It was after dark by the time Harry and Severus returned to the cottage. At the Marseille, France Floo station, Harry had succumbed to his cranky tiredness. For fifteen minutes, he had sat in the station waiting room with his son cradled in his arms.

He never liked Floo stations. They were busy and noisy, as was to be expected, but at night they had an unnatural brightness to their walls that made him feel like he was on display. Even at this hour, there were a few stares and whispered comments in his and Harry's direction.

"Clearly, fame isn't everything," he mumbled caustically to himself as he stared down a rude woman who glared at him as though he were the second coming of Voldemort. Perhaps sensing his sudden anger at himself, Harry stirred fretfully in his sleep. A cool handed to the child's cheek and forehead stopped whatever nightmare may have been trying to raise itself in Harry's mind.

"Snape!" called the Floo Conductor.

Severus rose, went to the Floo platform where there were twenty fireplaces flanking each other, and looked for the Conductor that had called his name. He saw the man waving his arm impatiently, and so Severus strode quickly over. The Floo Conductor, obviously as tired as Harry was, gave the dark-haired wizard a wan smile and held out the box of Floo Powder.

He threw the powder into the flames, tucked Harry closer to his chest, and spoke firmly, "Snape cottage, Solonus Isle."

As he stepped through the flames into the modest cottage, Severus was greeted by the calming sounds of the ocean drifting in through the open windows, and the wonderful aroma of roast chicken, vegetables, potatoes, and an apple crumble.

Hector trotted out from the kitchen, his tail wagging at seeing the return of Severus and Harry.

"Dinner's all ready, Severus, so why don't you put Harry to bed and wash up?" directed Echo, her voice soft so she wouldn't wake the sleeping boy.

Followed dutifully by Hector, Severus took Harry to his bedroom and put him down on the bed. A flick of his wrist with his wand and Harry's clothes were in the laundry hamper. Another flick and he was now dressed in his pyjamas. Severus tucked the deeply sleeping child under the covers and put the stuffed dragon next to Harry. Automatically Harry's arm stretched out, snagged the toy, and cradled it close. Harry hadn't slept a single night without the dragon since his last nightmare.

Severus leaned down and stroked the golden retriever's head. "Watch him for me, Hector, and I'll save some chicken for you."

The dog's tail thumped once against the floor, and then Hector jumped up on the bed and settled down.

Leaving the bedroom door open, he went to his own room and began to clean up. He was anxious to catalogue the plants he'd collected, but the aromas coming from the kitchen were far too tempting. Changing into a clean shirt and trousers, he scrutinised the clean frock coat hanging in the wardrobe. He decided against wearing it. Closing the door to the wardrobe, he made his way out to the dining room just as Echo was setting the table.

"Feel free to sit down and begin, Severus. I'll join you in a few minutes once I take the pie out of the oven." Echo put down a bowl of steaming mixed vegetables on the table and vanished back into the kitchen.

Severus served himself some chicken, sour cream and onion mashed potatoes, and vegetables. For a moment he froze, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth. Is this what domesticity is all about, he mused. Coming home to a pretty face, a warm house, and dinner ready. Time could stop this moment and he would be a very contented man. Shaking his head at his own foolishness, he finished serving himself.

Just as he was portioning out a small plate for Harry Echo finally emerged from the kitchen and sat down. Severus waved his wand over Harry's plate, casting a silent spell to keep the food warm.

"Since the duel, I've been meaning to ask you..." She watched as the wizard smugly put down his wand and waved his hand causing the salt cellar to float from the other side of the table to the side of his plate. "When did you learn wandless magic?"

Severus ate a few bites of chicken before answering. After a sip of the wine, he replied, "I've been able to control wandless magic since I was four years old." His eyes, if possible, darkened briefly. There was a haunted touch to them. "It was necessary."

Echo was curious, but didn't push. That part of Severus' past would only be given to her if she earned that much of his trust. "If you know wandless magic, why don't you use it?"

"Habit." He ate some vegetables, wiped his lips with his napkin, and then explained, "When I was a student, I found it prudent to keep some talents secret. It became a tactical advantage once I became a spy for the Light. Since I had to convincingly wield a wand to keep my wandless skill hidden, it became habit to use my wand."

There was a spate of silence between the two adults as they ate, and then Severus asked, "I am curious as to how your day went at the Ministry."

Echo took a deep breath and then finished her wine. "It was hard, Severus. A pensieve deposition is not an easy thing to do. Albus told me you'd done quite a few?"

Severus nodded. "During the Death Eater trials. I was a primary witness against nearly all of them and the Minister felt it would be too dangerous for me to appear in the courtroom when they were there. The Wizengamot agreed to accept pensieve deposition..." he shook his head against the memories that conjured up and the resultant nightmares and migraines that he suffered afterwards. "If you're in need of a Headache Potion or Dreamless Sleep Potion, I have some I can give you."

She smiled in grateful relief. "Oh yes, I'd love to have the Dreamless Sleep Potion. The headache was taken care of with the cooking. If you don't mind, I think I'd like to do all the cooking for tomorrow as well. I find that calming."

There were several more minutes of quiet then Echo asked, "I also wanted to ask you about something else, but I didn't want to be rude."

He put down the bite he was just going to eat and regarded Echo. She shifted uneasily in her chair. "Please ask. If it's something I cannot or will not answer, I shall say so."

She smiled weakly at his serious response, then began, "That day on the beach, when we dueled," he saw her cobalt gaze drop sharply to his left forearm. "You had your sleeves rolled up. I didn't see... it." Realising her simple gaze was turning into a stare, she dragged her gaze up to his eyes. "When he died, did it vanish?"

"Makeup." Severus said simply as he took the bite of vegetables into his mouth. He grimaced as they suddenly tasted like sawdust.

"You used...? Makeup?"

"There were times when I had to conduct business in the Muggle world for the Order and sometimes, such business might also be for Voldemort. There is no magic that can cover a curse mark, which is what the Dark Mark is. By chance, I discovered that Muggle makeup did a more than satisfactory job of hiding the Dark Mark when I had no choice but to expose my arms wearing short-sleeved shirts."

In truth, it was a bit more involved than just having to wear short-sleeved shirts, but there was no need to go into the seamier side of his life as a spy. Neither did he feel it necessary to let Echo know that it had been Lily who had taken him to a Muggle store to find 'foundation' makeup that would cover the ugly mark.

"So you still use the makeup?"

"It allows me a bit more freedom to roll up my sleeves when I feel the need to." He caught a familiar look in Echo's eyes that he'd seen far too many times in the eyes of the curious. He sighed, preparing to show the Dark Mark, when she raised her hand and rapidly shook her head.

"I am curious, Severus, but I don't wish to see it. I already know what it looks like." She tossed back her wine and blinked back the hot tears that threatened.

Severus felt a cold chill bite at his spine. "Your parents. You were there?"

She nodded. "The Death Eaters didn't know I was. My father had stuffed me into the broom closet the moment he felt all the Dark Magic appearing around our house. I couldn't see anything since it was dark. I didn't dare move a muscle."

For several minutes, Echo described her fear as she sat in the closet while she listened to the terrifying screams of her parents. All that time, she'd been staring down at her plate, afraid to face his look, he guessed. He was not at all surprised when she asked her next question.

Looking up into his eyes, he saw hope, fear, but also trust. It unnerved him as her voice timorously asked, "Were you there?"

He summoned the firewhiskey, went into the kitchen for two glasses, and then poured a measure for himself and for Echo. He nodded at her to drink the whiskey. She did so, coughed at its heat, and then he drank his. He sat down at his place, pushed away his plate and answered her question.

"There has been lurid speculation about the Dark Lord's so-called revels. That he enjoyed causing pain, that he indulged the cruelties of his followers. Much of it is wrong. The revels were just another tool Voldemort used to further enslave his followers. I do not deny that there were some who truly enjoyed these despicable spectacles, but many did not. The Dark Lord required absolute obedience in his Death Eaters and in his mind the best way to obtain that was by stripping men and women down to their most base, animalistic impulses. The revels were an initiation rite for when Voldemort brought someone from the outer circle into his elite, inner circle. Such revels were few."

"Blackmail?" Echo whispered, using the Muggle word.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. A revel also destroyed a part of a wizard's soul, and Voldemort used that to keep his Death Eaters in line."

Echo knew she'd stepped over the line in this subject she brought up, but now she could not stop herself. If she had to poke at Severus' old wounds to learn the answer she desperately needed, then she would do so.

"And you? Did he...?"

His face had become like stone, his eyes were hard, lost deeply in a painful past. He understood what Echo wanted, but it was not an easy answer to give. She had to know this first.

"Voldemort had no power to break what was already broken." He held up his hand to stop further questions in this particular direction. He had her answer, she just had to be patient. "Sometimes I was a witness to these revels. There was no escape for the victims of the Death Eater atrocities, yet I often managed to intervene and to end things... mercifully. I was not forgiven my actions. I was suitably punished by Voldemort himself. Many times I was near to death, but he used one of my own potions against me to stop the Hand of Death, and he would send me back to the Light. Voldemort felt confident in the knowledge that he held my soul. I can assure you, he never did."

"My parents?" she asked, the tears she had yet to shed trying to choke her. "Were they one of these... revels?"

"It is doubtful. Like the Potters were, your father was seen as an enemy by Voldemort when he refused to be recruited. The fact that the Dark Mark had been cast over your home makes me more certain of this. The revels were always held at Riddle Manor. When Voldemort struck at his enemies, he preferred doing so himself and where it made the most impact on those that would find... the remains. Those were often times when I was not called to witness at his side."

"So, you weren't there?"

He sighed deeply. "I hope that I wasn't, but unless I unlock memories I am reluctant to do so, I cannot be for certain." He looked up, capturing her gaze. Whether she was a Legilimens or not, he allowed, for a brief moment, the shame of that time to appear in his eyes. When he blinked, it was gone, tucked neatly once more beneath his controlled exterior. "If you wish, Echo, I will look through those memories."

Echo had seen his shame, but she'd also seen that he had suffered no less than her parents had. Although, they were gone and at peace, now, Severus was still struggling to find atonement and peace. For the first time she understood the cries she would sometimes hear coming from his bedroom as he slept at night. She also understood the dark wizard's ferocious love for his son. Harry was not only a balm to his unquiet soul, but his salvation. Harry's pure love for his father, his innocence, gave this wizard hope.

She shook her head. "I won't ask that of you, Severus. I realise now that it matters not whether or not you were there. When that night ended, it wasn't your voice I heard, it was the hissing voice of Voldemort shouting the Unforgivable."

Rising quickly to her feet, she went to his side, knelt down and took his hand in hers. "I am sorry I asked you that question, Severus."

He smiled then. It was thin, tired, and brief, but it was a genuine smile. He touched her cheek with his free hand. "If there is ever to be trust between us, you had to know." He tugged her hand, bading that she rise to her feet." He kissed her hands that were now curled around his fingers. "I'm fairly certain I smelled apple crumb earlier?"

Echo withdrew her hands rapidly, a stricken expression on her face. "Oh no! I think I forgot to take it out of the oven!"

"I saw you take it out," he smirked.

Echo laughed lightly. "Hmm, so I did. Would you care for some apple crumb, Severus?"

"I'd love some." Severus cleared the dishes with a wave of his hand, giving Echo a tight, smug smile.

"Show off," she giggled, heading into the kitchen.

Harry awakened from his nap an hour later and stumbled out of the bedroom feeling very hungry. Severus served him the small meal, sitting with him at the table as he ate.

"Did you have a good day today, child?" he asked.

Harry took a big sip of his milk and nodded. Severus smirked and tapped his own upper lip to indicate that his son had a milk mustache. The little boy giggled and then wiped his mouth with his napkin.

"I thought the Thestrals were really neat. Did you and Mr. Lupin have fun, dad?"

Severus sneered, "Hardly. I'm sure both of us would have preferred not to have had all that paperwork to deal with."

"Was it your job to help him?"

"Not at all. However, Mr. Lupin is starting a new job at Hogwarts next term and he's been so busy helping out your aunt that he's been unable to devote much in the way of preparation for his classes."

"You're a nice man, dad," smiled his son. Severus, although pleased by the compliment cringed inwardly. He hoped he wasn't becoming, Merlin forbid, a creampuff!

After Harry ate a slice of apple crumb, he and his father went into the living room where they sat upon the sofa. Harry curled up against his father's side as Severus summoned one of Harry's favorite bedtime books, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.

Looking up from a book she'd been reading, Echo quickly slipped in a bookmark, closed it softly, and leant her ear to the reading. Severus' deep, smooth voice flowed like cream and coffee as he read:

"This is the story of the great war that Rikki-tikki-tavi fought single-handed, through the bath-rooms of the big bungalow in Segowlee cantonment. Darzee, the Tailorbird, helped him, and Chuchundra, the musk-rat, who never comes out into the middle of the floor, but always creeps round by the wall, gave him advice, but Rikki-tikki did the real fighting."

"He was a mongoose, rather like a little cat in his fur and his tail, but quite like a weasel in his head and his habits. His eyes and the end of his restless nose were pink. He could scratch himself anywhere he pleased with any leg, front or back, that he chose to use. He could fluff up his tail till it looked like a bottle brush, and his war cry as he scuttled through the long grass was: "Rikk-tikk-tikki-tikki-tchk!"

Harry did his best to stay awake for the whole story of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, but halfway through the mongoose's exploration of the garden, Harry slipped back to sleep and into a funny little dream where he was a brave mongoose saving all his friends from an evil white snake with red eyes. The dream did not turn into a nightmare but wound its way through Hagrid's garden, flew through the sky on a broom, and brought Harry down to a wide field where he and Hector ran through tall grass until the little boy woke for breakfast.