*~*~*Break

Two days later Theo's foot was healed enough so he could accompany Lily, Harry, and Severus into Edgescoomb. Lucy declined to accompany them, saying she still had work to do, baking for lunch, and then she would rest for an hour or so. She gave Theo some money to buy a snack or a novel and sent him off with a warning not to get into trouble.

Severus had given Lily back her wand this morning, he had taken it for safekeeping when she had been admitted to the long term ward. She had to admit that it felt good to have it back in her hand, even if she was still feeling tired and stressed. Severus had assured her that her magical core was stable and she could cast spells without fear of magical drain. She had tucked the willow wand in the wand holster strapped to her thigh, there was a charm over it so no Muggle would see it, though it was covered by her flowing crinkle skirt of turquoise and green stripes. It was paired with a tunic-like top of light cotton with flowing three-quarter length sleeves in the same colors. She was also wearing white sandals and her fiery hair was pulled back in a tail with a silver doe clasp. She reluctantly carried her cane, at Severus' urging, but had it folded in her purse. The clothes were a gift from Lucy, who said she had never worn them, and now was a bit too big about the middle for them to fit properly, and the color was perfect for her. The barrette was from Severus, who told her it was supposed to be a Christmas gift for her ten years prior, along with the matching white leather purse with the silver doe outline etched on it.

The boys were dressed casually in jeans and T-shirts, Harry had on a gold one with a tiger roaring, and Theo had a blue one with a cobra ready to strike and the caption Wanna See My Fangs? beneath it. Both had on sneakers, though Harry's were nearly worn through at the soles.

Severus was also wearing Muggle attire, dark denims and a black shirt with a smoking green cauldron on it with the words Something Wicked This Way Comes above it. He also had on black boots, his wand was in a holster on his bicep, it had quick-release sheath. He eyed Lily up and down and said softly, "Lily, you look gorgeous."

"Oh, sure I do, Sev. For a woman who spent the past ten years vegetating in a bed," she snorted.

"I meant what I said," he asserted firmly.

She flushed, his sincerity made her feel as giddy as a schoolgirl again. "Thank you. And you look quite . . ." the first word that leapt into her mind upon seeing him was sexy, but she hastily stuffed that reply back into the recesses of her mind and said, " . . . wicked in that outfit, Sev." She smiled gently at him. "Where did you find that shirt?"

"One of the shops in London. There's a thriving occult movement among the younger Muggles nowadays, which is something we should encourage, for it makes us easier to hide in plain sight."

"How are we going to get to the village?" Harry wondered aloud. "Are we going to rent a car or something?"

"No. We're going to Apparate there," Severus answered. "Lily, you can Sidelong Apparate, right?"

Lily nodded. "Yes. I did that quite frequently after I had Harry, before we were forced to lock ourselves up in Godric's Hollow."

"Good. You take Harry and I'll take Theo," Severus said. He began describing the place they would be Apparating into, a small stretch of grass and trees at the very edge of the moor. It was important to always visualize the destination before trying to Apparate there. Otherwise you could end up splinched or lost in limbo.

Harry took hold of Lily's arm and then suddenly they were whisked away. There was a pulling and pushing sensation somewhere around his navel, and Harry felt as if he were on one of those spinning wheels at a carnival. He clutched Lily for dear life until they came out at the Apparition point.

"Ugh! I feel sick," he groaned.

"Like you're going to throw up?" Lily asked, concerned.

Harry nodded, looking rather green.

"Sev, do you have a Stomach Soother?" she whispered to the Mind Healer.

Severus reached into a pocket and handed Lily a small vial of a light blue substance.

"Drink this, son. It'll calm your stomach. The first time's always the hardest." She handed the potion to Harry.

Harry obeyed, and soon his stomach quit doing backflips and settled. He felt like a wimp until Theo told him that Sidelong Apparition always made him feel like he was going to puke too.

Edgescoomb was the only hint of civilization for miles around, right smack on the edge of the moor, surrounded by heather and scrubby trees. It was a quaint little village housing maybe 500 souls, and the town square boasted the same weathered brick and stone finishes as it had a century ago. There was a grocery shop, which sold fresh produce, dairy, and dry goods. There was a butcher next to it, advertising fresh lamb chops for sale. On the other side of the grocery was a sweet shop with homemade confections. A barber was across the street, hard by The Black Crow pub. Further down were a few clothing and shoe stores, a combination book and stationary store, a petrol station, and a small toy shop. A few cars were parked along the street.

In the middle of the village was a rather large area called the green, it was traditionally where the farmers brought their stock to sell. Now it boasted park benches and trimmed hedges of roses and a small pond. Past the center of the village was the residential district and the graveyard, with a large statue of a young woman weeping, dressed in clothing from the 1800's, mounted upon a horse. The inscription read: In Memory of poor Maggie Williams, who lost her lover, and died heartbroken. 1845-1865.

Theo pointed out the statue as they walked by and whispered, "See, there's the statue, an' at midnight Poor Maggie comes out of it an' rides about, wailing for her dead Tom."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Sure, Theo. Whatever."

Severus glanced behind him and noticed the two loitering beside the gates of the cemetery. "Come along, you two. There will be plenty of time to gawk later." The boys hurried to catch up. "Now, over here, is McCoombes, they should have clothing for Harry," he indicated the store on their right, advertising current men's and boys' fashions.

They spent an hour in there, while Lily and Harry picked out several outfits, underclothes and socks, swimming trunks, plus a lightweight spring jacket. Then they moved to the shoe store, and Lily bought her son new trainers, dress shoes, and a pair of sturdy boots for walking about on the moor. She also purchased a sturdy messenger bag to put his summer assignments in, it was sky blue with a leaping wildcat on it.

By then Harry had his fill of shopping and begged to be allowed to go in the sweet shop and the bookstore. "Very well," she handed Harry a ten pound note. "Don't spend it all on sweets. I'm going to go into Esmerelda's over here and see if I can't get some things for me. Severus, would you mind coming with me, I'll need another opinion?"

Severus bit back a sigh, but went with her, and Theo led Harry into Toothsome Delights, which also had a fizzy drink machine, where you could get frozen fountain drinks. Harry got a frozen Coke and then some treacle fudge with nuts and a few bars of Cadbury chocolate. Theo bought taffy and sugared fruits and a small tin of chocolate truffles. "Those are for my mum," he explained. "She loves truffles." After they had paid for their purchases, Theo led Harry over to the bookshop, which sold both new and secondhand books and comics.

He bought two Batman comics and a book called The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. Harry bought a book called Ghosts on the Moors and The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Exiting the bookshop, Theo stumbled over the threshold, causing some older kids who were hanging about to snicker and sneer at him. "Oi, Gimpy, watch where you put your feet!"

"Maybe tha needs a wheelchair, eh?"

Theo flushed, but ignored the taunts and hurried outside.

Harry bristled, but followed his friend's lead. "Dumbarses!" he muttered.

They found Severus waiting outside Esmerelda's, with multiple bags surrounding him like a porter. He looked bored as hell.

Harry's eyebrows climbed into his hair. "What'd she do, buy the whole store?"

"Don't ask," Severus said, scowling. Then he leaned down and whispered, "Keep an eye out, I'm going to shrink some of this so I'm not playing pack mule."

The boys obligingly stood in front of him, discussing their new books while Severus whipped out his wand and shrunk the lot of bags in front of him. Then he knelt and stuffed them all into one lone shopping bag. Lily came out a few moments later, smiling. "Now I feel more like myself," she said. "Who's hungry?"

"I am!" the two boys chorused.

"We can have lunch over in the restaurant next to the pub," suggested Severus. The Black Crow's owner actually owned both buildings, and the restaurant was attached to the pub by a door on the inside.

Harry was starving, and wolfed down his beer battered fish and chips until Lily scolded him for his table manners. Then he made himself eat slower. Theo had shepherd's pie, as did Severus. Lily had Guinness stew, a house specialty and fresh buttered bread. The boys drank ice cold lemonade and Lily had a small glass of pale ale. Severus, who detested beer, had a glass of merlot.

"That was delicious!" Lily sighed as she pushed back her bowl of stew, it was almost all gone. "One of the best meals I've ever had." She reached for her purse.

Severus held up a hand. "Put it away, Lily. My treat."

"But Sev—"

He locked eyes with her. "No. Think of it as . . . a late birthday present."

"Like the barrette was a late Christmas present?"

"Exactly." He pulled out his wallet and motioned for the check to their waitress.

"Boys, what do you say?" she prompted the two.

"Thank you, Severus." Theo and Harry said almost simultaneously.

"You are very welcome."

Once everything was settled with the bill, they wandered about outside. Lily inhaled the heather-scented air and suggested they take a walk on the green and feed the ducks. There was an old lady selling bags of crumbled bread for sixpence, and Lily bought three bags and handed one to Severus and one to Theo and Harry.

Severus generously shared his bag with Lily, and they spent a quiet ten minutes feeding the ducks, who were almost tame, and came right next to the shore and caught bread in their mouths. Lily laughed at their antics, and Severus gazed longingly at her out of the corner of his eye. He loved to hear her laugh, it was the sweetest music, and a sound he had thought he would never hear again, after ten years imprisoned in her own mind, silence her only companion. His fingers brushed against hers as he reached in the bag for more bread crumbs, and he felt a tingle shoot through him.

Lily felt a similar jolt, and before she could stop and think, she had clasped Severus' hand in her own. Then she looked up at him through her lashes, wondering if she had overstepped.

His obsidian eyes met hers and he gave her a gentle smile. "Are you having a good time, Lily?"

"Yes. It's wonderful, being out in the open air, with you . . ." She trailed off, looking out towards the ducks.

"Mum, Theo and I want to go see the graveyard." Harry interrupted. "Can we go?"

Lily turned to her son. "All right. But be back by . . ." she checked her watch. "Three o'clock."

"All right." Harry looked at his own watch. It was two o'clock. "C'mon, Theo."

The two boys hurried back down the street, leaving the witch and wizard alone, to reminisce about what had been and speak of what might be.

They reached the iron gates of the cemetery in about five minutes, and Harry began to study the statue of Poor Maggie intently. "Theo, those people who said they've seen her . . . was it at night?"

"Mostly. But there was a fellow who claimed he saw her during the day, only she wasn't riding, but walking through the street, weeping into a handkerchief. He claimed it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he felt like crying."

"So she doesn't really hurt anyone?"

"No. Not that I know of. Another legend says that if someone were to find the place where Tom was murdered and lay him to rest, then Maggie would move on, but so far nobody has ever found the spot. 'Twas somewhere out on the moor . . . by a bog or sommat . . . A few years back, some folk from down near Lancashire way came here with picks and shovels and some machines, determined to excavate the bogs round here, looking for Tom's remains, but they found nowt but mud and rocks fer their trouble."

"Do you think they're out there? Or is just a legend?"

"Oh no, they're there, but the moor don't give up its secrets to just anyone. Lots of bogs out there, an' them that did the deed didn't mark the spot, eh?"

Harry nodded. "Too bad we couldn't hunt for his bones."

Theo laughed. "Harry, you noddlehead! Severus would have our hides for a rug did we try and go bog hunting. Too many people die trying that every year."

"Still . . . it would be cool if we could find Tom's bones and lay them to rest after all those years. They could finally know peace," Harry mused, his adventurous spirit fired up at the thought of a secret quest.

Theo shook his head. "'Twould never work. We have no notion where to start looking, an' there's no bog closer than ten miles from home. Let the moor keep her dead."

Theo led Harry further into the cemetery, showing him several graves that dated back to the early 1800's. "Lot o' these folk died in the great flu epidemic, it hit the North hard."

He showed Harry a large tomb with an angel holding a flaming sword. "This is where Henry Fleming, the village sheriff and his family are buried. 'Tis said that he hung over fifty criminals on the gallows, including the highwayman called the Black Scourge. He caught the Scourge in his own wife's bed, see, and knocked 'im over the head with a candlestick. When he hung the thief, the Scourge vowed revenge, and said the one he trusted most would betray him. An' it happened too. For the sheriff's wife poisoned her husband for killing her lover, then shot herself after."

Harry felt a shiver crawl deliciously down his backbone. "Are they ghosts too?"

"Well . . .some say they've seen the sheriff on occasion, wandering about with a flask in his hand, and others claim they've seen the wife too, with a bloody hole in her heart, begging for her husband to forgive her."

"Wicked! I wish I could see them."

"You could if we spent the night in the graveyard at midnight," Theo said. "'Course afterwards we'd be ghosts ourselves because our mums and Severus would kill us."

"Aww, poor Gimpy, afraid of getting in trouble with his mummy or her quack shrink lover!" came a mocking voice from behind them.

Theo turned to see the same three boys who had teased him earlier standing behind him, leaning insouciantly upon a headstone with a Celtic cross upon it.

"Ooo!" called a tall brown-haired one, with a gap between his teeth. "Look, Gimpy's found a friend! It's the Four-Eyed Freak!"

"Must be Take Your Lame Friend For a Walk Day!" snickered the third boy, a scruffy blond with a pierced eyebrow.

"Bugger off, Tyree!" Theo spat angrily.

"Naughty, naughty!" Tyree shook a finger at Theo reprovingly, he was the blond with the piercing. "What would Mummy say, hearing her crippled baby use such language?"

Theo glared at his tormentor. "She'd tell you where to get off, you emo git!"

"Hey Four Eyes, how much did Gimpy pay you to be his pal for today?" sneered the one who had made the comment about Snape being Lucy's lover.

Harry scowled, his green eyes glittering angrily. These three reminded him of Dudley and his gang. "Get bent, arsehole!" He could feel the magic stirring in his blood, and instinctively he reached out with his storm sense.

There was a system coming in from the west, heavy with rain and thunderclouds.

It tugged and whispered at him, it would be upon them within the hour.

Theo clenched a fist as Gap-tooth brayed with laughter. "'Tis a shame, Gimp, that thy ma has to pay a kid t'play with tha. But then, that's how it goes when tha lad's a cripple whose only future is begging on th' corner, aye?"

The others roared with laughter at that comment.

Theo saw red. "I'll show tha who's a beggar!" He swung a fist at Gap-tooth, connecting neatly with the other's mouth.

Blood flowed from a split lip, and the other boy howled. "Bastard! Tha's broke my tooth!"

"Looks like Gimpy needs a lesson on how t' play nice with others," Tyree growled, stepping forward and kicking Theo's club foot. Then he shoved Lucy's son hard.

Theo yelped, for Tyree's foot had landed upon his still sore ankle, though the rest of his foot was protected by the brace as well as his shoe. He staggered backwards, landing on the ground.

Immediately, the three bullies closed on him, faces eager to take revenge out of Theo's hide.

"Get off him!" Harry shouted, and tried to drag one of them away, but the other boy was too strong and elbowed him in the ribs, knocking him away.

Gasping, Harry felt his temper slip his leash, and he did the only thing he could think of to help Theo.

He latched onto the oncoming thunderstorm and summoned it.

Immediately, black clouds raced overhead, gathering with tremendous speed. The wind began to gust and the trees were bent almost double. Thunder boomed and lightning crackled as the nascent stormcaller unleashed his tempest upon the three bullies. The sky opened up and rain poured down, hard and heavy.

The boys yelped as the raindrops struck their unprotected skin, they were so dense it felt like hail. One of them looked up and screamed as he caught sight of Harry's eyes, which were glowing an eerie silver. "Gawd Almighty! Look at him! He's got lightning comin' outta his eyes!"

Just then a sizzling bolt of purple lightning smashed down very close to where they were standing. The stench of ozone filled the air.

"Get away from my friend!" Harry shouted, and took a step forward.

The three bullies screamed in terror as a clap of thunder burst overhead, and the wind slammed them against the headstones. They turned and bolted as fast as they could from the graveyard, bellowing about a demonic boy with silver glowing eyes, and the wind shoved and pushed them unmercifully, knocking them to their knees.

The ground was fast becoming a mire, and Theo struggled to push himself to his feet, seizing a headstone and hauling himself upright. He dashed rain from his eyes, clinging to the stone and shouting, "Harry! You can stop now! I'm all right!"

The wind suddenly shifted, chasing the three boys down the street, shrieking with thwarted vengeance.

Theo staggered over to his friend, reaching out a hand to shake him. "Harry! Stop it!"

But Harry was too far into a stormcaller's trance to hear Theo. All he could feel was the wild surging of power.

More lightning forked and struck, purple edging the white bolts, sizzling and crackling with deadly energy.

Theo froze, terrified that if he moved, the lightning might hit him. Besides, the ground was slippery with mud and he knew if he tried to walk, he would probably end up falling. He was soaked through and shivering, though whether from the storm or terror he was uncertain. He wished he had just ignored Tyree. He wished even more for Severus to come and find them.

Page~*~*~*~*~*Break

"It's so peaceful here," Lily was saying as she threw more bread to the ducks.

"Yes. Perhaps I should come here more often," Severus mused, his hand still clasping Lily's right one. "Usually I tend to stay close to home when I have a day off, to tutor Theo and experiment with new drafts in my lab."

Just then a rumble of thunder was heard and the ducks, who up until then had been swimming lazily, suddenly took flight.

"Blast! A summer squall's blown up," Lily sighed as the ducks fled. She knew that such storms were not uncommon out here.

Rain began to pelt down. "We'd better go and find the boys and get on home before—Great Merlin, Sev!" She pointed to a huge spear of purple lightning that struck the ground down the street . . .in the cemetery.

Trees began to bend and sway as the wind suddenly gusted to near hurricane force, branches snapped and leaves shredded. "Severus! We have to find Harry and Theo!" Her hair whipped across her face, smacking her cheek hard. She clung to Severus.

"Lily, stay here!" shouted Snape over the squall of the wind. "I'll find them, don't worry. I have a feeling that this storm isn't natural."

Lily's eyes widened. "You think Harry called it?"

"It would seem so, considering lightning isn't normally purple," Snape half-yelled in her ear. He helped her to a bench and had her sit down. "Wait here."

Lily gripped the bench. "Hurry!"

Severus turned and raced off into the rain, his shirt clung to him like a second skin, within minutes he was soaked and freezing, his hair plastered to the back of his neck, tangled and soggy.

As he fought the wind and made his way down the pavement, he was almost knocked down by three petrified thirteen-year-old boys.

"Ahhh! Help! There's a demon kid in the cemetery!" one bawled hysterically.

Severus caught the boy by his collar. "What do you mean?"

"He's . . . possessed . . ."

"His eyes . . . they was all glowing and silvery . . ."

"Lightning flashed from 'em . . .like Storm from the X-Men!" sobbed another.

Severus' mouth tightened. From the description, Harry had summoned another storm. Worse, he had been seen doing so. Damn and double damn! Severus drew his wand and pressed it to the first boy's temple. "You never saw any boy with silver eyes. All you saw was a very bad thunderstorm. Obliviate!"

The boy's mouth went slack, then he blinked. "Oi, man, didja see that lightning?"

"Go home, boy!" ordered Snape.

He performed the same charm upon the other two, then sent them on their way.

Rain was coming down in sheets now, and people who had been on the pavement were seeking shelter in the nearest store or car.

Finally Snape reached the cemetery, noting that the storm was worse here, as if Harry was pulling all the energy to him. Bright flashes of lightning lit up the sky and he could make out Theo crouched over a headstone and Harry . . . Harry was standing upright, wind swirling about him, making his hair stand up, and his eyes were glowing silver. But other than that he seemed unaffected by the raging storm.

Severus battled the rising wind and grasped Theo by the shoulder. "Theo! Are you hurt?"

"Severus!" The boy suddenly transferred his grip from the headstone to Severus' waist.

"Hold on to me," the wizard ordered, putting an arm about the boy to steady him. "How did this happen?"

Theo gulped. "It . . . was . . . err . . . we got into a fight with some kids . . ."

Severus frowned. He had suspected as much. He would question the boys further once he was at home. He pressed Theo to his side, then reached out a hand and shook Harry firmly. "Harry! Let it go!"

The boy's skin was hot to the touch, signifying the massive amount of energy he was channeling. He appeared not to hear Severus, though Snape was practically shouting in his ear.

"Harry James Potter! Release the storm!" Severus tried again, shaking Harry until his head wobbled.

On some dim level of awareness, Harry heard a voice telling him to release the storm. Some part of his mind warned that he should listen to the voice, but the thrilling power of the storm was hard to shake. He could feel it coursing through him, making his blood sizzle and burn with power. It was hard . . . so hard . . . to let go . . .

"Dammit, boy!" Severus snarled. Desperate, he drew back his hand and gave the child a hard smack on the backside, hoping to jolt him back to reality.

The sudden impact of Severus' hand striking his bottom caused Harry to jump. "Oww!" he yelped. "What?" Blinking, he disengaged from the storm matrix and turned to see what had hit him, his bottom was stinging mightily.

His eyes met those of a very disapproving Severus Snape.

Harry gave a weak smile. "Umm . . . hi, sir. Nice weather we're having."

Severus gave him a wordless glower, then grasped his upper arm.

With Harry's attention diverted, the storm quickly lost much of its strength, and became a mere heavy rain with accompanying bouts of thunder.

Severus began to walk out of the graveyard, then suddenly changed his mind and held both Theo and Harry close. A moment later they found themselves standing next to a bench where Lily was sitting.

She jumped up, slipped on a patch of wet grass, and would have fallen, but Harry caught her. She managed to keep her feet, but it was a struggle and she wrenched her knee doing so. "Harry, are you all right?"

"Yes, Mum. I'm not hurt." He told her, then thought Except for my bum where Severus smacked me. He almost reached back to rub it, but then thought better of it.

"Let's go home." She said, then wrapped her arm about her son.

An instant later they were gone.

Page~*~*~*~*~*Break

Half-an-hour later, after taking hot showers and changing into warm flannel pajamas, and drinking some hot tea, Theo and Harry were sitting on the couch being thoroughly scolded by Lily, Severus, and Lucy.

"Theodore, I canna believe tha would start a fight with those stupid boys!" Lucy scowled at her offspring.

"But Mum, they said—"

"I don't want to hear it. Defending thyself is one thing, but tha threw the first punch, aye?"

Theo lowered his head, ashamed. "Yes, Ma. I lost my head."

Lucy shook her head. "Theodore, how many times must I have this discussion wi' tha? Last time tha got into a scrap wi' those brats, tha promised to ignore them and walk away if possible next time."

"I know, Ma. I'm sorry I broke my promise."

"But . . .Miss Lucy, those other kids were looking for trouble," Harry protested. "They started it by calling Theo "Gimpy"."

"They usually are, Harry." Severus interjected. "However, Theo knows better than to allow his temper to rule him."

"But that kid deserved a good punch in the mouth, sir!" objected Harry, ignoring Theo's swift head shake.

"I have no doubt, but that still doesn't excuse Theodore starting a brawl. Nor you summoning a storm and unleashing it upon Edgescoomb." Severus said severely. "Had you simply ignored them, as you did previously in the bookstore, and walked away, none of this would have happened."

"But sir . . . I had to do something!" Harry protested. "They were going to pound him into next week!"

"Harry, there were other alternatives besides calling up a storm of that magnitude." Lily interjected. "You could have severely injured and maybe even killed someone with those lightning strikes, or even that gale-force wind." She absently massaged her leg, it was throbbing. "You can't just summon a storm every time you're angry or upset."

"I couldn't help it, Mum! Should I have let them just beat up Theo?"

"No, but you shouldn't use your magic when you're angry, because it's too easy to lose control the way you did." Lily told him. "How would you have felt if you had electrocuted someone walking down the street? Or even one of those boys?"

"So you'd rather have me slug them one instead?"

"Better that than accidentally killing one of them, Harry. You can mend a punch in the jaw or a bloody nose. You can't mend a person whose heart has been stopped by a thousand volts running through him. Your power is dangerous, son. Too dangerous for you to draw upon it to discourage a pack of bullies."

"I hit Dudley with a bolt of lightning once and he didn't die."

"You were lucky," Lily snapped. "That's not something you should be proud of, Harry James Potter. You need to start thinking about the consequences of using your power, young man. You need to start controlling yourself, before your magic controls you. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded, now feeling ashamed. "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry, Mum. Am I in trouble?"

"Since this is a first offense, I'm going to let you off with this lecture and see that you practice meditation with me and Severus every other evening. But repeat it and you'll be scrubbing every pot and pan in this house without magic for a week."

"What's meditation?"

"It's a mental discipline designed to bring balance and control over your emotions and your magic. Hopefully it will help you get a handle on your temper and your magic."

"It would also be beneficial to you as well, Theodore, since you also have trouble controlling yourself," Severus interjected.

"Yes, sir." Theo said meekly, but he glanced at his mother and knew he wasn't off the hook yet.

"Did tha know, Theodore Nott, that because of thy hasty decision, Healer Sev had to use Memory Charms upon those three boys to make them forget they saw Harry summon that storm? And tha knows how he feels about using such mind-altering charms upon children."

"I'm sorry, Severus."

"Sorry is all well and good, but it does not excuse your behavior. What have I told you before to do when some brainless idiot insults you?"

"To pretend I never heard it and keep walking."

"Why?"

"Because those idiots are looking to see how far they can go and the best response is to pretend they're nonexistent."

"Right. And if that doesn't work?"

"I should try and find an adult if possible. I should never start a fight, but I can finish one." Theo recited.

"You should also remember that Tyree and his friends will use any excuse to hurt you. Hitting Tyree gave them all the excuse they needed. Now, normally I would be able to go to their parents, as I did last time, and tell them off. But because you hit him first, my hands are tied." He shook his head, frowning. "Because this happened while you were with me, and I was responsible for you, your mother has given me permission to punish you. Part of your consequences shall be to attend meditation classes, along with Harry, to teach you control over your emotions. You shall also be scrubbing six cauldrons for me, to remind you that discipline often means doing disagreeable yet necessary things. For breaking your word twice to your mother, you're to receive three swats, two for the offense, one for remembrance."

Theo sniffled. "I'm sorry I caused so much trouble, sir."

"Next time think before you act." Severus said gruffly. "Come with me."

He led the boy into the kitchen.

Harry winced at hearing the loud smacking sounds then Severus' voice saying, "All's forgiven, now don't make me do this again," and Theo crying quietly.

"Harry, go on up to your room," Lily ordered, sounding very stressed and weary. "We'll call you down for supper."

Harry went, not bothering to tell his mother he wasn't hungry, for he now had a headache. He felt bad for disappointing Lily and sorry for Theo, though he had to admit that Severus' punishment was fairer than anything he'd ever received from the Dursleys. He went into his room and lay on his bed, rubbing his temples.

Soon he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. From the distinctive thunk-drag he knew it was Theo. Harry waited until his friend had gone into his room before sneaking down the hall and slipping into Theo's room.

"All right, Theo?" he whispered.

Theo started, almost tripping over his foot. "Merlin, Harry!"

"I just wanted to . . .say I'm sorry for getting you in trouble."

Theo turned and faced him. His eyes were a bit red. "You didn't. I got myself in trouble." He reached back to rub his stinging behind.

"Ouch!" Harry grimaced in sympathy. "Severus' hand is really hard."

"Tell me something I don't know, genius," Theo coughed. Then he added, "But I deserved it. And he hugs you afterward, so it's not so bad."

He didn't hug me, thought Harry, somewhat resentfully. Then again, there hadn't really been time for Severus to do that with the storm raging. Or perhaps Severus felt he didn't need to since that smack had been more to get Harry's attention than a punishment. "Is it hard, scrubbing cauldrons?"

"No. Just . . .boring and dirty." Theo yawned.

"How's your foot? I saw that scum kick you in the ankle."

Theo shrugged. "Yeah, but Severus healed it after my shower, so it doesn't hurt all that much now. You'd better get back to your room. They'll be up to check on you, and if they find you missing . . .your arse will be sorry."

"All right. See you at supper." He turned to go, then added over his shoulder, "Think they'll let us eat the sweet?"

"Uh-huh. If they were going to take that away, Severus would have said."

Harry slipped out as silently as he'd come in. He went to the bathroom and wet a washcloth, which he placed over his eyes once he had laid down. It made his head feel a little better. He drowsed a little, but couldn't fall asleep because his head was still throbbing.

He heard the door creak, then felt a hand upon his shoulder. "Harry, if you had a headache, you should have told me or your mother."

Harry squinted as the cloth was removed. "It started right after I came up here. I . . . didn't know if I was allowed to tell you."

"What do you mean?" Severus asked, puzzled. "You can always tell me if you feel sick."

"But I was in trouble and Aunt Petunia always said if I was sick it was my own fault for being a cheeky little brat."

"That is ridiculous!" Severus snorted. "Stupid woman!" Severus Summoned a Headache Remedy from the bathroom cabinet. "Here. Sit up and drink this."

He helped Harry sit up and waited until he had drunk the whole potion before giving him water to wash away the gross taste. "You should start feeling better momentarily." Severus said, fluffing up the pillows behind Harry's head. He had a feeling the headaches were a side effect of Harry using his talent, and wondered if they would get worse the more Harry used his stormcalling abilities. "Sleep, child."

Harry yawned. "Sev'rus, m'sorry for what happened." He mumbled.

"I forgive you, now hush and sleep." Long fingers gently massaged his forehead and Harry drifted into slumber, only waking up when Theo shook his shoulder and told him to wake up, supper was on the table.